Everyone knows about the major food groups, eating a balanced diet, and following USDA’s My Plate. Here are some healthy  food options that we have read about that help people avoid harmful chemicals.

Food Labeling

Here are some food labels that actually have meaning:

• Organic
• No antibiotics used, raised without antibiotics, never ever added antibiotics
• American grass fed
• Food alliance certified grass fed

Labels that are possibly meaningless

• Natural
• No antibiotic residues, no antibiotics growth promotants
• Antibiotic free

Organic Food

Organic fruits and vegetables are an obvious option and our post concentrates on buying just the ones that have the most pesticide residue. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has found that even after you wash certain fruits and vegetables, they still contain much higher levels of pesticide residue than others.

Super cancer fighter vegetables per a Stanford Doctor include: soy, onions, broccoli, tomatoes and blueberries.

Organic Milk

Buy milk that is USDA organic to avoid hormones like bovine growth hormone (rbST or rBGH), antibiotics, pesticides, and other additives. Most industrialized nations and all 25 members of the EU have not approved rBGH because it can sicken cows. Organically raised cows are also given access to pasture.  Some believe that these benefits are not real because milk is tested for antibiotic and pesticide residue.  Others believe that these hormones produce milk with higher-than-normal levels of the insulin-like growth factor called IGF-1. Where is my milk from shows where your milk is from.  Did you know that skim, whole, reduced fat milk all have similar amounts of protein,  calcium, and vitamin D?

Processed meats like cold cuts, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages have lots of sodium and nitrates which may cause heart risks or cancer.  Buy nitrate free meats instead.

Organic Eggs

Organic Eggs have better flavor and the chickens laying them have been feed organic feed. Eating them is a good way to  help minimize risk of exposure to antibiotics, or synthetic hormones and pesticides while obtaining a healthy dose of nutrients.

Eggs need to be fully cooked properly to prevent food poisoning and salmonella contamination. Bacteria can exist inside an uncracked, uncooked whole egg. Avoid eating raw cookie dough with egg or making ice cream with egg or Caesar salad dressing with raw eggs. Cook eggs until the egg yolk and the egg white are firm. Cook egg custard used in eggnog, homemade ice cream, and quiches to at least 160 degrees. Bake egg meringues at 350 degrees for at least 15 minutes on the lower rack of your oven.

Buying Local Food

There has been a movement to purchase food grown locally, in order to support local farmers as well as combat global warming. While this practice does help nearby farms, transportation from a farm makes up a tiny, roughly 4%, amount of the emissions generated from food production.

Noticed a new product at the grocery store last week. Hormel Natural Choice Natural Deli Meat is now available with no nitrates or nitrites, no preservatives, no MSG, Raised without added Hormones, and Gluten Free. We need to salute a mainstream manufacturer for moving in the right direction. Ask your local supermarket for it.

Processed meats like cold cuts, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages have lots of sodium and nitrates which may cause heart risks or cancer.

We primarily buy an small local brand’s Heidi’s Hens Organic deli meat that also has no nitrates, antibiotics, growth hormone, etc.. They have them at Whole Foods but not mainstream markets like Safeway.

NY Times had an interesting article about the rise in CO2 emissions as more people eat meat. I knew that meat consumption affected the environment, but did not understand the magnitude.

From the chart, you can see what the alternatives to meat cost. Time to eat more chicken instead of beef. Yes becoming a vegetarian helps, but that is a difficult step for most to make.

Be sure to read Healthy Food Options to avoid Chemicals

Organic Beef and Poultry

80% of antibiotics sold in the USA are used on animals. They are utilized to increase growth rate and prevent disease. Because many of the animals we consume are raised in unsanitary conditions, these drugs are used as stop-gap measures. Antibiotics are either placed in animal feed or water. Some veterinarians and cattle folks argue that small amounts of antibiotics cuts the risk of animal sickness by 25% – 50%. Scientists believe that feeding animals antibiotics when they are not sick, causes more drug resistant super bugs or infections. 99,000 people died in 2002 due to hospital acquired infections, most of those from super bugs.

Avoid hormones and antibiotics in Beef and Poultry buy purchasing Organic products and grass fed beef. American livestock routinely get antibiotics to promote growth and to prevent possible illness. The problem is that this practice to germs to mutate and possibly generate antibiotic resistance in humans. In Denmark, they track livestock antibiotics and require a prescription before any is applied. Perhaps the United States should join this approach. The United States is six times more antibiotics than Denmark to produce meat. An additional problem with antibiotics is that they can wipe out almost all bacteria in a person gut, leaving them more susceptible to an infection.

A recent public health study from Harvard University found that eating one additional serving of processed red meat each day can increase your risk of death by 20%. When examining this statistic, it equates to two more deaths per 1 thousand people per year or an actual increase of 0.2% points. A BBC analysis said that this is equivalent to a 40 year old person living to 79 instead of 80.

Saw this amusing sign at Whole Foods. Friends Don’t Let Friends eat meat with Drugs. Whole Foods is the only large supermarket chain to carry meat raised without antibiotics.

We like Chipotle Mexican Grill and their food, but noticed that our local location has had a “We are not serving Natural Chicken” sign on the counter for a number of months. They advertise that they attempt to use meats without hormones or antibiotics. We decided to investigate and found some interesting details. Chipotle endeavors to use as much natural chicken as possible, but does not guarantee this. We have seen figures showing that 66% of the chicken meets the standard. This is sort of false advertising, when pure, natural ingredients are promised, but rarely used. What are the issues behind this, supply, profits?

One interesting issue is the fact that they only use chicken dark meat and not chicken white meat. Local vendors have trouble just supplying dark meat, as demand for natural chicken has waned with the economy. Granted, Chipolte serves up a lots of chicken, given its numerous locations and high demand, but needs to upholds its principles. How about switching to white meat or better yet, a blend of white and dark meat, which is how chickens come!

Pink Slime Beef

The TV celebrity Jamie Oliver recently brought to light the common ground beef filler now known as Pink Slime or lean finely texture beef. This material is made from beef scraps left over in the cutting process, fat is removed from these trimmings and in many cases, ammonium-hydroxide gas is used to kill bacteria.

This Pink Slime is mixed in with ground beef, often to make it more lean. The controversy has caused many supermarkets to stop use of this filler product. This just shows another food production techniques are not known to the general public. If we knew how all our food was grown and processed, we would demand more healthy products.

Positive Aspects of Pink Slime

• Less cattle is slaughtered (1.5 million more animals would have to be used)
• Leftovers from slaughter do not need to be burned, disposed of, or used as pet food
• If not used for pets, food equivalent to feeding 42 million people would be required
• Hamburger is more lean because of this
• School hamburgers are less likely to have E. Coli

Perhaps the ultimate answer is to require every manufacturer to label products containing pink slime or lean finely textured beef. While pink slime is definitely gross, consider that sausages and hot dogs are made from a slimy, slurry solution also. This whole controversy has led to more restaurants stating whether their beef contains pink slime or not.

Antibiotics Ban put off

photo credit: shimgray

Keep Antibiotics Working covers the quiet FDA withdrawal of a ban of extralabel use of an antibiotic used for animal production. Industry has once again prevailed. We’ve all read about superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics.

In April 2012, the FDA finalized plans to ask drug companies to limit the use of antibiotics in animal feed. Two hundred drugs used to promote cattle growth will be used only to treat and prevent diseases. A veterinarian would have to prescribe these items. This is a win although the FDA could have just banned the use of antibiotics to help cattle grow.

They have a good page on how to help end misuse of antibiotics. Buy organic meat or poultry raised without routine use of antibiotics.

Stick to whole wheat bread and bread products.

Foods to avoid

• Avoid sugary foods especially ones with added high fructose corn syrup.  Diet soda does not help much as they are still empty calories. Avoid Protein Drinks with heavy metals.
• Avoid foods from cans and plastic containers that may have BPA.
• Do not watch TV during meals.
• Say no to foods with Trans fats.
• Avoid artificial colors and dyes
• Avoid anything with sharks fin in it

Avoid microwaved popcorn because to the inside of a microwave popcorn bag is usually coated with a perfluorinated chemical (PFC) called a fluorotelomer that can break down to form perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA has been linked to cancer and birth defects in animals and preliminary epidemiological studies suggest that a pregnant woman’s exposure to PFOA may reduce her baby’s birth weight.

Get as much fiber in your diet as possible.  Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes are some great sources.

Cooking your food Safely

• Cook on non teflon cookware
• Avoid microwaving food in plastic. Use ceramic or glass containers
• Cooked eggs and products with eggs, carefully
• Buy only high-quality ground beef
• Stick to sustainable seafood
• BBQ your food safely
• Go easy on proteins drinks
• Buy sustainable seafood

Be sure to watch the sunscreen and cosmetics you use.

Healthy Wheat Bread

Wheat bread is another one of those meaningless terms because most bread is made from wheat. Some wheat bread is ‘faked’ by using brown packaging or dyeing the bread with molasses or brown sugar. White bread is made using refined grains that are not as healthy.

Most people should equate whole wheat to including both the inside wheat germ and outer wheat bran. USDA Certified Organic wheat is even better. This type of bread will have more fiber than other breads. Look for whole wheat, whole oats, or 100% whole wheat as the first ingredient on packaging, not wheat flour. Some items have the Whole Grains Stamp making whole grain products easier to identify.

Fast Food grilled chicken – Carcinogen PhIP

photo credit: VirtualErn

I read an article about Doctors suing KFC over the carcinogen PhIP in grilled chicken and decided to look into the situation. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine accused KFC of violating California’s Proposition 65. This law requires businesses to warn customers if they are being exposed to substances that cause cancer or birth defects.

“A PCRM scientist visited six different KFC stores, obtained two samples from each location, and sent them to an independent testing laboratory. All 12 samples were found to contain PhIP, a chemical classified as a carcinogen by the federal government, the state of California, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. PhIP, part of a chemical family known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs), has been linked to several forms of cancer, including breast cancer, in numerous scientific studies. No safe level of ingestion has been identified. Every sample also tested positive for at least one additional type of HCA.”

““Grilled chicken can increase the risk of cancer, and KFC consumers deserve to know that this supposedly healthy product is actually just as bad for them as high-fat fried chicken,” says Neal D. Barnard, M.D., the president of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). “KFC should post warnings because its aggressively marketed new product harbors a chemical that increases the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other forms of this lethal disease.”

This issue is not limited to KFC, other fast food places have the same problem.

It is great that someone exposes this area. We have covered the health problems with grilling meats at high temperatures in the past.

This study from the NIH concluded: “Our results suggest that dietary interventions targeted at lower consumption of grilled red meats may reduce prostate cancer risk via the PhIP prostate carcinogenic pathway.”

Clearly there are issues with PhIP. We would rather not get exposed to it.

Sulfuryl Fluoride Fumigation and Food

Fluoride Action Network is a site that is building public awareness of problems with the EPA’s approval of using Sulfuryl Fluoride to fumigate raw and processed food commodities like barley, bran, wheat. Dow AgroSciences seeked approval because methyl bromide was being banned because of ozone depletion problems. Fluoride residue can result on the food that is consumed. There are no labeling requirements. This fumigant is also used when tenting building to kill termites. Science Daily reports that it is also a potent Greenhouse Gas that stays in the atmosphere for at least 30-40 years.

Stay tuned for more information.

Time to eat mostly organic?

Go for orange oil instead of Sulfuryl Fluoride when fumigating?

Why do people purchase organic fruits and vegetables?

• Belief that they are healthier
• No use of pesticides or chemicals
• Better treatment of the land and workers
• More nutritious than regular produce

A study in 2012 by Stanford Researchers found that organic produce and meat was not more nutritious, but did possess a 30% fewer risk of pesticide contamination. Clearly organic produce is more expensive and less available than traditional produce. Some consumers like ourselves believe in this farming methodology and are willing to pay a premium.

USDA Pesticide Residue Study

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a list of fresh fruits and vegetables containing pesticide residues. While pesticide residues fell within the EPA’s tolerance level for safe food, concerned consumers may want to adjust their buying decisions based on the list.

Apples topped the list with 98% containing pesticide residue. Industry immediately shot back and said that growers are doing nothing illegal, they are just trying to keep their apples fresh and nutritious. Fungicides are routinely applied to apples because they are stored for several months before being sold. Items were washed in water for 10 seconds before being tested. Other items with high pesticide rates:

• Apples – 98% contain pesticide residues
• Grapes – 97
• Strawberries – 96
• Cilantro – 94
• Potatoes – 92
• Oranges – 85
• Green Onions – 66
• Sweet Potatoes – 48
• Organic Lettuce – 20

We would definitely buy organic for items above 50%, others may draw their own conclusions.

Organic Vegetables and Fruit

Organic products are more expensive. I was looking for a guide that listed fruits and Veggies that one could save money by moving to non organic on less crucial items. See our post on the definition of organic.

FoodNews, run by the Environmental Working Group, has a list of 43 items with highest pesticide load. Peaches, Apple, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries are way up there on the buy Organic list.

On the other end are items like Bananas, Kiwi, Asparagus, Sweet Peas-Frozen, Mango, Pineapples, Sweet Corn-Frozen, Avocado, and Onions, that I would consider not going Organic.

A recent article flags high pesticide levels in frozen blueberries, strawberries, and celery. There may be a link to pesticides and ADHD.

Consumer Reports.org also has an article on when it pays to buy organic.

While you will save money, non-organic products do subject farmers and the environment to pesticides.

It gets more complicated.. Recent articles have said that Choosing Organic Pesticides over Synthetic Pesticides May Not Effectively Mitigate Environmental Risk.

Be sure to read our article on organic and biodynamic wines.

Organic Lollipops

Couldn’t believe they have organic…

Amazon has Organic Lollipops which are also allergen-free; gluten-free; GMO-free; egg-free; soy-free; nut-free; casein-free; dairy-free. What will become organic next?

Overheard… “Mom, Can I have a Lollipop? They’re organic so they must be good for you!”

Food Nutritional Scoring System – ONQI – NuVal

NuVal.com has a food scoring system that “allows consumers to see – at a glance – the nutritional value of the food they buy.” Items are scored from 1 (Worst) to 100 (Best).

It was created by an independent team:

“The team of recognized nutrition and medical experts that developed the ONQI™ algorithm behind the NuVal™ System was entirely funded by Griffin Hospital without support from manufacturers or other parties interested in promoting specific foods.”

Soda gets a 1, Broccoli scores 100. Pretty easy to decode relative benefits of different foods.

Bulk Foods are Eco-Friendly and Save Money

We have covered food packaging waste in the past. It is a waste of energy making all the paper and plastic that many foods come in, especially individual servings of items. Few packaging items get recycled. We pay extra money and create waste for the convenience.

Visit the bulk food isle of your local grocery store to save money and be more green. Some allow you to bring your own containers, saving a dreaded plastic bag. Whole foods is a good place with bulk foods.

Food Inc. – Food Industry Commercialization

Food Inc. was a sobering but enlightening movie. It covers the commercialization of the food industry. There are many costs when putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact.

Shown were slaughterhouses and factory farms where chickens grow too fast to walk properly. Cows eat feed pumped with toxic chemicals. After watching this you want to become a vegetarian or at least stick to local, organic, and sustainable food.

The film shows Barbara Kowalcyk, who had lost her son to eating a hamburger with E. coli, and she’s now dedicated her life to trying to make the food system safer. But when they asked her what she eats, she told them she couldn’t tell them because she would be sued if she answered. Scary.

We learned about Roundup pesticide resistant soybean seed and their legal tactics. There are already weeds resistant to this pesticide. No surprise!

Eco-friendly, Green Wine – Biodynamic Wine – Organic Wine

Eco-friendly in the green movement has hit the wine industry. Wine is a product of nature and careful nurture. The San Francisco area is ground zero for several large movements in wine.

Wine by the tap

Many are used to getting soda and beer from the tap. Be prepared to have wine from a tap after local restaurant. We have been to several restaurants offering wine this way, and found the results satisfying. While each restaurant only had a handful of wines by the tap, the wines available should satisfy many consumers.

By utilizing this methodology. Less wine is wasted, quality can be more consistent, glassed in Cork are not needed, and wine prices can be more affordable. Ask your local restaurant or bar to support this new wave. Frances and Locanda in San Francisco, are two top-notch restaurants serving wine this way.

Biodynamic wine

We saw Biodynamic wines listed on a restaurant’s wine menu and wondered what it meant. With the holiday season in full swing, a lot of wine is going to be bought, gifted and consumed. Folks want to be green so they are paying more attention to labels.

Biodynamic wines are wines made with grapes farmed without chemical fertilizers, genetic modification, animal by products, and pesticides. They view farming as a an ecosystem and contribute natural resources into it, rather than depleating it. Some farmers time the sun and moon phases to grow biodynamic crops. They allow only sulfides to be added to the wine. They are grown with Organic Fertilizers. This type of wine is popular in Europe as the movement started there in 1924.

Organic wine

Organic wine is made from organically grown grapes and made without added sulfites. No Synthetic pesticides are used, and no petroleum rich sewage sludge-based fertilizers, genetic modification, or radiation is used. Certified Organic Wines will have the USDA organic logo emblazon on them. If you get headaches after drinking wine and cannot tolerate sulfites, try an Organic wine.

You will also find Wines labeled made with Organic Grapes but not labeled USDA Organic. These probably have sulfites.

Be sure to recycle your wine corks and wine bottles.

Cantaloupes and Lettuce Listeria Fears

Food problems sicken 48 million people a year, causing 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3000 deaths. Unfortunately, the number of people affected has been growing in the last couple of years.

A Listeria fear was happening in September 2011. Cantaloupe from Colorado has been traced to Listeria illness and has caused 29 deaths, and has sickened at least 139 people in 28 states. In 1985 a listeria outbreak in California caused 28 deaths and 20 stillbirths or miscarriages.

Listeria is found in soil, water and the intestines of some animals. The FDA pinpointed the reason for the outbreak to Cantaloupe from a Colorado farm, but unsanitary conditions in the food packing facility is suspected of causing the problem.

One of the surprising facts that came out of the investigation, was that Jensen Farms was awarded a top safety rating by a for profit inspection company, known as a 3rd party auditor. The FDA does not have enough people to do all the testing itself in fact, it only inspected 6% of domestic food producers in 2011, and 0.4% of food importers. These auditing firms are not required to meet federal standards and have no government supervision. The inspection reports are not made public. Food that was covered by these auditing firms is responsible for sickening almost 3000 people and killing 43, within the United States.

Listeriosis primarily affects the elderly, pregnant women, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems. See your doctor if you feel you are affected.

Romaine lettuce from Salinas, California, is being recalled due to Listeria.

Be careful what you buy and stay up-to-date on all the recalls. FDA has a good list of food recalls.