food museum blog

Britain to Test GMO Spuds--No, Not for Eating

Potatoes developed by the German company BASF  to have resistance to blight will be grown in trials in Britain next year.The GMO spuds will not be grown for human or animal consumption but rather for industrial use. ( The potato's starch is used in degradable plastics, cosmetics, medicines and more.)

Those in favor of GMO altered foods point out that  modifying the potato in this manner may well be preferable to the heavy spraying of chemical fungicides necessary to combat "late blight."  The fungus-like pathogen that wiped out potato harvests in Ireland in the mid 1800's continues to exist today in potato-growing areas around the world.

Many in Britain are opposed to the growing of any GMO food plants for any purpose.

According to today's Reuter's piece, " Britain's largest organic certification body, the Soil Asssociation, said, however, it was dismayed by the decision, adding there would be no market for GMO potatoes in Britain.

"The government is ignoring what consumers want to eat and their health and safety...The chances of anyone in the UK willingly buying GM potato crisps or chips are zero. This trial is a monumental waste of time and money," Soil Association policy director Peter Melchett said."

For an overview of GM, take a look at this report from NewScientist.com.

Americans Will Eat Roofing Paper Happily In Their Snacks As Long as Snacks Are Fat-Free Dept: Olestra

Remember olestra? It's a fake fat, with no calories, approved by the FDA but linked to many cases of stomach cramps and diarrhea. Olestra also appears to deplete the body's fat-soluble vitamins. First used by Frito-Lay in its line of  Wow! chip products, olestra is still there, but since 2004 "Wow" has been called "Light,"  thus confusing snackers who thought they were avoiding olestra. Apparently, for many, frequent bathroom runs continued.

Over the long run, diarrhea can be a fairly effective weight loss tool, of course.  Just ask anyone with cholera.

(Above: Olestra molecule--a cry for help? The finger? Diagram from Elmhurst College, http://www.elmhurst.edu/)

The Center for Science in the Public Interest threatened to sue Frito-Lay unless it clearly labeled front and back the Tostitos, Lay's and Ruffles containing olestra. ( Olestra was listed as an ingredient, and Olean, the brand name of olestra, was on the front.)  Frito-Lay has agreed, according to yesterday's AP Story, and also made an unrestricted grant of $150,000 to Harvard Medical School's nutrition division.

Back in 2003, the FDA changed the labeling requirement for olestra, stating:

" The FDA concluded that the label statement was no longer warranted because:

"Real-life" consumption studies of products containing olestra showed olestra caused only infrequent, mild gastrointestinal (GI) effects. In fact, a 6-week study with more than 3,000 people showed that the group consuming olestra-containing chips experienced only a minor increase in bowel movement frequency compared to those people who consumed only full-fat chips.

• Post-market studies showed consumers are aware of olestra and its potential GI effects. "

Naturally the labeling change caused snack giants to introduce new lines of items containing the fake fat.

Here's Proctor & Gamble's pr output on Olean, developed by P&G and appropved by the FDA in 1996.  In the website's FAQ section, there's this:

"Olean is made from ingredients found in common foods like vegetable oil and sugar. Then, it’s processed in a way that adds zero fat to the snacks you love. Since Olean is not digested, it’s similar to eating foods like apples, corn and bran, where the insoluble fiber is not broken down by the body. So, when you eat Olean snacks, the Olean passes through the digestive tract without adding any dietary fat or calories. And, because Olean molecules are much larger than those of ordinary fats, the body's digestive enzymes cannot break them down. " ( Foodie is trying for the jaundiced effect up there, just for emphasis.)

Here's how the Center for Science in the Public Interest reports on olestra.

Beans Are GO!--Shuttle Discovery Launched On 13-Day Mission

Commanded by U. S. Air Force  Col. Eileen Collins, the shuttle Discovery took off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida today, and minutes afterwards, space launch team members dove into what has become a traditional celebratory meal of beans and cornbread---60 gallons worth of beans, cooked in 12  18-quart cookers.
The custom began back on April 12, 1981 when NASA Test Director Norm Carlson brought from home a crockpot of beans and some cornbread to feed hungry staffers. With each launch he brought in larger quantities of food and kept doling out beans until his retirement. At some point in the past 20 years the cry "Beans are go!" became  code for "a successful launch, let's rip into some chow."
These days NASA official food providers supply the bean and cornbread feast.

The recipe that follows might well suit anyone having an enormous family reunion this summer. Foodie did wonder about the  paucity of celery in the recipe,  went tsk tsk over the liquid smoke, and asked, "Where are the chiles??"   

Successful Launch Beans ( Courtesy Nancy Holland, King5.com)

   Put 6 lbs. dried Great Northern Beans in an 18-quart electric cooker
   Cut 10 lbs of smoked ham into cubes
   Add ham and ham bones to beans
   Add ½ shaker of lemon pepper
   Add 3 lbs chopped onions
   Add 2 stalks chopped celery
   Add 1 tsp. liquid smoke
   Cover with water and cook for at least eight hours.

Water Wars Next?

The next big thing may well be lack of water, according to World Water Week scientists. Increasing population means more food and that means more water use, and more environmental degradation.

Here's a portion of a Reuters article on this subject today.

By Patrick McLoughlin

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The risk of wars being fought over water is rising because of explosive global population growth and widespread complacency, scientists said on Friday.
"We have had oil wars," said Professor William Mitsch. "That's happened in our lifetime. Water wars are possible."
Scientists at the World Water Week conference which began on Sunday in Stockholm said that ignorance and complacency were widespread in wealthier countries.
"I don't know what will shake these regions out of complacency other than the fact there will be droughts, pestilence and wars that break out over water rights," said Mitsch, professor of natural resources at Ohio State University.
Mitsch told Reuters potential flashpoints included the Middle East.

Click here to read another article on this.