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POPSConsumer Reports finds BPA in most canned foods More: …our findings are notable because they indicate the extent of potential exposure: Consumers eating just one serving of the canned vegetable soup we tested would get about double what the FDA now considers typical average dietary daily exposure… A 165-pound adult eating one serving of canned green beans from our sample, which averaged 123.5 ppb, could ingest about 0.2 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight per day, about 80 times higher than our experts' recommended daily upper limit. And children eating multiple servings per day of canned foods with BPA levels comparable to the ones we found in some tested products could get a dose of BPA approaching levels that have caused adverse effects in several animal studies… Drinking three servings per day of canned apple juice with BPA levels comparable to the levels found in our samples could result in a dose of BPA that is more than our experts' daily upper limit.
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POPSAn Egregious Tragedy Has Taken Place ... into its clutches. It didn't happen to my child but it did, to someone who lived in my community. His name was Adam Walsh and he was a year younger than my own. The Walsh's horrible story, could have been mine. I, many times frequented the same place as Adam and his mom and I forever shuddered to think it my child who was cut from the herd and open to attack. We as a society should warn our children and ourselves that we are but one or two seconds from something so heinous that our lives would never recover. Whenever our children leave the safety of our sight, we should tell them, "Never allow a stranger to talk lies, in order to hurt you. Scream, cry, run and fight if need be, not to be taken by anyone.” Every child, every young person who falls victim to the savages amongst us, must be a reminder that we live in a jungle of predators but worse, these fiends look like us, so we have to be even more vigilant than jungle prey.
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POPSTHE MILKMAN COMETH! While Taylor was at the FDA in the early 90’s, he also oversaw the policy regarding Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH/rbST)—injected into cows to increase milk supply. The milk from injected cows has more pus, more antibiotics, more bovine growth hormone, and most importantly, more insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is a huge risk factor for common cancers and its high levels in this drugged milk is why so many medical organizations and hospitals have taken stands against rbGH.
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POPSWarning: Eating Meat May Cause Sickness, Paralysis and Death
In short, E. coli didn't just "happen" to the meat industry -- it's a consequence of industrial practices. But nowhere in the article (or in the halls of the USDA or the largescale beef producers for that matter) is the possibility of moving away from this corn-based system raised as a solution for the industrial system. Surprisingly, the article includes virtually no proposed solutions for this crisis -- just vague assurances that the USDA isn't "standing still" on the issue. In reality, the industry focuses exclusively on "managing" the ongoing presence of E. coli O157 though the development of an E. coli vaccine for cows, and irradiation or chemical washes for the meat. All of which are attempts to mask the risks of a failed system and represent an institutionalizing of the underlying failures. And none of which make me ever want to touch industrial meat again. Indeed, if there ever was a powerful argument for eating only grass-fed beef from small producers, this article is it. T
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POPSAmreeka: The Movie As luck would have it, Muna has come to the US at the start of the Iraq War. Anti-Arab sentiment is raging in some quarters. Her brother-in-law, a doctor, has lost patients due to backlash, and her sister is quickly losing patience with the hatred and fear that mars their lives. Though educated and with experience in banking, Muna is unable to find work in her field, but knowing that she must become independent, continues to search for employment, finally finding a job at a local fast food restaurant. Tensions build as Muna, ashamed, tries to hide her place of work from her son and sister; as Fadi deals with bullying bigots at school; and as her sister's family begins to unravel in response to the pressures of the war, and the enormous hardships resulting from anti-Arab bias. Through it all, Muna not only survives, but remains hopeful and thankful for each kind gesture from strangers and new-found friends who come to her assistance in ways small and not so small.
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POPSWarning: This product may cause sickness, paralysis, and death
Given the number of times that beef has been recalled due to contamination in just the past few years, doesn’t it make sense to stop eating it? How many of you have stopped? Stephanie Smith didn’t stop. She is currently in a coma, near death, and paralyzed from eating a single hamburger. E. coli O157 got into industrial beef in the first place because the meat industry insists on feeding cows corn—something they cannot easily digest—instead of grass. Among other things, corn feeding requires cows to be fed a steady dose of antibiotics, which has led to the rise of antibiotic resistance among various pathogens. But more importantly, it has caused very real changes in the cow’s gut which has allowed this toxic strain of E. coli to take hold, a strain that research suggests cannot survive in the gut of cows that eat only grass. The simple solution would be to feed cows grass. But, that solution cannot fatten cattle quickly enough to suit our current appetite for it.
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POPSThe Burger That Shattered Her Life Meat companies and grocers have been barred from selling ground beef tainted by the virulent strain of E. coli known as O157:H7 since 1994, after an outbreak at Jack in the Box restaurants left four children dead. Yet tens of thousands of people are still sickened annually by this pathogen, federal health officials estimate, with hamburger being the biggest culprit. Ground beef has been blamed for 16 outbreaks in the last three years alone, including the one that left Ms. Smith paralyzed from the waist down. This summer, contamination led to the recall of beef from nearly 3,000 grocers in 41 states. Ms. Smith’s reaction to the virulent strain of E. coli was extreme, but tracing the story of her burger, through interviews and government and corporate records obtained by The New York Times, shows why eating ground beef is still a gamble. Neither the system meant to make the meat safe, nor the meat itself, is what consumers have been led to believe.
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POPSWho In The Hades Thinks Up These Twisted Ideas? People will say this is "inhumane", but only a human could come up with something this foul and warped. This is the sort of thing that seriously puts a crimp in my faith in fellow humans. BTW, if this bothers you, there's a petition to sign @ the website.
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POPSProbiotic health claims dismissed He said: "It's been an issue for some time that general health claims are made about these products using the family name for the active ingredient and not saying which member of the family is in the pot. "We expect the claims that will come now from the companies will be much more specific." A Yakult spokesman said: "Yakult has submitted claims for Lactobacillus casei Shirota, a well characterised probiotic strain unique to Yakult. "Evidence for its health benefit is based on over 70 human studies and over 70 years of research. "Opinions on claims submitted for this strain are not expected until 2010."
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POPSYet ANOTHER Joke by the CDC & FDA Articles Related to This Article: • 84% of sunscreen products are harmful to health, says alarming EWG study • The sunscreen myth: How sunscreen products actually promote cancer • Sunscreen warning has it all wrong: people need more sunlight on their skin, not less
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POPS(satire) 10 things I'd rather do than get a Swine Flu vaccine shot #5) Base jump off a tall building with nothing more than a parachute made under the same quality control oversight as FDA-approved swine flu vaccines. #6) Be subjected to forced chemotherapy at gunpoint, just like all the other U.S. teens who are kidnapped by state authorities and forcibly injected with chemo. #7) Have all the superfoods in my pantry secretly replaced with MSG-laced processed food products made by Frito-Lay. #8) Work as a biological hazards disposal volunteer in the "superbug ward" of a local hospital. #9) Drink diet soda until my brain explodes from the aspartame exposure. #10) Get a public relations job at the White House where my sole responsibility is to show the brain-numbed masses how to stupidly sneeze into their own shirt sleeves.
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POPSNon-GMO Shopping Guide - free download The guide is a joint project brought to you by the Institute for Responsible Technology and the Center for Food Safety. Watch for additional products and new product categories!
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POPSCorruption and Conscious in China Although it at first seems appealing to have public officials take responsibility for the disasters that slip by one their watch, it may not be the best course of action. For instance, there was a baby food scandal in 2004, and the government reacted by holding people responsible - heads of companies and several public officials were executed. But now a similar problem is happening again. Why? Because by holding an individual responsible for what is a societal lapse, it allows everyone else to keep on doing business as usual without addressing the fundamental underlying problems. In the case of corruption or dereliction of duty, the communist party's punitive actions have not served as a deterrent, quite the opposite. Perhaps we should also consider this in our own context, for we all own a small part in the disasters we blame on our politicians.
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POPSPolls show atheists on the rise in America The American Religious Identification Survey recently found the number of people who claimed “no religion” had nearly doubled nationally over the last 18 years, to 15 percent. They were the only demographic that increased in all 50 states. Some attribute the surge to outrage over former president George W. Bush and his courting of the religious right. Others mention a slew of best-selling books about atheism that have recently fueled debate. But there’s no doubt the Internet is playing a role too. It offers atheist dating services, and helps nonbelievers meet up — people who might otherwise remain “loners.” “I’m happy to attend any religious observances where the food is good,” said one non-believer. For others, atheism is a cause. Along with freethinking and agnostic groups, they are beginning to lobby Congress on everything from stem cell research to civil rights.
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POPSChickens Not Fooled by GM Crops GM corn found itself in the hot seat late last year, after a highly reputable study commissioned by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety discovered that mice fed GM corn had significantly smaller and fewer offspring compared to the control group. The lead author of the study stated there was a direct link between the GM diet and reduced fertility. Likewise, Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette, has documented 65 serious health risks from GM products of all kinds. Among them: * Offspring of rats fed GM soy showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce * Male mice fed GM soy had damaged sperm * The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice had altered DNA functioning * Several US farmers reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed on GM corn varieties So the question is, what
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POPS Millions facing famine in Ethiopia as rains fail more (at source): Donor countries provided sustenance to 12 million Ethiopians last year, more than half of it through the UN's World Food Programme (WFP). Having passed that total only eight months into this year, and with the main harvest already in doubt, aid agencies fear the worst is still to come. "We're extremely worried," said Howard Taylor, who heads the Department for International Development's office in Ethiopia. DfID has given £54m in aid to the country this year, and Britain has also contributed through the EU. "This is exactly the time when we shouldn't turn away from the people in need," he said.
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POPSPepsiCo Chooses to Continue Using GE Ingredients Despite Evidence of Harm The list of evil corporations grows longer. What else would you label a corporation that continues to use ingredients proven to cause toxicity in the kidney and liver? They sure as hell cannot be considered beneficial or benevolent. US law does not require GE foods be tested for toxicity so PepsiCo will continue to use the material without conscience. To quote Pepsi's response to the proposal: "We believe that genetically-modified products can play a role in generating positive economic, social and environmental contributions to societies around the world; particularly in times of food shortages." PepsiCo’s belief system (making money no matter what) doesn’t fit in with lab test results therefore disregard the tests. Incredibly, Monsanto had this to say: "Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job." That’s my definition of an evil corporation.
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POPSFamily Farmers: No NAIS in our name National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is designed to protect the health of livestock and the economic well-being of those industries by quickly and effectively tracing an animal disease to its source. So sayeth the federal government. NAIS poses the greatest threat to local and sustainable agriculture since the Nixon administration. NAIS was originally designed to give huge corporations help with export markets. It will not stop animal disease or improve food safety. So sayeth those who oppose another layer of bureaucracy that severely cripples the livelihood of independent farmers and ranchers. NAIS is not legislation but a program designed by USDA bureaucrats with the help of businessmen and manufacturers of ID tags and will only enrich the corporations that already control most of our food supply. So sayeth everyone who knows how government really works.
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POPS1 million evacuated as typhoon hits China In the northern Philippines, the typhoon and lingering monsoon rains left 21 people dead and seven others missing in landslides and floodwaters. Xinhua said three fishermen died and 26 others were missing from Tropical Storm Goni, which hit Guangdong on Wednesday but weakened into a tropical depression by Sunday. Helicopters and ships were searching for the missing crew.
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POPSHR 2749 The Seizure of the US Food Supply and Production Passed the House!!!
you from claiming Constitutional protections, and enabling them to violate your rights on multiple levels…..all for food safety of course. There is NOTHING in this bill that will address, prevent or otherwise affect the safety of food. This was federal encroachment which will be extended to the states with the cooperation of state officials. This bill did nothing but establish a police agency, granting it massive and uncontrolled enforcement capabilities allowing it to make up even more rules to benefit its corporate sponsors, as it moves along. Oh! And did I mention this will be done by expanding the FDA? The FDA for god’s sake! A November 2007 report titled “Subcommittee on Science and Technology, FDA Science and Mission at Risk” doc was a scathing review of the not only the inadequacies of FDA, but the fact that it in no way can assure the safety of food in the United States. Defeat HR 2749 Petition http://www.ftcldf.org/petitions/pnum993.php
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POPSRight Wing Leaders Show True Colors Surprised? I'm not in the least. Riling up the "base" is what they do the best and it has become crystal clear that the base if increasingly racist. Of course, they'd deny it.
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