Two weeks ago it was salmonella in peanut butter products. This week its mercury tainted high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). “A separate study by the US Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) claims mercury was detected in nearly one-third of 55 brand name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first or second highest labelled ingredient”
It’s impossible to know everything that is going on in the world of food safety…unless you checked the FDA website on a daily basis, signed up for their recall email update and created Google alerts for food contamination and safety. I have to admit, it can be a bit scary and I don’t even have children. I understand very well why Jennifer buys organic food for her kids. Mind you, last year there was an organic beef recall too, but it’s usually not as common for organic products.
I will sound like a broken record here, but you have to know what you eat. The closer you eat a food to its natural state the better it is. And as a general rule, the longer the ingredient list, the further a food is from its natural state. I just noticed that even All Bran cereal has sugar listed as the second ingredient and HCFS as the third; and I won’t buy the other brand because it contains artificial sweetener.
Most of the time my breakfast consists of old fashioned oatmeal and plain wheat bran flakes that I buy in bulk. I also add ground flax seeds which I grind myself with my little coffee grinder or a food processor. I’ve got everything I need in that meal and I know there’s nothing artificial in it. Shredded wheat ready to eat cereal is another good option because it only contains wheat and is enriched with some extra vitamins and BHT to maintain freshness. Remember, every time a manufacturer manipulates a food they often add something to increase shelf life, so stick to a very short ingredient list as much as you can.
Now you might say, “Josée, what about last year’s spinach outbreak?” Indeed, contamination happened right there at the farm. The best advice is to wash ALL produce, even the ones you peel. If you don’t, as you are peeling or cutting a grapefruit, a melon or a pineapple, any residue or dirt that is on the outside is brought to the inside with each knife stroke. You should even wash the “pre-washed” salads or other greens, just to be safe.
The moral of the story is to be informed, so please go to Fightbac.org to learn basic sanitation and food safety rules so you and your family are safer.
- Josee
Related Articles:
Sensei Talks: Safe Produce
Sensei Talks: New Salmonella Outbreak
Labels: healthy eating, healthy tips, Josee
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