Food/Water Integrity

18 Nov: Why the USDA Has No Business Overseeing Conditions on Factory Farms

by Tom Philpott via www.grist.org Why isn’t the federal government seriously investigating the possible CAFO-swine flu link? I’ve posed that question several times recently, most recently here. Now let me venture an answer. The USDA is the federal agency tasked with ensuring that practices on farms, including factory animal farms, are safe. But it’s also the agency that exists to…

17 Nov: Food Safety: Congress Loses Its Way

By Jim Turner, Chairman, Citizens For Health This Wednesday, November 18th, the U.S. Senate plans to consider a massive “food safety” bill entitled “The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act”. This bill (S. 510) will strengthen the forces that for the past fifty years have led to unsafe, nutritionally compromised food and will undermine growing efforts working to thwart those forces….

09 Nov: Despite Censorship By Beef Magnate, Michael Pollan Spreads Message About the Real Price of Cheap Food

original link: www.alternet.org Pollan took on Big Ag and cheap food in a panel discussion, after the protests of a meat industry chairman led to his speech at a University being canceled. Award-winning food journalist Michael Pollan was invited to speak on October 15 at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo but after pressure from a university donor…

03 Nov: 80+ Groups and 38,000+ Individuals Unite Against Siddiqui Nomination

Groups Call for Change to Failed Free Trade Agenda That Has Deepened Global Food, Environmental and Health Crises San Francisco, CA, Apopka, FL, Washington D.C. (November 2, 2009) – In an unprecedented effort to block a USTR agriculture nominee, over 80 groups sent a letter today to Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Charles Grassley of the Senate Finance Committee…

26 Oct: Hold the MSG: Food Triggers for Epilepsy and Other Neurological Illnesses

By Alison Rose Levy via The Integrative Health Outlook Last week, 60 Minutes reported on David and Susan Axelrod’s search for a cure for epilepsy prompted by their two decade plus experience of the ailment, which their adult daughter has suffered since infancy. But while Katie Couric admiringly covered the researchers seeking to find “the Cure,” ie. new anti-convulsive drugs,…

21 Oct: Sugar Cereals Are ‘Smart Choices’? FDA Not So Sure

Ever wondered how that “Smart Choices” sticker wound up on the front of Froot Loops or Cocoa Puffs? Well, federal health officials are having similar thoughts, and they’re warning food manufacturers. The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that nutritional logos from food manufacturers may be misleading consumers about the actual health benefits of cereal, crackers and other processed foods….

21 Oct: Target Accused Of Organic Food Fraud

By Lila Shapiro Ever wonder if the organic-labeled milk you’re drinking is really organic? If you purchased it at Target, it might not be. The Cornucopia Institute, a food and agriculture watchdog group, announced Tuesday that it has filed formal complaints with USDA’s organic program accusing Target Corporation of organic food fraud. And in the midst of HuffPost’s No Impact…