Filed under: Science, Farming, Non-GMO, Grains, Midwest Rural, America, Rice

The USDA has just approved a plan to grow 3,200 acres of genetically modified rice near Junction City, Kansas for the purposes of making pharmaceuticals. The "Franken-rice," as it is called by those opposed to the plan, will have human proteins in them.

Though the USDA claims that it will be safe because there are no commercial rice farms (i.e. not for human consumption) in Kansas, there is the possibility that the rice may mix with other edible crops.

Yikes.

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Filed under: East Coast, West Coast, Business, Non-GMO, Dairy, Coffee shops

Ask the barista how much milk they go through in one day then next time you go into Starbucks for a latte. At some stores, the baristas probably far to busy to take note of the number of gallons used, but it is safe to say that it is a lot. And with over 5,500 stores in the US, Starbucks must be one of the largest consumers in the country, so the dairy industry will feel the effects of Starbucks decision to drop all dairy containing the artificial growth hormone RBGH. So far, the coffeehouse has hormone free milk at stores on the west coast (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, New Mexico and Northern California) and in New England, or roughly 37% of all of their dairy products. The company is still developing their plan to phase out the milk from the rest of their stores and it is safe to say that it will be a gradual process when it begins.

Representatives from the dairy industry who support the use of the hormone say that it is only a matter of time before Starbucks passes increased costs onto consumers, but supporters of the switch say that more dairy farmers will stop using the hormone as consumers and businesses look for dairy produced without it, keeping prices under control. Starbucks has not said how this change has affected their operating costs, but will say that they are not planning to raise drink prices as a result of the switch.

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Filed under: Farming, Business, Organic, Non-GMO, Magazines, Trends, Did you know?, Fairtrade

Marion Nestle says that when she talks to people, she hears "this phenomenal sense of despair about their inability to do anything about climate change, or the disparity between rich and poor." A despair that she says is alleviated by a trip to the grocery store where "they can make decisions about what they are buying and send a very clear message." Perhaps people really do express these sentiments to her, but unless specifically directed, it seems unlikely that most people make the connection between relieving their feeling of despair over the "disparity between rich and poor" and shopping for groceries - in this case, probably organic ones.

But it is true that consumers have the power to change the marketplace and that they are doing it every day with the decisions they make at the grocery store, as The Economist mentioned in a recent article. The organic food industry is growing by leaps and bounds and there is an ever-increasing call for higher-quality food, held to higher standards, whether they are organic, local, fair-trade, hormone-free, etc.

Continue reading The Economist talks food politics

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Filed under: Snacks, Non-GMO, Chocolate, Candy, Raves & Reviews, Fairtrade

According to their mission statement, sweetriot's goal is to "create a more just and celebrated multicultural world for our next generation." A fine mission, to be sure, but what they actually do is sell a line of chocolate covered cacao nibs. Appropriately named "peaces", all of their products are all-natural, gmo-free, dairy-free, kosher, gluten-free and feature only fair trade chocolate. In addition to carrying a social cause, they also taste great. The nibs come in three primary flavors, divided and named by the cacao content of the chocolate that enrobes the nibs. Flavor 50 is a mild dark chocolate and almost similar in flavor to milk chocolate, though it is dairy-free. Flavor 65 is a classic dark chocolate and flavor 70 (pictured) is extra dark and boosted with a bit of espresso.

My favorite way to eat them is to mix the three different peace mixes - 50, 65 and 70 - together. The sweeter 50 takes the edge off the dark 70, while leaving a nice espresso taste. Basically, they all just get along - and there's no need to overthink it because it tastes so good.

If you want to give them a taste, the Happy holly-days pack and Hanukah packs deliver one tin of each flavor and also make great little gifts. You can also try the newest flavor, 70cinn, which is a limited edition flavor released just for the holidays.

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Filed under: Farming, Business, Organic, Non-GMO, Dairy, America

More dairies may be going organic, but the demand for organic milk is close to exceeding the supply. Dean Foods, a Texas-based company that is the nation's largest producer of dairy and the owner of Horizon Organics, has even gone so far as to say that the sale of organic milk to stores could be rationed this winter. Part of the reason is that the production of organic dairy drops in winter, when cows in some parts of the country must be sheltered and protected from the cold.

One other problem facing the industry is an increased interest, from the customer,s into where the milk specifically comes from. Dean Foods has already dropped some of their larger suppliers and is focusing on mid-sized herds and smaller family farms. In fact, in trying to meet the current demand, Dean Foods is planning for the long term, hoping to avoid situations like this in the future, by spending $20 million in the next 5 years, helping small farmers transition to organic.

Doubtless, the transition will be easier for farmers to make when they are assured of a strong market for their product. For the rest of the year and until spring, however, consumers would be wise just to buy organic milk when it is available and not expect to see any price cuts or special deals on dairy.

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Filed under: Organic, Non-GMO, Trends, Lists, Did you know?

When it comes to food, just as with everything else, there are fads. These fads are subsets of long-lasting, broader trends that really shape the way we eat. For example, the lo-carb craze of a few years ago was part of a general weight-loss trend, which also covered a whole group of various "fad" diets. That trend slowly turned into one of the new top trends: healthy eating.

Since we're talking about food every day here, it's interested to take a step back and look at the broad categories that so shape how we think about food on a daily basis. As of now, the top trends in food processing, along with a few of their "trendlets," are:

1. Organics: This includes an increased interest in how foods are handled and produced. Growing concern for the environment and for how GMO foods impact us leads to consumers seeking out and valuing "natural" foods, local/regional goods and those produced with sustainable and fair trade policies.

Continue reading Top trends shaping the food industry

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Filed under: West Coast, Non-GMO, Food Oddities, On the Blogs, Meat

At the blog California Eating, Amy captured a strange sign at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. The vendor is advertising "cootie-free hot dogs" (and Buffalo Tacos, which sound great!). This probably means one of two things. Either the vendor is really going for that 6-10 age bracket, possibly because of their heavy economic clout, or "cootie-free" means something along the lines of organic, or hormone-free. I'm inclined to think that they belong in the later category, because $5 per dog seems a little steep for a 6 year old. Does cootie-free marketing sell more? It doesn't have the cache cachet of saying "organic," but it does have a certain appeal to it....

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Filed under: Vegetarian, Organic, Vegan, Non-GMO, Culinary Kids, Newspapers, Stores & Shopping, New Products

This week, the Wall Street Journal reviewed several companies that make and sell organic baby foods. Unlike Tot Pots, all four companies sell their products online, which means that they're available to anyone with a credit card and a mailbox. Hopefully, you'll have a baby, too, but that's not really a prerequisite to purchasing baby food.

Evie's Organic Edibles uses no preservatives, salt or sugar in their well-flavored foods. The NY-based company offers in-home cooking, delivery and classes, too. Plum Organics were described as "good enough for a grown up" - especially some of their dessert options. Homemade Baby is based in Southern California, has food prepared by a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef and offers an on-site baby food tasting room for picky eaters, in addition to mail-order. Little Potatoes Baby Food is colorful from fresh veggies straight from the farm and offers different textures for different age groups.

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Filed under: Snacks, Non-GMO, America, Sugar

In my on-going search for the perfect energy food, I've slurped down a number of gels that tasted pretty much like what I imagine the door handle at a Baskin Robbins tastes like -- syrupy, cloying and gross. So, it's no surprise that when I actually come across a gel that is palatable and delicious, I'm eager to sing its praises.

Honey Stinger Gel is the gel for people who normally can't stand the taste of gels. With a naturally low-glycemic index, Honey Stinger Gels provides lasting energy without the irritating blood sugar spike, which always leaves me shaky and disoriented. Theses sweet, convenient packets are also loaded with a healthy dose of my favorite vitamin -- Vitamin B.  Of the flavor range, which includes Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana and Gold, my favorite has to be "Ginsting." Not only is the name clever, Ginsting comes with an extra kick of ginseng and caffeine for those killer-long bike rides.

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Filed under: British Isles, Science, Non-GMO, Fish, Food Oddities, New Products

Sounds terrible - an ice cream made from fish, but it could make an ice cream that won't pile on the pounds as you eat.

The Times has a report that Unilever, which produces Wall's, Magnums, Carte D'Or and Ben and Jerry's ice cream has applied to the UK's Food Standards Agency for permission to use a fish protein in a range of ice creams and fruit ices. The North Atlantic Pout is an eel-like fish whose blood, using GM technology, has been made into a protein that will cut the fat and calories in ice cream.

If accepted it could be 2008 before the protein appears in products.

Despite the fact that the technology leaves no edible traces of GM material in the finished product - rather like the use of vegetarian rennet in cheese the use of a GM product has been criticized by many as a "stealth" way to introduce a GM product.

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