Food & Nutrition
Climate only partly to blame for Africa food woes
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Africa may seem incapable of growing enough food to feed its starving millions, but in the fields of South Africa’s Free State, farmers are taking in more maize than they know what to do with.
While most African countries run at a substantial food deficit, with millions dependent on food aid and malnutrition rife, South African maize yields per hectare are the highest on record - and farmers say it is not just down to good weather.
US group calls for health warnings on soft drinks
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A U.S. consumer group on Wednesday called for cigarette-style warnings on soft drinks to alert consumers that too much of the sugary beverages can make them fat and cause other health problems.
People who overindulge in soft drinks are also more likely to develop diabetes and have decaying teeth, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said in a petition to the Food and Drug Administration.
US says Cyprus ties could suffer over GMO plan
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A plan by Cyprus to put genetically modified food on separate supermarket shelves angered the United States on Wednesday, as Washington warned the move could harm bilateral ties.
The U.S. had sent a letter to the Cypriot parliament warning that the move by the European Union country would stigmatise biotech goods and could contravene Cyprus’ obligations as a World Trade Organisation member, deputies said.
Under EU legislation, each state is free to display biotech food as it wishes.
Cheese from Mexico linked to TB-like infections
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Several New York City cases of a type of tuberculosis that normally affects cattle appear to be due to fresh cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk in Mexico, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
Infection by Mycobacterium bovis, the culprit in these cases, used to be common before milk pasteurization but is a rarity these days.
Three EU states seen keeping ban on GMO maize type
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The United States may see its case against Europe’s biotech policy strengthened this week as three EU governments look set to maintain bans on a type of genetically modified (GMO) maize, a EU official said on Monday.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, wants Austria, Luxembourg and Germany to scrap their bans on Bt-176, a GMO maize strain made by Swiss biotech giant Syngenta .
Consumer group wants warning label on potato chips
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A California consumer legal group is campaigning to require warning labels on potato chips, saying they contain a chemical known to cause cancer and state law requires the warnings.
The Environmental Law Foundation filed notices with the Golden State’s attorney general on Thursday against Lay’s potato chip maker PepsiCo Inc., Pringles maker Procter & Gamble Co., Cape Cod potato chip parent Lance Inc. and Kettle Chips maker Kettle Foods Inc.
The notices give the attorney general’s office 60 days to take up the case on behalf of all Californians. If the state declines to pursue the matter, the group said in the documents that “it intends to bring suit in the public interest” against the companies.
EU food agency says illegal GMO maize probably safe
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A genetically modified (GMO) maize that is illegal in Europe but found its way into EU countries probably does not pose a risk to either animals or humans, Europe’s food safety agency said on Monday.
While data on the maize, known as Bt-10 and made by Swiss agrochemicals group Syngenta, was incomplete, it seemed that mixing of Bt-10 with a similar strain Bt-11—which is approved in the EU—was probably harmless.
Low zinc intake may sap exercisers’ energy
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Active people who get too little zinc in their diets may run out of juice sooner than they should, new research suggests.
The study found that when 14 active young men followed a 9-week diet low in zinc, their cardiovascular fitness dipped in comparison to their performance during 9 weeks on a zinc-fortified diet.
Limit portions of farm-raised salmon, experts say
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People should avoid eating too much farm-raised salmon, which contains significantly more of the chemical dioxin than is found in fish caught in the wild, new study findings show.
After analyzing the dioxin content of farm-raised and wild salmon captured in different regions, a group of North American researchers found that farm-raised types contain between 3 and 10 times more dioxin than wild salmon.
Using guidelines from the World Health Organization, the researchers calculate that consumers should eat fewer than 10 meals of farm-raised salmon per month, and limit fish that’s raised on northern European farms to 4 times per month.