OVER 100 POSTS

I just realized that since I began this blog, January 2009, I have published 102 posts. There are now roughly 100 views a day, and increasing rapidly.

The blog has also changed during this period. Initially, I focused only on the U.S. and Canadian food supplies. But I began to realize that the readership was global - with quite a large segment of readers in various Asian and European countries. There are less hits from Latin America at present except for Brazil. Because of this wide readership, I have begun increasingly to focus on global issues, and plan to do so more in the future.

Recently, several posts have focused on food contamination by radiation in Japan, and its implications for other countries as well. This will probably be an ongoing topic as the situation develops further.

In the future, I would like to try to respond more to comments and questions, and generally make feedback both a key factor in choosing what to discuss and also a part of the posts.

Please comment!

TSF

TOXIC WASTE CANDY AND BUBBLE GUM: LEAD CONTAMINATION

If any candy has an unfortunate name at a time like this, it is "Toxic Waste®" candy and bubble gum. And, right on cue, there is another recall announced (although quickly deleted, probably by the company). This time it is for Toxic Waste® Short Circuits™ Bubble Gum - see image below. ( Lot #15070SC12 which is located along the left side of the bag).

This product is imported to the U.S. from Pakistan, as are the various equally threatening-sounding candies that are distributed by Circle City Marketing and Distributing, doing business as Candy Dynamics, in Indianapolis, Indiana. They have an amazing website which kids would love (I have to admit, even I love it).

No, the cause of the recall is not nuclear waste from Japan or anywhere else. It is excessive levels of lead in the candy (almost double the allowed maximum amount). How did it get in? Probably through one of the ingredients, though we still don't know which one. Here's the ingredient list (courtesy of Walgreen's website,which sells it) and it doesn't sound very healthy for us, does it, even apart from the lead:

Ingredients
Sugar , Gum Base , Corn Syrup , Dextrose , Citric Acid , Artificial Flavors , Coconut Oil , Artificial Colors , (Yellow 5 , Red 40 , Blue 1) , BHA and BHT.

The distributors had another recall of candy recently also because of high levels of lead (see post for Jan. 28, 2011). This time the hazardous bubble gum product was distributed nationwide in the U.S. both through retail stores and mail order, as well as in Canada and in Switzerland (in more limited quantities).

Nor is this the only recent recall or warning for lead-contaminated children's candies.

Just a few days ago, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) warned consumers not to eat Hans Brand Santra Candy, this time imported from India, because of high of lead (almost triple allowed levels).

Wake up FDA! Let's stop importing this risky stuff for our children to eat. We have plenty of great candy makers right here in the U.S. who use safer ingredients. Many of these are struggling small businesses that could use some more market demand right now. Lead is no joke. It's dangerous, particularly for young children and pregnant women. As The Safe Food Handbook points out, as many as one in six U.S. children have been found to have very high levels of lead with no known lead paint cause for about a third of them. Lead in candy (and bubble gum) could be one of the causes. We don't need it!

TSF

RADIATION IN FISH?

Radiation in food is becoming a big issue. People everywhere are becoming nervous - not just in Japan. Even in America. Radiation fears are slowing sales of fish from Japan, and sushi restaurants are finding their customers disappearing. But is the situation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant really likely to result in radiation-contamination of fish as well as of vegetables and milk?

The experience of Chernobyl, as well as of smaller incidents at power plants (including in the U.S.) would argue that it is. And it is not just a question of contaminated marine fish. The Chernobyl disaster of 1986 showed that radiation can also enter rivers and lakes and show up in the fish living there. Fish is very important in the Japanese diet. Fish is also a major export commodity. It comes from a variety of sources: wild-caught ocean fish, marine aquaculture, inland fishing and inland water aquaculture.

After plowing through a number of research studies and scientific papers, I concluded that the levels of radionuclides entering a particular water body will not be the only factor in determining which fish are most likely to become contaminated. A number of other factors are also likely to be involved. One is whether the water is flowing rapidly or not. Another is the type of fish: whether it is predatory, and whether it is a bottom feeder or a surface feeder. The experience of Chernobyl suggests that fish in lakes and ponds will have higher build-up of radionuclides than the same type of fish from fast-moving rivers and streams. Predatory fish will have higher levels than fish which were not predatory. Benthic fish (those that like to lie on the bottom, such as carp - Japan's most popular fish) are more likely to pick up contamination than those fish which tend to live near the surface.

As far as I know, no contamination of seafood from Japan has been reported so far. But the chances are, that it will be soon. If so, don't panic. As I keep saying, in most countries, any radiation-contaminated fish is likely to be caught before it reaches the market. Even if it does get there, a few meals are unlikely to harm you. But if you are pregnant, and for young children, it is still better to stick to the safer fish.

TSF

RADIATION IN EXPORTED FOOD FROM JAPAN

Radiation has now been found in exported Japanese vegetables. The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore has found traces of radiation in Shiso (perilla leaves), Mitsuba (wild parsley), Mizuna ('water' green vegetable), and in Nanohana (green rapeseed blossom) that were imported from Japan. In fact, Singapore has now suspended import of milk and milk products, fruits and vegetables, seafood and meat from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures (note - food in all these areas has shown higher levels of radiation). There is also concern about certain processed foods from Japan, such as infant formula and yoghurt.

Consumers in other countries, including in China, the United States and Canada are also becoming concerned that their food may become radioactive. Some of this worry is overdone. First - as I have said before - the levels of toxic substances such as iodine-131, cesium-134 and cesium-137 that have been found in some exported food so far, are not likely to harm you if you eat a few meals of it. Secondly, radiation in food is easily detected, unlike some toxic chemicals in our food. Thirdly, radioactive iodine has a fairly short life, so levels will decrease quickly, and cesium 137 is excreted rapidly from the body if we ingest it.

I am not saying radiation in food is not unhealthy or not to be avoided if at all possible. It is. But at the present time at least, you don't need to lose sleep over it.

TSF

SALMONELLA IN CHICKEN: THE LATEST U.S. FINDINGS

While I was cooking breakfast and waiting for houseguests to get up this morning, I decided to check on how the U.S. was doing in terms of reducing Salmonella bacteria in raw meat and poultry. This sudden urge was motivated less by obsession with Salmonella bacteria at 5am in the morning than by the fact that the latest report on the topic from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) just happened to pop up in my morning's E-mail.

A little background: the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has been regularly testing for Salmonella bacteria in raw meat and poultry (carcasses and raw ground meat and poultry products) since 1997 (for large establishments) and 1998 for smaller ones. This regular testing for Salmonella is operating alongside one for E.coli bacteria and another for general fecal contamination of raw meat and poultry. So, you could say it is just one indicator of overall meat and poultry contamination in the U.S. But it is still an important one: Salmonella bacteria are fairly common in all our foods, and quite deadly, especially to children and older adults.

I won't go into details on the various categories and procedures used, but here are a few interesting 2010 facts about chicken that I dug up from the USDA/FSIS data (and please don't think that I am prejudiced against either chicken or small producers):

• Raw ground chicken is more likely to carry Salmonella than raw ground beef.
• Since the Jan.-March 2009 quarter to Oct.-Dec. 2010 quarter, the incidence of Salmonella in ground chicken has risen dramatically (from 13.1% to 22.8%).
• It has risen in ground beef too, but is much, much lower than in ground chicken (1.7% to 2.8% for those same periods. Compare this to the above).
• Broilers (young chicken) carcasses have also shown a big increase and the latest findings have shown that almost a tenth are contaminated with Salmonella.
• Ground turkey isn't as bad as ground chicken in terms of Salmonella (the latest findings show 9% to be contaminated, compared to 22.8% in ground chicken).
• Very small establishments producing ground chicken are twice as likely to have contaminated ground chicken as are large ones (45.5% compared to 22.6%). It is even worse in the case of broilers (38.3% compared to 3.7%).

Cook your chicken well and be careful handling it. We can't just rely on the industry and government to keep our food safe.

TSF

RADIATION RISKS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN IN TOKYO AND NEARBY

The good news today is that radiation levels in Tokyo are slightly down from yesterday. But they are still many times what they should be. We can't really be sure just how high radiation is in Japan's food and water. But we do know that soil, irrigation canals, drinking water systems and growing crops, grass and food animals as much as 100km away from the affected Fukushima power plant are picking up radioactive iodine and other contaminants such as caesium 134 and 137. And, we also know that at least some radiation-contaminated food and water is even reaching Tokyo.

Japan's Ministry of Health has warned about risks for infants, but has not issued warnings for pregnant and nursing women. They should have. Pregnant women also take up more iodine-131 and this dangerous substance does cross the placenta to the fetus. Animal testing and studies of human atomic bombing victims and those exposed by incidents like Chernobyl have shown that such iodine may have disasterous effects on the fetus. It can not only cause childhood cancers, but also miscarriages, malformations (such as neurological and motor problems), growth retardation, reduction in IQ and even mental retardation.

Two main risk factors are: the radiation dose, including whether it is acute ( a single dose) or chronic (small doses over time) and the stage of pregnancy when exposed. Exposure during the first trimester is the most serious. Pregnant women need to take extra precautions to avoid exposure to radiation from any source. That includes food and water.

If there is a shortage of bottled water in the home, priority needs to be given to the pregnant woman. She should also be careful what fresh milk she drinks and what vegetables and fruits she eats. This might be a good time to resort to tinned and powdered milk and to tinned and frozen produce, on the assumption that these were produced before the recent tragic earthquake, tsunami and associated nuclear power incident.

TSF

MORE RADIATION CONTAMINATION IN FOOD IN JAPAN

So the latest news is that above-safety radiation levels have been found in 11 types of vegetables (as well as in milk, water) in Japan. Some of these veggies are growing 60km or more away from the Fukushima power plant. I am not surprised. As testing continues, it will find more - also in fruit, and eventually in meat, fish. As in the case of Chernobyl, rain is speeding up such food contamination.

The World Health Organization says that there is no evidence of radiation-contaminated food reaching other countries. Let's hope. Japan does export certain fruit, vegetables, dairy products and seafood to Hong Kong, China and the United States, as well as to other places.

China has now announced that it is monitoring food imports from Japan and South Korea has also said that it is expanding inspection of Japanese food. So far, Australia and the U.S. seem to feel there's no need for extra precautions. This may change.

In the meantime, remember that although the levels of radioiodine are above those considered safe, you still won't get much from just a few meals to hurt you.

TSF