FINALLY!!!!!
Last year, Congress passed a law requiring that foods containing genetically modified ingredients reveal that on their labels.
By the summer of 2018, the marketing division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is charged with defining what that label will say.
Will it actually list the ingredients (as in: "This product contains genetically modified corn and soy"), or will it be a QR code connecting the consumer to the information on a website?
The debate over the label's wording could prove as contentious as the fight over genetically modified organisms themselves.
GMOs are plants whose DNA has been changed. The development is beyond the typical cross-breeding of plants because the changes are made in the laboratory at the cellular level.
Opponents of GMOs fought hard for the labeling. They consider GMOs less safe than non-GMO foods, have ethical concerns about tampering with nature, have issues with the corporations behind GMO seed (namely Monsanto), and fear environmental damage from widespread GMO crops.
GMOs were developed 20 years ago to help farmers by changing the structure of plants to make them more resistant to disease so that farms could produce higher yields while applying fewer pesticides. GMOs are produced mostly for commodity crops: Corn, soy, canola and sugar beet.
Recently, I had the chance to sit in while a group of Ohio food manufacturers learned about the new labeling law from Steve Armstrong of EAS Consulting.
Armstrong is a lawyer who specializes in food labeling and food-regulation compliance; until recently, he served as the chief food-law counsel for Campbell's Soup Co. Armstrong traveled to Columbus to speak at the Ohio Food Industry Summit, sponsored by the Center for Innovative Food Technology in Toledo.
JUMP
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Researchers identify therapy that shrinks tumors in patients with multiple myeloma
Mayo Clinic researchers have found that an experimental drug, LCL161, stimulates the immune system, leading to tumor shrinkage in patients affected by multiple myeloma. The findings are published in Nature Medicine.
Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that affects plasma cells - white blood cells that normally produce antibodies to fight infection. Rather than produce helpful antibodies, the cancer cells, as they grow, secrete large amounts of a single antibody that accumulate in the body, causing kidney problems and infections.
"The drug, LCL161, was initially developed to promote tumor death," says Marta Chesi, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic biochemist and lead author of the study of 25 Multiple Myeloma patients. "However, we found that the drug does not kill tumor cells directly. Rather, it makes them more visible to the immune system that recognizes them as foreigner invaders and eliminates them."
Mayo Clinic researchers will conduct a follow-up clinical trial of LCL161 in combination with an inhibitor of immune checkpoints that has been widely used in many cancer treatments to evaluate if LCL161 could represent a potential new treatment option.
"The model for preclinical studies to predict with great accuracy which drugs would work in the clinic was developed a decade ago," says Dr. Chesi. "And it has been instrumental in the prioritization of which experimental therapeutics should be tested in patients with multiple myeloma."
The research highlights the importance of studying the effects of drugs not only on the tumor cells in a culture plate, but also on the interaction of the tumor cells with their own microenvironment. The finding that LCL161 is active against multiple myeloma suggests that similar drugs may have broader clinical activity than previously thought.
Explore Further HERE
Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that affects plasma cells - white blood cells that normally produce antibodies to fight infection. Rather than produce helpful antibodies, the cancer cells, as they grow, secrete large amounts of a single antibody that accumulate in the body, causing kidney problems and infections.
"The drug, LCL161, was initially developed to promote tumor death," says Marta Chesi, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic biochemist and lead author of the study of 25 Multiple Myeloma patients. "However, we found that the drug does not kill tumor cells directly. Rather, it makes them more visible to the immune system that recognizes them as foreigner invaders and eliminates them."
Mayo Clinic researchers will conduct a follow-up clinical trial of LCL161 in combination with an inhibitor of immune checkpoints that has been widely used in many cancer treatments to evaluate if LCL161 could represent a potential new treatment option.
"The model for preclinical studies to predict with great accuracy which drugs would work in the clinic was developed a decade ago," says Dr. Chesi. "And it has been instrumental in the prioritization of which experimental therapeutics should be tested in patients with multiple myeloma."
The research highlights the importance of studying the effects of drugs not only on the tumor cells in a culture plate, but also on the interaction of the tumor cells with their own microenvironment. The finding that LCL161 is active against multiple myeloma suggests that similar drugs may have broader clinical activity than previously thought.
Explore Further HERE
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
No Excuses Detox - 100 Recipes That Help You Eat Healthy Every Day
Hi Gang:
I just received a review copy of this publication, and was really impressed. You guys know that we've been on a bit of a healthy-eating kick. I couldn't believe my eyes when I flipped through this book. Like a kid in a candy store!
In the next week or so I'll be whipping up a couple of recipes that immediately caught my eye.
I'll share them with you!
Nan
*******************************
No Excuses Detox proves that creating nutritious, healthy meals doesn’t have to be difficult. Megan Gilmore, author of Everyday Detox and blogger behind the popular website Detoxinista.com , guides readers in how to master daily cooking habits that will change the way you think about whole foods and help you better understand how to aid your body’s natural detoxification process.
In her second cookbook, Megan presents a collection of satisfying, family-friendly recipes developed with speed, convenience, and optimum digestion in mind. Meals are quick-to-prepare, affordable, and delicious, making it easy for you and your family to live a healthy lifestyle every day. A working mother of two, Megan understands the importance of crafting wholesome, kid-friendly meals in a pinch.
Enjoying what you eat on a daily basis is crucial to maintaining health goals, so these recipes for comfort food favorites- from Freezer Oat Waffles, Butternut Mac ‘n Cheese, Quinoa Pizza, Loaded Nacho Dip, and Avocado Caesar Salad to Frosty Chocolate Shakes, No-Bake Brownie Bites, and Carrot Cake Cupcakes- taste just a good as their traditional counterparts. Megan’s Chocolate Sweet Potato Buttercream frosting will truly blow your mind.
No Excuses Detox tackles everyday issues of eating by addressing the reasons people fail to stick to a healthy diet- “I’m too busy to cook,” “Healthy food is expensive,” “I have a family of picky eaters to feed,: “If it’s good for me, it probably won’t taste good or fill me up.” This beautifully packaged and artfully photographed book gives readers no excuse to not eat well year-round.
MEGAN GILMORE is the creator and recipe developer behind Detoxinista.com, a website that makes healthy living easier and more accessible, and the author of Everyday Detox. A certified health coach and certified nutritionist consultant, she trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and NCI College.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
AN EASY APPROACH TO DETOXING
STOCKING YOUR DETOX-FRIENDLY KITCHEN
LIQUID NOURISHMENT
MORNING FAVORITES
SALADS, DRESSINGS AND SIDES
SOUPS, SANDWICHES AND WRAPS
CASSEROLES AND COMFORT FOOD
SWEET TREATS
BACK TO BASICS
$19.99 trade paperback 216 pages 7-7/16 x 9 inches
ISBM 978-0-39957-902-8 Available in large glossy paperback or E-Book here:
Look inside and order HERE
ALSO AVAILABLE ON AMAZON! (Currently $10.70)
I just received a review copy of this publication, and was really impressed. You guys know that we've been on a bit of a healthy-eating kick. I couldn't believe my eyes when I flipped through this book. Like a kid in a candy store!
In the next week or so I'll be whipping up a couple of recipes that immediately caught my eye.
I'll share them with you!
Nan
*******************************
No Excuses Detox proves that creating nutritious, healthy meals doesn’t have to be difficult. Megan Gilmore, author of Everyday Detox and blogger behind the popular website Detoxinista.com , guides readers in how to master daily cooking habits that will change the way you think about whole foods and help you better understand how to aid your body’s natural detoxification process.
Enjoying what you eat on a daily basis is crucial to maintaining health goals, so these recipes for comfort food favorites- from Freezer Oat Waffles, Butternut Mac ‘n Cheese, Quinoa Pizza, Loaded Nacho Dip, and Avocado Caesar Salad to Frosty Chocolate Shakes, No-Bake Brownie Bites, and Carrot Cake Cupcakes- taste just a good as their traditional counterparts. Megan’s Chocolate Sweet Potato Buttercream frosting will truly blow your mind.
No Excuses Detox tackles everyday issues of eating by addressing the reasons people fail to stick to a healthy diet- “I’m too busy to cook,” “Healthy food is expensive,” “I have a family of picky eaters to feed,: “If it’s good for me, it probably won’t taste good or fill me up.” This beautifully packaged and artfully photographed book gives readers no excuse to not eat well year-round.
MEGAN GILMORE is the creator and recipe developer behind Detoxinista.com, a website that makes healthy living easier and more accessible, and the author of Everyday Detox. A certified health coach and certified nutritionist consultant, she trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and NCI College.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
AN EASY APPROACH TO DETOXING
STOCKING YOUR DETOX-FRIENDLY KITCHEN
LIQUID NOURISHMENT
MORNING FAVORITES
SALADS, DRESSINGS AND SIDES
SOUPS, SANDWICHES AND WRAPS
CASSEROLES AND COMFORT FOOD
SWEET TREATS
BACK TO BASICS
ISBM 978-0-39957-902-8 Available in large glossy paperback or E-Book here:
Look inside and order HERE
ALSO AVAILABLE ON AMAZON! (Currently $10.70)
Thursday, March 2, 2017
MONSANTO AND THE EPA ALLEGEDLY HID EVIDENCE LINKING ROUNDUP TO CANCER
There is growing evidence that the agricultural giant Monsanto and the EPA allegedly worked together to hide evidence which links Roundup to cancer, as a new court filing shows. Sixty people that contracted cancer have been named on behalf of the recent court filing which purports that the Environmental Protection Agency worked with Monsanto officials to hide evidence that Roundup is toxic.
Included in the court filing is evidence from an EPA scientist who worked with the agency for 30 years and specifically singles out Jess Rowland, one of the top EPA officials, for using “political conniving games with the science” in order to hand out favors to Monsanto.
The reason Rowland is being named is because this official was in charge of the assessment for glyphosate, which is the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup and other weed killers and Rowland was also responsible as the main author of a report which found that glyphosate was not deemed to be toxic. However, in correspondence, Marion Copley, a top EPA toxocologist, stated, “It is essentially certain that glyphosate causes cancer,” which came after numerous animal studies. Marion Copley’s correspondence was written on May 4, 2013.
This letter was dated after Marion Copley stopped working for the EPA in 2012, but before she passed away from breast cancer in 2014. Marion alleged that the EPA’s Jess Rowland “intimidated staff” by colluding with Monsanto to change reports in their favor. Copley also wrote that there has been ample research conducted which proves that glyphosate and Monsanto’s Roundup should be considered a “human carcinogen,” as Huffington Post reported.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, A branch of the World Health Organization, has also said that glyphosate was a carcinogen in March 2015. Monsanto, meanwhile, has gone out of their way to try to discredit the IARC and any scientific studies they have conducted or cited.
If the communication from Marion Copley is proven to be legitimate, this could have a major effect on this multi-district litigation case with Monsanto and the EPA. The plaintiffs that are involved in this lawsuit have all either contracted non-Hodgkin lymphoma or have lost someone to the disease. These plaintiffs are citing growing evidence that Monsanto was able to sell their allegedly toxic Roundup because the agricultural company has so much influence within the Office of Pesticide Program, run by the EPA.
JUMP
Related to the Above Piece
Included in the court filing is evidence from an EPA scientist who worked with the agency for 30 years and specifically singles out Jess Rowland, one of the top EPA officials, for using “political conniving games with the science” in order to hand out favors to Monsanto.
The reason Rowland is being named is because this official was in charge of the assessment for glyphosate, which is the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup and other weed killers and Rowland was also responsible as the main author of a report which found that glyphosate was not deemed to be toxic. However, in correspondence, Marion Copley, a top EPA toxocologist, stated, “It is essentially certain that glyphosate causes cancer,” which came after numerous animal studies. Marion Copley’s correspondence was written on May 4, 2013.
This letter was dated after Marion Copley stopped working for the EPA in 2012, but before she passed away from breast cancer in 2014. Marion alleged that the EPA’s Jess Rowland “intimidated staff” by colluding with Monsanto to change reports in their favor. Copley also wrote that there has been ample research conducted which proves that glyphosate and Monsanto’s Roundup should be considered a “human carcinogen,” as Huffington Post reported.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, A branch of the World Health Organization, has also said that glyphosate was a carcinogen in March 2015. Monsanto, meanwhile, has gone out of their way to try to discredit the IARC and any scientific studies they have conducted or cited.
If the communication from Marion Copley is proven to be legitimate, this could have a major effect on this multi-district litigation case with Monsanto and the EPA. The plaintiffs that are involved in this lawsuit have all either contracted non-Hodgkin lymphoma or have lost someone to the disease. These plaintiffs are citing growing evidence that Monsanto was able to sell their allegedly toxic Roundup because the agricultural company has so much influence within the Office of Pesticide Program, run by the EPA.
JUMP
Related to the Above Piece
Monsanto and Bayer's Chemical Romance: Heroin, Nerve Gas and Agent Orange
The proposed remarriage of two agrochemical giants with dark histories promises more bad things.
Fifty years ago, the Monsanto and Bayer corporations were forced to separate in order to avoid violating basic antitrust regulations. U.S. courts declared that the two chemical giants, when operating together under the name Mobay, stymied market competition and comprised a monopoly that could not stand.
But that was then. Today, under a much different regulatory climate that all but rubberstamps such corporate monopolies, the Germany-based Bayer’s $66 billion offer to purchase Monsanto is being fast-tracked by U.S. regulators. The proposed mega-merger, or re-marriage, will result in nearly 30 percent of all worldwide pesticide and seed sales being controlled by the new partnership.
JUMP
But that was then. Today, under a much different regulatory climate that all but rubberstamps such corporate monopolies, the Germany-based Bayer’s $66 billion offer to purchase Monsanto is being fast-tracked by U.S. regulators. The proposed mega-merger, or re-marriage, will result in nearly 30 percent of all worldwide pesticide and seed sales being controlled by the new partnership.
JUMP
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
