I plan on watching at least 1 documentary a week and sharing my thoughts here. What are your top 3 food documentaries? These are some of my favorites:
King Corn- The premise is 2 friends follow the path of a kernel of corn through planting, harvesting and distribution. For families dealing with chemical/phenol/petro issues, this is a real eye opener. Take a look at the trailer and tell me what you think.
Food Inc- This film looks at the issues of corporate farming in America and the problem it's become. This movie speaks to many unknown facts including Monsanto's soybean monopoly and the lacking USDA power in the US.
Supersize Me- Follow along as Morgan Spurlock consumes nothing but McDonalds 3 times a day for a month. Ewww.
Showing posts with label USDA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USDA. Show all posts
Please Help Get Food Dyes Out of School Food Programs
This is a message from
Dr. Michael Jacobson of the Center for
Science in the Public Interest:
Dr. Michael Jacobson of the Center for
Science in the Public Interest:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed common-sense standards to improve school lunches and breakfasts: more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; fat-free and low-fat milk; less salt; fewer unhealthy saturated and trans fats; and moderate calories.
BUT, USDA did nothing to get rid of food dyes, which the Food and Drug Administration acknowledges cause hyperactivity in some children. I hope that you, as a parent concerned about the effect of dyes on children, will send a comment to USDA! Tell USDA that dyes have no place in school breakfasts and lunches.
The deadline for comments is Wednesday, April 13th.
To submit a comment, GO HERE. Copy and edit the sample comment included below, if you wish. Or submit your own comment or your own story. (The form gives you only 20 minutes, so you may want to prepare it first, and then paste it in the form.) Whatever you do, please submit a comment. This is our golden opportunity to get dyes out of school foods in the U.S.
Sample comment to use or edit
We need your help to
get food dyes out of schools!
get food dyes out of schools!
I thank USDA for its efforts to improve the nutrition quality of school lunches and breakfasts. However, USDA's proposal says nothing about food dyes. As a parent of a child whose behavior is impaired by dyes, I strongly urge USDA to bar the inclusion of any foods containing synthetic dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, and others) in the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program. These neurotoxic chemicals have no place in school cafeterias.
The evidence for an adverse effect of dyes on the behavior of some children is widely recognized. In fact, the British government, on the basis of two major studies that it commissioned, has urged (largely successfully) food manufacturers to switch to safer natural colorings. Subsequently, the European Union required that most dyed foods bear a label warning. And recently the FDA acknowledged at its March 30-31, 2011, advisory committee meeting that dyes (and other food constituents) impair the behavior of some children.
Because dyes harm some children, because dyes serve no health function whatsoever, because synthetic dyes can be replaced by safe natural colorings, and because school meals are consumed exclusively by children, the only responsible action is to bar the inclusion of dyes in school meals.
Respectfully,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
The evidence for an adverse effect of dyes on the behavior of some children is widely recognized. In fact, the British government, on the basis of two major studies that it commissioned, has urged (largely successfully) food manufacturers to switch to safer natural colorings. Subsequently, the European Union required that most dyed foods bear a label warning. And recently the FDA acknowledged at its March 30-31, 2011, advisory committee meeting that dyes (and other food constituents) impair the behavior of some children.
Because dyes harm some children, because dyes serve no health function whatsoever, because synthetic dyes can be replaced by safe natural colorings, and because school meals are consumed exclusively by children, the only responsible action is to bar the inclusion of dyes in school meals.
Respectfully,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
FDA Food Coloring Hearings Begin Today
It will for me. For now, I read every ingredient list and have a pretty good knowledge of what has dye in it. Dyes like red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, and blue 1 are some of the dyes we stay away from due to sensitivities to it. These dyes effect us in ways ranging from migraines, poor sleep, chewing on collar or shirt, behavioural impulsivity, cognitive abilities and more. Removing the dye from my families diet has changed all of us. I am so excited the FDA is hearing this issue this week.
Regardless of the outcome, I know, along with thousands of other parents the effect artificial colors can have on our children and can do something right now, warning label or no warning label and that is to simply refuse to buy the products with artificial color in them.
Support Healthier School Lunch
You can help support healthier school meals. I just took action on an issue that I consider very important. I urge you to take action yourself and spread the word! Implementation of the new USDA school meal standards will result in more nutritious school meals.
To take action on this issue, click on the link below:
https://secure2.convio.net/cspi/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1131&JServSessionIdr004=yxzvsxbmn8.app246b
Speak Up For Better School Food
This is a hugely important moment in time for us. We’ve got a brilliant opportunity RIGHT NOW to get better food into schools all over America, but we really need your help. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has drafted a new set of school meal standards as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.
If these new standards are passed, schools will have to begin replacing junk and processed foods with lovely fresh, whole ingredients and it will be the first time in 15 years that nutrition standards in schools have really improved1. If they aren’t passed, children all over America will be facing more years of substandard, unhealthy food in their schools. To me, that’s unacceptable.
The USDA is taking public comments on these proposed standards as we speak, so PLEASE, PLEASE click on the link below and tell them you want these changes! There are plenty of powerful food companies and groups that won’t want these standards passed because they make big money from the current system. They’ll be sending in their comments too so it’s up to all of us to stand against them and make our voices count. Please join me in doing this. It will only take a minute or two out of your day, but it could mean better lives for kids all over America.
www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda
Millions of kids all over America eat at least one meal a day at school and giving them the best nutrition possible is critical. But from what we’ve seen, nearly everything they are currently being given to eat is processed food, and this is laying down the foundations for bad health, obesity and diabetes2.
Now is our opportunity to change that. If you join us in supporting the new standards proposed by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, this is what it will mean for your kid’s meals:
• more whole FRESH fruits (no more fruit snacks);
• a wider variety of veggies;
• more healthy whole grains;
• French fries limited to once a week;
• and a reduction in the sodium, saturated fats and calories of processed food items.
We need your help to get the Food Revolution started in America – make sure the USDA hears what you have to say by submitting a comment. Thank you for taking this important first step towards getting real food on school menus and giving our kids the promise of better health.
www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)