It should perhaps come as no surprise that our perceptions of food differ from that of our ancestors. What is surprising, and not a little troubling, is how far these perceptions have moved in just a few generations. Today we interact with food in ways that would have left our great grandparents scratching their heads in disbelief. Nowhere is this shift more apparent than when it comes to the issue of food security.
For most of the history of the human race food security was one of the top concerns of …

Harvests produced and progressed under specific conditions are known as organic. For a crop to be recognized under stipulations of organic food, it is necessary for the crop to abide by a number of set laws and regulations provisioned under diversified agricultural acts.
Organic crops are grown in alteration free, natural soil which differs from traditional method of crop production. Use of Artificial insect killers, genetically modified seeds, chemical based and manure based fertilizers are restricted in this type of production.
Organic food is much beneficial in comparison with the traditionally grown …

The June 30 vote by a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee to lower the maximum dose of over-the-counter drugs containing acetaminophen and to eliminate prescription acetaminophen-combination painkillers raised questions about what changes consumers should expect in the availability of the popular drug. The commonly used pain- and fever-reliever known as Tylenol is found in several nonprescription cough and cold remedies including NyQuil and Theraflu. Patients are also asking what potential dangers their daily use of acetaminophen may pose. TIME.com talked to members of the FDA committee as well …

Another pet food myth that continues to abound is that the presence of certain preservatives causes cancer in our pets.   This tall tale has been around since I first started working in the pet industry way back in the late 1980s!  The controversy centers on three compounds, BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin.
I recall hearing how the preservative, ethoxyquin, had been implicated by dog owners as causing allergic reactions, skin problems and, of course, cancer.   There was little to no scientific evidence to support these claims, yet any pet food manufacturer who …

TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) — The popular prescription painkillers Vicodin and Percocet, which combine acetaminophen with an opiate narcotic, should be banned, and the maximum dose of over-the-counter painkillers with acetaminophen, like Tylenol or Excedrin, should be lowered, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel urged Tuesday.
The panel’s recommendations followed the release of an FDA report last month that found severe liver damage, and even death, can result from a lack of consumer awareness that acetaminophen — which is easier on the stomach than such painkillers as aspirin …

TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) — U.S. health advisers recommended Tuesday to lower the maximum dose of over-the-counter acetaminophen — the key ingredient in Tylenol, Excedrin and many other pain-killing medications.
The advisers’ vote followed the release of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration report last month. It found that severe liver damage and even death can result from a lack of consumer awareness that acetaminophen — which is easier on the stomach than painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen — can cause such injury.
Also, many people may take more than …

Although corn is a food most people associate with New Mexico, our state is not one of the nation’s top producers; yet corn is everywhere in our regional diet. Tortilla chips take the place of bread in the baskets on many of our tables, and pretty much every New Mexican restaurant in town offers some traditional corn-based fare: tamales, posole or one of any number of dishes made using corn tortillas. Where might that corn come from?
With the locus of the American corn crop on my mind, I recently sat …

Do you really know what’s in the wine you lift to your lips over dinner?
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell. The new fly in the ointment: additives that go beyond the already enhanced tools of modern winemakers.
There’s a new arsenal of chemicals out there, and while it’s hard to pinpoint who is using them, major wine supply firms are selling tons of the stuff.
And not only to amateur winemakers.
Mind you, folks have been adding strange things to their wine for more than 2,000 years. The ancient Romans often watered their …

Nutrition experts have criticised a report on the effects of food colouring on children by TV3’s 60 Minutes this week, with one dietician saying an experiment conducted by the programme was “one of the most biased you could ever hope to see”.
In the experiment, one group of children was given “healthy” food and the other was given “party” food containing artificial colouring.
The reporter commented on the differences in behaviour she observed, attributing those differences to food colouring in the items consumed.
The science behind the experiment was criticised by NZ Dietetic …

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it is seeking public input on the implementation of its new authority overseeing tobacco products in the United States. The agency is inviting the public to provide information and share views on a variety of topics, from product content to advertising and marketing. All public comments will be posted online.
The FDA is establishing a public docket to obtain information on the implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention & Tobacco Control Act in order to provide an opportunity for …