Food Borne Diseases... Millions of people around the world get sick because of the food they have eaten.  Most of these can be avoided by practicing sanitary and hygienic food preparation and handling.  These are the most common bacteria that cause people around the world to get sick. 1.    Campylobacter is found in the intestines of birds and most poultry.  Campylobacter can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever.  It is the most...

Gluten Allergies... Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats.  Gluten is what binds the dough together during baking.  Some people are sensitive to gluten which causes them to react in a different way.  These people may have gluten allergies. Gluten allergy is similar to Celiac disease which can be avoided when staying clear of gluten.  It is important to get tested in order to rule out the disease.  In gluten allergy...

Artificial Sweeteners and Public Health... Having a palate for sweet is natural since sweetness, characteristic of certain natural carbohydrates, means quick energy for the body, including the brain that needs a steady supply of glucose for normal functioning. Sugar is the dominant source of the natural sweetener, the carbohydrate, called sucrose. The pleasantness of sweet taste, however, is frequently the cause of exceeding the healthy quota of carbohydrates;...

Teflon and aluminum cookware. Did you know?... We have been using Teflon to cook our food for almost 50 years. The first Teflon coated pan was launched into the market in 1961. In terms of cookware success, to date there are billions of Teflon coated pans, spatulas and other cooking utensils out in the market today. Health related questions regarding where we cook the food we eat abound in the internet. Apparently, not only is Teflon in question but also aluminum...

European Union votes to ban toxic farm pesticide... Issues are still ongoing while European Union, together with its 27 member states, votes to ban toxic farm pesticide that includes neurotoxic and immunotoxic most especially those that can disrupt the endocrine, genotoxic, carcinogenic and toxic to reproduction. The committee also proposed the use of sustainable farming methods instead of the conventional ones. Endosulfan, being a neurotoxic organochlorine insecticide,...

African Agriculture... Africa is the world’s bridesmaid. Why? because it is the second largest and most populous continent in Africa. Despite those seemingly second-best characteristics, Africa is the largest of the three great southward projections from the main mass of the Earth’s exposed surface. With this large land mass it is still a wonder why Africa seemingly have meager farm communities and agriculture. Why more and more Africans...

What’s preserving your dry fruit? Sulfur dio... Using sulfur dioxide to preserve dry fruits is a very common method used commercially since sulfur dioxide eliminates the possibility of discoloration among dried produce and it inhibits bacterial growth thus prolonging the product’s shelf life. Sulfur dioxide has been allowed by the FDA for human consumption and found them to be safe at some certain levels of usage. Sulfur dioxide is an inorganic, heavy, colorless,...

Types of Vegetarian Diets... Reasons vary widely as to why people opt to go vegetarian. Some claims health reasons, others for their stand about animal rights and there are some who just want to try it out. For vegetarians, there is no specific eating plan. One thing is certain, vegetarians do not eat red meat, which is what the whole idea of turning vegetarian is for. There are different vegetarian types: 1.    A vegan or total vegetarian do...

What foods should we eat organic?... Organic food is meat, vegetables, fruit and other fare that have been grown in a way that does not use pesticide, chemicals and other agricultural methods that are not natural.  In other words, these foodstuffs have been grown the traditional way like composting instead of chemical fertilizers, crop rotation and other eco friendly practices. Lots of people still get sick even though they exercise, drink lots of water,...

Tofu: Nutrition and Health Concerns... Known to the human species as a vegetarian food, as early as 200 years BC, tofu is a highly popular food staple in Asia. Today, it is also cherished by a large number of Americans and can be found commonly in grocery stores throughout the country. Tofu, also called soybean curd or bean curd, is prepared by coagulating soymilk using coagulating agents like magnesium chloride, calcium sulfate, or dilute acids. The resulting...