Feb. 16: Eat your greens and other headlines

If retailers really wanted to reduce their carbon footprint, they would sell no meat. Luis of the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group links to this article from Time magazine titled "Eat your greens." From the piece:

There's no shortage of evidence that reducing red meat-- Americans eat more than 60 lb. of dead cow annually--is also good for your health. CSPI estimates that replacing one 3.5-oz. serving of beef, one egg and a 1-oz. serving of cheese each day with an equivalent amount of fruits, vegetables and grains would cut your daily fat consumption and increase your fiber intake, all while conserving 1.8 acres of cropland and reducing animal waste by 11,400 lb. each year And while locally grown has become some eco-eaters' mantra, what you eat matters more than where it comes from. Our food travels from 1,500 to 2,500 miles on average from farm to supermarket, but that journey typically accounts for just 4% of a food's carbon footprint.

Roubini: nationalize banks The Telegraph
Nouriel Roubini – the man feted with having foreseen the financial crisis before almost any of his peers – has warned that the US Treasury Secretary must go significantly further than his detail-light bail-out plan delivered last week, and argues that the Obama administration should move swiftly to take public ownership of those major US banks which are failing.

Salmonella outbreak eases way for food safety reform Baltimore Sun
Critics say the outbreak has revealed several gaps in the nation's food safety system, including a personnel shortage that has led the FDA to contract out inspections to state officials, the lack of a program to trace food from the farm to the table, the ability of companies to keep tests results revealing contamination to themselves, and the inability of the federal government to order recalls without their cooperation.

Labor issues, water woes cut Greeley onion acreage Greeley Tribune

Martin Produce Co., started in 1939 by Henry G. Martin, is eliminating transplant onions from its operation this year. The farm has been operated by the same family since it began, making it what could be the oldest produce company in the state under operation by one family.

Former Mexico drug czar charged with aiding Sinaloa drug cartel The International Herald Tribune

Bus and truck drivers to go on 24 hour strike in Mexico The Latin America Herald

Apples may have anti-aging effect Asiaone health

The discovery of phloretin, an antioxidant derived from apples, means that the fruit may also help reduce the risk of skin cancer.

'Phloretin is a powerful antioxidant found to be effective in protecting human skin from the effects of the sun when applied topically,' said Dr Sheldon Pinnell, founder of SkinCeuticals. He was the leader of the scientific team that made the discovery after five years of research.

Nanotechnology and food University of Idaho

He said there are some researchers studying applications of persistent nanoparticles in food and packaging that he believes could present risks. Use of metal, usually silver, nanoparticles in packaging to slow spoilage could move from the packaging material into the food itself.

"The persistent metal or metal oxide nanoparticles could move into the bloodstream, and research has shown they can migrate into cells or in some cases even into the nucleus of cells," Kampers said.

Program markets local produce during winter Ashville Citizen Times
Blue Ridge Food Ventures is launching a wintertime community-supported agriculture program called Winter Sun Farms. The idea is to contract with local farmers to provide the food, which will be frozen, stored at Blue Ridge and then sold to local customers starting in December.

Shoppers looking for value in bleak climate From nwi.com
For example, customers are choosing to buy canned vegetables instead of buying fresh produce," she said. "We've also seen an increase in sales of our own brands across many categories."
The chain is seeing customers increasing their use of coupons and other savings options, such as the company's loyalty programs, May said.

Consumers in Japan value price over safety The Mainichi Times

In the survey on consumer trends conducted in December 2008, 34.6 percent of the respondents said they attached importance to the prices of products when choosing foods, making price the top priority. The figure was 7.4 points up from the previous survey in May.In the previous survey, the safety of products was the top answer, but safety dropped to third place this time, falling 9.6 points to 31.7 percent. The second most common answer was health value, chosen by 32.7 percent (35 percent in the previous survey).

U.S. financial giants to hold off on foreclosures until March 6 VOA





Climate change solutions The Washington Post
THE SIX "Principles for Global Warming Legislation" released recently by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) were notable for what they lacked. There were no specific greenhouse gas emissions targets. There was no determination on an auction of pollution permits vs. giving some or most of them away to polluters initially. But Ms. Boxer was clear on one thing: There will be no consideration of a carbon tax. Sure, the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee said, "We're willing to look at everything . . . ." But she ended that declaration with ". . . but we believe cap-and-trade is the way to go."