Food making the news
As producers of “nature’s most perfect food” we should be aware of issues facing other segments of the food industry and two very interesting stories came across the desk this morning. One is very much an “are you kidding me?” type of story, while the other is a “it’s about time they found out” story. If you agree or not, we still think they are interesting. And even more important to think about…the microscope is on full power in the food industry. Be ready. Be prepared. Be able to think on your feet. And most importantly – do things right. We don’t know what inquisitions are coming next, but we do know they’re coming.
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Pediatricians call for choking label for hot dogs
The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for the Food & Drug Administration to require warning labels on certain foods, such as hot dogs, that are proven to be a choking risk for children or, in lieu of a label, for manufacturers to redesign the food items to minimize the risk. The academy noted that more than 100 children 14 years old or younger die from choking every year and that 61 of the 141 choking deaths in kids in 2006 were food related.
Besides hot dogs, the Academy also cited apples, grapes, raw carrots, hard candies, peanuts, popcorn and marshmallows as creating a high risk for choking and said parents should cut these foods into small pieces to keep them from getting caught in a child’s throat.
Hot dog manufacturers — representing approximately half of the market — already are labeling their hot dogs as a choking risk, with suggestions that parents remove casings from hot dogs, if present, and cut hot dogs into small pieces before serving them to children, as well as supervise their children’s eating behavior, according to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council President Janet Riley.
Riley, who is senior vice president for public affairs at the American Meat Institute, added that a study on the effectiveness of choking-hazard labels should be conducted before mandating such labels.
Source: Feedstuffs FoodLink, Rod Smith
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Whole Foods Market “Organic” food made in China.
For those of you who watch YouTube, you’ll want to click on the link below for an investigative news report done by a television station in Virginia. They uncovered a truth about leading organic food marketers, Whole Foods. It appears that many of the foods marketed as organic actually come from China where organic-status regulations aren’t monitored the same as they are in the U.S. We’re not saying that the foods aren’t organic, but it’s hard to say if both the U.S. and Chinas have the same regulations for farms being certified organic. In the YouTube segment, it also reveals consumer’s shock and surprise at what they feel is somewhat false labeling on products.
Here’s how to see the video – see what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ31Ljd9T_Y&feature=player_embedded
We’d be interested in your thoughts on either story. Do you think the dairy industry is safe from these kinds of investigations/regulations? Email your comments to kknutsen@dairybusiness.com, and we’ll keep you posted on any feedback we get here on the AllBreeds Blog.
