For those of you that have so much faith in the FDA.......

Grokette · February 2011

The United States is so far behind where nutrition and health are concerned because of the Political agendas of the Food Industry. Things like make me sick, literally!!!

Why has it taken this long???? They have known this for years and years, and yes they are the ones that said it was safe!!

Banned in Europe, Food Coloring Linked to Behavior Problems
December 16th, 2010 - Jill Ettinger

In 1976, M&M candies discontinued their “Red M” amidst concerns over the potentially fatal risk of red food coloring that contained amaranth (in FD&C Red #2), suspected as being cancer-causing. Though M&M did not use this dye in the product pulled from store shelves, fears about red-dyed foods were so heightened, the red-colored candy did not return for more than a decade.

After much petitioning by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced plans to form an advisory committee meeting which will review clinical studies conducted on common food dyes including Yellow 5 and Red 40 and the link connecting them to adverse behavior issues in children.

Brought to public attention in the 1970s by a San Francisco allergist who noticed significant improvement in patients when they changed their diets, numerous studies have supported his theory, yet no regulations have been put in place to monitor the use of questionable dyes in cereals, snacks and candies targeted at children.

Throughout Europe, several countries have banned artificial dyes and require foods using any still-approved unnatural colors to prominently display warning labels on packaging. Those labels are required to state that consuming foods containing artificial colors might be linked to behavioral issues in children. American companies including Kellogg’s, Kraft and McDonald’s, have stopped using artificial dyes abroad while they continue to sell foods with the questionable ingredients to the U.S. market in lieu of their obvious capabilities to use natural alternatives.

Despite Europe’s tight stance on food dyes and the numerous clinical studies showing the increased risk to children who consume them, the FDA — even after commissioning its own studies on food dyes — has been reluctant to address the issue until now.

According to the FDA, in 2007 Americans were consuming five times more artificial food colorings than they were in 1955.

fitoverfifty · February 2011

Watch movies like " Food Inc"..."King corn".... "Food matters"..." the world according to Monsanto"..

I'm trying to eat all organic...and they even want to change the standards for that.

Pretty soon there won't be anything left to eat that's not genetically altered, loaded with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, poisons, growth hormones..etc...etc...

I seriously don't want that stuff in my body...but it's hard to figure out what to eat.

edorice · February 2011

I don't have faith in them at all. The fat cats are doing favors and passing money around while we continue to get fat and unhealthy. Oh, but there are those that don't want our government to step in and regulate. So whatever folks, whatever.

amycal · February 2011

Thanks for your continuing education. Thankfully my kids are past the age that I buy stuff with artificial color for them. Hopefully by the time they give me grandchildren we will all know enough so that they never have any!

bbygrl5 · February 2011

I don't have faith in them at all. The fat cats are doing favors and passing money around while we continue to get fat and unhealthy. Oh, but there are those that don't want our government to step in and regulate. So whatever folks, whatever.

OMG!!! You sound like me!!! *love* lol

It's all about regulation. We can't have our free market system run amok. This is what we get when it happens!!! Consumers are blinded to the truth a lot of times, so imo, the government has to step in and protect us.

....but yeah, I agree with the OP, there is a lot of corruption and political agendas on the government side and the capitalist side. We need to educate more people as to what is happening with our food.

Mrs_McFadden · February 2011

I would never ever trust any governmental organization that is so obviously capable of being manipulated for money..oh that's a lot of government (and I'm a liberal) so yeah. I don't need the FDA pyramid to tell me jack. I've done enough reading to know that it's bureaucracy and lobbyist agenda that sets the standard a lot of times. So annoying $:\$

Martha_VH · February 2011

We need to let them know we want healthy!!! And affordable food!
So many people are doing organic now. I try my best, but the only thing that keeps me from getting all organic is that some of it is hard to find, and the biggest issue, the cost.

The FDA needs to get on board with OUR agenda! Make healthy un-artificial foods available to us. That will save on med. bills, doctor bills, and who knows what else.

edorice · February 2011

Watch movies like " Food Inc"..."King corn".... "Food matters"..." the world according to Monsanto"..

I'm trying to eat all organic...and they even want to change the standards for that.

Pretty soon there won't be anything left to eat that's not genetically altered, loaded with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, poisons, growth hormones..etc...etc...

I seriously don't want that stuff in my body...but it's hard to figure out what to eat.

I have watched Food Inc, Food Matters, Super Size Me, etc. Great eye openers for those who are not narrow minded.

Ashley_Panda · February 2011

We need to let them know we want healthy!!! And affordable food!
So many people are doing organic now. I try my best, but the only thing that keeps me from getting all organic is that some of it is hard to find, and the biggest issue, the cost.

The FDA needs to get on board with OUR agenda! Make healthy un-artificial foods available to us. That will save on med. bills, doctor bills, and who knows what else.

I am in love with this post. You said exactly what I was thinking. Just.. more eloquently because it would have been a mess if I tried to say it. Lol. :flowerforyou:

eellis2000 · February 2011

we can always grow our own and then we know what goes into it........i'm not trying to be mean, just in case it came out that way....but growing your own food maybe less expensive, definately less additives, and takes time and energy making us healthier! i don't do it yet but that's one of my goals (to get my own land and grow my own foods). good luck to everyone on their journey.

punkrockmama · February 2011

I've not watched any of these documentaries, and I'm slower to jump on the conspiracy bandwagon, but I DO believe that there needs to be a more conscientious approach in regards to what we consider "food", how we grow food, and where our food comes from...literally starting from the ground up. As an avid gardener I find the disconnect from "farm" to table astounding.

But let's get on to my rant:

While I find the use of dyes in candies concerning, I find that there are so many more damaging actions taking place literally in our back yards. Do you know where that most pesticides and chemicals are used each year?! Yep! You guessed it: your lawns. More pollutants are dumped into our yards, which kill the soil, all organic material inside the soil, all the beautiful and useful bacteria inside the soil, rendering it useless. Those chemicals then leach into water supplies and do the same thing there. The result: a dead and useless plot of land that needs MORE chemicals to look good. And your yard uses MORE chemicals and pesticides per acre than the most "dirty" of industrialized farms. Now that, in my opinion, is some food for thought.

Oh, btw, there are many environmentally friendly ways to get your yard beautiful, if that's what you wish!!

Grokette · February 2011

Watch movies like " Food Inc"..."King corn".... "Food matters"..." the world according to Monsanto"..

I'm trying to eat all organic...and they even want to change the standards for that.

Pretty soon there won't be anything left to eat that's not genetically altered, loaded with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, poisons, growth hormones..etc...etc...

I seriously don't want that stuff in my body...but it's hard to figure out what to eat.

I have watched Food Inc, Food Matters, Super Size Me, etc. Great eye openers for those who are not narrow minded.

There are many folks on this board and others I frequent that are not worried about things and "they are eating healthy" with their GMO grain foods.........When I mentioned those movies on another thread I was told to stop being a conspiracy theorist.

I am so happy to see so many on board with more open-minded thinking. Our government is all but destroying our food supply.

I am trying to break into government food policy, I will probably have to start local, which is easy because so many where I live already use CSA's and get meat and dairy from local farm sources around here.

Grokette · February 2011

We need to let them know we want healthy!!! And affordable food!
So many people are doing organic now. I try my best, but the only thing that keeps me from getting all organic is that some of it is hard to find, and the biggest issue, the cost.

The FDA needs to get on board with OUR agenda! Make healthy un-artificial foods available to us. That will save on med. bills, doctor bills, and who knows what else.

You are right, however they will never be on board with our agenda because it won't make the big $$$

knittnponder · February 2011

When we had that whole salmonella in the eggs thing going on everyone was panicking about where it was safe to buy eggs and how did the government allow this to happen?!

I went outside to pet and chat with my little chickens before I collected their eggs and allowed them to wander around my pesticide free lawn. It may not be golf course perfect but the girls do a good job of cleaning up the bugs and dropping some "fertilizer" for me. I'm working toward learning how to garden and actually grown something edible but until then I try to eat as organic and clean as possible. If I didn't make it myself with whole foods I have to accept that there may be things in there that I don't want.

I can't find the link but not too long ago someone posted a news report from an Australian school that removed all foods with additives and dyes from the school for two weeks. The participants had to have parental permission and participation in that the family would eat dye and additive free foods at home for the duration of the project too. After two weeks the news crew came back and checked things out. The number of trips to the principles office were down, fights were down, scores were up and the teachers were thrilled. Everyone involved was amazed at what a difference there was in just changing the diet for two weeks. I can't count on the government so I have to do what I can myself.

rschmmidt · February 2011

About 10 years ago, I started to suffer from HIVES, red itchy whelts mostly on my face. I spent years trying to determine the cause, monitoring what I ate, keeping a diary, etc. Allergists and doctors were not helpful. They prescribed Benadryl to ease the symptoms but couldn't determine the cause. "Often times the cause of hives is never identified," they told me. The hives increased over the years to the point of embarrasment.

Short story is that I determined just recently that FD&C yellow #5 is the cause, although other colorings and additives can also trigger hives. THIS STUFF IS IN EVERYTHING from candy to pasta to pickles (which I thought were natural). It is also in shampoo and dishwashing liquid and cosmetics which touch your skin and therefore will be ingested. Seriously, once I started reading labels, I was shocked by the amount of items that contain FD&C yellow#5.

Anyway, not many hives so much anymore, and I am really careful what I buy. I won't eat or use products that are yellow. If it has a looooong list of ingredients, I put it back on the shelf.

If this helps any other hive-sufferers out there, that would be great. I was miserable for years about my complexion until I figured this out.

lyndsloo · February 2011

You all should check out marksdailyapple.com. It's an interesting website....some of it is extreme, but most of it is VERY informative.

callipygianchronicle · February 2011

While I really liked “King Corn” and “Food Inc” it can sometimes be hard to know how to know how take action with your own food based on the information that is presented. For that, I highly recommend a very thin book by Michael Pollan called, "Food Rules.” This is really painless, straightforward information about how to make good choices at the grocery store (and beyond) for wholesome food that supports and protects your health, along with brief explanations of the research that supports his suggestions.

ciaobella47 · February 2011

There is a little HOPE in the situation. :bigsmile: Back in December, after major petitioning from the CSPI, the FDA announced it will hold a hearing on the dyes in March 2011. We can't call it a victory yet. Synthetic dyes are so cheap, who knows if the FDA will find yet another 'justification' to keep them on the GRAS list. But it is hope. I'm doing my best not to be pessimistic. ). This is a cause close to my heart.

Here's the link to announcement by both CSPI and the Feingold Association (famous for the Feingold Diet- free of dye and artificial flavoring- since the 1970's) :

http://www.feingold.org/enews/FDA-Hearing.html

http://www.cspinet.org/new/201012011.html

daisy89 · February 2011

Any government agency that says it's OK for children to go into a store unaccompanied by an adult and buy the morning after pill with no questions asked has no business telling me what is healthy or not.

I really see no point in your statement. You must be at least 17 in order to purchase the morning after pill (I hardly think that is a child's age) any one younger must have a prescription from a doctor, and I believe you can only get those with a parent!

Do some research before posting irrelevancies.

KrystalLight03 · February 2011

Speaking of the FDA, I had to watch this scary clip in my medical sociology class last semester. I've never looked at fish quite the same (especially tilapia since it is a bottom-feeding fish).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsm8Vs9Wm8I

th3house · February 2011

I think Edorice and you would benefit from looking at the situation differently. You said its all about regulation and that the food situation is the way it is because the free market system is run amok. Well I'm not certain that should be the end of your quest for knowledge on the subject.

If you look into the FDA and the revolving door it has with Monsanto for example, the bigger picture should begin to materialize. My view of the situation is this: Its not the free market system run amok that is the problem but the corruption in our government. Large food corporations lobby, pay off politicians and give lucrative jobs to former government officials (every corporation does this actually) . In exchange these government officials, while they are in office in whatever bureaucracy, pass laws that benefit these corporations.

I'm sure I'm telling you nothing new. All I ask is that you see this game for what it is. You said regulation is key but I honestly feel that if you do your research into how the FDA operates you'll find that they are operating in the interest of the big corporations rather than us; you can't just stop at "regulation is the key" and hope they'll save us. We have to save ourselves by understanding their game and voting with our dollars because that, my friends, is the only vote we have that matters.

Heres a place to start!
http://www.naturalnews.com/027527_Monsanto_FDA.html

Crowhorse · February 2011

I don't have faith in them at all. The fat cats are doing favors and passing money around while we continue to get fat and unhealthy. Oh, but there are those that don't want our government to step in and regulate. So whatever folks, whatever.

That IS your government "regulating".

That's why it's up to US to regulate as a population by not buying the crap. Like aspertame (fully approved by the FDA)!

It's also why I refuse to buy anything GE, with the mutual back patting they are doing with the current government. They've really got themselves lined up to stamp out any competition, being in a certain someone's good graces.

Crowhorse · February 2011

I think Edorice and you would benefit from looking at the situation differently. You said its all about regulation and that the food situation is the way it is because the free market system is run amok. Well I'm not certain that should be the end of your quest for knowledge on the subject.

If you look into the FDA and the revolving door it has with Monsanto for example, the bigger picture should begin to materialize. My view of the situation is this: Its not the free market system run amok that is the problem but the corruption in our government. Large food corporations lobby, pay off politicians and give lucrative jobs to former government officials (every corporation does this actually) . In exchange these government officials, while they are in office in whatever bureaucracy, pass laws that benefit these corporations.

I'm sure I'm telling you nothing new. All I ask is that you see this game for what it is. You said regulation is key but I honestly feel that if you do your research into how the FDA operates you'll find that they are operating in the interest of the big corporations rather than us; you can't just stop at "regulation is the key" and hope they'll save us. We have to save ourselves by understanding their game and voting with our dollars because that, my friends, is the only vote we have that matters.

Heres a place to start!
http://www.naturalnews.com/027527_Monsanto_FDA.html

I agree.

lodro · February 2011

Watch movies like " Food Inc"..."King corn".... "Food matters"..." the world according to Monsanto"..

I'm trying to eat all organic...and they even want to change the standards for that.

Pretty soon there won't be anything left to eat that's not genetically altered, loaded with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, poisons, growth hormones..etc...etc...

I seriously don't want that stuff in my body...but it's hard to figure out what to eat.

I'm on the board of the Permaculture Cooperative in The Netherlands: we have found that the only reliable way to make sure there are no unwanted additives in your food is to grow, and make, your own, cooperatively. Even in the EU this is a problem, notwithstanding the EU's directive on food colorings. We're having genetically manipulated produce that's being introduced here, bit by bit. More than anything it is our belief that our current system of agriculture is unsustainable if you want to reduce your dependency on oil.

So, the best bet is to

start making more of your own food, or find suppliers whose production method you know, in your area
buy directly from organic farmers or from a community supported agriculture project
form cooperatives or groups to do collective buying for the foodstuffs you can not get a supply of nearby.

Getting control over food is enormously important!

foodforfuel · February 2011

I might be weird, but, I think there are certain colors that should not be put into your body. All of those 'neon' colored foods at the grocery- I would never let my kids eat that!

kouzzzz · February 2011

Watch movies like " Food Inc"..."King corn".... "Food matters"..." the world according to Monsanto"..

I'm trying to eat all organic...and they even want to change the standards for that.

Pretty soon there won't be anything left to eat that's not genetically altered, loaded with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, poisons, growth hormones..etc...etc...

I seriously don't want that stuff in my body...but it's hard to figure out what to eat.

Great movies. I also try to eat all organic foods - whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, grass fed meat, wild caught fish, etc.... Since I started eating organic and exercising, I lost 80lbs in 2 years.

I like these websites:

naturalnews.com
mercola.com

Grokette · February 2011

Watch movies like " Food Inc"..."King corn".... "Food matters"..." the world according to Monsanto"..

I'm trying to eat all organic...and they even want to change the standards for that.

Pretty soon there won't be anything left to eat that's not genetically altered, loaded with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, poisons, growth hormones..etc...etc...

I seriously don't want that stuff in my body...but it's hard to figure out what to eat.

Great movies. I also try to eat all organic foods - whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, grass fed meat, wild caught fish, etc.... Since I started eating organic and exercising, I lost 80lbs in 2 years.

I like these websites:

naturalnews.com
mercola.com

Yes, I am on both of those websites also. I use them as learning guides as I progress my career in Wellness and Nutrition
Education.

fitoverfifty · February 2011

Watch movies like " Food Inc"..."King corn".... "Food matters"..." the world according to Monsanto"..

I'm trying to eat all organic...and they even want to change the standards for that.

Pretty soon there won't be anything left to eat that's not genetically altered, loaded with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, poisons, growth hormones..etc...etc...

I seriously don't want that stuff in my body...but it's hard to figure out what to eat.

I'm on the board of the Permaculture Cooperative in The Netherlands: we have found that the only reliable way to make sure there are no unwanted additives in your food is to grow, and make, your own, cooperatively. Even in the EU this is a problem, notwithstanding the EU's directive on food colorings. We're having genetically manipulated produce that's being introduced here, bit by bit. More than anything it is our belief that our current system of agriculture is unsustainable if you want to reduce your dependency on oil.

So, the best bet is to

start making more of your own food, or find suppliers whose production method you know, in your area
buy directly from organic farmers or from a community supported agriculture project
form cooperatives or groups to do collective buying for the foodstuffs you can not get a supply of nearby.

Getting control over food is enormously important!

Hi! I am from Holland myself!
I am starting to buy food that's not only organic, but also local.
This can be a bit difficult, as I am in Fairbanks Alaska, and we just can't grow fresh veggies year round.
Also, we have about 5 huge coal plants in this area. they are using their waste products all over town...to built parking lots, roads, you name it! Supposedly this waste is the same as dirt....But I know better, it has all kinds of metals and poisons in it..
So...who knows what's in the soil they are growing my local "organic" food in.
On top of that, I'm breathing the particles in the air......they mention often that the air is "unsafe"...what do they want me to do...stop breathing?
I'm so frustrated...

fitoverfifty · February 2011

I've not watched any of these documentaries, and I'm slower to jump on the conspiracy bandwagon, but I DO believe that there needs to be a more conscientious approach in regards to what we consider "food", how we grow food, and where our food comes from...literally starting from the ground up. As an avid gardener I find the disconnect from "farm" to table astounding.

But let's get on to my rant:

While I find the use of dyes in candies concerning, I find that there are so many more damaging actions taking place literally in our back yards. Do you know where that most pesticides and chemicals are used each year?! Yep! You guessed it: your lawns. More pollutants are dumped into our yards, which kill the soil, all organic material inside the soil, all the beautiful and useful bacteria inside the soil, rendering it useless. Those chemicals then leach into water supplies and do the same thing there. The result: a dead and useless plot of land that needs MORE chemicals to look good. And your yard uses MORE chemicals and pesticides per acre than the most "dirty" of industrialized farms. Now that, in my opinion, is some food for thought.

Oh, btw, there are many environmentally friendly ways to get your yard beautiful, if that's what you wish!!

I don't know why it's called a "conspiracy" ...these things are actually happening, they're not making this stuff up.
I would suggest you do watch these movies.....
And there are others. I watched one called "dirt"..it talks about how all life comes from the soil it's grown in, and how we should treat it.
There's a movie about water...fascinating as well...forgot what it was called.
The only way we can turn this around is by MANY people getting involved, and getting upset.

foreverstarstrukk · February 2011

The FDA also allows a certain # of fly eggs in tomato sauce, rodent hairs in peanut butter, and etc. The list goes on and on.

Ew!!!!

http://www.fda.gov/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation
/guidancedocuments/sanitation/ucm056174.htm

Shaye85 · February 2011

we can always grow our own and then we know what goes into it........i'm not trying to be mean, just in case it came out that way....but growing your own food maybe less expensive, definately less additives, and takes time and energy making us healthier! i don't do it yet but that's one of my goals (to get my own land and grow my own foods). good luck to everyone on their journey.

I tried that ones...complete failure...nothing grew and if it did it was so small!!

For those of you that have so much faith in the FDA.......

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