Starbucks to double purchases of fair trade certified coffee to 40 million pounds in 2009
(Associated Press) – Coffee retailer Starbucks Corp. said Tuesday it will double its purchases of fair trade certified coffee to 40 million pounds in 2009.
The move is part of the company’s “Shared Planet” initiative to do business “responsibly,” the company has said, by focusing on areas such as volunteerism and going greener, including using recyclable cups and reducing water usage.
The company will also work with TransFair USA, which certifies fair trade products, and the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, an association of fair trade organizations, to improve environmental and agricultural practices.
Fair trade certified products are made according to a set of rules that mandate the payment of a fair price and maintaining social and environmental standards.
Starbucks shares rose 6 cents to $9.65 in morning trading.
By MIN LEE, Associated Press Writer Min Lee, Associated Press Writer – Sun Oct 26, 1:13 am ET
HONG KONG – Excessive levels of the industrial chemical melamine in Chinese eggs might be traced to feed given to chickens, the Hong Kong government said late Saturday.
The government said in a statement it found 4.7 parts per million of melamine in the eggs produced by a division of China’s Dalian Hanwei Enterprise Group based in the northeastern port city Dalian. The legal limit of melamine in Hong Kong is 2.5 ppm.
Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health York Chow said the melamine may have come from feed given to the chickens that laid the eggs.
“The preliminary opinion experts have given us is that there is a problem with the feed,” Chow told reporters.
The new results have prompted officials to expand food testing to meat imports from China, Chow told reporters Sunday.
In an earlier egg-related food safety scare, the banned cancer-causing industrial dye, Sudan Red, was used to color egg yolks.
China is currently caught in a food safety scandal over dairy products tainted with melamine. More than 3,600 children remain sick in China from contaminated milk, with three in serious condition, the Ministry of Health said last week. The deaths of four infants have been blamed on dairy products contaminated with melamine.
Authorities say middlemen apparently added melamine to milk they collected from farmers to sell to large dairy companies. The suppliers are accused of watering down the milk and then adding the nitrogen-rich chemical to make the milk seem higher in protein when tested. Protein tests often simply measure nitrogen levels.
Calls to Dalian Hanwei Enterprise Group Sunday went unanswered.
Chow said Hong Kong officials will step up checks of eggs imported from China.
Melamine is used in the manufacturing of plastics, fertilizer, paint and adhesives. Health experts say ingesting a small amount poses no danger, but in larger doses, the chemical can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.
The Hong Kong government also said it found excessive amounts of melamine in Blueberry Cream Sandwich crackers made by Philippine company Croley Foods MFG. Corp.
By JULIE DEARDORFF
Chicago Tribune
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Chocolate cake is a popular home remedy for depression, but it comes with some unwelcome side effects. Sweet treats don’t just pack on the pounds; they give us a sugar high that’s inevitably followed by a demoralizing crash.
Still, there’s growing recognition in the medical community that the right food choices can improve your mood. Though drugs are often considered the first line of treatment for depression, a dietary change might be all you need, says James Gordon, a psychiatrist who advocates non-drug approaches to depression.
Gordon, a clinical professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, believes what we eat affects how we think and feel. “It’s a wake-up call to let us know our body is out of balance.”
Food can help restore that equilibrium, Gordon wrote in his new book, “Unstuck” (The Penguin Press, $25.95). The trick is knowing which key nutrients to include, and which foods to avoid.
Nutritional changes aren’t a magic bullet; they’re subtle pieces of a treatment plan that might also include therapy, exercise — one of the most effective depression busters — and stress-reduction techniques.
But “diet can help with virtually any chronic condition” including depression, said registered dietitian Wendy Bazilian, who holds a doctorate in public health. Just remember that major depression might require an integrative approach that uses food in conjunction with other therapies, including medication and counseling. And never abruptly stop taking medication even if you’re experiencing side effects such as weight gain and sexual dysfunction; talk to your doctor about tapering down.
Eat more …
1. Salmon. Fatty, cold-water fish such as salmon contain omega-3 fatty acids, which keep cell membranes pliable and flexible, said neurosurgeon Larry McCleary, founder of a research group that looks at natural ways to treat health issues. It’s also in tuna, anchovies and sardines, but since fish fat is also a good place to store heavy metals, pesticides and poylchlorinated biphenyls (PCB), consider plant-based sources, including walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and green, leafy vegetables.
2. Oatmeal, soy milk and two scrambled eggs. This meal will give you 500 milligrams of tryptophan, an amino acid that’s a precursor for the neurotransmitter serotonin, the brain’s feel-good hormone. Many antidepressants are designed to prolong the activity of serotonin in our cells, but you can actually increase the levels by eating carbohydrates (with the exception of fructose, the sugar in fruit), said Judith Wurtman, author of “The Serotonin Power Diet” (Rodale, $24.95).
3. Spinach. Low levels of the B vitamin folate, found in spinach, peas, navy beans, orange juice, wheat germ or avocado, may play a role in depression in some patients, said Brent Bauer, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program.
4. Vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D has been shown to help with seasonal affective disorder, said Bruce Hollis, professor of pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina. It may also have an anti-inflammatory effect and increase the flexibility of cell membranes, making the brain’s neurotransmitters work better. While primarily generated after the skin soaks up the sun’s ultraviolet B rays, Vitamin D can be obtained from oily fish and supplemented products like cow or soy milk and orange juice.
But Hollis says the recommended daily allowance — 200 to 400 international units per day—is far too low. Instead, supplement with 2,000 IU’s or higher. At these levels, though, food isn’t a good option, since you’d have to drink a gallon of milk a day and no one needs those calories, Hollis said.
5. Broccoli and blueberries. When combined with protein in fish, chicken and turkey, high-fiber, non-starchy vegetables help stabilize blood sugar levels, said Jack Challem, author of “The Food-Mood Solution” (Wiley, $24.95). “Our moods usually track with blood sugar levels,” Challem said. “When our blood sugar is on the rise right after we eat, most people feel pretty contented. If it goes up too high, people feel sleepy because high blood sugar turns off orexins, a family of neuropeptides involved in feeling alert.” Superfruits such as blueberries are high in antioxidants, which are substances that absorb the free radicals produced by stress. Too many free radicals cause wear and tear on the body. Challem recommends green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and kiwifruit.
6. Quinoa. Whole grains, a good source of B vitamins, break down and release sugar slowly, so you don’t get high levels of insulin and the ups and down of blood sugar, said Gordon. Quinoa, a seed that is classified as a grain, is considered one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom. Also try oats, brown rice, or whole wheat bread or pasta.
Eat less …
Red meat. As you increase omega-3’s, try to cut down on the other type of fatty acid, omega-6, which is found in beef. Though essential for brain health, omega-6’s are associated with promoting inflammation. Omega-6’s are also found in corn and vegetable oils.
Fried foods. Fat is a very important part of a cell’s membranes. But trans fats and saturated fats make the membranes rigid; then the neurotransmitters don’t work as well. Fried foods, hamburgers, french fries, butter, cheesecake, whole milk and beef are high in saturated fat. A product has trans fats if the ingredients list “partially hydrogenated oils.” Food manufacturers are allowed to list amounts of trans fat with less than 0.5 gram as 0 on the Nutrition Facts panel. To avoid it, read labels.
Gas station food. Processed foods contain refined flour and give you high doses of sugar but lack critical nutrients, said Gordon. “You’ll often experience a feeling of well-being from the sugar when levels are high, but when it’s low you experience a letdown or fatigue.” Refined sugars include white table sugar, white flour, high fructose corn syrup.
Alcohol and caffeine. Though alcohol is a stimulant in low doses, it also depletes the brain’s mood elevator, serotonin. Caffeine blocks the soothing effects of the brain’s “feel-good” messenger called GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid) that can calm mood and the digestive tract, said Molly Siple, author of “Eating for Recovery” (Lifelong, $17.95). “Refined foods and caffeine tend to raise the blood glucose,” she said. “The drop is a route into depression.”
V© 2008, Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/
You want to get free taco? Now you can. Because during the World Series Fox TV USA, the President of Taco Bell announced that one free taco will be handed out for everyone.
”We gave away millions of free tacos,” said spokesman Will Bortz, who couldn’t be more specific because most Taco Bell restaurants aren’t company-owned
Taco Bell is one again offering its free taco deal for any stolen base during a game — the series starts Wednesday at 8pm and runs.
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Delicious Bread within Minutes!
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Large LCD display can be viewed clearly. Prima ABM30 White Breadmaker provides umpteen choices of making nutritious bread with delicious flavours! Requiring only 720 Watts, it burns no hole in the pocket and years of unending service are assured.
Bread has always been regarded the staple food by millions world over as various fillings can be added to enjoy a sumptuous meal and fresh fruits or vegetables maintain the healthy lifestyle for energetic hours ahead. Easy to create and the aroma that can tempt anyone makes this humble loaf of bread the ever loving hunger satisfier. Delicious variants make this the ideal choice amid kids too.
Delicious Bread within Minutes!
This tempting loaf can now be created at home with little strain and expenses. Prima ABM30 Bread Maker is the white coloured compact appliance that churns out loaves of 1 lb or 2 lbs loaves. With unique non-stick bread pan and one kneading blade, bread can be made without sticky substances to mar the cleaning procedures. The pan and blade are easy to clean and is 100% dishwasher safe.
Superior quality bread loaves of different styles can be made swiftly with features like basic bread for the normal ones, French bread, whole meal bread for the nutritious slices, cake and jam settings to satiate the ever increasing demands. Adjustable crust control varying between light, medium or dark makes this the best bread creator one can install inside the house! 12 automatic programs including ones for bread, cakes and jam assure superior quality in all slices!
Automatic alarm for adding ingredients alert one of the time for adding nuts, parsley or fruits and vegetables diced thinly. Large viewing window to see the cooking modes is also provided in this Prima bread maker. 13 hours programmable delay timer helps one to enjoy fresh aromatic bread after a hectic days’ schedule or when one wake up in the morning. 4 hours power interruption back-up system is especially useful in areas with frequent power fluctuations or interruptions when making the soft fluffy bread.
Large LCD display can be viewed clearly. Prima ABM30 White Breadmaker provides umpteen choices of making nutritious bread with delicious flavours! Requiring only 720 Watts, it burns no hole in the pocket and years of unending service are assured.
Source: http://www.breadmakers.me.uk/prima-bread-maker/prima-abm30-bread-maker/