Because Memorial Day falls on the last Monday of May, it’s also considered the unofficial start-date for picnic and barbeque season.

Many companies host picnics and potlucks for their employees on Memorial Day, but since the Food Safety News team is spread out across the country, we’re having a “virtual potluck” for our first Memorial Day celebration. Helena and Norah are bringing the main dishes–black bean burgers and barbequed chicken. Michelle is bringing two sides–barbequed stuffed peppers and hummus. Suzanne is bringing 3 sides–two pasta salads and a fruit and spinach salad. And Dan is bringing drinks–gin and tonics–and dessert–probably something he’ll pick up at the store at the last minute.

We’re sharing our recipes here, so you can join in our virtual potluck or use them at your next one.

Have a Safe Memorial Day Weekend!

The Food Safety News team.

This is sure to be a hit at any barbeque this summer.

Norah’s Barbque Chicken

6 Chicken Legs
6 Chicken Thighs

Boil the chicken in hot water for three minutes.

This will help make sure the insides of the chicken are cooked before you finish it on the grill.

Arrange chicken on the grill over medium heat.

Baste the chicken with Barbeque sauce.  Turn chicken once and cook for three-five minutes on each side.

Measure the internal temperature (165 F) with a tip-sensitive, instant read digital thermometer before serving.

Barbeque Sauce

-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 green red pepper, minced
-1 small yellow onion, minced
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 tablespoon cider vinegar
-1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
-2/3 cup hot sauce
-2/3 cup orange juice
-1/4 cup tomato sauce
-1/4 cup honey
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-Salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan heat oil over moderate heat until hot and sweat the bell pepper, garlic and onions until opaque.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened about thirty minutes and puree in a blender.  The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

In 1986, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) launched an international ban on whale meat. At present, the global population of whales totals 54,000.

The Hump, a sushi restaurant at the Santa Monica Airport, is under federal investigation for selling whale meat. 

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act protect the sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis).  Because of its endangered status, trade in sei whale flesh or other products are prohibited under US law.

Sei whales can reach sixty feet in length and weigh as much as 100,000 pounds when full grown. Sei whales can be found throughout the temperate oceans, but seasonally migrate to the waters of the Arctic and Antarctic. Anyone caught trafficking in sei whale products is subject to up to one year in prison and fines of up to $100,000.

The Oscar-winning documentary film “The Cove” is an expose on illegal dolphin hunting in Japan; members of the research team involved in the film’s production tipped investigators to the restaurant earlier this month.  The operation has been going on since October, when on three occasions investigators ordered and were served whale.  The owners of The Hump have been fined and face jail time but also have closed the establishment with the reason ‘self-imposed punishment’.   

While the restaurant has promised to make a substantial contribution to whale preservation or endangered species groups and owners have apologized to their customer base for their illegal actions, the question remains:  If they had not been caught would they still have whale on their menu?  Furthermore, how many other restaurants are operating under the same practices as The Hump?

Should the whale consumption ban be lifted because whaling is important to the economies of Japan, Norway and Iceland?  These three countries have special scientific permits to catch whales.  

The Japanese have been eating whale meat and utilizing whalebones, blubber and oil for more than two thousand years.  Their dietary habits, which have been deeply rooted in history, show that whale meat has been a major source of protein in the Japanese diet.  Dietary habits are a part of community and local ceremonies, which include serving whale meat in dishes.

On Tuesday the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene voted to require restaurants to post letter grades reflecting the operation’s cleanliness. The verdict, passed with a 6-to-2 vote, is a victory for consumers but restaurant owners are not pleased; there 25,648 restaurants to be graded across the city.

Letter grades have been used in Los Angeles County restaurants for 11 years, and the measure is recognized with the reduction of hospitalizations from foodborne illness symptoms.  L.A. was the first to put food safety letter grades in restaurant windows.

“Giving consumers more information will help make our restaurants safer and cleaner,” said the health commissioner, Dr. Thomas A. Farley, the chairman of the health board.”

There are also built in incentives to maintain high ratings. The letter grades–blue for A, green for B or yellow for C–will be placed on an 8 inch by 10 inch placard posted effective July 2010 and will replace the previous numerical ratings, which were previously only available online.

Currently, about 30 percent of the city’s restaurants would qualify for A grades, 40 percent would get a B and 26 percent would earn a C. Consumers can expect that a greater number of restaurants will receive As and Bs once the grading program goes into effect.

According to the Department of Health Website, “Restaurants will receive grades based on the number of violations documented during their sanitary inspections. Each establishment will post a placard at the point of entry, showing its current sanitary grade, and restaurants receiving an A grade will be inspected less often than those receiving lower marks.”

Consumers should not be too worried, however.  It is safe to patronize restaurants with B or C grades, which need to improve their overall food safety practices, but don’t pose imminent health risks. The Health Department immediately closes restaurants with conditions that may be hazardous to health.

The agency offers on-site training during every inspection and also provides free and low-cost classes on food protection.  Classes, which are available in multiple languages, are held during the day and evening and are also available online.

Restaurant owners are not happy with the verdict and Robert Bookman, legislative counsel for the New York City chapters of the New York State Restaurant Association, the operators’ trade group, charged that “letter grading will be more misleading than helpful,” adding that “it will be unfair and a black eye to this industry in the restaurant capital of the word.”

Image: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene 

It is unclear how or why acrylamide forms when food is cooked at high temperatures.
Levels of the substance increase when carbohydrates and proteins are mixed together such as in potato and wheat products that are heated or fried in oils but it can also occur in baked, grilled, roasted, or toasted foods.

Because there has been little research conducted on why acrylamide develops in foods it is also unknown what can be done to avoid the substance.  Preventive measures to reduce chances of exposure to the chemical include not cooking food excessively–for too long or at high level temperatures.  Researchers have not found acrymlamide in food that is prepared below 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  With this being said there should be further reinforcement on reduction of intake of fried and fatty foods.  

Scientists have determined that acrylamide is a carcinogen, but it belongs to a group of chemicals that have a low threshold of effects that result in low risks.  In a webcast for the International Food Information Council Foundation, Dr. Carl Winer, Director of the Food Safe Program and Extension Toxicologist at the University of California at Davis commented, “It’s the dose that makes the poison and that anything can be toxic at a high enough dose.”

California’s Proposition 65 states, “no person in the course of doing business shall knowingly and intentionally expose any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving clear and reasonable warning to such individual.”

KFC restaurants in California display posters on the wall with a disclaimer reading “Cooked potatoes that have been browned, such as French fries, baked potatoes, and potato chips, contain acrylamide, a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer.”

Tips for reducing acrylamide exposure when preparing food at home:

Store potatoes in a dry place–not the refrigerator.
Prepare toast and potatoes to a light golden brown color.
Prepare potatoes with the skin on as the nutrients will lock in and decrease the chance for acrylamide formation.

Stringer proposed eight ways to improve the Manhattan food system:

I.  Creation of an urban agriculture program to promote community gardening, as well as the development of rooftop gardens and other food-producing spaces for personal, commercial, and community use.

II.  Promotion of regional agriculture by connecting upstate and Long Island farms with downstate consumers.

III.  Redevelopment and modernization of the Hunts Point Market to better facilitate and increase the sale and consumption of regional foods.

IV.  Creation of new farmers’ markets in city-owned spaces.

V.  Creation of large- and small-scale composting initiatives.

VI.  Imposing a ban on plastic water bottle sales in city buildings and on municipal property, with a concurrent increase in the number of water fountains throughout the city.

VII.  More education for schoolchildren about healthy and environmentally sound eating, and the institution of “Meatless Mondays” (an initiative created by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) in school cafeterias.

VIII.  Creation of an Office of Food and Markets to implement systemic reform of the city’s food and agricultural policies and programs.

The report also urges the Mayor to consider amending PlaNYC, New York City’s comprehensive sustainability plan for the city’s future, to incorporate an overhaul of the city’s food system.  PlaNYC puts forth a strategy to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas footprint, while also accommodating a population growth of nearly one million, and improving the city’s infrastructure and environment.  New York has set the goal of reducing its citywide carbon emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels.

Finally, there is a proposal for development of a garden at New York City Hall.

The garden will represent New Yorkers’ commitment to education, public service, healthy eating, and environmental stewardship and will be tended by NYC public school students, in collaboration with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation and the region’s talented gardeners and farmers. The harvest will be donated to a nearby food pantry to feed the hungry.

The garden will represent the vision of a more sustainable, livable City for all New Yorkers, and will contribute to achieving the intents of PlaNYC by 2030.

Sign the petition for People’s Garden NYC at http://peoplesgardennyc.org/petition/

For over two years officials at the USDA have been reviewing the issue of chicken sodium injection, an industry food processing standard that has been deemed a natural marinade to make chicken moist but that consumer advocate groups and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) claim misleads consumers.  

Chicken labeled “natural” may contain up to 15 percent saltwater, which amounts to up to eight times the salt content of unadulterated chicken.  

“Chicken, salt and water are all natural substances, but when you combine the three, you get something that isn’t natural anymore,” said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Americans consume over 20 billion pounds of poultry annually; the California Poultry Federation estimates that the percentage of chicken injected with sodium has increased from 16 percent to more than 30 percent.  The Federation is advocating for stricter labeling laws because most of its members do not use sodium or water injections in processing.

Increased sodium consumption can lead to serious health concerns.  According to a recent study from the University of California at San Francisco, reducing sodium intake by 1,200 mg per day, the equivalent of one-half teaspoon of salt, could lead to a decrease in the number of heart disease cases.  The study also finds that reduced sodium intake could save in health care costs.  

Fresh meat is generally lower in sodium.  To reduce sodium intake, consumers can purchase fresh or frozen poultry or meat that hasn’t been injected with a saltwater.  To determine which meat and poultry products have been treated with saltwater or other processing agents, have a conversation with your butcher or read the food label.  Some farms maintain a commitment to providing all natural poultry products.

The entire FSIS Directive, “Safe and Suitable Ingredients used in the Production of Meat and Poultry Products,” is available online (pdf). 

A look at chemicals allowed in processing:

Acidifiers: Ammonium hydroxide, an aqueous solution of acidic calcium sulfate, an aqueous solution of hydrochloric and acetic acid, an aqueous solution of citric and hydrochloric acid, an aqueous solution of citric acid, hydrochloric acid, and phosphoric acid, an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid, citric acid, and phosphoric acid, sodium bisulfate, and sulfuric acid.

Anticoagulants: Sodium tripolyphosphate

Antimicrobials: An aqueous solution of sodium diacetate (4%), lactic acid, (4%), pectin (2%), and acetic acid (0.5%); an aqueous solution of sodium octanoate or octanoic acid and either glycerin and/or propylene glycol andor a Polysorbate surface active agent (quantity sufficient to achieve the technical effect of octanoic acid emulsification) adjusted to a final solution pH of 1.5 to 4.0 using sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or an acceptable GRAS [generally regarded as safe] acid;… (the list goes on for many pages and includes such gems as anhydrous ammonia and chlorine gas)

Antioxidants: BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)

Binders: A mix of sodium alginate, calcium sulfate, glucono deltalactone, and sodium pyrophosphate; a mixture of carrageenan, whey, protein concentrate, and xantham gum; beef collagen; binders listed in 9 CFR 424.21(c) for use in cured pork products and poultry products; carboxymethyl cellulose (cellulose gum); carrot fiber; cellulose, powdered conforming to the specifications in the Food Chemicals Codex 5th Edition; guar powder, micronized; hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; inulin; konjac flour; methylcellulose; oat hull fiber; oat fiber; orange pulp, dried; orange pulp, dried and orange pulp, dried with guar gum; partially hydrolyzed proteins; pectin; pork collagen; pork skin proteins; rice bran; rice starch; sodium alginate; “(species) protein” (e.g., chicken protein); transgultaminase enzyme; trehalose, xanthaM gum (purified by recovery with ethyl alcohol)

Colorings: Carmine (cochineal)

Curing Accelerators (must be used only in combination with curing agents): Potassium erythorbate

Denuding agents (may be used in combination. Must be removed from tripe by rinsing with potable water.): Calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, potassium citrate, potassium hydroxide, tricalcium phosphate, tropotassium phosphate

An international government debate over the catfish trade is ongoing.  Under the 2008 Farm Bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed amending regulations for both domestic and imported catfish to protect food safety and strengthen domestic and international trade regulations.  

Two varieties of Vietnamese catfish subject to the new regulations are Swai (Tra) and Basa.   Both varieties are widely farmed in Vietnam, and many consider the fillets a delicacy, as they are wider and thinner in appearance than catfish farmed by U.S. catfish farmers.  In 2002, the Federal Government ruled that Vietnamese varieties of Basa fish could not be called catfish.  In 2009 the named changed to Swai (an alternate name for Tra). 

Regardless of name, Vietnamese Swai and Basa are not subject to the same inspections as other imported catfish because these fish are not considered catfish.

All catfish must meet strict inspection requirements.  Among the health and safety concerns associated with Vietnamese catfish are issues such as polluted water and the use of antiquarian facilities.  American catfish farmers have taken action to draw awareness to these issues and have developed a coalition which produced a marketing campaign calling American catfish “the safe choice” catfish.  

In the meantime, Vietnam catfish farmers and other international exporters of fish need to show proof that the water used to farm fish is safe and unpolluted and provide observational data related to their farming practices in order to meet American food safety requirements.  The issue of tracking is essential to allow country of origin to be traced if a food safety issue were to occur in the United States.

Under the revisions are rules that Vietnamese catfish producers are required to have their product inspected and tested.  U.S. fishmongers have been lobbying for new policy, claiming imported catfish pose a potential health risk.

The U.S. proposed moving inspections of imported catfish from the jurisdiction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to that of the USDA; however, the State Department, trade officials, and members of Congress are critical of the plan and have articulated their feelings that international catfish farmers are being unlawfully targeted.  Some worry that the action could impose trade feuds.

International agreements on food inspections typically take between two to five years to negotiate, and switching the agency responsible for inspections could bar international trade while negotiations are conducted.  The change proposed by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is to coincide with provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill legislation.

The rules have been under review at the Office of Management with the proposed review date indefinite.

Seafood consumption in the United States exceeds 4.9 billion pounds annually; of this figure, 83 percent is imported.  Advocates argue that the U.S. needs clearly defined laws to protect consumers from environmental contamination and chemicals that could be present on imported seafood and say consumers have the right to know whether imported catfish is farmed and processed under the same food safety guidelines as domestically raised catfish.

In this economy it is very difficult for entrepreneurs to make an investment in a commercial kitchen so shared incubators or kitchens are one creative, cost-effective answer.  With such creativity comes a gray area wherein permits such as food safety certifications lie.

Kitchen licensing is required to protect public health, and food safety inspections are regularly conducted to ensure shared kitchens meet sanitary codes.

Last week, hundreds of pounds of food were destroyed in a Chicago shared kitchen belonging to small businesses and entrepreneurs.  Kitchen Chicago had a proper license from the city Health Department, but one of the entrepreneurs who used the kitchen, Flora Lazar, was informed she needed to obtain her own business license for her candy business in order to operate out of the kitchen.  

After a health inspection, the Chicago Health Department determined that every tenant at Kitchen Chicago needed a business license to operate at the facility.  While Kitchen Chicago is a licensed facility, inspected and approved by the City of Chicago Health Department, the owner of Kitchen Chicago is responsible for ensuring that proper food safety practices are followed.

Initially the tenants of Kitchen Chicago were denied the opportunity to obtain a license due to rules stipulating that only one business license is to be issued per address.  Food safety guidelines and business licensing guidelines are two separate concerns.

Kitchen Chicago was inspected twice–once by an inspector and once by the Chicago Health Department director.  The inspector said each of the entrepreneurs’ perishable food needed to be stored separately in the cooler. Kitchen Chicago owner Alexis Leverenz said the director superseded the inspector’s judgment.

Inspectors dumped and poured bleach on about 300 pounds of fruit last Friday saying they destroyed the food because the original source was unknown, prepared somewhere else under unknown conditions, and was stored in unmarked plastic bags.

One of the processes to meet the safety guidelines is to track the source of food in case of a food borne illness, by saving receipts of all procured perishable goods. It doesn’t appear that sanitation was a major issue.    

The issue has been resolved and on Monday, Lazar and Sunday Dinner caterers were given new business licenses.  

The Chicago Department of Public Health asked Leverenz to discuss her experience with the health department and Business Affairs to make the process smoother and cleaner in the future for other shared kitchen space owners and users.

Other cities sponsor shared kitchen and retail space such as Eastern Market in DC and La Marqueta in New York.  

In New Mexico, home-based food producers are required to apply for a permit to sell baked goods.  In Wyoming, a bill was introduced and passed to make selling cottage goods legal.  In Wisconsin a newly signed bill allows home-based canned foods to be sold, but the law limits annual sales to $5,000 a year.  Other states that have such laws include AL, IN, IA, KY, ME, NH, NC, OH, PA, TN, VT, VA and UT.

Those involved in the incident hope media coverage will draw awareness to the confusion around shared kitchen space and inform others in the food culture community, and entrepreneurs, of licensing issues.  The Chicago incident has shown that renting kitchen space results in a collective assertion for responsibility for other renters’ food and that the end goal is safe food practices.

Native to the Far East, soy food comes from soybeans.  Traditional forms of soy foods include edamame, soymilk, tofu, and fermented foods such as miso, soy sauce and tempeh.  More recently, in Western culture soy has become widely manufactured and available as soy nuts, soy-based protein beverages, soy snack chips, soy cheese, ice cream, and yogurt–all products that have become a main source of protein for vegans, vegetarians, and people with aversions to dairy products.

There are many health benefits and misconceptions acknowledged and dismissed about soy.

Allergies to soy are common and can be compared to other food allergies, such as those to milk, eggs, peanuts, and shellfish.  This problem is common among children.  In addition, soy products that are genetically engineered and non-organic are believed by some to pose health risks such as the introduction of new allergens, new toxins, and antibiotic resistance.

Soy milk is a better alternative for children than rice milk; it is richer and of higher quality protein.  It also includes fiber, calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, and folic acid.

Soy foods that have been minimally processed are the best form of nutrients found in the soybean.  Such products include edamame and soy nuts.

Soy-manufacturing food producers should be on board with purchasing U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic soybeans.  But don’t be fooled by superficially low prices in the supermarket:  The Cornucopia Institute released a “soycard” on ratings of processed soy products.  Silk, Kirkland by Costco, 365 by Whole Foods Market and O Organics by Safeway all received a zero-bean rating on the quality of their soy milk while Vermont Soy, Organic Valley, and Lifeway soy milk all received excellent to outstanding quality ratings.

In the United States, non-organic soy is processed with hexane, a toxic petroleum-derived solvent that aids in oil and protein extraction.  Hexane produces greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.  It is also a flammable substance and toxic to workers.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies hexane as a hazardous air pollutant.  In 2009 there were two explosions–one at soy producing factory in Minnesota and another at a soybean oil factory in Formosa, Brazil.

The recent suicide of a New York State dairy farmer has drawn attention to the potential recurrence of this issue.  The farmer, who raised 100 head of cattle, killed his 51 dairy cows he milked twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, before killing himself.  

Though Dean Pierson reportedly had ‘personal issues’ in recent months, his suicide raises multiple questions, including whether the farmer felt an elevated pressure to produce.  In early 2009, a Maine farmer hanged himself in his barn.  More recently, two Maine farmers–one an organic dairy farmer–committed suicide; both shot and killed themselves.

In February of 2009 the price of milk dropped below $12 per 100 pounds for the first time since the 1970s.  On average, it costs around $17 to produce 100 pounds of milk.  Government subsidies have increased the price for 100 pounds to above $16; however, the costs of production are still high.  

Dairy farms in the United States produce 21 billion gallons of milk per year, keeping dairy prices low due to excess production. The plummeting economies in the agriculture and dairy industries are a major contributing factor to the loss and misfortunes that can lead to suicide.

Suicide rates are augmented among farmers and also a global plague as Australia, India and Ghana report heightened instances of farmer suicide.

The economic burden placed on dairy farmers struggling to make a profit leaves farmers challenged with sustaining what is oftentimes multi generational family legacy under a tremendous responsibility.  Some face significant debt with creditors.  

As consumer demand for certified organic and bovine synthetic growth hormone-free products increases due to a notion of greater food safety associated with these products, farmers are incurring debt to make expansions on farms or to produce these products.  Certified organic dairy products command nearly twice the price of conventional products, and as consumers choose to make economic decisions related to whether to buy organic or conventional dairy products, farmers are impacted.

Some farmers have chosen to begin producing raw milk, as there is a high premium associated with its sale, but raw milk sales are not legal in many states and food safety and legal issues are a major concern.  

AgriWellness, Inc. located in Iowa, encourages managed behavioral health services for underserved and at-risk populations caused by crisis in agricultural communities. According to AgriWellness, if you compare farmers to non-farmers, farmers have twice the national suicide rate compared with non-farmers.

For help 24 hours a day, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800.273.8255.  The service is available to all.  You may call for yourself or for someone else.  All calls are confidential.

Prior to the Jan.12 earthquake, Haiti was the most malnourished and poverty-stricken country in the western hemisphere, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.  The destruction caused by the quake has caused further disparity, as basic needs such as a nutritious, safe meals and clean water are even more of a challenge to come by than before.

The infrastructure that once brought food and distributed it throughout the country is paralyzed.  
As few as thirty years ago, Haiti was a self-reliant nation from an agriculture perspective.  Now Haiti is dependent on important food, with half of the food supply being imported prior to the disaster.  There is a need for increased food production, agriculture rehabilitation, and reconstruction within the country that will take years, if not decades, to achieve.

In the long term there is a need for food sovereignty in Haiti, which would include laws to protect the arable land for agriculture from erosion and support local farmers.  The destruction and lack of crops will impact the entire Haitian population and increase malnourishment.

Without investment in infrastructure–roads, the airport, and shipping ports were all damaged in the earthquake–the movement of food throughout the country is limited.  More than one million Haitians may run away from the Port-au-Prince section for the countryside in search of food and clean water, which could further strain struggling farms.  With such a high demand of travel, however, bus fares and gas prices have increased, further straining the locals in suffering.

At least three million people are in need of aid.  According to the American Red Cross, thousands of meals have been distributed by the US military, and Red Cross volunteers plan to deliver clean drinking water to 200,000 people (17 settlements) each day by truck.  As of Jan. 21, over one million liters (approximately 265,000 gallons) of water had been distributed through the Red Cross; not nearly enough for 3 million people to survive on.  More water is needed.

During times like this it is significant just how easily broken but reliant we are.  When local food systems fail, the global community can step in and offer support.  For the poor, who knows how many will fall ill or die because they cannot access safe food or clean water.  The country has an immediate need, but it also needs to return to a state of self-sufficiency with respect to its food supply.

Photo:  A Haitian Red Cross volunteer helps distribute water.  Credit: American Red Cross/Talia Frenkel.  To find out more about the Red Cross response to the earthquake in Haiti, visit the Red Cross Disaster Online Newsroom

Fresco is merely an elimination of cheese, which is substituted with pico de gallo (salsa) instead.  The biggest difference between fresco menu items and regular menu items is calorie-count, not grams of fat.

Did Dougherty really lose all the weight while eating tacos?  Is this an unhealthy New Year’s resolution promotion?

We have seen this crash diet before from Subway – Jared lost his weight by selecting healthy alternatives at the fast food chain; currently, Jared is trying to shed 40 pounds he gained over the years.

Taco Bell doesn’t provide any nutritional information on the daily nutrients and vitamins the Fresco menu offers.  The majority of options available on the menu equal high sodium intake; none rank favorable in dietary fiber.

The American Heart Association recommends a daily total of fewer than 2300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day–eating two Drive Thru Diet Fresco Burritos would max out sodium intake for the day.

On the Taco Bell Web site is a disclaimer stating Dougherty’s results are not typical and that the items featured on the “fresco” menu are not low calorie food:  “For a healthier lifestyle, pay attention to total calorie and fat intake and exercise regularly.  ‘Fresco’ can help with calorie reductions of 20 to 100 per item compared to corresponding products on the regular menu.  Not a low calorie food.”

The diet does not teach about portion control or provide information about why people over eat, but Taco Bell does provide caloric content of the ‘fresco’ menu on the company Web site.

Overall, the Fresco diet is not a safe and healthy diet option.   Consuming fewer calories a day by patronizing a drive thru doesn’t signify weight loss achieved through this option is healthy.

It is clear that the Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet is not a diet at all.  The disclaimer states so in the fine print of the ad:  “Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet is not a weight loss program.  Pay attention to the total calorie and fat intake and exercise regularly.”

What was left out of the above statement is advice to monitor intake of preservatives and additives that are high in sodium and other health-inhibiting factors.

Through the BPI system of producing ground beef, bacteria-killing ammonia is used as a “processing agent” to make a mash that is allowed to be used in hamburger without public warnings.  Ammonia is rationed as part of beef processing and therefore doesn’t have to be listed as an ingredient on labeling.  But the amount of ammonia it takes to kill E. coli reportedly makes the beef taste and smell dreadful. 

Ground beef provided through the National School Lunch Program is currently made up of ten to 15 percent ammonia-treated beef from BPI.  While BPI lowered the amount of ammonia used in processing, there is a disconnect between regulatory agency recommendations regarding the safety of consuming the ammonia-treated beef.  

BPI maintains that its beef is safe and ammonia use in production is safe and effective.  But is it really?

 
Beyond the obvious “yuck” factor, there is a compelling reason to restrict the use of ammonia in filler for ground beef production.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not provided scientific evidence that ammonia kills pathogens. 

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there is no scientific evidence that ammonia consumption causes cancer but eating habits and consumption affect the environment.



Worker safety is another important denominator.  On average, 25 percent of conventional factory farm workers suffer from job-related injuries or illnesses each year, making factory farming the industry with the highest number of job-related injuries of any job industry in the country.  Ammonia causes severe irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs and exposure to ammonia can be fatal.

 
The following clip from Food, Inc. shows the production of the filler product.  Note the outfit worn by the worker:
 


With all the hype over human consumption of ammonia-treated beef, worker safety–an important part of the equation–is left out.
 


With food safety information readily available to consumers, we have the ability to empower and make decisions that ultimately affect our health, safety, and environment.  Consumer health and worker safety are both important components to the conversation on ammonia-treated beef.