Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

The Office of the Inspector General, which audits various branches of the government, has warned the U.S. Department of Agriculture to closely monitor genetically modified (GM) foods coming from foreign countries. Meaning, the U.S. may block GM crops, animals and rice imported from countries such as China, India and Brazil, where research on genetically modified foods has intensified; via NewScientist.

But just last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration praised genetically modified animals. And will NOT require meat from GM animals to be labeled for consumers. I guess there’s a double-standard. American-made food monstrosities are exempt.

We love futzing with nature. Do we really need food coloring made from crushed beetles and pigs engineered to produce omega-3 fatty acids! Yuck.

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• The economy is suffering. And unemployment is rising. But green jobs are expected to boom, such as farmers, CSA coordinators, recyclers, conservation biologists and solar power installers. Currently, the solar industry employs over 25,000 workers, but it could leap to 110,000 by 2016; via FastCompany.

• Speaking of community supported agriculture. There are plenty of reasons to eat local! Locally grown food tastes better, retains more nutrients, contains no genetically modified organisms, promotes genetic diversity, and is better for the environment and preserves open spaces; from Green Living Review.

• Now, despite out obvious recession, interest in green products continues to grow. A new survey of 9,000 consumers revealed shoppers deliberately bought more green products in 2008 than any year before. In 2007, 32% of people sought green products, but in 2008 it increased to 34%; ENN reports.

• Electricity usage from the internet doubled between 2000 and 2006. But don’t feel guilty. According to data, the internet’s energy efficiency is improving. Old dial-up connections sap 3.56 kWh per GB, but new stuff, like DSL and cable, only consume .17 kWh/GB and .72 kWh/GB, respectively; via earth2tech.

• Under the new administration, government officials are hopeful the "Bigger Better Bottle Bill" has its first real shot at becoming law. The legislation would impose a nickel deposit on non-carbonated beverage containers and invest unredeemed deposits into state cleanup programs; The Post-Standard explains.

• The European Union seeks to tighten environmental standards for ships, striving for zero waste and zero emissions, by strengthening existing laws surrounding ship waste disposal at port facilities and setting up an environmental management system to oversee the maritime shipping sector; from ENN.

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Sorry, I just threw up in my mouth. Apparently food producers have been grinding up bugs to make food colorings for years! Beetles are a source of carmine or cochineal extract, which makes red, pink, orange and purple. And there’s been very little restriction on its use. A spokes person for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has lobbied to get carmine banned, said there is no way to tell how many products contain the dyes, it can be anything red. The FDA has decided to act now, due to reports of allergic reactions, requiring manufacturers to list carmine or cochineal in the ingredients; The Palm Beach Post reports.

Sounds yummy! There’s actually a big obsession with cramming bug parts into our food. Recently, Greenpeace unveiled a series of advertisements, featuring green onions shaped like spiders, scorpion carrots and peapod grasshoppers, to raise awareness for genetically modified ingredients in food.

Not to mention, a previous experiment showed rats fed genetically engineered corn developed signs of liver and kidney toxicity after 3 months. The corn contained a compound to repel insects.

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