Food Safety: The Importance of Orange Peels

It is estimated that the deadly bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella cause over 500,000 human deaths worldwide each year. In addition, these bacteria cause millions of others to be sick, some which require hospitalization. Were you aware that orange peels could be used to prevent some of these illnesses and deaths?

Proper cooking can greatly decrease the chances of bacterial infection. Those who live in hot and humid regions, which are more conducive to the growth of dangerous bacteria, have developed another method of combating bacteria: the use of spices. Spices can possess antibacterial abilities, thus making food safer, and that is a significant reason why people from those hotter regions use for more spices than those from colder climates. The most potent antibacterial spices are garlic, onion, allspice and oregano. Thyme, cinnamon, tarragon and cumin are also powerful, with capsicums (such as chilies and other hot peppers) being fairly effective as well.

Though I was aware of the powers of spice, the uses of orange peels had previously eluded me until I picked up the latest issue of Scientific American (February 2012) and read the brief article Peeling Away Microbes.  The article states: "A cow's rumen has an incredibly thick population of microbes, somewhere between 10 billion and 100 billion microbes per milliliter of its fluid. Escherichia coli and Salmonella are two, but they are found in relatively low levels, maybe one out of 10 million cells." Most efforts to reduce these dangerous pathogens occur after the cow has been slaughtered, but that is certainly not 100% effective. So, if these pathogens could be reduced before the cow is killed, their meat would be even safer.

In Florida and California, where orange juice is produced, orange peels are usually waste products, sold off cheaply to dairies as cows will eat them. As an unintended benefit, this practice may actually be making some of our beef supply safer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been conducting research in the use of citrus byproducts in reducing dangerous pathogens in cows. Orange peels contains d-limonene, a naturally occurring compound with antimicrobial properties, and some studies indicate that these peels can reduce dangerous microbes up to ten fold. That would be a significant reduction.

ARS microbiologist Todd R. Callaway, who has been involved in this research, has said: "While foodborne pathogens are found in the gut of food animals, non-antibiotic methods to reduce such pathogens in the live animal are important to improving food safety."  Obviously, there are not enough orange peels to feed all of the cows in our country so researchers are trying to develop citrus pellets which can be distributed across the country. The research is very hopeful and it could save lives.

So the next time you enjoy an orange, show some respect to it as an instrument of food safety.

Rant: Whose Responsibility Is Food Safety?

Have you ever had food poisoning? It can be extremely unpleasant, as well as very dangerous. As there are approximately 76 million cases of food-related illnesses each year in the U.S., chances are that you probably have been affected at some time. Though most of those cases are relatively minor, although you may feel rather miserable, some can be much more serious, with about 323,000 cases requiring hospitalization and 5200 leading to death. So food safety is a significant concern.

I recently read the new book The Philosophy of Food, edited by David Kaplan, a collection of philosophical essays on a wide range of food-related topics, from veganism to sustainability, from aquaculture to Slow Food. For any food writer, this collection will spawn numerous ideas for articles and I highly recommend it. For any food lover, these essays will spark much contemplation about these important issues.

I was especially intrigued by the article "The Ethics of Food Safety in the Twenty-First Century" by Jeffrey Burkhardt, a Professor of Agriculture & Natural Resource Ethics and Policy at the Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida. Burkhardt stated: "Although individuals and personal entities have a role to play in ensuring a safe and secure food system, governments are the primary agents to secure, or 'keep,' this public good." This is due, in large part, to the great complexity of the international food chain, where much of it is out of the hands of the average consumer. Most of the problems with food safety globally are associated with bacterial/viral contamination or spoilage but other hazards exist as well such as pesticides, industrial chemicals, and foreign material like waste.

This makes plenty of sense, but it also does not absolve the consumer from their responsibility toward food safety either. Especially considering that the U.S. government may not be doing enough to protect consumers from food illnesses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates about 80% of our food supply while the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for other 20%. One of the dangers we face is from imported foods, which is a significant portion of our food supply. For example, we import over 40% of our fruit, 15% of our vegetables, and 80% of fish & seafood. The average American diet includes about 18% of imported food.

The problem though is that the FDA inspects very little of this imported food. For example, in 2007, the FDA inspected only 1.3% of the food that it was regulates that was imported into our country. This percentage has actually been decreasing over time, down from 8% prior to the NAFTA and WTO agreements. If so little imported food is being inspected before reaching our tables, then the consumer must take on more of the burden of ensuring their own food safety. In addition, we should be demanding greater oversight from the FDA and other governmental agencies.

Now, meat can be a source of food illnesses, and gets much press, but plenty of other food products can be the culprit as well. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group that tracks food safety issues, compiled a list of 10 foods, non-meats, that cause a significant amount of food illnesses. At the top of that list are leafy greens, which are responsible for 24% of all non-meat outbreaks. Tomatoes, sprouts and berries also were in the top ten. Eggs came in at second place while tuna occupied third place. Even ice cream made the list, in seventh place.

We should be advocating for the government to do more about food safety, but consumers also need to arm ourselves with the knowledge to address food safety issues on their own. There are plenty of sites where you can go for more information about food safety.  For instance, you can check out the blog by iPura, a food safety company. Some of their most informative articles include: 5 Things Every Consumer Should Know About Food Safety, Quick Food Safety Checklist For Grocery Shopping, Food Safety For Busy People - 5 Keys To Better Health, and Food Safety Myths & Facts - Arm Yourself With Truth. These are practical articles, which will help you make better decisions.

Many cases of food borne illnesses are preventable, if the proper precautions are taken in cleaning, storing and preparing your food. It is your obligation to understand your role in food safety, and do what needs to be done to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Rant: Faux FroYo

I think we all want truth in advertising. Plus, when we order a food, we want that food to live up to its name. But many people are being deceived by a specific food item, thinking they are eating something that they are not. I don't think that is right and it needs to be better known. Let me tell you about Faux FroYo!

Yogurt is considered a healthy food and is produced through the bacterial fermentation of milk using active cultures of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Regulations of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) mandate that "yogurt" must be made with a certain amount of active cultures.

But what about frozen yogurt, sometimes called FroYo or Frogurt? You would expect that it too has all of the active cultures, and that it is actually a form of yogurt. But in most cases, you would be wrong, and that is why I prefer to call much of it: Faux FroYo.

Frozen yogurt was created in New England in the 1970s by the H.P. Hood company. By the 1980s and into the early 1990s, frozen yogurt had become extremely popular. But with the introduction of new reduced-fat ice creams, the popularity of frozen yogurt started to wane, with the demand dropping in half. Recently though, with the advent of numerous new frozen yogurt stores, like Red Mango and Pink Berry, the popularity has been increasing once again.

Unlike yogurt, frozen yogurt is considered to be a "a non-standardized food" and thus not subject to FDA composition standards. So in short, it does not have to meet the definition of "yogurt." Thus, when you are eating frozen yogurt, it might not actually be yogurt at all, which is really a bit of deception. Some frozen yogurts use heat-treated yogurt, which destroys the active cultures, or though they might add some active cultures, they fail to ferment.

Interestingly enough, most of the frozen yogurt stores have admitted that what they sell is not actually yogurt. But as the term "frozen yogurt" is not regulated, they can legally sell their frozen dessert product under that designation. But many people seem unaware of the reality, that they are not getting actual yogurt. They simply assume that "frozen yogurt" actually is a form of yogurt, though most times it is not.

The National Yogurt Association does issue a seal, Live & Active Cultures, which ensures a product has a significant amount of live and active cultures to be considered yogurt. That is one way to determine whether the frozen yogurt you enjoy actually is yogurt. Though there are few frozen yogurts that are deserving of that seal.

So don't be fooled any longer. Go ahead and enjoy frozen yogurt if you like it, but just remember that you probably are not eating actual yogurt.

Are Veggie Burgers Deadly?

I get shivers down my spine when I am at a BBQ, watching the burgers and hotdogs on the grill, and then see someone add a veggie burger. Though that person might think that the veggie burger is healthier for them, they might be very wrong. They might be ingesting a potentially harmful toxin.

In the current issue of Mother Jones magazine (August 2010), there is a one-page article, Get Behind Me, Seitan by Kiera Butler. It discusses veggie burgers and and how some contain hexane, an EPA registered air pollutant and suspected neurotoxin. Why do some of these burgers contain hexane? Well, producers want to make their burgers low in fact and the cheapest way to do so is to use hexane to remove the fatty sobyean oil.

A 2009 study by Cornucopia Institute, a sustainable-farming nonprofit, found that Boca, Morningstar Farms and Gardenburger and numerous other producers of veggie burgers used hexane. As an aside, hexane is also used in other natural soyfoods such as nutrition bars and protein shakes.

The report states: "Hexane is used to extract oil from grains such as corn, soy, and canola. It is a cost-effective and highly efficient method for separating whole soybeans into soy oil, protein, and fiber. In conventional food processing, soybeans are immersed in what the industry calls a “hexane bath” before they are further processed into ingredients such as oil, soy protein isolate, or texturized soy protein (TVP). The soy protein ingredients in most nonorganic foods such as vegetarian burgers and nutrition bars are processed with the use of hexane."

The EPA regulates hexane emissions because of potential carcinogenic properties and environmental concerns. It is worrisome though that the FDA does not monitor or regulate hexane residue in soy foods plus little research has been done on the potential dangerous effects of consuming hexane residues in food. The few, limited studies on rodents do seem to minimize any potential danger from hexane but more study is warranted.

What is important to realize that one needs to look beyond the surface of all foods, and especially processed foods, to ascertain any potential hidden dangers. A veggie burger might sound healthy on its face, but the processing it underwent may have tainted it. The same thing applies to foods that are labeled as "natural." Such items may not be as "natural" as you think as legal definitions and rules considering labeling grant much leeway in such matters. Just think carefully when you go shopping, and don't make assumptions based on appearances.