Posts Tagged: food safety certification

3 Health Foods You Didn’t Know Are Toxic

Forensic lab tests conducted by Natural News health advocate Mike Adams reveal that many of our trusted health foods are actually toxic. Select rice protein powders, gingko biloba supplements and cacao powder were all found to contain poisonous levels of lead, cadmium and tungsten – heavy metals that cause cancer, heart disease and impaired brain function.

Disinfectant Food Wash: Sensible or Scary?

Is what’s good for the countertop good for the cold-cuts?  One might argue that eliminating bacteria present on food preparation or processing surfaces is of little value when the food itself is already contaminated with salmonella or E. coli. That very reasoning prompted PURE Sciences Inc. to develop a new, direct-to-food application for its liquid disinfectant called SDC (silver dihydrogen citrate). Swift Acting, Long Lasting For years, SDC has been used to wipe down contact surfaces in restaurants and factories – part of a well-established food safety certification protocol. CEO of PURE Sciences, Hank Lambert says they’ve produced new concentrations.. READ MORE »

Sanitation Violations: Favourite Chains are Repeat Offenders

Anyone who has experienced a bout of food poisoning thinks twice about where they eat out. They peek into kitchens, scan dining rooms for cleanliness, scrutinize how often food handlers wash their hands… But, the reality is that danger often lurks behind closed doors and from a consumer perspective, it can be difficult to see the contamination coming. According to Health Canada, up to 4 million people suffer from foodborne illnesses every year. A recent CBC Marketplace investigation looked at some of Canada’s most popular restaurant chains, examining just how careful the professionals are when it comes to protecting the.. READ MORE »

Dirty Little Secrets: What’s Your Grocery Store Hiding?

Contaminated carts, sweaty eggs, bacterial citrus – these aren’t concerns most shoppers have when blazing down supermarket aisles, eagerly checking items off their lists. But according to food safety certification expert Peter DeLucia (who was recently featured on the Dr. Oz show), we need to be much more proactive when it comes to protecting ourselves from grocery store grime. To better inform consumers, the New York World created an interactive map of the city, where users can search specific stores in their neighbourhood to check for violations. The results are eye-opening. Torontonians are urged to check their favourite market on.. READ MORE »

Canada Scores Low on U.S. Food Safety Audit

A recent assessment of Canada’s food safety procedures may prompt consumers to think twice about what’s for dinner. The audit, completed in 2012 but released only last month, evaluated the systems that process meat products being prepared for export to the United States. Inspectors with the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) visited two red-meat slaughterhouses, four meat-processing plants, an egg processing plant, five government offices including Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) headquarters, and two private laboratories between Oct. 22 and Nov. 9, 2012.  In the end, FSIS deemed the facilities “adequate,” the lowest possible rating it could issue.. READ MORE »

Hoofless Cattle: Merck Claims no Link to Growth Stimulant

Over the last decade, foodies, environmentalists, animal rights advocates and health officials have spoken out about the dangers of “unnatural” foods. The excessive use of pesticides, the unhealthy – even deadly – side effects of hormone injected cattle, and the implications of genetically modified produce; all reasons many of us have gone organic, willing to spend extra on free-range and all-natural. Last year, cattle producers joined the chorus, taking aim at pharma giant Merck when its growth stimulant Zilmax allegedly caused disastrous side effects. Merck denies there is any clinical research to validate the claims and is currently strategizing a.. READ MORE »

Wash Your Hands of Triclosan! FDA Cautions against Antibacterial Soap

We’re often told that washing our hands throughout the day will help to ward off germs, sickness and infection. And the best soap to use? Antibacterial, of course. However, according to the FDA, the very product we rely on to shield us from illness may well be making us sick. In a statement released on December 16, FDA officials warned consumers that the active ingredient in antibacterial soaps – triclosan – may be responsible for hormone imbalances and antibiotic resistance. In fact, despite its widespread use there is no clinical research to confirm that antibacterial soap has any added health.. READ MORE »

EU Bans Farm Animal Cloning and Sale of Cloned Meat

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? With global challenges of poverty and scarcity, it’s hard to imagine governments thinking twice about embracing new sources of food supply.  But that is exactly what is happening throughout the European Union (EU) this month with regard to farm animal cloning. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm in Brussels is pushing for a ban on domestic animal cloning and any importation of cloned meat. EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg describes the proposed regulation as “a ban on the technique, a ban on imports of the cloned animals themselves.. READ MORE »

The Long and Winding Road: Demystifying the Food Supply Chain

Where exactly does your food come from?  With increasingly convoluted global supply chains, it’s hard to determine the twists and turns our last meal took on its journey from transport to table. According to the FDA, there are 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths a year from food-borne illnesses. Health Canada estimates that each year, roughly 4 million people get sick from consuming contaminated food.  In 2012, Canada was forced to recall nearly 2000 beef products, the largest recall in its history, when the meat was found to be contaminated with E. coli. Officials were criticized for taking over 10 days.. READ MORE »

Mapping out the Future: Funding Boost for Canadian Genomics Initiatives

Since the first successful sequencing of the human genome in 2003, technology has evolved to make DNA mapping faster and more cost-effective than ever. In the health care sector, genomics has paved the way for customized therapies for patients suffering from a range of illnesses including cancer, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, neurological conditions, and cardiovascular disease. A more complete understanding of a patient’s genetic map means more effectively targeted drugs and a more efficient health care system. Students currently enrolled in pharmaceutical courses will emerge into a marketplace where customizable drug therapies are a booming business. The power to examine the genomes.. READ MORE »

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