slamboard

Seafood like Gulf oysters are a great way to make a low carb diet interesting. Six raw oysters add up to about 57 calories. They contain 5.9 grams of protein, 2.1 grams of fat and 3.3 grams of carbohydrate. They are also an excellent source of Zinc (76mcg), as well as Vitamin B12 (16.3mcg).

So what is stopping us from enjoying these slippery dudes on a regular basis? Well, some of us may be in the at risk groups for exposure to the food borne bacteria that is commonly in oysters. The bacteria that we are talking about is called Vibrio vulnificus and it does not make healthy people sick. However, people who suffer from conditions such as liver disease (from hepatitis, cirrhosis, alcoholism, or cancer), iron overload disease (hemochromatosis), diabetes, cancer (including lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease), stomach disorders or any condition that results in a weakened immune system are at risk. Go to BeOysterAware.com for more details.

If you want to minimize the risk, you have options. The easiest thing is to opt for fully cooking your oysters. If you prefer the raw experience, you can buy oysters that have been processed in such a way as to reduce the bacteria to non detectable levels. The industry has developed a few ways of doing this. Individual quick freezing works and so does a heating and cooling pasteurization method. They can also use a heat and pressure pasteurization method. I have to assume that there is a detectable difference in taste. Roughly 10% of the oysters sold in the USA are subjected to either individual quick-freezing (IQF), low heat pasteurization or heat-cool pasteurization (HCP), or high-hydrostatic pressure (HPP). I have purchased IQF seafood before and I was satisfied with the product.

This needs to be seen.

I am posting this because of it’s implications about how big business is in control of how news is reported. I don’t want to be alarmist about the story that FOX killed at the behest of Monsanto. I have a degree in agriculture and I was part of a big discussion about the use of hormone injections in the dairy industry in one of my classes. My professor was very much in favor of the practice. This was during the period of time in which it was unclear which way the Canadian government agency was going to swing on this issue. The use of low levels of antibiotics in feed for animals that are raised for meat production is, in my mind, a much greater human risk and it is a practice that is widespread.

Canada prohibits the use of rbST because of its adverse health effects on cows, not humans.

In the United States and Canada, the Turkey is the center of attention at the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It is simply not Thanksgiving without this meat for many people. Not surprisingly, it is the food that accounts for the most questions on the FDA food safety hot line.

Here is a fact sheet about food safety and Turkey. The only thing that I have to add is BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. If you are worried that you or someone else may have mishandled the job of safely cooking a turkey, don’t eat it. This includes leftovers.

I decided to make a brief post on this specific topic because there is still a lot of information on the Internet that is based on 1994 regulations. The FDA made some ‘final rulings’ related to dietary supplements in July of 2007.

I don’t see any fundamental changes from the 1994 law. The additions include current good manufacturing practice requirements and a requirement for companies to report adverse effects. These changes should increase consumers confidence in dietary supplements. The FDA website has lots of valuable information and advice related to dietary supplements.

I have researched some new products online and found that the web marketing of supplements is sometimes very secretive about the ingredients. I am suspicious that some companies hide behind the screen of claiming a proprietary blend of ingredients. Many products are aimed at making money from some positive buzz that a botanical ingredient is receiving without actually going to the expense of adding an effective dose of the ingredient. I have even heard of products that use botanical ingredients that are similar to a truly beneficial ingredient but are not, in fact, the exact species and varietal that has proven health benefits. I don’t think the FDA can prevent this. Buyer Beware is still a good slogan to keep in mind.

If you want to try a supplement that is getting good press, I would advise you to find the original science. Even if you can’t understand most of what is written in a medical journal, just copy down the full scientific name of the ingredient that is being touted and be sure that is what is in any supplement that you consider buying. Also, be sure to discuss any and all dietary supplements that you are taking with your doctor. Some supplements interact adversely with prescription and OTC drugs.

Consumers equate red meat with freshness. I took a course in college related to meat products and I learned about the common practice of removing ground meat from the shelves and running it through the grinder again before repackaging it and placing it back on the retail shelf. This is done for no other reason than to make the product look more appealing. The surface of the portion of meat will appear more red.

This is a low tech retail level trick of the trade. The USDA and the FDA don’t really involve themselves in this issue. various departments of health occasionally have to deal with food borne illnesses that are related to ground meat.

At the packaging and wholesaling level of the meat industry, there is an FDA sanctioned practice of adding carbon monoxide to packaged meats. This has the effect of extending the length of time that the meat will stay bright red. Carbon Monoxide from vehicle exhaust systems and home heating systems is a common cause of accidental deaths and suicides.

Adding CO to a package of meat does not pose any health risk on its own. The problem arises from the fact that meat that has not been kept under proper refridgerated conditions will mantain an appearance of freshness even though spoilage has taken place. Many smaller retailers have refused to sell meats that are packaged in this way. These stores have generally been serving a health conscious niche of consumers. Safeways recent decision to stop selling CO injected meat might be the beginning of the end for the practice.