Tag: food

Pentagon Wants to Feed Troops ‘Experimental’ Lab-Grown Meat to ‘Reduce CO2 Footprint’

A Pentagon-funded company is seeking proposals to feed America’s soldiers lab-grown meat in a bid to “reduce the CO2 footprint” at Defense Department outposts.

BioMADE, a public-private company that has received more than $500 million in funding from the Defense Department, announced earlier this month that it is seeking proposals to develop “innovations in food production that reduce the CO2 footprint of food production at … DoD operational environments,” according to an online announcement.

These include “novel cell culture methods suitable for the production of cultivated meat/protein,” or lab-grown meat, a product that is still in its experimental phases. This type of meat is grown in a lab from animal cells with the aid of other chemicals, and has emerged as a flashpoint in debates about the efficacy and morality of manufacturing meat products without slaughtering animals.

BioMADE—which earlier this year received a $450 million infusion of taxpayer cash—maintains that lab-grown food products will reduce the Pentagon’s carbon footprint, a priority for the American military as it pursues a Biden administration-mandate to address climate change and other cultural issues that critics describe as “woke.”

“Innovations in food production that reduce the CO2 footprint of food production at and/or transport to DoD operational environments are solicited,” the company says in an informational document and accompanying press release. “These could include, but are not limited to, production of nutrient-dense military rations via fermentation processes, utilizing one carbon molecule (C1) feedstocks for food production, and novel cell culture methods suitable for the production of cultivated meat/protein.”

BioMADE is also soliciting proposals for “processes that convert greenhouse gasses” and “projects that develop bioproducts useful in mitigating the negative environmental impacts either regionally or globally,” including “bioproducts that can be used to prevent or slow coastal erosion.”

Critics of the DoD’s partnership with BioMADE say that U.S. troops should not be used as test subjects for lab-grown meat products that are still in their experimental phase.

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Government Raid Seizes $90,000 of Healthy Food Grown by Nourish Cooperative

There is a lot of fearmongering circulating in mainstream media about the “Avian Influenza”. In parallel to the fearmongering, there has been a large increase in the number of inspections and surveillance. Creating fear would certainly help better maintain control of the food system, wouldn’t it?

On Tuesday, May 28th, our farm co-op was randomly “inspected” (raided), and over $90,000 worth of product was put under “cease and desist” by the state of Michigan, including all raw dairy. As this is an evolving story, I will share what we know to be true thus far.

Nourish Cooperative is a farm cooperative that my sister, Sarah, and I started with a few other first generation regenerative farmers in September 2023. After several years of a steadily increasing demand for our farm fresh products (such as our raw milk, sourdough, and “needle-free” grass fed and/or corn- and soy-free meat), we simply could not keep up with the demand ourselves, which led us to create a “cooperative” (co-op) of several small, local regenerative farms.

Our goal is to produce the highest quality food possible while working with Mother Nature through the use of regenerative agriculture practices. This cooperative grew faster than we could ever imagine, and with that, I suppose, more problems arose, inevitably. If interested, you can read more about Nourish Cooperative here.

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1 In 3 Kids Have Elevated Levels Of Lead In Blood, As FDA Investigates Lead-Tainted Fruit Pouches

Many parents turn to fruit pouches whenever their children ask for a quick snack. These travel-friendly, resealable snacks are made from fruit purees designed to take the edge off your child’s hunger in a pinch.

They come in eye-catching and attractive packaging and are sweetened to suit kids’ flavor preferences.

But fruit pouches aren’t as great as they seem to be. Aside from being an inferior substitute for real fruits and fresh fruit juices, these seemingly harmless snacks can mess up your child’s health, as they are found to be contaminated with extremely high levels of lead.

FDA recalls three brands of fruit pouches due to lead contamination

In October 2023, the FDA warned parents and guardians to avoid buying WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, after it was discovered that the snacks contained high levels of lead.

According to the FDA:

“Parents and caregivers of toddlers and young children who may have consumed WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches should contact their child’s healthcare provider about getting a blood test.

“Lead is toxic to humans and can affect people of any age or health status. Protecting children from exposure to lead is important to lifelong good health.”

Healthy Holistic Living reported that at least seven cases of severe lead poisoning linked to these fruit pouches were identified in more than five states, including Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri and North Carolina.

WanaBana then voluntarily recalled their fruit puree pouches, which were sold in grocery chains like Dollar Tree as well as online retailers like Amazon.

Following these findings, the FDA also issued a recall for two more brands of fruit pouches — Schnucks cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety pack, and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches.

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27% of Americans Are Skipping Meals Because of Skyrocketing Food Costs, Survey Shows

The price of food has jumped by 25% since the start of the pandemic — even more if you factor in the cost of a quick trip to the store, which takes into consideration the price of fuel. Now, a new study says there are some major ramifications.

Intuit Credit Karma, which provides information about financial products, says that more than one-quarter of the people it surveyed said they have skipped meals or sacrificed other spending due to rising costs. The survey of 2,011 adults was conducted online in the United States during the week of May 7. 

According to the survey, 28% said they are putting off paying for necessities, such as rent or other bills, to afford groceries — while 27% say they are occasionally skipping meals. Another 18% have applied for or have considered applying for food stamps and other types of assistance, and 15% rely on or have considered visiting food banks for their groceries.

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Lab-grown meats are bad for our health, can be weaponised and are a tool to phase out farmers

Lab-grown meat faces significant hurdles in the US as multiple states push for bans. Florida and Arizona recently prohibited its sale, and Iowa banned schools from purchasing it. Despite initial optimism after the US approved lab-grown meat in June 2023, federal lawmakers are also considering restrictions.

The industry is fighting back, with Upside Foods launching a petition and Good Meat exploring legal options. They argue their products are safe and that bans stifle innovation. Critics claim lab-grown meat is unhealthy, citing concerns about unnatural production processes and potential health effects.

International resistance is also growing, with Italy banning lab-grown meat and France considering similar measures. Proponents argue these products are crucial for global protein needs, while opponents stress the importance of natural foods. The future of lab-grown meat remains uncertain amid ongoing legal and political battles.

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U.S. Buying ‘Safe and Delicious’ Fukushima Fish Banned by Other Countries

Japan last month completed its fifth release into the Pacific Ocean of treated contaminated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

Local fishing groups, residents, neighboring countries and many scientists and environmental organizations strongly oppose the discharges, citing concerns about the contaminated water’s effects on human and environmental health.

In an attempt to allay those concerns, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last Septemer, following the first discharge, released a video clip of himself eating Fukushima fish, which he called “safe and delicious.”

And Japan’s economic minister, Yasutoshi Nishimura, ate sashimi in Tokyo for the news cameras. “It’s really the best!” he said, The New York Times reported.

That didn’t stop China, Russia and South Korea from banning the import of Japanese seafood, over concerns about radioactive contamination.

But the U.S. took a different tack. In October 2023, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel announced the U.S. military would buy bulk Japanese seafood for service members stationed at military bases in Japan and explore more broadly how to help offset China’s ban on Japan’s seafood.

Emanual said the contract between Japanese fisheries and the U.S. armed forces would be long-term. It began by purchasing a metric ton of scallops with plans to expand eventually to all types of seafood.

He said the U.S. was also in talks with Japanese authorities to direct locally caught scallops to U.S.-registered processors and said the U.S. would look at its overall fish imports from Japan and China.

About a month before the announcement the Japanese embassy hosted a sushi-tasting event at the U.S. Capitol to protest China’s decision to ban Japanese seafood.

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Vegan raw food diet influencer Zhanna D’Art dies of suspected starvation: report

Vegan influencer Zhanna Samsonova has allegedly “died of starvation” after subsisting exclusively on a diet of exotic fruit in Malaysia, according to her friends and family.

She was 39.

The Russian national — who frequently promoted raw foods on social media where she was known to her millions of viewers on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram as Zhanna D’Art — reportedly died July 21 after finally seeking medical treatment during a tour in Southeast Asia, according to local media outlet reports.

“A few months ago, in Sri Lanka, she already looked exhausted, with swollen legs oozing lymph,” one unidentified friend told Newsflash. “They sent her home to seek treatment. However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified.”

Her friend added, “I lived one floor above her and every day I feared finding her lifeless body in the morning. I convinced her to seek treatment, but she didn’t make it.”

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“Experts Are Working Hard To Make Insects Part of Your Diet”: New Study Recommends Hiding Insect “Flour” in Popular Foods

Experts are recommending hiding insect flour in popular food products, as it becomes clear that overcoming the “yuck factor” associated with insects is proving too much for Western consumers.

A paper presented at the recent European Congress on Obesity, in Venice, Italy, revealed that only 13% of UK adults indicated they were willing to consume insects on a regular basis, with 47% saying they would not do so under any circumstances.

The researchers found that perceptions about eating insects were generally negative, with participants anticipating lower levels of enjoyment and taste than other foods.

The researchers found, however, that incorporating insect “flour” into processed foods such as bread, pasta and pizza, could help overcome sensations of disgust associated with eating insect products.

Insect flour is already being added to products like energy bars and snack chips.

“The disgust factor associated with eating whole insects could be overcome by incorporating insect flours into processed foods. This has been done successfully with rice products fortified with cricket or locust flours in other parts of the world,” says co-author Dr. Maxine Sharps from De Montfort University in a media release.

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“I Don’t Consume Meat”: Biden Press Sec. Response Over Bird Flu Risk to Meat Supply

After The Food and Drug Administration confirmed that traces of Bird Flu have been found in commercial milk, and that other animals such as cats have died from drinking it, a reporter asked the White House for an update on the risk to the meat supply, to which the Press Secretary remarkably responded “I don’t consume meat.”

Cows in states including Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and South Dakota have tested positive for the Type A H5N1 virus, according to the FDA, which has claimed that it is still safe to drink milk from them.

“What’s your current assessment of the risk to the US milk and meat supply from the bird flu epidemic in cattle?” the reporter asked Karine Jean-Pierre Wednesday.

She responded “I know that the Department of Agriculture has been on top of this, they don’t see any concerns to any of the milk or meat that we are consuming.”

She then added, “Well I don’t consume any meat, but some of you, all of you out there.”

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Nearly 13% of US Households Face Lack of Food – Reports

A growing number of Americans are struggling to feed themselves and 12.8% of households face lack of food, Newsweek said on Tuesday, citing US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data.

Some 17 million US households faced problems to obtain enough food in 2022 due to lack of resources, the report said.

Those most affected by food insecurity were single parent and ethnic minorities households as well as families with children.

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