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Organics Industry Plagued by Recession and Scandal

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:30:45 -0800

It's only January, and the organic industry is already having a bad year. Not only have producers been losing consumers due to the hefty price tag of organic food, but the industry has struggled to maintain its integrity.

With organic feed prices at an all-time high, farmers in the UK are lobbying the government to temporarily relax organic feed standards to assist livestock producers who are currently paying twice as much for organic feed as they would conventional. In California, state investigators have discovered that California Liquid Fertilizer, an organic farming treatment, had been spiking its fertilizer with a synthetic product banned from organic farms. The tainted fertilizer infiltrated up to a third of the organic market, including produce giants such as Earthbound Farms, for up to seven years. Following the incident, investigations have begun into other organic fertilizer distributors in different states.

With these issues now in the spotlight, it's my feeling that consumers will be left confused about organic standards of quality, and distrustful of industry practices. Does this affect your preferences about shopping organic?

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Diet, Not Exercise, Needed to Battle Obesity?

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0800

Everyone is looking for a cure to end the obesity epidemic, and the conclusion of a new study performed by Loyola University Health System indicates our attempts might be off the mark. They found that diet alone, rather than coupled with physical activity, was key to maintaining a healthy weight.

The study compared women from Chicago, weighing on average 185 pounds, with women from Nigeria, weighing on average 127 pounds. While there was no difference in the amount of calories burned during physical activity between the two groups, there was a significant difference in diet. The Nigerian women ate a diet high in fiber and carbs, but low in fat and animal protein. The women from the Windy City ate a diet that was not only high in processed food (read low fiber) but with 40 to 45 percent of their calories coming from fat. This is high since the recommended percentage of calories coming from fat is 25 to 35 percent.

These findings contradict findings from a recent study performed on an older Amish population, where physical activity was shown to offset a genetic predisposition for obesity. Obviously, more research needs to be done on this matter. I do think it serves as a friendly reminder, especially if you're trying to lose weight, that exercising regularly does not entitle you to eat whatever you want.

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All the News That's Fit to Eat — Jan. 7, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:30:31 -0800

Try your hand at Gordon Ramsay's pineapple soufflé with Thai curry ice cream. — Los Angeles Times
Top 20 wine leaps to take in 2009. — Wall Street Journal
Due to the shortage of bluefin tuna, a 282-pound premium tuna sold for $104,700. — Associated Press
In Britain, squirrel is the newest protein to come to the table. — New York Times
How two young men plan to convince our new president to grow a garden on the White House lawn. — Washington Post
In the thick of Winter, turn to citrus to brighten your palate. — San Francisco Chronicle
Keeping inexpensive staples around is the key to eating gourmet on a budget. — Chicago Tribune
Just in time for the Inauguration, Ben & Jerry's has named on of its flavors "Yes Pecan!" — New York Daily News
In a taste test of toasted O's cereals, Cheerios didn't come in first. — Boston Globe

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Daily Tech: TiVo Shows Off a Redesigned Search Feature

geeksugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:12:32 -0800

TiVo users everywhere will be happy to know that its trusty digital video recorder has just received a new search, which offers improved search results. It is expected to roll out in beta today. — Engadget
Without Steve Jobs, or huge product announcements, is Macworld 2009 really one of the worst Macworlds ever? — Wired
Expect the BlackBerry 8900 Curve to come to T-Mobile this February. — The Boy Genius Report
If you want to upgrade your current iTunes music and video library to be completely DRM free, expect to pay 30 cents per song and 60 cents per music video. — CrunchGear
This is kinda scary. A new study shows that most teenagers talk about sex and violence on MySpace. — Switched

Is Food Network's Chopped a Ripoff of Top Chef?

partysugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:15:09 -0800

If you watch Food Network on a regular basis, you must know — by the bombardment of promotional commercials — about its new culinary competition, Chopped.

The show, which is described as a series that "challenges four up-and-coming chefs to turn a selection of everyday ingredients into an extraordinary three-course meal. After each course, a contestant gets 'chopped' until the last man or woman left standing claims victory," is hosted by former Top Chef judge, Ted Allen. Although Chopped does not air until Tuesday, Jan. 13 (at 10 p.m.), many feel the show is a complete ripoff of Top Chef.

After watching the promo video, Eat Me Daily declared that "Food Network is totally trying to mimic Top Chef's more professional veneer, especially in the light of the more amateurish low-budget feel of the Next Food Network Star."

Spurred by the Internet's backlash against Chopped, Ted Allen has taken to his blog to defend the series. To find out what he had to say,

The Lowdown on Detox Products

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0800

Stepping on the heels of yesterday's news that Gwyneth Paltrow is, yet again, doing a New Year's detox, there's a report claiming that products promoted as detoxifying agents lack meaningful evidence. The Oxford English Dictionary defines detox as the removal of toxic substances or qualities, yet none of the 15 products tested by members of the Voice of Young Science network met the requirements of that definition.

The group investigated various products with detox labels, like bottled water, shampoo, detox patches, and vitamins, and challenged the detox claims made by the companies behind these products. According to BBC News, the scientists said, "In the majority of cases, producers and retailers were forced to admit that they had simply renamed processes like cleaning or brushing, as detox."

The researchers identified detox products as a waste of money and said, "Anyone worried about the aftereffects of Christmas overindulgence would get the same benefits from eating healthily and getting plenty of sleep." My thoughts, exactly.

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Chipotle Appoints Niman Ranch Founder as Advisor

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:00:46 -0800

With its affordable menu, fresh produce, and appetite-stimulating burritos, Mexican chain Chipotle can’t get any better. Or can it? Yesterday, the casual eatery announced that it has appointed Bill Niman, founder of sustainable farm Niman Ranch, as its sustainable agriculture advisor.

The fast food company, which has purchased naturally raised pork from Niman Ranch since 2001, hopes that the Niman appointment will allow Chipotle to “help carry our message of making food from sustainable sources available and affordable so everyone can eat better.” When he started Niman Ranch in 1971, Bill Niman blazed the trail for the sustainable farming movement in the United States. He took up farming with a focus on slow food principles of high-quality animal feed, natural, antibiotic- and hormone-free farming, and ethical animal care.

Are you surprised to learn of this news? Do you think that the pioneer, with his specialized focus on local agriculture, will be able to make an impact on the chain, which has more than 800 stores?

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Should You Be Able to Say Anything Negative on the Internet?

geeksugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:00:05 -0800

It's quite the litigious news day for the Internet, what with the news that a Yelp user is being sued for his negative review of a doctor, and a model is suing Google because of anonymous nasty comments about her which were posted on a Blogger-hosted blog.Disregarding the validity of each case, they both present interesting cases for how we should and shouldn't use the Internet; as for Yelp, you're supposed to be able to post negative reviews (reviews tending to be one way or the other); will each negative claim be investigated? Could I be sued for not being able to prove that I found a hair in my burrito?As for the nasty comments on a blog, I'm pretty sure this model will be told one way or another that a thicker skin is in order. Or will she? What are her rights (or anyone that's bullied) in comparison to the freedom of speech of the anonymous poster?What do you think? Should you be able to say anything negative on the Internet? What are the limits?Source

Should You Be Able to Say Anything Negative on the Internet?

Yes, you should be able to say anything negative you want on the Internet.

No, you need to exercise caution with anything you say, anonymous or not.

Something else. See my comment below.

Six-Year-Old Gives Himself License to Drive

lilsugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:00:10 -0800

You miss your bus so you hop in the car. Not a big deal...except if you are six! A Virginia boy put the pedal to the metal in his family's Ford Taurus after he missed his ride on Monday. While his mom slept, he grabbed the keys and got going, running off the road multiple times before he hit an embankment and utility pole. Luckily, he suffered only minor injuries despite not having buckled up and even made it to class after a trip to the hospital. What is going on in the world these days? One kid takes the wheel and a couple of others tried to get hitched?
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Hyundai Will Take Your Car With Proof of Pink Slip

SavvySugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:30:20 -0800

Supply and demand is the name of the game, and these days there's hardly any demand for new cars. Hyundai is responding to this economic reality by getting creative in a way that could appeal to potential car buyers who are concerned about losing their jobs.

The company is offering a walkaway program that allows buyers to return their cars if they endure a life-changing event within one year of purchase. Hyundai defines life-changing events as involuntary job loss, personal bankruptcy if self-employed, getting transferred overseas, and accidental death.

Owners must have made at least two scheduled payments before requesting a return, and owners returning their vehicles would be liable only for negative equity over $7,500. As explained by the Wall Street Journal, "if you have a $20,000 loan remaining on a truck that is now worth only $10,000, you can return the truck and Hyundai will cover $7,500 of that $10,000 liability."

Do you think Hyundai will generate more business with its walkaway offer?

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