Brown Rice and Arsenic February 17, 2012

  It was shocking when the news broke about apple juice containing a    high  percentage of inorganic arsenic. But when headlines read “High levels of arsenic found in organic foods, baby formula”   it makes your stomach drop. But wait it is organic! How does organic contain arsenic? Is it just organic brown rice syrup or does that mean that brown rice does as well? It may leave your head spinning and confused about what is safe for you to give your kids and what is safe for you.

While babies and toddlers little bodies are developing it puts them in a danger zone to be ingesting toxins.  Which makes it horrifying to think that the organic baby formula on the shelves could be providing levels of arsenic that are higher then what is allowed in drinking water.

Dartmouth College released a study that tested 17 infant formulas, 22 cereal bars, and 3 energy shot drinks.  Two of the formulas that contained organic brown rice syrup as a main ingredient tested 20 times higher than those that didn’t contain organic brown rice syrup.  The soy-based formula tested at 21.4 ppb (parts per billion) and the dairy-based tested at 8.6 ppb. The regulation level for drinking water is 10 ppb.

Brown rice syrup is an alternative to high fructose corn syrup and is used in many organic foods as a sweetener.  Brown rice syrup does come from brown rice.  According to BrownRiceSyrups.com, the conventional process of making organic brown rice syrup is to ferment the brown rice with special enzymes that break apart the natural starches of the grain.  Then they strain off the fermented liquid and continue cooking it to the desired consistency.  Brown rice syrup also has a lot of beneficial health properties.  It dissolves easily in our bloodstream which means it doesn’t have as much potential to build fat like sugar, it controls blood sugar levels and helps keep lower cholesterol levels.  It is a complex carbohydrate and takes longer to breakdown which provides more energy which is why it is used in energy bars.  But it is concentrated brown rice which creates the possibility to contain higher levels of arsenic then plain brown rice.

Rice products have been on the rise as wheat sensitivities have grown recently.  On the Food Matters  website they talk about being cautious when considering giving a child rice milk.   Once again, concentration and quantity are important.  A little one can consume a much larger quantity of rice product when drinking a cup of rice milk then when eating a serving of cooked brown rice, and therefore they are more likely to ingest higher levels of arsenic ingestion.  If your child does have sensitivities to dairy and soy, the other alternative is almond milk.  Where does that leave us? Is it safe to consume brown rice and does it matter if it is organic?

To answer these questions we have to understand where a lot of our rice comes from.  Arsenic-lead pesticides weren’t completely banned until 2 years ago.  They were used excessively in the south on the cotton fields and orchards.  This is even more unfortunate since rice naturally soaks up arsenic from the soil.  In fact the cotton fields were so contaminated when farmers first started growing rice that they couldn’t yield much crop. Therefore they bred a seed that would thrive in those kinds of conditions.  According to the EHP (environmental health perspectives)  website, we grow half of our rice in Arkansas and 20% of it comes from California. The rest is grown in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Missouri, and Florida.  In 2007 a professor from University of Aberdeen, Scotland found the rice grown in California contained 41% less arsenic than that grown in the south central US. So naturally, buying rice that is grown in California can reduce the levels of arsenic you ingest.

Being a mom and having to mission to feed babies the best, I found this information from Consumer Reports very troubling. Another study done by a man from Dartmouth released his findings in 2011 that he found 23 ppb levels of arsenic in brand name jars of baby food with 70-90% of that being inorganic arsenic.  In the United Kingdom in 2008 published a study that showed levels of 60-120 ppb of inorganic arsenic in 20 ounce packets of dried rice cereal.

Brown Rice cereals have traditionally been introduced as babies’ first food because it is easy to digest. With all these  studies on rice and the levels of arsenic and knowing the dangers of exposing a developing baby’s system to harsh toxins there are much more nutritious and safe first foods to feed your baby.   Avocado is a wonderful first food! It can be mashed to the perfect consistency and provides heaps of nutrients.  Banana, sweet potato, pears, squash, and green beans are also great first baby foods.

To sum it up, in the articles I have read the general consensus is that no one needs to stop eating brown rice.  And that organic brown rice is less likely to have as high of arsenic levels as conventional rice due to the strict organic certification standards regulating allowable levels of arsenic in the soils in which the rice is grown.

As stated many times before it is not good to expose babies and young children to toxins, so it is best to avoid food made with concentrated brown rice products. The safest way to know what you and your family are ingesting is to avoid organic and conventional processed foods all together. There is something to be said about good old fashioned home cookin!

Here were the best resources I found.  If you want to know more please check them out.

http://brownricesyrups.com/

http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/16/10425025-high-arsenic-levels-found-in-organic-foods-baby-formula

http://gma.yahoo.com/organic-brown-rice-syrup-hidden-arsenic-source-194615982–abc-news.html

http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/44007

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/organic-brown-rice-syrup-arsenic_n_1281675.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1892142/

http://www.foodsmatter.com/allergy_intolerance/cow_milk_all_management/articles/rice_arsenic_1_03.10.html

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/01/arsenic-in-your-juice/index.htm

Awesome Mediterranean Rice Salad February 14, 2012

Short and sweet, that’s what this salad it. I received the recipe from my aunt     who first had it at a bike ride in California. It is worth trying.

 

4 Cups cooked rice

1 teaspoon salt, garlic, cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 bunch of chopped cilantro

1/2 cup sunflower or grape seed oil

Mix the spices with the oil, 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup water. Pour over cooked rice and blend well.

Add in:

1/2 cup toasted, chopped pistachios

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried chopped apricots

Thanks Aunt Sandi!

Chemical Fire Retardants in Your Baby Products? February 9, 2012

Every time I see the “fire resistant” statement on the tag of my son’s pajamas I cringe. Then I think, “Why am I putting these on him? Because I don’t have any that say not fire resistant.” I decided to find out what the deal is with fire resistance and pajamas.

I know that fire retardants are bad, but what makes something fire resistant? PBDE’s or polybrominated diphenyl ethers are retardants and they are particularly bad ones. They’ve been linked to sensory development and memory problems. We know that exposure during periods of rapid brain development can be especially harmful. This point sums up the problem of fetal and infant exposure to nasty chemicals. Babies are growing fast, every point is critical to development and being exposed to harmful toxics is even worse for them than for you and I.

 

Check out this study by The Environmental Working Group, Fire Retardants in Toddlers and Their Mothers.

 

Of course the most harmful of fire retardants are highest in the US and Canada where we value the big dollar campaign contributions of chemical companies that seek to weaken our regulations on public safety. Fire Retardants can be found in everything including; foam padding in furniture, mattresses, electronic equipment, your cell phone, and our bodies.

The Green Science Policy Institute has a great guide for consumers and a recent study they did found that 80 of 100 baby product tested contained harmful fire retardants, including; nursing pillows, car seats, sleeping wedges, portable crib mattresses, baby carriers, strollers, and changing table pads.

 

Back to Pajamas and Fire Resistance

Brominated Fire Retardants haven’t been used in children’s pajamas for a long time, since the late 1970’s. If your child’s clothing tag says, “flame resistant” it doesn’t mean it has been treated with chemicals. It means that it meets standards to make it more resistant, it is tighter fitting or made from less flammable materials. It will generally say “flame retardant” if chemicals have been added.

 

Polyester

Inherently flame resistant but it doesn’t breathe well and is awful for the environment as it releases heavy metals, carbon monoxide, and sulphur dioxide as it breaks down in the landfill. Who wants to wear that?

 

Cotton Treated with Flame Retardants

Some cotton is treated with PROBAN which is added to the end of the manufacturing process and while it isn’t supposed to leach out into the wash it has been linked to genetic deformities, liver and nervous system problems.

 

Untreated Cotton

Untreated cotton can still meet CPSC standards if tight fitting. These pajamas are made without fire retardants.

 

BOTTOM LINE: flame resistant doesn’t mean it has chemicals in it. Avoid Polyurethane because it leaches the most fire retardants. Avoid buying products that meet the California standard TB117. Check your baby products now!

 Resources

Environmental Science & Technology http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es2007462

Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org/reports/pbdesintoddlers

Healthy Home Tips                      http://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips/fireretardants

 

 

 

YumTum meets TV! February 7, 2012

Live TV! Holy cow!  Heidi and I got to have the exciting experience of two live television news broadcasts this past week.  Last Tuesday we were on Channel 15 NBC’s  4 o’clock news here in Madison.  It was crazy sitting nervously on the live set waiting for our 2 minutes and 30 seconds of camera time.  I always watch Channel 15 so it was fascinating seeing it happen in front of your eyes. It was nothing like I expected.  What occurred and how we thought it was going to go down were of course two complete different things. We walked out feeling relief that our first live television experience was over and had learned so much!

http://www.nbc15.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6692943#.TyiuyqTfxCs.facebook

Today, we both woke up around 4am and headed to Milwaukee to be on the FOX morning show! This time we were doing a demonstration on making baby food and had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the Milwaukee viewing area. We hope to expand to that area as soon as we can. The big city! It was a totally different experience and we had fun. Of course once again we weren’t sure what it was going to be like and had prepared way more than the time allowed. But still, it was just great!

http://fox6now.com/2012/02/07/organic-baby-food/

This last week has been HUGE! Not only were we on TV, we got into 5 more stores, AND we made our first Kickstarter goal.  We are now trying to raise  $7000 to help us move and get us a larger food processor.  We learned this last weekend our little 10 cup food processor isn’t cutting the mustard when you are making as much food as we are.  The more money we raise the more stores we can get into. So please still continue to pass this link around. We have received many pledges from friends posting the link on their Facebook page.  You all have been wonderful! Thank you and babies thank you!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/490842597/organic-baby-food

Jacy

What’s With the Nitrates and Nitrites Anyway? February 2, 2012

During pregnancy crazy cravings emerge. Even if you didn’t have a food fetish for bacon, you might find you’ve developed one during pregnancy. But then you read “stay away from Nitrites and Nitrates”. Which generally means no cured meats, so what is a bacon lover to do?

 

The “Meat Staff” at Willy St. Coop recently reported on the issue. Here is what they found. Nitrates (NO3) and Nitrites (NO2) are very similar and are naturally occurring; in fact many vegetables contain much higher levels than cured meats.  The key is that the harmful effects of the NO3 and NO2 come from the combining of amino acids in the meat AND being exposed to protein during digestion. This process creates a chemical that is carcinogenic in our bodies. N03/N02 are now regulated by the USDA because of this.

 

The produce that contains NO3/NO2 (celery, spinach, salad greens, carrots, turnips, radishes and beets) also contain vitamins C, D and E which inhibit the conversion of nitrates to nitrosamines (bad chemical) in your body. Phew!

 

Here is a twist for the babes. Because the veggies mentioned above have high levels of NO3/NO2, it is sometimes recommended that babies not be introduced to them until eight months of age. To add a layer of protection you can combine spinach or carrots with vitamin supplements during a given meal or with foods rich in vitamin C (kiwi, mango, papaya), or E (nuts, olive oil).

 

I have been shopping for Nitrate and Nitrite free bacon and here is the scoop on that. The USDA requires manufacturers that use naturally occurring NO3/N02 to label their product “uncured” or “no nitrates or nitrites added”. So even though there is added NO2/NO3, the label says there isn’t. Slight break down in the labeling system eh?

 

Good rule of thumb then, don’t eat bacon for every meal. Limiting your cured meat consumption is better for your blood pressure anyway. And, as with the babes, eat your cured meats with fruits or veggies that are high in vitamins C, D and E. Voila!

 

That was supposed to be a short recap. For the full story pick up this month’s Willy St. Coop Reader and while you’re at it, pick up some YumTum because we’ll be there starting Tuesday February 7^th!

Parsnip Salad and Keeping it Fresh January 31, 2012

Do you have a kiddo that used to eat anything in any form? What happened? It is often a mystery when after one year our previously amiable tots start rejecting certain veggies and fruits. We know that you’re supposed to keep trying with the good stuff because it can take toddlers up to twenty tries before they embrace a certain food.

 

Knowing doesn’t help with the frustration of having your lovingly prepared meal rejected now does it? When we were looking for ways to reach out with out Kickstarter.com campaign we partnered with some other blogging mamas, many had great ideas to prepare fun looking foods which can increase the chance your kiddo will eat it.

 

There are some great ideas from Julie at Jillie’s Kitchen and from Karen at Things That Make You Say Mmmmm.

 

But if you’ve searched before you might come across things like this:

 

 

I mean who has the time or even talent to create a mickey mouse sandwhich or anime bento box lunch? I can’t even find two matching shoes and get out of the house in forty-five minutes!

 

What I have discovered is that my son gets bored, as would I, if I serve him the same food item two or three times in one week. And if I serve a dish same way over and over he is bound to reject it. I’ve been trying to prepare mashed sweet potato and squash bake, then sweet potato fries then sweet potato smashed in a quesadilla. Here is a great recipe that we tried the other day. It obviously had a positive result!

 

Fresh Parsnip Salad

2 cups grated parsnips

½ cup grated zucchini (or bell peppers, celery)

1 cup grated carrots

1 medium apple peeled and grated

¼ cup plain yogurt or sour cream

2 T sesame oil

2 T cider vinegar

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. dry ginger

 

Use a food processor to grate the vegetables and apples. Mix the dressing in a separate bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix and serve!

 

From Asparagus to Zucchini, the best local cookbook every created.

 

Heidi

Labels 101 Part 2 January 27, 2012

Hurray! People are becoming aware of what they are putting into their bodies and where it comes from. People are finally starting to make conscience decisions about what products they buy.  People are buying organic! Organic sales are on the rise and have shown a steady increase in sales.   How does this affect the packaging of products?  Companies know they need to draw us in by using the key words that will catch our attention. They know the word “all natural” is what people are concerned about now.  You may have also noticed there are so many more certification seals.  In part 2 of my series on packaging  I am going to discuss what  “all natural” phrasing really means and share a compiled list of popular certification seals and what they means to us.  I want to bring us all up to speed on our packaging lingo.

The word natural has much more appeal then the word artificial when it come to almost anything right? I mean who gets all excited about artificial dyes in food, artificial flavor, and artificial teeth?  With all the trends leaning toward conscience healthy consumers it only makes sense to use it in marketing.  So now when we are racing down the aisles with our screaming children or child looking for healthy food we can’t rely on the packaging claims anymore. Sorry fellow shoppers you too will now get to enjoy my children while I stop and actually ready what is in this product.  Unfortunately   just because something says it is “all natural” or has “natural ingredients” doesn’t actually mean it is natural or good for you.   It may have one ingredient that is derived from something that started out to be a natural substance.  It just has to be something that comes from nature, is plant based, or contains vegetable based products. Where is this “natural ingredient” listed on the list of ingredients?   Remember ingredients are listed in order of the most used ingredient by weight down to the smallest amount, so if it is listed towards the bottom this natural ingredient could be only 1% of what you are ingesting or using. Which means it really isn’t natural at all.

Another thing to take in account when looking at something with natural ingredients is to know for them to extract that natural ingredient they had to use harsh toxic chemicals. Some of these natural ingredients are castor oil, almond oil, cocoa butter, mango butter, jojoba oil, apricot kernel oil, and beeswax.  When oil is described as cold pressed then it naturally extracted without the harsh chemicals. Whether it be food or cleaning products it is important to really read the packaging. The fine print, if you will.  There is no set standard or regulation for what clarifies something to be natural or not.  So they can print about anything on the front of the packaging, which means we really have to investigate what the rest of the packaging says to know what is really in it. Thanks guys, all we need is more false advertising right?

The good companies and people out there who want standards and regulations on food and other products have created a plethora of certifications to ensure us consumers what we are getting is the real deal.  I have compiled the list from other websites so we can all become familiar with our certificate seal vocabulary.  Feel free to show off this knowledge the next time you are out.  I have included the websites I have taken these from at the bottom of the post.

USDA Certified Organic

Found on: Anything that comes from nature, so pretty much everything

Definition: Things that are USDA certified organic are managed in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act “to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity.” It usually, but not always, means that synthetic chemicals weren’t used in that item’s production.

Source: USDA

 Certified Humane

*Meets the Humane Farm Animal Care program standards, which includes nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones, animals raised with shelter, resting areas, sufficient space and the ability to engage in natural behaviors.

Animal Welfare Approved                                                                                          

Found on: Meat, poultry, pork, dairy, eggs

Definition: AWA is a free and independent third-party auditing and certification program for family farms raising their animals humanely — outdoors on a pasture or a range. Both farms and slaughter plants are annually audited to the highest animal welfare standards in the U.S.

Source: Animal Welfare Approved

Bird Friendly^®

Found on: Coffee

Definition: It’s certified organic and certified shade — good habitat for birds. And coffee producers protect waterways and soil, avoid pesticides and chemical fertilizers, minimize the use of fuel wood and maintain fair, safe and healthy conditions for workers and downstream communities.

Source: Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

Certified Naturally Grown

Found on: Produce, honey, meat, poultry

Definition: CNG is an alternative organic certification program. It’s similar to USDA certification, but relies on peer-review rather than third-party inspection.

Source: Certified Naturally Grown

Dolphin-Safe

Found on: Tuna

Definition: Fishers didn’t use a certain kind of net on or around dolphins, and no dolphins were killed or seriously injured during tuna harvesting.

Source: US Department of Commerce and NOAA

Fair Trade Certified

Found on: Almost everything, from coffee to clothing to body lotion

Definition: According to the non-profit behind the label, fair-trade products are, well, fair. Workers are justly compensated, and local farmers and entrepreneurs are empowered to create sustainable businesses that benefit entire communities.

Source: Fair Trade USA

Food Alliance Certified

Found on: Things you eat

Definition: The product comes from a farm, ranch or production facility that provides safe and fair working conditions, is humane to animals (no growth hormones or sub-therapeutic antibiotics), and is a good environmental steward. The label also certifies ensures traceability, and a commitment by the producer to continual improvement.

Source: Food Alliance

Free-Range/Cage-Free

Found on: Poultry

Definition: USDA free-range regulations apply only to poultry. Any other product that claims to be “free-range” isn’t regulated. American producers must prove that the birds have “access to the outside,” although the frequency or duration of this access is not defined.

Source: USDA

Grass-Fed

Found on: Meat

Definition: From day one, the animals were fed a diet of “100% forage,” were raised on a pasture and were never given hormones or antibiotics. (If your label says “USDA grass-fed,” beware — that claim’s not third-party verified.)

Source: American Grassfed Association

Hormone-free

Found on: Poultry, pork, beef, dairy

Definition: Federal regulations prohibit the usage of hormones when raising chickens or hogs, so your poultry and pork products are hormone-free by default. For beef or dairy, producers must show that no hormones were used in raising the animals.

Source: USDA

MSC Certified Sustainable Seafood

Found on: Seafood and products containing seafood

Definition: Fish products that bear the MSC ecolabel can be traced back to a sustainably managed fishery.

Source: Marine Stewardship Council

Local

Found on: Just about anything edible

Definition: If the product adheres to USDA guidelines, it was transported less than 400 miles from its origin, or hasn’t come from another state.

Source: USDA

Rainforest Alliance Certified

Found on: Coffee, tea, cocoa, bananas, oranges, cut flowers

Definition: This certification ensures that “goods were grown on farms that meet rigorous standards for sustainability that involve reducing waste, water pollution and water usage, while curbing deforestation and protecting wildlife habitat. Further, farm workers and their families are guaranteed good working and living conditions, decent wages and access to health care and education.”

Source: Rainforest Alliance

Salmon-Safe

Found on: Wine, produce

Definition: Salmon-Safe farmers reduce agricultural runoff into salmon habitat and spawning ground by planting cover crops in between seasons and protecting the banks of nearby streams and rivers.

Source: Pacific Rivers Council

Shade-Grown

Found on: Coffee

Definition: It’s coffee, grown in the shade. Instead of clearing land to grow coffee, producers grow coffee underneath the tree canopy, which helps keep our air clean, our soil healthy and provides habitat for animals and birds.

Source: Northwest Shade Coffee Campaign

http://earthday.nature.org/smart/food-decoder.html

http://www.certifiedhumane.org/

http://greenspanetwork.org/index.php/spa-greening-news/99-what-does-natural-mean

The Year Ahead – YumTum on the Move January 24, 2012

2012 is going to be huge! Can’t you feel it? Its an election year, people are more hopeful about this year than last, and we are ready for it.

In the past three months we are proud to have placed our product in two Madison area grocery stores, Hy-Vee on the east side and Sentry Metcalfe’s at Hilldale on the west. We have increased our web traffic, quadrupled our Facebook contacts and nailed down our process for ordering ingredients from suppliers. It has been hard work and a ton of fun.

We are looking forward to achieving some big milestones early this year;

•  With help from this community we hope to raise        $5,000 by February 18th at

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/490842597/organic-baby-food. The money will pay for our organic certification, new labels, and equipment.

• We will be in the Willy Street Coop in February, where we believe we will be reaching our core target market.

• Our faces will be on camera in an upcoming NBC 15 interview, currently scheduled for January 31st.

• We hope to be in 8 more stores by September of this year.

•  Our new kitchen at the Greenway Crossing Montessori school is almost complete. We’re ecstatic to share a space with a school that so closely shares our vision.

So here is to a great start.  We have already raised 60% of our goal on Kickstarter so we’re hoping to blow it out of the water and raise twice as much! Thanks for all the support and happy 2012!

Heidi and Jacy

Kickstarter January 20, 2012

Friends,

We have been working very hard on our Kickstarter campaign, and its live! We are raising money to purchase the vital things to support our entry into new grocery stores.  Here is the link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/490842597/organic-baby-food

Check it out. There is even a little video for your viewing enjoyment. You will receive a variety of fun rewards when you donate. The more eyes that see this campaign the better. Please pass this on. Post it in your blog, post it on your Facebook page, if you are feeling crazy sitting in the house because of the snow, email it to all your friends. With everyone’s help we can make YumTum available in more locations. This means we can feed more babies, and this means a future of better eaters!

Another great way to eat the tofu! January 19, 2012

Tofu Meatballs

Are you looking for a new way to cook tofu? Does your toddler need something new to munch on? Well it is your lucky day!  I found this recipe in a book called Lunch Box by Judy Brown. Of course I then have added things to it. I can’t follow recipes very well. I am writing my version.

What do you do with these little guys? They are great on pasta. I have used a tomato based sauce and tonight I did a nice green bean, carrot with cheese sauce and it was delicious!  Tired of pasta? They are great in wraps or sandwiches.  Or you can just serve them straight up to your kiddos. They have a great flavor and good texture.

Ingredients:

1 package of firm tofu. (I really like the bountiful bean herb tofu)

½-1 cup of crushed corn flakes

1/4 cup of oats

2 Tablespoons of Tamari or soy sauce

¼ cup of peanut butter

1 small onion

Wheat germ (optional)

Fresh parsley

Pepper

Flour

Cumin

Olive oil or canola oil

Preheat oven to 400°F

In your handy dandy food processor chop up your parsley and onion, then add your drained tofu. In a bowl combine your tofu mixture, corn flakes, tamari, peanut butter, wheat germ , and a sprinkle of pepper.  You want them to be sticky so you can roll them into balls or patties but not paste.

In a separate bowl or plate mix wheat flour, pepper, and cumin to roll the patties in.

On a greased cookie sheet lay patties on and bake for 11 min and then flip for another 8-11 min. You may need to add a little more oil.

Enjoy!

Jacy