American diet

CA y est.. ca va etre la panique et la catastrophe la bas.. On peut pas vivre sans boeuf aux USA! McDo depend de ca et 99.9 des Americains dependent de McDo pour leur survie :s186:

Case of 'mad cow' confirmed in Alabama

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/03/case_of_mad_cow.html

j'aime les commentaires

Citation :

BE AN EDUCATED U.S. CONSUMER!
WE are LUCKY TO HAVE the SAFEST BEEF SUPPLY IN THE WORLD.

mouiii... si comme on dit on ressemble à ce qu'on mange... ce sont de gros boeufs bourrés d'hormones

moi ?
je suis un spaghetti voyons

Mina a écrit:

j'aime les commentaires

Citation :

BE AN EDUCATED U.S. CONSUMER!
WE are LUCKY TO HAVE the SAFEST BEEF SUPPLY IN THE WORLD.

mouiii... si comme on dit on ressemble à ce qu'on mange... ce sont de gros boeufs bourrés d'hormones

moi ?
je suis un spaghetti voyons

il faut comprendre la mentalite americaine pour bien traduire la...
par "safest" ils veulent dire: "aucun germe" ZERO... rien de bacteries!! car on a esterilise la viande, on l'a lavee avec des insecticides, on l'a nettoye avec des bactericides et on l'a irradie... plus rien pousse la bas!

voila :s190:

les Americains ont la phobie des germes.... :s186:

Ole a écrit:

il faut comprendre la mentalite americaine pour bien traduire la...
par "safest" ils veulent dire: "aucun germe" ZERO... rien de bacteries!! car on a esterilise la viande, on l'a lavee avec des insecticides, on l'a nettoye avec des bactericides et on l'a irradie... plus rien pousse la bas!

voila :s190:

:s236: j'adore ta traduction !

Mina a écrit:

Ole a écrit:

il faut comprendre la mentalite americaine pour bien traduire la...
par "safest" ils veulent dire: "aucun germe" ZERO... rien de bacteries!! car on a esterilise la viande, on l'a lavee avec des insecticides, on l'a nettoye avec des bactericides et on l'a irradie... plus rien pousse la bas!

voila :s190:

:s236: j'adore ta traduction !

et pourtant c'est vrai! :s190:

ah si tu voyez ce qu'on nous passe a la tele la bas... puis la quantite de produits.. et partout ou tu rentres tu has l'impression d'etre dans un hosto.. partout c'est tres propre, mais en plus sterilise...... :s190:

:s190: des BD sur l'obesite aux USA... tres rigolo!! des pages de BD!

http://www.cagle.com/news/FAT05/main.asp

excellent !

bon on est dans le topik diète, alors hop:

http://www.20min.ch/ro/monde/story/29514453

Citation :

Picoler favorise l'érection

Si fumer fait bander mou, consommer avec modération de l’alcool protège les hommes contre l’impuissance. Selon une étude australienne, boire «un à quatre verres par jour» réduit de deux tiers le risque de défaillance sexuelle.

«L’alcool stimule la circulation du sang, donc favorise l’érection», explique le Dr Li Ming Wen, l’un des auteurs de l’étude «Erectile dysfunction and smoking: subverting tobacco industry images of masculine potency». Cette étude, publiée dans le numéro d’avril de la revue Tobacco Control, portait surtout sur le tabagisme. Elle souligne qu’un consommateur de plus de 20 cigarettes par jour augmente de 40% son risque de troubles érectiles par rapport à un non-fumeur.

Les résultats sur l’alcool ont été obtenus dans le cadre d’une vérification d’autres facteurs pouvant expliquer l’impuissance, comme le diabète, les cardiopathies ou... le niveau d’éducation. «Nous n’avons pas beaucoup insisté sur l’effet protecteur de l’alcool, a expliqué le Dr Wen au quotidien québécois La Presse. L’alcool n’est pas bien vu en Australie. Nous ne voulons pas en encourager la consommation.»

Par ailleurs, l’étude, qui portait sur 8367 Australiens, a montré que les hommes n’ayant qu’un diplôme secondaire ou technique ont un peu moins de risque d’impuissance que les hommes ayant fait des études postsecondaires. Le facteur déterminant est toutefois l’âge: le risque d’impuissance augmente de quatre fois dans la quarantaine, et de six fois dans la cinquantaine.

Citation :

Plus d'un tiers des Américains réprouvent le sexe hors mariage


WASHINGTON (AFP) - Quelque 36% des Américains désapprouvent l'idée de sexe entre adultes non mariés et la moitié qualifient l'avortement et l'homosexualité de moralement répréhensibles, selon un sondage.

"L'activité qui suscite la plus grande réprobation morale - 88% - concerne +les gens mariés trompant leur conjoint+, alors que +trop manger+ est la moins condamnée - 32%", relève le Pew Research Center, qui a publié mardi ce sondage sur la perception morale des comportements aux Etats-Unis.

La fraude fiscale est presque considérée comme aussi répréhensible que d'avoir un amant ou une maîtresse: 79% des personnes interrogées estiment que c'est mal.

L'enquête relève cependant des différences dans les réponses à ses 10 questions selon le sexe et l'âge des personnes interrogées.

"Les groupes dont la majorité estime que huit ou plus des 10 attitudes mentionnées sont moralement répréhensibles sont: les conservateurs, les personnes qui vont à l'église, les chrétiens blancs évangélistes et les plus de 65 ans", selon l'étude.

Ce sondage a été conduit du 1er au 5 février auprès de 1.502 adultes, et inclut une marge d'erreur de quatre points.

Bon.. le doc suivant est tres long (pas necessaire de le lire) mais je le laisse au cas ou....

http://www.rense.com/general70/fllevels.htm

Il s'agit du Fluor qu'on met dans l'eau la bas :s156:
et oui j'avais oublie.... mais l'eau qu'on boit la bas est chargee de fluor depuis les annees 60 il me semble...
On a ajoute du fluor pour aider les dents des gens mais on remarque maintenant qu'il a plein de side effects (comme des problemes de la thyroide... problemes digestives etc... ).

:s207: :s190:
Ca y est!! Wendy's va arreter d'utiliser des huiles partiellement hydrogenes!!!! :s179:
Maintenant donc pour ne pas perdre des clients, il est fort possible que les autres restos rapides len fassent aussi.. et les autres commerciants suivent (c'est deja du progress!)

Citation :

Wendy's First Chain To
Dump Partially Hydrogenated Oil
CSPINET.org
6-9-6

Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson

Quite simply, Wendy's removal of artery-clogging partially hydrogenated oils from its deep-fryers will make its French fries and fried chicken healthier than similar foods at McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, and other competitors. Wendy's deserves enormous credit for breaking the trans-fat log jam in the restaurant world. Its action proves that other restaurants, big or small, have no excuse for continuing to impair their customers' health by using partially hydrogenated oil. Indeed, chains whose fare is loaded with trans fat are at risk of being sued for marketing unnecessarily harmful foods and not warning patrons of the risk.

To solve the trans-fat problem once and for all, the Food and Drug Administration, that sleeping watchdog, needs to act. The FDA has ignored CSPI's 2004 petitions calling for disclosure. of trans fat in restaurants and a virtual ban of . partially hydrogenated oil.

http://cspinet.org/new/200606081.html

Tres interessant:

Cliquez sur le lien pour voir une carte des USA avec la progression de l'obesite dans les derniers 20 ans:

http://health.msn.com/reports/obesity/default.aspx?GT1=8307

Attention hein? car on parle de "organic meat" ici.. c'est a dire du boeuf BIO americain mais ptaing plein de toxines! Meme dans le bio ils ne peuvent pas s'empecher d'ajouter des saloperies? :s207:

USDA Wants To Allow More Toxins In Organic Meat
By Pete Hisey
Meatingplace.com
7-20-6

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking comment on a proposed rule that would expand by eight the number of allowable substances used in treating livestock under the National Organic Program.

Among the additions:

* Atropine: Used as an antidote for organophosphate poisoning, usually the result of exposure to pesticides. Atropine is an extract from the plant atropa belladonna. The NOP consulted with both EPA and FDA about the appropriateness of use of atropine and received approval.

* Bismuth subsalicyate: Used as an absorbant, anti-diarrhea drug, as well as for relief from stomach ulcers. FDA advised NOP that bismuth is approved for use in humans and could be approved for use in livestock.

* Butorphanol: Used as painkiller prior to surgery. This is in a class called opiate agonists, and is similar to morphine or fentanyl. It is a significant aid in pain relief, but wears off quickly. The National Organic Standards Board recommended use in organic livestock production, but specified that the period between last use and either slaughter or sale of milk be twice as long as recommended by FDA. USDA does not believe that extension of the withdrawal period is necessary.

* Flunixin: Used in the treatment of inflammation or pyrexia. Flunixin is non-narcotic and non-steroidal. It is a synthetic drug which breaks down quickly and is removed from the body in urine. Again, NOSB recommended a withdrawal period twice the length required by FDA, and USDA disagreed.

* Furosemide: Used for treatment of udder and pulmonary edema. It is a diuretic. Again, NOSB accepted the drug but requested an extended withdrawal period. USDA, again, disagreed on the necessity for such an extension.

* Magnesium hydroxide: For use as an antacid and laxative for use in treatment of upset stomach and constipation. This is a naturally occurring mineral.

* Peroxyacetic/paracetic acid: Used for facility and processing equipment sanitation and as a topical disinfectant on animals and meat and dairy products. Approved by FDA as an indirect food additive.

* Poloxalene: For treatment of bloat in cattle, it is a stool softener, and can be used in emergency situations or as a preventative as an addition to feed. It is synthetic. NOSB recommended that it be approved only for emergency treatments; USDA wants it to be used for preventative care as well.

Comments must be submitted by Sept. 15, 2006.

They may be mailed to Arthur Neal, Director of Program Administration
National Organic Program, USDA-AMS-TMP-NOP
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Room4008-So., Ag Stop 0268
Washington, DC 20250
Fax 202-205-7808

Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD
Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
Univ of West Indies

Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message board at:
http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php
Also my new website:
http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/
Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
Go with God and in Good Health

Many Americans too fat for X-rays

A new study from the the United States suggests that an increasing number of hospital patients are too fat to be diagnosed properly by X-ray scanners.

An estimated two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese, a state of affairs which has led to a whole range of related health issues.

But now researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have found that extra body fat is not only causing problems, but hindering their diagnosis.

They have analysed X-ray examinations over a 15-year period and found the number of tests deemed inconclusive because of the patient's size doubled in that time.

In some cases the patient was simply too fat to fit inside the scanner.

In others, he or she had so much fat that ultrasound beams and X-rays were unable to produce clear enough images of the internal organs under scrutiny.

- BBC
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1699453.htm

Citation :

“Toxic environment” is making kids fat, study claims

Aug. 11, 2006
World Science staff

A “toxic environment” of unhealthy, addictive food is behind today’s obesity epidemic, a new study says.

Mass-produced Western foods, because they’re low in fiber, sugary and fatty, cause hormonal imbalances that promote overeating, the scientist who authored the study claimed. These imbalances leave a person hungrier, less willing to exercise, and feeling less good overall.

Although the research focused on childhood obesity, overweight kids tend to become overweight adults, he said.

That, he added, helps explain why health experts throughout Western countries are lamenting an “obesity epidemic” population-wide.

“If we don’t fix this, our children will continue to lose,” said the researcher, Robert Lustig of the Children’s Hospital at the University of California, San Francisco.

His findings appeared in a review of obesity research, published in the August edition of the research journal Nature Clinical Practice Endocrinology & Metabolism. A related paper by Lustig is to appear in the November issue of the journal Pediatric Annals.

Obesity is now the most commonly diagnosed childhood ailment, said Lustig, who directs the hospital’s Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health Clinic. Diseases once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, now are occurring in children.

Weighty children are also ostracized and teased, sometimes causing long-term psychological damage, he said. Obese adults, meanwhile, face greater risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

Today’s sugary, low-fiber, fatty foods boost levels of the hormone insulin, Lustig said. This, in turn, encourages overeating because insulin promotes a signal that induces the body to seek a pleasurable feeling that comes from eating. This sensation comes from the brain chemical dopamine.

Insulin also promotes overeating in a second way, Lustig added, by suppressing the effectiveness of another hormone, leptin. Leptin, when functioning properly, “increases physical activity, decreases appetite, and increases feelings of well-being,” he said. Its suppression results in greater appetite and lowered well-being.

Lustig blamed changes in food processing during the past 30 years, particularly the addition of the sugar fructose to a wide variety of foods that once never included sugar and the removal of fiber. Both changes promote insulin production, he said.

Excessive fructose and inadequate fiber, in particular, “appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin,” he added. High fat and low dairy content contribute to the problem, he added.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the number of children who are overweight in the United States has doubled during the past three decades. Currently one child in five is overweight. The increase is true for children and adolescents of all age groups and races and for boys and girls.

Lustig said the notion that children are responsible for their own weight, or excess of it, no longer holds up. Society is to blame for giving kids toxic food, he said, and it has to stop.

“No child chooses to be obese,” he said. “Furthermore, young children are not responsible for food choices at home or at school, and it can hardly be said that preschool children, in whom obesity is rampant, are in a position to accept personal responsibility.”

Moreover, he said, research shows that in recent times even thin people are gaining weight, belying the notion that a small number of gluttons alone are behind the obesity crisis. “Whatever is happening is happening to everyone,” he wrote.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/060811_toxicdiet.htm

Les Hot Dogs Americains peuvent causer des mutations genetiques du ADN !!

Citation :

Everyone knows hot dogs aren't exactly healthy for you, but in a new study chemists find they may contain DNA-mutating compounds that might boost one's risk for cancer.

Scientists note there is an up to 240-fold variation in levels of these chemicals across different brands.

[....]

Extracts from hot dogs bought from the supermarket, when mixed with nitrites, resulted in what appeared to be these DNA-mutating compounds. When added to Salmonella bacteria, hot dog extracts treated with nitrites doubled to quadrupled their normal DNA mutation levels. Triggering DNA mutations in the gut might boost the risk for colon cancer, the researchers explained.

article complet:
http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060814_hot_dogs.html

On va mettre des virus dans la bouffe aux USA
(dans la charcuterie pour etre plus specifique...)

Citation :

FDA Says Viruses Safe
For Treating Meat
By Joanna Francis
Crescent and Cross
8-18-6

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A mix of bacteria-killing viruses can be safely sprayed on cold cuts, hot dogs and sausages to combat common microbes that kill hundreds of people a year, federal health officials said Friday in granting the first-ever approval of viruses as a food additive.

The combination of six viruses is designed to be sprayed on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, including sliced ham and turkey, said John Vazzana, president and chief executive officer of manufacturer Intralytix Inc.

The special viruses called bacteriophages are meant to kill strains of the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, the Food and Drug Administration said in declaring it safe to use on ready-to-eat meats prior to their packaging.

The viruses are the first to win FDA approval for use as a food additive, said Andrew Zajac, of the regulatory agency's office of food additive safety.

The bacterium the viruses target can cause a serious infection called listeriosis, primarily in pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems. In the United States, an estimated 2,500 people become seriously ill with listeriosis each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, 500 die.

Luncheon meats are particularly vulnerable to Listeria since once purchased, they typically aren't cooked or reheated, which can kill harmful bacteria like Listeria, Zajac said.

The preparation of bacteriophages - the name is Greek for "bacteria-eater" - attacks only strains of the Listeria bacterium and not human or plant cells, the FDA said.

"As long as it used in accordance with the regulations, we have concluded it's safe," Zajac said. People normally come into contact with phages through food, water and the environment, and they are found in our digestive tracts, the FDA said.

Consumers won't be aware that meat and poultry products have been treated with the spray, Zajac added. The Department of Agriculture will regulate the actual use of the product.

The viruses are grown in a preparation of the very bacteria they kill, and then purified. The FDA had concerns that the virus preparation potentially could contain toxic residues associated with the bacteria. However, testing did not reveal the presence of such residues, which in small quantities likely wouldn't cause health problems anyway, the FDA said.

"The FDA is applying one of the toughest food-safety standards which they have to find this is safe," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group. "They couldn't approve this product if they had questions about its safety."

Intralytix, based in Baltimore, first petitioned the FDA in 2002 to allow the viruses to be used as a food additive. It has since licensed the product to a multinational company, which intends to market it worldwide, said Intralytix president Vazzana. He declined to name the company but said he expected it to announce its plans within weeks or months.

Intralytix also plans to seek FDA approval for another bacteriophage product to kill E. coli bacteria on beef before it is ground, Vazzana said.

Scientists have long studied bacteriophages as a bacteria-fighting alternative to antibiotics.

Battle of the bulge: Losing the fight against childhood obesity

The federal government says we're losing the fight against childhood obesity.

A report out today says a third of all American kids are overweight or obese, which is more than last year.

The report from the government is called "Progress in Childhood Obesity", and its authors say there simply hasn't been enough.

The Institute of Medicine says programs are out there to help kids get fit, but it says those programs aren't coordinated, and hardly anyone is evaluating if they really work.

Experts say overall, there's not enough action being taken around the country.

Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, the Institute of Medicine chairperson, says, “We're not on the right track, we're not on the track. We're giving this a lot of verbal and rhetorical emphasis, but we're not putting our money where our mouths are.”

We're not acting as if there's an epidemic of pandemic flu coming down the road. We're not acting as if it's a terrorist threat.

The report says this threat is real.

Overweight kids are at risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other serious health problems.

The Institute of Medicine recommends forming a high-level task force to put the issue high on the national agenda.
http://www.wndu.com/news/mommo/092006/mommo_52640.php

ptaing! si ces photos ne parlent pas de la realite aux USA....

Donc.. c'est le mec (chanteur.. euh Jordan Knight) qui va signer les CD de ses fans.. donc il est present dans un "Wall-mart" .... et vala les fans qui arrivent





les filles americaines dans les foulletons ressemblent a des poupees barbies.. mais ce qu'on voit dans la rue... Les filles de tous les jours c'est plutot comme celles de la photo...

moi je pensais que ce type de trucs n'arrivaient plus aux USA...

Citation :

E. coli cases traced to spinach
15/09/2006 08:24 - (SA)

Washington - An outbreak of E. coli in eight US states has killed one person and sickened at least 49 others, federal health officials said, while warning consumers nationwide not to eat bagged fresh spinach.

The death occurred in Wisconsin, where 20 people were made ill, state officials said.

The outbreak has sickened others - eight of them seriously - in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah, federal health officials said on Thursday.

In California, state health officials were investigating a possible case that could be linked to the outbreak and warned consumers not to eat the produce.

Bagged spinach

FDA officials do not know the source of the outbreak other than it appears to be linked to bagged fresh spinach.

"We're advising people not to eat it," said Dr David Acheson of the food and drug administration's centre for food safety and applied nutrition.

The outbreak has affected a mix of ages, but most of the cases have involved women, Acheson told reporters in a conference call. He had no further information on the person who died.

The five confirmed patients in Oregon were females who ranged in age from eight to 62, said Dr Bill Keene, an epidemiologist with the Oregon department of human services.

No specific brand

The cases originated between August 25 and September 1, he said, and were linked to the spinach but not to a specific brand.

"People have either varying or no recollection of the brand they purchased," Keene said.

E. coli causes diarrhoea, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, although some people - including the very young and old - can develop a form of kidney failure that often leads to death.
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1999096,00.html

Il y a eu encore 2 morts... dont on suppconne sont morts a cause du E. Coli dans les epinards:
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/fresh-spinach-may-be-back-in-stores/20060920234409990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001


Et voila.... ils sont en train de ramaser les epinards de tous les supermarches...
... et voila que maintenant un nouveau truc arrive: 2 gamins ont ete infectes de E. Coli a cause de boire du lait (de "Organic Farms" ... )

Citation :

Milk Infects 3 SoCal Children With E. Coli

(CBS) LOS ANGELES First spinach and now tainted milk has infected people with E. coli bacteria, prompting a recall of some milk products, health officials said Friday.

Those infected got sick after drinking unpasteurized milk produced by Organic Pastures, a Fresno County dairy, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.

An 8-year-old San Diego County girl, a Riverside County boy, 7, and a 10-year-old girl in San Bernardino County got sick after drinking the contaminated milk.

The state has ordered all Organic Pastures whole and skim raw milk to be pulled immediately from stores and consumers were encouraged to throw away any of the milk in their refrigerators. The recall order also affects raw cream and raw colostrum made by the dairy.

Organic Pastures has been prohibited from producing raw milk for the retail market until further notice, officials said.

The E. coli outbreak was limited to raw, or unpasteurized milk, county health officials said. Most milk consumed in California is pasteurized, which reduces the risk of getting a bacterial illness.

Symptoms of an E. coli infection include abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea, according to the HHSA. There is usually little or no fever, and the illness typically goes away in five to 10 days.

A small percentage of those infected with the bacteria may also develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed and kidney failure may occur, officials said.

Those most at risk for serious complications of the food-borne illness include young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

Recently, more than 100 people got sick -- and one person died -- of E. coli infections they caught from bags of fresh spinach, which have also been recalled.

People are being urged not to eat fresh spinach until further notice.
http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_265141944.html

Ca y est... NY pense banir l'utilisation des gras transformés des restaurants de la ville... (les gras transformés sont les gras hydrogenés et partiellement hydrogenes.. ainsi que les margarines... que l'on trouve dans tous les biscuits et gateaux industrielles (sauf les bio))

Citation :

New York City Wants to Ban Trans Fats

By RYAN STANTON M.D., ABC News Medical Unit

Sept. 26, 2006 — New York City has taken a bold step in the fight against obesity and heart disease. Today the New York City Department of Health announced a proposal to ban all trans fats from New York restaurants. A public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30.

It also announced that all restaurants that list nutritional information must include calories.

Trans fats are found in many types of cooking oils used in the preparation of doughnuts, french fries and pastries. The Food and Drug Administration has required that food labels list trans fats since Jan. 1, 2006. Trans fats include margarine, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening and shortening.

New York had already instituted a voluntary ban on trans fats, but 30 to 60 percent of restaurants in the city refused to make the switch.

New York is the first city to make the ban citywide, but Chicago is also considering the measure. The only other large ban is in North Carolina, where trans fats have been banned from all school foods.

Trans fats have been linked to elevated cholesterol and to an increased risk of heart disease.

"This is an extremely important step for public health," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "If implemented nationwide, a ban on partially hydrogenated fats — trans fats — could save an estimated 50,000 lives a year."

Though experts generally support the proposal, not all believe the impact will be so large, and some worry that we may be trading one evil for another.

"We must treat this proposal with a tremendous amount of caution," said Alice Lichtenstein, professor of science and policy at Tufts University. "I am very concerned that trans fats will just be replaced by saturated fats.

Saturated fats are found in animal products, including meat and dairy products, and raise almost the same health concerns as trans fats.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2494843&page=1

oh la la.. d'abord c'etait les epinards.. et maintenant c'est le jus de carrotte..

Citation :

Carrot Juice Suspected In Botulism Cases
Lack of Refrigeration May be to Blame
Consumer Affairs.com
10-1-6

First spinach. Now this. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers of the importance of keeping carrot juice -- including pasteurized carrot juice -- refrigerated.

Three cases of botulism in Georgia have been associated with pasteurized carrot juice that may have been due to the product not being properly refrigerated.

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by botulinum toxin, a nerve poison that under certain conditions is produced by Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium commonly found in soil. It can be fatal and is considered a medical emergency. Foodborne botulism is not common in the United States; an average of 24 cases are reported each year.

Botulinum poisoning can result in the following symptoms: double-vision, droopy eyelids and altered voice or trouble with speaking or swallowing, and paralysis on both sides of the body that progresses from the neck down, possibly followed by difficulty in breathing.

People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and health authorities in Georgia have been closely monitoring and continue to investigate these three cases of foodborne botulism.

"Because botulism is such a potentially serious illness, we want to remind consumers that it is critical to refrigerate carrot juice for safety. Consumers should not keep carrot juice unrefrigerated," said Dr. Robert Brackett, Director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). Inadequate refrigeration of carrot juice allows botulinum spores to multiply to the level at which they can cause illness.

On September 15, 2006, Georgia health authorities who investigated the botulism cases said they believed the three cases were an isolated incident.

"During the investigation, other community members have been identified as having purchased and consumed the same product from the same vendor within the past three weeks. These persons have not become ill or developed any symptoms," the state investigators said.

"The fact that additional cases have not been identified suggests that the toxin was not present before the sale of the product."

Adequate refrigeration is one of the keys to food safety. Cold temperatures keep most harmful pathogens from growing and multiplying. Refrigerator temperatures should be no higher than 40?F and freezers no higher then 0?F. Consumers should check the temperatures occasionally with an appliance thermometer.

Consumers should look for the words "Keep Refrigerated" or "Refrigerate After Opening" on juice labels to know whether the product should be refrigerated.

FDA is looking into whether the industry is providing clear labeling on refrigeration of juice products during storage.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/09/fda_carrot_juice.html

Ils ont une liste de fruits et legumes classes selon la quantite de pesticides qu'on utilise en eux.... Je me demande si qqun en France a une liste comme ca pour ce que nous consommons en France...

Je sais par exemple qu'ici (a difference des USA) tout ce qu'est brocolis, salades, etc sont surcharges de pesticides (tue limaces.. keske ca pue ce truc!) et voila.. c'est tres nocif pour les membranes muqueuses de notre corps.. donc ... tout l'interieur chez nous...

Citation :

When Should You Buy Organic?
Free Guide Ranks Pesticide Contamination of Fruits and Vegetables


WASHINGTON - October 4 - If you're concerned about food safety, you probably already look for organic produce at the supermarket. But if you can't always buy organic, you can still dramatically lower your family's exposure to chemical pesticides by choosing the least pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables with the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce.

The Shopper's Guide is a handy, wallet-size card that lists the "Dirty Dozen" most contaminated fruits and vegetables, as well as the 12 most "Consistently Clean" items. It's available for free download at www.foodnews.org. The newest edition of the Guide comes in both English and Spanish versions for the first time.

The Shopper's Guide was developed by Environmental Working Group (EWG), based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004. EWG's computer analysis found that consumers could cut their pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead.

Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to about 15 pesticides a day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to fewer than two pesticides a day.

"Federal produce tests tell us that some fruits and vegetables are so likely to be contaminated with pesticides that you should always buy them organic," said Richard Wiles, EWG's senior vice president. "Others are so consistently clean that you can eat them with less concern. With the Shopper's Guide in your pocket, it's easy to tell which is which."

EWG's analysis of federal testing data found:

* Peaches and apples topped the Dirty Dozen list. Almost 97 percent of peaches tested positive for pesticides, and almost 87 percent had two or more pesticide residues. About 92 percent of apples tested positive, and 79 percent had two or more pesticides. The rest of the Dirty Dozen include sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, and potatoes.
* Onions, avocados, and sweet corn headed the Consistently Clean list. For all three foods, more than 90 percent of the samples tested had no detectable pesticide residues. Others on the Consistently Clean list include pineapples, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and papaya.

There is growing scientific consensus that small doses of pesticides can adversely affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long lasting effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood, or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers are wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible.

While washing and rinsing fresh produce can reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

Although the Shopper's Guide only measures pesticide residues on produce, buying organic also makes sense if you're concerned about bacterial contamination. Organic farmers meet all the sanitation standards required of conventional growers and, on, top of that, meet tight restrictions on the use of compost and other organic material that do not apply to conventional fruit and vegetable growers.
http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/1004-10.htm

Mais c'est serieux ce truc! ca continue.... du jus de californie...

Citation :

2 in Toronto paralyzed after drinking toxic carrot juice

[...]

The juice, produced by Bolthouse Farms in Bakersfield, Calif., was ordered off North American store shelves late last month after four cases of botulism in the United States were linked to toxic carrot juice.
A Florida woman has been in hospital, unresponsive, since mid-September. Three people in Georgia suffered respiratory failure and are on ventilators since drinking carrot juice a month ago.
[...]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/10/09/botulism.html