Recycle Love Festival

Hello,
Our names are Fran VandenBos, Caylan Wagar, and Jennifer Jordan. We have become aware of some disturbing FACTS about Human Trafficking and World Hunger. Learning the truth about human trafficking and its gut-wrenching exploitation, especially of children, has been appalling and disturbing. Many innocent lives, especially of young children, are being used and abused for the sake of MONEY and self-gratification. Knowing this happens around the world is a travesty but knowing it happens in our local community and State as well is very frightening. (for information on trafficking specifically in Oregon go to our partnering team Oregonians Against Trafficking Humans ~ http://www.oregonoath.org/ - Please watch video at end of this web page.)
Highly Sought after, world wide Speaker Bill Hillar, whose personal story inspired the movie Taken, is known as the "Human Trafficking Guru." His passion to end this atrocity has caused him to devote years to working against trafficking and educating others - in college courses, law enforcement trainings and inspirational talks - about how others can work against trafficking as well. Come learn how you can make a difference, and why you should.
It's also surprising and eye-opening that so many are hungry or in need of clean water or medicine throughout the world but the simple and inexpensive solutions are not available to them. This information has stirred us, and a team of friends, to ACTION!!! We are partnering with Show Mercy International who are already being the hands and feet of change and we want to join the team of something bigger than ourselves.



On August 21, 2010 (5-10pm) we will be hosting a FREE "Recycle Love" Festival at Heath Football Stadium, next to Lebanon High School, with live music, local vendors and artists, and much more. This event will be like nothing Lebanon has ever seen. We have already partnered with Show Mercy International, The Hope Center, and OATH (Oregonians Against Human Trafficking). Each of these organizations will be sharing about their visions and the resources they offer, and also helping to spread awareness. (Please see below for more information on these organizations.)

"Power at it's best is love implementing the demands of justice.
Justice at it's best is love correcting everything that stands against love."
Martin Luther King Jr.

We have a desire and a purpose to be a "Voice" to our community-to inform, equip, and prompt action. It is up to us to stand in the gap for the sake of JUSTICE, of many innocent and hungry people throughout the world. Let us as a community LOVE others as we love ourselves.
We want to partner with you to put on, as a community, an Awareness Event to bring us all together in ONE place, to be ONE voice that will speak up and be the voice for those who have lost theirs. To challenge and encourage each other to take action in responding, by giving and actively working as ONE towards the goal of bringing JUSTICE.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to the 3 organizations we are partnering with. We would love vendors joining us that night to donate what they wish and to the organization(s) of their choice, or maybe have a tip jar for donations. Thank you and we look forward to working with you!

For information on how to be a part of this event please contact Caylan at caylanwagar@gmail.com or phone 541.223.3237 or contact Fran at 541.990.7259 or email fvan@centurytel.net

Also check out the website at www.recyclelovefestival.com

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*** Additional Information ***


The Hope Center Website: http://sweethomehopecenter.com/
Hope Center is a long-term women’s shelter/transitional housing offering women longer stays in order to make changes that are lasting in their lives. They offer longer stays because they know it can take longer than just a month or two to make lasting LIFE changes. The staff and all workers at the Hope Center are 100% volunteer. The Hope Center provides information and direction toward agencies able to help with education, job training and other life skills that are vital to help these women truly make a change in their lives.

______________________________________________



OATH - http://oregonoath.org/

Oregonians Against Trafficking Humans (OATH) is the OHTTF (Oregon Human Trafficking Task Force)statewide campaign to encourage citizens to Take The Oath to help combat the growing scourge of human trafficking within the state of Oregon.

"It's as if Oregon was designed with Human Trafficking in mind."
Chris Killmer, Program Coordinator -Outreach and Support to Special Immigrant Populations (OSSIP)-

If you are not clear on what exactly sex trafficking is, watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZTN0TbsRYA&NR=1

Girls as young as 12 are sent out to sell themselves in Portland, Oregon.
(http://www.sentinel.org/node/9786 read whole article here)

Please watch this short video at the bottom of the web site:
This web site is specificially made for Oregonians againist sex trafficking.
http://www.oregonoath.org/
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Show Mercy International: Locally based out of Albany, Oregon
http://www.showmercy.org/
Can you hear the cry of injustice? A child is left alone with no parents to comfort them. They are being exploited and abused with no one to protect him or her. Can you hear the cry of the lonely, hungry and neglected children of the world? We have heard their cry!
Show Mercy International has heard the cry of injustice and we are responding to that cry. It is our desire to express God’s love in both word and deed. In many practical ways, we provide a home, food, education, clothing and medical care to orphaned and abandoned children living primarily in Uganda. With our words, we encourage these children and others to believe that they too were created for a special, unique purpose in this life.


Video from Show Mercy International: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZQxmUdBYRo


Orphan Statistics-
Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQYm5LNTzvg&feature=related

*Every DAY 5,760 more children become orphans
*Every 15 secs another child becomes an AIDS orphan in Africa
*If 1 family out of every 4 churches in America were to adopt, there would be no orphans in America.
*If 8% of the worlds Christians adopted one child, there would be no orphans in the WORLD!
*Annually 250,000 children are adopted BUT...annually 14,050,000 orphans AGE OUT of the system.


Hunger Statistics-
*Every year 15 million children die of hunger related causes...that is one child EVERY 5 seconds.
*Someone dies every 3.6 seconds of hunger related causes.
*The worlds agriculture produces enough food to provide the world with a daily diet of 2,720 calories

Flame-what?

Flame-retardants are in widespread use in both the U.S. and Canada, primarily in carpet padding, foam cushions, polyester bedding and clothing, wallpaper, and the plastic housings for computers, faxes and other electronics. Most are made from variations of a chemical known as PBDE, which stands for polybrominated diphenyl ether.

According to the Washington State Department of Ecology (WSDE), in laboratory studies some PBDEs have been shown to cause problems in rodent brain development. “Most of these problems stem from pre-natal exposure and exposure soon after birth. The health effects appear to be permanent,” says WSDE. They are quick to point out, though, that levels in humans have not (yet) reached the levels that cause problems in lab animals, but that scientists are concerned because the levels in humans keep rising.

PBDEs are “persistent” in that they don't break down but remain active in our air, water, soil and food. WSDE says that PDBEs are building up in animals throughout the food chain, even turning up in orca whales in Puget Sound in Washington and in the bodies of polar bears in the Arctic.

PBDEs also stay in our bodies, accumulating in our fatty tissue. The U.S. is the world’s largest maker and user of PBDEs, and levels found in Americans are as much as 100 times higher than in Europe, where most PDBEs were banned in 2001. North American levels, say scientists, are doubling every two to five years. Primarily, human exposure has been through eating fish, though babies can be exposed by drinking mother’s milk. Children are also exposed when they wear polyester pajamas treated with flame retardant. Indeed, PDBE chemicals easily “off-gas” from the very products they are designed to make safe.

Consumers can take precautions and avoid products that contain PBDE. Among other cautions, the Healthy Children Project recommends buying clothing, bedding and furniture made from natural fibers, such as cotton and wool, which do not melt near heat and as such do not need to contain flame-retardants.

Another way to minimize exposure is to stick to a diet low in animal fat, since the chemicals accumulate in larger amounts in animals higher up the food chain. Joyce Newman of the Green Guide recommends vegetables, fruits and whole grains over meat and fish. When choosing meat and fish, she suggests cutting away as much of the fat as possible, and choosing leaner cuts overall.

As for consumer goods, WSDE says that industries need to re-think their product designs whereby highly flammable materials are avoided and ignitable materials are separated or shielded from heat sources. Some mattresses in use now in nursing homes and hospitals, for example, employ a “barrier layer” of durable material between surface fabric and interior foam and meet stringent fire safety standards without the use of chemicals. But until the Canadian and U.S. governments begin to take PBDE dangers more seriously, it will be up to individual consumers to look out for the health of their children and families.

Originally posted by Dominic Muren

Everything has a label.

As a mom I have noticed for babies...everything is edible. Or at least everything makes it to the mouth. So then everything must have a 'food' label. As my Daughter is growing and advancing, my interest in what surrounds her is growing and advancing. As I research more and more into what is in the food we eat, I start to wonder what is going into and onto everything else? Toys, clothes, bottles, diapers, ointment...Etc.

Unfortunately living 'green' isn't a cheep thing in any area of life. It can be extremely overwhelming... To help my husband and I have decided to move slowly and start replacing (one by one) each item with organic. So as her shampoo runs out, we will buy something organic/natural, As she grows out of her clothes, start buying organic cotton/soy print. Also slowly buying wooden toys and putting others away. This way It does not come as one big shock, you can fit it into your budget as your budget allows. Another good idea is to make Christmas and birthday lists for grandparents and relatives. I send my family a list of sites with items that we really want for our little girly. That way grandma and grandpa can still get the joy of picking out her gift, and it is still something we approve of!

Here are a list of some great sites:

Our Green House- http://www.ourgreenhouse.com/ (love love love it!)

The Land of Nod- http://www.landofnod.com/gifts-for-baby/toys-gifts/1

The Soft Landing- http://www.thesoftlanding.com/

Diapers.com- http://www.Diapers.com- this site is not fully organic, however I have been able to find some great deals on organic items especially Diapers and wipes!! (free 2 day shipping)

Fair Indigo (Fair trade and organic for the whole family)- http://www.fairindigo.com

Eco Sleep Shop- http://www.kushtush.com/

Organic vs. Natural and other label words

Spinning words is usually the domain of stealthy politicians. But the claims you find on a box of your favorite crackers might be just as suspect. Not every term is subject to government regulation on how it may be used, and even if it is, a specific term might not mean what you think. So here's a crib sheet for consumers:

ORGANIC
This term is strictly regulated by the government. "Farmers or producers have to go through a lot of verification to get the organic label," says Urvashi Rangan, senior scientist and policy analyst at "Consumer Reports." One exception: fish. Wild fish haven't been eligible to be certified organic because it's too hard to control the ocean environment. "Our advice is to not spend the extra money on 'organic' fish right now, until there are enforced standards," Rangan says.

NATURAL
Unlike with "organic," companies wanting to call a product "natural" don't have to go through a verification process to use the term. "People are surprised to know that partially hydrogenated oils and high-fructose corn syrup could be in a product that is 'natural,' " Rangan says. "High-fructose corn syrup isn't just squeezed out of corn -- it's chemically processed dextrose, which comes from corn."

FRESH
Poultry labeled "fresh" can be stored at 26 degrees, its freezing point. There is debate, however, over how "fresh" this truly is. To many people, the word implies it just arrived from the farm, but "a 26-degree chicken would certainly break your kitchen window," says Kimberly Lord Stewart, author of "Eating Between the Lines." "In my mind, that's frozen."

HORMONE FREE
All poultry is free of hormones -- by law. "Hormones haven't been allowed in poultry or pork since 1959, yet consumers still think this label is significant," Stewart says. Instead, look for "antibiotic-free," she notes, "because certain antibiotics are sometimes used as growth promoters."

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
You'll now find country-of-origin labels on produce, meat and chicken, nuts and many other unprocessed foods (seafood has had such labeling for a while). There are gray areas, however. For instance, processed foods that contain ingredients from abroad don't have to indicate country of origin.

FREE RANGE
This label carries little weight with poultry. "Fryer chickens live for [six to] eight weeks, but five of those weeks they have to be indoors because they're too young and vulnerable," Stewart says. And that's if the birds even go outside (most opt not to).

GRASS FED
As of November 2007, this voluntary label is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for beef and lamb. The best way to make sure the label reflects regulations -- that the animal has access to pasture and wasn't fed grain, among other criteria -- is to look for "USDA Process Verified" and "U.S. Grass Fed" on the package. A caveat: Producers who used their own criteria for "grass fed" before 2007 are grandfathered in, even if their products don't meet the current standards.

TRANS FAT FREE
When a product contains partially hydrogenated oils, it has trans fats, even if it bears the "trans fat free" label. How come? A product can be called trans fat free as long as each serving has half a gram or less. If you eat more than a single serving, you get more than half a gram. To avoid products with trans fats, read the ingredient list to make sure there are no partially hydrogenated oils.

WHOLE GRAIN
"You want '100% whole wheat or whole grain' vs. 'made with,' " Stewart says. A product labeled "100% whole grain" has about twice as much fiber as one marked "made with whole grain."

HEALTHY
This term is regulated, but it has too broad a definition, Stewart says. For example, it allows for 480 milligrams of sodium per serving, when our total intake shouldn't exceed 2,400 milligrams per day. "If you were to eat a whole can of a 'healthy' soup," Stewart says, "you could well reach half your sodium limit for the day."

by Natalie Ermann Russell

The Future of Food

A terrifying reality.




This movie really helped to open my eyes even more to what is really going on in the GM (genetically modified) world!! I would recommend this to anyone. If you care about what you or your family is eating or 'feeding' into this is a MUST SEE.

The dirty dozen

Chemicals on Your Produce

More than a year ago, Consumer Reports had an article recommending a dozen foods that we should always buy organic. I have seen many lists of "the dirty dozen of food", often with some differences between them. Some of the items make all the lists and are fairly well known for their high chemical residue level. I like the Consumer Reports list because they follow a guide put out by The Environmental Working Group that has a lot of research behind it. Although the Consumer Reports list was certainly accurate, it was published in alphabetical order. Here is that same list in the order that really counts, listed by highest chemical residue level first. In addition, I have also included links to descriptive lists of some of the specific pesticides, fungicides, etc., used on each of the foods. The number of different pesticides approved for use on some foods, is just staggering.

I also researched the FDA’s website for information on the actual levels of chemicals found in food. The FDA tests samples of food for both approved and unapproved chemicals. The reports the FDA have produced for public consumption in the past few years seem to contain little specific information and emphasize how much of the food supply tested falls within the FDA limits of tolerance. I guess they don’t want to get the citizenry too alarmed. But, as a consumer of organic foods, and an advocate for a safe, sustainable food supply, I want lists that tell me what is in my food, period. It is nice that the FDA can advertise when chemical residues are within their range of acceptable levels, but…psst, hey FDA… there is a problem with emphasizing that information. Many of us have a much different idea than yours of what level of poison is acceptable in the food we buy. The problem is that unless we test everything we put in our mouths, we can not be sure our food is clean. Further, the FDA can only test a very small percentage of our food. At least if we buy certified organic food, and the process works as intended, we can feel more certain we are not contributing to the use of these chemicals.

In the latest FDA report I could find, published in May, 2005, the FDA’s domestic testing program found acceptable levels of contamination with pesticides, (what the FDA calls "nonviolative" levels), in 49.2% of fruit tested, 28.9% of vegetables, 26% of grains, and 23.8% of seafood. Fruits and vegetables were found to be "violative" in 2 -3% of the samples. The FDA report also includes a category of food tested called "other". In this category, almost 17% of the tested samples were found to violate FDA safe levels! Testing of imported fruits and vegetables found approximately the same level of contamination, but a higher percentage, (5.3% in fruit and 6.7% in vegetables), were found in violation of acceptable levels.

I also downloaded and reviewed a few of the database files the FDA used to compile the reports. It is too much to get into here, but reviewing the data was eye opening. Just one example…. Even though the FDA only samples a very small percentage of food sold to consumers, (6,766 samples from over 100 countries), they check those samples for a staggering, almost uncountable, number of chemicals. Even I was stunned at the number of different poisons that are used on food!

I did not find anything that shows the results of FDA testing for chemical fertilizer levels in food. I don’t know if I just did not locate information on fertilizers or if the FDA does not test for chemical fertilizer contamination. If I come across any data on fertilizers, I’ll do a write up on that. It maybe that the way plants take up and utilize nutrients makes it difficult to test for residues. If anyone reading this knows of a fertilizer testing program, please leave a comment so I can track it down. The compounds listed below seem to be mainly pesticides and fungicides.

The foods are rated 1 -100 with 1 being the lowest and 100 being the highest possible residue of chemicals. These 12 foods should be an organic purchase whenever possible.

Baby eating a peach Without further proselytizing, on to the list!

Peaches: Rating of 100. A no-brainer when you think about the soft, fuzzy, but porus skin a peach has. I am not surprised peaches were the worst. Anything sprayed on a peach is going to be there when you eat it, no matter how well you wash it. Definitly organic only! The top 50 chemicals used on peaches are listed on the 'Pesticides database' Link ( located to right side of the blog). The FDA also tests for the following which, I believe, are not aproved for use on peaches. Dinocap, Formetanate hydrochloride.

Apples: Rating of 89. The top 50 chemicals applied to apples are listed here. One batch of test performed on apples by the FDA detected 36 chemicals, close to 50% being neuro-toxins. The FDA also tests for the following which, I believe, are not aproved for use on apples. Prothiofos, Terbuthylazine, Dinocap, Formetanate hydrochloride, Propargite, Thiabendazole.

Bell Peppers: Rating = 86. The top 50 chemicals. More than 39 different pesticides have been found on bell peppers. On average, when tested, 68% of pepper samples contain measurable amounts of pesticides. In addition, fungicides and chemical ripening agents are found on some pepper samples.

Celery: Rating = 85. Top 50 chemicals. One study found pesticide residues on 94% of the celery tested.

Nectarines: Rating = 84. Top 50 chemicals. Tested for unapproved use: Formetanate hydrochloride. One study found pesticide residue on 97% of the nectarines tested.

Strawberries: Rating = 82. Top 50 chemicals. Tested for, but unapproved use: Benomyl, Formetanate hydrochloride. I am surprised to see strawberries are not at the top of the list. I leaned that strawberries are the most heavily treated crop in the U.S. covered with an average of 300 pounds of chemicals per acre. The average treatment rate for all crops is 25 pounds per acre. Strawberries must clean up well to get down to the 4th place on this list.

Cherries: Rating = 75. Top 50 chemicals. Cherries grown in the U.S. are have three times more pesticide residue than imported cherries.

Pears: Rating = 65. Top 50 chemicals. 4% of domestic and 10% or imported pears exceeded FDA approved levels of chemical comtamination.

Grapes (imported): Rating = 65. Top 50 chemicals. Atrazine, Dinocap, Simazine. I learned years ago that grapes were often had high levels of fungicides and pesticides on them. Although chemicals were found on 86% of the grapes tested, they are only 7th on this list. Domestic grapes were 19th with a rating of 43.

Spinach: Rating = 60. Top 50 chemicals. Although 8th on list list, one study conducted by the FDA found spinach to be one of the most commonly tainted crops. Some of the pesticides used on spinach are the most powerful toxins available. My guess is that this is because a common pest on spinach is the leaf miner. This fly lays its eggs on the underside of the spinach leaf. When the egss hatch, the larvae tunnel all around through the leaf, developing into quite juicy little worms. In my garden, once the leaf miner season starts, I check each spinach leaf I pick before it goes into my salad. Obviously commercial growers can’t do that, hence the heavy pesticide use. Anyone know how the organic commercial farmers grow spinach?

Lettuce: Rating = 59. Top 50 chemicals. This one stumps me. I have grown lettuce for over 30 years and have never witnessed a problem with bugs or disease. Even the leaf miner that attacks my spinach does not bother my lettuce. I will really have to find out what the conventional growers are going after with their use of chemicals on lettuce.

Potatoes: Rating = 58. Top 50 chemicals. Potato growers have reduced their use of pesticides a bit in recent years, but spraying for pests like the potato tuber moth is still common. Ironically, one of the things potatoes growers are looking for in their battle against pests in is the use of genetically modified seed potatoes. Oh, boy…………….

Carrots, green beans, cucumbers, raspberries, domestic grapes, and oranges all rated above 40 for chemical residue.

Onions and avocados were the best, both rated 1.

Originally posted by Will Taft, July, 6th, 2007

From Lab to Lunch: Chemicals They Call Food

The other day I was snacking on some bright orange “nacho” flavored tortilla chips when I decided to do something very stupid. I flipped the bag over and read the ingredient list. Given the color, I wasn’t expecting to find nature, distilled, but the double-digit list of ingredients, many of which I hadn’t seen since working in a lab, was still disconcerting. In fact, some of the chemicals were the same ones that drove me out of the lab. (You can only read “extreme neurotoxin” and “mutagenic” so many times before pondering a career change.) What were they doing in my chips?

A tortilla chip seems so simple (corn, oil, salt) but the intersection of synthetic chemistry and food manufacturing has taken us far away from simple and much closer to complex. Instead of nacho cheese, we eat synthesized substances meant to approximate the flavor or texture of cheese, no milk products involved. Preservation, emulsification, hydrogenation, distillation, and esterification has resulted in some good things (like reduced spoilage and food borne diseases), but has also resulted in some questionable food additives like the compounds below.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not—Diacetyl!
Diacetyl is the chemical that gives microwave popcorn that delicious buttery flavor without the use of any butter. Unfortunately, extensive exposure to diacetyl can lead to a serious, irreversible, and rare condition known as bronchiolitis obliterans. First seen in workers at a microwave popcorn packaging plant, the condition is commonly known as “popcorn lung.” One consumer (who, somewhat freakishly, ate around four bags of microwaved popcorn a day) has developed the disease, and researchers recently discovered that small amounts of diacetyl can cause lung and airway damage in mice.

* The Alternative? OSHA didn’t do crap to protect workers, but lawsuits and negative publicity scared some manufacturers into removing the compound from their packaged kernels. However, diacetyl abounds in packaged foods with fake butter flavor, often under the guise of “natural and artificial flavoring.” As for popcorn, pop your own and use the real golden stuff. Butter=good; popcorn lung=bad.

Would You Like Diet or Regular Benzene?
Benzene is an industrial solvent and a known carcinogen, so food companies generally try to keep it out of their products. However, two chemicals found in soda, sodium benzoate (a preservative) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), can react to form benzene, especially in the presence of heat or light. In 2007, Coca-Cola and Pepsi agreed to settle lawsuits brought against them after benzene was detected in their products. The suit alleged that Pepsi’s Diet Wild Cherry drink had benzene levels nearly four times the maximum level set by the Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water. Oopsy. Both companies agreed to reformulate; however, thousands of soft drinks containing benzoate and citric acids are still on the market.

* The Alternative? Probably most Coke and Pepsi products are “safe” (who knows what’ll turn up next!), but it’s a good idea to check the label.

Gone Fishin’—For Silly Puddy
The sticky texture of Silly Puddy is due, in part, to a widely used silicone-based polymer called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). In addition to Silly Puddy, it is also found in caulks, adhesives, cosmetics, silicone grease, knuckle replacements, silicone breast implants, and … in McDonald’s Fish Filet Patties. They add it as an “antifoaming agent.” I had to look this one up (why is the fish foaming?) and as it turns out, foam, produced when vats of liquids are mixed or agitated, is a big problem for large scale food manufacturers. Lots of foam means frying vats can’t be filled to capacity, meaning fast food restaurants can’t fry as many fish (potatoes, apple crisps, whatever) as mechanically possible. Hence the need for silicone oils like PDMS.

* The Alternative? The FDA allows up to ten parts per million of anti-foaming agents to be used in food products; they’re found in many processed foods. Though not harmful at these levels, their use does increase the amount of acrylamide (a naturally occurring but nasty chemical) that is formed during frying.

Ahhh, Olestra
Only in America would an indigestible molecule that inhibits the absorption of vitamins and minerals, causes abdominal cramping, loose stools, and gas take in over $400 million in its first year. Only in America would a chemical most closely associated with two words—anal leakage—still have a chance in the food market. (Saw it yesterday in a can of Pringles Light, giving new meaning to the “once you pop, you can’t stop” slogan.) Interestingly, Olestra was first filed with the FDA as a drug, not a food product. What a tangled web we weave…

* The Alternative? Lick some raw chicken to get your anal leakage fix.

Too Sweet to Be True
Artificial sweeteners are generally considered safe (save for saccharin, which has that pesky “has been shown to cause cancer in lab rats” warning). However, two studies indicate they may not exactly be as guilt-free as once imagined.

The first study showed that, compared with those who drank no soda, people who consumed one or more sodas a day—diet or regular—had a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors characterized by excessive abdominal fat, high blood pressure, and high glucose. Soda companies balked—how can diet beverages cause these things when they contain no calories? Logic would side with them, except for study number two, done in rats. It showed that rats fed with foods containing artificial sweeteners were more likely to overeat compared with those rats fed food containing real sugar. Reason? Sugar triggers our innate system to recognize sweet calories and restrict further food consumption; fake chemicals don’t trigger the “eat less” mechanism.

* The Alternative? Calorie free sodas don’t add on weight, excess food does. However, if you’re drinking lots of diet soda and still loosening up the belt, you may want to rethink the diet approach. (Also, see benzene above.)

Hydrogenation Station
Oils are liquid at room temperature, while fats, like butter and lard, are solid. One way to make vegetable oil into a semi-solid compound, perfect for use in long-lifed packaged foods, is to hydrogenate it. Partial hydrogenation gets rid of some of the good unsaturated fats and also creates trans fats, the black sheep of the fat world, thought to be more deleterious to the old ticker than lard.

* The Alternative? Bad press and labeling requirements have caused many food companies to remove trans fats from their products; check labels. (Kraft Fat Free Singles, for instance, contain no saturated fat, but do contain partially hydrogenated oils.) Regular, unsaturated vegetable oil is the perfect alternative for frying, yet restaurants can still use the partially hydrogenated stuff, unless the FDA, which still labels the oil as “generally recognized as safe,” steps up and bans it.

Butylated Hydroxyanisol (BHA)
BHA is an antioxidant that prevents fats and oils from spoiling. BHA is added to packaged foods, baked goods, some cereals, and meats as a preservative. It has been found to cause cancer in laboratory rodents; however, it causes cancer in an organ that humans don’t have, so it’s hard to translate the research into human populations. The National Toxicology Program states that BHA is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals.” Funny, it’s still in our food chain.

* The Alternative? Check labels and (if this hasn’t already become clear) avoid packaged foods that have a shelf life lasting longer than the average tenure of a Supreme Court Justice.

As with most chemicals, dose makes the poison; small amounts of the above chemicals ain’t going to kill you (at least according to the FDA). But neither would eating a piece of real cheese.

first published April 2008 by Brie Cadman