Food Safety During Hurricane Sandy…8 Tips You Need To Follow

As much of the east coast braces for the impact of Hurricane Sandy, being prepared is on everyone’s mind–and that includes food. Having enough canned and dried foods and bottled water is essential, but so is being informed about food safety. According to the FDA, one of the best precautions to take before a hurricane hits is making sure you have enough cold storage for food and that it will be stored at the proper temperatures–even if the power goes out. Here are eight essential tips to follow for food safety:

1. Make sure you have appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer. Freezer temperature should be at or below 0 °F, and refrigerators should be at or below 40 °F to ensure optimal safe storage for perishables. If the power goes out, make sure you only consume foods that have been stored at these temperatures.

2. Freeze containers of water for ice. Do this now. Ice cubes, ice blocks and gel packs will help keep food cold in the freezer and refrigerator if the power goes out. Also, get some large coolers and have those ready, too. You can put blocks of ice in there with perishable foods if the refrigerator gets too warm.

3. Use these blocks of ice for drinking water. If your normal water supply is contaminated or unavailable, you can melt the ice for a supply of drinking water.

4. Freeze as much as possible now. Move refrigerated items such as milk, cheese and meat to the freezer. This will help keep them at a safe temperature longer. Also, group food together in the freezer–it will help the food stay cold longer.

5. Store dry foods off the ground. Move any pantry items to higher shelves so they are safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding. This includes bottled water too.

6. Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. This will help maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened.

7. Keep your freezer full. A freezer that is loaded with food will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours. If it’s only half full, temperatures will be maintained for just 24 hours–assuming the door remains closed.

8. Cook all foods first. Once the power returns, if you plan to eat refrigerated or frozen meat, poultry, fish or eggs while it is still at safe temperatures, it’s important that each item is thoroughly cooked to the proper temperature to assure that any foodborne bacteria that may be present is destroyed. However, if at any point the food was above 40 °F for 2 hours or more, you need to throw it out.

Above all, please stay safe during this storm.

read more: http://blisstree.com/eat/food-safety-during-hurricane-sandy-8-tips-you-need-to-follow-705/

Power Outage Food Safety: What To Toss And What To Keep

With the East Coast bracing for the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, an estimated eight to 10 million people are expected to lose power. And with prolonged power outages come serious concerns about food safety.

"It is important to keep our food safe when the power goes out to prevent our food from spoiling, which can put us at higher risk for food borne illness," Toby Smithson, RD, founder of DiabetesEveryDay.com and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells HuffPost in an email. "Salmonella is the most common problem, but E. Coli with ground beef can be dangerous, as well as others."

According to FoodSafety.gov, the most important thing is to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. If they stay sealed, your fridge can keep food cold for about four hours, and a full freezer for about 48 hours (24 hours if it's half full).

For a full list of tips on food safety in the event of a power outage, including preparations to take ahead of time and precautions after an outage occurs, click over to HuffPost Taste.

But what do you really need to throw out? The general rule of thumb, according to FoodSafety.gov, is to discard any perishables that have been stored above 40 degrees F for more than two hours, no matter what their appearance or odor (and never taste the food). "Words to live by with food safety concerns are, 'When in doubt, throw it out,'" Smithson says. And if you're concerned about the wasted money? "Your health is most important," she adds. "You can lose a lot more money from becoming ill (missed work time, medication costs, doctor visit costs) by consuming spoiled food than the cost of the food itself."

Still confused? FoodSafety.gov advises checking each item individually to see if it's safe to eat. We put together some of the information from their chart on what to save and what to throw out from your refrigerator. Click over to them for the full list, and for the list of what to keep and what to toss from your freezer.

Read more here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/power-outage-food-safety-hurricane-sandy_n_2039351.html

Keep food safe when power is out

By SUSAN LaHOUD |

Keeping your food safe should the power go out is a way to make sure nobody gets sick in your household.

The federal Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service offers these tips on how to make the best in a bad situation to ensure the food in your refrigerator and freezer remains edible for as long as possible in the onslaught of a storm.

Before the storm and while you have power:

E Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer. An appliance thermometer will indicate the temperature inside the refrigerator and freezer in case of a power outage and help determine the safety of the food.

E Make sure the freezer is at 0°F or below and the refrigerator is at 40°F or below.

E Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator or coolers after the power is out.

E Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.

E Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.

E Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours. Purchase or make ice and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers.

E Group food together in the freezer — this helps the food stay cold longer.

E Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding.

After the power goes out:

E Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.

E The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) and the door remains closed.

E Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after 4 hours without power.

E Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F or below when checked with a food thermometer.

E Never taste a food to determine its safety!

E Obtain dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot full freezer for 2 days.

E If the power has been out for several days, check the temperature of the freezer with an appliance thermometer. If the appliance thermometer reads 40°F or below, the food is safe to refreeze.

E If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. If the food still contains ice crystals, the food is safe.

E Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers.

E Thoroughly wash all metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils that came in contact with flood water with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.

E Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches (for example, flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches) can be saved.

Last but least, when in doubt, throw it out.

read more here: http://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/keep-food-safe-when-power-is-out/article_a5c1ab0e-21f7-11e2-a4fe-001a4bcf887a.html

Another Supermarket Chain Will Permanently Stop Selling Sprouts Due To 'Potential Food Safety Risk'

Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
Kroger , the nation's largest supermarket chain, has announced it will stop selling sprouts on Monday because of their "potential food safety risk." It joins retail behemoth Walmart, which quietly stopped selling the crunchy greens in 2010.
"After a thorough, science-based review, we have decided to voluntarily discontinue selling fresh sprouts," Payton Pruett, Kroger's vice president of food safety, said in a statement.
"This is big," said Marion Nestle, a professor of food safety at New York University. "This is a major retailer saying 'We aren't going to take it anymore. We can't risk harming our customers, and our suppliers are unwilling or unable to produce safe sprouts.' "
The industry's trade group expressed concern but said it was working to keep its products safe.
"We hope that the Kroger decision doesn't have a domino effect," said Bob Sanderson, president of the International Sprout Growers Association. The industry, which depends on sampling and testing to insure sprouts are not contaminated with pathogens, is working with the Food and Drug Administration and other groups to create better safety protocols.
"We're trying, but it's very challenging," Sanderson said. "These organisms can be anywhere." The industry is also working towards a "sprout-specific" food safety audit for producers.
Walmart stopped selling sprouts two years ago, in October 2010, said spokesman Kory Lundberg.
"It really comes down to our commitment to our customers' safety and knowing the microbial risk associated with sprouts," he said. However, he added the company continues to work with the sprout growing industry to create "enhanced food safety controls and microbial intervention strategies that would result in safer sprouts."
Between 1990 and 2010, more than 2,500 Americans were sickened by contaminated sprouts in at least 46 outbreaks, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Salmonella was identified in 37 of the 46 outbreaks, E. coli with eight and listeria with one.
"It's great news," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director with the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington. Simply because of the way sprouts are grown they're "unavoidably unsafe," she said.
As the FDA says, "seeds and beans need warm, humid conditions to sprout and grow. These are the same conditions that are ideal for bacteria to grow, including dangerous bacteria like salmonella if they are present." The seeds used for sprouts can carry pathogens inside, where they're very hard to kill. Methods to destroy the contamination, such as irradiating the seeds or soaking them in bleach, haven't proved successful.
The Cincinnati-based supermarket chain operates 2,425 supermarkets in 31 states under names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC, Ralph's and Smith's.
Recent large sprout based outbreaks include:
-April 2012. Clover sprouts linked to infection with an E. coli variant in 29 people infected in 11 states.
-June 2011. Alfalfa sprouts contaminated with salmonella enteritidis sickened 21 people in five states, three of whom required hospitalization.
-May-June 2011. Fenugreek sprouts sickened more than 4,300 people and killed 50 in Europe, the United States and Canada.
-April-July 2011. Alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprout mix were linked to salmonella enteritidis that affected 25 people in five states.
-Nov. 2010-Feb. 2011. "Tiny greens" alfalfa sprouts and "spicy sprouts" sickened 140 people with salmonella in 26 states; 24(PERCENT) are hospitalized.
Mung bean sprouts have long been a component of Chinese cuisine, quickly stir fried as a vegetable. Alfalfa sprouts became popular in the 1970s in the United States as part of an overall trend towards fresh food and healthy eating. Broccoli sprouts became an overnight sensation in the 1990s when scientists at Johns Hopkins University found a cancer-fighting chemical in broccoli that was present in even higher concentrations in sprouts.
FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise that children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems should avoid eating raw sprouts of all kinds, including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean sprouts. Sprouts can be "cooked thoroughly to reduce the risk of illness," the FDA says.

Read more: http://rss.tmsfeatures.com/websvc-bin/rss_story_read.cgi?resid=201210201815GANNETT_GANNETTN_Kroger-stores-stop-selling-sprouts-as-too-dangerous#ixzz29zZpZtRc

wheat grass shot at home

I found one wheat grass juicer, very easy to use at home.

Diabetic Diet

If you have diabetes, your body cannot make or properly use insulin. This leads to high blood glucose, or sugar, levels in your blood. Healthy eating helps keep your blood sugar in your target range. It is a critical part of managing your diabetes, because controlling your blood sugar can prevent the complications of diabetes.

A registered dietitian can help make an eating plan just for you. It should take into account your weight, medicines, lifestyle, and other health problems you have.

Healthy diabetic eating includes
Limiting foods that are high in sugar
Eating smaller portions, spread out over the day
Being careful about when and how many carbohydrates you eat
Eating a variety of whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables every day
Eating less fat
Limiting your use of alcohol
Using less salt

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Ketogenic diet

 ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in medicine is used primarily to treat difficult-to-control (refractory) epilepsy in children. The diet mimics aspects of starvation by forcing the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fuelling brain function. However, if there is very little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood, a state known as ketosis, leads to a reduction in the frequency of epileptic seizures.

The original therapeutic diet for pediatric epilepsy provides just enough protein for body growth and repair, and sufficient calories to maintain the correct weight for age and height. This classic ketogenic diet contains a 4:1 ratio by weight of fat to combined protein and carbohydrate. This is achieved by excluding high-carbohydrate foods such as starchy fruits and vegetables, bread, pasta, grains and sugar, while increasing the consumption of foods high in fat such as cream and butter.

Most dietary fat is made of molecules called long-chain triglycerides (LCTs). However, medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)—made from fatty acids with shorter carbon chains than LCTs—are more ketogenic. A variant of the classic diet known as the MCT ketogenic diet uses a form of coconut oil, which is rich in MCTs, to provide around half the calories. As less overall fat is needed in this variant of the diet, a greater proportion of carbohydrate and protein can be consumed, allowing a greater variety of food choices.

The classic therapeutic ketogenic diet was developed for treatment of pediatric epilepsy in the 1920s and was widely used into the next decade, but its popularity waned with the introduction of effective anticonvulsant drugs. In the mid 1990s, Hollywood producer Jim Abrahams, whose son's severe epilepsy was effectively controlled by the diet, created the Charlie Foundation to promote it. Publicity included an appearance on NBC's Dateline programme and ...First Do No Harm (1997), a made-for-television film starring Meryl Streep. The foundation sponsored a multicentre research study, the results of which—announced in 1996—marked the beginning of renewed scientific interest in the diet.

The diet is effective in half of the patients who try it, and very effective in one third of patients. In 2008, a randomised controlled trial showed a clear benefit for treating refractory epilepsy in children with the ketogenic diet. A treatment of 6 to 24 months duration frequently results in a ≥ 90% decrease or elimination of seizures.

There is some evidence that adults with epilepsy may benefit from the diet, and that a less strict regime, such as a modified Atkins diet, is similarly effective. Clinical trials and studies in animal models suggest that ketogenic diets provide neuroprotective and disease-modifying benefits for a number of adult neurodegenerative disorders. As of 2008, research in this area is regarded as having provided insufficient positive data to warrant clinical use.

Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet

Food safety a growing sector for Maryland biotechs

by Lindsey Robbins,
With developing countries shipping more food to the U.S., biotechs face the opportunities — and challenges — of ensuring imports are safe for consumption.

Maryland biotech executives joined federal and academic food safety representatives to discuss meeting these needs during a panel discussion at this past week’s Mid-Atlantic Bio Conference in North Bethesda.

Food illness costs Americans more than $40 million per year, said Kara Cooper, a senior scientist with MRIGlobal’s Global Health and Security in Kansas City, Mo. Cooper’s nonprofit contract research organization works with both industry and government clients.

The U.S. imports 40 percent of its fruit, 20 percent of its vegetables and 80 percent of its seafood.

“We need research and tools to assess risks and deal with contamination as it occurs,” she said.

Current methods consist of taking swabs and sending them to labs for testing, which can take several days or even close to a week, said Ted Olsen, president and CEO of PathSensors in Baltimore.

Companies such as his are trying to provide tools to analyze pathogens in real time and provide data that can be evaluated on a regular basis, Olsen said. PathSensors provides a system that senses pathogens via an aerosol collector and identifies them.

Instead of a situation in which a chicken farm might swab an area and send out samples two weeks before processing the birds, companies should look toward offering a system that can analyze the area the day of processing, Olsen said.

“We’re looking for something to allow detection in a single day,” said Thomas S. Hammack, acting director of the Food and Drug Adminstration’s division of microbiology in Silver Spring.

Many of the perishable foods people enjoy have short shelf lives and cannot wait for several days between testing and results. Hammack also said his administration would like to see technology that helps rule out false positives during testing.

Another challenge in the food safety industry is the ever-evolving strains of bacteria, said Douglas White, CEO of OpGen in Gaithersburg.

White pointed out many strains already are mutating to resist current methods of treatment, which opens up new opportunities for discovery.

“The goal is to reduce the time it takes to find the source and prevent further outbreak,” he said, adding this can be difficult when sorting through the “enormous” amount of pathogen data available.

Greater infrastructure is required to handle all of information and make it more easily accessible, White said.

OpGen is a DNA analysis company that focuses on microbiology analysis, which is effective for tracking contaminated food outbreaks, White said.

At the University of Maryland, College Park, the International Food Safety Training Laboratory is doing its own part to standardize food safety procedures.

The challenge is coming up with testing methods that can be used in areas with limited resources, said Janie Dubois, manager of the laboratory. She was referring to developing countries that might not have any food safety systems.

Dubois’ lab trains both U.S. and international food analysts in best practices for food safety and testing.

“Food safety gets more complicated as we increase the distance food travels,” she said. “We have to think how it affects the communities when they realize they have a contaminated crop that now nobody can use.”

Read original post here: http://www.gazette.net/article/20121005/NEWS/710059716/-1/food-safety-a-growing-sector-for-maryland-biotechs&template=gazette

Steps to a Gluten-Free Diet for Improved Mental Health

For people with gluten intolerance, good physical and mental health requires a complete diet change. At first it can seem impossible because so many foods contain gluten.

But the popularity of the gluten-free diet is now making life just a little simpler for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities.

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website includes a plethora of information about gluten-free foods. They even have some recipes for people who can’t consume gluten, ranging from coconut chicken soup to spinach pesto, to chicken and asparagus pizza.

The website celiac.com also has a “safe gluten-free food list,” which includes items like corn, eggs, fruit and milk. Some oats are acceptable to eat, but it depends on whether or not they’ve been contaminated with gluten in processing.

For people who don’t know if they’re gluten intolerant or not, it might be time to try a trial gluten-elimination diet.

“Eliminate it from your diet for no less than four weeks and then reintroduce it,” said Heather Schrock, a nutritional therapy practitioner.

“If your symptoms return, you are sensitive. It is very important that you completely eliminate it though and that is where the difficulty may lie. Gluten is hidden in thousands of food and personal care products. That's right, even gluten in your lotion can affect someone with gluten sensitivity.”

Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin, a training director at Bay Area Family Therapy & Training Associates, said in an email that there are numerous gluten-free grains that people can consume as part of a healthy diet.

For example, in order to bake bread, cookies, cakes and pizzas, people can use gluten-free flour such as tapioca, coconut, rice and corn. She added that people can now choose from some gluten-free noodles now as well.

“Changing diet may seem like a daunting task, but really, everything is out there ready to be used as substitute,” Beaudoin said.

“The main challenge is the first step: figuring out what you’ll eat at every meal. Once that transition is accomplished, the dietary change can be completely enjoyable and easy to follow.”
By Rheyanne Weaver

Read more here: http://www.empowher.com/celiac-disease/content/steps-gluten-free-diet-improved-mental-health

The Global Food Crisis

by MARK SCHULLER

Having accompanied and translated for Haitian housing rights activist Reyneld Sanon on his recent trip to Washington, it became all too evident from many sectors: the State Department, Senate, USAID, or World Bank – the ability to sell an image is often more important than the lived realities for Haiti’s poor majority.

Time and again in DC we heard that the Martelly government is a good partner and making good progress, that Haiti is on the right track, that the relocation out of camps is going well, and that the private sector holds the (only) key to solving Haiti’s housing crisis. Further, low-wage export processing jobs are hailed as the magic bullet: with a decent income people can afford to build or rent their own housing, without the need of a government handout.

There is indeed some progress, but the on-the-ground realities are more complex and sobering.

Going to what remains of the same eight camps in the longitudinal study – my seventh visit since July 2011, first since Hurricane Isaac – was instructive. In far-flung CAJIT, the IOM gave new tarps to reinforce the remains of a dozen families’ shelter destroyed by Isaac, not to mention two and a half years’ worth of beating from the harsh Caribbean climate.

Plas Lape, in the touch-and-go neighborhood of Delma 2 / Sen Marten, was almost completely vacated, with only a handful of battered sheets of plastic remaining. After five meetings with the community, the NGO responsible for the relocation project resumed their activities suspended because of violence. The second of three sectors in front of City Hall in Kafou (Carrefour) was just cleared out a week ago, with the final on its way any day now.

That said, however, a couple camps appeared relatively abandoned. In Karade, for the majority of residents who weren’t given a T-shelter, over half the tents were blown to the ground by Isaac. Some were rebuilt, some with donations from one or another agency. However too many were still in tatters.

The worst was HANCHO. The mayor of Delma – only one of 2 in the whole country whom Martelly did not revoke – marked 128 tents to be demolished to make way for a new factory. According to residents, city officials offered $5,000 to be split among the 128 families. Residents refused. No one offered even replacement tarps, for either these tents or those not in the path of progress. Worse, a week before my visit last Wednesday there was an outbreak of cholera that affected 181 people. Two children – a four-year-old and a nine-year-old – died.

People in HANCHO are on edge, worried that they can be forcibly removed at any moment.

Riding the taptap, the public transportation, and eating at the ti resto, street restaurants, was even more instructive.

On the taptap many people are talking about the skyrocketing food costs. Staples such as rice – 82% of which is imported – and oil are going up as much as 50% since the beginning of August, which was already higher than in April 2008, when the country erupted in protest.

While President Martelly and his government were going to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly protesters took to the streets, including thousands in Okap (Cap Haïtien) on Friday, September 21.

Some people are redefining the word goudougoudou – an onomatopoeia mimicking the sound of the rumbling of the earth to refer to the earthquake – to denote the sound of hunger pains. A recently written graffiti succinctly warns: goudougoudou demands change.

More than just linguistic innovation from a creative people, drawing parallels between rising food costs and the earthquake redefines the word “disaster,” specifically reminding of its human causes. And it is a clarion call for action, a warning of an impending humanitarian crisis.

Haiti is at the vanguard of the food crisis because of its extreme dependence on foreign exports and food aid that has slowly but systematically destroyed local peasant production. But it’s coming for the rest of us: this summer’s record high temperatures and massive droughts are heralding rising food costs the world over. Agribusiness in the Midwest quite literally feeds the world, with corn in hundreds of processed food items.

NASA scientists measuring temperatures have concluded that this is none other than human induced global climate change, and it’s going faster than many feared.

Haiti’s vulnerability to shocks in global food prices was deepened by the Martelly administration’s much-praised efforts at establishing the rule of law and collecting tax revenue by clamping down on the informal trade across the Dominican border. Again, this makes sense in the abstract to Washington policymakers as an attempt to wean Haiti off of humanitarian aid, which is very noticeably trickling down to a minimum.

But this solution misses Haiti’s “one percent,” who are granted tax shelters and regularly invest their money outside of Haiti.

The 99 percent have begun to have their say. Today, September 30, a protest gathered goudougoudou’s cry for help, that the AP numbered at several thousand. This too has been the topic of public conversation on the taptap, in the camps, and on the streets leading up to today.

Some will likely underestimate this protest as politically motivated, organized by the Lavalas party on the 21st anniversary of the first coup against former president Aristide. But this would be a mistake given that the message has inspired thousands to march against the government despite its populist and clientelist projects like the Carnival des Fleurs and Ti Manman Cheri.

It would be useful for policymakers in Washington to get in a taptap and visit the camps to hear goudougoudou and heed its warning.

One of the most reflexive and sobering comments I translated for Sanon in Washington was that “Whatever we do in Haiti can be undermined by factors totally outside of Haiti’s control.” He mentioned rising oil costs and fluctuations in the global apparel market.

With all respect to one of Haiti’s most effective behind-the-scenes advocates, the change goudougoudou is demanding is most definitely within our grasp:

* We can encourage self-sufficiency and national production so that Haitian farmers can feed the country.

* We can change the terms of political and economic engagement between Haiti and the rest of the world.

* We can fund efforts to stop global climate change, investing in green technology through mechanisms like a financial transaction tax.

* And in the meantime, especially since we have encouraged suppression of wages, we can encourage caps on prices on basic foodstuffs, paying Haitian farmers directly for the difference in cost.

Read more here: http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/10/02/the-global-food-crisis/

Surprising Foods That Fight Fat

Get excited: You can burn calories and combat fat by eating yummy food. "If you choose the right picks, studies show you can torch up to 300 extra calories a day," says Pamela Peeke, MD, author of The Hunger Fix. Whole, unrefined foods are your heroes. Your metabolism has to work harder to break them down than processed ones, so you're zapping more calories—and storing less as fat. These recipes double up (even triple up) on foods with serious metabolism-boosting power. Take that, dastardly fat!

Salmon
What a catch! Research suggests the omega-3s in salmon and other fatty fish help build muscle—and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Omega-3s may also help reduce fat storage by lowering cortisol levels (scientists have yet to confirm how).
Go for: Two 3-oz servings of fatty fish per week.
Try this recipe: Salmon Noodle Bowl

Yogurt
Calcium-rich foods have slimming superpowers. Get too little of this mineral and your body's more likely to pack away calories as fat, according to a review of studies. With up to 50 percent more calcium per ounce than milk, yogurt is a potent source. Better yet, its probiotics may help keep belly fat under control.
Go for: At least two servings a day.
Try these recipes:
Creamy Bean Dip
Cooling Raita

Keep reading for five more foods that fight fat.

Avocado
For a speedy metabolism, you need to keep inflammation in check and blood vessels clear and supple. Avocado's unique combo of essential fatty acids, monounsaturated fats, and antioxidants helps you do just that. Plus, one avocado's 14 grams of fiber kicks up your calorie burn.
Go for: One to two daily servings of foods high in healthy fats.
Try this recipe: Avocado Whip

Beans
High in resistant starch and fiber, beans force your system to use extra energy (as in calories) to break them down. Research from the University of Colorado suggests that if you choose foods high in resistant starch—it's also found in whole grains and not-quite-ripe bananas—you can increase your calorie-burning power by up to 24 percent over the course of the day.
Go for: One serving of a resistant-starch food per meal.
Try this recipe: Warm Two-Bean Chard Salad

Chili peppers
Feel the burn? It's more than mere sensation: chilies' heat signals the presence of capsaicin, a compound that, along with capsiate, can propel the body to scorch an extra 50 to 100 calories following a spicy meal.
Go for: Chilies as hot as you can stand. (But watch out! The hottest ones—habanero, Scotch bonnet, and Thai or Indian peppers—are too fiery for many people.)
Try these recipes:
Scrambled Eggs With Chilies
Roast Chicken With Yogurt-Chili Rub

Green tea
This packs caffeine and antioxidants called catechins, a dynamic duo believed to stimulate your nervous system and increase fat-burning. Studies suggest that drinking green tea can help you drop pounds and trim your waist.
Go for: Several cups a day (keeping in mind how caffeine affects you).
Try this recipe: Spiced Green Tea Smoothie

Coffee
You use it to wake up—and your metabolism will, too. The caffeine in one cup of joe temporarily perks up your metabolism by as much as 15 percent. Caffeine also helps mobilize the forces that burn stored fat.
Go for: One to two cups a day, especially before exercise.
Try this recipe: Spiced Coffee Shake.

read more here: http://www.fitsugar.com/Surprising-Foods-Fight-Fat-25237409

Enhancing Food Safety: EU adopts list of approved flavouring substances

Brussels. Flavouring substances in food will become even safer and more transparent thanks to two pieces of legislation adopted today by the European Commission. Only those flavouring substances featuring on the approved lists will be permitted for use by the food industry.
Used to alter the taste and/or odour of food, flavourings substances have a long history of safe use in a wide variety of foods, such as soft drinks, confectionery, cereals, cakes and yoghurts, and have now been evaluated at EU level.
"Thanks to on-going efforts by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other scientific bodies, this legislation on flavouring substances will vastly improve the transparency of information to citizens and industry alike. It will be easier for all concerned to know exactly which flavouring substances can be used in food." said John Dalli Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner.

These two new pieces of legislation will clarify and harmonise the use of flavouring substances within the single market:
•The first Regulation1 provides for a new EU wide list of flavouring substances which can be used in food and will apply from 22 April 2013, giving time for the EU food industry to adapt to the new rules. All flavouring substances not in the list will be prohibited after a phasing out period of 18 months.
•The second Regulation2 concerns transitional measures for other flavourings such as flavourings made from non-food sources and will apply from 22 October 2012.
The new list includes over 2,100 authorised flavouring substances. A further 400 will remain on the market until EFSA concludes its evaluation. These have been used for a long time and have already been assessed as safe by other scientific bodies.
Increased Transparency
Transparency and clarity of information is one of the main benefits of the new rules. The authorised uses of flavouring substances will be listed according to the category of food to which they may be added. Transparency will be improved as the list will also be available in an on-line database allowing consumers, food businesses and national food control authorities to easily identify which flavouring substances are authorised in food.

Conditions for authorising flavouring substances

A flavouring substance may only be authorised if its use meets the following conditions:

•it does not, on the basis of the available scientific evidence, pose risks to the health of the consumer at the level of the proposed use;

•its use does not mislead the consumer.

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