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Monday, October 1, 2007 "Organic seafood?" Watch the HypeEXPENSIVE NEW YORK -- Organic food sales in the U.S. reached almost $17 billion in 2006, a gain of more than 22%, says a recent survey by the Organic Trade Association. But some producers are less interested in good nutrition than in capitalizing on the American consumer's appetite for all things organic. In hopes of tapping into the growing organic market, some of these companies use misleading labels to lure customers. Here's a crash course in label reading from Consumer Reports: What to buy "100% Organic." Translation: By law, a product with this label has to be made entirely of certified organic ingredients, produced in accordance with federal organic standards, and include no synthetics. Conclusion: You get what you pay for. "Organic." Translation: Products bearing this label are required to contain no less than 95% certified organic ingredients. The remaining 5%: Non-organic and synthetic ingredients. Conclusion: Good and (mostly) good for you. "Made with Organic Ingredients." Translation: These products contain a 70/30 split of organic ingredients and other non-organic products that have been approved by the USDA. Conclusion: The good stuff, plus a little extra. What to avoid "Free-range" or "Free-Roaming." Translation: For many of us, these words evoke images of chickens free to roam the broad expanses at will. Don't be fooled. This label (stamped on everything from eggs to chicken and meat) does not necessarily mean that animals have spent most of their lives outdoors. To label a product "free-range" or "free-roaming," producers have only to offer the animals outdoor access every day for an "undetermined period"-- which can mean as little as five minutes. Conclusion: Use with caution. "Natural" or "All Natural." Translation: These labels can mean many things. In the case of meat, they mean that the manufacturer claims to have used no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or synthetics. When it comes to nonmeat products, the label is largely meaningless because there is no accepted definition of "all natural." Conclusion: Don't confuse all natural with organic. "Organic labels on seafood." Translation: This label can be applied at will, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture has set no standards for organic seafood. Conclusion: Don't believe the hype. – MarketWatch Southern Cal Ready for Lobster ManiaSAN DIEGO - Bobby Arms has tied the last knot on his hoop nets. The scuba divers have their gear and measuring devices ready to go. It's lobster season, and that means lobster mania in San Diego, where we have the best lobstering in the state and certainly the most effort. Tough Times for U.S. Restaurant Companies LOS ANGELES - U.S. restaurant companies have struggled this year with soaring food costs and fewer customers, and many on Wall Street see tougher times ahead as prices of commodities remain high and cash-strapped consumers cut back on eating out. Restaurant shares recovered somewhat earlier this month following a dismal July and August that saw profit warnings from chains including: Panera Bread Co. (PNRA.O), California Pizza Kitchen Inc. (CPKI.O) and P.F. Chang's China Bistro Inc. (PFCB.O). The Dow Jones U.S. restaurants and bars index (DJUSRU) was down more than 2 percent during the period. But dour announcements from McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants Inc. (MSSR.O) and Ruby Tuesday Inc. (RT.N) this month helped temper investor enthusiasm for shares of sit-down restaurant chains, and several analysts expect things are likely to get worse before they get better. Fast-food restaurants, on the other hand, have remained a bright spot among restaurant companies because they offer price-conscious consumers a good value, analysts said. A RBC Capital Markets survey released earlier this month found that 54 percent of Americans said they would eat at restaurants less often over the next three months. Two of five respondents said they were already dining out less frequently than they were six months ago. Analyst Larry Miller said declining home values, higher energy costs and overall economic concerns were reducing consumers' appetite for dining out. Goldman Sachs lowered its earnings estimates for most casual dining companies on Thursday and said the Federal Reserve's aggressive half-point interest rate cut earlier this month was unlikely to help matters in the near term. The Dow Jones restaurants index fell 0.9 percent on Thursday and has tumbled about 6 percent since the Fed's Sept. 18 rate cut. "Our lowered 2008/2009 estimates reflect expectations for tougher times ahead in restaurants with consumer spending likely to remain weak and commodity headwinds making meaningful margin expansion unlikely," Goldman restaurant analyst Steven Kron said in a note to clients. Shares of coffee shop chain Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) slid 4 percent after Bank of America downgraded the stock to "sell" on expectations of slowing growth, in part due to weakened consumer spending and high dairy costs. Last month, the world's largest coffee shop chain tempered previous statements that it was resistant to blips in the U.S. economy by implying that its customers might actually be cutting back on that extra latte. U.S. consumer spending jitters were also felt by high-end seafood chain McCormick & Schmick's earlier this week lowered its third-quarter outlook due to economic pressures, its first downward revision since becoming a public company in 2004. Some think the recent weakness in many restaurant stocks represents a good buying opportunity. Earlier this week, J.P Morgan said casual dining stocks such as Brinker and Ruby Tuesday were becoming more attractive due to their strong free cash flow and slower restaurant development that should keep supply more in line with demand. Overwhelmingly, analysts agree that fast-food chains are the best bet among restaurants. Earlier this month, McDonald's (MCD.N) reported an 8.1 percent rise in August sales at stores open at least 13 months, easily beating analysts' expectations, and last month Burger King Holdings Inc. (BKC.N) posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit. McDonald's shares have gained 8.5 percent in the last month, while Burger King's have risen 7.5 percent. – Reuters Will Dams Be Removed for the Sake of Salmon? KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - On Sept. 24, 1908, the Klamath Falls Evening Herald ran a front-page article reporting on the observations of people who'd arrived recently from the town of Keno, about 20 miles to the southwest: "Parties coming in from Keno state that the run of salmon in the Klamath River this year is the heaviest it has ever been. There are millions of fish below the falls near Keno, and it is said that a man with a gaff could easily land a hundred of the salmon in an hour...." Today a person standing below the falls near Keno would never see a fish, thanks to a series of four large hydroelectric-power dams—Iron Gate, Copco 1 & 2 and J.C. Boyle—on the river below Keno, near the California-Oregon border. Since 1918, when the first of the dams was built, the fish have been blocked from more than 350 miles of prime spawning and rearing habitat. There still are salmon and steelhead in the Klamath, but in numbers that are only a fraction of their historic abundance, and with some species near extinction. Where once as many as a million fish journeyed up the river each year, making it the third-largest anadromous fishery on the West Coast, now fewer than 100,000 spawn in the Klamath or one of its tributaries. And their numbers are continuing to decline, causing harmful impacts not only on the billion-dollar Pacific Coast salmon industry, but also on the American Indian tribes whose cultures have been organized around the salmon since time immemorial. The tribes have treaty rights to the fish, but those in the Upper Basin have seen no salmon in the river for nearly a century. A recent series of events, however, has created conditions that could change all that. First, in 2001, federal regulators, concerned about low river flows that could harm salmon, angered farmers in the Upper Basin by cutting off their flow of water. Then, in 2002, after political pressure forced regulators to restore the farmers' water, the Klamath River suffered the largest salmon die-off in U.S. history, some 68,000 fish. California Fish & Game officials blamed the outbreak of a fatal gill-rot disease on low water flows resulting from the federal water policies. As a result of the die-off, commercial salmon fishing along a 700-mile stretch of the California and Oregon Coast was curtailed for several years—cut by as much as 90 percent in 2006, for example. The financial pain suffered by coastal counties has been severe. The competition for Klamath River water is one reason why the fish are dying off, but environmentalists, fishing groups and the tribes believe the dams play a larger role. They block the fish from much of their former spawning grounds, heat river water to temperatures lethal to salmon, and provide habitat for massive blooms of toxic algae, a health risk to both fish and humans. Since 2004, the dams have been going through a 50-year relicensing process with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. During that process, anti-dam activists have been trying to pressure PacifiCorp—the Portland, Ore.-based utility company that owns the dams—to tear them down. If the activists are successful, it will be the biggest dam-removal project in U.S. history, and would revitalize one of the nation's greatest rivers and bring new life to the subsistence economies of the Indians. But it would also mean removing four emissions-free plants that provide power sufficient for 70,000 homes, about 2 percent of PacifiCorp's output. What makes this effort especially interesting is that PacifiCorp is owned by one of the icons of capitalism, a man who is legendary not only for his Midas-like ability to make money, but also for his reputation for integrity and a desire to use capitalism to help better lives. Tribes have appealed to him to support tearing down the dams. Warren Buffett told reporters that, while he appreciated the tribes' position, it was up to federal agencies to determine whether the dams should be removed. For their part, the tribes promised they would be back next year—and every year until the dams come down. Ultimately, the decision is FERC's to make. In the meantime, the Department of Commerce and Department of the Interior have filed mandates requiring PacifiCorp to install fishways and ladders on its dams. That could cost as much as $200 million, and anti-dam groups hope the mandates will encourage PacifiCorp to take the less expensive route of simply removing the dams. The Klamath dams generate about $20 million a year for PacifiCorp. But a California Energy Commission report released in December 2006 said installing fish ladders would wipe out that income and then some. In addition, federal officials have mandated that water diversions to the J.C. Boyle power plant be decreased for the benefit of trout populations in the river; that, too, will decrease PacifiCorp's income. PacifiCorp disputes the CEC study, noting for example that it fails to consider the fact that there are 20 million to 25 million cubic yards of sediment behind the dams that, if washed downstream, could wreak havoc on the river. PacifiCorp has been engaged for months in settlement talks with Klamath stakeholders, including farmers, that parallel the formal relicensing process, but Mitchell said she couldn't comment on their progress for reasons of confidentiality. In August, anti-dam groups upped the pressure on PacifiCorp by suing the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board for failing to regulate toxic discharges from PacifiCorp's dams and reservoirs. Mitchell declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying it was company policy not to discuss litigation. For PacifiCorp, the Klamath dams are both asset and liability. Last year the company acknowledged, in testimony before the California Public Utilities Commission, that it now manages the system as much to fulfill its many environmental compliance mandates as to generate power, and "at worst ... must spill water throughout its system and incur risk management costs" and can't rely on the unpredictable flows from upstream irrigation projects. Tribal leaders know this moment is a perfect storm. It was pure coincidence that the water shut-off of 2001, the fish die-off of 2002 and the coastal fishing ban of 2006 all happened about the same time as the relicensing of the dams. Together, they gave graphic evidence of the fragile health of the Klamath basin, and galvanized the formation of a unique coalition of tribes, fishing groups, environmentalists and farmers eager for change. Tucker said settlement talks lately have been productive and that the parties hope to sign an agreement before the end of this year. He couldn't be specific about the terms, but he sounded optimistic. The real hurdle, he said, is the ideological reluctance to set a precedent by actually removing some dams. "What we need to communicate is that not all dams are created equal," he said. "If we look at the impact these dams have and compare that with what is in the best interest of the public, as FERC relicensing requires, these dams are the best candidates for removal in America." – Chico (Calif) News Review <<<•>>> Tuesday, October 2, 2007No Foreign Workers = Unprocessed SeafoodEXPENSIVE HOOPERS ISLAND, Md. -- A special visa program for foreign workers is about to expire, creating a worrisome problem for owners of businesses in Maryland's seafood industry which relies on the workers. The law that extended the H2B visa program is set to expire Sunday. Thousands of workers will be able to keep working until their seasonal jobs end in a month or two, but there's no guarantee they will be able to return. "It's simple -- either we get our workers or we're out of business," processor Harry Phillips, who owns Russell Hall Seafood on Hoopers Island, told The (Baltimore) Sun. "If we're out of business, you're going to see watermen out of business, too." Canadian Company Faces Charges Over Conch(For a glimpse at a sustainable source of conch, see the recent Wild Catch magazine.) VANCOUVER, British Columbia – A Vancouver seafood firm and its CEO are facing smuggling charges after the seizure of 27 tons of queen conch, a seafood on the international list of threatened species. Zamorro Gabriel Shone, CEO of Pacific Marine Union Corp., is to appear in Vancouver Provincial Court on Oct. 10. He is facing five counts, as is Pacific Marine Union. "This is the largest confiscation that we've ever made of endangered species," said Sheldon Jordan, Environment Canada's director of wildlife enforcement for Quebec. "We believe that we have taken off the top of the organization." The highly prized queen conch, which grazes the ocean floor of the Caribbean, has been red-listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora since 1990. When an 18-month investigation wrapped up, officials in Canada and Florida had uncovered illegal shipments of queen conch totaling 120 tons of meat -- the yield from up to one million animals. During an inspection, authorities opened a box of seafood marked "whelk meat, product of Canada," coming into the U.S. from Ontario, said Jordan. Inside that box, they found other boxes labeled "conch meat." Trade in the big Caribbean mollusk is severely limited worldwide and can only be imported with the proper documentation from the export country. "It was quite an elaborate scheme," said Jordan. "Some of it was harvested legally, some of it illegally." Conch farmers in Jamaica, Honduras and the Dominican Republic would rendezvous with Colombian ships at sea and off-load their fishy swag, said Jordan. "Then it would be taken into port in Colombia and declared as having been fished in Colombia," he said. About 120 tons of conch were imported by an established Florida firm in the last three years. "We allege that Pacific Marine Union was working with . . . Placeres and Sons Seafood [in Florida] and their subsidiaries, that they were bringing the conch into Canada not fully declared," said Jordan. It was then shipped into the U.S. under the guise of being Canadian goods. If convicted, Shone, who has not yet entered a plea, could face a maximum fine of $300,000 and five years in prison. Conch is considered a delicacy by gastronomes. The threatened mollusk's pink, spiral shell is also prized as a musical instrument and for jewelry, such as cameos. It has significance in the Hindu and Buddhist religions. Some shells have been turned into decorative planters, even table lamps. "It's sort of a huge marine snail," said Lee Newman, curator of tropical waters at the Vancouver Aquarium. The conch's extinction would mean "a loss of diversity in those ecosystems," he said. "It plays an important role in the coastal lagoon areas. It keeps the bottom sediments stirred." – The Province, Vancouver Seafood Helps You Think Michael Crawford, a leading nutritional expert, has warned of the dangers of decreased seafood consumption in relation to declining mental health. “Eat more fish and substantially lessen your risk of developing mental health problems” is the message from Professor Crawford, Director of the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, University of North London. Professor Crawford led a line-up of health and nutrition experts at a public debate that took place yesterday, as part of the 2007 World Seafood Congress. Crawford describes the rise in brain disorders and mental health problems associated with Omega 3 deficiency as “the most pressing health issue of the 21st century - forget obesity - mental health is the real disaster already beginning to happen.” Irish people are fifty times more likely to develop depression than populations like Japan, where seafood consumption is very high. Just 20% of Irish people eat fish twice weekly or less. Crawford suggests our western meat and wheat-based diet and falling consumption of seafood-based Omega 3 fatty acids is resulting in this significant rise in brain ill health. “We are seeing more and more scientific evidence linking brain disorders and diet. For example, researchers now know women suffering from post-natal depression produce breast milk that is very low in DHA- the boss of the Omega 3 family. Similarly, preliminary research into Alzheimer’s Disease shows sufferers are also losing this critical DHA from their brain. “It’s simple: our brain is made of marine fats - if we do not feed it the food it requires to remain healthy - fish and specifically Omega 3 fats - then we are looking at serious brain problems like depression, bi-polar disorder and childhood behavioral problems like ADHD and dyslexia, dyspraxia.” Crawford cautions against the popular trend of relying on Omega 3 supplements or the ever-growing list of Omega 3-enhanced food products. “Supplements are ok as an emergency measure, but the best source of Omega 3 fatty acids is to be found in seafood,” he said. “We need to eat more fish, but in doing so, we must also urgently address the issue of depleted fish stocks. Governments like the US should forget about spending money on going to Mars - Mars won’t feed us - water will and it covers two thirds of the planet. Utilizing this resource in a sustainable manner will be critical to our future health.” Crawford’s prediction of an escalation in mental health disorders being linked to diet was originally made as far back as 1972. Over thirty years later, brain disorders now outrank all other health problems in the EU. Mental health has overtaken heart disease as the leading medical health problem in Europe at a cost of 25% of Europe’s 386 billion euro healthcare bill. -- Fish Update, UK Puffer Fish Causes Deaths PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – A Cambodian provincial authority has banned the trade of puffer fish meat suspected to have caused the deaths of two villagers recently, a police official said Sunday. A 23-year-old man died Saturday, and a 13-year-old boy early last week, after both villagers ate salted puffer fish, Suon Phon, deputy police chief of Takeo province, said. He said the fish was imported from neighboring Vietnam and sold in rural markets in the province, about 90 kilometers (56 miles), south of the capital Phnom Penh. In the wake of the two deaths, Takeo province governor Srey Ben, banned the trade of the fish across the province to prevent further fatalities, Suon Phon said. The ovaries, liver and intestines of the puffer fish contain tetrodotoxin, a poison so potent that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it can "produce rapid and violent death." – International Herald Tribune, France Fish Farms Banished from Near Shores The world's largest seafood company is coming under intense pressure to shift its fish farms further out to sea after its largest shareholder claimed the industry was helping to kill off wild salmon and trout populations. A coalition of 32 conservation, angling and aboriginal peoples' groups from the UK, Canada, Norway, Ireland, Iceland and the United States has written an open letter to Marine Harvest, which produces a third of the world's farmed fish, urging it to ban fish farms from wild salmon and trout rivers. John Fredriksen, a Norwegian shipping and oil industry billionaire who owns 29% of Marine Harvest, surprised anglers and conservationists by directly linking fish farms to plunging wild fish populations - a link the industry has repeatedly disputed. A keen angler who is reputedly worth £3.5bn and has a home in Chelsea, he told a Norwegian newspaper earlier this year: "I am concerned about the future for wild salmon. Fish farming should not be allowed in fjords with salmon rivers." The letter's signatories, who include Friends of the Earth Scotland, several British anglers' associations and Canadian "first nation" groups from British Columbia, said they applauded Fredriksen's remarks, adding: "Sea lice, infectious diseases and genetic and ecological interactions of escaped farmed salmon with wild salmon are a serious threat to the future of both wild Atlantic and Pacific salmon." Fredriksen's unexpected intervention has come at a critical time for the aquaculture industry. Last week official figures confirmed that wild salmon and trout numbers on the west coast of Scotland - where the UK's fish farm industry is concentrated - are still in long-term decline. While the figures for catches on the east and north coasts of Scotland were among the best on record in 2006, on the far more troubled west coast, sea trout in particular continued to fall sharply, down to half the previous five-year average. The director of the Association of Salmon Fisheries Boards, Andrew Wallace, said there were a series of salmon rivers and freshwater lochs along the west coast of Scotland where fish farms ought to be banned. Marine Harvest remains publicly neutral about Fredriksen's demands, but insists it is keen to address concerns about its environmental impacts. – Guardian, UK <<<•>>> Wednesday, October 3, 2007 Two More Arrested in Conch BustsEXPENSIVE At the risk of sounding like a broken record, let us remind you that the current issue of Wild Catch tells you where you can buy sustainable conch. MIAMI, Florida - Two Miami men have been charged with conspiracy to smuggle tons of queen conch taken from Caribbean waters to customers throughout Canada and the United States, in violation of the Lacey Act, the law against illegal trading in wildlife. Canadian officials say the smuggling operation is believed to have been responsible for illegally importing and/or exporting 119,978 kilograms (263,953 pounds), the equivalent of nearly seven fully loaded semi trailers, of queen conch meat from several Caribbean and South American countries to Canada and the United States. Queen conch is a internationally protected species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and is also has been listed for protection since 1992 on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES. Federal agents allege that from about May 2004 through November 2006, defendants Janitse Martinez, 33, and Ramon Placeres, 58, were respectively, the owners of Caribbean Conch, Inc., and Placeres & Sons Seafood, Inc., companies located in Hialeah, Florida, and engaged in the business of selling seafood products. According to the court documents filed by the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, the defendants caused the shipment of queen conch from Haiti, Honduras, and Columbia to Canada without proper permits. Queen conch, Strombus gigas, is a commercially valuable mollusc, and its illegal harvest has led to continued and significant declines in the species, CITES, U.S. and Canadian wildlife officials say. The defendants' smuggling activities were detected in March 2006 when a shipment of 2,100 pounds of queen conch, falsely labeled as “Frozen Whelk meat, product of Canada” consigned to Caribbean Conch, Inc., in Hialeah was intercepted by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspector at the Peace River bridge in Buffalo, New York. Investigative efforts by Canadian and American enforcement authorities led to the simultaneous execution of search warrants in both countries and the seizure of tons of illegally traded queen conch. The charges carry possible sentences for each defendant of up to five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a criminal fine of either $250,000, or twice the intended gain from their illegal conduct, whichever is greater– Environmental News Service Florida Charges More Fish PoachersInvestigators from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission charged four Hillsborough County residents with a variety of felony fraud and misdemeanor violations, all stemming from the illegal sale and purchase of freshwater and saltwater fish. Acting on a tip, FWC undercover investigators bought and sold a variety of prohibited and regulated species from the businesses. "The FWC targets these types of violators to prevent proliferation of a black market trade that could have serious effects on local fish populations," said Capt. Andy Krause, FWC investigations supervisor, in a release. The Tampa businesses involved were the Little Fish Hut, Friendly Fish Market, MD Oriental Market and Lien Hoa Oriental Market. So far, four individuals have been charged. Adam Carl Brooks, owner of the Little Fish Hut, was charged with two felony counts of scheme to defraud and 11 misdemeanors, including the unlawful purchase and sale of freshwater game fish. Christa Cannon, an employee of the Friendly Fish Market, was cited for two misdemeanor violations for unlawful purchase of saltwater products and failure to keep required records on saltwater products. Wen Rong Bao, manager of the MD Oriental Market, was cited for unlawful purchase of saltwater products and no current resident freshwater fish dealer's license. Thinh Xuan Nguyen, manager of Lien Hoa Oriental Market, was cited for no saltwater products retail license and no freshwater fish dealer's license. A total of four felony and 23 misdemeanor charges were issued. Eight additional people still face a total of 13 counts. Those people may be charged later this month, FWC said in the release. Begun on May 31, the investigation uncovered a loose association of 10 people doing illegal business at the Tampa locations, the FWC said. During the four-month investigation, agents, who posed as unlicensed wholesalers, sold and bought specially marked whole fish. Freshwater game fish species bought and sold were largemouth bass, shellcracker, warmouth, speckled perch and bluegill. Some of the largemouth bass used by FWC investigators were purposefully undersize, the release said. Most freshwater game fish are illegal to buy or sell, no matter their size. Non-game freshwater species, such as tilapia, mudfish and catfish that may be sold with the proper licenses, were sold without required licenses to the business by undercover investigators. Additionally, FWC investigators posing as unlicensed wholesale fishermen sold saltwater species that included red grouper, mullet, sheepshead and sand perch. Those purchases were violations. – Bizjournals.com, NC Hawaii Prepares for Fishing Festival HONOLULU - Hawaii's fisheries are healthy, and poised for long-term success. That's the message the organizers of this weekend's "Fishing and Seafood Festival" at Honolulu Harbor, are looking to convey. The exciting count-off by an auctioneer takes place, each morning, here at Pier 38's state-of-the-art fishing village. A handful of wholesalers and restaurant owners bring their money and make their move for the freshest fish our island waters provide. Administrators of this facility want the general public to be a part of it all. ''There's a lot more, a lot larger population that enjoys fresh, Hawaiian seafood," says Neil Kanemoto of the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group. "But, we've never had an event that acknowledges fishing, and fresh Hawaiian seafood, ever and this our second annual." The 2007 "Fishing and Seafood Festival" kicks off at 9:00 o'clock this Sunday morning. It'll feature a number of educational displays, live music, and of course, lots of seafood and there's even fun stuff for the kids. ''Oh, it's a wonderful day, a lot of activities, a lot of educational learning and we'll have activities like the fishing wheel and the traditional fishpond and Gyotaku," says co-organizer, Sandi Arakaki. "They'll love that. It's all hands on." An estimated 10-to-15 percent of the state's population fish -- recreationally or commercially. There are lingering concerns about over-fishing Hawaii waters. But, event organizers say, there's no need to worry. ''The fisheries are relatively healthy," say Kanemoto. "It's just a matter of managing them properly to ensure there's fish in the future." – KHNL ''Bonus Years'' Diet Touts 3 Fish Meals a Week "The Bonus Years Diet" by Dr. Ralph Felder and Carol Colman with Oscar H. Franco, scientific adviser (G.P. Putnam's Sons, $25.95), says you can snack on chocolate, drink red wine and enjoy almonds while losing weight and making your heart stronger. It's subtitle says it all—"7 miracle foods including chocolate, red wine and nuts that can add 6.4 years on average to your life." Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? For years, researchers have been touting the health benefits of drinking a glass of wine - especially red wine. More recently, researchers have pushed the healthful attributes of eating a small amount of chocolate, plus nuts (almonds, in particular). Researchers reported in the British Medical Journal that you can get the same heart and health benefits by eating certain foods as you do by taking pills. "The Bonus Years" eating plan is based on proven medical protocol, with the help of scientific adviser Oscar H. Franco. The same foods are used in "The Bonus Years Diet" as were used in the clinical trials to achieve "full medical and longevity benefits." "The Bonus Years Diet" contains 30 days of meal plans and 125 recipes, and the authors claim it will "forever change the way we think about dieting." The diet has no restrictions, no calorie counting, "just a great way to extend your lifetime as you reduce your waistline." Author-physician Ralph Felder, who also is a practicing chef, explains, "Men who follow the `Bonus Years Diet' can add on average an extra 6.4 years of life. Women can add an extra 4.6 years." In addition, the authors say everyone can decrease the risk of developing heart disease by 76 percent. The diet's magical foods, to be eaten daily, include: - 5-ounce glass of red wine - 2 ounces of dark chocolate - 4 cups of fruits and vegetables - 1 clove of garlic - 2 ounces of nuts (two handfuls) In addition, the diet calls for eating three 5-ounce servings of fish or seafood weekly. The authors ask, "Wouldn't you prefer to have a real cocktail or shrimp cocktail than a drug cocktail?" So, what if you already have heart disease? The authors advise taking the drugs your physician already has prescribed and then start the diet with its tasty components. - St. Louis Post-Dispatch Food Safety Debate Continues WASHINGTON - A consensus is building among government and food industry officials that the fix for the country's import safety system is likely to require better-targeted inspections, though not necessarily more of them. Yesterday, Mike Leavitt, secretary of health and human services and chairman of a panel established by President Bush to study the safety of imported food, reflected that point of view when he said: 'We simply cannot inspect our way to safety.' Leavitt was speaking in a packed auditorium at the Department of Agriculture, where the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety heard from more than 40 speakers. The panel is compiling a list of recommendations expected to be issued by next month and is likely to include an emphasis on using technology to target risky importers and coordinating oversight among agencies. The idea that inspections need not be increased has been challenged by consumer advocates and those in Congress who have proposed a series of reforms to the food safety system, including importer fees and consolidated oversight under a single agency. The question of how to keep the nation's imported food supply safe emerged early in the summer after a series of recalls and warnings, mostly about Chinese products. U.S. consumers remain concerned about an E. coli outbreak last year that cleared shelves of spinach and led to at least three deaths. Only 66 percent of shoppers are confident that the food they buy at the grocery store is safe, down from 82 percent last year, according to the Food Marketing Institute. As President Bush's panel set to work, at least a half-dozen pieces of legislation were introduced in Congress and the prevailing sentiment has come down to this: The U.S. import safety system is indeed broken, but the short-term fix probably lies in requiring manufacturers to ensure the safety of their suppliers and giving U.S. regulators more power to oversee the safety system they put in place. Importers could be expected, for example, to certify that their suppliers are meeting tough safety standards. "There is an emerging consensus that we should continue to improve our ability to detect threats but not rely on detection as the front line," said Scott Faber, vice president of government affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. "Our inspectors should be the remedy of last resort." But increasing inspections remains the cornerstone of many of the congressional proposals under consideration, along with empowering the FDA to mandate recalls. Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, have both proposed charging importers a fee that would raise hundreds of millions of dollars and help fund more inspections. Supporters of the legislation say that although increasing inspections may not be enough to tackle the entire food safety problem, it is critical to the process. Which viewpoints prevail may depend on how much lawmakers are able to accomplish before the end of the year. In the short term, consumers may see more resources for the FDA and other regulatory agencies, said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee. More systematic restructuring of the food safety system, including consolidating oversight under a single agency, will take time, she said. "We need to beef up every area of food safety," she said. – Washington Post <<<•>>>
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Seafood is Food of LoveEXPENSIVE Human beings are on an eternal quest for love, sex appeal and sexual prowess. Health24's DietDoc investigates the foods of love, to inspire romance and love. Aphrodisiacs But how true are these ideas and beliefs surrounding dietary aphrodisiacs? I believe that every myth is based on a bit of truth, no matter how tiny. So let’s have a scientific look at some of the most popular aphrodisiac foods to see if there is a reason why they have earned this wonderful reputation. Seafood Protein of animal origin found in seafood supplies the body with all the essential amino acids to build strong muscles and lean body tissue - both highly desirable traits in prospective lovers. Iron is essential for the production of healthy red blood cells, which in turn ensure that your brain and muscles are supplied with plenty of oxygen and glucose, thus increasing stamina. Zinc is one of the most important trace elements found in semen. The zinc level in semen is 100 times higher than in blood. In populations deprived of zinc, puberty is delayed and the sexual organs do not develop normally. Sufficient zinc in your diet by eating plenty of seafood may also help to improve your chances in the Valentine’s sweepstakes. And this is where oysters come in - raw and canned oysters contain a whopping 91 mg of zinc per 100g, probably the highest concentration found in any food. Iodine is required for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is often referred to as the “power-house” of the body. If you produce insufficient thyroid hormones you will feel sluggish, tired, depressed and have little energy left for amorous pursuits. To be filled with vim and vigor, you need an active thyroid. To keep your thyroid healthy, you require iodine, so tuck into that seafood. Love apples Lycopene, which is one of the so-called carotenoids, is proving to be a potent anti-carcinogen, particularly for prostate cancer. A large study which was conducted over a period of seven years showed that lycopene in foods such as tomato sauce and pizza had a dramatic effect on the incidence of prostate cancer. Men eating ten servings of tomato-rich foods a week were 35% less likely to develop prostate cancer than men eating only one serving a week. Tomato sauce, that much maligned product, has the highest lycopene content of all foods, and gives the greatest protection against prostate cancer. Viva tomato sauce! Lover's menu You will find that this menu is not too heavy to make you sluggish and full of love foods that will boost your health, if not your prowess! Enjoy! - (Dr I.V. van Heerden, DietDoc) Health24.com, South Africa Sizzler Creates Menu AdditionsCULVER CITY, Calif. -- In creating its latest menu additions, Sizzler pulled a page from its nearly 50-year-old history book, but it added a few contemporary footnotes. Sizzler's new Steakhouse Favorites feature a signature U.S.D.A. Choice eight-ounce steak with aged blue cheese, garlic butter or peppercorn sauce. The new entrees are served with two more steakhouse classics - a hand-tossed Caesar salad and a piping hot baked potato. Not only do the Steakhouse Favorites harken back to an earlier time, so does their $8.99 price. "For almost 50 years, Sizzler has stood for great food at a great value, and that's just as important to guests today as it was when we opened, maybe even more so," said Mike Branigan, Sizzler vice president of Marketing. "With this limited time offer, we are making it affordable and convenient for families to enjoy the classic American steakhouse meal." Along with the new steaks, Sizzler added new seasonal salads to its Fresh & Tasty salad bar, including Shrimp & Seafood Louie Pasta Salad and Cobb Pasta Salad. Wolfgang Puck Grille in Detroit With only a few hours left before the opening of his new restaurant at the MGM Grand Detroit, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck was cheerfully baking pizzas for VIPs and reporters Tuesday afternoon and promising that the restaurant will bring metro area diners all the Puck classic dishes. Wolfgang Puck Grille won’t try to reinvent Midwestern cuisine; Detroit has plenty of that, he said, standing in front of the restaurant’s wood-burning pizza oven. “We want people to experience the dishes we are known for,” he said, listing smoked salmon pizza with dill cream and caviar; goat cheese and roasted beet napoleon; and seafood risotto with shrimp, crab and lobster, among others. Cooking beside Puck in the long exhibition kitchen, executive chef Marc Djozlija — a Madison Heights native — was putting the finishing touches on an 18-ounce bone-in rib eye steak with Armanac sauce and crisp Tuscan potatoes. Bad Effects of Fish Farming on Salmon CAMPBELL RIVER, British Columbia - Lice, feces and pushiness - who knew Atlantic salmon could be so nasty? West Coast aquaculturists, as a matter of fact, who farm the species. The negative ecological effects of farming the fish are causing them big problems. For starters, lice thrive in the farm nets and then latch on to wild Pacific salmon in the area. The concentration of fish creates a blanket of poop, which suffocates living creatures at the bottom of the ocean. And if farmed Atlantic salmon (fish farmers' preferred breed) escape their nets, they crowd the Pacific salmon's spawning grounds. The provincial government lifted a seven-year moratorium on new fish farms in 2002, but environmentalists still fight their use. This spring, a legislative committee called for a ban on current methods. Now, a local firm says it has a solution - potentially welcome relief for B.C.'s $450-million farmed-salmon industry. AgriMarine Industries' plan is laughably logical: It's putting giant tanks in the ocean so the fish can't mess with the environment around them. "By building a solid-wall container where you can collect the waste, you address 80% of the issues with the net-cage operations," says Richard Buchanan, president and majority owner of Campbell River, B.C.-based AgriMarine. "The potential is enormous for this technology." AgriMarine's first batch of fish - 75,000 salmon fry - were trucked to Campbell River last month and transferred into a test tank. The first "harvest" will come in the fall of 2008. There is a large potential market for AgriMarine's system. In B.C. alone, there are more than 60 operating fish farms. Salmon is the province's largest agricultural export, and due to growing consumption of seafood and the limited supply of wild stocks, there is plenty of chance for the industry to grow. "We can't meet the current demand for salmon," says Mary Ellen Walling, executive director of the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association. However, Walling isn't convinced that AgriMarine's system is the way of the future. She says it would be unwise for fish farmers to rush into any new technology until it's proven superior in a number of tests. One drawback, according to Walling, is the potential for increased greenhouse gas emissions, due to the power needed to pump oxygen into containers. Fish farmers also worry that the cost of the system would be significantly higher, and energy bills would rise as well. Plus, there would need to be backup systems in place to keep the pumps going in the event of a power outage. Put it all together, and aquaculturists worry that the costs of closed-container systems could hamper B.C.'s competitiveness against fish farm powerhouses such as Chile and Norway. But even if B.C. fish farmers don't bite on AgriMarine's new system, Buchanan has another market in mind: He wants to export the containers to places like China, where the ocean is too warm in summer and too cool in winter for net farms. – National Post, Canada Blue Crab Harvest Smallest Since 1945 Chesapeake Bay, Va. - The 2007 blue crab harvest in the Chesapeake Bay will likely be among the smallest recorded since 1945, and scientists say the population remains depressed compared to historic levels. <<<•>>>
Friday, October 5, 2007
Public Advisory: Fish Good for Pregnant WomenEXPENSIVE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Pregnant and breast-feeding women should eat at least 12 ounces of fish and seafood per week to ensure their babies' optimal brain development, a coalition of top scientists from private groups and federal agencies plans to declare today in a public advisory that marks a major break with current U.S. health advice. The scientists' conclusion is at odds with the standard government advice issued in 2001 that new mothers and mothers-to-be should eat no more than 12 ounces of seafood per week because of concerns about mercury contamination. Shifting data and advice on how women's consumption of fish and seafood affects brain development of fetuses and infants, the most vulnerable groups, have produced one of the more vexing nutritional dilemmas of recent years. In the short term, at least, today's statement, drafted by scientists affiliated with multiple medical organizations, is likely to deepen the dilemma for many women, especially since the Food and Drug Administration indicated that it will study the new information but is not prepared to change the advice it reiterated in 2004. At the core of the problem is the tension between the brain-bolstering nutrients in seafood and concern over exposure to mercury, which builds up in the tissue of many marine species and is toxic to nerve tissue. Concerns about mercury contamination prompted the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency to issue consumer advisories in 2001 and again in 2004. Pregnant and breast-feeding women, those who wanted to become pregnant, and young children were told to eat no more than 12 ounces weekly of fish or seafood, a number based on theoretical calculations of the potential for contamination. Consumers seemed to take that advice to heart. The federal seafood warning led 56 percent of pregnant women to cut fish consumption to levels well below beneficial amounts, according to a study conducted earlier this year at the Medical University of South Carolina. When women skimp on fish, their babies and children can sometimes pay the price, other studies indicate. Earlier this year scientists reported in the Lancet that children of women who ate the smaller amounts recommended in the United States during pregnancy had lower IQs and lower academic test scores at age 8, and more behavioral and social problems throughout early development, than youngsters whose mothers ate 12 or more ounces per week. Other studies suggest that missing out on the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can increase the risk of delivering a baby too early and at a low birth weight. An FDA representative said that the agency "plans to study the recommendations" but has not changed its advice. For women who don't like fish -- or feel caught in the middle of the scientific debate -- options include other food rich in omega-3s such as flaxseed and oil, or foods fortified with omega-3s, such as eggs from chickens raised on feed rich in DHA. Fish oil supplements are another choice. Earlier this year, the European Commission recommended that pregnant and lactating women take 200 milligrams per day of DHA supplements. -- Washington Post Pakistan Fisheries Suffer from EU SuspensionsKARACHI, Pakistan – The country’s fisheries export slumped heavily by 37 percent in the first two months of the current financial year and exporters anticipate major fall in the coming months too, Daily Times found out on Wednesday. Import Safety Group Wants Stronger Standards On Monday before the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety, the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) advocated that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adopt rigorous safety systems for imported seafood similar to those found in the European Union, Japan and Canada and the USDA’s regulation of imported meat, poultry, and egg products. Currently, the FDA relies solely on point-of-entry inspection of one percent of imported seafood products as the first and last line of defense, a model SSA says makes the United States the most attractive market for contaminated seafood products. The Scoop About Scallops SACRAMENTO – Consider the scallop, one of the most prized -- yet misunderstood -- jewels of the sea. The scallop's distinct ribbed shell has an iconic past. For instance, it was the symbol of Saint James and later of the Order of St. James, an army of crusaders who named themselves in honor of the brother of John the Apostle. The famous 15th-century painting "The Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli depicts the goddess preparing to step off a giant scallop shell that has transported her from the ocean to the beach, with some windy help from the Zephyrs. What about the present? Where do scallops come from? Here is information on scallops from a number of restaurateurs and other experts who work full time in seafood-related retail and wholesale businesses on both coasts. Question: What is a scallop? Answer: A scallop, or pectin, is a bivalve marine mollusk akin to the oyster, the clam and the mussel. Scallops have a natural life span of about two years. We Californians are most familiar with sea (big) and bay (small) scallops, which arrive here mostly from New England and Canada. Sea scallops live in deep Atlantic waters from maritime Canada south to Virginia, though New Bedford, Mass., is considered the scallop capital. Bay scallops are found in shallow waters from New England south through the Gulf of Mexico. Weathervane (jumbo) and rock scallops are harvested in Alaska. There once were abundant calico scallop grounds offshore of Florida and North Carolina, but they were exhausted by the mid-1990s. A percentage of scallops are farm-raised, but most are wild. Q: What's the big deal about scallops as seafood? A: Probably their unique sweet flavor, unusual texture and versatility. Home cooks can fry, broil, pan-sear, sauté, bake or poach them. Cooked, they can be topped with a multitude of sauces, served with rice or tossed in pasta. Like halibut, scallops easily pick up the flavors of whatever they're cooked with. But be careful: They overcook very quickly and turn rubbery. Raw, they make fine sushi and ceviche. Q: What are we really eating when we cook scallops? A: Scallops sold at seafood markets and grocery stores are the adductor muscles removed from whole scallops. Scallops are commonly cooked and served whole throughout Europe and Asia. Q: Why can't we get whole live scallops here? A: Scallops are highly perishable largely because they can't close their shells as tightly as clams and oysters, so they go bad quickly. Plus, the cost of airfreighting them across the country is exorbitant. Also, most scallops have already been shucked aboard the boats at sea before they arrive at the docks in New England and Canada. If there are whole ones, most are either pre-purchased or bought by restaurants and seafood wholesalers and retailers. Q: Aren't scallops soaked in a preservative? A: Most are, but not all. Sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) is used to preserve seafood and poultry, and also shows up as an ingredient in laundry detergent and toothpaste. Sometimes, scallops are fully processed in STP-laced water; other times, they get a light soak. Either way, the soaking adds water weight to the scallops and leaches out flavor. Q: What's a wet-packed scallop vs. a dry-packed scallop? A: Wet indicates a soak in STP water; dry means there was no soak. Dry-packed scallops cost more. Q: What's a day-boat scallop? A: The term has to do with freshness. To qualify as a day-boat scallop, it must be taken out of the water and reach landfall literally within 24 hours. Dry-packed day-boat scallops are the most expensive and desirable, highly prized by restaurants and specialty markets. Q: What's a divers scallop? A: Another freshness-related term. Divers or dived scallops are hand-plucked by divers who breathe through hookah-type (air hose) gear rather than scuba tanks. Though the method does no harm to the sea bottom, there is another controversy -- the criticism of the divers overharvesting brood stock, which would be the larger scallops. Q: Where can we get top-grade scallops? A: First, let's restate what should be every consumer's mantra: When in doubt, ask. In this case, ask for details from the fishmonger or butcher standing behind the counter. – Modesto Bee Bill Clinton Worries About Global Fish Stocks FAROE ISLANDS, United Kingdom - Former US President, Bill Clinton has told Faroese political and fishing leaders of his growing concerns over the future survival of global fish stocks. The charismatic American flew into the Faroe Islands capital, Torshavn after his surprise decision to accept an invitation from fishermen and business leaders, accompanied by Dr Hans Blix, the former chief UN weapons inspector in the lead up to the 2003 Iraq war. Addressing a meeting, which included the Faroese Prime Minister, Joannes Eidesgaard, along with trawler owners and fish processors, Clinton praised the Faroese for their efforts ensuring fish stocks around the islands were in good shape. He said: "Your stocks are holding up, but 90 per cent of the world's fishing centers (grounds) are not, because they have too few fish. Part of this is due to over population partly because of over fishing and because climate change was distorting the chemistry of the oceans. "Some of the elements of the food chain of fish - the plankton - are not able to survive under the water because of these changes." Clinton, who is likely to be a major influence on the political scene if his wife Hillary becomes the first woman US president next year, added: "We are all bound up in this." He told the Faroese that the prospect of large oil reserves around their shores was good news for their country and for an oil hungry world, but he cautioned that it would probably change their way of life and bring their country closer into the global mainstream. Rather than globalization, he said he preferred the term interdependence, which applied to fishing and other environmental issues. "If some terrorist explodes a dirty bomb in Canada, it is likely that some of the fall out would spread over to here affecting the fishing eco structure. We cannot escape each other's problems. Our problems are your problems and so on." He also warned against pumping more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which in not only eventually affected the climate, but also the oceans and life underneath the seas. Clinton, also spoke of his Irish roots and the fact that in the seventh century Irish monks were the first humans to settle on the Faroes, before being 'kicked out' by the Nordics. "But I forgive you for that," he joked. Clinton admitted he liked the remoter Nordic countries and often visited Iceland. "The Icelandic government is working on fishing and climate change issues, which is very exciting,” he said. “Just look at Iceland. How many prominent European entrepreneurs come from Iceland? They have made an impact far beyond their size in the European economy. That is what your (Faroese) community is about. You can play a big part in Europe and in the world simply by using what you have. I like it here in the North." Premier Eidesgaard concluded: "This must be one of the most exclusive visitors the Faroe Islands has ever received." Fish Update, UK
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