Burger King kills off plastic toys from kids' meals in UK

In the climactic scene of “Toy Story 3,” Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the crew narrowly escape death when a remote-controlled claw lifts them from an incinerator just before flames engulf them.

Now Burger King is set to enact an alternative ending — collecting, sorting and chopping up hundreds of thousands of tiny toys, before melting them into hot plastic at a factory in northern England.

To anyone with childhood memories of beloved action figures, this may sound like an act of carnage — more Dante’s “Inferno” than Disney Pixar. But the “meltdown” is intended as a grand environmental gesture. Faced with growing public concern over the proliferation of single-use plastic, Burger King has vowed to stop giving away plastic toys with children’s meals in Britain and has encouraged customers to deposit old toys in collection bins at the chain’s locations there.

In December, the recycling firm Pentatonic will melt those orphaned action figures, then turn the raw material into playground equipment and reusable tray tables. Burger King plans to eliminate non-biodegradable toys from all its restaurants worldwide by 2025.

“That might be a shame for a tiny minority of people,” said Alasdair Murdoch, chief executive of Burger King in the United Kingdom. “But it’s very clear that long term, people think that we’re doing the right thing.”

For decades, fast-food toys have operated as marketing tools designed to get children eating French fries and Chicken McNuggets. Politicians and public health advocates in the United States have repeatedly tried to ban them, arguing that fast-food marketing aimed at children contributes to obesity.

Those health concerns never swayed the major fast-food companies, but a viral British petition arguing that the toys “harm animals and pollute the sea” has made a stronger impression. It is part of a growing public backlash against single-use, disposable plastic items like straws and cups, as well as myriad other plastic objects piling up in landfills, littering beaches and floating in oceans.

Burger King is not the only chain contemplating a toyless future. In 2018, McDonald’s established a task force to explore “ways to lessen the impact of the toys,” according to Elaine Strunk, the chain’s director of sustainability.

Based on the task force’s recommendations, McDonald’s has moved to scale back the distribution of plastic toys in Britain and other markets outside the United States, although it has stopped short of pledging to discontinue them. In October, McDonald’s offered its British customers Happy Meals with a choice of a toy or a bag of fruit.

Next year, children at its British locations will be able to choose between a toy or a book. In the past, McDonald’s has handed out Roald Dahl books, as well as stories about dinosaurs by English author Cressida Cowell.

“We are on a journey across all of our categories and then beyond to make more sustainable environmental footprints,” Strunk said. “It’s always a lens through which we look at decisions we’re making.”

But environmental experts say it is not clear whether eliminating plastic toys would meaningfully advance plastic reduction efforts in the fast-food industry, let alone make a dent in the broader pollution problem.

Burger King has said ending distribution of the toys in Britain would reduce its annual plastic footprint by more than 300 tons. But the context for that number is unclear: Burger King has not calculated the total amount of plastic it uses across its global markets, according to its chief marketing officer, Fernando Machado. And at some restaurants in the United States, Burger King continues to serve drinks in foam cups, even as McDonald’s and other chains have banned the environmentally harmful products.

McDonald’s officials said the company was still working out an effective way to calculate its overall plastic footprint and declined to reveal the volume of plastic toys it distributes each year.

“If you’re a company like Burger King whose packaging is seen as a big part of the problem, it doesn’t make sense to act on the toys but not on your packaging,” said Conrad MacKerron, who helps run As You Sow, a shareholder advocacy group that has pushed major fast-food companies to cut down on plastic. “The company seems to be trying to impose a certain priority on this which I don’t think is necessarily merited.”

Machado said Burger King planned to eliminate foam cups soon. And in the coming months, he said, the company will publish a website detailing the steps it has taken to reduce pollution.

“We’re not sitting here on any level saying that we are perfect,” said Murdoch, Burger King’s chief in the United Kingdom. “We’re on a journey, and we’ve got a long way to go, but we’re pretty keen on it.”

For years, McDonald’s and Burger King have resisted attempts to regulate the distribution of plastic toys, which began proliferating in the 1980s. The toys have proved to be powerful marketing devices. A study by researchers at Dartmouth College found that knowledge of fast-food toys among young children “was associated with greater frequency of eating at McDonald’s.”

“It’s been a pretty important part of the business model of the companies that use them,” said Joel Bakan, author of “Childhood Under Siege,” a 2011 book about marketing efforts aimed at children. “Both the packaging of the Happy Meal and the addition of the toy to it was highly effective in reaching children.”

In 2010, legislators in San Francisco voted to bar fast-food restaurants from giving away toys with children’s meals that fell short of nutritional standards, arguing that the figurines promoted unhealthy eating. But McDonald’s got around the ban on giveaways by charging 10 cents for each toy.

In the last decade, officials in New York, Nebraska and Wisconsin have tried and failed to ban the plastic toys, stymied in part by the lobbying muscle of the fast-food industry.

Now, rising environmental concerns over plastic waste appear to be succeeding where the obesity argument failed. And fast-food chains have grown increasingly focused on digital marketing tools, such as giving children scannable codes that can unlock games on branded apps, making plastic figurines less crucial to attracting younger customers.

“Maybe this is not the key for them anymore,” said Sara Ribakove, a policy official at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has campaigned against fast-food toys. “There’s a strong shift in the digital environment and the way we’re seeing marketing. It’s become much more personalized. It’s coming to everyone’s doorstep in a different way.”

Over the next few years, Burger King will gradually replace plastic toys with digital alternatives, company executives said, though the chain could also develop toys made from biodegradable materials.

A handful of other fast-food chains have scrapped the toys for commercial rather than environmental reasons. In 2013, Taco Bell announced that children’s meals would not be a part of its “long-term brand strategy.” Jack in the Box stopped giving away toys in 2011, saying, “We focus on adults and not children.”

But the major rival of McDonald’s and Burger King, Wendy’s, continues to offer the plastic figurines. Recently, the chain rolled out a line of Transformers toys. A Wendy’s spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.

McDonald’s has experimented with toy alternatives in a number of markets, including Germany and France as well as Britain. In Japan, McDonald’s allows customers to return toys so the company can convert them into trays, a project similar to Burger King’s initiative in Britain. In the coming years, McDonald’s officials said, the company expects to distribute fewer plastics toys, as books and other alternatives become more popular.

“It’s all about choice,” said Kandice McLeod, a McDonald’s official who oversees Happy Meal toys. “Our customers want to know that they have a choice in what they’re going to receive.”

In the United States, however, one crucial constituency appears to remain broadly supportive of plastic toys: children.

On a recent Sunday night at a McDonald’s in New York City, 8-year-old Amber Smith sat quietly, playing with the miniature Pokeball that had come with her Happy Meal. As far back as she can remember, she said, fast-food toys have been her favorite part of McDonald’s.

“All the toys, in my opinion, are super awesome,” she said. “I’m not picky with the toys.”

Asked about the prospect of a toyless Happy Meal, Amber balled her hands into fists. “I like the food, too,” she said. But without the toys, “I’d make a tantrum.”


2019 The New York Times Company

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Diet for healthy people, healthy planet too costly for some

ROME - At least 1 in 5 people could not afford science's 'ideal diet' designed to feed 10 billion people without hurting the planet, according to a study published on Friday.

The EAT-Lancet report made headlines when it was unveiled in January because it proposed the first scientific targets for both a healthy diet and a sustainable food system.

It recommended people double their intake of nuts, fruit, vegetables and legumes, and eat half as much meat and sugar to prevent millions of early deaths, cut greenhouse gas emissions and preserve land, water and biodiversity.

The Global Burden of Disease study by the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said poor diets killed 11 million people - 1 in 5 - in 2017, more than smoking, which kills about 8 million people a year.

Agriculture, forestry and other land use accounted for 23 percent of total net man-made greenhouse gas emissions from 2007 to 2016, soaring to 37 percent when pre- and post-production activity were factored in, according to the United Nations.

The 'ideal diet' - projected to be in place by 2050 - would keep people and planet healthy, said the Lancet. But it would cost an average $2.84 per head per day, said researchers from the International Food Policy Research Institute and Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

This amounts to nearly 90 percent of a household's daily per capita income in poorer countries, pushing the regime beyond reach for nearly 1.6 billion people, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, they said in a paper in The Lancet Global Health.

"The actual number must be higher, since people need to spend at least some money on other things such as housing and clothing, as well as education, healthcare and transportation," senior author Will Masters told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"For the poorest people, solutions to malnutrition will require economic change," said Masters, citing higher incomes and lower food costs.

Beans, lentils, cowpeas, some vegetables and cereals are easier to find and cheaper in most countries than foods recommended in the EAT-Lancet diet such as eggs, fish, meat and fruits, but they are "not as delicious or desirable," he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kids who skip breakfast may miss key nutrients

Children who skip breakfast on a regular basis are likely to fall short for the day in getting all their recommended essential nutrients, a UK study suggests.

Kids who skipped breakfast every day were less likely to get enough iron, calcium, iodine and folate when compared to kids who ate breakfast every day, the research team found.

“A greater proportion of those children who ate breakfast met their recommended intakes of these micronutrients compared to breakfast skippers,” coauthors Gerda Pot and Janine Coulthard of Kings College London told Reuters Health in an email interview.

“These findings suggest that eating breakfast could play an important role in ensuring that a child consumes enough of these key micronutrients,” Pot and Coulthard said.

Though older children were more likely to skip breakfast, the day’s nutrient shortfall was greater when younger children missed the morning meal.

“Our research indicated that although lower proportions of 4-to-10-year-olds skipped breakfast regularly compared to 11-to-18-year-olds, greater differences in micronutrient intakes were seen in the younger age group when comparing days on which they ate breakfast with days on which they skipped it. It may, therefore, be particularly important to ensure that this younger age group eats a healthy breakfast, either at home or at a school breakfast club.”

Researchers examined four-day food diaries for almost 1,700 children ages 4 to 18. The information was taken from a yearly national diet and nutrition survey between 2008 and 2012.

Breakfast was defined as consuming more than 100 calories between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.

Overall, about 31 percent of kids ate breakfast daily, 17 percent never ate breakfast, and the rest ate it some days and skipped it on others. In this group, the researchers also compared differences in nutrient intake by the same child on different days.

The team found that 6.5 percent of kids aged 4 to 10 missed breakfast every day, compared with nearly 27 percent of 11-to-18-year-olds.

Girls were more likely to miss breakfast than boys, and household income tended to be higher for families of children who ate breakfast every day.

More than 30 percent of kids who skipped breakfast did not get enough iron during the day, compared to less than 5 percent of kids who ate breakfast, the researchers report in British Journal of Nutrition.

Around 20 percent of breakfast skippers were low on calcium and iodine, compared to roughly 3 percent of kids who ate breakfast.

About 7 percent of children who skipped breakfast were low in folate, compared to none in the groups that ate breakfast.

Fat intake went up when kids skipped breakfast, researchers found.

Kids who skipped breakfast didn’t seem to compensate by eating more calories later in the day. In fact, kids who didn’t eat breakfast ended up eating the same number or fewer total calories as kids who ate breakfast every day.

Making sure kids eat breakfast appears to be more difficult in the older age group, who are possibly less receptive to parental supervision, Pot and Coulthard said.

“One tactic would be to get children involved in making breakfast, maybe even preparing something the night before if time is short in the morning.”

The authors noted there are a wealth of healthy, simple and tasty recipe ideas available on social media that children can choose from, adding that kids might even like to post a picture of their creations online.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Trump downshifts Michelle Obama's healthy school food scheme

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump's administration on Monday put the brakes on a scheme championed by former first lady Michelle Obama meant to ensure healthier meals in schools through lower salt, fats and sugar.

The Agriculture Department said in a statement the change would give American schools "greater flexibility" and stop kids from throwing out the less appetizing food mandated under the scheme.

Forcing schools to adopt better nutritional standards under the 2012 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act if they wanted federal subsidies for meals was one of Michelle Obama's key achievements.

Lauded by supporters in the US as crucial in the fight against childhood obesity, the initiative put restrictions on sodium and sweetened milks, and required school lunches to increase the amount of whole-grain foods they contained.

The Trump administration's backtrack on the measure came the same day as a study suggesting that if American children exercised more, tens of billions of dollars in medical costs could be saved over their lifetimes.

The finding was made by researchers at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in six American children are overweight or obese.

The Agriculture Department said the nutritional requirements imposed on schools in the past five years had added $1.2 billion in costs to school districts and to states.

It said easing those rules would decrease costs, give back greater control to local authorities, and see children eating more enthusiastically.

"If kids aren't eating the food, and it's ending up in the trash, they aren't getting any nutrition –- thus undermining the intent of the program," Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said.

At the same time, the Trump administration discontinued another signature program by Michelle Obama and her husband Barack Obama.

The 2015 scheme designed to promote educational opportunities for adolescent girls in developing countries, called "Let Girls Learn," was being immediately scrapped, CNN reported on the basis of an internal email it had obtained.

The email, sent to members of the US Peace Corps, a US government overseas volunteer program, said some parts of "Let Girls Learn" would continue, but the name was being dropped along with its standalone status.

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Short sleep may be tied to infection risk

Adults who sleep no more than five hours per night or who have a diagnosed sleep disorder are more likely to have suffered a recent cold than those who sleep more, according to a new study.

“In many countries, particularly western countries, sleep takes a back seat to productivity, which may make some sense in the short term but certainly not the longer term,” said coauthor Aric A. Prather of the Center for Health and Community at the University of California, San Francisco. “Sleep happens with whatever time is left after all of the other ‘necessary’ tasks are attended to.”

Getting too little sleep can have a direct impact on cardiovascular, endocrine and immune functioning that may increase disease risk over time, Prather told Reuters Health by email.

In addition, “poor sleep may lead to health behaviors that also raise one’s risk for poor heath,” he said. “Short sleepers are less likely to exercise and more likely to engage in less than ideal nutrition that, again over time, can affect health.”

The researchers used responses from more than 22,000 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 2005 and 2012. The participants reported their typical weekday hours of sleep, history of diagnosed sleep disorders and whether they had ever told a doctor about having trouble sleeping.

They also answered questions about having a head or chest cold, the flu, pneumonia, or an ear infection over the previous 30 days.

Almost 14 percent of people said they slept no more than five hours per night, 23 percent slept for six hours, 56 percent slept for seven to eight hours, and 7 percent said they slept for nine or more hours per night.

One quarter had told a doctor about trouble sleeping and 7 percent had been diagnosed with a sleep disorder.

Over the previous 30 days, 19 percent of ‘short sleepers’- that is, those with five or fewer hours of sleep per night - had a head or chest cold, compared to 16 percent of those who slept for six hours and 15 percent of those who got seven or more hours.

After accounting for factors like age, sex, race, education level and smoking status, those with a diagnosed sleep disorder were also more likely to have had a cold or infection than others, the researchers reported April 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“This data does not allow us to know whether sleep causes an increase in susceptibility to respiratory infections,” only that the two are somehow connected, Prather said.

But in a 2015 study, he and his team experimentally exposed people to the cold virus after assessing their typical sleep, and those who slept six or fewer hours were roughly four times more likely to develop a biologically-verified cold than those who slept more than seven hours, he said.

“It is our hope that this work will help raise the profile of sleep as a critical health behavior that should be considered as an additional vital sign for optimal health,” he said.

“Very little if any training about sleep happens in medical school so most physicians do not know anything about sleep,” said Dr. Sanjay R. Patel of the Center for Sleep and Cardiovascular Outcomes at the University of Pittsburgh. “As a result, they do not feel comfortable talking about sleep with their patients.”

“Similarly, society does not stigmatize the person getting in their car and driving after only four hours of sleep the way it does the person driving after drinking, even though the risk to others on the road may be the same,” Patel told Reuters Health by email.

Chronic poor sleep increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, he said.

“Sleep deprivation studies in the laboratory have clear effects on immune function, and other clinical studies have shown that poor sleep before exposure to the cold virus influences the risk of actually developing a cold,” said Dr. Daniel J. Buysse of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, who was also not part of the new research.

“Like most things, it’s a complicated story, but sleep is likely to play an important role,” he told Reuters Health by email.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

PH, India lead nations with highest obesity levels

MANILA, Philippines - While the world is focusing on global hunger and malnutrition, another ugly “monster” has emerged.

Obesity, a new form of malnutrition, has surfaced as an urgent challenge affecting several countries.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Philippines and India are among the developing countries with high levels of obesity and under-nutrition.

Obesity as a form of malnutrition often coexists with under-nutrition and results from shifts from local and traditional diets to foods that are increasingly heavy in salt, sugar and fat or processed foods.

The shift to a steady diet of processed food is due to the increasing cost of nutritious and natural food, the FAO said.

The global prevalence of combined overweight and obesity has risen in all regions, increasing among adults from 24 percent to 34 percent between 1980 and 2008.

The FAO said the prevalence of obesity among children has increased even faster, doubling from six percent to 12 percent over the same period.

“Overweight can co-occur with underweight within the same household, and is on the rise in countries with a high level of under-nutrition,” the FAO added in the report.

A 2011 survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) showed that 22.3 percent of Filipino adults are overweight and 6.1 percent are obese.

The prevalence of overweight Filipinos is expected to increase significantly by 2015.

“If this trend continues, it is highly likely that more will suffer from high-risk diseases that could lead to death,” the FNRI report said.

The factors leading to obesity in developing countries like the Philippines are numerous.

One leading factor is increasing world and domestic food prices, forcing increased purchase of unhealthy processed food over healthy and staple but expensive food.

Price increases threaten food security for poor households. For example, the 2011 increase in the price of basic grains meant that, in many developing countries, the cost of a kilogram of wheat doubled from about $.15 to $.30, a critical difference for people who live on little more than a dollar a day.

Food represents a substantial portion of the expenditure of poor households in poor countries.

For countries in Asia and Africa, expenditure on food was generally over 50 percent in the early 2000s, prior to the 2007-2008 crisis. In the Philippines, expenditures on food amount to 63 percent of a person’s income.

Biggest risk

Obesity is the biggest risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. It likewise aggravates hypertension and raises blood cholesterol levels, which are major predisposing factors to the development of heart attacks and strokes.

In overweight men, the occurrence of impotence and sterility is higher than average while in obese women, there is a higher than average incidence of menstrual disorders, infertility and complicated pregnancies.

In both sexes, obesity increases the risk for gallbladder stones.

Obesity is likewise associated with cancers of the breast, uterus, cervix, ovary and gallbladder among women, and colon, rectum, prostate, pancreas and stomach among men.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Spam offers tocino variant

MANILA – Did you know that the precooked meat brand Spam has a variant that is inspired by a Filipino breakfast dish?

Spam is currently offering a “limited edition” Tocino variant at $3 each, according to its website. The label shows the popular meat product with a glaze similar to tocino, a sweet pork dish usually served for breakfast in Filipino homes.



Nutrition facts of Spam Tocino show that it has less sodium (590 mg per 2-oz serving) compared to its original variant (790 mg), although it has one gram of sugar per serving.

Some netizens have been talking about Spam Tocino on Twitter after the restaurant smartphone app Looloo shared the trivia via the microblogging site.

Other variants of Spam include Less Sodium, Black Pepper, Teriyaki, Chorizo, With Cheese, Hickory Smoke, Jalapeño, With Bacon and Hot and Spicy.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

What you should know about juice fasting

MANILA – If starting a healthy lifestyle is one of your goals for the new year, a good way to get you on the right track is with a juice cleanse.

Katharina Rempe Azanza of the popular Juju Cleanse said going on a detox via a juice cleanse is an effective way to jump-start a diet.

“It's good way to kick start that healthy lifestyle because you feel all the benefits the next day,” Azanza, who started Juju Cleanse with her husband David, told ABS-CBNnews.com.

“Many people feel that they are actually energized and I believe it's because even in a one-day cleanse, you are being provided a total of 15 or 16 pounds of vegetables and fruits that go into the juice,” she explained, noting that the nutrients in the juice is more than what people get from “regular food.”

“In terms of the nutritional value, there's so much more that you will get on a cellular level. Because when you are drinking the juice, it goes straight to your blood stream, it doesn't have to be digested anymore. So you immediately absorb and it goes immediately to where it has to go because your cells are desperate for all these nutrients,” she said.

Azanza is not a newcomer in the wellness industry. Her parents founded the acclaimed health resort The Farm at San Benito, which is known for its full-fledged detox packages. Before opening Juju Cleanse – as well as the restaurant Juju Eats -- she also ran her own Pilates studio when she and her husband were based in Shanghai, China.

What is a juice fast?

A juice fast involves drinking six 500 milliliters of cold-pressed fresh juice a day, which are delivered to the customers from the commissary. “You need three liters a day of the pure juice plus the water you drink on top of that to do a juice fast. It's a hefty amount of liquid,” she said.

Juju Cleanse offers three levels, which refers to the amount of green leafy vegetables use din the detox. Level 1 has two bottles of green juice out of the six; Level 2 has three bottles of green juice; while Level 3 has five bottles of green juice.

“The reason we offer the three levels is because, while Level 3 is definitely the best, not everybody is ready to go on an all-gulay juice cleanse. If I only have that as my program, it's a little bit off-putting, especially if it's their first time,” Azanza explained, noting that the detox programs at The Farm doesn’t offer such choices.

But even the entry level juice fast is effective, she stressed.

Apart from the liter of green juice, Level 1 includes half a liter of red beet juice, half a liter of ginger juice (which is anti-inflammatory) and half a liter of grapefruit juice, which has electrolytes which the body needs.

“It has loads of benefits and each juice is designed for a specific purpose,” she said.

Azanza also clarified that a juice fast isn’t designed to induce LBM. “You're gonna pee a lot but in terms of No. 2, not really,” she said. “For some people who don't eat vegetables at all, siyempre there's a laxative effect because vegetables really have that effect on most people. But you're not gonna be sitting in the can all day long.”

Three days vs one day

For Azanza, a three-day juice fast is highly recommended for those looking to thoroughly cleanse their body, especially coming from the holidays.

“It's like it takes you apart and puts you together again. It goes through the process of detoxification and re-building. You feel really good after a three-day cleanse,” she said.

But even a one-day cleanse has immediate benefits, she said, citing improved complexion and deep sleep. She calls the one-day fast more of a “reboot” or a “refresher” for those who have already undergone the three-day cleanse.

“If you're only motivated to do a one-day cleanse I find that the benefits of that are …first thing you realize with a one-day cleanse is that you don't have to eat so much. After one day, you'll feel so busog with just the juices and you'll realize that you're overeating. You don't really need to be eating that mountain of rice or that mountain of meat. Actually your body can survive with so much less and it brings your appetite back into check,” she said.

DIY juicing

Asked about customers who juice on their own, she said that while she encourages people to make juicing part of their daily life, she noted that she doesn’t agree with customized juices.

“I will never say no to juicing. I will encourage everyone to buy a juicer, and make it part of their lifestyle, absolutely 100%. But if you are going to go on a juice cleanse and you are going to go and do that for yourself, I would say you should read up and follow it,” she said.

“Because what happens is that when they want to customize their own juice, they'll choose all the sweet ones kasi mas masarap eh. They'll make the green juice component very little and they'll choose all their favorite juices which are most likely the sweeter juices because it's more pleasant and more palatable. You have to be careful of the sugar content you are putting in your juice. It's a medical therapy. It's not something to be taken lightly,” she stressed, noting that the only time she customizes the juice cleanses is when customers have allergies to certain ingredients.

Azanza recommends customers to do a juice cleanse at least every other month or “whatever fits your lifestyle.”

“But I find that once you do it, you feel like you need it. Once you feel the benefits, you feel like you look for it,” she said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Golden Rice' research continues despite militants' attack

MANILA - Research work on an experimental rice variety will continue despite an attack by militants who destroyed a test farm in Camarines Sur Thursday, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said Saturday.

IRRI said on Twitter that although the test farm in Pili town was vandalized, it has completed several field trials of the "Golden Rice" and others are still ongoing.

The institute, an international independent research and training organization with headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, has developed various rice varieties and crop management techniques since 1960 to help farmers and consumers.

Militants belonging to the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and other leftist groups opposing genetically-modified (GM) crops raided the farm and uprooted Golden Rice plants on Thursday, agriculture officials said.

IRRI, in a statement, denounced the attack.

"We are all disappointed and saddened by the action as many people in the Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Rice Research Institute, IRRI and our other partners locally, nationally, and internationally have been working hard on the field trials to help us continue our research to improve nutrition," the institute said.




Dr. Bruce Tolentino, IRRI's deputy director general for communications and partnership, also posted a video statement to announce that scientists' work on the rice variety will continue.

"Earlier today one of our Golden Rice field trials located in the Bicol region of the Philippines was vandalized. We are really disappointed that our Golden Rice field trial was vandalized, but it is just one trial and we will continue our Golden Rice research to improve human nutrition," he said.

"Golden Rice field trials are part of our work to see if Golden Rice can be a safe and effective way to reduce vitamin A deficiency in the Philippines – to reduce malnutrition,” Tolentino said. "Vitamin A deficiency is horrible and unnecessary, and we want to do our part to help to reduce it."

The project is being undertaken through a partnership between the IRRI, the Department of Agriculture, and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

According to IRRI, vitamin A deficiency affects approximately 1.7 million children (or 15.2%) aged 6 months to 5 years in the Philippines.

It added that subclinical vitamin A deficiency affects one out of every 10 pregnant women in the country.



Rice with beta carotene

IRRI said the "Golden Rice" is a new type of rice that contains beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A when eaten.

"Research so far indicates that eating about one cup a day of Golden Rice could provide half of an adult's vitamin A needs," it added.

The new rice variety, whose grains are golden in color, was developed through genetic modification techniques using genes from maize and a common microorganism.

It was invented by Professor Ingo Potrykus of the Institute for Plant Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Professor Peter Beyer of the University of Freiburg in Germany.

IRRI is developing various varieties of the Golden Rice on a non-profit basis through royalry-free access from Swiss firm Syngenta AG.

The IRRI's research work and tests on the new rice variety are overseen by the Department of Science and Technology's National Committee on Biosafety.

The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry is also strictly monitoring field trials.

Militants, however, believe that Golden Rice is not the solution to nutritional deficiencies, especially among the poor.

Greenpeace Philippines, in a briefing paper on the project, claimed that the new rice variety diverts attention and resources away the real cause of vitamin A deficiency, which are mainly poverty and lack of access to a more diverse diet.

It said money spent on the project should instead be used to promote home gardening and Vitamin A pills.

It claimed that the rice is ecologically dangerous as it may "contaminate" traditional rice varieties, and other rice relatives.

Greenpeace also said Golden Rice may even worsen malnutrition because people may eat only the rice instead of other vitamin-rich food plants.

"Despite all the hype about Golden Rice, it still remains unproven whether daily consumption of [it] would actually improve the vitamin A status of people who are vitamin A deficient," the environmental organization said.

IRRI, however, has allayed Greenpeace's concerns.

The institute, which has helped develop 60% of current rice varieties being planted worldwide, said "Golden Rice" will only be released to farmers for cultivation after national regulators have determined that it is safe for the environment.

"Based on six years of study so far, the genetic trait that produces beta carotene in the rice grain does not appear to make Golden Rice plants stronger than other rice varieties. Therefore Golden Rice is unlikely to harm biodiversity by becoming a weed," the IRRI said.

"Golden Rice is also unlikely to impact biodiversity by endangering wild rice through cross-pollination (outcrossing, or gene flow) for reasons that apply to all cultivated rice," it added.

IRRI also cited peer-reviewed studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition stating that Golden Rice is an effective source of vitamin A for adults and children.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Undercooked eggs pose Salmonella threat

Eggs are a nutritious and economical food, but U.S. officials say in about a four-month period 1,600 reported cases of Salmonella were reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said thorough cooking is an important step in making sure eggs are safe:

-- Scrambled eggs: Cook until firm, not runny.

-- Fried, poached, boiled, or baked: Cook until both the white and the yolk are firm.

-- Egg mixtures, such as casseroles: Cook until the center of the mixture reaches 160 degrees F when measured with a food thermometer.

Homemade ice cream and eggnog are safe if you do one of the following:

-- Use a cooked egg-milk mixture. Heat it gently and use a food thermometer to ensure that it reaches 160 degrees F.

-- Use pasteurized eggs or egg products.

-- Dry meringue shells, divinity candy, and 7-minute frosting are safe -- these are made by combining hot sugar syrup with beaten egg whites. However, avoid icing recipes using uncooked eggs or egg whites.

-- Meringue-topped pies should be safe if baked at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. But avoid chiffon pies and fruit whips made with raw, beaten egg whites, instead, substitute pasteurized dried egg whites, whipped cream, or a whipped topping.

If a recipe calls for uncooked eggs, make it safe by doing one of the following:

-- Heating the eggs in one of the recipe's other liquid ingredients over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F.

-- Use pasteurized eggs or egg products.

Note: Egg products, such as liquid or frozen egg substitute, are pasteurized, so it's safe to use them in recipes that will be not be cooked. However, it's best to use egg products in a recipe that will be cooked, especially if you are serving pregnant women, babies, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

source: upi.com

Top 10 foods to boost your health

Many people believe that the crux of a healthy diet is the exclusion of unhealthy foods. However, a good diet should also incorporate an increased intake of nutritious, health-boosting foods. Here are 10 of the best foods for healthy eaters to stock up on.

1. Nuts

Although nuts are high in calories and so should be eaten in moderation, the calories in nuts come mainly from their high levels of monounsaturated fats, which are extremely good for health. Eating foods rich in these fats can help reduce bad cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. As well as their heart benefits, nuts are also a great source of protein and are packed with fiber, antioxidants, fatty acids and vitamins and minerals. It is worth noting that peanuts are actually legumes and have different nutritional properties from tree nuts, but there are many other good options to pick from including Brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, pecans and pistachios.

2. Oily fish

Oily fish -- such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and trout -- are renowned for their health benefits when eaten in moderation (between two and four portions a week). Not only are they a great source of vitamins and minerals -- including immune-boosting vitamins A and D -- but they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These super healthy unsaturated fatty acids have many health benefits, having been linked to a lowered risk of heart disease, brain damage, stroke, dementia and prostate cancer. Research findings published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology also suggest that omega-3 fatty acids can benefit eye health by halting the progress of age-related macular degeneration.

3. Beetroot

Beetroot is one of the latest vegetables to be hailed as a "superfood," and looking at its reported health benefits it is easy to see why. Various studies have suggested that drinking beetroot juice can improve stamina when exercising, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, improve heart health and liver function, reduce risk of dementia, and fight against cancer. The versatile vegetable is also a good source of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, which is important for tissue growth and repair, and folate, which helps to reduce the risk of birth defects in unborn babies, as well as helping to prevent anaemia.

4. Onions

The onion family (part of the genus Allium) contains many foods that may do wonders for our health including onion, garlic, leeks and chives. Studies have suggested that both onions and garlic can help lower cholesterol, while findings published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that onions could help lower blood pressure. Onions and garlic also have antiviral and antibacterial properties, so can help to fight against bacteria and illness in the body, while a study by researchers at the King's College London and the University of East Anglia found that eating foods from the onion family could help prevent hip osteoarthritis.

5. Dark, leafy greens

Dark, leafy greens such as spinach, watercress and kale are automatically associated with healthy eating for many due to the "eat your greens mantra" that has been drummed into our heads over the years. However, this faith in the health properties of green veg is well-founded, as these vegetables are bursting with nutrients including iron, calcium, potassium and vitamin C, and packed with health-boosting phytonutrients. Some of the reputed health benefits of eating your greens include lowered blood pressure, improved eye health and a reduced risk of cognitive decline.

6. Quinoa

Quinoa has only recently become widely available and well known in many places, but it has quickly become popular with healthy eaters due to its great body benefits. Mostly treated as a grain (although it is actually a seed), quinoa can be used in the place of pasta, wheat or oats for an extremely nutritious meal. Quinoa, like most grains, is high in fiber, making it great for the digestive system, but perhaps its best attribute is that it is one of the few plant sources of high quality protein, containing all eight essential amino acids. On top of this, quinoa is a great source of nutrients including magnesium, manganese, iron, calcium, potassium and several B vitamins.

7. Berries

 Acai berry, blueberry, goji berry, blackberry... With a new "super berry" hitting the headlines seemingly every week, it can be hard to keep up with which berry you should be buying this week. Luckily, the truth of the matter is you generally can't go wrong with any commercially available berry. These super healthy fruits are extremely high in antioxidants and have many individual health benefits, including the ability to help prevent dementia (blackcurrants and boysenberries), fight off colon cancer (blueberries), improve vision (bilberries) and ward off urinary tract infections (cranberries).

8. Oats

Grains are notoriously good for our health, but the closer they are to their natural state when eaten the better their benefits, meaning that whole oats are a particularly good choice of grain. Oats not only contain many minerals -- including zinc, iron and calcium -- but they are a good source of B vitamins, which are great for the nervous system. This popular breakfast ingredient has countless other health benefits; helping to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and benefit the digestive system. Oats are also a great source of slow release energy, meaning that they will keep you feeling full and active for longer.

9. Beans

From the macrobiotic to the student, many diets rely on the humble bean in its dry, tinned or baked form -- and this could be great news for our health. Studies have found that beans are not only excellent weight-loss and energy foods, but they are a great source of antioxidants, protein and nutrients (such as iron, manganese and B vitamins). Beans are also an excellent source of soluble fiber, which can help to reduce cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar and improve the digestive system, while a study by scientists at the University College of London showed that beans can also help prevent cancer.


 10. Tomatoes

With many people turning to expensive "superfoods" to safeguard their health, basic salad ingredients such as the tomato are often overlooked for their health-giving properties. However, a 2008 publication of collated research findings -- The Red Bodyguard by Ron Levin and Gerald Cheshire -- demonstrated the health properties of this common fruit. Some benefits attributed to eating the tomato included a strengthened immune system, better heart health, the neutralizing of free radicals and safeguarding of disease (including cancer) and the prevention of blood clots. Read more on www. realbuzz.com.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Mars puts Snickers, Twix on a diet

Mars Inc., the maker of Snickers and Twix candy bars, will stop selling chocolate products with more than 250 calories in them by the end of next year, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The McClean, Virginia-based company, which also makes M&Ms and Skittles candies and Juicy Fruit chewing gum, said the goal is part of an ongoing effort to improve the nutritional value of its products and to sell them in a responsible way.

The new calorie limit target means fans of the 540-calorie king-size Snickers bar might want to enjoy the big bar while they can. Come 2014, it's going to be gone, part of what Mars says is a broader push for responsible snacking.

In 2007, the privately held company said it would stop buying advertising time or space if more than a quarter of the audience was likely to be under 12 years old.

Mars has also said it will reduce sodium levels in all its products 25 percent by 2015.

Spokeswoman Marlene Machut said the plan to stop shipping any chocolate product that exceeded 250 calories per portion by the end of 2013 - a target first announced last fall - was part of Mars' "broad-based commitment to health and nutrition."

Several media organizations, including National Public Radio, reported on the chocolate bar downsizing this week.

Mars is one of the world's leading food manufacturers. In addition to candy, it makes Uncle Ben's rice and Dove ice cream bars as well as Pedigree and Whiskas brand pet food.

source: interaksyon.com

Amazing Health Benefits Of Eggs

MANILA, Philippines — For many decades now, physicians, food experts, nutritionists, heart/health associations have been divided in their opinions as to whether eggs are healthy or unhealthy foods. Because of this, many people avoid eating eggs – just to be on the safe side. Today, this is no longer the situation. Today, the amazing health benefits of eggs are now claimed, acclaimed and publicized.

Ever since I was a child, I have always believed the egg is one of God’s perfect foods to man. Why? Because I see my father eating four (4) cooked eggs (hard-boiled or sunny side up) as part of his breakfast every morning. My father died at the age of 95.

Let me share some amazing information on the nutritive and health benefits of eggs taken from Internet generated reports, books and other publications:

• Do you know that there are two (2) kinds of cholesterol, dietary (found in food) and blood (found in our bloodstream; also known as serum cholesterol). Do you also know that it is a misconception that dietary cholesterol becomes blood cholesterol as soon as we ingest an egg. Actually, our bodies manufacture the majority of our blood cholesterol;

• Do you know that studies have shown that it’s the saturated fat-rich foods that usually accompany eggs (like cheese bacon, sausage) and how eggs are often prepared (like frying in plenty of butter or salty ingredients) that are the culprits in raising the blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease – and not eating eggs per se.

• Do you know that eggs are super beneficial for the eyes. More particularly, eating eggs lower the risk of developing cataracts and prevent age-related muscular degeneration… because of the vision-protective carotenoid content of the eggs specifically lutein and zeaxanthin. Eggs contain bigger amounts of carotenoid than green vegetables;

• Do you know that eggs promote healthy hair, nails, and skin because of the rich sulphur content of eggs as well as the vitamin and mineral content of eggs;

• Do you know that one egg contains all the nine (9) essential amino acids and six (6) grams of high quality protein. Do you also know that eggs are one of the best dietary sources of naturally occurring vitamin D other than milk. Finally, eggs contain folate which help prevent birth defects and cardiovascular disease;

• Do you know that there is no significant link between heart disease and eating eggs. This is the result of a study by the Harvard School of Public Health. In another study, eating eggs may in fact help prevent blood clots, stroke and heart attacks;

• Do you know that an egg yolk contains about 300 micrograms of choline, an important nutrient that aids in regulating the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system;

• Do you know that storing eggs in the refrigerator will keep them fresh for about one (1) month. It is best to keep eggs in their original carton or in a covered container so that the eggs will not absorb odors or lose any moisture. Eggs should not be stored in the refrigerator door since this exposes the eggs to too much heat every time the refrigerator is opened and closed.

• Eggs are one of the food types belonging to the major allergens as follows: (1) wheat; (2) cow’s milk; (3) hen’s eggs; 4) fish; (5) crustacean shellfish (including shrimp, prawns, lobster and crab); (6) tree nuts (including cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts); (7) peanuts; and (8) soy foods.

Food allergy symptoms vary from one person to another and may include skin rashes, hives, itching, and eczema; swelling of lips, tongue, or throat; tingling in the mouth; wheezing or nasal congestion; trouble breathing; and dizziness or lightheadedness and can also include fatigue, depression, chronic headache, chronic bowel problems (such as diarrhea or constipation), and insomnia.

• Do you know that eggs also protect us from cancer, especially breast cancer.

Today, thanks to continuous researches on the health benefits of eggs – we should not feel guilty anymore eating eggs. We should not give up eating eggs. Instead, we should enjoy it. Yes, the so-called cholesterol scare has been rebutted by many studies, reports and researches showing that eating eggs is healthy.

Have a joyful day!

source: mb.com.ph