Today In Alt Med

Corn Refiners' Study Says High Fructose Corn Syrup OK

A new study published this month at the website for Nutritional Journal questions recent research on high fructose corn syrup and says that its data shows no special link between high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, and obesity. There's just one itty bitty thing you might want to know before you read it, though--this study was funded by the Corn Refiners Association.

For the study researchers put 247 overweight or obese adult volunteers on 1 of 5 hypocaloric meal plans. Each individual was given a specific caloric goal to shoot for and encouraged to aim for a caloric deficit of 500 calories. Then 4 of the groups were also given sweetened 1% milk to figure into their equations. One group consumed 10% of its total calories from high fructose corn syrup while a second group consumed 20% of its calories from the stuff. The third and fourth groups used sucrose instead of high fructose corn syrup.

What the researchers found at the end of 12 weeks is that the folks who took in even 20% of the daily calories in the form of high fructose corn syrup all lost weight and all ended up with healthier cholesterol and triglycerides levels.

These results seem to fly in the face of other research which has long blamed added sugars for America's obesity problem. And some people have even gone so far as to suggest that because of the way high fructose corn syrup is produced it's actually used differently by our bodies. A 2004 piece in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition speculated that high fructose corn syrup doesn't activatethe body's natural food response system. To really simplify the theory . . . your body doesn't get the I've-eaten-so-now-I-feel-satisfied messages that it gets you eat, say, a vegetable or a piece of fruit.

The authors of this study say that that kind of thinking has warped public perception of high fructose corn syrup and caused people to shun what is, ultimately, a healthy source of energy.

Organic Pine Nuts Contaminated With Peanuts, Says Distributor

Hummingbird Wholesale is warning customers in Washington and Oregon that bulk pine nuts purchased from "Natural Foods Retail" stores are contaminated with peanuts. The peanut contamination was found during a visual inspection, says the company in its press release.

Hummingbird Wholesale's official press release about this recall gave almost no other information about the situation. The notice, which apparently actually went out yesterday, is so poorly written that I can't even tell if "Natural Foods Retail" refers to a specific chain of stores or just Hummingbird Wholesale's customers in general.

Nor were Hummingbird Wholesale's website and Facebook page any help, either. The website contains no information about the recall at all (at least as far as I can see) and its Facebook page is also absent any mention of the recall--despite the fact that it's been updated by the company at least 3 times today.

All I can tell you right now is that the contaminated pine nuts were--according to the company's own press release--on the market as recently as tomorrow. (Yes. Tomorrow. Really.)  They were distributed to natural foods stores in 5-pound and 27.5-pound bulk bags for sale in bulk bins.

If you think you might have the contaminated pine nuts on hand and are concerned about a potential allergic reaction to peanuts (or you simply think you should get the product you thought you were buying in the first place) you can return your pine nuts to your store of purchase for a refund. For more information you can also contact Hummingbird Wholesale directly at 1-541-686-0921.

Juicy Juice Now Comes In Lower-Sugar Variety. Will YOU Buy It?

Despite the American Academy of Pediatrics pleading with parents to limit their kids' juice intake there's certainly no shortage of fruit juice products on the market. And your store's shelves are about to get even a little more crowded with the introduction of Nestle Juicy Juice's new Juicy Juice Fruitfuls product.

Announced this morning, the new beverage was rolled out, says the company, in response to parents' growing concern over sugar-laden beverages. After years of hearing that excessive consumption of fruit juices is linked to obesity, tooth decay and failure to thrive American parents are finally taking a second look at "healthy" beverages like fruit juices. In fact, Nestle Juicy Juice's brand manager, Megan Shea, seems to admit that this new lower-sugar drink is a direct response to those concerns. "We know that many parents are concerned about sugar intake and are diluting juice at home to reduce sugar, but are losing the juice flavor that appeals to kids," Shea says in the Fruitfuls official press release.

So what is Fruitfuls' main shtick? Well, it contains 35% less sugar than regular juice but still has the equivalent of a full serving of fruit in every serving. It's also, says the company, made with "nothing artificial".

As someone who grew up in the generation when fruit juices were considered a healthy alternative to sodas I certainly understand the appeal of these kinds of products. And there's no deny that products like these are convenient.

What do YOU think? Will you put the new Fruitfuls in your kids' lunchbox?

Jean Perrin Edel de Cleron Cheese From PA Whole Foods Recalled

This is an older recall but I'm passing it along because so many of us shop at Whole Foods. Earlier this month health officials with the Allegheny County Health Department in Pennsylvania and Whole Foods Market issued a joint statement recalling Jean Perrin Edel de Cleron cheese. The statement didn't offer a lot of detail but what I can tell you is that the cheese appears to have been sold only at the East Liberty Whole Foods Market store.

Unfortunately neither the ACHD nor Whole Foods made a photo available for me to pass along to you but the recalled cheese was reportedly cut at the store and wrapped in clear plastic. It was then labeled with a Whole Foods scale sticker and assigned a code beginning with the number 293351. It was on the market between May 20 and July 3, 2012.

At the time of its statement the ACHD was already investigating 1 case of listeriosis being blamed on the cheese. There was no word on the age or condition of the victim. As far as I can tell this is the only case of Listeria infection so far. The ACHD has already confirmed that the bacterium was found in samples of the product. The agency has not said how many samples came back positive or how many lots of the cheese could potentially be contaminated.

Whole Foods has published a recall notice on its website and has posted a sign in the store itself. Signage is posted in Whole Foods Market stores to notify customers of this recall.  Customers who purchased the cheese will be given refunds if they bring the cheese back, the store has said.

What do you do if you think you bought the cheese but no longer have the wrapping? If you'd like to have your Jean-Perrin cheese tested you can call the Department at 412-687-ACHD to set that up.

Jean-Perrin cheese is made in France. Several Whole Foods Markets stores sell these cheeses but it is only this one lot from the one store that is being recalled at this time. Edel de Cleron cheese is a soft cheese named for the area in France which first made it famous.

New "Natural" Sweetener Hits The Market

There's a new "natural" sweetener on the market and the folks behind it--the same people who gave us SPLENDA®--want you to know about it. It's called NECTRESSE™ and, according its marketing spiel, it's the only 100 percent natural, zero calorie per serving sweetener made from the goodness of real fruit on the market today.

I'm not sure exactly how McNeil Nutritionals is justifying its claim that Nectresse is the only natual monk fruit sweetener on the market. Back in 2010 a company called BioVittoria announced that its monk fruit sweetener, Fruit-Sweetness, had been granted GRAS, or generally recognized as safe, designation by the US Food and Drug Administration. (Perhaps McNeil isn't "counting" Fruit-Sweetness since it's usually sold as a raw bulk ingredient.)

Regardless, the company has enlisted the help of celeb-reporter Lisa Ling to hawk its new sugar substitute. “As someone with a family history of diabetes, no calorie sweeteners have always been a part of my life,” said Ling in the company's official press release. “But until I tried NECTRESSE Sweetener, they were always just a way to cut back on sugar. NECTRESSE Sweetener is different. It has the rich, sweet taste of sugar and I really love that it satisfies my sweet tooth in a way that fits my healthy lifestyle too.”

Unlike a lot of non-sugar sweeteners, Nectresse can be used in cooking and baking. A 40-count box of individual packets will set you back about $4 while a canister with about 140 servings will cost you around $7. You can get a free sample of the stuff at Nectresse.com.

Readers, what do you think? Do we really need another "natural" sugar substitute? Will you try it? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Aloha Maid Coconut Water Recalled

Image of recalled Aloha Maid Coconut Water provided by FDA.

I initially hesitated to report on this because there was so little information available and, unfortunately, after nearly a week, nothing has really changed. Here's what we know so far:

A company called ITO EN USA has recalled the Coconut Water with Pineapple variety of its Aloha Maid brand of canned drinks. The recall, according to the company's press release, was prompted by customer complaints of what's being described only as "an off smell". The entire press release is fewer than 100 words long and gives no information at all about what could be causing the offending odor.

What is also unclear right now is whether anyone has been sickened by the beverage. ITO EN USA says only that no one has been made "seriously ill" but doesn't specifically say if it's received any reports of less-than-"serious" reactions like nausea or upset stomach.

The company's website, itoen-usa.com, was even less useful. It contains no mention of the recall at all, as far as I can tell. What I did learn from the site, though, is that the Aloha Maid line is manufactured in Hawaii of "all natural" ingredients.

If you think you might have some of this on hand you should turn your cans over and look for the code IHMAY0913 stamped on the bottom. Obviously, you should not consume the product.

When (or if) I learn any more about the Aloha Maid recall I'll let you know.

Skinny Water Gets $15 Million Boost

The company behind Skinny Water® has just announced that it has entered into a partnership that essentially means a $15 million investment in the business. Skinny Nutritional Corp's CEO Michael Salaman had this to say in the press release announcing the news, "The investment Trim Capital is making in Skinny Water will give the Company the capital to execute its growth plan."

A spokesperson for Trip Capital returned the compliment with this,  "Skinny Water is exactly the type of investment we look for – one with the perfect combination of a solid consumer proposition, a healthy distribution system and a robust product pipeline that will continue to deliver great-tasting and healthy products to the marketplace."

It's been a busy year for Skinny Water. Just a few weeks ago the company announced that it had inked a deal that could put the product in more than 300 stores in Michigan. And just a few weeks before that, it announced that it had aligned itself with JDRF, which is a foundation committed to juvenile diabetes research.

And in February the company announced that rapid expansion had necessitated its partnership with the Cliffstar part of Cott Corporation. Cliffstar is now manufacturing all Skinny Water sold in North America.

Skinny Water was "born" about 6 years ago. It's made, the company says, without sugar, sodium or preservatives. It's available coast-to-coast at supermarkets, pharmacies and convenience stores. Target, CVS and 7-Eleven are just a few of the major chains now carrying the beverages. 

 

Organic Gardening Wants You To Grill More

Image provided to press by Organic Gardening Magazine

Organic Gardening wants to encourage you to grill more this summer and it's providing a host of tips to help you do just that.

The magazine, which is celebrating its 70th year, has just released a list of tips to help you make the most of your grill and this summer's fruits and vegetables. You don't have to limit yourself to burgers and wieners, they magazine reminds us.

To get the best flavor out of your vegetables Organic Gardening recommends that you keep your grill turned down on low and keep it covered while you're grilling. And the folks over at OG also offer this oddball tip--grill romaine lettuce for a new twist on Caesar salad. (If you actually try this drop me a comment and let me know how it is.)

To grill fruit the magazine recommends that you start with a clean grill. This will help prevent flavor transfer. Then choose fruit that's firm and not too ripe. Finally, brush it with a little bit of butter to keep it from sticking.

I don't want to spoil all the fun by reprinting all of Organic Gardening's tips but you can check them all out for yourself in the magazine's press release.

And if you do, won't you come back and let me know how it goes? I would especially love to hear what you thought of grilling fruits like peaches and apples. (The watermelon . . . I'm not so sure about that one.)

Look! Designer Fruit Drink ARo Has Hit The Market!

 

 It's "new". It's "the first of its kind". It's . . . oh, who are you trying to kid here? The plain truth is that there's a new player in the always-crowded designer fruit juice market and its creators are hoping you'll take notice.

The juice is called ARo and while it's actually a blend of several berries and fruits, ARo's schtick is the chokeberry. The lowly chokeberry, as it turns out, is actually quite high in some antioxidants. That's especially true for the black variety, or Aronia melanocarpa. Now, I'm not aware of any good scientific studies on the ARo product itself but emerging research on the berries suggests that chokeberries are highly effective at reducing the human body's load of a kind of pollution scientists call free radicals.

As far as the nutrition of ARo goes . . . well, I can't find that info on ARo's website just now. What I can tell you is that a serving is 11.5 ounces. (I'm getting that from the company's press release, which is linked to in the first link in this article.)  That's nearly double the amount of fruit juice the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for toddlers and about what it recommends for teenagers. (The AAP doesn't actually recommend fruit juice--its experts would rather kids eat whole fruits instead and get the fiber that fruits and berries provide.)

I can't find any information at all about what this latest entrant into the designer juice market will cost. But if you're familiar with it and would like to share you're thoughts, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of ARo's new chokeberry juice drink.

Banner Mountain Organic Sprouts Recalled For Salmonella

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Images of recalled Banner Mountain Sprouts labels generously provided by FDA.

Banner Mountain Sprouts has announced a recall of several varieties of its sprouts over fears that the foods could be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. Banner Mountain's press release about the recall didn't give a lot of information but it does say that routine testing has turned up "evidence" of the pathogen. The company has not said which serotype of Salmonella was found or whose "routine" testing found it.

What we DO know, though, is that several varieties are affected. Those include:

• 4oz. zesty greens
• 5oz. sprout salad
• 4oz. clover
• 2lb. clover
• 4oz. alfalfa/broccoli
• 4oz. alfalfa sprouts
• 1lb. alfalfa sprouts
• 2lb. alfalfa sprouts

Banner Mountain says that these sprouts were sold only in California. The recalled sprouts are packaged in clear plastic clamshell containers and clear plastic zip-top bags. If you find these in your kitchen you're encouraged to simply throw them out as soon as possible.

There have been no actual cases of Salmonella poisoning blamed on these sprouts so far.

As of my visit to BannerMountainSprouts.com late this morning there still appeared to be no mention of the recall on the site. Banner Mountain Sprouts is located in Elk Grove, California. According to its website, the company grows "the only 100% organic full-line sprout produce in the western United States". The company also says that it has put 10 million containers of sprouts into the marketplace in the past 25 years.