What Are You Having For Dinner?

[spaminator]

Where's the beef? 1 in 5 sausages in Canada had unlabelled meat
Liam Casey, THE CANADIAN PRESS
First posted: Thursday, August 03, 2017 04:09 PM EDT | Updated: Thursday, August 03, 2017 04:57 PM EDT
A federally funded study has found that 20 per cent of sausages sampled from grocery stores across Canada contained meats that weren’t on the label.
The study, published this week in the journal Food Control, was conducted by researchers at the University of Guelph and commissioned by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
It examined 100 sausages that were labelled as containing just one ingredient — beef, pork, chicken or turkey.
“About one in five of the sausages we tested had some off-label ingredients in them, which is alarming,” said Robert Hanner, lead author of the study and an associate professor with the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario at the University of Guelph.
The CFIA reached out to Hanner for the study after the European horse meat scandal in 2013, where food labelled as beef was found to have horse meat — in some cases beef was completely substituted by horse meat.
The goal of the study, the federal food regulator said, was to examine scientific methods used by Hanner to see if the CFIA could use them in its regulatory practices. The scientific tools showed promising results, the CFIA said.
Seven of 27 beef sausages examined in the study contained pork. One of 38 supposedly pure pork sausages contained horse meat. Of 20 chicken sausages, four also contained turkey and one also had beef. Five of the 15 turkey sausages studied contained no turkey at all — they were entirely chicken.
None of the sausages examined contained more than one other type of meat in addition to the meat the sausage was meant to contain, Hanner said, noting, however that researchers were only testing for turkey, chicken, pork, beef and horse.
“The good news is that typically beef sausages predominantly contain beef, but some of them also contain pork, so for our kosher and halal consumers, that is a bit disconcerting,” Hanner said.
The undeclared meats found weren’t trace levels, Hanner noted.
“The levels we’re seeing aren’t because the blades on a grinder aren’t perfectly clean,” he said, adding that many of the undeclared ingredients found in the sausages were recorded in the one-to-five per cent range.
More than one per cent of undeclared ingredients indicates a breakdown in food processing or intentional food fraud, Hanner explained.
The CFIA said Thursday that it was not surprised at the results of the study.
“We know from international intelligence that this happens and we’re not immune to these things,” said Aline Dimitri, the executive director of food safety science with the CFIA.“Luckily when we looked at the prevalence based on that little set that we took, we are in much better shape than other countries.”
The 20 per cent mislabelling rate is low compared to Europe, where studies have found 70 per cent of samples contained ingredients that were not declared.
The CFIA investigated all 20 cases of mislabelled sausages and in the case of the chicken labelled as turkey, it was able to find issues with a manufacturer’s “traceability program” — incoming meat and production records were not properly maintained, Dimitri said.
That problem was fixed, she said, but the CFIA is keeping tabs on the company. The horse meat found in one sausage couldn’t be investigated because the company had voluntarily ceased operations.
Dimitri cautioned, however, that the study has limitations.
“This is a very small study and research-focused and not designed to really have a baseline on what’s happening out there,” she said, adding that the scientific tools used by Hanner showed promising results.
“(The tools) can actually differentiate properly between different meats, it can give us a sense of what’s in there,” Dimitri said.
She said the CFIA is now considering a broader study on the issue.
Where's the beef? 1 in 5 sausages in Canada had unlabelled meat | Eat | Life | T

 

[spaminator]

The mystery meat behind your sausage
By Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun
First posted: Monday, August 07, 2017 11:00 AM EDT
Worried about the mane ingredient in your sausage?
A research team at University of Guelph pulled back the casing to find that products labelled as purely one meat — beef, pork, chicken or turkey — often contained other ingredients, including horse.
Associate Prof. Robert Hanner, of Guelph’s integrative biology department, said they’ve developed DNA-based methods to identify species — technology that’s been used in the past to expose global-level fraud in the seafood industry.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in the wake of Europe’s horse meat scandal of 2013, wanted to know if the university’s researchers could do similar work for mixed meat, he said.
A deeper dive into grocery store sausage found that 20% of the samples — all labelled as containing one type of meat — actually were a mix.
Some “all-beef” sausages included pork, turkey sausages were made out of less-expensive ground chicken, and one pork sausage was mixed with horse meat.
Researchers didn’t look at other types of meat, but it’s possible that bison, lamb or other species might have made their way into the sausages, Hanner said.
“Our labelling laws require you to put what’s in the product on the label,” said Hanner. “For me, this just points to some gaps in our traceability system that some of this off-label meat is getting through.”
In a time of global supply chains, it’s even more important to be able to track down where this cross-species contamination might be happening, he said.
A consumer might have an allergy to one type of meat, and there are Kosher and Halal considerations.
“If this is happening farther up the supply chain, where some of their suppliers aren’t declaring what’s in there, could it be because some of this meat is unfit for human consumption?” Hanner said. “And that’s where I kind of worry — why isn’t it on the label?”
For instance, Brazil is in the midst of a food processing scandal where it’s alleged companies paid off inspectors to allow the use rotting meat.
Hanner said DNA technology offers an opportunity for Canada to become a world leader in offering safe and reliable food.
Sylvain Charlebois, professor of food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University, said processed meat and seafood are the most likely candidates for food fraud.
“With fish and seafood, there’s a huge mess there. It’s probably the worst category,” Charlebois said. “We did a study a few months ago and fish and seafood is by far the most problematic food category when it comes to food fraud because there are so many species, so much confusion.”
In Canada, 25% to 75% of fish could be mislabelled, he said.
As for sausages, Charlebois said he’s surprised the amount of unidentified meat was so low — in some parts of Europe, upwards of 50% of sausages contain mystery meat.
That doesn’t mean this is nothing to worry about though, he noted.
“Particularly for those who make dietary decisions based on faith. If you actually are buying a sausage with pork in it, and you’re from the Jewish faith or you’re a Muslim, that’s quite problematic. It doesn’t matter if it’s 25% or 100% — you’re misleading the public and therefore it’s fraud.”
Other common forms of food fraud are products that are labelled organic or local, Charlebois said.
Two high-profile Ontario cases involved grown-in-Mexico “local” tomatoes and falsely-labelled Kosher cheese.
Within 10-20 years, consumers should be able to access affordable devices either in their homes or at their local stores that can confirm the contents, Charlebois predicted.
Food regulators in Canada are also growing increasingly confident about pursuing bad apples, he said.
“As you see more and more fines, industry will actually clean up its act.”
From The Food Safety Files
• Mystery Meat: One in five sausages examined by a University of Guelph research team contained a type of meat not listed on the label, according to results released last week.
• Toxic Eggs: Discount supermarket chain Aldi pulled all eggs from its German stores this past week over growing concerns in Europe that they were contaminated with an insecticide used to kill mites.
• Equine Dining: A horse meat scandal consumed Europe in 2013 after it was discovered that products labelled as containing beef were actually made partly or all from horse meat.
aartuso@postmedia.com
Where's the beef? 1 in 5 sausages in Canada had unlabelled meat | Eat | Life | T
The mystery meat behind your sausage | Ontario | News | Toronto Sun

 

[spaminator]

4.5 tonnes of unmarked GMO salmon fillets sold in Canada
THE CANADIAN PRESS
First posted: Thursday, August 10, 2017 06:31 PM EDT | Updated: Thursday, August 10, 2017 06:40 PM EDT
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — It appears Canadians were among the first diners in the world to eat a genetically modified animal — and they likely didn’t know it.
U.S.-based AquaBounty Technologies said in a recent fiscal update about 4.5 tonnes of its fresh AquAdvantage salmon fillets were sold in Canada between April and June.
The company got approval from Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection agency last year to sell the product.
AquaBounty CEO Ronald Stotish said in the quarterly report released earlier this month that the Canadian distribution marked “the very first sales of AquAdvantage salmon.”
“The sale and discussions with potential buyers clearly demonstrate that customers want our fish, and we look forward to increasing our production capacity to meet demand.”
AquaBounty — which has a production plant in P.E.I. — did not say exactly where the salmon was sold. The company’s spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
Health Canada doesn’t require labelling on genetically modified food, saying the items have been assessed for safety and nutritional standards.
AquaBounty’s salmon contains genetic material from ocean pout and Chinook salmon to help it reach adult size faster.
Lucy Sharratt, co-ordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, said news of the sales without advance public notice is alarming.
“It’s shocking,” she said from Ottawa. “Canadians are the first in the world to eat this genetically modified fish, the world’s first genetically modified food animal, and they did so unknowingly. And even now that we know (it’s) on the market in Canada, we don’t know where or how much.”
Sharratt said genetically modified foods aren’t linked to specific health issues. Still, she described a gaping lack of public information.
“For 20 years, genetically modified foods have been introduced with no transparency in the marketplace but, equally, no transparency in regulation. There’s very little public science. There’s very little government science.
“Canadians are being asked to trust corporate data and a process that is not open for them to look at.”
Sharratt said AquaBounty has moved to expand its research and egg production site in P.E.I. with a new “genetically modified fish factory” at Rollo Bay in the province.
Opponents earlier this year asked Ottawa for clarification after the P.E.I. government approved the company’s request to start building the land-based facility to produce 250 tonnes of genetically modified salmon a year.
In a letter to environmental lobby groups, federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said any plans to grow genetically modified salmon at the site would be subject to strict requirements.
“Should AquaBounty wish to manufacture or grow out the AquAdvantage salmon at this site, a new notification will be required pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999,” she wrote.
Sharratt said she hopes that means a full assessment of any environmental risks.
4.5 tonnes of unmarked GMO salmon fillets sold in Canada | Canada | News | Toron

 

[Nanoose]

Tonight it's cheese burgers, french fries and sugar carrots. The potatoes came from my garden there Detroit red potatoes they make real nice fries. The carrots are also from my garden when I harvested them I was just thinning the rows so the carrots are small and tender. Cheers!

 

[JLM]

Tossed salad, beef stew complete with carrots, green beans and spuds.

 

[gopher]

beef stew (yum!)

 

[spaminator]

'I could see the whiskers and the tail'; Suit claims rat baked into Chick-fil-A sandwich
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, August 15, 2017 10:08 AM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, August 15, 2017 04:13 PM EDT
PHILADELPHIA — A lawsuit claims a suburban Philadelphia woman got an extra topping on her Chick-fil-A sandwich: a dead rodent.
Ellen Manfalouti sued in Bucks County Court over the tiny rodent she claims was baked into the bottom bun of her chicken sandwich.
A co-worker picked up the sandwich for her at a Langhorne restaurant in November, and the two started to eat in a conference room at the insurance agency where they work.
“I felt something funny on the bottom of the bun,” Manfalouti told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday. “I turned it over. I said to (my co-worker), ‘They burned my roll really bad.”’
Her co-worker, Cara Phelan, said that as soon as Manfalouti threw the sandwich on the table, “I realized it was a small rodent of some sort. I could see the whiskers and the tail.”
Manfalouti’s lawyer Bill Davis told the newspaper that he filed the lawsuit last week against Chick-fil-A franchise owner Dave Heffernan and the store after they weren’t responsive to complaints.
Heffernan and the Atlanta-based fast-food chain said they can’t comment on litigation.
Manfalouti is seeking more than US$50,000 for physical and psychological damages.
She told the newspaper she was treated at a hospital for nausea, had to see a therapist for anxiety and could hardly eat for weeks.
This Nov. 25, 2016, photo provided by Ellen Manfalouti, of Holland, Pa., shows the remains of a rodent, left, she alleges she found baked into the bun of a chicken sandwich, right, that a co-worker purchased for her that day at a Chick-fil-A franchise restaurant in Langhorne, Pa. (Ellen Manfalouti via AP)

Bucks woman: Dead rodent baked into my Chick-fil-A sandwich
'I could see the whiskers and the tail'; Suit claims rat baked into Chick-fil-A

 

[spaminator]

Dangerously cheesy? Cheetos pop-up restaurant opens in NYC
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Wednesday, August 16, 2017 12:00 AM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, August 16, 2017 02:43 PM EDT
NEW YORK — The company behind Fritos and Tostitos is celebrating its Cheetos brand with a three-day pop-up restaurant devoted to the cheesy puffed cornmeal snack that coats your hands with orange dust.
The Spotted Cheetah opened Tuesday in New York’s Tribeca neighbourhood with an all-Cheetos menu developed by Food Network personality Anne Burrell.
Ryan Matiyow, a marketing manager for Frito-Lay, says the company noticed that Cheetos fans were posting their own recipes incorporating the crunchy treat on social media.
Burrell’s menu uses crumbled Cheetos in the breading on chicken Milanese and fried green tomatoes. Desserts feature the cinnamon sugar Cheetos product known as Sweetos.
Burrell says she worked hard to incorporate Cheetos into every dish and not just say, “Oh here’s a dish with a sprinkle of Cheetos on top.”
Dangerously cheesy? Cheetos pop-up restaurant opens in NYC | Eat | Life | Toront

 

[gopher]

chili
white rice
beef
chopped veggies
topped with Pecorino Romano cheese

dessert = water melon

 

[gopher]

chicken stew
white rice
julienne cut tomato
tomato sauce
pigeon peas
seasonings


delicious!

 

[spaminator]

From beef to bugs: Swiss supermarket selling insect burgers
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Friday, September 08, 2017 01:06 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, September 08, 2017 01:11 PM EDT
GENEVA — Swallow deeply, pinch the nose and repeat the mantra: “Tastes like beef, tastes likes beef.” Then bite into the burger of rice, chopped vegetables, spices and mealworm larvae.
The Swiss supermarket chain Coop, to a bit of domestic hoopla, has begun selling burgers and balls made from insects. It’s being billed as a legal first in Europe, a continent more accustomed to steak, sausage, poultry and fish as a source of protein.
The goal is to convince leery consumers to try a nutritious, if unusual food that “preserves the planet’s resources,” Coop says.
About one-third of the burger is mealworm larvae. A burger weighing 100 grams (3.5 ounces) has about 10 grams of protein in it — about the same amount found in a child’s-size beef burger.
For now, only seven of Coop’s nearly 2,500 stores in Switzerland are serving up the critters concocted by the Zurich-based food startup Essento. The chain says the insect products have been flying off shelves during their limited rollout in the Alpine nation and a broader launch is planned by year’s end.
Insect promoters say Switzerland isn’t the first European country to allow retail sales, just the first to have those sales so clearly authorized. A change in Swiss law in May allows the sale of three types of insects: mealworm larvae, house crickets and migratory locusts.
“It’s the first time that a state has authorized human consumption of insects in such a firm, explicit way in Europe,” said Christophe Derrien, chief of the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed.
Insects can be found on the shelves in Belgium, Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands, but that’s due to a “legal void” in European Union rules, he said.
New legislation taking effect in January will smooth the way for bug burgers to turn up on picnic plates across the EU, however.
The chain says it has a policy of not releasing sales numbers, but spokeswoman Andrea Bergmann said the insect burgers and balls “have been very successful from day one and have been sold out quickly everywhere.”
The burger itself has little white specks of rice inside with traces of carrot, paprika, chili powder and pepper. After a hesitant bite, the main flavours that come out are the spices. The texture is curious, a bit like a meaty falafel with a crunch. An aftertaste lingered — but maybe that was just my subconscious playing tricks.
The insect burgers, like the meat variety, can be accompanied by buns, tomatoes and lettuce. The insect balls — a mixture of mealworms with cilantro, onions and chickpeas — seem to fit best in pita bread, perhaps with a spoonful of yogurt.
The U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization has promoted insects as a source of human food, saying they are healthy and high in protein and minerals. The agency says many types of insects produce less greenhouse gases and ammonia than most livestock — such as methane-spewing cattle — and require less land and money to cultivate.
Still, there’s no telling how long a true conversion in consumer tastes from beef to bug burgers might take — if it happens at all.
In this Aug. 14, 2017 file photo insect burgers are presented in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss supermarket chain Coop, to a bit of hoopla, began selling “burgers” and “balls” made from insects. It’s billed as a first in Europe, a continent more accustomed to steak, sausage, poultry and fish as a source of protein rather than bugs that can be found in places like Africa or Asia. (Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP, file)

From beef to bugs: Swiss supermarket selling insect burgers | Eat | Life | Toron

 

[spaminator]

Denny's won't dump poop-like sausage mascot after being mocked online
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Wednesday, September 13, 2017 04:26 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, September 13, 2017 04:35 PM EDT
NEW YORK — Denny’s says it’s happy its cartoon breakfast sausage mascot is finally getting some attention, even if it’s not exactly the kind it wanted.
Twitter users mocked the restaurant chain on Wednesday, saying that the brown, hat-wearing character looked more like something found in a toilet. Some compared him to the Mr. Hankey character from TV’s “South Park.”
Despite what it called the “unflattering comparisons,” Denny’s says it has no plans to change the look of the mascot, which has eyes, hands, legs and a mouth. It says the mascot “looks exactly like a breakfast sausage should” and will enjoy his 15 minutes of fame.
The company based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, says it introduced the “Sausage” mascot, along with “Egg,” ”Pancake“ and ”Bacon,“ in 2014 to promote its Grand Slam breakfast.
(YouTube)

[youtube]tBLThhKIoFM[/youtube]
Denny's won't dump poop-like sausage mascot after being mocked online | World |

 

[gopher]

chicken marsala soup with white rice, chick peas & lots of curry

 

[spaminator]

New study says almost 50% of Canadians would try edible cannabis product
Health Canada has not studied the issue
By Jacquie Miller
First posted: Tuesday, September 26, 2017 07:18 AM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, September 26, 2017 07:27 AM EDT
Nearly half of Canadians say they are interested in trying cannabis-laced edibles such as brownies when marijuana is legalized, according to a study by Dalhousie University professors.
The survey also found that 39 per cent of respondents would be willing to order a dish made with marijuana at a restaurant, but most said they would have no idea how to cook with cannabis at home.
The study was led by Faculty of Management professor Sylvain Charlebois, a specialist in food distribution and policy.
It's bound to contribute to the debate over what edible cannabis products should be made available, and how quickly. The federal government has promised to legalize recreational pot by July 1, 2018. Only dried weed and cannabis oil will be for sale initially. Edible products will be regulated later, but the government has given no time frame.
Health Canada says it needs time to consider the "unique potential health risks and harms" of edible products. Over-consumption is a concern with edibles, for example, because new users might not realize it can take several hours for them to take effect. Candy, cookies and other edibles may be attractive to children.
Charlebois said his study suggests the government should move quickly to regulate edible products while educating Canadians about their risks. He makes the same argument employed by cannabis advocates and businesspeople: edibles are popular, and Canadians will buy them on the black market if they aren't sold legally.
Everything from cannabis cookies to cotton candy is now sold at illegal dispensaries and through online stores. Those products are unregulated. Health Canada says they might be unsafe, and they rarely come in childproof packages. In Ottawa, dispensary shelves have been stocked with cookies, brownies, gummy candies shaped like teddy bears and Lego blocks, marshmallow treats, cans of pop and candy bars with labels designed to mimic popular treats like Snickers bars. Many boast high levels of THC, the psychoactive component that makes users high.
"If you allow industry to manufacture these products under clear guidelines you will be at lesser risk," said Charlebois in an interview.
Health Canada has not studied how many Canadians will want to use edibles, said spokesperson Sindy Souffront.
But the department estimates that 4 million to 6 million Canadians will use recreational pot in 2018, based on surveys by government and private companies of current marijuana usage.
In contrast, the Dalhousie study found that 45.8 per cent of respondents said they would buy edible marijuana-infused products if they were available. Extrapolated to Canada as a whole, that represents 16 million Canadians.
Charlebois said he was surprised by the high number. "It's mainly curiosity," he speculated. In response to a question about why they would buy a cannabis food product or order one in a restaurant, 46.9 per cent of respondents said they were curious; 44.5 per cent cited the psychoactive or therapeutic effects.
The study demonstrated some confusion, said Charlebois. "There are lots of mixed messages."
While many people said they'd like to try edibles, a majority (59.8 per cent) also said they were concerned about eating too much and worried the effects would be too strong. And 58 per cent of respondents agreed they were concerned about the risks for children and young adults who will have more access to marijuana once recreational use is legalized.
Most respondents said they didn't know enough about cannabis to cook with it at home, and only a small number (12 per cent) considered it a healthy ingredient in their diet.
Among those who said they'd try an edible, the most popular choice (46.1 per cent) was baked goods like brownies and muffins, followed by candy (26.6 per cent), oil (24.2 per cent), spices (18 per cent) and drinks (17.2 per cent).
The study involved 1,087 respondents surveyed in August and has an estimated margin of error of 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Canada's regulations on edibles are expected to borrow heavily from lessons learned in Colorado and Washington, the first two U.S. states to legalize recreational marijuana.
In Canada, the federal government has said it will require standardized servings and potency, child-resistant packaging and health warnings on edible products.
On average, edibles take effect after 30 minutes, reach their peak at 1 1/2 hours and have a total duration of six to eight hours, depending on the dose, he said.
jmiller@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JacquieAMiller
New study says almost 50% of Canadians would try edible cannabis product | Canad

Stunning lawsuit against 'Big Coffee' could lead to cancer warning labels in California
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, September 26, 2017 10:12 AM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, September 26, 2017 12:01 PM EDT
LOS ANGELES — A future cup of coffee in California could give you jitters before you even take a sip.
A non-profit group wants coffee manufacturers, distributors and retailers to post ominous warnings about a cancer-causing chemical stewing in every brew and has been presenting evidence in a Los Angeles courtroom to make its case.
The long-running lawsuit that resumed Monday claims Starbucks and about 90 other companies, including grocery stores and retail shops, failed to follow a state law requiring warning signs about hazardous chemicals found everywhere from household products to workplaces to the environment.
At the centre of the dispute is acrylamide, a carcinogen found in cooked foods such as French fries that is also a natural byproduct of the coffee roasting process. The coffee industry has acknowledged the presence of the chemical but asserts it is at harmless levels and is outweighed by benefits from drinking coffee.
Although the case has been percolating in the courts since 2010, it has gotten little attention.
A verdict in favour of the little-known Council for Education and Research on Toxics could send a jolt through the industry with astronomical penalties possible and it could wake up a lot of consumers, though it’s unclear what effect it would have on coffee-drinking habits.
The lawyer taking on Big Coffee said the larger goal is to motivate the industry to remove the chemical from coffee, which would also benefit his own three-cup-a-day fix.
“I’m addicted — like two-thirds of the population,” attorney Raphael Metzger said. “I would like the industry to get acrylamide out of the coffee so my addiction doesn’t force me to ingest it.”
Under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, passed by voters as Proposition 65 in 1986, private citizens, advocacy groups and attorneys can sue on behalf of the state and collect a portion of civil penalties.
Metzger represented the council in a case later taken up by the state attorney general that resulted in potato-chip makers agreeing in 2008 to pay $3 million and remove acrylamide from their product.
The law has been roundly criticized for abuses by lawyers shaking down businesses for quick settlements but is also credited with reducing chemicals known to cause cancer and birth defects, such as lead in hair dyes, mercury in nasal sprays and arsenic in bottled water.
But warnings, which can be startling on first encounter, have been less effective due to sometimes inconspicuous placement or vague language. Drivers everywhere appear to prioritize parking in a garage over warnings such as, “This area contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm.”
The state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment adopted new regulations last year that will require more specific warnings that list the chemical consumers may be exposed to and list a website with more information. Parking garages, for example, will have to post that breathing air there exposes drivers to carbon monoxide and gas and diesel exhaust and warns people not to linger longer than necessary.
“The intent is not to scare people,” said Allan Hirsch, chief deputy of the office. “The intention is to help people make more informed decisions. If you continue to buy a product that will expose you to a chemical, that’s OK as long as you’re informed.”
Many of the coffee defendants have already posted warnings that specifically say California has determined acrylamide is among chemicals that cause cancer and attorneys have stated others, from mega-chains to mom-and-pop operations, will follow suit if the judge rules against them.
Metzger said many of those warnings often appear after the point of sale or where cream and sugar is provided, which offers no warning to someone drinking black coffee.
Coffee companies lost a first round in the case two years ago and are now presenting their last defence.
Defence lawyers declined to comment on the case but asserted in court that they should prevail under an exemption for chemicals that result naturally from cooking necessary for palatability or to avoid microbiological contamination.
“It is hard to imagine a product that could satisfy this exemption if coffee does not,” defence attorney James Schurz said in court papers. “The answer to the question of whether Proposition 65 requires coffee to carry a cancer warning must be an emphatic ’No.”’
In the first phase, Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle said the defence failed to present enough credible evidence to show there was no significant risk posed by acrylamide in coffee. The law puts the burden on the defence to show that the level of the chemical won’t result in one excess case of cancer for every 100,000 people exposed. Berle said the epidemiology studies they presented were inadequate to evaluate that risk.
Civil penalties could come to $2,500 per person exposed each day. With penalties reaching back eight years that could ring up an astronomical bill in a state with close to 40 million residents, though such a massive figure is very unlikely.
Starbucks Corp., the lead defendant, would not comment on the case. Its latest quarterly report said it’s not “party to any legal proceeding that management believes could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.”
Two of the defendants have settled in the past month and agreed to post warnings. BP West Coast Products, which operates gas station convenience stores, agreed to pay $675,000. Yum Yum Donuts Inc. agreed to pay nearly $250,000.
Stunning lawsuit against 'Big Coffee' could lead to cancer warning labels in Cal

Man claims to find maggots in convenience store sub wrapper
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, September 26, 2017 01:19 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, September 26, 2017 04:37 PM EDT
EWING, N.J. — A convenience store chain is challenging a man’s claim that he found maggots in a sandwich he ordered from a store in New Jersey.
Chris Garcia tells The Trentonian he bought a buffalo chicken cheesesteak hoagie Saturday from a Wawa store in Ewing. He says after taking few bites, he found two maggots moving around the sandwich. Garcia’s mother recorded video of maggots crawling on the sandwich wrapper.
A Wawa spokeswoman says its investigation shows the claim is “highly unlikely and probably impossible.” She says the 750-store chain inspects its stores daily and holds itself to the “highest standard of quality” in the food it serves.
Garcia says he got a refund after returning the sandwich.
Wawa also has stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.
Maggots are seen in the wrapper of buffalo chicken cheesesteak hoagie. (Video screenshot)

[youtube]YpsSv4iPKbM[/youtube]
WATCH: Wawa customer in Ewing claims to find maggots in his hoagie
Man claims to find maggots in convenience store sub wrapper | World | News | Tor

 

[spaminator]

Cannibal couple sold human meat pies
By Brad Hunter, Toronto Sun
First posted: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 03:07 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 04:35 PM EDT
The Russian cannibal couple accused of murdering — then eating — 30 people served up some of their victims in human meat pies.
Published reports say Natalia Bakshaeva, 42, and her hungry hubby, Dmitry Baksheev, 35, confessed to murdering, dismembering and eating scores of their victims.
Now, the sickening case has taken a more macabre turn.
Neighbours told reporters that Bakshaeva made and sold “meat” pies for extra money. Russia Today reports that she told local cafe owners she could supply “meat” and may have worked as a chef.
“I bake pies,” she reportedly told one local, who added that when she was asked about her ingredients, Bakshaeva replied: “Whatever is around.”
In the freezer at the gruesome twosome’s Krasnodar home in southern Russia, detectives found chopped up human remains. Jars of steamed human “meat” were also discovered.
It’s believed the pair found their victims via lonely hearts websites.
“She was very active, asked lots of questions but mainly about where we buy our meat and fish and how fresh it is,” cafe owner Vitaly Yakubenko told The UK Sun.
After body parts were discovered near the military academy where the pair worked, cops zeroed in on them. They both confessed.
Komsomolskaya Pravda said Baksheev knew the jig was up after photos of him posing next to body parts emerged.
A police source told Pravda: “Going through the photographs, the woman has recognized more than 30 victims that they killed and eaten together with her husband. A psychologist was sent from Nizhny Novgorod to make her talk.”
The police source told the Russian newspaper of one of the shocking photos — it was Christmas 1999.
“We can see a cooked human head at the big plate surrounded by mandarins,” the source said. “They put olives into the eyes and attached a lemon to the nose.”
Cannibal couple sold human meat pies | World | News | Toronto Sun

 

[gopher]

chicken soup mix:

half chicken
tomato paste
brown rice
mushrooms
Brussels sprouts
chili-con-carne
seasonings



very tasty with a great aroma ~ have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow

 

[spaminator]

Cricket spaghetti? Bangkok bistro serves up bug dishes
Jerry Harmer, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, October 03, 2017 12:22 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, October 03, 2017 12:27 PM EDT
BANGKOK — Ants and beetles in the kitchen? Normally that’d close down a restaurant immediately, but for a unique eatery in Bangkok, bugs in the beef ragu and pests in the pesto are the business plan.
Tucking into insects is nothing new in Thailand, where street vendors pushing carts of fried crickets and buttery silkworms have long fed locals and adventurous tourists alike. But bugs are now fine-dining at Insects in the Backyard, a Bangkok bistro aiming to revolutionize views of nature’s least-loved creatures and what you can do with them.
“In Thailand, there is a long history of local populations, of people consuming insects and they continue to do, in large amounts. But it’s essentially as a snack, not a part of dishes, not a part of cuisine,” said Regan Suzuki Pairojmahakij, a Canadian partner at the eatery. “We are interested in moving people away from seeing insects from purely as a snack to be a part of a gourmet and a delicious cuisine.”
That’s the responsibility of executive chef Thitiwat Tantragarn, a veteran of some of Thailand’s top restaurants. Together with his team he’s designed a menu that features seven different insects, including ants, crickets, bamboo caterpillars, silkworms and giant water beetles.
“It’s a new thing,” Thitiwat said. “You live in the world, you need to learn the new thing.” He said he’s cooked with pork and chicken for a long time, but insects are “a new world of cooking (and a) new lesson.”
For Kelvarin Chotvichit, a lawyer from Bangkok, the menu has been a revelation of taste and texture.
“When I taste this, it’s opened my new attitudes about foods: that insects are one of the foods that’s edible,” he said. “And it’s tasty too. It’s not weird as you thought. And the feeling — it’s crispy; it’s like a snack. Yeah, I like it.”
United Nations food experts have pushed insects as a source of nutrition for years. Studies show they’re higher in protein, good fats and minerals than traditional livestock. Even when commercially farmed, their environmental impact is far lower, needing less feed and emitting less carbon.
Wholesaler Amornsiri Sompornsuksawat is one the suppliers to Insects in the Backyard. The prospect of a new market — the fine-dining sector — is enough to make her salivate.
“I hope that people will eat more of my bugs and I can sell more of them,” she said. “We can have new menus, replacing the old familiar ones. It’s great.”
Insects in the Backyard has only been open a matter of weeks, so it’s too early to tell whether its mission to metamorphose insect cuisine is on track.
Amornrat Simapaisan, a local shop manager, tucked in quite happily to her watermelon and cricket salad on a recent evening.
“It’s tasty. It’s munchy,” she said.
But her dining partner exemplified the biggest problem the restaurant faces: that lingering feeling of disgust.
“I still have a barrier, something on my mind to stop me from eating it,” said Patr Srisook, a freelance photographer. “But, yes, it kind of tastes like normal, nothing, like normal food.”
And that is the message from the restaurant itself: Judge us on our food.
“There is obviously the shock value with insects and that might bring some people into through the door,” Pairojmahakij said. “But, essentially, for the longevity or sustainability of the restaurant, and, for the sector of the edible insects as a whole, it has to stand on its on legs, so to speak. It has to be attractive. It has to be delicious. And it actually has to add something to the cuisine as we know it.”
In this Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017 photo, spaghetti with silkworm and cricket at Inspects in the Backyard restaurant, Bangkok, Thailand. Tucking into insects is nothing new in Thailand, where street vendors pushing carts of fried crickets and buttery silkworms have long fed locals and adventurous tourists alike. But bugs are now fine-dining at the Bangkok bistro aiming to revolutionize views of nature’s least-loved creatures and what you can do with them. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Cricket spaghetti? Bangkok bistro serves up bug dishes | Eat | Life | Toronto Su

 

[Curious Cdn]

...almost as good as a plate of fresh Gaaaak.

 

[spaminator]

Alleged Thai 'Hannibal Lecter' had victim's liver in pocket
By Brad Hunter, Toronto Sun
First posted: Thursday, October 05, 2017 01:08 PM EDT | Updated: Thursday, October 05, 2017 03:14 PM EDT
A Thai man accused of the cannibal killing of his elderly neighbour allegedly planned to use the victim’s liver in a spicy salad.
The murder is chillingly reminiscent of iconic cannibal killer Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 blockbuster Silence of the Lambs starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
Playing the cannibal Lecter, Hopkins hissed to Foster’s FBI agent character: “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”
But that was fiction: The sickening crime Paere Jongthong is accused of committing is real.
Thai cops say he told them he killed his neighbour to prolong his own life.
When he was arrested, Jongthong, 24, was covered in blood. But he later did an about-face and told detectives he killed Tan Loon-ubon, 79, for revenge.
The aspiring cannibal said the old man had murdered Jongthong’s father.
“He told me he killed my dad. I said that couldn’t be true, but he wouldn’t stop talking about it. I didn’t know what to do,” Jongthong reportedly told cops, adding he had smoked marijuana and popped a meth tab before the killing. “I stabbed him, and he cried and apologized. I was so angry. I asked him four times if he was telling the truth.”
The victim was gutted and his liver was found in the suspect’s pants pocket.
Jongthong is charged with murder.
Alleged Thai 'Hannibal Lecter' had victim's liver in pocket | World | News | Tor

'I'm a loon'; Wannabe killer stabs Craigslist date, wanted to eat his heart
Postmedia Network
First posted: Thursday, October 05, 2017 02:27 PM EDT | Updated: Thursday, October 05, 2017 02:36 PM EDT
A wannabe serial killer who intended to eat her victim’s heart has been sentenced to 18 years behind bars.
The “almost speechless” judge in the case handed Amy Brown, 24, her punishment this week in Washington state.
Brown pleaded guilty to attempted murder after brutally attacking a 29-year-old man she met on Craigslist in January.
According to the Edmonds (Wash.) News, Brown met the man for a date that ended with the couple checking into a Seattle-area hotel.
Once there, Brown reportedly asked if her date was a serial killer. When he responded no, she said, “I am!” before stabbing him in the chest.
The victim somehow escaped the hotel room before seeking help at a drugstore, according to the Seattle Times.
When cops arrested Brown in the hotel parking lot, she told them she intended to eat her victim’s heart.
Police also found a note in Brown’s pocket that said she planned to kill again.
Asked to explain her actions, Brown reportedly told authorities: Because “I’m a loon!”
Attorneys had argued for leniency, claiming Brown was off her meds at the time of the attack.
"It is cruel, bizarre and beyond the pale in terms of how humans treat each other,” Judge Michazel Downes said, according to the Edmond News.
“Your behaviour is anathema, and not tolerated in a civilized society. This is not a situation where a low-end sentence is appropriate."
[youtube]gsbTA0uLDwo[/youtube]
Edmonds woman who aspired to be serial killer receives 18 years for attack on Lynnwood man - My Edmonds News
http://seattletimes.com/seattle-new...-i-am-a-serial-killer-stabs-date-in-the-chest
'I'm a loon'; Wannabe killer stabs Craigslist date, wanted to eat his heart | Wo

 

[spaminator]

Great pumpkins! Grower wins trifecta of giant food titles
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Monday, October 09, 2017 04:16 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, October 09, 2017 04:21 PM EDT
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Rhode Island grower is first in the world to achieve a trifecta in the hobby of growing gargantuan foods: world records for heaviest pumpkin, longest long gourd and now, heaviest squash.
After previously breaking two records, Joe Jutras got his third during the weekend when smashed the giant squash record with one that weighed more than a ton. His green squash tipped the scales at 2,118 pounds (960 kilograms) during a weigh-in at Frerichs Farm in Warren on Saturday.
His other titles came in 2006, when broke the record for longest gourd, with a 126.5-inch (3.21-meter) gourd, and in 2007, when he broke the record for largest pumpkin, with a fruit that weighed in at 1,689 pounds (766 kilograms). Both previous records have since been surpassed, but Jutras is the only grower so far to break world records in the three most competitive categories.
“It feels great,” Jutras said Monday. “It’s really been a goal of mine to try to achieve this.”
Jutras has been working on the trifecta for a decade, since his pumpkin win. He was close to the goal a few years ago, but then a squash on track to break the record split. Now 62, Jutras recently retired from his work as a high-end cabinet maker to devote more time to his hobby.
Jutras noted that others had won multiple world records for fruits and vegetables before, but in categories such as carrots that are not as competitive.
He credits a new soil cultivation technique and a seed from last year’s world record breaker for this year’s win.
Ron Wallace, a multi-time pumpkin record breaker, called Jutras’ feat “unbelievable.” He said Jutras’ accomplishment showed the best of the hobby. “It’s about people competing and pushing the boundaries,” he said.
Jutras said his fruit is headed to New York City, where it will be on display this month at the New York Botanical Garden.
In February, he’ll receive a coveted “green jacket” honour for his squash record during at the annual convention in Oregon of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, considered the NFL of giant fruit and vegetable growing.
Asked what he plans to do next after achieving the trifecta, he said he’s been thinking about the bushel gourd.
“I think the record now is about 279 pounds,” Jutras said. “That might be something I might want to get into a bit.”
In this Oct. 7, 2017, photo provided by Susan Jutras, Joe Jutras stands with his world record breaking, 2,118-pound squash, following a weigh-in at Frerichs Farm in Warren, R.I. (Susan Jutras via AP)

Great pumpkins! Grower wins trifecta of giant food titles | World | News | Toron