Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Food from US that are banned in Rest of the World

Americans are slowly realizing that food sold in the US doesn't just taste different than foods sold in other countries, but it’s created differently. Sadly, many U.S. foods are BANNED in Europe — and for good reason. Take a look at the plummeting health of Americans; what role might toxic foods play in our sky rocketing disease rates? Below are 10 American foods that are banned elsewhere.
Farm-Raised Salmon
Where it’s banned: Australia and New Zealand
Farm-raised fish is usually fed an unnatural diet of genetically engineered (GE) grains, antibiotics and chemicals unsafe for humans. To mask the resulting grayish flesh, they’re given toxic and potentially eyesight-damaging synthetic astaxanthin.
To determine wild from farm-raised salmon (sold in most restaurants), wild sockeye gets its red color from natural astaxanthin and carotenoids. The white “fat strips” are thin, meaning it’s lean. Pale pink fish and wide fat marks are a sign of farmed salmon. Avoid “Atlantic Salmon.” Look for “Alaskan” or “sockeye,” which is illegal to farm and has very high astaxanthin concentrations.
Genetically Engineered Papaya
Where it’s banned: The European Union
Most Hawaiian papaya is genetically engineered to be ringspot virus-resistant. But research shows animals fed GE foods like corn and soy suffer intestinal damage, multiple-organ damage, massive tumors, birth defects, premature death and/or nearly complete sterility by the third generation. Dangers to humans are unknown.
Ractopamine-Tainted Meat
Where it’s banned: 160 countries across Europe, Russia, mainland China and Republic of China (Taiwan).
About 45 percent of US pigs, 30 percent of cattle and an unknown percentage of turkeys are plumped with the asthma drug ractopamine before slaughter. Up to 20 percent of ractopamine is still there when you buy it.
Since 1998, more than 1,700 US pork lovers have been “poisoned” this way. For this very health threat, ractopamine-laced meats are banned in 160 different countries! Russia issued a ban on US meat imports, effective February 11, 2013, until it’s certified ractopamine-free. In animals, it’s linked to reducedreproductive function, increased mastitis and increased death. It damages the human cardiovascular system and may cause hyperactivity, chromosomal abnormalities and behavioral changes. Currently, US meats aren’t even tested for it.
Flame Retardant Drinks
Where it’s banned: Europe and Japan
Mountain Dew and other drinks in the US contain the synthetic chemical brominated vegetable oil (BVO), originally patented as a flame retardant.
BVO bioaccumulates in human tissue and breast milk; animal studies report reproductive and behavioral problems. Bromine alters the central nervous and endocrine systems and promotes iodine deficiency, causing skin rashes, acne, loss of appetite, fatigue and cardiac arrhythmias. The featured article explains: “The FDA has flip-flopped on BVO’s safety, originally classifying it as ‘generally recognized as safe,’ but reversing that call, now defining it as an ‘interim food additive,’ a category reserved for possibly questionable substances used in food.”
Processed Foods and Artificial Food Dyes
Where it’s banned: Norway and Austria. Britain advised companies against using food dyes by the end of 2009. The European Union requires a warning notice on most foods containing dyes.
More than 3,000 preservatives, flavorings and colors are added to US foods, many of which are banned in other countries. The featured article noted:
“Boxed Mac & Cheese, cheddar flavored crackers, Jell-O and many kids’ cereals contain red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and/or blue 2 … (which) can cause behavioral problems as well as cancer, birth defects and other health problems in laboratory animals. Red 40 and yellow 6 are also suspected of causing an allergy-like hypersensitivity reaction in children. The Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that some dyes are also “contaminated with known carcinogens.”
In countries where these food dyes are banned, companies like Kraft employ natural colorants like paprika extract and beetroot.
Arsenic-Laced Chicken
Where it’s banned: The European Union
Arsenic-based drugs are approved in US-produced animal feed because they cause animals to grow quicker and meats products to look pinker and “fresher.” The FDA says arsenic-based drugs are safe safe because they contain organic arsenic … But organic arsenic can turn into inorganic arsenic, run through contaminated manure and leach into drinking water.
The European Union has never approved using arsenic in animal feed; US environmental groups have sued the FDA to remove them.
Bread with Potassium Bromate
Where it’s banned: Canada, China and the EU
Bread, hamburger and hotdog buns are “enriched” with potassium bromate, or bromide, linked to kidney and nervous system damage, thyroid problems, gastrointestinal discomfort and cancer.
While commercial baking companies claim it renders dough more tolerable to bread hooks, Pepperidge Farm and others use only unbromated flour without experiencing “structural problems.”
Olestra/Olean
Where it’s banned: The UK and Canada
Olestra, or Olean, created by Procter & Gamble, is a calorie- and cholesterol-free fat substitute in fat-free snacks like chips and french fries. Three years ago, Time Magazine named it one of the worst 50 inventions ever. MSN noted: “Not only did a 2011 study from Purdue University conclude rats fed potato chips made with Olean gained weight … several reports of adverse intestinal reactions to the fake fat include diarrhea, cramps and leaky bowels. And because it interferes with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K, the FDA requires these vitamins be added to any product made with Olean or olestra.”
Preservatives BHA and BHT
Where it’s banned: Both are banned in parts of the European Union and Japan; the UK doesn’t allow BHA in infant foods.
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are common preservatives in foods like cereal, nut mixes, chewing gum, butter spread, meat and beer. The National Toxicology Program’s 2011 Report on Carcinogens says BHA may trigger allergic reactions and hyperactivity and “is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”
Milk and Dairy Products Made with rBGH
Where it’s banned: Australia, New Zealand, Israel, EU and Canada
Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), a synthetic version of natural bovine hormone is injected into cows to increase milk production. Monsanto developed it from genetically engineered E. coli bacteria, marketed as “Posilac.”
But it’s banned in at least 30 other nations. Why? It converts normal tissue cells into cancerous ones, increasing colorectal, prostate and breast cancer risks. Among other diseases, injected cows suffer exorbitant rates of mastitis, contaminating milk with pus and antibiotics.
In 1997, two Fox-affiliate investigative journalists, Jane Akre and Steve Wilson attempted to expose thedangers of rBGH, but lawyers for Monsanto – a major advertiser with the Florida network – sent letters promising “dire consequences” if the story aired.
In 1999, the United Nations Safety Agency ruled unanimously not to endorse rBGH milk, resulting in an international ban on US milk.
The Cancer Prevention Coalition, trying for years to affect a dairy industry ban of rBGH, resubmitting apetition to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg in January 2010, but the FDA sticks to its false position that rBGH-treated milk is no different than milk from untreated cows.
Action: Look for products labeled “rBGH-free” or “No rBGH.”
Take Control of Your Health with REAL Food
If you value your health, avoid foods containing harmful ingredients and ditch processed foods entirely – even if they are permitted in the US. Opt for fresh whole foods, organic, grass-fed/pasture-raised beef and poultry, dairy products and eggs.
Note: Post is the version of similar post already posted in my website http://www.jailive.in

Thursday, 25 December 2008

Go desi in style

Try Punjabi Grill at Gurgaon for a lavish fare



Yummy Kurkuri, an appetiser, served at Punjabi Grill

Punjab is known for its high calorie sumptuous food. Though most Punjabi dishes are full of fat, it has never been a deterrent to the true connoisseurs of the cuisine. To propel the legacy of traditional Punjabi food, well known chef Jiggs KalraR 17;s son Zorawar has recently opened a joint aptly titled Punjab Grill in Gurgaon’s Ambience Mall.

The five month old restaurant, well-designed with comfortable chairs and sofas, armed with an efficient staff, and playing soothing sufi music at the backdrop, is catching a fancy of couples and families besides the usual corporate crowd of Gurgaon. It has an exhaustive menu and can make you wonder where to start from. Be it the appetisers, barbeque or entrees, the restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. You can start your culinary journey with Kurkuri, an appetizer moderately fried and stuffed with cheese which is served with a tangy relish. Then move on to kababs. In vegetarian, they have an interesting array, like dahi ke kabab, bharwan aloo pothohari (an egg shaped kabab stuffed with mashed herbs and vegetables and is served with mango ketchup), bhutteyan da kabab, lahori seekh, etc. For the main dish, the vegetarians can pick from traditional dishes like bharwaan kesari guchchi, malai kofta, Patiala shahi kadhai paneer, masaledaar bhindee, etc. They come with bharme amritsari kulche, laccha parantha, lehsuni naan, makkai ki roti, tandoori roti, etc. Then of course, there are the usual suspects like Sarson da saag, amritsari kofta, pindi channa and daal moong masoor. As Punjabi cuisine is known for its non-vegetarian food, at Punjabi Grill too, you will find such dishes galore, Amritsari machchi, murgh malai tikka, murgh tikka lababadar, chicken/mutton biryani, etc. Besides, it has an interesting barbeque section with dishes like tandoori lobster and tandoori duck. The drinks to accompany your food can bekesar-pistey vali lussee pede de naal, mattha, shikanjvi, etc. It also has a well-stocked bar. The desserts on the menu is impressive too with names like khasta pinni, gajrela, gulab jamun to kheer, phirni and kulfi falooda.

Zorawar Kalra, happy with the customer response, says he has plans to open yet another joint.

Destination food

Are you an adventurous foodie? Then, head to Mamallapuram, suggests Shonali Muthalaly, who walks down the Ottavadi Street to check out restaurants with fancy names and menu

Photos: Shonali Muthalaly

sO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM In this food zone

Get a deliciously irresponsible suntan. Dash wildly through warm crashing waves. Eat reckless quantities of sizzling fish. And do it all over lunch.

While you were frantically surfing the Internet night after night looking for discounted tickets to Goa, or maybe Phuket, a section of Chennai and many tourists discovered that a chilled-out, laid-back, delightfully hippy holiday was actually just a short drive away. About an hour from Chennai, on the scenic East Coast Road flanked by alternate patches of sea and forest, Mamallapuram been rediscovered and reinvented over the years. From a magnificent historical town, it’s also grown into a cosmopolitan centre of the world, with Afghani jewellery, French chocolate crepes, mud therapy treatments and local fish fry.

And, for Chennaiites, the destination is rivalled only by the journey.

The journey

If you sleep late, you can — like us — plan to reach Mamallapuram for lunch. Dreaming of lush lobsters, crisp calamari and plump prawns, we manage to clear the frustrating tangle of aggressive drivers and dreamy jaywalkers in Tiruvanmiyur without too much swearing. By the time we’re past the Toll gate, the road looks very different, dotted with absent minded cows, friendly goats and an inexplicable profusion of coloured flower pots, in pink, green and yellow.

As we enter Mamallapuram, past a clutch of resorts, we drive into a decisively fragmented town. There’s one street dedicated entirely to stone sculpture, where you can watch talented artisans breathe life into hunks of rock. There are the busy everyday streets, alive with cycles, dosa stalls and banana vendours. And then, there’s the international face of Mamallapuram. Ottavadi Street, home to globetrotters in flip-flops, spiritual India seekers and yuppies in Ray Bans.

So, of course, Ottavadi has become a world bazaar of sorts, where momos rub shoulders with croissants, antique rings meet Yoko-Ono style retro pink pants and cinnamon tea simmers beside a fragrant Kerala fish moilee.

Moonrakers is the star attraction here. Laid-back, cheap and cheerful, this three-level restaurant has got a definite character, with its black and white pictures of freedom fighters smoothly juxtaposed with unabashedly green balconies and an undeniably colourful clientele. Everyone — from barefoot Rastafarians to good Indian girls with plaits and jasmine flowers — eats here. We try calamari and fried fish, both generously smothered in delicious masala. Also, fragrant coconut rice and a succulent prawn curry. They boast of lobsters for just Rs. 300, each of which our chatty waiter assures us is as big as his palms.

Common dish


In fact almost all the restaurants here advertise lobsters. Like chilled out Le Ritz, which is stubbornly non-Ritzy. At Luna Magica, you can eat lemon-drenched grilled fish and sea-gaze. Next door there’s New Papillion, famous for having made it to the Lonely Planet. Then there’s New Antony’s Moonlight café. They certainly have a way with words here.

Le Yogi advertises Franco-Indian fare. The Good Luck Café has a roof top restaurant that overlooks the beach. The Blue Elephant covered in pink bougainvillea has yoga classes and crab masala.

There’s a German bakery pushing croissants and ‘French bread.’ An Italian joint exults in spaghetti bolognaise. You’ll fine Japanese Ohm rice. You’ll find paella. And you’ll find pasta.

Crepes are big here. They’re served with chocolate, coconut, banana or honey. Or, if you like, all four. You’ll also find some practical fusion. Like cheese naan, beef fried rice or cheese tomato rice.

Everything’s in cheerful co-existence. Including an HIV testing centre, with ‘Know about AIDS, win a gold coin’ emblazoned across its walls in encouraging orange. The JK bookshop offers second hand European language books if you want to brush up on your German classics. The New Jersey store sells colourful sleeping bags. And cobblers along the road make bright, individual shoes.

All the action is concentrated in an area that can be easily covered on foot. Or, if you’re staunchly anti-walking, there are mopeds for hire for about Rs. 200 a day.

The best part? Once you’re done with lunch, savour a great cappuccino on the beach, with the grainy sand between your toes and salty wind in your hair. Then, after this essential pause, you can just drive home. And still be back in time for dinner.

Just like that


Eat warm pancakes oozing chocolate at a beach shack playing Bob Marley.

Buy an impractical pair of audaciously coloured beach pants, for fun.

Gossip with a sculptor, as he magically creates elephants out of stones.

Take a yoga class, have a massage, try some mud therapy – just for kicks.

Live dangerously. Try jeera-butter-garlic rice, with cheesy mashed potato and fried eggs.