USDA permits of genetically engineered sugar beets ruled illegal yet again

A federal court has ruled against the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and deemed that it has acted illegally by allowing limited planting of an herbicide resistant, genetically engineered sugar beet called Roundup Ready despite a prior court-ordered ban.

Sugar beets are commercially grown plants for sugar production. The Roundup Ready sugar beet, also known as Event H7-1, was engineered by Monsanto and the German corporation KWS to include a gene that is tolerant to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide.

On August 13, 2010, in another case, federal district Judge Jeffery White ruled that USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) had illegally deregulated a sugar beet designed to be resistant to Monsanto's herbicide, Roundup Ready.

Less than three weeks later, the USDA issued limited seeding permits to four sugar beet seed producers, arguing the step  didn’t violate the ban because those plantings wouldn’t be allowed to flower and that the  seeds would be used for widespread production in 2012 growing seasons.

By mid September 2010, the four seed producers stated that plantings had been completed and specified within the permits that their purpose was to produce stecklings (seedlings) to transplant into basic seed for commercial production in the winter of 2010-2011, a production stage which goes beyond the supposedly limited plantings at issue. “The permits are replete with references to future transplantation and use of the stecklings” according to case notes.

In Ctr. for Food Safety v. Vilsack, No. 10-04038   The plaintiffs, Center for Food Safety (CFS), Organic Seed Alliance, Sierra Club, and High Mowing Organic Seeds asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to stop APHIS from issuing permits and any planting allowed by them.

The judge granted the plaintiffs request to vacate approval of the crop.

Plaintiffs want the judge to order the destruction of the genetically engineered sugar beets that were planted. The judge will rule on the next steps by October 22.

History

In March 2005, USDA announced the deregulation of Event H7-1 stating that it "would not present a risk of plant pest introduction or dissemination" and could be introduced into the environment without permits.
Roundup Ready sugar beets were planted for the first time in the spring of 2008 by growers.

In 2008, CFS and the remaining plaintiffs argued that USDA failed to take a "hard look" at the environmental effects of cross pollination with conventional beets with its decision to deregulate in 2005 and called for a thorough assessment.

By 2009, federal court judge Jeffrey White ruled that the USDA had violated federal law in deregulating Roundup Ready sugar beets without adequately evaluating the environmental and socio-economic impacts before approving commercial release.  He ordered APHIS to complete an environmental impact statement (EIS).

By August 13 2010, the Court overturned USDA’s deregulation decision based on APHIS’s failure to prepare an EIS.

What does this mean for growers and the sugar beet industry?

According to a 2009 European Commission report the sugar beet event H7-1 shows that the likelihood of potential adverse effects on human health and the environment resulting from its cultivation and use as any other sugar beet is negligible.

Currently a large percentage if not 95 percent of sugar beet growers use Roundup Ready crops. The European Union, the United States, and Russia are the world's three largest sugar beet producers.

Roundup Ready sugar beet event H7-1 contains a gene encoding which tolerates Roundup herbicide. The objective of the gene modification is to improve expensive weed management practices and for optimal production efficiency of sugar beets.

No single currently registered herbicide offers the broad spectrum weed control afforded by Roundup. Instead, farmers today must resort to using several applications of multiple herbicides with high input of the respective chemicals.

The already popular strain of genetically engineered sugar beet can no longer be used by growers, most of which come from Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Consumers can consider local alternatives to processed and refined sugars such as organic sugar, evaporated cane juice, rice syrup, barley malt, tapioca syrup, wheat and oat syrup, honey, fruit juices, molasses, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, and agave.

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American food trends since 1909

Courtesy: Renegade Lunch Lady

Since 1909, American food trends have shifted to cheese, processed eggs, chicken and carbonated drinks over whole milk and beef per USDA’s latest report. 


Economists at Economic Research Service (ERS), one research arm of the United States Department of Agriculture, have compiled an extensive data set which tracks the U.S. food trends dating back to 1909.
The data sets are based on several factors such as national food supply availability, adjusted losses to the supply from spoilage, moisture loss, waste and nutrient availability.

What are some interesting trends?
For most commodities, better processing techniques, health concerns, information availability, education, economic factors such as wars and availability of large selections at numerous locations are factors in the shift. The estimates are converted to pounds per person (PPP) with recognition of the population count for the period.

The fluid milk category which includes whole, skim, low fat and flavored milks plummeted on a per person per pound basis from 1909 onward, although low fat and skim milks within the category have increased. Yogurt demand has increased from .1% in the 1950s to 11.8 PPP.

Within the red meats and poultry category beef, pork and chicken lead, however, by 2008 chicken demand is quickly overtaking a declining beef demand. Beef declined from 88.8 PPP in 1976 to 61.2 PPP by 2008, while chicken steadily rose to 58.8 PPP by 2008. Pork demand has remained relatively stable.

Fish and shellfish, edible stocks have moved from 8.4 PPP in the depression era of 1932 to double the amount by 2008.

In oil and fat category, as butters and lard use reduced, salad oils and shortenings increased. Salad and cooking oils moved from 12.5 PPP in 1965 to 54.3 PPP by 2008.

Legume demand is relatively stable through the century, however imports of dry edible beans increased from negligible amounts in the 1900s to almost 300 million pounds by 2008.

Retail coffee diminished from peak post World War II numbers of 16.5 PPP to 7.2 PPP by 2008 while cocoa numbers improved.

Americans are drinking more carbonated and alcoholic beverages as opposed to milk. Total soft drink availability has increased to 46.4 PPP by 2003, trailing is the alcoholic beverage section which was at  25.7 PPP to date. Milk declined to 20.8 PPP by 2008 from a peak of 31.3 PPP in 1970.

Americans are eating their broccoli demonstrated by the PPP which grew from 1.5 in 1970 to 8.3 in 2008. Potatoes, Tomatoes, Sweet corn and onions are top vegetables for consumption in 2008.

For the fruit category, oranges are consumed the most followed by grapes and bananas.

USDA's data set is unique and the only extensive source of this research in the U.S. today. The data set is a valuable tool which can assist anyone in understanding the socio-economic influences shaping our country and its eating habits.

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Caramelized Onion, Fig and Goat Cheese Tarts

Courtesy: California Fig Advisory

Figs and cheese have harmonized well for generations as the flavors contrast the sweet with the salty. There are no die-hard rules for the type of cheese pairing one should consider as the cheese flavors range from mild to sharp. Here is a warm and luscious recipe to ring in the fig season.

Recipe courtesy: California Fig Advisory board

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 frozen prepared 4-inch puff pastry tart shells
8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
8 California dried or fresh figs, sliced

Directions:
In heavy skillet over low heat, heat oil and sauté onions, cooking gently for 10 minutes or until
very soft.

Add butter, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar; continue to cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 20 to 30 minutes until onions are very soft, caramelized, and jam-like. Cool.

Preheat oven to 375?F. Divide onion mixture among pastry shells; top with sliced figs and crumbled goat cheese. Crimp edges of each tart in about 8 places to make free form; arrange on baking sheet.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or as directed on package, until golden and crisp. Note, for dried mission figs, plump with warm water or fruit juice for 20 minutes before slicing.

Serves 4

Fabrikators cool tools for the urban kitchen

Culinary design lovers will revel in the slick and kid friendly products from Danish based Fabrikators like the Skrub’a Gloves and the Toddler Cutlery set.

The need for better cleaning tools for dirt ridden, new dug potatoes and vegetables in Northern Europe led engineers, Lars Forsberg and Peter Andersen to formulate the Skrub’a vegetable scrubbing gloves. Upon their entry, the Skrub’a gloves are a hit in Europe with adults and children.

Time conscious cooks may find the thought of adding a few more minutes of cleaning exasperating but here is something to think about - The gloves clean vegetables and retain the most important part of your vegetables, the peel. Research shows that significant amounts of the vitamins, minerals and crude fibers are lost from vegetables if we remove the peel. Studies also show that scrubbing vegetables can assist in removing topical pesticides and fungicides and hence both aforementioned factors make this scrub glove very appealing to health conscious foodies!

The gloves are a twist to the standard scrub brushes because they allow you to hold vegetables in your hands and maneuver around them for cleaning.  The upkeep is no different from your ordinary dish scrub brush so feel free to rinse or toss these in your dishwasher for cleaning.

The Skrub’a vegetable gloves are FDA tested for food safety, rugged, low maintenance, one size fits all, with bright colors and varieties. Parents can enjoy involving children in the cooking process as kid’s gloves are also available. Fabrikators will be introducing a new waterproof version which can also clean fish in 2011.

The Toddler table cutlery was designed to aid children as young as six months in adapting to the skill of early self-feeding with ease and safety. The colorful, chubby handles allow small hands to grip utensils easily while the fork and spoon have a good size scoop bowl preventing food from spilling as the little ones learn to handle food. The knife easily and safely cuts most soft fruit and vegetables. Children learn by imitation and aesthetics aside, this flatware is a great way to improve motor skills and develop good eating habits. The product is fully BPA-free, and dishwasher and microwave-safe. This line recently won the prestigious Red Dot 2010 award, a coveted international award for the most innovative and design forward products. It also won the Scandinavian Formland Design Award in 2009.

Fabrikators also designed the magnetic dish brush and the Lemon friend, a lemon squeezer. Please see the video links and pictures on each product.

You Tube: Skruba
You Tube: Toddler Table Cutlery

Where to get the products and cost:
Fabrikators products are available in the U.S. at Dillard’s department store and various kitchenware shops. Santa Ana resident can find some products at the Costa Mesa Williams Sonoma store. You can also purchase these products online from the Roland website

Roland Inc Phone No: 800.321.2226

Hours: 9:00 to 6 p.m. Mon – Sat.

Skrub'a gloves:  $9.99 adult, $6.99 kids
Toddler Table Cutlery: $40.00 for the knife, fork, spoon set
Lemon Squeezer:  $7.99 for pack of 4

Mil Jugos Arepas: The hamburger of Venezuela

Norah Briceño, a Venezuelan native has brought a taste of modest home cooking to Mil Jugos in Santa Ana.  Since 2003, this small eatery has prized itself on a lean and fat free menu and has fast earned a reputation for serving up the best Venezuelan hamburger or Arepa in town.  The Mil Jugos menu also features other traditional meals like Cachapas a sweet, corn pancake.

Mil Jugos’ grilled Arepas or flattened bread are made out of imported cornmeal and are offered plain or stuffed with various fillings like white cheese, black beans and assorted seasoned, shredded meats. Briceño prefers to replicate the menu from a similar restaurant she operated while in Venezuela and chooses to import the same Venezuelan cornmeal for an authentic taste.  The bread is gluten free and reminiscent of a breakfast muffin in shape and size.  A plain arepera averages one hundred calories and is traditionally eaten with soups.

There are ten varieties of Arepas offered to satisfy the eclectic palates of Santa Ana patrons.  Available choices like shredded beef with black beans or finely shredded chicken breast drizzled in garlic and cooked with onions and tomatoes can be accentuated with accompanying sauces called Perejil and Guasacaca.  The Perejil or parsley sauce is a mild, aromatic fusion of parsley and garlic while the Guasacaca is a zesty and hot combination of Jalapeno peppers, cilantro, sweet peppers and parsley in an oil and vinegar base.  The service is warm, relaxed and guest requests for a vegetarian Arepa is surprisingly accommodated regardless of its absence on the menu!

The restaurant has a light and fresh ambiance and the healthy meals are modestly priced. For returning customers Rosemary and Chris Foreman, the restaurant is a quick pit stop to satisfy a craving en route to their new home in California. It is the only place which carries the Arepa and Cachapas she discovered on her frequent trips from Texas.  Arepa is a daily and common meal in most Venezuelan homes and per Briceño, “it is what hamburger is to Americans”.  True to her motto, Norah Briceño is well on her way in ensuring customers that Mil Jugos is the best Venezuelan restaurant in town.

 Mil Jugos is located in downtown Santa Ana at 318 W. 5^th St. catering is offered.

El Toro Carniceria: Santa Ana's Triple Threat

Located in the heart of Santa Ana, hungry passerby's rarely miss the wafting aroma of freshly made tortillas which lures them in for an unforgettable taste of El Toro Carniceria's famous carnitas. Once in, customers delight not only in the variety of selections from the deli, grocery and spirit shops but are also at once enlivened with the bustling mariachi music at this one stop shop for all things 100% Mexican according to Rudy Navarette. Navarette is one of nine brothers who help operate the triple stores since their mother, Justina Navarette opened it in 1976.

Maria Duran, a weekly customer of twenty years meanders down the glittering pinata topped aisle to one of her favorite sections which carries a variety of fine cut meats. She has driven four miles past her neighborhood grocery store for the fresh cut pork. Today, the meat case features a large pork's head centerpiece which overlooks exotic selections like Octopus pulpo or whole octopi, beef honeycomb tripe and pig's feet.
A few feet ahead, customers toggle between the produce aisles featuring fresh coconut, cacti leaves and Flor de Calabaza or squash blossoms, used as an ingredient in Mexican and Salvadoran cuisines. Tucked in the back corner, an unassuming clerk sorts a pile of dark chile pods for a counter filled with sixteen varieties of dried Chile and peppers like Chile de Arbol, Morita and Chile Guajillo.

On the west side of the store resides the deli where throngs of customers have grabbed a ticket and ordered food in an elbow to elbow standing room only area. A queue of hungry patrons stretching into the parking lot is a common affair. The success of El Toro's deli lies mainly in its key ingredient: Masa. The cornmeal dough filler is used in making tortillas, tamales and assorted baked goods. It is the Masa which contributes to the production of some of the finest, softest and mouth watering tortillas in this city. Three tortilla machines operate twenty-four hours a day churning approximately 30,000 fresh, corn tortillas a day. Customers can order beef carnitas or a sumptuous carne asada topped with garnishes like fresh guacamole, Nopales or prickly pear pads and rojo salsa. Add a salty snack called chicharon or pork rind and don't forget the six choices of tamale offerings from vegetarian to beef and chicken.

As the west end of El Toro quenches hunger, the east end quenches thirst at its renowned liquor store which carries the largest variety of tequila according to Navarette. El Toro carries one hundred and twenty varieties of tequila with top agave sellers like Tequila Cazadores and Tenampa Azula. Some prestigious brands include Don Julio Real and Seleccion Suprema. A popular seller at El Toro's liquor store is the repackaged beer. Try a customized, disposable beer bag of six Corona bottles, buried in ice and accompanied with salt and fresh lemons at $7.99 each!

Over the last twenty years, the growing celebrity of the market has extended to famed visitors like mixed martial artist, Tito Ortiz and members of the Angels team. For Rudy Navarette, the success of  this reclusive market in Santa Ana's barrio lies in the authenticity and wholesomeness of its products which keep first to third generation shoppers coming back for a memorable link to the flavorful tastes South of the border.

El Toro Carniceria is located at 1340 W. 1st in Santa Ana, California. Store hours are 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The deli hours are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. El Toro Carniceria can be found in additional locations in Costa Mesa, Santa Maria and Fresno.

The Indian Spice box: A Commentary on the Masala Dabba

I have yet to walk into an Indian house which is amiss of the "Masala Dabba" (Indian Spice box), and its accompanying infamous waft when one walks into the pantry. The shiny little steel box is our true blue companion and the odd man out sitting on a pantry shelf filled with Post cereal boxes and Bertolli pasta packages. Veggies, meats and legumes come and go but the trusted spice box stays on forever. It is the sole and distinct link to a heritage Indian families abroad have left behind and it is the sole and unwavering promise to jazz up the variety of foods in one's kitchen.

The masala dabba is a round stainless steel box which contains seven stainless steel spice cups which are normally filled with:

1. Cumin seeds
2. Turmeric powder
3. Mustard seeds
4. Garam masala (blend of pepper,cinnamon,cloves,nutmeg,anise,cardamom)
5. Coriander powder
6. Fennel seeds
7. Red chili powder.

Handed to families generation after generation one cannot help but be amazed by this simple box's lofty past. Recall the great spice trades of the 1400s which began with the marketing of black pepper in Europe. The spice trade was possibly the first extensive global trade spanning from Europe, Africa, Middle East to Asia and in the process made numerous countries wealthy while diversifying its culinary palette. I once believed that spices were used as preservatives in the ancient world but soon discovered that salt, an abundant world wide commodity, was used for preservation possibly making the need for other spice preservation techniques negligible or on a smaller scale. The ancient world probably consumed foods faster and in a more fresh manner to avoid spoilage and therefore may not have needed preservation methods as regularly as we do today.

Apart from the culinary merits, spices hold an important link to modern medicine. The crude usage of spices are recorded in many ancient Indian Samhitas (Hindu sacred writings) such as the Atharva Veda written around 1200 B.C.E, the Charaka Samhita written around 400-200 B.C.E. and the Sushruta Samhita written around 100 C.E. All compendiums are authoritative writings on either sacred rituals or Ayurveda and directly refer to the use of herbs and spices as medical remedies. Here then lies the roots of modern day pharmacology which would and lay an important pathway and eventually peak world wide interest.

I pondered on my little spice box again and took in a deep breath upon opening my pantry door. The scents were powerful but almost screamed at me to shun my attachment to the current and commercial ideas of smell. No!  This was certainly not Channel No. 5 nor a bouquet of hyacinths, it was something much more, something solid, unrelenting and permanent. Without the spice box, would my home or pantry even retain that small link to a grand piece of history? The spices in my Masala dabba,  thereby became my seven silent guardians of health per the ayurvedic path. Cumin for its carmative and digestive properties, Turmeric and mustard seeds the anti-inflammatory herbs, fennel seeds and coriander powder my digestive aids, and the stinging red chilli powder, the loyal warrior which aids in fighting infections.