LEGISLATIVE CALL TO ACTION - WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH NEW MEXICO NUTRITIONAL COUNCIL BILL SB400 TODAY 2-28!

WE NEED HELP ON THE NEW MEXICO NUTRITION COUNCIL BILL, SB400, WHICH YOU CAN READ BY CLICKING THE TITLE ABOVE. TIME IS RUNNING OUT, AND WE NEED SENATOR EICHENBERG AND SENATOR MUNOZ TO SWITCH THEIR PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE VOTE, ONE OR BOTH, TO SUPPORT THIS PLAN, SPONSORED BY SENATOR GERALD ORTIZ Y PINO.

THIS BILL WOULD ACTUALLY SET UP A PANEL TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON THE EFFECT OF ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS, GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS AND FOOD ADDITIVES, SPECIFICALLY CARCINOGENS AND NEUROTOXINS, ON THE HEALTH OF ALL NEW MEXICANS, PARTICULARLY ON PREGNANT WOMEN, NEONATES AND PRE-SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN.

IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE...PLEASE CALL 505 986-4300 AND ASK TO BE CONNECTED TO BOTH SENATORS (SAME OFFICE YOU WILL MOST LIKELY JUST BE ABLE TO LEAVE A MESSAGE), PLEASE! IF ENOUGH PEOPLE DO NOT SPEAK UP, THE BILL DIES IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS. BOTH SENATORS SAID THEY WOULD CONSIDER SWITCHING THEIR VOTE SO THEY ARE WARMING TO THIS SUBJECT.....WE NEED THIS TO SUCCEED IN NEW MEXICO SO WE CAN DEVELOP A SIMILAR PLAN IN FLORIDA AND THROUGHOUT HTE COUNTRY. THIS IS QUITE URGENT AND WE NEED HELP WITH THIS THIS AFTERNOON...!!!!!

Parent's Get Artificial Sweeteners Banned in Schools in British Colombia

by John O'Connor of the Merritt News (B.C.)
(Posted by Stephen Fox at OpEdNews.com )

Parents Say No to Artificial Sweeteners

Despite the findings by Health Canada that artificial sweeteners are safe, parents in B.C. have decided to play it safe and say no. The B.C. Ministry of Education has recently pulled all artificial sweeteners from being sold in B.C. primary and middle schools after consultations with parents of school children.

"I'd be very suspicious of Aspartame," said former Nicola Valley Teacher's Union leader, Ralph Poynting. "I wouldn't put it in there, why take the chance?"

The findings were issued in the September 2007 Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in B.C. Schools enacted by the B.C. ministries of education and health as part of a healthy schools initiative. The ministry came to its after consultations with parents, trustees, and dietitians.
The guidelines allow for artificial sweeteners in small amounts and as a condiment in secondary schools, but not in elementary or middle schools.

"The studies related to aspartame clarify enough concern as regards adverse health effects, that their use in schools should be banned," said neurosurgeon, Russell Blaylock, in an exclusive interview with the Merritt News.

"Careful studies, including the original studies by G.D. Searle company, demonstrate a significant cancer risk, especially for brain cancers, breast cancer, lymphomas and leukemias, such that would justify their being banned," he continued.

Blaylock considers artificial sweeteners and MSG as "excitotoxins" that play a critical role in neuro-degenerative diseases like Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's, and MS.
Health Canada has allowed the use of artificial sweeteners since 1981, when former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, then CEO of the Searle Corporation, petitioned the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for approval.

The passing came despite the fact that the FDA's Public Board of Inquiry, made up of scientists, voted unanimously against the approval of aspartame. On July 15, 1981, Dr. Arthur Hayes Jr, in one of his first acts as FDA Commissioner, overruled the Public Board of Inquiry and approved NutraSweet for dry products.

Health Canada followed suit and the artificial sweetener industry was born. Health Canada scientists have concluded that the reported findings of the European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology, which found malignancies in rats tested with doses of aspartame, did not indicate a need to change the existing restrictions already outlined in the Food and Drug Regulations.
Health Canada concludes that the overwhelming body of evidence supports the safety of artificial sweeteners. Health Canada has requested the complete raw data from the Ramazzini Foundation and has been analyzing it since 2006. There has been no word yet on their analysis.

Some of the most common artificial sweeteners are: Aspartame, Sucralose, Splenda, Acesulfame-K (Acesfulfame Potassium), NutraSweet, as well as Saccharin. Aspartame is composed of L-Aspartly-L-phenylalanine methyl ester. They can be found in beverages, breath mints, chewing gum, prescription drugs, supplements and vitamins, and various other food products.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Symptoms attributed to Aspartame in complaints submitted to the FDA show headaches as the highest complaint followed by dizziness. Aspartame related complaints make up 80 per cent of total complaints to the FDA each year.

The FDA lists a total of 92 aspartame-related symptoms. The Aspartame Material Safety Data Sheet, a description label used by industry, states under toxicological information, that acute effects may be harmful by inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption. Stevia is one herb, not approved by Health Canada, that some advocate as being a safer alternative to artificial sweeteners even for use by diabetics.

iPhone Goes Green...Veganize your iPhone Apps and Search for Food Additives!

I just found this awesome app for your iPhone or iPod Touch that is a must have for Vegans and Vegetarians. VegOut makes food choices easy peasy when eating out. VegOut provides the world's largest international listing of vegan, vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants at your finger tips. You can find listings by your exact location using your iPhone's GPS or, if you are planning to travel, you can input a custom location.

VegOut is powered by HappyCow. Visit happycow.net for restaurant listings and much more.

Click Download VegOut from the AppStore now!

For those who want to find out what additives are in our food, Food Additives is another must have. This app will give you the skinny on every additive in your food and whether or not it has animal derived ingredients. We all need this one!

Idiots Paying $1.50 for NYC Tap Water

I just heard from CNN that New Yorkers are paying $1.50 for NYC bottled water. Why on earth are people paying for the same thing that comes out of their tap? Click on the title above for link to the story about these idiots. Great job on creating more landfill and proving how stupid people are getting from all of the toxins in and around us!!

Source: Boston.com 

VEGAN Soup Recipe Means Dinner is Done!

A hearty soup, whether meat, seafood, vegetable or grain-based, makes a satisfying one-pot meal. Add a loaf of your favorite crusty bread (sans partially hydrogenated fats) and dinner's done. Please let me know what you think about this vegetarian soup recipe with cheese crisps. VEGANS you'll have to substitute with your own cheese-less crisps. You can make this soup ahead of time or freeze it. Did I mention it is packed with fiber which helps keep you healthy and your immune system functioning properly! Enjoy and click HERE for more great recipes from Whole Foods.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Reporters Win Polk Award for BPA Series

By Shane Shirley-Smith
When we talk about becoming informed consumers, we must take time to thank the journalists who work every day to help us become aware of what our government and corporations are selling us. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters Susanne Rust and Meg Kissinger have won one of journalism's highest honors, a George Polk Award, for doing work the FDA should have been doing. Guess what, people listened, became informed and made changes in their lives even though the government refuses to remove BPA.

The reporters' 2008 series, Chemical Fallout, "is a series of investigative articles (click on the title above for a link to entire series) which alerted the public of ill health effects caused by exposure to chemicals we all have in our homes.

The series "castigated the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration for failing to monitor, regulate and ultimately ban potential toxins found in everyday materials, from 'microwave safe' plastics to baby bottles," the Polk awards committee said in a statement.

"Their reports about chemicals such as bisphenol A, or BPA, which causes neurological and developmental damage in laboratory animals, reverberated from the halls of Congress to homes and schools across America."

These reporters, as well as their paper, showed a willingness to contribute time and resources to help US Citizens understand that what we thought was safe to use in our kitches, actually isn't. The reporters tested 10 containers labeled as "microwave safe." and found that when they were heated in a microwave, BPA leached from all of them.

"No one had really looked into how the microwave could effect the leaching of BPA" from a container, Rust said.

"We decided to test products that parents use with their children, and likely heat in a microwave," Rust said. "And we were blown away with what we found."

Journal Sentinel Managing Editor George Stanley said Rust and Kissinger have "worked tirelessly" for nearly two years to disclose a danger to public health.

"They've revealed that a chemical linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer, genital birth defects and other illnesses on the rise in human beings could be leaching into soup, food and baby formula any time someone puts a plastic container in a microwave oven to warm something up."

"If this award makes more people aware of what they've found, it will be a great public service."

Sadly, according to the FDA website, the government is not changing its stance on the safety of BPA in our products:

"Based on our ongoing review, we believe there is a large body of evidence that indicates that FDA-regulated products containing BPA currently on the market are safe and that exposure levels to BPA from food contact materials, including for infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects. However, we will continue to consider new research and information as they become available.

This position is consistent with two risk assessments for BPA conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Scientific Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food and the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Each of these documents considered the question of a possible low-dose effect and concluded that no current health risk exists for BPA at the current exposure level.

Message for Consumers
At this time, FDA is not recommending that anyone discontinue using products that contain BPA while we continue our risk assessment process. However, concerned consumers should know that several alternatives to polycarbonate baby bottles exist, including glass baby bottles."

Once again, to the benefit of US consumers, reporters were able to wake people up to the dangers of BPA. Too bad our government never seems to be able to kick the habit of anesthetizing themselves to the fact that when it comes to the health of US consumers, clear warnings and removal of products is of primary importance. Good job for listening consumers and great job Rust and Kissinger for staying committed for two years to alert the public. Congratulations to us all! Sorry FDA, your not invited to this party.

The US Government Fails to Protect Its Citizens from the Artificial Sweetener Aspartame

by Shane Shirley-Smith
The other day someone said to me, "Well, those folks just think you are a person who has M.S. and just won't accept it." Even though two different neurologists, after reviewing all of my records and thoroughly examining me, told me they do not believe I have M.S., some people (how many of you are out there?) along with our government still find it easier to think that I am avoiding the inevitable truth of my "MS diagnosis" by blaming it on the artificial sweetener aspartame. I wonder how they would feel if they watched a member of their family who, though not allergic to phenylalanine (like Phenylketonurics), suffered debilitating effects from consuming too much aspartame?

Aspartame Withdrawn from Market in Hawaii and New Mexico?

Please read the letter below published on OpEdNews.com and thank God that we have intelligent people in office who really care. We might really get this sweetener off of the market. Please click on the title above for a direct link to this article plus more editorial and news from OpEdNews.com.

New Mexico State Senate
Santa Fe, New Mexico

February 12, 2009

The Honorable Frank Torti, M.D.
Acting Commissioner, United States Food and Drug Administration
5400 Fisher's Lane
Rockville, Maryland

Dear Dr. Torti:

I am the New Mexico sponsor of the enclosed Senate Memorial 9, 2009, asking the Food and Drug Administration to rescind its approval for the artificial sweetener, aspartame.

You may know that the FDA, to its credit, turned down G.D. Searle's application for aspartame's approval from 1966 to 1981, at which point, approval was forced through the FDA at the insistence fo Searle's CEO, Donald Rumsfeld.

Numerous physicians' petitions as well as many private petitions have been filed with FDA since 1981 asking for the rescinding of aspartame's approval. These have all been routinely ignored and responded to with industry assurance about how many industry financed "tests" aspartame has been through, all of which showed "aspartame to be safe."

FDA used to keep records on consumer complaints on aspartame, accruing a minimum of 92 alleged symptoms from ingesting aspartame, ranging from headaches, blurred vision, skin rashes, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis to that ultimate symptom, DEATH.

Dr. Torti, this chemical has produced a massive mountain of medical and neurodengenerative evidence, which I believe would lead you to order it removed from the market. While it is too late to do this now as a "precaution"; it is even more imperative to do this as a means of preventing further medical harm to future victims.

This Memorial is advancing in the New Mexico Senate, after being cosponsored by ten of my colleagues. A similar version of the Memorial has also been introduced by Hawaii Senator Chun Oakland, and is cosponsored by ten members of the Hawaii Senate. That resolution will create an evidentiary repository for Hawaii victims, especially those with diabetes and epileptic seizures, now statistically epidemic in Hawaii, with links to aspartame.

In January 2009, Hawaii Senator Kalani English introduced SB576 in that state. It would ban aspartame entirely in Hawaii. This bill is cosponsored by an astonishing 14members of the 25 member Hawaii Senate. At the same time, Representative Mele Carroll has introduced HB669, also banning aspartame's sale and use in Hawaii.

I realize a permanent FDA Commissioner has not yet been selected by the Obama Administration, but when one is appointed, I will send a similar letter to him/her to again request this action in order to protect the American public from further harm from a chemical that the FDA has known for 43 years is metabolized as methanol, formaldehyde, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and the proven carcinogen, diketopiperazine.

This regulatory failure of epic proportions entirely resulted from the actions of Donald Rumsfeld when he was with the original patent holder for aspartame. There is sufficient evidence to warrant such a rescinding, a situation not unlike that in 1969when President Richard Nixon similarly ordered the FDA to take away the approval for another group of carcinogens, cyclamates, which occurred very quickly.

Our concern must be the overarching concerns of preventing further neurodengenerative and carcinogenic damage to hundreds of millions of Americans, who have no other government entity to trust and depend on than the United State Food and drug Administration!

I believe that President Obama, Congressman Bart Stupak, and Congresswoman Rosa Delauro all want to see the rebuilding of an FDA that merits the restored trust of the American people. I certainly want to see this come about, and I hope you do as well.

Rescinding aspartame's FDA approval would be a major credible first step in the right direction.

Sincerely yours,

Gerald Ortiz y Pino
New Mexico State Senator
District 12
Albuquerque

Reprinted from OPEDNEWS.

Dr. Dean Ornish - Mind, Body, Spirit...Can you heal yourself?

I Messed Up?

Are you afraid that you are always messing up? Does it seem like everyone is always just waiting for you to make a mistake (at least in their eyes) and pounce; making you feel like an idiot? Well guess what? That will not happen here.

I have had to moderate some comments lately that have been incredibly biting. Actually they have been horrid. Look people, I do not profess to be a scientist. I am just a woman who will never dance again with her dad because a Hep-B shot (verified by the Special Masters) gave him Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy or CIDP and he is in a wheelchair...a nice wheelchair paid for by the government but still.

I am just a woman who experienced a reaction to Aspartame and felt my life literally slipping away from me. I am just a woman, mother, wife (for a while anyway) daughter, friend, co-worker... I am all of you and none of you all at the same time. We are one person, one community and one World. Maybe right now you do not know that you need help opening up your mind to your consumerism and what it is doing to your health and the health of our environment. I am just here to tell you that you do.

Listen, I promise never to make you feel like an idiot for what you post. I love scientific data, but I live by the Precautionary Rule so I love to get any info you have to share. We can look at it together and decide if it has merit along with our online community. Then if some still believe what I may not believe, all are still welcome here. You are safe here and the only one who messes up, is the one who sends reprehensible messages to me.

Autism Vaccine Ruling a Set Up

By: Shane Shirley-Smith
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Some are calling today's ruling a "boost" for advocates of early childhood vaccines, I call it a set up. Special Masters (an integral part of the government's, complicated Vaccine Compensation Program) at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims decided that autism is not being caused by the routine shots.

Well I might go along with that as it was most definitely the one and only shot with the Thimerasol (mercury) that caused the autism right? It was the MMR vaccine and not all of the routine shots, right? But wait, we took the Thimerasol out of the MMR right? Yes we did. Guess what? According to the FDA website, less than 1 microgram of mercury per dose (remaining from the manufacturing process) is still in the Hep-A, Diptheria-Tetanus, Meningitis; more than 1 microgram is in many of the Flu shots we give to pregnant women, nursing mothers and babies. You see, the more than 5500 families went about this lawsuit all wrong. They should have had their children screened for Mitochondrial Disease.

Now look, I am just a mom with a very inquisitive mind, a father who contracted a chronic neurological disease from a Hep-B vaccine and woman who had the scariest time in my life when I was ingesting too much Aspartame. But I know this, when the Special Masters ruled on the Hannah Poling case last year, what some may not have understood is that the government ruled that it was her pre-existing Mitochondrial Disease which left her open to the nine vaccinations she had in one day. They drew a very fine line in the sand which cannot be traced back to the vaccines alone. Their conclusion; science shows no preponderance of evidence linking autism to vaccinations. Nice set up. But you know what? I think they are right.

You see this all gets very complicated but suffice to say, our babies in the womb and our children are being assaulted by toxins which are causing oxidative stress which in turn causes mitochondrial problems which in turn can leave people susceptible to more toxins and illness. Whew. People predisposed to mitochondrial disease are open to all types of illness; many times without knowing it. You see it is never just the vaccinations. Think about it, why are so many kids seemingly fine after their shots?

Well look at the increase in asthma,diabetes and ADHD in our children and you might disagree that most children are fine. But it is never just one vaccine without some pre-existing known or unknown genetic condition or environmental exposures to toxins which leaves them open to autism. The government agrees and is pursuing more research. For once, the process seems to be working. We need to find the actual link to autism and in the process we may unlock the key to other illness.

What we do know now is to NEVER VACCINATE AN EVEN SLIGHTLY ILL CHILD! That child could be open to toxic overload because of a weakened immune system and some genetic predisposition.

In the Hazlehurst vs. Secretary of Health and Human Services case, special master Patricia Campbell-Smith wrote, "...the combination of the thimerosal-containing vaccines and the MMR vaccine are not causal factors in the development of autism..."

Although the rulings released today cover only a small fraction of the 5500 cases, this does obviously make it difficult for tne others to proceed unless they change their strategy.

A spokeswoman for the Autism Society of America called on society to offer more support to parents of children with autism regardless of what caused the developmental disability. Marguerite Kirst Colston also called for more research.
"We should," she said, "also be looking at environmental toxins such as pesticides, waterbourne toxins, and toxins in cleaning agents [as possible causes of autism]."

Neurological Disease...An Epidemic?

Splenda Danger Verified...Does it Apply to You?

By Shane Shirley-Smith
"In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that Splenda suppresses beneficial bacteria and directly affects the expression of the transporter P-gp and cytochrome P-450 isozymes that are known to interfere with the bioavailability of drugs and nutrients. Furthermore, these effects occur at Splenda doses that contain sucralose levels that are approved by the FDA for use in the food supply."

Cited - "Splenda Alters Gut Microflora and Increases Intestinal P-Glycoprotein and Cytochrome P-450 in Male Rats"
Effects Of Splenda In Male Rats
Mohamed B. Abou-Donia 1, Eman M. El-Masry 1, Ali A. Abdel-Rahman 1, Roger E. McLendon2, and Susan S. Schiffman 3
1 Departments of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, 2 Pathology, and 3 Psychiatry,
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA


Okay so this is a study based on rats (click HERE for the link) and we know humans are different from rats. But what if this happens to you if you ingest Splenda? Drugs and nutrients you need for a healthy life, or to save your life, might not be absorbed properly. This could leave you open to illness. Your gut plays a huge role in fighting disease. In order for it to function properly, a proper bacterial balance needs to be maintained. If Splenda is messing with that balance, that leaves your body vulnerable to disease.

To my knowledge, there have been no long term tests done on humans and the effects of Splenda. Splenda is the trademarked name for sucralose, an artificial chlorinated sweetener that is formed when the hydroxyl groups in a sugar molecule are replaced with chlorine molecules. Initially Splenda was marketed by J&J as a natural sweetener. This did not sit well with the sugar industry or many of Americans who understood that they were being marketed to as though they were idiots. J&J was sued by the Sugar Association for false advertising. Apparently in November of last year, the Sugar Association and McNeil Nutritionals (a division of Johnson & Johnson) jointly declared they reached a settlement. Neither side is allowed to discuss the outcome. Any info on this would be appreciated.

So be clear that it is Sucrose that is naturally produced from sugar beets or sugar cane but there is nothing natural or organic about J&J's Trademarked Splenda, which remember is just sucralose. Sucralose is the chemical compound made by the addition of chlorine atoms to sucrose molecules through a chemical reaction involving a number of chemicals. Sucralose is not natural.

Tate & Lyle, manufacturer of Splenda®, along with its US based co-developer Johnson & Johnson have bought up potentially negative domain names by the hundreds. Names like:  splendakills.com, victimsofsplenda.com, splendatoxicity.com are no longer available but we consumers are smarter than T&L and J&J realize...we have Google.

There is so much anecdotal and scientific information online that it becomes easy enough to decide for yourself how much if any Splenda you will ingest. Please be aware that it is in 3500 products including drugs. Stay informed and decide how you want to live your life and whether or not you are willing to take the risk. There really aren't any long term human studies (unbelievable the FDA approved this stuff without further testing) and the rat study really isn't sounding so good. Sadly I stay away from this artificial sweetener too and stick with the purest form of the Stevia plant which you can cook and freeze with.

Is Truvia a Safe Alternative to Sugar?

A member of our online community emailed me today asking about Truvia. Truvia is a tale of the Stevia plant and big business. Contrary to what some of you may believe, I am not a conspiracy theorist but this story smacks of conspiracy. A conspiracy to keep an incredibly safe sweetener(especially for diabetics), with 0 calories that doesn't rot your teeth away from the US public until a big company like Cargill wanted to utilize it!

Scientific Data Shows Mercury Contaminated High Fructose Corn Syrup Found in Coca Cola Classic, Hunts Ketchup, Smucker's Strawberry Jelly and more!

by Shane Shirley-Smith

There were two studies released last week showing varying levels of mercury contamination in High Fructose Corn Syrup. Obviously this is a horrible toxin which according to the FDA includes memory loss, mood swings, mental disturbance, skin rashes, impairment of the peripheral vision, disturbances in sensation, lack of coordination of movements such as writing and impairment of speech, hearing and walking in their list of symptoms from mercury poisoning.

HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) has only been widely used in foods since the 70's and only began being used in soda since the early 80's. Now it is considered one of U.S. Food manufacturer's major sweeteners.

According to the USDA, "1 in 10 calories the average American eats, now comes from HFCS". It is cheap and sadly the manufacturers have done a great job of figuring out how to use it in as many food products as possible. A sampling of products in which mercury was found include, but are not limited to: Hunts Ketchup, Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, Smucker's Strawberry jelly, Nutrigrain Cereal Bars, Quaker Oatmeal To Go and Coca Cola Classic.

Even I was fooled into believing this "mercury contamination story" simply could not be true; it just had to be another conspiracy theory by some misguided, wacko activists. A press release last week by Audra Erickson with the Corn Refiners Association, said that the study (released Monday) was based on outdated manufacturing methods which are no longer in use. Wanting so badly to buy that propaganda, I thought, "that's great we don't have to worry about this one".

But guess what, one of the studies, which was released last Monday, was a solid scientific study which has been peer reviewed and the other study actually took 55 products off of grocery store shelves in the Twin Cities last Fall and found mercury contamination in 1 out of every 3 products. Where is the Corn Refiners Association studies? Oh that's right they have none. I love their commercials, too, which try to make people feel stupid for questioning the safety of HFCS if they do not have a full understanding of exactly why it could potentially be harmful.

But you see this is a totally different issue than obesity or heart disease concerns from HFCS;which have still not been directly correlated to HFCS through peer reviewed, scientific studies. “Mercury is toxic in all its forms,” said IATP’s David Wallinga, M.D. (Director of Food and Health at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy), and a co-author in both studies. “Given how much high fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the FDA to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply.”

Dufault et al. found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS. Dufault was working at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when the tests were done in 2005. She and co-authors concluded that possible mercury contamination of food chemicals like HFCS was not common knowledge within the food industry that frequently uses the sweetener. While the FDA had evidence that commercial HFCS was contaminated with mercury four years ago,the agency did not inform consumers, help change industry practice or conduct additional testing. This should be called criminal but instead we refer to it as Big Business.

This all comes down to what the FDA knew and was willing to do about the huge outdated chlorine-alkali plants worldwide that make a lot of chemicals commonly used in food production;including the production of HFCS. These plants use outdated technology based on mercury cells. This is only one type of food processing technology, out of three, that can be used.

This mercury contaminated food supply has been an open secret in the industry.

These companies have been polluters of our environment by putting mercury into our environment and they knew that the food grade chemicals coming out of the plant could be contaminated as well. They, along with the FDA chose to ignore the possibility that we are getting significant amounts of mercury through our contaminated food chemicals. The FDA's problems speak for themselves as they basically said last week that they were too busy with the peanut recall to be concerned with the mercury in HFCS.

In 2007, then Senator Obama Co-Sponsored Senate Legislation that would have phased out the use of mercury in making caustic soda in U.S. plants. That legislation did not pass. I can only hope now that we have President Obama, he will remember his legislation from 2007 and act to outlaw, outdated food processing which utilizes mercury cells. Please write your congressional representatives and express your concern over our mercury contaminated food supply and tell your friends and family that this is a real risk to their health.

In the meantime, do what I have done and try to completely eliminate HFCS from your diet and your family's diet. This is not a joke or a biased study based on a whim. These my friends are facts. You are now informed. You do not even need to decide whether or not to follow the Precautionary Principle as this info is based on solid scientific data. What you do with this information, could make a difference to your future health and the future health of our country.

Phthalates and the FDA Reminds Me of Aspartame and the FDA

Compound in plastic faces ban
By Karen Forman
write the author
Last spring, the Food and Drug Administration formed an agency-wide task force to study current research and new information about the compound Bisphenol A, or BPA, found in many household plastics and which research has concluded is an endocrine disrupter.

As a result of that review, the federal agency determined that "FDA-regulated products containing BPA currently on the market are safe and that exposure levels to BPA from food contact materials, including for infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects.""At this time," the report continued, "the FDA is not recommending that anyone discontinue using products that contain BPA while we continue our risk assessment process. However, concerned consumers should know that several alternatives to polycarbonate baby bottles exist, including glass baby bottles."

That information is still posted on the FDA website almost a year later, and it is "totally flawed," Legislator Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills) claims."Their own panels of scientists have revealed that their study is flawed," he said during a press conference Tuesday.

Stern introduced legislation on Feb. 3, up for a possible vote March 3, that would ban the sale in Suffolk of any children's beverage containers that contain BPA. Anyone who violates the law would pay a fine of $500, with repeat offenders paying $1,000 for each violation. Stern announced his bill Tuesday, joined by various public health and environmental advocates, including Karen Miller, director of the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition. She agreed that "strong legislative measures are urgently needed to eliminate the use or sale of baby products containing BPA. Several animal studies have demonstrated that small exposures to doses of BPA have posed serious health risks."

Walt Whitman High School junior Zach Rotter, who also attended, addressed the public on his internship at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia last summer, when he studied BPA's effect on rats. He determined that "BPA is extremely carcinogenic."Zach said he was inspired by an honors biology teacher and by his grandmother, who had breast cancer.

Joining him on Tuesday were three other Walt Whitman High School students who are LI Teen Environmental Activists: Rubab and Tehreem Rehman, who are sisters, and Laraib Khan.

Also there was Tawaun Weber, a representative from Vision Long Island, who echoed comments about the dangers of BPA. "Potential problems include an increased risk of cancer, obesity, an altered immune system, reproductive health problems, diabetes and more," she said. "A significant amount of research has confirmed these conclusions."

Two members of the Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Center — Maida P. Galvez and Phillip J. Landrigan, both MDs — urged the Legislature to support a BPA ban in Suffolk. They stated that BPA is found in the linings of canned foods, including ready-to-eat children's formulas, and in hard plastics made of polycarbonate, which is found in sports water bottles, water dispensers and baby bottles. They said that since these substances are not chemically bound to the plastics to which they are added, they can leach out, especially when BPA-containing products are exposed to high temperatures — heating or sterilizing baby bottles in the microwave, for instance. Young children may be uniquely vulnerable to these exposures as they frequently place toys and other plastic products in their mouths, they added.

"Think of the amount of times in one day a baby is given infant formula," the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition's Karen Miller said. "Is it fair to wait for more research to take action? Is it fair to slowly phase out sales of products that contain this toxin? Absolutely no."Stern said, "This legislation seeks to protect the most vulnerable members of our population. We cannot be too cautious when it comes to ensuring that our children are safeguarded from unnecessary exposure to toxins such as BPA."

Do you Know what's in your Baby's Mattress

By Emily Lynne Ion

A newborn spends between 10 and 14 hours a day lying on a crib mattress, whether sleeping, playing, or observing the world around them. Their faces press into it, causing them to breathe inches from its surface. For the first year of your child’s life, the mattress is the central object in their environment.
Due to improper manufacturer disclosure and minimal governmental regulation, many of the items we purchase for our baby’s first room are not the healthiest. Manufacturers are under no obligation to let the public know how they construct their products. So, we buy bleached, chemically-treated sheets, toys covered in unsafe paint, and straight-from-the factory mattresses.

Let’s start on the outside and move inward. The vinyl surface of most traditional mattresses is a hard plastic called polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a combination of chlorine and petroleum. To soften the plastic, hormone-disrupting phthalates are added to make the mattress flexible. Phthalates are recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as probable carcinogens and, when ingested, may interfere with, mimic, or block hormones. Extensive studies identify hormone disruption to be most severe on the development of normal body functions. Some of the health effects for newborn boys include hormone alteration, reproductive system defects, and low fertility. For girls, phthalates are attributed to early on-set puberty. Many manufacturers are removing phthalates from other children’s products, such as baby bottles and toys. However, phthalates are not currently being removed from crib mattresses because without them they would soften and become unsafe.
Inside that vinyl covering, nearly all crib mattresses today use polyurethane foam as internal filling. Over time, the foam breaks into small, dust-like particles that can easily become airborne and release various problematic ingredients in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOC), another probable carcinogen. Once leached out into indoor air, VOCs can cause respiratory disruption, such as eye, nose and throat irritation, as well as headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and allergic reactions.
But the larger risk from polyurethane foam is its high flammability. To meet the minimum flammability standards set by government agencies, industrial strength toxic chemical fire retardants are added. The most common fire retardants used to treat polyurethane foam for the past several decades have been PBDEs, and in particular, pentaBDE. PentaBDE has recently been banned in Europe and by the State of California (as of 2006), after studies confirmed disruption of brain development and hormone systems.
PVC plastics, phthalates, fire retardants, leached VOCs – none of this is widely known and yet, especially for newborns, this information impacts healthy fetal development. The good news is that now there are many safe alternative products to prevent your child from toxic exposure.
Naturepedic, a Healthy Child Healthy World Alliance Partner, produces “no compromise” organic, eco-friendly mattress and bedding for newborns and toddlers. Made sustainably, the exterior is constructed of environmentally friendly polyethylene, a non-toxic, waterproof plastic. The mattresses are filled with organic cotton. And the flammability issue? Naturepedic uses non-harmful ingredients that meet Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. Newly certified by GREENGUARD, all Naturepedic products are guaranteed to be free of phthalates, vinyl/PVC, and polyurethane foam.
As are all things that err toward prevention rather than convention, the price tag for a safe mattress is a bit higher: a crib mattress usually starts at around $250, a toddler mattress starts at around $600. If you’re not able to splurge on an organic mattress, a more economical safeguard is to place an organic wool mattress pad down. Wool is a naturally flame resistant material that wicks away any moisture and provides that essential barrier between your child and the mattress. In addition, be sure to let your conventional mattress off-gas outside before installing it in the nursery. Use your own nose to dictate when its ready be inside: if it still reeks of the factory, it’s not ready to be near your baby.
At Healthy Child Healthy World, we advocate the precautionary principle, a fancy way of saying “better to be safe than sorry”. Although there is much we don’t know about how chemicals impact our health, we do know that with each day, science implicates them in more and more chronic illnesses and disabilities. The combined chemicals present in conventional mattresses have been linked to cancer, autism, asthma, birth defects, ADD/ADHD, and learning and developmental disabilities. When there are safer options available on the market, why take any chances with products that may damage the health of our children? You’ll rest easier knowing you’ve been safe, rather than worrying about being sorry.