Monday, 24 June 2013

Agricultural Powerhouse Brazil Can't Contain Rising Food Bill

Pao de Acucar supermarket in the Pinheiros neighborhood of Sao Paulo.

Published June 23, 2103 in Forbes.com
Brazil is No. 1 in sugarcane, orange juice, beef and coffee bean production. It’s No. 2 in soybeans. It’s a pretty big corn producer. It has rivers loaded with fish from the Amazon to Rio Grande do Sul. Yet, it cannot keep food prices down.

The Brazilian economy cannot catch a break. Soybeans rose 9,3% in a month, mostly due to the United States. Brazil soy prices track Chicago soy futures, which are rising.

But local ground food items are doing even worse.

Over the last 12 months, the price of brown beans for example, a staple food item in Brazil, has risen 44%. Beans are an important component to Brazilian inflation, accounting for half a percent of the weighting.

On Friday, the government proposed eliminating tariffs on food products they import from Mercosul — namely wheat imported from Argentina. Prices of food in Brazil are on the way up, regardless of its strong harvests this season. If you’re going to Pão de Açucar for some chicken and a bag of Tio João, bring some extra reais.

Brazil’s IGP-M index has agricultural goods rising 1.25% in June, after declining 2.22% in May. Inflation remains stubborn.

Nomura Securities sees inflation struggling to come in below 6% this year. The Central Bank will be wary of that and keep rates steady to higher in the months ahead. That, coupled with a depressing global outlook again and continued protests in Brazil over a stubbornly high cost of living with little to show for it, bodes poorly for Brazil investors.

The iShares MSCI Brazil (EWZ) exchange traded fund may finally fall below $40. Investors need to be wary of this market going forward.

Check out my latest e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain".

The book is available on Amazon and Kindle for $4.99 USD. Visit amazon/Kindle to order now:
http://www.amazon.ca/Social-Media-Marketing-Agri-Foods-ebook/dp/B00C42OB3E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364756966&sr=1-1

Friday, 21 June 2013

HERSHEY CANADA PLEADS GUILTY IN CHOCOLATE PRICE-FIXING CASE

Published June 21, 2013 in Food Product Design

Posted in News, Chocolate, Confectionery, Lawsuit, Regulatory, Financial Reports, Economics,International, Nestle, Costs, Candy

OTTAWA—Hershey Canada Inc. has admitted to conspiring to fix prices of chocolate confectionery products in 2007, a law enforcement bureau in Canada announced Friday.

Canada's Competition Bureau (Bureau) said Hershey was fined $4 million for its role in the case.
Earlier this month, the Bureau announced that criminal charges had been brought against Nestlé Canada Inc.; Mars Canada Inc.; ITWAL Limited (ITWAL), a national network of independent wholesale distributors; Robert Leonidas, former President of Nestlé Canada; Sandra Martinez, former President of Confectionery for Nestlé Canada; and David Glenn Stevens, President and CEO of ITWAL.

Due to Hershey's cooperation in the investigation, and its willingness to cooperate with any subsequent prosecution, the Bureau said it recommended to prosecutors that the company "receive lenient treatment."

In a statement June 6, Hershey revealed that it would plead guilty to one count of price fixing related to communications with competitors in 2007.

"Hershey Canada promptly reported the conduct to the Competition Bureau, cooperated fully with its investigation and did not implement the planned price increase that was the subject of the 2007 communications," Hershey said.

According to the Bureau, "Hershey admitted that it conspired, agreed or arranged to fix the price of chocolate confectionery products in Canada in 2007."

"Hershey further admitted that, in 2007, senior employees acting within the scope of their authority at Hershey communicated with other members of the alleged cartel to exchange competitively sensitive pricing information about chocolate confectionery products in Canada," the Bureau stated.

Check out my latest e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain".

Thursday, 20 June 2013

What is gluten? And other frequently asked questions about gluten

Gluten causes problems for some people. Here's a look at that protein, where it's found and gluten-free diets.

A selection of gluten-free products show the variety of food available for those avoiding gluten. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times / May 14, 2013)

Ads by Google

"600 Gluten-Free Recipes"Make food so good you won't believe it's Gluten-Free! 600+ Free Recipeswww.GlutenFreeClub.com
Gluten Free Banana BreadQuick and Easy Banana Bread Recipes From Living Without Magazinewww.LivingWithout.com

May 18, 2013

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein that is found in certain grains, including wheat, barley and rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).

What problems prompt people to avoid gluten?

Gluten causes inflammation of the small intestine in people with celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disease diagnosed with a blood test or biopsy; other symptoms include digestive problems, anemia, fatigue, headaches and joint pain. Avoiding gluten is the treatment, though there is no cure. Left untreated, celiac disease can lead to severe intestinal damage and osteoporosis, among other conditions.

Other people have a less severe sensitivity that may be anallergy to wheat, or what's called non-celiac gluten sensitivity that causes such symptoms as digestive discomfort.

What foods contain wheat?

In addition to such obvious foods as breads and cakes, many products may have wheat in them. For people avoiding gluten, it's important to read labels. Some unlikely sources of wheat include processed meats, seasoning mixes, snack foods, soups and sauces, salad dressings, medications and supplements. In addition, people who are particularly sensitive need to avoid foods produced in facilities in which wheat products are made.

Are there risks of a gluten-free diet?

Many grain products in U.S. supermarkets are enriched withiron, thiamine, niacin, folate and other nutrients. People who eat gluten-free should check with a professional to make sure their diets are healthful.

What grains are gluten-free?

Gluten-free grains include rice, cassava, corn, millet, buckwheat, sorghum, amaranth and quinoa.

— Mary MacVean

Sources: Celiac Disease Foundation, Mayo Clinic, "Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook" by Leslie Cerier

Check out my latest e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain".

HEALTH ALERT: VEGETABLE FATS SLASH PROSTATE CANCER DEATH RISK BY 26%

VEGETABLE FATS SLASH PROSTATE CANCER DEATH RISK BY 26%

June 11, 2013

Posted in News, Science & Research, Diet, Nutrition, Nutraceuticals, Demographic, Healthy, Healthy Foods, Functional Foods, Fats/Oils, Vegetable, Fruits / Vegetables, Cancer, Immunity, Immune Health,Nuts

Olive Oil

SAN FRANCISCO—Replacing 10% of calories from carbohydrates with healthy vegetable fats, such as such as olive and canola oils, nuts, seeds and avocado, is associated with a 29% lower risk of lethal prostate cancer and a 26% lower risk of death from all-cause mortality in men, according to a report published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Nearly 2.5 million men in the United States currently live with prostate cancer and another quarter-million men are expected to be diagnosed this year. One in six men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime, yet little is known about the association between diet after diagnosis and prostate cancer progression and overall mortality.

Erin L. Richman, Sc.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues at UCSF examined fat intake after a diagnosis of prostate cancer in relation to lethal prostate cancer and all-cause mortality. The study included 4,577 men diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer between 1986 and 2010 who were enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

Researchers noted 315 lethal prostate cancer events and 1,064 deaths during a median (midpoint) follow-up of 8.4 years. Replacing 10% of calories from carbohydrates with vegetable fat was associated with a 29% lower risk of lethal prostate cancer and a 26% lower risk of death from all-cause mortality, according to the study results.

“In this prospective analysis, vegetable fat intake after diagnosis was associated with a lower risk of lethal prostate cancer and all-cause mortality," the researchers said, adding oils and nuts were among the top sources of vegetable fats in the study population.

Crude rates of lethal prostate cancer (per 1,000 person-years) comparing the highest and lowest quintiles of fat intake were: 7.6 vs. 7.3 for saturated; 6.4 vs. 7.2 for monounsaturated; 5.8 vs. 8.2 for polyunsaturated; 8.7 vs. 6.1 for trans; 8.3 vs. 5.7 for animal; and 4.7 vs. 8.7 for vegetable fat. For all-cause mortality, crude death rates (per 1,000 person-years) comparing the highest and lowest quintiles of fat intake were: 28.4 vs. 21.4 for saturated; 20.0 vs. 23.7 for monounsaturated; 17.1 vs. 29.4 for polyunsaturated; 32.4 vs. 17.1 for trans; 32.0 vs. 17.2 for animal; and 15.4 vs. 32.7 for vegetable fat, according to the study results.

“Overall, our findings support counseling men with prostate cancer to follow a heart-healthy diet in which carbohydrate calories are replaced with unsaturated oils and nuts to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality. … The potential benefit of vegetable fat consumption for prostate cancer-specific outcomes merits further research," the authors conclude.

Interestingly, the findings support evidence from a different study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that concluded no link exists between vegetable oil consumption and circulating indicators of inflammation that are often associated with diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, asthma and arthritis. The researchers conducted one of the most thorough studies on linoleic acid—an omega-6 fatty acid that is a major component of most vegetable oils—questioning whether this fatty acid promotes inflammation in humans. When the evidence from numerous clinical trials was gathered and examined, they said it was clear that linoleic acid consumption did not promote inflammation in healthy people.

(JAMA Intern Med. Published online June 10, 2013. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.6536. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)

Sources:

UCSF: Men With Prostate Cancer Should Eat Healthy Vegetable Fats

Check out my latest e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain".

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

ATTENTION TOMATO LOVERS - LYCOPENE-RICH DIET REDUCES PROSTATE CANCER RISK

LYCOPENE-RICH DIET REDUCES PROSTATE CANCER RISK

June 14, 2013

Posted in News, Science & Research, Tomato, Fruits / Vegetables, Healthy, Healthy Foods, Immunity, Immune Health, Diet, Nutrition, Cancer, Carotenoids, Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, Demographic,Vegetable, Antioxidant

CHICAGO—Men who eat large amounts of lycopene-rich tomatoes and tomato products may reduce their risk of prostate cancer, according to a new study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

Scientists from the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy studied the effects of the red carotenoid lycopene by treating human prostate cells with either a concentration containing lycopene or a placebo for 48 hours. After the treatment, researchers found proteins most affected by lycopene were involved in antioxidant responses and had anticancer effects.

Data collected in the study is also consistent with past findings, indicating lycopene can prevent cancer in human prostate cells.

Further reviews of the study suggest uncertainty of whether the lycopene itself or its metabolites offer the cancer benefits, indicating additional research is required to prove use of this carotenoid prevents prostate cancer.

A March 2012 study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found tomatoes and tomato products may have more health benefits than previously thought and decrease the risk of cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Studies also show a diet high in vegetables and fruits, as well as low in fat and excessive meat and dairy consumption, may prevent and manage prostate cancer.

Check out my latest e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain".

What changes now that doctors have declared obesity a 'disease'?

By Anna Gorman and Melissa Healy

June 19, 2013, 6:20 a.m.

Does it really matter if the medical establishment calls obesity a “disease” instead of a chronic health condition or a disorder?

It’s a question doctors and public health experts are considering in the wake of Tuesday’s vote by members of the American Medical Assn. to upgrade obesity to “disease” status.

They believe that the answer is yes.

“This will make a difference” in the treatment that obese patients get, said Dr. Rexford Ahima of University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. “I would imagine it would cause the insurance companies to think again” about paying for weight-loss treatments, just as they do for smoking-cessation programs, Ahima said.

Harold Goldstein, executive director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, agreed that it could prompt health insurers to expand coverage of nutrition counseling to help people who are overweight or obese. Calling obesity a disease also could boost efforts to remove junk food from schools and pass taxes on sodas, he said.

More broadly, Goldstein said, it “will bring additional awareness of the importance of the obesity and resulting diabetes epidemic and will encourage all of us to think about what we can do to change the culture in which we live.”

AMA declares obesity a disease

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an adult is obese if his or her body mass index is 30 or higher. For the sake of comparison, a person with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered to have a healthy weight, while a person with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is overweight.

BMI for adults is calculated by taking your weight (measured in kilograms) and dividing it by the square of your height (measured in meters). For those who prefer standard measurements, measure your weight in pounds, divide it by the square of your height measured in inches, and multiply the result by 703. You can also skip the math and find your own BMI by plugging a few numbers into this BMI calculator.)

Obesity in and of itself isn’t necessarily a health problem. But people who are carrying enough extra pounds to qualify are more likely to develop other problems that can be life-threatening, including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer, among others.

The AMA vote could lead to more doctors taking obesity more seriously, said Susan Babey, a senior researcher at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

But as the AMA’s own Council on Science and Public Health noted, the new classification could have some drawbacks. Calling obesity a disease may suggest to patients that the problem can be fixed with medical treatment, Babey said. “There are things that we know help, but there is no single cure,” she said.

The new label also has the potential to make obesity more stigmatizing for patients, Babey added.

In a background report it prepared in advance of the vote, the AMA council warned that "'medicalizing' obesity could intensify patient and provider reliance on (presumably costly) pharmacological and surgical treatments to achieve a specific body weight.” It could also “detract from creative social solutions” to foster healthy behavior on the part of all Americans, the council wrote.

California Department of Public Health spokesman Matt Conens said it was too early to know how the AMA’s decision would impact his agency's work. But he said its staff would continue working to “raise awareness about the harm and dangers related to obesity.”

Check out my latest e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain".

HEALTH ALERT: AMA declares obesity a disease

AMA declares obesity a disease

Published in the LA Times June 19, 2013

The move by the American Medical Assn. board means that one-third of adults and 17% of children in the U.S. have a medical condition that requires treatment.

The American Medical Assn. voted Tuesday to classify obesity as a disease, a decision that should prompt doctors to get more aggressive about helping patients maintain a healthy weight. (AFP PHOTO/RONALDO SCHEMIDT / June 18, 2013)

Ads by Google

KLM Royal Dutch AirlinesCheck our special offers at KLM.com Book direct and save on flights!www.KLM.com/Canada
mini Gastric Bypass $480NO surgery! makes your stomach size small Nowmini-Gastric-Bypass.me

By Melissa Healy and Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times

June 18, 2013, 9:43 p.m.

The American Medical Assn. voted Tuesday to declareobesity a disease, a move that effectively defines 78 million American adults and 12 million children as having a medical condition requiring treatment.

The nation's leading physicians organization took the vote after debating whether the action would do more to help affected patients get useful treatment or would further stigmatize a condition with many causes and few easy fixes.

In the end, members of the AMA's House of Delegates rejected cautionary advice from their own experts and extended the new status to a condition that affects more than one-third of adults and 17% of children in the United States.

"Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue that affects approximately 1 in 3 Americans," said Dr. Patrice Harris, an AMA board member.

Tuesday's vote is certain to step up pressure on health insurance companies to reimburse physicians for the time-consuming task of discussing obesity's health risks with patients whose body mass index exceeds 30. It should also encourage doctors to direct these patients to weight-loss programs and to monitor their often-fitful progress.

The federally funded Medicare program, which insures an estimated 13 million obese Americans who are over 65 or disabled, already covers the costs of "intensive behavioral therapy" for obese patients, as well as bariatric surgery for those with additional health conditions. But coverage for such obesity treatments has been uneven among private insurers.

Insurers who are members of the California Assn. of Health Plans cover many services to treat medical conditions associated with obesity, including bariatric surgery anddiabetes, said President and Chief Executive Patrick Johnston.

The AMA's decision essentially makes diagnosis and treatment of obesity a physician's professional obligation. As such, it should encourage primary care physicians to get over their discomfort about raising weight concerns with obese patients. Studies have found that more than half of obese patients have never been told by a medical professional they need to lose weight — a result not only of some doctors' reluctance to offend but of their unwillingness to open a lengthy consultation for which they might not be reimbursed.

Past AMA documents have referred to obesity as an "urgent chronic condition," a "major health concern" and a "complex disorder." The vote now lifts obesity above the status of a health condition, disorder or marker for heightened risk of disease — as high cholesterol is for heart disease, for instance.

"As things stand now, primary care physicians tend to look at obesity as a behavior problem," said Dr. Rexford Ahima of University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. "This will force primary care physicians to address it, even if we don't have a cure for it."

The new designation follows a steep 30-year climb in Americans' weight — and growing public concern over the resulting tidal wave of expensive health problems. Treatment of such obesity-related illnesses as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers drives up the nation's medical bill by more than $150 billion a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Projected increases in the obesity rate could boost that figure by an additional $550 billion over the next 20 years, a recent Duke University study concluded.

In laying out the case for and against the redefinition of obesity, the AMA's Council on Science and Public Health argued that more widespread recognition of obesity as a disease "could result in greater investments by government and the private sector to develop and reimburse obesity treatments."

The Food and Drug Administration, which has approved just two new prescription weight-loss medications since 1999, would probably face increased pressure to approve new obesity drugs, spurring new drug development and more widespread prescribing by physicians, the council noted.

"The greater urgency a disease label confers" also might boost support for obesity-prevention programs such as physical education initiatives and reforms to school lunch, the council added. In addition, it speculated that "employers may be required to cover obesity treatments for their employees and may be less able to discriminate on the basis of body weight."

But the council also said that making obesity a disease could deepen the stigma attached to beingoverweight and doom some patients to endless nagging — even if they were otherwise healthy or had lost enough weight to improve their health.

It might also shift the nation's focus too much toward expensive drug and surgical treatments and away from measures to encourage healthy diets and regular exercise, the council wrote in a background memo for AMA members.

Dr. Daniel H. Bessesen, an endocrinologist and obesity expert at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, called the AMA's shift "a double-edged sword." Though the semantic change may reflect "a growing awareness that obesity is not someone's fault," he worried that "the term disease is stigmatizing, and people who are obese don't need more stigmatizing."

melissa.healy@latimes.com

anna.gorman@latimes.com

Check out my latest e-book entitled: "Social Media Marketing in Agri-Foods: Endless Profit and Painless Gain".

This Day in History

This Day in History
provided by The Free Dictionary

Today's Birthday

Today's Birthday
provided by The Free Dictionary

In the News

In the News
provided by The Free Dictionary

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day
provided by The Free Library

Spelling Bee

Spelling Bee
provided by The Free Dictionary

Match Up

Match Up
provided by The Free Dictionary

Hangman

Hangman
provided by The Free Dictionary

Challenges in Agri-foods & Supply Chain

Pages

Monday, 24 June 2013

Agricultural Powerhouse Brazil Can't Contain Rising Food Bill

Agricultural Powerhouse Brazil Can't Contain Rising Food Bill

Friday, 21 June 2013

HERSHEY CANADA PLEADS GUILTY IN CHOCOLATE PRICE-FIXING CASE

HERSHEY CANADA PLEADS GUILTY IN CHOCOLATE PRICE-FIXING CASE

Thursday, 20 June 2013

What is gluten? And other frequently asked questions about gluten

What is gluten? And other frequently asked questions about gluten

Gluten causes problems for some people. Here's a look at that protein, where it's found and gluten-free diets.

HEALTH ALERT: VEGETABLE FATS SLASH PROSTATE CANCER DEATH RISK BY 26%

VEGETABLE FATS SLASH PROSTATE CANCER DEATH RISK BY 26%

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

ATTENTION TOMATO LOVERS - LYCOPENE-RICH DIET REDUCES PROSTATE CANCER RISK

LYCOPENE-RICH DIET REDUCES PROSTATE CANCER RISK

What changes now that doctors have declared obesity a 'disease'?

What changes now that doctors have declared obesity a 'disease'?

HEALTH ALERT: AMA declares obesity a disease

AMA declares obesity a disease

The move by the American Medical Assn. board means that one-third of adults and 17% of children in the U.S. have a medical condition that requires treatment.

Followers

Blog Archive