• About 10 percent of the juices that CR sampled (from five brands) showed arsenic levels that “exceeded federal drinking-water standards. Most of that arsenic was inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen.”
• 25 percent of samples had lead levels “higher than the FDA’s bottled-water limit of 5 ppb. As with arsenic, no federal limit exists for lead in juice.”
• We’re getting a large portion of our arsenic exposure from apple and grape juice. CR called the juices, “a significant source of dietary exposure to arsenic,” according to its analysis of federal health data from 2003 through 2008.
• Kids are drinking a heck of a lot of juice. According to a CR parents poll, 25 percent of kids under five drink more juice than their pediatricians recommend.

Consumer Reports says the source of the arsenic and lead is contaminated apple orchards. Soil is contaminated due to a number of reasons, For example, arsenic-based pesticides that were used in the past are still hanging around. Plus, there’s plenty of arsenic and lead in the environment from things like the production of pressure-treated wood.  Even more significant, I think, (and something the CR article points out, too) is the fact that much of our apple juice is made from concentrate that comes from China, a country that still uses arsenic-based pesticides.

I have always had a few rules about juice. First, anything my kids drank had to be 100 percent juice — no high fructose, sugar-added junk for us. Second, it had to be organic. Finally, juice was an occasional thing. We drink it sparingly at playdates, at mommy-and-me classes, and always watered it down in a 2-to-1 ratio of water to juice.

These rules, I assumed, would keep my girls healthier. We would avoid pesticides and reduce our risk of obesity. After all, juice is way better than the other options out there — aside from water, of course. Two separate 2010 studies out of Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Baylor College of Medicine seemed to support my theory.

One study found that children between the ages of two and five who drank 100 percent fruit juice had “significantly” higher daily intakes of vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium and “significantly lower intakes of added sugars compared to non-fruit juice consumers.” Juice drinkers, for some reason, also ate more whole fruits and whole grains. The other study — of children ages six to 12 — had similar results. Kids who drank juice took in more key nutrients and ate more dietary fiber, according to the study. In addition, “overall diet quality, as assessed by the Healthy Eating Index — a measure that evaluates conformance to federal dietary guidance — was higher in all fruit juice consumers assessed.”

Great. Juice is good for adults, too, as studies have found that it can reduce the risk of some cancers and is beneficial to cardiovascular health. Except, of course, when the juice contains carcinogens. So what’s a parent to do? I plan on sticking to water or orange juice for a while, or limiting my purchases to apple and grape juices that are organic and clearly marked, “Made in the U.S.A.” How about you?

The urge for stuff is so strong that, about a week ago, I sat down and made a list of a few things that I tell myself would enrich my life. Silly stuff, really. A stainless steel coffee grinder. Some spin shoes. Tiny speakers for my iPod. An eco-friendly large coffee mug for my morning joe. A 33-ounce French press so I can make coffee for friends. A solar watch. (The band on my old watch broke and I don’t trust any jewelers enough to leave it anywhere.) A small stainless steel strainer. Nothing that expensive, really. Just things that, at this moment in time, I covet.

I have to admit it feels weird to want stuff, and I’m not sure where it’s coming from. It’s been a long time since I made a Christmas list of more than one or two things. I tend to avoid asking for specific items, preferring to find what I need (I never really want things) at thrift stores or on sale. I have been so resolute in my no-stuff goal that I end up bringing back most of the stuff people buy me, which tends to make people mad, but I digress. I got so used to going without, I guess, that it’s really hard for me to spend money on myself — or allow anyone else to spend it on me. It’s so weird and foreign to me that here I am, writing a blog about it.

I’m wondering if it’s because I finally feel like I am worthy of presents? Or maybe my obsessive fear of being poor again is waning. Or maybe it’s just that I see everyone else in my spin class with clip on shoes and I want to feel that same rush of speed. I really don’t know. But what I do know? I’ve got some cleaning to do to make room for my new stuff because if my family doesn’t come through I’ll be shopping for myself on December 26th.

Thanks to the Candy Professor for letting me use this photo, which shows the with-artificial-colors, without-artificial-colors difference.

A fellow Twitter pal clued me in that the New England Confectionery Company, the company behind NECCO Wafers, decided to go back to its old recipe — and all the artificial colors that used to be in it. I confirmed the news by reading this piece, Customer Outrage Forces Necco To Put Artificial Ingredients Back Into Wafers on NPR’s blog, although this was announced back in May at the Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago, according to Samira Kawash, (AKA the Candy Professor). She wrote a blog about it in the spring.

In a nutshell: The company in 2009 made the switch from using artificial colors and flavors to natural ones. From the NPR blog:

“Instead of artificial dyes and colorings, the revamped Necco wafer used natural colorings made from turmeric , red beets, purple cabbage, and cocoa powder. The company also replaced the artificial flavors in some of the wafers with natural flavors.”

People hated it, according to company officials, and complained. Meanwhile, sales dropped by 35 percent, according to reports, so the company switched back to the artificial stuff.

The Candy Professor was nice enough to provide an ingredients list for both the old and new version:

All natural: Sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, coco power, natural flavors, vegetable gums, natural colors (red beet, purple cabbage, turmeric, caramel color, paprika)

Original (aka chemically one): Same as above with citric acid and artificial flavors, Yellows 5 & 6, Blue 1, Red 3, Red 40

I can remember eating NECCO wafers as a child, but I really wonder if they contained artificial colors. I mean, they’ve been around since 1847. You’re not going to tell me that artificial colors were around back then. I would personally like to do my own taste test. I wonder if there are any of the “natural” version left on store shelves?

In the meantime, I’m really sad that the company made the switch, especially since I suspect that the drop in sales had very little to do with the new colors. (As you can see from the above photo: the color difference is negligible, in my opinion.) I’d say it has to do more with choice, since even the “natural” version of the wafers is little more than formed sugar. With so many other yummy candy varieties on the market, maybe NECCO Wafers, a throwback to the nineteenth century after all, just doesn’t appeal to today’s consumers. I guess we’ll just have to see how the market shakes out.

• as much Vitamin C as cup of blueberries
• as much iron as a cup of spinach
• as much calcium and Vitamin D as a glass of milk
• as much Vitamin A as an 8 ounce glass of tomato juice
• as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal
• as much Vitamin E as two glasses of carrot juice
• as much Vitamin B-12 as a cup of cottage cheese and fruit

Wow, I thought, a cookie that is actually healthy is probably something I would want to buy! I had to see the list of ingredients, though, since it sounded too good to be true. Unfortunately, it was. Every one of the four varieties (Chocolate, Crispy, Soft & Chewy, and Vanilla) contains artificial flavors, hydrogenated oils, and chemicals like monocalcium phosphate, monoglycerides, and polydextrose. (Polydextrose, according to Wikipedia, is “an indigestable synthetic polymer of glucose.” Ugh.) The Soft & Chewy version lists high fructose corn syrup as its third ingredient. Have a look at the ingredients yourself.

The Twitter party, which was HUGE and well-attended, was a busy one, but the conversation didn’t reflect the fact that these cookies are basically plain old cookies that contain some not-so-great ingredients — with some added vitamins thrown in. Instead, the hosts played up a health and nutrition angle. Most of the questions, in fact, were directly related to nutrition such as: What is your best tip for ensuring your child has a nutrition-rich diet? Do you worry your athlete is not getting enough vitamins and minerals in their diet? How do you celebrate the end of a (sports) season? What does your athlete eat after a game? What type of food would you take to your child’s game or a team party? Have you ever struggled with being asked to be the Team Snack Mom?

Attendee comments during the two-hour Twitter party were all over the place, but most were very enthusiastic. One attendee/host suggested dunking WhoNus into milk to get a “double” vitamin boost. (“When you dunk a Whonu in milk its like getting double the vitimans.”) Another said she likes crumpling up the cookies into Greek yogurt. Yet another said how happy she was that cookies were finally a healthy food. Exact words: “It is nice they are nutritious.” Sigh.

My take away from this is how smart the folks at WhoNu’s parent company Suncore Products are. They are marketing these cookies as part of a healthy, active lifestyle. Moms, who may not have the time or gumption to look at the ingredients, are falling for the hype hook, line, and sinker. And that’s one of the biggest problem I have with these cookies: Parents are being lulled into thinking they are doing something good for their kids when in reality they are simply giving them a highly processed food that just happens to have vitamins in it. Oh, and the fact that all those parents are probably playing up the vitamin angle when giving them to their kids, who will then learn to equate cookies with healthy food. I’d have fewer problems with them if Suncore Products removed all the artificial gunk and high fructose corn syrup. How about you?

This post is how I am participating in this week’s Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday, two awesome blog carnivals dedicated to promoting the use and consumption of — what else? — real food. BTW: If you’re looking for a truly “healthy” cookie, why not bake some yourself? There are some great recipes out there. Try this one or this one or this one.

My soon-to-be delivered product and bread bags look beautiful -- and they are made in the U.S.A.

My house is pretty much a plastic-free zone. We’ve eliminated all Tupperware and plastic storage containers. I don’t use any Zip-Lock-type bags. I have reusable grocery bags. We don’t use plastic wrap, opting instead for glass containers with lids. We don’t have a single plastic cup. I even got rid of all the plastic utensils (aside from two my husband insists on keeping around). However, there were two holdouts from my plastic ban: bread bags and produce bags.

This weekend I set out to get reusable cloth bags that could be used for both. I checked on Amazon first. I found plenty of them available but they were either lined in plastic or manufactured in China. Two no-nos in my book. Then I took to Etsy.com. It was there that I hit the jackpot.

If you’re not familiar with Etsy: It’s billed as “Your place to buy and sell all things handmade, vintage, and supplies.” You can find everything from clothing to art to glassware to toys — it’s truly like a giant online craft fair. I searched for “reusable produce bags” and found more than 600 options available. Then I started narrowing things down. I wanted something without a stitch of plastic. I also wanted something that was light and washable. And it absolutely had to be made of materials from the U.S. or Europe — that was not negotiable. I picked about eight options and contacted the sellers, asking them where they sourced their materials.

A lot of people told me their materials were made in China. (How sad, BTW, that even stuff lovingly handmade here in the States starts out in some plant in Asia.) I was starting to think I’d never find anything when I heard back from the seller LoveForEarth, who, incidentally, has a feedback score of more than 2,700. A trustworthy seller, I figured. Here’s her word-for-word reply to my question: “Where is your fabric made?”

Hi, it is made in North Carolina. Thanks!

Wanting to make sure I heard her correctly (and that she read my note correctly), I sent a clarifying email:

Fabric that’s made in the USA? Really??? Just confirming that the fabric — not the bags — are made in the USA, and once I do I will go purchase them!

Her reply:

Amazing, isn’t it? There are still a fair amount of textile mills in the U.S., mostly in the South. I’ve managed to source both materials from the zipper bags and the produce bags from U.S. mills. Although they are more expensive, they are MUCH higher in quality.I’ve gotten to where I can tell the difference between some types of synthetic fabrics. Here’s a list I found of U.S.-based textile mills:

Textile Companies of United States of America which has been accumulated from various sources from the net.

1. Weave Corporation, USA
2. Van Lathem, Inc, USA
3. Triumph Geo- Synthetics, Inc, USA
4. The fabric Stock Exchange, USA
5. Textile Innovators Corp, USA
6. Textile Development Associates, USA
7. Taconic, USA
8. Sunsilks,Inc. USA
9. Sun Action Textiles, USA
10. Straus Knitting Mills, Inc, USA
11. Stratford Hall Textiles, USA
12. Somerset Fabrics, LLC, USA
13. Silberman Associates, USA
14. Satesa Corporation, USA
15. Safco Fabrics, USA
16. AST A. Sommer Textiles, USA
17. American Folk & Fabric, Inc., USA
18. American Ribbon Manufacturers, USA
19. American Spandex, Inc., USA
20. American Textile, USA
21. Angel Textiles, Inc., USA
22. Apparel Label, USA
23. Arc-Com Fabrics Inc., USA
24. Asheboro Elastics Corp., USA
25. Ashro Fabrics, USA
26. BNB International Textiles, Inc., USA
27. Bo-Tex Sales, USA
28. Bostik, USA
29. Brecon Knitting Mill, USA
30. Bruck Braid Company?, USA
31. CDS Company, USA
32. Carnegie, US
33. Celia Incorporated, USA
34. Central Shippee, Inc., USA
35. Crazy as a Loom Weaving Studio, USA
36. Custom Laminations, USA
37. David Rothschild Company, Inc., USA
38. Dazian, USA
39. Donaldson Filtration Solutions, USA
40. Fifield Inc., USA
41. Fisher Textiles, United States
42. Gemex, Corp. , USA
43. Gibson-Tex, Inc., USA
44. Gift Fabric, Inc, USA
45. Guilford Performance Textiles, USA

Success! I plunked down my $15.75 plus $1.85 for shipping my seven reusable produce bags, and here I sit waiting for them to come. Okay, maybe not literally waiting for them to come, but you know what I mean.

So what’s the point? There are healthier options out there. If you want to avoid plastic or whatever you’re not loving these days you just have to do a little legwork to find it. And, as an aside, bravo to sellers like LoveForEarth and to the tenacious mills that have stuck around here in the States. That’s what’s going to help drive our economy. I’m so happy to be doing my part.

From the press release:

“The comprehensive plan aims to help customers — especially families and children — make nutrition-minded choices whether visiting McDonald’s or eating elsewhere. Menu changes underway include the addition of more nutritionally-balanced choices that meet McDonald’s reputation for great taste and affordability, along with an increased focus on providing nutrition information that enable customers and employees to make simple, informed menu decisions.”

The one change that caught my eye was to the proverbial Happy Meal. (I say proverbial because I would be very unhappy if my kid ate one of those things.) The Happy Meal makeover means it has a smaller portion of French fries and everyone will automatically get a bag of apples. The change also includes two additional drink choices: “fat-free chocolate milk and 1% low-fat white milk.” The impact, according to the press release, is an “estimated 20 percent reduction in calories of the most popular Happy Meals, also reducing fat in those meals.”

The release goes on and on. You can check it out here. You can probably tell I am underwhelmed at the announcement, especially after reading the study out of Harvard University that found it’s not how much you eat, but what you eat that makes you fat. The New York Times did a great analysis of the study this past weekend. The bottom line: Certain foods are bad; other foods are good. Eat more of the bad foods and you’ll get fat. Eat more of the good foods and your weight will stay the same or go down. And guess what’s at the top of the “bad foods” list: French fries. From the story:

“Increased consumption of this food alone was linked to an average weight gain of 3.4 pounds in each four-year period. Other important contributors were potato chips (1.7 pounds), sugar-sweetened drinks (1 pound), red meats and processed meats (0.95 and 0.93 pound, respectively), other forms of potatoes (0.57 pound), sweets and desserts (0.41 pound), refined grains (0.39 pound), other fried foods (0.32 pound), 100-percent fruit juice (0.31 pound) and butter (0.3 pound).”

Whew. So, let’s look at a Happy Meal: Hamburger or chicken nuggets (both on the “bad” list, sugar-sweetened drink such as chocolate milk or soda (again, bad food), and apples. Looking at it that way is McDonald’s actually doing anyone a favor with this announcement? I think not.

Olives: Yummy trash-makers.

We don’t think about what happens during the food manufacturing process. At least it’s not something that’s top-of-mind for me. Consider olives, for example. They are yummy. They get used in a variety of dishes. Personally, I love cooking with them. And yet I never considered the fact that there are lots of pits created and left over during the canning process. Most companies just throw them out, sticking them into a landfill, however one company has found a way to convert the more than 15 tons of olive pits it ends up with each year into to carbon-neutral heat energy.

According to Musco Family Olive Co., which was recently awarded the honor of California 2011 Leader in Innovation in Energy and Agriculture by industry group Grow-California (it received the “Game Changer of the Year” Award in the category of Innovation in Energy and Agriculture), the company takes its pits and burns them. “Energy from the pits is used to evaporate waste water and to drive the largest industrial steam engine in the United States, at Musco’s Tracy, Calif. headquarters,” according to a company press release. Significant, since the company recycles more than 90 percent of its waste water to begin with.

This is huge because Musco Family Olive is one of the biggest olive suppliers in the U.S. garnering about 55 percent of the total marketshare. Musco buys nearly half of the 29,000 acre California olive crop, contracting with more than 250 growers.

Whenever I hear about a company that’s making big changes for the environment, I’m happy. When I see something like this — so large scale, so impactful — I’m really happy. Musco Family Olive is preventing 15 tons of garbage from ending up in a landfill. It is reducing its need for on-the-grid energy. It’s reducing the need for fresh water in an area that’s got an overtaxed water system. Bravo, Musco Family Olive! Hope more manufacturers take your lead.

I got a press release the other day touting a flavored water beverage called Hint. I had heard about it, but never tasted it. I figured it was just another beverage filled with artificial colors and flavors like the “water enhancer” MiO.

When I emailed a reply the PR woman, she assured me it was not what I thought it was. The company markets it as a zero calorie drink that also has zero sweeteners or preservatives, she said. It was not garbage. She asked if she could send three bottles for me to taste. I gave her my address, but I was completely skeptical.

It came in the mail yesterday. I looked at the label first. There, on the bottle of Pomegranate-Tangerine, was a short list of ingredients: purified water, pomegranate, tangerine and other natural flavors.

I opened the bottle. I tasted it. It was very subtle, but very good. Granted, I am much, much more likely to drink straight water out of a reusable stainless steel container, but at least this is something that, if I was out and about without my reusable water bottle, I could feel good about buying.

And that’s why I have a problem with the manufacturers of MiO and Kool-Aid and all those other traditional drink additives. If a company like Hint is able to put out a drink that tastes good and doesn’t dump artificial colors or sweeteners into my body, why can’t they? Good question, right?

I’ve had two negative comments on my post called MiO: Another Word for Chemicals. I didn’t approve them. One called me a hippie. The other said that MiO was GREAT, and it was getting the author to “drink eight glasses of water per day!” To me, they smacked of someone in PR trying to inject another opinion into a blog post about how awful the product is. So I am asking in all seriousness: Can someone answer my question? Why do companies need to use so much garbage in the manufacturing process.

This post is how I am participating in Real Food Wednesdays and Fight Back Fridays, two great blog carnivals to help people start eating better!

For those who want chemicals in their water.

I’m sure you’ve seen the commercial for MiO, the so-called “water enhancer.” The visually stunning spot starts with the camera focused on a clear glass of water. Suddenly, someone squeezes a few drops of MiO into it. The camera stays on the glass as the dyes and chemicals disperse in the water. The first time I saw it it reminded me of a junior high chemistry class — the one when you learn about concentrates.

My husband saw it for the first time last night. I was in the kitchen cleaning up. “Get in here,” he yelled, incredulous. “You’ve got to see this! It’s flavored food coloring for water!”

He’s right, of course. Today I went to the product’s Facebook page, and checked out the ingredients. Here’s what Kraft Foods Global, the manufacturer, has to say about it:

“MiO is sweetened with Sucralose, a calorie-free, artificial sweetener that is 600 times sweeter than sugar. Generally, non-nutritive sweeteners are calorie free in finished products because they impart high sweetness intensity and are needed only in very small amounts to give desired sweetness to a product. Artificial sweeteners provide sweetness without adding calories to help individuals watching their calorie and sugar intake. To maintain color and freshness, MiO does use certain preservatives and artificial colorings.”

Some, hu? The water additive contains Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Blue 1, Malic Acid, and Propylene Glycol. You all know how I feel about artificial colors and sweeteners. I’m not the only one who has problems with the ingredients, either. The folks on the product’s Facebook page have been complaining for a while not only about the artificial colors, but about the use of sucralose and acesulfame potassium — both artificial sweeteners.

One poster wrote:

“Ugh. I was kind of excited about this product until I saw all of the artificial coloring and use of sucralose.*sigh* maybe someday someone will get it right.”

Someone else wrote:

“I see a TON of comments the same as mine about using Stevia, etc. I don’t understand why companies still insist on using these “sugars” when people are becoming more conscious of what they are ingesting! The only reason to do it is for cost…. most of the market still buys soda for $1 a liter over some good ol green tea for much more than that. :0/ So, money is all it’s about I assume.”

Based on this feedback, and the fact that more and more people are waking up to the potential health problems these drinks contribute to, I’m thinking that MiO is going to do as well as New Coke. I predict it will be off the market by the end of the year. In the meantime: Kraft, what is WRONG with your R&D folks? As the many, many comments on your Facebook page confirm, you’d probably have a hit on your hands if you used natural plant-based coloring, natural sweeteners, and natural flavors. People are actually willing to spend money on stuff that tastes good and isn’t bad for them. I know I am.

But that brings me to another question: Why is Kraft pushing the idea that water is boring and needs enhancement? Me, I add a little splash of real fruit juice, or a squeeze of lemon, oranges, or another citrus fruit to my water if I’m in the mood for a little kick. I’m still saving a few bucks, and I get a little vitamin C in the process as well. How about you? What do you think of MiO and the other water additives out there?

This post is how I am participating this week in Real Food Wednesdays and Fight Back Fridays — two awesome campaigns to get people eating real food again.

What? No chemicals anymore? How refreshing!

I was in Target the other day shopping for Valentine’s Day cards for Little Girl. (Big Girl got more expensive, infinitely cooler cootie catcher cards.) As we were walking past an endcap, Little Girl spotted fishies, asking me to buy them. Knowing that the Pepperidge Farm pretzel Goldfish are one of my husband’s favorites, I tossed a bag into the cart. I was about to walk away when something caught my eye: the Goldfish Colors bag looked different. I picked it up to examine it closer and found the following item: Now colors from natural ingredients! Wow. Goldfish Colors have always been off-limits for us. I just won’t give my kids artificial food coloring, and Goldfish Colors had more than its share.

When I turned the bag around and saw the ingredients, though, I was surprised to see that all those artificial colors and numbers were gone. All the food dyes came from actual FOODS! The Blue 2, Red 40, and  Red 3 — all things that have been linked to a ton of negative effects in kids such as attention deficit and concentration problems — had been transformed into watermelon juice concentrate, beet juice concentrate, huito juice concentrate, and annatto extract. Aside from the fact that they are not organic, there was absolutely nothing in the ingredients that gave me pause. The kids, sensing an opening, asked for them. I complied.

This is a wonderful example of the marketplace responding to parental concerns. Pepperidge Farm all but acknowledged it in its August 25 press release: “Throughout the decades, families have trusted Goldfish crackers as a wholesome, fun and delicious snack that has evolved to meet the demands of the many Goldfish cracker fans around the world,” said Stephen White, Vice President Crackers. (Digression: Wow, what an interesting title!) “With the scrutiny surrounding artificial colors in foods, we were thrilled to be able to make this change in our Goldfish Colors crackers and introduce Goldfish Colors Neon using the same formula,” added White.

It’s also tangible evidence that we, as parents, have more power than we think. I’ve said it time and time and time again. Don’t like something? Vote with your wallets, tweet about it, post on Facebook, blog, call, email, write letters. Because as Pepperidge Farm shows us, yes, the food manufacturers are listening.

This post is how I am participating this week in Real Food Wednesdays and Fight Back Fridays — two awesome campaigns to get people eating real food again.