Tartrazine or FD&C Yellow 5 is an approved synthetic organic dye found in many food products as a food coloring; it is lemon in color and water soluble. Some common products containing tartrazine are soft drinks, carbonated drinks, ice cream, ice pops, jam, jelly, gelatin, mustard, yogurt and noodles.

In the late 1970s a number of documented cases were determined to be a reaction to tartrazine manifesting in asthma attacks. This led to the US government changing the food labeling laws to list all dyes on food labels.

An easy way to see if an oil or food contains satfat is in its hardness at room temperature.

For an example… remember the white hard ‘stuff’ left in your frying pan after the bacon is long gone? Yes you are correct, its the dreaded satfat. So what is the answer Annie, you ask? If you need to eat those 3 strips of bacon you’re gonna have to skip the coconut oil shots!

Recently my grandson read and asked me if food companies add crushed bugs to their products for red color? He is right. It is considered a natural color and is actually beetle parts. You will see listed on the ingredient legend of the label as “cochineal” or “carmine.” It has been noted to be in some strawberry products like yogurt, that beautiful pink color comes from crushed bugs.

Read the label if you see cochineal or carmine, then its crushed bugs.

Research supports that DHA, when added to a baby’s diet at certain levels, can improve brain development and vision. Originally, believed to be true for preemies recent studies support a neurodevelopment role for DHA in term babies as well.

This past summer a new study found a connection between DHA exposure in infancy and resistance to upper respiratory infections later in childhood (abstract findings presented at the World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition).
The problem? No one knows exactly how much DHA a baby needs to support the brain and eye development. The American Dietetic Association has suggested that infant formula contain at minimum 0.20% of its fatty acid content as DHA. And surprising The American Academy of Pediatrics is silent.

Do children need DHA in their baby food? The answer is not really known. The acceptance of minimum levels in infant formula is increasing and believed its presence to be associated with improved brain development and vision. At this time there is no evidence that adding more to baby food is advantageous.

A few examples to watch for: food starches, high fructose corn syrup and ever pizza dough. When is doubt contact the company who manufactures the food in question. Generally there will be contact information on the label.

Every year millions of Americans have allergic reactions to food. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the percentage of children having food-allergy reactions is somewhere between 4% to 6%  and adults at just under 2%. There are two main risk factors associated with food-allergy reactions. One factor is having an existing family history or having a close relative with a food-allergy. The second is having another allergic condition like asthma or hay fever. 

There are eight foods that account for 90% of all food-allergy reactions in the United States. And they are cow’s milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts like walnuts, pecans or almonds, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat or gluten. Someone who is diagnosed as lactose intolerant can not digest dairy products [cow's milk] because their body does not make enough lactase. Celiac disease is a genetic disorder that makes a person gluten intolerant. Gluten is a type of protein that is commonly found in rye, wheat and barley therefore can be found in many cereals and breads.

If any one of  The Big Eight food-allergens is used as an ingredient in a product by law must be listed on the label. A facility handling any of one of these food-allergens must, also by law, be listed on all product labels produced at that facility even if it is not an ingredients in the product . It is typically phrased ‘manufactured in a facility that processes… [milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy or gluten]. Often companies will list label bursts that state ‘lactose free’ or ‘gluten free’ to market their products to the targeted food-allergy conscious consumer.

 In the end, its a great habit to develop… to read all food labels. Keep in mind they want you to buy their product so many companies find a ambiguous way of writing food labels… but not when it comes to the Big Eight!

The nutritional value of sea, table and kosher salts are all the same … the difference lies in their taste and texture. The harvest of sea salt is through the evaporation of seawater, table salt is mined from rock salt and kosher salt is made by compacting granular salt.  All are fully refined with an end result of sodium chloride.

Table salt contains iodine which is necessary for normal thyroid function and often contains anti-caking agents … “when it rains it pours” too young to remember that, huh? There is no evidence that the additives in table salt are harmful. Supporters of sea salt believe it has a slightly different taste because in comes from the Sea and prefer sea salt because it does not contain iodine or other additives. But don’t worry you can find iodine naturally in many other foods. And then there’s kosher salt … my people tell me lots of chefs are using kosher salt in cooking and baking; its structure dissolves easily, it gives a pure flavor  but mostly it enhances the overall flavor of the food. And it too contain no additives.

Sodium is not all bad, it has a purposeful function;  it balances the pH level in our body, regulates the level of water in our body, and is important in nerve conduction. The recommended intake for a healthy adult is between 1500mg-2200mg daily.

In foods, salt brine dehydrates bacterial cells, alters osmotic pressure which inhibits bacterial growth stopping spoilage.

Substitutions: 1/2 tsp. rock salt = 3/4 tsp. kosher salt = 1 tsp. table salt

Stop… you say and break out the copper sauté pan, start up the KitchenAid and turn on the oven, dinner’s in 10 minutes?! Well, no. Many supermarkets and specialty shops are now offering slow food… like sliced fruits, chopped vegetables, and whole baked chickens to cut your prep time down.

Food on the go is very common and the convenience of drive-through windows adds to our faster paced life-style. But fast foods usually contain more calories, unwanted fats, added sugars and carbs.

By adopting this lifestyle you will have more control over portion sizes and weight management. Instead of selecting the fast food window, get out of your car and walk into the food store, kids in tow! Kids love to go shopping too. So slow down, and enjoy your food, enjoy those loved ones around your dinner table by preparing and eating Slow Food.