Spice

Seasonings prepared mainly from tropical plants. Spices are generally more pungent than herbs and have a strong flavor. They may represent seeds, roots, stems, or bark, depending on which part of the plant is the most aromatic (spicy). In contrast, herbs generally utilize most of the plant. The following are representative: Allspice and red PEPPER come from the dried fruits; CLOVES from dried flower buds; cinnamon from bark; MUSTARD from seeds; black pepper from dried berries; GINGER and horseradish from roots; SAFFRON from dried flower stigmas. Spices are among the oldest FOOD ADDITIVES; the amounts used to flavor food are too small to contribute significant nutrients, although they stimulate digestion. Certain oils possess preservative or antioxidants effects.

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Breakfast Cereal

Breakfast cereal is a food prepared from grains, wheat, corn, rice, and oats that is served hot or cold at breakfast. The basic ingredients of cold, ready-to-eat breakfast cerealshave remained unchanged from the 19th century; only the processing of grain and the packaging has changed. Some brands may add other grains, such as barley, quinoa, or amaranth. Most flour used inbreakfast cereals is bleached. Grain is processed by being pressed into feeders, shredded, and formed into biscuits, extruded into a shape that appeals to the consumer, or “pulped.”

The label on breakfast cereals supplies nutritional information based on a serving size, usually 1 ounce or only a quarter-cup. When estimating the actual amounts consumed by individuals, it is important to multiply the sodium, fat, and sugar content by the number of servings actually eaten. Pouring half a cup of whole milk on a bowl of cereal adds 4 grams of fat and 75 extra calories. Skim milk adds 45 calories and no fat. Each adds 4 grams of protein.

Various additives are also used during processing, including sweeteners (including table sugar or corn syrup), salt, flavorings, preservatives, vitamins, or minerals. Nuts and raisins are other nutritious additions to breakfast cereals. There is no nutritional need to add sugar (sucrose) to cereals, and several varieties do not contain added sugar: puffed rice, puffed wheat, and shredded wheat. These same cereals are the lowest in FIBER. At the other extreme are cereals designed to appeal to children’s attraction to sweets. Froot Loops and Apple Jacks (Kellogg); Count Chocula (General Mills); and Fruity Pebbles, Super Golden Crisp (Post) provide about 13 grams (2.5 teaspoons) of sugar per ounce of cereal. Many other cereals contain more than 300 mg of sodium per ounce (more than potato chips). Often cereals with the most sugar contain the least salt.

The fiber in ready-to-eat breakfast cereals is mainly wheat bran, which is essentially insoluble fiber. The body needs both the insoluble and soluble forms of fiber provided by a balanced diet. At the top of the list of high-fiber cereals are All Bran (Kellogg) with extra fiber and Fiber One (General Mills), which provide 12 to 13 g of fiber per ounce. Other bran cereals provide 5 to 6 g of fiber per ounce. Some bran-enriched cereals also contain sugar, however. The amounts of fiber in other typical cereals made with refined flour and without bran are: cold oat cereals, 0.9 per cup; crisp rice, 0.12 g; corn flakes, 0.4 g. With the growing consumer awareness of the importance of whole grains, GRANOLAS have become popular. These typically contain vegetable oil to make them tastier. Thus a cup of commercially prepared granola can easily provide 600 calories or more. Such granolas often contain saturated fats and coconut and palm oils, although they can still be described as “100 percent natural cereal” on the label.

Hot breakfast cereals prepared from whole grains include oatmeal, creamed wheat, creamed rice, corn grits, and whole wheat cereals. Unless fortified, the levels of calcium, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin in these cereals are generally less than in fortified, ready-to-eat cereals. On the other hand, hot cereals contain much less sodium, unless it is added during preparation. Only the quick cereals, which are simply added to hot water, contain substantial amounts of salt (240 to 260 mg sodium per packet). The fiber content varies depending upon the grain. Oatmeal or rolled oats provide 9.2 g of fiber per cup in a mixture of soluble and insoluble types of fiber. At the other end of the scale is creamed wheat, which provides much less fiber, 0.37 to 0.64 g per cup.

http://www.englisharticles.info/2012/03/25/breakfast-cereal/

Food Coloring

Natural Food colors are derived from plants, insects, and, historically, even minerals. Plant colorings approved by the U.S. FDA include ANNATTO, BETA-CAROTENE, PAPRIKA, SAFFRON, and TURMERIC. Their colors range from yellow to red. Caramel and roasted cottonseed flour create brown colors. Powdered algae, yellow corn oil, and tagetes (Aztec marigold) are added to chicken feed to yellow chicken skin and augment the color of egg yolk. Fruit JUICES and vegetable juices can be used to color foods. As examples, grape extract can be used to create purple-red foods, dehydrated beets contribute a dark red, while carrot oil and a related plant pigment CANTHAXANTHINE create orange-colored foods. Insect pigments appear rarely. Carmine comprises 10 percent of the extract of cochineal insects; about 2,000 pounds are used annually in the United States.

Certain inorganic compounds are approved by the U.S. FDA as coloring agents. Ferrous gluconate develops a black color in ripe OLIVES, and titanium oxide can be used up to 1 percent in foods as a whitener. Sodium NITRITE contributes pink color to processed meats like HOT DOGS and HAM and processed meat products, but it is considered a preservative. Only about 5 percent of food coloring currently being used is derived from natural products. The rest represents artificial dyes, synthesized from petroleum products. Careful studies (lasting more than a year) have not been carried out on most of these plant-derived coloring agents. While there is no evidence so far that they are in any way harmful, the question of their long-term safety remains unanswered.

http://www.englisharticles.info/2012/12/26/food-coloring/

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High Cancer Risks for Fukushima Residents

The World Health Organization reports that Japanese residents who lived near the Fukushima nuclear reactor are at a higher risk of getting cancer.  An earthquakeand tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people also destroyed the Fukushima nuclear reactor and set radiation free. Thousands of people had to leave their homes.

The WHO says it is unclear how many people were exposed to high levels of radiation but those living in the area had a higher risk of developing cancer in their lifetime. Especially smaller children may develop thyroid cancer.

The organization also reports that leukemia, breast cancer may also go up. The report suggests that females are more likely to develop cancer than males. In addition, about a third of the emergency workers wereexposed to radiation after the accident.

The World Health Organization emphasizes that there is no health risk to the rest of the Japanese population. However, people who live in the Fukushima area should be observed over a longer period.

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