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Food Awareness
What Does it Mean to Eat Seasonal?
 Seasonality of food refers to the times of year when a given
type of food is at its peak, either in terms of harvest or its
flavor.
 This is usually the time when the item is the cheapest and
the freshest on the market. The food's peak time in terms of
harvest usually coincides with when its flavor is at its best.
Benefits of Eating Seasonal and Local
 By purchasing local foods in-season, you eliminate the
environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of
miles.
 Your food dollar goes directly to the farmer.
 You know where your food is coming from.
 Its cheaper!!
 You will be able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh,
unprocessed fruits and vegetables. And it simply tastes better!
Seasonal and Local Foods of
Wisconsin
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http://www.farmfreshsewi.org/pdf/produce_calendar.pdf
http://www.foxcitiesevents.com/farmers-markets
http://www.eatwild.com/products/wisconsin.html
http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?pd=Home
Organic
 USDA Consumer Brochure: Organic Food Standards and Labels:
The Facts
 “What is organic food? Organic food is produced by farmers
who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the
conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental
quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs,
and dairy products come from animals that are given no
antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced
without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made
with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering;
ionizing radiation or chemical ripening.
Organic
 “100% organic” - single ingredient such as a fruit, vegetable,
meat, milk and cheese (excludes water and salt).
 “Organic” - multiple ingredient foods which are 95 to 100%
organic.
 “Made with organic ingredients” - 70% of the ingredients are
organic. Can appear on the front of package, naming the
specific ingredients.
 “Contains organic ingredients” - contains less
than 70% organic ingredients.
USDA, 2010
Benefits To Buying Organic
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Organic produce contains fewer pesticides.
Organic food is often fresher.
Organic farming is better for the environment.
Organically raised animals are NOT given antibiotics,
growth hormones, or fed animal byproducts.
http://www.helpguide.org/life/organic_foods
_pesticides_gmo.htm
The Dirty Dozen
Disadvantages of Buying Organic
 Organic foods can cost between 15-20% more than
conventionally produced foods.
 Organic markets also have inefficient systems for production,
distribution, and sales, which can result in slower moving
products. This means that organic products often have more
time to age, causing them to be of lesser quality.
 Organic foods may not be available during any given season
http://www.spu.edu/depts/fcs/newsletter/articles.html
Does Organic = Healthy??
 Moosewood’s Mac & Three Cheeses
 390 cal, 8 gms sat fat
 365 Organic (from Whole Foods) Cheese Lasagna has
more than half a days’ worth of sat fat
 Kellogg’s Organic Frosted Mini-Wheats
 20% sugar by weight
 Organic potato chips still has same amount of fat as
regular chips
Natural
 The FDA has no standards on what a “natural”
product is although the Food Safety and Inspection
Service of the USDA requires ‘natural’ to be:
 free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners,
preservatives and ingredients not naturally occurring in
the food.
Free Range or Cage Free
 Certified Humane: The birds are un-caged inside barns or warehouses but may be kept
indoors at all times. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting,
perching and dust bathing
 Animal Welfare Approved: The highest animal welfare standards of any third-party
auditing program. However, there are no participating producers that sell to
supermarkets.
 Cage-Free: As the term implies, hens laying eggs labeled as "cage-free" are un-caged
inside barns or warehouses, but they generally do not have access to the outdoors.
 Free Range: denotes a method of farming where the animals for at least part of the day,
can roam freely outdoors, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each
day.
HSUS, 2009
Grass Fed
 Grass (Forage) Fed – Grass and forage shall be the feed source
consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant animal, with the
exception of milk consumed prior to weaning*.
 The diet shall be derived solely from forage consisting of grass,
forbs (e.g., legumes, Brassica), browse, or cereal grain crops in
the vegetative (pre-grain) state. Animals cannot be fed grain or
grain byproducts and must have continuous access to pasture
during the growing season*.
 Eatwild.com
USDA, 2010
Growth Hormones and Antibiotics
 Since the 1950s, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has approved a number of steroid hormone drugs for use in
beef cattle, chicken, pig and sheep, including natural
estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and their synthetic
versions. These drugs increase the animals’ growth rate, the
efficiency by which they convert the feed they eat into
meat, and the leanness of their meat.
 These steroid hormone drugs are formulated as pellets that
are placed under the skin on the back side of the animal’s
http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyh
ear.
ealth/productsafetyinformation/ucm055436.
htm
Growth Hormones and Antibiotics
 Since the 1950s, it has become routine practice to add low
levels of antibiotics to the feed or water of healthy poultry,
cattle, and swine to promote faster growth and prevent
infections that tend to occur when animals are housed in
crowded, unsanitary, stressful conditions.
What to look for:
 Look for antibiotic and hormone-free meat and dairy
products at your supermarket. If they don’t have it,
ask them to carry it. Foods that carry the “USDAcertified organic” label cannot contain any artificial
hormones. Can also buy organic meat products.
 Buy directly from the farmer. This is the best way to
be sure there are no hormones or antibiotics in your
food.
Food Additives
 Avg American consumes 150 pounds food
additives/year (usually sugar and sweeteners)
followed by salt, vitamins, flavors, colorings*
 Avoid eating foods with additives you
cannot pronounce
Food Additives
 Added sugars, saturated and trans fats
 Contributes to inflammation and disease
 Sodium nitrate – used in lunch meat, bacon, etc
 Linked to several cancers
 BHA/BHT – used to extend shelf life and
preserve freshness by retarding rancidity in oils
 "reasonably anticipated
to be a human
carcinogen." by US Dept
of Health
Food Additives
 Food Coloring
 May promote tumor growth as well as
hyperactivity in children
 Monosodium Glutamate
 May cause headaches and nausea
 “fake” fat (olestra)
 Can cause indigestion and
intestinal distress due to
malabsorbtion. May block absorption of fat soluble
vitamins
Videos:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enwU5jIXSlU