Posted: January 19, 2010 at 4:48 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Have you seen those cool commercials for the new campaign, Fuel Up to Play 60, where football players are running and playing with school kids? They are aimed to get kids moving and staying fueled for play with a healthy, balanced diet. Wisconsin Ag Connection just released an article about this program. Check it out.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has joined a campaign to fight and defeat childhood obesity in cooperation with the NFL, National Dairy Council, multiple health organizations and several major corporations. The campaign, known as Fuel Up to Play 60, is funded with an initial private sector financial commitment of $250 million over five years by America’s Dairy Farmers. Funding is expected to grow as government, business, communities and families join this effort to improve nutrient-rich food choices and achieve 60 minutes of physical activity each day among children. More than 58,000, or 60 percent, of the nation’s 96,000 private and public schools are currently enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60.
Posted: December 4, 2009 at 5:03 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Wow, what a positive message about dairy as a healthy part of a well-balanced diet! As shared by WLWT News in Omaha, Neb., athletes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are now downing chocolate milk after practice, and they are liking the taste and the results they are getting from that glass of power and strength. What a great story! Check it out!
The strength coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha has switched his athletes to chocolate milk from sports drinks, a move supported by mounting research that shows the childhood standby drink provides superior muscle recovery, KETV in Omaha reported. With its protein and sugar content, chocolate milk has been shown to rebuild muscles and replenish the body after strenuous workouts. In the past, UNO athletes have chugged pricey, carbohydrate-packed drinks after workouts. Now, Roberts Dairy supplies 1,600 cartons of chocolate milk a week at a low price.
“It’s good for your stomach, it’s good for your bones and it tastes good. I like it,” said UNO track and field athlete Madison Haugland.
Posted: November 17, 2009 at 4:13 pm
By News Editor
A joint press release from National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) addresses the need for the regulation of raw milk production facilities.
Although unpasteurized, or raw, milk products pose a significant food safety hazard, facilities producing these products are not covered by any of the food safety regulations proposed so far this year by Congress. These facilities also remain exempt from existing regulations enforced by all states, which are know as the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), that set the standard for maintaining the safety of the nation’s milk and milk product supply. Cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that have been aged to eliminate the risk of food borne illnesses are not considered raw milk products.
IDFA and NMPF have asked senators planning to mark up key food safety legislation next week to rectify this omission. In a letter to Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Michael Enzi (R-WY), the committee’s ranking member, the dairy groups called for requiring all facilities producing raw or unpasteurized milk products for direct human consumption to register with FDA and adhere to the tried-and-true food safety requirements that are followed by all other facilities producing milk products.
IDFA and NMPF support the proposed “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act” and urge the senators to expand the regulations to include facilities producing raw milk products for direct human consumption. In addition, the dairy groups would like the bill to recognize that state inspections of dairy facilities under the PMO already meets necessary food safety requirements and no duplicate functions are warranted.
Posted: November 3, 2009 at 6:51 pm
By Amanda Nolz
A featured article at the Dairy Site, Predicting Changes for Parasite and Vector Induced Animal Diseases, discusses climate change and the livestock industry. Eric Hoberg, an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) zoologist at the Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, discusses how climate change could have a major influence on animal health, by affecting parasites and vectors that spread disease. This is an interesting read for anyone in the dairy cattle industry. Check it out.
Climate change can alter an animal’s relationship with parasites and vectors. These changes can influence where parasites and vectors thrive, making certain geographical regions more or less amenable to them. Climate change can also alter when and for how long parasites and vectors pose a threat to agricultural animals. Climate can determine how pathogens are distributed, transmitted and evolve, and can influence the factors associated with emerging disease and how animals respond to those diseases. Significant environmental changes have been well documented in recent decades, and some of these changes are causing trouble for livestock.
Dr. Eric Hoberg is one of many ARS scientists investigating the probable impact of climate changes on agricultural parasites and virus vectors. Their research is generating information that could help producers prepare for and respond to heightened disease threats.
In one study, Dr. Hoberg collaborated with several Canadian scientists to investigate the influence of climate change on parasitic lungworms known as Protostrongylus stilesi in Arctic mammals. Although the lungworms had never before been observed in muskoxen, the scientists observed them in muskoxen that share habitat with Dall’s sheep. Environmental changes that bring the two animals into contact more frequently could result in larger parasite populations.
World Dairy Diary coverage of World Dairy Expo is sponsored by:
There were a record 755 companies exhibiting at World Dairy Expo this year, which made it difficult to visit them all, but we did what we could!
One booth I visited was Arm and Hammer Animal Nutrition where I talked with president Curt Siverling who says it has been a challenging year for them along with the rest of the dairy industry, since they are primarily a dairy nutrition focused company. Curt says the economic situation has forced many producers to make some “irrational ration decisions” that will eventually have to be reversed. “What’s encouraging to us, however, is even in this very difficult time, we continue to get dairymen to begin using some of our products for the first time,” Curt said. AH offers seven different branded products, starting with the original sodium bicarbonate buffer where the company started, all of which they back up with university studies that prove return on investment for producers.
Listen to my interview with Curt here:
I also stopped by the Novartis Animal Health booth to talk about Healthy Heifer™, a new heifer management program designed to maximize the long-term value of dairy replacement heifers through established health and management protocols. Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Doug Scholz says they just launched this program last month. “We try to take a full management approach,” Doug says. “They need to use reproductive vaccines, vaccines to prevent calf scours, but really the program is much deeper than that. Doing the proper nutritional management, proper animal husbandry management, proper deworming – its really an encompassing program.”
Novartis feels that veterinarians need to be the knowledge source for producers, so the program requires the involvement of the herd veterinarian for enrollment. Listen to Doug explain more about Healthy Heifer here:
World Dairy Diary coverage of World Dairy Expo is sponsored by:
A global event like World Dairy Expo is a natural fit for a global company like Novus International. “It really fits with the vision of Novus,” says Stephanie Gable, Novus Global Marketing Manager. “One of the things we concentrate on at Novus is actually feeding the world. We want to make sure that we can provide the ingredients to help our customers do a better job of feeding protein to the world. So, we’re here talking about a variety of products that help to increase milk protein, milk fat, milk volume, can help with immunity issues – all for the dairy producers.”
Northeast U.S. sales manager Suzy Demeester says they have a “three legged stool” of products for dairy producers. “ALIMET is the foundation of our products, it is a methionine analog that increases milk production, improves components and also has some health effects,” Demeester says. “We’ve got AGRADO Plus, which is a blend of dietary antioxidants that really helps keep the cows in balance with their oxidative stress, and then MINTREX, a chelated brand of minerals that has a special methionine component to it that also helps contribute to the improvement in component production.”
Demeester says they recently conducted a trial with all three products that resulted in an increase of 10 pounds of milk per cow, plus improvement of components, decrease in somatic cell count and overall profitability improvement for the producer.
Listen to my back-to-back interviews with Stephanie and Suzy from World Dairy Expo here:
Posted: September 30, 2009 at 3:29 pm
By News Editor
The National Dairy Council (NDC) is excited to announce the launch of its new blog, “The Dairy Report: News, analysis and opinion on nutrition and health research.” This new blog offers expertise, opinions and dialogue related to current trends and events in dairy foods, nutrition and science.
A new post on The Dairy Report highlights a study that provides further evidence that milk consumption, including flavored milk, is not associated with body fatness in children and adolescents. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that only sweetened beverage intake (such as sweetened fruit flavored drinks or sodas) at five years of age, but not milk, flavored milk or 100 percent fruit juice, was a significant predictor of girls’ body fatness from 5 years to 15 years.
Readers are encouraged to add The Dairy Report to their RSS feeds, join the e-mail distribution list, share feedback, express opinions regarding posts, and call attention to upcoming research or topics of interest.
Posted: September 26, 2009 at 6:01 am
By Amanda Nolz
Charlotte Johnston with TheDairySite offers up some tips for efficiently dealing with lameness in dairy cows, including a reference for mobility scoring by DairyCo. Here is an excerpt from her article, “Tackling Lameness Efficiently.”
The mobility of cows refers to the ability of the cow to walk with a regular gait, without factors of lameness having an adverse effect on the walking pattern.
Poor mobility in cows can cost farmers an average of £180 per case through lost milk sales, treatments and productivity according to research by DairyCo. It is estimated that 25 per cent of the national herd are lame at various levels at any one time. Simon Hopcraft, a foot trimmer in Northampton believes that the incidence of lameness is twice what it was when he started trimming feet back in 1992.
Mobility scoring allows stockmen to assess the levels of lameness of individual animals in the herd and allows for early intervention and treatment if necessary.
Calling all chefs and bakers! Get your favorite recipes shined up and ready to go for this upcoming contest. Check out the details, and let me know if you enter! I would love to share your recipes!
Beginning today, everyday home cooks from Maine to Rhode Island have extra incentive to get creative with Hood(R) dairy products with the launch of the “Hood New England Dairy Cook-Off” contest. The contest gives amateur cooks a chance to share their best recipe featuring Hood dairy products and demonstrate their skills at a live cook-off in front of hundreds of people — with a $10,000 grand prize on the line.
“For more than 160 years, Hood dairy products have been a staple in New England kitchens and an important ingredient in everything from comfort food to culinary masterpieces,” said Lynne Bohan, Hood spokesperson. “We’re inviting home cooks to share those great recipes that their family and friends have enjoyed and get a chance to win a $10,000 payday for their creativity.”
To enter, log onto HoodCookOff.com and submit your best Hood dairy recipe by October 2nd. Five semi-finalists from each of the six New England states will be selected to compete head-to-head at a televised cook-off being held at the Ocean Gateway terminal in Portland, Maine, on November 1st, 2009.
“The live cook-off is an exciting element to this contest where we’ll get to see the 30 semi-finalists create their dishes and compete for the $10,000 grand prize. We’re eager to see how the cream rises to the top — so to speak!” added Bohan.
There will be five semi-finalist categories: breakfast/brunch; soups/chowders; appetizers/side dishes; lunch/dinner (entree); and dessert. Each recipe submitted must include at least one of the following Hood products: Hood Milk, Hood Simply Smart(R) Milk, Hood Cream, Hood Country Creamer(R), Hood Sour Cream, Hood Cottage Cheese, Hood Buttermilk, Hood EggNog or Hood Calorie Countdown(TM). Judging will be based on taste, presentation/appearance, and creativity/originality.
New evidence suggests that children who consume dairy products may have a lower mortality rate compared with those who do not, according to research to be published in the journal Heart. A 65-year follow-up of a study into the eating habits of families carried out in the 1930s found that dairy products and a diet high in calcium made a difference to how long people lived.
“My father used to say milk was the only true, natural drink,” said Eifion Huws, dairy committee chairman at the Farmers Union of Wales.
In one of the first studies, in 1937-39, the food consumption of children from 1,343 families in England and Scotland were assessed from seven-day household food inventories. The data came from the Carnegie (“Boyd Orr”) survey of diet and health in pre-war Britain.
Now researchers in Bristol and Brisbane, Australia, have carried out a 65-year follow-up study to discover what happened to 4,374 of these children between 1948 and 2005. By 2005, 1,468 (34%) of them had died, including 378 deaths due to coronary heart disease and 121 deaths due to stroke. The researchers looked at two main causes of deaths – stroke and cardiovascular disease.
While warning that other factors may play a part, such as socioeconomic differences, they concluded: “Children whose family diet in the 1930s was high in calcium were at reduced risk of death from stroke.
“Furthermore, childhood diets rich in dairy or calcium were associated with lower all-cause mortality in adulthood.”
Another recent review, in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, made similar findings. It found that dairy products conferred an “overall survival advantage” against vascular disease, diabetes and cancer.
Judith Bryans, of the Dairy Council, said the findings were clear: people who are well nourished will be healthier.
“It has long been known that calcium plays an essential in maintaining normal blood pressure and that in turn is important in terms of reducing risk of stroke and heart disease. Milk, cheese and yogurt also provide potassium, another mineral essential for normal blood pressure.”
Here’s some positive media coverage to perk up your Tuesday! Kathleen Blanchard RN is an Examiner from Charlotte who gives “calcium credit” where it’s due: dairy products. Here is an excerpt from her latest blog post…
Eating foods fortified with calcium, or taking calcium supplements may not be as good as dairy intake say Purdue researchers. The team of scientists studied differences in bone health, comparing those rats a nutritious diet supplemented with calcium carbonate with rats given dairy products that contain calcium.The results showed that dairy intake is best for maintaining bone health. Longer, stronger bones were found among the rats given dairy.
The research concluded that consuming dairy products early in life and continuing throughout life is the best way to keep bones strong and reduce risk of osteoporosis, fracture and disability associated with aging.
Professor Connie Weaver, head of the food and nutrition department at Purdue University says, “A lot of companies say, if you don’t drink milk, then take your calcium pills or calcium-fortified food. There has been no study designed properly to compare bone growth from supplements and milk or dairy to see if it has the same effect. We found it was an advantage having milk or dairy while bones were growing over calcium carbonate, and it protects you later in life.”
Young people tend to cut down on bone-strengthening dairy products as they enter their 20s — just when their body needs it most, new research finds. In a study by researchers at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, a majority of the 1,500 participants reduced their calcium intake in high school and the years immediately following high school. More than half of the males and more than two-thirds of the females consumed less than the daily recommended level of calcium at the end of each of those time periods, the researchers found
Because human bone mass peaks when a person is in their 30s, consuming sufficient amounts of calcium, protein and vitamin D — all found in dairy products — during the teen and young-adult years is considered key to lowering the risk of osteoporosis and some other health issues in later life. About 1,300 mg of calcium a day is recommended for high school-aged children and 1,000 mg a day for young adults, according to a news release from the journal.
Increased availability of milk at mealtime, a proper attitude and approach to weight, health and nutrition, and a taste for milk were linked to greater consumption of calcium during these critical years, the study authors noted. Excessive television watching and lactose intolerance were tied to lower calcium levels.
“The findings of this study indicate that future interventions designed to promote improvements in calcium intake should encourage the families of adolescents to serve milk at meals,” the team concluded in their report. The authors also suggested that specific efforts target concerns particular to each sex.
I would like to extend many congratulations to Brittany Arnold, the recent crown winner of the Frederick County Dairy Princess contest in Frederick, MD. Arnold is a sophomore agriculture education student, who is incredibly passionate about the dairy industry. Arnold will compete along with other regional princesses for the title of Maryland Dairy Princess at 7:30 p.m. July 15, at the Francis Scott Key Holiday Inn in Frederick . (Photograph courtesy of photography Sam Yu)
For all past and present dairy promoters, what did you like about your time serving the dairy industry? What did you learn? What can be done to encourage the next generation to get involved in dairy production and promotion? What are your thoughts? The Frederick News-Post released an article about Arnold titled, Young educator takes on new role as dairy promoter, and here are the highlights from the story…
As part of the competition, Arnold presented a skit, based on “The Wizard of Oz,” she will use to educate the public about the industry during her reign. As Dorothy, she carried Betsy the cow as she traveled down the Yellow Brick Road of cheese. Instead of Oz, Arnold found herself in Dairyland, where she said rivers of chocolate milk flowed and rose petals were made of butter. Arnold explained the path milk takes from farm to tank to truck to plant, and the processes the beverage undergoes to ensure its safety.
In her various roles as a dairy promoter, she has visited various schools and child care centers with her dairy animals, given milk toasts touting the beverage at meetings and events and presented speeches at her school, Penn State University, on the importance of the dairy industry.
“I don’t think I’ll ever stop preaching that chocolate milk does not come from brown cows,” she said.
Improved milk quality on the farm can reduce costs, increase profits, improve animal health and give pride to producers. Pfizer Animal Health now offers a Dairy Wellness Plan that focuses on the health of the dairy cow and her calf, the economic health of the dairy operation and appropriate use of animal health products leading to a safe and healthy food supply. Interested? Ag Weekly Online recently published an article on this program, and here is a little bit of information about it and how it can assist you.
Improved milk quality on the farm can often enhance the profitability of your dairy through premiums paid by your milk processor, reduced veterinary bills and fewer treatment expenses. Reviewing your milk quality efforts can help improve your bottom line over time and help you produce better dairy products for consumers to enjoy.
“Milk quality can be measured through somatic cell counts (SCC) or standard plate counts,” said Bradley Mills, DVM, Pfizer Animal Health. “When reviewing your milk quality program, look at the milking machine cleanup routine as well as the cow’s care and environment. These all play a factor in improving milk quality.”
Connie Weaver, distinguished professor and head of the food and nutrition department, found that the bones of rats fed nonfat dry milk were longer, wider, more dense and stronger than those of rats fed a diet with calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is the most common form of calcium used in calcium-fortified foods and supplements.
Weaver said the study, funded by the National Dairy Council, is the first direct comparison of bone properties between calcium from supplements and milk.
“A lot of companies say, ‘If you don’t drink milk, then take our calcium pills or calcium-fortified food,’” Weaver said. “There’s been no study designed properly to compare bone growth from supplements and milk or dairy to see if it has the same effect.”
Data from Purdue’s Camp Calcium, a research effort that studies how calcium and other nutrients affect bone growth, show that between the ages of 9 and 18 people require 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day for optimal bone growth. This is the equivalent of about 4 cups of milk or yogurt or the equivalent from cheese or other sources, Weaver said. After the age of 9, due mostly to peer pressure, the gap between the calcium youths need and actually get widens, she said.
The study involved 300 rats that were divided into two groups. For 10 weeks, the rats were given all the nutrients they require, but one group was given dairy and the other was given calcium carbonate as the source of calcium.
After 10 weeks, the bones of 50 rats from each group were measured for strength, density, length and weight.
“We found those measurements were up to 8 percent higher for those who had milk over calcium carbonate,” Weaver said.
The study also found a strong effect of having dairy as a calcium source followed by periods of inadequate calcium.
Over a second 10-week period, the remaining rats were fed as adults. Half of those were given adequate calcium as carbonate or milk. The other half were switched to half as much calcium as recommended, but were given calcium carbonate.
“This is comparable to humans who, during their early growth, drink a lot of milk to the age of 9 to 11, or maybe even adolescence, but then get only half as much milk calcium as they need after that,” Weaver said. “Some take calcium supplements, but few adults get adequate calcium.”
Weaver said the study showed the rats raised on dairy still had advantages over those who were given calcium carbonate even later when they were given half enough calcium as dairy or calcium carbonate.
“We found it was an advantage having milk or dairy while bones were growing over calcium carbonate, and it protects you later in life,” Weaver said.
She is not sure why dairy is better, but said further study is needed.
“I think this will spark some people to want to figure out what it is about milk that gives it an advantage,” she said.
“It’s not due to increased calcium absorption. It’s more about protecting against bones losing calcium, according to our results of calcium metabolism. Bones are in constant turnover, especially when they are growing. Youth need to have bone formation outweigh bone loss.”
This newly released study has a huge potential for dairy products – what a great idea! Instead of a dreaded injection with a needle, someday getting vaccinated against disease may be as pleasant as drinking a yogurt smoothie.
A researcher from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has developed a new oral vaccine using probiotics, the healthy bacteria that are found in dairy products like yogurt and cheese. He has successfully used the approach in a preclinical study to create immunity to anthrax exposure. He also is using the method to develop a breast cancer vaccine and vaccines for various infectious diseases.
This new generation vaccine has big benefits beyond eliminating the “Ouch!” factor. Delivering the vaccine to the gut — rather than injecting it into a muscle — harnesses the full power of the body’s primary immune force, which is located in the small intestine.
“This is potentially a great advance in the way we give vaccines to people,” said Mansour Mohamadzadeh, the lead author and an associate professor of medicine in gastroenterology at the Feinberg School.
“You swallow the vaccine, and the bacteria colonize your intestine and start to produce the vaccine in your gut,” Mohamadzadeh said. “Then it’s quickly dispatched throughout your body. If you can activate the immune system in your gut, you get a much more powerful immune response than by injecting it. The pathogenic bacteria will be eliminated faster.”
Most vaccines consist of protein and won’t maintain their effectiveness after being digested by the stomach. However, the lactobacillus protects the vac. The Northwestern study was reported in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
There are other advantages to the new oral vaccine. Probiotics, which are natural immune stimulators, eliminate the need for a chemical in traditional vaccines that inflames the immune system and triggers a local immune response. The chemical, called an adjuant, may cause side effects such as dizziness, arm swelling and vomiting. Probiotic vaccines also are inexpensive to produce.
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) wants to remind you that milk is the leading source of vitamin D. Did you “Get Your D” today? Visit MilkPEP’s new website to find out if you are “D-prived”, to explore the latest scientific research about vitamin D, and to ask the expert – Ellie Krieger, Registered Dietitian and Food Network host.
Even though we have the ability to make our own vitamin D when the ultraviolet rays of the sun hit our skin, many Americans fail to get enough vitamin D. In fact, vitamin D deficiency in this country is being called a silent epidemic. The prudent use of sunscreen, sun-blocking pollution and long, cold winters indoors are partially to blame. That’s why it’s even more important to look to your diet for vitamin D.
Milk is one of the few food sources of vitamin D. In fact, it’s the leading source of vitamin D in the American diet. The recommended three 8-ounce glasses of lowfat or fat free milk provide 75 percent of the daily value for vitamin D. Milk also provides eight other essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium and vitamin A, which many Americans also lack.
Vitamin D was once known as simply a bone builder. It’s true that vitamin D works with calcium to keep bones strong, but new and emerging research suggests vitamin D may be far more versatile, offering an array of health benefits. Some preliminary research suggests vitamin D may support a healthy immune system, heart health, normal blood pressure and healthy aging. And, ongoing research continues to explore the potential connection between vitamin D and certain diseases, including some cancers.
The benefits were mostly associated with foods high in calcium, rather than calcium tablets. Prior studies have produced conflicting results.
But because of its huge size — 492,810 people and more than 50,000 cancers — the new study presents powerful evidence favoring the idea that calcium may somehow keep cells from becoming cancerous, said University of North Carolina nutrition expert John Anderson, who wasn’t involved in the study.
The new research involved food questionnaires from participants and a follow-up check of records for cancer cases during the subsequent seven years. This research method is less rigorous than some previous but smaller studies.
National Cancer Institute researcher Yikyung Park, the study’s lead author, called the results strong but said more studies are needed to confirm the findings.
Duke University nutrition researcher Denise Snyder said the results support the idea that food rather than supplements is the best source for nutrients.
Participants were AARP members aged 50 to 71 who began the study in the mid-1990s. A total of 36,965 men and 16,605 women were later diagnosed with cancer. There were more than 10 different kinds of cancer, the most common being prostate, breast, lung and colorectal.
Compared with people who got little calcium, those who consumed the most had the lowest chances of getting colon cancer.
Those in that highest category got on average 1,530 milligrams a day among men and 1,881 milligrams daily among women. The recommended amount for older people is 1,200 milligrams, and getting much more than that didn’t result in any greater protection. Adults can get that amount from four cups of milk or calcium-fortified orange juice.
Men who got the most calcium from food were about 30% less likely to get cancer of the esophagus, about 20% less likely to get head and neck cancer and 16% less likely to get colon cancer, when compared to men who got low amounts of calcium.
Among women, those who got the most food-based calcium were 28% less likely to get colon cancer than low-calcium women.
In men, calcium supplements only seemed to help protect against colon cancer; for women, supplements meant a lower risk for liver cancer, which is rare.
Posted: February 19, 2009 at 7:46 pm
By News Editor
Seems like everyone is pinching dollars these days, even on their grocery bill. The farmers of Cabot Creamery Cooperative are sharing their money saving meal solutions!
Put a hearty, healthy meal on the dinner table for less money than you thought possible. Cabot Creamery Cooperative offers real solutions for every day of the week — a tasty menu of delicious, health-conscious recipes that will feed a family of four for less than ten dollars a meal!
“Nobody can argue that plummeting milk prices mean that the farm- family owners of Cabot Creamery Cooperative are painfully aware of just how difficult it is to make ends meet these days,” says Roberta MacDonald, senior vice president of marketing for Cabot. “And they also know the value of a hard-earned dollar and how to put great food on the table for their families. That’s why we’re sharing some of our farmers’ favorite recipes – each one feeds a family of four for less than ten bucks. These recipes are healthy, tasty, and they’ll make you feel full and satisfied.”
Posted: November 28, 2008 at 6:39 pm
By News Editor
Traces of the industrial chemical melamine have been detected in samples of top-selling U.S. infant formula, but federal regulators insist the products are safe. The Food and Drug Administration said last month it was unable to identify any melamine exposure level as safe for infants, but a top official said it would be a “dangerous overreaction” for parents to stop feeding infant formula to babies who depend on it.
“The levels that we are detecting are extremely low,” said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “They should not be changing the diet. If they’ve been feeding a particular product, they should continue to feed that product. That’s in the best interest of the baby.”
Previously undisclosed tests, obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, show that the FDA has detected melamine in a sample of one popular formula and the presence of cyanuric acid, a chemical relative of melamine, in the formula of a second manufacturer. Separately, a third major formula maker told AP that in-house tests had detected trace levels of melamine in its infant formula.
The three firms: Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson, manufacture more than 90 percent of all infant formula produced in the United States. The FDA and other experts said the melamine contamination in U.S.-made formula had occurred during the manufacturing process, rather than intentionally.
The U.S. government quietly began testing domestically produced infant formula in September, soon after problems with melamine-spiked formula surfaced in China.
Sundlof said there have been no reports of human illness in the United States from melamine, which can bind with other chemicals in urine, potentially causing damaging stones in the kidney or bladder and, in extreme cases, kidney failure.
Melamine is used in some U.S. plastic food packaging and can rub off onto what we eat; it’s also contained in a cleaning solution used on some food processing equipment and can leach into the products being prepared.
The concentrations of melamine [found in China] were extraordinarily high, as much as 2,500 parts per million. The concentrations detected in the FDA samples were 10,000 times smaller _ the equivalent of a drop in a 64-gallon trash bin.
“We’re talking about trace amounts right here, and you know there’s a lot of scientific bodies out there that say low levels of melamine are always present in certain types of foods,” said McBean.
Have you seen those cool commercials for the new campaign, Fuel Up to Play 60, where football players are running and playing with school kids? They are aimed to get kids moving and staying fueled for play with a healthy, balanced diet. Wisconsin Ag Connection just released an article about this program. Check it out. 
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