Michael Gove, Britain’s environment secretary, indicates that food made from genetically modified organisms will continue to be banned in the United Kingdom after Britain leaves the European Union. The US is expected to push for more GM-based foods to be sold in Europe.

The U.S. is putting Britian under intense political pressure drop the ban on GM foods after Brexit. In twenty years European Union scientists have deemed 40 GMO crops safe; but only a GM version of maize is grown, (grown in Spain for animal feed).

Mr Gove was asked by The Telegraph if GM food is more likely to be sold in the UK after Brexit, and if he would eat “chlorine-washed chicken,” which the US wants to export to the UK. He replied: “No and yes,” but then hastily, unsuccessfully, he attempted to cover for his admission, saying “but probably in whichever order you prefer”.

Earlier this month the US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross (Trump appointee) said that food regulations are among several “landmines” that may impede negotiations with the new trade deal. He said complying with EU food standards on GMOs and chlorine-washed chicken is problematic with trade negotiations. Mr Ross said that restrictions imposed by the EU were “really not science-based”.

We’re huge trading partners with each other and our economies are in many ways more similar to each other than either of us is to most of Europe.”

Recommended:

• Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

Sources:

• GM Crops Will Continue Banned Britain Brexit Says Michael Gove – Telegraph

It turns out that both the active and the inert ingredients in the world’s most common herbicides can produce antibiotic resistance. A team of researchers in New Zealand, building on their 2015 research that identified Roundup, 2,4-D, and dicamba as triggers for antibiotic-resistant Salmonella eterica and Escherichia coli, has found that this resistance occurred with doses below reasonable levels. According to the lead author of the study, Jack Heinemann, Ph.D., University Canterbury’s School of Biological Sciences,

The sub-lethal effects of industrially manufactured chemical products should be considered by regulators when deciding whether the products are safe for their intended use…These products are sold in the local hardware store and may be used without training, and there are no controls that prevent children and pets from being exposed in home gardens or parks. Despite their ubiquitous use… herbicides may be undermining the use of a fundamental medicine-antibiotics.”

Recommended: How to Detoxify From Antibiotics and Other Chemical Antimicrobials

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz5MYfpzoJA

To achieve these findings, scientists first exposed S. eterica to pure dicamba, glyphosate, and 2,4-D. The bacteria were then treated with select antibiotics. The inert ingredients polysorbate 80 and CMC were applied to both S. eterica and E. coli, and they were treated with the same group of antibiotics, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, kanamycin, and tetracycline. The active ingredients had a more pronounced effect on the bacteria than the inert ingredients did, and the results, though varied, confirmed that these herbicides can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Related: Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases

These Herbicides are Everywhere

So what does this mean in the current quest to solve antibiotic resistance? The current push by scientists and medical professionals to find answers to this issue focus on the excessive use of antibiotic in factory farming. But glyphosate is found in the urine of 93% of Americans, and this doesn’t take into account the other herbicides tested here. Is everything in our current food system designed to undermine our health? Have we gone too far to come back?

Sources:

• WHO Says the World Will Run Out of Antibiotics Able to Treat Bacteria Superbugs – OLM
• Monsanto’s Roundup Causes Antibiotic Resistance—a Fact That’s Not Considered by Regulators – Alternet
• New research finds common herbicides cause antibiotic resistance – University of Canterbury

The yearly Food and Drug Administration report on the sale of “medically important” antibiotics for food-producing animals has been released, and it’s good news. For the first time since the FDA started tracking these sales in 2009, sales of medically important antibiotics have gone down. They decreased by 14 percent in 2016, and a new FDA policy makes it likely that the trend will continue.

Why Have Sales Dropped?

There has been a concentrated effort from the scientific and medical communities to bring awareness to the issue of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In 2017, the FDA asked manufacturers to stop selling medically important antibiotics for the use of animal farming. Though this policy request occurred past the deadline for the 2016 yearly report, it does coincide with Canadian and European pushes for livestock raised with fewer antibiotics. With the United States government beginning to take this issue seriously, the sale and use of medically important antibiotics will likely continue to decrease.

Recommended: How to Detoxify From Antibiotics and Other Chemical Antimicrobials

Baby Steps

There are still quite a few questions though. Without a massive overhaul of the factory farming system, farmers need something to replace these antibiotics. Non-antibiotic treatments are in the work, but data on how that could potentially affect humans hasn’t surfaced.

Another concern is the language continually being used – medically important antibiotics. One of the most important reported cases of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is the development of a colistin-resistant bacteria. Colistin was not considered a medically important antibiotic because of the kidney damage it causes, and the product only became medically important when other antibiotics were failing. According to the World Health Organization, there are not enough antibiotics being developed to deal with superbugs. What is the likelihood that one of the medically non-important antibiotics becomes medically necessary?

Related: What Causes Chronic Inflammation, and How To Stop It For Good

Using Data for the Greater Good

In addition to tracking sales, this is the first year that the FDA broke down the sale of antibiotics by animal type, giving a clearer picture of the relationship between food-producing animals and our medication. Restaurants and supermarkets have focused on delivering antibiotic-free chicken, and that’s reflected in the numbers. Poultry accounts for only 15 percent of medically important antibiotic sales, while swine and cattle account for 37 and 43 percent, respectively. It’s not clear that changes in restaurant policy have changed those figures, but it’s silly to think that the company that sells the 37 million nuggets a day doesn’t change the way that chicken is produced.

Related: How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System

Progress!

This report is a good sign for a couple of reasons. First, we have a more detailed breakdown of which animals are receiving more antibiotics. Secondly, all of the consumer pressure placed on corporations and governments for healthier options can actually have an effect. The free flow of information can bring about change, but we’re running out of time for that. Continued progress is a must.

Sources:

• For the First Time, Antibiotic Use in Farm Animals Drops – The Atlantic
• FDA Announces Implementation of GFI #213, Outlines Continuing Efforts to Address Antimicrobial Resistance – FDA
• WHO Says the World Will Run Out of Antibiotics Able to Treat Bacteria Superbugs – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Pressure’s on for on-farm alternatives to antibiotics – Calgary Herald

Monsanto Co says it will give cash back to U.S. farmers who purchase a controversial weed killer, XtendiMax with VaporGrip, a dicamba-based herbicide. The herbicide has been linked to widespread crop damage. Monsanto is offering the cash incentive even as regulators in several U.S. states are deciding on restrictions for its use. Federal and state regulators are requiring training for farmers and limiting when and how the product can be used. Some farmers are saying the restrictions make the chemical too costly and inconvenient to apply, but Monsanto believes the incentive will help push past the products many issues and concerns. Monsanto could refund farmers more than half of the sticker price of the product.

Of course, Monsanto says XtendiMax is perfectly safe when applied properly. BASF SE and DowDuPont also sell dicamba-based herbicides.

Related: Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods

We believe cash-back incentives for using XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology better enable growers to use a management system that represents the next level of weed control.” – Ryan Rubischko, Monsanto product manager.

Monsanto is facing increasing government oversight lately:

On Monday, Missouri said it would ban sprayings of XtendiMax and DowDuPont’s product, called FeXapan, in 10 counties after June 1, 2018, and statewide after July 15, 2018. Last month, the state imposed the same restrictions on BASF’s dicamba herbicide, Engenia. North Dakota said it planned to prohibit the use of dicamba herbicides after June 30, 2018, and when temperatures top 85 degrees Fahrenheit in a bid to prevent the chemical from drifting away from where it is sprayed. Arkansas is close to prohibiting dicamba sprayings after April 15, 2018, the tightest limits yet, while Minnesota is also considering restrictions. The states are taking action after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated special training for dicamba users for 2018 and required farmers to keep records proving they were complying with label instructions.” – Reuters

Related Reading:

• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System

Up to 400 Midwest grocery stores started selling pre-sliced packages of the “Arctic Apple”. The company marketing the apples won’t say which stores are selling them and they won’t label the apples “GMO” because according to Intrexon’s CEO:

We didn’t want to put ‘GMO’ and a skull and crossbones on the package.”

Arctic apples have been genetically engineered not to brown. They are devoid of the enzyme that causes apples to oxidize when the flesh comes in contact with air. Retailers, restaurants, and other foodservice sectors have expressed interest in using the GMO apples. Expect to see them in hospitals, restaurants, schools, vending machines, and anywhere you may see presliced apples.

Right now three new genetically engineered, non-browning apples have been approved: Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and recently the addition of the Fuji. Gala apples are next. Only Goldens and Granny trees have been in the ground long enough to produce fruit in commercial quantities by next fall.

At this time we’ve been told that the product is sold as a 10-ounce bag of sliced Golden Delicious apples, sold by Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Inc. You may be able to spot the apples upon seeing their trademarked name the package labels. The Arctic Apple® or Arctic Golden Apple is a registered trademark of Okanagan Specialty Fruits, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Intrexon.

How to Avoid The GMO Apples

One could scan the bag’s QR code with a smartphone. Avoid anything sold by Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Intrexon, and anything called an “Arctic Apple. Avoid any apples that have already been sliced open. Pre-sliced apples weren’t a good idea even before the GMOs hit the shelves. Pretty soon, buying organic may be the only way to avoid GMO apples, as they eventually may contaminate other crops, and even that may become problematic.

We recommend buying produce and bulk foods predominantly, get to know your farmer’s markets and local farmers, grow your own food, and put the kind of scrutiny and care into what goes inside your body as we all should.

1. Buy organic
2. Do not buy any apples labeled “Arctic”
3. Avoid pre-sliced apples

Recommended Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseasee

Atrium Innovations owns Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Wobenzym, Klean Athlete, and a few more brands. You may know them best for Garden of Life supplements. Nestlé announced last Saturday that they are buying Atrium Innovations for 2.3 billion.

“We value Atrium’s history as a highly successful company and welcome its 1,400 employees to the Nestlé family. Their brands are a natural complement to our Consumer Care portfolio, which offers nutritional solutions in the areas of Healthy Aging, Healthy Growing, Gut Health and Obesity Care. Atrium’s portfolio will extend our product range with value-added solutions such as probiotics, plant-based protein nutrition, meal replacements and an extensive multivitamin line, enabling consumers to address their health and wellness goals.” – Nestlé

Peter Luther, soon to be x-CEO, had this to say:

Since Atrium was established in 1999, we have been dedicated to providing premium-quality, science-based, professionally recognized products to consumers and healthcare practitioners. We are very pleased to be joining Nestlé Health Science as we share a common purpose of helping people lead healthier lives by providing good-for-you products made with the highest standards for quality and efficacy. Nestlé will provide Atrium with the resources to accelerate the growth of our brands and reach more people globally.”

Nestlé is a Swiss multinational food and beverage company that sells baby food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee and tea, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, frozen food, pet foods, and snacks – none of which are particularly healthy. The company is no stranger to negative news, as it is reportedly int he spotlight for various human rights abuses. Remember when Nestlé’s Chairman said that water is not a basic human right? (He later adjusted that claim.) For other reasons to be concerned, check out Why Nestlé is one of the most hated companies in the world or watch this video:

Recommended Reading:

• Fungal Infections – How to Eliminate Yeast, Candida, and Mold Infections For Good
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

The United States Department of Agriculture has rolled back several healthy school lunch requirements. These changes include allowing schools to serve flavored milk, opt out of whole grain requirements, and more slowly reduce the sodium in their offerings. In the USDA’s press release, Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture, cited their reasons for the changes, “Based on the feedback we’ve gotten from students, schools, and food service professionals in local schools across America, it’s clear that many still face challenges incorporating some of the meal pattern requirements. Schools want to offer food that students actually want to eat. It doesn’t do any good to serve nutritious meals if they wind up in the trash can. These flexibilities give schools the local control they need to provide nutritious meals that school children find appetizing.”

Many of the issues cited by the USDA as problematic for school lunch providers are not actually a problem. A statement released by Center for Science in the Public Interest Vice President for Nutrition Margo G. Wootan:

Virtually 100 percent of schools are already complying with the final nutrition standards, including the first phase of sodium reduction…Nine out of 10 school-aged children are eating too much salt, which is why reducing sodium levels in school meals is so important. The USDA should be doubling down on helping schools reduce sodium, not slowing down progress, as the Trump administration proposed today.”

Diet is the foundation of health, and it’s fitting that the government making it easier to serve schoolchildren less nutritious lunches is also the administration dismantling the current healthcare system without a viable system to take its place. The USDA considers the school lunch program a part of its nutrition safety net. So why is it making it easier for vulnerable school children to eat poorly?

Nutrition Education and Healthy Choices

Today, one in five children between the ages of 6-19 is obese, and that number has tripled since the 1970s. More than one-third of Americans are obese. The healthcare costs for an obese person are nearly $1,500 higher for an obese person than a normal weight person. Our health nationwide is not improving because we are failing to properly educate kids about healthy food and healthy lifestyle choices. Only one in ten Americans eat enough vegetables. Combine that with a nutrition safety net willing to compromise health standards out of concern with program operators, school nutrition professionals, industry, and other stakeholders. It’s no wonder kids don’t know how important healthy food choices are, let alone how to make them.

Recommended Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes

Sources:

• Trump’s USDA Just Made School Meals Less Healthy – Alternet
• USDA Publishes School Meals Rule, Expands Options, Eases Challenges – USDA.gov
• Trump Administration Announces Rule Rolling Back Progress on School Nutrition – Center for Science in the Public Interest
• Childhood Obesity Facts – CDC.gov