vermont farm bureau

Chocolate's Good for You, According to Hershey
FarmPlate Jul 27, 2010 Vermont Farm Bureau 0 comments
If research statistics like "nine out of ten registered dietitians strongly believe that chocolate can be part of a balanced lifestyle" sound too good to be true, they just may well be--check the source. That figure, and additional studies that cite the benefits of chocolate, are published by the Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition, the affiliated research branch of the Hershey Company that “promotes the chemistry and health benefits of cocoa, chocolate, nuts and other nutritious ingredients,” according to their website. The mix of science and marketing leaves the consumer to be the judge when determining the risks and benefits of eating chocolate. Publishing pro-chocolate stats from...
UN Hosts Summit on World Hunger
FarmPlate Nov 17, 2009 Vermont Farm Bureau 0 comments
To achieve self-sustainability, it is estimated that poor countries will need $44 billion annually in aid, compared with the $7.9 billion they currently receive. Though the summit attendees rallied around the goal to decrease hunger, they did not commit to a specific dollar amount to provide or a timeframe to achieve their goal, reports the Associated Press. In order to rally attention for the hunger crisis, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf fasted for 24 hours. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said in a statement on Sunday, "Sustained investment in agriculture--especially small-holder agriculture--is acknowledged as the key to food security." National News Nov. 14: After...
Consumer Reports Finds BPA in Food
FarmPlate Nov 10, 2009 Vermont Farm Bureau 0 comments
In an op-ed article for the New York Times, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof points out that although Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council dismisses the results of BPA testing, many studies show links between BPA and adverse health effects, including reproductive abnormalities, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes and heart disease. According to Consumer Reports, an FDA special scientific advisory panel reported in 2008 that the agency’s standard for BPA levels was inadequate and should be re-evaluated. Bills are currently pending in Congress that would ban the use of BPA in all food and beverage containers. Until changes are made to...