YumSugar

Does Soda Mess With Your DNA?

YumSugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 06:58:31 -0700

All of you soda drinkers might want to pay attention to this one. A new study from Britain's Sheffield University is linking sodium benzoate, a preservative found in some sodas, to cell damage. Research is suggesting that the preservative has the ability to switch vital parts of DNA.

Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his laboratory. What he found alarmed him: the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA in the "power station" of cells known as the mitochondria.

He told The Independent on Sunday: "These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether."

It can be identified in soft drinks by the phrase "sodium benzoate" or E211. Oh and in case you were wondering, it is also used in fireworks as a powder that makes the whistling noises.

This is not the first time sodium benzoate has found its way into the spotlight. In March of 2006, the Food & Drug Administration was said to be running tests on whether or not combined with ascorbic acid, heat and light, it forms benzene, a known carcinogen.

Source: The Independent via Boing Boing

Hyper Kids? Try Fewer Artificially Colored Foods

YumSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 06:58:31 -0700

You might want to keep your kids away from the crazy colored foods. A new British study is showing a link between artificial food coloring and hyperactivity in children. Scientists at England's University of Southampton, tested five different colorings on both three-year olds and eight and nine year olds. The amounts used in the study were comparable to that which an average child might consume in a day. All additives tested in the study are ones that are approved for use in the EU - however some of those colors are banned in the US (as well as Scandinavian countries). The full findings are not yet available, but should be published soon. Somehow I'm not surprised, a 2004 study showed similar results.

Source: Press TV

Study Reveals UK Throws Away $20 Billion in Food a Year

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:30:44 -0800

With the biggest meal of the year a mere two weeks away, here's something to keep in mind: reducing food waste. The British government has just released a new report that reveals each year, the country throws away more than $20 billion in consumable food and drink.

According to the Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP), the UK's food waste is topping 6.6 million tons annually. By tossing less, consumers could prevent food from being directed to landfill sites - an act that would prevent 15 million tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions yearly. (Once it becomes landfill, food produces methane, another potent greenhouse gas.) WRAP aims to reduce waste by 250,000 tons by March 2011.

I can only imagine what the results of a food waste study would be in the United States. Hopefully, this is an initiative that our administration is looking into - although the first step is definitely consumer awareness. How mindful are you of not wasting food?