The Savvy Label Reader - Part 2

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Is a shift taking place?

Several months ago, I saw a Dole commercial for the first time that was marketing one of their "100% juice" beverages. The unique thing to me was the specific differentiation they were creating between their product and the myriad of others that are corn syrup-based. I can't recall seeing any general consumer information prior to that which attempted to create that kind of awareness, especially that mentioned corn syrup by name.

At our house, it has been a challenge to find products that do not have high-fructose corn syrup as an ingredient, at least in the mainstream grocery channel. But it's getting a little easier with time. We've found one bread product, one ketchup, one BBQ sauce, one ice cream brand, etc. that offer alternatives. When you add the new-found awareness of trans fats in food labeling and marketing, it makes one think there could be hope after all. Hope that the makeup of the typical North American diet could really shift, and reverse the shocking trends towards obesity and the health impact that comes from it.

Hope you do your part when you buy.

Gattaca: coming soon near you?

"Gattaca Corp. is an aerospace firm in the future. During this time society analyzes your DNA and determines where you belong in life. Ethan Hawke's character was born with a congenital heart condition which would cast him out of getting a chance to travel in space. So in turn he assumes the identity of an athlete who has genes that would allow him to achieve his dream of space travel." (Plot summary courtesy www.imdb.com, "Gattaca", 1997)

While you're being diligent about all the challenges that can affect your health in our modern times, don't forget to keep an eye out for your civil liberties along the way. This article in the Kansas City Star describes current activity around individualizing the genome mapping developments that reached a major completion milestone in 2003.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/13581453.htm

No question that the potential for individual benefits in medical application, nutrition strategies, education, etc. is enormous. With a team from Harvard Medical School going on record with their aim to reduce the cost of individual mapping from $10 million to $1000 by 2014, a timetable for debate on the implications for recording and using this information has also been set. Stay tuned.

"Under Church’s plan [George Church, Harvard Medical School], individual genomes, along with the names and photographs of the donors, will be placed in a public government database, where scientists and anyone else can see them. He acknowledged that such extraordinary openness carries risks as well as benefits. 'The prospect of this new type of personal information suddenly becoming widely available prompts worries about how it might be misused — by insurers, employers, friends, neighbors, commercial interests or criminals,' he acknowledged in Scientific American. Among the risks are exposing genetic flaws that could affect a person’s ability to get insurance or hold a job. A sequence might reveal a disease that lacks a current cure, a devastating finding for anyone. A curious or hostile person might uncover an individual’s hidden racial background. Church even speculated that someone with sufficient knowledge could use the data to 'make synthetic DNA corresponding to the volunteer and plant it at a crime scene.'"

Indeed. Might make an interesting plot for a movie.

Petition US congress re: drug safety

This just received from Consumer's Union regarding drug safety legislation before the U.S. Congress. Consider adding your voice to say the track record has been unacceptable. Here's the link from the email:

https://secure2.convio.net/cu/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=691

or go to http://www.consumersunion.org/ and click on the "Take Action" tab.