Organic Baby Food A Big Hit In Scotland
by: Rick Hendershot
**50% of Scottish Babies fed Organic Baby Food
According to the Scotsman, more than half of Scottish children under
two are now fed an exclusively organic diet. In fact, organic baby food
accounted for 43% of total baby food sales in 2004. That represented sales
of more than 63 million GBP in 2004.
A survey of 805 mothers and pregnant women conducted by the polling
company BMRB found that four out of five mothers chose organic food for
weaning their young children off of milk (between 6 months and 1 year old).
The reasons given were clearly related to additives and chemical spraying.
Mothers in the survey cited "less risk of chemical pesticides" (87%), "no
additives" (80%), and "no GM" (84%)
Intensive marketing campaigns by groups such as the Soil Association
Scotland are getting the message across about the negative effects of pesticides.
This is clearly having an impact on the buying preferences of parents,
and also on changes in school menus.
Organic milk also has positive health characteristics. It can contain
up to 71 per cent more omega 3 than non-organic milk and most organic milk
has a better ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 than conventional milk. Companies
such as Hipp are bringing new products to market -- such as organic purees
for weaning purposes -- to take advantage of the demand.
But adults are not changing their own eating habits nearly as quickly.
Asda, a Scottish supermarket chain owned by WalMart, says organic produce
for adults accounts for only about 2% of total sales.
**Self-Serve Machines moving in on fast food restaurants
People fond of ridiculing low-paying fast food restaurant jobs will
be pleased to hear that many of these jobs will soon be a thing of the
past. At least if RoberServer has its way. The company has recently unveiled
its new fast food self serve machines called the "Line Buster."
According to RoberServer, the Line Buster will allow customers to place
their own orders from a 15" touch screen, and then pay for their order
with the onboard credit card processor. Customers then pick up their order
at the counter. Industry estimates show that self-serve technologies can
cut customer waiting time by as much as 33%.
The company is targeting the 115,000 fast food restaurants in the U.S.
Similar technology has already been deployed in ATMs and self-checkout
grocery stores.
Would you like fries with your meal?
Would you like fries with your meal?
Would you like fries with your meal?
**FDA says snack makers must show trans fats
The term "trans fats" has become a synonym for "unhealthy". That's because
these ingredients hide in most mass produced snacks, cookies, and frozen
french fries and then help to clog our arteries and contribute to our obesity.
As of January 1, 2006, the FDA is requiring the labels on packaged snacks
and foods to list the amount of trans fats per serving.
Trans fats are an ingredient in nearly 40 percent of packaged foods,
and they are suspected of contributing to diabetes, heart disease, strokes
and many other unhealthy conditions.
Health researchers have found that trans fats raise the levels of unhealthy
cholesterol and lower the levels of beneficial blood cholesterol. They
say as little as 2 to 3 grams a day -- less than is contained in a typical
donut -- can be detrimental.
Trans fats are common in processed foods because food manufacturers
can use cheap liquid oils and turn them into solids by hydrogenation. Most
experts agree it is better to use products that have been made with polyunsaturated
or monounsaturated fats such as those found in canola and olive oils.
Simply avoiding processed foods and snacks accomplishes the same thing,
since whole, unprocessed foods do not have trans fat additives.
About The Author
Rick Hendershot publishes Linknet News ==> http://www.linknet-news.com
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