National Uniformity legislation passes House vote

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 4167, the National Uniformity Food Act, by a vote of 283 to 139, moving this much desired piece of legislation one step closer to law. The legislation benefits the baking industry by establishing a single standard for food safety regulations, eliminating varied state regulations that often pose problems for food manufacturers.

"This legislation recognizes that it makes no sense to have different states adopting different regulatory requirements for identical food products," said Robb MacKie, American Bakers Association's president and chief executive officer. "H.R. 4167 will provide consumers with a single set of consistent, science-based food safety regulations in all 50 states."

The food industry strongly has backed this legislation because it requires state and federal food safety laws to be substantially the same, preventing states from putting various warning labels on products that are not required at the federal level.

"Uniformity is already the standard for many food regulations-from nutrition labeling to meat and poultry requirements," said Bruce Josten, U.S. Chamber of Commerce's executive vice president for government affairs. "[this bill] Strikes an appropriate balance between national and state interests and ensures that consumers receive consistent information about the foods they buy."

The National Uniformity Food Act now moves to the Senate, where various industry organizations plan to continue lobbying government representatives for passage of the bill.

"We thank our members for their strong grassroots support through communications to members of the House of Representatives," said Lee Sanders, ABA's senior vice president of government relations and public affairs. "We look forward to continuing our campaign as we now shift our efforts to the Senate as they consider this legislation."

A study on How Coffee enhances the Mind!

Austrian doctor Florian Koppelstatter presented his research at a medical conference in Chicago. He put 15 people in an MRI machine and asked them questions to trigger their short-term memory. He then ran the tests a second time after giving patients caffeine.

The difference? A specific part of the frontal lobe lit up on the scan.

"We had more activation or increased activation through the effect of caffeine in this distinct part of the brain," Dr. Koppelstatter said.

Previous research has shown caffeine can improve memory function.

In tests people were able to recall information faster and work more efficiently. Other studies have shown caffeine can improve reaction time. But that doesn't mean the more you drink, the more you'll remember. Too much can make you wired, leading to a loss of focus and concentration.

According to Dr. Koppelstatter, "We used 100 milligrams of caffeine -- that's the amount of about one to two cups of coffee."

Researchers are studying claims that caffeine can prevent some cancers, heart disease, Parkinson's and other conditions. But what we know for sure is that you should only drink it in moderation. Too much can make you anxious, and give you headaches, insomnia and the shakes.

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Questions linger despite FDA whole grain guidance

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took the first step toward clarifying whole grain labeling confusion by issuing draft guidance on what the term “whole grain” may include. Although the guidance answered some questions, it did not provide the food industry with the comprehensive labeling guidelines that the industry has been requesting. In fact, the guidance only offers nonbinding recommendations that are not to be implemented.

Although the baking industry eagerly waited for any type of whole grain guidance, many in the industry say FDA's first attempt at defining whole grain labeling issues is much ado about nothing. For starters, FDA's first attempt to define the term "whole grain" closely resembles other generally accepted whole grain definitions published from associations such as the American Association of Cereal Chemists and the Whole Grains Council. In addition, FDA's labeling recommendations simply reinforce what bakers already know, but often choose not to practice.

For example, the most controversial whole grain labeling issue, descriptor levels, was not tackled. FDA reinforced its position that these descriptors, such as "high" or "excellent source," should not be used to describe whole grain content, but FDA did not offer any guidance on when, or if, descriptor levels would be defined.

Labeling regulations allow bakers to make factual statements about whole grain content, such as "10 grams of whole grains," as long as the statements are not false or misleading. In addition, bakers may use a qualified health claim relating to whole grains and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, if products meet certain FDA requirements.

Response from industry associations ranged from positive to neutral.

"Surveys are clear that consumers want to eat more whole grain, but are bewildered by the clutter of whole grain claims in advertisements and on packaging," said K. Dunn Gifford, Oldways' president and a co-founder of Whole Grains Council.

The Whole Grains Council's stamp program flies in the face of FDA's implicit regulations forbidding the use of descriptor levels. FDA sent a letter to the Whole Grains Council advising that "food labels bearing these stamps could be misbranded." However, Whole Grains Council assured its members that FDA said that any determination about the stamps will be made on a case-by-case basis, and on the merits of whether the descriptors are misleading.

One of the more surprising items to come out of FDA's whole grain guidance is the singling out of whole grain pizza crusts and bagels. According to FDA, pizza crusts and bagels that are labeled "whole grain" or "whole wheat," should entirely be made with whole grain flours or whole wheat flours.