UK: Horse drug may have entered human food chain

Three horse carcasses that tested positive for the equine drug bute may have entered the human food chain in France, the British government said Thursday.

Environment Minister David Heath told the House of Commons that eight horses from British abattoirs had tested positive for bute, and “three may have entered the food chain in France. The remaining five have not gone into the food chain.”

Heath said frozen lasagna sold under the Findus label in Britain had tested negative for bute. The product was removed from store shelves last week after tests found some of the meals contained more than 60 percent horsemeat.

Horsemeat itself is not dangerous to eat. But bute, or phenylbutazone, a painkiller and anti-inflammatory used on horses, is considered harmful to human health if ingested.

Authorities across Europe are testing for the drug after horsemeat was found in food products labeled as beef.

 

Consumer group asks FDA to limit sweeteners in soft drinks

A consumer group is taking aim at high-fructose corn syrup in soft drinks, arguing that it and other sweeteners are responsible for high obesity rates and health problems because Americans drink too much soda.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a petition Wednesday with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration urging the agency to require beverage makers to reduce the amount of high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners.

"In the past 10 years or so, researchers have done a variety of experiments and studies that connect soft drinks to obesity" and other health problems, said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the consumer group. "The science is now very strong."

Jacobson said current levels of high-fructose corn syrup are unsafe for daily consumption, which is why his group is calling for the FDA to study the matter.

A spokeswoman for the FDA said it had received the petition and would directly reply to the petitioner, but did not give a time frame.

The petition follows recent actions by health advocates to curb the consumption of sugary drinks.

New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, for instance, is moving forward with a measure that would ban the sale of large soft drinks in his city. Other municipalities across the country have voted on ballot measures that would impose taxes on the sale of sugary drinks.

In California, voters in El Monte last fall turned down a measure that would have taxed soft drinks — a measure that was vehemently opposed by beverage makers such as PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Co.

The two soft drink companies Wednesday referred inquiries to the American Beverage Assn., a trade group.

"Everyone has a role to play in reducing obesity levels — a fact completely ignored in this petition," the American Beverage Assn. said in a statement. "This is why the beverage industry has worked to increase options and information for consumers."

Jacobson said beverage makers are offering more healthful options to consumers, who have been drinking less soda in recent years.

"Things are moving in the right direction," he said. "Consumers are drinking less soft drinks, and I think a big reason is the obesity epidemic."

The filing isn't the first by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The group has filed similar petitions in the past urging the FDA to regulate the use of salt and hydrogenated vegetable oils.

The petition was signed by dozens of health advocacy groups, scientists and public health departments from cities including Los Angeles and Boston.

 

Resistant Starch Can Replace Flour in Foods

HI-MAIZE resistant starch may be used to increase the dietary fiber content of certain foods with minimal impact on sensory characteristics, according to a recent study published in the journal Food Science & Nutrition.

Researchers at the Texas Woman’s University conducted the study that showed muffins, focaccia bread and chicken curry can be made with HI-MAIZE® resistant starch, replacing a portion of the all-purpose flour normally contained in such foods without significantly altering consumer’s acceptability.

The randomized, double-blinded study investigated the sensory characteristics of certain foods containing HI-MAIZE resistant starch on a group of healthy men and women between ages 18 and 60 years. Two formulations of blueberry muffins, herbed focaccia bread and spicy chicken curry were created. The control formulation contained all-purpose flour, while the test formulation replaced a portion or all of the all-purpose flour with HI-MAIZE resistant starch.

The HI-MAIZE enriched muffins, focaccia bread, and chicken curry contained 3.2 g of resistant starch/113 g medium-sized muffin, 13.1 g of resistant starch/100 g of bread, and 8.8 g of resistant starch/one serving or 255 g of chicken curry. The sensory characteristics of the three types of food products, with and without resistant starch, were evaluated using a 9-point hedonic scale.

Participants rated the HI-MAIZE-fortified muffin higher than the control, particularly with regard to moisture content and mouthfeel. It also appeared to be fluffier than the control muffin, and the overall likeability increased by 12%, (but was not statistically significant). The participants found a denser, darker and firmer crust in the focaccia bread and found the resistant starch containing focaccia bread to be more likeable than the control bread (a result that was statistically significant). They liked the chicken curry equally as well as the control. The researchers concluded the addition of HI-MAIZE resistant starch may not significantly alter consumer’s acceptability in most food products.

“This study is particularly timely because HI-MAIZE resistant starch delivers benefits that consumers really want and need," said Rhonda Witwer, senior business development manager at Ingredion. “Published clinical studies have shown that HI-MAIZE boosts satiety and helps people to eat less, reduces the glycemic response of foods, helps balance energy levels, and improves insulin sensitivity. Because HI-MAIZE resistant starch invisibly replaces flour in foods, manufacturers can improve the nutritional profile of their foods, while maintaining the great taste and textures that their customers know and love."

Couple Addicted to Coffee Enemas, Up to Four Times a Day

This is so unbelievable:

Mike and Trina swear by their coffee. He enjoys a fine espresso grind, which is "on the cold side"; she prefers a "saturated blend" that is "warm and thicker."

The St. Petersburg, Fla., couple refuses to drink the caffeinated beverage, which they say is bad for their health. Instead, they use it as an enema. They each have at least 100 coffee enemas a month, 6,000 in all since their addiction began two years ago.

"I started the whole debacle," Trina, who did not want to reveal her last name, told ABCNews.com. "Then it took on a life of its own. I twice tried to stop and felt worse, so I do this every day and as much as I can. But it's very time-consuming."

"I love the way it makes me feel," said Trina. "It gives me a sense of euphoria."

The couple admits they perform their caffeinated enema at least four times a day. Once, Trina said she did "nine or 10" in a 24-hour period.

Her husband Mike, 45, said he initially thought, "Oh my god, how disgusting," but then he tried it, "and now I am addicted."

TLC has outdone itself in the fourth season of "My Strange Addiction," which always carries the warning "do not attempt" this at home. The couple heats up the coffee on the stove and injects the liquid into their colons to clean out their lower intestines.

In its premiere of the first of eight new episodes on Feb. 13 at 10 p.m. ET, the show will also highlight Lisa, a middle-aged woman from Detroit who eats cat fur, grooming her pet with her own tongue. In subsequent episodes, a woman is addicted to bee stings and another one inhales more than 30 jars of vapor rub every week. In the season finale, a woman is addicted to drinking blood.

As for Mike and Trina, for the past two years they have been "unable to function" without their coffee enema, a ritual that takes five hours of planning and executing each day.

They fill a 32-ounce bucket with coffee and deliver it to their lower intestine via a Vaseline-coated hose. "That's the freaky part," Trina said. "So I try to relax."

While she administers her enema, Trina listens to music, catches up on TV shows and tweets. "I even play Sudoku," she said.

But these enemas can be tricky: "I make a quick transition from the floor to the toilet seat," said Mike. "It comes flying out like a torrent."

His mother Jan is concerned about their habit, which she says is "kind of gross." They are so addicted, they won't travel or leave the house for long periods of time. Fortunately, they each work from home.

The habit began after Trina had a series of issues with her health.

"I had a lot of stomach problems, digestive problems with my kidney and my liver," she said. "I started research and it led into coffee enemas and I really started to feel the benefit. I felt like I was living for the first time in years."

When she stopped the coffee enemas recently, Trina said she ended up the emergency room with kidney stones.

Neither Trina nor her husband had, up until then, visited a doctor in years. Caffeine can cause problems with dehydration and high blood pressure. Her family worries they will have a heart attack.

But will they quit? "Not a chance," said Mike.

"We can't live without them," echoed Trina.