Sustainable development blog : ecology and humanitarian aid

There is an abundance of food available but do you know how it has been produced, processed and sold?

For instance, did you know that coffee can be toxic ? Some types of coffee contain a toxic substance produced during the metabolism of certain microscopic fungi or molds, called ochratoxin A. This substance is found especially in green beans stored under improper conditions. By roasting coffee beans, OTA is not destroyed, but its’ taste and smell disappears. An increased level of this substance in the body could lead to cancerous tumours...

MEP’s (Members of the European Parliament) insist that theEuropean Union (EU) have common rules on the labelling of food, so that consumers know where food comes from and under what conditions it has been grown and processed. Food additives must be safe and nano-particles should be tested before being used in food products. Animal cloning for food intended for human consumption should be banned, say MEPs. Packaging of organic products are also recyclable and no testing has been conducted on animals.

Organic agriculture reflects a desire to work in a more environmently-friendly space, which respects the natural balance and animal welfare. It is a form of agriculture that seeks to preserve soils, which reduces the consumption of fossil fuels and prohibits the use of synthetic chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides) and GMO ( Genetically Modified Organisms).

Organic Agriculture ascribes to a philosophy of sustainable development and contributes to the improved health of the planet and helps preserve natural resources over the long term.

With a turnover of 4.6 billion euros in 2006, Germany is Europe's foremost organic market, followed by Britain, Italy and France.
Organic meat is better for the environment in a number of ways. Animals on organic farms have a better life; they can move freely, go outside and eat nutritious food. Furthermore, organic farms do not use fertilizers, chemicals or gene technology, so the meat you are buying is actually better for your health!


Pesticides: good or bad?

Pesticides play a vital role in modern agriculture. They help increase yields and destroy plant diseases. At the same time, pesticides can have harmful effects on human health and the environment.

 

Top 3 E-hazards:

E numbers are determined by specialists in three major categories: safe, suspect (mostly) and dangerous. Although the number categorized as dangerous additives is quite large (about 50 E's), three of them are regarded as the most risky to health.

1. Color chemicals :
- E102 (tartrazine, yellow no 5) and E104 (quinoline yellow, yellow no 10), found in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, dried fruits and vegetables, confectionery, ice cream, icing, cream, biscuits, yellow processed cheese, instant soups, snacks, sauces, mayonnaises.
- E150a B, C, D A caramel colour present in almost all sweets and colas.
- E133 (brilliant blue) is found especially in sweets, juices and chewing gum.
- E122 (carmoisine, Carmoisine), red dye present in sweets, creams, drinks and lots of meat.
2. E320 (butylated hydroxyanisole or BHA) is a preservative found in some fat, meat products, chewing gum and beer.
3. Sulphites (E220-E228) are in almost all products on the market, but especially in wine.

 

Packages aren’t safe

• Aluminum is found everywhere: in water, soil, air... and fruits and vegetables grown in soils with high levels of aluminum. By default, this metal comes in very small quantities. But we can still limit ingesting aluminum by avoiding packages containing aluminum. Some dairy products are packed inside aluminum for a longer storage life. Experts say that dairy products containing fat absorb large amounts of metals. It is therefore highly dangerous to drink milk from aluminum cans. Be careful about food wrapped in aluminum foil or food cooked in the oven on aluminum sheets too. Although aluminum is everywhere around us, it accumulates most quickly in foods.
• Plastic: just as dangerous... Bisphenol A is a substance discovered in 2002, which is found in large quantities in plastic packaging. The Statistics Center for Disease Prevention and Control in the U.S. shows that about 93% of the population have this substance in their blood. Bisphenol A mimics estrogen, the female sex hormone, and primarily affects the endocrine glands, being blamed for conditions such as infertility, breast cancer and early puberty in adolescent girls.
• Semicarbazidele (SEM) is found in foods packaged in glass jars with plastic lined metal covers. In studies conducted on laboratory mice researchers found that moderate semicarbazidele levels can have carcinogenic effects.
• Methyl-benzofenonele is a substance found in the ink of packaging, especially those of cereals for children.

But ecologically friendly products do not stop with food. There are cosmetics and organic cleaning products. One of the major producers of organic creams and shampoos is Australia.

French cosmetics that are certified by ECOCERT are not tested on animals. They are 100% organic and contain no chemicals.

A cosmetic product, in general, and in any form, gel, cream or mask, is necessarily composed of active ingredients and additives. Active ingredients are made up of clay, zinc, vitamins, hyaluronic acid and the extracts of some fruits and vegetables. The goal of the active ingredients is to accelerate the transmission into the epidermis. As for additives used to color, scent, or preserve the product, they are only "superficial".

Additives that are present in ordinary products are absent in organic ones and do harm to the skin.
Cosmetic products ingredients are often not clearly described. Labels are the only way to identify quality products. An organic product label shows that the product satisfies some very strict rules: no perfume, no color, no artificial preservatives, no alcohol, paraffin, vaseline or glycerin.

We still have a long way to go. You have to drive a few miles to find a supermarket that sells organic meat or to locate an organic farm or butcher, but slowly, we're getting there.
And when you take into account that even McDonalds has decided to sell only organic milk, then you know we're on the right track.
 

So think about what you put into your mouth or on your skin : put some logic in biology !  ;-)

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Thanks to Angela for reviewing this post.