Today’s collection of lunchtime news chum is all related to food. The first item is a bit frivolous, but the latter three taken together present a chilling picture about what we — and our pets — eat.

• He’s The Man. CGI has come to the Kool-Aid man, and with it a new backstory and family life. No longer content to just crash through walls, we’ll learn how he gets dressed in the morning, and what he does during the day. However, there are so many questions it makes the mind boggle. What does Kool-Aid man look like before he showers, as he doesn’t have a lid? When he urinates… well, you get the (umm) pitcher.
• Recycling the Scraps. The LA Times has a really interesting article on a Nevada pig farmer. This farmer makes a living by taking all the food scraps from all the buffets in Las Vegas, cleaning, heating and mixing them, and feeding them to his pigs… which he subsequently slaughters and sells back (as meat) to the casinos. What struck me most was the line: “He grabs chunks of ham and slices them to piglet-mouthed size.” Yup. Pigs are being fed on ham.
• Our Dog Food Contains Real Dog. Pigs, it appears, aren’t the only cannibals. Slate has an interesting article on what goes into the meat and bone meal in most pet food. Shockingly, the answer might include other pets. Euthanized shelter animals sometimes end up at rendering plants, along with all other sorts of stuff (including lots of biochemicals). After reading this, I’d think twice about commercial food.
• Human Food Isn’t Safe Either.  Lastly, all the antibiotics being fed to animals is having a side-effect: We’re starting to see anti-biotic resistant bugs in our meat. A recent study showed that antibiotic resistant bacteria was turning up in 81 percent of raw ground turkey, 69 percent of raw pork chops, 55 percent of raw ground beef and 39 percent of raw chicken bought over the counter in 2011. The rate of occurrence in salmonella superbug strains in chicken rose from 50 percent in 2002 to 74 percent in 2011.

Share/Bookmark

This collection of lunchtime news chum articles all have to do with food and drink, so hopefully you can sink your teeth into them:

• Coffee. A new coffee has come on the market: Death Wish Coffee. According to the LA Times, a 16-ounce shot of Death Wish hits you with roughly 660 milligrams of caffeine (vs 320 mg for a normal cup of Joe). It is also more expensive, on the order of $20/lb. As for me, you won’t see me drinking it; I often say that coffee only belongs in ice cream or covered in dark chocolate.
• Tea. You see, I’m a tea drinking. In fact, every morning I make almost 2 litres of tea, and drink it over the day. In the pot I put 3-4 tsps of loose tea. So naturally I was worried when I saw this headline: Warning: Excessive Tea Drinking Can Be Hazardous to Your Health. The risk is skeletal fluorosis, and it occurred to a woman who was drinking 1-2 gallons of black tea daily. Of course, this was no ordinary tea. According to the article, “She told doctors that she drank a pitcher of tea every day for the last 17 years. This wasn’t your typical tea — she brewed hers with 100 to 150 tea bags per pitcher.” Wow. That’s strong tea.
• Schmaltz. Passover starts Monday evening. Traditionally, Passover cooking often uses schmaltz, which is really just rendered chicken fat. Most cultures have something like this: ghee, lard, and so forth. In our health-conscious society, these fats have often been eschewed (gee, I love that word) for “healthier” fats such as olive oil. However, according to NPR, lard and schmaltz are making a comeback.

P.S.: Alas, there will be no Kosher L’Pesach Coke in California this year .

Music: Snoopy (Original London Cast): “Mothers Day”

Share/Bookmark