Tag Archives: Food

~ FDA/USDA ~~ Alerts & Safety, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

FDA allows cancer chemicals in food


Ask the FDA to ban cancer-causing chemicals in all of our food.                       
      Sign Susan’s Petition

FDA: Get cancer-causing chemicals out of ALL food packaging now!

Started by: Susan, Portland, Oregon

The FDA just announced that baby bottles and sippy cups can no longer contain bisphenol A (BPA), a controversial hormone-disrupting chemical that studies show is linked with cancer, obesity, heart disease, and other life-threatening diseases.

This is a huge step towards getting dangerous chemicals out of our food supply. BPA isn’t just found in baby products — routine tests have found BPA in more than 80% of Americans’ bodies. It’s used in packaging food, lining cans for soups and sodas, and more.

Protecting my kids doesn’t stop when they graduate from bottles and sippy cups. I am counting on the FDA to help regulate this dangerous chemical so the people I care about most in the world are safe — no matter how old they are.

I know that together we can make a difference. Last year, I helped pass a ban on BPA in children’s products in my own community in Oregon. Doctors, researchers, and medical experts testified about the risks of this chemical and the importance of keeping BPA out of our children’s bodies. I was moved to tears by the hundreds of people who signed my Change.org petition in support of that campaign, and I hope this petition will make the FDA take notice, too.

Major brands have already begun distancing themselves from BPA due to consumer outrage. These companies have shown great leadership, but moving company by company and product by product is taking too long. BPA will continue to make people sick until it’s out of our food supply for good. We need strong action from the FDA now to protect us, and our kids, from these dangerous chemicals.

Tell the FDA to ban BPA now.

 

Click here to sign Susan’s petition, “FDA: Get cancer-causing chemicals out of ALL food packaging now!”.

You can also check out other popular petitions on Change.org by clicking here.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Trader Joe’s sells meat fed with drugs …Change.org


Trader Joe’s: Stop selling meat fed with drugs!                       
      Sign Melissa’s Petition

 

Trader Joe’s: Stop selling meat fed with drugs!

Started by: Melissa Lee

The night we rushed my 10-month-old daughter Ruby to the hospital is a night I will never forget, especially the terror of not knowing what was making her sick.  It took doctors a very long week to figure out that it was Salmonella, and another two months for us to determine that it came from some ground turkey we ate.

Ruby spent 7 days in the hospital, one of 136 victims of a Salmonella outbreak last summer that led to a massive ground turkey recall.  To make matters worse, that strain of Salmonella was resistant to several kinds of antibiotics, which made it more difficult to treat.

That’s why I’m urging you to sign my petition to Trader Joe’s asking them to sell only meat raised without antibiotics.

Like over 86% of Americans, I want to buy meat raised without antibiotics at my local grocery store. Big supermarket chains can play a critical role in changing the food system.

Trader Joe’s is a progressive grocery store with high standards for the food they sell (and is not where the meat came from that made Ruby sick).   But in my community, many people shop at Trader Joe’s for products that are good for their health and good for the environment. Help me tell my story to Trader Joe’s, and encourage them to sell only meat raised without antibiotics.

I’m grateful every day that the doctors saved Ruby’s life, but we can’t take for granted the antibiotics that allow us to successfully combat serious infections.

80% of the antibiotics sold in the US are going to farm animals–used to make them grow faster and prevent disease in crowded, unsanitary conditions. In such an environment, “superbugs” can develop– and they can get into our food, as Ruby found out.

Whole Foods has already made the commitment to only selling meat raised without antibiotics.  We need more grocery stores to step up to the plate.

Tell Trader Joe’s to be a leader in saving our antibiotics and making food safer.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Call Congress: Protect food stamps and family farms …Rashad Robinson, ColorOfChange.org


Congress wants to cut food stamps — but keep subsidizing Big Agribusiness?

Demand a Farm Bill that fully funds critical nutrition assistance programs and protects Black family farms.

Since last week, you and over 33,000 ColorOfChange members urged the U.S. Congress to protect healthy food, hungry people, and struggling family farmers. The Congress is likely to vote this week to finalize the text of the 2012 Farm Bill. Amending the bill now is crucial to ensuring that our families — on the farm and off — will continue to be able to put enough food on the table even in the toughest of times.

The current version of the bill would give billions in wasteful subsidies to Big Agribusiness, while cutting critical food programs. Can you make a call urging your Representative to support an amended Farm Bill that fully funds SNAP and safeguards livelihoods for Black family farmers? A personal call is a really powerful way to make a statement, and it only takes a moment:

http://act.colorofchange.org/call/farmbill_calls_house/

The 2501 Program and SNAP provide necessary resources to improve equity for Black farmers as well as ensure access to healthy food and vegetables for our families. Congress should prioritize safeguarding human lives and livelihoods over pandering to huge agribusiness corporations that don’t need the help. Join us in urging Congress to fully fund those portions of the Farm Bill that our community relies on the most. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same:

http://act.colorofchange.org/call/farmbill_calls_house/

Thanks and Peace,

— Rashad, Gabriel, Dani, Matt, Natasha, Kim, Aimée and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team     July 9th, 2012

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Register for the Webinar Today! UCS


Join Our Webinar to Learn about the Farm Bill

What does the Farm Bill have to do with you? The answer to that question is simple: a lot. The Union of Concerned Scientists is hosting a webinar to help you learn why, with the inside scoop from our experts.

Toward Healthy Food and Farms: How Science-Based Policies in the 2012 Farm Bill Can Transform Agriculture
Date: Thursday, June 14
Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m.-noon PST)

Register for the Webinar Today!

When you’re grocery shopping, do you ever wonder why corn chips and sugary drinks cost less than carrots and squash? In large part, it’s because government policies make the wrong foods cheaper and more abundant. UCS analysis shows that practical changes to agricultural policies can shift priorities to provide greater support to healthier food and farms instead of subsidizing unhealthy, processed foods.

Congress is currently working to finalize the Farm Bill, and while we’ve seen some good changes, they’re not enough. And the chance to change these policies comes just once every five years!

The webinar will cover the latest Farm Bill news from Capitol Hill, followed by an overview of UCS analysis showing that support for local food can benefit the economy and our health. Finally, we’ll share how you can take effective action now to urge Congress to support healthy and sustainable food production in the 2012 Farm Bill.

Time is ticking down for us to encourage a healthy and sustainable food system, so register for the webinar today!

Sincerely,
Jenn Yates
Jenn Yates
National Field Organizer
UCS Food & Environment Program

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Support the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act


Urge Congress to support local food systems, instead of subsidizing unhealthy processed foods — tell your members Congress to cosponsor Local Farms, Food and the Jobs Act !

Currently, billions of taxpayer dollars subsidize unhealthy, processed foods, while farmers who grow healthy foods work without support—but we can change that!

Leaders in Congress have introduced the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act to support local farmers and food markets. A recent UCS report found that expanding local food systems will boost local economies, create jobs, and encourage consumption of fruits and vegetables. As a bonus, these farmers are also more likely to embrace practices that protect our air, water, and soil.

With enough support, this bill could become part of the larger Food and Farm Bill, currently moving through Congress at a lightning pace.

Write to your members of Congress and ask them to cosponsor the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act today!

WWW.UCSUSA.ORG

Take Action Today!

Sincerely,

Jenn Yates
National Field Organizer
UCS Food & Environment Program