Wipe Out! What you're doing to our food.http://www.edibleink.com/articles/wipeout.shtml The FDA has just approved a sweetener derived from the stevia plant, called Truvia. I'd like to know what everyone thinks about using this as a sweetener in place of white sugar. Would you be able to replace it on a regular basis? If not, please explain why not! Also, if you haven't already done so, click the button at the top of the blog to become a follower! "I have never yet agreed with any economist, whether monetarist or not." -- George Bernard Shaw, "How To Make Good Use of Your Time and Other Poems" The opinions expressed on this blog are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of any employer. Please refrain from "such by the way" comments, and note that I am not an economist. The comments are my observations and perceptions of the world around me. Since I am a layman, I read different sources. So I can use different terms and references in my blog. For me to change those terms and references will be very little work, but if it is necessary, I have no problems in doing it. About Me I am currently the Senior Vice President of Operations at Black Hills State University. I started in my alma mater, where I received a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Engineering. Later I moved to work at University of Texas, where I received my Master's Degree in Soil Science and Minor in Crop Science. I later came to work as a Soil Scientist with the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, where I was stationed in Austin, Texas, which lead to opportunities to work with farmers and ranchers in New Mexico. After working in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, and several states in between, I came back to my alma mater to work for Black Hills State University. I was hired as the Crop Science and Soil Scientist, after which I became the D/CEO of Black Hills State University. Now I lead a talented staff in the development of our strategic plan for the expansion of the University into being a regional university. We have a lot of exciting activities planned for the future, and I enjoy serving our students, staff, and faculty. I enjoy having the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world. I also enjoy working with faculty in my area of expertise and encourage the faculty to submit their new ideas and research that can further help our institution. I believe that the above mentioned, as well as other experiences that I have had, makes me qualify for my present position, and I take it as a privilege to have such an opportunity to work for my alma mater. The American Chemical Society (ACS) held their national meeting at the Georgia World Congress Center, in Atlanta this week. From Monday - Wednesday, a number of sessions were related to food, as well as to the food industry. The number one topic that came up is from food safety. The number two topic was in regards to food processing. The three topics above is from my own personal experience and what is discussed in various articles and reports. There are several reasons why Americans seem to be afraid of food. Of course, one is the health aspect. It seems that anything foreign that is introduced into the country must have some bad effects. The media is constantly trying to find new things about chemicals that will be harmful. In some cases, the media or news programs will overhype a topic until it becomes a problem. One example is the news about the chemical, Bisphenol-A (BPA), which is in the lining of canned food containers. It is commonly known to cause cancer, birth defects, and other terrible things. In some ways, this is true. The fact is, however, that we have eaten BPA for more than half of our existence. The fact is that, our bodies aren’t that vulnerable to the chemical. It really doesn’t cause us harm, as indicated by the fact that almost 2/3 of Americans are overweight. It seems that too many foods are processed in various ways that the people eat too much food too fast and their bodies just cannot take in that many calories. The result is that they get fat. In the meantime, when it comes to BPA, it is actually still a fairly new technology that is currently used only by a handful of manufacturers. There are several methods used to manufacture food containers. The reason for the can linings is so that they don’t rust or to prevent bacteria from growing in the container itself. In regards to the media, I did some digging and found the following: Fox News Channel aired a show called “The Reporters”. The topic was about BPA and the can lining. It was supposed to be a fair debate, but it fell apart because they wanted to portray BPA as this health-threatening chemical, but it is used in very small quantities. Of course, if you use very small quantities over a long period of time, then it can build up in the body. In another episode, another station did a segment on BPA with regards to breast cancer. I thought that was a particularly poor representation of how the issue can be approached. According to the show, BPA causes “maternal hyperactivity” and is tied to tumors. The medical community, however, suggests that the media overblows the issue and uses language that is not correct. The third example is from the BBC. In this case, they aired a story that was not very well researched. A reporter asked the following: "The government is concerned about the rising use of BPA to line cans used for infant formula and to keep chips and soda cold. But there are safe substitutes. But it seems the government wants to do more. A ban has been proposed." It is interesting to know that “a ban has been proposed.” The problem with this is that it was just a reporter’s imagination and not based in reality. According to some reports, the proposed ban would have done nothing. In fact, it would make it even harder for people to use BPA as a tool to make things cheap and safe. It also seems that the article says that the government wants to ban BPA. This is incorrect. The government is seeking more research into whether or not BPA is harmful to humans. If there is going to be a ban, it will probably come from an international group. I also found another interesting article that talks about how people are so afraid of chemicals. It suggests that people are afraid of chemicals in the food because of some recent tragedies that have occurred over the years. It really makes you think about where our priorities really lie. Overall, people should relax about food. The real danger in the food is not what’s inside, but what we eat in between the lines. It is important to stay aware and up to date with things that are harmful, but it is not necessary to freak out just because some chemical or something has been added to food. Another thing that