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To: JakeStraw who wrote (23273)	9/18/2000 12:32:50 PM
From: SIer formerly known as Joe B.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 49844

Allergy-causing Taco Bell taco shells found in groceries WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A form of biotech corn not allowed in food because of concerns it could trigger allergies has been detected in grocery store Taco Bell taco shells, a coalition of biotech critics is to announce Tuesday, The Washington Post reported Monday. The type of corn, produced by Aventis Corp. and called StarLink, was approved by federal authorities in 1998 as an animal feed. But because the corn has been genetically modified in a way that makes it more difficult to break down in the human gut, the agencies have refused to approve it for human use. The possibility that the modified corn made it into food products anyway has federal officials concerned, with several calling the development "very serious" if confirmed by further testing, the paper reported. "If there has been a violation of our licensing process, then we would have a very great concern," said Stephen Johnson, an assistant administrator for pesticides at the Environmental Protection Agency. "Likewise, we would want to make sure we are completely protecting the public health." Officials at the Food and Drug Administration, who called the possible presence of StarLink corn in human food "unlawful," told the Post that the agency has already started an investigation. If the tests are confirmed, they will surely raise the volume in the already contentious debate over biotech foods, which in recent years have become commonplace in American grocery stores. While most of the country's political, scientific and commercial establishment has embraced biotechnology as safe and useful, activists continue to raise questions about its use and hope to inspire the kind of widespread backlash now present in Europe. The group that had the taco shells tested--the Genetically Engineered Food Alert--has asked the FDA to recall the products immediately, the Post reported. "This corn is absolutely not supposed to be in our food, but an independent lab found it there anyway," said Larry Bohlen of Friends of the Earth, a member of the coalition. "This shows a major regulatory failure and raises some real human health concerns." The group said this first finding was potentially "the tip of an iceberg," and that it could be in many other products as well. Samples of taco shells from Taco Bell restaurants will also be tested soon, group members said.

To: JakeStraw who wrote (23273)	9/18/2000 12:34:44 PM
From: SIer formerly known as Joe B.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 49844

Peanuts and peanut butter found to suppress hunger TORONTO, Sep 18, 2000 (CNW via COMTEX) -- A new study shows that snacking on peanuts and peanut butter is an effective way to control hunger without leading to weight gain. Subjects who snacked on peanuts and peanut butter self-adjusted their caloric intake spontaneously and did not add extra calories to their daily diets. These findings are published in this month's International Journal of Obesity (Vol. 24, p.1167-75). Following a snack of peanuts or peanut butter, the participants' hunger was reduced for two and one half-hours. When they were fed typical portions of other snacks (such as rice cakes), hunger returned within one half hour. Furthermore, there was a positive change in the fatty acid profile of the daily diet reflecting the composition of the peanut and peanut butter snack. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats increased and saturated fat decreased proportionately. Rick Mattes, PhD, RD, Professor in the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University, who conducted the study says, "These findings are important because they challenge the belief that eating high-fat foods like peanuts and peanut butter lead to weight gain." The research results also support previous long- and short-term studies indicating that regular consumption of peanuts does not necessarily promote weight gain and can, in fact, actually improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profile.