Global campaign for 'golden rice'
Reaz Ahmad
Patrick
Moore
Moore, a co-founder of Greenpeace and an
ex-director of the world's largest green group, left Greenpeace as he
considered its positions on various issues unscientific.In 2013, along with his
brother Michael Moore, he founded the Allow Golden Rice Society -- a non-profit
organisation dedicated to seeing golden rice approved for commercial agriculture.Golden
rice is a genetically modified rice variety capable of fighting child mortality
and blindness caused by vitamin A deficiency. The rice is infused with vitamin
A producing beta carotene taken from maize.Along with Manila-based
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Bangladesh is now at the
forefront in developing golden rice. However, crops derived through
agricultural biotechnology and genetic engineering are often met with
opposition from the anti-GMO lobbies.
The Allow Golden Rice Now campaign that began
on March 4 will run in Bangladesh for four days and tour the Philippines and
India up to March 20, as these are the few countries where vitamin A deficiency
is a major cause of child mortality."Two million children and many mothers
die each year from a lack of this essential vitamin. It is the greatest cause
of child death today. Golden rice is the obvious cure, but because it was
created with genetic science, Greenpeace and the anti-GMO movement fervently
oppose it," Moore said.
On August 8, 2013, Greenpeace instigated the
destruction of golden rice scientific field trials at the IRRI in the
Philippines. The Allow Golden Rice Society is actively campaigning for the
approval of the rice so it can be delivered to the 200 million children who are
deficient in vitamin A.“All we ask is that Greenpeace and their allies make an
exception for golden rice in their opposition to GM crops,” he said. “Millions
of lives are at stake.
”The members of the Golden Rice South Asia Tour
also include Horst Rehberger, a senior German politician; Uwe Schrader, a
German expert in biotechnology, and Hans-Jörg Jacobsen, a German heading Plant
Biotechnology at the Institute of Plant Genetics of Leibniz University in
Hanover.“I want to seek solutions to different problems and not just oppose one
thing or the other," Moore told The Daily Star. He deplored that some
250,000 to 500,000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, half
of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight.
"This tragedy can be eliminated with
golden rice… but has been blocked by Greenpeace for over a decade. During that
time over eight million children have gone blind and then died."Moore and
his campaign team lauded Bangladesh for being the first among all Asian nations
in introducing GM vegetable - Bt Brinjal. "We will see Bt Brinjal fields
on Friday," Moore said, adding that they also sought to meet Bangladesh's
agriculture minister on Thursday.
Understanding plants' immune
systems could lead to better tomatoes, roses, rice
Plants that are infected with speck disease
often have wilted leaves and damaged fruit. Credit: University of Missouri
Spring is just around the corner and for
millions of Americans, that means planting a garden with plenty of fruits and
vegetables, including tomatoes. However, some of the plants will be infected by
bacteria, leading to stunted growth and less nutritional value. Now, a
University of Missouri research team has uncovered new regulations of defense
pathways for plants. This discovery could lead to helping those home-grown
tomatoes fight off certain bacteria better and has implications for pear trees,
roses, soybeans and rice.
"Previously, researchers thought that a
plant defended itself against bacteria by activating a specific, several-step
process. However, Heese's team found that if the plant is exposed to bacteria,
it actually activates its immune system using three separate mechanisms.Heese
and her research team, including MU graduate student John M. Smith, confirmed
that each mechanism responding to the infection is doing so independently of
the other two mechanisms, and that each of these mechanisms must have the right
amount of specific proteins, called immune receptors, in the right place to
respond appropriately. Having the right combination provides the plant with an
effective and efficient immune response. This discovery could allow future
scientists to create new strategies to help plants fight disease and lead to
better crops.
"Like any living organism, plants have
limited resources and they have to use those resources effectively," Heese
said. "If the plant makes too much of the proteins responsible for these
mechanisms, they will suffer in other areas, such as creating quality fruit.
This same discovery can be applied to many crops, including rice and soybeans,
and ornamental plants, including roses, pear and apple trees. The information
discovered in this study gives scientists something new to study in plants,
with the eventual goal of better crops and ornamental plants."The study,
"Loss of Arabidopsis thaliana Dynamin-Related Protein 2B Reveals
Separation of Innate Immune Signaling Pathways," was published in PLOS
Pathogens.
PH scientists,
farmers chide Canada-based group over alleged refusal to debate on GMO rice
safety
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino
farmers and scientists based in Laguna province criticized a Canada-based lobby
group over its alleged refusal to engage in a public debate on the safety of
genetically engineered rice.
Masipag said the lobby group from
Canada had toured the Philippines from March 3 to 10 to campaign “for the
adoption of the genetically modified ‘Golden Rice’.”The visit was part of the
group’s Asia campaign tour. They will also travel to Bangladesh and India to
promote Golden Rice. Headed by Patrick Moore, the group “peddled the
genetically modified rice while demonizing the farmers and other sectors who
had expressed their opposition to the Golden Rice,” according to Masipag.“It
appears (that) Patrick Moore and his cohorts chose not to face the farmers in a
debate because they know that they will be exposed as frauds and agents of
disinformation,” said Dr. Chito Medina, Masipag national coordinator.
“Instead they sneak around the
country spewing misleading claims on the technology, and even on organizations
that are critical to Golden Rice,” added Medina.According to Masipag, Golden
Rice “has been modified to express beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin
A…which is being developed by the International Rice Research Institute” to
supposedly address Vitamin A Deficiency in developing countries such as the
Philippines.”But Filipino farmers allied with Masipag insisted that there were
enough Vitamin A-rich foods in nature and in cultivated farms “making
Golden Rice unnecessary and unwanted.”“We cultivate a number of vegetables and
fruits that are safe sources not only of Vitamin A, but also other nutrients
that our body needs to be healthy,” said Lolit Saberola, a farmer from Tayabas,
Quezon. “As a mother, I would not want to expose my children and grandchildren
to Golden Rice.
”More than 70 farmers from the
provinces of Quezon, Nueva Ecija, and Pangasinan trooped to the Department of
Agriculture last March 6 to urge the agency to stop the commercialization of
Golden Rice in the country.Masipag farmers, along with the Resist
Agrochemical TNCs alliance displayed vegetables such as malunggay (moringga),
sweet potato, water cabbage, lettuce, yellow potatoes as examples of local and
natural foods that are rich in important nutrients. The group likewise called
for a genuine agrarian reform, as most Filipino farmers do not even have their
own land to till, as well as access to other basic agricultural services.
“The sneaky ways of Allow Golden
Rice Now shows that their lobbying is based (neither) on principles nor
science, but are underhanded and deceiving,” said Medina.“They would be better
off to go back home and understand first the core issue of hunger and poverty
in the developing countries rather than pontificate on technologies that are
not appropriate, unnecessary and unwanted," he added.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/106728/ph-scientists-farmers-chide-canada-based-group-over-alleged-refusal-to-debate-on-gmo-rice-safety
Traces of Chinese Plastic Rice Found in India
Mar 12, 2015
Consumers told local sources that such
packages are undetectable as they are being mixed with normal rice packs. It is
understood that this type of rice is being imported from China or is being
bought online from Chinese and Singapore supermarkets.Experts noted that
currently there's no system to check imports of such rice into the country. But
going forward, the Indian government may have to put some procedures in place
to avert the entry of such artificial and harmful products into the country.
India basically does not need to import rice given its huge production
potential.
Earlier,
Chinese plastic rice as well as the locally produced Chinese rice have been criticized for one being poisonous and the
other being toxic after being contaminated with metals such as cadmium.
ORYZA NEWS
Rice Bran Oil - The Healthy Oil for Healthy Living
Mar 12, 2015
Rice
bran oil is known as heart-friendly oil as it contains the right amount of the
oryzanol, which is known to reduce cholesterol absorption and increase
cholesterol elimination, says an India-based Nutritionist &
Weight-Management Expert. The American Heart Association and the World Health
Organization (WHO) are recommending rice bran oil as the best choice for
improving serum cholesterol levels.
Antioxidants present
in the rice bran oil are known to boost the metabolic rate and help in weight
loss. Its antimutagenic properties are helpful in increasing immunity as well
as preventing cancer.Rice bran oil also contains suqalene, which is helpful in
retaining softness of the skin. Its anti-inflammatory properties are known to
reduce the effects of menopause like hot flashes.
ORYZA Rice
News
Perennial Rice: Revolution in Rice Cultivation Mar 11,
2015
Rice is a labor and
water intensive crop, and of late the global warming and climate changes have
been posing severe challenges for rice production thereby threatening the world
food security. Rice cultivation is also said to harm the environment by eroding
soil fertility as well as releasing harmful greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere.
Researchers are
working towards developing a perennial rice variety, which need not be planted
every year, and will yield good amount of rice for many years. Such a variety
can be developed by crossing domesticated rice varieties with its wild
predecessors, say researchers. Such a variety are deep-rooted and so they can
hold soils in place for a long time , survive extremes of weather conditions
and water supply.
Chinese scientists
at the China-based Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences are on the verge of
completing a decade long trials on a perennial rice variety PR23, which can
provide yields similar to conventional rice varieties for over four years.
China's National Science Foundation and Land Institute have started a series of
field trials on PR23 and once the Yunnan government approves the variety, it
may be grown commercially.
However, critics say
perennial varieties are low yielding and would not be able to feed the world's
growing population. They also noted that one potential difference between the
traditional varieties and perennial rice varieties is that while traditional
varieties divert 30-60% of their energy to producing seeds, perennial varieties
divert the same energy to growing roots to help plants sustain for years.
Hain Celestial : Celebrates Innovation at
Natural Products Expo West 2015; Features Over 100 New and Exciting Food,
Beverage, Snack And Personal Care Products
03/09/2015 | 05:34am US/Eastern
Release date-
06032015 - LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y - The
Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:
HAIN), a leading organic and natural products company providing consumers with
A Healthier Way of Life, today announced that over 100 new products will be
featured at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim,
California starting today.Expo
West is the world's largest event devoted to natural and specialty food and
beverages, organics, supplements, health and beauty, natural living and pet
products. Hain Celestial's products will be rolling out now
through the end of 2015 and sold in selected markets in the United States. In its last fiscal
year, Hain Celestial's new products generated over $100 million in net sales on a worldwide basis.
The Hain
Celestial Group, Inc.
'This is a
banner year for Hain Celestial's innovation pipeline. We are proud of
our brands and our new product innovation that demonstrates our continued
leadership in the organic and natural space,' said Irwin D. Simon, Founder, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Hain
Celestial. 'Our ability to globally source distinctive ingredients, coupled
with our nimble, innovation-focused culture, has resulted in product uniqueness
with quality and speed-to-market that rival the rest. Our exciting line-up
features food, beverage, snack and personal care products for all age groups
and lifestyles, with particular attention to millennial consumers, an important
segment for Hain Celestial's growth.
'Natural
Products Expo West 2015 is expected to feature over 2,600 exhibitors and more
than 60,000 participants who will be able to preview the exciting Hain Celestial product line-up first-hand.'This year,
our booth includes a digital experience in support of two programs. The first
is our new partnership with CARE to support girls' education around the
world, and the second is our on-going leadership to make mandatory labeling of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food products a reality in the United States. Our new products
along with these digital initiatives exemplify our high standards for quality,
value, enjoyment and social responsibility,' concluded Irwin Simon.
In the year
since the last Expo West Hain Celestial has acquired new brands that extend the
Company's existing portfolio of innovative and high quality natural and
certified organic products. The new brands include Rudi's Organic Bakery, a leading
organic and gluten-free brand offering a diversified line of bread and baked
goods products and fresh and frozen FreeBird chicken and Plainville Farms turkey that are never, ever given
antibiotics. More recently, Hain
Celestial purchased the Live
Clean personal care brand and Empire Kosher.Some of the highlights of this
year's lineup of new products includes:
Arrowhead Mills
brand adds three new cereals including two new Organic Sprouted Granolas made
with organic whole sprouted oats and buckwheat in Maple & Apple and Apple
and Ginger varieties, and Organic Gluten Free Coconut Rice and Shine Hot Cereal
made with Fair Trade Coconut.BluePrint introduces new nutrient-packed 100%
juices-Arugula Kale and Chard Basil. Arugula, kale, apple, romaine, celery,
cucumber, lemon and ginger provide a dose of essential daily vitamins and
minerals and superfoods chard and collards, basil, apple, romaine, celery,
cucumber and lemon combine for a flavorful and nutritious choice.
Celestial
Seasonings announces completely
re-imagined packaging and a variety of innovative new product lines that appeal
to new and existing tea drinkers alike. The new products include Sleepytime
Honey and Watermelon Lime Zinger Herbal Teas; Celestial Organics Herbal and
Wellness Teas; Celestial Teahouse Chai Teas; Celestial Lattes in shelf-stable
ready-to-drink and aseptic concentrate formats; Celestial Loose Leaf Tea
Blending Kits; and two new flavors of Celestial Organics Kombucha.
The DREAM brand
expands its plant based offerings with a new platform of coconut based yogurts
and frozen dessert bites. Coconut Dream Yogurts have a creamy consistency with
a tropical twist and come in five luscious flavors: Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry,
Blueberry and Raspberry. Coconut Dream Frozen Dessert Bites, the first and only
coconut based bite size frozen treats, are delicious frozen nuggets coated with
rich thick chocolate.Earth's Best Organic introduces redesigned and value sized
packaging and new snacks for toddlers. The Earth's Best Tendercare Diapers and
Wipes have a fresh new look, giving babies pure, chlorine free protection.
Value size options include Earth's Best Frozen Fish Nuggets, made fromMarine
Stewardship Council (MSC)
certified Sustainable Alaskan Pollock and Earth's Best Organic Infant formula
the #1 Organic Formula brand*, is now offered in 50% larger value can. Earth's
Best Organic Freeze Dried Snacks are tiny finger-sized freeze dried fruits and
veggies with a soft texture for a nutritious first snack. Varieties include
Corn & Edamame and Strawberry, Banana & Apple.
Ella's Kitchen has new, nutritious snack and beverage
options for children. Ella's Kitchen Organic Cookies are lightly sweetened only
with honey and contain 2 grams of sugar per serving. Organic Multigrain Snacks
are made with gluten free grains including Quinoa & Brown Rice and are
available in varieties including Lentil & Carrot Sticks. Kids beverage
options from Ella's Kitchen include Organic Coconut Water to help
rehydrate and replenish nutrients and Nutritional Shakes that are packed with
vitamins and minerals essential for growing big and strong.Garden of Eatin'
Cantina Style Corn Tortilla Chips are thin and crispy like you'd find in an
authentic 'Mexican Cantina.' Available in White Corn with Lime and Blue Corn
with Sea Salt.GG Unique Fiber Scandinavian Thins, baked wheat crispbread in
Raisin & Honey, with 40 calories and 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Imagine has a
strong soup season planned for Fall of 2015. New products include Imagine
Seafood Stock which is MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certified, Imagine
Organic Unsalted Free Range Chicken and Vegetable Broths sold in a 4-pack of 8
fluid ounce cartons, and a new line of refrigerated Imagine Culinary Soup in 22
ounce tubs in 5 delicious varieties, including 3 vegetarian soups such as
Potato & Kale, and 2 chicken soups including Lemon Chicken
Quinoa.Plainville Farms debuts
Organic Deli Breast products-Oven Roasted Turkey, Honey Turkey and Hickory
Smoked Turkey and Organic Ground Turkey.Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery Garlic Toast
and Cheese Toast are a gluten-free take on the popular Texas Toast category.
These delicious 'heat and serve' items also contain 5 grams of fiber per
slice.Sensible Portions Puffs made with Organic Corn are gluten-free and
available in four delicious varieties: Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion, Tomato
Basil and Veggie.
TERRA Wasabi
Chips, sharp and spicy wasabi flavor on a seasonal blend of potato chips.Tilda ready-to-heat rice is made with only
the finest, authentic Basmati rice. Available in four delicious flavors: Pure
Basmati, Brown Basmati, Brown Basmati and Quinoa and Mexican Style Chili
Bean.Spectrum Whole Chia Seed is now available in a 22 ounce Value Size. Whole
Chia Seed is rich in Omega-3 ALA fatty acids and a good source of
fiber.Westbrae Natural condiments have the same great taste but are now USDA
Organic. The full line of Organic condiments include: Stoneground Mustard,
Stoneground Mustard-No Salt Added, Dijon Style Mustard, Yellow Mustard and
Unsweetened Ketchup.
Yves Veggie
Cuisine brand is introducing delicious new vegan burgers, patties and
appetizers to its line-up which contain on-trend ingredients such as Kale &
Quinoa. New Yves Veggie Cuisine Kale & Roots Vegetable Patties with brown
rice and ancient grains and Yves Veggie Cuisine Kale & Quinoa Bites are non
GMO, gluten free and packed with veggies.Hain Celestial's featured personal care products
include:
Alba Botanica
brand introduces Fast Fix, four botanically-powerful solutions to common beauty
emergencies, and Clear Spray SPF 50 Broad Spectrum Sunscreens for single-touch
continuous spray-on sun care convenience without chemical propellants.JASON
brand introduces two Sheer Spray Lotions for feather-light moisture in a
convenient, continuous spray and the Smoothing Coconut Body Care Collection to
deliver intense moisture to extremely dry skin.
The Hain
Celestial Group, Inc.
The Hain
Celestial Group (NASDAQ: HAIN),
headquartered in Lake Success,
NY, is a leading organic and natural products company with operations in North America, Europe and India. Hain Celestialparticipates in many
natural categories with well-known brands that include Celestial Seasonings, Earth's Best, Ella's Kitchen, Terra, Garden of
Eatin', Sensible Portions, Health
Valley, Arrowhead Mills, MaraNatha, SunSpire, DeBoles, Casbah, Rudi's Organic Bakery, Gluten Free Cafe,Hain Pure Foods,
Spectrum, Spectrum Essentials, Walnut Acres Organic, Imagine, Almond Dream,
Rice Dream, Soy Dream, WestSoy, The Greek Gods, BluePrint, FreeBird, Plainville Farms,, Empire
Kosher,Kosher Valley, Yves Veggie Cuisine, Europe's Best, Cully & Sully, New Covent Garden Soup Co. , Johnson's Juice Co. , Farmhouse Fare, Hartley's, Sun-Pat,
Gale's, Robertson's, Frank
Cooper's, Linda McCartney, Lima, Danival, Natumi, GG UniqueFiber, Tilda, JASON, Avalon Organics, Alba
Botanica, Live Clean and Queen
Helene. Hain Celestial has been providing A Healthier Way of
Life since 1993. For more information, visit www.hain.com.
SOURCE The
Hain Celestial Group, Inc.
Amanda Castelli, 516-587-5000
(c) 2015 Electronic News Publishing -, source ENP Newswire
Indonesia Plans Rice Planting and Harvesting Cycle to Ensure Continuous
Stocks and Curb Imports
The
government of Indonesia is planning to design a cycle of rice plant of
harvesting covering the entire nation to maintain continuous stocks in the
country, according to Reuters.The President was quoted as saying that
simultaneous harvesting across the country has been leading to excessive stocks
during the harvesting season leading to price falls. A cycle of rice planting
and harvesting will help to increase farmers' yields, maintain continuous
stocks throughout the year thus stabilize rice prices. Such as system will also
help to curb rice imports, he said.He also urged the farmers to increase the
paddy yields from the current 5 tons per hectare to 9-10 tons per hectare. He
noted that the government would support the farmers by providing the adequate infrastructure,
including irrigation systems, seeds and rice machinery.The President also noted
that the government would announce the paddy price next week and it would be in
line with market conditions and farmers' expectations.USDA estimates Indonesia
to produce around 36.5 million tons of rice, basis milled (around 57.4 million
tons, basis paddy), and import around 1.3 million tons of rice in MY 2014-15
(October - September).
Talks On Agri And Rice Farming
Institute Positive
March 07,2015
09:542015
by Ranoba Baoa, SUVA
However the company’s vision is to have these institutions grow
to be a place of intellectual convention to anyone who want to understand and
on-site practices for farming.Mr Kim said: “We sincerely appreciate Mr Inia
Seruiratu’s supporting our project from the beginning.“We want to rebuild the
Rice Industrial Area in Navua, Nausori, and Tailevu.“With this intimate
cooperation with the Government and the generation of talentthrough the Agricultural
Institution and the establishment of Rice Research Center, we will invigorate
the Rice Industry.”Through this revitalisation, Mr Kim said, Grace Road will
achieve its 2020 Fiji Rice Self-Sufficiency Scheme.”
Optimistic
Mr Seruiratu responded with great optimism to the company’s
vision, and promised full support for the rapid actualisation of the plan.“The
education of the agriculture institute should not be limited to the technical
aspects of farming, but create entrepreneurship simultaneously.”
http://fijisun.com.fj/2015/03/07/talks-on-agri-and-rice-farming-institute-positive/
Bioethanol from nipa sap to aid farm
mechanization
Distillation plant set up in Quezon to convert
sap from nipa palm into fuel farm hand tractors, pump boats and generators
By Gilbert P. Felongco, CorrespondentPublished:
14:52 March 8, 2015Gulf News
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Manila: The Philippine government is banking on
biofuel from nipa sap to power its drive towards farm mechanisation in
far-flung coastal areas of the country.According to the Department of
Agriculture and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the
government has established a distillation facility in the village of Binonoan
in Infanta, Quezon that could convert sap taken from the nipa palm into fuel
that runs piston engines such as those used by agricultural hand tractors, pump
boats and electricity generators.Nipa (scientific name: Nypa Fruiticans), grows
abundantly in the costal areas of the Philippines where its dried fronds are
used as roofing materials for huts.
The water palm can also be found in other
countries located in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.The sap from the nipa can
also be fermented into vinegar.According to Engr. Alexis T. Belonio, the
government intends to put up more distillation plants to process nipa into
biofuel.The distillation facility in Infanta was among three the government
planned to put up in three years.“This facility built basically produces
hydrous bioethanol (95 per cent alcohol) fuel to be used for small farm
machines,” Belonio, lead inventor of the technology, said.Hydrous bioethanol,
he said which can be produced from the farm like nipa sap, sugar molasses, and
sweet sorghum, is a good alternative for fuelling pumps, threshes, dryers and
small rice mills.
The biofuel project dovetails with government
plans to increase farm mechanisation in the country. “We need to increase rice
production. One way to do this is to improve [farm practices from land
preparation to post-harvest], and by [doing this], we need mechanisation. In
mechanisation, we need fuel, so what is mechanisation without the gasoline?
[With this facility], we have an option [on what energy type to use],” said
Belonio, the first Filipino to win the Rolex Award for Enterprise in 2008 for
his breakthrough creation of a simple rice hull-powered stove.Former PhilRice
Executive Director Eufemio Rasco junior for his part, said the government is
aware of the pressing need for alternative fuel to run farm engines.
“We want to manufacture machines for farming
that do not depend on fossil fuel,” said. “With our depleting fossil fuel
supply, the bioethanol technology is a cost-efficient system because we can now
produce and use clean energy at the least cost,” Belonio said.Aside from
biofuel derived from nipa sap, the government is also looking at other possible
sources of feedstock, such as coconuts and water lilies, the latter which is highly
abundant in the country and is often regarded as a nuisance to river systems as
they clog the waterways and often cause flooding.The project is jointly
implemented by the Mariano Marcos State University, PhilRice, the University of
the Philippines Los Baños, and the local government unit of Infanta.
Rare 'green' power plant opens
SAN JOSE CITY–The country’s first
power plant that runs on commercial rice hulls or rice husks (“ipa”) was
activated here on Friday.The facility was put up by 21 rice millers here in a
joint venture with the Union Energy Corp. owned by businessmen Lucio Co, and
called the San Jose City ìiî Power Corp. (SJC iPower).“Our plant is 100 percent
[fueled] by rice husks,” said Edgardo Alfonso, chief executive officer of the
SJC iPower.“It is generating a gross capacity of 12 megawatts and is feeding
10.8 MW to the Luzon grid (of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines).”The
remaining 1.2 MW are kept in reserve.The generating plant operates on a
7-hectare lot in Barangay Tulat here.
It employs 100 personnel.“We use
330 metric tons of rice husks every day to power the plant,” Alfonso said.“The
plant is clean as it is equipped with a facility that limits harmful emissions
way below the limit set by the government,” he said.He said rice millers buy
and mill palay not only from parts of Nueva Ecija but also from Isabela,
Pangasinan and the Ilocos provinces. This leaves enough supply of husks for the
plant.
“That’s why we are putting up
another plant with the same output of 12-MW electric power,” Alfonso said.Husks
are agricultural wastes, which the corporation now buys from member-rice
millers at P1 a kilogram.In a project brief, SJC iPower said the power project
was inspired by the study, “Enhancing the Energy Self Sufficiency of Rice Mills
in the Philippines,” commissioned by the European Community-Association of
Southeast Asian Nations Energy Facility and undertaken by the Philippine Rice
Research Institute and Full Advantage Phils. International Inc.Co contributed
P1 billion for the project. He was elected chair of the board while Leonardo
Dayao serves as president.The plant was completed in October 2014. It underwent
four months of testing and fine-tuning.Energy officials said the rice
hull-powered plant here is the first biomass power project in the country to be
launched after the feed in-tariff rates were approved on July 27, 2012. Anselmo Roque, Inquirer Central Luzon
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Arsenic in rice is a big risk
Consumer Reports” Food Safety and
Sustainability Center tested 128 samples of basmati, jasmine and sushi rice.
The data was analyzed with the 2012 Consumer Reports’ tests and FDA data; this
provided 697 samples of rice. Results indicated that different levels of
arsenic were found depending on where the rice was grown.
White basmati rice from
California, India and Pakistan as well as sushi rice from the United states had
approximately half of the inorganic arsenic found in other types of rice, while
all types of rice from Arkansas, Louisiana,Texas, as well as rice labelled
simply as “grown in the U.S.” had the highest levels.Brown rice, while more
nutritious, has 80 percent more arsenic on average than white rice of the same
type from the same location. This is because arsenic tends to accumulate in the
outer layer of bran, which is removed in the manufacture of white rice.Based on
these findings, if an individual is consuming rice with the lowest amount of
arsenic and this is the only rice product one consumes, Consumer Reports
recommended weekly maximum consumption are 4 1/2 servings (approximately 1 1/8
cup uncooked rice) for adults and 2 3/4 servings (approximately 2/3 cup
uncooked rice) for children.
Other types of grains also can
contain arsenic but in lower levels than rice. Consumer Reports studied 114
other types of grains and found that bulgur, barley and faro have very little
arsenic. Gluten-free grains like buckwheat, millet and amaranth, as well as
corn-based grains such as polenta and grits, had negligible amounts of arsenic,
which makes them better alternatives than rice-based products for the
gluten-sensitive population. Quinoa, had varying levels of arsenic, on average
comparable to the other grains; however some samples showed quite a bit more
arsenic, although the higher samples were still lower than rice.Preparation and
cooking of rice also can help minimize the arsenic content.
Research shows that it can remove
approximately 30 percent of rice’s inorganic arsenic content. Make sure to wash
rice before cooking, filling a bowl with water and rice or scrubbing the rice
in a colander while running water through the rice. Cook rice in plenty of
water — 1 cup of rice to 6 cups of water — and strain the rice like you would
pasta, when the rice is cooked.Rice is a perfect example of how the world of
food has changed. Not only have we contaminated the Earth but we also rely on
far too many processed foods that seem to be healthy. However, when we change a
whole food by processing it, there can be unintended consequences. Then we
allow big food companies that manufacture these products to educate us about
nutrition through their marketing schemes.
As consumers we must be aware of
all processed foods and minimize their use. We must also educate ourselves and
understand that we cannot rely on the government or the media to protect our
best interests. As the consumers, we have to use the power of our spending
dollars to affect change. Whether it be purchasing specific types rice, buying
whole foods for your family, choosing organics or supporting companies opposed
to GMOs, this is how we are going to change the face of food in America.Grosse
Ile resident Theresa Edmunds is a certified health counselor who works with
individuals to create health through natural living principles. Contact her at theresaedmunds@hotmail.com. Information in this column should not be considered medical
advice.
Hain Celestial Celebrates Innovation At Natural Products Expo West 2015
Features Over 100
New And Exciting Food, Beverage, Snack And Personal Care Products
PR Newswire,LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 6, 2015
"This is a banner year for Hain Celestial's innovation
pipeline. We are proud of our brands and our new product innovation that
demonstrates our continued leadership in the organic and natural space,"
said Irwin
D. Simon, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hain
Celestial. "Our ability to globally source distinctive ingredients,
coupled with our nimble, innovation-focused culture, has resulted in product
uniqueness with quality and speed-to-market that rival the rest.
Our exciting line-up features food, beverage, snack and personal
care products for all age groups and lifestyles, with particular attention to
millennial consumers, an important segment for Hain Celestial's
growth."Natural Products Expo West 2015 is expected to feature over 2,600
exhibitors and more than 60,000 participants who will be able to preview the
exciting Hain Celestial product line-up first-hand.
"This year, our booth includes a digital experience in
support of two programs. The first is our new partnership with CARE to support
girls' education around the world, and the second is our on-going leadership to
make mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food
products a reality in the United States.
Our new products along with these digital initiatives exemplify
our high standards for quality, value, enjoyment and social
responsibility," concluded Irwin Simon.In the year since the last Expo West Hain
Celestial has acquired new brands that extend the Company's existing portfolio
of innovative and high quality natural and certified organic products.
The new brands include
Rudi's Organic Bakery®, a leading organic and gluten-free brand offering a
diversified line of bread and baked goods products and fresh and frozen
FreeBird® chicken and
Plainville Farms® turkey that are never, ever given antibiotics.
More recently, Hain Celestial purchased the Live Clean® personal care brand and
Empire Kosher.
Hain Celestial's featured personal care products include:
o Alba Botanica® brand introduces Fast Fix, four
botanically-powerful solutions to common beauty emergencies, and Clear Spray
SPF 50 Broad Spectrum Sunscreens for single-touch continuous spray-on sun care
convenience without chemical propellants.
o JASON® brand
introduces two Sheer Spray Lotions for feather-light moisture in a convenient,
continuous spray and the Smoothing Coconut Body Care Collection to deliver
intense moisture to extremely dry skin.
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hain-celestial-celebrates-innovation-at-natural-products-expo-west-2015-300046522.html
SOURCE The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.
Bühler Group and TPS
Group sign rice reprocessing lines in Indonesia
Thursday, 05 March 2015 06:16
The Bühler Group
has signed an agreement to supply the TPS Group, Indonesian rice and noodle
producer, with two 17 tonnes per hour rice reprocessing lines worth US$7mn
(From left) Harsinto Huang, CFO of TPS Group Syambiri Lioe, CEO of
TPS Group Joko Mogoginta, president of the Bühler Group for Asia Dieter Voegtli
and Tomas Soleman. (Image source: Bühler Group)
Investment for the TPS Group’s South Sulawesi sites will increase
the manufacturer’s total production capacity to 810,000 tonnes per year while
underlining its commitment to achieve a five per cent share of milled rice
production volume in Indonesia by 2020, according to the Indonesian firm.Rustom
Mistry, director, head of rice processing, Asia for Bühler, said, “The
agreement with the TPS Group demonstrates Bühler’s commitment to develop state
of the art processing solutions and an acknowledgement of our global capability
to supply complete process engineering solutions, driven by our leadership in
rice research and technical excellence.
By choosing Bühler to support its rice processing lines, the TPS
Group is well positioned to meet its plan of achieving a significant share of
the milled rice production in Indonesia. We look forward to continuing our relationship
with the TPS Group.The deal demonstrates Bühler’s significant investment in its
customer partnerships, technical innovations and localised service and support,
which is serving the demands for processing and optical sorting solutions from
rice processors around the world. This significant agreement is further
evidence of Buhler’s reputation as the number one technology partner of choice
in rice processing.”
The Man Who Discovered Thiamin
Today, we take vitamin B1
for granted. But it took a horrible, wasting disease—and lots and lots of
chickens—for scientists to discover it.
A chicken who presumably consumes plenty of
thiamin.
This essay is adapted from Vitamania: From Vitamania:
Our Obsessive Quest for Nutritional Perfection by Catherine Price,
published by Penguin Press.
Today, we know that beriberi is caused by a
deficiency in a vitamin called thiamin, also known as B1, that’s found in foods
including yeast, grains, nuts, and meat. Thanks to our awareness of vitamins
and to thiamin’s abundance in our diets, beriberi is no longer a threat. But
while few people suffer from beriberi today, there’s no denying its historical
significance. By establishing one of the first links between a dietary deficit
and a specific disease, beriberi played a crucial role in kickstarting the
process of scientific inquiry that led to the discovery of vitamins—which in
turn opened the door to a broader understanding of both deficiency diseases and
human nutrition as a whole.
This path was not straight, however, and the
existence of vitamins wasn’t easy to figure out. In fact, when the Dutch
physician Christiaan Eijkman arrived on the Indonesian island of Java in 1886
to investigate the causes of beriberi, he wasn’t searching for a nutritional
cause at all. Instead, inspired by the most exciting medical event of the
century—the discovery that diseases like malaria and cholera were caused by
germs—he was on the hunt for a beriberi-causing bug.
The emergence of this “germ theory” of disease
in the late 1800s was inarguably one of the greatest medical advances in
history. But for nutritional science its impact was more complicated. Germ
theory’s central tenet—that disease is caused by thepresence of something—hid the idea that
disease could also be caused by something that is lacking. Germ theory’s light was so
bright, so illuminating, that it blinded scientists to the idea that disease
could be caused by something that wasn’t there.
But Eijkman was not deterred—many
pathogen-borne diseases are transmitted by air, and the two groups of chickens
had shared cages. He got some new chickens and put them into private cages. The
controls still developed nerve damage. Concluding that perhaps his whole
laboratory had become infected, Eijkman procured yet another group of chickens
and kept them in a totally separate location. Then things got really strange:
Not only did none of the new chickens get sick, but the sick birds began to
recover. By November 1889, all signs of the disease had disappeared.
This bizarre mass recovery was good for the
chickens, but it was bad for Eijkman, who appeared to have lost his animal
model. However, Eijkman did not give up. Instead, he tried to find a variable
that could have accounted for the sudden change. One day, the laboratory keeper
told him something intriguing: In the month before the birds developed nerve
damage, the cook had been providing leftover white rice from the hospital’s
kitchen as their feed.
At the time, white rice, otherwise known as
polished rice, was something of a luxury—or at least not something you’d give
to laboratory chickens that you wanted to infect with a deadly disease. That
cook had been replaced, and his successor, Eijkman later related, “refused to
allow military rice to be taken for civilian chickens.” So the birds had been
switched back to their usual rations of brown, unpolished rice. Soon
thereafter, the nerve damage disappeared.Today, we know why the polished rice
caused problems. Rice polishings—like the outer coatings of many whole
grains—contain thiamin, among other vitamins and nutrients. The more thorough
the milling process, the less thiamin that remains.
Unaware of this—and still grasping for a
bacterial explanation—Eijkman happened to strike up a conversation about his
beriberi investigations with a friend who was the medical director of all the
prisons in Java. The friend realized that different prisons on the island fed
inmates different types of rice, and that prisons varied in how many cases of
beriberi they reported. He offered to gather this data to determine whether
rice had anything to do with human beriberi—and, therefore, whether Eijkman’s
chicken work was relevant to the human disease. Sure enough, when the final
numbers were tallied, it turned out that while only 1 out of 10,000 prisoners
developed beriberi in the prisons that served mostly brown rice, 1 out of 39
developed it in those that served white. Among long-term white-rice–eating
prisoners, the rate went up to 1 out of 4.
The story around Niacin (B3) is similar, but
with an interesting twist. In meso-american cultures, corn was generally
consumed after it had gone through the process of "nixtalmization";
this involved soaking it in an alkali solution. More...
-SirWired
While it took years and many more experiments
for scientists to accept beriberi as a deficiency disease, Eijkman received the
1929 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his recognition of this
“anti-beriberi factor,” which by then was known as thiamin, and for developing
research methods that influenced later nutritional scientists and advanced
vitamins’ discovery. Today, beriberi has become so uncommon that most of us
don’t even know its name.
From our vantage point, it’s tempting to scoff
at how long it took for the idea of vitamins and nutritional deficiency
diseases to be accepted. But like all scientists, these researchers were
working with incomplete information, interpreting their results in the context
of their time. The fact that they didn’t figure everything out immediately does
not reflect a failing on their parts. That’s just how the scientific process
works.
From Vitamania:
Our Obsessive Quest for Nutritional Perfection by Catherine Price. Reprinted by
arrangement with Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin
Random House Company. Copyright Catherine Price, 2015.
Debate Over Genetically Engineered ‘Golden Rice’ Heats Up
FILE - International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) bioplant scientist Sophan Datta shows during a press
tour a variety of experimental "golden rice" being tested inside
sealed IRRI greenhouse in Laguna, Nov. 27, 2003.
Simone Orendain
March 06, 2015 6:44 AM
MANILA—
Scientists in the Philippines are
at work on a strain of rice that could solve one of the world’s major health
challenges: a vitamin A deficiency. The so-called, “golden rice”, which
has been genetically engineered to produce beta carotene, has led to opposition
from GMO opponents, including Greenpeace. To supporters of golden rice,
the crop offers enormous potential for
eliminating as many as two million deaths each year from vitamin A
deficiency, which mainly impacts young children and pregnant women. The
beta carotene in the new rice is a precursor for Vitamin A, which is missing in
the diets of millions of people in the developing world. The deficiency is a
leading cause of childhood blindness, and is a public health problem in many
countries.
Pros vs cons
Canadian ecologist Patrick Moore
says there should be no debate over whether farmers should grow golden
rice. “Why is there not the same revulsion at two million children
dying," Moore asked. "To let golden rice out so at least some people
can get it and maybe more and more and more?”
But critics, including the Greenpeace environmental group, have long opposed the crop because of the genetic engineering involved in its creation. Moore was an early member of Greenpeace in the 1970s and early 80s, but has since become a critic of the group’s stance on a range of issues, including golden rice.
But critics, including the Greenpeace environmental group, have long opposed the crop because of the genetic engineering involved in its creation. Moore was an early member of Greenpeace in the 1970s and early 80s, but has since become a critic of the group’s stance on a range of issues, including golden rice.
“Genetically engineered crops
consist almost entirely of herbicide tolerant and insect resistant crops
marketed to developing countries” Greenpeace said in an emailed statement in
response to queries about Moore’s criticism. The statement also said the group
finds this model detrimental to people’s health, farmers’ livelihoods and the
environment.
Public financing
Unlike some genetically modified crops designed by corporations that patent the plants, the golden rice being developed in the Philippines is financed by public funds. A range of philanthropic and public sector groups have worked to engineer the crop and improve its production.
They hope that farmers in the
developing world will eventually grow it, addressing a major public health
issue that many scientists say is on the scale of malaria or tuberculosis.
But Manila-based Greenpeace Southeast Asia Agriculture Campaigner Daniel Ocampo said after 20 years of research golden rice is not ready for consumption, and could be more dangerous than its supporters will admit.
But Manila-based Greenpeace Southeast Asia Agriculture Campaigner Daniel Ocampo said after 20 years of research golden rice is not ready for consumption, and could be more dangerous than its supporters will admit.
“It’s still in the laboratory. It’s
not available commercially," Ocampo said. "So it’s really misleading
the public when they say that it’s going to be one of the solutions to Vitamin
A deficiency.”Greenpeace is instead pushing what it calls “ecological
agriculture” which it said is climate resilient and will let people access food
that meets their nutritional needs.
A year and a half ago, a group of
anti-GMO activists overran one of the golden rice test plots in the
Philippines' Bicol region and destroyed it in a protest against the project.
The incident raised the profile of the conflict over golden rice, and led some
to accuse Greenpeace of being behind the protest and the destruction. But the
organization says it had nothing to do with it.The International Rice Research
Institute just south of Manila has been doing breeding experiments with golden
rice for nine years, but said they must still conduct more research before it
is ready for human consumption.
www.voanews.com/content/debate-over-genetically-engineered-golden-rice-heats-up-in-philippines/2669938.html?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+March+6%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
