Another Japan Recalled Over Pesticide Fears

Just as people in Japan prepare for their year-end celebrations, a major food company has announced a recall of 6.3 million frozen food packages after discovering pesticide in some of its products.

Maruha Nichiro Holdings Inc. said it is recalling all 90 products produced at its Aqli Foods Co. plant in Gunma prefecture north of Tokyo, ranging from frozen pizzas to corn cream croquettes. It said 44 of the products were sold at retail outlets while the other 46 were supplied to restaurants. The amount of the recall is roughly equivalent to the plant’s monthly output.

                               

The company said it was first told on Nov. 13 that one of its frozen pizzas smelled of petroleum oil or machine oil, with a total of 20 such calls about products being logged by Sunday.The company said five out of 12 samples sent back by customers have been found to contain malathion, an insecticide used both in agriculture and residentially. Malathion has a relatively low toxicity, although exposure in sufficient quantities can cause diarrhea and nausea. The company said there have so far been no reports of serious illness.The latest scandal is reminiscent of a 2008 nationwide recall by Japan Tobacco Inc.2914. To 0.44% of pesticide-tainted frozen dumplings.

The products, imported from China, sickened 10 people in Japan, resulting in the recall of 450,000 packages of dumplings and other frozen food products in about a month. In one of Japan’s biggest food-related scandals, Snow Brand Milk Products Co.’s use of contaminated milk caused massive food poisoning in 2000, sickening more than 10,000 people. This caused an instant slide in Snow Brand’s sales and forced the maker of the once-proud brand to break up its group.Aqli Foods was a unit of Snow Brand Milk, but became a group member of what is now Maruha Nichiro in 2003.

More In Recall
• Kanebo Recalls Skin Brighteners
• Nissan Recalls Several Models for Airbag Defect
• Subaru Recalls 633,000 Vehicles for Fire Risk
• Top Japan Stories from WSJ: PM Offers Election, Toyota Global Recall, Naming Rocks
• Honda Recalls Small Batch of CR-Vs With Misprinted Labels

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Pumpkin Power

                                                

Massachusetts Amherst College to conduct a very interesting experiment.

Testing personnel use a lot of hoops to a small pumpkin as a whole Guzhu to watch when growing up pumpkin this when they put pressure on hoops by how much. They estimate that the largest pumpkin was originally able to withstand about 500 pounds of pressure.

                                             

Experiment the first month, pumpkin to withstand the pressure of 500 pounds; to the first month, this pumpkin to withstand 1,500 pounds of pressure, and when it is affordable to 2,000 pounds of pressure, the researchers have pairs of hoop reinforcement in order to avoid Pumpkin will be hoops distraction.Finally, as the end of the study, the whole pumpkin to withstand over 5,000 pounds of pressure to produce guapi after rupture.

They open the pumpkin and found that it can no longer eat, because it firmly in the middle filled with layers of tough fibers, try to progress beyond the hoops surrounding it. In order to absorb sufficient nutrients in order to facilitate the growth of hoops to break out of it, its roots extend even tens of thousands of inches. Warm revelation: We are becoming so strong that they can have no idea! If the pumpkin to withstand such a large external force, then the human beings in the same environment, they can cope with the pressure? Most people can afford more than what we think pressure.

Your Cheap And Quality Hydroponics System from Chicfarm http://www.chicfarm.net

                         

Hydroponics Greens help you lose weight

               

Comfort foods -- they bring back warm memories, tickle your taste buds, and soothe your soul, and some comfort foods from hydroponics green varieties can actually help you lose weight.

1.Mashed sweet potatoes
Eating sweet potatoes can prevent sugar from getting stored around your waistline as fat. How? Sweet potatoes are rich in carotenoids -- the orange and yellow pigments in plants that help the body respond to insulin. Carotenoids slows the body's release of glucose and insulin. Plus, sweet potatoes are filled with fiber, which slows digestion and prevents blood sugar from plummeting -- and your hunger from spiking.

2.Collard greens
A single serving of this hearty veggie adds up to a mere 46 calories. A serving also packs more than your daily-recommended doses of vitamins A and K, which can strengthen your immune system for a healthy metabolism. Plus, a cup of collard greens contain 7.6 grams of belly-filling fiber.

3.Roasted carrots
As a side or mixed in with your favorite meats, the high water and fiber content in carrots fills you up fast. Roast them for a better calorie burn: University of Arkansas researchers found that carrots roasted at 104 degrees contain three times as many antioxidants as raw carrots.

4.Pumpkin
Don't let the pies fool you. One cup of this good-for-you gourd contains a mere 46 calories and 3 grams of fiber, according to the USDA. Plus, pumpkin is an excellent source of the antioxidant beta-carotene, which fights the oxidative stress and inflammation in the body that's linked to increased fat storage.

                                    

5.Chili
If soup is filling and protein builds muscle, then chili has all that and more. The combination of the fiber from the tomatoes and the protein from the beans and beef and prevents overeating. Plus, capsaicin, the compound that gives cayenne, chili peppers, and jalapeños their heat, can also torch fat.
Spices trigger your sympathetic nervous system -- which is responsible for both the fight-or-flight response and spice-induced sweating -- to increase your daily calorie burn by about 50 calories.

6.Chickpeas
Whether you call them garbanzos or chickpeas, a half-cup serving of these hearty legumes provides about 40% of your daily protein needs and 70% of your daily fiber intake, helping to stabilize blood sugar, control cravings and prevent overeating. They're also a great source of healthy unsaturated fats that can whittle your waistline. A 2009 study from the University of Newcastle in Australia found that participants who consumed the most unsaturated fats had lower body mass indexes and less belly fat than those who consumed the least.


                                       

7.Roasted potatoes
Spuds don't have a waist-friendly reputation, but they're actually full of nutrients. White foods contain the disease-fighting chemical allicin. This chemical, also present in garlic, has been shown to fight inflammation in the body, contributing to smaller waistlines. Plus, research shows that calorie for calorie, white potatoes are more satisfying than any other tested food.

                

    

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McDonald's on employee resources site: Not lovin' it? To love fresh vegetables more.

• McResource Line's latest embarrassment: Advice that fast food can be unhealthy
• McDonald's shuts down the site for "maintenance"
• In July, a McResource budget-planning guide was ridiculed for being out of touch
• Site has also advised employees on how much to tip a housekeeper or a pool cleaner

 It seems that McDonald's has finally realized how tone-deaf its internal employee resource website was. It has shut it down. The final straw? A tip on the site to employees to avoid McDonald's fare.
A graphic on the site shows a meal with a cheeseburger, fries and drink under the caption "Unhealthy choice." Next to it is a picture of a sub, a salad and water under the caption "Healthier choice."
The latest embarrassment is among a string that's cropped up since the McResource Line website went live.

                  
And then earlier this month, NBC News reported that the site offered a guide on how much one should tip a pool cleaner, housekeeper, and even an au pair. The only problem: The University of California Berkeley Labor Center and University of Illinois released a study in October that said 52% of families of fast food workers receive assistance from a public program like Medicaid, food stamps, the Earned Income Tax Credit or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

The fast food giant found itself again having to deflect unwanted attention from its internal site this week after CNBC reported that McResource ostensibly advises McDonald's employees to not eat at McDonald's."Fast foods are quick, reasonably priced, and readily available alternatives to home cooking. While convenient and economical for a busy lifestyle, fast foods are typically high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt and may put people at risk for becoming overweight.

                                  

McDonald's has indirectly confirmed on site that fresh vegetables with small amount red meats are healthier chice to people accidently. As a hydroponics system supplier, Chicfarm can not agree more, so McDonald's does not have to worry a bit, we love it.

Your Cheap And Quality Hydroponics System from Chicfarm http://www.chicfarm.net

Desert Locust situation update on Christmas. 2013

                     

Situation remains serious along Red Sea coast.The current Desert Locust situation remains particularly worrisome in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Eritrea.In Yemen, ground control operations continue on the northern and central coast of the Red Sea and, on a much smaller scale, on the Gulf of Aden coast where hopper bands were decreasing as fledging occurred and new immature groups and swarms were forming in all areas. A few immature swarms were seen in the foothills near the Saudi Arabia border and Sada’a, and northwest of Aden.

Yemen faces its worst outbreak of crop-devouring locusts in nearly 15 years, a United Nations agency warned today, urging action to head off the damage. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) called in a news release for a helicopter survey and control campaign to avoid massive infestations and serious damage to food crops.

                     
“Widespread breeding is in progress within a large and remote area of an estimated 31,000 square kilometres in the interior of Yemen, where locust swarms are likely to form,” said FAO expert Keith Cressman, who has just returned from a weeklong assessment mission to the country. He estimated that overall, between 50,000 and 75,000 hectares may have to be treated this summer. The situation could be exacerbated in the coming days by heavy rains and high winds associated with a very strong tropical cyclone over Oman.

It noted that the Government of Yemen is mobilizing national funds to address the problem but international assistance will be necessary to support this effort. According to FAO, a “very small part” of an average locust swarm eats the same amount of food in one day as about 2,500 people.

Your Cheap And Quality Hydroponics System from Chicfarm http://www.chicfarm.net
                                       

Milking the Saudi sands

• Saudi Arabian dairy has become one of the biggest in the region
• Almarai began as a small farm in 1970s with 300 cows
• Critics point to high use of water and depletion of ancient underground water reserves

Established with the help of Irish agribusiness pioneers Alastair and Paddy McGlucklin in 1977, Almarai began modestly with just 300 head of cattle as part of a Saudi push to achieve food security through self-sufficiency -- a government response to the oil shocks of the 1970s.
40 years later and the company is a diversified regional giant selling juices, poultry, baked products and infant formula.

                      

With a total herd of 135,000 dairy cattle, Almarai's installation at Al Kharj 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the capital Riyadh, houses one of its largest herds of 67,000. The company's statistics are staggering: the entire herd produces 2.5 million liters of milk a day -- an average of 40 liters per cow per day roughly double the European average.

Technology to beat the heat
The secret to making a dairy successful in one of the world's most arid environments is to apply technology -- and a lot of it. At normal desert temperatures that can reach as high 50 degrees Celsius, milk production would normally plummet, the produce would spoil quickly and dangerous bacteria would form. However, every step of the process of keeping the Holstein milking cows at a perfect temperature of between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius (70 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit) is automated.
Overhead misters in the open-sided sheds that house the herds send out clouds of moisture that wet the flanks of the herd to keep them cool. Fans also keep them dry and prevent puddles from forming.
As well as computers that monitor the temperature and humidity in the installations, workers put the cattle through stationary water jets - a process that ensures the milk is not contaminated with manure - before the cattle are milked four times daily.

After the cows are milked, the mega-factory goes through the process of pasteurizing the dairy products, bottling and packaging it. Almarai's fleet of 1,000 refrigerated tankers then deliver it to 55,000 stores in six Gulf nations.

Saudi is not the only Gulf State to have automated its milk production. In the nearby United Arab Emirates, the Al Ain Dairy Farm, the largest in the UAE and a competitor to Almarai, has per cow yields at 10,000 liters a year, almost the equal of Almarai's 12,400 liters a year. However, critics warn that the high yields of Almarai and other Gulf dairies carry a cost. Seen from Google Earth, the irrigation pivots of Al Kharj stand out like green crop circles in the rocky brown of the desert. Just 40 years ago, Saudi Arabia's underground store of fossil water was estimated at 500 cubic kilometers, enough to fill Lake Erie, according to a report published by University of London SOAS.


Your Cheap And Quality Hydroponics System from Chicfarm http://www.chicfarm.net
                  

Hydroponics fodder less hoof warts, less manure, increased milk production and better early growth.

                                                         

6-8 day old fresh green grass sprout fodder is a very nutritious and economical feed for all grazing animals including horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, rabbits, zebras, etc. for the following reasons:
• The tender young sprouts are very easy for all livestock, including sick or old livestock to eat.
• The hard shell surrounding most grain is gone
• The enzyme inhibitor present in all grains is gone
• Sprouts are at their height of nutritional value at this stage

                                        

Feeding barley fodder offers these benefits to livestock:
• Reduced occurrence of digestive diseases, such as colic and bloat
• Stimulated immune system
• Naturally balanced with essential nutrients
• High in fiber, energy and protein
• Rich in enzymes
• Low acid content
• Highly digestible

The benefits of sprouting apply to all grains, not just wheat. As with any new feed, we recommend starting off slowly and gradually increasing the amount fed as the livestock become accustomed to it.
The enzyme inhibitor present in all grains is removed during the sprouting process which removes it as a negative influence during the digestive process, eliminating it from its original purposes:
• protect the enzyme from being contaminated before sprouting
• to ensure that some of the grain survives the livestock’s digestive system to fall to ground and grow in a different location.

Fresh fodder sprouts are more digestible than hay and the nutrients are more readily available. Two pounds of grain at 30% digestibility become 14 pounds of sprouts at 80% digestibility.
While sprout fodder is very good for all livestock, it is an especially good feed source for rescued or elderly horses or other livestock.

Sprouted Grain: Benefits
Sprouted grain differs from whole grain in three fundamental aspects:
1) sprouting activates food enzymes;
2) sprouting increases vitamin content, and
3) sprouting neutralizes antinutrients like phytic acid which bind up minerals preventing your ability to fully absorb them. When examining the nutrient density of sprouted wheat to unsprouted wheat on a calorie-per-calorie basis, you’ll find that sprouted wheat contains 4 times the amount of niacin and nearly twice the amount of vitamin B6 and folate as unsprouted wheat; moreover, it contains more protein and fewer starches than non-sprouted grain and as a further boon, it is lower on the glycemic index making it more suitable for those suffering from blood sugar issues.

Your Cheap And Quality Hydroponics System from Chicfarm http://www.chicfarm.net

                                  

Japan small mouths (or “Ochobo”) to eat burgers?

1. “Freshness Burger” is a national hamburger chain with several locations around Japan.

                     

2. They recently noticed that their largest burger, the “Classic Burger,” while very popular with men, was the one least chosen by women.

3. They soon realized that the reason for this might be that in Japan, small mouths (or “Ochobo”) are considered attractive…

                                         

4. “Ochobo” also means that it is considered well-mannered to cover one’s mouth while opening it in public.

                                          

5. And therefore, while men were comfortable opening their mouths wide enough to eat the large Classic Burger…

6. Women were self conscious about doing the same.

                                        

7. As a solution, Freshness Burger devised the “Liberation Wrapper,” a burger wrapper that doubles as a face-mask.

8. The mask wrapper allows women to enjoy the Classic Burger without compromising on Ochobo.

                                             
9. Just one month after its implementation, sales of the Classic Burger to women were up by 213%.

10. The chain believes they have freed women from “the spell of Ochobo.”


Your Cheap And Quality Hydroponics System from Chicfarm http://www.chicfarm.net

Strawberries Flowering with Chicfarm hydroponics pots

                                                    

You might be wondering the reason why hydroponics is utilized for strawberries. There is a valid motive behind this aspect which is to protect the environment from an alarming problem. Methyl bromide was the chemical on which the strawberry growers depended to keep away soil borne pests, insects, weeds and diseases. This kind of fumigation had its own significance as it helps in yielding top quality strawberries. Due to this reason, the strawberry growers have thought of switching to hydroponics to make it environment friendly and also increase the production as a whole.

                                       

Hydroponics strawberries are making a good impression and a good alternative to cultivators. Cultivators across the globe are switching their cultivation style to hydroponics as it has been recognized to be one of the most productive and efficient forms of production.

When considering the yields per plant, it is much higher and the losses are lower when compared to the growth in soil. You can do the cultivation on any land conditions be it poor or rich because the problem of weeds is simply eliminated. Vertically tying the garden could utilize more space and can be extended sky high thus stacking to utilize more space. Hydroponics strawberries are not seasonal therefore you can cultivate them all year round.

                                          

Strawberries:
1. Use baby plants, not seeds. Even commercial farms do this.
2. It takes 4-5 weeks to start producing berries.
3. Strawberries can be grown as annuals or perennials. You can get 3-5 years of production out of a strawberry plant. Cut off the runners that arise to keep the plant compact and productive.

Looking at a small pot strawberry flowering is like to watch a baby coming out of a mother's belly, lots of fun for both planters and viewers. What do you say? When will you try it yourself?
     

Your Cheap And Quality Hydroponics System from Chicfarm http://www.chicfarm.net

                                    

What will it be when pot everywhere?

Last year, residents of Colorado and the state of Washington voted overwhelmingly to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. This year, Marijuana: Uruguay Allows Full Legalization.  Now, according to a new Gallup Poll, fully 58 percent of Americans believe that pot should be available in a way that’s similar to tobacco, beer, wine, and alcohol, which arguably cause more harm than marijuana. That’s a 10-point increase over last year and the latest indicator that the federal war on weed, which officially began in 1937, is finally drawing to a close. Given the directions things are headed in this country, here are eight things nobody will miss when pot is finally legal everywhere in the U.S.

                                         

1. Ritual apologies by world-class athletes such as swimmer Michael Phelps for smoking dope at a private party. Despite winning 14 Olympic gold medals and completely rewriting his sport’s record books, in 2009 Phelps promised his “fans and the public it will not happen again.”

2. Breath-taking personal hypocrisy by politicians such as Barack Obama who laugh about their own pot smoking (he’s not the only one, the last three presidents have tried it) while increasing funding for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and other drug-war operations.

3. Long federal prison sentences for legitimate business owners like Aaron Sandusky. He ran a medical marijuana dispensary in California that was in full compliance with state laws, but he still got busted by the Obama administration’s Justice Department and is now serving a 10-year stint.

                                     

4. Reading about politicians such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie brushing off parents whose children’s illnesses can be treated effectively with marijuana. Two-year-old Vivian Wilson’s Dravet’s Syndrome responds to a form of pot that doesn’t even get you high but is unavailable in New Jersey. When Wilson’s father asked Christie why he hadn’t implemented the medical marijuana reform already passed by the legislature, the governor huffed that “it’s simple for you, it’s not simple for me.”

5. Tendentious arguments that marijuana is a “gateway drug.” Researchers long ago gave up on the idea that smoking pot inevitably – or even commonly – leads users to harder stuff. Yes, most heavy drug users have used pot. But most pot smokers never develop a taste for or a problem with other drugs.

6. The 658,000 arrests for simple possession of marijuana made annually. That’s equivalent to the population of Boston being handcuffed every year for carrying the wrong plant. What a waste of police resources – and an unconscionable disruption of people’s lives.

                                              

7. Hearing about no-knock drug raids gone tragically wrong, like the one in Atlanta that killed 92-year-old Kathryn Johnson in 2006. After three cops broke into her home without identifying themselves, Johnson fired a gun in defense and was shot to death by the cops, who then planted three bags of marijuana in her residence to cover up their mistakes.

Legalizing pot won’t create a problem-free country any more than tearing down the Berlin Wall solved all the problems in East Germany or ending de jure segregation fixed race relations in the U.S. But it would reflect the will of an increasing number of citizens who realize the government has better things to do than tell us what we can and cannot put into our bodies. And it will also consign many terrible things about contemporary America to the dust heap of history.

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Finally, pot to be legalized

Uruguay lawmakers approved a proposal to make recreational marijuana legal for adults and to regulate its production, distribution and sale. Under the proposal, people will have four ways to access marijuana: medical marijuana through the Ministry of Public Health, domestic cultivation of up to six plants, membership clubs similar to those found in Spain and licensed sale to adults in pharmacies. The bill was approved in the Chamber of Deputies in late July and passed in the Chamber of Senators on Monday 2013-12-02.

Why marijuana, why now and why Uruguay? The following three simple reasons have a lot to do with today's outcome:
Because it's the smart thing to do.
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity, and Uruguay knows this. For 40 years, marijuana prohibition simply hasn't worked. Billions of dollars have been spent on repression, but marijuana use has only gone up.

Because the winds are changing, and they're starting to blow in that direction.
In recent years, debate and political will for an overhaul in drug policy has gained unprecedented momentum throughout the U.S., Latin America and elsewhere.This tiny country has a history of remarkable political reforms and a strong human rights ethos.The Global Commission on Drug Policy in saying the time had come to "break the taboo" on exploring alternatives to the failed war on drugs and to "encourage experimentation by governments with models of legal regulation of drugs," especially marijuana.

In November 2012, the states of Colorado and Washington approved the legal regulation of marijuana. In August, the White House announced that the federal government will not interfere with state marijuana laws -- as long as a number of stipulations are adhered to, such as preventing distribution to minors.By approving this measure, Uruguay has taken the broad regional discussion on alternatives to drug prohibition one step further, representing a concrete advance in line with growing anti-drug war rhetoric in Latin America and throughout the world.

Because Uruguay is used to doing exceptional things.
You might hear "Uruguay" and think of football, yerba mate, beef, tango or, now, marijuana. But this tiny country of just over 3 million people has a history of remarkable political reforms and a strong human rights ethos.The consensus is there. Marijuana prohibition hasn't worked, and it's time to try an innovative, more compassionate and smarter approach. Let's hope more countries soon follow Uruguay's brave lead.

                                  

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First in Latin America to legalize marijuana

                                   

The Uruguayan Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a controversial bill that would make the small South American country the first in Latin America to legalize marijuana.The bill was approved by the lower house of parliament in July with 50 out of 96 votes. It also has the support of President Jose Mujica. The bill has generated international headlines because, if approved, the Uruguayan government would have the authority to regulate the production, distribution and sale of marijuana. The legislation also has the support of the Broad Front, Mujica's party. Approval is widely expected.

"More than anything, it's going to give me peace about growing what I like, which is marijuana. That's what I like to consume. It would give me the peace of mind of not having legal troubles for something that should not be illegal," Palese says.

                  

The bill rests on the premise that if "the state assumes the control and regulation of the activities of importation and exportation, sowing, growing, harvesting, producing ... storing, commercializing and distributing," then the ills of drug trafficking would be greatly reduced and the quality of the plants improved, benefiting patients and putting drug traffickers out of business.

The bill would allow individuals to grow up to six plants of marijuana and possess as much as 480 grams for personal use. Marijuana clubs of anywhere from 15 to 45 members would also be allowed and granted permission to grow up to 99 plants at a time.

                                           

1920 wine prohibition in USA

Users would have to register, and those claiming to use cannabis for medical reasons would have to show a doctor's prescription. Marijuana would also be sold at licensed pharmacies.


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