EU and biofuels January 14, 2008
Posted by organicresearcher in biofuels.add a comment
EU admits it was a bit hasty with biofuels
Banned food additives permitted in children’s medicines March 10, 2007
Posted by organicresearcher in Organic, Organic Gem - Pearls, Protests, biofuels, gardening.add a comment
Banned food additives permitted in children’s medicines
Medicines for babies and young children frequently contain a cocktail of additives which are banned from foods and drinks designed to be consumed by the under threes.
A survey of 41 medicines aimed at the under threes found only one product which did not contain a food additive or food additives that are prohibited from foods specifically manufactured for the same age group.
The survey, published in “>The Food Magazine today, found azo dye colourings in five products and multiple artificial sweeteners and preservatives in the majority of products. No colours or sweeteners are permitted in foods and drinks for the under threes and most preservatives are prohibited. The Food Standards Agency confirmed that only additives strictly necessary from a technological point of view and recognised as being without risk to the health of young children are authorised in such foods.
Some medicines warned the additives they contained could have harmful side effects e.g., “E123, E214, E216 & E218 may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed).” The side effects listed included irritation of the skin, eyes and mucosal surfaces, stomach upset and diarrhoea. Some of these reactions can occur a few days after exposure.
Ian Tokelove, a spokesperson for The Food Magazine, said “Whilst many children will be able to consume these products safely, there will be those who will suffer allergic reactions to these additives. It is time for medicine manufacturers to clean up their act and remove any unnecessary additives. We believe that colourings and artificial sweeteners can be replaced with natural alternatives and the use of preservatives should be rigerously questioned.” The survey found that some medicines contained no preservatives at all, whilst similar products contained two or three.
Notes:
Flavourings
The majority of medicines also contained artificial flavourings. These are not prohibited in foodstuffs for the under threes but official guidance suggests that natural alternatives should be used instead.
Additives in food
Just over half (23) of the medicines warned of possible side effects linked to consumption of specific food additives. Foods and drinks for the over threes routinely contain these additives, which will be consumed in much greater and more regular quantities than those used in medicines, and yet no such warnings are given. The Food Commission believes that any foodstuff containing an additive or additives that may cause allergic reactions or other negative physiological effects should carry a clear warning. Ideally, such additives should be removed and replaced with safer alternatives.
Regulation
In the UK, the regulation of medical products is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). See http://www.mhra.gov.uk/
More information
For the full survey please see www.foodcomm.org.uk/latest_medicines_Mar07.htm
Pumpkin Powered Phones October 13, 2006
Posted by organicresearcher in Food, Organic, biofuels, environmentalism, technology.1 comment so far
Fascinating article at Wired about the phone network in Africa being fuelled by biofuel derived from pumpkins. It is just the sort of lateral thinking that sustainability needs.
Small is useless – George Monbiot ! October 9, 2006
Posted by organicresearcher in Organic, Protests, biofuels, environmentalism, politics.add a comment
An interesting piece by George M on his excellent site. What I find refreshing is that he seems open to thinking about the topic, rather than taking a party line.
I must confess for a few years I have had my doubts about his positions after a similiar period of thinking he was spot on, from my perspetive he is back on form.
Organic Bio-fuels September 18, 2006
Posted by organicresearcher in News, Organic, biofuels, organic farming, technology.add a comment
Much debate taking place in the UK about the future of biofuels and it certainly does appear that the government is responding in a piecemeal way.
One of the burning questions about biofuels is that unless they are produced using an organic farming system they will still be dependent on fossil fuels for fertilizers and pesticides. Yet organic farming systems to date have been about producing food crops, not fuel crops and could you have an organic biofuel?
