Monday, October 28, 2019
Modified food Essay Example for Free
Modified food Essay ââ¬Å"Genetically Engineered foods, also known as GM and GMOââ¬â¢s is the manipulation of DNA by humans to change the essential makeup of plants and animals. The technology inserts genetic material from one species into another to give it a new quality, such as the ability to produce a pesticide, or to include genetic material from Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt); a natural bacterium found in soil. â⬠Mather R. ââ¬Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. â⬠Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. Scientists have been undergoing experimentation of this method for over forty years, in hopes of perfecting GMââ¬â¢s which they foresee will positively enhance the overall well being of humanity nutritionally and environmentally. Jason McLure. ââ¬Å"Genetically Modified Food. â⬠CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35 ââ¬Å"Two techniques dominate the the GM farming industry: Some crops have been modified to be able to survive the weed- killer glyphosate, commonly sold under Monsantoââ¬â¢s Roundup brand. Roundup Ready crops purpose is objection is to decrease the need to till before planting, saving farmers time and money and reducing erosion and loss of soil moisture. Gylphosate is among the least toxic herbicides that can kill a broad spectrum of weeds, and thus is suppose to be safer for farmworkers and less environmentally damaging. The second technique is the introduction of genes from the soil bacterium Bacillis thurengiensis (Bt) produces a substance toxic to many pests but harmless to humans, wildlife and most beneficial insects, such as bees. While Bt has long been used by organic farmers, scientists have produced GM crops that manufacture their own Bt in the part of the plant susceptible to attack from pests- such as corn-plant roots prone to root- worm attack. â⬠Jason McLure. ââ¬Å"Genetically Modified Food. â⬠CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35 What was once fairly quiet contention over the controversy of whether genetically engineered foods were safe or beneficial for human consumption and environmental preservation, has now spiraled into a social and political frenzy. People are now starting to demand for a food democracy. Currently, consistent negative findings of toxins, endangerment to human consumption, and environmental hazards have substantiated involving GMOââ¬â¢s; overturning the initial positive scientific and GM biotech producers projections. Government, FDA, GMO and GMO seed monopolizing company Monsanto have been accused of collaborating in order to keep GMOââ¬â¢s understudied, in consumer markets, and unlabeled. GM manufactures claim that GMââ¬â¢s are for the greater good of the world, stating that GM can end world hunger, stop climate change, reduce pesticide use, and increase crop yields. Smtih Jeffrey. ââ¬Å"Not In My Fridge. â⬠Ecologist; November 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 9, p27-31, 5p If such a feat had been achieved, people would be rejoicing, but evidence has proven contrary. The main controversial arguments are; GM has not improved world hunger, GM has actually increased climate change, GM has doubled pesticide usage and now pest insects have developed an immunity to the pesticides, and GM has decreased crop yields. Smtih Jeffrey. ââ¬Å"Not In My Fridge. â⬠Ecologist; November 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 9, p27-31, 5p GM is dangerous for human and animal consumption, and is an overall risk to our health and environment. ââ¬Å"Lab animals forced to eat GM foods showed damage to virtually every system studied. They had stunted growth, bleeding stomachs, abnormal and potentially pre- cancerous cell growth in the intestines, impaired blood cell development, misshapen cell structures in the liver, pancreas and testicles, altered gene expression and ceil metabolism, liver and kidney lesions, partially atrophied livers, inflamed kidneys, less developed brains and testicles, enlarged livers, pancreases and intestines, reduced digestive enzymes, higher blood sugar levels, increased death rates, higher offspring mortality and immune system dysfunction. â⬠Smtih Jeffrey. ââ¬Å"Not In My Fridge. â⬠Ecologist; November 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 9, p27-31, 5p ââ¬Å"Two dozen farmers reported that the GM corn varieties caused thousand of pigs to become sterile. Some also reported sterility among cows and bulls. German farmers link cow deaths to one variety of GM corn, while Filipinos link another variety to death among water buffaloes, chickens and horses. When 71 Indian shepherds let their sheep grace on Bt cotton plants after harvest, within 5 to 7 days 25 percent had died. The 2006 death rate for the region is estimated at 10,000 sheep. Since then more deaths were identified and toxins were also found in Bt cotton fields, investigators concluded that evidence strongly suggests the sheep death was caused by toxins, most probably Bt- toxin. â⬠Smtih Jeffrey. ââ¬Å"Not In My Fridge. â⬠Ecologist; November 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 9, p27-31, 5p ââ¬Å"Three French scientists analyzed the raw data from three 2009 Monsanto studies on rats and found that three GM corn varieties caused liver and kidney toxicity and other kinds of organ damage. â⬠Mather R. ââ¬Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. â⬠Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. ââ¬Å"Organic farmers fear that their non- GM crops could become contaminated by the spread of genetically modified traits by wind and insect cross-pollination. Once those traits are in the agricultural gene pool, thereââ¬â¢s no way to remove it. This is pollination with a life of its own, it spreads forever. â⬠Jason McLure. ââ¬Å"Genetically Modified Food. â⬠CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35. ââ¬Å"Another environmental concern is Roundup ends up in wetlands because of runoff and inadvertent spraying, and Roundup damages soil,â⬠according to Rick Relyea, University of Pittsburgh assistant Professor. Two Purdue scientists, Professor Emeritus Don Huber and G. s. Johal, said in a paper published in 2009 that the widespread use of glyphosate can significantly increase the severity of various plant diseases, impair plant defenses to pathogens and disease, and immobilize soil and plant nutrients, rendering them unavailable for plant use. The pair warn that ââ¬Å"ignoring potential non- target side effects may have dire consequences for agriculture such as rendering the soil infertile, crops nonproductive and plants less nutritious. â⬠Mather R. ââ¬Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. â⬠Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. ââ¬Å"In 1992, the first Bush Administration sped up the GM process hoping it would increase exports and US dominance of food markets. The opposite ensued and the US government spent up to 5-billion-taxpayer-dollars a year in subsidies to prop up prices on the GM crop that many countries at the time rejected to adopt. Following other countries refusal of GM, the US government went on to try and force other countries to accept GM, ââ¬Å"resorting to World Trade Organization Lawsuits against the European Union, GM food aid for famine- stricken nations, even threats to withdraw funds for AIDS relief if GMOââ¬â¢s werenââ¬â¢t adopted by African nations. â⬠Smtih Jeffrey. ââ¬Å"Not In My Fridge. â⬠Ecologist; November 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 9, p27-31, 5p ââ¬Å"Monsanto and a few chemi- biotech companies ultimately control GMOââ¬â¢s and GMO seed supply. Funding for university level research is often funded or controlled by the agrochemical companies. Biotech companies deny access to their patent-protected GM technology. â⬠Jason McLure. ââ¬Å"Genetically Modified Food. â⬠CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35 ââ¬Å"The FDA does not conduct independent testing for human or animal safety and relies strictly on the research conducted by the manufacturers of the products. While the main GMO producer, Monsanto, makes it impossible for independent scientists to study GM seeds. The biotech industry has convinced the FDA that GM crops are not substantially different from conventional varieties. â⬠Mather R. ââ¬Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. â⬠Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. ââ¬Å" As the system now stands, biotech companies bring their own research to the government body overseeing their products. Multibillion- dollar company corporations, including Monsanto and Syngenta, have restricted independent research on their genetically- engineered crops, they have refused to provide independent scientists with seeds, or theyââ¬â¢ve set restrictive conditions that severely limit research options,â⬠wrote Doug Gurian- Sherman of the Union of Concerned Scientists. â⬠Mather R. ââ¬Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. â⬠Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. ââ¬Å"If GMOââ¬â¢s fail, shareholders in Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta and other companies will see their investments plummet. According to Yahoo! Finance, more than 80 percent of Monsantoââ¬â¢s stock is held by institutional holders such a Vanguard and funds such as Davis, Fidelity and T Rowe Price. â⬠Mather R. ââ¬Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. â⬠Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. ââ¬Å"FDA officials have openly criticized efforts to label GM crops and food. In 2002, when Oregon voters considered measure 27, with contributions totaling $1,480,000. Next was Dupont, with $634,000,â⬠said Cameron Woodworth in Biotech Family Secrets, a report for the Council for Responsible Genetics. Biotech companies Syngenta, Dow AgroSciences, BASF and Bayer Crop Science, plus Grocery Manufacturers of America ( a trade organization), PepsiCo, General Mills and Nesde USA contributed $900,000, wrote Woodworth. â⬠Mather R. ââ¬Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. â⬠Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. ââ¬Å"Labeling advocates, along with 40 other countries, including all of Europe, Japan, and China want any GM food to be labeled. â⬠Jason McLure. ââ¬Å"Genetically Modified Food. â⬠CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35 ââ¬Å"Biotech companies claim that if GM products were labeled it would deter consumer spending, for by labeling GMOââ¬â¢s consumers would deem such products defective. Other high-ranking government officials have lobbied against labeling, stating, ââ¬Å"If you label something thereââ¬â¢s an implication thereââ¬â¢s something wrong with it,â⬠said Jose Fernandez, the U. S. State Departmentââ¬â¢s assistant secretary for economic, energy and business affairs. â⬠Mather R. ââ¬Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. â⬠Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. In March 2013, President Obama signed a rider which temporarily ââ¬Å"requires the Agriculture Department to approve the growing, harvesting and selling of such crops, even if the courts rule environmental studies are incompleteâ⬠. http://www. foxnews. com/politics/2013/03/30/obama-signs-bill-that-protects-makers-genetically-engineered-crops-from-federal/. Which ââ¬Å"prohibits the Department of Agriculture from stopping production of any genetically engineered crop once itââ¬â¢s in the ground, even if there is evidence that it is harmfulâ⬠. http://opinionator. blogs. nytimes. com/2013/04/02/why-do-g-m-o-s-need-protection/ ââ¬Å"The use of GM crops has become widespread among U. S growers of commodities, or big crops sold on future exchanges. Eighty- eight percent of corn and 94 percent of cotton, came from GM strains in 2012. Because corn and soy are ubiquitous in processed food in the U. S. , from corn- syrup- sweetened Coca- Cola to crackers made with soybean oil, its likely that most Americans consume a product containing a genetically modified ingredient everyday. â⬠Jason McLure. ââ¬Å"Genetically Modified Food. â⬠CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35 People should have the right and the choice to know exactly what they are ingesting and serving to their children and loved ones. ââ¬Å"Just label it. ââ¬
Friday, October 25, 2019
Anti-Christianity :: essays research papers
Believe in Nothing The depiction of Jesus we see all around us. We see him in books, we see him in churches. We see him on the internet, we see him on television. We see what is an assumption of Jesus' appearance. One man made a guess of what Jesus looks like based on the appearance of an average Jewish man. Since then, we have been using a mask to portray a man, if not a woman, that did not exist. We are always told of his existence, but not how we come about that conclusion. The Bible in fact, is our only proof of Jesusââ¬â¢ existence. Many simply rely on their faith, without need for evidence. However, knowing Christianity is not based on facts, it cannot be certain that those who follow are following the correct path. Actually it is certain that the belief in Christianity is the wrong path, for it causes more harm than good. Centuries ago, as Christianity gained an increasing amount of believers, the believers started thinking beyond the traditional beliefs. Many supposed great followers of the Christian religion, became betrayers of their religion. If one believes in a religion, they must obey its rules, commandments or such. Instead of for example Martin Luther, who formed a new type of Christianity, to satisfy his own will. His desire was for the people to worship God and Christ directly, instead of having a middle man such as the Pope. Later he was to create Lutheranism. Those who create and follow new forms of Christianity have betrayed their true religion. Believing in the Christ is bad enough, betraying Christianity and still believing in a new type is even worse. Throughout history and to the present day, the belief in Christianity has been the cause of many evil scams and tragedies. A perfect example would be the indulgences and fake relics sold during the Catholic Reformation. About 300 years ago, the church was selling false hope to satisfy their lust for money. Many believers however disagree and claim that churches improve communities. They create a true community where help is plentiful, and joy is most common. But is religion truly necessary for improving communities? The Priests and such could continue, but without religion. The goal for a better community is not only a religious goal, but also one in life. One thing that religion does to one's mind, it give a false sense of hope.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Notes for Mpp Subject of Mba 1st Sem Essay
Management is a vital aspect of the economic life of man, which is an organised group activity. A central directing and controlling agency is indispensable for a business concern. The productive resources ââ¬â material, labour, capital etc. are entrusted to the organising skill, administrative ability and enterprising initiative of the management. Thus, management provides leadership to a business enterprise. Without able managers and effective managerial leadership the resources of production remain merely resources and never become production. Under competitive economy and ever-changing environment the quality and performance of managers determine both the survival as In the words of George R Terry ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Management is a distinct process consisting of planning, organising, actuating and controlling performed to determine and accomplish the objectives by the use of people and resourcesâ⬠. According to James L Lundy ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Management is principally the task of planning, co- ordinating, motivating and controlling the efforts of others towards a specific objectiveâ⬠. In the words of Henry Fayol ââ¬â ââ¬Å"To manage is to fore cast and to plan, to organise, to command, to co-ordinate and to controlâ⬠. According to Peter F Drucker ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Management is a multi-purpose organ that manages a business and manages managers and manages worker and workâ⬠. In the words of J. N. Schulze ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Management is the force which leads, guides and directs an organisation in the accomplishment of a pre-determined objectâ⬠. In the words of Koontz and Oââ¬â¢Donnel ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Management is defined as the creation and maintenance of an internal environment in an enterprise where individuals working together in groups can perform efficiently and effectively towards the attainment of group goalsâ⬠. According to Ordway Tead ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Management is the process and agency which directs and guides the operations of an organisation in realising of established aimsâ⬠. According to Stanley Vance ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Management is simply the process of decision-making and control over the actions of human beings for the express purpose of attaining pre- determined goalsâ⬠. 8 According to Wheeler ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Business management is a human activity which directs and Management Science: Theory and Practice controls the organisation and operation of a business enterprise.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
The Berlin crisis
This essay will argue that the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) reached an agreement over Laos but not in Berlin because Berlin was politically important for both the US and the USSR. If ever the USSR gains Berlin, the integration of the entire Eastern Europe into the Soviet bloc will finally be accomplished. Should the US acquire Berlin, the former will have a strategic stronghold from which it can attack the USSR.In sharp contrast, the absence of an agreement over Laos will plunge both the US and the USSR into very costly wars. Nikita Khrushchev is famous for being a bold reformer who ended the brutal legacy of Stalinism and rejected the Soviet foreign policy of waging a world war with the West. His diplomacy likewise destroyed the Stalinist doctrine of isolationism that controlled the Soviet Union for decades.But Khrushchevââ¬â¢s reckless brinkmanship and ultimatums interspersed these positive developments, resulting in the Berlin Crisis (1958-19 62). Some political experts believe that the Berlin Crisis drove the world to the brink of a nuclear war. Prior to the Berlin Crisis, Khrushchev was a dictator whose major decisions were unchallenged, particularly those related to Soviet foreign policy. Under his regime, Soviet foreign policy focused on countries and issues that affected important Soviet interests and his political expediency.ââ¬Å"Prioritiesâ⬠included finalizing a German peace settlement, achieving a detente with the US, preserving and strengthening ties with the Peopleââ¬â¢s Republic of China and supporting Communist movements throughout the world. Despite Khrushchevââ¬â¢s reformist stance, he was still determined to win the Cold War by spreading Communism across the globe. Shortly after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961, Khrushchev and US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) met at the Vienna Summit, which lasted from June 3 to June 4, 1961.The summit turned out to be a very tense affa ir. Khrushchev initially resisted JFKââ¬â¢s attempts to discuss Laos, saying that he was fully aware of US military intervention in the said country. But Khrushchev was in a more conciliatory mood when JFK again brought up the subject of Laos the following day. The former ââ¬Å"agreed to work in good faith for the Geneva goals. â⬠Khrushchev also claimed that ââ¬Å"interested parties should be locked in a room and told to find a solution. â⬠The agreement on Laos apparently was the sole conclusive outcome of the Vienna Summit.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
September is Update Your Resume Month!
September is Update Your Resume Month! September is Update Your Resume Month and I am taking this opportunity to encourage YOU to update your resume! You never know when you will need to provide your resume to someone on short notice, so itââ¬â¢s a good idea to keep it as current as possible. Even if your job is secure, you could receive a sudden opportunity to step into a position with more responsibility. Or perhaps your boss will ask you for your resume to include in a contract proposal. I have many clients who end up paying rush fees unnecessarily because they did not prepare for unanticipated resume requests! Here are my top 10 recommendations to avoid the panic of a last-minute scramble to update your resume: Check your contact information. Are your address and phone number accurate? Is your LinkedIn Profile URL included on your resume? Read your Summary statement. Does it reflect your most current capabilities and achievements? If not, update it! Use specifics about yourself rather than overinflated ââ¬Å"resume speak.â⬠Add any skills / core competencies that you have added to your tool kit. Review the dates of all your employment positions and confirm that they are correct. List your most current position on your resume! (Perhaps you got a promotion that you havenââ¬â¢t gotten around to listing yet?) Include a result or impact in every bullet if at all possible. Companies care about what you achieved much more than they do about your job duties! Donââ¬â¢t ignore your duties and skills, but relate them to an achievement. If you have achieved something notable since you last updated your resume (and if itââ¬â¢s been more than a few months, I hope you have), add it to your current positionââ¬â¢s bullets! Keep a running list of your metrics and achievements so that you can easily insert this information into your resume! Search and strip out any redundant or irrelevant information on your resume. If a past achievement or skill is not relevant to where youââ¬â¢re headed now, thereââ¬â¢s no need to include it. Check your formatting with an eagle eye. Is every bullet consistently formatted? Are the fonts cohesive throughout? Have you printed the document to make sure it looks good on paper? Donââ¬â¢t risk being judged as detail-UNoriented! Create a version of your resume that meets the requirements of ATS systems (computer systems that read your resume). If youââ¬â¢re not familiar with how to do this, read Tip #43 in How to Write a WINNING Resume. For more detail on how to accomplish these 10 resume update recommendations, you might want to look at my e-books How to Write a WINNING Resume or How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume. You can receive a free excerpt of both How to Write a WINNING Resume and How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume by signing up for The Essay Experts job search e-list right here. Do you have other ideas on how to use Update Your Resume Month to its fullest advantage? Please share in the comments! Category:Resume TipsBy Brenda BernsteinSeptember 8, 2014
Monday, October 21, 2019
Mendelevium Facts - Element 101 or Md
Mendelevium Facts - Element 101 or Md Mendelevium is a radioactive synthetic element with atomic number 101 and element symbol Md. It is expected to be a solid metal at room temperature, but since it is the first element that cant be produced in large quantities by neutron bombardment, macroscopic samples of Md have not been produced and observed. Here is a collection of facts about mendelevium: Mendelevium is a synthetic element that has not been detected in nature. It was produced in 1955 by bombarding the element einsteinium (atomic number 99) with alpha particles to produce mendelevium-256. It was produced by Albert Ghiorso, Glenn T. Seaborg, Gregory Robert Choppin, Bernard G. Harvey, and Stanley G. Thompson at the University of California at Berkeley in 1955. Element 101 was the first element to be produced one atom at a time.According to Glenn Seaborg, the naming of the element was somewhat controversial. He said, We thought it fitting that there be an element named for the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, who had developed the periodic table. In nearly all our experiments discovering transuranium elements, wed depended on his method of predicting chemical properties based on the elements position in the table. But in the middle of the Cold War, naming an element for a Russian was a somewhat bold gesture that did not sit well with some American critics. Mendelevium wa s the first of the second hundred chemical elements. Seaborg requested and received permission to name the new element for a Russian from the U.S. government. The proposed element symbol was Mv, but the IUPAC changed the symbol to Md at their assembly in Paris in 1957. Mendelevium is produced by bombarding bismuth targets with argon ions, plutonium or americium targets with carbon or nitrogen ions, or einsteinium with alpha particles. Starting with einsteinium, femtogram samples of element 101 may be produced.Mendelevium properties are largely based on predictions and on the activity of homologous elements on the periodic table because bulk preparation of the element isnt possible. The element forms trivalent (3) and divalent (2) ions. These oxidation states have been shown experimentally in solution. The 1 state has been reported, as well. The density, state of matter, crystal structure, and melting point have been estimated based on the behavior of nearby elements on the table. In chemical reactions, mendelevium behaves much like other radioactive transition metals and sometimes like an alkaline earth metal.At least 16 isotopes of mendelevium are known, which have mass numbers ranging from 245 to 260. All of them are radioactive and unstable. The longest-lived isotope is Md-258, which has a half-life of 51.5 days. Five nuclear isotopes of the element are known. The most important isotope for research, Md-256, decays via electron capture about 90% of the time and alpha decay otherwise. Because only small amounts of mendelevium can be produced and its isotopes have short half-lives, the only uses for element 101 are scientific research into the elements properties and for the synthesis of other heavy atomic nuclei.Mendelevium serves no biological function in organisms. Its toxic because of its radioactivity. Mendelevium Properties Element Name: mendeleviumElement Symbol: MdAtomic Number: 101Atomic Weight: (258)Discovery: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - USA (1955)Element Group: actinide, f-blockElement Period: period 7Electron Configuration:à [Rn] 5f13à 7s2à (2, 8, 18, 32, 31, 8, 2)Phase: predicted to be a solid at room temperatureDensity:à 10.3à g/cm3à (predicted near room temperature)Melting Point:à 1100à Kà ââ¬â¹(827à à °C, ââ¬â¹1521à à °F)à (predicted)Oxidation States:à 2,à 3Electronegativity: 1.3 on the Pauling scaleIonization Energy:à 1st:à 635à kJ/mol (estimated)Crystal Structure: face-centered cubic (fcc) predicted Sources Ghiorso, A.; Harvey, B.; Choppin, G.; Thompson, S.; Seaborg, G. (1955). New Element Mendelevium, Atomic Number 101. Physical Review. 98 (5): 1518ââ¬â1519.David R. Lide (ed),à CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 84th Edition. CRC Press. Boca Raton, Florida, 2003; Section 10, Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics; Ionization Potentials of Atoms and Atomic Ions.Hulet, E. K. (1980). Chapter 12. Chemistry of the Heaviest Actinides: Fermium, Mendelevium, Nobelium, and Lawrencium. In Edelstein, Norman M.à Lanthanide and Actinide Chemistry and Spectroscopy.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Spices Kill Some Bacteria and Have Other Benefits
Spices Kill Some Bacteria and Have Other Benefits In the hopes of finding ways to control pathogens in food, researchers have discovered that spices kill bacteria. Several studies have indicated that common spices, such as garlic, clove, and cinnamon, may be particularly effective against certain strains of E. coli bacteria. Spices Kill Bacteria In a Kansas State University study, scientists tested more than 23 spices in three scenarios: an artificial laboratory medium,à uncooked hamburger meat, and uncooked salami. Initial results indicated that clove had the highest inhibitory effect on the E. coli in the hamburger while garlic had the highest inhibitory effect in the laboratory medium. But what about taste? Scientists admitted that finding the right mix between the taste of the food and the amounts of spices necessary to inhibit the pathogens was problematic. The amounts of the spices used ranged from a low of one percent to a high of ten percent. Researchers hope to further study these interactions and perhaps develop recommendations for spiceà levels both for manufacturers and consumers. Scientists also cautioned that the use of spices is not a substitute for the proper handling of food. While the spices used were able to greatly curtail the amounts of E. coli in the meat products, they did not eliminate the pathogen entirely, thus the necessity of proper cooking methods. Meats should be cooked to approximately 160 degrees Fahrenheit and until the juices run clear. Counters and other items that come in contact with uncooked meat should be thoroughly washed, preferably with soap, hot water, and a light bleach solution. Cinnamon Kills Bacteria Cinnamon is such a flavorful and seemingly innocuous spice. Who would ever think that it could be deadly? Researchers at Kansas State University have also discovered that cinnamon kills Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria. In the studies, apple juice samples were tainted with approximately one million E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. About a teaspoon of cinnamon was added and the concoction was left to stand for three days. When researchers tested the juice samples it was discovered that 99.5 percent of the bacteria had been destroyed. It was also discovered that if common preservatives such as sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate were added to the mixture, the levels of remaining bacteria were almost undetectable. Researchers believe that these studies demonstrate that cinnamon can be effectively used to control bacteria in unpasteurized juices and may one day replace preservatives in foods. They are hopeful that cinnamon may be as effective in controlling other pathogens that cause food-borne illness such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. Previous studies have shown that cinnamon can also control microbes in meat. It is most effective, however, against pathogens in liquids. In liquids, the pathogens cannot be absorbed by fats (as they are in meat) and thus are easier to destroy. Currently, the best way to protect against E. coli infection is to take preventative measures. This includes avoiding both unpasteurized juices and milk, cooking raw meats to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and washing your hands after handling raw meat. Spices and Other Health Benefits Adding certain spices to your food can also have positive metabolic benefits. Spices such as rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, cloves, garlic powder, and paprika increase antioxidant activity in the blood and decrease insulin response. In addition, Penn State researchers found that adding these types of spices to meals high in fat decreases triglyceride response by about 30 percent. High triglyceride levels are associated with heart disease. In the study, the researchers compared the effects of eating high-fat foods with spices added to that of high-fat foods without spices. The group that consumed the spicy food had lower insulin and triglyceride responses to their meal. Along with the positive health benefits of consuming the meals with spices, the participants reported no negative gastrointestinal problems. The researchers contend that antioxidant spices like the ones in the study could be used to reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been linked to the development of chronic disease such as arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. For additional information, see: Cinnamon Is Lethal Weapon Against E. Coli O157:H7Antioxidant Spices Reduce Negative Effects of High-Fat Meal
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