How safe will the U.S. food supply be?

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services seems a prime target for staff cuts these days and that raises questions about how safe our food supply will be going forward. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates food safety, is part of that department.

Take care buying food in the coming years, food safety may become a much larger issue than it has been.

“FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones’ abrupt resignation on Monday (Feb. 17) following the wholesale termination of thousands of employees across the Department of Health and Human Services late last week does not bode well for the Trump administration’s ability to “Make America Healthy Again” as promoted by recently appointed HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr, according to public health advocates,” reported Food Navigator USA on Feb. 19.

Jones oversaw something called the Humans Food Program within the FDA, which had been looking at safety issues involving food additives. But 89 employees in that program were lied off recently, prompting Jones to resign.

Continue reading →

February 19, 2025 0

Private label food sales continue to grow

U.S. private label food sales rose $9 billion to a total of $271 billion in 2024, reports the Private Label Manufacturers’ Association, a processors’ trade group. Interestingly, some of the biggest expansion in the category is coming from nontraditional food retailers like Walmart and Target, reports The Food Institute, a food news site.

Walmart recently introduced Bettergoods, a premium private label line offering plant-based alternatives and specialty items, for example, the Institute reports.

“Dollar General revealed plans to bolster its arsenal of more than 3,200 consumable private label products with roughly 100 new offerings under its Clover Valley brand. Additions include honey mustard, blue cheese, and Thousand Island salad dressings; apple cinnamon fruit and grain bars; and eight flavors of ice creams,” the Food Institute story also relates.

Continue reading →

January 31, 2025 0

Even Christmas treats get downsized

Christmas 2024 seems long way away these cold January days. But before my neighbors (finally) take down their outside decorations, I wanted to write about how even Christmas candy is getting downsized in the face of rising ingredient costs these days.

My wife (or was it Santa?) gave me these marshmallow Snowmen in my Christmas stocking this year. They’re a regular item at our local Dollar Tree store.

Continue reading →

January 29, 2025 0

Shame on you Boar’s Head

*My dad loved Boar’s Head cold cuts. Glad he can’t see what’s happened to the brand lately.*

Boar’s Head cold cuts were always my dad’s favorite. He was old-school when it came to food — he believed in the promise major brands made in those days, namely that they sold superior products. He would tell anyone who would listen at family parties that Boar’s Head was the best.

So I’m glad he’s not around today to see how the mighty have fallen. Not only did Boar’s Head have a major recall last year after a listeria outbreak was linked to products from a factory it runs in Virginia. But now a new report details sanitation issues at several other Boar’s Head plants, reports The Patch and other sources.

Continue reading →

January 22, 2025 0

Weight loss & food choices, really?

LoseIt has been pumping out a lot of diet info as the new year begins. This one particularly caught my eye because it seems kind of guffy, Most-Logged Foods in 2024 by Those Who’ve Lost 50 Pounds or More.

Banks are something I have daily.
Photo by Couleur on Pexels.com

Does eating these foods regularly lead to weight loss? That’s the implication. But our nutrition and eating habits are much more complex than that, I’d contend.

LoseIt looks at it this way, “Food choices play a crucial role in losing weight, and our Lose It! members understand this well. From breakfast to dinner, they carefully log their meals to maintain consistency and stay on track with their weight loss goals. These 11 foods were the most popular in 2024 among members who achieved an impressive weight loss of 50 pounds or more.”

You decide. The food are eggs, bananas, blueberries, chicken breast, white rice, bacon and 2% milk.

Bacon and white rice are on my heart-patient do-not-eat list, so I’m not so sure if they would help me use weight. I’m lactose-intolerant, so milk is also out. Egg prices have gone so high recently because of bird flu that I’m stopped buying them. And I don’t like blueberries. I do eat bananas every day to maintain my potassium levels.

January 15, 2025 0

Up for a wellness challenge? Check out NYT

The New York Times started the year with a five-day wellness challenge, a series to help you shop for healthier foods.

Fiber One ultraprocessed? Yes, according to the *Times*.

Day one defines ultra processed foods and gives you a digital game to see how much of what you buy can fit the definition.

Some of the results may surprise you, as I’m sure they were picked to do.

I found out, for example, that Fiber One cereal, my fallback buy when I can’t find Trader Joe’s High Fiber Cereal, is considered ultra processed because of thickening agents and Sucrolose it contains.

How does the series define ultraprocessed?

“Ultraprocessed foods, or UPFs, are commonly defined as products you couldn’t typically make in your own kitchen. They contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, protein isolates, emulsifiers and artificial flavors, colors and sweeteners. Think chicken nuggets, hot dogs, flavored yogurts, sodas and many breakfast cereals, packaged breads and snack foods,” it states.

January 11, 2025 0

Sad news for low-salt eating — Mrs. Dash marinades are no more

A sharp-eyed reader left me a comment recently that broke my heart, and more importantly will impact my heart-health — Mrs Dash sodium-free marinades are no longer being made.

Preparing salmon with Mrs. Dash no-salt marinades. — *Mrs Dash salt-free marinades are no longer being made. A sad day for healthy eating.*

A quick check of the Mrs Dash site confirms the sad news but offers no explanation.

Mrs. Dash’s teriyaki marinade had provided a way for me to still enjoy some Asian dishes without overloading on salt. I’ve used it in recipes in place of soy sauce because even reduced sodium soy sauce is too high in salt for me.

Healthy Heart Market lists a low-sodium soy with 180 msg of sodium per tablespoon. How many tablespoons would go into a stir fry?

Continue reading →

September 6, 2024 0

Listeria outbreak kills two, sends 33 to hospital

Subway's spicy Italian, avoid it like a salt plague! — *A fan of cold cuts? Check what you bought, Boar’s Head has a major recall underway.*

A major recall of deli meats has accounted for two deaths and put 33 people in hospitals, reports Patch.com. Products involved are from the Boar’s Head brand, with cases of people being sickened by the products reported in 13 states as of late July.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” health officials said in a news release. “This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported, as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak,” Patch reports.

Boar’s Head already is facing at least one lawsuit. The recalled meats are thought o be causing listeria in people who eat them.

“The company last week announced a recall of several types of deli meats, including all liverwurst products, as well as some types of ham, salami and bologna.

“The recall includes 207,528 pounds of products that were shipped to retail locations nationwide. See the full list of recalled products,” Patch reports.

July 30, 2024 0

A primer on building your food budget

Rising food costs have obsessed consumers in these post-Covid times. While signs have emerged that costs have leveled off, they likely won’t fall any time soon, so everyone needs to work on budgeting for their food needs. If you haven’t done this, a good place to start is with this primer The New York Times ran recently entitled 9 Tips to Stretch Your Food Budget.

Among the tips are changes in lifestyle — eat less meat, snacking less and avoid wasting food. But there are also ways to save money, like using coupons and knowing your grocery store and how to find the cheaper offerings in a. given food category.

Coupons these days are largely digital, be sure to have the shopping app for every store you shop at to get their best deals. Also, check out national couponing sites. These tend to have coupons for major brands, which I tend to avoid because they’re usually the most expensive, but you can get occasional deals.

My goal is to only buy sale/coupon items every time I shop, and to save at least 30% off full prices overall. You can see an example of one of my recent receipts here with all the discounts noted.

July 3, 2024 0

Grocery costs stable in May but still higher than 3 years ago

The good news is that inflation, and the increases seen in food prices the past three years, are moderating. The bad news, those food prices are still 20% higher overall than they were three years ago.

*Everything you buy should be a deal or a sale, check this receipt of mine to see the savings.*

Grocery prices were unchanged in May compared with April, according to Consumer Price Index information released for May recently.

“Wednesday’s report indicated that consumers are beginning to get some relief from the price spikes of the past three years. Grocery costs were unchanged, on average, from April to May, after actually falling 0.2% the previous month. Food prices have risen just 1% over the past 12 months, though they’re still up about 20% from three years ago,” reports Associated Press.

Smart shopping can cut your food bills, always be on the lookout for digital deals and other possible savings when you plan your weekly food shopping trips.

Producers won’t cut prices unless demand drops dramatically, so it’s up to you to manage your budget and find the deals.

June 12, 2024 1

Category: smart shopping

How safe will the U.S. food supply be?

Private label food sales continue to grow

Even Christmas treats get downsized

Shame on you Boar’s Head

Weight loss & food choices, really?

Up for a wellness challenge? Check out NYT

Sad news for low-salt eating — Mrs. Dash marinades are no more

Listeria outbreak kills two, sends 33 to hospital

A primer on building your food budget

Grocery costs stable in May but still higher than 3 years ago

Blogs I Follow

Start here