It was recently announced that food adulteration is on the increase and coffee, milk, honey, and olive oil were on the list of products most likely to adulterated along with a variety of fruit juices.
No companies were mentioned and consumers were left on their own to figure if there morning coffee and oj were mostly water and sugar instead of coffee and juice. Consumers have no way of determining if a product has been adulterated before the purchase.
The Federal government publishes a list of companies and you can check there. In February 2013, at least three Bay area companies were on the list.
The easiest way to avoid products that are adulterated is to buy from local companies you can get to know and trust.
Clover-Stornetta and Straus Dairy are two companies who reputations are impeccable. The Bay area has many fine local coffee companies and buying whole bean coffee is a good way to make sure it's just coffee.
Buy honey and olive oil and at certified farmers market. In California certified market vendors crops are inspected by the county agricultural department where the farm is located. Get to know the vendors, you'll find ones you like and trust.
If sequestration happens, even the limited resources will be curtailed.
Sequestration will also impact other areas of healthy food delivery in the Bay area
But if that $85 billion in federal spending cuts kick in because of sequestration, Meals on Wheels will be kicked in the gut.
The organization that provides meals to homebound, isolated, disabled elders would lose a big chunk of its budget. In Contra Costa County, it would mean a loss of $100,000 per year or 280 fewer meals per day.
There could be layoffs. Paul Kraintz, Director of the County Services Nutrition Program in Contra Costa County which operates Meals on Wheels, says layoffs would be a makor setback.
"Really what we have is a professional staff, client care and nutritional staff to make sure the food is nutritious and safe."
Never have the words caveat emptor meant more. Thank you our dysfunctional congressional leadership.
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