Around the holidays, clients consistently need rush analysis. Today, I received a call from a client who needs analysis records for an important business transaction tomorrow. At Midwest Laboratories, these type of requests are pretty regular. It is for this reason that our company does not take an extended vacation time. Companies rely on the…
Category Archives: Food
Gummy Bear Recall
This week a very isolated recall occurred in the United States regarding gummy bears and possible heavy metal contamination. The report by the FDA list the store locations and indicates that the recall is for a remote possibility of heavy metals. As the story came out, I wanted to look at the ingredients and see…
Counterfeit Products
Check out this article “Cheap Fakes: 10 Ordinary Items Now Counterfeited“ This article is very disturbing. A number of companies are trying to make a fast buck by creating imitation products. Most of these products look very similar to the real products, but they are clearly not the real products. If you are a consumer,…
10 Food Nutrients You Need to Know
In this age of trying to eat healthy, it is always good to know what nutrients your body needs and the best place to find them. I came across this article, “10 key nutrients and how to get them from your food“ and wanted to summarize some findings in this article. I would encourage you…
Arsenic and Lead in Apple Juice
We reported on this issue of arsenic in apple juice a few months ago. In addition, arsenic in water is always a subject in which people are addressing. Now, a Consumer Reports study has reported results on this issue: “The tests of 88 samples of apple juice and grape juice purchased in New York, New…
Some Thanksgiving Food Thoughts
Be safe this Thanksgiving!- Make it a healthy holiday for everyone. Here are two video examples on things you should think about with respect to your food. This first video looks at the proper techniques involved with storing leftovers. Finally! Check out this video regarding your kitchen and a health inspection test. Would your…
The $345,000 Lab-Grown Burger
I came across this article, Here’s How a $345,000 Lab-Grown Burger is Going To Solve World Hunger and I had to read further. A Dutch Scientist, Mark Post is exploring the benefits of “cultured meat”, using real animal flesh. The article explains: “Using stem cells harvested from leftover animal material from slaughterhouses, Post nurtures them…
Peanut Butter prices going up
A report from the Chicago Tribune, “Peanut butter prices skyrocketing” talks about the rising prices that will be going into affect this week. “Kraft will raise prices for its Planters brand peanut butter by 40 percent … while ConAgra has instituted increases of more than 20 percent for its Peter Pan brand that went into…
Are you buying real honey at the store?
I came across this story today by Andrew Schneider, November 7, 2011 | Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn’t Honey. This story states that three-fourths of the honey sold in U.S. grocery stores isn’t exactly what bees produce. “The results show that the pollen frequently has been filtered out of products labeled “honey.” The removal…
Food Safety – Local Organic Foods
The recent trend regarding foodborne illnesses has been to turn to locally grown, organic foods. The following article, Local, Organic Foods Not Always Safer looks at the issue and highlights some important information. It’s main point is that food safety really is in the hands of the company, grower and management team. President Obama signed…
