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Something to relish at Del Monte

I look at everything to see if they contain High Fructose Corn Syrup! CLICK on the link to see what Del Monte says about their ingredients.

Now, I really don’t know why Del Monte has a product that doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup while so many of their other products do, but let’s just say that this is a product I will use with ‘relish!’

In reading what some folks write about  HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP in defending this ingredient. sounds a lot like the ‘warnings’ one saw on other products that started off saying  “the surgeon general has determined…” Here’s what Del Monte has on their site:

“High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener made from corn and can be found in numerous foods and beverages on grocery store shelves in the United States.  High fructose corn syrup is composed of either 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, with the remaining sugars being primarily glucose and higher sugars. In terms of composition, high fructose corn syrup is nearly identical to table sugar.  The American Medical Association stated in June 2008 that “…high fructose syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners…” And, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) concluded in December 2008 that “No persuasive evidence supports the claim that high fructose corn syrup is a unique contributor to obesity.”  The ADA also noted, “High fructose corn syrup … is nutritionally equivalent to sucrose. Both sweeteners contain the same number of calories (4 per gram) and consist of about equal parts of fructose and glucose. Once absorbed into the blood stream, the two sweeteners are indistinguishable.””

My wife wrote a blog  a few years back that shed some light on the phenomenon. Although data can sometimes be correlational and correlation does not equal causation,  I think this issue deserves a fair hearing and I for one will not buy anything knowingly that contains HFCS.

Maybe, Del Monte is putting a very small toe in the water to see how folks will react to having one of their minor brands live without HFCS … but to me it is a step in the right direction! What does HFCS really have to do with making a great relish??

I have been really shocked to see how many brands contain HFCS, everything from Margarita Mix (ouch!), to our Jenny Craig Chicken kits, to my Cherrios to many brands of Pickle Relish!

Check it out.

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ending information poverty

Laura's textbook can be found in many places around the world. CLICK the picture to read about Discovering Biological Psychology

If not for the internet, many of us wouldn’t be able to follow the World Cup or — more importantly — discover South Africa’s fabulous recipes for ‘Bobotie!’ For some of us, we do remember a time before the internet, for others they do not know a world without the web.

What are the real legacies of any civilization? I would argue that knowledge and experience shapes and defines what people become and that sharing this collective wisdom is what brings out the best in a society and thus defines them.  The exchange of knowledge, news, stories and information can change the world and often for the better.

By contrast, restricting information creates arbitrary sources of power that can be — and often is — harmful to any society, especially to a free one. I have often thought it was the lack of access to information and communication that creates social problems, economic shackles and impoverishes society. The lack of information and the inability to communicate is a poverty we can not see.

So, when most people think of ‘information poverty’, they think of the inability to have access to basic books and cutting edge scientific research and that well may be true. Availability is a problem that can be addressed but restriction is another. Back in 1993, while in New Zealand, I observed a discussion regarding ‘information poverty’ in Africa and strides are being made. Australia knows too well the value of information as they lead the way with school room classes over radio then television decades ago. Back in 2008, Google wrote a short blog about  information poverty.

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Laura's Psychology Blog as viewed around the world

Personally, opening up the internet and making it affordable worldwide has and will continue to make huge strides in reducing information poverty, promoting understanding and increasing communication across the planet.  As we make the world smaller, it becomes more understandable, interdependent, and economically viable.