Thursday, April 29, 2010

Is CARP fish infested?


Trematodes

While more than 750 million people around the world are at risk for food-borne trematode infections (FBT), an estimated 40 million people are infected with one or more of these parasites (WHO, 1995). The majority of these infections (around 38 million) are fish-borne infections and are mainly occurring in some 20 countries where the parasites are endemic. Although seldom fatal, trematode diseases can cause morbidity and complications leading to death. The cause of infection is the ingestion of viable trematode metacercariae, which can be present in the flesh of, raw, inadequately cooked or minimally processed freshwater fish, molluscans and crabs. Infections are prevalent in several countries and among communities where eating raw, fermented or inadequately cooked fish is a cultural habit.

To control a disease, it is important to know where it is endemic. In trematode disease it is also necessary to have a complete understanding of the biology of the parasite, the life cycle and each stage of the life cycle must be known from the egg via the miracidium to the cercaria to the metacercaria to the adult parasite. All hosts must be determined: the snail (first intermediate), the animal host or vegetation (second intermediate) upon which metacercaria may encyst.

The adult worms are small, flat, slender and measures from a few up to 20 mm in length and 3-5 mm at the widest area. The general life cycle of trematodes, having fish as the second intermediate host is shown in Figure 5.13.

Figure 5.13 Life cycles of trematodes having fish as an intermediate host (redrawn from Strauss 1996).

There are three main groups of fish-borne trematodes infecting man (Table 5.23):

the liver flukes , the lung flukes, the intestinal flukes.

Table 5.23 Trematode parasites transmitted by fish

Parasite
Second inter-mediate host

Geographical area1
Estimated no. of infections (millions)

Liver flukes:

Clonorchis sinensis
> 100 species of freshwater fish, mainly carp
C, RK, J, R, V
7-13

1. Geographical area: SEA: South East Asia, EE: East Europe, R: Russia, U: Ukraine, C: China, RK: Republic of Korea, J: Japan, P: Peru, E: Ecuador, W+CA: West- and Central Africa, EU: Europe, ME: Middle East

Thursday, April 22, 2010

You figure it out!


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The person who calculated this bit of information has been a professor at The University of West Virginia in Morgantown, West Virginia for the last forty some years.

I never looked at the clunker program in such depth----

A clunker that travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses 800 gallons of gas a year.
A vehicle that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses 480 gallons a year.

So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction will reduce US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.

They claim 700,000 vehicles so that's 224 million gallons saved per year.
That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.
5 million barrels is about 5 hours worth of US consumption.

More importantly, 5 million barrels of oil at $70 per barrel costs about $350 million dollars So, the government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars to save $350 million.

We spent $8.57 for every dollar we saved.

I'm pretty sure they will do a great job with our health care, though.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Israeli firm to produce Krill (crustacean) oil as a food?





Breaking News on Supplements & Nutrition - Europe
Enzymotec krill gets Novel Food status
By Lorraine Heller, 18-May-2010
Related topics: Nutritional lipids and oils, Cardiovascular health, Cognitive and mental function

Krill oil as a food ingredient has received another boost in Europe, with Israeli firm Enzymotec announcing its krill product line has obtained Novel Food status.

Krill oil, rich in omega-3, phospholipids and antioxidants, is derived from the planktonic family of crustacean.

Enzymotec entered the market for krill oil in 2007. The firm’s range includes phosphatidylserine-based ingredients it markets for cognitive development, lipids for infant formulas, as well as pure krill oils. The novel foods status granted to Enzymotec’s product is the fourth krill approval of its kind in Europe.

Novel food

Europe's Novel Food regulation was introduced in 1997 and requires any food or ingredient not commonly consumed in the EU prior to May 1997 to undergo safety assessment before it can be sold across the EU's 27-member bloc.

It is a notoriously long-winded and unpopular process that has been much criticised by industry for stalling innovation, but the European Commission has mooted that it will be simplified or streamlined or both.

Sustainability

Krill are tiny shrimp commonly eaten by whales, and which form the largest animal biomass in the world. Omega-3 rich krill oil harvested for human purposes accounts for less than one per cent of that biomass.

The minute crustaceans have been in the public eye of late, over concerns that certain krill fishery was not being conducted in a sustainable manner.

US-based natural foods retailer Whole Foods pulled krill supplements from its shelves, stating that “declines of some predator populations in the areas where the krill fishery operates suggest that fishery management needs to better understand how to evaluate the prey requirements of other marine species in order to set sustainable catch levels for krill.”

Enzymotec confirmed its krill products are sustainably harvested. It sources its products only from vessels and facilities monitored by Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), it said.

"We are inspecting and verifying that each Krill shipment is harvested within the limits of the zone and dates for which the specific fishing vessels had received its fishing license from CCALMR," said Neta Scheinman Enzymotec's Director of QA.

Demand prompts expansion

Last year, Enzymotec announced the expansion its krill capacity in a move that would consolidate its production in a new 200,000 sq ft facility. This was in response to increased customer demand, the firm said at the time.

In 2008, the firm also expanded its product line to include a krill oil with modified phospholipids and omega-3 content, which it sells at a "significantly lower price" to its high-grade version.

Having a two-tier pricing system for its krill offerings, in addition to its other lipid ingredients, allowed the company to better compete with the likes of global krill market leader, Canadian-based Neptune Technologies & Bioressources.

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Sunday, April 18, 2010

BEWARE: Israeli Grape Juice

http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/wp-content/uploads/4-14-10c.pdf

Chief Rabbinate of Israel
Kashrut Fraud Division -Kashrut Alert – 18
27 Nissan 5770 -April 11, 2010

As a result of repeated and continuous inquiries into the reliability
of grape juice sold in Israel without kosher certification from local
rabbinates, a surprise inspection was made by representative of the
Chief Rabbinate of Israel Kashrut Enforcement Division, accompanied by
Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Klein Shlita, the rav and av beit din of Yesodot
(Nachal Sorek area), which is near the area inspected.

On location a number of wines and grape juices under the supervision
of the Eida Chareidit Sephardi of Jerusalem, Badatz Sheerit Yisrael,
Badatz Rabbanut Kraiyot-Ashdod, Badatz Chanichei Yeshivot under the
leadership of Gavaad Rabbi Mordechai Gross Shlita and Badatz Beit
Hora’ah Mispat Zedek Kisei Rachamim Bnei Brak.

During the surprise inspection we noticed some of the products were
outside the winery, without any supervision. Barrels and vats without
proper seals and kashrut plombers (chotem b’tok chotem – required
double seal) with the exception of one.

Stickers attesting to the kashrut of products were strewn about
without supervision as requried. Remains of wafers and other chametz
cookies were found about the same area, despite the product claiming
to be kosher for Passover year round [as is the case with wines in
general].

Found were wines classified as “otzar beit din, regular, some mevushal
and some not mevushal. Even more serious is the fact that entry to the
facility is almost unhindered.

As such, as well as the fact the winery does not have supervision
from a local rabbinate, as required under law, we are therefore
informing the public that the Rabbinate assumes no responsibility for
the following wines and grape juices.
1. Alexandroni 100% natural grape juice
2. Argamon sweet wine
3. Gefen Naot grape juice
4. Gefen grape juice
5. Gefen HaMelech grape juice
6. Kisei Rachamim grape juice

One is advised to visit the website link provided above to see the
actual labels of the products mentioned to familiarize oneself with
them.

Link to Rabbi Kleins letter reporting on his findings -
http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/wp-content/uploads/4-14-10d.pdf

Rabbi Yaakov Sabag
Chief of Kashrut Division
Rabbi Rafi Yochai
Chief of National Kashrut Fraud Prevention