French allergy doctors from the Association for Clinical Research on Allergies and Asthma (Arcaa) unveiled a new label last month called “Allergenes Controlés” which aims to guarantee – with the help of independent laboratories – the safety of a range of consumer products for the fast-growing ranks of those who are afflicted by allergies.
Allergies affect [...]
Archive for the ‘food’ Category
New allergy label debuts in France
Posted in air quality, food, health on October 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Stevia hits France but will our brains be fooled by another imitation?
Posted in food, health on September 28, 2009 | 4 Comments »
The new ‘miracle’ sweetener Stevia (100% natural) has just been authorized in France, making it the first EU country to give the green light to a much-hyped product which is hoped will save the soft drink industry from falling sales and aspartame backlash. Already in use in Australia, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, full approval in [...]
Bees thrive in Paris – more biodiversity, fewer pesticides
Posted in agriculture, biodiversity, food on September 5, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Beekeeping in the city? Surprisingly, bees in Paris, and other big cities, produce two to three times more honey than their country brethren. Higher average temperatures in the city lead to an earlier flowering, which entices the worker bees to emerge earlier. City bees also produce honey with better flavour because they have access to [...]
Organic is more than a label
Posted in agriculture, biodiversity, food on August 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Living in Paris most of the year, the only guarantee I have that a product has not been treated with pesticides is the AB (Agriculture Biologique) label, which itself is due to be watered down in 2010. But here in the rural southwest, many producers have chosen not to apply for the AB label and [...]
Tuna, eco-tent living and 13 moons – summertime links
Posted in agriculture, biodiversity, food on July 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
France backs international ban on bluefin tuna, from Sam Fromartz at Chews Wise. Sarkozy’s decision was announced at the Grenelle de La Mer last week. Bluefin tuna fishing in France is esssentially concentrated around the Ile d’Yeu, off the Brittany coast. WWF welcomed the decision and the U.K. followed suit with a similar commitment.
Nice eco-tourism [...]
High stakes for food security at Tunis meeting
Posted in agriculture, biodiversity, climate change, food on June 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I just returned from Tunis where the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources is holding its 3rd Governing Body session. Getting funding for the Treaty and stimulating the free and unimpeded (by seed companies) flow worldwide of crop genetic resources among plant breeders and scientists is an uphill battle, which all those present at [...]
If it isn’t organic, skip the whole grain
Posted in agriculture, food, health on April 6, 2009 | 1 Comment »
When I was growing up, my mother had to bake her own bread because whole grain bread was not available. So I grew up with the sturdy conviction that any bread which was brown and grainy was more healthful than white bread. As I moved to organic food in recent years, I discovered that while [...]
Highest-risk fruit and vegetables for pesticide contamination
Posted in agriculture, food, health on March 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
March 20-30 marked the 4th annual edition of “Semaine Sans Pesticides“ – a kind of national awareness week to remind people of the seriousness of the issue in France. Just as the market stalls fill up with tempting displays of strawberries and aspargus, it’s worth remembering that France is the world’s third biggest user [...]
France launches Grenelle on Oceans
Posted in Grenelle, biodiversity, climate change, food, water on March 6, 2009 | 1 Comment »
France’s Environment Minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, announced last month the launch of a “Grenelle de la Mer”, modelled on the Grenelle on the Environment and focused exclusively on problems related to fishing and the oceans. The idea is to bring together experts, stakeholders and representatives of the government and business to hammer out a long-term strategic [...]
French food safety agency rules that GM corn is safe
Posted in Grenelle, agriculture, biodiversity, food, policy on February 12, 2009 | 3 Comments »
The French food safety agency, AFSSA, has ruled that MON 810 corn – transgenic corn manfactured by Monsanto – does not constitute a health risk. The ruling, dated Jan 23 but kept secret until an exclusive in today’s Le Figaro, is a political time bomb for the government, already snowed under with strike action from [...]
