To honor National Grilled Cheese Day, I thought I would talk about cheese and the process of making cheese. With over a dozen organic dairy farms making cheese in South Carolina alone, it has become more easily accessible. Specialty and small farm brands can be ordered online. What is cheese? Cheese can be broken down into two broad categories, fresh and ripened. Within these two categories are a multitude of subdivisions, usually classified according to the texture of the cheese and how it was made. Some of these categories can overlap because cheese can have an entirely different character when young than it does when aged. Most cheese begins as…
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National Beer Day: What About Wheat
It takes WHEAT to make beer… Today commemorates 83 years of being able to buy, sell and drink beer. What better day to talk about WHEAT and its role in sustenance and sustainability. According to the Brewers Association, at the end of 2015, there were over 4,000 craft breweries in the United States, some varietals by these local brew masters include wheat. Although most breweries incorporate barley, wheat beer is brewed with a larger proportion of wheat, compared to the amount of malted barley included in the mix. Wheat is considered a specialty grain and can create different flavors and levels of complexity in the beer. A beer made from…
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Concerns Over Chemicals in Soup Cans
Campbell Soup Company announces the elimination of Bisphenol-A in can linings. Despite the Federal Drug Administration assessment that current levels of Bisphenol-A, otherwise known as BPA are safe in our food supply, Campbell Soup Company has announced that by the middle of 2017, NONE of their products will include BPA in the container manufacturing. This includes all soups, gravies, Swanson broths and SpaghettiO products. They are incorporating acrylic and polyester options for can liners. Some medical studies have shown the consumption of BPA’s can raise the risk of cancer, brain damage and hormonal problems, especially in fetuses and pregnant women, and should be a major health concern. BPA is a…
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Helping New Farmers
America’s Young Farmers: We Want Student Loan Relief A nonprofit with bipartisan support is arguing for measures that encourage new farmers to get and stay in the business. http://www.fastcompany.com/3057663/food-week/americas-young-farmers-we-want-student-loan-relief Article by Neal Ungerleider of Fast Company
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Corporate Food America Wins Yet Again
Senate blocks bill that would override state GMO labeling laws The U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked a bill that would nullify state and local efforts to require food makers to label products made with genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, as the industry races to stop Vermont’s law from taking effect on July 1. The proposed legislation from Republican Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas comes amid growing calls for transparency in the U.S. food supply. Labeling advocates have criticized the bill as toothless because it leaves the decision to disclose GMO ingredients to the companies whose products contain them. Senate Bill 2609 is known as the Biotech Labeling Solutions Act by…
