I discovered off the ingredients label on a packet of Marzipan DW brought home yesterday and indicates "Alternative Marizipan" on the label - that it is made from Lima beans and cotton seeds!!!! It went straight into the bin! Marzipan is made from Almonds - otherwise it aint marzipan!

I know Americans love eating stuff they do not know its constitution - but its time to change that and be wise!

So I post this here to maybe add to info to the general consensus that the world food standards are really bulldust by definition - and I personally refuse to be fed "alternative" proteins just because some fat arsed corpoarion is minting it big time selling their WASTE as food. Remember the word G O S S Y P O L - if you love your heart and liver...


Cotton 101: Can you eat cotton or cottonseed?

My friend and one of great patience, John Blue asked me the question “can people eat cottonseed?” some time ago. I’ve meant to write the blog post a number of times. But I kept dragging my feet. I think now maybe it was because there since there isn’t a simple yes or no answer. Its more of a yes, no and maybe. The closest thing I can give you to a simple answer is for now, no, don’t try eating cottonseed.

What Complicates the Ability to Eat Cotton or Cottonseed?

There is a natural chemical produced by cotton plants called gossypol. I love when I have a good friend who’s awesome at science who has already explained a scientific topic I need to refer to, that’s the case with Jesse Bussard having posted about gossypol. Jesse writes about gossypol and livestock saying:

Gossypol is a toxic compound found in the cotton plant. This compound is concentrated in the cottonseed but can also be found in other parts of the plant such as hulls, leaves and stems. Gossypol exists in two forms: free and bound. The free form is toxic, while the bound form binds to proteins is not toxic.

Amounts of free gossypol in cottonseed can vary. Many factors affect gossypol concentration in seed including species of cotton plant, climatic conditions, soil conditions, fertilizer, etc. With all these factors it is impossible to come up with one easy way to determine gossypol levels. The only way is to test the cottonseed….

Gossypol affects mainly the heart and liver. The reproductive tract, abomasum, and kidneys are also affected. Monogastric animals, such as pigs and horses, are hightly susceptible to gossypol toxicity. Ruminants, cattle and sheep, can tolerate higher levels of free gossypol because free gossypol bings to proteins in the rumen. Even so, gossypol exposure can be toxic to cattle over a cumulative period. Levels of 800 ppm are considered toxic. The longer the cattle are on the ration the more likely toxicity will develop.

Common symptoms include: weakness, depression, loss of appetite, difficult breathing, blood in the urine, inflammation of the intestines, and reproductive problems. Gossypol toxicity must always be considered anytime their is a death loss in young animals that have been on cottonseed for several weeks (less time if gossypol levels are extreme).
No treatment exists to cure gossypol toxicity. Removing cottonseed from the ration may have some reversal effect but is not guaranteed. Some animals have still died even 2 weeks after gossypol was removed from their diet.


Is there the potential for change?

If you can read that and think you want to eat cotton seed, you are much stronger mentally than I am. Cattle eating a diversified diet that includes cottonseed is okay, but that’s because they are ruminants — they have multiple stomachs that assist in processing gossypol. BUT as I started this, I said maybe because a researcher at Texas A&M has been working on reducing the levels of gossypol in cotton in order to make the high protein source an option for both people and a wider array of animals. The researcher, Keerti Rathore was honored with recognition in January 2012 for his breakthrough work:

According to Dr. Don Jones, director Agricultural Research for Cotton Inc., Rathore’s ultimate goal is to create cotton plants that produce seeds that contain gossypol at levels below what is considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration while maintaining normal levels of gossypol and related chemicals in the foliage, floral parts, boll rind, and the roots. Gossypol helps cotton plants defend against insects and pathogens.
Dr. Wayne Smith, Texas A&M soil and crop sciences associate department head, applauded Rathore’s honor.
“Keerti has lines that show 95 percent reduction in seed gossypol that makes these seed – an excellent source of oil and protein – edible by humans,” Smith said. “This effort could lead to a new, high-quality food source for people around the world.”

Rathore earned his bachelor’s degree in animal and plant sciences from Rajasthan University, his master’s degree in plant biochemistry from Gujarat University, both in India. He earned his doctorate in plant physiology from Imperial College, University of London. Before joining AgriLife Research and Texas A&M in 2003, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate and a research scientist at Purdue University for 10 years


Yes, No and Maybe

So I guess you see why I answer the question of whether people can eat cottonseed with a yes, no or maybe. For now, it’s best not to because gossypol can be toxic to people. Cows can eat it though and veternarians like my friend Kathy Swift look at the feed combinations to make sure cows are getting too much of it (sort of like too much sugar is bad for us & leaves us hyper or crashing). But researchers are looking for a way that cottonseed could be eaten as a protein source. If that were to happen, it could bring a protein source to parts of the world where there are currently few options. That’s good for the cotton business but more importantly, it would be fantastic for people in parts of Africa and India.

What do you think, can you picture yourself eating cottonseeds instead of sunflower seeds at a ballgame?

http://janiceperson.com/cotton/cotton-1 ... ottonseed/

W T F ???

What’s The Truth About Cottonseed Oil?

Cottonseed oil: a seemingly harmless substance that you may be eating every day of your life. It is found in a variety of processed foods. It is so cheap, in fact that it costs producers next to nothing to manufacture. Why? Because cottonseed oil is nothing more than a by-product of industrial waste produced during cottonseed processing.

The dirty past of this and other industrially-produced oils like canola, soybean, sunflower, and safflower oils is not so well-known. But once you understand about how it is developed and manufactured, you might think twice about ever eating it again.

Cottonseed oil is also genetically-modified because it comes from cotton, the majority of which is grown from GMO seeds. So it is not only in the processed foods you are eating such as cookies, crackers, salad dressings, desserts, and other foods, but also in cotton swabs, clothing, personal care products, and more.

The History of Cottonseed Oil

One of the world’s most well-known products, Crisco, is a product pioneered by Procter & Gamble, a company owned by William Procter – a candle-maker, and his brother-in-law James Gamble, a soap-maker. The meat packing monopoly began regulating the pricing of lard and tallow, which had formerly been the primary ingredient used in the manufacturing of candles and soap. Another factor affecting candle sales was the growing use of electricity. Both events were responsible for a decline in candle and soap-making and the market for these products experienced a downturn.

P & G sought other ways to make revenue and, and by 1905, the company had ownership of eight cottonseed mills in Mississippi. A German scientist named E.C. Kayser developed a way to transform the liquid oil into a solid via a process called hydrogenation – this use of this method introduces hydrogen atoms into fatty chain acids, thereby altering the molecular structure of the oil. It was apparent how much the final product looked like lard, and that the result allowed a longer shelf life. Because hydrogenation decreased the need for refrigeration and extended the product’s store-ability – Crisco was born.

With clever marketing, P&G delivered their new product to households everywhere by convincing the consumer that this innovative substance was not only cheaper but healthier: “A healthier alternative to cooking with animal fats. . . and more economical than butter.” This statement effectively positioned them to stay afloat alongside their competitors – the lard and tallow industry.

The first ad for Crisco, duplicated in magazines and other publications throughout the land in 1912 emphasized the advantages of this new substance over lard – you could fry fish in it and it would not absorb the odour or taste, and then fry potatoes in the same pan. It could also be heated at much higher temperatures than lard and without burning or giving off smoke. Convincing ad campaigns successfully caused consumers to buy “and realize why its discovery will affect every family in America.” They were right.

Then P&G released a cookbook which they gave away, full of recipes everyone was familiar with – all except for the fact that instead of real fats, they included the new product – Crisco. The world was introduced to hundreds of meal preparations including this fantastic, healthy, economical, odour-free substance that would forever alter the world in many ways. Wives and mothers of that generation believed the persuasive marketing tactics of this influential company – that Crisco it was more convenient, easier to digest, cleaner, and a good modern alternative to archaic lard. After all, times were hard and the first world war and Great Depression were looming on the horizon.

Soon health issues like heart disease, infertility, learning disorders, a rise in cancer, and growth issues became much more prevalent. A large effort was made on the part of P&G to dispel any rumours of their product being linked to these occurrences. A scientist named Dr. Fred Mattson who was employed by P&G then unveiled to the public the government’s inconclusive Lipid Research Clinical Trials in an effort to blame heart disease on the consumption of animal fats.

Here are some products you will find that contain cottonseed oil:
• peanut butter
• boxed cereals
• crackers
• cookies (Update! read the latest post on Dr. Susan Rubin’s web site about Girl Scout Cookies!)
• packaged breads
• salad oils
• mayonnaise
• dressings
• marinades
• margarine
• other fake fats like shortening and artificial “butter” products

On an annual basis, the U.S. produces over one billion pounds of cottonseed oil. Exports amount to as much as one-fourth of that amount. It is used in everything from processed foods to personal care products (shampoos, soaps, makeup), and feed for livestock. It is commonly used for deep-frying many popular foods in restaurants and other processed foods to be packaged and sold for sale in grocery stores.

The National Cottonseed Products Association does not mention any human health or allergy hazards on their web site nor on the products they sell – only “benefits” are listed. One of their most famous claims is the “zero-trans fat” content of their product. Cottonseed oil is mentioned as containing natural tocopherols (Vitamin E) and anti-oxidants found in cottonseed oil – yet don’t mention the fact that this delicate nutrient is denatured during the hydrogenation of processing cottonseed oils (how most cottonseed oil is produced).

The National Cottonseed Products Association proudly proclaims that cottonseed oil is “refined and deodorized”, therefore making it one of the “purest food products available”. Another claim is made that cottonseed oil will not deteriorate rapidly nor degrade in quality quickly – that it has an unusually long shelf life. The truth is, the processing of oils like cottonseed and other industrially-produced oils causes the substance to become unstable, rancid, and are essentially trans-fats due to the nature of their processing. But you won’t hear the industries producing these products admitting these facts to the public.
What are the health hazards of cottonseed oil and other trans fats?

Mainstream medical experts and sources are fond of blaming dietary fats for many of our health ills and diseases like obesity and heart disease. But the main problem is that in general, medical science lumps all fats together as being equal, when they are not.

According to The New England Journal of Medicine, trans fats are more harmful than naturally occurring oils. The National Academy of Sciences has issued a statement that there are no safe consumption levels of hydrogenated and trans fats.ening of the arteries and cardiovascular problems, while healthy fats actually aid heart health, brain development, and maintain proper weight and cholesterol levels.

Dr. John Lee, M.D., well-known researcher and pioneer in medicine states, “Trans fatty acids enter our metabolic processes but are defective for our bodily uses. Our cell membranes, our hormone synthesis, our immune system, our ability to deal with inflammation and to heal, and many, many, other vital systems all become defective when trans fatty acids substitute for the health-giving cis fatty acids. Unknowingly we are poisoning ourselves.”

According to Wikipedia:
“In most naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids, the hydrogen atoms are on the same side of the double bonds of the carbon chain (cis configuration — meaning “on the same side” in Latin). However, partial hydrogenation reconfigures most of the double bonds that do not become chemically saturated, twisting them so that the hydrogen atoms end up on different sides of the chain. This type of configuration is called trans, which means “across” in Latin.[26] The trans conformation is the lower energy form, and is favoured when catalytically equilibriated as a side reaction in hydrogenation.

The same molecule, containing the same number of atoms, with a double bond in the same location, can be either a trans or a cis fatty acid depending on the conformation of the double bond. For example, oleic acid and elaidic acid are both unsaturated fatty acids with the chemical formula C9H17C9H17O2.[27] They both have a double bond located midway along the carbon chain. It is the conformation of this bond that sets them apart. The conformation has implications for the physical-chemical properties of the molecule. The trans configuration is straighter, while the cis configuration is noticeably kinked as can be seen from the following three-dimensional representation.

The trans fatty acid elaidic acid has different chemical and physical properties owing to the slightly different bond configuration. Notably, it has a much higher melting point, 45 °C rather than oleic acid’s 13.4 °C, due to the ability of the trans molecules to pack more tightly, forming a solid that is more difficult to break apart.[27] This notably means that it is a solid at human body temperatures.”

Cottonseed oil is also absolutely loaded with pesticides and other harmful chemicals, as used by the cottonseed industry to ensure the mass production of crops to keep up with demand. Also, the cottonseed plant composition is high in Omega 6 content – one of the reasons people in the developed world have such high numbers in obesity, heart disease, and other degenerative diseases like cancer.

So why then, are these products so ubiquitously found on the food markets? After reviewing the history of the development of these types of products, the answer should be clear – it’s all hinged upon money-making and the success of corporations seeking to use cheap, industrial by-products as a means for generating profit.

What are better alternatives to cottonseed and other industrial oils?

For cooking or frying:
• Tallow (beef fat)
• Lard (pork fat)
• Coconut oil (use refined for high heat cooking or frying)
• Palm oil
• Butter
• Ghee

All of these should be from clean, sustainable (non-GMO) sources. These are healthy fats because they are saturated fats which are loaded with nutrients such as A, D, E, and K2. They also have a high smoke point. For very low heat sauté, on salads, dressings, condiments, and other similar types of foods, use olive oil. These fats are healthy to consume because they are from natural sources that have not been altered. It’s important to know what source your fats are coming from to ensure they are produced sustainably and in harmony with nature.

One reason animal fats have received a bad name is that most of our animal fats come from feedlot and factory farm sources – where animals are fed improperly (corn, soy, grains – and all from genetically-modified origins), and are pumped full of hormones, antibiotics, and housed in small quarters away from pasture and sunlight.
Contrary to popular belief, saturated fats from plant and animal sources are healthy and essential for all elements of health. For more information on fats and health, read The Importance of Dietary Fats.

http://agriculturesociety.com/politics- ... nseed-oil/