February 2015
FOLLOWING FOOD NEWS
AND TRENDS
By Angela S.
Hoover, Staff
Writer
How To Use
Olive Oil
Correctly
There are six common mistakes
many people make with olive oil.
(1) Buying the light version to save
calories. All olive oils have about
the same amount of calories and fat
(120, 14g per Tbs). “Light” refers to
the color and flavor of the oil, which
is highly refined to make it more
neutral than other olive oils. (2) Not
cooking with extra-virgin. While
extra-virgin does have a lower smoke
point - the temperature where oil
begins to smoke and impart an
unpleasant odor and flavor - than
other olive oils, extra-virgin’s smoke
point is around 410F, which makes
it perfectly safe for sautéing at
medium temperatures. Extra-virgin
is the purest form of olive oil and
contains the most health support-
ive oleic acid. (3) Tossing any that
tastes slightly bitter. A slightly bitter
taste can indicate the presence of
antioxidants. With fresh extra-virgin
you should taste olives and some
grassy or fruity notes. (4) Keep it
right next to the stove. Nothing will
make olive oil go rancid quicker
than heat and light. Look for olive
oil in a dark-colored glass or tin
container and store it in a cool spot
away from sunlight. (5) Stocking
up when there’s a sale. Unless you
will use it all quickly, buy olive oil in
smaller quantities. Ideally you want
to use olive oil within 6 weeks. (6)
The “Fridge Test”. A 2013 episode
of the Dr. Oz Show claimed you
could test the purity of olive oil by
refrigerating it and if it solidifies it’s
pure. This is bunk, per UC Davis
researchers. The best way to ensure
your oil is good quality is look
for seals on the bottled from the
USDA Quality Monitoring Program,
the North American Olive Oil
Association, the California Olive Oil
Council or the Extra Virgin Alliance.
Eating Habits in
America Have
Improved For
Everyone Except For
the Poor
American’s eating habits have
improved, except among the poor,
but even among wealthier adults
food choices remain far from idea
per a 12-year study. The index of
healthy eating has 110 as a perfect score. U.S. adults averaged 40
points in 1999-2000, climbing to 47
points in 2009-2010, per the study.
Scores for low-income adults were
lower than the average and barely
changed during the years studied.
They averaged nearly 4 points lower
than those for high-income adults
at the beginning with the difference
increasing to more than 6 points
during 2009-2010. Higher score
mean greater intake of heart-healthy
foods like vegetables, fruits, whole
grains and healthy fats. The index
was developed by the Harvard
School of Public Health and is similar to federal dietary guidelines but
adds more categories. The overall
diet improvement was largely due
to decreased intake of trans fats.
The study authors say the results
are consistent with an earlier report
showing that “nearly the entire U.S.
&
35
population fell short of meeting federal dietary recommendations.” The
study highlights a “growing chasm”
of a wealth divide in healthy eating
that is a public health concern. It
suggests that the government efforts
to close the gap with food stamps
may be insufficient and that limiting government benefits to cover
only healthful foods may be a better
strategy.
Panera to Remove
All Artificial
Ingredients By 2016
Panera Bread Co. announced it
will remove artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives
from its food by 2016. As part of
its “Food Policy” the U.S. chain of
about 1,800 locations commits to
“clean” and “simple” ingredients.
Panera is not discontinuing the use
of genetically modified ingredients
nor fountain sodas from Coco-Cola
and PepsiCo, both of which use
high fructos