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Spanish Tapas of Tuna, Cheese and Bell Pepper

Ingredients

6 mixed red, green, yellow, or orange bell peppers
2 tbsp Spanish olive oil
7 oz canned tuna in olive oil, drained
scant 1/2 cup curd cheese
4 tbsp chopped fresh fiat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
2. Brush the bell peppers with the oil and put in a roasting pan. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then turn over and roast for an additional 10 minutes, or until the skins have blistered and blackened.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the roasted peppers to a plastic bag and let cool for about 15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
4. Meanwhile, put the tuna on paper towels and pat dry to remove the oil. Transfer to a food processor, then add the curd cheese, parsley, and garlic and process until mixed together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Using a sharp knife or your fingers, carefully peel away the skins from the cooled bell peppers. Cut the bell peppers into quarters and remove the stems, cores, and seeds.
6. Put a heaping teaspoonful of the tuna and cheese mixture on the pointed end of each bell pepper quarter and roll up. If necessary, wipe with paper towels to remove any filling that has spread over the skins, then arrange the rolls in a shallow dish on end with the filling uppermost. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, until firm, before serving.

Makes 8 servings as part of a tapas meal.

Source: Tapas

In Pictures: Food and Drink of the Pop-up Kerokerokeroppi Cafe in Yokohama, Japan

Celebrating the birthday of Kerokerokeroppi on July 10

Kerokerokeroppi (けろけろけろっぴ)

Snacks with Added Fiber A Part of Nutrition Facts Delay

Candice Choi wrote . . . . . .

A new labeling rule could change how much fiber is listed for some snack bars and cereals.

A little-discussed aspect of the revamped Nutrition Facts panel, which was postponed by USDA, is that it could change what ingredients products like Fiber One bars can count as dietary fiber.

The Food and Drug Administration says added ingredients need to have a health benefit to be counted as fiber on the new panel. And many ingredients that are currently used to boost fiber counts haven’t yet gotten the green light to keep doing so.

General Mills Inc., for instance, says its Fiber One brownie has 90 calories and 5 grams of fiber. The brownie lists ingredients like sugarcane fiber and xanthan gum, which are among those being reviewed by the FDA.

Bridget Christenson, a General Mills representative, said the FDA has received “more than ample scientific support” for the ingredients the company uses to boost fiber. She said General Mills does not expect it will need to make any recipe changes.

So far, the FDA has cleared seven fiber ingredients to be counted as fiber. Clearance is pending for another 26 ingredients.

Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said she thinks food makers “will convince the FDA to approve most of the 26 fibers,” since it’s not that difficult to demonstrate some health effect on traits like bowel function. But she said the problem is that such added fibers may lead people to think foods like snack bars are healthier treats.

“Our position is that none of these fibers should count,” Liebman said of the 26 fibers under review and five of the seven that have been approved.

Products with labels touting fiber on their packaging accounted for $12.34 billion in U.S. sales for the year that ended April 1, according to Nielsen. Sales had climbed in 2013 and 2014, but slipped back more recently.

The ingredients in question include only synthetic fibers or fibers that have been isolated from foods — not those that occur naturally and are kept intact. So the fiber from oatmeal or chopped apples could continue to be counted as fiber. But isolated “apple fiber” is among the ingredients the FDA is reviewing, as well as gum acacia, pea fiber and rice bran fiber.

Until this week, companies had a July 2018 deadline to start using the new Nutrition Facts panel, which makes it easier to see how many calories and how much added sugar are in products. The Food and Drug Administration said it was pushing back that date this week, though it has not yet announced a new deadline. Industry groups have asked to postpone implementation until 2021.

The FDA said it can’t comment on when it expects to determine whether the 26 ingredients can be counted as fiber.

Companies could use the fibers the FDA has already cleared, including psyllium husk and cellulose. But there are many more fibers with different properties that might work well in particular products, said Robert Burns, vice president of health and nutrition policy at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents major packaged food makers.

Burns said there’s no reason to think that fiber ingredients would be any less beneficial when they’re isolated and added to a product, versus when they’re consumed as a naturally occurring part of a food. And if companies were to no longer use ingredients because they can’t be counted as fiber, he said, people may end up eating less fiber.

In the meantime, many are calling on the FDA to hurry up and implement the new Nutrition Facts panel, which makes it easier to see how many calories and how much added sugar are in products. Some companies have already started using the new panel, and those calling for a speedy implementation say that extending the time during which there are different versions in the marketplace could cause confusion.

Oreo cookie maker Mondelez, for instance, said it had been working toward the July 2018 deadline, and that its Wheat Thins crackers are already using the new panel.

Source: The Daily Sentinel

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How Fiber Fared in the New Food Label

After 9 arduous years of deliberations, the FDA finally rolled out the final rule on the new food label last week.

Much of the food label media attention has centered on 3 of the most obvious changes:

• More realistic serving sizes (so long 1/2 cup of ice cream serving…)
• Addition of the added sugars line (bad news for the entire “fruited yogurt” industry…), and
• Changes in nutrients required (adding vitamin D and potassium and deleting vitamins A and C).

Most nutrition advocates are generally pleased with the direction of the food label change. First Lady Michelle Obama summarized the changes by saying, “Very soon you will no longer need a microscope, a calculator or a degree in nutrition to figure out whether the food that you’re buying is actually good for your kids, so that’s a phenomenal achievement.”

But how did fiber fare with this food label overhaul?

There are 2 changes with regards to fiber on the new food label:

• The FDA defined dietary fiber for the first time saying fiber, “includes naturally occurring fibers and only fibers added to foods that show a physiological health benefit”
• The Daily Value (DV) for fiber will be changing from 25 grams to 28 grams per day

With regards to the definition of fiber, the FDA determined that there is adequate scientific evidence to support the notion that the following added fibers may have beneficial health effects for humans:

• Cellulose (improves bowel function)
• Guar gum, pectin, locust bean gum and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (lower blood total and/or LDL cholesterol values)
• Psyllium husk (aka inulin and was added to the definition of fiber because of its role in bowel health)

This refined definition also means that all of the other functional (added or “fake”) fibers you find added to processed foods will not be able to count as dietary fiber since there is no evidence supporting their beneficial effect on health.

And what about the change in daily value from 25 to 28 grams? Well, let’s keep this in perspective: most Americans eat only 12-15 grams per day, so most of us would still benefit from eating more fiber. Whether that’s 25 or 28 grams probably doesn’t matter: we need to eat more plants and less processed foods with food labels on them.

Manufacturers will have to roll out the new food label by July 26, 2018 (now delayed and new date has not been set). For companies with less than $10 million in annual food sales will be given an additional year to comply.

As renowned nutrition expert Marion Nestle so eloquently put it in her Scientific American blog post today, “But let’s keep this in perspective. Healthful diets are based on foods, not food products. We would all be healthier eating foods that do not come with Nutrition Facts panels, and saving most of those that do for once-in-a-while occasions.”

Source:

Can You Recognize the Signs of Skin Cancer?

With skin cancer the most common type of cancer in the United States, you should learn to spot its early signs, a cancer doctor says.

“Early detection is key. When detected early, most skin cancers may be effectively treated and are often curable,” said Dr. Jeffrey Farma, a surgical oncologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

“Individuals play an important role in early detection,” Farma said in a center news release. “By being familiar with your own skin markings, like moles, freckles and blemishes, you’re likely to notice any changes.”

His recommendation: Have your skin checked yearly by a physician or dermatologist, and check your own skin for signs of skin cancer by using a mirror every month.

Using the ABCDE rule of skin cancer can help identify potential problems, including the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma, he said.

A for Asymmetry. Melanoma lesions are often not symmetrical in shape, while benign moles are usually symmetrical.

B for Border. Benign moles usually have smooth, even borders, while melanoma lesions usually have irregular borders that are difficult to define.

C for Color. A mole with more than one color (blue, black, brown, tan, etc.) or the uneven distribution of color can sometimes be a warning sign of melanoma. Benign moles are usually a single shade of brown or tan.

D for Diameter. Melanoma lesions are often more than 6 millimeters in diameter, about the size of a pencil eraser.

E for Evolution. The evolution of your moles is important. Knowing what is normal for you could save your life.

“If a mole or marking has gone through recent changes in color and/or size, bring it to the attention of your doctor immediately so he or she can determine the cause,” Farma said. “Remember that skin cancer affects people of all skin tones, no matter what their complexion.”

Source: HealthDay

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