Watch What You Eat in Russia

[RacerX]

This recent article reports that large quantities of radioactive produce still find their way into the Russian foodchain:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060118/sc_afp/russiachernobyl_060118141200

Reportedly it is coming from the Chernobyl region, although there wasn't any mention of the isotopes found - that from Chernobyl will be contaminated by radio-cesium.

Most of the produce was wild mushrooms and berries, which seem to be thriving on the abandoned lands.

Word to the wise: 2 kg blueberries are not the norm. 

[Bruce]

Mushrooms, berries are the worst.  I would not eat anything from Belarus unless I knew exactly where it came from.  Then again, the theory of hormesis leads one to believe that a little bit of radioactivity is ok.

[Rvrwind]

My Doctor says anything is okay, in moderation, even Vodka!!!:D

RVR - Canadian Cowboy/Agency Owner

[al-c]

Most of what I eat in Russia I cannot identify, and I don't always have the luxury of an English speaking person present to tell me what it is.

 

[Elen]

A few days ago there was a show at OUR TV where they told us that there was nothing wrose in this life than gene modification products and full of hormones meat( right what you have there at the West)
So watch what you eat there


Ps don't worry for me personal I pick up mushrooms and berries at our dacha in the most ecological clean (in all meanings) area - Vladimirskaya

[RacerX]

But one thing that's interesting is the death rate from stomach cancer is more than five times higher in Russia than the rest of Europe.  Compared to the rest of the world, the three worst countries are: Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.

The causes of stomach cancer are complex but the quality of the food you eat is obviously an important factor.

[Elen]

Okay okay Come here and save some poor pretty girl from awful death Just be in a hurry - we can't last too long

[Bruce]

One thing I have said many times is that I have been over to the FSU many times and I have never had a gastrointestinal problem.  My favorite thing is mushroom soup and I hope I did not accumulate too much radiation.  Al-C, I think you have the right attitude, just go with the flow when it comes too food.  I am so particular that food is always a problem for me.  Since I have such a natural aversion towards increasing my cholesterol count I do my best to limit sloppy white sauces.  You are going to get the high salt in restaurants.  If I had too do it again I would have limited the amount of mushroom soup I ate.  When I go back these days I believe the food I am eating is better because it either comes from my wife's family village house or bought locally.  The vast majority of  the food in Russia is organic which is a huge plus.  One note Elen, any bioengineered food is labeled so here and we have the option of buying those products or any other products we desire because the USA is the land of food. 

[Elen]

Well how much is difference in prices for organic food and other one ( with hormones, modified genes, pesticids and ets) Can everybody afford it?

[Bruce]

Elen, you did hit on a few problem areas in the USA food production.  Yes, we have all the foods one can imagine almost all the time and we do have a tremendous amount of choice.  However, there is too much pesticide use in many of the basic ingredients, which we eat, but also feed to our chickens, cattle, swine, turkeys and other meat items.  Fish that is farm raised also is suspect for concentrating certain contaminants.  The following link should be a must read for you and everyone else on the board seriously interested in learning about consuming the best food ingredients for their bodies:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/organic-products-206/when-buying-organic-pays-and-doesnt.htm?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=1&searchTerm=organic

Elen, honestly, in the area I shop in Brooklyn, New York - which is the exact same area the majority of former FSU people shop at, certified organic food is at least two times and up to three times higher than the price of regular food - so it is a huge problem.   Organic milk, cheese and berries are the items I try to buy completely organic.  Pesticide free vegetables and fruits are actually tougher to get all the time, but we try our best, and wash the heck out of the ones that may or may not be grown without pesticides.  Chicken is not a problem, because though it is often confinement raised (as opposed to free range) no hormones are permitted - so all the chicken is high quality - though there always is the question about how free the feed the chickens consume is of pesticides and if they could have an effect on us (I believe so, but it is a problem all over most of the world).   Beef and pork one has to be careful to buy non-hormone injected, and feed that is free range / non-pesticide but the cost is again often double or more.  Beef is easier to get free range, pork again is almost all confinement raised, so not only could they be injected with growth hormones, but their feed may have pesticides. 

The big problem for people here in the USA is processed foods containing high fructose corn syrup.  Research is showing more and more that high fructose corn syrup is the stuff that makes one want to eat more and more leading to excess weight gain.  It is found in many processed foods here in the USA. 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/18/FDGS24VKMH1.DTL

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A8003-2003Mar10?language=printer

http://www.environmentalnutrition.com/pub/27_7/researchnews/

 

We are smart enough not to buy those products, but too many people (not just Americans) just are not well educated enough when it comes to what they put into their bodies. 

The positive is that more and more farms are moving to all organic here in the USA, so the price for all organic, from the feed the cow eats, to the grains we consume etc. will again be all organic.  The USA is moving in the right direction and is motivated by science / USDA pressures as well as the consumer, which is increasingly becomming educated. 

The less processing, the healthier foods are in general. 

Russia has a huge plus in that most food is organic, except for its share of processed foods.  Unfortunately, Russians are increasingly consuming more and more processed foods and are becomming heavier as well, which is just horrible. 

I am amazed that in Russia there is so much great farm land available with such an amount of underutilization of that land.  It is a shame.  Russia could produce so much more food if it wanted.  I can not figure out why the Russian government does not make more of an effort to promote farming in Russia. 

[BC]

Unless I was eating mushrooms picked around Chernobyl I wouldn't worry about it at all.  Radiation went settled in strange places.

  http://www.progettohumus.it/include/chernobyl/mappe/locali/ContaminaEuropa.gif

There's probably not much difference health wise between wild mushrooms in RU and elsewhere in Europe.  They do seem tastier though in RU.. I noticed some near the outhouse at the dacha..

Really I wouldn't hesitate at all to eat anything grown in RU.

[Bruce]

BC, excellent link above.  Check out:

http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Focus/Chernobyl/faqs.shtml

What is the extent of forest contamination?

Following the accident, animals and vegetation in forest and mountain areas had high absorption of radiocaesium, with persistent high levels in mushrooms, berries and game. Because exposure from agricultural products has declined, the relative importance of exposure from forest products has increased and will only decline as radioactive materials migrate downward into the soil and slowly decay. The high transfer of radiocaesium from lichen to reindeer meat to humans was seen in the Artic and sub-Arctic areas, with high contamination of reindeer meat in Finland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. The concerned governments imposed some restrictions on hunting, including scheduling hunting season when animals have lower meat contamination.

The above paragraph is from the report highlighted above.  For the most part we have nothing to worry about, though I still contend one should whenever possible know where mushrooms and berries they consume are from, and avoid those from Belarus.

[RacerX]

Bruce ~ nice piece of work with all the references and commentary - I was going to quote the CR article, but I see you already did.

One nice thing about the relative cost of food being so low in the US is that people actually can afford to buy organic foods at 2-4X the cost without breaking the household budget.

I have a greenhouse where we raise many of our vegetables hydroponically, but the net cost (not including work!) makes it less attractive each year except as a hobby.

[dostogirl]

 nothing wrose in this life than gene modification products and full of hormones meat( right what you have there at the West)
So watch what you eat there

Actualy food in Russia is just the same, most of it. A lot of the foods are imported from other countries and those that are grown in Russia do contain different chemicals as well. Just not all Russians know about it (or don't wanna know).

[dostogirl]

  Organic milk, cheese and berries are the items I try to buy completely organic. 

As far as I know there is no approved federal standart for organic food in the US, right?

[dostogirl]

One nice thing about the relative cost of food being so low in the US is that people actually can afford to buy organic foods at 2-4X the cost without breaking the household budget.

Mmmm...we actually can't afford organic food, it's simply too expensive and it will break our household budget

[dostogirl]

Just in case you'll have questions and something to discuss:

Agriculture officials have said Russia should export more organics, but only a few small farms have European certificates to export mainly buckwheat, wild berries and mushrooms.
"Some 9,000 hectares of land have been officially certified by foreign companies," said Tatyana Rybalova, an analyst with the Institute for Agricultural Market studies.
Many Russians grow vegetables on plots near country homes for their own use, but these hardly qualify as organics as the use of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides is commonplace.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434054/posts

My family has been in agricultural business in Russia for a long time, I agree with the article.


 

and this one:(: Russian organic products mere myth

http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/14420_Organic.html

[RacerX]

dostogirl ~ a recent quote:

Code: [Select]

"Americans, on average, spend 9.3 percent of their income on food, the
lowest percentage in the world. India spends 53.1 percent..."

just "food" for thought!


[dostogirl]

dostogirl ~ a recent quote:

Code: [Select]

"Americans, on average, spend 9.3 percent of their income on food, the
lowest percentage in the world. India spends 53.1 percent..."

just "food" for thought!

Just because some Americans spend that much on food doesn't mean they can afford it. Just like in my case - we can't afford to eat organic. I can't afford paying 2,3,4 times more for the same food (tastes the same to me amd I'm not all sure about the whole "organic" thing anyway)

[Photo Guy]

Elen wrote:
Well how much is difference in prices for organic food and other one ( with hormones, modified genes, pesticids and ets) Can everybody afford it?

[size="3"][color="darkred"]Recently I have been buying more food in markets that specialize in organic foods. Yes- it is more expensive. Some things are not too bad, like ground beef without hormones for $3 per pound.  It tastes better too.  I like dairy, so I've been buying dairy that has not been homogenized. I'm trying to avoid certain 'bad' ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, and foods that show a very long list of vague ingredients under the umbrella of 'natural' and artificial flavors. I've found old fashioned whole milk, un-homogenized with cream at the top and it is delicious.(Strauss dairy) I bought butter from France and it is definitely expensive, and tastes great. I buy bread with a short list of ingredients. Elen, you are right about the dangers of typical food here in the US. Organic eggs are not too expensive...  -doug[/color][/size]

[dostogirl]

Well how much is difference in prices for organic food and other one

http://www.connpost.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?article=2638276

"Price is the biggest barrier to people buying organic," said Sonja Tuitele, a spokeswoman for Boulder, Colo.-based Wild Oats Markets Inc. "While the gap [in prices between organic and conventional foods] has narrowed a bit, organic is still going to be more expensive because it relies on more labor."

..The price of organic milk was $5.39 a gallon, compared to $4.29 for conventional milk. (I buy mine for $2 -dosto)

...Organic eggs cost $3.99, compared to $2.49 for conventional eggs (though I buy regular eggs for $1.89-dosto)

...organic tomatoes, at $3.99 a pound, cost a dollar more than their non-organic counterparts

 

Prices depend on the area where you live.

[RacerX]

dostogirl ~    It's a small thing, but the claim that you can't afford organic foods is stretching the credibility index.  We don't know your financial condition and yes, you could be using a friends computer to participate on this forum, but the source you just quoted shows the cost isn't out of line for the vast majority of Americans, who spend a paltry 9% of their household budget on food - although it appears if they shop where you do that percentage would be far less.

Take my family for example, we spend less than 3% of our monthly budget on food, buying organic food, while expensive, makes a negligible impact on us and my family isn't poisoned with hormones, pesticides, radiation.  The same is true for most of our friends.

However, like anything you post on these forums, YMMV!

[BC]

Racer,

Would the 9% figure you state include eating out?

I noticed that food products were a good bit less expensive in the US than EU but not nearly enough to make up the difference for what we spend here.. We rarely eat out.

If I add up the expense of eating out for folks who commute and cannot go home for lunch, kids that eat in school etc I might be able to understand this figure.

I think if you added the revenue of all types of restaraunts and eateries then calculated the income of the population the eating out figure would probably be more than 9%.

Not trying to incite, just curious..

[RacerX]

BC ~ my family's number included eating out but I don't know if the 9.3% one did (don't think so).  We ususally eat out a couple times a week and often buy pre-cooked meats at the deli section of the supermarket.  And, yes, I know the European food budget is significanty higher.

Need more research: Where's Bruno? 

[dostogirl]

dostogirl ~     We don't know your financial condition ...vast majority of Americans, who spend a paltry 9% of their household budget on food

It's true, you don't know my financial situation and I think it all depends on your financies. We are much younger than most of you, guys, here on the forum, so may be 10-15 years later we'll join the "vast majority of Americans" who can afford to eat only organic. Btw, my husband used to work on an organic farm in Oregon, so he can taste the difference in food. I don't... :?

[mischief]

Racer, that's very good you buy only organic products but honestly I hate to spend money on organic meat… I love meat, veal in particular and eat it a lot… but in my organic store it costs a small fortune… I can afford it but I buy organic meat mainly for my year-old son.

Diary products, eggs, some fruits & vegetables are organic only in my house.

It all depends where the priorities are… some people would say that they can't afford it but they would buy bunch of crap which wasn't worth the money like frozen dinners, soda and candies…


 

[Bruno]

RacerX wrote :

And, yes, I know the European food budget is significanty higher.

Need more research: Where's Bruno? 

and foods that show a very long list of vague ingredients under the umbrella of 'natural' and artificial flavors.[/size][/color][/font]

Not all additives are bad... some are natural... unfortunaly, producer use E code and a few know what they mean...

If you wish educate yourself, take a look at http://www.ukfoodguide.net/index.htm

For parents of child, you can find the list of additives to avoid for child at http://www.ukfoodguide.net/bestavoided.htm

By example, some additives have been shown to cause temper tantrums and disruptive behaviour in up to a quarter of toddlers. http://www.ukfoodguide.net/childrensfoodsanddrinks.htm

You make what you wish with your own health but the health of your children are your own responsability... If i need to choose between a tropical holiday and the health of my child, i know what to choose : the health of child...

 

[RacerX]

[user=343]mischief[/user] wrote:

[size="3"]It all depends where the priorities are… some people would say that they can't afford it but they would buy bunch of crap which wasn't worth the money like frozen dinners, soda and candies…[/size]

mischief ~ yeah, that was going to be my next point exactly.  When I look in the shopping baskets of the people in line ahead of us I see them packed with processed foods, chips, and other assorted junk-foods.

I guess like everything else in life, it's simply a matter of priorities.  Every family has x percent of discretionary spending capability - what they do with it (vacations as Bruno points out, buying crap food, smoking and so on) is their decision.  But when it comes to your children's health, a few dollars spent each week on organic milk/vegies will probably save you thousands more in the future.

[dostogirl]

 it's simply a matter of priorities. 

Even with the right priorities, we, for example, can't afford organic. And we usually do not eat processed foods, chips, and other assorted junk-foods.

[ConnerVT]

You all need to buy my new book: Quit Smoking, Exercise, Eat Right, and Still Die

Eating one kind of food or another, in itself, ain't gonna kill you.  It's eating the same stuff (and too much of it) again and again.  The idea is a balanced and diversified diet. 

No one is really sure just what constitutes a correct diet.  If they did, there wouldn't be a million different diet book, plans, programs, and miracle drugs out there.  Even the "experts" can't agree, even on a single food.  First eggs were good for you.  Then they were bad for you, then they are good for you again.  Good cholesterol, bad cholesterol.  Can someone even give an answer in less than 100 words what constitutes the legal definition of "Organic Food'?

One McDonald's hamburger probably won't kill you.  Twenty of them a day?  My guess, not so good for you.  Wash you vegetables well before eating them, organic or not.  Undercooked "organically raised" meat is probably worse for you than industrial farm raised, well done pork.

Enjoy your food, without stuffing your pie hole full.  Humanity has survived for a long time eating food much less clean than what we eat now.  Somehow, we all made it to read this post.  A very wise man said,  All things in moderation, with nothing in excess.

[philb]

Amen