Organic Baby Food A Big Hit In Scotland

'Organic Baby Food A Big Hit In Scotland'

**50% of Scottish Babies fed Organic Baby FoodAccording to the Scotsman, more
than half of Scottish children under two are now fed an exclusively organic
diet. In fact, organic baby food accounted for 43% of total baby food sales in
2004. That represented sales of more than 63 million GBP in 2004.A survey of 805
mothers and pregnant women conducted by the polling company BMRB found that four
out of five mothers chose organic food for weaning their young children off of
milk (between 6 months and 1 year old). The reasons given were clearly related
to additives and chemical spraying. Mothers in the survey cited "less risk of
chemical pesticides" (87%), "no additives" (80%), and "no GM" (84%)Intensive
marketing campaigns by groups such as the Soil Association Scotland are getting
the message across about the negative effects of pesticides. This is clearly
having an impact on the buying preferences of parents, and also on changes in
school menus.Organic milk also has positive health characteristics. It can
contain up to 71 per cent more omega 3 than non-organic milk and most organic
milk has a better ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 than conventional milk. Companies
such as Hipp are bringing new products to market -- such as organic purees for
weaning purposes -- to take advantage of the demand.But adults are not changing
their own eating habits nearly as quickly. Asda, a Scottish supermarket chain
owned by WalMart, says organic produce for adults accounts for only about 2% of
total sales.**Self-Serve Machines moving in on fast food restaurantsPeople fond
of ridiculing low-paying fast food restaurant jobs will be pleased to hear that
many of these jobs will soon be a thing of the past. At least if RoberServer has
its way. The company has recently unveiled its new fast food self serve machines
called the "Line Buster."According to RoberServer, the Line Buster will allow
customers to place their own orders from a 15" touch screen, and then pay for
their order with the onboard credit card processor. Customers then pick up their
order at the counter. Industry estimates show that self-serve technologies can
cut customer waiting time by as much as 33%. The company is targeting the
115,000 fast food restaurants in the U.S. Similar technology has already been
deployed in ATMs and self-checkout grocery stores.Would you like fries with your
meal?Would you like fries with your meal?Would you like fries with your
meal?**FDA says snack makers must show trans fatsThe term "trans fats" has
become a synonym for "unhealthy". That's because these ingredients hide in most
mass produced snacks, cookies, and frozen french fries and then help to clog our
arteries and contribute to our obesity.As of January 1, 2006, the FDA is
requiring the labels on packaged snacks and foods to list the amount of trans
fats per serving.Trans fats are an ingredient in nearly 40 percent of packaged
foods, and they are suspected of contributing to diabetes, heart disease,
strokes and many other unhealthy conditions. Health researchers have found that
trans fats raise the levels of unhealthy cholesterol and lower the levels of
beneficial blood cholesterol. They say as little as 2 to 3 grams a day -- less
than is contained in a typical donut -- can be detrimental. Trans fats are
common in processed foods because food manufacturers can use cheap liquid oils
and turn them into solids by hydrogenation. Most experts agree it is better to
use products that have been made with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats
such as those found in canola and olive oils. Simply avoiding processed foods
and snacks accomplishes the same thing, since whole, unprocessed foods do not
have trans fat additives.About the Author: Rick Hendershot publishes Linknet
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