Can we talk about CORN?

[ArmsOfLove]

We buy organic apples, but are you saying that if we happen to have a conventional apple, that I am subjecting my DS -with a dairy sensitivity- to dairy?!

sadly, yes You can do a good produce wash and probably get the dairy off.

I'm just being disgusted with all the "hidden" stuff here. The FDA is supposed to protect people but it's invested in protecting the companies It's all messed up and backwards.

[cmljll]

I've done this with conventional apples and it's not perfect but it works pretty good:
Put 3 inches of water in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Insert the narrow end of a chopstick into the bottom blossom end of each apple. Dip the apples, 1 at a time, into the boiling water for 20 seconds to remove the wax coating. Wipe dry with a paper towel.

C/o Alton Brown

---------- Post added at 07:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:27 PM ----------

re GMO corn... If you buy certified organic products, including corn, in the USA, the USDA says:

The NOP regulations prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms,prohibit commingling or contamination during processing and handling, and require preventative practices to avoid contact with GMOs.Organic agricultural products should have minimal if any GMO contaminants.

Of course, how closely this is followed is a matter of USDA enforcement :tinfoilhat

[BlessedBlue]

Well, that and GMO has a very specific definition. And it also begs the question what has been "grandfathered in" to not need GMO labeling.

Tinfoil hat, indeed.

[SweetCaroline]

what an interesting discussion.

[LearningMama]

I watched King Corn on Hulu today.
Then I saw this thread. Coincidence?

[gardenfreshmama]

The way the FDA handles labeling and what is allowed in food is truly disgusting. It makes me want to move to Europe.

[staceylayne]

Subbing.

I read Ominivore's Dilemma years ago and it started me inching down the path of being a bit "weird" about food. (Then I came here and realized I'm not even close to "weird" ) But I still love me some fresh corn on the cob with butter and salt. Yum.

[simplegirl]

Originally Posted by ArmsOfLove

sadly, yes You can do a good produce wash and probably get the dairy off.

I'm just being disgusted with all the "hidden" stuff here. The FDA is supposed to protect people but it's invested in protecting the companies It's all messed up and backwards.

Can there be no outcry? No legislation to make this "right"? Is the FDA THAT big?

It saddens me that we bought a house (that we love and don't intend to move from) that is completely shaded. A garden is not an option, we tried 2 summers in a row and failed miserably. If you look at our address from the google maps ariel view, you can't even see our house or yard, it is covered that much...no sun to it. Great for play and hot summer days, not good for growing my own food.

[ArmsOfLove]

I've come to think they must be that big And codependent. Seeing the number of Monsanto legal counsel who were part of the FDA
for the last several sitting presidents, and even a current Supreme Court Justice (who has ruled in ways that has advanced Monsanto's rights http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscour.../thomasbio.htm). I will never remember the details, but they talk about it on Food, Inc.

[HadassahSukkot]

Basically the long and short is that corn is a good and healthy crop if it is grown correctly and non-gmo, and you are not allergic. FWIW, my dad is terribly allergic.

The bad about it is that it is not farmed well, it has become a "junkfood crop" and is in everything. Corn is now making it's way into plastics, it's already in gasoline (which is why some Jewish communities get corn-free gasoline for passover), it's in drinks, it's in food, it's in junkfood, it's in packing peanuts, in wax covering, paper products (TP, Paper towels, baby wipes, disposable eating utensils/plates/bowls), it's in styrofoam now (packing peanuts and eating utensils), it's in the coating on those nice little paper containers for things like milk and juice, it's now in plastic wrap (reynold's and such) and they're finding ways to make it into clothing.

That much corn can't be good for a person.

Traditionally, corn was a fermented food. That stopped somewhere in the 40s-50s, except in cultures where people continue to eat traditional foods. There was a story in the 30s-40s that kept cropping up in the south about people who were not eating fermented corn and were subsisting on the stuff and had Pellagra - basically nothing but vitamin B3 deficiency from terribly poor nutrition. (corn and pork fat) See this also.

The question really is, will our food be used for good? (Best optimal nutrition / non gmo) Or will our food be used for bad? (Gmo, slam it in everything and anything you can and subsidize the heck out of it)

[SweetCaroline]

what about organic blue corn..like blue tortillia chips?

[Macky]

So, is this a discussion about corn itself – real whole corn, fresh or dried – or about US-specific production and uses of processed corn products? Those are two entirely different discussions. I've been busy and haven't been able to come back to this thread until now and I'm only interested if we're discussing the former, not the latter.

[simplegirl]

As the OP, I am curious specifically if eating certain corn is "ok", like organic popcorn kernels for popping or local farmer's market corn on the cob, or organic good quality tortilla chips (as mentioned above). Hearing the "evils" of corn (and yes I live in the US), I'm wondering if there is any okay corn, assuming I'm avoiding the corn that's an additive and not eaten in natural form.

I am also interested in the discussion of corn in general so any discussion is fair game!

[Macky]

I'm out then. Carry on!

[simplegirl]

Originally Posted by Macky

I'm out then. Carry on!

Do you have an opinion on my original questions? No one seems to want to answer it. I'm wondering if it's just going to come down to a personal decision, but I would like others' opinions! Or should I assume that by your first post here that you feel corn in original form is fine?