New Food Products Coming Your Way

There are some new food products you may be seeing on store shelves soon. 
1.  Camelina oil – most of you know olive oil is a heart healthy oil to use.  Soon you will be seeing Camelina oil on store shelves.  It is made from a seed from the mustard family and has a nutty, light flavor.  Some may refer to it as wild flax or false flax.  It was a common oil grown in Eastern Europe and Russia in the 1940’s before it was replaced by other crops.  It is becoming popular in the US and farmers in Montana now grow it.  A blogger (Julie)  noted a farmer in Minnesota produces and sells Camelina oil. “A few months ago, Deanne and Francine blogged about a new oil they'd discovered in their quest for Minnesota produced or grown products. Camelina Oil is produced from the Camelina plant by a farmer in Lamberton. I'd just mentioned to Tim we should see if we can visit the farm and purchase some oil. As I was saying goodbye to Deanne, I noticed the Camelina Oil for sale on their counter.”
Why is Camelina oil healthy?  For one it has the heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  It also provides high levels of vitamin E, it helps reduce the bad LDL – cholesterol.  It is also good for cooking as it can withstand high cooking temperatures (a smoke point of 475 degrees). 
2.  Advantame – A new artificial sweetener – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new artificial sweetener, called “Advantame”.  It is a derivative of the current aspartame.  You will find it as a white, crystalline powder.  One can use it in cooking as unlike some artificial sweeteners, it is stable at high temperatures.  So you could use it in place of white table sugar at the table or when cooking.  But it is sweet, 20,000 times sweeter than white table sugar.  You may read labels and find it in food products.   Manufacturers may use it to reduce the sugar used in foods and use some sugar and some Advantame. 
What other artificial sweeteners are approved by FDA? 
  • Saccharin  (Sweet’N Low)
  • Aspartame  (Equal)
  • Sucralose  (Splenda)
  • Neotame  (Newtame)
  • Acesulfate potassium or ace-K   (Sweet One)
Another sugar substitute currently on the market is Stevia.  It is not “artificial” as it is made from the leaves of a plant.  Some countries have used stevia for years, like Japan.  The US actually banned stevia in the early 1990’s unless manufacturers labeled it a dietary supplement.  As of 2008, FDA approved refined stevia on the GRAS list or Generally Recognized As Safe.   I buy stevia as Truvia.  Like artificial sweeteners, stevia has no calories and is sweeter than sugar, about 200 times sweeter.
So watch your store shelves and read the ingredients on labels as you soon may be seeing Camelina Oil and Advantame.  You may see Advantame in baked goods, candies, puddings, jam, toppings, syrup. 

Sources:  Stevia FAQ,  FDA Approves New Artificial Sweetener, Camelina Oil Alternatives, Environmental Nutrition, Sept. 2014. Image Source:  Camelina Oil From Minnesota

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How does coffee and tea affect blood sugar?

Image
Who doesn’t love some morning coffee?   Or, on cold days, a nice hot cup of tea.   Does drinking coffee or tea affect one’s blood glucose levels?    Should healthy adults be concerned about coffee or tea and blood glucose levels?   The Mayo Clinic says that for healthy adults, caffeine will probably have no noticeable effects on their blood sugar or blood glucose levels.   Studies have found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine is safe for most of us.   A cup of coffee has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine and most adults drink about 2 cups of coffee a day.   FDA says healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day which equates to about 4-5 cups of coffee a day, or 10 cans of soda , or 2 “energy shot” drinks.   (See:   Caffeine – good or bad for your health? )     Can drinking coffee or tea reduce chances of getting type 2 diabetes? Some studies have found that coffee, tea, and other drinks with caffei...
Read more

Are there drinks that will help lower your blood pressure?

Image
According to the University of Southern California , almost half of Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure.   This means an astounding 122 million Americans.   Unfortunately, as you get older it is more likely to have blood pressure increase.   Many people don’t even know they have high blood pressure or hypertension.   The American Heart Association notes at first there are “no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong, but HBP can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.”    A relative was asking what they could do diet wise to help lower their blood pressure.   We had already discussed the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).   (See:   Best Diets for Healthy Eating in 2024 .) and physical activity.    Diet wise, they were cutting back on sodium and increasing potassium foods but were wondering if there were anything else like any drinks that could help lower blood pressure?  ...
Read more

How to eat for better sleep

Image
Having trouble sleeping?   Are there foods you can eat that would help you sleep?   My husband sent me an interesting article, 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep . According to CDC , “about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day.”   A lot of Americans have problems sleeping, about 50-70 million Americans.   You probably heard that drinking warm milk before bed helps one sleep?   Is this true?   What eating habits really do help you get to sleep and stay asleep? Sleep and hunger Did you know that getting a good night’s sleep affects hunger hormones in your body?   A good night’s sleep can lead to less snacking the next day as it keeps hunger at bay.   A professor of nutrition at Columbia University, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, says, “If you eat better, you sleep better and be more refreshed.   And that helps you make better decision for your diet.”      Some tips to ea...
Read more