Did you know there's a  "Green Guide" published by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC)? The guide was last updated in 1998. There has been such a proliferation of green companies and green-washing claims in the ensuing years that updating the guide was actually initiated ahead of schedule. The comment period was closed last fall, and we're awaiting the new version.

A summary of the proposed changes can be seen here. Modifications to the older version will include adding newer terms such as carbon offsets.

 Looking at the older version, it's actually pretty interesting reading. Entitled a  "Guide for the use of Environmental Marketing Claims", it outlines numerous terms and product implications that might be used to market an alleged "green" product or service, with examples of how the terminology should be used, as well as where it would be misleading and therefore not acceptable.

For example in 260.6, under the category of (c) Overstatement of environmental attribute, one example is:
    "A package is labeled, “50% more recycled content than before.” The manufacturer increased the recycled     content of its package from 2 percent recycled material to 3 percent recycled material. Although the claim     is technically true, it is likely to convey the false impression that the advertiser has increased significantly     the use of recycled material."
Because the Green Guides are administrative interpretations of the law, they don't have the force and effect of law and they are not independently enforceable. However, if a marketer makes claims that aren't in keeping with the Guides, the FTC can take corrective action under Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive practices. Their site has a place where complaints can be made, but they wisely recommend researching first to make sure a complainant understands the parameters of what the FTC does and what can be accomplished by filing a complaint.

The site gives a lot of information about the FTC and the areas it covers, of particular interest to me are the consumer protections. Also of interest, if you'd like a current list of environmental marketing cases or copies of individual cases you can call the FTC Consumer Response Center at (202) 326–2222.

If you like to cook healthy meals you'll love these recipe blogs and healthy food sites. Great inspiration for healthy eating! I'lI just keep adding to the list as I find new sites.

Organic Authority
www.whfoods.org
The Earth Diet
Goop.com
My Man's Belly
Green Kitchen Stories
Healthful Pursuit
Girl Cooks World
Natural Noshings
Healthy Blender recipes
Clean Program Recipes
http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/
the Nourishing Gourmet
the Healthy Foodie
101 Cookbooks
For the Love of Food
Incredible Smoothies

February 4, 2012: In 2011 the proposed Raw Milk Bill worked it's way through the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee to the Assembly and the Senate but didn't get enough votes to pass. The bill is not dead however, but has started it's climb through the process once again. This week it was approved by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. It now makes it's way to the Assembly for a vote. Here's a link to the latest on NJ's Raw Milk Bill.

December 2011: This week the Senate bill came up but there were not enough votes.

November 14, 2011: Here's the link to a good review of the raw milk issue in NJ from The Star Ledger newspaper.

Original Post:

Bills to allow raw milk sales in New Jersey have moved out of the Agriculture and Natural Resources  Committee and are now being considered by the Senate and Assembly. The identical bills, A743 in the Assembly, sponsored by  John DiMaio and Connie Wagner, and S2702 in the Senate, sponsored by Michael Doherty, establish a procedure for permits. The permits would be administered by the NJ Department of Agriculture. Among the requirements for the permits would be semi-annual inspections, regular testing for pathogens and growth hormones may not be used. 

March 3, 2011 Update: An amendment was added to the Assembly bill to restrict the sales to farms where the milk is produced.

March 14, 2011 Update:  A743 was passed by the Assembly. the bill now goes to the Senate for approval or modification. If it's modified it comes back to the Assembly. if it's approved it goes on to the Governor.

This is great news for proponents of raw milk. New Jersey currently outlaws raw milk sales in the state. New Jersey farmers who may be interested in the additional income they could make by selling permitted raw milk are losing these sales to our Pennsylvania neighbors. Those who like to drink raw milk have not had the choice of purchasing raw milk if they live in NJ.

Here's a little history of the raw milk debate. Cattle and cows are ruminants whose specialized stomachs are made to graze and digest healthy grass. When cattle live on a  diet of grazing grass their meat and dairy production is far more nutritious than their counterparts. Products from grass fed cattle are higher in Omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an Omega 6 fatty acid that's needed for human health too. 

In the 19th century the demand for dairy in developing areas resulted in the expansion of herds without expanding their grazing land. The fast growing market naturally led to more crowded quarters, and many urban farms ended up using a by-product from liquor distilleries known as "slop" to make up for the smaller pastures to feed their cattle. While this slop kept cows lactating, it didn't keep them healthy like their grass grazing past had. The addition of more grain than grass also contributed to the problem. As urban farms, in particular, became more crowded unhealthy cows could be found wallowing in the waste from their unhappy stomachs, and naturally as the cows became more unhealthy, so did their surroundings and ultimately their milk & meat.

In the 1890's two solutions were implemented. One was a farm certification program conducted by medical certifying boards.a pasteurization program. When pasteurized, milk is heated at high temperatures (at least 161.5 F for 15 seconds or more) and sterilized. Both were a good idea, and they didn't need to become mutually exclusive. While truly healthy milk was being certified, the less nutritional milk was pasteurized. Milk became healthy to drink again, and infant mortality rates declined.

A campaign was started claiming only pasteurized milk was healthy and eventually consumers were convinced raw unpasteurized milk was dangerous. Most states implemented laws outlawing the sale of raw milk. Our milk was now uniformly safe, but we'd lost the high nutritional value in our milk.

Moving forward to the present, many states now allow the consumption of raw milk. Here at Raw Milk Nation is a site where you can see the variety of raw milk laws. The laws take many different forms, some only allowing sales directly from the farm, some requiring stringent certification. This has come about because of the belief by many consumers that raw milk is healthier if the cows are properly fed and managed. This has created a very solid movement of consumers who feel they should have the right to make their own decision as to whether or not they want to drink raw milk. 

I'll leave you with an interesting tidbit about the health claims of raw milk. The heat used when pasteurizing milk naturally degrades the vitamins in the milk. It also destroys the natural bacteria and enzymes. These are the bacteria and enzymes that keep pathogens at bay. These are also the very bacteria and enzymes the human body needs in order to break down and digest the milk. Milk, it turns out, is one more product we've over processed so much we've made it indigestible for humans.

Here's information on where you can contact your state NJ representatives if you'd like them to support these bills.

Here we are in the depth of summer with harvest season building to a peak. There are three great websites every experimental cook should have on their desktop.

Self Magazine has the best site I've seen for looking up nutritional information. www.nutritiondata.self.com goes way beyond calories and carbohydrate counts. When you search for the food ingredient you want to know more about you end up with information about all kinds of things. Just a few of the facts it includes are the glycemic load, a nutrition factor score, an inflammation rating, and a rating for the effectiveness of the ingredient for gaining or losing weight.

Another fun site is www.foodily.com. Foodily allows you to search for a recipe to use the ingredients you have on hand while also noting what you do NOT want in the recipe.This is great if you have food allergies or sensitivities, or if you're on a diet that excludes certain foods. To put it to the test I searched for macaroni and cheese - without cheese. After a few false starts, I came up with several recipes for chili and macaroni. 

Vegetarian Times has a recipe search on their site that allows you to plug in a recipe name or ingredient to find related recipes. Not for vegetarians only, this is a great way to find recipes for your glut of garden zucchini or tomatoes. A wide variety of recipes for vegetables and other meatless ingredients can be found at the Vegetarian Times recipe site.

I'm searching for the best healthy recipe sites, share with us any you know, and  I'll keep you "posted" on my finds too.

The timing of Memorial Day's a marker of many things as we move through the year, not the least of which is the beginning of the farm market season, or as my friend Mike is fond of saying, Memorial Day's the real beginning of summer. 

This is the week New Jersey's Farmer's Markets and Farm Stands begin to open up in earnest. The few that have been open and carrying mostly produce from other areas are now supplementing with their own local inventory, and others are opening in earnest for the first time this season. From Blairstown to Pennington to Cape May, early June is the start of the season. Visit Natural Jersey's Farmer's Market Listings to see where you'd like to start your exploring this season!

Spring in New Jersey is a relative term for many reasons. Usually wet, it's common for folks to feel like there's been no spring at all, but of course, that's what spring's all about. There is also enough of a temperature difference between the southern and  northern ends that South Jersey can be as much as a month ahead in the growing season. Despite the differences we can all look forward to the same spring produce.

Greens such as lettuce, spinach and parsley are all great spring fare, and the selection & storage is the same. greens are best in the spring before they bolt or gets tough, and will keep best if free of bruises, cuts and mold. The best indicator of healthy fresh greens is good color and a crisp unwilted look, it also smells fresh! Greens should be washed in cool water to rinse off the grit of sand and dirt that is likely to have splashed onto it during the spring rains. It can be gently dried between paper towels and stored in the refrigerator. It can keep up to a week if fresh and dry, but is usually best in the first 3 days or so.

If you're interested in foraging for your own local greens, ramps and dandelions are also plentiful this time of year. Dandelion leaves should be picked when they're still small and the flowers haven't developed. They can be eaten raw or steamed, boiled or sauteed just like any of the other spring greens. Enjoy!