Health Canada wants some changes in the way food manufacturers label their products. Obscure wording that does not tell the consumer what exactly a product contains has led to much confusion. The main focus right now is on food dyes. In some cases the manufacturers will still be able to use the generic term ‘colour’, but in most cases the colour has to be named.

Before the introduction of pre-packaged food, powdered mixes and sauces, there was no colour added to food. Our ancestors took the food right out of the garden and cooked it just the way nature intended. Why, then do we need all of these additives? Mostly it is for looks. If something doesn’t look good, it won’t sell. Meat is a good example of colour being added and not listed on the label. The natural colour of meat after aging is a greyish. Not red or pink.

This will turn the stomachs of many customers as they expect fresh meat to be reddish. Not too many city people have actually slaughtered or aged any animal meat.

Let your voice be heard. Health Canada is asking for all interested citizens to write or email their thoughts on the purposed changes to labels on food products. Find out more at Health Canada Proposal to Improve Food Colour Labelling Requirements

Health Canada has directly contacted various stakeholders by letter and invites comments from any interested citizen by May 3, 2010. Comments may be submitted by mail at the address shown below or by email at the following address: bcs-bipc@hc-sc.gc.ca. Please use the words “Food Colour Labelling” in the subject box.

Health Canada
Bureau of Chemical Safety
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway
Tunney’s Pasture, PL: 2203B
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
bcs-bipc@hc-sc.gc.ca

This is just the first step. The next step is to tell people how this colour is created. Some labels simply state ’sunset yellow FCF’. What does that mean? You can find some answers at Health Canada; but it raises more questions than answers.

Here is a fabulous looking recipe from Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate. I am going to give it a try and will let you know how it goes. If you decide to give it a go, leave us a comment and let us know how it turned out.  Yum!

Pastry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. cocoa (Green & Black’s Organic cocoa preferred)
Pinch salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. icing sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tsp. unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp. cold water

Filling Ingredients:

3 – 4 squares Green & Black’s Organic 70% Dark Chocolate, grated
3 juicy unwaxed lemons
150g (5oz) superfine or berry sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup whipping cream
icing sugar to sprinkle

Pastry Directions:

Sift together flour, cocoa, salt and icing sugar. Rub in cold butter using a food processor or your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Mix the egg yolk with the water, and add to the flour mixture to make a dough. You may need a little more water.

Gather the pastry into a ball, wrap it in grease-proof paper and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roll out the pastry from the centre and away from you, then back to the centre and down towards you, using your weight to push down on it to avoid stretching it. Line the tart tin.

Prick the pastry base with a fork in several places and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.

To prepare for baking, line the pastry base with foil and fill with rice, dried beans or pie weights.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Take out of the oven and remove foil and weights.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 160°C/325°F. Baking Tip: be careful not to over bake as the chocolate pastry can quickly develop a bitter taste.

While the pastry is still hot, scatter the grated chocolate evenly over top and leave to cool.

Filling Directions:

Finely grate lemon zests and squeeze and strain lemon juice into a mixing bowl. Add sugar and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in eggs and whipping cream until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the filling into the cooled pastry base and carefully return it to the oven. Bake for 30-35 minute until just set.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before removing from tart tin.

Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy of Green & Black’s Organic
Easter 2010

March is nutrition month in Canada. I try to eat nutritious food, staying away from pre-packaged food as much as possible, but sometimes eating healthy food and maintaining a sustainable diet seems complicated: organic vs. conventional, meat vs. vegetarian.

One of the best ways to eat fresh, nutritious and low carbon foods is grow them yourself. Whether a container garden on the balcony or a large vegetable garden in the backyard some vegetables are not too difficult or time consuming to grow. Try beans, cherry tomatoes, lettuce or carrots, if you are just starting out. As you gain experience you can add more vegetables to your garden plans.

Stay away from pre-packaged foods as much as possible. I know this is a challenge. I have two active kids and it can be difficult to always have enough fruits and vegetables and home-baked goods to satisfy them. We are often on the go and it is so much easier to grab something out of the cupboard when I have run out of time. However, preparing food at home and focussing on fresh fruit and vegetables is certainly the best choice.

If you’d like to have a nutritious and sustainable diet, become vegetarian. The truth is that a plant based diet is just as complete as a diet that includes meat and can reduce you carbon footprint by 1.5 tonnes. If you really love meat, then try to reduce you meat-based meals as much as possible and focus on chicken and eggs as they are less carbon intensive than beef and dairy.

I try to buy organic whenever possible, but the truth is this may not be the most carbon-friendly alternative. When it comes to plant crops, organic is more carbon-friendly as conventional fertilizers are carbon intensive.

With poultry farms, conventional farms tend to be more carbon friendly than organic farms. Organic farms are more poultry friendly, however. In conventional farming, chickens are kept in very small cages and can’t move about. It doesn’t take much to fatten them up. Chickens given more space take more time and more feed to grow to market size. I suppose if your only concern is your carbon footprint then conventional chickens are for you. However, if you are concerned about farming practices, then going vegetarian or eating less meat while making more ethical choices is best.

These are just a few of the many choices we face with each trip to the market or grocery store.

There was recently an informative article published at New Scientist, “What is your dinner doing to the climate?” if you would like to learn more.

As omnipresent as it is today, it may be difficult to remember that bottled water was a novelty just 10-20 years ago. It was once a trendy accessory or punch line for pampered celebrities – “she demanded 10 bottles of Perrier to wash her hair with.” Now, thanks to a turn towards healthy lifestyles and aggressive marketing, bottled water has become as common and widely available as, well, tap water.

Credit: Suat Eman

With the threat of privatisation and landfills overflowing with empty plastic bottles, The Canadian Federation of Students, Polaris Institute and The Sierra Youth Coalition have teamed up to spearhead Canada’s first Bottled Water Free Day on March 11th. You are invited to take the pledge to “not drink bottled water where public water is available” and to “ditch the bottle and turn on the tap!” If you are still not convinced, here are some of the scarier facts you may not know about the bottled water industry:

o In terms of environmental impact, consider the following: for every bottle you drink, TWO bottles are used to produce it.

o According to the Pacific Institute, 17 million barrels of oil were used to produce the 31.2 billion litres of bottled water consumed in the United States.

o Between the shipping of raw materials to plants and the finished product to shelves, the industry is a HUGE contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Imagine what it takes to ship Fiji Water from Fiji or San Pellegrino from Italy…

o The energy cost of producing a plastic bottle is equal to filling ¼ of that bottle with crude oil.

o Bottled water and plastic resource companies have spent MILLIONS to fight against deposit return programs. These programs would require them to assume some of the recycling costs and of course, lessen the demand for their products.

o 10-15% of the price of a bottle of water goes to advertising costs.

o What the advertisers fail to mention in these ads is that in terms of quality, NOTHING about bottled water is different from tap water – except its cost.

o In fact, marketing campaigns have been so effective that they have contributed to a diminished confidence in public water systems and have set the ball rolling for privatisation of water services; consumers would be willing to pay more for “safer” water.

Regulation of the bottled water industry vs. regulation of tap water:

o In Canada, bottled water is considered a food product under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations. Government oversight that exists for these regulations has not been updated since 1973.

o It is estimated that Canadian bottling plants receive, on average, one inspection every 3 to 5 years.

o There have been 29 recalls of 49 bottled water products since 2000, only five of which were made public; products were recalled due to bacterial or chemical contaminations.

o In Canada, the quality and safety of tap water is the responsibility of municipalities and provinces, though federal guidelines also apply when it comes to quantities of microbiological, chemical and radiological substances allowable in the water.

o The City of Ottawa conducts over 125,000 quality tests per year and the City of Toronto checks its water for bacteria every 4 to 6 hours.

Big business and bottled water:

o Coca Cola (Dasani) and PepsiCo (Aquafina) are two of the four “Big 4” water-bottlers (with Nestle and Danone).

o These companies actively pursue beverage exclusivity contracts in public institutions like universities and public buildings.

o School contacts are often long-term (10 years) and contain stiff conditions like quotas and enormous fees for termination.

o Free water fountains are often removed from schools while cost to operate vending machines can rise up to $175,000 per year (paid by the university).

o In Canada, 25% of bottled water sold is reprocessed tap water; most of it is sold by Coca Cola or PepsiCo.

o The bottled water industry has spent BILLIONS on marketing.

o For Coca Cola and PepsiCo, revenue for bottled water (per unit) is greater than soft drinks.

You’re convinced, now what can you do?

o Visit the site, get informed
o Take the pledge
o Keep the pledge – This isn’t just for one day, it’s a real commitment
o Inform others – Talk about it, tell even just one person or print the free advertising materials available on the website
o Get your school/business/municipality to sign up – So far, 3 universities have made the commitment to ban bottled water, as have cities from 8 provinces and 2 territories
o Also, visit Brita’s “Filter for Good” campaign and pledge to replace bottled water with reusable containers.

The bottled water industry is less regulated than municipal water systems, consumes more energy and releases more harmful toxins into the environment than tap water. If that were not enough, privatisation increases the risk of regulation of a resource that is vital to life. And if that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

We have a lot of people search our site for information about eco-audits, so EC decided to find out more about eco-audits and what you can expect during an eco-audit. Alexandra Henriques (AH), founder of ECO-Audit was kind enough to answer our questions.

EC: So I guess the first question is, what is an ECO-audit?

AH: An ECO-audit helps families and small businesses green their footprint, save money, but above all protect the health of their members. Why? Because almost everything in the average home is slowly poisoning us. Asthma, allergies, and cancer are rising worldwide at alarming rates. Children are the most vulnerable to this assault, but we can protect them. Through the home or business premises audits we do, we facilitate the adoption of sustainable, healthy, and cost-effective materials, products and practices.

EC: What is your background and how did you get into the business of ECO-audits?

AH: I have been a life-long environmentalist, with over 25 years of experience pursuing sustainable practices and applying them. My professional background is in education, which has come in very handy. I find there is a lot of education to do around mainstream products and practices which are no good for the environment — or us. ECO-audit also does sustainability education by providing workshops, and my experience developing learning materials for adults, and facilitating learning has been invaluable. I got into this business because I wanted to share all the environmental knowledge I had, and help others.

EC: What can I expect, when I get an ECO-audit?

AH: When you get an ECO-audit you can expect an appointment on a day and time that’s convenient for you, an interview to determine your concerns and objectives, and a thorough audit of the home or business premises. This will take from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Within a week, you will receive by email the audit report, this will include all positive actions being taken presently, problem areas with concrete suggestions, a glossary of terms used, and a list of resources relevant to your issues and area. The second scheduled appointment will then take place to discuss the report, answer any questions, and help you on your way to healthier sustainability.
Ongoing support is included in an audit, anytime you hit a roadblock; help is just a phone call or email away.

EC: What types of eco-audits do you conduct?

AH: Besides the whole home or business premises audits, we have Focus Audits, featuring the BABY-audit - “peace of mind for expecting parents”, a very similar Pet-audit, a Diet-audit, which helps you become a locavore, green your diet, and avoid contaminants, especially important for children; we also have for D.I.Y.ers the Reno-audit, the Yard-audit, and the Move-audit; finally we have a Transportation-audit that helps those who want to drive less, but are not sure how to go about it.

EC: What are some of the things you might suggest new parents look for?

AH:To new parents I would suggest less is more, and go back to basics. What we see all around in our society is excess, but not necessarily quality, often just quantity. Go for the quality and protect your baby. For example, you say organic cotton is expensive, I say the baby doesn’t need 10 teething toys, a couple will do, get something healthy you don’t have to worry about. Go back to the basic toys all children enjoy, ones made by craftspeople out of solid wood for example, with healthy finishes, not plastic whose ingredients you can’t check and mass produced by exploited workers.

EC: When I took at look at your website, I was really interested in the Yard-audit. I have always thought we should rethink our yards to focus on native plants especially the plants that attract the birds, bees, butterflies and other animals. Our yards should really be part of the natural circle of life. Is that the focus of a Yard-audit?

AH: Yes, that is definitely part of a Yard-audit, we have strayed too far away from nature, by starting with only native plants and then the value-added of drought-resistance we get on the right path again. Choosing to attract birds, butterflies or bees gives even more value. We can go even further by incorporating in the yard bird feeders, baths, or bird houses, a rain barrel, a composting bin, a dog W.C., a laundry line, or games.

EC: Is there anything else that you would like to add?

AH: Check our website for our Spring workshops, and you can also sign up for our blog.

EC: In closing, I noticed that there are gift certificates on your site. What a great idea for a house warming gift or for a shower gift for new parents. Alexandra, thank you for your time.

Yesterday I highlighted three social entrepreneurs with links outside of Canada. Today I will focus on five social enterprises that are fully Canadian. There are so many social enterprises to choose from and it was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to five, but I think these five really show different types of businesses with a variety of goals all within the realm of social enterprise.

EthniCity Catering

Pure genius. It started out with a few requests for ethnic foods. Today EthnicCity Catering offers high quality, multi-ethnic food to Calgarians. It employs immigrant women in transition and breaks the cycle of “no Canadian work experience, no Canadian work.” I was amazed to learn that women are usually employed by EthniCity Catering for only three months before they find other work or pursue further education. Wow!

Away Courier

When I came across this business, I was amazed to find that they have been around for 22 years and have over 1,700 customers in the Toronto. They are pioneers in social enterprise.  Using public transit, Away Couriers delivers same day packages at a reasonable cost to a variety of businesses including lawyers,  medical services and government departments. Away Couriers was founded and is run by people with direct experience with the mental health system, which is an incredibly empowering and meaningful way to eliminate stereotypes.

The Cleaning Solution

The Cleaning Solution offers cleaning services to businesses, organizations such as schools and churches and government in the Greater Vancouver. They focus on quality, health and environmental safety. They also have a mandate to support individuals recovering from mental illness that are ready to enter the workforce and to combat widespread stereotypes regarding mental illness.

Youth Opportunities Unlimited: YOU

Based in Mississauga, YOU has several services, but the one I was most interested in was their three social enterprises that offer youth meaningful, hands-on job experience. In the kitchen, youth work one-on-one to create preserves that are then sold online. In the woodshop, an experienced carpenter trains youth in woodworking skills to produce exceptional furniture. Finally, at the recycling facility youth are trained in skills that will be valuable in the growing green economy.

Options Canada

Options Canada is a businesses service company that offers printing, photocopying, graphic design along with many other services. In offering these services, they also provide employment training to individuals who have an intellectual disability. The program is designed to help individuals integrate into the workforce and includes business etiquette and transferable skills. Part of the program includes a high school co-op where students can experience what it is like to work in a retail environment. As they say, “this helps them decided what path to choose after finishing school.”

Choice is important for all of us. These are great businesses to choose to work with.

Today is meatless Monday. There is a new movement in Canada which you can find at www.meatlessmonday.ca, as a group of Canadians join the global movement. The idea is that by cutting out meat at least once a week, we will be making progress toward a better future.

How, you say? According to the Meatless Monday petition,

“Every time you eat a meal free of animal products, you save 2.5 lbs. of greenhouse gas emissions, 24 square feet of land, and 133 gallons of water. If you eat three meals a day, that totals 2,737.5 lbs. of greenhouse gas, 26,280 square feet of land and 145,635 gallons of water per year, plus more.”

Tonight we are having tomato soup with pasta. Here’s the recipe.

• 1. 5 t oil
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 16 oz can tomato sauce (or make your own)
• 16 oz can diced tomatoes (or fresh diced)
• 1 small zucchini
• 1/2 t dried oregano
• 1/2 t dill
• 8 oz fresh pasta (my kids prefer tortillini)
• salt, pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese for topping

Heat oil in soup pot. Add carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic, and saute another 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, zucchini, oregano, dill, and 3 cups of water. Simmer covered for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Cook pasta separately, according to package instructions.

Stir cooked pasta into the soup and season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta and adjust spices or add water as needed. Serve, with Parmesan cheese. Add fresh bread and salad and you have yourself a meatless Monday meal.

I have to admit, I love paying for school lunches as I don’t have to dream up what to pack for lunch that day. What I don’t always like are the choices. But over the years, I have noticed the choices getting better and better. This year, an established all Canadian company is partnering with schools to provide healthy alternatives to school lunches.

Arthur’s Fresh has created a 250ml bottle of fresh fruit smoothie - including the all important pulp - for elementary schools. This 250ml bottle is the size recommended by the Dieticians of Canada and contains 2 full servings of fruit. For secondary schools, Arthur’s Fresh Juice offers up a 325ml bottle, containing 2.5 servings of fruit. The ingredients of the fresh fruit smoothies includes fruit, fruit and fruit: no preservatives, sugar or water.

At the secondary school level, the smoothies are offered through cafeterias. Since most elementary schools don’t have cafeterias, Arthur’s Fresh is working with parents, administation and school boards to offer the fruit smoothies to complement existing milk programs. If you live in Ontario, Arthur’s Fresh has a direct-to-school program in which they work with the school to find options for delivery and cooler options to keep the smoothies cool.

With only one in eight of our kids consuming the recommended five servings or fruits and vegetables each day, it is high time that we find a way to get those all important fibre and nutrients into their systems. Arthur’s Fresh fruit smoothies delivers the nutritional benefits of the whole fruit, unlike juice options, that have removed the fibre and often much of the naturally occuring vitamins in processing.

One of my main concerns with school lunches comes with the indivually packed containers that get tossed in the trash. Arthur’s Fresh has worked hard to ensure that their containers are fully recyclable.  Not only that, in 2008/2009, they dropped their greenhouse gas footprint by eight percent. Further, they are a Canadian company!

Interested? You can email them at school@arthursjuice.com or call them at 416-233-6888. You can also join them on Facebook under Arthur’s Fresh School Smoothies.

Today is World Ocean’s Day and next Sunday is Canadian Rivers Day. We take from our waters large amounts of creatures which we dine on and enjoy so much. There was a report out recently that stated that the world’s fisheries could collapse by 2048 if we do not start to adopt sustainable habits. So the last time I sat down for some seafood, I wondered what life would be like without our rich and abundant waterways. Not a world I am ready to live in.

So as a consumer what can I do? Recently, I learned that a program called Ocean Wise has gone national. Next time I plan on heading out for dinner with friends, I will find an Oceanwise restaurant. Eating fish that has been recommended by Ocean Wise allows you to enjoy each morsel knowing that it has been harvested in a manner that limits bycatch. Dolphins as a bycatch of Tuna is probably the best known example. You will also have pleasant thoughts about the ocean floor and other ocean habitats which received no or limited damage. The fish you will be eating will have come from a well managed stock that is abundant and resilient.

In fact, there is no reason not to make a reservation at your favourite Ocean Wise restaurant and head out with friends to celebrate World Ocean Day. You can toast with your favourite wine while you each make a commitment to enjoy seafood sensibly.

Weddings have traditionally been all-out affairs – for good reason, but also with no shortage of help from the all-encompassing “wedding industry” which can include everything from the obvious (dress) to the more obscure (releasing butterflies). Rebecca Mead has even written a whole book on the subject entitled One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding. EC believes your special day doesn’t have to be a resource-intensive consumption blitz to be unforgettable. You can celebrate your eternal love both stylishly and thoughtfully if you go over the details with a green-toothed comb. It’s not as complicated as it might sound, we promise!

At EC, we can get a little wrapped up with what’s going on here in British Columbia but we love to learn about your favourite resources from across Canada. Please email us or add your suggestions in the comments section if there’s something you’d like to share – perhaps we can even get a Green Wedding Resource section going for all you conscious brides and grooms out there!

EC spoke with two different specialists in the field about their work and to find out if the “going green” trend has truly permeated the wedding industry. Of course, we also asked if they had any handy tips to ensure your wedding is as eco-fabulous and hassle-free as possible. Vanessa Fedorkiw is the Victoria-based designer behind Isadora Bridal Wear and Stephanie Happach runs Vancouver’s Forever and a Day Weddings & Events.

Isadora began a few years ago as a general clothing line and started incorporating green fabrics last year as the designer learned of the consequences synthetic fabrics have on our planet. Fedorkiw claims she is still a sucker for print and texture so “…making the shift completely is still in the works as green textiles move toward a more fashion-forward vantage point. That being said, I saw this incredible hemp satin the other day – yum!”

Fedorkiw suggests there are many reasons to choose Isadora’s Eco Chameleon Gown or Bridesmaid Dress – they are organic, sustainable, and can even be worn after the wedding. The dresses are also locally made, and potential clients receive personal contact with the maker of the gown. Try that with something shipped in from overseas!

As far as the wedding industry’s growing shift toward Earth-consciousness, Fedorkiw believes we may have a ways to go. “While my line has been well received online, it has been harder to get it into traditional bridal wear stores, perhaps because they are not yet seeing a shift in brides’ priorities.” You see? It is up to us green-minded ladies and gentlemen to increase demand, putting pressure on retailers to supply greener options.

Happach finds today’s brides both environmentally and budget conscious. “A lot of times I see brides looking for items that can be purchased and re-used or rented, and this reduces waste and consumption as well as cost.” Happach notes that personalizing your wedding with your own original details makes it a true reflection of who you are as a couple and avoids making it yet another cookie-cutter event. There are many ways to do this and remain friendly to the Earth at the same time – just use your imagination. You can also check out our Green Wedding Buying Guide for plenty of inspiration and more tips.

How does an eco-conscious wedding planner differ from a traditional planner? Happach finds herself somewhere in the middle. “As someone who’s been quite earth-conscious for many years now, I like to incorporate recycling practices into my work as much as possible and make materials stretch. I always recycle all the packaging of purchased decor items like plastic wrap, paper and cardboard. I try to come up with ways to cut down on materials as much as possible, for example, favours can double as placecards.” Happach suggests working with local vendors and industry professionals where the wedding is going to be held to support local business and economy – this is a green choice for many reasons and also reduces travel.

Other tips for greener weddings an eco-diva may not think of?

VF: I think it’s a simple reduce, reuse and recycle if possible. For our wedding, we had a simple cake but it was decorated with organically grown edible flowers – so pretty. We also decorated with feathers; feather boas at the head table instead of disposable paper stuff. My bridesmaids also got to keep the boas afterwards – who doesn’t need a feather boa in their wardrobe? Also, vases of small peacock feathers became the wedding favours for the guests.

Need help? Here’s Happach’s checklist of what to keep an eye out for in order to land a stellar wedding planner:
- Do you get a quick response to email, phone contact?
- Will they offer you an initial consultation (usually complimentary)?
- What services do they offer?
- Ask for recommendations
- Do they have a portfolio?
- Number of events/weddings completed
- Will they work within your budget?
- Most important – do you connect with them and do they listen to you?

Have you had a wedding recently? Planning one? Let us know your own tips and stories, we would love to share them.