Podcast appearances and mentions of helena bottemiller evich

Theodore Ross and Helena Bottemiller Evich work through the tumultuous nomination process for Surgeon General. Donald Trump's first nominee withdrew (questions about her medical and anti-vaxx credentials) and the newest one, Casey Means, has been branded a “Marxist tree hugger” by Laura Loomer. (Questions also remain about her anti-vaxxness). Conversation addresses the split within the groups backing HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – anti-Big Food versus anti-vaccine – “the big questions” about government being posed by the Trump administration; and in a sign of hope – MAHA members meet with public health experts and don't hate each other.

President Trump's on-again, off-again tariff announcements sent stock markets plunging. On this week's On the Media, how to make sense of the ever-changing news about the economy. Plus, the policy behind the ‘Make America Healthy Again' rhetoric.[01:00] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Gordon Hanson, an economist at Harvard University's Kennedy School, about President Trump's “America First” vision and the potential consequences of his chaotic tariff scheme.[17:22] Micah sits down with Mark Blyth, a professor at Brown University, who explains the rhetoric about short term pain for long term gains, and what to make of the economy right now. [35:07] Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Helena Bottemiller Evich, Editor-in-Chief of Food Fix, to trace the complicated relationship between Republicans and food policy, from the Obama era to RFK Jr.'s “Make America Healthy Again” plan.   Further reading:“Track One Car Part's Journey Through the U.S., Canada and Mexico—Before Tariffs” by By Vipal Monga Follow and Santiago Pérez“Washington's New Trade Consensus (And What It Gets Wrong),” by Gordon Hanson“Austerity Is Back – and More Dangerous Than Ever,” by Mark Blyth“Republicans propel MAHA agenda with wave of state legislation,” by Helena Bottemiller Evich On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

Karen E. Fisher shares stories of Ramadan at Zaatari, the world's largest Syrian refugee camp located in Jordan. Helena Bottemiller Evich introduces the new administration's appointments charged to “Make America Healthy Again.” Dr. Christopher Gardener drops some wisdom about seed oil. Caroline Eden reflects on her travels through Central Asia and Eastern Europe and considers how the kitchen is a unique space to tell human stories.

U.S. Secretary of Heath and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has elevated the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, pledging to implement its agenda through federal policymaking, while Congress forms a MAHA Caucus to explore legislative avenues. How will this movement affect policy change in food, agriculture, and nutrition?Hear from two experts on food policy: Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports, and Helena Bottemiller Evich, founder and editor-in-chief of Food Fix.Want an even deeper dive into MAHA? Sign up for IDFA's three-part webinar series here. If your company is interested in sponsoring a block of episodes of The Dairy Download, contact IDFA's Lindsay Gold at lgold@idfa.org.Like the show?Rate The Dairy Download on Apple Podcasts!If your company is interested in sponsoring a block of episodes of The Dairy Download, contact IDFA's Lindsay Gold at lgold@idfa.org.Like the show?Rate The Dairy Download on Apple Podcasts!

After 15 years on the federal food and agriculture policy beat, perhaps no other American of her generation has a better perspective on what might or might not happen under the new Administration. RFK Jr and the MAHA movement are having an impact. What could it all mean?

There are dangers lurking in our food that affect your health and the health of our entire society, and you should know about them. In this episode, get the highlights from two recent Congressional events featuring expert testimony about the regulation of our food supply, as well as testimony from the man who is soon likely to be the most powerful person in our national health care system. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Joe Rogan Episodes The Joe Rogan Experience. The Joe Rogan Experience. The Joe Rogan Experience. The Joe Rogan Experience. Ron Johnson Scott Bauer. January 3, 2023. AP News. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Daniel Cusick. October 28, 2024. Politico. Rachel Treisman. August 5, 2024. NPR. Susanne Craig. May 8, 2024. The New York Times. Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. FDA “Generally Recognized as Safe” Approach Paulette M. Gaynor et al. April 2006. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Paulette Gaynor and Sebastian Cianci. December 2005/January 2006. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Glyphosate September 20, 2023. Phys.org. Lobbying and Conflicts of Interest OpenSecrets. OpenSecrets. OpenSecrets. LinkedIn. Shift from Democrats to Republicans Will Stone and Allison Aubrey. November 15, 2024. NPR. Helena Bottemiller Evich and Darren Samuelsohn. March 17, 2016. Politico. Audio Sources September 25, 2024 Roundtable discussion held by Senator Ron Johnson Participants: , Author, Good Energy; Tech entrepreneur, Levels , Co-founder, Truemed; Advocate, End Chronic Disease , aka the Food Babe, food activist Jillian Michaels, fitness expert, nutritionist, businesswoman, media personality, and author Dr. Chris Palmer, Founder and Director, Metabolic and Mental Health Program and Director, Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education, McLean Hospital; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Brigham Buhler, Founder & CEO, Ways2Well Courtney Swan, nutritionist, real food activist, and founder of the popular platform "Realfoodology" , Founder and CEO, HumanCo; co-founder, Hu Kitchen Dr. Marty Makary, Chief of Islet Transplant Surgery, Professor of Surgery, and Public Policy Researcher, Johns Hopkins University Clips Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: When discussing improvements to US healthcare policy, politicians from both parties often say we have the best healthcare system in the world. That is a lie. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: Every major pillar of the US healthcare system, as a statement of economic fact, makes money when Americans get sick. By far the most valuable asset in this country today is a sick child. The pharma industry, hospital industry, and medical school industry make more money when there are more interventions to perform on Americans, and by requiring insurance companies to take no more than 15% of premiums, Obamacare actually incentivized insurance companies to raise premiums to get 15% of a larger pie. This is why premiums have increased 100% since the passage of Obamacare, making health care the largest driver of inflation, while American life expectancy plummets. We spend four times per capita on health care than the Italians, but Italians live 7.5 years longer than us on average. And incidentally, Americans had the highest life expectancies in the world when I was growing up. Today, we've fallen an average of six years behind our European neighbors. Are we lazier and more suicidal than Italians? Or is there a problem with our system? Are there problems with our incentives? Are there problems with our food? 46:15 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: So what's causing all of this suffering? I'll name two culprits, first and worst is ultra processed foods. 47:20 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: The second culprit is toxic chemicals in our food, our medicine and our environment. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: The good news is that we can change all this, and we can change it very, very, very quickly, and it starts with taking a sledgehammer to corruption, the conflicts in our regulatory agencies and in this building. These conflicts have transformed our regulatory agencies into predators against the American people and particularly our children. 80% of NIH grants go to people who have conflicts of interest, and these scientists are allowed to collect royalties of $150,000 a year on the products that they develop at NIH and then farm out to the pharmaceutical industry. The FDA, the USDA and CDC are all controlled by giant for-profit corporations. Their function is no longer to improve and protect the health of Americans. Their function is to advance the mercantile and commercial interests of the pharmaceutical industry that has transformed them and the food industry that has transformed them into sock puppets for the industry they're supposed to regulate. 75% of FDA funding does not come from taxpayers. It comes from pharma. And pharma executives and consultants and lobbyists cycle in and out of these agencies. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: Money from the healthcare industry has compromised our regulatory agencies and this body as well. The reality is that many congressional healthcare staffers are worried about impressing their future bosses at pharmaceutical companies rather than doing the right thing for American children. Today, over 100 members of Congress support a bill to fund Ozempic with Medicare at $1,500 a month. Most of these members have taken money from the manufacturer of that product, a European company called Novo Nordisk. As everyone knows, once a drug is approved for Medicare, it goes to Medicaid, and there is a push to recommend Ozempic for Americans as young as six, over a condition, obesity, that is completely preventable and barely even existed 100 years ago. Since 74% of Americans are obese, the cost of all of them, if they take their Ozempic prescriptions, will be $3 trillion a year. This is a drug that has made Novo Nordisk the biggest company in Europe. It's a Danish company, but the Danish government does not recommend it. It recommends a change in diet to treat obesity and exercise. Virtually Novo Nordisk's entire value is based upon its projections of what Ozempic is going to sell to Americans. For half the price of Ozempic, we could purchase regeneratively raised organic agriculture, organic food for every American, three meals a day and a gym membership for every obese American. Why are members of Congress doing the bidding of this Danish company instead of standing up for American farmers and children? Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: For 19 years, solving the childhood chronic disease crisis has been the central goal of my life, and for 19 years, I have prayed to God every morning to put me in a position to end this calamity. I believe we have the opportunity for transformational, bipartisan change to transform American health, to hyper-charge our human capital, to improve our budget, and I believe, to save our spirits and our country. 1:23:10 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Our next presenter, Dr. Marty Makary also bears a few scars from telling the truth during COVID. Dr. Makary is a surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University. He writes for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, and is the author of two New York Times best selling books, Unaccountable and The Price We Pay. He's been an outspoken opponent of broad vaccine mandates and some COVID restrictions at schools. Dr. Makary holds degrees from Bucknell University, Thomas Jefferson University and Harvard University. Dr. Marty Makary: I'm trained in gastrointestinal surgery. My group at Johns Hopkins does more pancreatic cancer surgery than any hospital in the United States. But at no point in the last 20 years has anyone stopped to ask, why has pancreatic cancer doubled over those 20 years? Who's working on that? Who's looking into it? We are so busy in our health care system, billing and coding and paying each other, and every stakeholder has their gigantic lobby in Washington, DC, and everybody's making a lot of money, except for one stakeholder, the American citizen. They are financing this giant, expensive health care system through their paycheck deduction for health insurance and the Medicare excise tax as we go down this path, billing and coding and medicating. And can we be real for a second? We have poisoned our food supply, engineered highly addictive chemicals that we put into our food, we spray it with pesticides that kill pests. What do you think they do to our gut lining and our microbiome? And then they come in sick. The GI tract is reacting. It's not an acute inflammatory storm, it's a low grade chronic inflammation, and it makes people feel sick, and that inflammation permeates and drives so many of our chronic diseases that we didn't see half a century ago. Who's working on who's looking into this, who's talking about it? Our health care system is playing whack a mole on the back end, and we are not talking about the root causes of our chronic disease epidemic. We can't see the forest from the trees. Sometimes we're so busy in these short visits, billing and coding. We've done a terrible thing to doctors. We've told them, put your head down. Focus on billing and coding. We're going to measure you by your throughput and good job. You did a nice job. We have all these numbers to show for it. Well, the country is getting sicker. We cannot keep going down this path. We have the most over-medicated, sickest population in the world, and no one is talking about the root causes. Dr. Marty Makary: Somebody has got to speak up. Maybe we need to talk about school lunch programs, not just putting every kid on obesity drugs like Ozempic. Maybe we need to talk about treating diabetes with cooking classes, not just throwing insulin at everybody. Maybe we need to talk about environmental exposures that cause cancer, not just the chemo to treat it. We've got to talk about food as medicine. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): So, Dr Makary, I've got a couple questions. First of all, how many years have you been practicing medicine? Dr. Marty Makary: 22 years. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): So we've noticed a shift from decades ago when 80% of doctors are independent to now 80% are working for some hospital association. First of all, what has that meant in terms of doctors' independence and who they are really accountable too? Dr. Marty Makary: The move towards corporate medicine and mass consolidation that we've witnessed in our lifetime has meant more and more doctors are told to put their heads down, do your job: billing and coding short visits. We've not given doctors the time, research, or resources to deal with these chronic diseases. 1:32:45 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Dr. Casey Means is a medical doctor, New York Times Best Selling Author, tech entrepreneur at Levels, an aspiring regenerative gardener and an outdoor enthusiast. While training as a surgeon, she saw how broken and exploitative the health care system is, and led to focus on how to keep people out of the operating room. And again, I would highly recommend everybody read Good Energy. It's a personal story, and you'll be glad you did. Dr. Casey Means: Over the last 50 years in the United States, we have seen rapidly rising rates of chronic illnesses throughout the entire body. The body and the brain, infertility, obesity, type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, Alzheimer's, dementia, cancer, heart disease, stroke, autoimmune disease, migraines, mental illness, chronic pain, fatigue, congenital abnormalities, chronic liver disease, autism, and infant and maternal mortality all going up. Americans live eight fewer years compared to people in Japan or Switzerland, and life expectancy is going down. I took an oath to do no harm, but listen to these stats. We're not only doing harm, we're flagrantly allowing harm. While it sounds grim, there is very good news. We know why all of these diseases are going up, and we know how to fix it. Every disease I mentioned is caused by or worsened by metabolic dysfunction, a word that it is thrilling to hear being used around this table. Metabolic dysfunction is a fundamental distortion of our cellular biology. It stops our cells from making energy appropriately. According to the American College of Cardiology, metabolic dysfunction now affects 93.2% of American adults. This is quite literally the cellular draining of our life force. This process is the result of three processes happening inside our cells, mitochondrial dysfunction, a process called oxidative stress, which is like a wildfire inside our cells, and chronic inflammation throughout the body and the gut, as we've heard about. Metabolic dysfunction is largely not a genetic issue. It's caused by toxic American ultra processed industrial food, toxic American chemicals, toxic American medications, and our toxic sedentary, indoor lifestyles. You would think that the American healthcare system and our government agencies would be clamoring to fix metabolic health and reduce American suffering and costs, but they're not. They are deafeningly silent about metabolic dysfunction and its known causes. It's not an overstatement to say that I learned virtually nothing at Stanford Medical School about the tens of thousands of scientific papers that elucidate these root causes of why American health is plummeting and how environmental factors are causing it. For instance, in medical school, I did not learn that for each additional serving of ultra processed food we eat, early mortality increases by 18%. This now makes up 67% of the foods our kids are eating. I took zero nutrition courses in medical school. I didn't learn that 82% of independently funded studies show harm from processed food, while 93% of industry sponsored studies reflect no harm. In medical school, I didn't learn that 95% of the people who created the recent USDA Food guidelines for America had significant conflicts of interest with the food industry. I did not learn that 1 billion pounds of synthetic pesticides are being sprayed on our food every single year. 99.99% of the farmland in the United States is sprayed with synthetic pesticides, many from China and Germany. And these invisible, tasteless chemicals are strongly linked to autism, ADHD, sex hormone disruption, thyroid disease, sperm dysfunction, Alzheimer's, dementia, birth defects, cancer, obesity, liver dysfunction, female infertility and more, all by hurting our metabolic health. I did not learn that the 8 billion tons of plastic that have been produced just in the last 100 years, plastic was only invented about 100 years ago, are being broken down into micro plastics that are now filling our food, our water, and we are now even inhaling them in our air. And that very recent research from just the past couple of months tells us that now about 0.5% of our brains by weight are now plastic. I didn't learn that there are more than 80,000 toxins that have entered our food, water, air and homes by industry, many of which are banned in Europe, and they are known to alter our gene expression, alter our microbiome composition and the lining of our gut, and disrupt our hormones. I didn't learn that heavy metals like aluminum and lead are present in our food, our baby formula, personal care products, our soil and many of the mandated medications, like vaccines and that these metals are neurotoxic and inflammatory. I didn't learn that the average American walks a paltry 3500 steps per day, even though we know based on science and top journals that walking, simply walking 7000 steps a day, slashes by 40-60% our risk of Alzheimer's, dementia, type two diabetes, cancer and obesity. I certainly did not learn that medical error and medications are the third leading cause of death in the United States. I didn't learn that just five nights of sleep deprivation can induce full blown pre-diabetes. I learned nothing about sleep, and we're getting about 20% less sleep on average than we were 100 years ago. I didn't learn that American children are getting less time outdoors now than a maximum security prisoner. And on average, adults spend 93% of their time indoors, even though we know from the science that separation from sunlight destroys our circadian biology, and circadian biology dictates our cellular biology. I didn't learn that professional organizations that we get our practice guidelines from, like the American Diabetes Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, have taken 10s of millions of dollars from Coke, Cadbury, processed food companies, and vaccine manufacturers like Moderna. I didn't learn that if we address these root causes that all lead to metabolic dysfunction and help patients change their food and lifestyle patterns with a united strong voice, we could reverse the chronic disease crisis in America, save millions of lives, and trillions of dollars in health care costs per year. Instead, doctors are learning that the body is 100 separate parts, and we learn how to drug, we learn how to cut and we learn how to bill. I'll close by saying that what we are dealing with here is so much more than a physical health crisis. This is a spiritual crisis we are choosing death over life. We are we are choosing death over life. We are choosing darkness over light for people and the planet, which are inextricably linked. We are choosing to erroneously believe that we are separate from nature and that we can continue to poison nature and then outsmart it. Our path out will be a renewed respect for the miracle of life and a renewed respect for nature. We can restore health to Americans rapidly with smart policy and courageous leadership. We need a return to courage. We need a return to common sense and intuition. We need a return to awe for the sheer miraculousness of our lives. We need all hands on deck. Thank you. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): I'm not letting you off that easy. I've got a couple questions. So you outlined some basic facts that doctors should know that truthfully, you could cover in one hour of an introductory class in medical school, yes. So why aren't we teaching doctors these things? Dr. Casey Means: The easy thing to say would be, you know, follow the money. That sounds sort of trite, but frankly, I think that is the truth, but not in the way you might think that, like doctors are out to make money, or even medical schools. The money and the core incentive problem, which is that every institution that touches our health in America, from medical schools to pharmaceutical companies to health insurance companies to hospitals offices, they make more money when we are sick and less when we are healthy. That simple, one incentive problem corrodes every aspect of the way medicine is thought about. The way we think about the body, we talked about interconnectedness. It creates a system in which we silo the body into all these separate parts and create that illusion that we all buy into because it's profitable to send people to separate specialties. So it corrodes even the foundational conception of how we think about the body. So it is about incentives and money, but I would say that's the invisible hand. It's not necessarily affecting each doctor's clinical practice or the decision making. It's corroding every lever of the basics of how we even consider what the human body is and what life is. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): In your book, you do a really good job of describing how, because of the specialization of medicine, you don't see the forest for the trees. The fact is, you do need specialized medicine. I mean, doctors can't know it all. So I think the question is, how do we get back to the reward for general practitioners that do focus on what you're writing about? Dr. Casey Means: I have huge respect for doctors, and I am incredibly grateful for the American health care system, which has produced miracles, and we absolutely need continue to have primary care doctors and specialists, and they should be rewarded highly. However, if we focused on what everyone here is talking about, I think we'd have 90% less throughput through our health care system. We would be able to have these doctors probably have a much better life to be honest. You know, because right now, doctors are working 100 hours a week seeing 50, 60, 70 patients, and could actually have more time with patients who develop these acute issues that need to be treated by a doctor. But so many of the things in the specialist office are chronic conditions that we know are fundamentally rooted in the cellular dysfunction I describe, which is metabolic dysfunction, which is created by our lifestyle. So I think that there's always going to be a place for specialists, but so so many, so much fewer. And I think if we had a different conception for the body is interconnected, they would also interact with each other in a very different way, a much more collaborative way. And then, of course, we need to incentivize doctors in the healthcare system towards outcomes, not throughput. 1:46:25 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Our next presenter is Dr. Chris Palmer. Dr. Palmer is a Harvard trained psychiatrist, researcher and author of Brain Energy, where he explores a groundbreaking connection between metabolic health and mental illness. He is a leader in innovative approaches to treating psychiatric conditions, advocating for the use of diet and metabolic interventions to improve mental health outcomes. Dr. Palmer's work is reshaping how the medical field views and treats mental health disorders. Dr. Chris Palmer: I want to build on what Dr. Means just shared that these chronic diseases we face today. Obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, all share something in common. They are, in fact, metabolic dysfunction. I'm going to go into a little bit of the science, just to make sure we're all on the same page. Although most people think of metabolism as burning calories, it is far more than that. Metabolism is a series of chemical reactions that convert food into energy and building blocks essential for cellular health. When we have metabolic dysfunction, it can drive numerous chronic diseases, which is a paradigm shift in the medical field. Now there is no doubt metabolism is complicated. It really is. It is influenced by biological, psychological, environmental and social factors, and the medical field says this complexity is the reason we can't solve the obesity epidemic because they're still trying to understand every molecular detail of biology. But in fact, we don't need to understand biology in order to understand the cause. The cause is coming from our environment, a toxic environment like poor diet and exposure to harmful chemicals, and these are actually quite easy to study, understand, and address. There is no doubt food plays a key role. It provides the substrate for energy and building blocks. Nutritious foods support metabolism, while ultra processed options can disrupt it. It is shocking that today, in 2024, the FDA allows food manufacturers to introduce brand new chemicals into our food supply without adequate testing. The manufacturer is allowed to determine for themselves whether this substance is safe for you and your family to eat or not. Metabolism's impact goes beyond physical health. I am a psychiatrist. Some of you are probably wondering, why are you here? It also affects mental health. Because guess what? The human brain is an organ too, and when brain metabolism is impaired, it can cause symptoms that we call mental illness. It is no coincidence that as the rates of obesity and diabetes are skyrocketing, so too are the rates of mental illness. In case you didn't know, we have a mental health crisis. We have all time prevalence highs for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, deaths of despair, drug overdoses, ADHD and autism. What does the mental health field have to say for this? Well, you know, mental illness is just chemical imbalances, or maybe trauma and stress that is wholly insufficient to explain the epidemic that we are seeing. And in fact, there is a better way to integrate the biopsychosocial factors known to play a role in mental illness. Mental Disorders at their core are often metabolic disorders impacting the brain. It's not surprising to most people that obesity and diabetes might play a role in depression or anxiety, but the rates of autism have quadrupled in just 20 years, and the rates of ADHD have tripled over that same period of time. These are neuro developmental disorders, and many people are struggling to understand, how on earth could they rise so rapidly? But it turns out that metabolism plays a profound role in neurodevelopment, and sure enough, parents with metabolic issues like obesity and diabetes are more likely to have children with autism and ADHD. This is not about fat shaming, because what I am arguing is that the same foods and chemicals and other drivers of obesity that are causing obesity in the parents are affecting the brain health of our children. There is compelling evidence that food plays a direct role in mental health. One study of nearly 300,000 people found that those who eat ultra processed foods daily are three times more likely to struggle with their mental health than people who never or rarely consume them. A systematic review found direct associations between ultra processed food exposure and 32 different health parameters, including mental mental health conditions. Now I'm not here to say that food is the only, or even primary driver of mental illness. Let's go back to something familiar. Trauma and stress do drive mental illness, but for those of you who don't know, trauma and stress are also associated with increased rates of obesity and diabetes. Trauma and stress change human metabolism. We need to put the science together. This brings me to a key point. We cannot separate physical and mental health from metabolic health. Addressing metabolic dysfunction has the potential to prevent and treat a wide range of chronic diseases. Dr. Chris Palmer: In my own work, I have seen firsthand how using metabolic therapies like the ketogenic diet and other dietary interventions can improve even severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, sometimes putting them into lasting remission. These reports are published in peer reviewed, prestigious medical journals. However, there is a larger issue at play that many have talked about, medical education and public health recommendations are really captured by industry and politics, and at best, they often rely on weak epidemiological data, resulting in conflicting or even harmful advice. We heard a reference to this, but in case you didn't know, a long time ago, we demonized saturated fat. And what was the consequence of demonizing saturated fat? We replaced it with "healthy vegetable shortening." That was the phrase we used, "healthy vegetable shortening." Guess what was in that healthy vegetable shortening? It was filled with trans fats, which are now recognized to be so harmful that they've been banned in the United States. Let's not repeat mistakes like this. Dr. Chris Palmer: So what's the problem? Number one, nutrition and mental health research are severely underfunded, with each of them getting less than 5% of the NIH budget. This is no accident. This is the concerted effort of lobbying by industry, food manufacturers, the healthcare industry, they do not want root causes discovered. We need to get back to funding research on the root causes of mental and metabolic disorders, including the effects of foods, chemicals, medications, environmental toxins, on the human brain and metabolism. Dr. Chris Palmer: The issue of micro plastics and nano plastics in the human body is actually, sadly, in its infancy. We have two publications out in the last couple of months demonstrating that micro plastics are, in fact, found in the human brain. And as Dr. Means said, and you recited, 0.5% of the body weight, or the brain's weight, appears to be composed of micro plastics. We need more research to better understand whether these micro plastics are, in fact, associated with harmful conditions, because microplastics are now ubiquitous. So some will argue, well, they're everywhere, and everybody's got them, and it's just a benign thing. Some will argue that the most compelling evidence against that is a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine a few months ago now, in which they were doing routine carotid endarterectomies, taking plaque out of people's carotid arteries. Just routinely doing that for clinical care, and then they analyzed those plaques for micro plastics. 58% of the people had detectable micro plastics in the plaques. So they compared this 58% group who had micro plastics to the ones who didn't, followed them for three years, just three years, and the ones who had micro plastics had four times the mortality. There is strong reason to believe, based on animal data and based on cell biology data, that microplastics are in fact, toxic to the human body, to mitochondrial function, to hormone dysregulation and all sorts of things. There are lots of reasons to believe that, but the scientists will say, we need more research. We need to better understand whether these micro plastics really are associated with higher rates of disease. I think people are terrified of the answer. People are terrified of the answer. And if you think about everything that you consume, and how much of it is not wrapped in plastic, all of those industries are going to oppose research. They are going to oppose research funding to figure this out ASAP, because that will be a monumental change to not just the food industry but our entire economy. Imagining just cleaning up the oceans and trying to get this plastic and then, more importantly, trying to figure out, how are we going to detox humans? How are we going to de-plasticize human beings? How are we going to get these things out? It is an enormous problem, but the reality is, putting our heads in the sand is not going to help. And I am really hopeful that by raising issues and letting people know about this health crisis, that maybe we will get answers quickly. Dr. Chris Palmer: Your question is, why are our health agencies not exploring these questions? It's because the health agencies are largely influenced by the industries they are supposed to be regulating and looking out for. The medical education community is largely controlled by pharmaceutical companies. One and a half billion dollars every year goes to support physician education. That's from pharmaceutical companies. One and a half billion from pharmaceutical companies. So physicians are getting educated with some influence, large influence, I would argue, by them, the health organizations. It's a political issue. The NIH, it's politics. Politicians are selecting people to be on the committees or people to oversee these organizations. Politicians rely on donations from companies and supporters to get re-elected, and the reality is this is not going to be easy to tackle. The challenge is that you'll get ethical politicians who say, I'm not going to take any of that money, and I'm going to try to do the right thing and right now, the way the system is set up, there's a good chance those politicians won't get re-elected, and instead, their opponents, who were more than happy to take millions of dollars in campaign contributions, will get re-elected, and then they will return the favor to their noble campaign donors. We are at a crossroads. We have to decide who are the constituents of the American government. Is it industry, or is it the American people? 2:09:35 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Calley Means the co-founder of Truemed, a company that enables tax free spending on food and exercise. He recently started an advocacy coalition with leading health and wellness companies called End Chronic Disease. Early in his career, he was a consultant for food and pharma companies. He is now exposing practices they used to weaponize our institutions of trust, and he's doing a great job doing interviews with his sister, Casey. Calley Means: If you think about a medical miracle, it's almost certainly a solution that was invented before 1960 for an acute condition: emergency surgical procedures to ensure a complicated childbirth wasn't a death sentence, sanitation procedures, antibiotics that insured infection was an inconvenience, not deadly, eradicating polio, regular waste management procedures that helped control outbreaks like the bubonic plague, sewage systems that replaced the cesspools and opened drains, preventing human waste from contaminating the water. The US health system is a miracle in solving acute conditions that will kill us right away. But economically, acute conditions aren't great in our modern system, because the patient is quickly cured and is no longer a customer. Start in the 1960s the medical system took the trust engendered by these acute innovations like antibiotics, which were credited with winning World War Two, and they used that trust to ask patients not to question its authority on chronic diseases, which can last a lifetime and are more profitable. But the medicalization of chronic disease in the past 50 years has been an abject failure. Today, we're in a siloed system where there's a treatment for everything. And let's just look at the stats. Heart disease has gone up as more statins are prescribed. Type 2 diabetes has gone up as more Metformin is prescribed. ADHD has gone up as more Adderall is prescribed. Depression and suicide has gone up as more SSRIs are prescribed. Pain has gone up as more opioids are prescribed. Cancer has gone up as we've spent more on cancer. And now JP Morgan literally at the conference in San Francisco, recently, they put up a graph, and they showed us more Ozempic is projected to be prescribed over the next 10 years, obesity rates are going to go up as more is prescribed. Explain that to me. There was clapping. All the bankers were clapping like seals at this graphic. Our intervention based system is by design. In the early 1900s, John D. Rockefeller using that he could use byproducts from oil production to create pharmaceuticals, heavily funded medical schools throughout the United States to teach a curriculum based on the intervention-first model of Dr. William Stewart Halsted, the founding physician of Johns Hopkins, who created the residency-based model that viewed invasive surgical procedures and medication as the highest echelon of medicine. An employee of Rockefeller's was tasked to create the Flexner Report, which outlined a vision for medical education that prioritized interventions and stigmatized nutritional and holistic remedies. Congress affirmed the Flexner Report in 1910 to establish that any credentialed medical institution in the United States had to follow the Halsted-Rockefeller intervention based model that silos disease and downplay viewing the body as an interconnected system. It later came out that Dr. Halsted's cocaine and morphine addiction fueled his day long surgical residencies and most of the medical logic underlying the Flexner Report was wrong. But that hasn't prevented the report and the Halsted-Rockefeller engine based brand of medicine from being the foundational document that Congress uses to regulate medical education today. Calley Means: Our processed food industry was created by the cigarette industry. In the 1980s, after decades of inaction, the Surgeon General and the US government finally, finally said that smoking might be harmful, and smoking rates plummeted. We listened to doctors in this country. We listened to medical leadership, and as smoking rates plummeted, cigarette companies, with their big balance sheets, strategically bought up food companies, and by 1990 the two largest food companies in the world were Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds, two cigarette companies. These cigarette companies moved two departments over from the cigarette department to the food department. They moved the scientists. Cigarette companies were the highest payers of scientists, one of the biggest employers of scientists to make the cigarettes addictive. They moved these addiction specialists, world leading addiction specialists, to the food department by the thousands. And those scientists weaponized our ultra processed food. That is the problem with ultra processed food. You have the best scientists in the world creating this food to be palatable and to be addictive. They then moved their lobbyists over. They used the same playbook, and their lobbyists co-opted the USDA and created the food pyramid. The Food Pyramid was a document created by the cigarette industry through complete corporate capture, and was an ultra processed food marketing document saying that we needed a bunch of carbs and sugar. And we listened to medical experts in this country, the American people, American parents. Many parents who had kids in the 90s thought it was a good thing to do to give their kids a bunch of ultra processed foods and carb consumption went up 20% in the American diet in the next 10 years. The Devil's bargain comes in in that this ultra processed food consumption has been one of the most profitable dynamics in American history for the health care industry. As we've all just been decimated with chronic conditions, the medical industry hasn't. Not only have they been silent on this issue, they've actually been complicit, working for the food industry. I helped funnel money from Coca Cola to the American Diabetes Association. Yeah. 2:31:40 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Next presenter will be Brigham Buhler. Brigham is the Founder and CEO of Ways2Well, a healthcare company that provides personalized preventive care through telemedicine, with a strong background in the pharmaceutical industry. Brigham is focused on making healthcare more accessible by harnessing the power of technology, delivering effective and tailored treatments. His vision for improving health outcomes has positioned him as a leader in modern patient centered healthcare solutions. Brigham Buhler: We hear people reference President Eisenhower's speech all the time about the military industrial complex, but rarely do we hear the second half of that speech. He also warned us about the rise of the scientific industrial complex. He warned us, if we allow the elite to control the scientific research, it could have dire consequences. 2:36:30 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): I'm going to call an audible here as moderator, I saw that hopefully the future chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Mike Crapo from Idaho, came into the room. I asked Mike to share his story. He used to wear larger suits, let's put it that way. But he went down the path of the ketogenic diet, I believe. But Mike, why don't you tell your story? And by the way, he's somebody you want to influence. Chairman of Senate Finance Committee makes an awful lot of decisions on Medicare, Medicaid, a lot of things we talked about with Ozempic, now the lobbying group try and make that available, and how harmful, I think, most people in this room think that might be so. Senator Crapo, if you could just kind of tell us your story in terms of your diet change and what results you had. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID): Well, first of all, let me thank you. I didn't come here to say anything. I came here to listen, but I appreciate the opportunity to just have a second to tell you my personal story. I'll say before I do that, thank you for Ron Johnson. Senator Johnson is also a member of the Finance Committee, and it is my hope that we can get that committee, which I think has the most powerful jurisdiction, particularly over these areas, of any in the United States Congress, and so I'm hopeful we can get a focus on addressing the government's part of the role in this to get us back on a better track. 2:54:35 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Vani Hari, known as the Food Babe -- they wrote that for me, that wasn't me, that's my not my nickname -- is a food activist, author and speaker committed to improving food quality and safety. She has built a powerful platform through her blog advocating for transparency in food labeling and the removal of harmful chemicals from processed food. Her activism has spurred significant change in the food industry, encouraging consumers to make healthier, more informed choices, while prompting companies to adopt cleaner practices. Vani Hari: Our government is letting US food companies get away with serving American citizens harmful ingredients that are banned or heavily regulated in other countries. Even worse, American food companies are selling the same exact products overseas without these chemicals, but choose to continue serving us the most toxic version here. It's un-American. One set of ingredients there, and one set of ingredients here. Let me give you some examples. This is McDonald's french fries. I would like to argue that probably nobody in this room has not had a McDonald's french fry, by the way, nobody raised their hand during the staff meeting earlier today. In the US, there's 11 ingredients. In the UK, there's three, and salt is optional. An ingredient called dimethyl polysiloxane is an ingredient preserved with formaldehyde, a neurotoxin, in the US version. This is used as a foaming agent, so they don't have to replace the oil that often, making McDonald's more money here in the United States, but they don't do that across the pond. Here we go, this is Skittles. Notice the long list of ingredient differences, 10 artificial dyes in the US version and titanium dioxide. This ingredient is banned in Europe because it can cause DNA damage. Artificial dyes are made from petroleum, and products containing these dyes require a warning label in Europe that states it may cause adverse effects on activity and attention in children, and they have been linked to cancer and disruptions in the immune system. This on the screen back here, is Gatorade. In the US, they use red 40 and caramel color. In Germany, they don't, they use carrot and sweet potatoes to color their Gatorade. This is Doritos. The US version has three different three different artificial dyes and MSG, the UK version does not and let's look at cereal. General Mills is definitely playing some tricks on us. They launched a new version of Trix just recently in Australia. It has no dyes, they even advertise that, when the US version still does. This is why I became a food activist. My name is Vani Hari, and I only want one thing. I want Americans to be treated the same way as citizens in other countries by our own American companies. Vani Hari: We use over 10,000 food additives here in the United States and in Europe, there's only 400 approved. In 2013, I discovered that Kraft was producing their famous mac and cheese in other countries without artificial dyes. They used Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 here. I was so outraged by this unethical practice that I decided to do something about it. I launched a petition asking Kraft to remove artificial dyes from their products here in the United States, and after 400,000 signatures and a trip to their headquarters, Kraft finally announced they would make the change. I also discovered Subway was selling sandwiches with a chemical called azodicarbonamide in their bread in other countries. This is the same chemical they use in yoga mats and shoe rubber. You know, when you turn a yoga mat sideways and you see the evenly dispersed air bubbles? Well, they wanted to do the same thing in bread, so it would be the same exact product every time you went to a Subway. When the chemical is heated, studies show that it turns into a carcinogen. Not only is this ingredient banned in Europe and Australia, you get fined $450,000 if you get caught using it in Singapore. What's really interesting is when this chemical is heated, studies show that it turns into a carcinogen. Not only is this ingredient banned, but we were able to get Subway to remove azodicarbonamide from their bread in the United States after another successful petition. And as a bonus, there was a ripple effect in almost every bread manufacturer in America followed suit. For years, Starbucks didn't publish their ingredients for their coffee drinks. It was a mystery until I convinced a barista to show me the ingredients on the back of the bottles they were using to make menu items like their famous pumpkin spice lattes. I found out here in the United States, Starbucks was coloring their PSLs with caramel coloring level four, an ingredient made from ammonia and linked to cancer, but using beta carotene from carrots to color their drinks in the UK. After publishing an investigation and widespread media attention, Starbucks removed caramel coloring from all of their drinks in America and started publishing the ingredients for their entire menu. I want to make an important point here. Ordinary people who rallied for safer food shared this information and signed petitions. Were able to make these changes. We did this on our own. But isn't this something that the people in Washington, our elected politicians, should be doing? Vani Hari: Asking companies to remove artificial food dye would make an immediate impact. They don't need to reinvent the wheel. They already have the formulations. As I've shown you, consumption of artificial food dyes has increased by 500% in the last 50 years, and children are the biggest consumers. Yes, those children. Perfect timing. 43% of products marketed towards children in the grocery store contain artificial dyes. Food companies have found in focus groups, children will eat more of their product with an artificial dye because it's more attractive and appealing. And the worst part, American food companies know the harms of these additives because they were forced to remove them overseas due to stricter regulations and to avoid warning labels that would hurt sales. This is one of the most hypocritical policies of food companies, and somebody needs to hold them accountable. Vani Hari: When Michael Taylor was the Deputy Commissioner of the of the FDA, he said, he admitted on NPR, we don't have the resources, we don't have the capabilities to actually regulate food chemicals, because we don't have the staff. There's no one there. We are under this assumption, and I think a lot of Americans are under this assumption, that every single food additive ingredient that you buy at the grocery store has been approved by some regulatory body. It hasn't. It's been approved by the food companies themselves. There's 1000s of chemicals where the food company creates it, submits the safety data, and then the FDA rubber stamps it, because they don't have any other option. 3:09:15 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): So our next presenter is Jason Karp. Jason is the founder and CEO of HumanCo, a mission driven company that invests in and builds brands focused on healthier living and sustainability. In addition to HumanCo, Jason is the co-founder of Hu Kitchen, known for creating the number one premium organic chocolate in the US. My wife will appreciate that. Prior to HumanCo, Jason spent over 21 years in the hedge fund industry, where he was the founder and CEO of an investment fund that managed over $4 billion. Jason graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 3:11:10 Jason Karp: I've been a professional investor for 26 years, dealing with big food companies, seeing what happens in their boardrooms, and why we now have so much ultra processed food. Jason Karp: Having studied the evolution of corporations, I believe the root cause of how we got here is an unintended consequence of the unchecked and misguided industrialization of agriculture and food. I believe there are two key drivers behind how we got here. First, America has much looser regulatory approach to approving new ingredients and chemicals than comparable developed countries. Europe, for example, uses a guilty until proven innocent standard for the approval of new chemicals, which mandates that if an ingredient might pose a potential health risk, it should be restricted or banned for up to 10 years until it is proven safe. In complete contrast, our FDA uses an innocent until proven guilty approach for new chemicals or ingredients that's known as GRAS, or Generally Recognized as Safe. This recklessly allows new chemicals into our food system until they are proven harmful. Shockingly, US food companies can use their own independent experts to bring forth a new chemical without the approval of the FDA. It is a travesty that the majority of Americans don't even know they are constantly exposed to 1000s of untested ingredients that are actually banned or regulated in other countries. To put it bluntly, for the last 50 years, we have been running the largest uncontrolled science experiment ever done on humanity without their consent. Jason Karp: And the proof is in the pudding. Our health differences compared to those countries who use stricter standards are overwhelmingly conclusive. When looking at millions of people over decades, on average, Europeans live around five years longer, have less than half our obesity rates, have significantly lower chronic disease, have markedly better mental health, and they spend as little as 1/3 on health care per person as we do in this country. While lobbyists and big food companies may say we cannot trust the standards of these other countries because it over regulates, it stifles innovation, and it bans new chemicals prematurely, I would like to point out that we trust many of these other countries enough to have nuclear weapons. These other countries have demonstrated it is indeed possible to not only have thriving companies, but also prioritize the health of its citizens with a clear do no harm approach towards anything that humans put in or on our bodies. Jason Karp: The second driver, how we got here, is all about incentives. US industrial food companies have been myopically incentivized to reward profit growth, yet bear none of the social costs of poisoning our people and our land. Since the 1960s, America has seen the greatest technology and innovation boom in history. As big food created some of the largest companies in the world, so too did their desire for scaled efficiency. Companies had noble goals of making the food safer, more shelf stable, cheaper and more accessible. However, they also figured out how to encourage more consumption by making food more artificially appealing with brighter colors and engineered taste and texture. This is the genesis of ultra processed food. Because of these misguided regulatory standards, American companies have been highly skilled at maximizing profits without bearing the societal costs. They have replaced natural ingredients with chemicals. They have commodified animals into industrial widgets, and they treat our God given planet as an inexhaustible, abusable resource. Sick Americans are learning the hard way that food and agriculture should not be scaled in the same ways as iPhones. 3:16:50 Jason Karp: They use more chemicals in the US version, because it is more profitable and because we allow them to do so. Jason Karp: Artificial food dyes are cheaper and they are brighter. And the reason that I chose to use artificial food dyes in my public activist letter is because there's basically no counter argument. Many of the things discussed today, I think there is a nuanced debate, but with artificial food dyes, they have shown all over the world that they can use colorants that come from fruit. This is the Canadian version. This is the brightness of the Canadian version, just for visibility, and this is the brightness of artificial food dyes. So of course, Kellogg and other food companies will argue children prefer this over this, just as they would prefer cocaine over sugar. That doesn't make it okay. Calley Means: Senator, can I just say one thing? As Jason and Vani were talking, it brought me back to working for the food industry. We used to pay conservative lobbyists to go to every office and say that it was the "nanny state" to regulate food. And I think that's, as a conservative myself, something that's resonated. I just cannot stress enough that, as we're hopefully learned today, the food industry has rigged our systems beyond recognition. And addressing a rigged market is not an attack on the free market. Is a necessity for a free market to take this corruption out. So I just want to say that. 3:21:00 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Our next presenter is Jillian Michaels. Ms. Michaels is a globally recognized fitness expert, entrepreneur, and best selling author. With her no nonsense approach to health, she's inspired millions through her fitness programs, books and digital platforms, best known for her role on The Biggest Loser, Michaels promotes a balanced approach to fitness and nutrition and emphasizing long term health and self improvement. Jillian Michaels: The default human condition in the 21st century is obese by design. Specific, traceable forms of what's referred to as structural violence are created by the catastrophic quartet of big farming, big food, Big Pharma, and big insurance. They systematically corrupt every institution of trust, which has led to the global spread of obesity and disease. Dysfunctional and destructive agricultural legislation like the Farm Bill, which favors high yield, genetically engineered crops like corn and soy, leading to the proliferation of empty calories, saturated with all of these toxins that we've been talking about today for three hours, it seems like we can never say enough about it, and then this glut of cheap calories provides a boon to the food industry giants. They just turn it into a bounty of ultra processed, factory-assembled foods and beverages strategically engineered to undermine your society and foster your dependence, like nicotine and cocaine, so we literally cannot eat just one. And to ensure that you don't, added measures are taken to inundate our physical surroundings. We're literally flooded with food, and we are brainwashed by ubiquitous cues to eat, whether it's the Taco Bell advertisement on the side of a bus as you drive to work with a vending machine at your kids school, there is no place we spend time that's left untouched. They're omnipresent. They commandeer the narrative, with 30 billion worth of advertising dollars, commercials marketed to kids, with mega celebrities eating McDonald's and loving it, sponsored dietitians paid to promote junk food on social media, utilizing anti-diet body positivity messaging like, "derail the shame" in relation to fast food consumption, Time Magazine brazenly issuing a defense of ultra processed foods on their cover with the title, "What if altra processed foods aren't as bad as you think?" And when people like us try to sound the alarm, they ensure that we are swiftly labeled as anti-science, fat shamers, and even racists. They launch aggressive lobbying efforts to influence you. Our politicians to shape policy, secure federal grants, tax credits, subsidy dollars, which proliferates their product and heavily pads their bottom line. They have created a perfect storm in which pharmaceuticals that cost hundreds, if not 1000s per month, like Ozempic, that are linked to stomach paralysis, pancreatitis and thyroid cancer, can actually surge. This reinforces a growing dependence on medical interventions to manage weight in a society where systemic change in food production and consumption is desperately needed and also very possible. These monster corporations have mastered the art of distorting the research, influencing the policy, buying the narrative, engineering the environment, and manipulating consumer behavior. Jillian Michaels: While I have been fortunate enough to pull many back from the edge over the course of my 30 year career, I have lost just as many, if not more, than I have saved. I have watched them slip through my fingers, mothers that orphan their children, husbands that widow their wives. I have even watched parents forced to suffer the unthinkable loss of their adult children. There are not words to express the sadness I have felt and the fury knowing that they were literally sacrificed at the altar of unchecked corporate greed. Most Americans are simply too financially strained, psychologically drained and physically addicted to break free without a systemic intervention. Attempting to combat the status quo and the powers that be is beyond swimming upstream. It is like trying to push a rampaging river that's infested with piranhas. After years of trying to turn the tide, I submit that the powers that be are simply too powerful for us to take on alone. I implore the people here that shape the policy to take a stand. The buck must stop with you, while the American people tend to the business of raising children and participating in the workforce to ensure that the wheels of our country go around. They tapped you to stand watch. They tapped you to stand guard. We must hold these bad actors accountable. And I presume the testimonials you heard today moved you. Digest them, discuss them, and act upon them, because if this current trend is allowed to persist, the stakes will be untenable. We are in the middle of an extinction level event. The American people need help. They need heroes. And people of Washington, your constituents chose you to be their champion. Please be the change. Thank you. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): There was one particular piece of legislation or one thing that we could do here in Washington, what would it be? Jillian Michaels: Get rid of Citizens United and get the money out of politics. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Okay. 3:37:00 Calley Means: To the healthcare staffers slithering behind your bosses, working to impress your future bosses at the pharmaceutical companies, the hospitals, the insurance companies, many of them are in this building, and we are coming for you. 3:37:25 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Next up is Ms. Courtney Swan. Ms. Swan is a nutritionist, real food activist, and founder of the popular platform, Realfoodology. She advocates for transparency in the food industry, promoting the importance of whole foods and clean eating. Courtney is passionate about educating the public on the benefits of a nutrient dense diet, and she encourages sustainable, chemical-free farming practices to ensure better health for people and the planet. Courtney Swan: Our current agriculture system's origin story involves large chemical companies -- not farmers, chemists. 85% of the food that you are consuming started from a patented seed sold by a chemical corporation that was responsible for creating agent orange in the Vietnam War. Why are chemical companies feeding America? Corn, soy and wheat are not only the most common allergens, but are among the most heavily pesticide sprayed crops today. In 1974 the US started spraying our crops with an herbicide called glyphosate, and in the early 1990s we began to see the release of genetically modified foods into our food supply. It all seems to begin with a chemical company by the name IG Farben, the later parent company of Bayer Farben, provided the chemicals used in Nazi nerve agents and gas chambers. Years later, a second chemical company, Monsanto, joined the war industry with a production of Agent Orange, a toxin used during the Vietnam War. When the wars ended, these companies needed a market for their chemicals, so they pivoted to killing bugs and pests on American farmlands. Monsanto began marketing glyphosate with a catchy name, Roundup. They claimed that these chemicals were harmless and that they safeguarded our crops from pests. So farmers started spraying these supposedly safe chemicals on our farmland. They solved the bug problem, but they also killed the crops. Monsanto offered a solution with the creation of genetically modified, otherwise known as GMO, crops that resisted the glyphosate in the roundup that they were spraying. These Roundup Ready crops allow farmers to spray entire fields of glyphosate to kill off pests without harming the plants, but our food is left covered in toxic chemical residue that doesn't wash, dry, or cook off. Not only is it sprayed to kill pests, but in the final stages of harvest, it is sprayed on the wheat to dry it out. Grains that go into bread and cereals that are in grocery stores and homes of Americans are heavily sprayed with these toxins. It's also being sprayed on oats, chickpeas, almonds, potatoes and more. You can assume that if it's not organic, it is likely contaminated with glyphosate. In America, organic food, by law, cannot contain GMOs and glyphosate, and they are more expensive compared to conventionally grown options, Americans are being forced to pay more for food that isn't poisoned. The Environmental Working Group reported a test of popular wheat-based products and found glyphosate contamination in 80 to 90% of the products on grocery store shelves. Popular foods like Cheerios, Goldfish, chickpea pasta, like Banza, Nature Valley bars, were found have concerning levels of glyphosate. If that is not alarming enough, glyphosate is produced by and distributed from China. In 2018, Bayer bought Monsanto. They currently have patented soybeans, corn, canola and sugar beets, and they are the largest distributor of GMO corn and soybean seeds. Americans deserve a straight answer. Why does an agrochemical company own where our food comes from? Currently, 85 to 100% of corn and soy crops in the US are genetically modified. 80% of GMOs are engineered to withstand glyphosate, and a staggering 280 million pounds of glyphosate are sprayed on American crops annually. We are eating this roundup ready corn, but unlike GMO crops, humans are not Roundup Ready. We are not resistant to these toxins, and it's causing neurological damage, endocrine disruption, it's harming our reproductive health and it's affecting fetal development. Glyphosate is classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. It is also suspected to contribute towards the rise in celiac disease and gluten sensitivities. They're finding glyphosate in human breast milk, placentas, our organs, and even sperm. It's also being found in our rain and our drinking water. Until January of 2022, many companies made efforts to obscure the presence of GMOs and pesticides in food products from American consumers. It was only then that legislation came into effect mandating that these companies disclose such ingredients with a straightforward label stating, made with bio engineered ingredients, but it's very small on the package. Meanwhile, glyphosate still isn't labeled on our food. Parents in America are unknowingly feeding their children these toxic foods. Dr. Don Huber, a glyphosate researcher, warns that glyphosate will make the outlawed 1970s insecticide DDT look harmless in comparison to glyphosate. Why is the US government subsidizing the most pesticide sprayed crops using taxpayer dollars? These are the exact foods that are driving the epidemic of chronic disease. These crops, heavily sprayed with glyphosate, are then processed into high fructose corn syrup and refined vegetable oils, which are key ingredients for the ultra processed foods that line our supermarket shelves and fill our children's lunches in schools across the nation. Children across America are consuming foods such as Goldfish and Cheerios that are loaded with glyphosate. These crops also feed our livestock, which then produce the eggs, dairy and meat products that we consume. They are in everything. Pick up almost any ultra processed food package on the shelf, and you will see the words, contains corn, wheat and soy on the ingredients panel. Meanwhile, Bayer is doing everything it can to keep consumers in the dark, while our government protects these corporate giants. They fund educational programs at major agricultural universities, they lobby in Washington, and they collaborate with lawmakers to protect their profits over public health. Two congressmen are working with Bayer right now on the Farm Bill to protect Bayer from any liability, despite already having to pay out billions to sick Americans who got cancer from their product. They know that their product is harming people. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): Couple questions. So you really have two issues raised here. Any concern about just GMO seeds and GMO crops, and then you have the contamination, Glycosate, originally is a pre-emergent, but now it's sprayed on the actual crops and getting in the food. Can you differentiate those two problems? I mean, what concerns are the GMO seeds? Maybe other doctors on t

#440: How did you pick your prenatal vitamin? A new report found that prenatal vitamins might contain more or less of their stated nutrients like folic acid and iron. Helena Bottemiller Evich joins me to talk about how to choose a prenatal vitamin and why there aren't clear agreements on what should even be in these supplements. Listen to this episode to learn: Which prenatal vitamins may have more or less nutrients than stated on the Supplement Facts panel Why there aren't standardized guidelines about what goes in your prenatal vitamin How to pick a prenatal vitamin and what the most important B vitamin is to focus on Shownotes for this episode can be found here: https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/440 Links from this episode: Helena's Food Fix newsletter: https://foodfix.co/  GAO Report: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106689 ACOG Nutrition During Pregnancy: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/nutrition-during-pregnancy . Other Episodes Related to this Topic Episode 389 - Can Cinnamon Cause Lead Poisoning? Applesauce Pouch Contamination Update with Helena Bottemiller Evich Episode 229 - Unpacking the Infant Formula Recall and Formula Shortage with Helena Bottemiller Evich Episode 394 - How Heavy Metal Levels in Baby Food Have & Haven't Changed in 5 Years with @consumerreports James E. Rogers, PhD

#440: How did you pick your prenatal vitamin? A new report found that prenatal vitamins might contain more or less of their stated nutrients like folic acid and iron. Helena Bottemiller Evich joins me to talk about how to choose a prenatal vitamin and why there aren't clear agreements on what should even be in these supplements. Listen to this episode to learn: Which prenatal vitamins may have more or less nutrients than stated on the Supplement Facts panel Why there aren't standardized guidelines about what goes in your prenatal vitamin How to pick a prenatal vitamin and what the most important B vitamin is to focus on Shownotes for this episode can be found here: https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/440 Links from this episode: Helena's Food Fix newsletter: https://foodfix.co/  GAO Report: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106689 ACOG Nutrition During Pregnancy: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/nutrition-during-pregnancy . Other Episodes Related to this Topic Episode 389 - Can Cinnamon Cause Lead Poisoning? Applesauce Pouch Contamination Update with Helena Bottemiller Evich Episode 229 - Unpacking the Infant Formula Recall and Formula Shortage with Helena Bottemiller Evich Episode 394 - How Heavy Metal Levels in Baby Food Have & Haven't Changed in 5 Years with @consumerreports James E. Rogers, PhD

In this eye-opening episode, we tackle the deep-seated issues plaguing our food system, exposing the cracks in regulatory oversight and policy implementation. From the FDA's staggering incompetence and sluggish response times to the far-reaching consequences of poor food policies, we delve into the heart of the matter. Join us as we unpack the investigative reporting of Helena Bottemiller Evich, shining a spotlight on the intricate web of failures that compromise food safety and public health. Get ready for a thought-provoking discussion that'll leave you questioning the very foundation of our food regulatory framework.Checkout Helena's Newsletter FoodFixSeven Former FDA Commissioners: The FDA Should Be An Independent Federal AgencyWhy President Obama and Congress turned their backs on food safety - POLITICOOPERATIONAL EVALUATION OF THE FDA HUMAN FOODS PROGRAMHow the FDA's food division fails to regulate health and safety hazardsFor the nation's health, break up the Food and Drug Administration - Washington Post Editorial Board

Illinois lawmakers proposed a food additive ban that would eliminate substances such as titanium dioxide. Food policy writer Helena Bottemiller Evich joins us to discuss. And, the baby clothing brand Kyte Baby has faced backlash on social media for not accommodating an employee's request to work remotely while her newborn was in intensive care. It's indicative of a larger issue around lack of paid leave in the U.S. Dawn Huckelbridge, the founding director of the nonprofit "Paid Leave for All," joins us. Then, Ohio State University professor César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández joins us to talk about his new book "Welcome the Wretched: In Defense of the 'Criminal Alien,'" which explores the history of U.S. immigration policy.

The effects of an Oct. 2023 recall of applesauce pouches with high concentrations of lead are widening, raising questions about how food reaches store shelves, who watches over it and how far that oversight extends. Helena Bottemiller Evich, founder and editor of Food Fix, a publication that focuses on food policy, joins Ali Rogin to discuss the unfolding recall and its impact. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The effects of an Oct. 2023 recall of applesauce pouches with high concentrations of lead are widening, raising questions about how food reaches store shelves, who watches over it and how far that oversight extends. Helena Bottemiller Evich, founder and editor of Food Fix, a publication that focuses on food policy, joins Ali Rogin to discuss the unfolding recall and its impact. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

#389: Today's episode is a little different - there's not a lot of breaking news in the infant feeding world. But if you have been following the news perhaps you've heard about the applesauce pouch lead contamination story. I'm recording this on November 29, 2023 at which point now 52 children have reported to have high levels of lead in their blood potentially linked to consuming cinnamon applesauce pouches made in Ecuador that were sold across the U.S. There's a strong scientific consensus that there is no safe amount of lead, particularly for babies and young children who are especially vulnerable to the neurotoxin. Lead exposure has been linked to various behavior and developmental problems, lowered IQ, and more CDC funds states and cities to conduct routine lead blood-screening for young children. The North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services first noticed four children with high lead levels, and over the course of several weeks they, along with state ag officials, ultimately linked it to the pouches. 

#389: Today's episode is a little different - there's not a lot of breaking news in the infant feeding world. But if you have been following the news perhaps you've heard about the applesauce pouch lead contamination story. I'm recording this on November 29, 2023 at which point now 52 children have reported to have high levels of lead in their blood potentially linked to consuming cinnamon applesauce pouches made in Ecuador that were sold across the U.S. There's a strong scientific consensus that there is no safe amount of lead, particularly for babies and young children who are especially vulnerable to the neurotoxin. Lead exposure has been linked to various behavior and developmental problems, lowered IQ, and more CDC funds states and cities to conduct routine lead blood-screening for young children. The North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services first noticed four children with high lead levels, and over the course of several weeks they, along with state ag officials, ultimately linked it to the pouches. 

During a recent Summit co-hosted by Food Tank and Niman Ranch, speakers gathered to discuss the role that everyone can play to support independent family farmers, the changing meat sector, and the opportunities we can build through food. This week's episode of “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” features two discussions from the event. First, hear why a strong relationship between chefs and food producers is so important to building a sustainable food system. Then, dive into a policy discussion as experts unpack the recent decision to uphold Proposition 12 and protect animal welfare. Speakers include Gustavo Arellano, Columnist, Los Angeles Times; Helena Bottemiller Evich, Founder, FoodFix; Jamey Fader, Chef, Marczyk Fine Foods; Chris Green, Executive Director, Harvard University's Brooks McCormick Jr. Animal Law & Policy Program; Julia Jordan, SeniorSustainability Director, Compass Group North America; Jo Lerma-Lopez, Chef, Luna Mexican Kitchen; Pushkar Marathe, Chef, Ela Curry Kitchen and Stage; Chris Oliviero, General Manager, Niman Ranch; and Michael Showers, Chef, High West. While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.

Sam and Emma host Raymond Jackson, President of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689, to discuss the recent strike by Loudoun County Transit workers in Virginia. Then, they are joined by Helena Bottemiller Evich, founder of the publication Food Fix, to discuss the recent developments within the FDA and the issues surrounding Abbott's baby formula. First, Emma and Sam run through updates on Trump's pleading of the fifth for the 400th time, the AP African American course updates, Nikki Haley launching her run for the GOP nomination in 2024, Hochul siding with her corporate lobbyists once again, and the previous abuses of the cops that killed Tyre Nichols, before parsing through Biden's State Department's refusal to acknowledge the apartheid and oppression faced by Palestinian people. Raymond Jackson then joins as he dives into the context of ATU Local 689's strike as it reaches its third week, with Keolis taking over Loudoun Transit in 2021 and promptly cutting health benefits and forcing workers into outrageous workloads, all while serving the richest county in the US. After walking through the one-sided bargaining that has taken place in the wake of the takeover, Jackson discusses the other transit strikes inspired by Keolis's takeovers, before they wrap up the interview by exploring the various ways to support Local 689 both from Virginia and afar. Helena Bottemiller-Evich then dives into the recent announcement of a major reorganization of the FDA amidst intense scrutiny over their food management, tackling the baby-formula drama that put this issue front and center, and why, despite decades of dysfunction, this issue only just came to a breaking point. They discuss the impact of Donald Trump's takedown of the administrative state, and why it didn't impact the revolving door of drug-focused administrators, before taking a step back to look at the much greater issues that faced the FDA's actual attempts to regulate food, particularly in terms of its funding and relationship to the industry it supposedly regulates. Wrapping up, Helena, Sam, and Emma tackle the recent updates to FDA regulation, including taking heavy metals out of baby food, and how to bolster the US' ability to regulate the food industry. And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma discuss Donald Trump staking out his violently transphobic agenda, the major PACs that stand in line with him, Lindsay Graham's defense of supporting Trump despite his agenda being mirrored across the GOP, and Jonah from Montreal discusses Crowder's legacy in Canada. Chris from the Twin Cities dives into the dangers of increasing transphobic policy, Ben Shapiro wishes Black people would just comply with the Police's conflicting commands, Tony discusses the challenge of balancing means-tested social welfare with low-income budget changes, and H. Jon Benjamin has a heart to heart with Sam about the issues he brings to the Bob's Burgers studio, plus, your calls and IMs! Get more information on the ATU strike here: https://www.atulocal689.org/ Check out Food Fix here: https://foodfix.co/ Help the Rees family here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-baby-willy?s=09 Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Check out today's sponsors: LiquidIV: Cooler weather makes it easier to miss signs of dehydration like overheating or perspiration, which means it's even more important to keep your body properly hydrated. Liquid I.V. contains 5 essential vitamins—more Vitamin C than an orange and as much potassium as a banana. Healthier than sugary sports drinks, there are no artificial flavors or preservatives and less sugar than an apple. Grab your favorite Liquid I.V. flavors nationwide at Walmart or you can get 20% off when you go to https://www.liquid-iv.com/ and use code MAJORITYREP at checkout. That's 20% off ANYTHING you order when you get better hydration today using promo code MAJORITYREP at https://www.liquid-iv.com/. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattBinder @MattLech @BF1nn @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/ Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/

How is it that food — whether it's about health, safety, production or access — is such a low priority in Washington? Bradley sits down with Helena Bottemiller Evich, the founder and editor in chief of Food Fix, to talk about the blunders of the FDA, the fight over protein alternatives, and why there ought to be such a thing as a free lunch in American schools.

On this edition of GSN, Patti and Doug discuss the warming of the world's oceans due to climate change, how gas stoves are causing asthma in children, and how the world's investors are demanding that chemical companies stop producing PFAS. Then an in-depth conversation with food expert Helena Bottemiller Evich about the failure of the FDA to manage our food system. He acclaimed newsletter can be found at FoodFix.co.

On “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg,” Dani speaks to Helena Bottemiller Evich, a journalist and the Founder and Editor in Chief of Food Fix, a new online publication about food policy in Washington D.C. and beyond. They discuss editors' changing views on coverage of food and agriculture policy, universal free school meals, and where local governments are taking the lead on food systems issues.    While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.

Earlier this summer, TikTok users started describing strange symptoms after eating French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, a new product from the vegan food company Daily Harvest. The company received hundreds of reports of illness, and in June, it recalled the product. The Daily Harvest fiasco got special attention because people were reporting their problems on social media, but foodborne illness is far from unusual in the United States. Every year, millions of Americans get sick from something they ate. On episode 52 of The Politics of Everything, Laura Marsh and Alex Pareene talk with New York Times writer Madison Malone Kircher and Helena Bottemiller Evich, the author of the food policy newsletter Food Fix, about what exactly happened in the Daily Harvest scandal and why food poisoning is so common in this country.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helena Bottemiller Evich, founder and editor in chief of Food Fix, which has rapidly become one of the go-to premium newsletters for anyone and everyone with a stake in food policy, from White House Staffers to famous chefs. Previously, she led coverage of food and agriculture issues at POLITICO for nearly a decade, winning numerous awards for her work, including a George Polk Award for a series on climate change and two James Beard Awards for features on nutrition and science. In 2022, she was a James Beard Award finalist for a deep dive on diet-related diseases and Covid-19.Before launching POLITICO's food policy coverage in 2013, Helena was the Washington correspondent for Food Safety News, where she covered deadly foodborne illness outbreaks and the run-up to Congress passing the most significant update to food safety law in a century.Born and raised in Washington state, Helena attended Claremont McKenna College, where she studied government. She now lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, toddler and tabby cat. Have a green jobs question for Yesh? Send it to her on Twitter @yeshsays. Use the hashtag #askyesh. Job hunting? Visit our comprehensive Green Jobs Hub for job listings, networking resources, skills and certification information and more.Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on green careers, upcoming episodes and more.  ResourcesSee Helena accept the prestigious George Polk Award for her year-long series exposing the USDA for suppressing its own research on climate change. “The stories examined how the Trump administration failed to promote its own research about the dangers of climate change; devoted a minuscule portion of its budget to climate adaptation; buried a study warning of lost nutrients in rice, the leading source of nutrition for 600 million people; and led farmers to feel frustrated by the lack of government help in tackling climate-related problems.”— PoliticoI'm standing here in the middle of climate change: How the USDA is failing farmers, Helena Bottemiller Evich, Politico, 10/15/2019What the Inflation Reduction Act means for food policy, Food Fix, 8/9/22Dr. Ayana Johnson's TED Talk: How to find joy in climate action Book Giveaway To win a copy of Speed & Scale, rate and review Degrees: Real talk about planet-saving careers on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or  Spotify. Take a screenshot of your review and share it with us on Instagram @environmental_defense_fund. Use the hashtag #DegreesPodcast. We're giving away up to five books per episode! Who makes Degrees?Yesh Pavlik Slenk is Degrees' host. Amy Morse is our producer. Podcast Allies is our production company. Tressa Versteeg is senior producer; Rye Taylor is our audio engineer; Elaine Grant is CEO of Podcast Allies and Tina Bassir is project manager. Our music is Shame, Shame, Shame from Yesh's favorite band, Lake Street Dive. Degrees: Real talk about planet-saving careers is presented by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). How to find YeshFollow Yesh on Twitter at @yeshsays, and stay up to date with us on Instagram @environmental_defense_fund. Share Degrees:TwitterFacebookLinkedInWebsite — Degrees: Real talk about planet-saving careers

I'm excited to have long-time food and agricultural law reporter, Helena Bottemiller Evich, join me to chat about the recent White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.  Helena gives us the rundown on what happened at the conference and highlights some of the key food policy issues to watch in 2023. Contact Info for Helena Email:  info@foodfix.co Food Fix newsletter Links to Topics Mentioned on the Show American Agricultural Law Association Food Fix White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health  Biden-Harris Administration National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health

Earlier this summer, TikTok users started describing strange symptoms after eating French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, a new product from the vegan food company Daily Harvest. The company received hundreds of reports of illness, and in June, it recalled the product. The Daily Harvest fiasco got special attention because people were reporting their problems on social media, but foodborne illness is far from unusual in the United States. Every year, millions of Americans get sick from something they ate. On episode 52 of The Politics of Everything, Laura Marsh and Alex Pareene talk with New York Times writer Madison Malone Kircher and Helena Bottemiller Evich, the author of the food policy newsletter Food Fix, about what exactly happened in the Daily Harvest scandal and why food poisoning is so common in this country.  Today's episode is supported by GiveDirectly, a nonprofit that lets you give money directly to people living in extreme poverty to invest in what they need most. Visit givedirectly.org/tnr to send money to someone in need and your donation will be matched up to $500. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Food insecurity and nutrition are major concerns for people around the world and in the United States. In fact, ‘sometime' in September, The White House will hold a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. This is the first time a conference like this will be held in the US since 1969, but with few details coming out, the question is, what will this conference actually cover? And how will it impact the quality of life for American families? Today, Boyd is joined by an award-winning reporter and founder of FoodFix.co, Helena Bottemiller Evich to hopefully answer those questions and give us a guide for the upcoming White House Food Conference.  ‘Inside Sources with Boyd Matheson,' former opinion editor at Deseret News, takes you inside the latest political news and current events, providing higher ground for today's discussions. Listen live Monday through Friday from 1 to 3 pm at 1160 AM and 102.7 FM, online at KSLNewsradio.com, or on the app. Listen on-demand as a podcast on your favorite platform or web browser. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four months after a nationwide recall of baby formula, this crucial food remains widely out of stock--and parents remain desperate. In this episode we talk to Katie Kennedy, a mom who drove 800 miles to buy the specialty formula her daughter needs to survive, and to Helena Bottemiller Evich, who did the most definitive reporting into how the crisis occurred–and how it might be resolved. The interviews are both heart-wrenching and sadly instructive on how America treats mothers and children. (Helena, formerly a star reporter at Politico, will soon be launching a food policy newsletter. Sign up for information about the launch here.) 

After retiring from sailing a barge down the Thames River, Gerald Stratford took a different route than most septuagenarians — becoming a Twitter sensation while imparting his gardening prowess. Ali Slagle eschews mise en place and incorporates prep into her recipes for perfectly low-effort meals. Tejal Rao tracks down the artisans creating the plastic food models displayed in the windows of Japanese restaurants. Helena Bottemiller Evich reports on the baby formula shortage and the precursors leading to national panic. Finally, cherry season is short, but it's happening now at the farmer's market.

Food and Travel Nation with Elizabeth Dougherty Broadcast Date:  5/21/22 Only in Washington DC, can a single issue like "food safety" get all messed up. Over the past 150 years, congress has placed the responsibility of food supply and food safety in the hands of no less than three cabinet Level departments, and a big handful of unelected, often unqualified bureaucratic agencies. The USDA, the FDA and EPA all monitor, regulate and track various aspects of the food supply and food safety in America. Within the USDA, you'll find the Food Safety Inspection Service, charged with ensuring that the supply of food products like meat, poultry and egg products are safe. Meanwhile over at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration's mission statement claims that THEY are responsible for safety of our nation's food supply. The EPA says IT is responsible to protect public health by regulating the use fertilizers and pesticides on animals and food crops.   With all that tracking, regulating and monitoring, the food supply and food safety in the United States, SHOULD be the envy of the world... but as we've seen with the on-going food shortages in the grocery stores, food recalls because of various different contaminations, and now the latest nightmare, the baby formula debacle, clearly government isn't the solution, government is part of the problem!   Writer Helena Bottemiller Evich of Politico, raised concerns that FOOD is NOT a high priority at the Food and Drug Administration. Her report, "The FDA's Food Failure" explains the FDA has structural and leadership problems in the food division and often allows the food industry to monitor itself while it focuses on drugs. In fact, FDA Director Robert Califf's response this week to the Baby Formula issue, was to appoint another insider, his predecessor, the former acting director of the FDA, Janet Woodcock, who came from the "drug side" of the FDA to head up the government's investigation and create an action plan. Obviously, food ISN'T a high priority at the FDA... and we... as consumers, are paying the price. Elizabeth Dougherty spoke with Helena Bottemiller Evich about her story and food safety issues... here are highlights of that conversation... the entire interview can be found at Food and Travel Nation dot com. Once again, here's Elizabeth. website:  FoodAndTravelNation.com email:  Elizabeth@FoodAndTravelNation.com text: (321) 877-9898

Helena Bottemiller Evich, senior food and agriculture reporter at Politico, joins to discuss what's behind the nationwide shortage of baby formula and how Congress is responding.

#229: In recent months, there has been a downpour of information that has been released in regards to the current formula recall which has resulted in a considerable amount of formula shortages. In this episode, I am joined by researcher and writer Helena Bottemiller Evich who is the senior food and agriculture reporter at Politico and has followed closely on the topic. Helena is here to provide us with a look behind the unfortunate shortage of formula and the hard times that many parents are facing while trying to feed their formula-fed babies.     Get your copy of the 100 FIRST FOODS list on Katie's free BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS workshop: https://babyledweaning.co/workshop   Follow @babyledweanteam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/babyledweanteam/   Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/229   Learn something you liked in this episode? Would you kindly subscribe, rate and review where you're seeing this? (...it really helps other parents find this BLW info too!)

#229: In recent months, there has been a downpour of information that has been released in regards to the current formula recall which has resulted in a considerable amount of formula shortages. In this episode, I am joined by researcher and writer Helena Bottemiller Evich who is the senior food and agriculture reporter at Politico and has followed closely on the topic. Helena is here to provide us with a look behind the unfortunate shortage of formula and the hard times that many parents are facing while trying to feed their formula-fed babies. Get your copy of the 100 FIRST FOODS list on Katie's free BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS workshop: https://babyledweaning.co/workshop?utm_source=Shownotes&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Episode%20Link Follow @babyledweanteam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/babyledweanteam/   Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/229   Learn something you liked in this episode? Would you kindly subscribe, rate and review where you're seeing this? (...it really helps other parents find this BLW info too!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investigative reporter Helena Bottemiller-Evich digs deep into the many ways the FDA, supposedly monitoring our food supply, abjectly fails to adequately monitor and regulate basic products like baby formula, the water used to process vegetables and fruits, and forever chemicals in food packaging. Every year more than 128,000 people are made sick from food-borne illnesses, while over 3000 people die. The US lags far behind other developed nations in maintaining a safe, inspected food supply.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support What Doesn't Kill You by becoming a member!What Doesn't Kill You is Powered by Simplecast.

Investigative reporter Helena Bottemiller-Evich digs deep into the many ways the FDA, supposedly monitoring our food supply, abjectly fails to adequately monitor and regulate basic products like baby formula, the water used to process vegetables and fruits, and forever chemicals in food packaging. Every year more than 128,000 people are made sick from food-borne illnesses, while over 3000 people die. The US lags far behind other developed nations in maintaining a safe, inspected food supply.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support What Doesn't Kill You by becoming a member!What Doesn't Kill You is Powered by Simplecast.

Helena Bottemiller Evich, senior food and agriculture reporter at Politico, joins to discuss what's behind the nationwide shortage of baby formula and how parents can seek help.

Helena Bottemiller Evich of Politico explains the baby formula shortage.

By Sean MoloughneyEditorIn this podcast I talked to Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) about the Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022 and the regulation of dietary supplements more broadly. In April, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced Senate Bill 4090, which would require dietary supplement manufacturers to submit information about their products with the FDA prior to bringing new products to market. Mandatory product listing has been debated and discussed for years and there is disagreement on this approach within the industry. AHPA opposes S. 4090, arguing it would create “unnecessary, significant, and redundant burdens on industry.” However, McGuffin noted willingness to modernize current regulation and offers his thoughts on a range of critical issues related to benefiting consumers and minimizing burdens on businesses. You can offer feedback and ideas by emailing us at nutraceuticals@rodmanmedia.comRelevant links, resources and mentionsIntroduction of the Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022 Senate Bill 4090 Text American Herbal Products Association"The FDA's Food Failure," by Helena Bottemiller Evich"It's Time to Fix FDA by Breaking It Up," by Michael Taylor 

The Food and Drug Administration is supposed to put safety standards in place and investigate and respond to outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. But a recent investigation from Politico titled “The FDA's Food Failure,” revealed significant structural leadership issues and found that the food arm of the agency – the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition – has repeatedly failed to create regulations or respond in a timely manner to a wide range of food safety, health, and nutrition issues. We speak with the reporter who worked on that investigation, Helena Bottemiller Evich, Senior food and agricultural reporter for Politico. Here's a comment from the FDA from an FDA spokesperson:  The FDA has accomplished a tremendous amount in the last 10 years to make the American food supply as safe as it's ever been. At the FDA we are harnessing new technology, data management, and strategies to improve our ability to identify and interdict unsafe food products to build a New Era of Smarter Food Safety. By advancing our scientific capabilities to detect pathogens and other contaminants, we are now detecting more outbreaks and we are making real progress on reducing toxic elements in the food supply. On April 27, 2022 we issued draft guidance to industry to help reduce the levels of lead in juices—which is good for everyone, but in particular young children, and as part of our Closer to Zero action plan, we expect to issue additional guidance on lead action levels for foods commonly eaten by babies and young children later this year.  

The Food and Drug Administration is supposed to put safety standards in place and investigate and respond to outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. But a recent investigation from Politico titled “The FDA's Food Failure,” revealed significant structural leadership issues and found that the food arm of the agency – the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition – has repeatedly failed to create regulations or respond in a timely manner to a wide range of food safety, health, and nutrition issues. We speak with the reporter who worked on that investigation, Helena Bottemiller Evich, Senior food and agricultural reporter for Politico. Here's a comment from the FDA from an FDA spokesperson:  The FDA has accomplished a tremendous amount in the last 10 years to make the American food supply as safe as it's ever been. At the FDA we are harnessing new technology, data management, and strategies to improve our ability to identify and interdict unsafe food products to build a New Era of Smarter Food Safety. By advancing our scientific capabilities to detect pathogens and other contaminants, we are now detecting more outbreaks and we are making real progress on reducing toxic elements in the food supply. On April 27, 2022 we issued draft guidance to industry to help reduce the levels of lead in juices—which is good for everyone, but in particular young children, and as part of our Closer to Zero action plan, we expect to issue additional guidance on lead action levels for foods commonly eaten by babies and young children later this year.  

4/26/22 - Helena Bottemiller Evich by The Lisa Wexler Show

Lisa talks with Politico writer Helena Bottemiller Evich about her finding on the inner workings of the FDA. Why are there still heavy metals in baby food? Photo: iStock / Getty Images Plus Ildo Frazao

A POLITICO investigation based on more than 50 interviews finds the FDA is failing to meet American consumers' expectations on food safety and nutrition. POLITICO's Helena Bottemiller Evich reports on the agency's structural flaws and the risks posed to Americans.

The FDA first received a report of a foodborne illness suspected to be linked to infant formula in September, four months before issuing a sweeping recall of three major brands after four babies were hospitalized and one died. When the FDA initiated an inspection of an Abbot facility making formula (after the death?), inspectors found Cronobacter sakazakii, a rare but serious foodborne pathogen that can cause life-threatening infections. Helena Bottemiller Evich reports.

The FDA first received reports of a foodborne illness suspected to be linked to infant formula back in September 2021. Last week, it issued a sweeping recall of three major brands after four babies were hospitalized and one died. Helena Bottemiller Evich reports.

Obesity, hypertension, diabetes and other underlying conditions have a big impact on Covid-19 health outcomes. Maybe addressing them now will ease the next pandemic? Politico senior food and agriculture reporter Helena Bottemiller Evich joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the lack of political will to confront diseases related to diet, and why that's hindering the pandemic response. Her recent article is headlined “Diet-related diseases pose a major risk for Covid-19. But the U.S. overlooks them.”

Obesity is a significant risk factor for Covid. That's galvanized other countries to confront diet issues. But not the U.S. POLITICO's Helena Bottemiller Evich reports. Plus, the G20 agrees to take action to limit global warming. And the Biden administration will ease tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union. Helena Bottemiller Evich is a is a senior food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO. Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio. Read more: The U.S.-China COP26 cliffhanger

As Covid destroyed the economy, the percentage of American households facing food insecurity remained stagnant — likely due to unprecedented government spending. POLITICO's Helena Bottemiller Evich explains how pandemic programs could provide a path for ending hunger in the U.S. Plus, a Florida judge blocks DeSantis' attempt to halt a mask mandate ruling. And Obama stars in Newsom ads ahead of the California recall election. Helena Bottemiller Evich is a senior food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO. Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio. Read more from POLITICO's Recovery Lab series.

Covid wrecked the economy and sent unemployment skyrocketing. But poverty went down, and the percentage of households facing food insecurity remained stagnant. POLITICO's Helena Bottemiller Evich explains how ambitious spending plans gave some Americans a lifeline. Helena Bottemiller Evich is a senior food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO. Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio. Read more from POLITICO's Recovery Lab series.

This week we uncovered shocking information about farm bailouts and the suffering of migrant workers. Catch us on the radio Mondays at 7est on 90.7fm WKPS https://www.thelion.fm/You can send your thoughts to jigsawpoliticspod@gmail.com or connect with us on social media @Jigsawpolitics or on the web https://jppodcast.wixsite.com/jigsawpolitics Music by Joakim Karud https://youtube.com/joakimkarud JIGSAW POLITICS MERCH OUT NOW https://teespring.com/stores/jigsaw-politics-podcastSOURCES:"Biggest trade bailout payments went to Southern farms, GAO finds" by Ryan McCrimmonhttps://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/16/biggest-trade-bailout-payments-went-to-southern-farms-gao-finds-416406"Harvest of shame: Farmworkers face coronavirus disaster" by HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH, XIMENA BUSTILLO and LIZ CRAMPTONhttps://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/08/farmworkers-coronavirus-disaster-409339"USDA Market Facilitation Program: Information on Payments for 2019" by U.S Government Accountability Office. https://www.gao.gov/assets/710/708942.pdf"Small-Business Loans: Strip Clubs, Marijuana Stores Need Not Apply" by Bob Davis https://www.wsj.com/articles/small-business-loans-strip-clubs-cannabis-shops-need-not-apply-11587573925"5 Impacts Of COVID-19 On Cannabis Industry" by Lisa Day https://www.anchoragepress.com/weed/5-impacts-of-covid-19-on-cannabis-industry/article_ed6eb870-d667-11ea-8798-9b75736b8aa3.html"House overwhelmingly passes bipartisan spending deal to avert government shutdown" Erica Werner https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/09/22/congress-white-house-shutdown-stimulus/"Farmers Get Billions in Virus Aid, and Democrats Are Wary" by Sharon LaFranierehttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/07/us/politics/virus-trump-aid-farmers.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article"COVID-19 likely spreading from people to animals and vise versa" by Mary Van Beusekom https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/09/covid-19-likely-spreading-people-animals-and-vice-versa"In one Michigan county, almost half the COVID-19 cases are tied to farm outbreaks" Angie Jackson and Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, and Georgia Gee, Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism, Columbia Journalism Schoolhttps://www.freep.com/in-depth/news/local/michigan/2020/09/22/migrant-farmworkers-covid-michigan/5793517002/"Oregon farm workers experience broad COVID-19 pressures, new study reveals" by Emily Teel https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2020/09/22/study-shows-oregon-farm-workers-experience-covid-19-vulnerability/5854369002/

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a surge in families considered food insecure — and that’s true across demographic groups. But for Black and Hispanic families, the numbers are unprecedented. POLITICO’s Helena Bottemiller Evich breaks down how the pandemic has intensified pre-existing disparities. Plus, Trump says he’ll pressure schools to reopen. And the US is formally withdrawing from the WHO. Helena Bottemiller Evich is a senior food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO. Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Read more: Stark racial disparities emerge as families struggle to get enough food

There's no work from home for the more than 2 million farmworkers in the US who have been deemed "essential" during the coronavirus pandemic. But with packed transportation to the fields and crammed living quarters, many of them are facing conditions similar to before the crisis, putting them at risk of exposure to the virus. POLITICO's Helena Bottemiller Evich explains the "unprecedented" anxiety among agriculture workers. Plus, the White House fights an outbreak of its own. And Georgia's AG calls for a federal probe of the Ahmaud Arbery case. Helena Bottemiller Evich is a senior food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO. Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.

American farmers are destroying their crops while demand is mounting at food banks. Politico food and agriculture reporter Helena Bottemiller Evich explains. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will 2019 be a year without the USDA? Lindsey speaks with Andrew Barsness, a young grain farmer in Minnesota, and Helena Bottemiller Evich, a senior food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO Pro, about the government shutdown and its impacts on food and agriculture. Text ACTION to 40649 now to join our activist network and to let your Representatives know that young farmers need USDA agencies up and running ASAP. Helena Bottemiller Evich Andrew Barsness - Heart and Grain

As people head to the polls to vote on new members for the House and Senate, many are also voting on various statewide ballot initiatives. Two states in particular are being watched closely, Oregon and Washington. There people will decide whether or not to increase taxes on soda and sugary drinks. What most people don't know is that Coca Cola, Pepsi Co, and other American beverage companies are largely financing the initiatives and they are being pitched as a tax on affordable groceries. Helena Bottemiller Evich, food and agriculture reporter for Politico joins me for the new tactic in fighting soda taxes, sweeping statewide ballot measures. Next, as the migrant caravan continues to make its way to the United States, a new focus is being put on the countries they are coming from. Many migrants are fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries, but what exactly is going on there? There is a new breed of gang taking over there, ones that are preying on their own neighborhoods. Gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18 are extorting local neighborhoods with protection schemes, gone are the days of the cartel and the kingpin. Robbie Whelan, correspondent for the WSJ, joins us to talk about how gangs have taken over El Salvador so much, that they could be the largest employers they hiring as many as 60,000 people. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The Farm Bill – the primary legislation passed by Congress that sets national nutrition, agriculture and conservation policy – officially expired on October 1st, with no new legislation to take it's place. So, what now? Helena Bottemiller Evich, Senior Food & Ag Reporter at Politico Pro, joins host Jenna Liut to discuss the status of the current bill, the repercussions for our domestic food system, and where we go from here. Powered by Simplecast https://simplecast.com [1]https://www.politico.com/staff/helena-bottemiller-evich [2]https://www.linkedin.com/in/helena-bottemiller-evich-33462a15 [3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_farm_bill

Politico's senior food and agriculture reporter Helena Bottemiller Evich joins OSTX's Jay Leeson to explain how the U.S. House version of the Farm Bill failed on first attempt, why the Republican Freedom Caucus aligned with Democrats to defeat it, and what's we can expect going forward.

Stephen Witmer a professor, author and pastor in rural America discusses the importance of rural ministry and his mission to aim rural ministers. Politico’s senior agriculture and food reporter Helena Bottemiller Evich explains how the strange bed fellows of U.S. House Democrats and Freedom Caucus led to the failure of the proposed Farm Bill. And Leeson takes some time to talk about how Tomi Lahren is cashing in on the country.

What happens when the agriculture industry stays male-dominated? Will first lady Melania Trump continue Michelle Obama's legacy on healthy eating? In this food-themed post-Thanksgiving episode, POLITICO agriculture reporters Helena Bottemiller Evich, Jenny Hopkinson, and Catherine Boudreau sit down with Carrie Budoff Brown to discuss the latest in food and farm policies.

Veteran agricultural reporter Helena Bottemiller Evich delves into an obscure but highly impactful aspect of climate change; the loss of nutrients from plant life. As temperatures rise, the nutritional content of the plants we eat including staples such as rice or wheat are declining in proteins and minerals. This could have devastating consequences for human health in future decades particularly as the planet continues to warm. Scientists are only now beginning to investigate this troubling trend, and certainly not fast enough to evolve new plant varieties in time to stave off the worst effects. What Doesn't Kill You is powered by Simplecast

Veteran agricultural reporter Helena Bottemiller Evich delves into an obscure but highly impactful aspect of climate change; the loss of nutrients from plant life. As temperatures rise, the nutritional content of the plants we eat including staples such as rice or wheat are declining in proteins and minerals. This could have devastating consequences for human health in future decades particularly as the planet continues to warm. Scientists are only now beginning to investigate this troubling trend, and certainly not fast enough to evolve new plant varieties in time to stave off the worst effects. What Doesn't Kill You is powered by Simplecast

What’s going to happen if I get hurt or sick? That’s what many people are asking themselves as the Trump administration attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. But a group you don't often hear from on this issue is farmers—and they are very worried about how they’ll be able to afford to take care of themselves. That’s bad news for the future of the nation’s farms—and eaters. On today’s episode, Politico food and agriculture reporter Helena Bottemiller Evich explains why. Then, Splendid Table podcast host Francis Lam gives Tom a brilliant idea for what to do with summer tomato surplus.

Show host Paul talks to Helena Bottemiller Evich, senior food and agriculture reporter for "POLITICO" about the future of food. The two discuss current food trends revolving around improving nutrition and lessening the environmental impact while addressing Tyson's new venture capital fund and other companies making a difference like Seed 2 Growth and Beyond Meat.   Show Notes 1:19 - Foodable.io 5:14 - Tyson Launches New Venture Capital Fund 6:32 - 5% Stake in Beyond Meat 6:33 - Beyond Meat 7:38 - TechCrunch Article about Tyson' VC fund 11:25 - The Catering Institute 12:14 - Seed 2 Growth - S2G Ventures 14:54 - Expo West and Expo East 17:44 - Cultivian Sandbox Follow Helena on Twitter: @hbottemiller Subscribe to Politico's Daily Agriculture and Food Newsletter

Host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet are joined by Helena Bottemiller Evich from “Morning Agriculture,” Politico's daily briefing on agriculture and food policy, to discuss the biggest food policy stories from 2016 as well as what lies ahead for 2017 and beyond in our new political era.

Bill Press welcomes Elias Isquith, Helena Bottemiller Evich, Ben Geman, Jimmy Williams, & Joe Cirincione to discuss Keith Ellison's campaign for DNC chair, how rural voters helped Trump win, the future of the GOP, whether Bernie could've beaten Trump, & Trump's lack of plans for defeating ISIS - all the big highlights from this Monday edition of the Bill Press Show!

_ Eating Matters _ is back for it’s 4th season as hosts Kim Kessler and Jenna Liut welcome Helena Bottemiller Evich and Chuck Abbott to recap the biggest stories in food policy that broke in 2015.  Helena is a senior food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO Pro while Chuck is a Contributing Editor at the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Between the genetically modified salmon dubbed ‘frankenfish’ to the Food Safety Modernization Act to the WHO labeling processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, both guests relay that this has been quite a newsworthy year!  Tune in to catch up on the headliners you may have missed! “The Campbell’s decision to be for mandatory GMO labeling is putting the pressure on other companies to figure this out.” [29:00] –Helena Bottemiller Evich on Eating Matters