From 2017 on, all cigarette packs in my host-country France have to be sold in the format of the so-called “neutral pack.” This implies that the pack will have the brand name in a neutral font, a colourless pack, and even bigger warning labels and shocking pictures of tobacco-derived diseases. This government measure mostly intends […]
The test carried out last April by Stiftung Warentest, the largest and most recognized consumer association in Germany, on 21 hazelnut creams has produced interesting results. The research has been structured with different indicators: taste, levels of potentially harmful substances, nutritional and physiological abilities, packaging and labeling. Among the creams examined there is also Nutella, which contains […]
A recent report of the joint venture between the FAO and the WHO has reviewed recent experiments and literature on contaminants in food. Regarding the presence of the 3-MCPD contaminant, chloropropandiol, which would be formed during the processing of vegetable oils and fats at temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius, the Examining Commission notes that: “The […]
Several doctors, on the basis of numerous systematic reviews of empirical and prospective studies, have called for a revaluation regarding the guidelines on diet models. The purpose is to re-evaluate the effects of saturated fats for health. In recent years, in fact, public health has concentrated its efforts on the elimination of trans fats from […]
Flashy BMW cars, a pristine villa in downtown Geneva, United Nations diplomatic credentials, and close to 2.2 million EUR in profit: welcome to the lucrative life of a UN cigarette smuggler. In August, two employees of the diplomatic mission of Iraq to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland were accused of abusing their diplomatic status […]
Scientific literature does not mention the existence of specific components of palm oil capable of causing adverse health effects, but leads them to the high content of saturated fatty acids in palm oil compared to other food ingredients. Therefore, it was decided to propose in this opinion an exposure assessment comparing the contribution of palm […]
The role of saturated fatty acids in determining an increase in coronary risk has been reduced. In recent years, by a series of evidences, and in particular by a meta-analysis that has not found any association between their consumption and the probability of incurring a heart attack or a cerebral stroke. The consumption of saturated […]
A 2013 review conducted by Italian scientists Fattore and Fanelli seems to resize the negative role of palm oil (and palmitic acid), especially by virtue of the compensatory presence of other fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic. Click here for the full study!
For over fifty years, saturated fats have been considered unhealthy due to their strong relationship with cardiovascular risks. The meta-analysis of Chowdhury et al. contests what for years has seemed an irrefutable cornerstone of healthy eating, arguing that most of the evidence supporting the penalization of saturated fats is based on observational data, mostly derived […]