Pregnancy and Related Potential Health Risks

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This can be readily witnessed from the tons of studies conducted on conception, fetus development and delivery infants. While most of them have been observatory in nature a few have explored ways to improve the chances of fetuses developing into healthy infants that can lead to a full life.

During conception potential mothers are frequently advised on appropriate diet, daily routine, emotional well being and contact with certain substances. Diet is generally considered very important because when child bearers fail to get adequate balanced nourishment they increase their health risk along with that of the fetus. In fact consumption of certain foods and beverage products like fast food products is highly discouraged during pregnancy. This is because drinking caffeinated or carbonated beverages plus calorie rich meals with plenty of sugar, salt, fat and species is harmful to both baby and mother. It increases the risk of cardiovascular disorders such as high blood pressure along with lethal sugar levels.

Other harmful substances that increase risks in pregnancy include alcoholic beverages and use of narcotics. Alcohol consumption is linked to premature births or under weight babies. It can also lead to birth of babies with alcohol withdrawal syndrome that can result in premature loose of life if not taken care of in time. Besides this, there are some cases whereby pregnant women lose their life due to miscarriage resulting from alcohol related complications. Tobacco smoking on the other hand affects the oxygen supply required for a fetus to develop well. This can result to delivery of offspring with some underdeveloped organs.

Meanwhile, consumption of drugs whether over the counter, prescription or illegal narcotics is among the most studied risks area in pregnancy. This is because the various synthetic and even natural compounds in them can cause genetic mutation. This can cause an increase the risks for miscarriage, abnormal births, infant organ failures and sudden infant death syndrome. Illegal narcotic substances area also known to cause infants to be either underdeveloped or have high tolerance to hard drugs.

Everything You Need To Know About Organic Food And Why You Should Stop Buying Inorganic Food

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The term “organic” has been in the limelight recently and a lot of “organic” products have been appearing on grocery store shelves across North America. However, humans have been farming and eating “organically” throughout our evolutionary history. It was only during the 20th century where farmers were hard pressed to supply food for a rapidly growing human population. The 20th century was the start of the industrial revolution and marked a paradigm shift in how business would be done. The goals of all titans of industry were to deliver as many products to the consumer at the most efficient low cost way possible while contributing heavily to a companies bottom line. This notion carried over to the agriculture sector and farmers and companies were trying to find a way to produce more for less. This resulted in science being manipulated to grow food. Synthetic chemicals were used to increase the production and shelf life of food to meet the growing demand of consumers. This involved the use of various chemicals, synthetic fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics, genetically engineered organisms, irradiation, and nanotechnology being manipulated to mimic nature. However, with the onset of diseases, it is very clear that the synthetic trade off does not make economic sense in the grand scheme of things. This article will demystify what organic foods are and why we should all make the switch.

Organic vs. Natural: “Organic” and “natural” are sometimes used interchangeably; however their literal meaning and regulation are quite different. Organic foods are produced without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics – they are usually grown using renewable resources. Instead of chemical fertilizers, organic farmers use insects called “beneficial insects” as a method of pest control. In dairy, organic means that no antibiotics or hormones were given to cows the land is used for grazing and the feed has been certified. The feed also cannot contain animal byproducts. In fashion, organic clothing means that the materials are raised or grown in compliance with organic agricultural standards. When a product is labeled “organic” it is normally followed by a seal of certification normally issued by third party government agencies such as USDA. Needless to say, true “organic” products are highly regulated and the companies that sell these types of products usually offer complete disclosure and transparency.

“Natural” products, on the other hand, are products that are made from substances found in nature but the products themselves are not regulated. A product can be considered “natural” even if it is prepared synthetically like in a laboratory. Any product derived from plants, animals or elements found on earth can earn the “natural” label. In the food industry today, there is no official definition of “natural.” A food labeled “natural” may contain pesticides, herbicides, toxic heavy metals, P.C.B.’s, fluorides, MSG, high-temperature cooking by products, synthetic chemical vitamins, and other unnatural substances. Consumers should be weary of products labeled “natural” and the companies who manufacture them. Sometimes, however, companies temporarily label their products as “natural” while they wait to obtain the organic seal.

Why organic food is better: Organic food is a better choice than inorganic food for numerous reasons, most importantly for human health. First off, organic food is richer in essential vitamins and minerals. Consumers would need to eat a lot more inorganic food to even come close to the nutritional content of an organic food item. The reason for this has to do with how organic and inorganic items are farmed and the type of minerals the plants are absorbing. Minerals are elements that originate in the soil and cannot be created by living things. Plants absorb minerals from the soil, and animals get their minerals from the plants or other animals they consume. Most of the minerals in our diets come directly from plants, such as fruits and vegetables, or indirectly from animal sources. Inorganic food farming is practice on large commercial scale and normally involves the use of synthetic fertilizers that contain minerals such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. These are the main minerals that a plant needs to survive and thrive and the ones found in most commercial fertilizers. With these three minerals, plants look better and the fruit lasts longer. However, unlike plants, humans and animals need a lot of other minerals in order to live healthy. Organic farmers use non-commercial fertilizers such as mineral rich chicken and cow manure mixed in with compost. This so called “green maturing” practice is more sustainable and results in a more nutritional plant.

Where to buy organic food: Aside from niche supermarkets and farmer markets, the best place to find certified organic products would be over the internet. Most independent organic food vendors have a website set up where they showcase their organic food and dairy products. However, unless you know exactly what and who you are looking for, most consumers will rarely find a shop that is truly “certified organic”. To save time, a great alternative would be to visit the largest vendor driven eco marketplace on the internet called eco3p.com. eco3P strives to consolidate all eco friendly, organic, fair trade, vegan, and related vendors onto one easy to use marketplace. Vendors set up shop and tell the story behind who they are and the type of products that they sell. The “3P’s” stand for “people, planet, and profitshare” as the company shares a portion of their proceeds to help various environmental causes and conserve rainforest.

Conclusion: As you can see, organic food is the most prudent choice. Although organic products are more expensive on a nominal basis, they are also more nutritious and contain more vitamins and minerals that your body needs. The intangible savings of going organic are manifold – you will actually consume less since you are getting a more nutritious fulfilling product, you do not need to compliment your diet with vitamins, and eating healthy means less time spent in bed being sick while ingesting costly medications. Simply look for the USDA certified organic seal and keep an eye out for where the products are made. Remember that in order to be certified organic, products must be grown and manufactured in a manner that adheres to standards set by the country they are sold in. Only a few countries (Australia, Canada, Sweden, U.K., Norway, India, Japan, and the USA) currently have policies in place that producers must adhere to in order to get the certified organic seal. Recently, in many food shops such as Whole Foods, organic products have been coming from China, a country notorious for loose policies and poor environmental standards.

Product Recall Insurance – A Guide for Small and Mid-Sized Food and Beverage Companies

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All companies operating within the food and beverage industry, whether multinational in scale or independent local growers or food and beverage processors, are under constant risk of severe financial loss due to product contamination. This article provides some practical information about the risks, the heightened regulatory involvement, how traditional insurance may apply, a brief peek on what to expect in the event of a recall and options for effective protection through the utilization of Product Contamination & Recall insurance.

Two Key Areas of Focus

· How to transfer the financial risk of product contamination and product recall, and

· The critical necessity of integrating the insurance claim process within the recall event.

A One-Week Food Recall Snapshot

A snapshot of the U.S. Federal Food Safety website over a recent seven day span reveals food product recalls involving: Salmonella contaminated raw frozen fish, undeclared milk allergens in a Taco dinner product, Listeria contamination of pizza products, undeclared egg allergens in a sausage product, Listeria contamination of deli-sandwiches, mislabeling of a frozen pasta product, undeclared Sulfite allergens contained in a fruit preserve, undeclared peanut allergens in an almond snack, and of course, potential Salmonella contamination of fresh vegetable packaged salads. Most of these recalls affected independent private businesses and illustrate the vulnerability of all food and beverage businesses.

The Implications of the Food Safety Modernization Act (“FSMA”)

The potential effects of the FSMA with its passage into law on January 4, 2011, suggest that we can expect to realize more product recalls. Here are some key points to consider:

Enhanced Record Keeping & Full Access by FDA
Food producers are required to maintain detailed records of food safety and security protocols, including manufacturing, packaging, and distribution process of every food product for a minimum period of two years.

Registration, Inspection & Rejection of Imports
Food facilities must be registered,

Imports will be rejected when a foreign facility refuses inspection,

Increased inspections of U.S. and foreign food facilities

FDA Authorized to Mandate a Product Recall
The FDA’s authority to effectuate a unilateral product recall product was previously limited to baby formula and could only previously recommend a product recall. Under the FSMA the FDA can unilaterally order a product recall.

Whistleblower Protection
The FSMA provides protection to employees reporting regulatory violations.

The fact that the FDA can now unilaterally order product recalls and the codification of the protection afforded to employees reporting violations signals the need for heightened urgency on the part of the food and beverage industry enterprises to ensure that they are adequately protected against the devastating financial and reputational consequences caused by a product recall event.

How Can a Food or Beverage Enterprise Protect Itself?

Business Insurance 101

Every business owner has a varying degree of familiarity with a Business Owner’s Insurance Policy (“BOP”) which provides most smaller enterprises with two main forms of coverage: Commercial General Liability, Business Property, as well as a host of other ancillary coverage ranging from Business Automobile to Data Privacy Breach coverage. Some BOP policies also contain limited Employment Practices Liability and limited Employee Dishonesty coverage.

Unfortunately, many independent companies operating in this industry are operating under the misconception that their basic commercial insurance coverage will provide protection in the event of a product recall. Nothing could be further from the truth.

How Would a Commercial General Liability (CGL) Policy Respond?

For the limited purposes of this discussion, a CGL policy will provide defense and indemnification for claims of policy-defined “Bodily Injury or “Property Damage” brought by third-parties against the policyholder. Coverage under these policies is typically triggered by an “Occurrence” which is further defined as an “Accident.” CGL policies generally require that the “Bodily Injury” must have a physical manifestation to trigger coverage, rather than simply a claim of emotional distress. While specific policy language is always subject to the interpretation of a court, it is generally held that a physical bodily injury caused to a consumer arising from a contaminated product would be covered as a product liability claim under a CGL insurance policy.

While the associated bodily injury claims may be covered under a standard ISO CGL policy, those same policies also contain an exclusion typically entitled Recall of Products, Work or Impaired Property. That provision precludes coverage for any claims of damages associated with any loss, costs or expenses involving the policyholder’s product, work or impaired property if it involves a product recall or withdrawal because of a known or suspected defect.

The CGL – Product Recall Hybrid Policy

A recent entrant into the commercial insurance products arena provides limited coverage for some of the product recall expenses that would be otherwise uninsured under a standard CGL insurance policy. This type of combination policy provides coverage only for:

Customer notification costs of recalled product,

Recalled product shipping and disposal costs,
Refund, repair or replacement product costs
Reimbursement for third-party expenses including defense costs
It should be noted that the above expenses represent only a portion of the overall expenses that a company would incur in the event of a product recall.

The Commercial Property Policy

Commercial Property policies are available either with a more restrictive policy form only covering loss caused by policy-specified Perils (causes) or on an “All Risks” basis under which coverage is triggered from any cause or peril unless it is specifically excluded by the policy. Commercial Property policies provide coverage for, among other things, physical loss or damage to inventory and stock, which is pertinent to a discussion about product recall. Whether an affected product or stock has been actually physically injured by a covered peril is the initial determination that must be made in order to determine if the Commercial Property coverage will apply.

Additionally, Property policies contain a number of other provisions that may come into play to limit or exclude coverage in connection with a product recall event. One provision found in all Commercial Property policies is the Pollution Exclusion. This type of exclusion invariably contains the term “contaminant” which depending upon the particular Property policy and the legal jurisdiction that would interpret the Property policy’s coverage, may be held to apply to a contaminated product inventory or stock.

Product Contamination and Product Recall Insurance

The optimal way a food or beverage company can protect itself from the economic and reputational damages caused by a product recall is to transfer that risk through an insurance mechanism that is designed to specifically respond to a recall event.

Coverage under these policies are typically triggered by one or more of the following policy-defined events: Accidental Contamination, Malicious Contamination or Product Extortion.

First-Party Coverage responds to the policyholder’s:

• Business Income Loss,

• Recall Expenses,