Food News Today Transcripts for the week of July 2nd, 2012

All of us here at Food News Today and SupermarketGuru wish you and yours a Happy Fourth of July and ask that you take a moment to celebrate the birth of our nation and our Declaration of Independence. 

>Our nation's first ice cream parlor opened in New York City in 1776 - and about two hundred years later, President Ronald Reagan made the official designation: July is Ice Cream Month.  Ever wonder who invented ice cream? Well, the history isn't perfect! And credit goes to many: Julius Caesar and the Emperor Nero of Rome both took credit for the idea to mix snow with nectar, fruit pulp, and honey. Marco Polo,  is said to have brought with him from the Far East the recipes for water ices. Our third First Lady, Dolly Madison served ice cream as a dessert in the White House, at the second inaugural ball in 1812.

>Fiber is packed with a variety of health benefits; yet most Americans only consume about 10-15 grams per day, half of what health experts recommend. A diet rich in fiber helps keep you regular, may lower your risk of colon and rectal cancer, and if you are watching your weight, can make you feel full longer, so you eat less. Certain types of fiber help lower blood cholesterol levels, and can even help to control the rise of blood sugar levels after a meal. There are two forms of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and comes mostly from oats, legumes and some fruits (berries have the most) and vegetables. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and is found in wheat bran, vegetables and whole grains. Insoluble fiber acts as a broom through your intestines.  Here are some great sources of fiber that you may not of:Healthy Choice 100% Natural Tortellini Primavera Parmesan with 20% of your total recommended fiber, Orville Redenbacher Original Gourmet Popping Corn with 24% of the recommended intake and Alexia Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries with 16%.

>Rebecca gives us an update on the Rio +20 summit on sustainability.

REBECCA: Thanks Phil. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development  ended last week with a somewhat lackluster outcome. With over 45,000 participates, from 188 countries, and over a hundred heads of state , the Rio +20 summit was the most well attended environmental conference on record. While the official reports claim that the proceedings marked real progress towards a greener, sustainable economy, many delegates would most likely disagree. For most attendees and onlookers, the conference failed to deliver any meaningful goals for sustainable agriculture and food security.  Negotiators who struggled for months to hammer out a more ambitious final document ended up opting for the lowest common denominator. The deal simply affirmed concerns about poverty, food security, and deforestation without setting any firm commitments. However, several organizations are viewing this upset as an opportunity to focus on local initiatives. Given the current economic and political climate, many feel that the greatest good will come by assisting local and regional agricultural sectors (in becoming more sustainable. Here in the US, the Farm Bill , which was voted on last week, renewed investments in a variety of sustainable farm and food programs. Last week, the President of Equatorial Guinea announced plans to establish programs focused on learning and adopting agriculture techniques that will help ensure food security for the country’s citizens. In addition to these initiatives, there are various programs around the world that will hopefully fill the void left by Rio+20.

PHIL: Don't forget - you can log on to Food News Today DOT com any time to access the archives and replay our past episodes. Thanks for watching.