CHINA! Authorities Arrest Hundreds Over RAT MEAT Scam

Chinese authorities have broken a major crime racket that passed off more than $AU1 million in rat as mutton. Police have arrested 900 suspects since January for selling and producing fake or tainted meat products, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

During the crackdown, police discovered one suspect, surnamed Wei, had used additives to spice up and sell rat, fox and mink meat at markets in Shanghai and Jiangsu province. Despite persistent efforts by police, “food safety crimes are still prominent, and new situations are emerging with new characteristics”.

Food safety and environmental pollution are chronic problems in China and public anxiety over cases of fake or toxic food often spreads quickly. In April, many consumers lost their appetite for poultry as an outbreak of the H7N9 bird flu virus spread in China :: Read the full article »»»»

New Years Resolution 2013: Make Everyday a New Opportunity to Improve Your Health

 A new year has landed, say hello 2013, 2012 is fast on it’s way to becoming a distant memory. Your Resolution? It’s time to quit those addiction, get a regular exercise regime started, kick of the a new positive attitude toward work or work on improving your relationship. Whatever the undertakings you’ve just committed to, your health is perhaps the most overlooked, yet simplest to improve.

At least according to a new book by heart specialist Dr Ross Walker, 5 Stages of Health.

Dr Walker, a cardiologist and author of 7 best selling books on health. His latest outlines the 5 stages of health and the opportunities we’re presented with daily to improve each stage. His book covers: Genetic, Environmental, Emotional, Body and Mind Health :: Read the full article »»»»

Australian Government Joins US Energy Department in $83m Solar Research Project

The Australian Federal Government has announced an $83 million solar research program in partnership with the United States. The eight-year project will bring together six Australian universities, the CSIRO and the US department of energy.

Its aim is to create new technology that will reduce the cost of solar power. Australia’s Energy Minister Martin Ferguson says it is the biggest solar energy research investment in Australia’s history :: Read the full article »»»»

China Plans on Expanding Market Gardens, Mars and the Moon!?

Our most favourite behemoth – China – and the worlds second largest economy, are planning on expanding rural production much farther than their earthly borders. The worlds most populous nation is preparing to grow fresh vegetables on Mars and the Moon after researchers completed a preliminary test in Beijing.

Chinese state media has reported that researchers are currently testing their wild theory here on earth, four kinds of vegetables were grown in an Ecological Life Support System, a 300 cubic metre cabin which will allow astronauts to develop their own stocks of air, water and food while on space missions.

The system, which relies on plants and algae, is “expected to be used in extra-terrestrial bases on the Moon or Mars”, Xinhua news agency. Participants in the experiment could “harvest fresh vegetables for meals”, Xinhua quoted Deng Yibing, a researcher at Beijing’s Chinese Astronaut Research and Training Centre, as saying :: Read the full article »»»»

High Blood Pressure Ages Your Brain

It’s a given, we all want to live a healthy life, feed our bodies the right-stuff, exercise regularly, try to manage our stress levels and bingo – in theory – we’re tree quarters of the way there.

Need a little incentive on the latter? Researchers have found that High Blood Pressure can have a dramatic effect on the health of our MOST important organ, our brain.

Scientists – insert link – have found that even a slight elevation in blood pressure in our 30s can prematurely age our brain, seriously increasing the risks of serious damage later in life.

In the study, researchers found that a 30 year old with high blood pressure had a brain 10 years older than the wearer, the study warns that the danger ages for blood pressure range all the way from our early 30s through to our late forties :: Read the full article »»»»

Food Alliance Urges Aussies To Buy Local

A new blueprint for the nation’s food production is calling for 80 per cent of all Australian food to be sourced and processed within 150 kilometres of consumption.

The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance – AFSA – represents some organic farmers, market networks, consumer and health groups and has responded abruptly to the governments proposed Food Plan.

AFSA has released a draft People’s Food Plan, emphasising the importance of local production and consumption, and gives the organisations response to the Australian Federal Governments Green Paper, the National Food Plan.

The main argument put forward in AFSAs paper is that the proposed National Food Plan represents a ‘business-as-usual’ approach, a plan to suit the needs of big agri-business, major retailers and commodity exporters :: Read the full article »»»»