COUNTER TERRORISM
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In a little over a week, something called the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 goes into effect. In theory designed to prevent diseases or poisons being slipped into imported foods by enemy agents, the only sure thing about the law is that it's going to be hell for small food growers, brokers, and importers to comply with. But at least one Northwest entrepreneur is trying to anticipate some of the impacts of the law by informing his suppliers what they're likely to be up against. Last month, Dave Griswold of Portland's Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers conducted a teach-in for 100 small coffee-growers from all over Central and South America. The goal was to get enough information to growers to help them stay clear of profiteers offering to "help" them cope with the new regsfor fees of $1,000 or more. "Even a $1,000 fee is extremely painful for small-scale coffee farmers who are already suffering from the lowest coffee prices in recent history," says Griswold. For more on Sustainable Harvest and its "relationship coffee" importing model, check out www.sustainableharvest.com
PAGING DR. FEELBETTER
It never gets easier. The bleary sensation, the noxious combo of dry mouth and morning breath, and the way your head feels like it's on a fast-moving carousel your body never bothered to board. That's rightwe're talking about the Godawful Hangover, symptomatic of youth (or delusions of youth) and undue love of the brew, wine, or spirit. Thank goodness the people at Peso's Kitchen in Queen Anne (which neighborhood does not strike us as hangover central, by the way) have charged our fair citizenry with a vital, long-overdue assignment: developing "the wildest and best pain-curing concoction" for the alcohol-induced morning after. The contest runs through Dec. 12, so visit the restaurant (or www.randallpr.com/hangovercontest.htm) for details. And may we all benefit from your wisdom.
ON THE NO-MEAT BEAT
A couple of weeks back, those militant People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) folks put on their gowns and tuxes and passed out the 2003 Proggy Awards for "animal-friendly achievement in 21st-century culture and commerce." Practically speaking, this means lauding manufacturers of nonanimal-protein food products, and despite the hideous name (can you imagine boasting to a friend, "Hey, I just won a Proggy"?) the winners are worth congratulating. May we have the 100-percent-recycled-content envelope please?
* Best overall product: Tofurky™ Sausages (brat, kielbasa, and sweet Italian flavors)
* Best Faux-Meat: Gardenburger's veggie breakfast sausages
* Best Nondairy: Follow Your Heart vegan cheese
* Best veggie snack food: Uncle Eddie's vegan cookies
Check out the full roster of honorees, runners-up and all, at www.Peta.org.
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman announced that between January and November, instances of salmonella contamination of meat and poultry were down 66 percent. Problem is, Department inspectors are still finding salmonella bacteria in over three and a half percent of the samples they take. Gee, only one chance in 33 of getting food poisoning! We don't know about you, but we still don't like the odds.
food@seattleweekly.com
