Know your food source; love your food

Know your food source so you can love your food.

Why do I say this? I don't know about you, but I find it very disturbing when I stand at the local fish counter and see a notice or warning that the "fresh Atlantic salmon" I am about to purchase has red dye infused into it.

This is done so that it appeals to the eye, appears more like the wild variety, and makes it more marketable.

You must be aware that when the labeling is done, companies do not specify that it is wild salmon. In fact, it is an Atlantic species that has been farm-raised in close quarters. It is fed food pellets and growth stimulants that cause it to grow at a rapid rate, but do not impart the typical pink color of wild salmon.

In testing farm-raised salmon, it was found that there was a high level of pesticide residue and, since their life cycle is strictly unnatural, the meat becomes very mushy. This raises a red flag. It is not as if these stores have voluntarily disclosed this information. They have been forced to do so by a court decision.

Because of the pressure put on the world food supply, bringing food to the masses has been transformed from cooperative, small, independent food distributors, farmers, ranchers and fishermen to big, multi-conglomerate corporations looking solely at the bottom line, no matter what the cost -- including your health.

DAIRY CASE

I don't know how many of you readers of the food sections of the major newspapers, such as the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune and Sacramento Bee, caught the story about eight months ago that in the San Francisco bay area, there was a rash of allergic reactions in children, young adults and senior citizens caused by penicillin.

There were so many cases, the California Department of Health brought in the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta to investigate. They found that the milk supply had a toxic level of penicillin.

The milk came from Berkeley Farms dairy. I grew up in the Bay area and drank and ate its products. Also, because my family was in the restaurant business, I knew the owners. Alas, like many dairies, creameries and dairy distributors throughout the country, Berkeley Farms was gobbled up by mega food giant Dean Foods of Dallas.

I don't know what happened behind the scenes in this case, but it is clear something terrible went wrong. Food and Drug Administration regulations say you can give your cattle growth hormones (steroids?) and other agents, but the dairy cows must be isolated and their milk must be thrown away for 60 days after their last dose of medicine.

When you have small family farms and the pride they exhibit in their product, these types of things are very rare or nonexistent. Big food giants, such as Dean Foods, are more interested in the bottom line than they are in the casualties they leave behind.

As consumers of these products and citizens of small communities, we should be concerned by the large corporations buying up our state's dairies and trying to force out our own local dairy distributors. We must be diligent and actively support our local distributors. Because of Dean Foods' control of the market, it owns almost all of the dairies throughout Nevada and California. This leaves our distributors with little or no choice but to distribute what Dean Foods dictates and at what price they demand it be sold.

I have been dealing with our local Model Dairy distributor and its owners for many years. I will say they are most accommodating and interested in quality and the wholesomeness of their product. They do what they can to assure we get the best product available.

MEAT COUNTER

So now we go to the meat counter to look at the types of meat to decide what to have for dinner. I'm sure it doesn't cross your mind that what you are looking at could make residue of agricultural toxins (pesticides) from the feed, growth hormones and antibiotics.

So what do you do? You certainly would rather not have that stuff, and I say hooray for that. So you look at the natural products. But is that really safe? FDA guidelines for the term "natural" are very vague at best and can be bent and twisted for a great marketing strategy that has no real basis to the claim of being natural.

So now you ask, what do I do? Do what I do. Investigate by talking to the butchers and develop a rapport with them. Some "natural" meat products actually are natural. The No. 1 question to ask is, does this meat packer have guidelines in place to protect the beef, and have the animals been given antibiotics or growth hormones at any time in their life cycle?

There are meat companies that specify that their ranchers must participate in strict feeding and growth-stimulant programs. One company we do business with, Lancaster Meat of Nebraska, has such guidelines. Its cattle are never given growth stimulants or antibiotics.

Just because the steak says "Certified Black Angus," it doesn't mean it was raised in a special way. It only refers to the breed of the cattle and the quality of the cuts of beef. It does not address the most troubling aspect, which is what the animals were fed, whether it was natural or unnatural.

My No. 1 preference is to buy certified organic beef, which is very expensive. The certified organic process is tremendous and follows the entire food chain of the cattle, including the soils the feed is grown in. Therefore, there is no chance of pesticides being introduced via the food chain.

There is also a new program gaining popularity with the finest chefs in the United States. There are even ranches in Nevada signing onto it. The program is selling Western, range-fed beef. These cattle have spent little or no time in feed lots. We use it here at Adele's with great success, and it is very tender and flavorful. The old adage that Western beef is tough and chewy is not really the case. The ranchers age the beef for 21 days before it is packaged and goes to market.

You should note, however, that because of the aging process and the fact that no growth hormones are administered to the cattle, the meat does not contain excessive amounts of water so it will cook 15 to 20 percent quicker than the regular variety.

In reading this, you will assuredly ask where to find this product. Since the market reacts to public demand, talk to your butcher and ask for information and if he or she can get it for you. This should make the product easier to get. Be patient with these people while waiting for them to locate the product because it is not easy. There are really only three large meat processors in the entire United States, and they control 85 percent of the market. So understand that when asking for these specialty products.

I know that this column has a sense of darkness and futility, but my reason for writing it is to hopefully start a movement in which consumers push grocery store managers and various department managers (meat, fish, poultry, etc.) to source out these quality products.

I know the process is long and tedious. If you call and talk to the people I do business with, they will tell you that I drive them crazy with my relentless search for such products. My philosophy is that I will not feed you what I won't eat myself or serve to my children and grandchildren.

So press on, and we can make a difference in our food supply. Support the farmers' markets and purchase natural or organic products when possible. You will look and feel better and, most important, hopefully live a longer and healthier life.

breakout

Here is some required, very interesting reading for all of you "foodies" out there. It is "The Fast Food Nation" written by Eric Schlosser.

If you want to purchase some meat from animals that have been grass-fed, contact:

-- River Run Farm, (503) 728-4561, beef

-- Jamison Farm, (800) 2327-5262, lamb

-- Western Grasslands, (916) 443-4319, beef

-- Porky Pine Hill, (607) 832-4574, pork

-- Wild Idea Buffalo, (866) 658-6137

Charlie Abowd is the owner and chef at Adele's. He and his wife, Karen, have lived in Carson City for 22 years, where they have raised three children. Abowd is a fourth-generation restaurateur.