Jane brought home a pack of 'Mexican' cookies from Texas' favorite grocery store H-E-B . (They were dang good too) But there's something wrong with this picture (or maybe I've just lived too long..
To understand why there are candy and cookie factories in Canada, all you have to do is see the number one ingredient... Sugar.
Sugar is one of the most fiercely protected agricultural commodity in the USA. Through elaborate quota and tariff schemes, cane sugar is more than double the price in the USA then it is anywhere else in the world. This is to protect a small, but powerful, group of sugar plantations in the USA known as the Sugar Cartel.
This is the sole reason why most all food producers have switched to corn syrup or moved their operations to Canada or Mexico or even overseas. Jelly Bellys are made in Thailand.
The Sugar Cartel are very politically protected and provide a lot of lobbying monies to political campaigns on both sides of the aisle and have been for something like 75+ years.
Many attempts to kill the Sugar Cartel have been made by members of congress, only for it to be slapped down each and every time. Too much money and hookers are provided for these politicians to keep the cartel going.
So, it continues. Politicians and the US Government don't care if you as Americans pay much more for sugar then everyone else or the millions of job losses that have resulted since the moving of candy and bakery industries moved out of the US as a result. The Sugar Cartel will get theirs.
To understand why there are candy and cookie factories in Canada, all you have to do is see the number one ingredient... Sugar.
When I've flown across the country, I've always marveled at the vast sugar cane plantations of the prairie provinces stretched out below me. Truly breathtaking to behold. And it's wonderful to see that the refined sugar from these Canadian plantations is being used in only the very best junk food!
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 09-19-2022).]
When I've flown across the country, I've always marveled at the vast sugar cane plantations of the prairie provinces stretched out below me.
What airline route did you take across the Prairies, Patrick ?
Here in Southern Alberta, we grow sugar beets, not sugar cane.
Just a little sarcasm there Patrick in good fun.
I disembarked a cruise ship in Bridgetown, Barbados. All the Americans noticed an odd odor they had never experienced before, and they wondered what it was.
"That is the smell of a sugar refinery" I said.......Same smell I grew up with during sugar beet harvest when the sugar factory fired up.
When I've flown across the country, I've always marveled at the vast sugar cane plantations of the prairie provinces stretched out below me. Truly breathtaking to behold. And it's wonderful to see that the refined sugar from these Canadian plantations is being used in only the very best junk food!
I had no idea that they grew sugarcane in Canada. I always assumed that sugarcane was a close-to-the-equator type of plant. We have a LOT of sugarcane crop here in Florida as well, mostly the southern part of Central Florida (like, just below Lake Okeechobee).
Unfortunately, most of the fast-food and everything else that uses sugar here in the U.S., usually comes from corn... e.g. corn-syrup. I don't have any concrete proof of this, but I suspect that this contributes greatly to obesity in the United States. Coke, for example... I know Coke made and bottled in Mexico uses pure cane sugar... but Coke made and bottled in the U.S. uses corn syrup. Also, no proof of this, but I think the United States is the ONLY place in the world where this is done. Every other country I've ever been to, they use cane sugar.
I am absolutely bothered by this (in general, not just Coke). MJ probably knows better, but I suspect it has something to do with the corn subsidy... maybe because it's cheaper? or maybe because the demand was created intentionally... artificially.
I have no idea really, as my only dealings with sugar cane was living next to a big field of it in New Iberia Louisiana and going thru 2 sugar mill/processing plants in the same area. I do think Wichita is probably spot on in reference to the US sugar industry.
My father did grow some sugar cane when I was very young but only to run thru a mill to squeeze the juice and make cane syrup for our own use.
Many years ago, (mid 80s) my former father-in-law used to drive trucks and once ever 3-4 days, hauled a tanker full of corn syrup from Memphis Tn Cargill down to the CocaCola plant in Baton Rouge. Undoubtedly prior to that era, that same plant used locally refined real sugar.
Gram for gram, there is no difference in the calorie count of sugar vs corn syrup but I, like you and many others believe the high fructose corn syrup is a definite problem. It's their molecular structure and how they are broken down that may be problematic.
Originally posted by maryjane: Gram for gram, there is no difference in the calorie count of sugar vs corn syrup but I, like you and many others believe the high fructose corn syrup is a definite problem. It's their molecular structure and how they are broken down that may be problematic.
Thanks for that link, I'm going to read into this more.
I realize that things have changed... specifically, we are eating more pre-packaged and genetically engineered food. But nothing about GE food makes me think it has anything to do with rising obesity. I mean, the plants don't physically change other than simply being larger and healthier... you would know more about this... curious about your thoughts... I seem to think it's a net-positive.
But I question a few things:
1 - Why is obesity so much more significant today, than it was 20-30 years ago? 2 - Why are so many more people suffering from mental illness? 3 - Why are so many more people being diagnosed with autism?
The only big things I can think of that have changed are:
The internet / social media / activity habits, and the foods we eat... they could all potentially contribute. it could just be that as a society, we've become fat-asses because we're sitting in front of our computers.
But I grew up in the 80s with a computer. My parents had an 8088 KayPro which I friggin' loved (I still have it). I played the **** out of that, along with my Atari 2600. I also got into BBSing (connecting to computers from across town with a modem) pretty early-on. But I still did sports nearly every season, and always did stuff outside (riding my Smokey & the Bandit BMX bike through trails in the woods, etc...).
I dunno... I see that our food has changed, and so have our habits, so maybe it's a combination.
Australia has a greater level of obesity (per capita) than the United States does... so I would be interested to know if they too use corn syrup...
EDIT: that machine you posted is pretty cool. I want to grow sugarcane in my backyard, but don't know how to plant it... even though there are dozens of sugarcane fields within an hour of my house. Do I just dig one up and plant it, like you would a banana tree?
[This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 09-22-2022).]
The last question first..... You would get some mature sugar cane stalks. They are jointed, much like bamboo is. At each joint, there is an'eye' or node This is where the new plant sprouts from. We usually just dug a long trench about 6" deep, planted entire stalks laid down flat end to end but many people cut the canes into short sections, about 3-4 joints per section and plant them that way, again horizontally, not planted vertically. Right about now is the time to plant them in the South. They root during the winter season and put out above ground shoots in early spring. Other people cut them as above, then plant them in large pots and cover with potting soil and then transplant them later. You can also stand the short sections up in a container of water and they will form roots. Be patient. Takes a full year from planting to harvest and it won't be a nice pretty row, as the leaves make it look a mess. FULL SUN! They love nitrogen during the growth phase but don't fertilize in the last couple of months of growth.. Termites in Texas gulf coast and Fla can be a problem in cane. Youtube has several videos of it. The cane mill I had (a yard ornament) was larger than most, weighed 800 lbs and was made to be rotated by 2 horses walking in a circle. Most people today use a lawn tractor or convert them the electric or gas engine power. The one I had was larger and had a pole coming off each end of the top, going down to the mule or horse. (I only saw it used when I was much longer and back when father and uncles were still alive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YmGkFdsSgI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrSvzBF5l0I
I think the primary reasons we have so much obesity nowadays is three fold. In order or importance and effect. 1. Lack of physical activity. Both in children and adults. You can pretty much eat whatever you want as long as you work the excess calories off! The world has changed from an agrarian/rural society, to an industrial base, and now, to a service and tech society.Gone for the most part, are 8 hour days of toiling with your muscles. Even in the trades and ag, most of the work is done by machines, with the operators just pulling levers or pushing buttons. Children no longer play outside or play hard. Running, jumping, climbing...no.
2. Marketing sweetness. Everything nowadays is marketed toward selling sugary goodness to kids and young adults. I was in a Dollar General a couple weeks ago and about half their food aisles was candy and pastries, and at the end of each aisle was more candy displays. The place was full of folks, with their children congregated in the candy sections. When I was young, candy bars were 5 or 10 cents but a luxury we didn't get too often and it wasn't for lack of money. The same with Cokes. Maybe once a weekend. We have too much $$$. Sounds like an oxymoron, but we now have enoough $$$ to be able to spend it on what used to be a special thing.
3. I am not educated enough to be able to explain the difference between sucrose and fructose in regards to how the body metabolizes each but the difference is significant.
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 09-22-2022).]
The last question first..... You would get some mature sugar cane stalks. They are jointed, much like bamboo is. At each joint, there is an'eye' or node This is where the new plant sprouts from. We usually just dug a long trench about 6" deep, planted entire stalks laid down flat end to end but many people cut the canes into short sections, about 3-4 joints per section and plant them that way, again horizontally, not planted vertically. Right about now is the time to plant them in the South. They root during the winter season and put out above ground shoots in early spring. Other people cut them as above, then plant them in large pots and cover with potting soil and then transplant them later. You can also stand the short sections up in a container of water and they will form roots. Be patient. Takes a full year from planting to harvest and it won't be a nice pretty row, as the leaves make it look a mess. FULL SUN! They love nitrogen during the growth phase but don't fertilize in the last couple of months of growth.. Termites in Texas gulf coast and Fla can be a problem in cane. Youtube has several videos of it. The cane mill I had (a yard ornament) was larger than most, weighed 800 lbs and was made to be rotated by 2 horses walking in a circle. Most people today use a lawn tractor or convert them the electric or gas engine power. The one I had was larger and had a pole coming off each end of the top, going down to the mule or horse. (I only saw it used when I was much longer and back when father and uncles were still alive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YmGkFdsSgI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrSvzBF5l0I
I think the primary reasons we have so much obesity nowadays is three fold. In order or importance and effect. 1. Lack of physical activity. Both in children and adults. You can pretty much eat whatever you want as long as you work the excess calories off! The world has changed from an agrarian/rural society, to an industrial base, and now, to a service and tech society.Gone for the most part, are 8 hour days of toiling with your muscles. Even in the trades and ag, most of the work is done by machines, with the operators just pulling levers or pushing buttons. Children no longer play outside or play hard. Running, jumping, climbing...no.
2. Marketing sweetness. Everything nowadays is marketed toward selling sugary goodness to kids and young adults. I was in a Dollar General a couple weeks ago and about half their food aisles was candy and pastries, and at the end of each aisle was more candy displays. The place was full of folks, with their children congregated in the candy sections. When I was young, candy bars were 5 or 10 cents but a luxury we didn't get too often and it wasn't for lack of money. The same with Cokes. Maybe once a weekend. We have too much $$$. Sounds like an oxymoron, but we now have enoough $$$ to be able to spend it on what used to be a special thing.
3. I am not educated enough to be able to explain the difference between sucrose and fructose in regards to how the body metabolizes each but the difference is significant.
I agree... I don't know where we go from here, but hopefully things change. My daughter is addicted to her computer... but when I was a kid, I did a sport almost every season (three sports a year), and I still got out to play as a kid. At 13, I can't really just push her outside and say go play outside... at 14, I was starting to spend more time inside too, but still doing sports all the time. She does sports, but not like I did. When she gets into high school though... I'm going to insist. Of course, she's as skinny as a bean stalk, but still...
I'll try to find some sugarcane and plant it. I know exactly where to put it... right in the back. There's this big open pasture of land behind my house... so I'll plant a couple back there and see what happens... haha... it gets lots of sun, and it rains here every day at 2:00.
I remember a couple of times when I got it as a kid, I would just chew on it and get the sugar out that way...
None of my place to say anything about other people's child raising but DO TRY to let her be a kid while she is one. Grownup time will come quick enough and you'll sure miss having 'your little girl' around.
None of my place to say anything about other people's child raising but DO TRY to let her be a kid while she is one. Grownup time will come quick enough and you'll sure miss having 'your little girl' around.
True... I tell her every day I want my 2 and a 1/2 year old back. Hahah...
