Caveat Emptor: May the Buyer Beware--10. Coffee & "Creamer"

Coffee Mug
from
Chase's Calendar of Events








What is in that cup of coffee?
A morning cup of coffee used to be so reliable and simple: boiling water, instant coffee, creamer. To find out why that morning cup of coffee suddenly tasted so different, so acidic, monthlynotesstaff quickly 'wiki-researched' coffee and creamers.

The previous blog on 'Coffee' did not answer the 'change in taste to acidic' question when drinking name-brand coffee and creamer products, frequently purchased in the past. Differences in water acidity where grown or processed could be factors.

Creamer or Lightener:
The name "creamer" refers to the use of non-fresh forms of milk, evaporated, canned, condensed or sweetened condensed milk, added to coffee, tea, or other hot, or now even cold, beverages.

Evaporated milk, the prototype for real 'creamer', is 'dairy creamer'.
Evaporated milk is fresh, homogenized milk from which 60% of the water has been removed. The milk product then is chilled, stabilized, packaged, and sterilized at 240-245 degrees Fahrenheit (130-135 degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes. Vitamin D must be added in the US. Evaporated milk has a slightly carmelized flavor and darker color due to the high heat process.

The shelf-life of evaporated milk is 1 year to 15 months, depending on the amount of sugar added and the proportion of fat in the product. The US Code of Federal Regulations specifies the content of milk fat (not less than 6.5% by weight), non-milk fat solids (not less than 16.5% by weight), and total milk solids (not less than 23% by weight).

Carnation, an original producer of evaporated milk, is now owned by Nestle and licensed to Smuckers of Canada. PET, also now owned by Smuckers, also produces evaporated milk.

'Non-dairy coffee creamer' is a liquid or granular substance which can be substituted for milk or cream in coffee, tea, or other beverages. 'Non-dairy creamer', which does not contain lactose, is made for the lactose-intolerant. Outside of the US, many countries require the use of the term 'lightener' or a term other than 'creamer' which implies the presence of real cream in the product.

The first coffee creamer, 'Pream' was made in 1952 from dehydrated cream and sugar. Pream contained milk protein which prevented the powder from dissolving easily.

In 1958 Carnation developed "Coffee-Mate Non-Dairy Creamer". Carnation replaced most milk product with dried vegetable oil.

Common ingredients in non-dairy coffee creamer today include vegetable-based fats. There are also non-dairy, non-fat coffee creamers and whiteners. Other ingredients are sodium caseinate, from the milk protein casein, which does not contain lactose,
corn syrup, sweeteners, and flavorings.

A possible source of the more acidic tasting coffee & creamer is dipotassium phosphate, added to adjust the acidity of coffee. 'CoffeeMate' Hazelnut lists this additive quantity as 'less than 2%'.

For 'dairy creamer' another source of acidity could be whey or 'milk plasma', the liquid left after milk is curdled and strained, a by-product of the manufacture of cheese and casein. 'Acid whey' or 'sour whey' is made during manufacture of 'acid' types of cheese, for example, cottage cheese.

'Sweet whey' or 'sour whey' is produced during the manufacture of rennet, an enzyme added to make hard cheeses, like cheddar or swiss.

As a food additive, whey is thought to increase lactose intolerance. Others note its effect on reducing blood sugar spikes in Type II (Adult Onset) Diabetes Mellitus by increasing insulin secretion.

Wikipedia notes another Whey Acid Protein (WAP), a pseudogene NOT found in ruminants or humans, but a major milk protein found in certain mammals like monotremes, marsupials, rodents, rabbits, pigs, and camels. WAP contains 2-3 4-disulfide core domains, with 2 cysteine compounds, possibly associated with anti-bacterial activity.

The current interest in raw milk, considered to be 'organic', and more popular than homogenized or pasteurized milk among the 'natural food' crowd, may make the discovery of what is making that morning cup of coffee & cream more acidic tasting more difficult. 'Organic' foodies believe there is less asthma and allergy among those who drink raw milk.

Pasteurization, a heating process related to 'the germ theory' for control of highly contagious bacterial illnesses, has been utilized since the 1890s. In 1938 pasteurization was noted to reduce milk-borne illness due to raw milk bacteria. These bacteria include TB (tuberculosis, mycobacterium bovis), Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E. coli 0157-H7), Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia enterocolitis, brucellosis, and Chryseobacteria. Symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, headache, vomiting, and exhaustion.

Another source of acidity are changes in the product as major company label products are made in small 'franchise' factories using modified processes and packaging. There may be differences in the acidity of water used in factory processing, in water provided to animals in 'dairy creamer' production, and possibly the water used in making that morning cup of coffee.

In our changing US economy, the same brand-name products may not be as reliable shopping trip after shopping trip. Take a magnifying glass to the grocery store, read the labels, and take the time to purchase wisely.

Email mkrause54@ayhoo.com or mkrasue381@gmail.com to comment or request copies of this or other blogs posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff on 'Caveat Emptor: May the Buyer Beware: 10(Coffee &) Creamer' at http://monthlynotesthirteen.blogspot.com on www.google.com. See the monthlynotes blog list on http://monthlynotes18.blogspot.com for other blogs at http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com through http://monthlynotes20.blogspot.com.

Graphic: Coffee mug, from Chase's Calendar of Events

Reference: www.wikipedia.com

Caveat Emptor: May the Buyer Beware--9. Coffee & "Creamers"

Coffee Mug
from
"Chase's Calendar of Events".








What is in that morning cup of coffee?

A morning cup of coffee used to be so reliable and simple: boiling water, instant coffee, creamer. To find out why that morning cup of coffee suddenly tasted so different, so acidic, monthlynotesstaff quickly "wiki-researched" coffee and creamers.

Coffee:
Like many other products on US grocery shelves and coffee shops, coffee too now carries additional labels. Organic coffee refers to coffee beans grown without artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.

In 2006, 67,000 metric tons of organic coffee was sold from a total of 6,900,000 metric tons of coffee beans sold worldwide. During the "Green Revolution" in the 1970s and 1980s, $80 million was sent to Latin American plantations by the US Agency for International Development.

75% of 'organic' coffee is grown in Latin America, in Peru (South America), Mexico (Central America), and Ethiopia (Africa).

'Organic' is one of 3 certifications of "organic coffee". In the US, 'organic' means the coffee beans are (1)grown on land without synthetic pesticides or other prohibited substances for 3 years, (2)sufficient buffer exists between organic and the nearest traditional crop, and (3)sustainable crop rotation plans exist to prevent erosion, depletion of soil nutrients, and pest control. The goal of organic agriculture is to stimulate the natural development of disease control and pest control.

'Shade-grown' is another category of organic coffee. To increase coffee production in the early 1970s, 'sun' plantations were developed. Coffee beans grown in the sun are smaller and easier to harvest than 'shade-grown' coffee beans.

'Shade-grown' coffee preserves trees and forests not plowed down for 'sun' farms. Preserving forests should help reduce soil erosion and preserve the natural habitat for birds and other species. Birds eat insects crawling on coffee plants, a natural form of pest control. Another goal of 'shade-grown' coffee farms was to reduce the 20% decline in migratory bird populations of redstarts, black-throated green warblers and yellow-throated and solitary vireos noted in 2006, believed to be due to loss of forestation with 'sun' farms.

'Shade-grown' coffee is fertilized by decomposing leaves and bird droppings. Another environmental issue is water. More water may be available to 'shade-grown' coffee plants. About 140 litres of water is required to produce 1 cup of coffee. This is a problem in Ethiopia, Africa, where there is a water shortage.

The 3rd category of 'organic coffee', 'fair trade coffee', is an economic issue. Small farms could not compete with large 'sun' farms. The 'Fair trade coffee' label requires coffee pickers to be paid $1.26 per pound of coffee beans, instead of $3.00 per day for 100 pounds of coffee beans.

Despite sales of 'organic' coffee to more affluent socially or environmentally concerned consumers, 10% of coffee bean farms have reverted to conventional production because of price competition.


Read the next blog "Caveat Emptor: May the Buyer Beware: 10.Creamer or Lightener" on http://monthlynotesthirteen.blogspot.com on www.google.com.

Email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com to comment or request copies of this or other blogs posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff on http://monthlynotsthirteen.blogspot.com (http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com through http://monthlynotestwenty.blogspot.com) on www.google.com.

Graphic: Coffee mug, Chase's Calendar of Events.

Reference: www.wikipedia.com

Caveat Emptor: May the Buyer Beware--8. Telephone Book Troubles

The 1950s
black
rotary dial
desk telephone.
from Chase's Calendar of Events.





What the black rotary dial desk telephone represented to most US citizens was a triumph of technology. With the US telephone system came an ease of communications, talking to family and friends 'just like being there', finding and doing business. Early choices included a party line, a group of neighbors sharing the use of a telephone line at reduced cost compared to the private line routed to each home or apartment.

Later came the court-ordered 'break-up' of 'Ma Bell" into the 'Baby Bells' came the cellular telephone networks and less reliance on the 'land line' telephone network.
Whether to protest large network charges and fees, many directly related to governmental fees, or to create an industry from an affordable "utility", the US telecommunications infrastructure has been irrevocably changed.

The old system was a truly affordable 'natural monopoly' controlled by AT&T, Bell, General Telephone, and a few other large suppliers who leased or shared the basic infrastructural items, telephone poles, lines, grids. Most could afford telephone service with free unlimited local calls and charges for long distance.

Around the time of the court-ordered break up, life began to move faster for many Americans, who moved from home to college dormitory or travelled for jobs. The cellular phone system provided the mobility many telephone users sought. But it came at a higher cost: phone + network + call charges.

Initially, a very private system became a heavily monitored or 'eavesdropped' system, especially during the Bush administrations use of telephone monitoring to investigate terrorism. What began as a national defense issue has been misused by many to snatch business ideas, snoop on US citizens at home or at work, as well as to too aggressively bill collect.

The telecommunications loop has grown larger, nationally and internationally, with cell phone, automated, and internet phone calls. But paradoxically, the usable loops may be becoming smaller.

The major land line and cell phone technology suppliers, AT&T, Verizon, and others,
are in many areas decreasing the number of telephone books or discontinuing telephone book publishing.

The rationale, that telephone users mostly call a select group of family, friends, or businesses, or that listing are available on the internet, is not convincing. People seeking products or services and businesses using the phone book as basic advertising may be very disappointed by internet telephone search websites.

Internet telephone search websites are expensive, requiring a subscription payment of $20 or more in advance or a $2.99 fee for each request. Also these websites are not as complete or up-do-date as the old telephone book.

On a recent trip one source complained that only 1 or 2 year old telephone books were available in businesses or libraries. Even current phone books contained many old or uncorrected entries.

Phone numbers for old friends, now possibly not listed or using cellular phones, could not be found. Business listings were out of date.

A search for laundromats in the Cleveland, Ohio area proved frustrating. Gone were the old 'Ma Bell' recordings that the 'number had been changed to ...', 'this number has been disconnected', or 'service has been discontinued'. A drive to addresses listed led to a closed or new business at the address listed.

In the Erie, Pennsylvania area, rental car/truck listings were old and outdated. Calling an '800' number also was difficult. No local current phone numbers or addresses could be found for some old phone book listings. There was no helpful inquiry system for a range of possible rates or vehicles available. Yet an automated system asked the customer to begin the rental reservation process. How can a consumer rent a car/truck if the shop cannot be found? A live operator sometimes was not available or could not clarify the problem. How to make a reservation if it is not known if a vehicle is available? What if the reservation somehow became a bill charged to the customer?

In the rush to sell information and make more profits from the telephone system, the infrastructure has been damaged. The ability to buy or sell, outside of a computer automated billing system, is often lost, making the telecommunications industry and the economy more frustrating and more chaotic.


Email mkrause54@yahoo.com or mkrause381@gmail.com to comment or request copies of this or other blogs posted by mary for monthlynotesstaff on http://monthlynotesthirteen.blogspot.com (http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com through http://monthlynotes20.blogspot.com)

Graphic: from Chase's Calendar of Events, 2002.