Photo Credit: Jewish Press

Harry Houdini (1874-1926), undoubtedly the greatest showman of his age and probably of all time, was an awe-inspiring escape artist and the undisputed master of his craft.

He was the first superstar to manipulate the media to gain broad mass acceptance, and his fame was such that George Bernard Shaw quipped that Jesus, Sherlock Holmes, and Houdini were the three most famous people in world history. Even almost a century after his death, his name is synonymous with magic, and he remains a renowned cultural icon.

Houdini was particularly important to American Jews, for whom he came to embody the idea that a Jew could achieve success in an anti-Semitic world. For Jews who had a long history of fear and vulnerability, Houdini was the ultimate contemporary symbol of strength, and the renowned escape artist became the paradigm of the Jewish immigrants belief that he could escape the metaphorical shackles of Jewish history.

Even after achieving great success, Houdini maintained his ties to Judaism and his loyalty to his Jewish family, saying: I never was ashamed to acknowledge that I was a Jew, and I never will be. He recited Kaddish for his mother every day for the entire year after her death; dutifully marked his fathers yahrzeit throughout his world travels; and made a point to repurchase the family Bible that his father had sold when the family was struggling financially. He apparently studied it as evidenced by the notes he wrote in the margin of the sefer.

During WWI, Houdini founded and presided over the Rabbis Sons Theatrical Association (1918), a group consisting of sons of rabbis and Jewish scholars (Al Jolson served as its vice president and Irving Berlin as second vice president) that raised funds for Hebrew associations helping military families.

He was also a great American patriot who supported a variety of American causes, including the American Red Cross, and was also a major supporter of Zionist institutions. Throughout his life, Houdini performed great acts of charity, but insisted upon anonymity because the Jewish way is to give charity quietly.

Although it is the subject of some dispute, some of Houdinis friends said that he carried his tefillin with him while on tour, regularly putting them on in the morning, and that he carried mezuzot with him, which he nailed to the doorpost of his hotel room during his travels.

Nonetheless, he became the first person in his family to intermarry, which caused a rift with his family that never healed completely, although his parents eventually came to terms with his marriage. He was greatly devoted to his Catholic wife, Bess, but Houdini insisted that he be buried in a Jewish cemetery near his parents despite knowing his wife could not be buried near him.

Houdini was shocked by his first exposures to anti-Semitism during his performances in Germany. He wrote, [T]here is a secret feeling among Europeans against Jews. It surprised me greatly to think that such things exist in this country. It is awful what I hear from people who are Jew haters. When he performed in Russia soon after the notorious Kishinev Pogrom (1903), when Jews were not permitted to remain in Moscow overnight, he muted any reference to his Judaism, but he was deeply affected by what had happened, and what was happening, to his fellow Jews there, and he wrote critically about Russian anti-Semitism.

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Houdini was born Ehrich Weisz (later Weiss) in Budapest, where his father, Rabbi Samuel Weisz, Ph.D., L.L.D., was a great scholar. Seeking a haven from rampant anti-Semitism, Samuel immigrated to America in 1876, where he quickly discovered that the streets were not paved with gold. After a two-year struggle, he managed to barely save enough to bring his family to the U.S., including four-year-old Ehrich.

The Appleton, Wisconsin Zion Reform Jewish Congregation retained Samuel as its first rabbi, but it paid him a pittance and, four years later, he was dismissed because his immigrant English was weak and the congregation wanted a modern rabbinical leader.

Soon after losing his position in Appleton, unable to secure another rabbinical position, and virtually indigent, Samuel moved the entire family first to Milwaukee, where he also failed to support his family. To ease the financial strain on the family, Ehrich left home at age 12 to seek his fortune. He lived at a YMCA in New York City and, while still very young, supported himself doing elementary magic tricks as Erik he Great.

After Samuel moved to New York City, where he found a job working in a necktie factory, he was joined in that work by Ehrich. Soon after, Ehrich read from the Torah at his bar mitzvah, which was officiated by the Orthodox Rabbi Bernard Drachman, who reported that Ehrichs progress in Hebrew was extremely weak but that the boy had a profound reverence for the Jewish faith.

Shortly after his father died of tongue cancer in 1892, Ehrich, now Eric, got a job as a magician at Coney Island performing common card tricks, billing himself as The King of Cards. He was unsuccessful until he met and befriended Martin Beck, a fellow Jewish immigrant who advised Eric that he would never succeed as a card magician but could achieve great fame as The King of Handcuffs.

After Beck got him a job on the Orpheum vaudeville circuit as an escape artist, Eric adopted the stage name Houdini in honor of Jean Eugne Robert-Houdin, the father of modern conjuring whom he revered at the time. Houdini quickly gained celebrity for incorporating an audience challenge into his act: He offered to pay $100 (not an inconsequential sum at that time) to anyone who could lock him into a set of handcuffs from which he could not escape. No one ever earned the prize; he became known as Harry Handcuff Houdini, and by the turn of the 20th century, his fame took him on a five-year tour of Europe.

During his career, the great Houdini only failed to escape a pair of cuffs once when he was presented with a rigged set stuffed with buckshot, rendering the locking mechanism inoperative, even with the key. Houdini had to be cut out of them and, thereafter, all challengers had to demonstrate that the cuffs could be opened before he would permit them to be put on him. His reputation remained untarnished, however, as the media and the public deemed buckshot-filled cuffs to be a hoax and an exercise in dishonesty.

Houdini became one of the first early masters of self-promotion, planning carefully to ensure that his feats would be witnessed by the public and by the mass media. His fame and reputation were sealed with incredible stunts, including breaking out of various city jails including cells in Siberia and Scotland Yard; taking less than three minutes to escape from a water-filled milk can; freeing himself from a straitjacket while shackled at the ankles and dangling upside-down in midair; escaping from a crate thrown into New Yorks East River into which he had been locked and manacled; making an elephant disappear (1918); and escaping from a water-torture chamber in the famous Chinese Water Torture Cell trick (1913).

Houdini also performed the famous bullet catch trick which has killed at least 12 magicians in which a bullet would be fired at his head and he would catch it with his bare hand in mid-air. When the czar watched the trick, he was so impressed that he asked Houdini to repeat it with the czar himself firing the weapon and Houdini again caught the bullet.

As an interesting historical note, after the czars death, his family asked Houdini to serve as its spiritual advisor. When he declined the offer (on the grounds that he wanted nothing to do with Russian anti-Semitism), the position went to wait for it the infamous Rasputin.

In one of his most famous tricks, which turned out to be his final stunt, Houdini performed his underwater coffin trick on August 5, 1926 in the swimming pool at the Hotel Shelton in New York. With his hands cuffed in front and chained to his shackled ankles, his arms chained around his neck, and his torso bent over, he was squeezed into a 700-pound metal coffin that was lowered into the pool. Much to the astonishment of the journalists in attendance, Houdini emerged from the coffin some 91 minutes later.

Exhibited here is a remarkable August 28, 1926 correspondence written and signed by Houdini to Edwin A. Dearn in which he describes where he obtained the coffin for the underwater coffin trick:

A friend of mine Mr. John P. Spatz of the Boyertown Casket Company is going to Shanghai on business and have given him a letter of introduction to you. I know you will be interested to hear that he is the man to whom I am indebted for the use of the caskets while training for the under water coffin experiment. They have treated me very nicely in all of this and know you will be glad to meet him.

Interestingly, several authorities have insisted that Houdini used a 700-hundred-pound sealed tank, not a coffin, for this trick, but this letter, on its face, conclusively proves them incorrect.

Houdini corresponded regularly with Dearn (1892-1980), an amateur magician, during the 1920s. Dearn was also a popular ventriloquist who lived in England before spending 25 years as a regular performer in theaters in the Shanghai district of China, and he entertained many world-famous magicians in his home there.

He was also a passionate collector of magic memorabilia and books, including some 2,000 magic works and apparatus. Dearn was held captive for two years when Mao Zedong took over China in the early 1950s, but he ultimately escaped to Sydney, Australia.

Among other distinctions, Houdini became the first man to fly an airplane in Australia. He starred in silent films, founded his own film production company, and amassed an enormous theater archive, which he donated to Harvard.

After the death of his mother in 1913, Houdini became preoccupied with conquering death. Toward that end, he conferred with noted spiritualists, the result of which was what became a lifelong crusade against charlatans trafficking in the despair of the bereaved with fake sances and bogus raisings of the dead, including testifying before Congress against spiritualists and mediums in 1926.

Spiritualism to Houdini was little more than amateur magic clothed in the supernatural, and his close friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ended when the creator of Sherlock Holmes refused to renounce spiritualism. He alienated Doyle further after Mrs. Doyle conducted a sance during which she claimed to have received directions from Houdinis deceased mother and drew a cross and transcribed a detailed message from her.

Houdini later publicly humiliated the Doyles by noting that the late Mrs. Weisz, a rabbis wife and a practicing Jewess her entire life, would not be drawing a cross nor would she be speaking English instead of her usual German.

Houdini offered a standing $10,000 reward for any supernatural manifestations that he could not duplicate (there were, not surprisingly, no takers), and he wrote several books about spiritualist fraud. Many of the charlatans whom he exposed launched anti-Semitic diatribes against him, calling him Judas and arguing that since his Judaism made him un-American, no one should pay any attention to him.

Houdini died of peritonitis, secondary to a ruptured appendix, sustained when he took punches to the stomach from an audience member. Significant mythologies developed regarding his death during a performance on Halloween and there are still some who argue that the man who regularly escaped death during his lifetime would somehow manage to escape it after his death.

Houdini vowed that, if at all possible, he would contact Bess from beyond the grave. However, to disprove any allegation by pseudo-mystics or the like that they had communicated with him after his death, he gave her a secret code known only to them (and to close friend and confident, mentalist Joe Dunninger), in the absence of which any alleged medium, channeler, or spiritualist could be shown to be a fraud.

Bess held a sance on the tenth anniversary of her husbands death, and Harrys bother, Hardeen, conducted sances thereafter, but Harry never did communicate with them or with anyone else.

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The Judaism Of Harry Houdini - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

The body of Kodie Healy, a Cork fisherman who has been missing since last Wednesday, has been recovered.

Naval service divers recovered the body on Sunday evening after the 24-year-old fisherman failed to return from a lobster potting trip in West Cork.

Civilian divers from the Blackwater Search and Rescue group from Fermoy located the body of Kodie Healy in the vicinity of Carbery Island in Dunmanus Bay on the Mizen Peninsula, Co Cork at about 4.30pm on Sunday afternoon.

They then identified the location to the Naval Service divers and his remains were brought ashore at Dunmanus Pier before transfer to Cork University Hospital for a postmortem.

The recovery of Mr Healys remains came on foot of a huge effort by both locals and statutory agencies including the Naval Service, which co-ordinated the search operation from the LE George Bernard Shaw.

Irish Coast Guard units from Goleen, Schull, Toe Head and Castletownbere joined with hundreds of locals to comb the coastline, while Castletownbere RNLI Annette Hutton also joined in the search operation.

Five separate civilian dive groups also assisted with the search at sea, while members of West Cork Civil Defence assisted with the land search from bases at Kilcrohane, Kiltimane and Dunmanus.

The late Mr Healy was one of five children of John Paul and Samantha Healy. It is understood he lived with his parents at the Durrus end of Goleen parish on the Mizen Peninsula.

Its an awful tragedy for the family but as often happens at times like this, people rally around and put in a huge effort to find Kodie and thankfully they were successful so at least its some closure for the family, said one local .

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Body of missing Cork fisherman recovered at sea - The Irish Times

THE family of tragic fisherman Kodie Healy whose body was found at sea in Cork have made a touching request to thank the emergency services.

The 24-year-old was missing since Wednesday evening after he failed to return to port following his day's activities.

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Now the family have asked mourners to send any donations in lieu to the R.N.L.I or to L.A.S.T (Lost At Sea Tragedies) as they prepare to lay Kodie to rest.

His funeral will take place on Thursday at the Church of the Seven Sacraments in Lowertown.

The local fishing community from Goleen were out in force since Kodie, whose father John is also a fisherman, vanished last week.

His body was located at sea on Sunday and was brought ashore by the Naval Service.

The alarm was raised by his dad with Valentia Coast Guard launching a search at 8pm on Wednesday night.

On Thursday, wreckage was found on Carbery Island which was thought to be the vessel used by the young fisherman.

Other organisations who were part of the search team included the Gardai, the Naval Service and the RNLI.

The Coast Guard helicopter R115 and the naval ship LE George Bernard Shaw were both used in the search.

A post on RIP.ie read: "On October 9, 2019, tragically, following an accident, Kodie, beloved son of John Paul and Samantha loving brother to Patrick, Finnian, Suannie and Eden, grandson of the late Paddy and Annie Francis Healy.

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"Lovingly remembered by his heartbroken family, grandparents Terry and Su, uncle Zeik, aunts Mary and Geni, uncles-in-law Brendan and Eamon, aunt-in-law Margaret, cousins Diane, Marie, Brendan, Caroline, Vincent, Evelyn, Damien, Bethany, Devlin, Turlough, Brianna and Ruairi, relatives and friends.

"Reposing at Arundel's Funeral Home, Schull on tomorrow, Wednesday, from 5pm, followed by removal at 7.30pm to the Church of the Seven Sacraments, Lowertown.

"Requiem Mass on Thursday at 3pm. Funeral afterwards to Schull Cemetery. Family flowers only. Donations in lieu to R.N.L.I or to L.A.S.T (Lost At Sea Tragedies)."

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Family of tragic fisherman Kodie Healy make touching request to thank emergency search teams after body find - The Irish Sun

Kevin Doyle: 'Why we should aim to heal rifts with the UK after years of turmoil'

Independent.ie

It's fitting that the final hours of Brexit negotiations were hit by delay, confusion and a DUP wobble.

https://www.independent.ie/business/brexit/kevin-doyle-why-we-should-aim-to-heal-rifts-with-the-uk-after-years-of-turmoil-38603591.html

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It's fitting that the final hours of Brexit negotiations were hit by delay, confusion and a DUP wobble.

For three years, these have been the symptoms that have consumed British politics.

Boris Johnson's efforts to finally 'rip the plaster' brought him back towards a long identified cure: a border down the Irish Sea.

Senior Irish politicians, at home and abroad, pointed to the remedy long ago - but it's clear the British establishment does not like to be told what to do by its insignificant neighbour.

But as George Bernard Shaw said: "If you injure your neighbour, better not do it by halves."

That's exactly what the UK did with Brexit. It didn't give a whim of thought to the impact on Ireland and when our politicians tried to tell it, it didn't listen.

It's not that 'our crowd' are brilliant or had all the answers, but they did see the danger.

Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny and several ministers, including Paschal Donohoe, had taken part in low-key events during the referendum to ask Irish citizens in the UK to vote Remain. In hindsight, they could have been more vocal but the government feared Irish 'interference' would only spur the Brexiteers. When the vote came, Mr Kenny noted that exit negotiations would not start for some months. "We must take this breathing space... and use it wisely," he observed.

I recall Fianna Fil leader Michel Martin looking particularly shell-shocked when he appeared before the media at Leinster House to provide his assessment.

At that stage, he hadn't helped Fine Gael pass a single budget. Now he has allowed four through the Dil with limited fuss.

The UK didn't use the time well but Mr Kenny did. He took off on a tour of European capitals, telling horror stories about Irish history.

The fact we call what happened on this island over three decades 'The Troubles' suggests we like to play down the hurt and anguish - but on this occasion Mr Kenny talked about dramatic violence and bodies lying in streets. To this day, the conflict in Northern Ireland is the bloodiest in the history of the EU.

Five days after the referendum in June 2016, the Irish Independent's frontpage headline read: "Ireland demanding package from EU to stop Brexit damage."

The report outlined Mr Kenny's plan to tell EU leaders that Ireland had suffered the equivalent of a political and economic earthquake.

The next day's headline was: "Brexit showdown: Kenny banking on Merkel's support."

Getting the German chancellor onside was key to ensuring other countries joined our battle.

Of course, it wasn't all straightforward.

This was a time when the row over water charges was still raging, Mr Kenny's leadership of Fine Gael was under constant scrutiny and day-to-day politics was still a thing.

In early July, the Irish Independent was prompted to run a very rare frontpage editorial calling for stability.

"Now that the numb shock created by Brexit has abated, the pain it inevitably entails will be felt most acutely unless we keep our composure and protect our flanks," it read.

"There are more than enough external risks with which to contend without creating our own internal ones. In this time of crisis, we cannot afford an unstable government."

As a clearer picture of the Brexit threat emerged, the EU did back Ireland and in turn TDs found a way to work together in the national interest.

In many ways that ability of both the Irish political establishment and the EU to come together stunned the British.

Some tried to undermine it when Leo Varadkar took over as Taoiseach, saying he was inexperienced and much more aggressive to deal with than his predecessor.

It's true Mr Varadkar was catapulted onto the international stage and mistakes were made.

The most obvious one was in December 2017 when the Irish Government was preparing to declare victory.

A press conference was called and reporters huddled outside Government Buildings for hours before eventually seeing the sound system and lecterns being dismantled.

The original Irish protocol agreed with Theresa May back then is not so different from what is on the table now - but the DUP sensed the glee in Dublin and brought proceedings to a swift halt.

It was a sharp lesson in 'delay, confusion and the DUP' for the Taoiseach.

Over time Mr Varadkar became the 'Brexit bogeyman' for the UK press. 'The Sun' referred to him as a "dope" and advised him to "shut your gob". Now, many people at home might agree with that assessment but they don't like other people pointing it out.

And the Taoiseach's team was quick to realise that being called "Lenny Verruca" in the 'Daily Mail' was doing wonders for his popularity in Ireland.

Perhaps the key to the Irish success is that even when the players changed after Mr Kenny stood down, the plan remained consistent.

Their line about there being no hard Border was so definitive that it actually showed we were vulnerable to the lack of a plan B.

There can be no denying now that if the UK crashed out last March our economy was in no way ready for the impact.

The human impact would have been devastating and Fine Gael would almost certainly be out of government by now.

It's said you make your own luck and maybe that's the case, but it was definitely lucky that Theresa May sought an extension and that EU leaders saw fit to give it.

Ireland has used up massive political capital since the Brexit vote. In one way it suited the EU to use this country as a justifiable stick to beat the UK with.

However, you can be sure that we will be reminded of it in the future.

For now the narrative from French President Emmanuel Macron and others will be that the European project stuck by a small nation in a time of trouble. This is true.

Irish people are unlikely to ever forget the solidarity shown during our moment in the limelight. But likewise, EU nations are unlikely to forget the risks they took in standing up to Boris Johnson on our behalf.

One senior EU source said recently: "This will never be linked to tax rates but it would be nice if Ireland showed some similar solidarity on that issue."

In the meantime, we should use this breathing space to try to repair Anglo-Irish relations.

As has so often been said, there is no such thing as a good Brexit for Ireland.

Unfortunately, there are years of difficult trade talks ahead between the UK and EU.

Having fought a running battle over the past three years, now would be a good time to turn over a new leaf and be its guy on the inside.

The EU may not always be our friends, but we're stuck with the UK as neighbours.

Irish Independent

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Kevin Doyle: 'Why we should aim to heal rifts with the UK after years of turmoil' - Independent.ie

Sales

Red River Tea Holdings purchased a 23,493-square-foot property at 1416 Westway Circle in Carrollton. Nathan Denton of DFW Lee & Associates brokered the sale with Clay Balch of Holt Lunsford Commercial.

Florida-based Keating Resources bought a 136,400-square-foot distribution center at 1242 Regal Row in Dallas. The building was previously occupied by Mary Kay and has been leased to Lonestar Electric Supply. Bill de la Chapelle and Sharon Cramer of Rubicon Representation brokered the sale, and Mark Miller of NAI Robert Lynn negotiated the lease. Jeremy Mercer and Turner Peterson of Mercer Co. represented Keating Resources.

An investor purchased the Villas del Lago apartments, a 247-unit rental community at 2911 Clydedale Drive in the Bachman Lake area of Dallas. The new owners plan to renovate the property. Greystones Todd Franks and Sean Reynolds brokered the sale.

Randol Mill LLC bought a fully leased medical office property at 809 W. Randol Mill Road in central Arlington. The 13,382-square-foot building is next to the Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital. SkyWalker Property Property Partners Clint Holland negotiated the sale with Jeff Matulis and Toby Scrivner of the Stan Johnson Co. and Joel St. John of JLL.

Nickson Heritage Industrial LLC purchased a 9.3-acre development site on Mitchell Road in Mansfield. The buyer plans to build 100,000 square feet of speculative warehouse space on the property. Robert Miller and George Tanghongs of DFW Lee & Associates brokered the sale with Mansfield Economic Development Corp.

Property Materials LLC leased a 39,900-square-foot industrial space at 8600 N. Royal Lane in Irving. Adam Graham and Corbin Blount of Lee & Associates DFW negotiated the lease with Catherine Gibbons and Jim Hazard of ESRP.

Texas Health Resources signed a 25,000-square-foot lease for a Texas Health Family location at 4701 Boat Club Road in Lake Worth. Ludovit Zywczak of Texas Health negotiated the lease.

Ross Dress for Less leased 21,088 square feet of retail space at Addison Town Center at 3740-3850 Belt Line Road at Marsh Lane in Addison for a new location. Bernard Shaw of Weitzman handled lease negotiations.

Surface Preparation of Texas leased a 19,200-square-foot industrial space at 2450 114th St. in Grand Prairie. Colton Rhodes of DFW Lee & Associates negotiated the lease with Jim Ferris and Michael Spain of Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services.

Go Puff leased 4,491 square feet of retail space at Plano Crossing at 8900 Ohio Drive in Plano. Brian Sladek and Chris Flesner of Retail Solutions negotiated the lease.

Pura Vida Contracting leased 3,317 square feet of office space in Campbell Forum I at 801 E. Campbell Road in Richardson. Jared Laake of Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services negotiated the lease with Deborah Borum of Beltway Commercial Real Estate.

Real estate editor Steve Brown compiles this list.

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Texas Health Resources adds space and other top D-FW commercial real estate transactions this week - The Dallas Morning News

A newstudyfound that the vast majority of baby foods tested contain heavy metals, which can harm a childs brain development.

In the study, commissioned byHealthy Babies Bright Futures(HBBF) and conducted by the toxicology and economic research firmAbt Associates, tests were performed on 168 different containers of baby food from 61 U.S. baby food brands. Researchers found heavy metals specifically, arsenic, lead,cadmiumand mercury in 95 percent of the baby foods tested.

As the report points out, all of the heavy metals are developmental neurotoxins, adding, they can harm ababys developing brainand nervous system and are linked toIQ lossfrom exposures early in life.

The majority of baby food tested (40 percent) contained three different heavy metals, with 26 percent of baby foods containing all four heavy metals. Only nine baby foods (5 percent) were free of heavy metals. Lead was the most common heavy metal, found in 94 percent of baby foods, followed by cadmium, which was in 75 percent of baby foods. That was followed by arsenic (73 percent of baby foods) and mercury (32 percent).

We were surprised that so many of the baby foods had more than one heavy metal,Charlotte Brody, a registered nurse and the national director of Healthy Babies Bright Futures, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. The impact is additive. A little bit of lead, a little bit of arsenic and a little bit cadmium add up.

Infant rice cereal and rice-based snacks were the worst offenders. These popular baby foods are not only high in inorganic arsenic, the most toxic form of arsenic, but also are nearly always contaminated with all four toxic metals, according to thereport.

A new study that tested U.S. baby food found that 95 percent contained heavy metals, including arsenic and lead, which are harmful to children's brain development. (Photo: Getty Images)

Heavy metals, like arsenic, are found naturally in the environment (as well as through pollution) and can enter the food supply through soil, water or air, according to theFood and Drug Administration(FDA).

Certain crops are more likely to absorb these heavy metals notably, rice, leafy greens and root vegetables, such as carrots and sweet potatoes, which the reports says retain more than most other types of fruits and vegetables.

But in some cases, fresh is the better way to go. The report found that peaches and green beans from the baby food aisle are less likely to contain detectable levels of lead than canned versions of these foods, while carrot and sweet potato baby foods have higher lead detection rates than their peeled, fresh counterparts.

Improving food safety standards can make a significant difference. The report urges the FDA to take action by establishing health-protective standards, including a heavy metals testing program for baby food, as well as factoring the cumulative health effects of infants consuming multiple types of heavy metals found in baby foods. When FDA and baby food companies address one contaminant in one type of food, children benefit, noted the report. But truly protecting children necessitates addressing the many contaminants that collectively harm a childs healthy development.

Adds Brody: Parents shouldnt have to worry about this. Parents should be able to buy any food thats on the shelf and know that its as safe as it can be.

There are steps thatparentscan take to reduce their babys exposure to heavy metals found in food. Its worth noting that going organic may not necessarily help. According to the report, Organic standards do not address these contaminants.Consumer Reportsown testing of baby foods in 2018 reached the same conclusion, stating, Organic foods were as likely to contain heavy metals as conventional foods.

However, peeling produce when possible can help by removing some of the heavy metals in the skin although, as Brody says, its a shame because there are nutrients in the peel.

In general, regularly giving your baby different types of foods not just relying on sweet potatoes and carrots multiple times a week also helps. Its likemercury in tuna the best way around it is to just not eat tuna every day, says Brody.

Parents can also make specific food swaps to help reduce a babys risk of exposure to these heavy metals. The researchers recommend:

Swap infant rice cereal for oatmeal, barley, quinoa, buckwheat or multigrain infant cereals

Swap puff (rice) snacks for rice-free ones, such as cut-up apples, unsweetened applesauce, bananas, cheese, peaches and yogurt

Swap teething biscuits and rice husks for frozen bananas or peeled, chilled cucumber

Swap rice from Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas or ones labeled U.S. (all of which have the highest arsenic levels, according toConsumer Reports) with basmati rice grown in California, India and Pakistan or U.S. sushi rice, which have the lowest arsenic levels. Brown rice tends to have more arsenic than white rice.

Swap fruit juice (which can contain traces ofarsenicand lead, along with being high in sugar) for plain water

Reduce how often babies consume carrots and sweet potatoes (both high in lead and cadmium) each week and serve a variety of fruits and vegetables instead

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95 percent of tested baby foods in U.S. contain toxic metals, report says here's what parents need to know - Yahoo Food

Submitted by the Orcas Food Co-op.

The co-op is currently accepting applications from non-sectarian, non-partisan charitable community groups for the 2020 Community Hero Campaign. To qualify for consideration please submit the application by Nov. 30. Please mail your application to Orcas Food Co-op Attn: Sarah Benson Post Office Box 913 Eastsound, Washington, 98245, or email outreach@orcasfood.coop.

The Orcas Food Co-ops Community Hero Program serves as an umbrella for Three Percent Thursdays, Register Round-Up and Coins for Community. Selected organizations will be the recipient of funds gathered through the following:

Three Percent Thursday: Three percent of the gross receipts on the third Thursday of the month.

Register Round-Up: Shoppers have the opportunity to round up their purchases throughout the entire month.

Coins for Community: Wooden coins donated when customers bring their own bag.

Organizations will be eligible for the program based on their service to the community in the following areas: local community service organizations; organic food; healthy food for children or seniors; environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices; human rights, environmental preservation; and groups with similar missions and values. The Community Hero selection committee and Co-op Management team will select the winning organizations and assign each to a Thursday in one of the months of the following calendar year. The winning programs will be contacted prior to the first of the year.

We believe this program offers benefits that extend far beyond the monetary contribution. If your organization is selected we would like to make sure the event receives as much attention as possible on both our marketing materials and yours. We look forward to combining our efforts to promote your organization and its values to our members and to the community at large.

If you have any questions please contact the Co-ops Marketing Specialist, Sarah Benson, at 360-376-2009 or email outreach@orcasfood.coop.

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Orcas Food Co-op is now accepting applications for the 2020 Community Hero program - Islands' Sounder

WASHINGTON In an effort to remove cancer causing nitrites from deli-type and other processed meats labeled organic, the industry watchdog OrganicEye has petitioned the USDAs National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). At its public meeting next week, the NOSB will consider whether cured organic meats may continue to be processed with nonorganic celery powder, which contains high levels of nitrates. The powder is derived from celery grown with high levels of synthetic nitrogen that are absorbed by the plant and then used as a nitrate-based preservative.

The continued use of this material in organic meat is in conflict with the law that requires all synthetic and non-organic ingredients to be safe for the environment and human health, saidMark Kastel, director or OrganicEye, a project of national group Beyond Pesticides, which bridges consumer, farmer, environmental and public health interests.

The Organic Foods Production Act prohibits synthetic nitrate use in organic crop production and adding nitrates or nitrites in processing. Nitrates and nitrites are prohibited in organic food because of their impacts on human health, which include methemoglobinemia, hypotension, risk of pregnancy complications, a number of reproductive effects, and cancer, the groups lead scientist, Terry Shistar, PhD, stated. Substituting celery powder grown with high applications of synthetic nitrogen, when it has the same biological action in the human body, is unethical and undermines the reputation of organic food as the safest marketplace alternative, she continued. As an alternative to celery powder, OrganicEye suggests that meat processors and retailers can distribute similar products, without preservatives, that would be required to be kept frozen rather than adding nitrates.

OrganicEye is also recommending that the Board remove the synthetic amino acid methionine from the list of allowed synthetic substances, no longer allowing it to be added to organic poultry feed. The additive facilitates industrial-scale confinement operations, rather than managing poultry with outdoor access as required by federal law.

OrganicEye is a project of Beyond Pesticides.

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Organic Board to Vote on Whether Nitrates Can Be Used in Curing Organic Meats - PerishableNews

Organic Food and Beverages Market Report, published by Allied Market Research, projects that the global market is expected to reach $327,600 million by 2022, from $115,984 million in 2015, at a CAGR of 16.4% from 2016 to 2022. The organic beverages segment occupied a dominant share, accounting for about three-fifths of the market in 2015, and is expected to maintain this trend during the forecast period. The organic fruits and vegetables and other organic food segments collectively accounted for half of the global organic food market share in 2015, whereas the organic coffee and tea sub segments contributed nearly one-third share of the organic beverages market in 2015.

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Organic foods and beverages offer ample advantages over conventional foods such as health benefits, free of harmful chemicals, and others. The global market is poised to witness significant growth during the forecast period, owing to increase in income levels, rise in awareness regarding advantages of organic products, and advancements in organic farming techniques. The demand for organic food and beverages is anticipated to increase by three-folds by 2022 as compared to that in 2015. In addition, factors such as heavy investment and supportive investment policies by government organization for organic farming provide lucrative opportunities to market players. However, high price of organic products and low shelf life hamper the market growth.

Organically grown fruits and vegetables have high nutritive value, and are free from pesticides and other chemicals. Furthermore, organic nondairy beverages are in high demand among consumers due to increase in health awareness among consumers. Therefore, this segment accounted for significant share of the global market in 2015, followed by the fruits and vegetables segment. The popularity of organic meat, fish, and poultry has increased among consumers, as these products are free from chemicals and contain less fat and cholesterol. Moreover, the organic baby food segment is expected to witness huge potential in the near future, as these products are safer than the conventional baby foods.

Presently, North America and Europe jointly contributed for more than four-fifths share of the global market. The Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to register the highest CAGR of 23% during the forecast period. The organic dairy products market has the highest potential for growth in European countries. The countries in Latin America and the Middle East are projected to exhibit significant growth in the near future.

Though establishment of exclusive diet centers, untapped geographical regions such as India, South Africa which are offering a rising demand, limited shelf life of organic foods pose limitations in the market. However, each factor would have its definite impact on the market during the forecast period.

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Organic Food and Beverages Market Key Findings:

The organic food segment is projected to grow at a significant CAGR of 16.6% from 2016 to 2022.

Among organic beverages, the nondairy beverages segment is projected to grow rapidly during the forecast period.

The organic beverages segment accounted for about three-fifths of the global market in 2015.

The Asia-Pacific region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 23% during the forecast period.

The coffee & tea segment accounted for nearly one-third share of the market in 2015.

Top Key Players: The key market players profiled in the report are The WhiteWave Foods Company, Hain celestial Group, Inc., General Mills Inc. United Natural Foods, Inc., SpartanNash Company, Amys Kitchen, Inc., Dean Foods Company, Starbucks Corporation, The Kroger Co., and Whole Foods Market Inc.

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Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of Market Research Reports and Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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Organic Food and Beverages Market in Emerging Economies will witness a CAGR of 16.4% through 2022 - GuruFocus.com

Natural Grocers is coming to Spokanes South Hill, according to city permit data.

The health food chain that sells organic food and produce will take the space formerly occupied by the Hastings Entertainment store, 2512 E. 29th Ave., near the intersection of 29th Avenue and Southeast Boulevard.

Permits for $820,000 in work have been filed and are under review by the city, but if the store opens, it will join the other Natural Grocers in the area: 4603 N. Division St. in Spokane, and 222 W. Neider Ave. in Coeur dAlene.

The company was founded in Lakewood, Colorado, in 1955 as a door-to-door sales business by Margaret and Philip Isely. According to the Colorado alternative newspaper, Westword, the Iselys then began what was originally called Vitamin Cottage after Margaret Isely became chronically ill and became interested in the growing field of supplements and health food.

Ahead of its time, the store focused on organic, local food and the practice of butchering and using the whole animal. The Isley family meals were filled with tongue, heart, liver and other offal after the prime cuts were taken to sell at the store.

The store name changed to Natural Grocers in 2008 to highlight its grocery selling and move away from vitamins.

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Natural Grocers to fill former Hastings location on South Hill - The Spokesman-Review