Managing Food Allergies and Intolerances in the Hospitality Sector Essay Example for Free

Managing Food Allergies and Intolerances in the Hospitality Sector Essay A food allergy is the response of the body to a food or protein the body perceives as injurious and therefore produces antibodies (Eigenmann, 2009). Highly popular are allergies towards nuts, eggs or seafood. The symptoms can vary from swelling of the throat or mouth, skin reactions, noxious feeling, breathing difficulties or even collapse (Busky, 2012). Intolerance on the other hand is the reaction when the body is not able to deal or digest a kind of food because the body misses or cannot produce certain enzymes. Most commonly known are lactose and gluten intolerances which are coeliac disorders. Triggering a malabsorption of several nutritional ingredients the sufferer has to deal with indigestion, mild abdominal (stomach) pain, bloating, occasional changes in bowel habit, such as episodes of mild diarrhoea or constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss or even vomiting (National Health Services). All these symptoms give high restrictions during daily life and require careful attention. Further the term of anaphylaxis appears quite often in the context of food allergy. Anaphylaxis describes an extreme form of imunsystem reaction to a chemical contact with of a substance of the sufferer within the environment. It impinges on the whole body and can in worst cases lead to an anaphylactic shock which often causes death (National Health Services). The British Allergy Foundation stated that in 2012 up to 21 million people in the UK are affected by food allergies and that almost 10 million of them are suffering from more than one allergy. They further estimated that by the year 2015 almost 50 per cent of the Europeans will suffer from an allergy. These facts are already allowing an insight into the importance of the topic in the hospitality industry and its uprising as a contemporary issue of increasing significance. In the following section some general information and research and three food allergy organizations will be presented more in detail. The topic will be presented with a detailed view on the approach in restaurants. The key findings will be evaluated and summarized in the conclusion. Discussion General Information Allergens in food are not always labelled and indicated on product or menu items. Further as per the findings of Pratten and Towers (2003) there is high education and training for hospitality workers in terms of food hygiene and preparation but with no deeper focus on handling food allergies. Eating out therefore becomes a difficult challenge especially for families. Especially, after reviewing a study of Cathy A. Enz on behalf of the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly in 2004. Her findings show that for restaurant managers and owners the level of concerns regarding food allergies lays only with 3,3 % (out of 100%) and is ranked on the sixed position out of eight criteria (see appendix, exhibit 1). As per Allergykids. com four in ten UK school children have an allergic condition. Hence the parents have to control and watch after their children much more to ensure their well-being. The founder and CEO of Allergyeats. com, Paul Antico states â€Å"First and foremost, I’m a dad of kids who have food allergies. I understand the concerns of parents and know what it’s like to be constantly on guard. † Adding to this statement, seven out of ten sufferers say their allergy has an adverse effect on their lives (Allergykids. com, 2012). This is clearly showing the impact on the hospitality and the need for adaption in the service offer. Within the issue of Food Allergies there have been several approaches to ease and make the topic more valid and accessible on the consumer as well as on the service providers ‘point of view. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act One step was the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of the second of August of 2004 which came into effect on the first of August 2006. It obliges manufacturers to label and indicate common allergens like nuts or milk on their product on a clear and comprehensible way (Food and Drug Administration, 2004). Whereas it is questionable if the consumer can be assured by this with correct labeling. The Food and Drug Administration is randomly inspecting different food packaging for the allergen label but it is shady if some products might just slip through and give wrong indications for the consumer. Nevertheless nowadays there is a wide range of products (for example in a supermarket with an average of 50,000 products (Google Answeres)) and most of them are food items. Therefore the control of all packaging becomes a heavy challenge. However the first step is the mplementation of such a law. Regarding the fact that the Act is in effect since 2006 it can be estimated that products have been relabeled over the years and especially new products introduced the allergen label by entering the market. The Gluten Free and Allergy Free Passport The Gluten Free and Allergy Free Passport organization are â€Å"Educating the World about Food Travel since 2005† (GFPassport, 2012). The below graph is showing their approach to necessary communication between restaurant and allergy sufferer: Fig. 1 Gluten Allergy Free Passport, 2012 On both sides, on the guest perspective and the restaurant perspective there should be previous education. The Guest, in this case the allergy sufferer needs to assess his comfort level by for example talking to the wait staff. After identifying the eating options the guest conducts the pre planning and starts the interaction with the restaurant. Communication the guest? s needs and specifications are crucial and the first step in the interaction. Ordering the meal and receiving it, the guest should provide feedback about his experience. At the same time not only the guest has to be cautious, the wait staff and the cooks have to understand the guest needs and facilitate the specification ordered by fully ensuring safety for the guest. After the meal is delivered the staff should follow-up not only for the well-being of the guest but also to apply critical feedback. The Chef? s Card To ease this communication between the customer and the restaurant some organisation like the Allergy Free Table LLC company introduced a useful tool. The company is trying to educate and provide information in that area. But not only the provision of important information about allergies and intolerances, facts and figures, problems and risks is their aim but they also giving solutions to make daily life for allergy sufferers easier. One of their approaches is the Chef? s card. It is similar to a business card indicating the allergy of the consumer, the degree of the allergy and the actions to be taken in case of an allergic reaction. Example of Layout of Chef? s Card: Fig. 2: Allergy Chef? s Card (Allergy Free Table, LLC, 2012) The Allergy Free Table LLC.  Co provides sample cards and individual adjusted templates which are provided for free download and print out on their website. This approach is widely spread and having a look through the World Wide Web a lot of positive comments regarding this idea can be found. On the forum for Food Allergy Support, members are commenting â€Å"We go out eat a lot and we use the Chef? s Card [†¦]†, â€Å"[†¦] the cards are useful [†¦]† or â€Å"[†¦] Im all for chef cards! [†¦]†. Further there can be services found other online services as SelectWisely. com which is providing Chef? Card with the focus on people travelling and therefore translating them in the respective language. From the customer and the restaurants perspective the Chef? s Card is an effective approach to this serious issue. The customer receives the feeling to be taken more serious with the special demand. Further for example the wait staff have something to hold in the hands, which can be handed over to the kitchen staff and results in more security as the level of miscommunications is narrowed. Particularly while travelling the Chef? Card is relieving the customer from feeling stressed eating out as well the restaurant obtains a clear guideline to handle the guest conveniently and most important safely. To sum up the approach of the Chef? s Card is an innovative approach which eases the concern of food allergy issues in restaurant for both parties. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network Despite many online communities (e. g. the Allergy Free Table LLC. Co) are providing information the most popular one might be the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) are calling themselves the â€Å"most trusted source of information† and can record over 22,000 memberships in the year 2012 (FAAN, 2012). The network is funded by the annual membership fees, donations and charity events like the yearly FAAN Walk for Food Allergy. They are committed to increase the awareness of the impact and implications of Food Allergies, the provision of education for young and old, advocate further research into the topic. The FAAN offers programs like the â€Å"[emailprotected]† program which is a package including nformation material as well as implementation and management strategies for schools (FAAN, 2012). Moreover they understood that â€Å"Eating away from home can pose a significant risk to people affected by food allergy. Research suggests that close to half of fatal food allergy reactions are triggered by food served by a restaurant or other food service establishment† (FAAN, 2012). So they are approaching restaurateurs directly and are calling up on more training for hospitality staff: â€Å"Education, cooperation, and teamwork are the keys to safely serving a guest who has food allergies. All food service staff – including restaurant managers, servers, and kitchen staff – must become familiar with the issues surrounding food allergies and the proper way to answer guests’ questions. Further, they must know what to do if an allergic reaction occurs. † The network emphasises on cooperation between the restaurants and customers to ease the barriers and to diminish the risks for allergy sufferers while eating out. The handbook for training of hospitality staff is only one of the collections of information which is provided for free on the FAAN? s homepage. Reviewing the amount of information which is available especially online restaurateurs should no longer hesitate to implement the handling of food allergies as an inherent part of their standards and policies. Much information is available for free and some managerial strategies and ,of course training sessions, will cost some money. Nevertheless this undertaking is not too difficult as food safety and hygiene procedures are already applied in gastronomic enterprises. As shown above the need for an extension to allergy concerns from the customers? side is omnipresent. Although that the adaption of this issue will cost time and money in return target markets and customer acquisition will be promoted. The Trend of Labelling Menu Items Food labelling is only mandatory for products coming from the manufacturer, so those which are e. g. bought in supermarkets and grocery shops. This labelling format has been improved by the Codex Alimentarius by the Commission of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization in 2003 also adapted by the European Parliament and one year later in the USA. It regulated that foods triggering ensitive reactions have to be labelled. Current discussions about having restaurants to label their menu items are on-going but â€Å"[†¦] the restaurant industry argued that mandatory labeling would be a significant burden on most restaurants, the majority of which are small businesses that do not have the technical ability and/or knowledge to provide and publish such data† (Pizam, 2011). Restaurants mostly object menu labeling. Small businesses only produce in small amounts and menu items change frequently which would imply additional financial expenditures on the menu design. Further restaurants are arguing that the demand for labeled menus is not high enough. Attempts with calorie and fat indications mostly failed in past years. The demand for low calorie and low fat items in comparison to the conventional products was not high enough (Din, Zahari, Otham, Abas, 2012). It is questionable if this failure of menu indications is significant in the debate about labeling menus for allergy sufferers (Pizam, 2011). The quoted arguments are comprehensible but the extreme defensive attitude should be dropped. The request for menu labeling must not be a generalized demand but a compromise could be formed. Restaurants could have some additional menus indicating a detailed description of the menu ingredients. Other than that the restaurant might be able to guarantee that the cook on shift knows all its products and ingredients. This could be done by narrowing the amount of suppliers, brands and by maintaining the supplier for basic products. Maintaining loyal to a supplier as a plus would reduce purchase costs as restaurants receive better prices with long-term contracts. Conclusion Concluding from the findings the issue of food allergies in restaurants will be of increasing concern in the following years. Therefore there is every indication to find common approaches and standards to build up a convenient interrelation between customers and restaurants. The customer, most of all, needs to develop the trust to the restaurateur of being served in a serious and safe manner. The presented concept of the Chef? s Card is a recommendable and effective way to ease the communication for the special requirements of an allergy sufferer. Further the restaurant can handle the conveyed responsibility with more secureness and assurance. As the research has shown labelling the menu to needs of allergy sufferers is still in heavy discussion. Nevertheless a common standard should be introduced in order for the restaurant to clearly follow any special requests. To conclude in the future an overall standard is required in restaurants. Procedures should be extended and the implementation of allergy handling should be a standard for all gastronomy venues. The load of information is immense and the accessibility is there. Hence restaurants have little excuse too not implement some new strategies in their procedures. Although staff turnover is very high in the hospitality sector which is complicating the demand for additional training, hygiene and food safety instructions are mandatory for all hospitality staff. So why not extend and cover the issue of food allergies at the same time. Consequently restaurants could be labelled as being trained in allergy concerns and customers can easily choose to eat out.

Analysing Of The Postponed Barangay Election Politics Essay

Analysing Of The Postponed Barangay Election Politics Essay A Barangay is the smallest unit of government in our country. Under Republic Act 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code, the Barangay, as the basic political unit, serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects, and activities in the community, and as a forum wherein the collective views of the people may be expressed, crystallized and considered, and where disputes may be amicably settled (Section 384, R.A. 7160). A Barangay is headed by the Punong Barangay and seven (7) members of Sangguniang Barangay (Section 387, R.A 7160). Their term of office is three (3) years. The next Barangay Election is scheduled to be held on the 25th day of October 2010. The Philippines held its last Barangay Election on the 29th of October 2007. The postponement of the Barangay Election has been a hot issue in congress lately. Since the schedule for the conduct of Barangay Election is fast approaching, congress is currently debating whether to pass a law postponing the upcoming Barangay Election. Should the Barangay Election push through; candidates would be competing for position of Barangay chairman and seven Sangguniang Barangay members. The leaders in congress are proposing to postpone the Barangay Election primarily on the ground of financial constraints. Vice President Jejomar Binay also expresses support for the postponement of the Barangay Election. He is of the opinion that the local government units cannot afford to contribute at least 25% of their annual budget for election expenditures. Under the law, the local government units may be compelled by the Commission on Election (COMELEC) to contribute to fund the Barangay Election expenditures. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile also proposes to postpone the Barangay Election and have it held simultaneously on May 2013 elections. (Enrile pabor ding ipagpaliban ang Barangay, SK Elections, GMA NEWS. 2010) The Philippines held its first automated election during the 2010 National Election. While survey shows that it was the most peaceful election, nevertheless, there were unavoidable election violence that took place. Just like in the past elections, the COMELEC declared that there were fourteen (14) election hotspots. These election hotspots are Ilocos Norte, Abra, Masbate, Nueva Ecija, Western Samar, Eastern Samar, Antique, Basilan, Sulu, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sarangani and Zamboanga Sibugay. (14 Provinces as HOTSPOTS, Sun Star Manila. 2010) In every election, violence is unavoidable despite government and COMELECs effort to minimize the same by introducing reforms such as the computerization of the election. The COMELEC is trying its best to prevent killings and violence and cheating during the election. However, notwithstanding the efforts of COMELEC to prevent or stop these killings and violence, there will still be killings among candidates and supporters during election pe riod. Such unfortunate events are inevitable during election period. The most devastating election related violence was the Maguindanao Massacre. We all heard that more than 50 media men were massacred in Maguindanao. Thus, if the election is held this year, such violence will likely to happen again. Candidates and supporters will surely do everything to win in the election. Hence, if the Barangay Election is postponed, this will be a breathing space for our people to heal the wounds that was caused by the 2010 national election. Though it is temporary, people would not get to suffer again this year. As the saying goes, time heals all wounds. Online dictionary defines it as people eventually get over the bad things happened to them. (Time heals all wounds, Dictionary. n.d.) I agree that aside from budgetary constraints, another strong reason why the upcoming Barangay Election scheduled this 25th day of October 2010 must be postponed is because of the recent hotly contested national Election which divided our countrymen. The recent division among our countrymen which caused personal ill-feelings among candidates and supporters are still fresh and remain unhealed. I finally agree with our government leaders in proposing for the postponement of the upcoming Barangay Election because the holding of another election within the year is too much for us to bear. Our country is currently experiencing huge budget deficit. If we postpone the upcoming Barangay Election, our government will save at least three billion pesos. I believe that our government can use the savings for infrastructure and other basic services for the needs of the poor. I also believe that the upcoming Barangay Election will interrupt COMELECs duty to decide pending election protests from the 2010 national Election promptly. As previously stated, due to the recent hotly contested national Election, our countrymen remain divided up to the present. They are divided because of the support they gave to their respective chosen political party or candidate to the extent of hurting false personal accusations against one another. I am in favor of the postponement of this years Barangay Election in order to heal the wounds of the last presidential Election. I am worried that candidates and supporters will be quarreling again and impute wrongdoing against one another just like in the last 2010 National Election, there were incidents wherein loyal supporters of one camp who accuse the other for being corrupt even without evidence just to destroy his reputation. In another instance, another camp made false accusations that a candidate has psychological problems, such similar false accusations will surely arise again if we conduct the election this year. Thus, unhealed wounds would be opened up again. We cannot afford things to happen again. Division among our people is too deep and if not reminded, our people and the government might break down. Another reason for the Barangay Election to be postponed is because of the huge expenses for the conduct of election. To conduct an election, the COMELEC will spend au to THREE BILLION PESOS (P3,000,000,000.00) for the printing ballots, salary of the teachers, and purchase of election paraphernalia and other election expenses.(Preparation for Barangay and SK Election, Philippine Update Election. 2010) The money that will be used as an expense to conduct Barangay Election will come from taxes which our taxpayers pay. Because our country is having a huge budget deficit, the money allocated in our budget throughout the year is larger than the money earned or collected by the government. Thus, congress is proposing that the Barangay Election must be postponed. The savings may be used to fund the infrastructure and other social services for the poor. Congress believes that the needs of the citizens should be the prioritized first before electing new officials. Conducting the Barangay Elections would not change the fact that the current or newly elected officials would still be doing their job. The government already spent more than TEN BILLION PESOS (P10,000,000,000.00) in the recent Presidential Election. (Finally, automated elections .2010) Our country just had the most expensive election this year. By postponing the Barangay Election, our government will be able to reduce the budget deficit which our economy greatly needs. The Proponent who wants to have the Barangay Election held this year suggests that it should not be postponed. Her strongest point is the issue of corruption among current officials while I do admit that corruption thrives in our government including Barangays, I submit that conducting as election this year is not the solution to the problem. Election is not the solution to corruption. The proponent for continuation of the Barangay Election this year argues that because of the elections, issues regarding the corrupt officials are exposed during campaign. She argues that during campaign, candidates expose anomalies and corruption. However, they failed to appreciate that the candidates often impute malice and false accusations and concoct evidence of corruption just to destroy the reputation of their opponent. The proponent of this years election failed to notice that I even if election will be held this year, there will still be corruption and several corrupt candidates will still win. Hence, competition will not disappear. The best solution to eradicate corruption is the strict and effectiveness implementation of the law. Thus, the government should see to it that the corrupt officials are prosecuted and punished so that other government officials will be afraid to commit corruption. I believe that the postponement of the Barangay Election has far greater advantage that any possible disadvantage. In financial aspects, the money that may be saved will be used for infrastructures and public service. Hence, our people, especially the poor will greatly benefit from the funds for social services. Because of the recent national election, the people are already divided. Filipinos should be unified especially during his hard times. We should have unity to achieve peace and order in this country. I dont see any disadvantage if we postpone the Barangay Election. Positions of Barangay officials will not be left vacant. Current Barangay officials will just continue to act in their respective official duties. Thus, public service will not be hampered. I agree that the issue of election expense is the main reason why most of our government leaders opt to postpone the upcoming Barangay Election. Secondary is the unhealed wounds that Filipinos suffered by reason of the recent National Election. So many candidates and supporters became enemies because of the election. Another reason why most government officials agreed to postpone the Barangay Election because of the several election protests for the national election are still pending with the COMELEC, the holding of the Barangay Election this year will interrupt COMELECs duty to decide the protests promptly. Therefore, the postponement of the Barangay Election will be a great help for the whole country. Congress should pass a law for the postponement of the Barangay Election and have it held in 2011 or in 2012.

Denmarks Coffee Industry :: essays research papers

Strengths •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Government control of coffee market has consumer confidence high •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Denmark has no restrictions on capital transfers. Denmark adheres to EU rules on the liberation of capital movements. Also Denmark has no foreign exchange restrictions. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Political violence is unknown in Denmark •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corruption is generally unknown in Denmark. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After oil, coffee is the most traded and valued commodity in the world. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Scandinavian countries (Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden) consume between 8 and 11 kilos per capita, per annum. This is the highest level of coffee consumption in the world. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This expansion could strengthen a coffee shop’s global presence and also minimize risk. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Danish currency, the Danish Krone (DKK), is pegged to the Euro. Weaknesses •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Denmark citizens may not acquire a taste for an American coffee, which in turn could lead to diminishing returns. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a very few coffee shops based in Denmark, so creating a pioneering image could backfire. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the coffee industry, beverage innovation is a determining factor of the Company’s success. The lack of beverage innovation could have a significant adverse affect on performance. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Denmark has yet to adopt the Euro, the common currency of the European Union, as its currency. Opportunities •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Volume of coffee sales increased in 2003 and showed strength in 2004. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hot drinks are subject to international influences. These influences are slowly changing drinking patterns in the hot drink market. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 2003 coffee consumption outside the home increased to 27% compared to its 2002 mark of 25%. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tea market was in a downward trend in volume sales in 2003. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Denmark hot drinks market is dominated by international players. Sara Lee Corp., Kraft Foods and Nestle all gained a dominant position in Denmark’s hot drink market by means of acquisition of already existing well known local companies. They utilized strong country loyalty by not changing the name but at the same time developing new flavors and brands. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Denmark has no restrictions on capital transfers. Denmark adheres to EU rules on the liberation of capital movements. Also Denmark has no foreign exchange restriction. •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vesterbro, Copenhagen’s former red light district, lends itself to trendy businesses such as coffee shops. Threats •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Existing competition includes the following: o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ricco’s Coffee Shop o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Art Cafà © Riga o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cafà © Zach o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bang & Jensen o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hackenbush o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cafà © Sonja o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amokka Kaffehaus o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other cafà ©s   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bars   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Restaurants   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fusion Cafà ©s (cafà ©s with areas to shop, do laundry, or another activity) •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kaffeplantagen Coffee Bar & Flower Shop •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Barbarellah Bar, Clothing Store, & Interior Decoration •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Potential government crackdown on hemp marketplace in Christiana (square within Copenhagen) could harm other businesses such as coffee shops •Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Low population growth in Denmark leaves coffee consumption at its saturation point.

Equity of Trade Versus Free Trade Essay -- essays papers

Equity of Trade Versus Free Trade The U.S. has a huge trade imbalance with most trading nations. The imbalance is not in agriculture, although many food products -- both raw and processed -- enter the U.S. at prices below those for comparable U.S.-grown foodstuffs. To a large degree the imbalance is in manufactured goods. One reason is that many nations have lower costs of production -- based upon a lower standard of living, cheap labor, inexpensive raw materials, protective government policy, etc. Multinationals who have moved their plants to foreign locations enjoy the best of both worlds -- inexpensive manufacturing costs and unlimited access to the world's biggest consumer market, the USA. Our laissez-faire trade stance, when coupled with many nations' protective trade stances and the inherent disparity of living standards around the world, is proving to be a recipe for ever-increasing trade deficits. Exacerbating the situation, GATT and NAFTA are proving difficult to implement when other nations improvise p hony trade issues and drag their feet at every opportunity. Bottomline, the U.S. is having problems with free trade. There is an alternative to free trade. It's called EQUITY OF TRADE. It would work like this: Under equity of trade, if the nation or other trading entity in question wants to export some manufactured item or food product into this country, and if the item in question is priced lower than a comparable item manufactured or grown in the U.S., then the trading entity is required to pay a tariff (import duty) at the Port of Entry that equals the difference between the landed-price of the good and the average cost of a comparable American-made good. Example: A shirt made in Sri Lanka lands on U.S. shores with a cost of $15, while a comparable shirt made in the U.S. would cost $25. The foreign entity would then pay a tariff of $10 per shirt. However, instead of good ol' Uncle Sam pocketing the tariff income on behalf of the federal government (which it's not entitled to and which creates ill-will and does nothing to foster long-range, mutually-beneficial trading relationships), deposit the collected tariff monies into an interest-bearing trading account in a U.S. bank in the exporting nation's name (or company or any other entity). Then give the foreign trading entity 12 months to redeem the trade credit and accrued interest by purcha... ... up the habit (Roberts). The surprising thing is that these kids know that they are being influenced by cigarette advertising. If these kids know that this advertising is manipulating them, why do they still keep smoking? The ads are everywhere, especially in teen-oriented magazines, such as Rolling Stone and Spin. The ads also fuel some of the reasons the children gave for starting. They represent rebellion, independence, acceptance and happiness. These are all the things a young person, between childhood and adolescence, needs and desires. This type of advertising, on top of peer pressure, is the mystery behind the rise in adolescent smoking. How do we stop the future of America from smoking? Here are three things that the experts recommend. Try to convince your children that smoking is not cool. Talk to your kids at a young age about the dangers of smoking. Identify family members who smoke and ask them to stop (Thomas). Children are the most valuable commodity we are given in life. Let's try to educate them while they're young to be independent thinkers and to not be swayed by the tobacco companies who are trying to take advantage of their mind and body.

Identification of Bacteria in Wastewater Essay example -- Scientific R

The analytical techniques for direct detection, enumeration, isolation and identification many different types of pathogenic bacteria in wastewater and accompanying sludge require well-trained technicians. Also it's usually are unpredictable, difficult, hugely expensive, costly and time-consuming procedures. The task would be enormous if one contemplates the monitoring of hundreds of pathogens and parasites on a routine basis in water and wastewater treatment plants, receiving waters, soils and others environmental samples (Lucero-Ramirez, 2000 and Bitton, 2005). To avoid these problems, Toze (1997) reported that the indicator microorganisms are indicators of fecal pollution used to determine the relative risk of the possible presences of microbial pathogens. Indicator organisms are also used as models for the behavior of pathogens e.g. to determine the efficiency of treatment processes. In this study the bacterial load of the effluent samples examined in this study was summarized in Table 1. There are no significant differences between geometric means of TBC and TC cell number in all samples collected from STP1, STP2 and STP3. The log10 CFU /100 mL of TC of effluent samples collected from STPs was significantly different from the log10 of FC and enterococci cell number (P ≠¤0.05 as determined by ANOVA). The geometric mean values for the TC ranged from 6.12 to 5.39 log10 CFU /100 mL. Enterococci levels in treated effluent at STP1 were significantly less than STP2 and STP3. According to data collected from STPs under study, STP2 is specific for treated of the domestic sewage coming from medical centers, while STP1 treated the wastewater coming from laboratories that operate on the experiences of pharmaceutical in the educationa... ...tion complies with the WHO guidelines for unrestricted irrigation regarding the FC content (≠¤1000 CFU/100 mL or 3 log10 CFU/100 mL). According to Alcalde et al., (2003) the effluent which has these parameters can be used for unrestricted irrigation of several crops during the entire year without any additional disinfection treatment. This results were accepted by Deportes et al. (1998) who reported that during storage, indicators and pathogenic microorganisms remained either undetectable or at low level. Moreover, survivals of microorganisms that are associated with solids are more than when they are suspended in water (Straub et al., 1992). Works Cited Straub, T. M., Pepper, I. L. and Gerba, C. P. (1992): Persistence of viruses in desert soil amended with anaerobically digested sewage sludge. Journal of Applied Environmental and Microbiology (58), 636–645.

Ginger as hair loss treatment Essay

Doctors mostly recommended that Good circulation is the key to healthy hair since ginger for hair loss activates nutrients circulating the body to reach the hair follicles. Twenty years ago people were wrongly being advised to stand on their head so that a topsy-turvy stance would raise the blood flow to the scalp. However, the fact is far from those ‘blurred’ beliefs and if you try it, you will be under a serious headache.However,you should try the natural ginger for hair loss. Recent studies show that almost 94% of the world’s population has no concept on the power of ginger for hair loss but they only have a clue in its use as a spice ingredient. Among these people only a few have a concept that ginger is used for ailment treatment but don’t have a clue on the use of ginger for hair loss treatments. If you are under this category,don’t worry you’ll discover one of the ‘top secrets’ of ginger right now! Ginger is popular in traditional Chinese medicine and in homeopathy and due to its anti-inflammatory and circulatory properties; it alone has a natural stimulating property that makes ginger for hair loss the best solution for hair treatments. From the view of hair growth elements, ginger has natural property which makes the hair grow mainly on its laxative, tonic antiseptic and anti-inflammatory attributes. Even though there are hundreds of Herbal supplements for hair treatments, no herb can effectively treat a head without hair except Ginger. Prior to ginger for hair loss treatment, be aware that using ginger juice on a regularly basis may lighten your hair slightly and tend to darken your hair a bit if you use it with sesame oil. Other than that nothing serious happens. So let’s come to the main point. Ginger improves the rate of Scalp blood circulation. The rise of blood flow to the scalp boosts hair growth rate to the peak point. This is due to the fact that blood actively flows to the scalp and provides nutrients to the hair follicle that is responsible for hair growth and adequate supply of oxygen to the follicles. You can prepare ginger for hair loss treatment by slicing ginger root and add it to brandy. Massage the scalp with the mixture to promote hair growth. You should use this mixture two or three times weekly to see new hair growth within a few weeks’ time. If you don’t see any results, you shouldn’t stop using ginger for hair loss treatment since each case is different for every individual so that you’ll definitely see progressive results ahead. Note that you should refrigerate any leftovers for your next treatment. Due to ginger’s potency loss after few days, always juice and use up what you need. As a reminder, don’t leave the ginger mix for a long period of time. Ginger is also used against hair thinning premature grey hair and Dandruff since ginger root contains essential fatty acids that helps to re-grow your hair to the old times and fights most plaguing scalp disorders facing individuals today. You should note that direct rubbing ginger on your head is not recommended and not applicable since male hair loss is caused by the effects of a chemical by-product produced by your body known as DHT. This DHT rate cannot be minimized by direct dubbing rather it needs a series of steps for the preparation of ginger root. To prepare this ginger for hair loss treatment, start grating a ginger root by evenly mixing it with sesame, olive or jojoba oil. Note that you shouldn’t use directly after you mix but wait for at least 10 minutes. After that, add lemon juice to the mixture and mix it thoroughly. Then rub the mixture on your scalp and smoothly massage in a circular move and leave it on for 30-35 minutes. After half an hour, rinse off using h air soup or shampoo your hair. You can also prepare ginger for hair loss juice by mixing six ounces of ginger root with 1/4 cup of water. After you successfully blend the mix, strain it by squeezing it through the cloth into a bowl. Then separate the pulp from the juice and smoothly massage the ginger juice into your scalp in a circular movement and then pat the pulp atop the treated area. Finally leave it on for 10-15 minutes before washing your head so that you make ginger for hair loss treatment successfully.

The Black Cat

â€Å"The Black Cat† by Edgar Allan Poe is one of Poe’s greatest literary works that embodies his signature themes of death, violence, and darkness. Poe’s main character begins his narration of his horrible wrongdoings regarding them as a â€Å"series of mere household events† (Poe 705). However, this is where Poe’s satire and irony begins and the story progresses to show the deranged mindset of this character as he tries to justify his actions. As the main character proceeds to rationalize his crime, Poe is able to convey a sense of irony through his use of foreshadowing, metaphors and symbolism. Irony begins within the narrator’s introduction to his confession by telling the reader that he will tell his story but â€Å"without comment† (Poe 705). Within this same ironic tone, the narrator continues to humanize his actions and plea for justification but predicts that what he has already done has destroyed him. Poe describes how â€Å"these events have terrified–have tortured–have destroyed† him (Poe 705). Poe adds an ironic tone to the story by telling it through the narrator’s perspective. The narrator is a demented individual and the average reader cannot relate to the evil that has erupted inside him. As he begins to rationalize, there is a vast difference between the narrator and the reader leading to the irony that the man feels that this was all a normal series of misfortune. Literary critic, Richard Badenhausen, explains Poe’s decision for telling the story from the narrator’s point-of-view, â€Å"Despite pledging to tell his tale â€Å"without comment,† the narrator is constantly qualifying, correcting, and explaining, in the hope that the audience will see events from his perspective. Although he ironically announces in the opening sentence that he â€Å"neither expect[s] nor solicit[s] belief† the narrator is obsessively concerned with both activities: he hopes for understanding from his listeners and energetically pursues approval by employing the various manipulative tools of the storyteller† (Badenhausen 487). Finally, Poe also thickens the suspense of the story with the early foreshadowing that the main character feels that he may harm his wife writing, â€Å"At length, I even offered her personal violence† (Poe 706 ). The greatest metaphor throughout this tale is the black cat. While the narrator’s wife has been known to refer to the dark-haired feline as a â€Å"witch in disguise†, the metaphor for Poe is that the cat is not only a superstitious monster but it is also a metaphor for being the narrator’s own personal demon (Poe 706). The recurring events with the black cats in the story portray that they are metaphors for the narrator’s own problems that haunt him. As the series of events continue throughout the story, the cat becomes a visual element in the scene for the narrator’s recurring violence and finally brings him to the point of his insanity. Moreover, it has been argued that the cat is a metaphor for the narrator’s wife. Critics claim that the following passage raises suspicion that the killing of the first cat was actually the murder of his own wife. Poe writes: Norton Anthology American Literature. 7th. 1. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. , 2008. 705-711. Print. Critics who support this notion feel that the â€Å"reversal is substitution in wife for cat and cat for wife† and that the narrator had clearly projected his feelings for his wife onto the cat (Amper 475). Literary critic, Susan Amper, commented on this metaphor-theory, â€Å"It is not merely that the wife was always the intended victim; she was the original, in fact the only victim. Moreover, this inference provides a much more compelling reason for the narrator's substitution of cat for wife or rather twin reasons, for his pretense that he has only killed his cat serves both to ease his own sense of guilt, and to shield him from prosecution for murder (Amper 475). This theory also supports the irony that the wife’s body was decomposed after merely three-days and leaves the reader with one of Poe’s signature suspenseful, disturbing endings. The final writing element that Poe uses throughout this short story is symbolism. Readers are introduced to one of the story’s main characters, Pluto, the black cat, who supposedly provokes the narrator into committing his heinous acts of violence but is merely symbolic for the narrator’s imbedded hatred and evil. Not only is this feline symbolic for evil because of superstitions regarding black cats, the cat’s name has a deeper symbolic meaning. According to Roman Mythology, Pluto is name of the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. This symbolic name not only represents the narrator’s cruel intentions but also provides a sense of foreshadowing. After the first black cat is slain, a second black cat appears and is unwelcomed by the narrator. According to Professor Ann Bliss from the University of California, â€Å"looks remarkably like the original except in one respect: it is marked with a patch of white that, for the narrator, increasingly comes to resemble a gallows—reminding the narrator of his violence toward the first cat and foreshadowing acts of violence to come† (Bliss 97). The white color of the patch with the offsetting black fur is also symbolic to the good and evil confliction within the narrator. Finally, the second black cat leads to the narrator allegedly murdering his wife accidently. In conclusion, Poe’s literary masterpiece, â€Å"The Black Cat† is a suspenseful story filled with irony and hidden messages and themes. Although this is a short-story, Poe skillfully provides the reader with enough evidence to make conclusions about the motive, sequence of events, and the narrator’s denial of apparent mental disorder and alcoholism that plagues him.