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Friday, September 28, 2012

Watching Dr Oz 9/28/12: Supermarket Secrets, Behind The Scenes of The Chew, Dr Oz Approved Recipes

The Dr. Oz Show
Airdate: September 28, 2012
Dr. Oz: Secrets Your Supermarket Doesn't Want You To Know


  • Could these supermarket tricks be making you sick?
  • Avoid these marketing scams to save money and calories at the supermarket
  • Behind the scenes with Daphne Oz and the other hosts of The Chew
  • Dr. Oz approved recipes from The Chew


Dr. Oz discusses the hidden health hazards at the supermarket that could leave you sick, broke, and fat. Daphne Oz, daughter of Dr. Oz, takes viewers behind the scenes of her show “The Chew”.

Photo credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net


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Dr. Oz: Secrets Your Supermarket Doesn't Want You To Know

Could these supermarket secerts be making you sick? Are grocery stores playing tricks on consumers and could these industry tricks be hazardous to your health?

Dr. Oz says most of us shop at the supermarket at least once a week, if not more, and most people would say they are pretty supermarket savvy.

Did you know to shop for milk from the back of the cooler? That your grocery cart handle could be contaminated with fecal matter? Those spray heads keeping the produce moist could also be putting harmful bacteria on the product. What about the bagged salad labeled as “pre-washed”, how clean is it?

Dr. Oz asked food safety inspector Roy Costa why don't consumers know this information? Mr. Costa explained that stores don't want customers to be concerned about quality or safety of the products in the store, the store simply wants people to buy more.

Mr. Costa shared these important supermarket secrets with Dr. Oz and viewers.

[Alright, now I've shared before that I worked at a natural food store for close to 11 years. From cashier to grocery manager to store manager, I worked in every department. Most of these supermarket secrets never happened in the stores I worked simply because I worked in a locally owned natural food store and things are done a little differently than in a large supermarket.

On the other hand, some of these “secrets” were and still are used in the stores I worked but not for the reasons the “experts” are describing on this episode. Not all of these issues are dangerous to your health and not all of these are being used as tricks.

A little knowledge goes a long way but and that also goes for understanding the reasons behind why stores do what they do. If you have any questions about what's going on in your favorite store, by all means start a conversation and create a relationship with the people who are providing your family with food.]

Dr. Oz Supermarket Secret #1: The Egg Carton “Cold Line”
Michelle from the audience shared that she buys a dozen eggs every week. Dr. Oz had a mock egg section set up for Michelle to choose her dozen eggs. She chose a carton and checked for cracked eggs. Michelle prefers to choose her carton from the top of the egg section.

Mr. Costa agreed that customers should check the egg carton for cracked eggs but taking the carton from the top of the section was a big shopping mistake. There should be a line drawn or painted on cold cases which are placed there by the cooler manufacturer to indicate the level where food is no longer kept at a safe temperature. Eggs, or other cold products, if kept above the cold or load line are too warm and therefore are not safe. Check the case for the line and choose your products from below that line.

[Not all cases have a cold line, and not all sections of a cold case have a cold line. One of the best determinate of temperature is to feel the product, if it's cold great and if it's not cold then don't buy it and alert a staff member about the temperature of the cold case.]

Dr. Oz Supermarket Secret #2: The Freezing Cycle
[This secret deals with several sections of the supermarket and was a bit unclear...]

Mr. Costa said the fresh baked section of the supermarket probably contains fresh foods however the dough used to create those fresh foods could be as old as one year. What? The dough, all or part of it, could have been frozen for up to a year prior to baking the finished product.

In the meat department, Mr. Costa said meats may have been frozen and defrosted several times and that might not be safe. [And that's all they said about that. In reality, freezers as well as coolers in all stores are set to go through multiple defrost cycles each and every day. The coolers are designed to defrost the equipment but not the product, similar to what home freezers do as well to prevent ice and moisture build up. If product in the freezer is defrosting during these cycles then there is a problem with the cooler.]

Dr. Oz Supermarket Secret #3: Lighting
Lighting in the produce department may be giving consumers a false sense of product quality. Green colored lighting can make produce look greener than it may actually be. In the meat department, red lighting can make meat look fresher and more appealing. The use of these colors in these departments could be deceiving consumers about the quality of food.

Mr. Costa said using these practices is actually a health violation. Dr. Oz said to check the lighting in these departments, if you believe lighting is making products look different then, he suggested, take the food out of section look under different light.

[If use of this color lighting is a health violation, then consumers who find this lighting in a store should contact the county health department and, in my opinion, reconsider shopping at that store.]

Dr. Oz Supermarket Secret #4: The Use-By Date
The use by date is stamped on foods indicating the time when food may begin to go bad and it's a valuable tool. Use by dates are placed on products by the manufacturer and that date can't be changed. However, said Mr. Costa, there is another use by date that the store can place on products which they can change at any time. Store placed dates, Mr. Costa daid, can be unreliable and may incorrect. If you are unclear about the date shown on a product, ask the store about the date.

[Yes, stores can and do place dates on products that may be different than the date placed on the product by the manufacturer, this is a standard practice and in fact, is a prescribed by the manufacturer. Products may be shipped and stored at a store frozen yet merchandised in a refrigerated section or on a standard shelf.

For example, cookies may be sent frozen and stored frozen in the store having a date of six months out. The store may, under manufacturer guidelines, merchandise the cookies in a refrigerated section and then place a new, sooner, use by date on the product, maybe two weeks out. Or the store may merchandise those cookies on the cookie shelf and put a one week use by date. If the store keeps those same cookies in the freezer then yes they are still good for six months. So yes, the date on a product can change and yes a store can change the date.

Talk to the store if you have any questions about the dates on products.]

Dr. Oz Supermarket Tricks To Spend More Money

Francis Largeman-Roth, RD, health expert and author of The Carb Lovers Diet, said stores do their best to encourage customers to stay longer and spend more money. From the music to the deli counter display and samples to that convenient coffee bar. Stores want customers to spend money and most often by spending more time in a store they will spend more money.

Dr. Oz Supermarket Secret #5: Avoid Mondays
Don't shop on Monday, said Ms. Largeman-Roth. She explained that stores are heavily shopped over the weekends and stores receive their main replenishment orders on Tuesday or Wednesday. Wednesday is the best day of the week to shop.

[Well, this may be true at some stores but it doesn't mean it's true at all stores. Delivery days for products vary from store to store. Where I worked, we received produce orders seven days a week, and grocery orders four days a week and one of those days was Monday. 

The three stores I shop in my neighborhood are actually well stocked on Monday. The worst time to shop my neighborhood stores, I have found, is Friday evening. Your best bet regarding this rule is going to be your own observations and talking to staff creating that relationship with your store as mentioned earlier.]

Dr. Oz Supermarket Secret #6: Stay Away From “Manager Specials”
Ms. Largeman-Roth says to beware of fancy displays that are designed to entice customers to spend more money through impulse purchases.

“Manager Specials”, she explained, are products that stores want to move quickly so stay away.

[I really don't get this caution. Yes, Manager Specials are meant to move product quickly at a reduced price often because the product is going to expire soon. It happens everywhere, it happens all the time. A Manager Special can mean great deals for savvy customers. The keys are to know how much of a discount your getting, are you going to use the product before it goes bad, does it fit in your menu plan or your health goals?

In the produce section at my neighborhood store, it's sometimes possible to get ingredients for a healthy green salad for $1 but I would have to make it that day. There are sometimes deals on bread that is going to expire so the question is will it last in the freezer and can I use it before it goes bad? A cut of meat may be reduced because it expires the next day, if I can adjust my weekly menu to use that meat that day, then it could be a great deal.

And yes, sometimes stores buy a large quantity of a short-dated product they know customers will want and sell it at a reduced price.

Yes, buyer beware. That is certainly true but it can also work in your favor.]

Dr. Oz Supermarket Secret #7: Free Samples Equal Inches on Your Waistline
Sampling those supermarket treats could add up to hundreds of extra calories. Dr. Oz showed a tray of chicken fingers where each treat contained 270 calories! A sample of spring rolls could 160 calories to your day. And a sample of cheese on a slice of French bread could add another 160 calories.

Munching on all three of these snacks in one trip to the supermarket, completely possible especially on those days when every department of the store has a sample, can add up to 590 calories. That's more than most people eat for a meal the you would probably still be hungry.

If the samples trick works and you buy each of these three example items, that could be an extra $39.26 added to your final bill.

Ms. Largeman-Roth says to shop with a list and stick to it to keep your purchases on a healthy and budget-friendly track.

Supermarket Secret 8: Keep Your Environmentally Friendly Bags Clean
Audience members were asked to bring their reusable shopping bags to the studio. Before the show, the shopping bags were tested. What could be lurking on your environmentally friendly shopping bag?

Dr. Oz swabbed one audience member's reusable shopping bag to figure out the number of life-forms on the bag. Ideally, he explained, the number of life-forms should be under 80. The results from her shopping bag: 1,252. Literally, her bag was filthy although to the eye it looked clearn.

Using a reusable shopping bag several times can easily cause a build up of bad bacteria. How can these be bags be used safely? Dr. Oz says to wash your cloth shopping bags after every 10 uses. Toss the cloth bag into the washer with your regular laundry. [Cold may be a better option as many cloth shopping bags will shrink if washed in warm or hot.] For plastic reusable bags, Dr. Oz said to use a bleach spray cleaner or bleach wipe to clean the bag.


Dr. Oz: Daphne Oz and Hosts Of The Chew

The foodies from the hit show The Chew, join Dr. Oz on stage to talk about what else but food! The hosts joined Dr. Oz to dish about their favorite subject: food!

With the recent ban on super sized sodas, is this move in the public's best interest?
Chef Mario Batali said the ban actually helps because consumers will go with the default level and therefore reduce their soda and calorie intake.

Clinton Kelly, style expert and food expert, says sodas should be labeled with a warning that drinking too much could raise health risks so consumers can make an informed choice.

Daphne Oz, Dr. Oz's daughter, said she hopes it doesn't go the other way and that diet drinks [with artificial ingredients] become the go-to big drink.

Are people getting fatter because of the increased popularity of cooking shows?
Executive Producer of The Chew, Gordon Elliott said people can make their own choices and a show like The Chew wouldn't work if everything was completely clean and healthy. They present a balace of food options.

Fast food shops are displaying soda pairings, sound off!
Chef Michael Symon says he hasn't had a soda in years so he's not one to recommend soda and fast food pairings. On The Chew, Chef Symon explained, they teach people how to cook from scratch. When people cook at home from scratch, they are going to eat better food than what is served at a fast food shop.

Chef Bartali said his favorite soda pairing is soda and champagne. Mr. Kelly asked if gin and tonic counts?

What can we do about the high sodium levels kids are ingesting?
Chef Carla Hall said the problem is that the kids aren't cooking it's the parents who are opening a box to serve to the kids. Chef Hall said if the parents cook from scratch, the food will be healthier. Chef Symon added that salt is a flavor enhancer that provides a better eating experience but you have to use it properly. Use salt and herbs as enhancers to increase the enjoyment.

What is your best after-sex food?
Ms. Oz tried to ignore this question and hoped that her father didn't answer it! Chef Bartali said he's not hungry after but likes to make a nice breakfast the next day. Mr. Kelly said it's hard to eat when you're asleep. Dr. Oz said soaked nuts.

Dr. Oz: Behind the Scenes of The Chew
Ms. Oz took camera behind the scenes of The Chew, including to her dressing room where she was happy to show papa Oz that she has hazelnuts at the ready for a healthy snack.

The backstage kitchen prepares all the food featured on The Chew, that's five meals per show prepared five days a week. Onstage, the kitchen is fully operational and yes that means the oven really does work.

The hosts of The Chew worked together to put all the recipes from their first season into one cookbook called The Chew: Food. Life. Fun. And it's not just meal recipes, the hosts included drink recipes as well.

Dr. Oz: The Chew Cooks Wine-Stained Pasta with Sausage Meatballs and Cauliflower
Chef Batali was the orchestrator of this recipe. Here are some of Chef Batali's best tips shared while he was cooking away. Start by cooking the pasta with a little bit of salt and a little bit of wine to give the pasta color and a hint of flavor from the wine.

Cauliflower, featured in the recipe, is popular in Italian cooking, said Chef Bartali. In fact, all cruciferous vegetables are popular in Italian cooking, he called them the colon's broom.

Chef Bartali said to use pasta sauces sparingly as American's often put too much sauce for the amount of noodles being served. Dress the noodles more like a salad, he explained, with a small amount of sauce.



Dr. Oz: Five In Five Challenge

Chef Symon eats a lot of bacon and Dr. Oz doesn't like it one bit. So Dr. Oz challenged Chef Symon to a Five In Five. Chef Symon was challenged to create a meal in five minutes with five ingredients.

Chef Symon used Greek yogurt, grapefruit juice, parsley, kale, almonds and salmon to create a quick and healthy meal.

The Greek yogurt was mixed with grapefruit, and parsley to create a sauce that dressed the pan seared and steamed salmon. A salad of kale and almonds was dressed with extra virgin olive oil to complete the meal.

Dr. Oz: Interactive Website Project

May be most interactive project on DoctorOz.com. Dr. Oz wants to hear from viewers and fans to share how you feel today. He wants people to check in with this online community and share about your life at You.DoctorOz.com. Share the good as well as the bad, the challenges and the celebrations.

Log on to You.DoctorOz.com and click on “How are you feeling?” then provide a photo or video of yourself. Dr. Oz says the more you log in and share, the greater your chance of being on The Dr. Oz Show.

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