Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

feeding

Browsing
Food

Arsenic in Rice: You Should Pay Attention to This When Feeding Your Children

In fact, everyone knows that arsenic is poisonous. But did you know that the toxin is also found in rice? In this article you will find out what dangers the substance poses to children.

How does arsenic get into rice?

Arsenic is a metalloid that occurs naturally in the ground – more or less often depending on geological conditions. Types of grain, including rice plants, absorb arsenic compounds through their roots. These get into the fruit via the metabolism.

Rice is grown in flooded fields because it thrives best in wet, humid conditions. More arsenic ends up in the rice plants via the water than in other cereals that are cultivated dry.

How much arsenic ends up on the consumer’s plate depends not only on the regional soil conditions, but also on the processing of the rice grains. Because the arsenic settles in particular on the edge of the grains.

How much arsenic does rice contain?

Consumers cannot see how much arsenic the purchased rice contains. According to the BfR, the amount of rice that an adult can eat without causing health problems has not yet been researched.

According to the Federal Institute, the average amounts of arsenic in white rice are between 0.1 and 0.2 milligrams per kilogram. Brown, so-called natural rice, contains more inorganic arsenic because the outer layers are largely removed from white rice. Higher amounts than in white rice were also measured in rice cakes and rice flakes.

Is that why children are not allowed to eat rice?

The BfR assessment, according to which it is not very likely that the consumption of rice leads to health risks, applies to all age groups: adults, the elderly as well as children and infants.

Nevertheless, the BfR recommends parents not to feed their infants and small children exclusively with rice-based drinks or complementary foods such as rice porridge. According to the experts, products such as rice cakes should also vary with snacks without rice.

In addition, the BfR points out that rice-based baby food does not meet the needs of infants anyway due to the unsuitable nutrient composition.

Does washing rice help?

It is difficult to wash out the arsenic compounds from finished products such as rice porridge or rice snacks.

For rice itself, the BfR recommends washing it in plenty of water and boiling it immediately before consumption. In the case of rice with small amounts of arsenic, some of this can migrate into the water.
The cooking water should be poured off immediately after cooking.

Arsenic-free rice coming soon?

In a study published in spring, a Chinese research team, including scientists from the University of Heidelberg, succeeded in finding a travel plant that defies dangerous arsenic.

The researchers exposed over 4,000 rice varieties to arsenic-containing water and observed their growth. Only one of the examined plants with the name “astol1” proved to be tolerant to the toxic metalloid.

The plant develops the amino acid cysteine, which is an important element for the plant’s own development of phytochelatins. These substances have a detoxifying effect and are formed by plants in response to pollutants. The neutralized arsenic is stored in the roots of the plant before it reaches the rice grains and can become dangerous to humans. Scientists consider this plant particularly suitable for agricultural use.

Keep Reading
By
Lifestyle

Tips on Feeding Hedgehogs and Instructions on How to Build a Hedgehog House

Do you have a hedgehog in the garden and would you like to help it through the winter? Then the right food and a warm hedgehog house will help.

In winter, the hedgehog can suffer from cold temperatures. If you want to help the animal, you can provide dry cat food in a bowl. The construction of a simple hedgehog house from a few wooden boards and some leaves is an ideal sleeping place for the winter.

Feed the hedgehog

The hedgehog is very useful in the garden. It usually feeds on pests that attack plants in your garden or negatively affect the garden. Therefore, you should be happy about the hedgehog in the garden. The hedgehog eats snails, for example, and other pests are also on its menu.

However, when the temperatures get a little colder, the hedgehog becomes weaker and may no longer be able to find enough food. As an animal-friendly garden owner, you can provide the food yourself. However, the hedgehog is very frugal and not very choosy. If you have a cat in the household, you can provide a bowl of dry cat food. But there is also special hedgehog food that you can buy and provide. The hedgehog also likes to eat wheat bran or some oatmeal. However, you should avoid providing the hedgehog with milk. Hedgehogs cannot tolerate lactose and can even die as a result of diarrhea.

If you want to give the hedgehog a warm place, building a hedgehog house is a simple option. Here you will find instructions on how to build a cozy home for the hedgehog.

1) Find a suitable place

Before you start building a small house, you should find a suitable place for the house. The finished hedgehog house requires a floor space of about 30 x 30 centimeters. In order for the hedgehog to feel comfortable, it needs a lot of rest and some shade. Therefore, a place in the corner of the garden is best for the little house.

In order to protect the house from the weather, it is advisable to place the entrance on the side that is not exposed to the weather. So no rain can penetrate and the hedgehog is a little more protected. In addition, water must not collect in the house when it rains. A small elevation ensures that the water runs off the edge and does not form puddles in the house.

Some sand or gravel can be placed under the house for further protection. This layer provides good insulation against wet and cold.

2) The construction of the house of wood

Once the right location has been found, all you have to do is build the house yourself. No extensive materials are required for this. A few wooden boards, screws, and a roof panel are enough for a cozy house.

The hedgehog feels most comfortable when the house is divided into different areas. An entrance area protects the actual sleeping area. The front door should be large enough that the hedgehog can easily enter the house, but cats or dogs cannot get in. A small flap presents another obstacle for other rodents.

The food for the hedgehog can be stored in a small pantry. Dry cat food or special dry food for hedgehogs can be placed in a bowl. Since the hedgehog could also do its business there, a layer of newspaper helps to clean this room.

A small bedroom gives the hedgehog enough peace and security. There the hedgehogs can overwinter and recover. They like to build their nest out of crumpled newspapers. This can be placed in the sleeping area so that the hedgehog can use this material.

3) Design the lid

Once the basic walls of the hedgehog house are in place, only the flap needs to be attached. A movable roof hatch should be attached so that you can reach inside the house later. This allows you to refill the feed regularly. You can also clean the hedgehog house in this way.

For the roof, you can take a simple wooden panel and attach it with a hinge. So you can open the roof to one side.

To enhance the look of the hedgehog house, you can staple red cardboard to the roof. This makes the hedgehog house not only practical but also looks very nice. You can also paint the house in color for a nicer color scheme. It is important to ensure that the paint is environmentally friendly. A label with the blue angel indicates environmental compatibility.

4) Spread foliage

The hedgehog does not only like to use newspaper as a material to create a cozy home. Leaves are taken by the hedgehog in nature to build the nest. It is therefore helpful if you scatter some leaves around the house. The hedgehog can use this to independently build its nest in the house.

In these simple steps, you can easily make a hedgehog house yourself. In winter, however, you should not disturb the hedgehog. He goes into hibernation and only wakes up in spring. If the hedgehog has cubs, you should keep other animals away from the house and leave the hedgehog alone as well.

Keep Reading
By
Lifestyle

10 Important Tips for Feeding Birds

Many useful bird feeding tips will help feed free birds. Because even if such feeding is well-intentioned, it can lead to damage if done incorrectly. That’s why we’ve put together an overview of the most important facts about feeding birds for you.

Important bird feeding tips

If you want to feed birds, you should first follow a few important rules. Otherwise, you can cause dangerous damage to the birds by feeding them. Because not every food is suitable. Also, you shouldn’t feed the free birds every season. So that the little flying spirits in your area don’t die from your food, heed the following tips:

1) The right time to feed the birds

The birds should not be fed during the breeding season, as the small birds only tolerate certain types of food. Therefore, it is better to use the cold seasons for feeding, when natural food sources are less available. If you still want to do something good and help birds with nutritional supplements even without wintry temperatures, then you should not feed them fatty food, peanuts, or sunflower seeds. Instead, only use the following food to feed the birds during this time:

  • Fresh or frozen insect food,
  • Smallest, low-fat seeds from local wild herbs.

2) Choosing the right birdseed

In the winter months, on the other hand, a nutritious healthy mix of grains, such as cereals and sunflower seeds, and fruits are required. Crushed nuts are popular in all types and are particularly high in energy. But be careful: Only offer the nuts in their natural state. And never offer salted, sugared, or spiced variants to the birds. So just feed the birds of course. You can also find suitable food for various bird species in supermarkets and specialist shops. Also, note tips for making fat balls yourself and making feeding bells.

3) Keep feeder dry and clean

If you help the birds in your garden or on the balcony with food, you should keep the feeding area clean. To do this, you should separate bird droppings from the food to avoid the outbreak of diseases. Therefore, the use of feeding columns is recommended, as they guarantee more hygiene. Also, make sure that you keep the birdseed as dry as possible. If you also want to feed hedgehogs in the garden, there are a few things to consider here as well.

4) Pay attention to hygiene when feeding the birds

As already mentioned, the feeding station or bird feeder must remain clean. Therefore, use the following instructions for cleaning the bird feeder: Do not use chemicals. Instead, you can brush the bird feeder and rinse it with hot water. Then let it dry before you put the food inside again.

5) Stop feeding birds when they are dead

If you find dead birds, you have to be careful. Because then salmonellosis or trichomoniasis could be the cause of dead birds at the bird feeder. Both diseases are transmitted at bird feeders. Especially in late winter or during mild winters. Then stop feeding the bird. Then clean and disinfect the house thoroughly, e.g. with the household remedy vinegar essence. In addition, remove all leftover food, including from the ground. Since the diseases can also be contagious to humans, you should only handle dead birds with rubber gloves. Then dispose of it the household waste in a plastic bag and disinfect your hands thoroughly.

6) Feed small birds

It may happen that your well-intentioned bird feeding also attracts large birds, such as ravens or doves. Very few people want pigeons in their garden or on the balcony. Instead of having to drive the pigeons away, you should take preventative measures beforehand. Accordingly, you can fence the birdhouse or the feeding place with wire mesh. As a result, only the small songbirds get to the feeding station.

7) Bird feeding safety

Likewise, you should think about the safety of the birds when you start feeding them. Therefore, it is best to set up the birdhouse free-standing. Thus, birds are better protected from sneaking cats. Placing the birdhouse at least three to four meters away from a tree or bush is ideal. You should also chase away the cats if they are too close to the aviary.

8) Use bottom feeding

There are some bird species that forage on the ground. Therefore, there are special automatic feeders for bottom feeding. Here, too, you should pay particular attention to hygiene and regularly clean the feeding area on the floor.

9) Provide nesting aids for small birds

Nowadays, smaller bird species cannot find enough nesting sites and shelters in nature. Accordingly, you can provide artificial nesting sites in the garden. The following guidelines for suitable nesting aids apply to small bird species: internal dimensions of approx. 10 x 10 x 10 cm are good for them as a breeding ground. Thus, pipes, triangular boxes, or a “normal shape” with these dimensions make sense. The main thing is that the size of the entry hole is sufficient. Then mount each device high in a tree so the little songbirds feel safe. Another good idea is to build an insect hotel.

10) Build a nesting aid yourself

You can also build a nesting aid for birds yourself. Consequently, rough-sawn spruce wood is best suited. The thickness should be approx. 20 mm. You can also use glued waterproof plywood. However, you should make sure that it was not made using tropical wood. The inner walls should be roughened so that the young birds can reach the opening from the inside. Screws work best when assembling the box, nails won’t last very long. For an environmentally friendly impregnation of the raw wood box, you should paint it with linseed oil. Thus it is biodegradable. You should also provide the base plate with tiny approx. 6mm small holes. Because that ensures better ventilation.

Keep Reading
By
Lifestyle

Feeding Cats: This is How You Feed Your Cat Sustainably and Healthily

The choice of cat food is huge. But how can you feed your cat well and sustainably? We give you tips on what you should consider.

Feeding the cat: nutritious nutrition for four-legged friends

Cats need a lot of nutrients that they can only get from food. The composition of a balanced cat menu consists of:

high-quality animal proteins,
fats,
phytonutrients,
vitamins,
minerals and
Water.
Carbohydrates are difficult for cats to digest. This is also one of the problems with conventional cat food: grain is often added to it, which can cause problems for cats. Of course, this isn’t the case for all cats, as many cats’ stomachs have become accustomed to even small amounts of grain over time

Ingredients for the cat food: what goes in it?

There are many foods that cats absolutely cannot tolerate: dairy products, onions, garlic, strong spices, grapes, raisins, caffeine, alcohol and chocolate. Under no circumstances should these products end up in the feeding bowl.

The composition of purchased cat food is particularly problematic. In principle, it doesn’t matter to your cat whether it’s “meat waste”, but it depends on the proportions. Too many hooves, claws or feathers can harm your cat just as much as too much grain, fat or meat components. Category 3 animal by-products may be further processed into animal feed, but are not suitable for human consumption. The quality of conventional cat food is therefore often inferior and enriched with additives, sugar and flavor enhancers. The cat can become really dependent on it. For this reason, your cat is better cared for with organic food. Here the quality is assured and the ingredients are sometimes even specified in exact quantities.

In addition to incompatible ingredients, there can also be residues of antibiotics and mercury (especially in fish) in cat food – even more reasons to use organic quality or even to prepare your own cat food.

Avoid cat food waste

If you buy cat food regularly, there is also a lot of packaging waste.

With dry food, you can buy as large a quantity as possible in one sack. If this is too much for your cat alone, you can simply share it with one or another cat owner in your circle of acquaintances.

For large cans of wet food, you can try reusing a matching lid from another product and using it to seal the can when you put it in the fridge. There are also bowls with lids, so that you can divide the large can into them immediately after opening and pre-portion everything.

Keep Reading
By