Welcome to our News site, where we display all recent and important information about Nopal cactus and studies of it, please feel free to submit interesting Nopal news and tied bits of information that you feel could be a benefit to our readers and customers alike. .
We at OroVerde have our CITES grower certificate but you should know that. many suppliers are only brokers and they cannot apply for certification. You must be a Nopal grower in order to apply, here is some interesting information on the protection of Cacti i-
Many succulents are enlisted in CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of wildlife flora and fauna) papers and keeping/selling/trading them is strictly regulated. Fees for offenders are usually extremely high. When dealing (buying/exchanging) these plants PLEASE be informed in advance and RESPECT all the rules. This is one of the ways to help this beautiful world we are living in to survive for future generations. Collection of specimens in the wild is – almost in all the places where they are originally found - strictly regulated. Some plants can be, legally, kept ONLY for studies, which means that even if you happen to be a professional trader/wholesaler/retailer/advanced hobbyist you DO have to refrain from keeping them. Since this story (restriction in keeping endangered living creatures) is almost unknown among cichlid’s enthusiasts I feel the need, here, to point your attention on this delicate matter. A good rule of thumb is to be conservative and when in doubt simply avoid buying them.
Since we ar Oro Verde Export SA CV are commercial growers and don't cut our plants from the WILD you can be assured of year around quality and CITES compliance, be sure to know where your Nopal Cactus is coming from and buy only from people that can demonstrate original Notarized and Sealed CiTeS Certificates and not dubious copies.
For information about our CiTeS certificate please go to Certifications or contact us at:
Link: http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/03/18/rowlands.tortilla.seller.cnn?iref=videosearch
Tortilla business takes off 1:34 updated Wed, March 18, 2009: by CNN News
Read Full Article: Can green tortillas create new jobs?
Cactus adds southwest zest to salsa, stir fries, jellies, bread and even liquor
By Lynn Brezosky
Associated Press
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| Knight Ridder Newspapers |
| Nopales are a favorite addition to almost any dish. Mexicans and Mexican-Americans are accustomed to mixing nopales into all sorts of dishes — the cactuses are stir-fried with eggs and shrimp or maybe beef and peppers, tossed into soups, and made into a salsa for tortillas. |
Occasionally you'll see a family stop along the roadway to cut a few, especially if the plants' spiked round fruit, or tuna, is in season. And why not? Both stem pad and fruit make good, healthful eating. They don't have much taste by themselves, but the stem pads, which are considered vegetables, add texture, zest and color to dishes, as well as vitamins. Some compare them to okra or green peppers. Root of Mexico So central were nopales to the indigenous culture of what is now the southwestern United States and Mexico that they are the root of Mexico City's Aztec name, Tenochtitlan, meaning "place of the cactus fruit." In cases of drought, nopales were the lifeblood of ancient cultures here, food for both people and their livestock. They also were used to soothe wounds, stiffen cloth, strengthen mortar and fence off wild animals. Cattle that grazed on the nopales were said to develop a special flavor in their meat and milk.
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| Associated Press |
| Add cactus to your favorite stir-fry recipes. They can be cut according to preference; half-inch strips in a hot wok will provide a nice texture in about 90 seconds. |
Mexicans and Mexican-Americans are accustomed to mixing nopales into all sorts of dishes - the cactuses are stir-fried with eggs and shrimp or maybe beef and peppers, tossed into soups, grilled with olive oil, even pickled or made into a salsa for tortillas. In some cases, the recipes have been handed down for generations, since before Texas was Tejas. New recipes are always evolving. Care for a prickly pear margarita? It's only recently that the nutritional benefits have been getting attention. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the sliced pads, or nopalitos, are low in fat but high in water-soluble fiber, pectin and energy-boosting complex carbohydrates, as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. They weigh in at about 60 calories a cup.
Medical benefits - Molly Thongthiraj, a 25-year employee of the California Cactus Center in Pasadena, Calif., says she has seen more interest than ever in cactuses. Hispanic customers say they use cactus for a variety of ailments, even diabetes, she said. The Mexican Institute of Nutrition in Mexico City is researching health effects of the plant. Thongthiraj said she's also seen more Asians buying the plants. "I've noticed people are learning about it," she said. "Then they want to grow it." That's an easy task as long as the ground isn't too moist. Adding sand or Perlite to the soil helps, she said. "You just lay them on the ground," Thongthiraj said of the pads. "They just root." Associated Press A cactus juice cocktail is one of the more recent uses of nopales.
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| Associated Press |
| A cactus juice cocktail is one of the more recent uses of nopales. |
As a boy, Ramirez would go out in the brush and gather the nopales for his parents to cook.
Today, he chases leads, usually word-of-mouth, to elderly people who speak of old plant cures, so he can compile and investigate them. He also wants to recapture the indigenous Mexican diet, the one that predates fat-laden, fast-food tacos. Nopales, he said, are a big part of that diet.
He knows of about 150 recipes, including jellies, bread, even a liquor. For a visitor, he prepared them in a stir-fry with tomatoes, onions, garlic, shrimp, olive and sesame oil.
When choosing pads for eating, pick immature ones so they still will be tender. Use tongs so as not to get spines or glochids (tiny, fuzzy spines) in your fingers.
Using a sharp knife or vegetable peeler, remove the areoles (the places where spines develop on the pad). Rinse and then dice, slice or pare as desired. To avoid contact with the sticky fluid that oozes from the nopales, steam them whole, just long enough for their color to change from bright green to olive drab. Once the color changes, immediately plunge them into a bowl of cool water, then cut on a cutting board. The fluid is meant to be mixed into and enhance dishes.
Add fresh diced or sliced "nopalitos" (as nopales are called when they're cut up into small pieces) to your favorite stir-fry recipes. They can be cut according to preference; half-inch strips in a hot wok will provide a nice texture in about 90 seconds. The thinner they are cut and longer they are cooked, the more soluble fiber they are likely to lose.
Nopal Functional food moving up the food chain
5-Apr-2008 - Nutritional Food Europe / Gallic supplier, the Iranex Group, has acquired fellow French natural extracts specialist Bio Serae Laboratories as part of a strategic drive into the health and wellness sector.
CNI (the Iranex arm) global sales manager Olivier Houalla said in a November 2007 NutraIngredients.com video interview that "the trend is to the natural product". Its latest move demonstrates how serious it is about moving fully in that direction.
He said purchasing Bio Serae would give CNI extra tools to negotiate the European and international functional foods market.
The undisclosed acquisition means Iranex will have access to Bio Serae's portfolio of branded and unbranded ingredients that include its weight management cactus-derived offerings NeOpuntia and Cacti-Néa, its antioxidant-boosted grape extracts VinOserae and VinOseed and more.
As our clients are already aware, we at Oro Verde Export SA CV are registered with the FDA and provide our customers with continuing support with their Food Facility registration at absolutely no cost. We can also help you register your food or storage facility where our Nopal products are stored or processed should you have difficulty in registration.
Prior to your Nopal order arriving to the border for FDA revision, we send via our internal FDA registration a Prior Notification of impending Nopal shipment arrival. This is what the FDA requires and we continue to comply with the FDA guidelines.
Please be aware that as a customer we will be pleased to help you at no cost and as an information announcement we include the letter below that we received from the FDA recently.
This letter comes directly from the US FDA and is here printed with permission from the Los Angeles import field office in San Pedro CA
Dear Owner or Operator of a Registered Food Facility:
The United States Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) has received a letter from a foreign embassy seeking clarification on information that had been sent in a letter to a number of food facilities in its country by FDA Registrar Corporation (FDA Registrar Corp). U.S. FDA is aware that private businesses, such as FDA Registrar Corp., are offering their services to food facilities. The purpose of this letter is to clarify that these private businesses are not affiliated with U.S. FDA, nor do they act on U.S. FDA's behalf.
As you know, the U.S. FDA's Registration of Food Facilities Final Rule, 21 CFR §§ 1.225-1.243, requires owners and operators of all domestic and foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food that will be consumed in the United States to register with U.S. FDA. We thank you for registering. Please note the following regarding the registration of food facilities:
1. Food facilities can register directly with U.S. FDA. There is no fee to register with U.S. FDA.
A food facility may register, update, or cancel its registration itself (or authorize another person to do so on its behalf) using the Internet at http://www.access.fda.gov. Alternatively, a food facility may register, update, or cancel a registration by mail by requesting the appropriate form from U.S. FDA at 1-800-216-7331 (301-575-0156 outside the United States), or by e-mail at FURLS@FDA.GOV
U.S. Agents may charge a fee for their services, which is solely an issue to be decided between the food facility and the person who agrees to serve as the food facility's U.S. Agent.
A food facility will be asked to provide information on its company’s letterhead signed by the owner, operator, or agent-in-charge of the facility to verify the information. Once U.S. FDA verifies the identity of the food facility, U.S. FDA will provide the facility access to its account. For more information about these requirements, please refer to the Final Rule and to U.S. FDA's web site at http://www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/bioact.html for Question and Answer guidance documents, tutorials, and other information. You can also ask U.S. FDA for help at 1-800-216-7331 (301-575-0156 outside the United States), or by e-mail at FURLS@FDA.GOV
Sincerely,
Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Director
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
For more information regarding our USA / FDA registration please contact:
Improve posture, and strengthen your core.
First, fill up on fiber. “It will help to eliminate toxins and move wastes through your body so you don’t look bloated,” say the Nutrition Twins, dieticians Tammy Lakatos Shames and Lyssie Lakatos. “Plus, the whole grains will give you the energy you need to get through your much-needed cardiac and crunches.” Salt will only add to bloated bellies, so the Twins recommend seasoning your food with spices like chili powder and cumin.
Finally, consider adding probiotics to your diet. These healthy bacteria, which can be found in smoothies and yogurts with a probiotic label, work wonders in your digestive track by helping speed up digestion, easing stomach discomfort, and fighting bloating. Probiotic smoothies are a great choice. They “also help to hydrate you, preventing you from retaining water,” say the Twins.
So let’s get this straight: better posture, stronger core, good looking body and smoothies? What are you waiting for?
The information contained in this web site is provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended to convey medical advice or to substitute for advice from your own physician.
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a physician before taking any nutritional supplement.
