This is poisonous. Not the seeds, but the circumstances in which they became newsworthy.
From the BBC:
Chia, or Salvia hispanica L, is a member of the mint family from Mexico and South America. The flowering plant can sprout in a matter of days, but chia’s appeal is in the nutritional punch of its tiny seeds.
With more omega-3 fatty acids than salmon, a wealth of antioxidants and minerals, a complete source of protein and more fibre than flax seed, the seeds have been dubbed a “dieter’s dream”, “the running food”, “a miracle”, and “the ultimate super food”, by advocates and athletes.
To some the seeds taste utterly bland, but to others there is a slight nutty flavour. It also can seem expensive compared with other seeds and nuts.
In the UK, the seeds are only currently allowed for sale as a bread ingredient, but over the next few weeks, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes is poised to allow chia seeds in a wide variety of products including baked goods, breakfast cereals and nut and seed mixes.
For what possible reason should a seller of health foods need permission from the Government before selling food? Are they worried the health food is poisonous? Let’s ask them:
A novel food is a food or food ingredient that does not have a significant history of consumption within the European Union before 15 May 1997.
Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market, it must be assessed rigorously for safety. In the UK, the assessment of novel foods is carried out by the ACNFP, an independent committee of scientists appointed by the FSA.
So, basically no. They are worried that it is novel and has not be whitelisted for consumption by the appointed novel food tsars. This is a recipe for corruption. It is obvious that the process is not neccessary, afterall there are many species of animal on this globe which do not appear to need specialised sub-species to tell them what’s good to gobble on. It is also fairly clear that this already popular food won’t isn’t poisonous. The only possible outcome is that the appointed people must be paid by the tax payer to sit there and do nothing of value, and simply get in the way of entrepreneurs. The only way such dead weights will further their cause is by becoming increasingly fussy and inviting bribes.
It’s as if they lifted the idea directly from the pages of Atlas Shrugged.
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