Opinion
One of my favorite iPod apps is for Stitcher, which collects podcasts that I might be interested in listening to. I must admit I favor either old time radio drama or history programing. There’s nothing better to fall asleep to than the adventures of Captain Midnight or Fort Laramie. Stitcher’s “favorite playlist,” however, generates podcasts… Continue Reading
Opinion
Over the past few months, I’ve been writing about Proposition 37, the California initiative that would require foods made through genetic engineering to be labeled, a policy that is common sense in 61 other countries, but has been denied to Americans thanks to lobbying by Big Biotech. One of the most prominent food myths perpetuated… Continue Reading
Opinion
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) hosted its 2012 Food & Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) earlier this month. Sadly, the event once again (see last year’s report) demonstrated how this registered dietitians’ accrediting organization drags its own credentials through the mud by prioritizing Big Food’s corporate interests over sound nutrition and public health…. Continue Reading
For the second year running, chefs, authors, filmmakers, consumer groups, animal welfare advocates, policymakers and other proponents of the food movement are gearing up to celebrate Food Day, a national occasion to raise awareness surrounding food issues – from hunger to sustainability to nutrition. Food Day, launched for the first time last year by the… Continue Reading
Opinion
A meta-analysis of the health benefits of organic foods was published in The Annals of Internal Medicine on September 4, 2012. A large team of physicians and graduate students affiliated with the prestigious Stanford Medical School carried out the work. The paper’s basic finding was that consuming organic food does not deliver “clinically significant” improvements… Continue Reading
While food and agriculture policy often take a back seat during presidential elections, the United Fresh Produce Association got both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on the record regarding some key food issues this week. The association on Thursday released both campaigns’ responses to its policy questionnaire, which focused on immigration, taxes, environmental regulations and… Continue Reading
Healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive. That’s the message of a new guide to eating well on a budget released by the Environmental Working Group today. The guide – “Good Food on a Tight Budget” – is designed to debunk the popular belief that low-income families can’t afford to eat healthily. While many nutrition… Continue Reading
Opinion
Food safety is important, but it is not the only consideration when choosing foods. For example, for people in the U.S., the aversion to dog meat and horse meat is more a cultural matter than a safety issue. For Jews and Muslims, the aversion to pork might have begun as a safety issue historically, but… Continue Reading
Opinion
Last month the United States Department of Agriculture released its Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary which reports pesticide residues on fruits, vegetables and other foods commonly consumed in the United States. This was the 20th time this report has been published and it, in part, represents the transparency the USDA has with respect to food… Continue Reading
The majority of Americans would like to see calories listed next to many menu offerings that are set to be exempt from new labeling regulations, according to a recent survey of approximately 1,000 adults. The poll, commissioned by consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), found that 70 percent of respondents… Continue Reading
The old theory that healthy foods are a luxury that a tight budget can’t afford is just that – an old theory – according to a government study released Wednesday. Researchers at the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) analyzed more than 4,000 retail foods and found that when measured in price per edible… Continue Reading