Entries tagged with 'In the News'
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Conflict over source of Chinese dumpling contamination: Chinese officials cleared the blame from the dumpling maker who supplied the pesticide-laced dumplings to Japan, and say that contamination was "very unlikely to have happened in China." Japanese officials insist they were not poisoned in Japan. [AFP] Lack of vets treating farm animals affects food safety system: A shortage of vets working for the Department of Agriculture could affect the U.S. government's food inspection services. [USA Today]...
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Meat recall now includes packaged food: General Mills and Nestlé are recalling packaged products that included meat from vendors supplied by the Chino meat-packing company, Hallmark/Westland. Products include Progresso Italian Wedding soup and certain Hot Pockets sandwiches. [WSJ] Humane Society sues USDA over 'downer' cow rules: The Humane Society is suing the government for allowing a legal loophole that lets "downers" (sick or crippled cattle) into the food supply. [AP] House panel: U.S. food safety system is "a mess": A House panel investigation into food safety issues, as a result of the meat recall, criticized the food safety system in the U.S. for being faulty and disorganized: "Relying on the food industry to place safety before profits does not seem...
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The UN: Not enough money for food aid: The United Nations announced that their current budget is no longer enough to maintain the current level of their food aid program, due to rising food prices and fuel costs. [Guardian] Nutrient profiling to help make healthier choices at grocery stores: Groups like the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition are developing nutrient profiling systems, which assign scores to food based on how nutritious and healthy it is, taking into account factors like added sugar, salt, and trans fat. Coming soon to a grocery store near you? [Washington Post] Chinese chefs learn to whip up British grub for the Olympics: Around 1,000 Chinese chefs are taking a week-long crash course on Western cuisine in...
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More than a third of recalled beef already used in school lunches: Out of the 143 million pounds of recalled meat in the U.S., a little more than 50 million was used in federal programs, with 20 million pounds of it already consumed. [New York Times] Mercury concerns divide Japanese whaling village: Famous for its age-old tradition of dolphin and whale hunting, residents of Taiji, Japan, are now raising questions on health and food safety after elevated levels of mercury were found in dolphin meat. [New York Times] British team will not import food to Olympics: The British Olympic Association announced they have no plans to import their own food to the Beijing Olympics: "One of the dangers of the...
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Artisanal dairy products churn out a nostalgia for farm-fresh products: More and more people are turning to local dairy farmers to get their supply of fresh butter, yogurt, and ice-cream. [NY Times] -->Bee shortage could mean fewer ice-cream flavors: Häagen-Dazs' ice cream selection may be getting smaller and pricier in the future if honeybees keep mysteriously disappearing in the U.S., considering that 40 percent of its 60 flavors depend on these buzzy insects. To highlight the issue, they're launching a new flavor called Vanilla Honey Bee this spring. [CNN] Study says whole grains help shed belly fat: While cutting calories helps you lose weight, incorporating whole grains into your diet could help you lose that ring of flab around your...
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Hey! You got your "Bam!" in my "Good Things": Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia bought the rights to the Emeril Lagasse franchise of cookbooks, television shows, and kitchen products for $45 million in cash and $5 million in stock. (Stay tuned to Serious Eats for further analysis from Ed Levine.) [AP] Officials say beef recall poses little health risk: Although the USDA recalled 143 million pounds of beef nationwide on Sunday (the largest recall ever in the U.S.), it has more to do with inhumane handling and slaughter than contamination risks, officials say. [ABC News] Chocolate companies sued for price-fixing: The Canadian divisions of Nestle, Hershey, Cadburry Schweppes, and Mars are being sued for having conspired to inflate prices by 5...
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U.S. school meat supply to be inspected: Lawmakers are demanding an investigation into food supplied to schools across the U.S. after a Chino meatpacking company was shut down last week. [LA Times] Starbucks to temporarily shut down for training: Don't rely on Starbucks for your caffeine fix come Feb. 26th -- all shops will close from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to retrain its baristas with updated standards. The next sweet-tooth trend: energy candy: The candy industry is taking aim at the energy drink market by offering caffeine-spiked treats like Snickers Charged, Extreme Sports Beans, and Jolt Mints. [WSJ]...
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More restaurants going green: Through organic products, energy-saving utilities, or implementing better recycling methods, an increasing number of restaurants are jumping on the "green trend" and making more environmentally-conscious decisions in order to cut costs. [NY Times] Pepsi offers healthy all-natural soda: Healthy... soda? Pepsi is coming out with Pepsi Raw, which contains natural ingredients and contains no artificial preservatives, colors, flavorings or sweeteners. [Daily Mail]...
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Starbucks teams up with AT&T for Wi-Fi service: Starbucks and AT&T will now offer both free and paid Wi-Fi access in Starbucks coffee shops starting this spring. AT&T broadband customers will have unlimited free Wi-Fi access. [NY Times] Food conference to promote Scottish food: Scotland will aim to raise its culinary reputation in the world by holding the first national Scotland Food and Drink conference, which will discuss topics like food tourism, industry policies, and environmental issues. [BBC] Trader Joe's to stop selling food imported from China: Grocery chain Trader Joe's will no longer carry any products that list ingredients sourced from China in response to all of the contamination scares originating from Chinese imports. [Chicago Tribune]...
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LA beef supplier shut down: Hallmark Meat Packing of Chino, California, has been shut down after videos exposed inhumane treatment of cattle at the slaughterhouse; many schools and chain restaurants are looking to ban the Chino beef. [LA Times] Diet soda drinkers at risk for metabolic syndrome: A new study reveals a link between drinking diet soda and metabolic syndrome, which could put you at a risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol and blood pressure levels. [NY Times] FDA issues toxic fish advisory: Fish just can't seem to get a break these days. Ciguatera fish (such as snapper, amberjack, grouper and barracuda) caught in the Gulf of Mexico have been blamed for 28 reported cases of fish poisoning...
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