Advertising
Domino's pizza chain, following trend, snatches artisan label to describe mass-produced items, but print on pizza box promises no wood-fired ovens were used
By Tiffany Hsu
Los Angeles Times 2011-09-28
Sales of "functional foods," also called "credence goods" totaled $37.3 billion in U.S. in 2009, up from $28.2 billion in 2005; critics say shoppers are being bamboozled by ads
By Natasha Singer
The New York Times 2011-05-14
Opinion: Beyonce's former gig as soda saleswoman, and now her work with Let's Move campaign shows why celebs with hopes of influencing kids shouldn't hawk junk food
By Melanie Warner
BNET 2011-04-13
Agriculture
Massachusetts farmer makes farm-to-school movement a money-maker by buying from 30 other growers, lightly processing squashes and selling to UMass, public schools, others
By Michael Prager
The Boston Globe 2011-11-03
Oregon congressman urges revamp of farm bill, moving billions away from agribusiness and new focus on aid to family farmers, new farmers and production of healthy, local food
By Pete Kasperowicz
The Hill 2011-10-26
In Big Fix report on food system, researcher argues for folding good ideas into conventional system if they increase supply, reduce environmental damage, improve food security
By Justin Gillis
The New York Times 2011-10-12
Big Players
Editor rethinking viability of this site; in meantime, please read ethicurean.com, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, farmpolicy.com, newsletters of the RWJF, websites for USDA, FDA, CDC, and work of journalists worldwide
- Karla Cook
The Food Times 2012-01-05
Increased competition over land for growing biofuels, coupled with climate change and poor farming practices risks ability to feed growing population, UN warns
The Associated Press; The Washington Post 2011-11-28
Smithfield - world's largest pork producer - making false claims, Humane Society says; group urges McDonald's to require speedier improvements in animal welfare practices
By Monica Eng
Chicago Tribune 2011-11-02
Distribution & Transport
Floods layer sediment on floor of Mississippi River, slowing traffic and adding costs to imports, exports of corn, soybeans, coffee, oil and coal, but dredging funds are dry
By Cameron McWhirter
The Wall Street Journal. (may require subscription) 2011-07-05
To reach those in need of food aid, UN turns to cell phones; more than 379 million in Africa, world's poorest continent, were cell-phone users as of 2009
By Joshua E. Keating
Foreign Policy 2011-05-01
Wal-Mart tests online grocery delivery service in California; perishability of fresh food, industry's small profit margins have been obstacles to success in business
By Matthew Lewis
Reuters 2011-04-23
Economy
Number of Americans receiving food stamps reached a record 45.8 million in August, with Texas having the most - 4.12 million; spending was a record $6.13 billion
By Alan Bjerga
Bloomberg 2011-11-01
Haiti, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe most vulnerable to extreme weather of climate change and lack social, financial ability to cope; areas of north America, northern Europe protected
By Damian Carrington
The Guardian (UK) 2011-10-26
Opinion: Self-sufficiency is a lot of work and it requires organization and improvisation, but it's no big deal; you just do it - if you're hungry
By Susan Gregory Thomas
The New York Times 2011-10-09
Environment & Pollution
Krypton 81 helps track ancient water source of Nubian Aquifer, shared by Egypt, Libya, Chad and Sudan; technique could track brine in NM, where radioactive waste is stored
By Felicity Barringer
The New York Times 2011-11-21
Despite public health threat of cadmium, Mexico continues use of it in production of fertilizer, toys, batteries; population absorbs toxin through foods, smoking tobacco
By Emilio Godoy
Inter Press Service (Rome, Italy) 2011-11-03
Movement to make business heads, politicos liable for environmental destruction gains global momentum; campaigners say ecocide on par with other crimes against humanity
By Joe Jackson
Time magazine 2011-10-24
"Congress is fighting to keep pizza and French fries on the school menus when we have an obesity problem nationally."
Farm/Food Bill
Opinion: Congress should cut billions of dollars in farm subsidies that distort food prices, encourage overfarming and inflate price of land; continued pandering is out of touch
The editors
The New York Times 2011-01-15
Opinion: Obesity epidemic requires common sense - return P.E. to schools, offer better food in school cafeterias, end some subsidies, reward wellness in employer health plans, and eat more homemade dinners with our families
By David Gratzer, M.D.
The Washington Times 2011-01-07
Class issues permeate food system, underlining need for coherent policy, argues columnist for Grist
By Brent Cunningham
Columbia Journalism Review 2010-05-04
Institutional
Citing health, environment, Chicago alderman proposes citywide ban on foam food containers in restaurants, school cafeterias
By Monica Eng
Chicago Tribune 2010-02-17
Opinion: Congress should expand and improve quality of school meals program
The editors
San Jose Mercury News 2010-01-25
U.S. military food contracts in Middle East worth billions, but private security is sticking point
By Walter Pincus
The Washington Post 2010-01-11
Labor
Opinion: As Congress refuses to fix immigration and states run amok on enforcement, we need sensible policy that aids 11 million undocumented already here and working
The editors
The New York Times 2011-10-27
Expanding economic and educational opportunities, more democracy, rising border crime, shrinking families help slow illegal immigration from Mexico to U.S. to trickle
By Damien Cave
The New York Times 2011-07-06
Opinion: Immigrant purge will leave onions, peaches to rot in fields; states' attempts to engineer expulsion of 11m undocumented is lunacy and DOJ needs to work harder
The editors
The New York Times 2011-07-04
Lawsuits
Three sugar distributors sue ADM, Cargill over "misleading" ads equating high-fructose corn syrup with sugar, saying that campaign is response to customer concerns about obesity
By Dan Levine
Reuters 2011-04-28
Law firm says that Taco Bell uses false advertising when it refers to using "seasoned ground beef" or "seasoned beef"; mixture doesn't meet USDA standards for labeling, suit says
The Associated Press; MSNBC.com 2011-01-24
Wooden pallet group says plastic pallet group's lawsuit over statements condoning research into plastic pallets as possible cause of tainted butter a "distraction"
By Rory Harrington
nutraingredients.com/ Decision News Media 2010-12-20
Lobbying
Sugar, salt, livestock lobbies complain about new dietary guidelines, saying ideology, not science, is behind urgings to eat "only moderate" servings
By Philip Brasher
The Des Moines Register 2010-07-09
Though lawmakers claim independent judgment, campaign donors expect return on investments, and experience makes outcome a good bet
By R. Jeffrey Smith
The Washington Post 2010-03-07
Soda lobby, joined by paper industry, some truckers, kills plan to tax sugared beverages
By Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger
Los Angeles Times 2010-02-06
Manufacturers
Fuel refinery in Washington is one of world's leading providers of tarry residue used in making aluminum soda cans, suggesting that weaning from fossil fuels is complicated
By Geoff Dembicki
CorpWatch; The Tyee 2011-07-11
Areas of brain that interpret sense of taste may also provide representation of oral textures in mouth; study could open field for design of foods that mimic mouthfeel of fat
By Nathan Gray
Foodnavigator.com /Decision News Media 2011-05-02
Georgia food firm buying Philadelphia-based Tastykakes maker; Tasty Baking Co. move pushed by bankruptcies of A&P, Super Fresh, Pathmark grocery chains, rising food costs
National Public Radio; The Associated Press 2011-04-11
Processors
Roughly 1 in 4 packages of meat, poultry across U.S. contained multi-drug resistant staph in survey; risk is that we handle it badly, and transfer that staph onto our bodies, into our homes
By Maryn McKenna
Wired.com 2011-04-15
Del Monte Fresh Cut Green Beans leads list of processed and fresh foods in BPA content, scientists find in analysis of foods; toxin linked to heart disease, diabetes, reproductive ills
By Eryn Brown
Los Angeles Times 2010-11-02
Fashion for screw-cap wines undermines renewable cork forest management strategy, could lead to extinction of rarest wildcats and loss of 100,000 jobs, experts say
By Louise Gray
Telegraph (UK) 2010-07-16
Restaurants
Diners' sticker shock pushes chain restaurants into reworking recipes to cut back on fat, calories, carbohydrates
By Sharon Bernstein
Los Angeles Times 2011-06-22
Richest 10 percent of American Express cardholders increased spending on fast food by 4 percent, credit card company says; spending on casual dining decreased by 4 percent
By Jessica Dickler
CNN 2011-02-28
As subsidies rise for alternative fuels, fry-oil scavengers resort to frequent dining, cash payment, good tips at restaurants to ensure steady supply of free biodiesel for vehicle fillups
By Jeffrey Ball
The Wall Street Journal. (may require subscription) 2011-02-15
Retail
From strategic placement of fresh flowers to ice and water around vegetables and faux stacks of cartons, Whole Foods, others prime us to shop, says author of "Brandwashed"
By Martin Lindstrom
Fast Company 2011-09-15
New proposed rule would criminalize water dumping - practice of discarding contents of beverages bought with food stamps to collect cash from water tank deposits
By Monica Eng
Chicago Tribune 2011-06-17
Ice appreciation follows resurgence of classic cocktails; size matters as do shapes, density and clarity - goal is to match spears, crushed, cubes, spheres and big blocks to libation
By Kimberly Chou
The Wall Street Journal. (may require subscription) 2011-04-23
Trade
New food safety law needs funding but GOP looks to cut FDA budget; agency inspects only 1 percent of 10 million products, yet imports account for 60 percent of fresh fruits, vegetables and 80 percent of seafood
By Steven Gray
Time magazine 2011-04-24
Zynga, company that owns addictive video game Farmville, in which people spend real money to buy virtual goods such as seeds to produce crops, valued at more than $7 billion
By Nick Wingfield, Spencer E. Ante and Anupreeta Das
The Wall Street Journal. (may require subscription) 2011-02-14
Farm lobby says China's probe into tide of imports of U.S. distiller's dried grains - leftovers from making ethanol - could be disruptive; salvo is latest in tit-for-tat import taxes
By Chuin-Wei Yap
The Wall Street Journal. (may require subpscription) 2010-12-31
Wholesale
Price bite:
As China creates and begins to enforce stricter standards for food safety to restore confidence in the Made-in-China label, exports to U.S. fall, domestic growers cheer and American consumers see prices head upward.
By Don Lee
Los Angeles Times 2007-09-24
Organics shortage:
Despite higher profits and rising demand for organic corn and soybeans, few farmers switching over, forcing food companies to import organic soybeans from China and pay nearly double what they paid for organic corn last fall.
By Paula Lavigne
Des Moines Register 2007-08-12
Reviews:
"The Zen of Fish," and "The Sushi Economy," offer lessons in how global economy works, dangers of over-fishing and how it thrives on demand, and why trout might not be the best choice for eating raw (think tapeworms).
By Stuart Biggs
bloomberg.com 2007-08-08