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