Food and Farming
The USDA’s Reckless Plan
My friend Jim, a farmer, jokes about bringing a bowl of manure and a spoon to the farmers' markets where he sells his beef. "My beef has no manure in it, but you can add some," he'd like to tell his customers. I'm sure you'd pass on manure as a condiment. But unless...
Back to School Lunch
"It tastes like…" my six-year-old friend paused to search for a word disgusting enough to describe school lunch. "Throw up," she concluded. Her sister, a fifth grader, nodded in agreement. Really? I've heard fantastic reviews of the cafeteria director there. No doubt,...
Razing the Garden of Eden
The Bible tells us that the Garden of Eden was heaven on Earth — until Adam ate that apple. Then all Hell broke loose. Now, Arlington, Texas, has updated this tale. At about 7:30 in the morning of August 2, a SWAT team of armed police agents, code enforcement...
The Fake Thing
New rule (as Bill Maher would say): If you make billions of dollars a year selling unhealthy food, you don't get to tell us to work out. It was one thing when Cookie Monster began telling kids to eat vegetables. Cookie Monster doesn't earn a living by selling cookies,...
The Food Stamp Fracas
"Stop the moochers!" shouted a flock of GOP budget whackers in the House of Representatives. It was back in July, before they flapped away for their five-week long summer break. This was the battle cry of conservative House lawmakers as they ripped all food stamp...
Hold the Pomposity
Ruth Bourdain of Twitter fame has been revealed! If you're like me, you had no idea there ever was someone named Ruth Bourdain on Twitter, or that she was a satirical character made up by an anonymous — but very funny — prankster. Now that "her" identity was exposed...
Coke’s Green Lipstick
Coke's going green. Or, at least, it wants you to think it is. There's no denying that part of Coca-Cola has gone green: the label — in one South American country. In Argentina, the world's No. 1 soft drink company now sells a new product called Coca-Cola Life with a...
Waiting for Wendy’s
Don't eat at Wendy's this week. Across the country, people are picketing restaurants, calling corporate offices, and signing petitions against the fast food chain through August 11. What's this Week of Action against Wendy's about? For years, the company has bucked...
Beefing Up Food Safety
In a 1968 comedy called The Secret War of Harry Frigg, Paul Newman is captured during World War II in Italy. After the prisoner of war spends several weeks trying to escape, his captor tells him some great news: The guards now have bullets in their guns. The Food and...
Size Matters
They're found in M&Ms, Dunkin' Donuts, Jell-O pudding, and even Pop-Tarts. Scientists don't know if they're safe to eat. The government doesn't regulate these things. Even food manufacturers often don't know this technology is in the food they sell. You probably...
