What’s in the news about food choices
- There’s a lot of food waste, but new ways are being found to address it
- New methods to keep nutrients in produce after harvest
- Storytelling helps get children wanting to eat veggies
- Is Truvia natural?
- More gluten-free including Dunkin’ Donuts and Betty Crocker
- Is whole milk better for children?
- Food prices linked to obesity rates
Here are links and summaries for recent news and opinion about food choices.
Food waste – how to avoid it
Analysis of US food waste (pdf) April 2013 Food Waste Alliance
Food manufacturers, retailers, and wholesalers report on food waste and how much of it is disposed, donated, and recycled.
Food waste to resource Jun-25-13 The Food Journal
One out of every three calories produced in the US is wasted. Fortunately, there are some game changers making big advances to not eliminate but to minimize the increase in food waste in this country.
Produce – local, health, how to get kids to eat it, and more
Chipotle plans to serve more than 15 million pounds of locally grown produce in 2013 Jun-18-13 BusinessWire
Chipotle has steadily increased its locally sourced produce supply since beginning the program in 2008.
Keeping nutrients in produce after harvest Jun-20-13 NPR The Salt
A new study finds there may be a way to boost some of the beneficial compounds in plants by simulating the light-dark cycle after crops are harvested.
U.S. orange juice consumption reaches new lows Jun-24-13 Wall Street Journal
Data released Monday showed the amount of orange juice sold in the U.S. fell to its lowest level in at least 11 years
Nutritional story time doubles vegetable consumption in children Jul-5-13 Food Product Design
Children, ages 4 to 5, who for three months listened to five stories emphasizing key concepts about food and nutrition during snack time voluntarily consumed more vegetables than students who followed a typical snack time, according to a new study published in the journal Psychological Science.
Eating fruits and vegetables tied to longer life Jul-11-13 Reuters
Eating fewer than five servings of fruit and vegetables each day is linked with a higher chance of dying early, according to a large study from Sweden.
‘Natural’ labeling – lawsuits end claims
Deceptive marketing lawsuit alleging Truvia stevia-based sweetener is not ‘natural’ Jul-19-13 FoodNavigator-USA
A lawsuit filed in Hawaii alleges that Cargill is misleading shoppers by marketing its Truvia retail products as ‘natural’ as the Reb-A steviol glycosides they contain are “highly chemical processed” and the bulking agent used (erythritol) is “synthetically made”.
PepsiCo’s Naked Juice agrees to end ‘all natural’ claim Jul-18-13 FoodBev.com
Naked Juice Co, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, will stop using ‘all natural’ to describe its products after agreeing to settle a US class action suit for $9m. This suit claims that it falsely advertised some of its juice and smoothie products as ‘all natural’ and not genetically modified (GMO). Naked Juice denies the allegations.
Gluten-free – donuts, Italian food, baking
Dunkin’ Donuts to offer gluten-free donuts, muffins Jun-20-13 Boston Globe
After recent testing of the concept, Dunkin’ Donuts will begin offering gluten-free doughnuts and muffins in all its U.S. locations this year.
Johnny Carino’s announces new gluten-free menu Jul-1-13 FSR
Johnny Carino’s restaurant group announced the expansion of their gluten-free menu to 23 items, which includes items from their kid’s menu.
Betty Crocker expands gluten-free offerings Jul-19-13 New Hope 360
Betty Crocker has two new additions to the line of Betty Crocker Gluten Free baking products: Gluten Free Sugar Cookie mix and All-Purpose Gluten Free Rice Flour Blend.
Feeding children – whole milk, PUFAs and allergies
Whole milk might be a better choice for children, scientists say Jul-1-13 Chicago Tribune
Two Harvard scientists known for questioning the conventional wisdom are challenging the idea of making lower-fat milks the only milk options available to children. They suggest that until there are additional studies, guidelines for milk consumption should designate a range of perhaps zero to three cups, avoid recommending low-fat over whole milk and focus on limiting consumption of flavored milks.
High-PUFA link to allergies in children Jul-11-13 Food Product Design
Children with high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in cord blood at birth are more likely to develop respiratory and skin allergies in their early teens, according to a new research article. Children with allergies at age 13 had higher proportions of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs in cord blood samples taken at birth.
Other – food stamps and soda, food prices and obesity, and more
US mayors call to limit use of food stamps to buy soda Jun-18-13 Yahoo! News
The mayors of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and 15 other cities are reviving a push against letting food stamps be used to buy soda and other sugary drinks.
Taco Bell to test ‘power protein’ menu to lure health-conscious Jun-18-13 AdAge
Millennials are seeking items that have more protein and less fat, said CEO Greg Creed. The chain will test a small menu of items that offer more than 20 grams of protein and contain fewer than 450 calories, as well as zero-calories beverages.
P.F. Chang’s introduces new summer seasonal menu nationwide Jun-20-13 BusinessWire
The new menu highlights summer ingredients such as heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado (generally ready for picking in late summer and fall), mango, and pears (a fall fruit)
Counterfeit food more widespread than suspected Jun-26-13 New York Times
Investigators have uncovered thousands of frauds, raising fresh questions about regulatory oversight as criminals offer bargain-hunting shoppers cheap versions of everyday products, including counterfeit chocolate and adulterated olive oil, Jacob’s Creek wine and even Bollinger Champagne. As the horse meat scandal showed, even legitimate companies can be overtaken by the murky world of food fraud.
Food prices linked to obesity rates Jun-28-13 Wall Street Journal
Bigger price tags on fruits and vegetables were associated with greater levels of youth obesity, while lower prices of fast-food options were correlated with higher youth obesity levels.
Drinking water and losing weight Jul-3-13 Chicago Tribune
Dieters who drink more water have greater weight loss, according to a new review of several prior studies. Researchers said there is not yet enough evidence, however, to say for sure that drinking more water will help people shed the pounds.
Mexico takes title of “most obese” from America Jul-8-13 CBS News
Even as nearly half its people are poor and as officials launch a national anti-hunger campaign, Mexico by some accounts recently has replaced the United States as the chubbiest of the globe’s larger countries.
Shoppers urge safeway to mandate GMO labels Jul-9-13 Supermarket News
Safeway announced in a Facebook post that its O Organics products, which are certified USDA Organic, do not contain GMOs, adding that the company “fully supports the voluntary labeling of products that are GMO-free” and that it has “not made contributions to defeat any GMO-labeling initiatives.”
Junk food linked with colorectal cancer risk Jul-17-13 HuffPost Food
Eating lots of chips, cakes, desserts and sugary drinks is a risk factor for colorectal cancer, according to a new study.
Dietitians in grocery stores Jul-19-13 Philly.com
Phil Lempert, food-trend observer and chief executive officer of the newly formed Retail Dietitians Business Alliance, estimates that the number of registered dietitians in supermarkets, now 500 to 600, will more than double by the end of 2014.
Allergy-friendly menus Jul-2013 QSR
Cutting calories, lowering fat content, and providing healthy, fresh ingredients have become increasingly commonplace in the limited-service industry over the past few years. But while U.S. quick serves have embraced the healthy lifestyle movement, some wonder if operators are still overlooking the need to offer allergy-friendly menu options.
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