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Category Archives: Food and Nutrition
Grocery chains are bigger than ever. See who runs the stores near you.
Washington Post: “Tom Thumb in Plano, Texas. Star Market in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Pavilions in Newport Beach, California. Jewel-Osco in Glenview, Illinois. What do these regional grocery chains have in common? They’re all owned by Albertsons, the Boise, Idaho-based company with more than 2,200 locations under about two dozen banners. Over the past three decades, the… Continue Reading
Toxic chemicals found in food packaging; FDA under pressure to take action
Chicago Tribune: “Evidence is mounting that food packaging and plastic tableware contain toxic chemicals absorbed by humans, a public health risk largely ignored by federal officials charged with protecting the nation’s food supply. During the past week alone, a new study detailed how more than 3,600 chemicals in food-related materials have been detected in people… Continue Reading
A World of Waste: Risks and opportunities in household waste management
World Risk Poll: “As the global population continues to expand and development accelerates, the volume of waste generated worldwide is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Safely managing this growing waste burden is an escalating challenge with significant implications not only for the environment but also for human health, safety, and wellbeing. Download the report here… Continue Reading
Scientists just figured out how many chemicals enter our bodies from food packaging
Washington Post: “Shrink-wrap sealed around a piece of raw meat. Takeout containers filled with restaurant leftovers. Plastic bottles filled with soft drinks. These are just a few types of food packaging that surround humans every day. And a new study released Monday shows the chemical toll of all that wrapping — and how it might… Continue Reading
MA only state to successfully cut food wasts
Washington Post: “Researchers studied the effect of five laws requiring supermarkets and restaurants to reduce waste, part of a broader effort to keep food out of landfills, where it contributes to climate change…Nearly every state-led effort to ban food waste analyzed by researchers appears to be failing — except one, according to a new study.… Continue Reading
Billion-Dollar Bank Accused of Secretly Sending Customers’ Personal and Financial Information to Facebook, Google and Microsoft
The Daily Hodl: “The eighth-largest bank in the US by total assets is accused of secretly collecting personal and financial information from its customers and sharing the data with tech giants. A new class-action lawsuit alleges Capital One engaged in an “outrageous, illegal, and widespread practice of disclosing – without consent – the Nonpublic Personal… Continue Reading
Imports make up growing share of U.S. fresh fruit and vegetable supply
USDA: “Imports play a vital and increasingly important role in ensuring that fresh fruit and vegetables are available year-round in the United States. Since the 2008 completion of the transition to tariff- and quota-free trade among Mexico, Canada, and the United States under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), U.S. fresh fruit and vegetable… Continue Reading
Researchers use AI to map drought-prone regions in Canada
National Drought Mitigation Center: “Drought is a significant threat to Canada’s agriculture, water resources and ecosystems. A recent study by the University of Ottawa and Laval University uses Artificial Intelligence to map drought-prone regions in the country. By using deep-learning techniques and data from the Canadian Drought Monitor and ERA5-Land, the study provides an analysis… Continue Reading
New Axios/Ipsos American Health Index
“As a summer COVID surge continues, the latest Axios/Ipsos American Health Index finds that concern about COVID is ticking up, even as mask use hasn’t changed. However, concern about COVID remains relatively low and in line with other respiratory illnesses, like the flu. When it comes to the top public health worries for the country,… Continue Reading
How Close Are the Planet’s Climate Tipping Points?
The New York Times – article and visualizations [unpaywalled]: “Earth’s warming could trigger sweeping changes in the natural world that would be hard, if not impossible, to reverse. Right now, every moment of every day, we humans are reconfiguring Earth’s climate bit by bit. Hotter summers and wetter storms. Higher seas and fiercer wildfires. The… Continue Reading
Greedflation Report
“U.S. Sen. Bob Casey released his latest “greedflation” report on Wednesday, and this time it takes aim at popular streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more. This time, Casey is highlighting what he calls “streamflation,” which happens when streaming platforms hike their profits by charging higher prices, despite offering less content and… Continue Reading
