View Post

Tilapia Fillet

In # 5: Organic and ethical food labels by Axl

365 Whole Foods Market has several products with ethical labels. One of these is their tilapia fillet. This product uses a “responsibly farmed” label on the front of the bags. To be a responsibly farmed product means to use practices considerate to environmental sustainability, animal health, the well being of …

View Post

Who Does Your Coffee Come From?

In # 5: Organic and ethical food labels by Corinne

Plenty of imported goods claim to be “fair trade”. The definition of something being fair trade means that a trade is made between a developed country and one that is developing where fair prices are paid to the workers who produced it. Many goods like coffee, bananas, chocolate, tea, cotton, …

View Post

Ethical Poultry

In # 5: Organic and ethical food labels by Duong

Chicken and other poultry products are consumed in the US in high amounts, with data from 2023 showing that 118.7 pounds of chicken was consumed per capita. With so much poultry, people are bound to think about how they can make more ethical food choices while still being able to …

View Post

Free-Range Eggs

In # 5: Organic and ethical food labels by Emily

Rolling green hills, chickens roaming and running about freely without the harsh conditions of a crowded chicken factory-like barn. This is what most people think of when they see the shining “free-range” label on their eggs. Oftentimes when buying the “ethical” “free-range” eggs, you feel as though you’re doing your …

View Post

Single Origin Chocolate

In # 5: Organic and ethical food labels by Elijah

This product I found is called Beyond Good Chocolate does not have an “ethical” food label but claims to be “single-origin chocolate”. In this case, it means that the chocolate can all be traced back to a single producer or that is what they want you to think.  This producer …

View Post

Soy And Pork Mislabeling Incident

In # 4: Food allergens in the news by Axl

Dearborn Brand Sausage is undergoing a recall for their ready-to-eat wieners that were produced on August 7th, 2024. Dearborn Brand is a meat-based production company. This company is a family business that has been around for over 75 years that focuses mainly on franks, sausages, and hams. One their site, …

View Post

Inulin as New Allergy Treatment

In # 4: Food allergens in the news by Bekki

A recent study from the University of Michigan has found that inulin could be a new treatment for food allergies. Inulin is a naturally occurring plant fiber found in over 36,000 plant species. Because it is a prebiotic, it is also used as a dietary supplement to increase fiber or …

View Post

Undeclared Peanuts by Oreo

In # 4: Food allergens in the news by Pham

Recently, Whatever Brand, a company that is particularly known for its manufacturing, retailing, and producing foods and beverages in the United Kingdom (UK) was involved in a recall of Oreo products due to undeclared peanuts in several of their Oreo varieties such as Dark & White Chocolate, Strawberry Cream, Blueberry …

View Post

New peanut allergy treatment?

In # 4: Food allergens in the news by Leo

In an article posted in May of this year, a medication called omalizumab was found to significantly reduce the risk of dangerous allergic reactions in patients with peanut and other common food allergies. Omalizumab is often used as an injectable prescription to treat moderate to severe asthma by preventing IgE …

View Post

Beef, Chicken, Pork, Soy?

In # 4: Food allergens in the news by Wyatt

A Dearborn, MI sausage producer has had to recall nearly one ton of sausage after a case of cross contamination was positively identified. The Dearborn Sausage Company has issued a recall for their “Brookside Brand Fully Cooked Natural Casing Beef Wieners” and “Brookside Brand Natural Casing Fully Cooked Wieners”. The …

View Post

Allergy-Free Alcohol? Real or Fake

In # 4: Food allergens in the news by Emily

A new trend in the alcohol beverage industry is labeling their products as being “allergy-free” and using this claim to charge more for their product. The article I found by Food & Wine breaks down the validity of these claims. The allergist consulted in the article points out that being …

View Post

Does Mustard Contain Peanuts?

In # 4: Food allergens in the news by Elijah

Should people with a peanut allergy be considered with peanut butter? Recently, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has made an announcement advising people with peanut allergies to avoid eating food that may have mustard in it, as it might be contaminated with peanuts. This isn’t actually because mustard contains something …

View Post

A Proposal to Reduce risk of Obesity

In # 3: Junk Food Dissuasion by Pham

The obesity pandemic has been emerged as one of the biggest pressing public health crises in the United States (US) since 1976 and still going on these days, along with increasing rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, and certain cancers. Furthermore, nowadays, consumers not only have to …

View Post

The Fight over Obesity

In # 3: Junk Food Dissuasion by Elijah

                   Obesity has been a growing problem in the last several years, especially in the United States. Yet, obesity is not just a United States problem (although the United States is the most obese) but a global problem. Several other countries have tried various strategies to combat the obesity epidemic. …

View Post

Edible Ballon

In # 2: Molecular Gastronomy by Anthony

In Chicago there is a restaurant called Alinea. I have been there with my family once and it is a wild experience. The desserts though were incredible. One being an edible toffee helium balloon and a dissected cheesecake. I highly recommend going if you haven’t.

View Post

Edible Beef Tallow Candle

In # 2: Molecular Gastronomy by Bekki

There are lots of weird recipes in the ever evolving world of molecular gastronomy. One example that I found that may be practical are edible candles.  In a restaurant in London, England, the bread is served with a candle made from beef fat, gelatin, spices, and vinegar. When guests first …