Food Politics

Guy Fieri Joins Lawmakers to Promote Family Dinners

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 27th 2011 @ 4:00PM

Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

Yes, his overbearing manner and spiked blond hair can rub people the wrong way, but at his core, Guy Fieri seems like a pretty decent guy. Recently, the host of Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" used his clout to try to convince the California legislature to adopt a resolution urging the families to meet and cook weekly meals together every Sunday, reports the Associated Press.

Fieri, who helped pass a 2008 initiative to make the second Saturday in May "Cook With Your Kids Day" says he thinks cooking at home builds healthy habits.

"Let them stand there and work the saute pan, let them do the plate up, let them deliver it to the family," Fieri told the lawmakers. "Start them off slow. Educate them as you go."

Filed under: Food Politics, Celebrities

What the Republican Budget Means for Food Stamps

COMMENTS 13

by Jessie Cacciola, Posted Apr 26th 2011 @ 12:00PM

federal food stamps debit card Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Food stamp users, prepare for some belt-tightening. Harkening back to Clinton-era welfare economics of 1996, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan has proposed a $6.2 trillion cut to annual federal deficits for the next decade. The proposal, which passed the House earlier this month and resumes legislation today as Senators return from Easter-Passover break, would have a major impact on nutritional assistance programs.

The Ryan budget plan looks to cut the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by 20 percent between 2012 to 2021 by capping the open-ended system with a block-grant -- either by capping eligibility or benefits, or both. This means benefits would not fluctuate with economic need. States would instead be allotted a max.

Filed under: Food Politics, Chefs

Organic Valley Accused of Violating Organic Egg Standards

COMMENTS 34

by Clare Leschin-Hoar, Posted Apr 19th 2011 @ 1:00PM

Photo: Saul Loeb, AFP / Getty Images

Organic Valley, the nation's largest name-brand marketer of organic eggs, is being accused of misleading consumers about the living conditions of its California hens, and for violating federal organic standards, according to a story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The bombshell was dropped by the California-based organic watchdog group Cornucopia Institute, which says the hens at the Petaluma Egg Farm were confined in screened "porches" and not allowed to forage naturally in pastures with direct sunlight.

"The federal organic standards clearly state that 'year-round access for all animals to the outdoors' is a requirement," says Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst with the group in a release on their website.

The Cornucopia Institute has filed a legal complaint with the USDA over the matter. The current dust-up may be prompted by the USDA's National Organic Standards Board meeting scheduled for the end of April, where the board is expected to address whether "porches" meet the definition of access to the outdoors.

Filed under: Food News, Food Politics

Boston Bans Soda on City Property

COMMENTS 217

by Clare Leschin-Hoar, Posted Apr 8th 2011 @ 12:00PM

Boston bans Coke and soda on city property Photo: Jewel Samad, AFP / Getty Images

Boston's long-time mayor, Thomas M. Menino just made quenching the thirst of city-workers that much harder. According to The Boston Globe, Menino issued an executive order to phase out sugary drinks from all city property in an effort to curb rising obesity rates. So long non-diet sodas. Adios sweet tea. Arrivederci you sexy sports drinks, you.

City departments have six months to phase out the sinister sugary beverages in cafeterias, vending machines, concession stands and during city-run meetings. And just in case parched public workers aren't quite sure what constitutes a healthy beverage, the Boston Public Health Commission is applying the familiar red, yellow and green labels to drinks, and reinforced by nearby posters that say, "Stop. Rethink Your Drink. Go On Green."

According to a release from the Mayor's office, "red" beverages include non-diet sodas, sweetened ice teas, sports drinks, etc. Diet sodas and diet iced teas, 100 percent fruit juices and low calorie sports drinks qualify as "yellow" beverages, while "green" drinks mean bottled water, low fat milk or unsweetened soy milk. Mmmm. Unsweetened soy milk -- yum.

Boston's not alone in trying to combat obesity through mandated choices. Cities like San Francisco, San Antonio, Los Angeles County and New York City have also set standards to limit or prohibit the sale or distribution of unhealthy food -- including sugary drinks.

Filed under: Food News, Food Politics

Debate Raging Over Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

COMMENTS 5

by Clare Leschin-Hoar, Posted Mar 31st 2011 @ 2:00PM

a CAFO pig facility Photo: Daniel Pepper / Getty Images

It's a particularly tense debate being played out in rural communities across the country, but most recently at a heated meeting in Knox County, Missouri, where residents voiced concerns over local concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) and whether or not the county's health ordinance is being properly enforced.

The conversation is especially timely. Here's a round-up of activity just this month: In Missouri, House Bill 209 and Senate Bill 187 would restrict compensation for damages caused by CAFOs. In Idaho, lawmakers are considering a move to shield data related to CAFOs from the public. In Iowa, lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it illegal for activists to film farm operations while undercover; while a Florida bill was introduced that would make photographing a farm a felony. (That bill has since been amended to target those who trespass on private land.)

Add to that, two weeks ago a federal court of appeals ruled that the EPA cannot require livestock farmers to apply for Clean Water Act permits unless manure from the farms are actually discharged into U.S. waters.

At the same time, concerns over drug resistant bacteria and its connection to antibiotic use in livestock is mounting. That's certainly a worry for Lynn Bradley who attended the Knox County meeting on Monday.

Filed under: Food Politics

New Lawsuit Filed over GMO Alfalfa

COMMENTS 29

by Jason Best, Posted Mar 22nd 2011 @ 3:00PM

Photo: Photo: Pro-Soil Ag Solutions, Flickr

The next skirmish over genetically modified foods is getting underway, pitting a coalition of environmental, consumer and food-safety groups against the federal government.

Early this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved unrestricted planting of a type of GM alfalfa engineered by Monsanto. To the average consumer, that might not sound like such a big deal-after all, we're not rabbits.

But rabbits aren't the only animals that like to munch on the sweet grass. Alfalfa is the primary food source for cows, too. No only that, but alfalfa has a wily propensity to cross-pollinate across miles; over time, opponents say, there's no way to ensure that the GM variety doesn't intermix with the non-GM variety.

Filed under: Food News, Food Politics

A Dubious Alliance of Food Giants

COMMENTS 2

by Nanette Maxim, Posted Mar 18th 2011 @ 3:00PM

Grocery store produce aisle Photo: AP Photo

We guess alliances like the Snack Food Association and the Council for Biotechnology Information (whose megacompany members include BASF, DuPont, Dow, and Monsanto) felt they just weren't big enough or strong enough to convince Congress and consumers that big ag is good ag. So now 55 of the big-boy alliances have bonded together to form what might be called a supersociety, the new Alliance to Feed the Future.

Telling "the real story of modern food production" and "balancing the public dialogue on modern agriculture" is the Alliance's mission, according to its debut press release. What is also very modern is that the alliance, which also includes members such CropLife America (whose website features stories such as "Benefits of Pesticides and Crop-Protection Chemicals") the National Frozen Pizza Institute, and the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers, has decided to locate in Washington, D.C. After all, Dave Schmidt, President and CEO at the International Food Information Council and coordinator of AFF told Sustainable Food News, its target audience is that of "opinion leaders, including those in the university sector, professional societies, journalists and government officials."

Filed under: Food Politics

Do Culinary Schools Actually Get Chefs Jobs?

COMMENTS 62

by Clare Leschin-Hoar, Posted Mar 17th 2011 @ 12:00PM

Chefs in class at Le Cordon Bleu Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Federal regulators are threatening to crack down on for-profit schools that are eager to take students' cash, but aren't necessarily coming through with lucrative paying gigs upon graduation. Those for-profit schools include a number of culinary schools around the country that are increasingly taking the heat. Several are embroiled in actual lawsuits.

According to Politico, the Department of Education is expected to set what many call "gainful employment" rules as early as this month. That move could severely limit the ability of for-profit schools to access federally-backed student loans. That means cooking schools like Le Cordon Bleu, Art Institute of Houston, Western Culinary Institute and dozens more, might be facing their own elimination challenge as they face increasing pressure to prove their students are able to secure jobs upon graduation, and have the ability to pay back student loans that can quickly reach $50,000.

Attorney Michael Louis Kelly, who is suing Career Education Corp. (the parent company of Le Cordon Bleu) on behalf of California students, told NPR that the school made unrealistic promises.

"The model doesn't work," Kelly told NPR. "You can't got to school, accumulate $30-, $40- or $50,000 in debt and then go into an industry where you're going to have to start out at $8 or $12 an hour."

Filed under: Food News, Food Politics

Movie Theaters Fight Mandate to Post Calorie Counts

COMMENTS 35

by Jessie Cacciola, Posted Mar 16th 2011 @ 1:00PM

Movie Theater Popcorn Bag Photo: Wahlander, Flickr

Thanks to a new law, clearly posted calorie counts will soon tell you exactly how much weight that burger will add to your hips. But you'll also be faced with some eye-popping news at your local movie theater concession stand. The new law, which goes into effect March 23, mandates that all chain restaurants with at least 20 U.S. locations must display the calorie counts of their menu items -- but it also includes concession stands at grocery stores and movie theaters.

Movie theater owners are up in arms about the impending regulations. Why? Maybe because an average bag of the buttery stuff contains 1,460 calories, nearly equivalent to three Big Macs.

Filed under: Food News, Food Politics

U.N: Small-Scale Farming Could Double the World's Food Production

COMMENTS 13

by Clare Leschin-Hoar, Posted Mar 8th 2011 @ 3:00PM

organic zucchini farm Photo: John Moore / Getty Images

The United Nations released a whopper of a report today. In the midst of soaring global food and oil prices, the agency let loose a public stunner: World hunger and climate change cannot be solved with industrial farming. So much for seed-giant Pioneer Hi-Bred's "We Feed The World" slogan. Yowch.

The U.N. study makes it clear -- small-scale farmers can double food production in 10-years by using simple farming methods. According the The Guardian, insect-trapping plants in Kenya or weed-eating ducks in Bangladesh's rice paddies may be the way to feed the world's burgeoning population.

"To feed 9 billion people in 2050, we urgently need to adopt the most efficient farming techniques available. Today's scientific evidence demonstrates that agroecological methods outperform the use of chemical fertilizers in boosting food production in regions where the hungry live," says Olivier De Schutter, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the right to food and author of the report.

De Schutter told the Wall Street Journal that promoting natural farming techniques is the only sustainable way to guard against future food crisis.

"We set up our farming techniques in the 1920s when we thought there would be a never-ending supply of cheap oil," he said. "Developing farming in a way which makes it less addicted to fossil energy is much more promising."