Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com Slashfood http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gif Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Gulf Seafood & The Anniversary of the BP Spillhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/20/gulf-seafood-and-the-anniversary-of-the-bp-spill/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/20/gulf-seafood-and-the-anniversary-of-the-bp-spill/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/20/gulf-seafood-and-the-anniversary-of-the-bp-spill/#commentsFiled under:

view of BP oil spill on June, 7, 2010View of BP oil spill on June, 7, 2010. Photo: Charlie Riedel/AP Photo


Today marks the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill, and caps a very tough year for Gulf fishermen. Many are still struggling to stay in business while being dogged by lingering consumer doubt over the safety of the very seafood they're harvesting.

Images of dead dolphins and sea turtles that washed ashore earlier this month fueled concerns over just where the estimate 200 million gallons of crude oil and 1.8 million gallons of dispersants ended up. In the meantime, plenty of Gulf residents continue to harbor anger over the spill. At BP's annual meeting last week, protesters, including Gulf fishermen, rallied to be heard.

Bryon Encalade, president of the Louisiana Oystermen Association, told The Guardian, "We've not been made whole: our fishing grounds have been depleted, our oysters are dead and we're not receiving the funds we need to support and sustain ourselves. We're seeing money going everywhere but at ground zero."

And, one year later, long-term effects of the oil spill are still unclear.

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]]>BP oil spillDeepwater HorizonGulf seafoodGulf Wildgulf+seafood+safetygulfseafoodsafetyseafood safetyClare Leschin-HoarWed, 20 Apr 2011 12:30:00 ESTOrganic Valley Accused of Violating Organic Egg Standardshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/19/organic-valley-eggs-accused-of-violating-organic-standards/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/19/organic-valley-eggs-accused-of-violating-organic-standards/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/19/organic-valley-eggs-accused-of-violating-organic-standards/#commentsFiled under: ,

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.

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]]>CAFOcage-freeCornucopia InstituteeggsfarmingorganicOrganic ValleyClare Leschin-HoarTue, 19 Apr 2011 13:00:00 ESTMany Imported Olive Oils Fail Quality Testshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/14/almost-75-percent-of-imported-olive-oil-fails-quality-tests/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/14/almost-75-percent-of-imported-olive-oil-fails-quality-tests/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/14/almost-75-percent-of-imported-olive-oil-fails-quality-tests/#commentsFiled under:

olive oil studyPhoto: roboppy, Flickr


That premium extra-virgin olive oil you shelled out a little extra for may not be quite as premium as you'd hoped, according to a second study released yesterday by the UC Davis Olive Center and the Australian Oils Research Laboratory.

According to the report, researchers found that five of the top-selling imported "extra virgin" olive oil brands in the U.S. were inconsistent, and that 73 percent of the samples tested failed sensory standards, which indicated they were of poor quality or had been adulterated with cheaper refined oils like canola, seed or nut oils.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the brands tested included Filippo Berio, Bertolli, Pompeian, Colavita and Star.

It's the second study released by the groups in the last year. The first was published last summer, but drew heavy criticism for small sample sizing, unknown storage conditions and testing methods. And already, the current report is coming under attack by the North American Olive Oil Association, which represents marketers, packagers and importers of olive oil.

"Consumers can continue to trust the quality of the imported olive oils they buy in supermarkets throughout the United States, contrary to what the authors of a report funded by a small contingent of domestic oil producers would like them to believe," the release says.

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]]>California olive oilevooextra virgin olive oilimported olive oilolive oilolive oil studyClare Leschin-HoarThu, 14 Apr 2011 13:30:00 ESTJamie Oliver's Food Revolution Recaphttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/13/jamie-olivers-food-revolution-recap/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/13/jamie-olivers-food-revolution-recap/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/13/jamie-olivers-food-revolution-recap/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jamie Oliver's Food RevolutionPhoto: ABC


Aw shucks. Jamie Oliver's much awaited Food Revolution LA-style sure got off to a rough start. Especially for a guy armed with a simple question: Why can't we do better when it comes to school lunches for our kids?

Before the show even gets underway, Jamie lets us in on a big problem -- the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has refused to give him access to schools. He's been denied.

"They will not let me into any school," says Oliver. "That means war."

So starts the famous chef's familiar drumbeat. He takes to the airways on co-producer Ryan Seacrest's radio program and eventually welcomes a crowd of parents and kids to Jamie's LA Kitchen where they unload gobs of unappetizing, highly processed, plastic wrapped meals culled from their own schools.

"It's worse than anything I had seen before. This is not reality TV. It's a campaign. Will you help me?" he says.

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]]>Food RevolutionJamie OliverLA schoolsLAUSDobesityschool lunchClare Leschin-HoarWed, 13 Apr 2011 11:00:00 ESTBoston Bans Soda on City Propertyhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/08/boston-bans-soda-on-city-property/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/08/boston-bans-soda-on-city-property/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/08/boston-bans-soda-on-city-property/#commentsFiled under: ,

Boston bans Coke and soda on city propertyPhoto: 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.

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]]>BostonobesityschoolssodaClare Leschin-HoarFri, 08 Apr 2011 12:00:00 ESTJapan Sets Radiation Limits for Fishhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/05/japan-sets-radioactive-limits-for-fish/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/05/japan-sets-radioactive-limits-for-fish/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/05/japan-sets-radioactive-limits-for-fish/#commentsFiled under:

Japanese ocean radiationPhoto: Toru Yamanaka, AFP / Getty Images


Japanese officials have found radioactive iodine at 7.5 million times the legal limit in seawater near the crippled Fukushima plant. That staggering number has prompted the Japanese government to set radiation safety standards for the first time for seafood -- 2,000 bequerels of iodine per kilogram of fish.

Kounago fish caught on Friday, approximately 50 miles from the nuclear plant, were found to contain 4,080 bequerels of radioactive iodine-131 and 526 bequerels of cesium 137. According to the Wall Street Journal, those results were the first clear indication that fish were being contaminated as a result of leaks from the Daiichi plant.

Nichols Fisher, a professor of marine sciences at SUNY at Stony Brook told the New York Times that according to some radiation safety guidelines, people could eat 35 pounds of fish per year containing the level of cesium 137 detected in the Japanese fish.

"So you're not going to die from eating it right away, but we're getting to levels where I would think twice about eating it," he was quoted as saying.

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]]>FukushimaJapanjapanese nuclear crisisnuclearradiationClare Leschin-HoarTue, 05 Apr 2011 14:00:00 ESTRadioactive Iodine-131 Found In U.S. Milk Sampleshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/01/radioactive-iodine-131-found-in-u-s-milk-samples/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/01/radioactive-iodine-131-found-in-u-s-milk-samples/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/01/radioactive-iodine-131-found-in-u-s-milk-samples/#commentsFiled under: ,

radiation found in milkPhoto: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images


Officials have discovered trace levels of radioactive Iodine-131 in milk samples from Washington state and California, but stress that amounts are still 5,000 times lower than the limit set by the Food and Drug Administration. That should easy worry for consumers concerned that radiation from the damaged Fukushima plant in Japan will affect milk produced in the U.S.

"We don't make light of radiation. People want more information, but it's important to put things in context," Al Lundeen, spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) told Slashfood. "We have had a positive sampling of Iodine-131, but it was minuscule. It's a trace amount compared to other things like watching TV or flying on a plane, where people are also exposed to radiation."

According to the Associated Press, the FDA and EPA announced they had found radiation in milk from Spokane, Wash. on Friday, while the CDPH announced they found similar results from milk obtained at a dairy in San Luis Obispo County on Monday.

"We are going to continue to monitor the situation," said Lundeen. "We test milk because that's the food where radiation can be detected most quickly, but we're testing air samples as well. What we know now is the amount of radiation detected should not force people to hesitate to drink milk or anything else."

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]]>Japanjapan nuclear crisismilkradiationClare Leschin-HoarFri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:00 ESTDebate Raging Over Concentrated Animal Feeding Operationshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/31/debate-raging-over-confined-animal-feeding-operations/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/31/debate-raging-over-confined-animal-feeding-operations/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/31/debate-raging-over-confined-animal-feeding-operations/#commentsFiled under:

aCAFO pig facilityPhoto: 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.

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]]>CAFODrug resistantfarmingfeaturedlivestockClare Leschin-HoarThu, 31 Mar 2011 14:00:00 ESTJapan's Nuclear Crisis May Also Affect Fishhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/25/japans-nuclear-crisis-may-also-affect-fish/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/25/japans-nuclear-crisis-may-also-affect-fish/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/25/japans-nuclear-crisis-may-also-affect-fish/#commentsFiled under:

Japanese fish inspection for radiationPhoto: ChinaFotoPress / Getty Images


There's more grim news coming out of Japan this morning as officials there widen the evacuation band near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant over concerns that additional radiation may leak from the damaged facility. Earlier this week, Tokyo parents were warned not to give infants tap water, which has tested positive for radioactive iodine; and despite import bans, some Japanese vegetables that have tested positive for radiation found their way to Singapore.

Radiation fears are also migrating to seafood. Japanese officials said they have detected higher levels of radiation in ocean waters near the damaged nuclear power plant, fueling fears on the impact this may have on Japan's fishing industry. The catastrophe has left the famed Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo reeling.

Should the situation at the Fukushima plant worsen, the fallout from the disaster could have complications for some of our own seafood. Philadelphia science blogger Bix Webber posted a troubling graphic on her website earlier this week: a New York Times interactive map that shows travel projections should a plume of radiation head east towards the U.S. Underneath it, Webber shows another graphic illustrating the migratory patterns for Pacific salmon. They're eerily similar.

Which leaves us with the money question: Could salmon stocks (and other species) be impacted should the situation worsen in Japan?

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]]>fishJapannuclearradiationsalmonseafoodTsukiji Fish MarketClare Leschin-HoarFri, 25 Mar 2011 14:00:00 ESTDo Culinary Schools Actually Get Chefs Jobs?http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/17/do-culinary-schools-get-chefs-jobs/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/17/do-culinary-schools-get-chefs-jobs/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/17/do-culinary-schools-get-chefs-jobs/#commentsFiled under: ,

Chefs in class at Le Cordon BleuPhoto: 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."

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]]>culinary schoolsfeaturedTop ChefClare Leschin-HoarThu, 17 Mar 2011 12:00:00 ESTGulf Coast To Obama: Tell Citizens Our Seafood Is Safehttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/15/gulf-coast-to-obama-tell-citizens-our-seafood-is-safe/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/15/gulf-coast-to-obama-tell-citizens-our-seafood-is-safe/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/15/gulf-coast-to-obama-tell-citizens-our-seafood-is-safe/#commentsFiled under:

Gulf Seafood passes inspectionPhoto: Win McNamee / Getty Images


Gulf seafood is still suffering from a lingering black eye. So much so, that earlier this month, 30 members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama urging him to disclose more information on the federal government's seafood safety work.

"Louisiana is suffering from a serious perception problem regarding its seafood, despite the fact that the fish we harvest is consistently being proven to be safe by several federal and state testing agencies," said Ewell Smith, executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board.

As recently as December, the seafood board's survey found that 71 percent of consumers still indicated a level of concern about the safety of consuming Gulf seafood.

In their letter to the President, congressional members write: "This lack of public confidence results not from a shortage of government data, but from an ineffectiveness in reporting this complex information to the American public."

"Seafood coming out of the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most tested food products in the world, and the results consistently prove that Gulf seafood is entirely safe to eat," Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana told Slashfood.

Politicians aren't the only ones beating that drum.

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]]>featuredGulf CoastGulf SeafoodNOLAoil spillseafoodseafood safetyClare Leschin-HoarTue, 15 Mar 2011 12:00:00 ESTSustainable Seafood for Lenthttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/09/sustainable-seafood-for-lent/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/09/sustainable-seafood-for-lent/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/09/sustainable-seafood-for-lent/#commentsFiled under: ,

Fish baked in foil with tomatoesPhoto: New Media Publishing / Flat Art Studios.com


Time to tuck away those shiny Mardi Gras beads. Lent is officially underway, and for many observant eaters, that means several fish-focused Fridays. Lucky for you, we found some folks offering tasty specials where the spotlight shines only on sustainable seafood. That makes it easy to leave your guilty conscience at home.

While Wisconsin throws a mighty tasty fish-fry, they're not the only ones. At Jackson 20 in Alexandria, Va., chef Dennis Marron says they're adding U.S. farmed channel catfish to their traditional fried chicken offering during Lent, making it "Fryday". (He said it, not us!) "We try and stay true to our Southern-influenced concept, and we like to get our fish from as close to home as possible. We track our carbon "fish-print"," he says. The catfish he serves is raised in closed containment systems and fed a mostly vegetarian diet which garners it a Seafood Watch best choice rating. Pass the tarter sauce, would ya?

While Louisville is deep in the heart of the fried-food South, chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia steers clear of a fryolator. His Fruits de Maine is a play on the traditional French dish, fruits de mer. "We try and embody the entire North Atlantic in one dish by incorporating four or five different seafood items from the coast of Maine." Depending on what Maine fishermen bring in each week, that could mean line-caught cod, Maine lobster or fresh clams.

Other chefs are making thoughtful choices too.

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]]>CSFfishLentmeatless fridaysMeatlessFridaysSustainable SeafoodClare Leschin-HoarWed, 09 Mar 2011 13:00:00 ESTU.N: Small-Scale Farming Could Double the World's Food Productionhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/08/u-n-small-scale-farming-could-double-the-worlds-food-productio/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/08/u-n-small-scale-farming-could-double-the-worlds-food-productio/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/08/u-n-small-scale-farming-could-double-the-worlds-food-productio/#commentsFiled under:

organic zucchini farmPhoto: 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."

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]]>global hungerOlivier De Schutterorganic farmingsmall farmsU.N. reportClare Leschin-HoarTue, 08 Mar 2011 15:00:00 ESTNutritional Labels for Booze?http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/07/nutritional-labels-for-booze/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/07/nutritional-labels-for-booze/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/07/nutritional-labels-for-booze/#commentsFiled under: ,

Nutrition label on a beer bottlePhoto: reivax, Flickr

Some chatter over at The Soapbox caught our eye. Should boozy beverages sport nutritional labeling? It's a topic federal regulators have been reviewing and one that's been brewing since 2003.

Current labeling regulations are complex. Wine, beer and liquor producers are not required to list actual ingredients on the label, but must list items like sulfites or FD&C Yellow No. 5 for consumers who are sensitive. Whether or not nutritional information like calories, carbohydrates and serving size should be added to labels is up for discussion, but Tom Hogue, spokesman for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) told USA Today that it's unclear when federal officials might make a decision.

"I hear echos of the topic, but I don't think it will become a government mandate," says Rob Cooper, president and founder of St-Germain/Cooper Spirits Company. "There are already a lot of regulations surrounding alcohol. You have to go through the TTB formal approval process to ensure consumers are getting a safe product. It's not the Wild West. You can't just do what you want. They're strict about the ingredients."

And besides, adds Cooper, "Alcohol is not a critical component of ones sustenance. It's for recreational use. Who cares if it's good for you?"

He's got a point.

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]]>alcoholboozecocktailslabelingspiritswineClare Leschin-HoarMon, 07 Mar 2011 16:00:00 ESTNew Seafood Labels: What Will They Tell You?http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/02/new-seafood-labels-what-will-they-tell-you/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/02/new-seafood-labels-what-will-they-tell-you/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/02/new-seafood-labels-what-will-they-tell-you/#commentsFiled under:

seafood packaging labels Photo: Miguel Villagran / Getty Images

Just as worldwide fish consumption has reached an all time high, a bevy of new labels are in the works to provide consumers with even more information about the seafood they're buying. Whether that will clarify fish-buying decisions or muddle an already complicated purchase remains to be seen.

Starting in April, Fair Trade International -- the same folks who certify items like coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas -- will begin work to establish standards for small-scale shrimp farmers, mostly located in Southeast Asia, where roughly 70 percent of farmed shrimp is produced.

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]]>Fair TradefeaturedfishlabelingseafoodsustinableClare Leschin-HoarWed, 02 Mar 2011 11:00:00 ESTGulf Coast Oysters Back on Local Menus After Oil Spillhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/18/gulf-coast-oysters-rebound-after-oil-spill/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/18/gulf-coast-oysters-rebound-after-oil-spill/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/18/gulf-coast-oysters-rebound-after-oil-spill/#commentsFiled under:

oysterPhoto: Telstar Logistics, Flickr


CNN is reporting that after 10 months and an estimated 200 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, oysters are back on New Orleans menus. What makes that news even more notable is that the local oyster harvest was down nearly 50 percent in 2010, and many Americans harbor lingering concerns over the safety of Gulf seafood, despite assurances by government officials.

You won't see much hesitation in the dining room at New Orleans-based Café Adelaide, where chef Chris Lusk was crowned the "King of Seafood" in the midst of the oil spill. The chef says his fried oysters with horseradish crust are a hot item.

"Right now, with the colder weather, Gulf oysters are amazing. They have good salinity and the quality and the size are great," he told Slashfood. He also says he feels more confident about local seafood than ever before.

"You have layers of government agencies checking on everything from the facilities to the beds, making sure the seafood is safe. There are so many eyes checking on everything, I feel extremely confident about the safety of the oysters we're getting," he said.

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]]>Gulf CoastGulf Coast oil spillGulf Coast seafoodoystersClare Leschin-HoarFri, 18 Feb 2011 16:00:00 ESTVeterans Come Home To Farminghttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/11/veterans-come-home-to-farming/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/11/veterans-come-home-to-farming/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/11/veterans-come-home-to-farming/#commentsFiled under: ,

Farmer-Veteran CoalitionPhoto: Farmer-Veteran Coalition


Here's an agricultural trend we can all get behind. Combat veterans are making the transition to civilian life by way of farming, reports Cooking Up A Story. Even better, they're not being asked to hoe that row on their own. Groups like California's Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training program; Nebraska's Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots program and the California-based Farmer Veteran Coalition are providing training, funding and support to get veterans back on the land that they fought to protect.

"This is an excellent path for veterans," says Weldon Sleight, dean of University of Nebraska's College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA). "There are huge numbers of veterans that come from rural communities -- 17 percent of the U.S. population is rural, yet 45 percent of the military come from those communities."

The problem, he says, is that there are few economic opportunities in rural America, and many veterans end up in urban cities.

"They don't know how to go home, so we teach them that," said Sleight.

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]]>farmingmilitaryorganicveteransClare Leschin-HoarFri, 11 Feb 2011 13:00:00 ESTOprah Chef and Former McDonald's Execs Launch Lyfe Kitchenhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/10/oprah-chef-and-former-mcdonalds-execs-launch-lyfe-kitchen/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/10/oprah-chef-and-former-mcdonalds-execs-launch-lyfe-kitchen/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/10/oprah-chef-and-former-mcdonalds-execs-launch-lyfe-kitchen/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Photo: Lyfe Kitchen

Our ears pricked up when we heard Paul Shapiro, senior director of the factory farming campaign for The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) say he'd actually be excited to eat at new quick-serve concept Lyfe Kitchen. After all, most fast-food joints aren't exactly known as bulwarks of humanely raised beef, pork or chicken.

Lyfe Kitchen (Lyfe stands for "Love Your Food Everyday") seemingly has a lot going for it. At its helm are two former McDonald's executives, including Mike Roberts, former president and chief operations officer of the fast-food chain. Art Smith, Oprah Winfrey's former personal chef, and chef Tal Ronnen, both known for making healthy food taste good, are in the development kitchen.

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]]>fast-foodfeaturedHSUSLyfe KitchenMcDonaldsOprahClare Leschin-HoarThu, 10 Feb 2011 14:00:00 ESTFood Allergy Awareness Comes to Restaurantshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/26/food-allergy-awareness-comes-to-restaurants/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/26/food-allergy-awareness-comes-to-restaurants/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/26/food-allergy-awareness-comes-to-restaurants/#commentsFiled under: ,

peanuts common food allergiesPhoto: ruurmo, Flickr


Over the weekend a tweet from celebrity chef Rick Bayless caught our attention. It read: "O, wht 2 do? Peanuts all thru r kitchen, severe allergy guest. Cnt serve in good conscience, 4 his safety. Says we owe him $ 4 inconvenience."

While we were unable to reach the chef to get the gritty details, the incident certainly caught the attention of Bayless' Twitter followers and those with food allergies -- who agreed that the chef made the right call, including Chris Wiess, VP of advocacy and government relations for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN).

"When I first read the tweet, I was impressed with his response. It does seem like he took the issue to heart. If a restaurant manager or employee looked around and assessed the situation, and felt that they couldn't provide a safe meal, we wouldn't want them to take a risk. What Rick did was very admirable," said Weiss.

For chefs and restaurant owners, guests with food allergies aren't going away anytime soon, and the consequences are deadly serious. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 100 to 200 people die in the United States from severe food allergy-related reactions each year. (Keep reading, and take our food-allergy poll after the jump.)

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]]>allergiesFAANfood allergiesfood allergies and dining outMing TsaiRick BaylessClare Leschin-HoarWed, 26 Jan 2011 14:00:00 ESTMcDonald's Maple Settlementhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/24/mcdonalds-maple-settlement/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/24/mcdonalds-maple-settlement/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/24/mcdonalds-maple-settlement/#commentsFiled under:

pure maple syrupPhoto: ex.libris, Flickr

Chalk up another win for Vermont's food police. Starting Feb. 1, McDonald's customers in the chilly northern state will be able to request 100 percent real maple syrup with their Fruit and Maple Oatmeal, after the Vermont Agency of Agriculture (VAA) called the company out for using the term maple in its advertising earlier this month.

There is no actual maple product in the menu item - a violation of Vermont's strict maple law.

According to the Associated Press, Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin said that the only maple ingredient found in the Fruit and Maple Oatmeal was extracted from the bark of a bush that is a distant relative of the maple tree.

That didn't sit well with state officials, who immediately contacted McDonald's about the sweet stuff, January 3.

"It is illegal to use the word maple on a product unless the sweetener is 100 percent pure maple. Artificial maple flavoring should be clearly and conspicuously labeled on the principal panel with the term 'artificial flavor', VAA spokesperson Kelly Loftus told Slashfood earlier this month.

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]]>Fruit and Maple Oatmealmaple lawmaple syrupMcDonaldsVermontClare Leschin-HoarMon, 24 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST