Outbreaks of Foodborne Illnesses Are Becoming Harder to Detect Scientific American, November 2012 Advances in laboratory tests for pathogens like Salmonella, Campylobactor and E.coli provide quicker test results that are cheaper to process, but those very same lab tests have health officials worried. New rapid, non-culture tests no longer produce the isolate required to do the DNA fingerprinting needed to help identify a source of contamination, such as salmonella in lettuce or E. coli in raw spinach. The result could put public health at risk.
		Finding Their Whey San Diego Union Tribune, November 2012 San Diego-area cheese lovers are finding guidance at a thriving club devoted to gooey goodness.
		Food Fight: A Guide to Prop. 37 Voice of San Diego, October 2012 The owner of a La Jolla cupcake shop that caters to summer tourists might seem an unlikely hero in the effort to pass Proposition 37, a state measure on the November ballot that would require labeling of foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. After all, Michelle Ciccarelli Lerach is a frosting pusher, albeit an organic frosting pusher. But she’s also a philanthropist and sustainable food activist who has donated time and money ($25,000) to Prop. 37, which includes trying to combat what she says are razzle-dazzle, confuse-the-consumer messages from the opposing side.
		TakePart, ongoing What Exactly is Yersinia—and Why Is It Lurking In Your Pork Chops? Consumer Reports finds that the little-known pathogen lurks in pork a whopping 70 percent of the time Oysters Are in High Demand. So Why Is the Industry So Worried? Ocean acidification poses a major threat to the American oyster business. California Voters Reject Prop 37 to Label GMO Foods Food movement suffers setback after corporations spend millions to defeat initiative. Food Trucks Heed the Call of Twitter in NYC's Post-Sandy 'Dead Zone' Social media is connecting hungry, powerless New Yorkers with meals on wheels. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Slams House GOP on Stalled Farm Bill Vilsack also weighs in on Calif. GMO debate, predicting swift lawsuit if Prop 37 passes. Are Chickens to Blame for High Arsenic Levels in Your Rice? Rice farmers in Arkansas are suing chicken producers, claiming animal waste contaminates their fields. The Super-Confusing Truth About Mercury in Fish and ADHD in Children Prenatal mercury may be associated with a higher risk of ADHD. So why is eating fish the answer? Fish Formerly Considered Trash Now Showing Up on Menus A Houston fishmonger is changing the way chefs think about bycatch. Compassion Over Killing Video Exposes Slaughterhouse That Brutally Abuses Cows Ever wonder where the meat in your school lunch comes from? Now you know. Do We Need to Invent a tag for 'Hybrid' Fish? The evolution of aquaculture means it's not so easy to say whether your fish is wild or farmed. New Food Safety Rules Delayed by Election Year Politics Washington is having a hard time delivering promised reforms. Click here for complete list
		Meaty Bargains San Diego Union Tribune, June 2012 Did the recent "pink slime" controversy have you fretting over what might be lurking in your burger? The brouhaha meant an uptick in meat sales at local farmers markets. If sticker shock sent you reeling, we're here to let you in on a little secret: There are bargains to be had in some overlooked meaty goodness, especially if you've got an adventurer's heart. Or make that a beef heart.
		Sound Barrier: Can High-Power Ultrasound Protect Produce from Pathogens? Scientific American, March 2012 Perfectly sanitized dimpled spinach leaves or tender greens like baby lettuce has been high on the wish list of the $3.1-billion bagged salad industry since its inception. A litany of food scares—and rules for organic produce—have pushed the industry to look outside the bag for food safety solutions. One of the most promising? High-power ultrasound.
		Culture Club: Fellow Fermenters Are Giving Good Bacteria Its Due San Diego Union Tribune, January 2012 Crouching down for a peek into the tiny closet, it was clear that Austin Durant is an optimistic kind of guy. The small box of Arm & Hammer baking soda tucked behind several large glass containers of fermenting vegetables was a valiant effort, but the smell of yeast-gone-wild won out. The scent floated through the entrance way and into Durant's living room upstairs.
		Specious Species: Fight Against Seafood Fraud Enlists DNA Testing Scientific American, November 2011 Escolar masquerading as white tuna. Flounder passing for Vietnamese catfish. Pricey baby cod replaced with lesser quality hake instead. Seafood fraud has long vexed the industry, but all this fishy business could soon change. The USDA is rolling out new DNA-sequencing equipment in nine of its major laboratories across the country in a push to squelch deceitful substitutions. (read more)
		Grist, ongoing The Big Blue: Can Deepwater Fish Farming Be Sustainable? Can Carnivorous Farmed Fish Go Vegetarian? Fleeced Again: How Microplastic Causes Macro Problems in the Ocean Small Fish, Big Ocean: Saving Pacific Forage Fish Good Menhaden Are Hard to Find Ocean of Trouble: Report Warns of Offshore Fish Farming Dangers Feds Help GMO Salmon Swim Upstream Big Food Exerts Unhealthy Influence on America's Nutritionists Small Fry: The Case for Smaller Fish Portions For Sharks, A Race to the Fin-ish Line? Chilean Sea Bass Test Yields Fishy Results
		Serving Up The Local Catch San Diego Union Tribune, October 2011 Despite our proximity to the ocean, getting local seafood onto your plate can be a challenge. Much of the fish landed in our port – like spiny lobster, swordfish or spot prawns – is shipped internationally to countries like China for both processing and sale. Unless you know an avid angler, chances are that lobster dinner you enjoyed came from the rocky coastline of Maine. But a group of local commercial fishermen are exploring ways to get their catch into local markets here at home, and clearing hurdles like limited seafood processing or securing refrigerated transportation. Their mission is one being played out in other cities across the U.S.
		Pantry Preparedness: Keep Your Pantry Stocked For An Emergency Food Network, August 2011 For you East Coasters who just got rattled by that unexpected earthquake and are bracing for what looks to be monster Hurricane Irene, we thought this would be a swell time to remind you of what your pals on the left coast already know: Create a well-stocked emergency pantry for yourself. What does that mean exactly? We looked to the American Red Cross for their best tips on how to make sure your family has enough to eat should a catastrophic event hit close to home.
		Best Bars Issue: Rent a Stylish Meeting Space Entrepreneur, July 2011 This bustling American brasserie tiptoes the perfect line between work and play - high ceilings, inviting red banquettes and coaxing restaurant-length bar manned by some of the most skillful bartenders in the city.
		Trading Posts San Diego Union Tribune, July 2011 Hilary Condon's first attempt at introducing San Diego to a trend that's sweeping other U.S. cities didn't go so well. Only a small handful of do-it-yourself foodies made a showing at her first swap event, but Condon is confident it's an idea that will take root, and is planning to hold monthly swaps where sticky-sweet jams are traded for handmade empanadas, or jars of tasty Bolognese sauce are bartered for candied citrus peels.
		Seeing Seafood Differently Club Management, July/August 2011 For chefs keen on sourcing ingredients that have been grown, raised or harvested in a sustainable manner, most options are straightforward and choices plentiful. It's easy to visit the organic farm where tender greens and sweet carrots are grown, or to verify that the hens laying pasture-raised eggs are indeed foraging for seeds and bugs. But when it comes to seafood, those touchstones are infinitely more difficult to observe, and the sustainability status seafoods carry can be muddled with advice from fishermen, nonprofit organizations, and even the U.S. government at odds with one another's.
		Off Shore Wars: Fishermen & Environmentalists Go Head-To-Head San Diego Magazine, June 2011 In Southern California, the task of setting aside marine protected areas (MPAs) became a bitter back-and-forth drama between fishing rights advocates and environmentalists. The Marine Life Protection Act is expected to go into effect later this year. It's being heralded as an important victory by environmentalists, while commercial and recreational fishermen say they're left feeling bruised and somewhat victimized.
		What's On Your (GE) Dinner Plate? EatingWell, March/April 2011 Historically, crops have been genetically tweaked to be herbicide- or insect-resistant. Today, scientists are stacking traits to address both weed and pest problems. Others are looking at ways to improve the nutritional values of some staple crops. Here's the backstory and latest news on several GE foods that have made it (or may make it) to our dinner plates. Trend Watch: Gone Fishin' EatingWell, March/April 2011 In a time when most of our seafood is imported, the idea of buying fish that is caught nearby appeals to many – both for reducing carbon footprints and to bolster the local economies. CSF's, a riff on the popular CSA model, calls on members to shoulder the risk with the fisherman by paying for seasonal shares of locally caught seafood up-front. Today, nearly 20 CSFs operate in the U.S., with many more in the pipeline.
		Making Waves: Genetically Modified & Farm-Raised "Green" Salmon Swim into the Limelight National Culinary Review, April 2011 For a fish that's relatively easy to prepare, the issues surrounding salmon can be confusing and complex. Here, we take a look at two very different farm-raised salmon species: a genetically modified Atlantic salmon that's swimming closer to FDA approval; and a farm-raised Pacific coho salmon that made waves by catching the attention of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program.
		One On One: Chef Jeremy Sewall SeaFood Business, March 2011 Show Issue Executive chef Jeremy Sewall got his old office back, only this time he's heading up the hottest kitchen in Boston at the newly opened Island Creek Oyster Bar. The digs are familiar – Sewall was opening chef at Great Bay, which used to occupy the same space – but that's where the similarities end. The 175-seat eatery has the city's fooderati abuzz, packing the house since the sleek, sophisticated spot opened in October. Sewall spoke with us about seafood, sustainability and bluefin tuna.
		What's the Alternative? Undervalued, Lesser-Known Fish Species Might Be the Answer for Chefs National Culinary Review, February 2011 Savvy chefs have started taking a closer look at undervalued fish. Here, we take a closer look at three alternatives: Asian carp, basa and escolar; and sort out the pros and cons of each.
		Slashfood.com Gulf Seafood & the Anniversary of the BP Spill Organic Valley Accused of Violating Organic Egg Standards Many Imported Olive Oils Fail Quality Tests Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Recap Boston Bans Soda on City Property Japan Sets Radiation Limits for Fish Radioactive Iodine-131 Found in U.S. Milk Samples Debate Raging Over CAFOs Japan’s Nuclear Crisis May Also Affect Fish Do Culinary Schools Actually Get Chefs Jobs? Gulf Coast to Obama: Tell Citizens Our Seafood is Safe Sustainable Seafood for Lent U.N.:Small-Scale Farming Could Double the World’s Food Production Nutritional Labels for Booze? New Seafood Labels: What Will They Tell You? Gulf Coast Oysters Back on Local Menus After Oil Spill Veterans Come Home to Farming Food Allergy Awareness Comes to Restaurants McDonald’s Maple Settlement Good News for Seafood Lovers A Sticky Mess for McDonalds Lawmakers Tackle Genetically Modified Salmon A "Blacklisted" Fish Dinner The Greenest Restaurant in America The New Project FishMap App Murky Waters Around Seafood Eco-Labeling FoodCorps Selects Partners to Fight Childhood Obesity
		Edible Reads: Our Picks for Best Books With a Local Connection edibleBoston, Winter 2010 This year may have been a tough one for the environment (hello, oil spill!) and the economy (recession hangover, anyone?), but there’s still a bright spot worth beaming about, and that’s the array of outstanding books that crossed our nightstands this year. Got an avid reader on your gift list? If so, we’ve got some real gems to share.
		Health Advice Scrutinized SeaFood Business, August 2010 While the USDA dietary guidelines are updated every five years, industry experts say they're at a standstill waiting for the federal government to reassess the science when it comes to seafood consumption and mercury. Critics say misinformation means too many consumers, including pregnant women, are not getting the health benefits seafood consumption provides.
		Slashfood.com Fresh Off The Press: Olio Nuovo Tiffany Refuses to Turn Alaskan Salmon Into Gold Fish Cleveland's Urban Farm Takes Root Fish Swap Taking the Mystery Out of Meat Ready for a Sugar Beet Shortage? GMO Beets May Be the Cause Wal-Mart Moves to Peddle More Local Produce Mommy Blogger Backlash over HFCS New Labeling at Whole Foods Counters Environmentalist Banned from Restaurant NOAA Reopens Part of Gulf to Fishing Save the Bay, Eat a Ray California & Oregon Salmon Given "Avoid" Rating Genetically Tweaked Salmon Swims Faster to the Dinner Table Nosing Through Seafood Gaffe over Gulf Shrimp
		Reeling in Stripers edibleBoston, Summer 2010 Striped bass is either the poster child of a fishery recovered from its near collapse in the early 1980s, or it's once again showing ominous signs of diminishing numbers. Like many topics that touch on shared natural resources, this feisty fish has the ability to ignite passionate debate among those who spend their summer months chasing it off our shorelines.
		Space Requirements National Culinary Review, April 2010 Caged or cage-free, eggs have become a political lightning rod for chefs and eaters alike. Producers and animal activists use impassioned arguments to support their case in what’s becoming a tense agricultural battle over the egg-laying hen.
		Sea Change: Environmental Group Gives First-Time Nod to Sustainable Salmon-Farming Method Scientific American, January 2010 Farm-raised salmon has long been the poster child of unsustainable aquaculture practices. Issues of escape, pollution and inefficiency have plunged it deeply into the "avoid" territory of environmental groups – until now. The Monterey Bay Aquarium took the unprecedented step of approving a farming method for Pacific Coho salmon.
		Slashfood.com Coral Reefs Decline, Impacting Seafood Oyster Thieves What's in That Fish Sandwich? Lobster Tank Tips Oyster Stout Sweet Nantucket Bay Scallops
		The Dish on Fish: Steps Towards Sustainability edibleBoston, Winter 2010 When chef Chris Parsons decided to add fresh sardines to the menu at his Winchester-based seafood restaurant Catch, he had to slip them into his tasting menu line-up or send them out as treats from the kitchen to his regular customers. Never mind that sardines are actually tasty, that they're capable of reproducing rapidly, that they are jam-packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, or that they would very likely be the most sustainable choice on Parsons' menu that evening. The fact is, the sardines were a hard-sell, while the Norwegian farm-raised salmon was not.
		Model for Growth: When Growers Network to Bring Sustainably Raised Food to Market, Farmers Become Partners in the Business of Food National Culinary Review, January 2010 By taking a step away from growing commodity products and transitioning to specialized crops, Shepherd's Grain and plenty of groups like them, are bringing an abundance of sustainably raised food into the marketplace. At the same time, their business model helps preserve farmers who are most at risk of being squeezed from the market.
		Revolutionary Fare Arrive, September/October 2009 Whether it's steak frites, frisee aux lardons or handcrafted fromage, Boston's effervescent food scene means you don't have to look far to get a delicious French meal in nearly any part of the city.
		Guilt-free Sushi: Environmentalist Tout Sustainable Fish for the Dish The Christian Science Monitor, July 2009 While Chef Nobu continues to wrestle with the decision to remove bluefin tuna from his menus, savvy restaurateurs in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon have instead seen opportunity. Customer concern over dwindling fish populations has provided the impetus for chefs to do the heavy moral lifting for us eaters. Here, an order of fauxnagi is something to embrace, and turns out to be surprisingly delicious, even though there's not a flake of eel in it.
		Taking Stock in Fish Wall Street Journal, June 2009 The traditional CSA-model has made the evolutionary leap from land to sea. This month, nearly 1,000 Boson-area residents will be collecting their first fish shares through the Gloucester-based Cape Ann Fresh Catch Community Supported Fishery (CSF) program. But a closer look at the details shows the CSF is not without controversy.
		One on One: Ken Oringer SeaFood Business, March 2009 Show Issue Unlike New York, Boston is not overrun by hotshot celebrity chefs, so the handful the city is home to are able to shine a little brighter. In this Q&A interview, Oringer dishes on the current challenges of sourcing and serving fish; steering customers away from tuna, shrimp and salmon, and what it was like to cook for Chef Ferran Adria of El Bulli.
		A Chocolate-Infused Dinner Wall Street Journal, February 2009 Chocolatier Andrew Shotts of Garrison Confections is raising the standard for American confectionaries. He places an intense focus on pairing seasonal ingredients with chocolate. Before placing pan to stove, Mr. Shotts conceptually develops each dish by stringing together a line of taste combinations.
		Christmas Tamales The Christian Science Monitor, December 2009 If the first image that comes to mind when you think of a tamale is a flavorless, corn-meal heavy brick that's too far on the dry side, wrap that image back up in the corn husk it came in. Those typical to San Antonio and southern Texas are full of flavor, shaped like a thick cigar and the masa is moist and delicate. In this region, it's the filling that's the star.
		Believing in Providence National Geographic Traveler, November/December 2008 A buzzing food scene and a new splashy art space have revived visitors' faith in Rhode Island's capital. A prosperous New England port town grown gritty in the wake of big industry's decline, Providence had few cheerleaders. But thanks to a downtown revitalization effort launched in the early 1980s, Rhode Island's capital city now has a lot to shout about.
		An Autumn of Abundance edibleBoston, Fall 2008 Listed as an invasive species by the state of Massachusetts, it's illegal to sell or transplant Autumn Olives. Luckily what won't make you an outlaw is foraging the tiny ruby berries for consumption. This fall, you'll be able to spot it on the menu at some of Boston's best restaurants, appearing in everything from chilled cocktails to roasted venison dishes.
		City Shorts: A Spoonful of News National Geographic Traveler, September 2008 Salt is what's shaking at The Meadow, a gourmet food shop in Portland's Mississippi Avenue neighborhood. In the tasting room, owner and selmelier (that's fancy for salt expert) Mark Bitterman might introduce you to exotic Japanese Kamebishi Soy Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt – just two of the 90 or so different kinds he carries.
		Executive Dining: Boston's Green Dining Scene The Wall Street Journal, July 2008 Conversations about product-packaging reduction or your company's pending LEED certification may be harder to swallow over a plate of bluefin tuna or at a restaurant that serves imported bottled water. For those closing eco-deals – or just keen on being "green" – Boston is among the more eco-friendly dining destinations.
		A 'Tapanese' Twist, Japanese Cuisine Gets the Tapas Treatment Wall Street Journal, April 2008 Arizona chef Nobu Fukuda serves small plates that are his twist on Japanese kaiseki – the formal multi-course meal, where attention is paid to the smallest of details with the goal of creating harmony.
		Environmental Eats: NYC's Green Concessionaires Parks & Recreation Magazine, May 2008 For the popular, ivy-covered Shake Shack, being green meant far more than just being located within New York City's Madison Square Park. It meant the hamburger joint was willing to take a fine-toothed comb approach to their operations, and they're not alone. NYC's Department of Parks & Recreation wants to lighten the carbon footprint of their nearly 600 concessions.
		Power Tables - Caucus Cuisine: Where Obama, Romney, Edwards and local big-shots eat in Des Moines. The Wall Street Journal, December 2007 During campaign season, as long as hungry customers and political staffers keep arriving, chef and owner George Formaro keeps the kitchen humming well past closing time at this see-and-be-seen restaurant.
		Chefs At Home: Braising For A Better Bird The Wall Street Journal, November 2007 Cleveland-based Douglas Katz, known for using local ingredients, makes chicken with a comfort-food twist.
		Dining Out Safely Pregnancy Magazine, September 2007 Regular news reports about food scares are enough to make anyone queasy, but when nibbling for one becomes nourishing two, dining out quickly gets complicated.
		Just a Taste: Huitlacoche The Boston Globe Magazine, September 2007 A subtly flavored Mexican delicacy makes its way into Northern kitchens.
		Just a Taste: Go Fish The Boston Globe Magazine, July 2007 Lean, light, melt-in-your-mouth Copper River coho salmon is a late-summer delight.
		Hog Wild: Play Tastemaker With Niman Ranch's New Bacon Flavors The Boston Phoenix, August 2007 Smoky Niman Ranch bacon may have been on the menu at Elton John’s big 60th-birthday bash, but we’d bet a whole slab that the Rocket Man didn’t have the fab new flavors that the folks at Niman just launched. Caliterra's Copper River King Salmon The Boston Phoenix, June 2007 For just the briefest window this time each year, the mighty wild king salmon tussles its way up the 300-mile stretch of Alaska's glacier-fed Copper River. Catch it while you can. Fish Without Fear: Henry & Lisa's Natural Seafood The Boston Phoenix, April 2007 Knowing your safe seafood levels won't feel like a game of "Go Fish" anymore.
		For the Allergic, Safe Dining The Boston Globe, February 2007 Celebrity chef Ming Tsai and some local lawmakers are trying to make dining out safer for those with severe allergies, but they're facing some tough opposition.