On July 17, the Food and Drug Administration lifted its warning about raw tomatoes after their investigation determined that tomatoes currently in the marketplace are free of the carrying the Salmonella Saintpaul strain that has sickened over 1,200 people across 42 states. Now their attention is turning to raw jalapeño and raw serrano peppers.SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Tomatoes off the hook, FDA...

On my post about food miles vs. food choices, commenter Mike wondered how much energy is used in the "cold chain" of the food system. The answer: Quite a bit. A report from the Center for Sustainable Systems (CSS) at the University of Michigan (ref. 1 below) provides a breakdown of the energy used in the U.S. [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "The cost of being cool: Refrigeration energy in the food...

While the ink is barely dry on the new farm legislation, the campaign for the 2012 Farm and Food Bill has already begun. Critics have likened the farm bill wins to "crumbs" because they represent a small part of the overall Farm Bill loaf. The relative merits of incremental change can be debated endlessly. But for people serious about changing the food system, the $14 billion of funding won in the...

Big, volunteer-powered projects like the Victory Garden have the potential to unleash a wave of human energy. I could feel this energy during the event — there's a desire to make things happen.SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Sowing the seeds of social change: Slow Food Nation's Victory Garden", url: "http://www.ethicurean.com/2008/07/16/sfn-victory-garden/" });...

Got a little time to explore the dining scene of Portland, Maine? Change your plans: you'll actually need lots and lots of time to do it right. Word on the street is that the East Coast Portland is second only to San Francisco in restaurants per capita. We're not talking Applebee's, either. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Eating SOLE in Portland, Maine: Fore Street, Gilbert's Chowder House, and Hugo's...