August 16, 2018 — By their very nature, dietary guidelines have a shaky relationship with the reality of what we eat. Before 1977, Americans had no guidelines for what they should eat. But then, a senate select committee published dietary goals for Americans. In 1980, those “goals” became the first edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans Controversial from the […]
August 14, 2018 — Scientists in Minnesota are busy taking trans and saturated fats out of soybean oil. Of course, that’s a good thing. Right? Editing Your Food’s Genes with CRISPR and TALEN The first generation of genetically-modified foods was a bit clumsy. That started in the 1980s with “genetic engineering” that used bacteria and viruses used to modify […]
August 2, 2018 — “Have We Lost Our Food Skills and How to Get Them Back” was the bait-clicky headline of a recent piece in the Sydney Morning Herald. The article by Paula Goodyer with contributions from dietitians including Profs. Clare Collins and Margaret Allman-Farinelli makes the point that “a host of factors have led to a generation who […]
July 19, 2018 — A jarring story is playing out in public health. Momentum is growing to tax sugary drinks and junk foods all over the world. From a perch of privilege it sounds good. If you tax these bad foods and drinks enough, people will stop buying them. Even better, modeling exercises tell advocates that the benefits will […]
June 28, 2018 — On Richard Nixon’s last day in the White House, cottage cheese was at its peak. Since then, it’s been four decades of decline for this high-protein, savory treat. In the seventies it was the quintessential ingredient for a diet plate. No wonder it took a dive. Now trendspotters keep saying it’s on its way back […]
June 27, 2018 — This week, the UK is taking even bolder action to reduce childhood obesity. A new obesity plan aims to cut England’s rate of childhood obesity in half by 2030. How, you ask? The answer involves marketing restrictions, restaurant calorie labeling, and a Daily Mile for primary students. All this comes on top of a sugary […]
June 23, 2018 — The wheels of government grind slowly. Especially when they need to reverse direction. But surprisingly, FDA did indeed reverse itself this week on a confusing bit of added sugar labeling. Maple producers have been howling about FDA’s plan to say that all of the sugar in pure maple syrup is “added.” Finally, FDA relented. An […]
June 14, 2018 — You might think that “added” means just what it says. But we’re finding out that this might not be the case when we’re talking about added sugars. Cranberry, honey, and maple syrup makers are finding out that added is supposed to mean bad. So it seems like FDA may end up twisting the definition for […]
June 10, 2018 — People won’t eat what they don’t like. So if we want them to eat healthy food, it must taste good. Of course, nothing is simple about making the healthiest food taste good to most people people. We are driven by evolution to eat sugar, salt, and fat – as well as protein. Our inherited tastes tell […]
June 8, 2018 — Rarely does one innovation cover so many angles. But Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, is pushing every button with this one – a broccoli latte. Even though they might not fix our unhealthy food supply all by themselves, the folks at CSIRO are sure giving it a try. Drink Your Veggies Who needs a Vitamix […]
