food

Books

How A 19th Century Chemist Took On The Food Industry With A Grisly Experiment

5:35pm October 08, 2018

by Ari Shapiro

Deborah Blum's book, The Poison Squad, tells how Harvey Washington Wiley and his band of chemists crusaded to remove toxins, such as arsenic and borax, from food. How? By testing them on volunteers.

Ancient Maya ruins at Tikal in northern Guatemala, near the border with Belize. Researcher Heather McKillop explains that Maya sites like Tikal could have been popular marketplaces to trade salt and other commodities.

Ancient Maya: Astrologists, Farmers ... And Salt Entrepreneurs?

3:00pm October 08, 2018

by Rachel D. Cohen

Evidence from a site in Belize shows the Maya not only had large-scale salt-producing operations along the coast, they were also using salt to preserve fish for their extensive trade networks.

Kevin Scott, a South Dakota farmer and secretary of the American Soybean Association, welcomed the deal to replace NAFTA because it preserved the market access established under the previous agreement.

From The Front Lines Of NAFTA, More Relief Than Rejoicing

6:32am October 08, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

The new deal to replace NAFTA includes modernizations and improvements. But the biggest benefit, for many sectors, is simply that there is a deal — reducing the uncertainty of previous months.

Queue Listen Now

Science

How Fruit Became So Sugary

8:07am October 07, 2018

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with food journalist Frederick Kaufman about how humans have bred fruit to be more sugary.

Food additives can help mimic natural flavors and are often simply labeled as "artificial flavors" on labels.

FDA Bans Use of 7 Synthetic Food Additives After Environmental Groups Sue

2:50pm October 06, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

The Food and Drug Administration is banning the use of several synthetic flavoring compounds used to infuse flavors such as mint and cinnamon in foods. Environmental groups sued, citing cancer risks.

Mesquite flour stirred into butter has a unique sweet flavor, and is especially good on homemade bread.

Arts

Texas Baker Rekindles Interest In The Mysterious Mesquite Bean

1:55pm October 04, 2018

by Karen Hudes

When an Austin neuroscientist-turned-baker dove deeply into a box of Peruvian mesquite flour on a lark, he found a forgotten, flavorful and nutritious bean that was once vital to Native Americans.

Geoff Walser picks out a ristra, a wreath-like decoration made from dried chiles, to purchase at the annual Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival, which draws thousands of chile lovers from Colorado and beyond.

The Chile Pepper Rivalry Heats Up Between New Mexico's Hatch And Colorado's Pueblo

2:06pm October 03, 2018

by Gustavo Arellano

The Hatch chile has long been Goliath of peppers in the Southwest, but farmers in Colorado are trying to roast the competition by brazenly touting their lesser-known but mighty contender: the Pueblo.

Fried chicken and mac and cheese: A study suggests Southern cuisine may be at the center of a tangled web of reasons why blacks in America are more prone to hypertension than whites.

Southern Diet Blamed For High Rates Of Hypertension Among Blacks

7:13pm October 02, 2018

by Maanvi Singh

Fried chicken, mac and cheese and sweet drinks: A study suggests Southern cuisine may be at the center of a tangled web of reasons why blacks in America are more prone to hypertension than whites.

At Shiru Cafe in Providence, R.I., students "pay" for coffee, but not with money.

No Cash Needed At This Cafe. Students Pay The Tab With Their Personal Data

11:42am September 29, 2018

by Chaiel Schaffel

For free coffee, students can provide their names, phone numbers, email, majors and interests. This information is then provided to corporate sponsors who want to "diversify students' career choices."

More kids are eating at fast-food chains like McDonald's, according to a new study, but parents are buying the healthier side options only about half the time.

Apples Or Fries With That? When It Comes To Kids' Meals, Fries Are Hard To Beat

8:21pm September 27, 2018

by Rachel D. Cohen

Even though many fast-food chain restaurants are offering healthier sides, a new report says parents choose them only about half the time, and restaurants aren't consistent in how they offer them.