food

These beans, grown on test plots at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia, can thrive in temperatures that cripple most conventional beans.

Meet The Cool Beans Designed To Beat Climate Change

5:16pm March 25, 2015

by Dan Charles

Researchers in Colombia have created new types of beans that can withstand high heat. Many of these "heat-beater" beans resulted from a unique marriage, 20 years ago, of tradition and technology.

National

As Americans Eat Healthier, Processed Foods Starting To Spoil

3:28pm March 25, 2015

by Yuki Noguchi

Kraft Foods recently announced a massive recall of its macaroni and cheese. The company — and the processed food industry in general — are hitting some stressful times.

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World News

'The Katering Show' Reflects The Plight Of Food Intolerance

12:40pm March 25, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney, hosts of the video series "The Katering Show," about where they find the humor in food and food television shows.

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Central Illinois corn farmer Jerry McCulley refills his sprayer with the weedkiller glyphosate on a farm near Auburn, Ill. A new assessment of the chemical finds that the (uncertain) risks mainly affect the people who work with it or who come in direct co

A Top Weedkiller Could Cause Cancer. Should We Be Scared?

4:00pm March 24, 2015

by Dan Charles

A respected scientific group says that glyphosate, also known as Roundup, is "probably carcinogenic to humans." Yet the actual risks — which are mainly to farmers, not consumers — remain uncertain.

An economist with the Rand Corporation argues that Los Angeles' fast-food ban failed because it merely blocked new construction or expansion of "stand-alone fast-food" restaurants in neighborhoods where that style of restaurant was uncommon to begin with.

Why Los Angeles' Fast Food Ban Did Nothing To Check Obesity

2:34pm March 24, 2015

by Dan Charles

A new study finds that restrictions on fast-food restaurants in South Los Angeles didn't reduce obesity as intended. That's partly because the ban didn't cover the most common types of food stores.

Why There's A Big Battle Brewing Over The Lean Meat In Your Diet

1:22pm March 24, 2015

by Eliza Barclay

Should the government recommend lean meat as part of a healthy diet? That's emerged as a political flashpoint. The panel working on federal guidelines says the evidence on lean meat is muddled.

Arts

Sandwich Monday: Burger King's YUMBO

3:57pm March 23, 2015

by Peter Sagal

For this week's Sandwich Monday, we try the YUMBO. It's a Burger King sandwich with ham and cheese recently pulled out of retirement.

Snarky notes may not do much to ward off office fridge thieves. "I came across one guy who will intentionally steal people's food when they leave snarky notes," says Dan Pashman, host of the Sporkful.

Arts

Foraging In The Office Fridge: Petty Theft Or Public Service?

10:14am March 23, 2015

by Dan Pashman

A splash of milk for your coffee might pass, but helping yourself to a whole sandwich? Like any controversial office issue, the ethical lines that cut through the fridge aren't so clear.

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Regions that produce the most pork and chicken also use the most antibiotics on farms. Hot spots around the world include the Midwest in the U.S., southern Brazil, and China's Sichuan province. Yellow indicates low levels of drug use in livestock; orange

For The Love Of Pork: Antibiotic Use On Farms Skyrockets Worldwide

2:21am March 21, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

For the first time, scientists have estimated the amount of antibiotics pigs, chickens and cows consume globally — and how fast consumption is growing. Which country uses the most drugs on farms?

Alaria, a type of seaweed also known as "Wild Atlantic Wakame," grows in the North Atlantic Ocean and is similar to Japanese wakame, a common ingredient in miso soup.

Watch Your Back, Kale. Kelp Is Gunning For The Veggie Du Jour Title

2:47pm March 20, 2015

by Andrea Shea

With a little help, scientists say that seaweed growing along the Maine and New Hampshire coasts could become the "kale of the sea." The first step is teaching chefs and consumers how to enjoy it.