Food

Researchers are discovering previously unknown species of the cacao bean in the rainforests of Peru.

"Inconsistent reporting of foodborne illnesses among states leaves large portions of the country vulnerable to the spread of potentially deadly outbreaks before health officials can identify their causes and recall contaminated foods."

"Inspectors from the Food and Drug Administration are searching fields in Colorado's Rocky Ford region for clues as to how cantaloupes grown there this summer caused at least 100 illnesses and 18 deaths. But if a new law had been in place, they might have been there before the outbreak."

"Massive floods have ravaged vast swathes of Asia's rice bowl, threatening to further drive up food prices and adding to the burden of farmers who are among the region's poorest, experts say."

Salmonella bacteria are pervasive in much U.S. chicken, and sicken an estimated 1 million people a year.

"So what the heck is a pawpaw?"

"At least 13 people in eight states have died after eating cantaloupe contaminated with listeria, in the deadliest outbreak of food-borne illness in the United States in more than a decade, public health officials said on Tuesday."

"The federal government has spent $16.9 billion over the past 15 years to subsidize key ingredients in junk foods that bloat Americans’ midsections and contribute to obesity-related medical conditions that cost billions more to treat."