The United States opposes use of GMOs to increase food production in Africa. American elites may now have a reason to embrace GMOs. What if gene scientists could produce a new superfood? Guess what!  They already have produced one! It is the Indigo Tomato. It’s purple. It’s chock full of antioxidants. It would not be part of industrial agriculture. It can be grown in small … Continue reading Please, Lord, don’t turn GMOs into boutique superfoods!

How does a person with strong convictions reverse himself? Mark Lynas was passionate about two issues—climate change and GMOs. He still proclaims that climate change is “a growing threat to society.” His perspective on GMOs underwent a dramatic re-evaluation. Lynas was a leading activist against genetic engineering. In the 1990s he was working nights in experimental plots slashing down GMO corn plants. It was a … Continue reading Seeds of Science: Why We Got It So Wrong on GMOs

Just like any other group, the best way to foster better communication between food scientists with nutrition professionals would be to know the audience first. The terms used for food scientists, dietitians, and nutritionists are not universal, nor are their roles and responsibilities. I welcome Trey Sanders to the site today. He is uniquely qualified to talk about communication between food scientists and dietitians. He … Continue reading What dietitians and food scientists need to know about each other by Trey Sanders

Linn Steward and I have been discussing online the importance of the food matrix. She is a true believer. I am a skeptic. She sent me links to three articles that introduce the concept. The gist of the issue is that as we break down whole foods into component parts, we lose ingredient quality. She sent me the question below that I will attempt to … Continue reading How important are intact ingredients in the quality of foods?

It’s time for another dialogue between Linn Steward and me on ultra-processed foods. I view Linn as a dietitian who avoids most ultra-processed packaged food, loves to cook, sometimes goes rogue, and likes to ask questions. She views me as a food scientist who defends food processing, has an open mind, loves debating, and likes to teach. It is clear that we are not prototypes … Continue reading A dialogue between a dietitian and a food scientist on avoiding ultra-processed foods  

Since its start, Home Economics has been an outlier on college campuses. It never gained full respect from colleagues. Despite its limitations Home Economics made contributions on campus and in public policy. Danielle Dreilinger traces the triumph and struggles of the underlying disciplines. Her book tells us How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live. I recommend it to … Continue reading The Secret History of Home Economics

A group of public-health officials developed a way to classify all food into four groups. The group calls its scheme NOVA. It is not an acronym. The first three groups are healthy. The fourth group, ultra-processed foods, is not. Despite claims to the contrary, ultra-processing is not about processing. It is about adding a few additives to a complex combination of chemicals in real food. … Continue reading Is it dangerous to eat microbe-enhanced foods?

Earlier In Defense of Processed Food, I critiqued Metabolical. In it Robert Lustig rejects all processed foods. Also, I described specific food processes deemed acceptable by NOVA. Some critics divide food processes into mechanical and chemical. Mechanical processing claims to be benign. It should not form dangerous chemicals, strip out stuff, or change food properties. Chemical food processing adds chemicals to foods. These chemicals are … Continue reading Chemical food processing. What is it? Why is it dangerous?

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble. In Macbeth, Shakespeare anticipated what many American cooks envision about food processing. Eye of newt, root of hemlock, and gall of goat are not approved ingredients in processed foods. That segment of the play is rather offensive in many ways. I don’t believe William would get his dialogue past the censors if he wrote it … Continue reading What they don’t want us to know about food processing!

Life expectancy in the United States has not gone up in two consecutive years. Robert Lustig uses an apparent decline in 2019 as support for his assault on processed food. The 2020 report showed a major drop in the statistics. Do these numbers support Lustig’s contention? Or is it a smokescreen?  2020 is not a good year to use to draw conclusions. COVID-19 became the … Continue reading Contribution of processed foods to lower lifespans