Weekly Food News Roundup: Celebrity chefs debate seal hunt, Amazon to enter the Canadian grocery business, US food stamp cuts hit & more

This week's food news roundup, sharing news, links and stories of interest to or from those of a lefty viewpoint.

 US Humane Society led boycott of Canadian seafood to protest the Canadian seal hunt called "ill-considered" by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/boycott-of-canadian-seafood-ill-considered-says-anthony-bordain/article15133191/

Canadian celebrity chef Michael Smith follows suit: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/canadian-chefs-fight-against-chefs-for-seals-boycott-1.2288423

Other chefs disagree: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/chef-fires-back-at-anthony-bourdain-over-seal-hunt-boycott-1.2303147

Health Canada issues warning over bacteria in bottled water produced by the Blue Glass Water Co. and found across Southern Ontario: http://metronews.ca/news/canada/839313/health-canada-issues-new-warnings-on-contaminated-blue-glass-bottled-water/

Federal government launches food recall app; NDP health critic Libby Davies says the most important thing is food labeling: http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2013/10/20131030-173116.html

Canada-EU Trade Agreement to place restrictions on the use of 145 food names: http://www.betterfarming.com/online-news/canada-eu-trade-agreement-restricts-name-use-food-products-53958

Amazon to get into the Canadian grocery business: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/food-fight-amazon-to-take-on-canadian-grocery-stores-1.1522149







Disgraceful and devastating $5 billon food stamp cut takes effect in the USA: http://www.salon.com/2013/10/28/riots_always_begin_typically_the_same_way_food_stamp_shutdown_looms_friday/

Some residents of Irwindale, CA say that fumes from the local Sriracha factory are seriously hurting air quality: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/29/241587163/sriracha-factory-under-fire-for-fumes-city-sues 

McDonald's drops Heinz as its ketchup supplier after Heinz appoints former Burger King chief exec as their new CEO!: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2477311/Heinz-squeezed-McDonalds-fast-food-chain-drops-ketchup-menu-40-years.html

Food is a "human right" Vatican Archbishop tells U.N., saying "Hunger is not just a technical problem awaiting technological solutions. Hunger is a human problem that demands solutions based on our common humanity.”: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/food-is-a-human-right-vatican-archbishop-tells-un/

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Weekly food news roundup: The link between worker well-being and food safety, fast food strikes, calling for a national school meal program & more!

This week's Friday food news roundup, sharing news, links and stories of interest to or from those of a lefty viewpoint.  

Conference Board of Canada calls for a national school meal program: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canadahttp://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1684469227901119683#editor/target=post;postID=8347463360597205760;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=link/national-school-meal-program-needed-to-address-food-insecurity-report-1.1428894

French 2013 wine crop set to be the worst in 40 years: http://www.foodnews.co.nz/31925/french-2013-vintage-looking-meagre/

58 cities across US hit by fast food worker strikes:  http://www.salon.com/2013/08/29/largest_fast_food_strike_ever_today_50_cities_will_be_affected/singleton/

The link between worker well-being and food safety:  http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/08/fast-food-walkout-does-worker-well-being-affect-food-safety/#.UiDE8n_up1M

The trouble with fast food ads aimed at kids: http://news.discovery.com/human/health/fast-food-ads-still-failing-kids-childhood-obesity-130828.htm

It wasn't the rather revolting CNE burger...it turns out it was the burger's jam!:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/maple-bacon-jam-identified-as-culprit-in-cne-cronut-burger-illnesses/article13968451/




More CNE food vendors closed for food safety issues: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2013/08/28/toronto-cne-food-vendors-closed.html

A grassroots alternative to food banks in rural Ontario: http://rabble.ca/news/2013/08/hungry-hearts-grassroots-alternative-to-food-banks-small-town-ontario

Disturbing levels of pesticide residue found on or in food in the UK:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2405078/Up-98-fresh-food-carries-pesticides-Proportion-produce-residues-doubles-decade.html

McDonald's Veggie Wrap...not healthy at all really: http://www.thestar.com/business/2013/08/28/mcdonalds_new_veggie_wrap_delicious_but_high_in_fat_calories.html

Weekly food news roundup: Food protest in Nunavut, food poisoning at the CNE, Neolithic spices & more!

This week's Friday food news roundup, sharing news, links and stories of interest to or from those of a lefty viewpoint.  

Millions in the UK struggle to put food on the table: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/aug/17/food-banks-inquiries-poverty-cuts-wages

Rally held in Iqaluit to protest the high price of food in Nunavut: http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674iqaluit_aug._15_food_protest_draws_small_crowd_many_honks_of_support/
  
CFIA issues a recall for two products: http://www.newstalk1010.com/News/localnews/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10578937

McDonald's employee in B.C. insults a woman's English and asks her to leave: http://www.theprovince.com/news/This+about+Canadian+image+Richmond+woman+demands/8822443/story.html

Outbreak of food poisoning at the CNE: apparently the Cronut Burger is worse than we thought: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/08/21/cne_patrons_taken_to_hospital_after_falling_ill.html

Neolithic chefs spiced up their food: http://www.nature.com/news/neolithic-chefs-spiced-their-food-1.13585 



1/3 of fish sold as "sustainable" in the UK is falsely labelled: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/false-food-labels-put-the-skate-on-thin-ice-8772717.html 

Julia Child was wrong...rinsing raw chicken does more harm than good: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/23/213578553/julia-child-was-wrong-don-t-wash-your-raw-chicken-folks 

Coalition calls for a nationwide US fast food worker strike on August 29th: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505124_162-57599405/fast-food-workers-urged-to-stage-nationwide-strike/ 

Food crisis faces citizens in conflict torn Northern Nigeria: http://allafrica.com/stories/201308221562.html

That Lefty Food Blog weekly food news roundup: Boycott Labatt's, solidarity with Pepsi workers in West Bengal, and more!

This is the first of what will be a weekly food news roundup every Friday sharing food news, links and stories from a lefty viewpoint. 

This week's stories:

Boycott Labatt's! Find out why and details on the ongoing labour action in Newfoundland here: http://rabble.ca/news/2013/06/labatt-brewery-strike-escalates-union-launches-boycott



How a story about chickens and food distribution becomes a lesson in Colonialism:  http://rabble.ca/news/2013/06/colonialism-dummies-story-about-chickens-to-help-explain-canadian-history

McDonald's concedes that its Halal products were sometimes not: http://news.yahoo.com/2-mich-mcdonalds-drop-halal-165131760.html

Enjoying bannock burgers and bannock hot dogs at Native Delights in Edmonton: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2013/06/21/edmonton-native-delights-food-cart-aboriginal-business.html

A serious food crisis faces the people of Madagascar: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/178657/icode/

Pakistan urgently needs food & nutrition assistance according to the UN:  http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45252#.Uc2UdJyPyAA

20 years of data show that beef, poultry and fish are still behind the largest numbers of foodborne illness outbreaks, but outbreaks associated with leafy greens are on the rise: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/06/20-years-of-foodborne-illness-data-show-poultry-fish-beef-continue-to-be-leading-sources-of-outbreaks/#.Uc2VDpyPyAA

Continuing a disturbing trend, food prices continue to rise in Canada: http://business.financialpost.com/2013/06/21/canadians-are-paying-more-for-food-and-fuel/

Bigot Paula Deen finally given the toss by the Food Network: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/paula-deen-fired-food-network-cancels-show-after-racism-scandal_n_3480517.html Even Walmart follows suit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/walmart-paula-deen_n_3505258.html

Pepsi Co. is dismissing and intimidating workers trying to unionize in West Bengal. Read about it and sign the petition here: http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=750