Weekly Food News Roundup: Canadian food bank use at near record level, UN says climate change threatens food supply & more

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

The number of Canadians using and depending on food banks remains at a near record high level at over 800,000 citizens: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/800-000-canadians-still-relying-on-food-banks-1.2366405



FoodShare launches a fresh food vehicle in Toronto: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/4192347-foodshare-launches-vehicle-to-serve-affordable-fresh-food/

Very stark UN report states that climate change directly threatens the world's food supply: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/climate-change-threatens-world-food-supply-panel-warns/article15230594/

UN believes that some stability may come back to global food prices: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp/h%3Cspan%20class='pullme'%3EIn%20short,%20when%20you%20empower%20a%20woman,%20you%20change%20the%20world%3C/span%3Ettp://www.unfpa.org/www.unicef.org/html/html/story.asp?NewsID=46440&Cr=food+security&Cr1=#.Un05rhSEhMs

Are Yelp restaurant reviews being faked?: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/11/06/243527317/hunger-games-whats-behind-yelps-fake-reviews

Lawsuits lead companies to quietly drop "natural" claim from labels: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304470504579163933732367084


Chef Amanda Cohen calls out Time Magazine's "Gods of Food" for its sexism: http://eater.com/archives/2013/11/08/amanda-cohen-time.php

Various salad products recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes by CFIA: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?nid=786899

The recession in the UK drives families to cut back on healthy foods: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24773201

US FDA contemplates a trans fat ban...and how this could affect Canadians: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/trans-fat-ban-proposal-in-u-s-may-affect-canadians-1.2418147


Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Weekly food news update: Republicans attack access to food stamps, the high cost of banana plantations & more!

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

The terrible assault on those living in poverty continues in the United States as Republicans seek to cut food stamp access: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/09/18/223627228/house-bill-would-cut-40-billion-from-food-stamp-program


New research finds pesticides from banana plantations in spectacled caiman blood: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/world-on-a-plate/2013/sep/19/bananas-pesticides-spectacled-caiman-costa-rica
 
New Canadian research suggests gluten-free products are getting cheaper as gluten-free diets become more popular: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cost-of-gluten-free-food-falling-as-diet-becomes-more-popular-1.1861036

AwesTRUCK 2013 Toronto Food Truck Festival hits Toronto this weekend:  https://www.uniiverse.com/listings/awestruck-2013-presented-by-car2go-toronto-XM49W

The Calgary Food Bank is seeing a big jump in demand this month and needs your help:  http://ca.news.yahoo.com/calgary-food-bank-supplies-023246515.html

The Oromocto food bank is getting short on supplies and  needs your help: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/oromocto-food-bank-short-on-supplies-1.1859299

Canadian website rabble.ca launches an Eat Local! food and sustainability challenge starting September 29th: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/eat-local/2013/09/join-rabbles-eat-local-food-and-sustainability-challenge-september-

Ontario Government Launches New Local Food Fund:  http://sustainontario.com/2013/09/18/19092/blog/more-info-on-ontarios-newly-launched-local-food-fund
 
Coffee shop workers in Halifax organizing through the Baristas Rise Up campaign:  http://rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/talking-radical-radio/2013/09/coffee-shop-workers-halifax-get-organized-baristas-rise

Deadly E. coli outbreak linked to B.C. Gouda cheese: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Deadly+coli+outbreak+linked+gouda+cheese/8924611/story.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

Weekly food news roundup: Waste & "food insecurity" in Canada, the US fast food strike gains momentum & more!

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

The terrible moral contradictions of capitalist food distribution in Canada where citizens go hungry, food prices soar and $27.7 billion in food is wasted (authored by this blogger): http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2013/08/want-waste-and-wealth-immorality-and-inefficiency-capitalist-fo 





The exciting rise of the US fast food worker strike movement: http://www.salon.com/2013/08/14/fast_food_strikes_massively_expanding_theyre_thinking_much_bigger/ 

The fight to change bylaws around "urban farming" comes to Ontario: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/08/13/mississauga_henkeeper_runs_afoul_of_antifowl_bylaw.html

Toronto institutional cafeteria safety records to be finally easy to access by the public: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/08/14/ontario_to_open_up_toronto_institutions_foodsafety_records.html

Despite profitability closures, layoffs and consolidation coming to the Metro grocery store network: http://metronews.ca/news/canada/765995/metro-to-close-some-ontario-stores-convert-others-to-food-basics/

Pet food recall due to possible salmonella contamination: http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/pet-food-products-recalled-salmonella-scare-001956098.html

Ahead of many cities in Canada, Edmonton allows more food trucks more hours in more places: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2013/08/11/edmonton-food-truck-policy-updated.html

Could the healthy Aztec "wonder food" Amaranth make a comeback hundreds of years later?: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130812-amaranth-oaxaca-mexico-obesity-puente-food/

The American right-wing media blatantly lies about the "lifestyle" of US citizens depending on food stamps: http://www.policymic.com/articles/59213/fox-news-blatantly-lies-about-food-stamps-in-this-ridiculous-faux-documentary

Will the global rise of Quinoa leave Andean farmers behind?: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/15/212342707/can-quinoa-farming-go-global-without-leaving-andeans-behind