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: Homophobic incidents reported at two Ontario restaurants, Grow Calgary works with food banks, NDP calls for a national food strategy & more!

This week's Friday food news roundup, sharing news, links and stories of interest to or from those of a lefty viewpoint.  
 
Grow Calgary, Canada's largest urban farm, to supply Calgary's food banks with fresh vegetables and fruits:  http://www.calgaryjournal.ca/index.php/ourcity/calgarynews/1810-grow-calgary



Some unexpectedly positive news about global food prices: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/global-food-prices-fall-1-9-percent-august-081906796--finance.html

As well as prices finally stabilizing for now in Canada after years of dramatic increases: http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/4061678-food-prices-unexpectedly-stable/

Terrible fire guts the historic St. Jacobs Farmer's Market near Waterloo: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/story/2013/09/03/st-jacobs-farmers-market-fire489.html

Hamilton on the verge of becoming the first city in the world to require food outlets to have life-saving medication on hand for allergic reactions: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/food-allergy-advocates-call-for-drug-injectors-in-restaurants-1.1437016

29th annual Vegetarian Food Festival kicks off in Toronto:  http://rabble.ca/whatsup/29th-annual-vegetarian-food-festival

NDP food critic proposes a national food strategy: http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/4066605-ndp-food-critic-proposing-national-food-strategy/

Calgary looks at food truck policy changes:  http://www.calgarysun.com/2013/09/05/calgary-city-council-eyes-food-truck-policy-changes

Bancroft restaurant's homophobic actions outrage residents: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/08/28/adam-and-steve-clipping-upsets-bancroft-restaurant-goers

Toronto west-end diner asks gay couple to "leave their relationship at the door" (scroll down to find news of the incident): https://www.facebook.com/LakeshoreLGBT

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

Weekly food news roundup: Canadian food prices soar while we waste as much as 40% of it, the dispiriting life & times of ice cream truck drivers and more...

This week's Friday food news roundup, sharing news, links and stories of interest to or from those of a lefty viewpoint.  
 
Second hand smoke on a patio is still second hand smoke!: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/08/03/secondhand_smoke_a_risk_even_on_patios_says_study.html

The oddly dispiriting life of a Toronto ice cream truck driver:  http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/07/29/its_a_hard_life_for_toronto_ice_cream_truck_drivers.html

Conference Board of Canada finds that Canada's food system needs an environmental overhaul and reveals shocking waste like the fact that as much as 40% of all food (or $27.7 billion) is wasted in our country: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canadas-food-system-needs-environmental-overhaul-218851171.html


 Sleep deprivation linked to junk food cravings: http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2013/08/06/poor-sleep-junk-food/

Good news for the brains of chocolate lovers!: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/08/08/is-chocolate-the-new-brain-food/

Study finds widespread conflict of interest in corporate food safety decisions: http://blogs.nature.com/news/2013/08/study-finds-widespread-conflicts-of-interest-in-food-safety-decisions.html

Lab grown meat...science break through or science nightmare?: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/05/209163204/long-awaited-lab-grown-burger-is-unveiled-in-london

The world's soil faces widespread desertification and ecological disaster: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/05/209018347/ecologists-turn-to-planned-grazing-to-revive-grassland-soil

Deep fried and processed food banned from the Canada Games: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2013/08/08/pei-canada-games-junk-food-584.html

The shocking rise in food prices in Canada, 19% over the last 5 years: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/08/05/canadian-consumers-cope-with-dramatic-increase-in-food-prices

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