-
Did we just waste a lot of pumpkin?
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageAccording to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the majority of the 1.91 billion pounds of pumpkins grown in the U.S. in 2014 went uneaten — used during Halloween and then tossed away. There's no Halloween without creating some jack-o'-lanterns, yet most of these are perfectly edible specimens of food that we just throw away. Pumpkin flesh is full of fiber and high in beta carotene, while the seeds are rich in potassium and protein. Of course, seeds are used more — toasted, roasted or baked.
-
The growing popularity of flexible packaging
Alan Kelsky EngineeringFlexible packaging continues to overtake other forms of packaging as both consumers and brand owners often prefer it. Food packaging is designed to preserve and store contents while keeping products fresher, longer. Flexible packaging does even more, as it is great at achieving packaging goals and more eco-friendly than other forms of packaging because it takes less energy to produce — lowering CO2 emissions and their effect on the environment. Flexible packaging is also less expensive to produce than alternative packaging materials.
-
Fresh produce industry is on the way up
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageIncreasing health awareness has paved the way for increasing demand for fresh produce. Most of us believe what we buy from our local grocery store is "fresh produce," but there is a bit of difference — and we are slowly becoming aware of it.
-
What does ‘healthy’ mean? The FDA aims to find out
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageThe food and beverage industry is abuzz with news of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent decision to redefine the term "healthy" on food labels. In a bid to empower the consumer with information that is more accurate and helpful, the FDA is not only reworking the regulations but also asking for public input.
-
Co-creator of Whole30 introduces ‘Food Freedom Forever’
Kaylee Nelson Food & Beverage"It is not hard. Don't you dare tell us this is hard,” Melissa Hartwig, co-creator of the Whole30 program, told the audience Tuesday. "Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard."
-
The fight against sugar taxes across the globe
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageThe South African government's proposed tax on sugary drinks has had the local beverage industry boiling, leading them to pour money into fighting the regulations. While this is not the first time a sugar tax is the focal point of a heated debate, it's interesting to note the ripple effect this causes to the beverage industry worldwide.
-
Hepatitis A outbreaks popping up across US
Rosemary Sparacio Medical & Allied HealthcareHepatitis A is a rare, highly contagious liver infection that is treatable and for which there is a vaccine. In 2014 — the latest year for which data is available — there were about 2,500 cases of hepatitis A in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
-
Best of plastics: Barrier packaging
Don Rosato EngineeringValue and health are currently driving barrier technology in food packaging. Increasingly busy lifestyles are reflected in growing consumer demands for convenience foods, ready meals and eating "on the go," resulting in high growth in food packaging.
-
Can Big Data predict food recalls?
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageWe live in the age of Big Data. So why not analyze and apply this data to prevent inedible food sale, food wastage and enhance food preservation? This is exactly what inspired University of Washington researchers to explore whether data mining can predict food recalls. Called the Unsafe Food Project, it analyzes data gathered from the FDA, matched with product reviews of various food items on Amazon.com, to predict recalls. The goal has been to identify potentially unsafe food products, and the researchers hope their methods could have further practical applications for investigating illness outbreak in future.
-
A look at the rapid expansion of online grocery services
Bambi Majumdar RetailWhat was a disruptive concept for shopping once has now become the norm today — even for buying groceries. Amazon paved the way, and now Wal-Mart, Kroger, ShopRite, Meijer and Safeway, among others, have realized the only way to beat the retail behemoth is to jump aboard the e-grocery bandwagon.
All Food & Beverage Articles