Here are some of the best food stories we came across this week:
- Earth Balance and Trader Joe’s Recall Peanut Butter for Salmonella – Sunland Inc., the company that makes peanut butter for Trader Joe’s, Earth Balance and Target’s Archer Farms, voluntarily recalled any of the product made between May 1 and September 24, 2012. 30 cases had been reported from 19 different states as of earlier this week, including New York and California.
- More College Graduates Choosing the Path of the Plow – The last Agricultural Census, taken in 2007, showed a 4% increase in farmers, the first since 1921. Today anecdotal evidence is unearthing a wealth of young, college-educated farmers — who generally don’t come from a pastoral background — choosing organic farming as their profession and avocation. One farm, Hearty Roots in upstate New York, has become a training ground for these agricultural apprentices.
- Moby Believes Vegans and Carnivores Can, in Fact, Get Along – Moby, music superstar and a 24-year vegan, commented on the evolution of vegan culture, cuisine and relations between vegans and their meat-eating neighbors: “When you’re 18, that means throwing fake blood on people wearing fur… When you’re 40, it means opening a really nice vegan restaurant with great food, and being tolerant and welcoming, and not judging people even if they disagree with you.”
- NYC Mayor Bloomberg Targets Unhealthy Hospital Fare – After receiving support for his proposed ban on large sugary beverages, New York’s Mayor Bloomberg is now proposing a ban on fatty and sugar-laden food served in hospitals. The Healthy Hospital Food Initiative is voluntary and entails getting rid of deep fryers, mandatory salad offerings, only selling healthy snacks and offering more whole grains.
- California Approves “Cottage Food” Law – Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law a bill that makes it legal for small, artisanal food producers to sell their wares to consumers. Called the “Baker’s Bill” after the home baker whose shut-down operation spurred the legislation, it allows for baked goods (without meat or cheese), jams and jellies, breads, coffee beans and other goods to be prepared outside of a commercial kitchen.
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Photo courtesy of mrsdkrebs.
