Here are some of the best food stories we came across this week:
- Farmer Feeds Cows Candy Instead of Corn – As corn prices have skyrocketed in the drought, one Kentucky farmer has chosen to feed his 1,400 head of cattle defective candy deemed unfit for human consumption, often with the wrappers still on. He claims the feed mixture, which has a higher fat ratio and contains an ethanol byproduct and mineral nutrient, is actually healthier than corn.
- New York State Investigates Energy Drink Makers – Three big producers of energy drinks — Monster Beverage, Living Essentials and PepsiCo — have been subpoenaed by the New York attorney general as part of an investigation into whether the products are misleading consumers on ingredient labels, caffeine content and potential health risks, and in promoting themselves as dietary supplements instead of food.
- The World May Have to Go Vegetarian by 2050 – Water scientists at Sweden’s Stockholm International Water Institute have predicted there will not be “…enough water available on current croplands to produce food for the expected 9 billion population in 2050 if we follow current trends and changes towards diets common in western nations.” They suggest vegetarianism as an efficient way of maximizing resources.
- Floating Farms May Be the Produce Providers of the Future – A team of students at Singularity University’s graduate studies program has a vision to combine the “cheap real estate [in the ocean] with the high production of vertical farms,” says team member Oren Pinsky. The floating farms would provide produce for a city. Ultimately, Pinsky imagines farms that could chase the weather, using prediction algorithms to move closer to the sun or wherever is best for crop growth.
- Whole Foods Turns Cooking Oil Into Fuel for Prepared Foods – Whole Foods Market is fueling its 70,000-square-foot North Atlantic kitchen facility via recycled cooking oil waste gathered from its stores. This kitchen supplies prepared foods and other products to 62 of its locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine.
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for links like these all week long.
Image courtesy of Guillaume Paumier.
