Back in junior high or high school, many of us wouldn't be caught dead taking home ec. We may have regarded the class as outdated, sexist, or simply unappetizing (or maybe it didn't even exist). But a recent commentary posted at Food Politics has some people stopping to reconsider. Did you take home economics? What did you learn? Should it be taught in schools today? More

Which is better: grass fed or pasture raised? What about Certified Humane? No matter how many articles you've read, it can be hard to remember what all of these labels mean when you're standing in the meat, egg, or dairy aisle at the grocery store. WSPA, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, gives you a hand with their Eat Humane food guides. In addition to their website, there's an iPhone app and a printable pocket guide. More

Over the weekend, the New York Times reported that ConAgra is conceding to public pressure and will be eliminating high fructose corn syrup from their Hunt's ketchup line.

The article, "For Corn Syrup, Sweet Talk Gets Harder," highlights the role of social media like Facebook and Twitter in spreading public awareness about the issues surrounding HFCS. Also, were any of us surprised when spoof videos mocking those pro-HFCS ads went viral on YouTube?!

This is all great news! But as the article goes on to discuss, the debate about HFCS is far from being over. More

Having a honeybee hive in your backyard (should you be lucky enough to have one) or on your rooftop has been trendy for a while now, as the urban farming movement has grown and flourished. But until last week, having bees in New York City was illegal.

Not anymore! The New York City Board of Health recently voted to amend the health code and lift the ban on beekeeping. So all of those secret beekeepers can lift their big, screen masks and proudly show their faces.

Think you're interested? We've got links to detailed information about how to keep bees in the city, plus one Brooklyn resident's firsthand experience. More

We hear about a new bad-for-you ingredient or must-have superfood practically every day. We might not always leap to change our diets after hearing about them, but one thing is for sure: we've started reading ingredient lists a lot more than we used to. There are a few specific things we make sure to check before buying. More

Last night, Dr. Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at NYU, held court at New York’s Academy of Sciences. There were over 300 eager pairs of eyes and ears following her every word.As bad as things may seem right now in terms of processed foods being marketed as healthy foods, Marion Nestle remains positive. More

The fight against childhood obesity and its root causes has gotten a lot of attention this past week. Yesterday we featured Jamie Oliver's inspiring TED talk. Today we're looking at First Lady Michelle Obama Let's Move campaign, which was rolled out just one day before Jamie's speech. More

Have you seen this yet? The TED Talks were held earlier this month, and our favorite naked chef was there to present his wish: to teach kids about food. This was a much more serious Jamie than we're used to seeing - though he did manage to slip in a few glib remarks! Take a look for yourselves below. More

For the conscious consumer, food shopping may involve much label deciphering, interpretation, and confusion. Organic this, certified that ... what does it really mean? If you shop for beef, National Geographic's Green Guide has an interactive label decoder to help you sort out the various certifications and buzzwords. More

2009 was the year that issues like local food, sustainable food systems, and agriculture reform went mainstream, and we expect this national conversation to intensify in 2010. Unfortunately, much of the time it looks less like dialogue and more like, as LA Times food editor Russ Parsons writes, "two armed camps deeply suspicious of one another shouting past each other." How can "hard-line aggies" and "know-nothing urbanites" create meaningful discussion and change? More