Five More Strains Of E. Coli Could Soon Be Illegal

One strange facet of discussion of this summer’s unprecedented series of E. coli outbreaks has concerned the U.S. government’s byzantine web of regulations of the bacteria. The bottom line seemed to be that only one strain of E. coli, out of six that regularly sicken humans, is illegal. The area is so fraught that, in early July,…

New Preservative Could Make Food Last For Years

This summer’s rash of E. coli outbreaks have not come at an opportune time for prevention. Mandatory future cuts in federal spending threaten to slash the budget for food safety inspection, leaving the food system vulnerable to more infection. With this in mind, some have called for more irradiation as a way to fend off E. Coli without…

Tupperware

Tupperware (plastic container with airtight lid) was invented by Earl Silas Tupper (1908-1983). Tupper was a New Hampshire tree surgeon and plastics innovator, who began experimenting with polyethylene, a new material used primarily for insulation, radar, and radio equipment. He patented the Tupperware seal in 1947. Tupper used “Tupperware Parties” to market the product, a unique way of marketing…

Bagged Lunch Could Lead To Food Poisoning

Brown-bagging has long been considered the quintessential method for school lunch since the days most parents roamed the halls themselves, but according to a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, how you go about packing it could make your child sick.

According to the University of Texas, a whopping 99% of the 700 box lunches belonging to…

Applebee’s Food Truck Kills Mobile Dining’s Street Cred For Good

It was a little embarrassing for food truckdom when Jack in the Box opened its own food truck this March. But at least the JATB truck tried to mask its corporate origins with a relatively gnarly Lisa Frank-inspired mural painted on its side. That truck, overall, had the effect of making Jack in the Box seem cooler, without much…

Toaster

Toasting bread began as a method of prolonging the life of bread. It was very common activity in Roman times, ‘tostum’ is the latin word for scorching or burning. The first electric toaster was invented in 1893 in Great Britain by Crompton and Co (UK) and re-invented in 1909 in the United States. It only toasted one side of…

Soft Drinks

Soft drinks can trace their history back to the mineral water found in natural springs. Bathing in natural springs has long been considered a healthy thing to do; and mineral water was said to have curative powers. Scientists soon discovered that gas carbonium or carbon dioxide was behind the bubbles in natural mineral water.

The first marketed soft drinks…

More Kids Eating Calorie-Packed Takeout Food

The obesity epidemic is being fueled still further by a growing trend among kids to eat out and bring takeout food home, University of North Carolina researchers say.

Such foods are high in sugar and calories, and their increasing popularity means youngsters are getting more calories than they need, the researchers noted.

Since 1994, this trend has been growing rapidly…

Why Politicians Get Fat

Never has there been a bucket of fried chicken, a slice of greasy pizza, or a juicy double cheeseburger that I wasn’t happy to have appear on my plate. I love to eat, and I’m not shy about indulging my enthusiasm for food.

As a first-time candidate for public office, I’ve quickly realized that…

How Eating French Fries Is Like Smoking Marijuana

The Lay’s potato chip slogan “betcha can’t eat just one” may not actually be so far from the truth. Researchers at UC Irvine found that fats in starchy foods such as french fries and potato chips trigger the body to produce natural marijuana-like chemicals called endocannabinoids. Endocannabinoids make these foods irresistible and stimulate a biological mechanism that encourages…

Restaurants

The First Restaurant The public dining room that came ultimately to be known as the restaurant originated in France, and the French have continued to make major contributions to the restaurant’s development. The first restaurant proprietor is believed to have been one A. Boulanger, a soup vendor, who opened his business in Paris in 1765. Cafeteria In 1891, the YWCA of Kansas…