According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the food and beverage industry employs approximately 8,000,000 people, nationally, in full-service dining and limited-service settings. This number has an expected increase of 12% before the year 2020, bumping it up to almost 9,000,000. Read More

Photo: Rennett Stowe

By: Justin Chan

The American beef industry has had a history of disproving misperceived notions, and it seems as if it will continue to do so. While much of the focus has been on beef’s connection to heart disease and cancer, NPR reported that a new study conducted by Jude Capper, an assistant professor of dairy science at Washington State University, revealed that the production of beef has been more eco-friendly than ever.

The study comes at a time when some are wondering whether this planet will be able to support a growing population. In her study, Capper pointed out that cattlemen now use 12 percent less water, 19 percent less feed, 33 percent less land and 9 percent less fossil fuel energy. “[The industry] knows far better how to care for, feed and manage cattle,” she said.

Despite its positive outlook, the report has come under criticism from some of Capper’s peers. While several environmentalists agree that beef production is now more effective, there are questions concerning other methods that are used in the process. Read More

Photo: maebmij

By: Saira Malhotra

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on how companies with ‘better-for-you’ foods are financially outperforming their non-BFU food counterparts. The report was based on a study performed by the Hudson Institute that looked at 15 large food and beverage companies from 2007 to 2011.

The ‘better-for-you’ food and drink encompasses packaged goods, such as, “no-, low- and reduced-calorie items, such as flavored waters or diet sodas, as well as products that generally are perceived to be healthier, such as yogurts and whole-grain cereals,” according to the Hudson Institute. Companies that make BFU products, such as Wheat Thins, Quaker Oats and Coke Zero, are responsible for 70% of the growth in the food industry. Read More

Photo: Brittany Randolph

It’s an unnerving thought to honestly wonder if you will eat today.  There are few necessities as basic, but a new study by Feeding America called, “Map the Meal Gap:  Child Food Insecurity 2011″ highlights a fundamental problem with our understanding of poverty:  nearly 22 percent of children in America are dealing with hunger. Read More

Happy Labor Day everyone!

While a lot of us are home relaxing today, let’s not forget those employees that work hard everyday in the food industry.  Restaurants always stay open on holidays such as this so that we can eat out and enjoy our days off with our friends and families. So if you happen to eat out today, be sure to thank those that helped serve you today.

One great way I like to eat out on days such as this, beside the usual BBQ with friends, is by trying out new street foods that I haven’t had a chance to try out. Read More

Photo: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

By: Dylan Rodgers

Here in the US, over medicating could be considered the norm.  We take a pill for every ‘condition’, like mild-unhappiness, and once our bodies start to twitch or quake in reaction we take a pill for that too.  But in the fight against gross, asexual bacteria, antibiotics are a welcome commodity.  So what would happen if antibiotics were overused? Read More

Photo: Colin Shackelford

By: Dylan Rodgers

A few months ago in Albuquerque, NM the skies were dark, the air was thick and black with the only weather forecast saying, “Smoke”.  The fires in Arizona were emitting such massive quantities of smoke that New Mexicans were blanketed by dark, ashy fog that reduced their range of vision to a few blocks in every direction.  With every gust of the blistering winds whipping through the canyons and plains, the fires had quickly grown out of control.  Read More

Photo: Sam Beebe

During the summer, sometimes it’s nice to step away from the burgers and hotdogs and go with something lighter, like some fresh salmon. Salmon is very healthy and can be very delicious. But, based on some recent revelations about a virus called “infectious salmon anemia”, the salmon-farming industry is becoming more and more unsustainable. Read More

With Washington going back and forth about the budget deficit, a lot of financial issues come to mind, especially how we, as well as the country, spend and manage our money. Read More