Our Glorious Food System

One of the scariest foodborne illnesses is infant botulism. Here is a recent description of a nationwide recall of infant formula.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/botulism-outbreak-tied-to-byheart-products-sickens-more-than-50-babies-in-19-states/ #:~:text=The%20outbreak's%20official%20tally%20now,December%202023%20through%20July%202025.

Astronauts have to eat, and it’s a bit more complicated than you might think. Here’s a little insight about the foods used in the recent Artemis II mission.

The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply | Fortune The crew aboard the Artemis II requested Uncrustables upon their return to Earth. The Smucker’s brand just offered them a lifetime supply.

Lipids (fats & oils) play important roles in food product make-up and also in healthy diets. A lot of back and forth arguments are made as to which is more healthful, butter or margarine. Seems like a simple question, but it is a bit complex, as discussed here.

Heart Health Trends: Margarine Vs Butter, What's Healthier? Margarine vs butter - what should you choose for your heart health? We spoke with a dietitian about what's actually best.

In Intro to Food Science class this past week, we talked a bit about food inflation, food demand, food insecurity, and different sectors of the food industry. I always enjoy when real life things immediately present themselves that pertain to our class content. Well, here's a terrific example of that happening. This past Friday (Feb 6), the White House announced a temporary deal with Argentina to allow purchase of 80,000 metric tonnes of Argentinian lean beef into the US due to the major shortage of cattle and the impact of that on current beef market prices for consumers. The cattle supply is at an all-time low while beef prices are at an all-time high (Dec. ground beef at $6.69/lb). Supply and demand economics seems to be at work. However, as this article points out, there is significant push back from the American cattle industry on this allowance (explained in the article). There's also a good broader discussion of the impact of this decision on trade between the two countries. As you read this article, please think back to the various in-class discussions we have had already this semester.

Trump Signs Executive Order Quadrupling Beef Imports from Argentina to Keep Ground Beef Affordable The proclamation authorizes an 80,000 metric ton increase in in-quota lean beef trimmings imports in 2026. Economists say retail beef prices are unlikely to drop without impacting producers.