THE CHEF FROM HELL

~ All The News That's Fit To Eat ~

What's the buzz this week?  Let's see....

Continuing our coverage of the global food crisis:  Here's a piece from the Wall Street Journal that blows a wisp of common sense our way:  "Boost research on improving farm yields. Invest more in irrigation and rural transportation. Power African farms with solar and wind energy. Produce biofuels with inedible vegetation, instead of corn.  Each of these steps would help ease the global food crisis -- eventually. But none of them would make a difference over the next year or so. Here are some ideas that could..."  Four Ways To Ease A Global Food Crisis Over The Next Year

From the San Antonio Express-News:  "According to the United Nations, food prices worldwide have risen 45 percent in the last nine months. Why that is so — growing demand from Asia, rising costs of production and transportation due to energy prices, U.S. and European agricultural policies that distort the market — is less immediately important than dealing with the consequences.  The dramatic increase in the cost of food staples such as rice and bread have led to food riots around the globe and put millions of people at risk of starvation. The simple economic fact is that a dollar's worth of food aid provides much less sustenance than it did a year ago. To feed the same number of people, more money is needed."  Food Aid Changes Would Help Hungry

Turning to other issues, from our "If You Make it, They Will Buy it" Dept. via the AFN site:  "New food products are being released at record rates but retail sales are not reflecting similar growth.The new product number increases have been led by company responses to changes in consumer preferences, which have dictated an increased health and environmental focus.  Confectionery, beverage, yoghurt, cereal and bread products have been among the food sectors which have seen an extensive batch of new products boosted by health supplements. Antioxidants, probiotics, vitamins and minerals are words bandied about by food marketers with regularity as food manufacturers endeavour to capture the growing number of health-conscious individuals."  New Food Products Flood Market

This week is Food Allergy Awareness Week!  If you would like to learn more about this problem, visit the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network site today!