Americans say they are trying to cut sugar intake

Fifty-eight percent of Americans surveyed last month by Reuters/Ipsos said they have recently been trying to limit sugar in their diets—more than are trying to cut back on calories, salt, fats, cholesterol or carbohydrates. Read more at Reuters...

Chipotle plans $50 million ad blitz amidst expanded federal criminal investigation

Leadership at the fast casual chain revealed Tuesday that its income dropped more than 40 percent in the last quarter of the year, and the DOJ is expanding its criminal investigation of the chain following a series of foodborne illness outbreaks. New food safety procedures and a consumer ad campaign are on tap for the first quarter. Read more at Food Safety News...

Peapod by Giant partners with Metro in grocery pilot program

Talk about convenience. The web-based grocer, owned by Ahold USA, will offer grocery pickup at three D.C.-area Metro stations. Read more at Washington Business Journal...

WTF happened to golden rice?

A decade and a half ago, rice genetically modified to contain beta-carotene, which is transformed into vitamin A in the body, appeared on the cover of Time magazine with the headline: "This rice could save a million kids a year." Vitamin A deficiency is a leading cause of blindness in the global south. But despite the promise of golden rice, plant breeders haven't been able to make it work in the fields as well as regular rice, and it has yet to be planted commercially. Read more at Mother Jones...

Research developing portable method to detect tainted medicines and supplements

A Case Western Reserve University assistant professor and his colleagues are developing a small, box-like detector that uses nuclear quadrupole resonance spectroscopy to test pill or powdered supplements for authenticity. Read more at Phys.org...