Grocery chains leave food deserts barren, AP analysis finds

In 2011, a group of major retailers pledged to open or expand 1,500 stores around neighborhoods lacking supermarkets by 2016.  A data analysis by the Associated Press shows that the nation's top 75 food retailers all together opened just over 250 supermarkets in food deserts. Meanwhile, dollar stores, which typically don't offer fresh foods, accounted for two-thirds of new stores that opened in food deserts. Read more at The San Diego Union-Tribune...

Growth promoters for farm animals: What if they just don't work?

A report by the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance has reiterated what some scientists have been saying for a while, which is that growth promoters used on modern commercial farms today are minimally beneficial in improving yields. It also proposes a setting limits on how much on-farm antibiotics any country should be able to use. Read more at National Geographic...

Food companies vie for millennials

Legacy brands are trying to keep up with younger generations that are demanding food transparency. Campbell's Canada is asking consumers to share what they think about the company's products on the website WhatsInMyFood.ca, while Kellogg's has partnered with celebrity chefs to create new recipes using its products. Read more at TheStar.com...

Reno shoppers can met their farmers, thanks to this cool app

Talk about transparency. At the Great Basin Food Co-op, shoppers can download an app and use their smartphones to scan signs near locally produced food and see a video of the farmer it came from. Read more at Modern Farmer...

Omega-3 fatty acids may play role in bipolar disorder: study

In a study of 27 people with bipolar disorder and 31 people without it, researchers at Penn State found lower levels of certain omega-3 fatty acids crossing the blood-brain barrier in people with bipolar disorder. Read more at US News & World Report...