ISU still plans GMO banana trial, despite controversy

Iowa State University is offering volunteers $900 to test out genetically engineered bananas developed at Queensland University of Technology. They were modified to produce large amounts of beta carotene, with the plan to be sent to African countries with heavy vitamin A deficiencies. Last week, a petition with more than 57,000 signatures was delivered to the university and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is funding the study. But the university says the study will still take place this year. Read more at The Des Moines Register...

Caffeine for sale: The hidden trade of the world's favorite stimulant

A look at how caffeine is separated from coffee beans, and how the caffeine powder used by most beverages is actually created synthetically. Read more at NPR...

A bad effort in Congress to thwart states on food labels

The New York Times editorial board encouraged the Obama administration to oppose House and Senate efforts to prohibit states from requiring genetically modified foods to be labeled. "There is no harm in providing consumers more information about their food," the board writes. Read more at The New York Times...

How 'ugly' fruits and vegetables can help solve world hunger

Wasting food is bad for people and for the environment—yet we waste some 2.9 trillion pounds a year. Here's a look at where the wasting happens and what industry is doing about it. Read more at National Geographic...

A new era of sports drinks: health-conscious consumers, functional beverages & entrepreneurial brands

Not only are the products in the sports drink category changing, but so are the branding and marketing behind them. Read more at Beverage Daily...