MIT lab faked results of ‘personal food computer’, according to employees, documents

A personal food computer—hyped by a senior researcher at the MIT Media Lab as a tool to help anyone, anywhere grow local food—doesn’t work, lab employees say. Staff members say they were told to put plants grown elsewhere in the tech-laden, plastic growing boxes. It’s the second controversy involving the Media Lab this month. Read more at Business Insider…

Study: Teens’ fast-food diet might increase risk of depression

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham might have found a link between depression and diets that are high in sodium and low in plant-based foods—indicating too much fast food, processed food and unhealthy snacks might mess with your brain. The small study followed a group of African-American middle school students from low-income homes, so more research is needed. Read more at CNN…

Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act key to improving school meals since 2010

School lunches come in many shapes and sizes, but they generally are more nutritious than they used to be, especially as the movement to include locally grown fresh foods has spread across the country. In this group discussion, school food officials and outside experts look at what has change, why, and what improvements are still needed. Read more at Civil Eats…

Doctors originally stumped by vaping injuries; compared patients’ lungs to industrial accident victims’

Doctors across the country were stumped when young adults and teens began showing up at hospitals with lungs so damaged they looked as if they’d been exposed to toxic substances. Doctors turned to extreme measures such as heart-lung machines, which are used in open-heart surgery to provide oxygen to the brain and organs, to save these patients’ lives as they figured out what happened. Read more in Bloomberg…

Meatless burgers sizzle up interest . . . and some doubts

Will 2019-2020 become known as the era of the Meat(less) Wars? Consumers say alternative meats taste good and are better for the environment; investors love the skyrocketing sales. On the other side, meat producers argue that the products are filled with chemicals; and nutritionists point out they tend to be high in sodium and aren’t as healthy as consumers seem to believe. Read more at Food Safety News…