Food & Drink

Scientists release test to combat counterfeiting of legendary ‘cat poop’ coffee

"The Asian palm civet eats coffee cherries, the fruit of the coffee plant. They digest the soft fruit and excrete the seeds in their feces, which, according to connoisseurs, gives the coffee a flavor unlike any other in the world. The fact that people will pay exorbitant amounts for real Kopi Luwak has led to a thriving black market in fake Kopi Luwak. Some people sell regular coffee beans and claim they are the famous civet coffee. Others adulterate Kopi Luwak beans with regular coffee beans, hoping drinkers won’t notice the inferior quality. Scientists have developed a test that checks for the unique chemical fingerprint on Kopi Luwak." Continue reading →

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Why are sales of non-alcoholic beer booming?

"For one thing, people are more aware than before of the damaging effects of alcohol. And better technology means that it is tastier than before, Mr Durkan claims. One chunk of the market is taking off for other reasons. The Middle East now accounts for almost a third of the worldwide sales by volume of non-alcoholic beer. In 2012 Iranians drank nearly four times as much of it as they did in 2007. It is popular in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where alcohol is either wholly or partially banned. Partly this is for religious reasons. But it also taps into growing consumer aspirations. As a statement of a globalised lifestyle beer, even if non-alcoholic, may be more potent than Coca-Cola." Continue reading →

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German beer brewers in decades-long price fixing scandal

"Bosses of large breweries in the country have admitted to investigators that a number of firms arranged to raise prices of their premium beer brands, according to reports in German magazine Focus. Until now, it was believed the price-fixing arrangements spanned only a two-year period from 2006 to 2008. Documents seen by Focus reveal that during an interrogation in January, Volker Kuhl, head of the Veltins brewery, said large breweries would pass the price-rising agreements along to smaller producers. The companies involved now face fines in the hundreds of millions of euros, Focus reported." Continue reading →

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Vermont Completely Nullifies Federal Hemp Ban

"Vermont has become the most recent state to take a stand against the federal government and nullify the federal ban on hemp cultivation. Governor Shumlin signed the new bill into law in June. Vermont is actually the 9th state to lift the ban on hemp, and 20 states have introduced industrial hemp legislation for the 2013 legislative season. However, what makes Vermont unique is that the new law does not hold a stipulation or amendment requiring the federal government to first lift the ban on hemp cultivation. Much like Colorado, Vermont will proceed regardless of the federal law banning hemp cultivation." Continue reading →

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Report Finds “Probably Carcinogenic” Chemicals in All Municipal Water Samples Tested

"Chlorine and other water treatment chemicals, in addition to being somewhat toxic in and of themselves, react with ordinary organic particles in the water ( manure from livestock, dead animals, fallen leaves, etc.) to create hundreds of extremely toxic byproducts, which aren’t monitored or regulated at all. These toxic byproducts have been labeled 'disinfection byproducts,' or 'DBPs,' and there are 600 we know about and probably hundreds more that we don’t. Shockingly, raising concerns about the quality of your local drinking water without verifiable evidence of your claims may now be considered 'an act of terrorism.'" Continue reading →

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Thanks shallot! Indian police foil onion heist

"Indian police have foiled a bid by robbers to make off with a truck laden with onions, in an unusual crime apparently motivated by rocketing prices of the staple food. The humble root vegetable, an essential ingredient in Indian cooking, has a surprisingly weighty track record of political influence. In 1980, Indira Gandhi exploited rising onion prices to storm back to power, appearing at campaign rallies waving huge strings of them with the message that a government that can not control onion costs has no right to govern. And in 1998, a six-fold surge in the cost of onions was held partly responsible for the electoral defeat of the ruling Delhi state government." Continue reading →

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Austrian brewer revives 300-year-old beer

"An Austrian brewery is offering beer lovers a trip back in time by reviving a 300-year-old recipe it found in the town archives. The family-owned Hofstetten brewery in the Upper Austrian town of Saint Martin recreated the 'Neuhauser Herrschafts Pier' from ingredients listed in an invoice for the local Neuhaus castle in 1720, when Austria was one of Europe’s big powers. Using small crops of emmer and malting barley grown from ancient seed varieties agricultural historians had preserved, owner Peter Krammer was able to reproduce the mix of barley, wheat and hops that marked the brew made three centuries ago." Continue reading →

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Finally…a beer that won’t give you a hangover

"Scientists have created a beer which could finally put an end to the dreaded hangover. The beer has been created by a team of researchers in Australia who say it prevents drinkers from becoming dehydrated. They have added electrolytes - an ingredient in sports drinks - which helps to keep them refreshed. However, inevitably, some may feel there is a downside to the new drink. In order to create it, they have had to reduce the alcohol content. The team also said that despite adding the electrolytes, it did not effect the taste of the drinks. Hangovers are caused by several factors but dehydration is known to be one of the biggest causes." Continue reading →

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What five beers account for most emergency room visits?

"The New York Times reported on a study at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, analyzing how many patients in the emergency room had been drinking and what they had been drinking. Not surprising, the top five were Budweiser, Steel Reserve, Colt 45, Bud Ice and Bud Light." Continue reading →

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Farming Experts Predict Food Safety Laws Will Destroy Local Foods Trend

"The most wonderful aspect of going local with your diet, is the opportunity to meet pioneers of organic, sustainable agriculture. There is tremendous work being done by farmers like Mike Tabor. Yet, a gross lack of understanding by public interest groups on what really constitutes food safety has led to increasing federal control over our food supply. Now, the FDA is dictating farming practices, packaging and sterilization steps that threaten to choke out small producers. Here is what two farmers have to say about these food safety laws and this ominous regulatory trend." Continue reading →

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