http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorThu, 28 Aug 2008 8:07:27 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/35927/chefs-going-underground-to-test-limits.html?refid=rss_all_defaultAcross the country, stealthy foodies are dropping coin and risking, if not imprisonment, then a strong reprimand, to dine at so-called “underground restaurants,” the New York Times reports. Intrepid chefs are experimenting with creative recipes in communal settings, skipping from apartment to apartment, often just steps ahead of local health departments. Though prices are steeper than Applebee’s, they are often at cost.http://www.newser.com/story/35927/chefs-going-underground-to-test-limits.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 27 Aug 2008 10:05:46 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/34167/struggling-whole-foods-pushes-cheaper-image.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWhole Foods is attempting to lose its reputation for high prices as shoppers increasingly look for thrift, the New York Times reports. The economic slump has changed shopping patterns: A July survey estimated that 20% of US shoppers have switched to cheaper grocery stores. Whole Foods has cut prices and offers employee tours with tips for bargain-hunting.http://www.newser.com/story/34167/struggling-whole-foods-pushes-cheaper-image.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 05 Aug 2008 13:50:54 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/33666/court-overturns-whole-foods-07-merger.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA federal appeals court today overturned a ruling that allowed Whole Foods to buy out rival grocer Wild Oats, the Austin-American Statesman reports. The merger was completed last summer, and Whole Foods has since closed 12 Wild Oats stores, sold off 35 others, and is renovating the rest—making unclear how a reversal of the deal would be executed.http://www.newser.com/story/33666/court-overturns-whole-foods-07-merger.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 29 Jul 2008 15:34:47 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/33364/agricultural-economist-has-growing-concerns.html?refid=rss_all_defaultIs there any way to justify US farm subsidies? Agricultural economist Daniel Sumner has a blunt answer: “No.” In an in-depth interview with the New York Times , Sumner takes on a broad range of agricultural topics, explaining the trouble with organic food (it’s too expensive), the problems with local food (it’s often inefficient) and, of course, the insanity of subsidies.http://www.newser.com/story/33364/agricultural-economist-has-growing-concerns.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 25 Jul 2008 12:26:32 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/33141/whole-grain-lawsuit-hits-at-truth-about-health-food.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe food industry is coming under pressure to start telling the whole truth about whole grain products, BusinessWeek reports. Sara Lee, facing a lawsuit from a consumer advocacy group, has agreed to change the labels on its Soft & Smooth bread to reflect that it's made from just 30% whole grains, with refined white flour making up the rest.http://www.newser.com/story/33141/whole-grain-lawsuit-hits-at-truth-about-health-food.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 23 Jul 2008 5:28:22 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/32539/fish-farms-retailers-hatch-green-standards.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSupermarkets are tightening the net on farmed seafood products as demand for environmentally-friendly products grows, reports the Washington Post . Aquaculture now supplies more than half of America's rising demand for fish and shrimp and retailers are working with producers and green groups to make sure the farmed products are both safe and sustainable.http://www.newser.com/story/32539/fish-farms-retailers-hatch-green-standards.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 16 Jul 2008 1:48:50 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/32072/forget-the-farmers-market-buy-the-farm.html?refid=rss_all_defaultConsumers wanting food straight from the source are buying up shares of farms in growing numbers, the New York Times reports. For a set annual fee, shareholders buy access to the land and a guaranteed share of the harvest income. The number of community-supported farms in America has mushroomed from 100 in the early '90s to almost 1,500 today.http://www.newser.com/story/32072/forget-the-farmers-market-buy-the-farm.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 09 Jul 2008 23:15:32 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/30028/are-tomatoes-from-local-farms-safer.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSalmonella-tainted tomatoes that sickened 228 people in 28 states may be a boon to the local-food movement, but Newsweek takes a look at whether "locavores" should be so smug. Equating smaller farms with safer practices—and long-distance shipping with more time for bacteria to infect food—more produce-lovers are turning to farmers’ markets. Sales rose almost 20 percent in recent years, but scientists warn that local doesn’t guarantee safe, and mistakes can be made at any size—or distance.http://www.newser.com/story/30028/are-tomatoes-from-local-farms-safer.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSun, 15 Jun 2008 9:09:47 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/29968/fla-mexico-are-main-salmonella-sources-fda.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe Food and Drug Administration is focusing Florida and Mexico as sources of the salmonella outbreak that has afflicted 228 people in 23 states, the Wall Street Journal reports. The “vast majority” of tomatoes imported at the time of outbreak appear to have come from those areas. Officials have increased sampling of tomatoes, but so far have not found any additional tainted produce.http://www.newser.com/story/29968/fla-mexico-are-main-salmonella-sources-fda.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 13 Jun 2008 16:34:14 CDT