Andrea the Gastronaut

Another link dump. Yes, been hording. Again. It’s a habit.

• Six seemingly refreshing drinks to avoid. I’ve avoided potassium benzoate and sodium benzoate for my entire life. I could always detect the taste and didn’t like it. A little disappointed to see Smirnoff Ice on the list but it’s so easy to make vodka lemonade for parties – unless you’re involved in some ritual involving Smirnoff Ice. (That comment is for the benefit of a group of my friends who likely don’t actually read my blog.)

• Again, file under “things we already knew but wish we didn’t”: Dangers associated with food dyes

• MRIs of Fruits and Vegetables: Way cool. I like the warning on the MetaFilter website: “Do not click this link if you are intoxicated. “

• Good on them: Los Angeles Takes Food From the Full to Give to the Hungry.

• Read Sheryl’s commentary on farmer’s markets in Toronto

• The Toronto Star’s Joe Fiorito asks, why food is not an election issue. I was on the ArtsVote steering committee in 2003 and chaired the communications committee, so I understand how topics can be pushed on the political agenda by a passionate interest group.

• I’m just going to use the TasteTO words for this one and say “ditto” in response: Okay, eating a healthy diet is important, but I get really angry when I see articles like this one. Please can we stop applying things like Body Mass Index (that isn’t even useful for adults) to the growing and changing bodies of children??? This is just seriously messed up.

• Admittedly, this headline made me laugh: “Headcheese recalled over salmonella concerns“. People eat that stuff?

• When Vegetarianism Isn’t Good for the Planet

• The EU nations require foods manufactured with artificial colors to present the warning labels. This gives me a slight sense of relief.

• Naming cross-bread fruit. I don’t even like the new names given to cross-bred dogs. No “schnoodle” or “labridoodle” (any “oodle”, really) or “Havachon” or “puggle” (okay, I kind of like “puggle”). It’s a [breed]-[breed] cross! Don’t do it to fruit too.

• Experts identify three culprits for gluten allergy.

News bites