BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s self-sufficiency in corn is suddenly in doubt because a drought is threatening to cut the harvest as much as 10 percent and the government’s stockpiles are thousands of miles from the market, prompting the question: is it time to import?
Although imports are not yet imminent, any purchases of corn by China, which until 2003 was the leading Asian exporter of the grain, could ignite the Chicago market, which has fallen by nearly 30 percent since June on expectation of a second largest ever U.S. crop.
China isn’t …

DECATUR, Ill. — The CEO of agribusiness leader Archer Daniels Midland Co. received compensation worth $14.9 million in fiscal 2009, a decrease of nearly 2 percent from the previous year, according to an Associated Press calculation of figures filed with regulators.
Chief executive Patricia Woertz’s base salary was virtually unchanged at $1.29 million, compared with $1.3 million the year before. Her bonus fell 33 percent to $2.04 million, from $3.04 million.
That cut came during a tumultuous year for ADM, which is involved in businesses as diverse as growing and shipping grain …

Antioxidants are present in foods as vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and polyphenols, among others.
Many antioxidants are often identified in food by their distinctive colors: the deep red of cherries and of tomatoes; the orange of carrots; the yellow of corn, mangos, and saffron; and the blue-purple of blueberries, blackberries, and grapes. The most well-known components of food with antioxidant activities are vitamins A, C, and E; alpha carotene and the mineral selenium.
While antioxidants such as alpha-carotene are recommended by health specialists to prevent premature aging, some of the antioxidants used as …

 
Imagine three items in your grocery cart: Peppercorn Ranch SunChips, Cocoa Krispies and Country Crock margarine.
The first is stamped with a red heart, indicating that it’s a good source of whole grains. The second has a banner saying that the vitamin-enriched rice cereal will boost your immunity. The third bears a green label deeming it a “Smart Choice,” a green seal of approval on the front of food packaging to indicate healthier fare.
If you are like the typical hurried consumer, chances are you don’t spend much time considering how such …

Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science Professor Michael Gӓnzle and fellow researchers at the University of Alberta have developed a new set of food preservative agents which are naturally derived.
Food today is often prepared more by its processors than consumers, such as luncheon meats and microwaveable dinners. More convenient foods are stocking grocery shelves, and ready-to-eat items are growing in prominence.
“Most of the stuff which [was] done by the household 50 years ago is now done by the food industry,” Gӓnzle said. “Which means that less food items, [and] meals, are …