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 …

Natural, organic, whole foods are the best choice for fighting cancer, but this is not an obvious conclusion from scientific research. Scientists can ethically gather a great deal of information about how various foods and food additives increase or decrease the risk of developing cancer. It is very rare to get scientific information about how foods and food additives help the body defeat cancer.
That is because there are so many variables in treating people who already have cancer that the benefits of an organic diet cannot be identified separately from …

In July 2008, Health Canada published in Canada Gazette, Part I proposed regulatory amendments for the labelling of food allergens, gluten sources and added sulphites. The department has now reviewed the comments received and is publishing documents detailing some of the changes being made to the proposal as a result of the consultations.
As a result of the over 140 comments received up until early December 2008 following the publication of the proposed regulatory amendment in Canada Gazette, Part I in July 2008, Health Canada has made several decisions and changes …

A man was jailed for over two years today for selling “organic” products that turned out to be nothing of the sort.
Neil Stansfield, the 41-year-old director of One Food Limited, also received a six-year directorship ban for the fraud.
An investigation by Trading Standards officers revealed that Stansfield, along with his wife and the firm’s operations manager, bought non-organic ingredients from supermarkets, and had employees repackage them before they were sold to consumers across the UK. The five-year scam netted the trio £500,000.
At Northamptonshire crown court, Stansfield, from Newnham, near Daventry, …

RICHMOND, Va. — The new federal ban on flavored cigarettes took effect on Tuesday, marking one of the first visible signs of the Food and Drug Administration’s new authority to regulate tobacco.
The ban on manufacturing, importing, marketing and distribution includes candy-, fruit- and clove-flavored cigarettes, which health and federal authorities say are more appealing to youth. It does not include a ban on menthol or other flavored tobacco products like cigars — issues that the FDA is studying.
“Candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults …

Sweeteners are considered an essential ingredient of most products of the canning industry, except vegetables. They act as preservatives and maintain desirable appearance, flavor, color and body in the products.
Altering the type and amount of sugar in standardized preservation recipes will alter these characteristics.
The principal sweeteners used in canning are sugar (sucrose), and corn syrup. The non-caloric sweetener, saccharin, is found in diabetic foods. Aspartame and Acesulfame K, also considered non-caloric sweeteners, are approved for use in a limited number of foods.
When canning fruit without the addition of sugar, or …