Mars Inc.

It used to be that double the mint (and the pleasure and the fun) was as crazy as gum got. Now Wrigley's has introduced a new product called Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, which has sounded an alarm with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA said the gum has prompted it to take a "fresh look" at the issue of added caffeine in food and beverage products because of its potential negative effects on children and adolescents.

The agency said "if necessary, [we] will take appropriate action," Reuters reports.
While the FDA didn't specifically point fingers at the unimaginatively named gum, Wrigley did just launch the caffeine-laden product this month. One little piece of Alert Energy Caffeine Gum contains 40 milligrams of caffeine, about as much as half a cup of coffee.

More »

Via Wikimedia Commons

Mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti

It's common practice for politicians to call on their powerful friends to help raise money. Hollywood has long been involved in politics, and wealthy socialites and campaign fundraiser parties need one another to thrive and survive. But it's new for us to see prominent chefs in the city get involved in city politics quite as publicly as an upcoming fundraiser dinner being held for mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti.

Chefs For Garcetti, which will be held at Petersen Automotive Museum on Feb. 20 and is open to the public, features John Sedlar of Playa and Rivera, Jason Travi of Littlefork, Ricardo Zarate of Picca and Mo-Chica, Jiro Kobayashi of Sushi Roku, Antonia Lofaso of Black Market Liquor Bar, and Kris Morningstar of Ray's and Stark Bar. You can get in and enjoy "savory small bites, hand-crafted cocktails, and music" for $125, but you can also pay $500 to be considered a "friend" or $1,300 to be considered a "host."

More »

Daquella Manera via flickr

A pro-GMO labeling march held in Washington, D.C. in 2011

In November, California had the chance to pass the country's first wide-sweeping law mandating the labeling of foods made with genetically modified ingredients. But after a long fight, with celebrities weighing in and big ag companies pouring millions into a campaign to defeat the law, Proposition 37 was defeated.

Now, Washington State is taking up the GMO labeling fight. Food Safety News reports that the wheels are in motion for a law to be passed by the state's legislature. If the legislature fails to adopt the measure it will go on the general election ballot this November. The story goes on to say:

More »

letsmove.gov

First Lady talks with children about healthy eating

What's the most pressing thing for Reps. Steve King (R-IA) and Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) right now? Jobs? The economy? No, not those, not even working out some Machiavellian scheme to put oil wells on top of every mosque and gay bar in the country. Nope, it's rolling back the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which imposed calorie limits on school lunches.

Food Safety News reports today on the "No Hungry Kids Act" that was introduced last week, which would "eliminate new limits on the number of calories in the school lunches served to 32 million American school children each day." The bill seeks to reverse the calorie limits set by the 2010 law, which limited school meals to 650 calories for meals for kindergarten through fifth grade, 700 calories for seventh and eighth grade and 850 calories for high school. The rules were based on recommendations from experts at the Institute of Medicine.

More »

B. Rodell

Chief of Protocol Capricia Penvac Marshall answers questions on a patio at State Department during the reception for the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership

We thought we were going to a small reception at the State Department. It was day 3 of the Association of Food Journalists annual conference, this year held in Washington D.C. As we stood in line to undergo the rigorous security clearances needed to enter the building (we had been asked to provide detailed identification information weeks in advance), more than one of my fellow journalists commented, "Who are all these other people? They aren't going to the same thing as us, are they?"

By the time we made it up to the Benjamin Franklin Room, we realized that this was no small reception. And while inviting food journalists certainly guaranteed that the event would be well-covered, we were hardly the guests of honor. As soon as we entered the breathtaking, chandeliered room, we understood that something much larger was happening here.

More »