Food, Agriculture

Lettuce prey... that's the question a lot of Americans are asking their salad bowls right now. Cases of cyclosporiasis... a nasty parasite-driven stomach illness... have exploded across the country this summer. Michigan alone has logged more than six thousand five hundred cases since late June. A state that normally sees about fifty cases... a year.
Health officials say the likely culprit is shredded iceberg lettuce. The F D A has tied part of the outbreak to lettuce served at Taco Bell in five states, and Taylor Fresh Foods has pulled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico off shelves nationwide.
The bug spreads through contaminated food or water... not person to person... and it's tough. Regular washing and disinfectants won't kill it. Cooking greens to at least one hundred fifty eight degrees... will.
Symptoms hit about a week after exposure... explosive, watery diarrhea... cramping... nausea... fatigue. Nobody has died in this outbreak. But a lot of people are looking twice at their lunch.

US families need more help than just cheaper shopping, the actual safety-net programs matter a lot more than store-hopping:
SNAP (food stamps), apply through your state's human services agency; income-based, helps with all groceries
WIC — for pregnant women, new moms, and kids under 5; covers milk, eggs, bread, and more specifically
Feeding America (feedingamerica.org) — find the nearest food bank by zip code, no cost, no paperwork hurdle to start
211 (call or visit 211.org) — connects people to local food assistance of all kinds, including emergency pantries

Did you know that only one nation on earth can declare food self sufficiency?

It’s nature’s way to stay healthy nowadays, to consume garlic and ginger. I recommend using these two staples in your daily diet.

Cinnamon is a popular ingredient for baked goods and other savory dishes. Be wary of which spice  brand you are using.

It has been said “Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.” But flavor additives can also be dangerous.

U.S. grower of pricey Japanese strawberries holds $134m funding round. Oishii to invest in automated indoor farm; premium berries priced at $11 for six.

Image: Oishii Farm co-founder and CEO Hiroki Koga shows off a strawberry at an indoor vertical farm in New Jersey. (Oishii Farm)

Oishii's Omakase strawberries can be found in high-end grocery stores. (Oishii Farm)