CLEAR

Andrew Brandon, Graduate Student, UC Berkeley February 24, 2017 In August, three non-profits (Moms Across America, Beyond Pesticides and the Organic Consumers Association) filed a joint lawsuit against food giant General Mills for misleading consumers with the use of the phrase “Made with 100% natural whole grain oats” on their Nature Valley granola bars. They … Continue reading What does “natural” really mean?

Grady Pierroz, Graduate Student, UC Berkeley February 4, 2017 (updated 2/16/17) Let’s take a look at something that has been in the public consciousness for a while now: the bees are dying. Everybody knows the bees are dying. We are constantly barraged with terrifying headlines talking about the Beepocalypse[1] or Beemaggeddon[2]. This has been so … Continue reading Beemaggeddon or Over-Bee-Action?

Had the time come for a big reveal, or was it better to let our guests eat their dumpster dinner in blissful ignorance? My husband and I whispered anxiously in the kitchen trying to decide as our guests sat down for Thanksgiving dinner. To serve with our store-bought meat, we’d prepared a myriad of dishes … Continue reading Waste Not Want Not: A conversation about food waste

If one hundred Nobel Laureates asked you to change your mind about a controversial science topic like vaccines, global warming, or engineered crops (GMOs), do you think you would? And if that didn’t convince you to change your stance, is there anything that could? I know this sounds like some kind of silly, hypothetical thought … Continue reading Greenpeace vs. The Laureates: A Case for Golden Rice

  According to the creators of Soylent™, yes. Soylent is a vegan, lactose-and-nut-free drink or dehydrated powder specifically designed to provide up to a quarter of a person’s daily recommended vitamins, minerals and calories in a single serving. On paper, Soylent is a complete, seemingly well-rounded meal replacement, but is this flavorless, oil-rich drink really … Continue reading Has the Ultimate, Complete Meal Replacement Arrived?

Mikel Shybut Mikel is a fellow at the Genetic Expert News Service (GENeS) in Washington, D.C. from the University of California, Berkeley where he recently earned his PhD in plant biology. He is funded by the UC Global Food Initiative as part of the communication, literacy and education for agricultural research (CLEAR) project. Mikel in … Continue reading Dr. Shybut Goes to Washington: Behind the scenes of science news and science writing