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New York Times reports on controversy surrounding Syrian aid; WFP to feed 2.5M people in Syria by April

The New York Times examines the controversy surrounding humanitarian aid to Syria, writing, "The United States and other international donors are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on humanitarian aid for Syrians afflicted by the civil war. But here in the rebel-controlled north, where the deprivation is most acute, that money has bought mostly anger and resentment: the vast majority of aid is going to territory controlled by President Bashar al-Assad, and the small amount reaching opposition-held areas is all but invisible."

13 Mar 2013

Global food prices held steady in February, FAO food index shows

"Global food prices held steady in February as falling wheat prices offset higher oils and dairy prices, the United Nations' food agency said on Thursday, forecasting increased wheat output in 2013," Reuters reports, noting, "The FAO Food Price Index, which measures monthly price changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, averaged 210 points in February, unchanged from January."

11 Mar 2013

Indian researchers use plants for herbal defluoridation of drinking water

Researchers in India have developed a filter system based on a medicinal herb, which they say can quickly and easily remove "fluoride" from drinking water.

7 Mar 2013

Reform in food aid distribution could lead to more lives saved, study suggests

"International development agencies may be able to save the lives of a greater number of undernourished children by changing how they allocate food aid in developing countries, suggests a study published [Monday] in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences," SciDev.Net reports.

6 Mar 2013

New Concordia research uses dynamic mathematical model to estimate gas emission

Pulp and paper producers are among Canada's most important industries and also one of the largest producers of wastewater. Estimating the greenhouse gas emissions in this wastewater has become a priority for the industry.

6 Mar 2013

Hokutou Holdings International to release new natural weight loss supplement in March

Hokutou Holdings International Inc. announced today that it will release its new natural weight loss supplement in March.

27 Feb 2013

Groups expect White House to propose new global food aid approach

"The White House may soon propose the biggest change in U.S. food aid since the programs were created during the Cold War -- donating cash for hunger relief instead of shipping American-grown food thousands of miles to global trouble spots, say farm groups and charities," Reuters reports.

27 Feb 2013

New study reveals major contributors to China's pollution problem

It's no secret that China is faced with some of the world's worst pollution. Until now, however, information on the magnitude, scope and impacts of a major contributor to that pollution - human-caused nitrogen emissions - was lacking.

27 Feb 2013

Study determines effectiveness of sewage lagoons at removing pharmaceuticals from wastewater

2012 marked the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which established regulations for the discharge of pollutants to waterways and supported the building of sewage treatment plants. Despite these advances, sewage remains a major source of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and naturally occurring hormones found in the environment.

15 Feb 2013

Overview on dioxins

Dioxins are a group of relatively stable lipophilic organic substances. They are formed in small amounts during the combustion of organic materials and also in the manufacture of certain chemicals. They may be present in foods and feeds at low but measurable values and in highly variable amounts, and they have been associated with a number of possible negative biological effects.

31 Jan 2013

New records of fraudulent food products added to USP Food Fraud Database

Nearly 800 new records of "food fraud" added to the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention's (USP) Food Fraud Database present new information about foods that are vulnerable to fraudulent manipulation in today's food supply.

25 Jan 2013

Ractopamine can boost pork production, does not affect meat quality or taste

Animal scientists in Brazil have found that a small dose of the feed additive ractopamine can boost pork production without changing how pork looks or tastes.

25 Jan 2013

Skin care tips for winter season

Our bodies have a natural layer of oil that helps protect the skin, but the dry air of winter (along with poor skin care) can override this natural protection and leave a lot of people with itchy, scaly winter skin.

25 Jan 2013

Opinion Pieces address launch of 'IF Campaign' against global hunger

A coalition of 100 U.K. development charities and faith groups on Wednesday launched the IF campaign, aimed at addressing global hunger. The following is a summary of opinion pieces published in response to the campaign's launch.

25 Jan 2013

Media tours help journalists report on development activities

In the U.S. Department of State's DipNote blog, David Lane, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. food and agriculture agencies in Rome, writes about hosting a media tour for journalists, to provide them "an opportunity to see how countries like Tanzania and Malawi are investing in agriculture and in programs to fight hunger and improve nutrition, and how development partners like the United Nations and United States are helping them.

25 Jan 2013

Examining possible scenarios in U.S. budget negotiations and effects on foreign aid

Tod Preston, director of government relations at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, discusses four theories on what could happen with U.S. budget negotiations and the possible effects on foreign aid.

25 Jan 2013

Consuming protein blend after exercise can promote muscle protein synthesis

A new study published in The Journal of Nutrition demonstrates the benefits of consuming a protein blend for muscle protein synthesis after exercise. This study is a first-of-its-kind, conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and utilizes the proteins from soy, whey and casein consumed after an acute bout of resistance exercise. These proteins have complementary amino acid profiles and different digestion rates (amino acid release profiles).

25 Jan 2013

Waters and Fera launch new international food safety training facility

A major new international food safety training facility, aimed at improving compliance with EU food import standards, is being launched today by The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) and analytical equipment manufacturer Waters®.

22 Jan 2013

Researchers say Germany risks eroding its moral authority unless it protects fundamental rights

A research team comprising of academics, political analysts, human rights activists, journalists and representatives of minority groups presented a study in Brussels Monday that seriously questions human rights violations in Germany, concluding that the country risks eroding its moral authority if it does not do more to protect fundamental rights within its own borders.

22 Jan 2013

Perennial biofuel crops reduce nitrogen losses into the environment

Perennial biofuel crops such as miscanthus, whose high yields have led them to be considered an eventual alternative to corn in producing ethanol, are now shown to have another beneficial characteristic-the ability to reduce the escape of nitrogen in the environment.

19 Jan 2013