‘Upcycled’ food is on the rise – here’s what you need to know

Foods saved from the waste heap by verifiable supply chains are said to be upcycled.

Simona Grasso, Assistant Professor & Ad Astra Fellow in Food Science and Nutrition, University College Dublin • conversation
June 25, 2025 ~6 min

How artificial intelligence controls your health insurance coverage

Health insurance companies use AI to decide which health care treatment to cover. State laws and federal agencies are now moving toward regulating these algorithms.

Jennifer D. Oliva, Professor of Law, Indiana University • conversation
June 20, 2025 ~10 min


Coal power plants were paid to close. Is it time to do the same for slaughterhouses?

The food industry faces the same ‘stranded asset’ problem as fossil fuel companies.

Stephanie Walton, Researcher on Food Systems and Sustainable Finance, University of Oxford • conversation
June 17, 2025 ~9 min

Universal nanosensor unlocks the secrets to plant growth

Researchers from SMART DiSTAP developed the world’s first near-infrared fluorescent nanosensor capable of monitoring a plant’s primary growth hormone in real-time and without harming the plant.

Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology • mit
June 9, 2025 ~6 min

Cuts to school lunch and food bank funding mean less fresh produce for children and families

The more than $1 billion cut hits already strapped schools and food banks.

Marlene B. Schwartz, Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut • conversation
June 5, 2025 ~7 min

Is methylene blue really a brain booster? A pharmacologist explains the science

Health influencers – perhaps including Health Secretary RFK Jr. – are promoting the chemical as an elixir that improves memory and focus. But evidence for these claims is thin.

Lorne J. Hofseth, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina • conversation
June 3, 2025 ~9 min

Cambridge researchers awarded £7.5 million to build programmable plants

Two groups involving researchers from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences are among nine teams to have been awarded funding today from

Cambridge University News • cambridge
June 2, 2025 ~5 min

MAHA report on children’s health highlights harms of ultraprocessed foods – a food scientist explains the research

The majority of children’s diets in the US consist of ultraprocessed foods, which a growing body of research suggests can lead to metabolic diseases and other conditions.

Paul Dawson, Professor of Food Science, Clemson University • conversation
May 26, 2025 ~7 min


Young food entrepreneurs are changing the face of rural America

A few important dynamics are making it easier for young people to launch businesses in rural towns – especially food businesses.

Dawn Thilmany, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Colorado State University • conversation
May 22, 2025 ~7 min

Calorie counts on menus and food labels may not help consumers choose healthier foods, new research shows

Knowing how many calories a food contains has become a familiar part of eating. But it may muddy rather than clarify a person’s understanding of how healthy that food is.

Deidre Popovich, Associate Professor of Marketing, Texas Tech University • conversation
May 12, 2025 ~5 min

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