Worst Holiday Food Gifts

According to The Stir, some food gifts should be avoided like the plague, unless you're planning on giving your enemy a present this year. Personally, I think the World's Largest Gummy Worm sounds pretty cool.

A Festivus For The Rest Of Us... Even In Prison

Need better meals in prison? Just claim Festivus as your religion. That's what one prisoner in California did. He didn't like the salami meals served in jail, so he claimed to celebrate the Seinfeld-created religion, and a judge actually bought it, at least for a while.

Food Channel Predicts 2011 Food Trends

The Food Channel has been predicting the next year's food trends for 23 years. Of particular interest to food manufacturers would be #6: Small is the new big business. Here's this year's list:

1. The Canning Comeback: Canning is gaining popularity due to economic and health concerns.

2. Men In Aprons: Layoffs have led to more men cooking.

3. Local Somewhere: Consumers are looking for hand-grown, no matter where it's grown.

4. Don't Ask, Don't Tell: We're tired of being told where we can eat.

5. Appetite For Food Apps: We're using apps for recipes and coupon sources.

6. Small Is New Big Business: Corporations are thinking like small businesses.

7. Fresh Every Day: Rooftop gardens are part of this trend.

8. Chefs In Schools: Chefs are serving better flavors and more nutrition.

9. Discomfort Foods: Change makes us comfortable with more change.

10. Eating For Sex And Other Things: We're working longer, so apparently we need more energy in certain departments.

Click here for the complete press release.

Robotic Tea Pluckers

The food industry is becoming more automated everyday, and now it looks like our tea is being robotically harvested. According to this Daily Nation article, a research institute found that tea plucking and pruning machines reduced costs by 80 percent compared to their human counterparts.

Is Flame Retardant In Your Butter?

A research study recently turned up evidence of a flame retardant used in electronics in a stick of butter purchased at a Dallas grocery store. Apparently 95 percent of Americans have flame retardants in their bodies, but the butter had an especially high concentration of the chemical PBED. So, is this a fluke, or is our entire butter supply contaminated? According to the article, scientists have no idea. I'm reassured. How about you?

Jon Stewart Takes On Food Safety

Last week, the Senate passed its version of the Food Safety Modernization Act in order to mend an ailing food supply that has sickened thousands over the years with bacteria in everyday foods like eggs and peanut butter. However, the bill may not be signed into law this year, as the House and Senate versions still need to be resolved. The Daily Show's Jon Stewart gives his take on food safety and the bill in this video.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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Mozart Bananas

It seems l ike food producers are always looking for new ways to increase product quality, and here's a really interesting one: playing classical music. According to The Japan Times, a Japanese fruit company is using Mozart's music to ripen it's bananas. I have no idea if this actually works, but apparently it's selling well. And it's not only fruit companies who are "going bananas" for the classics. A Japanese sake brewing company is using Mozart during the brewing process.