Dan Charles appears in the following:
Farmers Fear Legal Status For Workers Would Lead Them Off The Farm
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Produce growers often rely on workers who are in the U.S. illegally. Some farmers worry that if those workers gain legal status, they will leave agriculture. But some workers say they would stay.
GMO Apples Get The Nod, But Not Much Of A Welcoming Party
Friday, February 13, 2015
Government regulators have approved the first genetically modified apples, which don't turn brown when you cut them open. But planting these trees will be a gamble since consumers may not want them.
California's Strawberry Feud Ends, But Who Will Breed New Berries?
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Strawberry farmers have dropped a lawsuit against the University of California, Davis, and the university has hired a new strawberry breeder. But the future of academic berry breeding is uncertain.
Here's How To End Iowa's Great Nitrate Fight
Monday, February 02, 2015
Des Moines, Iowa, wants to control nitrate pollution in nearby rivers. It's often called fertilizer runoff. But the best way to reduce it involves planting different crops, not using less fertilizer.
The Real Super Sunday Battle Is In The Snack Bowl
Friday, January 30, 2015
The competition over what Americans consume during the Super Bowl has gotten vicious. The nation's top merchants of virtuous and not-so-virtuous munching both want control of the line of scrimmage.
Beef Packers Block Plan To Revive Growth-Promoting Drug
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Beef processors continue to block efforts to bring back Zilmax, a drug that makes cattle put on weight faster. Is it because they're concerned about animal welfare, or beef exports?
Clean Up Those Contaminated Chicken Parts, USDA Tells Industry
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
The government wants to make your chicken meat safer to handle. The USDA is proposing legal limits on the chicken parts that are contaminated with salmonella bacteria.
Chipotle's Pulled Pork Highlights Debate Over Sow Welfare
Monday, January 19, 2015
Wondering why your local Chipotle is no longer serving pork? It's because a big supplier was housing pigs in confined quarters. But there's debate about whether that's really worse for the animals.
GMO Potatoes Have Arrived. But Will Anyone Buy Them?
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
New GMO potatoes don't bruise as easily, and, when fried, they have less of a potentially harmful chemical. Yet some big chip and french fry makers won't touch them because of the stigma of GMOs.
Iowa's Largest City Sues Over Farm Fertilizer Runoff In Rivers
Monday, January 12, 2015
Fertilizer runoff has provoked a confrontation between Des Moines and the farms that surround it. The city's water utility wants to sue neighboring counties for nitrates in the Raccoon River.
How California's New Rules Are Scrambling The Egg Industry
Monday, December 29, 2014
On Jan. 1, all eggs sold in California will have to come from chickens living in more spacious digs. The rules have disrupted the egg industry and pushed prices up at grocery stores in California.
Inside The Indiana Megadairy Making Coca-Cola's New Milk
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Coca-Cola got a lot of attention in November when it announced it was going into the milk business. In fact, its extra-nutritious milk product was invented by some dairy farmers in Indiana.
Congress To Nutritionists: Don't Talk About The Environment
Monday, December 15, 2014
Should dietary guidelines consider the environmental effects of our food choices? The government-appointed Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee thinks they should. Congress, however, says no.
Aerial Photos Are New Weapon In Organic Civil War
Friday, December 12, 2014
An organic watchdog organization says big organic egg and milk producers are violating organic rules. As evidence, it offers aerial photos — but some photos may not be of organic operations.
Fringe No More: 'Ancient Grains' Will Soon Be A Cheerios Variety
Monday, December 08, 2014
General Mills helped define the industrial era of American breakfasting with its ringlets of processed oats. Soon, it'll put out a version with "ancient grains," which aren't, actually, very ancient.
Why Did Vitamins Disappear From Non-GMO Breakfast Cereal?
Friday, December 05, 2014
When GMO-free cereals landed in supermarkets, some vitamins had mysteriously vanished from them. But these vitamins don't necessarily come from genetically altered organisms.
Who Made That Flavor? Maybe A Genetically Altered Microbe
Thursday, December 04, 2014
Biotech companies are inserting new genes into microorganisms, turning them into tiny factories to produce valuable nutrients and flavors. But many of the companies don't want to talk about it.
Of Carrots And Kids: Healthy School Lunches That Don't Get Tossed
Tuesday, December 02, 2014
You can lead children to vegetables, but can you make them eat? In one school lunch program, kids will tell you upfront what they think of your veggies — and what you should do with them.
Why American Honey Importers Are Wary Of 'Turkish' Honey
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
American honey importers say they've noticed an odd surge in cheap honey from Turkey. They think some of that honey really came from China, which is subject to U.S. trade restrictions.
Just What Is In Pumpkin Spice Flavor? (Hint: Not Pumpkin)
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Pumpkin spice is the flavor of the season, but does anyone think there's real pumpkin in the "science goo" in our lattes? Turns out flavor companies have come up with a simple chemical recipe for it.
