Doc's Blog

Scientific Answers to Your Food Questions

Many consumers walk the grocery aisles and food markets in a fog—overwhelmed by the amount of data, confusing labels, and vast array of choices. As they reach for items from the shelves, shoppers don’t have time to review scientific papers—and that’s where CAST comes in. CAST is creating a series of 50 informative, entertaining 90-second videos that will be professionally written, produced, and distributed. Each addresses one question that people want answered about “Food”—food safety, food ingredients, farming and production methods, or environmental impacts. Each video provides facts with answers scripted by food science experts and edited in understandable language by CAST. By answering key questions about food, CAST clears the air for those consumers in the aisles.

This month’s column is more serious than most. If you’re looking for entertainment and my usual wild stories, you may want to skip this one.

But this column is a must-read, if you raise livestock and/or care about the American food supply (and if you’re like me, you like to eat). Livestock disease outbreaks are occurring every day somewhere in the world. These diseases, if not contained, could threaten our food supply and lifestyle in a way that most Americans are too naïve to fathom.

September, 2018
James Doubek
NPR's Alexis Diao and Ian Stewart produced and edited this story for radio.

Play Radio Broadcast:

Toronto has been called the "raccoon capital of the world."

The "trash pandas" — as they're (possibly) affectionately known — have been particularly adept at getting into Torontonians' garbage bins.

The raccoon scourge was bad enough that the city spent CA$31 million on "raccoon-resistant" organic green-colored waste bins in 2016. It was the latest assault in what Canadian media have called a "raccoon war."

The Toronto Star recently published a 6,000-word investigation on the bin battle.

A North Carolina woman shared video of the unexpected sight she came upon in her back yard -- a black bear swinging in her hammock.

Michelle Baber posted a video to YouTube showing the bear she discovered swaying back and forth while lounging in the hammock behind her Asheville home.

Baber filmed the video from the safety of her home.

She says in the video that the bear had previously been spotted in her hammock, but it left and returned later for another round of swinging.

U.S. egg farmer Steve Bliesner describes the behavior of healthy hens with top notch animal welfare on his farm.

Wyatt Bechtel
August,  2018

A viral comedy video exposes “nut milking” and seeks to start a conversation with consumers about labeling plant-based beverages that are often called “milk.”( Know Ideas Media )

Amazon.com has been granted a new patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a delivery drone that can respond to human gestures.

Click here to read full article.

Becky Worley, ABC News technology and consumer correspondent, led the segment, comparing three same-day delivery services by placing simultaneous orders and judging the results.

Click here to read full article.