Roberto A. Ferdman

Sorry, kids: Big Macs and McDonald's fries do not a healthy diet make.

McDonald’s has ended a controversial program that targeted children at school

June 10, 2018 at 8:35 p.m.

McDonald's has ended a controversial practice of giving nutrition advice to students in schools, pulling back on a program that critics said was a subtle form of fast-food marketing that...

Poultry processing plants are allowed to funnel chickens through their assembly lines at a rate of 140 birds per minute, a rate which the industry recently lobbied to increase by another 35 birds per minute.

‘I had to wear Pampers’: The cruel reality of processing cheap chicken

June 12, 2018 at 3:56 a.m.

While concerns about food safety and animal welfare dominate discussions about the perils of the modern food system, there's a downside that many might find just as troubling: the often...

Coke's move to serve its sodas in smaller packaging, like these 8.5-ounce bottles, is paying off.

For Coke, a big advantage pours out of smaller bottles

June 9, 2018 at 5:07 a.m.

Coca-Cola executives have a reason to smile. For years, they've battled an anti-soda trend. But now they are starting to see global soda volume rise — and the reason may...

After years of steady price increases, thanks in large part to sky-rocketing demand, almonds have suddenly become much cheaper. Almond prices, which reached record highs early last year, have fallen by roughly 25 percent since late 2014.

The crazy sequence of events that’s making almonds cheap again

June 12, 2018 at 7:53 a.m.

Almonds, the beloved snack that recently overtook peanuts as the most consumed nut in America, might have gotten a little too popular for their own good. After years of steady...

Why you eat so much

May 11, 2019 at 7:58 a.m.

Almost 20 years ago, psychology professor and biologist Paul Rozin tested a theory about food. Many people believed their bodies were good at telling them when to start and stop...

The strange life of Q-tips, the most bizarre thing people buy

June 12, 2018 at 8:09 a.m.

Years ago, my mother complained about a terrible earache. The pain was unbearable. And it wouldn't go away-for a week, she walked around with a debilitating ringing in her head....

How baby carrots, birthed by necessity, became big business

June 11, 2018 at 12:44 p.m.

Ten years ago, NPR opened a radio news segment with a few words about a man few knew. Mike Yurosek, a carrot farmer from California, had passed away earlier that...

What you need to know about the start of the tax filing season

June 11, 2018 at 12:26 p.m.

When the IRS begins accepting tax returns on Tuesday, nearly all of the parties involved — taxpayers, tax authorities and software providers — will be on alert. The scars of...

Yogurt war: Inside Chobani’s controversial new ad campaign

June 5, 2019 at 4:51 p.m.

Last week, Chobani aired a cheeky new television spot that pits Simply 100, the Greek yogurt maker's new low-calorie offering, against the competition. The commercial opens with a woman lounging...

What in the world is happening to Chipotle?

June 16, 2018 at 3:18 p.m.

Last month, Chipotle closed 43 restaurants in Washington and Oregon after health authorities linked an E. coli outbreak to six restaurants in the area. The announcement came as a shock...

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