Best Food Markets Around The World

There’s no need for a mixer or food processor. Keep the fridge for drinks, and maybe the blender. Eating has never been easier. The trick? Bars, bars and more bars. Vegan, chocolate, gluten-free, low-glycemic, raw, sugar-free, nutty, crunchy, gooey, for kids, for weightlifters, familiar old granola bars. Packed with protein, fiber, super-fruits even some with sugar and fat. Bars for pregnant women, and the YaffBar that’s for you and your mutt to share. Larabar’s Alt gets its protein from peas; another company harvests crickets for protein. Also PHOTOS: A comparison of what’s really inside the wrapping About a fifth of Americans will eat a bar today, says Harry Balzer, chief food industry analyst for the NPD Group. (The only bigger change in our eating habits over the last decade? The explosion of yogurts.) The market research firm Packaged Facts said in an April 2012 report that the bar business approached $5.7 billion in 2011 and is still growing.

World Food Prices Continue to Decline on Cheaper Cereal

Nearly 36 million tons of food were wasted nationally in 2011, said Nancy Roman, president of the Capital Area Food Bank. Roman recently helped organize a summit in Alexandria to address how local churches and organizations can reduce food spoilage. Participants included Ben Simon, founder of the Food Recovery Network at the University of Maryland; Elise H. Golan, director for sustainable development at the Department of Agriculture; Tom ODonnell, an environmental scientist for the Environmental Protection Agency; and Meghan Stasz, director of sustainability for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents such major brands as Kraft, General Mills and Nestle. Food waste is getting some attention from federal agencies, but [the summit] really connected it to people serving in the communities to begin a conversation that is needed in our region, Roman said in an interview. We are committed to fresh food and vegetables, but we have to pay attention to waste. As panelists talked about how more and more companies are allowed to give out food because of Good Samaritan donation laws, Gerri Magruder, coordinator of the food pantry at First Baptist Church of Capitol Heights , stood in frustration. I want real-life specifics. I would like to leave here with real solutions, said Magruder, who told the panel that there was a shortage of fresh produce when her volunteers recently went to the main food bank to pick up items for their weekly community giveaways. Marian Peele, senior director of partner relations and programs for the Capital Area Food Bank, said that although the system isnt perfect, the food bank has worked hard to improve the quality of what it distributes. Some people think that this entire system is antiquated and that we need to focus on the systemic problems of poverty: education and unemployment, Peele said. But having a strategy to combat hunger isnt going to help somebodys child that is hungry today. On Monday, Magruder was back at the food bank picking up items for her Tuesday and Thursday distributions. As she inspected containers of green apples and cabbage, she smiled and said, Everything is fine today. No spoilage.

Kreta Ayer Wet Market, Singapore This Chinatown market is known for being spotlessly clean. It is called a “wet market” because it is regularly hosed down for hygienic purposes. The fare includes a wide range of unique animals, like turtles, frogs, eels, and snakes (did we mention that some are still alive?) The market also sells local items, like Chinese herbal remedies and Asian vegetables like bok choy. The upstairs area offers local breakfast dishes, including a spicy noodle soup. Other local dishes available include chili crab and Hainan chicken rice. 15. Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City Ben Thanh Market, a destination for many tourists, is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the area. Located in a lively area of the city, visitors can stop by the market to enjoy textiles, souvenirs, handicrafts, and of course, local cuisine. Many of the vendors are cooking up fresh food that’s made to order. Visitors stop here for a “real Vietnamese meal,” like entire fish that are deep-fried. Many stalls also sell Vietnamese prepared beverages, like smoothies and iced coffee. In the evening, you can visit the market and sit at a number of sidewalk temporary restaurants serving local dishes like pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) and banh canh cua (crab noodle soup). 16.

Food banks that churches count on are challenged by rising demand, spoilage issues

Search Real Time Economics1 October 3, 2013, 10:43 AM World Food Prices Continue to Decline on Cheaper Cereal Print By Neena Rai World food prices fell for the fifth consecutive month in September, driven by falling international prices for cereals, according to data from the United Nations on Thursday, and analysts believe they still have further to fall. Reuters The U.N.s Food and Agriculture Organizations food-price index measures the monthly change in the international prices of a basket of food commodities. While the most recent food price spike in 2011 was triggered by a lack of cereal supply, the recent declines in food prices are mainly due to higher expected supplies of corn this year. The FAO index averaged 199.1 points in September, 1% lower than in August and 5.4% lower since the start of the year. Global cereal production, which includes wheat and corn, is expected to be 8% higher over 2012s level, at 2.49 billion tons. The U.S., the worlds largest corn producer, is responsible for the bulk of the increase, expected to harvest a record crop of 348 million tonsthats 27% higher than the previous year. U.S. corn supplies have been tight since the size of last years harvest was hit by severe drought. But after high acreage seeded with corn this spring and largely favorable summer weather, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts record U.S. corn output this year. That should push corn prices lower. Current levels mark a drastic turnaround since food prices soared to new heights in early 2011 amid global supply constraints for cereals, sugar and cocoa. Rising food prices helped spark the unrestknown as the Arab Springthat analysts say ultimately ousted the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The London-based International Grains Council this month said world corn production during the 2013-14 crop year will hit 943.2 million tons.