MNN - Mother Nature Network

Feeling odd — or oddly unsatisfied after your lunch? Maybe that's because your food's less nutritious, more fattening and tainted with weird bug and rodent bits. The latest strange but true food news:

 

>> Roach poop and maggots are allowed in your food by the FDA. Writes E.J. Levy in an op-ed for The New York Times: “Peanut butter — that culinary cause célèbre — may contain approximately 145 bug parts for an 18-ounce jar; or five or more rodent hairs for that same jar; or more than 125 milligrams of grit.” These guidelines are set forth in a publication called “The Food Defect Action Levels: Levels of Natural or Unavoidable Defects in Foods That Present No Health Hazards for Humans.” (via Treehugger)

 

>> The Joy of Cooking’s recipes are getting more fattening. “Overall, the scientists found, changes in ingredients and serving sizes led to a 63 percent increase in calories per serving in 17 of the recipes between 1936 and 2006.”

 

>> Fruits and veggies are getting less nutritious, according to a new report published in the Journal of HortScience. One finding’s that the higher the yield (via pesticide and chemical fertilizer-intensive farming), the lower the nutritional content. (via Kottke)