In the August edition of the Journal of Nutrition, scientists ranked foods based on how good they are for you to create a Nutrient-Rich Foods Index. To give the index scientific weight, the researchers created a formula for combinations of nutrients and calories that produced the highest correlation to the index. The healthiest — though maybe not the best-tasting foods — rise to the top using their math.

Following reports in the Washington Post that standards for classifying foods as organic had been relaxed, the U.S. Agriculture Department is launching an audit of its National Organic Program. The Post says that department thinks external scrutiny is needed to improve the integrity and reliability of the program.

The FDA has put supplement companies on notice that violators can expect earlier detection and prosecution. The agency has shifted to a policy of less talk and more action. The industry response must be to get better or get out.

Several hours after our post on increased media coverage of the potential danger of supplement use by high school athletes, the Food & Drug Administration held a press conference and issued a public health advisory on body-building products and steroids. The warning was serious: “Due to the potentially serious health risks associated with using these types of products, the FDA recommends that consumers immediately stop using all body building products that claim to contain steroids or steroid-like substances, ” the FDA said in the advisory.

A report published on the web site of the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), http://www.iatp.org indicates some well-known foods and drinks rich in high-fructose corn syrup may contain detectable levels of mercury. This report comes on the heels of a new study published in the journal of Environmental Health, http://www.ehjournal.net/content/pdf/1476-069x-8-2.pdf which shows [...]