U.S. Department of Agriculture

Salume Beddu Up For $50,000 Entrepreneurial Award

Salume Beddu (3467 Hampton Avenue; 314-353-3100) needs your help! The artisan cured meat company and deli has been nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year from Slow Money, an organization dedicated to providing education and funding to entrepreneurs involved with the slow food movement. The award ... More >>

Report: Araka to Close, 801 Chophouse to Open

Araka (131 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton; 314-725-6777) will close after service on Saturday, March 9, according to a report from George Mahe of St. Louis Magazine. Gut Check has a call in to owner Brad Beracha for independent confirmation. More from him as we learn it. Update: (Wednesday, February 20, ... More >>

City of Hannibal: Caution! Falling Pigeon Corpses

Hannibal Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Knickerbocker wants to send everybody a message: Incoming!'Cause pigeon corpses will soon be tumbling from the heavens and you probably don't want to get hit in your face. 

Butcher Shop That Packaged Beef Hearts as "Ground Beef" Settles with State for $50k

This just in from Attorney General Chris Koster's office: The state has settled with John's Butcher Shoppee, a meat processor in Overland and Festus sued by the government in June 2011 for passing off heart muscle as "ground beef" and "sausage."

Cambodian Weed

The invasive plant water spinach is banned in some states — and essential to Asian cooking. In a small village outside Houston, relocated Cambodians are growing and selling it across state lines, up North, out West, hoping to get rich.

J. Gilbert's hooks our taste buds and our nostrils

Cantaloupes, Frozen Bacon Cheeseburgers Recalled

Put down that cantaloupe! Or, you know, at least check the sticker before you slice it open. Burch Equipment of North Carolina has recalled 188,902 of its Athena variety cantaloupes due to a risk of contamination by listeria monocytogenes. (This is separate issue from the multiple recalls connected ... More >>

It's Official -- Missouri's a Disaster Area

The temperature's back up above 100 degrees, it hasn't rained in two weeks and the weather reports promise another agonizingly endless streak of sunny days. Twenty-five people in the state of Missouri, 23 of them in St. Louis, have died of heat-related illnesses, the most in 30 years. The corn crop ... More >>

Bill Would Repeal "Punitive" Tax on Missouri Animal Shelters

​State Rep. Jeanne Kirkton (D - Webster Groves) has proposed a bill to restore certain tax exemptions to animal shelters that were lost during the heated fight over puppy mills back in 2010. Legislators opposed to the Prop B campaign to rein-in dog breeding facilities in Missouri slipped the new ... More >>

Bloody Mary Mix, Ground Beef Recalled

​Gut Check might have spent the past few days curled up in front of the fireplace with a snifter of brandy and a year's worth of Jane's Defence Weekly, but the food-recall news didn't stop. In the past week, the FDA and the USDA have announced several voluntarily recalls. Only two, though, involve ... More >>

Happy Labor Day from Gut Check (Enjoy Your Hot Dog!)

Image via​Did you know that between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Americans eat roughly 818 hot dogs per second? That's what the Hot Dog and Sausage Council tells the New York Times. We're a nation of Joey "Jaws" Chestnuts!This weekend, of course, marks the unofficial end of summer and, with it, the ... More >>

Where to Celebrate National Farmers' Market Week

Holly FannNicola Macpherson and her son Henry at the Maplewood Farmers' Market.​Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that over 1,000 new farmers' markets have popped up around the country since last year, making a total of 7,175 markets operating in the U.S. currently. This n ... More >>

Another Missouri Dog Breeder Found in Violation of State Animal Cruelty Codes

​The Missouri Attorney General announced today it received a consent judgment against a dog breeder in southwestern Missouri for violating the state's animal cruelty codes. Like a similar case last month, the breeder operated in Lawrence County in the southwest corner of the state. According to th ... More >>

Kids Sickened by Tainted Raw Milk, Hamburgers

Wikimedia CommonsThe cows are pissed.​The cows have finally had enough, and they're fighting back at the humans with pathogens striking our children. A group of sixteen people from a fourth-grade class in Raymond, Wisconsin, developed Campylobacter infections from drinking raw milk. A pare ... More >>

Pork, the Other Pink Meat

Image viaHappy to be pink!​Vindication for many chefs and gastronauts today, as the USDA has lowered the temperature considered "safe" for pork consumption. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says pork cooked to 145 degrees Farenheit, rather than 160, is now safe. This puts pork in line ... More >>

The Coldest Cut: Eat Your Cold Cuts Hot (With Poll!)

Image viaListeria monocytogenes: Goes well with honey ham, yellow American.​Do you enjoy cold cuts, in sandwich form or, perhaps, eaten directly from the wrapped deli package while standing in front of the fridge 'round midnight? Are you over the age of 50?THEN PUT THOSE COLD CUTS DOWN, MY FRIEND. ... More >>

Monsanto's Roundup-Ready Alfalfa = Goodbye Organic Beef and Dairy, Says New Lawsuit

Image viaWill Roundup-Ready alfalfa render natural alfalfa extinct? ​Environmental groups and organic farmers alike have slapped the USDA with a lawsuit for its greenlighting of Monsanto's Roundup-Ready alfalfa grass earlier this year.The plaintiffs -- which include the Center for Food Safety and ... More >>

More Than 3,000 Pounds of Ground Beef Recalled

​The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued yet another ground-beef recall. This time it's American Food Service, headquartered in Pico Rivera, just outside of LA. According to a CNN report, the recall involves more than 3,000 pounds of ground beef produced on January 31 and sold to restaur ... More >>

Release the Hounds: Readers rail against Missouri puppy mills and praise our take down of Ginger Bistro

Repackaged Industrial Ground Beef Recalled

The USDA has ordered a ground beef recall. Ozarks First reports that 226,000 pounds of hamburgers have been recalled by One Great Burger in New Jersey. The company, which mainly sells to institutional customers, allegedly repackaged meat that had been returned to them, changing the date on the packa ... More >>

The Best Thanksgiving Convenience Foods, Onion-Cooking Methods, and Booze

Did you wait until the last minute to start Thanksgiving prep? Or are you just lazy? Slashfood has recommendations for the best frozen pumpkin and apple pies and the best instant stuffing.If you're making the meal by hand, our sister paper, the Houston Press, tests methods to prevent onion tears. No ... More >>

Former Employee of Brentwood Whole Foods Market Alleges Termination for Blowing Whistle on Bad Organic Practices [Updated]

​A former employee of Whole Foods Market in Brentwood claims that she was fired after alerting management of multiple instances in which the produce department had not followed the proper standards for handling organic produce, according to a lawsuit filed last week in St. Louis County Circuit Cou ... More >>

USDA Hires Food Behavioral Scientists to Market Healthy Food in Schools

It's time to start the mind games on the kiddies. The Associated Press gives a brief report that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving $2 million for food behavioral scientists to develop tricks to get kids to choose healthy food over junk in the cafeteria. Looking for a traditional wedding ... More >>

New York City Says No Food Stamps for Sodas

Despite possible legal roadblocks, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg issues a plan to make sugar-sweetened soft drink ineligible for food stamps. The New York Times reports that New York City requested permission from the USDA to perform a two-year experiment to ban soda purchases with food stam ... More >>

IHOP Sues a Kansas City Church Over Same Acronym

IHOP sues IHOP. The Kansas City Star explains that the International House of Pancakes is suing Kansas City's International House of Prayer, a mission that uses the same acronym. Although the mission's been open for a decade, the pancake giant just filed the suit as the mission has grown to include ... More >>

St. Louis Food Blog Digest, 8.9-8.15

​Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs. FamilyStyle Food: Karen made Baby Turnips in Caramel Butter. Sounding My Barbaric Gulp: Kelly whipped up Mayfair Dressing. STL Hops: Mike shared details on the 2010 Schlafly Hop in the City.

Competitive Eating = Athletics?

Competitive eating might have athletic merit. Why else would participants be so skinny? Or able to invade the stage during a contest? A BBC report looks at the tricks and politics of competitive eating.County officials shut down a small food business in Portland, Oregon, for lacking a business licen ... More >>

St. Louis Kids Served Parasite-Contaminated Fruit Cups

Some children in a St. Louis federally-funded summer lunch program were served fruit cups contaminated with parasites. In a press release from the city's Department of Health, the meals were provided by Preferred Meal Systems. So far no one has become ill, and it's unclear how many children might be ... More >>

Animal Rights Group Condemns Saint Louis Zoo for Elephant Pregnancies

Group says no elephant sex is safe at Saint Louis Zoo.​California-based In Defense of Animals made a formal complaint today to the U.S. Department of Agriculture over two recent elephant pregnancies at the Saint Louis Zoo. The zoo announced this week that Asian elephants Ellie and her daughter, Ra ... More >>

The Morning Brew: Monday, 12.21

​ U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy $60 million worth of cheese to stimulate the dairy industry. (Twin Falls Times-News)General Mills thrives as economy leads to more cereal for dinner. (Associated Press)The historical and emotional impact of Cadbury being purchased by an American compan ... More >>

Humane Society Launches Campaign to Put Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act on 2010 Ballot

This November, if a group called Missourians for the Protection of Dogs gets its way, Missouri voters will have a chance to vote on the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act. The Act proposes to curb the worst abuses in high-volume commercial dog breeding operations, known as puppy mills.flickr.com/phot ... More >>

The Morning Brew: Wednesday, 12.2

​ How to eat healthy at airports. (Washington Post)A remembrance of coffee shops past. (Chicago Tribune)Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher interning with the USDA. (ESPN)Singapore's Satay Man is the last of a dying breed. (The Atlantic)Monsanto draws antitrust scrutiny. (Washington Post)

St. Louis Food Blog Digest: 9.12-9.18

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs.Cupcake Project: Stefani returned with Rosh Hashana apple cider donuts with honey glaze, and monkey bread cupcakes served with a side of very cute new baby.Sugar, Spice and More Things Nice: Rachel interviewed dietitian and diabetes educator M ... More >>

St. Louis Labeled as "Not Fun City" Approved for Government Travel

What's not fun about all this stuff?  Several branches of the federal government have revised their travel policies so as not to appear as though they're misusing tax dollars during these tough economic times. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Department of Agriculture and Department of ... More >>

Solve the Case of the Missing (Infected) Horses

Here's an intriguing burglary from a couple nights ago. Why do YOU think this happened? According to state agriculture authorities, a horse was found infected with a parasite on June 8 at an equine center in Raytown, Missouri (near Kansas City). flickr.com/photos/librarianavengersThe parasite, pirop ... More >>

The Morning Brew: Friday, 3.27

A new report from the Department of Health and Human Services finds a lack of proper record-keeping on safety issues throughout the food chain. (Reuters)NBC has canceled superstar chef Marco Pierre White's first U.S. cooking show, Chopping Block, after only three episodes. (Eater)A dairy surplus at ... More >>

The Noble Writ: Chardonnay for the Chardonnay Haters

Dave Nelson is the author of the blog Beer, Wine and Whisky. He writes about wine for Gut Check every Tuesday.The world produces an ocean of chardonnay. In California alone, almost 100,000 acres of this incredibly popular grape variety are planted. That's enough chardonnay to make -- using modest c ... More >>

FoodWire: Hyatt Regency Downtown Reveals New Restaurants

Renovations continue at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront (315 Chestnut Street). The $63 million project, scheduled for completion this summer, will feature three new restaurants, including the return of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse to downtown. Here are the details, from the press release: Dining ... More >>

The Morning Brew: Tuesday, 1.13

In today's news: the FTC vs. Whole Foods, country-of-origin labeling and a close call for some rare lizards.

The Morning Brew: Friday, 9.12

The Morning Brew: Tuesday, 7.8

The Morning Brew: Friday, 4.18

The Morning Brew: Thursday, 4.10

The Morning Brew: Wednesday, 4.9

The Morning Brew: Thursday, 3.27

Cruel and unusual punishment: Malcolm sentences himself to Prison Loaf

The Morning Brew: Friday, 2.29

U.S. Prime

If we don't eat meat, the terrorists win

Life in the Bughouse

The Insectarium's keepers are mad about their charges

Cock-and-Bull Story

Legislators rush to "clarify" -- read "weaken" -- Proposition A, recently passed by Missouri citizens to protect animals from being used in cruel contests