WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service today announced the publication of a notice of sanitary and phytosanitary standard-setting activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex).

A national public health campaign in France was associated with a marked reduction of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, particularly in children, says new research published in this week's open-access journal PLoS Medicine.

LINCOLN -- According to Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) State Veterinarian Dr. Dennis Hughes, NDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarians have discovered a herd of beef cattle in the Rock County area that have tested positive for Tuberculosis (TB).

Canberra scientist Maarten Stapper will star in a new episode of Australian Story ''Back to Earth'' on Monday night. Dr Stapper, of Belconnen, was a leading CSIRO agronomist until he was made redundant in 2007, after it became clear his views on biological farming were not compatible with his employer's.

It seems the small, local grower is, according to this editorial, the darling of consumers, and there appears nothing to indicate that reality will change anytime soon. The reasons for it are varied. Some consumers long to have a connection with the food they buy. Others think they are acting in a more socially responsible way by purchasing food grown close to where they live.

From peanut butter to spinach and a few diced tomatoes in between, grocery-store shoppers and restaurant customers have had reason to scrutinize their food. Sometimes it causes a minor illness. Other times it triggers something more serious. And occasionally it can cause death. All such scenarios can be the root of lawsuits.

It almost sounds like science fiction: Amid the furious discounting among retailers, one firm has been able to raise prices as much as 25 percent on some products. Its stock has managed to climb this year, despite a volatile market. What’s more, the company has supporters claiming it can cure world hunger and critics accusing it of endangering the global food supply and environment.

Plants may be able to recognise themselves. Experiments show that a sagebrush plant can recognise a genetically identical cutting growing nearby. What's more, the two clones communicate and cooperate with one another, to avoid being eaten by herbivores.

SEATTLE -- Soccer players and exercise enthusiasts now have another reason to reach for lowfat chocolate milk after a hard workout, suggests a new study from James Madison University presented at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting.