Friday, August 8, 2025

Latest from Food Politics: Weekend reading: A roundup of recent food system reports

I’ve gotten way behind on posting reports, so I thought I’d take care of several today.   These international reports on one or another aspect of food systems are all worth a read. The UK Food Resilience report: Just in Case: 7 steps to narrow the ...
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By Marion Nestle

Weekend reading: A roundup of recent food system reports

I’ve gotten way behind on posting reports, so I thought I’d take care of several today.  These international reports on one or another aspect of food systems are all worth a read.

The UK Food Resilience report: Just in Case: 7 steps to narrow the UK civil food resilience gap

This is Tim Lang’s masterful analysis of what the UK needs to bounce back after interruptions to its food supply.  The UK currently depends on emergency services from police, ambulance, firefighters, and rescue services, but these “have next to no engagement on food matters.” The report considers who and what is needed to make sure populations have enough to eat during crises of one kind or another.  There is much useful to be learned here.

The U.K.’s food strategy (Thanks to Lindsay Graham for this one)

This document sets out the context and key challenges facing the food system, a high-level vision of what the UK food system of the future looks like, its approach to a patriotic campaign to realise that vision, what will make the vision a reality, and the next steps that need to be taken.

Health & Global Food Systems: An Investor’s Guide (Thanks to Carlos Monteiro for sending)

The Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group — the world’s seventh-largest bank with US$2.8 trillion in assets — explains in detail why ultra-processed foods pose major risks to food sector investors, and urges them to push companies to cut reliance on these products.

IFPRI’s 2025 Global Food Policy Report | Food Policy: Lessons and Priorities for a Changing World

This report examines the evolution and impact of food policy research and assesses how it can do better. Written by IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute), it explores a broad range of issues and research related to food systems, from tenure and agriculture extension to social protection, gender, and nutrition to conflict, political economy, and agricultural innovation, and more.  A textbook!

That’s enough for today.  More to come!

The post Weekend reading: A roundup of recent food system reports appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle

     

Coming Soon: What to Eat Now

My new book What to Eat Now is a field guide to food shopping in America, and a treatise on how to eat well and deliciously.

Forthcoming November 11, 2025

For more information and pre-orders, click here.

You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.comwhere you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs.


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Marion Nestle

Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita


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Thursday, August 7, 2025

Latest from Food Politics: Dubious product of the week: alcohol-based noodles?

I could hardly believe it when I saw this item: Taiwan state distillery taps food market with alcohol-based instant noodles.    Taiwan’s state distillery has diversified into the food industry with alcohol-based instant noodles, blending beverage ...
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By Marion Nestle

Dubious product of the week: alcohol-based noodles?

I could hardly believe it when I saw this item: Taiwan state distillery taps food market with alcohol-based instant noodles.   Taiwan’s state distillery has diversified into the food industry with alcohol-based instant noodles, blending beverage expertise with ready-to-eat innovation… Read more

The Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL)’s

most well-known products are Taiwan Beer which is considered an icon in Taiwanese culture and also the most popular beer locally; as well as traditional Chinese Hua Tiao wine.

The latter has been used in TTL’s instant noodle innovation to create its viral TTL Hua Tiao Chicken Noodles, which incorporate not only significant Hua Tiao wine content but also Chinese herbs and meat chunks.

“These are not your average instant noodles – Hua Tiao wine elevates the noodles to another level, as it is traditionally known for its antioxidant content as well as benefits for digestion and blood circulation….”We already have the alcohol in production, and we are indeed well-known for our liquors, so it made a lot of sense to us.”

I’ll bet.

I suppose young people will have to be carded to be allowed to eat it.  Whatever.  You can’t make this stuff up!

 


What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters.

Forthcoming November 11, 2025

For Information and Pre-Orders, click here

 

The post Dubious product of the week: alcohol-based noodles? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle


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Marion Nestle

Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita


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Latest from Food Politics: Weekend reading: A roundup of recent food system reports

I’ve gotten way behind on posting reports, so I thought I’d take care of several today.   These international reports on one or another aspe...