Batch of links

- Have you heard of Banza? It’s pasta made from chickpeas, and it has more protein, more fiber and fewer carbs than wheat pasta. I’m curious about it; I’ll keep an eye out for it in the stores (apparently it is sold near me in many locations, but I’ve never seen it).

- Interesting article by Alice Park in Time magazine: the standard American diet may be worse than previously thought. A study has concluded that nearly 60% of calories come from “so-called ultra-processed foods like soft drinks, snacks, cakes, pizza and frozen meals”, which account for (among other things like salt and fat) 90% of the sugar intake. Meanwhile, only 0.7% of calories come from vegetables (and the same amount comes from… pickles). Also noteworthy: salt makes you overeat, protein fills you up, and caffeine spikes blood pressure.

- Also from Time magazine: Why the rise in food-poisoning reports is actually a good thing. The article argues that the speed with which outbreaks are identified has increased, “thanks to the government’s pathogen-tracking system, called Pulse-Net. Now the system can take advantage of whole-genome sequencing, [which] allows experts to identify outbreaks quicker [sic] because they can connect individual food-poisoning cases that stem from the same source. The implications are significant not just for consumers eager to avoid the stomach bug but also for food manufacturers, who face unprecedented scrutiny and possibly severe legal repercussions in food-borne-illness cases.” Since outbreaks are detected and tracked to their source more quickly, fewer people get sick – and someone can be held liable for allowing the outbreak in the first place (the CEO of a peanut-processing company was recently sentenced to 28 years in prison for his role in a salmonella outbreak, for example).

- Vancouver will be getting Canada’s first zero-waste grocery store.

- Recipes for food from Miyazaki movies. You’re welcome.

- There’s going to be an Eataly theme park. I’m having trouble picturing what a food theme park would look like, honestly.

- Why do sandwiches come with pickles?

- Have you heard about Whisper Blend Sound Enclosures? They are just that, a small enclosure meant to muffle the sound of your blender.

- Today is Good Friday, and it’s also New Year’s Day in the original Roman calendar, dates which only rarely coincide. Here’s an interesting article if you want to find out more.