Murphy and a friend who also has celiac disease made a trip earlier this month to a kosher-for-Passover bakery in Manhattan that offered a variety of cakes, cookies and pastries. Word has spread over the years among groups of people with celiac disease that some Passover foods are a boon to those on the highly restrictive diet. The estimated 2 million people nationwide with the disorder have to scrutinize food labels year-round to make sure the products they buy do not contain gluten....

North of the border, in Ontario, government officials say 200,000 hectares of land not seeded with winter wheat last fall could be seeded with corn this spring depending on weather conditions. REGINA (CP) _ A drive to get biofuels such as ethanol into North American gas tanks has bumped the price of corn to its highest level in years and sparked fears that costs will rise on everything from corn-fed chicken to breakfast cereal. In a report released last week, the International Monetary...

While the public was focused on the danger to their pets, sources tell CBS News that the FDA had tracked at least one suspect batch of wheat gluten into the human food supply, quietly quarantined some products and notified the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention to watch for new patients admitted to hospitals with renal or kidney failure. While the public was focused on the danger to their pets, sources tell CBS News that the FDA had tracked at least one suspect batch of wheat...

Lesquerella, a small plant with yellow flowers, yields a powerful oil that can be used for cooking and in pharmaceuticals. The 2,100-acre University of Arizona facility focuses on native desert plants that can be turned into profitable specialty crops, a segment that state officials say accounts for 35 percent to 40 percent of Arizona's $9. Arizona is the fifth-largest specialty crop grower in the nation, growing everything from lettuce, spinach and broccoli to cantaloupe, grapes and...

The wheat stem rust (Puccinia graminis), also known as wheat black rust, is capable of causing severe losses and can destroy entire wheat fields. Although cattle are the main reservoir of the virus and important in the spread of the disease, sheep are the most severely infected and losses can reach 70% of the flock. The latest threat out of Africa is a new and virulent fungus that attacks a wide range of wheat varieties. It is estimated that as much as 80% of all wheat varieties planted in...

In Britain, Lord Taverne QC characterises the trends towards consumers buying overpriced organic food as a "monument to irrationality", promoted by advocates whose "principles are founded on a scientific howler" namely that "natural" chemicals are good and synthetic chemicals bad. In Britain, Lord Taverne QC characterises the trends towards consumers buying overpriced organic food as a "monument to irrationality", promoted by advocates whose "principles are founded on a scientific howler"...

They are talking to farmers about what they would like to see in the new framework for agriculture and agri food in Canada. He also expects to hear some opposition to end the wheat board's monopoly on barley sales. Miller feels it's better to meet with farmers one on one rather than read about their comments. Bruce Grey Owen Sound Conservative Larry Miller and Huron Bruce Liberal Paul Steckle are talking to farmers. Both are members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture -- Steckle is...

People with celiac disease can't digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. There's a $5 registration fee; the event is free for children younger than 12. Registration for the event begins at 9 a. To register online, visit www.celiacwalk.org. at the Onondaga Lake Park, Willow Bay shelter.

Corn prices have doubled over the last year, wheat futures are trading at their highest level in 10 years, and rice prices are rising too. Increasing corn prices are rippling throughout the food chain, directly and indirectly affecting other commodity prices. Tying food prices to energy economics is a dangerous game and, as usual, the poor will accept the most severe consequences as staple commodity prices increase everywhere. Since most food items can be traced back to corn (cereals, soft...