The Daily Dish: Michelle Obama To Guest Star On 'MasterChef Junior'

Michelle Obama to Guest Star on 'MasterChef Junior'

Last week, the premiere of the fifth season of MasterChef Junior on Fox TV showcased 16 young cooks competing for eight of the top 20 spots.Graham Elliot has parted company with his fellow judges on the reality show, Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi, but viewers can expect to see a rotation of judges this season, and former First Lady Michelle Obama will be a guest star on the show, the Los Angeles Times reported. As first lady, Mrs. Obama championed healthy eating for children. Her national initiative "Let's Move" aims to solve the problem of obesity and allow children to "grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams," according to the Let's Move website.

Scientists Say Quinoa Can Solve World Hunger

Professor Mark Tester, of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, led the research team that hypothesized that quinoa is a "supercrop" that could be fully domesticated and re-introduced to impoverished nations. Experts have discovered a way to manipulate the plant so it produces a higher yield, and the seeds taste sweet instead of bitter. "We already know that the quinoa plant family is incredibly resilient," Tester told Yahoo. "It can grow in poor soils, salty soils and at high altitudes. It really is a very tough plant. Quinoa could provide a healthy, nutritious food source for the world using land and water that currently cannot be used, and our new genome takes us one step closer to that goal."

Sargento Recalls Packaged Cheese Over Listeria Concerns

Sargento Foods Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of select packaged cheeses due to possible listeria bacterial contamination. Although no illnesses have been reported, Sargento is issuing the recall after the company received word that the facilities of a supplier, Longhorn Colby cheese, had been infected with the bacteria. "The safety of our consumers and our employees is our top priority at Sargento and at the very heart of all we do," the statement said. Visit Sargento's website to learn which cheese products have been affected by the recall.

Customs and Border Protection Finds Nearly 4,000 Pounds of Weed in a Shipment of Key Limes

Narcotics smugglers are getting really crafty. Just last week, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility in Texas, found nearly 4,000 pounds of alleged marijuana in a commercial shipment of key limes. Using a non-intrusive imaging system and a canine team, CBP officers found 34,764 lime-shaped packages of marijuana valued at $789,467, according to the CBP website. The case is still under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.

UK Online Supermarket Uses Trucks Fueled by Food Waste

Waitrose, a British grocery chain and online supermarket that specializes in responsible sourcing and quality food, is deepening its roots in sustainability by using trucks that are completely fueled by biomethane gas made from food waste. They are the first company in Europe to use them commercially. In partnership with CNG Fuels, a renewable biomethane gas supplier, the grocery chain has incorporated ten new trucks into its fleet, The Times reported. In addition to the biomethane gas being more than 35 percent cheaper than the gas of diesel-fueled trucks, the new technology allows the vehicles to emit 70 percent less carbon dioxide.