The Daily Dish: No, Nutella Won't Give You Cancer

No, Nutella Won't Give You Cancer

Last week, news source after news source reported that Nutella contained a possible carcinogen. The rumor can be traced back to a study published by the European Food Safety Authority, which claimed that Nutella contained the carcinogen glycidol, a byproduct of palm oil — an ingredient in the beloved hazelnut-cocoa spread.  According to Snopes, the claim does not hold up because glycidol only forms in palm oil when it is processed above 200 degrees Celsius. Ferrero, the company that makes Nutella, stated it does not process the palm oil in this way for safety reasons. The study itself does not attack Ferrero but is rather intended to encourage the decrease of palm oil usage in products and food brands around the world. Palm oil has already been known to contribute to global warming via deforestation.

Almost Half of All Sushi in LA Is Mislabeled, According to Study on Seafood Fraud

Think you're getting the real thing when you dine on high-end sushi in Los Angeles? Think again. A new UCLA and Loyola Marymount University study determined that almost half of all sushi served in Los Angles restaurants is mislabeled. After studying 364 samples from 26 sushi restaurants in the Los Angeles area, scientists concluded that 47 percent of the sushi and raw fish was mislabeled. "Fish fraud could be accidental, but I suspect that in some cases the mislabeling is very much intentional, though it's hard to know where in the supply chain it begins," said Paul Barber, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA, and senior author of the study. "I suspected we would find some mislabeling, but I didn't think it would be as high as we found in some species."

YouTuber Creates a Giant Grilled Cheese Larger Than Your Head

We have heard of quirky melt sandwiches like the spaghetti grilled cheese, and we already know how to make the perfect grilled cheese, but this just may be the motherload of all cheesy sandwiches. The DIY Giant Grilled Cheese was published by the YouTube channel HellthyJunkFood and has since been picked up by multiple media outlets. It's a video of a massive grilled cheese sandwich, made with a huge slab of homemade white bread, 20 slices of melted American cheese, and as many cups of butter as your heart desires (or can withstand). It's an artery-clogging monster, but it looks worth it.

Do-Good Trend: People Are Setting Up Small Food Pantries in Their Yards

Starting your own food pantry may sound like a daunting task, but for Maggie Ballard of Wichita, Kansas, it was as easy as setting up a small, enclosed box mounted on a post and refilling it with canned and boxed goods as necessary. Ballard's box has a plexiglass door in front of it, but no lock, so people will feel welcome to take what they need without having to find a shelter or official pantry. This sort of community food pantry has been slowly catching on across the country. Many believe it all started with Jessica McClard, who created The Little Free Pantry in Arkansas; her project started in May 2016 and soon grew to become a full-fledged non-profit organization. "We're all short on time and money, and this is a way that people can feel like they are making a difference," McClard told NPR.

This New Urine Test Can Tell You How Healthy Your Diet Is

Usually, we think of urine samples as something you give your doctor to test for deficiencies or infections. But now, a urine sample can test another part of your health and well-being: your diet. The five-minute test, developed by researchers at Imperial College London, Newcastle University, and Aberystwyth University, can test for fat, sugar, fiber, and protein in urine samples to determine how much of the respective nutrients a person has (or has not) eaten. "We are hoping to make this test available to the public within the next two years," said Elaine Holmes, professor at Imperial College London and co-author of the study. "We envisage the tool being used by dieticians to help guide their patients' dietary needs, or even by individuals who are interested in finding out more about the relationship between diet and their health."