World food prices rose in March as Iran war lifted energy costs, FAO says

April 3, 2026 2:38 PM

World food prices rose in March as Iran war lifted energy costs, FAO says

World food prices climbed in March, due largely to higher energy costs linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said on Friday. The FAO Food Price Index, which measures changes in a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4% from its revised February level. "Price rises since the conflict began have been modest, driven mainly by higher oil prices and cushioned by ample global cereal suppl...

Morning coffee inspires breakthrough in detecting toxic dyes in food and water

October 14, 2025 10:59 PM

Morning coffee inspires breakthrough in detecting toxic dyes in food and water

A phenomenon as simple as a coffee stain on a table may hold the key to detecting dangerous toxins in food and water at extremely low concentrations. Scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI), supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, have developed a powerful and cost-effective technique that uses the coffee-stain effect to identify harmful dyes such as Rhodamine B at concentrations as low as one part per trillion. When a coffee droplet dries, it leaves a d...

Israeli tanks kill 59 people in Gaza crowd trying to get food aid, medics say

June 18, 2025 10:52 AM

Israeli tanks kill 59 people in Gaza crowd trying to get food aid, medics say

Israeli tanks fired into a crowd trying to get aid from trucks in Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 59 people, according to medics, in one of the bloodiest incidents yet in mounting violence as desperate residents struggle for food. Video shared on social media showed around a dozen mangled bodies lying in a street in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military, at war with Hamas-led Palestinian militants in Gaza since October 2023, acknowledged firing in the area and said it w...

Home-cooked veg, non-veg thalis get cheaper in May as food inflation cools: Crisil

June 5, 2025 4:55 PM

Home-cooked veg, non-veg thalis get cheaper in May as food inflation cools: Crisil

The cost of home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis declined by 6 per cent each (year-on-year) in May due to a sharp drop in prices of key vegetables led by a high-base effect, a Crisil report showed on Thursday. On a monthly basis, the cost of a vegetarian thali remained stable, while a non-vegetarian thali reduced by 2 per cent last month. Tomato prices fell 29 per cent to Rs 23 per kg from Rs 33 per kg in May as concerns over yield lifted prices last year. Prices of onion and potat...

Researchers find how body tolerates food without immune system attack

May 28, 2025 1:15 PM

Researchers find how body tolerates food without immune system attack

Israeli scientists have pinpointed a crucial network of immune cells that allows humans to digest food safely without triggering harmful reactions. The discovery, led by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS), sheds new light on oral tolerance, the body's ability to recognise food as harmless and prevent an immune system attack, Xinhua news agency reported. This vital system stops everyday foods from causing inflammation while still letting the immune system fight off infecti...

M&A, PE deals in consumer sector surge to 3-year high of $4 billion in Jan–March

April 15, 2025 4:51 PM

M&A, PE deals in consumer sector surge to 3-year high of $4 billion in Jan–March

The value of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and private equity (PE) investments in India’s consumer and retail sector surged to a three-year high of nearly $4 billion in the January–March 2025 quarter, according to Grant Thornton Bharat’s latest quarterly deal tracker report. Topping the deal charts were two mega investments: Temasek, the Singapore-based PE firm, invested $1 billion for a 10% stake in Haldiram Snacks, while Wilmar International increased its holding in Adani Wilmar (...

533 food and beverage complaints filed in consumer commissions over two years: Union Minister BL Verma

December 3, 2024 4:39 PM

533 food and beverage complaints filed in consumer commissions over two years: Union Minister BL Verma

A total of 533 complaints related to the food and beverage sector have been registered in consumer commissions across the country in the past two years, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution BL Verma informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 88 cases, followed by Rajasthan with 88 and Haryana with 57 complaints. Union Minister of State BL Verma provided the data in a written response to the Rajya Sabha. The Food Safety and St...