Americans Waste Nearly 40% of Their Food Every Year
Here’s a shocking reality that might make you think twice before throwing out that slightly bruised apple. The United States discards more food than any other country in the world: nearly 60 million tons — 120 billion pounds — every year. That’s estimated to be almost 40 percent of the entire US food supply, and equates to 325 pounds of waste per person. That’s like every person in America throwing 975 average sized apples right into the garbage — or rather right into landfills, as most discarded food ends up there. In fact, food is the single largest component taking up space inside US landfills, making up 22 percent of municipal solid waste (MSW). All told, the amount of food wasted in America has an approximate value of nearly $218 billion – the equivalent of 130 billion meals. What makes this even more heartbreaking is that nearly 35 million people across America — including 10 million children — suffer from food insecurity. The restaurant industry spends an estimated $162 billion every year in costs related to wasted food.
Your DNA Actually Determines How Much Caffeine You Can Handle
Ever wonder why your friend can drink espresso after dinner and sleep like a baby, while you get jittery from a single cup of tea? In 2024, American researchers and scientists published possible links between caffeine consumption and the perceived craving. By analyzing the DNA of more than 130,000 Americans, they were able to identify the genetic sequences responsible for the desire to drink coffee, tea or soda or to eat chocolate. This suggests that each person’s genetic profile would determine whether and to what intensity they feel the need to consume these products. While age, addiction, smoking and the taking of medications all affect a person’s reaction to caffeine, genetics are also an important piece of the puzzle. In fact, the elimination rate can be up to six times faster or slower from one individual to another, depending on their genetic code. AncestryDNA scientists have discovered over 30,000 DNA markers that are associated with individuals’ sensitivity to caffeine. Of those genetic markers, two seem to play a role in how your body handles caffeine, specifically caffeine metabolism. Fast metabolizers tend to drink more caffeine than slow metabolizers.
Over 2 Billion People Eat Insects Daily
While the thought might make your stomach turn, over 2 billion people are estimated to eat insects on a daily basis. Globally, more than 2,000 insect species are considered edible, though far fewer are discussed for industrialized mass production and regionally authorized for use in food. And here’s the kicker – they’re actually incredibly nutritious. Many insects are highly nutritious, though nutritional content depends on species and other factors such as diet and age. In some insects, the ECI can be up to 44%; crickets in particular are twice as efficient as pigs and broiler chickens, four times greater than sheep, and six times higher than a steer. The following processed foods are produced in North America (including Canada), and the EU: Insect flour: Pulverized, freeze-dried insects (e.g., cricket flour). Insect burger: Hamburger patties made from insect powder / insect flour (mainly from mealworms or from house cricket) and other ingredients. Insect fitness bars: Protein bars containing insect powder (mostly house crickets). Insect pasta: Pasta made of wheat flour, fortified with insect flour (house crickets or mealworms). Insect bread (Finnish Sirkkaleipä): Bread baked with insect flour (mostly house crickets).
Coffee’s Worst Enemy Actually Lives on Caffeine
This sounds like something straight out of a science fiction movie, but it’s absolutely real. The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is the most devastating insect pest of coffee worldwide with its infestations decreasing crop yield by up to 80%. Caffeine is an alkaloid that can be toxic to insects and is hypothesized to act as a defence mechanism to inhibit herbivory. But here’s where it gets incredible – they found 14 bacterial species that degraded and detoxified caffeine. Most of those bacteria were in beetles from all seven coffee-producing regions, and one bacterial species, Pseudomonas fulva, was the most prevalent. To confirm that the bacteria degrade caffeine, they gave the beetles an antibiotic to wipe out the bacteria and fed those beetles a standardized diet of coffee beans. They found that the caffeine passed through the beetles’ digestive tracts intact, without degrading. Though the beetles survived, their capability to produce eggs and larvae declined by 95 percent. An estimated 78 percent of U.S. adults drink coffee, at least occasionally.
Cheese is the World’s Most Stolen Food
If you’ve ever wondered what criminals are really after, apparently it’s not diamonds or gold – it’s cheese. Believe it or not, cheese holds the title for the most stolen food globally. With its high value and demand, it’s a frequent target for theft, accounting for a significant percentage of stolen food items worldwide. The reasons behind this cheesy crime wave actually make perfect sense when you think about it. Cheese is expensive, has a relatively long shelf life, and can be easily resold without raising too much suspicion. Unlike other high-value items, cheese doesn’t require special storage conditions and can be moved quickly through black market channels. Professional cheese thieves often target high-end varieties like aged parmesan or imported European cheeses that can fetch premium prices. Some cheese heists have been so elaborate that they’ve involved entire truckloads worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The phenomenon has become so common that retailers have had to implement special security measures, including locked displays and electronic tags, just to protect their dairy products.
Americans Consume 90% More Protein Than They Actually Need
Here’s a fact that might surprise health-conscious Americans: we’re actually overdoing it with protein. Despite the environmental concerns over animal protein, and the fact that more is not better, Americans consume roughly 90% more protein than they need. The average intake for men in America is 16% of total calories, 15.% for women. Past age 40, muscle decreases by 30-50%. Protein should be consumed two-three times per day. But here’s the interesting part – protein metabolization does plateau. More isn’t better. Only about 5% of Americans consume the recommended daily fiber intake. This obsession with protein while neglecting other essential nutrients has created an interesting nutritional imbalance. Many Americans focus so heavily on getting enough protein that they miss out on fiber, vitamins, and other crucial nutrients that their bodies actually need more desperately.
You Share 60% of Your DNA with a Banana
This might sound like the setup to a joke, but it’s one of the most mind-blowing facts about genetics and food. Our genes are comprised of 3 billion building blocks which are surprisingly un-unique. From this, 60% of our genes are identical to that of a banana; however, the other 40% is different enough to make us who we are! Think about that for a moment – more than half of your genetic makeup is shared with something you might have eaten for breakfast. This incredible similarity exists because all life on Earth evolved from common ancestors billions of years ago. The basic cellular processes that keep both humans and bananas alive – like converting sugar into energy, repairing DNA, and building proteins – require many of the same genes. It’s a humbling reminder that despite all our complexity and consciousness, we’re fundamentally connected to every living thing on this planet. The fact that such a simple fruit shares so much of our genetic code really puts our place in the biological world into perspective.
The World’s Largest Chocolate Bar Covered an Entire Football Field
If you thought your chocolate cravings were intense, wait until you hear about this record-breaking creation. The monumental chocolate creation, measuring an astonishing 416 square meters (27m x 15.4m), was unveiled in Ecuador, surpassing the previous record of 383.24 square meters set in the Netherlands in 2020. The record-breaking bar took 12 hours to assemble, with DiGiovanni and the Blue Stripes team connecting 20cm x 25cm chocolate squares using melted chocolate as edible “glue.” After the record was certified, the Blue Stripes team and DiGiovanni broke the bar into over 100,000 servings of chocolate and donated them to schools and community centers in Ecuador. In January 2025, Blue Stripes and chef Nick DiGiovanni created the world’s largest chocolate bar in Ecuador, measuring an astonishing 416 square meters (27m x 15.4m). This massive treat surpassed the previous record and delighted chocolate lovers worldwide. To put this in perspective, that’s roughly the size of a football field covered entirely in chocolate – every chocoholic’s ultimate dream come true!
There Are More Chickens on Earth Than Humans
This fact might ruffle some feathers, but the numbers don’t lie about our feathered friends taking over the planet. It’s hard to imagine, but there are actually more chickens on Earth than there are humans. With the poultry industry booming and chickens being a staple food in many countries, the current estimates suggest there are around 25 billion chickens worldwide, dwarfing the human population. This surprising fact offers a fascinating look at how integral chickens are in the global food supply. With roughly 8 billion humans on the planet, that means chickens outnumber us by more than 3 to 1. These birds have become one of the most successful species on Earth, thanks largely to human agriculture and our appetite for eggs and chicken meat. The sheer scale of chicken farming worldwide is staggering – billions of these birds are raised, processed, and consumed every single year. It’s a reminder of how dramatically humans have shaped the animal kingdom through our food systems. In many ways, chickens have become the ultimate success story of domestication, thriving in numbers that wild chickens could never have achieved on their own.
Brown Sugar Was Named 2025’s Flavor of the Year
Move over pumpkin spice and everything bagel – there’s a new flavor king in town, and it’s been hiding in plain sight in your pantry. Brown sugar has been named the 2025 Flavor of the Year by flavor development company T. Hasegawa. Its rich, molasses-infused taste is making waves in everything from lattes and milk teas to sauces and baked goods. This resurgence highlights a trend toward nostalgic and comforting flavors in modern cuisine. The choice reflects a broader cultural shift toward comfort and familiarity in uncertain times. Food companies are betting big on this humble sweetener, incorporating it into unexpected products like savory marinades, craft cocktails, and even beauty products. The flavor profile of brown sugar offers something unique – it’s sweet but complex, familiar yet sophisticated enough for gourmet applications. Becoming healthier is one of the main reasons that over half of consumers follow a plant-based dietary pattern, according to the 2024 IFIC Food and Health Survey. “Healthfulness” is an important factor for consumers to buy foods, as 45 percent cited wanting to feel better or have more energy as motivators for following a specific dietary pattern. This trend toward brown sugar represents consumers’ desire for authentic, less processed flavors that remind them of home-baked goods and simpler times.
What would you have guessed was the most stolen food in the world?
