Food crisis is real, and it’s spreading around the world . These days you hear a lot about the world financial crisis. But there's another world crisis under way - a food crisis that's hurting a lot more people. [News Source]

In vitamins, how much selenium is excessive? (Miami Herald) Q. Further to Action Line's alert about the recall of peach nectar that might contain excess selenium: How much is considered excessive? [News Source]

Ospreys serve as conservation success story. Osprey numbers declined drastically beginning in the 1950s. Breeding ospreys disappeared from Vermont after 1971 due to the pesticide DDT, which caused weakened eggshells and massive nest failures. [News Source]

Your Health: Experts recommend daily doses of vitamin D at 1,000 to 2,000 units (Tri-State Neighbor) Q:As a physician, I have been testing my patients for 25-hydroxy vitamin D for several months. Many are deficient, and some have symptoms of pain and muscle weakness. [News Source]

Diggers get super chocolate (Herald Sun) AUSTRALIAN troops will be given a new type of vitamin-charged chocolate designed by army scientists. [News Source]

Health Tip: Taking Folic Acid (HealthDay via Yahoo! News) (HealthDay News) -- Folic acid is an important B vitamin for women -- especially for those who are pregnant or who are planning to become pregnant. It can help prevent serious birth defects of the baby's brain and spine. [News Source]

Green Festival: Load up on info. Consider going to the Seattle Green Festival an opportunity to bring your day-to-day activities to a level of sustainability that might approach tranquility. [News Source]

Food agency calls for ban on six artificial colours. Food regulators moved to ban artificial additives from hundreds of products yesterday, three decades after parents began complaining that their children suffered mood swings after consuming brightly coloured sweets, cakes and drinks. [News Source]

World Bank chief: Biofuels boosting food prices. Demand for ethanol and other biofuels is a "significant contributor" to soaring food prices around the world, World Bank President Robert Zoellick says. [News Source]

World food crisis looms large. There are a few reasons for the rising food prices and the looming world food crisis. The growing middle class in places such as India and China has led to an increase in the consumption of meat, which means an increase in grain used for animal feed. Rising energy costs and biofuels are also to blame; corn fields for alternative fuel have replaced other food crops. [News Source]

Europe-wide food colour ban call. A food safety watchdog has called for a Europe-wide ban on six artificial food colourings after research found a link with hyperactivity in children. [News Source]

Welcome for new curb on artificial food colourings. Campaigners welcomed the Food Standards Agency's decision to seek a voluntary ban on six food additives yesterday and vowed to seek a review of their use in medicines. [News Source]