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Is it true that use of synthetic fertiliser is increasing everywhere?

3 November 2021

Frequent reports decrying our ever-growing use of synthetic fertilisers don’t reflect reality and fail to see the bigger picture, writes James Wong

Why is it so hard to say whether plants are toxic or safe?

11 August 2021

I'm often asked questions about which plants, flowers, fruit or vegetables are toxic, but giving concrete answers is more complicated than you might imagine, writes James Wong

We are witnessing an accelerated shift in how people view food

16 June 2021

There has been a sharp change in what some people consider healthy to eat and a lot of it flies in the face of the evidence, writes James Wong

Does eating celery really burn more calories than it contains?

19 May 2021

There is a persistent claim that eating celery burns more calories than it contains, but the truth is a little more complicated, writes James Wong

Are there benefits to following a raw food diet?

30 December 2020

Eating predominantly uncooked food is a fad that goes back hundreds of years, but not one we need to follow, writes James Wong

Fears about genetically modified foods are cultural not scientific

25 November 2020

Many people strongly object to genetically modified plants, but foods like sweet potatoes and grapefruits are a reminder that that these concerns are cultural rather than based on science, says James Wong

A lot of veg is 'toxic' but that doesn't mean you shouldn't eat it

2 September 2020

There are claims online that most of the fruit and veg we eat is toxic. Though there is some truth to this, it doesn't mean you should stop eating your greens, writes James Wong

Nutrition memes forget that there is no such thing as a 'healthy food'

5 August 2020

Shareable online graphics give easy to understand breakdowns of the nutritional content of food, but they may be misleading, says James Wong

Can you really grow enough fruit and veg to be self-sufficient?

15 April 2020

There's been a surge in people wanting to grow fruit and vegetables, but the path to self-sufficiency isn't as easy as some may have you think, writes James Wong

Is your salad going to kill you?

19 March 2020

Plants need nitrates for good growth, but they can also accumulate in leaves of crops like rocket. So are foods like this safe to eat, wonders James Wong