Patrick Mustain is a Communications Manager at the international ocean conservation group Oceana, and a freelance health and science writer and digital media producer. He is interested in the challenges of public health in a consumer society. He is also a co-founder and director of NewBodyEthic.org, an organization inviting health and fitness professionals to help reform the industry from within. He also likes sandwiches and climbing on things. You can find more of his work at his website, patrickmustain.com.
Landmark Rule Moves U.S. toward Seafood Transparency
The Obama administration issued a final rule establishing seafood traceability requirements to help combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and seafood fraud
A Guy Ate Ghost Peppers and Barfed So Hard He Tore His Esophagus
An ER case study shows that although hot peppers aren't typically dangerous themselves, in rare, extreme cases they can make your body do some pretty crazy things
If Soda Companies Don't Want to Be Treated Like Tobacco Companies, They Need to Stop Acting Like Them
The evidence for comparing the two industries keeps coming. Both try to sway public opinion, avoid accountability and muddle the science
Beyond the Tuna Roll: Building a Better Seafood Plate
A White House event highlights the importance and success of science-based fisheries management, and honors innovators in seafood sustainability
There's Some Fishy Business in the Global Fish Business
A new report describes rampant seafood mislabeling worldwide. Recent EU regulations may be working. Will the U.S. follow suit?
Sorry, Pescatarians: Congress Says Catfish are Now Effectively "Meat," and What this Means for Biodiversity
The new USDA catfish inspection program costs millions, solves no problem, and could hamper efforts to maintain the biodiversity of the Chesapeake Bay.
Building Trust: From Boat to Plate, More Info about Seafood Is a Good Thing [Video]
New report indicates the benefits and feasibility of seafood traceability
Your Poop Knows Best--New Study Shows Microbiome Can Help Predict Health Responses to Certain Foods
A new study published in the journal Cell found that blood glucose responses between individuals to even the same foods can vary widely.
To Every Scam There Is a Season: Report Shows Salmon Fraud Prevalent in Winter
A new report from Oceana shows salmon mislabeling more prevalent in restaurants in the winter. The group calls for better traceability to help consumers make more informed choices about their seafood
Great PR, Bad Science: Soda Industry gives Money to U.S. Mayors to Fight Obesity
After the US Conference of Mayors began paying attention to sugary drinks, the American Beverage Association stepped in with some grant money. The Conference no longer pays much attention to sugary drinks.
Which Fishwich Is Which Fish? The Case for Species-Specific Seafood Names [Video]
Ocean conservation organization Oceana urges the Obama administration to improve seafood traceability by requiring adoption of scientific, species-specific names for all seafood throughout the entire supply chain
Science for Sale: Big Food's Influence on Top Nutrition Research Org
A new report highlights conflicts of interest between food companies and the American Society for Nutrition.
Swine, Superbugs, and the Meat We Choose to Eat
A study published last week in the journal Clinical Infectious Disease found that Iowa pig farm workers were six times more likely than non-pig farmers to carry multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S.
Blue Zones: What the Longest-Lived People Eat (Hint: It’s Not Steak Dinners)
On April 7th, the book "Blue Zones Solutions" will hit the shelves. In it, Dan Buettner, CEO of the eponymous organization describes his work over the last decade visiting and studying populations throughout the world where people live extraordinarily long, healthy, and happy lives.
That Time Big Tobacco Hired a Sugar Researcher to Help Them Muddle the Science on Health
Much has been made in recent years about the beverage and food industries borrowing from the tobacco industry's playbook as they fend off increasing scrutiny about their role in preventable chronic health problems, like type II diabetes and heart disease.
Confessions of a Nanny-State Food Cop: The Truth about Public Health
I'm not really sure when I first started hating freedom...
Vitamania: Our Obsessive Quest for Nutritional Perfection
Now and then a book comes along that educates and entertains at the same time. When an author manages this with the beaten-to-death topic of nutrition, it's doubly impressive.
Is Our Focus on Obesity Holding Back Public Health?
What causes obesity? Advertising junk food to kids? Cheap soda? The demise of physical education in public schools? Too much screen time? Or maybe, it's one of the little boxes in this Obesity System Influence Diagram, developed in 2007 by British researchers for their government's Foresight Project: Holy cow, I believe are the words you're [...]
What To Eat When You’re High (up): Why Not Caviar? And Plenty Of H2O
If you are from the Midwest, or a place of comparable altitude, and have ever taken a trip to the mountains, then you are probably familiar with the humbling experience that is trying to breathe air that just doesn’t seem to be there.
The Complete List Of All The Reasons Why Putting A McDonald’s In A Church Is A Good Idea
1. Um… And yes, this is actually a thing.
Dear Beverage Industry: Yes, 12-Year-Olds Are Children.
The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity (full disclosure: I work for them) just released the Sugary Drink Facts Report, exhaustively detailing the nutrition of products offered by the beverage industry, and how the industry markets them.
Of course a soda tax will work. Why else would the industry fight it so hard? (VIDEO)
Sugary drinks are the single-largest contributor to added sugars in the American diet. Their consumption increases risk of type II diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.
How The Soda Industry Celebrated Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. As it comes to a close, let’s take a look at how the beverage industry, one of the single most significant contributors to childhood obesity, addressed the issue during this time of reflection and learning.
Judging Food By Its Cover: Nutrition Labels Are One Area Where Consumer Is Not King
It's a tired refrain: "It's all about consumer choice, we can't limit choice, the consumer is king." Every time some pesky public health advocate wants to try to reform the food environment, the industry starts to shriek about limiting choices and taking away people's freedom. New York City's attempt to remove "bucket" as an acceptable [...]