• The past four years have seen a 23 percent increase in the number of Massachusetts residents relying on food aid. [Globe]
• High-end pork rinds are popping up on restaurant menus nationwide. [NYT]
• Sichuan buttons, super spicy flower buds, are the hot new seasoning in restaurant dishes across the country. [Salon]
• Domino’s emerged victorious from an independent national taste test pitting its pizza against Pizza Hut and Papa John’s. [NRN]
• Vegetables are the number one food consumed in homes during the Super Bowl. [NYDN]
• Even “pre-washed” salads are full of bacteria, finds a new study. [Consumer Reports]
• Kosher and halal meats are likely not cleaner, healthier, or better for the environment than their secular brethren. [Slate]
• Japanese whiskey distillers are looking to beef up their presence internationally. [WSJ]
• Anheuser-Busch’s new Select 55 is, with 55 calories, the lightest of all light beers. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Food, Inc. is an Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature. [Vulture]
• Two Tennessee men were arrested after stealing $300 worth of snack cakes. [NYP]