Home » Press Center » Press Items » Five More Food Websites You Can’t Live Without

Five More Food Websites You Can’t Live Without

8 months ago, I reported on “Nine Innovative Food Websites You Can’t Live Without.” But food and technology innovation of course did not stop there. Since June, several new (or newly designed) food-centric websites have hit the internet.

[To also cast your own vote for the next round of “best food websites” clickhere]

1. NOAA’s FishWatch

Are you confused about whether or not it is okay to be eating seabass? How is the salmon population doing now that the fish is listed on every menu in the country? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has developed FishWatch, a website to “provide easy-to-understand science-based facts to help consumers make smart sustainable seafood choices.” The site allows users to look up information by species and explains the differences between wild caught and farmed fish. While it does not discuss current debates in fishery management, the site is a great primer for anyone interested in making better consumer decisions at the fish counter.

2. Just Label It

This website was born out of the genetic engineering (GE) labeling movement, and provides up to date information about what is going on in the campaign to mandate companies to include GE information on food. The group’s home page provides a link to easily contact Congress and the FDA to express your views on the matter (a service all advocacy sites should include) and a video explaining the reasons why many believe such foods should be labeled. The “About GE Foods” page could be more robust, but the site is well designed and easy to use.

3. Abe’s Market

While there are websites like Fooducate and the GoodGuide which can help you find more information about products, Abe’s Market is one of the first to allow users to filter for social, environmental and dietary attributes while shopping online. Just chose from the long list of attributes you want in a product – fair trade, vegan, recycled packaging – and the system will provide you with a list of available products. Currently, because Abe’s offers only packaged goods, the more qualities you select, the list of products to fit multiple criteria is very limited (“fairtrade” + “green packaging” left me only chocolate and tea to pick from, for example). But I believe sites to help consumers wade through the plethora of eco-labels now on the market are the wave of the future.

4.Environmental Working Group (EWG)

EWG has been producing reports and guides for consumers, parents and decision makers for many years, but an interesting new retro website design now makes finding information on their website easier. While there are arguably still too many tabs, a quick click on any one of the photos on the homepage takes you to more detailed information about food and agriculture. “Good Food on a Tight Budget” for example, brings consumers to a handy list of “ best foods” to buy, while the Farm Subsidy Data Base provides unparalleled information on who receives subsidies – and how much money they receive – for growing agricultural crops.

5. FAOSTAT

Perhaps the most impressive data base on everything from food security to population growth, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization has now also developed a tool to help you visualize the information they collect. The site allows users to chart and graph “large time-series and cross sectional data relating to hunger, food and agriculture for 245 countries and territories and 35 regional areas, from 1961 to the most recent year.” All I can say is, wow.

Now cast your vote here for new and upcoming food websites the world should know more about.