URBANA, Ill. – Fiber-rich food is important for gastrointestinal health, but most Americans don’t get enough in their typical diet. While fiber supplements can help, they can also cause unpleasant side effects such as excessive bloating and gas.

Two new papers from the University of Illinois make it easier for food manufacturers to amplify fiber in foods and beverages for health benefit without digestive discomfort.

URBANA, Ill. ­– College students, especially first-generation and minority students, are more likely to experience food insecurity than the general population. This can contribute to social inequalities and make degree attainment more difficult for those students, University of Illinois researchers say.

URBANA, Ill. – Artificial food dyes have been linked to multiple health concerns, including hyperactivity in children, allergies, and certain cancers. The science isn’t settled and the Food and Drug Administration says color additives are safe, but consumers are nonetheless clamoring for natural alternatives.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study examines how Americans acquired food at various points during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how those activities changed over time as case numbers fluctuated and vaccines became available.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — An individualized diet program that empowers users to create their own plan based on targeted levels of protein and fiber shows promise at helping people lose extra pounds and keep them off.

The Individualized Diet Improvement Program is a self-guided approach that involves easy-to-use tools, according to the nutritionists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who created iDip.

URBANA, Ill. ­– Food pantries provide much needed relief for food insecure individuals and families. But pantries often rely on donations of canned and packaged foods with limited nutritional value. Growing Together Illinois, a program from Illinois Extension, aims to provide fresh produce to food pantry clientele across the state.

URBANA, Ill. – Right now it’s infant formula, but food recalls are seemingly always in the news. When recalls happen, industries and supply chains can slam to a halt, causing everything from minor inconvenience to illness to, in the case of infant formula, widespread food insecurity for the youngest in our population.

URBANA, Ill. – The U.S. shortage of both liquid and powdered infant formula that has created struggles for parents seeking supplies highlights the critical need for improved detection methods aimed at preventing formula shortages.

URBANA, Ill. – New research from the University of Illinois suggests high levels of dietary cholesterol make mice sicker when infected with influenza. The study is the first to link cholesterol in the diet with exacerbation of a viral infection.

The U.S. isn’t on the verge of a food crisis or food shortage due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is, however, experiencing food price inflation, which will continue to be a pocketbook issue for consumers, says Scott Irwin, the Laurence J. Norton Chair of Agricultural Marketing. He spoke with Illinois News Bureau's business and law editor Phil Ciciora about the potential for a global food crisis. Read more from the Illinois News Bureau.