Who’s The Food Watchdog?

Andrew Schneider is an investigative reporter, but he’s also a foodie. No question.

Cut him and he bleeds cilantro. His spice rack is so big it has its own zip code.  He has a holster for his in-pot blender. His notebooks of recipes cover fancy cuisine, solid grub and pure rotgut he’s discovered on every continent, including Antarctica.

Yet, weirdly enough, Schneider is still better known in some circles as a two-time Pulitzer winner (here’s the second one) and a hard-nosed news reporter. He broke the story of the asbestos poisoning of Libby, Montana, and the criminal indictment of W.R. Grace, leading to the largest environmental crime case in U.S. history. Along with reporter David McCumber, Schneider authored the book “The Air That Kills: How the Asbestos Poisoning of Libby, Montana, Uncovered a National Scandal.” He’s the guy who first reported widely on the dangers of diacetyl, a butter flavoring used in thousands of products, which when heated can destroy the lungs of food-factory workers, mom-and-pop confection store owners and chefs across the country.

After approximately 100 years of working at top daily newspapers, wire services and magazines, Schneider launched Cold Truth, a heavily read blog that covers the food we eat and the products we’re sold; hazards in our workplaces and homes, both man-made and natural.

And then, just because he never knows when to quit, Schneider launched The FoodWatch Dog, where reporter meets foodie. Where substantiated fact coexists with season-to-taste directions. A place, at long last, where the inquiring minds, whether short-order cook, recipe whore, chef, public-health or food-safety nerd; or just a big eater can have a safe place to read, learn and think deep thoughts about truffles, salmonella and why shrimp glow blue in the refrigerator.

We’ve changed the look of the blog in recent weeks, so let us know what you think of The Food Watchdog. Ideas, questions, tips, criticisms, praise to: schneider@thefoodwatchdog.com

UPDATE: In October of 2009, Schneider signed on as Senior Public Health Correspondent for AOL’s Sphere.com. In January, it was renamed AOL News.

Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett is managing editor of The Food Watchdog.

Marlowe Hartnett has spent the past three decades reporting, editing, reviewing books and freelancing for newspapers, magazines and news websites. She had the good fortune to work for The Seattle Times until 2003 in various capacities: news desk and feature-section editor; magazine columnist and editorial writer. Her book reviews continue to appear in the paper. Andrew Schneider helped her get her first real reporting job and has been extracting editorial favors ever since.

Email: kimberly@TheFoodWatchdog .com

She blogs at Type Like the Wind.

Kathy Egan is The Food Watchdog’s resident “renaissance dietitian” and senior writer.  Egan started her career in hotel and restaurant food-service management, then built a successful private practice as nutrition counselor and personal trainer. Her work with athletes, elders, weight-management clients of all ages and post-surgical patients provides Egan a broad spectrum of experience from which to draw.

Her reporting and commentary cover topics ranging from innovative institutional food-service models to evaluating the latest high-profile diets. These days she’s an agent of change in healthcare food service, working in an elder-care setting. Kathy and her husband Tom live on Maine’s midcoast, where they work on their century-old farmhouse and, of course, cook.

Email: WatchdogRD@gmail.com