The UC Food Observer chooses a handful of important stories for you to read as you end your work week.

On the menu, in no particular order:

1. Which costs more, the chicken or the egg? The answer may surprise you: eggs are no longer the cheapest source of protein. Much has been written on this topic, but this piece is essential to understanding what’s occurring … and why. Roberto Ferdman (@robferdman) reports for The Washington Post.

2. Salt in groundwater is slowly crippling California’s almond industry. Audio and written piece by Ezra David Romero (@ezraromero) for Valley Public Radio (@KVPR) in Central California.

3. U.S. House to states: don’t you dare demand GMO labeling. The vote is in on H.R. 1599. This piece by seasoned political reporter Juana Summers (@jmsummers) provides an excellent overview. It appears in NPR’s The Salt.

4. More from The Salt. Even if you’re lean, one soda per day ups your diabetes risk. Allison Aubrey (@AubreyNPRFood) pens an article you shouldn’t miss. In addition to reading Aubrey’s piece, the UC Food Observer suggests that you visit the SugarScience website, which posts “the unsweetened truth” about all things sugar. One of our favorite parts of the website is the research section … and a feature that enables anyone to pose a sugar-related question to a team of scientists working in the field. And we think that’s sweet.

5. Even more food science. Why we might all be getting a new taste for fat. A summary of research from Purdue University appears in The Guardian.

ICYMI … make time this weekend to read our Q&As with University of California obesity researcher Pat Crawford and medical doctor Preston Maring, who has played a vital role in the farm-to-hospital movement.