• Vuvuzelas are banned at this year’s Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, and Pepto-Bismol is a new sponsor. [WSJ]
• Ratings for the second episode of Top Chef’s seventh season were up 22 percent over its dismal premiere ratings. [Live Feed/HR]
• The best way to photograph food in bright sunlight is by diffusing the light using a sheet, tent, or shadow. [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
• Whole Foods requires self-declared “organic” beauty products to be held to the FDA standards for organic foods. [Forbes]
• Nine in ten Americans eat more sodium than is recommended, according to the CDC. [Reuters]
• A random sample of used reusable grocery bags revealed that virtually all were contaminated with bacteria, including E. coli. [Booster Shots/LAT]
