Health: Food news.

Presentation Temptation

The arrangement of food affects people's consumption, recent studies show. When food offerings are fairly minimal, such as a few flavors of jellybeans, mixing them together gives the impression of more variety, which leads people to eat more. (For example, people served a mix of six kinds of jellybeans ate about 22 jellybeans, 69 percent more than when each color was in a separate bowl.) However, with a large variety, the opposite occurs: People eat more when the food is arranged separately, showcasing the range of options. An organized, sizable assortment, such as a buffet dinner, "may signal that larger consumption will be socially acceptable," says study coauthor Barbara E. Kahn, a professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Being aware of these cues may help prevent overindulging.

Salad Sickness

Bagged salad mixes occasionally harbor a dangerous microorganism, according to an FDA alert. The warning was issued after an outbreak of flulike symptoms in Illinois and Texas was traced to premixed salad that contained a parasite called Cyclospora. (The illness can be treated with antibiotics.) Rinsing even prewashed lettuce is often advised, but if it's contaminated, washing it may not ensure safety, says Robert D. ...