Monica Eng is a Watchdog reporter with the Chicago Tribune who focuses on food and consumer issues. In this role,she examines how well the food industry and government agencies are serving the public, and how consumers can make the best choices. She also writes reguarly for the Good Eating section, focusing on cooking, health, sustainability and food trends.

Monica Eng has been at the Tribune since 1996. During that time she has served as an editor and reporter covering entertainment, ethnic culture and food. In 2009 she moved to the Watchdog team to look at these issues with a stronger investigative and consumer focus. Eng has won various awards for her coverage of cultural and consumer issues. Her food writing has been nominated for five James Beard awards on topics ranging from the ethics of meat to why Chicago Public Schools serve kids nachos everyday. Before coming to the Tribune, Eng worked as a construction worker in Nicaragua, a researcher in Uzbekistan and a journalist at the Daily Southtown and Chicago Sun Times. She is a proud product of Chicago Public Schools--as are her siblings, children and parents.

Food, health, cooking, sustainability and education. See a gallery of Monica Eng's James Beard nominated stories about school nutrition at chicagotribune.com/schoolfood or just click on "My Blog" under her photo. You can also find her work at www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/stew/

Kids at risk from tippy instant soup cups 5/13/2013
Some doctors and victims think cup design can be dangerous On a typical June day last year, 3-year-old Jolan Jackson was sitting at the dining room table in his booster chair waiting for his meal.

Got diet milk? 5/9/2013
Dairy industry asks for discreet labeling of non-sugar sweeteners in milk, but consumer groups object In the face of troubling childhood obesity rates and what it sees as low milk consumption rates, the dairy industry says it has a solution: Offer kids flavored milk that uses low-calorie artificial sweeteners.

Ethnic groceries now on the map in DePaul study 3/20/2013
With focus on global foods, new research shows what's available and where in the city If you had to buy some bittermelon, kvass, lutefisk or achiote for dinner tonight, would you know where to go?

Still a dangerous attraction 4/14/2013
Despite changes to children's toys, ingestion of high-powered magnets remains a problem Last summer Kelly Bruski went to the store with her sons to buy a birthday gift for her boyfriend.

Roger Ebert, my mentor 4/6/2013
How the late critic helped shape a career, and a life trajectory As I sit here at my computer tonight I realize I'm doing what I saw Roger Ebert do so many times before — stopping everything to crank out a deadline appreciation for an artist who has just passed on.