Mark Bittman, noted food writer for The New York Times, will become a columnist for The New York Times Opinion pages and food columnist for The New York Times Magazine. After more than 13 years, he is retiring the ?Minimalist? column, a longtime reader favorite. The final "Minimalist" will run in the paper on Wednesday, January 26. New videos based on previous column recipes will continue to be added to the Minimalist archive on NYTimes.com.

Beginning Wednesday, February 2, the Opinion column will appear weekly online at NYTimes.com/Opinion and occasionally in print. Bittman will opine on a broad range of issues, including food safety, healthful and environmentally sustainable eating and food policy. He will examine these and other relevant issues on The Times's Opinionator blog.

The New York Times Magazine ?On Food? column will begin in March. This column will be a destination for readers on Sunday, offering Bittman's take on food from around the world, profiles of newsmakers, policy issues – and, of course, recipes.

?As issues of food supply, agricultural sustainability and chronic health conditions associated with poor diets grow, we believe Mark Bittman's insight and balanced views on food and food policy will be a must-read, enjoyable resource for our readers,? said Andrew Rosenthal, editorial page editor of The New York Times. ?Plus, everyone must eat.?

?We're excited to offer readers classic Mark Bittman, plus much more in-depth features to excite and inspire their culinary adventures,? said Hugo Lindgren, editor of The New York Times Magazine.

Mark Bittman is also the author of several books, including, among others, ?How to Cook Everything,? ?Fish,? and ?Food Matters,? which looks at the intersection of diet, personal and planetary health.

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The New York Times Company
Danielle Rhoades-Ha, 212-556-8719
danielle-rhoades-ha@nytimes.com
or
Stephanie Yera, 212-556-1957
stephanie.yera@nytimes.com
This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com