Policy
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'Added sugars' on food labels will improve health and save money
While relabeling and potentially reformulating are expensive propositions, a modeling study found it could prevent thousands of diabetes and cardiovascular disease cases.
By Cathy Siegner • April 18, 2019 -
Doctors group sues USDA, claiming chicken contaminated with fecal matter
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine says the agency has disregarded its concerns about the issue for six years.
By Lillianna Byington • April 18, 2019 -
4 major food companies call for stronger climate policies
Nestlé USA, Unilever, Danone North America and Mars — part of the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance — are lobbying the government to set a price on carbon.
By Cathy Siegner • April 16, 2019 -
Will voluntary salt-reduction guidelines be derailed by last-minute lobbying?
Several trade groups think the new sodium targets will be too costly, and their opposition has exposed differences within the industry about the impending change.
By Cathy Siegner • April 16, 2019 -
Edible insects, CBD and cell-cultured meat: Regulating the future of food
Lawyers and former FDA and USDA regulators gathered to discuss the future of these trends and how the government could decide to regulate them.
By Lillianna Byington • April 16, 2019 -
Cargill takes steps to source more sustainable coconut oil
The move, which protects the forests and growers who make a livelihood raising the crop, comes as consumers are increasingly concerned about where their food comes from.
By Cathy Siegner • April 11, 2019 -
OpinionHow blockchain can change the food industry
Chris Copenhaver and Ken Reiff, co-leaders of Cushman & Wakefield’s Food & Beverage Advisory group, write that one of the most promising answers to increasing food safety is blockchain.
By Chris Copenhaver and Ken Reiff • April 09, 2019 -
Is Maine's proposed extraction tax the latest attempt to squeeze bottled water?
The state's legislature is considering a fee on companies taking more than 1.5 million gallons from underground sources for commercial bottling — which seems to target Nestlé's Poland Spring.
By Cathy Siegner • April 09, 2019 -
How a water safety plan could help avoid leafy green outbreaks
After the recent romaine lettuce recalls, Bonduelle Fresh Americas is now requiring growers to treat everything used for overhead irrigation during the final three weeks of harvest.
By Cathy Siegner • April 08, 2019 -
OpinionHow to free the market — and green it too
For once, the free market is helping the environment. Cameron Meyer Shorb of The Good Food Institute writes the government couldn't pick a worse time to intervene.
By Cameron Meyer Shorb • April 08, 2019 -
OpinionTransparency and buying behavior are changing the game for category management
Manufacturers vying for customer loyalty must develop an omnichannel strategy that meets shopper demands for convenience and personalization, argues Label Insight co-founder Anton Xavier.
By Anton Xavier • April 04, 2019 -
Report: Pork safety inspection oversight shifting to processors
The Trump administration plans to cut federal inspectors by 40% starting next month, according to The Washington Post.
By Cathy Siegner • April 04, 2019 -
Mississippi and South Dakota criminalize misuse of term 'meat'
The new laws are similar to one passed in Missouri that is the subject of a federal lawsuit, while a Montana bill awaits the governor's signature.
By Jessi Devenyns • April 04, 2019 -
How a US-Mexico border shutdown could hurt the food industry
In just three weeks, Americans could run out of avocados if shipments from Mexico are stopped. About 40% of imported fruit and half of vegetables come across the border.
By Lillianna Byington • April 03, 2019 -
Salt Institute shuts down as new dietary policy discussion begins
The trade association didn't give any specific reasons for closing and its board said the group had made a positive impact over the years demonstrating "the essential nature of salt in our daily lives."
By Cathy Siegner • April 02, 2019 -
Opinion5 ways USDA's school programs fail 'Start Simple'
The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn't seem to be following its own nutritional guidelines when it comes to cafeteria lunches. Jennifer Molidor from the Center for Biological Diversity identifies some of the inconsistencies.
By Jennifer Molidor • March 29, 2019 -
Is 'rice' the next battleground in the fight over food labeling terms?
As other terms like 'milk" and 'meat' are debated across the U.S., an Arkansas law has put in place a ban for anything that isn't derived from the grain.
By Jessi Devenyns • March 28, 2019 -
Study: 40% of U.S. consumers would try CBD
Despite a very recent declassification from a scheduled narcotic and few FDA regulations, interest in the hemp-derived substance for food and beverage is charging forward.
By Jessi Devenyns • March 27, 2019 -
OpinionStandardized date label legislation is a crucial step in addressing food waste
During a time filled with partisan debate, master of public health candidate Maya Sandalow writes that both sides of the aisle already agree upon one thing: perfectly good food should not be thrown out while millions go hungry.
By Maya Sandalow • March 27, 2019 -
Impossible Burger boasts much smaller carbon footprint than beef
A report released by the company found its plant-based burger uses less land and water and emits fewer greenhouse gases than its conventional counterpart.
By Cathy Siegner • March 22, 2019 -
Study links 'tobacco tactics' with marketing unhealthy products to kids
Despite signing a pledge to urge healthier eating in their ads, researchers found food and beverage companies have used techniques once popular with R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris to boost sales.
By Cathy Siegner • March 20, 2019 -
Kale rejoins the 'Dirty Dozen' list of pesticide-contaminated produce
More than 90% of samples of the leafy green, along with strawberries, apples, cherries, spinach and nectarines, tested positive for two or more pesticides, according to the Environmental Working Group.
By Cathy Siegner • March 20, 2019 -
Industry leaders push for more stringent safety measures to protect US produce
After a pair of E. coli outbreaks in lettuce were tied to contaminated water in 2018, some panelists at the National Food Policy Conference questioned whether the FDA was moving fast enough to prevent another occurrence.
By Lillianna Byington • March 18, 2019 -
'Lackluster' third-party organic certifier process hurting the popular food, report finds
The Cornucopia Institute said poor federal oversight of third-party reviewers has resulted in "factory farms" dominating the $50-billion organic marketplace.
By Cathy Siegner • March 18, 2019 -
Safety, cuts in sugar and salt use among top food priorities in 2019
Officials from the FDA, consumer groups and the industry gathered in Washington this week as changing consumer tastes and eating habits impact the space.
By Lillianna Byington • March 15, 2019
