Consumer advocacy groups ask FDA to ban titanium dioxide

Five groups filed the petition, which argues the white dye has been found to build up in the body and potentially cause harm. The additive was outlawed in Europe last year.

By Megan Poinski • May 31, 2023

Texas governor signs new labeling law for plant-based and cultivated meat

Starting Sept. 1, companies making items that do not come from animals will be required to explicitly label them.

By Megan Poinski • Updated May 30, 2023

Milk checkoff’s ‘Wood Milk’ campaign featuring Aubrey Plaza violates federal laws, health group says

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed a complaint with the USDA’s inspector general, claiming the website and videos with the “White Lotus” star disparages another product and was intended to influence policy.

By Megan Poinski • May 26, 2023

Major tea companies linked to plantations with reported human rights abuses, report says

Companies including Unilever, Ekaterra and Starbucks said they are working to address these issues through greater supply chain transparency.

By Chris Casey • May 22, 2023

ADM joins with Air Protein to make meat analogs out of thin air

The agribusiness giant previously invested in the startup, which uses NASA science from the 1960s to turn carbon dioxide into an edible product.

By Megan Poinski • May 18, 2023

Sesame is added to products for ‘consumer safety,’ says American Bakers Association

In a letter to lawmakers, President and CEO W. Eric Dell said the problem is FDA regulations, which allow no flexibility for small amounts of a difficult-to-deal-with allergen like the tiny seed. 

By Megan Poinski • May 17, 2023

Supreme Court ruling upholding California’s animal welfare law could lead more states to act

Producers of meat, eggs and other animal items are being advised more restrictive state laws may be coming after last week's 5-4 decision affirming the ban on pork from farms using gestation crates.

By Chris Casey • May 17, 2023

Boycott narrows Bud Light’s lead in the premium beer category

Sales of the AB InBev-owned brew have fallen and the brand has lost ground to offerings from Molson Coors and Yuengling following its promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

By Christopher Doering • May 16, 2023

Supreme Court rejects pork industry challenge to California law

The 5-4 decision is a legal win for animal welfare advocates, who have long argued the industry does not allow enough space for livestock, like breeding pigs, to roam.

By Chris Casey • Updated May 11, 2023

Meatable moves closer to Singapore cultivated meat approval with sausage tasting

The Dutch company hopes to launch its pork created from animal cells in 2024 and plans to bring its products to the U.S. next.

By Megan Poinski • May 11, 2023

Mondelēz plans shutdown of Enjoy Life facility, will ‘refocus and narrow’ allergen-free portfolio

The CPG giant said an influx of products in the free-from snacking space is prompting it to shutter the Indiana plant, where 105 people work.

By Christopher Doering • May 9, 2023

Cooking with power: implementing induction heat in commercial kitchens

Transitioning to induction-based cooking is a key ingredient in decarbonizing commercial kitchens.

By Charlie Linkenheil, Carbon Analyst at ENGIE Impact and Tanner Harris, Energy & Sustainability Strategic Advisor at ENGIE Impact • May 8, 2023

Legislators condemn manufacturers that added sesame in response to allergy labeling law

Some bakers have put the ingredient into products that didn’t have it before, which has led some people to unknowingly consume the seed.

By Megan Poinski • May 4, 2023

Hershey to invest in schools and boost income of farmers in Côte d’Ivoire

The chocolate giant plans to distribute cash payments of up to $600 per household annually to about 5,000 cocoa farming households and partner to build 10 primary schools.

By Christopher Doering • May 1, 2023

Regenerative ag is driving food sustainability promises, but is it greenwashing?

As companies like PepsiCo and General Mills enlist farmers to deliver on their lofty emissions reduction goals, experts are divided over whether the practice will produce tangible results.

By Chris Casey , Shaun Lucas • April 27, 2023

JBS ends contracts with company fined for employing child labor

The meat processing giant will transition its sanitation services in-house at some locations and to third-party providers at other plants.

By Chris Casey • April 26, 2023

USDA gets closer to officially designating salmonella a contaminant

A proposal in the Federal Register would decree that raw stuffed breaded chicken with low levels of the bacteria is adulterated.

By Megan Poinski • April 25, 2023

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray labeling is not misleading, appellate court rules

The U.S. 9th Circuit judges said the pump-action seasoning can be considered a spray — and therefore bill itself as having no calories or fat per serving.

By Megan Poinski • April 19, 2023

JBS to pay $25M to settle allegations of beef price fixing

The meat giant will pay the sum to a group of consumers after a class action lawsuit accused it of conspiring with competitors to inflate prices.

By Chris Casey • April 19, 2023

Appellate court reinstates Louisiana plant-based labeling law, but narrows its scope

The 5th Circuit’s opinion interprets the law in a way no food company would be likely to violate it, attorneys for the plaintiffs said.

By Megan Poinski • April 14, 2023

Pilgrim’s Pride, Perdue settle in poultry price-fixing case totaling $35M

These chicken producers join a dozen other companies that have agreed to a settlement with Washington state’s attorney general who says the businesses colluded to increase profits. Five processors have yet to settle.

By Chris Casey • April 10, 2023

Sen. Sanders calls to ‘break up’ large egg producers as Cal-Maine profits surge 718%

The lawmaker once again brought up his rallying call to split “Big Ag” after the country's largest egg producer announced its latest quarterly profits.

By Chris Casey • Updated April 6, 2023

Conagra commits to phasing out gestation crates amid pressure

The food giant aims to source all of its pork from farms that use open pen gestation systems by 2026, a win for The Humane Society which had been pushing for the change. 

By Chris Casey • April 4, 2023

Despite dire warnings in climate report, HowGood sees promise in food production

The sustainability platform’s chief innovation officer Ethan Soloviev said in an interview that carbon sequestration and deforestation provide solutions to food insecurity despite Big Food’s impact on emissions.

By Chris Casey • April 3, 2023

Why Joe Biden needs to have a conversation with Michelle Obama on food policy

The current administration should take a page or two from the former first lady who said there are limits to government mandates, according to Sean McBride.

By Sean McBride • April 3, 2023