Policy: Page


  • FDA allows ingredient swaps without label changes

    The guidance, published Friday, is meant to give manufacturers flexibility, but may have the unintended consequence of eroding consumer trust.

    By May 26, 2020
  • DOJ clears pork industry's plan to collaborate on euthanizing hogs

    As processing plants have shuttered and reduced production during the pandemic, farmers have nowhere to send their market-weight animals.

    By Lillianna Byington • May 19, 2020
  • A person in a grocery store putting items in a smart cart. Explore the Trendline
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Instacart
    Image attribution tooltip
    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Food Dive

    Check out a selection of articles about some of the biggest trends and news — from McCormick’s reformulation strategy to the impact of GLP-1s  — shaping the food industry in 2026.

    By Food Dive staff
  • A farmer plants soybeans in Montgomery County, Md., May 12, 2020
    Image attribution tooltip
    USDA/FPAC photo by Preston Keres. (2020). "20200512-FPAC-PLANTING-014.JPG" [photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Will a new USDA rule on GMO plants affect consumer sentiment?

    Less oversight will be required for genetic modifications that can also be attained by breeding. The government says this will not impact food safety.

    By May 18, 2020
  • Impossible Burgers and fries
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Impossible Foods
    Image attribution tooltip

    $930M invested in alternative proteins in Q1 2020 tops record-setting 2019 totals

    According to figures from the Good Food Institute, products that replace traditional meat, dairy and eggs are increasingly being embraced by financers, Big Food and consumers.

    By May 14, 2020
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Stephenson, Ben. (2006). Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Will Trump's executive order expanding fishing help the industry catch needed profits?

    The move, which also provides $300 million in aid, is an effort to help seafood suppliers and has drawn support from fisheries, but environmental groups are criticizing it.

    By Jessi Devenyns • May 12, 2020
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Tim Fields
    Image attribution tooltip

    US meat exports to China rise as supply falls, analysis shows

    Companies have warned of potential shortages as coronavirus infects workers, but shipments overseas have surged, according to a Reuters analysis.

    By Lillianna Byington • May 12, 2020
  • Cows on a farm
    Image attribution tooltip
    "RUDERSBERG" by DORIS META F is licensed under CC BY 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Pandemic on our plates: The high health risks of industrial animal agriculture

    The way animals are raised for meat, physician Shivam Joshi and Josh Balk of the Humane Society write, the U.S. is engaging in a practice that’s a tinderbox for the next outbreak.

    By Shivam Joshi and Josh Balk • May 11, 2020
  • Image attribution tooltip
    U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    As coronavirus spreads in meat plants, nearly 200 USDA inspectors test positive

    Three Food Safety and Inspection Service inspectors have died from the virus. The agency said it has enough face masks to keep personnel supplied for the next few months​.

    By Lillianna Byington • May 11, 2020
  • Agriculture SecretarySonny Perdue visits Triumph Foods pork processing facility April 28, 2017. The facility houses 2,800 employees in St. Joseph, Mo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    USDA photo by Preston Keres. (2017). "20170428-OSEC-PJK-1465" [photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Lawsuit about worker conditions at Smithfield plant dismissed

    Since the case was filed, the meat processor has made several changes to its Milan, Missouri location and OSHA has put in place new regulations on how manufacturing facilities should be run.

    By May 6, 2020
  • Spread of foodborne pathogens continues to climb, CDC says

    The 2019 data was collected by a collaboration of government agencies and state health departments from 10 sites covering approximately 15% of the U.S. population.

    By Jessi Devenyns • May 5, 2020
  • Image attribution tooltip
    The image by BASFPlantScience is licensed under CC BY 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    USDA to purchase $470M in surplus meat, dairy and produce

    After facing criticism that the government's efforts have been slow to help producers during the pandemic, the department said this will allow food to be distributed to communities nationwide.

    By Lillianna Byington • May 5, 2020
  • Several workers in protective gear work on a meat production line with plastic dividers between them.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Tyson Foods
    Image attribution tooltip

    Tyson CEO says meat supply will increase in back half of year

    When asked if its plants could build back up to pre-coronavirus capacity given operational changes, such as social distancing, that need to be implemented, Noel White said, "The answer would be yes."

    By Emma Cosgrove • May 5, 2020
  • Image attribution tooltip
    USDA. (2017). Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why Trump's executive order to keep meat plants open is seen as 'risky'

    The president invoked the Defense Production Act to ease concerns about supply and liability among companies, but the move has drawn mixed reactions and raised questions about worker safety. 

    By Lillianna Byington • May 4, 2020
  • Justice Department approves DFA purchase of Dean Foods' assets

    As a condition of the deal, antitrust officials said the dairy co-op must divest three processing plants to alleviate potential competitive harm.

    By Lillianna Byington • May 4, 2020
  • Blue Bell Creameries ice cream
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Blue Bell Creameries
    Image attribution tooltip

    Blue Bell fined $17.25M for 2015 listeria outbreak

    The ice cream company was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty in May to distributing adulterated food products.

    By Updated Sept. 18, 2020
  • Several workers in protective gear work on a meat production line with plastic dividers between them.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Tyson Foods
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trump orders meat plants to remain open despite outbreaks

    As the number of plant closures continue to rise and supply concerns grow, the president invoked the Defense Production Act to keep production running.

    By Lillianna Byington • Updated April 29, 2020
  • Broiler chickens are raised in a chicken house on the Bobby Morgan chicken Farm in Luling, TX on Aug. 23, 2013.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Bob Nichols. (2013). "20130822-OC-RBN-2946" [photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    2M chickens euthanized as coronavirus shuts down meat processors

    As animals who were raised for the processing plants grow, producers are running out of room to keep them.

    By April 28, 2020
  • Cal-Maine accused of price gouging in Texas lawsuit

    The country's largest egg producer denies the accusation, saying spikes of about 300% came from "unprecedented retail demand."

    By April 27, 2020
  • Virginia governor signs bill to regulate CBD in food

    Despite federal prohibitions, the state's bill is intended to help guide the hemp industry by regulating facility conditions and production requirements.

    By Lillianna Byington • April 21, 2020
  • How the federal $19B coronavirus relief fund can help farmers and food producers

    After weeks of industry groups and companies asking for financial support, the department will purchase $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat to distribute through the nation's food banks.

    By Jessi Devenyns • April 21, 2020
  • Migrant workers harvest corn on Uesugi Farms in Gilroy, CA, on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Bob Nicols, USDA. (2013). "20130828-OC-RBN-3316" [photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    COVID-19 and our food system: What we need to do now

    In a world where fear dominates headlines and infects dialogue, Clareo's Scott Bowman writes about three ways to shift from anxiety to action to protect the safety and supply of food.

    By Scott Bowman • April 21, 2020
  • Salmonella bacteria, a common cause of foodborne disease, invade an immune cell.
    Image attribution tooltip
    NIAID. (2008). "Salmonella Bacteria" [photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Salmonella vaccine will be commercialized in new partnership

    Kemin and Pacific GeneTech's solution could help producers raise free-from antibiotic flocks and protect consumers from the bacteria that is the leading cause of foodborne illness.

    By Jessi Devenyns • April 17, 2020
  • Crystals of MSG, or monosodium glutamate
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Ajinomoto
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    From the blacklist to the spotlight: How MSG is staging a comeback

    Ever since a 1968 editorial, consumers have shied away from monosodium glutamate, but manufacturers have continued to use it. Now the ingredient is beginning to lose its bad reputation. 

    By April 16, 2020
  • PureCircle files another lawsuit claiming stevia patent infringement

    The company's third patent case since 2017 claims Almendra's Steviarome product has aspects that too closely match its own. 

    By April 16, 2020
  • milk containers at a grocery store
    Image attribution tooltip
    "milk" by liz west is licensed under CC BY 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    Virginia milk labeling bill vetoed

    Gov. Ralph Northam wrote restricting the label to products from animals could hinder businesses' ability to thrive and may violate free speech.

    By April 16, 2020