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

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Food Dive

The food and beverage industry is changing rapidly and the actions companies take this year are likely to play a major role in defining their future. 

By Food Dive staff

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

FDA extends comments on controversial Red No. 3 through May

Thousands of comments have accumulated on the petition, which asks the government to ban the use of the dye in food. 

By Megan Poinski • March 30, 2023

Tyson wins COVID lawsuit against meatpacking employees

The U.S. appeals court in New Orleans granted the meat giant's motion to dismiss the case, stating the workers did not provide evidence they contracted the virus as a result of the company's negligence.

By Chris Casey • March 29, 2023

Egg market may be improving ahead of Easter, but bird flu brings unknowns: Wells Fargo

As producers work to rebuild flocks, they remain cautious about the impact the virus will have this year, the banking giant's Agri-Food Institute sector manager said.

By Chris Casey • March 28, 2023

FDA food and nutrition leader to retire in May

With the departure of Susan Mayne, neither of the agency’s divisions overseeing food will have a leader, setting the table for a new deputy commissioner to manage a unified department.

By Megan Poinski • March 27, 2023

WSWA calls on Congress to legalize cannabis with alcohol-like regulations

State laws about the sale of hard beverages should inform legislation dealing with THC and CBD, the trade group said in a letter to Congress last week.

By Chris Casey • March 27, 2023

New FDA policy would let manufacturers use salt substitutes

The proposed rule would make the standards of identity for 140 products more flexible, but would not require reformulation to reduce sodium content.

By Megan Poinski • March 24, 2023

Tapioca starch sweetener gets GRAS status from the FDA

Anderson Advanced Ingredients’ FiberSmart is 20% as sweet as sugar and also can replace maltodextrin, the company says.

By Megan Poinski • March 23, 2023

Biotechnology should be used to improve nutrition, sustainability and resiliency of food, Biden report says

The new document sets out “bold goals” to improve areas that include human health and supply chain management. It follows a September executive order that made this kind of technology a national priority.

By Megan Poinski • March 23, 2023

Eat Just gets FDA clearance for cultivated meat in US

Good Meat chicken, which has been approved for sale in Singapore since 2020, is the second cell-based meat item to get the first green light from the federal government.

By Megan Poinski • Updated March 22, 2023

Three ways global food brands can stay competitive

As the cost of living rises across the world, companies must embrace artificial intelligence and other digital technologies to maintain a low-cost base, write Stuart Gilby and Duncan Macfarlane of PA Consulting.

By Stuart Gilby and Duncan Macfarlane • March 20, 2023

As US mulls vaccinating poultry for bird flu, chicken industry could stand in the way

Broiler producers are concerned about trade implications, but fears that the virus will mutate or spread to humans may spur a new plan of action.

By Chris Casey • March 9, 2023

Former Blue Bell CEO to plead guilty to charges connected to 2015 listeria outbreak

All fraud charges against Paul Kruse will be dropped and he will be fined $100,000, according to the plea agreement.

By Megan Poinski • March 9, 2023