Food News
'Clean eating' has become such a sham that fast food chains are pushing it
NBC | Posted on February 7, 2018None of the aggressive, judgmental pitches of the movement have ever been proven. The power of its association with the economic elite has, though. Fast food marketing itself as “clean eating” has got to be one of the more curious phenomena of our brave new world. A descendant of the American organic movement from the 1970s, it is now being sold with particular gusto by “fast casuals” like Panera and Chipotle as a way for consumers to forego factory foods, which are increasingly seen unhealthy, undesirable “poor people’s” food.
Maple syrup producers could face new rules
Farm and Dairy | Posted on February 6, 2018The recently enacted federal food safety law, known as the Food Safety Modernization Act, includes new requirements for maple syrup producers. The rules differ, depending on the size of operation and how you sell your syrup, and there is still some ambiguity on exactly what a producer must do.In Ohio and Pennsylvania, maple syrup production is regulated at the state level, and is considered a low-risk food because of its contents and simple method of preparation.Ohio producers who gather and boil 75 percent or more of their own sap are considered exempt from state inspection, but may be subject to the new federal rule.
Stop the Food Label Fear-Mongering
US News and World Report | Posted on February 6, 2018For the food industry, 2017 was the year of the label. Whether 'non-GMO' or 'no high fructose corn syrup', 'no added hormones' or 'gluten free,' consumers are increasingly demanding more information about what's in their food.A report last fall by Nielsen found that 39 percent of consumers would switch from the brands they currently buy to others that provide clearer, more accurate product information. Additionally, 73 percent reported feeling positively about brands that share the "why behind the buy" information about their products.For food manufacturers – including those in the dairy industry – the writing is on the wall, and it couldn't be clearer. While many are responding with a barrage of new labels to meet that demand, they're doing so with an eye towards giving their products a leg up over the competition, and their bottom lines a boost as well.On its face, it makes sense. If consumers say they want transparency, tell them exactly what is in your product. That is simply supplying a certain demand. But the marketing strategy in response to this consumer demand has gone beyond articulating what is in a product, to labeling what is NOT in the food. And this is where "simple" supply and demand is no longer simple. So-called "absence claims" labels – those that arbitrarily tell a consumer what isn't in a product, rather than what is – represent an emerging labeling trend that is harmful both to the consumers who purchase the products and the industry that supplies them.
Bill seeks to ban Delawareans on food stamps from buying junk food
Delaware Public Media | Posted on February 5, 2018Bill sponsor State Rep. Kevin Hensley said he wants food stamp benefits to be used only on healthy food. Under the proposal, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services would create a list of what food would be allowed. Hensley said SNAP recipients could still use their own money to purchase food not covered by the food stamp program.
Food distributors sue Tyson, Pilgrim’s Pride and others alleging collusion on chicken prices
Wall Street Journal | Posted on February 1, 2018The two largest U.S. food distributors are accusing top poultry suppliers of conspiring to limit stocks and manipulate wholesale prices, fueling a legal battle that has pitted buyers and consumers against chicken processors. Sysco Corp. and US Foods, which sell food to hundreds of thousands of food-service customers, alleged in separate lawsuits that they overpaid for chicken meat for years due to collusion among Tyson Foods Inc.,Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., Sanderson Farms Inc. and other companies in the $60 billion U.S. chicken industry. Spokesmen for Tyson, Pilgrim’s and Sanderson denied the charges and said they would contest the complaints in court.The food-distribution giants represent roughly 25% of the domestic food-distribution business, selling meat and other food products to restaurants, hotels, hospitals and other businesses across the U.S.Their allegations, leveled in suits filed in a federal court in Illinois, make them the biggest companies so far to accuse the U.S. chicken industry of conspiring to manipulate prices. The industry produces about 41 billion pounds of meat annually for grocery stores, restaurants and foreign-based buyers.
Study shows effectiveness of the school fruit scheme in North Rhine-Westphalia
Science Daily | Posted on February 1, 2018How can you convince elementary school students to consume more fruit and vegetables? Scientists have found that school fruit schemes can actually help to achieve this goal. If children receive fruit and vegetables free of charge in their schools several times a week, they consume considerably more of this food group, which is often less popular with children, even on days without school fruit distribution.
The science of milk pasteurization
Elko Daily Free Press | Posted on February 1, 2018The process of milk pasteurization was adopted in a time when millions of people became sick and died of diseases like tuberculosis, scarlet fever, typhoid fever, and other infections that were transmitted through raw milk. Since its widespread use in the dairy industry, pasteurization has prevented millions of people from becoming ill.The U.S. Center for Disease Control, our CDC, says improperly handled raw milk was (and still is) responsible for nearly three times more hospitalizations than any other food-borne disease source, making it one of the world’s most dangerous food products. One can only imagine the poor quality of milk sitting on the grocer’s shelf before the days of mechanical refrigeration (1930s).
The Relationship Between Patronizing Direct-to-Consumer Outlets and a Household’s Demand for Fruits and Vegetables
USDA | Posted on January 30, 2018This study uses FoodAPS data to investigate whether patronizing farmers markets, roadside stands, and other direct-to-consumer (DTC) outlets increases a household’s spending for fruits and vegetables, including purchases at both DTC and nondirect food retailers. Among 4,826 FoodAPS households that reported their food acquisitions over a 1-week period, 231 bought food from a farmers market or other DTC outlet. Fruits and vegetables were the most frequently purchased type of food at such places. Among the 231 households that bought food at a DTC outlet, 170 bought fruits and vegetables.
Goldman Sachs Invests $65 Million in Pea Milk Startup
Bloomberg | Posted on January 30, 2018Goldman Sachs Group Inc. participated in a $65 million investment in Ripple Foods Inc., a little-known beverage company that makes a milk-like drink from yellow peas.
8 business moguls committed to putting you out of business
Beef | Posted on January 29, 2018
It’s been debunked on this blog many times before, but no matter how many times the media tells us that a plant-based diet is the more sustainable option, the reality is we would have to eat broccoli and peanut butter in bulk to ever equal the amount of nutrition we can derive from a single 3 ounce serving of beef. Yet, so many have based their entire careers saying the complete opposite, and the truth continues to be swept under the rug. It’s now trendy and fashionable to go meatless, despite the repercussions on our health and the environment.And even more troubling than the mainstream media publishing sensational and defamatory headlines about our industry, and even more challenging than the activist groups determined to put us out of business, there’s a new group coming after livestock producers — they’re rich, they’re famous, and they’ve got an agenda — to eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from the dinner table.