Washington, D.C.—A prohibition on the use of trans fat as an ingredient in food products could be coming from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). By removing the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) designation from trans fat, the agency would, in effect, make its inclusion illegal. Any ingredient without...

The updated food safety rules proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are being criticized by many parties, especially small farmers. The rules, which are mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), have had their public comment period extended twice after technical issues prevented users from uploading...

Demand for natural products is as strong as ever, according to data collected in the 36th Annual WholeFoods Retailer Survey. Independent stores that participated in this year’s survey had a strong showing in 2013, selling a combined $741 million throughout their more than 1.24 million ft2 of total retail space.

J.R. Watkins expanded its gourmet line with the introduction of 52 herbs and spices. The herbs and spices now come in recycled glass bottles and have colored labels that match the color of the spice for easy consumer identification. New flavors include Saffron, Garam Masala and Chinese Five Spice Blend.

New from The Spice Lab is the Chef’s Collection, a 12-tube premium salt sampling set displayed in a sustainable bamboo base. Salts are all natural and kosher certified. Choices include Salts of the World, Ultimate Gourmet Salt Sampler and Spice Sampler #1.

All about the growing trend of healthy snacking.It happens nearly every day: you’ve eaten lunch, dinner isn’t for another three hours and your stomach starts rumbling. Time to grab a quick snack! But looking at the vending machine in your office, all you see are potato chips fried in genetically...

Chia seeds and bars maker Health Warrior, Inc. has gained NFL running back Arian Foster of the Houston Texans as a significant financial stakeholder in the company. In addition to his status as an investor, Foster will serve as an ambassador for the company. A new survey conducted by...

London—Although about 70% of the work done in agriculture is performed by women, their contributions often go unrecognized and underpaid, according to a new report collaborated on by the ethical trade group Twin and the Fairtrade Foundation, both based here. Empowering Women Farmers in Agricultural Value Chains details the glass...

Chicago, IL—A whopping 65% of consumers who have tried gluten-free foods said they did so in part because they thought they were healthier, according to new research from Mintel. Perhaps more interesting are the 27% of consumers who responded that they eat gluten free as part of their efforts to...

Even with its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeming imminent, genetically-engineered (GE) AquAdvantage salmon has been dealt a major blow. Several large national retailers made commitments to deny AquAdvantage, produced by Massachusetts-based AquaBounty Technologies, entrance into their stores. Chains within both the natural and mainstream channels,...