Washington, D.C.—When President Obama signed the latest budget appropriations bill at the end of March, ensuring that the government would be funded through the end of fiscal year 2013, section 735 of that bill became law. Many sought to stop this 22-line provision, dubbed the “biotech rider” by opponents, on...
Oakland, CA-based Numi Organic Tea introduced a new version of its Fair Labor Practices (FLP) program. It is a proprietary product and supply chain verification program that uses a continuous improvement model to improve labor and work-place conditions. The FLP program can be applied to any agricultural supply chain,...
Private equity firm 3G Capital and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway will buy ketchup and baby food maker H.J. Heinz Co. for $23.2 billion in cash. Heinz stock, in addition to those of other food giants like General Mills and Campbell Soup, rose on the news. Chobani Greek Yogurt launched...
Washington, D.C.—A bill was introduced to legalize the production of industrial hemp in the United States by a group of Senators in February. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 would remove the federal restriction on the domestication of industrial hemp; meanwhile, Kentucky lawmakers sought to set up a licensing...
Spain—It’s time to emphasize all of the olive oil and nut products you have on your shelves. The heart health benefits of these foods, staples of the Mediterranean diet, were on display in a major study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin...
A public hearing, held in February in Olympia, WA, saw a debate over the merits of Initiative 522, which would label all food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) sold in that state. Legislators were reportedly treated to spirited back and forth: Proponents of the initiative argue that labeling GMOs allows...
Greenfield, MA-based New England Natural Bakers entered into an “ESOP”, or Employee Stock Ownership Program, on January 1, 2013. The granola manufacturer, founded in 1977 by John Broucek, is now 100% employee owned. “The ESOP option emerged as the best solution for our 45-plus employees; guaranteeing the viability of...
San Francisco, CA—2013 food trends just don’t drop out from thin air; they burst triumphant from the Fancy Food show. And at this winter’s extravaganza, convenience was at the top of everyone’s pitch. From Paper Chef (safe parchment paper bags or liners) to microwavable grains, to the once exclusively-canned fish...
Washington, D.C.—A pair of proposed rules has been introduced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), both of which are aimed at the prevention of foodborne illness. One requires a formal plan from foreign and domestic food facilities for protecting their products from foodborne illnesses. The other involves enforceable,...
University Place, WA—In the aftermath of the defeat of California’s Proposition 37, activists in the state of Washington are close to placing another genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling measure on a ballot. I-522, “The People’s Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act,” was submitted to state officials with 350,000 signatures...
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