FDA yesterday released so-called “voluntary” targets for sodium reduction for 150 categories of foods. A spreadsheet issued by the agency details baseline sodium content for each of the categories and lists short-term and long-term targets. The agency says it "recognizes the important role of sodium in food for microbial safety, stability, and other functions . . . [node:read-more:link]
Organic sales have grown 11% from 2014 to 2015’s total of $43.3 billion. Nearly 5% of all the food sold in the U.S. in 2015 was organic. The demand for fresh organic was most evident in the continued growth of “fresh juices and drinks,” which saw explosive growth of 33.5% in 2015, making it the fastest-growing of all the organic subcategories. [node:read-more:link]
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced AquaBounty's genetically modified salmon has been approved for sale as food in Canada. AquaBounty said it will be at least a year before the salmon will be available in stores. A final round of thorough and rigorous Canadian scientific reviews found that AquAdvantage Salmon is as safe and nutritious as conventional salmon. The same conclusion was reached by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2010, but it took until November 2015 for the agency to approve the fish for sale as food in that country. [node:read-more:link]
A lack of access to healthy food is often blamed for poor eating habits in low-income urban areas, but a recent Drexel University study found that simply adding healthier stock to a local convenience store may not actually have any effect. By upgrading local corner stores in East Los Angeles through adding fresh fruits and vegetables, improved shelving, training and social media marketing, a team of researchers led by Alex Ortega, PhD, professor in Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health, poured more resources into a healthy eating intervention than are usually available -- and very litt [node:read-more:link]
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is recalling raw milk and cream produced by Organic Pastures Dairy of Fresno County again. This time the recall is for possible Salmonella contamination. Testing confirmed the presence of the pathogenic bacteria in raw whole milk and raw skim milk. No illnesses have been reported at this time. [node:read-more:link]
"Several foods that are perfectly suitable for human consumption can be toxic to dogs and cats," the researchers wrote in their review, published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science. [node:read-more:link]
A new study from the University of Florida finds that consumers are aware of genetically modified crops and food, but their knowledge level is limited and often does not match up with the facts. Brandon McFadden published the study showing that scientific fact often does not change consumer impressions on GMO foods. The study came about because consumer polls are often cited in the GMO debate, especially as it relates to labeling. The results led McFadden to find that consumers do not know as much about genetically modified crops and foods as they may think they do. [node:read-more:link]
Once again, the debate over labeling foods commonly called “GMO” has reached a fevered pitch. Some states continue to attempt to pass (or have already passed) local labeling laws. [node:read-more:link]
Changing customer preferences have big impact for world’s largest commodities trader. The world’s biggest agricultural commodities trader is taking steps to “de-commoditise”. [node:read-more:link]
More than 1,140 dogs have died after eating jerky pet treats, out of 6,200 cases of jerky-related canine illness reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2007 to December 31, 2015. In that same time span, FDA received approximately 5,200 complaints of illness associated with consumption of chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats. The illness reports also involved 26 cats and three people. Most cases involved products imported from China, but some resulted from treats labeled as US made. [node:read-more:link]
