5@5: Organic gatorade | Mackey says Whole Foods not going private | Musicians ask president to stop DARK Act

Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, John Melencamp: Help us stop the DARK Act

Each member of this quartet is a board member of Farm Aid and signed his name to a letter urging the president to stop the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act--nicknamed the DARK Act by opponents. "This is an issue that matters dearly to farmers and eaters alike," they wrote. "As citizens, we believe transparency is fundamental to our democracy and indispensable to a fair and competitive marketplace." Read more at EcoWatch...

Whole Foods' Mackey denies reports company plans to go private

Amid rumors that the Austin-based retail chain is in talks with two private equity firms, co-CEO John Mackey says Whole Foods is focused on its plan to boost sales and differentiate itself from competitors. Read more at the Austin America-Statesman...

Coming soon to a grocery store near you: Organic Gatorade. Yes, really.

A neon-colored drink full of sugar and sucralose doesn't exactly scream healthy or wholesome. But come next year, some bottles of Gatorade will sport and organic seal, according to a senior executive at parent company PepsiCo. Read more at Fortune...

Public to FDA: Just say no to GMO voluntary labeling

Of more than 160 comments submitted to the FDA regarding the recently approved AquAdvantage salmon, only a handful have been positive. The other 97 percent have urged the FDA to require that the genetically modified fish be labeled as so. Read more at Huffington Post...

Baltimore to give big tax break to attract more grocery stores

The city council last week approved a measure that would give grocery stores that open in food deserts an 80 percent tax break on the cash registers, refrigerators and other equipment. It's part of an ongoing effort by the city to eliminate health disparities in poor neighborhoods. Read more at The Baltimore Sun...