Lawsuits challenging food labels on the rise, but are they good for consumers?

It seems that many food labeling and transparency issues may play out in the courts, rather than in the hands of the FDA and the FTC, as a slew of consumer class action lawsuits against companies like Trader Joe's and Kraft Heinz have been filed in recent months. Read more at Chicago Tribune...

Noosa's playbook for gaining ground on industry giants

What started with an amazing food experience in Australia has turned into a $100 million-a-year business for Koel Thomae and dairy farmer Rob Graves. Read more at Fast Company...

Check your freezers: Massive recall of frozen fruits and veggies expands after Listeria outbreak

Packaging company CRF Frozen Foods has recalled nearly 360 organic and non-organic frozen fruit and vegetable products from 42 brands (sold at Trader Joe's, Costco, Walmart and more) for possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. So far, eight people have been hospitalized. Read more at The Washington Post...

The labeling shortcut

With regards to defining natural, the FDA is asking the wrong question, according to the faculty director of the Pace–Natural Resources Defense Council Food Law Initiative. Relying on labeling to regulate the food system risks leaving consumers behind. Read more at Slate...

5 cent fee on plastic bags is approved by New York City Council

After two years of debate on the issue, the council passed a bill that would require certain retailers to collect a fee for giving customers paper and plastic bags starting in October. Read more at The New York Times...