5@5: The future of food safety | Best wellness trends | Protecting ethical vegans5@5: The future of food safety | Best wellness trends | Protecting ethical vegans

What direction will food safety go in 2020?

Food-safety issues are nothing new, unfortunately. How will the industry, regulators and public health officials address the problem this year? In this opinion column, Coral Beach points out that creating a digital, traceable footprint is one long-discussed solution that still isn't in place. Meanwhile, outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella continue and no one is behind held accountable. Read more at Food Safety News…

The 10 best wellness trends of the 2010s

Some wellness practices moved into the mainstream during the last 10 years, and Forbes contributor Bruce Y. Lee found 10 he likes, including eco-friendly apparel, plant-based diets, personalized nutrition and more. Let's hope they continue into the new year and beyond. Read more at Forbes…

Farmers got billions from taxpayers in 2019 with little notice

Last year, American farmers received about $19 billion in federal aid, and they'll get more this year. Some of the funds came from long-standing government programs, such as crop insurance for farmers whose fields were flooded. Most of the money, however, was sent without Congressional approval to cushion the pain caused by the long trade wars between the U.S. and China. Read more at NPR…

Styrofoam: It's dinner for mealworms

Recent research found that mealworms can eat Styrofoam that has been treated with flame-retardant chemicals and break it all down. The mealworms aren't the best solution for plastic and Styrofoam waste—we still need to phase them out—but it's better than letting the trash get into the ocean. Read more at Modern Farmer…

U.K. judge rules anti-discrimination law covers ethical veganism

Ethical vegans—those who don't wear wool or leather, advocate against testing on animals and, of course, eat only plant-based diets—are protected under the United Kingdom's anti-discrimination law, a judge ruled Friday. The judge found that ethical veganism is a philosophical belief after a man was fired from his job for questioning some of his employer's investments. Read more at the Los Angeles Times…