Trader Joe's is forced to fix refrigerators, cut greenhouse gas emissions

$2 million—that's how much Trader Joe's has agreed to spend to fix leaks of a potent greenhouse gas in its refrigeration equipment as part of a settlement with the Justice Department and the EPA. It will also pay a $500,000 fine and has put in place a plan to use refrigerants that don't deplete the ozone in its new stores. Read more at the Miami Herald...

Why Perdue will grow happier (and maybe healthier) chickens

The country's fourth-largest poultry producer—which in 2014 said it was ditching antibiotics—has unveiled a comprehensive animal welfare plan with new standards for how chickens are raised and slaughtered, a re-evaluation of fast-growth genetics, plus a transparency initiative. Read more at National Geographic...

Supreme Court overturns corruption conviction of former Va. governor McDonnell

A federal jury convicted Robert McDonnell and his wife in 2014 for accepting more than $175,000 in loans and gifts from the CEO of Star Scientific, who wanted universities in Virginia to run clinical tests on its joint health supplements. But the Supreme Court overturned that conviction. Read more at The Washington Post...

Chaos ahead after Brexit vote, says UK's food and drink industry body

Uncertainty around regulation on food safety and labeling is just one of the challenges the food and beverage industry in the UK is grappling with after the referendum vote last week. The likely devaluation of the pound against the euro could drive up prices for imported ingredients and for consumers. "We now face a period of complete chaos," said Ian Wright, director general of the Food and Drink Federation. Read more at The Guardian...

Why this start-up wants to put vegetables you've never heard of on your dinner table

Blue Apron, the meal kit delivery service, plans to buy almost the entire commercial supply of fairy tale eggplants this year. And Atlas carrots. It wants to set itself apart in the crowded market with unconventional produce, plus build a loyal following of consumers and match supply with demand to make farming more efficient. Read more at The Washington Post...