Cargill link to anti-GMO group spurs criticism from farmers

Adapting to a shift in consumer taste for products that don't contain genetically modified ingredients, Cargill has made efforts to have a handful of its ingredients verified by the Non-GMO Project, including some sweeteners and soybean oil. But some farmers who grow soy, canola and cotton aren't happy. "It's a slap in the face," says one farmer, referring to the company's dealing with a group that says there's no scientific consensus on the safety of GMOs. But Cargill says modified and non-GMO ingredients can co-exist. Read more at Bloomberg...

With Sweet Earth Natural Foods, a corporate couple goes from Pepsi and Whoppers to quinoa burritos

Inspired by their vegetarian daughter, Brian and Kelly Swette started Sweet Earth Natural Foods in 2012 with $5 million of their own money. Today the company has 200 employees and $25 million in annual revenue from the frozen vegetarian meals and entrées it sells in 10,000 stores nationwide (and also a NEXTY Award from Natural Products Expo West 2017). A former chief marketing officer at Pepsico and CMO of eBay, Brian says he likes the nimbleness of working on a small business and hopes to be able to grow it to several hundred million in revenue. Read more at Forbes...

How Target is redesigning to take on Amazon

A store overhaul that Target hopes will help keep it relevant in the age of Amazon will affect hundreds of stores nationwide over the next two years. The opposite of "small format," the new Target stores will occupy 124,000 square feet, include wood fixtures and large glass windows, and essentially divide themselves into two sections: one that appeals to "slow," browsing shoppers, and another for hurried grab-and-go shoppers. Read more at Co.Design...

Will Chipotle's new tortillas save its soul?

On its journey to turn around its damaged reputation following food safety scares in 2015 and 2016, Chipotle is debuting new, simpler tortillas made with a maximum of five ingredients that consumers can easily identify. Chipotle stripped out common ingredients in mass-market tortillas like fumaric acid and sorbic acid. Read more at Eater...

America's obsession with specialty, organic foods linked to widening class differences, book argues

In a new book called Discriminating Tastes, Margot Finn explores how income inequality and food trends correlate. Read more at Michigan Radio...