FDA to consider what ‘healthy’ means and other claims food companies can make

The FDA is working on revising definitions of natural and healthy and may come up with an icon or symbol for products that meet the new definition, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said at the National Food Policy Conference this week. It’s also weighing what health claims manufacturers can make and how they list ingredients, and streamlining its process for reviewing qualified health claims. The Trump administration had stirred up some concern that it would roll back nutrition regulations when it postponed the deadline for manufacturers to update their nutrition labels in the fall, but Gottlieb implied that the administration will continue to explore ways to reduce rates of obesity and chronic disease through nutrition. Read more at CNBC…

The next Kirkland? Online retailers create their own brands

Costco has Kirkland, Kroger has Simple Truth, and now e-commerce outlets are developing private label brands of their own, hoping to find the same loyalty and higher margins that brick-and-mortar retailers have achieved. Jet.com launched Uniquely J last year, Boxed.com has Prince & Spring, Amazon has several brands, including 365 Everyday Value, and Thrive Market has its own brand, too—and they are putting more pressure on national companies. Read more at U.S. News and World Report…

Food LogiQ raises $19.5 million to promote ‘traceability’ in the food industry

Tyson Ventures, Greenhouse Capital and other investors contributed to a fresh round of funding for Food LogiQ, which has a cloud-based SaaS program that verifies suppliers’ information, traces food on its journey throughout the supply chain and helps simplify food recalls. Read more at The Spoon…

Grocery wars turn small chains into battlefield casualties

Tops and the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo have both filed for bankruptcy in the last month, as the grocery wars wage on and big players like Walmart and Amazon put the squeeze on small and mid-sized grocers. Read more at The New York Times…

Gluten-free vegan bakery owner is finalist in Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship

Jeanette Harris is the owner of Gluten Free Goat Bakery & Café in Garfield, Pennsylvania, and a finalist in the Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship, a program that provides grants and mentoring to female entrepreneurs. If she is selected as one of the winners, she wants to create a teaching kitchen to help people with Celiac disease prepare meals, or install an herb garden and solar panels on the roof of her shop. Read more at Next Pittsburgh…