Each day at 5 p.m. we collect the five top food and supplement headlines of the day, making it easy for you to catch up on today's most important natural products industry news.

December 11, 2018

2 Min Read
5@5: Whole Foods ranks worst for cancer-linked chemicals in packaging | McDonalds vows to reduce antibiotics in beef supply

Whole Foods ranked worst on cancer-linked chemicals in packaging

A study of five major U.S. grocery chains has ranked Whole Foods the worst for the chemicals used in the packaging at its hot-food bar. There were high levels of cancer-linked chemical fluorine in five of the 17 items that were tested, four of which were containers at the grocer’s hot food and salad bar. The Amazon-owned chain is currently on the lookout for alternative packaging but has not yet released which material they will be replacing the current stock with. Read more at Bloomberg …

 

There are lots of antibiotics in the beef supply. McDonald’s vows to change this.

 

McDonalds has resolved to “use its massive scale to reduce the use of antibiotics in cows that are part of its global beef supply.” Approximately 40 percent of medically important antibiotics sold within the livestock sector go to the beef industry, which negatively impacts the drug resistance of everyone who consumes the antibiotic-laden beef. Read more at NPR  …

 

Congress’s $867 billion farm bill is out. Here’s what’s in it.

The long-awaited farm bill is out, and the nearly $900 million package is expected to be signed into law in the lame-duck session. The bill includes SNAP revisions, expanded farm subsidies and more. Read more at The Washington Post 

 

What is behind the spread of a mysterious allergy to meat?

The illness, which goes by the name “alpha-gal allergy,” turns all mammal meat (and the dairy, wool and gelatin that comes from it) into weapons of destruction for those who contract it. The culprit? A single bite from the little-studied lone star tick, a “sturdy, stealthy predator” that is able to quickly attack upon detecting the scent of a warm-blooded animal.  Read more at The Guardian ...

 

Already a climate change leader, California takes on food waste

California is tackling the major problem of food waste through investing in a food-to-energy project that turns discarded food into biofuel. The state is also expanding its organics recycling facilities and already has around 25 composting yards that accept food waste. Read this article to learn about more initiatives the state is implementing to reduce both food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Read more at Civil Eats …

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