Senate might not buy King’s amendment to open all states to all American farm products

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) wants the federal government to force states to accept agricultural products from all 50 states, even if those products violate state or local laws. King’s proposal, which is included in the 2018 Farm Bill, is a reaction to a recent federal court ruling that upheld a California law regarding poultry cage standards. But Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and 30 other senators are pushing back. Read more at Food Safety News …

Amazon launches curbside pickup at Whole Foods stores

Just days after Kroger announced it was starting an online grocery delivery service, Amazon said it is launching curbside pickup from its brick-and-mortar Whole Foods Market stores. After customers place their orders via the Prime Now app, they can ask to have the groceries put in their car when they arrive at the store. The service already is available in Sacramento, California, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Kroger and Walmart have offered curbside service at thousands of stores. Read more at Reuters …

Potato company Simplot licenses DowDuPont’s gene-editing tech

One of the world’s biggest potato producers, J.R. Simplot, will use CRISPR gene-editing technology to change the genome of its crops. With the technology, the company could make potatoes that have longer shelf lives, are resistant to drought and don’t brown when they are exposed to oxygen. CRISPR, developed by DowDuPont, Harvard and MIT, is not going to be regulated as GMOs are, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has said. Read more at Modern Farmer ...

Walmart to sell Gobble meal kits online

While several meal-kit companies have turned to groceries to commence in-store sales, Gobble has reached an agreement with Walmart to sell its meal kits through the chain’s e-commerce site, but not in the stores. Gobble founder Ooshma Garg told Fortune magazine that the moves puts his company at the highest level of customer reach. Read more at Supermarket News …

Jury to decide Monsanto cancer suit

A Vallejo, California’s man lawsuit against pesticide giant Monsanto, in which he argues that Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma, is in the hands of the jury. DeWayne Johnson, 37, was a school district groundskeeper for four years before he was diagnosed. He will again begin chemotherapy, but his prognosis is not good. Johnson is asking for $39 million in compensatory damages and $373 million in punitive damages. Read more at SFBay.ca …