Food Politics by Marion Nestle
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RFK Jr held a press conference yesterday to celebrate “the biggest news in food reform in modern history”—requiring food manufacturers to notify the FDA when they are introducing a new food additive they want considered Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). This wasn’t already required? No, it was not. This gap is the long-troubling “GRAS loophole.” […] The post Closing the GRAS loophole? It’s about time, but is that all? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I keep saying that I can often tell who funded a study from its title, and if I know the funder I can often predict the result. But sometimes I’m wrong. This is one of those times. The study: Effects of Short-Term Broccoli Powder Supplementation on Acute Oxidative Stress and Recovery Following a Metabolically Demanding […] The post An industry-funded study with a rare negative result! appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I am totally for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2015, they set targets for the betterment of global populations, to be achieved by 2030. The targets were ambitious from the get go, but it’s a global tragedy that so little has been achieved. Here’s the summary. This report is especially thoughtful, not surprising […] The post Weekend reading: Sustainable Development Goals progress (or lack thereof) appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Most people who eat enough calories get more than enough of the protein they need, so the current protein craze—putting pea, whey, and tofu into everything—doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It does sell products though. It’s hard to choose from among the most entertaining protein-supplemented products. Coffee? Protein water? Pop-Tarts? But this remains […] The post The hyper-marketing of protein, continued appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
RFK Jr’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) made many promises, most of them still in the works. But one seems to be well on the way to being achieved. Under MAHA pressure, some companies agreed to voluntarily remove petroleum-based food colors by the end of 2027. I went to the Target in Ithaca, NY last […] The post MAHA’s one achievement so far: voluntary elimination of artificial food colors appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
States have reported upwards of 20,000 cases of Cyclospora-caused explosive diarrhea, some of them–but by no means all—traced to lettuce grown by Taylor Farms in Mexico and shipped to Taco Bell and, apparently, lots of other places. The best way to keep track of all this—and it is a lot to keep track of—is to […] The post Update on the Cyclospora outbreak: What to do? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The Examination has released an investigative report in its new “Behind the Buzz” series: “Is it safe to drink Red Bull and vodka? Dubious research tied to the company has shaped energy drink policy. The company paid scientists whose studies largely found that mixing energy drinks and alcohol isn’t harmful, contrary to most research.” The studies […] The post Funding effect study of the week: Red Bull appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
One Year Later: How H.R. 1’s SNAP Policy Changes Are Reverberating Across the Food System CSPI ad GFI frame this report in an interesting way, as a tale of two distinct, and sometimes at cross-purposes, Trump administration food agendas. The first, reflected in Project 2025 and H.R. 1, represents an economic agenda focused on reducing […] The post Weekend reading: What the Trump administration has done to SNAP—and to grocery stores appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
[First, a correction to yesterday’s post about peptides. Peptides are injected, not consumed orally. Therefore, they are not regulated as supplements. I should have made this clear. Sorry.] I’ve been collecting examples of new foods coming on the market or already here, all of which raise the question: Do we need this? Salmon from spirulina? […] The post Annals of food marketing: weird, wonderful, and profitable appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Last week, MAHA proudly announced that the FDA Panel appointed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr had approved 6 of 7 Peptides over the objections of FDA scientists. The vote is a win for HHS Secretary Kennedy and MAHA, opening a path for compounding pharmacies to prepare BPC-157, TB-500 and four other popular peptides […] The post What will the FDA do about peptides? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I am outraged by the Cyclospora outbreak. It has sickened thousands of people so far (>16,000?), and made some of them very sick. Cyclospora is different from other foodborne pathogens. It comes from human waste and cannot be removed by washing (although that helps some) or killed by chlorine. It can only be removed by […] The post The Cyclospora outbreak: an everyone-is-at-fault system failure: “LettuceGate” appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Here’s how I learned about this one: KSM-66 ashwagandha may support cognition and sleep in children: Supplementation with KSM-66 ashwagandha root extract in gummy form for eight weeks is well tolerated and may enhance cognitive performance and sleep quality in children between the ages of 6 and 12, according to new research…. Read more One […] The post Industry-funded study of the week: Ashwagandha supplements appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I walked into Autumn Leaves Books in Ithaca last week to talk to them about my event there on September 12, and was surprised and delighted to see my forthcoming book with Lisa Sutherland—for the first time! Its official publication date is September 8. If you pre-order it through UC Press, you get a 30% […] The post Sugar Coated: Now Available for Pre-Order (at a discount!) appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
A Lighthouse-led international cooperative investigation has produced Big Food vs. The People, a detailed account of how food and beverage companies are filing lawsuits to block public health measures that might induce people to stop buying their products. In public, the world’s biggest and richest food companies such as Coca Cola, PepsiCola, and Mondelez say they […] The post Big Food vs. The People: lawsuits against public health measures appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
My post last week, Setting the record straight: Calley Means, generated many comments and correspondence, for which I am most grateful. I especially want to thank writers who produced their own pieces on this incident. Robyn O’Brien on Substack: The Tobacco Industry Playbook is Being Run Against the Woman Who Wrote the Book On It. […] The post A special thank you to readers for comments on “Setting the Record Straight: Calley Means appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
[To subscribers: technical problems with WP Engine prevented this from being sent out yesterday, so I’m trying it again] I received this request from Thomas Eagen, Senior Health Policy Advisor, Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee: I am reaching out with big news: Senator Sanders bill, the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act, is scheduled to be […] The post Call for letters of support: Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Someone sent me this new interactive site. from Our World in Data: How does food get traded around the world? It’s fun and useful. Scroll down the page until you come to the impossibly complicated chart on global maize trade in 2023. Ignore it. Above it are places where you can type in the product […] The post Weekend playing: food trade around the world appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
If you, as I am, are shocked by the cost of groceries, we now have the data. The Economist has been tracking food prices, in this case for a Fourth of July barbecue. Its “unappetizing conclusion”— Across the 25 cities in our sample, the basket now costs an average of $81, 12% more than a year […] The post You think food prices are rising? They are! appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Background (numbers refer to citations at the end) The Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) commission set an important goal, albeit one ironically similar to Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move” campaign: end childhood chronic disease.[1] Unfortunately, hallucinated references in the report suggested that at least some of it had been written by AI, thereby detracting […] The post What has MAHA accomplished to date? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Washington Post reporter, Tim Carman, contacted me for comment about a speech he heard made by RFK Jr’s top food advisor, Calley Means, in which Means made patently false charges about my work. From Carman’s report, MAHA Mondays at the Great American State Fair miss one obvious problem: Means suggested her research had been bankrolled […] The post Setting the record straight: Calley Means appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
This will be a Food and Nutrition section panel. Details to follow. The post San Antonio: American Public Health Association appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I learned about this one from a National Pork Board story in SciTechDaily: Animal vs. Plant Protein: Scientists Found a Surprising Nutritional Difference. A 2023 Purdue University study found that two ounce equivalents (oz-eq) of animal-based protein foods supplied more bioavailable essential amino acids (EAA) than the same two oz-eq amount of plant-based protein foods. Essential amino acids […] The post Industry-funded study of the week: plant v. animal proteins appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Nick Freudenberg. Fighting for New York: Activism for Health and Social Justice. Columbia University Press, 2026. I wrote a blurb for this book, happily: A roadmap for health activists, Fighting for New York illustrates each step needed for successful advocacy through campaigns conducted by a wide range of city-based community organizations since the 1960s. These […] The post Weekend reading: Fighting for New York appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I’ve been collecting items on microplastics, for which research is finding increasing evidence for harm to human and environmental health. Here are some relatively recent examples of what’s out there on this topic. NOTE: Today and Tomorrow: NIH is holding a hybrid Workshop on Micro[nano]plastic Measurement for Population Studies: link to registration is here. Should […] The post Microplastics: research and commentary appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
An article in Food Business News caught my eye: The companies most exposed to consumer UPF concerns. The article is based on an analysis by BNP Paribus, which tracks the effects of the new dietary guidelines on the food industry. It looked at the percent of 12 food companies’ products that are ultra-processed (Nova 4 […] The post Ultra-processed foods are not increasing sales as much as unprocessed foods appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
My days of having small children are long past, but my heart breaks for families trying to decide what to feed infants who cannot be breastfed. Powdered infant formula is the least expensive option. Unfortunately—and tragically these days—it is not sterile. Ordinary bacterial contaminants are not a problem. Pathogens are. In recent years, there have […] The post Contaminated infant formula: Unsafe, unpunished, corrupted appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Let’s start this July 4 week with a bit of good news. Santa Cruz gets to keep the tax it passed in 2024. The Santa Cruz Sentinel: City of Santa Cruz wins court ruling on soda tax. The Sacramento County Superior Court denied a petition challenging Santa Cruz’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax….The tax was approved by […] The post Happy July 4: Santa Cruz gets to keep its soda tax appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I am on the advisory council to the National Food Museum, an online project created by Michael Jacobson, the now-retired founder and president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. It currently hosts three exhibits. (1) Food Impact Meter: This tells you how specific foods affect health and the environment. (2) Video Vault: […] The post Weekend viewing: The National Food Museum appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The USDA published occasional “charts of note.” I thought this one was especially useful. The chart gives an estimate of total spending on food in the U.S.—an astonishing $2.51 trillion in 2025. $1.4 trillion goes for food away from home. $1.1 trillion goes for food at home. The data are from USDA’s Food Expenditure Series, […] The post USDA: Food in the U.S. is a $2.5 trillion business! appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I am not a litigious person, so I rarely pay attention to lawsuits, but this notice caught my eye: Chobani sued by Danone over high-protein yogurt claims: The Oikos maker said its rival is engaging in “unfair competition and consumer deception” to make its product more appealing to shoppers. Danone says Chobani is inflating the amount […] The post Latest episode in the yogurt wars: Danone sues Chobani appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The Supreme Court has just handed Bayer, which owns Monsanto, a “landmark victory.” The decision may well overturn thousands of pending cases of people suing Bayer in the belief that the herbicide glyphosate (Roundup) caused them to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Monsanto v. Durnell states its premise in the first paragraph: […] The post The Supreme Court’s Decision about Glyphosate: Wrong, Infuriating, and Un-MAHA appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I learned about this one from a British public relations firm. Hey Marion, Eating an egg a day could cut Alzheimer’s risk by 27%, major new study reveals as UK searches for dementia prevention hit a five-year high. The press release linked to the study Egg Intake and the Incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease in the […] The post Industry funded study of the week: eggs and Alzheimer’s appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The Global Food Institute at George Washington University has a new report out: Changing the Default: A Policy Roadmap for Reducing Added Sugars in U.S. Children’s Diets, by Fielding-Singh, P., D. Cherlin, and M. Maitin-Shepard. June 2026. What the report is about: American children today consume far too much added sugar, and it is harming […] The post Weekend reading: less sugar for kids! appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) loophole refers to the way the FDA allows food manufacturers basically to decide for themselves whether the additives they are using are safe, voluntarily or not. Closing the loophole is a key goal of the Make America Healthy Again Movement (MAHA), and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has […] The post The latest on closing the GRAS loophole appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I know I just wrote about botulism in powdered infant formula but it upsets me so much that I have to do it again. We now have a second outbreak, first ByHeart now Nara, both linked to contaminated organic whole milk from the same German supplier. Yes, botulism in infant formula is rare, but not […] The post Botulism in infant formula: Companies must prevent this. Now. appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Yesterday, a US District Court in the District of Columbia ruled that the USDA violated its own laws when it approved SNAP food restriction waivers allowing states to ban purchases of sodas and some other foods using their Electronic Benefit Cards (they can still buy those foods using their own money). The decision makes riveting […] The post Oops. District Court in DC says USDA’s state SNAP waivers are illegal appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Who knew raspberries were an industry. As it happens, every food has its own industry, each more desperate than the next to prove it is a superfood so you will buy it and not its competing foods. Here’s how I heard about this one: Red raspberries linked to better blood sugar control and memory in […] The post Industry funded study of of the week: raspberries appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Legal issues about CBD and THC edibles continue to be in flux, and not only in the United States. DOJ, DEA Reschedule Medical Cannabis Products: The rescheduling follows a 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump, which called on the U.S. Attorney General to “take all necessary steps to complete the rulemaking process related to rescheduling […] The post Weekend reading: cannabis edibles appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Apparently so. According to the New York Times, the city has banned ads promoting activities linked to high carbon emissions. Meat is high on that list. On May 1, Amsterdam became the world’s first capital city to ban ads for fossil fuel products and meat. It’s part of the city’s efforts to discourage consumption of […] The post Did Amsterdam really ban meat ads? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Here’s what got me started on this one: SNAP waivers could lead to $830M sales loss for soda, candy, energy drinks: By the end of 2026, state-specific restrictions are expected to impact one-third of participants in the government food assistance program, Numerator found. Redirected or reduced spending by SNAP households could lead to sales losses of $430 […] The post SNAP waivers: bad for business? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
StatNews ‘ Isabella Cueto and J. Emory Parker did a detailed analysis of 80 promises made by the MAHA administration and evaluated progress toward meeting them. I’ve pulled out the promises most relevant to food and nutrition (I’m surprised at how many there are). These are worth reading, not least because of Stat’s thoughtful analysis of what the […] The post Stat News’ assessment of MAHA progress: a mixed bag appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Once again, I am breaking my rule about no guest posts, but this one is too much fun not to share. Erin Weinger interviewed me for her Substack, which she calls Going to Seed, and agreed to let me do a repost. I thought this would be a great way to start the week. Enjoy! […] The post Guest post: A visit to my Manhattan terrace appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
In September 2025, I was invited by the Flagstaff Family Food Center to give a talk on “Anti-Hunger Politics 2025: Planting Seeds for Resilience.” This is an organization in Northern Arizona doing outstanding anti-hunger work. The Center has just produced its 2025 Northern Arizona Food Equity Report. The online copy is here. It is well worth […] The post Weekend reading: Flagstaff anti-hunger efforts appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I was riveted to come across this item. Coked-Up Salmon Go Speeding Upstream: Have you ever wondered whether the cocaine you snort ends up giving Atlantic salmon the zoomies? It turns out it does—at least to a certain extent. Welcome to the Salmonopolis 500. No. It never entered my mind. But now there is a study: Cocaine […] The post Do salmon really get high on cocaine? And will you if you eat it? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
My forthcoming (September 8) book with Lisa Sutherland, Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food, discusses Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) efforts to remove potentially harmful artificial colors from the food supply. I just bought the first cereal that dropped those colors and replaced them with vegetable dyes. The company did […] The post A MAHA Win? Trix without petroleum dyes appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I don’t usually host guest posts here, but I read food safety lawyer Bill Marler’s blog and obtained his permission to reprint it. It should be obvious why I thought you should read it. We’re Turning Off the Smoke Detectors on America’s Food Supply By Bill Marler on June 6, 2026 Posted in Case News The people who find […] The post Food safety in peril: a post from Bill Marler appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Last week on my way home from the Washington, DC, launch of the ultra-processed papers from the American Journal of Public Health, I was corresponding with Richard McCarthy (Think Like Pirates) about our mutual sadness about the death of Slow Food founder, Carlo Petrini. Richard said our conversation inspired him to ask the free ChatGBT to […] The post The wonders of AI: a cubist portrait appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems has released its latest report, The New Geopolitics of Food: Navigating policies for resilient self-reliance. The report focuses on how “how wars, trade disputes, aid cuts, climate shocks, and weakening international cooperation are pushing up food prices, deepening hunger, and reshaping global food security.” It draws on […] The post Weekend reading: IPES-Food’s report on the New Geopolitics of Food appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Nutritionists like me cannot understand why people think they need more protein, so much so that the food industry is putting protein into everything. Most Americans consume close to twice the amount of protein needed, and practically anyone who consumes enough calories gets plenty. Protein is in lots of foods and it’s really hard not […] The post The eye-rolling protein craze: some thoughts appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The American Journal of Public Health has just published a series of papers on ultraprocessed foods to which I contributed this editorial. These papers are released today as part of the launch of new initiative, Fed UP! aimed at establishing policies to help reduce consumption of ultraprocessed foods and prevent their harm to health. Press […] The post American Journal of Public Health series on Ultraprocessed Foods: My Editorial appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The True Health Initiative held its 2nd Annual Global Health Misinformation Symposium, in which I participated. The papers from the symposium have just been published in the American Journal of Health Promotion. They are available under the heading “Knowing Well, Being Well” on the journal’s site. All are open access. My contribution is here. Food […] The post American Journal of Health Promotion: papers on misinformation: my latest appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I learned about this one first from a reader, Kevin Mitchell, and later from Leslie Raabe of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Beef vs. Chicken: Surprising Results From New Prediabetes Study A new randomized controlled trial (RCT) offers insight into one often-debated question: does eating red meat worsen metabolic health in people already at […] The post Industry funded study of the week: beef again appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I usually do posts about conflicts of interest on Mondays, but wanted to acknowledge the death of Carlo Petrini right away this week. So here’s the Monday post. David A Cleveland, Research Professor in the Department of Geography, and Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, sent this one: Skimming through this I found an […] The post Weekend reading: Industry influenced opinion of the week appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The FDA says artificial sweeteners are safe at current levels of use. It has established Acceptable Daily Intakes for most of them. These levels are much, much higher than anyone is likely to consume in a day. But: The benefits and risk of these sweeteners continue to be debated. The Benefits? Rethinking sweetness in an […] The post Artificial sweeteners: risks vs. benefits? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Yes, I know baby food pouches are convenient and let babies feed themselves without making a mess. But I can think of so many reasons not to use them. Baby food pouches: Contain foods that are generally too sweet. Contain homogenious textures. Do not teach babies about the color, taste, and texture of real foods. […] The post Greenpeace finds microplastics in baby food pouches appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
It’s impossible not to notice all the reports of declining food sales. I’ve been talking about four existential threats to the food industry: Robert F. Kennedy Jr (“The food industry is poisoning America”) Ultra-processed foods (dietary guidelines advise eating less of them) GLP-1 drugs (they reduce food intake) Inflation (people can’t afford to overeat) To […] The post Is Big Food in trouble? Five existential threats. appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Carlo Petrini and Slow Food acolytes in Turin, 2016. As a member of Slow Food USA, I received its notice about the death of its founder, Carlo Petrini, at age 76 in Bra, Italy. A visionary leader and public intellectual with a profound commitment to the common good, human relationships, and the natural world, […] The post RIP Carlo Petrini: a huge loss to the food world and to humanity appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
When I wrote about dogs getting stoned on cannabis edibles last week, I had no idea this was a thing. From Bill Nesheim (my sort of son-in-law): This has been a fairly big problem for hikers in New Hampshire. I’ve seen a number of situations where dogs needed to be rescued from the mountains due […] The post Dogs and cannabis edibles: readers weigh in appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
You might think of GLP-1 drugs as miracles of modern medicine, but the food industry views them as a threat. Why? Eating less is bad for business. The Threat Data: Alarming new research reveals threat GLP-1s pose to food and drink sector: New research has revealed that as many as 8% of Britons now use weight […] The post The effects of GLP-1 drugs on the food industry: A collection of recent items appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
While we are on the subject of stocking standards for grocery stores, take a look at what’s happening in Scotland. Less sugar, more pressure: Scotland’s HFSS rules force a food industry rethink: With Scotland’s HFSS restrictions arriving in October, food manufacturers are under mounting pressure to reformulate products without sacrificing taste, texture or brand identity… […] The post Scotland’s new stocking rules appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The USDA has announced that retailers who serve SNAP recipients will now have to carry more real food. As of fall 2026, Retailers authorized to accept SNAP benefits must now carry seven varieties of items across four categories of staple foods: protein, grains, dairy, and fruits and vegetables. This change more than doubles the requirement […] The post USDA expands stocking standards for retailers who serve SNAP recipients appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Navid Teimouri, who is at the School of Public Health, University of Queensland, sent me his team’s recently published analysis of meat industry sponsored nutrition studies and their outcomes: Is Meat Industry Affiliation Associated With Study Conclusion in Nutrition Research? A Meta-Research Review. This is a classic study of what the late Sheldon Krimsky called […] The post Meat industry: the funding effect appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I am a big fan of Whole Dog Journal, a terrifically interesting and useful publication about anything you might want to know about having a dog as a pet—or family member. One of its recent articles: What to Do If Your Dog Eats Marijuana (Edibles, Weed, Vape Cartridges, etc.) I wrote about cannabis edibles in a chapter […] The post Weekend warning: pets and cannabis edibles appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Secretary Kennedy promised to define ultra-processed foods by April (after a call for input), but then said it may be too complicated to define these foods for policy purposes. Apparently not. Healthy Eating Research convened an expert panel. It made three recommendations: I. Definition A food product is ultra-processed if it contains at least one […] The post Ultra-processed food defined: not all that complicated appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The USDA has announced its implementation of President Trump’s Whole Milk for Health Kids Act. This act (see Federal Register notice): Removes requirements that school milk be fat-free or low fat, flavored or not. Permits schools to also offer whole and reduced-fat milks, flavored or not. Excludes the saturated fat in milk from counting toward […] The post Whole milk in schools: Will it make kids healthier? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Let me start with a summary from Food Safety News: The final four in the [meat] consolidation game are: JBS – This Brazil-based food giant is the world’s largest beef processor. It owns facilities that slaughter and pack over 20,000 cattle per day in the U.S. Tyson Foods – Known for chicken, Tyson is also the second largest […] The post Meat industry consolidation: a national security issue? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
As I endlessly repeat, industry-funded studies tend to favor the sponsor’s commercial interests. The correlation between industry funding and study outcome is not 100% however. Exceptions do occur. Here’s one sent to me by a reader, Matthew Kadey: “Marion, a rare industry funded study with results that likely did not please the sponsors.” The study: Effects […] The post A rare exception: an industry-funded study with negative results appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I just got my copy of the University of California Press catalog for Fall 2026. The full catalog does not seem to be online yet (mine is hard copy), but the UC Press entry for Sugar Coated is here. The publication date is September 8. It can be pre-ordered: Amazon(opens in new window) Barnes & Noble(opens […] The post Official announcement: Sugar Coated appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I saw this on AgWeb: I knew this came from USDA’s Food Dollar series, which reports measurements of where the food dollar goes in the chain of production. The USDA also illustrates the dollar in reports. The most recent, with figures from 2023, is here. These USDA illustrations used to be easier to read, so […] The post Farmers get short-changed in our current food system appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
In the way this administration announces things, I saw this on X. The FDA’s one-page summary says the agency had tested more than 300 samples of infant formulas with these results: If there is a more detailed report, I can’t find it. Food Safety News points out The FDA did not say which brands it […] The post FDA says infant formulas are free of toxic metals (mostly) appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Last week, I wrote about what I consider to be a national tragedy: the splitting up and relocation of crucial USDA units. The latest is USDA’s renaming, splitting up, and relocating the Food and Nutrition Service, the agency responsible for running SNAP and other food assistance programs. USDA’s actions: I. Rename the Food and Nutrition […] The post More tragedy: USDA renames, splits up, relocates SNAP services appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I spotted this one in the Journal of Nutrition, and took a guess at who must have paid for it. The study: The Effect of Three Daily Servings of Full-Fat Dairy for 12 Weeks on Body Weight, Body Composition, Energy Metabolism, Blood Lipids, and Dietary Intake of Adults with Overweight and Obesity. J Nutr 2026 Apr;156(4):101373. doi: […] The post Industry-funded study of the week: Full-fat dairy and body weight appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Nick Chater & George Loewenstein. It’s On You: How the Rich and Powerful have convinced us that we’re to blame for society’s deepest problems. WH Allen, 2026. 345 pages. This book directly addresses an issue I’ve fussed about for ages: putting the blame for poor diets on individuals and ignoring the social and political forces […] The post Weekend reading: It’s all your fault appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I am not usually a fan of techno foods, but I have to admit: this one might have possibilities. World’s first cell-based chocolate bar developed with Mondelēz: The first-ever milk chocolate bars made with cell-cultivated cocoa butter have been produced… Read more Here’s how this works: Celleste Bio uses cell suspension culture technology to produce […] The post Cell-based chocolate? Oh, why not. appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
One of the reasons for Monday’s rally at the Supreme Court (see Monday’s post) is the food industry’s efforts to be able to continue to use whatever additives it chooses, without regulatory oversight. A press release from the Environmental Working Group warns: ‘FRESH’ and Affordable Foods Act is rotten to the core. This refers to […] The post Preempting the GRAS loophole: not a good idea appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
It’s deja vu all over again. During the Trump I administration, I wrote repeatedly about the tragic relocation of the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) to Kansas. As I said, the Government Accountability Office confirmed my analysis. Why tragic? I don’t have anything against Kansas, but expecting long-time residents of the Washington, DC area to […] The post American tragedy redux: USDA is relocating more programs out of the DC area appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Farm Action has joined Vani Hari (the Food Babe) and other groups in this People vs. Poison rally. Livestream it here. The “poison” here is glyphosate, the potentially carcinoenic weed killer manufactured by Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) for use with genetically modified crops. People vs. Poison says, “For decades they poisoned us for profit. […] The post Happening today: Rally against glyphosate at the Supreme Court: The People vs. Poison appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Vital Strategies has issued two reports about digital marketing of soda and alcohol based on AI analysis of web content: Sick from Scrolling: Protecting the Next Generation from the Flood of Unregulated Social Media Marketing. Soda and alcohol marketing is flooding social media at a scale that outpaces regulation—embedding brands into sports highlights, influencer content […] The post Weekend reading: online marketing of soda and alcohol appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Pesticides, herbicides, and other agricultural chemicals in food are of great concern right now, and getting rid of them is high on the agenda of Make America Health Again (MAHA). This will not be easy. The chemicals pervade the food supply and Big Ag producers claim that cannot grow food without them. We have already […] The post Current events in agricultural chemicals appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
It’s hard to keep up with what’s happening with food innovations. Manufacturers have to keep coming up with new products to encourage sales. Functional foods—those with ingredients over and above what’s in natural foods—seem to work. But so do others. Here is a sample. Functional food craze: What are the next breakout ingredients? After a year […] The post Annals of food marketing: some new items appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
FRAC, the venerable Food Research & Action Center, is tracking trends in SNAP participation. The decline is not because of lack of need. As FRAC explains, it is the result of deliberate efforts by the Trump administration to reduce SNAP enrollments. At the end of 2024, President Trump intervened to allow replacement benefits for victims […] The post Just as expected, SNAP participation is declining, and by a lot appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
No food or supplement is too small to evade research aimed at selling it. Try this one: ADM study: Postbiotic supports metabolic health markers in labradors: Supplementing labradors with the postbiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis CECT 8145 may influence metabolic health markers during weight change, according to ADM research…. Read more ADM makes dietary supplements. NutraIngredients.com […] The post Industry funded study of the week: a dog supplement appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I always like to know what the food industry is thinking, and was interested to run across a new report from the National Association of Manufacturers: Manufacturers Feed America: Strengthening Communities, Fueling Innovation, Growing the Economy. It begins: Behind every grocery store shelf is a carefully designed system that ensures American families can count on […] The post Weekend reading: Manufacturers Feed America appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
With all the fuss over defining the term ultra-processed, public and private groups are filling the gap with labels that identify foods that are not ultra-processed. I know of three ultra-processed labeling initiatives so far. I. Leading the way is the Non GMO Project. It already is licensing foods meeting its non ultra-processed standards to carry this seal. […] The post Coming soon to a supermarket near you: Non ultra-processed! appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I’ve been writing about Beyond Meat’s financial troubles since at least 2022, so the latest problems come as no surprise. Beyond Meat, you will recall, makes plant-based meat alternatives: nutrition powerhouses, clean protein, fiber essential for the gut microbiome. Recently, Beyond Meat announced that it would be moving into beverages—“a logical move—and not an admission […] The post What’s happening to Beyond Meat? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
EPA, HHS Announce Historic Actions to Protect Americans from Microplastics and Safeguard Drinking Water [EPA] For the first time in the program’s history, EPA is including microplastics as a priority contaminant group in its draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6), now open for public comment. CCL 6 also includes pharmaceuticals as a group—another first—along […] The post The new microplastics initiatives: steps in the right direction appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I was interested to run across this article announcement: Nestlé researchers find Taurine-B vitamin blend may support motivation: A study in healthy adults found that daily supplementation had a positive impact on motivation, attention, mental energy and effort toward achieving goals after 14 days of intake…. Read more It immediately raised the question: Why would […] The post Industry-funded study of the week: Taurine supplements appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I know I just posted a bunch of these, but here are even more. To understand what’s happening with alternative meats—both plant- and cell-based—it helps to remember that companies making these products are businesses funded by venture capitalists. The European Union’s recent ban on using the term “meaty” to apply to these products could have […] The post Weekend reading: more on alternative meats appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The new MAHA dietary guidelines could mean that changes are coming to school meals. Or so the USDA says. While waiting for the USDA to issue new rules, various groups are urging specific improvements. United We Eat, a coalition of MAHA-supporting groups, urges the USDA Secretary to get busy Aligning School Meal Standards with the […] The post New school food rules on the horizon? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Mehmet Oz’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent a memo to hospitals last week, telling them to align their food service policies and practices with the 2025–2030 dietary guidelines (see announcement in video). Hospitals should: • Limit ultra-processed food options for patients. • Eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages unless clinically appropriate in limited scenarios. • […] The post HHS issues new guidelines for food served in hospitals appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The American Heart Association has just published its updated dietary guidelines: The 2026 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association [the press release is here]. These constitute a firm rebuttal to the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) guidelines issued in January. The AHA’s clear and straightforward messages are […] The post Dietary guidelines: AHA v. MAHA appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Eileen M. Duffy, Publisher and editor of Edible Port City (Wilmington NC) sent me this announcement: Kimchi probiotic promotes the excretion of nanoplastics from the gut. Experiments have confirmed that lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi can bind with intestinal microplastics and promote their excretion from the body. In an animal study, the amount of […] The post Industry-funded study of the week: Kimchi appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Vital Strategies has just released two of its Canary platform reports based on use of AI. Here’s its webinar. From Stadiums to Screens: Coca-Cola’s Sportswashing at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Exposing Alcohol’s Advertising Playbook: Digital Marketing in RESET Alcohol Initiative Countries The findings: During the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (June 14-July 13), Coca-Cola […] The post Weekend reading: AI’s analysis of soda and alcohol marketing on social media appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
While we are on the topic of labels, here’s the USDA’s newest: “Tastes like freedom?” You have to love the Orwellian rhetoric. “Our great patriot ranchers and producers grow, raise, and harvest the world’s safest, most affordable, and abundant food supply. American consumers want to support America by buying American and this label will strengthen […] The post USDA’s newest label: Made in America appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
RFK Jr has promised that we will soon ahve a new front-of-package label.. As soon as they define ultra-processed foods, Every food in your grocery store will have a label on it,” Kennedy told [Joe] Rogan. “It’ll have, maybe, a green light, a red light, or a yellow light telling you whether or not it’s […] The post Front-of-package label designs: Which one works best? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
I can hardly believe that infant formula, one of the most tightly regulated products on the market, is in the news, but it sure is. Let’s start with RFK Jr. Amazing. I thought infant formula companies were already doing that. Without question, millions of Americans were raised on the existing infant formulas and have done […] The post What’s happening with infant formula? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
A reader, Betsy Keller, sent me this one. Her question: Who funded this? Take a guess! The study: The Sweet Tooth Trial: A Parallel Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating the Effects of A 6-Month Low, Regular, or High Dietary Sweet Taste Exposure on Sweet Taste Liking, and Various Outcomes Related to Food Intake and Weight Status. The […] The post Industry-funded study of the week: The Sweet Tooth Trial appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Take a look at this new report: I love the report’s quick summary: Mostly, this report looks at additives. The authors looked at 800 products. Their basic finding: the cheaper the price, the greater the number of additives. The report calls for a collection of policy interventions to improve standards for additives in foods. I […] The post Weekend reading: The hidden cost of cheap food appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
Plant- and cell-based meats are not doing as well as expected, and the new dietary guidelines, pro-meat and anti-highly processed don’t help this cause much. Here are some items I’ve collected lately on this topic. Does plant-based meat still dominate the meat-free sector? Meat alternatives are in trouble, but traditional plant-based and vegetarian foods will […] The post Catching up with meat alternatives appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle
A reader, Jennifer Windh, has done some serious investigation of loopholes in USDA’s school food rules that allow lots of ultra-processed snacks to be sold a la carte (“competitive foods”) outside of the USDA’s school meals program. USDA’s nutrition tandards also apply to competitive foods: Smart Snacks in Schools. The final rule for these standards, […] The post USDA school food rules allow plenty of ultra-processed snacks appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle