If you’ve ever bitten into a juicy, red strawberry only to find that it was watery and somewhat flavorless, certain pesticides could be to blame. In a recent study, scientists found that two common fungicides used on strawberries — boscalid (BOS) and difenoconazole (DIF) — can affect the fruit’s cellular mechanisms and mute its sweetness […]
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been a hot topic and source of controversy for several years. Now, to muddle things further, a new USDA law that took effect January 1, 2022, requires any foods that have been genetically modified to be identified as “bioengineered.” Many consumers may have looked for non-GMO and genetically engineered (GE) […]
By Brett Wilkins After a federal judge rejected a $2 billion class-action proposal from Bayer to avert future lawsuits alleging its popular Roundup herbicide causes cancer, the pharmaceutical and chemical giant announced Thursday that it would consider ending sales of the glyphosate-based weedkiller for residential use in the United States. In a statement, Bayer said […]
By Andrea Germanos Food safety campaigners on Thursday welcomed a federal court’s finding that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) violated U.S. law in its approval of genetically engineered salmon. “This decision underscores what scientists have been telling FDA for years — that creating genetically engineered salmon poses an unacceptable risk if the fish escape […]
The yearly count of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico, released Wednesday, shows an increase of 144 percent from last year’s count and is the highest count since 2006. That’s good news for a species whose numbers had fallen in recent years, but conservationists say the monarch continues to need Endangered Species Act protection. The count […]
The European Union’s license extension of the world’s most popular weedkiller, glyphosate, was based on a review that heavily plagiarized industry studies, according to a report (pdf) commissioned by European parliamentarians (MEPs). The new analysis released Tuesday compares whether a risk assessment of the controversial herbicide was actually authored by scientists representing Germany’s Federal Institute […]
By Caroline Cox Many parents cheered about 10 years ago when Michelle Obama took on the important task of improving school meals. Of course, every child should have a healthy lunch and breakfast. Most of us have school cafeteria stories; I still remember the feeling of failure I had decades ago when I realized my […]
Update, Jan. 25, this post includes new reporting: Since the Jan. 8 judgement, new reports have called Monsanto’s “patent victory”—and the media’s reporting of it—into doubt. It appears that the Supreme Court reversed the case to a single judge of the Delhi Hight Court for trial, which will determine the validity of Monsanto’s patent for […]
By Andrea Germanos Food safety advocates are expressing sharp disappointment with the final federal GMO labeling rule, released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). While industry-friendly Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue asserted in a press statement that the new standard for foods produced using genetic engineering (GE or GMO) would boost “the transparency of […]