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Today’s post is on palm oil. I decided on the topic while I was snacking on a bag of plantain chips (pictured below) at my desk. I flipped it over to read the ingredients and was surprised to find palm oil on the list. I’ve definitely heard about it in regards to the environment and…

I’ve written posts on alcohol labels, wine grapes, and sparkling wine. Now it’s time for another beverage, craft beer. I’m guessing you’ve heard the term, considering the number of breweries in the U.S. has skyrocketed to 7,450 last year from 1,574 just a decade ago. But, wait. What’s the difference between regular beer and craft…

A few weeks ago, industry professionals gathered together in LA for the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, Healthy Food Expo West, and Coffee Fest. I was lucky enough to attend and see some of the exciting new things at play in the food and beverage industry. Technology was definitely a big theme. When isn’t it?…

I came up with the topic of this post after looking at this picture from a bag of food. It’s proudly proclaiming to be a local business owned and operated out of California. Any guesses where it’s from? That’s right…McDonald’s. Yes, I indulge every once in a while, even though I write about food and…

I wrote a basic post about milk a few months ago. Today I’d like to expand on the category and write about Organic milk. I’ll go into its regulations, labeling, and nutrition. Like most other Organic products sold in the United States, Organic milk is regulated by the USDA. Because milk comes from livestock, it’s…

This post is on an open comment period held by APHIS, an agency within the USDA, titled Movement of Certain Genetically Engineered Organisms. I know it’s a mouthful, which is why I’m going to deconstruct it here. APHIS has been the main regulatory agency for biotechnology and GMOs since 1987. If you need a refresher on…

Today I’d like to go over some common label claims and dive into what they mean (or don’t mean). All of these I’ve seen on products while grocery shopping. There are so many claims, and they are ever-changing, so this will not be the last post on the topic. If you have questions about something…

The USDA has an open comment period titled Identifying Regulatory Reform Initiatives. It comes from an Executive Order signed in February 2017 requiring federal agencies to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens. This order requires each agency to establish a Regulatory Reform Task Force and Officer. They evaluate regulations and make recommendations for repeals and modifications. Specifically,…

This post is another introduction into regulations. As you probably know, the USDA has many departments and functions. What I’ll be covering today is the arm known as the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and their task of developing, maintaining, implementing, and verifying grade standards. Why do these exist? Primarily because industrial and large-volume buyers use…