The GM debate

Activists raise warning flags about 'synthetic biology' ingredients

Activists raise warning flags about 'synthetic biology' ingredients

By Hank Schultz

Opponents of genetic modification say there is a new, potentially more powerful technology to contend with: synthetic biology.  Purveyors of natural products who are concerned about this technique have coined the term for the way in which scientists have...

So Häagen-Dazs ‘says no to synbio’?

So Häagen-Dazs ‘says no to synbio’?

By Elaine Watson

When it comes to reporting the position of some of the world’s biggest food companies on genetically engineered foods, Friends of the Earth, it seems, has been engaging in some pretty creative PR ‘engineering’ of its own.

GMO labeling bill approved for Colorado ballot

Colorado voters to decide on GMO labeling

By Maggie Hennessy

A proposition seeking to label genetically modified foods will be on the November ballot in Colorado after supporters of the Right to Know Colorado initiative submitted nearly 125,000 valid signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State. 

Is the term 'all-natural' still resonating with consumers?

Natural vs organic: What’s the difference, and do shoppers care?

By Elaine Watson

How clean is your label, and who decides - plaintiff's attorneys or Whole Foods Market? Are ‘all-natural’ claims still resonating with consumers or are other on-pack cues more important? And do shoppers understand the difference between natural and...

Forget genetically modified, here’s to genetically edited

By Nathan Gray

Recent advances that allow the precise editing of genomes have raised the possibility that fruit and other crops might be genetically improved without the need to introduce foreign genes, according to researchers.

Picture by Daniel Lobo, flickr

Vermont AG: 'Natural' labels do not belong on foods made with GMOs

First Amendment challenge to Vermont GMO labeling law does not stand up, claims state AG

By Elaine Watson

Vermont’s new GMO labeling law (Act 120) does not violate the First Amendment because the disclosures it mandates are “purely factual” and the law “does not require manufacturers to state a particular viewpoint, such as whether GE foods are good or bad”,...

Boulder Brands on GMOs, gluten-free & the rise of EVOL

Retailers are going to reduce the space given to legacy brands

Boulder Brands: Large-cap 'legacy' food & beverage brands face 'Armageddon'

By Elaine Watson

Leading CPG companies are like huge ships that cannot change course quickly enough to address evolving consumer trends, claims the boss of Boulder Brands (which owns the Udi’s Gluten-Free, Earth Balance and EVOL brands). But unless they make some bold...

OCA urges organic dairy industry to sever ties with IDFA

OCA urges organic dairy industry to sever ties with IDFA

By Jenny Eagle

The Organic Consumer’s Association (OCA), is calling on the organic dairy industry to cut ties with the IDFA (International Dairy Foods Association) because it is one of several trade associations suing Vermont over its GMO labeling mandate.

IFT 2014: Chefs! Is it time to proudly serve GMOs on your table?

IFT 2014: Chefs! Is it time to proudly serve GMOs on your table?

By Elaine Watson

You'd think that pro-science,'molecular gastronomists' such as Chef Homaru Cantu would be all in favor of genetically engineered foods, especially if they can add nutrition, or reduce the environmental impact of food production, right?...

Non-GMO not necessarily organic, and other GMO myths busted: OTA

Non-GMO not necessarily organic, and other GMO myths busted: OTA

By Maggie Hennessy

With all the attention GMOs have received in recent months—good and bad—confusion in the marketplace has inevitably followed, as consumers scramble to make sense of the pro- and anti-camps’ arguments and product manufactures scramble to keep track of...

BASF talk on the future of food and agriculture

Insights from the BASF 2014 Media Summit

Connecting the dots from ag to food

By Maggie Hennessy

Is the farm-to-table movement all it’s cracked up to be? Is a healthy dialogue about GMOs even possible? Can we fix growing income disparities in the developed world? A group representing many points on the agribusiness value chain weighed in.

OTA: organic certification enough for non-GMO claims

OTA: organic certification enough for non-GMO claims

By Maggie Hennessy

The Organic Trade Association says that third-party certification under the USDA National Organic Program is sufficient for non-GMO label claims, calling organic production is the optimal solution to US agriculture, according to a statement from its board...

One Degree Organic: like CPGs from the farmers’ market

Special edition: Organic & non-GMO

One Degree Organic: like CPGs from the farmers’ market

By Maggie Hennessy

The founders of Canadian bakery products manufacturer One Degree Organic Foods think the current packaged food landscape has distanced consumers far too much from Mother Nature. They’re looking to narrow the gap between food producers and the end consumer...

Voters in rural Oregon ban GMO crops

Voters in rural Oregon ban GMO crops

By Maggie Hennessy

Residents of a southwestern Oregon county voted emphatically on Tuesday to ban the planting of most genetically engineered crops.

GMOs are not the answer, just because organic isn’t perfect

Guest article: Steven Hoffman, managing director, Compass Natural

GUEST ARTICLE: GMOs are not the answer, just because organic isn’t perfect

By Steven Hoffman

Pointing out problems and flaws in organic farming and certification is constructive in that they need to be addressed. But using the imperfections of the organic production system to defend why GMOs are a preferred way to produce food - as Mischa Popoff...

GUEST ARTICLE: Phantom menace of GMOs keeps organic industry off target

Guest article: Mischa Popoff, author, Is it Organic?

GUEST ARTICLE: Phantom menace of GMOs keeps organic industry off target

By Mischa Popoff

I worked for five years as a USDA-contract organic inspector after growing up on an organic grain farm in Saskatchewan. I had the pleasure of inspecting over 500 organic farms and processors, but I began questioning this career path when I realized the...

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars