Food Politics by Marion Nestle

My co-author, Lisa Sutherland, is a former vice president of Kellogg.  We had a great time writing this. Information about the book is here. For a 30% discount at that site, use code UCPSAVE30. Here’s the official launch invitation Please come to the celebration and launch for my new book, Tuesday, September 8 | 6:00–8:00 […] The post Sugar-Coated: published today! appeared first on Food Politics…

On this Labor Day, let’s honor the people who do the hard agricultural work that brings food to our tables. Image from Vecteezy. The post Labor Day: a food politics reminder appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle

Gloria Steinem was very much a heroine of my generation.  I did not know her personally, although I met her once.  It was a memorable occasion. Gloria Steinem, Padma Lakshmi, Ruth Reichl, and me in 2021. This was a meeting at Gloria’s house to discuss menopause, of all things.  I could not figure out why […] The post RIP Gloria Steinem, 1934-2026 appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle

I’ve been following the Cyclospora outbreak with riveted interest because it so exemplifies what’s wrong with our food system: not enough safety effort from producers and not enough government oversight. So here is Washington Post writer, Tamar Haspel, asking Why we should stop eating lettuce, cyclospora or not.   “Lettuce,” she says, “makes us sick, wastes resources […] The post Should we be eat…

Alas, we must now mourn the death of one of the great heroes of food politics, the honorable and immensely inspiring Wendell Berry. His very existence was enough for hope that a decent food system might some day be possible in the United States. When I think of his writings—his many books, essays, and poems—the […] The post RIP Wendell Berry, 1934 – 2026 appeared first on Food Politics by Marion …

MAHA has announced a big win. A study of purchase data from states with SNAP food restriction waivers, “Short-Run Impacts of SNAP Restriction Waivers on Beverage Purchases,” finds a 13% decrease in soda purchases within the first two months, with even larger decreases in the poorest households (18.5%).  Yes, 13%, not 12% as the MAHA […] The post SNAP waivers are associated with short-term decreas…

When I saw the title of this study, I thought I’ll bet the Hass Avocado people paid for this one. Bingo. This is a classic example of an industry-funded study producing the desired result. The study: LeBeau K, Segovia-Siapco G, Heskey C …  The Effect of Including 1 Avocado Daily in a Habitual Diet on […] The post Industry-funded study of the week: avocados again appeared first on Food Politics by…

I collect items about cannabis edibles and just realized nothing new has come in for a for a long time.  Not much is happening with these products since President Trump reclassified marijuana as a Class III (less dangerous) drug.  The FDA regulates cannabis edibles but has not said anything new about them for the last […] The post Cannabis edibles: an update of sorts appeared first on Food Politi…

Farm Action has produced a riveting new report: Taylor Farms: How One Company’s Reach Became a National Risk. Many, but by no means all, Cyclospora cases have been traced back to a Taylor farm in Mexico. The CDC’s page on this. The FDA’s page on this. Bill Marler’s count of state case reports: 31,521 From […] The post The root cause of the massive Cyclospora outbreak: industry consolidation appea…

As anyone familiar with my work will know, I have made a career out of commenting on government dietary advice.  The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are particularly entertaining as quintessential examples of food politics in action, the latest ones in particular. To summarize: They offered two excellent messages–Eat Real Food, and limit ultra-processed foods–but undermined […] The post PCRM sue…

Chin Jou.  Captive Consumers: Hunger, Violence, and Inequality in American Prison Food.  University of North Carolina Press, 2026.  344 pages. I have been a fan of Chin Jou’s work for a long time and did a blurb for her latest book: Captive Consumers is a tough, uncompromising, and utterly compelling analysis of the ways America’s […] The post Weekend reading: a deep dive into prison food appeare…

I. DOJ, FDA take raw pet food company to court.  This one comes from Phyllis Entis of eFoodAlert.  She writes: “I thought this might interest you. Last Friday, the DOJ filed a Complaint against Arrow Reliance Inc. (Darwin’s Natural Pet Products) and its owner, Gary Tashjian.” The Complaint seeks to block Darwin’s from selling adulterated drugs; it […] The post Four items about pet food politics a…

The Government Accountability Office reports: Federal Social Safety Net Programs: Millions of Workers, Including Many Employed by Large Employers, Continue to Rely on Medicaid and SNAP. To learn more about the working adults who used these programs in 2024, we analyzed employment data from 11 states and Census data. We found: About two-thirds worked full time […] The post A national scandal: mill…

Thanks to Phyllis Entis of eFoodAlert.com for this one. The Study: Minimally processed, human-grade diet alters canine epigenetic ageing: Results from a pilot study. Aimee Chen, Wei Guo, Janina A. Krumbeck, Dan Su, Vincent Michels, Xiaojing Yang.  First published: 05 August 2026.  https://doi.org/10.1002/vro2.70047 Results: Dogs fed with MPHGF diet [minimally processed, human-grade food] exhibite…

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released its annual report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI). From the press release The good news Global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, demonstrating that progress is possible. The not-so-good news However, the improvements […] The post Weekend good news (at least in part): …

As is my wont, I collect items about pet food. Safety The CDC’s web page on pet food safety makes three main points: Pet food and treats can sometimes be contaminated with germs that make people and pets sick. CDC does not recommend feeding raw pet food or treats to dogs and cats. Talk to […] The post Pet food safety and other issues: a short roundup appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nest…

I’ll say this again.  No, Cyclospora is not a food industry conspiracy to keep people from eating real foods.  It is a serious illness that has put plenty of people in hospitals and killed at least two. At Monday’s MAHA press conference (see yesterday’s post), the FDA announced: Finally, though not part of today’s announcement, […] The post FDA’s new rules on produce safety appeared first on Food…

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 …