Jan. 26, 2023 www.investigatemidwest.org Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
What's happening with organic food labels
Food labels are everywhere.
Today’s newsletter takes a look at two parts of food labeling.
First, USDA announced last week it is enforcing labeling on organic foods. A story republished from our colleagues at Civil Eats provides a look at how that may or may not affect organic producers. Investigate Midwest reporter and Report for America corps member Mònica Cordero takes a look at the number of Iowa operations in the Graphic of the Week.
Then there’s the matter of sugar. Columnist Dave Dickey poses the challenge to the Food and Drug Administration to watch what words are being used on some sugary food packaging and some of the court cases around food labeling and sugar. Check out the part about Clif bars.
Lastly, we’d like to point you in the direction of our website, which got a new look this week. Let us know what you think — feel free to contact me at suzanne.behnke@investigatemidwest.org.
Thanks for reading the Investigate Midwest newsletter today.
— Suzanne Behnke, digital editor
The future of organic food is taking shape at the USDA and beyond | Civil Eats
This story is republished with permission from Civil Eats.
Over the past few years, as the U.S. organic market has surpassed $60 billion in sales, organic farmers, businesses, and advocates have been engaged in a heated debate about the strength and integrity of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic standards.
Now, the agency has finally started taking action to address some of the loopholes long pointed to by advocates. But it may be too little, too late for the growing number of groups pushing ahead with plans to expand the reach of a range of “add-on” labels that include stricter standards.
Read more.
Graphic of the Week: Number of organic farms in Iowa has gradually increased since 2000, state data shows | Mònica Cordero, Investigate Midwest
The label “organic” means that food is grown and processed according to federal guidelines. These include factors such as soil quality, pest control and how animals are raised. The USDA recently announced moves to crack down on mislabeling. There's been huge growth in Iowa.
Column: FDA needs to take a labeling stand on products chock full of added sugars | Dave Dickey
What does "nutritious" or "nourishing" mean on some food labels? In his latest column, Dave Dickey tackles sugar and the Food and Drug Administration.
He writes the FDA "has updated its guidelines for added sugars and required food manufacturers to include added sugars on nutrition labels. Last September, the FDA proposed updating the definition for 'healthy”'on package labeling. To better serve the public, the FDA should do the same for 'nutritious.' And probably a bunch of other words."
Read more.
Record-breaking egg profits prompt accusation of price gouging | Daily Yonder
A farmer-advocacy organization says record-breaking increases in the price of eggs isn’t being caused by inflation or avian flu, as claimed by egg companies, but by price collusion among the nation’s top egg producers.
In a letter sent to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week, the organization Farm Action accused the country’s dominant egg producers of scheming to raise prices.
The story was written by Claire Carlson at the Daily Yonder.
Read more. See our previous story on rising egg prices caused by avian bird flu cases.
Other news
The following stories are a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an editorially independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri School of Journalism in partnership with Report For America and funded by the Walton Family Foundation. Investigate Midwest is part of this network.
Congress approves ecosystem restoration program for lower Mississippi River | Daily Memphian
Congress has approved $40 million for ecological restoration in the lower Mississippi River — the first federal program of its kind for the 1,000-mile swath of river downstream of Cape Girardeau, Mo. Environmental advocates have been lobbying for something like it for years, following suit with a decades-old counterpart in the upper basin. This story was written by Keely Brewer.
Read more.
LAST WEEK to apply for summer internships
THE BIG NEWS: It's the last week for applications for summer internships with Investigate Midwest.
WHO: This position is for college students who will return to school after the internship. Strong applicants will have had a previous news-related internship. Extensive experience on a college newspaper or media organization is also a plus.
WHEN: Get those applications in by Jan. 31.
WHY: Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom devoted to serving the public interest by exposing dangerous and costly practices of influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism. We aim to teach this to young journalists. This position is funded by the Gary Marx Fund, a resource created by longtime investigative reporter David Jackson to help educate the next generation of investigative reporters.
HOW: This is a part-time, possibly remote position for 30 hours a week. The internship begins Monday, June 5, and ends Friday, Aug. 11.
WHAT ELSE: Find more details here. Email suzanne.behnke@investigatemidwest.org for details and with applications.
