The latest headlines About food companies and their products
The Defender’s Big Food NewsWatch brings you the latest headlines related to industrial food companies and their products, including ultraprocessed foods, food additives, contaminants, GMOs and lab-grown meat and their toxic effects on human health
The views expressed in the excerpts from other news sources do not necessarily reflect the views of The Defender.
Human Sewage Laced With Cancer-Causing Toxins Discovered in America’s Food Supply
America’s food is being grown with human sewage tainted with toxic ‘forever chemicals,’ raising questions about what is ending up on dinner plates across the country. The treated sewage sludge, known as biosolids, is commonly spread on farmland as fertilizer because of its nutrient and organic matter content, even though it can contain ‘forever chemicals’.
Formally known as PFAS, these human-made chemicals do not break down easily in the environment or the body and have been linked to cancers, hormone disruption and immune system problems. Nearly 70 million acres of US farmland could be contaminated with PFAS, according to estimates from biosolids industry groups.
Virginia appears to be bearing a disproportionate burden, emerging as a major destination for PFAS-contaminated sludge pushed out of neighboring Maryland after that state imposed stricter limits. Virginia Sen Richard Stuart warned that the material is being spread on farmland without mandatory testing.
Trump Signs Bill Allowing Schools to Serve Whole Milk Again
Whole milk will soon return to school cafeterias, signaling a reversal after a decade-long absence and ushering in a major change after President Trump signed legislation on Wednesday to restore more milk options.
The law, which was approved unanimously by Congress late last year, lifts a ban on full-fat and 2 percent milk in federally funded school nutrition programs. It also gives schools more flexibility in serving nondairy milks.
“It will ensure that millions of school-age children will have access to high-quality milk as we ‘Make America Healthy Again,’” Mr. Trump said, with a jug of milk sitting atop the Resolute Desk.
The new law reverses an Obama-era policy prohibiting full-fat and 2 percent milk from the National School Lunch Program that has been in place since 2011. Federal law and nutrition guidelines at the time were based upon the belief that whole milk caused obesity in children.
Years of intense lobbying by the dairy industry, shifting scientific research on the nutritional value of whole milk and the Make America Healthy Again movement have culminated in its return. Milk enthusiasts and the dairy industry rejoiced.
Is Red Meat Back? Jillian Michaels Breaks Down Saturated Fat and the New Food Pyramid
Following last week’s announcement of updates to the food pyramid, nutrition experts continue to weigh in on how the new recommendations could change Americans’ eating habits. The new pyramid, which was announced by HHS officials on Jan. 7, puts a greater emphasis on red meat, such as beef, pork and lamb, as well as other protein-rich foods.
The guidelines call for more focus on “real food” and a move away from ultraprocessed foods, added sugar and refined carbs. “These guidelines return us to the basics,” Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during the announcement. “American households must prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods — protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and whole grains — and dramatically reduce highly processed foods. This is how we ‘Make America Healthy Again.’”
Celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels, who recently released her new Fox Nation special, “Toxic: America’s Food Crisis,” spoke with Fox News Digital about her support of the updated recommendations. “The food pyramid has been effectively inverted. This is wonderful. This is long overdue,” she said during an on-camera interview.
Nestle Steps Up Infant Formula Damage Limitation With CEO Video Apology
Nestle’s CEO has issued a video apology for the recall of some batches of the company’s infant nutrition products in dozens of countries as the Swiss consumer goods giant stepped up its damage-limitation measures.
The recall could threaten Nestle’s strong position in China and other large markets for infant formula, thrusting CEO Philipp Navratil into crisis-management mode within a few months of being appointed to revitalise the multinational after a period of management turmoil.
At least 53 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa have issued health warnings over infant formulas recalled by Nestle because of possible contamination with cereulide, a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting. Nestle shares, which have fallen by about four percent since the recall began in January, rose by 0.6 percent on Wednesday.
States Try to Snuff out Lab-Grown Meat Before It Really Starts
U.S. News & World Report reported:
Lab-grown meat could be widely available in supermarkets across the U.S. in 10-15 years. But should it be? Advocates say the product offers consumers more choices, boosts food security for a country with growing demand and increases sustainability for a world with already stressed resources. However, some states have already answered this question — with a hard “no.”
Seven states have banned the manufacturing, sale or distribution of lab-grown meat, and more have taken steps to restrict its labeling. Many of these steps happened in 2025, and the Department of Health and Human Services lists them on its website as examples of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s movement to “Make America Healthy Again.”
The latest ban in Texas started in September and lasts two years, though lawmakers can choose to extend it. Violators could face civil and criminal penalties. “This ban is a massive win for Texas ranchers, producers and consumers,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a statement. “Texans have a God-given right to know what’s on their plate, and for millions of Texans, it better come from a pasture, not a lab. It’s plain cowboy logic that we must safeguard our real, authentic meat industry from synthetic alternatives.”
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