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 Smoothie King has added two whole organic spinach variants to its menu, which already includes carrot and kale smoothie offerings. Vegan pineapple spinach smoothie and lemon ginger spinach smoothies contain fiber, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C. The company has launched a Cleaner Blending initiative to remove added sugar, artificial flavors, colors and preservatives, added hormones in dairy, and GMO fruits and veggies from its offerings. In addition, the company has added in more whole fruits and vegetables. The company says it is on track to achieve its Cleaner Blending goals in more than 50 blends by the end of 2018.
"Smoothie King Adds Organic Spinach To The Mix As Part Of Its 'Cleaner Blending' Initiative", News release, Smoothie King, via PR Newswire, March 13, 2018
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 Hormel Foods subsidiary Jennie-O has debuted 17 “on-trend turkey products,” including flavored turkey bacon, taco-seasoned turkey sausage, and uncured turkey breast franks. The franks are made with premium turkey breast and have half the fat of beef franks. They contain no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, no added nitrites or nitrates, and are gluten free. The company’s other new products also boast of less fat and no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.
"Frankly Delicious: Jennie-O Unveils New Product Innovations, Including First-In-Category Uncured Turkey Breast Franks
", News release, Jennie-O Turkey Store, via PR Newswire, March 15, 2018
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 Gluten-free bakery Canyon Bakehouse has introduced new airtight bread packaging that extends the shelf life of loaves to 90 days. The Stay-Fresh Packaging line was launched with three variants: ancient grain, country white and deli white bagels. Last month it added Hawaiian sweet bread and honey oat bread. According to the company, after opening the bread should be consumed within five days. A "best by" date is printed on each closure tag. In addition to being certified gluten-free, Canyon’s baked goods are kosher and free from dairy, casein, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and sesame. Available at conventional and natural grocery stores in the U.S., the suggested retail price of the bread is $5.49.
"Say ‘Aloha!’ to Two New Loaves from Canyon Bakehouse", GlobeNewswire, March 26, 2018
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The USDA is expected to publish a proposed final rule addressing what foods should be considered bioengineered and the amount of GMO content that would trigger a disclosure label. The new rule from the Agricultural Marketing Service would implement the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law, enacted in July 2016. Courts around the country have been handling consumer fraud and false advertising lawsuits over the issue of disclosure (or non-disclosure). Plaintiffs say food companies claim their products are “non-GMO” or “GMO-free” but actually do contain genetically engineered ingredients. Defendants, however, say the claims in the lawsuits are preempted by the disclosure law, which also bars states – like Vermont – from creating their own GMO food labeling requirements. [Image credit: Wikipedia]
"New rules coming for GMO food labeling
", Thompson Coburn, March 27, 2018
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 Groups with vested interests in the U.S. government’s forthcoming 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have weighed in with their comments on the proposals to the USDA and Dept. of Health and Human Services. Needless to say, the comments differed widely, covering environmental concerns, social policies, whole fruit versus juice, the science of saturated fat, the benefits of a plant-based diet, etc. The U.S. Cattleman’s Association, for example, urged the agencies to emphasize that “red meat is an essential part of a healthy whole food diet.” But the Food Law and Policy Clinic of Harvard Law School advised that the guidelines take into account the relationship between red and processed meat consumption and cardiovascular disease, risk of cancer, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
"Stakeholders square up for battle over scope of 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans", Food Navigator USA, March 31, 2018
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 A Wisconsin-based company that produces “the healthiest peanut butter” has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to get its message across to Americans who believe national brands produce healthful peanut butters. According to Pintful, major U.S. brands “sneak in” added sugars, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, palm oil, and hydrogenated oils. The products are “damaging to your gut health, insulin sensitivity, and overall health and wellness.” Pintful’s product, however, uses natural, plant-based, and organic ingredients. The peanut butter is high in protein, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, keto-friendly, pet-friendly, and has no added sugar, oils, or preservatives.
"75%+ Of Americans Are Wrong About Peanut Butter", KMOV.com, April 03, 2018
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 Dunkin’ Donuts is testing a $2 afternoon snacking menu in several Boston-area locations that features donut fries, Munchkin dippers, pretzel bites with honey mustard sauce, waffle-breaded chicken tenders, ham-and-cheese rollups, and gluten-free brownies. The test is designed to gather input from consumers, franchisees, and employees prior to a possible national rollout. A Reddit user review gave thumbs up to the pretzel bites and the donut fries, and thumbs down to the “gross” waffle-breaded chicken that was “way too greasy.” The batter is the “same batter used in the pancake bites that they used to have.” The company recently unveiled a value menu offering Wake-up Wraps for $2, breakfast sandwiches for $3, and croissant sandwiches for $5.
"Dunkin’ Donuts Tests Snacks in Boston", NACS, April 09, 2018
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Food importer OA Foods has big plans for expanding distribution of alternative pasta Palmini as the carb-avoidance trend continues in the U.S. Palmini, made from hearts of palm, is available on Amazon and in Whole Foods Market stores in Florida. The plan is to take the product nationwide next year. According to Mintel, 41 percent of American consumers believe rice and grains are healthier than pasta and are looking for alternatives to wheat-based pasta. More than 90 percent of gluten-free Palmini is water; one serving contains 20 calories, four grams of carbs, and two grams of fiber. OA Foods spent two years developing a machine that can produce noodles made from hearts of palm, harvested from the center of the cabbage palm tree, on a commercial level.
"Palmini could reinvent pasta category with new vegetable noodle alternative", Food Navigator USA, April 09, 2018
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 Fifteen farmers and scientists from around the U.S. who are determined to stick to “the true spirit of the organic movement” recently met to create new standards for organic certification. The current USDA organic label certifies that fruits, vegetables, and meats have been grown without synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers, and without genetic engineering. The new, still unnamed, labels would tell whether the produce was grown in soil – rather than in water – and meat and dairy products came from animals that had been pastured. The new label is being created by the Real Organic Project, which says it is not abandoning the USDA’s National Organic Program, but merely supplementing it. The new standards will be tested on 20 to 60 farms this summer.
"More organic than thou? Rebel farmers create new food label", The Washington Post, April 10, 2018
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 A co-founder of Canada’s Entomo Farms, an insect farmer and processor, says recent moves by grocery chain Loblaws and Maple Leaf Foods indicate that the edible insect movement may be gaining momentum. According to Jarrod Goldin, meat- and plant-protein company Maple Leaf Foods bought a minority stake in Entomo, and Loblaws is now marketing a private-label version of Entomo’s cricket powder. Some small food brands in North America buy cricket powder from suppliers in Thailand, Vietnam and other countries, but larger ones prefer dealing with suppliers closer to home They also prefer companies certified by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Entomo Farms supplies more than 50 companies in eight countries with cricket and mealworm ingredients for protein bars, smoothies, chips, crackers, pasta and pasta sauce, baking mixes, hot dogs, and pet treats.
"Maple Leaf Foods invests in Entomo Farms as Loblaws bets big on edible insects", Food Navigator USA, April 12, 2018
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