Latest from Food Politics: Farmers get short-changed in our current food system

I saw this on AgWeb: I knew this came from USDA’s Food Dollar series, which reports measurements of where the food dollar goes in the chain of production. The USDA also illustrates the dollar in reports.   The most recent, with figures from 2023, is ...

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By Marion Nestle May 07 2026 Farmers get short-changed in our current food system I saw this on AgWeb: I knew this came from USDA’s Food Dollar series, which reports measurements of where the food dollar goes in the chain of production. The USDA also illustrates the dollar in reports.  The most recent, with figures from 2023, is here. These USDA illustrations used to be easier to read, so I like the way AgWeb shows the current data. But you get the idea: farmers don’t get much.  The real money in food is in processing, retail, and service. Note the incentive in processing. No wonder the number of farms continues to decline. What the Farm Bill (an apparently hopeless cause at the moment) really needs to do is to start from scratch and do two things: promote smaller scale organic and regenerative farming that will protect soil, mitigate climate change, and repopulate the Midwest, and make sure those farmers make an adequate living. The post Farmers get short-changed in our current food system appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts Weekend reading: The hidden cost of cheap food R.I.P. Ray Goldberg, “the father of agribusiness” What’s happening with prices at the grocery store?   Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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Latest from Food Politics: FDA says infant formulas are free of toxic metals (mostly)

In the way this administration announces things, I saw this on X. The FDA’s one-page summary says the agency had tested more than 300 samples of infant formulas with these results: If there is a more detailed report, I can’t find it. Food Safety ...

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By Marion Nestle May 06 2026 FDA says infant formulas are free of toxic metals (mostly) In the way this administration announces things, I saw this on X. The FDA’s one-page summary says the agency had tested more than 300 samples of infant formulas with these results: If there is a more detailed report, I can’t find it. Food Safety News points out The FDA did not say which brands it tested The FDA has not set standards for contaminants in infant formula It did not test for pathogens such as Cronobacter, Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli NOTUS points out The FDA did not address seed oils or sugars in infant formula The quality of infant formula is a big issue for the MAHA movement. Its microbial safety is a bigger issue for me. The Senate has just passed an infant formula bill to require manufacturers to test for Cronobacter and Salmonella and inform the FDA of positive results.  That’s a good first step. While all this is going on, I heard this from a reader who works with Rad Moms, a grassroots advocacy group calling on ByHeart, the company that makes infant formula recalled for potentially containing botulism bacteria, to stop running their influencer ads during the recall. Despite 50+ babies contracting botulism, hundreds of ByHeart ads were still running for MONTHS while cans were still on the shelves (as recently as March 2026).  The bottom line: Breastfeed if you are able to.  To avoid pathogens, buy pasteurized liquid formula.  I don’t know what to say about the heavy metals and PFAS, except that less is better. And here is food safety lawyer Bill Marler on what needs to be done to make infant formula safe from pathogens. The post FDA says infant formulas are free of toxic metals (mostly) appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts What’s happening with infant formula? The infant formula scandals: will they ever stop?   Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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