Food Politics

by Marion Nestle
Apr 20 2026

Industry funded study of the week: a dog supplement

No food or supplement is too small to evade research aimed at selling it.  Try this one:

ADM study: Postbiotic supports metabolic health markers in labradors:  Supplementing labradors with the postbiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis CECT 8145 may influence metabolic health markers during weight change, according to ADM research…. Read more

ADM makes dietary supplements.  NutraIngredients.com is unusually helpful about noting when companies sponsor research on their own products.  It also typically cites the original articles so they are easy to look up.

The study: Dickerson SM, Timlin CL, Mccracken FB, Skaggs P, Nixon SL, Day R, Coon CN. Bifidobacterium animalis Subspecies lactis CECT 8145 Affects Markers of Metabolic Health in Dogs During Weight Gain and Weight Loss. Animals. 2026; 16(2):259. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16020259

Method: The study had two phases: a weight-gain phase where dogs were overfed, and a weight-loss phase where overweight dogs were fed just enough to maintain their ideal weight. During each phase, forty-five adult Labradors were divided into three groups: one received the live bacterial supplement (probiotic), another received the heat-treated version (postbiotic), and the third group received a placebo.

Results: During weight gain…the postbiotic reduced blood sugar after consuming kibble in the weight-loss phase. Overall, the study suggests that supplementing dogs with Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis CECT 8145 may influence metabolic health markers as seen through changes in blood and fecal markers in Labradors during weight change.

Conclusion: we showed that postbiotic, and to a lesser extent probiotic, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CECT 8145 may influence metabolic health markers without inducing short-term changes in body weight or body composition, suggesting potential metabolic health benefits that warrant further investigation.

Funding: This research and APC was funded by Archer Daniels Midland (ADM).
Acknowledgments: Supplements used for this study were provided by ADM Health & Wellness.
Conflicts of Interest: Sarah Dickerson, Claire Timlin, Fiona Mccracken, and Patrick Skaggs are employees of Four Rivers Kennel, Walker, MO, USA. Craig Coon is the President and Co-Founder of Four Rivers Kennel. Sophie Nixon and Richard Day are employees of Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and played a role in study design, analysis, write-up, and final review of the manuscript. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest.Comment: The “funding effect” (the observation that industry-funded studies favor the sponsor’s interests) holds for veterinary research as well as human research.  This research is about establishing a basis for convincing dog owners to buy supplements for their pets.

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Apr 17 2026

Weekend reading: Manufacturers Feed America

I always like to know what the food industry is thinking, and was interested to run across a new report from the National Association of Manufacturers: Manufacturers Feed America: Strengthening Communities, Fueling Innovation, Growing the Economy.

It begins:

Behind every grocery store shelf is a carefully designed system that ensures American families can count on safe, abundant and affordable food every day. The food and beverage industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the United States, connecting farms to factory floors to family tables. Anchored in world-class science and rigorous safety standards, the U.S. food and beverage supply chain is a global leader—strengthening communities, fueling innovation and growing the economy. This outcome is not accidental. It is because manufacturers feed America.

Here’s what it covers:

What is this report about?

A growing number of state laws seek to ban ingredients, impose warning labels or mandate disclosures based on hazard-focused explanations rather than risk-based science…Manufacturers cannot realistically produce multiple versions of the same product to satisfy differing state rules without incurring substantial costs, sacrificing quality or disrupting supply chains and distribution systems.

And, says the National Association of Manufacturers, these laws are going to raise food costs and cause job losses.

It’s helpful to see these arguments spelled out so they can be countered effectively.

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Apr 16 2026

Coming soon to a supermarket near you: Non ultra-processed!

With all the fuss over defining the term ultra-processed, public and private groups are filling the gap with labels that identify foods that are not ultra-processed.

I know of three ultra-processed labeling initiatives so far.

I.  Leading the way is the Non GMO Project. It already is licensing foods meeting its non ultra-processed standards to carry this seal.

II.  California is considering a front-of-package label to indicate foods that are not ultra-processed; it expects only about one-third of processed supermarket foods to meet its criteria.

 

III.  And in Europe, Nutri-Score (as I written about previously) is considering adding something about ultra-processing to its current labels.  Even food products meeting its A criteria can be ultra-processed.

Comment: While fusses about the definition of ultra-processed continue, labels like these ought to help people recognize and cut down on such foods.  As for me, I’m not too worried about the definition.  As one of my colleagues put it, as with pornography. everyone recognizes an ultra-processed food when they see one.

Addition

Thanks to Jim Krieger for sending two more.

 

And a reader from Norway sends this one (and more information about it)

 

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Apr 15 2026

What’s happening to Beyond Meat?

I’ve been writing about Beyond Meat’s financial troubles since at least 2022, so the latest problems come as no surprise.

Beyond Meat, you will recall, makes plant-based meat alternatives: nutrition powerhouses, clean protein, fiber essential for the gut microbiome.

Recently, Beyond Meat announced that it would be moving into beverages—“a logical move—and not an admission of defeat—after another grim quarter.”

Grim quarter?  Indeed yes (thanks to Steve Zwick for sending)

As another commentator points out:

1. Beyond Meat has never made a profit.

2. Each $1 of product it sold in 2025 cost it $1.95 to make.

3. That’s a dramatic change since 2024, when each $1 of product it sold cost $1.32 to make.

4. It has $1.2 billion of accumulated losses on its balance sheet.

In the meantime, according to USDA, the per capita availability of red meat has increased by 10 pounds since 2014 and is now 105 pounds per capita per year or roughly a third of a pound a day for every man, woman, and baby in the country—and that’s for boneless.

We would all be healthier, and so would the planet, if we ate less red meat on average.  That was the point of developing plant-based alternatives; these were supposed to substitute for real meat.  Apparently, they don’t.

This means: If you want to reduce the impact of your diet on climate change, reduce your intake of red meat however works for you.

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Apr 14 2026

The new microplastics initiatives: steps in the right direction

EPA, HHS Announce Historic Actions to Protect Americans from Microplastics and Safeguard Drinking Water

[EPA] For the first time in the program’s history, EPA is including microplastics as a priority contaminant group in its draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6), now open for public comment. CCL 6 also includes pharmaceuticals as a group—another first—along with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), disinfection byproducts, 75 individual chemicals, and nine microbes that may be present in public drinking water systems.

[HHS] Additionally, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced the launch of STOMP—Systematic Targeting of Microplastics—a first-of-its-kind nationwide initiative to build a comprehensive toolbox for measuring, researching, and removing microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) from the human body. STOMP takes a three-pronged approach:

  • Measure: Deploy gold-standard detection technology to accurately quantify microplastics levels in water and human tissue.
  • Target: Identify the most harmful plastic contaminants and determine how they enter and move through the body.
  • Remove: Develop and validate methods to eliminate microplastics from the human body.

This is a win for MAHA (Make America Healthy Again):

RFK Jr has been pushing for this.  He says “Animal studies show that microplastic exposure can drive inflammation, cardiovascular damage, impaired cognition, and tumor growth.”

Human studies show this too.  Here’s the latest, which correlates pre-term births to chemicals in plastics.

RJK Jr also said the $144 million national program will be called STOMP, which stands for “Systemic Targeting of MicroPlastics.” The program will bring toxicologists, data scientists and other experts together to create standardized tools capable of detecting and quantifying microplastics in the human body, research the effect they have on humans, and develop targeted strategies to remove them from the body.

This could be a good step forward if they actually act on it.  We shall see.

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Apr 13 2026

Industry-funded study of the week: Taurine supplements

I was interested to run across this article announcement:

Nestlé researchers find Taurine-B vitamin blend may support motivation: A study in healthy adults found that daily supplementation had a positive impact on motivation, attention, mental energy and effort toward achieving goals after 14 days of intake…. Read more

It immediately raised the question: Why would Nestlé researchers do this study?

I went right to the source.

The study: A nutritional blend of taurine, vitamins B6, B9, and B12 improves motivated behaviors in healthy adults—a double-blinded randomized clinical trial. Front. Nutr. 13:1711478. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1711478

Methods: …we identified candidate nutrients found in foods that could enhance brain GSH [glutathione] production as a possible approach to sustain motivated behaviors….we discovered that taurine was able to efficiently increase GSH production…but only when levels of vitamin B9 were adequate. The above led us to test a blend of taurine, vitamin B6, B9, and B12 in humans, in a randomized, double-blind, 2-arm, cross-over study with 44 participants aged 25–40 years old.

Results: Results showed significant improvements after 14 days supplementation in the first period, as well as after 28 days in the second administration period, compared to placebo.

Discussion: Overall, these findings demonstrate how targeted nutritional supplementation can sustain brain health and modulate behaviors, such as motivated and goal-oriented performance.

Funding: The study was sponsored by Société des Produits Nestlé SA.

Conflict of interest: 5 of 7 authors are employed by Société des Produits Nestlé SA. This study received funding from Société des Produits Nestlé SA. The funder was involved in the study design, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication.

Comment: This is Nestlé research conducted by Nestlé employees.  The company sells nutraceutical products, including supplements.  This research seems aimed at providing a seemingly rational basis for marketing a taurine/B vitamin supplement to improve motivational behavior.

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Apr 10 2026

Weekend reading: more on alternative meats

I know I just posted a bunch of these, but here are even more.

To understand what’s happening with alternative meats—both plant- and cell-based—it helps to remember that companies making these products are businesses funded by venture capitalists.

The European Union’s recent ban on using the term “meaty” to apply to these products could have major implications for sales.

In the U.S.

In the European Union

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Apr 9 2026

New school food rules on the horizon?

The new MAHA dietary guidelines could mean that changes are coming to school meals.  Or so the USDA says.

While waiting for the USDA to issue new rules, various groups are urging specific improvements.

United We Eat, a coalition of MAHA-supporting groups, urges the USDA Secretary to get busy Aligning School Meal Standards with the MAHA Mandate to Protect Children’s Health.  It is especially concerned about the poor quality of meat served in school meals (something I hear a lot about from school food service directors).

These processed animal products often contain additive heavy formulations, including preservatives
such as nitrites and nitrates, which health authorities have associated with increased colorectal cancer risk in processed meats, as well as other processing agents such as sodium phosphates that raise broader nutritional concerns and kidney damage….Beyond the concerns with processed meat, majority of all animal proteins served in schools are sourced from industrial supply chains that rely on routine antibiotic use, growth-promoting drugs including ractopamine, and feed grown with significant pesticide inputs.

Another coalition, this one of nearly 200 food service professionals, school districts, and other groups, is pressing for plant-based meat alternatives in the protein group.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including those released in January, have long recommended diversifying protein intake across plant and animal sources. Yet in practice, school menus remain heavily dominated by animal-based proteins. A forthcoming analysis of a sample of 45 school district menus from November 2025 found that, excluding nut butter and jelly sandwiches, fewer than one in ten school lunch entrée offerings utilized plant-sourced protein to fulfill the M/MA requirement. More than 90% of school lunch entrees contained animal-sourced proteins…a plant protein subgroup within the Meats/Meat Alternates category would provide a clear, practical framework to diversify protein intake, increase fiber consumption, and improve inclusivity within child nutrition programs.

USDA ought to be issuing new school food rules soon.  I can’t wait to see what they are.  In the meantime, this is a good time to weigh in.

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