"The National Organic Program's failure to promptly follow through on investigations has allowed some companies to continue falsely advertising products as organic for years and let one company off the hook entirely, according to an audit released yesterday by the inspector general of the U.S. Agriculture Department."

"The company at the heart of a growing recall of processed foods knew that its plant was contaminated with salmonella but continued to make a flavoring and sell it to foodmakers around the country, according to inspectors at the Food and Drug Administration."

"People who take certain brands of fish oil supplements, seeking benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids are also exposing themselves to unnecessarily high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds, newly released test results show."

"Food-borne illnesses, such as E. coli and salmonella, cost the United States $152 billion annually in health care and other losses, according to a report released Wednesday by a food safety group."

"Researchers have found low levels of the toxic chemical C8 in a wide variety of foods, ranging from hamburgers and bacon to tilapia, olive oil and peanut butter, according to a new scientific paper."

The Environment Report's series on food and health focuses on the seemingly addictive qualities of sugar, fat, and salt, and the way some advertisers focus on children.

"Calls from consumer advocates and politicians are growing louder for the Obama administration to name an undersecretary for food safety at the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, a position unfilled for more than a year."

"Consumers of California wine easily can tell a red cabernet from a white chardonnay, and soon they will have a tool to determine whether it's green."
 

"Consumers who thought they were buying antibiotic-free chicken could receive $5 million in cash and coupons under a proposed settlement to a lawsuit contending that the nation's largest poultry producer falsely promoted its birds as being raised without drugs."

As Congress moves ahead with legislation to beef up federal regulation of food safety, the Obama administration has appointed Michael Taylor to head the food safety effort at the Food and Drug Administration.