General Mills to Label GMOs

Huge food company, General Mills, recently announced that it will label GMOs in all of its products sold in the U.S.! This is a very exciting development, especially after the DARK Act was voted down, and just before Vermont’s mandatory labeling law goes into effect in July. Since General Mills owns many companies including Progresso, Haagan-Daz, Betty Crocker, etc, many products in the grocery store will now contain GMO labels. While we applaud General Mills for doing the right thing, mandatory labeling is still necessary since we know most food companies will not voluntarily label the GMOs in their products. Here’s to a step in the right direction, and continuing the fight for nationwide mandatory labeling!

Wild Species are Vital for Food Security

An international group of scientists are concerned that seed banks aren’t doing enough to save the wild relatives of key food crops. These wild species are vital to food security due to their traits; drought resistance and heat resilience for example would be crucial traits to have if major crops failed. Climate change, habitat destruction, and a growing human population are all threats to food security, and the diversity of wild species could be the key to a strong food supply in the future. Save your seeds, and plant a variety of vegetables and wildflowers to help support diversity in your area.

How Strictly Should We Be Following Sell-By Dates?

Most people these days toss out any food that they have left sit on their counters or in their fridges past their sell by dates, for fear of bacteria and pathogens. Many chefs seem to agree that when they have wilted lettuce or moldy tomatoes, they chop off the mold and use the imperfect food anyway. Food waste in a big problem around the world, and many people are learning that sell-by dates are generally a suggestion, not a deadline. Old bread can be croutons or bread crumbs, overripe bananas can be used for smoothies or baking, wilted veggies can be cooked into a stirfry or chili. There are limits, of course, such as smelly meat – it’s never advised to eat meat that looks slimey or has a strange odor. However, it’s heartening to see people take responsibility for the global food waste issue and use what they can rather than throwing it out.