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Higher Cancer Rates in Counties With More CAFOs, Study Finds
People living near concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in California, Texas and Iowa suffer from higher rates of cancer, suggesting that the air and water pollution from the massive farms may be playing a role, according to a new study.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Research, comes just weeks after a years-long report in Iowa found the state’s agricultural chemicals and CAFO pollution are, in part, behind its rising cancer rate.
In the new study, Yale University researchers examined the rates of all cancers over the past 20 years in Texas, California and Iowa counties along with the density of CAFOs in the counties. High exposure counties were defined as those in the top 25% of CAFO density for their state. The researchers found rates for all types of cancers were 4% higher in highly exposed California counties, and 8% higher in highly exposed Iowa and Texas counties when compared to counties with lower CAFO density.
They found certain cancers were more strongly associated with CAFO density in each state. For example, stronger links were seen for bladder cancer in California, colorectal cancer in Iowa, and lung and bronchus cancer in Texas. Iowa has the highest number of CAFOs in the country, according to federal data that ranks California fifth and Texas sixth.
RFK Jr. Takes Push to Get Junk Food out of Hospitals to Florida
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. chose President Donald Trump’s home state of Florida to roll out a new health initiative aimed at overhauling hospital food. Having revamped the food pyramid and pushed state food assistance programs to restrict soda and other processed foods, Kennedy has turned his sights on U.S. hospitals, arguing that providing healthy food to patients can aid healing and reduce readmissions. And the announcement taking place in Florida is another signal of the state’s continued alignment with MAHA movement priorities being heralded by the Trump administration.
“We shouldn’t be giving people who are sick Jell-O, Cheerios, rubber chicken and sugary drinks,” Kennedy said at the event, hosted by the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute think tank. “We have the best medical technology in the world,” he continued. “We have the best doctors. We have the finest hospitals in the world, but for some reason for many years they haven’t recognized the most important tool of medicine today is good food.”
During a press conference at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, Kennedy announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent a notice to hospitals Monday morning asking them to “align their food purchases with the dietary guidelines in order to enjoy continued eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare payments.” Hospitals, he said, were eager to participate and needed an incentive to do so.
Arsenic Found in Baby Formula: List of Products With Higher Levels
New testing by Consumer Reports has reignited concerns about toxic heavy metals in infant formula, after researchers found that more than half the products they analyzed from well-known brands contained “potentially concerning” levels of inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said there’s “moderate” evidence arsenic can have effects on infant growth and last year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it was increasing testing for heavy metals and other contaminants. But there are no federal standards for baby formula limits on arsenic or other heavy metals.
Recent testing by Consumer Reports found that more than half infant formulas analyzed contained “potentially concerning” levels of heavy metals. All of the products are still considered safe to feed by federal standards and Consumer Reports said the testing was done so parents can just make the “best choices possible” when it comes to the formula they feed their baby.
Sales of Full Fat Milk on the Rise, Say Producers
Red top milk is in and green top milk is out, according to Guernsey Dairy, which has seen sales of full fat milk increase by 30% since 2019. Dairy operations director Andrew Tabel said the return in popularity of full fat milk saw sales rise from 568,000 litres in 2019 to just over 750,000 litres in 2025. He added: “By contrast, low fat milk, which still accounts for the majority of our sales, has declined gradually, while skimmed milk has seen a more noticeable reduction, falling around 23% since 2019.”
Tesco has also reported a large rise in sales of full fat milk, but the British Heart Foundation has emphasised the high fat content. Tabel said the sales pattern was similar to the trend in the UK, with some people — especially younger customers — moving back to “more natural and minimally processed foods”. Tesco said nutritionists have said “full fat dairy can actually be beneficial” as part of a balanced diet.
It sold more than three million extra litres in 2025 than it did two years ago — a rise of more than 100 per cent.
Eamon Fenlon, managing director of Jersey Dairy, said “young people were looking for a lot more protein”, adding “milk fits the bill”. He told BBC Jersey whole milk made up 10% of their sales on the island and they have seen sales grow 20% annually over the last five years. “Jersey milk is renowned as the best milk in the world.”
Check Your Freezer: USDA Flags Walmart Dino Chicken Nuggets for Lead Risk
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a public health alert for frozen, dinosaur-shaped, ready-to-eat chicken nuggets that may be contaminated with unsafe levels of lead. The chicken nuggets were sold nationwide at Walmart. No recall was issued because the products are no longer available for purchase.
The products were produced Feb. 10, 2026. The alert applies to:
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- 29-ounce plastic bags containing about 36 “Great Value Fully Cooked Dino Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets”
- “Best if used by” date: Feb. 10, 2027
- Lot code: 0416DPO1215
- Establishment number: P44164 (printed on the back of the bag)
According to FSIS, the items were shipped to Walmart stores nationwide. The contamination was discovered during routine surveillance by a state partner.
Pesticide Contamination Prompts Black Bean Recall Warning
A new recall is pulling several bulk organic bean products after routine testing found pesticide residue in organic black beans sourced by Falcon Trading Company, Inc. The company announced the recall on March 24, and the FDA posted the notice on March 26.
The affected products are not just straight black beans, either. The recall includes FTC item #003040 Black Organic, SRF item #003056 Chili Bean Blend Organic, and SRF item #013000 Soup Mix Organic. They were sold in bulk, which makes this the kind of recall that can be easier to miss if you bought from a bin instead of grabbing a clearly labeled package off a shelf.
According to the recall notice, Falcon Trading discovered the issue through routine testing and said the organic black beans it purchased from a certified organic handler contained pesticide residue. The notice does not identify the specific pesticide, but the company said the contamination was serious enough to trigger a full recall.
Unilever, McCormick Strike Deal to Create $65 Billion Food Giant
Unilever will merge its food business with spice maker McCormick, it said on Tuesday, creating a company worth around $65 billion in the second-largest food transaction in history.
The agreement is CEO Fernando Fernandez’s biggest gambit since taking the helm in March 2025 and comes after he completed the spin-off last year of Unilever’s multi-billion euro ice cream business, home to Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum.
Though Unilever’s food unit is a high-margin business, sales growth has lagged, the company’s personal goods and beauty businesses and weighed on its ambition to increase overall group sales by 4%-6% in the near term.
