Turns out the Hershey’s company is fudging the ingredients on some of their chocolate products, replacing cocoa butter with vegetable oil to save costs, says the Today show. This non-chocolate switcheroo means that their labels had to change, so some products now say “chocolatey” or “chocolate candy.” Kinda subtle and sneaky, if you ask me. Personally, if I’m gonna have chocolate — and I am — I’m going to eat the real stuff, both for unequalled taste and and chocolate’s associated benefits. One of my new favorites: Kopali Organics chocolate-covered cocoa nibs, goji berries, and bananas (how’s that for some high-powered snacks?). They taste killer, plus they’re all fair-trade, certified organic, and rainforest friendly. I know Whole Foods carries them, so try some today (or Kopali’s super-pure dried fruit — also awesome).

The FDA announced today that it has approved irradiation for iceberg lettuce and spinach. Irradiation, which is prohibited under the USDA Organic label, is a process by which food is exposed briefly to small doses of radiation, killing insects, bacteria, and other germies that have found their way into produce and animal products. Currently, irradiation is used on spices, red meat, poultry, and shellfish. Check out our September Organics issue — hitting stores in two weeks — for more on the facts and controversy surrounding irradiation.

You may have heard about the Dutch study announced last week which prompted bold headlines such as “Study: Organic food not more nutritional.” Well, that may be true—if you’re a rat eating a diet of dried fruits and vegetables and the only nutrients you’re concerned with are trace minerals. more

Whole Foods announced this week that it plans to scale back expansion and eliminate its quarterly dividend. Has consumption of organic and sustainable foods taken that much of a downturn? It would appear so. more

Last Friday I got to visit the campus of Sunset magazine and wandered around its absolutely lovely test garden, where vegetables, herbs, flowers, and more grow in beautiful profusion. Talking with their food editor, Margo True, I learned that the August issue would feature this garden as part of an 18-month-long project: the One-Block Feast. During those months, the staff grew or produced all the food on site that they wanted for a summertime celebration, including grapes (they pressed their own wine!), honey from beehives, salt, olive oil, and eggs from some adorable red chickens housed in the garden. It’s an inspiring story, with lots of good ideas for getting closer to your food. Maybe I’ll try growing edamame, which they say has a high yield, because I love this recipe for Edamame, Cranberry, and Feta Salad.

According to this article in the New York Times, Democratic National Committee members have set some lofty (and we think excellent!) goals for the food service at the August convention. more

Steve Hoffman, director of the Organic Center, updates us on industry efforts to promote the use of bovine growth hormones, below. As you may be aware, bovine growth hormones rBST or rBGH have been implicated in certain health issues, including higher levels of IGF-1, a factor in the growth of breast, prostate, and colon cancers. What’s disturbing is the way in which Monsanto, via carefully crafted studies authored by their own scientists, attempts to capitalize on climate change fears to force dairy farmers and shoppers to accept these added hormones in dairy. I have seen the same sort of “science” in the push for wider acceptance of GMOs recently. more

Over the last few days, organic pundits, producers, farmers, and other organic-minded people have gathered in Boulder, Colorado, for the annual Organic Summit. Last night, at the well-attended Organic Farming Research Foundation’s fundraising dinner held at Pastures of Plenty organic farm, I chatted briefly with organic growers from Massachusetts, Vermont, and Colorado. Each of them, seasoned equally by hard work and passion, seemed more tied to the earth than to big ideas. But there certainly are some weighty issues—from nanotechnology to globalization—facing organics these days. more

As the locavore movement and talk of national food security heats up, urban agriculture is gaining more ground, literally. Today, Slow Food Nation announced the planting of its Victory Garden near San Francisco’s City Hall. more

Why can’t we trust that when our beauty products say “all natural” they really contain only whole products straight from nature? And why doesn’t “whole grain” really mean that bread is made from 100 percent whole grain? The answer is largely marketing. Last night, my mom showed me a container of yogurt she had bought. It had a nice-looking insignia that insinuated that the yogurt contained probiotics for healthy digestion. However, nowhere else on the package did I see the words “live and active cultures.” After some careful investigation of the company’s website, it turned out that the yogurt did, in fact, contain those desirable bacteria. But the fact remains that many of us — loved ones, friends, etc. — rely on packaging alone to tell us what we need to know about products. Further, consumers are growing increasingly confused about their products’ health basics. For that reason, I’m looking forward to developing more stories in the magazine that focus on product labeling. What pitfalls to look out for, which labels are trustworthy, etc. (Check out this awesome story on beef labels.) It’s a constant struggle for information and against marketing hype. In the meantime, if you have questions about labels you see in the store or on your favorite products, or if you’re just not quite sure what to look for, post a comment on our newly created label forum. Also stay tuned for our excellent and comprehensive guide to nutrition labels in the July issue of Delicious Living.