5@5: Microplastics found in rainwater samples | Gene-edited cattle contain foreign, antibiotic-resistant DNA

It’s raining plastic: Microscopic fibers fall from the sky in Rocky Mountains

Rainwater samples collected across Colorado were recently found to contain plastic fibers, beads and shards. Whether or not it is possible to remove all plastic from the natural world at this point is unknown—but it’ll take a long time if so, and the health implications for humans and the environment alike could be disastrous. Read more at The Guardian …

FDA finds a surprise in gene-edited cattle: antibiotic-resistant, non-bovine DNA

While the livestock industry is pushing for gene-edited cattle to be approved for sale, scientists recently found foreign DNA in a sample from a genetically modified cow that is resistant to popular antibiotics. This shows just how different and largely mysterious genetic editing’s ramifications are from a process that could theoretically happen in the wild, such as selective breeding. Read more at New Food Economy …

Whole Foods workers demand Amazon stop working with ICE

Workers at Whole Foods are once again calling out parent company Amazon for wrongdoing after Amazon revealed its partnership with Palantir, a company that provides ICE with data. Whole Workers, which is not a union, wrote a letter demanding that Amazon cut all ties with Palantir and any company that is “involved in the continued oppression of marginalized groups." Read more at Eater …

Company settles vitamin lead-level suit for $175M

A prenatal vitamin company has settled following allegations that it falsely advertised its products as having the “lowest detectable lead level” on the market. The company, Rainbow Light, agreed to new testing procedures and noted on its website that the traces of heavy metals arise from the plant- and mineral-based ingredients in the vitamins. Read more at The Washington Post …

Is the future of eggs in family farms?

The egg business has changed monumentally over the past 45 years, and the current norm of industrialized vertically integrated systems has led to a drastic dip in terms of animal welfare. But some family egg farms across the U.S. are attempting to make humanely-sourced eggs the standard—and they’re seeing major success after adopting a co-op model.. Read more at Civil Eats …