The Juicy Bits
Happy New Years! DigestThis.news is back from holiday break, and we've got a bunch of food stories to share with you from January.
Lawmakers and agriculture leaders are ringing in the new year with some important bills for farmers in 2026 as the industry seeks stronger investments in organic agriculture and increased credit access for farmers. Also, new year, new dietary guidelines! Last month, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. brought back the food pyramid the USDA had retired back in 2011, only this time it's been literally flipped upside down. Nutritionists are skeptical. The new guidelines have also sparked controversy in the beverage industry after the removal of recommended daily limits for alcohol consumption. Elsewhere in the food world, American restaurants and chefs are pumped for the new James Beard Foundation list of 2026 award semifinalists. Finalists will be announced in March and winners in June.
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—Maddox Joachim
Restaurants
James Beard Foundation Announces 2026 Awards Semfinalists
Image Source: Lille Allen / Eater
The James Beard Foundation has officially announced its 2026 awards semifinalists. Established in 1990, the Beards are considered among the most esteemed awards for culinary professionals. The full list includes hundreds of potential winners in categories like Restaurant and Chef Awards, Media Awards, Achievement Awards, and the foundation's newest section, Impact Awards, which were unveiled for the first time last year. Restaurant and Chef nominees will be revealed on March 31st, and winners will be declared at the ritzy annual ceremony in Chicago on June 15th.
Beverages
New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Remove Recommended Daily Limit for Alcohol Consumption
Image Source: Rido / AdobeStock
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans last month. Valid until 2030, the new guidelines erase previous daily alcohol allowances for men and women. Dating back to the 1980s, the guidelines encouraged moderation through a limit of up to two drinks per day for men, and one drink per day for women. Those recommendations have been replaced by a simple statement to "limit alcoholic beverages." Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and one of the folks who announced the change at a press conference, said, "There is alcohol on these dietary guidelines, but the implication is don’t have it for breakfast.”
More Beverage News
World Health Organization Calls For Health Taxes On Beverages With Alcohol And Sugar
Bourbon Industry Struggles As Supply Outpaces Demand
Wine Spectator Releases Its Restaurant Picks For The World's Best Wine Lists
U.S. Wine Industry To Hit An Economic Low Point As Early As Next Year
Agriculture
American Farmers Await Important Legislation Pending For 2026
Image Source: Scott Olson / Getty Images
As we head into the new year, lawmakers are intent on putting a new five-year farm bill in place. The previous five-year bill expired back in 2023 and was carried into 2024 and 2025 without revision. While 2025's One Big Beautiful Bill helped extend much-needed agricultural programs throughout the government shut down, a slew of proposed farm legislation is pending in 2026. These "marker bills" will aid U.S. farmers and the entire U.S. agriculture industry through investments in organic agriculture, credits for farmers, and more robust industry growth.
More Agriculture News
Florida's Apalachicola Bay Re-Opens For Oyster Harvesting After 5-Year Ban
USDA Announces $12 Billion in Bridge Payments For Farmers To Relieve High Production Costs
Sheep And Goat Virus Threatens Greek Feta Production
Florida Strawberry Farmers File Petitions To Curtail Cheap Mexican Imports
Regulations
RFK Jr.’s New Dietary Guidelines Flip The Food Pyramid Upside Down
Image Source: Department of Health and Human Services
First released in 1992, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid prioritized grains, fruits, and vegetables for Americans, with those foods forming the largest foundation of the pyramid. Fats, oils, and desserts shown at the top of the pyramid were to be moderated. In 2011, the USDA changed the pyramid image to MyPlate, a dinner-plate visual introduced by then First Lady Michelle Obama that simplified the pyramid but had similar dietary recommendations. Last month, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled revived the pyramid image with two important changes: 1) the pyramid has been literally flipped upside down so the point of the triangle is at the bottom, and 2) grains—even whole grains—are less recommended than saturated fats and proteins. The new visual and dietary recommendations have some nutritionists and health professionals scratching their heads.
More Regulations News
U.S. Trade Leaders Unveil Enhanced Export Plans For Potatoes As Global Markets Expand
Federal Bill From Wisconsin Looks To Boost Access To Free School Lunch
USDA To Hold Hearing After Withdrawing Previous Salmonella Regulations
New Federal Law Requires Annual Allergy Training For School Foodservice Employees
Science
Scientists In Panama Find That Restored Coral Reefs Could Boost Fish Yields By Almost 50%
Image Source: Shaun Low / Unsplash
Scientists at Panama's Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) recently discovered massive potential for overfished coral reefs around the world in a new study aiming to boost sustainability of aquatic environments. After analyzing data using statistical models, researchers approximated current fish populations and predicted potential increases through improved management of overfished coral reefs. With better managements, sustainable fish production could climb by 50%, but wait times for recovery of the coral reefs themselves vary from 6 to 50 years. It may be worth it, as researchers found that annual fish yields could rise by 20,000 to nearly 162 million additional servings from country to country around the world.