A New York federal court has ruled that the FDA cannot delay its regulatory proceedings on determining the safety of antibiotics including penicillin and tetracyclines routinely used in industrial farming livestock animal feed.

After filing a lawsuit last year aimed at forcing action over excessive antibiotic use in livestock production, the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) has called the agency's recommendations an "ineffective response" for dealing with the alarming rise in antibiotic resistance, according to a statement released by the non-profit organization.

With more than 80 percent of the nation's antibiotic supply now going into feed for animals raised as food, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are rapidly threatening human health, and it's an issue that can no longer be ignored by the FDA, ruled a federal court judge earlier today.

Iowa Legislature approved a bill last week making it the first state to criminalize clandestine or undercover activity used to collect footage of animal abuse occurring on factory farms. The decision has led to an outcry of concern from animal welfare groups, some of which have successfully aided in the criminal prosecution of abusers caught on tape acquired covertly.

The average American eats. A lot. As a new infographic points out, per year, food intake per person can amount to some 200 pounds of meat, 85 pounds of fat, 415 pounds of vegetables, 31 pounds of cheese, 53 gallons of soda and 42 pounds of high fructose corn syrup.

Eating meat grown in labs rather than from the carcass of a once living cow, pig or chicken is inching closer to reality every day as scientists have agreed to some key positions concerning issues surrounding cultured meat production.

While many cultures, particularly in the developing world, rely on insects as a large part of their diets, the very thought can incite a nose-up-turning reaction from Westerners—bug eating is ratings boost fodder for gross-out reality show television, but not dinner at a five star restaurant. But, the European Union aims to change that with a push towards entomophagy, the scientific name for eating insects.

Pasture-raised livestock naysayers may want to have a look at the findings of a recent USDA study on the effects cows raised in a more natural setting have on the health of the environment.

A Florida bill passed late last month making any photos obtained from illegal entry to a factory farm a misdemeanor crime. The proposed felony targeted trespassers, typically animal rights advocates capturing abusive and neglectful conditions, but the Florida Senate Committee downgraded the violation.