In an effort to connect its customers with healthier food options, Wal-Mart—the world's largest retailer—is preparing for a Spring launch of a signature icon that will appear on its private label products and in the produce sections throughout the chain's stores.

Washington D.C. area neighborhoods considered "food deserts" will soon have access to fresh fruits and vegetables via a converted school bus "Mobile Market" courtesy of a local non-profit group comprised of nine restaurants. The Neighborhood Restaurant Group's market on wheels will bring healthy food options to communities where a majority of the people living there are at or below the poverty line.

California, Arizona, Michigan and Florida are the first four states now accepting food stamps at several leading fast food restaurant chains.

Forming a sort-of "food safety alliance," the USDA, Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and the Ad Council joined forces to launch a campaign titled "Food Safe Families" targeted at helping Americans reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Last Wednesday, U.S. Food and Drug Administration veteran Michael R. Taylor (right) was named deputy commissioner for foods, a newly created position.

According to the FDA, Taylor will help develop and implement a prevention-based strategy for food safety, plan implementation of new food-safety legislation, and ensure food labels contain clear and accurate nutrition information.

Taylor began his career as an FDA staff attorney before moving to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he was involved in establishing rules to protect our meat and poultry supply, despite industry outcry. (That’s the good news.)

But the big blot on his resume is his long stint at King & Spaulding, the law firm that represented GMO giant Monsanto. Taylor then returned to the FDA as deputy commissioner for policy, where he was instrumental in approving Monsanto's bovine growth hormone, as well as rules that stated milk from hormone-treated cows needn’t carry labels.

Christine Escobar has regularly taken Taylor to task on Huffington Post. But über-respected nutrition professor Marion Nestle, who seldom makes a bad call, thinks he’s the right man for the job.