Today’s quick hits, Dec. 22, 2022

Complaints are ‘a cover’: Republican objections to the USDA’s methods for updating the Thrifty Food Plan “are a cover for the real issue: Republican objections to raising SNAP costs,” said food policy expert Marion Nestle on her blog. (Food Politics)

USDA trademarks organic seal: The Agricultural Marketing Service registered the USDA organic seal trademark with the U.S. Patent Office in an effort to further safeguard the seal, already under federal protection, against misuse. (USDA)

An end to forever chemicals: Industrial giant 3M said it would halt production of PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” by the end of 2025 as regulators take stricter stances on the substances’ environmental impact. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Suit over endocrine disruptors: Half a dozen environmental and farmworker groups sued the EPA for failing to test and regulate pesticides containing endocrine disruptors. In 26 years, the agency has completed tests on just 34 pesticides. (Center for Food Safety)

Perception challenge: “Upcycled” food companies, which make foods using ingredients that would have otherwise been discarded, say that consumer education is their biggest challenge. (Food Dive)