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Ticks Head West, Arby's Steak Nuggs & Federal Food Dyes
35 Plays1 day ago
From food dyes to food innovation and other segments across the food supply chain, Braeden and Savannah are diving into this week's ag headlines.
In the news this week:
- Asian longhorned tick spreads into Kansas and could cause extreme illness to livestock. Learn more: https://www.drovers.com/news/asian-longhorn-tick-moves-west-kansas
- An Iowa State University study suggests the product of turning manure and corn stover is a renewable natural gas good for soil health. Learn more: https://www.agriculture.com/partners-isu-study-looks-at-benefits-of-anaerobic-digestion-byproducts-as-a-soil-amendment-11827863
- The International Association of Color Manufacturers has sued the state of West Virginia, seeking to strike down the nation’s first broad ban on synthetic dyes in food and beverages. Learn more: https://www.fooddive.com/news/west-virginia-lawsuit-artificial-color-ban-maha/802497/
- Arby's new Beef Nuggs are a bold new menu item aimed at serving comfort foods more conveniently. Learn more: https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/32594-arbys-beefs-up-nugget-offerings
- Purdue University and NASA teamed up to grow plants in space in an effort to my the food system more sustainable. Learn more: https://www.agweb.com/news/scientists-team-nasa-grow-crops-space-zero-gravity-yields-new-discoveries-farmers-earth
Market Pulse: pulled October 13 from https://www.agweb.com/markets/futures
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Transcript
00:00:01
Speaker
This week in ag, an invasive tick is making its way to Kansas. Manure may just be the secret weapon to soil health, and a zero-gravity tomato experiment is out of this world. We're also diving into the latest lawsuit, Shaking Up the Food Dye conversation, and Barbie's Bold New Nugs.
00:00:21
Speaker
It's science, markets, and a little meaty all in one place. That is Magnetic Ag Ears Edition. I'm Brayden. And I'm Savannah. Welcome to Magnetic Ag Ears Edition.
00:00:32
Speaker
Every week we break down the top headlines and trends facing food and agriculture. Fast, fun, and actually useful. Let's get it
00:00:42
Speaker
The invasive Asian longhorn tick is spreading and it's got both public health and livestock folks on high alert. Flashback to three months ago, we covered on the pod that this tick was only seen east, but things have changed quite a bit since then.
00:00:58
Speaker
That's right. It started innocently. A dog in Franklin County, Kansas was found carrying a tick. A routine checkup thought the tick was just another creepy crawly, but when the Kansas Department of Health and Environment ran the analysis, it was confirmed, the Asian longhorned tick.
00:01:14
Speaker
State officials confirmed it's the first documented case in Kansas. Since its U.S. debut in New Jersey in 2017, the little hitchhiker has gradually inched itself west, now appearing in 21 states, with Kansas being the latest addition.
00:01:29
Speaker
But this isn't just a normal pest. The tick can reproduce pathologically. In plain English, no males required. A single female tick can spawn offspring, allowing infestation to explode overnight.
00:01:43
Speaker
KDHE's own state public health veterinarian, Dr. Aaron Petro, notes that while we don't yet fully understand how dangerous this tick is to humans, its risk to animals is extremely serious.
00:01:55
Speaker
It can trigger severe infestation, which might lead to anemia or even death in extreme cases. It is also associated with a parasite, which causes bovine thaleriosis, a disease that affects red blood cells and leads to weakness, breathing troubles, and even sudden death in calves.
00:02:15
Speaker
Veterinarians across these 21 states are asking producers to be extra careful and take actions to protect themselves and their livestock. What if the leftovers from making renewable energy could actually rebuild the soil that grows our food?
00:02:31
Speaker
Savannah, a 12-year study from Iowa State University says it actually can. Researchers found that the slurry left after turning manure and corn stover into renewable natural gas, known as digest, might be a secret weapon for soil health.
00:02:45
Speaker
At Severs Family Farms in eastern Iowa, scientists tracked what happened when digest was applied to fields. Over time, soils gained an average of 114 pounds of carbon per acre per year.
00:02:58
Speaker
In some lower carbon fields, soil organic carbon rose nearly 47%. Now, this is a really big deal. Most corn and soybean systems struggle just to maintain organic matter.
00:03:10
Speaker
But here, digestate didn't just hold steady, it helped rebuild what's been lost through decades of tillage. Agronomy professor Fernando Maguez calls it a win all around, saying, quote, we're managing manure, producing renewable natural gases, and improving soil health.
00:03:27
Speaker
Farmers like Brian Seavers agree. He's seen the results firsthand, including healthier soils, higher yields, and real potential to cut back on synthetic fertilizer use. The research team's next stop is to quantify how digestates impact nitrogen and phosphorus levels, and whether it can become a homegrown alternative to expensive fertilizers.
00:03:47
Speaker
In other words, Iowa's waste stream might just become its greatest soil resource, one that fuels farmers twice, once through the energy and again through regeneration.
00:04:00
Speaker
Savannah, Harvest 2025 is in full swing across the country. And this week's harvest update is brought to you by the government shutdown. That's right. Due to the government shutdown, there will be no crop harvest update this week.
00:04:17
Speaker
The battle over artificial food dyes just went federal. um The International Association of Color Manufacturers has sued the state of West Virginia seeking to strike down the nation's first broad ban on synthetic dyes in foods and beverages, a move that could reshape ingredients lists nationwide.
00:04:35
Speaker
West Virginia's law, passed earlier this year, prohibits the sale of foods containing seven artificial dyes, plus preservatives like BHA and propyloparabine, starting in 2028. It's the most aggressive state-level action yet in what supporters call the Make America Healthy Again movement.
00:04:53
Speaker
And in October 6th filing, the color manufacturers argue the state acted, quote, arbitrarily banning dyes without scientific evidence and violating constitutional protections.
00:05:06
Speaker
They're asking a federal judge to toss the law before it takes effect. The challenge marks the first major pushback from the food industry as more states consider additive bans. Already, 20 states have introduced nearly 40 similar bills, from warning labels in Texas to full-on prohibitions elsewhere.
00:05:24
Speaker
The lawsuit also highlights a growing tension between state-level health activism and federal food regulations. The FDA maintains that current dyes are safe unless proven to cause cancer, but political pressure is shifting the conversation faster than science can keep up.
00:05:42
Speaker
Industry voices, including Hogan Lowell's attorney Martin Hahn, say this moment could redefine how food policy gets made. Quote, If we don't take action, he warned, we're going to incentivize the next round of legislators to pass similar bills.
00:05:56
Speaker
With major brands like Kellogg's, Heinz Kraft, and Campbell already signaling their move towards natural colors, the court's decision could determine whether this trend becomes a market evolution or a legal revolution.
00:06:10
Speaker
We all know Arby's has the meats, and right now they're leveling up the game once again. Introducing Beef Nugs, this bold new product aimed at combining two comfort food favorites, steak and nuggets.
00:06:23
Speaker
Their goal is to give customers, quote, steak, but in a convenient bite-sized delivery system. The new steak nuggets are seared and smoked, seasoned with garlic and pepper, and offered in portions or five or nine pieces.
00:06:37
Speaker
they missed the opportunity to go 6-7. They're served with a hickory barbecue sauce and are intended to be eaten either as finger food or with a fork. And the good bites don't just end there.
00:06:48
Speaker
Arby's is offering the steak nuggets in a couple alternative formats. First, a steak nugget sandwich with Havarti cheese, fried onions, pickles, and mayo on a toasted bun.
00:07:00
Speaker
Or my favorite, a steak nugget bowl served over mac and cheese with fried onions to top it. The limited time product pushes Arby's further into the quote bite-size arena already dominated by the chicken nugget, but it comes with its unique challenges. Beef has different cooking and textural challenges compared to chicken, keeping the interior juicy while achieving a crisp exterior, ensuring consistency, and managing costs.
00:07:26
Speaker
Overall, I think I'll stay loyal to my chicken nugs and ribeye steaks, but for those who crave steak, this might just be the innovation your taste buds were looking for.
00:07:39
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Savannah, let's tune in for our weekly market pulse. We've got the highs and lows impacting the bottom line pulled from the October 13th AgWeb report. October live cattle up 2.1 to 2.40.57. cattle in October at And October lean hogs up to December corn is down $2 to $4.10. to round it out with soybeans, November up $1 to $10.07.
00:08:10
Speaker
Savannah, what do you think happens when you try to grow a tomato and zero gravity? That is the question Purdue University scientists and NASA engineers are exploring.
00:08:21
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And the answers could change how we grow food space and on Earth. With humans eyeing long-term missions to Mars, researchers are racing to figure out how to grow reliable crops off of our home planet.
00:08:33
Speaker
Purdue's team helped design the Advanced Plant Habitat, a high-tech growth chamber that recreates the essentials of life, light, nutrients, and carbon dioxide, without the pull of gravity.
00:08:44
Speaker
In late 2023, tomato seeds from their project launched into the International Space Station, where astronauts began growing them in orbit. The work was years in the making in evolving dozens of Earth-based trials to fine-tune how seeds stay in place and how much water plants need in weightlessness.
00:09:04
Speaker
Once in space, the plants started behaving in ways no one expected. Without gravity, scientists began to see hidden biological pathways and gene responses that are normally masked on Earth, a discovery that could help uncover new methods for improving crop growth and resilience.
00:09:21
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Earlier results suggest that plants can adopt to life beyond Earth as long as they receive the right balance of inputs, but the team also found that some natural plant defenses weaken in microgravity, signaling a need for new approaches to managing diseases in off-world agriculture.
00:09:38
Speaker
The implications stretch far beyond space. Insights from the experiment could help Earth-bound farmers grow crops that handle stress, nutrient limits, and disease more effectively. Lessons from orbit that could make sure the future of food systems is more sustainable.
00:09:53
Speaker
As Purdue research continues, one thing is clear. Growing food in space isn't science fiction anymore. It's a glimpse into agriculture's new frontier. One where innovation meets both astronauts and farmers alike.
00:10:07
Speaker
Savannah, we know as well as anyone that our farmers and ranchers are facing tough markets, turbulent tariffs, and rising input costs. But innovations like this keep me really excited about the future of ag.
00:10:20
Speaker
You know when they say that some jobs in 20 plus years do not exist yet? Well, imagine a career as a farmer astronaut. That's what keeps me excited about the future. Remember, you can stay up to date on all the out-of-this-world headlines impacting food and ag right here on Magnetic Ag Ears Edition.
00:10:39
Speaker
We'll hear you next time. Hungry for more? Subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter for more industry news right in your inbox. Or follow along on socials at magnetic.ag for more trends and headlines.
00:10:51
Speaker
Thanks for listening to Magnetic Ag Ears Edition.