Consumer

"Sugar, you might think, is just sugar, no matter where it comes from. But not anymore."

"The federal government on Thursday banned the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18 and required manufacturers to disclose their ingredients and submit their products to the government for approval."

"The New York City Council approved a bill on Thursday to require many merchants to charge 5 cents for each plastic or paper bag taken by consumers at checkout counters, and Mayor Bill de Blasio said he intended to sign it."

Activist Jennie Romer, a lawyer who got bills banning plastic bags from stores passed in California, moved to New York to do the same thing in New York City.

"Earth Day isn’t just an occasion to make a tiny dent in the crises hitting our planet. It’s also a day to celebrate consumerism, as evidenced by my inbox, which is overflowing with marketers who want me to write about their products."

"It’s spring, and many of us are re-discovering our local farmers' markets. But how do you know if those first-of-the-season bunches of asparagus, peas, and onions were grown by the farmer who’s selling it to you?"

"New study shows that consumption of fast food is linked to higher levels of phthalates, the chemicals used to produce many plastics."

"European politicians advised on Wednesday that the herbicide glyphosate should only be approved for another seven years, rather than the 15 proposed by the EU executive, and should not be used by the general public."

"A leading brand of home and garden pest-control products says it will stop using a class of pesticides linked to the decline of bees."

"The [Washington] state attorney general's office is taking a powerful Washington, D.C., lobby, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, to court, seeking damages over money laundering in a 2013 initiative campaign."