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Patent protection for genetically modified corn, soybeans and other crop must be limited so farmers can save their seeds and protect themselves against litigation, a public interest group said in a filing with the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday in a case involving global seed giant Monsanto Co. The case that the high court will hear next year involving an Indiana soybean farmer Vernon Bowman is but a "microcosm of a systemic problem," and the outcome of the case could have far-reaching impacts as Monsanto and other biotech seed developers expand their dominance of agricultural seeds, according to the Center for Food Safety (CFS), which filed the amicus brief Monday in support of Bowman.

Creating new rules for food safety is too complex a task to be completed quickly and a lawsuit seeking to compel government action should be dismissed, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA said that although it was behind schedule in modernizing food safety regulations as set out in a law signed in January 2011, the agency's broad role in regulating a $450 billion domestic and imported food business requires additional time.

Enough is enough, say bakery workers at Hostess Brands Inc. After several years of costly concessions, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco and Grain Millers Union (BCTGM) authorized a walk-out earlier this month after Hostess received bankruptcy court approval to implement a wage cut that was not included in its contract. With operations stalled, the company that makes Twinkies and other famous U.S. brands said last week that liquidating its business was the best way to preserve its dwindling cash. It won court approval on Wednesday to start winding down in a process expected to claim 15,000 jobs immediately and over 3,000 more after about four months.

Organic growers and food safety advocates on Tuesday condemned an advisory report to the Agriculture Department claiming its recommendations would be costly for farmers who want to protect their conventional crops from being contaminated by genetically modified (GMO), also known as genetically engineered (GE), varieties. The groups were responding to a report submitted Monday afternoon to the U.S. Department of Agriculture by a committee assigned by USDA with studying how best biotech agriculture could "co-exist" with organic and conventional agriculture.

Hostess Brands Inc, the bankrupt maker of Twinkies snack cakes and loaves of Wonder Bread, is seeking a U.S. court's permission to go out of business after failing to get wage and benefit cuts from thousands of its striking bakery workers. The 82-year-old Hostess, which has about $2.5 billion in sales and is one of the largest wholesale bakers and distributors of breads and snack cakes in the United States, filed the request with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York early Friday morning. A hearing on the matter is set for Monday.

A standoff between Hostess Brands Inc. and thousands of its bakery workers was heading for a showdown after the expiry of a return-to-work deadline, with both sides saying they will accept the demise of the historic maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread. The bankrupt company is on its last legs, according to management. The company had set a deadline of 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) on Thursday and said that unless enough employees returned to work by that time, the company would ask a bankruptcy court on Friday for permission to liquidate.

The failure on Tuesday of a California ballot initiative that would have mandated labeling of genetically modified foods is not a death knell for those seeking nationwide labeling, U.S. labeling proponents said. President Barack Obama's re-election could be a boost, as he is seen, in general terms, as being supportive of labeling. Still, efforts to force change at a federal level could face an uphill climb. "The federal effort is a monumental task without a state victory somewhere," said Michele Simon, a public health attorney from California.

California voters rejected a ballot measure that would have made the state the first in the nation to require special labeling of foods with genetically modified ingredients. The measure was defeated 53 percent to 47 percent, according to final results from Tuesday's election. Proposition 37, also known as the "Right to Know" initiative, was supported by more than 60 percent of likely voters in early polls. It sprang from a grass-roots effort in a state that has long led the way on a variety of environmental issues and has a growing organic and "local food" movement.

Major food and seed companies appear to be on the verge of defeating a California ballot initiative that, if passed on Tuesday, would create the first labeling requirement for genetically modified foods in the United States. In a campaign reminiscent of this summer's successful fight against a proposed tobacco tax in California, opposition funded by Monsanto Co, DuPont, PepsiCo Inc and others unleashed waves of TV and radio advertisements against Proposition 37 and managed to turn the tide of public opinion.

The U.S. seed industry said Wednesday it was a step closer to establishing a broad framework for the handling of genetically modified seed technology as product patents expire. The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) said they have completed the first phase of an industry accord that addresses post-patent, single-trait seed biotechnology.