Laura Reiley

Washington, D.C.

Reporter covering the business of food

Education: University of Virginia, bachelor's of English; California Culinary Academy, associate's degree

Laura Reiley is the business of food reporter. She was previously a food critic at the Tampa Bay Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Baltimore Sun. She has authored four books, has cooked professionally and is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy. She is a two-time James Beard finalist and in 2017 was a Pulitzer finalist.
Latest from Laura Reiley

Milk shake-up: High school student sues school district over dairy flap

A 17-year-old high school student claims her L.A. school violated her rights by telling her to praise cow’s milk, which many of her generation dislike.

May 12, 2023

Bacteria linked to tainted baby formula may become nationally reportable

Cronobacter sakazakii, which sickened babies and led to a national formula shortage, would be tracked by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention.

May 11, 2023

Falling meat prices hurt Tyson Foods; shares plummet

Prices for pork and beef have fallen over the past year as demand has softened, one of the largest U.S. meat producers says.

May 8, 2023

Biden administration tests vaccines to fight avian flu

Persistence of a virulent strain that has devastated poultry farms and driven up egg prices has sparked alarm

May 2, 2023

3 teenagers among 4 killed in Alabama birthday party shooting

The Saturday shooting at a Dadeville, Ala., birthday party killed four people and injured 28, officials said. Police have not announced an arrest.

April 17, 2023

Former FDA official says agency dysfunction led to baby formula crisis

Former deputy commissioner for food policy Frank Yiannis testifies Tuesday on Capitol Hill.

March 28, 2023

Could nonalcoholic wine be the toast of the town?

Winemakers are jumping on the sober bandwagon, helped along by young drinkers, climate change and something called a “spinning cone.”

March 24, 2023

Moooove over: How single-celled yeasts are doing the work of 1,500-pound cows

Labs have created exact molecular copies of cow dairy. Some are already on shelves and being hailed as a way to reduce harm to cows and reduce dairy’s huge contribution to climate change.

March 12, 2023

Surviving on less than $6 a meal

More than 30 million Americans rely on federal food assistance. The benefits increased during the pandemic, but that program ended this month. Today on “Post Reports,” Laura Reiley unpacks what’s behind the cuts and their adverse impact on hunger in America.

March 7, 2023

How fake sugars sneak into foods and disrupt metabolic health

Artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutes sweeten foods without extra calories. But studies show the ingredients can affect gut and heart health.

March 7, 2023