Technology Networks
A plant-based antimicrobial food wrap that could potentially be an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic food wraps and containers has been developed by a Rutgers scientist. The sprayable coating is biodegradable and guards against pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms.
Mars Inc. Debuts Animal-free Chocolate
Tasting Table
Mars Inc., makers of popular chocolate brands like Skittles and Snickers, has announced its first animal-free chocolate CO2COA. The new chocolate is certified by Rainforest Alliance and uses paper-based packaging.
Court Orders EPA to Reassess the Effect of Glyphosate on Health and Environment
Reuters
A federal appellate court has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to take a fresh look at whether glyphosate poses unreasonable health risks to humans and the environment.
Flooding Forces Abbott to Shut Down Infant Formula Production
Food Ingredients 1st
Abbott Laboratories has once again been forced to stop its infant formula production. The latest shutdown resulted from the flood that ravaged some parts of its production plant in Michigan.
Costco Faces Lawsuit Over Mistreatment of Chickens
CBS News
In a lawsuit filed this week in Washington, two shareholders claimed that Costco’s rotisserie chickens involve mistreated birds. The wholesale club is accused of neglect and abandonment in its chicken processing plant.
USDA Launches “Protect Our Pigs” Campaign
Feed Strategy
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service arm of the United States Department of Agriculture has announced an awareness and outreach campaign called “Protect Our Pigs” to prevent the introduction and spread of African swine fever in the United States.
Nestlé Sells Organic Coffee Brand
Food Processing
Nestlé has sold its organic coffee brand Chameleon to System Foods. The sale comes less than five years after Nestlé initially purchased the brand.
North American Meat Institute Considers Proposition 12 Unconstitutional
Meat + Poultry
In a case between the National Pork Producer Council and Karen Ross (Secretary of the California Department of Food & Agriculture), the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) has urged the US Supreme Court to reverse a judgment that upheld California’s Proposition 12 animal confinement law. NAMI noted that the constitution does not permit California to dictate the conditions under which farm animals must be housed outside its borders.
Kellog’s Splits into Three Separate Companies
Financial Times
In a move that caught many unaware, Kellog’s has split into three distinct food businesses. Kellog’s will keep the core global snacking business while spinning off the cereal brands and the plant-based foods.
Unilever Partners Geno to Scale-up Production of Palm Oil Alternative
Green Queen
With the increase in demand for sustainably sourced palm oil, Unilever has formed a partnership with Geno. The partnership comes with a $120 million Unilever investment to commercialize Geno’s microbial fermented alternative to palm oil.
Transportation Accounts for One-fifth of all Food System Carbon Emissions
Popular Science
A new study published in Nature Food has made a case for eating locally sourced foods as food transportation makes up a fifth of food system carbon emissions. The study shows that the distance between the place where food is grown to the final consumer has a much higher carbon footprint than previously estimated.
Deskins Candies Containing Peanut Butter Recalled
EIN News
Deskins Candies has recalled some of its products containing Jif peanut butter. This follows the earlier recall of Jif peanut butter products due to salmonella contamination. The affected products are Deskins Candies Peanut Butter Fudge, Deskins Candies Peanut Butter No-Bake, Deskins Candies Peanut Butter Pinwheel, and Deskins Candies Chocolate No-Bake.
Consumers Get Reprieve as Prices of Agricultural Commodities Fall
Bloomberg
The prices of agricultural commodities have fallen, giving consumers some reprieve amidst rapidly increasing living costs and growing food insecurity.
Global Organic Foods & Beverages Market to Surpass $400 Billion by 2027
Yahoo! Finance
According to a report by Report Linker, the global market for organic foods and beverages is projected to reach $495.9 billion by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 14%.
Written by Ibrahim Okuade.
Ibrahim is a writer with special interest in innovation and emerging businesses.