Next up for cellular agriculture: scalability and accessibility

Now that cellular agriculture is no longer confined to the realm of science fiction, companies in the space face the dual challenges of proving the technology can work at scale and getting the finished product into as many households as possible. This is especially tricky because many cellular agriculture startups are currently relying on technology from industries that have never had to scale to the level of mass commodity (like Pharma and biotechnology). Learn more about these roadblocks to large-scale cellular agriculture at The Spoon.

Pilgrim's Pride wants to settle price-fixing lawsuit for $75M

The country's biggest poultry producers, including Tyson and Pilgrim's Pride, have been accused of conspiring to maintain a price of chicken higher than the market necessitated. While Pilgrim's Pride is maintaining innocence regarding this matter, the company recently revealed that it will pay $75 million to poultry buyers who had sued the company for rigging poultry prices. Its stock price rose as a result. Tyson also agreed to settle civil claims brought by chicken buyers but has not disclosed a figure. Modern Farmer has the scoop.

How to get more plant-based meat onto plates in 2021

While plant-based meat gets a lot of buzz in the media, U.S. consumers have continued to eat record amounts of conventional meat. Surveys indicate that price and likeness to real meat are hugely influential factors for those who remain hesitant to dive into the world of plant-based meat. Knowing this, it's clear that the sector needs more funding to help plant-based meat companies effectively mimic the real stuff, and governments worldwide must prioritize alternative protein sources (for instance, by offering tax credits for plant-based meat technology). Wired reports.

Another record decline reported in US cancer death rate

The overall cancer death rate in the U.S. has been on the decline since 1991, with new data illustrating a 2.4% drop from 2017 to 2018. Doctors attribute this decline to successes in lung cancer treatment and prevention efforts. However, cancer is still the second leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease. Head to MedicalXpress for the details.

This Chinese fast-food chain is swapping almost all its eggs for plant-based alternatives

A restaurant chain with roughly 2,000 chains across China has swapped out real eggs for plant-based eggs on multiple of its permanent menu items in a bid for flexitarians' cash. This is the perfect example of a business making alternative protein the default option rather than just a novelty-driven marketing ploy, and having a substantial environmental mpact as a result. The chain, called Dicos, decided to use well-known alternative egg product Just Egg. Read about this unique move at Fast Company.