5@5: Brands' response to racism falls short | Ashwagandha, propolis may help in fight against COVID-19

Brands speak out on racism, and it all looks the same

Many influential companies are using similar black-and-white, branded messaging to address recent protests across the U.S. in an effort to join the national conversation. But a good portion of them aren't quite prepared, or welcome, to speak up; consumers are calling out most instances of this marketing strategy as empty and vague, in addition to taking attention away from those who are taking action and having a real impact on the situation. Read more at Fast Company...

Ashwagandha takes lead in IIT-Delhi study to be COVID-19 warrior

Natural compounds derived from ashwagandha and propolis are being studied as potential drug candidates against the novel coronavirus. Even while a drug is being developed, which could take a while, researchers say that these two supplements in their original states could offer preventative or even therapeutic value. Read more at The Tribune India...

Tovala gobbles up $20M for its smart oven and meal kit service

Tovala's smart oven automatically cooks a variety of low-labor, meal kit-based meals sold by the same company—and it recently raised $20 million to develop its oven technology further. Users can also cook around 750 ready-meals from other companies by scanning codes into the Tovala app. Read more at Tech Crunch...

Impossible Foods forces Nestlé to stop selling 'Incredible Burgers' in Europe

A Dutch court has ruled against Nestlé in a case that aimed to determine whether the company's plant-based "Incredible Burger" infringes on the Impossible Foods trademark. The court stated that the words "impossible" and "incredible" could easily confuse consumers seeking out a particular brand of alternative meat. Read more at CNN...

Farmers markets fought to stay open during the pandemic. Now many can’t make ends meet

While farmers market advocates succesfully fought for them to operate as essential businesses in recent months, extra COVID-19 precautions and reduced participation are draining the markets' budgets. And to top it all off, the federal government's coronavirus relief packages have yet to provide assistance to farmers markets, as the Paycheck Protection Program excludes 501(c) organizations including social welfare and agricultural groups. Read more at Ag Insider..