5@5: False health news dominates social media | Grain-free tortilla brand raises $90M

A shockingly large majority of health news shared on Facebook is fake or misleading

Scientists who examined the 100 most popular health articles of 2018 found that 75 percent of the top 10 shared articles were “either misleading or included some false information.” The top three consumer areas of interest were disease treatment, food, nutrition and vaccinations. This study underscores the problematic effect of the way social media algorithms incentivize engagement—fake news spreads “faster, deeper and more broadly than the truth in all categories of information." Read more at Fast Company …

Why grain-free tortilla maker Siete Family Foods just raised $90 million

May popular anti-inflammatory diets emphasize a grain-free diet, which can be devastating for lovers of carb-heavy cuisines. From this very problem, Siete’s grain-free alternative flour tortillas were born. While Siete was not looking for capital, 31-year-old CEO Miguel Garza says “the family was struck by Stripes Group’s understanding of their vision,” which Garza envisions becoming a billion-dollar Mexican food brand. The group’s investment in Siete amounts to $90 million and gives it ownership of a minority stake in the business. Read more at Forbes …

‘Wild’ skin care is an emerging trend seeking to clarify the natural beauty category

While “natural,” “organic” and “clean” labels seem to be on every skin care product these days, it is virtually unknown among consumers that these terms aren’t regulated to a specific standard. Now, genuinely clean brands are “desperate for a point of differentiation,” and many believe they’ve found one in the emerging descriptor “wild.” This entails using plant-based ingredients that have been grown in their natural habitats as opposed to farmed. The method is sustainable, uses organic farming methods and may have the potential to increase ingredient potency. Read more at Fashionista …

What Bud Light’s corn syrup attack ads reveal about the troubled state of Big Beer

The corn industry is up in arms after a condemning Super Bowl ad spotlighting Bud Light’s lack of corn syrup in its beer products premiered during Sunday’s game. From the overwhelming consumer response, it’s clear are many Americans who still don’t understand “ingredients, supply chains, and food science, and [the reaction] was a reminder of just how much power marketing has to shape perceptions about what we eat and drink. Read more at New Food Economy …

Apeel brings its longer-lasting avocados to Europe

Apeel Science’s technology takes the naturally occurring chemicals found in the skin and peels of plants and applies it to fresh produce, which slows the rate of water loss and oxidation that typically leads to spoiled produce. According to their company website, Apeel’s technology has “has led to a more than 50 percent decrease in food waste at retail.” Now the company has partnered with Nature’s Pride, one of the largest vendors of avocados and mangos in Europe, in an effort to reduce the 88 million tons of food that is thrown out every year across the continent. Read more at The Spoon  …