5@5: FDA pushes for independence | Aldi upends America's supermarkets

Could food safety be improved if FDA had more independence?

The Food and Drug Administration is a subsidiary of the Department of Health and Human Services, which means the head of DHHS can veto FDA rulemaking. This is why “seven of America’s most recent FDA commissioners co-wrote a piece of commentary urging [for FDA to become an independent agency] in Health Affairs journal.” DHHS has shelved many FDA rulings, including the agency’s attempt to prohibit raw milk. Read more at New Food Economy …

How a cheap, brutally efficient grocery chain is upending America’s supermarkets

Aldi is leading the pack in terms of surviving the uber-competitive U.S. supermarket scene and is also reshaping the entire industry as it rises in popularity. The chain’s cult-like following, rock-bottom prices and “brutally efficient” shopping experience have all contributed to its becoming a direct competitor of the likes of Walmart. Read more at CNN …

Food delivery stocks are the latest casualties of the Amazon effect

Amazon.com is leading a $575 million funding round in Deliveroo, and Europe’s listed online food delivery companies are feeling the effects. Shares in Just Eat, Takeaway.com and Delivery Hero dove as much as 11% today and business owners are reportedly terrified of the competitive pressures that Amazon’s presence has led to. Read more at Bloomberg …

Uber Eats is facing a price war—just like Uber

Uber’s food delivery service Uber Eats “expects to lose about $1 billion in the first quarter of 2019,” mainly because of a lack of consumer loyalty. This loss highlights the current plight of Eats and its competitors such as DoorDash, as they will all need to start charging customers substantially more money eventually. When that happens, the service to come out on top will be the one that “has the most customers and restaurant partners.” Read more at Vox …

Lawmakers schedule psychedelic decriminalization hearing in Oakland

On the heels of Denver’s groundbreaking decision to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms, one major Californian city “is moving to consider a measure that goes even further by calling for an end to arrests and prosecutions of people for possessing additional psychedelic drugs such as mescaline cacti, ayahuasca and ibogaine.” Interest in the psychological and medical benefits of these psychedelics has been rising in the scientific community recently, and studies have demonstrated that they could be useful for treating conditions such as substance abuse, OCD and treatment-resistant depression. Read more at Forbes …