5@5: Grocery chain Albertsons gets in the meal kit game | Why OTA sued USDA

Albertsons takes cue from Amazon with meal-kit delivery deal

Anonymous sources told Bloomberg that Albertsons paid about $200 million to acquire Plated, a meal kit delivery startup that will give it a way to reach younger consumers interested in the convenience of delivery. The deal is expected to close this month. Will it give Albertsons a leg up in the intensely competitive grocery market? Read more at Bloomberg…

Why the OTA had to sue USDA

The Organic Trade Association works closely with the USDA’s National Organic Program and its Market Access Program—so why did it announce last week that it was suing the agency? When the organic standards were put into effect, there were few protections for animals written in. But consumers often assume that organic animal products are produced by animals that enjoy humane living conditions. The National Organic Standards Board published a final set of animal welfare rules in January of 2017 that would catch the industry up with that expectation. But the USDA has delayed implementation of the rule—which some think has to do with special interests in Washington. OTA sued USDA alleging that it violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Organic Foods Production Act. Read more at Huffington Post…

Could lab-grown fish and meat feed the world—without killing a single animal?

Tech companies like Finless Foods, Hampton Creek and Memphis Meats are trying to save the world—or at least the food system—with cellular agriculture. Cellular agriculture involves using animal cells obtained by biopsy and feeding them in salts, carbohydrates and proteins. For Finless Foods, the challenges include finding the right growth factors for fish cells and scaling affordably. Then there’s the whole issue of consumer acceptance. The Guardian takes a deep dive into the clean meat revolution. Read more at The Guardian…

Award-winning startup turns fruit waste into natural cosmetics

FRUU, a startup in the UK, creates made-to-order lip balms from ingredients derived from 15 kinds of organic fruits including avocado, pomegranate and lime. Read more at Spring Wise…

The coffee soda that went from crazy late-night idea to Whole Foods in under a year

While they were working as graphic designers, Thi Lam and Brent Lagerman started creating concoctions using the office SodaStream. That turned into a new beverage company, Keepers, that “champions odd pairings”—like citrus flavors and coffee—to create carbonated beverages that Whole Foods now sells in its Brooklyn store. Read more at CNBC…