5@5: Meat bar startup Wilde raises $1.6M | Monsanto trying to negotiate with Syngenta5@5: Meat bar startup Wilde raises $1.6M | Monsanto trying to negotiate with Syngenta

Friday, July 17

Wilde Brands raises $1.6M to boost line of meat-based protein bars

The slow-baked bars are made up of about 60 percent hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and include other ingredients like quinoa, chia seeds, spices, fruits and vegetables. Read more at BizWest...

Monsanto says any hostile bid for Syngenta some way off

The company's president and CEO told Reuters he was focused on trying to secure a negotiated deal. Read more at Reuters...

New Nevada company to provide organic certification

In response to the end of Nevada's state-run organic certification program, a new not-for-profit organization has been created called Basin and Range Organics. Read more from KTVN...

Taxing the calories in sugary drinks could encourage healthier choices, study says

A flat tax may not be the best way to encourage behavior change around sugary drinks, according to a new study, but taxation that depends on the number of calories or amount of sugar per liter may be a better approach. Read more at Elsevier...

Scientists breed genetically modified moths to curb global pest problem costing farmers billions of dollars

Diamondback moths gorge on cruciferous vegetables, but scientists think an engineered moth with a gene that causes them to produce female offspring that do not survive long enough to have their own offspring could reduce populations. Read more at The Independent...

Thursday, July 16

Greenpeace report ranks retailers on efforts to protect oceans, seafood industry workers

Whole Foods, Wegmans, Hy-Vee and Safeway ranked as the top retailer in the organization's annual Carting Away the Oceans report. Read more at Greenpeace...

Hain Celestial brews up potent mix for stock market gains

Hain's "strong financials, sensible acquisitions and cash flow" are attracting investors. Read more at Forbes...

A 'boomer' market for clean label

Baby boomers have time on their hands and spending money to buy clean-label products, analysts say. Read more at Food Business News...

The fall of a dairy darling: How cottage cheese got eclipsed by yogurt

It took off as a health food in the 1950s and peaked in the 1970s, but since then, Americans have halved their cottage cheese consumption. Why? Read more at NPR...

One by one, food companies pledge to quit animal testing

The use of animals for testing of products like chemicals and cosmetics is well-known, but food companies use it, too. PETA is pushing for more companies to stop. Read more at National Geographic...

Wednesday, July 15

One in 10 global product launches gluten-free: survey

Ten percent of new food product launches globally from March 2014 to March 2015 were gluten-free products, according to Innova Market Insights. That number is even higher—18 percent—in the U.S. Read more Food Dive...

Have we reached peak juice?

Cities are flooded with juice shops, and grocery store shelves are inundated, too. Is there finally more juice out there than people actually consuming it? Read more at Racked...

Scientists just discovered a natural source of vegan bacon

Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered a seaweed—yes, seaweed—that tastes like bacon. Read more at Muncies...

Hey yogurt-maker, where'd you get those microbes?

Yogurt is a truly living food. The bacteria that transform milk into this thick and sour food also provide a sense of mystique. Read more via NPR...

Danny Meyer takes stake in fast-casual chain

The Shake Shack founder's company, Union Square Hospitality Group, has invested in California-based Tender Greens, a fast-casual restaurant that offers seasonal specials and straight-from-the-farm ingredients. Read more at Inc...

Tuesday, July 14

Non-GMO product use rising among all age groups

It's not just millennials that are increasingly interested in avoiding GMOs—data from the Natural Marketing Institute shows the number of Gen X-ers, baby boomers and seniors who bought food labeled as Non-GMO grew from 2012 to 2014, too. Read more at Food Business News...

A year on, Australia's health star food-rating system is showing cracks

Last year the Australian government introduced a food rating system aimed at helping grocery shoppers buy healthy food, but design limitations have emerged—like that it's voluntary, and it looks at nutrients only in isolation. Read more at Food Magazine...

House panel to markup GMO labeling bill

The latest draft of Rep. Pompeo's Safe and Affordable Food Labeling Act is headed for a markup from the House Agriculture Committee today. Read more at The Hill...

Van's 'all-natural' case settled by Tyson

Van's has agreed to a settlement of up to $9 million to resolve claims that it labeled products with small amounts of the synthetic ingredient sodium acid pyrophosate as "all natural." Read more at Food Business News...

The Chipotle carnitas shortage of 2015 will end soon, company says

Several months after pulling carnitas from about a third of its restaurants over a supplier's violation of company standards, Chipotle says the beloved menu item is back at many restaurants, thanks to a new UK-based supplier. Read more at Consumerist...

Monday, July 15

Whole Foods sued for misleading sugar claims

A class-action lawsuit filed in Missouri accuses the supermarket chain of using the term "evaporated can juice" instead of "sugar" to make consumers believe its brand of cookies are lower in sugar than they actually are. Read more at Huffington Post...

Chicken farmers make the leap from factory to pasture

The Herman family of Taylorsville, North Carolina, represent a movement is happening across the U.S.: farmers are rejecting the industrial models of production and return to a pasture-based system. Read more at National Geographic...

Genetically modified crops cost many Ohio farmers

Farmers in several corn states including Ohio are suing ag giant Syngenta, whose GM corn seeds were rejected by China in 2014 and 2014, which had been one of America's largest customers for corn before 2013. After China rejected the seed, corn prices dropped more than 50 percent. Read more at Crain's Cleveland Business...

Quality over quantity matters for fatty acids

At a Sunday morning panel at IFT, nutrition experts explored the latest science on fatty acids and put it into the context of the recent recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Read more at IFT...

USDA proposes new ways to help meet nutrition needs of low-income, homebound seniors and people with disabilities

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack proposed today to permit grocery purchasing and delivery services run by government and non-profit organizations to accept SNAP benefits as payment, allowing for home delivery to those unable to shop for food. Read more at USDA...