5@5: US bans Malaysian palm oil producer | Alt dairy startups innovate in fermentation

US bans Malaysian palm oil producer over forced labour

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has blocked the import of palm oil made by Malaysian producer FGV holdings after a yearlong investigation into into the organization revealed "restriction of movement, isolation, physical and sexual violence, intimidation and threats, retention of identity documents, withholding of wages, debt bondage, abusive working and living conditions and excessive overtime." Companies that profit off of the exploitation of their workers create unfair competition for those that source their ingredients ethically, and other organizations had previously voiced concerns about FGV holdings, which relies heavily on migrant labor. Read the full story at BBC ... 

Can start-ups make us love animal-free dairy?

Alternative dairy startups are tirelessly working to improve plant-based dairy offerings and revolutionize the industry like alternative meat companies have successfully done over the past few years. The key to this, as synthetic biologists have found, is first fully understanding how complex dairy proteins are constructed and then figuring out how to use fermentation to formulate the perfect dairy dupe sans the cow. Get the scoop at Chemical and Engineering News ...

McDonald's among food firms urging tougher deforestation rules

21 U.K. food companies including Unilever, McDonald's, Nestle, Lidl and Pilgrim's Pride are pushing for the country's government to tighten up rules designed to protect rainforests. The companies say that forbidding the use of produce from illegally deforested land isn't enough; all goods sourced from land that is deforested either legally or illegally should be included in the rule in order to be truly effective against the rampant deforestation occurring in Indonesia and Brazil. BBC has the details ...

Amazon workers march to Jeff Bezos’ mansion, calling for higher wages, protections

Demonstrators this past weekend marched to the gates of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' Beverly Hills mansion to protest the company's unsafe working conditions and call for higher wages, free healthcare and childcare for employees. They were led by the Congress of Essential Workers, a group headed by a former Amazon warehouse manager who was fired in March after organizing a strike over Amazon's poor handling of the COVID-19 crisis early on. Learn more about the list of demands at L.A. Times ...

WSO's Friend of the Sea certification matters for the plant-based seafood industry. Here's why

Environmentally conscious consumers are increasingly reliant on sustainability certifications when figuring out which brands to load up their shopping carts with. This is why the Friend of the Sea label can make plant-based seafood, a growing market, more appealing to retailers and shoppers looking to make progress on certain sustainability goals. The certification gives plant-based seafood products a place in the broader scope of other kinds of sustainable seafood. All it takes to become certified is meeting the requirements set forth by WSO's Friend of the Earth standard. Good Food Institute underscores the importance of this and other certifications for plant-based brands …