Image Credit: Restaurant Business News Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. In the quest for efficiency and healthier food options, Sweetgreen has turned to robots to operate its salad line. Bloomberg reports that the company’s “Infinite Kitchen” is pushing the boundaries of food service automation, although human assistance is still required. Meanwhile, Forbes delved into the captivating world of Stewart and Lynda Resnick’s Wonderful Co, unco ..read more

Image Credit: The Spoon Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. Recent findings have taken the food industry by surprise, unveiling a stark reality about cultivated meat’s environmental footprint. Contrary to initial expectations, cultivated meat has the potential to generate anywhere from four to twenty-five times more carbon dioxide emissions. Meanwhile, another industry revelation comes to light, as Bloomberg highlights the fading presence of ..read more

Image Credit: Forbes Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. Two exciting headlines in the food industry have recently caught the food world’s attention. Former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, has launched PLEZi Nutrition, a health-conscious brand. The company’s first product line includes four fruit drinks, aimed at reducing the sugar intake of kids. Meanwhile, Hollywood star Aubrey Plaza recently caused a stir with a parody adv ..read more

Image Credit: Wall Street Journal Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. The Wall Street Journal took an inside look into the struggle to scale cultivated meat following the FDA’s approval of Upside Meat’s cultivated chicken. The Economist has introduced a new way to measure the climate impact of food using its ‘banana index,’ which compares popular foodstuffs on weight, calories, and protein to the banana, a fruit of middling climate impact and ..read more

Image Credit: Fast Company Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. Investors in the foodtech industry may be making a grave mistake by prioritizing flashy technology over solutions that can truly improve how we eat. While the media went crazy over Vow’s mammoth meatball, the Fast Company warns that this approach does a disservice to everyone, as consumers are left with products that fail to meet their needs and startups struggle to find viab ..read more

Image Credit: VegNews Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. S2G Ventures has launched a $300 million Special Opportunities fund to provide flexible financing for startups working on social and environmental impact in industries such as agriculture, energy, and oceans. Meanwhile, the plant-based food industry is facing questions about its future as consumer sales have been lackluster and investors are turning away. New Food Order ponders whether ..read more

Image Credit: Forbes Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. The Italian government has taken a stand against synthetic foods and cultivated meat by supporting a bill that would prohibit their sale. The proposed legislation aims to promote the consumption of natural and organic food products while limiting the production and sale of genetically modified foods. Those who violate the ban could face hefty fines of up to €60,000 ($65,000). In contras ..read more

Image Credit: Food Dive Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. A new report from the Biden administration states its desire for the country to use biotechnology to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability, create more nutritious and safer food, and protect food animals and plants from pests and environmental harm. Cultivated pork startup New Age Eats has announced that it is shutting down after 5 years in operation and $32 million ra ..read more

Image Credit: Bloomberg Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. GOOD Meat, Just Eat’s cultivated meat unit, just became the second company to receive FDA approval of its cultivated chicken. If USDA approval is granted, then it will be served at one of Jose Andres’s restaurants in Washington, D.C. A new report from the Changing Markets Foundation pinpoints examples of greenwashing across the food sector. The highly anticipated “Green Claims Direct ..read more

Image Credit: Patagonia Provisions Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. A new report has found that agrifoodtech funding declined by 44% in 2022, bringing total funding to $29.6 billion. Kroger and Albertsons want to merge in a $20 billion deal. If antitrust regulators approve, the definition of a grocery store grows further. Food startups were scrambling at Expo West when news broke about Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse. Many with accounts may ..read more