Latest food tech and innovation news, jobs and events.
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food tech connect
impossible whopper
FEATURED
Blue Apron CEO Steps Down, Burger King Tests Impossible Whopper + More (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=1dbc1ae482&e=2715c96b29)
Our round-up of this week's top food innovation news.
Sweetgreen's Flavor-Forward Approach to Biodiversity (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=23f086b016&e=2715c96b29)
We speak with co-founder and chief concept officer Nic Jammet about how sweetgreen thinks about biodiversity and encourages it across its supply chain.
GODAN on Open Data to Support Biodiversity & Health (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=31092678b1&e=2715c96b29)
GODAN's André Laperrière talks to us about using open data to help eaters, health professionals and governments improve health and preserve biodiversity.
Believe in Bambara on Its Climate-Smart, Plant-Based Protein (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ff2c76e0bb&e=2715c96b29)
Believe in Bambara co-founder Tamara Cohen talks to us about why and how her startup is bringing the bambara groundnut to the US.
✨ WE'RE HIRING ✨
Join our team! We are hiring a part-time Event Producer (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=6edb49caa1&e=2715c96b29) and Digital Community Manager (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ad03974472&e=2715c96b29) .
cannabis
CPG
FDA Sets First Hearing on CBD in May As the Agency Looks at Legalizing the Cannabis Compound in Food and Drinks (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ff73938962&e=2715c96b29) - CNBC
The agency wants data on CBD's safety in food products and feedback on how it might regulate manufacturing, marketing and labeling. The public hearing will take place on May 31.
This Plant-Based Food Startup Targets Seniors Instead of Millennials (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5a72de571c&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
Beyond Meat co-founder Brent Taylor has launched Perennial, a product offering gut, brain and bone health for people over 50.
French Buyout Firm Eurazeo Infuses $40M Into Cocktail Mixer Brand (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=53e76bf6a4&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
Eurazeo has invested in Q Tonic, representing its first foray into the food and beverage sector.
Corona Brewer Constellation Is Nearing a Deal to Sell Some Wine Brands to E & J Gallo (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=03dc111183&e=2715c96b29) - CNBC
Constellation Brands is in advanced talks to sell its some of its low-end wine brands for $2b or less. Sales of non-premium wine have slowed, as millennials focus increasingly on health and alternative indulgences like cannabis.
LifeAID Raises $7.7M to Support Distribution Growth (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=077bd82dd2&e=2715c96b29) - BevNET
The round includes a combined $4.7m in equity investments from Everplus Capital and Cambridge Companies Special Projects Group. The brand will use funding to support expanded nationwide distribution.
Transparency and Buying Behavior Are Changing the Game for Category Management (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=fca7934caf&e=2715c96b29) - Food Dive
Manufacturers vying for customer loyalty must develop an omnichannel strategy that meets shopper demands for convenience and personalization. E-commerce is expected to grow more than $100b from 2017 to 2025.
Milkadamia Is on a Mission to Promote Regenerative Farming (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5e4bfca996&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
The company has partnered with a growing group of macadamia farmers who are adopting regenerative farming practices.
Argentina: Forget Coffee Pods — This Argentinian Company Is Making Home Protein Pods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a272e83a5b&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
Enye Technologies is trying to help feed this protein craze with microfungus. It has developed a way to grow mycelia to make protein chunks called Kernels. The company plans to launch its technology at CES in January 2020.
blue apron
RETAIL
Blue Apron Taps Former Etsy Executive as CEO Replacing Brad Dickerson (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9c6d1b9b2f&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Linda Findley Kozlowski will replace Brand Dickerson as CEO. Blue Apron shares soared as much as 24% in early trading Wednesday after the news. At Etsy (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=321183d68f&e=2715c96b29) , Kozlowski helped grow marketplace sales to more than $3.9b.
GrubMarket Raises $25M More for Its Farm-to-Table Food Delivery Service (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=db9c76fe55&e=2715c96b29) - TechCrunch
The investment is being led by WI Harper Group and Digital Garage. The startup is continuing its expansion in the US and en route to an IPO filing, potentially as soon as this year.
Whole Foods Cut Prices. It Saved Us 5 Cents. (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9ca359ca75&e=2715c96b29) - New York Times
The grocery chain announced it was lowering prices on hundreds of items, giving special discounts to people signed up for Prime. Its "Whole Paycheck" reputation doesn't appear to be threatened.
Amazon Quietly Removes Promotional Spots That Gave Special Treatment to Its Own Products As Scrutiny of Tech Giants Grows (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b71f6252f0&e=2715c96b29) - CNBC
As tech giants face growing scrutiny over their market power, Amazon has quietly removed some of the most aggressive promotional spots for so-called private label products on its website.
Albertsons Debuts Eco-Friendly Products Under Open Nature Label (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ce85a76b1d&e=2715c96b29) - Grocery Dive
The retailer has launched a new line of compostable products in an effort to boost environmental stewardship.
Walmart Tries to Challenge Amazon's Grocery Supremacy through Voice Ordering (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=cde227aa81&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
The retailer's voice-ordering capability is launching with Google.
Grocery-Order-Assembling Robots Get Smarter, Fitting into Compact Warehouses (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=968f440555&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
Developed for cavernous fulfillment centers, AI bots are getting cheaper and more effective, able to put together supermarket orders in a space of just 10,000-sq-ft.
ezcater
RESTAURANTS
ezCater Raises $150M to Expand Global Catering Marketplace (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=73c0a9c6ff&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
The round, which values the startup at $1.25 billion, was co-led by Lightspeed VenturePartners and GIC. The latest raise will help it expand its global operations.
Usher And Jay-Z Take a Bite Out of Hungry's $8M Series A (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b5354f0745&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
Sands Capital Ventures and Motley Fool Ventures led the round, with participation from former Whole Foods CEO Walter Robb and Tom Colicchio. The company will use the capital to bankroll expansion into new territories.
Is Sweetgreen Looking to Roboticize Its Restaurants? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=812aaa704f&e=2715c96b29) - The Spoon
Derek Pietz, a former employee of restaurant equipment giant Middleby, changed his job title on Linkedin to Sweetgreen's Head of Automation.
The Cannabis Industry Has Always Been Rooted in Racism. Black Chefs Are Pushing Back (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=f2bcaf8f43&e=2715c96b29) - Eater
Black chefs cooking with cannabis are reclaiming the traditions of medicinal cooking.
Everything Is Organic at this Burger Chain. Even the Pickles (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e80aa6916e&e=2715c96b29) - Bloomberg
Nic's opened two years ago in the Chicago area and is thriving. But sometimes, like most other chains, the chain scrambles to find organic ingredients.
Chicago Chefs Are Teaming Up with Special-Needs Individuals to Create New Dishes (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=10d42b2201&e=2715c96b29) - Forbes
Doors Open Dishes links up with a Chicago-based chef with a client in a local workshop or group home supporting those with special needs.
chicks
AGRICULTURE
Equilibrium Closes Controlled Environment Foods Fund I at $336M, Fully Deployed (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=857cd2f8b6&e=2715c96b29) - Global AgInvesting
Fund I is positioned to capitalize upon shifts that are occurring among US consumers looking for higher quality and variety in their fresh produce choices. Equilibrium Capital Group is focused on sustainable and impact-driven agricultural investments.
Rio Holds $77.5M First Close on Growth Stage AgriFood Fund, Rebrands from Avrio (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=614ed18d48&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
Rio will invest in growth stage businesses across the agrifood supply chain and counts Farm Credit Canada, a core investor in Avrio, as one of its cornerstone investors.
India: Intello Labs raises $2M seed round from Nexus Venture Partners and Omnivore (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=e143813998&e=2715c96b29) - ETtech
Nexus Venture Partners and Omivore led the round, which will help the company strengthen its product and rapidly scale globally.
ALSS Raises $8M Series A for New Chick Vaccination Technology that Will Cut Down on Antibiotics in Poultry (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=0754565257&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
The round was co-led by Merck Animal Health and Mountain Group Partners. The investment will allow ALSS to accelerate the development of its automated and individualized poultry vaccination system.
3 States Join Contested Missouri Ban on Using "Meat" on Cell-Cultured Product Labels (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=2fe4c98397&e=2715c96b29) - Food Safety News
Mississippi, South Dakota and Montana lawmakers have passed bills to legally prohibit "mislabeling" of food products derived from animal cultures, plants or insects as meat.
Some in the Beef Industry Are Bucking the Widespread Use of Antibiotics. Here's How (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=b8dca1c7cd&e=2715c96b29) - NPR
Most beef cattle receive antibiotics in their feed to prevent liver abscesses while eating a high-energy diet. There's growing pressure on feedlots to stop this — and some have, but it's costly.
Alexandria Absorbs AgTech Accelerator into Seed Capital Platform and LaunchLabs in RTP (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=39d25e640d&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
The real estate investment trust has launched an agtech investment strategy including facilities for businesses to operate out of and an early stage funding platform. It will create and incubate businesses through its LaunchLabs accelerator program.
In Iowa, 2020 Candidates Decry Mega-Mergers and Falling Farm Incomes (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=a4358c44ed&e=2715c96b29) - New Food Economy
Farmers make $0.15 of every food dollar spent in the US, down from $0.37 a decade ago. At the Heartland Forum this weekend, Democratic candidates pitched a better future to rural America.
The Economics of Local Vertical and Greenhouse Farming Are Getting Competitive (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9da895f735&e=2715c96b29) - AgFunder
The cost of farming indoors has always been a big question; if it's too expensive, it won't be scalable. But Peter Tasgal's research argues that vertical and greenhouse farms are getting competitive with their outdoor peers.
bad diets
EATERS
Bad Diets Are Responsible For More Deaths Than Smoking, Global Study Finds (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=ffe87dd926&e=2715c96b29) - NPR
Some 11m deaths annually are linked to diet-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Researchers say that makes diet the leading risk factor for deaths around the world.
States Sue Trump Administration Over Rollback of School-Lunch Nutrition Standards (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=44d6d22c7e&e=2715c96b29) - Wall Street Journal
As USDA seeks to ease Obama-era rules on whole grain foods and sodium content, Democratic attorneys general challenge on administrative grounds.
Will People Be Able to Overcome Their Disgust of Lab-Grown Meat? (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=15fbc67c4b&e=2715c96b29) - Fast Company
It could be key to a sustainable future for meat eating – if people can get past their squeamishness.
After the Floods, a Struggle on the Pine Ridge Reservation for Food and Water Access (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=afd82c377c&e=2715c96b29) - New Food Economy
Even on a good day, access to nutritious food and water isn't a given for residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southern South Dakota. Compounded with the cyclone and floods in the Midwest, the Native community again faces a steep road to recovery.
How a Seed Bank Helps Preserve Cherokee Culture through Traditional Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=be5fd783cd&e=2715c96b29) - NPR
The seeds are free for any Cherokee, but recipients have been limited because demand is so high. Collecting the seeds has been difficult and emotional, but the program has helped unify the community.
Millennials Are Sick of Drinking (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=68bfb0802c&e=2715c96b29) - The Atlantic
What some have been quick to characterize as an interest in being sober might actually be more like a search for moderation in a culture that has long treated alcohol as a dichotomy.
LA Grocery Stores Are Selling Out of Celery Thanks to the "Global Celery Juice Movement" (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=9436ba550b&e=2715c96b29) - LA Mag
Sales of celery have jumped 400%, and Andrew Williams is to blame. The health guru has claimed its ability to cure everything from psoriasis to anxiety.
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LATEST JOB LISTINGS
Vice President of Innovation at King Arthur Flour (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=5917bde84d&e=2715c96b29) - White River Junction, VT
Vice President of Sales at King Arthur Flour (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=939adebd60&e=2715c96b29) - White River Junction, VT
Vice President of Sales at Leanpath (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=c8060b024e&e=2715c96b29) - Portland, OR
Social Media Coordinator at Ark Foods (https://foodtechconnect.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5137626c88ab3a61c40112a42&id=81f2ebf740&e=2715c96b29) - Brooklyn, NY
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