Was your seafood caught with slave labor? New tool tries to help retailers

Ridding the seafood supply chain of problematic labor practices has proven difficult. In an effort to help retailers and importers make good choices about the fisheries they source from, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, which developed a color-coded sustainable rating scheme for seafood, has unveiled a new Seafood Slavery Risk Tool. It’s a database that was developed over the course of two years in partnership with Liberty Asia and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, and rates fisheries with a critical, high, moderate or low risk rating. The ratings consider whether there’s credible evidence of forced or child labor at the fishery, or within other sectors within the fishery's home country. Read more at Food & Environment Reporting Network…

Harmless Harvest, a leader in U.S. refrigerated premium coconut water, secures $30 million in growth capital

Danone Manifesto Ventures led the funding round for coconut water company Harmless Harvest, which plans to use the funds to boost its production capacity in Thailand. Harmless Harvest is Fair For Life certified and invests in the local communities where its coconuts are grown. Read more at San Francisco Business Times…

High doses of vitamin D shown to reduce cardiovascular system post-heart attack

In a new study published in the International Journal of Nanomedicine, vitamin D3 restored endothelial cells in the human cardiovascular system, which line the surface of blood vessels in the body and are damaged from conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart attack and stroke. The vitamin was also shown to reduce oxidative stress throughout the cardiovascular system. Read more at Cardiovascular Business…

Kansas attorney general says CBD products illegal, even with no THC

After two prosecutors requested guidance on the legality of CBD, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt issued an opinion last week that it’s illegal for people in the state to sell or possess products with the ingredient. Read more at The Kansas City Star… 

Study offers fresh insights into consumer perspectives on local and regional food

“Eating local” may be the thing to do these days. But in a new study, Johns Hopkins’ Center for a Livable Future found that consumers often consider local and regional food systems to be the same thing. Many consumers, the study found, consider foods from within their region to still be local. “These findings suggest that there may be opportunities to build consumer appreciation for regional food systems, which could benefit regional producers, distributors and other supply chain intermediaries,” the center said in a release. “Institutions such as schools and hospitals are particularly well-positioned to use their buying power to support and expand regional food systems while helping build the evidence base for regional food sourcing.” Read more at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health…