5@5: FDA, USDA vow to work together on food safety | Reports: Kroger on the hunt for e-commerce partner

USDA, FDA agree to work together on food safety

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue signed a formal agreement to increase interagency collaboration and coordination on food safety efforts as they work to enforce the Food Safety Modernization Act. That includes partnering on implementation of produce safety measures and efforts to develop regulatory approaches to biotechnology. It tasks the agencies with finding ways to streamline regulations and reduce inefficiencies in inspections, in order to potentially cut down on the number of companies subject to the dual regulatory requirements of both agencies. “This agreement not only formalizes this ongoing coordination, but presents a great opportunity to expand those efforts through better integration and increased clarity to the agriculture and food processing sectors,” Gottlieb said in a statement. Read more at The Packer…

Kroger needs to bulk up online with Boxed

It’s been rumored that the $27 billion grocer has made an offer for a fast-growing e-commerce startup called Boxed, which sells goods in bulk. There’s also speculation that Kroger is interested in deals with overstock.com or Alibaba. While it hasn’t officially commented on these reports, analysts say Kroger would do well to pursue these kinds of deals, as the battle for online grocery is just heating up. Read more at Bloomberg Gadfly…

Amazon’s new plan to sell stuff at Whole Foods is to sell it in the parking lot

In its latest move to integrate Whole Foods, Amazon said its Treasure Trucks—brightly colored trucks that carry discounted items that customers can buy online and pick up—will pop up at select Whole Foods locations with deals on items like a mini pressure cooker. Read more at Gizmodo…

Novel tea steeped in packaging innovation

Vessl Inc. debuts a new packaging format for its Tea of a Kind ready-to-drink beverage with its recyclable Eco 4-Pack design, which utilizes one bottle and four caps that contain the beverage’s concentrated liquid ingredients: brewed tea, antioxidants and natural flavors. The cap is sealed to protect the tea from UV light and oxidation, and is opened when consumers twist off the cap. Read more at Packaging Digest…

Great Basin Community Food Co-op raises base wage to $15

Like some of its fellow natural foods stores, the Reno, Nevada, co-op is now paying more than double the $7.25 federal minimum wage to give its employees a more livable wage and encourage them to stay—a trend its leadership hopes other businesses follow. Read more at KOLO8 News Now…