Dying planet or not, Americans won't stop eating beef

If Americans continue eating meat at the same rate they have been, the environmental outcome will be cataclysmic. But while studies have indicated this for some time now, a combination of powerful meat lobbyists and meat's "grand representational ideals" contributed to an extra $5.7 billion in meat sales during the pandemic. This is why many animal product alternative companies are putting their dollars toward convincing U.S. consumers to incorporate more plant-based items into their meals rather than attempting to shame them into cutting out meat altogether. There is also a glaring need to improve the way existing livestock farmers run their agricultural systems, so that consumers who are reluctant to buy plant-based alternatives can purchase pasture-raised beef rather than the industrial variety. Eater reports.

Is Big Yogurt dead?

What's going on with traditional yogurt companies? First, General Mills announced it would be selling its 51% interest in Yoplait and doubling down on its Mexican food, super-premium ice cream and snack bar brands in an effort to accelerate these segments' growth in Europe and Australia. And second, Danone is continuing its search for a replacement CEO while figuring out ways to appeal to younger consumers; its new plant-based Honest to Goodness coffee creamer brand aims to do so through clean ingredient sourcing. Danone also bought U.S. dairy-alternative brand WhiteWave for $10.4 billion in 2016—which more than doubled its North American business. Head to The Food Institute for details.

Why Kroger's store closures and hazard pay reaction are so unsettling

Kroger has done very well during the pandemic, earning record profits as at-home eating became the norm. The retailer is also full speed ahead on employee vaccinations, PPE expenditures and safety precautions. Yet the bridge it refuses to cross, for some reason, is prioritizing additional compensation for the thousands of employees who carried their business and implemented all of these initiatives at store level, day in, day out before and throughout the pandemic. Instead Kroger is fighting lawmakers and has already shut down a spate of stores located in areas that have passed hazard pay mandates, effectively creating food deserts and spiting its labor force. Forbes has the full picture. 

Trawling for fish may unleash as much carbon as air travel, study says

Trawling, a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats, releases as much planet-warming carbon as the entire aviation industry. The New York Times delves into a recent study that found dragging heavy nets across seabed disturbs marine sediments, which are the world’s largest carbon sink. The study also calculates that eliminating 90% of the present risk of carbon disturbance due to trawling would require protecting only about 4% of the ocean, mostly within national waters. 

Edible food films created for food packaging

An group of scientists have created seaweed-based edible food films for packaging fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood that are water soluble and dissolve up to 90% in just 24 hours. The seaweed-derived molecules were cross-linked with a natural antioxidant ferulic acid; this makes the film not only strong, but also homogeneous, more rigid and prolongs the shelf life of the products. Learn more at Technology Networks.