5@5: Chipotle CEO labels faux meat 'too processed' | Undercover investigation challenges organic milk

No Beyond burrito: Chipotle’s CEO says faux meat is too processed

Chipotle will not be adding meat substitutes from Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods onto its menu because their “products are too processed for the burrito chain, which touts its simple food and a menu that uses only 51 ingredients.” Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown countered that the chain’s meat producers are far less transparent than his company is, and invited Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol to view the process for himself. Read more at Bloomberg …

American milk myth: New undercover investigation challenges organic milk

The Animal Recovery Mission—the same group that “took on the Disneyland of agricultural tourism, Fair Oaks Farms”—is now targeting an organic operation that supplies the raw milk for multiple organic milk brands stocked across supermarkets nationwide. Its findings have prompted organic supporters to call for better regulation and enforcement on the part of USDA, as well as more consumer-facing transparency when it comes to where the food products they’re buying are really coming from. Read more at Forbes …

Japan’s food tech companies find fresh ways to extend shelf life

Food tech in Japan has spread from fish to meat to vegetables; some of the country’s latest innovations include “the use of mold to keep tuna fresh, as well as a sheet made from dried vegetables that can remain edible for two years.” In line with other nations around the globe, startups in Japan are beginning to look at the production of artificial meat via a cell-culturing system that could help feed the global population. Read more at Nikkei Asian Review …

USDA gave almost 100% of Trump’s trade war bailout to white farmers

The Trump Administration’s Market Facilitation Program is under attack for disproportionately giving financial aid to wealthy, white and male landowners while intensifying the struggles of black and other minority farmers. Of the $8 billion distributed to race-identifiable operations, an egregious 99.5% went to white business owners. Read more at New Food Economy …

Spindrift vs. Lacroix: What it means to be a ‘natural’ seltzer

Ever since LaCroix came under fire for its “all natural” claims, sales of the company’s prolific seltzer have been crashing—leaving room for brands that “[count] chemicals instead of calories,” such as Spindrift, to capture consumers' attention. The shift away from LaCroix represents a shift in consumer preference from processed food and beverages with synthetic additives to known ingredients, such as the fruits that flavor Spindrift’s sparkling water line. Read more at Vox …