Each day at 5 p.m. we collect the five top food and supplement headlines of the day, making it easy for you to catch up on today's most important natural products industry news.

February 19, 2019

2 Min Read
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Flies and fungi: Climate change could make food less safe, experts warn

Global warming-related temperature increases may escalate the number of food contamination and food-borne disease outbreaks worldwide. These outbreaks would likely harm “women and children, people affected by conflict and migrants” the most, but the majority of governments haven’t given enough thought to exactly how climate change will affect general food safety. Extreme weather is also expected to negatively impact crop yields, which will limit safe food supplies in the near future. Read more at Reuters …

 

On-the-go plastic-free straw ‘first’ picked up by Nestlé

A new sustainable, plastic-free straw made of paperboard has been picked up by Nestlé from packaging supplier SIG. The paper straw is being trialed in the Dominican Republic and features a wrapper that remains attached to the pack and is recycled along with the rest of the carton. Nestlé’s manufacturing manager for RTD dairy products has stated that the straw is an “effective, scalable” solution for the critical issue of single-use plastic pollution. Read more at The Grocer 

 

How to fight climate change in agriculture while protecting jobs

There is a long overdue, globally recognized need to “secure jobs, livelihoods and food for vulnerable people while eliminating emissions from agricultural industries,” but both sustainable intensification and agroecological farming present their own unique challenges in regards to widespread adoption. So, what’s the solution? Perhaps an integration of the most effective parts of multiple approaches—conventional, sustainable intensification, agroecological and more. Read more at The Conversation …

 

Boulder-based Rowdy Mermaid secures $3.5M investment

Rowdy Mermaid, a kombucha company that produces a low-sugar, plant-infused, functional version of the fermented beverage, has recently received investments from KarpReilly, Justin Gold and Brendan Synnott of Bear Naked and EVOL Foods. The U.S. kombucha market is currently valued at $800 million, and is projected to grow globally to $5.45 billion by 2025. Rowdy Mermaid is only one of many kombucha brands drawing attention from big beverage makers; for instance, the Coca-Cola Co. has already invested in two kombucha companies: Health-Ade and Organic & Raw Trading Co. Read more at Daily Camera …

 

As awareness grows about food’s role in climate change, what solutions exist?

It’s unsurprising that alarm over climate change has doubled in the U.S. over the last five years—practically every other day a new study confirms some version of an upcoming ecological apocalypse. However, many scientists believe this concern has arrived too late to reverse the vast environmental damage that has been accumulating since the early 20th century. This roundtable of farmers, experts and directors of agricultural and climate programs dives into what the climate movement should focus on right now in order to enact positive and lasting change. Read more at Civil Eats 

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