Expect to pay more for food in 2021–except for eggs
According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the price of food (both eaten out and cooked at home) rose on average more than 3% in 2020 over the previous year. This was most evident in the prices of meat: beef and veal prices jumped 9.6%, poultry prices increased 5.6% and pork prices leapt 6.3%. Eggs, however, seem to have sidestepped the upward trajectory with regard to cost; the difference in price between April 2020 and April 2021 sunk 8.9%. The Counter breaks down the data.
Processed meats and high-sugar 'inflammatory' diets could increase breast cancer risk
A new study indicates that diets rich in fatty foods, highly processed meats and sugar can lead to heightened breast cancer risk, while diets rich in whole foods and fresh produce appear to lower that risk. Women who ate more so-called "inflammatory" foods had up to 12% higher risk of developing breast cancer. Notably, the researchers examined overall dietary patterns rather than single components of diets to assess the food's impact on health outcomes. Insider reports.
Livestock methane emissions are much higher than was previously thought
Are livestock methane emission measurements accurate? Doesn't look that way. A survey of existing research has found that top-down and bottom-up approaches to estimating these emissions have huge gaps between the results. The study's scary conclusion is that "At least four top-down estimates of the contiguous U.S., representative of emissions occurring over at least one full year, indicate that direct animal methane emissions are 39–90% higher than bottom-up models predict." Yikes! Modern Farmer has the full story.
Remembering Jovial Foods founder Carla Bartolucci
Carla Bartolucci started off as the co-owner of a small sandwich shop, and eventually went on to launch successful better-for-you Italian brands Bionaturae and Jovial Foods. The latter incorporates a prehistoric wheat called Einkorn into its gluten-free pasta products. Last month, Bartolucci passed away unexpectedly, and this NPR interview was resurfaced by the publication to pay tribute to her bright and entrepreneurial spirit.
Winc acquires organic and vegan wine maker Natural Merchants
Nine-year-old wine club Winc recently announced it would be purchasing Natural Merchants, a top importer of organic and vegan wines from Europe and South America. Up until now Natural Merchants supplied restaurants and retailers including Whole Foods with sustainable, pesticide-free wines that are marketed as natural, organic, vegan or biodynamic. “We are eager to tap into Winc’s digital reach through what we contend is the most scaled direct-to-consumer platform in our industry,” said co-founder Edward Field about the move. Learn more at Fast Company.
