Fermented foods are up 149 percent—as long as they’re unfamiliar

Millennia-old fermented foods are experiencing a huge resurgence of consumer interest; tech-based restaurant platform Upserve noticed particular growth in the consumption of kombucha in 2018. One finding that stood out was the desire among American consumers to try unfamiliar fermented foods, such as kimchi, as opposed to nearly identical—but familiar—foods, such as sauerkraut. Read more at Forbes …

Grocery delivery in the US is set to ‘explode’

While only 3 percent of grocery spending currently takes place online, most big-box retailers are looking toward the future and investing heavily in perfecting the online shopping experience for hesitant consumers. Ever since Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017, which showed “just how serious it was about gaining a bigger footing in food and food delivery,” the U.S. grocery industry has been in a virtual arms race to acquire delivery platforms and drivers. Read more at CNBC …

Organic industry is not giving hydroponic, aquaponic growers a warm embrace

Hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic growers are able to earn an organic certification, but the Center for Food Safety wants a “flat prohibition on hydroponic production operations ever being allowed to use the USDA organic label.” This is largely because organic farming improves the soil and biodiversity of a given piece of land, and by not meeting this standard, these companies violate organic practices. Read more at Food Safety News …

Montana ranchers are kicking up dust to brick back country of origin labels on meat

If a meat product was raised outside the country but processed within, it can carry a “Product of the USA” label, which some ranchers argue is confusing and unfair for local meat producers. Country of origin labeling (COOL) would provide more consumer transparency—as well as lift the veil on the fact that an estimated 70 percent of all grass-fed beef sold in the U.S. is actually foreign. According to one rancher, “country of origin labeling is an important part of restoring competitive markets in the livestock industry, [as] there’s a real danger that its benefits have been oversold in many people’s minds." Read more at Civil Eats …

Single? Samsung launches matchmaking service based off what’s in your fridge

A new service from Samsung allows users to upload a photo of their fridge in return for a string of other (single) people’s fridge pictures, which can then be either rejected or denied based on food preference compatibility. Refriger-dating, as it is called, originated in Sweden and is popular in Nordic countries. Although some have noted that there is an obvious payoff for Samsung in the form of “getting a little glimpse into your fridge, collecting data on what you’re buying and how you’re storing,” there is still something to be said for dating someone with similar food preferences. Read more at The Spoon  …