Keto, low-carb fans hope for stamp of approval from US health officials

U.S. health officials have stated that low-carb diets will be “reviewed along with other eating styles for the 2020 update to the [U.S. dietary guidelines].” Proponents of low-carb dieting argue that rising obesity rates have led to skepticism regarding nutritional research’s often confusing conclusions, while low-carb dieting has been around for decades without fundamentally changing its core tenets. Low-carb diets have historically been used to manage conditions such as type 2 diabetes and even epilepsy. Read more at The Chicago Tribune …

After mega-dairy was shut down, Oregon lawmakers consider a moratorium on new operations

Oregon may become the first state to pass a bill issuing a temporary moratorium on big dairy operations. Farm and environmental advocates “argue that the state has failed to consider the broader economic and environmental impact of these large-scale producers.” The bill would establish a moratorium on dairies with over 2,500 cows. It comes in light of repeated offenses from the now shut-down Lost Valley farm–the state’s second largest dairy operation. Read more at The Fern …

How Unilever is reinventing what corporate responsibility means in beauty and personal care

Consumers want to buy from brands and corporations with a purpose, and Unilever’s latest brand, The Right to Shower, is a shining example. Unilever has stated that “100% of the brand’s profits in its first year of business will be donated to mobile shower initiatives to serve the homeless population.” Unilever saw sales growth increase by 3% in fiscal 2018 and the company’s new CEO has indicated that “purpose-led” brands represent a huge growth opportunity for fiscal 2019. Read more at Glossy …

After Amazon bought Whole Foods, Blue Apron lost half its customers and most of its value. A new CEO takes over today—here’s what could be her big advantage

Linda Kozlowski, former COO at Etsy, is joining Blue Apron as CEO as of this morning—her first time assuming the role of CEO. Kozlowski’s advantage as a leader in this space becomes apparent when one considers Etsy’s changes over the past two years—the company had “fired its CEO, brought in an outsider, and turned around a struggling performance.” What remains to be seen is whether Kozlowski can create as pronounced a turnaround for the meal-kit business that was once valuated at $2.2 billion and has since shrunk to a $210 million valuation. Read more at Inc. …

The age of robot farmers

Seasonal labor has become scarce and expensive, causing some farmers to turn toward potential robot replacements to meet the demand for fresh produce. These robots, while still prototypes, rely on converging technologies such as “artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, G.P.S., machine vision, drones and material science” for their accuracy. Read more at The New Yorker …