[email protected]: Nestle pursuing Hain Celestial? | CDC: Less than 10% of Americans eat enough veggies

Nestle is among potential suitors for Hain Celestial

Several companies and buyout firms are interested in acquiring Hain Celestial, according to unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg, including Nestle SA, which has reportedly already held preliminary discussions with the natural and organic food company. Hain, which is valued at more than $4.2 billion, would make for an expensive acquisition, but would benefit Nestle’s U.S. distribution network, one analyst noted. Already this year Nestle has acquired Sweet Earth, Blue Bottle Coffee and Chameleon Cold Brew. Read more at Bloomberg…

Americans like fruits more than veggies, but we aren’t eating much of either, says new CDC report

Only 12.2 percent of Americans meet the recommended daily intake for fruit (1.5 to 2 cups), and only 9.3 percent meet recommendations for vegetables (2 to 3 cups), according to new data from the CDC. West Virginians eat the fewest fruits and veggies, while Alaskans and Coloradoans rank toward the top when it comes to vegetable consumption. Age-wise, the CDC says Americans in the 18-30 age group eat the least fruits and vegetables. By income, those in the lowest income bracket consume the lowest amount of fruits and veggies, while those in the highest bracket consume the most. Read more at Forbes…

Alum’s pulp-based snacks turn waste to taste

Kaitlin Mogentale started Pulp Pantry as an undergraduate at USC, using discarded fruit and vegetable pulp to make grain-free granola, snacks and baking flours. She sees them as both a solution to food waste and a gateway to get kids more enthusiastic about eating fruits and vegetables. Read more at USC News…

Women in agtech: Kuli Kuli CEO Lisa Curtis is ready for a deeper conversation about gender and fundraising

Entrepreneur Lisa Curtis has been on the receiving end of undermining comments about her age, gender and looks more than once while pitching her company to investors. In this interview she explains some of the steps being taken to address these issues in the industry, and how we can continue to bring them to light. Read more at Ag Funder News…

This small Pennsylvania region produces half the mushroom crop in the U.S.

Indoor farms in Chester County, Pennsylvania, produce half a billion pounds of mushrooms a year—that’s about half of the country’s mushroom production, thanks to technology that allows them to carefully control the growing environment and maximize production. Read more at PBS…