Is there an optimal diet for humans?

Apparently not. Research published in the journal Obesity Reviews has found that the habits, diets and physical activity levels of hundreds of small-scale societies whose lifestyles are much like ancient populations all contribute to excellent overall health. While some communities ate mostly meat, others consumed complex carbohydrates for the majority of their daily calories. In all instances, the high level of physical activity common in hunter-gatherer societies coupled with a focus on unprocessed foods leads to a high metabolic rate and a low overall chance of falling ill with common Western diseases such as diabetes and heart failure. Read more at The New York Times …

Big beef prepares for battle as interest grows in plant-based and lab-grown meats

Plant-based meat substitutes have become more and more, well, meat-like, making this once-niche sector appealing for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. But now big beef is facing another threat: Meat grown entirely in laboratories. By obtaining just a few cells from the living animal, consumers will be able to chow down on Wagyu beef and Bluefin tuna at a fraction of the cost. Read to find out big beef and other animal products-based companies’ reaction to the whole situation, as well as the state of cell-cultured meat’s regulation. Read more at NPR …

Is that the fish you think it is? Investigation finds widespread mislabeling at the seafood counter

A new report shows that consumers in New York supermarkets are often paying more for mislabeled types of fish. For example, farm-raised salmon that is being marketed as wild-caught salmon by supermarkets and then sold at a higher price point. Not only is the diminished quality of the fish a factor, but consumers are also being misled in terms of whether or not they are making environmentally sustainable choices. Read more at ABC News …

Amazon is struggling to make online grocery profitable

The retail behemoth has spent over 10 years trying to grow its online grocery presence with AmazonFresh, but the company is still struggling to make a dent in the market. Its thwarted efforts in this sector, however, are “a testament to the ways competing grocers have stepped up their online and in-store offerings.” In fact, by the end of 2018 around 90 percent of consumers are expected to have access to online grocery shopping, which is a 30 percent increase from last year.  Read more at Grocery Dive  ...

Food delivery startup Swiggy raises $1B more from Naspers, Tencent and others

South African investment giant Naspers has led a $1 billion investment in Swiggy, a food delivery service that operates in more than 50 cities in India. The deal is “the largest investment in a food delivery company outside of China,” and the capital will purportedly be used for hiring machine learning and engineering talent, as well as furthering Swiggy’s AI technology. Read more at Tech Crunch  …