5@5: Unpreventable food waste | Americans turn to hunting for meat

Trying to prevent massive food waste

Even though the Department of Agriculture plans on spending $300 million per month buying excess fruits, vegetables, milk and meat from distributors to be shipped to charitable organizations, the U.S. hasn't seen this volume of fresh food destroyed since the Great Depression. And farmers say that grants from the Department of Agriculture will not help them recover from this year's unprecedented losses in revenue. Read more at The New York Times…

Facing meat shortages, some Americans turn to hunting during pandemic

With meat companies warning of imminent shortages, consumers in several states have picked up hunting as a hobby to fill their freezers. Firearm manufacturers have reported a bump in sales and the FBI did a record number of background checks in March. But wildlife ecologists warn that this should not become the norm for Americans, as it could lead to ecological harm. Read more at Reuters…

Food banks struggle to keep pace with immigrant communities hit hard by pandemic

Food banks in Texas have seen an 88% increase in people seeking food assistance, and they're starting to turn them away because of a lack of resources. And surplus from grocery stores, which usually provides the bulk of donations, are drying up as demand persists. These organizations report that the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program will not arrive quickly enough to get food to those in need now. Read more at The Guardian… 

'Saturday Night Live' parody features Brookshire's, supermarket plays along

A popular Saturday Night Live skit featuring "extremely in stock" items at an imaginary grocery store (including Pepto Bismal Oreos and Mint Pringles) was recently used as marketing fodder for Brookshire's Food & Grocery. The company's CEO and COO posted a picture of themselves on social media dressed up like the two women in the skit, and the response from patrons has been largely positive. Read more at Longview News-Journal…

Psychedelics company lands deal to dispense ketamine treatment through 1,000+ pharmacies in Canada

Champignon Brands will be rolling out a first-of-its-kind topical Ketamine treatment through an unnamed Canadian pharmacy chain with over 1,000 stores in the country. The ultimate goal is to gather data on the use of ketamine for depression, anxiety and concussions, among other maladies. Read more at Forbes...