CORPORATIONS

CAROLINE LOWBRIDGE: Anna Aston, the dog walker who found Matilda, said she was confused when she first came across the pigs in the woods... "I knew they weren't wild boar; they just looked like ordinary pigs," she said. "I was thinking, 'This isn't right'. You just don't get them in a wood". She contacted Brinsley Animal Rescue, which offered to help and has found a prospective home for the pigs at a Midlands animal sanctuary. "Wherever she has come from, she deserves a safe and happy life with her little family," said Mrs Aston. "I think she has earned her freedom now." Jon Beresford, who…

DONNA BERRY: New brands and styles of meat and dairy alternatives continue to steal retail space from the animal-based products they try to simulate. This is due to advancements in ingredient technology to deliver cleaner, simpler and more authentic analogs. “Consumers are attracted to many of the attributes associated with products made with plant proteins, but taste still drives repeat purchase,” said Melissa Machen, senior technical services specialist – plant protein, Cargill, Minneapolis. “Emerging plant proteins can bring along flavor issues, including astringency and bitterness. Even…

SHANI ASHKENAZI: When Efrat and Ofir Dvash were children in Moshav Hatzav in Israel's south, their father grew tomatoes in the family greenhouse. The siblings had a special role: they were the bees. Because the tomatoes were being raised in a closed, humid greenhouse, there was nothing to pollinate the flowers and induce growth. So, brother and sister would run through the rows and shake the plants. Today, some three decades later, they have taken this childhood pastime countless steps forward... Israeli family foodtech company Bee-io seeks to save the bees we need from extinction while…

DANIEL RODGER: Medicines and medical devices containing animal-derived ingredients are frequently used on patients without their informed consent, despite a significant proportion of patients wanting to know if an animal-derived product is going to be used in their care. Here, I outline three arguments for why this practice is wrong. First, I argue that using animal-derived medical products on patients without their informed consent undermines respect for their autonomy. Second, it risks causing nontrivial psychological harm. Third, it is morally inconsistent to respect patients’ dietary…

ELAINE WATSON: Cargill will have commercial quantities of Non-GMO corn protein isolate - “a new protein from a familiar source” - available by late 2022 as it seeks to capitalize on growing demand for plant-based proteins, say execs, who are evaluating manufacturing locations for the ingredient. Cargill... has been researching corn protein for a while, Melissa Machen, said protein senior technical services specialist... While some companies produce zein, a water-insoluble protein called prolamin that's extracted from corn and can form edible lms used in confectionery and other products,…

JIM HOFT: Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestors in Kansas City Sunday carried a casket through downtown, resting it on the steps of police HQ. A pig dressed as an officer inside. “Abolish the police” and “the other white meat” painted on the exterior. SOURCE... RELATED VIDEOS:

LAURA RELLEY: Plant-based meat was having a moment before the pandemic, nabbing celebrity investors, record-setting IPOs, “Whopper” fast-food deals and high-end chefs who transformed pea protein and soy into savory, expectation-defying deliciousness. Then the pandemic hit, restaurants closed and many Americans were stuck at home battling anxiety and sourdough starters. Industry experts wondered if enthusiasm for this new food category would falter and sales flag — would plant-based meat turn out to be a fad rather than a movement? It fleetingly looked grim: last April plant-based protein…

ANNA MATTILA: Consumers are more likely to choose a plant-based meat substitute when the restaurant’s advertising highlights the social benefits of doing so rather than its taste, according to recently published research I conducted with a colleague. We also found that showcasing the social costs of meat consumption also leads to a preference for plant-based “meats.” To reach this conclusion, we conducted two online experiments to examine the advertising of plant-based burgers and meatballs. Participants were recruited via the crowdsourcing website Amazon Mechanical Turk. In the first one,…

DAVID O. WIEBERS & VALERY L. FEGIN: The world is enveloped in a global health emergency that is exacting enormous medical and economic tolls upon humanity... The medical community finds itself on the front lines throughout the world dealing with the immediate human health consequences of this rapidly evolving crisis and trying to develop therapies and vaccines, as countries and their leaders attempt to mitigate the overwhelming societal and economic devastations that are unfolding... Yet, in the midst of all of the pandemonium and destruction, and as we begin to find our way through…

TESSA NOWOSENETZ: While veganism and vegetarianism appear to be increasing, only 1% of the population of developed countries claim to be vegan and only 5% claim to be vegetarian. Another trend is plant-based food. You might assume that this correlates with the increase in veganism and vegetarianism but, with such small numbers, neither group actually has the scale to command significant buying power. Is it worth it for retailers to cater to the needs of this small segment of the population? And if so, how?.. Walk the aisles of most food retailers and there’s no major emphasis on food…