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Twenty-five-year-old Rubicon Bakers, whose mission is to employ formerly incarcerated people who need a second chance, has launched four clean label and vegan cupcake and cake SKUs. More than 2,500 in-store bakeries are now scratch-baking plant-based chocolate blackout cake and cupcakes, and vegan vanilla cake and cupcakes, each with 100 percent vegan cream filling and frosting. With Rubicon’s new vegan products, in-store bakeries can take advantage of a major trend: sales of plant-based food in the U.S. rose 8.1 percent in 2017, topping $3.1 billion. The new 4-inch vegan vanilla cake with vanilla filling and frosting, and 4-inch vegan chocolate blackout cake with chocolate filling and frosting, are available as double-layer 11-oz desserts with an SRP of $6.99 each.
"Rubicon Bakers' Newest Cakes and Cupcakes Just Happen to be Vegan", PR Newswire, August 21, 2018
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Market researcher Packaged Facts issued a report on breakfast foods in the U.S., noting that cereal remains the most popular– an 87 percent market penetration ($11 billion in sales) in 2017 – followed by eggs, drinkable yogurt and, “somewhat surprisingly,” muffins. Concerns about sugar have dampened the cereals category – sales slid 1.9 percent from 2016 – but the search for protein and convenience foods has buoyed the other categories. Muffins are the third fastest growing category projected through 2022, despite consumer trends toward more healthful breakfast options. Sales of muffins grew 9.6 percent from 2016 to 2017 to reach $1.17 billion and are projected to have a seven percent CAGR through 2022. Sugary packaged muffins are most popular among black households and families with children.
"Drinkable yogurt, eggs & muffins are the fastest growing breakfast foods, Packaged Facts finds", FoodNavigator-USA.com, August 20, 2018
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New York-based HeartStone Artisan Bakery takes its time creating its artisan breads. There’s the slow rising loaves – all prepared with locally grown and milled heirloom grains such as spelt, rye, emmer, einkorn, and red fife sourced from farmers in Central New York and the Finger Lakes. All loaves are made with a naturally fermented starter. The dough for the ciabatta, sourdough, garlic lovers, and light deli rye breads then spend at least 24 hours in a walk-in cooler. The resulting flavors and textures are catching on big in the Syracuse area. HeartStone breads are now available at nine regional markets and stores, and online. The success has convinced the couple to spend $300,000 to expand its Lebanon site, adding more space and a professional artisan oven from Italy. When completed, the bakery will produce about 120 loaves at a time, rather than the 35 baked now.
"HeartStone Artisan Bakery: How local-grain breads grew on a Madison County farm", Syracuse.com, August 19, 2018
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According to a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), aggressive action by companies, agricultural players, governments, and others can significantly reduce a global food waste problem expected to hit 2.1 billion tons – worth $1.5 trillion – through 2030. Five key drivers of the problem include: lack of awareness by consumers and others; inadequate supply chain infrastructure; supply chain inefficiency; a lack of collaboration within the food value chain; and poorly designed tax and regulatory policies. The report suggests 13 concrete initiatives companies can take to help combat the problem, addressing a major societal challenge while delivering business value.
"A Coordinated Global Offensive Can Reduce Annual Food Loss and Waste by $700 Billion", The Boston Consulting Group, August 19, 2018
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For the first time in five years, McDonald’s is testing a new breakfast sandwich in 200 locations in four cities in Minnesota – and it seems to be an artery-clogging doozy. Two years in the works, the new McGriddles French Toast sandwich was developed after consumer research found that fast-foodies are looking for a more filling breakfast option. The sandwich is certainly that, made from egg-coated brioche bread, American cheese, egg, pork sausage, and applewood-smoked bacon. The $4.39 concoction has more than 37 grams of fat, 650 calories, and 85 milligrams of cholesterol: 129 percent of the daily recommended intake. Said a McDonald’s spokesman: “'People were looking for regular, everyday flavor profiles.” The company will roll out the sandwich nationally in 2019 after it irons out some kinks in its supply chain.
"A fatty way to start your day! McDonald's rolls out new 650 calorie French Toast breakfast sandwich in 200 Minnesota restaurants which has a cholesterol content of 129 percent of your recommended daily intake", Dailymail.com, August 15, 2018
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Bakeys, a dining ware manufacturer in India, has come under criticism from environmentalists for its edible cutlery, made from sorghum, rice, and wheat flours. Although they can be eaten - they reportedly taste like crackers - they will also decompose in a few days. The company raised $280,000 through Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform, but critics have highlighted the environmental damage from producing, packaging and transporting the products, and that a better solution would be for consumers to carry reusable cutlery when they go out.
"Company Met With Criticism After Launching Edible Utensils To Fight Plastic Waste", Plant Based News, August 11, 2018
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Former Whole Foods Market co-CEO Walter Robb has joined the boards of two companies focused on reduction of food waste. Robb left the company when Whole Foods was sold to Amazon and has since become an investor, mentor and adviser to FoodMaven, a digital platform company that sells oversupplied and imperfect food to restaurants at a significant discount, and to Apeel Sciences, which extends the shelf life of produce using a natural coating. Both companies give grocers tools to address the mismatch between supply and demand, Robb says. He also says he’s a fan of upcycled products such as Renewal Mill's okara flour, made from a by-product of soymilk production, and Regrained's Supergrain+, made from spent distiller grains.
"Whole Foods' Walter Robb Is Taking On Food Waste", Forbes.com, August 10, 2018
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UK supermarket chain Morrisons is responding to the call for less single-use plastic in packaging by removing the plastic sleeves on cucumbers, although the Cucumber Growers’ Association claims that the shrink-wrap keeps the cucumber hydrated and helps prevent it being damaged. Removing the sleeve reduces shelf life by two days to five. The move only applies at the moment to whole cucumbers sourced from the UK and Netherlands. Mini and pre-cut cucumbers will also retain their plastic covering. The move follows other initiatives from the chain, including replacing plastic bags in the produce aisles with brown paper bags, and selling at a discount reusable containers on its fresh meat and fish counters.
"Morrisons removes cucumber plastic sleeves to reduce waste", The Grocer, August 07, 2018
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Nielsen data published by the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) show that plant-based foods that directly substitute for animal products grew ten times faster than those animal-derived counterparts. Sales of plant-based food substitutes for seafood, meat, eggs, and dairy products jumped 20 percent last year, compared to two percent in these same categories. The plant-based substitutes market is still dwarfed by the real products: the entire meat market is $85 billion, while the plant-based substitutes market is $670 million. Nevertheless, improvements in taste, variety, and competition have all led to sales growth and mainstreaming of plant-based foods, according to the PBFA.
"2018 Retail Sales Data for Plant-Based Foods", Plant Based Foods Association, July 30, 2018
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India-based Bakey's developed and sells environment-friendly, edible spoons and forks. Developed in 2010, Bakey's cutlery is the first of its kind and is made from millet, rice, and wheat flours. According to company founder and directing manager, Narayana Peesapaty, Bakey's cutlery was developed in response to pollution caused by plastic spoons and forks. Peesapaty said he was also concerned with the health effects of plastic utensils, with research showing chemical components in plastic products can leach into food. Some environmentalists, however, have expressed doubts about the product's environment-friendly features.
"Cutlery you can eat: One company's approach to the plastic pollution problem", CBC News, July 29, 2018
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Online food-ordering company Just Eat has partnered with packaging technology firm Skipping Rocks Lab to develop a sachet made from seaweed. Part of the company's efforts to cut the volume of plastics used by its restaurant partners in the UK, the seaweed-based sachets can be composted and are environment-friendly. According to Just Eat, the company will test the sachet for six weeks with The Fat Pizza in Southend, and determine the possibility of introducing the packaging to its 29,000 partner restaurants.
"Just Eat trials seaweed sachets as alternative to single-use plastics", edie.net, July 24, 2018
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Food service company Aramark said it plans to reduce the use of plastic straws and plastic stirrers and provide environment-friendly alternatives at food and dining facilities it serves. Aramark, which manages food service operations for various locations, including schools, convention centers, and arenas, across the US, said the reduction will depend on the location. According to the company, it plans to have 100-percent removal of plastic straws from parks and residential dining halls of colleges and universities.
"Food Service Giant Aramark Is Phasing Out Plastic Straws", Fortune.com, July 24, 2018
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Results of an analysis by Which?, a consumer group, revealed that as much as 29 percent of plastic packaging used by UK retailers is non-recyclable through the usual collection schemes or hard to recycle. Results of the study of packaging used for 27 everyday private-label products sold by 10 leading retail chains showed Lidl had the lowest percentage of easily recyclable packaging at 71 percent. Morrisons topped the results with 81 percent of tested products with packaging considered widely recyclable.
"One-third of UK supermarket plastic is not easily recyclable, analysis shows", The Guardian, July 19, 2018
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