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Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines.
In recent developments, DayDayCook has acquired Omsom, a company renowned for its Asian-inspired sauces and meal starters, in a strategic move to position itself as the ‘General Mills for Asian food.’ The latest wave, dubbed “Cultured Meat 2.0,” explores protein production using light, addressing hidden costs in the current food system and developing synthetic products like fake pistachio ice cream, showcasing the rapid evolution and diversification in the food technology sector.
In other news, we’ve wrapped the first season of our podcast in partnership with AgFunder: New Food Order, a nuanced investigation into the business of tackling our climate and social crises through food and agriculture. Read all about why we launched the podcast, and be sure to subscribe and share!
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1. How Omsom’s Vanessa and Kim Pham Found a Buyer in DayDayCook – Inc
DayDayCook acquired the noodles and sauces company in an effort to become the ‘General Mills for Asian food.’
2. Cultured Meat 2.0 – Technically Food
Larissa Zimberoff investigates protein made with light, the hidden costs of our food system and fake pistachio ice cream.
3. Sparkling Water Companies: State of Play – Axios
Sparkling water startups are attracting investors and acquirers as health-conscious consumers opt for zero-calorie alternatives like sparkling flavored water over soda.
4. Meati Foods Dealt Blow in Alt Meat IP Dispute with the Better Meat Co; Judge Slams Firm’s ‘Sandbagging,’ and ‘Shenanigans’ – AFN
A court has thrown out Meati’s claim to Better Meat Co’s patents and accused Meati of “sandbagging and shenanigans.”
5. Perfect Day Files $200M Counterclaim Accusing Ex-Partner of ‘Gross Negligence’ and ‘Willful Misconduct’ – AFN
In court docs filed today, Perfect Day accuses manufacturing partner Olon of fraud, breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets.
6. After Hits Like Reddit and Scopely, Collaborative Fund Easily Raised a $125M Fund to Tackle Climate, Health and Food – TechCrunch
The firm invests in sectors like climate, health and food, with a focus on consumers.
7. Researchers Net $85M to Tap Ancient eDNA to Inspire Next-Gen Climate Resilient Crops – AFN
The Ancient Environmental Genomics Initiative for Sustainability project has been awarded $85m over seven years in order to explore ancient environmental DNA to help develop more climate resilient crops.
8. Don’t Call It an ‘Ethnic’ Grocery Store – NY Times
As Asian groceries like H Mart, Patel Brothers and 99 Ranch expand, they are reshaping American eating habits, and the American grocery market.
The post Omsom Gets Acquired, Cultured Meat 2.0 + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.