Image Credit: New York Times
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.
A growing spotlight is being cast on the role of ultraprocessed foods in America’s health crisis, as public scrutiny intensifies and legal actions emerge. In Pennsylvania, a teenager has filed an unprecedented lawsuit against major industry players like Coca-Cola and Nestlé, alleging their marketing of “addictive” ultraprocessed products is making children ill. Meanwhile, new research indicates that nearly three-quarters of adults in the United States are overweight or obese—figures that are fueling concerns among policymakers, scientists, and consumers alike. With ultraprocessed foods increasingly viewed as key contributors to these troubling statistics, the pressure on Big Food to change may be mounting.
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. Big Food Hit with First-of-A-Kind Lawsuit for Marketing ‘Addictive’ Ultra-Processed Products to Kids – Green Queen
A teenager in Pennsylvania has sued major food firms like Coca-Cola and Nestlé for allegedly causing illnesses in kids with ‘addictive’ ultra-processed foods.
2. A Turning Point for Ultraprocessed Foods – NYT
A new study has found that nearly three-quarters of American adults are now obese or overweight, and there’s growing concern — among politicians, scientists and consumers — about one potential culprit: ultraprocessed foods.
3. On Ozempic? Big Food Makers Have a New Label for You – WSJ
Conagra Brands adding ‘GLP-1 friendly’ to packaging on Healthy Choice frozen meals to woo users of weight-loss drugs.
4. State of Regenerative CPG Report – Regenbrands
Our inaugural report synthesizes ReGen Brands’ proprietary learnings from almost three years studying regenerative CPG, including 80 podcast episodes interviewing brand executives and other key ecosystem stakeholders.
5. Why the Kroger-Albertsons Merger Was Blocked – Forbes
Federal courts blocked the $25b Kroger-Albertsons merger, a historic antitrust victory protecting consumers, workers, and suppliers from higher prices, weaker competition and corporate consolidation.
6. How Trump’s Plans for Tariffs and Deregulation Could Hurt the US Seafood Industry – Fast Company
The seafood industry, which is international in nature, could be seriously disrupted if Trump imposes a 25% tax on products from Canada.
7. Grubhub Fined $25M for Deceptive Food Delivery Practices – PC Mag
Offenses include telling consumers that Grubhub deliveries would be free or only cost $2.49 per order when in reality the app tacked on junk fees that inflated the final price to more than double what was advertised.
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