-
It was inevitable: Synthetic liquor and wine
Dave G. Houser Food & BeverageIn the wake of the "fake meat" phenomenon, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Alcoholic beverages made in a laboratory are now on sale. Scientists at San Francisco-based Endless West (formerly Ava Winery) are behind a revolutionary process that Leslie Silva, the company's director of analytical chemistry, describes as "molecular engineering" to produce synthetic whiskey, sake and wine. Keep in mind, production of these beverages involves no grains, no grapes, no winery and no distillery — just water, ethanol and chemical compounds that provide flavor, aroma and texture.
-
COVID-19 fallout hits California’s wine grape growers and wineries
Seth Sandronsky Food & BeverageAmid the COVID-19 pandemic, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 19 ordered the state's residents to shelter at home and for bars and restaurants to close. There are other related impacts. Take agriculture, a top industry in the Golden State, with grapes the second biggest market commodity at $6.25 billion versus dairy products and milk at $6.37 billion in 2018, according to government data. "The COVID-19 pandemic presents incredible and unpredictable challenges," Michael Miiller, director of government relations for the California Winegrape Growers Association, told MultiBriefs via email.
-
Chef Andrés to the rescue
Dave G. Houser Food & BeverageIf there's one thing you can count on during the coronavirus crisis, it is the unwavering benevolence of Chef José Andrés. The celebrity chef and restaurateur has temporarily closed his network of nearly a dozen restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area, repurposing six of them to serve as community kitchens to help feed people in need. This action is nothing new for the energetic 51-year-old Spanish-American chef and founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a nonprofit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters.
-
Delivery services in multiple sectors are getting a boost during the COVID-19…
Linchi Kwok Food & BeverageThe impact of COVID-19 has been devastating and will continue indefinitely. It is no longer a question of whether the coronavirus pandemic will cause a global economic downturn. It is now about how much the economy will shrink. The coronavirus will probably change how people shop, travel, and work for years. People will likely rely more on delivery services. Such demand will help boost delivery businesses even when everybody is having a tough time fighting the pandemic.
-
How blockchain works in the food industry
Gail Short Distribution & WarehousingWhile blockchain technology is usually associated with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, today some companies in the food industry are beginning to implement this tool to increase transparency, trust and consumer safety while reducing waste. Every transaction along the supply chain is recorded on the digital ledger, time stamped, given a code or "hash," and linked to the blockchain. All parties on the network — growers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers — can read the data in real time and add their own updates.
-
Small businesses search for solutions amid crisis
Kevin Reynolds Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWith each succeeding daily briefing from White House and governors’ offices across the country, small businesses are taking more and more of a blow. As sweeping new safety measures are enacted to curb the coronavirus pandemic, businesses have been left to wonder what comes next. A business environment that was very recently reaching 50-year-lows in unemployment, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, is now teetering on the edge with the economy grinding to a halt.
-
As COVID-19 spreads, the future of medicine is quickly becoming the medicine…
Tammy Hinojos Medical & Allied HealthcareAs the world continues its collective efforts at waging war against the rapidly spreading coronavirus, a handful of health tech devices and telemedicine tools are in the spotlight like never before. Many are being fast-tracked and called up to the front lines to be the tip of the spear in the coronavirus pandemic. For example, MedWand can listen to your heart and lungs, measure respiratory rates and blood oxygen levels. Originally forecast to receive FDA approval in late summer, the device is now under consideration for emergency use authorization by the FDA.
-
A glimpse at new sustainability trends for food and beverages
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageRising awareness of environmental issues has paved the way for sustainability-driven investment in all areas, including food and beverage. This industry, with its complex supply chains, is increasingly under scrutiny. Companies have to take into account a wide range of environmental and social issues like gender equality, equal pay, animal welfare, human rights, climate, and the safety of indigenous peoples as they plan for the future.
-
North American cannabis industry set to undergo a period of consolidation…
Bambi Majumdar Retail2018 saw myriad acquisitions in the cannabis industry, which slowed down somewhat last year. 2020 will likely be the year of consolidation. Investor euphoria from 2018 and early 2019 has led to current travails for both the emerging Canadian and U.S. marijuana industries. Some have likened this period to the internet boom of the early 2000s and the inevitable growing pains of a new industry. In Canada, legal retailers face a continued robust and lower-priced illegal cannabis market. The U.S., on the other hand, has suffered from oversupply and a lack of regulation, which have driven down prices.
-
Single-use plastic bans, taxes are on the rise around the world
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalOn March 1, New York became the second U.S. state to ban plastic bags. The ban in California, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, has reduced disposable plastic bag usage by as much as 80%. In 2019, Canada did away with single-use plastics and eliminated other plastic pollution. More than 60 other nations are attempting to reduce single-use plastics through bans and taxes, according to the United Nations.
All Food & Beverage Articles