Pepsi

Reasons to buy this report:

It provides an analysis of the changing competitive scenario. For well-founded decisions in companies, it offers analysis data with strategic planning methods. It offers a seven-year assessment of the market for Organic Food and Beverages. It helps to understand the most important product areas. Researchers shed light on the dynamics of the market such as drivers, restrictions, trends and opportunities. It offers a regional analysis of the market for Organic Food and Beverages as well as business profiles of several stakeholders. It provides extensive data on trend factors that will affect the progress of the Organic Food and Beverages market.

Get a discount on this report @ https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/ask-for-discount/?rid=19650&utm_source=MSN&utm_medium=002

A detailed overview of the market for Organic Food and Beverages contains a comprehensive analysis of the different business areas. North America, Latin America, the Asia Pacific region, Africa and Europe were considered for the studies based on several terminologies.

This is expected to drive the market for Organic Food and Beverages in the forecast period. This research report deals with the market landscape and its prospects for progress in the near future. After examining the major companies, the report focuses on the new entrants that contribute to the growth of the market. Most companies in the market for Organic Food and Beverages are currently setting new technological trends on the market.

Finally, the researchers shed light on various ways to discover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks that influence the growth of the market for Organic Food and Beverages. The feasibility of the new report is also measured in this research report.

Table of Contents:

1. Market overview of Organic Food and Beverages 2. Economic impact on industry 3. Market competition by manufacturers 4. Production, sales (value) by region 5. Production, turnover (value), price development by type 6. Market analysis after application 7. Cost analysis 8. Industry chain, procurement strategy and downstream buyers 9. Analysis of marketing strategy, distributor / dealer 10. Analysis of market effect factors 11. Market forecast for Organic Food and Beverages

Complete Report is Available @ https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/Organic-Food-and-Beverages-Market/?utm_source=MSN&utm_medium=002

We also offer customization on reports based on specific client requirement:

1- Free country level analysis for any 5 countries of your choice.

2- Free Competitive analysis of any market players.

3- Free 40 analyst hours to cover any other data points

About us:

Verified market research partners with the customer and offer an insight into strategic and growth analyzes; Data necessary to achieve corporate goals and objectives. Our core values are trust, integrity and authenticity for our customers.

Analysts with a high level of expertise in data collection and governance use industrial techniques to collect and analyze data in all phases. Our analysts are trained to combine modern data collection techniques, superior research methodology, expertise and years of collective experience to produce informative and accurate research reports.

Contact us:

Mr. Edwyne Fernandes Call: +1 (650) 781 4080 Email: [emailprotected]

Tags: Organic Food and Beverages Market Size, Organic Food and Beverages Market Trends, Organic Food and Beverages Market Forecast, Organic Food and Beverages Market Growth, Organic Food and Beverages Market Analysis, Organic Food and Beverages Market Business Opportunities and Organic Food and Beverages Market Outlook

Continued here:

Organic Food and Beverages Market With Top Companies Statistics Analysis, Market Size, Growth, Trends, Challenges and Opportunities, Forecast to 2026...

Global Organic Food MarketThis research report provides detailed study accumulated to offer Latest insights about acute features of the Organic Food Market. The report contains different market predictions related to market size, revenue, production, CAGR, Consumption, gross margin, price, and other substantial factors. While emphasizing the key driving and restraining forces for this market, the report also offers a complete study of the future trends and developments of the market. It also examines the role of the leading market players involved in the industry including their corporate overview, financial summary and SWOT analysis.It presents the 360-degree overview of the competitive landscape of the industries. Organic Food Market is showing steady growthand CAGR is expected to improve during the forecast period.

The players mentioned in our report Amys Kitchen Natures Path Food The Hain Celestial Group AMCON Distributing Alberts organic General Mills Organic Farm Foods EVOL Foods Kellogg Organic Valley

Summary Organic Food market research report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving revenue growth and profitability. The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry analysis of the key factors influencing the market.

The report includes the forecasts, analysis and discussion of important industry trends, market size, market share estimates and profiles of the leading industry players.

Global Organic Food Market: Product Segment Analysis Grain Edible oil Vegetables Fruits Dried fruits Livestock products

Global Organic Food Market report provides you with detailed insights, industry knowledge, market forecasts and analytics. The report on the global Organic Food industry also clarifies economic risks and environmental compliance. Global Organic Food market report assists industry enthusiasts including investors and decision makers to make confident capital investments, develop strategies, optimize their business portfolio, innovate successfully and perform safely and sustainably.

Organic Food Market: Regional Analysis Includes:

Major Points Covered in TOC:

Key Questions Answered in the Report Include:

(*If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.)

About Us:

Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.

Contact Us:Web: http://www.qurateresearch.comE-mail: sales@qurateresearch.comPh: US +13393375221, IN +919881074592

Read the original here:

Organic Food Market in Global Industry by Top Companies, Type and Application, Country & Competitive Landscape Reviews to 2025- General Mills,...

The "Brazil Organic Food Market, By Product, By Distribution Channel (Store-based Retail, Non-Store-based Retail and Direct/Institutional Sales), By Region, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Brazil organic food market is projected to reach $ 4.4 billion by 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of more than 20% until 2025.

The Brazil organic food market is showing higher growth due to increasing product innovations; rising disposable income; and a growing number of people becoming more aware of healthy eating practices and the side effects of using chemically processed food products. Earlier, organic food products were mainly popular among the older generation but now these products are gaining popularity among the youth as well, which is driving the market in the country.

Increasing availability of organic food products through various e-commerce platforms is also contributing to the growth of Brazil organic food market. This trend is expected to gain further traction in the coming years, which would result in higher sales of organic food via online channels in Brazil over the course of next five years.

Brazil organic food market is segmented into product type, distribution channel and region. Based on the product type, the market is categorized into organic fruits and vegetables, organic processed food, organic meat, poultry & dairy, organic cereal and food grains, organic beverages, organic spices & pulses and other organic food products. Among them, the organic fruits and vegetables segment dominated the market until 2019, and the segment is forecast to maintain its position in the coming years as well, which can be attributed to their regular consumption among a broad section of consumers.

Years considered for this report:

Objective of the Study:

Researchers performed both primary as well as exhaustive secondary research for this study. Initially, researchers sourced a list of organic food producers across the country. Subsequently, conducted primary research surveys with the identified companies. While interviewing, the respondents were also enquired about their competitors. Through this technique, researchers could include the market players which could not be identified due to the limitations of secondary research. Researchers analyzed the distribution channels and presence of all major players across the region.

The author calculated the market size of Brazil organic food market by using a bottom-up approach, wherein data for various segments was recorded and forecast for the future years. They sourced these values from the industry experts and company representatives and externally validated through analyzing historical data of these product types and applications for getting an appropriate, overall market size. Various secondary sources such as company websites, news articles, press releases, company annual reports, investor presentations and financial reports were also studied.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Organic Food: An Introduction

2. Research Methodology

3. Executive Summary

4. Global Organic Food Market Overview

5. Brazil Organic Food Market Outlook

5.1. Market Size & Forecast

5.1.1. By Value

5.2. Market Share & Forecast

5.2.1. By Product Type (Organic Beverages; Organic Cereal and Food Grains; Organic Meat, Poultry & Dairy; Organic Spices & Pulses; Organic Processed Food; Organic Fruits and Vegetables; Other Organic Food Products)

5.2.2. By Distribution Channel (Store-based Retail; Non-store based Retail; Direct/Institutional Sales)

5.2.3. By Region

5.2.4. By Company

5.3. Market Attractiveness Index

6. Brazil Organic Fruits and Vegetables Market Outlook

6.1. Market Size & Forecast

6.1.1. By Value

6.2. Market Share & Forecast

6.2.1. By Distribution Channel

6.3. Pricing Analysis

7. Brazil Organic Processed Food Market Outlook

8. Brazil Organic Meat, Poultry and Dairy Market Outlook

9. Brazil Organic Cereal and Food Grains Market Outlook

10. Brazil Organic Beverages Market Outlook

11. Brazil Organic Spices and Pulses Market Outlook

12. Brazil Other Organic Food Products Market Outlook

13. Import and Export Analysis

14. Market Dynamics

14.1. Drivers

14.2. Challenges

15. Market Trends and Developments

16. Policy and Regulatory Landscape

Story continues

17. Brazil Economic Profile

18. Competitive Landscape (Company Profiles)

18.1. Usina Sao Francisco S.A.(Native)

18.2. Otsuka Holdings Co Ltd- (Jasmine Products Alimenticios LTDA)

18.3. Korin Agropecuaria Ltda,

18.4. Unilever Brasil Ltda (Me Terra Produtos Naturais Ltda),

18.5. Camil Alimentos SA.

18.6. Jatob Produtos Agroecolgicos

18.7. Apis Vida Indstria e Comrcio de Produtos Farmacuticos Ltda

18.8. Be Ingredient

18.9. Carrefour S.A.

18.10. Itaja Organico

19. Strategic Recommendations

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/20mkj2

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200313005328/en/

Contacts

ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

Go here to read the rest:

Brazil Organic Food Market is Projected to Reach $4.4 Billion by 2025, with a CAGR of More than 20% to 2025 - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Yahoo Finance

Jessica Sturzenegger, CEO and founder, Amara Organic Baby Food, scored $2 million in seed funding ... [+] from institutional investors

Theres no shortage of competition in the burgeoning organic baby food business, but Jessica Sturzenegger, the 30-year-old CEO of San Francisco-based Amara Organic Foods clearly has that optimism gene all good entrepreneurs possess. She is betting her newbie brand, which she developed with cofounder and chef Vicki Johnson, offers consumers something special.

Like many of the newer entrants into the baby food market appealing to Millennial parents, her line of fresh, plant-based baby food is free of preservatives, GMOs and additives. But unlike its competitors, the meals, which come in powder form, are also shelf-stable, requiring no refrigeration or freezing. That makes them easy to store and to carry on the go. (You just mix it with a liquid, such as water, breast milk or formula.) And the low price point per mealless than $3makes it affordable and accessible to more families than some of the other brands. Currently, her product is aimed at children six months to two years old, but she hopes to expand into toddler foods later this year.

For me, its important were not a niche brand, Sturzenegger tells me. Everybody deserves access to better food.

The products first launched in Whole Food Markets northern California region in 2017. Sturzenegger expanded its distribution from 100 to 1,000 stores, including some Targets, in 2019 alone, but the company couldnt cope with all the demand. We realized we couldnt just grow organically. People were paying attention to the category and we had so many people reaching out we couldnt keep up with production, she says.

That could soon change. The three-employee company will announce today that it has raised more than $2 millionthe round was slightly over-subscribed and some investors had to be turned away. The investors in the seed round include the ex-chairman of Hersheys CPG conglomerate, health and beauty e-commerce distributor Pharmapacks and Moses Ventures, the Connecticut-based investment fund started by Danny Moses.

Sturzennegger spent three years working with food scientists, nutritionists and engineers to develop her patent-pending technique, which she calls pressure protection.

What we do is is actually apply pressure to fruits and vegetables, grains and plant-based proteins and we take out the water, explained Sturzenegger. The dried food is then ground into a powder. It retains all the texture of fresh. Oats and berries has a totally different texture than the peas and carrots.

Amara offers fresh organic fruits, veggies, grains and plant-based protein for babies in a ... [+] shelf-stable powder that's mixed with liquid.

The funding will go toward hiring new employeesthere are just three right now and expanding distribution in stores and online.

The gold standard for moms is homemade baby food, said Sturzenegger. But the reality is a lot of them are working, and making homemade baby food is very time consuming, especially if you dont normally cook. We just saw this gap.

Sturzenegger, who always wanted to be a chef, was born in Switzerland and mostly raised in the U.S. She grew up in a French-speaking family with a stay-at-home mom who fed her family fresh homemade meals. She likes to tell the story of the school chum who had never tasted a fresh pea until she ate dinner at her house.

I had to understand why she was going crazy over it, Sturzenegger says. It was because it was fresh. In the 1980s, people cooked from cans.

Sturzenegger says that healthy eating needs to start with the youngest generation. Research shows that children form their food preferences before age 3.

The way you tell good food, is you look at the smell, the taste, the texture, says Sturzenegger.

And it should be the same for baby food. For her part, shes a big fan of Amara Oats N Berries. I eat it almost every day on the road, she says.

Read more here:

Organic Baby Food Startup Amara Raises $2 Million Seed Round To Expand Its Reach - Forbes

For years, organic advocates have spoken out against regulations over one big issue: dirt.There is a major divide in the organic agriculture world, with multiple factions debating whether hydroponic and aeroponic produce should be permitted to call itself organic. Last week, the Center for Food Safety, along with a coalition of farmers, filed a lawsuit to legally forbid this produce from carrying the certified organic label.

Hydroponics and aeroponics do not rely on soil to grow crops; instead, nutrients are dissolved in water, which is then circulated or misted directly onto the roots of plants. Its a very efficient way of growing food, and is often used in places where there isnt enough open soil and sunlightin cities, for example. But its also used by huge conglomerates, like Driscolls and Wholesum Harvest, to cut costs and produce crops year-round.

Hydroponics have never been forbidden to use the USDA organic certification program, and its often quite easy for them; indoor operations have little need for pesticides, for example. That has meant that these huge hydro farms can produce food very cheaply, and much cheaper than soil-based farmers. A common refrain among organic farmers is that organic certification is all about the soil, creating a sustainable model for the planet, and that indoor hydroponic operations dont contribute to this at all.

The Center for Food Safety, in a release about this lawsuit, cites that the original Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which established the rules for organic agriculture, specifically lists caring for soil.

From that law: An organic plan shall contain provisions designed to foster soil fertility, primarily through the management of the organic content of the soil through proper tillage, crop rotation, and manuring.

Hydroponic organic operations responded, of course, saying that any restriction would limit the amount of organic food at a time when demand is rising. The Coalition for Sustainable Organics, which represents hydroponic growers, released a statement saying, This is not an issue that should be settled in the courts or politicized.

More:

Farmers and the Center for Food Safety Sue USDA Over Organic Hydroponics - Modern Farmer

Federal Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler is a former assistant U.S. attorney who spent much of her career as a top prosecutor for major federal crimes. Her latest assignment as Magistrate for the U.S. District Court for Northern California is to decide if the soil must be used to grow organic crops.

Beeler will be reviewing USDAs decision to permit the indoor agricultural evolution known as hydroponics to use the organic marketing slogan. Food safety is a driving force behind the hydroponics evolution, where plants are grown in water with specific mineral nutrient solutions, not soil.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture was sued March 2 in a civil action brought by organic interests that use soil to grow their crops. They claim the USDA decision allowing hydroponics to be sold under the organic label puts dirt growers at a disadvantage.

Led by the Center for Food Safety, the plaintiffs include Swanton Berry Farms Inc., Full Belly Farm Inc., Durst Organic Growers Inc., Terra Firma Farms Inc., Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo Inc., Long Wind Farm Inc., OneCert Inc. and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.

The crux of the groups argument is that the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), which set up the National Organic Program, imposes standards that require organic growers to foster soil health.

These mandatory specific soil-based production requirements create an equal marketplace for organic farmers and ensure that foods labeled and sold as organic are consistently produced to deliver the ecological benefits that consumers associate with the organic label, says the complaint.

. . . stakeholders in the organic marketplace have consistently held that as a soil-less crop production system hydroponic operations do not foster soil fertility, and cannot meet the requirement for organic certification under the National Organic Program.

USDAs last decision favoring hydroponic growers was date June 6, 2019. The pro-soil side says the decision weakened the integrity of the organic label.

Swanton Berry Farm, an organic with growing operations in Santa Cruz and San Mateo, CA, acknowledges in the complaint that it has difficulty competing against hydroponically-produced strawberries.

Swanton says its market competitiveness is injured by the confusion caused by the hydroponically produced strawberries labeled and sold as organic at lower prices than those that soil-based organic strawberry farmers can afford to match.

The complaint also says the plaintiff Full Berry Farm has experienced increased price competition in our wholesale and retail channels with hydroponically produced, certified organic produce. The 400-acre California grower produces tomatoes, berries, fresh lettuce, herbs, and other salad greens.

The organic growers say that hydroponic operations have their place in the diverse marketplace, but dont meet the soil-building requirements of the organic program requirements. No specific hydroponic growers are named in the lawsuit. Only USDA and its officials are named as defendants.

The Center for Food Safety is a 501c3, U.S. non-profit advocacy organization, based in Washington, D.C. It maintains an office in San Francisco.

Healthy soil is the foundation of organic farming, said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of plaintiff Center for Food Safety, Organic farmers and consumers believe that the Organic label means not just growing food in the soil, but improving the fertility of that soil. USDAs loophole for corporate hydroponics to be sold under the Organic label guts the very essence of Organic.

The federal organic law unequivocally requires organic production to promote soil fertility, said Sylvia Wu, senior attorney at the Center for FoodSafety andcounsel for plaintiffs. USDAs decision to allow mega-hydroponic operations that do nothing with soil to be sold as Organic violates the law.

Allowing hydroponics to be certified organic is another attempt to weaken the integrity of the Organic label, and has resulted in market confusion and inconsistent organic certifications, according to the CFS complaint.

BackgroundOrganic agriculture has always been partly based on principles of improving soil fertility and promoting ecological balance. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), the expert body assigned by Congress to advise USDA on organic matters, has repeatedly called on USDA to prohibit organic certification of hydroponics, but USDA has ignored that recommendation.

As a result of USDAs inaction, CFS filed a legal petition in January 2019 formally asking USDA to prohibit hydroponic operations from the Certified Organic label on the basis that they do not fulfill the national organic standard of contributing to soil health, but USDA denied the petitions requests later that year. The lawsuit filed today states that USDAs rationale for denying the 2019 petition is arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to our federal organic law.

In 2016, CFS won a lawsuit closing a loophole that was permitting some organic operations to use compost contaminated with pesticides.

Some people contend that indoor hydroponic growing greatly enhances food safety by eliminating the possibility of animal incusions such as birds and deer. Pro-hydropinocs growers also say their growing water is free of pathogens that are naturally occurring in soil.

CFS is currently leading a lawsuit challenging the Trump administrations rollback of vital organic rules that set standards for organiclivestock care, such as adequate space and outdoor access. The challenged loophole for hydroponic operations would eliminate any need for organic farming to involve working with nature.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)

View post:

Organic growers say it is in their economic interest to stay grounded in soil - Food Safety News

This file photo shows vendors selling food at the floating market of ICONSIAM shopping mall in Bangkok. (AFP Photo)

Other than its Instagram-able tourist destinations, Southeast Asia is well known for its variety of food. From the mouth-watering delicacies on the streets of Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia just to name a few to the Michelin starred restaurants in Singapore that serve fine dining quality cuisine with a dash of authentic local flavours.

However, there is pressure on our food system to produce 70 percent more food to feed a population of 10 billion people globally by 2050. By then, the population of ASEAN is slated to reach 700 million and its food demand is estimated to increase by 40 percent. It is then imperative to achieve food security, without expanding crop or pastureland all while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Food technology has been gaining traction in the region where scientific engineering of food has taken mankind a long way on the path to increasing its availability, access and quality.

High value nutrition foods

Food products that supply nutritional benefits beyond those of regular foods is called high value nutrition foods. They are made up of nutraceutical products (e.g. dietary supplements), functional foods (e.g. energy boosting and weight management food products), and high-value agriculture food products (e.g. organically grown and fair-trade food products).

Based on a survey by information, data and measurement company Nielsen, Vietnamese consumers consider health to be among their top two concerns, while 90 percent are concerned about the long-term health impact of artificial ingredients. 89 percent of Vietnamese are willing to pay more for foods that promote good health.

88 percent of Vietnamese consumers bought new products on their last grocery shopping trip, compared to 76 percent in Thailand, 72 percent in Indonesia, and 68 percent in Malaysia. All these indicate the interest and openness of Southeast Asians to new products launched in the market.

There is a vast potential for supplements, functional foods and high-value nutritional products in Southeast Asia. A growing awareness of food sustainability has prompted a rise in socially responsible food purchases. ASEAN governments are also increasing their focus on investing in preventive health measures while encouraging healthy food innovation, production and technology.

Regional progress

Between 2016 and 2017 there was a notable increase in non-animal sources of protein being consumed by both, urban Thais and Indonesians, who believe that non-animal protein is healthier. According to a 2018 report by global accounting organisation, KPMG and Australia-based Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), daily protein consumption in ASEAN has grown by 50 percent over the past three decades, contributing to an alternative protein market expected to be worth US$5.2 billion by 2020.

Singapore-based food-tech start-up, Life3 Biotech, aims to create functional foods which utilise natural, plant-based ingredients. They recently developed a meat substitute product that resembles lab-grown meat and tastes like chicken. Life3 Biotechs plant-based protein called Veego is slated to start production this year.

Shiok Meats is another Singaporean cell-based clean meat company which produces alternative healthy seafood and meats by harvesting from cells instead of animals. Other meat alternatives are insect protein and algae protein.

The island nation is also home to Alchemy Foodtech which combines food tech, biotech and medtech to develop foods that can help prevent and manage diabetes. Over in Indonesia, the likes of TaniHub, eFishery and Jala all aim to develop sustainable methods of sourcing and selling organic food products.

The growing market for functional foodin the Asia-Pacific region projected to be valued at US$5 billion by 2026 has piqued the interest of start-ups looking to tap into this immense potential.

Globally, there is a shift in the way urban populations consume food whether it is organically sourced, or genetically modified. Today, food technology is fast becoming a mainstream focus as people in general want to know more about the various foods that they consume.

Related articles:

Food security a key issue for ASEAN

Revolutionising food production with blockchain

Follow this link:

Engineered food on the rise in ASEAN - The ASEAN Post

Natural selection: these lemons were bought at the same time, but the ones on the right received the new coating. Photograph: Jesse Chehak/The Observer

Ten years ago, James Rogers was driving through some of the most productive farmland on the planet, thinking about food. He had recently read an article detailing the challenges of feeding the worlds growing population, and as he gazed out over the fertile fields of the Salinas Valley outside Monterey, California, he thought: how is it possible that people go hungry, that people starve, when growing food seems so simple? You just take these magic beans and... Rogers, recalling the thought, casts his hand as if tossing seed on the ground. I realise its a bit more complicated than that, but, still

Back then, Rogers was a PhD student in material sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He wasnt working in anything food-related at all. His PhD research involved creating a kind of paint that, when dried, turned into a solar panel. There was a lab up in Berkeley that had the equipment necessary for his studies, but between the lab and his home in Santa Barbara, he passed the farmland, and the food problem gnawed at him. He wondered if it wasnt merely as simple as he supposed. He began taking classes in environmental economics and natural resources. He learned that, globally, we are indeed producing more than enough food. The problem isnt production, its what happens next.

We waste an extraordinary amount of food. In America its about 40%; in the UK, nearly the same. Around the world, almost a third of all the food produced approximately 1.3bn tonnes is lost one way or another each year. Much of the time its not merely lost, but brought into our homes only to be chucked in the bin, and then transported to a landfill, where it slowly releases methane back into the atmosphere, actively warming the Earth. Worldwide, a staggering 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions are linked to food waste. The question for Rogers was: what exactly was driving so much waste?

One day, while researching, he came across another article. He can still recall its first line: All fresh produce is seasonal as well as perishable. That insight so simple, so true struck him like a lightning bolt. The problem, he recalls, is youre either in season and have more than you know what to do with, or you have nothing. Plenty of animals have adapted to these natural cycles of boom and bust, fat times and lean: birds migrate, bears hibernate. Humans trade, converting this surplus into a non-perishable asset we call money. Some of the earliest forms of currency were, in fact, grains stored in clay pots. And clay pottery, Rogers is quick to point out, was one of material sciences very first breakthroughs. Clay pottery allowed us to continue eating long after the harvest. But clay pottery only got us so far. It was what material science might offer food today that interested him.

He decided, then, to switch tracks. No longer would he work on paint that dried into solar panels. He would instead begin to work on increasing the shelf life of fruit and vegetables. Eventually, he developed a substance that wasnt entirely dissimilar from the solar paint. This substance, however, was made entirely out of plant lipids, or fatty acids. Spray it on to an avocado, say, and the substance dries into a sort of second skin, which increases the avocados shelf life by two to three times.

The company Rogers founded, Apeel Sciences, is currently growing by hundreds of employees a year, backed by tens of millions of dollars in venture capital, and is revolutionising entire food systems and economies. But back then, in 2010, driving past those fertile fields, it was still early days. Rogers remembers calling his mother and telling her the news about his insight the big switch in his interests and research. Sweetie, she said to him. That sounds really nice. But you dont know anything about fruit and vegetables.

Apeel Sciences is headquartered in Goleta, California, just north of UCSB and south of farmland that quickly gives way to the rural, rolling Central California coast. The companys 100,000 sq ft building was formerly home to a medical-device maker and the labs and clean rooms easily swapped from their previous purpose building prototypes for entry into the human body to their current one: the study of the molecular structures of fruits skin.

This room is part of our food-manufacturing practice, says Molly Greathouse, who is giving me a tour. We peer in, but the lab is dark and empty and appears abandoned. Its still being set up, she says. Were still putting wires into things. Her colleague, Daniel Costanza, is my other guide. Both are recent hires, but recent is relative: Apeels employee count rose in the past six months from 130 to more than 200, so Greathouse, who has been here for nearly a year-and-a-half, counts as a seasoned veteran.

'This is the type of technology you look back on as revolutionary. I hold it up there with electricity or the internet'

We pass another lab, a clean room that houses, among other bacteria, E coli and listeria. The lights are on, and along one wall is another big door topped by a glowing red light. Here, Greathouse says, is where Apeels scientists put fruit and vegetables through a battery of tests mimicking conditions they might face while in transit. What happens when refrigeration shuts down? What happens when a contaminated batch of food is nearby, hence the reason for the dangerous bacteria. There are cascading effects to prolonging the shelf life of produce.

Costanza describes how one of the suppliers they work with no longer uses plastic wrap on cucumbers now that Apeels spray is in the mix. Its a seemingly small change that quickly adds up. In a single year, that one move will save enough plastic wrap to enfold the Empire State Building 11 times over. Imagine adding that to each food category throughout the globe, Costanza says. Thats a huge paradigm shift away from single-use plastics. Its pretty crazy. Costanza drops his voice, getting serious. This is the type of technology you look back on as revolutionary. I hold it up there with electricity or the internet. There are so many lives we can affect in a positive way. And we have such tight intellectual property no ones really able to replicate it we dont really have competition.

They do, really. Theres Hazel Technologies, which is based in Chicago and makes little packets that get stashed in produce boxes. The packets alter the atmosphere within the box, slowing the foods response to ethylene, a chemical that fruit and vegetables emit as they age that causes a breakdown in colour and texture. A similar company in the UK, called Its Fresh, makes ethylene filters, too, and recently received a $10m investment from AgroFresh, a company that sells a dozen or so products including fungicides and wax coatings, all of which aim to prolong produce shelf life and enhance their look.

Theres also Cambridge Crops, from Massachusetts, which makes a similar edible protective coating to Apeel, using silk proteins rather than plant lipids. Cambridge Crops received $4m in seed funding from the MIT venture fund last year, whereas Apeel recently landed $70m from the Silicon Valley fund Andreessen Horowitz, which has famously backed Facebook, Twitter, Airbnb and Soylent, the meal-replacement drink company.

All of these companies and investors are making a play for a market worth at least $218bn in the US, and several times that worldwide. That number $218bn is about how much grocery stores, restaurants and people at home spend on food that simply gets thrown away per year, according to ReFed, a food waste-reduction nonprofit based in Berkeley, California. ReFed also estimates that, last year, venture capitalists invested about $185m in technologies to combat food waste.

People have been trying to preserve fruit and vegetables for at least as long as theyve been putting grains in clay pots. We dry it in the sun (12,000 BC) or jam it (600 AD) or cure it (1400 AD), or cool it or can it, pasteurise it or vacuum seal it. The practice of coating a fruit in wax to seal its freshness and enhance its appearance is at least several centuries old, and today youd be hard pressed to find a supermarket apple without it. Today, wax seals also contain antifungal properties, which are perfectly safe, and are applied in so thin a layer as to be pretty much insignificant.

What sets Apeel apart is its specific coating technology the fact that it works more effectively than a wax and is an organic additive made from plant parts. That, and the companys comparatively huge cash influx from Silicon Valley, and its truly global reach. Apeel is already well on its way to spanning the globe. It has satellite offices in Mexico, Peru, the Netherlands and New Jersey, and it works with five different suppliers of avocados, including Del Monte and Del Rey, which are two of the largest. It also works with Sage Fruit, one of Washington states largest organic apple growers.

Greathouse and Costanza shepherd me past the analytical sciences lab, where the fruit is run through a series of taste and smell tests to make sure that the Apeel spray essentially disappears as soon as its applied. This is a complex task. The spray can be made of the lipids from any plant much of the source crop for their ingredients changes throughout the year, and is simply the excess or discarded produce from farms and vineyards but it has to be molecularly reconstituted to act more or less exactly like the specific fruit on which it is sprayed.

We arrive at yet another lab, this one home to the material sciences team the beating heart of the Apeel operation. Here, they use liquid gases to separate specific molecules from the lipid slurry, then reconfigure those molecules into a variety of combinations, essentially highly educated hunches as to what a specific fruit or vegetables skin might be like. If this seems like a lot of tedious guesswork, it is. The research and development for Apeels first product, a coating for avocados, took eight years.

Now were in a bright room lined with racks of mouldering strawberries and bananas. Well, some are mouldering, some are not. Each rack has a camera mounted and set to a timer, to scan the fruit and track its breakdown. Some of the fruit has been sprayed with the Apeel spray, some has not. Tim, an engineer and overseer of the rotting fruit, apologises for the fruit fly situation in the room.

Finally, our tour ends in a warehouse at the back of the building. The space is dominated by huge produce sorting and cleaning machines, rigged with a custom-made Apeel spray device that treats the fruit or vegetables at the very last step of the process.

It feels like moisturiser, Greathouse says, describing the spray. It is odourless and tasteless, too. Once, when Greathouse tried some of it on her hand, she thought, Maybe I can shave with this. In fact, she adds, The reason we wrinkle is oxidation and moisture loss same as fruit. I want to do an experiment with one half of my face on Apeel, one half not, and then see what happens.

James Rogers, the CEO, has an office filled with avocados. Some are pillows, some figurines, some are squishy stress balls shaped like avocados, some are the genuine article. Rogers loves avos. The joke with the av is: not now, not now, not now. Now? Too late, he says. But: When you get an Apeel avocado the joke no longer makes sense, because the fruit stays ripe for so long. The window to enjoy it, previously so fleeting, has been stretched by weeks. The one fruit he loves even more, though, is the strawberry. I know its not sexy, but its just my favourite, he says. And they go bad so quickly. The company is a few years into R&D on that one. When I can go pick up local Apeel strawberries in the summer and have them last until winter in my fridge, thats when I know well have made it.

These days, Rogers spends less time in material science and more on distribution chains. It turns out, when you create a new technology that extends the shelf life of produce, it creates another problem central to the whole business: who, exactly, does this create value for? The perishability of a fruit or veg dictates everything about its supply chain. Everything from when you pick it, right down to the season and the time of the day, to where its packed, in the field or a packing shed. Is it then force air-cooled, or hydro-cooled? Does it travel down a flume or a conveyor belt? Does it go in a bag? Or does it get boxed? Does it go in a box with big holes or small holes? Does it go into a shipping container? Does it go into an aeroplane? Does it go into a display in the grocery store? When it goes home with you, does it go in the fridge? Or does it go on your counter?

Within every supply chain for every different fruit or vegetable lies economic opportunity. The goal for each of Apeels produce lines, Rogers says, is that the savings accrued by the growers or grocers are so great that you and I are actually paying less for their fruit and vegetables in the market. This is crucial, because yes while its good for the environment and will cut down on waste, feeling good about what you buy can only rope in so many consumers; the rest, the real revolution, lies in sheer economic price cutting. A cheaper piece of fruit that will last four times as long? No one will pass that bargain up.

Where things start to get truly interesting, from a market perspective, is how this opens up whole new avenues of produce to put in front of people. Just as perishability dictates everything about its supply chain, how well a fruit or vegetable travels is the most important characteristic of any mass-produced produce. The best example of this is the banana. Nearly every banana sold in supermarkets is a variety called the Cavendish. The Cavendish isnt particularly tasty, as banana varieties go. Nor is it especially packed with nutrients. There are far better bananas out there. But none travel stay firm and unripe quite as long like the Cavendish. Only, the Cavendish is falling victim to its own success, and a fungus is rampaging through this particular variety. So diversity in our produce isnt just a nice thing for us as eaters, its essential for our future food security.

Just up the road from Apeels headquarters is a farm growing a strange kind of finger-shaped lime. When cut open, the flesh appears pearled, like caviar, which is why its known as a caviar lime. The farms caviar limes are a speciality item, trucked to high-end restaurants in LA and flown to New York for the same purpose. The limes last for 7-10 days after theyve been picked. But Apeel started working with the farm a few years ago, and was able to develop a spray that worked. A fruit with a shorter window of ripeness actually speeds up the development process, because you are able to quickly see whats working, and whats not. Now this fruit that was so highly specialised, appearing for just one weekend in a farmers market, and in a few dishes in fancy restaurants, can be sold in supermarkets.

The caviar limes werent Rogers idea. Some of his scientists became infatuated with the problem and went to work on it. But now, he sees how this might be the future: new fruit and heirloom vegetables: the weirder, more specialised, small-batch stuff, brought to the masses. The weird limes were actually the very first product Apeel brought to the market. Thank God no one listened to me on that one, he says, smiling, thinking back on it. It taught him another important lesson, one he carries forward now. The shorter the shelf life, the bigger the opportunity.

See the original post here:

Stopping the rot: the fight to save fresh food - The Guardian

At first the plan was to move to a new location in Greenville, but within a week of announcing the move, the owners of the Organic Cat Caf decided to close for good.

Just a week and a half after they closed shop, Jennifer Bronzel and Ernesto Cardenas, who started the caf in 2018, had already begun working on a new cat caf concept, The Frisky Whisker, which they plan to open in Atlanta.

The Frisky Whisker will marry their passions for expression and healing through art and cats, passions the two said, that were never fully realized while in Greenville.

For now, Bronzel and Cardenas are spending time planning their next venture and working on a move to Atlanta, where Cardenas is from and where Bronzel also lived for a time. The 25 cats that were central to the Organic Cat Cafe have taken up temporary residence in the couple's Taylors home, where on a recent Thursday they appeared quite content.

The decision to close the Organic Cat Caf was not an easy decision, Bronzel said, but it was necessary one. While the caf had a solid backing, it never quite found a rhythm within the community, Bronzel said.

We were a cultural art space that is trying to push education of music and art through cats, said Cardenas, a known DJ in Atlanta. We feel like Greenville doesnt get that yet.

While the caf began as a more traditional coffee shop that just happened to have 20-plus live-in cats, last year Bronzel and Cardenas decided to make some changes. They added a bar with beer and wine and incorporated art that included regular Deejaying, politically expressive installations and meditation and yoga.

But things never quite caught on, they said.

All the things we wanted to do, people still saw us as just that cat place, Bronzel said. And it was the thing that you do once a year with your family.

We couldnt become that regular place.

While the two remain a bit baffled by the push back they received on what they still see as an infusion of culture and expression into their caf, they also admit that they kind of changed from the original iteration.

When the caf opened it was focused on providing a calming and enjoyable experience with cats. Bronzel, a lifelong cat lover, who moved to Greenville from her native Germany with her job, conceived the idea while visiting a cat caf overseas and she saw her adopted home as a perfect place for such a venture.

In 2017, she opened the Organic Cat Caf at 123 College St. The cafe offered coffee and an all-organic food menu, along with cat adoptions and regular community events.

Last April, Bronzel, with Cardenas, moved the caf to 928 S. Main St. They hoped the new, larger space, plus adding beer and wine and being on Main Street would bring more walk-in customers and help them reach a broader demographic.

But once baseball season ended, so did the foot traffic, they said.

Come January, Bronzel and Cardenas knew they had to change course. They considered scaling back on the collective art space idea, but ultimately, decided to follow their passion.

Greenville, they said they now realize, is a more traditional market, but they have also realized that what they want to create is not just a caf with cats, but a lounge where you can come to hear house music, enjoy art that is a bit avant garde and benefit from the calm that 25 cats can bring.

Now, they will bring that concept to Atlanta. The two are looking at possible locations within the city.

While Greenville was not the right fit for their concept, they remain grateful to the city.

Money for us is not the final purpose, Cardenas said. "Its not why I do my music, its not why I do my art. We believe in the power of art and music and cats and how it can help peoples lives, and how its helped our lives.

Thats what we want to share.

Link:

Owners of Greenvilles Organic Cat Cafe share why they closed and whats next - Spartanburg Herald Journal

Italico on California Avenue in Palo Alto has closed until further notice after Santa Clara County directed restaurants to implement new restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus. "WE WILL BE BACK STRONGER," the owners wrote in an announcement on social media. Photo by Michelle Le.

UPDATE: In a press conference on Sunday, March 15, Gov. Gavin Newsom directed all bars, wineries and breweries in the state to close. He ordered that all restaurants reduce their occupancy by half, "focus on takeout for those isolating" and "practice deep social distancing."

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department notified restaurants on Friday that they must adhere to new legal orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus -- including social distancing and mandatory conditions for gatherings of less than 100 people -- prompting a slew of local restaurants to decide to close, some temporarily and others, indefinitely.

The restrictions apply to all restaurants, bars, cafeterias and other food facilities in Santa Clara County, both during normal operations as well for special events or gatherings. They do not apply to grocery stores or certified farmers' markets.

"As a business that serves food and/or beverages, the county requires your assistance to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community," the Public Heath Department and Department of Environmental Health wrote to food businesses on Friday.

"The primary way that the virus spreads is by respiratory droplets (e.g. when someone coughs) or when a person touches a contaminated surface or object and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth. In these ways, the virus could spread from one employee to another, from an employee to a patron, or from a patron to an employee."

Santa Clara County issued the orders as its number of coronavirus cases continued to climb, with 91 confirmed cases as of Friday, March 13, including two deaths.

The new restrictions on public and private gatherings of 35 to 100 people which includes employees and practicing social distancing by keeping people at least six feet apart will prove challenging for some restaurants to implement. Within the weekend, a fast-growing number of local restaurants -- including the Michelin-starred Chez TJ in Mountain View and Palo Alto restaurants Maum, Zola, Italico and Taverna -- have closed temporarily. Some are continuing to serve food via take-out or delivery while others are fully shutting down.

"Given the increased advisements against public gatherings, we have determined it is in the best interest of our community to temporarily close Zola in efforts to 'flatten the curve,'" Zola owner Guillaume Bienaime wrote on Instagram on Saturday. "Despite this being a difficult personal and fiscal decision, our mission is to create a space for people to come together and this is precisely what we need to avoid for the time being.

"You, our patrons, are our livelihood and we hope that you understand and support this decision and do your part as well."

He plans to reopen Zola on April 7. Zola employees will have to file for unemployment.

"We don't have the funds to keep everyone afloat," Bienaime said. "Of course I will help where needed. We hope the government at all levels will help us later."

Michael and Meichih Kim of the Michelin-starred Korean restaurant Maum said they will close for at least three weeks, effective immediately.

"We will use this time to reflect and to show solidarity with citizens around the world by practicing social distancing," they wrote in an Instagram post.

Italico on California Avenue closed Saturday, March 14, until further notice, the owners announced on Instagram. Terun, their first, nearby pizzeria, remains open but they have had to let go 22 employees.

Greg St. Claire of Avenir Restaurant Group, which runs Nola in Palo Alto, Milagros in Redwood City and The Alpine Inn in Portola Valley, announced Sunday that his businesses would also close temporarily. Employees scheduled to work would be paid through the closure, he said.

"If you wish to help people whose livelihoods are directly impacted by lost shifts, now is the time. You can buy a gift card to your favorite restaurant to use when the situation normalizes," St. Claire wrote on Instagram. "You can donate to organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank who are working hard to feed those for whom lost jobs and school closures have created an urgent need for feeding."

Executive Chef Jarad Gallagher said that for Chez TJ, with its small kitchen and intimate dining room, the new restrictions on numbers for gathering and social distancing make closure "necessary." Gallagher said he also feels an "ethical" responsibility to make sure his staff feel safe at work. He hopes to reopen in three weeks and will reassess then.

In the meantime, Gallagher and Wise Goat Organics (which is run by his wife) will be hosting a pop-up at Chez TJ on Wednesdays. They'll serve a small menu of "healthy, organic foods," Gallagher said, including Wise Goat's fermented foods, soups, stocks and vinaigrettes made by Gallagher. The pop-up will be at Chez TJ (938 Villa St.) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Many local restaurants were already struggling to stay in business as fewer people dine out. Rocco Scordella of Vina Enoteca in Palo Alto decided on Friday to close temporarily. He predicted that he wouldn't be the last to do so. Restaurants are also shuttering throughout San Francisco, New York City and Seattle.

Restaurants in San Mateo County, which issued on Saturday a three-week ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, also started to go dark temporarily, including the longtime Buck's in Woodside and Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park.

Santa Clara County instructed restaurants to "under all circumstances, practice social distancing by keeping patrons' tables as far apart as practical while seated. Leave empty tables in between patrons if space allows."

State of Mind Public House and Pizzeria in Los Altos, quickly responded to the new orders by limiting the number of diners in the restaurant at any given time, removing tables and half of the 132-seat restaurant's chairs and stools on Friday night to allow for social distancing and offering curbside pick-up for takeout orders.

"We are going to try and operate like this as long as it is safe for both guests and staff," chef and co-owner Lars Smith said on Saturday. "We are also very aware of the possibility of being required to close for a period."

By Sunday, he announced that State of Mind would be closing and moving to online ordering.

Zareen's in Palo Alto and Mountain View closed the station where diners can usually serve themselves condiments and grab utensils and started accepting credit cards for any payment amounts to limit the exchange of cash, owner Zareen Khan said in an Instagram post. The restaurant is also checking staff members' temperatures daily with touchless thermometers.

Many restaurants, from casual to fine-dining, are turning their focus to delivery. County public health officials told food businesses Friday that giving customers the choice to have food left at their doors or curbside "may prove beneficial to your operation."

Many third-party delivery apps such as Postmates and DoorDash have started offering no-contact delivery. DoorDash and Caviar are also distributing hand sanitizer and gloves to their drivers.

Ted Kim, owner of Steins Beer Garden in Mountain View, said the challenges of the public health restrictions have been compounded by the fact that there's been little information yet about how and when small businesses will get emergency financial support. (The U.S. Small Business Administration has said it will work directly with state governors to provide "targeted, low-interest loans" to small businesses that have been severely impacted by the coronavirus.)

"I understand the need for precaution but why aren't these new restrictions coupled with information on where to get financial emergency aid to help us through this?" Kim said. "It's impossible for us to continue like this."

By Sunday, he decided that Steins would close for up to four weeks, starting Monday, March 16.

Restaurant staff must wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds at the following times, the county stated:

- When entering the kitchen

- Before starting food preparation

- After touching their face, hair, or other areas of the body

- After using the restroom

- After coughing, sneezing, using a tissue, smoking, eating, or drinking

- When handling raw food then ready-to-eat food

- Before putting on gloves

- After cleaning, bussing tables or touching any items that patrons have used

- Between handling money/credit cards/phones/pens and handling food

- After engaging in other activities that may contaminate the hands

Restaurants should also minimize touching ready-to-eat food with bare hands, assign an employee to keep soap and paper towels stocked at handwashing stations at least every hour, post additional visible signage for customers to wash their hands frequently and provide hand sanitizer and/or wipes for patrons to use, the county said.

Food businesses should avoid accepting reusable utensils and containers from customers, which many local coffee shops have started doing with personal cups or mugs.

Any employee who is experiencing any fever and respiratory symptoms should stay home for three days after they are symptom-free to prevent the spread of any virus, the county told restaurants. Restaurants should maximize flexibility in use of sick leave to facilitate such time off, the guidance states.

A ban on gatherings of more than 100 people also went into effect at midnight on March 14.

The restrictions may be modified or extended and new ones imposed, the county said.

Find comprehensive coverage on the Midpeninsula's response to the new coronavirus by Palo Alto Online, the Mountain View Voice and Almanac here.

---

Follow the Palo Alto Weekly/Palo Alto Online on Twitter @PaloAltoWeekly and Facebook for breaking news, local events, photos, videos and more.

See the article here:

Restaurants start to shutter, as public health restrictions increase and dining out declines - Palo Alto Online