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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.

Aleph Farms, in partnership with Migros, Switzerland’s leading food enterprise, has made strides towards introducing cultivated meat in Europe with a groundbreaking regulatory application. This milestone marks a significant step in navigating Switzerland’s specific approval process for cultivated meat startups. Meanwhile, John Mackey, co-founder of Whole Foods, has launched a new health startup called Love.Life, aimed at revolutionizing healthcare through a comprehensive approach in an effort to transform how Americans perceive and engage with healthcare.

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. Israel: Aleph Farms Takes First Step Towards Cultivated Meat in Europe with Swiss Regulatory Application – Green Queen

Aleph’s milestone application is a collaborative effort with Migros, Switzerland’s largest food enterprise, which has been instrumental in navigating the country’s specific regulatory approval process.

2. John Mackey’s Whole Foods Changed How Americans Eat. Now Mackey Wants To Change Healthcare – Fast Company

John Mackey, Whole Foods cofounder, opens up about Love.Life, his health startup which combines everything from metabolic health coaching to cold-plunge pools.

3. Builders Vision Announces $1.1B in New Climate Solution Investments in Emerging Markets – Builders Vision

The fund will identify $1b in nature-based solution projects and $100m in oceans investments and grants focused on the blue carbon ecosystem and oceans carbon dioxide removal.

4. US Retail Sales of Meat Alternatives Continue Precipitous Decline – AFN

US retail sales of plant-based meats continue to decline, falling 12.6% to $106.8m in the five weeks to July 2, with units down 19.8%.

5. Revolutionary Culinary Collective Ghetto Gastro Is Bringing Its Goods to Target – Fast Company

Ghetto Gastro empowers Black communities through food and storytelling. This Target partnership is bringing that vision to the masses.

6. Who On Earth Is CosMc? B-List McDonald’s Character Gets Name-Checked in Spinoff Chain – Fast Company

McDonald’s Corp CEO Chris Kempczinski said in an earnings call that the burger giant will unveil a spinoff restaurant called CosMc’s.

6. Threatened by Climate Change, Food Chain Workers Demand Labor Protections – Civil Eats

The farm bill has long excluded farmworkers and other food chain workers. Now, workers and advocates are making a case for including their needs in the massive bill.

8. Putin Strikes Ukrainian Ports — and Endangers the World’s Food Supply – Washington Post

Russia is trying to blame the West for weaponizing food supplies, but Moscow’s guilt is evident.

9. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs Launches Startup to Produce Plant-Based Whole-Cuts Using Breakthrough Innovation – Vegconomist

The breakthrough process mimics the texture of meat by introducing a multi-directional fiber structure that can recreate the muscle consistency of beef, pork, chicken and fish without using additives or artificial ingredients.

10. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs Launches Startup to Produce Plant-Based Whole-Cuts Using Breakthrough Innovation – Vegconomist

The breakthrough process mimics the texture of meat by introducing a multi-directional fiber structure that can recreate the muscle consistency of beef, pork, chicken and fish without using additives or artificial ingredients.

11. A Climate Warning from the Cradle of Civilization – New York Times

How extreme temperatures and dwindling water are pushing the Fertile Crescent toward the brink.

The post Cultivated Meat Up for European Regulatory Approval, John Mackey’s New Health Startup + More appeared first on Food+Tech Connect.

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