If you have been reading FoodPolitics.com for long, you know that I love collections of industry newsletter columns on specific topics.  This one is on meal kits.  If you’ve never tried one, these are boxes of ingredients delivered to your door with recipes for what to do with them.

I’m not a user.  I tried two different kinds.   I have to admit that they cooked up into delicious meals.  But, I could not believe the number of bowls and pots I needed to make them, the enormous mess I had to clean up, and the piles of packaging that I had to throw out.

With that said, some of them are doing pretty well, and some are trying new things, according to these articles from FoodNavigator-USA’s terrific writers.

Special Edition: What’s for dinner tonight? The meal kit (r) evolution

Meal kit brands have tapped into a consumer need, but some have struggled to build a viable business model, with subscription based home delivery firms finding it hard to retain customers, and retailers finding it hard to manage shrink on in-store meal kits. The rapid growth of services from GrubHub to UberEats enabling consumers to order pre-prepared food for delivery in 20 minutes without a subscription has also presented consumers with options that didn’t exist when many meal kit brands got started. So where does the market go from here?

• Home Chef: Our instore meal kit business could be bigger than our ecommerce business in pretty short order:  Home Chef meal kits are now available in more than 1,000 Kroger stores targeting the significant subset of consumers that buy into the meal kit concept but don’t want to commit to a subscription, or don’t want to plan meals so far ahead, says Home Chef chief revenue officer Rich DeNardis… Read
• Meal kit co Purple Carrot acquired by Japanese online grocer for $12.8m (with $17.2m to follow if earn-out goals are met):  Plant-based meal kit co Purple Carrot has been sold to Japan’s largest meal kit and organic food delivery service Oisix ra daichi for an upfront payment of $12.8m, with another $17.2m due in 2021 if it achieves unspecified earn-out* goals… Read
• Blue Apron’s stock pops after partnering with Beyond Meat, but can it salvage the company’s stock?  Beleaguered meal kit company Blue Apron’s stock price surged 36% overnight after announcing July 16 that upcoming menus would feature the popular plant-based burger from Beyond Meat, which also saw a 3.6% bump in its stock in the same period… Read
• Chef’d and True Chef meal kits to ‘double if not triple’ retail footprint this year:  True Food Innovations will steam ahead expanding its retail offering of Chef’d and True Chef meal kits this year and will also reveal an exclusive licensing deal with a major CPG brand, its president says… Read
• Sun Basket expands beyond dinner to better reach ‘all people in the US interested in healthy eating’, says CMO:  Meal kit company Sun Basket has expanded its offerings from ready-to-make dinners to an online market of breakfast, lunch, and snack options created in collaboration with partner brands including bone broth and noodle company Nona Lim, fresh pasta brand Tallutos, soy producer Hodo Foods, and Hu Chocolate… Read
• Meal delivery service Veestro shares three strategies for making a startup profitable quickly:  Starting a business is one thing, but making it profitable is another, and one which often requires some trial and error, according to Monica Klausner, the co-founder of the plant-based meal delivery service Veestro… Read
• Sun Basket seals $30m Series E investment ramping up automation, personalization, and healthy meal offerings:  Meal kit service Sun Basket has closed $30m in a Series E investment led by PivotNorth Capital to accelerate its direct-to-consumer business offering AI-powered meal personalization and meal plans from breakfast to dinner… Read
• Blue Apron to trial same-day on demand delivery service in the Bay area:  Blue Apron will pilot a same-day on-demand service in the Bay Area enabling consumers to order meals by noon for delivery the same evening in an ongoing attempt to reach customers that buy into the meal kit concept but don’t necessarily want to commit to a subscription… Read
• Giant Food amps up fresh offer in new store concept: ‘We’re competing with everyone that sells food’:  We’re no longer a nation of pantry stockers. Many Americans don’t know what’s for dinner tonight, never mind next week, and with grocers now competing with everyone from GrubHub to IKEA, is it time for a radical rethink of the traditional supermarket layout as the lines between food retail and food service continue to blur?.. Read
• Instore meal kit sales reached $93m in 2018, says Nielsen:  US sales of in-store meal kits reached $93m in 2018, according to the latest Nielsen data, with 187 new retail meal kit items introduced during the year as high-profile brands sought to reach consumers that like the concept, but don’t want to commit to an online subscription… Read
• eMeals: We’re offering inspiration, curation, and delivery; but you have to chop your own carrots…Preparing delicious healthy home cooked meals every night requires inspiration, time and energy: things most working people are short of, hence, the growth of meal kits. But not everyone can afford them, is comfortable with the amount of packaging they create, or wants to commit to a subscription over the long-term, says Forrest Collier, CEO of meal planning and grocery shopping platform eMeals… Read
• OpenTable hops on mobile food ordering wagon:  Online restaurant reservation company OpenTable is expanding into food delivery and pick-up services by partnering with Caviar, Grubhub, and Uber Eats… Read
• Grubhub’s ‘State of the Plate’ report: Orders of the Impossible Burger up 82% year on year:  Grubhub has seen a significant increase in vegan and plant-based food orders in the past year based on user data of more than 500,000 food orders placed through the mobile app on an average day… Read

I’m indebted to Jerry Hagstrom’s Hagstrom Report for this one.

The People’s Garden on the grounds of the Agriculture Department headquarters, intended by the Obama administration to highlight organic food, has been renamed and reconfigured.

It now features a “Voice of the Farmer” exhibit extolling the virtues of genetically modified alfalfa, corn and soybeans.

This is part of a “Trust in Food” initiative organized by Farm Journal magazine in partnership with its Foundation’s coalition of Big Ag companies.

It will be there until October 2020.

Will this encourage the public to have greater trust in food?  I doubt it.

▪ Agriculture Through the Voice of the Farmer: The Farm Journal Foundation’s website
▪ Trust in Food: A Farm Journal Initiative

The study: Recent Research on the Health Benefits of Blueberries and Their Anthocyanins.   Wilhelmina Kalt, Aedin Cassidy, Luke R Howard, Robert Krikorian, April J Stull, Francois Tremblay,Raul Zamora-Ros.   Advances in Nutrition, nmz065, https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz065

Abstract conclusion: More evidence, and particularly human clinical evidence, is needed to better understand the potential for anthocyanin-rich blueberries to benefit public health. However, it is widely agreed that the regular consumption of tasty, ripe blueberries can be unconditionally recommended.

Overall conclusion:  It can be safely stated that daily moderate intake (50 mg anthocyanins, one-third cup of blueberries) can mitigate the risk of diseases and conditions of major socioeconomic importance in the Western world.

Funding: The United States Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) offered support for this article by providing an honorarium to each author but had no role in the design and conduct of the review.  Author disclosures: AC, LRH, RZ-R, no conflicts of interest. AC acts as an advisor to the USHBC grant committee and has received research support from the USHBC. RK, WK, AJS, and FT have received research funding from the USHBC and have no conflict of interest.

Comment:  This is a literature review.  The USHBC paid the authors to write it.  That makes this article a paid advertisement for blueberries.  Why the authors think they have no conflict of interest in taking the money to write this is beyond me.  We can ask why the USHBC thinks this kind of “study” is needed.  Of course blueberries are recommended.  They are a fruit and all fruits are recommended.  The USHBC wants you to think that blueberries are especially beneficial, but that can be said of any fruit.  Not all fruits have sponsors paying for articles, however.

JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY: SPECIAL SECTION: AGING AND BLUEBERRIES (thanks to Bradley Flansbaum for sending)

The papers in this series were supported in one way or another by one or another blueberry trade associations.

• Blue Versus Gray: Potential Health Benefits of Blueberries for Successful Aging.  Donald K Ingram, PhD.  The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 74, Issue 7, July 2019, Pages 965–966. Sponsored by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.
• Circulating Anthocyanin Metabolites Mediate Vascular Benefits of Blueberries: Insights From Randomized Controlled Trials, Metabolomics, and Nutrigenomics :  Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, et al.  The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 74, Issue 7, July 2019, Pages 967–976. This work was supported by the Medical Research Committee of the University of Düsseldorf (9772574) and by an unrestricted grant from the Wild Blueberry Association of North America. ARM and CH have received unrestricted research grants from the Wild Blueberry Association of North America. The other authors declare no conflicts of interests.
• Blueberries Improve Neuroinflammation and Cognition differentially Depending on Individual Cognitive baseline Status.  Barbara Shukitt-Hale, et al. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 74, Issue 7, July 2019, Pages 977–983.  This research was supported by USDA Intramural funds. The blueberry powder used in this study was provided at no cost under a Material Transfer Agreement between the USDA and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC). 
• Systematic Review of the Effects of Blueberry on Cognitive Performance as We Age .  Sabine Hein, et al. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 74, Issue 7, July 2019, Pages 984–995.This work was supported by an unrestricted grant from the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.
• Polyphenols From Grape and Blueberry Improve Episodic Memory in Healthy Elderly with Lower Level of Memory Performance: A Bicentric Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study  Julien Bensalem, et al. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 74, Issue 7, July 2019, Pages 996–1007.  This work is part of the Neurophenols project. The specific aims of the program are to characterize and formulate fruit extracts from grape and blueberry and to evaluate their safety and efficacy in pre-clinical and clinical trials. Neurophenols Industry partners, some of which sell ingredients derived from grapes and blueberries, are listed here.

Comment: The introductory paper in this series explains what it is about: “The epidemiological evidence is strong and convincing regarding the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to ward off age-related diseases. However, what about individual foods?”  What about them?  I love blueberries but are they really better for older adults than raspberries, strawberries, or peaches, for that matter?  Variety is still a basic principle of nutrition.  Enjoy your fruit bowl.

I’m watching what’s happening with Cannabis edibles with much interest.  Sales are booming.  Regulators are stymied.  Regulation is virtually absent—nobody seems to know how—and science, alas, hardly exists.

BakeryandSnacks.com fills the information gap with an Editor’s Spotlight on CBD [cannabidiol]-Infused Snacks, from the business perspective, as always.

•  LISTEN: Nanotechnology opens avenues for high-potency CBD-infused bakery and snacks: Infused By Epic has debuted a novel bioavailable CBD delivery system that can be incorporated into snacks and baked goods. Read more
• Marijuana ‘munchies’ tick up US snack sales: Nielsen has reported there has been a notable pick-up in the consumption of the so-called ‘munchies’ in US states where marijuana is legal, which has boosted the sales of snacks. Read more
•  LISTEN – Snacks with attitude: Should producers jump onto the CBD craze?  The rush to the so-called ‘shining new kid on the block’ – as Marcia Mogelonsky, director of Insight at Mintel Food and Drink terms it – has ignited like a wildfire and everyone is talking about it. But will it make vogue status? Read more
• NatureBox sells out CBD Wellness snack line in first week: According to the online snack brand, thousands of Americans signed up for early access to a limited release pre-sale of its CBD-infused fruit snacks. Read more
• Will CBD-infused snacks help Mondelēz regain traction in its developed markets?  The multinational snack maker is in the early stages of assessing how CBD could fit into its future product portfolio, according to CEO Dirk Van Put. Read more
• SNAAK Bar launches first-ever hemp CBD sports bar on US market:  California-based SNAAK Bar has partnered with CV Sciences Inc. to create two new hemp-enriched nutrition bars designed to optimize sports performance. Read more
• NightFood explores CBD-infused snacks for better sleep:  NightFood Holdings is currently researching cannabidiol’s (CBD) medicinal benefits for sleep, hoping to develop or acquire a line of infused snacks in 2018. Read more
• Growing against regulations: Cannabis edibles industry’s significant profit margins are yet to be seen, Colorado marijuana bakers said:  Experts from the cannabis edibles industry have shattered the popular belief that manufacturers of cannabis-infused bakers are able to make large profit margins due to the growing cannabis market.  Read more
•  It’s all about understanding the consumer and offering the right snack at the right time for the right occasion:  This year, Barcelona in Spain played host to Snackex 2019, the 18th edition of Europe’s only international business event dedicated to the savory snacks sector. Read more

And I’ve collected a few more from other sources.

• ‘The prevalence of questionable products may inspire a tsunami of class action litigation…’ The regulatory path forward for CBD: While not everyone was on the same page about the legal path forward for hemp-derived CBD during Friday’s marathon FDA hearing, multiple speakers made clear that the current situation is untenable, with one predicting a wave of lawsuits, and others demanding that the agency either crack down on companies marketing such products, or explicitly spell out that existing regulatory frameworks can accommodate them… Read
• Insufficient scientific research & labeling constraints could limit use of CBD in food, supplements: When it comes to legally marketing conventional food and dietary supplements with CBD and other cannabis-derived compounds, FDA and industry appear stuck in a catch-22… Watch now
• ‘Virtual knockoff’: Mondeléz Canada warns of growing trend towards marketing edibles by ripping off popular snacks and candies: While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, ripping off a beloved children’s candy brand (SOUR PATCH Kids) in order to sell THC-infused gummies is no laughing matter, says Mondeléz Canada in a trademark infringement lawsuit against edibles brand STONEY PATCH..
• Cannabis sales could hit $41B by 2025, Nielsen predicts:  The research firm found the variety of products has grown significantly in four years — jumping from 166 brands in 2014 to 2,600 last year.And if you are really interested in this topic, and have a spare $1995 lying around, you can buy the Nutrition Business Journal’s Hemp and CBD Guide.

And here’s a free White Paper on Cannabis edibles—a cross-industry analysis.

One small table says it all.

For the record, I’m not related to the top ranked company.

A low-fat spread with added plant sterols and fish omega-3 fatty acids lowers serum triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in individuals with modest hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia.  Blom AM, et al.  European Journal of Nutrition.  2019;58(4):1615–1624.

Purpose: “to investigate the triglyceride (TG) and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering effects of a spread [i.e., margarine] with added plant sterols (PS) and fish oil as compared to a placebo spread.”

Conclusions: “Four-week consumption of the intervention spread led to significant and clinically relevant decreases in serum TG, LDL-C and other blood lipid concentrations.”

Funder: The study was funded by Unilever BCS Research and Development Vlaardingen, the Netherlands.

Conflicts of interest: of the authors, four are employed by Unilever.

Comment: Unilever makes margarines with plant sterols and fish oils.  You might buy them if they control blood lipid risk factors for heart disease.  This is in-house company research aimed at proving the benefits of a Unilever product, which is what so many other companies do.

But Unilever was one of the few Big Food companies that sponsored basic research (and maybe it still does?).  As I describe in my book, Unsavory Truth, Unilever was the sponsor of the basic research that demonstrated the harmful effects of trans-fat on disease risk.

Coming soon to a supermarket near you: Baby Shark cereal.

I am so out of it.  I never heard of the song, Baby Shark, before seeing this story about Kellogg’s new cereal—aimed at toddlers.

The song, I gather, is adored by babies, less so by their parents, but never mind: it is expected to sell lots of cereal.

I searched for a Nutrition Facts label online, but could not find one (the cereal won’t be available until mid-September, apparently.

I did see this at the bottom corner of the box:

One and one-third cup of this stuff provides 150 calories, 190 mg of sodium, and 15 grams of sugars.  Oh great, 40% of calories from sugars.

Another sugary cereal for kids, this one for little kids!

Do food companies market directly to children?  Yes, they do.

Since writing two books about pet food in 2008 (Pet Food Politics) and 2010 (Feed Your Pet Right), I haven’t said much about this topic but am inspired to comment by this article in Food Safety News.

If you are a pet food maker, and the FDA finds Salmonella in your products and insists you recall them, what should you do?

A.  Recall the products immediately

B.  Apologize to your customers and promise this will never happen again

C.  Hire a food safety expert to review and revise your food safety procedures

D.  Train all employees to follow food safety procedures diligently

E.  Sue the FDA to allow you to continue selling Salmonella-contaminated pet food

The correct answer?  E, apparently.

Incredible as it may seem, Lystin LLC, the parent of Answers Pet Foods which sells raw meat and poultry, is suing the FDA on Constitutional grounds to allow it to sell foods contaminated with Salmonella. Why?

According to this company, people should be able to feed their pets whatever they like, especially because its brands already carry this warning:

WARNING: NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. THIS PRODUCT HAS NOT BEEN PASTEURIZED AND MAY CONTAIN HARMFUL BACTERIA.

You want to continue buying this pet food?  OK.  You were warned.

Personally, I’d find another brand more committed to the safety of dogs and their owners.

I can’t wait to see who wins this one.