Italy Proposes Ban on Cultivated Meat, the UK Legalizes Gene-Edited Foods + More

Image Credit: Forbes

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.

The Italian government has taken a stand against synthetic foods and cultivated meat by supporting a bill that would prohibit their sale. The proposed legislation aims to promote the consumption of natural and organic food products while limiting the production and sale of genetically modified foods. Those who violate the ban could face hefty fines of up to €60,000 ($65,000). In contrast, the commercial development of gene-edited foods has been legalized in England, allowing for the creation of new food varieties with desirable traits. These recent developments have sparked debates on the benefits and drawbacks of synthetic and genetically modified foods, and their impact on health and the environment.

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1. Italy Proposes a Ban on Lab-Grown Meats to Protect Its Food Heritage – Forbes

The Italian government has given its support to a bill that would prohibit the sale of lab-grown meat and other synthetic foods. If the bill passes, anyone who violates the ban could face fines of up to €60k.

2. Commercial Development of Gene-Edited Food Now Legal in England – BBC

Supporters of the technology say it will speed up the development of hardier crops that will be needed because of climate change.

3. Denmark: Soil Carbon Startup Agreena Lands $50M to Tear Down the Financial Barriers to Regen Ag – AFN

Danish startup Agreena aims to help farmers build a meaningful revenue stream by implementing, tracking and measuring regenerative farming practices.

4. Investors Seek to Tap Millions in Biodiversity Credits From New UK Project – Bloomberg

England’s financial plan may help restore tens of thousands of acres for birds, bugs and bees, though challenges loom.

5. Online Bulk Retailer Boxed Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy – Bloomberg

The company actively sought to sell itself before filing, but rejected Kroger’s offer to buy the company for $400m in 2018.

6. Starbucks Fired the Employee Responsible for Igniting the Starbucks Worker United Union Campaign – CNBC

Rizzo worked as a shift supervisor at Starbucks for 7 years and served as a leader at the Genesee St. store in Buffalo, New York, which was one of the first two stores in the country to win its union campaign.

7. More Restaurants and Bars Are Becoming Worker-Owned in NYC – Eater

A handful of wine shops, bars and restaurants are transferring ownership to employees.

8. Fast Food Workers Are Unionizing, But Some of the Biggest Chains in the Country Are Fighting to Stop Them – Insider

CEOs and fast food chains have often pushed back against those efforts, closing stores and even surveilling employees, some workers allege.

9. Women’s Health Market Set to Explode As Millennials Hit Their 40s – Green Queen

New data point to an untapped market potential for female nutrition. But more work is needed to address the full range of women’s health requirements.

10. How a Tight Supply from the Deadliest Bird Flu Outbreak Is Hammering the Egg Industry – Food Dive

Since the virus surfaced last February, tens of millions of farm-raised birds in the US have died, and eggs have seen skyrocketing prices.