Image Credit: Green Queen

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 EU has finalized a law designed to curb greenwashing, banning labels including ‘carbon-neutral,’ ‘natural,’ and ‘biodegradable.’ To be turned into a law, the proposal will need to get final approval from the EU Parliament and Council, which is expected in November. In other news, scientists are now researching the development of lab-grown fruit from discarded parts like apple cores and orange peels. Last but not least, major consumer and agrifood funds have launched including Astanor Venture’s €360 million fund, Humble Growth’s $312 million fund, and Unfold Venture’s $300 million fund.

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!

Our newsletter takes a lot of time and resources to produce. Make a one time or monthly contribution to help us keep it going. Whether it’s $5 or $500, every bit helps and shows us that you value our work. 

1. EU Greenwashing Ban: Everything You Need to Know About the Who, the What & the When – Green Queen

Last week, the EU finalized a new law designed to curb greenwashing, which will ban the use of terms like ‘carbon-neutral’ from product claims. Who does this affect, when does it come into effect, and what can’t you say anymore? Here’s what you need to know.

2. Cell-Based Blueberries, Anyone? What Is Lab-Grown Fruit, and Is It a Food Security Solution? – Green Queen

With climate change threatening crop growth and food security in many places, scientists are hoping to create lab-grown fruit with usually discarded parts of fruits, like apple cores and orange peels.

3. Astanor Ventures Closes €360M Venture Fund to Support Sustainable Agrifood Technologies – FoodBev

Astanor is committed to its core investment strategy of supporting early-stage and mission-driven companies that have identified a social or environmental issue and have developed a nature positive solution to resolve it.

4. CPG Hall of Fame Trio Launches $312M Fund Humble Growth to Back High-Growth Consumer Brands – Forbes

Humble Growth is pivoted as a collaborative model for high-growth consumer brands to engage more effectively with their investors and better scale their businesses.

5. Fidelity’s Billionaire Johnson Family Backs Consumer Venture Capital Fund – Bloomberg

Unfold Ventures is launching with $300m from owners of FMR with investments including spices, skincare and vegan vitamins.

6. France U-Turns on Factory Farming, Calls for Cheaper Meat – Green Queen

Two weeks after proposing an unprecedented labelling ban on meat-related terms for plant-based alternatives, France is now promoting a pro-factory farming agenda by calling for the production of cheaper meat and ‘taking back the market from imports’.

7. Investors Are Neglecting Food Tech, While Supply Chains Battle Global Disruption – Green Queen

The median food tech venture capital deal size has declined for the first time in seven years, falling to $3M in Q2 – a 12.4% drop from 2022.

8. Celebrate the NEXTY Awards Winners for Expo East 2023 – New Hope Network 

In addition to the 20 category winners, New Hope’s editors recognized three products and one brand Editors’ Choice Awards. These winners stood out for their creativity and sustainability efforts.

9. Brazil: JOKR Now Valued at $800M After Bagging About $50M in Series D Funding – TechCrunch

The company has expanded beyond instant deliveries to offering full grocery offerings within a 30-minute time slot. It has increased its product offering to 10k.

10. Meati Opens Online D2C Store with Subscription for Mycelium Steak, Chicken & New Mystery Products – Green Queen

The Meati Marketplace will allow people to try its alt-meats before they hit shelves, while a $169 Innovation Kitchen Subscription offers four current products and at least one completely new one every month.

11. US Accuses Amazon of Illegally Protecting Monopoly in Online Retail – New York Times

The Federal Trade Commission and 17 states sued Amazon, saying its conduct in its online store and services to merchants illegally stifled competition.

12. How TikTok Is Reshaping the American Cookbook – New York Times

A growing number of video stars are using their online clout to break into the publishing world — and top the best-seller lists.