Crickets and Olympic Catering

Welcome back, Food Junglers. The Olympics are well underway, and it doesn't look like the examples of peak human form are too impressed with the catering options. Elsewhere, climate change continues to batter commodities. Let’s dig in.

This week:

🏃 Olympians don’t love the climate-friendly food in France.

📉 Earnings reports disappoint American food companies.

🐞 Singapore approves edible insects in restaurants.

🍚 Rice becomes scarcer in Japan.

🐄 A small dairy farm in Australia is making eco milk...

CLIMATE
ECO-FOOD GONE WRONG

Since the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, it has become abundantly clear that many of the athletes are disappointed with the food options available at the Olympic Village.

Sodexo Live, the French company responsible for catering, originally planned to create a meal plan that was primarily vegetarian and vegan in an effort to minimise the carbon footprint of the Games.

The athletes, however, have complained that not enough eggs or meat have been provided to suit their dietary needs, especially during a time when every calorie is meticulously counted.

ZOOMING OUT: Sodexo Live expected to serve around 13 million mostly plant-based meals during the Olympic Games but has quickly adapted to the situation by adding around 700 kilos of eggs and a ton of meat to the menu. Let’s hope the athletes are happy with the turnaround.

BUSINESS
BIG FOOD STUMBLES

As earnings calls begin, McDonald’s and Starbucks have both struggled to maintain revenues, sales, and profits, with inflation-weary customers becoming more discriminatory on price.

McDonald’s reported its first decline in sales in 13 quarters as CEO, Chris Kempczinski, declared that “consumer sentiment in most major markets remains low”.

Moving to the coffee aisle, Starbucks has reported yet another decline in sales, with profits dropping 7.5% in the last three months ended in June.

ZOOMING OUT: Curiously, both food giants have struggled to maintain their competitive edge in China, where cheaper alternatives have begun to appeal to Chinese taste buds.

Some analysts are saying that this could be the end of American domination in the Chinese market.

POLICY
SINGAPORE APPROVES INSECTS

A Singaporean restaurant, House of Seafood, is the first eatery in the country to be granted permission to put insects on the menu as part of the Singaporean government’s push for greater food security.

As part of the approval, 16 species, from crickets and grasshoppers to grubs and mealworms, may be served. And, under Singaporean law, all insects must be farmed in a controlled environment and not be fed manure or rotten food. 

While insects have been enjoyed as street food around Southeast Asia, Singapore has famously been very strict with the food it allows to be prepared. This really marks a huge moment for the country.

ZOOMING OUT: Singapore is one of the few countries that is preparing for food shortages in the near future. Allowing edible insects is all part of the country’s plan to produce 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030 instead of the current model where 90% of food is imported.

SUPPLY CHAIN
RICE STOCKS DWINDLE IN JAPAN

According to Japanese officials, the country’s rice stockpile has fallen to the lowest level this century as climate change and excessive tourism take their toll.

Private-sector inventories of rice fell to 1.56 million tons in June, down 20% from a year earlier and the lowest since 1999. As a result, the trading price for rice has hit a 30-year high.

Officials have blamed tourist gluttony and hotter-than-usual temperatures, as, last year, Japan recorded its hottest September since records began 125 years ago.

ZOOMING OUT: Despite this, the Japanese government has no plans to tap into its 910,000-ton reserve of rice as it believes that the increasingly Westernised diet of many young Japanese citizens will lead to fewer locals eating rice altogether.

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THE BRIGHT SIDE
SEAWEED MILK

As it has been said numerous times before on Food Jungle, the livestock industry accounts for around 30% of global methane emissions. So, I’m a huge fan of anyone trying to make a dent in those numbers.

A family-owned dairy producer in Australia - Ashgrove - has had an idea to feed cows seaweed in order to reduce the amount of methane cows produce after digestion.

The farm feeds around 500 cows an oil containing a native red seaweed extract, which makes cows reduce their methane emissions by 25% when they burp. Of course, the cows themselves are free-range, which is just an added bonus.

Perhaps it is not the large-scale climate solution we’re all hoping for, but it definitely is a step in the right direction. Food Jungle approved ✅ 

BEFORE YOU GO…

• Unilever has kicked off initial discussions with buyout firms about a possible sale of its ice cream business.

• Alt meat startup – Meati Foods - has been hit with a putative class action lawsuit alleging that its cutlets and steaks are made from a type of mould.

• France-based cultivated meat start-up - Gourmey - has filed "Europe's first" submission to sell its foie gras product made from cultivated duck cells.

• U.S. health officials have confirmed three additional human cases of bird flu linked to a Colorado poultry farm outbreak, bringing the statewide total to 10.

TAKE A BREAK

Hi there everyone! It’s our pleasure to introduce another newsletter in the food space - BETTER BIOECONOMY - from a food technology enthusiast, Eshan Samaranayake.  

Like the team at Food Jungle, Eshan is doing his absolute best to advertise those who are making food healthier, cleaner, more sustainable, more animal-friendly AND accessible to all.

So, if you are interested in reading more on food tech, go check it out! Food Jungle approved ✅