Hurricanes and Coco Vigilantes

Welcome back, Food Junglers. Hurricanes in the US and droughts in certain African countries are damaging food supply chains all over the world, while some states are doing their best to steer the environmental boat in the right direction. Let’s dig in.

This week:

🌪️ Hurricane Helene destroys poultry plants in the state of Georgia.

🍔 Shake Shack pitches a different strategy to lure customers.

🗑️ California is doing its best to reduce food waste.

🍫 Some thieves in Cameroon have their eye on chocolate.

🖨️ A company in Austria is printing food nowadays…

CLIMATE
HURRICANE HELENE STRIKES

The state of Georgia’s chicken farms have been devastated in the wake of Hurricane Helene, leaving 107 poultry facilities damaged or totally destroyed by the storm.

The state’s Department of Agriculture hasn’t responded to questions about the precise number of chickens that perished during the storm, but an estimated 2.14 million to 5.56 million birds are believed to have died.

Some of the US’s largest poultry companies – including Aviagen, Pilgrim’s Pride, and Wayne-Sanderson Farms – even suspended operations at their local facilities due to power outages.

ZOOMING OUT: Around 1.3 billion chickens farmed for meat in the US are raised and slaughtered in Georgia. So, to say that this is a huge blow would be an understatement.

On top of that, the untold amounts of animal manure that has seeped into the groundwater will double the challenge for the federal government. 

BUSINESS
SHAKE SHACK’S DIFFERENT

While the largest fast-food chains in the world have resorted to meal deals and exclusive discounts to attract inflation-weary customers, Shake Shack has announced a different direction to retain its fanbase.

The fast-casual chain has launched a new ad campaign, entitled “Worth It”, to underscore the chain’s premium ingredients and justify its pricing strategy. The 30-second advert will feature on TV and is expected to launch in 2025.

The effort is informed by research indicating that 51% of guests and potential diners believe ingredients are the top consideration when choosing a fast-casual restaurant. 

ZOOMING OUT: Shake Shack is no stranger to outside-the-box thinking when it comes to pitching its menu, as last year the chain served up a fine dining experience at select restaurants across the country as part of its White Truffle Menu. So far, the approach seems to be working wonders for its bottom line.

POLICY
CALIFORNIA’S FOOD WASTE SOLUTION

California will soon simplify expiration date labels in an attempt to help customers stop playing guessing games with produce in their fridges and to crack down on food waste practices.

The law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, will ban labels, such as “sell by” or “best before”, that have historically only confused consumers into prematurely throwing away food.

Set to take effect in July 2026, the new law will require the use of a “Best if Used By” label to signal peak quality and a “Use By” label for product safety, an approach recommended by federal agencies.

ZOOMING OUT: As it stands, there are over 50 different labels on packaged food sold in US stores, with the information being largely unregulated and irrelevant when it comes to food safety.

By streamlining the expiration label practice, this would surely limit the amount of food that is needlessly thrown away. 

SUPPLY CHAIN
COCOA VIGILANTES

Rising cocoa prices, due to adverse weather conditions, have led farmers in Ghana and the Ivory Coast to resort to vigilantism to protect their crops from Cameroonian thieves.

To take advantage of the elevated cocoa prices, some in Cameroon have travelled to farms in both Ghana and the Ivory Coast to steal the valuable commodity and, in turn, sell it back home, where the market is not so heavily regulated.

Farmers in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, as a result, have formed armed coalitions, using machetes, spears and even bewitched amulets to ward off thieves.

ZOOMING OUT: In response, national governments and official buyers are securing measures to contain the thievery, including refusing to buy cocoa from unregistered farmers or children and banning the sale of non-dried cocoa. 

THE BRIGHT SIDE
PRINTING SALMON

When it comes to cool food innovation, you don’t have to look much further than actually PRINTING food.

Austria-based, Revo Foods has just opened what is claimed to be the “world’s largest” industrial printing facility for 3D printing, and I still can’t get my head around how cool the concept is.

Their specialised technology combines fats, proteins, and mycelium to create juicy steaks that supposedly resemble the real thing. And, apparently, they’ve been able to replicate the levels of fat commonly associated with animal-based meat, something which has historically been very hard to do with alt-proteins.

Each product is based on something called “mycoprotein” and includes protein, fibre, omega-3, vitamins B6, B9, and B12, with zero sugar or gluten.

At the moment, the company is producing 60 tons of their products per month, but I’m excited to see how they expand. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get my hands on their 3D-printed salmon filet and report back! Food Jungle approved ✅ 

BEFORE YOU GO…

• PepsiCo will be buying Mexican-American, health-focused food maker - Siete Family Foods for $1.2 billion.

• Dairy giant - Fonterra - has unveiled a revised strategic framework, setting its sights on Southeast Asia.

• Grain terminal workers on Canada’s West Coast are now returning to work after a tentative deal was reached to settle a four-day strike that halted crop exports during the busy harvest season.

• Sweetgreen is opening its first North Carolina location in Charlotte.

• California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation to increase enrolment in state food assistance programs, reduce youth consumption of processed foods, and increase access to healthy, locally grown food in all California communities.

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 ✅