• Albertsons yesterday announced what it called "the latest digital enhancement to its Sincerely Health platform, a nutrition insights tool that measures grocery purchases based on the serving recommendations of USDA’s MyPlate guidance. The 'Nutrition' functionality within the Sincerely Health experience empowers customers to make informed food choices based on their dietary preferences, household size and age group.
"'With the launch of this feature, we are offering real-time nutritional information, both at an item and basket level, making it easy for our customers to make better food choices,' said Omer Gajial, Chief Digital Officer and EVP Health at Albertsons Cos. 'As one of the largest food and drug retailers in the U.S. with 24 grocery banners serving local communities, we are committed to improving lives by making wellness solutions more accessible to customers'."
• From the Wall Street Journal:
"The Biden administration plans on Thursday to announce new tariffs on can-making metal imported from China, Germany and Canada, a move that food companies say could lead to higher prices for some canned foods.
"The Commerce Department said an investigation found that steelmakers from the three countries sold their tinplate products in the U.S. at unfairly low prices, justifying new import duties.
Chinese products would be subject to the highest tariffs of the three countries—a levy of 122.52% of their import value. That rate partly reflects Chinese companies’ refusal to cooperate with the investigation to prove their independence from the Chinese Communist Party, an administration official said."
• From the Washington Post:
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that a relatively new strain of E. coli is responsible for multiple outbreaks of foodborne illness in recent years, including those related to romaine lettuce and other leafy greens.
"The strain, which the CDC refers to as REPEXH02, is believed to have emerged in late 2015 and is responsible for dozens of hospitalizations and many cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can impede blood clotting in infected people and cause kidney failure, the agency said in a report. More study is needed to understand factors that contribute to the bacteria’s emergence and persistence in specific environments, the authors wrote.
"Although cattle have long served as the main vector for E. coli illnesses in humans, recent outbreaks have been associated with consuming leafy greens. The CDC has classified this strain as reoccurring, emerging and persistent."
• CincyInno reports that vertical farm startup 80 Acres Farms is expanding its relationship with Kroger, with the goal of almost tripling the presence of its produce in the company's stores.
The new deal "will supply about 1,000 stores across the Midwest and Southeast with 80 Acres leafy greens, cucumbers and famed Fireworks tomatoes. That’s up from more than 300 Kroger stores 80 Acres has been servicing the last two years across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky."
• From Axios:
"Anheuser-Busch's sale of Portland's Widmer Brothers Brewing and Bend's 10 Barrel Brewing means the popular brands can once again be dubbed 'craft brewers'."
This matters, the story says, because "Craft beer is a protected seal within the industry, used to boost marketing and tap into consumers who prioritize drinking independent local beer … The Brewers Association, based in Boulder, Colorado, defines 'craft' by the number of barrels a brewery produces each year and its ownership structure … Under new ownership, they may again be able to participate in craft-only events like the Portland Fresh Hops Fest and Zwickelmania."
