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AEL Advocacy Urges Federal Government to Prioritize Animal Welfare in National Biodiversity Strategy

Animal and environmental law organization, AEL Advocacy, has written a letter urging Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to incorporate animal health and welfare in Canada’s 2030 National Biodiversity Strategy. ECCC is currently seeking input on the strategy and AEL Advocacy has emphasized the connection between animal welfare and environmental issues, supporting the "One Health, One Welfare" approach. The group's recommendations include upholding wild animal welfare and transforming the food system by promoting high-welfare animal agriculture practices while supporting a shift to more plant-based diets.

Plant-Based Meal Maker Files for Bankruptcy

Plant-based meal maker Tattooed Chef filed for bankruptcy, with the intention of finding a buyer for its remaining assets. Per the filing, the company finds itself “short on cash” following an acquisition strategy that led to the company investing over $100 million on marketing and in-store promotions. The company describes itself as supplying “innovative plant-based frozen foods.”

Animal Justice Urges House of Commons Agriculture Committee to Consider Environmental Impact of Animal Farming

National animal law organization Animal Justice has submitted a brief to the House of Commons Agriculture Committee, calling attention to the significant greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and pollution associated with animal farming. The committee is currently investigating the environmental impact of agriculture and has primarily heard perspectives from the meat industry, with limited representation from environmental organizations. Animal Justice's written brief aims to provide a balanced view by highlighting the negative consequences of animal farming. The organization urges the committee to consider the detrimental effects and broader environmental implications of this industry in their upcoming report.

Cargill Emerging as a Major Player in the Alternative Protein Industry

Cargill, the largest privately held company in the U.S. and one of four largest meatpacking companies, quietly has been building its portfolio in the plant-based alternatives market. Cargill introduced plant-based burgers and ground products for global retail and foodservice markets in 2020, with plans to “directly compete” with brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. It now is positioning itself to enter the market for cultivated beef, chicken, and fish as well.

White House State Dinner Features Plant-Based Menu

The White House hosted an almost-entirely vegan state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is strict vegetarian. The primary menu, prepared by plant-based cuisine specialist Chef Nina Curtis, was entirely vegan, but other guests had the ability to opt in for having fish for their main course––following the model popularized by Greener By Default and other initiatives.

U.S. Patent and Trial Appeal Board Rules in Favor of Impossible Foods in Patent Challenge Brought by Rival Motif Food Works

The U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has largely rejected food technology company Motif Food Works’ calls for the board to look into multiple meat-substitute patents held by rival Impossible Foods, Inc., finding that Motif failed to show a “likelihood of prevailing” on contentions that U.S. Patent Nos. 11,224,241 B2; 11,013,250 B2 and 10,039,306 B2 are invalid as obvious based on prior art. The three-judge panel issued four separate decisions, refusing to institute reviews of three out of four patents owned by Impossible Foods. The PTAB decisions come after the European Patent Office revoked one of Impossible Foods’ European Union patents in December 2022 on the basis that heme protein, sugars, and sulfur compounds that have been used to evoke the taste and smell of meat in meat alternatives for decades are not patentable.

USDA Investments in Agriculture Across Nineteen States Include Plant-Based Yogurt Manufacturer

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is making investments worth $320 million to strengthen food supply chains and create more opportunities for producers in nineteen states. The projects that the USDA is investing in include expansion of a meat market and a bison processing facility in the Midwest and a plant-based yogurt manufacturer and a cold storage facility in the West.

Survey Shows Growing Interest in Plant-Based Products in Chile

A survey by market research company Ipsos and non-profit Vegetarianos Hoy sheds light on the growing interest in plant-based foods in Chile. The study found that seventy-three percent of respondents are likely to consume plant-based products of equal or better nutritional quality than their animal-based counterparts, and seventy-two percent would buy them at similar or lower prices. Health benefits, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability were cited as the main reasons for purchasing plant-based alternatives. Plant-based producers in Chile face challenges due to recent legislation that restricts labelling and marketing of plant-based products.

PCRM Complaint Alleges USDA AMS Violated Federal Law with Dairy Ad that Maligns Plant-Based Alternatives

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alleging the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) unlawfully approved the “Wood Milk” viral ad, which featuring the actress Aubrey Plaza and mocks plant-based milks. PCRM alleges the advertising campaign violates laws forbidding federal agricultural promotions that promote one commodity by maligning others and violates a statutory prohibition against using fluid milk checkoff funds to influence legislation, government action, or policy. The group is calling for the immediate retraction of the video and demanding an investigation into the agency’s approval process.

Federal Judge Dismisses Putative Class Action Against Oatly

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted Oatly’s motion to dismiss a putative securities class action accusing the Swedish alternative milk manufacturer of pitching its business as more environmentally friendly than it is. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that investors didn't sufficiently or plausibly plead their allegations in a manner that conforms to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, but may file an amended complaint by August 11, 2023, as long as it is free of “superfluous verbiage, unnecessary allegations, puzzle pleading . . ., inactionable statements of opinion . . ., and mere puffery.”