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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

Michael Wolf

Smart Tea Infuser Teforia Comes Back From the Dead Seven Years After Shutting Down

When it comes to zombies, you never know when they’ll spring back to life.

As we learned this past month, the same goes for zombie products. Teforia, the eponymous smart tea infuser that vanished when the company abruptly shut down in the fall of 2017, is back after nearly a decade. A New Jersey-based tea company named Adagio Teas has apparently acquired the assets and is now selling Teforia tea infusers on its website.

In its announcement, Adagio referenced the financial problems that led to Teforia’s closure but mistakenly got the timeline wrong. The release states that Teforia originally launched in 2018, when it actually shut down the year before:

“Originally launched in 2018 to widespread acclaim, Teforia was discontinued due to financial constraints, leaving a devoted community of tea drinkers longing for its return. Now, Adagio Teas is bringing this beloved innovation back, combining cutting-edge technology with the artistry of fine tea.”

“We recognized the deep passion that tea drinkers had for Teforia and its ability to elevate the tea experience,” said Michael Cramer, CEO of Adagio Teas. “As a company dedicated to providing the highest-quality loose-leaf teas, we saw an incredible opportunity to bring Teforia back and reintroduce a smarter, more intuitive way to enjoy tea.”

At the time of its original release, Teforia attracted attention because its creators claimed it could personalize each brew with precise amounts of caffeine, antioxidants, and other elements. Additionally, the hardware had a distinctive and appealing design that stood out in the tea world.

Unfortunately, the product never gained widespread popularity, likely due to its initial $1,500 price tag. While the newly re-released version is significantly more affordable at $500, many potential buyers might still question why they would invest in what remains a premium-priced tea brewer, especially when established brands like Breville offer comparable “smart” tea brewers for roughly half that price.

I’m curious to see if Teforia can succeed on its second attempt. The tea and technology landscape in 2025 is vastly different from a decade ago, with many tech-powered tea infusers available. However, backed by a reputable tea company, perhaps Teforia stands a better chance this time around.

Matias Muchnick Reflects on Being Ten Years Early to the Food AI Party

Back in 2015, when Mattias Muchnick was contemplating the vision for his new company, he imagined building an AI-powered engine that would help big FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) brands bring products to market faster.

While Muchnick was excited about AI’s potential to transform the food industry, few food executives at the time shared his enthusiasm. Back then, only large tech companies like IBM had experimented with artificial intelligence—such as using Watson’s mainframe-powered AI for food recipe development—but most food industry leaders didn’t view AI as an essential or even necessary tool for creating new products.

Fast forward to 2025, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a food executive who doesn’t recognize AI as strategically critical. This shift undoubtedly explains why Muchnick and his team attracted a packed room last week at Future Food Tech, filled with journalists, investors, startup founders, and major food brands eager to learn about the company’s early success and leadership in food AI.

During the session, Muchnick and his team highlighted their platform’s success (seven out of twenty top FMCG companies have already collaborated with NotCo), discussed the growing trend of food tech startups pivoting toward AI, and shared insights into future developments. Intrigued by the presentation, I decided to follow up with Muchnick afterward to explore these topics further.

In our subsequent interview, I asked Muchnick about the key lessons he’s learned over the past decade, his perspective—as a longtime pioneer in food AI—on the rise of ‘AI-washing,’ and what innovations he’s most excited about moving forward.

You can watch the full interview below:

The Spoon Interviews - Matias Muchnick



Marine Biologics Debuts SuperCrudes, the ‘World’s First Programmable Biomass’

This week at Future Food Tech, Marine Biologics will showcase its technology—a platform that digitally maps the biochemistry of seaweed and its properties – which the company claims has created what is the world’s first programmable biomass.

According to the company, its proprietary cheminformatics platform, MacroLink, maps the molecular compositions of seaweed and stabilizes them into customizable, liquid-based macroalgae solutions called SuperCrudes. SuperCrudes, which are liquefied blends derived from seaweed harvested from specific geographic locations, are analyzed to document their mineral, protein, and carbohydrate compositions. This process allows Marine Biologics to benchmark each product similarly to how oil refineries grade petroleum based on extraction origin.

The company was founded by former crypto industry executive Patrick Griffin, who told Wired he transitioned from crypto to building a platform that could digitally understand seaweed after a surfing accident caused him to reevaluate his priorities.

Ironically, the accident reignited his enthusiasm for the ocean. Griffin recognized a gap in the climate resiliency market concerning fundamental building materials. Even if all other global climate resiliency efforts—such as vehicle electrification and renewable energy investments—were successful, products would still be largely built upon plastics or other petroleum-based materials.

“The chemicals and materials that we use today are, by and large, built on petroleum,” Griffin says. “It’s the last piece of the puzzle you’ll really have to chip away at to make a significant impact.”

Griffin believes his company can substantially reduce the costs and variability traditionally associated with bio-based sourcing by standardizing seaweed extracts into reliable and predictable ingredients.

The broader macro-trend of computational biology is one we’ve been following closely here at The Spoon. Examples include using AI to accelerate pathways toward gene-edited seafood or tracking startups like Shiru, which aim to build food input discovery engines by mapping food’s biological building blocks. Marine Biologics’ technology is particularly intriguing because it closely connects to a specific natural biomass that has previously struggled to gain traction in consumer products—both food and otherwise—due to limited understanding and internal expertise within larger CPG brands.

With this coming-out party for its Macrolink platform, the California-based startup is hoping to change all that, at the same time becoming both a formulation platform as well as a provider of inputs (SuperCrudes) to CPG brands looking for more sustainable inputs.

AI-Powered CPG Trend Forecaster AI Palette Gets Gobbled Up

AI Palette, a company that uses AI to help CPG brands anticipate consumer tastes ahead of market trends and better predict new product success throughout their lifecycle, announced today it was acquired by market research company GlobalData.

AI Palette launched within the last decade alongside a cohort of startups—including Analytical Flavor Systems, Tastewise, and Spoonshot—that began utilizing machine learning and big data analysis tools. These tools enabled CPG brands to move away from traditional product ideation and surveys, uncovering hidden insights more rapidly through AI. Like many similar startups, AI Palette started talking up their generative AI bona fides over the past couple of years.

“The integration of AI Palette supercharges our ability to help CPG brands innovate smarter and faster,” said Mike Danson, CEO of GlobalData Plc. “Together, we are setting a new standard for AI-driven intelligence in the consumer space.”

In some ways, this deal resembles Spoonshot’s acquisition a little over a year ago, when legacy market intelligence provider Target Research Group acquired the AI startup. GlobalData Plc, which places greater emphasis on pure data analytics than Target, is a company that has grown primarily through acquisition. From what I can see, AI Palette represents GlobalData’s first pure-play AI company deal.

With most major food-brand CTOs currently exploring—or being directed—to leverage AI, it seems likely that acquisitions of vertically specialized platforms will continue over the next 12-24 months. Consultancies and market intelligence providers will probably lead this trend as incorporating AI into intelligence toolsets becomes essential to maintaining relevance..

RFK Jr. Deals Blow to Future Food Startups With Push to Have FDA Drop Self-Affirmed GRAS Provision

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to eliminate the “self-affirmed” Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) provision, aiming to enhance transparency and oversight in the approval of food ingredients.

Under the current GRAS rule, companies can independently determine the safety of new food ingredients without mandatory FDA notification or public disclosure. This self-affirmation process has been criticized for allowing substances with potentially unknown safety data to enter the U.S. food supply without adequate oversight.

Kennedy’s initiative seeks to close this loophole by requiring companies to publicly notify the FDA and submit safety data for new ingredients. He stated that eliminating this pathway would ensure that ingredients introduced into foods are safe, thereby enhancing consumer confidence and contributing to public health. ​

Eliminating the “self-affirmed” GRAS rule could pose significant challenges for fermentation-based and future food startups, potentially delaying innovation and increasing financial burdens. Emerging companies, especially those developing novel proteins through precision fermentation and cell cultivation, typically rely on the current GRAS framework to streamline the regulatory process and bring new products quickly to market. Without this pathway, startups may face lengthy FDA review periods and higher costs associated with extensive safety testing and regulatory compliance.

It also might just result in massive delays in food product introduction for brands big and small. Like many of the departments within government currently being gutted by Trump and Elon’s DOGE purges, the FDA has seen drastic cutbacks in the number of employees, which as a result makes the higher level of oversight required by the elimination of the GRAS provision pretty untenable. Some commenters, like former FDA head of food (and recent Food Truths guest) Susan Mayne, see the the push towards greater food oversight and less overall manpower as challenging to reconcile.

McDonald’s is Creating Virtual ‘AI Managers’ for Its Restaurants

Want some AI with your Big Mac? McDonald’s is about to serve it up in a big way.

According to a story in the Wall Street Journal today, McDonald’s is undergoing a technology overhaul across its 43,000 restaurants, implementing internet-connected kitchen equipment, AI-driven drive-throughs, and tools for managers. McDonald’s is partnering with Google Cloud to deploy edge computing technology, allowing restaurants to analyze data locally rather than sending it to the cloud. This setup helps predict equipment failures—such as fryers or ice cream machines—before they occur and ensures order accuracy through AI-powered cameras.

We’ve written quite a bit at The Spoon about McDonald’s experimentation with AI at the drive-thru, but this story shows they are looking to use generative AI for customer interaction and beyond, including exploring generative AI virtual assistants to handle managerial tasks.

From the WSJ: Edge computing will also help McDonald’s restaurant managers oversee their in-store operations. The burger giant is looking to create a “generative AI virtual manager,” Rice said, which handles administrative tasks such as shift scheduling on managers’ behalf. Fast-food giant Yum Brands’ Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have explored similar capabilities.

This story comes just a day after Taco Bell talked up their own AI initiatives, including their ‘Byte by Yum’ AI tool designed to assist restaurant managers with tasks such as labor and inventory management. The AI can manage schedules, assist with drive-through orders, and suggest operational changes based on competitor activity, aiming to optimize employee efficiency without reducing labor costs.

Pet Food Snapshot: Innovation, Cultivation, and a Ruff Patch

Whenever I head to the pet food store, I’m simultaneously overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choice available on the shelves and disappointed by the limited selection of alternatives that don’t rely on traditional animal agriculture.

The good news for those looking for more sustainable alternatives is that the alt-protein pet food sector has been slowly inching forward (and occasionally stepping back, as you’ll see below), but there has recently been a surge of news in this space.

First up, this week German pet food manufacturer Marsapet, in partnership with Calysta, launched “MicroBell,” a dry kibble featuring FeedKind Pet protein produced via gas fermentation. Gas fermentation uses microbes to produce protein, eliminating the need for arable land or animal ingredients.

Last month, Meatly became the first company globally to offer pet food made from cultivated meat. Partnering with plant-based dog food brand THE PACK, Meatly introduced “Chick Bites,” a limited-release dog treat that blends plant-based ingredients with Meatly Chicken. Following this launch, Meatly is focused on scaling production and making cultivated pet food more widely available. The company plans to raise additional funds to expand production and distribute Meatly Chicken to more retailers over the next three to five years. Future collaborations with THE PACK and Pets at Home are also in the pipeline.

Finally, despite positive news from both the cultivated meat and gas fermentation fronts, the industry faces challenges. Wild Earth, a vegan pet food startup that gained prominence after securing a deal on “Shark Tank” in 2018, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month. The company reported $2.4 million in assets against $12.6 million in liabilities. Co-founder and CEO Ryan Bethencourt—who has been one of the most influential voices in alternative proteins over the past decade—cited difficulties in securing venture capital and managing debt as contributing factors.

Bethencourt remains optimistic despite the bankruptcy. “I don’t think this is the end of the Wild Earth story.”

The 5 Questions Big Green Egg’s New CEO Asked 86 Employees When He Took The Job

How does an outsider step into leading a company that has only had two previous CEOs over its half-century existence?

For Dan Gertsacov, who became CEO of Big Green Egg last summer—the barbecue company renowned for its devoted following and signature green ceramic kamado-style grills—the answer is straightforward: “Seek first to understand, then be understood.”

Gertsacov adopted this mantra from author Stephen Covey, spending his initial months speaking extensively with people across the company, asking them the same five questions to gain deep insights about the business and shape its future direction.

“I interviewed eighty-six individuals and asked every one of those people the same five questions over a four-month period,” Gertsacov explained.

He borrowed these questions from his former Harvard business professor, Michael D. Watkins, who published them in his influential book, “The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter.” Those questions are:

  1. “What is the company’s biggest challenge?”
  2. “Why is that the biggest challenge?”
  3. “What are the untapped opportunities for our company?”
  4. “How would you approach those opportunities?”
  5. “If we were to switch places—if you were in my shoes—what would you focus on?”

After conducting his extensive interviews, Gertsacov distilled his findings into a concise one-pager, summarizing key insights and charting the strategic direction under his leadership. His primary message emphasized growth, cultivating a mission-driven team, and continual innovation.

This innovation intrigued me, especially since Gertsacov previously built his career at tech giants like Google and assisted global brands like McDonald’s with digital transformation. Now, he leads a company distinctly known for its traditional, low-tech ceramic grills—products that, apart from their iconic green color, would fit comfortably into culinary history a century or more ago.

Yet, according to Gertsacov, innovation at Big Green Egg must respect and leverage its greatest strength: the passionate and loyal community of users that has driven the company’s success for decades.

“Big Green Egg has grown through word of mouth and the community,” said Gertsacov. “Preserve the core and stimulate progress.”

So, what does meaningful innovation look like for a company whose products have remained relatively unchanged since founder Ed Fisher began selling them in the early ’70s to supplement his pachinko import business? Gertsacov believes innovation lies in solving practical consumer problems—specifically, making food preparation easier—without unnecessary complications like digital connectivity.

“Rather than adding digital connectivity for its own sake, [we’re] focused on customer experience enhancements—such as enabling the grills to reach cooking temperatures more quickly—without compromising the integrity of the grilling experience,” he explained.

Improving how quickly the grills heat up directly benefits users by fitting the Big Green Egg seamlessly into more everyday cooking occasions. Gertsacov believes that simplifying the user experience will sustain and amplify the powerful word-of-mouth marketing that has always propelled Big Green Egg’s growth.

“We need to make it less intimidating and lower the barriers so it feels more accessible,” Gertsacov said. “We need to make the tent of Big Green Egg bigger to fit more folks, all while preserving the core beliefs of the community already inside.”

You can listen to our full conversation below or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Join Us Today as We Explore Future Scenarios of an AI-Powered Food System

Ever think about all the different scenarios that AI could ultimately unleash on our food system?

Us too, so we decided to invite noted food futurist Mike Lee to talk about it on our latest edition of the Food AI Co-Lab.

Join us today at 8:30 Pacific to explore the different scenarios that AI could unleash upon us.

In this session, we’ll discuss

  • AI & Regenerative Food Systems – How can technology help restore biodiversity, improve soil health, and create more resilient agricultural ecosystems?
  • Personalized Nutrition & Food Sovereignty – Can AI make food systems more inclusive, culturally relevant, and tailored to individual health needs while ensuring accessibility for all?
  • Circular Economy – How can AI-driven solutions reduce food waste, optimize supply chains, and create more efficient, closed-loop food systems?
  • Ethics & AI in Food – As technology advances, how do we ensure that food innovation remains fair, transparent, and truly benefits people and the planet?

You can watch it below or join us on our interactive Livestream to ask Mike questions!

Exploring Future Scenarios of an AI-Powered Food System

Trump, RFK Jr., and the FDA Overhaul: A Food Truths Deep Dive with Helena Bottemiller Evich

In a recent episode of the Food Truths podcast, host Eric Schulze sat down with Helena Bottemiller Evich, longtime food policy and food system journalist, to discuss the changes taking place at the FDA under the new administration and the just-appointed head of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Evich, the founder and editor-in-chief of Food Fix, has spent over 15 years tracking the intricacies of food regulation, giving her unique insight to decipher the early signals that come from the agency responsible for overseeing 80% of the U.S. food supply.

According to Evich, the FDA (which is under the department of HHS) is undergoing one of the most significant shakeups in its history, marked by mass layoffs, regulatory uncertainty, and a leadership philosophy that prioritizes aggressive restructuring over continuity. Evich says the administration has adopted an approach akin to “creative destruction,” implementing indiscriminate firings and buyouts that have disproportionately affected the agency’s food regulatory functions.

“If there is a strategy to how they are firing people at FDA, and what the like long-term plan is, I have not seen it,” said Evich.

Mixed Signals for MAHA

One of the casualties of these cuts that concerns Evich the most is within the FDA’s Post-Market Assessment Office, which was responsible for reviewing food chemicals already on the market. Many of the employees in this department were newer hires, making them particularly vulnerable to mass layoffs. This move, she argued, could significantly slow down efforts to strengthen oversight of food additives—a key issue that has been gaining bipartisan attention.

While the indiscriminate firings, such as those in the office that review food chemicals additives, may align with the shock and awe approach being deployed across government agencies by the Trump administration, it also runs at cross purposes with one of the key Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) policy goals of RFK Jr., which has oversight of the FDA, CDC, and NIH in his new role.

While contradictory and self-defeating political maneuvers are nothing new to Trump’s chaotic style of governance, Evich thinks Trump is likely to back RFK Jr. to enforce some of these efforts despite the cutbacks. Kennedy’s push to reduce chemical additives and support for other traditionally more progressive concerns led to Trump adopting some of these issues, which Evich believes helped him at the ballot box.

“I think even President Trump’s most ardent critics would acknowledge that one thing he’s really good at is detecting where there’s energy,” said Evich. “And MAHA has shown itself to be like an animating force. And there are some people who think that the RFK endorsement of Trump and the adoption of MAHA as part of the Trump platform helped get Trump over the finish line in November.”

Impact on the Future of Food Landscape

Schulze and Evich also discussed how the administration’s priorities might affect food innovation, particularly in areas like cultivated meat and precision fermentation. Given the administration’s apparent preference for a “back-to-nature” approach to food, Evich expressed skepticism about whether emerging food technologies would receive strong support.

“There seems to be a real strain of naturalism in this administration,” she said. “If you’re championing raw milk and calling for the removal of synthetic food additives, it’s hard to see how that aligns with embracing new food technologies.”

She also noted that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s recent ban on cultivated meat could indicate how other conservative-led states might approach food innovation under this administration.

The Road Ahead for the FDA

Looking forward, Evich emphasized that much remains uncertain. The confirmation of Dr. Marty Makary as FDA Commissioner will be a key development to watch, as he has expressed concerns about antibiotic resistance, the microbiome, and ultra-processed foods. Meanwhile, the newly formed MAHA Commission, tasked with examining the drivers of chronic disease, could shape the administration’s long-term food policy.

“I’m going to be watching really closely for what Marty Makary says in his confirmation hearing,” said Evich. “He’s the FDA commissioner pick, and he has said a lot about food—easily, he has more of a food record than any modern FDA commissioner. He has lots of food mentions in his book. He’s really concerned about antibiotic resistance, the microbiome, ultra-processed foods, and food allergies. Watching Marty Makary, what he says, and watching this MAHA commission—who’s on it, what they’re looking at—is key. This is supposed to be in the first 100 days, and I believe they have to issue recommendations within 180 days.”​

“The big question,” Evich said, “is whether this administration will actually implement stronger food regulations or whether this will just be rhetoric that ultimately leads to little action.”

It was a really good conversation with lots of insights about potential directions for the future of the FDA and other key departments overseeing food and health, so take a listen! You can subscribe to the Food Truths podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What The Heck is RFK Jr. Doing at the FDA?

Impulse Opens Up Battery-Integrated Appliance Technology as It Attempts to Become Platform Player

Impulse Labs announced an interesting move this week just ahead of the big KBIS trade show next week, unveiling a modular power electronics platform designed to bring battery technology to a variety of home appliances. As part of the announcement, Impulse announced a strategic partnership with THOR Kitchen, the first of what the company hopes to be many partnerships with appliance manufacturer as it opens up its technology for others.

The idea behind Impulse (and others like Copper) is to put a big enough battery in your induction stove (and now other appliances) to enable you to not only install it without having to hire an electrician to rewire your home but also to create what is essentially a power wall-by-committee.

“If you think about your home like an energy ecosystem, appliances shouldn’t just be consuming power—they should be managing and storing it,” said D’Amico on The Spoon podcast. ” We’ve proven this with cooktops, but the potential is far bigger. Bit by bit, you fractionally build out a whole home battery solution from parts from individual appliances.”

And now, with its new platform and partnership with THOR, we’re starting to understand how big an idea it is. D’Amico and Impulse see a broad application for its platform, from ovens and refrigerators to washing machines and water heaters—each with the potential to reduce energy costs, enhance grid resilience, and simplify home electrification.

Impulse says the new platform leverages the ingredients for its Cooktop – a high-capacity battery storage, custom inverters, and precision temperature control – to offer up to 10kW per heating element, degree-level precision temperature control, ability to adapt to standard 120V or 240V circuits for straightforward setup, compatibility with a variety of international electrical standards, and resiliency to maintain functionality during power outages.

According to the announcement, the market for battery-integrated appliances is expanding rapidly, driven by advancements in smart home technology and the growing demand for energy independence. The U.S. Department of Energy (at least before January) has called for a fivefold increase in distributed energy resources, such as home batteries, by 2030 to meet energy efficiency and grid stability goals.

“Impulse’s battery-integrated Cooktop represents a leap forward in making home appliances not only tools, but also essential components to a holistic energy system,” said Kyle You, Managing Director at THOR.

Fast-Growing Restaurant Chain MOTO Pizza Is Building an End-to-End Pizza Robot

Last month in Las Vegas, we sat down with one of our favorite restaurateurs, Lee Kindell of MOTO Pizza, to discuss his vision for the future of restaurants. Lee was in town to speak onstage at CES about the industry’s direction, so we made sure to catch up with him for a one-on-one interview.

One revelation that surprised us during our conversation was that MOTO is developing an end-to-end pizza robot—one that automates the entire process, from dough preparation to boxing the finished pizza.

“Our robot is going to be fully autonomous,” Kindell explained. “It takes the pizza from refrigeration, brings it out, proofs it, tops it, cooks it, finishes it, cuts it, and boxes it. So that’s what we’re building right now. It’s truly end-to-end, and that’s what excites me the most.”

As someone who loves both pizza and robotics, I was intrigued by MOTO’s move to develop its own technology. To clarify, I asked Kindell directly about his plans. He confirmed that MOTO is indeed building a fully automated pizza-making solution—one that could potentially integrate with existing automation partners, such as Picnic (Picnic’s pizza robot adds sauce, cheese, and toppings but doesn’t handle cooking, cutting, or boxing).

MOTO has been expanding rapidly, entering new cities and sports venues. Kindell, who started as a hands-on pizzaiolo mixing dough by hand, became a firm believer in automation after an arm injury forced him to adopt a mixer. That moment reshaped his perspective—he realized that automation wasn’t just about efficiency; it was a tool to scale his business while maintaining quality.

Now, Kindell and MOTO are taking that mindset a step further, developing an end-to-end pizza robot to help the fast-growing chain keep up with demand and reach more customers than ever before.

You can watch our full conversation below.

Moto's Lee Kindell on Using AI & Robotics to Make Pizza