Grab yourself another cup of nitro cold brew — it’s time for this week’s food tech news roundup! You know, that time when we assemble all the stories from around the web that we didn’t have time to write about, but are still worth a read. That time!
This week we have news about Nestlé’s foray into blockchain, food delivery closures, and some kombucha innovation. Yes, kombucha innovation. Enjoy!
Grubhub announces it’s shuttering Eat24
Bye bye, Eat24. This week news surfaced that Grubbub would be closing down the food delivery company, which it acquired in late 2017, by the end of 2018. This announcement came just a few days after food delivery giant Grubhub acquired online order management company LevelUp. According to Skift Table, Eat24 got the axe because, in a crowded food delivery market, not enough diners were loyal to its brand. Interestingly, Grubhub did not do the same to New York-based Seamless, another food delivery company under its umbrella.
Humm Kombucha develops patent-pending kombucha brewing process
Great news, kombucha lovers! This week brand Humm Kombucha announced that they had developed a fermentation process which results in the “first ever verified non-alcoholic raw kombucha” (patent pending). Kombucha, like other fermented beverages, can have small amounts of alcohol — which can be a problem for obvious reasons. Apparently, Humm figured out a way to brew a raw, live (that is, unpasteurized) kombucha that’s below the government standard of 0.5% ABV — and stays that way even when left unopened at room temperature.
Nestlé dips toe into blockchain with baby food
Corporate food giant Nestlé is applying blockchain technology to its Gerber baby food products. The Wall Street Journal reported that Nestlé hopes that blockchain will let them track the fruits and vegetables that go into Gerber goods, and facilitate product recalls in case of contamination. Nestlé is also working with frenemies Unilever, Driscoll’s, and others on the Food Trust, an IBM-supported network working to increase transparency and traceability in the food system.
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