It can be a bright spot to think that even when everything is turned upside down in the food world, companies are still coming up with creative ways to stay afloat and help folks have access to healthy food.
In this week’s food tech news roundup we’ve got stories on just that. There are bits about Kroger ramping up SNAP acceptance for pickup, healthy meal services pairing up with fitness classes, and KFC in China dipping its toe into plant-based meat. Enjoy!
Kroger to accept SNAP payments for grocery pickup
Kroger will accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments at all 2,000 of its grocery pickup locations by the end of the month (h/t FoodDive). Consumers can select the “SNAP/EBT” option when ordering groceries online, then use their EBT card to pay for covered items when they pick up. Thus far, the service is only available at the chain’s Ohio stores. This comes as Kroger bulks up its pickup service, adding slots, hiring workers, and waiving pickup fees.
Meal service Trifecta partners with Basecamp Fitness
Trifecta, an organic premade meal delivery service, is teaming up with Basecamp Fitness to deliver healthy meals to their members’ doors. Per an email sent to The Spoon, Trifecta will offer subscribers six types of meals — keto, paleo, vegan, etc. — as well as an à la carte section that operates like a miniature online grocery store. Trifecta is already geared towards healthy, fit people looking to eat to sustain their workout, so it makes sense to partner with a fitness service that’s essentially a captive audience (literally and figuratively).
KFC to offer plant-based fried chicken in China
Yum China, the parent brand of KFC, announced this week that it would begin selling plant-based fried chicken at select KFC locations in China. The nuggets will come from Cargill, which only recently launched its own alternative meat brand, and will be available in three locations from April 28-30th. A five-pack of the nuggets will cost 1.99 yuan ($0.28 USD).
