Bulletproof spreading the notion that butter coffee is healthy

image: http://media.philly.com/images/LIFE_HEALTH-BUTTER-COFFEE_1_LA.jpg

Bulletproof Executive founder Dave Asprey holds the signature drink in the hottest new health-meets-coffee craze on April 23, 2015 in his new Santa Monica, Calif., location. Bulletproof Coffee is opening up the cafe that specializes in this butter-fueled coffee that he claims is the perfect way to start the day, and leads to peak human performance. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

RENE LYNCH, LOS ANGELES TIMES

POSTED: Thursday, April 30, 2015, 3:38 AM

(TNS) If you were wearing a blindfold while trying your first cup of Bulletproof Coffee, you might have trouble figuring out what makes it so different.

There’s a faint nuttiness to the taste, redolent of coconut. And an impossible richness that makes you feel like you’re drinking a fluffy down pillow, if such a thing were possible. The secret ingredient?

Butter. That’s right, butter.

Whipping butter into coffee is old news if you’re a health hipster — one of those CrossFitting, low carbing, Paleo living, biohacking, counter-culture types who believe a healthful lifestyle is slathered with fat.

Now the calorie-laden beverage is being introduced to the masses with a new cafe in one of the world’s most health-conscious cities.

“Santa Monica (Calif.) is ground zero for those who care about how they look and feel, and this coffee will change the way you feel,” said its creator, Dave Asprey, who is one of the Internet’s most well-known “biohackers,” using his own body as a petri dish of sorts for health experiments that play out on his popular website, Bulletproof Executive.

The Bulletproof Coffee cafe and shop is opening soon (exact date to be determined) at 3110 Main St. in Santa Monica. Asprey says servers will use only butter from grass-fed, pastured cows, and single-origin, organic coffee that’s grown, harvested and stored so as to be pesticide and toxin free, and less likely to cause inflammation in the body. The standard drink also comes with a shot of “Brain Octane” oil, which lends the coconut flavor. There are also add-ons and upgrades (for a price, of course), such as antioxidant herbs and spices.

Beverages will be served in laboratory beakers. Why? Because they’re cool, and because coffee tastes better from laboratory-grade glassware, Asprey contends.

This fetishism over the sourcing of ingredients, the attention to environmental detail and an avoidance of mold and toxins are all part of the philosophy behind Asprey’s website and new book, “Bulletproof Diet.” He says trial and error led him to this approach, which he says has helped him lose more than 60 pounds, and keep it off, and put him, at 42, in the best shape of his life.

Among the cornerstone beliefs of the diet? Fat is our friend, and our mass-produced food supply is rife with toxins and molds that cause inflammation and disease.

A cup of Bulletproof Coffee is a healthful breakfast that, he says, “turns off hunger and food cravings ... and helps put your body in a fat-burning mode for the rest of the day.”

Amanda Allen, the 2013 and 2014 CrossFit Games champion in the 40-44 age group, attributes her success in part to Bulletproof Coffee. And the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, the Food Network star and cookbook author, recently extolled its virtues to her massive online following: “Some people say it’s healthy. Others say it’s a fad. Some people say it will give you an energy boost like no other. Others say this is placebo. Me? I just say it’s magical.”

You might be wondering: Uh, what’s so healthful about dropping butter in your coffee?

Influential tech site Gizmodo called it a “scheme” to sell more coffee beans. “Alarm bells should go off any time someone claims that you should buy their expensive products for your diet,” added the pop culture website Vox.

But the debate over Bulletproof Coffee underscores just how divided we are over nutrition, weight loss and obesity — and our unquenchable desire for a quick, easy fix.

Health expert after health expert encourages the country to follow well-worn advice to ditch the junk food and sugar, go easy on the red meat and double up on veggies. Yet it seems that each week, we clamor over a new diet promising unbelievable weight loss if we only give up this or eat more of that.

And what would any trend be without a celebrity stamp of approval?

Actor Brandon Routh (“Superman Returns”), who is currently shooting “The Flash” and “Arrow,” says he’s been introducing the casts and crews to the Bulletproof lifestyle. The coffee has helped him take his fitness to the next level, he said. “It has given me so much more energy and focus.”

Late-night host Jimmy Fallon and actress Shailene Woodley (“Insurgent,” “The Fault in Our Stars”) recent bonded over a mugful: “It will change your life,” she said, adding that it’s good for curbing one’s appetite and starting the day with a healthful source of fat. “It’s so good,” Fallon added, and then joked that it made him gain 55 pounds.

Punchlines aside, Asprey and others like him believe that the nation is on the verge of dropping the “fat is bad” mantra and embracing fat in all its succulent glory.

Asprey said Bulletproof Coffee is the result of an experience he had while hiking in Tibet when it was minus 10 degrees. Exhausted, he was served a cup of yak butter tea. He said he felt immediately rejuvenated. The biohacker in him went to work.

If all goes well, Asprey says, he’d like to expand Bulletproof cafes nationwide.

One person you might not see at the Santa Monica cafe, however, is Mayor Kevin McKeown. Asked to comment on how the Bulletproof Coffee cafe might be received, he declined, saying, “I’m sorry, but this is very, very far from my areas of expertise. I like my coffee black and industrial strength.
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Aramark Establishes Animal Welfare Policy

In collaboration with Humane Society of the United States, new principles and policy address multiple issues impacting treatment of animals

April 30, 2015: 07:00 AM ET

PHILADELPHIA, April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), the $15 billion global provider of food, facilities management, and uniforms, announced today a new set of animal welfare principles and purchasing commitments that address a broad spectrum of issues impacting the treatment of animals for egg, pork, veal, beef, poultry and dairy products served across Aramark's U.S. operations.

"Our commitments to health, wellness and sustainability are core to our mission of enriching and nourishing lives and include our pledge to responsible purchasing and animal welfare practices," said Eric J. Foss, Aramark Chairman, President & CEO. "The broad reach of our supply chain provides an opportunity for us to have a significant impact on animal welfare issues and to shift purchasing practices that impact the clients, consumers and communities we serve."

The policy builds on commitments the company has made over the past several years as part of its responsible purchasing practices in the U.S.:

• Purchasing only cage-free eggs by 2020
• Eliminating all pork from animals bred using gestation crates by 2017
• Since 2011, eliminated the purchase of all foie gras

Aramark developed the policy in collaboration with long-time partner, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the nation's largest and most effective animal protection organization.

"We are pleased to partner with Aramark, and create this comprehensive animal welfare policy," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO, the Humane Society of the United States. "Aramark's efforts demonstrate a growing interest in animal welfare by consumers and the industry, and help drive toward continuous improvement in addressing farm animal practices."

The policy covers several additional commitments governing the care and treatment of farm animals, including confinement, painful procedures, and rapid growth processes. As a foodservice provider, Aramark purchases a wide variety of egg, dairy and meat items from hundreds of suppliers.

Under its new global policy, Aramark will work with its suppliers to meet the following animal welfare commitments:

Eggs: Aramark will purchase only cage-free eggs in the U.S. by 2020

Pork: In 2012, Aramark committed to eliminate all pork from animals bred using gestation crates by 2017; it will also work to address issues of pain relief associated with castration and the eventual elimination of tail docking, as well as eventual elimination of the use of ractopamine.

Veal: Aramark will eliminate all veal from animals confined in crates in the U.S. by 2017.

Dairy/Beef: Aramark will work with suppliers to address issues of pain relief for disbudding and castration procedures, and eventual elimination of tail docking and dehorning. In addition, the company will work with suppliers to eliminate the use of hormones or feed additives that are harmful for farm animals including recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST), zilpaterol hydrochloride and ractopamine.

Ducks and Geese: In 2011, Aramark committed to eliminate the purchase of all foie gras and remains committed to this position.

Chickens and Turkeys: Working with suppliers, Aramark will address animal welfare issues associated with fast growth of broiler chickens and turkeys and support eliminating slaughtering systems that use live dumping and shackling.

The policy also outlines Aramark's expectations for its suppliers. Aramark will work with its suppliers to:

• Ask suppliers for progress reports
• Require third-party documentation of their efforts
• Incorporate the animal welfare principles and policy into contracts
• Require decisive action in unforeseen cases of animal abuse or cruelty

Need a Quick Fix? First Express Starbucks Lands in NYC.

I’m standing in an exceptionally small Starbucks. It’s a little over 530 square feet, which is bigger than a New York City micro-apartment but a shoebox compared to your average Starbucks. It’s full of texture, with reclaimed wooden two-by-twos on one wall, milky gray subway tiles on another, and industrial grade gold doors in front. It has none of the tables or banquettes that invite laptops and tired tourists in most of the chain’s 20,000 cafés. There’s just one slender wooden bar with some stealthy built-in electronics standing between the doors and the register. Through the glass doors, you can see the neo-classical architecture of the New York Stock Exchange.

This is the pilot store for the Starbucks express format, one designed to get you in and out faster than ever. It opens today on Wall Street, and the company plans to open four more in New York by the end of the year.

The location is strategic: symbolically and geographically, Wall Street is at the heart of the city’s financial district. The PATH train station from New Jersey is a few blocks away, as is the newly minted Fulton Center that links nine subway lines. There are, of course, many, many Starbucks stores nearby, but “you wouldn’t use this express format to replace a café store, you’d use it in places where there’s a commuter path where you know customers want to get that quick hit,” says Bill Sleeth, Starbucks’ VP of design for the Americas. “This is a test to prove from a business standpoint that we’re not filling our customers’ needs to get their coffee.” It complements a bigger plan brewing (sorry) at Starbucks, to meet its customers anywhere it hasn’t already: “We’re talking about delivery in the future. It’s part of a broad strategy.”

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COURTESY OF STARBUCKS

The Need for Speed

Express is a microcosm of a typical Starbucks, optimized for speed. Obviously, that means offering a limited menu, so there are no blender beverages like Frappuccinos. Less obviously, it meant redesigning the queue. When you walk into an express store, wayfinding cues will (in theory) guide you to the right. That’s where the backlit menu board is, instead of up high and behind the registers as in other Starbucks stores. On the right hand side of the slender bar, a Starbucks employee (or partner, in the company’s lexicon) at the built-in POS system takes your order. By the time you reach the register, a barista is preparing your drink. Pay, step about 5 feet to the left to retrieve your beverage, and turn left again to exit the tiny store. If all goes well, you can imagine a small current of customers making a continuous balloon-shaped loop through the store.

To get the timing right, Sleeth and his team ran several simulations. Starbucks won’t disclose the results, but if you’ve ever gotten so much as cup of drip coffee at a Starbucks, you’re familiar with the line kept in check by retractable barriers, and the bottleneck at the drink pick-up station. At 14 Wall Street, the designers have tried to strip all that out. Sleeth says New York, and the East Coast, is mostly a brewed coffee market, so baristas have easiest access to the drip coffee machines. Heating food items like egg sandwiches is the biggest time suck, Sleeth says, so warming trays are just beyond the drip machines.

You might say Starbucks already is about convenience, so why cannibalize stores with a faster one? That’s likely not the case. “For every kind for retail format, and especially for coffee and Starbucks, there are different shoppers with different missions. So you might have value shoppers, experiential shoppers, and utility consumers,” says Jason Goldberg, VP of commerce at Razorfish. “Starbucks obviously is not value proposition, so they’re catering to experiential and to utility. Utility is trying to get their dose of caffeine on their way to work, and experiential is trying to get their third place.” And for the utility shoppers, that third POS system in the front augments the feeling of efficiency. “It plays on smart psychology of queuing, because customers feel like their order is being made while they’re waiting, rather than wasting time while people decide what they want,” Goldberg says. “The perceived wait time is shorter.”

Conflict or not, Sleeth says Starbucks wasn’t motivated by convenience. Indeed, for many people—particularly New Yorkers—Starbucks calls to mind harried office workers getting 7 a.m. Americanos and overworked assistants juggling trays of lattes. This wasn’t the company’s intent 20 years ago. “The intent back then wasn’t to create this optimized machine,” Sleeth says. “It was to create something where the architecture mattered and to create a coffeehouse experience. This notion of third place wasn’t birthed by Starbucks, but I remember Howard [Schultz] coming in and saying we want Starbucks to be the third place. It’s not home, it’s not work, it’s something else.”

In the mid-1990s, Starbucks lost its way a bit. Business was booming, but at the expense of architectural ingenuity. To handle a period of rapid growth, the company’s designers would select from one of four layout templates to build out new locations. This spawned Starbucks’ reputation as a cookie cutter corporate establishment—one Schultz has been working to shake off since he returned as CEO in 2008. That’s when he and some of his international designers began opening elaborate concept stores in cities like Amsterdam and Mumbai. Designers got more leeway to experiment, leading to things like drive-thru outposts in recycled shipping containers and coffee shops staged inside moving trains.

A Trifecta of Experiences

More importantly—to Schultz and the company, anyway—Starbucks opened its Seattle Roastery in December. The 15,000-square-feet emporium is like a “Willy Wonka factory” for coffee drinkers, designed to highlight the company’s careful work on its Reserve coffee lines and to enlighten drinkers of the various brewing methods (Chemex pour over, Clover, etc.) The Roastery is the flagship of what you could call Starbucks’ immersive experience model (targeting the experiential shopper Goldberg mentioned), which is distinct from the express store model (for utility shoppers), and different still from its delivery model, which will launch in Seattle and New York later in 2015. 

This is what Starbucks is experimenting with going forward: a trifecta of experiences, each tailored to satisfy slightly more specifics needs than a regular caffeine kick. The Reserve bar caters to discerning, curious drinkers, while express, and ultimately delivery, service commuters and office workers.

As for the pilot express store, Sleeth and his designers will watch closely to see what works and what needs adjusting. “We’re trying stuff all the time,” Sleeth says. “If you think about it from a real estate standpoint, in the past we would have had to say we can’t really put a store there. This was an experiment in trying to understand what we can do, and if we can unlock more business.”

Fetch Robotics Introduces Fetch and Freight: Your Warehouse Is Now Automated

By Evan Ackerman

Posted 29 Apr 2015 | 11:00 GMT

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Photo: Evan Ackerman

As of just a few months ago, all we knew about Fetch Robotics was that the core team from Unbounded Robotics, all of whom had been at Willow Garage before that, were working on not just one but two brand new robots designed to tackle the logistics market. Today, Fetch Robotics is announcing Fetch and Freight, a beefy mobile manipulator and zippy mobile base designed to automate logistics in places like warehouses. We have all the details, exclusive video of the robots in action, and an in-depth interview with Fetch Robotics CEO Melonee Wise about why these robots are exactly what companies like Amazon and Google desperately need.

The Problem

Fetch and Freight are designed to do fulfillment in warehouse environments. Companies like Amazon have enormous warehouses full of shelves of stuff, and when you order said stuff, someone has to go get that stuff off of whatever shelf (or shelves) that it’s on, put it into a bin, and then send it all off to get packed up for shipping. This can be a miserable experience for the humans who work at it, who end up walking from one end of the warehouse to the other, hauling carts of whatever it is that you desperately need to have at your doorstep in two days or less.

Amazon, of course, has its own private fleet of robots that can bring shelves to people, but using these robots (from Kiva Systems) requires reconfiguring the warehouse with special shelving and adding other infrastructure. And even with this robotic warehouse, workers still need to manually pick the stuff off the shelves, which is probably why Amazon is trying to figure out how to do picking with robots. And Amazon isn’t the only company that needs this technology: Google Express, eBay Now, and all sorts of other e-commerce companies that depend on warehouses to get customers their goods as fast as possible all need robots, even if they don’t know it yet.

However, designing robots for environments like this has proven to be tricky. Warehouses are structured environments, which helps, but you’ve still got an enormous amount of variability in products to be picked, long distances to traverse, aggressive uptime requirements, humans to avoid accidentally murderizing, and on top of it all, robots have to be either more cost effective than people, or they have to augment an existing human workforce to make them more efficient. If your robot can’t unambiguously pull all of this off, it’s not going to make it in a warehouse, and Fetch Robotics thinks that their two-robot solution has what it takes.

The Solution

“In the process of designing Fetch, we had to narrow down to an application, and then we did the need-finding necessary to build a robot that had the right specifications for the application that we were going into,” explains Fetch Robotics CEO Melonee Wise. “The reason we’re doing two robots is because one of the big challenges in logistics is traversal of the warehouse. A mobile manipulator just can’t move as fast because it has a high center of gravity, and so we need a smaller, faster robot to zip around the warehouse and get stuff done. Because at some point, we have to be as fast as people, or faster.”

Fetch Robotics’ system uses a relatively large and capable mobile manipulator (Fetch) to pick items off of warehouse shelves, while Freight, a mobile base, acts as an autonomous cargo delivery cart. Fetch can pick items continuously, while a succession of Freights can switch in and out to move different selections of goods to different parts of the fulfillment center. Here’s a demo:

Freight can also be used by itself, following human pickers around a warehouse (using no beacons, only vision), meaning that they don’t have to push carts around and also that they don’t have to keep going back and forth to deliver items that they pick. Instead, they can pick continuously, relying on multiple Freight robots to make deliveries. Fetch Robotics calls this system “Follow Pick”:

Honestly, we’re not sure why this Follow Pick system isn’t already a thing, since it seems to make so much sense, providing tangible and immediate benefits to both workers and the companies that employ them. What seems likely is that safe and robust autonomous navigation has just not ever come together in a robot that’s cost-effective enough to be used in this context, but that’s one of the key differentiators with both Fetch and Freight: they’re (relatively) affordable.

The Robots

Let’s start with Fetch, the mobile manipulator. The centerpiece is the back-drivable 7 DOF arm, which is capable of lifting 6 kilograms. According to Fetch, this is a large enough payload to handle the vast majority (90-95 percent) of all items in a typical warehouse. Despite the large payload, Wise says that it’s still low power enough to be safe for humans to work around, and the robot’s software includes the ability to detect any collisions and stop the arm immediately.

Between the arm and the telescoping spine, Fetch has a grasping range all the way from the floor up to just under two meters, which can cover approximately the same manipulation range as a human. The gripper is modular with an ISO standard interface, and includes a dedicated Ethernet connection so that you can swap it out for something that includes a camera for up-close vision, or any other sensor you’d find useful.

While Fetch Robotics wouldn’t tell us how fast Fetch is at picking right now, they would say that their goal (which they seem confident is achievable) is to get Fetch operating “as fast as” a human picker.

Fetch has a PrimeSense 3D sensor in its head, which can pan and tilt. There are a bunch of mounting points up there for additional sensors, too. Fetch’s base includes a charging dock, a 25-meter range navigation and obstacle avoidance laser from SICK, and differential drive.

Freight is what you’d get if you took a chainsaw to Fetch at the waist, pretty much. It’s got the same differential drive and 25-meter range laser, which it can use to detect people and follow them around. As Wise commented earlier, the big advantage that Freight has over Fetch is speed: right now, it can comfortably hit 2 meters per second, although it’s possible to crank it up to 3 m/s. That’s jogging speed, and a not entirely comfortable jogging speed, either. It’s fast.

On top, Freight has a multitude of mounting points, so that if you want, you can put shelves on it, or whatever specific cargo transport system works best in your warehouse. Freight is comfortable handling 70 kg; it can actually handle more, if you’re willing to crank the speed down a little bit. Because, you know, momentum.

Both robots can recharge themselves autonomously, and they share a common dock. The dock is designed with a very distinctive shape to help the bots locate it with their lasers, and the dock connector is particularly clever, with some built-in wigglyness. The docks can charge the robots in 20-minute bursts to maximize uptime. During less frantic moments, the docks will also do 3-hour deep cycle charges to help maintain battery longevity.

From batteries to actuators, Fetch is designing both of these robots for work, not for research. They’re built to be durable. Wise says that the baseline minimum lifetime of the robots is about 13,000 hours in worst case usage, which would be asking the arm to constantly wave around a 6 kg payload. In more typical usage, Fetch is expected to be able to work 16 hours a day, 365 days a year, for four years before something breaks on it. Freight, not having a manipulator on it, should last even longer.

Along with the robots themselves, Fetch Robotics will also be providing high-level control software that can handle lots of different robots all at once, and integrate into existing warehouse fulfillment systems. Out of the box, the Fetch Robotics system will be able to handle mapmaking, semantic labeling, power management, and dynamic task allocation. All of this is, of course, based on ROS.

The Cost and Competition

The big question that we had at this point, and that you probably have as well, is how much these robots are going to cost. We wish we had a definitive answer for you. The problem, Wise told us, is that in a warehouse implementation, you’ll need to invest in a software and hardware system consisting of multiple robots, so a per-robot pricetag wouldn’t necessarily be appropriate.

However, we did manage to pin down a few things about cost: Wise did tell us that Fetch would cost “less than $100,000” and that Freight is less than a third of the cost of Fetch. Even if we assume that Fetch costs close to $100,000, if you compare it to other mobile manipulators like Tiago and RB-1, Fetch would be remarkably inexpensive for what it is, with commercial-grade robustness, a 6 kg payload, and a 25-m laser. 

We also heard that a research version of Fetch is in the works (hooray!) and we should be getting more details on that in the next few weeks.

As for Freight, it’s easier to make a comparison to other mobile bases, most notably Adept’s Lynx platform. We’re not sure how much Lynx costs, but we are almost certain that it’s more (perhaps way more) than $33,333.32, and Wise says that in terms of core capabilities, Freight and Lynx are “essentially very, very similar.”

The Future

Wise seems confident that Fetch Robotics is going to be able to ship both of their robots in Q2 of this year, just like they promised back in February. We should reiterate how crazy this is considering that the company is only about eight months old, and they only finished putting together the first Fetch robot in March.

We’ll likely see Fetch and Freight initially deployed in pilot programs in real warehouses within the next few months, but the first look that the public will get at the robots will be the research versions at ICRA in Seattle next month.

And as for what’s next, Fetch Robotics obviously has its grippers full trying to get two robots all set for commercial production. The company is currently at 13 employees (plus 5 summer interns) and trying to grow as fast as possible (they encourage you to apply here), but Wise was willing to give us a glimpse at what they’re thinking about for the future:

Costco’s organic food sales approach $3 billion

4/29/2015 - by Eric Schroeder

Costco offers organic products under its own label, Kirkland.

ISSAQUAH, WASH. — Wal-Mart and Kroger, the nation’s two largest retailers, and Target, the fourth-largest retailer, have made significant strides in the organic food category over the past year, so it’s only fitting that Costco — the No. 3 chain — is getting in on the action.

Each of the retailers has taken a different approach in how it addresses the organic food market, which has seen sales in the United States increase 11% to reach $35.9 billion in 2014, according to a survey released April 15 by the Organic Trade Association. Organic food sales accounted for close to 5% of total U.S. food sales, according to the O.T.A.

Kroger introduced its own line of products under the Simple Truth Organic brand in 2012, while Target partnered with other companies to offer a Made to Matter collection of better-for-you products in 2013, and Wal-Mart teamed up with Wild Oats last year to offer organic food items that are at least 25% less expensive than the national organic brands it carries.

Costco is taking a more steady approach to its organic food program. Like Kroger, Costco offers organic products under its own label, Kirkland. A few years ago, Costco, in an effort to offer its customers more organic snacks, partnered with PepsiCo, Inc. to provide organic versions of Ruffles and Stacy’s Pita Chips. The products are exclusive to Costco members. More recently, Costco in early April signed a deal with Amira Nature Foods Ltd. under which Amira would provide Costco with organic products, including 20-lb bags of Amira Organic Sona Massori Rice.

“We are very proud to announce the launch of Amira Organics in Costco stores,” said Karan A. Chanana, chairman of Amira Nature Foods. “We understand the U.S. consumer demand for organic products, and we have worked diligently to create the highest quality organic rice products. It is exciting to see the product on the shelves following its initial launch with a strong retailer like Costco.”

The organic rice falls into a broader category that Richard Galanti, chief financial officer of Costco, earlier this year called a “small percentage of Costco,” but it remains a segment ripe for growth.

“(Organics) is a fast-growing area, as it is with a lot of other retailers as well,” Mr. Galanti said during a March 5 conference call to discuss second-quarter results. “You’re going to see more and more of it. Part of that is availability. We and everybody else could sell a lot more if there was more out there. I think we’re doing a pretty good job of lining up our sourcing.”

Mr. Galanti said organic sales approached $3 billion for Costco in 2014, which was up more than twice what it was two years earlier.

“It’s growing fast,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s 50% a year, but it’s certainly growing at a high — at a low-mid or mid-double digit number. And it’s great for us, because we show even a better value on that stuff than some of the things that it replaces.”

Bricks vs Clicks

Why Chipotle is ditching GMOs

• MAXWELL TANI
 

• APR. 29, 2015, 4:24 PM

Facebook/Chipotle

Not everyone is happy about Chipotle's recent decision to ditch GMOs, or genetically modified ingredients, in most of its food.

The company's move runs contrary to popular scientific consensus on the ingredients, which the vast majority of scientists agree are perfectly safe to consume.

So why'd they do it?

According to Slate's Alison Griswold, Chipotle is simply trying to capitalize on popular anti-GMO sentiment.

Despite the scientific consensus on their safety, most Americans remain extremely wary of GMOs. According to a January study by the Pew Research Center, 67% of people in the US think scientists simply do not have enough long-term research to conclusively determine the safety of genetically modified foods.

"[Chipotle is] positioning themselves as the good guys, but they're actually exploiting people's lack of sophistication about these issues and perpetuating pseudoscience," Jon Entine, a senior fellow at the University of California at Davis World Food Center, told the Daily Beast.

For its part, Chipotle says public opinion did not motivate its decision to cut back on GMOs.

Instead, the company says it is skeptical of the existing research, Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold told Business Insider. Arnold said Chipotle is avoiding GMOs because most studies have not convinced the company of their long-term safety.

"We are not alone in our skepticism on the current body of research on GMOs, much of which is short-term in nature and supported by the industry," said Arnold. "That, in part, has led us to take a more cautious approach."

On Tuesday, Chipotle CEO Steve Ells acknowledged similar beliefs about the ingredients.

"They say these ingredients are safe, but I think we all know we'd rather have food that doesn't contain them,'' Ells told CNN Money earlier this week.

The company still hasn't eliminated GMOs entirely, however, mainly because of cost, said Arnold.

For example, Chipotle is still serving poultry and pork raised on GMO ingredients and soda containing corn syrup made with with GMOs, Gizmodo reports. The company is testing cane-sugar-based sodas and has said it would like to cut GMO-fed meat, but it's still concerned about keeping prices low.

"Given the prevalence of GMO crops, it would be nearly impossible to source meat from animals that were given solely non-GMO feed short of buying organic meat or meat that is purely grass-fed,” Arnold said. Both of these options would be prohibitively expensive, said Arnold.

Kroger investing $500 million in Indianapolis

Apr 29, 2015Elliot Zwiebach

Kroger Co. said Wednesday it plans to spend nearly $500 million to open 11 stores and remodel or expand 22 others in the Greater Indianapolis area as part of a four-year strategic plan.

The Cincinnati-based company said it previously invested more than $125 million in the Fort Wayne market and $40 million in the Bloomington market.

The company said the investments in Indianapolis, which began last year, include opening seven new Marketplace stores at a cost of $141 million — with two in Indianapolis, both scheduled to open in the fall, and single units in Fishers and Franklin, plus three additional locations still to be announced — and four new conventional stores, at a cost of $75 million, encompassing locations in Greenwood, Zionsville and Indianapolis, with another location to be announced.

Kroger also said it plans to spent $95.5 million to remodel 17 stores, including four that were completed last fall. Kroger will also expand five stores, including a location in Carmel that is due to open in mid-June, and additional stores in Greenwood, Westfield and two other locations to be announced later, at a cost of $58.3 million.

The company said it has also leased a building that will house a 7,000-square-foot regional training center in Indianapolis to accommodate the new workers it will hire, which it estimates will approach 3,000 people. Until that facility opens, it is operating temporary hiring centers near stores that have already opened, a company spokesman told SN.

Kroger said it will invest an additional $24 million to open 16 new fuel centers and another $70 million plus for minor capital projects.

At store level it said it plans to add 24 new Murray’s Cheese departments, 27 Starbuck’s and 14 Little Clinic locations. Kroger will remodel 22 pharmacies.

According to Jeff Burt, president of Kroger’s central division, which encompasses 136 stores in Indiana, Illinois and eastern Missouri, “Kroger has remained very competitive in the marketplace because we recognize the critical importance of investing in stores with features appropriate to the 21st-century marketplace and evolving customer expectations.

“Having capital resources, accurate market research and a determination to achieve our customer-focused business plan goals is a strong competitive advantage in the central Indiana region.”

With the growth in stores and employees, Kroger said it anticipates added business in its four Indiana food plants and four distribution centers. “Strategically investing in our people and stores will provide job security to thousands of associates and give us the resources to continue generously supporting hundreds of local community organizations across Indiana,” he said.

Are Mobile Wallets Going Mainstream at Retail?

In a word, yes, and grocers and shoppers need to be on the same road to adoption

April 28, 2015, 09:32 am By Lance Eliot, Interactions

For years, various pundits have predicted that mobile wallets and the ability to pay with the swipe of a smartphone will be the next big thing in retail. And for nearly just as long, these payment options remained largely a novelty, in some cases even seeming to be more trouble than they were worth. Now their time has finally come, as evidenced by heightened consumer response, and as showcased by retailers that have been able to make mobile wallets work properly. The advent of mainstream mobile wallet solutions that consumers actually want to use — and that retailers can actually synchronize with their systems — has finally arrived, with the potential to become more popular than many retailers might be ready to handle.

According to Interactions' recent "Retail Perceptions" trend report, nearly 30 percent of shoppers are using a mobile wallet — that's nearly one-third! — and 62 percent of those who don't say they expect to start using one within the next year, for nearly a whopping two-thirds of your shoppers. Add to that the fact that all of the major credit card networks in the United States participate in at least one mobile wallet solution, and it's clear that this is a real trend that retailers need to leverage and become engaged in.

The biggest players today are mobile solutions that work with multiple banks, multiple forms of payments and/or multiple retailers. The four popular choices are PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Wallet and Softcard. Apple's release of the Apple Watch has the opportunity to provide a big boost for the use of mobile wallets, as the trendy timepiece is equipped with Apple Pay.

It should be noted, however, that as much as consumers may want a mobile wallet option, the market is a bit unsettled without an already ordained single standard mobile solution, and retailers have been at times hesitant to adopt any such mobile solutions, waiting to see how the disparate options ultimately turn out. Notably, the adoption of mobile payment will require sizeable retailer investment in hardware and software, and some retailers abhor the possibility of making the wrong choice of provider. Those retailers are waiting to see which way things will go.

Cracks in the Dam

While the floodgates might not be fully opened yet, there are widening cracks in the dam, with food retailers around the world starting to provide e-payment options for shoppers. In the United States, grocers ranging from Sprouts Farmers Market to Wegmans Food Markets to Whole Foods Market now accept digital wallets. Further afield, in Zimbabwe, for example, wholesale food distributor National Foods is teaming with Econet Wireless to provide shoppers with the ability to purchase groceries from their smartphones, while in Australia, grocery retail giant Coles has launched a mobile wallet app that combines a payment system with the chain's rewards points.

Beyond grocery, Starbucks, an early adopter of mobile payments, has shown the retail industry the sheer potential of what can happen when you enable shoppers to pay with their phones. The coffee chain’s app enables payment at its stores, and although used only at Starbucks, it nonetheless handles an estimated 6 million to 7 million transactions per week, accounting for nearly 16 percent of the company’s total U.S. sales.

For retailers looking to join the mobile payment revolution, it all comes down to knowing your audience. Ask yourself: Will my existing target market use a mobile wallet tied to a credit card? Will it allow me to target new consumers who otherwise might have sought other retailers? Will consumers be willing to use their checking accounts? Is there an existing mobile payment system they already use and like, which could work for me, too?

As with so many of the changes affecting the industry today, retailers must remember that consumers are in the driver's seat. Gathering insights to deliver a solution that clearly takes consumers' needs and preferences into account is the only way to truly succeed and make sure that they head – mobile wallets in tow – into your stores.

Instacart Expands Grocery Delivery Service in Chicago Suburbs

Petco secures partnership in select markets

April 28, 2015, 04:03 pm

Grocery delivery service Instacart has added suburban Chicago grocery store partner Standard Market and expanded its delivery area in the western suburbs to Naperville and additional communities including Oak Brook, Westmont, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills and Downers Grove.

Instacart customers in those towns can order virtually any item carried in their neighborhood Whole Foods Market, Costco and Standard Market stores and have them delivered to their doorstep in as little as one hour (no Costco membership is required). Additional retailers are expected to be added in the coming weeks.

“We’re thrilled to be able to expand our delivery service to Naperville and more western suburbs to deliver from Standard Market in addition to Whole Foods Market and Costco, longtime Instacart partners,” said Dave Osborne, general manager of Instacart’s Chicago market. “Standard Market is well-known by locals for its gourmet items and freshly picked produce, as well as an amazing bakery, deli, and craft coffee bar. With its commitment to fresh food and terrific customer service, Standard Market was a natural grocery store partner for us.”

Chicago was Instacart’s second market and is now available to more than 6 million Chicago area residents.

“Quite simply, we love to eat, and we want to share that love with you,” said Ken Tsang, director of technology and marketing at Standard Market. “That's why we work hard to make and source the best tasting foods at Standard Market. We're excited to share our creations and discoveries with Instacart customers and allow you to 'make every meal special' from the convenience of your home.”

Petco expands Instacart partnership

Additionally, after a successful pilot in Boston and San Francisco, pet supplies retailer Petco is expanding its partnership with Instacart. Customers in 14 metro areas served by the service can order from Petco stores and have everything delivered in as little as one hour. (New York City is not included in this launch, but will follow this summer).

Instacart currently serves 15 metro areas: Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boulder, Colo.; Boston; Chicago; Denver; Houston; Los Angeles; New York City; Philadelphia; Portland, Ore.; San Francisco; San Jose, Calif.; Seattle; and Washington, D.C. The company plans to add several more cities before the end of 2015.

Chipotle's Non-GMO Policy Changes Everything

Phil Lempert

Yesterday’s announcement by Chipotle that it start serving food only made with non-GMO ingredients was not a surprise. After all they have built their brand based on a consistent messaging plan that set them apart from their competition by positioning themselves as doing what is best for the land, farmers, animals, and of course their customers.

Chipotle’s The Scarecrow  video has 14+ million views, was picked up by countless media including NPR, ChristianScience Monitor and Slate and been called by marketing reporter Ann Hadley as “the most poignant moment in marketing” and even won an award at Cannes….but according to The New Yorker, Mother Jones and BuzzFeed who recently published the “9 Disappointing Facts About Chipotle” the statements made in the video short are not 100% true.

The restaurant’s announcement fast tracks the anti-GMO and GMO Labeling debates as it brings the issue to the “masses” rather than just having it argued by foodies, intellectuals, pundits and NGOs. Television talk shows have featured the debate with man-on-the-street (or farmers market, to be more precise) interviews as well as one on one “expert” interviews – all underscoring the passion to be fearful of GMOs and reinforcing the lack of basic knowledge about GMOs (or even what the acronym stands for!).

My fear is that this move by Chipotle adds to the confusion and misunderstanding; and does little to help consumers understand the issue and the science.

Marion Nestle, PhD and professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University posted a brief comment on her blog. “No, this is not a safety issue. GMO corn ingredients were not making Chipotle customers sick. Yes, this is a matter of trust. Chipotle customers are offended that GMO foods are not labeled and that they have no choice about whether to eat them”. For the complete post visit Food Politics.

February 27th will go down in history as an important date in GMO history. In addition to Chipotle’s announcement, a federal court dismissed a motion filed by food industry trade groups to prevent the state of Vermont from implementingAct 120 which mandates GMO labeling on all foods beginning in July 2016. According to a report in National Geographic, food industry groups have spent more than $100 million to fund anti-labeling campaigns, no doubt an amount that will rise even higher as they ponder options from this ruling.

A sign supporting Proposition 37 which calls for the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods is seen in front of a home in Glendale, California October, 19, 2012. California could become the first US state to enforce labeling of genetically modified foodstuffs also know as GMO’s, in a vote next month pitting agro-chemical manufacturing giants against die-hard opponents of so-called ‘frankenfoods.’ The state will vote on November 6 – the same day as the White House election – on the ballot initiative, which backers claim will let consumers know exactly what they are eating, but critics say will pander to unjustified fears about genetic engineering. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN 

BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

One of the key objections from the industry is that labeling GMO foods will incur significant costs. Chipotle has gone out of its way to say that there will be no price increases as a result of this change.

Some readers of this column may remember Sy Syms, of New York clothing store fame, who coined the slogan “an educated consumer is our best customer” – a lesson we should take heed from as we move into a new era of food: transparency, sustainability, health with science to support the findings for each.

The NPD Group just this morning released their survey that found “over half of U.S. consumers express some level of concern about genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), but when asked to describe GMOs, many consumers are unclear”. Jimmy Kimmel was right!

Chipotle’s move will no doubt attract new customers to the chain’s restaurants and most likely bring in an entirely new customer base, not for the food, but because they align with the chain’s ethical positions. Some will like the food and come back for more.