Who owns your beer? (The Mad Fermentationist): A new visualization depicts which mega-brewers own dozens of different “craft” beer brands.
Amazon competitor leaps ahead in grocery delivery (Bloomberg): FreshDirect, a leader in online grocery sales, plans to open a 400,000-square-foot facility in New York City’s South Bronx, with plans to double its business.
Soda taxes get the go-ahead (Philly.com): In a 4-2 decision, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court upheld Philadelphia’s 1.5-cent-an-ounce soda tax. Opponents had argued it amounted to double taxation of customers already paying sales tax.
JBS suspends shipments (KRMG Radio): The U.S. branch of the world’s largest meat processor suspended shipments from a hog farm in Kentucky while it investigates allegations that farm workers hit, kicked, and abused hogs.
Vultures attack calves (WSIL-TV): A farmer in southern Illinois says he has lost seven calves to attacks by black vultures, a protected species that can be a predator as well as a scavenger.
Cooper to lead ethanol group (RFA): Bob Dinneen, chief executive of the pro-ethanol Renewable Fuels Association since 2001, will shift to the role of senior strategic adviser in October. Geoff Cooper, now the group’s executive vice president, will assume the No. 1 job.
Is free-range better? (CAST): Studies of free-range poultry vs. poultry raised indoors show contradictory or inconclusive results, says an overview of the issue. Outdoor access, for example, can enhance the nutrient content of eggs and meat, but overall, diet is more important than production method.
In hot weather, avocados are toast (Grist): California growers plant avocado groves looking for big profits from a high-value crop; their revenues, along with the fruit, can be cooked when temperatures exceed 100 degrees F.