UK 2050 roadmap backs lentils over livestock; Publix blueberry recall

UK Farming Roadmap 2050 backs shift from livestock to pulses

A government document calling for farmers to grow lentils instead of cattle has the Secretary of State's name on it and no new funding to back it up, which is both significant and somewhat on-brand.

The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published the Farming Roadmap 2050 in late June, calling for farmers to reduce "business over-reliance on livestock" and expand into pulses and oilseeds, citing growing demand for plant-based foods [12]. Emma Reynolds, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Stephen Morgan, Minister for Food Security, co-signed the introduction [12]. The National Farmers Union called the delivery plans inadequate. Sustain, the food and farming alliance, praised the direction but flagged the minimal rhetoric on rising livestock numbers and a recent proposal to ease planning permission for poultry megafarms [12]. The roadmap carries real political weight as an official government statement of direction, even without new funding to match it.

• £0new funding announced alongside the roadmap; the NFU, Sustain, and Greenpeace UK all cited the gap [12]
• 2050target horizon for the full agricultural transformation of English farming [12]

Proven"opportunities to diversify into lower emission farming systems where appropriate," citing "growing oilseeds and pulses" as examples (DEFRA, Farming Roadmap 2050) [12]. Decades of peer-reviewed life-cycle analysis show pulses emit a fraction of the greenhouse gases of ruminant livestock; the emissions direction is established science, not a campaigning claim alone.

FromPlant Based News

Publix recalls GreenWise frozen blueberries after E. coli O145 sickens 12

One lot code, 8 states, 12 sick: the recall is narrow but the illness is serious.

Chilean producer Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur recalled frozen GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries (10 oz, lot 6040 01, Best By February 9, 2028) after 12 confirmed E. coli O145:H28 illnesses between May 11 and June 5, 2026 [10]. The product shipped to Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia [10]. E. coli O145 is a Shiga toxin-producing strain that can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome in young children, older adults, and immunocompromised people; most otherwise-healthy adults recover within a week [10]. No other lot codes or GreenWise blueberry products are affected [10].

• 12confirmed illness cases, May 11 to June 5, 2026 [10]
• 8states where the affected lot was distributed [10]
• 1lot code affected: 6040 01, Best By February 9, 2028 [10]

Proven"12 confirmed cases of consumers experiencing stomach illness between May 11, 2026 and June 5, 2026 linked with E. coli O145:H28 infections" (Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A.) [10]. Company-initiated recall coordinated with regulatory authorities, consistent with an official outbreak investigation record.

FromFood Safety News

Seven days fully vegan in Spain, from home-style cocido to Michelin-recognized fine dining

It turns out Spain, the country of jamón and seafood paella, will feed you extremely well as a vegan for a full week.

Plant-based content creator Eunice Reyes (Rated V for Vegan) documented a 7-day group vegan tour of Madrid and Barcelona, eating plant-based versions of cocido madrileño at Santi Pura, tortilla española at Chapatas, and churros at the historic Chocolatería 1902, plus a tasting menu at Mudrá, recognized three times by the Michelin Guide [14]. Barcelona continued at The Green Spot [14]. Santi Pura's owner developed the vegan cocido years ago, using house-made sausages and the standard chickpea-and-vegetable base, for a dish almost never served in restaurants at all [14]. The week covers traditional Spanish food category by category, rebuilt without animal products, not just the modern fusion menus where plant-based cooking is already expected.

• 7days, two cities, Madrid and Barcelona [14]
• 3Michelin Guide recognitions for Mudrá [14]
• 5+restaurants in Madrid alone, spanning Spanish, Peruvian, and fine-dining plant-based cuisines [14]

FromPlant Based News