Europe's top court backs vegan rights as Louisiana bans cultured meat
The European Court of Human Rights ruled 6-1 that Switzerland violated two vegan prisoners' right to conscience by failing to feed them properly, awarding them damages.
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The European Court of Human Rights ruled 6-1 that Switzerland violated two vegan prisoners' right to conscience by failing to feed them properly, awarding them damages [162].
02
Louisiana enacted four laws banning or requiring bold-print labels on cell-cultured meat and precision-fermented dairy, with the outright bans contingent on a future Supreme Court ruling [159].
03
Believer Meats' cultivated-meat operation is being liquidated as UPSIDE Foods bids $50 million for its shuttered North Carolina plant [100].
04
A new Harris Poll found 62% of Americans are willing to eat less meat, with beans the top replacement [118].
05
The American Heart Association says up to 400mg of caffeine a day, about five cups of coffee, is safe for most adults, but energy drinks carry real cardiovascular risk [41].
06
India unveiled a $691 billion bioeconomy roadmap naming smart proteins and precision fermentation as priority sectors, alongside a new South Korean food-tech master plan [101][149].
European court rules Switzerland violated two vegan prisoners' rights to conscience
Haberdoedas Photography (via Pexels)
“nutrient-poor”
European Court of Human Rights, describing meals served with no alternative protein source · [162]
By the numbers
6-1vote by the European Court of Human Rights finding Switzerland violated Article 9, the right to freedom of conscience, by failing to consistently serve two vegans meals matching their ethics [162]
€12,000awarded to one applicant and €4,000 to the other for the emotional harm the failure caused, plus €10,000 in legal costs, payable within three months [162]
One applicant spent nearly 11 months in a Geneva prison starting November 2018; the other was held two months in a psychiatric ward in 2021 [162]
WatchThe ruling binds only Switzerland directly, but as ECHR precedent it now applies across the Council of Europe's 46 member states; the next test is whether other countries' institutions cite it [162].
Louisiana bans cell-cultured meat and dairy, pending a Supreme Court ruling
Wikimedia Commons / Louisiana State Capitol
By the numbers
4separate Louisiana bills enacted this session targeting cell-cultured meat and precision-fermented dairy: SB152, HB512, HB717 and HB783 [159]
30-pointminimum font size Louisiana now requires for cell-cultured food disclosure labels, up from a bare ban on calling the products "meat" [159]
Arizona's own cell-cultivated labeling law takes effect September 12, 2026[159]
WatchLouisiana's outright bans (SB152, HB512) only take legal effect if the US Supreme Court upholds cell-cultured meat prohibitions in a still-pending case; Florida's ban already survived the Eleventh Circuit in March, and Texas's own ban remains in discovery, the next real test [159].
Believer Meats' cultivated-meat empire folds as UPSIDE bids $50 million for its plant
Photo: AgFunderNews
“Whoever purchases the plant in North Carolina does not get the IP or the know-how of the company and doesn't have permission to use it unless he buys it from FML.”
Yoel Freilich, trustee handling the sale of Believer Meats' parent company · [100]
By the numbers
$400 millionraised by Believer Meats, one of the best-funded cultivated-meat companies, before it ceased operations in December and entered receivership [100]
$50 millionbaseline bid submitted by UPSIDE Foods for Believer's North Carolina production facility [100]
Over $150 million was invested in designing and building the plant now up for sale [100]
WatchAn auction for the North Carolina plant runs July 28 with a sale hearing July 30; bids for Believer's cultivated-meat patents, now extended due to "high level of interest," are due August 5 [100]
Harris Poll finds 62 percent of Americans willing to eat less meat
Photo: green queen
By the numbers
62%of Americans say they're willing to eat less meat, per a Harris Poll commissioned by Humane World for Animals [118]
57%would swap animal protein for beans at least once a week; 96% already eat some meat and 55% do so daily or nearly every day [118]
64%cite animal welfare as a reason to cut back, close behind cost (67%) and personal health (64%) [118]
Company claim"Consumers are recognising that animals matter and are willing to make dietary changes that reflect that." (Karla Dumas, VP of farm animal protection, Humane World for Animals) [118]. The poll measures self-reported willingness, not observed diet change, so the interpretation outruns what a stated-intention survey can show.
FromGreen Queen
Worth Knowing
Food & Recipes
Cook: crispy tofu three ways, pan-fried, baked or air-fried, with a cornstarch crust that turns golden without deep frying [75]
Slutty Vegan is franchising into Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio this fall, its first Midwest locations [90]
Noumi, the Australian owner of plant-milk brand MilkLab, is going private in a $517.8 million buyout while projecting 2026 plant-based milk earnings falling from A$50.3m to A$42-44m [79]
Research & Nutrition
A meta-analysis of 19 cohort studies found vegetarian diets cut total cancer risk 13% and vegan diets cut it 23% versus non-vegetarians [9]
A crossover feeding trial found a whole-food plant-based diet cut LDL cholesterol 17.9% in adults with familial high cholesterol, versus a standard American diet [4]
Innovation
India's Niti Aayog unveiled a $691 billion bioeconomy roadmap prioritizing smart proteins and fermentation, while South Korea launched its own food-tech master plan the same week [101][149]
MicroHarvest brought in a project manager to build Europe's first industrial-scale microbial protein plant in Germany, targeting 15,000 tonnes a year by 2028 [120]
A University of Stirling study found nostalgia for dishes like Christmas turkey, not taste or convenience, is the biggest emotional barrier to going vegan [121]
Friends of the Earth warns that FDA-approved gene-edited farm animals, heat-tolerant cattle and disease-resistant pigs, reinforce factory farming rather than fix it [125]
A GFI Europe-funded study found microbial fats fermented from food waste could already compete with premium cocoa butter on price [116]
A 30-year global study found children eat far below recommended servings of fruit, vegetables, beans and nuts, with US intake dropping sharply after infancy [115]
Wins & Culture
FAIRR found just 28% of major food companies still have quantified regenerative-agriculture targets, down from 35% in 2023, as JBS and Yum Brands drop theirs [160]
One Good Thing
Three hotels in Malaysia just became the country's first Vegan Hospitality-certified properties, and the detail that sticks is the chocolate cake. At Sunway Resort Hotel's buffet, now roughly 30% plant-based, the vegan chocolate cake has become the most popular dessert with vegan and omnivore guests alike, chosen because it tastes good, not because of a label. The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat skips fake meat entirely and leans on mushroom rendang and Middle Eastern mezze, cuisines that never needed animals in the first place [124].
Learn how to make perfectly crispy tofu every time with this easy method! Whether you pan-fry, bake, or use an air fryer, this tofu turns out golden, flavorful, and delicious…
25 min4 servings6 ingredients
See the ingredients
1 block (14–16 oz) extra-firm or firm tofu (cut into small cubes)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon light oil ((such as canola or vegetable))
