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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
/C O R R E C T I O N -- Meala/
In the news release, Meala Partners with dsm-firmenich to Commercialize Texturizing Protein for Meat Alternatives, issued June 3, 2025 by Meala over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that edits have been made to the release. The complete, corrected release follows: PB Pea protein, a high-performance texturizer is ready for market release in Europe, bringing cleaner labels and better nutritional value to meat alternatives HAIFA, Israel, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Plant-based innovator Meala FoodTech Ltd. partners with dsm-firmenich to launch Vertis™ PB Pea — a groundbreaking texturizing pea protein. This single, multifunctional ingredient is designed to replace modified binders like hydrocolloids, helping to clean up labels in plant-based meat alternatives. The product is now available in Europe via dsm-firmenich as Vertis™ PB Pea. PB Pea, is a clean-label texturizer produced using biotechnology. Protected by two patents, it consolidates the functionality of multiple components into a single, versatile ingredient that delivers unmatched binding, gelation, and emulsifying properties. Furthermore, it increases the protein content of the final product. This holistic solution can replace an entire binding system often found in meat alternatives, while keeping the label short and recognizable. PB Pea was tested to great success in various meat alternative applications and suits any formulation, such as burgers, sausages and nuggets and more. Key benefits of PB Pea: Clean label and allergen-free: Clearly labeled as "pea protein." Thermostability: Maintains performance under heat and low temperature for versatile applications. Excellent texture and water retention: Provides juiciness and structure in meat alternatives. Enhanced nutritional value: Increases protein content. Short ingredient list: Enables producers to shorten and clean up the ingredient list. There is a clear shift in consumer behavior globally. Customers are increasingly drawn to products that deliver both an enjoyable taste experience and a clean, simple ingredient list that supports their well-being goals. To meet these rising expectations and drive meaningful growth, food manufacturers are seeking all-in-one ingredient solutions. "This is exactly where our product comes in," says Tali Feldman Sivan, CBO and co-founder of Meala FoodTech. "It addresses both functionality and clean-label demands, while replicating the sensory profile and experience of conventional meat products." With health and transparency rising in importance, European consumers are fueling a clean-label shift in the food industry. According to recent research1 from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory—a pan-European study on consumer perceptions of ultra-processed foods -- two-thirds of Europeans (67%) say they dislike unknown ingredients in their food, while just over half (56%) actively try to avoid processed foods. This growing awareness is reshaping preferences -- especially in the plant-based sector. In response, food manufacturers are under pressure to reformulate products and embrace cleaner, simpler labels to meet the rising demand for healthier, more natural options that don't compromise on taste or convenience With the launch of Vertis™ PB Pea, dsm-firmenich is expanding its Vertis™ plant protein portfolio -- introducing an innovative ingredient that consolidates the functionality of multiple components in plant-based meat alternatives. "We are grateful to our partners at dsm-firmenich, who offer decades of experience as industry leaders in bringing innovative products to market," exclaims Hadar Ekhoiz Razmovich, CEO and co-founder of Meala FoodTech. "Their application support, regulatory expertise, and ability to drive global commercial rollouts are unprecedented. We're impressed by their innovation-driven approach and deep understanding of the food industry. dsm-firmenich believed in us from the very beginning -- not only as investors, but as true partners -- offering guidance, trust, and strategic support that helped lay the foundation for this powerful collaboration." Meala's partnership with dsm-firmenich -- a global leader in food ingredients -- combines both distribution and venture investment. The agreement paves the way for Meala's innovative pea-based texturizer to enter new global markets and fuel the next wave of plant-based product innovation. With production already underway in Europe, Meala's functional pea protein is scaling to meet growing international demand. "We're looking forward to working with dsm-firmenich to lead the new era of plant-based alternatives that successfully merge high performance and robust nutrition, to create a new generation of delicious, better-for-you and better for the planet meat alternatives," adds Razmovich. "Meala delivers a powerful, high-protein texturizing solution, providing manufacturers with a scalable alternative to less-desirable additives. About Meala FoodTech Meala FoodTech was founded in 2021 by product-innovation specialists Hadar Ekhoiz Razmovich, Tali Feldman Sivan, PhD; and Liran Gruda, CTO. United by a shared vision, the trio set out to revolutionize food production with clean-label, functional ingredients that create better-for-you foods. Meala is backed by leading investors, including The Kitchen Hub, dsm-firmenich Ventures, Lasenor Emul SPA, EIT food, and Milk & Honey Ventures. For more information, contact: Company Contact: Press Contact: Meala FoodTech NutriPR Rom Elias Liat Simha Business Development & Marketing Project Manager Tel: +972-9-9742893 E-mail: Info@ E-mail: liat@ Web: Web: 1 Photo: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Meala
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
The international community and Haiti's time of need
Opinion To characterize the conditions today in Haiti as staggeringly grim would be a gross understatement. Indeed, the situation on the ground in the chronically impoverished country has clearly gotten worse over the last six months. But the world has largely chosen to look away rather than to confront the problem head-on. As a result, gang violence continues to surge and horrendous crimes go unpunished — such as murder, rape and kidnapping — while the drug trade deepens its grip on the country. These criminal gangs control almost 90 per cent of Haiti's capital, a large portion of the northwestern Artibonite area and a handful of municipalities in the Central Plateau region. Add to that the fact that over one million Haitians (half of whom are children) have been internally displaced and hunger is becoming more widespread (with almost six million people having trouble finding food and medicine). Hospitals have also had to close, schools are barely hanging on and there is no such thing in Haiti as a social safety net. Furthermore, there have not been legitimate democratic elections held in Haiti for almost 10 years. And Haiti's current nine-person Transitional Presidential Council has been plagued by internecine politics, corruption and impotence. Equally troubling, the existing Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, led by some 1,000 Kenyan police and security officers, has underperformed. To be fair, they have come under heavy gang attack, recently lost two of their members, and are badly outnumbered and outgunned. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has, moreover, only exacerbated the situation. It has largely ignored the Haitian crisis (shuffling it off to the Organization of American States), raised questions about future funding for the MSS operation and done very little to stop deadly weapons from Florida being smuggled into the country. In addition, Trump has clearly compounded the humanitarian catastrophe by gutting the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and slashing development assistance to Haiti. Trump has also sought to deport distraught Haitians, to turn away asylum-seeking Haitians and has even rolled back Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians living in the U.S. Yes, it's true that the menace in the U.S. White House, the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East have taken up a lot of oxygen in the backrooms of power. But that's a really poor excuse for inaction on Haiti. There are things that can be done to ameliorate the conditions on the ground. Clearly, the violent gang activity needs to be attenuated and gradually neutralized so that the country can be stabilized and free and fair general elections can take place. There also needs to be an acceptable, and manifestly robust, military presence in the country to ensure order and public safety. Perhaps that will require a capable peace enforcement operation with the imprimatur of the United Nations. Most important, Haitians desperately need development assistance of all kinds (financial, medical, social, educational, governance and institutional) to get themselves back on their feet again. But we're talking here about a massive, multifaceted aid program that needs serious financial resources from any and every country that can spare it. Much of this, of course, requires large dollops of cash and political will, which is obviously in short supply these days. But there is nothing that says it has to be that way. Yet political decision-makers, and those with power to do something, have chosen not to act. It seems pretty clear that a desperately poor and mostly black Caribbean country — to say nothing of its former status as a key slave colony — doesn't much register on the international radar screen. It makes you wonder if Haiti was a predominantly white, European country whether the world's response would be so callous and negligent. Conveniently, Western governments and political leaders are quick to dismiss Haiti as fundamentally broken and simply beyond repair. Let's be honest: to them, it's a god-awful quagmire and a political minefield that they just don't want anything to do with. So they justify their inaction and indifference by labelling Haiti a 'failed state' and then blame Haitians themselves for their own misfortune. The sad reality is that governments around the world (and here I include the so-called 'Friends of Haiti' such as Canada, France and Brazil) have come to the stark conclusion that Haiti is not worth the effort to save. Stated differently, they are not going to sacrifice putting their military men and women in harm's way (or to cough up the requisite financial resources) for the sake of Haitian lives or their overall well-being. I have come to believe that this destitute country will have to explode into a continuous morass of violence and death before the world community will even notice. And even then one wonders whether the response to the ongoing crisis in Haiti will be sufficient to make a real difference. Peter McKenna is professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida's Marco Rubio, a champion ... er, um ... villain ... of Venezuelan refugees
I'm not sure it's possible in a single column to adequately address the depravity of Marco Rubio's blinding self-interest. But I'm going to try. Let's start with the current situation with Venezuelans fleeing the oppressive, Communist government of Nicolas Maduro. In 2021, the Biden Administration recognized the ongoing exodus of millions of Venezuelans fleeing their country as it crumbled under Maduro's dysfunctional and violent rule. After years of calls for help, the United States offered an estimated 250,000 Venezuelans something called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to live and work in the United States as sanctioned refugees for a period of time, subject to renewals. Rubio, as a U.S. Senator from Florida, was the lone Republican sponsor of the Venezuela TPS Act. He not only championed the relocation of Venezuelans in the U.S., but he urged the Biden Administration to be more generous with admissions, arguing that denying Venezuelans more expansive entry was exposing many of them to a 'very real death sentence.' Fast forward four years, and the situation in Venezuela hasn't changed much. Maduro is still in power, re-elected in January for the third time. And things there are still grim. Here's what the current U.S. State Department says about Venezuela in an official travel advisory: "Do not travel to or remain in Venezuela due to the high risk of wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.' The U.S. State Department recommends that people traveling to Venezuela should update their wills, hire their own private security guards, and establish 'proof of life' check-ins with their loved ones. Unlike Venezuela, Rubio's situation has vastly improved during the past four years. He has leveled-up to become U.S. Secretary of State, and his name keeps bubbling to the top of the list of potential Republican presidential nominees after Trump's term is up. You'd think the elevation of Rubio would be good news for the Venezuelans seeking asylum in the United States. But it's terrible for them because Rubio's conscience is on indefinite hiatus as he engages in career self-care by carrying out the anti-immigration policies of President Donald Trump, who has called for an end to TPS. The Rubio who once worried about abandoning Venezuelans now limits himself to echoing the bigot-baiting of the man Rubio used to say would ruin this country if elected. "For years to come, there are many people on the right, in the media and voters at large, that are going to be having to explain and justify how they fell into this trap of supporting Donald Trump," the Marco Rubio of 2016 said. Now, the Marco Rubio of 2025 is happily ensnared in that 'trap,' supporting Trump by abandoning the Venezuelans Rubio had championed just a few years ago. Rubio's new position is that TPS 'facilitates and encourages mass migration,' and the United States can no longer allow the Venezuelan beneficiaries of the program to remain in the United States. 'The State Department will no longer undertake any activities that facilitate or encourage mass migration,' he wrote in a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 'Our diplomatic relations with other countries, particularly in the Western Hemisphere, will prioritize securing America's borders.' While Rubio was betraying Venezuelans through his Trumpy epiphany on TPS, he was traveling in Latin America, speaking as if he were the same champion of those refugees. I guess he forgot to remember his betrayal. Just five days after issuing his letter supporting the end of TPS status for Venezuelans, Rubio was in Costa Rica calling Venezuela's government an 'enemy of humanity.' When asked if those words were too harsh, he disagreed. 'I do not know how else to talk about a regime that has forced about 8 million citizens to leave Venezuela,' Rubio said. 'They imprison, they torture innocent individuals.' And as if that never happened, the next day, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a notice that announced that TPS for Venezuelans has ended, declaring that conditions in Venezuela were 'safe' for return. Rubio said nothing. Somewhere a cock was crowing three times. I only hope that one day Rubio fulfills his own prophecy from 2016. That there comes a day when he is faced with explaining and justifying how he came to lose his moral compass and fall into the trap of the man he used to call a 'con artist.' I can't wait for that Marco Rubio to happen. Frank Cerabino is a news columnist with The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Florida Network. He can be reached at fcerabino@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Rubio's views on Venezuelan refugees flip-flop to align with Trump
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Opinion - The Supreme Court just put Venezuelan lives at risk — Congress must act
The Supreme Court just opened the door for the Trump administration to revoke Temporary Protected Status for thousands of Venezuelans living in the U.S. It's a legal decision with devastating real-world consequences — one that places countless lives in danger. Deportation, in many cases, will not mean a return to stability. It will mean being sent back to a country ruled by a dictatorship, or to detention in Salvadoran prisons under new regional migration arrangements. This makes the bipartisan bill introduced last week by Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) all the more urgent. Their proposal to redesignate protected status for Venezuela isn't just a humane gesture — it is a lifeline, and a much-needed corrective to a policy shift that threatens to dismantle the protections that hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have relied on for years. Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans was originally granted during the Biden administration in recognition of the dire circumstances they were fleeing. But the return of President Trump has brought a hardline stance. Hundreds of Venezuelans have been deported in recent months, many without due process. Most have no criminal records, no ties to gangs, and no realistic pathway to safety. Deportation, for many, is a sentence to further trauma, persecution, or even death. It's worth asking why these protections were granted in the first place. Venezuelans are not merely fleeing poverty or economic collapse. They are fleeing a dictatorship. Under Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan state has systematically dismantled every democratic institution, including free elections, independent courts, and press freedom. Much of the political opposition has been jailed or exiled. In the 2024 election — only the latest example of this — the regime stalled the vote, manipulated the process, and has yet to publish credible results. The consensus belief worldwide is that the opposition candidate won but that the result was fabricated to the contrary. Yet even after two decades of authoritarianism and the largest refugee crisis in the hemisphere, some voices continue to claim that U.S. sanctions — not the regime — are the primary cause of the exodus. This narrative, often backed by questionable empirical methods, is not only misleading; it's dangerous. Reducing Venezuela's crisis to mere economics erases the lived reality of millions. It provides cover for those who argue that Temporary Protected Status should be revoked because this is just another wave of economic migrants. Worse, it lends credence to a damaging and false narrative that Venezuelans are criminals — people fleeing poverty who then commit crimes in the U.S. — rather than refugees escaping a repressive regime, seeking dignity and safety. This mischaracterization is not only inaccurate but also undermines U.S. moral leadership. In recent research I conducted, we tested the supposed link between sanctions and migration by examining whether fluctuations in Venezuela's oil revenues — a proxy for sanctions pressure — predicted migration flows. What we found was striking: more Venezuelans fled not when oil revenues fell, but when they rose. In other words, when the regime had more money to entrench itself and expand repression, hopelessness deepened — and more people fled. Even the most conservative reading of the data finds no evidence that sanctions caused the exodus. And yet, critics — some of whom inadvertently echo the regime's own talking points — continue to argue that the crisis is merely economic. They're wrong. And by repeating that myth, they are helping justify the very policy shifts now putting lives at risk. Maduro didn't just bankrupt Venezuela. He stole its future. He took not only the people's money, but their freedom. Venezuelans in the United States are not economic migrants — they are refugees from a brutal dictatorship. Temporary Protected Status is not charity. It is the bare minimum a country that claims to be a beacon of liberty should offer to those fleeing persecution. Congress has the chance — and now, the responsibility — to act. Dany Bahar is a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development and an associate professor at Brown University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
The Supreme Court just put Venezuelan lives at risk — Congress must act
The Supreme Court just opened the door for the Trump administration to revoke Temporary Protected Status for thousands of Venezuelans living in the U.S. It's a legal decision with devastating real-world consequences — one that places countless lives in danger. Deportation, in many cases, will not mean a return to stability. It will mean being sent back to a country ruled by a dictatorship, or to detention in Salvadoran prisons under new regional migration arrangements. This makes the bipartisan bill introduced last week by Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) all the more urgent. Their proposal to redesignate protected status for Venezuela isn't just a humane gesture — it is a lifeline, and a much-needed corrective to a policy shift that threatens to dismantle the protections that hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have relied on for years. Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans was originally granted during the Biden administration in recognition of the dire circumstances they were fleeing. But the return of President Trump has brought a hardline stance. Hundreds of Venezuelans have been deported in recent months, many without due process. Most have no criminal records, no ties to gangs, and no realistic pathway to safety. Deportation, for many, is a sentence to further trauma, persecution, or even death. It's worth asking why these protections were granted in the first place. Venezuelans are not merely fleeing poverty or economic collapse. They are fleeing a dictatorship. Under Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan state has systematically dismantled every democratic institution, including free elections, independent courts, and press freedom. Much of the political opposition has been jailed or exiled. In the 2024 election — only the latest example of this — the regime stalled the vote, manipulated the process, and has yet to publish credible results. The consensus belief worldwide is that the opposition candidate won but that the result was fabricated to the contrary. Yet even after two decades of authoritarianism and the largest refugee crisis in the hemisphere, some voices continue to claim that U.S. sanctions — not the regime — are the primary cause of the exodus. This narrative, often backed by questionable empirical methods, is not only misleading; it's dangerous. Reducing Venezuela's crisis to mere economics erases the lived reality of millions. It provides cover for those who argue that Temporary Protected Status should be revoked because this is just another wave of economic migrants. Worse, it lends credence to a damaging and false narrative that Venezuelans are criminals — people fleeing poverty who then commit crimes in the U.S. — rather than refugees escaping a repressive regime, seeking dignity and safety. This mischaracterization is not only inaccurate but also undermines U.S. moral leadership. In recent research I conducted, we tested the supposed link between sanctions and migration by examining whether fluctuations in Venezuela's oil revenues — a proxy for sanctions pressure — predicted migration flows. What we found was striking: more Venezuelans fled not when oil revenues fell, but when they rose. In other words, when the regime had more money to entrench itself and expand repression, hopelessness deepened — and more people fled. Even the most conservative reading of the data finds no evidence that sanctions caused the exodus. And yet, critics — some of whom inadvertently echo the regime's own talking points — continue to argue that the crisis is merely economic. They're wrong. And by repeating that myth, they are helping justify the very policy shifts now putting lives at risk. Maduro didn't just bankrupt Venezuela. He stole its future. He took not only the people's money, but their freedom. Venezuelans in the United States are not economic migrants — they are refugees from a brutal dictatorship. Temporary Protected Status is not charity. It is the bare minimum a country that claims to be a beacon of liberty should offer to those fleeing persecution. Congress has the chance — and now, the responsibility — to act.
