Welcome to Food Week March 20. Between your basketball and Oscars viewing, please enjoy our round up with restaurant chains behaving badly, plant based meats growing slowly and delivery still not making a profit. And a history of the Betty Crocker test kitchens.
MACRO
- Mortgage rates surging
- Biden Administration to announce 2nd booster for those over 50
- Therefore only people eligible for boosters were alive when unemployment claims were this low: 1969. But no, the labor market isn’t tight…
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- The Fresh sections of Supermarkets have rebounded nicely with the exception of seafood with supply and inflation causing an actual YOY decline.
- Instacart slashed it’s valuation 40%. Making a profit in delivery remains elusive.
- Actually, the air fryer will also be taking ‘market share’ away from cooktops, not just micro-waves. How the Air Fryer Crisped Its Way Into America’s Heart.
- In another era, Entenmann’s perfected the opposite of all natural: Quite good consumer products without fear of food science. Behind the Entenmann’s Cellophane, a Slice of Long Island Life
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- You’ve been served! DC sues Grubhub over alleged ‘deceptive’ practices.
- See below but the McDonald’s McPlant is not doing well in test.
- Andy Wiederhorn, CEO of FAT Brands is in trouble again. After serving 15 months for previous financial improprieties, he is being accused of wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion. As the owners of Fazoli’s, Twin Peaks and Fatburger and as a public company, it is not a good look
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- At Kearney with a report that says price parity will lead to exponential growth for Plant based meats. Investment is based upon this assumption. I am more dubious. Beyond and Impossible have been getting steadily cheaper relative to animal analogues for while now but growth has plateaued.
- As usual, the Dutch are at the forefront on food innovation, now edging closer to cultivated meat, samples going out.
- Relatedly, FDA announces approval of gene-edited meats using CRISPR. Science like this can help reduce impacts of climate change but will the public go along?
- Just when the US container logjam was clearing, Chinese COVID outbreak casing delays, shortages.
FOOD WEEK LAGNIAPPE
- A history of the Betty Crocker Test Kitchens.
- People love Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. I am an apostate, but then again I really don’t like peanut butter together with chocolate ever. Anyway, a paean.
- Some states bar bar ex-felons from using SNAP (food stamps). This seems like a recipe for recidivism
- The best winery on each continent.
- This week we found: Cloudies. Egg white and cheese based bread replacement. Obviously keto. Pleasant if mild flavor. Texture a little flaky and becomes less pliable with heat. Good as toast and small sandwiches; doesn’t stand up particularly well with any weight. Recommend but it won’t replace all your bread.
