Food Week June 13 -19, 2022

Welcome to Food Week June 13. A slightly truncated version as we have traveled to Spain for the next few weeks and are just settling in. The good news is we will post our food adventures on an ongoing basis during our travels. Oh, and Happy Fathers Day. Enjoy!

MACRO

• Markets melt down and everyone is a poorer. But it is worse if you were in crypto.

• Vaccines approved for kids under 5.

• The Federal Reserve struggles with inflation, even internally.

RETAIL AND CONSUMER

• A timeline of food consumption and buying through the pandemic

• Milk prices are up almost 16% this year. One wonders how much that is contributing to alternatives.

• The House of Representatives takes a small step in trying to break beef industry consolidation.

• Fancy Food Show comes back, with the next hot trends in food. Shrub, anyone?

RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE

• Like most fads caviar bumps seem rather silly.

• A different – and frankly intriguing – approach to steak from Chicago’s El Che.

• Food Inflation actually lower in restaurants than at home.

• Subway expands into vending machines. Fresh?

• Chipotle testing cauliflower rice. Lo Carb/No Carb/Keto refuses to go away.

FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

• There is such a thing as sea grapes but this isn’t what they mean: because container delays, millions of pounds of Chilean grapes thrown into the ocean.

• The US has a well regulated seafood industry. But it is a dumping ground for illegal imports. In this case eels, main ingredient in Unagi.

• The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022. An effort to fix and avoid the problems of the last couple of years.

FOOD WEEK LAGNIAPPE

• I first became aware of the difference between nitrates and nitrites when I was shipping product to Venezuela and the regulators there didn’t understand there was a difference. A review, complete with health benefits and risks.

• A faster better cheaper way to make iced coffee? I have yet to try this Japanese method but one of my concerns would be the oily note that comes with pour-over. It would seem to be even more off putting for cold drink.

• Dad drinks for Dad’s Day