Food Week September 5 – 11, 2022

Welcome to Food Week September 5 -11, 2022. An action packed week in a crazy world where lobsters threatening whales, abuelitas are you tube stars, your car pays for your drive thru, sandwiches are made from fruit and and Burger King has gone full King Lear. All this and more sound and fury, signifying the food world. Enjoy

MACRO

• The dollar is strong and getting stronger versus other currencies. Great for imports, great for travelers, not great for exports. Increasing interest rates will make it even worse.

• The Queen of England died. It’s about the least of their problems.

• A Ukrainian offensive.

RETAIL AND CONSUMER

• Impossible Foods reduces coconut oil and potato protein and adds protein content to make it lower in fat than beef – all as part of the attempt to de-plateau growth.

• Imperfect has a new corporate overlord.

• The two biggest issues for grocers – supply chain and labor supply.

• As we’ve been warning, egg and turkey prices to remain high through the end of the year.

• Is grocery shopping more than errand (or a chore)? Is this unique to individuals or can it be learned?

RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE

• Uber Eats committing to autonomous (driverless) delivery.

• Burger King Lear? The chain seems somewhat addled.

• 100 best pizzerias in the would. Compilers are not fans of deep dish.

• Car pay for drive thru is coming.

FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

• Drought in India has caused them to restrict exports of rice. India’s is the world’s largest rice exporter.

• Farms really need workers by they also want free rein on how they treat those workers. Meanwhile, OSHA isn’t enforcing pesticide rules.

• Food Insecurity for families lowest in 20 years. It helps to have programs diverting produce headed for landfill yields 250 million pounds for people in need.

• Lobster pots endanger right whales.

• Zero COVID causing port closures in China again.

• A middle way for meat consumption and climate change. I mean, when the French are fighting among themselves over meat…

FOOD WEEK SEPTEMBER 5 LAGNIAPPE

• An environmentally responsible coffee pod. Is being poured over ice? Data suggest that coffee is consumed more often cold than hot.

• The hot new You Tube cooking star: a Mexican Abuelita Dona Angela.

• Food safety getting worse, not better in US.

• Fruit Sandos are fruit sandwiches common in Japan and renowned for their whimsical and clever designs.

• Artificial sweeteners linked to heart disease, after being linked to obesity. Arguments for dwindling…

• You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means. Curry kinda means ‘spiced sauce’ but in a vague and linguistically corrupted Tamil. It means Indian food to Americans. But to South Asians it means pretty much nothing but spices.

• The best way to open a can without a can opener.