Food Week September 12 – 19, 2022

Welcome to Food Week September 12. A short week with the holiday but a lot of stuff on innovations. New antioxidant tomato, a huge new vertical farm, White Castle rolling out burger bites and a new Guinness NA. Innovations in self checkout aren’t really working as planned. And the inventor of $2 Chuck has gone to the big wine box in the sky. Enjoy!

MACRO

RETAIL AND CONSUMER

  • Grocery delivery still not profitable, despite claims that that was its focus.
  • Hurricane Kay messed up produce shipments. Even higher prices on the way for items coming from Mexico and Central America
  • EDITORIAL: Costco’s self checkout is an unpleasant experience. The large sizes make then hard to scan, the registers are too close together and requires help from employees anyway. I love Costco but I surely hope that don’t significantly reduce regular registers.

RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE

  • I stan Popeye’s although their inconsistency – location to location- holds them back from being a truly reliable go-to. But many chefs state it is the best fried chicken, bar none.
  • White Castle rolls out mini-burger bites. Because, really, who can eat a whole slider?

FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

  • The anti-GMO was animated by Anti-Monsanto. The next generation may be able to talk to consumers about benefits. A GMO Purple Tomato is coming that will have the same antioxidant benefits as berries.
  • Supply chain and inflation means $13 beers at Oktoberfest this year.
  • Police in Alameda County improve community relations through running an urban farm.

FOOD WEEK SEPTEMBER 12 LAGNIAPPE

  • Information about achiote and how to use it.
  • Do you like aged cheese? How about 2600 year old cheese found in a necropolis in Egypt? Didn’t think so.
  • Finally, Guinness non-alcoholic beer is the closest anyone has come to recreating it’s original product. It is excellent and refreshing and even cascades like the genuine article. Try it!

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