Welcome to Food Week August 21 -27, 2023. Now with more wacky pictures. And interesting stories, too. Big grocer is watching. Everybody gets a Costco. Hidden allergens. PFAs. Consolidation everywhere you look. Hot dog stand trolling. Bacon Jesus. And more. Enjoy!
MACRO
- Inflation seems manageable at this point but the Fed is sticking to a 2% target. And so, interest rate increases still possible.
- Real estate in the doldrums. Will 1% down payments help?
- After years of stories about the inevitability of the dominance of China, and the political capital that comes with creating a bogeyman, lots of stories about its impending doom.
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- How much Walmart do you want in your life? The big retailers are betting billions on building omnichannel Retail Marketing Networks (RMN) to seamlessly connect all consumer digital and web experience to the in-store experience. This has obvious implications for search, privacy, competitors, consumer product and the store brand itself. Much more to come on this.
- The last two states – Rhode Island and Maine – each get their first Costco.
- I guess smacking your kids with an egg is fun but some are worried about toddlers. And salmonella.
- Food deserts coming to rural areas? Consolidation threatens areas with loss of remaining one store. And many areas have no independents, thanks to Walmart.
- Terrible, shocking news. Ginger Ale isn’t really good for you and doesn’t help you get better.
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- Subway acquired by owner of Dunkin’, Arby’s
- Sure are a lot of chain restaurant closures these days.
- Listeria Milkshakes from restaurant kill 3 in Washington.
- Hanky panky with PPP loans at Maple & Ash uncovered by new investors.
- You just can’t win. Bamboo and paper straws have more PFAs (forever chemicals) than plastic.
- The Weiner’s Circle – Chicago hot dog landmark – is trolling again:
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- Agricultural practices contributed significantly to the Lahaina fire.
- There are many good arguments for reducing the scale of chicken and egg production. Stopping the spread of Avian Influenza isn’t one of them. Outdoor birds are exposed to the carriers of disease whereas indoor birds are not. But it doesn’t stop people from trying to make the case.
- Allergens are often not obvious in labeling and foods science and processing can make them more obscure.
- The top methane emitter in the state of California is a cattle feed lot. But regulators ignore this.
- Riparian and aquatic plants and animals have long been collateral victims of pesticides. EPA finally addressing this but it’s tricky.
FOOD WEEK AUGUST 21 LAGNIAPPE
- This is something I was actually pretty good at: how to take your kids to restaurants.
- I prefer to work through lunch most days. I really oughtn’t.
- Infinite tomatoes? Well maybe, at least till the weather changes.
- The geography aside, here are the technical and fermentation differences between prosecco and champagne.
- Tis the season for an apricot tortoni.
- People find God in lots of places:
