Welcome to Food Week September 11 – 17, 2023. Shana Tova. (Here’s a menu for Rosh Hashanah). So many things to talk about. Coke had AI design a new flavor but if it ever makes it to McDonalds you won’t get it at the self serve station. Speaking of AI, not really your friend for identifying poisonous mushrooms. Huanglongbing may be fun to say but it is pretty scary as it threatens lemons and limes. And more. Enjoy
MACRO
- Low inflation = higher consumer confidence.
- Workers walking off the job in strike against big three auto companies.
- The impending budget hostage crisis will cut food support for 3.5 million children.
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- In an effort to further integrate the blood sugar supply chain, Smuckers acquires Hostess.
- Coca Cola lets AI design a new flavor.
- J’accuse! French retailer adds ‘shrinkflation’ label to CPG products that change pack size.
- Instacart is going public after making a bunch of money. Not in delivering groceries, but in advertising.
- The long demise of breakfast cereal.
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- McDonald’s is giving up on self-serve drink stations.
- California to make employers pay for training. Actually the NRA (no, the other one) charges workers for their ServSafe program and uses the money to lobby against improvements in worker pay and conditions.
- 38 restaurants and bars of historical significance.
- A review of various tipped minimum wage bans.
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- Should you forage for Mushrooms using AI? NO!
- As if things weren’t bad enough for alt-proteins, an expose on the production conditions in which labs grow meat.
- New legislation to try and evaluate consolidation in meat and poultry industries.
- A podcast on the struggles with making vertical farming work.
- Huanglongbing is a bacteria has citrus growers very nervous. And it spreading.
FOOD WEEK LAGNIAPPE
- There are a LOT of bio-chemical processes at work in creating a bourbon.
- Forever chemicals in our bodies got there largely thanks to food,
- 17 vegetarian recipes for the Dutch oven.
- In praise of food tourism
- Sours. Because they are delicious.