Welcome to Food Week June 7, 2024. This week was too much. Too much plastic in your cutting boards, too much salmonella in your cream cheese, too much lead in your snacks, too much bird flu in your cows and not enough pistachios in your ice cream. Enjoy!
MACRO
- Economy isn’t done hiring yet – May has stronger than expected jobs report. And wages outstripping inflation,
- There’s less drought in the country at any time since 2020
- Mexican man dies from heretofore unknown strain of Avian Influenza
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- Massive recall – almost a million packages – of cream cheese because of salmonella.
- Plastic cutting boards create micro-plastics that you then ingest. Other ways to avoid micro-plastics.
- Is Walmart moving to Uber style pricing.
- Avocado propaganda. Yes, we know. They are very good for us.
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- Can Flavor Flav save Red Lobster?
- Can Cracker Barrel change their demographic
- Cold Stone should really put pistachios in their pistachio ice cream.
- California legislature backsliding on legislation to remove junk fees from restaurant bills.
- There is a lot more variance in chain menu pricing than you’d think.
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- Raw milk continues to gain momentum regardless of e coli, avian influenza.
- There are millions of acres of unused farm land. There are numerous reasons but common one is drying up of ground water.
- Lesser Evil, more lead. Highest level of lead seen in years in snack food.
- Food waste to meat alternative in 48 hours.
DRINK CORNER
- Black wines the next big thing?
- Anchor Steam back from the dead. Also is Suntory about to becone a player in American beer industry?
- New hot spot for cocktails in the Italian countryside.
- How to irritate bartenders.
FOOD WEEK JUNE 7 LAGNIAPPE
- The clock is ticking on decaf. Soon, the main chemical for most decaf coffees will be banned.
- You won’t be shocked to learn that President Taft ate a 12 ounce steak everyday at breakfast.
- Long story about the struggles of French wine makers during Nazi occupation.
- Soaking mangos in tequila and lime juice sounds like a good idea.
- 6 foods that are more hydrating than water.