Welcome to Food Week June 14, 2024. Cicadapocalypse seems to be subsiding just in time for a heat wave. Links this week include some longer reads like how deregulation and consolidation led to price fixing, a report on the main source of higher food costs, the problem with Florida’s orange crop and Chiquita who has been making payments to murderous paramilitary groups. Enjoy?
MACRO
- Solar giants are producing more energy than big oil.
- How Airline deregulation led to price fixing everywhere.
- Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk under pressure in its own country as regulators struggle with the cost/benefit analysis.
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- The Bittman Project comes to a conclusion we’ve been pushing here at fork pitch for while: The high cost of food is largely due to increased margins by manufacturers and vendors
- Via food and water, we ingest a credit card worth of plastic each week. Here are tips on creating a low plastic diet.
- Kroger is giving out free pints of ice cream at their stores on Thursday – the longest day of the year.
- GoodPop releases hydrating ice pop, which just seems to make sense.
- Are Millennials trading shopping for brands with values for simply lower prices?
- People are describing grocery treasure hunts, looking for the best deals at multiple outlets. I remian dedicated to the Costco Safari.
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- Restaurant chain Cava was a hot IPO and the stock continues to soar.
- Barista uses a hammer to smash windshield of threatening customer.
- The hot trend for new NY restaurants is… French. Plus ca change, I guess.
- QSR chains saw 3% drop in traffic after prices were increased after the new minimum wage law. But chains reporting they are able to get better workers at the $20 per hour wage.
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- The world cannot get enough avocados. And they really are good for us.
- If the developers don’t get you, the psyllids will. The sturggles of Florida orange growers.
- The incidence of antibiotic resistant infections continues to grow, but pig producers are still fattening with antibiotics,even after a 2017 ban.
- Olklahoma’s Governor signs a law giving poultry companies immunity from water pollution suits unless they violate a specific law. yes this is terrible and it is aimed at actions by tribal groups about fouled waterways.
- Hershey’s seems to get serious about sustainable cocoa sourcing.
DRINK CORNER
- Chobani founder re-opening Anchor Brewing, will have to work some things out with the unions.
- The best ready-made margartia mix? Panel of experts say it it Tommy’s and it is not even close.
- The 30 minute rule for serving wine at the right temperature.
- Beer wine hybrids will be the next big thing. You heard it here first.
- And while we’re being introduced to new brews, how about coca-beer from Bolivia
FOOD WEEK JUNE 14 LAGNIAPPE
- Chiquita found liable wherein they supported a paramilitary group with payments, which then went out and killed union organizers.
- In a city in India, people swallow live fish as acure for asthma.
- Changing from a meat heavy to plant based diet decreases risk of heart disease, unless you replace meat with Ultra Processed Foods (UPF). In that case your risk goes up.
- The world’s greatest eater of hot dogs, Joey Chestnut, banned from the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest due to over-shilling for Impossible Foods. So now he is going one oon one versus his greatest rival on Netflix.
- So you want to be a water judge…