Welcome to Food Week Dublin Up, June 28, 2024. We’ve been traveling in Ireland for the last week and a half so giving you a double dose of weekly update. Misinformation everywhere: solar panels and farm land, food health and safety on social media, greenwashing, brands exiting Russia, actual protein you really need and frogs in milk. Sort it out!
MACRO
- The Supreme Court strikes down the Chevron ruling, meaning courts will have a much greater say than regulatory agenies in interpreting laws. This may have profound effects on food and food safety regulation.
- Janet Yellen dismisses sticker shock and almost gets to the truth about higher prices: margins were the key driver
- Are Americans giving up on home ownership?
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- Consumers more likley to use social media for food health and nutrition information, which is a terrible trend.
- The Walgreens acquisition of Boots has been not great.
- Winning a prize for making a cool statement about recycling without really promoting recycling. By Coca Cola.
- Speaking of shady Coke behavior, they, and other brands, pledged to leave Russia after invasion of Ukraine. They are still there. Pepsi too. And Subway.
- More toxic chemicals found in bottled water – a 5 year old in critical condition.
- Trying to get people to eat dark chocolate.
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- Restaurants are exempt from Californua’s new anti-junk fee law.
- Fast food is moving fast away from dining-in because they want faster and faster transactions.
- Here in Dublin, it is actually hard to leave a tip. You have to carry some small bills or coins. The basic transactions with a credit car doesn’t have a tip space. Workers seem fine with it because they are well compensated. American workers would be fine with that too,
- The Bear new season dropped. Haven’t tuned in yet but the critics are out.
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- If you are going to create cultured meat, why does it have to be cows, pigs and chicken? What about tigers, cockatoos or extinct animals?
- 25 largest food companies in the world.
- Strong correlation between pesticides and Parkinson’s.
- Lot of unwarranted concern about solar panels eating up farm land.
- The government tries to get Danes to eat more vegetables. Their cuisine and their culture tell us this will be a challenge.
DRINK CORNER
- The Kentucky Bourbon trail keeps adding stops.
- A history of Pilsner – the world’s most popular beer style.
- One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, and four of weak. The first cocktails were tea punches.
- There has been a world-wide shortage of Yellow Chartreuse for two years. Damn monks just won’t hurry. Here are people who are making Chartreuse themselves.
- Speakeasy recommendation: The Blind Pig in Dublin. Wonderful drink program and super engaging principal in Andrew. Of several spectacular concoctions, my favorite was the U.P. whichi uses Mexcal, Witches digestif (strega?) Bergamot and sour juice.
FOOD WEEK DUBLIN UP LAGNIAPPE
- Dying with onion skins.
- How you can tell you are getting too much protein.
- 3 fool-proof methods to tell if you are using good olive oil.
- Yikes. Micro-plastics discovered in human penises.
- Before refrigertors, Russians used to keep milk fresh with frogs. No really.
- The ginger cow. The drink.