Welcome to Food Week April 18, 2025. Americans say they want the return of manufacturing. Americans say they hate food inflation. Americans are uninterested in working in factories or agricultural jobs. Immigrants are willing to work in factory jobs and pick crops. Many Americans want to deport immigrants. There seems to be a contradiction. Oh yeah, food stuff as well.
MACRO
- Energy products are disguising the increase in import prices. But that won’t last long as tariffs kick in.
- Consumers worried about being unemployed. Also, business confidence double plus ungood right now:
- Factory jobs for thee but not for me: Americans don’t think they should work in factories.
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- Are grocery prices going down? Trump says yes, reality disagrees. Also the 10 things that food shoppers cut first.
- This isn’t greenwashing as much as green erasing: Coca Cola quietly eliminates pollution commitments.
- The magic boxed cake mix.
- While this is an interesting article about eggs and consumer shopping habits, the factoid that somehow eggs were .42 in Illinois last year is absurd.
- Did you know that sprouted potatoes can make you sick? (Yes).
- Is formal dining at home dead?
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- Chili’s has developed a very successful strategy by comparing value versus fast food offerings.
- The local restaurant trend trending in airports.
- Local Fox news survey claims 40% of DC restaurants will close in a year because of increase in worker wages. Evidence tells us otherwise but we’ll check back.
- McDonald’s in Japan eschews bun for a rice layer for burger.
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- The orange juice crisis in Florida has gotten so bad that a grower decided to shift to direct to consumer rather than trying to produce at scale.
- Plastics in bratwurst.
- The reason Europe does not buy American chicken is more related to the use of chlorine than it is to protectionism.
- General ignorance on HPAI from the Secretary of HHS
- Funding for bird flu research to come from cuts to local food banks.
DRINKS
- Economizing at cocktail bars. OTH, a $41k cocktail found in, where else, Dubai.
- Adding salt to your peaty malts.
- Airport duty free shops are a great resource when shopping for rare bourbons.
- The Mickey Finn. The Brancolada. The Gin Blossom. 2 ingredient cocktails. About the Pimm’s Cup, a spring favorite
FOOD WEEK April 18 LAGNIAPPE
- Beurre Monte is a simple kitchen hack that improves anything.
- Evidence that PR from opposing interests (Hint: Cargill, Smithfield) fueled backlash to plant based diet climate study.
- The gut bacteria akkermansia mucinphila prevents obesity. But it’s tricky
- Italians serve espresso with sparkling water. Here’s why
- Physicists teach you how to use less coffee for your pour overs.