Welcome to Food Week May 9, 2025. Happy New Pope! He’s born in Chicago, raised near our plant, is a White Sox fan and spent most of his life in Peru (half our family) so I get to call him Father Bob. Many food things this week as always as we reel from tariff chaos. Enjoy
MACRO
- Financial market remain cautiously optimistic in hopes of tariff retreat.
- However, why the Chaos Monkey approach to tariffs is a bad idea.
- Is ICE targeting restaurants owned by reporters for raids?
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- Seed oil bans could cost consumers billions.
- Is Yuka a good way to eat healthy or a channel for misinformation and bad science? Yes.
- Overall grocery spending by Hispanics has fallen; tip of the spear?
- Pepsi is no longer in top 3 of US soda brands.
- Federal government requiring states to share SNAP data which will not make the program more efficient.
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- Seed oil avoidance could cost restaurants margin
- McDonalds drops price fixing suit against Cargill, who also happens to be one of their largest suppliers.
- The QR code really seems to be dead for menus
- Alinea -at times called the best restaurant in the world – turns 20.
- Should you really order a sandwich at a sit down restaurant? It isn’t where the best sandwiches are and they tend to be over-priced.
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- Organic farming continues to decline over cots and obscure climate benefits.
- FDA approves gene-edited pigs for human consumption. Using fermented millet in breads.
- Another push to get the federal government or the courts to overturn California’s Prop 12 laws on pork production
- South African and Peruvian exporters chose to do deals in Europe rather than US due to tariff uncertainty.
- Even if you think the USDA is bloated, does 15000 employees leaving the agency make you feel safer or better? Why the buyouts failed. And now they are scrambling to fill key roles.
DRINKS
- Whiskey colors as a tell. And is tequila really healthier?
- A super high ABV IPA as a counterpoint. Also, beer myths.
- Struggling distilleries start filing for bankruptcy. But the oldest running distiller re-opened in time for the Derby
- What is Zebra striping? Alternating non-alcoholic beers to help keep it together. And a low alcohol dry martini.
- A map to show where beers are most contaminated by bad water. And below the most popular beer by state:
FOOD WEEK May 9 LAGNIAPPE
- To address celiac disease, Researchers creating methods for removing harmful proteins in wheat,
- Just one dose of Erythritol can harm vascular system
- Salmon isn’t the only healthy fat fish out there. Shad may be better for you . The only thing holding it back is the 700 bones.
- Hack to dispose of used cooking oil.
- Old school breakfasts. People who ate these are dead. Many are dead because of these breakfasts
- Fart Walking your way to health.
- Finally, a list of cooking tips to ignore by people who seem to know little about cooking or have impaired taste buds or don’t understand food safety.