Food Week June 13, 2025

Welcome to Food Week June 13, 2025. Happy Flag Day to those who observe. Robust update to make up for last week’s merely cromulent effort. Recalls, Forever chemicals and government hijinks are the constants but there’s lots more. Enjoy.

MACRO

• Low inflation makes financial markets happy.

• New head of the FDA says they are going to get rid of the Food Pyramid. We haven’t had the Food Pyramid for 14 years

• PETA names the most vegan friendly city in the US and it is…Chicago?

RETAIL AND CONSUMER

• Aldi going all in on price reductions.

• Salmonella outbreak from eggs has spread over 9 states, sickening at least 79 people. FDA used Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to track the source to August Eggs in California.

• Cereal brands to lower cholesterol.

• Diet Cherry Coke comes back.

• SNAP to be cut up to $300 billion.

• The battle in California. No not that one, the one over soda taxes.

• Don’t pay for basil: here’s how to have an endless supply.

• CPG brands begin to raise prices in the face of tariffs.

RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE

• I grew up thinking Saganaki (Greek flaming cheese) was an old tradition. It is likely not as old as me.

• The top 500 restaurant chains from Technomic.

• Dickey’s (#168) has left a wake of broke and unhappy franchisees.

• Maybe you don’t want to think about it but ever consider how many people touch your food before it gets to you?

• Strawberries Arnaud.

• Dave’s Hot Chicken (#89) started with $900. It just sold for a cool billion.

• Restaurant reservations are a mess.

FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

• AIrborne feces from swine factory farms.

• Chinese have developed a new strain of rice that can withstand, among others environmental challenges, high levels of salinity.

• USDA trade report pulled from circulation after it showed an increase in agricultural trade deficit.

• Fairlife seems to be using nighttime deliveries of milk to avoid scrutiny of shady producers.

• Empty containers and canceled shipments are throwing sand in the gears of food logistics.

• Strategies agricultural workers are using to get through ICE raids. Example of what the raids are like from an Omaha meat plant.

DRINKS

• The Alma Tepec – a chile based Mexican liqueur – sounds pretty amazing.

• I have stored – and liked – tequila and gin in the freezer. This article says you shouldn’t. I will probably ignore it.

• The oldest cocktails that are still served today.

• The rum that was the basis for the Mai Tai goes extinct.

• Good summer cocktails: The Rhubarbra Streisand. The Limoncello Spritz. The Whipped Margarita.

FOOD WEEK June 13 LAGNIAPPE

• Cockroach milk. Yes, you heard right.

• Forget protein; you need more fiber. Also bad diet advice.

• Good news/bad news: Levels of PFAs are actually down in the food chain; bad news is they are finding them in ‘natural’ foods, like seafood, eggs and brown rice.

• 50 regional foods – tipicos – from Mexico.

• For the umpteenth time, coffee is good or you.