Welcome to Food Week July 18, 2025. A lot of confusion: Inflation not dead. Kraft Heinz merger not working. Changing food colors.Dessert for fine dining dinner. MIckey gets a speakeasy. The Francheezie. Why egg prices spiked, And is Coke going to sugar or not. Lots more. Enjoy!
MACRO
- Uh oh: Inflation roars back in June; food prices up 3% for the month.
- The US will incinerate 500 tons of food aid rather than using it.
- Trump says Coca Cola will stop using corn syrup, move to sugar. Coke says um maybe? Corn farmers say whelp.
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- Seemed inevitable knowing their customer base but Liquid Death is getting into the energy drink category.
- Higher meat prices are cutting in to BBQ menus.
- Another recall for Boar’s Head.
- Kraft Heinz considering a breakup.
- Switzerland putting cigarette style warning labels on meat.
Disco’d Foods: The 2003 Pop Tarts Yogurt Blast:
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- What you have been waiting for since you were a kid: Dessert only fine dining
- Starbuck’s secret menu.
- Food & Wine’s US restaurant of the year: Burdell in Oakland CA.
- The history of the Francheezie, the bacon wrapped deep fried hot dog of my youth.
- You now need a permit to be a bouncer in Indiana
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- No way? Whey: protein obsession has change what dairy products are valuable
- Trump Administration sues California over its cage free layer laws, saying it caused the spike in prices prices. (It didn’t, HPAI did,)
- 17% tariff announced on Mexican tomatoes. These imports contribute about $8.3 billion to the US economy and 50,000 jobs.
- The August Egg salmonella outbreak is over with 134 sicknesses and 1 death.
- Speaking of Mexico, the Greenwashing that goes on in the avocado industry.
- Canadian foods that tariffs may make unavailable. Honestly, I only heard of Poutine. OTH, will Yaupon, the only caffeinated plant native to the US, benefit from Brazilian tariffs?
DRINKS
- Distilleries declaring bankruptcy as the market decline – plus tariffs – making things difficult.
- Are Diageo tequilas really 100% blue agave? A lawsuit claims otherwise.
- A Speakeasy in,,. Disney World?
- The Groove Thing. The Cobra’s Fang (tiki). The Caipirinha, The Lychee Martini.
FOOD WEEK July 18 LAGNIAPPE
- Red out, blue in: The new dye regime will change the colors we associate with certain foods.
- It’s not just expensive to be poor, it is expensive to eat healthy
- Chia seed lemonade for weight loss.
- Orange Blossom Water transforms a lot of things .
- The rise of the ice cube tray.
- More blueberry advocacy.