Food Trucks face-off at Tom Dinsdale Automotive - KSNB Local 4

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - Tom Dinsdale Automotive in Grand Island had more than just cars on the lot on Saturday. The car dealership hosted its first-ever Food Truck Rally where nearly a dozen food trucks competed to be the best.

While people were chowing down on food, they also got to vote for their favorite truck.

“You can vote for your favorite food truck and at the end the ones who gets the most votes, we make a cash donation to their favorite charity,” said owner Tom Dinsdale.

Dinsdale got the idea from one of his employees and thought it would be a great a event to put on for the community.

“He put this deal together and we did a little advertising. We had about a dozen food trucks here yesterday and again today. We had a good turnout,” Dinsdale said. “Some of them said they couldn’t be here today but they got along so well yesterday, they decided to come back anyway.”

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Tickets sales begin for tasting event Food That Rocks - Reporter Newspapers

The only food pantry in Kamas, after closing in May, is looking to reopen - The Park Record

The former home of the Kamas food pantry. It closed its doors May 1 and is looking to reopen a location in Kamas this fall.
Alexander Cramer/Park Record

Ears of corn poked out of a cardboard box of donated food on the porch of the former Kamas food pantry on Thursday, their donor apparently unaware the pantry closed its doors months before.

The Kamas food pantry, run by Community Action Services and Food Bank, was the only pantry in Kamas before it closed May 1, leaving some community members without a key source of support.

While the Provo-based nonprofit works to open a temporary location, the closest pantries to South Summit are in Heber and Park City, with another operating in Coalville.

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The pantry was in the small building next to the former South Summit Fire Station at the corner of Main Street and the Mirror Lake Highway.

Tom Hogan, Community Action Services and Food Bank’s chief operations officer, said the pantry had been a staple in Kamas since at least 2005 and helped 25-30 families in a typical month.

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“It was a hard decision,” Hogan said of closing the pantry. “Basically, the property we had been in for a number of years sold and the new landlord decided that he was going to take the land and renovate it, do something new with it. We entered into a short-term lease and it became very apparent that we just weren’t going to be in there long term.”

The South Summit Fire District sold the property in February and it is now owned by an LLC of which Ryan Stark is one of two members.

Stark said he is looking to redevelop the former fire station and pantry site, but that it was never his intention to kick the food pantry out of its home.

“We wanted to keep them there,” Stark said. “If rent was too high, 100% we would’ve had a conversation — we would’ve had any conversation.”

Stark said that when the LLC bought the land and two buildings, he took steps to professionalize the relationship the pantry had formerly had with the fire district. That involved establishing the terms of a lease and memorializing it in a contract.

He said he hadn’t had much conversation with the pantry and that the pantry vacated the building after the first month the lease was in effect.

“We never said they had to leave, that’s for sure. I’d rather be getting some rent there,” Stark said. “… We were more than happy to have them there for as long as it made sense.”

Hogan said the rent increased when the pantry signed the new lease, but indicated he didn’t feel it was malicious.

“Our lease had never been changed in the amount of time it had been there. We were paying considerably less than fair market value,” Hogan said.

He said a combination of factors drove the pantry to abandon the location, including the increased rent and the fact that the pantry would eventually have to leave when the buildings were redeveloped.

“It wasn’t unjust, it was just unsustainable,” he said of the new arrangement.

Stark plans to convert the former fire station — the large, white, rectangular building on the corner — into a restaurant, and to use the former food pantry location as a coffee shop.

The pantry was in one of the oldest buildings in Kamas, and it was also once the city’s jail. Hogan said there are remnants of a jail cell in the building’s basement.

Stark presented the outline of the redevelopment plan to the Kamas Planning Commission in June and commissioners indicated they were open to the idea.

Hogan said the nonprofit hopes to return a food pantry to Kamas soon and that it is working on a temporary solution that could be deployed in a matter of months.

Kamas Mayor Matt McCormick said the pantry was important to the community and indicated he hopes it can return soon.

“It would be great to get one back, it’s just hard to find a spot,” he said.

Hogan said the nonprofit recently secured a grant to buy a mobile pantry.

“Think, if you will, a Bookmobile for food distribution,” he said, adding that the truck has both refrigerated and non-refrigerated portions that will allow patrons access to similar food options.

“We want to make sure that we’re back in the mid-fall,” Hogan said. “My target is to have it up and established in October. We would really like to coordinate with the start of school, that’s when families get into a routine.”

Hogan also said the nonprofit has its eye on a building for a permanent location in Kamas.

“We have been part of the Kamas community for quite a while … and we want to be back,” he said.

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Food Fight: FAPC hosts Oklahoma 4-H Food Showdown | Local News | theadanews.com - Theadanews

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Deva'Licious Soul Food to offer unique dining option, expected to open this fall - The Owensboro Times

Iceyonna Johnson started Deva’Licious Soul Food two years ago in a concession stand. She now want

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Food Co-op Kokua Market Survives to 50, But Not Without Rough Patches - Hawaiipublicradio

What is it like for a business to be employee-owned? Does a cooperative really work? Kokua Market, once known as Kokua Country Foods, is a food cooperative that has lived in Honolulu's university area since 1971 — it's 50 years old this year. Barely. The market managed to survive years of construction for the University of Hawaiʻi dorm next door, then COVID-19, and most recently, the first round in a bruising battle to find a new general manager.

HPR's Noe Tanigawa visited the store on King Street just Diamond Head of University Avenue to speak with interim General Manager Margaret Croxford, and Assistant Manager Kayla Rosenfeld. You may remember Kayla Rosenfeld from her term as News Director at Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Croxford has been bookkeeper at Kokua for four years and says the store was doing well until about five years ago.

Noe Tanigawa

Kayla Rosenfeld, Kokua Market's assistant manager on left

"We had a general manager that came from the mainland, he didn't have contacts with our local farmers, our local businesses. And so primarily brought in everything from the mainland that could have been purchased at Safeway or anywhere else," Croxford said. "So it was kind of a tough time because people stopped coming, they couldn't come and get the items that they looked forward to."

Kokua Market offers things you may not find elsewhere — brownies made with Waiʻanae Gold Kiawe flour, highly nutritious, and locally brewed beverages of course, including mead from Manoa Meadery. They have sausages and prime cuts from Makana Meats — they even have local venison shumai.

There’s also local produce, papayas, bananas, lychee, and they carry raw local pet food. They are one of two Bitcoin locations on Oʻahu. Also, they’ve got local kombucha and nitro coffee on tap. And the New York Times on Sundays.

Click the "Listen" button to hear the interview with Margaret Croxford and Kayla Rosenfeld on The Aloha Friday Conversation on July 30, 2021.

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St. Vincent De Paul Invites Residents To Tea To Support Food Pantry Efforts - Osprey Observer

Tickets are now on sale for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s annual tea event.

All ladies and little ladies are cordially invited to attend the St. Vincent de Paul Annual Ladies Tea, which benefits the food pantry and financial assistance program. Last year, during the pandemic, the pantry stayed open and gave out over 18,000 lbs. of food and $64,600 in financial aid for rent and utilities. The majority of the funds are given to the group by parishioners. This tea is the group’s only fundraiser.

“We are greatly indebted to the ladies and gentlemen who dedicate themselves to supporting our ministry,” said Liz McLaughlin with the pantry.

Attendees may be a hostess for a table and set it with their own dishes or paper products.
“Choose a theme for your table if you wish and invite all your friends to join you or come and join someone else’s table and meet new ladies,” said McLaughlin.

The menu includes delicious tea, traditional scones, tea sandwiches and desserts served as a buffet, with each person selecting their items that will be served to them. Younger ladies may choose an optional menu of PB&J sandwiches, juice and desserts. They are invited to decorate flowered headbands and model their creations in a parade.

New this year is the entertainment provided by St. Stephen Catholic School Music Group. Raffle prizes include a 55” smart TV, iPad Air and Magnolia and Vine Versa purse.

All money from ticket sales and donations go to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to assist those in need. Additional monetary donations beyond the $20 per person would be greatly appreciated. The group requests that laundry soap be donated to help those who come to the pantry in need of this expensive product.

Please make checks payable to SVDP. For more information or reservations, please call Arlene Stein 284-5884 or arstein@outlook.com. The deadline for reservations is Wednesday, September 8.

Can’t make it? Make an online donation of the price of a ticket at svdpriverviewfl.org by September 8 and you will still be eligible for the raffle prizes.

The event will take place on Saturday, September 18 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Family Life Center of St. Stephen Church Catholic Church, located at 10118 St. Stephen Cir. in Riverview.

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Food trucks return to Daley Plaza - Chicago Sun-Times

Visiting Chicago for the first time, Joanna Rakoff got lost on her way to the Chicago Art Institute and ended up at Daley Plaza on Friday.

There, she found a crowd of people waiting to grab lunch from one of four food trucks.

It was the return of the weekly Food Truck Fest, which had taken a year off due to the pandemic. The trucks will be back every Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., through Oct. 15.

Joanna Rakoff enjoys a cupcake in Daley Plaza on Friday

Sam Heller/ Sun Times

Rakoff, an author, loves food trucks, from taco trucks in LA to the ones in Cambridge, N.Y. where she lives now. So rather than hurry on to the Art Institute, she stopped to see what Chicago’s trucks had to offer.

Friday, the lineup was A Sweet Girl, Chicago Lunchbox, The Fat Shallot and Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp.

Rakoff, who has Celiac disease, said it’s hard to find good gluten-free desserts. So she was happily surprised that A Sweet Girl offers them, and bought a pink vanilla cupcake — “the best gluten-free cupcake I have ever had,” said Rakoff (her latest book, “My Salinger Year,” is now a movie).

“I haven’t been to a food truck since before the pandemic,” Rakoff said. “So, I wound up here and said ‘Oh, I am going to eat a cupcake for lunch today.’”

Rakoff was not the only person enjoying A Sweet Girl; by 3 p.m., the truck was almost sold out.

“Today went great,” said Anna Wu, owner and operator of A Sweet Girl. “I really appreciate everyone coming out to support us.”

Anna Wu sells cupcakes from her food truck in Daley Plaza on Friday

Sam Heller/ Sun-Times

Like the other trucks there, A Sweet Girl had been in Daley Plaza before the pandemic, she said.

Back then, though, there might be 10 or more trucks, said Isaac Gomez, who manages the Fat Shallot truck.

Like Wu, Gomez also had a good day, moving plenty of sandwiches; their BLT was the top seller.

Alvalyn Neal-Gardner eats fried shrimp for lunch in Daley Plaza on Friday

Sam Heller/Sun-Times

Alvalyn Neal-Gardner had heard some time ago that the food trucks would be returning. She works nearby, so she’d been coming every week, to see if they were there.

Her dedication was rewarded on Friday, when she got to try the fried shrimp from Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp. It was delicious, she said.

There’s a downside to eating at plaza, though: the flocks of pigeons waiting for handouts, she said.

“I like all the food choices here,” Neal-Gardner said. “The birds, not so much.”

Jeff Singer enjoys fried shrimp in Daley Plaza on Friday

Sam Heller/Sun-Times

Jeff Singer, who also works in the area, had not heard about the trucks. So he was pleasantly surprised to see them when he left for his lunch break, especially because many of his favorite places closed during the pandemic.

Like Neal-Gardner, Singer had the shrimp. It was great — but more than anything, he said, it’s great having the food trucks back.

“The farmers market is back, the food trucks are back. It is like life is coming back to normal,” he said. “I love it.”

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Massachusetts’ best burger can be found in Boston, says Food and Wine - MassLive.com

If you’re searching for the state’s best burger this summer, you can head straight to Cambridge, according to Food and Wine.

The food magazine recently debuted a list detailing its selection of the best burger in each state in the U.S. and crowns Cambridge’s Craigie on Main’s burger as the number one burger in Massachusetts.

According to Food and Wine, Chef-owner Tony Maws set out to create a burger he would enjoy when he crafted Craigie on Main’s burger. Turns out lots of folks enjoy it, too.

“Getting your hands around one in pre-pandemic times was a whole rigamarole,” the magazine writes. “These days, a few taps on your phone and you’ve got one to go—grass-fed local beef, cheddar from Vermont, lettuce, red onions, and a housemade ketchup spiked with mace, on a perfect roll from Clear Flour Bakery, one of Food & Wine’s 100 best bakeries in America.”

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Chemists discover a key to greener food production - Phys.org

Shining blue light on iridium gets it “excited,” giving it the energy to bump into the anthracene molecule and transfer a hydrogen atom,making a weak bond. The iridium catalyst then activates hydrogen gas, completing the cycle. Credit: Princeton University

Arguably the most important (if least well known) industrial advancement of the 20th century, the Haber-Bosch ammonia synthesis process essentially conquered food scarcity by creating the means to mass produce fertilizer—fertilizer then used to fortify food harvests around the world.

But the production of ammonia—the building block for ammonium nitrate fertilizer—generates a problematic byproduct down the line: carbon dioxide. Lots of it: more than two tons of carbon for every ton of fertilizer. It accounts for an estimated 1.4% of global carbon dioxide emissions. So, while the process countered mass starvation, it also began ratcheting up the planet's burden of greenhouse gasses.

One of the main goals before scientists today is de-coupling food production from carbon. In part, this means finding a way to produce fertilizer through carbon-free ammonia synthesis. Can it be done without Haber-Bosch?

Paul Chirik, the Edwards S. Sanford Professor in Chemistry, has taken an important step towards this possibility with a unique, fundamental approach to the synthesis of chemical bonds. He and the researchers in his lab use visible light to drive the formation of weak element-hydrogen bonds, which lie at the heart of the challenge because they are so difficult to make.

The lab's proof-of-concept paper, published this month in Nature Chemistry, lays out a simple method that involves shining blue light on an iridium catalyst to enable the formation of weak bonds at or near thermodynamic potential—that is, with no massive outlays of energy—without a carbon byproduct.

"The big breakthrough here is being able to take light and then promote a chemical reaction to make a bond that's really weak, that you couldn't do without an external stimulus," said Chirik. "In the past, that stimulus has been coupled with making waste or consumption of electricity. Here, we're doing it with light.

"We have this world of metal catalysts that have done amazing things—they've made ammonia, they've made drugs, they've made polymers. Now, we can do even more with them when we start looking at what happens when these catalysts absorb light," he added. "So, you're taking something that did really cool chemistry before and you're juicing it with another 50 kilocalories.

"A whole world opens up. Suddenly, there's a new class of reactions we can think about doing."

Shine a light

E-H bonds are simply a way of denoting any bonds you might make between hydrogen and another element. E-H bond strengths are highly dependent on the chemical structure of each element, but many of these bonds are weak—unstable and inclined to break easily and form hydrogen (H₂). Most chemical reactions are driven by the formation of strong bonds, as energy is released when more stable products are formed. It is the assembly of weak bonds that poses the challenge.

The Chirik lab has found a way to make a weak bond by shining light on a catalyst; in this case, iridium.

This is how it works: Researchers chose a representative organic molecule, anthracene, which acts as a kind of platform on which the chemistry takes place inside the reaction flask. Shining blue light on iridium inside the flask gets it "excited," meaning it has energy to drive the reaction. In this state, it bumps into the anthracene molecule and transfers a hydrogen atom to make a weak bond. The iridium catalyst then activates hydrogen gas, completing the cycle.

Utilizing hydrogen gas instead of carbon-based hydrogen sources—widely utilized in organic synthesis in the past—potentially provides sustainable way of making weak chemical bonds without generating a carbon byproduct.

Yoonsu Park, a postdoctoral research associate in Chirik's lab and lead author on the paper, and Sangmin Kim, a 2021 Ph.D. graduate of the lab, came up with the idea of using photochemistry by reviewing weak bonds that appear in other reactions and extrapolating their lessons. Two additional authors on the paper—Greg Scholes, the William S. Tod Professor of Chemistry, and his graduate student Lei Tian— contributed insights into the role of blue light using a variety of laser experiments.

Park also determined which metal catalyst in the vast expanse of the periodic table would be the most effective in carrying out the desired reaction. Jumping off from previous lab work done with rhodium—another rare, expensive metal catalyst—he quickly zeroed in on iridium.

While scientists are not yet ready to jettison Haber-Bosch, the Chirik lab's proof-of-concept is an important early step.

"We haven't made ammonia yet catalytically. We have a long way to go on that goal," said Chirik. "But it's this idea of learning how to make these weak bonds that is so important.

"The thing I like about this research is, it's different. It's fundamental chemistry, as basic as you can get. Nobody's opening a plant on this research tomorrow. But we're really excited about the concept, and we really hope that other people do this chemistry in other contexts."

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Explore further

Novel approach in organic chemistry enables boron to be added to molecules with high precision

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More information: Yoonsu Park et al, Visible light enables catalytic formation of weak chemical bonds with molecular hydrogen, Nature Chemistry (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00732-z

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UN says food aid in Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region will run out Friday as 400,000 people face famine - CNN

The agency confirmed that no food trucks have been allowed into the region for two weeks.

They told CNN in a statement that 100 trucks need to arrive every day in order to address the "vast humanitarian needs in the region," and that the shortfall has left "400,000 people on the verge of famine."

The situation comes a week after forces from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region mounted attacks in the neighboring Afar region, a move which marked an expansion of an eight-month-old conflict into a previously untouched area.

David Beasley, the WFP's executive director, initially warned earlier this week that 170 trucks filled with food and resources for Tigray had been stuck in Afar and barred from leaving. "These trucks must be allowed to move NOW. People are starving," he tweeted Tuesday.

Last week, the deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary General said the roads between Afar and Tigray via Semera city "remain blocked due to security reasons," preventing humanitarian personnel, food stocks, fuel and other humanitarian goods from entering.

Thousands of people have died in the Tigray conflict so far, with about 2 million people being forced to flee their homes and more than 5 million relying on emergency food aid.

And the situation is worsening as fighting continues. UNICEF estimated on Friday that more than 100,000 children in Tigray could suffer from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition in the next year, a tenfold increase compared to the average annual figure.

"Our worst fears about the health and wellbeing of children in that conflicted region of northern Ethiopia are being confirmed," UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado said, adding that the aid organization made the calculations after reaching areas of Tigray that were previously inaccessible due to insecurity.

"This malnutrition crisis is taking place amid extensive, systematic damage to the food, health, nutrition, water and sanitation systems and services that children and their families depend on for their survival," Mercado said. "Reversing the nutrition, health, water and food security catastrophe requires a massive scale-up of humanitarian assistance."

A communications blackout in the region has made it difficult to determine the situation in Tigray and its capital Mekelle in recent months. But CNN reported earlier this month that food shortages in Mekelle were rife, and most homes had no access to running water.

The Tigray conflict has raged since November when fighting erupted between the region's ruling Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian military. CNN has previously reported how Eritrean troops have killed, raped and blocked humanitarian aid to starving populations, more than a month after the country's Nobel Peace Prize winning leader pledged to the international community that they would leave.

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Gleaners Community Food Bank launches virtual food drive in lieu of Iron Chef event - Livingston Daily

What Does Upcycled Certified Mean for Our Food System? - Sustainable Brands

Turner Wyatt
Published 2 hours ago. About a 5 minute read.
Image: Renewal Mill's baking mixes are some of the first products to earn the Upcycled Certification. | Renewal Mill/Facebook
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Upcycled Certified is a big step towards a circular economy, and a food system that acts like nature itself — a place where there is no waste — and where shoppers can participate in the best solution to climate, via the products they buy.

In 1980, the National Organic Standards Board met for the first time, and that started the organic food revolution. Today, you can find organic products in almost any grocery store (or even gas station) in the US; rather than being a rarity or even a novelty, people expect to see organic products. Last month, the Upcycled Food Association (UFA) launched Upcycled Certified, the first third-party-verified certification system that shows which products help to prevent food waste. UFA wants upcycled food products to be sold in every grocery store in the country; but instead of taking 40 years, UFA wants to do it by 2030.

That’s by when the US government — as well as UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 — aims for us to halve food waste. If we do, we’ll be leveraging the world’s best solution to climate change, and hopefully avoid the worst possible consequences of global warming. In eight-and-a-half years, we need to figure out what to do with 1.25 billion tons of food, annually — half of the 2.5 billion tons (roughly 40 percent) of our food that is wasted every year!

The booming growth of the upcycled food industry has given hope to this lofty goal — using market forces to incentivize food producers, manufacturers, and sellers to upcycle their otherwise wasted food into new products. Here’s the incentive: “Yes, consumers want to buy your upcycled food.”

A recent study published in Food and Nutrition Sciences found that 80 percent of consumers would buy upcycled foods; but right now, only 10 percent of consumers know what they are. So, if we want to find upcycled food products in every grocery store, we need to educate millions upon millions of consumers. How?

The most successful business models of the future will be circular

Join us as Regrained — a leader in the upcycled food space — and other innovators turning 'waste' into a resource share insights at SB'21 San Diego, October 18-21.

Upcycled Certified is the long-anticipated product and ingredient certification program that helps consumers and retailers understand which products are upcycled (the above-mentioned study found that 97 percent of consumers think positively about retailers who carry upcycled products). “Long anticipated” might be a bit of an exaggeration — similar certification systems have taken years to create. UFA employed a huge volunteer network and got it done in 18 months.

Misadventure Vodka, Lost and Found Distillery's spirit made from excess baked goods, is another early recipient of the Upcycled Certification. | Image credit: Misadventure Vodka/Facebook

Soon, the first Upcycled Certified products will be found on grocery store shelves, bearing the Upcycled Certified mark — a logo that was developed pro bono, with volunteer academics providing multiple rounds of consumer research. Ultimately, the logo estimated to increase “intent to buy” a given product for 51 percent of consumers — higher than the Regenerative Organic logo developed by Patagonia and Dr. Bronner’s. Nothing against regenerative organic, really; it’s just that the upcycled movement seems to have struck a unique chord with consumers. Apparently, 95 percent of consumers want to do their part to prevent food waste, according to a study by Mattson.

Further up the supply chain, ingredient wholesalers will soon start to feature Upcycled Certified ingredients as a searchable criterion in their catalogs — enabling businesses to easily use more sustainable ingredients during product development.

“Using an upcycled ingredient is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make a product more sustainable,” said Julia Collins, CEO of Planet FWD, which helps food companies reduce the environmental impact of their products.

It’s true. And with the upcycled industry accelerating so quickly right now, I expect this will be a movement that will ultimately change entire food supply chains. Media coverage of upcycled food increased 128 percent this year; and UFA Members are reporting 160 percent sales growth this year (according to UFA Membership data). And by the end of 2021, we aim to see several hundred Upcycled Certified products and ingredients on the market.

Thanks to generous support from philanthropic supporters, UFA will be launching a video series aimed educating consumers about upcycled food products; and we’re working with retailers to create upcycled promotions and “end caps” in store. It’s all in an effort to try to double the growth rate of the upcycled food industry to at least 10 percent annually for the next 10 years. That means there is a huge opportunity for investors, too. A growing number of upcycled food companies have had successful investment funding rounds this year.

Maybe you’re like me and thinking, “This will all happen because of a measly logo?” Well, it’s more than just a logo. By creating a uniform system for determining which products and ingredients meet the rigorous Upcycled Certification Standard, UFA is also developing a system of tracking the impact of a given upcycled product, company, or the entire industry in aggregate. Soon, upcycled products will be able to tout claims such as, “For every unit you buy, you save [X pounds of food waste and CO2 emissions].”

But Upcycled Certified is more than a tracking system — it’s the banner for one of those rare instances where the interests of business and the environment overlap. It’s a big step towards a circular economy, and a food system that acts like nature itself; a place where there is no waste, and all inputs are automatically elevated to their highest and best use. And where everyday shoppers can participate in the best solution to global warming via the products they buy.

Published Jul 30, 2021 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST

Turner Wyatt

CEO
Upcycled Food Association

Turner Wyatt is an award-winning social entrepreneur focused on reducing food waste. He is co-founder and CEO of the Upcycled Food Association, as well as the co-founder and former Executive Director of Denver Food Rescue. In 2015, he was appointed by the Mayor of Denver to serve on the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council, and also serves as Board President of Fresh Food Connect.

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Multiple dog food brands recalled over substance that could harm your pet - ConchoValleyHomepage.com

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INFOSAN food safety work continues to increase - Food Safety News

INFOSAN has reported its busiest period ever for the second successive quarter.

The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) dealt with 63 events from April to June compared to 56 in the first quarter of 2021.

With 19, Salmonella climbed back to the top and made up half of the incidents involving a biological hazard. Nine were due to Listeria monocytogenes, four because of Clostridium botulinum, three for hepatitis A, Yersinia enterocolitica twice and E. coli once.

Food groups involved in Salmonella reports were mainly herbs, spices and condiments, and nuts and oilseeds, followed by products for special nutritional use, fruit products, milk and dairy products, vegetable products, fish and other seafood, composite food, and snacks desserts, and other food. These incidents involved member states from all WHO regions including Europe, Western Pacific, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Africa and South-East Asia.

Eleven alerts involved an undeclared allergen or ingredient with most of these due to milk but others because of cashews, eggs, gluten, shellfish and soy. Nine featured a physical hazard such as glass, plastic, metal, rubber and insects. Five chemical hazards were mostly due to histamine but one cited methanol.

The network is managed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Fish and seafood remains top category
The food categories mainly involved in incidents in the second quarter were fish and other seafood, herbs, spices and condiments, snacks, desserts, and other foods, vegetables and vegetable products, meat and meat products, fruit and fruit products, and nuts and oilseeds.

Other alerts mentioned milk and dairy products, legumes and pulses, cereals and cereal based products, composite food, products for special nutritional use, food for infants and small children, and alcoholic beverages.

INFOSAN also shared how the network was involved in the Salmonella Braenderup outbreak traced to melons from Honduras. Investigations are ongoing to determine if melons from other countries could also be involved in the outbreak.

Slightly more than half of the 63 incidents were communicated to the secretariat by INFOSAN members and their emergency contact points and focal points, 39 percent through the European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) and 13 percent through various WHO channels.

In April, INFOSAN organized an introductory webinar to present the network in Morocco.

Two months later, a workshop was held in Cameroon with the FAO and WHO regional offices in Africa to strengthen food safety emergency response in the country. Another workshop took place in the same month in Senegal.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.) 

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Pet food shortages leave owners on the hunt for kibble and cat treats - Reuters

CHICAGO, July 29 (Reuters) - Black short-haired kitty Astra, one of millions of pets acquired during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, had to go without salmon-flavored Whiskas treats that were sold out at stores in New Orleans this month.

Loki, an Alaskan malamute dog in Ontario, Canada, did not have his usual Royal Canin kibble in the food bowl.

North American pet owners are struggling to track down certain foods from major retailers like Amazon.com (AMZN.O), Target Corp (TGT.N) and PetSmart as the sector grapples with increased demand and strains on the supply chain. read more

Costs for pet food ingredients have climbed 8% to 20% since the pandemic began, according to U.S. industry group the Pet Food Institute, outpacing a 5.4% jump in consumer prices in the 12 months through June. read more

Higher prices of basic foodstuffs such as corn, soy and meat, on top of rising transportation and labor costs, are affecting all food supplies - both for animals and people - as the U.S. economy picks up steam. read more

"The pet supply chain isn't that different from the food supply chain," said Coye Nokes, partner at OC&C Strategy Consultants. "That has obviously been really stressed by COVID – whether it's the ingredients, raw materials, processing or downtime at different facilities."

Prices for U.S. corn and soybeans, key ingredients in many pet foods, reached eight-year highs this spring, pinching manufacturers that use the crops. read more

Pet food makers are also facing increased competition for animal- and plant-based oils because more of those are going into renewable fuel supplies, according to the Pet Food Institute. read more

"Unprecedented price increases for ingredients and equipment jeopardize U.S. pet food makers' ability to plan and execute strategies that will ensure America's dog and cat food bowls are filled," the institute warned U.S. agriculture officials in a June letter.

Supply constraints are taking pet owners by surprise, and there are many more owners since the pandemic began. About 12.6 million U.S. households indicated they acquired a new pet from March to December 2020, according to the American Pet Products Association.

In New Orleans, Aura Bishop, 39, searched local stores for weeks to find her cat Astra's favorite treats, made by Mars Petcare. The company, the world's biggest pet food producer, declined to comment.

The shortages were an inconvenience for the writer and actress, who said Astra helped her cope with anxiety and depression during the pandemic.

"I wish she was less of a finicky eater and would eat other flavors," Bishop said. "It does feel a little silly to go on this quest to find specific flavors of kibble and treats."

EXTRA WORK FOR CHARITIES

Limited supplies have made extra work for animal charities like the South Shore Pet Food Pantry near Boston.

Cofounder Kristen Clancy said she reviews online wish lists for pet food on sites like Amazon and Target about every two weeks, instead of every two to three months previously, because products are more frequently sold out. She updates the lists manually to provide alterative items for donors to buy.

Over the U.S. Independence Day holiday weekend, Clancy said she updated all the items on her Target list because they were not available.

"It can be time consuming because we're looking for substitutions that are beneficial for the animals but are also cost effective for the people who are making a donation," she said.

Target declined to comment.

Amazon said pet food manufacturers are prioritizing top-selling items over niche products because of increased demand. Pet treats and food brands that focus on health and wellness are popular as more people treat their animals as family, according to the company.

SHOPPING PATTERNS CHANGE

Retailers are working with suppliers to keep pace with customers' demand and changes in shopping patterns so they do not lose business.

U.S. consumers spent nearly $26 billion on pet food from July 2020 to July 2021, up 4.7% from a year earlier and 7.8% from two years earlier, according to NielsenIQ.

Supply shortages reduced online retailer Chewy's (CHWY.N) net sales by $40 million in the quarter that ended May 2, but they were still up 31.7% from a year earlier at $2.1 billion, the company said.

Operating profits for General Mills' (GIS.N) pet division rose 6% to $415 million in the fiscal year ended May 30 as bigger net sales trumped higher input costs. The company, which sells Blue Buffalo pet food, recently bought Tyson Foods' (TSN.N) pet treats business for $1.2 billion. read more

"Everything is doing well, because there's more pets and more premiumization, but you're seeing people switch faster than we've ever seen," said Bethany Quam, president of General Mills' pet segment, about changes in where people shop.

In Ontario, Mariella Garcia, 20, said she came up empty in June when she searched Amazon and PetSmart websites for a Royal Canin dog food made by Mars. At the time, COVID-19 restrictions prevented her from entering retail pet stores to shop for her dog Loki, named after the Marvel comic character.

"I was just in shock," Garcia said. "It's usually always in stock."

Reporting by Tom Polansek and Richa Naidu in Chicago; Editing by Simon Webb and Lisa Shumaker

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Branford Elks Support Local Food Pantries - Zip06.com

Local News

Branford Elks Support Local Food Pantries

By Press release from the Branford Elks Lodge #1939 • 07/29/2021 04:00 a.m. EST

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Branford Food Pantry President Wendy Cowles (left) and Vice President Jaye Andrews (right) accept an $800 donation from Branford Elks Exalted Ruler Ken Harrington and Elks Loyal Knight Alicia Vicino. (Photo courtesy of Darren Lawler)

Branford —

On July 2nd the Branford Elks Lodge #1939 donated $800 through a Gratitude Grant from the Elks National Foundation to the Branford Food Pantry. Earlier in the day, the lodge also donated $800 to the East Haven Food Pantry as well.

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Petersburg's River Street Market Education program gets grant to battle food insecurity - Progress Index

Summer Fun: Local Roots Food Tour - Sacramento Magazine

You might not know that the late Bishop Alphonse Gallegos was a lowrider fan, that 30 movie theaters were built on J, K and L streets between 1922 and 1932, or that Tequila Museo Mayahuel owner Ernesto Delgado was a building designer before owning restaurants. These fun facts are some of the many nuggets of knowledge you’ll gain on a Local Roots Food Tour.

You also might gain a pound or two. The walking tours, in midtown, R Street, downtown and the Sutter District, are led by savvy guides and blend bits of Sacramento history and popular culture with samples of food from area restaurants and stops at locally owned shops.

“Especially with Sacramento being the Farm-to-Fork Capital, it’s a wonderful way to show these businesses off,” says Local Roots Food Tours co-owner Dawnie Andrak. Currently limited to no more than 10 people, the tours consist of several tastings, including one with a cocktail. The tours change depending on the day, but the restaurants and shops are all prepped for the group prior to their arrival.

A recent downtown tour focused on K Street. It began with frank talk about the history of “The Kay,” then a stop at Mayahuel for a refreshing watermelon mocktail, savory bowl of crema de poblano soup and a little bocadillo of black beans, chili and sour cream. The tour group then hit The Allspicery storefront, where participants were given packets of tea to counteract seasonal allergies and an Italian spice blend. Next was a bellyful of fried chicken, fries, coleslaw and house-made pickles from Nash & Proper, and finally a stop at Odd Cookie for an inch-thick cookie or over-the-top cupcake and an adult beverage at Odd Cookie’s bar.

Meagan Evans, on a getaway from Houston with a girlfriend, was delighted with the tastings, Sacramento history and art, and the company she met, sharing her love for the experience via Snapchat and Instagram throughout.

“We’re all foodies,” she says. “It’s like, if you like to eat, then we can hang.”

Local Roots Food Tours

Reservations: Call (800) 407-8918 or book at localrootsfoodtours.com
Price: $78 per person
Tour times: Depending on the tour, three-hour tours start at either 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.

More Tours:

Old Sacramento Underground Tour

Learn how Sacramento was literally raised out of flood danger with a colorful cast of guides who go underground, through hollowed-out sidewalks and sloped alleyways. Prices are $18 for adults, $12 for youths 6–17, and free for children 5 and younger. shopsachistorymuseum.org

California Gold Rush: The Sacramento Grid by Bicycle

Hop on a bike or rent a Jump or Lime bike for this two-hour audio tour led by storyteller Marc Christensen. Departing and ending on the west side (10^th Street) of the State Capitol, the tour stops at various sites that describe the state’s founding and Gold Rush. voicemap.me (search “Sacramento grid by bicycle”)

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Floridians officially have a favorite junk food - WPLG Local 10

Living in Florida means there’s a good chance you love warmer, more tropical climates. It also means your preferred junk food of choice may be on the cooler side in order to combat that heat.

If you agree, you’re a true Floridian.

According to Google trends research conducted by Bid-On-Equipment, the most popular junk food in the state of Florida is none other than Häagen-Dazs ice cream, followed by tres leches cake and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Ice cream from Salt & Straw in Coconut Grove. Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar. (Courtesy of Nicole Lopez-Alvar)

Häagen-Dazs secured the No. 1 spot in the Sunshine State, followed by tres leches sponge cake (which is also consumed quite chilled). In the running for third place came another delivery favorite, Ben & Jerry’s.

And if you were wondering what the top flavors are, we’ve got the *scoop* on which flavors are the most popular down in Miami.

Rainbow sprinkles are the No. 1 topping in Miami, according to DoorDash data. Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar. (Courtesy of Nicole Lopez-Alvar)

According to DoorDash data conducted between January 1 and June 29, brownie-flavored ice cream is Miami’s No. 1 most ordered flavor of ice cream on DoorDash, followed by “fruit cake” ice cream and “ice cream cake.”

As for the top toppings? Miami’s No. 1 topping is rainbow sprinkles, followed by chocolate chips and hot fudge.

For more on Florida’s favorite junk food, click here.

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Sharing food a time-honored gift - The County

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New composting initiative brings food waste issues to town – Daily Bulldog - Daily Bulldog

FARMINGTON – A new collaboration involving the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the University of Maine at Farmington will reduce food waste by making composting more accessible locally.

Mark King, a local environmental specialist for the DEP, started the food scraps initiative to provide a simple way for Farmington area businesses to dispose of food waste through decomposition rather than going into the landfill. The goal is to eventually include citizens as the initiative develops. The project will work in conjunction with the UMF compost pile, which King helped start back in 2005.

“A gentleman named Ron Slater, who passed away recently, and I developed it on the back of a napkin in Java Joes in Farmington,” King said, who is the organics management specialist for the Maine DEP.

The DEP has been working on a local solution for the food waste problem for years, starting back in 2004. According to King, the idea is to pull organic materials out of the traditional disposal route and find a way to recycle them. The DEP believes that a big step in accomplishing this goal is to reeducate the public.

There are two main ways to get food waste out of landfills: composting and digestion. Composting is a way to decompose food scraps and turn them into fertilizer to be used to grow more produce. Digestion is just what it sounds like — the food stays in the food chain to be consumed instead of being thrown out.

According to King, the ideal solution is source reduction — not producing the scraps to begin with. While creating zero waste is a lofty goal, using the uneaten food scraps to feed hungry people is something that’s doable. A way to do this is food rescue, taking extra, unused food from schools and grocery stores, and donating it to shelters and food pantries. Good Shepherd in Auburn is one of these food pantries who participates in food rescue.

Since the DEP began testing out food scraps initiatives in the early 2000s, King has noted many successes. In 2012 and 2013, they focused on food recovery, and in 2016 the legislature passed a food recovery hierarchy, promoting finding the highest and best end uses for food scraps.

Chelsea Roy, a rising junior at UMF and part of the sustainability coalition at the university, is working as a summer intern with King and other UMF faculty.

“Chelsea has redefined the internship. It’s gone from us telling a student what to do to a student teaching us,” said Mark King. “She’s been a breath of fresh air.”

Roy has been developing ideas and wants to set up a compost dropoff station outside the Crossroads Landfill recycling center for local citizens to bring in food scraps from home to be composted. The recycling center is located in Norridgewock, serving eight towns. Jeff McGown, a senior district manager at the disposal company Waste Management who owns the center, will be working with Roy to accomplish this later in the summer. The station will collect food scraps from citizens and turn them into compost to be sold at the facility.

King spoke of McGown and the help he has given to composting initiatives over the years. Recently, McGown donated a pickup truck to UMF to help students bring food scraps to the compost pile. In the past, McGown has actually helped to pay for the summer internship and bought compost from the DEP to give away at Crossroads Landfill.

For more information on the importance of limiting food waste and finding the best ways to dispose of it, visit, https://www.maine.gov/dep/sustainability/compost/index.html.

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Pilot food-waste program expected to expand in Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz Local

Food scraps have been collected in small bins and taken to a locked box on Trescony Street in Santa Cruz during a pilot program in recent months. (Leslie O’Malley — Contributed)

SANTA CRUZ >> In a pilot program to keep more food waste out of Santa Cruz County landfills, about 100 Santa Cruz city residents have been bringing food scraps to a locked box on Trescony Street for nearly the past 12 months.

Early next year, curbside food-waste collection could start because of a new state law that requires cities to phase in organic waste collection from residents and businesses. Santa Cruz city trash bills also are likely to increase to help pay for the program, said Leslie O’Malley, the city of Santa Cruz’s waste reduction production manager.

Food waste accounts for nearly 25% of the garbage in the city’s landfill on Dimeo Lane, according to a city study. A goal of state law SB 1383 is to reduce 75% of food waste sent to landfills compared with 2014 levels.

Some of the new state requirements for cities include:

• Organic waste collection to all residents and businesses
• Diversion of unsold edible food from restaurants and groceries to food banks and soup kitchens instead of landfills

The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2022 and includes penalties for noncompliance. O’Malley said she hoped the pilot program and next year’s efforts would help more residents understand the importance of separating household trash, recycling and food waste.

“It’s an opportunity to engage residents and help them understand the issue of food waste in the landfill, how to divert it and also the importance of making sure that we’re getting the right material,” O’Malley said. “Because we already have a big issue with contamination in the recycling.”

In early 2022, Santa Cruz city leaders are expected to roll out a citywide Food Scrap Curbside Collection program to comply with the goals of state law SB 1383. In the interim, the city launched a pilot food scrap diversion program for residents.

Pilot program

Containers in the pilot program have been a few gallons with a tight fitted, plastic lid. Participants are given the code to a local “bear box” where they bring food scraps from their home. Participants share information such as how often they drop off, what kind of food is included and how much of it there is.

The biggest obstacle has been teaching residents how to separate food waste, trash and recycling, city leaders aid. Through the program, leaders will determine how a citywide program will look. Food waste is expected to be picked up in a separate bin curbside, rather than at a central box as it was in the pilot program.

State law mandates cities to collect food waste starting in 2022. A pilot program has begun in Santa Cruz. (City of Santa Cruz)

“This pilot program will help us determine the most appropriate container size to use for the residential collection,” wrote Bob Nelson, the city’s resource recovery operations manager, in an email.

Nelson said in general, the city of Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and unincorporated Santa Cruz County should expect to see a rate increase for trash collection to cover the costs of complying with SB 1383.

The Scotts Valley City Council recently discussed a need for a new waste management contract. Scotts Valley, like Capitola and unincorporated Santa Cruz County, has a contract with San Jose-based hauler GreenWaste Recovery, Inc. It is unclear how much rates will increase for customers. Rates are set by GreenWaste, not Scotts Valley, said Scotts Valley City Attorney Kirsten Powell.

O’Malley, the waste reduction program manager, said that because the city of Santa Cruz owns sanitation trucks, landfill, and a food waste processor, it’s in a “unique” position to keep costs potentially lower than a private hauler.

“It’s projected to be funded through our rate structure,” O’Malley said. “We don’t have any extra grants.” It’s not yet clear how much rates are expected to rise. The monthly rate is now $32.04 for a 32-gallon trash bin in Santa Cruz.

Restaurants pitch in

In addition to the residential food scrap diversion program, O’Malley said the city’s commercial food scrap diversion program in the past 18 months has diverted about 12 tons of food waste from Santa Cruz’s landfills each week.

“The best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food waste is to reduce it from happening in the first place, all along the supply chain,” said O’Malley. “Getting it out of the landfill at the end of its life is great.”

Some Santa Cruz residents said they are ready for the change.

“It’s time for a smart system, with a kick-butt information campaign and a will to enforce,” wrote Santa Cruz resident Erica Aitken, in an email. Aitken, 67, co-founded the Santa Cruz technical design services firm Rods and Cones. She’s also a Santa Cruz Local member.

Aitken said the food scrap diversion program is just one of the ways she wants to see the city commit to being fully environmentally friendly with sustainable practices.

“I’d like to see a commitment and a strategy with cost analysis, deadlines, and implementation to become a self-sustaining city that rewards ‘green’ habits, efforts and social creativity,” Aitken wrote.

Participants of Santa Cruz’s food scrap diversion pilot program must be city residents. Residents interested in joining the program can fill out a questionnaire on the city’s website.

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Allison Gasparini is a science writer and recent graduate of the UC Santa Cruz Science Communication master's program. She has bylines in publications including the Monterey Herald, the Mercury News and the Forbes science section.

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