In its latest campaign to rein in excesses across all aspects of society, China is now targeting overindulgence of food.
Beijing released an action plan on Monday that tells diners not to order more than they need and encourages consumers to report restaurants for wasting food. It also advocates buffets for official receptions rather than banquets, while banning companies from hosting lavish feasts “in the name of meetings and trainings.”
As world leaders gather in Glasgow, and prepare to chow down at numerous COP26 buffets, food technologists urgently want them to grasp the role alternative proteins might play combatting climate change.
Researchers in many countries are looking for alternatives to traditional meat because farming animals is helping to drive up global temperatures.
Even Hollywood stars have been jumping on the alternative protein bandwagon with with Leonardo Di Caprio among the most vocal. But aside from film stars, where are Wall Street and some of Europe's biggest institutional investors putting their money?
We take a look at three of the hottest areas of this deliciously weird science.
Our thirst for non-dairy milk is already huge. One in three Brits now drink plant-based milk on a regular basis, says retail sector analyst Mintel. So, perhaps regularly eating meat that's never mooed, oinked, or encountered a farm may be a logical next step?
No longer just the vision of a Margaret Attwood novel stuffed with chickienobs, in December 2020, Singapore became the first country to approve the sale of protein grown entirely in a laboratory.
Scientists start by harvesting muscle cells from an animal, nutrients are steadily then added to feed those cells and grow the meat into tissue - this stew is called the cell media, which is then cultivated.
San Francisco-based start-up, Eat Just, is now selling its lab-grown chicken nuggets in Singapore, a move that's part of the country's long-term security strategy so it can be less dependent on its neighbours for food imports.
So, what are the barriers to many other countries doing the same? "The real driver for all of this is getting regulatory approval," says Dr Carsten Gerhardt, a partner at consultancy AT Kearney, which analyses the food and agriculture sectors.
Some countries have more appetite for this than others. In Europe, the Netherlands is at the forefront of lab-grown meat technology where analysts expect producers Moas Meat and Meatable to push for EU regulatory approval in the next few years. In the US, it is widely expected that Bill Gates-backed Memphis Meats and New Age Meats will do the same.
But regulation isn't the only hurdle to scaling-up and expanding the cultured-meat business, bringing down ingredient costs will be crucial.
Most producers are still working with pharmaceutical-grade ingredients and nutrients, but if "those could be lowered to normal food quality grades instead, then costs would come down significantly", explains Mr Gerhardt.
One part of the standard recipe involves growing cells in a syrupy bath of Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), taken from pregnant cows' blood but Dutch scientists have now successfully replaced it and other animal components in its process.
"For ethical reasons, as well as for the simple reason FBS is very expensive and we could never produce meat at large scale for a broadly accessible price, we've succeeded in developing our own entirely animal component-free growth media," " a company spokesperson for Mosa says.
Still, farming meat in a lab is a slow, energy-intensive process and optimising this will also mean making the series of heating and cooling steps involved, much more energy efficient, although Jessica Almy, vice president of policy at The Good Food Institute says some producers are not that far off.
Two separate studies out earlier this year found that, with investment, the production cost of cultivated meat could drop to compete with conventional meat by 2030. The Life Cycle study showed cultivated meat is also projected to comprise a staggering 35% of the global meat market by 2040.
Several glowing reports suggest lab-grown meat may bring big environmental benefits - lower emissions plus less land and water usage than conventional farming. However, a more recent US study on expanding in-vitro production warns those benefits could come at the expense of much more intensive energy use as the whole process moves away from agriculture and becomes industrialised.
Cyrille Filott, global strategist for consumer foods for Rabobank, says the question is how many boxes the lab grown product will tick for "early adopters" to remain interested. "Taste, texture, price, sustainability, a long list of boxes. Will the novelty wear off or stick?"
Mr Filott adds that an important intermediate milestone will be the acceptance of hybrid products. Hybrid products are plant-based meat substitutes that contain lab grown ingredients such as fats. If these products are accepted by the consumer, he says the development of fully lab-grown products might accelerate.
A handful of firms are now working on 3D printers that could construct this dinner while you wait, by printing thousands of pre-programmed, sliver-thin layers, stacked on top of each other.
The "ink" used is your food in paste format: printers that can design bespoke pancakes, ice cream and confectionery are already popular in some high-end supermarkets.
However, Ms Almy says companies are now testing the water with much more sophisticated versions. 3D bio-printing can print cells and materials together to create a more complex structured product, like a marbled beef steak.
New Tech Economy is a series exploring how technological innovation is set to shape the new emerging economic landscape.
Extrusion technologies which have been used in the food industry for years - think hot dogs and pasta - are also being applied successfully in cultivated meat production. Barcelona firm Novameat has come up with one of the most realistic alternative meat products so far, thanks in part to its founder Giuseppe Scionti's expertise in bioengineering and tissue regeneration.
It uses micro-extrusion tech to intricately print plant-based proteins in layers that build up in to a large cut of meat strong enough, and with the right texture, to be sliced with a carving knife, like a Sunday roast.
Working with the faculty of biomedical engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel-based firm Aleph Farms also created the worlds' first lab grown rib eye steak in this way, using 3D printing, in February.
Alternatively, 3D printing can be used to create scaffolds from plant-based materials that allow cells to attach and grow into the final meat-based product. And if all this wasn't exciting enough, some printers then zap the result with lasers that will sizzle the food until it is cooked.
Nanotechnology, or the science of manoeuvring teeny-tiny things around, is more commonly talked about in the manufacture of chips for phones, than fries. However, it also has many potential applications in the food sector. Using miniscule nanomaterials it is now possible to create packaging that keeps the products held inside edible for longer.
Nanopack is a cling-film-like prototype for packaging that has smaller-than-the-eye-can-see mineral nanotubes dispersed inside it - these hold natural essential oils from plants like oregano and thyme with antimicrobial properties.
The nanotubes slowly release antimicrobial oils from the film into the headspace of the packaged food which actively slows down oxidation, moisture changes and microbial growth, says Prof Ester Segal from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology who oversaw the project.
Early experiments showed the film prevented the growth of mould in bread by three weeks and extended the sale time of fresh cherries and shelf life of cheese by 40% and 50%, respectively.
The supermarket of the future may go even further, incorporating intelligent food packaging with tiny nanosensors, which Dr Seda Erdem at Stirling University adds may "report and relay" updated information back to the shopper about their contents.
And what about when it comes to manipulating the food itself? Research from several countries shows almost endless possibilities - to enhance the flavour and texture of foods, reduce fat content, or to encapsulate nutrients such as vitamins to ensure they do not degrade during a product's shelf life.
In this area however, UK regulator, The Food Standards Agency in its latest report still seems a little queasy, taking a very a cautious stance as it remains unclear what the long-term impact of tinkering with these tiny building blocks could be on the rest of the food chain.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
App lets you buy leftover restaurant food. Is it worth it? WAVY.com Article From & Read More ( App lets you buy leftover restaurant food. Is it worth it? - WAVY.com )[unable to retrieve full-text content]
App lets you buy leftover restaurant food. Is it worth it? NewsNation Now Article From & Read More ( App lets you buy leftover restaurant food. Is it worth it? - NewsNation Now )[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Halloween food traditions go way back -- and didn't always involve candy Henry Herald Article From & Read More ( Halloween food traditions go way back -- and didn't always involve candy - Henry Herald )
Golden Harvest Food Bank closed their “It’s Spooky to be Hungry” campaign with a “Spooky Pick-Up” to gather non-perishable items. Volunteer Program manager Deressa Hawes says, they are preparing for the holidays and so many people are in need at this time.
Article From & Read More ( Golden Harvest Food Bank closes the “It's Spooky to be Hungry” campaign with a “Spooky Pick-Up” - WFXG )(CNN)Halloween is a time for families to carve pumpkin lanterns. It's a time for people of all ages to passionately debate about the value of candy corn. And it is, of course, a time for children to go from house to house as they trick-or-treat for their favorite candy bars.
Starting on Nov. 3, North Valley Food Bank will open a small free grocery store at its Whitefish facility.
This shopping model will allow customers to come into the food bank and hand-select food items, rather than receive a pre-assembled box of food through the drive- thru. Since the spring of 2020, North Valley Food Bank has been under construction to prepare for this change. Through this expansion, the organization was also able to add significant cooler and freezer space, as well as a community kitchen.
The grocery store will operate on Wednesdays from noon to 6 p.m. Drive-thru services will still be offered on Thursdays, from noon to 4:30 p.m.
At North Valley Food Bank, everyone is welcome. There are no eligibility requirements to receive food, according to a press release. Additionally, there is no judgment around how much customers need or should take when coming to the grocery store. When customers first arrive at the store, a team member or volunteer from the organization will spend some time with them to explain the changes. Customers will then get a shopping cart and can pick out the items they need from the store.
“We believe that food is not, and should never be, a privilege,” said Sophie Albert, the food bank’s executive director. “We ensure that community members have access to healthy and diverse food. Our goal is to fill the gaps between where your resources end and your plate is full.”
This change has been instituted in response to a growing need in the Flathead Valley. Over the past three years, North Valley Food Bank has seen its customer base triple. In a recent community needs assessment, it was determined that 43% of customers struggled to manage their food costs with other bills like heat and electricity. Furthermore, 28% of customers reported that they had run out of money to buy food in the past two weeks.
North Valley Food Bank hopes the flexibility offered by the grocery store model will allow customers to better meet and plan for their needs.
North Valley Food Bank is located at 251 Flathead Ave. in Whitefish. More information can be found at northvalleyfoodbank.org or on Facebook or Instagram. Contact Lauren Jarrold, director of operations, at lauren@northvalleyfoodbank.org or 406- 862-5863 (press 2) for more information.
Article From & Read More ( North Valley Food Bank to open free grocery store - Daily Inter Lake )[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Making meals out of a Golden Harvest food box WFXG Article From & Read More ( Making meals out of a Golden Harvest food box - WFXG )[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Youth First: Change your food and mood | Local News | washtimesherald.com Washington Times Herald Article From & Read More ( Youth First: Change your food and mood | Local News | washtimesherald.com - Washington Times Herald )
At the Kingston Emporium, local farms are getting a boost through a new restaurant, New Wave Kitchen, run by chef and entrepreneur Matt Reagan who aims several of his offerings to the vegan and gluten-free community.
He touts his business, which opened in August as “Seasonally eclectic foods (that) are subject to change with, you guessed it, the seasons. We choose local farmers and foods that are non-GMO (natural) and organic as much as possible. By supporting us you are supporting them too, so thanks.”
Among its many menu items is the vegan dish “Killer Tofu” made of crispy tofu, soy, chili mayo, seaweed, carrot, arugula, brown rice.
There’s also “Grains of Paradise” for both the vegans and gluten-free group. It brings in a medley of tastes brown rice, beets, cherry tomatoes, carrots, scallions, umami dressing.
However, meat eaters need not fear.
Among some standard items is the hamburger dubbed “King Burger,” which is black Angus beef, Berkshire bacon, Vermont cheddar, tomato, greens, pickled veg, special sauce.
This week Reagan, 34, took some time from his Tuesday through Saturday schedule at the 99 Fortin Road restaurant for an interview about the founding of his eclectic bistro.
Where did the idea for this restaurant come from?
Reagan: So after spending quite some time working in this industry from high school, through college and beyond, I guess the idea for a restaurant probably started some time ago. I worked with the team at Crazy Burger for around a decade and helped them open a restaurant near the end of my time with them
What you do mean by “seasonally eclectic foods?”
Reagan: New Wave Kitchen is basically the idea of offering a different source for where we get our ingredients and not tying ourselves to a single identity. We choose local and organic as much as possible at home, that’s what we support and we would love to bring that to the forefront.
There will never be any big box trucks here, we will not support companies like that and nor will we be getting lettuce and tomatoes year-round from California while those same companies that deliver them, get tax breaks that we end up paying for. It’s just not what New Wave is about.
How did you decide on the kinds of items offered in your menu?
Reagan: I decided that the menu should be approachable to as many people as possible trying to put my spin on some comfort style dishes. Most of the time when you hear a restaurant is sourcing from farms you have that mindset that it has to be semi-to-fine dining, but we just wanted it to be super casual.
I also didn’t want to offer the same style foods already offered in the Emporium, the same old processed foods that everyone has come so comfortable settling for. And we also go for vegan and gluten-free options.
Who are some local farm you use and what do you get from them?
Reagan: Luckyfoot Ranch in North Kingstown and Brandon Family Farm in west Kingston provide our produce, Deep Roots Farm in North Scituate provides our chicken, Wild Harmony in Exeter provides our pork, Blackbird Farm in Smithfield provides our beef, Cedar Valley in Exter provides our eggs, Wrights Dairy Farm and Bakery in North Smithfield provides our dairy.
We also use Farm Fresh, a Providence-based company that unites farmers across New England with Rhode Island families and businesses. Also our beverages are sourced locally.
The emphasis on our sourcing is not to size us up against competitors, but to let you know this is what we care about. This is a food system we support. That our choices do make a difference in people’s lives and health.
We take our sourcing very seriously therefore the menu will change with the seasons. Every menu item may change or tweak or even disappear because of ingredient availability, thus giving us the chance to reinvent ourselves.
How many staff members do you have?
Reagan: Currently the staff consists of myself and my girlfriend,
Iman DeMartino 28, who’s gone above and beyond to help me achieve what we’ve created. She works in the morning Luckyfoot Ranch and then comes to work after with our organic produce for the restaurant.
Is there a house specialty you pride yourself on doing very well?
Reagan: I wouldn’t say there is a house specialty, that’s like asking a parent who’s their favorite child. Everyday people will read the entire menu and not know what to get because everything sounds so good they can’t decide. I guess it just gives them a reason to come back and try something else. But we have gotten some attention based on our ramen offerings.
If we can’t get cucumbers or tomatoes in the winter from Rhode Island or someone in New England then obviously, we will not have that. We choose farms and producers based on our relationships we’ve built or by first hand enjoyment of their products.
Why did you choose the location you did?
Reagan: After that I worked at a few different restaurants trying to figure out something new and what I wanted to do. Finally I had looked at the spot at the Emporium. The place had changed over a couple times since I went to school at the University of Rhode Island (which adjoins the Emporium).
I thought, this place has great potential, albeit needing a lot of renovation. So I took it upon myself to open the restaurant.
What is your proudest thought about running a restaurant like this?
Reagan: I would have to say I’m most proud to know that the food we serve is well considered, and that I don’t have to worry about the quality because at the end of the day I know that if you’ve come to see us you’ve also made the choice to support all the people trying to make some kind of difference in our community.
As well as choosing local for our restaurant food model, we offer up our walls to local artists/artisans to hang their work with no commission from us. We offer bring-your-own-bottle because why not come enjoy a meal and not have to pay an extra $20 bucks and tip.
We are dog friendly because, yes, we have a dog, Miso, a rescue terrier mix, who is there pretty much every day with us and a woman opened a dog groomer next door, it just made sense.
Article From & Read More ( New Wave Kitchen takes community-first approach to food - The Independent )By Pam Johnson/Zip06.com • 10/30/2021 01:00 p.m. EST
A steadily growing number of Branford families seeking supplemental grocery assistance, coupled with news of rising costs for Thanksgiving dinner and supply shortages, has Branford Food Pantry (BFP) doubling down on its efforts to drive in donations to fill Holiday Baskets, while also working to welcome requests for baskets from any Branford resident in need.
BFP has plans to give away at least 250 complete baskets of traditional holiday meal ingredients to Branford folks in need at Thanksgiving, and again at Christmas -- although that number is likely to climb this year, said Jaye Andrews, vice president of the BFP board.
Established in 1978 and located in the lower level of the Patricia C. Andriole Volunteer Services Center at 30 Harrison Ave., non-profit, all-volunteer BFP provides supplemental food support to residents in need, who come by to get their groceries at the site.
BFP's clients are Branford individuals, seniors, and families. Andrews said BFP has been experiencing a pretty steady influx of new clients over the last month.
"We add new people every single day," said Andrews, noting she also fielded three new client requests in one day last week.
The recent uptick of those seeking assistance is likely due to experiencing the one-two punch of the end of the federal stimulus package and increasing costs impacting the price of basic needs.
"Suddenly, people that could afford the groceries we provide are finding that everything else is expensive," Andrews said. "Suddenly, gas is more expensive; and they've still got to get to work -- a lot of our clients drive cars. They all heat their houses or trailers or apartments. So all of this is impacting them. As all their other basic needs costs go up, food is often one of the first things they cut, or certainly cut back on."
Despite the complications of rising costs and uncertain supply, BFP stands ready meet the needs of every Branford resident in need who requests a holiday basket, said Andrews.
"We want it to happen," said Andrews. "It's just a matter of sourcing everything; because there are shortages right now."
BFP encourages Branford residents facing financial difficulty to request a Thanksgiving meal holiday basket by contacting BFP no later than Thursday, Nov. 18. Call BFP's Holiday Hotline at (203) 315-8251 or email office@branfordfoodpantry.org and provide full name, address, and phone number (if homebound, indicate home delivery required). Regular pantry clients may sign up during their BFP visit beginning Nov. 1.
Food Collection Concerns
When it comes to filling as many baskets as requested, BFP will find a way to get the job done, but, "...we're concerned," said Andrews.
In addition to those possibly being impacted by the ending of the federal stimulus package, "... prices are going up – there's no two ways about it – for absolutely everything," she said. "They are suggesting this will be the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner, ever, put on a table. There are spotty shortages; and they say things like turkeys will be in short supply. I hope that's not true."
As providing a small, frozen turkey (12 – 16 pounds) is central to filling each basket, frozen turkeys top the list of donated items sought to assist BFP. While turkeys may be harder to find and more costly this year; some other traditional holiday meal ingredients are already proving difficult for BFP to gather. As a result, BFP is also especially seeking donations of cans of cranberry, cream of mushroom soup and cans of pumpkin pie filling, said Andrews.
"We have been buying whatever we can, or whenever we can get them for free from the [CT] Food Bank; so we've been stockpiling," said Andrews.
While BFP secures all of the fresh produce needed for each basket, the pantry is also seeking donations of non-perishable food items to round out the holiday baskets, including jars of turkey gravy, boxes of stuffing mix, canned green beans, canned corn, cans of coffee and Jiffy brand pie crust mix.
BFP is especially grateful for the many local church food drives which bring in a large number of the items needed to fill holiday baskets each year, said Andrews.
"Many of the churches help us out a great deal; and we rely on it now," said Andrews.
Tax-deductible donations are also gratefully accepted. Contribute online at www.branfordfoodpantry.org or send checks made out to Branford Food Pantry to P.O. Box 1068, Branford, CT 06405. The funds will assist BFP in purchasing perishable holiday basket items such as butter, as well as any supplemental basket inventory needed.
Individuals, groups and organizations are welcome to deliver donations of Holiday Basket items directly to Branford Food Pantry, 30 Harrison Ave., on Tuesday and Friday mornings between 8:30 – 11 a.m. and during additional Tuesday hours of 4 – 6 p.m. To arrange pick up of large food donations, call (203) 481-3663 or email office@branfordfoodpantry.org Holiday basket food donations are accepted through Dec. 20, 2021.
Food always seems to taste better when someone makes it for you. But we all know that lately, some restaurants—chains and local—have faced challenges in serving your food the way you might expect. To ring in Halloween weekend with a scream, we asked you to share your most frightening restaurant experiences gone wrong… and you did not disappoint with these cringey, ghastly tales.
This week, we put a challenge out to Eat This, Not That! social media followers: "It's that spooky time of year. If you have a fast food or other restaurant horror story, share the gory details here!" Here are the terrors, as readers told them all in good fun.
One Facebook follower kicked us off by revealing a rather toothsome McDonald's experience: "Found a bone in a McNugget once."
RELATED: Discontinued Menu Items You Forgot McDonald's Used to Serve
Another Facebook follower reported, "My husband had a cartridge of staples in his salad at Friendly's several years ago. He spit it out and thankful he didn't swallow it."
OK, that's a little scary. How did the restaurant resolve it? The user said, "They gave us a bunch of coupons."
RELATED: The #1 Worst Omelette You Can Order at 5 Popular Breakfast Chains
"1/2 of a cockroach in a Wendy's salad," another reported, adding: "…always wondered where the other half went…"
One shared a memory that had legs and still, well, seems to bug them: "Several years ago I went to a chain restaurant. I ordered a meal with a piece of skinless chicken breast . . . there was a long very skinny line coming from underneath the chicken breast. I lifted the chicken breast with my fork and a spider was smashed to the bottom of it."
Meanwhile, an even more lethal insect encounter from an Arizona follower on the serving side of a situation: "I mistakenly once served a lady a lively praying mantis in her dinner salad at a Oregon Shari's Restaurant. She politely summoned me over, and ask what it was. He had hid claws up ready to fight. I took the salad. My boss said 'is she complaining'? 'No' I said. Just take it out and return her salad. I reluctantly did as told. I secretly released the mantis who narrowly escaped death in a meadow out back."
Emojis don't exist for the way we feel about this story.
RELATED: Did Wendy's Just Ruin This Best-Selling Menu Item?
That glass separator between you and the Chipotle counter has a name—in the industry, it's known as a "sneeze glass," and one follower claims they learned exactly why that's the case. "We walked into Chipotle, we were starving. There was a long line . . . during the wait, an employee sneezed loudly where they were preparing food, without covering their mouth. So the person I was with told the sneezing food worker they shoud cover their mouth when they sneeze, they just shrugged like they didnt care.
"There was no way we could order food there," this user shared, adding they haven't gone back since.
If you, on the other hand, still love Chipotle, stay ahead of the nutrition facts with the #1 Worst Burrito to Order at Chipotle.
"Everytime the icecream machine at McDonald's is down," said one user.
This definitely sounds like it's a thing—read There's New Legal Drama Around McDonald's Soft Serve Machines.
Appetizing.
RELATED: 4 Fast-Food Chains With the Biggest Food Poisoning Scandals In History
Chicken is known to be one of the most common sources of food poisoning, as a couple of commenters have learned for themselves. "We ( family ) went to IKEA," said one. "Got food from their restaurant . My husband chicken was completely raw in the middle . Let them know . They ( workers ) did not care . Ended up in the E R with my husband being really sick . Have never ate there again . Management did not care either . Won't shop there either ."
Another shared: "Food poisoning from a Wendy's chicken sandwich…20 years ago. I still remember it like it was yesterday."
"I worked at Carls Jr in high school," another said. "A coworker slipped and fell, her entire arm into the fryer. Peeled her skin back like a banana. The skin that didn't melt, that is!" Ouch.
Meanwhile, a one-time restaurant worker struggled with cleanliness standards: "Worked in a seafood resturant. We used the same cloth wipe to 'clean' the tables for a week. Owner would not let us use paper towels or even change out old rag daily."
In a… seafood restaurant.
RELATED: This Serious Nationwide Fish Recall Was Just Announced
A Taco Bell customer reported disappointment over an important dietary restriction. "we don't eat meat," they said. "came home . . . and one of my sons favorite taco Doritos loccos taco . . . had meat in it."
Gag trigger warning! Twitter user @shakkyshawn shared, "One time I ordered a Calzone and in the first bite I pulled put a few strings of hair mixed in with cheese. I gagged and my night was ruined. I haven't ordered a Calzone in ten years because of it."
On that note? May your only frights this weekend involve scary movies and trick-or-treaters. Thanks to our followers who shared these stories. Sign up for our newsletter, and email tips@eatthis.com if you've got your own restaurant revelation to share.
For more:
Editor's note: Technical choices in user comments were kept to preserve the original quotation.
Article From & Read More ( The Worst-Ever Fast Food Horror Stories, Revealed by Customers — Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That )Heralded for offering similar grill and salad bar choices as Fogo de Chão (an international Brazilian steakhouse chain), but at a more acce...
