Rechercher dans ce blog
Jumat, 31 Desember 2021
Apple investigates Indian iPhone plant after workers strike following mass food poisoning - The Verge
Apple is sending independent auditors to investigate an iPhone assembly facility in India, after poor working and living conditions at the plant prompted workers to go on strike.
The facility in southern India is operated by longtime Apple partner Foxconn. An investigation by Reuters found that women working at the plant were laboring in extremely difficult conditions, forced to sleep on the floor in crowded dorms and sharing toilets without running water. Recently, an outbreak of food poisoning left 150 individuals hospitalized, prompting workers to strike and shut down the plant on December 18th.
In response, Apple says it’s put the plant on “probation” (though the company hasn’t said what this means for Foxconn or the workers who assemble its iPhones). The plant employs some 17,000 people, and is located around 25 miles (40km) west of Chennai.
A spokesperson for Apple told BBC News: “Following recent concerns about food safety and accommodation conditions at Foxconn Sriperumbudur, we dispatched independent auditors. We found that some of the remote dormitory accommodations and dining rooms being used for employees do not meet our requirements, and we are working with the supplier to ensure a comprehensive set of corrective actions are rapidly implemented.”
Foxconn apologized for poor conditions, and, as reported by the state government of Tamil Nadu, has agreed to upgrade its facilities — expanding living spaces, improving bathrooms, and providing drinking water. The company says it will resume work at the plant soon.
The news illustrates the difficulties Apple faces as it shifts production of its gadgets out of China. According to reports in recent years, the iPhone-maker has urged suppliers like Taiwan-based Foxconn to move production to other countries like India and Vietnam. This comes as Apple faces criticism at home for outsourcing manufacturing jobs, and pressure in China to accede to demands from the Communist Party regarding censorship and data access. Shifting production out of China gives other parties less leverage over Apple.
Apple has been repeatedly criticized for the labor conditions involved in constructing its hugely profitable gadgets. Foxconn’s plants in particular have come under scrutiny for their sweatshop conditions and worker suicides.
Article From & Read More ( Apple investigates Indian iPhone plant after workers strike following mass food poisoning - The Verge )https://ift.tt/3EIWhhu
food
Rabu, 29 Desember 2021
Helena Food Share reflects on 2021 - KTVH
HELENA — According to the Lewis and Clark County Community Health report, 13% of Lewis and Clark County residents had faced food insecurity in 2021.
That need placed a high demand on organizations like the Helena Food Share.
"2021 has been an interesting year because we've had to continue to make shifts, based on the services we're providing to people because of COVID, so it's been a somewhat challenging year in that regard," said Bruce Day, Helena Food Share executive director.
Days one area they have seen increased need is in the emergency food packs.
The emergency food packs are ready-to-eat options for those with no means of preparing meals. Day says they have provided 400 emergency food packs in 2021.
"I'm going to say more than four times the amount that we were providing a couple of years ago and double what we're providing at the beginning of the year."
But the number of individuals coming in for food has remained steady.
Day says, "We're definitely seeing a rise in an increase in the number of households that are coming here to get food."
The Helena Food Share gave out just under 2,000 meal boxes during the holiday season.
He credits the community and volunteers for helping meet the needs at a critical time for families.
"We have a really wonderful pool of volunteers that have helped us throughout 2021, and we're just really grateful for that kind of support that people are willing to, you know, help make this possible, you know to for us to open our doors and to provide food for people when they need it," said Day.
MTN News dug into the 2021 Community Health Report to learn more about the food insecurity challenges facing Lewis and Clark County residents.
The report found that the highest concentration of households served by the food share is near downtown, including the Upper and Lower West Side and the South-Central and Sixth Ward neighborhoods.
In 2021 approximately 2 percent of high school students in the county said they went hungry most of the time or always because there was not enough food in the home, and 15 percent of households had difficulty buying fresh produce.
Click here to read the 2021 Lewis and Clark Co. Community Health Report.
https://ift.tt/3z9sJbO
food
Food prices expected to continue to climb in 2022 - National Hog Farmer
According to the latest USDA Economic Research Service Food Price Outlook, 2021 food-at-home prices have increased 3.1% and food-away-from-home prices have increased 4.2% year-to-date from 2020.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all food has increased an average of 3.6%. Of all the CPI food-at-home categories tracked by the USDA ERS, beef and veal has had the largest relative price increase (8.7%) and the fresh vegetables category the smallest (0.9%). No food categories have decreased in price in 2021 compared with 2020.
"We're looking at price increases between 4 and 5% for food in restaurants," says USDA Economist Matt MacLachlan.
When 2021 is finally over, MacLachlan expects the two years of accelerated food price increases to round out at 3.5% for grocery store foods in 2020 and another 3.5% in 2021. In 2019 prices rose less than 1%.
"We usually see deceleration following accelerations," says MacLachlan. "That's not to say that food prices are going to go down. It's just the rate at which they have increased should slow a bit."
"A slowing of the increase still means higher prices," says USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer.
While 2021 food prices are garnering attention, it is not unprecedented. In the first part of 1979, former USDA Chief Economist Howard Hjort reported a 17.7% annual rate increase.
For 2022, the economists are expecting rising prices, but not as severe as the hike 42 years ago.
"For now, we are forecasting that prices for all food will increase between 2 and 3% and that food-away-from-home prices will increase 3 to 4%," MacLachlan says. "That's slightly above their historical average of about 2.8%, and that food-at-home will increase somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5%, centered on its historical average of 2%."
Article From & Read More ( Food prices expected to continue to climb in 2022 - National Hog Farmer )https://ift.tt/3z8loJD
food
Make-ahead food lets you enjoy the party - Crow River Media
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Make-ahead food lets you enjoy the party Crow River Media Article From & Read More ( Make-ahead food lets you enjoy the party - Crow River Media )https://ift.tt/3JpohKN
food
Bayonne Food Bank letter of no conflict being ‘handled internally,’ officials say - The Hudson Reporter
City Council President Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski, who is now running for mayor, gives out food alongside the Bayonne Food Bank on Sept. 16. Photo courtesy of the food bank
City Council President Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski, who is now running for mayor, gives out food alongside the Bayonne Food Bank on Sept. 16. Photo courtesy of the food bank
Funding intended for the Bayonne Food Bank remains in limbo.
The food bank has yet to receive a letter of no conflict of interest from the city, with months having passed since the Bayonne Community News first reported that the key funds were ensnared in red tape. The letter would allow the food bank to use $10,000 in private donations and $150,000 in Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (CDBG-CV) funds to purchase nonperishable food to distribute to residents.
City Council President Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski co-founded the food bank with Business Administrator Melissa Mathews in 2020 amid the dire need for food assistance prompted in part by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ashe-Nadrowski and Mathews last told BCN in September that there was still no update on the letter.
Amid the holdup, a rift between Law Director Jay Coffey and Mathews became evident over the summer amid her gender discrimination lawsuit against the city in which he is named, and a secret audio recording involving Coffey talking about Mathews. Come July, it was announced the investigation into whether there is a conflict of interest was handed off to outside counsel, attorney Allan Roth of Ruderman and Roth. During the investigation, Roth declined to comment on the matter.
‘Handling it internally’
At a meeting of the Bayonne City Council in September, Coffey said the letter’s completion was imminent. And at the Dec. 15 meeting, Coffey told residents that the letter was finally done.
“I am in receipt of that letter,” Coffey said at the meeting. “It will be dealt with internally in the next week or so.”
The day after the council meeting, Mathews was optimistic that this time the letter was actually close to completion, but was weary of Coffey’s words and noted this isn’t the first time he said the letter was complete or nearing completion.
“Jay said in July at the council meeting that there would be a determination by the month’s end,” Mathews told BCN on Dec. 16. “At another meeting in September, it was said that they would have the results that night. Now, months later, it’s in-house and we will have a determination within the week. I am hopeful, but not optimistic on anything actually happening.”
However, as of Dec. 28, Mathews confirmed that she still hasn’t received the letter nor has been contacted in any way regarding it. That day, Coffey told BCN that: “We will be dealing with that administratively” and did not elaborate further.
Why the need for the letter?
Donations of money and food are essential for the food bank’s survival. But a nonprofit was needed in order to accept food donations from Table to Table and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, the food sources for the Bayonne Food Bank.
When the food bank was first established in 2020, it accepted both food and monetary donations through the Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation (BEOF), a nonprofit, under the banner “Bayonne for Bayonne.” The money was then transferred to the city from the BEOF in order for the food bank to buy food.
However, the “hodge-podge” partnership formed during the early pandemic wasn’t a long-term solution. While the BEOF assisted with donations, it declined to operate the food bank full time.
As a more permanent fix, Mathews proposed using her personal nonprofit, The Mathews Foundation, to operate the food bank. The idea was that the foundation could accept around $10,000 in donations raised by Ashe-Nadrowski and Mathews to purchase and distribute food.
Because Mathews is a city employee, BEOF attorneys wanted to determine there was no conflict of interest. The BEOF lawyers have reviewed the matter, but Ashe-Nadrowski and Mathews are still waiting for a letter of no conflict of interest from city attorneys indicating that the city is okay with the money being transferred to The Mathews Foundation.
The $10,000 sits in a city account pending completion of the letter. Meanwhile, $150,000 in CDBG-CV funding for the food bank is also being held up due to absence of the letter.
The clock is still ticking
Without access to the donations, the food bank can’t use the federal funds. The Mathews foundation would front the money, buy the food, and then draw down, or be reimbursed by, the CDBG-CV funds.
There is a timeline for the city to spend those funds, before the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) forces the city to reallocate them for other causes. And the clock is ticking.
Meanwhile, without the funds, nonperishable food distributions and deliveries have ceased. What is currently distributed at 16th Street Park each week is perishable foods donated by Table to Table and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
Article From & Read More ( Bayonne Food Bank letter of no conflict being ‘handled internally,’ officials say - The Hudson Reporter )https://ift.tt/3qBeMPY
food
How Meituan is redefining food delivery in China with drones - TechCrunch
On a congested sidewalk next to a busy mall in Shenzhen, a 20-something woman uses a smartphone app to order a milk tea on Meituan, a major food delivery company. In under ten minutes, the pearl-white drink arrives, not on the back of one of the city’s ubiquitous delivery bikes, but descending from the cloudy heavens, in a cardboard box on the back of a drone, into a small roadside kiosk. The only thing the scene is missing is a choir of angels.
Over the past two years, Meituan, one of China’s largest internet companies, has flown 19,000 meals to 8,000 customers across Shenzhen, a city with close to 20 million people. The pilot program is available to just seven neighborhoods, each with a three-kilometer stretch, and only from a select number of merchants. The drones deliver to designated streetside kiosks rather than hover outside people’s windows as envisioned by sci-fi writers. But the trials are proof of concept for Meituan’s ambitions, and the company is now ready to ramp up its aerial delivery ambitions.
Tencent-backed Meituan isn’t the only Chinese tech giant that hopes to fill urban skies with tiny fliers. Alibaba, which runs Meituan’s rival Ele.me, and e-commerce powerhouse JD.com, have also invested in similar drone delivery services in recent years.
On the back of the pilot program, Meituan has applied to operate a commercial drone delivery service across all of Shenzhen, Mao Yinian, head of the company’s drone delivery unit, said at a press event this month. The application, submitted in September, is currently under review by Shenzhen’s aviation authority and is expected to receive approval in 2022, though the actual timeline is subject to government decisions.
“We went from experimenting in the suburbs to a central area. That means our operational capability has reached a new level,” said Chen Tianjian, technical expert at Meituan’s drone business, at the same event.
Meituan's self-developed drone just placed a milk tea order into its delivery station, from which the customer can pick up the drink using its app. Took 4 mins for the drone to arrive from the merchant 3km away. pic.twitter.com/F52lhLeowA
— Rita Liao (@ritacyliao) December 17, 2021
Flying meals
At the moment, Meituan’s delivery drones still involve a good amount of manpower. Take the milk tea order, for example. Once the drink is ready, Meituan’s backend dispatch system assigns a human courier to fetch it from the merchant in the mall to the roof of the complex, where the company has set up drone takeoff pads.
Before takeoff, an inspector checks to see if the box holding the drink is secure. Meituan’s navigation system then calculates the quickest and safest route for the flyer to reach the pickup kiosk and off it goes, the milk tea into the sky.
The economic viability for using drones to deliver food of course is still unproven. Each of Meituan’s small aircraft, which are built with carbon fiber and weigh around 4 kilograms, can carry about 2.5 kilograms of food — roughly the weight of an average two-person meal, according to Chen. If someone orders just one cup of milk tea, the remaining space is wasted. Each kiosk can hold about 28 orders, so at peak hours, Meituan is betting on customers to gather their food promptly.
There’s also the matter of creating waste with the new delivery boxes. Meituan said it has set up recyclable bins next to the kiosks, but customers are also free to keep the containers. It won’t be surprised if some simply chuck them in the trash.
Lessons from the U.S.
From 2017 to 2018, China’s civil aviation authority started “following” the U.S. in light of research done by the Federal Aviation Administration on low-altitude aerial mobility, according to Chen. Not long after, the Chinese regulator began formulating guides and rules for this budding field. Meituan has similarly studied the paths of its American drone counterparts, but it realizes there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, as the two countries vary markedly in population density and consumer behavior.
Most Americans live in suburban sprawl, while in China and many other Asian countries, people are concentrated in urban clusters. As a result, drones in the U.S. are “focused more on endurance,” Chen said. Drones developed by Google and Amazon, for example, tend to be “fixed-winged with vertical landing and takeoff abilities,” while Meituan’s solution falls into the category of a small helicopter, which is more suited for complex urban environments.
Technologies emerging in the U.S. often offer useful clues to similar developments in China. The picture doesn’t look particularly rosy at Amazon Prime Air. The behemoth’s drone delivery business reportedly has been missing deadlines and laying off staff, though the firm said the unit continued to “make great strides.”
Prime Air, Chen argued, “doesn’t seem to have a clear strategy” and “has been vacillating between” neighborhood delivery, which is the focus of Alphabet’s Wing, and long-distance transport, which is UPS’s strong suit. He continued:
If you look at the competition between China and the U.S. in low-altitude aerial logistics, the important thing is to figure out one’s strategic position. Everyone can design a UVA. The question is what kind of UVA and for what customers.
Regulations
When asked about the safety of drone delivery, Chen said Meituan’s solution “strictly follows” the rules laid out by the “civil aviation authority.” The Beijing-headquartered company picked Shenzhen as its testing field not only because it’s home to drone giant DJI and a mature UAV supply chain. The southern metropolis, known for its economic experiments, also has some of the most friendly drone policies in China, the expert said.
Each of Meituan’s drones is registered with Shenzhen’s Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management Information Service System (UATMISS). During flights, they are required to pin UATMISS with their precise locations every five seconds. More important, Meituan’s navigation system works to ensure the flyers avoid crowds and built-up areas on the ground, even at the cost of making detours.
The drones being piloted are Meituan’s third iteration on the model. They boast a noise level of about 50 decibels heard from a 15-meter distance, which is equivalent to “daytime street level,” according to Chen. The next generation will be even quieter with noise reduced to “nighttime street level.” But the small aircraft can’t be too quiet, as regulators have advised that having an acceptable level of noise “is safer.”
Human help
Meituan doesn’t plan to replace its millions of couriers in China with unmanned flyers outright, though automation would take some load off its overworked delivery platform. Its dispatch algorithms have come under criticism from both the public and the government for allegedly putting business performance business above rider safety. The challenge to recruit workers has already prompted labor-intensive industries to seek out robotic help.
Meituan’s goal is to find a sweet spot for human-robot collaboration. Shenzhen’s road infrastructure is notoriously unfriendly to scooter drivers and cyclists, but aerial travel isn’t restricted by such ground obstructions. Drones can fly over large interchanges and put meals at spots convenient for couriers to fetch and carry to customers’ final destination.
Meituan is already envisaging more automation. For instance, rather than having its staff manually swap depleted drone batteries, it has done R&D on automated battery swap stations. It’s also exploring a conveyor belt-like system that can move items from restaurants to drone takeoff pads nearby. These solutions are still years from large-scale deployment, but the food delivery titan is clearly gliding into an automated future.
Article From & Read More ( How Meituan is redefining food delivery in China with drones - TechCrunch )https://ift.tt/33U2iv9
food
How to keep takeout and home-delivered food safe - AG Week
She was observing the small metal baking pans tucked in the back pockets of the front seats.
“I couldn’t find plastic trays that fit in the pockets,” I replied.
That really didn’t answer the question, did it?
We use the trays to avoid spilling food on the seats or floor of our car when we eat in the vehicle.
I looked for plastic trays but they were all too large to fit in the pockets. Small cookie sheets filled the bill.
During the early days of the pandemic, my husband and I picked up food to eat in our car or bring home. We put many miles on our vehicle during the early months of the pandemic.
We liked to see some other scenery outside of our home. While my husband drove, I arranged the food in their wrappers on our trays.
We found a spot with a small herd of deer, and we visited them regularly. Sometimes the deer walked right up to our parked vehicle.
No, the deer didn’t get to sit in the backseat and enjoy a snack on a tray. Our car is too small for that.
Most of us had some options when many dine-in restaurants closed during the early pandemic. We could have opted for takeout, meal delivery, grocery delivery or cook-it-yourself meal kits mailed directly to our address.
When the pandemic began, most restaurants closed for a while. Some restaurants only allowed takeout and others had drive-through windows. Unfortunately, some restaurants closed permanently due to loss of revenue and staffing challenges.
According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry lost $280 billion in sales during the first 13 months of the pandemic. Millions of workers lost their jobs either temporarily or permanently. Others did not return to foodservice work.
Life has shifted in many ways during the past nearly two years, including how we obtain our food. Fortunately, COVID-19 is not spread through food, according to the Food and Drug Administration. As we all probably know, the virus primarily spreads through tiny droplets in the air through close contact with people.
Most of us enjoy eating food prepared outside of our home, at least on occasion, and we need to follow safe food-handling recommendations. The Partnership for Food Safety Education or PFSE (at www.fightbac.org) recently launched a national campaign about food delivery called “Prep Yourself.”
I paraphrased some of the key messages from the new PFSE campaign for all of us to consider during food delivery. Most of these tips would directly apply to food pick-up too.
- Before ordering, ask questions. What are the company’s safety standards? How do they respond if the product is delivered at an unsafe temperature or if it appears that tampering has taken place?
- Be sure that someone is home when the food is delivered so the food can be stored properly in the refrigerator. If no one will be home, be sure to establish a safe place that is cool, shaded and protected from pests. Be sure to inform the restaurant when you order.
- When the food is delivered, the responsibility for safe handling becomes your responsibility. Look for stickers on perishable foods that say “Keep refrigerated” or “Keep frozen” and then follow the recommendations.
- Handle the delivered food safely. If the food is fully cooked, serve it right away or hold it hot in an oven or preheated slow cooker. Cook raw foods or refrigerate or freeze as soon as possible. Be aware of the “danger zone” (40 F to 140 F). Food should be kept cold (below 40 F) or hot (above 140 F).
- Encourage family members and guests to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds before eating. Make available alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
My family enjoys food from around the world, whether cooked at home or from a restaurant. This week I am featuring a slow cooker carnita recipe typical of Mexican cuisine. It is courtesy of the PFSE and includes their food safety instructions. I added the nutrition information. By the way, “carnita” is the Spanish word for “little meats.”
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 to 3 individual chipotle peppers from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo
3 pounds skinless, boneless pork shoulder (excess fat trimmed)
1/4 cup orange juice (about 1 orange)
1 cup chicken broth, reduced sodium
2 bay leaves
Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional garnish)
Flour tortillas and/or corn tortillas
Wash hands with soap and water. Gently rub garlic and limes under cold running water. Place garlic, lime juice, oil, salt, black pepper, oregano, onion powder, cumin, peppers and adobo sauce in a small food processor or blender. Pulse until well combined and a paste is formed. Rub the pork shoulder with the chipotle paste, rubbing in thoroughly on all sides. Do not rinse raw poultry or meat under water. Wash hands with soap and water after handling raw pork. Gently rub orange under cold running water. Place orange juice, chicken broth, bay leaves and seasoned pork shoulder into a slow cooker. Cook for eight hours on low or four hours on high, until internal temperature reaches 145 F on a food thermometer. The pork should be so tender that meat falls apart easily. Remove pork from slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks, removing excess fat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Heat oven to broil. Line one baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil. Place carnitas onto a baking sheet with half of the juices and broil until most of the pork looks golden, crisp and crusted, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven. Gently rinse cilantro, pat dry and chop. Garnish carnitas with chopped cilantro, if desired.
Makes eight servings. Each serving of the pork has 290 calories, 16 grams fat, 34 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber and 690 milligrams sodium.
To read more of Julie Garden-Robinson's Prairie Fare, click here.
(Julie Garden-Robinson is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences. Follow her on Twitter @jgardenrobinson.)
Article From & Read More ( How to keep takeout and home-delivered food safe - AG Week )https://ift.tt/3sIk6nC
food
Selasa, 28 Desember 2021
Food recalls have dropped off during the pandemic, but no one is entirely sure why – Nation & World News - WUFT
December 28, 2021 National, News from NPR
When the pandemic hit last year, restaurants closed and grocery stores struggled to keep their shelves stocked. A shift also occurred in the national food safety system.
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
https://ift.tt/313Q2aq
food
Food recalls have dropped off during the pandemic, but no one is entirely sure why - NPR
When the coronavirus pandemic hit last year, the nation's food supply wasn't spared from the fallout. Restaurants closed, manufacturers raced to implement new protective measures and grocery stores struggled to keep their shelves stocked.
A shift also occurred in the food safety system, the safeguard between American consumers and what they eat.
At the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, agency data shows that regulators reported only about a quarter as many recalls in 2020 as it did the previous year, and in 2021 the agency remains well behind its pre-pandemic pace.
At the Food and Drug Administration, the other government agency that issues food recalls, there was a more modest decrease in the number of recalls issued last year compared with 2019, continuing a downward trend over the past several years.
Officials and food safety experts say it's unclear what this all means for consumers. A drop in the number of recalls could signal a system growing safer, but some fear it could mean pandemic disruptions have allowed potential risks to slip through the cracks. Experts have been encouraged by the fact that there has been no discernible spike in the number of cases of foodborne illnesses, and they say that the number of recalls is likely shifting because of COVID-19's far-reaching effects on the economy.
"It's like I tell my graduate students: If you're doing an experiment, you need to change one variable at a time," said Don Schaffner, a professor of food science at Rutgers University. "Here, we've changed a whole lot of variables at once."
How COVID-19 changed the food safety system
In the early days of the pandemic, lockdowns and food shortages reshaped the way Americans ate. Restaurants shuttered before slowly returning to limited service. People spent more money at grocery stores and cooked more meals at home.
The changes introduced a new set of challenges for the USDA, which is responsible for meat, poultry and egg products, and the FDA, which oversees basically all other foods. Seemingly overnight, the two agencies were suddenly part of a whole-of-government response to an unprecedented public health crisis that went far beyond food.
The FDA announced in March 2020 that it was temporarily suspending most foreign inspections of food and other products it regulates. The agency, which also monitors new drugs, was involved in responding to the pandemic and would later be responsible for examining the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
The USDA, which has inspectors physically present in certain meat and poultry manufacturing facilities, continued inspections as normal but said it was prioritizing inspections in certain areas based on local conditions and resources.
Recalls fell by 75% at the USDA, but less dramatically at the FDA
In 2020, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued 32 recalls, according to agency data. The year before, it had 126 recalls and, the year before that, 128. So far this year, the service has issued 47 recalls.
An FSIS spokesperson said in a statement that the decline is largely because of fewer incidents being reported to the agency. Both the USDA and the FDA conduct their own inspections but often rely on producers and consumers to flag issues with a given food product before the decision is made to pull it from shelves.
"The reason for this decrease in reported incidents requiring recall analyses was likely due to a number of factors including societal disruptions and consumer behavior during the pandemic," the spokesperson said. "If USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service identifies any meat or poultry products as adulterated or misbranded that are not under control of the firm and available for sale, then the agency requests that the firm recall the product."
At the FDA, the fluctuations appear to be far less drastic.
The agency, which lumps food and cosmetics recalls together, reported 495 in fiscal year 2020 and 427 in 2021. Both are down from the 526 recalls in fiscal year 2019 and the 585 recalls recorded the year before.
"The number of recalls in any given year can fluctuate for a variety of reasons; we have not determined a specific reason for the decrease," an FDA spokesperson said in a statement.
Ben Chapman, a professor of agricultural and human sciences at NC State University, said the data does not make clear what's going on within the U.S. food safety system.
"I think it's too early to tell," he said. "I think we're trying to do analysis in the midst of a pandemic, and we don't really understand how things have changed."
The numbers don't paint a clear picture of food safety
Recalls occur for a variety of reasons, including the discovery of foodborne pathogens as well as mislabeling that fails to alert consumers to the presence of possible allergens, such as nuts.
But in the opening days of the pandemic, the nation's early detection system was knocked partially offline. Many meat processors, for example, closed down after scores of workers tested positive for the coronavirus, which could have created fewer opportunities for recalls at the USDA if food production was on hold.
Chapman noted that many of the FDA recalls that did occur were because of allergens, a spike that may be attributed to behavior changes caused by the pandemic.
For example, he said, restaurants that were closed may have no longer needed a 30-pound box of chicken breasts, so producers instead turned that into smaller packages to sell directly to consumers in grocery stores.
"That change of scrambling for more labels to print, scrambling to think about different packaging, could lead to confusion within the supply chain," he said.
The change in FDA recalls may also be due to the continued implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act, experts said, which tightened safeguards for food production under the FDA's jurisdiction in an effort to prevent more foodborne illnesses rather than respond to them. Although the act was signed into law in 2011, some of its rules only took full effect in the last few years.
Fewer recalls do not mean more bad food
Even though recalls may be down, that doesn't necessarily mean more bad food is in circulation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks cases of foodborne illnesses, another metric that experts say indicates how well the food safety system is working.
Although the numbers tend to lag by several years, the CDC program that tracks about 15% of the U.S. population currently shows a decrease in 2020 of pathogens typically transmitted through food. Infections caused by the eight pathogens currently tracked by the CDC dropped by 29% between 2019 and 2020 in the study area.
But even that data comes with a pandemic caveat: People with non-COVID-19 illnesses steered clear of hospitals during upticks in infections last year, which could account for the dip in foodborne pathogen cases.
Article From & Read More ( Food recalls have dropped off during the pandemic, but no one is entirely sure why - NPR )https://ift.tt/3HflhyK
food
Senin, 27 Desember 2021
Ring in the New Year with less food waste - Phys.org
While fighting food waste is a year-round mission, it's more important than ever around the holidays. This is something to consider during this year's festivities, typically known for an abundance of food.
Across Europe, holidays have become synonymous with overeating and food waste. While celebrations are marked with a glut of festive fare, latest reports from the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme warn that 45 million people across 43 countries are on the brink of famine.
The good news is there is plenty that can be done to save food, according to Toine Timmermans, Programme Manager of Sustainable Food Chains at Wageningen University & Research. 'Solutions for reducing food waste are within everyone's reach,' he said. 'Wageningen University and its research has committed to reducing food waste by 50% in 2030.'
It won't be easy. Even among the waste-conscious Dutch, more than 2 million tonnes of edible food is binned each year. This is based on data compiled by the research headed by Timmermans. The data also shows households are responsible for more than half of this wastefulness, particularly during the holidays.
This is why the Dutch national campaign "Together Against Food Waste" is the busiest over the holidays calling on consumers to keep food waste in mind during their celebrations.
Launched in 2018, the campaign was driven by the headline figure that 6% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions come from food waste.
Why reducing food waste is the perfect New Year's resolution
Promises to exercise and eat healthier are among the most popular New Year's resolutions. But what if this year's resolution extended to reducing the amount of food that gets binned?
That's a commitment in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal the European Union (EU) has committed to achieving.
'The end of the year is approaching. It's a time to contemplate your resolutions for the coming year,' said Timmermans. 'These do not interfere with the holiday spirit, in fact they stand to make it more enjoyable. The festive season can help the environment and ward off overspending through wastage—more money for presents.'
The tips are simple and easy to follow. 'Start by making a plan, write a shopping list and stick to it.' Then, 'cook to size of your party so weigh portions before cooking.' When the meal is finished store leftovers.'
Timmermans is also quick to stress the difference between 'use by' and 'best before' expiration dates. 'Use by' is an instruction and is not to be ignored. For food safety reasons, food must be used by this date or thrown away. For this reason, consumers must be regularly aware of these dates and check to avoid food waste.
Most products with a 'best before' date can often still be safely consumed days after the date, one example is pasta. 'Use your senses,' advised Timmermans. 'By looking, smelling and tasting, the quality of the product can be assessed.'
Timmermans has more than 15 years of experience in cutting food waste. As coordinator of the REFRESH project, he and his team formed coalitions aimed at creating positive social change. While this initiative concluded in 2019, the experts involved in the project went on to form part of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste.
'Although REFRESH finished in 2019, its legacy lives on,' said Timmermans referring to the Dutch food waste-free week, the foundation of a national event aiming to halve food waste and the charity Food Waste Free United.
The results speak for themselves. Researchers in 2019 found that each Dutch citizen wasted 7 kg less food, discarding just 34.3 kg, compared to 2016 and 29% less compared to 2010.
'Without a doubt, consumer behaviour and consequently the social norms regarding food waste are changing for the better,' noted Toine Timmermans, but there is still a lot of work to do.'
Farming around festivities
Back on the farm, the latest data shows a whopping 700 million tonnes of crops are wasted every year in Europe alone. This includes the increased harvest of all the fruit and vegetables we associate with the season—oranges, satsumas, Brussels sprouts, carrots, sage, onion not forgetting the humble carrot.
Efforts to reverse this wasteful trend are underway across Europe. One initiative, backed by researchers and industry stakeholders in 11 European countries, is repurposing residues and by-products from the farming and food processing industry for use in products for food, packaging and farming sectors.
In Spain, Alexandra Poch and Cristina Fernandez are working together at IRIS Technology Solutions to cut waste, mainly in the olive and tomato industries. As joint coordinators of the AgriMax project, they have overseen the building of two groundbreaking pilot plants in Spain and Italy, to sustainably process the staples of the Mediterranean diet: the olive and the tomato.
From small beginnings deep in the southern European countryside, these facilities are promising to revolutionise the way we use crops and not only eliminate waste, but also put it to good use.
Both factories can use different crops as feedstock, allowing them to run throughout the year and avoiding downtime caused by seasonal fluctuations and variations in yields. Peak olive harvesting time is December, while tomato picking starts in April. Waste crop material will therefore be available even during the winter and festive season.
Seasonal hues from tomato skin and seeds
'Lycopene, the powerful antioxidant found in tomato skins and seeds, may be destined for the bin, but it is actually a high-value waste product, so it's extracted by the processing plants,' said Poch. With its vivid red colour, it's also a natural colourant. Lycopene can be used to create a palette of super-stable colours for a range of foods and beverages—from carbonated drinks, fruity yoghurts and the tantalising sweets on the holiday table.
When olives are processed, they are pressed to produce olive oil. The solid residue, olive oil pomace, sounds nice but, as a thick sludge, is inedible. The good news for waste recycling is that it is chock-full of chemicals known as polyphenols 'With antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, polyphenols from olive waste can be incorporated into active packaging,' outlined Poch.
'We have demonstrated how unavoidable crop and food processing waste can be turned into multiple, high-value bio-based products for the food ingredients, food packaging and farming sectors, even at Christmas,' said Poch.
Timmermans wraps up the subject of food wastage in the home with a festive flavour. 'While enjoying your festive feast, you can support food waste initiatives. Make your apples into jam and veggie stalks into an attractive salad.'
Explore further
Citation: Ring in the New Year with less food waste (2021, December 27) retrieved 27 December 2021 from https://ift.tt/3EweOhb
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
https://ift.tt/3EweOhb
food
These Food Items Are Getting More Costly in 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Everything from coffee to mustard is getting more expensive next year.
Many food manufacturers say they plan to raise prices in 2022 for a range of products from macaroni-and-cheese to snacks, the latest sign that consumers will continue to face higher costs at the supermarket.
...Everything from coffee to mustard is getting more expensive next year.
Many food manufacturers say they plan to raise prices in 2022 for a range of products from macaroni-and-cheese to snacks, the latest sign that consumers will continue to face higher costs at the supermarket.
“There’s nothing immune from price increases,” said Tony Sarsam, chief executive officer of food retailer and distributor SpartanNash Co. , adding that produce, dairy and packaged food such as bread and juice are among many items set to become more pricey next year.
Food prices are estimated to rise 5% in the first half of 2022, according to research firm IRI, though the level of increases will vary by grocers and regions.
Mondelez International Inc. said recently that it was raising prices across cookies, candy and other products sold in the U.S. by 6% to 7% starting in January. General Mills Inc. and Campbell Soup Co. said their price increases also would take effect in January. Kraft Heinz Co. told retailer customers that it would raise prices across many of its products including Jell-O pudding and Grey Poupon mustard, with some items going up as much as 20%, according to a memo viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
The increases follow others that food manufacturers imposed in 2021, and are part of what businesses and economists call the highest inflation in decades. Higher wage, material and freight costs are prompting industries from manufacturing to retail to raise prices of goods, creating an environment in which some executives say they have room to charge more.
With food markets on a wild ride lately, cheese has seen more volatility than most. Yet in supermarkets, prices have remained relatively stable. Here’s why sharp changes in wholesale cheese prices are slow to make it to consumers. Illustration: Jacob Reynolds The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition
Kraft Heinz said the average price increase on its products will be 5%, adding that it wasn’t passing all of its cost increases to customers. Production costs of Grey Poupon rose 22%, and the company is raising it by 6% to 13% for customers, the company said.
Mondelez, General Mills and Campbell had no additional comment.
The Labor Department said the consumer-price index rose 6.8% in November from a year ago, the fastest pace since 1982. The food-at-home index, which includes purchase from grocery stores, rose 6.4% over the past 12 months, with meats, poultry, fish and eggs increasing 12.8%.
Coming price increases in 2022 range from as low as 2% to 20%, hitting all sections of the grocery store including produce and packaged goods. Potatoes, celery and other heavier vegetables will have higher price tags next year in part because of higher freight costs, supermarket executives said. Wine, beer and liquor are also likely to get more expensive, they said, especially those that are imported.
Pantry staples such as mayonnaise and frozen meals are expected to be more pricey partly because of higher labor, logistics and packaging costs, some executives said.
“‘I’m spending more at the grocery store, and it’s not necessarily that I’m buying more.’”
— Susie Scott, a retiree, of Collierville, Tenn.Consumers remain willing to spend on groceries even as prices rise, some companies say, though that is starting to change. As shoppers become more price-sensitive, they are buying cheaper versions of meat and cooking oil, among others, industry executives said. Supermarkets say they are taking various approaches to combat price increases as consumers react to prices, including discontinuing certain items.
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based SpartanNash is holding down prices of frequently-bought products such as milk, eggs and frozen waffles, Mr. Sarsam said. Consumers pay more attention to what they pay for such items. To offset what it loses on such staples, he said, the chain of Martin’s Super Markets and Family Fare stores is charging more for baked or prepared food such as stuffed chicken breasts. Consumers so far are showing that they are willing to pay more for some food that can save them time.
The fast pace and wide range of increases are becoming harder for supermarket operators to navigate. Reynolds Cramer, chief executive officer of Fareway Stores Inc., said: “We received a letter from a vendor announcing price increases next month. We haven’t put into effect price increases they’ve given us this month.”
Stuart Aitken, chief merchant and marketing officer for Kroger Co.
, said the grocer was pushing back on some suppliers, delaying when price increases take effect and challenging manufacturers on the rate of increases to ensure that proposed price hikes are accurate. “Taking price increases is never a good outcome,” Mr. Aitken said.Other grocers are stockpiling goods before prices climb again, with some securing truckloads of items at a big discount shortly before their expiration date.
Grocery delivery company Fresh Direct LLC is expecting 2% to 4% cost increases in 2022 and plans to pass on increases for items that are more niche or less popular among its customers and is monitoring competitors’ prices weekly, said Scott Crawford, its chief merchandising officer.
“I’m hoping it’s transitory, but once the bar gets set it will move up,” Mr. Crawford said.
Susie Scott, a retiree who lives in Collierville, Tenn., said she had noticed her grocery bill go up in recent months. Bacon and milk are among items getting more expensive, Ms. Scott said, adding that she has been paying more attention to prices while grocery shopping. She has been buying chicken and ground chuck on sale every Tuesday at her nearby supermarket, but even they are getting pricey.
“I’m spending more at the grocery store, and it’s not necessarily that I’m buying more,” Ms. Scott said.
Write to Jaewon Kang at jaewon.kang@wsj.com
https://ift.tt/3EvdIlU
food
Food court vendor pulls out of farm show amid virus concerns - bedfordgazette.com
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Food court vendor pulls out of farm show amid virus concerns bedfordgazette.com Article From & Read More ( Food court vendor pulls out of farm show amid virus concerns - bedfordgazette.com )https://ift.tt/3EvcRBI
food
Minggu, 26 Desember 2021
Local food systems project is underway | Local News Stories | argusobserver.com - Ontario Argus Observer
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
- Local food systems project is underway | Local News Stories | argusobserver.com Ontario Argus Observer
- Food Bank Gets $5M in Funding Toward New Distribution Center U.S. News & World Report
- Mass. food bank gets $5M in funding toward new distribution center Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
- Western Mass. food bank gets $5M in funding toward new distribution center Spectrum News 1
- View Full Coverage on Google News
https://ift.tt/3yX3t8N
food
Idaho Food Bank meets a growing need | Northwest | lmtribune.com - Lewiston Morning Tribune
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Idaho Food Bank meets a growing need | Northwest | lmtribune.com Lewiston Morning Tribune Article From & Read More ( Idaho Food Bank meets a growing need | Northwest | lmtribune.com - Lewiston Morning Tribune )https://ift.tt/32zZv9Q
food
Season of Giving: Of One Accord distributes 1100 food boxes - Kingsport Times News
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Season of Giving: Of One Accord distributes 1100 food boxes Kingsport Times News Article From & Read More ( Season of Giving: Of One Accord distributes 1100 food boxes - Kingsport Times News )https://ift.tt/3mx1Ut0
food
Sabtu, 25 Desember 2021
NPR's favorite food books of 2021 - NPR
There's nothing like a good book to chew on. From NPR's annual reading round-up, Books We Love, here are four suggestions for books about food.
Article From & Read More ( NPR's favorite food books of 2021 - NPR )https://ift.tt/3mwYVRq
food
The best of Philly Food in 2021 | Craig LaBan - The Philadelphia Inquirer
I had plans for a celebratory meal with two friends at a hot new restaurant to cheer the end of this comeback year for Philly dining. But the reservation got canceled when the place temporarily closed due to a breakthrough COVID case on staff. Our Plan B restaurant? Temporarily closed, too. Same reason.
And then? Oh no... Are we back to the beginning of this whole pandemic mess with an evasive new variant that’s put even fully vaccinated people at great risk of infection? Are we really confronting renewed concerns about indoor dining, again? Yes, we are, even if a city vaccine mandate is finally coming in January — I welcome it — it’s clearly too late. (I advocated for this in August.)
It is easy to grow dispirited by the slingshot of back-to-2020 emotions I’m suddenly feeling as I now pull on extra layers and bundle-up once again for winter outdoor dining. But fire up the heaters, folks, because I’m still coming! We’re not back at the beginning. Not at all, given the scientific wonders of vaccines that have given us the tools to minimize the threat of more serious disease — even if, after nearly two years of vigilance, I’m still keen to avoid it.
But short of vanquishing this virus, we’re now forced as diners to confront a new rhythm of life in an ongoing pandemic, with temporary closures, frequent testing and precautions in order to eat out and support our restaurants through another surge. And I’ve hardly lost hope. If I can take any lessons from 2021, and the six months of quasi-normalcy for in-restaurant experiences we enjoyed between June and December, it is that all the efforts to persist are worth it.
ADVERTISEMENT
I ate so many wonderful meals over the past year, I was reminded of how much joy and community dining out brings to our lives. And I was inspired by how many of our culinary talents were determined to take the leap to keep going and remain among the brightest lights in a moment shadowed with struggle. It was never easy in 2021, even when it might have seemed effortless on my side of the table. But so many found a way to deliver, and did it spectacularly.
Here are just a few of the most memorable highlights.
In a year when nothing was business as usual, it’s only fitting that the best new restaurant began as a 22-seat pop-up BYOB that captured the intimacy of a passion project, the spirit of flexibility in ever-changing menus and hours, and a charming chef-owner whose staff managed to make everyone feel like they were part of a dinner party. That person is Amanda Shulman, the 29-year-old Penn grad and alum of Vetri and Montreal’s Joe Beef who’s channeled some serious Italian and French chops into a style that’s all her own, built on clever comforts, great ingredients and a penchant for updated retro flavors (halibut in Riesling sauce; tomato cobbler; pork sandwich-stuffed meatballs; oysters Rockefeller) on prix-fixe menus that change bi-weekly. Her acorn squash filled with molten fondue showered with truffles was my favorite dish of the year. And now that pop-up has graduated to the next phase. “I can’t say exactly what we are, because we have more freedom to do weird stuff if we keep it untraditional,” says Shulman. “But we’re sticking around for the foreseeable future.” Her Place Supper Club, 1740 Sansom St., herplacephilly.com
The pandemic forced many ambitious restaurants to get lean and refocus on tasting menus, and no place did it with more elegance, inspiration and polished teamwork than Chad and Hanna Williams’ intimate townhouse restaurant in Rittenhouse Square. From a bite-sized biscuit dabbed with beef tartare and caviar to the caramelized crunch and pudding heart of the cannelé finale, every course there was a perfect, unexpected little chapter in one big beautiful story of a meal. Truffled sweetbreads over caramelized plantains. Tiny empanadas stuffed with crispy pig face from chef de cuisine Sashia Liriano and pastry chef Amanda Rafalski. Liriano’s BBQ veal cheek, whose smoked pepper-black plum sauce was inspired by FSS’s earlier pandemic barbecue pop-up, was the most memorable plate of all, its tender meat wrapped inside a leaf of chard beside a crispy mille-feuille of shaved yam that, when pressed, fanned out into a silky puree of more yam. Friday Saturday Sunday, 261 S 21st St.; fridaysaturdaysunday.com
Philadelphia has one of the largest and longest-established Vietnamese communities in America, and plenty of wonderful restaurants serving pho, banh mi and broken rice platters. But few, if any, in the city are cooking the kind of contemporary food reflecting the current regional trends in Saigon and beyond like what Thanh Nguyen has brought to East Passyunk Avenue. Begin with her vermicelli platter laden with fried tofu, pork patties, blood sausage and a pungent shrimp paste dip for sharing. Then move on to the wok-fried soft shells, the crispy mini-banh xeo crepes, and a fern dumpling feast of tiny cups filled with steamed rice cake discs topped with ground dried shrimp, pork cracklings splashed with a shimmer of nước chấm. Gabriella’s Vietnam, 1837 E Passyunk Ave., gabriellasasian.com
I love so many of the traditional Caribbean flavors that Abbygale Bloomfield is cooking over at her Instagram-famous Jamaican takeout in Southwest Philly, from the city’s most sublime stewed oxtails to superbly tender curried goat. But it’s her signature jerk fried chicken that I truly dream about. The bird is brined overnight with pimento berries and habaneros before it’s deep-fried to a greaseless crust that blushes orange with imported Jamaican spices. Bloomfield’s new company, Worthwhile Foods, now sells jerk fried chicken mix online, along with bottles of her zesty Main Squeeze jerk sauce, to make it at home. Kingston 11, 6405 Woodland Ave., kingston-11-jamaican-restaurant.business.site
The Philly Sandwiches Remastered
Was there a better year for sandwich energy in America’s greatest sandwich city? No. And most of my faves were, in fact, classic genres perfected, from the meticulously built Italian hoagie at Castellino’s Market (255 E. Palmer St., castellinos.square.site) in Fishtown to the soulfully retro remakes the Miglino family is giving to thick-cut roast pork sandwiches and the classic pizza steak at new Dolores’ 2Street (1841 S 2nd St., on Meta). I’ve even got a favorite new cheesesteak in Northeast Philly with the Don Cheech at Cafe Carmela (2859 Holme Ave., cafecarmelaphilly.com). The annual late summer window for heirloom tomato BLTs at Middle Child (248 S. 11th St.; middlechildphilly.com) produced a sandwich filled with such a gorgeous kaleidoscope of tomatoes, it was among the most beautiful things I ate all year. And at Sweet Amalia Market & Kitchen (994 Harding Hwy. (Route 40), Newfield, N.J.; sweetamalia.com), every one of chef Melissa McGrath’s sandwiches was a masterpiece (including her Italian hoagie) and her ability to translate the seafood bounty of New Jersey into exceptional fried oyster and clam rolls was unparalleled
The city views were already sweet from Irwin’s eighth floor bar perch atop the Bok Building. But the addition of chef Michael Vincent Ferreri, who brought the handmade pastas, agrodolce chicken and seasonal salad magic (that caponata!) along from now-closed Res Ipsa, has made it one of Philly’s best all-around dinner date destinations. Grab a Zio Ubriaco cocktail and get the fritto misto. Irwin’s, Bok Building, 1901 S. Ninth St., irwinsupstairs.com
Primo Pastas
The most obvious pasta answer now is Fiorella (817 Christian St., fiorellaphilly.com), Marc Vetri’s high energy pasta bar where chef Matt Rodrigue’s crew serves perfect cacio e pepe, legendary sausage rigatoni and the fleeting seasonal wonders of delicate fig-stuffed cappellacci draped in speck. This year’s most distinctive pasta, though? That would be the rye-infused gnocchi sardi at Messina Social Club (1533 S. 10th St.; messinasocialclub.com), whose caraway-scented pasta nubs are topped with a sweet-tart ground beet “Bolognese,” pickled mustard seeds, fresh horseradish, and pumpernickel bread crumbs — an unconventional but harmonious combo that distills chef Eddie Konrad’s personal history (Polish-Italian heritage, plus training at Del Posto and Laurel) into one extraordinary bowl of noodles.
Pickleback Meets Raw Bar Black Squirrel Pub & Haunt
What could be a better start to a night at the pub than a shot of Irish whiskey chased by pickle juice? The answer is an Oyster Back at the Black Squirrel in East Falls (3749 Midvale Ave., blacksquirrelphilly.com) where chef Arthur Cavaliere floods a Cape May Salt on the half-shell with mignonette made from pickle juice and serves it atop a bed of ice beside a bracing shot of smooth Jameson Irish whiskey.
Chinatown’s New Prince of Peking Duck Lau Kee
Between COVID and an ugly wave of anti-Asian sentiment, it was an especially rough year for Chinatown. But my family kept the neighborhood’s restaurants busy, especially while researching an extensive Chinatown takeout round-up. I was especially thrilled to find a new favorite Peking duck house at Lau Kee owned by Chuien Liu, who spent two decades mastering duck at Sang Kee. With tender meat redolent of a ginger-five spice marinade and glossy dark skins that snap from an elaborate preparation (the duck is blown up with an air pump then dipped into sweet vinegar before roasting), these mahogany beauties are among Philly’s finest birds. Lau Kee, 934 Race St., 215-201-3511.
Birria Booms But Also...Veggie Mex?
The nationwide birria craze, with braised beef tacos and consommé being served everywhere from South Philly (Juana Tamale, Philly Tacos, El Molino Tortilleria, Mi Pueblito Tacos truck) to the Jersey Shore (Taqueria Rendon, which, as I documented in a 10-restaurant round-up this summer, has become one of the region’s most compelling epicenters of great Mexican cooking. Also, some of my most memorable Mexican flavors this year were vegetarian. The married chefs Mariana Hernandez and Julio Rivera have mastered the minimalist art of sopes (among many other specialties), and their pop-ups, formerly known as Last Abuela, are always worth seeking out. Meanwhile at Sor Ynez in Kensington, chef Alexis Tellez has been serving memorable vegetarian versions of tlacoyos, “alt-pastor” cauliflower tacos and a vegan mixiote masterpiece wrapped-up inside a steamy banana leaf.
It’s mostly all about the meaty bits at Scott Calhoun’s and Dave Feola’s adventurous offal-centric live fire kitchen blazing off East Passyunk Ave., where blood sausage, lamb tongue fries and “surf-’n’-turf” of sweetbreads and monkfish rightfully capture attention. But the most stunning dish was this absolutely gorgeous wood-grilled heart of baby bamboo, whose multi-chambered interior was filled with colorful dabs of housemade shoyu and cranberry hoisin over pureed apples that had been fermented like black garlic. Inventive veg treatments for cocktails, too, like the hay-smoked celery juice in the gingered sorrel #Phresh, elevated some of the city’s most intriguing non-alcoholic cocktails. Ember & Ash, 1520 E. Passyunk Ave., emberandashphilly.com
Few chefs capture the fleeting seasons with as much spontaneous artistry as Randy Rucker. So it’s no wonder late July washes over me again every time I think about his treatment of heirloom cantaloupes, shaved into luscious orange ribbons that curled on a plate cradling the salty orange jewels of trout roe dabbed with the earthy spice of house-fermented sunflower seed chile macha. Sweetness, heat, acid and pop, all in one single bite of summer ripeness. River Twice, 1601 E. Passyunk Ave.; rivertwicerestaurant
Big Beef
No, I didn’t go vegetarian in 2021. In fact, I ate some of the best steaks ever during a chophouse swing that mooed over a deeply dry-aged porterhouse for two at Alpen Rose, a Japanese hanger steak bargain with black sesame tare at Royal Izakaya, and a superb strip steak-frites with marrow-enriched “Bordo” sauce at the Good King Tavern. I savored the earthy tingle of East African chilies and a whiff of black cardamom in chef Belaynesh “Bella” Wondimagegnehu’s modern twist on Ethiopian beef kitfo tartare, served over spice-buttered toast at Buna Cafe. And, of course, I’m always on the hunt for favorite new burgers. I found several contenders in 2021, from the massive smash patty at Huda, to the grass-fed beauty on a house-baked potato roll at Fitz and Starts, and the thoughtfully built simple classic at the Goat Rittenhouse. The region’s most spectacular new burger, though, requires a trip to Wilmington for brunch with Le Big Cav at Le Cavaliere, the French brasserie makeover for the Green Room in the Hotel Dupont, where chef Tyler Akin has produced one of the finest Big Mac upgrades I’ve ever devoured.
Pennsylvania’s artisan cheese scene lost a pioneer after the announcement that the goat cheese masters behind Yellow Springs Farm decided to sell and move on. Philly scored a major addition, though, with the arrival of Perrystead Dairy, an urban creamery in Kensington where cheese wizard Yoav Perry is already creating a lineup of cutting-edge American originals, from the gooey, wrinkle-rind cube of Intergalactic, to tomme-style Atlantis washed in sea water, spruce-wrapped Tree Hug and the Real Philly Schmear, a silky, spreadable answer to industrial cream cheese.
Speaking of cream cheese, Philly now has better bagels than ever with the arrival of Korshak Bagels (1700 S. 10th St.; korshakbagels.com), a much-awaited project from poet-turned-bagel meister, Philip Korshak, whose delicate-crusted, springy rounds benefit from a two day process and a nearly decade-old sourdough starter named Helen Mirren. Korshak sells his own schmears and fish, of course. But if I’m going all out for brunch, that demands a trip to the smoked fish heaven of Biederman’s Specialty Foods (824 Christian St.; biedermansphilly.com), owner Lauren Biederman’s cozy, well-curated homage to Jewish appetizing stores tradition, where resident “loxsmith” Gene Mopsik, hand-cuts more than a dozen varieties of prime Samaki smoked fish and whips what is now the most sublime whitefish salad in town.
I took a Jollof rice crawl with chef Shola Olunloyo through Southwest Philly and beyond tosavored some great renditions of the iconic West African rice dish at African Small Pot, Suya Suya West African Grill, Wazobia, Le Mandingue and others. But the best version, by far, was the next-level Jollof made by the Nigerian-born Olunloyo himself in the smoky, coal-fired hearth of his own backyard. It was undoubtedly one of the eating highlights of my 2021. And the best part? He shared his recipe, so I can plan to perfect my Jollof game, too, in case I happen to be eating a bit more at home in the coming winter weeks.
Article From & Read More ( The best of Philly Food in 2021 | Craig LaBan - The Philadelphia Inquirer )https://ift.tt/32wFzEQ
food
Search
Entri yang Diunggulkan
Where to Eat Brazilian Food Around Atlanta - Eater Atlanta
Heralded for offering similar grill and salad bar choices as Fogo de Chão (an international Brazilian steakhouse chain), but at a more acce...
Postingan Populer
-
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Salem health board considers upping food service fees SalemNews.net Article From & Read More...
-
Water for Food Global Forum tackles water and food security in month-long virtual event - Fence PostLINCOLN, Neb. — The Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska will host the Water for Food Global Forum in October 2...
-
The rules in the Snow family household were simple. If Emily Snow’s first grader, Evan, made it through the evening without kicking, biting...