Food Goong: Maret 2022

Kamis, 31 Maret 2022

Draft food truck ordinance on the table in Maggie - Smoky Mountain News

Maggie Valley is a step closer to allowing food trucks after the board of aldermen reviewed an updated working draft at this week’s agenda-setting meeting.

The issue of food trucks resurfaced most recently when Dave Angel, owner of Elevated Mountain Distillery, came before the board at the March 8 meeting to request the special event permit required to allow a food truck to operate on their property. Elevated Mountain does not offer food, and under the current town ordinance, a special event permit must be obtained to allow for a food truck.

The board of aldermen had recently granted a special event permit to Harvest Moon Crepes, a food truck that wanted to set up shop outside of Tony’s Tube World. The food truck was allowed to operate during Tube World’s business hours for the rest of its season.

Angel submitted a request for a special event permit that would allow rotating food trucks on the property of Elevated Mountain Distilling Company, Thursday through Sunday during operating hours, through 2022. However, the board was split on the decision with Aldermen Tammy and Phillip Wight in favor of granting the permit request, and Mayor Mike Eveland and Aldermen Jim Owens and John Hinton against.

The board eventually granted Angel a scaled-back version of the permit, allowing him to have a food truck on site for 42 days, which could be spread out over several weekends. The board then appointed Tammy Wight and Jim Owens to a special committee that would work with the town attorney and town planner on a mobile restaurant ordinance for the town.

The first draft of such an ordinance was presented to the board during a workshop on the subject March 24. After hearing the opinions of board members, Town Planner Kaitland Finkle brought back a revised version of the draft at the March 30 agenda setting meeting for aldermen to consider prior to the regular April 5 meeting.

The food truck draft ordinance is intended to establish standards by which they would be allowed in Maggie Valley. The draft states that food trucks will only be located in nonresidential zoning districts within the jurisdiction of the town, or as a special event approved by the board of aldermen, like in the instance of events at the festival grounds.

One food truck is permitted per individual private lot, except in instances of special events.

“Mobile restaurants shall only be located on developed property that is occupied by a nonresidential use in operation,” the ordinance reads. “No mobile restaurant may sell food to the general public within the town unless a business, nonprofit, or similar organization, with a physical location, has given signed written approval as part of an application submitted to the town.”

Food trucks must be located a minimum of 500 feet from the main entrance to any brick-and-mortar restaurants or any other similar food service business — unless all restaurants, bars or food services within the 500 foot distance submit signed written approval as part of an application submitted to the town. Similar permission is needed in order to be located within 200 feet of residences.

Signs, including sandwich boards, freestanding signs or off-premises signs are not permitted for food trucks in the current draft ordinance.

Hours of operation are limited from 7 a.m.-11 p.m. A food truck may operate a maximum of three days between Thursday and Sunday in a single week. However, food trucks can operate Monday through Wednesday without those days counting toward the three-day maximum. These restrictions apply for special events approved by the board of aldermen.

The board of aldermen arrived at these requirements for permitted days of operation because several restaurants in Maggie Valley have limited hours or are closed at the beginning of the week, resulting in limited lunch and dinner options. Aldermen have been vocal in their concern for not hindering the business of Maggie Valley restaurants by allowing food trucks in the valley.

The draft ordinance will be reviewed and adjusted as necessary by the town prior to approval. The board plans to call for a public hearing in May during its upcoming April 5 board of aldermen meeting.

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There's a new way for Northeast Ohio food deserts to access healthy affordable food - Cleveland 19 News

PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - A new program through University Hospitals is helping out food deserts across Northeast Ohio.

Inside University Hospitals Portage County Medical Center lies what is called a “Food for Life Food Market.”

“I had open-heart surgery. He has back surgery. He had prostate surgery. And things were just really tight,” said Sandra Grandee, who uses the market with her husband Terry.

One of the Grandees’ doctors told them about this new free food market, and how it would save them money and help them get their health back on track.

“The ‘Food for Life Program’ is one of University Hospitals’ strategic programs to address food insecurity,” said Anne Leach, the director of clinical and community nutrition at University Hospitals. “The patients come in, they sit down for an appointment and we screen them for food insecurity. If they screen positive for one of the questions we ask about food then their provider will give them a referral to come to the food for life market. The referral is good for the patient to visit one time a month up to six months.”

The food markets are staffed with registered dietitians. They walk people through their food choices. The market has fresh produce, which means healthier options for people.

“I think we’re eating better. I need to eat less. Sometimes I think when funds are really low you have a tendency to choose food that really is not that good for you but they’re cheaper,” said Grandee.

The market is funded through University Hospitals and donations from the community. Patients however do need a referral to get into the program from a University Hospitals doctor.

“We’ve never been on welfare. We’ve never been, but this is something that’s available to us,” said Grandee,

The Grandee’s are among 1,000 lives and counting being changed by this program.

“We’re blessed in so many ways. I don’t understand why more people don’t take advantage of it,” said Grandee.

This project is expanding fast. There are two other “Food for Life Markets” in Cleveland. On top of that, University Hospitals will be opening up their fourth one at their Conneaut Medical Center in April.

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Chipotle tests RFID technology to improve food traceability - Restaurant Dive

Dive Brief:

Chipotle is testing radio-frequency identification technology at its Chicago distribution center and about 200 restaurants in the Greater Chicago region to improve its traceability and inventory systems, the company announced on Thursday. The fast causal chain partnered with Auburn University RFID Lab to develop the test.
The RFID labels will be used on meat, dairy and avocados from five Chipotle suppliers. Ingredients being tested will have RFID enabled case labels that are scanned with RFID readers, which complement existing scanners in restaurants.
This RFID technology, which will be used to trace food from suppliers to restaurants using serialization, is part of the company's ongoing commitment to improved food safety and quality. The traceability system is designed to allow Chipotle to respond to food safety and quality concerns more efficiently.

Dive Insight:

Chipotle has come a long way since it faced several food safety issues from 2015 to 2018. During this time, over 1,000 people were sickened by E. Coli, and management's lackluster response led to a slip in sales. The company agreed to a $25 million settlement with the Department of Justice in 2020. As part of that settlement, Chipotle committed to continuing to improve its food safety policies and procedures. The RFID technology will make it easier for the company to respond to any food safety issues.

"RFID labels transform inventory management into an automatic, digital function that optimizes restaurant operations and gives our Restaurant Support Centers access to inventory data in real-time," Scott Boatwright, chief restaurant officer at Chipotle, said in a release. "This integrated technology is improving our employee experience in participating restaurants while also benefiting our supply partners."

Chipotle's suppliers added the RFID technology using Chipotle's specifications. The company said it expects suppliers will save time on inventory management and stock rotation, reduce human error and improve expiration date visibility and accountability. The chain is using its stage-gate testing process for the RFID tech and will incorporate feedback from employees and suppliers before it looks into a systemwide rollout. The company has been developing this program for two years, Laurie Schalow, chief corporate affairs and food safety officer at Chipotle, said.

An RFID system could also potentially reduce food waste, which will be particularly key given ongoing issues related to rising food costs and supply chain disruptions. Many restaurant employees manage inventory manually, so an RFID system could also help employees better track inventory and reduce their time spent doing checks. Some systems can send alerts on products nearing expiration.

Chipotle's food costs increased 60 basis points to 31.6% in Q4 2021 compared to the previous year's quarter, CFO Jack Hartung said during the company's Q4 2021 earnings call. Labor costs also rose 100 basis points during Q4 to 26.4% compared to the previous year's quarter, Hartung said.

Combined with a labor scheduling tool, which the company is also rolling out, the back-of-house RFID technology can improve overall operations and boost customer satisfaction. CEO Brian Niccol said during the earnings call that its labor scheduling tool uses artificial intelligence and analytics to help employees avoid running out of product.

"If we can give them tools where they don't have to worry about making too much or not making enough, it just makes their job so much easier. It eliminates one stress. They don't want a disappointed customer," Niccol said.

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What Food Banks Never Need (and What to Give Instead) - The Takeout

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Middle East at 'Breaking Point' Over Food Prices, UN Says - Bloomberg

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Rabu, 30 Maret 2022

Learn recipes, food culture with AtoZ Food on March 31 - Oregon Observer

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Northwest food entrepreneurs bring locally grown seaweed to market - knkx.org

If you’re familiar with the taste of seaweed, it’s probably as an ingredient in a sushi roll, cup of miso soup or as a side salad served in a Japanese restaurant. In fact, almost all of the edible seaweed consumed in the U.S. is imported from Asia. But as the demand for plant-based foods grows, some entrepreneurs think the time is ripe to expand the range of edible offerings made from seaweed grown in the U.S., including a puffed snack made from sugar kelp and a leafy, marine substitute for kale. Travis Bettinson, the CEO and director of research and development at Blue Dot Kitchen, and Chuck Toombs, the founder and CEO of Oregon Seaweed, join us to talk about expanding consumers’ minds and palates to the possibilities of edible seaweed.

If you’d like to comment on any of the topics in this show, or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983. The call-in phone number during the noon hour is 888-665-5865.

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Food and beverage industry passes on higher costs – Produce Blue Book - Produce Blue Book

In present circumstances, if a company experiences a cost increase of $1, how much can it pass on in increased costs to customers?

Quite a bit, according to a survey of food and beverage industry executives sponsored by the Mazars Food & Beverage Practice.

Asked, “How much has your company been able to pass along inflation costs to the consumer? That is, of the higher cost you have experienced due to inflation, how much of that was added to your selling price?” only 15 percent reported that they could not pass along any costs. Another 7 percent said they had experienced no cost increases.

The other 78 percent were able to pass down anywhere from 1 to 100 percent of costs on to customers. Thirty-seven percent gave figures ranging from 1 to 10 percent. Another 27 percent said they were able to pass on between 10 and 49 percent of cost increases. Fourteen percent were able to pass on between 50 and 100 percent.

I asked Kristen Walters, partner and coleader for Mazars’ food & beverage practice, whether she saw any companies using an inflation as an excuse to raise prices when it was not necessary.

She replied, “I have not seen this because it is extremely rare to find a company that is not already experiencing significant inflation and supply chain issues. Most are more actively managing their inventory to pass along costs more quickly than what may have only been a twice-a-year effort.”

The executives displayed remarkable optimism for the future. Twenty-nine percent expected to increase their sales by over 40 percent this year over last year, with another 29 percent expecting increases of 31-40 percent. Only 21 percent said that their sales would decrease or stay the same.

When asked about these sunny expectations, Walters replied: “The survey participants based their responses on their outlook over the next year on observations from their own business models and strategic objectives. While it remains to be seen if the respondents will achieve this rate of growth, what we have seen thus far is that food & beverage clients are entering new markets and launching new product lines to diversify their businesses. This should help them reach a broader customer base.”

Sixty percent of those surveyed expected new product introductions.

Of coming food trends, “‘plant based options’ was selected most often (by 48%) as likely to have a positive impact on sales in 2022,” says the report. “Next in line was ethnic/international (37%), followed by functional foods (35%), “Free from” foods (35%), sustainability (33%), and grocery ordering and delivery service (33%).”

On the future of plant-based foods, Walters commented, “Plant-based foods require more research and development to attain the level of texture or taste a consumer might be looking for. Combined with the time needed for testing, this means that these foods take longer to enter the market. Just in terms of fast-food chains alone, Burger King and others have taken on plant-based options, and McDonald’s and Panda Express are rolling out some plant-based options in the U.S. this year. The trend appears to be moving towards a more permanent menu item. As more consumers migrate towards healthier eating habits, we should see plant-based foods move beyond being just a vegan/vegetarian option, but only time will tell.”

Out of a list of current concerns, shipping costs, container costs, and pier fees were the ones most commonly selected, followed by rising commodity and other costs, the supply chain, delays due to shipping congestion, and truck or driver availability.

In short, practically all of the executives’ top concerns had to do in some way with the supply chain.

The media is engaged in a back-and-forth about whether we are now in a wage-price spiral. Some say we are; others say not.

But we can safely say that we are in a price spiral.

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Food Without Fear: How Beef Checkoff-Funded Research Keeps Consumers Safe - Drovers Magazine

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Selasa, 29 Maret 2022

Hancock County Food Drive starts April 2 - The Ellsworth American

ELLSWORTH — The 11th Annual Hancock County Food Drive will kick off with a county-wide food collection and fundraising event on Saturday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Keep an eye out for food drive volunteers, dressed in fruit and vegetable costumes, who will be stationed outside 10 grocery stores across the county to collect food donations, raise funds and rally excitement for the drive, which runs through April 30.

The Hancock County Food Drive is an annual collaborative campaign that raises funds and food donations for local food pantries, meal sites and school backpack programs. In 2021, the 19 partner organizations collaborated to raise $37,574 and 4,500 food item donations, equaling a total of 116,472 meals for Hancock County residents. This year, drive partners aim to raise $40,000 during the month-long campaign.

In addition to the kick-off event on April 2, the food drive is hosting the Read-a-Thon, a fundraising challenge for K-8 readers to secure pledges for each page read during the month, and the Miles for Meals challenge for walkers, runners and hikers of all ages and abilities to raise funds for each mile covered from April 16-24. Additionally, community members are encouraged to participate through hosting their own event that aligns with their interests and skills, which can be registered through the website, in addition to donation and participation links.

With the help of the Maine Community Foundation, Tradewinds of Blue Hill and MDI Hospital, the food drive has already raised $21,500 and is more than halfway to its goal.

For more information about these events and how to contribute, visit www.hcfooddrive.org or contact Rachel Emus at [email protected].

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How Lemon Pepper Wet Wings, Fried Chicken, and Food Tie Into the FX TV Series “Atlanta” - Eater Atlanta

After COVID forced production to pause in 2020, Donald Glover and the cast of Atlanta returned March 24 with the premier of the long-awaited third season, which takes place in Europe. Food plays a role in the storyline during the first episode of Season 3, but looking back, Glover’s powerhouse FX show has been telling food stories all along as part of its always-funny, often intentionally uncomfortable plotlines.

Right out of the gate in the second episode of the first season in 2016, there’s the famous “lemon pepper wet” scene, when the world, and more than a few Atlantans, were first introduced to “Fester” wings. Back then, people unfamiliar with these wings were wondering if sauced lemon pepper flats and drums really existed — and if they were even tasty. Today, it’s hard not finding an Atlanta restaurant with a version of the zesty, citrusy wings on the menu, or even dishes seasoned with lemon pepper flavoring.

Also in the first season, Earn (Glover’s character) tries — and fails — to convince a fictional employee of the former Little Five Points Zesto to sell him a kids’ meal. While rejecting Earn for being older than 14, the newly promoted young manager tells him she didn’t earn her job title by “handing out discounted meals.” The power dynamics are clear: Earn has none. The best he can do is sneakily fill the water cup she provides him with fountain soda.

The show has used beverages to push comedic boundaries, too. In Season 1, Episode 7, the show mocked alcohol companies’ upscale marketing strategies with a commercial starring a Black couple enjoying Mickey’s malt liquor in champagne flutes. Then, in Season 2 (“Robbin’ Season”), it explored the ahistorically Bavarian town of Helen in the north Georgia mountains, where Earn’s inability to order a beer in German frustrates the bartender, pointing out the awkward nature of trying to fit into a Southern faux-Germantown when you’re a Black Atlantan. There’s also the Yoo-hoo commercial starring fictional trap rapper Clark County. His endorsement of the chocolate drink includes admitting he drinks Yoo-Hoo “like it’s Dirty Sprite” — a nod to Atlanta rapper Future’s famed love (and problematic promotion) of mixing promethazine and codeine with carbonated soda.

Now, with Atlanta back for its third season, Glover and the writers have come up with another way to weave food into its opener, “Three Slaps.

Spoiler alerts below

The opening scene takes place on Lake Lanier in Georgia, a location with its own complicated and tragic history that includes submerging the town of Oscarville to create the lake, and ties to the forced removal of 1,100 Black people in Forsyth County by white mobs in 1912. Many Atlantans believe the lake is haunted.

The episode’s main character is a young Black class clown named Loquareeous, who eats a bowl of spaghetti his mother made him as she cleans the house. What follows is nothing short of a mini-version of the movie Get Out, with both Lake Lanier and that bowl of spaghetti tying back into the episode at the end.

Loquareeous gets into trouble in class with his white teacher, and through a series of events, ends up at the home of two white women in a relationship who are also fostering three other Black children. The couple feeds the children fried chicken with slices of avocado and capers for dinner, completely coating the raw chicken legs in flour and microwaving them before plating.

Visibly disgusted by the pale poultry leg still covered in flour on his plate, Loquareeous says what everyone’s thinking: “Gross!” One of the women tells him their version of fried chicken is healthier, assuming his eating habits and the food served by his own mother must be unhealthy. The couple serves the children the same under-seasoned, undercooked, whitewashed fried chicken again the next day.

The women also make kombucha, stinking up the entire home with its overwhelming stench, which Loquareeous remarks upon when he first arrives. It’s supposedly made with vegetables from the family’s back garden, which the children tend as the women sit and watch. At one point, a hungry Loquareeous is asked to sing a song while he works in the garden preparing the vegetables for market. The song he chooses isn’t satisfactory, and one of the women suggests (and demonstrates) a song that resembles a tune sung by the enslaved.

Later, they all head to the local farmers market. The couple has the kids wear sandwich boards promoting the farm stand and offering free hugs. Loquareeous, scared and wearing a fedora, runs off and hugs a nearby white policeman, describing how he and the other kids are basically being forced into child labor and to eat terrible fried chicken. The women approach with the other three children, explaining away Loquareeous’s concerns, and offering the officer a free cup of kombucha. The episode snowballs from here, with Lake Lanier appearing again and Loquareeous finally ending up back home eating spaghetti while his mom does laundry. The audience learns Earn is in a hotel room in Europe dreaming it all.

The couple and children depicted in Atlanta are based on a real-life lesbian couple who committed familicide in 2018 by driving off a California cliff with their six adopted Black kids. That fedora Loquareeous wears at the farmers market references a 2014 photograph of Devonte Hart hugging a police officer during a protest in Portland, Oregon.

Naturally, the episode is deeply unsettling. But too often we see the whitewashing of Black culture on TV, in movies, and in food, and it appears Atlanta is directing the camera lens back on society, and particularly white people, by using the cultural ideas and stereotypes surrounding Black food as part of that delivery.

With this new season, Atlanta is turning uncomfortable parts of modern Black life into opportunities for others to acknowledge there’s reality in the show’s surrealism. Get Out was successful because it offered white people a hard glimpse into the microaggressions and racism they often see as benign. And while serving microwave fried chicken to an adopted Black boy might not seem racist to all viewers (although it’s definitely gross), there’s a stereotypical association in the recipe. It’s food, speaking in a larger context, becoming a touchstone threaded through the lives of the characters, which may become an overarching narrative of future Atlanta episodes during Season 3.

After all, the second episode, “Sinterklaas is Coming to Town”, ends with this text to Earn from Al (aka Paper Boi): “I need 300 pieces of fried chicken. All legs.”

“Atlanta” airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on FX, with episodes also streaming on Hulu. Season 4 (the final season) debuts this fall.

Mike Jordan is an Atlanta-based multimedia journalist and editor-in-chief at Butter.ATL, a media company dedicated to the dynamic culture of Atlanta. He’s also the southeast editor of content at Resy, a newsletter columnist for the Local Palate, and a frequent contributor at the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian, Atlanta magazine, Playboy, Rolling Stone, and Eater Atlanta, where he regularly writes about food, business, entertainment, technology, politics, and more.

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How we lost our sensory connection with food – and how to restore it - The Guardian

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Signs of Spring: Bodega food truck is back! - Buckrail

Senin, 28 Maret 2022

Montclair Kiwanis Club collection for non-food items continues through April 4. - Montclair Local

Collection bins for non-food items will remain at several Montclair locations through April 4. (Courtesy Kiwanis Club of Montclair)

The Kiwanis Club of Montclair is continuing a drop-off drive for non-food items through April 4, to benefit local groups serving those in need.

Frustrated by its inability to get permission from any Montclair supermarket to allow a food drive on its premises, the Kiwanis Club of Montclair decided to become creative and chose another route to meet local needs, the group said in an announcement.

Club member Anuraj Bismal got in touch with Toni’s Kitchen and the Human Needs Food Pantry, and asked what non-food items were most requested by their clients. The answer: diapers, toiletries of all sorts, liquid dishwashing soap and liquid laundry detergent.

The club then got permission to set up collection bins at Paper Plane Coffee Co., Cyclebar, Stanton Realtors, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, TD Bank and the Montclair YMCA. It notified the Montclair Local, used member Facebook pages, contacted TV channel 34 and made personal calls to spread the word. Montclair High School senior Kaie Bismal created a flyer for the effort.

Within two weeks, residents of Montclair donated thousands of items worth hundreds of dollars. One donor wrote out a check for $300 on the spot, which club treasurer Susan Diaz-DeSantis used to buy $300 worth of the desired items.

KEEP LOCAL JOURNALISM ALIVE: MontclairLocal.news is free, but it takes consistent financial support from a community that believes local journalism matters to make it and our weekly print paper possible. Your sustaining contribution of $10 per month (or more) makes you a member, and gets you our print edition. Visit MontclairLocal.news/donations for details and to become a member today.

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President Biden Says Food Shortages are "Gonna Be Real" - WJR

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360 Eats founder hopes to expand food rescue and delivery operations - St Pete Catalyst

Pinellas-based nonprofit 360 Eats continues to seek grants and funding needed to expand its innovative food delivery system that bridges the gap between hunger, food waste and sustainability in areas that need it the most – like South St. Petersburg.

While traveling through Australia in 2015, Cameron Macleish stumbled upon a large community of “dumpster divers” who sustained themselves with quality food a local grocery store discarded. Dismayed by the idea of large amounts of good food ending up in a landfill while so many people went to sleep hungry, Macleish decided to bring awareness to the issue.

In 2019, Macleish partnered with his mother, Ellen, a professional chef and fellow food waste activist, to create a YouTube cooking show titled Cooking with Trash. That project quickly gained traction and caught the attention of national media like NBC’s Today Show, and while it raised awareness of the problem, it did not offer a viable solution. In August 2019, Macleish founded 360 Eats to “rescue” food before it reaches local dumpsters, use it to prepare gourmet meals and deliver the food to those in the community that needs it the most.

“We’ve got a number of potential food donors on a waiting list because we’re just at our max capacity in terms of what we can process in terms of our size and our funding at this time,” he said. “Once we’re able to expand and scale-up, we can start to take on more partners – but we do about four different pickups each week.”

Ellen Macleish (left) and Cameron Macleish (second from left), co-founders of 360 Eats, with volunteers at a food giveaway. The organization hopes to soon buy a transport van and food truck to expand operations, especially in South Pinellas.

Macleish said 360 Eats saves between 800-1,000 pounds of food each week, but the lack of a proper transport van hampers efforts to increase mobile deliveries of prepared meals. The organization’s old transport van made its final delivery last year, and Macleish now depends on his Toyota Prius and the occasional volunteer’s vehicle to distribute food around the county. The lack of transportation drastically hinders the Palm Harbor-based organization’s ability to bring food to areas like South St. Petersburg, often referred to as a food and nutrition desert.

“There’s a lot of people who struggle to get to food pantries or areas that have affordable, nutritious food,” he said. “Going back to the food truck, that would amplify our mobility and allow us to get more food to more communities that might not be able to access those sources.”

The nonprofit recently started a catering service, which Macleish said created another revenue stream to help support daily operations. There are also some grants in the pipeline he expects to hear updates on soon, and he has also made the rounds at pitching events to raise funding and awareness. Macleish placed third at the Social Ventures Partners’ Tampa Bay Fast Pitch competition in November, and second at 100 Women Who Care’s event in early March.

In addition to a new transport van, Macleish also hopes to buy a food truck. He said 360 Eats participates in several community events, and a food truck would allow the organization to transport cooking equipment and other necessities throughout the county. It would also allow them to prepare hot, fresh meals at delivery sites rather than cold meals from a shared commercial kitchen in Oldsmar each morning.

A food truck would also alleviate the need to make several trips back to the facility between deliveries.

“We have to kind of battle it out with the other caterers for hours and time slots and things like that,” he said of the shared kitchen. “So I think having that kitchen on board the food truck would allow us to be a little more self-sustainable or flexible when we prepare meals.”

Macleish noted that all of 360 Eats’ offerings are chef-prepared, gourmet meals and would remain free from the food truck for anyone in need. He said the organization plans to take the food truck to various markets and events where customers would “pay what they feel.” He added that people typically give more than what he would charge under that system, and all revenue generated goes back to the mission of feeding the hungry and reducing food waste.

Macleish said the food truck would also provide a sense of dignity and fun for those in need of a nutritious meal.

“We’re trying to break the mold of the standard soup kitchen-quality food,” he said. “There’s less of that ‘we’re taking supplemental food because we’re food insecure’ vibe, and more of the ‘we’re just here to chill, eat and chat with the community,’ and there’s no stigma attached to it.”

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Global $4261.36 Bn Packaged Food Markets, Competition, Forecasts & Opportunities, 2026 - PR Newswire

DUBLIN, March 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Packaged Food Market, By Product Type (Non-alcoholic Beverages, Dairy products, Confectionery, Ready Meals, Snacks, Breakfast Cereals, and Others), By Distribution Channel, By Region, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Packaged Food Market was valued USD 2976.41 Billion in 2020 and is forecast to grow at CAGR of 6.27% in value terms, to reach over USD 4261.36 billion by 2026.

The Global Packaged Food Market is witnessing consistent growth, owing to the improving standards of living of people, increasing consumption of healthy food, and changing consumer tastes and preferences.

The popularity of packaged food items has increased with the increasing health consciousness among people who are increasingly choosing food and beverage options that provide health benefits. Moreover, factors such as changing eating habits and busy lifestyles have further contributed to the increased demand for the packaged food products.

Furthermore, rising consumer awareness of the health benefits associated with the nutritious and organic components used in packaged food items is propelling the growth of packaged food market. With the presence of different worldwide brands and a small market share of indigenous enterprises in both developed and developing countries, the Global Packaged Food Market is competitive.

Due to the continually changing nature, taste, and preferences of consumers, the launch of a new product has become the most crucial strategy above all others. Additionally, firms have also welcomed development through cross-border mergers and acquisitions, which have proven to be effective in expanding their presence. For instance, PepsiCo acquired Rockstar Energy in 2020, extending its foothold in the fast-growing energy drink business.

Consumers are becoming more aware of the importance of consuming gluten-free, low-carbohydrate, high-fiber baked goods, and they are requesting novel options. This has encouraged packaged food companies to fortify their goods in order to accommodate the increased demand of health-conscious consumers, such as Tyson Foods recently launched a new line of plant-based products under the brand First Pride, which offers high-quality protein products. These products include bites, nuggets, and strips made with plants. The ingredients used in the products are bamboo fiber, soy protein and wheat protein, etc.

Hypermarkets/Supermarkets held the majority of the market share in the Global Packaged Food Market due to their growing and diverse range of products. Whereas online retail channel is expected to grow at a higher pace in the forecast period as people turned increasingly towards online delivery platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was the only safe and available choice for customers.

Online sectors are predicted to develop at a faster rate in the forecast term. Furthermore, these hassle-free, technology-driven services provide them with increased convenience, resulting in a growing preference for online services. This is due to their stressful, fast-paced lifestyles, which drive them to the internet.

Online channels are expected to capture a large amount of market share during the projection period as a result of the e-commerce boom. Furthermore, these channels reduce the long chain and complexity associated with a long distribution network.

Key companies are developing advanced technologies and launching new products to stay competitive in the market. Other competitive strategies include mergers & acquisitions and new service developments.

Some of the leading players in the Global Packaged Food Market are

PepsiCo, Inc.
Nestle S.A.
Tyson Foods, Inc.
The Coca Cola Company
Mondelez International, Inc.
The Kraft Heinz Company
General Mills, Inc.
Conagra Brands, Inc.
Hormel Foods Corporation
Smithfield Foods, Inc.

Report Scope:

Years considered for this report:

Historical Years: 2016-2019
Base Year: 2020
Estimated Year: 2021
Forecast Period: 2022-2026

Global Packaged Food Market, By Product Type:

Non-alcoholic Beverages
Dairy Products
Confectionery
Ready Meals
Snacks
Breakfast Cereals
Others
Global Packaged Food Market Size, By Distribution Channel:
Hypermarket/Supermarket
Departmental Stores
Convenience Store
Online Retail Store
Others

Global Packaged Food Market, By Region:

North America
United States
Canada
Mexico
Europe
Germany
United Kingdom
Italy
France
Spain
Asia Pacific
China
Japan
India
South Korea
Australia
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Argentina
Middle East and Africa
South Africa
Saudi Arabia
UAE

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3f7d6q

Media Contact:

Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager
[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470
For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630
For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907
Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

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Minggu, 27 Maret 2022

Study Says These Fast Food Chains' Packaging Still Contains A Potentially Dangerous Chemical - Mashed

According to Consumer Reports, research links PFAS to many health problems, including immune system suppression, lower birth weight, and higher risk for some cancers. Despite that, The Washington Post reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration "has not issued any guidance or set limits for the chemicals in food packaging," even though Swiss environmental engineer Justin Boucher tells Consumer Reports that "we know that these substances migrate into food you eat."

Currently, in addition to McDonald's, Consumer Reports notes that food packaging at Burger King, Arby's, Nathan's, and Chick-fil-A contain PFAS. The publication reports that measurable levels of the substance was even detected in packaging from Trader Joe's and Cava.

Some of this can be unintentional because PFAS is so commonly used. Consumer Reports says it is even found "in ink on food containers, recycled paper, [and] machines that make packaging," and that it might be contaminating products without food manufacturers knowing about it. It is so pervasive that another study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and reported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences said PFAS can be found in 97% of Americans.

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Patti Ann's brings blooming onions and more Midwestern comfort food to Prospect Heights - Gothamist

Greg Baxtrom already runs two of the most popular restaurants in his neighborhood of Prospect Heights: the farm-to-table stunner Olmsted, and Maison Yaki, a French restaurant operating under the guise of a rowdy Japanese yakitori. And this after a career's-worth of cooking in the fine-dining kitchens of Alinea, Per Se, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

But Baxtrom is far from finished feeding us, and right before the pandemic hit he signed a lease on a sprawling space on Vanderbilt Avenue and set about creating something new. Now, more than two years, innumerable delays, and one major change of direction later--it was initially going to be a raw bar--we finally have Patti Ann's, Baxtrom's ode to his native Chicago, Midwest comfort food, and his mom Patti Ann, a retired elementary school teacher who he describes as being "as bubbly as a human can possibly be."

"I wanted to make something that the neighborhood could really use," Baxtrom told Gothamist on opening weekend. "A place that would stick around, even if, God forbid, another outbreak happens and we have to pivot to delivery. I wanted something you could quite literally roll up with some strollers and some kids and not feel uncomfortable asking if there's a table. I called it Patti Ann's because what's more family-friendly than my own mother?"

As such, Patti Ann's saves fully half of its 70+ seats for walk-ins each night, and Baxtrom bought a bunch of bike locks for what he calls a "valet stroller parking system" outside. The decor leans hard into the elementary school theme, with shelving units (built by his carpenter dad) filled with board games, a help-yourself blackboard, and a classroom-style map hanging prominently by the entrance.

Sure, there's a full bar lined with sleek-looking suede stools and a chef's counter, but you'll also find big, sturdy tables filled with paper placemats that double as menus, and an activity booklet with a box of crayons. Attached to your check, which you get up and pay at the register, is a report card grading your behavior at dinner. Our table got all A's, except for a B+ in "clean plate club," but to be fair, we did order a ton of food.

"It feels like Chicago here," said Baxtrom. "Which in this case probably just means that it reminds me of my family."

The menu is wall-to-wall winners, a mixture of "Greg Baxtrom's upbringing dishes" and comfort food classics. Nothing's terribly cheffy, though Braxton, using everything he's learned in the kitchens of some of the world's most renowned restaurants, knows enough tricks to make each dish feel like extra-special versions of themselves without simply piling on luxury ingredients. Or as he put it, "There are ways of putting a lot of energy into everything that people will appreciate without having to know anything other than it tastes good."

To take just one example: the Patti Ann's Mac & Cheese is actually called Mac & Greens — Baxtrom added a little broccoli rabe to it, and includes rutabaga puree in the mix, which you can't really taste but "makes it eat a million times lighter, even though it still has a ton of cheese in it," he said.

There are lots of ways to enjoy a meal at Patti Ann's--solo at the bar would be just fine--but portions are large, and everything's pretty hearty, so if you can get a four-top of friends together, and try as many things as possible, that seems like the best move.

Definitely start with the crunchy Blooming Onion, which is not only straight-up delicious but also makes for a fun, pull-apart centerpiece. The Chips and Goop is also a must, so much better than a bag of chips and a crock of onion dip deserves to be, as is the Bread Basket, which is overflowing with rolls made in-house.

The Lemon Brussels Sprouts Caesar salad is both bright and briny, the latter thanks to a bunch of whole white anchovies hidden in the pile of finely-shaved little cabbages. The Honey Carrots and the Sauteed Pea Shoots, sold as side dishes and both very good, are the only other vegetable-centered dishes on the menu.

Baxtrom flexes a bit more on the mains. The Royale Roasted Chicken comes cooked four different ways, the breast roasted and wonderfully juicy, the drumsticks done as a confit, the wings fried to a crisp, and some chicken liver mousse slathered on a slab of baguette. Patti Ann's Meatloaf is made from duck meat molded into a disc, the richness of the fatty bird countered by a bright pink cherry ketchup. Unsurprisingly, both of these dishes pair exceptionally well with Baxtrom's buttery Mashed Potatoes.

A big hit at our table was the Mostaccioli, which Baxtrom told me is "just what they call baked ziti in Chicago," and is prepared either with or without meat. Other choices, as yet untried, include a Chicken Fried Country Rib Pork Chop, and a Saltine Encrusted Cedar Plank Salmon.

Obviously you need to get as many desserts as possible, but if you only have room for one, make it the Cherry Cobbler. This fruity beast arrives all bubbling in a cast-iron pan, a couple of scoops of Van Leeuwen vanilla melting all over the place, the filling tart and sticky, the crust sweet and buttery. It's maybe the best cobbler I've ever eaten.

The Peanut Chocolate Bars are also excellent. These are based on the ones Baxtrom's mom made when he was growing up, and which she used to have him bring in for the kitchen crew at Alinea, "which was both embarrassing and sweet," he said.

Beer, wines by the glass, and cocktails with school-themed names like Ditch Day and Spirit Week provide alcoholic refreshment, with Midwest icons Green River citrus soda and Dad's Root Beer leading the way on the soft-drink front.

Patti Ann's is located at 570 Vanderbilt Avenue, at the corner of Bergen Street, and is currently open for dinner on Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. There's also Patti Ann's Bakery, which has a separate entrance on Bergen, and is open daily at 8 a.m. for breads, pastries, coffee and provisions (pattianns.com)

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Fresh food market holds Main Street ribbon-cutting - WGRZ.com

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Serious food lovers can't resist the lure of tinned seafood - Press Herald

As you browse the imported tinned seafood on display at local specialty food stores, you can’t help but notice the emphasis these mostly Spanish and Portuguese brands place on snazzy packaging.

Most of the tins are oval or rectangular with rounded edges and colorful designs on their pop-tops, unlike the plainer round cans American usually associate with cannery-processed fish. Some tins come wrapped in ornamental paper featuring festive illustrations of the particular seafood within, while others are swaddled in mesh netting.

But the luxe packaging can be seen as less a marketing ploy than an indication of how seriously the tinned seafood companies take the contents, and their reverence for the caliber of the wild-caught sardines, mackerel, octopus, squid, razor clams and more.

“It’s the best seafood that a country (like Portugal or Spain) has to offer,” explained Vince Maniaci, owner of The Cheese Iron in Scarborough. “Expect quality when you open the tin.”

“I think even the word ‘tinned’ gives them the gourmet respect they deserve,” said Rachel Lapp, online sales manager at Browne Trading Company in Portland.

Called conservas in their homeland on the Iberian Peninsula, tinned seafood is a delicacy that tends to cause cognitive dissonance for American shoppers, because on our shores, the best fish gets cooked fresh – or eaten raw. The idea of canning top-quality seafood might seem almost perverse to people in this country, since for years, we’ve considered canned fish a meal of last resort.

Gourmet tinned seafood, including squids in ink, tuna belly in vegetable oil, sardines in tomato sauce, grilled albacore tuna in olive oil, razor clams in brine, and Spanish white anchovies with roasted garlic in extra-virgin olive oil. Tinned seafood has moved beyond simple sardines, with many gourmet offerings now available in the United States. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

Taking care with conservas

“The old-school can of sardines isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But when you think of that, it won’t align with the price of tinned seafood,” said Kit Paschal, director of operations for The Shop by Island Creek Oysters in Portland. “That’s what turns people off.”

Those lovely tins do come with hefty price tags, selling for around $8 to $20 or more per item, while $20 could buy a big haul of canned seafood at the supermarket. Don’t blame the packaging, though. What you’re paying for is the quality of the fish or shellfish, and the care taken to preserve its pristine condition.

Seafood for conservas is wild-caught on day boats, then brought to shore the same day for preparation. The catch is then lightly steamed – sometimes even grilled or fried, as some brands do with octopus and mussels – and packed into tins.

“Sourcing and preparation make the difference with the good stuff,” Paschal said. “You can tell the tins are hand-packed, with the fish being layered very nicely in there. They’re putting more thought into the process.”

The day after being caught and prepped, the conservas are sealed in tins, which locks in peak flavor and nutrients. The tins contain added liquid to keep contents moist, and the choice of liquid depends on the seafood itself. Milder-tasting items like tuna are often packed simply in olive oil, while stronger, oilier fish like sardines and mackerel sometimes come covered in boldly flavored tomato sauces or marinades with spicy fresh chiles like piri-piri.

“The sauces are there specifically to complement and bring out the flavor of the fish itself, not to mask it,” explained Maniaci.

Grilled albacore tuna in olive oil, imported from Spain. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

Smaller, sustainable fish

Sustainable fishing practices differ from company to company in the conservas world. But because conservas rely mostly on smaller, less overfished finfish like sardines, mackerel and anchovies, along with shellfish like clams, mussels, oysters and cockles, they tend to be ecologically sustainable.

And while Iberian seafood tends to attract the most lavish praise, Spain and Portugal aren’t the only players in the gourmet tinned fish market. Japan has plenty of quality canned seafood. Scandinavia and Canada boast brands of their own, and new canneries have launched in America as well.

“Eating tinned fish is something I grew up with,” said Briana Volk, co-owner of the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, who comes from a Scandinavian background. The restaurant’s menu includes a “Tinned Fish Börd” that features a revolving seafood selection including offerings from Iceland and the Gulf of Maine, too.

“People have this idea of mackerel being really oily and fishy-tasting. Even adventurous seafood eaters say, ‘Nope, mackerel is the line I draw,'” Volk said. “But we have a mackerel that’s new from Gulf of Maine Conservas (based in New Hampshire). It’s the one I put in front of people and say, ‘This is going to change your mind about mackerel.'”

Volk said they pair the fish tins with little more than potato chips and spicy aioli. “We do the börd very simply, because the fish is the star, and you want it to shine, not cover it up with a lot of other things,” she said.

The Shop also has tinned fish on its menu. Paschal said their offerings are listed in order of familiarity, with items like bonito (tuna) in oil at the top, moving on to oilier, full-flavored small fish, ending with something like Jose Gourmet squid in ragout sauce.

When The Shop first opened in 2017, Paschal said they didn’t sell much tinned fish. “Now, everyday we get orders for dine-in,” he said. “A lot of people come equally excited for the tinned fish plates as for fresh-shucked oysters.” The Shop also keeps the plates simple, including typical charcuterie board items bread, pickles and perhaps mustard to pair with the seafood.

Paschal also believed the pandemic may have led more people to embrace tinned fish for its stable shelf life and elegant convenience. Pull a tin of smoked mussels, grilled octopus or choice mackerel filets from the pantry, pair it with some crusty bread and maybe a green salad, and you’ve got a memorable meal in minutes.

“People have been eating at home so much more during the pandemic, and you can get cooking fatigue,” he said. “But if you have a sleeve of crackers and a tin of fish, you’re good to go.”

Rachel Lapp of Browne Trading Company stands next to shelves of tinned seafood at the Commercial Street store in Portland. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

Keep it simple

Lapp said another consumer benefit is that tinned fish takes the fear out of buying and cooking fresh seafood, particularly the less popular species. “To buy or prepare fresh razor clams, for instance, can be very intimidating for most people,” she said. “And fish like fresh sardines will go bad in two days.

“Tinned fish is such an easy, fun product,” Lapp continued. “They’re perfect to pack for a picnic, or just to eat right out of the can, and also great for entertaining. Just open a few tins and set them out for guests like hors d’oeuvres. Or warm them and mix them into pasta.”

Lapp added that her own tinned fish obsession right now is Briosa brand sardine pâté on lightly toasted bread topped with a squeeze of lemon and some parsley.

Maniaci’s favorite at the moment is Matiz brand sardines in piri piri sauce. “Though nothing beats the Ortiz anchovies. They’re so tender, when you’re making a sauce, they just melt in the pan,” he said.

With immaculate ingredients, the best approach is usually the simplest. Maniaci said he advises customers to eat tinned fish meals with little more than some pickled shallots and Calabrese olives on the side, kind of a high-end snack dinner.

“You really should just have fun with it. Nothing about this is supposed to be complicated or a cerebral experience.”

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Sabtu, 26 Maret 2022

Scouting For Food drive a huge success | Community | veronapress.com - Verona Press

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Fast-food chains vow to nix ‘forever chemicals’ found in wrappers - Fox 56

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Can Kids Learn To Like Spicy Food? - Mashed

As the Huffington Post explains, there are a few things you can do to help prepare a child for a world of hot and spicy foods. It is important to "build" the child's flavor profile over time instead of jumping right into chili peppers or hot sauce. Little Food suggests initially introducing kids to small amounts of spices without heat, such as cinnamon, basil, cumin, and mint. This will help them get used to more overt flavors — instead of the usual bland kid's foods — without overwhelming them. By slowly adding these spices to your child's favorite dishes, such as a dash of paprika on their macaroni and cheese, you can help ease them into accepting new flavors.

Of course, it's important to know what flavors a specific child can tolerate. For example, while they may be completely fine with sweet peppers and paprika, they could balk at hotter spice levels. Instead of trying to force the child to eat them, registered dietician Allison Tallman suggests (via Huffington Post) letting them pick and choose which spicy foods they'll try, which allows them to find their own comfort level first. You can still offer slightly spicier foods, but make sure the child is ready for them.

So, while your toddler may not eat ghost peppers like baby food, you can still help them explore a world of flavors at a pace both of you are comfortable with.

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Jumat, 25 Maret 2022

To avert food shortage, U.S. and allies will boost food aid and grow more - Successful Farming

Global food shortages are a real possibility as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Biden told reporters while meeting with allies in Brussels on Thursday. Western leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, joined Biden in saying they would step up their hunger-relief programs and encourage their farmers to grow more food.

“Yes, we did talk about food shortages. And it’s going to be real,” said Biden during a news conference. “The price of these sanctions is not just imposed on Russia, it’s imposed upon an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country as well.”

Leaders of the House Agriculture Committee urged the administration to use money from a USDA hunger reserve, the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust, to supplement U.S. food aid programs. “Supply shortages or increased prices will disproportionately impact developing and middle-income countries that rely heavily on imports of food,” they said in a letter. There was more than $260 million in the trust last year.

Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s largest exporters of wheat, and Ukraine is a top corn exporter. Warfare and economic sanctions were expected to sharply reduce grain exports in the near term and suppress crop production this year. An additional 13 million people around the world could be pushed into hunger because of high food prices and supply disruptions caused by the war, said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization last week. The global hunger rate of 9.9% was already the highest in 13 years, due to the pandemic.

Biden said that the United States and Canada, two of the world’s agricultural powers, “both talked about how we could increase and disseminate more rapidly food” during a meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies. G7 leaders said they would “monitor the situation closely and do what is necessary to prevent and respond to the evolving global food security crisis.”

In a joint statement, Biden and von der Leyen said, “We commit to redoubling our combined efforts to provide direct food aid and other forms of assistance, where warranted, and to continue the necessary support for agricultural innovation and sustainable productivity growth to ensure global food security, while balancing enhancing climate resilience and reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.” The EU and the United States are global leaders in food aid.

“We are also identifying tools in the U.S. government’s existing food security tool kit and determining whether programs are fit for purpose for this situation and will make strategic adjustments as needed,” said the statement.

The president announced an additional $1 billion in humanitarian assistance “for those affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine and its severe impacts around the world, including a marked rise in food insecurity, over the coming months.” The White House said the United States provided $4.6 billion in food aid and nutrition assistance in 2021.

Wheat exports by Russia and Ukraine could drop to a combined 20 to 22 million tonnes in the year ahead, less than half of the shipments forecast by the USDA for the current marketing year, said Dan Basse, head of AgResource Co. during a webinar on Tuesday. Basse said the invasion was “the biggest supply shock to world food supplies since World War I.”

The European Commission decided this week to allow European farmers to plant crops on fallowed land to, in the words of Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, “respond to the global needs for food.” Seven U.S. farm and food processing groups suggested that the USDA allow crops on 4.1 million acres of high-quality land now idled in the Conservation Reserve.

The transcript of Biden’s news conference is available here.

The G7 leaders’ statement is available here.

The joint statement by Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is available here.

The White House fact sheet on additional aid to Ukraine is available here.

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Food for thought: Holy Cross School debuts aquaponics lab with vertical growing tower - News-Gazette.com

CHAMPAIGN — Unveiled Thursday at Holy Cross School: a Ferris-wheel-like contraption containing a variety of produce, from radishes to butter crunch lettuce.

In a third-floor room that used to be a school computer lab now stands an Aquaponics Lab, featuring a vertical growing tower made out of PVC pipe that connects plants grown in water to a tank of tilapia.

The tower is meant to serve as instructional fodder for teachers and students at the Champaign Catholic school. If all goes as planned, students will donate the produce and fish grown from the structure to the church’s on-site food pantry and soup kitchen.

The tower was donated from Sky-High Aquaponics, a company founded by Richard Tryon, retired president of Colwell Systems and namesake with wife Ann of Krannert Center’s Tryon Festival Theatre.

Thursday morning’s festivities drew a crowd of local stars, including several Champaign Rotarians, like former University of Illinois President Bob Easter, current Parkland College President Tom Ramage, Pia’s owner Eric Meyer and club President Shandra Summerville, who all came to check out the technology.

Meyer has pledged to donate a second vertical growing tower to the school before the summer starts. The towers cost anywhere from $500 to $750, the company said.

In fact, school officials say the idea to implement this structure came from a Rotary connection: former club President John Calderon, who’s connected with Holy Cross Principal Greg Koerner.

“I said, ‘John, I really need to get a curriculum that’s going to make Holy Cross pop, that’s going to put it on the map,’” Koerner recalled. Calderon suggested aquaponics and linked him up with Tryon.

Aquaponics is an agricultural concept, which, like the name suggests, pairs aquaculture — growing fish in tanks — with hydroponics, or growing plants in water.

The tilapia will be fed once a day, supplemented with algae and duckweed the plants produce, filtered back into the tank. With the help of certain bacteria, the ammonia from the fish wastewater is converted into nitrites, which is then converted into nitrates to aid the carrier plants’ growth.

Once the news of the pending aquaponics lab was announced, “five teachers said ‘I want to be on the curriculum team,’” Koerner said.

One of them was fifth-grade teacher Meghan Burgess, who imagines a range of classroom possibilities for the students — illustrating a sustainable food-making process, maybe even economics lessons if they bring the food to market.

“As a smaller Catholic school, it’s cool to be the guinea pig for this kind of thing,” Burgess said.

The group flipped on the lights of the tower after a blessing from the Rev. Joseph Donton, a ribbon cutting from a few Holy Cross students and words from Chief Operating Officer Benjamin Khachaturian and Tryon himself, who spoke via Zoom on a nearby computer.

“Food, water, shelter — everyone needs that to survive. In this way, we’re going to help the next generation learn how to grow their own food, and what that takes,” Khachaturian said.

The tower was built about a mile north of the school, at the Sky-High division located at 2 Henson Place, C.

“I couldn’t be happier that Holy Cross is going to be the first candle,” Khachaturian said. “I’m hoping we’ll get to see this technology spread.”

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Feed Seniors Now Food Drive underway in Owensboro - 14 News WFIE Evansville

OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) - Some local high school seniors will race against the clock Friday to fill a shopping cart for those in need.

The Feed Seniors Now food drive kicks off at 9 a.m.

Once the timer begins, 10 students will make the mad dash through the IGA aisles in an effort to collect the most needed food items.

Independence Bank has agreed to purchase the items and all groceries will be donated to GRADD for the drive.

“We know that a portion of the population, not just across the country, but also in our own communities - face challenges that come with food insecurity,” Nick Oller, Independence Bank Daviess County president says. “We collaborate with other organizations to make that impactful connection. No one should have to pick between impossible choices like paying for groceries or medical care.”

Officials say this is just one way the food will be collected. You can help too.

According to a press release, Donations of shelf-stable food items (such as canned goods, peanut butter, pasta and cereal) will be accepted until April 29. You can drop off your donations at the GRADD office or Independence Bank locations in Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McLean or Webster counties.

Checks or cash donations are accepted at Independence Bank locations.

They say checks can be made out to The Independence Bank Foundation.

On May 4 volunteers will deliver those groceries to low-income seniors in the five participating counties.

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Kamis, 24 Maret 2022

Good food for busy times - Delaware Gazette

To any of you who have long days and wish for more to do, I wish you could have been here to watch all the action at our house this last week. It’s not just been action from six young children. We’ve had two work nights for the youth who helped clear out the shop and mulch flower beds and around our pine trees. The church ladies came to help wash walls and windows. Daniel has been putting in new flooring to replace our old chipped one, and the list goes on.

There would have been plenty of watching for you to do without even needing help!

Amish weddings are usually hosted in a shop or large tent. Using it as a wedding venue was practical because our woodworking shop was large enough to host several hundred people. My friend Carolyn, who is my age, is getting married to Matthew Wengerd, and we are delighted to have the privilege of hosting their wedding at our house. The countdown is ticking away fast; it’s only two days off!

The warehouse area now occupies benches to seat three to four hundred people from many different states. The work area is now completely emptied of all tools, equipment, and furniture dollies and carts and is now squeaky clean, with long rows of folding tables set up for the reception.

The front section of the shop where we keep our gardening tools, and the children have their trikes, little wagon, bats, and such, is also cleaned from top to bottom and has tables for food preparations to feed the guests. A rented ‘kitchen on wheels’ has been secured and parked right outside the garage door, where the cooks will be doing the actual cooking and baking the next two days and the day of the wedding.

Daniel has done a fantastic job helping me with things around the house. You know how little fix-it jobs tend to pile up, like a hinge that needs to be tightened, a water leak that needs attention, the list goes on. An occasion such as a wedding is the perfect motivation to get things as such done. Bless Daniel’s heart. He’s patiently chopped many items off his list and done more besides. Imagine how delighted I was when he told me he’d be buying a new kitchen floor!

The old light blue floor, which faithfully served us since I was a girl, revealed all tell-tail crumbs and dirt and was chipping away. It took sweeping three times a day with a family our size and washing it up twice a week to have it looking presentable. Now, as Daniel and I picked out the new flooring, I felt like an excited little girl. We finally picked out a floating vinyl floor with a wooden look, and it should last for years and does not get damaged when getting wet by four-year-old dishwashers.

The kitchen hadn’t been painted for several years and was also showing wear and tear of family life, so we painted it when the trim around the doorways was taken off to redo the floor, plus we didn’t need to worry about getting some splatters on the old floor. Maybe it was the little girl inside of me choosing the color for the kitchen; I’m not sure. I chose pink. It blends well with burgundy curtains at the windows.

I have had so much fun in my “new” kitchen. It makes me feel like a queen. Oh, I need to tell you about my birthday cabinet. Last fall, Daniel told me he’d make a cabinet to replace our old entrance sink, which is on a wing right off of the kitchen. He did it a few weeks ago since it hadn’t worked out for him to do it over my birthday. A spacious cupboard and stainless steel sink replace the tiny stained and chipped one we had. Besides using it to wash dirty little hands, we’ll also use the larger one for cleaning fruits and veggies from the garden.

Julia and Austin have helped me tremendously. Whether cleaning or babysitting, they have made a big difference for me. They prefer having a list of things to do, and that way, they know exactly what needs to be done before they can play.

As you can imagine, It’s challenging to know what’s most essential and how always to keep God and my children the highest priority. Now, this afternoon, I talked with my mother-in-law. She related how a 78-year-old doctor told her, “I’m a servant; I just wash other people’s feet.” It clicked. That’s it. If I’m here to selflessly serve others instead of trying to impress them with a spic and span house, it’ll all fall into place!

During these busy times, people have been so good to us. I have no idea how many food dishes were randomly dropped off at our house the last week or two. Matthew’s mother made this Quick Tater Tot Casserole for us, it was a hit by all! It’s super simple and delicious.

Tater Tot Casserole

1 pound hamburger

1 teas salt

½ teas black pepper

¼ cup chopped onion

1 cup sour cream

1 small can cream of chicken soup

¾ cup milk

¼ pound melting cheese, such as Velveeta

1 pound tater tots

Sprinkle salt and pepper over hamburger, add onion, brown until hamburger is done, drain. In a separate saucepan, melt cheese with sour cream, chicken soup, and milk. When melted, add hamburger mixture, and put all in a 9 by 9 inch pan. Spread tater tots on top and bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and serve.

Gloria Yoder is an Amish mom, writer, and homemaker in rural Illinois. The Yoders travel primarily by horse-drawn buggy and live next to the settlement’s one-room school-house. Readers can write to Gloria at 10510 E. 350th Ave., Flat Rock, IL 62427.

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Food Program: DOD Should Formalize Its Process for Revising Food Ingredients and Better Track Dining Facility Use and Costs - Government Accountability Office

Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Defense Logistics Agency or other DOD entity, such as the forthcoming Defense Feeding and Nutrition Board, coordinates with key stakeholders within DOD and at other federal agencies as well as consults with industry as it develops DOD's formal process for revising food ingredients. (Recommendation 1)

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