Canned Tuna Sales Soar As Pandemic Continues
As Americans load up their pantries with canned goods, sales of Bumble Bee canned tuna have jumped 100% from mid-March to April. Tuna producers say that sales have remained higher throughout 2020 compared to 2019. Dwindling tuna supplies have left companies and suppliers searching for solutions. Andrew Choe, president and chief executive of tuna brand StarKist, says they’ve wanted to ramp up production, but they have been unable to buy tuna from regular suppliers due to border restrictions and fishing-port closures in the Pacific Islands. Bumble Bee Foods’ facility in Santa Fe Springs, California has also added Saturday shifts to help meet the increased demand for canned tuna.
Here’s What Food Prices Are Going Up And Down In Grocery Stores
Stay-at-home orders and restaurant closures have caused the demand for groceries to surge significantly, and prices are rising as a result. The overall cost of food has risen 0.7% in June, and rose 1% in May, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While these increases are slight, certain food items have had significant inflations in the month of June. Once again, meat prices are up. Beef and veal prices went up 4.8%, pork prices increased 3.3%, bacon prices increased 8.1%, hot dog prices grew 4.9%, and the cost of frozen fish and seafood prices climbed by 1%. Dessert prices have gone up, too. The cost of cakes, cupcakes, and cookies has gone up 1.8%, fresh cakes and cupcake prices went up 3.5%, and fresh doughnut prices rose 1.8%. Snack prices have soared 2.1%, and carbonated drink prices rose 2.2%. Though prices for many foods have increased, some food prices have remained stable or gone down. Poultry prices haven’t changed much, and the cost of eggs and dairy declined. Egg prices decreased by 2.7%, butter by 1.7%, and milk by 0.6%.
Goya Foods Faces Backlash From Core Hispanic Market
Last Friday, Robert Unanue, the CEO of Goya Foods, attended the announcement of the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative, newly created to advance education and career opportunities for Hispanic Americans. During a speech at the White House Rose Garden in support of the initiative, Unanue said, “We are all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder.” Unanue’s praise came at a time in the President’s re-election campaign when a national poll by Reuters shows that only about 25% of registered Hispanic voters would vote to re-elect him. Despite the White House initiative, Hispanic community leaders were quick to denounce Unanue’s comments, calling for a boycott of Goya Foods. The boycott gained steam on social media with support from prominent Hispanic voices, including Julian Castro and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, two prominent politicians in the Democratic party. A few days later, a “buy-cott” movement gained steam in support of Goya, and a GoFundMe campaign created by Casey Harper, a producer for conservative political commentator Eric Bolling, raised more than $100,000 to donate Goya products to food pantries in the Washington D.C. area. Goya claims to be the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, offering more than 2,500 products, and often fills entire aisles of grocery store shelves across the U.S. .
Heinz Releases “Creamz” Kits For Condiment Flavored Ice Cream
Heinz has announced DIY “Creamz” kits, allowing consumers to make their own ice cream flavored with Heinz condiments. Flavors include mayo, BBQ, salad cream, MayoChup and ketchup. According to Heinz, the ketchup ice cream kit is currently sold out. The kits come with a recipe card, a reusable tub for making the ice cream, a golden spoon, an ice cream scoop, and a full-size bottle of the chosen condiment flavor. Kits sell for around $17 and are only available in the U.K. Heinz has no plans to bring the kits to the U.S. but has released the condiment ice cream recipes online.
Uber Launches Grocery Delivery Service
Uber Technologies Inc launched its grocery delivery service in several Latin American and Canadian cities last week. The service will reach the United States later this month. Uber’s latest move was made possible through a partnership with Cornershop, a Chilean online grocer in which Uber has had a majority stake since October. The Uber Eats app now allows consumers to order groceries from local stores and chains in Montreal, Toronto, eleven Brazilian cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, four Chilean cities, as well as Bogota and Lima in Colombia and Peru. According to Uber, the U.S. rollout will begin later in July with service from regional merchants in Miami and Dallas. Uber claims to have about 9,500 active merchants, and its grocery-convenience orders have increased by more than 176% since February.
Too Soon? Virus Shaped Foods Pop Up Around The World
Bakers and chefs have been cooking up coronavirus shaped cakes, cupcakes, and other foods, but some think it’s too soon, especially considering that COVID-19 has killed more than half a million people worldwide and 134,000 people in the U.S. Chicago’s Michelin 3-star restaurant Alinea, owned by Nick Kokonas and Chef Grant Achatz, was recently in the middle of a controversy regarding a dish that depicts a close-up image of the novel coronavirus served at their new rooftop patio. Many have responded on social media, saying the canapé is disrespectful. “Unbelievable,” wrote restaurant veteran Dave Baker on Instagram. Baker previously worked at Alinea’s sister restaurant Roister, and said on Instagram, “This isn’t ok…this isn’t ‘cute.’ This is shameful. How unbelievably disrespectful to anyone who’s life has been lost.” Other coronavirus shaped cupcakes and decorated cakes have been served all over the world, from places like Sweet Treats by Angie Higgi in Thousand Oaks, California. For some, these virus shaped foods bring a moment of levity during difficult time, but for others they bring a twinge of pain. .
Uber Acquires Postmates For $2.65 Billion To Expand Food Delivery
Uber has agreed to acquire Postmates in a $2.65 billion deal in stock, better positioning Uber Eats to compete with DoorDash, which is the most widely used food delivery platform in the U.S., according to analytics firm Second Measure. “Uber and Postmates have long shared a belief that platforms like ours can power much more than just food delivery,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. “They can be a hugely important part of local commerce and communities, all the more important during crises like COVID-19.” The merger creates the second largest food delivery company in the U.S., condensing delivery apps to three major options for consumers: Doordash (45% market share), UberEats/Postmates (37%), and Grubhub (17%), according to industry analysts Edison Trends. Uber Eats may integrate certain Postmates services, says Khosrowshahi, such as its $9.99/month subscription that provides no-fee delivery on orders over $12. .
Joey Chestnut And Miki Sudo Set World Records In Hot Dog Eating Contest
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut set a new world record at the 104th annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest by eating 75 frankfurters in one sitting. In the women’s competition, Miki Sudo also set a record, taking 1st place with 48½ frankfurters, beating the previous record of 45 set by Sonya Thomas in 2012. Due to COVID-19, the contest was held at a private location in New York with no audience and plexiglass dividers between the competitors, who were spaced six feet part. Chestnut has won the contest 13 times since 2007, including five wins in a row with his last loss to Matt Stonie in 2015. Sudo commented to all her fans watching at home, “I wish you could be here, but it means a lot to know you’re cheering back home.” .
Sur La Table Files For Bankruptcy, Closes Nearly Half Its Gourmet Stores
Sur La Table, the luxury kitchen retailer that offers extensive in-store cooking classes, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week. The Seattle-based retailer announced that it will close 53 of its 121 stores around the country over the next few months. The company also aims to sell up to 70 stores to Fortress Investment Group to shore up its finances. Sur La Table emphasized in a statement that it is not going out of business but was forced to close stores as “a result of the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis.” Two capital investment groups have been hired to conduct liquidation sales, which are expected to take eight to 12 weeks.
Why Mayonnaise Is The MVP Of Summer Sauces
Mayonnaise is one of the most versatile and useful sauces for summer meals. Of course, it’s perfect for a variety of cold sandwiches, and you can even spread some on the outside of griddled hot sandwiches such as grilled cheese, Reubens, or croque monsieur, where it creates a delicious brown crust. You can also spread a thin layer of mayo on grilled meats and fish to help your spice rub adhere and help keep the meat or fish from sticking to the grill. Mayonnaise makes the perfect base for doctoring up to create a slew of different sauces, too. Mix in some minced ingredients you’ve got a delicious tartar sauce for breaded and fried fish or chicken: minced onions or shallots, parsley, sweet pickle relish, capers, and maybe some prepared horseradish do the trick. Or add Dijon mustard and minced tarragon as well to make remoulade. Sriracha sauce makes sriracha mayo. The adobo liquid from canned chipotles en adobo makes chipotle mayo. Or make pesto mayo, barbecue mayo, wasabi mayo, or ssamjang mayo.
