The Juicy Bits
The US Food and Drug Administration has received more than 100 complaints of illness related to Lucky Charms. Did someone put a hex on the breakfast cereal? Hopefully the FDA investigation reveals the truth. Another popular breakfast food is under the microscope this month: eggs. The second-worst avian flu in US history is ripping across the country, causing "free-range" egg producers to keep their birds indoors. Is an egg "free-range" if the bird doesn't go outside? Not in the UK, where eggs can no longer be labeled free-range because hens have been cooped up for months. In other UK food news, a British scientist has analyzed the subterranean electrical impulses of mushrooms and found that the patterns closely resemble that of human language. He asserts that mushrooms talk to other plants. Crazy? We shall see. Elsewhere in Europe, two Danish brothers have figured out how to cultivate morel mushrooms indoors, at scale. It's European mushroom mania! Food innovation is also thriving in Japan, where a tech scientist developed a pair of chopsticks that enhances the perception of saltiness. He hopes the device will help Japanese consumers reduce their sodium intake. Speaking of salt, two US economists analyzed data from the 1920s and found that adding iodine to salt actually boosted the IQ of Americans. Their source material? Military records. The food world never ceases to amaze.
Cooking
James Beard Foundation Announces Media Award Nominees
Image Source: James Beard Foundation
Last month, JBF revealed its nominees for the top chefs and restaurants around the country. This month, America's A-list food media finalists include stand-out TV shows, cookbooks, podcasts, personal essays, and more. Check out the full list here. Winners will be announced at the JBF Awards ceremony June 11-13 in Chicago.
Restaurants
Food Delivery Apps Slump As Americans Return To In-Person Dining
Image Source: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Data from Technomic reveals that in-person dining hit a post-pandemic high in the first quarter of 2022, while food-app delivery fell to its lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2020. The decline in app usage can also be attributed to fees, tips, and higher food prices as Americans have become increasingly budget-conscious amid rising inflation and higher fuel costs. As a result, the stock values of DoorDash and Uber have fallen by 62% and 29%, respectively, since last November.
Beverages
How To Pour Wine Without Spilling A Drop
Image Source: Getty Images
Ok, this isn't news. But if you've struggled with wine-stained tablecloths, here's a pouring primer from the pros, including notes on how many ounces go into a standard pour and the official name of that little dent in the bottom of the bottle.
Supply Chain
As Food Prices Hit 40-Year High, USDA Forecasts Remainder Of 2022
Image Source: Getty Images
Grocery bills have been rising for months. Avocado prices, in particular, have hit a 24-year high as demand soars above supply. The continued Ukraine war has also exacerbated supply chain issues as countries impose trade restrictions to protect dwindling supplies of grains and other goods. For example, vegetable oil prices are up 22% because production is down in Ukraine and Russia, which together account for 60% of world production of sunflower oil. What to expect for the rest of the year? According to the USDA, grocery prices will increase between 3 and 4% and the cost of eating out will jump between 5.5 and 6.5% in the remainder of 2022. Tighten your belts.
Agriculture
More Than 27 Million US Poultry Birds Culled Due To Avian Flu
Image Source: Reuters/Stephane Mahe
First detected at an Indiana turkey farm in February, the H5N1 strain of bird flu has since spread to 29 states, infecting millions of chickens and turkeys. It is the second-worst outbreak of avian flu in US history, forcing "free-range" egg producers to keep their birds indoors for months. Similar farm safety measures are in place in Europe, where more than 16 million birds have been culled. The virus's main vector is migratory waterfowl, and risk to humans remains low.
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Regulations
Study Finds Antibiotics In Beef Cattle Labeled ‘Raised Without Antibiotics’
Image Source: Pavel Kovaricek, Shutterstock
In the absence of USDA antibiotic testing, researchers at George Washington University tested cattle from 312 feedlots in 33 feedyards over a 7-month period. Even though the cattle were raised under the “No Antibiotics Ever” program, urine analysis of almost 700 animals found that nearly 42% of the feedyards contained animals testing positive for antibiotics. The study highlights the under-regulated nature of “Raised Without Antibiotics” label claims.
Health
FDA Investigates Lucky Charms After Multiple Reports Of Illness
Image Source: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
The US Food and Drug Administration is investigating Lucky Charms cereal after dozens of customers complained of illness after eating it. The FDA has received more than 100 complaints related to Lucky Charms so far this year, and several hundred people have posted about the issue on food safety websites.
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Science
Japanese Researchers Develop Electric Chopsticks To Enhance Salty Taste
Image Source: Reuters
Homei Miyashita, a scientist at Japan's Meiji University, has developed a pair of chopsticks that increases the perception of saltiness by 1.5 times. The device transmits sodium ions from food to the mouth using a weak electrical current. Miyashita and the beverage maker, Kirin, hope to refine and commercialize the device as early as next year in Japan, where sodium intake is double that recommended by the World Health Organization.
Last Bite
Do Mushrooms Communicate? British Scientist Says Yes
Image Source: Minden Pictures/Alamy
Mushrooms are connected underground by a network of hyphae called mycelium. Research has already revealed that fungi emit electrical impulses through this "mycelial network," similar to how humans transmit information through nerve cells. The firing rate of the electrical impulses also increases and decreases in patterns similar to human language, according to new research by Andrew Adamatzky at the University of the West of England. Adamatzky theorizes that fungi "communicate" information about food or injury with other fungi, plants, and trees connected to the mycelial network. But it's just a theory. The patterns of electrical impulses could be random. Food for thought!