The Juicy Bits
It's the summer of Intellectual Property Wars: Who owns the döner kebab? Turkey and Germany are duking that one out; and in the US, Maryland and Delaware are fighting over who owns the Orange Crush cocktail. Meanwhile, former Frito-Lay employee Richard Montañez has been claiming for decades that he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Frito-Lay says no way, so Montañez just sued the company. For a Hollywood take on that story, check out the Oscar-nominated film Flamin' Hot. In more consequential news, the FDA has banned brominated vegetable oil, a common stabilizer in citrus soft drinks, over health concerns. Companies have one year to remove it from products. Also, Boar's Head added 7 million more pounds to its nationwide recall of deli meat. Check your sliced ham before chomping down on that summer sub/hoagie/hero/po'boy/grinder/sandwich. Elsewhere in the meat world, James Beard Award-nominated BBQ chefs in Texas are revealing their smoking secrets, and fried chicken sandwiches are now on more restaurant menus than burgers. Huh. Guess the Chick-Fil-A affect runs deep. Finally, if you're curious about what Olympic athletes are noshing on in Paris, Eater has the inside scoop.
—Dave Joachim
Cooking
Germany Challenges Turkey’s Protected Status Claim To The Döner Kebab
Image Source: Tolga Ildun/Getty Images
In April, Turkey applied to register the name "döner" as its "guaranteed traditional speciality" across Europe. Specifications include that döner must consist of beef or lamb “horizontally sliced into cutlets 3-5 mm thick” or chicken cutlets sliced 1-2 cm thick; ground meat is banned entirely; and the age of the animals and knife used to slice the meat must meet certain requirements. Germany filed an appeal filed last month, arguing that the new rules would have “catastrophic consequences for gastronomy businesses as well as consumers,” driving up prices in the massive German döner kebab market, which is worth €7 billion a year. Who will win the döner wars? If the two countries can't find a compromise within 6 months, the European Commission will issue a ruling.
Restaurants
Chicken Sandwiches Are Now On More Restaurant Menus Than Burgers, Research Finds
Image Source: Restaurant Business
Fried chicken sandwiches now appear on 47% of US restaurant menus, according to research firm Technomic, while burgers are on only 41% and are tracking downward. The switch happened during the "Fried Chicken Sandwich Wars" at the height of the pandemic, when chicken sandwiches on menus increased by 10%. Consumers still order burgers twice as often as chicken sandwiches, according to market research company Circana, but restaurants have figured out that a fried chicken sandwich will bring in customers who might not want a burger but aren’t looking for a salad either.
Beverages
Bar Fight: Maryland's Orange Crush Cocktail Claimed By Delaware As Its State Cocktail
Image Source: Rey Lopez
Pour equal parts vodka, triple sec, and fresh orange juice into an ice-filled pint glass, top with lemon-lime soda, and serve. The Orange Crush is a straightforward summer cocktail. So is its undisputed history: it was invented and named in 1995 at the Harborside Bar & Grill in Ocean City, Maryland. However, the neighboring state of Delaware introduced a new bill last month proclaiming the Orange Crush its official state cocktail. The bill claims “The Orange Crush has been made famous and become synonymous with Dewey Beach, Delaware," specifically at The Starboard bar. Who really owns this highly quaffable thirst-quencher? The impending signature of Delaware Governor John Carney may soon end the drink's debate.
BBQ Hot Spot
Texas BBQ Experts Reveal Their Smoking Secrets
Image Source: Panther City BBQ
“Texas barbecue really focuses on the meats themselves without relying heavily on sauces or garnishes to trick them up,” says Chris Magallanes, co-owner of Panther City BBQ in Fort Worth, Texas. Using post oak wood is another signature. “I recommend opting for cuts with thick, lean meat and good fat coverage, especially with marbling for tenderness," says Lane Milne, co-owner of Fort Worth's Goldee's Barbecue, a James Beard Award semifinalist and the top barbecue restaurant in Texas, according to Texas Monthly magazine. If you're curious about Goldee's Secret Peach Glaze, this article spills the beans.
Supply Chain
Boar's Head Adds 7 Million More Pounds To Deli Meat Recall
Image Source: Mike Kline/Getty Images
At least two people died and nearly three dozen others in 13 states have been sickened in a listeria outbreak linked to Boar's Head sliced deli meats, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new recall follows an earlier recall of more than 200,000 pounds and now totals 7 million pounds, including 71 products such as ham, bologna, beef salami, and liverwurst made under the Boar's Head and Old Country brands. The products were manufactured between May 10 and July 29 at the firm's Jarratt, Virginia, plant and distributed to stores nationwide, as well as to the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama, Agriculture Department officials said. Details at the Boar's Head website here.
Regulations
FDA Bans Brominated Vegetable Oil In Soft Drinks And All Food And Beverages
Image Source: Natalia Campbell
As of August 2, brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is prohibited from all food and drink produced and sold in the US. BVO is most often used as a stabilizer in soft drinks to keep citrus flavor from separating and floating to the top. The FDA collaborated with the National Institutes of Health on a series of studies, found that BVO is linked to potential harm to the thyroid, liver, and heart, and concluded that the "intended use of BVO in food is no longer considered safe." In 2014, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola voluntarily agreed to remove BVO from Gatorade and other beverages, but about 600 food and beverage products still contain BVO, including the popular soft drinks Sun Drop and Orangette. According to the FDA, companies have one year to “reformulate, relabel and stop selling products that contain BVO.”
Health
Heavy Metals, Including Lead, Found In Many Dark Chocolate Products, Study Finds
Image Source: Gabi Musat/Getty Images
New research found that dark chocolate products contain excessive lead and cadmium, two neurotoxic metals linked to cancer, chronic disease, or reproductive and developmental issues, especially in children. Published in the journal Frontiers In Nutrition, the study analyzed 72 dark cocoa products over an eight-year period and found that even organic dark chocolate contained high levels of heavy metals. Of the products tested, 43% exceeded the maximum allowable dose level for lead as established by California’s Proposition 65, while 35% exceeded the Prop 65 maximum allowable level for cadmium. Prop 65 sets a lead safety standard of .05 parts per million for chocolate, about half as much as the FDA's maximum allowable level.
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Last Bite
Battle Heats Up Over Who Invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos
Image Source: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Have you seen the Oscar-nominated movie Flamin' Hot? Or heard the inspiring (and well-paid) speeches of its real-life hero Richard Montañez? Or read his memoir, Flamin' Hot? For more than a decade, Montañez has been telling the feel-good, rags-to-riches story of how he invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, one of Frito-Lay's most popular snacks. Problem is, it's not true. This 2021 LA Times article shares a mountain of evidence debunking Montañez's Flamin' Hot claim to fame. Frito-Lay says, “None of our records show that Richard was involved in any capacity in the Flamin’ Hot test market.” Montañez has just sued his former employers for fraud, defamation and other violations, claiming he was harmed when they denied his role in creating the Flamin' Hot phenomenon. A parable of the information age, this complex story makes it hard to determine what's real and what's fake. Who will be the ultimate arbiter? The courts.
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