ColdPerk Launches the Commissary 70 for Large Batches of Concentrate
ColdPerk unveiled the Commissary 70, a stainless‑steel brewer designed for large‑batch cold‑brew concentrate production. The machine holds up to 70 pounds of wet grounds, delivering 70‑105 liters (18.5‑28 gallons) of 12‑Brix concentrate in under two hours with only a water‑metering controller. Priced at $25,000, it targets roasters, central‑kitchen cafés, and other beverage producers seeking in‑house concentrate capability. The launch follows the Café 2 countertop system and expands ColdPerk’s commercial equipment roadmap.
Rethinking Protein: From Ultra-Processed Hype to Real Food
The UK is shifting from a plant‑based craze to a high‑protein focus, spurred by the rise of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs and a growing awareness of protein’s role in muscle and hormonal health. Animal‑sourced foods such as meat, dairy and eggs...
Juno Positions Itself As A Better-For-You Soda Without the Wellness Anxiety
Juno, a Barcelona‑based prebiotic soda from Saint‑Urbain, launches with oversized retro typography and vivid fruit‑coded colors. The brand positions itself as a better‑for‑you soda that sidesteps the typical wellness‑heavy messaging of functional drinks. Its design mimics 1970s graphic posters, making...
Deuce’s Design For New UK Gut-Friendly Soda Is Y2K ‘Heaven’
Heaven Soda, a new UK brand of gut‑friendly carbonated drinks, debuted with a Y2K‑inspired visual identity crafted by design agency Deuce. The line offers four flavors—Exotic Tropic, Fiery Apple, Tangy Berry, and Zingy Lemon—positioning itself against American prebiotic leaders like...
Day&Night Spreads the Word on Jam
Day&Night, an independent jam maker, teamed with Zukerman Studio to launch a line of small‑batch preserves whose labels are dominated by bold, stacked typography. Each flavor—orange, strawberry, berry, and pear—uses a distinct color from terracotta to charcoal, creating a visual...
For Module and Its Specialty Coffee, Every Detail Is Deliberate
Module, a limited‑release roastery in Edinburgh, has launched a new coffee line with packaging that rejects the ornamental norms of specialty coffee. Designed by the studio Standard Format, the system uses rigid kraft‑board boxes that echo toolboxes and luggage, creating...
Pâte and Puff’s Luxe Identity Honors the Craft of Pastry Chefs
Israeli bakery Pâte and Puff partnered with design studio Ark Visual to launch a luxe packaging system that celebrates the dual nature of its pastries. The brand identity features hand‑drawn, pointillist illustrations that align across stacked boxes, creating a seamless...
Aquatiq Food Forum to Spotlight Risk, Accountability and Innovation in Global Food Safety
The Aquatiq Food Forum will convene food safety leaders, regulators, and academics in Oslo on September 23‑24 for a two‑day deep dive into risk, accountability, and the future of global food systems. Highlights include a keynote by food‑safety attorney Bill Marler, who...
Ghirardelli Recalling Powdered Drink Mixes because of Salmonella
Ghirardelli has voluntarily recalled certain powdered beverage mixes after California Dairies flagged potential Salmonella contamination in a milk‑powder ingredient supplied to a third‑party manufacturer. The affected products are large‑format packages sold to restaurants, institutions, and occasionally through e‑commerce channels. No...
Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman Abandon Merger Talks, Both Confirm
Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman announced they have ended discussions on a proposed merger of equals. The termination follows a month‑long speculation after both firms confirmed they were exploring a deal, and comes as Sazerac’s $15 billion bid for Brown‑Forman remains unresolved....
Seven Certified B Corps Launch a Global Coffee Coalition
Seven Certified B Corporations spanning Brazil, Switzerland, the United States, Singapore, Denmark, Australia/New Zealand and Kenya have launched the B Corp Coffee Coalition. The coalition will begin with working groups aimed at farmer prosperity and workforce development and is open to...
Croatian Producers Call for Stronger Branding After Another Record NYIOOC Showing
Croatian olive oil producers captured 128 awards at the 2026 New York International Olive Oil Competition, including 103 gold medals, positioning the country second globally behind Italy. The achievement reflects an 89% success rate from 144 entries, one of the...
Turkish Producer Brings Native Cultivars to U.S. Market
Zagoda Olive Oil, founded by Ceren Su Sahin, is exporting single‑varietal Turkish extra‑virgin olive oils to the United States from a family grove of over 16,500 trees. The producer emphasizes early harvest, same‑day milling and a two‑phase continuous extraction system to lock...
Supply Rebound Pushes Prices Down as Uncertainty Clouds Outlook
European olive oil production rebounded sharply in 2024/25, rising 37% to about 2.1 million tonnes, driven primarily by a 66% surge in Spain and strong gains in Greece. The surge pushed extra‑virgin prices down from a peak of €8.3 ($9.1) per...
Why the PBR X Grillo's Pickle Beer Collaboration Could Be the Tip of the Spear 🥒
The partnership between Pabst Blue Ribbon and Grillo's Pickles marks a high‑profile entry of pickle‑infused beer into the mainstream. While craft brewers have long experimented with brine flavors, recent CPG successes—such as pickle‑flavored snacks and even lip balm—signal broader consumer...
Family Project Revives Abandoned Groves in Italy’s Sannio Region
Settemisure, a family‑run olive oil brand founded in 2018, rebuilt its grandparents' grove after the catastrophic 2015 Benevento flood and has since expanded to restore abandoned groves across the Sannio region. By focusing on native cultivars such as Ortolana, Racioppella,...
Pittsburgh Is Aggressively Courting Cocktail Enthusiasts. Will Other Secondary Markets Follow?
Pittsburgh’s tourism board has partnered with local bars and distilleries to launch the MixBurgh Foundation, a coalition aimed at positioning the city as a premier cocktail destination. The initiative centers on a five‑day MixBurgh Weekend in November, featuring both a...
Lawsuit Says Trader Joe’s “Low Acid” Coffee Was Too Low on Caffeine
A federal class action filed on April 23, 2026 in the Central District of California alleges that Trader Joe’s “French Roast Low Acid” coffee contains roughly half the caffeine of its regular blends, contrary to the product’s fully caffeinated marketing. The...
This Brewery Pulls Ambient CO2 to Carbonate Your Pint
Almanac Beer Company in Alameda has become the first brewery to carbonate its beer using carbon dioxide captured directly from ambient air. The brewery installed two Aircapture machines in its parking lot that capture, liquefy and purify CO₂, now supplying...
Molo Mill: A New Vertically-Integrated Flat Burr Hand Grinder
The Molo Mill, a new manually‑operated coffee grinder, launched on Kickstarter, targeting flat‑burr enthusiasts. It features 58 mm vertically aligned flat burrs, a side‑crank with a watch‑inspired dial, and a weight under 3.5 lb. The campaign seeks $30,000 and offers an early‑bird...
Wine 101: 30 Years of West Coast Pinot Noir
The VinePair “Wine 101” podcast marks 30 years of West Coast Pinot Noir, tracing its evolution from the bold 1990s to the lighter, acid‑driven styles that dominate today. The 2004 release of “Sideways” sparked a nationwide surge in Pinot interest,...
The VinePair Podcast: Why Are Restaurateurs Courting the Ultra-Wealthy?
Simon Kim launched a sprawling Midtown Manhattan venue at 550 Madison Avenue, pairing Korean barbecue with an upscale American steakhouse concept. The opening underscores a broader industry shift as restaurateurs deliberately target ultra‑wealthy diners, especially corporate executives and high‑net‑worth commuters....
Perplexing Pricing Perceptions
Revenue Management Solutions reports a perception shift: 72% of consumers now view restaurant prices as higher than grocery prices, the first time this sentiment has prevailed in four quarters. Grocery price perception dropped 14 percentage points since January 2025, while...
Day Job Updates Leisure For The Post-Web3 World
Leisure, the world’s first Web3‑backed ready‑to‑drink beverage launched in 2022, is undergoing a brand refresh by Day Job to shift from its NFT‑centric identity to a more conventional shelf presence. The drink, designed for content creators, combines nootropics and adaptogens while...
Epik Eats Reclaims the Plant-Based Aisle with a Joyful Redesign
Epik Eats, a plant‑based tofu brand, has launched a dramatic packaging redesign, shedding its previous understated look for a bright fuchsia box with sunny yellow accents and chunky typography. Created by agency Pigeon, the new visual identity replaces the typical...
Brazil’s Street Markets Serve As Delicious Design Inspiration For Tial
Tial’s juice packaging has been completely overhauled by design studio HardCuore, drawing visual cues from Brazil’s vibrant street markets. The new cartons feature full‑bleed photographs of the featured fruit, while a diagonal white script echoes the hand‑painted signage common in...
From Japanese Gardens to the Bar Cart, Roleplay Modernizes Gut Health for JIN JIN
Roleplay, a creative branding agency, has reimagined JIN JIN—a concentrated enzymatic cordial rooted in an ancient Japanese recipe—into a modern, visually striking product. The new identity blends garden‑inspired motifs with a bar‑cart aesthetic to appeal to Western consumers seeking functional gut‑health...
Salmonella Outbreak Spreads Across Europe
A multi‑country Salmonella Bovismorbificans outbreak has sickened 50 adults across six European nations, with the majority of cases reported in Ireland, Finland and the United Kingdom. Investigations point to sprouted seed products, specifically Good4U Super Sprouts packs, traced back to...
Bill Would Give FDA Permission to Provide States with Food Safety Information
Representatives Deborah Ross (D‑NC) and Michael Rulli (R‑OH) introduced the bipartisan Federal and State Food Safety Information Sharing Act of 2026. The legislation would grant the FDA authority to share proprietary food‑safety data with state health agencies, data that is...
Children Sick in Danish Salmonella Outbreak
Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut has confirmed eight cases of Salmonella Stanley among children and young adults since January 2026. The patients, aged 5 to 22 with a median age of 11.5, are distributed across Sjælland, Midtjylland, Nordjylland and Syddanmark. Whole‑genome...
Restaurants, Most Anticipated
Chef Hasung Lee, formerly of Atomix, is debuting a new fine‑dining venue called Oyatte in Manhattan's Murray Hill. The restaurant will take over the former Kajitsu location and feature a bi‑level layout that showcases an Upstate farm‑driven menu. Opening is...
La Maritxu to Open Fourth Basque Cheesecake Shop at Coal Drops Yard This May
La Maritxu, the London‑based Basque cheesecake chain founded in 2021, will launch its fourth shop at Coal Drops Yard in May 2026. The new outlet, the brand’s smallest with 14 seats, will serve classic cheesecake slices, whole cakes in four...
Rossella to Open Muswell Hill Restaurant, Bar and Deli in May as Family-Run Italian Expands in North London
Rossella, the family‑run Italian restaurant founded by Luca Meola, will open its second North London venue in Muswell Hill in May. The new location combines a restaurant, bar and deli, and will soft‑launch from 5‑10 May with a 50% discount...
Graydon Carter's New Restaurant.
Veteran media mogul Graydon Carter is launching his first hospitality venture, a restaurant in New York City. The project marks his return to the city’s cultural scene, blending his literary pedigree with a classic bistro concept. Backed by seasoned restaurateurs...
Remember New Coke?
In 1985 Coca‑Cola introduced New Coke to counter Pepsi’s surge, but the formula change was driven by internal business pressure rather than consumer demand, sparking a public backlash. The author draws a parallel to today’s rapid AI adoption, where many...
Ryoken Instinct Gets a Monochromatic, Personality-Driven Identity
Ryoken Instinct, a premium dog‑food brand, has unveiled a new monochromatic, personality‑driven packaging system designed by Planet People Studio. The redesign features geometric animal icons for each protein source and a streetwear‑inspired wolf badge within a shield. This visual overhaul...
A 1,000-Year-Old Tea Tradition Gets a Neon Yingge Dance-Inspired Makeover
TUSHI Design has launched a collector’s series for Chaozhou Oolong that reimagines the thousand‑year‑old tea tradition through neon‑bright Yingge Dance imagery. The packaging features multi‑flash, long‑exposure photography that renders martial‑arts heroes in vivid pinks, blues, golds and crimsons on kraft...
Coffee and Health Complicated by a Messy Mix of Compounds
A new review in Frontiers in Nutrition synthesizes epidemiological and laboratory findings to map coffee’s most studied compounds—caffeine, trigonelline, chlorogenic acids, cafestol, kahweol and melanoidins—onto four health‑related pathways: metabolic regulation, neuroprotection, oxidative stress and inflammation. The authors highlight the paradox...
5 Signs a Restaurant’s Wine List Is a Rip-Off (and 5 Signs You’re About to Get a Great Deal)
The article breaks down ten cues that reveal whether a restaurant’s wine list is overpriced or offers genuine value. It flags inflated by‑the‑glass prices above $24, lack of creativity, erratic bottle pricing, an over‑reliance on mass‑market wines, and a focus...
2026 NYIOOC Results Show Shifting Patterns in Global Olive Oil Quality
The 2026 Northern Hemisphere NYIOOC saw 1,021 entries from 29 countries, awarding 464 Gold and 234 Silver medals. Italy remained the top performer with 166 awards, while Croatia surged with 103 Golds, cementing its rising stature. Greece, despite a challenging...
Stopping Profit Leaks with Real-Time Course Correction
Restaurant operators face profit leaks because data from POS, scheduling and payroll systems remains siloed, forcing decisions based on lagging reports. Miso Robotics, led by CEO Rich Hull, has acquired AI operating system Zignyl and is integrating its real‑time intelligence...
FRESH Act Is a Rotten Apple
The draft "FRESH Act" introduced by Rep. Kat Cammack claims to boost food safety but would broadly preempt state regulations and dilute FDA authority over new food chemicals. It preserves the GRAS loophole and creates industry‑run review panels that the...
Restaurant Fined over Link to Salmonella Outbreak
A New South Wales restaurant was fined after a DPIRD inspection linked its unsanitary conditions to a 2023 salmonella outbreak. Inspectors documented dirty floors, exposed food, rodent droppings, and inadequate sanitization. The penalties underscore regulatory enforcement of food‑safety standards in...
FDA Cites Ocean Group Inc. Seafood Facilities for Listeria, Sanitation Failures Across Four Sites
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Ocean Group Inc. after inspections uncovered persistent Listeria monocytogenes contamination at four of its seafood processing plants in California, Nevada and Texas. The agency also cited repeated sanitation breakdowns...
Boy Kibble: Muscle-Building Protein Maxxing Is the Latest Male Health Delusion
Marketers are flooding the market with protein‑centric products—protein popcorn, water, coffee—under the banner of “protein maxxing” or “boy kibble,” aimed at young men chasing muscular physiques. Nutrition scientists say most U.S. adults already meet or exceed the recommended protein intake,...
Shelf Life 109: The Peter Pan-Ification of Wellness
The gummy supplement market, now worth about $10 billion, is set to nearly triple by the early 2030s as adults gravitate toward candy‑like vitamins. Unilever’s April 9 acquisition of Grüns, a green‑leaf gummy brand, for $1.2 billion underscores the sector’s rapid commercialization. Founders...
Goatmeat Export Update March 2026
Australia exported 4,408 tonnes of goat meat in March 2026, a 13 percent year‑on‑year decline but still 41 percent above the five‑year average. The United States remained the top buyer with 2,179 tonnes, representing half of total shipments and staying 37 percent above the five‑year norm...
Processor Trading Conditions Update
The Beef Processor Trading Conditions (BPTC) index slipped to 14 percent in January 2026, down from 16 percent in December and far below the 72 percent peak a year earlier. Cattle input prices showed modest softening, with heavy steer down 1.1 percent and young...
Sunday Edition: Mindy Brashears
Mindy Brashears has been reconfirmed by the Senate as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Under Secretary for Food Safety, marking her second tenure in the role. She emphasizes a data‑driven, science‑based agenda that expands Salmonella oversight from poultry to beef...
Trail Mix Recalled because of Undeclared Allergens
Ferris Coffee & Nut Co. is recalling a 9‑ounce Frederik’s by Meijer Vanilla Bourbon Trail Mix after discovering undeclared wheat and soy in the pretzel‑ball component. The recall covers lot # 6069‑1, distributed to Meijer stores in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin...