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 and Kentucky. No illnesses have been reported, and production has been suspended pending FDA verification. The company attributes the error to a temporary breakdown in its production and packaging processes.
Bonbons Recalled because of Undeclared Nuts
French Broad Chocolates PBC is recalling its Bette’s Bake Sale Bonbon Collection boxes from batch numbers 260414 and 260417 after discovering undeclared walnuts in the Walnut Fudge pieces. The products, sold online and in Asheville stores between April 14‑20, were shipped...
Why Your Tortillas Now Have Folic Acid (And Why That Matters for Latina Health)
On Jan 1 2026 California enacted a law requiring folic acid fortification of all commercially produced corn masa products, including tortillas. The measure targets the higher incidence of neural‑tube defects among Latina births, a gap left by earlier grain‑fortification policies that excluded...
Nestlé Confirms Blue Bottle Sale to Luckin’s Largest Shareholder
Nestlé confirmed it will sell Blue Bottle Coffee to Centurium Capital, the majority shareholder of Luckin Coffee, with the deal expected to close in the first half of 2026. Nestlé originally acquired Blue Bottle in 2017 for about $425 million, valuing...
Restaurants, Red Hook & Gowanus
FOUND’s weekly "Nines" roundup, a curated list of New York’s top dining spots, spotlighted Cafe Kestrel in Red Hook as a standout neighborhood bistro. The post describes the venue as a "platonic ideal of cozy and profoundly cool" with a...
From Hero to Zero: Why Non-Alcoholic Line Extensions Could Overpower Share of Mind
Revolution Brewing has turned a long‑standing April Fool’s joke into reality, releasing Anti‑Zero, a non‑alcoholic version of its flagship IPA. The article notes that production costs for NA beer have dropped, consumer awareness has risen, and marketing requirements have lessened...
Westminster Abbey’s Cellarium Café Unveils Summer Afternoon Tea in Historic Medieval Vaults
Westminster Abbey’s Cellarium Café & Terrace has introduced the Abbey in Bloom Afternoon Tea, a seasonal menu priced at £38 (≈$48) per person, available daily throughout summer 2026. The offering combines classic British flavors, seasonal ingredients, and a selection of...
Weekend Reading: Online Marketing of Soda and Alcohol
Vital Strategies released two AI‑driven reports exposing how soda and alcohol brands dominate social media, embedding themselves in sports highlights, influencer content and viral moments. The Coca‑Cola analysis uncovered 795 posts linked to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, generating...
Brixton House Welcomes New Flavours with Bar Opening by Karma Sherpa and Levi Roots
Brixton House theatre is opening The House Bar on Thursday, a food and drink venue co‑created by reggae‑sauce entrepreneur Levi Roots and local chef Karma Sherpa. The menu blends Jamaican, Latin American and Caribbean influences, featuring items such as chicken...
Weekly Coffee News: Lavazza in LA + The Case for Climate Insurance
Lavazza opened a Los Angeles training center, its second North‑American site in six months, expanding a global network that now totals 58 locations. The World Economic Forum advocated shared‑cost climate insurance to protect coffee value chains from weather shocks. Brazil’s 2026/27...
A New Initiative To Map Coffee Farms And Fight Deforestation
The EU Deforestation Regulation, set to apply to medium and large firms by end‑2026 and to smaller firms by Q3 2027, threatens coffee imports unless producers can prove their beans aren’t from post‑2020 forest land. To address this, JDE Peet’s and major...
The VinePair Podcast: Why Are Spirits Brands Bypassing Bartenders for Somms?
The VinePair Podcast examines why emerging spirits brands are partnering with sommeliers instead of bartenders. Hosts note that sommeliers bring wine‑focused credibility and access to upscale restaurant wine lists, while bartenders are traditionally the go‑to for spirit expertise. The discussion...
7 Things You Should Know About Frey Ranch, Nevada’s Farm-to-Glass Distillery
Frey Ranch Distillery, founded by Ashley and Colby Frey in 2006, is Nevada’s first ground‑to‑glass whiskey producer, growing, malting, distilling and bottling all grains on its 2,500‑acre farm. After a 13‑year development period and Nevada’s 2013 distilling law, its first...
Why Supply Chain Resilience Now Defines the Survival of Fast Casual
Fast‑casual chains are confronting a prolonged sales decline and rising costs, with same‑store sales falling for the 11th month. Consumers are demanding higher‑quality, fresher ingredients while tightening budgets, forcing operators to balance price and value. Supply‑chain discipline has become the...
Why Most Restaurants Leave Private Event Revenue on the Table
Private events offer the highest margins for full‑service restaurants, yet most treat them as a side operation. Slow inquiry responses, manual proposal creation, and weak follow‑up cause revenue leaks. The article outlines three fixes: respond within two hours, use standardized...
The Tiny Olive Oil Sachet That Carries a Greek Grandmother’s Worth of Joy
Yiayia and Friends, in partnership with design studio Beetroot, launched single‑serve olive oil sticks that blend premium packaging with playful illustration. Each flavor is presented in a saturated, color‑coded block, allowing shoppers to identify options at a glance without reading...
The Sardine Tin That Belongs in a Jewelry Store
Portuguese Gold, a new sardine offering from Fábrica de Conservas da Murtosa, uses Sonoco’s precision metal packaging to encase boneless fillets in edible gold flakes. The tin features a seamless, all‑gold aluminum finish created through lithography and debossing, eliminating labels...
Pizzeta Is A Pizza Box That Speaks Italian Without Saying a Word
BroHouse unveiled Pizzeta, a pizza‑base brand whose packaging replaces conventional food imagery with hand‑drawn Italian gestures. The cobalt‑blue box features expressive line‑art gestures, a quirky sans‑serif wordmark, and a subtle checkerboard base. By leveraging Italy’s universal non‑verbal language, the design...
BellRing Brands, Inc. (BRBR): Deeply Undervalued Fast-Growing Branded Nutrition Company
BellRing Brands, Inc. (BRBR) is a fast‑growing consumer packaged goods company that sells premium protein shakes, powders and nutrition bars under brands like Premier Protein and Dymatize. The firm posted $2.32 billion of revenue last twelve months, generating $250 million+ of free...
Now Here’s a Twist: Senator Bernie Sanders and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Agree Television Ads for Junk Food...
Senator Bernie Sanders and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. found common ground during an April 22 Senate Health Committee hearing, both endorsing a ban on television advertisements for junk food. Kennedy echoed Surgeon General nominee Dr. Casey Means' opposition,...
In Philly, the Brewers Association Pilots Craft Beer’s Comeback Narrative
The Brewers Association’s 2026 Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia signaled a cautiously optimistic tone despite a tough market. Industry volume fell another 5% in 2025, with 481 closures outpacing 300 openings, and capacity utilization lingered at 55% versus a 78%...
Publisher’s Platform: Hepatitis A and the Food Service Industry: A Case for Universal Vaccination
Bill Marler’s op‑ed urges universal Hepatitis A vaccination for food‑service workers, noting that the CDC removed the vaccine from the routine childhood schedule. He stresses that the virus spreads during the two weeks before symptoms appear, turning a single unvaccinated employee...
Organic Connections
FOUND Café, a bustling coffee shop in Angelino Heights, Echo Park, operates under Los Angeles County’s newly launched MEKHO program. The initiative allows residents to run small‑scale food businesses from their homes, bypassing traditional commercial lease costs. By leveraging a...
The Federal Portal for Tariff Refunds Is Now Open
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched the CAPE portal on April 20, enabling green coffee importers to file Phase 1 IEEPA tariff‑refund claims. The portal consolidates entries, allowing a single declaration for thousands of shipments and promising lump‑sum refunds with interest....
Stranger & Stranger Does It Again for Martini with a Sleek Redesign of Their Flagship Vermouth Range
London‑based agency Stranger & Stranger has unveiled a fresh redesign for Martini’s flagship vermouth range. The new packaging features lighter glass bottles, bold Mediterranean‑inspired colors, and a sleek typographic treatment that modernizes the brand while honoring its heritage. By injecting...
Mestizo Brings Regional Mexican Flavours to London with Annual Enchilada Festival This Spring
London‑based Mexican restaurant group Mestizo is launching its annual Enchilada Festival from 27 April to 6 May across its Camden and Chelsea venues. The ten‑day event will feature ten distinct enchilada variations that reflect regional Mexican flavors, from mole‑based and barbacoa recipes...
Current Events in Agricultural Chemicals
Make America Health Again (MAHA) is intensifying its campaign to eliminate synthetic agricultural chemicals from the U.S. food supply, citing the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen report that flags spinach as the most pesticide‑laden produce. The push coincides with a...
Annals of Food Marketing: Some New Items
The article surveys recent food‑marketing innovations, from functional‑ingredient trends to novel protein alternatives and culturally driven flavors. It highlights AlgaeCore’s algae‑based salmon substitute, a forecast that global seaweed snack sales could hit $4.66 billion by 2030, and premium ice‑cream flavors gaining...
Better Is Better: Why Architects Need to Stop Chasing Enterprise and Start Serving the World Around Them
The article argues that technology architects should abandon the exclusive pursuit of Fortune 500 contracts and refocus on small and medium‑size businesses (SMBs), which constitute the vast majority of the economy. A Goldman Sachs survey shows 42 % of SMBs lack the...
Kokum Restaurant Launches Hands-On Indian Cookery Class Series in East Dulwich
Kokum, a South‑East London Indian restaurant, has launched a five‑session cookery class series running from late April through August 2026. The three‑hour Saturday workshops, led by head chef Sanjay Gour, cover everything from traditional curry‑making without pre‑made pastes to naan...
Tozi Victoria Unveils Spring Menu with Venetian Small Plates and Tableside Negroni Trolley
Tozi Victoria launched a spring menu that spotlights Venetian cicchetti, handmade pastas, larger sharing plates, and a tableside Negroni trolley. New dishes include yellowtail carpaccio, rabbit‑ragout maccheroni, and slow‑roasted Welsh lamb shoulder. Set menus start at £23.95 (≈$31) and cicchetti...
Seven Tips for Using a Podcast to Grow Your Restaurant Community
Restaurant operators can turn a simple podcast into a community‑building engine by centering content on authentic brand stories and local voices. A lean setup—just a smartphone and a quality microphone—delivers professional sound without heavy investment. Consistency, clear audience definition, and...
Making Smart Restaurant Equipment Decisions
Jon Jacobs, president of equipment‑financing firm SilverChef, warns that restaurant owners often let menu concepts dictate costly kitchen purchases. He advocates an operations‑first strategy—testing recipes, mapping workflows, and budgeting for flexibility before committing to large assets. Jacobs highlights that 68%...
Little Voluntary Movement by Companies to Remove Artificial Food Dyes Spurs Action by Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports warns that major food manufacturers have not acted on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s call to voluntarily eliminate synthetic food dyes. Companies such as Coca‑Cola, Mondelez and Unilever still list artificial colorants in their...
The Energy Fuel Brand That Looks as Good as the Mountains It Was Born In
Dig Deep Endurance Fuel, created by Public House Studio, has launched a packaging system that visually mirrors the Canmore, Alberta mountains where the product originated. The design uses vertical bars from the dissolvable energy sticks to form a stylized mountain...
Cantaloupes Recalled because of Salmonella
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that Ayco Farms Inc. recalled 8,302 cartons of whole cantaloupes due to possible Salmonella contamination. The recall, first launched on March 24, was upgraded on April 20 to a Class I recall, the highest severity level,...
Waitrose Goes Back to the 80s for ‘Noshtalgia’ Fest with Disney’s Rivals
Waitrose has teamed with Disney to launch a “Noshtalgia” range tied to the new season of *Rivals*, which features a Waitrose store. The limited‑edition line includes 80s‑inspired items such as rhubarb & custard ice cream, thousand‑island prawn sandwiches and a...
A Changing Diet
The U.S. beef industry has shifted dramatically over the past three decades, with Choice and Prime grades now representing about 85% of production, up from less than half in the early 1990s. At the same time, the adoption of GLP‑1...
The Obsessive, Fearless Evolution of Jeremy Chan’s Ikoyi
Since opening less than ten years ago, Ikoyi has vaulted into London’s elite restaurant roster, a notable achievement in a market saturated with Michelin‑starred venues. The restaurant’s ascent is anchored by chef‑owner Jeremy Chan, whose cross‑cultural upbringing—Canadian, Chinese, and British—feeds...
Four Roses Releases Second Iteration of Its 100-Proof Single Barrel Collection
Four Roses is launching the second wave of its 100‑proof Single Barrel Collection, featuring three expressions—OESQ, OESF and OBSK—aged 7 to 9 years and priced at $49.99 each. The bottles, coded to indicate mashbill and yeast‑derived flavor profiles, will roll...
Evaluate and Optimize Restaurant Tech Stacks
The James Beard Foundation has kicked off a two‑part video series on restaurant technology, featuring Emma Blecker of Make It Makes Sense Consulting. The inaugural session, released on April 22, 2026, introduces the BASICS framework and examines how AI and...
New Green Coffee and Roastery Equipment From World of Coffee San Diego
World of Coffee San Diego showcased a wave of new green‑coffee and roastery equipment aimed at tightening quality control and boosting efficiency across the supply chain. Portable analyzers like ProfilePrint’s Mini Beluga and Demetria’s AI‑driven Aroma sorter bring farm‑level moisture,...
Industrial Agriculture and the Future of Food and Health
Jan Dutkiewicz and Gabriel N. Rosenberg’s new book *Feed the People* argues that industrial agriculture, while flawed, remains essential for feeding America and can be improved through policy and technology. The authors introduce "democratic hedonism" – a framework that seeks...
Plastic Prices Are Over a Barrel: It’s Time Brands Rethink Their Packaging
President Trump’s second‑term agenda reinstated 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum, keeping import duties high after the Supreme Court struck down other measures. The added cost pressure prompted Coca‑Cola and other consumer‑goods firms to increase reliance on virgin‑plastic containers, even...
Gap Tooth Soda Is Imperfect and Proud of It
Gap Tooth Soda, crafted by design agency Saint‑Urbain, breaks away from the typical ultra‑polished soda packaging by celebrating imperfection. The brand uses off‑beat fruit illustrations that resemble cut‑paper folk art, paired with a clean, unfussy sans‑serif typeface. This design approach...
You Have to Smash This £38,000 Whisky Box Open
Studio Form’s new Glenrothes 51 presentation redefines ultra‑premium whisky packaging. The 51‑year‑old Speyside single malt is encased in a solid Jesmonite shell that must be shattered to reveal the bottle, turning opening into a ritual. Priced at £38,000 (about $48,600), the...
OpenTable Acquires Montreal-Based Libro, an AI-Driven Restaurant Reservation and Table Management Platform, to Expand Its Canadian Presence
OpenTable announced the acquisition of Libro, a Montreal‑based AI‑driven reservation and table‑management platform, for an undisclosed sum. Libro will continue operating under its own brand while its inventory, technology stack, and security functions are gradually merged into OpenTable’s ecosystem. The...
Diet Coke Just Became the Official Accessory of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’
Disney is teaming with Coca‑Cola to promote the upcoming *The Devil Wears Prada 2* by featuring a limited‑edition Diet Coke can as an official movie accessory. The can, designed by Tátil Design, showcases the film’s signature red stiletto with a devil‑pitchfork heel alongside...
Connolly’s Eggs Lands ‘Dream’ Partnership Supplying M&S
Marks & Spencer has partnered with Monaghan‑based Connolly’s Eggs to roll out a free‑range large‑egg range across all 16 of its Irish stores. The family‑run business, which started in the early 1990s with just 300 hens, now operates four state‑of‑the‑art...
Firestone Walker and Duvel USA to Acquire Stone Brewing From Sapporo
Firestone Walker and Duvel Moortgat USA have agreed to acquire the Stone Brewing brand from Sapporo USA, with the deal expected to close in Q2. Firestone Walker will manage Stone’s western U.S. markets and four California taprooms, while Duvel will...