Kentucky Distillery New Riff Just Dropped an Outstanding New American Single Malt Whiskey
New Riff has released its 2026 edition of American Single Malt Whiskey, a 111.7‑proof spirit crafted from six distinct barley varietals and aged at least seven years in five different cask types. The blend incorporates rare grains such as Belgian Quadrupel and historic British Chevallier, delivering flavors of chocolate, dried fruit, and gentle smoke. Priced at $70, the whiskey will ship to select retailers and the distillery’s gift shop beginning May 15. The launch follows the federal recognition of the American single malt category in early 2025, underscoring the segment’s growing legitimacy.
Nosh Or Nah: The Call Is Coming From Inside The Lollipop
The Takeout’s latest Nosh or Nah column spotlights three off‑beat summer snacks: Pabst Blue Ribbon partners with Grillo’s Pickles to launch a 4.7% pickle‑flavored beer priced at $6.99 for a six‑pack; Target rolls out Favorite Day’s peel‑able sweet‑corn gummy candy,...
Kueffner: NC Grocers Maneuvering To Meet Regulatory Rules, Consumer Needs
Lindsey Kueffner of the Carolinas Food Industry Council outlined how North Carolina grocers are juggling a heavy legislative agenda, including costly SNAP funding requirements and penny‑scarcity compliance, while also adapting to shifting consumer preferences. The state faces an $85 million SNAP...
Sampling Grows Retail Sales at Awake Chocolate
Awake Chocolate, a caffeinated chocolate brand founded in 2012, pivoted from food‑service sales to direct‑to‑consumer and retail after the pandemic shut down its original channels. Retail locations—now at least a dozen chains and thousands of stores—have become the fastest‑growing segment,...
Lighthouse Cafe To Open At Montauk Point State Park This June
The historic Montauk Point Lighthouse will host the newly‑renamed Lighthouse Cafe, set to open on June 3. Hotelier Sean MacPherson, known for The Crow’s Nest and Manhattan boutique hotels, is reviving the former Lighthouse Grill with a Basque‑inspired pintxo menu and a full...
Papa Johns & Little Caesars Launch Drone Delivery Service and One Will Get You Pizza in Minutes
Papa John’s and Little Caesars have entered the drone‑delivery arena, with Little Caesars offering pizza deliveries in about four and a half minutes in Wylie, Texas, via Flytrex. Papa John’s partnered with Wing to deliver toasted sandwiches in Charlotte, North Carolina, rather than pizza....
Expect Grocery Prices to Spike by Summer
Grocery prices rose 0.49% in April, driven by sharp increases in fertilizer and fuel costs. Nitrogen fertilizer prices have climbed over 30% and urea 47% since February, while overall fuel and fertilizer expenses are up 20‑40%. The U.S. Senate Agriculture...
I've Tested All AeroPress Coffee Makers – Here’s the Good, Bad and Ugly
The review evaluates every AeroPress model, from the budget‑friendly Original to the premium glass version, highlighting performance, design, and price. The Original remains the best entry point at $34.95, while the Clear adds visual brewing cues for $49.95. Travel‑oriented options...
"Mama Said Lawry's" Campaign Debuts with Wiz Khalifa and His Mom, Peachie
Lawry's has launched the "Mama Said Lawry's" campaign featuring Grammy‑nominated rapper Wiz Khalifa and his mother Peachie, timed for Mother’s Day and the summer cookout season. The partnership spotlights Lawry's Seasoned Salt and Garlic Salt as pantry staples, with the...
What to Expect From the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show
The 2026 National Restaurant Association Show returns to Chicago’s McCormick Place as the largest food‑service convention in the Western Hemisphere, drawing more than 50,000 attendees and over 2,100 exhibitors. SVP Lisa Malikow reveals new product launches, a stronger emphasis on...
3 Costco Kirkland Signature Products That Might Disappear In 2026
Costco’s private label Kirkland Signature may lose three staple items by 2026: its sport drink, a ready‑to‑eat meatloaf‑and‑mashed‑potatoes meal, and a lean frozen beef patty pack. The sport drink is likely being pulled as the FDA phases out artificial dyes...
Twofold Introduces THC Spirits
Twofold has launched a line of six THC spirit analogues—vodka, gin, agave, whiskey, rum and aperitif—packaged in 750 ml bottles for bar service. Each 1.5‑oz pour delivers a precise 2 mg THC dose, offering a non‑alcoholic alternative that mimics the ritual of...
Hawke’s Bay Baker Says Wholesalers Should Be ‘Stepping up’ as Butter Prices Spike Again
Butter prices in New Zealand have jumped again, with a 500 g Woolworths block climbing from NZ$7.30 (≈$4.4 USD) to NZ$8.39 (≈$5.0 USD). Local baker Courtney Booth reports her weekly butter spend of about NZ$800 (≈$480 USD) and notes wholesalers charge roughly NZ$9 ($5.4 USD) per...
Vicious Biscuit Names Industry Veteran Mike Stevens Chief Development Officer and Promotes Kate Byrd
Vicious Biscuit, the fast‑casual breakfast chain, appointed industry veteran Mike Stevens as chief development officer and director of supply chain, while promoting Kate Byrd to franchise liaison. Stevens, who has more than 30 years scaling restaurant concepts, will steer franchise sales, pipeline...
Grön Brings Chocolate Bars to New Jersey
Grön, the cannabis‑infused chocolate maker, has launched a five‑product line in New Jersey. Each bar is gluten‑free, soy‑free and scored into 20 pieces delivering 5 mg THC per segment for precise dosing. The assortment spans daytime sativa, balanced hybrid, classic indica...
Target to Invest $5B in 130 Store Remodels This Year, and some Will Have Expanded Grocery
Target announced a $5 billion investment to remodel more than 130 stores and open 30 new locations in 2026. The upgrades will feature updated layouts, larger fresh, frozen and dry grocery sections, modernized checkout areas, and energy‑efficient lighting and HVAC systems....
Señorita Debuts 1777 Hemp THC Spirit
Señorita has launched 1777, a non‑alcoholic hemp‑derived THC spirit packaged in a 750 mL bottle and delivering 10 mg of THC per 1.5‑oz serving. The drink, crafted by winemakers Joel Gott and Charles Bieler, blends agave, terpenes, lime, dragon fruit and chili...
Trump to Sign Executive Orders to Boost Beef Imports, Cattle Supply
President Trump will sign two executive orders that temporarily suspend U.S. beef tariff‑rate quotas for about 200 days, aiming to increase imports and ease price pressure. The measures also include expanded loan programs for ranchers, reduced gray‑wolf protections and looser...
Food Lion’s Norman on Building Loyalty — Digitally
Food Lion’s MVP loyalty platform, anchored by the Shop & Earn feature, has become a cornerstone of its digital strategy across ten states. The program lets shoppers earn rewards, load coupons, and donate points to the Food Lion Feeds hunger‑relief...
Why IFT FIRST Matters: Where Food Industry Decisions Meet Food Science
Food industry executives face cost pressure, regulatory uncertainty, and rapid innovation cycles, making decision confidence essential. IFT FIRST, organized by the Institute of Food Technologists, positions itself as a decision‑support environment where scientific rigor meets commercial reality. The event features...
El Pollo Loco’s Margin, Marketing, Menu Momentum Continues
El Pollo Loco posted a 5.8% same‑store sales gain in Q1 2026 and lifted restaurant‑level margins 320 basis points to 19.2%, hitting the 18‑20% target set by CEO Liz Williams. The improvement stems from tighter cost control, strategic menu pricing and technology upgrades, while new...
The Henry Ford Brings Farm to School Film to New York City
On May 13, 2026, The Henry Ford will screen its new documentary “Farm To School Lunch Across America” at the Tribeca Film Center, followed by a reception. The event features a panel with nutritionist Marion Nestle, chef Michel Nischan, former USDA Midwest...
Other Half Brewing, Junior’s Restaurant and Bakery Announce Collab
Brooklyn’s Other Half Brewing and iconic Junior’s Restaurant have teamed up to release four limited‑edition, dessert‑inspired beers. The lineup includes an 8.5% Strawberry Dream Imperial IPA, a 6.5% Key Lime Cheesecake Sour IPA, a 6% Egg Cream Milk Stout, and...
National Pork Board Announces New Advisory Committee
The National Pork Board launched a Swine Health Advisory Committee and held its first meeting in Iowa this May. The committee will guide the National Swine Health Strategy, targeting diseases such as PRRSV, PEDV, and emerging foreign threats. Members span...
FSIS Probes Deli Meat Amid Illinois Listeria Outbreak
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert on May 9 for ready‑to‑eat pork headcheese products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The affected items, produced on Jan. 20, 2026 by Daisy Brand, were sold in retail...
Dole Rides the Health and Wellness Trend Wave to Higher YoY Revenue
Dole reported an 11.6% year‑over‑year revenue increase to $2.3 billion in Q1, but net income fell 17% to $37.7 million. Adjusted EBITDA slipped 4.3% to $4.5 million amid higher fruit sourcing costs and a challenging geopolitical backdrop. The company attributes growth to the...
Big Food Splits: Smart Move or Strategic Misstep?
Big food giants are pursuing demergers amid investor pressure. Unilever’s planned spin‑off of its Foods unit triggered a share‑price drop to 4,221.5 GBX, while Kraft Heinz paused its split after Berkshire Hathaway began selling its stake. Nestlé is divesting parts of...
The Best New York City Neighborhoods for Restaurants
The New York Times critic highlights three NYC neighborhoods where restaurants are redefining the city’s culinary map. In Queens, Elmhurst’s dense corridor of Thai, Indonesian and Taiwanese spots includes three eateries on the paper’s 100‑best list and a $15 banana‑leaf lunch at...
Better Balance Returns to Spain’s Festival Circuit for Fifth Year Running
Better Balance, the Spanish plant‑based brand, will appear at five of Spain’s top music festivals in 2026, marking its fifth consecutive year on the circuit. The lineup includes Primavera Sound, O Son Do Camiño, PortAmérica, BBK Live and Río Verbena,...
Supermarket Foods Claiming to Be ‘Natural’ or ‘Sustainable’ Mostly Just Using Marketing Terms, Researchers Find
Australian researchers examined over 27,000 packaged foods across major supermarkets and found that nearly 40% display environmental claims such as “natural” or “sustainable.” Most of these labels are self‑declared, lack independent verification, and often do not correspond to lower carbon...
Flashfood Launches Loyalty Integration to Offer Grocers More Shopper Insights
Flashfood introduced a loyalty integration feature that lets shoppers link grocery loyalty accounts to its app, with Meijer as the first retailer to adopt it. Within two weeks, over 20,000 users connected their mPerks accounts, providing Meijer with richer shopper...
Wakefern Names Own Brands Director
Wakefern Food Corp., the cooperative behind the ShopRite banner, has promoted Chris Ruane to director of its own‑brands division. The new team will steer strategy, growth and loyalty for private‑label lines such as Bowl & Basket, Wholesome Pantry and Paperbird. Ruane brings roughly...
EU Parliament Votes to Warn Against Plant-Based Foods in Schools and Strip NGO Funding
The European Parliament voted on May 10 to adopt a resolution urging the European Commission to halt funding for NGOs that lobby for plant‑based alternatives and to commission scientific studies on “food substitutes,” especially in school meals. The measure passed with...
Behind the Scenes Tour: From Ingredients to the Shelf
Women in Nutraceuticals organized a behind‑the‑scenes tour of Adept Life Sciences, Arizona Custom Blends and 21st Century HealthCare, revealing the full supplement supply chain from raw ingredient testing to shelf‑ready bottles. Each company isolates incoming materials, conducts identity and microbiological...
Papa Johns, Wing Launch Drone Delivery Pilot in North Carolina
Papa Johns and Wing, an Alphabet-owned drone service, have launched a pilot delivering toasted sandwiches by drone in Charlotte, North Carolina. The program, operating from Indian Trail, offers three sandwich varieties through the Wing app and will later integrate directly...
US Government Spends Hundreds of Millions on Biotech Pilot Plants as National Security Priority
The U.S. government is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into BioMADE, a public‑private consortium aimed at scaling bio‑manufacturing for food, defense and industrial applications. Since its 2021 launch, BioMADE has secured $87 million from the Department of Defense (DoD), $450 million...
Cerealto CEO Bosco Fonts Talks Contract Manufacturing Tailwinds
Cerealto’s chief executive Bosco Fonts highlighted accelerating demand for contract manufacturing in the food sector, citing stronger retailer partnerships and rising consumer preference for private‑label products. He noted that Cerealto’s flexible production capacity and recent technology upgrades position the company...
Island Way Debuts Frozen Novelties
Island Way, the Massachusetts‑based fruit snack maker, announced two new frozen snack lines: Lemonade Bites and Chocolate‑Covered Fruit. Lemonade Bites combine real lemon pieces with flavored variations such as classic, strawberry, and watermelon, while the chocolate‑covered fruit offers mango, orange,...
Hain Celestial Losses Persist as Sales Extend Declines
Hain Celestial reported a third‑quarter net loss of $106 million, narrowed from $135 million a year earlier, as it continues a turnaround under CEO Alison Lewis. The company sold its North American snack portfolio, including Garden Veggie and Terra chips, to Snackruptors...
Nutrabolt Appoints Andrew Archambault as President and CEO
Nutrabolt, the global active‑nutrition company behind C4 Energy, Bloom, Cellucor and Xtend, announced Andrew Archambault as its new president and chief operating officer. Archambault, a veteran with more than three decades in consumer‑packaged goods, most recently led the U.S. beverage...
C4 Energy Parent Hires Hershey Vet as COO
Andrew Archambault, a veteran of the consumer‑packaged‑goods sector, has been named president and chief operating officer of Nutrabolt, the owner of C4 Energy, Cellucor and Xtend. Archambault left his role as U.S. president at Hershey in April after a brief...
Danone to Lay Off 114 Employees After Shutting Plant-Based Dairy Factory
Danone announced the closure of its 25‑year‑old plant‑based dairy factory in Bridgeton, New Jersey, eliminating 114 jobs. The shutdown follows a slowdown in the company’s Silk and So Delicious brands, which have lagged behind stronger performance in Europe. Production will...
Ex-Alpro CEO Joins Board of Italian Plant-Based Dairy Startup Dreamfarm
Dreamfarm, a Parma‑based plant‑based dairy startup, appointed former Alpro CEO Sue Garfitt to its board as an independent director. Garfitt brings decades of category‑building experience as Dreamfarm prepares to scale across Europe after posting revenue of about €2 million ($2.2 million) in...
Wendy’s Q1 Sales Decline 7.8% as Project Fresh Turnaround Gains Momentum
Wendy's reported a 7.8% decline in U.S. same‑store sales and a 5.5% drop in global systemwide sales for Q1 2026, citing severe weather and altered restaurant hours as primary drivers. The company said its Project Fresh turnaround, launched in October...
Meet the Wine Entrepreneur Working to Diversify Cape Town’s Wine Scene
Lindile Ndzaba founded Khayelitsha’s Finest Wines (KFW) in 2018 to bring premium, township‑sourced blends to Cape Town’s wine scene. By partnering with established vineyards in Stellenbosch, KFW creates expressive labels that feature a map of Khayelitsha, making the community visible...
Fortnum & Mason Is Opening a ‘Biscuitorium’ This Week – What You Need to Know About the Immersive Biscuit Paradise
Fortnum & Mason is unveiling a 200 sqm “Biscuitorium” on its Piccadilly mezzanine on May 14, featuring 70 biscuit flavours and an interactive library that categorises treats by taste, texture and tea pairing. Executive pastry chef Roger Pizey has crafted an exclusive...
Scientists Say This Common Sweetener May Be Quietly Rewiring Your Metabolism
A review in Nature Metabolism argues that fructose functions as a distinct metabolic signal rather than a simple calorie source. The authors show that fructose bypasses key regulatory steps, driving de novo lipogenesis, lowering cellular ATP and fostering fat storage....
Green Gas & Liquids Achieves Food-Grade bioCO₂ Certification with Galloxol Capture Technology
Green Gas & Liquids announced that its bioCO₂, captured using the proprietary Galloxol carbon‑capture system, has earned food‑grade certification under ISBT and EIGA standards. The technology produces gaseous CO₂ directly from a biomass boiler, eliminating the need for expensive liquefaction....
Mexico Formalizes Protected Geographical Indication Standards for Michoacán Avocados
Mexico’s Institute of Industrial Property has officially approved Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) standards for Hass avocados grown in 31 municipalities of Michoacán. The resolution defines production protocols, traceability requirements, and geographic boundaries for the Michoacán Avocado Belt. New rules mandate...
Costa Rican Pineapples to Score Big in North America During World Cup
Costa Rica’s pineapple sector is gearing up for a surge in North American demand during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the first quarter, pineapples made up 34% of the country’s agricultural shipments, delivering a $42 million year‑on‑year increase. The industry...