• In a move clearly meant to ramp up the competition with Starbucks, McDonald's has wrangled a deal with New York City's Fashion Week. Although the McCafé launch isn't until May, it will be the official drink of Fashion Week....
• Lawmakers in Virginia cross the aisle to support a restaurant smoking ban in that state. [Washington Post] • Manhattan has been "plagued" by wafts of maple syrup smell for a few years now. Turns out it was coming from...
• The owners of the Peanut Corporation of America, who are responsible for the recent salmonella outbreak, would like you to know that several private inspectors who they hired thought the plant was in ship-shape condition. [New York Times] •...
• Hamas raided a UN warehouse in Gaza last night, taking 3,500 blankets and 400 food parcels meant for needy Gazans. [AP] • One food bank in Texas, facing increased demand and decreased donations, has taken matters into its own...
• President Obama isn't mad at the FDA for failing to prevent salmonella outbreaks before they start; he's just very, very disappointed. [WaPo] • An uptick in the misdiagnosis of allergies can lead to even more problems than the (theoretical)...
• There were many important Bowls yesterday — the Super Bowl, the Puppy Bowl, and Philadelphia's annual Wing Bowl. This year's winner was a scrappy 23 year old who goes by the pseudonym "Super Squib" and ate 203 wings. [Philadelphia...
• The recent peanut butter salmonella outbreak has led to increased concerns about food safety. [New York Times] • In addition to gross and objectifying, it turns out those PETA ads that were banned from the Super Bowl and claimed...
• Criminal charges may be in the pipe for the owners of a Georgia peanut plant, where multiple health infractions seem to have lead to the nation's massive salmonella outbreak. [AP/chicago tribune] • Meanwhile, we should also be worried about...
• So now we're learning that the peanut processor responsible for this latest salmonella outbreak knew that there was bacterial contamination in the factory and shipped the peanut butter anyway. [USA Today] • Organic food sales haven't declined too much...
• In the midst of heightened public awareness of recalls and tainted food, the USDA is still finalizing their pick for the chief of the Food Safety Inspection Service, who would be in charge of eggs, dairy, and meat. [WaPo]...
• The Rhode Island oyster industry is ever-growing, and farmers are out gathering oysters everyday. It's worth it (a farmer can sell up to 10,000 oysters per day), but temperatures are low, low, low. [Boston Globe] • Although Mormon culture...
• The tainted food in Asia is leading to a shortage of products in Asian markets here in the States. [Mercury News] • The rising cost of ingredients has led to fewer Girl Scout cookies in every package. [Dallas Morning...
• A Chinese court sentenced two men to death and a third to life in prison, after determining they were responsible for last year's tainted milk scandal. [Washington Post] • A Texas man drove his Corvette into the front window...
• It's not just peanut butter you should be avoiding; now the FDA is telling everyone to not eat anything made with peanuts because of the salmonella scare. [Washington Post] • The US restaurant count was pretty much flat in...
• Apparently someone's becoming the President today? The Florida Avenue Grill, the oldest African-American-owned restaurant in DC, is gearing up for massive crowds. [MSNBC] • And of course everyone is still all in a tizzy about what the Obamas will...
• France is unhappy about the heavy import duties the United States has imposed on Roquefort. Oh France, why so blue? [New York Post] • The parents of the first child in China to die from melamine-tainted milk have accepted...
• Cold weather-fighting tips from some Chicago doormen: Eat more food. [Chicago Tribune] • A Long Island restaurant offers its own stimulous plan by randomly comping dinners. That just may work. [Newsday] • The USDA's regulatioon may not be able...
• For those who don't have the time to read nutrition labels at the grocery store, Albertsons is flagging healthful items on its shelves. [LA Times] • Whole Foods is now asking for its competitors to help the company fight...
• UN Aid organizations are working doubletime in Gaza, but are still only able to reach a small portion of those in dire need of food, thanks to ongoing fighting. [AP] • While our current rate of global warming is...
• A man in Maine is planning a new "concept" coffee shop &mdash specifically, one where the baristas and waitresses are topless. Hey, anything in this economy, am I right or am I right? [Boston Globe] • What's named George,...