Food Broadcasting Company's roundup of the top food-related news stories.
13/12/2014
From today, new EU laws require restaurants and take-aways to tell customers if any of the most common 14 food allergen ingredients are in the food they serve. This is hoped to reduce the amount of allergic reactions to ingredients in their food. Foods on the list include wheat, fish, and less widely recognised allergens such as sulphur dioxide - a preservative found in everything from dried fruits to meat products and soft drinks. Find out more in this infographic.
25/04/2014
Three design students from Imperial College London have designed an edible water bottle, in an effort to reduce the waste caused by plastic water bottles. The Ohoo blob features a 'jelly-fish like' gel coating, made from a special compound using calcium chloride and brown algae, which encases the water. Each blob costs just over 1 penny to make. The team must now tackle engineering and logistical issues: how to keep the bottles clean prior to use, how to make the bottles reseasable, and how consumers can safely transport an object with a membrane the thickness of a fruit skin.
06/01/2014
Digital Journal has released its food trend predictions for 2014. Freekeh, an ancient grain made from green wheat will make its debut on the scene. No doubt its escalating popularity is a spin-off of Ottolenghi's popularity, himself a buzzword of 2013. This is followed quickly by tea in all it's forms (see Starbucks report below). Other trends include infused ice cubes, Japanese seven spice, and Gochujan, a Korean condiment, following the successful introduction of Kimchi and Sriracha into mainstream cuisine. Substituting water with smoky liquids, coffee, tea and alcohol is set to become the new way to steam and poach foods. 29/09/2013 In response to a 16% rise in tea-drinkers in the USA over the past five years, Starbucks has opened up its first tea house, the Teavana Fine Teas + Tea Bar, in the Upper East Side, New York. Not satisfied with a large share in the oligopolistic coffee industry, the company is ready to open America's eyes to a good brew. Although its break into the UK coffee-chain industry was well received, guaranteed it will be a lot harder to please the discerning buds of a Brit; we know a decent cuppa when we see one. The quality which independent joints already provide will prove difficult to match. 06/08/2013 Stem cell research has created the first ever test-tube grown hamburger. Providing relief to those fearful of the impending meat shortage, scientists say that the product could be on consumer shelves in 10 years time. The stem cells, extracted from a cow, are then incubated in a nutrient rich broth to create artificial meat tissue. This news has been well received, particularly among animal activist group, PETA. 29/01/2013 A little side story for all you fans of the East Midlands. Completely breaks the bank, but while scanning the WWW for a top notch restaurant in Nottingham I found out that Restaurant Sat Bains took fourth spot in the National Restaurant Awards 2012, beating old Heston's Fat Duck and Raymond Blanc's Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. That's what I like to hear. An undoubtedly pretentious menu, nevertheless I know where my first decent pay check will go. 27/12/2012
Digital Journal has released its food trend predictions for 2014. Freekeh, an ancient grain made from green wheat will make its debut on the scene. No doubt its escalating popularity is a spin-off of Ottolenghi's popularity, himself a buzzword of 2013. This is followed quickly by tea in all it's forms (see Starbucks report below). Other trends include infused ice cubes, Japanese seven spice, and Gochujan, a Korean condiment, following the successful introduction of Kimchi and Sriracha into mainstream cuisine. Substituting water with smoky liquids, coffee, tea and alcohol is set to become the new way to steam and poach foods. 29/09/2013 In response to a 16% rise in tea-drinkers in the USA over the past five years, Starbucks has opened up its first tea house, the Teavana Fine Teas + Tea Bar, in the Upper East Side, New York. Not satisfied with a large share in the oligopolistic coffee industry, the company is ready to open America's eyes to a good brew. Although its break into the UK coffee-chain industry was well received, guaranteed it will be a lot harder to please the discerning buds of a Brit; we know a decent cuppa when we see one. The quality which independent joints already provide will prove difficult to match. 06/08/2013 Stem cell research has created the first ever test-tube grown hamburger. Providing relief to those fearful of the impending meat shortage, scientists say that the product could be on consumer shelves in 10 years time. The stem cells, extracted from a cow, are then incubated in a nutrient rich broth to create artificial meat tissue. This news has been well received, particularly among animal activist group, PETA. 29/01/2013 A little side story for all you fans of the East Midlands. Completely breaks the bank, but while scanning the WWW for a top notch restaurant in Nottingham I found out that Restaurant Sat Bains took fourth spot in the National Restaurant Awards 2012, beating old Heston's Fat Duck and Raymond Blanc's Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. That's what I like to hear. An undoubtedly pretentious menu, nevertheless I know where my first decent pay check will go. 27/12/2012
Why wash off grease when you can wash with it? That's the ethos of the Flint Crepe Co., who are putting their food waste to good use by recycling bacon grease to produce soap, Huffington Post reports. What it reaps in smokey bacon, it sows in soap. England, we'd better follow suit.
20/12/2012
Toasted ant-butts and possum-spit coffee are only the tip of Brazils culinary iceberg. The latest in their frugal endeavours takes us to Bob's, a Brazilian burger chain which has replaced plastic wrappers with edible packaging. Read the full article at the Independent online.
Toasted ant-butts and possum-spit coffee are only the tip of Brazils culinary iceberg. The latest in their frugal endeavours takes us to Bob's, a Brazilian burger chain which has replaced plastic wrappers with edible packaging. Read the full article at the Independent online.
10/12/2012
'Djokovic sends donkey cheese market wonky'. All thank goes to the Independent for this horrifically worded title. Essentially, all the years output for the world's most expensive cheese, donkey cheese, has been bought by the tennis player Djokovic. According to the article, he plans to open a chain of restaurants where the cheese will be used.