Wendy’s Opens in Tokyo with $16 Foie Gras and Truffle BurgerJanuary 2nd, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
Wendy’s, the third largest fast-food restaurant chain in the U.S., is making a big deal about re-entering the coveted Japanese market it left in 2009 after more than 30 years with an eccentric offering: A $16 hamburger topped with foie gras and truffle mushrooms. Read More:Wendy’s Opens in Tokyo with $16 Foie Gras and Truffle BurgerArmy’s New Sandwich Fights Decay, Stays Fresh for Two YearsDecember 21st, 2011 - Erin ShawThe US Army’s new pocket sandwiches evade moisture and bacteria with high-tech preservation techniques that stifle bacteria and mold growth. Packaging and ingredients reduce waste and offer more portability and flavor for soldiers in intense combat situations. Read More:Army’s New Sandwich Fights Decay, Stays Fresh for Two YearsIs the End of McDonald’s Dollar Menu Near?October 4th, 2011 - Jill Ettinger
Speculations that beef and pork production in the U.S. could drop by as much as 5 percent may set record high prices in 2012, according to a report issued by Rabobank International. Read More:Is the End of McDonald’s Dollar Menu Near?Let Them Eat Junk: Fast Food Chains Now Accepting Food StampsSeptember 15th, 2011 - Jill Ettinger
California, Arizona, Michigan and Florida are the first four states now accepting food stamps at several leading fast food restaurant chains. Read More:Let Them Eat Junk: Fast Food Chains Now Accepting Food StampsThe King Is Dead: Burger King Trades in Royalty for A Healthier ImageAugust 23rd, 2011 - Jill Ettinger
The V for Vendetta-esque scary-smile masked king that’s come to represent fast food chain Burger King has officially retired, according to a statement issued by the company last week. The decision comes in an effort to put more focus on a new line of healthier items leading the fall menu lineup. Read More:The King Is Dead: Burger King Trades in Royalty for A Healthier ImageMr. Jessica Simpson Eyeing Vegan Fast FoodNovember 29th, 2010 - Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese
Former NFL tight end Eric Johnson, now Mr. Jessica Simpson since his engagement to “singer” is an idea man – or so they say – and the out of work football player wants to start a chain of vegan fast-food restaurants. I don’t know about his restaurateur aspirations, but I remember quite vividly that this cement head cost me a win in fantasy football, when I swapped him in for my regular tight end who was on bye week. Curse you Eric Johnson. Read More:Mr. Jessica Simpson Eyeing Vegan Fast FoodResearchers Prove Fast Food/Obesity ConnectionSeptember 26th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner Fast-food chains love to argue that their menus don’t make us fat, but a Journal of Nutrition study reveals high consumption over a long period leads to weight gain, as well as increased cardiovascular and diabetes risks. Researchers at the University of North Carolina studied 3,643 young adults over a 13-year period (from ages 7 to 20) to identify how they ate when away from home. Those who ate the most fast food weighed more, had larger waists and triglyceride levels, and showed signs of metabolic syndrome—a precursor to diabetes, heart disease and possibly cancer. Read More:Researchers Prove Fast Food/Obesity ConnectionTaco Bell: Ground Zero for Salmonella Outbreak?August 10th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
Scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been investigating the source of two recent multistate salmonella outbreaks, and some experts say Taco Bell veggies are the likely culprit. The CDC has identified the outbreak source only as a “Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain,” but Oregon Senior Epidemiologist William E. Keene told The Oregonian that Taco Bell has been in investigators’ crosshairs. He cautioned, however, that “it’s equally clear that it’s not all Taco Bell. It’s also not a single Taco Bell restaurant.” The combined outbreaks have sickened 155 consumers, with 42 hospitalizations. Lawsuits have recently been filed, but Taco Bell’s chief quality assurance officer maintains the chain’s food is safe. Taco Bell’s shredded lettuce was linked to an E. coli outbreak in 2006. Initially, investigators suspected green onions had sickened more than 70 people in five states. Photo: jdsmith1021 Read More:Taco Bell: Ground Zero for Salmonella Outbreak?Build a Healthy, Organic Breakfast SandwichJuly 23rd, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
“Healthy” and “breakfast sandwich” tend to be an oxymoron, especially when you review popular fast-food menu items:
By comparison, today’s recipe for a Spicy Egg, Turkey Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Muffin contains only 226 calories, 6 g fat, 15 mg cholesterol and 534 mg sodium. The lean protein (17 g), high-fiber carbohydrates and healthy fats—an ideal nutritional trifecta—will leave you feeling satisfied, with fewer cravings throughout the day. Substitute turkey bacon for its high-fat pork cousin, says exercise physiologist Bob Greene, Oprah Winfrey’s personal trainer and author of several books, including The Best Life Diet Cookbook. He also forsakes egg yolks and cooks with egg whites, which have no fat or cholesterol and half the calories. The recipe’s prep time is 10 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store. Spicy Egg, Turkey Bacon & Cheese Breakfast MuffinMakes 2 servings 1 cup (8 ounces) egg whites
Recipe and photo courtesy of Better’n Eggs/ARA Read More:Build a Healthy, Organic Breakfast SandwichKids See Fewer Sweets/Beverages Ads, But More Fast Food AdsJuly 6th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
A new study reveals that children were exposed to fewer TV ads for sweets and beverages in 2007, but more fast food ads (as compared to 2003). Past studies have demonstrated that TV advertising influences the short-term eating habits of children ages 2 to 11, and some research shows ads can also influence daily dietary intake. That’s why major U.S. food companies adopted the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative in 2006, which held that 50% of child-targeted advertising would promote healthier products or good nutrition/healthful lifestyles. But there was one significant problem: Each company had its own definition of “healthier,” according to Lisa M. Powell, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago, whose research will appear in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Here’s what the researchers found:
Dr. Powell and her colleagues chalk up the last statistic to the power of branding. They also found a racial gap in advertising, with African-American children viewing 1.4 to 1.6 times as many food ads per day. The researchers recommend continued monitoring of ads targeted toward children, as well as nutritional assessments for advertised products. Read More:Kids See Fewer Sweets/Beverages Ads, But More Fast Food Ads |
