Weekly Food Industry Insights - September 8, 2023

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INSIGHTS FOR THIS WEEK

THE BULLSEYE New York is in a Golden Age of Bodgea Food Eater writes?that New York is in a Golden Age of Bodega Food. Now if you are not a New Yorker, you may not truly understand the importance of Bodegas. These are small food stores that are typically run by immigrants and around just about every corner. According to the United Bodegas of America, an organization to help, advise, assist, and protect the interests of winemakers and small businesses, there are over 13,000 bodegas in New York City alone. In other parts of the nation, you might think of them as C-stores, but the major difference?is that each NY bodega has its own personality, usually centered around a well stocked deli and prepared foods to go, and most are independently owned. FULL STORY.

Skip Self-Checkout to Combat Loneliness #FoodNotPhones We have shared this fact before: Americans face an epidemic of loneliness. For some, supermarket self-checkouts make it worse, according to Marisa Gerber's column in the Los Angeles Times. She writes, two-thirds of Americans said technology has made it harder to meaningfully connect, and nearly 70% said it has led to a decrease in empathy, according to a recent survey from PlayUSA, a website that covers online gambling.?FULL STORY

Join the?#FoodNotPhones ?movement and be a part of an initiative to bring back more human connection.

Celebrate National?#FoodNotPhones ?Day with us on September 19th!

Join us on our website and become a part of this initiative here .

Gordon Ramsay's Frozen Food Gordon Ramsay, on his programs, has always knocked frozen foods, in my opinion, not very fairly. Now he has a line of frozen foods.?It's called by Chef Ramsay Collection. It's only sold at Walmart. There are?eight different products:?Bolognese filled lasagna with four cheese, four cheese macaroni, baked mushroom risotto, chicken pot pie, fish and chips, lemon caper chicken, slow roasted beef and the British classic shepherd's pie.?FULL STORY

Stadium Food Rescue The Last Mile Food Rescue, Inc. was formed to find ways to bring food to people in need that was left over from businesses, and where the ball got rolling - no pun intended - is at the Great American Ball Park, which is where the Cincinnati Reds play. FULL STORY

"Swicy" Food We are seeing everything sweet and spicy now, and it reminds me of a?decade ago when we saw everything salty and sweet mixed together.? FULL STORY

Samsung Food Samsung Electronics has announced a new service,?Samsung Food. It's a personalized, AI-powered food and recipe platform. Just last week, I was talking to Frank Yiannis, a friend, ex-deputy commissioner of FDA, and he has one of these Samsung refrigerators. He explained to me that there's a camera inside that tells you what's inside your refrigerator, and it could tell you when you need to order.?FULL STORY

Walmart+ Cost Cutting Walmart has announced that it's cutting the price of Walmart+ for households that receive food stamps or other government aid. This actually follows suit with what Amazon Prime did a couple of years ago, and the?Walmart cut is significant . It's half. Now you pay $49 a year instead of $98 a year, and it comes at a time where this is really important.??FULL STORY

LOST IN THE SUPERMARKET: Are you ready for a deep dive into the world of e-commerce law and how it could impact your daily life? Strap in as we navigate the tumultuous legal waters surrounding Amazon Prime, joined by Adam Kovacevich, founder of the Chamber of Progress. We'll examine the monumental FTC lawsuit against Amazon, a six-year-long battle that could be a game-changer for mega retailers. Ever wondered what might happen if Amazon Prime is broken up? We're breaking down the possibilities.? Beyond the lawsuit, we'll scrutinize the potential merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertson's, and what it could mean for the grocery business. Hear our thoughts on Lina Kahn's paper 'Amazon's Antitrust Paradox' and the future of her position as FTC chair. We'll also shed light on how the Biden administration's economic agenda might clash with the FTC's approach to Amazon Prime. What does this mean for small businesses, individual sellers, and Amazon Prime members? FULL STORY