Social media, on shelves, sports gambling in grocery stores & more

Two stories of note:

• This fall UMass Amherst will be the first university to provide ratings of the carbon footprint of dining hall dishes using one of many online calculators available  (https://www.masslive.com/umass/2022/05/umass-amherst-will-list-carbon-impact-of-individual-dishes-in-dining-halls-becoming-first-college-to-do-so-it-says.html).
• A first…a Food Network plant-based cooking competition show…’It’s CompliPlated’ began August 11th hosted by Tabitha Brown, a top social media vegan influencer (https://thetakeout.com/food-network-tabitha-brown-compliplated-cooking-show-1849390210).

Social media and food:

• Discontinued snacks Twitter account (https://thetakeout.com/discontinued-snack-foods-twitter-account-mcdonalds-menu-1849371206).
• BeReal, new social media app looks to rival Instagram, gaining users/brands like Chipotle (https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/04/29/chipotle-gets-candid-with-the-anti-filter-social-media-app-bereal). 
• Infographic: ways brands use TikTok: challenges, influencers, user-generated content, giveaways and livestreams  (https://www.chefsbest.com/foodtok-should-your-brand-be-on-tiktok/).
• One food company’s TikTok back-to-school giveaway (https://www.marketingdive.com/news/nature-valley-tiktok-sustainable-back-to-school-giveaway/628728/).
• Recent research on TikTok and unhealthy marketing particularly youth (https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/obesity/99904).
• Wendy’s metaverse expands (https://www.mashed.com/939059/the-wendys-metaverse-is-expanding-with-a-frosty-village/).

On shelves/not on shelves:

• 1980’s cereals return  (https://www.thestreet.com/investing/general-mills-frute-brute-cereal).
• After Twix seasoning, now comes Snickers seasoning (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/snickers-seasoning-blend-launches-nationwide-301596747.html).
• Velveeta’s back  (https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/13/business/velveeta-martini-nail-polish/index.html).
• Ready for indulgent oatmeal? Not as high in added sugar as you might think but the packets’ weight is less than regular oatmeal (https://www.brandeating.com/2022/07/quaker-unveils-new-indulgent-instant-quaker-oats.html).
• Some plant-based didn’t meet sales expectations: Beyond Meat  (https://www.fooddive.com/news/beyond-meat-cuts-outlook-employees-sales-earnings-fall/628938/) and Maple Leaf (https://www.fooddive.com/news/maple-leaf-cuts-greenleaf-division-plant-based/629146/).

Misc:

• Yet another Coke flavor available for a limited time (https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/10/business/coca-cola-new-flavor/index.html)
• Candy corn flavors ahead of Halloween: hot dog, popcorn, burger and more (https://www.foodandwine.com/news/tailgate-candy-corn-hot-dog-hamburger-flavors-brachs).
• Instacart credit card (https://www.tastingtable.com/937146/instacarts-first-ever-credit-card-is-its-latest-strategy-to-attract-customers/).
• Commercial properties with drive-thru capability sell 20% higher in price than counterparts (https://www.tastingtable.com/943130/chipotles-new-drive-thru-lanes-are-making-an-impact-on-sales/).
• Consideration of technology that shows dashboard ads when driving by billboards (https://www.politico.com/newsletters/digital-future-daily/2022/08/02/car-knows-about-you-data-collection-privacy-00049309).
• Ohio groceries and sports gambling kiosks (https://www.cleveland19.com/2022/08/12/ohio-casino-control-commission-how-grocery-stores-can-get-sports-gambling-kiosks/).
• The future of snacks begins The Colin McEnroe Show July 25, 2022 podcast episode: hear about the intersection of wearables and snacks (https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe/why-our-food-looks-different-8aZQ4V10WiJ/); read the first guest’s snack substack newsletter (https://snaxshot.substack.com/).

Food safety:

• Food Safety Talk podcast hosted by 2 university food safety experts, ep. 267 ‘Tara. Freezer. Olaf.’ (about 64 minutes into the episode) addresses: safety of Skittles due to titanium dioxide after California lawsuit, tara flour and Daily Harvest complaints, COVID traced to Chinese food handlers, Big Olaf Creamery ice cream recall (https://www.listennotes.com/de/podcasts/food-safety-talk/food-safety-talk-267-HRbXuj6o_gN/). Ep. 268 ‘Add a catchy header’ (about 1 hour into the episode) the 2 experts talk about pink sauce, (about 1 hour 21 minutes into the episode) provide an update on Lucky Charms – complaints continue to come in but there’s no resolution; they discuss (at 2 hours into the episode) how supply chains impact food safety/new ingredients as companies introduce ‘novel ingredients’ such as plant proteins in light of recent Daily Harvest complaints (https://www.listennotes.com/de/podcasts/food-safety-talk/food-safety-talk-268-add-a-ZCWotwLk1OY/).
• Shared on subreddit…incompletely frozen/bloated foods found in open top freezers at Trader Joe’s due to high heat from customers coming in and out of the store (https://thetakeout.com/how-heat-waves-are-affecting-groceries-supply-price-1849403081).