What You Need to Know Now

Teens and caffeine in energy drinks – a visual (https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2023/08/19/energy-drinks-loaded-with-caffeine/70601441007/ <https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2023/08/19/energy-drinks-loaded-with-caffeine/70601441007/>).

Upcoming events …

• Foodnotphones on Sept. 19 will kickoff a campaign to address social media overuse and reconnection by suggesting that we ditch our phones during mealtimes with family and friends. More info @ (https://www.supermarketguru.com/the-lempert-report/foodnotphones-launches/ <https://www.supermarketguru.com/the-lempert-report/foodnotphones-launches/>), (https://www.foodnotphones.com/ <https://www.foodnotphones.com/>).
• Sprouts employees to build 24 school learning gardens in 24 hours on Sept. 23 (https://progressivegrocer.com/sprouts-farmers-market-build-24-school-gardens-24-hours <https://progressivegrocer.com/sprouts-farmers-market-build-24-school-gardens-24-hours>).
• September is Food Safety Education Month (Food Safety Education for Everyone: Building Inclusive Messages, a Aug. 17, 2023 webinar from the Partnership for Food Safety Education is archived along w/webinar handouts (https://www.fightbac.org/free-resources/recorded-webinars/ <https://www.fightbac.org/free-resources/recorded-webinars/>).

The cost of food delivery …

• How a $14 hamburger jumped to $22 … fee-inflation means service fees, delivery fees, when we look at prices we don’t consider fees involved (https://www.npr.org/2023/07/27/1189665392/fees-inflation-white-house-service-hidden <https://www.npr.org/2023/07/27/1189665392/fees-inflation-white-house-service-hidden>). Platforms handle fees differently…Uber Eats and DoorDash lists them on their website, Grubhub doesn’t; DoorDash lists the fees more than once. Uber Eats and DoorDash also has a ‘small order fee’ if your order a single item, DoorDash may add an ‘expanded range fee’ if you order from a business far away. Then there may be a ‘regulatory response fee’ to counter local regulations. And if you change your address after ordering? Uber Eats may add a fee. And though not a fee, some restaurants have higher menu prices on apps to recover costs of doing business with them. Lastly, Californians have a fee to cover the health insurance for deliverers (https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/4020677-food-delivery-fees-add-up-who-keeps-the-money-from-all-those-surcharges/ <https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/4020677-food-delivery-fees-add-up-who-keeps-the-money-from-all-those-surcharges/>). An analysis of Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub delivery fees (https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/cheapest-delivery-app-for-2023/ <https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/cheapest-delivery-app-for-2023/>); an analysis of the three major apps and Postmates (https://www.makeuseof.com/cheapest-food-delivery-app/ <https://www.makeuseof.com/cheapest-food-delivery-app/>). And an expansive comparison (https://www.moneyunder30.com/food-delivery-comparison <https://www.moneyunder30.com/food-delivery-comparison>). And with regard to restaurant service fees, read about some who are tracking them (https://thetakeout.com/chicago-la-restaurants-reddit-spreadsheet-service-fees-1850729119 <https://thetakeout.com/chicago-la-restaurants-reddit-spreadsheet-service-fees-1850729119>).

Reading …

• Community Kitchens: a restaurant that is good and does good (https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/emerging-brands/designing-ideal-restaurant-good-does-good <https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/emerging-brands/designing-ideal-restaurant-good-does-good>). More about Community Kitchens at Mark Bittman’s substack newsletter (https://www.bittmanproject.com/p/bittman-community-kitchen-cookie-monster-gonger <https://www.bittmanproject.com/p/bittman-community-kitchen-cookie-monster-gonger>). A garden, hydroponic vertical farm and teens at a Wisconsin firehouse feed the community (http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=771&yr=2023 <http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=771&yr=2023>).

Two fun recipes as summer winds down (or continues) …

• Unfried ice cream … and fun for children! (https://www.southernkissed.com/nonfried-ice-cream/ <https://www.southernkissed.com/nonfried-ice-cream/>).
• Pancake spaghetti … why am I sharing this recipe? This recipe is one way to load up on fresh fruit as a topping and cut down on the ‘spaghetti’ (pancake batter) making this a little healthier with less calories. Enjoy! (https://www.tastingtable.com/1377865/simple-method-pancake-batter-breakfast-spaghetti/ <https://www.tastingtable.com/1377865/simple-method-pancake-batter-breakfast-spaghetti/>).