Fried, Lies, And Delivery Guys

Welcome back Food Junglers. This week, Gazans are still struggling with famine, bananas may be going extinct, the world may be getting healthier, and weight-loss drugs are winning. Let’s dig in.

THE BREAKDOWN…

Reconciliation Bill: The House Agriculture Committee has scheduled a markup of its reconciliation bill, which will require $230 billion in agriculture spending cuts, according to two people familiar with the plans.

McDonald’s Hiring: The burger company announced plans to hire up to 375,000 workers this summer at a news conference.

Going Bananas: New research by Christian Aid suggests that almost two-thirds of banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean may no longer be suitable for growing bananas by 2080, due to climate change.

Gaza Famine: Some Israeli military officials have privately concluded that Palestinians in Gaza face widespread starvation unless aid deliveries are restored within weeks, according to reports by the New York Times.

UPF Decline: The UK’s largest retailer - Tesco - is not on track to meet its goal of increasing plant-based meat sales by 300% by this year, as consumers show an appetite for vegetables, beans, and tofu instead.

Starbucks Strike: More than 2,000 Starbucks baristas at 120 U.S. stores have gone on strike to protest a new dress code, according to Starbucks Workers United, a union representing the coffee giant’s U.S. workers.

Delivery Fraud: A former food delivery driver pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to steal more than $2.5 million from DoorDash by getting the company to pay for deliveries that never occurred.

Starbucks Sale: Starbucks has contacted private equity firms, technology companies and others as it considers options for its China business, including a possible stake sale, according to people familiar with the matter.

Healthy Shakes: In-N-Out Burger is both removing artificial colouring from its strawberry milkshakes and pink lemonade and changing its ketchup to include real sugar, rather than high fructose corn syrup.

Weight Watching: WeightWatchers has filed for bankruptcy in the US as it struggles with debt and fierce competition from fat-loss jabs like Ozempic and Mounjaro.

FOOD IN PICTURES
CHICKEN FEVER IN THE UK