Unleash your inner foodie. Here are the top stories you need to know for food this week.
1. Whole Foods Is Recalling Over 70 Different Food Items Over Listeria Concerns
Recently, 25,000 pounds of sausage and 13,000 pounds of ground beef were recalled for possible foreign matter contamination. Now, Whole Foods is recalling over 70 products from their stores because of Listeria concerns. The products in this recall include items from the salad bar, hot bar, and some frozen packaged meals.
All of the recalled items were shipped between October 10, 2019 and November 4, 2019. Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, New Jersey Texas, Connecticut, New York, Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina are possible affected by the recall.
US Today said how there were a wide range of products affected from Chinese Food to vegetables and fish.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, Mann Packing and Whole Foods say. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
2. Trader Joe’s Chocolate Gnocchi Is Here And People Online Have Conflicting Feelings
The Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi has long maintained cult-favorite status. The brand took this success and freakin’ ran with it with the recent release of chocolate lava gnocchi. This food combo is definitely strange, and people are divided over this gnocchi being a must try or a hard pass.
Trader Joe’s VP of product innovation Lori Latta created the product and said that it was originally designed to be a dessert but some might use it as a dinner item. Business Insider described the concoction as sweet chocolate gnocchi with a molten lava core. The chocolate balls do contain a potato puree even though they can be seen as a sweet dish.
3. Postmates CEO: Rival GrubHub’s debacle is not a warning sign on overall food delivery business
GrubHub’s terrible earnings and more than 40% stock plunge last week is a GrubHub problem, says Postmates co-founder Bastian Lehmann.
According to CNBC, after reporting worse-than-expected earnings and dismal guidance on Oct. 29, shares of GrubHub plunged more than 43 percent in a single day, prompting an avalanche of downgrades from Wall Street firms including Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Oppenheimer. As of Wednesday’s close, the stock recovered about nine percent of that huge drop, but GrubHub has still lost more than half of its market value this year alone.
According to the New York Post, the New York City Council is zeroing in on the commission rates Silicon Valley delivery companies charge restaurants per transaction, which restaurant owners say can range anywhere from 15 percent to 30 percent of a single take-out order.
Barron’s writer explained in a column that the food delivering industry has become too easy with little focus on the companies that run the business.
4. Restaurant inspections in September: The cleanest and dirtiest kitchens in SLO County
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health department inspected around 120 food vendors in September. Surprise visits can lead to an award of excellence for a sparkling kitchen, or result in suggestions for changes to keep up with state health and safety regulations.
Here are some of the highest rated:
- Coastal Peaks Roasters, 3566 S. Higuera St., No. 100, San Luis Obispo
- Hotel San Luis Obispo, 877 Palm St., San Luis Obispo (New restaurant)
- Koberl’s At Blue, 998 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo
- Kona’s Deli, 977 E. Foothill Blvd., No. 108, San Luis Obispo
- La Esquina Taqueria, 1049 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo
- Sasquatch Coffee House, 1050 Monterey St., Suite 228, San Luis Obispo
- Starbucks Coffee, 17 Chorro St., Suite D, San Luis Obispo
- Starbucks Coffee, 3970 Broad St., No. 1, San Luis Obispo
- The Village at the Oaks, 61 Broad St., San Luis Obispo
- The Village at the Palms, 55 Broad St., San Luis Obispo
Here are some of the lowest:
Fattoush, 5 Santa Rosa St., San Luis Obispo
Points lost: N/A
Notes: Inspectors determined the restaurant was not in compliance with health and safety codes in the most recent inspection in mid-September. Several repeat violations were identified. There is a lack of required supplies at the hand-wash station. Food contact surfaces need to be regularly cleaned.
Nautical Cowboy, 6005 El Camino Real, Atascadero
Points lost: 18.5
Notes: Inspectors observed repeat violations. Hand wash sink was blocked and stocked with bar soap, instead of dispenser. Employee beverage was in food preparation area without a lid. Boxes of frozen meat in the kitchen, thawing for later use.
Big Bubba’s Bad BBQ, 1125 24th St., Paso Robles
Points lost: 17.5
Notes: Inspectors observed reheated foods not cooked to minimum temperature. Grime accumulation on bar guns. Leaking mop sink. Tiles falling off wall behind cook line. Ensure employees are educated in proper food handling.
Thai-rrific, 208 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo
Points lost: 15.5
Notes: Score was reduced for repeat violations, including requirements of valid food handler’s certification, hot and cold water not available, food contact surfaces be clean.
The Rib Line, 12308 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo
Points lost: 15
Notes: Multiple repeat violations. Numerous flies observed in facility due to open kitchen door. Piercing parts of the can opener heavily encrusted with food residue. Stop storing ice scoop on top of the machine.
These restaurants also received scores below 90 due to violations.
- Divine Thai Cuisine, 501 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach
- Frank’s Famous Hot Dogs, 950 California Blvd., San Luis Obispo
- Duckie’s, 55 Cayucos Drive, Cayucos
5. Restaurant roundup: Here are the new eateries that opened downtown in 2019
A total of 20 new businesses – including restaurants, bars and thrift stores – opened up in downtown San Luis Obispo in 2019. All stores have either filled vacant lots or replaced old businesses, such as Forever 21 and Chipotle.
These new restaurants include:
- Brown Butter Cookie Company
- Burger Village
- Kin Coffee Bar
- Efren’s Mexican Resturants
- Mestiza Bar & Cocina
- There Does Not Exist
- Mon Ami Creperie Cafe
- Hotel San Luis Obispo
6. Sushi, salad recall: Products pulled from Trader Joe’s, 7-Eleven, Walgreens due to listeria
Several types of ready-to-eat salads, sushi and spring rolls produced by California-based Fuji Food Products, Inc. are part of a voluntary recall. The products were at select stores including Trader Joe’s, Walgreens and 7-Eleven in 31 states and Washington D.C.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, these food items had potential listeria and monocytogenes contamination.
In an article by ABC News, the lid of the affected products are clearly marked and consumers should check their purchases made from Nov. 19 and Dec. 6.
Recalled items included poke bowls, bahn mi style salad, spring rolls, California rolls, smoked salmon Philly roll and tempura shrimp rolls and more.
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