Food

World’s largest Nutella factory reopens after ‘quality defect’

CAEN, France (AFP) — The world’s largest Nutella factory restarted production on Monday after it stopped work for five days as a precautionary measure over a “quality defect”, owner Ferrero’s French branch said. The factory in Normandy, France stopped making the chocolate-and-hazelnut spread due to a “suspected quality defect strictly limited to the production stage,” Ferrero France’s communications service told AFP. It added that the problem was “very early in the process, at the stage […]

FAO warns food supply threatened by declining biodiversity

ROME, Italy (AFP) — The UN food agency on Friday warned about the threat to the future of the world’s food production from a lack of biodiversity in the environment. In a report, the first of its kind by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it said there was “mounting evidence that the biodiversity that underpins our food systems, at all levels, is declining around the world.” That is putting food production and the environment […]

Chef Wolfgang Puck unveils lavish Oscars menu

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Coveted prizes aren’t the only thing on the menu at the 91st Academy Awards ceremony. Austro-American chef Wolfgang Puck, who has been feeding the famous at the Oscars for 25 years, has given AFP a peek at this year’s spread: smoked salmon, truffle pasta and Oscar statuettes made out of chocolate. https://youtu.be/hSh43vHaZIg

Tiny S. Africa beach restaurant crowned best in world

by Fiachra GIBBONS Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — A tiny beach restaurant in an isolated South African fishing village was named the best in the world on Monday. Chef Kobus van der Merwe, who did not begin to cook seriously until he was 30, forages every day for ingredients on the wild Atlantic shore of the Western Cape near his Wolfgat restaurant, where he also makes his own bread and butter. The Wolfgat — […]

Breadmaking robot startup eyes fresh connections

LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — The robot bread-maker came to Las Vegas this week, aiming to bring some freshness to a sector that may be ready for disruption. Wilkinson Baking Company unveiled its BreadBot at the Consumer Electronics Show, a machine that mixes and bakes up to 235 loaves a day. Chief executive Randall Wilkinson said the device can lower costs and produce fresher breads than are available in most American supermarkets. “Consumers want […]

Chewing the fat with Pakistan’s BBQ masters

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) — The sweet aroma of mutton smoke drifts through a maze of crumbling alleyways, a barbecue tang that for decades has lured meat-eaters from across Pakistan to the frontier city of Peshawar, the ancient city that has retained its reputation for some of Pakistan’s tastiest cuisine despite taking the brunt of the country’s bloody war with militancy. https://youtu.be/y0Fa8VpZXSk

McDonald’s says classic burgers no longer have artificial ingredients

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — McDonald’s USA on Wednesday announced that its iconic burgers, including the Big Mac and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, no longer have artificial preservatives, artificial flavors or added colors from artificial sources. Only the pickle slices still contain an artificial preservative, the American fast food giant said, noting that “customers are able to skip it if they prefer.” The changes are going into effect in all 14,000 US restaurants, […]

Needle found in Australian strawberries sold in New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — The Australian strawberry scare has spread to New Zealand with a supermarket chain announcing Sunday that needles were found in a box of the fruit sourced from the neighbouring country. The Countdown supermarket chain said it had taken a brand of Australian strawberries off the shelves after a sabotaged punnet — a plastic box — was sold in an Auckland store. The strawberries, from Western Australia state, were sold in […]

Conch salad completes the Bahamian experience

By Tenny Tamulong EBC Florida Bureau NASSAU, Bahamas (Eagle News) — The combination of fresh sweet onion, chopped red tomatoes, green pepper, a pinch of salt to taste, a squeezed lime, orange and lemon juice, and most importantly, freshly-caught conch, make up the famous conch salad. This delicious meal has captured the heart of both tourists and locals alike. Conch salad is never missing when one visits the “Fish Fry”, an area in Arawak Cay […]

Italy’s Osteria Francescana crowned world’s best restaurant again

  BILBAO, Spain (AFP) — Italy’s Osteria Francescana was crowned the world’s best restaurant for the second time on Tuesday by an influential list compiled by British trade magazine Restaurant, beating out top eateries in Spain and France. Run by chef Massimo Bottura, the restaurant in Modena, Italy, overtook last year’s winner, New York’s Eleven Madison Park, in the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards, which were handed out in Bilbao in Spain’s northern Basque Country, famous […]

Michelin Guides’ quiet American quits

PARIS,France (AFP) —  The first non-French person to head the Michelin Guides said Monday that he is leaving the world’s most prestigious restaurant guides. American Michael Ellis said that he was joining the Dubai-based luxury hotel chain Jumeirah after seven years with the red guides. The soft-spoken Ellis, who previously worked for the French tyre maker’s motorcycle division, has expanded the guides to 31 editions in 30 countries. But there has been controversy about Michelin’s […]

Experts brew up advice on perfect cup of coffee

By Bobby Soriano New York Bureau NEW YORK (Eagle News) — Cup of joe. Morning brew. Kape. No matter what you call it chances are that either you or someone you know is an avid coffee drinker. But what goes into making a great cup of coffee? What can you do to improve the coffee you make at home? You will probably get a different answer from each person you ask. Industry experts were on […]