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Even Taco Bell’s Chief Marketing Officer finds the food at the beloved fast-food chain to be “life-changing.” Taylor Montgomery has been with the franchise for more than eight years, and he recently revealed that he eats Taco Bell “every other day.” At Live Más LIVE, the company’s first-ever superfan convention, the CMO told Business Insider that he even orders the same thing every time. “Two to three crunchy tacos — not supreme, just regular crunchy tacos,” he told the outlet. “And a bean burrito with extra onions, grilled." “You have to try it, it’s life-changing,” Montgomery urged.

Popular kids’ food Lunchables has been found to contain large amounts of lead and ingredients linked to cancer in its pre-packaged meals, according to a new study. 12 Lunchable products were tested by Consumer Reports, which found that five contained over 50% more lead than California’s legal amount. Following the revelations, the quick-fix children’s lunch product, which has been used by parents for decades, could soon be removed from the shelves. Amy Keating, a dietitian at Consumer Report, stated: “There’s a lot to be concerned about in these kits.” “They’re highly processed, and regularly eating processed meat, a main ingredient...

TOKYO -- The global wheat market has been hit by Chinese buyers canceling major shipments, seemingly in an attempt to secure better prices and bolster the country's food security. Benchmark Chicago wheat futures are trading at about $5.50 per bushel, up slightly from a three-and-a-half-year low marked in mid-March but down about 10% from the beginning of the year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture last month said 504,000 tonnes of wheat sales to China had been canceled. The figure is equivalent to about half the total U.S. wheat shipments to China in 2022 and the largest cancellation on record going...

BEIJING—The extent of China's soil pollution, long guarded as a state secret, was laid out in an official report that confirmed deep-seated fears about contaminated farmland and the viability of the country's food supply. Nearly one-fifth of the country's arable land is polluted, officials said in the report, shedding unexpected light on the scale of the problem—a legacy of China's three decades of breakneck economic growth and industrial expansion.

Water insecurity. China is home to about 20 percent of the world’s population but only 7 percent of its freshwater sources. Overuse has led to severe shortages, and industry along China’s major water sources has polluted supplies. Construction of hydropower dams along major rivers has also damaged ecosystems. The government released a plan in 2015 for preventing water pollution that included placing controls on polluting industries. The quality of surface waters—bodies such as lakes, rivers, and streams—has since improved. However, groundwater continues to fall short of targets, with more than 80 percent categorized as “bad to very bad.” Desertification. More...

China has increased its reliance on food imports over the past two decades, prompting concerns among officials who worry that disruptions to food supply chains could trigger domestic unrest. In particular, this reliance has heightened China’s sensitivity to food supply disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine. What is China’s current food security situation? With less than 10 percent of the planet’s arable land, China produces one-fourth of the world’s grain and feeds one-fifth of the world’s population. Data from the country’s National Bureau of Statistics showed that in 2022, China’s grain output reached a record...

Inflation ticked higher once again in March, with consumer prices up 0.4 percent over the previous month and 3.5 percent compared to one year earlier. The latest data marks the third month in a row that the consumer price index (CPI), a closely watched gauge of inflation, has come in hotter than expected, likely throwing cold water on hopes that the Federal Reserve would begin cutting interest rates soon.

A new restaurant in Finsbury Park boasts burratas, rarebit and tacos – all made with crickets. But is insect protein really the future?With jaunty yellow branding, moody lighting and the promise of ‘small plates’, Yum Bug, a new restaurant in Finsbury Park, north London, might be any trendy rollout. In fact, it is one of a kind. Yum Bug advertises itself as ‘Britain’s first permanent edible insect restaurant’. Rather than lamb, tofu or fish, Yum Bug uses crickets for its protein. Inside, brave pioneers eat dishes including Welsh rarebit made with minced cricket, burrata with whole roasted crickets, even pulled...

A San Francisco supervisor wants to require grocery stores to provide six months of notice before closing a location A San Francisco lawmaker introduced a proposal that would require grocery stores in the city to provide six months of notice before closing a store and to explore a replacement supermarket at the vacated location. Dean Preston, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, introduced what he calls the Grocery Protection Act – which is based on a proposal the board approved in 1984 that was vetoed by then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein. Preston's proposal would require grocery store...

Video at link...FOX reporter says, "We've been covering the news for a long time, but this is a first." A Chipotle employee in Southfield, Michigan was shot in the leg by a customer Friday night, police sources told FOX 2. The shooting stemmed from an argument over guacamole. "I was just eating a bowl and I heard shouting. And then I looked over, they're arguing. One of the workers went to the back, I don't know why, and then when he was in the back, the customer walked around the counter, tried to grab his food and put it in...

Prices for burgers, fries and other fast food items have increased at various restaurant chains across California, according to a recent report. A New York Post investigation revealed that some fast food chains in the Los Angeles area raised prices on April 1, after new California statewide legislation went into effect Monday enforcing a $20 minimum wage for restaurants that have at least 60 locations nationwide, except those that make and sell their own bread. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the legislation, AB 1228, into law in September. In addition to the pay raises, it also establishes a "Fast Food Council,"...

The largest egg producer in the United States announced it is halting production at its Texas plant and culling the flock of nearly two million chickens. Cal-Maine Foods announced it would halt production at its Parmer County, Texas facility after it detected bird flu at the plant. The company destroyed 1.6 million egg-laying hens and 337,000 pullets (female chickens not yet mature enough to lay eggs) at the plant.

The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. said Tuesday it had temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after bird flu was found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan. In Texas, Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. said in a statement that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, about 3.6% of its total flock, were destroyed after the infection, avian influenza, was found at the facility in Parmer County, Texas. The plant is on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle about 85 miles southwest...

It's $7.50 on Amazon.It's April 1, which means companies all over the world are doing the most when it comes to trying to prank us all. But Velveeta promises its newest release is anything but a joke. On Monday, the company best known for its brightly colored cheese announced it is getting into the personal care game with Velveeta Gold, its very first hair dye. And it promised Food & Wine — over and over again — that it indeed isn't a joke. “La Dolce Velveeta is a lifestyle — always confident and forever in service of living by your...

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

Europe’s farmers are rising up – and the elites are terrified. In France, farmers recently staged a four-day ‘siege of Paris’, blocking major roads around the French capital. In January, thousands of tractors descended on Berlin in Germany, lining the streets leading up to the Brandenburg Gate. In Brussels, farmers have gathered from all over Europe to demonstrate against the EU and pelt the European Parliament with eggs. In the Netherlands, tractors have caused the longest traffic jam in the nation’s history, as part of a years-long battle between farmers and the government. This farmers’ revolt is now truly Europe-wide....

It’s ethnic discrimination to force Big Apple pizzerias and matzah-makers to cut the smoky pollutants from their wood- and coal-fired ovens, according to a new bill sponsored by a state lawmaker. Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo (R-Staten Island) told the Post that his proposed law would exempt businesses — some of them legendary local establishments — from a controversial city green edict that orders them to reduce such emissions by 75%. “I’m trying to stop discrimination against ethnic restaurants. These misguided laws go against businesses that cook ethnic cuisine,” Pirozzolo said. “A cop just got killed. People are getting thrown in front...

The Biden administration's plan to relocate grizzly bear populations to rural parts of Washington State will have a devastating impact on agriculture and livestock in the region while posing a significant danger to local communities, a fifth generation cattle producer warned. Residents of Washington State are doubling down on their concerns surrounding the federal government's plan to translocate grizzly bears, an apex predator, to the federally-managed North Cascades National Park, after the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the strategy their preferred plan for grizzly bear management in the region. The North Cascades National Park borders...

Social media star YourFellowArab has been taken hostage in Haiti by one of the gangs who have become de-facto leaders in the midst of the violence that has ravaged the Caribbean island. YourFellowArab, whose real name is Addison Pierre Maalouf, was on the island to interview the man known popularly as Jimmy 'Barbecue' Cerisier, the most powerful gang leader in the country. On March 14, Maalouf was taken by a gang known as the 400 Mawozo, led by kingpin Lanmo 100 jou, who is on the FBI most wanted list. Maalouf is being held for a ransom of $600,000. Around...

Senators are fighting back against rumblings that the US government will stop classifying potatoes as a vegetable. Fourteen lawmakers have written to the federal agencies who could influence the change, warning it would confuse Americans and cause chaos for supply chains. It comes amid reports that the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is 'considering changes to food groups,' including a proposal to lump starchy vegetables in the same category as grains, which would put it in the same bracket as bread and rice. The panel is tasked with providing independent, science-based advice to the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health...