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☆ McDonald's beats sales estimates as cheaper menu, new launches drive demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] The McDonald's company logo stands on a sign outside a restaurant in Bretigny-sur-Orge, near Paris, France, July 30, 2020. Global comparable sales at McDonald's jumped 8.8% in the quarter ended Sept. 30, while analysts on average expected a 7.36% rise, according to LSEG data. While overall dining traffic fell in all three months of the quarter, McDonald's saw a 7.3% jump in July, data from Placer.ai showed. U.S. comparable sales climbed 8.1% in the quarter, beating estimates of a 7.4% increase, thanks also to higher average spending at stores. Meanwhile, same-store sales in McDonald's international operated markets increased 8.3%, edging past expectations for 8.03% growth.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, McDonald's, Deborah Sophia, Sriraj Organizations: REUTERS, McDonald's, UBS, Thomson Locations: Bretigny, Paris, France, Placer.ai, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ How the world's hottest new pepper, Pepper X, compares to its top 6 predecessors like the Carolina Reaper and Ghost
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Guinness World Records crowned Pepper X the world's hottest pepper. AdvertisementAdvertisementApparently, when you taste the world's hottest pepper, both your face and chest feel tight, and it's difficult to form words, as evidenced by the reaction on the YouTube show "Hot Ones." Ed Currie, creator of Pepper X, appeared on the show to receive the Guinness World Record for the hottest pepper, measuring an average of 2.693 million Scoville Heat Units. Jeffrey Collins/AP/AlessandroZocc/Getty ImagesUntil now, no one had beaten the previous record for the world's hottest pepper in over a decade. How Pepper X compares to the 6 hottest peppers before itSince 2011, Guinness has awarded several peppers with the prestiguous honor of "world's hottest."

Persons: Pepper, —, Ed Currie, Pepper X, Claus Pilgaard, Currie, Jeffrey Collins, Wilbur Scoville, Guinness Organizations: World Records, Service, SHU

☆ World's hottest chili pepper declared Chili Pepper X by Guinness World Records
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Chris Boyette | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Chili Pepper X has captured the spicy record as the world’s hottest, Guinness World Records announced on Monday. By comparison, the average jalapeño pepper scores between 3,000 to 8,000 SHU, according to Guinness. Ed Currie holds up certification that his new Pepper X variety of peppers is the hottest in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records Jeffrey Collins/APPepper X is grown by Ed Currie, founder of Puckerbutt Pepper Company in South Carolina. “Ed cultivated Pepper X on his farm for over 10 years, cross breeding it with some of his hottest peppers to increase its capsaicin content,” Guinness said on its website. Currie first presented Pepper X to the world on an episode of the popular YouTube series, “Hot Ones.”“Those who don’t fear the Reaper are fools.

Persons: Chili Pepper X, Carolina, Wilbur Scoville, Ed Currie, Pepper, World Records Jeffrey Collins, Ed, Pepper X, ” Guinness, Currie, ” “ Organizations: CNN, Guinness World Records, Winthrop University, Guinness, World Records, Puckerbutt Pepper Company Locations: South Carolina, American

Then the cramps came,” said Currie, one of only five people so far to eat a entire Pepper X. Pepper X is greenish-yellow, doesn’t have the same shelf appeal and carries an earthy flavor once its heat is delivered. His lawyers have counted more than 10,000 products that use the Carolina Reaper name, or its other intellectual property, without permission. He calls most hot pepper challenges stupid and cautions pepper peekers against being overly ambitious and reaching too quickly for a Carolina Reaper or Pepper X. “Is this the pinnacle?” Currie said of Pepper X, a mischievous smile warming his face.

Persons: — Ed Currie, Pepper X, ” Currie, Pepper, ”, Currie, it’s Organizations: Guinness, World Records, Carolina, Reaper Locations: South Carolina, Michigan, York County, Fort Mill

☆ Taco Bell throws shade at McDonald's with debut of 'premium' nuggets. 'This is real chicken.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Taco Bell is testing Crispy Chicken Nuggets made with all white meat. Chain reps threw shade at rivals like McDonald's when describing the quality of the Taco Bell nuggets. Taco Bell is also going after McDonald's at breakfast with the nationwide debut of breakfast tacos. According to McDonald's website, "McDonald's Chicken McNuggets are made from 100% chicken breast meat. Taco Bell rolling out Toasted Breakfast Tacos nationwideTaco Bell says its new toasted breakfast tacos are part of a plan to step up the chain's breakfast game.

Persons: Taco, Bell, —, Jessica Perri, Chef Brett Pluskalowski, didn't, Taco Bell, Nancy Luna, that's, Pluskalowski, Honey, Perri, There's, Jessica Wilson, Wilson, Taco Bell Taco Bell, Mark King, King Organizations: Taco Bell, Bell, Service, Taco, Minneapolis . Locations: Irvine , California, Minneapolis

☆ Restaurants owners are using AI to make new menu items, like the 'Chat GPTaco' from a Dallas chain that became a hit with customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Helaine Krysik | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

More restaurants, from local spots to national chains, are using AI to create new menu items. Velvet Taco recently featured the "Chat GPTaco" as part of the restaurant's "weekly taco feature," or "wtf," to huge success. Velvet Taco, a Dallas-based taco chain featured a ChatGPT Taco as part of the restaurant's "weekly taco feature," or "wtf." He got the recipe from AI by using standard pizza ingredients, then plugged ideas like "Mexican street-corn pizza" into the AI. "AI will be another tool to help restaurants improve operations, troubleshoot, and look for efficiencies," Tierney said.

Persons: —, Clay Dover, Velvet Taco, Dover, It's, Greg Tierney, Tierney Organizations: Service, Velvet, taco, Motor Locations: Texas, Dallas, Detroit, Lewisville , Texas

PepsiCo's revenue rose 7% in the third quarter despite lower demand as the company continued to hike prices. Pepsi raised prices 11% in the July-September period, the seventh straight quarter that the Purchase, New York, company has increased prices by double-digits. Sales volumes fell 2.5%. Still, Frito-Lay North America sales volumes dropped 0.5% during the July-September period as net prices rose 8%. North American beverage sales volumes dropped 6% as prices rose 12%.

Organizations: Pepsi, PepsiCo, Gatorade, Lay North, FactSet Locations: , New York, Lay North America, American, Europe, America

☆ I quit Disney Cruise Line after just 4 months because of intense burnout. Here's what working on a cruise is actually like.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Aria Yang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Gianna Alexis worked for Disney Cruise Line on the Disney Dream ship when she was 24. AdvertisementAdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gianna Alexis, a former crew member of Disney Cruise Line. I was three years old when I sailed on my first Disney cruise, and I thought it was the coolest thing. I had always been excited about working for Disney, so I applied for a job at Disney Cruise Line in 2017. Working on the cruise ship wasn't all badWorking at the boutique was so much fun.

Persons: Gianna Alexis, Alexis, —, Disney, I've, David Roark, jalapeno, Matt Stroshane, I'd, you've, Aria Yang Organizations: Disney Cruise Line, Disney, Service, Disney Cruise, Buena Vista Theatre, ESPN, ABC Locations: Portugal, ayang@insider.com

☆ China kicks off its plan to take on the cruise industry: 'There's no turning back'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Hannah Towey | Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After a three-year hiatus, international cruise lines can resume sailings from China. AdvertisementAdvertisementRoyal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, once the world's largest cruise ship, was originally scheduled for year-round sailing from China. Then COVID-19 shut down the cruise industry and China blocked sailings from international cruise lines. Now, after a three-year hiatus, international cruise lines can resume sailings from China. Enter the Adora Magic City, the first Chinese-built and operated cruise ship.

Persons: —, Kun Cao, Reddal, James D, Morgan China, Cao, Joel Katz, Asia —, Michael Bayley, Bayley, Yang Guobing, Andy Stuart, Skift, it's Organizations: Service, Seas, Royal Caribbean, Magic City, Cruise, Royal Caribbean International, China China's, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Carnival Corporation, Publishing, Getty Images, Viking Cruises, China Merchants Group, Royal, MSC, CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping, Xinhua, Getty, Cruise Line, Global Times Locations: China, Shanghai, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Southern, Magic, Caribbean, Asia, Australasia, CLIA, United States, Miami, Switzerland, Royal Caribbean, —, Norwegian, Alaska

But a person who worked closely with Ramaswamy said, "He thinks people are put on this earth to serve him." Roivant attracted investors including Masayoshi Son's SoftBank Vision Fund, Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, and the hedge fund Viking Global Investors. Former Roivant employees said Ramaswamy worked hard and expected the same of others. McLaughlin called the employee's recollection "inaccurate," adding that Ramaswamy "has never once raised his voice or used bad language with employees." At Roivant, Ramaswamy kept his politics largely to himself, former employees said.

Persons: Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, He's, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Trump, George Soros, didn't, Taco Bell, he's, —, Vivek, Tricia McLaughlin, he'd, McLaughlin, takeout, Forbes, Vivek doesn't, they've, Roivant, Masayoshi, Peter Thiel's, Thiel, JD Vance, Bill Ackman, who'd, . Ramaswamy, Erik Gordon, Vance, John Phillips, Joyce Rosely, Phillips, Anson Frericks, they'd, Rosely, Frericks, They're, they're, Eric Balchunas, Todd Rosenbluth, Rosenbluth, Christopher Lenzo, Brandon Bell, Vivek Ramaswamy's, Katherine Long, Jack Newsham, Meghan Morris Organizations: pharma, Army Rangers, Biotech, Republican, nab, GOP, of Education, FBI, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Federal Reserve, Florida, Roivant Sciences, General Electric, Yale Law School, Army, Rangers, Harvard, Yale, Fund, Viking Global, Leerink Partners, GlaxoSmithKline, Forbes, Big Pharma, Japan's Sumitomo Pharma Co, ., University of Michigan, FDA, US, Yale Law, ESG, The, Texas, Indiana, BlackRock, Vanguard, Bloomberg Intelligence, Fair, SEC Locations: Mexico, FiveThirtyEight, Roivant, Patagonia, Iowa, New York, Ohio, The Lever

☆ Paqui removing One Chip Challenge product from shelves out of an abundance of caution
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sara Smart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Tortilla chip brand Paqui says it is voluntarily removing its ultra-spicy “One Chip Challenge” from shelves after a Massachusetts family claims their 14-year-old son may have died from complications from the challenge. Authorities have not confirmed or commented on whether consumption of the chips caused the teen’s death. Paqui did not respond to a request for comment from CNN. The “challenge” chip contains seasoning from a Carolina Reaper Pepper and a Naga Viper Pepper, according to Paqui’s website. The challenge includes eating a singular spicy chip, which is sold in coffin-shaped packaging and turns participants’ tongues blue.

Persons: Paqui, Pepper, Harris Wolobah, Lois Wolobah, Lois, Timothy McGuirk, Wolobah, ”, Attorney Joseph D, X, Maruf, Aaron Eggleston Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Worcester Police Department, WBZ, Massachusetts, of Public Safety, Worcester Public, Facebook, Doherty Memorial High School, WCVB, Attorney Locations: Massachusetts, Worcester County, Worcester

Learn moreGet a head start and stock up on meats for your Labor Day barbecues with this awesome Snake River Farms deal. Snake River Farms' Labor Day promotion could also net you a free BBQ grilling pack with promo code LABORDAY23. Two free sirloins with this Steak River Farms promo codeThis deal is simple: just add $150 or more worth of Snake River Farms meats and other products to your cart, then enter promo code INSIDERTS. In their Snake River Farms review, One Insider editor tried an order and immediately noticed the quality difference. Shop Snake River Farms' premium Wagyu steaks and more.

Persons: you'll, You'll, Filet Mignon, Ribeye Organizations: Labor, Southside Market, Michelin Locations: Southside, New York

☆ Huy Fong Foods' sriracha shortage has been ongoing for three years. Here's why it could have been prevented
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Ryan Baker | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Huy Fong Foods' sriracha hot sauce, in the green-capped bottle with the rooster label, has been hard to find for the past few years. Strained supplier relations coupled with adverse agricultural conditions have left Huy Fong Foods' sriracha out of stock at many grocers nationwide. Underwood Ranches, a farm owned by Craig Underwood based in Ventura County, California, supplied Huy Fong Foods' peppers for 28 years. Huy Fong Foods claimed it overpaid Underwood Ranches for its crops from the 2016 season. Huy Fong Foods declined CNBC's request for an interview.

Persons: Huy Fong, Underwood, Craig Underwood, David Tran, Jane Wells, Fong, Stephanie Walker Organizations: Huy Fong Foods, Huy Fong, CNBC, New Mexico State University Locations: Ventura County , California, Huy, Ventura County, California, California , New Mexico, Mexico, North America

☆ A.I. and Blindness: I Have a Choice to Make - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Andrew Leland | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Advances in machine vision, like the astonishingly powerful image-recognition capabilities of modern A.I., are erasing even these human actors from the equation. A blind beta tester pointed his camera at a frozen meal, and the A.I. read him the description of the contents on the package, including the date of expiration and the size of the meal. As delighted as blind beta testers of OpenAI’s visual interpreter were, it also made some obvious mistakes: As Kashmir Hill recently reported in The New York Times, OpenAI confidently described a remote control for a blind user, including descriptions of buttons that weren’t there. (According to the World Blind Union, 95 percent of the world’s published knowledge is “locked” in inaccessible print formats.)

Persons: OpenAI’s GPT, OpenAI, “, I’d, Lily, Oscar, who’s Organizations: Virtual Volunteer, The New York Times, World Blind Union, Facebook Locations: Kashmir, The

☆ Grilled Spiedies, Steak and a Classic Senegalese Sauce
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Sam Sifton | More About Sam Sifton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I want to grill and grill and grill some more, eat outside and devour tomatoes and corn. Thread the knuckles of meat onto skewers, then grill them over a fairly hot grill; serve with seeded Italian semolina bread, hot sauce and a white sauce of mayonnaise, sour cream, minced garlic and a splash of red wine vinegar. Alternatively, you might try Yewande Komolafe’s new recipe for grilled steak with sauce rof (above), a Senegalese condiment made of minced onion, parsley, scallions and chile. I’d go with skirt or hanger steak there, and maybe one extra jalapeño for pop. Or try Melissa Clark’s gingery grilled chicken thighs with charred peaches?

Persons: Summers, Melissa Clark’s, Ali Slagle Locations: New York, Binghamton, Senegalese

☆ How Thai food became so popular in the US — and how today’s chefs are going beyond pad thai
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —When Anajak Thai opened in 1981, most people who walked into the Los Angeles restaurant weren’t familiar with Thai cuisine. Thai food became so popular among Americans that the Thai government took notice. Thai food in the US reaches new heightsToday, the Thai restaurant scene in the US is perhaps the most exciting that it’s ever been. And Thai American chefs like Pichetrungsi are continuing to defy stereotypes and misconceptions of what constitutes Thai food. He wants to show diners just how innovative Thai cuisine can be, but he’s hesitant to take familiar comforts like pad thai off the menu altogether.

Persons: Justin Pichetrungsi, Pichetrungsi’s, Rick Pichetrungsi, Anajak, ” Pichetrungsi, Pichetrungsi, he’s, It’s, Mark Padoongpatt, Padoongpatt, Marie Wilson, ” Padoongpatt, Justin, “, ”, Saipin Chutima, Bill, Isabella Vosmikova, Andy Ricker, Chiang, Leah Nash, Chiang Mai, Hong Thaimee, Rather, ” Thaimee, Leela Punyaratabandhu, Punyaratabandhu, mok, We’ve, James Beard, it's, Mariah Tauger Organizations: CNN, Sherman Oaks, Disney, University of Nevada, Thai, Food, Lotus, White, Washington Post, Pichetrungsi, Los Angeles Times Locations: Los Angeles, L.A, Thailand, Asia, Las Vegas, Thai America, United States, Angeles, Central Thailand, Thai, Siam, Northern Thailand, White American, Portland , Oregon, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, America, New, Chicago, Heart, Malaysian, California

☆ Sock-It-to-Me Cake for Your Summer Celebrations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Melissa Clark | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Also on Millie’s lovely menu — fit for any summer celebration — is a sticky, savory, caramelized baked chicken with hibiscus barbecue sauce that singes at the edges in the oven. Millie pairs the chicken with hush puppies made from a buttermilk cornmeal batter, and a tangy-sweet chow chow that swaps in watermelon for the usual summer vegetables. But that’s not the only neat thing about Millie’s chow chow. The recipe makes more syrup than you need, so save the extra for stirring into cocktails and seltzer, or drizzling over strawberries and raspberries. Sporting a filling enhanced with fresh ginger and a crust spiked with cracked pepper, this summer classic walks the line between savory and sweet.

Persons: chow chow, that’s, seltzer, Nicole Organizations: Sporting

☆ The Secret to Better Salmon Is Salt
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Sam Sifton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

J. Kenji López-Alt went full Kenji recently and dove deep into the process of dry-brining salmon to achieve firmer, juicier, less albumin-stained cooked fillets. Which means if I can get to the store early today, I can make Ali Slagle’s new recipe for teriyaki salmon or my old one for pan-roasted salmon with jalapeño (above) this evening, and eat it with steamed rice and Mark Bittman’s salad of asparagus ribbons tossed in sesame oil and rice vinegar. As for the rest of the week. “Just made this and mid-meal felt the urgent need to come here and rave about it,” one subscriber noted on the recipe. “Super easy and super quick to make!”

☆ Kraft Heinz unveils customizable sauce dispenser with more than 200 condiment combos for restaurants
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Now, Kraft Heinz wants to offer customers more than three times that number of condiment options through a new customizable sauce dispenser, created for food-service clients. The machine, called the Heinz Remix, is the latest example of Kraft Heinz leaning into its away-from-home segment to grow sales. In the first quarter, Kraft Heinz's North American food service division reported sales growth of more than 25%. In its latest quarter, Kraft Heinz reported North American sales grew by 6.2% as higher prices offset shrinking demand from inflation-weary shoppers. Shares of Kraft Heinz have fallen 3% this year, giving it a market value of $48.5 billion.

☆ Kraft Heinz wants you to mix flavors in your ketchup
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Now, Kraft Heinz wants to do the same for dipping sauces. Kraft Heinz (KHC) plans to start running pilot programs with the product in restaurants from late 2023 into early next year. The Kraft Heinz CompanyThe base options could change over time, a relief for those already worried about the lack of mayo. Through 2027, Kraft Heinz has a goal of an additional $2 billion in North American retail revenue from innovation. “We’re really excited to put consumers in control of that and what we can learn from it.”Lately, Kraft Heinz is all about letting customers mix and match.

☆ Kraft Heinz 'Remix' customizable sauce dispenser looks just like a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, but for sauce
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Heinz is channeling its inner Coca-Cola with a new custom sauce dispenser, the Heinz Remix. "As a company, we're transforming through innovation by making bigger, more intentional bets to fuel our growth and create new experiences for consumers," Alan Kleinerman, Kraft Heinz vice president of disruption, said in a statement. "Heinz Remix is a great example of this consumer-first approach to innovation." The machine is reminiscent of the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine introduced in 2009, dispensing dozens of soda pop products that can be combined and customized to create unique beverages. Heinz announced a Coca-Cola Freestyle-like custom sauce dispenser.

☆ I got laid off from Twitter in November, but now I'm making six figures as a food influencer. Here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This is an as-told-to story based on a conversation with Priyanka Naik, the food blogger behind the brand Chef Priyanka. All the while, I was building my brand: Chef Priyanka. Eventually, I started getting recognition from various food media sites. Twitter gave me flexibilityOne of the reasons I stayed so long at Twitter was because of the reach and flexibility it gave me to grow Chef Priyanka. And in some ways, it was the nudge I needed to turn Chef Priyanka into a full-time gig.

☆ Veracruz state: Home of the flying Voladores, Mexico's top coffee and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Tim Leffel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Voladores of Veracruz in Mexico have a history that goes back at least 1,400 years. “The flying ritual has never had a learning age, it is a project of a lifetime,” he says. Nearly all of the Voladores train in or around Papantla, where the flying schools prepare young people to take over for those who are eventually aging out. Coffee, ancient ruins and an overlooked capital cityMen with ankle ropes flying deftly around a pole are not the only export from this state, though. The big draw, however, is Mexico’s second most important archaeological museum after the one in Mexico City.

☆ Dill, Gherkin and Jalapeño, Houston’s Tortoise Hatchlings, Were Years in the Making
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Suryatapa Bhattacharya | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The three eggs Mrs. Pickles, a 53-year-old radiated tortoise, laid at the Houston Zoo may have been a surprise. But they were far from accidental. A zoo keeper noticed Mrs. Pickles digging in the ground at closing time one day in October, a sign the critically endangered reptile was about to lay eggs. What followed was part of a carefully managed global breeding program.

☆ Putin's war turned this quiet Polish airport into a global military hub where passenger jets touch down alongside Patriot missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport is just 50 miles from Poland's border with Ukraine. He told Insider: "I realized that a great challenge was ahead of us and that any mistake on our part couldn't be an option." Hamryszczak told Insider that he had to rise to "countless" challenges, including making complex arrangements with world leaders and welcoming the world's media. Air Force One is "the most famous aircraft that has ever visited our airport," Hamryszczak said. "This is no longer the same regional airport that operated in 2021, or even before the pandemic," Hamryszczak told Insider.

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