The Daily Dish: Blue Apron: The Dark Truth

Blue Apron: The Dark Truth

Blue Apron's incredible success in what is quickly becoming the crowded market of pre-portioned meal-delivery companies is certainly impressive. However, in the need to expand quickly in a short period of time, it seems that some important considerations may have fallen to the wayside, namely food safety and the proper care of employees. BuzzFeed released a comprehensive report called "The Not-So-Wholesome Reality Behind the Making of Your Meal Kit," which found that "in the rush to scale its supply chain at the speed of startup, [Blue Apron] has had health and safety violations, violent incidents, and unhappy workers at one of its packing facilities." At its Richmond, California, packing plant, according to the report, there have been "dozens of instances of workplace violence, threats, and unsafe working conditions," according to Eater. Blue Apron has also received more Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations than any of its competitors, costing the company more than $25,000 in proposed penalties.

Report Suggests a Couple Cups of Coffee a Day Could Keep Cardiovascular Disease Away

Could coffee be the key to preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD)? A report commissioned by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee "suggests that 2-5 cups per day of coffee may reduce risk of death from CVD by just over a fifth," according to Beverage Daily. The report includes findings from several different studies, which is important to note as the suggested amount of coffee to consume and degree of protection differs among populations worldwide. For example, two cups seem to offer optimal protection for Japanese populations, while in the U.K., three cups is best. "The precise mechanisms of action behind the suggested association are unknown," the report read. "The antioxidant profile of coffee has also been proposed as a potential mechanism that might affect the association between coffee consumption and reduced CVD morality risk."

Colorado Now Requires Stamp on All Marijuana Edibles

As of Saturday, Oct. 1, all edible marijuana products in Colorado must bear a diamond-shaped stamp with the letters T-H-C. The mark must be present not only on outside packaging but on the edibles themselves, The Associated Press reported. With this new law, Colorado becomes the first marijuana-legal state with such labelling requirements. A 2016 study at Children's Hospital Colorado found that more children were treated for accidental pot ingestion after the legalization of marijuana, from 1.2 per 100,000 people two years prior to legalization to 2.3 per 100,000 two years after legalization. The state has no estimate for exactly how many cases of accidental ingestion might be avoided with the new stamping requirement.

Where in the World Are People Most Obsessed With Dieting?

We may associate food posts on social media with dripping cheeseburgers and colorful doughnuts, but the truth is that "healthy Instagramming" is on the rise. Researchers with Dr. Ed, an online medical service, compiled social media data to determine the most diet-obsessed states and countries in the world. Based on the number of #diet Instagram posts per capita, the small island nation of Cyprus posts the most about portion control in Europe, followed by Denmark and Ireland. The No. 1 digital diet-focused American state is Florida, followed by California and New York. Not coincidentally, the most diet-obsessed American states also coincide with the wealthiest states, with a few exceptions like Louisiana and Tennessee. As for the most popular diets overall? Fasting and detoxing take the lead, comprising 43 percent of dieting posts overall, while the most popular European diet is the lemonade diet, a variation on the juice cleanse.