The Daily Dish: Japan Is Panicking Because It Is Running Out Of Potato Chips
Japan Is Running Out of Potato Chips
In Japan, potato chips are quickly disappearing from shelves in a greasy-fingered emergency that has the entire nation paying quadruple for access to salty, crispy snacks. After a rash of typhoons caused a bad potato crop in Hokkaido — a major potato-producing region of Japan — Calbee, a popular potato chip producer owned by PepsiCo, announced that it would stop the sale of 15 different chip varieties. A potato chip-producing rival, Koike-ya Inc., has also halted the sale of nine of its snack products. The potato chip shortage has caused many enterprising snackers to buy chips off shelves in bulk and resell them online for quadruple the price. The focus thus far has been on potato chips in the snack-loving archipelago country, but pretty soon the severe potato shortage could affect chain restaurants that sell millions of French fries daily.
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Now You Can Sip on Guilt-Free, Diet Prosecco
Italian sparkling wine producer Casa Gancia has recently launched a "diet" prosecco, which only contains 65 calories per glass. The light prosecco, Gancia Leggero, was launched exclusively with the Stonegate Pub Company, The Drinks Business reported. After six months, the product's availability will expand to the rest of the United Kingdom market. "Prosecco is already considered one of the lighter drinks, and now with a 'skinny' version, this is no doubt going to tap into the growing consumer trend for low-calorie and low-sugar products," Suzanne Baker, commercial director of the Stonegate Pub Company, told The Drinks Business.
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Blue Apron Accused (Again) of Serious Worker Safety Violations
When you untie the apron strings, meal kit brand Blue Apron is a hotbed of controversy. Serious worker violations have been uncovered in two separate California Division of Occupational Safety and Health reports: one in August 2015, and the next in September 2016. An investigation by BuzzFeed News recently uncovered the second set of violations, which was for the exact same issue the first time around: "failure to install emergency shower stations near forklift battery charging stations" in case of a chemical spillage or accident. Blue Apron has confirmed that the incidents were referring to two separate battery charging stations. "We promptly installed a shower at this location as well to address their concern," Blue Apron told BuzzFeed. "However, we believe both citations were issued in error, and Cal/OSHA is currently reviewing them."
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Chance the Rapper Celebrated His 24th Birthday With an Epic Cake
This weekend, three-time Grammy winner Chance the Rapper turned 24 years old and, to celebrate, threw a huge party at Chicago's Studio Paris Nightclub. The party included performances by Ludacris and T-Pain — all topped off with a custom-made Harold's Chicken-themed birthday cake. The elaborate double-decker cake featured depictions of a bucket of the fast-food chain's chicken, ketchup-drizzled fries, and a bottle of strawberry-kiwi Mistic on the side. The cake was created by Adam Moro from Chicago-based Alliance Bakery.
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Get the Most Out of Your Tea by Microwaving It, According to Scientists
Many avid tea drinkers are accustomed to boiling water for tea with a kettle, but one scientist in Australia is recommending otherwise. Through years of research, Dr. Quan Vuong, a food scientist at the University of Newcastle, suggests that microwaving your water and tea can be the most effective method when trying to reap its benefits. To test the theory, Vuong conducted a study to extract, isolate, and purify compounds in green tea and black tea, ABC reported. In the study, researchers put hot water in a cup with a tea bag, microwaved the tea on half power for 30 seconds, and let the tea sit for one minute. Results showed that the method not only gave the "best" taste, but also activated 80 percent of compounds including caffeine, theanine (which promotes relaxation), and polyphenol (which helps protect against degenerative diseases).
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