Food news antipasto

A new Australian product aims to put the real taste of chicken into plant-based meats. Called Tastilux, it’s a creation of Nourish Ingredients, and is an animal-free fat that “mimics the mouthfeel of animal fat” but is made from a type of Australian fungus. Adding it to plant-based “meats” can make them taste, well, meatier. The product isn’t available to consumers; it’s primary market is companies that produce plant-based proteins.

Speaking of plant-based proteins, that is one of the top food trends to expect in 2024 according to the Whole Foods’ annual predictions. But this trend is not more “mock” meats like Impossible burgers, instead, they envision a return to veggie burgers made out of actual vegetables instead of a laundry list of unpronounceable chemicals. Other foods to look out for include whole cacao products, buckwheat, gourmet instant noodles, and “clean caffeine.”

A few months ago we reported that Instant Brands, which owns Pyrex, Instant Pot, Corelle, and other household good brands, had filed for bankruptcy. There have been rumors swirling around for a few weeks that a buyer had stepped forward, and now it appears that the buyer, Centre Lane Partners, has the court’s approval to move forward with the purchase of Instant Brands. Centre Lane will acquire Instant Brands’ housewares and appliances businesses in two separate transactions, for approximately prices of $228.2 million and $122.6 million, respectively.

As most of our Members will agree, enjoying the food we eat is an important part of our overall sense of wellbeing. This seems to be true no matter where you live, according to a study conducted by the Well-being for Planet Earth Foundation. The survey asked 1,000 people in 142 places around the world how satisfied they were with the food they had recently eaten, along with their overall happiness. People living in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean were the most happy with what was on their plates, while the least satisfied diners were in sub-Saharan Africa. The study attempted to control for other factors such as income, education, and age.

Would you serve McDonald’s to your wedding guests? One bride recently did just that, and her guests were surprisingly on board with it. Before you judge too harshly, the food wasn’t the main reception meal, it was a snack offered to party goers late in the evening. It cost the couple just over $200 to add this to the event, making it probably the least expensive thing in the wedding.

Researchers say they have discovered a sixth basic taste in addition to bitter, salty, sweet, sour, and umami flavors that are the basic human tastes. The new one is ammonium chloride, which researchers describe as “bitter, salty, and a little sour.” They theorize that recognizing ammonium chloride could be a way to avoid toxic substances.

The Worlds’ 50 Best organization listed its annual ranking of the best bars in the world. From Bangkok to Barcelona and Mexico City to Melbourne, these bars span the globe. If you are a fan of these kind of lists, there’s good news: the brand just launched The World’s 50 Best Hotels and also has several more localized lists.