Food news antipasto

The Bocuse d’Or culinary competition was held last week, and this year France claimed the title, followed by Denmark and Sweden. The French team was led by 28-year-old Paul Marcon, whose father Regis won the prestigious competition in 1995. The UK team finished in fifth place while the US team ranked seventh in the competition, which is held every other year.

Following several issues with norovirus and hepatitis A outbreaks linked to fresh and frozen berries, the FDA has released an updated strategy for preventing berry contamination. The plan involves boosting compliance with existing food safety requirements and pushing the industry to “identify and ensure consistent application of processes,” and to “broaden scientific knowledge about the viability, persistence, detection, and mitigation of viruses in fresh and frozen berries, pre- and post-harvest environments, and agricultural water sources.” 

In the immediate aftermath of disasters, one of the top priorities is to find enough food to feed those who are affected or displaced as well as the people involved in disaster response and cleanup. Non profit entities like World Central Kitchen are wonderful resources, but Eater’s Kayla Stewart notes that restaurants are often the first businesses to lend assistance following a disaster. This can mean working with a nonprofit or just opening the doors and providing food and drink to affected persons.

GBBO winner Nadiya Hussain has released several well-received cookbooks, but her latest book, titled Rooza, is a bit different. It focuses on different cultures’ celebration of Ramadan. Hussain says she has prepared herself for the inevitable backlash that will result from a book focusing on Islamic traditions. “I can’t do a Cornish pasty without somebody having a go at me. So yes, of course, I’m totally ready for that to happen, but do I care? No. Can I handle it better? Absolutely. Is it right? No, it’s not right, but I know these things happen,” she told The Independent.

Eggs are still very expensive in most of the US and Canada, mainly due to avian flu outbreaks. This can put a damper on baking, so BBC Good Food has assembled a collection of egg-free baking recipes to help you get through the lean times. The EYB Library has over 1,300 online baking recipes that are specifically designated as egg-free.