Food Cartels in America
“The food industry is just full of cartels. And that’s what cartels do…they gouge.”
– Austin Frerick in his book, “Barons: Money, Power and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry.”
Austin Frerick was right. The food suppliers in this country are gouging. They know it and we know it. Everyone is talking about it, but no one seems to know what to do, who to turn to, who to blame. There was an article written almost a year ago where I first saw that phrase: Greedflation. It feels about as good to say as “Shrinkflation” or “WalletGate,” because they all mean the same thing.
Someone is robbing us in broad daylight and there’s nothing we can do about it. The cops won’t be answering this call. No one is coming to save the American consumer. Pure baloney.
“Food Giants Are Struggling”–PART II
Food is a necessity, not a luxury. Better yet, think of it as a utility, just like your water and light bill. So, what is an “adequate profit margin?” How much profit is sufficient? What determines a company’s ability to continue providing food to the American table–again, a necessity, not a luxury? The better answer, and one they’ll never tell you, is what are their respective, estimated profit margin percentages as determined by their annual budget forecasts? The reason they won’t tell you is because one thing is built into every company’s annual budget is EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION–all caps.
In most cases, it’s gross overcompensation. This is an issue that has gone on across American industry since we became a republic…so, how much is enough?
Take Kraft Foods and Heinz, for example.
Barron’s Headline: “Food Giants Are Struggling”
I nearly spit out my coffee. These multi-multi BILLION dollar companies are now claiming that they are struggling financially?
Writer Evie Liu of Barron’s states in her article, “The industry behemoths are scrambling to adapt—through mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, and asset sales. But it remains to be seen whether any of those efforts could rekindle growth and boost efficiency.”
Gee, maybe they should talk to BigFood–the very food suppliers SF has tried to contact, that feed these giant food manufacturers–and compel them to quit blaming gas and just lower their prices below the gouging level, and to a more reasonable profit margin. Maybe they could stay in business then? Good grief.
More to come. This is a BREAKING STORY. -MK
Write to Evie Liu at [email protected]
Will H.R. 4966 Stop Price Gouging?
Democrat Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan launched the bill in August to prohibit retail food stores from price gouging and engaging in surveillance-based price setting practices, and for other purposes. 17 other members of Congress co-sponsor of the bill, including Yvette Clark and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both Democrat Reps out of New York. Normally, hearing AOC’s name mentioned brings to mind Kamala Harris’ failed attempt at a grocery bill mandate during her failed presidential bid, but fret not, for the bill also has Clark and both Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL) on the bill. Is this encouraging? Consider Nadler and AOC, vying for the spotlight on this one, and the question answers itself.
The Simplest One-Egg Omelette Ever!
Never before have we come across something so simple and fast, we had to share it here. It’s a one-egg omelette, served in a ramekin. Our source? Who else but that worldwide food influencer and chef-extraordinaire, Jose Andres.
I’ve seen omelette creations for eons, and I’m so set in my technique, it’s simply automatic to me.
But this is so disgustingly easy, the first bite was like an alien sighting. My mouth was agape–I was in pure shock. The flavors were melding, the mouthfeel was this indescribable texture…and it took less than three minutes from the time I entered my kitchen until I was forking pillows of heaven into my hungry, waiting mouth.
Restaurant-Quality Hash Browns
When it comes to certain dishes, nothing evokes satisfaction–be it at a comfy diner or in a fine steakhouse–like digging into a mounded round of perfectly balanced and seasoned hash browns. That first hefty forkful and bite of crispness, followed by a tender interior of potato, all combining in the mouth, makes the day go just a little bit easier–a hearty and fulfilling thing it is.
Every chef and cook on the internet have their own standard recipe and numerous websites trumpet the “true secret” to making great hash browns, like they’ve just found the Holy Grail. I’ve got a better method, discovered through years of trial-and-error in a search that captures what a true potato needs to be in a great hash brown.
BigFood Exposed: Silence IS Agreement
(Editor’s Note: Based upon last-minute discussions, Hy-Vee was offered an exclusive interview with SpokenFood today, before publication of this story. The company declined to participate–sort of. -SN)
Over the past two weeks, SpokenFood reached out to numerous wholesale food distributors representing retail grocery stores, namely the ones pictured above. We asked the question everyone in America has been wondering:
“Why do your food prices keep rising?”
SpokenFood recently researched ‘Food-At-Home’ costs from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as part of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). We put their numbers side-by-side on a chart with updated diesel fuel prices. See that chart below. It jumps out at you.
In the course of reporting this story, SpokenFood contacted those four distributors. Their replies became a pattern—one of silence, delay, and even outright error-in-fact.
There’s Still Summer Freshness To Enjoy
Late August is a fleeting moment in the food calendar—a sweet spot between summer’s abundance and autumn’s heartier fare. It’s a time when the markets are bursting with peak-season produce, yet the whisper of fall is just around the corner. Here are some of the best things to eat before September’s cooler winds change the menu.
Tomatoes at Their Peak
Nothing beats a late-August tomato—deep red, sun-warmed, and impossibly juicy. Slice them thick for BLTs or any fab sandwich, make a beautiful tomato-and-asparagus-salad, or roast them low and slow to bottle up that last taste of summer sunshine in an unforgettable salsa!
Sweet Corn, Still Fresh from the Field
By August, corn is as sweet as it gets. Whether you grill it with butter and herbs, shave kernels into salads, or stir them into chowder, this is the moment to indulge before the fields turn over. Even then, sweet corn shaved off the cob and frozen still tastes awesome in January, when your holiday food hangover is finally gone.
Our Phones Don’t Work!
I’ve been reporting for a long time. Decades. But this is a first. “The phones don’t work,” (and apparently, neither do their emails). What?! A large, billion-dollar wholesale food supplier to the restaurant industry–you’d know the names of the restaurants they serve–told us on Friday that a certain individual at their company has been having […]
Walmart Great Value Shrimp Pulled by FDA for Possible Radiation Exposure
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has pulled all of Walmart’s Great Value frozen breaded shrimp after a processor in Indonesia had its shipments intercepted at U.S. ports earlier this month and does not believe any product has entered commerce here in the U.S.
The FDA is now urging consumers to avoid certain lots of the frozen shrimp brand after traces of radioactive cesium-137 were detected in imports from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS Foods), a seafood processor located in the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate in Serang, Banten province.