The world’s most outrageous foods, why winter tomatoes are hateful, calorie labels might actually be effective
• A new study at Stanford University confirms that in-restaurant calorie counts change eating behaviour. In New York, where the labels have taken effect, Dunkin’ Donuts has lost at least three per cent of its business. A bill to bring similar labels to Ontario restaurants was introduced at Queen’s Park last year but has an uncertain future. [The Atlantic]
• McDonald’s customers are being told to “stay awhile” by a new proprietary entertainment network that reverses the chain’s fast-food ethos. More than just a new revenue stream, the in-house McDonald’s Channel would entice diners to kick back while slurping high-profit coffees and desserts. [NRN]
• Granular, goopy, artificially ripened winter tomatoes may be the most ubiquitous out-of-season food during these mid-winter days. The tasteless orbs have made the Village Voice’s “Things We Hate” list, which reveals why the suspiciously plump orbs are too red to be true (hint: ethylene). [Village Voice]
• The Huffington Post’s roundup of outrageous foods from around the world reminds us that not all delicacies are necessarily delectable. Balut (chicken embryo in the shell) and casu marzu (larvae-infested Sardinian cheese) top that list, along with bats and tarantulas. [Huffington Post]
