A couple of food notes

As y'all know, being a restaurant maven, I am always on the lookout
for food news stories. A couple of tidbits popped up on my radar at the
end of last month. First, there has been yet ANOTHER food recall.
The FDA announced that certain firms of Italian olives may have been
contaminated with a bacteria that could cause botulism. (a type of
poisoning that causes the muscles to be become weak; other symptoms
can be difficulty swallowing, breathing, speaking, and blurred vision.)
The affected olives appear to have all been bottled by Charlie Brown
di Rutigliano & Figli. Ok, di Rutigliano & Figli sounds Italian, but where
did Charlie Brown come from?!? Not a type of name that you would
with olives, but with kites, footballs, and little red haired girls! Anyway,
carefully read labels to make sure these folks didn't bottle the olives
you just picked up. On a positive note, YUM Brands, a food company
that owns Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John
Silvers, and A&W, recently announced that it has stopped using trans
fat in all KFC and Taco Bell restaurants. I have seen the new KFC
television ads where they trumpet the news. YUM is still working on
getting rid of the trans fat from their other restaurant menus as well.
This will not rid the U.S. of the rampant obesity and heart disease
problems, but hey, it is a start. Getting rid of trans fat does not mean
that other fats have disappeared...NOT. In any case, I am sure it will
just be a matter of time before all food firms fall in line.