Boomers Eating Out More
There’s a shift in the clientele at restaurants. Before the recession, young adults were the diners you’d most likely see in a restaurant, according to the NPD Group. Adults under the age of 48 visited restaurants an average of 240 times per year. Post-recession, it’s an older crowd that’s dining out. Those 55 and older visited restaurants an average of 220 times last year, which is the highest of any age group, according to the research firm.
Sausage Skirmish
There’s another battle brewing in the meatless movement, this time in Germany, a country known for its love of sausage. In a campaign proposal, the Green Party says it wants to eliminate meat one day a week from cafeterias located in federal government institutions. The pledge has some in the country outraged. Members of the Free Democratic Party have been seen dining on meat outside the Green Party’s headquarters. The Free Democratic Party says dining decisions should be left up to the individual. One Green Party representative was surprised by the backlash, saying, “It’s not about dictating people what they should eat,” according to The World News. “Instead, we want to start a discussion about what high meat consumption means. It is not sustainable.” Sounds similar to the discussion being had in the U.S.
4.1 billion
The amount, in pounds, of food waste in the United States from food manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in 2011. Seventy-three percent of that was converted to animal feed and 20% was reused as fertilizer, according to a new study by the Food Waste Reduction Alliance, Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Food Marketing Institute and the National Restaurant Association.