food crisis

Responding to the economic hardship, breakfast chain Dunkin' Donuts has come out with its version of a recession deal.

Beginning today, small hot and iced lattes will cost only 99 cents from 2 to 5 p.m. The new special, dubbed "America's Latte Break," is the doughnut chain's response to the Starbucks $2 afternoon coffee deal that ended last month. The restaurants will also offer a 99 cent Egg and Cheese Sandwich — all day long — with the purchase of a medium or larger hot coffee. Both specials will run through Nov. 11.

What do you think of "America's Latte Break"? Will it edge out the competition? Will you visit Dunkin' Donuts for afternoon coffee over Starbucks?

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Despite the soaring cost of food prices, fast-food chain Burger King announced that it will be adding two petite-sized, lower-cost items priced at $1.39: the Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper and the Spicy Chicken BK Wrapper.

Burger King is attempting this strategy in a frenzied fast-food climate, as the industry is struggling to balance rising costs of food with value-added items. Fast-food companies such as McDonald's have had a difficult time keeping value items under the traditional $1 mark. Earlier this year, Burger King pulled a test for a double cheeseburger on its value menu for $1, and Jack in the Box just announced a new rollout of pita snacks, or "snack-sized wrap-style sandwiches" for $1.99.

I'm not sure that these tactics will be enough to excel in the current economic environment, but perhaps these changes will allow all of the fast-food chains to gain back some market share. What do you think?

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North Korea may have found a way to get around relying on foreign food aid or producing enough food to feed its hungry population. Scientists in the communist country have developed a super noodle that leaves eaters feeling full for a longer time.

Thanks to flooding, six million North Koreans are in urgent need for food aid. The noodle, made of soybeans and corn, has twice as much protein and five times as much fat as a typical noodle. According to a Kim Jong Il-friendly newspaper, the noodle doesn't make people feel the sense of hunger that generally comes soon after eating noodles.

North Korea's leaders do not suffer from a lack of imagination. In March, Kim Jong Il announced plans to make extra cash by turning North Korea's embassy in Berlin into a hostel. Perhaps the noodle can save lives in North Korea, and become the latest diet fad in America. Do you have hope in this noodle, or do you think it's government big-fat propaganda?

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Earlier this month, Whole Foods reported losses of $18.4 million for its UK stores.

In addition to its domestic struggles, the Austin-based natural foods chain has been unsuccessful in its attempt to snag a piece of the UK market share. In the last year, the chain has opened six stores in Britain. The highly anticipated debut was a three-story, 80,000-square-foot emporium that opened on London's High Street last June.

So what went wrong? There are several factors: First, the company set up shop at a time when organic foods were still flying off shelves.

Since the credit crunch occurred, however, the country's sales of organic produce have fallen. Second, the organics industry is well developed and competitive in Britain, and existing stores such as Waitrose and Tesco have developed brand loyalty.

With the economy's downward spiral, it's unlikely that Whole Foods's problems will magically disappear. What do you think about the development? Are you surprised Whole Foods wasn't a success in the UK?

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Last week Jack in the Box expanded their breakfast menu to include brunch bowls, and this week Domino's Pizza has announced plans to introduce submarine sandwiches. The pizza delivery chain will offer four different kinds of baked sandwiches, including a Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwich and a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. The $4.99 sandwiches will be delivered with or without a pizza order.With the sandwiches, which are available to order beginning on Aug. 25, Domino's hopes to increase lunch sales. Last Spring, Pizza Hut added pasta to their menu, so it's no surprise that Domino's is looking for other ways to grow profits. What do you think about the expansion? Will you try Domino's sandwiches?

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For those of you who've raved about the Whole Foods private-label 365 brand, I've got good news for you: There are more of these brands coming your way.

Fellow grocery giant Safeway has plans to go national with two of its house brands, O Organics and health-conscious line Eating Right. So far, both lines have limited market, but will expand nationally this Fall. In the wake of the troubled economy, America's grocery giants have reported record sales of their own private-label brands.

The Safeway brands aim to be different from generic store brands. The New York Times explains that O Organics and Eating Right have been marketed entirely differently:

Both were built much more like name brands than like store brands ... Instead of competing simply on price they appeal to consumers who feel they ought to be eating better, but perhaps find the thicket of smaller, virtue-food brands confusing — or simply inaccessible.

I've tried the brands and think they're great — my cutie is a huge fan of the orange juice and the ice cream bars. Still, I won't be letting them pull a price trick on me. What about you — will you give the new brand a try?

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In a response to soaring food prices, McDonald's announced yesterday that it will be restructuring its dollar menu. This means swapping out the dollar menu's most popular items and replacing them with less-costly offerings. The company is testing changes to its $1 bestseller, the double cheeseburger. Chief Operating Officer Ralph Alvarez said:

The way the dollar menu looks today won't be the way it looks next year. . . . What fits on the menu will look different than now because it has to be profitable.

To offset the rising cost in cheese, which is expected to rise 21 percent this year in the US, many stores are using only one slice of cheese instead of two and touting the new offering as a "double hamburger with cheese." Other franchises have increased the cost of the double cheeseburger to $1.19.

If removed from the dollar menu, the double cheeseburger will be replaced by another burger. What do you think about the development? Will you be upset if the double cheeseburger is no longer a part of the dollar menu?

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• What to do when a recipe goes wrong. — The Kitchn
• Quickly catch up on Slow Food Nation. — Chow
• Meet the biggest Chinese restaurant in the world. — Serious Eats
• The latest news of the food crisis: the number of food scientists is on the decline. — Slashfood
• How to travel on a doddering dollar. — The Epi-Log
• A crazy coincidence: Smitten Kitchen makes Yum's key lime meltaways on the exact same day. — Smitten Kitchen
• Does your grocery list say something about your personality? — SavvySugar
• Looking for a decadent dessert? How about raspberry chocolate bundt cake? — Baking Bites
• How cute are these Pucco cupcakes?! — Hostess With the Mostess

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