In 2011, media outfits from the LA Times to Gawker began reporting the curious case of the French war on ketchup. In fact, Gawker chose this as the headline, “France Wages War on Ketchup.” According to these stories, France, in an effort to protect the integrity of its traditional cuisine and to combat the influence […]
Food Law
Do Restaurants and Bars Have the Right to Refuse Service?
How many times have you went into a bar or restaurant and saw a sign that reads, “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone”? I’ve seen these signs many times. They don’t seem like a very friendly greeting and, today, most restaurant or bar patrons tend to emphasize their right to service. Do restaurant and […]
Haw Flakes Candy Banned from U.S.?
Haw flakes are a traditional Chinese candy (sahn sah ban, shānzhābǐng} made from the mashed fruit of the Chinese Hawthorn, called “haws.” Haws are a red fruit with a tangy sweet taste which are not often used in the U.S. but have been used in Britain to make jellies and homemade wine. In China, the […]
What Happens When Trademarked Food Names Become Generic?
Trademarks serve as identifiers for brands. They may be a word, a phrase, or a symbol. Sometimes, even packaging can be trademarked, as for instance the shape of the old-style Coca-Cola glass bottle. Trademarks are covered under the Lanham Act, which replaced earlier laws that were in effect since the 1800’s. Before this, trademarks were […]
I Have a Restaurant Job Interview – What are They Not Allowed To Ask?
Someone who has been working in the restaurant industry will tell you that restaurants are not always a good place to work. In fact, there is a reason that there is a continual labor shortage in food service, even though the restaurant industry is one of the largest private sector employers. The reason is that […]
What is “Fresh Frozen” Food?
If you Google the term “fresh frozen” you’ll get more than a few references to one of Gordon Ramsey’s meltdowns on Kitchen Nightmares, where he throws a fit because a cook tells him “we keep it frozen fresh.” There is no such thing as fresh food that is frozen. Food is either frozen, or it […]