Tidbits

- Chef Jason Neroni (pictured in happier days at right), who left Porchetta recently citing "irreconcilable differences" with owner Marco Rivera, was arrested and charged with petit larceny [Gawker]
UPDATE via Eater: according to Neroni rep Steve Hall, Neroni voluntarily went to the precinct with his lawyer last night; there is a court date set in mid-May.
- Rubin Caslow, chairman of Acme Smoked Fish Corp. in Greenpoint, Brooklyn -- the largest smoked fish producer and distributor in the country -- has died at age 86. [NY Post via AP]
- The New York Restaurant Association estimates that the recent rat-related crackdown by the Health Department, closing 220 restaurants over six weeks caused a loss of several million dollars in business. [NY Post]
- World food giant Nestlé, is planning to announce today that is will buy Gerber, the baby food company, for approximately $5 billion. This brings to mind weird candy/baby food mashups. [NYT]

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By Laren Spirer in Food on April 12, 2007 9:44 AM

Comments [rss]

brooklynbee

Smitty, good point - I was thinking that myself when I heard the announcment about Nestle. Also, if I recall correctly, another major problem with the Nestle baby formula in many 3rd world countries (in addition to the breast milk issue) was that people were instructed to mix the formula with water, but the water in many instances was contaminated which led to lots of diarrhea and other issues in the infants.

smitty

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Nestle is the largest manufacturer of baby formula in the entire world, so their problems with the WHO and third world countries have been especially egregious.

smitty

Nestle has actually been involved in baby food production for a LONG time.

They've been in controversy since the mid-90s for promoting breat milk substitutes (like their formula, which they gave away in hospitals and clinics in 3rd-World countries), over breast milk.

There was a ban on Nestle baby food products in 1998 because they violated the standards of baby food labeling in 3rd world countries put out by the World Health Organization.

I'm surprised you guys didn't know about that.

sp

the use of the annoying geeky-hipster word "mashups" in this context, conjurures a disgustingly literal image of baby food mashed together with nestle crunch bars in little glass jars.

hmmm, actually, that sounds kinda good...