FoodTechLite

Cartoon “Oh! The Humanities!” by Nick D. Kim, Ph.D. Take a look at Nick’s home page.

Earning His Buffalo Wings...
How bad is airline food? According to Reuters, on November 23, 1999, Captain Floyd Dean, a 22-year veteran of Minnesota-based Northwest Airlines, left a plane loaded with passengers standing at a departure gate for 90 minutes while he went in search of “a decent meal.” Fed up with the in-flight food he was being served, Dean walked off the plane at Las Vegas Airport, reportedly telling the crew of his Boeing 757 he was leaving to find something else to eat. The pilot reportedly then grabbed a cab and left the airport for an unnamed restaurant. Yes, the 150 Detroit-bound passengers did eventually reach their destination; and yes, Captain Dean was terminated by the airlines for his actions.

Fishy Business
Would you eat out of the Hudson River? According to recent New York press reports, five Manhattan fish wholesalers were charged in early December with selling bass caught in contaminated areas of the river to upscale New York eateries, where diners paid up to $35-a-plate for potentially PCB-laden meals. The striped bass in question, claims the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Manhattan, was said to have been caught just under the George Washington Bridge.

The Spice of Life
According to Reuters, a Japanese company recently stunned the world of Indian cuisine by applying for a patent on the spice, curry. According to the British newspaper The Independent, which reported the story, an application filed with the Japanese Patent Office by The House of Foods Corporation in Japan lists two Japanese employees as “inventors” of curry. The newspaper added that under World Trade Organization rules the men named would, if their application succeeded, be able to claim royalties on all curry and curry products entering Japan.

Cartoon “Potatoes” by Nick D. Kim, Ph.D. Take a look at Nick’s home page.