A San Diego restaurateur stands up for illegal immigrants working in kitchens. The New York Times goes in-depth on the hush-hush issue of illegal workers, the blind eye that's been turned, and the sudden upswing in crackdowns by federal investigators. Despite a federal indictment last April, San Diego restaurant owner Michel Malecot pleaded not guilty to charges of employing 12 undocumented workers, who continue to work for him despite the charges. "'They're using a body of law intended for drug dealers and money launderers and going after an iconic bakery and philanthropic business,' said Jot Condie, the president of the California Restaurant Association, which has 22,000 members. 'If their strategy is to get the attention of the industry, mission accomplished.'"
Coffee bean prices are on the rise. The New York Daily News says that Folgers and Dunkin' Donuts, both owned by the J.M. Smuckers Company, have increased prices by nine percent. Starbucks vows to try to keep prices steady, while legislators urge coffee-producing nations to not stockpile their beans.
Coffee's too expensive? You can switch to green tea, but it might not be as healthy as the label claims. The Los Angeles Times reports that the FDA has warned Snapple and Canada Dry to stop claiming their bottled green tea products have an extra antioxidant boost, and for Lipton to remove a statement on their website linking green tea consumption to lower cholesterol.
As American snacking habits change, so to restaurant menus. The Wall Street Journal examines the surge of snack-sized menu items in light of new habits and the recession.
