Stanton's City Bites in Houston's First Ward has been a local favorite since 1961, originally operating as a grocery store. The business transformed into a restaurant in the 1980s under the ownership of Theresa Fong and her late husband, Art, who introduced handcrafted burgers and American diner classics. Stanton's has received national recognition, including a feature on "Burger Land."

Chef Charlise Rookwood, known for her James Beard Award-nominated cookbook and The Black Vegan Cooking Show, co-founded Nacha Focaccia in Brooklyn, N.Y., with barista Naima Coleman. Nacha Focaccia's menu features creative vegan takes on classic sandwiches and sweets, all built on freshly baked focaccia. Highlights include the Morning Munch breakfast sandwich with vegan bacon, egg, harissa and crunchy mayo, and Shikko's Katsu with a crispy plant-based cutlet and tonkatsu sauce. Rookwood also plans to open Vegan Soulicious Cafe to celebrate Mauritian and Caribbean cuisine.

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has joined Recipe of Change, a global initiative by the UN Environment Programme and UN Tourism to halve food waste by 2030. The company's sustainability efforts include waste-conscious menus, organic farms and marine conservation. "Reducing food waste is a continuous loop that is lived, breathed, and constantly evolving within our hotels and resorts around the world," says Jeff Smith, vice president of sustainability at Six Senses.

The Farmersville Independent School District in Texas has revamped its school lunch program by cooking meals from scratch using local produce, thanks to a nearly $200,000 grant from Texas Health Resources. The initiative aims to provide more nutritious meals, replacing processed foods with new dishes.

A study by the FDA, published in the Journal of Food Protection, highlights the risk of allergen cross-contact from using shared breading systems in food production. The research shows that cod proteins accumulate more in breading mixtures than shrimp proteins, posing a higher risk of allergen transfer to other foods. Sieving breading mixtures is not effective in completely removing allergens.

Fiber is emerging as a significant health trend in 2026, potentially surpassing protein in consumer interest, with companies such as PepsiCo and Flowers Foods introducing fiber-rich products. PepsiCo's Frito-Lay has launched SmartFood FiberPop and SunChips Fiber, while Dave's Killer Bread has introduced Organic Breakfast Bars. Protein remains popular, with Mars' RxBar and Hero Bread releasing high-protein offerings.

B.C. chefs are tackling the invasive species problem through creative culinary solutions, transforming problematic creatures like European green crabs and over-abundant sea urchins into appealing dishes. Through foraging classes and events like Eat the Invaders, chefs such as Robyn Cort are teaching communities how to harvest and cook these species, reframing them as valuable resources rather than threats. Unique preparations -- including uni gelato and foraged crab soups -- demonstrate how culinary innovation can contribute to both sustainability and ecological management.