Lifehacker reminds us that food allergies are, indeed, real and we need to stop being eye-rolling dumbasses who sometimes undermine their severity.

Weirdness: scientists have created an artificial tongue with nanoscale “tastebuds” that can tell genuine whiskies from counterfeits with more than a 99% success rate.

Poultry processing plants in Mississippi were the target of the largest workplace ICE raid in recent history after the agency arrested 680 people.

“According to the Associated Press, the raid — reportedly months in the works — involved nearly 600 ICE agents who detained employees of Koch Foods Inc., Peco Foods Inc., and three smaller plants. The employees were then bussed to a nearby military hangar for processing.”

Despite the crackdown, NPR reports that the recent raids have had little effect on the food processing industry as a whole but does increase the vulnerability of its employees.

From improving workplace culture to the implementation of equitable practices, Eater details five concrete steps that restaurants and diners can take to improve the hospitality industry.

A new report from the UN is calling for significant changes in agricultural practices in order to address some of the most serious effects of global warming.

Using food and innate creativity, photographer Chang Ki Chung is creating still life culinary works of art.

This article on deterring seagulls from eating your food should come in handy the next time you find yourself enjoying a snack on Granville Island.

Food and politics were on a collision course this past week when three acclaimed restauranteurs pleaded with New York developer Stephen Ross to cancel a large fundraiser he was hosting for Donald Trump.

The Daily Beast shares excerpts from Karen Abbott’s new book on the fascinating life of famed whisky bootlegger George Remus.

Eater rounds up some of the weirdest restaurant Instagram accounts. Montreal Plaza wins.

And speaking of Instagram feeds, drinking via Instagram honours this week go to @cafeyvr for catching The Federal Store’s espresso and tonic in that perfect afternoon light:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Espresso tonic at @federalstorevan #cafeyvr . . . . . #vancouvercoffee #myfujifilm #fujifilm_xseries #baristadaily #coffeeculture #igersvancouver #coffeetime #coffeegeek #???? #???? #?? #??? #fujifeed #xpro2 #vancity #igcoffee #espresso #??? #???? #coffeebar #coffeeshop #coffeeshots #yvreats #foodphotography #coffeeshopcorners

A post shared by Cafe YVR (@cafeyvr) on Aug 9, 2019 at 5:21pm PDT

For the love of burgers! After the success of the DL’s Monday burger special, The Downlow Smash has officially found a permanent home at The American on Main Street.

This article on robot-reared produce officially confirms that we are, in fact, living in the future.

North Van will soon be home to a new wood-fired pizza restaurant courtesy of Kitchen Table Restaurants (Ask For Luigi, Pourhouse, diBeppe and Pizzeria Farina) and the Giannakos family (Revolver Coffee).

The folks at Punch take a deep dive into the curious history of the pickleback.

“The unlikely phenomenon began 13 years ago in a pretentiously unpretentious would-be dive bar in Brooklyn called the Bushwick Country Club, a bar that had unwittingly become a stopgap storage facility for a fledging pickle company.”

Good news, coffee lovers! Pallet is expanding their roasting operations this September. Check out their new space here.

This week in food and drink podcasts, the folks at Mother Jones embark on a journey to determine if they can tell the difference between Pepsi, Coke and the much maligned yet still somewhat nostalgic New Coke.

The very strange story of the New Jersey resident who stole a bottle of ketchup from a restaurant and later returned it after a post-theft string of bad luck.

How bartenders are catching wind of the alcohol-free cocktail trend and planning their menus accordingly.

A total of six BC restaurants have been shortlist for Canada’s top ten best new restaurants of the year, including Vancouver’s Ugly Dumpling and Como Taperia.

Why staff members at a Kerrisdale restaurant are in a battle with owners for $13K in unpaid wages.

Looking for work in the industry? Check out who’s hiring!