Latest news with #Rubino
Business Insider
07-06-2025
- Health
- Business Insider
Dairy is so back. It's now a high-protein, gut-healthy superfood shoppers love.
Want to snack on something that's high in protein, gut-friendly, minimally processed, and tastes good? Hit the dairy aisle. After years of being outshone and relegated to second best by shiny, new plant-based alternatives like oat milk and cashew cream, dairy is not only in demand, it's having a glow-up. Products like mint chocolate cookie probiotic ice cream and pistachio-flavored kefir — some of which come wrapped in whimsical, retro-style packaging — are hitting the market as dairy finds itself at the center of the Venn diagram of health, food, and cultural trends. "I really have not seen this type of dairy innovation in past years," Jessica Rubino of New Hope Network, an organic-focused consultancy firm that tracks US food and drink industry trends, told Business Insider. According to the organization's insights, the organic dairy sector grew by 9.8% in 2024, up from 5.6% the previous year — far higher than the one or two percent a year increase seen since around 2015. "That type of increase in growth is pretty significant," Rubino said. Dairy aligns with health trends With 82% of US consumers considering wellness a top or important priority in their everyday lives, according to 2024 trend data from McKinsey, food and drink can't just taste good, it needs to provide health benefits too. A large part of dairy's appeal right now is that it's high in protein and minimally processed. Whether you want to eat enough protein to build muscle, you use a GLP-1 and need more protein to maintain muscle mass or are a member of the manosphere following the carnivore diet, we've gone protein-crazy in recent years. The global protein market is estimated to reach over $47.4 billion by 2032, up from $26 billion in 2021, according to Statista. Protein-enhanced products, such as sodas, waters, powders, and bars, have taken over grocery store aisles. Fairlife, the industry leader in ultra-filtered milk, which contains 50% more protein than regular milk, has seen dollar sales rise by 31% in the past 12 months, according to data from market research agency Circana. The milk is filtered to separate its components (water, lactose, protein, fat, and vitamins and minerals) and reformulated. Lactose and sugar are removed, and protein is concentrated. Melissa Altobelli, a dairy industry analyst at Circana, told BI that Fairlife, which has been around since 2012, has exploded in popularity recently because its product chimes with current trends. "It's not that the effort wasn't made in the past. It's just more appealing to consumers currently," she said, adding: "Protein is in everything at this point, and that's what consumers are looking for." Rubino also sees gut health as a particularly big draw for dairy, as people seek out functional foods to "optimize" their health and live longer. "You can get high dosages of probiotics through these food products," she said. The ultra-processed foods backlash is good news for dairy As ultra-processed foods take over from carbs as the demon of the dietary world, shoppers are losing their appetite for them. Typically long-lasting and designed to be irresistible and easy to eat, these foods contain ingredients you wouldn't find in a regular kitchen, such as gums, emulsifiers, and colors. Mounting research links ultra-processed foods to a host of health conditions — from type 2 diabetes to depression and poor gut health. As public awareness of ultra-processed foods has grown, people have become more wary of alt milks, which typically contain additives, Amy Bentley, a professor of food studies at NYU who specializes in the American diet, told BI. "Alt meat and alt milk don't want to be put in that category. They want to say, 'Hey, we're different.' But if you read those ingredient labels of some of those alt products, they are very, very ultra processed," she said. This has been dairy's gain: "The pendulum has swung back," Andrea Hernández, the author of the food trends newsletter Snaxshot, told BI. "Milk was the original functional drink," Hernández said, "and it's become culturally cool again." "Consumers are still looking for simple ingredients and naturalness," Altobelli said. And traditional dairy products, like unflavored yogurts and cottage cheese, as well as more innovative ones like Fairlife, fit the bill. The cult status of raw dairy in a MAHA world Dairy products, including raw milk, have become part of a cultural conversation in the past year or so. Fans of raw milk say it contains more beneficial microbes than pasteurized milk and can protect against allergies and asthma. Food scientists, however, argue that the ostensible benefits of raw milk are outweighed on a population level by the risk of catching bird flu or being poisoned by E. coli. Raw milk, along with beef tallow and butter, has also become synonymous with the "make America healthy again," or MAHA, movement. Its spearhead, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the US Health Secretary, said in June 2024 that he only drinks raw milk and, before he was appointed, criticized what he called the FDA's "aggressive suppression" of raw milk, which he said on X in October 2024 "advances human health." In late May, he took shots of the stuff in the White House on a podcast. Federal law prohibits the sale of raw milk across state lines, but individual state laws, not the FDA, dictate whether it can be sold within that state. Raw milk enthusiasts include people across the political and cultural spectrum. Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted "Raw Milk does a body good" on X in October 2024. Gwyneth Paltrow, an early adopter of wellness culture, said she adds raw milk creamer to her coffee every morning. And "tradwife" influencer and dairy farmer Hannah Neeleman, who posts as "Ballerina Farm" online, was featured milking one of her cows on the cover of the conservative women's magazine Evie in November, emblazoned with the words " The New American Dream." Hernández said there is a "romanticization of a dairy farm or a farmer's life." "It's become trendy to be able to say, 'Oh, I got this $20 raw milk jug at Erewhon,'" the Los Angeles-based health food store known for its $20 smoothies, she said. The next era for dairy: exotic flavors with health benefits People may want their meals to be nutritious, but that doesn't mean they're willing to compromise on taste. On top of wellness, consumers, and Gen Z in particular, are looking for "unusual flavors as they seek new and unique experiences," according to branding consultancy and market research agency VML's Future 100: 2025 trends report. One in four of us want "interesting and exotic global flavor combinations," the report said. If the offerings at Natural Products Expo West, a prolific trade show for organic, sustainable food and beverage products, which took place in California in March, are any indication, brands are meeting the moment. Attendees could try ashwagandha -infused or Aleppo chile-flavored ghee, pineapple cottage cheese, and reduced-sugar chai tea-flavored yogurt. Alec's, an organic ice cream brand that displayed at the trade show, launched their Culture Cup, a 4 fl oz cup of ice cream with added pre- and probiotics, in April with flavors including chocolate-covered strawberry and dark chocolate honeycomb. All Things Butter, a company founded by the British chef Thomas Straker in 2023, has also gained traction for its flavored butters. Current products include cinnamon bun butter, chocolate butter, and smoked paprika butter. Unlike traditional butter packaging, its butter sticks come in colorful foil adorned with anthropomorphic cartoon cows. It was the first "very yassified, very millennial looking" dairy brand Hernández noticed, but she's certain we'll see many more.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Telegraph
The 34 best restaurants in Malta
In the last decade Malta has morphed from a nation still culinarily compromised by the legacy of British colonial cooking to a truly gourmet Mediterranean destination. It received its first Michelin stars in 2020,and now has seven Michelin-starred restaurants, one of them with two stars. All serve primarily modern Mediterranean cuisine. Many more restaurants are named and praised in the Malta Michelin Guide. You can still get a great full English breakfast, or even a butty and beer if you insist, but you can also eat extremely well (without Michelin stars) for far less than in the UK. So why not avail yourself of the region's best with perfectly cooked fish fresh from the surrounding sea cooked with just-off-the-bush capers and local white wine, or fresh lobster ravioli and sumptuous steak followed by ricotta cassata, gooey hot chocolate pudding or homemade fig ice cream. The Maltese love their food, so the country is full of excellent restaurants, patronised by locals and visitors alike. Portions are often large, and nobody here wants to rush through a meal, so allow a bit of time, relax, and enjoy. Find out more below, or read on to find our most mouth-watering suggestions for where to eat around the island. We also have guides helping you plan a weekend in Valletta, the best places to stay, how to fill your time on the island (and what you can do for free), plus the best beaches and bars. Find a restaurant by type: Best all-rounders Rubino An unassuming Dickensian shopfront leads to this smart but relaxed Valletta favourite, with white tablecloths and walls decorated with wine bottles and bottled vegetables. The blackboard menu of excellent traditional Maltese, Sicilian and Mediterranean dishes changes daily. There is always a mix of meat and fish, and usually a rabbit dish (much loved by locals). The slow-cooked lamb melts in the mouth, and don't miss Rubino's rightly famous Sicilian cassata – made with ricotta cheese, not too sweet and utterly delectable. Service is efficient, knowledgeable and friendly. Awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand (for 'good quality and good value food') since 2020, this is a place to return to again and again. Guzé In one of Valletta's oldest houses said to have belonged to the city's sixteenth-century Maltese architect (Girolamo Cassar), you'll find Guzé. This intimate, family-run restaurant serves consistently excellent food in an elegant but relaxed limestone-and-white-linen interior. Equally good are their perfectly cooked fresh fish dishes and the large value-for-money fillet steak. The carpaccio of sea bass and panatone are both (in their very different ways) subtly delicious and the hot chocolate pudding will pull any chocolate lover back for more.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Futura Mobility, LLC Launches FuturaCare+, A Value-Based Care Strategy to Help Hospitals Control Costs, Reduce Downtime, and Improve Patient Outcomes
MONTGOMERYVILLE, Pa., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to price increases, out of manufacturer warranty devices, and increasing pressure to meet value-based care goals, Futura has announced the launch of FuturaCare+, a purpose-built extended warranty program designed to help healthcare organizations reduce unplanned capital expenses, stabilize operational performance, and protect critical bedside technology. FuturaCare+ offers flat-rate, two-year coverage on out-of-warranty mobile carts—including batteries, inverters, WOWs, and key components often excluded from OEM agreements. The program includes unlimited advanced replacements, all-inclusive shipping, and a shared risk model that directly impacts clinical outcomes and financial planning. "As hospitals face constrained capital budgets and increasing demand for operational performance, we developed FuturaCare+ as an alternative to new asset purchases—extending asset life while supporting measurable improvements in care," said Moira Rubino, Vice President of Services & Delivery at Futura. "A single Workstation on Wheels (WoW) failure impacts far more than just IT—it creates delays in patient care, documentation, and staff efficiency. What many don't realize is a single WoW may support the care and documentation of five to six—or more—patients per shift. When one fails, the disruption extends across the care team—for example, slowing access to lab and imaging results, prolonging clinical decision-making, and forcing clinicians to revert to manual or delayed documentation. This can increase the time required to care for each patient by an additional 20 to 30 minutes, and the cumulative effect often contributes to an increased Length of Stay (LOS) and added strain on staffing. FuturaCare+ transforms this unplanned downtime into a controlled, Value-Based Care process that safeguards both patient care continuity and capital efficiency." Key Features of FuturaCare+ Include: Full warranty coverage for high-failure components Unlimited advanced replacements—shipped before return Improved uptime and quicker onsite repairs—all shipping and support included Flat, predictable pricing to eliminate budget volatility Alignment with Value-Based Care metrics, including uptime, efficiency, and documentation quality Ideal for organizations: Managing out-of-warranty mobile or bedside carts Struggling with support delays or inconsistent repair workflows Facing capital spending freezes or unpredictable break/fix costs Transitioning toward value-based or outcome-driven care delivery "We're helping health systems rethink support as a strategic function," added Rubino. "This isn't just warranty coverage—it's an operational safety net that protects patient experience." FuturaCare+ is now available to healthcare organizations nationwide. Learn more at: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Futura Healthcare Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Time Magazine
08-05-2025
- Health
- Time Magazine
Francesco Rubino
With obesity medications like Wegovy and Zepbound dominating social media and conversations in doctors' offices, you might think that doctors at least have a good idea about what obesity is. But there really isn't a conclusive definition of the condition, with some clinicians maintaining it's a chronic disease, like high blood pressure or diabetes, while others say it's not a disease itself, but a risk factor for other diseases. 'There isn't a description in medical history, because historically, obesity has been recognized as a spectrum,' says Dr. Francesco Rubino, chair of metabolic and bariatric surgery at King's College London. In 2024, he led a group of more than 50 international experts, convened by the medical journal the Lancet, in an effort to define obesity so doctors could better recognize, diagnose, and treat it as a disease. 'We found that nobody was entirely right when we started to discuss whether obesity is a disease or not, and also nobody was entirely wrong,' he says. The committee came up with guidelines, published in January, to help doctors distinguish between preclinical obesity—in which people gain weight but may not yet have any negative health outcomes—and clinical obesity, in which people have symptoms such as diabetes or sleep apnea. It may seem semantic, but defining a condition that affects more than 1 billion people worldwide has consequences for treatment. Rubino says understanding where people fit on the obesity spectrum, and creating more useful distinctions between those at risk and those beginning to experience disease, will help more people to manage their weight better with medical help. Already, 79 major health organizations, including the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the World Obesity Federation, have endorsed the revised guidelines.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Johnston man facing drug, gun charges
JOHNSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — Police arrested a Johnston man Thursday after finding a firearm and narcotics while searching his home. Anthony Rubino, 40, is facing a number of charges, including four counts of possession with intent to deliver narcotics, possession of a firearm while committing a controlled substance violation, possession of a firearm while committing a crime of violence and possession of a large-capacity feeding device. Detectives searched Rubino's home and found a .40 caliber pistol with a large-capacity feeding device attached to it, as well as $6,880 in cash, fentanyl, Psilocybin, Adderall and Xanax. Rubino faced a judge Wednesday and was ordered held without bail, according to police. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
