Latest news with #bakedgoods
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairmont Farmer's Market perseveres through rain and rising prices during first week
FAIRMONT — Typically, April showers bring May flowers but in Fairmont, May just brought more rain. But despite the miserable weather, the Fairmont Farmer's Market held true to its promise on its Facebook page, and opened for the 2025 season, rain or shine. 'Generally we have more vendors than you're seeing today because of the weather,' Joni Costante, who oversees the Fairmont Farmer's Market, said. 'But this is just getting started. We have fresh locally grown produce and as the season progresses, we'll have fresh fruit brought in from Romney.' On Tuesday, Costante, Little Brickhouse Bakery, Richardson Farms and Herron's Farmers Market and Crafts set up tents and tables on which they did their best to proudly display their wares while keeping their products safe from the rain. Produce was not the only things for sale. There were baked goods and at least 44 different jellies for sale, as well as dried tea. Costante said the Fairmont Farmer's Market has been going on for at least 50 years, with the market taking root in one place or another, including under the Million Dollar Bridge. They've been based out of Palatine Park for the last four or five years, which Costante called a wonderful location. Despite its home-crafted nature, the farmer's market has also been susceptible to the same rising prices affecting consumer goods nationwide. Costante makes homemade jellies and said the price of sugar, jars and anything else required to produce her product has gone up significantly. She also pointed out that the price of seeds has gone up. 'A packet used to cost four bucks was now almost six this year,' she said. 'The dirt that some of us buy, like fertilizer, that sort of thing all of that's gone up.' The Herron's jam making business has also incurred higher costs. But despite that, they've done their best to not change prices. 'We've kept the prices of our jelly the same as last year, because if you raise it, then nobody can buy it,' Kathy Herron said. 'So we try not to cause a hardship on people.' Herron said the higher cost of business cuts into their profits, but where they are lucky is in that they raise their own blackberries, raspberries and other fruits, which helps keep costs down. Herron said she expects vendors to have less in the way of variety at farmers markets in general this year due to the higher prices. This is Little Brickhouse Bakery's first year at market. CJ Scott, owner, and her partner Jacob Kolodziej, own the business. They specialize in goods such as gluten-free brown butter cookies, snack mixes and peanut butter spreads they make at home. Cookies were also safely tucked into plastic containers to keep them safe from the rain on their display stand. Fairmont Farmer's Market was their second stop so far, after having started at the White Hall Farmer's and Artisans Market earlier in the month. Scott started her side business in January, when a lot of changes started happening at her job. She worked for the Department of Energy in Morgantown, where she functioned as a program and management analyst. However, she had experience working in a bakery, and after learning about West Virginia's cottage industries laws, decided to launch her own microbusiness. For Little Brickhouse, price came second to ingredients. 'Gluten-free shouldn't be gross,' Scott said. 'But also, we're a part of the community. This is an affordable price point.' The Fairmont Farmer's Market returns to Palatine Park every Tuesday throughout the summer. Costante said they even work with the senior nutrition program to help low-income seniors procure fresh produce. They also work with the Women, Infants and Children program to make sure they can get a fresh allotment of produce as well. She said one of the benefits of the farmers market is that residents are closer to their food and can get to know the farmers who grow it. Sudawan Richardson, from Richardson Farms, was Tuesday's rock. Camped underneath the trunk lid of her SUV, she held onto her produce and made the best of things. 'I love to garden, I love to see people happy,' she said. 'I see their smile, I'm happy. That's my toy. Money, that's good but I think I make good enough. I like everybody to have good food.'
RNZ News
25-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
New Auckland bakery Fankery opens with long lines outside the door
Fankery's baked goods were already popular before the store opened its doors. Photo: Siān Singh A bakery with a huge following online has opened its first brick-and-mortar shop in Auckland, and has already had lines out the door. A queue slowly snaked around Newmarket on the sunny morning of 24 May, for the grand opening of Fankery. The store officially opened at 9am, but some customers were there as early as 8:25am, they said it was because they anticipated a queue when it was Fankery. Cathy Fan is the mastermind behind the brand. She told First Up she had been looking for a permanent home for her delicious goods for a while. "So for the past two years, I have driven all over Auckland during our pop ups. But running on a pop-up lifestyle, Fankery was still never grounded or physical in my head. I feel like it was a great way to reach people and build communities. But it was still never like a legitimate thing." Cathy Fan is the mastermind behind Fankery Photo: Siān Singh Opening her own permanent store was not something 25-year-old Fan imagined four years ago. She had just begun a career as an engineer, and was also competing as a body builder, when her life was turned upside down by an illness. "When I first started baking, it was actually to help me heal from my hypothyroidism, where I had gained 12 kgs in a month. I had just come out of being an amateur bikini competitor, bodybuilding, and that weight gain absolutely threw me off the rails." But Fan did not let this life changing event get her down and soon started her own business. Fankery now has more than 20,000 followers on Instagram. "It was the beginning to my very own bakery. I started baking to curb my cravings after dieting for two consecutive years. That mochi burnt basque cheesecake - my bakery is now known for. Bro, it came from one of the hardest times in my life. Sharing food online took my mind away from depressing lifestyle I was in, it was something to focus on. So I baked every hour outside of my nine to five job. And now two years later, we are opening our very first door front," Fan told her followers in a video leading up to the store's grand opening. There has been so much demand for Fan's baking that she has had to take some time away from engineering. "Baking kind of brought a new perception on life and it was kind of me being able to show my creative side through food. I just started sharing pics of what I made online, and it just grew from there." Her most iconic creation is a basque cheesecake with a layer of mochi at $22.50 a slice. It's a type of cheesecake from Spain, but Cathy's added her own twist - a layer of gooey confection made from pounded glutinous rice. "I come from a Shanghainese background, we eat a lot of glutinous rice based foods. And so anything like sticky rice, mochi, things like that, I love it. But why I put it in the cheesecake was because I don't actually like cheesecake. I just wanted to make it something that I wanted to eat. And so I was like, it can't go wrong if I try." Fankery opened the first brick-and-mortar store in Newmarket, Auckland Photo: Siān Singh After leasing a commercial kitchen several years ago, finding the perfect store front has not been easy. But Fan took a creative approach and has renovated an old ticket booth in a carpark on the back streets of Broadway. "I have been searching for a physical premise for a really long time. I've had a lot of issues with meeting landlords and them looking at me like, not really trusting me at all. And so when this place came by, it was really small, it's really small, and it used to be the parking booth of Wilson parking, so it is literally in a parking building. "But I was like, oh my God, this is kind of cute. It's something that you walk down the street, you don't expect, but you'll be like curious about it, and you want to check it out. And I love Newmarket because I feel like, yes, Broadway is dead, but the mall is great. Everyone goes to the mall and there's a lot of parking." The grand opening of Fankery's brick-and-mortar store attracted a queue in the early morning Photo: Siān Singh Opening at the same time that many hospitality businesses are shutting their doors, Fan said she tried to stay hopeful. "There are still business that are doing well. There are still businesses that are thriving. I think letting those dark thoughts consume you could be one route you go down. Or the other way is to think of it as positively as it's a chance for you to change. It's an opportunity for us to grow. When you have problems on how to grow, it's actually a good problem to have. "And I'm personally very excited to get away from the pop-up life because doing it for two and a half years, there is absolutely no set schedule. Every weekend is like a super early morning wake up and I want some more stability in my life. What I want is to be able to build Fankery to be a brand that people associate with when they think Asian fusion baking." Cathy Fan is the mastermind behind Fankery Photo: Siān Singh
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
15 Of The Biggest Grocery Store Bakery Item Recalls In US History
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Usually, picking up cookies, brownies, or a cake from your local grocery store is exciting. After all, most of us love a sweet treat every now and again. Research suggests that more than half of Americans regularly purchase baked goods like cakes and pastries, while around 40% like to eat cookies and cakes at least once weekly. But one thing that is guaranteed to ruin the fun? Something inside your baked goods that isn't meant to be there. We're talking sinister things like undeclared allergens, foodborne bacteria, and even pieces of metal and plastic. Unfortunately, this has happened a few times in the past. Not just to cakes and other sweet treats, but also to savory baked goods, like sourdough and hot dog buns, too. If you're concerned about the safety of your favorite bakery treat, it's a good idea to keep an eye on the latest food recalls. If there is an issue, brands and retailers are often quick to pull items from the shelves before they can cause injuries or health problems. To demonstrate that, we've rounded up some of the biggest grocery store baked goods recalls in history. Read more: 22 Marie Callender's Pies, Ranked Worst To Best More Than 2 Million Cases Of Donuts Recalled From Stores Nationwide, Including Walmart And Publix, Because Of Listeria Fears (2025) person holds power donut - Saminaleo/Getty Images For most people, eating a donut is a pleasurable experience. But, unfortunately, sometimes even this simple treat doesn't come without risk. In January 2025, Canadian company FGF had to recall more than 2 million cases of donuts sold across the U.S. due to fears they might contain a harmful strain of bacteria called listeria. If consumed, listeria can lead to an infection called listeriosis, which has symptoms like fever, chills, vomiting, and diarrhea. The recalled donuts were being sold under several brand names, including Publix, Walmart, and Dunkin' Donuts. Fortunately, none of the actual products sold under any of these brands actually tested positive for listeria. The recall was actually issued in an abundance of caution after traces of the bacteria were found in one of FGF's donut-producing facilities in the U.S. Aldi Recalled 9,500 Cases Of Sourdough Loaves Due To Potential Plastic Contamination (2024) sourdough bread on a chopping board -The ancient Egyptians had plenty to worry about. Parasites, diseases, injuries from manual work building pyramids — that sort of thing. But one thing they didn't have to worry about? Plastic turning up in their sourdough bread (yep, records show that this popular variety of loaf really is that old). Unfortunately, in 2024, Aldi customers did have to worry about this sort of thing. In August 2024, Izzio Artisan Bakery had to recall 9,500 cases of Aldi Mixed Sourdough loaf from stores in seven states (Illinois, Michigan, Texas, Ohio, New Jersey, Florida, and Arizona) due to fears they might contain plastic. The Colorado bakery also had to recall 600 cases of its own Izzio Everything Sourdough and 450 cases of Izzio Everything Roll for the same reason. Anyone who had already purchased any of the products was urged not to consume them, and instead return them to the store or throw them out. It's not known exactly how the plastic found its way into the sourdough, but it was likely due to issues like broken packaging materials or factory equipment. This kind of issue is not uncommon. In fact, plastic is the most common foreign object to cause a food recall. Meijer Recalled Chocolate Chip Dunking Cookies From Stores In 6 States Due To Undeclared Milk (2024) Meijer dunking cookies - Brown County Public Health / Instagram Dunking cookies, as the name suggests, are ideal for dunking in everything from tea to coffee to a simple glass of milk. If you've got a milk allergy, you might opt for a dairy-free drink for your dunking cookie, like say, oat or almond milk, to keep yourself safe and avoid an allergic reaction. But sadly, you can only do so much. Sometimes, products get sent out to store shelves from the manufacturer with undeclared allergens, like milk, which puts allergy-sufferers unknowingly at risk from a dangerous, potentially fatal reaction, like anaphylaxis. Unfortunately, this was exactly what happened in 2024 with Meijer's chocolate chip dunking cookies. The cookies, produced by Californian company Too Good Gourmet, had to be recalled from Meijer stores in six states after it was discovered that they contained milk that had not been declared on the packaging. Milk is one of the most common allergens in the U.S. and should always be declared on product packaging. Fortunately, despite the fact that around 1.9% of children suffer with a milk allergy, there were no reported allergic reactions as a result of the labeling error. Aldi Recalled More Than 11,800 Cases Of Chocolate Chip Muffins Over Allergy Fears (2024) Chocolate chip muffin on wooden plate - ROHE Creative Studio/Shutterstock There are nine common allergens in the U.S. Alongside milk, they are: eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. To keep people safe from allergic reactions (which are often mild, but in rare cases, can be life-threatening), all of these food groups should always be listed on product labels. But as we saw with the Meijer cookies incident, this doesn't always happen. In the same year as the Meijer recall, FGF Brands Inc had to recall more than 11,800 cases of chocolate chip muffins from Aldi stores across the U.S. because they contained walnuts, a type of tree nut, that had not been listed on the packaging. In this particular case, the error was put down to a temporary issue in FGF Brands Inc's packaging process. As well as the recall, the company was instructed to stop producing the chocolate chip muffins until the problem had been fixed. Fortunately, while tree nut allergies are common (impacting up to 1% of the U.S. population), there were no reported adverse reactions as a result of the packaging mistake. To be on the safe side, anyone who had already purchased the muffins was urged to return them to the Aldi store they bought them from for a refund. Walmart Recalled Nearly 1,000 Units Of Cakes Due To Undeclared Allergen (2023) Marketside Chocolate Chip Explosion Cake close-up - Snackolator / Instagram Publix isn't the only store to be involved in a packaging mix-up. Also in 2023, there were mistakes made with cake products sold at Walmart, which ultimately resulted in a recall. The issue stemmed back to one of the major retailer's suppliers, David's Cookies. The company shipped out 960 units of Marketside Chocolate Chip Explosion Cakes to Walmart stores across the U.S., only they didn't actually contain chocolate chip cakes at all. They contained Marketside Ultimate Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake. Of course, this could lead to consumer disappointment, but it was also a serious health risk. After all, peanuts are a common allergen. In a bid to keep customers safe, David's Cookies issued a recall for all 960 units of the cakes. Luckily, nobody reported any allergic reactions as a result of the cake mix-up. Those without peanut allergies were likely safe to consume the cake, but anyone can experience an allergic reaction for the first time at any time, particularly to peanuts. To be on the safe side, anyone who had already purchased the cake was urged to return it to Walmart for a full refund. H-E-B Recalled Brownie Bites From Stores In Texas And Mexico Due To Metal Contamination (2022) stack of mini brownies - rustycanuck/Shutterstock Earlier, we mentioned that in 2024, Aldi customers were alerted to pieces of plastic in their sourdough bread, but plastic isn't the only foreign object that can sneak its way into baked goods. In 2022, anyone who had bought brownie bites from H-E-B or Joe V's Smart Shops was potentially at risk from biting down on metal. To try and reduce the chances of that happening, H-E-B recalled the brownie bites from stores in Texas and Mexico. H-E-B had purchased the brownies from an outside supplier, where it's likely that the metal contamination occurred due to broken machinery or wire in the factory where they were produced. If consumed, metal can cause mouth or dental injuries, or even internal cuts. In some cases, surgery could even be required to remove the metal. Before the recall was issued, two customers complained about finding metal in their brownie bites. As a result, anyone who had already purchased the brownies was urged to either throw them away or return them to H-E-B or Joe V's Smart Shops for a refund. Kroger Recalled Country Oven Baked Goods From Stores In 29 States Because Of Metal Contamination Concerns (2021) close-up of a cinnamon roll - Varvara Krauchanka/Shutterstock Kroger is no stranger to food recalls. The grocery store giant, which has more than 1,200 stores across the U.S., has had to pull products from the shelves for various different reasons, including salmonella fears and undeclared allergens. Like H-E-B, it has also been faced with metal lurking in its food. In 2021, it had to recall baked goods sold under its Country Oven brand, including cinnamon rolls, chocolate cake, cheese pockets, and fudge cakes, from stores in 29 states due to fears they might contain metal fragments. As mentioned above, metal in food presents a serious risk of injury. It can cause internal cuts or mouth and dental injuries. In this particular case, the metal fragments were linked to some of the starch that was used in the baked goods. This also isn't the first time that metal contamination has caused a Kroger recall. In 2019, it also had to pull Tyson chicken strips from the shelves after metal fragments were found in the meat by consumers. Walmart Recalled Cookie Cakes From Stores In 23 States Due To Undeclared Peanuts (2021) Walmart's cookie cakes Two years before the Marketside Chocolate Chip Explosion Cake recall, Walmart was involved in another recall for cakes. Again, it was for cakes sold under its Marketside brand. But this time, the product in question was a Chocolate Candy Cookie Cake, and it was produced by a supplier called Jimmy's Cookies. In this instance, there were concerns that the packaging of the cake did not list a key allergen, peanuts. If a person with an allergy consumes a product with peanuts unknowingly, they are at risk of mild and severe reactions, including anaphylaxis, which in rare cases, can be life-threatening. To protect allergy-sufferers, Jimmy's Cookies recalled the Chocolate Candy Cookie Cakes from Walmart stores in 23 states. Fortunately, at the time of the recall, nobody had reported any allergic reactions as a result of consuming the recalled products. Customers were urged to return the cakes to their local Walmart store for a full refund. Multiple Stores, Including Walmart, Recalled Buns From Stores In 18 States Over Plastic Contamination Concerns (2019) hot dog buns on a wooden board - Urvashi9/Getty Images On a few occasions, burgers and hot dogs have been recalled from the market. Some of the biggest hot dog recalls in the U.S., for example, have been linked to issues like under-processing, undeclared allergens, and foodborne illness. Hamburgers have also been pulled from the shelves for similar reasons. But sometimes, it's not the meat at all that's the problem, it's the bun. In 2019, Flowers Foods Inc had to recall hot dog and burger buns from several stores in 18 states due to fears they contained pieces of hard plastic. The contamination meant that anyone who purchased and ate the buns was at risk of choking, internal cuts, or dental injuries from the plastic fragments. At the time of the recall, the buns had already been shipped out to multiple stores, including 7-Eleven and Walmart. Other products affected by the recall notice included dinner rolls and BBQ bread. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported as a result of anyone consuming the buns. But, again, as always, customers were urged not to eat the products and instead, either throw them away or return them for a refund. Walmart And H-E-B Recalled Swiss Rolls From Stores Nationwide Over Salmonella Concerns (2018) chocolate swiss roll slices on a plate - aniestia n/Shutterstock Swiss rolls are harmless, right? It turns out, not always. In another Flower Foods recall, this time in 2018, the soft sweet treats were pulled from shelves in Walmart, H-E-B, and other stores across the U.S. due to fears that they might contain salmonella, a harmful strain of foodborne bacteria. If consumed, salmonella can lead to salmonellosis, which is a disease that affects the intestine. The symptoms are usually mild but unpleasant, and include things like diarrhea and stomach cramps. At the time of the recall, the potentially salmonella-contaminated Swiss rolls had been sold to stores under a variety of brands, including Baker's Treat and Market Square. Anyone who had bought the recalled rolls was urged to throw them away to reduce the risk of illness. In this particular case, no instances of salmonellosis were reported. However, it's difficult to know if nobody got sick, because research suggests that most people don't report salmonella infections. In fact, for every person who tests positive for the disease, there are likely around 30 people who have it but haven't reported it to the authorities. This might be because their symptoms were manageable, or in some cases, so mild that they didn't notice they had them. Trader Joe's Recalled Chocolate Chip Cookies From 13 States Due To Undeclared Allergen (2018) stack of chocolate chip cookies - Like most grocery stores, Trader Joe's has had to deal with a number of recalls in its time. Items have been pulled from the shelves for varying reasons, including contamination with rocks (yes, rocks), foodborne bacteria concerns, and undeclared allergens. This was the case in 2018, when the retailer had to recall baked goods because of undeclared peanuts. In this case, it was to do with a packaging error at one of its suppliers, Chris's Cookies. It turns out, the company had shipped out Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies to stores in 13 states in the wrong packaging. They had been packaged inside the Trader's Chocolate Chip Cookie bags by mistake. The packaging error undeniably put customers with a peanut allergy at risk. However, it's important to note that in this particular incident, the chocolate chip cookie packaging did feature a "may contain" warning, although it did not list peanuts in the ingredient list. Anyone with a peanut allergy was urged not to consume the cookies, and instead return them for a refund. Fortunately, despite the prevalence of peanut allergies across the U.S., nobody reported any allergic reactions as a result of consuming the recalled products. Publix Recalled Apple Coffee Cakes From Stores In 6 States Due To Potential Metal Contamination (2016) slice of cake - Amir_v/Shutterstock Metal pieces were the cause of yet another baked goods recall in 2016. This time, Publix had to recall its Publix Apple Coffee Cakes from stores in six states over concerns that they might contain metal shavings. Fortunately, nobody had been injured by the contaminant at the time of the recall, but again, as per usual, consumers were told they could return the cakes to their local Publix store for a full refund. It wasn't confirmed exactly how the metal found its way into the cakes, but this was likely due to broken equipment at the factory where they were produced. Unfortunately, this is not the only time that Publix has had to pull products from its shelves due to metal contamination. Just one year after the cake incident, the retailer was implicated in a recall of ground turkey. Again, the issue was related to the potential presence of metal shavings inside the product. Fortunately, as with the cake recall, nobody reported any injuries as a result of the contaminant. Bimbo Bakeries USA Recalled Bread From Stores In 11 States, Including Kroger, Aldi, And Walmart, Because Of Broken Glass (2015) Walmart sliced great value bread - ZikG/Shutterstock In 2015, Bimbo Bakeries USA started receiving reports that consumers had found something unexpected in its bread products: broken glass. As a result, the company had to recall multiple bread products from stores in 11 states, including Kroger, Aldi, and Walmart, to protect consumers. The affected brands included Kroger's private label, Walmart's Great Value, Sara Lee, Nature's Harvest, Aldi's L'oven Fresh, and Bimbo. If consumed by accident, broken glass is extremely dangerous. It can cause oral or internal cuts and injuries, and in extreme cases, may require surgery to remove. Fortunately, even though Bimbo Bakeries USA received complaints about the glass from three different consumers, there were no injuries reported. Glass can find its way into food from many different sources, like broken bottles or jars, for example. But in this particular case, the source was thought to be a broken lightbulb in Bimbo Bakeries USA's processing facilities. Aldi Bread Sold In Stores In 24 States Was Recalled Due To Potential Wire Contamination (2013) brown sliced bread - Capelle.r/Getty Images Unfortunately, the 2015 Bimbo Bakeries USA recall was the second recall in two years for the company. In 2013, the bread supplier also had to issue a recall for bread products sold from stores nationwide due to fears that they could contain pieces of flexible wire mesh. The affected brands included Arnold, Brownberry, Stroehmann Dutch Country, Sara Lee, Farm Bread, Harmons, and Aldi's L'oven Fresh. Aldi has sold the recalled bread in stores in 24 states in total. However, in this particular case, it wasn't the bread on the shelves that was recalled, but products that had already been purchased by consumers. Once again, the error was caused by broken equipment. This time, it wasn't a lightbulb, but a broken wire screen at one of Bimbo Bakeries USA's flour suppliers. Much like glass, if consumed, the wire posed a threat of causing oral and internal injuries. Sara Lee Recalled 27 Bread Products From Stores In 8 States, Including Publix, Due To Metal Contamination Concerns (2007) close-up of whole wheat bread slices - Sezeryadigar/Getty Images In 2007, Sara Lee was involved in yet another recall. This time, the company had to recall 27 whole wheat bread products from eight states. Grocery store chain Publix's private label was one of the brands affected, alongside Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious, Sara Lee Delightful, and EarthGrains. There are many ways that metal can contaminate food, but it is usually due to broken pieces of machinery. In this particular case, the recall was issued due to fears that a metal screen, used to sift flour, had broken in one of Sara Lee's flour suppliers and contaminated the bread. In a bid to keep people safe from harmful injuries, anyone who had already purchased any of the affected products was urged to return them to the store they bought them from for a refund. Read the original article on Mashed.
