Just when you start to think that life couldn’t get any more challenging in the time of the pandemic, 2020 turns out to be ‘the gift that keeps giving.’ And we heartily wish it would just stop. Not only has it felt like a full decade since shelter-in-place, quarantine, social distancing, mask wearing, and loss […]
14
Oct
Oct
Although it seems like 2020 has already been about 5 years long (with an abundance of social media memes to reinforce this impression) it is, actually, only October and we still have the final quarter to go. It all begs the question: will this ‘challenging’ year never end? With that in mind and in a […]
30
Sep
Sep
It’s hard to dispute the assertion that the past nine months have ushered in a fundamental shift within our society. We’ve seen quarantining and lockdowns, shelter-in-place and shutdowns, social distancing and masks, re-openings and patio dining, not to mention national shortages of ‘essential grocery store items’…you know what we’re driving at here. We’ve also […]
16
Sep
Sep
Following the burst of the economic bubble in the early 2000s, a new economic indicator arose: the Lipstick Index. Coined by Leonard Lauder, the former chairman of Estee Lauder, the concept is that economic hardship drives increased sales of lipstick as consumers turn away from costly items and towards inexpensive fripperies. With no particularly strong […]
26
Aug
Aug
In last week’s article we took a look at some ways in which the food service industry is stepping up its game, partially in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. We highlighted the role of innovation in changing the transactional face of how fast food outlets do business, specifically in terms of grappling with […]
12
Aug
Aug
In a time when we are still wrangling with the thorny concept of ‘alternative facts,’ we may also be experiencing a form of ‘alternative connectedness,’ striving to create a balance between the social and health-safeguarding imperative to remain physically distant and our fundamental human need for contact. And given these two competing drives, it’s logical […]
30
Jul
Jul
During the past couple of months, it may have felt as though time has slowed down or even stopped entirely. In the time of the pandemic, as we all strive to make it through ‘The Great Pause’ with our bodies, minds, and relationships (relatively) intact, it is easy to think that we are living an […]
16
Jul
Jul
It’s summer! Yes, we know that at times right now it can be hard to know which day of the week it is let alone which month we’re in. But despite the lack of traditional markers – hello pool parties, cook-outs, family get-togethers, firework displays, and often fruitless searches for stores with a ready supply […]
30
Apr
Apr
In an attempt, perhaps, to provide some relief from the continuing coronavirus crisis, we’re looking today at a topic that is lighter, zestier, and altogether divorced from all things connected with hand sanitizer or bathroom tissue. Today, in fact, we’re talking about a consumable that is greeted variously with delight or dismay, reluctance or reverence. […]
22
Apr
Apr
With the media cycling medical updates, new transmission figures, and personal stories of contagion and survival for COVID-19 24/7, we were hoping to bring you some good news this week. Food Contact Surfaces, while striving to provide information on matters relating to food safety, also enjoys incorporating elements of quirkiness and levity along with cutting […]
