Food & Drink

Folsom, Calif. – October 29, 2026 -- A handful of walnuts, about 12–14 halves, delivers 2.5 grams of plant-based omega-3 ALA, and new research links higher prenatal ALA levels to better attention in early childhood.

The study, published in the European Journal of Epidemiology and funded by the California Walnut Commission, examined how omega-3 fatty acids measured at birth related to children's thinking skills years later. It is described as the first to assess cord plasma ALA proportions against cognitive trajectories in offspring.

NEWBURGH – October 29, 2026 -- The 100 Food Journey, a Tale of Indian Cuisine, has launched "The Third Voyage: An Autumn-to-Winter Culinary Journey," its third menu at 34 Plank Road in Newburgh, N.Y. The restaurant replaces its menu every 100 days, so returning guests find a new set of dishes rather than the same favorites.

Partner Glaxon Geevarghese describes the idea this way: "The address stays the same, but the destination changes."

The Third Voyage leans on slow-cooked dishes, warming spices and ghee

The new menu is built for the colder months, with aromatic spices, slow-cooked recipes and ghee, which the restaurant calls India's culinary "liquid gold." Dishes include Mumbai Vada Pao, Tellicherry Pepper Mussels, Kolhapuri Chicken Rassa, Rajasthani Laal Maas, Meen Pollichathu, Plantain Kofta Pumpkin Curry and a 12-Hour Dal Makhani.

Desserts are Pumpkin & Cinnamon Obsession and Cardamom Kiss.

Hamburg – October 29, 2026 -- NDR television chef Zora Klipp starts a six-part culinary road trip through northern Germany on Friday, October 30, at 9:15 p.m. on NDR Fernsehen. The series "Zora schmeckt's – Zu Gast in ..." runs weekly and is also available in the ARD Mediathek.

Six towns, six food scenes

Klipp visits Lüneburg, St. Peter-Ording, Bad Zwischenahn, Wismar, Goslar and Nordhorn. Each 30-minute episode covers regional specialties, unusual restaurant concepts and the people who shape a town's food culture. She describes herself as a cook and a thorough northerner who loves food.

Along the way she stops at restaurants, cafés, delicatessens, coffee roasteries, smokehouses, bars and breweries. She also goes behind the scenes and cooks and works alongside the locals herself. The episodes cover sweet and savory classics, modern takes on them, the craft behind the dishes, and what gives a place its flavor.

IRVING, Texas – October 29, 2026 -- 7-Eleven, Inc. is rolling out a Korean-inspired Flavors of Korea menu, including 10-piece bibigo Spicy Chicken Dumplings for $5 and 8-piece Gochujang Boneless Wings for $5, at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores.

The menu spans hot foods and chilled meals

The lineup covers wings, pizza, sandwiches, dumplings and more. The bibigo Spicy Chicken Dumplings combine chicken, green onion, glass noodles, cabbage and soy sauce. The bibigo Korean BBQ-Style Pizza is topped with seasoned beef, caramelized onions, shoestring carrots, roasted garlic, green onions, mozzarella and cheddar, and bibigo Korean BBQ sauce.

The Gochujang Boneless Wings are seasoned with a gochujang glaze, garlic, doenjang, ginger and chili paste.

Frankfurt am Main – October 29, 2026 -- Six new Wonka sweets, from hat-shaped chocolates to a hollow milk chocolate Oompa-Loompa, are on sale across Germany for a limited time. Ferrero is behind the range, which it says offers unusual combinations of flavor, color and texture.

Ferrero has held the Wonka candy rights since 2018

Ferrero secured the exclusive confectionery rights to the Wonka brand in 2018. Its research and development teams worked with the company's creative teams to test recipes, flavors, textures and shapes for the range.

Four flavors of Magic Hats lead the lineup

The hat-shaped Wonka Magic Hats come in four varieties:

Osnabrück – October 29, 2026 -- A majority of young people in Germany want influencers barred from advertising unhealthy food, according to a representative survey commissioned by the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv). In the poll, 57 percent of 14- to 25-year-olds agreed that influencers should not promote unhealthy foods.

Four in ten have bought food because an influencer recommended it

The survey also found that 40 percent of respondents have bought at least one food product because an influencer endorsed it. At the same time, 87 percent said they can easily recognize advertising on social media.

Consumer advocates say labeling is not enough

For the vzbv, those two findings together show that mandatory ad labeling falls short. The organization argues that influencer marketing works precisely because products are woven into personal stories, daily routines and seemingly authentic recommendations.

Frankfurt – October 29, 2026 -- Buy a Président product between September 28 and October 29, 2026, upload the receipt, and you get a daily chance to win a €150 shopping voucher. Every participant also receives a €1 discount coupon for their next purchase.

A French bistro appeared inside Frankfurt's main station for one day

The prize draw accompanies "Le Moment Président," a campaign from the French brand Président. To launch it, the company set up a pop-up bistro in Frankfurt Central Station, where commuters and travelers could stop, taste French cheese and butter specialties, and try new combinations at set bistro tables.

Audrey Haas, Group Brand Manager at Lactalis Deutschland, explained that the brand sees enjoyment as taking deliberate time and giving the moment meaning. The company calls this "enjoyment with character."

Munich – October 29, 2026 -- Paulaner Cola Zero goes on sale across Germany in January 2027, giving shoppers a sugar-free version of the brewer's cola in supermarkets, beverage retailers and restaurants.

Zero variants already take about 36 percent of German cola sales

The Paulaner Brauerei Gruppe is adding the new drink to its classic Paulaner Cola. That cola launched in spring 2026 and, within a few months, became the number 2 seller in the German cola can market.

The Munich-based family company points to demand for sugar-free and reduced-sugar drinks. Zero variants make up roughly 36 percent of the German cola market, and the segment is posting double-digit growth. About one third of German households now buy sugar-free cola.

Munich – October 29, 2026 -- From October 28, McDonald's Germany is bringing back the 1955® Burger, the McFarmer and a set of five collectible song radios under the campaign "Endlich wieder bei Mecces."

Five radios play hits from the 2000s and 2010s

The small radios were once an occasional Happy Meal® toy, and each played a single song. The new set features hits by Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, Cro and Justin Bieber.

They are available from October 28 to November 24, 2026, in participating restaurants while supplies last. Customers can add one for an extra charge to a McMenü® (excluding McMenü® Small and McSmart Menü), a McCafé® Duo Grande or a Frühstücks-Duo Grande.

The 1955® Burger returns with smoky sauce

The 1955® Burger comes back on October 28 with 100% beef from Germany and its smoky 1955® Sauce.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – October 29, 2026 -- Blade and Bow is releasing a 30-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon at full barrel strength, 164.2 proof (82.1% ABV). Only 1,200 bottles exist, each priced at a suggested $2,500 per 750ml, with sales starting in November 2026.

The same whiskey now comes in two strengths

Blade and Bow 30-Year-Old Cask Strength is the second release in the brand's 30-Year-Old collection. It is the same blend as the 30-Year-Old Limited Release, which debuted in 2025 and was bottled in 2023 at 109 proof. The Cask Strength version skips dilution and is bottled at the strength it had when it left the barrel.

Nicole Austin, Diageo's Director of American Whiskey Liquid Development, calls them "the exact same blend, presented in two distinct ways." Drinkers can sip the Cask Strength neat or add room-temperature water a drop at a time to find their preferred balance.