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News.com.au
15-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Another cult-US restaurant chain announces it's opening in Australia
There was once a time when Aussies would have to travel at least 10 hours to eat their favourite American food – but not anymore. In the past few years, a string of classic US food chains have popped up on our shores, including Wingstop, Five Guys and Wendys. Now Auntie Anne's, the world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, is making its debut Down Under with the opening of its first store Westfield Parramatta on July 26. 'This has been a dream in the making for years,' Yu-Jin Lee, who along with his business partner Johann Wong has worked with Auntie Anne's to bring it to Australia, told 'We have always loved pretzels and one of our fondest childhood memories is going to the mall to grab an Auntie Anne's pretzel. 'It's a cherished experience for us and we hope to recreate and share that joy in Australia now too.' The popular chain, which sells an array of sweet and savory pretzels, first opened its doors in Pennsylvania back in 1988 and now has more than 2000 locations around the world – with five new ones planned across Australia in the next 12 months. Aussie customers can expect the full Auntie Anne's experience, Yu-Jin Lee said, including signature pretzel varieties such as original, cinnamon sugar, sweet almond, and pepperoni cheese, along with sweet and savoury nugget bites with the dough mixed, hand-rolled and baked on site. 'Our pretzels are baked continuously throughout the day, so no matter when you stop by, you're getting them hot, fresh, and at their absolute best. 'There's a huge appetite for the brand already – we've seen the buzz online and the excitement is real.' Indeed, several eagle-eyed pretzel fans have spotted the new Sydney store before it has even opened, taking to social media to share their joy. 'OMG, I manifested this,' one wrote. 'Legitimately have been waiting years for this, let's go,' another shared. As one declared: 'If they open in Melbourne I'll go broke, no joke.' But as Auntie Anne's joins a long line of American fast-food restaurants opening in Australia, are Aussies going to become sick of the once hard-to-get food? Melbourne food blogger @nectoriouspapi doesn't think so. 'It's really exciting to see US chains opening in Australia,' he told 'Many of us have heard the hype, or if they're lucky tried the items on holiday, but to be able to eat these well-known brand's on our own doorstep means it's now available to everyone. 'These brand's are often names we've grown up watching in the movies, so it's a thrill to have the option to buy something we've never tried. The big test is really whether or not they stand the test of time.' The foodie, who hasn't yet tried any Auntie Anne's menu items, said his biggest gripe with the cult US chains opening in Australia is that 'Sydney always gets it first'. This was a sentiment echoed on social media, where many Aussies called for a store in their local area. 'Can we get some of these places in Melbourne?' one sighed, as another added: 'This was my fave in America, but I don't live anywhere near Sydney. Boo.'
CNN
23-06-2025
- Health
- CNN
Brands brace for a MAHA food fight
Steak 'n Shake, a chain best known for milkshakes paired with burgers, is not exactly the first food that comes to mind that would comport to the tenets of wellness championed by the 'Make America Healthy Again,' or MAHA movement. MAHA supporters, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., agitate for 'clean' ingredients, cutting out sugar and saying no to food dyes and seed oils, among other things. Yet Steak 'n Shake has managed to earn the health secretary's blessing after announcing it would shift to using beef tallow — a MAHA favorite — to fry its food. This spring, it even mounted at least one pop-up lunch day at HHS headquarters, according to signs seen by CNN in the building. Major food and agricultural groups are publicly positioning themselves as fans of the MAHA movement, with brands of all stripes rushing to seize this moment for change as Kennedy draws up plans to reshape American food policy. By August, the secretary aims to issue the second installment of a sweeping plan, ordered by President Donald Trump, to tackle the causes of chronic illnesses in the country. The first report laid the groundwork for Kennedy's targets: environmental toxins, certain medications, and a whole lot of processed food. This second stage will lay out what HHS and other agencies plan to do about it. On top of that, Kennedy has also pledged new, slimmed-down dietary guidelines in line with this vision, also due out this summer — another change for food companies to furrow their brows over. But even as food and consumer advocates and their lobbyists jockey for a say, access and results have been highly mixed. Some are girding themselves for chilly receptions. 'I'm not going to say that there's no opportunity,' one consumer advocacy group executive, who asked not to be named amid the sensitive discussions, put it. But the secretary 'has been out there on a lot of unproven theories over the years,' the person said, 'and we're skeptical that our views will be taken seriously.' Food and agricultural groups were already put on guard when President Trump issued an executive order in February demanding a new approach to health in America. The order established the 'MAHA Commission,' which would advise the president on 'how best to exercise his authority to address the childhood chronic disease crisis.' In his capacity as HHS secretary, Kennedy was tapped to lead it and pulled together its first report laying out the main culprits, in their estimation, driving chronic diseases in the country. The specter of industry crackdowns that the report promised to bring set off a flurry of efforts to court Kennedy and his MAHA allies. As Kennedy was preparing the report, the National Oilseed Processors Association and the Edible Oil Producers Association, representatives of seed oil makers, each hired new lobbyists. The American Beverage Association, the trade group for major brands like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, spent over $1 million in Washington, DC, lobbying the first few months of this year, up from $710,000 in the same period of 2024 according to public filings compiled by CNN. But it seems these overtures have so far only had limited success. This month, oilseed processors wrote a letter to Kennedy complaining that they, along with soybean and corn farmers, ranchers and other farming groups, have had no dialogue with HHS about the first MAHA report, which they argued had many flaws — or about what could come in the next installment. The lack of traction is, perhaps, unsurprising. Kennedy has railed against perceived influence that industry groups have over the agencies that regulate their products. The initial MAHA report specifically called out government lobbying across various industries, noting that more than 60% of lobbyists were formerly federal employees. Other major brands have gone the route of publicly stepping up the message of their alignment with the MAHA movement. Of its beef tallow switch, Steak 'n Shake said in February that their fries were being 'RFK'd!' The fast-food chain states on their website that fries, onion rings and chicken tenders are now fried in 100% beef tallow but other changes, like altering bread bun recipes to remove seed oils, will take more time. Last week Kraft Heinz, one of the country's biggest food manufacturers, said it would begin to phase out artificial food dyes currently in popular products like Heinz Ketchup, Crystal Light, Jell-O, and Kool-Aid. 'It is in our DNA to continuously renovate and innovate to make sure that we stay relevant and bring value to our consumers,' a Kraft Heinz spokesperson told CNN. And when Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol met with Kennedy this month, he shared, as the secretary put it, the coffee chain's plan to 'further MAHA its menu.' Regarding this, a Starbucks spokesperson told CNN it aims to let customers make 'informed nutritional decisions with transparency on ingredients, calories, and more. Plus, we keep it real — no high fructose corn syrup, artificial dyes, flavors, or artificial trans-fats.' The voluntary moves to align with MAHA goals seem to have at least earned those brands public praise from Kennedy. Brewing alongside this is a separate longtime Kennedy priority: changing the nation's dietary guidelines. The federal guide, which currently runs 164 pages, is used by everything from schools to doctors' offices to determine what students eat, what patients are recommended and what can be bought on food stamps. Kennedy has repeatedly said he wants the document to be chopped down to 'four page(s)' of plain language that is easy for parents, nurses and schools to use and that the update will also be delivered this summer. The current guide, Kennedy told reporters in April, 'looks like it was written by the food processing industry.' Yet it's not all up to Kennedy. The dietary guidelines are a joint project between HHS and the US Department of Agriculture, which also oversees vast parts of America's food systems and nutrition programs. The jurisdictions of the two agencies is not straightforward and can be at times downright confusing. For example, the Food and Drug Administration or FDA, a part of HHS, regulates health standards for sandwiches, but the USDA oversees the standards for open-face meat sandwiches. FDA oversees meat products made from bison, antelope, squirrels, opossums, rabbits, and an array of wild poultry but, USDA has control over farm and factory-raised ducks, geese, chicken, and other domestic poultry. Wild duck and geese food safety, on the other hand, are still managed by the FDA. USDA oversees most livestock meat products while the FDA regulates fish — except catfish. That fish officially moved over to USDA's purview in 2016, after domestic catfish farmers lobbied Congress for more safety oversight. Importantly, USDA is also in charge of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides food stamps to low-income Americans. Kennedy has campaigned for barring Americans from using food stamps to buy soda and candy, triggering backlash from industry groups including the American Beverage Association — which pointed out SNAP isn't part of the HHS secretary's job. All this would make the situation seem ripe for conflict. The health and agriculture agencies 'have a huge overlap,' but previous clashes have usually been about food safety issues, said Marion Nestle, a New York University professor emerita, and author of the book 'Food Politics.' 'It's never been a problem before, because nobody's ever tried to do anything like this before,' she said, referring to the large-scale reforms Kennedy is proposing. Amid these overlapping factors and interests, some lobbyists think they can find better luck with the USDA and its secretary Brooke Rollins, according to people familiar with discussions. She has already sought to reassure farmers and food manufacturers who objected to the first MAHA report that its finding were not final. 'There's no doubt that we could do better on the next report, and my commitment is to do everything I can to ensure that our 'Ag' community is better represented,' Rollins told the House Agriculture Committee this month. Rollins, a longtime Trump ally who grew up on a Texas farm, is 'savvy' when it comes to navigating Kennedy's MAHA goals, said one person familiar with the discussions. 'She's not gonna let somebody roll her over if she really cares about it.' CNN has reached out to HHS and the USDA for comment.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Agriculture pick confirmed as president racks up Cabinet wins
President Donald Trump secured two more Cabinet confirmations on Thursday, including his pick to lead the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brooke Rollins. Rollins was easily confirmed by the Senate shortly after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Trump's Health secretary. Most recently, Rollins has served as president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute think tank, which she co-founded after Trump's first term. In Trump's first administration, she was his director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council. Tulsi Gabbard Sworn In At White House Hours After Senate Confirmation The newly elected president announced his selection of Rollins for USDA chief in November, recalling she did "an incredible job" during his first term. "Brooke's commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none," he said. Read On The Fox News App Doge 'Playbook' Unveiled By Gop Senator As Musk-led Agency Shakes Up Federal Government "As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are truly the backbone of our Country. Congratulations Brooke!" The USDA nominee had a hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee last month, before advancing past the key hurdle. Dem Looks To Codify New Ag Bondi's Desired Crackdown On 'Zombie Drug' Xylazine The committee decision to move her nomination forward was unanimous, giving her bipartisan backing going into her confirmation vote. Rollins is now the 16th Cabinet official confirmed to serve in Trump's new administration. With the help of the Republican-led Senate, Trump has managed to confirm his picks at a pace far ahead of either his first administration or former President Joe Biden's. Trump Lands Key Tulsi Gabbard Confirmation Following Uphill Senate Battle At the same point in his first term, Trump only had 11 confirmations and Biden had seven. Neither had 16 confirmed until March during their respective article source: Trump Agriculture pick confirmed as president racks up Cabinet wins
Fox News
13-02-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Trump Agriculture pick confirmed as president racks up Cabinet wins
President Donald Trump secured two more Cabinet confirmations on Thursday, including his pick to lead the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brooke Rollins. Rollins was easily confirmed by the Senate shortly after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Trump's Health secretary. Most recently, Rollins has served as president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) think tank, which she co-founded after Trump's first term. In Trump's first administration, she was his director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council. The newly elected president announced his selection of Rollins for USDA chief in November, recalling she did "an incredible job" during his first term. "Brooke's commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none," he said. "As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are truly the backbone of our Country. Congratulations Brooke!" The USDA nominee had a hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee last month, before advancing past the key hurdle. The committee decision to move her nomination forward was unanimous, giving her bipartisan backing going into her confirmation vote. Rollins is now the 16th Cabinet official confirmed to serve in Trump's new administration. With the help of the Republican-led Senate, Trump has managed to confirm his picks at a pace far ahead of either his first administration or former President Joe Biden's. At the same point in his first term, Trump only had 11 confirmations and Biden had seven. Neither had 16 confirmed until March during their respective administrations.
