Coffee & Tea Festival

The 9th annual Coffee & Tea Festival NYC will take place from Sat. 3/22-Sun 3/23 at the 69th Regiment Armory. Featured on Food Network’s Unwrapped, the festival will exhibit over 60 international tea and coffee varietals, and tastings will be available along with complementary (and complimentary) food. As per request, the 2014 lineup will showcase more coffee than prior years. Tickets are on sale now.

FDA Plans to Ban Antibiotics in Food-Producing Livestock

The FDA admitted that, “Because antimicrobial drug use in both humans and animals can contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance, it is important to use these drugs only when medically necessary.” While this truism is not new to most people, it’s important that the FDA is now catching on and planning to take action, as they’ve been under pressure from consumer groups and members of Congress. Drug makers have 90 days to say whether they’ll comply, and then three years to do something.

Restaurants including McDonald’s have already begun transitioning away from antibiotic-treated meat— that is animals that were treated with antibiotics for growth purposes. Tyson Foods also launched a line of antibiotic-free fresh and frozen poultry products and supports “responsible use” of antibiotics by its purveyors.