Consumer Reports tested seven cottage cheese brands and found that two 2% tubs rose to the top. Its updated August 21, 2026 analysis highlighted Daisy Low Fat 2% Milkfat Small Curd and Breakstone’s 2% Milkfat Lowfat Small Curd as the highest-rated overall picks.

The two tubs that led Consumer Reports’ taste test

The key correction for shoppers is simple: Daisy was not the lone winner. Consumer Reports named two top picks in its blind taste test of seven brands, and both were 2% cottage cheeses. Food & Wine later summarized those results in October 2026, helping bring the findings to a broader grocery audience.

According to Consumer Reports, Daisy Low Fat 2% Milkfat Small Curd stood out for a savory flavor, a slight natural milk sweetness, uniform curds, and a firmer texture. The publication also noted its short ingredient list, which aligns with the appeal of simpler dairy products for many shoppers.

Breakstone’s 2% Milkfat Lowfat Small Curd joined Daisy at the top. Consumer Reports described it as the best traditional-style option, praising its creamy, buttery flavor and light tang. The report also noted that tapioca starch gives Breakstone’s a somewhat thicker texture than some rivals.

That split result matters in the grocery aisle because the two winners are not interchangeable in style. Daisy appears to suit shoppers who want a slightly firmer curd and cleaner ingredient panel, while Breakstone’s may appeal more to buyers looking for a classic creamy cottage cheese experience.

What Consumer Reports said about the rest of the field

The tasting covered seven brands, and Consumer Reports said the results discussed were for their 2% versions when identifying the overall leaders. In addition to Daisy and Breakstone’s, the publication called out Good Culture Organic 2% Low-Fat Classic Small Curd as especially good for spreading because of its dense, ricotta-like texture.

Nancy’s Organic Probiotic Lowfat 2% Milkfat was singled out for being very tangy. That makes it a more specific pick than an all-purpose winner, especially for shoppers who want a cottage cheese that can stand in for cream cheese or bring more acidity to a dish.

Consumer Reports also evaluated 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Lowfat 1.5% Milkfat, Hood Lowfat 1% Milkfat Small Curd, and Great Value Lowfat 2% Milkfat Small Curd. According to the report, those products contained more than one stabilizer or other additive, though the publication still said it did not find any major problems with the seven brands overall.

That nuance is useful for home cooks. The report did not present the lower-ranked tubs as bad products. Instead, it framed the differences mostly around taste, texture, and ingredient preferences, which is often exactly how shoppers choose among plain cottage cheeses.

What this means for shoppers buying cottage cheese now

For anyone standing in front of the dairy case, the Consumer Reports takeaway is less about chasing a single “best” tub and more about choosing the style you like. If you prefer savory flavor, slight sweetness, and firmer, uniform curds, Daisy is one of the publication’s two top picks. If you want a creamier, more buttery and traditional profile, Breakstone’s is the other.

Ingredient details also matter here. Daisy’s ingredient list includes cultured skim milk, cream, and salt, which helps explain why it is often grouped with simpler formulations. Breakstone’s thicker feel, by contrast, was tied by Consumer Reports to the inclusion of tapioca starch.

Consumer Reports nutritionist Amy Keating also offered practical advice that is easy to use at home: buy plain cottage cheese and add fruit yourself instead of choosing presweetened versions. That lets shoppers control sweetness and keep the base product more versatile for breakfast bowls, snacks, and savory lunches.

The broader result is a helpful one for families and home cooks. Consumer Reports did not say every shopper should buy the same tub, but it did narrow the field to two strong 2% options that stand out for different reasons. That makes the next cottage cheese purchase a little easier.

Tropic’s non-browning banana has cleared a key commercial hurdle overseas. On April 10, 2026, the U.K. agricultural biotechnology company said Japan and Brazil approved the fruit for import, sale, and consumption, while Brazil also cleared it for cultivation.

For shoppers and home cooks, the pitch is simple: a banana that looks like a standard Cavendish after peeling or slicing, but is designed to stay visually fresh longer. Tropic says that could make bananas easier to use in fruit salads, breakfast pots, and other prepared foods that usually discolor fast.

What Japan and Brazil approved

Tropic announced the approvals on April 10, 2026, and said they allow the banana to be imported, sold, and consumed in both Japan and Brazil. The company also said the fruit can be grown in Brazil, which matters because Brazil is both a major producer and a major consumer of bananas.

The company framed the two decisions as a milestone for a product it says is already part of a broader international regulatory push. According to Tropic, its banana products now have regulatory determinations, notifications, or exemptions in eleven countries, including the United States, Canada, and the Philippines.

That does not mean the banana is suddenly on shelves everywhere. Regulatory approval and commercial rollout are not always the same thing, and availability can vary by market, importer, and supply chain plans. Tropic’s own announcement focused on the legal clearance in Japan and Brazil, not a specific store launch schedule for consumers in those countries.

What was changed in the banana

Reporting from The Guardian says Tropic used CRISPR-Cas9 to alter all three copies of one gene in the Cavendish banana, reducing production of the browning enzyme polyphenol oxidase. That is the enzyme tied to the quick browning people see when a banana is peeled, sliced, or bruised.

Tropic says the result is a banana with the same taste and texture consumers expect, while staying fresh-looking longer after cutting. Food and lifestyle coverage published October 8, 2026, similarly reported the company’s claim that the fruit stays firm and yellow after peeling and slicing while retaining the taste, texture, and aroma of a standard Cavendish banana.

The waste-reduction claims need careful wording. Tropic has said the banana could cut food waste and carbon dioxide emissions along the supply chain by more than 25%, but that is the company’s estimate, not a measured result from broad commercial use across multiple markets.

Why the U.K. update matters too

The banana picked up another notable regulatory milestone in England on September 25, 2026, when Defra published a precision-bred organism marketing notice for a banana plant under reference PBM/26/MUAC/001. That confirmed precision-bred status under England’s framework, but it did not equal final food market authorization.

The Guardian reported on September 28, 2026, that this precision-bred status is only one of two major requirements before the product can be placed on the market in England. The next step is review by the Food Standards Agency, which handles food authorization. As of that report, no precision-bred organisms had been granted market authorization for sale in England.

That distinction matters because headlines can make the fruit sound closer to checkout lanes than it is. The U.K. development shows the banana is moving through a newer regulatory system, but the Japan and Brazil approvals remain the clearest confirmed green lights for import, sale, and consumption right now. The broader appeal is easy to see: The Guardian, citing a government study, reported that about 1.4 million edible bananas are thrown away every day in Britain alone.

Aldi’s Halloween cheese is back in the current Aldi Finds cycle, and the timing matters. The retailer’s official “This Week’s ALDI Finds” page lists the selling window as October 7, 2026 through October 13, 2026, while third-party coverage shows some shoppers first saw the related ad on September 30.

The date shoppers should pay attention to

The clearest current source is Aldi’s own weekly finds page. It lists “This Week’s ALDI Finds” for October 7, 2026 through October 13, 2026, which is the active shopping window for this batch of limited-run products. That distinction clears up a common point of confusion around Aldi’s seasonal drops.

The September 30 date appears to be tied to ad visibility and early coverage, not the full October 7 through October 13 selling period itself. Aldi Reviewer’s coverage of the September 30 ad says the Emporium Selection Halloween Cheese was advertised for stores on that date, and a separate Aldi Reviewer roundup for the October 7 ad covers the next week’s finds and other seasonal products. Read together, those sources suggest shoppers may have seen the item in previews before the current in-store week.

That lines up with how Aldi Finds typically work. Aldi’s official page describes Aldi Finds as limited items that “won’t be here for long,” which matters for a product like seasonal novelty cheese that is usually tied to a short Halloween run. If a shopper is trying to find it now, the October 7 through October 13 window is the date range with the strongest current confirmation.

What the cheese lineup includes

Third-party product roundups provide the most specific item details available in readable search results. Aldi Reviewer says the Emporium Selection Halloween Cheese assortment includes Bat Knit Crazy Cheddar, a 5.3-ounce aged cheddar, Freaky Franken Sage Derby, a 7-ounce mild Derby cheese with dried sage, Pumpkin Spice Wensleydale Cheese, a 6-ounce cheese flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and Death by Garlic Black Garlic Cheddar Cheese, a 6-ounce cheddar.

Aldi Reviewer also says the assortment is an Aldi Find, meaning it is sold for a short time and stores generally receive limited quantities. Chowhound separately reported that the Halloween cheeses were available beginning September 30 and listed the same themed flavors, which helps confirm that the cheese assortment was part of Aldi’s fall seasonal lineup.

Pricing can vary by year and source, so it is worth being precise. Aldi Reviewer’s current-season ad roundup lists Emporium Selection Halloween Cheese at $4.49 for 5.3 to 7 ounces in the September 30, 2026 weekly ad coverage. Older 2024 coverage from the same outlet lists $4.29, so shoppers should rely on the 2026 ad reporting rather than older roundups when comparing this season’s price.

Why this matters beyond the novelty factor

The cheese twist is that Aldi is using Halloween shapes, names, and wax coatings to turn a familiar charcuterie staple into a seasonal centerpiece. That can make a practical difference for home cooks, because these cheeses do not need much help to become a party plate. Crackers, apple slices, grapes, toasted nuts, or a small dish of fig jam are enough to turn one or two wedges into a Halloween snack board.

The flavored options also give shoppers a mix of savory and sweeter directions. A garlic cheddar or sage Derby can fit into a sandwich board or simple appetizer spread, while the pumpkin spice Wensleydale leans more toward fall snacking with fruit bread, ginger cookies, or sliced pears. Those uses are based on the flavor profiles described in the product coverage, not on any serving guidance Aldi has publicly posted in the sourced material reviewed here.

For shoppers still trying to track it down, the safest takeaway is simple. Look for the assortment as part of the October 7 to October 13 Aldi Finds set, and keep expectations flexible because Aldi describes Finds as limited-time items that may not stay in stock for long.

Georgia drivers finally have a narrower timeline for the state’s next Buc-ee’s. Hiring materials for the Monroe County project near Forsyth now point to a late summer 2027 opening, which is more specific than the broader 2027 window that had circulated before.

What the new opening timeline says

The clearest new signal comes from Buc-ee’s job recruiting. A WorkSource Georgia posting says Buc-ee’s is “coming to Monroe County, Georgia” and states the store is opening in late summer 2027. The listing is for management hiring, including food service related roles, which suggests the company is starting to build leadership well ahead of launch.

That still is not the same as a grand opening announcement. Neither the WorkSource posting nor Monroe County’s public materials give a specific day or week for doors to open. Construction schedules can shift, so late summer 2027 is best read as the current target, not a fixed ribbon-cutting date.

The timeline matters because this store has been discussed for a while with only a general 2027 expectation. The new hiring language gives road-trippers and local shoppers a more realistic sense of when the store could start serving the I-75 corridor. For anyone planning regular drives between metro Atlanta, Macon, and Florida, that is a more useful marker than a vague year alone.

Where the Monroe County Buc-ee’s is taking shape

The Monroe County location is under construction near Interstate 75 and Rumble Road, close to Forsyth. Monroe County said Buc-ee’s held its groundbreaking on April 7, 2026, with company founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin III and local officials attending. County and development authority materials describe the site as just west of I-75 at the Rumble Road exit.

Local officials have also outlined the scale of the project. Monroe County’s groundbreaking announcement said plans call for a roughly 74,000-square-foot store with about 100 fueling positions. That would make it a major new stop for drivers moving through one of Georgia’s busiest north-south travel corridors.

Road work has been part of the picture too. Monroe County meeting records say right-of-way tied to the project was accepted as construction moved ahead, and earlier county records described planned improvements along Rumble Road tied to the future Buc-ee’s entrance. Those site and traffic pieces help explain why the opening remains well into 2027 rather than arriving sooner.

What it means for Georgia travelers and Buc-ee’s fans

When it opens, the Monroe County store is expected to become Buc-ee’s fourth Georgia location. County and development authority materials say the chain already operates in the Warner Robins and Fort Valley area, Adairsville, and Brunswick. That would give Buc-ee’s another prominent Georgia stop on I-75, adding to its growing footprint in the state.

For food focused travelers, Buc-ee’s openings tend to matter because the stores function as more than gas stops. Management hiring for deli and food service roles signals that prepared food will be a major part of the operation from day one, even if the company has not yet released store specific menu details for Monroe County.

The practical takeaway is simple: the Monroe County Buc-ee’s is moving forward, but not as soon as some drivers may have hoped. The most current public timeline points to late summer 2027, and there is still no specific grand opening date. If you’re watching this one for future I-75 snack runs, the safest expectation is that it remains a next-year project after most of 2027 has already passed.

A pantry candy should do more than taste good for five minutes. It should be easy to snack on, useful in baking, and flexible enough to finish ice cream, brownies, or a last-minute cookie tray.

That standard is where some M&M’s flavors clearly pull ahead. It is also where a few flashy varieties start to look much less essential.

The best pantry M&M’s are the ones that do several jobs well

For everyday use, four varieties stand out: Milk Chocolate, Peanut, Minis, and Peanut Butter. This is not a lab-tested ranking, but a practical pantry framework based on versatility. If a candy works straight from the bag, folds cleanly into baked goods, and can top desserts without overwhelming them, it earns its keep.

Milk Chocolate remains the baseline because it is the most adaptable flavor in the lineup. Mars still sells it as a core variety, and it fits almost any use case, from movie-night snacking to cookie dough mix-ins. Its flavor is familiar and balanced, which matters when you want chocolate candy to complement, rather than dominate, a recipe.

Peanut M&M’s deserve equal consideration because texture counts in pantry usefulness. Mars describes them as roasted peanuts with milk chocolate in a candy shell, and that sweet-salty crunch gives them broader range than plain candy alone. They work by the handful, in trail mix, and chopped over sundaes or snack boards without feeling too dessert-specific.

Minis and Peanut Butter round out the strongest group for different reasons. Minis are especially convenient in cookies, bars, and layered desserts because their smaller size spreads more evenly, a quality reflected in Mars recipe collections that feature them across cupcakes, cookie dough jars, and no-bake bars. Peanut Butter M&M’s, made with real peanut butter according to the brand, are richer and more assertive, but still highly usable when you want a softer center and a stronger nutty note.

The middle tier is fine for variety, but weaker for everyday use

Caramel M&M’s are enjoyable, but they are not quite as dependable in a pantry as the top group. Mars continues to offer caramel as a standard flavor, and the appeal is obvious: chewy texture, milk chocolate, and a more indulgent feel than the classics. The drawback is that caramel makes the candy more specific in use, which narrows its range.

That same issue applies even more strongly to Caramel Cold Brew. It is still listed on the M&M’s flavor page, and it delivers a coffee-shop sweetness that some shoppers will love. But a candy with a distinct cold brew profile is naturally less universal than Milk Chocolate or Peanut, especially if children are sharing desserts or if you want one bag that works across many recipes.

These are best viewed as occasional buys, not pantry anchors. A caramel-centered candy can be great in cookies or as an ice cream topping, but it also shifts the flavor of the entire dessert much faster. In other words, these flavors are good when you want a specific effect, not when you want maximum flexibility.

That distinction matters because the strongest pantry candy is not necessarily the boldest one. It is the one you can reach for repeatedly without having to design the whole dessert around it. On that measure, caramel flavors remain useful, just not essential.

Novelty flavors are fun, but they are rarely the smartest pantry purchase

The clearest example is Peanut Butter & Jelly M&M’s. Mars describes the product as combining creamy peanut butter and sweet jelly flavors with milk chocolate and a candy shell. That does not make it bad; it simply makes it much more particular, with a sweet-fruity profile that will divide people who prefer classic chocolate flavors.

The same caution applies to dessert-inspired releases more broadly. The current M&M’s assortment includes attention-grabbing options such as Bakery Collection Lemon Meringue Pie and Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll in its flavor-vote offerings. These are built to spark curiosity, and they can absolutely be enjoyable, but they are harder to repurpose once the novelty wears off.

A lemon-meringue or cinnamon-roll candy may suit a themed dessert, yet it is less likely to become the bag you keep rebuying for cookies, brownie batter, and casual snacking. That is the real difference between a pantry staple and a limited-mission treat. Versatility, not spectacle, is what makes a candy worth permanent shelf space.

One recent Mars development is worth noting only as broader context: the company announced in 2026 that new options made without FD&C colors would begin rolling out for select products, including M&M’s, through Amazon. That is notable for product development, but it does not change the basic pantry ranking. The most versatile flavors are still the classics, and the smartest buy is usually the one you can use in three different ways before the bag is empty.

Before cans, cartons, and plastic took over, bottles did more than hold liquid. They trained American habits, built trust, and quietly told consumers what kind of drink belonged in daily life.

How the bottle became part of the drink

In the United States, the bottle was never just packaging. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, advances in commercial milk bottling, pasteurization equipment, refrigerated transport, and automatic bottling helped turn fragile, perishable drinks into dependable staples, according to the USDA National Agricultural Library. That shift mattered because the container became a public signal of safety as much as convenience.

Milk bottles were especially powerful in that regard. Early home-delivery bottles were typically clear, reusable, and marked for specific dairies, making them part of a local trust system as much as a distribution network. The Society for Historical Archaeology notes that milk bottles later adopted applied color labels, or ACL, beginning commercially in the United States around 1933, helping dairies identify ownership and standardize branding across routes.

Soft drinks followed a similar logic, but with greater emphasis on recognition at speed. William Painter’s crown cap, documented by the Lemelson-MIT program, helped standardize sealed carbonated beverages by requiring bottle finishes designed for the cap’s grip. Thick-walled returnable soda bottles then became built objects of routine: buy, drink, return, repeat. For generations, Americans learned to think of beverages not as disposable servings, but as goods circulating through neighborhood stores, delivery systems, and deposits.

The shapes Americans learned to recognize instantly

Some bottles became so familiar that the shape itself did the advertising. Coca-Cola’s contour bottle is the clearest example. The Coca-Cola Company says its bottlers sought a container in 1915 that people could recognize in the dark or even from broken pieces, and the Root Glass design was patented that November. Smithsonian collections and National Archives material both show how that design became one of the most recognizable drink packages in the country.

That success changed more than branding. It taught companies that a bottle could carry identity without needing a full label, and it trained consumers to associate contour, weight, and grip with authenticity. For decades, glass bottles on soda fountains and store shelves were tactile proof that a drink was the “real thing,” not an imitator.

Condiment bottles reinforced similar habits around taste and purity. Heinz built its reputation in part by putting products in clear glass so customers could judge quality for themselves, and the company’s own history points to Henry Heinz’s early use of transparent bottles to showcase purity. The keystone-shaped Heinz identity and later octagonal ketchup bottle showed how even non-beverage glassware influenced drinking culture by normalizing the idea that bottle design could stand for honesty, consistency, and brand memory.

Why these bottles mattered long after their heyday

Old-school bottles also reflected law, public health, and the changing economics of American drinking. After Prohibition ended, liquor bottles carried the warning “Federal Law Forbids Sale or Re-Use of This Bottle,” a requirement dated by the Society for Historical Archaeology to 1935. The message was practical: the government wanted to curb refilling and bootleg misuse, but the result was cultural too. The bottle itself became part of the nation’s attempt to rebuild trust in legal alcohol.

By the postwar decades, however, the logic of returnable glass began to weaken. Archaeological packaging records show that by 1978, 62% of soft drink bottles, 89% of beer bottles, and 98% of milk containers were non-returnable. That was not simply a materials change. It marked the fading of a system in which bottles moved back and forth between household and producer, carrying local identity with them.

Even now, their influence lingers. Clorox’s historical materials show how bottle dating and form became part of consumer literacy, while collectors still use embossed marks, ACL graphics, and closure styles to read everyday history. These bottles shaped how Americans drank because they taught generations to trust by touch, to notice the vessel as part of the product, and to see packaging as a promise long before modern branding said the same thing out loud.

KFC has launched a new snack-sized menu item called Go Buckets, with prices starting at $3.49 at participating restaurants in the U.S. The chain introduced the item on October 5, 2026, positioning it as a smaller, portable option for diners who want chicken without buying a full meal.

What KFC Is Selling in the New Go Buckets

According to KFC’s October 5 announcement, Go Buckets pair a portion of chicken with a potato side in a container designed to fit into a standard car cupholder. The company said the lineup is meant for snacking and other eating occasions beyond the usual lunch and dinner routine.

KFC said Go Buckets start at $3.49, though the company marked that as a starting price, which means final pricing can vary by item or location. Food Network also reported that the buckets became available beginning the week of October 5 at participating KFC restaurants nationwide.

The options named in KFC’s announcement include:

• Popcorn Chicken Go Bucket

• Nugget Go Bucket

• Tender Go Bucket

• Wing Go Bucket

KFC said each Go Bucket includes chicken with either seasoned fries or potato wedges. Reporting from The Fast Food Post and Nation’s Restaurant News matched those core details and noted that the launch brings a format already used in some international markets to U.S. customers

Why the Price Is Getting Attention

The starting price is the biggest reason this launch stands out. At $3.49, KFC is entering the small-ticket value space that many chains have been chasing as diners look for cheaper, flexible orders instead of full combo meals.

KFC framed the launch around convenience as much as price. In the company announcement, KFC U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Cash said, “People want food to fit into their day, not the other way around.” The company also said it wanted to offer a format that works for snacking moments and on-the-go eating.

That matters because Go Buckets are not being marketed as a large meal replacement. The portion size and packaging point to a quick snack, a smaller lunch, or an add-on order. For shoppers and families watching restaurant spending, that makes the item easier to compare with other low-cost fast-food stops.

Restaurant Dive reported that the launch also fits into KFC’s broader value push. Recent offers cited by trade coverage have included other lower-priced and bundle-focused deals, suggesting KFC is trying to give customers more entry points at different spending levels.

Where to Find Them and What to Know Before Ordering

KFC said Go Buckets are available at participating KFC restaurants in the U.S. That participation language matters, because it means not every store is guaranteed to carry every option or the same price. If a specific bucket matters to you, checking availability with your local restaurant before ordering is the safest move.

The launch appears to be current, not a recycled or outdated promotion. KFC issued the announcement on October 5, 2026, and multiple recent food and restaurant outlets published matching reports during the same week, confirming the rollout timing and the $3.49 starting price.

For anyone deciding whether this is actually a budget order, the practical takeaway is pretty simple. Go Buckets look aimed at people who want a smaller portion of fried chicken with fries or wedges, without stepping up to a bigger combo or family bucket. If that is the kind of order you make, this is one of KFC’s newest lower-priced menu additions, at least where participating locations are offering it.

Row 7’s latest potato is already pushing a familiar staple in a new direction. The company’s Poulette potato reached about 60 Whole Foods Market stores in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut on September 22, giving shoppers a chance to buy a variety that Row 7 and chef Dan Barber say was built around flavor, not just yield or shelf life.

What makes Poulette different

According to Row 7, Poulette is a potato “more than a decade in the making,” with roots in a 2013 conversation between French chef Michel Bras and Cornell potato breeder Dr. Walter De Jong. On Row 7’s trace page for the variety, the company says Bras talked about a favorite French potato called Institut de Beauvais, which De Jong then crossed with a classic New York potato. Row 7 says the result is savory, rich, and deeply roasty.

That flavor profile is the heart of the pitch. On Row 7’s product page, the company describes Poulette as savory, nutty, and full of roasted flavor, with a creamy yet delicately floury texture suited to baking, frying, and mashing. In reporting published October 9 by AOL, based on Food & Wine interviews, Barber said the potato delivers “a savory depth I’ve never tasted in a potato” and compared its flavor to roast chicken.

The breeding story also helps explain why chefs are paying attention. AOL reported that the first cross was made in early 2014, and that Cornell’s program kept selecting for looks, starch content, defect resistance, pest and disease resistance, maturity timing, yield, and then flavor. Row 7 says Poulette was tested for years through its Trial Network, a participatory group of more than 150 chefs and farmers that gave feedback on where the potato thrives and how it performs in kitchens.

Where it’s being sold, and what shoppers can expect

For now, the retail footprint is limited. Row 7’s product page says Poulette is available at Whole Foods Market stores in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and available from September through March. AOL, citing Food & Wine reporting, said the rollout covers roughly 60 Whole Foods stores across the tri-state area and listed the price at $6 per bag.

Row 7 also says the potatoes are 100% organic, and its trace page says the seed potatoes were produced organically in New York. The company says it partnered with a network of organic farmers to bring the variety to market. AOL’s report named Red Hill Farms in Pennsylvania and Norwich Meadows Farm in New York as grower partners, though Row 7’s own public product page does not list farm names on the sales page.

That matters for home cooks because this is not being marketed as a novelty with one narrow use. Row 7 says Poulette works for baking, frying, or mashed potatoes, while AOL’s reporting expanded that list to roasting, boiling, and pommes aligot. The season window through March also suggests this is a cool-weather produce item, not a one-week limited drop.

Why chefs are rethinking the potato

The bigger idea behind Poulette is that a potato can be bred the way chefs talk about tomatoes, peaches, or apples, with specific attention to aroma, texture, and finish. Barber told Food & Wine that many modern potatoes were selected for yield, uniformity, and shelf life rather than flavor. Poulette, by contrast, is being presented as a new variety that tries to balance field performance with a stronger eating experience.

That argument fits Row 7’s broader model. The company says it works with chefs, farmers, and plant breeders to develop vegetables for taste, then bring them into grocery retail with regional growers. Poulette seems to be one of the clearest examples yet of that seed-to-store approach, because the story starts with chef preference, moves through Cornell breeding work, and ends with a supermarket launch.

For shoppers, the practical takeaway is simple. If you live in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut and spot Poulette at Whole Foods, expect a potato being sold on flavor as much as function. Row 7 says the variety is available through March, and Barber’s advice in the Food & Wine reporting was to keep the first try simple, roast it or bake it, so the potato can speak for itself.

Whole Foods Market shoppers are starting to see a less familiar plant milk on shelves. New Barn Organics said on September 29, 2026, that its new Buckwheat Milk is rolling out at regional Whole Foods Market stores.

Where the rollout is happening

According to New Barn Organics, the product is rolling out at Whole Foods Market stores in the Southern Pacific, Northern California, Southwest, Rocky Mountain, and Florida regions. The company said the rollout began September 29, 2026, and described it as a regional launch rather than a chainwide release.

That matters because the headline claim can easily sound broader than the source material supports. Whole Foods did not publish a newsroom release saying every store is stocking it, and New Barn’s own announcement names five regional divisions, not all stores in every U.S. market.

The product comes from a partnership between New Barn Organics and BAM the Brand, which previously developed buckwheat-based plant milk. New Barn said it acquired BAM’s buckwheat milk recipes and is now bringing the product to market under the New Barn brand.

Lisa Tosun, Emerging Brands Forager for Whole Foods Market, said in the company announcement that BAM had joined Whole Foods Market’s Local and Emerging Accelerator Program in 2023 and was paired with New Barn as a mentor. That partnership later grew into this retail launch.

What makes this milk unusual

Buckwheat may sound like a grain, but the Associated Press noted that its seeds are more akin to a fruit rather than a grain despite the name. In grocery terms, though, it will still read as an unusual base for plant milk compared with almond, soy, oat, or coconut options.

New Barn describes the milk as made with Regenerative Organic Certified buckwheat sourced from the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. On its product page, the company says the milk is intended for coffee, smoothies, soups, baking, or drinking cold.

The company also lists several product attributes that may catch shoppers’ attention in the plant milk aisle:

• Regenerative Organic Certified®

• Certified organic

• Nut Free

• Dairy-free

• Whole30 Approved

• Non-GMO Project verified

• Kosher

In its September 29 announcement, New Barn also said the buckwheat milk is gluten-free and Certified Seed Oil Free. The company called it the first New Barn SKU built from the ground up as Regenerative Organic Certified.

Why this product is showing up now

The rollout is part of a larger effort to build more uses for buckwheat in American food. The Associated Press reported this week that BAM founder Paige Hansen developed a buckwheat-based alternative milk after dealing with a dairy allergy and later partnered with New Barn Organics to launch it in Whole Foods Market stores this month.

AP also reported that Hansen has been working to expand the market for buckwheat and encourage more farmers to plant it. The story said partnering with a larger brand allowed her to triple the amount of buckwheat she was buying from farmers.

For home cooks, the practical takeaway is simple: this is a new option for anyone looking beyond the usual plant milks, especially shoppers who want a nut-free choice. New Barn’s online product page says the milk is now available in stores, while online orders are coming soon.

Price is one detail shoppers should not assume from the company website. New Barn lists a $39.00 price for a six-pack on its own site, but that is not a sourced Whole Foods shelf price, so it should not be treated as the in-store retail price at Whole Foods.

A corner store in Burbank is drawing attention for doing the opposite of what most convenience stores do. Instead of blending in, Horror Boodega is built to unsettle, using horror-movie props, themed food, and a deliberately creepy layout to turn snack shopping into an attraction.

What Horror Boodega Actually Sells

Horror Boodega is located on Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, California, and owner Erick Yaro Wessel describes it as an all-horror convenience store. Food & Wine reported on October 4, 2026 that the shop sells snacks, drinks, and memorabilia inspired by Halloween and scary movies, and that it operates year-round rather than only during the fall season.

The inventory mixes regular packaged food with products tied to horror fandom and nostalgia. According to Food & Wine, shoppers can find pumpkin- and ghost-shaped SpaghettiOs, Oreos with orange-colored creme, Twinkies, Zagnut bars, Baby Ruth bars, horror-themed hot sauces, barbecue sauce inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and flavored coffee from Catfight Coffee. The same report says canned drinks include the Halloween II Slay All Day Energy Drink, while the shop also carries beverages such as Brainwash Soda and Corpse Reviver.

That product mix matters because the store is not positioned as a place for routine grocery shopping. Food & Wine noted that shoppers are not going there for staples like milk, bread, or produce. Instead, the draw is the crossover between food, collectibles, and movie references, which gives home cooks and snack shoppers a place to pick up novelty pantry items for parties, themed movie nights, or seasonal gift baskets.

Why the Store Feels So Unnerving

The shop’s “secret” is not hidden stock in the back. It is the design itself. Food & Wine reported that Horror Boodega is an immersive experience with photo ops throughout the store, including an oversized television-frame installation and a neon sign quoting Scream. The article says the decor pulls heavily from retro 1980s horror toys and cartoons, with memorabilia and VHS tapes reinforcing the effect.

That design is intentional, and it helps explain why the place feels less like a standard bodega and more like a set. Wessel told Food & Wine that he originally wanted to open an immersive horror restaurant, but the cost of building a full kitchen pushed him toward a smaller-format food business. The LA Globe, citing reporting from the Los Angeles Times, said he spent six years looking for the right space and opened the Burbank original in late 2024 after scaling the concept down to a snack shop.

The unsettling details go beyond lighting and props. The LA Globe reported that a hidden button near the store’s Alien wall triggers an alarm modeled on the self-destruct warning from Nostromo, the spaceship in Alien. It also reported that large sculptures inside the shop came from past Mystic Museum exhibits. That helps explain why first-time visitors may read the space as part corner store, part exhibit, and part haunted attraction.

What It Means for Shoppers Now

For shoppers, Horror Boodega works best as a destination stop rather than a grocery errand. Food & Wine reported that many visitors come from the nearby cluster of year-round spooky businesses known locally as Horror Row, and that some customers are drawn by the food itself while others come for the decor and nostalgia. Wessel told the magazine that some guests do not realize at first that the merchandise is actually for sale.

The store’s assortment also changes with the season. The LA Globe reported that the shop may carry about 200 items in the off-season and as many as 2,000 in the fall. That means selection can vary widely depending on when shoppers visit, especially if they are hoping to find a specific movie-linked snack, candy, or drink.

The business is also expanding. The LA Globe reported on October 4, 2026 that Wessel has signed a lease for a smaller outpost at Wunderkammer at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, with an opening planned later this year. For now, the original Burbank store at 3116 W. Magnolia Blvd. remains the main reference point, a place where the food is real, the mood is intentionally creepy, and the shelf appeal comes from making shoppers feel slightly on edge.