As I wrote back in December, the smashburger craze isn’t just a food trend — it’s an economic indicator. Restaurants are stretching their beef the same way Depression-era diners stretched theirs with slugburgers: using less beef per patty and calling it a feature, not a concession. Since then, the picture has only gotten worse.
Ground-beef prices are up 17% year-over-year. The U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest point in 75 years. The White House is signing executive orders to boost imports. Senate Democrats want to break up the meatpacking industry. Everyone in Washington has a theory about who to blame. But there’s a more interesting question hiding in plain sight: If beef is this expensive, why isn’t the supposed alternative winning?
Read Full Article: https://conservativeinstitute.org/articles/daniel-vaughan-americans-will-pay-record-beef-prices-before-theyll-try-plant-based-meat.htm
