Last year, the top trending food story in the U.S., according to research group Hunter, was the outcry over plastic straws, and how they're disposed of (generally, poorly). Brands from Starbucks to McDonald's to American Airlines announced plans to drop single-use plastic straws, unless they were requsted.
But this year? The pendulum swung in the othe direction and Hunter said the No. 5 hottest trending food story was the "downside of ditching plastic straws."
"Champions of the disabled community expressed concern about the negative impact straw bans can have on those with physical limitations," Hunter noted. "Restaurants and bars that sought to comply with plastic straw laws found significant increases in overhead costs due to the high price of sustainable alternatives, many of which have proven to not be significantly eco-friendlier than the plastic straws in question."
The top trending story for 2019? The competition to see which fast food joint serves the best fried chicken sandwich.