Dying to try lion? If you live in Illinois, you'd better get your fix quickly before proposed legislation would make the "mane" course a Class A misdemeanor.

Illinois State Representative Luis Arroyo proposed HB 2991 to the state's General Assembly last month. If the Lion Meat Act passes, Illinois will become the first U.S. state to forbid lion slaughter, or for any person to possess, breed, import, export, buy or sell lions for the purpose of slaughter - making it illegal to serve or sell lion meat at restaurant, hotel or other commercial establishment. Offenders would face a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500 if convicted.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, lions are not currently protected as an endangered cat in the U.S., and there are no laws prohibiting its sale. It also falls outside the USDA's inspection parameters and under those of the Food and Drug Administration, which categorizes lion as a "game meat."

Still, the king of the jungle doesn't exactly abound on American menus, so why is Arroyo mounting an attack?
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Twinkies and other Hostess snacks could be back on shelves by this summer after a successful $410 million bid for the business.

The winning bid is a joint venture by private equity firms Apollo Global Management (APO) and Metropoulos & Co. A statement from Dean Metropoulos, founder of one of the firms, confirmed they are the winning bidder.
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Or it could be trying to lull you into a sense of submission while the robot overlords assume power over humanity, but that's just a theory.

Previously - 100 years of Oreo cookies

Previously:
U.S. chefs wouldn't say neigh to horse meat, aren't yet ready to trot it out
Horse meat, little blue balls and other weird stuff in your food this week
'Traces of horse DNA' found in some Nestle products
Horse: Coming soon to a meat case near you?
Poll – making a meal of mustang
Top Chef trots into taboo territory

While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Do the jitterbug!

Whether you're recovering from the first Monday of daylight saving time with a coffee IV or celebrating the invalidation of the New York City soda ban with a Big Gulp of Mountain Dew, March is National Caffeine Awareness Month.

According the Food and Drug Administration, 80 percent of adults in the U.S. consume caffeine every day. While most consumers turn to the usual suspects - espresso, tea, soda, etc. - for their morning jolt, the marketplace is inundated with wacky caffeinated creations like water, chewing gum and even beef jerky (appropriately named Perky Jerky).
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Pssst! Got a sec to chat?

We are utterly thrilled when readers want to hang out and talk – whether it's amongst themselves or in response to pieces we've posted. We want Eatocracy to be a cozy, spirited online home for those who find their way here.
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