• Noted singing expert Paula Deen is in talks to appear on American Idol. [Marc Malkin/E!]
• Police are investigating a possible arson at Los Feliz’ Chicken House restaurant, which caught fire early this morning. [CBS2/KCAL 9]
• A human head was found wrapped in Walgreens and Fiesta Foods bags in the desert outside of Barstow. [AP/Google]
• Fatburger will open its first store in Beijing following Chinese New Year celebrations. [Chain Leader]
• Skyy Vodka will continue its relationship with Sex and the City as the film sequel’s official vodka and promotional partner. [Yahoo! Finance]
• Chile’s export wine industry is suffering as drinkers increasingly choose lower-priced domestic vintages. [L.A. Times]
• Archaeologists in Israel discovered a large 1,400 year-old wine press, likely used for export production. [Discovery News]
• 13 French executives are facing a court ruling today, accused of selling 18 million bottles of fake pinot noir to E&J; Gallo for its popular Red Bicyclette label. [Yahoo! News]
• College campuses are better prepared than ever to accommodate students with food allergies. [USA Today]
• Hershey’s will soon launch Almond Joy Pieces, York Pieces, and Hershey’s Special Dark Pieces modeled after Reese’s Pieces. [NYT]
• Burger King will add Seattle’s Best Coffee to all its U.S. locations this summer. [AP]
• After referring to stewed cat as a “succulent dish,” Italian celebrity chef Beppe Bigazzi was fired from his TV show. [Times]
• Kitchen equipment is increasingly marketed with muscular adjectives because of the macho celebrity chef culture, says British department store Debenhams. [Reuters]
• Facing oversupply, Napa wineries are turning increasingly to direct sales. [NYT]
• Whole Foods’ profit surged 79 percent in the last quarter. [WSJ]
• Campbell Soup is changing its labels in an effort to get customers to buy more soup. [WSJ]
• The USDA has closed the loophole that allowed companies to market as organic milk from any cow that theoretically had access to a pasture. [Food/The Atlantic]
