The Leading Source for Food Manufacturing News
Smithfield Lays Off 120 Workers
June 18, 2013 12:23 pm | by MICHAEL FELBERBAUM,AP Business Writer | News | CommentsSmithfield Foods Inc. said Tuesday that it is laying off 120 more workers as part of its previously announced closure of a Virginia facility that makes hot dogs and deli meat. The Smithfield, Va.-based pork producer plans to close the Portsmouth plant in the middle of August, said Jeff Gough, Smithfield's senior vice president for human resources.
Consumer Trends: Health Benefits of Canola Oil
June 18, 2013 12:00 pm | News | CommentsA comprehensive review of scientific evidence shows that consuming canola oil instead of other fat sources enhances health and can help consumers comply with expert dietary fat recommendations. Studies conducted over the past 25 years about the health effects of canola oil confirm canola oil reduces the risk of heart disease and suggest that it may also protect against other chronic diseases.
4 Ways Manufacturers Can Cope with Rising Energy Prices
June 18, 2013 11:45 am | by Michael Lewis | Articles | CommentsManufacturers require tremendous amounts of energy to power equipment and light and heat facilities, and move raw materials to their plants and finished goods to store shelves. Chemical, fertilizer and plastics manufacturers use carbon-based fuels as feedstock, so accurate projected costs and ready availability is essential to adequate pricing.
NJ Panel Passes Measure To Promote State’s Wine Industry
June 18, 2013 9:51 am | News | CommentsA state Senate panel has unanimously approved a measure that aims to bolster New Jersey's wine industry. The bill would create the New Jersey Wine Board and make it responsible for facilitating growth in the state's wine industry through advertisements, research and education.
EEOC Files Suit Against Performance Food Group
June 18, 2013 9:50 am | News | CommentsThe U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against a Virginia-based company. The commission announced the lawsuit Monday against Performance Food Group Inc. Joe Vagi, a company spokesman, says the company has not received notification of the lawsuit and doesn't comment on pending litigation.
Campbell Soup To Buy Kelsen Group
June 18, 2013 9:48 am | News | CommentsCampbell Soup Co. said Monday that it will buy Danish snack company Kelsen Group A/S from private-equity firm Maj Invest and several other investors for an undisclosed sum. The deal will help Campbell expand its global snacks business, which includes brands such as Pepperidge Farm in the U.S. and Arnott's biscuits in Australia.
Entrepreneurs Create Grow-at-Home Mushroom Kits
June 18, 2013 9:46 am | by MICHELLE LOCKE,Associated Press | News | CommentsBack to the Roots makes a Grow-Your-Own Mushroom Garden that allows anyone to grow mushrooms off recycled waste. The company has grown to more than 30 employees and received an Empact100 award from the White House last fall, recognizing it as one of the top 100 entrepreneurial companies in the United States.
Barriers to Re-Shoring: A Detailed Look
June 18, 2013 9:45 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Articles | CommentsNot too long ago, an article penned by members of A.T. Kearney’s Strategic Operations Practice outlined some of the major reasons why re-shoring, for all its business viability and value to the American economy, faces real problems with aging machinery and a workforce in need of new, well-trained people.
Food Makers Try Hard for ‘Natural’ Look
June 18, 2013 9:44 am | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsFood companies are responding to the adage that people eat with their eyes. Americans still love their fast food and packaged snacks, but they're increasingly turning their noses up at foods that look overly processed. Home-cooked meals — or ones that at least look like they were homemade — are seen as more wholesome and authentic.
Photo of the Day: A Produce Aisle Without Bees
June 18, 2013 9:40 am | News | CommentsTo raise awareness of just how crucial pollinators are to our food system, the University Heights Whole Foods Market store temporarily removed all produce that comes from plants dependent on pollinators. They pulled from shelves 237 of 453 products — 52 percent of the department's normal product mix.
PED & Food Safety
June 18, 2013 9:14 am | by South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council | Videos | CommentsThe South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council discusses Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) Virus, which it calls a "production-related disease," which does not present a threat to food safety. Karen Richter of the National Pork Board says the virus is new to the U.S., which is why vaccines aren't yet available.
Quick Product Changeover
June 18, 2013 1:00 am | by Food Manufacturing Staff | Product Releases | CommentsCompany's tool-free spout centerline adjustment feature makes changeover from one package to another very quick.
Container Filling Machine
June 18, 2013 1:00 am | by Food Manufacturing Staff | Product Releases | CommentsThe SpinDexer® is a container filler machine designed to help operators increase overall productivity.
Floor Preparation System
June 18, 2013 1:00 am | by Food Manufacturing Staff | Product Releases | CommentsThe Diamabrush Floor Restoration System can help users restore floors to their original shine.
University Starts Sperm Bank for Honeybees
June 17, 2013 12:26 pm | by NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS,Associated Press | News | CommentsThere's a lot of buzz at Washington State University over work to develop the first sperm bank for honeybees. Entomologist Steve Sheppard and his crew are using liquid nitrogen to preserve semen extracted from the industrious insects that pollinate much of the nation's food supply but face environmental threats.
Farm Bill Could Hinge on Dairy Vote
June 17, 2013 12:24 pm | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | News | CommentsAn overhaul of dairy policy and a new insurance program for dairy farmers included in the farm bill have passionately divided farm-state lawmakers. Most importantly, it has caused a rift between House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota.
38 Countries Beat UN Targets To Reduce Hunger
June 17, 2013 12:22 pm | News | CommentsThirty-eight countries have beaten a U.N.-imposed deadline of 2015 to cut in half the proportion of hungry people. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization on Saturday recognized the 38 countries and urged those still working to meet the U.N. target to redouble efforts.
Irrigated Vegetable Farm in the Works in Arizona
June 17, 2013 12:21 pm | by SUZANNE ADAMS-OCKRASSA,Kingman Daily Miner | News | CommentsLas Vegas developer Jim Rhodes has returned to Mohave County, but instead of planting houses in the Golden Valley and Red Lake areas, he's planting peppers, tomatoes and pickles. Rhodes' newest company, Kingman Farms, has started breaking ground on a 200-acre commercial vegetable farm off of Aztec Road behind the three model homes he built for his former master planned community Pravada.
Shareholder Says Smithfield Sale Undervalues Company
June 17, 2013 12:19 pm | by MICHAEL FELBERBAUM,AP Business Writer | News | CommentsOne of Smithfield Foods Inc.'s largest shareholders says a $4.72 billion takeover bid from China's largest meat producer falls short of what the company would be worth if sold off piece by piece. In a letter to the pork producer's board of directors on Monday, the New York-based investment firm Starboard Value LP estimated the company's value at $9 billion to $10.8 billion, or about $44 to $55 per share.
Consumer Trends: The Vegetables People Hate
June 17, 2013 12:00 pm | News | CommentsRanker.com, a crowdsourcing website that relies on “the wisdom of crowds,” has collected the aggregated opinion of over 1,500 voters on the list of “Vegetables I Won’t Eat.” Voters are able to vote up the veggies they hate the most, and vote down the ones that aren’t that bad.
