The Leading Source for Food Manufacturing News
Hershey Could Cut 600 Jobs
June 2, 2010 5:02 am | News | CommentsHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Hershey Co. is proposing to slash up to 600 jobs in a move to modernize and expand one of its hometown plants and turn the other — the original chocolate factory built by founder Milton Hershey — into an office building. The plan, announced Tuesday, is part of a tentative agreement with union negotiators and must be approved by a majority of the approximately 1,600 members who work at both factories.
Biologists Say Shrimp Safe From Spill
June 2, 2010 5:02 am | News | CommentsNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Wildlife scientists think shrimp can survive the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Martin Bourgeois of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says brown shrimp spawn offshore in January, February and March. Once the eggs hatch, the larva count on prevailing winds and currents to carry them to the Louisiana marsh, where they grow until it's time for them to swim back offshore to spawn.
U.S. Corn Syrup Sales Fall
June 2, 2010 5:01 am | News | CommentsCHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Fans of natural foods have tried for years to push the ubiquitous sweetener high fructose corn syrup off Americans' dinner tables and out of their restaurants and grocery stores. It seems to be working. U.S. use of the sweetener found in most soft drinks, cereals and a range of other products dropped 11 percent between 2003 and 2008, the most recent year figures were available.
Chavez Irate Over Rotten Food
June 2, 2010 5:00 am | News | CommentsCARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez urged prosecutors on Tuesday to bring charges against those responsible for the putrefaction of roughly 20,000 metric tons of food inside a seaport under the administration of the federal government. "Debacles like this cannot be forgiven," Chavez said during a televised speech.
Washington Developing Natural Foods Processing Park
June 2, 2010 5:00 am | News | CommentsDAYTON, Wash. (AP) — A proposed food-processing park for artisan, natural and sustainable foods is approaching another milestone in Dayton. The Port of Columbia has received an $8,000 grant from Pacific Power to help market Blue Mountain Station, which Port Manager Jenny Dickinson said would be the nation's first eco-food park.
Under Armour Co-Founder Turns To Cattle
June 1, 2010 6:01 am | News | CommentsSTEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Loveland native Ryan Wood said his tobacco habit and his cowboy boots got him a seat, years ago, at one of the roughest poker tables in the gritty, steel-corridor city of Youngstown, Ohio. The Mafia members and inner-city toughs liked his Colorado charm, Wood said recently.
Virginia Ag Chief Aims To Add Jobs
June 1, 2010 6:01 am | News | CommentsRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia's new agriculture commissioner can point to two framed photographs in his office to illustrate the arc of his family's successful, century-long farming story in the Shenandoah Valley. Matt Lohr stands before the faded colors of an aerial photograph from the 1950s showing fields and few outbuildings, while a contemporary image shows the additions of four poultry houses.
Japan, China Partner On Food Safety
June 1, 2010 5:58 am | News | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — The state, local governments and community groups are ramping up efforts to make fresh, healthy produce more widely available — especially in urban areas — with a mix of programs targeting shoppers and sellers alike. This spring, Detroit launched a new effort to improve its grocery stores.
Michigan Promotes Healthy Foods
June 1, 2010 5:57 am | News | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — The state, local governments and community groups are ramping up efforts to make fresh, healthy produce more widely available — especially in urban areas — with a mix of programs targeting shoppers and sellers alike. This spring, Detroit launched a new effort to improve its grocery stores.
Washington State Gets Beer, Candy Tax
June 1, 2010 5:57 am | News | CommentsOLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Along with the month of June come new sales taxes in Washington on candy, bottled water and mass market beer. Applying the state sales tax to candy is a little confusing because it doesn't apply to sweets with flour content that are still considered food. And the beer tax doesn't apply to microbrews, to give state brewers a break.
Police Guard Farm In Animal Abuse Case
June 1, 2010 5:46 am | News | CommentsPLAIN CITY, Ohio (AP) — About 150 law enforcement officers are guarding highways around an Ohio dairy farm where animal welfare activists want to stage a protest after a video showed cows being kicked and poked with pitchforks. A Chicago-based group called Mercy For Animals released the undercover video last week.
Getting the Most Out of Liftgate Conveyor Systems
June 1, 2010 5:11 am | by Luke Metzinger, Customer Application Engineer, Dorner | Articles | CommentsIn my two and a half years working as a customer application engineer here at Dorner, I’ve never designed two identical liftgate conveyor systems. And I guess that’s not surprising considering conveyor applications are rarely alike. As implied by its name, a liftgate conveyor allows an operator to raise a section of the frame, much like a drawbridge, to let people pass through.
Just What is Innovation?
June 1, 2010 5:10 am | by Mike Collins, Author of Saving American Manufacturing | Articles | CommentsIf your company decides to find new customers in new markets, you will inadvertently commit yourself to new products and services. This is an opportunity. That said, new processes may be just as important as new products. Ron Davis, CEO of Davis Tool, saw the writing on the wall as commodity job shop parts were sourced more and more from Asia.
Pilgrim's Pride Investing $30M In Georgia Plant
May 28, 2010 5:00 am | News | CommentsDOUGLAS, Ga. (AP) — Pilgrim's Pride says it will hire as many as 1,400 local workers and invest $30 million to re-open its idled Coffee County chicken processing complex by January. Company executives joined Gov. Perdue in Douglas on Wednesday to kick off the re-opening of the plant, which is expected to process about 1.
California Schools Want To Ban Sports Drinks
May 28, 2010 4:59 am | News | CommentsSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California students seeking a lunchtime electrolyte boost would be out of luck under a bill passed Thursday by the state Senate. The measure would prohibit sales of sugar-sweetened sports drinks in public middle schools and high schools. It's sponsored by Gov.
Hong Kong Rejects Tainted Milk Lawsuits
May 28, 2010 4:59 am | News | CommentsHONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong judge on Thursday rejected a lawsuit and claims for compensation by the parents of four Chinese children who were among thousands sickened two years ago by tainted milk powder. Hong Kong's Small Claims Tribunal adjudicator Ada Yim ruled that the case should be handled by mainland Chinese courts since the plaintiffs are from the mainland and their children were poisoned there.
Plastic Wrap Company Makes Products People Don't Notice
May 28, 2010 4:58 am | News | CommentsSHANNON, Miss. (AP) — Adlam Films makes stuff people don't think about, even though they use it every day. For example, the family owned company makes the clear plastic wrap that protects individual bags of microwave popcorn for brands such as Orville Redenbacher's and Act II. Adlam also makes the laminating materials that are sold to many schools and are used by FedEx Office — formerly FedEx Kinko's.
Farmers Fight 'Superweeds'
May 28, 2010 4:58 am | News | CommentsHARVARD, Ill. (AP) — Blue Star Vineyard grape grower Jeff Pankow is careful about what herbicides and chemicals are used on his acres near Harvard. He is cautious to protect his vines and the wine they eventually will produce. And he is cautious to prevent superweeds. So-called superweeds haven't cropped up in McHenry County, but herbicide-resistant weeds have been growing in Illinois for several decades, and farmers are taking steps to prevent the spread of resistant strains.
Jones Soda Signs Deal With Walmart
May 28, 2010 4:57 am | News | CommentsCHICAGO (AP) — Jones Soda Co. shares gained nearly 84 percent Thursday, after the drink maker said it inked a deal to sell its soda at Walmart stores. THE SPARK: Jones Soda said the deal will expose its products to millions of new customers while boosting the number of distribution outlets by 10 percent.
Japan, Australia Head To Court Over Whaling
May 28, 2010 4:56 am | News | CommentsCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia said Friday it will challenge Japan's whale hunting in the Antarctic at the International Court of Justice, a major legal escalation in its campaign to ban the practice despite Tokyo's insistence on the right to so-called scientific whaling. Japan's Foreign Ministry called the action regrettable at a time when 88 member-nations of the International Whaling Commission were discussing a proposal that could allow some limited whaling for the first time in 25 years.
