The Leading Source for Food Manufacturing News
Chocolate Crocodile Tears
March 12, 2010 4:53 am | by Karen Langhauser, Editor-in-Chief | Articles | CommentsIn Defense of Kraft Just when you thought you were done reading about Kraft and Cadbury, the saga continues. The latest news is that Kraft plans to close Cadbury’s Somerdale plant, leaving 400 Cadbury employees without jobs. In Kraft’s original offer, the company had stated that it would be "in a position to continue to operate the Somerdale facility.
A Bitter Sweet Takeover
March 12, 2010 4:49 am | by Krystal Gabert, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsIn Defense of Cadbury I guess there’s not much to defend, really. Kraft made an offer; Cadbury accepted. The once-British company is soon to join the ranks of the American food giant. And because Cadbury shareholders voted to approve the takeover bid, defending Cadbury would mean defending it against itself.
Health Officials Concerned By 'Downer Drinks'
March 12, 2010 4:36 am | News | CommentsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — At the 7-Eleven in Brookside, one of the latest entries in the beverage wars sits behind a refrigerator door between the beer and soda sections. Appropriate, given the product. Drank is a sweet, purplish potion touted to deliver "extreme relaxation" this side of liquor.
UN Food Agency Accused Of Diverting Food Aid
March 12, 2010 4:34 am | News | CommentsROME (Canadian Press) — A U.N. food agency said Thursday it will co-operate with any independent probe into its food operations in Somalia, after a report found that up to half the food aid intended for the nation's hungry people does not reach its destination. The report said food aid in Somalia is being diverted to corrupt contractors, radical Islamic militants and local U.
Pepsi Agrees To $20M Settlement
March 12, 2010 4:34 am | News | CommentsALBANY, Ore. (AP) — The city of Albany has accepted $20 million to settle a lawsuit it filed over a promised Gatorade plant that was never built. The Albany Democrat-Herald reports the deal includes an extra $5 million for the city if PepsiCo subsidiary SVC sells the 242 acres it bought as the intended site.
Class Action Allowed In Cargill Plant Wage Fight
March 12, 2010 4:33 am | News | CommentsSCHUYLER, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge has certified a class-action lawsuit against Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. over whether workers at the company's Schuyler plant should be paid for preparation and cleanup work. Several similar lawsuits are pending against other meatpacking companies in Nebraska.
McCormick Expands Recall
March 12, 2010 4:31 am | News | CommentsSPARKS, Md. (AP) — Spice maker McCormick & Co. Inc. said Thursday it is expanding a recall of some of its products in case they are contaminated with salmonella bacteria. The company said last week that it was recalling McCormick French Onion dip mix, McCormick vegetable dip mix, McCormick onion gravy mix and McCormick corn bread stuffing with certain "Best By" dates and product codes.
One Question With Smithfield Foods' CEO
March 12, 2010 4:30 am | News | CommentsWhen Smithfield Foods Inc. reported its third-quarter results Thursday, it said it has seen pork prices rising in the past month. As prices come up, meat companies are likely to pass those increases along to retailers, especially as they emerge from several down years. But retailers are trying to keep their prices low to draw shoppers, creating some tension.
Death By Pop Rocks?
March 10, 2010 11:33 am | Videos | CommentsThe Mythbusters crew answers the age-old question: Are Pop Rocks and cola a deadly combination?
Meat Sciences Lab Promotes Safety
March 10, 2010 11:33 am | Videos | CommentsThe University of Arizona's Meat Sciences Laboratory is a critical resource for people responsible for meat processing and food safety.
Food Recall Puts Spotlight Back On FDA
March 10, 2010 11:32 am | Videos | CommentsIn light of the recent HVP recall affecting many producers, new questions are being raised about what the FDA's role should be in ensuring the safety of the nation's food supply.
No More Lying On Food Labels
March 10, 2010 11:31 am | Videos | CommentsThe FDA has sent letters to 17 food companies demanding they stop using what the agency deems misleading statements and unfounded claims on product labels.
Kan. Mulling New Soda Tax, Raising Other Levies
March 10, 2010 4:26 am | News | CommentsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas would impose a new tax on soda — a penny for every teaspoon of sugar — under a proposal that a key legislator outlined Tuesday while lawmakers considered raising taxes to erase a projected budget shortfall. The soda tax advanced by Sen. John Vratil, a Leawood Republican, would increase the cost of a 12-ounce can of soda by a dime and raise an estimated $90 million during the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Meatpackers Call Inspection Cuts Shortsighted
March 10, 2010 4:25 am | News | CommentsINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana's plan to lay off some meat inspectors to save money and reduce the time inspectors spend with small, independent processors has the industry and farmers fearing it could hurt what has been a growing industry. It's not clear how many of the state's 52 inspectors will be let go, but meatpackers say any layoffs will prevent them from growing to meet demand for locally raised meat.
China To Boost Food Safety Measures
March 10, 2010 4:25 am | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — China will step up food safety efforts in the wake of a massive dairy scandal, expanding supervision to reach more of the country's countless small farms, an agriculture official said Wednesday. China has been struggling for several years to overcome a series of food safety problems, including one that started two years ago when at least six children died and nearly 300,000 children fell ill after consuming tainted infant formula.
Expert Summit: The Future of Food
March 10, 2010 4:24 am | News | CommentsCHICAGO (PRNewswire) — Field Trip Factory, the nation's leading provider of hands-on, immersion learning experiences, will host its second annual Dietitian Summit in conjunction with National Nutrition Month. The only forum of its kind, the primary goal of this intimate gathering of leading experts is to help the food industry better support consumer health where it matters most, in the aisles of the nation's grocery stores.
New Owner Eying Closed Neb. Meat Plants
March 10, 2010 4:23 am | News | CommentsHASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — A new company is buying the former Premium Protein Products plant in Hastings, planning to run a custom slaughter operation. Managing partner Jim Stevens says Hastings Acquisitions LLC also hopes to buy the Premium Protein operation in Lincoln. He said Tuesday that his group has two weeks to reach a deal for the Lincoln plant.
Georgia House Lawmakers OK Food Safety Bill
March 10, 2010 4:21 am | News | CommentsATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia House has approved a bill that puts teeth in a food safety bill that cleared the Legislature last year. It was prompted by a 2009 salmonella outbreak that originated in a south Georgia peanut processing plant, sickened hundreds and was linked to the deaths of at least nine people.
On The Edge Of My Driver’s Seat
March 10, 2010 4:20 am | by Carrie Ellis, Editor, Chem.Info | Articles | CommentsSo what’s the holdup, you ask? And rightfully so. Lawmakers have been hailing the environmental revolution as the way out of this deep pit called an economic recovery, but have yet to sign anything that would toss a ladder into the deep hole to offer a few folks a glimpse of light. (Listen closely for the whispers of health care.
A Discussion Of HVAC Coil Coatings
March 10, 2010 4:19 am | by Joshua D. Sole, Ph.D., Senior Mechanical Engineer, and Alan H. Brothers, Ph.D., Senior Materials Engineer, Mainstream Engineering Corp. | Articles | CommentsMany HVAC manufacturers, distributors, and contractors may not realize that hundreds of thousands of coil failures have occurred during the last decade from corrosion. The cause is most typically environmental pollutants, which range anywhere from salt-air, to household cleaning agents, pesticides, formaldehydes, building materials, and even off-gassing of food.
