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The Lead
New Food Map Will Tell Us What We Eat
May 20, 2013 | by MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press | Comments
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are trying to change that by creating a gargantuan map of what foods Americans are buying and eating. Part of the uniqueness of the database is its ability to sort one product into what it really is — thousands of brands and variations.
Campbell Beats Expectations on Stronger Soup Sales
May 20, 2013 9:47 am | Comments
Campbell Soup reported third-quarter results that beat Wall Street expectations and raised its...
Tons of New Zealand Meat Stranded on Chinese Docks
May 20, 2013 8:04 am | by NICK PERRY, Associated Press | Comments
Hundreds of tons of frozen mutton, lamb and beef from New...
Maker of 'Pink Slime' Continues to Struggle
May 20, 2013 8:02 am | Comments
The beef-processing company that makes the product that critics call "pink slime" continues to...
Portland Revisits Issue of Water Fluoridation
May 20, 2013 12:31 pm | by STEVEN DUBOIS, Associated Press | CommentsBoth supporters and opponents of public fluoridation in Portland have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars ahead of a Tuesday ballot measure that has drawn heavy attention from the city's mainstream and alternative newspapers. Campaign signs have sprouted alongside roses on lawns across the city, as have reports of people stealing them.
National Pork Board Addresses Pork Virus
May 20, 2013 12:19 pm | CommentsThe USDA has confirmed that porcine epidemic diarrhea virus has been identified in the United States for the first time through testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory. Producers will need to work with their herd veterinarian if any TGE-like symptoms appear and, as always, maintain strict biosecurity protocols.
USA Today Ad Tells Dasani Bottler to "Take a Hike"
May 20, 2013 12:06 pm | CommentsCorporate Accountability International took out a quarter-page ad Monday in a special national parks supplement to USA Today, calling on Coca-Cola's bottled water brand Dasani to stop interfering in efforts by national parks to go bottled water free.
Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan Unveiled
May 20, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsThe Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan aims to further improve Canada's food safety system by strengthening food safety rules, implementing more effective inspection and pledging a renewed commitment to service and more information for consumers.
Consumer Trends: Consumers Skeptical of 'Natural' Claims
May 20, 2013 12:00 pm | Comments"Natural is clearly perceived by some brand managers as being a very important claim," says Phil Lempert editor in chief of The Food Journal. "However, consumer skepticism is growing as shoppers pay attention to the nutritional facts panel and the ingredients on the labels and often it's not so natural."
Oklahoma Grocery Store Wine Proposal Being Renewed
May 20, 2013 10:48 am | by TIM TALLEY, Associated Press | CommentsSupporters of a plan to permit some grocery stores in Oklahoma's most populous counties to sell wine plan to launch a new petition drive to put the proposal to a statewide vote.The plan will be resubmitted to voters this summer following a Supreme Court challenge.
Daily Sound Bite: Food Map Details Expansive Food Marketplace
May 20, 2013 10:40 am | CommentsResearchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a new, highly detailed map illustrating Americans' buying and consumption habits. Some hope the map can be used to better tailor nutritional guidelines and monitor public health as it related to processed food.
Cider Company Sues Coffee Roaster Over 'Woodchuck'
May 20, 2013 8:00 am | CommentsVermont Hard Cider Co. filed a complaint against Woodchuck Coffee Roasters in U.S. District Court last week seeking an unspecified financial award and an injunction preventing further trademark infringement over the woodchuck name, a colloquial term for a hardy Vermonter.
Photo of the Day: 100 Years of Hellmann's
May 20, 2013 8:00 am | CommentsHellman's turns 100 in 2013 and to celebrate the anniversary, owner Unilever Food is launching a marketing campaign including a Facebook page and YouTube videos featuring chef Mario Batali cooking up his favorite Hellman's recipes, a smartphone app and a June event featuring the world's largest picnic table.
Deep Divide in Congress Over Domestic Food Aid
May 17, 2013 12:50 pm | by MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press | CommentsThe House and Senate Agriculture Committees laid the groundwork this week for reducing the size of the federal food stamp program, approving farm bills that would shrink food aid and alter the way people qualify for it. The two chambers are far apart on how much the $80 billion-a-year program should be cut.
Tougher Food-Safety Rules Ahead for Canadian Meat Processors
May 17, 2013 12:15 pm | by The Canadian Press | CommentsCanadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says the country's food watchdog is planning to impose tougher rules to deal with the threat of E. coli in slaughterhouses. The agency will soon begin a two-year review of the country's food regulations to ensure they are in line with the Safe Food for Canadians Act passed last year.
Puerto Rico Sees Lowest Coffee Production Ever
May 17, 2013 12:05 pm | by DANICA COTO, Associated Press | CommentsCoffee production in Puerto Rico has hit the lowest level ever in the island's history, leaving farmers and government officials worried about how to revive a once burgeoning industry amid a deep economic crisis. The U.S. territory has been forced to import coffee from countries including Mexico and the Dominican Republic to meet local demand.
Beef Plant Courts Laid-Off Workers
May 17, 2013 12:02 pm | Commentsbeef processing plant in the South Dakota city of Yankton is recruiting dozens of workers laid off from their jobs at the Northern Beef Packers plant. Representatives from the Cimpl's beef plant in Yankton conducted job interviews in Aberdeen on Tuesday and had more scheduled Wednesday.
Buffet Backs Off Mondelez International
May 17, 2013 12:00 pm | by JOSH FUNK, AP Business Writer | CommentsWarren Buffett's company sold off some of its stake in snack food maker Mondelez International Inc. on Wednesday. Berkshire Hathaway cut its Mondelez stake to 7 million shares from 12.8 million at the end of 2012. It also trimmed its Kraft Foods investment slightly to 1.6 million shares from 1.67 million shares.
Consumer Trends: Encouraging Women To Eat Healthy
May 17, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsThis year, Mother's Day kicked off the 14th annual National Women's Health Week (May 12 – 18), which includes National Women's Checkup Day (May 13). This national week-long observance promotes healthy eating, regular activity and mental health.
Daily Sound Bite: Wine with a Cause
May 17, 2013 11:18 am | CommentsSince late 2011, the Murphy-Goode Winery in California's Sonoma County wine country has donated over $100,000 to Operation Homefront, an organization that gives financial assistance to military families in need. The winery and its distributors donate a portion of profits to the organization.
NC House Votes to Block Obesity Lawsuits
May 17, 2013 10:01 am | CommentsA majority in the North Carolina House voted Wednesday night for legislation that would bar civil law suits against food producers, manufacturers and marketers on claims long-term consumption led to weight gain and obesity-related health problems.
ND Pasta Plant to Restart Production
May 17, 2013 9:59 am | Commentsformer Noodles by Leonardo plant in Cando will start producing pasta again next week after six months of closed doors. The facility is now owned by Cando Pasta LLC, a partnership of local businessmen Jim and Bruce Gibbens and two other investors. The plant should have as many as 20 employees later this month and as many as 40 by next year.
Wineries Raise a Glass to Veterans
May 17, 2013 9:53 am | by MICHELLE LOCKE, Associated Press | CommentsIf you're looking to raise a glass to veterans this Memorial Day you might consider filling it with wine that will raise funds for them, too. A number of wineries are making the veterans-and-vines connection. And if you're not so fine on wine, there's even a liquor — Wild Turkey — that's gotten into the spirit with a Boots and Bourbon campaign.
AB InBev Abandons Plans to Acquire Czech Brewer
May 17, 2013 9:51 am | CommentsBrewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev says it no longer has plans to acquire Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar, with whom it has been fighting a long legal battle over the use of the "Budweiser" brand. Frank Hellwig, legal director for AB InBev, says "we don't have any plans, or intention, or desire to buy Budvar" as a way of solving the dispute.
