News
Livestock Disaster Protection Act Introduced in House
April 23, 2013 9:46 am | CommentsThe National Cattlemen’s Beef Association supports the efforts of U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem in introducing legislation that would provide a safety net for livestock owners across the nation. Under the Livestock Disaster Protection Act, the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Livestock Forage Program and the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program would be extended for five years.
EEOC Seeks Damages for Disabled Iowa Plant Workers
April 23, 2013 9:44 am | by RYAN J. FOLEY,Associated Press | CommentsA now-defunct Texas company that put mentally disabled men to work at an Iowa turkey plant for decades is due in court to defend itself against allegations that it subjected the men to physical and verbal abuse. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Henry's Turkey Service, of Goldthwaite, Texas, on behalf of 32 former workers whom it housed and oversaw while they worked at West Liberty Foods in West Liberty, Iowa.
West Virginia Tries To Tackle Childhood Hunger and Obesity
April 23, 2013 9:42 am | by DAVID GUTMAN,Associated Press | CommentsWest Virginia will be the first state in the nation to set up a statewide public-private funding partnership to try to improve school meals programs. Janet Poppendieck, a sociology professor at Hunter College of the City University of New York and the author of several books on food policy, said she was amazed by West Virginia's program and called it innovative.
Getting Big Results with ‘Big Data’
April 23, 2013 9:39 am | CommentsThe Grocery Manufacturers Association announced the release of a report containing five specific conclusions and recommendations for how food, beverage and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies can convert emerging forms of "big data" into useful analytics and insights to improve business results.
Photo of the Day: Turkey Firm Faces Charges of Abuse
April 23, 2013 9:36 am | CommentsFederal jurors are expected to hear claims that dozens of mentally disabled men faced verbal and physical abuse and unsafe living conditions while they were employed as contract workers at Henry's Turkey Service in a high-profile discrimination trial that begins Tuesday, April 23, 2013, in Davenport, Iowa.
Daily Sound Bite: Farmer Wins Soft Victory Against Corporate Farming Law
April 22, 2013 1:15 pm | CommentsTexas Farm ended its suit against Iowa with both parties agreeing to concessions. The corporate farm has agreed to make room for the rights of local farmers as long as Iowa agrees not to enforce its law prohibiting meat processors from owning livestock.
Pork Producers Demonstrate Earth Day Principles
April 22, 2013 12:36 pm | CommentsAs the world celebrates another Earth Day on April 22, research shows that America's pork producers have made huge improvements in environmental management over the last 50 years. The research found that modern pork production methods have led to a 35 percent decrease in the carbon footprint, a 41 percent reduction in water usage and a 78 percent drop in land needed to produce a pound of pork compared with a 1959 baseline.
U.S. Budget Tightening Not Hurting Business
April 22, 2013 12:34 pm | CommentsWashington's budget tightening is having a minimal effect on businesses, a survey of business economists released Monday shows. The National Association for Business Economics survey asks how higher taxes and lower government spending effected businesses in the first three months of 2013.
Groups To Study Health Effects of Yogurt
April 22, 2013 12:31 pm | CommentsThe American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and the Danone Institute International have announced a global collaboration to evaluate the state of the science surrounding the relationship between yogurt consumption and health, to be initiated with the first Global Summit on the Health Effects of Yogurt.
Robert Redford Calls for Ban on Horse Slaughter
April 22, 2013 12:29 pm | CommentsOn the cusp of the 2013 Annual American Equine Summit hosted by the New York-based national equine protection organization Equine Advocates, the call to ban horse slaughter permanently has received support from Robert Redford. Redford joins a bilateral effort to reverse the advance of horse slaughter through public opinion and safety concerns, and legislation on both state and federal levels.
Maine Lobster Men Seek Stability, Join Union
April 22, 2013 12:26 pm | by CLARKE CANFIELD,Associated Press | CommentsWith promises to fight bad legislation and negotiate prices for their catch, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has been recruiting fishermen in some of Maine's most lobster-reliant communities, including Vinalhaven, Stonington and Jonesport. So far, more than 250 fishermen have signed up for what will be called the IAM Maine Lobstering Union.
Consumer Trends: Kids Eat More Fruit When It Is Sliced
April 22, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsMost people believe that children avoid fruit because of the taste and allure of alternative packaged snacks. A study by Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab researchers Brian Wansink, David Just, Andrew Hanks and Laura Smith concluded that the size of the snack counts the most.
Kellogg Issues Corporate Responsibility Report
April 22, 2013 9:45 am | CommentsAs Kellogg Company releases its fifth annual global Corporate Responsibility report today in conjunction with Earth Day, company officials spotlighted efforts aimed at creating even better days and brighter tomorrows for Kellogg consumers, employees, communities, and the environment.
Iowa Settles Challenge to Corporate Farming Law
April 22, 2013 9:43 am | by DAVID PITT,Associated Press | CommentsA Texas hog farm that sued Iowa over an often-challenged law that prohibits meat processors from owning livestock has agreed to guarantee certain rights to local farmers in exchange for the state not enforcing the law, the attorney general said Friday. Texas Farm, a hog producer based in based in Perryton, Texas, became the latest company to sue the state over the law earlier this month.
Fair Trade Coffee Imports Hit Record High in 2012
April 22, 2013 9:41 am | CommentsFair Trade USA, the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in North America, today announced that Fair Trade Certified™ coffee imports hit an all-time high in 2012: 163 million pounds were imported into the United States and Canada, representing an 18 percent increase over 2011.
Greece: Strawberry Field Shootings Highlight Migrants' Plight
April 22, 2013 9:37 am | by NICHOLAS PAPHITIS,Associated Press | CommentsThe bloodletting last week in Greece's southern strawberry fields shocked the nation and put the spotlight on the plight of the financial crisis' overlooked victims: hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, many undocumented, whose lot is becoming even tougher amid rising racist violence and dropping living standards.
Salmonella Prompts Expanded Pet Food Recall
April 22, 2013 9:36 am | CommentsNatura Pet Products is expanding a recall of dry pet foods over a possible salmonella risk to animals and people. The company, a unit of Procter & Gamble Co., first announced a voluntary recall in March of its dog, cat and ferret foods because they may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.
Photo of the Day: Bacon Nation
April 22, 2013 9:32 am | CommentsMaking its first appearance at the popular Baconfest Chicago, Eckrich announced today its donation match of its new Bacon Lovers® Deli Meats to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Visitors who attended the event, known collectively as "Bacon Nation," donated non-perishable items that Eckrich matched with 2,500 pounds of its new Bacon Lovers Deli Meats.
Pork Producers Respond to Antibiotic-Resistance Report
April 19, 2013 12:31 pm | CommentsJust days after the release of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report showing that medical doctors annually are prescribing enough antibiotics to give them to 80 percent of Americans, a group has issued its own report, claiming that antibiotics use in food animals is the main cause for people developing antibiotic-resistant diseases.
McDonald’s Profit Edges Up But Global Sales Dip
April 19, 2013 12:28 pm | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | CommentsMcDonald's managed to eke out a higher profit for the first quarter even as a global sales figure declined for the world's biggest hamburger chain. The company also warned that sales for April are expected to fall slightly. McDonald's Corp., based in Oak Brook, Illinois, has been struggling to boost sales amid intensifying competition, changing eating habits and challenging economic conditions around the world.
