News
Kraft Shooter To Stand Trial
December 8, 2010 4:21 am | CommentsPHILADELPHIA (AP) — A woman charged with killing two colleagues at a Philadelphia food plant has told police she thought co-workers were spraying her with deer urine. Yvonne Hiller was ordered Tuesday to stand trial in the September shooting spree at a Kraft Foods plant. At a court hearing, a homicide detective read a statement Hiller gave police after her arrest.
Egg Sales Rebound After Massive Recall
December 8, 2010 4:19 am | CommentsCHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Sales of eggs have rebounded after a sharp drop in the weeks following the August recall of 550 million eggs potentially contaminated with salmonella. The upswing is a relief to egg producers, but industry leaders said they thought sales would return to normal as the recall by two Iowa farms faded from memory.
Democrats Try To Revive Food Safety Bill
December 8, 2010 4:15 am | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Food safety legislation stalled by a constitutional snag could be revived as part of a giant year-end budget bill. The bill to increase the Food and Drug Administration's powers to keep food safe stalled after overwhelmingly passing the Senate last week. House Democrats said after it passed that the bill contains fees that are considered tax provisions, which under the Constitution must originate in the House.
Missouri Grapes Hold Key to Improving Production World-Wide
December 7, 2010 5:54 am | CommentsDecember 7, 2010 Story Contact: Steven Adams (AdamsST@missouri.edu) In a few years, a sip of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir may include a taste of the “Show-Me” State. The state grape of Missouri – the Norton variety grown at many vineyards around the state – is resistant to powdery mildew, a fungal pathogen that affects winemaking grapes around the world.
Hormel Hands Out Nearly $5 Million In Bonuses
December 7, 2010 5:36 am | CommentsDecember 7, 2010 (AP) The holidays just got a little merrier for some 19,500 employees of Hormel Foods Corp. The Austin company dished out $4.9 million in bonuses this week to its workers. Each employee got a check for $250. The Austin Daily Herald reports Hormel CEO Jeff Ettinger says the bonuses were given to employees for their hard work during the past couple years in helping the company achieve its strong performance in tough economic times.
Fiji Water Acquires Justin Vineyards
December 7, 2010 5:30 am | CommentsDecember 7, 2010 (AP) — Fiji Water has announced its acquisition of Justin Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles, California. The companies did not disclose the deal's value, but they said both businesses cater to high-end restaurants, hotels and other customers, and the deal allows both brands to grow by leveraging the popularity of the Justin Vineyards wines and the sales and marketing strength of Fiji.
Sara Lee Expands Business In The Netherlands
December 7, 2010 5:23 am | CommentsSara Lee Expands Business In The Netherlands December 7, 2010 (PRNewswire) Sara Lee Corp. recenly announced plans to launch, under its Douwe Egberts brand in The Netherlands, the company's single-serve espresso coffee capsules that can be used in Nespresso coffee appliances. Douwe Egberts L'OR EspressO capsules will be available for purchase at Sara Lee's own Douwe Egberts stores - a network of premium outlets throughout the Netherlands that combine a retail store for coffee and tea-related products and a cafe format with a rewards center for the company's loyalty program.
Researchers Finding Ways To Cut Irradiation Levels In Half
December 7, 2010 5:22 am | CommentsDecember 7, 2010 A team of Texas AgriLife Research engineers has developed a way to cut by as much as half the amount of irradiation needed to kill 99.999 percent of salmonella, E. coli and other pathogens on fresh produce. By packing produce in a Mylar bag filled with pure oxygen, Dr.
Riviana Foods Expands Memphis Rice Plant
December 7, 2010 5:03 am | CommentsDecember 7, 2010 Riviana Foods, Inc. recently announced that it is building a new facility in Memphis, Tennessee that will produce ready to serve, microwaveable rice products under the Minute Rice brand. The Memphis and Shelby County Industrial Development Board granted the company a seven-year tax break or payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) on this latest expansion project.
Calif. Approves Pesticide Linked To Cancer
December 6, 2010 3:58 am | CommentsFRESNO, Calif. (AP) — California regulators approved a pesticide Wednesday for use by fruit and vegetable growers despite heavy opposition from environmental and farmworker groups that cited its links to cancer. The state Department of Pesticide Regulation will register methyl iodide as a substitute for the pesticide methyl bromide, which is being phased out by international treaty because it depletes the Earth's protective ozone layer.
72,000 Pounds Of Chicken Salad Recalled
December 6, 2010 3:54 am | CommentsWASHINGTON (USDA)-- The Suter Company, Inc., a Sycamore, Ill., establishment, is recalling approximately 72,000 pounds of canned chicken salad products that may contain foreign materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products subject to recall include: [ View Labels (PDF Only)] 8.
Nalley's Chili Plant Relocating
December 6, 2010 3:50 am | CommentsTACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Nalley's Fine Foods, a 92-year-old Tacoma institution, is closing its plant here and moving operations to an Iowa factory, the company's owner said Friday. The plant in a south Tacoma industrial area long known as "Nalley Valley" once produced a wide variety of foods, including pickles and potato chips, but now turns out Nalley's Chili and Brooks Beans.
Double-Cola To Re-launch Iconic Brand
December 6, 2010 3:46 am | CommentsCHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — U.S. Army Sgt. Darrin Dant couldn't find his favorite drinks where he was stationed in Iraq, so he recruited his friends and family to mail bottles of Double-Cola and Ski to his post. "They're like a taste of home," he said. "I had them wrap the bottles really carefully in case they exploded on the way.
Kraft Seeks Injunction Against Starbucks
December 6, 2010 3:40 am | CommentsNORTHFIELD, Illinois (AP) — Kraft Foods is seeking a preliminary injunction against Starbucks, saying Monday that the coffee chain violated terms of a distribution deal. The two businesses began arbitration proceedings late last month as Kraft tried to prevent Starbucks from ending an agreement to distribute and promote its packaged coffee in stores.
Kellogg CEO To Retire
December 6, 2010 3:37 am | CommentsBATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) — Cereal maker Kellogg says its CEO will retire on Jan. 1 and will be replaced by Chief Operating Officer John A. Bryant. CEO David Mackay, 55, who is also president and a director, plans to help with the transition through March 31. He has been CEO for four years.
Photo Of The Week: An Apple A Day
December 3, 2010 4:16 am | Comments(AP) — On Thursday, December 2, 2010, a student at Fairmeadow Elementary School pays for lunch of fruits and vegetables during a school lunch program in Palo Alto, California. More children would eat lunches and dinners at school under legislation passed Thursday by the House and sent to the president, part of first lady Michelle Obama's campaign to end childhood hunger and fight childhood obesity.
Judge Orders Removal Of GMO Sugar Beet Seed Plants
December 3, 2010 3:44 am | CommentsDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge in California has ordered the removal from the ground of plants grown to produce seeds for genetically modified sugar beets, citing the potential for environmental harm. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White has again raised questions about the use of genetically modified crops and what will happen if growers aren't allowed to plant GMO seeds.
Starbucks Looks To Retail, China For Growth
December 3, 2010 3:41 am | CommentsPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Starbucks Corp. is looking beyond its cafes for growth in coming years. The coffee giant outlined plans Wednesday at its investor conference to triple the number of its cafes in China, offer more products in grocery stores and open new kinds of stores to build on its recent recovery.
Lance Agrees To Merge With Snyder's
December 3, 2010 3:37 am | CommentsCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The peanut butter and cheese crackers of Lance Inc. are just one vote away from being combined with the pretzels of Snyder's of Hanover Inc. as the companies aim to form the country's No. 2 producer of salty snacks after PepsiCo Inc.'s Frito-Lay division. Shareholders of Charlotte-based Lance cast 96 percent of their votes Thursday in favor of issuing the stock needed to merge with privately-held Snyder's of Hanover, Pa.
Dole Ordered To Pay Filmmaker $200,000
December 3, 2010 3:33 am | CommentsLOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has ordered Dole Food Co. to pay nearly $200,000 to a Swedish filmmaker who battled the company in a free speech case involving a documentary about claims that Dole harmed workers at Nicaraguan banana plantations. Dole had sued Fredrik Gertten for showing the documentary "Bananas" despite a court ruling that the case on which the film was based had been part of a massive extortion plot against the company.
