News
Consumer Trends: Dark Chocolate Gains on Milk Chocolate
June 6, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsThe latest research from Mintel reveals that for just more than half (51%) of all adult consumers the favorite type of plain chocolate is milk chocolate, followed by 35% who favor dark chocolate and 8% who prefer white chocolate. In contrast, Mintel's 2011 report found that 57% of consumers favored milk chocolate and 33% of consumers preferred dark chocolate.
Tesco Sales Fall After Horsemeat Scandal
June 6, 2013 9:46 am | CommentsTesco, Britain's largest retailer by revenue, saw sales drop 1 percent at its U.K. stores amid consumer distaste over the horsemeat scandal. Chief Executive Philip Clarke says there was a discernible impact on frozen and chilled convenience food sales "due to the customer response to equine DNA being detected in four products."
Sri Lanka Suing Ad Firm over Beer Commercial
June 6, 2013 9:44 am | CommentsSri Lanka's government said Wednesday that it would take legal action against an advertising company for featuring a UNESCO World Heritage site in a Japanese beer commercial. National Heritage Minister Jagath Balasuriya said a Sri Lankan advertising company had been given permission to film the Sigiriya rock fortress for a commercial that the firm said was for an energy drink. The commercial, however, turned out to be for a Japanese beer.
Croissant-Donut Hybrid a Hit
June 6, 2013 9:42 am | by LEANNE ITALIE,Associated Press | CommentsOh the pull of that elusive reservation at the hot new restaurant. And double-oh the sweet and fatty decadence of a well-made dessert. Combine the two foodie emotions and you've got the Cronut. There's a frenzy goin' on — Manhattan style — for the croissant-doughnut hybrid that went on sale in limited quantities about three weeks ago at the tiny downtown shop of French chef Dominique Ansel.
Cheerios Stands by Ad Showing Mixed-Race Family
June 6, 2013 9:40 am | by LEANNE ITALIE,Associated Press | CommentsCheerios is standing by a fictitious family in one of its TV ads. The family reflects a black-white racial mix uncommon in commercials today, especially in ads on TV, at a time when interracial and interethnic couples are on the rise in real life, according to 2010 U.S. Census data, brand strategists and marketing consultants.
Monsanto: Modified Wheat ‘Isolated Occurrence’
June 6, 2013 9:37 am | by NIGEL DUARA,Associated Press | CommentsA genetically modified test strain of wheat that emerged to the surprise of an Oregon farmer last month was likely the result of an accident or deliberate mixing of seeds, the company that developed it said Wednesday. Representatives for Monsanto Co. said during a conference call that the emergence of the genetically modified strain was an isolated occurrence. It has tested the original wheat stock and found it clean, the company said.
Photo of the Day: The Cronut Craze
June 6, 2013 9:35 am | CommentsThis June 3, 2013 photo shows chef Dominique Ansel making Cronuts, a croissant-donut hybrid, at the Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York. Ansel makes only 200 to 250 Cronuts every morning and has been selling out within an hour.
Taco Bell Fires Employee for Licking Taco Shells
June 5, 2013 12:26 pm | CommentsTaco Bell is firing a California employee who was photographed licking a stack of taco shells. The shot was made in March at a Taco Bell in Ridgecrest, 100 miles north of Los Angeles. Taco Bell Products Inc. says the shells were provided for workers to practice making its new Cool Ranch tacos and were thrown out without being sold.
Daily Sound Bite: Unexpected GMO Wheat Discovery Prompts Lawsuit
June 5, 2013 12:25 pm | CommentsAfter unapproved GMO wheat was discovered in an Oregon field last week, farmers, regulators and Monsanto — the company responsible for creating the crop — were left scrambling. Now a Kansas farmer is suing the seed giant claiming the discovery is driving down U.S. wheat prices.
Pa. Senator Still Deciding Liquor Bill
June 5, 2013 12:25 pm | by MARC LEVY,Associated Press | CommentsHow much the Pennsylvania treasury will suffer from privatizing state-controlled wine and liquor sales — and how to keep prices from rising in such a system — will be among the many questions a key state senator will try to answer as he finalizes a piece of much-anticipated legislation.
Food Rationing To Begin in Venezuela
June 5, 2013 12:23 pm | by FRANK BAJAK and JORGE RUEDA,Associated Press | CommentsIn a sign Venezuela's food shortages could be worsening, restrictions on the sale of 20 basic items subject to price controls, including toilet paper and chicken, are set to begin next week in its most populous state, officials said Tuesday.A spokesman for President Nicolas Maduro's government said it is incorrect to call the plan rationing because it is meant to fight smuggling of price-controlled food across the border into Colombia.
USDA, EPA Working To Reduce Food Waste
June 5, 2013 12:21 pm | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | CommentsWorking with the nation's largest retailers and food companies, the Agriculture Department and the EPA said Tuesday that they are going to try to reduce food waste. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the department will work with industry to make it easier for companies to donate misbranded meat and poultry, test out a meat-composting program and increase donations of edible food that may get discarded because of appearance.
AB InBev Completes $20.1 Billion Grupo Modelo Deal
June 5, 2013 12:19 pm | CommentsAnheuser-Busch InBev has completed its $20.1 billion purchase of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo. The world's largest brewer has been trying for almost a year to buy the half of Modelo that it did not already own. The Department of Justice initially blocked the deal, but signed off on the combination after AB InBev agreed to sell Modelo's entire U.S. business to a wine maker, Constellation Brands Inc.
Consumer Trends: Health and Wellness Products Gain Traction
June 5, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsGrowth trends indicate that a number of products with individual health and wellness claims have recently experienced declining sales; however, there is evidence that products providing a holistic approach that advances general health and well being are gaining market traction.
Monster Beverage Sales Improving
June 5, 2013 9:35 am | CommentsShares of Monster Beverage rose Tuesday after CEO Rodney Sacks reiterated the safety of the company's energy drinks and said sales have been improving. The company, based in Corona, Calif., held its annual shareholders meeting Monday. While noting that sales have risen in the past few months, Sacks also cautioned that it was "very, very soon" to be able to tell whether they were indicative of a long-term trend.
Farmer Sues Monsanto over GMO Wheat Discovery
June 5, 2013 9:33 am | by ROXANA HEGEMAN,Associated Press | CommentsA Kansas farmer has sued seed giant Monsanto over last week's discovery of genetically engineered experimental wheat in an 80-acre field in Oregon, claiming the company's gross negligence hurt U.S. growers by driving down wheat prices and causing some international markets to suspend certain imports.
Wet Spring Forces Tough Decisions on Farmers
June 5, 2013 9:32 am | by DAVID PITT,Associated Press | CommentsIt's decision time for many Midwest corn farmers stuck in one of the wettest springs ever: Plant late in ground that's been too wet, replant corn in muddy fields or collect crop insurance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said 91 percent of the nation's corn crop is in the ground but just 74 percent of the plants have emerged. But some states — leading corn producer Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and North Dakota — are much further behind.
General Mills Recalls Some Cinnamon Toast Crunch
June 5, 2013 9:30 am | CommentsGeneral Mills Inc. said Tuesday it is recalling about 168 cases of its single-serve reduced-sugar Cinnamon Toast Crunch sold to restaurants and foodservice customers due to risk of salmonella exposure. The cereal maker said Tuesday that it is making the move after a supplier recalled an ingredient due to the possible presence of salmonella.
Death Toll Hits 120 in Poultry Plant Fire
June 5, 2013 9:28 am | CommentsAuthorities raised the death toll Wednesday by one to 120 in this week's disastrous fire at a northeast China poultry processing plant, with another 17 people unaccounted for. The State Administration of Work Safety said a total of 395 people were at work during Monday's tragedy, the country's worst industrial accident in almost five years.
Photo of the Day: Soggy Spring Troubles Farmers
June 5, 2013 9:26 am | CommentsCorn stalks grow in standing water in a field, Tuesday, June 4, 2013, near Colfax, Iowa. Many corn farmers in the Midwest are running out of time to plant — or replant — their crops after the soggy spring kept them out of the fields and, in some cases, washed away their seeds.
