News
Swine Operation To Open in South Dakota
May 6, 2013 9:37 am | CommentsA 5,000-sow swine operation that will produce about 125,000 pigs a year is set to open in southeastern South Dakota just south of Mount Vernon. Hundreds on Friday toured the Jackrabbit Family Farm facility, which will be populated with animals in about two weeks, the Mitchell Daily Republic reported.
Pearson Candy Acquires Bit-O-Honey from Nestle
May 6, 2013 9:36 am | CommentsBrynwood Partners VI L.P. announced that its portfolio company, Pearson Candy Company, has acquired the Bit-O-Honey confectionery brand from Nestle USA, Inc. The acquisition marks the fifth brand Brynwood Partners has acquired from Nestle. Terms and conditions of the transaction, which closed today, were not disclosed.
Booze from Local Crops Booming
May 6, 2013 9:34 am | by MICHAEL HILL,Associated Press | CommentsWith all the orchards and corn fields that dot the Hudson Valley landscape, Tuthilltown Spirits doesn't have to look far for the grains and apples to make their whiskey, vodka and gin. The 10-year-old company crafts many of their liquors from ingredients grown no more than a few minutes away, the bounty of the rolling hills that surround it.
Hain Celestial 3Q Profit and Revenue Up
May 6, 2013 9:32 am | CommentsThe Hain Celestial Group Inc. reported major profit gains in its fiscal third quarter on stronger sales, but the company issued a weak full-year forecast. Hain Celestial earned $40.7 million, or 85 cents per share, for the quarter that ended March 31. That compares with $24.1 million, or 52 cents per share, earned last year. It made 72 cents per share on an adjusted basis, excluding one-time items.
Ex-Slaughterhouse Manager Faces Exploitation Charges
May 6, 2013 9:31 am | by RYAN J. FOLEY,Associated Press | CommentsAfter fleeing to Israel following an immigration raid in 2008, a former manager at a kosher slaughterhouse in Iowa finally appeared in a U.S. courtroom Friday to face charges that he conspired to exploit immigrant workers for profit. Amara pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiring to harbor workers who were in the country illegally and conspiring to provide false immigration papers.
Photo of the Day: Grain to Glass
May 6, 2013 9:28 am | CommentsMichael Chichetti, whiskey production manager, pours a bag of corn into a roller mill while making baby bourbon at Tuthilltown Spirits on Wednesday, April 17, 2013, in Gardiner, N.Y. Some call it “grain to glass,” the booze equivalent of the local-food slogan “farm to table,” though in the case of the apple vodka made from Hudson Valley at Tuthilltown, it’s more like “tree to tumbler.” Whatever the name, it’s catching on.
Taco Bell Says New Value Menu Coming Soon
May 3, 2013 12:27 pm | CommentsTaco Bell says its new value menu may go national in coming months. The fast-food chain had already said in January that it was testing a "$1 Cravings" menu that would replace its "Why Pay More" menu, which has tiered pricing. In a call with reporters Thursday, executives at the chain said they're confident they've hit on the right mix of products for a national rollout this year. But they declined to specify a date.
Kraft Profit Beats Expectations
May 3, 2013 12:26 pm | CommentsKraft Foods is reviving old brands like Kool-Aid and betting on big new innovations as it begins finding its way as a smaller, independent company. The Northfield, Ill., company, which makes Miracle Whip, Oscar Mayer and other staples found in American pantries, on Thursday reported first-quarter results that beat Wall Street expectations.
Kellogg Plans To Lure Adults Back to Cereal
May 3, 2013 12:24 pm | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | CommentsKellogg has a plan to get adults to eat more cereal: pile on the nutrients. The Battle Creek, Mich.-based company says it's introducing Raisin Bran with omega-3 and a multigrain version of Special K later this month as it works to boost struggling cereal sales in North America.
Report: Many Causes for Dramatic Bee Disappearance
May 3, 2013 12:20 pm | by SETH BORENSTEIN,AP Science Writer | CommentsA new federal report blames a combination of problems for a mysterious and dramatic disappearance of U.S. honeybees since 2006. The intertwined factors cited include a parasitic mite, multiple viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition, genetics, habitat loss and pesticides.
Nestle Recalls California Pizza Kitchen, DiGiorno Pizzas
May 3, 2013 12:19 pm | CommentsNestle Pizza Co. of Little Chute is recalling four frozen-pizza products that might be contaminated with plastic fragments. The USDA says one consumer reported a chipped tooth after biting into one of the California Pizza Kitchen products. The problem was apparently related to the spinach in the pizza, so the company is recalling other pizza products that used the same lot of spinach.
Daily Sound Bite: China 'Cannot Tolerate' Rat Meat Sold As Lamb
May 3, 2013 12:14 pm | CommentsAfter a new food safety law only vaguely increased food safety regulations in China, a new scandal involving nearly 1,000 suspects is rocking the country. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security has announced that rat and fox meat has been fraudulently sold as lamb.
Consumer Trends: Most Successful CPG Brands
May 3, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsAmong food and beverage champions, average year-one dollar sales for the top-100 brands were $43.4 million. New food and beverage brands addressed long-standing trends around wellness, indulgence and convenience. Importantly, though, the most powerful launches of the year also delivered more to today’s finicky, frugal and fast-moving consumers.
Mozzarella Recalled for Undeclared Soy
May 3, 2013 9:41 am | CommentsAn upstate New York company is recalling a mozzarella cheese product because it contains soy, which isn't listed on the label and could cause allergic reactions. Formaggio Italian Cheese Specialties of Sullivan County says it's recalling about 234 pounds of fresh mozzarella with chorizo and cilantro products sold in New York and New Jersey.
Hillshire Brands 3Q Sales Fall Below Expectations
May 3, 2013 9:39 am | CommentsHillshire Brands on Thursday reported quarterly sales that fell short of Wall Street expectations as it ran into some hiccups switching to a new packaging for its lunch meats. The company, which his based in Chicago, is the former North American business of Sara Lee Corp. and makes brands including Jimmy Dean sausages and Ball Park hot dogs.
Study: Food Allergies Increasing in Children
May 3, 2013 9:38 am | by MIKE STOBBE,AP Medical Writer | CommentsThe CDC survey suggests that about 1 in 20 U.S. children have food allergies. That's a 50 percent increase from the late 1990s. For eczema and other skin allergies, it's 1 in 8 children, an increase of 69 percent. It found no increase, however, in hay fever or other respiratory allergies.
Juror: Landmark EEOC Verdict Sends Message
May 3, 2013 9:36 am | by RYAN J. FOLEY,Associated Press | CommentsA juror says she wanted to send a message by supporting a historic $240 million verdict for 32 mentally disabled men who faced decades of abuse by a Texas company: Never again. Juror Robin Griebel outlined her rationale for awarding $7.5 million to each former employee of Henry's Turkey Service, while the men, their attorney and relatives celebrated Wednesday's verdict.
Rat Meat Sold as Lamb in China’s Latest Food Scandal
May 3, 2013 9:34 am | CommentsChinese police have broken up a criminal ring accused of taking meat from rats and foxes and selling it as lamb in the country's latest food safety scandal. The Ministry of Public Security released results of a three-month crackdown on food safety violators, saying in a statement that authorities investigated more than 380 cases and arrested 904 suspects.
Photo of the Day: Sniffing Out Allergens
May 3, 2013 9:32 am | CommentsIn this Sunday, May 29, 2011 file photo, Jeff Glazer guides his allergy-sniffing dog, Riley, through a dugout of a ball field before his team's baseball game in Middlebury, Conn. Riley accompanies Jeff to ensure there are no peanut products or residue that could trigger his life-threatening allergic reactions.
Daily Sound Bite: Anti-Addiction Groups Balk at Pa. Liquor Bills
May 2, 2013 12:36 pm | CommentsAs a bill passes through the state senate in Pennsylvania, aiming to privatize the control of liquor and wine sales, some state senators and anti-addition groups are railing against the new proposed measure, claiming it will cost taxpayers and harm families.
