News
Sharpton: Meeting with PepsiCo ‘Positive’
May 9, 2013 9:37 am | by CHRIS TALBOTT,AP Music Writer | CommentsOfficials with PepsiCo Inc. apologized during a meeting Wednesday with relatives of civil rights icon Emmett Till who were offended by a rapper who had a promotional deal with the company, the Rev. Al Sharpton said. Sharpton said a statement that the morning meeting he brokered at company headquarters in Purchase, N.Y., was "positive."
Snyder’s-Lance Reports 1Q Results
May 9, 2013 9:35 am | CommentsSnyder's-Lance, Inc. reported results for its first quarter of 2013. Net revenue for the first quarter ended March 30, 2013 was $419 million, an increase of 6.5% compared to prior year net revenue of $393 million. Net income was $19.8 million for the first quarter of 2013, or $0.28 per diluted share, compared to net income of $14.2 million for the first quarter of 2012 or $0.21 per diluted share.
Bolivia Tries To Make Coca Palatable
May 9, 2013 9:32 am | by PAOLA FLORES,Associated Press | CommentsPresident Evo Morales has a personal stake in seeing the destigmatization of the crop. He and his fellow growers say they want to build a healthy market for coca-based products, despite the belief of U.S. officials that most of Bolivia's crop ends up as narcotics. Yet a stubborn problem keeps getting in the way of the president's grand plan: While coca tea is popular, most people seem to find other coca-based food unappetizing.
McDonald’s Sales Hit by Weakness Overseas
May 9, 2013 9:30 am | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | CommentsMcDonald's says a key sales figure slipped again in April, with the world's biggest hamburger chain citing fears over a new strain of avian flu for weakness in China. The Oak Brook, Ill.-based chain, which had warned of a decline last month, says the figure fell 0.6 percent globally. That reflected an increase of 0.7 percent in the U.S., where it recently introduced its chicken McWraps to attract more customers in their 20s and 30s.
Wrigley Pulls Caffeinated Gum
May 9, 2013 9:28 am | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | CommentsA Food and Drug Administration investigation into the safety of caffeine-added foods has prompted Wrigley to take its new caffeinated gum off the market for the time being. Wrigley said Wednesday that it will temporarily halt sales and marketing of Alert caffeinated gum after discussions with the FDA.
Photo of the Day: Coca Treats Fall Flat
May 9, 2013 9:26 am | CommentsUrged on by President Evo Morales, Bolivians had been trying to turn coca leaf, the base ingredient of cocaine, into popular treats ranging from candies to pastries. Yet as coca processing factories were built and products were marketed, a stubborn problem kept getting in the way of Morales' grand plan: Most people, including many Bolivians, just don't like eating coca food.
National Chocolate & Dessert Show Returns to Chicago
May 8, 2013 12:42 pm | CommentsThe National Chocolate & Dessert Show (NCDS) returns to Chicago’s Navy Pier on Sunday, October 20 to Tuesday, October, 22 as the nation’s only trade show dedicated to the chocolate and dessert industry. Foodservice operators, retail buyers, chefs, and chocolatiers attendees will leave with the key learnings and solutions to run a successful chocolate or dessert operation or retail program.
Wis. Assembly Approves Junk Food Stamp Bill
May 8, 2013 12:38 pm | by KEVIN WANG,Associated Press | CommentsA bill aimed at encouraging food stamp recipients in Wisconsin to eat healthier by limiting the amount of benefits that could be spent on junk food won approval from the state Assembly on Tuesday. The bill would require people enrolled in Wisconsin's food stamps program, or FoodShare, to spend at least two-thirds of their monthly benefits on designated items such as milk, bread and vegetables.
U.S. Job Postings Fell in March
May 8, 2013 12:37 pm | by CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER,AP Economics Writer | CommentsU.S. employers posted fewer job openings in March compared with February and slowed overall hiring, underscoring a weak month of job growth. The Labor Department said Tuesday that job openings fell 1.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted 3.8 million jobs. Total hiring declined 4.3 percent to 4.3 million.
PepsiCo To Meet with Till Family, Sharpton After Controversies
May 8, 2013 12:33 pm | CommentsPepsiCo Inc. officials will meet Wednesday with members of Emmett Till's family and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton continued to press for the meeting last week after the company's partnerships with Lil Wayne and Tyler, the Creator, of Odd Future to promote Mountain Dew sparked controversies.
Mondelez Sells More Oreos, Struggles with Gum Sales
May 8, 2013 12:31 pm | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | CommentsAmericans aren't chewing as much gum. That's a problem for Mondelez, which owns Trident, Chiclets and other brands. The company, which also makes Oreo cookies, Cadbury chocolates and Ritz crackers, on Tuesday reported a first-quarter profit in line with Wall Street expectations following its split with Kraft Foods Group last year.
Daily Sound Bite: Huge Packaging Merger
May 8, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsExopack, Britton Group, PACCOR, Kobusch and Paragon Print & Packaging have announced they will join forces to become one large packaging company, headquartered in Luxembourg. All five packaging companies are affiliated portfolio companies of Sun Capital Partners, Inc.
Consumer Trends: Delving into the Diverse Hispanic Market
May 8, 2013 12:00 pm | Comments"To know thy own target audience" could be the mantra of today's successful marketing campaigns. Hispanic Millennials, GenXers and Boomer generational segments have unique consumer buying patterns. How they view the marketplace is influenced by a combination of macro-trends of their respective generations, by their lifestage priorities, and by their cultural orientation.
Cheesy Garlic Bread Prevails in Lay’s Flavor Contest
May 8, 2013 9:40 am | by JOSEPH PISANI,AP Business Writer | CommentsLay's potato chips are getting cheesier. Fans voted to keep the potato chip maker's Cheesy Garlic Bread flavor on store shelves for at least the end of the year as part of the company's nearly yearlong promotion that solicited customers' flavor ideas.
Vt. Committee Approves GMO Labeling Law
May 8, 2013 9:38 am | CommentsThe Vermont House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill requiring labeling of food products containing genetically modified organisms. But the measure isn't expected to pass into law this year, because there isn't enough time before the end of the session — scheduled this weekend — to get the bill through the Senate.
Limburger Cheese: Not for the Faint of Nose
May 8, 2013 9:37 am | by HELEN O'NEILL,Associated Press | CommentsIn 1880, Limburger, which is smeared with a foul-smelling bacteria to make it age quickly, was described by local author John Luchsinger as "a premeditated outrage on the organs of smell." Mark Twain wrote about "a most evil and searching odor" in his 1882 tale, "The Invalid's Story."
Molson Coors Income Fell 55 Percent in 1Q
May 8, 2013 9:35 am | CommentsMolson Coors Brewing Co. said Tuesday that its net income dropped 55 percent in the first quarter, as it invested more in its brands and dealt with acquisition-related costs and poor weather in certain markets. The company earned $35.6 million, or 20 cents per share, for the period ended March 30. A year earlier it earned $79.5 million, or 44 cents per share.
Coke Launching Anti-Obesity Campaign
May 8, 2013 9:33 am | CommentsCoca-Cola says it will work to make lower-calorie drinks and clear nutrition information more widely available around the world. The Atlanta-based company already offers diet drinks in most markets. But they're not always as readily available in emerging markets such as China as they are in the U.S.
Photo of the Day: World's Stinkiest Cheese
May 8, 2013 9:31 am | CommentsMonroe, Wisconsin is a tranquil town of 10,000 nestled in the rolling hills of southern Wisconsin, where pale brown cows gaze soulfully from fields and silos dot the landscape. This charming place is also home to the stinkiest cheese in the world.
Five Packaging Companies Join Forces To Create Large Global Firm
May 7, 2013 12:10 pm | CommentsFive leading packaging companies in North America and Europe announced they intend to combine in order to operate as one global leader under the banner of Exopack Holdings Sarl, a new Luxembourg company. The combined business will have 63 plants, 8,650 employees and aggregate revenues of more than US$2.5B, making it the sixth-largest plastics packaging company in the world.
