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Mayors: Limit Use of Food Stamps To Buy Soda
June 19, 2013 | by JENNIFER PELTZ,Associated Press | Comments
The mayors of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and 15 other cities are reviving a push against letting food stamps be used to buy soda and other sugary drinks. In a letter sent to congressional leaders on Tuesday, the mayors say it's "time to test and evaluate approaches limiting" the use of the subsidies for sugar-laden beverages, in the interest of fighting obesity and related diseases.
Taco Bell To Test ‘Power Protein’ Menu
June 19, 2013 12:25 pm | Comments
Taco Bell plans to test a "Power Protein" menu that it's hoping will eventually be a hit with...
Top Pa. Senator: Liquor Bill Lacks Support
June 19, 2013 12:23 pm | by MARC LEVY,Associated Press | Comments
Top Republican state senators continued to seek enough support Tuesday to pass legislation one...
Hormel Lowers Profit Expectations for the Year
June 19, 2013 12:21 pm | Comments
Hormel shares slid 5 percent before the opening bell after the company trimmed its profit...
Daily Sound Bite: The Debate over Subsidizing Soda
June 19, 2013 12:36 pm | CommentsIn a letter to congressional leaders, the mayors of 18 cities are pushing against letting food stamps be used to buy soda and other sugary drinks. The mayors say it's "time to test and evaluate approaches limiting" the use of the subsidies for sugar-laden beverages in order to help fight the obesity crisis.
Starbucks Pushes Food Items To Energize Sales
June 19, 2013 12:29 pm | CommentsStarbucks wants coffee fans to think of it as a spot to grab lunch or a late afternoon bite — not just a place to get a cup of morning joe. The Seattle-based coffee chain is looking to increase its sales in the U.S. by making its food a bigger attraction, particularly in the slower afternoon and evening hours.
Missouri Lifts Ban on Foreign Farm Owners
June 19, 2013 12:27 pm | by ALAN SCHER ZAGIER,Associated Press | CommentsWeeks before a Chinese conglomerate agreed to buy Smithfield Foods Inc. in the largest such takeover of a U.S. business, Missouri lawmakers quietly approved legislation removing a ban on foreign ownership of agricultural land. Missouri is one of several Midwest states with little-known laws passed in the 1970s amid concerns over Japanese investment that prohibit or restrict foreign farmland ownership.
Consumer Trends: Gluten-Free Trend Translates to Takeout
June 19, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsWith approximately one in three Americans trying to cut back or avoid gluten in their diets, the analysts at GrubHub tracked the trend at U.S. takeout restaurants. An analysis of 2013 GrubHub orders reveals that menu items identified as gluten-free have grown in popularity with diners by nearly 60 percent since April 2012.
New Rules Let Wis. Meatpacker Sell to Other States
June 19, 2013 9:41 am | CommentsMeatpacking companies usually can't ship across state lines unless their products are inspected by the USDA. But Wisconsin is one of three states to sign a deal with the federal government under USDA rules finalized in 2011. That pact makes interstate sales of state-inspected meat acceptable.
House Considering Cuts to Food Stamps
June 19, 2013 9:39 am | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | CommentsPassage of the five-year, half-trillion-dollar farm bill could depend on the level of cuts to the $80 billion-a-year program. Many House conservatives have said the cuts don't go far enough, while liberals have argued against any cuts, saying the House farm bill could take as many as 2 million recipients off the rolls.
Zimbabwe ‘Cattle Bank’ Takes Deposits that Moo
June 19, 2013 9:37 am | by GILLIAN GOTORA,Associated Press | CommentsZimbabwe's first "Cattle Bank" has just opened its books in a unique kind of banking where owners bring in their animals as collateral against cash loans. Owners accrue interest and have the option to get back their cattle after an initial two years or leave them with the bank for longer. Depositors can get loans of an equal value of the cattle they have put in the bank.
Photo of the Day: Zimbabwe's Cattle Bank
June 19, 2013 9:30 am | CommentsZimbabwe's first “Cattle Bank” has just opened its books in a unique kind of banking where owners are being asked to bring in their animals as a cash deposit enabling them to withdraw and borrow money against their value while retaining ownership.
Dominicans Close Border Market over Food Ban
June 19, 2013 8:32 am | CommentsMerchants in the Dominican Republic have shuttered a large border market in protest over neighboring Haiti's ban on poultry and egg imports. The Dajabon market was closed Monday seeking to pressure Haiti to drop the ban. A Dominican board says the country sells about 25 million eggs and 8 million chickens to Haiti every month.
Daily Sound Bite: A 'Natural' Look Takes Hard Work
June 18, 2013 12:42 pm | CommentsHere's the latest goal for food makers: Perfect the art of imperfection. Kraft Foods took more than two years to develop a process to make the thick, uneven slabs of turkey in its Carving Board line look like leftovers from a homemade meal rather than the cookie-cutter ovals typical of most lunchmeat.
Starbucks To Post Calorie Counts
June 18, 2013 12:35 pm | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | CommentsStarbucks has a new way to wake up its customers: showing the calories in its drinks. The Seattle-based coffee chain says it will start posting calorie counts on menu boards nationwide next week, ahead of a federal regulation that would require it to do so.
NYC Seeks To Require Composting of Food Scraps
June 18, 2013 12:29 pm | by BETHAN McKERNAN and JENNIFER PELTZ,Associated Press | CommentsLegions of apartment dwellers will soon be asked — and may eventually be ordered — to start collecting food scraps for composting, under Mayor Michael Bloomberg's latest bid to make the Big Apple greener. After launching a test program recently in 3,500 Staten Island homes and some Manhattan apartment buildings, city officials said Monday they planned to expand it to 100,000 houses and high-rise apartments in all five boroughs this fall.
Pa. Senate GOP Seeking Consensus on Liquor Bill
June 18, 2013 12:27 pm | by MARC LEVY,Associated Press | CommentsRepublican state senators remained unsure Monday whether they will vote for legislation that one of their members is writing to liberalize the sale of wine, beer and hard liquor in Pennsylvania, a key priority of Gov. Tom Corbett. Bucks County Sen. Charles McIlhinney is expected to unveil the legislation Tuesday, Republican senators said.
White House Threatens To Veto House Farm Bill
June 18, 2013 12:26 pm | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | CommentsThe White House is threatening to veto the House version of a massive, five-year farm bill, saying food stamp cuts included in the legislation could leave some Americans hungry. The legislation would cut $2 billion annually, or around 3 percent, from food stamps and make it harder for some people to qualify for the program.
Smithfield Lays Off 120 Workers
June 18, 2013 12:23 pm | by MICHAEL FELBERBAUM,AP Business Writer | CommentsSmithfield Foods Inc. said Tuesday that it is laying off 120 more workers as part of its previously announced closure of a Virginia facility that makes hot dogs and deli meat. The Smithfield, Va.-based pork producer plans to close the Portsmouth plant in the middle of August, said Jeff Gough, Smithfield's senior vice president for human resources.
Consumer Trends: Health Benefits of Canola Oil
June 18, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsA comprehensive review of scientific evidence shows that consuming canola oil instead of other fat sources enhances health and can help consumers comply with expert dietary fat recommendations. Studies conducted over the past 25 years about the health effects of canola oil confirm canola oil reduces the risk of heart disease and suggest that it may also protect against other chronic diseases.
NJ Panel Passes Measure To Promote State’s Wine Industry
June 18, 2013 9:51 am | CommentsA state Senate panel has unanimously approved a measure that aims to bolster New Jersey's wine industry. The bill would create the New Jersey Wine Board and make it responsible for facilitating growth in the state's wine industry through advertisements, research and education.
EEOC Files Suit Against Performance Food Group
June 18, 2013 9:50 am | CommentsThe U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against a Virginia-based company. The commission announced the lawsuit Monday against Performance Food Group Inc. Joe Vagi, a company spokesman, says the company has not received notification of the lawsuit and doesn't comment on pending litigation.
Campbell Soup To Buy Kelsen Group
June 18, 2013 9:48 am | CommentsCampbell Soup Co. said Monday that it will buy Danish snack company Kelsen Group A/S from private-equity firm Maj Invest and several other investors for an undisclosed sum. The deal will help Campbell expand its global snacks business, which includes brands such as Pepperidge Farm in the U.S. and Arnott's biscuits in Australia.
Entrepreneurs Create Grow-at-Home Mushroom Kits
June 18, 2013 9:46 am | by MICHELLE LOCKE,Associated Press | CommentsBack to the Roots makes a Grow-Your-Own Mushroom Garden that allows anyone to grow mushrooms off recycled waste. The company has grown to more than 30 employees and received an Empact100 award from the White House last fall, recognizing it as one of the top 100 entrepreneurial companies in the United States.
