News
Researchers Find Way To Turn Off Food Allergies
October 5, 2010 4:26 am | CommentsJohns Hopkins scientists have discovered a way to turn off the immune system’s allergic reaction to certain food proteins in mice, a discovery that could have implications for the millions of people who suffer severe reactions to foods, such as peanuts and milk. The findings, published online in the journal Nature Medicine , provide hope that the body could be trained to tolerate food allergies that lead to roughly 300,000 emergency room visits and 100 to 200 deaths each year.
Ivory Coast Becomes World's Largest Cocoa Processor
October 4, 2010 5:00 am | CommentsSAN PEDRO, Ivory Coast (AP) — Ivory Coast opened a cocoa processing factory Friday that will push its processing capacity to the largest in the world, an official said. The West African country is already the world's largest cocoa bean grower and exporter. Bohoun Bouabre, minister of planning and development said Friday that the new plant is part of a strategy to diversify the economy and move away from exporting only raw unprocessed resources.
600 Pounds Of Trout Stolen From Pond
October 4, 2010 4:56 am | CommentsCANTON, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina trout farmer thought something was fishy when one of her ponds wasn't fishy enough. The Asheville Citizen-Times reports Sunburst Trout Farm owner Sally Eason and her husband noticed Thursday that the pond had virtually no fish in it. Thieves had made off with 600 pounds of trout.
San Francisco May Ban Happy Meals Toys
October 4, 2010 4:53 am | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco has a long history of bold public health and environmental stances, going after everything from plastic bags in grocery stores to cigarettes to sugary drinks. The latest target: Ronald McDonald. A proposed city ordinance would ban McDonald's from putting toys in Happy Meals unless it adds fruit and vegetable portions and limits calories.
Extreme Eats: Gator Processing
October 4, 2010 4:46 am | CommentsCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Roy Floyd is used to opening the coolers at his Peach Orchard Deer Processing plant and finding dozens of deer carcasses left by hunters overnight. But one morning last year, he opened the door and discovered something completely different a huge gator carcass.
Coca-Cola Buys Largest Bottler For $3.4B
October 4, 2010 4:39 am | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Coca-Cola Co. has completed its $3.4 billion buyout of the North American operations of its largest bottler, part of the company's plans to control more of its distribution to better react to changing customer tastes. The world's largest soft drink maker on Sunday closed the deal for the domestic unit of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.
CDC Awards $1.9M For Sodium Reduction Initiatives
October 4, 2010 4:34 am | CommentsFive states and communities across the country will receive a total of $1.9 million for sodium (salt) reduction efforts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today. The awards will support policy strategies to create healthier food environments and help reduce sodium intake in the population for a three-year funding period.
Consumers Believe Manufacturers Should Disclose HFCS Content
October 1, 2010 4:44 am | by About Mintel | CommentsLately, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has come under fire, resulting in a proposed name change from HFCS to simply “corn sugar”. While it’s unclear what effects this possible name change will have, consumers are continually concerned about the controversial food additive. According to Mintel , 65% of consumers believe manufacturers or brands themselves should be responsible for disclosing how much HFCS a food or drink contains.
India Pale Ale Top Seller In Craft Brewing
October 1, 2010 4:39 am | CommentsDENVER (AP) — The quest for top honors in American craft brewing has come here, to a hotel ballroom marked "restricted access." More than 140 bottles of American-style India Pale Ale sit stacked in donated Bud Light and King Cobra boxes, labors of hop love brewed by a cast of characters that includes an organic chemist, a man with a grim reaper tattoo and a guy who wants to make a beer that tastes like orange sherbet mixed with hot fudge ice cream.
Allergy Concern Prompts Hostess Muffin Recall
October 1, 2010 4:36 am | CommentsIRVING, Texas (AP) — Hostess Brands, Inc., on Thursday said it is recalling chocolate chip mini-muffin multi-packs because some may contain banana nut muffins with walnuts that aren't mentioned on the label. Walnuts can cause serious illness or a life-threatening reaction in those who are allergic.
General Mills Expands Yoplait Production In Tenn.
October 1, 2010 4:32 am | CommentsNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — General Mills Inc. is adding about 80 jobs as the company expands production of Yoplait brand yogurt in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Gov. Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber joined Rutherford County officials in congratulating the Minneapolis-based company on its decision to invest $100 million in expanding the plant.
Child Nutrition Bill Threatens To Take Money From Food Stamps
October 1, 2010 4:29 am | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Michelle Obama's campaign for healthier school lunches has stalled in Congress after anti-hunger groups and more than 100 Democrats protested the use of food stamp dollars to pay for it. Passage of the child nutrition bill, which would improve lunches in schools and expand feeding programs for low-income students, has been a priority for Democrats and hunger groups for years.
Spice Maker's Blend Preaches Diversity
October 1, 2010 4:24 am | CommentsPHOENIX (AP) — While the immigration debate can get as hot as a chili pepper, one spice company is spreading a message that Arizona's cuisine can conquer its differences. Penzeys Spices has introduced a new blend called Arizona Dreaming, with the message that Mexican culture is a beloved part of the state's — and the country's — food heritage.
U.S. Responds To Iran's Nuclear Policies With Pistachio Ban
September 29, 2010 4:44 am | CommentsMADERA, California (AP) — California farmers may be the big beneficiaries of a U.S. ban on Iranian pistachios that began Wednesday. President Barack Obama signed the ban on July 1 in response to Iran's nuclear policies. It went into effect as California's farmers were in the midst of their harvest.
Hershey To Move From Century-Old Plant To Modern Facility
September 29, 2010 4:40 am | CommentsHERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — Chocolate maker Hershey has gained township approval for a $200 million expansion project that would shift production from a century-old plant to a modern facility nearby. Derry Township supervisors on Tuesday approved the final land development plans for the 243,000-square-foot expansion at a plant in West Hershey.
Log Cabin 'Natural' Syrup To Remove Caramel Coloring
September 29, 2010 4:36 am | CommentsMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Under fire in maple syrup country, the maker of Log Cabin All Natural Syrup said Tuesday it's getting rid of the product's caramel coloring in response to complaints by producers of the real thing. That may not be enough. Officials in Vermont — the nation's largest producer of pure maple syrup — say the Pinnacle Foods product's label and packaging are still misleading to consumers and violate the state's maple syrup labeling regulations.
Campbell CEO To Step Down In July
September 29, 2010 4:32 am | CommentsPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Campbell Soup Co. CEO Douglas Conant is stepping down in July after a decade leading the world's top soup maker, the company said Tuesday. Campbell's president of North American soup, sauces and beverages — Denise Morrison — is expected to succeed him.
UK Bakery Fined For Mouse Baked Into Bread
September 29, 2010 4:28 am | CommentsLONDON (AP) — It was hard to explain, that dead mouse baked into a loaf of bread. British officials have released the photo which proved that Stephen Forse wasn't kidding when he claimed to find the wee creature while making sandwiches for his children. Forse, who bought the bread from a supermarket in 2009, said Monday he first thought a dark spot in the bread — branded Best of Both — was some poorly mixed dough.
Coca-Cola To Invest $1 Billion In Philippines
September 29, 2010 4:23 am | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Coca-Cola Co. said Tuesday it will spend $1 billion in the Philippines over the next five years to expand its presence in the fast-growing market, another step by the world's largest beverage company to focus more on emerging markets. Coca-Cola will focus on boosting marketing and improving its delivery capabilities in the country.
Store Brands Are Here To Stay
September 28, 2010 5:00 am | by About the Surveys | CommentsNEW YORK-- As American consumers continue to add private label products to their shopping carts, consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail executives recently surveyed by Deloitte agree: this is a trend that is here to stay. In Deloitte's new "The Battle for Brands in a World of Private Labels" study, when asked how market share of store brands will change in the United States by 2012, 77 percent of CPG executives and 90 percent of retail executives surveyed indicated it will increase or increase significantly.
