News
Photo of the Day: Bosnia Looks To Expand Halal Industry
May 16, 2013 9:34 am | CommentsIn this photo taken Monday May 13, 2013, Bosnian workers package chicken in the "Ovako" chicken factory that produces halal food products, near Bosnian town of Visoko, 35 kms north of Sarajevo. Bosnia is working hard to position itself as an exporter of halal products. The country opened its first halal fair Wednesday May 15 in Sarajevo, welcoming representatives of the Islamic world to take a look at Bosnian products.
Daily Sound Bite: Hellmann's Celebrates a Century
May 15, 2013 12:43 pm | CommentsTo celebrate Hellmann's centennial birthday, owner Unilever is launching a marketing campaign to drum up attention for the country's top-selling mayonnaise, whose formula remains almost the same as it was a century ago. Media spending is undisclosed, but it's the largest ever campaign for the brand.
ND Pasta Plant To Restart Production
May 15, 2013 12:39 pm | CommentsThe former Noodles by Leonardo plant in Cando will start producing pasta again next week after six months of closed doors. The facility is now owned by Cando Pasta LLC, a partnership of local businessmen Jim and Bruce Gibbens and two other investors. The plant should have as many as 20 employees later this month and as many as 40 by next year.
U.S. Wholesale Prices Fall Most in 3 Years
May 15, 2013 12:36 pm | by CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER,AP Economics Writer | CommentsSharp drops in fuel and food costs reduced a measure of U.S. wholesale prices in April by the most in three years. Outside those volatile categories, inflation stayed tame. The producer price index, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer, fell a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in April from March, the Labor Department said Wednesday. It was the second straight monthly decline and the steepest since February 2010.
Pinnacle Foods’ 1Q Net Jumps on Lower Costs
May 15, 2013 12:35 pm | CommentsPinnacle Foods Inc., which went public in March, said Wednesday that its first-quarter net income more than doubled. The company paid less interest as its debt decreased and curbed some costs, offsetting a dip in sales. The maker of Birds Eye frozen foods, Duncan Hines frosting and cake mixes and Vlasic pickles earned $24.8 million, or 29 cents per share, up from $9.5 million, or 11 cents per share, in the same quarter of 2012.
Bellisio Foods Buys Overhill Farms for $80M
May 15, 2013 12:33 pm | CommentsFrozen foods supplier Overhill Farms has agreed to be purchased for approximately $80 million by Bellisio Foods, allowing the company to expand its position in the frozen entree and snack markets. Overhill announced in August that it was considering strategic options. Often this includes a potential sale of a company.
House Panel Set To Approve Food Stamp Cuts
May 15, 2013 12:32 pm | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | CommentsThe House Agriculture Committee is considering a five-year farm bill that would make small cuts to the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program. The cuts are part of massive legislation that costs almost $100 billion annually and would set policy for farm subsidies, rural programs and the food aid. The House panel started work on the legislation Wednesday, one day after the Senate Agriculture Committee approved its version.
Consumer Trends: A Cheesy Wedding Tradition
May 15, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsMove over cupcakes and cake-pops, this season's tastiest wedding trend has officially arrived, wedding cheese cakes. Elegant wheels of cheese stack up to create a savory spin on the classic wedding cake and offer couples a tasty way to personalize their special day.
Monster Shares Gain Some Traction
May 15, 2013 9:41 am | CommentsMonster Beverage shares are gaining some traction less than a week after the energy drink maker reported disappointing first-quarter results and a slowdown in sales. Last Wednesday, Monster Beverage Corp. said that its quarterly profit fell as it was hurt by distributor termination obligations, foreign currency exchange rates and legal costs tied to regulatory matters and litigation regarding its namesake drink.
Americans Eating More Smoked Seafood
May 15, 2013 9:39 am | by CLARKE CANFIELD,Associated Press | CommentsThere's no smoke and mirrors about it — Americans are eating a lot more smoked seafood than they used to. And that demand — part of a larger trend of infusing everything from salts and cocktails to fruit and teas with a kiss of smoky flavor — has smoked seafood producers like Maine's Ducktrap River moving fast to expand production.
Senate Panel Approves Farm Bill
May 15, 2013 9:38 am | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | CommentsThe Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday approved a massive five-year farm bill that would cut spending while also creating new subsidies for farmers. The legislation approved 15-5 includes concessions to Southern rice and peanut farmers, thanks to a new top Republican on the committee, Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran.
Study: Poultry Drug Increases Levels of Arsenic in Chicken
May 15, 2013 9:36 am | CommentsChickens likely raised with arsenic-based drugs result in chicken meat that has higher levels of inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Hellmann’s Mayo Turns 100
May 15, 2013 9:34 am | by MAE ANDERSON,Associated Press | CommentsA lot changes in 100 years, but the key to Hellmann's success may be that not much has changed for the mayonnaise. To celebrate Hellman's centennial birthday, owner Unilever is launching a marketing campaign to drum up attention for the country's top-selling mayonnaise, whose formula remains almost the same as it was a century ago. Media spending is undisclosed, but it's the largest ever campaign for the brand.
Photo of the Day: Weddings Get Cheesy
May 15, 2013 9:32 am | CommentsMove over cupcakes and cake-pops, this season's tastiest wedding trend has officially arrived, wedding cheese cakes. Elegant wheels of California cheese stack up to create a savory spin on the classic wedding cake and offer couples a tasty way to personalize their special day.
Daily Sound Bite: FDA Releases Food Defense Tool
May 14, 2013 12:47 pm | CommentsThe FDA has released the Food Defense Plan Builder, a comprehensive, easy-to-use software program designed to help owners and operators of food facilities develop customized plans to minimize the risk of intentional contamination at their plants.
FDA Releases Tool To Help Prevent Intential Contamination
May 14, 2013 12:41 pm | CommentsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released a new tool to help bolster the food industry’s defense measures against an act of intentional food contamination. The Food Defense Plan Builder is a comprehensive, easy-to-use software program designed to help owners and operators of food facilities develop customized plans to minimize the risk of intentional contamination at their individual food facilities.
Opposition to Dairy Supply Management Grows
May 14, 2013 12:37 pm | CommentsAs the House and Senate Agriculture Committees prepare to write a new Farm Bill this week, the list of organizations opposed to a proposed dairy program continues to grow. Nearly 150 organizations and businesses across the food chain, from farmers and food manufacturers to food retailers and consumers, have signed letters to members of Congress urging them to oppose the "Dairy Market Stabilization Program" (DMSP).
Senate Considers Massive Farm Bill
May 14, 2013 12:35 pm | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | CommentsThe legislation the Senate Agriculture Committee is considering Tuesday makes concessions to Southern rice and peanut farmers, thanks to a new top Republican on the committee, Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran. The bill eliminates $5 billion in annual subsidies called direct payments that are important to those Southern farmers but makes it easier for them to receive alternate subsidies if prices dip.
Study Questions How Sharply We Should Cut the Salt
May 14, 2013 12:33 pm | by LAURAN NEERGAARD,AP Medical Writer | CommentsThe Institute of Medicine said Tuesday there's no evidence that cutting well below established guidelines offers any benefit — even though that's recommended for certain people at high risk of heart disease. There are some suggestions that going way too low might harm certain patients.
Trial Set for Suit Against ND Hog Farm
May 14, 2013 12:31 pm | CommentsTrial is set to begin the case of a Canadian food company that says it's owed more than $600,000 from a North Dakota hog farming operation. Maple Leaf Foods, Inc. has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court against North Dakota Sow Center, which operates facilities near Bottineau and Edmore. Maple Leaf claims the hog farming company failed to pay for the sale of young pigs.
