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High Crop Prices Entice Farms to Expand Planting
May 21, 2013 | by DAVID PITT, Associated Press | Comments
Across the Midwest, farmers are planting crops on almost any scrap of available land to take advantage of consistently high corn and soybean prices. Growers are knocking down old barns, tearing out fencerows and digging up land that had once been preserved for wildlife. Some are even suspected of tearing into pioneer cemeteries.
Drought Accelerates Use of Drugs to Beef Up Cattle
May 21, 2013 9:27 am | by ROXANA HEGEMAN, Associated Press | Comments
Cattle feeders in the U.S. are coping with reduced herds and high corn costs in part by...
Special K Churns Out Products in Brand Evolution
May 21, 2013 9:25 am | by CANDICE CHOI, AP Food Industry Writer | Comments
Kellogg Co. is building on its biggest moneymaker with a "hot cereal" called Special K Nourish...
Photo of the Day: Shelf Stable Freezer Bars
May 21, 2013 8:00 am | Comments
Baskin-Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, announced the launch of...
Rice Contamination Reported in China
May 21, 2013 12:10 pm | CommentsAuthorities are investigating rice mills in southern China following tests that found almost half of the staple grain in one of the country's largest cities was contaminated with a toxic metal. Reports say the mills had been operating legally and sourced their rice from local farmers.
Calling All Grill Masters: Is It Done Yet?
May 21, 2013 12:04 pm | by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics | CommentsAs part of their award-winning Home Food Safety program, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods encourage all grill masters to equip themselves for the job with a food thermometer — the only way to determine if foods are fully cooked and safe to eat.
Consumer Trends: Gluten-Free Market Skyrocketing
May 21, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsThe increasing number of celiac patients, gluten intolerants and health conscious people has increased the demand for gluten-free products. The gluten-free products market is experiencing a double-digit growth. The most important factor behind buying more gluten-free food products is that they are considered healthier than conventional products.
White House Pushes for More Farm Subsidy Cuts
May 21, 2013 11:51 am | by MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press | CommentsThe Obama administration said Monday it wants to see more cuts to agriculture subsidies in a massive farm bill moving through the Senate this week. The bill would cost almost $100 billion a year over five years and would set policy for farm programs and food aid.
Daily Sound Bite: From Golf Course to Farmland
May 21, 2013 11:40 am | CommentsPart of a wave of Midwestern farmers snapping up land to cash in on steadily rising commodity prices, Illinois farmer Clark Kelly has purchased the Hend-Co-Hills Golf Course near Biggsville with plans to turn the course into a cornfield.
Report Advises on Food Security Stragety
May 21, 2013 11:31 am | CommentsA new report from The Chicago Council on Global Affairs urges the U.S. government to focus its global food security strategy on prioritizing science, increasing trade flows for agriculture and food, and incentivizing greater business activity in low-income countries.
Hershey Tapping into Chinese 'Milk Candy' Market
May 21, 2013 11:23 am | CommentsHershey is looking to expand in China by tapping into the country's taste for "milk candy," a product that accounts for a quarter of the total candy market in the country. Hershey's new Lancaster brand will debut in three Chinese cities next month.
General Mills Says 'No' to GMO Labeling
May 21, 2013 10:27 am | by CNN Money | CommentsIn the face of growing consumer interest in labeling packaged foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), General Mills CEO Kendall Powell explains why his company opposes GMO labeling, saying that GMOs are safe and don't need to be specifically identified.
Hormel Named Top Employer for Vets, Recent Grads
May 21, 2013 9:42 am | CommentsHormel Foods Corporation Tuesday announced it has been recognized with two top employer accolades, including Military Times EDGE magazine’s Best for Vets Employers list, and Experience’s Best Places to Work for Recent Grads list.
Hershey to Launch New Brand in China
May 21, 2013 9:37 am | CommentsThe Hershey Company announced Tuesday it is launching a new candy brand in China called Lancaster™. The new products will initially launch in three cities — Wuhan, Hangzhou and Chengdu — in June, followed by a wider distribution in 2014.
Portland Revisits Issue of Water Fluoridation
May 20, 2013 12:31 pm | by STEVEN DUBOIS, Associated Press | CommentsBoth supporters and opponents of public fluoridation in Portland have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars ahead of a Tuesday ballot measure that has drawn heavy attention from the city's mainstream and alternative newspapers. Campaign signs have sprouted alongside roses on lawns across the city, as have reports of people stealing them.
National Pork Board Addresses Pork Virus
May 20, 2013 12:19 pm | CommentsThe USDA has confirmed that porcine epidemic diarrhea virus has been identified in the United States for the first time through testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory. Producers will need to work with their herd veterinarian if any TGE-like symptoms appear and, as always, maintain strict biosecurity protocols.
USA Today Ad Tells Dasani Bottler to "Take a Hike"
May 20, 2013 12:06 pm | CommentsCorporate Accountability International took out a quarter-page ad Monday in a special national parks supplement to USA Today, calling on Coca-Cola's bottled water brand Dasani to stop interfering in efforts by national parks to go bottled water free.
Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan Unveiled
May 20, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsThe Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan aims to further improve Canada's food safety system by strengthening food safety rules, implementing more effective inspection and pledging a renewed commitment to service and more information for consumers.
Consumer Trends: Consumers Skeptical of 'Natural' Claims
May 20, 2013 12:00 pm | Comments"Natural is clearly perceived by some brand managers as being a very important claim," says Phil Lempert editor in chief of The Food Journal. "However, consumer skepticism is growing as shoppers pay attention to the nutritional facts panel and the ingredients on the labels and often it's not so natural."
Oklahoma Grocery Store Wine Proposal Being Renewed
May 20, 2013 10:48 am | by TIM TALLEY, Associated Press | CommentsSupporters of a plan to permit some grocery stores in Oklahoma's most populous counties to sell wine plan to launch a new petition drive to put the proposal to a statewide vote.The plan will be resubmitted to voters this summer following a Supreme Court challenge.
Daily Sound Bite: Food Map Details Expansive Food Marketplace
May 20, 2013 10:40 am | CommentsResearchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a new, highly detailed map illustrating Americans' buying and consumption habits. Some hope the map can be used to better tailor nutritional guidelines and monitor public health as it related to processed food.
Campbell Beats Expectations on Stronger Soup Sales
May 20, 2013 9:47 am | CommentsCampbell Soup reported third-quarter results that beat Wall Street expectations and raised its outlook for the year as sales in its struggling soup unit improved. The Camden company has been trying to reinvigorate its namesake business with new flavors and packaging targeted at people in their 20s and 30s.
New Food Map Will Tell Us What We Eat
May 20, 2013 8:14 am | by MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press | CommentsResearchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are trying to change that by creating a gargantuan map of what foods Americans are buying and eating. Part of the uniqueness of the database is its ability to sort one product into what it really is — thousands of brands and variations.
Tons of New Zealand Meat Stranded on Chinese Docks
May 20, 2013 8:04 am | by NICK PERRY, Associated Press | CommentsHundreds of tons of frozen mutton, lamb and beef from New Zealand have been stranded on Chinese docks after China halted their import due to a certification dispute. China is New Zealand's largest export market and its largest consumer of sheep meat.
