News
Beef Association Challenges Greenhouse Gas Regs
April 23, 2013 12:32 pm | CommentsThe National Cattlemen’s Beef Association along with the Coalition for Responsible Regulation filed a petition April 18 in the United States Supreme Court challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare, its rule to limit GHG from passenger vehicles and its “timing” and “tailoring” rules that govern GHG permit applicability at stationary sources.
Starbucks To Report 2Q Results
April 23, 2013 12:30 pm | CommentsStarbucks reports its fiscal second-quarter results Thursday, which should give investors an indication of how international expansion and new products are affecting the coffee company's profit. The Seattle-based company, which has more than 18,000 locations around the world, reports global sales growth for cafes open at least a year, with a breakdown of the figure by region.
Companies Still Reluctant To Make Acquisitions
April 23, 2013 12:28 pm | by PAN PYLAS,Associated Press | CommentsCompanies around the world are still reluctant to go on the acquisition trail even though they are becoming more confident about the global economy, a survey found Monday. In its half-yearly assessment of the intentions of big companies, accounting and consultancy firm Ernst & Young said the growing optimism has yet to be translated into more investment or corporate deal-making.
NM Slaughterhouse Is Ground Zero in Horse Debate
April 23, 2013 12:25 pm | by JERI CLAUSING,Associated Press | CommentsValley Meat Co. is a former cattle slaughterhouse whose kill floor has been redesigned for horses to be led in one at a time, secured in a huge metal chute, shot in the head, then processed into meat for shipment overseas. It's also ground zero for an emotional, national debate over a return to domestic horse slaughter that has divided horse rescue and animal humane groups, ranchers, politicians and Indian tribes.
Consumer Trends: Hispanic Food Trends
April 23, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsAs Hispanic buying power climbs by 50 percent to $1.5 trillion in 2015, this group will have a larger economic impact at restaurants and other foodservice locations. Restaurant operators and suppliers that understand their unique preferences will be well-positioned to capture more business from the growing Hispanic segment.
Food Price Hikes Raise Concern in Iran
April 23, 2013 9:48 am | by BY NASSER KARIMI,Associated Press | CommentsIranians lined up to buy cooking oil and meat in Tehran on Monday, as price hikes threatened to stir discontent less than two months before presidential elections. Prices of staples such as imported cooking oil, chicken and red meat have jumped up to 60 percent since authorities decided last week to increase the official dollar exchange rate for importers who need the currency to do business.
Livestock Disaster Protection Act Introduced in House
April 23, 2013 9:46 am | CommentsThe National Cattlemen’s Beef Association supports the efforts of U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem in introducing legislation that would provide a safety net for livestock owners across the nation. Under the Livestock Disaster Protection Act, the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Livestock Forage Program and the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program would be extended for five years.
EEOC Seeks Damages for Disabled Iowa Plant Workers
April 23, 2013 9:44 am | by RYAN J. FOLEY,Associated Press | CommentsA now-defunct Texas company that put mentally disabled men to work at an Iowa turkey plant for decades is due in court to defend itself against allegations that it subjected the men to physical and verbal abuse. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Henry's Turkey Service, of Goldthwaite, Texas, on behalf of 32 former workers whom it housed and oversaw while they worked at West Liberty Foods in West Liberty, Iowa.
West Virginia Tries To Tackle Childhood Hunger and Obesity
April 23, 2013 9:42 am | by DAVID GUTMAN,Associated Press | CommentsWest Virginia will be the first state in the nation to set up a statewide public-private funding partnership to try to improve school meals programs. Janet Poppendieck, a sociology professor at Hunter College of the City University of New York and the author of several books on food policy, said she was amazed by West Virginia's program and called it innovative.
Getting Big Results with ‘Big Data’
April 23, 2013 9:39 am | CommentsThe Grocery Manufacturers Association announced the release of a report containing five specific conclusions and recommendations for how food, beverage and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies can convert emerging forms of "big data" into useful analytics and insights to improve business results.
Photo of the Day: Turkey Firm Faces Charges of Abuse
April 23, 2013 9:36 am | CommentsFederal jurors are expected to hear claims that dozens of mentally disabled men faced verbal and physical abuse and unsafe living conditions while they were employed as contract workers at Henry's Turkey Service in a high-profile discrimination trial that begins Tuesday, April 23, 2013, in Davenport, Iowa.
Daily Sound Bite: Farmer Wins Soft Victory Against Corporate Farming Law
April 22, 2013 1:15 pm | CommentsTexas Farm ended its suit against Iowa with both parties agreeing to concessions. The corporate farm has agreed to make room for the rights of local farmers as long as Iowa agrees not to enforce its law prohibiting meat processors from owning livestock.
Pork Producers Demonstrate Earth Day Principles
April 22, 2013 12:36 pm | CommentsAs the world celebrates another Earth Day on April 22, research shows that America's pork producers have made huge improvements in environmental management over the last 50 years. The research found that modern pork production methods have led to a 35 percent decrease in the carbon footprint, a 41 percent reduction in water usage and a 78 percent drop in land needed to produce a pound of pork compared with a 1959 baseline.
U.S. Budget Tightening Not Hurting Business
April 22, 2013 12:34 pm | CommentsWashington's budget tightening is having a minimal effect on businesses, a survey of business economists released Monday shows. The National Association for Business Economics survey asks how higher taxes and lower government spending effected businesses in the first three months of 2013.
Groups To Study Health Effects of Yogurt
April 22, 2013 12:31 pm | CommentsThe American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and the Danone Institute International have announced a global collaboration to evaluate the state of the science surrounding the relationship between yogurt consumption and health, to be initiated with the first Global Summit on the Health Effects of Yogurt.
Robert Redford Calls for Ban on Horse Slaughter
April 22, 2013 12:29 pm | CommentsOn the cusp of the 2013 Annual American Equine Summit hosted by the New York-based national equine protection organization Equine Advocates, the call to ban horse slaughter permanently has received support from Robert Redford. Redford joins a bilateral effort to reverse the advance of horse slaughter through public opinion and safety concerns, and legislation on both state and federal levels.
Maine Lobster Men Seek Stability, Join Union
April 22, 2013 12:26 pm | by CLARKE CANFIELD,Associated Press | CommentsWith promises to fight bad legislation and negotiate prices for their catch, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has been recruiting fishermen in some of Maine's most lobster-reliant communities, including Vinalhaven, Stonington and Jonesport. So far, more than 250 fishermen have signed up for what will be called the IAM Maine Lobstering Union.
Consumer Trends: Kids Eat More Fruit When It Is Sliced
April 22, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsMost people believe that children avoid fruit because of the taste and allure of alternative packaged snacks. A study by Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab researchers Brian Wansink, David Just, Andrew Hanks and Laura Smith concluded that the size of the snack counts the most.
Kellogg Issues Corporate Responsibility Report
April 22, 2013 9:45 am | CommentsAs Kellogg Company releases its fifth annual global Corporate Responsibility report today in conjunction with Earth Day, company officials spotlighted efforts aimed at creating even better days and brighter tomorrows for Kellogg consumers, employees, communities, and the environment.
Iowa Settles Challenge to Corporate Farming Law
April 22, 2013 9:43 am | by DAVID PITT,Associated Press | CommentsA Texas hog farm that sued Iowa over an often-challenged law that prohibits meat processors from owning livestock has agreed to guarantee certain rights to local farmers in exchange for the state not enforcing the law, the attorney general said Friday. Texas Farm, a hog producer based in based in Perryton, Texas, became the latest company to sue the state over the law earlier this month.
