News
Widespread Oyster Deaths Found On Gulf Reefs
July 16, 2010 6:30 am | CommentsNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Surveys of coastal oyster grounds have discovered extensive deaths of the shellfish, further threatening an industry already in free-fall because of BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The deaths are blamed on the opening of release valves on the Mississippi River in an attempt to use fresh water to flush oil out to sea.
Manufacturing Slowed In June
July 15, 2010 12:34 pm | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — New evidence of a slowing economic rebound emerged Thursday in reports that manufacturing activity is slowing after helping drive the early stages of the recovery. Factory output fell in June, according to a government report on industrial production.
House Pushes School Food Standards
July 15, 2010 12:30 pm | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats are moving forward on first lady Michelle Obama's vision for healthier school lunches, propelling legislation that calls for tougher standards governing food in school and more meals for hungry children. A bill approved by the House Education and Labor Committee Thursday would allow the Agriculture Department to create new standards for all food in schools, including vending machine items.
USDA To Purchase Fruit For Nutrition Programs
July 15, 2010 12:25 pm | CommentsWASHINGTON, July 15, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA's intention to purchase up to $23 million of peach products and mixed fruit for federal nutrition assistance programs. "These purchases will assist peach and mixed fruit producers, who are currently struggling due to depressed market conditions," said Vilsack.
Nestle Settles Federal Ad Case
July 15, 2010 12:20 pm | CommentsPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Nestle subsidiary has agreed to stop advertising that its children's drink Boost Kid Essentials can prevent illness, increase immunity and reduce school absences, the Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday in announcing two settlements. The FTC said it reached the settlement with Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
Packaging Chemical Caused Smelly Cereal
July 15, 2010 12:15 pm | CommentsPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Kellogg Co. said Wednesday that higher-than-normal amounts of certain chemicals in its package liners caused the unusual smell and flavor that prompted a recall of 28 million boxes of its cereal in late June. The food maker recalled Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks after about 20 people complained, including five who reported nausea and vomiting.
Schools Try To Remove Junk Food
July 15, 2010 12:10 pm | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — It's not hard to figure out that stocking school vending machines with sugary sodas and salty, fatty snacks is a bad idea. Replacing those culinary culprits with something more nutritious is tougher. But a growing number of school districts around the country are trying anyway.
Institute Of Medicine Food Safety Report
July 14, 2010 4:58 am | CommentsMcLean, VA – The Food Processing Suppliers Association announces the long awaited report issued by the Institute of Medicine entitled “Enhancing Food Safety: The Role of the Food and Drug Administration.” The report acknowledges that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for overseeing approximately 80% of the U.
If You Can't Beat 'Em, Eat 'Em
July 14, 2010 4:52 am | CommentsCHICAGO (AP) — Diners in China could soon help control the Asian carp that are infesting Illinois waterways and threatening the Great Lakes. Gov. Pat Quinn announced an agreement Tuesday between a Chinese meat processing plant and an Illinois fish company that is expected to pull 30 million pounds of Asian carp from Illinois rivers by the end of next year.
Alcohol Worries Remove Fermented Tea From Shelves
July 14, 2010 4:46 am | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — It's a fermented, pungent tea, but it's the alcohol that can lurk inside of kombucha that's causing a stink. Regulators and retailers are concerned that the ancient and trendy tea may need to be regulated as an alcoholic drink. That's because some bottles have more than 0.
Gulf Spill Altering Food Web
July 14, 2010 4:36 am | CommentsNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Scientists are reporting early signs that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is altering the marine food web by killing or tainting some creatures and spurring the growth of others more suited to a fouled environment. Near the spill site, researchers have documented a massive die-off of pyrosomes — cucumber-shaped, gelatinous organisms fed on by endangered sea turtles.
General Mills Wins At Wal-Mart
July 14, 2010 4:30 am | CommentsPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — General Mills Inc.'s products continue to gain momentum at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., BMO Capital Markets analyst Kenneth Zaslow said in a research note Tuesday. THE OPINION: General Mills, which makes products such as Cheerios cereal and Yoplait yogurt, generates 23 percent of its sales from Wal-Mart, Zaslow said.
Campbell Hopes For Better Soup Season
July 14, 2010 4:25 am | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Management of Campbell Soup Co. knows what it needs to do to have a better soup season this fall and restore volume growth without sacrificing profits, an analyst said Tuesday. THE OPINION: Last year's soup season — roughly fall and winter — was a tough one for the nation's top branded soup maker as shoppers traded down to less expensive products to save money.
Nine In 10 Adults Consume Too Much Sodium
July 13, 2010 5:29 am | CommentsLess than 10 percent of U.S. adults limit their daily sodium intake to recommended levels, according to a new report, "Sodium Intake in Adults – United States, 2005-2006," published today in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report . The report also finds that most sodium in the American diet comes from processed grains such as pizza and cookies, and meats, including poultry and luncheon meats.
Legislation To Stabilize Dairy Industry
July 13, 2010 5:23 am | CommentsSOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Forty years ago there were 40 dairy farms in the small town of Rochester, Vt. Now there's just one. "We are the last one left in our valley. We want to stay there," said Beth Kennett, who milks 100 cows with her husband and two sons. Newly introduced legislation aimed at stabilizing milk prices is giving them hope that they will survive, she said Monday.
Less Milk Consumption In Schools
July 13, 2010 5:19 am | CommentsDALLAS-- (BUSINESS WIRE) — Eliminating chocolate and other flavored milks from school cafeteria menus resulted in a dramatic drop in milk consumption along with a substantial reduction in nutrients - which are not easy or affordable to replace, according to a new study presented today at the School Nutrition Association's Annual National Conference.
Drink Your Veggies
July 13, 2010 5:11 am | CommentsCAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — The Campbell Soup Co. is introducing still more beverages aimed at getting people who don't like vegetables to eat them anyway. The maker of V8 V-Fusion juices, as well as more traditional canned soup and other snacks, told analysts Monday that its new line of V8 V-Fusion teas will hit stores next month.
First Lady Takes On Childhood Obesity
July 13, 2010 5:07 am | CommentsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A child obesity epidemic fed by fast food, sugary drinks and too much television threatens to create the first generation of American youths who live shorter lives than their parents, Michelle Obama said Monday. The first lady was keynote speaker at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's national convention in Kansas City.
Premium Mixers Stir Interest
July 13, 2010 4:55 am | CommentsBERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Spirits have gone premium. Bartenders have turned artisan. Even ice has become a little cooler. So, it only makes sense that mixers are getting a makeover with upscale versions promising to bring chic cocktails to a fridge near you. "Consumers just seem to get it immediately," says Jordan Silbert, founder of Q Tonic, an all-natural product introduced a few years ago.
Salsa And Guacamole Carry Foodborne Illness
July 13, 2010 4:42 am | CommentsNearly 1 out of every 25 restaurant-associated foodborne outbreaks with identified food sources between 1998 and 2008 can be traced back to contaminated salsa or guacamole, more than double the rate during the previous decade, according to research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases .
