News
Russia's Grain Export Ban May End This Year
September 22, 2010 4:43 am | CommentsMOSCOW (AP) — Russia could lift its ban on grain exports later this year when final harvest figures come in, President Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Medvedev's statement carried by Russian newswires contrasted with statements by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has said earlier that the government might extend the ban until the next harvest to ensure the stability of the domestic market.
Organic, Natural Products Lift General Mills
September 22, 2010 4:40 am | CommentsMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The maker of Cheerios cereal, Yoplait yogurt and other food products reported Wednesday that better cereal and organic and natural product sales drove its fiscal first-quarter net income up 12 percent. General Mills Inc. has been one of the strongest performers in the sector during the recession because of brand loyalty and cost controls.
Egg Company To Apologize For Salmonella Outbreak
September 22, 2010 4:35 am | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The owner of an Iowa egg company says in testimony prepared for a House hearing that he was "horrified" to learn that his eggs may have sickened as many as 1,600 people in an outbreak of salmonella poisoning this summer. Austin "Jack" DeCoster and his son, Peter DeCoster, are scheduled to testify before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee Wednesday.
Salmonella Monitored Program Adopted By Poultry Improvement Plan
September 21, 2010 4:56 am | CommentsTUCKER, GA - Delegates to the 40th Biennial Conference of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) voted to adopt a U.S. Salmonella Enteritidis Monitored Program for multiplier meat-type breeder chickens. The program was developed by a committee organized by Dr. Alling Yancy, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association vice president for food safety and production programs.
Molson Coors Spends $40M In China Venture
September 21, 2010 4:54 am | CommentsDENVER (AP) — Molson Coors Brewing Co. has completed its $40 million agreement to buy a majority, controlling interest in Hebei Si'hai Beer Co. in China. The move announced in May lets Molson expand distribution of its flagship Coors Light brand. The new Molson Coors Si'hai Brewing Co.
Lawsuit Seeks To Protect Herring, Shad In East
September 21, 2010 4:49 am | CommentsBOSTON (AP) — An environmental group says populations of river herring and shad are being decimated by commercial fishing along the Eastern seaboard. Earthjustice demands in a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Washington that the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission develop a plan to protect those species.
Wright Co. Egg Owner Separates Business And Charity
September 21, 2010 4:45 am | CommentsDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Friends and colleagues say Austin "Jack" DeCoster, owner of an Iowa egg farm at the heart of a massive salmonella recall, is at once a stubborn and "ruthless" businessman and a community benefactor who shares his wealth and counsels inmates about Christianity.
Himalayan Salt Seller Sued For False Advertising
September 21, 2010 4:39 am | CommentsMelissa Kushi, owner of Sustainable Sourcing LLC, manufacturer of the premier brand of Himalayan Salt, HimalaSalt ™, has filed a federal lawsuit against the proprietors of WBM International, makers of Salt 84. The suit alleges instances of false advertising, fraud, and unfair competition on the part of WBM.
Activists: Hershey Lacks Corporate Social Responsibility
September 21, 2010 4:30 am | CommentsWASHINGTON, D.C. – As fall returns in North America, the lunch boxes and Halloween candy bags of America’s children will be filled with Hershey Bars, Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and other confections of the Hershey Company. But what most American parents don’t realize is that “halfway across the globe, there is a dark side to Hershey.
FPSA Members Hone Financial Skills At Strategies Seminar
September 20, 2010 4:46 am | CommentsFPSA welcomed its members to Chicago, IL for the 2010 Financial Strategies Seminar developed by members of the Meat Industry Suppliers Alliance (MISA). Topics included planning and forecasting, foreign capital preservation, leasing and financing, and risk management. Speakers included Patrick McNally and Steven Baer from Blackman Kallick, Lynn Durning from Wells Fargo, and Bob Seeds from the International Financial Services Corporation.
Suit Linking Dole To Illegal Colombian Militias Dismissed
September 20, 2010 4:42 am | CommentsLOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit that accused Dole Food Co. of making payments to illegal far-right Colombian militias that killed thousands of people in banana-growing regions, the company said. The lawsuit claimed Dole paid some $10 million to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC, with the intention of "keeping unions out of Dole's banana plantations by murdering effective union leaders and using terror tactics to discourage workers from joining the unions.
Cookies Recalled Due To Allergy Concerns
September 20, 2010 4:37 am | CommentsTROY, Mich. (AP) — A Detroit-area company is recalling cookies sold in Michigan and Ohio because they contain undeclared walnuts. Dough Masters Inc. of Troy said Friday it's recalling all lots of its Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Chocolate Chunk Cookies. The company says people who have allergies to walnuts run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they eat the cookies.
FDA Considers Approval Of 'Frankenfish'
September 20, 2010 4:31 am | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Tinker with the genetics of salmon and maybe you create a revolutionary new food source that could help the environment and feed the hungry. Or maybe you're creating what some say is an untested "frankenfish" that could cause unknown allergic reactions and the eventual decimation of the wild salmon population.
7 Arrested In China's Latest Tainted Milk Scandal
September 20, 2010 4:28 am | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — A Chinese dairy company executive and six other people were arrested after authorities discovered 26 tons of milk powder tainted with a toxic chemical, the latest incident highlighting the country's enduring struggle with food safety, a report said Monday. The Jinfulai Dairy Company in Yangquan city of Shanxi province traded fresh milk for expired milk powder that contained high levels of the industrial chemical melamine, according to JCRB.
Pepperidge Farm Slashes Sodium In Breads
September 20, 2010 4:23 am | CommentsPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Pepperidge Farm, Inc. says it will cut the sodium levels in the majority its breads, rolls and bagels by 2011, making it the latest of many food makers to respond to demands for healthier products. The company, owned by Campbell Soup Co., said the reductions will ultimately result in sodium levels 10 to 33 percent lower in 69 of its U.
Class-Action Lawsuit Filed In Egg Recall Case
September 17, 2010 4:50 am | CommentsDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A lawsuit accusing two Iowa farms at the heart of a recall of 550 million eggs linked to salmonella illnesses of safely negligence has been filed and is seeking class-action status. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal court in Chicago on behalf of six people who became ill after eating eggs produced at Wright County Egg near Galt, Iowa, and Hillandale Farms of Iowa, near New Hampton.
GOP Senator Holds Up Food Safety Bill
September 17, 2010 4:47 am | CommentsMARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press Writer- September 17, 2010 WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican senator is threatening to hold up food safety legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration more power to prevent outbreaks, saying Democrats must find a way to pay for it.
Ginger Candy From China Recalled Due To Lead
September 17, 2010 4:44 am | CommentsLOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles company says it is voluntarily recalling ginger candy it imported from China because of an elevated level of lead. Anhing Corp. announced Wednesday it is recalling DaiJyoBu Ginger Candy after it was informed by the California Department of Public Health that the candy contained lead above the state's legal level.
China Promises Harsher Punishment For Food Safety Crimes
September 17, 2010 4:42 am | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — China warned Thursday that the worst offenders of food safety rules would get the death penalty in a new crackdown on an industry that has spawned embarrasing and deadly scandals in products ranging from seafood to baby formula. Chinese authorities already have used capital punishment in some of the most egregious food safety violations, but appeared to be expressing their intention to become even more aggressive in prosecuting such cases.
