News
ConAgra Plant Flooded With Job Applications
June 7, 2010 4:38 am | CommentsDELHI, La. (AP) — Officials say about 1,700 people have applied for 240 hourly jobs at the ConAgra Foods Inc. sweet potato processing plant near Delhi, and the first 80 will be hired by July 12. The opening is expected in September. Plant human resources director Dan Downard and Jeff Lynn, executive director of the state's Fast Start training program, tell The News-Star that about 500 applicants have been invited to a pre-employment class next week.
Vermont Slaughterhouse Workers Charged With Cruelty
June 7, 2010 4:37 am | CommentsMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Two former employees of a now-closed Vermont slaughterhouse have been charged with animal cruelty for the excessive shocking of calves with an electric prod, prosecutors said Friday. The state Attorney General's office issued arrest warrants for Christopher Gaudette, 37, and Frank Perretta, 51, both of Grand Isle.
Fundraiser Focuses On Gulf Seafood
June 7, 2010 4:36 am | CommentsBERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Eat a shrimp, support a Gulf of Mexico fisherman. That's the thinking behind the "Dine Out for the Gulf Coast" campaign in which restaurants across the country will be putting a little fish philanthropy on the menu. During the event, scheduled for June 10-12, participating restaurants will be donating to the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund.
What Makes Oil 'Extra Virgin'?
June 4, 2010 4:57 am | CommentsCARMEL VALLEY, California (AP) — Extra virgin, light, with lemon, unfiltered, cold-pressed: the variety of olive oil on most supermarket shelves is dazzling. But what does it all mean? These terms might be common currency among foodies and the farmer's market crowd, but they have never been enforceable, or legally defined in the U.
McDonald's Pulls Cadmium-Tainted Glasses
June 4, 2010 4:56 am | CommentsLOS ANGELES (AP) — Cadmium has been discovered in the painted design on "Shrek"-themed drinking glasses being sold nationwide at McDonald's, forcing the burger giant to recall 12 million of the cheap U.S.-made collectibles while dramatically expanding contamination concerns about the toxic metal beyond imported children's jewelry.
Hershey Workers Vote On Labor Deal
June 4, 2010 4:56 am | CommentsHERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — Workers at the hometown plants of chocolate manufacturer Hershey are voting on a labor deal that could cut hundreds of jobs. Employees began voting Friday morning on a restructuring agreement that would expand one of the plants in Hershey and turn the original factory built by founder Milton Hershey into an office building.
Tyson Pays Workers To Get Dressed
June 4, 2010 4:55 am | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Tyson Foods Inc. on Thursday settled a decade-long dispute with the Labor Department by agreeing to pay workers at poultry plants for time they spend putting on and taking off protective clothing. Government officials hope the settlement with Tyson — and a similar agreement reached earlier this year with poultry processor Pilgrim's Pride Corp.
Pallets Of Vodka Sauce Kill Worker
June 4, 2010 4:55 am | CommentsEAST FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Police say two pallets loaded with bottles of vodka sauce have fallen onto a worker at a New York packing plant, killing her. Suffolk County homicide detectives are investigating the death of Yolanda Gonzalez at L&S Packing in East Farmingdale, about 25 miles east of New York City.
E. Coli Outbreak Tied To Milk Spreads
June 4, 2010 4:53 am | CommentsST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A state investigation has found a fifth person who was sickened after drinking raw milk from a dairy farm near Gibbon. The state Department of Health reports Thursday they were sickened by E. coli bacteria after drinking raw milk from the Hartmann Dairy Farm. Four cases were reported last week.
OSHA Proposes $214K Fine For Seafood Plant
June 2, 2010 5:03 am | CommentsPORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — The U.S. government has proposed more than $214,000 in fines against a Canadian seafood processing company accused of violations at a New Hampshire plant. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says inspectors found 17 violations of workplace health and safety standards at High Liner Foods in Portsmouth.
Hershey Could Cut 600 Jobs
June 2, 2010 5:02 am | CommentsHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Hershey Co. is proposing to slash up to 600 jobs in a move to modernize and expand one of its hometown plants and turn the other — the original chocolate factory built by founder Milton Hershey — into an office building. The plan, announced Tuesday, is part of a tentative agreement with union negotiators and must be approved by a majority of the approximately 1,600 members who work at both factories.
Biologists Say Shrimp Safe From Spill
June 2, 2010 5:02 am | CommentsNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Wildlife scientists think shrimp can survive the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Martin Bourgeois of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says brown shrimp spawn offshore in January, February and March. Once the eggs hatch, the larva count on prevailing winds and currents to carry them to the Louisiana marsh, where they grow until it's time for them to swim back offshore to spawn.
U.S. Corn Syrup Sales Fall
June 2, 2010 5:01 am | CommentsCHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Fans of natural foods have tried for years to push the ubiquitous sweetener high fructose corn syrup off Americans' dinner tables and out of their restaurants and grocery stores. It seems to be working. U.S. use of the sweetener found in most soft drinks, cereals and a range of other products dropped 11 percent between 2003 and 2008, the most recent year figures were available.
Chavez Irate Over Rotten Food
June 2, 2010 5:00 am | CommentsCARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez urged prosecutors on Tuesday to bring charges against those responsible for the putrefaction of roughly 20,000 metric tons of food inside a seaport under the administration of the federal government. "Debacles like this cannot be forgiven," Chavez said during a televised speech.
Washington Developing Natural Foods Processing Park
June 2, 2010 5:00 am | CommentsDAYTON, Wash. (AP) — A proposed food-processing park for artisan, natural and sustainable foods is approaching another milestone in Dayton. The Port of Columbia has received an $8,000 grant from Pacific Power to help market Blue Mountain Station, which Port Manager Jenny Dickinson said would be the nation's first eco-food park.
Under Armour Co-Founder Turns To Cattle
June 1, 2010 6:01 am | CommentsSTEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Loveland native Ryan Wood said his tobacco habit and his cowboy boots got him a seat, years ago, at one of the roughest poker tables in the gritty, steel-corridor city of Youngstown, Ohio. The Mafia members and inner-city toughs liked his Colorado charm, Wood said recently.
Virginia Ag Chief Aims To Add Jobs
June 1, 2010 6:01 am | CommentsRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia's new agriculture commissioner can point to two framed photographs in his office to illustrate the arc of his family's successful, century-long farming story in the Shenandoah Valley. Matt Lohr stands before the faded colors of an aerial photograph from the 1950s showing fields and few outbuildings, while a contemporary image shows the additions of four poultry houses.
Japan, China Partner On Food Safety
June 1, 2010 5:58 am | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — The state, local governments and community groups are ramping up efforts to make fresh, healthy produce more widely available — especially in urban areas — with a mix of programs targeting shoppers and sellers alike. This spring, Detroit launched a new effort to improve its grocery stores.
Michigan Promotes Healthy Foods
June 1, 2010 5:57 am | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — The state, local governments and community groups are ramping up efforts to make fresh, healthy produce more widely available — especially in urban areas — with a mix of programs targeting shoppers and sellers alike. This spring, Detroit launched a new effort to improve its grocery stores.
Washington State Gets Beer, Candy Tax
June 1, 2010 5:57 am | CommentsOLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Along with the month of June come new sales taxes in Washington on candy, bottled water and mass market beer. Applying the state sales tax to candy is a little confusing because it doesn't apply to sweets with flour content that are still considered food. And the beer tax doesn't apply to microbrews, to give state brewers a break.
