News
Kraft Profit Beats Expectations
May 3, 2013 12:26 pm | CommentsKraft Foods is reviving old brands like Kool-Aid and betting on big new innovations as it begins finding its way as a smaller, independent company. The Northfield, Ill., company, which makes Miracle Whip, Oscar Mayer and other staples found in American pantries, on Thursday reported first-quarter results that beat Wall Street expectations.
Kellogg Plans To Lure Adults Back to Cereal
May 3, 2013 12:24 pm | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | CommentsKellogg has a plan to get adults to eat more cereal: pile on the nutrients. The Battle Creek, Mich.-based company says it's introducing Raisin Bran with omega-3 and a multigrain version of Special K later this month as it works to boost struggling cereal sales in North America.
Report: Many Causes for Dramatic Bee Disappearance
May 3, 2013 12:20 pm | by SETH BORENSTEIN,AP Science Writer | CommentsA new federal report blames a combination of problems for a mysterious and dramatic disappearance of U.S. honeybees since 2006. The intertwined factors cited include a parasitic mite, multiple viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition, genetics, habitat loss and pesticides.
Nestle Recalls California Pizza Kitchen, DiGiorno Pizzas
May 3, 2013 12:19 pm | CommentsNestle Pizza Co. of Little Chute is recalling four frozen-pizza products that might be contaminated with plastic fragments. The USDA says one consumer reported a chipped tooth after biting into one of the California Pizza Kitchen products. The problem was apparently related to the spinach in the pizza, so the company is recalling other pizza products that used the same lot of spinach.
Daily Sound Bite: China 'Cannot Tolerate' Rat Meat Sold As Lamb
May 3, 2013 12:14 pm | CommentsAfter a new food safety law only vaguely increased food safety regulations in China, a new scandal involving nearly 1,000 suspects is rocking the country. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security has announced that rat and fox meat has been fraudulently sold as lamb.
Consumer Trends: Most Successful CPG Brands
May 3, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsAmong food and beverage champions, average year-one dollar sales for the top-100 brands were $43.4 million. New food and beverage brands addressed long-standing trends around wellness, indulgence and convenience. Importantly, though, the most powerful launches of the year also delivered more to today’s finicky, frugal and fast-moving consumers.
Mozzarella Recalled for Undeclared Soy
May 3, 2013 9:41 am | CommentsAn upstate New York company is recalling a mozzarella cheese product because it contains soy, which isn't listed on the label and could cause allergic reactions. Formaggio Italian Cheese Specialties of Sullivan County says it's recalling about 234 pounds of fresh mozzarella with chorizo and cilantro products sold in New York and New Jersey.
Hillshire Brands 3Q Sales Fall Below Expectations
May 3, 2013 9:39 am | CommentsHillshire Brands on Thursday reported quarterly sales that fell short of Wall Street expectations as it ran into some hiccups switching to a new packaging for its lunch meats. The company, which his based in Chicago, is the former North American business of Sara Lee Corp. and makes brands including Jimmy Dean sausages and Ball Park hot dogs.
Study: Food Allergies Increasing in Children
May 3, 2013 9:38 am | by MIKE STOBBE,AP Medical Writer | CommentsThe CDC survey suggests that about 1 in 20 U.S. children have food allergies. That's a 50 percent increase from the late 1990s. For eczema and other skin allergies, it's 1 in 8 children, an increase of 69 percent. It found no increase, however, in hay fever or other respiratory allergies.
Juror: Landmark EEOC Verdict Sends Message
May 3, 2013 9:36 am | by RYAN J. FOLEY,Associated Press | CommentsA juror says she wanted to send a message by supporting a historic $240 million verdict for 32 mentally disabled men who faced decades of abuse by a Texas company: Never again. Juror Robin Griebel outlined her rationale for awarding $7.5 million to each former employee of Henry's Turkey Service, while the men, their attorney and relatives celebrated Wednesday's verdict.
Rat Meat Sold as Lamb in China’s Latest Food Scandal
May 3, 2013 9:34 am | CommentsChinese police have broken up a criminal ring accused of taking meat from rats and foxes and selling it as lamb in the country's latest food safety scandal. The Ministry of Public Security released results of a three-month crackdown on food safety violators, saying in a statement that authorities investigated more than 380 cases and arrested 904 suspects.
Photo of the Day: Sniffing Out Allergens
May 3, 2013 9:32 am | CommentsIn this Sunday, May 29, 2011 file photo, Jeff Glazer guides his allergy-sniffing dog, Riley, through a dugout of a ball field before his team's baseball game in Middlebury, Conn. Riley accompanies Jeff to ensure there are no peanut products or residue that could trigger his life-threatening allergic reactions.
Daily Sound Bite: Anti-Addiction Groups Balk at Pa. Liquor Bills
May 2, 2013 12:36 pm | CommentsAs a bill passes through the state senate in Pennsylvania, aiming to privatize the control of liquor and wine sales, some state senators and anti-addition groups are railing against the new proposed measure, claiming it will cost taxpayers and harm families.
Food Manufacturers Support Dairy Freedom Act
May 2, 2013 12:30 pm | CommentsFood processor groups voiced their strong support last week for the Dairy Freedom Act in a letter to the bill's authors, Representatives Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and David Scott (D-GA). The bill would offer the safety net of margin insurance for dairy farmers without forcing them to participate in a supply management program, a provision included in the dairy section of last year's Senate and House Agriculture Committee Farm Bills.
Kellogg 1Q Profit Falls 11 Percent
May 2, 2013 12:28 pm | CommentsKellogg's first-quarter net income slid 11 percent on higher expenses and acquisition costs. The Battle Creek, Mich., company announced a $1 billion stock repurchase program Thursday, but shares slipped in premarket trading. Kellogg — whose brands include Eggo, Keebler, Frosted Flakes and others — earned $311 million, or 85 cents per share, for the period ended March 30.
Starbucks Makes Management Changes
May 2, 2013 12:27 pm | CommentsStarbucks Corp. is making management changes it says will give its top leaders deeper experience with the company. The world's biggest coffee chain declined to say whether the changes were part of succession planning for Howard Schultz, who returned as CEO in 2008 and has since led a turnaround of the company.
Boston Beer Weighed Down by 1Q Expenses
May 2, 2013 12:24 pm | CommentsThe Boston Beer Company Inc.'s profit slipped in the first quarter as rising costs dampened sales gains for the brewer. The company, which makes Samuel Adams beer, Twisted Tea and other beverages, said Wednesday that it faced higher costs for some of its goods during the quarter, and it increased spending on advertising and promotions.
Dean Foods Spinning Off WhiteWave
May 2, 2013 12:22 pm | CommentsDean Foods Co. said Wednesday that it will distribute a portion of its remaining stake in The WhiteWave Foods Co. later this month. The dairy processing company took WhiteWave — which makes Silk soy products and Horizon Organic dairy products — public in October and is using proceeds to pay down debt.
Consumer Trends: Who Is Today's Primary Shopper?
May 2, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsFor today's retailers and manufacturers, it has become increasingly complicated to pinpoint who are today's primary shoppers. Soccer moms? Working women? Men? In a new study commissioned by PLMA, GfK Custom Research North America answers the questions with some surprising results.
Cott Reports Lower Sales for 1Q
May 2, 2013 9:50 am | CommentsShares of Cott Corp. fell Wednesday after the beverage maker reported lower first-quarter revenue, citing a loss in market share and a broader decline in the North American soft drink industry. The Canadian company, which makes private-label drinks for retailers, said its total filled beverage volume was 193 million cases for the quarter, down 5 percent from 203 million cases a year ago.
