News
Flowers Foods 1Q Net Income More Than Doubles
May 16, 2013 12:05 pm | CommentsFlowers Foods' first-quarter net income more than doubled thanks to a large gain related to its acquisition of the Sara Lee business in California. The baked goods company, which is best known for its Tastykake products and is pursuing some of Hostess' major bread brands, earned $113.3 million, or 81 cents per share, for the period ended April 20. That's up sharply from $37.9 million, or 28 cents per share, a year ago.
Montana Judge Hears Arguments over Milk Freshness
May 16, 2013 12:04 pm | CommentsA Helena judge heard arguments Tuesday over a California-based food distributor's challenge of a rule that says milk sold in Montana must be stamped with a "sell-by" date of 12 days after it is pasteurized. Core-Mark International argues consumers would be better informed with a "use-by" date set by the processor, while Montana's milk-producing industry supports the current rule.
AB InBev Abandons Plan To Buy Budvar
May 16, 2013 12:02 pm | CommentsBrewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev says it no longer has plans to acquire Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar, with whom it has been fighting a long legal battle over the use of the "Budweiser" brand. Frank Hellwig, legal director for AB InBev, says "we don't have any plans, or intention, or desire to buy Budvar" as a way of solving the dispute.
Rendering Plant To Clean Up 2,500 Animal Carcasses
May 16, 2013 12:01 pm | CommentsState officials say up to 2,500 animal carcasses are buried in a trench near a closed cattle rendering plant in southwest Missouri. The owner of the former Halfway Packing Company in Polk County has signed an agreement to clean up environmental hazards on the property.
Consumer Trends: British Familes Take a Fresh Approach
May 16, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsNew research shows that recent food scandals and much publicized research into the health risks associated with processed meat have had a positive effect on Britons' eating habits. Nearly a quarter of Britons say they have cut down on the amount of processed food they eat.
Va. Egg Production Equals 1B Deviled Eggs Each Year
May 16, 2013 9:46 am | CommentsVirginia farmers produce enough eggs to make more than 1 billion deviled eggs annually. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said Wednesday that the state's farmers produce 696 million eggs a year. That's also enough to make 232 million three-egg omelets or 87 million pound cakes.
Group Files Suit over Cold Beer Sales Law in Ind.
May 16, 2013 9:44 am | by TOM COYNE,Associated Press | CommentsIndiana convenience stores and gas stations seeking the right to sell cold beer to customers filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday aimed at lifting a ban on the practice. The Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association argued Indiana's law is arbitrary and discriminates against grocery and convenience stores.
Poland’s Kosher and Halal Industry in Limbo
May 16, 2013 9:42 am | by VANESSA GERA,Associated Press | CommentsIn a victory for a growing animal rights movement, activists succeeded in getting a ban on religious slaughter. But with economic decline deepening and exports seen as a possible salvation, the government faces pressure to get the practice reinstated legally — and is scrambling to do so.
SD Beef Plant Courts Laid-Off Workers
May 16, 2013 9:40 am | CommentsA beef processing plant in the South Dakota city of Yankton is recruiting dozens of workers laid off from their jobs at the Northern Beef Packers plant. Representatives from the Cimpl's beef plant in Yankton conducted job interviews in Aberdeen on Tuesday and had more scheduled Wednesday, the American News reported.
Chef Plans To Feast on Cicadas During Invasion
May 16, 2013 9:38 am | CommentsConnecticut chef Bun Lai is already known for his Mexican grasshopper dish and his fried rice with meal worms and crickets. But he might soon also be recognized as the cicada chef. Lai, owner of Miya's Sushi, tells the New Haven Register that he plans to fill a big freezer full of Brood II cicadas, once the red-eyed bugs' 17-year life cycle brings them above ground for about five weeks.
Photo of the Day: Bosnia Looks To Expand Halal Industry
May 16, 2013 9:34 am | CommentsIn this photo taken Monday May 13, 2013, Bosnian workers package chicken in the "Ovako" chicken factory that produces halal food products, near Bosnian town of Visoko, 35 kms north of Sarajevo. Bosnia is working hard to position itself as an exporter of halal products. The country opened its first halal fair Wednesday May 15 in Sarajevo, welcoming representatives of the Islamic world to take a look at Bosnian products.
Daily Sound Bite: Hellmann's Celebrates a Century
May 15, 2013 12:43 pm | CommentsTo celebrate Hellmann's centennial birthday, owner Unilever is launching a marketing campaign to drum up attention for the country's top-selling mayonnaise, whose formula remains almost the same as it was a century ago. Media spending is undisclosed, but it's the largest ever campaign for the brand.
ND Pasta Plant To Restart Production
May 15, 2013 12:39 pm | CommentsThe former Noodles by Leonardo plant in Cando will start producing pasta again next week after six months of closed doors. The facility is now owned by Cando Pasta LLC, a partnership of local businessmen Jim and Bruce Gibbens and two other investors. The plant should have as many as 20 employees later this month and as many as 40 by next year.
U.S. Wholesale Prices Fall Most in 3 Years
May 15, 2013 12:36 pm | by CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER,AP Economics Writer | CommentsSharp drops in fuel and food costs reduced a measure of U.S. wholesale prices in April by the most in three years. Outside those volatile categories, inflation stayed tame. The producer price index, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer, fell a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in April from March, the Labor Department said Wednesday. It was the second straight monthly decline and the steepest since February 2010.
Pinnacle Foods’ 1Q Net Jumps on Lower Costs
May 15, 2013 12:35 pm | CommentsPinnacle Foods Inc., which went public in March, said Wednesday that its first-quarter net income more than doubled. The company paid less interest as its debt decreased and curbed some costs, offsetting a dip in sales. The maker of Birds Eye frozen foods, Duncan Hines frosting and cake mixes and Vlasic pickles earned $24.8 million, or 29 cents per share, up from $9.5 million, or 11 cents per share, in the same quarter of 2012.
Bellisio Foods Buys Overhill Farms for $80M
May 15, 2013 12:33 pm | CommentsFrozen foods supplier Overhill Farms has agreed to be purchased for approximately $80 million by Bellisio Foods, allowing the company to expand its position in the frozen entree and snack markets. Overhill announced in August that it was considering strategic options. Often this includes a potential sale of a company.
House Panel Set To Approve Food Stamp Cuts
May 15, 2013 12:32 pm | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | CommentsThe House Agriculture Committee is considering a five-year farm bill that would make small cuts to the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program. The cuts are part of massive legislation that costs almost $100 billion annually and would set policy for farm subsidies, rural programs and the food aid. The House panel started work on the legislation Wednesday, one day after the Senate Agriculture Committee approved its version.
Consumer Trends: A Cheesy Wedding Tradition
May 15, 2013 12:00 pm | CommentsMove over cupcakes and cake-pops, this season's tastiest wedding trend has officially arrived, wedding cheese cakes. Elegant wheels of cheese stack up to create a savory spin on the classic wedding cake and offer couples a tasty way to personalize their special day.
Monster Shares Gain Some Traction
May 15, 2013 9:41 am | CommentsMonster Beverage shares are gaining some traction less than a week after the energy drink maker reported disappointing first-quarter results and a slowdown in sales. Last Wednesday, Monster Beverage Corp. said that its quarterly profit fell as it was hurt by distributor termination obligations, foreign currency exchange rates and legal costs tied to regulatory matters and litigation regarding its namesake drink.
Americans Eating More Smoked Seafood
May 15, 2013 9:39 am | by CLARKE CANFIELD,Associated Press | CommentsThere's no smoke and mirrors about it — Americans are eating a lot more smoked seafood than they used to. And that demand — part of a larger trend of infusing everything from salts and cocktails to fruit and teas with a kiss of smoky flavor — has smoked seafood producers like Maine's Ducktrap River moving fast to expand production.
