Dairy
Consumer Trends: 20 Years, 20 Trends In Food Culture
May 23, 2012 12:00 pm | News | CommentsThumbs up and thumbs down for the foods and beverages trends we’ve applauded and booed in our more than 20 years immersed in the exploration of mainstream and fringes of food culture. Here is a sampling of trends that have influenced food culture in sweet and sour ways.
North European Dairy Cooperatives In Merger Talks
May 22, 2012 12:00 pm | News | CommentsScandinavian dairy group Arla Foods says it plans to merge with milk cooperatives in Germany and Britain. Arla Foods Chief Executive Peder Tuborgh says a merger would "strengthen Arla Foods' position as one of Europe's leading dairy companies."
Consumer Trends: Consumers Become ‘Cook Aware’
May 22, 2012 12:00 pm | News | CommentsA growing number of U.S. consumers are taking to their kitchens to cook more frequently, and trying new and more nutritious foods, in an effort to reduce food bills and perhaps their waistlines.
6.0 Quake Damages World Renown Cheese Producers
May 21, 2012 1:54 pm | by ALBERTO ARSIE, COLLEEN BARRY | News | CommentsCheese producer Oriano Caretti woke up to the shaking earth, and then to the roar of some 30,000 39-kilogram (86-pound) wheels of Parmesan cheese crashing to the ground in the warehouse next to his home.
Consumer Trends: Fast-Casual Restaurants Strengthen Gains
May 21, 2012 12:00 pm | News | CommentsFast-casual chains strengthened their gains on the overall restaurant industry, with the top 150 fast-casual chains growing 8.4 percent to $21.5 billion in 2011, a faster rate than in 2010 (6.6 percent).
Saputo Cheese Plant Gets New Life As Smokehouse
May 21, 2012 8:06 am | News | CommentsA Vermont cheese-making plant that closed down after a fire four years ago is getting new life with two new businesses that are opening in its place. A ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday marked the grand opening for Vermont Smoke and Cure and Green Mountain Organic Creamery at the site of the former Saputo Cheese plant in Hinesburg.
Photo Of The Day: Farmers Face Fracking Dilemma
May 21, 2012 8:00 am | News | CommentsWhile other states are reaping the wealth of the Marcellus Shale, New York has had a moratorium on drilling for four years while it overhauls regulations amid intense lobbying for a ban. In the middle of the debate over whether the gas unlocked by fracking is worth the risks of drinking water contamination and adverse health effects are the landowners who must decide whether to sell their mineral rights. Many are dairy farmers and many struggle under heavy debt.
After Bankruptcy Acquisition, Dippin' Dots Plans For International Expansion
May 18, 2012 12:49 pm | News | CommentsDippin' Dots, LLC, a newly-formed company based in Oklahoma City and funded by private capital, has finalized its acquisition of Dippin' Dots, Inc, the Kentucky-based manufacturer of the popular flash-frozen ice cream. The acquisition closed on Friday after the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Louisville, Kentucky approved the purchase earlier this month.
Consumer Trends: Smaller Entrees Equal Higher Veggie Intake For Kids
May 18, 2012 12:00 pm | News | CommentsFocusing on lunch intake over the course of six days, a study varied the sizes of a macaroni and cheese entree, accompanied by as much green bean and applesauce “side dishes” the kids wanted to consume. The result: When the smallest entree portions were served, kids ate 67% more applesauce and 275% more green beans!
Consumer Trends: Food Prices Keep Women From Eating Healthy
May 17, 2012 12:52 pm | News | CommentsWomen find many excuses not to eat healthy and many feel bad about it, but according to a new national poll in the June 2012 issue of ShopSmart magazine, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, the cost of healthful foods is the top deterrent that keeps 57 percent of women from doing so.
YouTube Launching Food Channel
May 17, 2012 9:56 am | by J.M. HIRSCH,AP Food Editor | News | CommentsBruce Seidel is confident the future of food television won't be seen on television. Which is why the Food Network and Cooking Channel veteran has checked out of network TV to oversee the launch of YouTube's latest original content channel, HUNGRY. The channel, which goes live on July 2, is expected to feature a freewheeling blend of how-to and celebrity-driven food videos.
Photo Of The Day: Healthy Eating On The Cheap
May 17, 2012 9:43 am | News | CommentsAn Agriculture Department study released Wednesday found that most fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods cost less than foods high in fat, sugar and salt. That counters a common perception among some consumers that it's cheaper to eat junk food than a nutritionally balanced meal.
U.N.: High Blood Pressure And Glucose A Global Problem
May 16, 2012 12:57 pm | by JOHN HEILPRIN,Associated Press | News | CommentsOfficials in charge of compiling the yearly snapshot of statistics from 194 nations for the U.N. health agency say rich nations have exported some of their disease risk factors to the developing world. They say the spread of smoking and a taste for fast, processed and salty foods is also hitting populations that are living longer.
Consumer Trends: Which Restaurants Win With Millennials?
May 16, 2012 12:51 pm | News | CommentsMillennials (ages 19-34) have a distinct perspective on dining occasions, placing more value on attributes like social responsibility, sustainability, local and organic, grass-fed, and hormone-free offerings. They foster emotional connections to brands and their loyalty stems beyond experience.
Peapod Transforms Chicago Tunnel Into Virtual Grocery
May 16, 2012 10:00 am | News | CommentsWhile many a grocery list has been scribbled during a train commute, now, for Chicago's more than one million weekly train passengers, groceries can be scanned, ordered and scheduled for home or office delivery, all via smartphones, faster than you can say "All aboard!"
Photo Of The Day: Virtual Grocery Store
May 16, 2012 9:49 am | News | CommentsPeapod, the nation's leading Internet grocer, has placed a virtual grocery store in Chicago's highly traveled State and Lake Station Tunnel.
Consumer Trends: Becoming A Mom Changes Buying Behavior
May 15, 2012 12:47 pm | News | CommentsRecent Mintel research found that being a mom changes the way women shop, as an increased emphasis is put on the safety, value and nutrition of everyday purchases.
UN: African Growth Hinges On Food Security
May 15, 2012 9:47 am | by JOE MWIHIA,Associated Press | News | CommentsSub-Saharan African nations will not be able to sustain their accelerated economic growth unless they eliminate hunger, the U.N. said in a report Tuesday. Many sub-Saharan economies are growing fast but the growth rates have not translated into significant hunger reduction, said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark.
Photo Of The Day: Creating Food Security In Africa
May 15, 2012 9:35 am | News | CommentsAccording to a U.N. African Development Report, nearly 218 million people on the African continent are undernourished and 55 million children are malnourished, a figure that is projected to rise. The report says food security can be achieved by several means, including boosting agricultural productivity and creating resilience against natural disasters.
PROCESS EXPO And International Dairy Show To Co-Locate In 2013
May 14, 2012 1:04 pm | News | CommentsThe Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today announced that they have signed an agreement to co-locate PROCESS EXPO and the International Dairy Show in Chicago, beginning in 2013.
Ala. Farmers Cut Back Crops, Cite Illegal Immigration Crackdown
May 14, 2012 12:56 pm | by JAY REEVES,Associated Press | News | CommentsSome Alabama farmers say they are planting less produce rather than risk having tomatoes and other crops rot in the fields a second straight year because of labor shortages linked to the state's crackdown on illegal immigration.
Wal-Mart Struggles To Rebuild Image Amid Bribery Allegations
May 14, 2012 10:01 am | by ANNE D'INNOCENZIO,AP Retail Writer | News | CommentsAccusations of bribery in Mexico highlight how difficult it is for a company as big and powerful as Wal-Mart to dig itself out of a pile of bad publicity. As history shows, the discounter's low-income customers continue to shop at the retailer even when it's having image problems. But the fallout from the latest accusations could become a distraction for the company at a time when it's battling growing competition.
Photo Of The Day: Wal-Mart's Image Issues
May 14, 2012 9:49 am | News | CommentsFor years, the world's largest retailer has tried to repair a reputation that's been damaged by decades of criticism and legal troubles. In April 2012, allegations that Wal-Mart paid bribes to officials in Mexico threaten to derail Wal-Mart's attempts to improve its image.
Accurate Measurements Play Key Role In Productivity
May 14, 2012 9:24 am | by OHAUS Corporation | Articles | CommentsIn order to ensure precision and efficiency during its weighing processes, a specialty food supplier utilizes five checkweighing scales in combination with a specialized proprietary software system to collect the weights of each individually wrapped cheese package and generate the corresponding label.
Raw Milk Case Pits Food Safety Against Consumer Choice
May 11, 2012 12:49 pm | News | CommentsA Minnesota farmer who distributes raw milk is due to stand trial next week for food code violations next week in a case that pits the government's efforts to ensure a safe food supply against consumers' rights to choose what they drink and eat.
