Distribution & Storage
China Brings Supermarket Culture To North Korea
February 27, 2012 10:04 am | News | CommentsThe market-savvy Chinese are introducing the pleasures of the megamart to a small niche of North Koreans, and flooding the country's border regions with cheap goods.
Congress Urges Iraq To Buy U.S. Rice
February 27, 2012 10:01 am | by RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI,Associated Press | News | CommentsCongress members from the largest rice-growing states are urging Iraq to resume buying U.S. long-grain rice, saying the country's "unreasonable" quality standards put American farmers at a competitive disadvantage.
Photo Of The Day: North Korea's Consumer Culture
February 27, 2012 9:53 am | News | CommentsA new culture of commerce is springing up, with China as its inspiration and source. The new consumerism is part of a campaign launched three years ago to build up the economy, and so the image of new leader Kim Jong Un.
California Winemakers Try To Crack Chinese Market
February 20, 2012 9:00 am | by TRACIE CONE,Associated Press | News | CommentsCalifornia winemakers think the days of rice wine in China are waning as vintners find success marketing high-end cabernets to a new generation of upscale consumers. Wine exports crushed international sales records in 2011, due in large part to growing demand for California wines in China and Hong Kong.
Organic Milk Market Surges Faster Than Supply
February 16, 2012 10:07 am | by MICHAEL HILL,Associated Press | News | CommentsAs the milk — which federal regulations require be from cows fed organic feed and free from production-boosting synthetic hormones — rose in popularity during the past decade, there haven't always been enough farmers to meet demand (it can take three years to transition a conventional dairy farm to organic).
Photo Of The Day: Running Low On Organic
February 16, 2012 9:54 am | News | CommentsEven as more consumers are willing to pay premium prices for organic milk, supermarkets are having trouble keeping it on the shelves as high feed and fuel prices have left some organic dairy farmers simply unable to keep up with demand.
Bulk Depalletizer Module
February 15, 2012 12:12 pm | Product Releases | CommentsThe separator/stacking module for the company's Model 108 bulk depalletizers automatically stacks the tier sheets and top picture frames on pallets in separate hoppers for easy removal by forklift once the stacks are filled.
FDA Requests $4.5 Billion To Support Food Safety & Public Health
February 14, 2012 12:59 pm | News | CommentsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requesting a budget of $4.5 billion to protect and promote the public health as part of the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget – a 17 percent increase over the FDA enacted budget for FY 2012. Industry user fees would fund 98 percent of the proposed budget increase. The FY 2013 request covers the period from Oct. 1, 2012 through Sept 30, 2013.
Snack Maker Expects Big Growth From Whole Foods
February 14, 2012 10:06 am | by KRISTI EATON,Associated Press | News | CommentsA South Dakota company created to provide a healthy snack for American Indians expects its sales to grow by a third this year after seeing its product picked up by national grocery chain Whole Foods Markets.
LED Lights Extend Meat Shelf Life
February 14, 2012 10:04 am | News | CommentsA switch to LED lights in refrigeration units could save the retail meat industry millions of dollars each year, according to research from Kansas State University. Kyle Steele, recent master's graduate in animal sciences and industry, Silver Lake, Kan., found that using light-emitting diode, or LED, lights in refrigeration units both saves energy for meat retailers and extends the shelf life of some beef products.
SPX Awarded Contract To Create Dairy Plant In China
February 14, 2012 9:54 am | News | CommentsSPX Corporation today announced that its Flow Technology segment has been awarded a contract worth approximately $40 million by Bright Dairy & Food Co., Ltd. to establish a new dairy processing plant in Shanghai, China capable of producing pasteurized fresh milk, ultra-high temperature (UHT) long shelf life milk and yogurt.
Consumer Trends: Boomers More Likely Than Gen Y To Purchase Food Online
February 13, 2012 12:46 pm | News | CommentsShoppers ages 50-54 lead the charge when it comes to purchasing health and beauty products online (52 percent), and shoppers ages 45-49 are purchasing more food and beverage products online (29 percent) than any other age group. This was revealed in the latest issue of The Checkout, an ongoing shopper behavior study conducted by The Integer Group® and M/A/R/C Research.
Iowa Governor, China Official Note Importance Of Ag Trade
February 10, 2012 10:22 am | News | CommentsGov. Terry Branstad and China's consul general are stressing the importance of trade in advance of a visit to Iowa by China's vice president. Speaking Wednesday at a Statehouse news conference, Consul General Yang Guoqaing noted that China's relationship with Iowa is vital because the state is an agricultural powerhouse. He says it's in the interest of both Iowa and China to increase trade.
Crippled Wine Bottle Plant To Reopen In July
February 10, 2012 10:19 am | by ERIK OLSON | News | CommentsWorkers at the Bennu Glass plant have chiseled away tons hardened glass from the crippled melter of the wine bottle plant here, and a new furnace and 100 employees should be ready to restart the shuttered plant in July, company officials say.
Experts Expect Beef Prices To Climb For Next 2 Years
February 9, 2012 12:56 pm | by BETSY BLANEY,Associated Press | News | CommentsThe smallest cattle herd since the 1950s likely will mean higher beef prices at the supermarket for the next two years. Experts said beef prices could climb as much as 10 percent a year in 2012 and 2013, and the increase could be even greater if demand from other countries increases.
Wis. Battle Brewing Over Homebrew Proposal
February 9, 2012 10:13 am | by BARBARA RODRIGUEZ,Associated Press | News | CommentsA fight brewed in the Legislature Wednesday over a proposal to clarify whether Wisconsin residents can make and serve beer outside their homes. Supporters, many home brewers, testified during a packed state Assembly committee hearing that they just want to continue brewing and sharing homespun suds as they have for years. But industry officials said the bill risks necessary state rules and regulations — especially those that apply to alcohol distribution.
Creator Of Lemonheads Dies At 93
February 9, 2012 10:11 am | by KAREN HAWKINS,Associated Press | News | CommentsCandy company executive Nello Ferrara lived a sweet life. The man who brought the world Lemonheads and Atomic Fire Balls routinely serenaded the restaurants where he dined and held mandatory family dinners every Sunday, said his son, Salvatore Ferrara.
Photo Of The Day: Starbucks Partners With China
February 9, 2012 9:54 am | News | CommentsStarbucks and Ai Ni Group join government officials in Kunming to sign joint-venture agreement to bring China's Yunnan coffee to the world.
California Ripe Olive Growers Produce $493.6 Million In Economic Impact
February 8, 2012 12:47 pm | News | CommentsCalifornia's ripe olive growers have a significant impact on the state's economy, yielding nearly $493.6 million in annual economic activity – or nearly $1.4 million dollars each day of the year – as a result of grower spending, according to a newly released report commissioned by the California Olive Committee (COC) and conducted by Dennis H. Tootelian, Ph.D., Tootelian & Associates.
Pet Owners Search For Healthier Food, Other Products
February 8, 2012 12:43 pm | by AMY LORENTZEN | News | CommentsLike many pet owners, customers at April Lawrence's pet bakery and boutique in central Iowa want the best for their four-legged family members. That means high-quality, safe and eco-friendly products, from organic food and treats to BPA-free toys and water dishes. And they don't mind paying extra.
Beer Is Booming In Michigan
February 7, 2012 1:13 pm | by BILL O'BRIEN | News | CommentsThe state hosts more than 100 licensed breweries, the fifth-highest number in the nation, according to the Michigan Brewers Guild. Craft beer sales in Michigan grew more than 21 percent between 2009 and 2010, guild Executive Director Scott Graham said. About 4 percent of all beer consumed in Michigan is craft beer, and 2 percent is made in Michigan.
Coca-Cola Tops Expectations Due To Global Sales
February 7, 2012 1:09 pm | by MAE ANDERSON,AP Retail Writer | News | CommentsCoca-Cola reported an effervescent fourth quarter Tuesday, as the company sold more of its drinks globally and its earnings beat analyst expectations. Coca-Cola is benefiting from raising prices in North America, where consumer sentiment is slowly improving, and expanding in emerging markets including Africa and Latin America.
United Fresh 2012
February 7, 2012 12:28 pm | EventsUnited Fresh 2012 features a trade show format customized for each segment of the produce industry. The show offers a combination of cutting-edge education, technical innovations, marketing expertise and networking opportunities.
2012 AMI International Meat, Poultry & Seafood Industry Convention and Exposition
February 7, 2012 12:25 pm | EventsCo-located with the FMI 2012 Show, UFPA's United Fresh 2012 and the NASDA U.S. Food Showcase, the 2012 AMI International Meat, Poultry & Seafood Industry Convention and Exposition is scheduled to take place May 1-3, 2012 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.
U.S. Food Showcase
February 7, 2012 12:21 pm | EventsThe U.S. Food Showcase will be held, once again, in conjunction with FMI’s Supermarket Industry Exposition at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas April 30 - May 3, 2012.
