Food/Beverage
Wrigley Pulls Caffeinated Gum Off The Market
May 9, 2013 7:53 am | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | News | CommentsWrigley said Wednesday that it will temporarily halt sales and marketing of Alert caffeinated gum after discussions with the FDA. President Casey Keller said the company made the move "out of respect" for the agency, which said it would investigate the health effects of added caffeine on children and adolescents.
A Cut Above The Rest
May 8, 2013 11:25 am | by Krystal Gabert, Editor, Food Manufacturing | Articles | CommentsTucked away in Pascoag, R.I., Daniele, Inc. is using innovative technology to extend shelf-life, ensure food safety and expand the reach of its sausage and cured meat products to a growing base of consumers. Perhaps an unlikely find in quiet, small-town Rhode Island, Daniele, Inc. has been making sausages in the region for nearly 40 years. But its roots stretch much farther.
San Francisco City Attorney Sues Monster Beverage
May 7, 2013 8:37 pm | News | CommentsCity Attorney Dennis Herrera said Monday that Monster is the "industry's worst offender" in the extent to which it targets youth and children. The action comes after Monster last week sued Herrera over his demands that company reduce caffeine levels in its drinks and stop marketing to minors.
Coke Plans Major Expansion Of Fla. Orange Groves
May 7, 2013 2:13 pm | by Tamara Lush, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Coca-Cola Co. says it will invest $2 billion to support the planting of 25,000 acres of new orange groves in Florida. The announcement will be made at a news conference late Tuesday morning at Coca-Cola's production plant in Auburndale. Details were released in advance to The Associated Press.
Storage Space Can Be Found By Simply Looking Up
May 6, 2013 2:13 pm | by Paul Mihelich, Director of Sales, Wildeck | Articles | CommentsBut while loading docks and warehouses are often landlocked, they don’t have to be, as the answer to additional space can frequently be found by looking up. Vertical reciprocating conveyors (VRCs) and work platforms offer food manufacturers a new level of storage space by going up and adding a second level.
Ex-Iowa Slaughterhouse Manager Faces Charges
May 6, 2013 2:00 pm | by Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press | News | CommentsAmara pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiring to harbor workers who were in the country illegally and conspiring to provide false immigration papers at what was the nation's largest kosher slaughterhouse. He faces 25 counts related to harboring and two counts related to document fraud.
Buffett Defends Structure Of $23B Heinz Deal
May 6, 2013 8:32 am | News | CommentsSome people had questioned whether the deal that will give Berkshire a 50 percent stake in Heinz represented a change in investment style for Buffett's conglomerate. Generally Berkshire buys entire companies outright and allows them to continue operating largely unchanged.
Plastic Fragments Prompt Frozen Pizza Recalls
May 3, 2013 1:58 pm | News | CommentsThe 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.
Booze From Local Crops Booming
May 3, 2013 8:54 am | by Michael Hill, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe process is sometimes referred to as "grain to glass" — the beer-and-whiskey version of the foodie slogan "farm to table." Both phrases imply a connection to fresh, local ingredients. Tuthilltown is part of a larger hand-crafted booze movement that has Wood Creek Distillers in Colorado growing its own potatoes for high-end vodka.
China Beefs Up Law To Fight Food Safety Scandals
May 3, 2013 7:49 am | News | CommentsThe Supreme People's Court said Friday that the guidelines will list as crimes specific acts such as the sale of food excessively laced with chemicals or made from animals that have died from disease or unknown causes. China's penal code, which forbids unsafe and poisonous food, does not specify what acts are considered in violation of the law.
Calif. Lawsuit Claims Lead In Ginger, Plum Candies
May 2, 2013 7:52 am | by Jason Dearen, Associated Press | News | CommentsCalifornia has filed a lawsuit against Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and other food retailers, manufacturers and distributors, alleging the companies are selling lead-tainted ginger and plum candies without warning labels, as required by state law.
Worker Dies In Blender At Oregon Meat Plant
May 1, 2013 8:18 am | News | CommentsParamedics and sheriff's deputies were called around 11:45 p.m. Friday, after Avalos-Chanon was found entangled in the machinery. Another worker had hit an emergency stop button, but it was too late, Thompson said. Firefighters returned the following day to dismantle the machine and remove the body.
Monster Suing San Francisco Over Energy Drinks
May 1, 2013 7:41 am | by Candice Choi, AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsThe company, based in Corona, Calif., says it's being unfairly singled out by City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who late last year had asked Monster to produce documentation showing that its drinks are safe. Since then, Monster says Herrera has asked it to reformulate its drinks and change what it says on labels and marketing materials.
AB Inbev Sees Volumes Fall In Key Markets
April 30, 2013 8:40 am | News | CommentsAnheuser-Busch InBev NV, the world's largest brewer, says that its profits rose in the first quarter in spite of falling sale volumes in important markets. The company behind Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Becks said Tuesday that even though revenues grew by 1.5 percent in the first quarter, volumes declined by 4.1 percent.
FDA To Investigate Added Caffeine In Foods
April 30, 2013 7:37 am | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | News | CommentsWith a growing number of foods boasting added caffeine for an energy boost, the Food and Drug Administration says it's time to investigate their safety. The FDA's new look at added caffeine and its effects on children and adolescents is in response to a caffeinated gum introduced this week by Wrigley.
Hostess To Open Bakeries In Indiana And Illinois
April 29, 2013 1:40 pm | News | CommentsHostess Brands LLC said Monday that it will open bakeries in Indiana and Illinois, following announcements last week that it will reopen bakeries in Georgia and Kansas in its effort to bring back some of its snack brands. The predecessor to Hostess Brands filed for bankruptcy protection in 2012 after years of turmoil.
Baby Food Shortage In Europe Due To China Demand
April 26, 2013 1:26 pm | by Kirsten Grieshaber, Associated Press | News | CommentsChinese demand for foreign brands soared after drought in Australia and New Zealand cut supplies from China's major sources of imported baby formula. Chinese parents who have enough money have largely shunned local brands since a contaminated milk scandal in 2008 left six babies dead and another 300,000 sick.
Hostess To Reopen, Expand Bakery In Kansas
April 26, 2013 7:53 am | News | CommentsHostess Brands LLC says it will reopen its eastern Kansas bakery this summer, with the hiring of an initial 250 people already underway. The announcement was made Thursday by the investment partnership that bought Hostess Brands' snack cake product lines.
Anheuser-Busch Tries To Block Ohio Brewery Measure
April 25, 2013 2:06 pm | News | CommentsThe world's largest brewer is trying to stop Ohio from enacting a measure that would prohibit brewers from buying wholesale beer distributors. That provision was part of a bill that moved quickly through the Legislature last week and is now before Gov. John Kasich.
Hershey Reshuffles Management
April 25, 2013 8:06 am | News | CommentsThe Hershey Co. said Wednesday that it has made a number of management changes to help position the candy company for better global growth. The company, based in Hershey, Pa., is the largest chocolate maker in North America, but it faces tough competition globally.
New Deadline Ordered For FDA Food Safety Reforms
April 24, 2013 8:32 am | News | CommentsA federal judge is siding with two California advocacy groups in ruling that the Food and Drug Administration must set a new timetable to implement delayed food safety reforms. U.S. District Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton in Oakland, Calif. handed down the decision on Monday.
Hostess Plans To Reopen Georgia Baking Facility
April 24, 2013 8:07 am | News | CommentsHostess Brands, LLC has announced plans to re-launch its bakery in Columbus and plans to add about 300 jobs in the area over the next several years. The Georgia Department of Economic Development Tuesday announced the company plans to resume operations this summer and will produce a full assortment of iconic Hostess snack products — including Twinkies.
Study: Chicken, Ground Beef Are Riskiest Meats
April 23, 2013 12:15 pm | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | News | CommentsAn analysis of more than 33,000 cases of foodborne illness shows that ground beef and chicken have caused more hospitalizations than other meats. The report by the Center for Science in Public Interest says chicken nuggets, ham and sausage pose the lowest risk of foodborne illness.
Slaughterhouse Is Ground Zero In U.S. Horse Debate
April 23, 2013 7:54 am | by Jeri Clausing, Associated Press | News | CommentsAt issue is whether horses are livestock or pets, and whether it is more humane to slaughter them domestically than to ship tens of thousands of neglected, unwanted and wild horses thousands of miles to be slaughtered in Mexico or Canada.
EEOC Seeks Damages For Disabled Iowa Plant Workers
April 23, 2013 7:43 am | by Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Henry's Turkey Service, of Goldthwaite, Texas, on behalf of 32 former workers whom it housed and oversaw while they worked at West Liberty Foods in West Liberty, Iowa. The commission is expected to seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
