Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - North AmericaEU edition | Asian edition

News in brief

General Mills: Job losses will be mostly in ‘administrative and support positions’

23-May-2012 - Job cuts at General Mills will be mostly in “administrative and support positions”, said the firm, which has just unveiled plans to slash more than 2% of its global workforce.

ConAgra Foods snaps up Kangaroo Brands’ private label pita chips business

22-May-2012 - ConAgra Foods' buying spree has continued with the acquisition of Wisconsin-based Kangaroo Brands’ private label pita chips business - its fourth deal in the 2012 fiscal year.

General Mills to cut 850 jobs in cost savings plan

22-May-2012 - General Mills intends to cut 850 jobs globally as part of a cost savings plan, the company said Tuesday.

Campbell’s fails to heat up soup sales as profit slips 5%

22-May-2012 - The Campbell Soup Company saw its profit fall 5.4% on declining soup volumes and higher costs in the third quarter, although sales in its US beverages and snacking segments were up.

News in brief

Vote due on Kraft snacks name

22-May-2012 - Kraft Foods will decide tomorrow whether to change the name of its global snacks spin-off to Mondelez International in a vote at its Annual Shareholder Meeting.

Frito-Lay plans its own gluten-free symbol

21-May-2012 - The world’s largest snack firm Frito-Lay has announced plans to use its own gluten-free symbol on labels in North America after validating products as gluten-free through two celiac organisations.

News in brief

Corn Products International shareholders approve Ingredion name change

16-May-2012 - Corn Products International shareholders have approved changing the company’s name to Ingredion, intended to better reflect its expanded ingredient portfolio, particularly since the acquisition of National Starch in 2010.

News in brief

Hain Celestial to expand Long Island headquarters

15-May-2012 - Hain Celestial has said it intends to expand its international corporate headquarters in Nassau County, NY, where it intends to invest $10m to relocate its existing Long Island-based employees and expand operations.

Bimbo Bakeries to build $75m factory in US

14-May-2012 - Bimbo Bakeries USA plans to invest $75m in a new facility in Texas, US, to produce bread and buns.

Imperial Sugar reports $6.5m loss in Q2

14-May-2012 - Imperial Sugar Company reported a net loss of $6.5m in the second quarter, compared to a net profit of $4.2m in the prior year period, while net sales were up 5.6%.

Food grade alcohol and ingredients boost MGPI sales

11-May-2012 - MGP Ingredients (MGPI) reported a 34% increase in sales in the first quarter of 2012, led by food grade alcohol and better results in its food ingredients segment.

News in brief

New acquisition expands World Food Processing’s organic, non-GMO soy

11-May-2012 - Minnesota-based World Food Processing has acquired Kerry Flavors’ soy protein isolate manufacturing facility, as it looks to expand its non-GMO and organic soy capacity in the face of growing demand, the company has said.

Snyder’s-Lance eyes acquisitions to add to high-selling core brands

10-May-2012 - North American snack firm Snyder’s-Lance plans to foster future growth through mergers and acquisitions to complement its core brands which helped it marginally improve sales in its Q1 results

News in brief

Grain Processing Corporation opens new Iowa center for product development

10-May-2012 - Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) has opened a new ‘solutions center’ at its headquarters in Muscatine, Iowa, to provide its technical and research teams with a new kitchen, laboratory and presentation area for new product development and customer training.

Hostess warns of mass layoffs in union negotiations

10-May-2012 - Hostess Brands has sent letters to its 18,500 employees warning of possible liquidation and job losses, after a federal judge ruled on Friday that the company could cancel all union contracts.

Beef Products Inc. and Tyson Foods hit by latest ‘pink slime’ fallout

09-May-2012 - ‘Pink slime’ manufacturer, Beef Products Inc. (BPI), has confirmed the almost immediate closure of three of its four plants, in the latest wave of repercussions surrounding the product.

High raw material costs continue to weigh on IFF in Q1

09-May-2012 - High raw material costs continued to impact International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) in the first quarter, as it reported a 4% decline in net profit, the company reported on Wednesday.

Louis Dreyfus to acquire Imperial Sugar as investors try to block deal

09-May-2012 - Commodities group Louis Dreyfus has reached an agreement to acquire refined sugar processor Imperial Sugar for around $203m.

News in brief

Diamond Foods appoints ex-Hostess Brands chief as new CEO

09-May-2012 - Kettle Chips maker Diamond Foods has appointed ex-Hostess Brands head Brian Driscoll as its new CEO.

CSM puts bakery supplies arm on the block to reposition as bio-ingredients firm

07-May-2012 - Ingredients supplier CSM has announced plans to sell its bakery supplies businesses and reposition itself as a bio-based ingredients company.

Higher prices boost Kraft profit in Q1

04-May-2012 - Kraft Foods reported a 1.8% increase in first quarter profit after it raised prices for its products around the world and increased sales of its ‘power’ brands, particularly in developing markets.

News in brief

Commission rubber stamps Kellogg’s Pringles buy

04-May-2012 - The European Commission has cleared Kellogg’s $2.7bn deal to acquire snack business Pringles from Procter & Gamble (P&G).

GLG Life Tech receives cease trade order

04-May-2012 - Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has stopped trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange after it received a full cease trade order from the British Columbia Securities Commission, due to delayed filing of its year-end financial statements and related documents.

FoodJobs: People on the Move

03-May-2012 - FoodNavigator-USA brings you all the latest appointments and promotions at major food manufacturing and ingredient companies in this monthly photo gallery.