May has proved a mixed bag for the nation’s food manufacturers, many of whom were still reeling from last month’s probe into ‘toxic’ sugar on 60-Minutes when HBO’s Weight of the Nation hit screens on May 14.
McDonald's and Coke have blasted New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s radical bid to ban sales of super-sized sodas from foodservice outlets as “misguided”, while supporters have hailed it as the "boldest effort yet" to tackle obesity.
Just days after its CEO told analysts his firm was in “great shape” to do more deals, Flowers Foods has announced plans to expand its bakery empire in the Northeast with the acquisition of Maine-based Lepage Bakeries for $370m.
As it races to become a mobile marketing ‘pioneer’, Coke has signed a deal that will see QR codes serviced by US firm Scanlife’s platform printed onto all Spanish Coke Classic and Coke Zero cans.
Sampling of raw beef manufacturing trimmings for six non-O157 strains of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) is set to begin from 4 June 2012, the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has confirmed.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied a petition by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) urging it recognize 'corn sugar' as an alternate name for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
ConAgra has reverted back to using high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in its Hunt’s ketchup less than two years after replacing the much-maligned sweetener with sugar.
The Campbell Soup Company aims to become one of the most socially responsible consumer goods companies in the world, with initiatives like ‘Facts Up Front’ featuring prominently in its strategies.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been urged by three members of the US Senate to increase its enforcement of regulations that prevent the “imitation” of standardised dairy products.
Researchers may have taken the first step in ‘fixing’ the flavour of commercially grown tomatoes after they uncovered how variability in chemical make-up holds the secret to the ‘real’ flavour of tomatoes.
Clarisoy, the ‘invisible’ soy protein developed by Burcon NutraScience and commercialized by ADM, is attracting interest from everyone from “top-tier multinational companies to niche regional fruit juice companies”, says ADM.
High pressure processing (HPP) is emerging as a powerful weapon in the fight to reduce sodium, enabling formulators to eliminate or cut sodium-containing preservatives in prepared foods and clean up product labels, claims one expert.
Current US regulations governing the manufacture of cheese made using unpasteurised milk “appear adequate” for producing microbiologically safe products, a study has claimed.
Yogurt manufacturer Chobani Inc. is facing legal action in the US over claims that its use of the term ‘evaporated cane juice’ on its Greek yogurt products violates federal and state food labelling laws.
Jensen Farms - the cantaloupe grower pinpointed as the source of last year’s deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak – has filed for bankruptcy in the US.
At-home preparation of Mexican food is on the up in the United States, mirroring restaurant trends, where Mexican food is growing faster than any other segment, according to Bell Flavors and Fragrances.
Firms sourcing sucralose from China are struggling to secure supplies owing to a combination of factors including rising demand as sugar prices rise, electricity shortages in southern China and tighter enforcement of environmental legislation, FoodNavigator-USA...
General Mills has agreed to buy Brazilian food maker Yoki Alimentos for 1.95bn reais (about $853m) in a move it says could double its annual sales in Latin America.
Social media use is increasing, and that could be good news for manufacturers of branded products, as frequent social media users tend to be more loyal to name brands, according to new research from the NPD Group.
POM Wonderful has gone on the offensive following a ruling on its legal battle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from an administrative law judge (ALJ) with a bold series of new ads selectively quoting from his 335-page initial decision.
US confectioners Farley's & Sathers and the Ferrara Pan Candy Company have reached a deal to merge the two companies to become the Ferrara Candy company.
Bernstein Research gives sales forecasts for the top 10 food and beverage companies worldwide up to 2014 with some predicted to gain shares and others to lose out.
While consumer concerns about fats appear to have waned somewhat, the percentage of Americans blaming sugars for their expanding waistlines has almost doubled since last year, according to new research.
Israeli lycopene expert LycoRed says it has seen a surge in demand for its tomato-based natural color Tomat-O-Red as a growing number of manufacturers follow Starbucks’ lead and seek a replacement for bug-derived colorant carmine.
Kraft Foods shareholders have approved the name Mondelez International as the new name for the company’s global snacks business after it splits into two separate companies later this year.
Diamond Foods has secured $225m of funding as it looks to reestablish itself in the walnut industry and grow its business, in a deal that could see investment firm Oaktree Capital Management take a 16.4% share of the company.
Ralcorp has announced the acquisition of cookie maker Petri Baking Products shortly after It reported a sales boost in the second quarter (Q2) 2012 driven by frozen bakery products.
Brands are often keen to portray themselves as one of the family – but could subtle differences in linguistic intimacy make some potential customers feel uncomfortable?
Confectioners face big rewards by tapping into market potential in Mexico, but will face “oblivion” if they fail to address growing health concerns, according to an analyst.
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.
Monk fruit extract may be set to become a mainstream natural sweetener alongside stevia, but price remains a barrier, according to a Euromonitor industry analyst.
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.
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.
A consecutive deficit in 2012/13 is set to move cocoa prices higher as supply struggles to meet rising demand for chocolate products in Asia, according to financial services group Rabobank.
Organic infant formula manufacturer Nature’s One will step-up its efforts to minimise and eliminate the presence of environmental contaminants such as arsenic in its products.
Innova has developed a new low-sodium hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), which it claims solves a riddle that has plagued food scientists for decades – how to create a low-sodium HVP without relying on potassium chloride.
While POM Wonderful does not emerge from Michael Chappell’s 335-page ruling smelling entirely of roses, it has successfully challenged the accepted wisdom that firms can only make claims about food or supplements if they are backed at least two ‘gold...
Both sides have claimed victory in a bitter legal dispute between Californian juice maker POM Wonderful and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over allegations of false advertising.
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.
Men may find meat analog products more tempting if they more closely resembled meat, according to researchers who found that American men and women alike tended to view meat as more masculine than vegetable-based foods and salads.
Many Americans claim that the reason they choose less healthy foods is because it costs more to eat healthily, but a new analysis from the Department of Agriculture claims that healthier foods are actually cheaper than junk foods – it all depends on how...
The US beef industry and the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have been showered with praise after showing “strong initiative” in their efforts to prevent E.coli contamination during processing.
Sugar users have said they are disappointed that both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees have voted to advance the 2012 Farm Bill without amending current sugar policy, which they claim costs the US food industry by inflating domestic sugar prices.
Consumption of saturated fats may be associated with decreases in memory and reductions in brain functioning, and could lead to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research in women.
A new survey from FoodMinds suggests that US attitudes to food policies are largely divided along party lines, with 75% of Democrats saying that government should dedicate more time to food policy issues, compared to just 39% of Republicans.
