Industry News - PM
April 2024
Poultry processor faces setback for new S.C. plant
Plans for a poultry processing plant in Aiken County, South Carolina face a setback as the county council declined to approve incentives sought by House more...
Ariz. legislators propose $100K penalty for false “meat” labeling
Nine Arizona state representatives have added penalties and details to pending legislation that would prohibit “misleading” labeling of proteins more...
Wis. college launches long-awaited butcher program
A technical college in Wisconsin announced a butcher program nearly two years in the making. First announced in 2022 with $220,000 from the state, Northcentral more...
Taste Test: Rao’s new meat pizza underwhelms
Since Rao’s started selling its homemade Italian sauce served in its legendary East Harlem restaurant in the early 1990s, the brand has continuously more...
New HPAI outbreaks in birds reported in two states
New confirmations of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two states indicated that the deadly virus is not through with U.S. poultry farms after more...
Nebraska, Alabama move on small meat processing funds
Officials in Nebraska and Alabama announced plans to provide financial support to small meat processors through separate statewide programs. The Nebraska more...
No heart benefits from alt-meat: study
Researchers in Singapore have called into question the idea that plant-based alt-meat products are healthier than their conventional counterparts. Their more...
Chinese pork production, prices level in Q1 while pig stock declines
Chinese production of meat overall rose 1.4% in the first quarter compared to the year before, the National Bureau of Statistics of China reported more...
Poultry processor sues Georgia city over discharge penalties
Gold Creek Foods filed a lawsuit against a Georgia city and some of its elected officials in a federal court Friday surrounding surcharges, penalties more...
Feds searching for Calif. poultry workers owed back wages
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is actively seeking employees of five poultry processing companies in California who may be owed back wages and damages more...
Land O’Frost relaunches popular salami product
Munster, Ind.-based deli meat processor Land O’Frost Inc. announced Monday the return of its Hard Salami as part of the company’s Premium more...
March sees big increase in meat sales: report
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The March Consumer Price Index reflected the ongoing more...
Minnesota reports first HPAI commercial outbreak of 2024
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported the first commercial outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) more...
Optimism, caution still surround Farm Bill prospects
Various factions are expressing contrasting outlooks for the passage of the federal Farm Bill, which is expected to cost an estimated $1.5 trillion if more...
Consumer sentiment takes a dip
After closing in on a three-year high in March, U.S. consumer sentiment dipped in April and the survey respondents said they expect more inflation in more...
Carcass weights, quality grade, yield grade: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Harvin Choice Meats shuts down
Family-owned Sumter, S.C., meatpacking plant Harvin Choice Meats on Monday closed its doors permanently. The business had been struggling with aftereffects more...
Long Prairie Packing inspections suspended
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on April 1 suspended slaughter operations at Long Prairie Packing, located in Minnesota. According more...
Meat Science Lab receives $3M for upgrades
The Meat Science Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign received a 3 million investment to help upgrade the facility, according to a release more...
French court sides with analogue makers
The French Council of State on Wednesday issued a decision suspending an earlier government decree that would limit the terms that can be used on plant-based more...
Avian flu continues bovine spread in North Carolina
The state of North Carolina is the latest to see avian flu jump to mammalian species. According to the state's National Veterinary Services Laboratory more...
As U.S. beef exports fall, imports skyrocket from Brazil, Australia: report
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Federal judge trims vaccination lawsuit against Tyson Foods
An Arkansas federal judge trimmed a lawsuit filed by a former Tyson Foods employee that claimed the company’s vaccination policy violated religious more...
A swine swindle reported in Philadelphia
About 56 cases of pork were stolen from a delivery truck waiting in the early morning dark for its central Philadelphia customer to open, according to more...
USDA study examines weather disasters’ impact on pork processing
Federally declared weather or environmental disasters increase the likelihood of pork processors reducing slaughter volumes, as well as the probability more...
Consumers reluctant to trade meat quality for price
Consumers are more fixated than ever on extracting the best value for their protein dollar, even as food inflation moderated a bit in March. On Wednesday more...
HPAI is not through with the Big Apple, scientists caution
A recent scientific study found that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) remains present in avian species in the urban environment of New York City more...
Krispy Krunchy Chicken unveils ambitious 2024 expansion
Atlanta-based Krispy Krunchy Chicken plans to add more than 700 locations that sell its fried chicken products this year with the goal of having a total more...
Hormel settles pork-fixing allegations with 3 purchaser classes
One of the nation’s top pork producers reached a multi-million-dollar settlement with three classes of pork purchasers in a case alleging companies more...
Walmart lawsuit tab set at $45M as price-fixing claims are denied
Walmart Inc. agreed to pay a total of $45 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the retailer of mischarging customers who bought products more...
Custom Made Meals acquires Hearthside assets
Denver-based Custom Made Meals LLC has acquired Hearthside Food Solutions’ ready-to-cook and ready-to-heat manufacturing assets in Jacksonville more...
USDA turns to India after South Korea export gains
A USDA-sponsored trade mission to South Korea will be followed by a similar effort in India after the recent trip to expand U.S. exports generated $67 more...
Judge allows beef processor second chance to seek dismissal
A Colorado federal judge gave Nebraska Beef another chance to request dismissal from a wage-fixing lawsuit that accuses the nation’s largest beef more...
CDC gets specific on guidelines to prevent HPAI spread in humans
The federal agency charged with preventing the spread of diseases among humans has added more recommendations aimed at limiting outbreaks of highly pathogenic more...
USPOULTRY announces another $363K in research grants
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation have approved some $363,000 in additional funding for three new research grants at two institutions through the more...
Pork exports still high in Feb.; beef export value strong
In February, U.S. pork exports surged, driven by strong demand from Mexico, South Korea and South America, according to data released by USDA and compiled more...
Poultry producer, insurance firm sue rail company
Amick Farms and an insurance company that covered its losses after 4,083 cases of frozen chicken thighs spoiled during interstate rail carriage filed more...
Meat brands lift Conagra’s dull quarterly results
Conagra Brands’ Grocery & Snacks unit, which includes canned meat and Slim Jim meat snacks, turned in a positive performance in what was otherwise more...
USDA sets deadline for 2025 export development funds
The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service is accepting applications for its 2025 export market development programs. Among the programs open to meat producers: more...
The quest for better meat quality
The following is an exerpt from MeatOps in the April magazine issue of Meatingplace. The experience of biting into a garden-grown tomato compared to the more...
State tally of HPAI-infected cows climbs to 6
A dairy cattle herd in Wood County, Ohio, tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), marking the sixth state affected by the virus more...
Cargill increases renewable energy capacity by 42%
Cargill announced its bolstered commitment to renewable energy by increasing its contracted capacity by 42%, according to a release by the company. Cargill more...
‘Quail-inspired’ cultivated meat OK’d in Singapore
Australian cultivated meat firm Vow has announced that it has secured regulatory approval to commercialize its new cell-cultivated product, more...
‘Innovation’ and ‘growth’ at Perdue: interview with Bruce Stewart-Brown
[The following is an excerpt from "No substitutions," a feature in the April issue of Meatingplace.] Following his graduation from veterinary school at more...
Two processors reach settlements in wage-fixing lawsuit
Two of the nation’s largest poultry processors reached settlements with a class of workers, who accused nearly two dozen companies of conspiring more...
HPAI definitely not over among U.S. poultry operations
Confirmations of relatively notable new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two U.S. states are raising concerns among animal health more...
Canadian meat group warns of fallout from rule changes
The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) criticized a plan by the federal government in Ottawa to end a provision that allowed more foreign workers to temporarily more...
Consumer sentiment nears three-year high: report
Rising confidence in personal finances and inflation contributed to upticks in consumer sentiment, according to new analysis from the University of Michigan more...
Feds stop Calif. poultry processors accused of using child labor
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) filed a lawsuit Saturday to stop three southern California poultry companies and their managers from their alleged more...
Okla. Senate passes bill protecting compliant chicken processors from lawsuits
Chicken processors that obey Oklahoma laws and regulations can’t readily be sued, under a bill just passed by that state’s senate. Bill more...
USDA seeks comments on revised water rules for meat, poultry
USDA is looking for public feedback on revised guidelines to help U.S. processors calculate the correct retained water percentage in raw livestock, poultry more...
Mexico rejects ‘Product of USA’ label
Mexico’s Ministry of Economy announced its official rejection of the USDA’s “Product of USA” label rule, and asked the U.S. government more...
Texas govt. reports second-ever human case of avian influenza in U.S.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reported the second-ever human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in the U.S. The case was more...
Tyson files brief rejecting Easterday claim he’s owed money
The legal saga of Cody Easterday, the former cattle feeder who defrauded Tyson of millions, has entered yet another chapter. In a legal filing to the more...
What consumers want, and how processors can respond
[The following is an excerpt from "The New Normal," a feature in the April issue of Meatingplace.] Consumer spending on meat, which has been dramatically more...
Report: Meat exports provide substantial economic stimulus
The exports of beef and pork provide significant economic benefit to the corn and soybean industries, according to new research from the U.S. Meat Export more...
March 2024
Tyson settles 3 COVID death lawsuits
Tyson Fresh Meats resolved lawsuits with the estates of three employees at its Storm Lake, Iowa pork plant who died after contracting COVID-19 in 2020 more...
Processors cast a wide net to recruit, retain labor
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Processors continue to take a variety of tacks to recruit and retain employees as the meat industry continues to recover more...
Dark meat buoys U.S. chicken demand: Rabobank report
Compared to last year, U.S. chicken production is down 3.3%, according to a new report from Rabobank, but because birds are a little bigger more...
Missouri labeling law prevails, again
On Tuesday, federal courts once again upheld the state of Missouri’s 2018 law prohibiting misrepresentation of “a product as meat that is more...
Colo. takes the lead to stop Kroger-Albertsons merger
A Colorado state judge set a preliminary injunction hearing for Kroger’s proposed $25 billion acquisition of Albertsons for August, two weeks before more...
Mo. state govt. moves to ban foreign purchases of farmland
The Missouri state senate has voted overwhelmingly to restrict foreign entities from purchasing the state's farmland. According to a KBIA report, the more...
Taste Test: A West African frozen item fails to inspire
As people seek new culinary experiences, some have started to familiarize themselves with the tapestry of flavors and textures in authentic and heritage-rooted more...
News Briefs: Indonesian Halal certifications, Vienna Beef, Atkins Ranch, Smithfield
Indonesian government accredits five U.S. halal certifying bodiesThe Government of Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Agency this month listed more...
JBS hopes to complete dual listing of shares in 2024
JBS expects to complete the dual listing of the company's shares in New York and Sao Paulo in 2024, according to the company's global chief executive more...
Wastewater proposal could cost $1B, 100K jobs: coalition
With the deadline just past for submitting comments to the federal Environmental Protection Agency on its proposed “Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations more...
Hormel adjusts after plant wastewater leaks into city system
Hormel Foods Corp. said its pork processing plant is operating normally again in the wake of reports of two leaks of pigs blood and debris into the sewer more...
Illinois judge allows Sysco, litigation funder to swap in antitrust suit
A federal judge permitted a litigation funder to tag in for Sysco in the In Re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation case, according to an order filed more...
USDA predicts food prices will continue to decelerate in 2024
USDA projected an overall decline in food prices this year compared with recent years, although all food prices are expected to increase by 2.5% after more...
Iowa Workforce Development arrives in Perry, Iowa
Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) deployed its IowaWORKS Mobile Workforce Center to Perry, Iowa, this week to support workers impacted by the more...
Poultry, conservation groups ally on $2M program
Georgetown, Del.-based Delmarva Chicken Association (DCA) has joined forces with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance more...
Philippine government lifts ban on Iowa, Minnesota poultry
Officials at the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines lifted a temporary ban on poultry and related products from Iowa and Minnesota that was more...
National Beef resumes production, fire probe continues
Production has resumed at National Beef less than one week after a fire that prompted the evacuation of the employees and caused “significant damage” more...
Pork prices up, sales down in Calif., thanks to Prop 12: study
California’s Proposition 12 increased pork prices and decreased sales volume in the state, according to a report from the University of California more...
Chick-fil-A retreats from NAE policy
A supply squeeze is choking Chick-fil-A’s high profile program of serving only chicken that had never been administered antibiotics. The QSR announced more...
Consumers are ‘meh’ on animal welfare labeling: study
A study conducted in Germany indicates that consumers — despite their professed interest in animal welfare issues — by and large do not follow more...
Cooks Venture shut down due to lack of funds: report
Vertically integrated poultry company Cooks Venture failed due to lack of funds, founder Matthew Wadiak told news website Axios. "We would have more...
Senate nixes Paraguayan beef imports
On Thursday, an effort led by senators from Montana and South Dakota closed the door to Paraguayan beef, that was opened last year by the Animal and Plant more...
USDA predicts rise in Australian beef to US
The USDA predicted Australian beef exports to rise 9% as herd numbers continue to increase, according to a report this week. The U.S., South Korea more...
USMEF joins USDA to promote US beef in Angola
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) joined the USDA's trade mission, building on its prior efforts to promote U.S. beef in Angola, the federation more...
Fire contained at National Beef facility in Kansas
After three hours, first responders were able to contain a fire at the National Beef facility in Liberal, Kan., according to local reports. Firefighters more...
Kosher groups/processors sue Canadian food agency over new rules
Canadian Jewish authorities, who set and implement kosher slaughter practices, have sued the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) over its new requirements more...
Poultry processor appoints former Tyson VP as new president
Poultry processor AlaTrade Foods has appointed Josh Whitley as its new president. A long-time meat industry professional, Whitley's career began more...
HPAI jumps to new mammal in Minnesota
A baby goat tested positive for avian flu from quarantined poultry flock at the same Minnesota farm, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health stated. All more...
USDA buys $79M in pork to support nutrition, assistance programs
USDA recently agreed to buy an additional 33.5 million pounds of pork products for distribution to a variety of federal food nutrition and assistance more...
Jamaica Broilers selling Iowa hatchery assets
Jamaica Broilers Group, based in McCook's Pen, Jamaica, reached an agreement to sell its poultry hatchery in Bancroft, Iowa, according to a filing with more...
North Dakota State temporarily loses USDA slaughter authorization
North Dakota State University's on-campus Meat Laboratory is back up and running after the USDA ‘s Food Safety and Inspection Service more...
North American HPAI outbreaks decline sharply, officials report
The more than two-year spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is finally showing significant signs of slowing in the United States and Canada more...
Mar-Jac denies wrongdoing in teen death: court filing
Lawyers for Mar-Jac Poultry said a teen worker’s negligence caused his death, according to a court filing. In July, a 16-year-old sanitation worker more...
Sustainable Beef hires GM, on track for 2025 opening
Sustainable Beef LLC announced the hiring of Ryan Wagnon as the general manager of its beef processing plant, which is under construction in North Platte more...
Q&A with the Denver processor fighting to save his business
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Rick Stott grew up on a dairy farm in Montana, but when he looked ahead to the future, agriculture was not a part of it. “I more...
Texas cattle fatalities tallied as fire reaches 100% containment
With the largest fire in Texas history finally 100% contained, early estimates show the devastation the blaze had on the region’s cattle. The Texas more...
Foster Farms names Penn as CEO
Foster Farms has announced that Jayson Penn is the company's CEO, succeeding Donnie Smith, who served as CEO since the Atlas Holdings’ acquisition more...
Judge rules jury verdict stands in poultry antitrust case
An Illinois federal judge shut down a potential retrial for Sanderson Farms, upholding a jury verdict from October that cleared the processor of antitrust more...
Iowa may consider extended benefits for Tyson plant workers
Iowa lawmakers are asking their colleagues to consider restoring the length of unemployment benefits to 39 weeks from 26 weeks in light of the impending more...
Impossible flexes brand muscle with new look
Impossible Foods squares off head-on with animal protein brands with its new package design: The iconic plant-based meat substitute brand unveiled a bright more...
Beef packers' projected annual losses decreases: report
Beef packers’ prospective annual losses are narrowing, from $87.93/head a year ago to $40.22 /head now, according to the annual projection calculated more...
Cal-Maine Foods finalizes deal for Tyson facility
Cal-Maine Foods finalized the acquisition of a broiler processing plant, hatchery and feed mill, previously owned by Tyson Foods, located in Dexter, Mo more...
N.D. ag dept. grants funds for meat processor
Rhino Meat Processing LLC, in Esmond, N.D., was awarded $100,000 for meat processing equipment which will expand and increase the volume of production more...
Nominate a research star for Beard Research award
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation are accepting nominations for the Dr. Charles Beard Research Excellence Award, the organization said in a news more...
Report: Tyson to fill vacant jobs with more migrant workers
Tyson Foods is continuing its commitment to hiring asylum seekers for open positions in its processing facilities, according to a Bloomberg report and more...
Date set for hearing over Albertsons-Kroger merger
A U.S. federal judge has scheduled a hearing for Aug. 26 regarding the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) bid to halt Kroger's $24.6 billion acquisition more...
Butcher training programs address labor shortages
[The following is an excerpt from "Tipping the scales," an article in the March issue of Meatingplace.] Processors are still struggling with a shortage more...
Meat Institute unveils new logo/brand identity
The Meat Institute (formerly the "North American Meat Institute") unveiled a new logo and brand identity. "Sustaining meat's future is central to the more...
Tyson’s plant closure news prompts state support, market concerns
Officials in Iowa are mobilizing to help the more than 1,200 people who will be out of work when Tyson Foods Inc. closes its pork plant in Perry, Iowa more...
EATs Act gets fresh helping of opposition
Proposed legislation seeking a home in the Farm Bill and aiming to override California’s Proposition 12 and similar measures received fresh opposition more...
House of Raeford proposes new chicken plant in S.C.
City officials in Aiken, S.C., took an initial step Monday helping along a proposal by House of Raeford to build a chicken processing plant in town. The more...
Coleman All Natural Meats launches rebranding program
A family-owned processor that offers a variety of pork products from animals raised humanely and crate-free is rebranding its product line as part of more...
Texas court blocks NLRB’s joint employer rule
A Texas federal court halted the implementation of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Rule on Joint Employer Status. The court's decision cited more...
USDA’s ‘Product of USA’ final rule sparks concern, applause
This week’s finalization of the voluntary “Product of the USA” label claim is prompting concern from the Canadian government even as more...
Texas wildfire cattle losses rise; processors rise to the occasion
Cattle losses from the historic Texas Panhandle wildfire are mounting, and as ranchers and ag authorities assess the damage, the meat industry is stepping more...
China lifts 15-year ban on pork from Russia, despite ASF presence
China approved three Russian plants to ship pork to the Asian giant for the first time in 15 years, lifting a ban imposed due to African Swine Fever (ASF) more...
JBS, Tyson agree to $127M settlement in wage-fixing case
JBS and Tyson Foods agreed to pay a total of $127 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the red meat processors of suppressing wages for plant workers more...
USDA finalizes voluntary ‘Product of USA’ labeling rule
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the finalization of a rule to align the voluntary “Product of the USA” label claim with consumer more...
Post-pandemic high prices for ground beef, slaughter cows: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
U.S. Rep. introduces bill to reassess chemicals used in food
A proposal to reconsider the use of seven specific chemicals used in meat, dairy and egg products is under consideration by a U.S. House subcommittee more...
Chicken buyers settle with processors in price-fixing case to save legal fees
A class of chicken buyers settled antitrust claims against six processors and an agricultural data firm to save $1 million in legal fees, according more...
Where by-products’ value stands today: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
UK FSA seeks comments on mechanically separated meat guidance
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is seeking comments on its draft guidelines covering mechanically separated meat (MSM), which is intended to support more...
News Briefs: NPPC, True Story Foods, Minnesota grants, Winesburg Meats
NPPC elects new officers and board members for 2024-2025 The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) announced the election of new officers and board members more...
SEC rolls back emission-reporting rules for processors
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rolled back rules Wednesday that required processors to disclose certain greenhouse gas emissions. The nation’s more...
With IPO looming, Panera shifts animal welfare/meat standards
One of the U.S.' top foodservice operators may be making major changes to how it purchases and markets meat products. According to a Reuters report, Panera more...
HPAI outbreaks continue in Calif., Mass.
New outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were confirmed in California and Massachusetts, according to reports from animal health agencies more...
A top chef's culinary creations in meat processing
[The following is an excerpt from "Yes, chef!", a feature in the March issue of Meatingplace.] During a presentation to a packed room of eager college more...
Politicians seek resolution for Missouri Prime closure
Missouri politicians are weighing the option of losing more than 330 jobs in Pleasant Hope, Mo., against the area’s water quality as Missouri Prime more...
Tyson Ventures seeking ideas to transform supply chain
Tyson Ventures, the venture capital arm of Tyson Foods, opened applications for the third edition of Tyson Demo Day. The initiative aims to transform more...
Kraft Heinz launches plant-based Oscar Mayer dogs, sausages
The Kraft Heinz Co. announced that its joint venture with TheNotCompany Inc. will offer plant-based versions of the Chicago-based food company’s more...
News Briefs: Applegate Farms, Cargill, Veroni, National Turkey Federation
Applegate Farms sets regenerative beef goal by 2026 Applegate Farms announced plans to source its entire beef hot dog portfolio using 100% certified regenerative more...
Industry blasts USDA’s final PSA rule
Meat industry trade groups critisized the USDA’s final rule changing the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) to give contract farmers more leverage more...
Parent company credits Olymel with profit rebound
Sollio Cooperative Group, parent company of Olymel, credited the Canadian pork and poultry producer with the “major rebound in profitability" after more...
Kentucky proposal on child labor advances in statehouse
A bill to adjust the number of hours that children can legally work is moving to the Kentucky state senate now that the Kentucky House of Representatives more...
Lawyers’ group backs animal rights petition
The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) has weighed in to support an animal rights petition filed with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection more...
PSSI to lay off 175 at JBS facility as separation continues
Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) is letting go of 175 employees at a JBS facility in Greeley, Colo., as the two companies continue a separation more...
Miniat Holdings names new CFO
Miniat Holdings has appointed Garrett Olson as senior vice president and chief financial officer, the South Holland, Ill.-based company said in a news more...
Protein studies could affect overall food industry: Rabobank
The natural drive for protein affects overall eating patterns, a finding that a study shows could change the appetites for carbs and fats and ultimately more...
Giving Back Briefs: Smithfield, IPPE, Seaboard
Smithfield employees donate $700K to United Way organizations Smithfield Foods announced that employees in four U.S. states raised more than $700,000 more...
Missouri House bill addresses “meatpacking sludge”
The Missouri House on Thursday voted 151-2 to pass legislation (HB 2134) that would require water treatment companies that make fertilizer and other products more...
New life for Va. poultry farmers after Tyson plant closure
A number of poultry farmers in South Central Virginia successfully adapted their business to a new, post-Tyson marketplace. According to a 6 News Richmond more...
Panera adds cold cuts, chicken in menu overhaul
Fast casual chain Panera Bread on Thursday announced its “largest menu transformation ever,” focusing on sandwiches and salads, will launch more...
News briefs: Miniat, Standard Meat, National Turkey Federation, Veroni charcuterie
Miniat appoints SVP/CFO Miniat Holdings has appointed Garrett Olson as senior vice president/chief financial officer (CFO), reporting directly to Dave more...
February 2024
Environmental groups sue EPA over farm water regulations
More than a dozen environmental organizations filed an opening brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals aimed to compel Environmental Protection Agency's more...
No injuries, disruptions reported from JBS plant fire
A fire last week at a JBS beef plant in Grand Island, Neb., did not result in injuries or impact operations, according to a local report. The Grand Island more...
Colombia re-opens to American poultry products
Colombia is once again open for business to U.S. poultry exports. Newly released, upgraded standards intended to maintain Colombia’s status as free more...
Taste Test: Laoban dumplings impress with quality ingredients
[The following is an excerpt from “Steamed, Boiled or Fried?”, the Taste Test feature in the February issue of Meatingplace.] Many world cuisines more...
Judge approves deal between workers, processors in wage fixing suit (update)
A Colorado federal judge gave preliminary approval for settlements totaling more than $11 million between two processors, a consulting firm and a class more...
U.S. cattle on feed increased slightly from year-ago results
The number of cattle and calves on feed for the domestic slaughter market as of Feb. 1 were slightly lower than results reported in the previous month more...
Missouri sees latest HPAI cases; USDA vet advises vigilance on migration
So far, this week has seen four new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), all in the same county in Missouri. According to USDA’s more...
News briefs: Beyond, Nathan's, National Turkey Federation, Hormel
Beyond introduces fourth version of centerpiece burger Beyond Meat Inc. reformulated its marquee plant-based burger and meat products around avocado oil more...
Missouri packing facility to shutter; 335 employees impacted
Missouri Prime Beef Packing will shutter its Pleasant Hope, Mo., facility in April, the company told the state in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification letter more...
Butterball contract worker dies in accident at NC plant
A contract employee working on a project at Butterball’s Mount Olive, N.C., turkey processing plant died late last week from injuries sustained more...
Pilgrim’s Pride outlook reset after strong Q4 results
Higher earnings in the fourth quarter of 2023 prompted industry analysts to project a stronger finish for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. profits in fiscal more...
U.S. lawmakers, cattlemen seek ban on Paraguayan beef imports
U.S. Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) on Monday filed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would overturn USDA’s more...
FTC files suit to block proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Oregon today aimed at preventing the proposed $24.6-billion merger between more...
Strong Q4 helps Pilgrim’s Pride end 2023 on high note
A strong fourth quarter helped Pilgrim’s Pride close out the 2023 on a high note, according to reported earnings. Despite reporting declines in more...
Judge sets hearing date for suspect in Tyson plant stabbing
A man arrested in the wake of a stabbing incident at a Tyson Foods plant in Dakota County, Neb., faces two felony charges when he appears at a preliminary more...
Foodservice news briefs: Bloomin' Brands, Jack in the Box, KFC
Bloomin' Brands plans to close dozens of stores, open as many new ones Bloomin' Brands, parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carraba's, Bonefish Grill more...
Tyson to delay closing of Indiana processing plant
Tyson Foods Inc. is adjusting the timeline for the closing of a chicken processing plant in Corydon, Ind., that was slated to shut down completely on more...
Maple Leaf brings meat, plant-based protein businesses under one umbrella
Maple Leaf Foods announced the company’s meat and plant-based protein businesses will operate under a single umbrella as part of a strategic update more...
Taco Bell says ‘yes’ to more chicken
Taco Bell has declared 2024 to be the year of the chicken. (Sorry, dragon!) The Yum Brands-owned QSR earlier this month announced its annual slate more...
News Briefs: U. of Tenn., Purdue U., AAMP, Jack in the Box
University of Tennessee to build $15M meat processing facility Officials at the University of Tennessee plans to spend $15 million to build a state-of-the-art more...
Second worker dies at Pitman Family Farms in a year
For the second time in a year, a worker at Pitman Family Farms died while on the job, according to a report in The Fresno Bee. The latest incident occurred more...
Police investigating stabbing at Tyson facility
Police are investigating a stabbing that occurred Tuesday at a Tyson Foods facility in Dakota County, Neb., according to a local report. When Dakota County more...
Special ops: an interview with an expert on meat plant operations
[The following is an excerpt from "Special Ops," a feature in the February issue of Meatingplace.] The term “prodigy” is generally reserved more...
Record calf prices and more
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
DOL requests restraining order against sanitation company for child labor (update)
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) asked a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order for a meat facility sanitation company to stop it from more...
Chickens lay an egg with flat production for 2023
A few more chickens, a few less eggs: that’s the poultry wrap from 2023, according to the just-released USDA Chicken and Eggs 2023 summary more...
North Dakota high school offers lessons in meat processing
As more studies show the median agricultural labor aging out of the workforce, some high schools have stepped up efforts to train future replacements more...
Cargill, ENOUGH expand mycoprotein partnership
Global protein provider Cargill and food-tech company ENOUGH, which produces mycoprotein products, on Thursday announced they’re expanding their more...
West Liberty Foods to cut 260 jobs at Iowa plant
West Liberty Foods said it will phase out RTE slicing operations and second-shift log fabrication operations at its West Liberty, Iowa, plant, a move more...
Smithfield names new head of hog operations
Smithfield Foods appointed Kraig Westerbeek as the president of its hog production operations, effective Feb. 29, according to a news release from the more...
NAMI strengthens ties with Canadian, Mexican meat groups
The North American Meat Institute, the Canadian Meat Council (CMC), and Consejo Mexicano de la Carne (COMECARNE) have signed a memorandum of understanding more...
Meatpackers’ sustainability efforts, ‘greenwashing’ allegations continue
The following is an excerpt from “Green without envy,” an Issues article published in the February magazine issue of Meatingplace. Due in more...
Proxy challenge questions chicken marketing claim
Whether “hormone-free” is fair game as a marketing and labeling claim on chicken is the core of a brewing proxy fight. Shake Shack Inc. has more...
Aging population will widen ag labor gap: report
The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC ) on Thursday released a labor market supply and demand forecast, which found that Canada's more...
Charges leveled in massive chicken heist
Thirty people have been charged by the Cuban government for their roles in the theft of 133 metric tons of chicken products, which were subsequently sold more...
News briefs: Perdue, Wendy’s, Hormel, Piller’s
Perdue recognized for social responsibility Perdue Farms has been tapped by the 2023 National Diversity Awards as one of the top 50 companies in the United more...
Vilsack gives rough timeline for HPAI vaccine
At a Congressional hearing this week, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack predicted that an avian flu vaccine is likely to be identified in about 18 months. Meanwhile more...
Kentucky legislation to eliminate drones near processing facilities
The Kentucky Senate approved a bill Thursday that would subject photo and video equipment around agricultural businesses to new restrictions. Backed more...
Chicken street tacos recalled due to ongoing Listeria outbreak
Rizo-López Foods and Fresh Creations Foods, in cooperation with the FDA, recalledall Chicken Street Taco Meal Kit Units due to potential Listeria more...
Three states advanced cultivated meat regulations
A number of U.S. states have, in recent weeks, introduced or passed local laws related to the regulation of cultivated meat. Iowa, Florida and Alabama more...
US pork exports to dethrone chicken by 2033: ERS
The USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) projected pork exports will surpass chicken exports over the next decade. The shift would be the first more...
Revitalization: A new chapter for pork processor Leidy's
[The following is an excerpt from "Revitalization," a profile of Leidy's in the February issue of Meatingplace.] "One of the things I’ve learned more...
Pork, beef margins shrink for packers
Beef and pork packer margins both saw a decline on the week, according to beef and pork reports from Sterling. Last week, cash cattle prices rose by an more...
Upside Foods halting construction of Illinois cultivated meat plant
Upside Foods has paused plans to build an Illinois-based cultivated-meat factory, and has laid off staff to focus on its existing plant in Emeryville more...
Seaboard sees pork sales decline for 2023 as market prices slump
Seaboard Corp. cited lower market prices as contributing to a 3% decline in pork sales for fiscal 2023 compared with sales posted in 2022. The Merriam more...
Chicken buyers claim restaurants trying to bust antitrust settlement
A class of direct chicken buyers called out a group of restaurants in a civil suit against the nation’s largest poultry producers, according to more...
PI firm gobbles up jerky brand
New York-based private investment firm Bansk Group acquired meat snack maker No Man’s Land Foods LLC, according to a news release. Terms of the more...
New Wayne Sanderson campaign positions chicken as inspiration
Chicken as blank slate: that’s the refrain that producer Wayne-Sanderson is playing in a new campaign, “It’s All Good.” In a statement more...
Miami Beef acquires Hofmann Sausage
Miami Beef Co. today announced the acquisition of Hofmann Sausage Co., as the company seeks to expand its brands, product portfolio and distribution. more...
Jack Link’s names new Ga. plant manager
Jack Link’s Protein Snacks hired Karl Diver to manage the company’s Perry, Ga., processing plant, due to open mid-2025. With more than a decade more...
FSIS cites ‘under processing’ for charcuterie recall
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said a January recall of tons of charcuterie meat products possibly linked to a salmonella outbreak more...
Iowa lawmakers consider label rules for alt-meat products
The state senate in Iowa is moving forward on a bill that would require labels on what the proposal calls “manufactured meat” to outline the more...
New HPAI cases are historically low — but, hundreds of thousands of birds newly affected
The slowdown of new confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues, although recent outbreaks have affected hundreds of thousands more...
Beef production forecast raise for 2024: WASDE
The USDA's latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report raised beef production forecasts for 2024. The forecast anticipates a more...
Canadian meat interests push harder in UK trade fight
The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) came out swinging with its own criticisms of the state of trade negotiations with the United Kingdom, announcing it would more...
News briefs: FSIS, Sweetgreen, ASF vaccine
FSIS plans survey on mechanically tenderized beef labels USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced its plans to conduct a survey this spring regarding more...
Global pork production faces pressure, consumption holds steady: Rabobank
Global pork production is facing significant headwinds in 2024 as key regions grapple with a slowdown in production due to a contraction in sow herds more...
Des Moines monitoring meat smell (update)
The City of Des Moines, Iowa installed a series of ten odor monitors toward the end of 2023, designed to collect data to help city officials address concerns more...
Wisconsin offers grants to processors
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced that it is accepting applications for its state-wide Meat Processor more...
Trader Joe’s prepared foods recalled due to listeria
Another round of consumers have fallen ill, the Centers for Disease Control said, in the latest episode of a long-simmering outbreak of consuming more...
Case Farms faces hefty OSHA fines for repeat violations
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed fines of nearly $400,000 for a Case Farms facility in Winesburg, Ohio, for exposing workers to more...
Canada feathers funding to poultry processors
Canada announced grants of about C$21.8 million for poultry processing plants across the country. The funds devoted to poultry claim about a more...
Auburn University names new poultry science head
Auburn University has named Govind Kannan head of the Department of Poultry Science and director of the Charles C. Miller Poultry Research and Education more...
Trader Joe's chicken pilaf subject of health alert
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a public health alert due to concerns of a frozen ready-to-eat chicken pilaf product that may more...
Cargill buys two meat processing plants
Cargill announced it is purchased two processing facilities previously owned by Infinity Meat Solutions, subsidiaries of Ahold Delhaize USA, according more...
Judge to examine whether federal law trumps Massachusetts' Q3
A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that an exemption in the state's animal welfare law was unconstitutional. The court granted Triumph and the more...
Analysts moderate enthusiasm for Tyson, continuing overall positive outlook
New analyst reports from Stephens and J.P. Morgan forecast solid but not spectacular financial results for Tyson Foods in fiscal 2024. While the company more...
ISU offers class in how the sausage actually is made
Those who actually do want to see how the sausage is made can immerse in a three-day course commencing April 9 at Iowa State University. Held more...
JBS, workers reach settlement in wage-fixing case
JBS Foods reached a settlement with a class of plant workers in a lawsuit alleging red meat producers conspired to fix wages, according to court records more...
Chicken now matches beef in sales for McDonald’s: CEO
Chicken products sold at McDonald’s Corp. now generate as much money for the chain as its beef burgers, representing annual sales of $25 billion more...
Jennie-O announces new VP of supply chain operations
Hormel Foods Corp. announced the promotion of Matt Schrupp to vice president of supply chain operations for the company’s Jennie-O Turkey Store more...
NCC comments on food waste reduction plan
The National Chicken Council (NCC) is throwing a spotlight on the poultry industry’s efforts to reduce food waste in response to the Food and Drug more...
Segment results help drive Tyson Q1 profits higher
Strong operating income for chicken, pork and the prepared foods operations resulted in higher overall sales and improved adjusted operating income for more...
U.S. cattle inventory reaches 73-year low
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Farmer sues poultry processor over contract
Contracts between processors and chicken farmers have been in the spotlight lately, with the farmers accusing the former of unfair and deceptive practices more...
Smithfield Foods announces two new executives
Smithfield Foods has named Brendan Smith as its chief marketing officer, and Allyson Bouldon as its chief ethics and compliance officer. According to more...
Family sues Mar-Jac over child’s death
Edilma Ramirez, mother of 16-year-old Duvan Perez, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Mar-Jac Poultry in Hattiesburg, Miss., after her son died while more...
Sanderson says jury verdict should hold in price-fixing case
Sanderson Farms (now Wayne-Sanderson) told a federal judge that a class of chicken buyers should not be allowed a retrial in an antitrust case, according more...
Grocery sticker shock will ease: USDA
Inflation will take less of a bite from Americans’ grocery bills this year, the USDA predicted in a forecast. Grocery prices will actually more...
Hormel names group VP of supply chain
Steve Lykken oversaw supply chain for Hormel Foods’ Jennie-O Turkey store as its group VP, a position that involved integrating sales and marketing more...
Chicken farm fire contained, investigation underway
Officials are starting to investigate the cause of a Monday blaze that wiped out a building project and some poultry at a Texas chicken farm. Local more...
Former Tyson warehouse manager files plea in theft case
A former Tyson warehouse manager in Storm Lake, Iowa pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing more than $48,000 worth of truck equipment and meat from more...
Longtime Butterball executive retires
Butterball has announced the retirement of Walter Pelletier, the processor’s vice president of live operations. Pelletier joined Butterball in October more...
Briefs: Perdue cleanup, veal practices, PE jerky purchase
Perdue re-ups support for watershed cleanup volunteersThe foundation affiliated with Perdue Farms refreshed its support for a nonprofit that leads volunteer more...
January 2024
Judge rules on Trader Joe’s ‘boneless’ chicken lawsuit
A Washington federal judge ruled in favor of Innovative Solutions in a dispute over whether the chicken supplied by Pilgrim’s Pride, labeled as more...
NCBA supports FAIR Labels Act to prevent consumer confusion
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) confirmed its support for proposed federal legislation that would require alternative proteins more...
Lawmakers introduce bicameral bills to boost ag cybersecurity
U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced a bill in the Senate aiming to strengthen cybersecurity for the agriculture more...
Wings projected to land large on Super Bowl menus
As if Americans needed another reason to ingest chicken wings while they watch the Super Bowl, current prices are likely to make it easier to pile up more...
Firefighters still battling flames at Texas chicken farm
Firefighters in Texas were still trying to extinguish flames Tuesday morning after two buildings at Feather Crest Farms caught fire near Bryan on Monday more...
DOJ says Agri Stats should face antitrust lawsuit: court filings
The United States Department of Justice argued in federal court that the agricultural data firm Agri Stats should not be dismissed from an antitrust more...
Canada Beef targets cattle producers with a nutrition resource
Canada Beef is introducing a resource outlining the nutritional value of beef, but is focused on informing cattle producers rather than consumers through more...
McDonald’s Canada sets McRib revival after 10-year absence
McDonald’s Canada this week officially brought back the elusive McRib sandwich to participating restaurants in Canada after the popular menu item more...
New support for banning ‘climate-friendly’ meat claims
A major animal rights organization is backing calls to restrict the use of the phrase “climate-friendly” on meat labels in support of an effort more...
Pace of new HPAI cases slowed last week: APHIS
The number of confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infections declined last week compared with weeks near the end of 2023, although more...
U of Wisconsin offers meat snack short course
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery program will offer a Meat Snacks Short Course next month, with room more...
Canadian beef part of breakdown in talks with UK
Two years of trade negotiations have resulted in an impasse between Canada and the United Kingdom, in part over beef. The UK is sticking to its ban on more...
Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef plant proceeds
Cattlemen's Heritage announced that its carbon-neutral beef packing plant in Mills County, Iowa is proceeding with the approval of its environmental impact more...
Iowa legislation will increase small-scale poultry processing
Legislation aimed at increasing processing opportunities for small-scale poultry processors in Iowa passed through a state house subcommittee and will more...
Catch-up continues in cold storage product volume
Slightly more meat and chicken was in the cold storage pipeline nationally at the end of 2023, but overall annual volume continues to trail the five-year more...
New AMSA course offers online meat business training
There’s money in meat, and a new online course offered by the American Meat Science Association spells it out for those who want to gain business more...
Study: Groundwater loss accelerating in key U.S. regions
Too many straws are pulling too much water from slow-to-replenish aquifers in the American West and Plains, but a new study outlines winning tactics for more...
Subway slicers might not be making the cut: report
Subway might have some buyer’s remorse after switching to in-house slicing, according to a report from Restaurant Business. The move, which was more...
Tyson opens $355M facility in Kentucky
Tyson Foods has officially opened a new, $355-million bacon facility in Bowling Green, Ken. The 400,000-square-foot plant, according to a release from more...
Taste Test: Fresh Market impresses with chicken parm meal
When we think about a meal kit, many of us imagine a box showing up at our front door, ready for us to prepare at home. But more and more grocers are more...
Kentucky, Tennessee pork producers come together
While maintaining separate identities and organizations, the parallel advocates for the pork industry in Kentucky and Tennessee have committed to more...
New support emerges for anti-cruelty clarification petition
Another animal rights organization is voicing its support for a petition filed with USDA last fall calling for federal clarification of enforcement and more...
Pork pivot as China discourages production
Efficiencies have delivered too many hogs, driving down pork prices, so the Chinese government is now encouraging farmers to scale back production, according more...
Cultivated meat flagged as threat to genetic IP
Although animal proteins cultivated outside the animal itself are far from being readily available to consumers, players in the animal ag industry are more...
Environmentalists want EPA to boost scope of new rules (update)
With hearings set to begin this week on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules targeting pollution reductions from slaughterhouses and meat processing more...
Standard Meat to build processing plant in Texas
Standard Meat Co. plans to update a former meat processing facility near its headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, that will become the company’s fifth more...
Proposed $800M beef plant on track for 2025 opening: report
Plans to open a massive beef processing plant in eastern Missouri are moving forward with the facility preparing to begin contracting cattle later this more...
Olymel workers urged to use gov't assistance programs
The Alberta government is urging workers affected by upcoming layoffs at Olymel’s pork processing facility in Red Deer to utilize available support more...
Neb. beef supplier buys regional animal feed product maker -- Update
Greater Omaha Packing Inc. announced its acquisition of Heartland Proteins, which specializes in purchasing and distributing meat and bone meal for use more...
Va. House bill would regulate cultured meat
Virginia House Delegate Thomas Garrett last week introduced a bill (HB 1382) that would require cultivated meat products to include a label on their packaging more...
JBS unit adds US-made line of gourmet charcuterie
Principe, a unit of JBS Prepared Foods that focuses on Italian meats, has launched a range of specialty products made at its U.S. facility in Columbia more...
EPA to hear industry concerns over Clean Water Act guidelines
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing regulations that should cut down pollutant discharges by about 100 million pounds per year, according more...
JBT makes third non-binding proposal to acquire Marel (updated)
John Bean Technologies Corporation (JBT) made a third non-binding proposal and stated intentions to aqcuire Marel, in what the company terms a voluntary more...
USDA program to allow more processors access high-value beef grading
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new pilot program designed to broaden market access for cattle producers and meat processors through the agency’s more...
Turkish government takes dim view of alt-meat
Turkey's Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli, during the recent FAO National Food Codex Commission meeting, addressed rumors that the administration more...
CDC issues public health alert for charcuterie meats
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a public health alert for at least two specific charcuterie samplers that may be contaminated more...
Kroger-Albertsons merger delayed after FTC misses deadline
Those waiting for the finalization of the merger of Kroger and Albertsons will have to wait a little longer after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) missed more...
An interview with Art Levitt, Meatingplace's 2024 Knowlton honoree
[The following is an excerpt from "Applied Experience," a feature in the January issue of Meatingplace.] It’s difficult to describe the magnitude more...
Advocacy groups pressure USDA/Vilsack to tie meat consumption to climate policy
A coalition of advocacy groups and scientists are advocating sweeping policy changes at the USDA. In a letter signed by more than 250 groups, scientists more...
Giving back: Perdue donations, Rosenthals’ $25M gift, Cargill’s school support
Perdue serves chicken to families in DelwareAbout 67,000 meals will be served to Delware families thanks to two truckloads of chicken donated by Perdue more...
OSHA proposes fines for Mar-Jac after 2023 teen death
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed fines for the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Mar-Jac Poultry more...
Union seeks government support for laid off Olymel workers
The union representing workers that are expected to be laid off at an Olymel pork plant in Red Deer, Alberta, is asking the Canadian government to provide more...
Aleph Farms granted regulatory approval for cultivated beef
Rehovot-based cultivated meat company Aleph Farms announced that, in December, the company became the first in Israel to receive a "No Questions" letter more...
Organ meat featured in new snack
Country Archer Provisions is packing its new meat stick line with organ meat. The Ancestral Beef Blend Meat Sticks consist of grass-fed beef and a blend more...
Olymel to lay off 100 employees at pork processing plant
Olymel this month launched a plan to eliminate 100 staff jobs at its Red Deer, Alberta, pork plant over the next few weeks in response to a downturn in more...
Congressman chides USDA after inspectors absent at Tyson facility
Nebraska Congressman Mike Flood penned a letter to the USDA in an attempt to get Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspectors to report to work more...
Washington AG sues to block Kroger-Albertsons merger
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit today to block the proposed Kroger-Albertsons grocery merger, saying it will limit consumer more...
Burger King parent buys major franchisee in $1B transaction
Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) is acquiring the nation’s largest Burger King franchisee in a deal worth an estimated $1 billion, the more...
Senators wary of JBS listing on NYSE: letter
A bipartisan group of senators, led by U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), expressed concerns in a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair more...
Mitloehner to keynote IPPE’s Sustainability Summit
UC - Davis Prof. Frank Mitloehner is slated to keynote the Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit, which is a component of the 2024 International Production more...
Beyond Steak gets ADA nod, new ad campaign
El Segundo, Calif.-based Beyond Meat announced that its Beyond Steak is "the first plant-based meat product" to meet the nutritional guidelines from the more...
News briefs: Applegate, Tyson, Goya Foods, National Turkey Federation
Applegate seeks to redefine ‘meathead’ Hormel Foods’ Applegate brand has partnered with television and Instagram personality and general more...
Hylife CEO to step down; successor named
Hylife’s chief strategic officer, Karan Sangfai, is set to step into the CEO role in early March after the planned retirement of current president more...
Two Arizona state bills address cultivated meat
Arizona lawmakers have put forward two separate bills that would regulate how consumers in the state interact with cultivated meat products. House Bill more...
Herd-building: On offense or defense in 2024?
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
News briefs: Indigo, Soules, Brooklyn Cured, Arkansas grants
Former Tyson CEO Dean Banks to head Indigo Ag Dean Banks, the former CEO of Tyson Foods revisits his prior roles in sustainable food startups by taking more...
Poultry producer fights sanctions in insurance fraud case
Attorneys for Brakebrush Brothers asked a North Carolina business court to not sanction the company regarding the last-minute addition of notes involving more...
A new era of OSHA inspections
[The following is an excerpt from "Occupational Hazard," a feature in the January issue of Meatingplace.] The last 12 months have not been easy more...
HPAI strikes Wisconsin for inaugural 2024 outbreak
Wisconsin has joined the ranks of states suffering HPAI outbreaks in 2024, with the USDA’s APHIS reporting a case in the state’s Washburn more...
Giving back: Eckrich’s celebrity scrimmage, Perdue’s leadership fund
Eckrich supports celebrity scrimmageEckrich continued its support of the College Football Playoff Foundation’s donations to K-12 teachers nationally more...
Cargill gives update on facilities, workers impacted by arctic blast
The arctic blast being felt around the country caused processing facilities in Kansas to halt operations, and forced some workers to shelter at their more...
Wastewater from JBS beef plant leaks into local rivers
A wastewater breach at a JBS beef facility has resulted in millions of gallons of sewage leaving the plant property and infiltrating local rivers. According more...
USDA tallies $1B tab for HPAI compensation so far
USDA spent more than double the funds it reserved to address losses from outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) since Feb. 8, 2022, according more...
News briefs: Chicken Check-In, Illinois Pork Producers, USTR, Pork leadership
Chicken Council cooks up trend nuggets Chicken lollipops? Yes, please, if they’re trussed in bacon slices, as presented in a trending TikTok more...
Appeals court revives state's law targeting activist videos
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to reinstate a law intended to criminalize the use of video and audio recordings “on trespassed property” more...
Jack Link’s Ga. plant accelerates toward 2025 opening
A major Jack Link’s production plant long in the works in Georgia is advancing to the next stage. Construction industry delays complicated more...
Verde Farms announces new leadership
Verde Farms today announced a shuffle of its executive team. With company founder and CEO Dana Ehrlich stepping down, the processor has promoted Brad more...
Mexico extends tariff exemption on pork, beef, poultry imports
The Mexican government has issued a decree extending zero-duty access to certain food imports from eligible suppliers through the end of 2024. Those include more...
SCOTUS makes decision on settlement sharing in price-fixing case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case involving settlement sharing in the large-scale price-fixing lawsuit regarding the poultry industry more...
Brazil justice suspends $2B fine for Batista brothers
A Supreme Court justice in Brazil suspended a $2.1 billion fine imposed on J&F, the controlling entity of JBS, the world's largest meatpacker, according more...
Ruiz Foods promotes Carroll to president, CEO
Ruiz Foods Inc. announced that Chief Operating Officer Kimberli Carroll will move into the posts of president and CEO, effective Jan. 21. The nation’s more...
HPAI developments: Calif. challenges, Canadian surprises, vax issues
A spike in highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in California is raising alarm as the total of affected birds reached nearly 4 million in the last more...
JBT given deadline to decide on Marel takeover offer
Chicago-based John Bean Technologies (JBT) has two weeks to make a decision on a non-binding offer for a takeover of Marel. In a news release from more...
Missouri Prime gives up in face of state intention to deny wastewater permit
It looks like Missouri Prime Beef Packers won’t win its much-hoped-for permission to discharge treated wastewater into the Pomme de Terre river more...
NIFA grant to help fund Idaho meat science lab
The University of Idaho will use a fresh infusion of USDA grant money to replace its outdated meat science lab with a new facility, equipment and tools more...
Another poultry processor settles price-fixing claims with Washington state
House of Raeford Farms agreed to pay $460,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the state of Washington alleging the company, along with many other poultry more...
Former Farmer John plant now being demolished
It's official – following its early 2023 closure and mid-year sale, the former Farmer John facility in Los Angeles is being demolished, according more...
Take Meatingplace's 10-second quiz
Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether it is true or false. Loading… We will publish the answer and results in the more...
Poultry farmers sue Tyson over Mo. plant closure
A group of poultry producers in southeast Missouri accused Tyson Foods Inc. of holding back information on plans to close its Dexter, Mo., processing more...
Wolves released in Colorado despite protests from cattle industry
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) moved forward with the release of five gray wolves into the wild as part of a 2020 ballot initiative required wolf reintroduction more...
Two new Florida bills aim at cultivated meat
Two Florida State lawmakers — State Sen. Jay Collins and State Rep. Danny Alvarez — have submitted legislative proposals (SB 1084 and HB more...
Marfrig takes majority stake in BRF
Brazilian meatpacking giant Marfrig Global Foods SA has upped its ownership stake in fellow Brazilian processor BRF to more than half, the companies announced more...
Animal welfare will continue to see public scrutiny in 2024: report
The NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Swine Welfare anticipates a surge in public scrutiny regarding animal care and production in 2024. Dr. Yolande more...
News briefs: Case Farms, Pa. Farm Show, AMS, ChopLocal
Poultry processor racks up safety milestone Case Farms’ Winesburg, Ohio processing complex in December reached 3 million man hours without experiencing more...
States ask judge to keep Agri Stats lawsuit in Minn.
Attorneys general for several states asked a court to not allow Agri Stats to change the venue of a trial regarding a lawsuit by filed the Department more...
IPPE Preview 2024: Connect Four
Well, those going to Atlanta in late January will feel a major presence. A nearly 600,000-square-foot show floor at the 2024 International Production more...
Survey tracks growth in DTC meat sector
Meat purveyors who sell direct-to-consumer are seeing more interest in their distribution channel while pandemic-era supply chain challenges have eased more...
December 2023
Animal health agency issues warnings on current HPAI fight
Rapidly evolving strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and new spread patterns may require updated preventative approaches, a global animal more...
Red meat in cold storage falls; poultry rises slightly: analysis
The USDA’s Cold Storage report showed an 11% decrease from the same time last year and poultry cold storage with a 3% rise from the same period more...
Smithfield registers success with S.D. wastewater upgrade
Smithfield Foods is reporting a significant drop in nutrient discharge into the Big Sioux River in South Dakota now that its $45-million investment in more...
Tyson Foods alleged target of cyberattack
Tyson Foods was the alleged target of a November cyberattack, according to public statements by the offending ransomware group. “It was a primary more...
Russia contemplates banning U.S. poultry trade route: report
Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) is contemplating a temporary ban of all poultry products from more...
Beef sustainability less of a consumer priority: study
Consumers remain more concerned about other factors than efforts to improve beef sustainability, according to a recent survey by the Beef Cattle Institute more...
Stolen Slim Jim promotional vehicle recovered near Chicago
A customized Nissan Z car used to promote Conagra Brands Inc.’s Slim Jim snack brand that was stolen in Los Angeles earlier this month was found more...
Cattle-on-feed report shows slight uptick: analysis
The recent Cattle on Feed report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), released on Friday, revealed a 3% increase more...
Pa. invests $46.3m to protect farms in 2023
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced Friday that the state invested $8.7 million to purchase land development rights, preserving 2,553 acres on more...
Meat industry brought up in DOJ antitrust speech
The animal protein industry was a topic of discussion during a speech by the U.S. Department of Justice about antitrust violations at the CRA Brussels more...
HPAI surge continued in three U.S. states last week
There was no holiday in the number of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in California, Kansas and Michigan in the last five days, more...
Taste Test: Ballpark's nacho cheese hot dog underwhelms
A whopping 20 billion franks — yes, that’s billion! — are consumed in the U.S. each year, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage more...
Brazilian chicken meat exports seen up to 5.3 million T in 2024
Brazil, the world's largest poultry meat exporter, is expected to export between 5.2 million and 5.3 million metric tons of chicken meat in 2024, compared more...
U.S. Food Waste Pact attempts to tackle crisis
Food waste now has an official advocate: the new U.S. Food Waste Pact, an industry and nonprofit consortium that will use metrics to drive improvements more...
ButcherBox survey forecasts revival of classic skills, retro recipes
Home cooks will be wielding sharpening steels and fresh herbs as they concentrate their energy and expertise on improving classic skills, including meat more...
Oregon county implements CAFO restrictions
Linn County in Oregon has become the first county to implement rules regulating the siting of large confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), according more...
Brazilian pork stranded while Mexican authorities re-establish import standards
Mexico’s welcome of Brazilian pork didn’t last long. The fate of $60 million worth of Brazilian pork is in limbo as a private industry more...
Comments about FSIS label evaluation due in February
Consumers need to be able understand safety and inspection information affixed to raw and partially cooked meat and poultry products, which is why the more...
Illinois processor to pay $3M for OT violations
An Illinois meat processor will have to pay $3 million in back wages, damages and interest for 283 workers as part of a settlement with state’s more...
Triumph Foods to expand Mo. pork plant, add jobs
Pork processor Triumph Foods announced plans to expand its plant in St. Joseph, Mo., an effort that will create 88 jobs. Founded in 2003, Triumph already more...
Cargill president, CEO elected to board chairman
Cargill Inc. announced that President and CEO Brian Sikes will add the title of chairman of the board of the company, effective Jan. 1. Sikes began his more...
Tyson faces another lawsuit regarding COVID vaccines
A former Tyson Foods employee filed a potential class action lawsuit against the protein giant regarding the company’s vaccination policy, claiming more...
Pure Prairie Poultry ups production (updated)
Charles City, Iowa-based Pure Prairie Poultry has increased its workforce from about 50 to nearly 100 since re-opening the facility in 2022. In support more...
Authorities on the lookout for stolen Slim Jim promotional car
Conagra Brands Inc. is encouraging Los Angeles residents to contact local law enforcement after a customized vehicle known as Fast Meat was stolen in more...
EPA fines Swift Beef for Clean Waters Act violations
Swift Beef Company, a subsidiary of global meat processor JBS, is set to pay $275,000 in civil penalties to resolve alleged violations of the federal more...
Perdue Farms names new executives for supply chain, HR posts
Perdue Farms announced it recently appointed new senior leaders to manage its supply chain and human resources operations. The Salisbury, Md.-based processor more...
SEC seeks halt to $191M cattle Ponzi scheme
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seeking emergency relief to halt an ongoing $191 million cattle Ponzi scheme allegedly perpetrated more...
Investigation reveals minor killed at plant used fake ID
An investigation of the July 2023 death of a worker at a Mar-Jac Poultry facility in Hattiesburg, Miss., reportedly has uncovered new information on how more...
HPAI toll in Calif., Kan. and Ohio surged again in recent days
Millions of commercial layers in California, Kansas and Ohio were culled in recent days as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continued to sweep more...
TGI Fridays frozen chicken products recalled due to foreign material
Simmons Prepared Foods Inc. recalled approximately 26,550 pounds of TGI Fridays boneless chicken bites products that may be contaminated with pieces of more...
Equity firm buys majority stake in Fla. meat packer
Heartwood Partners announced this week it recently completed what it described as a majority investment in Bush Brothers Provisions Co., a family-owned more...
USDA invests in livestock, ag programs for Crow tribe
The Crow tribe in Montana is the latest to receive a grant to expand its skills and capacity for raising livestock, among other agricultural initiatives more...
Scientists find chicken feathers, clean energy link
The world’s most common bird species may soon play a significant role in the global clean energy movement, according to researchers in Switzerland more...
Grant map: See how much USDA funding went to pork producers
Editor's note: This is the seventh story of a series examining the allocation of USDA funds to processors. These articles are linked to Meatingplace’s interactive more...
USDA awards $7M in grants to Tribal Nations in Alaska
USDA’s Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program recently awarded more than $7 million to two Tribal Nations in Alaska, adding more...
With new cases in Ark., Wis. and S.D., HPAI shows no signs of slowing
Three new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in three different states have led to the culling of more than 130,000 turkeys. According more...
Prop 12 realities take shape for 2024
[The following is an excerpt from "Dusk to dawn," a feature in the December issue of Meatingplace.] Nearing the close of a tumultuous 2023, bits more...
News Briefs: Niman Ranch, Cargill, Goodstock by Nolan Ryan, Open Range Beef
Niman Ranch ‘dispirited’ over FDA report on antibiotics use in animalsWestminster, Colo.-based Niman Ranch expressed concern over a recent more...
Tomahawk Processing to expand operations in S.C.
Tomahawk Processing announced its plans to establish meat processing operations in Laurens County, South Carolina, according to a release from Governor more...
Hinson latest lawmaker to call for provision for Prop. 12, Q3
Representative Ashley Hinson (R-IA) testified before the House Committee on Agriculture, urging fellow lawmakers to incorporate a provision in the upcoming more...
Vegan restaurants putting meat back on the menu
Several Southern California restaurants have recently returned meat to the menu, deciding that targeting the vegan market is not a recipe for long-term more...
New year, new attitude about ‘processed’
“Ultraprocessed” has become the most recent version of such unappetizing food terms as “junk food” or “clean label,” more...
Ohio processor investigated for second amputation in 14 months: DOL
For the second time in 14 months, U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed fines for Zwanenberg Food more...
Poor safety caused 2021 fatal gas leak: CSB
Equipment and process failures led to the 2021 liquid nitrogen release at the Foundation Food Group (FFG) facility in Gainesville, Ga., that killed workers more...
Ark. gov denies request for poultry farmer funds after Cooks Venture closures
The Arkansas government has denied a state senator’s request for financial assistance for farmers affected by the sudden closure of Cooks Venture more...
New Mexico school expands meat science program with $43M funding infusion
New Mexico State University (NMSU) recently added two buildings to its College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) program as more...
Maple Leaf Foods fined C$170K in worker accident case
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is being fined C$170,000 after pleading guilty to violating Canada’s Occupational Health and Safety Act in a 2022 incident more...
Poland looks to ban 'meat terms' for plant-based products
A draft regulation proposed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Poland seeks to restrict the application of terms such as "ham," "cured more...
Ruiz Foods opens on-site health center at Texas facility
Ruiz Food Products Inc. opened a new on-site health center at its Denison, Texas plant, the company said in a release. The facility, operated by CareATC more...
Chicago's Clever Carnivore raises $7M
Clever Carnivore, a Chicago-based cultivated meat biotech startup, recently announced the closing of its $7 million seed round, led by Lever VC. The oversubscribed more...
Appeals court revives poultry weight case against Sysco
The Eleventh Circuit Court of appeals overturned part of a federal court's ruling, reviving a lawsuit filed by a group of Florida restaurants, alleging more...
Calif. officials set quarantines, culling in expanding HPAI battle
New outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in five California counties prompted state animal health officials to establish quarantine zones more...
Use of antibiotics in animals raised for food rose in 2022: FDA
Domestic sales and distribution of medically important antimicrobials approved for use in food-producing animals increased last year, according to the more...
Broiler eggs, chicks continue to slide: NASS
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service broiler report for the beginning of December showed a continuation in the slide in the number more...
Federal effort to suspend Paraguayan beef imports expands
Congressional opposition to imports of beef from Paraguay has expanded to the Senate, matching concerns raised earlier this month by colleagues in the more...
Cherokee Nation-based processor awarded $10M in grants
1839 Cherokee Meat Co. celebrated its first year of operation as a local USDA-inspected processing facility by announcing more than $10 million of federal more...
Meatpackers invest in housing to attract/retain workers
[The following is an expert from “Slow build,” a feature in the December issue of Meatingplace.] When the new boss can’t get a more...
Manitoba sows OK’d for U.S. export
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has lifted an order that required sows from a Manitoba assembly yard to be certified free of Seneca Valley virus before more...
DOJ to open comment period for Koch Foods consent decree
The United States Department of Justice is opening a 60-day comment period on the final judgment in its case against Koch Farms. The DOJ filed the more...
Processors join ‘low-carbon ag’ coalition
Cargill, Tyson Foods Inc. and JBS S.A. are among the initial members of the newly created First Movers Coalition for Food, an outgrowth of COP28 in Dubai more...
McDonald’s unveils multi-level expansion plan
McDonald’s Corp. is setting new targets for restaurant expansion in addition to developing more loyalty program members and upgrading its cloud more...
Hormel to offer kit to make pepperoni-infused cocktails
Hormel Corp. is launching a new kit allowing holiday revelers to enjoy a variety of Bloody Mary cocktails that also feature the company’s No. 1 more...
Smithfield provided insufficient docs for H-2B program: judge
An administrative law judge sided with the U.S. Department of Labor, saying that Smithfield Foods did not have proper documentation for the temporary more...
U.S. lawmaker offers bill to protect out-of-state producers
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) recently proposed a bill designed to block efforts from state governments to ban products from livestock producers that more...
Animal activist sentenced to jail after farm trespassing conviction
Animal activist and attorney Wayne Hsiung was sentenced in Sonoma County, Calif., to 90 days in jail and two years’ probation following his Nov more...
HPAI resurgence sends U.S. affected bird total beyond 68M
This fall’s return of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) across North America continues to impact commercial and backyard flocks across 47 more...
Poultry producer to pay $3.8M for child labor probe: DOL
A judge ordered a California poultry processor to pay $3.8 million in back wages, damages and penalties after the United States Department of Labor (DOL) more...
EPA due to release new effluent rules this month
The US Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose the first changes to its Meat and Poultry Products Effluent Limitations Guidelines in almost more...
U.S. reps call for reversal of rule on Paraguayan beef imports
More than 20 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are voicing their opposition to a new rule that would allow Paraguay to export beef into U.S more...
JBS, UFSC sign cultivated meat agreement in Brazil
Global food conglomerate JBS has signed a partnership with Brazil’s Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) to collaborate on cultivated meat more...
Meat processor fined after worker suffers severe leg burns: DOL
A federal investigation into a workplace incident at an Ohio meat processing plant revealed safety failures at SugarCreek Packing Co., according to a more...
Cooks Venture shuts down poultry facilities, lays off hundreds
Vertically integrated poultry company Cooks Venture on Thursday announced that it has shut down eight poultry processing facilities in Oklahoma and Arkansas more...
Grant map: See how much USDA grant funds have gone to poultry processors
Editor's note: This is the sixth story of a series examining the allocation of USDA funds to processors. These articles are linked to Meatingplace’s interactive more...
Italy enacts cultivated meat ban, sends law to EU
Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Friday announced that he has signed a law banning cultivated meat that was passed by Italian Parliament earlier more...
November 2023
Meat industry to have heavy presence at COP28 climate conference
The meat industry intends to make the case for animal protein as a sustainable nutrition at the COP28 conference, which kicks off today. The North American more...
Tyson CEO acknowledges “fat and lazy” dynamic
In a confession to the media, the CEO of Tyson Foods publicly stated on Nov. 29 that the company had become “fat and lazy” as it coasted through more...
Brazilian packer eyeing majority of South American beef export market
Minerva, the Brazil-based meatpacking giant, plans to grow that much more in the coming years. According to recent comments from Chief Executive Fernando more...
U.S. university to offer degree in cultivated meat field
Tufts University recently announced a new minor degree option in cellular agriculture. The university says it is "the world’s first and only undergraduate more...
Hormel still on track for net sales growth despite turkey sales decline
Turkey turmoil is complicating Hormel Foods Corp. financial results, said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer today more...
Meat producers served by new White House supply chain initiative
A virtual butcher shop based in Nebraska is among the 185 food operations benefiting from $196 million in grants and loans through a new USDA initiative more...
Tyson opens $300M Virginia facility
Tyson Foods opened its $300 million fully cooked food production facility in Danville, Virginia, according to a release from the company. The highly automated more...
USDA forecasts Egypt beef consumption to fall
With multiple economic factors dragging on its society, Egypt is expected to see a decrease in beef consumption of about 6%, despite strong population more...
OSHA penalties against Mar-Jac Poultry upheld
An administrative law judge in Atlanta has affirmed OSHA penalties against Mar-Jac Poultry resulting from the death of a worker at its Hattiesburg, Miss more...
Pilgrim’s Pride driver charged with selling stolen chicken
A truck driver hauling 41,000 pounds of chicken from Pilgrim’s Pride’s Sumter, S.C., plant was arrested Monday and charged with theft of most more...
Effort to expand Neb. beef plant wins local support
Officials in Hastings, Neb., unanimously approved a plan to seek more than $1 million from a state agency to help support the proposed expansion of a more...
Marel rejects JBT non-binding purchase proposal
Marel has rejected the Nov. 24 non-binding proposal from John Bean Technologies (JBT) Corp. to buy Marel, blocking a potential merger of two meat processing more...
Cattle on feed numbers add some beef: analysis
The USDA's Cattle on Feed report for November reveals a 2% increase in inventory from Nov. 1, 2022. The total of 11.9 million head, sourced from feedlots more...
Perdue's 'pastured raised' petition draws cautions, objections
Perdue Farms LLC's petition, first submitted last March, continues to generate comments on its proposal for USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service more...
USDA unleashes new strategy on microbes
The USDA has evolved its campaign against also-evolving antimicrobial resistance in the food chain. In a new report, the department outlines the more...
Chicken sandwich benchmark creator turns toward wings
The fast casual chain that launched the chicken sandwich wars in 2019 is adding chicken wings in various flavors to its permanent menu nationwide. Popeyes more...
U.S. company submits non-binding proposal to buy Marel
Chicago-based John Bean Technologies (JBT) submitted a non-binding proposal to buy Marel, according to a Friday release from Marel. The merger would require more...
Petition seeking revised port inspection policy met with opposition
The United States Canadian Border Inspection Agency (USCBIA) has submitted comments to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) opposing more...
The latest in meat packaging
Presentation is everything in retail. And with meat and poultry packaging, it’s often just as much about consumer perceptions as science-based reality more...
Another sign of COVID in the rear-view mirror: whole turkeys for the holiday
As Thanksgiving approaches, Cargill's U.S.-focused Future of Turkey study indicates a return to traditional meal celebrations, with more than 8 in 10 more...
Hord Family Farms acquires New Horizon Farms
Fifth-generation pork producer Hord Family Farms on Friday announced that it had completed the acquisition of New Horizon Farms, a farrow-to-finish swine more...
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Police in Dothan, Ala., report that on Thursday morning, a semi-truck carrying hundreds of chickens bound for Wayne Farms experienced a mass escape when more...
University adds to Arkansas’ list of state-inspected meat plants
Williams Baptist University’s new facility in Walnut Ridge, Ark., is now No. 4 on the list of Arkansas’ state-inspected meat processing plants more...
More convictions in Plainville Farms turkey abuse cases
Two more former employees of Plainville Farms have been convicted of animal abuse, bringing the total to 9 in the long-running case. Additional charges more...
Broiler chicks, eggs continue to stay down to reduce supply
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service broiler report for Nov. 11 showed a continued decrease in hatched eggs and chicks placed for more...
JBS reopens Latin America’s largest beef plant
JBS SA resumed operations at its Friboi beef plant in Diamantino, in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, following a fire that occurred there in June more...
North vs South - contrasting beef markets temper global production: Rabobank
Dynamics in the Northern and Southern hemispheres continue to behave in contrast, tempering global beef production, according to Rabobank. In its global more...
New slate of global execs announced at Kraft Heinz
The next generation of leaders at Kraft Heinz is lined up to step up in early 2024, the company announced this week, naming five new heads of key regions more...
Chicken buyer class asks SCOTUS to bring Rabobank case back
A class of chicken buyers in a lawsuit against producers filed a petition with the United States Supreme Court to request the justices to overturn an more...
Italy bans cultivated meat
The Italian Chamber of Deputies on Thursday passed a law banning the production and marketing of cultivated meat throughout the country. The cultivated more...
Oregon invites grant ideas for meat industry development
Thinking of expanding or improving meat processing in the state of Oregon? The state Department of Agriculture might offer you up to $750,000 more...
Grant map: See which processors received second round of USDA funding (Part 2)
Editor's note: This is the fifth story of a series examining the allocation of USDA funds to processors. These articles are linked to Meatingplace’s interactive more...
Senator Reintroduces Legislation Aimed at Regulating Alt-Meat Labels
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) has reintroduced a bill called the Real Marketing Edible Artificials Truthfully (MEAT) Act that would require products more...
Jennie-O sets new record for turkey donation
The Jennie-O Turkey Store partnered with NBC’s Today Show on a 24-hour turkey giveaway marathon that set a new Guinness World Record, the company more...
Report: Consumers seek bargains, convenience this holiday season
Even affluent consumers are already on the hunt for holiday bargains, according to newly released year-end consumer spending forecasts released by McKinsey more...
Europe reports 39 HPAI outbreaks in 13 countries
Europe has reported 39 outbreaks of HPAI in 13 countries since September, according to the Animal Disease Information System from the European Commission more...
Florida bill would ban sale, distribution of cultivated meat
Florida House Republican Ryler Sirois on Monday introduced a new bill (HB 435) that would criminalize the manufacture, distribution, storage or sale of more...
Another Easterday lawsuit against Tyson falls
A federal judge, once again, ruled to dismiss a lawsuit against Tyson Foods brought on by a man convicted of defrauding the company, according to court more...
Just six unique strains of ASF virus, USDA says
The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service announced that its researchers have reclassified the number of African Swine Fever (ASF) virus strains more...
CPI: Foodservice inflation 157% above groceries
While inflation of groceries continues to moderate, the cost of food at restaurants shows no sign of slowing. According to the latest Consumer Price Index more...
October sees sharp volume drop in retail meat sales
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The October marketplace The University of Michigan more...
JBS sees tougher scenario for US beef in 2024, recovery in pork
JBS expects margins for its US pork business to recover in 2024 and a more challenging year for the beef segment amid low cattle availability, company more...
Activists push slaughterhouse ban in Denver
A petition that would ban slaughterhouses and fur production in Denver has been submitted to the Denver city clerk for potential citizen referendum. The more...
NCBA blasts USDA’s approval of Paraguayan beef
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) said it “strongly opposes” USDA’s approval of Paraguayan beef imports, to start more...
USMEF name Randy Spronk as new chair
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) announced Randy Spronk as the organization’s new chair, according to a USMEF news release. The announcement more...
Tyson posts Q4 loss as beef, chicken, pork units struggle
Tyson Foods Inc. reported a net loss of $450 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 as sales in the period slid 2.8%, compared with year-ago results, to more...
Co-op breaks ground on $10M Tennessee facility
The Appalachian Producers Cooperative broke ground on its new facility in Telford, Tennessee, according to local media reports. The $10 million facility more...
Allergens, misbranding prompt chicken recall
JX Restaurant Inc., based in Maryland Heights, Mo., is recalling about 621 pounds of fully-cooked chicken product due to misbranding and undeclared allergens more...
Consumers are getting gloomy
U.S. consumers are increasingly disenchanted with their current economic conditions and are pessimistic about future conditions, as well. Preliminary more...
DOJ files complaint against Koch Foods for chicken grower contracts
The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against Koch Foods, alleging the company’s exit penalty policy for chicken farmers violates federal more...
Premium Iowa Pork to resurrect shuttered Hylife plant in spring
By spring 2024, Premium Iowa Pork aims to re-open a shuttered HyLife plant in Windom, MN, that shut down abruptly last spring. Renovations are more...
Netherlands ag minister suggests no subsidies for meat production
Potentially teeing up a head-on collision with some of Europe’s most enduring meat-centric traditions, the Netherlands’ Minister of Agriculture more...
Let them eat chicken feed
Perdue on Wednesday unveiled its first foray into the snack food category with Chix Mix, a limited-edition product “inspired by the wholesome, antibiotics-free more...
Meat, dairy companies’ emissions up in 2023: FAIRR (updated)
Emissions from the world’s 20 largest meat and dairy industry companies have risen overall in 2023, despite various commitments to reduce their more...
Sandwiches recalled for incomplete ingredient labeling
The Food and Drug Administration issued a recall for Hearn Kirkwood packaged sandwiches because soy and dairy-based ingredients were insufficiently labeled more...
Ruiz Foods to open health center for S.C. plant employeees
Ruiz Food Products Inc. announced the upcoming opening of an on-site health center at its plant in Florence, S.C., the company said in a news release more...
U.S. pork exports steady; U.S. beef exports struggle
U.S. pork exports in September decreased slightly from a year ago, while maintaining a steady pace, and U.S. beef exports in the same month continued more...
Testing uncertainty prompts FDA to yank swine drug approval
If you can’t prove that it doesn’t cause cancer, you can’t feed it to hogs that people eventually eat, according to the Food and Drug more...
Missouri DNR proposes denial of permit for meat packing plant
It appears unlikely that Missouri Prime Beef Packers will be allowed to dispose of treated waste in the Pomme de Terre River after all. As first reported more...
Officials to launch HPAI vaccines in the Philippines
The Department of Agriculture in the Philippines plans to begin commercial use of vaccines in an effort to limit the spread of highly pathogenic avian more...
USPOULTRY unveils latest student recruiting grants
The USPOULTRY Foundation recently awarded student recruiting grants totaling $297,580 to six U.S. universities with Poultry Science departments, and 20 more...
Four states added to DOJ price-fixing lawsuit against Agri Stats
Four states joined the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in a lawsuit against the agricultural data company Agri Stats, according to an amended more...
New HPAI outbreak intensifies across 14 states
The intense spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to infect birds of all stripes for a second month, with USDA confirming outbreaks more...
Old school modernity: A profile of Zweigle's
[The following is an excerpt from "Old school modernity," a feature in the November issue of Meatingplace.] The last half century has been an adventurous more...
Angus Foundation opens applications for internship program
The Angus Foundation announced an application schedule for host ranches and prospective interns for its Talon internship program, which offers hands-on more...
Tyson settles Tenn. lawsuit over COVID vaccine, unpaid leave
A lawsuit filed against Tyson Foods Inc. after a worker at a plant in Tennessee objected to a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine and was subsequently placed on more...
U.S. lawmakers intensify push for extension of Farm Bill
Five years after President Trump signed the nation’s regulatory tool to fund the nation’s ag programs into law, members of Congress are seeking more...
USMEF campaign to highlight US pork in Taiwan
The United States Meat Export Federation launched a new campaign aimed at boosting U.S. pork in Taiwan, according to a release by the federation. Taiwan's more...
Global food prices moderate
Amidst regional wars and still-high prices overall, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s index of world food prices has moderated. The benchmark more...
Grant map: See which processors received second round of USDA funding (Part 1)
Editor's note: This is the fourth story of a series examining the allocation of USDA funds to processors. These articles are linked to Meatingplace’s interactive more...
Oscar Mayer performance drags down Kraft Heinz sales in Q3
The Kraft Heinz Co. cited issues at its Oscar Mayer meat business as contributing to a slight decline in its North American sales in the third quarter more...
Animal right activist found guilty in “open rescues” case
A jury in California has found animal rights activist Wayne Hsiung guilty of felony conspiracy and misdemeanor trespass charges linked to nonviolent more...
American sales hatch results at Jamaica Broilers Group Ltd.
Jamaica Broilers Group attributed a robust first quarter to a United States plant. The feed-to-fork operation drew 65.6% of its $14.3B first more...
Beef companies face another antitrust lawsuit
The beef industry, once again, finds itself in the middle of allegations that the nation’s largest producers conspired to fix prices starting in more...
Biden promises $5B for rural ag, meat industry
While campaigning in the Midwest, President Joe Biden promised to channel $5 billion to rural areas, with the intention of arming family farms that grow more...
Beyond lays off 19% of non-production workforce; reevaluates SKUs, China (update)
In a surprise announcement a week before its scheduled report on third quarter financial results, Beyond Meat said its report will be a disappointment more...
Wingstop tags chicken sandwich for Q3 sales jump
Wingstop Inc. is attributing a 26% increase in total revenue in the third quarter in part to the popularity of its first-ever chicken sandwich, which more...
Brazil's securities commission clears Batista brothers of insider trading charges
Brazil's securities and exchange commission CVM absolved brothers Joesley and Wesley Batista, thecontrolling shareholders of JBS's parent company J&F more...
Meat processor, employee reach $3.7M settlement in OT dispute
A federal judge in Ohio approved a $3.7 million settlement between Fresh Mark, Inc. and employees regarding a lawsuit claiming the meat processor failed more...
South Dakota processors eye expansion
Ken Charfauros and Janet Neihaus, owners of South Dakota’s Wall Meat Processing, have taken on a third partner, Thomas Fitch, to launch I-90 Meats more...
Probe into suspected vandalism at poultry vaccine maker continues
Authorities in Lincoln, Neb., are investigating an incident last week that cost the manufacturer of poultry vaccines to lose approximately $100,000 worth more...
October 2023
Smithfield partners with Spanish processor
Smithfield Foods’ European unit said it has entered a strategic partnership with Spanish charcuterie maker Argal Alimentation. Smithfield more...
Lawmakers call for more punishment for child labor violations
U.S. lawmakers unveiled a pair of Senate bills Thursday aimed at addressing the surge in child labor violations across the country. The first bill focuses more...
McDonald’s boosts earnings on value, new launches
McDonald’s said Monday its third-quarter earnings and same store sales rose in spite of inflationary pressures on consumers and higher operating more...
Canada preps for ASF as warning on weak vaccines issued
Officials in Canada are launching a framework for protecting swine from the potentially ravaging effects of African swine fever (ASF), even though no more...
Stutzman brothers open beef harvesting plant in Michigan
Marlin and Mat Stutzman opened a new USDA-certified beef harvesting plant near Sturgis, Mich., the only federally inspected beef facility in the area more...
New HPAI outbreaks now confirmed in 12 U.S. states
California entered the roster of U.S. states reporting confirmed outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the last month, according to more...
USDA releases ‘sobering reminder’ of U.S. food insecurity issues
More U.S. households reported higher levels of food insecurity in 2022 compared with 2021 although the bulk of the nation’s population were able more...
USDA names new NACMCF members, sets Nov. meeting
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has appointed 21 new members to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). NACMCF more...
Okla., poultry producers unable to reach agreement in mediation
The State of Oklahoma and some of the country’s largest poultry producers could not reach a settlement involving a nearly two-decade long case regarding more...
Analysts see optimism for Pilgrim’s Pride after Q3 results
Positive momentum in Europe and Mexico – along with improving operational execution and strategy in the third quarter – prompted more...
Cold storage inventory falls 9% below 5-year average
At the close of September, the collective inventory of beef, pork, chicken, and turkey stood at 2.15 billion pounds, marking a 9% drop compared to the more...
JBS celebrates two new food plants
Global food company JBS announced that its subsidiary, Seara Alimentos Ltda., has recently opened two plants in Brazil’s southern state of Parana more...
Pilgrim’s Pride sees Q3 operating income fall as sales slip
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. reported declines in operating income and net income in the third quarter of fiscal 2023 in its latest earnings report. The more...
Global pork markets under pressure: Rabobank
Global pork markets are facing mounting pressure as production continues to outpace consumption, according to the latest Rabobank report. However, there's more...
U.S. pushes Colombia on HPAI-based poultry trade barrier
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Coming soon is the Nov. 8 expiration of an interim window that the Colombian government established to allow import of U.S. poultry more...
Private equity firm invests in U.S.-based Asian food processor
Chicago-based private equity firm Frontenac announced a new partnership with Prime Food Processing and Chan & Chan Inc., an Asian food manufacturing more...
DOL accuses 3 poultry processors of multiple violations
A California federal judge granted the U.S. Department of Labor a preliminary injunction against three poultry processing companies in the state accused more...
FSIS to launch dioxin study in cattle, swine next month
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will begin a year-long study of the levels of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds in U.S. domestic more...
Report studies HPAI infections year-over-year, impact on ham prices
A wave of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in the Upper Midwest has cast a shadow over commercial turkey production in the past three more...
Oregon’s ag department calls for more processing facilities
Oregon’s department of agriculture said the state needs more large meat processing facilities to keep up with the demand from local commercial livestock more...
Profits drop 30% for Smithfield owner
WH Group, the Chinese owner of Smithfield Foods, reported dramatically lower 2023 profits on Tuesday. According to a Bloomberg report, WH's profits are more...
Tyson employee in stable condition after plant accident
A plant worker at a Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Claryville, Ky., was hospitalized and remains in stable condition following an incident at the facility more...
Two more states, plus Canada, report HPAI outbreaks
Officials in Texas and Iowa reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) this week. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said the more...
Anti-cruelty clarification petition receives support
Both PETA and Animal Outlook have backed a regulatory filing from Animal Partisan, a legal advocacy organization, which asks for federal clarification more...
Ohio poultry plant probed for child labor violations: report (update)
Federal authorities visited an Ohio poultry processing plant earlier this month to investigate suspected employment of multiple minors. More than two more...
Steak-umm processor names new president
Reading, Pa.-based Quaker Maid Meats (QMM), home of the Steak-umm brand, announced today that Todd Bray has been named the company’s new president more...
Feedlot inventory sees uptick: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Burger King seeks sanctions against ‘frivolous’ false-advertising lawsuit
Attorneys for Burger King are seeking sanctions against plaintiffs that filed a class-action lawsuit claiming the pictures used in advertisements did more...
Grant map: See which states received the most USDA grants for processors
Editor's note: This marks the beginning of a series examining the allocation of USDA funds to processors. These articles are linked to Meatingplace’s interactive more...
Italy retracts cultivated meat ban bill
Italy has withdrawn a Technical Regulations Information System notification it had submitted to the EU, pulling back on a proposed bill that would ban more...
N.C. State wins grant to study vehicular PEDv transmission
Researchers at the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine are launching a major study of the potential spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea more...
News Briefs: Brooklyn Cured, Charcuterie record, NAMI officers, Old Trapper
Brooklyn Cured launches new packaging inspired by hometown roots Charcuterie producer Brooklyn Cured announced a revamp of its packaging the company says more...
Major pork producer prepares to go public in U.S.: WSJ
Smithfield Foods is exploring a return to the U.S. stock market with support from its Chinese parent company, WH Group. The company is collaborating with more...
Johnsonville announces new CEO for 2024
Sheboygan Falls, Wis.-based Johnsonville has announced a transition at the top, with a new CEO to take over next year. According to a Sheboygan Press more...
Creekstone Farms opens onsite learning/childcare center
Creekstone Farms has opened a new onsite childcare facility at its Arkansas City plant, according to a release from the company. Called the "Walnut Valley more...
A Taste Test of a new private-label meatloaf product
[The following is an excerpt from "Roller Coaster," the Taste Test feature in the October issue of Meatingplace.] Private label food brands have shown more...
Ag groups seek voice in lawsuit over oversight of CAFOs
Four agricultural industry groups are asking a federal appeals court to allow them to intervene in a lawsuit challenging regulatory oversight of Concentrated more...
Chick-fil-A reaches settlements in delivery fee, data hack cases
Chick-fil-A recently reached settlements in two class-action cases regarding delivery fees and a data hack, according to court records. The company settled more...
Consumer confidence tumbles on fears of inflation
Persistent inflation continues to knock about consumer confidence, according to new analysis from the University of Michigan. The school’s “Surveys more...
Minn. confirms second HPAI outbreak; Iowa on high alert
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has reported its second HPAI outbreak in as many weeks as the deadly virus makes an unwelcome return. According to more...
Big beef packers face new price-fixing lawsuit
A group of small food distributors have filed a new lawsuit accusing the nation’s four largest beef packers of fixing prices for years, according more...
Tyson workers, activists hold child labor protest: report (update)
Tyson Foods employees and activists gathered Monday at the company’s Springdale, Ark., headquarters to protest the meat industry’s alleged more...
SCOTUS makes decision on NC’s Property Protection Act
The United States Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case regarding North Carolina’s law designed to prevent activists from misrepresenting more...
Tyson invests in global insect ingredients company
Tyson Foods Inc. is making a direct equity investment as part of a strategic partnership with a company that creates insect-based products for use as more...
Union at Maple Leaf Edmonton to launch contract talks
Representatives of the newest members of a union that already represents employees at 16 Maple Leaf Foods Inc. plants across Canada are preparing for more...
EATs Act faces growing opposition
Opposition to legislation seeking to reverse the impact of California’s Proposition 12 law is growing. The latest comes from a group of 16 Republican more...
FSIS sets game plan for 2024 on food safety, labeling goals
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released its annual plan for fiscal 2024, which outlines its strategic objectives regarding improved more...
Judge mulls sealing photos of L.A. rendering plant
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge said he would consider granting Baker Commodities Inc.’s plea to seal court records encompassing approximately more...
More ASF confirmed in the Philippines as regional concerns rise
Regional animal health officials in the Philippines reported a new African swine fever (ASF) infection among pigs in Calapan City, adding to the roster more...
Cargill employees denied class certification in wage, OT case
A federal judge in California denied class certification to Cargill workers involved in a case involving alleged wage theft. Maribel Tavares filed the more...
Strauss Brands to eliminate jobs as plant operations shift
Nearly 200 Strauss Brands LLC employees are expected to lose their jobs before the end of the year as the meat processor discontinues veal and lamb production more...
Live más — on chicken nuggets
We didn’t know chicken nuggets had roots in Mexican cuisine, but Taco Bell sees a connection and is coming out swinging in the popular fast-food more...
Union workers ratify new contract with Hormel
Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 366 (UFCW) voted to ratify a new four-year contract with Hormel Foods Corp., ending a months-long more...
CPI: Beef drives price increases for meat
With beef leading the way, the meat category registered price increases through September, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the more...
Another HPAI confirmation as fallout from spread continues
USDA this week confirmed a fourth outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) while concerns about the virus prompted further import controls more...
Processor innovations in worker recruitment/retention
[The following is an excerpt from "Satisfaction Guaranteed," a feature in the October issue of Meatingplace.] Perfect attendance is its own reward these more...
DOL fines processor $140k for child labor violations
Monogram Meats Snacks LLC agreed to pay $140,164 in civil money penalties after an investigation by the United States Department of Labor found the company more...
Agri Stats requests DOJ complaint to be sealed
A company that provides statistical and analytical services in the agriculture industry has asked a federal judge to seal a complaint filed by the Department more...
Sustainable Beef plant moves toward 2025 opening
An independent beef processing plant in North Platte, Neb., is expected to begin operations in 2025, creating 800 jobs following its groundbreaking one more...
USDA confirms more HPAI outbreaks among turkey producers
The threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is no longer just a threat, according to USDA. As the fall wild bird migration continues, the agency more...
Local Mass. meat company buys regional processor
Walden Local Meat Co. announced that it has fully acquired Vermont Packinghouse, a USDA-inspected regional meat processing plant that serves more than more...
Missouri holds jobs fairs for Tyson workers at closing plants
Officials in Missouri are organizing job fairs in the cities where two Tyson Foods plants are scheduled to close, according to a local media report. The more...
Canada recalls turkey products for microbial contamination
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has announced a Class 3 recall of Sunrise Farms Young Turkey with giblets, due to possible microbial contamination more...
APHIS updates its ASF response plans
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced “significant” updates to its African Swine Fever (ASF) response more...
Mountaire Farms asks court to uphold dismissal of wrongful firing suit
Lawyers for Mountaire Farms asked an appeals court to not overturn a district court’s decision to toss a former employee’s wrongful termination more...
New HPAI outbreaks signal revived threats
U.S. and Canadian officials recently confirmed new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among commercial birds, the first such outbreaks more...
Three questions for cattle herd rebuilding: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
A genetic basis for vegetarianism?
Despite the fact that various groups have advocated for a vegetarian diet for millennia, vegetarians and vegans are a minority group even in countries more...
Hormel, UFCW reach tentative contract agreement (updated)
Hormel Foods Corp. and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663 announced a tentative agreement on a new contract covering workers at four more...
Jarrett Foods plans poultry plant in Georgia
Jarrett Foods, a poultry processing company, on Thursday announced that it plans to establish a facility and its headquarters in Lavonia, Ga. “We more...
New Yorkers file lawsuit against processing facility proposal
Residents in Pompey, New York filed a lawsuit against the town’s planning board, Palladino Farms and Heritage Hill to stop a proposed meat processing more...
Perdue regulatory request on poultry label claims receives support
A food policy think tank earlier this week backed a regulatory filing from Perdue Farms, which asks for federal clarification on the definitions of pasture-raised more...
Industry leaders discuss labor retention strategies at Protein PACT Summit
[SAN DIEGO] Four meat industry leaders discussed their strategies for retaining meat plant labor at the 2023 Protein PACT Summit earlier today. The panel more...
Head Honcho: A profile of International Meat Processors
[The following is an excerpt from “Head Honcho,” a profile of International Meat Processors in the October issue of Meatingplace.] Crafting more...
Hormel sets ambitious goals for reducing GHG emissions
Hormel Foods has announced new goals for its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including overall reductions of 50%. According to a release from the processor more...
Take Meatingplace's 10-second quiz
Read the statement in the following quiz and choose whether it is true or false. Loading… We'll publish the correct answer and results in the more...
Ex-Raeford Farms execs sentenced in fraud scheme
Two men accused of diverting more than $2 million in business from Raeford Farms of Louisiana were sentenced in a federal court on Tuesday. U.S. District more...
Mo. AG joins chorus on future of shuttering Tyson plants
The attorney general of Missouri is asking Tyson Foods Inc. to reconsider its planned closure of two poultry plants in his state and either keep the facilities more...
U.S. broiler breeder mulls Philippine distribution expansion
Aviagen Group is considering expanding its presence in the Philippines to improve the distribution of its products and close a gap in the current system more...
Colorado earmarks up to $6 million for small farmers, meat markets and others
Small food retailers and family farmers in Colorado can now apply for grants of up to $50,000 to expand access to healthy food in low income and underserved more...
Court orders poultry processor to pay $1M for wage theft
A federal court ruled that operators of a La Puente, Calif., poultry processing plant must pay more than $1 million following a U.S. Department of Labor more...
Global poultry outlook for 2024 positive despite volatility: Rabobank
The global poultry industry is poised to continue 2023 gains into 2024, even though other factors are expected to impact markets and create trade volatility more...
Daily's Premium Meats rolls out thick ‘Steak Cut’ bacon
Daily’s Premium Meats on Tuesday announced the expansion of its product lineup with its new extra-thick Steak Cut Bacon. Launched in time more...
NPPC seeks comment on updated swine traceability system
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is asking pork producers, veterinarians, cull swine and breeding operators and show pig enthusiasts to comment more...
Tyson to lay off 250 in N.C.
A Tyson Foods poultry facility in Wilkesboro, N.C. will lay off 250 employees, the company confirmed to Meatingplace. Wilkesboro leaders told the local more...
USDA launches import limits after France sets HPAI vaccinations
A decision by the French government to begin a vaccination program to limit the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) prompted USDA to place more...
Cargill opens new European Protein Innovation Hub
Cargill announced last week that it has opened its first European Protein Innovation Hub in Saint-Cyr en Val, France. Part of a €50 million more...
U of Arkansas to host international bird flu summit
The Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, part of the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, will host more...
September 2023
Grant map: See how the top-10 grant recipients are using funding
Editor's note: This marks the beginning of a series examining the allocation of USDA funds to processors. These articles are linked to Meatinplace’s more...
Economist rank beef cattle atop the ag outlook rankings
Beef is expected to fare the best of 10 financial sectors measured by the latest Ag Economist Monthly Monitor. The survey consists of nearly 60 more...
China imports pork from Russia
The General Administration of Customs in China on Thursday announced that the country would begin importing pork from regions of Russia without African more...
Giving Back: Smithfield, Tyson, Farmland, Prairie Fresh
Smithfield Foods part of ‘massive’ statewide donation in Iowa Smithfield Foods and the Hy-Vee supermarket chain recently teamed up to donate more...
Florida estimates Hurricane Idalia ag. damage at $447.6M
Last month’s Hurricane Idalia caused an estimated $447.6 million in damage among agricultural operations in Florida, according to state officials more...
Beef packer margins slip further in September
Margins for U.S. beef packers feel further in the red this month, according to the latest Sterling Beef Profit Tracker. For the week ending Sept. 23, more...
Canadian E. coli outbreak blamed on meatloaf, vegan loaf meals
Health officials believe meatloaf and vegan loaf meals prepared in a shared kitchen in Calgary, Alberta, were the most likely sources of an E. coli outbreak more...
Here's the beef: A Taste Test of Wendy's canned chili
[The following is an excerpt from "Here's the Beef," the Taste Test feature in the September issue of Meatingplace.] How many of us admit to going through more...
USDA begins issuing $581M+ in livestock disaster relief
USDA announced it will begin issuing more than $581 million in disaster relief to eligible livestock producers who suffered losses in 2021 and 2022 drought more...
Hormel finishes latest joint solar power program
Hormel Foods Corp. announced the completion of its latest solar energy generation project that will supply electricity to the company’s Montevideo more...
Beef producers concerned about GHG emission plan
A new phase of air emission regulations in Colorado has meat processors and beef industry stakeholders concerned about the potential impact on local production more...
Indonesia a potential hot market for U.S. exports: USMEF
Indonesia is poised to become a strong future market for U.S. beef and pork, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). The organization — more...
PSSI names new chief compliance officer
Packer Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) announced the appointment of Diego Alvarez as its first chief compliance officer, more than one year after the more...
HPAI prompts culling of millions of birds in South Africa
The scourge of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to slam other parts of the world even as the anticipated North American migration has more...
USDA slates ASF Action Week in October
To maintain attention on the still-threatening spread of African Swine Fever, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has slated an African more...
Calmer seas for meat prices ahead: USDA
After helping to drive food-at-home inflation to 11.4% in 2022, red meat and poultry is expected to be a significant moderating factor in retail food more...
JBS breaks ground on cultivated protein research facility
JBS recently announced it began construction on a cultivated protein research and development center in Brazil. The company, which has invested more...
U.S. pork preparing to send first shipments to India
The U.S. pork industry is preparing to begin shipping pork to India, amidst its efforts to reform the program that the U.S. leveraged to open that market more...
China set to open market to Colombian beef: Minerva
Brazilian meatpacking giant Minerva S.A. said today the Colombian government told the company that China has approved a protocol to open its market to more...
Cattle on feed numbers down, as expected
The number of cattle and calves on feed for slaughter markets is down 2% from the same time last year according to a recent report from USDA’s National more...
Ex-NPPC exec expresses support for GSP trade standards
A past president of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) expressed his support to revive a trade policy providing duty-free treatment of goods exported more...
Deadline for USDA processing grant applications looms
Small-scale processors considering expansion plans have until Nov. 22 to apply for grants under the second and final round of USDA’s Meat and Poultry more...
MSU Extension training workers in areas such as meat cutting
Michigan State University Extension is lauding its animal agriculture training programs for creating a more vibrant employee base in the state. MSU Extension’s more...
Red meat production down year-over-year: NASS
Red meat production is down 3% year-over-year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) August livestock slaughter more...
Tyson names new Prepared Foods Group president
Tyson Foods continues to shuffle the deck with the company’s executive suite, with recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings more...
Advocates intensify opposition to JBS S.A. IPO
More than a dozen advocacy groups are ramping up a campaign against JBS S.A.’s initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). more...
North by northwest: A profile of Carlton Farms
[The following is an excert from "North by Northwest," a profile of Carlton Farms in the September issue of Meatingplace.] At first blush, it seems like more...
Anthrax outbreak reported in S.D. livestock
An anthrax outbreak has been detected in Ziebach County, South Dakota, leading to the death of several animals, according to a South Dakota Animal Industry more...
Weaker meat business drives down Cargill annual profit
Softening business in meat and other commodities drove down Cargill's 2023 annual profit by 43%, according to a report from Bloomberg. For the year ending more...
Beef packer margins slip as wholesale beef prices follow suit: report
Weekly margins for beef packers fell by $51 per head as of Sept. 16, pushing overall margins down $11 into the red, according to a Sterling Beef Profit more...
Hatchery numbers down year over year, but still high overall
In the week ending Sept. 9, hatcheries in the United States placed 237 million eggs in incubators, marking a 1% decrease from the same period last year more...
News briefs: Pilgrim's sustainability, Hopdoddy burgers, USDA swine research
Pilgrim's releases 2022 Sustainability Report Pilgrim's released its 2022 sustainability report, featuring highlights from the past year across the company’s more...
Texas facility fined $60K for workplace violations: DOL
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed penalties totaling $60,269 for Holmes Foods Inc more...
Major pork firm announces leadership transition
Christensen Farms said Glenn Stolt, the company’s president and CEO, will retire from his position in late 2024, and the company has promoted Greg more...
Canadian co. gets C$3M to update poultry plant
Eden Valley Poultry, the only federally regulated poultry processor in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, has received a government investment of up more...
NAMI helps meat processors measure GHG emissions
The North American Meat Institute and the United Nations Global Compact Network USA released a new guidance tool to help meat companies of all sizes in more...
Meatingplace launches interactive USDA grant map
Over the last few years, the USDA has awarded more than $260 million to more than 320 processors across the country to help strengthen the nation’s more...
Union workers reject Hormel contract offer, talks to continue
The labor dispute between union employees and Hormel Foods Corp. will continue after the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 (UFCW) rejected more...
Prop 12 pork price hikes more acceptable to consumers than expected
A new survey out of Purdue University suggests consumers are more willing than expected to accept higher pork prices resulting from animal welfare regulations more...
South Dakota adds new slaughterhouse, processor
South Dakota has a new USDA-inspected slaughterhouse and processor. The Meathouse sits on U.S. Highway 12 in Andover. Justin Morehouse, the owner and more...
EPA inspecting Smithfield plant in St. Charles, Ill., lawmaker says (update)
The Environmental Protection Agency has launched an investigation following complaints of foul odors from a Smithfield Foods facility in st. Charles, more...
Rancho Llano Seco ceases pork operations
Bay Area producer and supplier of premium pork Rancho Llano Seco on Monday announced it will cease pork prodcution. Rancho Llano Seco will continue more...
Cornell Cooperative Extension announces meat workshops
The Cornell Agricultural Marketing Research Program this fall will offer a one-night workshop five times throughout Central and Western New York on meat more...
Mississippi State granted $485K to enhance poultry production education
Mississippi State secured a $485,000 grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for a four-year project named Agricultural more...
Florida man accused of stealing $200,000 in red meat
Florida authorities say they arrested a man with an alleged taste for stolen beef and German luxury cars, according to local media accounts. Miami-Dade more...
UPSIDE Foods to open commercial-scale plant in Chicago area
Berkeley, Calif.-based cultivated meat producer UPSIDE Foods today announced that it has selected the greater Chicagoland region for its first commercial-scale more...
FSIS issues public health alert for chicken tortilla soup product
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for a ready-to-eat (RTE) Kirkland Signature chicken tortilla soup more...
Giving Back: Hormel, Farmer John, Tyson, Perdue
Hormel Foods “10 Under 20” cohortHormel Foods announced its second cohort of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes, a group “working to create a better more...
Conagra Brands sued after chicken strip recall
Earlier this month, Conagra Brands issued a recall of chicken strips after a man found plastic in the product that allegedly caused oral injury more...
DOL proposes expansion of overtime pay
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to raise the annual salary level for employees to be exempt from overtime pay. more...
Pork producers ‘not willing to bet the farm’ on Prop 12
In a National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) media roundtable offering to cover a wide range of issues facing the pork industry on Tuesday, California’s more...
Broiler egg production still trailing last year’s numbers: NASS
Broiler-type egg production in the United States declined 1% the week of Sept. 2 relative to the same time last year, according to a report from the USDA’s more...
Large-scale broiler chicken antitrust trial begins today
One of the nation’s largest lawsuits involving the meat industry starts trial today in an Illinois federal courthouse. Jury selection begins today more...
Feds seek help from Mar-Jac employees in teen death case
A federal investigation into the July 2023 death of a 16-year-old sanitation worker at a Mar-Jac Poultry processing plant is turning toward more...
Lawmakers urge USDA to study consolidation’s impact on livestock
U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) have introduced a bill that would direct USDA to study the impact of industry consolidation more...
News briefs: Walmart, Food Network; JBS; Volpi Foods; Oscar Mayer
Walmart teams up with Food Network starsWalmart introduced four new frozen meal brands in partnership with renowned Food Network stars Gordon Ramsay, more...
Dearborn Sausage snaps up four regional brands
Dearborn, Mich.-based Dearborn Sausage Co. Inc. announced it has acquired four other Great Lakes regional brands: Butcher Boy, Virginia Davis Brand more...
Customs agents seize 1K pounds of Chinese pork
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agriculture Specialists seized more than 1,000 pounds of pork from China amid concerns of spreading African Swine more...
Industry groups applaud India on tariff cuts on U.S. turkey
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) and USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) jointly praised a recent decision by the Republic of India to more...
Cultivated meat pioneer faces strong headwinds
Eat Just Inc., parent company of Good Meat Co., was the first company to provide cultivated chicken to be served in a restaurant in Singapore, but now more...
Kroger, Albertsons announce $1.9B divestiture plan for merger
The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Companies today announced they've entered a definitive agreement with C&S Wholesale Grocers LLC for the $1.9 billion more...
Animal rights group wants states to step up
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) needs to clarify the legal standing that state officials have to enforce anti-cruelty laws, the more...
Certified Angus Beef launches direct-to-consumer program
Certified Angus Beef (CAB) introduced the Ranch to Table program, which allows Angus farmers and ranchers to market their beef directly to consumers, more...
ASF detected in new country
The Veterinary Institute of Sweden has confirmed the first case of African swine fever (ASF) in the country after a deceased wild boar tested positive more...
ERS: Red meat exports hit 12-month low
Challenging market dynamics have driven red meat exports to their lowest level in a year, according to new Livestock and Meat International Trade Data more...
Tyson’s Glendinning resigns (update)
Stewart Glendinning, president of Prepared Foods at Tyson Foods Inc., has resigned his position as of Sept. 14, 2023, the company said in a Securities more...
Orthodox Union certifies cultivated meat as kosher
Orthodox Union Kosher – the 100-year-old rabbinic kosher certification agency based in New York – today certified a strain of cultivated meat more...
News briefs: Old Trapper NFL sponsorship, Denmark beef tax, France labeling ban
Old Trapper says "Good morning" to the NFLOld Trapper announced its beef jerky and meat snacks brand is the presenting sponsor of the NFL Network’s more...
Hormel discusses company outlook at Barclays (updated)
Hormel Foods Corp. talked about the company's outlook at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference in the wake of disappointing results more...
Red meat, poultry consumption to decline in 2025: report
Consumers are expected to eat less red meat and poultry in the coming years, according to a non-profit cooperative that tracks consumption and production more...
UN to expands meat, poultry training program
The University of Nevada, Reno, will use a $650,000 grant from the USDA to bolster the sustainability of Nevada's meat and poultry industry, according more...
Bird flu mutations may increase risk of human transmission: study
A subtype of the avian flu virus commonly found on poultry farms in China is undergoing mutations that could increase the risk of human transmission, more...
West coast port workers ratify new contract
U.S. dockworkers voted to ratify a six-year contract that enhances pay and benefits for approximately 22,000 employees across 29 ports spanning from California more...
Tofurky sues Texas over alt-meat labeling law
Plant-based foods manufacturer Tofurky has filed a lawsuit challenging a Texas law that food labeled as containing meat does not “falsely or misleadingly” more...
South Dakota Rep. joins COOL front
Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) has introduced the Beef Origin Labeling Accounting Act in the House to reinstate mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) for more...
Aramark launches new menu items at regional arenas
Aramark Sports + Entertainment marked the launch of the 2023 college football season by unveiling a new line of food items and vending technologies that more...
US beef export numbers down: FAS
The United States weekly beef export numbers were down from last year, according to a report from the USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service. The U more...
Broiler egg production down from last year: NASS
Broiler-type egg production in the United States declined 2% last week relative to the same time last year, according to a report from the USDA’s more...
Fact checking claims that Texas cities are banning meat
Widely shared misinformation that efforts are underway to ban meat in U.S. cities including Austin and Houston, Texas, to fight climate change are false more...
USDA grant funds edible scaffolding
Georgia-based biotech startup CytoNest, which makes edible scaffolding for cultivated meat and seafood, has been awarded a USDA National Institute of more...
Georgia employee charged with endangering 200k chickens in work dispute
A Georgia man was arrested and faces with animal cruelty charges after the water supply at six poultry houses were tampered with, risking the lives of more...
Industry mourns death of former Mountaire Farms CEO
Former Mountaire Farms CEO Dave Pogge died this week, according to a release from the company. Pogge took on the role of President & CEO more...
Iowa Premium Pork to pay additional $188K in HyLife facility sale: Judge
A Delaware bankruptcy court ruled that Iowa Premium Pork will have to pay an additional $188,000 to HyLife Foods to cover property taxes in the sale of more...
Perdue poultry plant in Delaware hit by boiler failure
Delaware issued a temporary emergency variance for air quality to let Perdue Foods operate a rental boiler at its poultry processing facility in Milford more...
August 2023
Hormel cuts forecast after disappointing Q3
Hormel Foods on Thursday lowered its fiscal outlook for the year after reporting disappointing third-quarter results. The processor’s weak Q3 reflected more...
Judge dismisses case by Tyson managers fired for COVID-19 bets
Tyson Foods does not have to give incentive pay to supervisors dismissed for wagering on how many workers at the company’s pork plant in Waterloo more...
Stewart expands role with Tyson Foods
Brady Stewart, who joined Tyson Foods from Smithfield at the end of last year, will now oversee the company’s new supply chain center, according more...
Pa. declared ‘HPAI-free,’ ready for normal poultry trade
The state of Pennsylvania has achieved an “HPAI-free” status fro the World Animal Health Organization, according to an announcement from Governor more...
Judge dismisses monopsony lawsuit against Tyson
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a convicted fraudster accusing Tyson Foods of creating a monopsony in the Pacific Northwest, according to more...
Rancher-owned processing plant coming to Texas Panhandle
Producer Owned Beef is getting help from the state of Texas and the city of Amarillo in developing what it says will be the nation’s sole processing more...
U.S. on divergent path from global cattle prices: Rabobank
Cattle prices in North America and Europe are moving in an opposite direction from those in other parts of the world, which ultimately could affect competition more...
Perdue regulatory effort on poultry label claims wins support
A poultry growers’ group is backing a regulatory filing from Perdue Farms to affirm that pasture-raised and free-range label claims for chickens more...
Organic chicken processor sets leadership transition
Farmer Focus, a Harrisonburg, Va.-based organic chicken producer, announced today that Stephen Shepard has been promoted to CEO, as founder Corwin Heatwole more...
Mo. packer's plan for releases into ‘impaired’ river raises concerns
A Missouri beef packer’s effort to release treated wastewater into a nearby river that state regulators previously designated as “impaired” more...
Pork producer opens new headquarters in Manitoba
HyLife completed the relocation of its headquarters to Steinbach, Manitoba, the company announced this week. The company announced the plans in April more...
USDA beefs up indemnity payments to cattle producers
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) on Friday updated the Livestock Indemnity Program pay rate to help Midwestern livestock producers who have lost more...
Oregon meat inspection program lists first qualified processor
Ag officials in Oregon announced the signing of the first local meat processing company to participate in its regional inspection program. The Meating more...
Poultry cold storage still pacing last year, red meat still down: USDA
Poultry meat in cold storage is still above last year’s numbers, while red meat is trying to bounce back after plummeting in the first half of the more...
China’s 2024 beef market: high demand, tight supply
China’s beef production industry still is rooted in many small and mid-sized farms, which curbs domestic supply and also efficiency. Beef processing more...
News briefs: Goodstock by Nolan Ryan,
Goodstock expands partnershipGoodstock by Nolan Ryan, a division of Nolan Ryan Brands, announced that its partner, Austin, Texas-based Hat Creek more...
The Maschhoffs announce new CEO
Bradley Wolter, CEO and president of The Maschhoffs, will step down from his role, the company announced in a news release. Jay Miller, who was previous more...
Missouri family sues Tyson over plant closure
A family in southeast Missouri that grows and sells poultry to Tyson on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Tyson Foods over the company’s decision more...
Hit-and-run leaves one Foster Farms employee dead, one arrested (updated)
A hit-and-run crash on Foster Farms' property in Reedley, Calif., left one employee dead and another man arrested after stealing the suspected vehicle more...
Salmonella outbreak tied to ShopRite ground beef over, CDC says
An outbreak of salmonella linked to ground beef has ended after sickening more than a dozen people in four states, federal health authorities more...
Subway agrees to multi-billion-dollar sale
Subway struck a multi-billion-dollar deal with Roark Capital that would allow the private equity group to buy the renowned sandwich chain, according to more...
USDA announces $123M in new funding for processors
The USDA announced earlier today a new round of funding for meat and poultry processors. The second phase of the agency's Meat and Poultry Processing more...
Meat plant ammonia leak forces La. residents to shelter in place
Officials in Slidell, La. issued a "shelter in place" directive related to an ammonia leak at Thompson Packers, leading to the evacuation of the facility more...
Ex-Hormel CEO sets agenda as interim university president
Funding issues are expected to be a top priority of former Hormel Corp. CEO Jeff Ettinger as he moves into his new position as president of the University more...
Arbitration ruling cost $70 million, Hormel says
Hormel Foods Corp. expects to pay an estimated $70 million in the fourth quarter after an arbitrator ruled against the global branded food company. Hormel more...
Florida county scraps plans for processing facility
Alachua County, Florida commissioners voted to abandon plans for a meat processing, attributing the decision to public backlash and concerns over the more...
Farmers Union responds to 'devastating' Tyson closures
The Arkansas Farmers Union is vowing to assist those impacted by the upcoming Tyson Foods plant closures, according to a release from the union. As part more...
Poultry safety council seeks award applications
The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council is accepting applications for its Frank Cruice Innovation in Safety & Health Award, the council said more...
171 legislators urge Congress to exclude EATS Act from farm bill
A group of 171 legislators on Monday wrote a letter urging Congress to exclude proposed legislation aimed at reversing the effects of California’s more...
Family-owned Iowa processor ‘temporarily ceases operations’
A sixth-generation processor in Clinton, Iowa, abruptly closed its meat processing operation last week, although its retail business remains open for more...
Private-equity firm nears multi-billion-dollar Subway deal
Atlanta's Roark Capital is close to finalizing a $9.6 billion deal to acquire Subway, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The private-equity more...
Global meat exports outlook sees slight increase
The global meat trade forecast remains relatively steady compared to earlier forecasts, according to a USDA report. Beef production increased by nearly more...
Judge dismisses lawsuit against Smithfield hog facility
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit claiming neighbors of a Smithfield Foods hog facility in North Carolina were entitled to damages due to negative effects more...
NY county advances plan for proposed processing plants
Officials in Niagara County, N.Y., are moving forward on a proposal to increase the number of meat processing plants serving state farmers and other agricultural more...
Verde Farms collab expands beef products to hundreds of new locations
Verde Farms announced a collaboration to sell its sustainably produced beef in more than 250 Harris Teeter locations, according to a release from Verde more...
No sign yet of beef market bottom
Last week's Cattle on Feed report showed that cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled more...
NPPC cheers EPA’s denial of CAFO petition
The National Pork Producers Council welcomed the federal government’s rejection of calls for stricter regulations of Concentrated Animal Feeding more...
USDA guidelines for “free range” not good enough: animal-welfare groups
The USDA’s recent effort to strengthen guidelines for labels including “humanely raised” for meat is positive, but doesn’t go more...
South Carolina commits $40M to agribusiness
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture on Thursday announced a new incentive program for South Carolina agribusinesses. The Growing Agribusiness more...
Tyson Foods ends three-day workweek pilot
Tyson Foods in April ended the three-day work pilot program it launched in 2021 at its plants in North Little Rock, Ark.; New Holland, Pa., and Broken more...
Tyson may sell China poultry business, reports say
Tyson Foods Inc. is looking at the possible sale of its China poultry business, according to published reports citing people close to the U.S. meat company more...
WTO rules against China in U.S. tariff dispute
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled against China in a trade and tariff dispute with the United States. The dispute dates back to 2018, when more...
Perdue Premium Meats to close Michigan facility
Perdue Premium Meats is closing the Alexander & Hornung facility in St. Clair Shores, Mich. According to a report from Local 4, nearly all of the more...
Subway names new North America chief as sale effort continues
As it continues to search for a buyer, Subway has announced the departure of its North America operation president. North America President Trevor Haynes more...
Tyson signs 20-year water pact with Iowa town
Tyson Foods Inc. and officials in Storm Lake, Iowa, approved an agreement for the city to provide water to the protein giant’s fresh meat processing more...
Consumer preference for beef keeps plant-based a niche product
Consumers don’t yet embrace meat alternatives as better than beef from cattle. So says the July round of research from Purdue University’s more...
Appeals court has final say in Rabobank’s fate in antitrust case
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided to not rehear a case against a bank involved in a lawsuit alleging it helped poultry producers fix prices more...
Chick-fil-A’s new chicken sandwich is first in nine years
Chick-fil-A is adding a new chicken sandwich to its menu, the first in nine years. The Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich is rolling out nationally more...
JBS sees improvement in global poultry supply-demand balance in near term
The global poultry market should see an adjustment in the supply-demand balance in the coming months, after oversupply reduced margins for the industry more...
A Tennessee processing plant receives $1M grant, slated to open 2024
A Tennessee processing plant is set to open next year, thanks in part to a $1 million grant from the state’s Forestry, Agriculture, and Rural Markets more...
OSU program to address meat processing labor, training issues
Oregon State University Extension’s Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN) will use a three-year $650,000 grant to address meat processing more...
Meats set off fireworks at retail in July
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The July marketplace July was another month of single-digit more...
Activists groups ask SCOTUS to uphold ruling on NC law
Animal activist groups have asked United States Supreme Court justices to uphold an appeals court’s ruling that protected activists who secretly more...
Iowa buyer of shuttered HyLife plant in property tax dispute
The sale of a closed HyLife pork processing plant in Windom, Minn., is now the center of a dispute between the buyer and seller, who claims that Premium more...
Dutch company Meatable raises US$35M
Dutch cultivated meat startup Meatable announced that it has secured $35 million in a Series B funding round led by UK-based venture capital more...
A record: 48,083 wings, 24 hours
Americans do love their wings — especially, it seems, in Wyoming. On National Chicken Wing Day (July 29), Laramie-based food truck operator Weitzel more...
Vilsack urges Brazil to beef up BSE reporting
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack urged Brazil to improve disease reporting after the country recorded two cases of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy more...
Texas A&M to host Big Country Beef Conference
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the Big Country Beef Conference on Aug. 24 at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene. Texas Agriculture more...
Brazilian meat lobby: illegal deforestation harms its image
Illegal deforestation of the Amazon is harming Brazilian meat producers by contaminating their supply chain, the Brazilian Beef Association (ABIEC) told more...
Producers approve Georgia Beef Commission support
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper on Tuesday announced that Georgia's beef producers voted to approve a continuation of a one-dollar market more...
Beef prices lead the way in new inflation report
Meat and poultry prices rose a mere 0.9% year over year in July, according to the latest Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That more...
Pork exports continue strong growth while beef stumbles
The meat export market in June furthered the year's trends for pork and beef, according to a new analysis from the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) more...
Maryland regulation of ammonia from poultry farms is sufficient, court finds
A Maryland Supreme Court decision finding the state’s regulation of ammonia from chicken houses satisfactory is drawing praise from the poultry more...
News briefs: German meat production, Burger King, Back Yard bankruptcy, Perdue Farms
Germany sees meat production declineGermany saw a 5.9% drop in meat production during H1 2023, as reported by the German Federal Statistical Office. Preliminary more...
Mich. judge fines plant owner $1K after minor loses hand
The owner of a Michigan-based meat processing firm will pay $1,143 in fines and related expenses after employing a minor who lost his hand in a plant more...
Nearly 3,000 jobs impacted in latest Tyson closures
Tyson Foods’ cost-cutting decision to close another four poultry plants will impact several thousand workers in three states, suggest more...
Ore. lawmakers approve $9M to support local meat inspectors
The Oregon Legislature approved a bill that will provide $9 million to support the State Meat Inspection Program for the next two years. The funding is more...
Fewer servings, smaller portions of cultivated meat
Mere days after the first Good Meat dinner at China Chilcano featuring cultivated chicken, journalists from WAMU, American University Radio, are more...
Smithfield to lay off 92 in Missouri this fall
Smithfield Foods said it will lay off 92 employees in northwestern Missouri this fall, according to a company notice filed late last week under the Worker more...
Massachusetts reaches settlement on Question 3 to help supply chain
Massachusetts officials agreed to adjust some of the Question 3 regulations as part of a settlement between the state’s attorney general, ag department more...
House of Raeford appoints international sales manager
House of Raeford Farms Inc. this week announced Cliff Seay as the poultry company’s new international sales manager. Seay is a 10-year veteran of more...
Analysts express slight optimism after Tyson’s Q3 results
Recent weakness in the beef, chicken and pork segments are being seen as mostly temporary setbacks for Tyson Foods Inc. by at least two industry analysts more...
Tyson sees Q3 profits fall, as chicken segment adjusts
Tyson Foods Inc. officials expressed optimism despite reporting a $417 million decline in profits in the third quarter of fiscal 2023 while also announcing more...
Tyson to close four poultry plants
Tyson Foods announced the closing of four poultry plants during its Q3 earnings call Monday morning. The move is an attempt reduce costs in the wake of more...
Sysco, CAB partner on animal welfare, sustainability
Sysco and Certified Angus Beef announced a strategic partnership to promote animal welfare and beef sustainability. The collaboration, called the more...
Seaboard reports significant pork operating loss for Q2
Seaboard Corp. reported a significant setback in its pork segment with an operating income loss of $104 million for Q2, according to a filing with the more...
Seaboard Foods will not settle remaining antitrust lawsuits: SEC filing
Seaboard Foods will take its chances in court regarding allegations it, along with other pork producers, conspired to fix prices, according to a recent more...
Ammonia leak sends one Tyson Foods worker to the hospital in Georgia
A Tyson Foods distribution center in Macon, Ga., is back in operation after an ammonia leak prompted the facility’s closure earlier in the week more...
Animal welfare measure could raise pork prices, trade group says
Massachusetts restaurants are bracing for higher pork prices and potential shortages as the state moves to implement an animal welfare measure later this more...
This little piggy is protected from African swine fever — is yours?
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has launched the “I Protect Pigs” photo contest, challenging farmers to snap more...
Beef packer margins at worst point since 2018
A new batch of data and analysis has reiterated the present struggles in beef processing. According to the Daily Livestock Report, cattle slaughter for more...
Maple Leaf Foods posts $53.7M net loss in Q2
Canadian processing giant Maple Leaf Foods today reported a second-quarter loss of $53.7 million, citing inflation and higher interest expenses. The net more...
Animal law expert David Favre breaks down Prop 12 impacts
The following is an excerpt from "Animal Kingdom," a feature in the August issue of Meatingplace. David S. Favre did not, at first, have aspirations of more...
Ground broken on $4M meat processing plant in Minn.
Construction has begun on a roughly $4 million meat processing plant in Waubun, Minn., a town of about 400 that currently lacks a grocery store. A groundbreaking more...
NPPC supports EATS Act, but not all members agree
Unclear battle lines are being drawn over a proposed bill in the U.S. Congress to get rid of a California law mandating larger living quarters for some more...
Missouri ponders meatpacking discharges and waste
Missouri is contending with concerns about discharges and waste from meat processing facilities. The state is reviewing a request from Missouri more...
From PGA to meat: Saudi Arabia’s PIF buys stake in BRF
Brazilian food processor BRF SA established a joint venture with Saudi Arabia's Halal Products Development Company (HPDC), a subsidiary of the Public more...
New documentary shines spotlight on food safety
The U.S. food supply may be “the safest in the world,” but a new documentary now streaming on Netflix outlines several serious foodborne illness more...
Class asks court to reconsider Rabobank dismissal in chicken suit
A buyer class asked an appellant court to revisit a decision to dismiss Rabobank from a sprawling case involving allegations of anticompetitive behavior more...
Ala. issues TB warning after poultry workers test positive
Public health officials in Alabama are recommending that people who were associated with poultry processing be tested for tuberculosis in the wake of more...
USMEF sets pork campaign in Mexico
U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is supporting an effort aimed at differentiating American pork exports to Mexico. USMEF announced it is expanding more...
Giving back: Mountaire Farms, Tyson, Smithfield, Perdue, Ill. Pork Producers
Mountaire Farms anchors new university poultry program Mountaire Farms Inc. has provided the cornerstone gift to fund a new Poultry Science Center at more...
July 2023
Neb. officials OK pork operation despite residents' qualms (updated)
Efforts to open a pork finishing operation in southeast Nebraska will now move forward, following a permit approval by the Gage County Board. County officials more...
China maintains status as top meat importer: ERS
China remains the world’s largest meat importer since 2019, despite a recent decrease in imported meat volumes, according to a USDA Economic more...
Reservations for cultivated meat ‘sell out’
With the first sales of cultivated meat in the United States on the books, both Good Meat and Upside Foods have announced their products will be available more...
News briefs: Burger King, CBB, Jennie-O, Columbus Craft Meats
BK tests two new chicken offerings Burger King is testing two variations on its Chicken Fries offerings in the Boston market, according to a report by more...
Tyson Foods must comply with subpoena: court
Tyson Foods will have to comply with a subpoena from the New York Attorney General’s Office in a price-gouging investigation, according to court more...
CDC links persistent strain of salmonella to chicken
Federal health authorities are pointing to a persistent strain of salmonella in poultry as behind numerous outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control more...
Cattle Producers Direct NCBA Action on Cell-Cultured Products
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association on Wednesday passed a directive committing tocontinued advocacy efforts on transparent labeling and inspection more...
Where’s the beef (eaten)? A world view of meat consumption
In Afghanistan and Syria, the most consumed meat is mutton and goat, while Americans, Canadians, Brits and Ukrainians eat more poultry than other proteins more...
As sale looms, Subway reports strong quarterly returns
Subway, the sandwich brand headquartered in Milford, Conn., hinted at an imminent sale announcement as it revealed its first-half 2023 same-store sales more...
Pilgrim’s Pride earnings a hopeful sign for poultry producers
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.’s better-than-expected quarterly profit is a reason for optimism for poultry producers. Controlled by Brazilian meat more...
Maryland processor to double operations in new facility
Key state support will allow a 105-year-old processor in Carrol County, Md. to enter the next chapter in its processing journey. According to a release more...
State officials need more time on controversial Mich. poultry farm
Local officials in Michigan's Silver Creek Township were unable to come to a decision on Wednesday regarding a contentious poultry farm. The facility more...
Worker abuse allegations follow death of teenage sanitation worker
Allegations of worker abuse and mistreatment have followed the death of a 16-year-old sanitation worker at a Mar-Jac Poultry facility in Hattiesburg, more...
Smithfield spends $45 million to cut waste flowing into river (update)
Smithfield Foods’ pork-processing complex in Sioux Falls, S.D. is now equipped with a $45 million wastewater system that will cut by two thirds more...
Salmonella outbreak linked to ground beef sickens 16 in four states
Federal health authorities are investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to ground beef that has sickened more than a dozen people in four states. The more...
Budget pressure, seasonal demand bode well for chicken: analysts
A combination of consumers responding to higher prices for other proteins and expected seasonal demand should support chicken sales in the second half more...
Johnsonville, Winkler Meats team up on expansion project in Canada
Wisconsin-based sausage maker Johnsonville LLC is working with Winkler Meats on a multi-million-dollar expansion of Winkler’s pork processing plant more...
Whole Foods to face some false antibiotic-free beef claims
A federal judge in California ruled Monday that Whole Foods must face at least some claims in a lawsuit alleging the retailer has falsely advertised its more...
Litigation funder subs into turkey price-fixing lawsuit
A litigation funder’s subsidiary filed lawsuits against the nation’s top turkey producers for alleged price-fixing and other antitrust actions more...
Child labor issues get spotlight at SMA convention
SAN ANTONIO — Meat processing isn’t the only industry struggling to find workers as the country deals with labor shortages, but members of more...
Next pandemic may involve animal-to-human transmission: study
The interaction between humans and livestock may continue to threaten to expose people to a variety of infection diseases, especially following contact more...
Appeals court rules on Rabobank’s place in price-fixing lawsuit
A United States appeals court affirmed the decision to dismiss Rabobank from the large chicken broiler antitrust lawsuit, according to court records. more...
FSIS issues test for label claims on beef
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a questionnaire to inspectors, to use with establishments that slaughter any cattle, the agency said more...
Pork Board funds consumer trust campaign
The National Pork Board recently announced the formation of The Real Pork Trust Consortium, a five-year, five-university effort to strengthen consumer more...
Canadian ports union, management reportedly reach agreement
Longshoremen at Canada's two major Pacific ports have reached a tentative agreement with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), more...
Six degrees of Bacon — and not just Kevin
Wright Brand bacon has launched a marketing campaign to “help fellow Bacons become their best selves” via the company’s “Better more...
World Farmer's Org. rejects cultivated meat
The World Farmers’ Organization, in a recent position paper approved by its General Assembly, took a "resolute stand" against adopting cultivated more...
News briefs: Hardee’s, Iowa Farm Bureau, Wingstop, Old Trapper
High Bluff Capital Partners buys 81 Hardee’s locations High Bluff Capital Partners in August expects to close its purchase of 81 Hardy’s restaurants more...
Mar-Jac says staffing firm hired minor who died in poultry plant
As federal officials probe the death of a 16-year-old boy at a Mar-Jac Poultry processing plant in Hattiesburg, Miss., the chicken producer is deflecting more...
Beef processor coming to Midwest City, Okla.
A $20 million beef processing plant is in the works in Midwest City, Okla., according to local media reports. Centrillium Protein recently broke more...
Tyson Ventures taps four start-ups
Tyson Foods’ venture capital arm, Tyson Ventures, has tapped four more start-up companies to receive mentorship and other partnership opportunities more...
Ricke rolls with Distinguished Service Award from USPOULTRY
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) has named Dr. Steven Ricke, director of the Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery Program more...
USDA, state AGs team up to address anticompetitive issues
USDA has launched an effort with attorneys general from 31 states aimed at evaluating issues that reduce competition and threaten the supply chain in more...
Messing with livestock trucks now a felony in Missouri
Interfering with livestock is now a felony instead of a misdemeanor under legislation recently signed by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson. Part of a public more...
Conagra unveils raft of new products
Conagra announced dozens of new products rolling out to retailers beginning this summer, many of which include meat products. Chicago-based Conagra introduced: more...
Sweet!!! Hormel rolls out maple-flavored Spam
Maple-flavored Spam is now available, marking the first permanent addition to the brand’s flavor lineup since 2015, according to Hormel Foods. The more...
16-year-old dies in accident at Mar-Jac Poultry plant
A 16-year-old boy died Friday night in an accident at Mar-Jac Poultry’s plant in Hattiesburg, Miss., according to local media reports, citing a more...
Canadian meat industry wants U.K. blocked from export coalition
Canadian meat associations, producers and processors want their government to vote against the United Kingdom’s efforts to join a major Asia-Pacific more...
Johnsonville to boost automation
Johnsonville announced today it will implement a new cloud-based integration platform as a service (iPaaS) system to increase automation and process efficiency more...
Plans for Mont. meat plant advance with city council approval
Efforts to build what would be the first tribally owned meat processing plant in Montana took a step toward launching, with the approval of a land annexation more...
Investor wins appeal against Pilgrim’s Pride in price-fixing case
A United States appeals court overturned a federal judge's ruling that dismissed allegations that Pilgrim’s Pride engaged in price fixing. The allegations more...
Kraft Heinz building $400M distribution hub in the Midwest
Global food giant Kraft Heinz will invest more than $400 million to build one of North America’s largest automated CPG distribution centers in DeKalb more...
USPOULTRY promotes Venable to head up IPPE show
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) has promoted Gwen Venable to executive vice president – expo & communication services, putting more...
Lack of USDA inspection sparks pork, chicken dumpling recall
Maryland-based Mulan Dumpling issued a recall of nearly 1,600 pounds of frozen meat and poultry dumpling products that were distributed in Maryland, Virginia more...
Olymel losing millions with Canadian port strike: report
Canadian meat processor Olymel is facing challenges in the Asian market due to an ongoing labor dispute causing port paralysis in British Columbia, according more...
Custom meat processing plant given green light in Indiana
A proposed custom meat processing plant dubbed Project Ribeye was given the green light this week in Indiana’s Porter County. The Porter County more...
Poultry producers respond to Sysco’s motion to leave antitrust lawsuit
Poultry producers in a large antitrust lawsuit challenged a recent move by Sysco Corp., one of the plaintiffs, to let a litigation funder affiliate take more...
Secondary beef cuts surge in popularity
Higher beef prices have, so far, not deterred Americans from grilling this summer. That’s according to the latest beef research from Midan more...
Technical college receives more than $600K for processing training
The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) received a $644,489 grant from the USDA to develop a targeted curriculum for the state's meat processing more...
Conagra reports positive meat snack sales
Meat snacks continue to sell well for Chicago-based Conagra. According to the latest earnings report from the food company, sales of its Slim Jim and more...
Canadian government invests $12M to boost beef industry sustainability
The Canadian government has allocated more than $12 million to enhance the growth and sustainability of the country's beef industry, according to a release more...
Hormel promotes four executives
Four longtime employees at Hormel Foods have been promoted, including business and marketing veteran Scott Aakre, now group vice president and chief marketing more...
USDA to invest $300M to boost GHG monitoring
USDA is committing $300 million to improve the measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestering more...
JBS preps for dual listing of shares in U.S., Brazil
JBS intends to list its shares in the United States and Brazil in a plan aimed at expanding investment capacity and “unlock value for shareholders more...
L.A. meat plant sold to real estate investor group
An Australian real estate investor group acquired the shuttered Farmer John's meatpacking facility in Los Angeles in what is being described as one of more...
Perdue Farms appoints McAdams its new CEO
Perdue Farms announced that Kevin McAdams will succeed Randy Day as CEO of the nation's fourth-largest poultry producer, just one year after joining the more...
Stay on Massachusetts’ Prop 12-like law extended
A federal judge on Monday ordered that a stay on an animal welfare measure aimed at pork producers in Massachusetts, akin to California’s Prop 12 more...
Mo. funding boost to advance university-based meat plant
The University of Missouri plans to use additional funding from state officials to build a new meat processing plant that could break ground within one more...
Sysco asks judges to let litigation funder take over in antitrust cases
Carina Ventures asked a judge to replace Sysco Corp. on major antitrust cases against the animal protein industry. The litigation funder filed the joint more...
Food price index continues fall from last year
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said its monthly global food price index in June was down 1.4% from May — and some 23.4% from the March more...
Godshall's picks up former Clemens plant
Godshall’s has bought a processing plant in Emmaus, Pa., from Clemens Food Group for an undisclosed amount, the company said in a news release. more...
Canadian officials call to end Pacific port strike: Reuters
The Canadian government is appealing to striking dock workers at two of the country's busiest ports to resume contract negotiations as the walkout enters more...
Progress on ASF in Taiwan, U.S. efforts under scrutiny
Taiwan reportedly is poised to seek official classification that it is free of African swine fever (ASF), even as U.S. researchers find that current plans more...
Banning vegans is like minting money for Aussie restaurant
A chef in Perth, Australia publicly banned vegans from his restaurant which, after some vegan trolling on social media, has resulted in a boom in reservations more...
Ex-NYC school exec guilty of accepting bribes, serving tainted chicken
A former New York City Department of Education executive faces 20 years in prison after being found guilty of taking bribes to accept contaminated chicken more...
Meat consumption leveling off in wealthy nations: report
Wealthier countries are cutting back on meat as consumers focus on health, environmental and animal-welfare concerns. So says an annual outlook from more...
Campus-raised turkey to be served to Iowa State students
The Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University, ISU Dining and poultry processor West Liberty Foods have partnered to bring the turkey produced more...
Second cultivated chicken product on sale in D.C.
Select diners enjoyed cultivated chicken made by Good Meat on Wednesday evening at China Chilcano by José Andrés, marking the first-ever more...
Tyson expands free educational programming for employees
Tyson Foods announced today a partnership with the University of Arkansas that will expand the free educational programming the company provides to all more...
Colombia lifts U.S. poultry ban
Colombia has lifted what was a short-lived but costly ban on U.S. poultry, after what USDA officials called quick action to leverage the two nations’ more...
Chick-fil-A tries out chicken wings from food truck in Louisville
Chick-fil-A’s virtual kitchen brand Little Blue Menu is now filling orders from a food truck in Louisville, Ky. According to Little more...
The calendar offers a reason to buy fried chicken
If Americans are looking for a reason to get their fingers greasy, Thursday is National Fried Chicken Day. Chicken producer Perdue is marking the more...
USDA issues ‘confusing’ hog inventory data
USDA’s latest Hogs and Pigs report showed essentially no budge in market and breeding inventories, raising eyebrows among some analysts who say more...
Poultry outlook positive, but HPAI still a ‘wild card’: Rabobank
Prospects for the global poultry industry in the back half of 2023 positive due to lower feed prices and enhanced value chains, though escalating HPAI more...
Truck carrying frozen chickens catches fire in Missouri
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating an incident that had a semi-truck loaded with frozen chickens catching fire on an interstate on ramp more...
Giving Back Briefs: Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Seaboard
Tyson donates more than 27K pounds of food after Texas tornado Tyson Foods recently provided more than 27,000 pounds of protein to support Perryton, Texas more...
Processor owner pleads guilty to employing minor who cut off hand
A Michigan man pleaded guilty to hiring a minor to work in a hazardous profession after the young worker had his hand amputated by a meat grinder, according more...
Custom meat processing plant in DeMotte, Ind., clears a hurdle
A proposal to build a small-scale meat processing plant in Porter County, Ind., won approval from the local Plan Commission that will allow construction more...
Michigan’s Dingell touts $2M from feds for small meat processing plant in Ann Arbor
Southeastern Michigan landed a good chunk of the more than $100 million in USDA funding. The area garnered more than $2 million in federal funds more...
Now serving: cultivated chicken
The first order of cultivated chicken was served at BarCrenn in San Francisco over the weekend, according to Upside Foods' Instagram account. "The very more...
Tyson to remove NAE claims from some chicken products: report
Tyson Foods plans to revive the use of a non-medically important antibiotic in some of its chickens, prompting the company to remove the “No Antibiotics more...
Cattlemen's Heritage Beef Co. facility among USDA grant recipients
Cattlemen's Heritage Beef Co. added another $25 million to its funding for a $520 million processing facility. The money came from a round of USDA more...
Nearly 77K pounds of mini corndogs recalled
House of Raeford, located in Nesmith, S.C., recalled about 76,961 pounds of corn dog products. The recall comes after concerns of possible spoilage, according more...
The Facilitator: a conversation with Tyson's Suzanne Finstad
[The following is an excerpt from the June issue of Meatingplace.] Suzanne Finstad has a characteristically humble way of describing her beginnings in more...
June 2023
Canadian port workers authorize July 1 strike
Following approval by more than 99% of its members, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU) has issued a 72-hour strike notice. more...
North American pig production shrinking
The pork industry is struggling, following a price collapse caused by the pandemic as well as ongoing high feed prices and increases in labor and physical more...
Family-run meat shop finds buyer in Wisconsin
Nolechek’s Meats is selling its buildings and real estate after a seven-decades run in Thorp, Wisconsin. The family-run meats store and more...
Japanese city raises the bar with wagyu vending machines
A pink vending machine offering vacuum-sealed frozen packs of brand-name wagyu beef grown locally is drawing plenty of buyers in the west Japan city of more...
Smaller meat processors get $115M in federal grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday announced $115 million in grants to more than a dozen smaller meat and poultry processors in 17 states more...
Ammonia leak at JBS facility leads to evacuation
An ammonia leak at the JBS plant in Louisville, Ken. led to the evacuation of the facility, according to a JBS spokesperson. The incident occurred Wednesday more...
New legislation would create agriculture cybersecurity network
Bi-partisan legislation introduced this week in the U.S. House looks to protect the nation’s food supply from cyberattacks. Sponsored by Iowa Republican more...
Taste Test: Perdue impresses with value-added chicken
For many consumers, cooking today involves lower degrees of hands-on involvement and preparation. Yet, simultaneously, there is often an aspirational more...
Florida county discusses future of processing plant after state funding vetoed
Plans to build a meat processing plant in Newberry, Fla., are continuing even after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed using $1.75 million for the project more...
USDA’s FSIS issues notices on food defense, fowl sampling
Federal inspectors are receiving new marching orders from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regarding Food Defense training and the more...
Man sentenced for killing at chicken plant
A trial surrounding the 2021 fatal shooting at the parking lot of a chicken processing facility concluded with a multi-decade sentence. According to a more...
HPAI roundup: France culls, South Africa outbreaks, Pa. indoor policy, European cat infections
Latest HPAI wave in France ends as 10M birds culled: report French farm ministry officials announced that a recent wave of highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
NPPC looks ahead after California agrees to amend Prop. 12 sales date (updated)
In an exclusive interview with Meatingplace, the National Pork Producers Council CEO Bryan Humphreys said the pork industry wanted an unfavorable more...
New innovations in poultry automation at RMC
[ST. PAUL] The latest advancements and technologies in poultry automation were discussed at the 76th Reciprocal Meat Conference in St. Paul, Minn. In more...
Proposed legislation would repeal FDA antibiotics rule
U.S. House Reps. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) and Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) have introduced legislation that seeks to reverse FDA guidance restricting the use more...
Briefs: Chil-fil-A, Kiolbassa, Taco Bell, Starbird
Chick-fil-A launches food truckAccording to Nation's Restaurant News, Chick-fil-A has launched a food truck. An extension of the chain's Little Blue Menu more...
NPPC, others seek extension for GHG emission comments
The National Pork Producers Council NPPC is among 12 agricultural organizations asking for an extension of the deadline for comments on USDA’s recently more...
Salmonella survey finds 12% incidence in some retail poultry items: FSIS
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) found that 12% of not-ready-to-eat breaded and stuffed chicken products bought from retailers tested more...
USDA to invest $500M to HPAI response as cases decline
The USDA will spend more than half a billion dollars to prepare for potential additional detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the more...
Ag. expert Lusk returns to Oklahoma State
Agricultural expert Jayson Lusk will be the next vice president and dean of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma more...
No sanctions for former Butterball catcher in wage theft case
A former Butterball turkey catcher avoided sanctions from the company in federal court after a judge ruled to limit the scope of discovery but allowed more...
Processor still owes for retirement fund withdrawal: judge
After a series of lawsuits and counterclaims around complicated issues of retirement fund obligations, Mundelein, Ill.-based Ruprecht Co. is still on more...
"Fake meat" concerns ag industry
The recent USDA approval allowing commercialization of cultivated meat has the conventional ag industry on high alert, and the regulation of “fake more...
Group pitches less-meaty name for baseball team
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has sent a letter to Macon Bacon, a Georgia collegiate summer league baseball team, urging the team more...
JBS agrees to pull most ‘net zero’ claims
Following a recommendation by the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Review Board, JBS USA will discontinue its use of five claims involving more...
UFCW, PSSI set pact on union representation (updated)
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and Packer Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) have reached an agreement through which the more...
USDA updates directives on cultivated meat
USDA issued two updated directives to personnel in the wake of its announcement on Wednesday that three companies had received a grant of inspection for more...
NIFA grants Purdue $1.4M for research
The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded three grants totaling more than $1.4 million to researchers at Purdue University more...
OSHA fines JBS plant after worker injures hand
OSHA fined a JBS plant in Green Bay after an investigation revealed a worker suffered crushing injuries to their fingers while performing a task on a more...
Miss. poultry farms wrecked by tornados (updated)
An EF-3 tornado that tore through Jasper County, Miss., Sunday night and Monday morning leveled several poultry barns, according to local media reports more...
Chicken parts spill temporarily clogs Ga. road
Authorities in Cherokee County, Ga., spent part of yesterday’s rush hour dealing with a tractor-trailer that spilled chicken parts that reduced more...
News Briefs: USDA, Md. pork, Impossible Foods, Hormel Foods
USDA sets timetable for Local MCap grants with formal office hours USDA has established a series of “Office Hours” to provide information more...
Olymel resumes bacon plant operations after strike
Canadian pork and poultry processor Olymel resumed operations Monday at the company’s Drummondville, Quebec, bacon processing plant, after the end more...
Wayne-Sanderson to pay $62K to settle disability discrimination suit
Wayne-Sanderson Farms will pay $62,384 to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging disability discrimination more...
USDA grants $16M to meat industry; $320M dished to food producers
The USDA is dealing out $320 million in loans and grants to projects aimed at creating new markets and improving existing ones for agricultural producers more...
USDA updates guidelines on controlling Listeria at retail delis
USDA is issuing a new best-practices guide to help retailers prevent the spread of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods that are prepared or sliced more...
Federal judge appoints mediator for Oklahoma, poultry industry
A federal judge ordered last week that the State of Oklahoma and members of the poultry industry must enter mediation for a nearly two-decades-long case more...
Safeway drops local beef brand in Hawaii, monopoly fears rise
Safeway plans to stop selling the largest established beef brand in Hawaii next month in favor of a brand owned by a competitor that already controls more...
Global meat production to increase: FAO
Total meat production globally is forecast to increase marginally in 2023, according to a new report from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization more...
News briefs: Brooklyn Cured, Dietz & Watson, Hormel, Volpi
Brooklyn Cured Salami extends product line New York City-based Brooklyn Cured announced that it will launch two new SKUs of Salami Trios at the 2023 Summer more...
Senators introduce bill to combat Prop. 12
A group of U.S. senators introduced a bill aimed at combatting California’s Prop. 12. U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and U.S. Senators more...
DeSantis cuts $1.75M from proposed Newberry processing plant
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Thursday vetoed more than half a billion dollars of spending from the state’s record-high state spending plan. Among more...
Bill would allow FDA probe of feedlots linked to outbreaks
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could probe large animal feedlots linked to outbreaks of salmonella and other foodborne illness under proposed more...
Godshall’s to attempt delicious world record
Godshall's Quality Meats is preparing to cook the world’s longest piece of turkey bacon on Wednesday and set a Guinness World Record. The more...
Tentative deal ends West Coast ports labor dispute
More than a year of contract talks have finally yielded a tentative agreement to end a labor dispute at 29 West Coast ports, according to union officials more...
Seaboard Foods settles with purchaser class in pork antitrust case
A group of retailers reached a settlement with Seaboard Foods for its alleged involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices in the pork industry, according more...
Processor secures $8M for plant expansion
Monogram Foods has closed on $8 million in new financing to fund expansion and new equipment at its Martinsville, Va. facility, according to a statement more...
News briefs: New Perkins/Huddle CEO, BRK Meats recognition, Smithfield exec honors
James O’Reilly named CEO of Ascent HospitalityJames O’Reilly, the former CEO of the Smokey Bones restaurant chain, is the new CEO of Ascent more...
Tyson cuts 228 Illinois workers who reject move to Arkansas
Tyson Foods is laying off 228 white-collar workers in Illinois who decided against transferring to the meat and poultry giant’s headquarters in more...
Minn. probes wage theft allegations at HyLife Foods: report
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry reportedly is looking into possible wage theft at HyLife Foods before the Canadian-based company closed more...
Pure Prairie Poultry receives $36.7m financing
Poultry processor Pure Prairie Poultry has received $36.7 million in financing from Greater Commercial Lending, which provides government-guaranteed more...
Missouri community raises concerns over processing facility waste
Missouri Prime Beef Packers is facing community concerns in Pleasant Hope, Mo., as it seeks approval for a new waste disposal method, according to a local more...
Abbyland Foods violations led to two amputations: DOL
An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revealed safety violations at a Wisconsin meat more...
Walmart emerges as developer of proposed Kan. beef plant
Walmart announced plans to build its first owned and operated case-ready beef plant that is expected to bring 600 jobs to Olathe, Kan., when it opens more...
Judge gives nod to $8M Simmons price-fixing settlement
A federal judge on Monday gave preliminary approval to an agreement for Simmons Foods to pay direct poultry buyers $8 million to settle a lawsuit accusing more...
Inflation spurs strong demand for grinds, chicken
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. May marketplace Summer has arrived and with it the more...
Boneless rib business vs. ‘Shark Tank’ investor lands in court
The developer of a ready-to-heat boneless rib product is being targeted in a lawsuit filed by a “Shark Tank” investor who initially agreed more...
HyLife faces more layoffs; CEO still optimistic
HyLife is laying off 87 employees in Manitoba, Canada, the company confirmed in an email to Meatingplace. The decision to reduce the workforce by more...
UK mulls fast-track approval for cultivated meat
The UK's Food Standards Agency last week released a statement indicating that it is exploring the possibility of fast-tracking regulatory systems for more...
QSR news briefs: McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Jack in the Box, Chester’s Chicken
McDonald’s puts the Grimace in latest “celebrity” menu tie-in McDonald’s Corp. this week will launch a special meal deal as part more...
Pork exports continue positive trend; beef still falling: USMEF
U.S. pork exports surged in April, reaching their highest levels in years, while beef exports faced a decline, according to recent USDA data and the U more...
Brazil president calls China over stranded beef containers
Brazil's President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, revealed on Tuesday that he personally contacted Chinese President Xi Jinping to address the issue of stranded more...
Uncommon nets $30M for cultivated pork
Cambridge-based biotech start-up Uncommon (formerly Higher Steaks) has secured $30 million in Series A funding for its cultivated pork process. The company more...
Meat, poultry production forecast adjusted: WASDE
U.S. red meat and poultry production forecast for 2023 has been adjusted, with higher beef production but lower pork and poultry production, according more...
Health officials investigate beef-linked Salmonella in Illinois
Public health officials are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella infections associated with ground beef consumption in Illinois, according to a release more...
JBS building cultivated beef facility in Spain
JBS announced on Tuesday that its subsidiary, BioTech Foods, broke ground on a commercial-scale cultivated meat plant in Spain, which is set to be more...
UW accepting Meat industry HOF nominations
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences and the Wisconsin Livestock and Meat Council are calling for nominations more...
News Briefs: Prop 12 webinar, Pork Board, Tyson
Webinar to prep industry on Prop 12The North American Meat Institute, partnering with the American Association of Meat Processors, will host a webinar more...
Supply chain woes continue at West Coast ports amid congestion
Rail shipment issues and ongoing labor talks are continuing to hamper operations at several West Coast ports despite the reopening of two major ports more...
JBS division may expand its Colo. corporate headquarters: report
JBS USA reportedly may be considering building a three-story addition in an expansion of its headquarters in Greeley, Colo., although the company says more...
Vienna Beef plans ‘reimagined’ Chicago property
Vienna Beef will redevelop its former site in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, the company said in a news release. Famous for making the Chicago-style more...
Florida county explores impact fees for processing facility
The Alachua County (Fla.) Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Tuesday directed staff to proceed with three interlocal agreements with the city of more...
JBS biogas project to help cut emissions in Brazil
JBS announced Monday an initiative to convert methane into biogas will reduce scope 1 (direct) emissions from its Friboi operations by 65%, representing more...
Former USDA inspector gets 5 years in prison for accepting bribes
A former USDA animal inspector has been ordered to serve nearly five years in federal prison for accepting tens of thousands in bribes from cattle brokers more...
CME cattle futures rise as hog futures fall
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) experienced continued gains on Monday as cash prices and technical buyers drove the market higher, according to a Reuters more...
News Briefs: Pilgrim’s Pride, BurgerFi, Popeyes, MamaMancini’s
Pilgrim’s Pride to open a second poultry plant in Mexican statePilgrim’s Pride is expected to spend $12 million to open a second plant in more...
HyLife Windom processing facility sold in auction
The HyLife pork processing facility in Windom, Minn., has a new owner. Premium Iowa Pork bought the facility in an auction last week, pending court approval more...
Calif. regulators offer Prop 12 compliance guidance
In the wake of last month’s U.S. Supreme Court’s decision affirming California’s controversial Prop 12 animal welfare provisions, regulators more...
Iowa processor to lay off over 90 employees
Sioux City’s Global Foods Processing will lay off 92 employees, according to Iowa’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) more...
FSIS’s revises guidelines on salmonella in pork
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has updated its guidelines for controlling salmonella in swine slaughter and pork processing establishment more...
Tyson departures include top execs in South Dakota (update)
Tyson Foods Inc. is parting with 262 employees — including some of its highest-ranking executives in its Fresh Meats business — who are declining more...
DOJ submits final judgment against poultry companies, data firms
The Department of Justice responded to public comments on a proposed final judgment against poultry processors accused of conspiring with data firms on more...
Ben E. Keith Foods acquires meat processing plant, distro center
Texas-based foodservice distributor Ben E. Keith Foods today announced the acquisition of Orrell's Food Service, including its distribution center more...
Nearly 20 tons of lamb recalled
E.N.A. Meat Packing Inc., the importer of record located in Paterson, N.J., is recalling about 39,947 pounds of frozen, raw lamb products that were imported more...
SugarCreek buys Italy's Veroni
Washington Court House, Ohio-based SugarCreek Packing Co. today announced its acquisition of Italy's F.lli Veroni Fu Angelo S.p.A., the largest exporter more...
Hormel reaffirms 2023 sales, profit forecasts
Hormel Foods Corp. is maintaining its annual revenue and profit estimates amidst second-quarter results that saw sales come in below expectations. more...
Agency gets pound of flesh from $244M ‘ghost cattle’ operator
A federal court judge approved an agreement that said the head of a $244 million case of cattle fraud must pay a $1 million fine to the Commodity Futures more...
Case between poultry facility, insurer headed to trial (update)
A lawsuit between a poultry plant and an insurance company will go to trial, a North Carolina Business Court judge ruled this week. Lloyd’s of London more...
May 2023
Judge rejects settlement in fatal Messer nitrogen leak
A state court judge has rejected a wrongful death settlement stemming from a fatal poultry plant gas leak, Law.com reports. On Jan. 28, 2021, six were more...
Brazil rules on JBS stakeholder insider trading allegations
The Brazilian equivalent to the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission, the CVM, reached a majority verdict Monday, acquitting Joesley and Wesley Batista more...
Global beef outlook steady as cattle production shifts: Rabobank
Global beef supplies are expected to remain balanced over the next 12 months, according to a new report from Rabobank. Increased beef production in Brazil more...
Cargill sells China poultry business to Chinese private equity firm
Cargill announced the sale of its China poultry business to DCP Capital, a Chinese private equity firm. According to a Reuters report, no details have more...
NPPC lauds USDA’s $50M purchase of pork amid tough times
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) on Friday applauded USDA’s pledge to purchase $50.1 million of U.S. pork for food banks and school programs more...
Taiwan confirms full access for Canadian beef
Taiwan will give Canadian beef producers and exporters full market access in the next couple of weeks, Canada’s international trade minister said more...
Consumers buying less fresh meat in fear of recession: Costco CFO
Shoppers are opting to buy cheaper meat with some even buying canned protein as an alternative, Costco CFO Richard Galanti said in an earnings call. He more...
France sets HPAI vaccine plan as Brazil goes on high alert
The French government confirmed plans to launch a vaccination program to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), while Brazil is under a state more...
New test could improve Salmonella detection
Scientists have developed a portable biosensor capable of detecting Salmonella typhimurium (Salmonella) using a novel approach, according to a recent more...
Native tribe breaks ground on $15M processing facility
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians broke ground on a 23,000 sq. ft. meat processing facility in Atmore, Alabama, according to a local report. The project more...
Man arrested after $40K chicken theft
A man wanted in connection to a $40,000 chicken theft turned himself in to the South Carolina’s Sumter County Sheriff's Office, according to the more...
California passes bill to ban chemicals in food processing
The California Assembly passed a bill that bans potentially harmful chemicals in foods. The bill, which is the first of its kind in the United States more...
Fire damages chicken house, egg processing plant in central Florida
Flames engulfed a structure housing chickens and an egg processing plant on Tuesday in Ocoee, Florida, according to Orange County Fire Rescue more...
Minnesota meatpackers will have to create injury prevention plans
Minnesota lawmakers on Tuesday passed a labor bill that will force meat- and poultry-packing plants to take more proactive steps to protect their employees more...
America struggling with excess of pork: WSJ
The U.S. pork industry, valued at $54 billion, is struggling with oversupply, reduced demand and impending regulations, according to a report by the Wall more...
Kick off summer with National Beef Burger Day
To celebrate its third annual National Beef Burger Day on Sunday, The National Cattlemen's Beef Association shared tips for preparing a flawless more...
Supreme Court strikes down Biden WOTUS regulation
In a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has limited the scope of the Clean Water Act, and effectively ended a multi-month standoff between the White House more...
Canada reaffirms importance of $70B trade with U.S.
Canadian officials are reiterating the value of the nation’s trade relationship with the United States, noting bilateral trade in agriculture hit more...
State failed to protect waterways from farm pollution: judge
A Colorado court ruled that the state's Department of Public Health & Environment violated state and federal laws by failing to include essential more...
Pork processing plant in the works in Fort Scott, Kan.
Preliminary work is underway to revive plans for a pork processing plant in Fort Scott, Kansas, according to local news outlets. City commissioners last more...
Class plaintiffs fight $57M fee in chicken antitrust case
A class plaintiff involved in the Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation has filed an appeal to overturn a $57 million attorney fee. The fee is part of more...
S. Korea moves to tighten beef imports
The South Korean government has strengthened its quarantine checks on beef imports from the U.S. in the wake of a report of an atypical case of Bovine more...
Poultry worker drowned in a waste pit in Sanger, Calif.
A 66-year-old poultry plant worker who died nearly two weeks ago at Pitman Family Farms in Sanger, Calif., drowned in an indoor poultry waste pit, according more...
Chicken sandwich wars roll on as Chick-fil-A sells 527M in 2022
One of the pioneers of the chicken sandwich wars is reporting strong sales, higher restaurant visits and new restaurant openings in its report on operations more...
Judge dismisses donning-doffing lawsuit against Mountaire Farms
A federal judge in North Carolina has dismissed with prejudice a workers’ class action lawsuit seeking unpaid wages and overtime pay from chicken more...
Hackers lifted Sysco customer data
Global food distribution giant Sysco is investigating a cybersecurity breach that extracted company data including customer information, the company reported more...
Verde Farms sheds more light on rebrand
Verde Farms announced a relaunch and consumer-focused campaign called "Beef From A Better Place." The company announced the rebranding earlier this year more...
News Briefs: Tyson, Jimmy John’s, Jack Link’s, Arby’s
Tyson completes acquisition of Williams Sausage CompanyTyson Foods Inc. closed its deal to purchase Union City, Tenn.-based Williams Sausage Company Inc more...
USDA confirms ‘atypical’ BSE case in a cow in S.C.
USDA reported what it classified as an atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in a single cow at an unidentified processing plant in more...
NPB says “clock is ticking” if ASF hits U.S.
A U.S. outbreak of African Swine Fever could be ruinous for the nation’s pig farmers, costing the pork and beef industries up to $80 million over more...
Sofina Foods recalls 15K pounds of deli meat
Sofina Foods Inc. announced a recall of approximately 15,165 pounds of ready-to-eat mortadella deli meat products due to misbranding and an undeclared more...
NAMI Launches Protein PACT Academic Advisory Council
The North American Meat Institute announced Monday the establishment of the Protein PACT Academic Advisory Council, aimed at providing guidance on research more...
Animal Health Bill proposal wins support from meat industry groups
Two industry associations are voicing their support for a bipartisan proposal designed to reauthorize animal disease prevention and management programs more...
Get ready for chicken nugget wars as KFC sets new standard
KFC reports that it has sold more than 100 million of its new KFC Nuggets nationwide, less than eight weeks after they made their debut at participating more...
Consumers don’t put lessons into action: Study
The adage, “old habits die hard,” takes on special significance when those old habits threaten food safety. But even when consumers know better more...
Giving back: Cargill, Hormel, House of Raeford, Wayne-Sanderson Farms
Cargill donations include animal shelter and food pantry Cargill this month donated $14,348 to the Jeanette Hunt-Blair Animal Shelter in Blair, Neb., more...
DOJ, George’s settle worker's comp lawsuit
The Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled a settlement plan that clears George’s Inc. and its George’s Foods from a lawsuit that the poultry more...
Brazil confirms first cases of avian flu in wild birds
Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture this week announced the detection of the first cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds, but added more...
Meat industry warns U.S. lawmakers of higher prices
A slate of representatives of various meat industry stakeholders testified before a subcommittee of the U.S. Congress this week and warned the lawmakers more...
Hardees franchisee shuts units after Chapter 11 filing
Summit Restaurant Holdings, which independently owns and operates more than 100 Hardee's restaurant franchises, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in more...
Supreme Court pork ruling puts Mass. Question 3 back on the table
The Supreme Court decision upholding California’s right to control what meat can be sold in the state gives the green light to a similar voter-passed more...
How processors can thrive amidst inflation
The following is an excerpt from the May issue of Meatingplace. Meat and poultry purchasers are feeling the pressure. There’s the pressure to cook more...
JBS Food hiring 300 temp. foreign workers for beef plant
JBS Food is bringing 300 temporary foreign workers to its beef processing facility in Brooks, Alberta, according to a news report from Medicine Hat News more...
The ‘Wienermobile’ is no more
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is being renamed for the first time in nearly 100 years to help promote an all-beef version of the company’s famous more...
Fallout on Prop 12 bubbles among affected stakeholders
The U.S. Supreme Court's affirmation last week upholding California’s Prop 12 animal welfare standards continues to spark responses from state more...
Cultivated meat start-up snags Tyson R&D vet
Clever Carnivore, a Chicago-based startup in the cultivated meat space, has hired Russell Thomas — a 33-year veteran of Tyson Foods and also the more...
Trade agreements make Japan fertile market for U.S. pork: USDA
Japan’s increasing participation in trade agreements that soften its tariff mechanisms will more than triple the country’s imports to 14% more...
Minn. ag funding bill moves to governor’s desk
The Minnesota House and Senate passed an agriculture bill that focuses on strengthening the state's meat processing industry and providing support to more...
Not enough evidence to revive Butterball wage suit: defense
Attorneys for Butterball told a federal judge recently that a former employee's attempt to revive a wage theft lawsuit does not have enough meat on the more...
Total '24 U.S. protein production forecast slips: WASDE
Red meat and poultry producers should see 1% volume decline in 2024 compared with anticipated 2023 results, according to the latest USDA report on the more...
An early Easter challenged April meat retail sales
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The April marketplace The deceleration of the rate more...
Inspection committee slates June meeting
The National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) plans to hold a virtual public meeting on June 21 and 22, the agency announced more...
Maple Leaf names new president and CEO
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods Inc. on Thursday announced the appointment of Curtis Frank as its new president and chief executive officer during the more...
JBS expects improved performance in coming quarters after net loss in 1Q
JBS's executives said Friday that better market conditions and operational performance should contribute to improving the company's results in the coming more...
Senators revive act aimed to allow interstate meat sales
Two senators are trying to revive a bill that aims to allow small-scale livestock and poultry producers greater access to consumers across the U.S. Senators Roger more...
Hormel urges creativity via Mother’s Day charcuterie 'bouquet'
Columbus Craft Meats has come up with a unique way to celebrate Mother's Day this year. The charcuterie pioneer is suggesting that people surprise their more...
Pork industry reacts to momentous SCOTUS Prop 12 ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling this morning affirming California’s momentous Prop 12 animal welfare regulation has proponents celebrating more...
Wayne-Sanderson Farms announces changes in executive team
Wayne-Sanderson Farms unveiled changes to its senior leadership team following April exits by two executives. Bryan Miller, senior vice president more...
Eight Wisconsin meat processors awarded state grants
Wisconsin granted funds to eight meat processors to improve and expand their operations. The financial help is intended to grow Wisconsin’s more...
RTE pork rinds recalled for lack of federal inspection
Mitten Gourmet LLC of Freeland, Mich., is recalling 1,137 pounds of ready-to-eat pork rind products that were produced without the benefit of federal more...
Mich. meat processors fight state wastewater rules
Small and mid-sized Michigan meat processors fighting the state’s updated wastewater permit for slaughterhouses in court have proposed a compromise more...
Albertsons to pay $107 million to settle suit over meat promotion
Safeway and parent company Albertsons have reportedly agreed to pay $107 million to settle claims that stores in Oregon deceived people with a meat promotion more...
Fire-damaged Tyson facility sees limited production; slaughter to resume
Tyson Foods anticipates slaughtering will resume in mid-May at its pork plant in Madison, Neb., damaged in a fire more than two weeks ago. Limited more...
Federal judge tosses case between meat company, NFL stadium operator
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against PSSI Stadium, which is the tenant and operator for Acrisure Stadium, also known as Heinz Field (home of the more...
CDC: New FSIS regulations may curtail salmonella illnesses
Raising the bar for allowable salmonella contamination in certain poultry products could reduce outbreaks that have sickened hundreds in the U.S., a new more...
Declining pork sales drive Seaboard's Q1 losses
Seaboard Corporation announced a net loss of $16 million for the first quarter of 2023. The decline in revenue was primarily due to reduced net sales more...
Police probe death at poultry farm in Sanger, Calif.
Authorities are investigating the drowning death of a man at a poultry farm in Sanger, Calif., according to a local media report. Police found the man more...
Giving back: Smithfield, Perdue, Tyson, Wayne-Sanderson
Smithfield donates $50,000 to local educationSmithfield Foods has made a $50,000 donation to TeamMates, a mentoring program serving third through 12th more...
Tyson reports surprise operating, net loss for Q2
Tyson Foods executives tried to spotlight high points in an otherwise down performance for the company through the second quarter that saw an operating more...
USDA updates rules on RTE meat preparations
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) this week released guidelines to help producers of ready to eat (RTE) meat and poultry products more...
Summer grilling season is near: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Oregon State, Colo. State tapped for $30M USDA business center
Oregon State University and Colorado State University have been selected to co-lead a $30 million USDA regional food business center that will support more...
South Dakota processor becomes the first for interstate commerce
After a two-year application and examination process, Wall Meat Processing has become the first meat processing plant in South Dakota to receive approval more...
Rode Meats awarded tax abatement for proposed plant
Allen County Commissioners this week approved a 10-year, 90% tax abatement agreement that will help Rode Meats build a new processing plant in Delphos more...
Loan program to provide support to Minn. meat processors
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is currently accepting applications for a new revolving loan program aimed to help the state’s small more...
USDA proposes changes to Cattlemen’s Beef Board
The USDA on Tuesday published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that will adjust membership on the Beef Promotion and Research Board more...
McDonald's franchisees fined for employing 305 minors
The Department of Labor has levied heavy fines on three McDonald's franchisees for employing more than 300 minors – including 10-year-olds. According more...
Tyson touts $83 million upgrade to cocktail-sausage plant
Tyson Foods touted a $83 million upgrade to its plant in Claryville, Ky., saying it has increased its cocktail sausage manufacturing capacity by 50%. more...
North Country Smokehouse announces big retail expansion
Family-owned processor North Country Smokehouse has announced a retail expansion with Giant Eagle and Market District. According to a release from North more...
News briefs: Land O’Frost’s historic promotion; wagyu at Panda Express; Hormel’s BBQ tips
Land O’Frost appoints first female plant managerLand O’Frost Inc. has promoted plant superintendent Cindy Williams to plant manager in Searcy more...
Chicken processor acquires site next to massive processing plant
Bell & Evans has purchased new land next to its large poultry plant in Fredericksburg, Pa., according to a report in Lebtown. The site, which is nearly more...
Appellant court overturns ruling on Hormel bacon patent
A appellete court overturned a ruling that would have required Hormel Foods to add a name to its bacon preparation patent. The case revolved around a more...
Tyson implementing methane capture technology in second facility
Tyson hopes a new methane capture technology will help the company improve its carbon footprint. The protien giant teamed up with energy companies more...
Taco Bell, Cargill join to reduce climate impact of beef
Taco Bell Corp. is joining longtime beef supplier Cargill in committing $2 million to reduce the climate impact of one of its most popular ingredients more...
Food distributor explores potential $1.5B sale: report
Quirch Foods LLC is considering a potential sale that could value the company at approximately $1.5 billion, including debt, according to a Reuters report more...
Meat company cuts fat off lawsuit against Steelers’ stadium
A federal judge said a meat company locked in a civil dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers stadium can trim its ongoing lawsuit Monday. In January, Mr more...
NC’s dearth of poultry farm rules subject of civil rights complaint
A lack of regulation of North Carolina poultry farm waste is hurting the environment and human health, especially people of color, a federal civil rights more...
Derrell Peel's global beef market outlook
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
FSIS sets comment period for salmonella-as-adulterant proposal
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has set a deadline for comments on its controversial proposed rule that would declare salmonella as an adulterant more...
Ontario puts millions into poultry research center
The Government of Ontario, the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) and the province’s four poultry industry boards signed a memorandum more...
Subway seeks to push bids higher
Facing bids that reportedly came in lower than expected for the Subway sandwich chain, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Subway's financial adviser, has put forward more...
News briefs: North Country Smokehouse, Anderson Boneless Beef, Butterball, Conagra
North Country Smokehouse partners with Blue Apron North Country Smokehouse's Applewood Smoked Uncured bacon is now available in new menu items sold by more...
April 2023
California, poultry company settle wage theft case
The California Labor Commissioner’s Office reached a $1.5 million settlement involving violations committed by five Los Angeles-area poultry processors more...
Expectations for Pilgrim’s Pride performance diverge
Equity analysts saw differing takeaways in Pilgrim’s Pride’s recent first quarter earnings report, and adjusted their expectations for future more...
Tyson pork plant damaged in fire to relaunch production in May
A Tyson Foods Inc. pork processing plant in Madison, Neb., that was evacuated and temporarily shut down after a fire April 23 is expected to reopen in more...
NPB mines success of kiosk-based pork promotion at retail
The National Pork Board (NPB) is expanding a pilot program currently at three retail chains in densely populated, low-production states using kiosks to more...
USDA criticizes ‘devastating cuts’ in House GOP spending bill
The USDA has publicly criticized the spending bill of Congressional Republicans, calling the party’s plan “devastating” and “extreme more...
Pilgrim’s Pride seeks relief in small birds, prepared foods
Pilgrim’s Pride CEO Fabio Sandri on Thursday relayed “exceptionally challenging circumstances, especially in January,” for the company’s more...
N.C. assembly passes law barring land purchases by 'adversarial foreign governments'
By a 114-0 vote, the North Carolina assembly has approved a law prohibiting the acquisition of farm land by "adversarial foreign governments." Utilizing more...
McDonald’s rebranded sandwich boosts Q1 sales
McDonald's boosted sales with rebranding of its “Crispy Chicken Sandwich” to “McCrispy.” The move was part of the fast-food chain's more...
Judge rules in favor of Foster Farms in antitrust offshoot
A federal judge ruled that the insurance company that covered Foster Farms must pay up in relation to the processor’s involvement in the turkey more...
Cargill, JBS find severing ties with PSSI takes time
The meat industry is collectively pulling the plug on Packers Sanitation Services Inc., but the move to no longer use the services of the company at the more...
Women MAKE Awards recognizes Smithfield plant manager
Antiquea Allen, assistant plant manager at Smithfield Foods’ Clinton, N.C., pork-processing facility, was yesterday honored with the Manufacturing more...
News briefs: Tyson, Smithfield, Hormel
Tyson ups wellness opportunities in NC In conjunction with National Stress Awareness Month, Tyson Foods’ Wilkesboro facility launched a new more...
USDA proposes adjusting, expanding salmonella-as-adulterant rules
USDA is considering an expansion of the food items under which salmonella can be declared an adulterant in a follow-up to its suggested regulatory framework more...
Tyson limits operations at pork plant hit by weekend fire
Tyson Foods Inc. is pulling back on processing activities in Madison, Neb., as it assesses the damage from a fire that prompted the evacuation of the more...
McDonald’s burger changes fuel online backlash
What McDonald’s Corp. found to be a hit outside the U.S. is proving to be a tougher sell domestically, it seems. A week after the fast-food giant more...
Another state halts WOTUS ruling; brings count to 27
An appeals court granted a Kentucky administrative stay, effectively freezing the Biden Administration’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule more...
Ag groups ask SEC for exemption from emissions disclosure rules
Seven agricultural organizations are asking the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to exempt the agricultural sector from proposed climate change more...
Former Butterball employee says new evidence revives case
A former turkey catcher for Butterball asked a federal judge to reconsider his previously dismissed case in light of new evidence. In 2020, Osvaldo Figueroa more...
Tyson probing cause of weekend fire at Neb. plant
Tyson Foods Inc. says it has launched an investigation into the cause of a fire at its meat processing plant in Madison, Neb., that forced an evacuation more...
USDA names new NIFA director
The USDA has named Manjit K. Misra the new Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the agency said in a news release. The NIFA more...
Discrimination lawsuit against Sanderson Farms dismissed
A federal judge has dismissed a former Sanderson Farms plant manager’s lawsuit alleging racial and disability discrimination, according to court more...
Tyson to test self-driving trucks in one state
Tyson Foods will soon jump on board of the self-driving-vehicle trend and cited a shortage of truck drivers as one of the leading causes, the company more...
Meat company strung along after purchasing equipment: lawsuit
A meat processing company is suing multiple defendants for breach of contract and fraud after the company tried to purchase modular food processing units more...
Two Midwest companies announce separate recalls
Companies in Illinois and Wisconsin announced recalls of their products citing potential contamination in one case and misbranding on the label in the more...
Lawmakers call on USDA to ban JBS from govt. contracts (update)
Two Democratic lawmakers are calling on the USDA to block government contracts to meat processor JBS. In a letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack, Senator Elizabeth more...
Congress votes on Biden’s veto of WOTUS resolution
The U.S. House of Representatives failed to override President Joe Biden's veto on a resolution that would have blocked the administration's new Waters more...
Rastelli Foods Group acquires organic meat supplier
Rastelli Foods Group, a processor of organic, grass-fed beef, has acquired Greensbury Market, a New York-based supplier. The acquisition, stated a release more...
News briefs: Vienna Beef co-owner’s passing, new Butterball VP, Hormel Mexican entrees
Vienna Beef co-owner passes awayJim Eisenberg, the longtime co-owner of famed Chicago processor Vienna Beef, passed away at 92 earlier this month. Eisenberg more...
WH Group preps shareholders for massive Q1 loss
Chinese pork processor WH Group is preparing its shareholders for big losses in 2023's first quarter. According to filings with the Stock Exchange of more...
Iowa Senate passes child labor rollback; DOL responds
The Iowa Senate passed a bill this week that would allow the roll back of child labor laws. The bill passed on a 32-17 vote with two Republicans more...
NYC mayor targets meat in 'food-based emissions' reduction plan
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is stressing the further implementation of plant-based foods (and the decrease of animal proteins) in a new plan for city more...
That’s not flour! Police seize 'poultry' boxes
A container supposedly filled with boxes of "poultry" turned out to be a shipment of 140 cocaine bricks in Cape Town, South Africa. The canine unit more...
JBS settles with commercial class in beef price-fixing case
Brazilian beef giant JBS SA agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of conspiring with industry rivals to limit the supply more...
Perdue Farms, U of Ill. partner on salmonella study
The University of Illinois and Perdue Farms announced today that they are partnering to study policy and management approaches to further reduce salmonella more...
McDonald’s fires up burger upgrades after international tests
McDonald’s Corp. is introducing what it calls “small but tasty improvements” to its famous lines of burgers that the Chicago-based fast more...
NPPC sees 2023 pork production rising after strong Q1
The nation’s pork supply is expected to continue its 2023 climb after a 2.3% increase in the first quarter, according to a new report from the National more...
Cargill ends contracts with PSSI in wake of child labor violations
Cargill Inc. terminated its agreements with Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) one month after the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced in February more...
USDA updates progress on HPAI vaccine development
In the wake of the record-setting spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), USDA announced it is testing “a variety” of potential more...
Oddly, turkey prices dive before production can rebound
An "unusual" drop in wholesale prices for turkey has the analysts of the Daily Livestock Report scratching their heads, noting that the price of wholesale more...
Keeping an eye on beef demand: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Canadian processor to layoff nearly 1K employees, close plant
Olymel announced Friday that it will be laying off 994 employees, including 911 union members and 83 managers, due to the definitive closure of its Vallée-Jonction more...
Kroger fights back on legal challenge to Albertson’s deal
Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. is asking a federal judge in California to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a consumer group seeking to block its proposed $24.6 more...
Tyson launches digital wellness program for U.S. employees
Tyson Foods Inc. is rolling out a new initiative designed to help its 120,000 U.S. employees improve their health and well-being using a digital platform more...
Hot out of the oven: 2023 pizza topping trends
Hormel Foods Corporation may be a market leader when it comes to foodservice pizza toppings, but they’re always looking toward the horizon for the more...
Fifth Circuit reinstates La. food labeling law, but with conditions
A Louisiana law that bars the labeling of plant-based foods with "meat terms" has been reinstated by the Fifth Circuit federal appeals court, albeit with more...
Judge approves $75 million settlement in pork antitrust case
A federal judge approved a $75 million settlement between Smithfield Foods and a consumer class Tuesday. The pork processor agreed to pay the more...
Tyson heir leading company facing external, internal woes: WSJ
Over the past few months, meat giant Tyson Foods has delt with a fair amount of adversity, the Wall Street Journal reported in a new profile. The more...
Innovative strategies to reduce energy costs in meat plants
In Winton Salem, N.C., Joyce Farms is rethinking its packaging and heat dispersion systems. Up the East Coast, in Smithfield, Va., Smithfield Foods is more...
National Pork Board names former Tyson exec as CSO
The National Pork Board (NPB) appointed former Tyson Foods exec James "Jamie" Burr as its first chief sustainability officer (CSO), effective March 27 more...
University’s processing facility reopens with new broiler, consultant
A meat processing facility operated by the University of Nevada resumed operations after a four-month shutdown. During the down time, Wolf Pack more...
Investment firm drops 95% of Tyson stock
BTC Capital Management Inc. announced a significant reduction in its position in Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN). According to their latest filing with the more...
HPAI roundup: Late migration, Defra, Japan, Pennsylvania
Late snow and ice delay migrationAvian influenza cases in Minnesota and across the U.S. are growing at a slower rate than last year, according to experts more...
Layoffs imminent as HyLife seeks buyer for pork plant (update)
Hylife Foods notified workers at its facility in that layoffs could happen as soon next week as the company looks for a buyer for the Windom, Minn. facility more...
West Coast ports reopen; uncertainty remains
Two West Coast ports reportedly have resumed exporting agricultural commodities Monday following a temporary shutdown resulting from failed labor contract more...
Subway price tag may drop as deadline lags: report
Potential suitors of the Subway chain may not need to meet the projected $10-billion believed to be required to acquire the company, according to a published more...
Poultry industry mourns passing of Peco Foods exec
The poultry industry is mourning the loss of longtime Peco Foods executive Bobby Wilburn, who died at the age of 66 last week. Wilburn worked as the Tucaloosa more...
McDonald’s restructuring includes layoffs, wage cuts: reports
The anticipated first phase of restructuring at McDonald’s Corp. involved hundreds of corporate jobs cuts, the closing of some regional field offices more...
Native tribe begins construction of $15M processing facility
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians are constructing a meat processing facility, which is scheduled to open in the spring of 2024, according to a release more...
Poultry waste company to pay $76K fine for violations
An Arkansas-based poultry processing waste company will pay more than $76,000 in fines for violations at an Alabama facility. According to the Alabama more...
Going to the chapel of Wienermobile
The Dixie Cups' classic tune "Chapel of Love" beings with "Spring is here, the sky is blue." Consistent with that sentiment, Oscar Mayer is offering lovebirds more...
Tyson targeted in lawsuit for alleged FMLA, ADA violations
A former employee is suing Tyson Foods Inc. for alleged violations of federal laws designed to protect family leave access and people with disabilities more...
Principe Foods facility opens in Missouri; new jobs to come
JBS USA-owned Swift Prepared Foods on Thursday opened its newest facility in Columbia, Mo, dedicated to producing Italian meats and charcuterie under more...
Japan’s vending machine fever now includes bear meat
A vending machine that offers fresh bear meat is creating a buzz among tourists and residents in the northern Japanese city of Semboku and beyond. The more...
Giving back: Annual Meat Conference, Hormel, Smithfield, Mountaire, Perdue
Exhibitors donate meat and poultry products Exhibitors at the Annual Meat Conference donated meat and poultry products to The North Texas Food Bank more...
Beef packer margins begin April in negative territory
U.S. beef packer margins have continued to struggle in 2023, with numbers running in the red at the start of April. According to the Sterling Beef Profit more...
14 poultry companies settle price fixing allegations with Washington state
Chicken producers involved in an alleged price-fixing scheme have paid over $35 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the Washington attorney general, more...
Parents sentenced in PSSI, JBS child labor scandal
A judge sentenced two parents for helping their daughter, 14, take a job cleaning machinery in a JBS packing plant. The Grand Island, Neb. couple pleaded more...
Regeneration: A profile of Miniat Holdings
It had to be a computer glitch. Other explanations of why an entire inventory of product was gone overnight seemed implausible. But such was the head more...
Conagra lifts profit forecast
Conagra Brands Inc., the maker of food products including Slim Jim jerky, on Wednesday signaled that it’s planning further price hikes, raising more...
Arkansas lends a hand to displaced Tyson workers
The community of Van Buren, Ark., is taking steps to help workers impacted by Tysons recent poultry plant closure. During his State of the City more...
Tims China acquires big-name chicken brand
Tims China, the operator and developer of Tim Hortons in China, closed a significant transaction to become the exclusive operator and developer of the more...
USDA appoints new members to food safety committee
The USDA appointed 15 new members and five returning members to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). The committee more...
Perdue settlement over wage-sharing allegations wins approval
A federal judge in Maryland gave final approval to a proposed settlement of a lawsuit that accused Perdue Farms Inc. and other companies of violating more...
Multi-plant coordination causing wide beef price spreads: ISU study
United States beef packers are openly employing multi-plant coordination to maximize profits, according to an Iowa State study. Analysts suggest that more...
Hillshire Farm crowns comedian Amy Sedaris 'queen of deli meats'
Actor and comedian Amy Sedaris is partnering with Hillshire Farm to fulfill her desire to be “the queen of deli meats,” the Tyson Foods brand announced on more...
Listeria outbreak linked to deli meat over: CDC
A multi-state outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes linked to deli meat and cheese is now over, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. more...
McDonald’s reportedly temporarily shuts offices to prep for layoffs
McDonald’s Corp. asked corporate employees to work from home until Wednesday of this week as it prepares to announce layoffs, according to a report more...
Senate passes bipartisan resolution to overturn WOTUS rule
The U.S. Senate passed a joint resolution of disapproval to overturn President Biden's Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, according to a release more...
FSIS seeks proposals for tackling salmonella in poultry (updated)
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service invites poultry slaughter and processing firms to submit proposals for pilot projects to test different more...
News briefs: USPOULTRY, Rastelli's, Hickory Nut Gap, Southern Recipe
USPOULTRY offers resource on handling cryogenic chemicals To help member companies prepare staff to work with cryogenic chemicals, such as liquid more...
March 2023
Roster of possible Subway suitors reportedly expands
The list of prospective buyers of the massive Subway fast food chain continues to expand, according to several local media reports. Just weeks after such more...
USDA chief argues for more funding despite calls for cuts
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack testified before the Senate and House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees on Thursday to discuss the proposed budget more...
S.C. awards $3.5M in grants to help local beef processors expand
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture is awarding a total $3.47 million in matching grant funding to eight local companies to help them expand more...
Storied Brooklyn butcher shop closing after 100 years
One of New York City’s oldest butchers is closing shop, according to local media reports. Brooklyn’s G. Esposito & Sons Jersey Pork Store more...
Meat thefts continue with stolen JBS semi trailer
A new meat theft of hefty proportions has been reported in Nebraska. According to KSNB Local4, a semi trailer of JBS USA beef valued at $275,000 was stolen more...
Lawmakers unveil bipartisan bill to stiffen child labor penalties
Two congresswomen this week introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting children from illegal labor practices. Hillary Scholten (D-Michigan) more...
Investigation continues into carjacking in Tyson Foods parking lot
An investigation into a carjacking at a Tyson Foods parking lot has yielded one arrest, although the two primary suspects remain at large. According to more...
Italy approves bill to ban cultivated meat
Italy's government on Tuesday approved a bill banning the use of cultivated food and animal feed, its agriculture minister said during news conference more...
Bachoco mulls delisting from NYSE, cease SEC filings
Mexican processor Industrias Bachoco announced that its board of directors is considering delisting its American Depositary Receipts from the New York more...
Minn. prison adds retail store to processing plant
The Northeast Regional Corrections Center in Saginaw, Minn., has completed a retail store to partner with its facility. The new meat processing more...
Blaze consumes poultry house and 15,500 broilers in Virginia
A pre-dawn blaze destroyed a poultry house and the 15,500 chickens inside on Monday in Stanley, Va., fire officials say. By the time the town’s more...
Proper carcass composting can significantly reduce ASF spread: study
Emerging research suggests that composting could effectively eliminate the African swine fever virus (ASF) from contaminated carcasses, reducing the risk more...
USDA proposes approval of Paraguayan beef imports
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Monday published a proposed rule to allow imports of fresh beef from Paraguay, a move more...
WH Group produces more poultry in diversification effort
China’s WH Group Ltd substantially increased its poultry processing in 2022, the Chinese pork producing giant reported on Tuesday. Growing more...
Chicken nuggets on KFC menu after decades-long hiatus
After nearly 25 years, chicken nuggets are back on the menu at Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets nationwide. The Louisville, Ky.-based subsidiary of Yum more...
Japan lifts import ban on Canadian beef after BSE issues
Japan removed its last restriction blocking imported beef products from Canada following a 20-year ban imposed after confirmation of a case of bovine more...
Perdue Farms seeks FSIS definitions for label claims
Perdue Farms is asking USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to establish rules to separately define “free range” and “pasture-raised” more...
Beef production down, prices up: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
New faces in Smithfield’s exec suite
Smithfield Foods has named two new senior executives: Isham "Jay" Bennett in the newly created role of chief human resources officer, and Tennille Checkovich more...
HPAI roundup: New N.D. limits, Canada braces, Conn. prepares
N.D. sets new limits on poultry/bird events The North Dakota State Board of Animal Health recently amended policies for the suspension of poultry and more...
Positive E. coli test sparks beef recall
Elkhorn Valley Packing recalled about 3,436 pounds of boneless beef chuck products because they may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing more...
Shifts in demand, inflation force layoffs at charcuterie processor
Rhode Island-based processor Charcuterie Artisans is laying off nearly 50 workers, according to local media. In a statement to WPRI, Charcuterie more...
Senator says bill would broaden market for meat and poultry processors
A bill to allow the sale of state-inspected meat and poultry across state lines has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. The New Markets for State-Inspected more...
Cold storage meat supplies tick upward from year-ago levels
The total amount of poultry and red meat in cold storage increased last month from levels posted in February 2022, but red meat supplies slipped from more...
Biden admin. announces new initiatives in alt-proteins, methane reduction
In a new report, the Biden administration has announced initiatives for biotechnology and biomanufacturing – including methane reduction and alt-protein more...
China ends BSE ban, resumes beef imports from Brazil
China has announced the resumption of beef imports from Brazil, according to Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA). Brazilian exports more...
Sioux Falls mayor doubts Wholestone will build pork plant
A controversial plan by Wholestone Farms to build a $500 million pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., appears to be on shaky ground. Sioux Falls more...
State, federal changes to Montana’s meat-inspection requirements
The State of Montana may inspect meat products produced in selected establishments for shipment throughout the United States, according to a USDA release more...
Wholestone butcher shop closes, Sioux Falls pork plant put on hold
The custom butcher shop operated by Nebraska-based Wholestone Farms in Sioux Falls, S.D., has closed. No specific reason was given for the closure. more...
JBS sees challenging Q1 for US beef, keeps outlook for 2023
JBS SA expects its US beef business to report margins around mid-single digits in 2023, despite apersistent challenging scenario in the first quarter more...
Ag groups call for congress to pass trade promotion authority
United States agriculture and food groups are urging Congress to pass new legislation to enable the country to negotiate more free-trade agreements. The more...
Swift to open $200M plant in April
After a delayed start, JBS USA-owned Swift Prepared Foods is opening a second $200 million meat processing plant in Missouri early next month, according more...
Smithfield lauds judge ruling on methane digesters legal challenge
Smithfield Foods is calling a ruling by a North Carolina administrative law judge over a permit allowing a system designed to reduce greenhouse gases more...
DxE activists cleared of theft charges after taking Foster Farms chickens
Former “Baywatch” actress Alexandra Paul and another woman were found not guilty of theft after taking two chickens from a Foster Farms truck more...
Federal judge halts WOTUS in two states
A federal judge in Texas has granted a preliminary injunction against the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule in Texas and Idaho Sunday, a day before the more...
USDA extends comment period on cattle traceability rule
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is adding 30 days to the comment period for a proposal to strengthen animal disease traceability more...
Illinois processing plant fire causes $1M in damages
A meat processing plant near Harvard, Ill., suffered about $1 million in damages after a three-alarm fire broke out on Saturday evening, according to more...
DOL secures $323K in back wages for poultry catchers
The federal Department of Labor has recovered $353,141 in back wages for 322 employees of two poultry-catching companies that were denied their full more...
S.D. law raises the bar on nuisance complaints about ag operations
A law designed to make it more difficult to file a lawsuit or nuisance complaint against agricultural companies that also limits financial compensation more...
News briefs: CKE, Arcos Dorados, Tyson, IPC
CKE gets new CEO The parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, has announced the appointment of Max Wetzel as chief executive officer, effective immediately more...
Olymel, UFCW reopen contract to negotiate higher wages at Quebec plant
In an effort to attract and retain workers, Canadian pork processor Olymel has begun new negotiations with the UFCW to raise wages at its Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu more...
Local school board makes decision on Hormel's abatement request
The Austin Public Schools board has denied a tax abatement request from Hormel Foods for a child care center, according to a report from the Austin Daily more...
Tobacco commission looks to fund meat processors
The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission is seeking applicants for funding in hopes of increasing the number of meat processing facilities in more...
Giving Back: Perdue, Smithfield, Leidy’s Premium Meats/Seaboard
Perdue Farms donates 38K pounds of chicken in Calif. Perdue Farms provided 38,000 pounds of protein to Redwood Empire Food Bank of Santa Rosa, Calif. more...
Pilgrim’s Pride misclassified workers, denied OT: lawsuit
A Georgia woman has filed a lawsuit against Pilgrim’s Pride alleging the processor misclassified workers and denied overtime pay. The lawsuit was more...
Report: Brazilian packers suffering big losses after halt in China exports
The BSE-inspired halt of Brazilian beef exports to China is making a big dent in meatpacker earnings. According to analysis from the consultant firm Datagro more...
Kunzler meat plant experiences second ammonia leak in four days
Emergency crews in Lancaster, Pa., on Tuesday night responded to a second ammonia leak in four days at a Kunzler & Company Inc. meat packing plant more...
USDA doubles scope of recent goat product recall
The USDA has more than doubled the scope of a recent recall of bone-in goat products. Originally announced on March 6, the recall concerns raw, bone-in more...
Illinois poultry processor expands in Missouri
Barry, Ill.-based Jones Poultry announced it will expand just over the Mississippi River in Hannibal, Mo., investing $6 million and creating 50 new jobs more...
Johnson-Hoffman ‘moves on’ from cultivated meat company; new CEO tapped
Gustavo Burger has been named chief executive officer of cultivated meat firm Believer Meats, moving up from COO and replacing Nicole Johnson-Hoffman more...
German meat processor to cut 140 jobs
A German processing giant plans to cut 140 jobs and close one of its export packaging departments for Asia. Tönnies, which is the second-largest more...
Far fewer pounds of meat and poultry recalled in 2022, study finds
Unlike recalls of food with FDA oversight, the number involving USDA-regulated meat, poultry and processed egg products stayed roughly the same in 2022 more...
Tyson Foods closing two poultry plants, impacting more than 1,600 workers
Tyson Foods Inc. plans to close two poultry plants — one in Arkansas and one in Virginia — that together employ 1,661 people. Springdale, more...
Some recovery for meat dept sales in February
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The February marketplaceWhile inflation is moderating more...
Tyson touts 'climate-friendly' beef
The nation’s first USDA-approved “climate-friendly” beef product will be sold in select markets at retailers later this year, Tyson more...
Chicago man sues Buffalo Wild Wings for ‘boneless’ advertising
A Chicago man has filed a civil lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings for alleged deceptive marketing practices. Aimen Halim, who filed the suit last week more...
Nothin' for chicken to be mad about in March: CoBank
The next few weeks promise to be a boon for poultry processors as prices for chicken wings and breast meat have fallen sharply in recent months, just more...
More processors set child care program plans for local employees
Hormel Foods Corp. and JBS USA are preparing to invest in new child care facilities to help their employees address challenges when they need to be at more...
Weak beef exports raise concerns: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
CFIA recalls 13 different dim sum products
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has recalled a baker’s dozen of dim sum products distributed under the Fisherman’s Wharf brand, made by more...
Ex-Raeford Farms execs plead guilty to $2.1M fraud scheme
Two men accused of diverting more than $2.1 million in business from Raeford Farms of Louisiana pleaded guilty in a federal court and now face up to five more...
PA on track to fund state-level farm bill
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's budget proposal for the 2023-24 fiscal year would fully fund the Pennsylvania Farm Bill — the nation’s more...
USDA chief Vilsack applauds proposed 2024 U.S. budget
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack calls the proposed 2024 budget released this week by the White House a demonstration of the Biden administration’s more...
News briefs: Triumph Foods NAMI recognition, NPPC award/HoF induction,
Triumph Foods receives NAMI Safety Recognition Award Triumph Foods today that for the second consecutive year, it has been recognized by the North American more...
New USDA investments led by $25M for Wholestone Farms
The USDA announced more than $43 million in new investment for meat processing research, expansion, and innovation. Leading those investments in a $25 more...
Another state rolls back child labor laws
Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders signed a law this week that curtails child labor protections. The Youth Hiring Act of 2023 does not require children under more...
DxE activists on trial for alleged theft of chickens in California
Former “Baywatch” star Alexandra Paul and a second woman are facing trial for taking two chickens from a Foster Farms truck in Livingston more...
New products: Pederson’s Farms, Farmer Focus, Dietz & Watson, Charcutnuvo
Pork products maker launches pickled sausage snackPederson’s Farms is introducing a pickled sausage snack made from pork and beef that is sourced more...
Olathe, Kansas, considers $257 million beef production plant (update)
An unidentified retailer wants to build a $257 million beef production plant in Olathe, Kansas, to supply its stores in nearly half a dozen states. If more...
Discussions at AMC: The rise of case-ready meats
DALLAS — Industry professionals discussed the remarkable rise of case-ready meats in one session at the Annual Meat Conference, held here this week more...
Got a beef with the regulatory process? Tell USDA about it!
The federal government is asking for feedback from the public on the regulatory process, and what are some areas of improvement. In a release, the Office more...
A taste test of Aunt Ethel’s Roasted Chicken Pot Pie
What screams "comfort food" more than a piping hot, homemade savory chicken pot pie? We first tasted Aunt Ethel’s pot pies at a recent trade food more...
Tyson targeted in suit over pandemic-related policies
A group composed of Tyson Foods Inc. employees, former employees and family members filed a lawsuit this week accusing the protein giant of negligence more...
Sanderson to pay $18M to end chicken pay suit
Wayne-Sanderson Farms confirms it will pay $17.75 million to settle antitrust litigation over an alleged scheme conducted by major poultry producers to more...
Potential suitors emerge in hunt to buy Subway
Several companies reportedly are preparing to enter the ring to acquire Subway, the world’s largest fast food chain, which officially is up for more...
HPAI roundup: Argentina; new cases in a human, other mammals
Argentina suspends poultry exports Argentina recently suspended exports of avian products after confirming the nation’s first case of highly pathogenic more...
USDA proposes new 'Product of USA' labeling rules
USDA has released a proposed rule with new regulatory requirements for a voluntary “Product of USA” label claim, the agency said in a news more...
White House unveils another $89M in grants to nonprofit lenders
The White House is investing $89 million in nonprofit lenders across the country for them to use in financing the startup and expansion of independent more...
Analysts lower Hormel estimates after Q1 earnings miss
At least two industry analysts are lowering their expectations for Hormel Foods Corp.’s fiscal 2023 earnings after the processor fell short of consensus more...
NCC chair blasts USDA regs in House Ag testimony
National Chicken Council President Mike Brown made clear just how disruptive some USDA regulations have been on the country’s poultry industry in more...
Large chicken farm to supply Simmons Foods gets OK in Okla.: report
A poultry mega-farm is in the works in Strang, Okla., and residents in surrounding Mayes County are worried about it, according to The Frontier, more...
Kroger CEO says merger ‘on track’ for 2024 close
Kroger Co. says it is “working cooperatively” with federal regulators regarding its proposed $26.4-billion merger with Albertsons Cos. and more...
Tyson Ventures calls for ideas on “putting waste to work”
Tyson Ventures is calling on those with innovative ideas on “putting waste to work” to step up. The second annual Tyson Demo Day more...
Try THIS with your hot fudge topping
Whether you consider it an innovation or an insult, the trend in savory ice cream flavors rolls on. The latest entry is Baskin-Robbins' new Flavor of more...
Hormel cites weak sales for Q1 earnings miss
Hormel Foods on Thursday cited inflation, supply-chain issues and weak sales in reporting first-quarter results that fell short of what the food producer more...
EPA to tighten limits on meat plant effluent
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday announced its intent to update water pollution control standards for slaughterhouses and animal more...
Iowa bill banning alt proteins in school lunches rejected
A subcommittee of the Iowa House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a bill that would ban meat alternative products in school lunches, according more...
Teton Waters Ranch out with kid-friendly beef products
Teton Waters Ranch on Thursday launched a nutrient-rich product line that the Loveland, Colo.-based grass-fed beef provider says should appeal to kids more...
Missouri bill to limit foreign ownership of farmland advances
A measure to limit foreign ownership of agricultural land in the state of Missouri was given initial approval on Tuesday in the Missouri House more...
Japan to prioritize cultivated meat market
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that his government is committed to developing the country’s cellular agriculture sector. “We more...
No turning back: A discussion with Maeve Webster of Menu Matters
Maeve Webster is not one to mince words. As president of Menu Matters, Webster manages a strategic and menu consulting firm focused on the food industry more...
Giving Back: Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, Hormel Foods
Tyson donates to Ark.-based regional food bank Tyson Foods Inc. donated more than 80,000 pounds of protein to the River Valley Regional Food Bank as part more...
February 2023
Feds to pay $1.2M settlement for Tennessee meat plant raid
Latino workers arrested during a 2018 raid at a Tennessee meat processing plant have reached a $1.2 million settlement with the U.S. government. About 100 more...
Maple Leaf Foods puts Organ in charge of pork business
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. today named industry veteran Dennis Organ as president of the company’s pork division. The move follows a leadership shuffle more...
U.S. vows crackdown on child labor after PSSI fine
The U.S. Department of Labor says it is increasing efforts to combat labor exploitation of migrant children. The Monday announcement follows a more...
Land O’Frost promotes Williams to VP of manufacturing
Lansing, Ill.-based packaged meats processor Land O’Frost has announced that Alfred Williams has been promoted to vice president of manufacturing more...
Three consumer trends affecting processors’ businesses now
Maeve Webster, head of food and menu consultancy Menu Matters, constantly checks the pulse of the consumer and tracks trends that affect not only restaurants more...
Meyer Natural Foods appoints ex-Cargill exec as CEO
Natural and organic protein producer Meyer Natural Foods this week named John Keating as the new CEO of the Loveland, Colo.-based processor. Keating has more...
Peel: Beef herd will not expand in 2023
Drought-accelerated herd liquidation over the past two years has made the beef cow herd the smallest in 61 years. With continuing drought conditions, more...
USDA slates free courses on animal handling, grading, yield
The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) plans to offer three free courses designed provide educational and training opportunities to those more...
Brazilian beef producers adjust in wake of BSE, export halt to China
Government officials in Brazil are promising to maintain “total transparency” in light of a decision earlier this week to suspend beef exports more...
Godshall’s to launch smoked sausage line in product expansion
Godshall’s Quality Meats Inc. will introduce smoked sausage and kielbasa made with turkey and Angus beef next month in an extension of its specialty more...
USDA predicts drop in meat, poultry exports
USDA’s Economic Research Service lowered its projections slightly for livestock, meat and poultry-related exports in fiscal 2023 in its most recent more...
Beyond Meat’s ‘spoonful of sugar’
Beyond Meat’s fourth quarter and full-year 2022 financial results were not, objectively speaking, anything to crow about, but the bad news had a more...
Brazil halts beef exports to China after BSE detection
Brazil announced it is suspending exports of beef to China due to a case of bovine spongiform encephalitis, multiple news outlets reported. Announced more...
Utah governor signals support for animal burglary bill
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox favors legislation that would make it illegal to use a livestock animal’s health as a reason to remove it from its owner. more...
Hawaii considers expanding processing capacity to address deer population
After an uptick in deer population, state and county officials in Hawaii are working on solutions. One solution could be Senate Bill 1486 SD1, which would more...
Briefs: Nitrate-free cured meats, Old Trapper in the Pac-12, Tyson in NASCAR
No-nitrate-added meat developmentWes Osburn, an associate professor in meat science at Texas A&M, is developing methods to generate the nitric oxide more...
JBS to appeal BBB's "net zero" recommendation
JBS USA says it will appeal a recommendation by the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs regarding specific claims in the processor’s more...
Truck driver runs over, kills co-worker at Pa. poultry plant
A woman died on Friday after a tractor accident at Bell and Evans Plant 2 in Bethel Township, Pa. Modrel Songer, 64 of Valliant, Okla., was in the parking more...
Turkeys die, chickens saved in farm fire
An unknown number of turkeys died in a farm fire in Santa Barbara County on Tuesday, according to a local news report. Investigators are investigating more...
News briefs: Prince Edward groundbreaking, Dave’s Hot Chicken expansion, Hickory Nut ‘vital blend’
Prince Edward plant to begin constructionA new processing facility is coming to Southern Virginia. According to The Farmville Herald, construction will more...
SCOTUS makes decision on Tyson COVID liability appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal from Tyson Foods regarding two COVID-19 meatpacking plant workers liability cases. The court decided more...
New scrutiny for Kroger/Albertsons deal by federal, state officials
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes also announced an antitrust probe into the $24.6-billion Kroger-Albertsons merger, and the deal’s potential more...
Cargill names new CFO, head of global operations
Cargill has appointed two additions to its executive roster, the company said in a release Monday. Cargill appointed Joanne Knight as chief financial more...
News briefs: Philippines cattle ban, UW-Madison meat course, Perdue housing grant
Philippines issues cattle/poultry bansThe Philippines' department of agriculture has banned the importing of cattle products from The Netherlands and more...
Canadian meat exports to China should see uptick: official
Issues that have stymied Canadian meat processors’ effort to export poultry and red meat to China are “simple technical problems” that more...
U.S. ag groups partner up against ASF
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, USDA, National Pork Board (NPB) and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) have forged a more...
Two sentenced in multi-million dollar cattle-trading Ponzi scheme
Two people were sentenced to six years in federal prison Friday for their involvement in a cattle-trading Ponzi scheme that caused victims to lose more...
USDA to invest $63M in rural areas for high-speed internet
The USDA is investing $63 million to bring high-speed internet to rural areas of the country, the agency said in a release. The funding, which comes from more...
More than 100 children worked for PSSI; company fined
An investigation into more than a dozen plants revealed that Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) had more than 100 children illegally employed more...
Impossible Foods confirms layoffs
Impossible Foods has cut 132 jobs at its Oakland and Redwood City location in California, according to a notice filed on February 10 with the California more...
California offers job training, services to displaced Farmer John workers
The California Employment Development Department announced Tuesday that it has committed $6.1 million to facilitate specialized employment training and more...
USDA expects near or record meat exports by 2032
Beef, pork and chicken exports are all expected to rise to record or near-record levels by 2032, the USDA estimates in a recently released long-term projection more...
Messer settles suit with plant incident survivors
Messer Gas LLC settled a lawsuit with three survivors of a 2021 nitrogen leak that killed six and injured nearly 50 workers. The case was settled in Gwinnett more...
Seaboard announces pork losses, Butterball gains in 2022
Seaboard Corporation, the nation's No. 3 hog producer and No. 4 pork processor, revealed both positives and negatives to its 2022 animal protein performance more...
Sen. Warren calls out USDA, Vilsack in anti-consolidation speech
Agriculture is among the sectors of the U.S. economy in need of reform, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said in a keynote on Tuesday to a conference hosted more...
NPPC pork snapshot highlights labor shortages, production increases
The pork industry's labor shortage and production outlook are the main focuses of a new National Pork Producers Council quarterly report. The NPPC Economic more...
Former Tyson, Beyond Meat exec sentenced in nose-biting altercation
Former Tyson and Beyond Meat executive Doug Ramsey pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts involving an altercation at an Arkansas football game in September more...
Minnesota lawmakers hear from meat plant workers
Meat processing plant workers relayed stories of broken bones, horrific lacerations and other on-the-job injuries to Minnesota lawmakers on Tuesday, multiple more...
Easterday sues Tyson Foods over alleged market power
The Washington cattleman who defrauded Tyson Foods out of hundreds of millions of dollars is now suing the packer for alleged anticompetitive practices more...
Aged meat not riskier than fresh meat: EFSA
Aged meat in the right conditions does not pose any more risks than fresh meat, according to a study by the European Food Safety Authority. more...
Bill proposed to allow child labor in processing plants
Iowa lawmakers proposed a bill to allow children to work in meat processing plants. Like many states, Iowa is struggling to employ a workforce with about more...
Subway chain confirms possible sale
Subway announced to its shareholders that it is exploring a possible sale of the company, according to a news release. There is no timeline for the potential more...
OSHA fines poultry farm contractor for safety violations
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) levied a $33,814 fine against a poultry farm contractor following more...
Olymel barn fire kills 10,000 pigs
A fire Sunday at an Olymel finishing barn in Sturgis, Sask., killed thousands of pigs, the company said. Staff called 911 Sunday morning to report the more...
Former Beyond Meat, Tyson exec sued after alleged altercation
Former Beyond Meat and Tyson exec Doug Ramsey is being sued in an Arkansas county court in relation to an alleged assault case from last year. Court documents more...
A tale of two chicken chains
Two poultry-themed fast casual chains are considering new concepts, with one testing real chicken meat sandwiches on its otherwise all-vegan menu and more...
Delmarva group kicks off centennial campaign
The Delmarva Chicken Association (DCA) has launched a year-long educational campaign, “Growing For 100 Years,” to celebrate the meat chicken more...
McDonald’s links latest celebrity ‘collab’ to Valentine’s Day
McDonald’s Corp. this week will launch a new collaboration with two popular rap icons that offers menu items the pair enjoy on date night, just more...
US ag exports post new record in 2022, USDA confirms
Exports of agricultural products from U.S. producers hit their highest levels ever in 2022, with sales reaching $196 billion, according to USDA and Commerce more...
Analyst lowers estimate for Pilgrim’s Pride after Q4 loss
A higher-than-expected loss in the fourth quarter prompted one industry analyst to reduce his earnings estimates for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. for all more...
Australian beef producers believe China will lift suspensions
Australian beef producers believe China will lift trade suspensions on some of Australia’s processing plants. China blocked imports from more...
HPAI briefs: U.S. vaccine, Ill. study, outbreaks in Ca., Mi. and Kan.
U.S. gearing up to test shots against HPAI USDA scientists are discussing options and may soon begin testing HPAI vaccines in poultry, a process more...
Pilgrim’s posts bigger-than-expected Q4 losses
Pilgrim’s Pride reported a bigger-than-expected loss of $155 million in its fourth quarter on revenue of $4.13 billion, with a sizable drop in market more...
Worldwide demand propels beef exports to record 2022
U.S. beef exports set records for both volume and value in 2022, according to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). At 1.47 million more...
Wisconsin offers processor grants to improve state industry
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) opened an application window for meat processors to apply for grants, according more...
A taste test of Rojo's Famous Pancake Sandwiches
Breakfast sandwiches are one of the top selections consumed in the heavily competitive breakfast category. In-home options compete with QSR and even Grubhub more...
China looks to boost pork production with high-rise farms
High-rise pig farms are cropping up in China in a bid to reduce its dependence on imports and keep pace with demand in a nation that consumes half of more...
AMS to hold webinar on grading instrument update
The American Meat Science Association will host a webinar designed to educate participants on updates with meat grading intruments. The event will take more...
Toast of the town: a profile of In't Veld's Meat Market
Jerry Roorda almost lost everything. Twice. On April Fool’s Day in 2011 — after a varied career spanning stints as a police officer, welder more...
Giving back: Perdue Farms, Tyson, Hormel, Smithfield
Perdue Farms donates to food bank, homeless shelter Perdue Farms donated $20,000 to causes in California and Maryland this year. In January, the more...
Feds allege safety violations at Missouri cattle processor
Republic Foods now faces $573,000 in federal fines for allegedly exposing workers to potentially lethal levels of carbon dioxide at its cattle processing more...
Listeria concerns prompt massive recall
Fresh Ideation Food Group LLC of Baltimore, Md., is recalling hundreds of ready-to-eat products, including various meat items, that may be contaminated more...
Perdue Farms to help workers kick the smoking habit
Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue Farms is taking part in a pilot smoking cessation program, with eight tenured workers at its turkey harvest facility in Washington more...
New challenge to Kroger-Albertsons merger lands in federal court
The proposed $24.6 billion merger between Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. is the target of a lawsuit filed by a group of 25 consumers from 11 states in more...
Tyson Foods sees sales growth, profit drop in Q1
Tyson Foods saw a 2.5% first quarter sales growth year over year, led largely by the company’s prepared foods, which saw an 8.8% jump for the quarter more...
NYT op-ed piece, in context
Nicholas Kristof’s op-ed column in The New York Times on Saturday, taking Smithfield Foods to task for its controlled-atmosphere stunning (CAS) more...
CFIA recalls meatballs due to undeclared allergen
Meatball products made by Apetito HFS have been recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), because they contain egg, gluten, milk and wheat more...
JBS plant worker charged in shooting death of co-worker
Authorities in Louisville, Ky., arrested and charged a JBS USA plant worker for allegedly killing another worker at the company’s pork processing more...
Workers exposed to ammonia leak at Pilgrim’s Pride plant
Workers at a Pilgrim’s Pride meat processing plant were exposed to an ammonia leak at the South Carolina facility Thursday. One person was hospitalized more...
JBS reopens facility in Australia
JBS Foods is set to reopen its facility in Australia with a $20 million investment, according to a release from the company. The facility, which is located more...
Senate reintroduces Cattle Market Reform Bill
A bipartisan group of four Senators — Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) — introduced more...
Global recession impacting pork industry: Rabobank
Global economic turmoil is causing uncertainty in the pork industry, a new report from Rabobank shows. While other proteins can be more expensive, pork more...
Smithfield’s Farmer John plant to officially close by mid-February
The iconic Farmer John plant in Vernon, Calif. is ending its lengthy run this month, more than seven months after Smithfield Foods announced it would more...
The many impacts of the OneTyson policy
Tyson Foods’ decision to close three regional offices and offer transfers to 1,100 corporate workers to northwest Arkansas may or may not pan out more...
Price, claims drive pork purchases: study
Price still looms largest in consumers’ pork purchasing decisions, but quality and pig raising claims are an increasingly important influence in more...
Giving back: Perdue, Tyson, Seaboard, Producer Partnerships
Perdue grant to fund ag curriculumPerdue Farms has provided a grant of $5,000 to Agriculture in the Classroom in Virginia, the company said in a news more...
Smithfield tries to prevent class action certification
Smithfield Foods pushed back against an attempt to certify a class action lawsuit against the company, according to court filings. In April, Emmanuel more...
USDA launches cattle-sales database to help producers negotiate
The USDA launched a public database disclosing payment terms for private cattle sales, information that should help producers negotiate more favorable more...
An exclusive interview with Ag. Secretary Tom Vilsack
For its February issue, Meatingplace conducted an exclusive interview with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, during which the cabinet member detailed more...
U.S. beef herd at lowest level since 1962: USDA
Dry weather and labor shortages throughout 2022 has led the U.S. beef cow herd to drop to its lowest level since 1962, US Department of Agriculture data more...
January 2023
Stampede Meat now North America’s largest sous vide processor
Stampede Meat Inc. announced today a partnership with DL Lee & Sons, allowing Stampede to expand its production footprint in the Southeast and tout more...
Danish Crown facing more layoffs, shutdowns
Europe's largest meat processing company is facing another round of layoffs and facility shutdowns as European pork exports continue to fall. Danish Crown more...
Tyson sets new health, wellness benefits for team members
Tyson Foods Inc. announced several initiatives designed to help its employees enhance their overall health and wellness on top of previously announced more...
Ohio cooperative acquires Low Carbon Beef
Ohio-based farmer-owned cooperative Select Sires Inc. today announced the acquisition of Low Carbon Beef and with it the creation of Low Carbon Technologies more...
Activists go to bat for farmers, ranchers with USDA
Twenty-four groups active in environmental and animal rights issues have sent a letter to USDA Sec. Tom Vilsack, "urging that the USDA seize upon an open more...
Tyson lists former corporate offices for sublease
Tyson Foods has listed the company’s former corporate office space in Chicago on the sublease market, according to a report from Crain’s Chicago more...
FSIS ready to implement E. coli test expansion program
USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is prepared to formally launch an expansion of its tests for E. coli in raw beef trimmings as scheduled more...
Consumer sentiment improves as inflation slightly eases: report
Consumer sentiment about the U.S. economy moved higher for the second straight month although it remains low from year-ago levels, according to the University more...
U.S. lawmakers revive spotlight on meatpacker expansion, labeling
Several members of the U.S. Congress are taking steps that could change the fortunes of small meatpacking companies and heat up the ongoing debate on more...
HPAI confirmed in commercial turkey flock in Iowa
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in Iowa for the first time in more than a month, officials from more...
OK Foods parent names new CEO
OK Foods’ Mexican parent company Industrias Bachoco named Ernesto Salmon Castelo its new CEO, succeeding Rodolfo Ramos Arvizu, who will retire, more...
Tyson continues Tennessee plant expansion
Tyson Foods is investing more than $20 million to expand its prepared foods facility and related infrastructure in Newbern, Tenn. Having broken ground more...
WSJ: Tyson CFO pleads guilty to public intoxication, trespassing
Tyson Foods Chief Financial Officer John R. Tyson has pleaded guilty to charges related to his November arrest in Fayetteville, Ark., The Wall more...
Saskatchewan mounts million-dollar war chest against swine disease
The Canadian province of Saskatchewan and the Sask Pork organization together have pledged C$1 million in funding to support swine disease mitigation more...
Cold storage stocks are piling up
Spurred by higher protein prices and penny-pinching on the part of consumers, the volume of beef, pork and poultry in cold storage is up significantly more...
'It's dip o'clock, y'all': Hormel Foods
With that cheerful announcement, Hormel Foods has rolled out its new food collab, in time for your Super Bowl party: Hormel Chili-branded Chili Cheese more...
IPPE 2023: Opportunities in sustainability [Updated]
ATLANTA — Big Ideas took center stage here at the 2023 International Production & Processing Expo, where a varied panel tackled some of more...
BlackRock boosts investment in Tyson
BlackRock Inc., the world's largest investment management company, has boosted its investment in Tyson Foods by more than 20%, now owning more than 25 more...
U.S. officials ‘concerned’ about Mexico’s biotech policies on feed
USDA and negotiators from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) are expressing “severe concerns” about proposed changes in Mexico’s more...
News briefs: Tyson, McDonald's, Perdue, Church's
Tyson heart-shaped chicken nuggets back for holiday Tyson is bringing back heart-shaped chicken nuggets for a limited time, expanding retail distribution more...
Tyson Foods refutes criticism amid UFCW drive in Iowa
Tyson Foods is defending itself from allegations of unfair labor practices involving its pork plant in Columbus Junction, Iowa. The United Food more...
West Liberty Foods to open new processing, cold storage facility
West Liberty Foods will open a new food processing center and attached cold storage facility developed by Vertical Cold Storage in Kansas City, Mo., the more...
Utah lawmaker wants to turn tables on animal 'rescues'
A legislator in Utah wants to change the playing field so there would have been a different verdict in the case of two activists found innocent of stealing more...
Ag groups sue EPA over new WOTUS rule
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association have joined a coalition of agricultural more...
Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef receives $150M investment for plant project
Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef Co. is moving along with its plans to build a processing plant in Iowa in the wake of a $150-million investment from Karis more...
Tennessee confirms HPAI in large commercial flock
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture said birds on commercial poultry farm tested positive for Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Weakley more...
Responding to ASF fallout, Danish Crown closes plant in Germany
Pork processor Danish Crown will shutter a 200-employee facility in Germany, according to a statement from the company. The plant, which is located in more...
New $1M grant to fund U-Ark. poultry automation research
A new $1 million grant will support poultry plant automation research at the University of Arkansas. According to a press release from the Fayetteville more...
Virginia confirms first commercial HPAI case
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) confirmed the state’s first case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) more...
Smithfield reiterates policies in wake of pig mistreatment allegations
Smithfield Foods responded to protests that it mistreats pigs at slaughter by noting that the company follows established USDA standards when stunning more...
Physician asks USDA to approve livestock lungs as food
A medical doctor sent a petition to the USDA and the Food Safety Inspection Service calling for the agencies to amend a rule that prohibits livestock more...
Animal activist group requests new look at custom-exempt policies
The Animal Welfare Institute petitioned the USDA to revise its directive on custom-exempt slaughter on Thursday, citing an analysis of federal inspection more...
Feds reportedly probe possible human trafficking of kids who cleaned plants (UPDATE)
The government is probing whether human trafficking was involved in children who were allegedly illegally employed to clean slaughterhouses in the Midwest more...
Expert: HPAI the biggest animal emergency USDA has ever faced
As the U.S. poultry industry continues to contend with the nation’s worst outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) ever, experts are more...
USDA proposes amendment to animal disease traceability regulations
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing a change to the way diseases are traced for bison and cattle. The agency more...
Signature blend: A discussion with 2023 Knowlton recipient Abel Olivera
Abel Olivera likes to mix it up. He did so when blending waxes for a start-up company before joining Jensen Meat in February 2005, where he would help more...
Police shoot, kill worker at Seaboard plant
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) is investigating a fatal shooting at the Seaboard Foods plant in Guymon, Okla., the agency said in a more...
Tyson Foods CEO talks about inflation, HPAI from Davos
The high cost of grain is a big component of inflation for those in the protein business, Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King said Tuesday in a Fox News interview more...
FSIS to expand generic label approval
The USDA’s Food Safety Inspections Service is expanding the circumstances under which it will generically approve the labels of meat, poultry and more...
Giving back: Perdue Farms, Smithfield Foods, Tyson Foods, Farmers Union
Perdue provides grants to Boys & Girls Clubs Perdue Farms has provided a grant of $10,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County in Mount more...
Two men arrested at Smithfield plant for counterfeiting
Two men are accused of possessing and using counterfeit money following an incident at Smithfield Foods in Tar Heels, N.C., according to law enforcement more...
Apartment complex opens for JBS workers in Iowa
A residential project designed to provide apartments to JBS USA employees and their families in Ottumwa, Iowa, formally opened this week, just over a more...
Belleau to drive North Country Smokehouse growth
Smoked meats specialist North Country Smokehouse (NCS) has announced the hiring of Jason Belleau as the company’s director of national business more...
The COOL drumbeat marches on
Cattle and consumer groups are urging the new Congress to reintroduce legislation that will restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef more...
USMCA partners agree to address supply chain
The U.S., Mexican and Canadian governments plan to shine a spotlight on fixing supply chain issues after their joint talks last week, addressing some more...
WSU to use mobile meat processing truck at ag show
A university expects a mobile meat processing truck to be a main attraction at the Spokane Ag Show. Washington State University will feature the truck more...
Potential antibiotic alternatives to address salmonella in poultry
New research is available that evaluates potential antibiotic alternative approaches for controlling Salmonella in poultry, USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY more...
A different beast: bison processing in the U.S.
When it comes to meat processing and bison, the enormous shaggy creatures that once roamed the Great Plains and Midwest in droves come with different more...
Border patrol seizes pork in Laredo
As the holiday season officially comes to a close, vacationers are returning to America in droves following extended holiday vacations — and some more...
Beyond Meat’s chief brand officer resigns
Beyond Meat's chief brand officer, Beth Moskowitz, is departing the plant-based alt-meat company. Moskowitz, who joined the company in more...
Argentina provides $5.5M to support pig, poultry operations
The Argentine government is committing more than $5.5 million to compensate pig and poultry companies who were negatively affected by a recent sharp increase more...
Meat wraps up another record retail year
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The December marketplace The year ended the way more...
As inflation continues, meats become the affordable option
With prices continuing to rise across the U.S. economy (and with meat seeing record retail numbers), some meat products have emerged as increasingly affordable more...
WASDE anticipates rising costs for beef processors in 2023
The USDA’s new World Agriculture and Demand Estimate (WASDE) released yesterday, and it reiterated the agency’s expectation that beef processors more...
U.S. reports 2023’s first HPAI case in a commercial flock
An upland gamebird producer in Kansas is the first commercial operation to be hit in 2023 by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), federal officials more...
Tyson to double workforce at Ill. facility
Tyson Foods has announced a new investment in an Illinois prepared foods facility that will double the plant's workforce. According to a statement from more...
Cargill CFO to step down; acting replacement named
Cargill Chief Financial Officer Jamie Miller will step down from her role to take a position outside of the company, Cargill said in a release. Miller more...
U.K.’s Mintec buys price reporting agency Urner Barry
Mintec has purchased Agribriefing in a deal the British company, Tuesday, said creates a leading provider of data on agricultural and food products. Financial more...
Three processors receive $12M for expansion projects: USDA
Three protein processing plants in Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota will receive more than $12 million in funding from the USDA to help expand operating capacity more...
Butterball hires Tyson Foods lawyer as its general counsel (UPDATE)
Industry veteran Brett Worlow is Butterball’s new general counsel and corporate secretary, the Garner, N.C.-based turkey producer announced on Tuesday more...
Foster Farms stabbing death suspect arrested in Texas
Nearly nine months after a Foster Farms worker was stabbed to death at a poultry plant in Farmerville, La., a suspect has been arrested in the more...
NCC issues updated broiler welfare guidelines
The National Chicken Council (NCC) has issued what the organization called its most comprehensive guidelines ever for producers and processors to use more...
Sanderson Farms settles case with broiler growers
Sanderson Farms has become the latest company to reach a settlement with broiler chicken growers across the country in an antitrust case. The company more...
Ex-McDonald’s CEO to pay $52.7M to settle SEC charges
Former McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook has agreed to pay $52.7 million to settle allegations that he lied to investors before he was fired in 2019 more...
JBS improves its grade on annual Climate Change Report
JBS S.A. was awarded an A- rating in the category of “climate change,” as determined by the CDP 2022 Climate Change Report, a respected global more...
A taste test of John Soules AmaZings chicken thighs
With some big-time sporting events just around the corner, we were interested in taste-testing the new John Soules Foods Fully Cooked AmaZings Bone-in more...
Four Smithfield plant workers sent to hospital after ammonia leak
Four employees at a Smithfield Foods pork processing facility were sent to a local hospital after an overnight ammonia leak at the Tar Heel, N.C. plant more...
Fire at Canadian farm kills thousands of pigs
Thousands of hogs were killed after a barn caught fire in Canada Thursday, according to a CBC report. The fire started at D & E Pork in Albany, P more...
Ukraine war has Golden Arches coming down in Kazakhstan
McDonald’s Corp. is departing Kazakhstan because Russia’s war in Ukraine has disrupted its supply of meat, Bloomberg News reported this week more...
Tenn. co-op faces key funding vote this month
The long process for getting approval and funding for a new $10 million harvesting facility in Washington County, Tenn., took a major step forward when more...
Michigan Sen. Stabenow will not seek reelection in 2024
Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan has announced she will not seek reelection in 2024, and will retire from the Senate on Jan. 3, 2025. Stabenow, the more...
Georgia poultry processor drops insurance case for fatal leak
Foundation Food Group is dropping its $2 million nonpayment case against Selective Way Insurance Co. nearly two years after a liquid nitrogen leak killed more...
Take Meatingplace’s 10-second quiz
Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether it is true or false. Loading… We will publish the answer and results more...
Giving back: Perdue Farms, Lynch Companies, Maple Leaf Foods
Perdue Farms donates to Salvation ArmyPerdue Farms awarded a $30,000 grant to the Salvation Army of Salisbury, Md. for new commercial kitchen appliances more...
BRF, Brazilian authorities reach leniency deal
BRF S.A. has signed a leniency agreement with the Brazilian government regarding two cases involving allegations of fraud and corruption. As a result more...
Commodity concerns continue amid Ukraine war
William W. Wilson, an expert in risk management and trading at North Dakota State University, predicted increased volatility in the U.S. grain market more...
Hong Kong seizes 25 tons of frozen meat from cargo ship
Authorities have arrested two Hong Kong men and confiscated 25 tons of frozen meat worth $358,403, according to an account published Wednesday by the more...
MSABD to host meat snacks course
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery program will hold a Meat Snacks Short Course from Feb. 7-9. The course more...
Feds direct Union Pacific to deliver feed to Foster Farms
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Board (STB) issued a decision Dec. 30 directing the Union Pacific Railroad Company more...
Wholesome Foods to expand in Virginia
A family owned and operated meat processing plant in Virginia is set to expand by adding a new USDA-inspected slaughter facility to its location in Shenandoah more...
Ag groups say new WOTUS rule muddies the waters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army on Dec. 30 announced a final rule seeking to establish a “durable definition” more...
2023 omnibus bill includes ag funding to benefit USDA, constituents
The $1.7 billion Omnibus Appropriations spending mandate that will keep the U.S. government open through next September also includes several specific more...
Burritos rule in GrubHub's annual survey of deliveries
The most frequently ordered food for delivery in 2022, according to GrubHub's annual tally, was the burrito (in a wrap or a bowl) — taking many more...
Recovered discovery: an IPPE 2023 preview
It’s been 75 years since the first International Poultry Expo (IPE) was held, and nearly three years since the COVID-19 pandemic crippled public more...
Giving Back: Smithfield, Foster Farms, Hormel Foods
Smithfield Foods donates tons of proteinSmithfield Foods donated 30,000 lbs. of protein to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore more...
December 2022
Beef exports to East Asia set record pace
After a record year in 2021, U.S. beef exports to East Asia are tracking at an even stronger pace in 2022. That is the finding of a new International more...
McDonald’s updates antibiotics use policy for beef supply chain
McDonald’s has updated its antibiotics stewardship policy to encourage beef suppliers around the world to reduce their use intensity. Specifically more...
New ASF cases erupt overseas; promising vaccine moves forward
While African swine fever (ASF) continues to spread among wild and domestic hogs in Europe and Russia, development of a vaccine against the deadly virus more...
Beef cutout surges as extreme weather takes toll: DLR
The choice beef cutout has spiked in the past few days, partly due to significant disruptions at feedlots brought about by recent extreme winter weather more...
USDA funds export expansion programs, including meat
Agricultural groups representing the meat industry are among those receiving USDA funds to expand export markets for U.S. farm and food products, according more...
Oregon processor expands traceability with USDA grant
An Oregon processor is putting a USDA grant to good use with a new traceability program. Marks Meat of Canby, Ore., received $661,000 from the agency more...
Turkey supply chain faces long road to recovery: ERS
The way this year’s spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has affected the poultry industry bears similarities to the industry’s more...
New book, 'Raw Deal,' argues for more regionalized meat networks
The trend of buying local has barely registered when it comes to protein, with local meat sales less than 1% of the entire industry. What’s needed more...
Massive meat sandwich draws fans in Tokyo
A carnivore’s delight in sandwich form is reportedly drawing fans in Tokyo. The Shimokitazawa Meat Sandwich can be purchased as a “single” more...
WVU gets $4.8M for ‘climate-smart,’ grass-fed livestock systems
U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced $4,795,300 in USDA funding for a West Virginia University (WVU) livestock more...
Inflation’s impacts on meat industry expansion
At the beginning of 2022, meat processors were riding one of the strongest markets in recent memory. Record-high margins, surging demand and soaring exports more...
Giving back: Wayne-Sanderson, JBS, Hormel, PA Pork
Wayne-Sanderson supports healthcare facility's growth A $10,000 donation from Wayne-Sanderson Farms is helping nonprofit healthcare organization Good more...
Favorite Christmas dinners across the globe
Popular Christmas meals look considerably different in Cuba and Lithuania, but an American celebrating the holiday in Greece would likely find several more...
JBS S.A. to get $106M from holding company in litigation dispute
Brazil's JBS S.A. said on Thursday that it will receive BRL543 million ($105.9 million) from its controlling holding company, J&F Investimentos S more...
The gift that keeps on … smelling?
Arby’s, they have the meats — and now, the meat-scented gift-wrapping paper. Stepping it up a notch from last year’s offering of meat-decorated more...
QSRs file antitrust suits against Big Four beef packers
Sonic, Arby’s, Burger King, Whataburger, Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. have filed lawsuits in Florida against the four largest beef packers more...
Judge declines to dismiss Smithfield workers' COVID pay case
A federal judge in North Carolina has rejected Smithfield Foods' request to dismiss or transfer to another court a complaint by workers who accuse the more...
Restaurant meals figure into holiday plans for many
A majority of consumers say they plan to eat out or order takeout during the holidays to help them cope with the demands of the season, according to a more...
Poultry outlook generally positive, but clouds loom in '23: Rabobank
The global poultry market is poised to remain strong in 2023, but an economic downturn, high inflation and operational issues will challenge producers more...
Tyson shareholder pushes for stricter antimicrobial use standards
A Tyson Foods Inc. shareholder plans to present a proposal at the company’s upcoming annual meeting to commit the processor to comply with global more...
Wisconsin warns against eating raw meat sandwiches
Health officials in Wisconsin are urging residents not to partake in one of the state’s holiday traditions: raw meat sandwiches. At times more...
Easterday reports to prison as lawyers sue Tyson over branding deal
The man who was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for defrauding Tyson Foods Inc. and another company of more than $244 million in a “ghost more...
CFIA recalls salami on salmonella concerns (updated)
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for Venetian Meat & Salami Co. Ltd.'s Venetian Meat brand Finocchiona Salami Sweet more...
Research on Salmonella in turkeys reaps added insight: USPOULTRY
New research into the effectiveness of vaccines aimed at preventing the spread of Salmonella among turkey flocks wound up generating a more effective more...
Hodie Meats opens processing facility in Georgia
A Georgia meat processing company opened its new facility this week to serve a national customer base. Hodie Meats, a USDA inspected facility, will more...
HPAI’s record toll nears 58 million birds in US; adds to global food inflation
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is not new, but the toll in 2021 and 2022 is rapidly overtaking the widespread losses since in previous outbreaks. more...
Pennsylvania college gets $1M for meat processing program
A Pennsylvania college received more than $1 million in grant money to help train students for the meat processing industry. The money was part of the more...
New ASF outbreaks in Asia, Europe follow preventative actions elsewhere
A string of recent outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) overseas are sparking new prevention programs in Canada. In the last six weeks, new ASF outbreaks more...
News briefs: Hormel Foods, USDA, PA Beef Council
USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum to be held in February The USDA is holding its 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum Feb. 23-24 in Arlington, Va., at more...
Union, JBS-owned plant avoid strike with new deal
A Colorado meat processing plant and a union struck a three-year deal Thursday to avoid a work stoppage. UFCW Local 7 and Denver Processing agreed to more...
Report outlines plan to address Canada’s ag labor crunch
Canadian agricultural groups have issued an interim report outlining a plan to address the sector’s labor crisis. The report comes as Canada’s more...
Organic meat supply chain needs help: Legislators
In a letter to USDA Secy. Tom Vilsack, 28 federal legislators asked USDA for “emergency relief in response to skyrocketing feed costs” that more...
UGA poultry science building gets $3M gift
The University of Georgia’s (UGA) efforts to develop a new poultry science building got another boost Thursday, with a $3 million pledge from the more...
CoBank forecasts mild U.S. recession, protein slowdown
CoBank is predicting the U.S. will enter a brief recession next year, with consumer spending likely to slow on an uptick in the unemployment rate to as more...
Nebraska Beef sentenced for falsifying beef grading records
A U.S. district court judge handed down further sentencing this week to an Omaha-based meat processing company. Judge Robert Rossiter Jr. sentenced Nebraska more...
Tyson to open child care center near Arkansas headquarters (updated)
Tyson Foods announced today it will open a state-of-the-art child care center next year for northwest Arkansas team members near its world headquarters more...
HPAI hits first commercial flock in Washington state
Highly pathogenic avian influenza struck a large commercial flock last week in Washington, state officials announced on Wednesday. The state’s first more...
PSSI to lay off workers in wake of child labor controversy
Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) plans to permanently lay off 121 employees after JBS USA ended its contract with the meat plant cleaning company following more...
Tyson Foods expanding ride-share program in Pennsylvania
Tyson Foods’ growing ride-share program now includes its chicken processing facility in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County, where the employee more...
Thanksgiving holiday a mixed blessing for the meat department
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The November marketplace As one of the biggest more...
News briefs: McD's, Fiesta Restaurant Group, burning poultry houses
Getcher BOGO chix sammies today! Today is the last day for a rare McDonald’s offering: A buy-one-get-one-free deal on its chicken sandwich, when more...
More food animal antibiotics are sold as stewardship improves: FDA
Sales of antimicrobial drugs aimed at fighting bacterial infections in food animals rose by 6% from 2021 levels, although sales remain much lower compared more...
Tyson buys Ark. building as part of employee relocation effort
Tyson Foods Inc. this month acquired a former Walmart call center in Springdale, Ark., as it prepares to move about 1,000 employees to its hometown starting more...
USDA report predicts beef exports to fall in 2023
A USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook forecasts beef exports to fall between 2022 and 2023. The ERS more...
CPI signals ‘soft landing’?
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose a gentle 0.1% in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, fueling hopes for an elusive economic more...
Federal case against Perdue can move forward
A U.S. District Court judge denied Perdue Foods’ motion to dismiss a lawsuit from a Georgia farmer, court documents show. In July, Roger Parker filed more...
Tyson can't quash NY subpoena: state court judge
Tyson Foods Inc. lost a round in a case in New York's state Supreme Court and must comply with a subpoena issued earlier this year by Attorney General more...
Union at JBS-owned plant votes to strike; no date set
Members of a union representing 200 workers at plant owned by JBS USA in Denver voted over the weekend to strike after negotiations on a new contract more...
New HPAI outbreaks confirmed in multiple states
New outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) have been reportedly recently in more than half a dozen states. Newly confirmed cases include more...
Court allows insurers' counterclaims in Brakebush fire suit
A North Carolina court this week denied Brakebush Brothers' motion to dismiss counterclaims by insurers in a long-running dispute over the amount of an more...
Minn. funds meat cutter training for high school students
Minnesota is providing about $350,000 in one-time grants to train secondary school students in meat cutting and butchery skills. The new grant program more...
Partnership to advance meat processing innovation
The Canadian beef, pork and poultry industry is hoping that greater collaboration between it and the country’s main food- and agri-tech organization more...
Does everything really taste better with bacon?
Does everything really taste better with bacon? Tyson Foods’ Wright Brand is testing that notion by creating a first-of-its-kind Bacon Cake to celebrate more...
Tyson Foods appoints chief growth officer
Tyson Foods said Melanie Boulden has been named to the newly created role of executive vice president and chief growth officer, effective Feb. 6. Boulden more...
Thompson named chair of House Agriculture Committee
House Republicans have selected Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., to serve as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. Thompson will lead efforts more...
Mitzi Perdue auctions historic gem to help Ukraine
Mitzi Perdue, the widow of chicken magnate Frank Perdue, is parting with her engagement ring — a rare and historic gem — to support humanitarian more...
Lamb goes live
Seeking to capitalize on consumers’ penchant for online activity, the American Lamb Board (ALB) is hosting a series of virtual classes to share more...
Court sends strong message in PSSI child labor case (UPDATED)
A federal court in Nebraska has issued a permanent injunction ordering Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) to immediately stop violating child labor more...
FTC asks Kroger for more information on Albertsons deal
Kroger Co. said Tuesday it has received a request from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for additional details on its proposed merger with Albertsons more...
HPAI returns to Iowa, Alabama
Iowa officials are confirming a positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Buena Vista County more...
Global animal protein still seen challenged in '23: Rabobank
The global animal protein industry will continue to face challenges in 2023, although there should be some opportunities, according to a report from Rabobank more...
Tyson to pay $50M in employee bonuses
Tyson Foods will dish out some $50 million in year-end bonuses to more than 90,000 employees across the country, the company said Tuesday in a news release more...
Kraft Heinz recalls more than a ton of ham-and-cheese loaves
Kraft Heinz Foods issued a recall of 2,400 pounds of ready-to-eat ham and cheese loaf products that may have been cross-contaminated with under-processed more...
FSIS issues E. coli alert on ground beef
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection System (FSIS) this week issued a public health alert covering ground beef sold in a Greenville, Texas, store that more...
Texas H.S. to add meat lab
Meat labs are common on ag-focused college and university campuses, but the Winnsboro (Texas) Integrated School District school board has approved a meat more...
California extends injunction on Prop 12 implementation (UPDATE)
California has extended the state’s injunction on implementation of its Prop 12 animal welfare law, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said more...
New contractor rule could impact poultry processors
The Biden administration’s proposed independent contractor rule could impact the poultry industry in a big way, according to a report more...
Weather may be warning system for campylobacter: research
Looking for ways to signal increased likelihood of contamination by pathogens, researchers at three institutions in Norway have tracked a connection between more...
McDonald’s drive-thru test linked to digital experience expansion
McDonald’s Corp. is testing a new drive-thru concept that could speed up order deliveries for burgers and other menu items via its burgeoning digital more...
JBS to acquire assets of Iowa-based pork producer
JBS USA announced today an agreement to acquire certain assets from TriOak Foods, an Oakville, Iowa-based pork producer and grain marketer. The acquisition more...
Tyson CFO pleads not guilty to public intoxication, trespassing
Tyson Foods Chief Financial Officer John Tyson has pleaded not guilty to charges of public intoxication and criminal trespassing following his Nov. 6 more...
South Carolina unveils matching grants for processors
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture announced Thursday it is looking to boost meat processing capacity in the state with a new $3 million matching more...
Animal Ag Alliance releases reports from animal rights conferences
The Animal Agriculture Alliance has released reports from five prominent animal rights conferences held over the course of 2022. The animal ag community more...
Judge denies benefits for widow of Smithfield worker who died of COVID-19
The widow of a Smithfield Foods worker who died of COVID-19 has again been denied her petition for worker’s compensation benefits, according to more...
Ag coalition urges confirmation of USDA, USTR nominees
Meat industry groups joined a coalition of nearly 60 agricultural organizations in urging Congress to confirm key USDA and U.S. Trade Representative appointments more...
USDOT rejects livestock haulers' hours of service exemption request
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) this week announced a decision to deny an application more...
News briefs: USPOULTRY, Lincoln Premium Poultry, Burger King, Smithfield
USPOULTRY Foundation allocates $306K in student grants The USPOULTRY Foundation has awarded student recruiting grants totaling $306,366 to six universities more...
November 2022
Hormel CEO: HPAI 'biggest unknown' for 2023 sales outlook
Hormel Foods on Wednesday delivered disappointing earnings guidance for 2023, citing a higher pension expense and feed costs for its turkey business, more...
House approves bill to prevent rail strike
The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill that would impose a labor agreement reached in September on 12 rail unions with the aim of averting more...
Supermarket titans defend proposed merger on Capitol Hill
The CEOs of Albertsons Cos. and Kroger Co. told members of a U.S. Senate Judiciary subcommittee that their proposed $24.6 billion merger will not stifle more...
US Foods names new CEO
US Foods Holding Corp., one of the largest U.S. foodservice distributors, announced that Dave Flitman will become chief executive officer effective Jan more...
McDonald’s sues pork producers over alleged price-fixing scheme
McDonald’s Corp. is accusing eight companies of conspiring to fix pork prices over the last 14 years in a lawsuit that echoes recent litigation more...
Illinois processor plans $8.6M expansion
A former newspaper printing plant reportedly is being developed into a large meat-processing facility in Highland, Ill. Korte Meat Processing — more...
Smithfield names new CFO [Updated]
Smithfield Foods has named Mark Hall to the position of Chief Financial Officer, beginning Jan. 1, 2023, succeeding Glenn Nunziata, the company said in more...
Land O'Frost's Abbott to retire after nearly 50 years
Carl Abbott, a 49-year veteran of Land O’Frost, maker of deli and specialty meats, will retire at the end of this calendar year, the company said more...
Ex-Beyond Meat, Tyson exec faces trial next month
Douglas Ramsey, the former Beyond Meat and Tyson exec who allegedly bit a man's nose in a parking lot altercation in Arkansas, has pleaded not more...
New HPAI cases in three states add to record U.S. total
Confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in three states sparked more culling and new quarantine zones as the U.S. total of affected more...
UN, WHO identify cultivated meat's food safety hazards
The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization earlier this month convened a group of 24 experts from more...
Bacon-themed restaurant opens in Las Vegas
Bacon Nation, a 24-hour restaurant offering a menu of inventive dishes built around 13 varieties of bacon, has opened in the D Casino and Hotel in Las more...
Study is first to track wild bird with HPAI in North America
Scientists for the first time have tracked the movements of a wild bird infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza in North America, though they more...
Barbe-eww: a Taste Test of Thousand Hills beef brisket
A plethora of products have harnessed the popular barbecue flavor. When we spotted refrigerated Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed 100% Grass Fed Beef Barbeque more...
Giving back: Cooper Farms, Hormel Foods, Perdue Farms
Cooper Farms gave more than $1 million to communities Cooper Farms donated more than $1 million in monetary and product donations in the past year to more...
USDA extends comment deadline on proposed new PSA rule
USDA formally extended the comment period by about six weeks covering its proposal aimed at improving transparency within the Packers and Stockyards Act more...
Australian beef poised to gain from U.S. cattle cycle
Australia's beef sector could benefit from an anticipated drop in U.S. beef production next year, according to a report in Beef Central, which recently more...
Meat Tech: How innovative industry leaders extend meat shelf life
After the slaughtering process, the animal may be dead, but its carcass is still thriving with life. A typical beef carcass is covered with hundreds of more...
Congress urged to step in to prevent railway strike
Congress is facing calls from multiple fronts to step in to prevent a looming nationwide railway strike that threatens to cost the U.S. economy an estimated more...
Retailers try to keep holiday costs under control — really
As the Thanksgiving holiday drew closer, retailers across the country took steps to try to shave the costs for consumers, according to a write-up on SFGate more...
Abdul will light up Jennie-O float in Macy’s parade
Hormel Foods’ Jennie-O turkey brand will once again send the Big Turkey Spectacular float down Sixth Avenue in the 96th Macy’s Thanksgiving more...
Federal judge allows antitrust suit vs. turkey companies to continue
A federal judge in Chicago denied a request to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the nation’s top turkey suppliers of conspiring to fix prices between more...
Widow of Smithfield victim of COVID appeals for benefits (UPDATED)
The widow of a Smithfield Foods’ employee who died of COVID-19 is appealing South Dakota’s decision to deny her worker’s compensation more...
Cattle industry dynamics finally lining up: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Growing pains: an analysis of USDA support for small processors
Reacting to the fallout from COVID, Congress and the Biden administration have awarded first-of-its-kind meat and poultry processor funding — to more...
New year, new CEO from the protein business for Cargill Inc.
Beginning with the new year, Cargill Inc. CEO Dave MacLennan will move to the position of Executive Chair of the Board while Brian Sikes, a veteran of more...
Largest rail unions split on contract vote
The freight railroad industry's largest unions voted over the weekend on the proposed contract agreement that's been the subject of negotiations all summer more...
FSIS to expand E. coli testing to more raw beef products
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is moving forward on a plan to include more raw beef products in its routine verification testing more...
Popeyes’s pre-roasted Thanksgiving turkeys an online hit
Popeyes’s pre-roasted turkey is being touted as a tasty option for those looking to serve the traditional Thanksgiving meal, without the stress more...
Feds: minors instructed on fake IDs for meat plant work
The U.S. Department of Labor’s child labor case against Packers Sanitation Services Inc. is playing out in U.S. District Court in Lincoln, Neb. more...
Rabobank sees pressures building for beef
Consumer demand continues to support beef markets but is beginning to wane due to the slowing economy, Rabobank said in its latest Beef Quarterly report more...
Bird flu outbreak is nearing biggest ever in U.S.
Ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza is nearing a grim toll, with the U.S. soon to overtake the 50.5 million birds lost the last go-round more...
Argentina, Uruguay bring their own meat to World Cup
Seeking a taste of home in Qatar, the national soccer teams of Argentina and Uruguay each brought along 2,000 pounds of their own meat to prepare traditional more...
Tyson recalls nearly 47 tons of ground beef
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. in Amarillo, Texas, is recalling about 93,697 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials more...
Feds' child labor probe involves JBS and Tyson plants in 3 states
A federal investigation into allegations involving children working dangerous jobs at JBS meat processing plants in Minnesota and Nebraska also more...
Tyson lifts employee vaccine mandate (UPDATE)
Tyson Foods has ended a company policy mandating that all of its U.S. employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. In documents filed with the Securities more...
Burger King, Popeyes parent appoints exec to boost growth
Restaurant Brands International Inc. said Wednesday it named former Domino's Pizza CEO Patrick Doyle as executive chairman, effective immediately, in more...
Walmart hints at easing meat price inflation
Walmart suggested Tuesday that inflation in the meat case might be starting to cool. CEO Doug McMillon, speaking on the company's earnings call, said more...
Federal court approves injunction against PSSI to stop child labor
A federal judge has approved a request from the U.S. Department of Labor for an injunction requiring Packers Sanitation Services Inc. to stop using minors more...
More HPAI cases as U.S. spread approaches one-year mark
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) are still cropping up across the nation as the Jan. 13 anniversary of the start of the current wave more...
Farm Bureau: Thanksgiving dinner cost up 20%
The Thanksgiving holiday is largely about the meal, and offering the traditional feast for a table of 10 this year will run Americans just over 65 bucks more...
Major processors targeted in wage price-fixing lawsuit
The nation’s largest meat companies are being accused in a new federal lawsuit of colluding to fix wages covering thousands of employees as part more...
Federal court dismisses animal group challenge of USDA label rule
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has dismissed a lawsuit filed by an animal rights organization in 2021, alleging that USDA violated its rules and more...
Analysts weigh in on Tyson: upbeat on chicken, less so for pork, beef
Tyson Foods’ better-than-expected outlook for the year ahead is getting mixed reviews from a trio of analysts. The Springdale, Ark.-based more...
Acquisition consolidates operations of two W. Va. packers
Charleston, W. Va.-based Buzz Products Inc. has acquired the assets of Huntington, W. Va.- based S.S. Logan Packing Company, uniting two well-known, family-operated more...
Tyson offers better-than-expected outlook for 2023
Tyson Foods on Monday projected 2023 sales above estimates, indicating solid demand for its higher-priced chicken and beef even amid surging inflation more...
Tyson Foods CFO apologizes again for arrest
John Tyson gave a summary of Tyson’s quarterly earnings before issuing an apology for his arrest for public intoxication and trespassing eight more...
Mexico to launch vaccine program to fight HPAI spread
Animal health officials in Mexico are turning to vaccination in the latest effort to protect the nation’s poultry industry in areas that already more...
Giving back: Farmer John, Perdue, Hormel, Iowa Pork Producers
Farmer John recognizes California initiatives Farmer John announced the recipients of grants of between $3,000 and $25,0000 as part of its California more...
Industry applauds Biden security memorandum for food sector
The Biden administration on Thursday signed a national security memorandum focused on strengthening protections against threats to the food and agriculture more...
JBS sees normalizing levels of US beef margins
JBS S.A. expects margins of its US Beef business to return to normal levels, said the company's Global President of Operations Wesley Batista Filho, in more...
Vande Rose Farms buys La Quercia Cured Meats
Decorah, Iowa-based pork producer Vande Rose Farms said it is expanding with the recent acquisition of La Quercia Cured Meats in Norwalk. La Quercia, more...
Virginia’s twisted cocktail: Meat juice and vodka
A 19th-century medicinal tonic made from the juice of slow-cooked beef is making a comeback of sorts, thanks to a museum in Richmond, Va. The Valentine more...
CDC: Some people should not eat any deli meat
People who are pregnant or age 65 or older are among those who should not eat any deli meat due to the risk of listeria, the U.S. Centers for Disease more...
Judge rejects Tyson’s bid to toss renderer’s antitrust suit
A federal judge in Georgia has rejected a motion from Tyson Foods to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the company of colluding with other processors to knock more...
Beef dumplings recalled due to lack of federal inspection
Modesto, Calif.-based Menu19 LLC is recalling 5,001 pounds of frozen beef dumpling products because they were produced without the benefit of federal more...
Grocery price inflation eases in October: CPI
The Consumer Price Index for food at home rose 0.4% in October, a slowdown from the 0.7% gain the month before and the smallest monthly increase since more...
Voters reject campaign to stop $500M Sioux Falls pork plant
Sioux Falls, S.D., voters said "No" to a ballot initiative that would have prevented construction of a massive pork plant. First announced in June 2021 more...
Winners and losers in the midterm elections
U.S. voters went to the polls Tuesday in the 2022 midterm elections, and as anticipated, it will likely be weeks until the full results – and control more...
Tyson's shares downgraded to 'underperform'
Bank of America on Wednesday cut its rating on shares of Tyson Foods to "underperform" from "neutral," citing worsening macroeconomic factors in the protein more...
Maple Leaf Foods sees Q3 sales gain, but posts loss
Maple Leaf Foods reported a 3.6% increase in total sales in the third quarter, although economic challenges in the wake of the pandemic resulted in a more...
Proposed shipping rule has ag exporters in an uproar
Having secured legislation meant to ease agricultural supply chain snarls caused by an imbalance in cargo traveling to and from U.S. ports, lawmakers more...
Union approves freight rail pact; strike potential still looms
Members of a labor union representing 4,900 rail workers narrowly voted to accept the latest tentative agreement aimed at averting a strike that two months more...
COP27: Processors sign pledge to address deforestation
Fourteen major players in the global food market — including Cargill, JBS SA, Marfrig and Chinese pork producer COFCO — have signed on to more...
He's no chicken!
Alexander Tominsky’s epic quest to devour 40 rotisserie chickens in as many days ended Sunday on an abandoned Philadelphia pier as dozens — more...
George’s settles chicken price-fixing claims by chains
George’s has settled claims by a dozen restaurant companies that it conspired with other poultry producers to inflate and fix chicken prices, according more...
Tyson Foods' CFO subject of weekend arrest
John R. Tyson, chief financial officer of Tyson Foods, was arrested in the wee hours of Sunday morning after falling asleep — apparently intoxicated more...
Maple Leaf Foods cyber-attacked over the weekend
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. on Monday confirmed that it was experiencing a system outage linked to a cyberscurity incident that began over the weekend, according more...
HPAI spread continues domestically and elsewhere
Confirmed outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza continue even as the reported spread of the virus tops one year on a global scale. In the past more...
Biofuel company donates $1M to defeat Wholestone pork plant
Sioux Falls, S.D.-based biofuels company POET has donated more than $1 million to oppose the Wholestone Farms pork plant in the city, according to campaign more...
HPAI's latest toll includes millions of birds in Iowa and Japan
Highly pathogenic avian influenza struck a commercial flock of table egg layers this week in Wright County, Iowa, affecting 1.1 million birds, and spread more...
Catholic meatless Fridays could help cut CO2, study says
Reviving the Catholic tradition of foregoing meat on Fridays could have a big impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a new study from the University more...
News briefs: Hormel, Healthy Choice, Tyson, Jimmy Dean
Hormel achieves Investor’s Business Daily rankingHormel Foods Corporation was ranked for the first time on the Investor’s Business Daily annual more...
$20M USDA grant to boost Greater Omaha Packing’s capacity
Greater Omaha Packing Co. will receive a $20 million grant from USDA and use it to boost slaughter capacity by an additional 700 head of cattle per day more...
Pure Prairie Farms details $51.7M plant improvement project
Chicken integrator Pure Prairie Farms Inc. said it is set to receive a $6.9 million grant from USDA's Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) more...
Seattle Fish parent buys Lombardi Brothers Meats
Armand Agra, the U.S. protein processing and distribution business of venture capital firm Founders, has acquired Lombardi Brothers Meats as a sister more...
Study: 'dramatic' decline in U.S. restaurant operating hours
The aftershocks of the pandemic continue to rattle the restaurant industry, which is collectively keeping its doors closed more of the time than in 2019 more...
Judge approves Koch Foods price-fixing settlement with growers
A federal judge in Oklahoma gave final approval to a plan calling for Koch Foods Inc. to pay $15.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed by chicken more...
NCC, trade groups urge Biden to avert rail strike
The National Chicken Council (NCC) has joined 320 local, state and federal trade associations in urging the Biden administration to engage railroad operators more...
New USDA grants assist processors from Montana to Vermont
Earlier today, the Biden administration unveiled more than $223 million in grants and loans to meat processors. The USDA received more than 300 applicants more...
Smaller turkeys this year, and fewer of them: CoBank
The depopulation of birds is not the only effect that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is having on turkey production. Since HPAI outbreaks began more...
Two key parties remain neutral in Wholestone/Sioux Falls rumble
As a pivotal vote approaches to decide the fate of a Wholestone Farms pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., two key parties are staying out of the more...
HPAI update: UK takes drastic steps, Mexico hit at U.S. border
Poultry and other flocks will have to be housed indoors across England as the United Kingdom contends with its biggest ever bout of highly pathogenic more...
Hurricane Ian damaged thousands of beef cattle ranches
Of the more than 18,000 beef cattle ranches in Florida, an estimated 5,822 suffered significant damage to structures, fences and equipment from Hurricane more...
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October 2022
Smithfield Foods sues staffing firm over plant shooting
Almost three years after a shooting at its meatpacking plant in eastern North Carolina, Smithfield Foods is suing the staffing firm that hired the man more...
Smaller Ill. meat plants to receive expansion, upgrade grants
Six Illinois-based meat processors will receive a total of $1.2 million in federal funds as part of the latest series of USDA grants targeting smaller more...
USDA slates major funding announcement
All eyes will be on Omaha on Wednesday when USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack travels there to announce an "historic investment to increase and expand meat and more...
Hey, vegans! How 'bout some free bacon?
Oscar Mayer will give a "lifetime supply of bacon" to consumers — vegans or otherwise — who pledge to abstain from eating the meaty favorite more...
Pilgrim's discloses DOJ investigation into grower contracts
The Department of Justice has opened a civil investigation into grower contracts and payment practices, Pilgrim's disclosed in a regulatory filing. The more...
Rising costs, economic uncertainty strain pork producers
Pork producers are scaling back plans for herd growth as production costs and economic uncertainties rise, Rabobank said in its fourth-quarter global more...
Second railroad union rejects labor agreement
The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen announced Wednesday that its members voted against ratification of the national tentative agreement reached on Sept more...
Smashburger settles class action in false advertising case
Fast-casual burger chain Smashburger has agreed to settle class action claims that it falsely advertised its hamburgers as containing “double the more...
Poultry processor found in contempt over OSHA safety violations
A federal court has found Birdsboro Kosher Farms Corp. in contempt for failing to pay $162,359 in penalties after Occupational Safety and Health Administration more...
Court allows HSUS case over Smithfield gestation stalls to proceed
Smithfield Foods’ motion to dismiss a lawsuit claiming the pork processor is misleading the public about its use of sow gestation stalls has been more...
D.C. AG to probe Kroger-Albertsons merger deal
The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia said Wednesday it is launching an investigation into the proposed merger between more...
Pilgrim’s Pride sees increase in global demand
Pilgrim’s Pride is looking overseas in striking an optimistic tone on the poultry business amid robust production and softening domestic prices more...
Fla. crime ring busted in Midwest meat thefts
A Miami, Fla.-based organized crime ring that targeted beef and pork packaging plants in six states is behind the theft of $9 million in frozen meat, more...
Gold Creek buys Campos Foods from George's
Chicken further processor Gold Creek Foods said Wednesday it has completed the acquisition of Caryville, Tenn.- based Campos Foods LLC, including the more...
Retail turkey prices surge as Thanksgiving nears: USDA
Prepare to pay more – and maybe a lot more – for your holiday turkey this year, according to data from USDA’s latest weekly retail report more...
Maple Leaf, NAMI host safety symposium focused on trust
Maple Leaf Foods on Tuesday held its 12th Food Safety Symposium as part of its commitment to facilitate food safety information sharing and collaboration more...
Wash. state settles with Tyson in price-fixing suit
Tyson Foods Inc. is now the third company to pay the State of Washington to resolve a lawsuit filed in connection with the lengthy price-fixing lawsuit more...
Mexican poultry producer reports surge in U.S. sales
Industrias Bachoco on Monday reported third-quarter net income of $47.8 million, or 97 cents a share in profit. The Celaya, Mexico-based chicken, pork more...
FDA recalls retail chicken salad on undeclared cashews
Albertsons has issued a recall for two chicken salad products that were made a certain Albertsons and Safeway stores, because the mix includes undeclared more...
Wild game: a Taste Test of wild boar sausage
People today are open to new and exciting flavors more than ever before. When we spotted Force of Nature Wild Boar and Beef Sausage, the idea of having more...
Lawsuit alleges Tyson violated Tennessee vaccine law
A Tyson Foods worker may continue her lawsuit against the company over its mandate that employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. Redina more...
HPAI: Not over ‘til it’s over as outbreaks continue to erupt
Additional reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continue to break out in North America as the total number of birds confirmed by USDA edge more...
Supermarket super-merger to get Senate scrutiny
The proposed combination of Kroger and Albertsons will be the subject of a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust more...
Adverse effects: automation in meat processing plants
When describing the potential pitfalls of automation, Daron Acemoglu, a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), offers more...
EPA must answer petition on CAFO emissions: Judge
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has 12 days left to respond to a petition filed five years ago asking that stricter clean water rules applied more...
Suit alleging Pilgrim's 'boneless' chicken had bones can move forward
A federal judge in Seattle this week rejected a request by Pilgrim's Pride to toss out a lawsuit by Innovative Solutions International that alleges the more...
Change of seasons will not bring drought relief: NOAA
Ongoing drought that has wreaked havoc on meat supply chains in the last several years is expected to continue through the winter, according to the National more...
Will it stick? BK puts peanut butter on a burger
The secret sauce in Burger King's latest sandwich lineup in Japan is peanut butter. Slathered on the new Peanut Butter Royale trio of beef burger sandwiches more...
Walmart again accused of overcharging for meat in class action (Updated)
A Florida shopper is leading another class action lawsuit against Walmart, alleging the retailer is overcharging customers for meat and other products more...
Soldier Boy Beef Jerky says helping veterans part of its mission
A beef jerky business in western Pennsylvania is vying for a piece of the more than billion dollar market while also giving back to those who serve or more...
Record-setting avian flu rages across Europe
The largest avian flu epidemic in Europe's history is wreaking havoc on the continent. The latest country to report cullings is the Netherlands, where more...
News briefs: Arby's, Lou Malnati's, Portillo's, Wingstop
Arby's returns to liquor space After entering the liquor business in 2021 with two French fry-flavored vodkas, Arby's is returning with a meat-flavored more...
Beyond, Don Lee bury their hatchets
Beyond Meat Inc. and Don Lee Farms, its former partner in producing alt-meat products, have entered into a “confidential written settlement agreement more...
Concerns grow as Prop 12 stews
CHICAGO — In a crowded conference room here at the Urner Barry Global Protein Summit, questions swirled around California’s Prop 12 potential more...
Pennsylvania turkey producer loses 15K birds to HPAI
A commercial turkey meat producer in Adams County, Pa., is losing 15,500 birds following confirmation this week of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian more...
FSIS sets uniform standards for inspection appeals
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the formal adoption of a uniform time period and procedures for filing an appeal of its more...
Olymel to cut nearly 200 management jobs
Olymel is eliminating a total of 177 management positions in an effort to improve operating efficiency as it faces “market context and growth challenges more...
Tyson marketing campaign aims at gamers, sports fans
Tyson Foods announced a partnership with Gaming Community Network (GCN), a GameSquare Esports company, that will pitch combining chicken and gaming as more...
Philippine province to ban outside pork to curtail ASF
The Philippine province of Antique is getting ready to ban the imports of swine and other pork by-products to prevent the spread of African swine fever more...
Smithfield worker killed in machine accident in Kentucky
A Smithfield Foods employee died on Monday after an accident at the company’s plant in Middlesboro, Ky. Mark Allen Tapp, 61, was working on a machine more...
HPAI befalls birds in Mich., Calif., and a TikTok-famous emu in Fla.
State ag officials in Michigan have confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a second backyard poultry flock in Lapeer County more...
Inflation varies wildly across meat types: CPI
While inflation continues to impact all sectors of the U.S. economy, price increases are being felt differently across meat types. According to the more...
Smithfield’s Evans honored at World Sustainability Congress
Steve Evans, vice president of community development for Smithfield Foods, was honored with a Future Leader Award at the World Sustainability Congress more...
Wis. to provide $10M in grants to 91 meat processors
Officials in Wisconsin announced that 91 meat processing companies will receive a total of $10 million in grants through the state government’s more...
FSIS offers new framework for salmonella control
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today released a proposed regulatory framework to control Salmonella contamination in poultry products more...
Kroger, Albertsons set merger, will divest hundreds of stores
Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. on Friday announced a definitive merger agreement that will result in the divestiture of between 100 and 375 stores with more...
No injuries reported in chemical release at Cargill plant in Va. (Updated)
A chemical release at a Cargill plant in Dayton, Va., this week drew first responders from three local fire departments to the scene, according to a local more...
Meat performance at retail strengthens in September
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The September Marketplace Life remained home-centric more...
Supermarket giants in talks to merge: reports
Supermarket chain giants Kroger and Albertsons are in talks to merge, according to a reports by CNBC and Bloomberg. Kroger, the largest supermarket operator more...
HPAI strikes turkey producers in South Dakota, Utah
The fall emergence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is taking a particular toll on turkey meat producers. HPAI was confirmed on Wednesday at more...
Hormel names leader of Brand Fuel group
Hormel Foods Corp. has named Scott Aakre as senior vice president of Brand Fuel, a hub for innovation, consumer insights, brand diagnostics and supporting more...
Bill Prestage, founder of Prestage Farms, dies at 87
William “Bill” Harold Prestage, known as a visionary in the turkey and pork industries, passed away on Monday in Cllnton, N.C., after fighting more...
Tyson CEO visits S.D. employees to discuss OneTyson consolidation
Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King hosted an employee-only meeting in Dakota Dunes, S.D., to discuss plans to move about 580 corporate staff to the company’s more...
S.D. judge complicates Wholestone’s expansion effort
Efforts by Wholestone Farms to build a massive pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., are being threatened by a Circuit Court judge ruling this week more...
WASDE report lowers U.S. corn, soybean production forecasts
USDA on Wednesday said the 2022-23 U.S. corn outlook is for reduced supplies, greater feed and residual use, lower exports and smaller ending stocks, more...
Marfrig, ADM prepping U.S. launch of plant-based burger
Just a week after the shuttering of JBS' plant-based Planterra business, another Brazilian meat giant is looking to take its place. According to a report more...
Freight rail strike threat revived as union rejects labor agreement
The possibility of a national freight rail strike potentially sprang back to life after more than half of the members of the nation’s third-largest more...
Judge awards $54.7M to attorneys in broiler price-fixing case
U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin has awarded $57.4 million to plaintiffs’ lawyers related to $181 million worth of settlements over price-fixing more...
China’s swine imports to fall as beef production rises in 2023: USDA
China is expected to import fewer breeding swine and pork products next year, although cattle and beef production should climb, according to a new USDA more...
Wake up: a profile of Future Meat Technologies
“The stupidest idea I’ve ever heard in my life.” In 2016, Yaakov “Koby” Nahmias was unimpressed by the notion of industrialized more...
Meat groups ask USTR reject request for probe of Mexico imports
A group of 24 U.S. organizations representing a variety of agricultural companies — including meat processors — want the U.S. Trade Representative more...
Argentina’s chicken production, exports to edge higher in '23: USDA
Despite continuing high inflation affecting consumer purchase options, Argentina is expected to produce and sell more chicken domestically while also more...
News briefs: Wagyu hot dogs, breakfast, Hormel, Aleph Farms
Wagyu hot dogs, brought to you by ... Home Depot? Home Depot stores often have a hot dog stand at an entrance, conveniently feeding contractors and DIYers more...
Halloween fare: Spooky Nuggets, Ghost Pepper Whoppers
Halloween is coming and food producers and fast-food chains are getting in on the holiday fun. Tyson Foods on Tuesday introduced Spooky Nuggets more...
Two plead guilty in labor trafficking scheme at JBS Iowa plant
Two Micronesian citizens pleaded guilty to involvement in a labor trafficking scheme to bring two fellow Micronesians to work at the JBS pork processing more...
Foster Farms grower sued over broiler farm plans
The owner of an Oregon farm seeking to grow millions of broilers for Foster Farms is being sued by small farmers and environmentalists over concerns of more...
HPAI toll: 507 commercial and backyard flocks in 41 states
The tally of commercial and backyard flocks infected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPA) so far this year now surpasses 500, with the poultry-killing more...
Impossible Foods to cut 6% of workforce
Following a recent change in founder Pat Brown's role within the company, Impossible Foods is reorganizing its structure, dismissing about 6% more...
Godshall’s opens expanded bacon plant
Godshall’s Quality Meats announced the opening of its newly expanded bacon plant in Lebanon, Pa. The first of a multi-phase expansion, the project more...
Sustainable Beef plant breaks ground
Sustainable Beef LLC on Tuesday broke ground in North Platte, Neb., to build its 500,000-square-foot beef plant owned by local cattle producers, according more...
HPAI toll rises in U.S.; European epidemic biggest yet
The fall resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to take a toll among poultry producers across the United States and overseas more...
News briefs: Pre Brands, KFC, Kroger, NCBA, USDA
Pre Brands names chief sales officer Pre Brands, a 100% grass fed and finished beef company, named Bob Davenport as its chief sales officer. Davenport more...
Tyson to consolidate its corporate staff in Arkansas
Tyson Foods Inc. said Wednesday it is preparing to bring all of its corporate team members to its world headquarters in Springdale, Ark., affecting current more...
Easterday gets 11-year prison term in ghost cattle scheme
A federal judge in Washington state sentenced Cody Allen Easterday to serve 11 years in federal prison for his role in a scam to defraud Tyson Foods Inc more...
HPAI claims 159,500 commercial game birds in Nebraska
The fall resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to smack the western U.S., with an outbreak confirmed on Tuesday at a large commercial more...
Meat workers among those to get $600 relief payments
USDA announced Tuesday that 14 nonprofit organizations and the Cherokee Nation were selected to distribute about $655 million in pandemic relief grant more...
Nebraska Beef to pay $200K to settle beef grading case
Omaha-based Nebraska Beef Ltd. agreed to pay $200,000 to settle a federal lawsuit accusing the company of knowingly providing false grading records for more...
Solid gains expected for S.A. poultry industry
Chicken meat production in South Africa is expected to return to pre-pandemic growth levels in 2023, with increases in production and consumption both more...
Renaissance man: an interview with Manny Encinias
Dr. Manny Encinias educates a wide variety of audiences. But be they fellow cattle producers in New Mexico, his students at Mesalands Community College more...
News briefs: Silver Fern Farms, Smucker’s, Hofmann Sausage, USMEF
NZ-based Silver Fern Farms kicks off US brand campaign Silver Fern Farms, a New Zealand red meat producer and exporter, launched its first US brand campaign more...
Judge allows 2019 swine inspection system to move forward
A federal judge in California rejected a challenge by several animal welfare groups regarding USDA’s New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) that opened more...
Supreme Court session kicks off with WOTUS case
The new session of the U.S. Supreme Court — the first including Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — launched today with arguments in In Sackett more...
From Utah to Pennsylvania, turkey producers hit by HPAI
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is continuing a destructive path across the United States, with the virus confirmed at poultry producers in half a dozen more...
Tyson, Pilgrim’s receive clean water awards
The Tyson Foods plant in Dardanelle, Ark., and the Pilgrim’s Pride facility in Arcadia, Wis., have been awarded the 2022 Clean Water Award by the U more...
September 2022
Seattle port dispute heats up as West Coast contract talks drag on
A simmering dispute over union jurisdiction at the Port of Seattle has boiled over, further fraying what has been otherwise a civil, if slow-moving, process more...
Judge approves $85M poultry wage-fixing class settlement
A federal court judge in Maryland has signed off on agreements with Cargill Meat Solutions, Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms worth nearly $85 million to more...
Maple Leaf completes poultry plant construction, eyes Q4 opening
Maple Leaf Foods confirmed it has completed construction of its new poultry facility in London, Ont., and that it is hiring workers for a Q4 opening. more...
Japanese wagyu wins 'World’s Best Steak' challenge
Japanese wagyu has been one of the hottest strains of beef in recent years, and it received further kudos at the 2022 World Steak Challenge in Dublin more...
Hot commodity: Thieves target meat by the truckload (updated)
With the retail price of meat products projected to rise at the historic rate of about 10% in 2022, the theft of truckloads of meat also has picked up more...
Judge shoots down Iowa ‘ag gag’ law — again
A federal judge on Monday ruled that the latest version of an Iowa law seeking to criminalize the use of cameras in agricultural facilities is unconstitutional more...
USDA launches cattle contracts library pilot
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has launched a pilot for the Cattle Contracts Library envisioned as part of legislation seeking to give more...
HPAI continues to hammer turkey producers
The fall resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, continues to hit commercial turkey operations, including a 127,200-bird facility in more...
Smithfield to pay $75M to settle consumer suit on alleged price-fixing (UPDATED)
Smithfield Foods Inc. agreed to pay $75 million to settle its part of a class action lawsuit filed by consumers that accused several defendants of fixing more...
JBS Missouri plant to feature newly acquired Italian brand
An upcoming JBS USA processing facility in Columbia, Mo., will spotlight its recently acquired Italian brand Principe, according to an announcement from more...
White House aims to boost health, end hunger by 2030
The White House this week unveiled its new strategy for improving the health of Americans and reducing food insecurity ahead of its Conference on Food more...
N.D. sees HPAI outbreak; U.K. officials set mitigation zones
The fall resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has claimed a commercial flock in Ransom County, N.D., according to state ag officials more...
White House proposes new rules to spark meat, poultry competition
The Biden administration is introducing efforts designed to protect farmers and ranchers from anti-competitive practices by pork, poultry and beef processors more...
Chicken production in China expected to be steady in 2023: USDA
Chicken production should remain steady next year even as consumer demand for some products is expected to increase, according to a new USDA Global Agricultural more...
New research highlights beef consumer priorities
Nearly three in four American beef eaters say they can’t imagine giving up the taste of beef, according to new research from Midan Marketing that more...
Giving back: Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Seaboard Foods, Perdue Farms
Wayne-Sanderson Farms funds police K-9 unit Wayne-Sanderson Farms provided a $21,000 donation to the Dobson (N.C.) Police Department to help fund the more...
Beef plant on the hunt for a home
Western Legacy Development Corp. is on the hunt for a home for its $1.1 billion beef processing facility, now that a second prospective location has taken more...
HPAI cases reappear in Saskatchewan, Colorado
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture's chief veterinary officer has issued an order limiting the transport and commingling of poultry after several more...
Jamaica Broilers plans expansion of U.S. operations
Jamaica Broilers Group, based in McCook's Pen, Jamaica, is investing $20 million to expand its Best Dressed Chicken facility in Ward, S.C., according more...
Minn. prison opens new $2M processing plant
The Northeast Regional Corrections Center (NERCC) in Saginaw, Minn., has opened a new $2 million meat processing plant, according to local media reports more...
DOJ recommends Easterday be sentenced to 10-plus years
The Department of Justice has recommended that Washington cattleman Cody Allen Easterday spend more than 10 years in prison for a wire fraud scheme that more...
Frozen beef supply builds, but ham and turkey below normal: DLR
Frozen beef inventories are still growing, which could temper price inflation in the holiday season, but turkeys and hams are below normal levels, the more...
Aldi says it's attracting more shoppers
Value-focused grocery store chain Aldi said it has attracted more than 1 million new households to its stores over the past year as consumers look to more...
Taco Bell pilots Beyond carne asada
Taco Bell will test Beyond Carne Asada Steak, the result of its collaboration with Beyond Meat, at select Taco Bell locations in the Dayton, Ohio more...
Tyson, Cargill commit to hiring 3,500 refugees
Tyson Foods and Cargill pledged to hire thousands of refugees at the U.S. Business Summit on Refugees. The summit was organized by the Tent Partnership more...
HPAI second wave grows with outbreaks in Minn., S.D.
The second wave of HPAI outbreaks continues, with new cases striking commercial turkey flocks in Minnesota, South Dakota and Utah. According to Sept. more...
Pork producers lay out priorities for Congress
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) last week held its fall Legislative Action Conference in Washington, D.C., where some 100 pork producers met more...
News briefs: White Castle, Oreganic Beef, Angus Foundation, Wilson Farm Meats
White Castle rolls out Castle Bites at retail The White Castle fast-food chain is introducing Castle Bites in hamburger and cheeseburger versions at grocery more...
JBS names first global chief sustainability officer
JBS today named Jason Weller to its executive leadership team as the company’s first global chief sustainability officer. Weller will oversee environmental more...
Perdue files dismissal motion in grower lawsuit
Perdue Foods and Perdue Farms have moved to dismiss a contract grower's lawsuit in Georgia federal court. The lawsuit, Roger Parker v. Perdue, was filed more...
Canadian judge allows E. coli suit to move ahead as class action
A lawsuit filed by Canadians who bought or consumed contaminated pork, resulting in a deadly E. coli outbreak four years ago, is now certified as having more...
Giving back: Perdue Farms, Tyson Foods, McDonald’s
Perdue, baseball team partner for hunger relief Perdue Farms has teamed up with the Delmarva Shorebirds Class A minor league baseball team to deliver more...
Cheyenne, Wyo. joins the list of options for $1.1B packing plant
Cheyenne, Wyo., is in the running for attracting a $1.1-billion greenfield meat packing plant that would bring up to 2,500 jobs to the area, according more...
Neb. reports first HPAI outbreak in five months as spread continues
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture this week confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the first in the state since April more...
Senate committee finally moves on USDA noms
Nominees for two key positions within USDA finally will be considered by the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on Thursday more...
Alt-meat exec charged with assault (updated)
Doug Ramsey, COO of Beyond Meat, was arrested on charges of "terroristic threatening" and third-degree battery, court records show, following allegations more...
Missouri governor pushes for meat processor tax credits
As Missouri lawmakers debate state fiscal policy, measures that are friendly to meat processors have entered the equation. According to a report from more...
In Sioux Falls, a game of brinkmanship
As the calendar speeds to November’s election day, the backers of the $500 million Wholestone pork processing plant within the city limits of Sioux more...
Pork, poultry, turkey availability should climb in 2023: USDA
U.S. consumers can expect to see greater availability of pork, broiler meat and turkey next year, but less beef than this year’s supply, according more...
Queen's passing throws some meat labels into limbo
One of the lesser-known consequences of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II after 70 years on the throne is the fact that companies that have secured the more...
Feds drop price-fixing case v. two poultry companies
The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to dismiss, with prejudice, its price-fixing case filed in 2021 against Norman W. Fries Inc, d/b/a Claxton Poultry more...
HPAI returns to Tennessee while cases rise in Canada
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has sickened a non-commercial backyard poultry flock in west Tennessee, USDA and state officials announced. The more...
Low pig supply forces Danish Crown job cuts
Danish Crown, Europe's largest pork processor, is cutting 350 jobs at two plants in Denmark due to declining supplies of pigs available for slaughter more...
Team Germany takes top prize in ‘Olympics’ of butchering
This is one kind of schnitzel you hang on the wall. Germany – the home of rouladen and sauerbraten – triumphed in the 2022 World Butchers’ more...
Tentative railway labor pact reached, avoiding strike
Railroad companies and workers unions reached a tentative labor agreement early Thursday, avoiding a strike that threatened to disrupt shipments of commodities more...
Halal processor acquires poultry plant
Canadian Halal processor Amir Quality Meats Inc. has acquired a processing plant and associated supply from Wellington Poultry Ltd. in Arthur, Ontario more...
China seen importing 8% less pork in 2023: USDA's FAS
China's pork imports in 2023 are forecast at 1.85 million metric tons, an 8% decline from this year's lowered estimate, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural more...
Giving back: Hormel, Farmland, Illinois Pork Producers, Cargill
Hormel partners with Conscious Alliance Hormel Foods' Justin's brand, which produces nut butters and plant-based snacks, announced a dollar-for-dollar more...
Biden order throws a bone to cultivated meat producers
A new executive order from President Biden includes long-awaited support for the cultivated meat industry. The order, which directs various government more...
USDA commits $2.8B to climate-smart ag projects
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday announced the agency is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 projects under the first pool of the Partnerships for more...
Texas A&M looks to expand poultry science offerings
Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences plans to broaden the scope of its top-ranked Department of Poultry Science. “Our immediate more...
Local agencies confirm new HPAI cases in Michigan, Canada
Officials in Michigan and British Columbia, Canada, this week confirmed new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) as the spread of the virus more...
Trio of chicken companies closer to settling wage suppression suit
Attorneys representing current and former workers who accused three chicken processors of conspiring to limit wages and benefits formally asked a federal more...
HyLife facility suffers fire (updated)
The HyLife Foods facility in Windom, Minn., suffered a fire overnight at its pork complex, the company confirmed for Meatingplace in an email. The fire more...
Warnings about new HPAI prove true in Calif., Minn. flocks
USDA officials have confirmed new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in California and Minnesota, more evidence that the virus is far from more...
Red meat exports drag on 2023 forecasts
U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year 2023, beginning Oct. 1, 2022, are projected at $193.5 billion, down $2.5 billion from the revised forecast for more...
Transportation labor issues cast shadows on processors
The possibility of a strike among railroad workers beginning at the end of this week has indirect implications for the meat industry, experts say, even more...
WASDE projects softening prices for broilers, rising prices elsewhere
The USDA’s latest World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimates (WASDE) report was released today, and it provided further context on how more...
Maple Leaf Foods nears completion on new poultry plant
A massive poultry processing plant in London, Ont., is now expected to open before the end of the year, providing Maple Leaf Foods with a new value-added more...
News briefs: JBS, Beef Checkoff, Old Trapper, North American Lamb, Burger King, Wingstop
JBS reports progress toward sustainability goals JBS released its 2021 Sustainability Update with information on progress toward its 2030 goals, announced more...
No injuries in fire at JBS hide processing facility
A fire on the roof of the JBS hide processing facility in Greeley, Colo., late Wednesday has been determined to be accidental. The building was evacuated more...
U.S. poultry markets still threatened by HPAI: CoBank
The nation’s poultry industry is likely to remain vulnerable to cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) across the country, according more...
Meat Tech: Automation in processing facilities
Robotics and automation have been delivering benefits to manufacturing operations for years. These technologies can reduce waste, cut labor costs, improve more...
Animal rights activists disrupt Bills-Rams game
Animal rights activists ran onto the field during the Bills-Rams season opener Thursday night, briefly halting play. Emek Echo and Katia Shokrai, members more...
Pilgrim's UK units may close plants after money-losing year: reports
Pilgrim’s Pride is reportedly looking to close multiple plants in the United Kingdom, aiming to stem operating losses of more than $18 million in more...
NCBA urges Senate to approve EPA livestock legislation (Updated)
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) restated its support of the Livestock Regulatory Protection Act, and urged its passing in the Senate more...
Canada invests C$45.3M in ASF prevention, preparation
Canada is investing up to C$45.3 million to boost efforts to prevent African swine fever (ASF) from entering the country and to prepare for a potential more...
Lessons learned: Bird flu in 2022
People don’t always take what they’ve learned to prepare for future challenges, but when bird flu hit the United States this year, producers more...
Tyson commits $2.5 million to fight hunger
Tyson Foods said Wednesday it has committed $2.5 million to address food insecurity by partnering with Feeding America member food banks to provide greater more...
Foster Farms bumps up entry level wage in Louisiana by 36%
Foster Farms announced Wednesday that it is increasing the entry-level wage rate for its Farmerville, La., processing facility employees to $17.30 per more...
American Heart Association sued over Heart-Check mark on beef
An animal protection organization is suing the American Heart Association for allowing use of its Heart-Check certification on certain meat products. more...
Target names supply chain chief; CEO to stay three more years
Target Corp. on Wednesday announced that Brian Cornell has committed to remain as CEO for about three more years, and Arthur Valdez, executive vice president more...
Class action suit vs. ICE over 2018 raid nears settlement
A lawsuit filed against federal immigration officers over a 2018 raid at a meat processing plant in Bean Station, Tenn., is close to being settled, according more...
HPAI toll on Calif. poultry industry rises
The Golden State is the latest battleground between the poultry industry and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), with outbreaks now confirmed in more...
Republic Foods under scrutiny after FSIS notes cattle mistreatment
Republic Foods is working with regulators on a correction plan after being cited for “inhumane handling and slaughter of livestock” twice more...
Food price index falls for fifth straight month: FAO report
The index of global food prices declined for the fifth consecutive month although the latest food cost barometer was higher that the index one year ago more...
State ag officials see labor challenges as a top meat industry issue
An association composed of state agriculture officials are expressing concerns about shortages of skilled labor that threaten to limit prospects for future more...
Oregonians are all about the burger
While nearly all Americans love a good burger, it appears that Oregonians have everyone beat in terms of consumption: Residents there are calculated to more...
Fine brine: a Taste Test of Trader Joe's buttermilk chicken
Trader Joe’s is known for its loyal shoppers who seem to have love affairs with many of their products. We recently learned of their refrigerated more...
Bacon City elects its mayor
Tyson Foods' Wright Brand bacon has named "longtime bacon fan" Walter Arnett of Lexington, Ky., as the mayor of Bacon City USA. The company announced more...
Lawmakers urge Vilsack to delay poultry line speed study
Congressman Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) and 34 colleagues have sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the delay of USDA's plan to require more...
$100K in pork stolen from JBS plant
More than $100,000 worth of pork products were stolen from a JBS meat packing plant in Ottumwa, Iowa, according to local media reports. The theft was more...
Analysts lower Hormel’s earnings estimates after Q3 report
Three industry analysts downgraded their annual earnings estimates for Hormel Food Corp. after the Austin, Minn.-based processor reported adjusted per-share more...
Oscar Mayer unveils the popsicle dog. (We're serious.)
Kraft Heinz has introduced the cold dog, a frozen popsicle flavored like the company's Oscar Mayer wiener, the company said in a news release. Arising more...
Hormel trims profit outlook; HPAI back in supply chain
Hormel on Thursday hiked its full-year sales outlook while cutting its profit forecast, with CEO Jim Snee saying the company expects “elevated cost more...
General Mills spending $100M to expand Totino's plant
General Mills is spending $100 million to expand capacity at its Wellston, Ohio, plant that makes pizza rolls and Totino's pizzas to meet increased consumer more...
White House sets date for September food policy conference
The first White House conference to examine the country's food policy agenda in more than 50 years is set for Sept. 28. The White House Conference on more...
FAS expects to resume export reports on Sept. 15
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) will be unable to publish weekly export sales data today or on Sept. 8 due to difficulties with the launch more...
August 2022
Walmart buys into rancher-owned beef company
Walmart is acquiring a minority stake in Sustainable Beef LLC, a rancher-owned company in North Platte, Neb., the retailer announced on Wednesday. Walmart's more...
USDA awards $21.9M in grants to strengthen meat supply chain
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is devoting an additional $21.9 million to support meat and poultry processors in developing new marketing more...
JBS USA appoints government affairs, HR executives
JBS USA announced Tuesday that Allison Crittenden has been named senior director of government affairs, where she will join the team responsible for public more...
Greater Omaha Packing names supplier development manager
Greater Omaha Packing has hired Sara Cover for the newly created position of supplier development program manager, the company announced Tuesday. As Greater more...
Brazil's BRF taps Marfrig's top exec as its new CEO
Brazil's BRF announced Tuesday that its CEO, Lorival Luz, had resigned. He will be replaced by Miguel Gularte, former CEO of Marfrig Global Foods. Gularte more...
Global beef sales strong, but inflation taking a toll: Rabobank
While the global demand for beef continues to hold, sustained higher prices are sending consumers toward less-expensive beef options, according to the more...
Impossible Foods slashes satfat, boosts protein
Plant-based alt-meat maker Impossible Foods has updated its ground beef analogue formulation to slash saturated fat by 25% and improve its amino acid more...
News briefs: Brooklyn Cured, Applegate Farms, Denny's, Old Trapper
Brooklyn Cured gets redesign, adds pork free options Brooklyn Cured has redesigned the packaging for its fully cooked sausage line to match new flavors more...
Tyson 'terminates' International business head
Chris Langholz was terminated as Tyson Foods Inc.'s Group President International on Friday, the company said in a filing with the Securities & Exchange more...
Pork plant worker accused of product tampering
An employee of AVA Cos. in Hicksville, N.Y., faces criminal mischief and tampering charges after allegedly placing a coin in a meat package set to go more...
Fire damages small USDA-inspected poultry company in Calif.
A fire yesterday afternoon halted operations at a small poultry processing company in Montebello, Calif., although details about the event are still scarce more...
Steakholder Foods develops cultured pork
Steakholder Foods Ltd. (formerly MeaTech 3D), an Israeli food-tech company, is developing cultured pork products from a new line of porcine more...
Operations resume at Perdue plant after chemical spill
A Perdue Farms Inc. plant in Washington, Ind., is back online following a chemical spill Thursday afternoon that briefly disrupted operations and prompted more...
Rule change opens processing door for Virginia Beach farmers
A code provision approved by the Virginia Beach City Council will allow local farmers to process cattle, chickens, grains and vegetables on their own more...
Restaurant operators grow more pessimistic, survey finds
The National Restaurant Association's August survey of business conditions has found the economy is disrupting foodservice operations across the industry more...
Chicken burger recalled in Canada for allergen
Mrakovic Fine Foods brand Natural Chicken Burger has been recalled due to undeclared egg, an allergen, in the product, according to a Canadian Food Inspection more...
HPAI strikes first commercial flock in California
California is reporting the state’s first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a commercial poultry operation this year. “While more...
Chicken welfare group adds nine food business members
The U.S. Working Group for Broiler Welfare announced the addition of nine new members in its collaboration with Perdue Farms to improve chicken welfare more...
NPPC hires director of food policy
Dr. Ashley Johnson has joined the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) as director of food policy, the organization announced Thursday. Johnson will more...
Purdue University launches meat sentiment tracker
Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability has created a meat sentiment dashboard that follows meat and meat alternative more...
Poultry group blasts grower contract transparency initiative
The National Chicken Council (NCC) is voicing “strong opposition” to a USDA proposal to change the current poultry grower tournament system more...
Nonprofit changes gears, voices support for S.D. pork plant
There was a new twist in the fight over Wholestone Farms' proposed pork plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., when a local organization backtracked on its opposition more...
USDA offers $550M to support underserved producers
USDA on Wednesday announced $550 million in American Rescue Plan funding is being made available to support projects that enable underserved producers more...
Restaurant holding company reports profit, sales declines
Brinker International Inc. said higher operating costs and a slight decline in sales contributed to a 46% drop in net income in its fiscal fourth quarter more...
Two more pork plants win approval to speed up lines under NSIS
USDA announced two additional pork processing plants will be allowed to convert to the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) in an expansion of a limited more...
Attorneys seek $13.2M in fees in Smithfield settlement
Plaintiff's attorneys in a pork price-fixing case settlement reached earlier this year have filed with the U.S. District Court seeking $13.3 million in more...
Cold storage throws out some unexpected numbers
The meat supply chain overall is slowly straightening itself out, but kinks remain, as seen in USDA’s July Cold Storage report. Total volume more...
News Briefs: Meat District, Conagra, Taco Bell, Texas Chicken
Meat District celebrates arrival of its premium burgers at Kroger Meat District is launching a promotion to celebrate a new distribution agreement to more...
Burger King tests plant-based chicken sandwich (updated)
Burger King is trying out a plant-based version of its Original Chicken Sandwich, starting today in Ohio, Impossible Foods confirmed. The hamburger chain more...
Extreme/exceptional drought now in 40% of U.S. South
The U.S.’ already-bad drought conditions continue to worsen. According to the latest drought monitor from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s more...
HPAI spurs local health emergency in California’s Butte County
Just a week after California reported its first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza — in a small backyard flock — the virus has more...
Light-based technology can eliminate multiple pathogens: researchers
New research from Penn State labs indicate that pulsed light techniques are an effective method of eliminating harmful pathogens in a variety of food more...
Sharply higher pork prices expected to continue: USDA ERS
Unlike pork markets in 2021, when higher prices were largely attributable to pandemic-related changes in consumer demand, this year supply factors appear more...
Climate change, food shortage concerns escalate: study
Global consumer concerns about climate change and food shortages are increasing, according to a new report from Mintel. The research firm’s second more...
Taco Bell tests proprietary plant-based meat
Taco Bell is testing a plant-based meat substitute made from soy and pea protein at some 50 restaurants in Birmingham, Ala. The trial is more...
Big inflation for the Big Mac in 2022
Amidst the highest inflation in four decades, it's become common practice to find various metrics to illustrate the impact of rising prices, and the folks more...
Tyson spends $200M to expand, upgrade Amarillo plant
Tyson Foods announced today it will invest $200 million to expand and upgrade operations and build a new employee well-being area at its Amarillo, Texas more...
McDonald’s to test Chicken Big Mac in Florida
McDonald’s Corp. plans to test a chicken version of its Big Mac for a limited time at Miami-area locations later this month, the Chicago-based chain more...
Ohio awards another $3M in processing grants
Ohio announced on Wednesday that 12 meat processors have been awarded a total of nearly $3 million to implement processing efficiencies, expand or construct more...
Chicken wing prices sink to four-year low, but not for long
The price of chicken wings has tumbled to levels unseen in the past four years, but the downturn is unlikely to last much longer as the fall sports season more...
Walmart shoppers spending less on higher-priced meats: CFO
Walmart customers are shifting their purchasing patterns in response to inflation, and this "trade-down activity" is evident in their protein choices more...
Special claims turkey processor sees $12M investment
Plainville Farms, the New Oxford, Pa.-based processor and distributor of organic and antibiotic-free turkey products, has garnered a $12 million loan more...
Construction begins on small red meat plant in NW Iowa
An Iowa family with deep roots in the meat industry is building a small red meat processing center in Marcus, Iowa, according to local reports. Groundbreaking more...
New book rejects claims that plant-based diets are healthier
A plant-based diet won’t improve human health or save the planet, according to a new book by a British-based investigative journalist. “The more...
JBS realigns executive leadership via internal promotions
JBS appointed three long-time executives to new positions in the global protein giant’s offices and to posts at two of its subsidiaries. Michael more...
Standard Meat promotes Tom Allen to COO
Meat industry veteran Tom Allen is the new chief operating officer at Standard Meat Co., the Fort Worth, Texas-based protein company announced. Allen more...
Canada invests in improving animal welfare
Canada will provide about C$3 million in funding to three organizations to enhance animal welfare and tracking in the country, the government announced more...
Giving back: Smithfield, CTI Foods, The Maschhoffs, Star Ranch Angus, Goodstock by Nolan Ryan
Smithfield supports student environmental contest Smithfield Foods announced a donation of $30,000 in scholarship funds to support the National Conservation more...
Federal court issues stay on animal welfare law in Mass. (updated)
One week after lawsuits challenging a Massachusetts law similar to the Proposition 12 law in California were stayed, a federal court issued a separate more...
HPAI is not going away: new reports in Pa., first reports in Calif.
Hopes that the warm summer months would end the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have not proven out. While incident reports have slowed more...
Okla. State researchers tackle meat discoloration
Researchers at Oklahoma State University are finding new ways to stop meat discoloration and extend the shelf life of retail beef products. In a recently more...
The future of claims-based and meat alternatives
In a sea of products in the meat case, items that project health, sustainability and transparency continue to resonate with consumers. Indeed, Americans more...
Marfrig's net profit more than doubles in Q2
Marfrig Global Foods, parent of U.S. meatpacker National Beef, on Thursday reported a 144.9% rise in net profit in the second quarter, to BRL4.25 billion more...
New WASDE details 2022's soaring meat prices
Following on the heels of the latest Consumer Price Index, the USDA's new World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report reiterates the prevailing more...
Wisconsin college gets funds for meat processing training
Northcentral Technical College (NTC) in Wausau, Wis., said it has received $220,000 from the state to help solve food supply chain challenges through more...
Pork & Pigskins: Contest seeks best concession stand chop
When the Friday night lights illuminate high school football games across the country this season, a friendly Illinois competition will pit concession more...
Seaboard's Q2 turkey operating income rises, pork falls
Seaboard Corp. reported operating income for its pork business declined to $1 million in the second quarter, down from $129 million in the same period more...
Texas producer-owned beef plant to recycle water: report
Meat production is water-intensive, and the Texas Panhandle is becoming one of the driest places in the country. But facility designers at Amarillo’s more...
Senate bill would let livestock auctions own packing plants
A bill introduced in the Senate would allow livestock auction market owners to invest in small meat packing operations. Livestock auction markets currently more...
Del Taco CEO steps down; replacement named
Jack in the Box Inc. said it promoted Del Taco Chief Operating Officer Chad Gretzema to Del Taco brand president. He replaces John Cappasola, who has more...
Texas announces new producer-owned beef plant in Amarillo
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott today announced Producer Owned Beef LLC will create a new beef processing plant in Amarillo with capacity to harvest 3,000 cattle more...
Restaurants agree to delay challenge to Mass. pork rules
A coalition of restaurant groups and the National Pork Producers Council have agreed to stay their lawsuit targeting Massachusetts' new animal welfare more...
Attorneys general for 10 states back poultry tournament reforms
Attorneys general from 10 states have issued a public letter of support for the USDA's proposed reforms to the poultry grower tournament system. First more...
Inflation moderates as gas costs dip; price of meat rises
The consumer price index (CPI) rose 8.5% over the last 12 months ending in July before seasonal adjustment, cooling from the 9.1% jump last month that more...
Not ‘your grandfather’s Hormel Foods’: Snee
"Hormel is a distinctly different company than it was a decade ago,” Hormel Foods CEO Jim Snee explained in an interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune more...
Foster Farms boosts pay at Washington facility
Less than a month after announcing an increase in entry-level pay at its Livingston, Calif., operation, poultry processor Foster Farms has done the same more...
The small processor boom rolls on
Another small processor has broken ground on a new facility with some help from the state of Oklahoma, in the form of grant money pulled from a fund established more...
Famous Dave’s parent acquired by Montreal company
BBQ Holdings Inc., parent company to Famous Dave’s barbecue restaurant chain and eight other eatery brands, will merge with Montreal-based MTY Food more...
Tyson reports a rise in Q3 sales, but challenges ding net income
Higher sales in four of its five primary operating divisions helped fuel an overall increase in Tyson Foods Inc.’s sales in the third quarter, although more...
Premium Brands snaps up King's Command, Golden Valley Farms
In the second fiscal quarter, Vancouver, B.C.-based Premium Brands Holdings Corp. acquired King's Command, a portion-controlled, pre-cooked and ready-to-cook more...
Americans curtail restaurant meals further as summer progresses
Inflation and rising menu prices had Americans cutting back on restaurants in the second quarter of 2022, according to the NPD Group. Physical and online more...
Plant-based beef alternatives threaten 1.5 million jobs, study finds
The unintended consequences of adopting plant-based beef alternatives include disrupted employment in the agricultural sector, according to newly published research more...
U.S. beef exports top $1B in June, continue record-setting year
U.S. beef exports showed no signs of slowing down in June, according to the latest analysis from USMEF. For June, beef exports were valued at $1.05 billion more...
Restaurants, NPPC sue Mass. over animal welfare law
Restaurants in New England and the National Pork Producers Council filed a lawsuit Wednesday asking a federal court in Massachusetts to prevent the state more...
People person: a discussion with Smithfield's Andrea Tucker
Above the lobby entrance into Smithfield Foods’ 985,000-square-foot pork plant in Tar Heel, N.C., is a welcome sign that proudly proclaims, “The more...
Giving back: Smithfield, Tyson, Butterball, Cargill, Farmer John, Perdue
Smithfield assists Kentucky flood victimsSmithfield Foods donated more than 20,000 pounds of protein to help the victims of recent floods in eastern Kentucky more...
Tyson launches expansion at Illinois prepared foods plant
Tyson Foods Inc. this week broke ground on a $180 million expansion at its Caseyville, Ill., prepared foods plant that will bring 250 new jobs to the more...
Court dismisses Tyson suit vs. ex-exec who joined Foster Farms
A lawsuit accusing a former Tyson Foods Inc. executive of violating non-compete provisions when he joined Foster Farms earlier this year was settled and more...
'Low-income consumer pulling back': Yum Brands CEO
Yum Brands said Wednesday its worldwide sales increased just 1% in the second quarter as consumers around the globe grew more cautious about spending more...
Wayne-Sanderson expands hatchery, adds gender sorting
Wayne-Sanderson Farms said Thursday it has upgraded and expanded its Dobson, N.C., hatchery operation. The $1.3 million expansion improves the work environment more...
Cargill says protein key in new $4.9 million donation
Cargill announced a $4.9 million donation to the Feeding America network of food banks to support hunger relief and greater access to protein across the more...
Wyoming, North Dakota boost processing capacity
One of the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been strong demand for local meat processors, and state government efforts to support that interest more...
Wayne-Sanderson Farms expands wing production
Wayne-Sanderson Farms announced it can produce an additional 42 million pounds of its frozen, fully cooked chicken wings annually due to installation more...
Church’s Texas Chicken appoints industry veteran as CEO
Atlanta-based Church’s Texas Chicken and sister brand Texas Chicken named Joe Guith as CEO, effective immediately, in a move designed to enhance more...
USDA OIG issues report on FSIS spending, COVID-19 responses
The USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG) is asking the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to update its tracking and monitoring of the agency’s more...
Tyson employee dies in plant accident in N.C.
A 43-year-old employee of a Tyson Foods business unit was killed late last week in an accident at the poultry by-product processing plant where he worked more...
News briefs: PA Beef Council, Cargill, Perdue Farms, Coast Packing, Bell & Evans
‘Beef and Baseball Night’ The PA Beef Council sponsored a “Beef and Baseball Night” at PNG Field, home of the Altoona Curve minor more...
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Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether it is true or false: Loading… We more...
Exclusive: An interview with USDA's Sandra Eskin about new salmonella declaration
This morning, Meatingplace reported that the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will declare salmonella an adulterant in breaded more...
NCC, NAMI cautious in response to USDA declaration on salmonella
Both the National Chicken Council and North American Meat Institute have responded to the USDA's new policy on salmonella. Released just this morning more...
HPAI impacts on U.S. poultry linger
The impacts of high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on U.S. poultry continue, as the USDA reported more positives in another state and another trading more...
Giving back: House of Raeford, JBS USA, Tyson Foods
House of Raeford supports camp for military kids House of Raeford's non-profit arm, House of Raeford Farms FLOCK, recently completed a successful fundraising more...
July 2022
McDonald’s confirms end of McPlant burger test
McDonald’s confirmed that the company has ended its test of the McPlant burger, but said it was a move that was always part of the plans when it more...
Small-rancher bill would create indemnity, marketing programs
U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) on Friday introduced previously promised legislation that would boost premium insurance subsidies for small ranchers and more...
Rabobank expects China pork imports to rise in 2H
China's imports of pork should pick up significantly in the second half of the year, Rabobank analysts said in its latest Global Pork Quarterly report more...
USPOULTRY Foundation seeks education recruitment funding applications
The USPOULTRY Foundation is accepting applications until August 15 from colleges and universities for its Industry Education Recruitment Funding program more...
Judge denies Smithfield's motion to dismiss COVID lawsuit
A judge has denied Smithfield Foods’ motion to dismiss a lawsuit in which a consumer advocacy group alleges that the company misled consumers about more...
Chefs’ Warehouse acquires Master Purveyors in Fla.
The Chefs’ Warehouse this week acquired Tampa, Fla.-based Master Purveyors for $10 million in cash, Chefs' Warehouse Chief Financial Officer Jim more...
Remus recognized for distinguished poultry career
Janet Remus, senior technical director with Danisco Animal Nutrition & Health, was recognized with the 2022 Poultry Science Association Distinguished more...
Kan. cattle corpses disposed of in landfill, unlined graves: report
Thousands of cattle corpses in Kansas were disposed of via uncommon means in June, according to a report from Reuters. A historic heat wave in June killed more...
Tyson seeks Supreme Court hearing on COVID-19 suits
Tyson Foods Inc. filed a formal petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on whether a Trump administration order that its plants remain open in more...
AFG gets final backing for $450M Missouri beef plant
American Foods Group is set to break ground in late summer on a new $450 million beef plant in Warren County, Mo. In a statement on its website, the family-owned more...
Walmart says Q2 food inflation rose, cuts profit outlook
Walmart said food inflation is in the double digits and higher than at the end of the first quarter, which is affecting customers' ability to spend on more...
USDA boosts funding for Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program
USDA announced it will increase the funding available for the Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP), which is designed to support hog producers adversely more...
Perdue sued over grower classification
Perdue Farms Inc. and Perdue Foods LLC are the target of a lawsuit filed by one of its contract growers in federal court in Georgia over what the grower more...
Poultry plant project promises 180 jobs in Tuscaloosa
Atlanta-based poultry processor Fit Foodz plans to add on to an existing plant in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and ultimately bring 180 jobs to the city with a new more...
German court upholds ban on meat plant subcontractors
Germany's highest court has upheld new regulations that prohibit the use of subcontractors in the country's meatpacking plants, according to media reports more...
Independent truckers end week-long protests at N. Calif. seaport
Marine terminals at the Port of Oakland resumed normal operations this week following a week of protests by independent truckers concerned about a law more...
Poultry processors pay $84.8M to settle DOJ wage-fixing case, deny wrongdoing
Three poultry processors accused in a lawsuit filed by the federal Department of Justice earlier today of conspiring to hold down wages and payments to more...
USDA proposes lower pork checkoff rate
Industry has until mid-August to weigh in on U.S. Department of Agriculture's proposal to decrease the Pork Checkoff assessment rate to 0.35% (35 cents more...
Chicken feathers repurposed for meat packaging in Singapore
Developers at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and poultry producer Leong Hup are touting an ecologically friendly use for chicken feathers more...
Drought prompting more ranchers to liquidate cattle (updated)
The heat of the summer and drought conditions are causing ranchers to liquidate cattle at an increasingly rapid clip. The latest cattle report illustrates more...
Cargill, Continental complete Sanderson acquisition
Cargill and Continental Grain Co. said Friday they have completed their $4.5 billion acquisition of Sanderson Farms Inc. first announced nearly a year more...
Wesley Batista Filho named JBS's global president of operations
Wesley Batista Filho will assume the role of global president of operations for JBS S.A., effective Nov. 1, the Brazilian meatpacking behemoth said in more...
Trucker protests in California hold up ag exports
A standoff blockading California’s third-busiest seaport continues, with truckers protesting a new “gig worker” law at the Port of Oakland more...
Bacon City USA seeks candidates for mayoral stint
The job of serving as mayor of Bacon City, USA, will be short-lived, but the perks will last a lifetime. Wright Brand has launched a nationwide search more...
Rail regulators cease emergency grain service to Foster Farms
Federal railroad regulators on Wednesday denied a petition from Foster Farms to continue an emergency order directing the Union Pacific Railroad Company more...
Environmental groups urge EPA to target CAFOs
More than 200 environmental and other advocacy group this week sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging the regulator more...
AAMP names new president
The American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) appointed Darla Kiesel as its new president at the group's annual convention last week in Des Moines more...
Beef cattle liquidation is speeding up: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
U.S.-Philippine ASF mitigation project announced
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) joined USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and leaders from the Philippine Department of Agriculture more...
Attorneys withdraw two COVID-related lawsuits vs. Tyson
Legal representatives of the estates of two Tyson Foods Inc. employees who died during the COVID-19 pandemic withdrew their separate lawsuits against more...
KFC launches test of Original Recipe chicken nuggets
KFC is testing its first chicken nuggets coated with the signature 11 herbs and spices of its Original Recipe in participating outlets in the Charlotte more...
News briefs: Starbucks, Save A Lot, Sahlen Packing, Conagra
Starbucks to close 'many more' stores: report The CEO of Starbucks, which last week announced the closing of 16 stores in major cities around the country more...
Tyson, OSHA investigating worker death at Ill. plant
Tyson Foods Inc. is working with state and federal authorities on a probe of the recent death of a 22-year-old worker at the company’s Joslin, Ill more...
Possible breakthrough on Sanderson Farms buy: WSJ
The delayed deal calling for Cargill Inc. and Continental Grain Co. to acquire Sanderson Farms Inc. could move forward if new concessions between the more...
Tyson Fresh Meats hit with fine in N.M. case
A federal judge in New Mexico ordered Tyson Fresh Meats to pay more than $2.5 million in actual damages and $8 million in punitive damages to a premium more...
Young adults struggle most with buying food: survey
Generation Z — Americans born after 1996 — are the demographic struggling the most with keeping food on the table, according to a recent report more...
Railroads, unions applaud Biden action on disputes
The heads of organizations representing the nation’s freight rail operators and 115,000 union workers are supporting President Biden’s executive more...
National Beef plant back online after ammonia leak (Updated)
National Beef Packing Co.’s Hummels Wharf, Pa., plant resumed operations on Monday after an ammonia leak that exposed dozens to the potentially more...
Perdue Foods names McAdams to two executive posts
Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue Farms named Kevin McAdams president of Perdue Foods and chief operating officer of Perdue Farms, effective today. McAdams more...
Maritime fees plan welcomed by industry
The Federal Maritime Commission has released an advisory on how the new regulations spelled out in the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) of 2022 should more...
China pork production, prices on volatile path: reports
Pork production in China reached its highest level in the second quarter since at least 2015, according to a new Reuters report citing Chinese statistics more...
Rep. Scott to introduce bill supporting small cattle farmers
U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) said Thursday he will introduce legislation aiming to support small cattle farmers and ranchers to bolster the beef supply more...
Middleby adds to acquisition roster
The Middleby Corporation is acquiring CP Packaging, an Appleton, Wis.-based maker of advanced high-speed vacuum packaging equipment with about $15 million more...
News briefs: Tyson sustainability, Chairman’s Reserve, Red Robin, Dave & Buster's, Real Good Foods
Tyson issues 2021 sustainability report Tyson Foods released its 2021 (FY21) Sustainability Report, reflecting the company’s continued focus on more...
Lawmakers push for Senate approval of immigrant farmworker bill
House Republicans this week joined business and agriculture leaders outside the U.S. Capitol at a press conference to push for the Senate’s approval more...
Conagra Brands says price increases crimp demand
Conagra Brands Inc., the maker of food products including Slim Jim jerky, on Thursday signaled more price hikes are ahead to offset higher costs. The more...
Fresh Market grocery chain withdraws IPO plan
Fresh Market Holdings Inc. has withdrawn its plan to launch an initial public offering, according to a regulatory filing on Wednesday. The grocery retailer more...
Pennsylvania to offer $25 million in bird flu aid
Pennsylvania’s poultry industry is in line for $25 million in state funding as it recovers from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), thanks more...
Tyson tests flexible hours at plants to tackle labor challenge
Tyson Foods is finding success with a flexible scheduling pilot program introduced at several of its poultry processing plants that is part of the company's more...
JBS sued over pork plant odors
Residents neighboring JBS USA’s pork plant in Butchertown, Ky., on Monday filed a class-action lawsuit over the facility’s odors, according more...
CPI hits 41-year high, but meat prices cool in June
The consumer price index (CPI) jumped 9.1% over the 12 months ended in June before seasonal adjustment, marking the largest increase since November 1981 more...
NMPAN offers self-paced Meat Processor Academy
A new self-paced adaptation of the Meat Processor Academy that took place this spring will be available beginning July 15, the Niche Meat Processor Assistance more...
JBS to automate Canadian beef plant via $55M investment
JBS Canada plans to completely automate operations at its boxed beef warehouse in Brooks, Alberta, as part of a multi-million-dollar agreement with automation more...
Global protein demand seen climbing to 2032: OECD/FAO (Updated)
Global demand for poultry, beef and pork is expected to increase over the next 10 years, according to the latest report from the Organization for Economic more...
Canada detects HPAI in commercial flock in Quebec
A new case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in the last week in a commercial poultry flock in La Jacques-Cartier, Quebec more...
News briefs: Starbucks, Boston Market, Costco, Old Trapper
Starbucks pulls chicken sandwich Starbucks has stopped selling a chicken sandwich about a week after its debut, citing quality concerns. The coffee more...
U.S. beef exports hit records in May, pork improves: USMEF
U.S. beef and pork exporters had reasons to celebrate in May as beef reached record levels and pork regained some momentum after a slide since November more...
Not over yet: first case of HPAI confirmed in Nevada
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) are on the decline across much of the United States as of June, but USDA recently confirmed the more...
Nebraska joins roster of U.S. states offering processor grants
Nebraska is now among a half dozen U.S. states to offer opportunities for livestock producers and small meat processing companies to apply for grants more...
Tyson turns toward chicken unit challenges: report
The nation’s largest poultry producer is preparing to address soaring chicken demand and focus on the division's profitability stability even as more...
Tyson wrongful death case back in state court
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has sent a COVID 19-related wrongful death lawsuit back to Texas state court, blocking Tyson Foods’ argument more...
Sysco files price-fixing lawsuit against Big Four beef packers
Food distributor Sysco Corporation has filed a lawsuit for price fixing against the Big Four beef packers — Cargill, JBS, National Beef and Tyson more...
Three more pork price-fixing lawsuits filed
Three separate, but nearly identical, lawsuits have been filed alleging “anticompetitive conduct” and price-fixing by a raft of pork producers more...
How the Prop 12 SCOTUS case is shaping up
The 2021-2022 term of the U.S. Supreme Court ended with a bang, and while legal pundits are dissecting the Court’s decisions regarding the right more...
HPAI dwindles among commercial and backyard flocks
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza among commercial and backyard flocks are waning in the U.S., with cases confirmed in three states so far more...
Proponents of Tenn. processing cooperative seek backup site
Although a group backing a regional meat processing plant in eastern Tennessee says the cooperative remains on track to buy a site in Telford for the more...
Canadian ranchers call for investigation of beef prices
Ranchers in Canada are joining their colleagues south of the border in calling for official inquiries into rising retail prices for beef. According to more...
Two chicken associations announce merger
The Iowa Poultry Association (IPA) and Chicken and Egg Association of Minnesota (CEAM) merged their operations, effective July 1, the two organizations more...
Walmart to charge some suppliers a fuel fee: WSJ
Walmart has told some suppliers that it will tack on new surcharges for transporting their goods to warehouses and stores in response to rising fuel costs more...
Tyson to invest in Saudi poultry business in strategic expansion
Tyson Foods Inc. announced plans to buy a stake in a Saudi Arabian poultry operation in a move designed to help meet increasing demand for protein in more...
Smithfield finalizes $42M settlement with foodservice operators
Smithfield Foods has finalized a $42 million settlement with restaurateurs and caterers who alleged the pork producer conspired to inflate pork prices more...
Greater Omaha Packing affiliate to buy Universe Trucking
Greater Omaha Express, the affiliated trucking company of beef supplier Greater Omaha Packing Co., is set to acquire Omaha-based Universe Trucking Co more...
OSHA steps into dispute between union, Smithfield
Accusations by a union representing workers at a Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., that working conditions are deteriorating have drawn the more...
Cattle, beef markets 2022: the second half
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Study finds 'concerning' survival of coronavirus on meat products
A new study has "concerning" results on how well SARS-CoV-2 surrogates survive on refrigerated and frozen meat products. Conducted by Emily S. Bailey more...
Pork Board offers $46K for top innovators in challenge
The Pork Checkoff is launching its first Pork Industry Innovation Challenge to encourage individuals and companies to help solve some of the biggest issues more...
Consumers plan a climate-conscious cookout
Consumers increasingly are taking into consideration the climate effects of their food choices — which is expected to translate into more chicken more...
France bans 'meat' terms on plant-based products
France will ban the use of common meat terms such as “steak,” "bacon" and “sausage” on plant-based foods, in accordance with more...
Cargill protein business helps funds new culinary school
Cargill’s North American protein business is providing a $400,000 grant to WSU Tech to support the creation of a new culinary arts institute in more...
Kraft Heinz to purchase renewable energy for U.S. operations
Kraft Heinz Co., whose brands include Oscar Mayer, Lunchables and Smart Ones and Weight Watchers prepared meals, announced a power purchasing agreement more...
Feds recover $285,000 in back pay for poultry workers
A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found that employers at two Morton, Miss., processing plants denied 313 workers minimum wage and overtime more...
Iowa court reverses law allowing residents to sue hog farmers
An Iowa Supreme Court judge ruled that a law allowing pig farms to be sued for alleged water or odor issues was wrong when it was decided in 2004. The more...
Big Boy + Nathan’s Famous, in time for the holiday
Frisch's Big Boy has announced that it is adding Nathan’s Famous 100% all-beef natural casing hot dog to its menu at all locations beginning July more...
JBT Corp. buys Alco-food-machines
JBT Corp. resumed acquisitions in the food and beverage production space, buying Alco-food-machines GmbH & Co. KG (Alco), a provider of further food more...
June 2022
Canada reverses position on ground meat health labels
The Canadian government has abandoned a proposed amendment that would have slapped a special health label on ground beef products in the country. Part more...
U.S. corn planted acres down 4% from 2021
USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimated 89.9 million acres of corn planted in the United States for 2022, down 4% from last year more...
Lawmakers want ports to prioritize U.S. exports
Three California lawmakers have introduced legislation to move U.S. exports to the front of the line at the nation’s congested ports by giving American more...
U.S. legislators push for container port in Oregon
A bipartisan, bicameral group of U.S. legislators has sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking that federal funds be allocated to create a new West more...
Sanderson Farms says Wayne Farms merger delayed
Sanderson Farms no longer sees its merger with Wayne Farms being completed in the first half of this year, though it still expects the deal to get done more...
Meat heists in Nebraska could be part of nationwide trend
The rising cost of beef is making the commodity “hot” in more ways than one. Police in Grand Island, Neb., are investigating weekend heists more...
PETA calls on FSIS to end animal raising label claims
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a petition on Monday asking USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to revise its rules more...
Oregon provides $2M to help local processors meet demand
The Oregon Department of Agriculture selected six local processors to receive grants that will help the awardees produce an additional 3 million pounds more...
Tyson workers ask federal court to reconsider COVID-19 lawsuit (update)
Attorneys representing 41 Tyson Foods Inc. workers are asking a federal appellate court to reconsider the merits of a lawsuit accusing the processor of more...
Neb. producers get OK to re-open packing plant
The city council of Gering, Neb., has approved a pair of brothers' permit application to re-open a meatpacking plant in the town, which would would reportedly more...
N.C. offers new round of grants for small processors
Small meat or seafood processors in North Carolina will have until Sept. 1 to apply for the fourth round of a grant program managed by the state’s more...
From Colorado to Maine, HPAI still prompts caution
Despite the hope that warmer weather would quell the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza to commercial flocks, the crisis isn't over yet. Colorado more...
Ranchers, residents want details on massive SD beef plant
The entrepreneurs behind a proposed beef plant in Rapid City, S.D. have made big promises — and now local residents and ranchers are interested more...
USDA sees higher food prices for 2022 vs. previous forecast
USDA’s latest forecast regarding food prices indicates that consumers will continue to spend more on all food, including meats, pork and poultry more...
Red meat in cold storage soars
Red meat supplies in storage at the end of May were way ahead of levels a year ago — although more or less even with levels from the end of April more...
Startup raises $7M for methane-reducing feed additive
A U.S.-based startup that produces a methane-reducing seaweed feed additive for ruminants has made a big impression among the VC world. According to a more...
Familiar congressional face lobbies against cattle price discovery bill
A former, prominent U.S. representative has been tapped to lobby against the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, which passed the Senate Agriculture more...
House committee passes bill funding food safety, animal welfare
The House Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved legislation that provides $27.2 billion in funding for programs, including food safety and animal more...
Red meat exports lift farmers’ boats
Last year’s record-level red meat exports of $18.7 billion didn’t benefit only the meat industry: They were also a major boost to the corn more...
Giving back: Greater Omaha Packing, Tyson Foods
Greater Omaha Packing donates beef to UkraineGreater Omaha Packing has committed to sending 67,600 pounds of beef to Ukraine, which is enough to feed more...
26 state attorneys general urge SCOTUS to overturn Prop 12
Attorneys general from 26 states have joined together to file an amicus brief in the National Pork Producers Council's Supreme Court challenge to California's more...
Poultry litter plant faces strong opposition to new permit
A Roberson, N.C.-based renewable energy company that turns the poultry litter from the region’s farms into power is seeking a new permit after a more...
HPAI suspected after hundreds of birds wash ashore in Mass.
Hundreds of dead birds washing up on Martha’s Vineyard has Massachusetts officials eying Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, as a likely more...
Tyson offers scent of bacon, with no cooking required
Tyson Foods is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Wright Brand with a whiff of bacon. The Springdale, Ark.-based meat producer on Thursday more...
Biden DOJ backs Prop 12 challenge
The Biden administration's Department of Justice has officially backed the Proposition 12 challenge that will be heard later this year before the Supreme more...
Meatpacking special investigator act passes Senate ag committee
A bill intended to address anticompetitive practices in the meat and poultry industries on Wednesday passed the Senate Agriculture Committee. The Meat more...
USDA steps up support for Texas and Washington port operations
USDA is working with the Port of Houston to develop procedures to help improve service for shippers of chilled and frozen agricultural commodities in more...
News briefs: Hormel, Starbucks, Fresh Brothers, El Pollo Loco, burger battle
Hormel treasurer to retire, successor named Hormel Foods on Tuesday announced that Gary Jamison, vice president and treasurer, is retiring after a 34-year more...
Ag groups call for SEC to reconsider GHG reporting rule
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) have joined other livestock and crop groups in submitting more...
Food giant separates into three companies
Kellogg Co. announced today the company will pare down its portfolio and separate into three independent public companies in order to “unlock their more...
Ohio opens door for another round of meat processor grants
Livestock and poultry producers in Ohio this week received a third opportunity to apply for grants of up to $250,000 to build new meat plants or expand more...
Most U.S. vacationers to make meals this summer: study
High costs for food and gasoline in these inflationary times are prompting most Americans to consider preparing their own meals when on vacation this more...
Smithfield reaffirms N.C. presence after West Coast moves
Smithfield Foods Inc. is committed to continuing its operations in North Carolina, confirming that there are no current plans to close additional facilities more...
NAMI files new Prop 12 challenge with U.S. Supreme Court
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) this month filed a brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a lower court’s ruling upholding California’s more...
Carolina Provision Foods to open new S.C. poultry plant
Carolina Provision Foods plans to spend $10 million to open a poultry further processing facility in Florence County, S.C., that is expected to bring more...
Weaver Meats awarded $250K expansion grant
Weaver Meats plans to use a $250,000 grant from the State of Ohio to support the expansion of an existing facility the processor operates in Painesville more...
‘Mounds of cow byproduct’ from Okla. plant inspire community opposition
The waste from a beef processing facility in McClain County, Okla. is generating community unrest. According to a report from KFOR, “mounds of cow more...
Kroger CEO: Customers switched to pork from beef in Q1
Consumers are rethinking their shopping and eating habits in response to rising inflation, with an increase in pork purchases at the expense of beef being more...
OSHA proposes $368K fine for N.J. dumpling maker in worker death
A U.S. Department of Labor investigation into the fatal fall of a contractor at CJ TMI Manufacturing America LLC, a Robbinsville, N.J. maker of frozen more...
Giving back: Tyson, House of Raeford Farms, Conagra, DCA
Tyson donates 1 million meals in ArkansasTyson Foods has donated 273,500 pounds of protein – the equivalent of more than one million meals – more...
House passes bill creating special investigator for meat (Updated)
The U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 7606, the Lower Food and Fuel Cost Act, a bill that establishes a special investigator for meat and poultry more...
Heat wave kills thousands of cattle in Kansas: report
State officials in Kansas say severe heat and humidity killed at least 2,000 head of cattle in recent days, according to a report by Reuters, while prolonged more...
Minnesota Pork selects new CEO
The Minnesota Pork Producers Association (MPPA) said Jill Resler will be the organization’s next CEO, effective immediately. Resler has held multiple more...
Beefalo: Breed out the meanness, keep the leanness
Proponents are touting beefalo — a crossbreed involving a bison and a cow — as a specialty meat that combines the best qualities of the two more...
HPAI's toll: 40M commercial, backyard birds infected
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is still spreading across the U.S., with recent detections in a petting zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a backyard more...
Food inflation hits home meals harder than restaurants: report
U.S. consumers who buy food to eat at home are feeling a greater inflation pinch than those visiting quick service or fast casual restaurants, according more...
Two regional grocers get new owners
The grocery sector saw two M&A transactions this week. Private equity firm Apollo Funds on Monday announced an agreement to acquire Cardenas Markets more...
Efforts to develop 2025-30 Dietary Guidelines gear up
The U.S. government agencies responsible for the next iteration of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are calling for nominations to serve on the committee more...
Industry groups hail House passage of shipping reform bill
The U.S. House of Representatives Monday passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) by a vote of 369-42, drawing praise from industry groups eager for more...
Shareholders sue Costco alleging livestock neglect
Two Costco Wholesale Corp. shareholders filed a legal complaint accusing the big-box retailer of violating Nebraska and Iowa laws against livestock more...
Salmonella outbreak tied to backyard poultry kills one person
One person has died and 27 others have been hospitalized due to a salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry that has affected 38 states, according more...
Consumers are all about values … sometimes
When buying food, consumers bring with them a heightened awareness of the effect of the food chain on the environment and shop their values — unless more...
Smithfield plans spark 'economic emergency' in Utah
Smithfield Foods Inc.’s decision to close its hog harvest and processing operations in California next year also will affect local economies in more...
Beef cow herd facing possible 1M head reduction
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
UGA study finds Salmonella strain response a continuous challenge
While overall Salmonella incidence is on the decline, differences in strains along the poultry production process make it difficult to improve preventative more...
High-tech distribution center makes Creekstone Farms a ‘different sort’
Rising almost five stories high, as many as 72,000 boxes packed with 60 pounds of premium Black Angus beef find their housings in 20 rotating carousels more...
NPPC to file initial brief in Prop 12 case
The National Pork Producers Council plans to file its first brief today in the case that will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court over California’s more...
CPI logs highest increase in 43 years
Consumer inflation rose 8.6% in May from a year ago, marketing the fastest increase in prices since December 1981, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported more...
USDA raises total red meat, poultry production forecast
The total U.S. red meat and poultry production forecast for 2022 is raised from last month as higher beef and pork production more than offset lower poultry more...
AMSA keynote session to focus on worker retention
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) announced its keynote speakers for Tuesday's Reciprocal Meat Conference session focused on how an organization's more...
Tyson sues ex-employee who jumped to Foster Farms
Tyson Foods Inc. on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against former employee Brian Baker and his new employer, Foster Farms, alleging misappropriation of Tyson's more...
U.S. beef exports boom, pork slowdown continues
U.S. beef exports maintained a remarkable pace in April, topping $1 billion for the third time this year, while pork exports in the same month were well more...
Small processors eligible for partial refunds on inspection fees
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today said that all small and very small plants are eligible to receive a partial refund of holiday more...
Canadian livestock group opposes meat warning label proposal
A Canadian proposal that would require some meat products to come with a label warning about saturated fat is drawing opposition from livestock producers more...
JBS plant in Wis. damaged in fire; employees evacuated
Fire officials in Green Bay, Wis., responded to a fire that broke out at a JBS USA meat packing plant Tuesday evening, prompting the safe evacuation of more...
Will consumers pay more for climate-friendly beef?
Companies are taking steps to meet their emissions reductions goals, with the first wave of low-emission and climate-neutral beef products headed to, more...
D'Artagnan to open warehouse, expand in Southeast market
Specialty food company D'Artagnan plans to invest more than $4 million to locate a warehouse and distribution facility in Oxford, N.C., North Carolina more...
News briefs: Hormel, JBS, NPPC, Texas Beef Council, USPOULTRY, Pork Board
Hormel introduces sandwich pepperoni Hormel Natural Choice Sandwich Pepperoni is now available at retailers nationwide, the Austin, Minn.-based food company more...
Pork processors targeted – again – in new price-fixing lawsuit
Even as the nation’s major pork companies work toward putting price-fixing and collusion lawsuits behind them, another company has filed a new suit more...
USDA to address poultry tournament system, reporting requirements
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) on Wednesday plans to seek comment on two fronts related to regulation of the poultry grower tournament system more...
Standard Meat Co. makes acquisition
Standard Meat Co. in Forth Worth, Texas has acquired Syracuse Sausage of Ponder, Texas, the company said in an emailed news release. Terms of the deal more...
Cattle producers seek grasp on packing plants
In 1920, when a handful of massive companies monopolized meatpacking and held down livestock prices, the federal government forced the largest packers more...
DOJ begins third prosecution of poultry execs
The Department of Justice has begun its third attempt at prosecuting poultry executives for price fixing. First announced last summer, the original case more...
Global food prices slipped for a second straight month: FAO
Food commodity prices around the world declined modestly in May for the second consecutive month, according to the latest report from the Food and Agriculture more...
NC poultry farmers to get processing option
Facing a state regulatory change that will squeeze already limited options for processing poultry raised by small farmers, the North Carolina Cooperative more...
Aggie legend Savell moves into dean's office
Texas A&M University (TAMU) appointed Jeffrey Savell as its new Vice Chancellor and Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences, effective today. Savell more...
FSIS denies petition on safe handling instruction revisions
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) this week denied a petition the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) filed in 2016 seeking revisions more...
HPAI debuts in Ga. domestic flock, 'winds down' in Ind.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture and USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian more...
NCBA applauds signing of U.S.-Japan beef export pact
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is praising the signing of an agreement between the U.S. and Japan to increase the Beef Safeguard more...
Analysts agree Hormel’s 2022 earnings will take a hit
Hormel Foods Corp. lowered its earnings estimates for 2022 this week in light of several upcoming challenges – including anticipated turkey hurdles more...
Hormel sees Q3 turkey supply gap due to HPAI
Hormel Foods on Thursday reaffirmed sales expectations and lowered the high end of its earnings guidance for 2022, citing avian influenza, logistics and more...
Ohio awards $15 million to 75 meat processors
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday announced a second round of grants intended to help strengthen the local meat supply chain and reduce reliance on out-of-state more...
Lidl cuts prices on grocery staples, including meat
German discount grocer Lidl said Wednesday that it will drop prices on more than 100 items in all of its stores across the nine East Coast states where more...
Olymel adds microbiology lab to Quebec plant
Canadian pork and poultry processor Olymel announced the company has set up its own central microbiology laboratory at its plant in Ange-Gardien, a town more...
USDA takes more steps to bolster food supply chain
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced additional initiatives to further the Biden's administration's goals of strengthening the food supply chain more...
Iowa chicken startup names top executives
Pure Prairie Farms Inc. announced several additions to its leadership team as it ramps up for a July production start date. The Charles City, Iowa-based more...
South Carolina cattle farmers form processing cooperative
Cattle producers in South Carolina have formed a new cooperative to boost meat processing in the state. According to a WLTX report, the S.C. Beef Marketing more...
GOOD Meat to build first large-scale cultivated meat facility
GOOD Meat, the cultivated meat division of Eat Just, has signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with ABEC Inc., a biotech engineering firm, to design more...
May 2022
USDA commits $400M more for HPAI response
USDA plans to devote another $400 million to help provide support for responses to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that have affected more...
Canadian meat sector eyes U.S. cattle price transparency
While U.S. meat industry battles what it calls government overreach, the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022 is being closely watched more...
Promotion adds $9.6B in yearly export value to U.S. ag: study
A new study from the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC) has found that trade programs have boosted agricultural exports from the U more...
Future Meat adds to executive leadership
Future Meat Technologies, which develops food technology to produce cultivated meat, has appointed three new members of its leadership team, according more...
Foster Farms broiler farm gets tentative approval from Oregon
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has given tentative approval to a large farm operation that will grow chickens for Foster Farms, according to a report more...
Developers eye S.D. site for $1B packing plant
Developers on Friday said they are planning to build a $1.1 billion meatpacking plant in Rapid City, S.D., according to a local media report. Kingsbury more...
NPPC urges Biden administration to reduce import tariffs
NPPC joined 40 other agricultural groups this week in urging the Biden administration to suspend, reduce, or eliminate U.S. Section 232 and Section 301 more...
JBS, OSHA deal sets infectious disease plan at seven plants (UPDATE)
In a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stemming from investigations during the initial outbreak of COVID-19, JBS more...
Sanderson income triples in second quarter
Sanderson Farms, which agreed last year to be sold to Cargill and Continental Grain, on Friday said net earnings tripled in the second quarter as higher more...
Georgia provides $3M infrastructure grant for new Jack Link's plant
The state of Georgia is providing $3 million in infrastructure funding to support a new Jack Link's processing plant in Perry. According to a report from more...
Icahn loses animal welfare fight with McDonald’s
Activist investor Carl Icahn has lost his proxy battle with McDonald’s Corp, failing to put in place board nominees that would have pushed his concerns more...
USDA proposes rule to boost transparency in poultry grower contracts
As the Biden administration continues to try to rebalance the scales of market power in the meat and poultry industry, USDA on Thursday announced a proposed more...
USDA unveils $200M loan program to support small processors
USDA on Thursday announced a plan to partner with nonprofit lenders to increase access to capital for independent meat and poultry processors as part more...
USDA invests $25M in meat, poultry workforce training
USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) on Thursday said it will invest $25 million as part of the American Rescue Plan for meat and more...
Ettinger wins congressional primary in Minnesota
Former Hormel Foods CEO Jeff Ettinger will face Brad Finstad — a USDA official during the Trump administration — in an August special election more...
Judge rules third trial of poultry execs can proceed
A federal judge in Colorado rejected a request from attorneys representing five poultry executives accused of price fixing to halt another trial launched more...
Where's the beef? Massive meat theft reported at JBS plant
Approximately 40,000 pounds of beef trimmings were stolen from a JBS USA beef plant in Omaha, Neb. According to a report from KETV, the trimmings were more...
Cattle on feed reach record high in May
USDA reported a record-high number of cattle on feed at 12.0 million head, the highest May 1 inventory since it began reporting the data in 1996. The more...
Stung by inflation, consumers cut back on dining out
More than half of consumers (54%) say they are dining out less often due to inflation, and about a third are using strategies such as choosing less expensive more...
Two Midwest states invest millions in meat production
State governments in Minnesota and Wisconsin are preparing to offer millions of dollars to support meat production in their respective jurisdictions. more...
Planting rates surge, but still down from 2021 levels: USDA
The nation’s farmers are making headway on planting corn and soybeans, although the current rate remains below corresponding figures one week and more...
Authorities probe cause of Cargill plant fire in Canada
A Cargill Inc. chicken processing plant in London, Ont., remains closed one day after a fire broke out at the facility early Monday morning. London more...
FAO/WHO seek experts, data on pathogen research
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly have issued a call for experts and data more...
HPAI infections confirmed in 35 states: USDA
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infections have now affected 344 commercial and backyard flocks in 35 states, USDA said in its latest update more...
NAMI voices opposition to proposed beef industry probe
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is blasting last week’s resolution launched by two U.S. Senators who proposed an investigtion into more...
Arby's tests special burger for the first time
Arby’s is adding a burger to its menu for the first time in its nearly six decades in business. The fast-food chain best known for its roast beef more...
World Bank commits $30B to support food security
The World Bank is stepping in to help address food availability issues that may result from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a threat to grain supplies more...
U.S. senators call for FTC probe of beef prices
U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mike Rounds are calling for an investigation into potential price fixing by beef companies by the Federal Trade Commission more...
Seaboard, OSHA settle on repetitive motion citations
Seaboard Foods has agreed to a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on two prior citations alleging the company failed to more...
Mexico, Brazil cut import duties on meat, other goods to fight inflation
Mexico and Brazil announced they would temporarily waive import tariffs on a number of basic consumer products, including meat and other food items, in more...
News briefs: Standard Meat, Jack Link's, Land O'Frost, Hofmann Sausage, North Country Smokehouse
Standard Meat appoints CFO Standard Meat Co., based in Dallas-Fort Worth, has named Robby Myers, CFA, as its new chief financial officer. Standard Meat more...
Walmart says customers shifting to private label meat
Consumers are feeling inflation pressures, which is reflected in increased demand for grocery private brands, particularly meat, Walmart executives said more...
Maple Leaf offers reward for arrest after racist graffiti, noose found at site (Updated)
Maple Leaf Foods has responded aggressively to racist graffiti and a noose found at a construction site, and is offering a reward to aid in the arrest more...
War takes toll on Ukraine wheat, corn crops: USDA FAS
The reduced production in war-torn Ukraine is helping drive down global wheat and corn production. Ukraine wheat production is expected to plummet more...
McDonald’s names buyer of its restaurants in Russia
McDonald’s is selling its Russian business to current licensee Alexander Govor, the company said Thursday. The Chicago-based chain made its announcement more...
Wingstop considers entering chicken production to control costs
Wingstop Restaurants Inc. is looking into alternatives to better manage costs for chicken needed to fuel its growth goals, including possibly buying, more...
NCBA blasts House special investigator bill
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) on Wednesday condemned the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022, which was marked more...
Meat groups back USDA trade undersecretary nominee
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) have voiced their support for the nomination of Alexis Taylor to serve more...
USPOULTRY approves $293,000 in research grants
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and its foundation recently approved about $293,000 in funding for seven new research grants at five more...
Wingstop ups chicken sandwich ante by testing 11 flavors
The nation's chicken sandwich wars may heat up sooner than later as Wingstop Inc. tests 11 flavors of its version of a new chicken breast sandwich in more...
Ex-Rantoul Foods worker receives probation for theft
A man who pleaded guilty to stealing $37,000 worth of food from an Illinois-based pork processor last year was sentenced to two years of probation. Jason more...
Custom Made Meals appoints new CEO
Custom Made Meals named board member Molly Montgomery its new CEO, effective immediately. Montgomery has served as a director of the provider of ready-to-cook more...
News briefs: TSU, Brooklyn Cured, B.C. grant, Old Trapper
USDA awards ag grant to Tennessee State Tennessee State University will receive a $1.9 million grant from USDA for its College of Agriculture. The more...
Scattered new HPAI infections confirmed as fallout continues
USDA and state animal health officials confirmed several new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the past few days, although most more...
Non-profit meat processing plant to open in Montana
The nation’s first non-profit, federally inspected meatpacking plant is set to open in Montana in mid-June. The new modular processing plant is more...
APHIS plan on poultry improvement now set for debut
A delayed National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) conference is now scheduled for early next month in Texas, according to the USDA’s Animal and more...
FSIS updates public health reporting site
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) this weekend updated its Public Health Information System (PHIS) in an effort to enhance the user experience more...
Seaboard Q1 incomes rise as BRF/Beyond tumble
The last week has brought a flurry of Q1 status reports from major protein players, each one unique in its results. The protein business of Seaboard Corporation more...
Canadian government invests in growth of red meat exports
The Canadian government announced Tuesday an investment of up to C$543,271 to support efforts by the Canadian Meat Council (CMC) to grow Canada’s more...
USDA looks to fill dozens of spots on Cattlemen's Beef Board
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board to succeed 39 members more...
USPOULTRY study to compare salmonella regulation approaches
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) has approved about $119,000 in research grant funding for a risk assessment comparing alternative approaches more...
Meat industry hits back after critical congressional report
The meat industry is firing back after the release of a congressional report critical of its response to COVID-19 in the early months and first year of more...
USDA cuts 2022-23 U.S. corn crop outlook, raises soybeans
Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine significantly increased the uncertainty of agricultural supply and demand conditions in the region and globally more...
Wisconsin expands bird restrictions amid HPAI outbreaks
Wisconsin is now prohibiting the movement of domestic birds to all live events, including shows, exhibitions and swap meets, due to ongoing cases of HPAI more...
JBS: China's demand for imported beef remains strong
China's demand for imported beef is strong despite COVID-related restrictions, temporary import suspensions from some Brazilian plants and logistical more...
Tyson expands employee ride-share program
Tyson Foods Inc. announced its growing ride-share program currently is providing low-cost transportation to employees at 26 of its locations nationwide more...
Land O’Frost appoints new VP of procurement
Land O’Frost Inc. announced the arrival of Ryan Stone as its vice president of procurement. Stone will lead efforts to expand growth by continuing more...
Strong Easter meat sales in April 2022
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The April Marketplace The shift in Easter/Passover more...
Food prices still rising but at slower rate: CPI report
U.S. consumers paid more for food last month than they did a year ago, but the two-year growth rate slipped slightly between April and March to break more...
West Liberty taps Achen for CEO
One week after announcing CEO Ed Garrett's imminent retirement, West Liberty, Iowa-based West Liberty Foods has tapped Brandon Achen to add the title more...
West Coast ports, union prepare for critical contract talks
Efforts that could help alleviate the nation’s ongoing supply chain woes are on the line with the upcoming contract negotiations between the Pacific more...
Strong Q2 prompts analysts to revise Tyson estimates
Higher sales and profits for Tyson Foods Inc. in the second quarter sparked at least two industry analysts to raise their earnings expectations for the more...
Ag groups get some breathing room on SEC climate disclosure proposal
Agriculture organizations seeking a lengthy extension to the comment period for the Securities & Exchange Commission's proposed climate-related disclosure more...
Tyson Foods hikes outlook as poultry and beef prices spike
Tyson Foods Inc. is raising its revenue estimates amid an ongoing surge in poultry and beef prices. The Springdale, Ark.-based meat producer hiked its more...
New HPAI cases in more states as restrictions are lifted elsewhere
Animal health officials confirmed outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in both Oregon and Washington State even as authorities in Indiana more...
Grilling season approaches
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
News briefs: Bojangles, Don Lee Farms, Hormel, Tyson, Canada Beef, Walmart Canada
Bojangles hires new COO The Bojangles chain has named veteran restaurant executive David Whitaker as its new chief operating officer, overseeing company more...
AFG beef plant met with resistance in Mo.
While its governor described Missouri as a “strong agricultural community” with a “business-friendly economy,” American Foods more...
Canada announces sweeping changes for meat plant labor
The Canadian government has announced a big change in the hiring of foreign-born temporary workers in meat processing plants. The new policy, according more...
Wisconsin names meat processor grant recipients
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced five meat processors will receive grants intended to grow the state's meat industry and improve the long-term viability more...
News briefs: Smithfield, Hormel, Serenity Kids, Chick-fil-A, Joyce Farms
Smithfield Tar Heel manager honored Smithfield Foods' Tammy Russ, senior operations manager of the company's Tar Heel facility in North Carolina, has more...
West Liberty Foods plans new Iowa turkey plant
Turkey processor West Liberty Foods has announced plans to construct a new processing plant in West Liberty, Iowa. According to a report from the Quad-City more...
Godshall's invests $74M to expand Pennsylvania plant
Godshall’s Quality Meats, a producer of whole-muscle turkey and beef bacon, announced it is investing $74 million to expand its Lebanon, Pa., plant more...
Marfrig Q1 profit drops; plans U.S. production boost
Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods posted a net profit of BRL109 million ($21.7 million) in the first quarter of 2022, down 61.1% from the same period last more...
JBS has new sustainability officer on the job in Brazil
Mauricio Bauer — a former director with the World Wildlife Fund — is the new corporate sustainability officer of JBS Brazil, JBS announced more...
Supply chain issues, inflation dent Maple Leaf profit
Maple Leaf Foods reported its financial results for 2022’s first quarter, and while sales for both its meat and plant protein divisions were up more...
Conagra names president of grocery and snacks
Conagra Brands Inc. has appointed Lucy Brady as president of grocery and snacks, responsible for leading the ongoing modernization and growth of the portfolio more...
HPAI restrictions lifted in Ky. as new cases reported in Wis., Mont.
Animal health officials provided a slight ray of hope to the U.S. poultry industry by lifting quarantine restrictions designed to limit the spread of more...
Safeway recalls RTE chicken salad; allergens the culprit
Safeway Fresh Food in Vineland, N.J., is recalling about 717 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) Chicken Caesar Salad products due to misbranding and undeclared more...
West Liberty Foods' Garrett to retire
Ed Garrett, CEO of West Liberty, Iowa-based West Liberty Foods, will retire at the end of this month, the company announced in a news release. The company more...
Popeyes aims to rebreak the Internet with new chicken sandwich
The company that ignited the chicken sandwich wars three years ago is introducing a variation of its popular product at participating restaurants nationwide more...
The cow herd numbers game
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
U of Wisconsin slates meat snacks short course
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery program has scheduled a Meat Snacks Short Course for two and a half more...
New HPAI infections confirmed as USDA efforts accelerate
Animal health authorities confirmed new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Alaska, Oklahoma and Vermont, although seemingly at a more...
JBS buys two plants in the Middle East, names new regional CEO
JBS has acquired two prepared foods production facilities, in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as part of its expansion plan in the Middle East more...
Brazil beef exports soar to U.S. while facing China bans
The Brazilian beef market is experiencing dramatically different export opportunities between two of its largest customers — the United States and more...
USDA to invest $39M in watershed infrastructure in N.C.
USDA plans to spend $39 million on six watershed infrastructure projects in North Carolina as part of the Biden administration’s program to support more...
April 2022
CDC reports first human infection of bird flu as USDA commits $263M to APHIS
A man under the age of 40 who culled poultry on a Colorado farm tested positive this week for avian influenza A (H5) in the first bird flu case in a human more...
Dunkin’, Beyond Meat sued for trademark infringement
A Philadelphia, Pa.-based alt-meat company has sued Dunkin’ and Beyond Meat, alleging the companies’ marketing tagline for the fast food chain’s more...
Study: Superbug can jump from pigs to people
A study examining samples of the superbug Clostridioides difficile across 14 pig farms in Denmark yielded evidence that animal to human transmission is more...
News briefs: Hormel Foods, Outback Steakhouse, Agriculture Alliance, USPoultry
Hormel Foods launches plant-based chili with beansAustin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods is now offering plant-based chili with beans, made with textured vegetable more...
Poultry execs request additional jury strikes in price-fixing trial
The five poultry executives accused by the Justice Department of participating in a conspiracy to fix prices for broiler chicken products have requested more...
Monogram Foods opens new ready-to-eat sandwich facility
Packaged foods producer and private label provider Monogram Foods today announced the opening of a second USDA production operation in the Boston area more...
Maple Leaf, CEO pledge C$12.5M to improve food security in Canada
Maple Leaf Foods and its CEO, Michael McCain, have committed C$12.5 million to an initiative that aims to reduce food insecurity in Canada. The protein more...
U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef sets new goals for industry
The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) today announced a number of new sustainability goals for the U.S. beef supply chain. The goals, available more...
Jack Link's to build $450M production plant in Georgia
Meat snacks maker Jack Link's will spend $450 million to build a new manufacturing facility in Perry, Ga., Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday. more...
Beef industry weighs in on U.S. Senate committee hearings
Two groups representing key stakeholders in the U.S. beef industry are calling on federal lawmakers to reject proposals that impose new oversight of beef more...
JBS SA starts electric truck rental business
Brazil’s JBS SA has started a business unit for renting electric trucks to distribute refrigerated goods to retailers, Reuters reported on Tuesday more...
Giving back: Wayne Farms, Tyson Foods, Smithfield's Gwaltney
Wayne Farms donates wings to fight cancer Wayne Farms has donated about 200 cases of fresh chicken wings to support one of Huntsville’s largest more...
ASF vaccine clears regulatory hurdle as industry tracks progress
A potential vaccine for African swine fever (ASF) passed an important safety test required for regulatory approval, scientists with USDA's Agriculture more...
Beef pricing a matter of 'basic supply and demand': Tyson CEO
Tyson Foods Inc. President and CEO Donnie King will testify before the full House Agriculture Committee tomorrow to address House concerns about pricing more...
HPAI rate slows in Ind. as U.K. eases related restriction
Animal health officials in Indiana reported just one new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the past week, while U.K. authorities more...
March poultry production lower than last year: USDA
The USDA reported that 4.562 billion pounds of poultry were produced in March 2022, down 1% from March 2021, according to the agency’s most recent more...
Tyson unveils free education program for all U.S. employees
Tyson Foods Inc. is investing $60 million to offer free education to all 120,000 of its U.S. team members, starting this summer. The four-year, $60 million more...
S.D. pork plant opponents want to let the voters decide
Opponents of the $500 million Wholestone Farms processing plant proposed for Sioux Falls, S.D., are gathering signatures in an effort to place the question more...
HPAI spreads in Utah, Penn., Manitoba as virus defies mitigation
State and federal agencies are reporting new confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two U.S. states and Canada, despite ongoing more...
Six Tyson plants earn zero-waste-to-landfill status
Tyson Foods announced that six of its facilities have earned Gold status through UL's environmental claim valudation procedure, meaning that 95%-99% of more...
Authorities launch manhunt after worker stabbed at Foster Farms plant
Officials in Louisiana are conducting a multi-agency manhunt after a work release inmate allegedly stabbed and killed a co-worker at a Foster Farms poultry more...
Wayne Farms plant adds wing line
Wayne Farms said it has completed a major upgrade and capacity expansion at its Decatur, Ala., prepared foods facility with the addition of a new production more...
McDonald’s calls Icahn’s animal welfare ideas ‘unfeasible’
McDonald’s Corp. is challenging activist shareholder Carl Icahn’s letter to fellow stockholders accusing the company and “Wall Street more...
South Korean speed skaters receive 'chicken pension'
Two South Korean gold medalists of the 2022 Olympic Games have been delivered their promise "chicken pensions" by the head of the country's Olympic delegation more...
Judge approves $104M settlement in broiler price fixing case
A federal judge has approved a $104 million settlement between some of the nation’s largest chicken processors and the many restaurant chains suing more...
Motif fires back at Impossible, challenges heme patent
Motif Foodworks has petitioned the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to revoke a patent held by Impossible Foods that protects the company’s heme more...
Study: More work to be done to reduce salt in processed meat, food
Food manufacturers have several sodium reduction methods at their disposal, but certain gaps in scientific knowledge remain a challenge for formulating more...
Icahn decries Wall Street 'hypocrisy' in pig fight with McDonald’s
Carl Icahn is calling out Wall Street “hypocrisy” on environmental, social and governance issues, saying investment firms are profiting from more...
Smithfield Fresh Meats sued for 2020 overtime wages
Ex-employees of Smithfield Fresh Meats have sued the pork processor for overtime pay that they allege was not provided in the early months of the COVID-19 more...
Judge gives preliminary OK to $42M Smithfield antitrust settlement
Smithfield Foods Inc. is close to closing the books on a lawsuit accusing the processor of fixing pork prices now that a Minnesota federal court judge more...
HPAI toll prompts culling of 1.5M egg-layers in Pa. outbreak
Less than a week after the first confirmed report of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Pennsylvania in nearly 40 years, 1.5 million chickens more...
News briefs: Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Chipotle, Smokey Mo's
Tyson breaks ground on Tenn. child care center Tyson Foods said today it broke ground on a previously announced $3.5 million child care facility more...
HPAI spreads in Indiana, more importers block U.S. poultry vs. 2015
Another commercial duck flock tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Elkhart, Ind., as USDA reports an increase in the number more...
Va. retail meat sales study IDs opportunities for small meat processors
Results from a new retail meat sales study conducted by the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability will help the state's more...
Smithfield opens $110M distribution center in Olathe, Kan.
Smithfield Foods Inc. launched operations at its new state-of-the-art automated distribution center that is expected to bring 127 jobs to the area. The more...
Canada spends C$2 million to fight animal diseases
The governments of Canada and Manitoba recently announced an investment of C$2.2 million to upgrade the province's animal health laboratory information more...
OSHA visit to Triumph Foods spotlights safety practices
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently visited Triumph Foods to gain insights on worker safety more...
Canada’s HPAI woes mirror those south of the border
Like their U.S. counterparts, animal health officials in Canada are reporting newly confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on an more...
China Q1 pork production highest in three years
China’s first-quarter pork production was the most in more than three years, Reuters reported. The country produced 15.61 million tons of pork from more...
Discount grocer names merchandising chief
Discount grocery chain Save A Lot announced the appointment of Trey Johnson as its new chief merchandising officer, responsible for overseeing all more...
Texas-Mexico border crossings reopen after truck blockade
Traffic is again moving at some Texas border crossings after Mexico-based truck drivers ended their blockades, according to media reports. The blockades more...
Tyson to build $208M rendering facility in Hanceville, Ala.
Tyson Foods has announced a new, $208 million rendering facility in Hanceville, Ala. According to an release from the processor, the 121,000-square-foot more...
DOJ to poultry execs’ trial judge: We do have a case
The U.S. Department of Justice this week made its argument to the federal judge in Denver for a third trial of five poultry company executives charged more...
News briefs: True Story Foods, Maple Leaf, Beesley International, Meijer
True Story Foods launches heritage prosciuttoFamily-owned True Story Foods has introduced sliced Heritage Breed Prosciutto, available now at 370 Sprouts more...
HPAI claims commercial flocks in Neb., Minn., Wis.
Two dozen additional outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have hit commercial and backyard flocks this week in seven U.S. states, according more...
Fire destroys N.H. butcher shop; two cows killed
Two cows perished in a fire that destroyed a New Hampshire butcher shop and meat market on Monday, according to local news reports. No injuries were reported more...
Ukraine ag producer suspends bacon operations
Food and agricultural group MHP SE said this week it suspended its bacon operations in the Donetsk region as Russia continues to concentrate large occupying more...
Giving back: JBS, Mountaire Farms, Hormel Foods
JBS gifts $700K to UNL Feedlot Innovation Center JBS USA has made a gift of $700,000 to the University of Nebraska Foundation to support the University more...
Trucker protest at U.S.-Mexico border threatens meat trade
A couple of months after the costly U.S.-Canada trucker blockade concluded, a new trucker-led protest has erupted at the United States' border with Mexico more...
No signs of HPAI slowing down as new outbreaks hit U.S. states
The nation’s worst outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) since 2015 continues to spread as new states report their first cases and more...
Chicken snack pouches gain Walmart store distribution
K2 Ventures said its Brave Good Kind Tender (BGK) Chicken Bites will be distributed at more than 270 Walmart locations starting this April. The Boston-based more...
News Briefs: Burger King-Cargill, Cutting Edge, Conagra, Wegmans
Burger King, Cargill join to restore grasslands Burger King and Cargill are partnering with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to support more...
Smithfield a step closer to settling another pork price-fixing lawsuit
A federal court judge in Minnesota granted preliminary approval to a plan allowing Smithfield Foods Inc. to settle a lawsuit accusing the processor and more...
U.S. prices think it's 1981
Consumer inflation is running at level not seen since 1981, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and meat prices remain more...
Tyson worker hospitalized following Omaha plant incident
Emergency responders transported a woman who was injured in an incident this week at a Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Omaha, Neb., involving a conveyor belt more...
RWA label claim in beef cattle is a little shady: study
A substantial portion of cattle destined for the "Raised without Antibiotics" market have been given antibiotics, according to a new study published in more...
Group wants to pause Sioux Falls pork plant project
An organization of nearly 60 businesses is raising questions about a pork processor’s plan to build a $500 million harvest and processing facility more...
Arkansas pig farmer decries treatment by JBS in suit
An Arkansas pig farmer is accusing JBS Foods of breaching its contract with him, leaving him in dire financial straits. JBS — the nation’s more...
New HPAI outbreaks in U.S. states, more bad news in France
The ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among U.S. states has expanded again with additional outbreaks in Minnesota and North Carolina more...
The diplomat: an interview with Graeme Goodsir
When Graeme Goodsir was seven years old, he and his brother were evacuated from their family home in Sydney, Australia. It was 1942, and the Empire of more...
NCBA supports A-Plus Act to ease packing ‘bottleneck’
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) on Thursday announced its support of proposed federal legislation that it says would help boost more...
JBS sued for negligence over worker who died of COVID-19
The family of a JBS USA worker who died of COVID-19 claims the company didn’t do enough to prevent the spread of the virus at its Marshalltown, more...
Conflicts of interest among Dietary Guidelines panel examined in study
The vast majority of members of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee (DGAC) had at least several conflicts of interest in their work that more...
News briefs: Wayne Farms, Sugardale, AMSA RMC, Tyson Fresh Meats
Wayne Farms honored for healthcare leadership Wayne Farms has been named 2021 Innovator of the Year by the Health Transformation Alliance (HTA), a cooperative more...
Remaining defendants in chicken antitrust suit seek acquittal
The five remaining defendants in the government's chicken price-fixing case have filed new motions for acquittal after the Justice Department last week more...
Conagra plans more price hikes as high input costs persist
Conagra Brands Inc. today cut its full-year profit forecast, citing higher-than-expected cost pressures, which it expects to continue near term. Conagra more...
Avian flu's spread pressures turkey exports: DLR
The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among U.S. poultry flocks weighed on turkey exports during the month of February but did not depress more...
Study finds — surprise! — home cooks need food safety education
More than 25% of home cook participants in a recent study contaminated salad with raw poultry in the kitchen, even with an educational intervention reminding more...
HPAI surges in Minn.; USDA sees little impact on poultry exports
The number of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) affecting commercial turkeys doubled in Minnesota over the weekend. The Minnesota more...
New JBS cold storage and rail operation coming to Colo.
JBS and Lineage Logistics broke ground Tuesday on a new, 200,000-square-foot cold storage facility in Windsor, Colo., that will both preserve and distribute more...
NPPC to address labor, exports in legislative conference
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has planned a number of items for its 2022 Legislative Action Conference, ranging from animal health to the more...
Dave & Buster's to acquire Main Event for $835M
Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire competitor Main Event from Ardent Leisure Group Limited and RedBird Capital more...
HPAI fallout on prices draws focus even as new cases emerge
Even as the U.S. poultry industry considers how the rapid spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) across the country in recent months could more...
Smithfield names new Tar Heel plant manager
Smithfield Foods Inc. has named Andrea Tucker as plant manager of the company's Tar Heel facility in North Carolina, the company said in a news release more...
UFCW, Calif. grocers avert strike
Several grocery chains based or operating in California and the union representing nearly 50,000 of their employees on Monday reached a tentative agreement more...
Chipotle pilots RFID label system to track ingredients
Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to enhance its traceability and inventory systems, the company said more...
Domestic dispute cited in beef plant shooting
A shooting at a beef processing plant in Texas last week that left one man dead and a woman hospitalized stemmed from a domestic dispute, according to more...
Sulfuric acid leak at Tyson facility injures two
Tyson Foods Inc. is investigating the cause of a sulfuric acid leak at a wastewater facility in New Holland, Pa., that injured two people over the weekend more...
Eco-conscious consumers like chicken fed on insects, algae: study
Consumers who are environmentally aware will likely warm up to the idea of using alternative proteins like insect meal in poultry feed, but only if they’re more...
HPAI continues its march; USDA ponders vaccine
As the U.S. contends with its worst outbreak of bird flu since 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering vaccines as a possible means to more...
Feds drop price-fixing charges against five poultry execs
Following a second mistrial, the U.S. Department of Justice has dropped all charges against five of the 10 poultry executives named in its price-fixing more...
Maple Leaf’s McCain: Less investment in plant-based, more in ‘sustainable’ meat
In his 2022 letter to shareholders, Maple Leaf Foods CEO Michael H. McCain offered more details on the company’s re-evaluation of its investment more...
Georgia to partially fund school-run plant in Hall County
The state of Georgia will be partially funding a meat processing plant in the Hall County School District’s Agribusiness Center. According to a more...
Giving back: Nolan Ryan, Tyson Foods, Certified Piedmontese
Goodstock by Nolan Ryan supports tornado reliefGoodstock by Nolan Ryan, from Nolan Ryan Brands, joined the effort to aid those affected by the recent more...
March 2022
Fortune International acquires D’Artagnan
Fortune International LLC, a processor, distributor and importer of meats, seafood and gourmet products, today announced the acquisition of D’Artagnan more...
Five U.S. states, Canada confirm new avian flu cases
Five U.S. states previously free from highly pathogenic avian influenza cases have now confirmed the presence of the virus in commercial and backyard more...
Tenn. processing plant gets greenlight from county
Tennessee’s Washington County this week gave the final sign off to $2 million in funding to help contract a meat processing plant in Telford, local more...
Dairy Queen adds stacks of burgers to menu
American Dairy Queen Corp. unveiled a new Signature Stacks menu at its DQ Grill & Chill restaurants that is centered on cheeseburgers, calling it more...
Retrial of poultry execs concludes with mistrial
A Department of Justice case alleging price fixing in the poultry industry has again ended in a mistrial. The case, which charged 10 current and former more...
Icahn targets largest U.S. grocery chain in animal welfare effort
Activist investor Carl Icahn is taking his campaign to improve animal welfare policies to Kroger Co. with his nomination of two directors to the board more...
$10M to bolster Packers and Stockyards in Biden budget plan
The Biden administration's budget proposal for fiscal 2023, unveiled this week, includes more than $10 million for oversight and enforcement of the Packers more...
NAMI voices opposition to Grassley-Fischer cattle bill
The North American Meat Institute Tuesday said the latest version of the Grassley-Fischer government cattle price discovery bill is "more onerous and more...
Ukraine-Russia war complicates WH Group’s profitability
Smithfield Foods parent company WH Group reported on Monday a 7.2% year-on-year increase in profit in 2021 as the impacts of African Swine Fever have more...
Canada invests in poultry farmers as HPAI spreads
The Canadian government plans to provide C$3.5 million to help turkey and chicken farmers increase domestic demand for their products, even as animal more...
Animal Ag Alliance names new CEO
The Animal Agriculture Alliance board of directors has named Hannah Thompson-Weeman, currently serving as the Alliance’s vice president, strategic more...
Taste Test: a review of Perdue’s ThanksNuggets
Are tasters feeling thankful for a seasonal offering from Perdue? Although we do not usually highlight a limited edition product, we were intrigued with more...
Both sides ready for Prop 12 legal fight
The fight has been ongoing in the courts for years, but neither side of the issue of California's Proposition 12 — mandating livestock management more...
HPAI spread continues into new area, expands in other states: USDA
Newly confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) affected commercial turkeys in Minnesota and more commercial chickens in Iowa even as more...
Results may vary: meat processors and COVID-19
On Independence Day in 2021, with fireworks ready to light the night skies, things indeed were looking up. New COVID cases, according to the World Health more...
Blue and yellow sausages raise money for Ukraine
Breakaway Farms and Butchery in Mount Joy, Pa., is switching up what’s in its meat case to raise money for Ukraine. The hand-crafted more...
U.S. processing capacity push adds technical help, more grants
USDA today announced the launch of a technical assistance program and additional grants for small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors looking to more...
Wendy’s to take up HSUS proposal on gestation stalls
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has told The Wendy’s Company that it cannot exclude from its proxy materials a shareholder proposal more...
DLR looks at disconnect between cash cattle market, beef demand
Beef end users have been aggressively booking beef for forward delivery to meet both domestic and export demand at a time when forward cattle bookings more...
BRF gains approval to ship pork to Vietnam
Brazilian meat giant BRF said it can now ship pork from a plant in the Mato Grasso state to Vietnam, and the company plans to double shipments there, more...
U.S. announces deal with Japan to expand beef market access
The United States and Japan have reached a pact to increase the beef safeguard trigger level under the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, it was announced today more...
Bleach leak at Georgia poultry plant with troubled history (Updated)
Another chemical leak occurred this month at a poultry plant in Gainesville, Ga., where six workers died last year, according to multiple news reports more...
Perdue AgriBusiness plans $59.1 million expansion
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin today announced that Perdue AgriBusiness will invest $59.1 million to expand its operation in the city of Chesapeake. The more...
News Briefs: Cargill/Maple Leaf/Marfrig, Tyson, Walmart, Marco’s Pizza
3 processors noted for animal welfare efforts The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) ranked Cargill Inc., Maple Leaf Foods and Marfrig more...
City approves support for Sustainable Beef plant
Sustainable Beef has secured additional incentives for its proposed $325 million processing plant in North Platte, Nebraska. According to a report from more...
New generation takes over Polk's Meat family business
The latest generation of family ownership has taken over at Polk’s Meat Products of Magee, Mississippi. According to a release from the processor more...
Shipping reform bill advances; FMC focuses on exports
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Tuesday passed legislation intended to ease congestion at U.S. ports that has frustrated more...
U.S. HPAI cases expand; more culling announced
With half of the nation’s states fighting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), new outbreaks and additional containment measures are being more...
JBS execs outline challenges, future plans
JBS S.A., which reported record sales and earnings in fiscal 2021, said its U.S.-based beef, pork and poultry divisions helped fuel the overall gain thanks more...
Another Congressional hearing planned on meat biz competition
House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott has scheduled another hearing related to the state of competition in the meat processing industry, this more...
$735K in local incentives OK'd for Va. turkey plant
The City of Winchester, Va. has finalized a performance agreement to provide $735,000 in local incentives to a turkey deboning plant development project more...
Canadian Pacific workers back on the job
Canadian Teamster workers returned to their jobs at the Canadian Pacific Railway today, according to a release posed on the company's website.The more...
HPAI now in wild birds, commercial, backyard flocks in half the U.S.
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed Thursday in a flock of 5.3 million commercial layer chickens in Buena Vista, Iowa more...
U.S. Customs agents seize prohibited proteins at Mexican border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) officers seized 124 pounds of prohibited fresh pork and poultry meat hidden in a vehicle as it attempted to enter more...
JBS Canada promises affordable housing to employees
JBS Foods Canada has announced a one-year pilot program that will make C$1.7 million available in a fund to help employees in Brooks, Alberta overcome more...
USDA adds Montana to interstate shipping program (updated)
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the State of Montana have finalized a Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) agreement, more...
Iowa co-packer to close, lay off workers
Tur-Pak Foods Inc., in Sioux City, Iowa, plans to close in May, affecting 121 employees, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification more...
HPAI's spread ensnares two more states
USDA has added Nebraska and New Hampshire to the steadily expanding list of states that have confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) more...
USDA expands deadline for Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program
USDA is adjusting the rules for participants in its Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP), which launched in response to packer production declines more...
MeatingPod: Hear from Ranjith Ramanathan, Oklahoma State University
In Ep. 56 of MeatingPod, Julie Larson Bricher, Meatingplace's science and technology editor, got the scoop on meat color, food waste and novel packaging more...
Federal funds to boost Montana’s meat processing capacity
Projects to expand meat processing capacity in Montana are getting a financial lifeline, according to U.S. Senator Jon Tester. More than $7.8 million more...
Canada lifts ban on Brazilian beef, pork
The Canadian government has approved the importation of Brazilian beef and pork, lifting a ban related to animal disease concerns. Brazil’s Agriculture more...
Pork checkoff rate lowered
National Pork Board (NPB) delegates have approved a reduction in the mandatory Pork Checkoff rate. Come Jan. 1, 2023, the rate will be $0.35/$100 value more...
Smithfield unit develops porcine-based surgical tape
Smithfield BioScience is joining with BioCircuit Technologies to produce a product allowing for suture-less nerve repair following traumatic injuries more...
Court stymies Iowa’s second ‘ag-gag’ law
Iowa’s second law seeking to criminalize unauthorized surveillance by the likes of animal activists on agricultural properties has been deemed unconstitutional more...
Contract chicken farm income, performance examined in NCC study
The National Chicken Council on Tuesday released the results of a broiler industry survey that looked at key trends in broiler production efficiency, more...
Signs of progress in Indiana on HPAI mitigation
Officials in Indiana are lifting some of the control areas near recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), although efforts to contain more...
New Wingstop CEO optimistic on brand’s momentum
Wingstop Inc. CEO Michael Skipworth is predicting that the global chicken wing chain has the potential for “another record year” as it rolls more...
Some pork processors allowed to speed up production lines
Three swine slaughter companies are participating in a trial of the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) that allows them to increase line speeds as outlined more...
This week: HPAI meeting for Delmarva poultry businesses (Updated)
As high-pathogen avian influenza races across poultry flocks across the country, the Delaware and Maryland Departments of Agriculture will jointly host more...
Meat processor tapped to get Va. state ag grant
Family owned Hidden Pines Meat Processing LLC is the recipient of the first grant extended from the state of Virginia’s Governor’s Agriculture more...
Boneless or bone-in? The answer is not what you think
Despite persistent belief to the contrary, the flavor of boneless steak compared to that of a bone-in cut has found that bone status has a minimal impact more...
Federal court affirms dismissal of label lawsuit vs. major meatpackers
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th District affirmed the dismissal of a two-year-old lawsuit accusing four meat companies of violating federal country-of-origin more...
USDA: Bird flu detected in 16 states, so far
The presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in backyard flocks in Franklin County, Kansas, and McLean County, Ill., the USDA’s Animal more...
MeatingPod: Hear from Matt Crisp, CEO of Benson Hill
In a recent MeatingPod podcast, Alt-Meat spoke with Matt Crisp, CEO of Benson Hill, one of those companies that is breaking new protein barriers in ways more...
Former Hormel CEO Ettinger runs for Congress
Former Hormel Foods CEO Jeff Ettinger is running for Congress in Minnesota, joining a crowded field of more than a dozen running to fill the more...
Biden: U.S., allies to revoke Russia's 'most favored nation' status
President Joe Biden on Friday announced the United States and G7 countries would revoke "most favored nation" trading status for Russia to hold President more...
USDA: beef exports soar while pork/broilers slow
New research from USDA-ERS shows that while U.S. beef exports started out 2022 in positive territory, both pork and broilers slowed from their 2021 highs more...
Bird flu strikes Illinois as first case confirmed in wild goose
The Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources received notice from USDA Wildlife Services on March 10 of the more...
China pork imports forecast down 24% in '22: USDA's FAS
China's pork imports are expected to decline 24% to 3.3 million metric tons this year, the result of competition from low-priced domestic pork and an more...
Maple Leaf Foods to close Ontario poultry plant
Canadian processor Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said it will close its poultry plant in Schomberg, Ontario, after a new poultry facility in London, Ontario, more...
Food inflation: Biggest jump in on-shelf prices since 1981
People are paying more for pretty much everything, with consumer price increases escalating in February to a four-decade high, led by gasoline, food and more...
National Pork Board to tackle labor challenges in study (Updated)
The National Pork Board is looking into ways the industry can address labor and trucking shortages that are challenging pork farmers, processors and related more...
Perdue Farms offers limited batch of pulled pork bites
Perdue Farms announced it is selling a limited amount of frozen, fully cooked and breaded pulled pork bites, a new product the company is marketing as more...
Two more cases of HPAI confirmed on Delmarva farms
Delaware and Maryland jointly announced Wednesday that federal laboratory testing has confirmed two cases of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI): more...
Teamsters local ratifies new pact with Smithfield Foods
The union representing more than 1,000 workers at Smithfield Foods' pork processing plant in Virginia ratified a four-year contract, with 98% of the members more...
Increased uncertainty clouds cattle market optimism: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
News briefs: Burger King, Vermont Smoke & Cure, Saval Foods, Holy Grail Steak, Domino's
Burger King introduces Whopper Melts Burger King is rolling out Whopper Melts, cheesy versions of the flame-grilled Whopper in toasted bread that can more...
FDA clears marketing of gene-edited cattle products
Food products produced from two genome-edited cattle and their offspring have been cleared for marketing for the first time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration more...
Aldi, Tyson settle broiler antitrust litigation
Aldi Inc. and Tyson Foods have reached a settlement agreement to resolve the grocery store chain's claims against the food processor in the ongoing broiler more...
Bird flu enters Nebraska; Iowa commercial flock infected
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture on Monday said highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was confirmed in a wild goose near Holmes Lake in Lincoln more...
NPPC names new director of animal health
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has hired Anna Forseth for the newly created position of director of animal health. She will focus on foreign more...
Bird flu races across states as localization efforts expand
USDA confirmed a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on a commercial chicken farm in Maryland and also in South Dakota, the latter adding more...
Kroger, Impossible Foods partner on plant-based alt-meat products
Kroger is joining forces with Impossible Foods to develop private-label plant-based meat alternatives for Kroger’s Home Chef business, the nation’s more...
U.S. lamb industry examines its carbon footprint
The American Lamb Board (ALB) announced it is working with Michigan State University (MSU) on a study to evaluate the environmental footprint of the U more...
We’re not alone as world food prices hit record highs: U.N. agency
Food prices around the globe hit record highs in February as a result of several factors, according the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) more...
DOJ now investigating poultry wages: WSJ
The federal Department of Justice is looking into whether poultry processing companies shared employment information with the goal of keeping wages low more...
HPAI in Missouri; detected along Pacific Flyway
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in a flock of commercial broilers in Stoddard County, Mo., the USDA’s Animal and Plant more...
Construction to begin on Okla. processing plant
A new processing plant in Comanche, Okla. is set to break ground and begin construction. According to a report in The Duncan Banner, full construction more...
News briefs: Sanderson Farms, Monogram Foods, Smithfield's Carando, Tyson Fresh Meats, Smashburgers
Joe F. Sanderson Jr. receives honor The Mississippi Top 50 inducted Joe F. Sanderson Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Sanderson Farms, into more...
Tyson to seek Supreme Court review of worker death suit
Tyson Foods Inc. has asked the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to stay a ruling that Trump administration policies did not protect the company from COVID-related more...
HPAI outbreak spreads west, as export bans grow
The confirmation Wednesday of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detected in non-commercial, backyard poultry flocks in Iowa and Connecticut brought more...
Pork Checkoff reports 2021 accomplishments
The Pork Checkoff has made strides in building pork's profile among consumers, improving sustainability and disease prevention strategies, and developing more...
OSU experts say beef still an option on a tight budget
Beef remains an option for consumers on a tight budget, despite elevated prices, according to experts at Oklahoma State University. “From the beginning more...
Biden calls out large processors in State of the Union address
Amid remarks about inflation, healthcare and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, President Joe Biden addressed meat processing consolidation in his more...
U of Nebraska to build 'Small Meat Plant of the Future'
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is preparing to develop a facility intended to serve as a regional processing hub for cattle producers and a more...
Purdue gets $1M grant to develop ASF rapid test
Purdue University researchers are developing a rapid test for African swine fever (ASF), with $1 million in funding from the National Animal Health Laboratory more...
Analysts encouraged by Hormel’s Q1 results, but still cautious
Industry analysts think Hormel Foods Corp. is on the right track based on its record sales and improved earnings in the first quarter, but they also are more...
Hormel sees optimism for 2022 after Q1 sales, profit gains
Hormel Food Corp. executives expressed optimism for the company’s fiscal prospects for 2022 after reporting record sales and higher earnings in more...
FSIS issues updated mask guidance
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said today that in line with CDC guidance, establishments it regulates are no longer subject to suspension or more...
Domino's Pizza names new CEO, CFO
Domino's Pizza Inc. today announced that its board has appointed Russell Weiner, chief operating officer and president of Domino's U.S., to succeed Ritch more...
News briefs: FSIS sampling, Church's, Another Wing, JBS OZO
FSIS releases 2021 Sampling Summary Report FSIS has posted its 2021 Sampling Summary Report, which includes results from the domestic microbiological more...
February 2022
Regulators shut Canadian meat plant for sanitation issues
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) suspended the license of a meat processing plant in Alberta after citing the owner for not meeting proper sanitation more...
USDA revises cattle, beef price forecasts higher
Farm-level cattle prices are expected to see double-digit increases this year, while wholesale beef costs will see a more modest rise, USDA's Economic more...
Creminelli launches sustainable packaging initiative
Creminelli Fine Meats announced that all of its sliced charcuterie products will be packaged in trays made from 80% post-consumer recycled content. The more...
News briefs: NAMI Leaders of Tomorrow, Case Farms, Hormel, Old Trapper
NAMI, FMI name Leaders of Tomorrow The North American Meat Institute and the Food Industry Association announced 10 winners for the 2022 Leaders of Tomorrow more...
Vilsack addresses Russia conflict; Cargill says ship struck
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday that Russia's invasion of Ukraine could further drive up fertilizer costs, and his office would be monitoring more...
Solid Q1 results spark new estimates for Sanderson Farms
Strong earnings and sales increases in the first quarter prompted industry analysts to raise their financial estimates for Sanderson Farms covering fiscal more...
Marfrig confirms end of $200 million loan negotiations with IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Marfrig Global Foods S.A. have ended negotiations over a $200 million loan, the beef processor confirmed more...
China’s implementation of Phase One deal 'inadequate': USTR
China’s implementation of agricultural commitments in the Phase One trade agreement with the United States has expanded market access for a variety more...
Ammonia leak halts Costco poultry plant, sends 3 to hospital
An ammonia leak Saturday night at Lincoln Premium Poultry’s (LPP) Fremont, Neb., chicken plant sent three people to area hospitals and halted operations more...
USDA commits $215M to expand meat, poultry processing
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is making available up to $215 million in grants and other support to fund projects that will more...
Maple Leaf Foods posts record meat sales, drop in plant-based protein
Maple Leaf Foods is reporting record meat sales while adjusting its investment in plant protein after sales in the category fell nearly 4% in the fourth more...
Sanderson Farms earnings show strength of chicken pricing
Sanderson Farms reported $1.3 billion in sales in the first quarter ending Jan. 31, up 46% on increased demand and higher poultry prices. The nation’s more...
New HPAI outbreaks in Delaware, Indiana commercial flocks
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial poultry more...
Monogram recruits Hormel veteran as new CFO
Monogram Foods said today it has hired Jana Haynes as its incoming chief financial officer, succeeding Cheryl Duffy-Geiger, who has submitted her resignation more...
Tyson, Perdue antitrust settlement approved
A settlement from Tyson Foods and Perdue Farms with chicken farmers has received final approval. The two poultry processors have agreed to pay a combined more...
France bans import of meat produced with antibiotics
France has banned the import of meat from animals grown with antibiotics, according to a report from Reuters. The ban will take effect April 22, and is more...
Case Farms announces new CEO, senior leadership
Case Farms has named Michael Popowycz as vice chairman and CEO, along with Joseph D. Long as CFO and Samuel Caudle to vice president and general manager more...
FSIS proposes raw pork performance standards
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said Wednesday it is opening the public comment period on proposed pathogen reduction performance standards more...
Retrial of poultry execs accused of price-fixing opens
Two months after a jury failed to reach a verdict in a price-fixing case, 10 former poultry industry executives will be retried in a federal court in more...
MeatingPod: Hear from Christie Lagally, founder and CEO of Rebellyous Foods, Rebellyous Tech
In Ep. 51 of our MeatingPod podcast, Alt-Meat talks with Christie Lagally, founder and CEO of Rebellyous Foods and Rebellyous Tech. Sort of two companies more...
McDonald’s pushes back on investor call for pork sourcing changes
McDonald’s Corp. is defending its pork supply practices after investor Carl Icahn called for the fast food giant to change the treatment of pigs more...
HPAI now detected in New York and Maine backyard flocks
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has announced two new HPAI confirmations in the Northeast. The first detection came in a non-commercial more...
Marfrig to appoint candidates for BRF's board
Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods S.A. announced Monday that it plans to appoint candidates to be nominated for BRF S.A.'s board of directors. Marfrig said more...
Total recall: Why food recalls are likely to rise
When Shawn Stevens, the founding member of Food Industry Counsel LLC, describes how he thinks the FDA and USDA will approach food safety in 2022 and beyond more...
Congress members come out against Sanderson-Wayne Farms merger
Thirteen members of Congress, including Sens. Warren, Booker and Sanders, have come out against the proposed merger of Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms more...
Third Indiana turkey flock depopulated after HPAI discovery
Indiana said a third flock of commercial turkeys in the southern part of the state has been depopulated after highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) more...
Pork up, turkey down in Seaboard results
Higher prices for pork helped boost Seaboard Corp.’s earnings for its fiscal year 2021, despite a dip in volume sales, the company said in a news more...
Peel: Persistent drought could push cattle inventories even lower
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
HPAI confirmed in second commercial turkey flock in Indiana
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said Wednesday that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in a second more...
Tyson closing Keystone office in Alabama
Tyson Foods is closing a Keystone Foods administrative office in Huntsville, Ala. A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice puts the more...
Ohio names 40 processors awarded $10M in grants
Ohio on Wednesday announced that 40 livestock and poultry producers in the state will get grants totaling $10 million to help them expand capacity and more...
Wingstop CFO: 'Worst is behind us' on inflation
Wingstop Chief Financial Officer Alex Kaleida announced on the restaurant chain's earnings call that he believes the "worst is behind us" in terms of more...
Perdue to pay $1.9M to settle wastewater lawsuit
Perdue Foods plans to pay $1.9 million plus additional fees to settle a dispute over wastewater issues at its chicken processing plant in Washington state more...
Record-low supplies to drive decline in cattle feedlot inventories: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Burger King, Popeyes parent eyes menu price hikes
Fans of Burger King, Popeyes Louisiana Chicken and other chains under the Restaurant Brands International (RBI) umbrella should expect to see higher prices more...
Taste test: A review of Martha Stewart's short ribs
Martha Stewart — a lifestyle entrepreneur known for her aspirational books and media programs on gourmet cooking, entertaining and decorating — more...
Tyson Foods updates its COVID-19 protocols on mask use
Tyson Foods Inc. is adjusting its rules on masks in the workplace in light of declining rates of active COVID-19 infections at its facilities following more...
HPAI expands further in North America as import bans increase
Days after highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed in Kentucky and Virginia, a second poultry farm in western Nova Scotia reported H5N1 infections more...
China builds over 800 warehouses to test imported foods
China has built 869 warehouses for the centralized supervision of imported cold-chain foods, the country's market regulator said in an official government more...
News briefs: Sanderson, On the Border, Save A Lot, USDA
Sanderson named a 'best employer' Sanderson Farms Inc. has been named one of America’s Best Large Employers for 2022 by Forbes magazine. The 2022 more...
Specific wild ducks may be behind U.S. spread of bird flu
A specific species of wild duck may pose the greatest risk of the spread of avian influenza among U.S. birds, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological more...
Cultivated meat company taps former Cargill, OSI exec as CEO
Rehovot, Israel-based Future Meat Technologies has appointed Nicole Johnson-Hoffman as Chief Executive Officer, the company said in a news release. Johnson-Hoffman assumes more...
NCBA has no love for Valentine’s ad for plant-based diet
One could argue that a Valentine’s Day ad campaign by a plant-based food company hits below the belt. Further, the claim that “plant-based more...
Bummed by Super Bowl LVI outcome? Processor can help
Family-owned Dietz & Watson is offering a special promotion to help Cincinnati Bengals fans who were disappointed by the final score of yesterday’s more...
Pilgrim's U.S. chicken business outlook impresses analysts
At least two Wall Street analysts boosted their earnings forecasts for Pilgrim's Pride this week after the processor reported strong margins in more...
Jollibee may double capex in 2022 in global expansion
Philippine fried chicken QSR Jollibee said it plans to open 500 stores in 2022, up from 398 in 2021, and expects to double its investment in capital expenditures more...
Pro claimer: an interview with Mike Lorentz of Lorentz Meats
In the entranceway to the Lorentz Meats processing facility in Cannon Falls, Minn., there is a hand-lettered quote from writer, farmer and environmental more...
News briefs: Hormel, Kroger, APHIS, USMEF
Hormel names corporate development VP Hormel Foods Corp. announced that Nathan Annis, director of investor relations, business planning and analysis, more...
JBS introduces frozen, uncooked ground beef crumbles
JBS USA has announced the launch of Pound of Ground Crumbles frozen uncooked ground beef, designed to appeal to consumers looking to prepare a meal quickly more...
Chipotle raises menu prices, citing high beef costs
Chipotle Mexican Grill increased menu prices by 4% in mid-December in part due to higher-than-expected beef costs, CEO Brian Niccol said this week on more...
Higher packaged food costs drive food CPI jump
U.S. consumers continue to pay more for food, with on-shelf retail prices climbing 7.7% last month compared with January 2021, according to monthly Consumer more...
Ag groups urge withdrawal of WOTUS proposed rule
The American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen's Beef Association and other agricultural groups are urging the Biden administration to end plans more...
Crisis at Canadian border crossings intensifies
The "Freedom Convoy" demonstrations at Canadian/U.S. border crossings have intensified this week and continue to cause havoc for trade between the nations more...
Prop 12 delay opens door for Seaboard pork shipments to Calif.
Seaboard Foods expects to resume shipments of its pork products to the state of California now that a state judge has delayed enforcement of Proposition more...
Former Pilgrim’s exec asks court to dismiss price-fixing charges
Attorneys representing a former Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. executive indicted last summer for allegedly participating in fixing poultry prices are more...
Tyson receives final approval of $4.6M turkey case settlement
Tyson Foods has received final approval on a $4.6 million settlement of a case alleging price fixing in the turkey market. Originally filed in December more...
New hearing set for man accused in 2021 pork plant murder
The legal case against a man arrested for the murder of a co-worker at a Prestage Foods plant in Eagle Grove, Iowa, nearly one year ago may end this week more...
Tyson Foods petitions for wrongful death rehearing
Tyson Foods Inc. has petitioned the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its December 30 ruling to send a COVID-related wrongful death suit filed more...
News briefs: AMSA, University of Tennessee, Fogo de Chão, Wienerschnitzel
AMSA extends award nomination deadline to Feb. 11 The American Meat Science Association has extended the AMSA Professional Award "Intent to Nominate" more...
Strong Q1 results spark boost for Tyson estimates: industry analysts
A 24% increase in sales in the first quarter and an 11.3% operating margin increase prompted several industry analysts to increase their projected earnings more...
Higher prices bolster Tyson's profit; major capex planned
Rising prices for beef, pork and poultry helped Tyson Foods overcome higher costs for labor, grain, freight and live cattle and hogs, with the meat producer more...
Pilgrim’s Pride rejects latest JBS offer to buy its shares
A special committee of Pilgrim Pride Corp.’s board of directors has declined an offer from JBS S.A. to buy the approximately 20% of the poultry more...
Nev. officials a 'no' on Carson City slaughterhouse: report
The Carson City Board of Supervisors overturned an earlier ruling that would have allowed the development of a slaughterhouse near the Nevada capital more...
Brazilians have favorable opinion of U.S. cuisine: report
Brazilian consumers hold a generally positive perception of American cuisine and food products, according to an analysis commissioned by the U.S. Agricultural more...
Court allows USDA to reconsider poultry line speed waivers
A federal court ruled this week that USDA may reconsider its poultry line speed waiver program after the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union more...
Monogram details new $53.5M Tenn. facility
New information has been released about the new Monogram Assembled Foods facility in Dickson, Tenn. First announced late last year, the facility will more...
China expected to import more chicken meat this year
China's imports of chicken meat, excluding paws, are projected to reach 800,000 metric tons this year, an increase of 2% over 2021, as domestic production more...
News briefs: North Country, Hickory Nut Gap, NCBA, Save A Lot
North Country Smokehouse launches new products New Hampshire-based North Country Smokehouse has added two fully cooked, organic hams to its retail lineup: more...
Maryland poultry renderer faces lawsuits over water pollution
Maryland’s state government and environmental groups are separately suing poultry renderer Valley Proteins to put a stop to the company’s more...
Wisconsin meat plant partially destroyed by fire
A fire early Thursday destroyed a portion of Wisconsin River Meats’ processing plant in Mauston, Wisconsin, the company said. “The old portion more...
Accident at Hormel plant in Wisconsin injures one: report (Updated)
One worker was reportedly injured on Wednesday in a workplace accident at a Hormel Foods plant in Beloit, Wisconsin. Paramedics responded on Wednesday more...
Feds launch online portal to report unfair practices in meat sector
Farmers and ranchers can now use a government website to anonymously report possibly unfair and anticompetitive practices in the livestock and poultry more...
Benestar Brands buys premium pork rind maker 4505 Meats
Salty snacks company Benestar Brands has acquired meat snacks maker 4505 Meats. According to Forbes.com, sources estimated the deal was worth between more...
Aldi files price-fixing suit against Agri Stats, pork processors
Grocery chain Aldi has become the latest retail player to file a price-fixing complaint against Agri Stats and several pork processors. Filed in the Northern more...
Chicken wings will be plentiful, pricier for Super Bowl: NCC
Americans are expected to eat 1.42 billion chicken wings while watching the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams battle Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, the more...
Giving back: Triumph Foods, JBS, Hormel, USPOULTRY, Tyson
Triumph donates COVID-19 tests to school Triumph Foods announced it will donate 1,500 COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits to the St. Joseph School District more...
Vaccine mandate protests hold up beef loads at Canadian border
Protests against a Canadian mandate for truckers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are causing a beef logjam at the Coutts, Alberta, entry of the Canada-U more...
Plaintiffs’ attorneys in broiler price-fixing case seek $35M in fees
Attorneys for a class of plaintiffs that reached settlements with major U.S. poultry companies accused of price fixing are seeking $35 million in fees more...
China adds ninth Australian meat plant to ban list
China has temporarily suspended imports from a South Australian beef processing plant, bringing the total number of banned meat companies located Down more...
Omicron slams indoor dining, restaurants say
Restaurants were hit hard by the latest surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the omicron variant, according to a new survey from the National Restaurant more...
January 2022
USDA pop-up site aims to ease congestion at Port of Oakland
USDA has announced a partnership with California's Port of Oakland to establish a new 25-acre “pop-up” site to make it easier for agricultural more...
Toxic chemicals found in beef from Michigan farm
Beef from a Michigan farm contains dangerous levels of toxic chemicals from contaminated wastewater biosolids used as fertilizer on crops, state officials more...
Listeria risk in chicken salad prompts public health alert
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert on Friday due to concerns that ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken salad products more...
News briefs: Strauss Brands, Tyson, Hormel, Beyond Meat
Strauss Brands launches new look, brand Strauss Brands has introduced a new brand, logo, packaging and visual identity for its American-raised grass-fed more...
Poultry processor charged with insurance fraud, wage theft
Two Los Angeles-area poultry processing executives have been charged for underreporting their payroll to workers’ compensation insurance carriers more...
Core items drive McDonald’s ‘banner year’
Higher-priced classics like Big Macs, Chicken Nuggets and fries helped McDonald’s offset higher food and labor costs to close out a record-setting more...
Prohibited pork bologna seized at U.S.-Mexico border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists assigned to the Paso Del Norte and Ysleta border crossings in El Paso, Texas, seized more...
More HPAI cases confirmed in N.C. wild birds
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in 53 hunter-harvested wild waterfowl at three sites in North Carolina, the state's department more...
Red meat prices to rise again in 2022, but less severely: USDA
Beef and pork prices will rise again this year, but not to the extent that they did in 2021, USDA said. In its monthly Food Price Outlook, the agency more...
Antonio Mata, meat scientist who discovered the Vegas Strip Steak, dies
Dr. Antonio Mata, a meat scientist whose passion for studying cattle musculature led to the discovery of a new cut, the “Vegas Strip Steak,” more...
Listeria finding prompts sandwich recall across Canada
HQ Fine Foods is recalling Quality and Hygaard Fine Foods Ltd. brands of sandwiches due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, according to more...
NPB announces new staff leadership positions
The National Pork Board (NPB) today announced staff leadership changes to support its ability to deliver on pork producer priorities for the Checkoff more...
NPPC issues report on industry as congressional scrutiny deepens
The National Pork Producers Council has released a report on concentration levels in the U.S. pork industry amid more congressional scrutiny of rising more...
OSHA withdraws workplace vaccine mandate
The Biden administration has announced it is withdrawing its vaccine mandate for large employers. Originally issued November 2021 through OSHA, the emergency more...
Court gives final nod to $11M deal with chicken buyers
A federal judge has given final approval to an almost $8 million deal with Mar-Jac Poultry and a $3.3 million deal with Harrison Poultry to settle price-fixing more...
Consumers still shopping in stores amid COVID-19 spike
Despite the nationwide spike in COVID-19 omicron cases, most shoppers are taking the same number of trips to the store as they were a month ago, according more...
Animal activist again cleared of pig farm trespassing charges
Prosecutors have again dropped trespassing charges against Direct Action Everywhere (DXE) animal activist Matt Johnson, according to a report by the Des more...
New DOJ antitrust head says he'll 'reinvigorate' enforcement
The new assistant attorney general of the Department of Justice's antitrust division has announced how he plans to promote competition in the U.S. economy more...
Cold storage drawdown signals robust demand
Red meat and poultry in cold storage fell to lower levels in December 2021 than a year earlier, indicating strong demand. Red meat fell 6% to a more...
IFFA announces strong registration numbers for 2022 meeting
Despite the latest COVID-19 outbreak, Messe Frankfurt is anticipating a successful showing at the triennial IFFA conference in Frankfurt, Germany. According more...
U.S. Supreme Court to hear WOTUS case
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving the breadth of the Clean Water Act for a second time. The high court will take up an more...
Farm Bureau seeks revision to bipartisan cattle bill
The American Farm Bureau Federation on Friday voiced its support for the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2021, except for its establishment more...
Feedlots maintain cattle inventories: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
SugarCreek puts people first
The road to $1 billion in sales is hardly paved in gold. It’s a rugged two-lane highway winding with whitewater through southeast Indiana’s more...
Pilgrim’s Pride to raise wages in Mayfield, Ky. facility
Pilgrim’s Pride has announced a $2-per-hour pay increase for workers at its Mayfield, Ky. facility. Negotiated with UFCW Local 227, which represent’s more...
Court orders beef packer to process Niman Ranch cattle
A federal judge ruled on Thursday that Missouri Prime Beef Packers must process cattle supplied by Niman Ranch, following a previously executed agreement more...
Poarch Creek Indians announce Ala. beef plant
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians have announced plans to build a producer-owned USDA beef plant in Altmore, Ala. According to an announcement on North more...
Giving back: Texas Tech, Angus Foundation, Tyson Fresh Meats, Perdue Farms
Texas Tech receives $44 million giftTexas Tech University has received a $44 million donation from Gordon W. Davis, an associate professor in the college more...
Ammonia leak sends three Pilgrim’s workers to the hospital
Three workers at a Pilgrim’s Pride processing facility in Canton, Ga., were hospitalized following an ammonia leak inside the plant Wednesday night more...
South Korea lifts ban on Canadian beef
South Korea announced Wednesday that it would lift a temporary suspension on imports of Canadian beef, Canadian Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau more...
France to cull 1.3M more birds to curb HPAI spread
French agriculture officials are preparing to cull another 1.3 million birds in the coming weeks to curb the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
McDonald's expands McPlant test to 600 restaurants
McDonald's is expanding a test of its McPlant sandwich to 600 U.S. locations, after the plant-based burger co-developed with Beyond Meat was introduced more...
USDA confirms two new HPAI findings in U.S.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed two findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds – more...
NAMI CEO testifies to House on industry consolidation
Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), called claims regarding consolidation and concentration in the meat industry more...
Uncertainties expected to limit U.S. pork outlook in 2022
Higher costs and potentially weaker margins could result in a pork production increase of just 0.8% in North America during 2022, according to Rabobank’s more...
Danish Crown rolls out plant-based product line
Conventional meat producer Danish Crown has brought to market a line of eight plant-based SKUs available in retail stores across Denmark under the brand more...
Execs' effort to delay poultry price-fixing retrial fails
Efforts by the federal Department of Justice to retry 10 poultry industry executives on charges of price-fixing have been rewarded: A judge for the U more...
Five cases of human HPAI infections recorded in China
Five human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been identified in mainland China, according to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department more...
Red meat exports trend downward in 2022: DLR
USDA's latest weekly export data shows both red meat shipments and sales were light in the first week of 2022, triggering projections that export demand more...
Pricing, production challenges ahead: Rabobank
Continued supply chain issues and a slowdown in production are expected to influence the U.S. meat industry in 2022, according to a new report from Rabobank more...
Investigation into JBS plant worker death begins
JBS USA and the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are working together to determine the cause of an industrial more...
China’s 2021 pork output nearly recoups loss from ASF: report
China’s pork production leapt 29% in 2021 over the previous year, helping the Asian giant recoup most of the supply it lost to African swine fever more...
Consumers willing to pay more for red meat: index
Demonstrating the elasticity of pricing in the meat sector, Kansas State University’s most recent Meat Demand Monitor logged an increase in consumers’ more...
N.D. program places locally sourced beef in schools
A program developed by the Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I-BAND) in partnership with state agencies is giving schoolchildren a taste of more...
Feds seize nearly a ton of Chinese animal products in NYC
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said Thursday its Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC) program seized and more...
Wisconsin doles out $5M for meat talent development
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced on Wednesday up to $5 million more...
MeatingPod: Hear from Rhonda Miller, professor, Texas A&M University
In a MeatingPod episode broadcast earlier this year, we chewed on ground-breaking new mouth behavior research with Dr. Rhonda Miller, professor with more...
Lusk: Consumer buying power will determine food inflation rate
Until disruptions in the labor market subside, food supply chain challenges are here to stay, says Purdue University agricultural economist Jayson Lusk more...
JBS confirms new COVID-19 outbreak at Greeley plant
JBS USA has confirmed a new COVID-19 outbreak at its Greeley, Colo., beef plant. In a statement to Meatingplace, JBS USA’s Nikki Richardson stated more...
Omicron weighs on hog, cattle slaughter
New processing data from USDA suggest the COVID-19 omicron variant is negatively affecting both hog and cattle slaughter. According to USDA data cited more...
Brazil's BRF to invest in poultry joint venture in Saudi Arabia
BRF SA and Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund have executed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint venture for poultry production in Saudi more...
News briefs: Holy Grail Steak, Sahlen Packing, Smithfield Foods
Holy Grail Steak launches burger subscription service San Francisco-based Holy Grail Steak Co. has introduced a burger subscription service that delivers more...
White House pushes China to close Phase One gap
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has signaled that the U.S. government will push China to fulfill its Phase One trade deal commitments. In an address more...
Monogram Foods hires COO
Monogram Foods announced that Gary Giles has joined the company as chief operating officer, a new position at the packaged foods producer and private more...
Food CPI accelerates again in December; meat eases
A surge in the prices of fruits and vegetables was the main driver of a month-to-month increase in the consumer price index for food at home in December more...
Canada confirms second HPAI outbreak in Newfoundland
Animal and public health officials are investigating the source of a second outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Newfoundland in the more...
Conagra to expand Slim Jim plant
Conagra Brands plans a fourth expansion of its operation in Troy, Ohio, where the company makes its Slim Jim meat snack products, according to a report more...
USDA settles humane handling records transparency lawsuit
USDA has agreed to publicly disclose on its website records related to the treatment of animals in U.S. slaughter plants to settle a lawsuit filed by more...
Sentencing of ex-rancher in Tyson fraud case delayed — again
The former rancher and owner of Easterday Farms and Easterday Ranches will not be sentenced until later this summer, following his conviction in a wire more...
Who'd have thunk it? 2021 meat sales match 2020 levels
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The fourth quarter of 2021 was disrupted by more...
Feds fight delay of poultry executives' trial
The U.S. government is eager to retry its antitrust case against notable poultry executives — so eager, in fact, it is fighting the defendants’ more...
Omicron variant of COVID-19 hits Cargill plant in Canada
A Cargill Inc. beef plant in Alberta, Canada, continues to operate at a slightly reduced capacity in the wake of a new outbreak of COVID-19 among its more...
U.S. beef exports reach record highs
U.S. beef exports set another record in November, according to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). For November, beef exports more...
MeatingPod: Hear from Catie Simpson Beauchamp, vice president of food science, quality and safety, ButcherBox
In a MeatingPod episode recorded earlier this year, Julie Larson Bricher, Meatingplace's science and technology editor, got the scoop on meat quality more...
Hormel urged to report on societal “costs” of antibiotics in meat
A nonprofit group is calling on Hormel Foods to report on the “environmental and public health costs” of antibiotics in its meat, and the more...
UK confirms rare human case of avian influenza
A highly unusual bird-to-human transmission of avian flu has been detected following an outbreak of in a flock in England, according to the UK Health more...
Grogan tapped to lead Maple Leaf Foods' plant-based protein subsidiary
Maple Leaf Foods executive Adam Grogan will assume the role of president of the Canadian sustainable protein maker's wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenleaf more...
Two industry events remain in-person, one postpones amid Covid spread
With Covid-19 cases on the rise again around the world, business meeting organizers are scrambling to adjust plans and procedures for scheduled events more...
As AI spreads in Europe, OIE official warns of potential for jump to humans
The Netherlands reported a second culling of thousands of chickens in a single week because of bird flu, while the director of the World Organization more...
Global food prices hit 10-year peak: UN agency
To the surprise of few consumers, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is reporting that world food prices hit their highest more...
MeatingPod: Hear from Bell & Evans owner Scott Sechler
Bell & Evans owner Scott Sechler says that pioneering poultry industry innovation and high-tech applications is what keeps the poultry producer and more...
Giving back: Hormel, JBS USA, Perdue, Pilgrim’s, Smithfield, Tyson
Hormel sends hams for tornado victims Hormel Foods gave more than 93,000 pounds of spiral hams to help those impacted by tornadoes that devastated parts more...
Port of Oakland takes steps to address shipping logjams
The Port of Oakland is spearheading an effort to improve the flow of agriculture exports at its vital gateway for inbound and outbound farm goods and more...
Tyson exec to lead GRSB committee in '22
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) on Wednesday announced its 2022 executive committee will be led by Tyson Foods' Ian McConnel. In the more...
Campbell Soup names chief supply chain officer
Campbell Soup Co. has appointed Daniel Poland as executive vice president and chief supply chain officer, effective next week, the Camden, N.J.-based more...
JBS closes its acquisition of Australian pork business
JBS Australia announced the completion of its purchase of Rivalea Holdings from Singapore-based QAF Ltd. in a deal valued at AU$175 million. The deal more...
FDA recalls chicken salad sandwiches due to mislabeling
GHGA LLC, based in Conley, Ga., is voluntarily recalling 266, 7.8-oz. packages of Chicken Salad Croissants due to undeclared fish, the U.S. Food and Drug more...
Sesame to grow the FDA’s Big 8 allergens list to nine
The 2021 Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (FASTER) Act is requiring that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration add sesame more...
A third of food produced in the U.S. is never eaten: EPA
More than one-third of the food produced in the United States is never eaten, wasting the resources used to produce it and generating annual greenhouse more...
MeatingPod: Hear from Chris Williams, general manager, Pineland Farms Natural Meats
In Ep. 38 of MeatingPod, we're talking cutting-edge meat cutting and packaging with Chris Williams, general manager of Pineland Farms Natural Meats more...
Biden announces $1B to expand “independent processing capacity”
The Biden administration announced it will commit $1 billion of American Rescue Plan funds to expand “independent processing capacity” in more...
Appeals court returns Tyson COVID case to state court
A COVID-19 wrongful death suit against Tyson Foods has been kicked back to state court. In a ruling published Dec. 30, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the more...
Dutch eye farmer buyouts to curb nitrogen emissions: report
A Dutch government program to buy out livestock producers in an effort to lower nitrogen emissions has been confirmed in the Netherlands, the EU's largest more...
More culling across Europe as AI challenges persist
Officials in France and Bulgaria announced plans to cull thousands of birds to stem the spread of avian influenza (AI), even as Canada confirmed an outbreak more...
December 2021
Most Americans still prefer to grocery shop in stores: Ipsos
A survey exploring how the pandemic is changing shopping and eating habits identified six factors shaping the way food producers and retailers will market more...
Lawry’s Beef Bowl canceled — again
Lawry’s Beef Bowl — an annual event that has Rose Bowl team members eating at the Beverly Hills prime rib restaurant — has been canceled more...
Where have all the butchers gone?
With grocery shelves barren of meat during the height of the COVID crisis, consumers turned to local meat processors to feed their families. These smaller more...
Beef feedlot/processing plant planned for Calif. Central Valley
Agricultural firm Sandridge Partners has proposed a new beef feedlot and processing plant near Lemoore, Calif. in the state’s Central Valley. According more...
Minnesota Pork CEO announces retirement
David Preisler, longtime CEO of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association and Minnesota Pork Board, announced he will retire from the organization effective more...
Giving back: Illinois Pork, Iowa Select, US Cattlemen’s Association
Illinois groups give away 65,000 lbs of pork As part of the Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Illinois campaign, the Illinois Pork Producers Association more...
Darling Ingredients to acquire Valley Proteins
Darling Ingredients Inc. announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the shares of Valley Proteins Inc. for about $1.1 billion more...
Hormel among world’s top female-friendly companies
Hormel Foods Corp. is among the top 300 female-friendly employers around the globe, as listed by Forbes magazine. The Austin, Minn.-based processor ranked more...
MeatingPod: Hear from Malachite Strategy founder, anthropologist Kevin Ryan
The plant-based meat substitute market is moving, and changing, fast, and keeping perspective is key. Even in this topsy-turvy pandemic era, anthropologist more...
17,000 birds perish in Pa. turkey farm fire
An early Thursday morning blaze at a commercial turkey farm killed about 17,000 birds in Perry County, Pa., local fire officials stated. “The more...
Pork prices on the rise but not industry profits: researchers
A variety of factors may have sparked the recent increase in prices for pork, but the industry is not necessarily seeing increased profits, according more...
Ranchers barely making it amid record beef prices: NY Times
Americans are paying more than ever for beef at supermarkets and restaurants, but cattle ranchers are not reaping much — if any — of the windfall more...
Inaugural Food Tech still on at CES 2022 as pandemic upends show
The first-ever Food Tech conference at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) remains scheduled to take place the afternoon of Jan. 6, even as show organizers more...
Maple Leaf to require COVID vaccine for access
Employees, contractors and suppliers who want access to any Maple Leaf Foods' facility will have to prove they have been vaccinated, beginning April 1 more...
FSIS closes the book on Listeria project launched in 2016
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has completed its pilot project to assess the use of its safety recommendations to prevent the more...
In a Box: The global shipping container crisis and meat exporters
U.S. meat and poultry exporters continue to face unprecedented pressure caused by a global shortage, or displacement, of shipping containers. The issue more...
UW-Madison's Steven Ricke at bat for advanced meat science
Steven Ricke is in the zone as he strides through the halls of the state-of-the-art Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery (MSABD) facility at University more...
Why the High River labor pact mattered to the U.S. market
A strike, had it happened, at Cargill's High River plant in Canada could have increased U.S. imports of Canadian slaughter cattle by as much as 85,000 more...
State AGs urge stronger Packers & Stockyards enforcement
A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general has written a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack supporting the agency's efforts to promote competition more...
Cargill to pay $1B for U.K.-based bioindustrial business
Cargill has reached an agreement to acquire the majority of U.K.-based Croda's performance technologies and bio-based industrial chemicals business for more...
MeatingPod: Hear from Planterra CEO Darcey Macken
With a new headquarters complex, ongoing expansion of its OZO consumer brand, but plans to start up a new plant outside Cincinnati on hold, JBS’s more...
Pure Prairie Farms to reopen Iowa chicken plant
Pure Prairie Farms Inc. said it will relaunch a chicken plant in Charles City, Iowa, by next spring, now that it has closed on the purchase of the former more...
Frick’s on track for pork plant expansion in early '22
As it marks its 125th year of processing, Frick’s Quality Meats of Washington, Mo., has announced it expects to complete a facility expansion in more...
News briefs: Hormel, Bob Evans, NPPC, Turkey Smoke Series
Hormel's 199 Ventures backs investment fund Green Circle Capital Partners said it launched a venture capital division and first closing for the Green more...
Sanderson's busy day: 2021 financial reports, new DOJ inquiry
Sanderson Farms saw a jump in net sales and net profits for its fiscal 2021, compared with fiscal 2020, spurred by growing demand from foodservice and more...
Airport authority grounds Pilgrim’s plant proposal for good [UPDATED]
The Gadsden Airport Authority (GAA) has voted to reject proposals from Pilgrim's Pride and another group concerning industrial development at the Gadsden more...
News Briefs: Tyson Foods, Chicken price-fixing, Taco Bell
Tyson to offer on-site childcare services at Tenn. plant Tyson Foods Inc. plans to offer affordable childcare for frontline workers and their families more...
State funds boost Iowa Premium expansion plans
Iowa Premium’s plans to expand its Tama, Iowa beef processing plant got a boost from the State of Iowa in the form of a commitment of $14 million more...
Union workers approve new contract at Foster Farms plant
Members of the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) 555 union approved a new five-year contract with Foster Farms covering hundreds of workers more...
Prop 12: Seaboard partially out, Hormel all in, NAMI pushes for delay (updated)
Seaboard Foods plans to limit the sales of some whole-muscle pork products in the state of California when that state's Prop 12 provision goes into effect more...
Mistrial declared in antitrust case against poultry executives
The judge overseeing the case against 10 current and former poultry company executives for allegedly conspiring to fix broiler chicken prices has declared more...
Mountaire workers at Del. plant vote to remove union
Mountaire workers at the company’s Selbyville, Del., chicken plant on Thursday voted to remove local representation by the United Food and Commercial more...
Brazil's BNDES state bank sells shares in JBS SA: report
Brazilian state development bank BNDES sold part of its 24.5% stake in JBS SA this week, Reuters reported, citing sources close to the matter. The bank more...
Giving back: Perdue Farms, Triumph Foods, Tyson Foods
Perdue supports tornado recovery efforts Perdue Farms is delivering $150,000 to the United Way of Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund and a truckload of chicken more...
Global poultry demand up, but supply pressures stay in '22: Rabobank
Global poultry markets are expected to remain strong in 2022, on the back of reopening economies, increasing vaccination levels, and stronger economic more...
Cargill’s MacLennan sees food prices hitting peak soon
Cargill Inc. CEO Dave MacLennan believes food prices are nearing a peak, and likely to come down some soon. “I’m optimistic that we’re more...
China resumes beef imports from Brazil
China resumed imports of Brazilian beef on Wednesday, following more than three months of suspension since Brazilian authorities announced two atypical more...
JBS buys a motel to house workers in Australia
JBS SA has purchased a motel to provide housing for its workers in South Australia, according to the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC). The meat more...
Smithfield pepperoni recalled for possible Bacillus cereus contamination
Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp., doing business as Margherita Meats Inc., is recalling about 10,990 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) pepperoni products that more...
Investigation underway into acid leak near Cargill plant in Canada (UPDATED)
Officials in Canada are trying to determine the cause of a peracetic acid leak just outside of a Cargill Inc. meat processing plant in Guelph, Ontario more...
Tornadoes decimate Pilgrim’s Pride hatchery in Ky., hamper operations
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. is assessing its options in the wake of recent deadly tornadoes that destroyed one of the company’s chicken hatcheries more...
NPB doubles down on prevention as ASF lingers offshore
With the persistence of African swine fever in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, preventing any spread into the United States is a top priority for the more...
FSIS updates Appendix A and B for small, very small establishments
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has updated its guidelines for meat and poultry establishments using Appendix A and B in their HACCP more...
Listeria recall expanded 10-fold
Alexander & Hornung has expanded its previously announced listeria-related recall of fully cooked ham and pepperoni products nearly 10-fold, to 2 more...
In good faith: A profile of Miller Poultry
Galen Miller doesn’t like to brag. Humble, deliberate and soft-spoken, the Miller Poultry CEO credits his Mennonite background for the modest style more...
Taco Bell ditches Beyond Meat's plant-based carne asada
Taco Bell has said no bueno to Beyond Meat's carne asada menu item after a test run of the plant-based steak failed to meet the Yum! Brand restaurant's more...
JBS buys Italy's Grupo King's, expands presence in Italy, U.S.
Brazil's JBS S.A. said on Monday that its subsidiary Rigamonti has closed a deal to acquire 100% of Italy-based Grupo King's for €82 million ($92 more...
Tyson wins first legal round to stop exec move to competitor
An Arkansas judge issued a temporary restraining order that for now will prevent a former Tyson Foods Inc. executive from joining competitor Mountaire more...
Grocers, restaurants sue to delay Prop 12
As the Jan. 1 deadline for California’s Proposition 12 to go into effect — imposing standards of animal care on any meat or poultry product more...
News briefs: Maple Leaf, CBB web series, Hormel honors
Maple Leaf declares December “National Bacon Month” To celebrate one of Canada’s favorite meat products, processor Maple Leaf Foods more...
Monogram Foods adds 11th food manufacturing location
Monogram Foods has acquired a manufacturing facility located in Dickson, Tenn., marking the food maker's first Tennessee-based location and boosting the more...
Vilsack unveils more financial support for the supply chain
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced another $100 million in federal loan guarantees under the new Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program; the more...
Two-alarm fire at Pa. JBS plant [UPDATED]
A two-alarm fire Dec. 9 caused an undisclosed amount of damage to a JBS beef processing plant in Pennsylvania, according to a local CBS affiliate report more...
Inflation rockets on, fueled by protein prices
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis in November — and 6.8% for the 12-month period more...
Hormel closing Jennie-O turkey plant in Minnesota
Hormel Foods is closing an “older, inefficient” Jennie-O Turkey Store processing plant in Willmar, Minn., where the brand is based, Hormel more...
Hormel inks five-year supply deal, reducing low-margin fresh pork
Hormel Foods has signed a five-year raw material supply agreement with its supplier in Fremont, Neb., the Austin, Minn.-based food company announced Thursday more...
Animal rights activist found guilty of breaking and entering
A jury in North Carolina has found animal rights activist Wayne Hsiung, a founder of the group Direct Action Everywhere, guilty of felony charges for more...
USDA lowers red meat, poultry production outlook in WASDE
USDA reduced its 2021 outlook for total red meat and poultry production from last month as lower broiler and turkey production more than offset higher more...
Sustainable Beef gets city approval, TIF funding for Neb. plant
Plans to build a $325 million beef processing plant in North Platte, Neb., moved another step toward launch with a unanimous final vote by the city council more...
Tyson tries new pay structure at Pennsylvania plant (Updated)
Processors are trying all sorts of new strategies to attract labor, and Tyson Foods is looking to innovate with the pay structure at its New Holland, more...
Beyond Meat hires two Tyson veterans for top roles
Beyond Meat Inc. announced the appointment of former Tyson Foods executives Doug Ramsey and Bernie Adcock to its leadership team. Ramsey will join Beyond more...
Meat industry groups support effort to address shipping woes
Four major meat industry organizations have signed a letter supporting efforts to solve the shipping crisis that has throttled supply chains nationwide more...
Penn. judge dismisses Tyson wrongful death suit
A Pennsylvania judge has dismissed a wrongful death suit that was filed against Tyson Foods after one of the processor’s workers died from COVID-19 more...
Prop 12 faces new legal challenge; comment period is extended
California’s controversial Proposition 12 is the focus of a new lawsuit filed by a group of animal welfare and farmer organizations, even as state more...
New study sizes up alt-meats’ protein values vs. the real thing
When it comes to what type of burger offers the best source of protein, conventional burgers maintain the edge on their alt analogues, according more...
In-store retail sales back to pre-pandemic levels: NPD
With brick-and-mortar stores open across the U.S., online revenue growth is slowing down while physical store sales climbed to 64% of all retail sales more...
$575M deal fuels QSR consolidation
Jack in the Box Inc. signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Del Taco Restaurant Inc. business in a transaction valued at $575 million, the two companies more...
Tyson promises a jolly $50M in bonuses to hourly workers
Tyson Foods will spend roughly $50 million to give its frontline and hourly workers year-end bonuses, the Springdale, Ark.-based meat producer announced Monday more...
CFIA recalls chicken burgers on undeclared allergen
Belmont Meat Products Ltd., based in North York, Ontario, has recalled Great Value brand Chicken Burgers, due to the presence of egg, a possible allergen more...
Drought impacts in 2021, 2022 and beyond: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
OSHA cites Seaboard Foods for repetitive motion injuries
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Seaboard Foods for a serious health violation and proposed a penalty of $27,306. According more...
TFC Poultry to establish Va. deboning plant
Turkey deboner TFC Poultry LLC will establish a second production facility in Winchester, Va. According to a release from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s more...
NCC calls for clear labeling on cell-cultured proteins
The National Chicken Council (NCC) has submitted comments to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), urging the agency to develop labeling more...
Global food prices reach 10-year high in November
International food commodity prices rose for a fourth straight month in November to their highest level since 2011, the Food and Agriculture Organization's more...
Wayne Farms workers vote down contract in Alabama
Workers at Wayne Farms’ poultry processing plant in Albertville, Ala., have voted to reject a three-year collective bargaining agreement, a company more...
Kan. beef plant proposal gets OK despite community opposition
Ottawa County, Kan., have given the green light to a proposal for a beef packing plant that many residents in the area don’t want, according to more...
NCBA submits comments to USDA on labeling of cell-cultured animal proteins
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) on Wednesday submitted comments to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), saying more...
USDA 2022 Ag Outlook Forum to focus on sustainability
In 2022, USDA's largest and premier annual event will focus on innovations to minimize the environmental footprint of agriculture and ensure sustainability more...
Wayne Farms workers walk off job in Ala. as contract vote looms
A group of workers at Wayne Farms' poultry processing plant in Albertville, Ala., walked off the job on Tuesday, a day before a scheduled vote on a new more...
NPPC sets legislative objectives ahead of lobbying effort
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) plans to focus on topics including foreign animal disease prevention, addressing worker shortages and reauthorizing more...
USDA, partners to study antimicrobial use, resistance in pigs
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced it will lead a new collaborative effort to study antimicrobial use and resistance more...
Another week, more bird flu woes across Europe
Avian influenza cases continue to spread across several European nations despite enhanced biosecurity measures, movement zone restrictions and culling more...
November 2021
FTC enlists Tyson, others in U.S. supply chain probe
Tyson Foods Inc. is among nine major U.S. companies targeted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for input on its investigation of recent supply chain more...
Another private equity deal for a processor
Seattle-based private equity firm, Pike Street Capital LLC, has invested in Fair Market Inc. (FMI), a retail and foodservice distributor and meat processor more...
Fire prompts evacuation at Pa. Maid-Rite plant
Employees were safely evacuated and accounted for after a fire broke out Nov. 29 at a Maid-Rite Steak Co. processing plant in Scott Township, Pa., according more...
Giving back: Jennie-O, Perdue, Pilgrim’s, Tyson, Smithfield
Jennie-O makes its largest turkey donation Jennie-O Turkey Store teamed with YouTube personality MrBeast and his Beast Philanthropy organization to distribute more...
U.S. food security improves — some
The United States has moved up a few pegs in a global ranking related to food security for citizens of 113 nations, now placing ninth from 11th a year more...
U.S. beef production to affect global outlook in '22: Rabobank
An expected decline in U.S. beef production next year is likely to play a key role in tightening global supplies in 2022, predicts a new report from Rabobank more...
Ontario commits $25M for agri-food processing sector
The Ontario government has announced it is investing C$25 million over three years to incentivize projects that will add processing capacity and increase more...
Take Meatingplace’s 10-second quiz
Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether it is true or false: Loading… We will publish the answer and results in the more...
Germany, Europe grapple with new ASF cases
Germany, several EU states and Russia continued to grapple with outbreaks of African swine fever in late 2021, with infections of both domestic pigs and more...
Cargill helps fund Cornell project to measure cow methane
Cornell University's Department of Animal Science announced that four climate-controlled respiration chambers will be built in the Large Animal Research more...
HelloFresh study tracks changing cooking, eating habits
A new report from meal kit company HelloFresh examines 10 years of eating and cooking habits among consumers globally, finding — among other things more...
Global beef, chicken production to rise in '22; pork to fall: FAS
USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is predicting a small increase in global beef and veal production in 2022, up about 1%, driven by a rebound more...
Consumers returning to stores but with new habits: survey
Two-thirds of shoppers plan to return to brick-and-mortar locations in the coming months, but most (73%) want to get in and out of stores quickly, according more...
News briefs: Creekstone Farms, Johnsonville, Tyson, Zoup!
Creekstone Farms partners with grill supplier Creekstone Farms and All Things Barbecue have formalized their partnership and are marking the occasion more...
Tyson gets $55M in bonds to improve St. Joseph, Mo., plant
Tyson Foods' St. Joseph, Mo., hot dog and deli meat manufacturing facility will receive nearly $55 million from the city in industrial development revenue more...
Impossible raises $500M in latest funding round
Impossible Foods announced it has secured about $500 million in its latest funding round and said IRI data shows it is "now the fastest-growing plant-based more...
Brazil takes salmonella dispute with EU to WTO
Brazil lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the European Union's rules for controls of Salmonella in poultry meat, according more...
U.S. lawmaker seeks DOJ probe into poultry practices as prices rise (UPDATED)
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate what she describes as “anticompetitive practices” more...
Booker, Khanna introduce bill aimed at protecting meat plant workers
U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.-17) have introduced a bill, dubbed the Protecting America’s Meatpacking Workers Act more...
IRI's take on Turkey Day
IRI's new data regarding the supply, sales and pricing for turkeys leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday shows the birds are in-stock and sales are strong more...
Poultry, red meat stocks down in cold storage
USDA's data for October 2021 cold storage inventory shows total poultry and red meat supplies in freezers lower than a year ago. Total frozen poultry more...
JBS to pay nearly $13M to settle a second pork anti-trust lawsuit
A federal judge in Minneapolis approved a plan allowing JBS USA to pay $12.75 million to settle a lawsuit filed by restaurants and retailers that accused more...
People, farms, animals lost in massive Canadian floods
At least four people are dead after a once-in-500-years flood event swallowed homes, farms and livestock in British Columbia, Canada, where thousands more...
How meat processors can succeed with e-commerce
There’s no going back. There’s no going forward, for that matter, either. The future, when it comes to e-commerce, is now. In fact, say retail more...
FAT Brands buys fourth company in six months
FAT Brands Inc. announced it will buy Phoenix, Ariz.-based chain Native Grill & Wings for $20 million, according to a news release from the company more...
Sen. Tester proposes bill to block Brazilian beef
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) on Thursday introduced a bill that would suspend imports of Brazilian beef until USDA can conduct a safety review, a move more...
Judge sanctions company for destroying evidence after nitrogen leak killed poultry workers
A county judge has sanctioned a gas company for destroying critical evidence after a nitrogen leak in January killed six workers at the Foundation Food more...
Thanksgiving hosts aim to do dinner 'on the cheap': survey
Although more Americans are planning to hold Thanksgiving dinner gatherings this year, those hosts expect to spend an average of 18% less than they did more...
Hormel launches Heritage Premium Meats umbrella brand
Hormel Foods is combining the company's Sadler's and Dan's Prize brands under one umbrella portfolio, Heritage Premium Meats – Inspired Meat Collective more...
Cargill CEO expects high food prices to remain in 2022
Cargill CEO David MacLennan expects the elevated food prices of 2021 to continue in 2022. MacLennan made the remarks during an interview at the Bloomberg more...
Farm Bureau: Cost of Thanksgiving dinner up 14%
Rising prices at the grocery store are making next week’s food-centric holiday a more costly one. The average cost of this year’s traditional more...
Smithfield Foods looks to diversify hog supply chain
Smithfield Foods is diversifying its hog supply chain with a new contract grower program to support Black and other minority farmers, the company said more...
NCBA, R-CALF call for U.S. ban on Brazilian beef
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF) are seeking a more...
Maple Leaf's sow open housing plan close to completion
Canadian processor Maple Leaf Foods Inc. says its conversion from sow crates to an Advanced Open Sow Housing System is on track for completion by the more...
Union slams Smithfield deal with OSHA as ‘slap on the wrist’ (UPDATED)
The union representing nearly 3,000 Smithfield Foods workers is blasting this week’s settlement agreement between the company and the Occupational more...
Vietnam lowers tariffs on U.S. pork
Vietnam has confirmed it will lower its Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff on imported frozen pork to 10% from 15%, according to a news release from the more...
Deep Dive: A discussion with Glynn Tonsor
Before he was a renowned agricultural economist, Glynn Tonsor grew up working on his family’s hog farm in Missouri. A farrow-to-finish operation more...
AFG picks Missouri for new beef plant
Green Bay, Wis.-based American Foods Group LLC (AFG) will build a new state-of-the-art beef processing facility in Warren County, Missouri, the company more...
CTI Foods seeks new operator for King of Prussia plant
CTI Foods is in “deep talks with potential partners” to takeover its King of Prussia, Pa. beef processing plant, which is set to close on more...
China confirms new ASF variant strains in two provinces
Chinese researchers are calling for increased vigilance in two provinces after confirming that two additional variants of the African Swine Flu (ASF) more...
Pre-Thanksgiving meat sales boost October results
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Twenty months into the pandemic, meat retailing more...
More on Smithfield's agreement with OSHA
The agreement between the Labor Department's Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp., announced earlier more...
Tyson Foods’ earnings top expectations amid surging meat prices
Tyson Foods on Monday reported earnings that toppled analysts’ expectations, as higher prices for beef and chicken served to counter a drop in volumes more...
Restaurant Brands Int'l. to pay $1B for Firehouse Subs
Restaurant Brands International Inc. and Firehouse Restaurant Group Inc. have reached an agreement for RBI to acquire Firehouse Subs for $1.0 billion more...
ASF still offers pork export opportunities: NPB study
U.S. pork producers should be able to continue enhancing their efforts to expand internationally even as China rebuilds its pork industry in the wake more...
Cargill in “comprehensive” negotiations to avoid High River strike
Cargill is actively negotiating with workers to avoid a strike at its High River, Alberta beef processing plant, according to Canadian media reports. more...
Food import costs pose big challenges for poorer nations
Global food trade has shown “remarkable resilience” to disruptions throughout the pandemic, but rapidly rising prices pose significant challenges more...
Applegate expands frozen breaded chicken line (updated)
Hormel Foods' Applegate Farms meat brand is adding two spicy products to its Applegate Naturals frozen breaded chicken line. The Spicy Breaded Chicken more...
News briefs: Panera, Old Trapper, Tyson, Hormel, Perini Ranch
Panera eyes public markets Panera Brands Inc. announced its intent to go public via a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. The number more...
USDA program to allow faster pork plant line speeds
USDA on Wednesday made available a trial program in which nine U.S pork plants can apply to run faster line speeds for up to one year, offering relief more...
Olymel appoints Yanick Gervais as new president and CEO
Canadian pork and poultry processor Olymel L.P. announced Thursday that Yanick Gervais has been chosen as the company's new president and chief executive more...
Koch Foods faces negligence lawsuit in poultry worker’s death
A lawsuit has been filed against Koch Foods on behalf of the family of a worker who died in an accident at the company’s poultry processing plant more...
JBS eyes U.S. share listing in 2022
JBS S.A. Global Chief Executive Gilberto Tomazoni said Thursday the company aims to list its shares in the United States in 2022. “The listing remains more...
Meat prices surge double digits in 12 months through Oct.
Animal protein prices have posted double-digit price increases over the past 12 months, compared to the same period a year ago, led by the rising cost more...
Update: Pilgrim’s workers in Waco negotiate pay raises
Workers at the newly unionized Pilgrim’s Pride processing plant in Waco, Texas, have negotiated a three-year contract with substantial pay increases more...
NPB offers export strategies for U.S. pork producers
U.S. pork producers can gain an edge in their export opportunities if they focus on sustainability, maintain quality and service and boost their communications more...
Bird flu hits Japan as Germany, Italy confirm new outbreaks
Japan reported its first outbreak of bird flu this week, while Germany and Italy announced new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, deepening more...
Europe’s bird flu issues move closer to crisis: reports
The number of outbreaks of avian influenza continue to increase in Europe, prompting mass culls, biosecurity enhancements and new alerts in at least five more...
Restaurant chains plan expansions, even as dine-in traffic struggles
Several restaurant chains recently announced extensive growth plans even as recent data indicate that dine-in visits at U.S. restaurants remain lower more...
Plant-based 'meat' has gone 'mainstream': IFIC
Plant-based meat alternatives have achieved positive consumer perception and a solid measure of penetration in the consumer market, according to new research more...
'Stars are finally lining up for the beef industry': Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Koch Foods plans expansion in Gainesville, Ga.
Koch Foods is looking to redevelop a 10+ acre site for a new poultry processing plant in Gainesville, Ga. The company’s request is slated to go more...
Tyson plant back in business after bomb threat
Tyson Foods’ pork processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, is up and running again after a bomb threat prompted an evacuation of the facility over the more...
Hackers suspected in JBS cyberattack arrested: Europol
Last week, Romanian authorities arrested two people suspected of cyber-attacks deploying the Sodinokibi/REvil ransomware, linked to the June 2021 cyberattack more...
News briefs: NACMCF, Gilbert & Bernard, Jennie-O Turkey, Diestel Family Ranch, USMEF
NACMCF will hold virtual meetings this month The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold public meetings more...
Challenge to Tyson vaccination mandate stays in federal court
A U.S. district court judge has ordered that a lawsuit brought by six current Tyson Foods employees accusing the company of discrimination for requiring more...
Restaurant chains, grocers pile on pork antitrust litigation
Restaurant chains Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic and Jimmy John’s each filed suit in federal court in southern Florida this week, alleging that major more...
U.S. animal protein needs trade negotiators back at the table: CoBank
The U.S. animal protein sector is increasingly dependent on a diversified export market, and the country needs to be at the negotiating table as more...
USDA makes $20M available to organic livestock, crop producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide $20 million in pandemic assistance to cover certification and education expenses to livestock and more...
White House issues vaccine rule for larger employers
The White House on Thursday announced its much-anticipated rule requiring companies with 100 or more employees to mandate coronavirus vaccination or regular more...
Maple Leaf Foods reassesses investment in plant-based protein
Maple Leaf Foods officials said the company is reassessing its investment in plant-based protein as sales in that unit continue to decline. The Toronto-based more...
New Applegate hot dog sourced from regenerative land
Hormel Foods' Applegate brand is introducing a hot dog the company says is the first such product to be available nationally that is sourced from verified more...
Bird flu outbreaks reported in the Netherlands and Scotland
The Netherlands on Thursday reported an outbreak of H5 bird flu among ducks at a poultry farm in a central province, according to Reuters. About more...
NAMI: Labor shortage driving food inflation
In testimony submitted to the House Agriculture Committee, the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) today said that a persistent labor shortage is challenging more...
Proposed Sustainable Beef plant clears initial hurdle
Sustainable Beef's plan to build a $325 million beef processing plant in North Platte, Neb., cleared the first hurdle in the approval process with a city more...
Seaboard Q3 sales rise, powered by pork
Seaboard Corp. posted a 38% jump in total sales in the third quarter, driven by a 33% increase in pork sales, although total earnings declined by more...
Chipotle tests a new chicken dish
Chipotle Mexican Grill announced it is testing Pollo Asado, the first menu innovation with chicken in its 28-year history, at 95 restaurants in Cincinnati more...
Agri Star fined after Feb. explosion injures two employees in Iowa
Iowa OSHA imposed a fine of $28,415 in the wake of an explosion at an Agri Star Meat & Poultry plant in Postville, Iowa, last February that injured more...
White House to put $1B toward climate-smart ag, food
United States and United Arab Emirates officially launched the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) at the 26th United Nations more...
Global pork outlook mixed: Rabobank
Globally, recovery in hog production has outpaced rebound in demand, but the pork outlook for 2022 is mixed, depending on the country, according to Rabobank’s more...
Water risk management, performance report ranks meat companies low
The largest food sector companies are making strides in managing water risks in their direct operations and global supply chains, but meat companies rank more...
Smithfield refutes union accusations of ‘abuse’ at S.D. plant
Nearly five months after reaching a new labor agreement, the union representing workers at a Smithfield Foods Inc. pork plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., are more...
Protein PACT outlines communications plan to gain consumers' trust
San Antonio, Texas — It is "Year One" for the Protein PACT, and a plan for communicating the organization's goals and activities to consumers is more...
Global Methane Pledge now backed by 80 countries: Bloomberg
About 80 nations have now signed onto a commitment to cut methane by 30% by the end of the decade, Bloomberg News has reported, citing more...
EU to invest €2M in lab-grown beef
Under the umbrella of a COVID-19 recovery plan, which was established in December 2020 by the European Commission, the European Union will invest €2 more...
October 2021
Lawyers seek $68M in fees, costs from chicken antitrust settlements
Two law firms representing consumers in the antitrust case against U.S. poultry companies have asked a federal court judge in Chicago to award them compensation more...
Feds crack down on Calif. poultry processors for failing to pay overtime
The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against the owners of three La Puente, Calif., poultry processing companies for failing to pay proper more...
Hormel promotes Smiley to CFO as Sheehan retires
Hormel Foods Corp. announced Friday that Jim Sheehan plans to retire as executive vice president and chief financial officer at the end of the year after more...
Meat industry has a way forward: Protein PACT keynote
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The conventional meat industry has a tremendous opportunity to position itself as a sustainable and environmentally beneficial more...
DOJ says ‘the fix was in’ in chicken antitrust trial: Bloomberg
In opening statements, Department of Justice lawyers declared "the fix was in," as litigation began in Denver this week in the broiler chicken antitrust more...
Pilgrim’s CEO: Labor issue will take time to resolve
The dearth of workers remained a persistent theme during Pilgrim’s Pride's third-quarter earnings call. The shortage of labor means the Colorado-based more...
Danish Crown CEO says alt-meat will rule, beef will be a 'luxury'
In an interview with Danish newspaper Berlingske, Jais Valeur, CEO of Europe’s largest slaughterhouse group, Danish Crown, said in no uncertain more...
News briefs: Panorama, Roy Rogers, AAMP, Stryve, Hillshire Farm
Panorama earns high marks from organic watchdog Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats announced it has been recognized by an organic watchdog organization more...
Wash. attorney general sues poultry processors for price fixing
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has announced a lawsuit against 19 poultry processors for price fixing. In the sweeping suit, Ferguson is charging more...
Marfrig Q3 profit rises 149% amid strong U.S. demand
Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods earned a net profit of BRL1.7 billion ($300.9 million) in the third quarter, up 149% from the same period last year, as more...
50 groups, countries back USDA sustainable growth effort
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday that more than 50 organizations and countries have pledged support for the Coalition on Sustainable Productivity more...
Zaxby’s names new CEO; co-founder transitions to chairman
Zaxby’s CEO and co-founder Zach McLeroy will become chairman of the 900-unit restaurant chain early next year, while Bernard Acoca will become the more...
USDA cold storage data sees diverging protein demand
The total U.S. red meat supplies were higher in September, by 4%, as were frozen poultry supplies, up 1%, compared with August, but both were below corresponding more...
Tyson’s U.S. workforce almost fully vaccinated
Tyson Foods announced today that more than 96% of its U.S. workforce is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, fast approaching the company’s goal of more...
USPOULTRY Foundation funds college student recruitment
The USPOULTRY Foundation announced it has awarded student recruiting grants totaling $302,510 to six U.S. universities with poultry science departments more...
News briefs: Tyson, N.D. Beef Commission, Portillo’s, NAMI
Tyson aims at air fryers Tyson has rolled out a new product, Air Fried Chicken Bites, at retail, the company said in a news release. The bites have 75% more...
Minn. meat packing union locals merge
A union that already represents 13,200 employees in the meatpacking, grocery, healthcare, manufacturing and other industries will merge with another local more...
Co-CEO to depart Stryve meat snack company
Jaxie Alt, co-CEO and chief marketing officer of Stryve Foods Inc., has given notice that she will resign from her roles with the company effective more...
Tyson looks into cause of ammonia leak at Ohio plant
An ammonia leak at a Tyson Foods Inc. plant in West Chester Township, Ohio, sparked a temporary evacuation of one building, according to local emergency more...
CDC probes salami snacks in salmonella outbreak
U.S. consumers are urged not to eat Citterio brand Italian-Style Salame Sticks, mostly sold at Trader Joe’s grocery stores, amid an eight-state more...
Brazil to halt some beef production due to China ban: report
Brazil's Agriculture Ministry has told meatpackers to stop beef production intended for export to China because the country is maintaining an export ban more...
Judge keeps alive USDA poultry handling case
A federal judge in Rochester, N.Y., has denied USDA’s motion to dismiss animal activists’ appeal over the denial of their rulemaking petition more...
Proposed Neb. meat plant set to start construction in fall
A meat processing plant planned for a 400-acre site near North Platte, Neb., is set to begin construction this fall, according to media reports. The North more...
Canada steps up investment in ASF prevention
The governments of Canada and Ontario announced funding of nearly C$3 million for three new initiatives to enhance biosecurity and support the pork sector’s more...
Mountaire Farms refutes workers' chemical exposure claims
Workers at Mountaire Farms’ Lumber Bridge, N.C., chicken plant are complaining that an undisclosed chemical being used in the facility is making more...
U.S. agencies advise food, ag groups on ransomware risks
Three federal agencies have published a cybersecurity advisory on BlackMatter ransomware attacks targeting multiple U.S. critical infrastructure entities more...
Poland can now export poultry to the U.S., says FSIS
After an extensive review, Poland has been added to the list of countries eligible to export poultry products to the United States, USDA's Food Safety more...
U.S. has second saltiest meat and fish of five nations
The salt content of processed meat and fish is highest in China, with the U.S. ranking second, according to a study of sodium in products sold in five more...
Judge dismisses part of suit vs. Tyson over chicken pricing (UPDATED)
A U.S. District Court judge this week dismissed claims by several leading grocery chains that accused Tyson Foods Inc. of fixing chicken prices in the more...
Belcampo announces end to branded operations
Belcampo is ending its branded e-commerce, retail and restaurant operations, the claims-based meat seller said in a posting on its website. The announcement more...
Silva Sausage, cultivated fat maker team on chorizo product
Mission Barns said it completed a manufacturing run of a chorizo sausage product containing cultivated meat and plant-based protein as part of a newly more...
Industry groups back bill to create cattle contract library
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is among the industry groups supporting a bipartisan proposal to establish a library for cattle more...
USDA ramps up effort to reduce salmonella illnesses linked to poultry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has launched a new effort to reduce salmonella illnesses more...
Ex-Smithfield employee arrested in arson incident at NC plant (UPDATED)
A former Smithfield Foods employee is accused of trying to set fire to a break area and five vehicles parked at a company facility in Bladen County, N more...
Pork industry group seeks visa updates to help fill vacant farm jobs
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is asking U.S. immigration officials to establish “a better system” for considering applications more...
Sustainability efforts put Nicholas Meat on solid ground
As Doug Nicholas recalls growing up in central Pennsylvania’s Sugar Valley, he and his family would use a large sinkhole in their backyard as a more...
Compass Group, Chicago Public Schools reduce meat purchases
International foodservice company Compass Group and Chicago Public School will reduce their meat purchases and embrace more plant-based proteins in their more...
ASF continues its march across Germany
Animal health officials in Germany have confirmed a new, small outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Germany, about 37 miles from earlier cases and more...
Danish Crown stops use of 'climate-controlled pig' claim
Danish Crown announced it will no longer use the phrase "climate-controlled pig" on its pork product labels in Denmark after pushback from Danish retailers more...
Plant-based beef not yet interchangeable with the real thing: study
Plant-based meat substitutes have a leg up from the sustainability perspective, but so far, conventional beef still prevails on taste and nutritional more...
JBS's Swift acquires Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats
Brazil's JBS S.A. announced Friday that its subsidiary, Swift Prepared Foods, reached an agreement to acquire Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats for $90 million more...
Réjean Nadeau, Olymel president/CEO, passes away at 71
Olymel President and CEO Réjean Nadeau has passed away. Nadeau was 71, and according to a news release from Olymel, he succumbed to “a more...
Hard bargain: an interview with Mark Lauritsen of the UFCW
In the writings of political scientist Adolph Reed Jr., the noted academic and organizer stresses the value of collective action — of unifying along more...
USDA funds cultivated protein research center
USDA has awarded $10 million to establish the first U.S. government-funded cultivated protein research center at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. USDA more...
Ala. couple supplied illegal immigrants to Mar-Jac plant, jury finds
A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a husband and wife for transporting illegal aliens to work at a Mar-Jac Poultry plant in Jasper, Ala., the U.S. more...
Biden administration ending worksite immigration raids
The Biden administration on Tuesday announced a policy shift that would put an end to mass worksite immigration raids on employees and instead focus enforcement more...
McDonald’s to test McPlant burger in U.S.
McDonald’s Corp. is adding its McPlant burger to the menu at eight U.S. locations in four states, with the test run starting next month, the company more...
EPA, Army to hold WOTUS regional roundtables
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army plan to conduct roundtables to gather input from stakeholders on the regional implications of more...
Food prices take another leap higher, led by meat
U.S. food prices rose by 4.5% last month in the sixth consecutive monthly increase, according to the latest Consumer Price Index for Food, generated by more...
Grain production climbs, protein outlook mixed in latest WASDE
USDA projected higher corn and soybean ending stocks but an overall decline in red meat and poultry production in its latest World Supply and Demand more...
CKE promotes operations, supply chain leaders
CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc., parent of the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s quick-service chains, announced three promotions intended to strengthen more...
Thanksgiving in a bottle
Not wine — Jones Soda Co.'s "legendary" Turkey & Gravy Soda, which the company is reviving for the holiday for the first time in more than more...
New allegations made in fatal nitrogen leak case
Messer Gas LLC destroyed a piece of evidence and gave false information in the case stemming from the fatal nitrogen leak at the Foundation Food more...
Panico, Lobo in new roles at Sigma USA
Jesus Lobo has been named president of Sigma USA, reporting to Warren Panico, who retains the title of CEO, the company said. Lobo, who previously was more...
Start-up to launch surplus-food-to-chicken-feed business
Converting recycled food waste into chicken feed would increase sustainability for the whole supply chain, according to the founders of Do Good Foods more...
Iowa State's Rodrigo Tarté gets thoughtful on R&D
Rodrigo Tarté doesn't hesitate when asked for his favorite quote. It's one from 19th century French mathematician and science philosopher Henri more...
Chicago processor to pay $1.1M to settle EEOC lawsuit
Chicago Meat Authority Inc. (CMA) agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle a racial discrimination and retaliation lawsuit originally filed by the U.S. Equal more...
Tyson offers food, job applications in Virginia
Cars were backed up for miles on Saturday as hundreds showed up to accept food donations and possibly a job application from Tyson Foods in Glen Allen more...
News briefs: Maple Leaf Foods, Tyson, Smithfield, EPA
Maple Leaf unit inks deal with Whole Foods Greenleaf Foods, the alternative meat unit of Maple Leaf Foods, has a deal to be the exclusive provider more...
Two UN-L webinars this week on meat processing
The University of Nebraska - Lincoln’s Center for Ag Profitability has two webinars this week that are of interest to meat processors: Developing more...
USDA considering line speed waiver system
USDA is working on a proposal for a waiver system that could allow some pork plants to speed up processing lines again, Reuters reported. Agriculture more...
House bill introduced to protect U.S. companies from cyberattacks
Two members of the U.S. House have introduced legislation designed to help the government identify and protect critical industries, including processors more...
Audit finds 32% of JBS cattle in Pará state came from "irregular" ranches
Brazilian federal prosecutors said on Thursday, Oct. 7 that 32% of the cattle bought by JBS in Pará state, in the Amazon region, came from "irregular" more...
USDA AMS marks National Pork Month with webinar series
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is celebrating National Pork Month in October with a three-part webinar series showcasing Livestock more...
Chefs’ Warehouse acquires Silver State Meats
Specialty food products distributor The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. announced it has acquired most of the assets of Las Vegas-based Silver State Meats to expand more...
Meatingplace names Knowlton Award honoree
With all the staggering growth, job creation, product innovation, technological advancements and corporate citizenship, it’s getting hard to keep more...
Farmer Focus appoints chief sales officer
Organic chicken company Farmer Focus announced the appointment of Ed Hinson as chief sales officer and an expansion into several additional grocery outlets more...
Walmart Canada to make large purchase of sustainable beef
Walmart Canada said Thursday it is making the largest public commitment to date by a single retailer to purchase beef sourced from certified sustainable more...
Poultry execs' trial to proceed after dismissal motions denied
A judge has struck down the latest challenge to the high-profile criminal trial of several former top poultry executives, effectively allowing the trial more...
Sanderson Farms boosts pay rates for hourly workers
Sanderson Farms today announced it has increased pay rates for the company's hourly employees as of Sept. 26, in the poultry processor's third consecutive more...
Hormel enters into plant protein joint venture
The Better Meat Co. announced an exclusive partnership with Hormel Foods' 199 Ventures to develop and bring to market plant-based products using more...
BRF shuffles executive positions
Brazil-based poultry and pork processor BRF S.A. announced several key management changes in a filing with regulators. Neil Hamilton dos Guimarães more...
R-CALF scores small victory in checkoff case
The U.S. District court for the District of Columbia has ruled that a lawsuit brought by independent cattlemen group R-CALF USA against USDA over the more...
McDonald's enters the race to net zero emissions
McDonald's has committed to achieve net zero emissions across its global operations by 2050 as part of two international initiatives that aim more...
$100M loan program wins support from disparate groups
The $100-million loan guarantee program introduced by the Biden Administration designed to help boost ag capacity is being applauded not only by the National more...
UK farmers begin pig cull
British farmers have begun culling pigs in response to worker shortages that have slowed hog processing activities, according to local media reports. more...
USDA adds to loan guarantees aimed at building capacity
The Biden Administration today added another $100 million in loan guarantees to its program aimed at expanding the capacity and number of processors in more...
Pathogen control research proposals wanted: USPOULTRY
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation are accepting research pre-proposals on salmonella and campylobacter control and mitigation strategies more...
News briefs: Hormel, Oscar Mayer, Seaboard, Smithfield
Hormel film touts smokejumpers’ love of Spam A nearly seven-minute film, Out of Smoke, by Hormel Foods touts the heroism of smokejumpers and more...
It's b-a-a-a-ck! (We mean McRib, of course)
In what has become an almost-annual ritual, McDonald’s Corp. said it will satisfy the call for the return of one of its popular specialty sandwiches more...
Livestock Mandatory Reporting gets temporary extension
Congress on Thursday passed a short-term funding bill to avert a government shutdown that included an extension of USDA's Livestock Mandatory Reporting more...
With deadline ahead, 91% of Tyson workers vaccinated
More than 100,000 Tyson Foods workers — or 91% of its workforce — are at least partially vaccinated, the company has confirmed to Meatingplace more...
Italian cured meats maker to launch U.S. production in Va.
Italy-based cured meats manufacturer Veronesi Holding will establish its first U.S. production operation in Virginia's Rockingham County, Gov. Ralph Northam more...
Giving back: Perdue, Niman, Piedmontese, Pure Farmland, Tyson
Perdue, baseball team partner for meal deliveryPerdue Farms teamed with the Delmarva Shorebirds minor league baseball team and three Delmarva Peninsula more...
September 2021
Animal activists arrested during protests at Foster Farms plant
Police in Livingston, Calif., on Tuesday arrested 11 animal activists for trespassing while attempting to disrupt production at a local Foster Farms plant more...
Guilty pleas entered in Canadian chicken abuse case
A chicken-catching company in Chilliwack, British Columbia, has pleaded guilty to two of 38 animal abuse charges lodged by the Canadian Food Inspection more...
ASF vaccine candidate shows promise, USDA says
A new vaccine is proving to be a promising candidate for protecting swine from African Swine Fever, according to the USDA’s Agricultural Research more...
Jensen Meat opens first plant-based production facility
Ground beef processor Jensen Meat said it has opened its first production facility for plant-based beef alternatives, allowing the company to manage co-packing more...
OSHA again cites JBS unit for safety hazards after plant fatality
Federal safety regulators cited a JBS Foods Inc. plant for repeated safety failures that resulted in the death of a worker in March at the same plant more...
$3B USDA plan targets ASF, drought, market disruptions, school food
USDA said today it is committing $3 billion to help U.S. agricultural producers meet multiple operational challenges sparked by such issues as drought more...
Argentina lifts restrictions on beef exports
The Argentine government has announced it is lifting restrictions on beef exports to China, beginning on Monday, according to a report from Reuters. The more...
Pork hocks added to listeria-linked recall in Canada
European Butcher's Class I recall of bacon products due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination has been expanded to include Smoked Pork Hocks more...
Koch Foods to add 400 jobs in $220M poultry plant expansion
Koch Foods Inc. is preparing to launch a major expansion of its poultry processing facility in Fairfield, Ohio, that is expected to cost $220 million more...
Ga. poultry plant sues insurer over nitrogen leak losses
Foundation Food Group Inc. is suing its insurance company for refusing to pay nearly $2 million the company lost following a nitrogen leak at its Gainesville more...
Beyond Meat adds chicken tenders to retail
Following this summer’s introduction of Beyond Chicken Tenders in foodservice, the company plans to debut Beyond Chicken Tenders at retail in select more...
Restaurant recovery continued in August: NPD
Despite bad weather and the delta variant spread, consumer online and physical restaurant visits in August continued to recover gradually from last year’s more...
Canada, too, calls for immigration changes to ease labor crunch
The Canadian Meat Council is asking the federal government to allow processors to bring in more foreign-born workers to alleviate job vacancies that are more...
Brazilian regulators OK Marfrig, BRF deal
The Brazilian Board of Directors of Economic Defense (CADE) — the country’s antitrust regulator — has approved, without restrictions more...
Hogs, pigs count edges higher, not as high as expected
The number of hogs and pigs on U.S. farms as of Sept. 1 was down 4% versus one year ago, but up 1% from the last quarterly figure in June 2021, according more...
Larger turkeys likely on this year’s Thanksgiving tables
When it comes to turkey, Americans are going bigger this Thanksgiving holiday. More Americans plan to purchase a larger bird than a small one, or 48% more...
Tyson COVID arguments meet skeptical appeals court
Tyson Foods has encountered some legal resistance in its efforts to keep a COVID-19 wrongful death suit in federal court. The case, Hus Hari Buljic more...
Lakeside Foods acquires Cher-Make Sausage
Frozen and canned foods manufacturer Lakeside Foods has announced that it will purchase Cher-Make Sausage Co., a 93-year-old meat processing operation more...
Cargo ship logjams at California ports signal woe for supply chains
About 73 container ships are currently in port purgatory in California, unable to offload cargo, according to a Wall Street Journal report. As new vessels more...
Home and Away: a profile of North Country Smokehouse
North Country Smokehouse needed to go big, and also stay home. By the mid-2010s the company was bursting at the seams of its Claremont, N.H., smokehouse more...
COVID-19 negligence case against Tyson is dismissed
A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit accusing Tyson Foods of negligence for allegedly failing to take adequate safety precautions during the more...
NAMI ramps up sustainability initiatives
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) announced today it will join the U.S. government-led Coalition of Action on Sustainable Productivity Growth for more...
Frozen meat supplies remain low, underlying higher prices
The nation’s stockpile of beef, pork and poultry remains low, although beef in freezers increased in August from the prior month, according to the more...
Meat the future with Jack A. Bobo
Jack A. Bobo is a global thought leader whose past has most definitely informed his future — thinking, that is. During a 13-year stint as more...
NCC refutes vegan group’s chicken ‘white striping’ claims
The National Chicken Council (NCC) is refuting a report by the Humane League that claimed 99% of chicken sold at retail has white striping, which the more...
Olymel opens poultry processing expansion in Quebec
Operations are underway at the expanded Olymel poultry processing facility in St-Damase in the Montérégie region of Quebec, the Canadian more...
UK processors brace for higher CO2 costs after government bailout
A deal to reopen carbon dioxide (CO2) production facilities in the United Kingdom to avoid a meat processing shortage ultimately may force Britain’s more...
Thanksnuggets are back, and now in grocery stores
After selling out online in less than three minutes last year, Perdue Farms' holiday-themed frozen nugget offering -- Thanksnuggets -- is back this year more...
Haiti reports outbreak of African swine fever
Haiti has reported an outbreak of African swine fever to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The OIE report, dated Monday, said the outbreak more...
UK moves to avert CO2 shortage threatening meat production
A potential carbon dioxide shortage that threatened to interrupt meat production in the United Kingdom is expected to be averted after an agreement was more...
Canadian chicken market gets its paws back underneath it
Canada is having a love affair with chicken, but the pandemic delivered a blow to the domestic industry. In 2021, the chicken supply chain is slowly righting more...
Giving back: Meyer Natural Foods, Smithfield Foods, Perdue Farms
Meyer Natural partners with Feeding America Marking Hunger Action Month in September, Meyer Natural Foods announced a partnership with Feeding America more...
BSE confirmed at U.K. farm; movement controls launched
British animal health officials confirmed a single case of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on a farm in Somerset and have launched precautionary more...
US, EU target 30% cut in global methane emissions
The United States and European Union have unveiled an initiative to curb global methane emissions that contribute to greenhouse gas and climate change more...
USDA takes further steps to prevent ASF spread; more funding urged
USDA is taking precautions against a possible outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) by suspending the movement of hogs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin more...
CFIA warns of possible Salmonella in shredded pork items
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a food safety warning on Sunday advising that shredded pork rind and skin products sold to some restaurants more...
Cause of JBS Grand Island fire determined: report
The Grand Island Fire Department in Nebraska has concluded its investigation into the cause of the five-alarm blaze earlier this week at the JBS beef more...
USDA extends pandemic aid deadline for animal losses
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the Sept. 17, 2021 deadline for livestock and poultry producers to apply for the Pandemic Livestock more...
This Salmonella strain can sicken poultry AND humans: study
Researchers from North Carolina State University have sequenced the genome of a virulent Salmonella Enteritidis strain that sickened two poultry more...
UC-Davis study supports ‘resilience’ in meat supply chain
Federal, state and private investments to support a wider distribution of meat processing plants of differing sizes in California would help make the more...
Brazil’s red meat sector faces uphill battle
The challenges facing Brazil’s beef and pork supply chains are expected to loom into 2022, according to a new Global Agricultural Information Network more...
Rep. Clyburn expands probe of COVID cases at meat plants
Rep. James Clyburn, chairman of the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, on Wednesday added National Beef and Cargill to his months-long more...
Animal-based products generate most food production emissions: study
New research from the scientific journal Nature Food has taken a closer look at the greenhouse gas effects of food production, and according to its authors more...
News briefs: Brooklyn Cured, Tyson, Blue Apron, Jollibee, Southern Recipe
Brooklyn Cured adds new sausage flavors Brooklyn Cured is expanding its sausage line with three new products, the New York-based pasture-raised meats more...
Additional countries join China in banning Brazilian beef
More countries have joined China in banning beef imports from Brazil, according to a new report from ABC Rural. The ban, which followed the Sept. 4 confirmation more...
First NCC sustainability report details industry progress
The National Chicken Council (NCC) has released its inaugural sustainability report that offers an overview of the U.S. poultry industry and measures more...
NAMI backs Biden nominee for USTR chief ag negotiator
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) offered its support for President Joe Biden’s nomination this week of Elaine Trevino to serve as chief more...
McDonald’s to debut McPlant burger in U.K. and Ireland
McDonald’s is gearing up to take a bite out of the alternative burger market as it announced plans to debut its McPlant plant-based burger at select more...
NAMI takes issue with "efforts to scapegoat", pens letter to Vilsack
The North American Meat Institute has sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack objecting to his "transparent attempts to scapegoat the meat and poultry more...
Louisiana meat processor expands with acquisition
Coastal Plains Meat Company, a meat processor based in Kaplan, La., will expand its operations into the nearby town of Eunice, according to a report from more...
JBS resumes production in Grand Island
JBS USA's beef processing plant in Grand Island, Neb., resumed production on Tuesday after two shifts were cancelled on Monday in the wake of a Sunday more...
Beef prices fuel food CPI increase in August
U.S. consumers paid more for food in August — although at a slower pace than in July — according to the latest Food Consumer Price Index (CPI) more...
Beef plant fire persists into Monday (update)
The fire that reportedly started late Sunday in the rendering area of JBS's Grand Island, Neb., beef processing facility remained burning 12 hours later more...
Prestage Foods, Iowa OSHA launch probes of worker death at Iowa plant
Both Prestage Foods and the Iowa Occupational Health and Safety Administration (Iowa OSHA) are involved in separate investigations following the death more...
FSIS issues public health alert for meat snack products
A public health alert has been issued for ready-to-eat breadsticks, meat and cheese products made by Jag Specialty Foods, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection more...
CDC declares this summer’s Listeria outbreak officially over
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ruled that the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes linked to cooked chicken products — more...
Biden unveils vaccination requirement for large employers
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is developing an emergency rule requiring all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforces more...
Gold Creek Foods acquires Foundation Food Group
Gainesville, Ga.-based poultry processor Gold Creek Foods told Meatingplace today that it has entered an agreement to acquire Foundation Food Group, a more...
Olymel adds second shift at Quebec pork plant
Olymel announced today the start of a second slaughter shift at its Ange-Gardien, Montérégie pork plant in Quebec. The $3 million project more...
Brazil to resume beef shipments to China
Brazilian beef exporters are set to resume shipments to China after the discovery of two atypical cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the more...
Senators announce bill to reinstate COOL
U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) announced on Wednesday a bipartisan bill that would more...
Tyson's Hillshire Farm enters kids' snacks category
Tyson Foods on Thursday introduced a line of refrigerated, pre-packaged snacks for kids as part of its strategy to grow its branded protein products business more...
Grandin: Pandemic highlights need for more options for pig slaughter
COVID-19 proved disastrous for the U.S. pork industry, with an estimated 350,000 pigs euthanized on farms due to greatly reduced slaughter plant capacity more...
USDA’s $700M aid package to help meat workers pay COVID costs
USDA's $700 million in grant funding to help meatpacking and farm workers with pandemic-related health and safety costs, announced Tuesday, contains grants more...
Tyson to boost starting pay by 21.6%: report
Tyson Foods is increasing starting pay for its hourly workers to $15.20 an hour, according to an Axios report. Up from $12.50 an hour, the pay boost is more...
Mountaire Farms disputes chemical exposure allegations
Poultry processor Mountaire Farms Inc. is disputing claims made last month by an advocacy organization in North Carolina alleging chemical exposure that more...
U.S. beef exports jump 45% in July on value basis: USMEF
U.S. beef exports in July climbed 45% on a value basis from a year ago to $939.1 million, setting another new record, according to data released by USDA more...
Impossible Foods launches plant-based nuggets for foodservice
Alt-meat specialist Impossible Foods this week made its plant-based chicken nuggets available through major foodservice distributors as part of a two-phase more...
USDA announces $700M in grants to support workers
USDA is making $700 million in competitive grant funding available through the new Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program to help farmworkers more...
Probe of ammonia leak at Tyson plant continues
Authorities are investigating the cause of an ammonia leak early Sunday morning at a Tyson Foods Inc. poultry processing plant in Goodlettsville, Tenn more...
Canadian company recalls bacon product due to listeria
European Butcher is recalling European Butcher brand Bacon "Chuncks" from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination more...
Giving back: Perdue, Smithfield, Tyson
Perdue donates to help California’s homeless Perdue Farms, through its Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, has awarded a $10,000 grant more...
More details emerge on Perdue Farms antitrust settlement
Additional details have emerged about the settlement that Perdue Farms reached with plaintiffs alleging the processor conspired to fix prices for poultry more...
NPB studies ground pork's placement in meat case
The National Pork Board (NPB) is conducting research into how the placement of ground pork in the meat case can influence purchases. The checkoff-funded more...
Maple Leaf Foods CEO won't go entirely meatless
Maple Leaf Foods may have acquired two plant-based protein companies in recent years, but the head of the Canadian processor “definitely” more...
News briefs: Wingstop, Wholesome Meats, APHIS, Diestel, Southern Recipe
Wingstop promotes two Wingstop has promoted Michael Skipworth to president and Chief Operating Officer, and Alex Kaleida to Chief Financial Officer. Michael more...
Tyson sweetens vaccine mandate with benefits
As part of an agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers union, Tyson Foods has announced it will sweeten the benefits offered to fully vaccinated more...
Short-term hit, long-term gain for Hormel: Analysts
The inflationary and supply chain pressures that weighed on Hormel Foods Inc.’s third quarter financial results prompted equity analysts to lower more...
What are your plans for International Bacon Day?
Saturday is International Bacon Day and restaurants and retailers have lined up their promotions. Denver-based breakfast eatery chain Snooze, along with more...
Giving back: Tyson Foods, Don Lee Farms, Perdue Farms
Tyson donates to Haiti earthquake victimsTyson Foods is donating 52,000 pounds of protein for the victims of the Aug. 14 earthquake in Haiti that killed more...
JBS hikes wages at Greeley beef plant
JBS USA and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 said they have ironed out a four-year collective bargaining agreement that will make their more...
Hormel plans more price increases as inflation hits margins
Hormel Foods today reported record third-quarter net sales of $2.86 billion, even as the Austin, Minn.-based food processor grappled with worker shortages more...
[UPDATED] USDA invites comments on cell-based meat, poultry labeling
[UPDATED]: The Alliance for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Innovation (AMPS Innovation) and the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) last fall sent a request more...
Plainville: Workers in turkey abuse scandal have left company
Turkey producer Plainville Farms has published a letter informing customers that workers associated with recent claims of animal abuse made by People more...
Triumph raises pay for its 2,800 production workers
Pork processor Triumph Foods today announced an agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) District Union Local 2 in which the company more...
Foster Farms workers ratify contract with wage increases (Update)
Teamsters Local 630 announced that 245 production, sanitation, warehouse and maintenance workers employed by Foster Farms have ratified a new contract more...
Meat industry asks for more time to comment on WOTUS
The National Pork Producers Council is among the groups calling for more time to comment on how the government should define “waters of the United more...
U.S. extends hours-of-service exemption for livestock haulers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration this week approved an extension of the exemption from hours-of-service (HOS) requirements for livestock more...
August 2021
OSHA fines appealed in Ga. poultry plant explosion
Three of the four companies facing federal penalties for a fatal nitrogen leak at a Georgia poultry processing plant will contest the fines, according more...
Investment firm buys ‘significant stake’ in Monogram Foods
Pritzker Private Capital (PPC) announced it acquired what it describes as “a significant stake” in Monogram Foods, the Memphis-based company more...
Avian flu virus easily transmits in wild birds, study finds
Findings from a University of Connecticut study suggest that the H5N6 strain of avian flu virus can transfer between different bird species, adapt and more...
Niman Ranch releases economic impact report
Niman Ranch has released a report saying that the claims-based meat network of producers and processors generates "more than 50% more economic value" more...
JBS USA unit faces OSHA fine (UPDATED)
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed that JBS Foods pay fines totaling $174,566 related to an accident at a Greeley more...
Simply Essentials poultry facilities sold to Jamaica Broilers Group
The Best Dressed Chicken is entering final approval to purchase the Simply Essentials poultry facilities in Charles City, Iowa, for $9.5 million, according more...
Ida makes for a long, wet weekend for processors
Processors around New Orleans and across Mississippi were closed Monday as Hurricane Ida made landfall and began trekking across the mid-South. Calls more...
Scientists sniff out which plant-based burgers smell like beef
Researchers from Eastern Kentucky University report that the aromas of a couple of plant-based burgers come close to the real deal when they are cooking more...
U.S. surpasses Australia in frozen beef exports to China: report
The United States has eclipsed Australia as the top exporter of frozen beef to China, according to a new report in the South China Morning Post. Citing more...
Union rejects arbitration, seeks continued negotiations with Olymel
The union representing 1,050 workers on strike at Olymel’s pork plant in Valée Jonction, Quebec, said it has rejected the province’s more...
Minn. farmers group voices opposition to Sanderson sale
The Minnesota Farmers Union, an organization representing family farmers and rural communities, has come out against the sale of poultry processor Sanderson more...
Take Meatingplace’s 10-second quiz
Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether it is true or false. Loading… We will publish the answer and results in the more...
Tyson to build $300M chicken plant in Virginia
Tyson Foods will invest $300 million to construct a 325,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art chicken plant in Danville, Va., that will produce fully cooked more...
USDA posts guidance on Packers and Stockyards enforcement
The Agricultural Marketing Service has issued new guidance, in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs), that offers insight into how USDA intends more...
Fire severely damages specialty meat business in Georgia
A blaze earlier this week severely damaged the Patak Meat Products facility in Austell, Georgia, knocking the popular butcher shop out of commission, more...
Quebec’s labor minister intervenes in Olymel-union dispute
With a labor dispute between Olymel L.P. and workers at its Vallée-Jonction, Quebec, pork plant now in its fourth month and a growing backlog of more...
CDC investigating Salmonella outbreaks tied to Italian-style meats
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating two multistate outbreaks of Salmonella linked to Italian-style meats such as salami more...
Wholesaler targets pork processors in federal antitrust suit
A New York-based holding company is accusing several large pork processing companies of comparing costs, production levels and other data as part of an more...
Johnsonville launches logistics and transport business
Wisconsin-based sausage maker Johnsonville is starting a new venture offering what it describes as efficient, cost-effective and safe logistics services more...
The Oscar Mayer Wiener Lyft?
As part of an arrangement with Kraft Heinz Co.’s Oscar Mayer brand, rideshare customers using Lyft in select cities in the U.S. could be surprised more...
Canadian hog industry sounds new alarm as Olymel strike drags on
Pork producers in Quebec are warning that the continuing labor dispute at Olymel could lead to the culling of 150,000 hogs that have yet to be processed more...
Salmonella fears prompts pork rind products recall
Concerns over possible salmonella contamination have prompted a recall of Mr. Porky Original Scratchings (Cooked Seasoned Pork Rind) products, the Canadian more...
USDA boosts plan for detecting emerging zoonotic diseases
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is dedicating $300 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to conduct surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging more...
News briefs: Poultry Summit, Meat & Cheese Fest, NAMI, USDA vs. Swine Fever
Latin American Poultry Summit dates announced The International Poultry Expo (IPE), part of the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) more...
Researchers find link between poultry genetics, Salmonella response
The gut health and immune response of broilers when challenged by Salmonella Typhimurium likely depends on the genetics of the birds, researchers have more...
Regional staffing crisis sparks some Chick-fil-A dining room closures
Several Chick-fil-A restaurants in Alabama plan to close their dining rooms and eliminate curbside delivery in light of what is being described as “exhaustion more...
Perdue Farms worker charged with assault in Georgia (updated)
A work dispute at a Perdue Farms facility in Perry, Ga., erupted into gunfire earlier this month, according to local media accounts. James Johnson, 36 more...
Chipotle adds plant-based chorizo to menu
Chipotle is rolling out a trial of a new menu item, Plant-Based Chorizo, in select locations in Denver and Indianapolis, according to a news more...
Kansas ‘ag-gag’ law struck down
A Kansas law meant to restrict the activities of animal rights activists has been struck down in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, according to a Reuters more...
UFCW files complaint over Seaboard’s efforts to fill jobs
A local United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) chapter has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor over Seaboard Foods’ move to hire more...
Local motion: a profile of Levitt Foods
If a competition existed for the shortest commute by a CEO, there's a good chance Art Levitt would win. At the start of each week, the owner of the Branding more...
Whole Foods investigating PETA turkey abuse claims
Whole Foods Market has suspended all purchasing from Plainville Farms while it investigates allegations that turkeys were abused at farms that supply more...
Walmart: Fresh meat is key as shoppers return to stores
Americans are buying more of their food at Walmart, and meat is a key component in the retailing giant's strategy to further expand its foothold in the more...
FAA response could ground Pilgrim’s plant proposal: report
The Federal Aviation Agency’s (FAA) negative take on Pilgrim’s Pride’s rendering plant proposal near an airport in Gadsden, Ala., already more...
JBS urged to resume hazard pay at Minnesota plant
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union is calling on JBS USA to bring back hazard pay of an additional $4 an hour for more than 1,800 workers more...
Pig producers ask Quebec premier to intervene in Olymel strike
The organization representing pig breeders in Quebec is asking Quebec Premier François Legault to personally intervene in the months-long labor more...
Union rejects contract proposal to end strike at Olymel plant
Union members that have been off the job from an Olymel pork processing plant since late April have rejected the latest contract proposal from the company more...
Family feud sinks shares of Smithfield parent
The parent company of U.S.-based pork processor Smithfield Foods is embroiled in a family drama that has sent the company’s share price falling more...
Hormel launches plant-based pepperoni-style topping
Leading pepperoni maker Hormel Foods is introducing a plant-based version of the pizza topping aimed at the foodservice market. The company said it worked more...
Novel process promises to eradicate pathogens in raw meat
A novel thermal pasteurization process for eliminating microbiological risk in raw meat products was introduced during the American Meat Science Association's more...
Strike at Olymel plant in Quebec moves a step closer to resolution
A labor action that shuttered an Olymel pork processing plant in Quebec in late April is moving closer to an end after the company and the union representing more...
McDonald's seeks to join chicken antitrust litigation
McDonald's Corp. on Monday filed a lawsuit against a raft of chicken processing companies and Agri Stats Inc., alleging antitrust violations, and indicating more...
Plainville Brands looks to move quickly on abuse claims
Plainville Brands LLC, owners of the Plainville Farms brand of turkeys and a supplier of whole turkeys and turkey products to the retail channel, is moving more...
Have manual, will travel: Bob Savage's 40-year HACCP road tour
We've all heard the stories about the HACCP manual that sits on a shelf gathering dust until the day a customer's food safety auditor or a government more...
Senators seek new JBS purchase reviews in light of bribery charges
For the second time in two years, two U.S. senators are asking the Treasury Department to review all of the U.S. acquisitions by JBS S.A. in light of more...
Tyson Foods closing Wisconsin plant
Tyson Foods is closing its plant in Jefferson, Wisc., next month, the meat processor confirmed on Monday. “As part of ongoing efforts to focus on more...
Battle over beef labeling reaches new phase
Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota has submitted a comment in opposition to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s petition more...
OSHA issues its own new mask rules
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued updated guidance to help employers protect workers from more...
Shooting at S.C. pork plant under investigation
A shooting at a pork processing plant in Greenwood, S.C., is under investigation by city police, according to local reports. A Greenwood Police Department more...
Farbest Foods plans $32.5M turkey plant expansion
Farbest Foods expects to spend about $32.5 million to expand and further automate its turkey processing facility in Huntingburg, Ind., according to local more...
JBS pitches purchase of Pilgrim’s remaining shares
Brazil’s JBS S.A. said Thursday it has proposed buying the remaining common shares in its U.S. chicken subsidiary Pilgrim’s Pride to delist more...
Smithfield parent announces CEO resignation
WH Group, the Hong Kong-based parent company of Smithfield Foods, said Thursday that Wan Long has resigned as the company’s chief executive officer more...
Tyson, state reach $3M settlement over 2019 wastewater spill
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Wednesday announced a $3 million state settlement with Tyson Farms Inc. over the 2019 wastewater spill in the more...
NCBA commits to climate neutrality by 2040
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is targeting 2040 for U.S. cattle production to be climate neutral, the NCBA announced on Thursday. A more...
‘Ag gag’ lives on in Iowa
A divided panel of appellate judges partially upheld Iowa’s original 2012 law aiming to prevent animal rights activists from gaining entry to agricultural more...
CDC confirms illness tally from Salmonella-tainted chicken
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is confirming additional illnesses in an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis related to recalled chicken more...
Grassley raises antitrust concerns over Sanderson purchase
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is flagging potential anticompetitive issues arising from Cargill and Continental Grain's proposed $4.53 billion joint more...
Meat prices bump up July food CPI as inflation woes continue
Food prices continued to rise last month, led by higher costs for meat, poultry, fish and seafood, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor more...
Restaurant relief programs under threat as Congress mulls next steps
Efforts to replenish a federal aid program designed to help U.S. restaurants recover from the COVID-19 pandemic may not win congressional approval while more...
AMSA announces Signal Service Award recipients
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) has announced Sharon Beals, James Claus, Steven Jones, Gretchen Mafi and Youling Xiong are the recipients more...
Battle lines drawn over shipping bill
Long before the bipartisan Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 was proposed today, the bill generated heated debate between the shipping industries and more...
USDA, groups hail Senate infrastructure vote
The U.S. Senate earlier today passed a controversial, nearly $1 trillion infrastructure package by a vote of 69-30 vote, which elicited statements of more...
Salmonella concerns prompt chicken product recall
Serenade Foods in Milford, Ind., is recalling about 59,251 pounds of frozen, raw, breaded and pre-browned stuffed chicken products that may be contaminated more...
Mobile meat processing training coming in 2022 via U. of Missouri
Efforts to address labor shortages in the meat processing industry will expand next year thanks to a University of Missouri pilot program to launch two more...
'Blowout' 3Q, but delta variant worsens labor shortages at Tyson
Tyson Foods Inc. reported what one analyst dubbed a "blowout" financial performance for its fiscal third quarter, reporting net income of $749 million more...
Sanderson Farms sale to Cargill wins support on Wall St.
Confirmation that Cargill Inc. and Continental Grain Co. will acquire Sanderson Farms Inc. in a deal worth $4.53 billion sent shares of the nation’s more...
Lamb, exotic meats up, alt-meats down in July retail sales
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The normalization of shopping patterns seen in the first six more...
Take Meatingplace's 10-second quiz (in which we take a mulligan)
Due to technical issues with our quiz posting in the morning newsletter, we are re-running this item and re-issuing the invitation to everyone to vote more...
JBS buys Australia's second-largest salmon producer
Brazil's JBS announced Friday it had closed an agreement to buy Australia's second-largest salmon producer Huon Aquaculture Group Limited, for an equity more...
Bill introduced in Senate to limit 'Product of USA' labels
A bipartisan group of senators introduced the USA Beef Act this week to address “Product of USA” labeling on foreign beef products. According more...
Grassley, Ernst propose EATS Act to combat Prop 12
As the meat industry exhausts its legal challenges to California’s Prop 12, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R) and Joni Ernst (R) of Iowa have proposed a more...
USDA gives cattlemen more time in fight against Beef Checkoff
USDA this week set an Oct. 3 deadline for cattlemen to collect the necessary signatures on a petition calling for a vote on termination of the National more...
USDA unveils 2 new cattle reports to boost price transparency
USDA will issue two new Market News reports, starting Monday, based on livestock mandatory reporting data, to provide additional insight into formula more...
German processor Töennies not for sale
The family ownership of the Töennies processor in Germany has announced the company is not for sale. According to a Reuters report, the Töennies more...
Kroger partners with ghost kitchen to offer takeout, delivery
The nation’s biggest supermarket chain is partnering with Kitchen United to offer takeout and delivery food from inside some Kroger stores, the more...
China looks to protect food supply with 'hog hotels'
More than 10,000 pigs reside in a condominium-style building dubbed the "hog hotel" in southern China, an effort to shield the animals from viruses including more...
FSIS extends mask requirements to inspected facility employees
Earlier today the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service extended its mask-wearing requirement to include employees of the facilities its inspection more...
JBS USA discusses possible vaccination mandate with unions
JBS USA said it is discussing the possibility of a mandate for COVID-19 vaccinations with unions representing thousands of its meat processing plant employees more...
Pork unit boosts Seaboard results
Seaboard Inc. turned in a solid financial performance for the second quarter and first half of 2021, helped by improved operating profits from its pork more...
Updated study bolsters pork’s campaign for worker visa reform
The labor shortage plaguing the U.S. pork industry can only be addressed by access to more foreign-born workers, according to an analysis by Iowa State more...
Tyson mandates COVID-19 vaccinations for all U.S. employees
Tyson Foods Inc. is requiring all of its U.S. team members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in a move that would make the processing giant the more...
FSIS says employees must mask up in regulated establishments
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has directed all of its field and headquarters employees to wear a mask in federal buildings, regulated more...
Tyson agrees to $21M settlement in grower antitrust case
Tyson Foods has agreed to pay $21 million to chicken growers to settle allegations of price-fixing and unfair compensation, according to court documents more...
EPA, Army to hold public meetings on WOTUS definition
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of the Army announced plans for upcoming community engagement activities to guide their more...
Drought data tracks worsening conditions in U.S. West
Nearly half of California is now in exceptional drought, the most severe category, up from a third of the state in that condition the prior week, according more...
Hog dealer says former workers cheated pork producers
Lynch Livestock is faulting an unspecified number of former employees for underpaying some pork producers. The Waucoma, Iowa-based hog dealer said more...
Labor dispute at Olymel hog plant moves into fourth month (UPDATED)
A strike by union workers at Canadian processor Olymel’s Vallée-Jonction, Quebec, hog plant entered its fourth month as both sides reported more...
Quiznos owner to acquire Church’s Chicken
High Bluff Capital Partners, owner of the Quiznos and Taco Del Mar restaurant chains, announced today that it and funds managed by FS Investments have more...
July 2021
Pilgrim’s Pride on firm financial footing: analysts
Pilgrim’s Pride’s Wall Street beat on Thursday impressed equity analysts, who credited the company for weathering high feed costs and labor more...
Former Tyson maintenance manager sentenced to prison
The former maintenance manager for Tyson Foods’ Emporia, Kan., fresh meats plant has been sentenced to serve 27 months in prison for defrauding more...
S.D. county residents reject beef plant in referendum
Voters in Lincoln County, S.D., have rejected a rezoning proposal that would have paved the way for a small beef plant to be built near the city of Worthing more...
Australian livestock org granted $1.5M to diversify export channels
Australia's Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment has awarded Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) a $1.52 million grant to assist with exploring more...
Beef between producers, packers takes center stage on Capitol Hill
Hearings in the U.S. Senate and House on Wednesday explored anew the beef industry’s structure, prompted by the increasing discontent of some cattlemen more...
Pilgrim’s CEO: Poultry production dinged by labor and chick issues
Pilgrim’s Pride is betting on technology and automation to help it resolve labor shortages that have long plagued the poultry maker as well more...
George's frozen, cooked burgers debut at Walmart
George's Inc.'s Quick ‘N Eat brand said it has introduced flame-grilled frozen, fully cooked Angus beef patties at Walmart locations across the more...
Dickey's adds BBQ locations, builds virtual wing and burger brands
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit said it opened 63 new locations as it continued an aggressive expansion push in the second quarter. In addition, Dickey's more...
Tyson testifies in Senate hearing on market manipulation (Updated)
Shane Miller, group president of Tyson Fresh Meats, will testify today before the Senate Judiciary committee on matters of meat market manipulation. The more...
Ideal Meat & Provisions gets new owner
Hesse Enterprises said it has acquired Ideal Meat & Provisions Inc., based in Northridge, Calif., for an undisclosed sum. Ideal Meat produces beef more...
McDonald’s, Wingstop see Q2 sales climb in stores and online
McDonald’s Corp. and Wingstop Inc. separately reported double-digit sales increases in the second quarter from two years ago, lifted by both same-store more...
Poultry roundtable seeks comments on sustainability framework
The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry & Eggs recently released its draft US-RSPE Sustainability Framework for chicken, turkey and egg supply more...
Fire destroys Nova Scotia slaughterhouse; cause undetermined
Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a major fire that destroyed a slaughterhouse in Upper Rawdon, Nova Scotia, Canada, that just received more...
Chicken craze still has legs: Technomic
The outlook for chicken restaurant chains and menu items in a post-COVID-19 world is bright, according to a new report from the Chicago-based research more...
Bad biofilms could be used for good in plant sanitation: USDA
Scientists and collaborators in USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are investigating how disease-causing bacteria like E. coli O157:H7 more...
USDA makes $16.6M available to socially disadvantaged, veteran ranchers and farmers
USDA has earmarked $16.6 million for community-based and nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education and tribal entities that help socially more...
Schools brace for food supply shortages from pandemic fallout: WSJ
Food supply chain challenges are expected to cause shortages of meal components in school cafeterias when students nationwide return to classrooms this more...
USDA data show reduced cattle numbers now and later: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
AAMP elects new president
Dwight Ely was elected president of the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) during the 82nd Annual Convention of Meat Processors and Suppliers’ more...
Plant-based bacon sales jump
Vegan, plant-based bacon, while still a tiny slice of the massive bacon market, were up 25% for the 52-week period ended April 18, according to a report more...
OSHA says 6 deaths preventable in FFG nitrogen leak, finds 59 violations (Updated)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Friday announced its probe of the Jan. 28 liquid nitrogen release at Foundation Food Group's more...
JBS settles pork price-fixing case for $20 million
JBS USA and its related affiliates have agreed to a $20 million settlement with indirect buyers in a pork price-fixing case, according to a news release more...
Italian deli meat firms team up for U.S. expansion
Italian deli meat firms the Kipre Group and Rigamonti Salumificio have signed an agreement to expand their presence in the United States, according to more...
Grocery shoppers heading back into physical stores: survey
Four times as many grocery shoppers intend to make more of their purchases in a store in 2021, compared to those who say they plan to shop less in stores more...
Pilgrim’s workers in Waco, Texas, join UFCW, union says
A majority of workers at the Pilgrim’s poultry plant in Waco, Texas, have voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), a union representative more...
Tyson Foods joins McDonald’s in diversity drive
Tyson Foods Inc. said today the company has joined the McDonald’s Mutual Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (MCDEI) to advance diversity more...
Beef Checkoff finds most consumers view beef as nutritious
Americans are more open to the nutritional benefits of beef than at any time since Beef Checkoff began 35 years ago, according to the National Cattlemen’s more...
Creator of alt-meat made from fungi reels in $350M
Chicago-based Nature’s Fynd has raised an additional $350 million in a Series C financing round, the company said in a news release. The latest more...
Union workers at Foster Farms plant reject contract proposal (UPDATED)
The union representing about 250 workers at a Foster Farms poultry processing facility in California overwhelmingly rejected the company’s latest more...
Senate bill calls for key companies to quickly report cyberattacks
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators this week formally introduced legislation that would require certain U.S. companies to report cybersecurity issues more...
NPPC urges Congress to reform H-2A visa program
The National Pork Producers Council is urging Congress to reform the nation’s H-2A visa program and address the “serious labor shortage” more...
Chicken paws finding huge market in China
Though chicken paws are not prominent in U.S. grocery stores, they have found eager buyers in China this year. According to an analysis from the USA Poultry more...
Neb. city expected to invest in Sustainable Beef plant
The advisory committee of the North Platte Quality Growth Fund is recommending providing $1 million to support plans for the Sustainable Beef processing more...
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in cattle: UGA study
New research from the University of Georgia shows there may be more antimicrobial-resistant salmonella in food animals than scientists previously thought more...
Johnsonville rolls out sausage strips nationwide
Johnsonville's new product line of fully cooked smoked sausage that looks and cooks like bacon is rolling out to grocery retailers nationwide this summer more...
Online meat marketplace celebrates growth milestone
ChopLocal, a farmer-owned online marketplace specializing in meat, said it reached a milestone this month, becoming home to 20 farmers and butcher shops more...
12 animal ag groups join forces to launch Protein Pact
Twelve organizations representing farmers and companies in the U.S. meat, poultry, dairy, and animal feed and ingredients sectors today unveiled the Protein more...
Tyson to implement new animal welfare system
Tyson Foods said it will begin integrating a new animal welfare assessment framework known as the Five Domains across its global operations. The more...
Battle lines drawn over proposed moratorium on large feedyards
The United Food and Commercial Workers union is among those voicing support for the Farm System Reform Act, legislation opposed by the National Cattlemen’s more...
Portillo’s Hot Dogs owner preps for IPO: report
The owner of Portillo’s Hot Dogs recently filed a draft registration statement to launch an initial public offering by the end of the year, according more...
ASF reaches domestic pigs in Germany
The first cases of African swine fever in domestic pigs in Germany has been confirmed by the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, the country’s Federal more...
China's Q2 pork output surges, pressuring prices: reports
China's pork production jumped 40% in the second quarter, compared to year ago levels, pressuring domestic hog and pork prices and potentially cooling more...
N. American beef, cattle markets more intertwined: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Most processors expect rise in food safety claims: survey
Nearly two-thirds of food processing executives foresee food safety claims rising in the next year, with just 34% indicating that they are "very confident" more...
Judges say Trader Joe’s poultry labeling not misleading
A panel of judges in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court’s dismissal with prejudice of a putative class action lawsuit more...
JBS among suitors for Germany's biggest meatpacker: Bloomberg
Toennies Holding ApS & Co., Germany’s biggest slaughterhouse operator, could be purchased for as much as 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion), according more...
White Castle spends $27M to expand retail food plant
The White Castle restaurant chain has broken ground on a $27 million expansion of its retail food manufacturing plant in Vandalia, Ohio. The plant, now more...
JBS says it meets sustainability goals, sets new targets
JBS USA announced the release of its 2020 Sustainability Report, saying it has completed goals set in 2017 and raised the bar with new aggressive global more...
1H 2021 sees high prices but continued high demand
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Meat prices are once more a big topic of discussion, but inflation more...
Nestlé eyeing cultured meat opportunities with partner
Switzerland-based Nestlé S.A. says its scientists are collaborating with Future Meat Technologies to better understand “the potential of more...
Clemens Food launches pork-mushroom blends
Clemens Food Group's Hatfield brand is rolling out a mushroom-and-pork blended line called Recipe Essentials Ground Pork blends, the company said on its more...
Online shopping is here to stay, survey says
U.S. consumers are likely to continue to use online and app-based shopping now that the threat of COVID-19 is on the wane, according to a new survey. more...
Meat prices starting to cool: DLR
Beef and pork cutout values are down sharply amid slower demand following the peak summer holiday grilling season, analysts at the Daily Livestock Report more...
Popeyes ups game with nuggets based on its chicken sandwich
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen will introduce chicken nuggets at its restaurants in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico later this month, piggybacking on the more...
USDA offers aid to livestock producers forced to depopulate
USDA announced Tuesday that livestock and poultry producers forced to depopulate and dispose of animals during the pandemic due to insufficient access more...
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken gets new owner
Famous Recipe Group, owner of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken said it has agreed to sell the brand to LFR Chicken, a new entity backed by Artemis Lane more...
Biden orders on meat draw mixed reviews from industry
President Joe Biden’s executive orders, issued Friday, covering USDA policies on meat production have garnered support from some industry more...
U.S. corn ending stocks top forecasts in WASDE report
USDA today projected 2021-22 U.S. corn ending stocks at 1.432 billion bushels, up from the June forecast of 1.357 billion, in the July World Agricultural more...
Global meat prices rose in May as overall food costs fell
After 12 consecutive months of increases, food prices around the world fell in June, but meat costs still rose, up 2.1% from May, according to the United more...
Beyond launches chicken tender alternatives at 400 restaurants
Plant-based Beyond Chicken Tenders have been added to menus in nearly 400 restaurants across the country, including Detroit Wing Company, Dog Haus more...
Biden executive orders to target “abusive practices of some meat processors”
In a series of executive orders, President Joe Biden is addressing numerous aspects of the meat industry, from producer lawsuits, to labeling, to market more...
Tyson agrees to settle turkey price-fixing case for $1.75M
Tyson Foods has reached a $1.75 million settlement agreement with commercial and institutional purchasers in a class action lawsuit that alleged the company more...
NAMI updates food safety design principles
The North American Meat Institute has released new industry-wide “Food Safety Equipment Design Principles” for all equipment used in meat more...
Giving back: Perdue Farms, Smithfield Foods
Perdue supports breast cancer screening programPerdue Farms has provided a $10,000 grant to the Bayhealth Foundation to provide underserved Delaware women more...
White House: Product of USA meat order on the way
In a bid to support U.S. farmers, the Biden administration plans to issue new rules for when meat can have the Product of USA label. President Joe Biden more...
Meat substitutes not the same as beef, nutritionally speaking
Plant-based meat substitutes may achieve taste and texture akin to beef, but their nutritional content is not the same, according to new research from more...
Calif. to provide free school meals for all students
California is set to become the first state to permanently provide free school meals for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade after the Legislature more...
Mobile meat processing course trains students in Okla.
In southeast Oklahoma, a career technology center completed its first meat processing class offered in a mobile lab, the first such program in the state more...
Pilgrim’s to pay $29 million to settle wage-fixing claims
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. will pay $29 million to settle its part of a wage-fixing lawsuit accusing the company and other poultry processors of illegally more...
Poultry processor in Ala. becomes 100% employee owned
Poultry processor AlaTrade Foods is now a 100% employee-owned firm. The Alabama processor said it created an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) for more...
Cargill among participants in Aleph's $105M Series B round
Cultivated meat developer Aleph Farms said it has raised $105 million in Series B funding, with beef processor Cargill among its investors. Aleph will more...
Labor a roadblock to restaurant recovery: Technomic
As more Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19, the restaurant industry is coming back to life, yet staffing is proving to be a major hurdle, according more...
Allen Harim, wastewater company resolve legal dispute
Delaware wastewater management provider Artesian announced that it has begun taking wastewater from poultry processor Allen Harim after resolution of more...
Subway announces menu overhaul
Subway today announced a refresh of its menu that will make improvements to nearly every core menu item and introduce new proteins. The Eat Fresh Refresh more...
Lawmakers press DOJ for report on cattle industry competition
Three U.S. congressmen are asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release the findings from an investigation of potential anticompetitive conduct in more...
Poultry industry and OSHA partner on Safe + Sound Week
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation will partner with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health more...
In Brazil, eating beef has become a luxury
Brazil is the largest producer and exporter of beef, but soaring prices for the protein have put it beyond reach for thousands of Brazilians, who are more...
U.S. to join global school meals coalition
The United States is joining a global coalition focused on improving the nutrition, health and education of vulnerable children and adolescents worldwide more...
Half of Americans find cooking for one a challenge: survey
A recent survey has found the hardest part of cooking for one is having the self control to do it. The research, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Gilbert's more...
Cookbook explores Spain’s charcuterie traditions
A guide to authentic Spanish butchering and meat curing techniques has been updated and redesigned to appeal to both amateur and professional cooks. The more...
Acreage data highlight risk to corn ending stocks: DLR
USDA's corn planting intentions data this week were at the low end of market expectations, pointing to more challenges ahead for livestock producers, more...
$47M federal grant to help complete new Georgia port
U.S. Sens. Reverend Warnock and Jon Ossoff announced on Tuesday a nearly $47 million grant to the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) will help complete more...
JBS's Great Southern launches Australian sustainability framework
JBS Australia’s Great Southern Farm Assurance Program has launched a formal sustainability framework in response to evolving consumer expectations more...
Giving back: Monogram Foods, Natural Choice, Cargill, Perdue Farms
Monogram Foods donates to combat homelessness Monogram Foods, Paradigm Partners and Dacon Corp. marked the groundbreaking of Monogram's new 135,000-square-foot more...
Smithfield to pay $83M to settle pork price-fixing claims
Smithfield Foods said it has agreed to pay $83 million to settle litigation accusing pork producers of conspiring to limit pork supply in order to increase more...
Feds order NYC business to stop sales of uninspected pork
A business in New York City's Chinatown acknowledges selling hundreds of pounds of uninspected pork to retailers in the state and elsewhere, according more...
NPPC campaign makes case for labor reform
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) today introduced a media campaign highlighting the vital role of foreign-born workers across the U.S. pork more...
Tyson presses ahead on Kazakhstan beef project
Tyson Foods met with the prime minister of Kazakhstan this week to discuss the processor’s entry into the Kazakh market. According to a report from more...
June 2021
Maple Leaf Foods to buy 4 pig farms, boosting supply security
Canada's Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said Wednesday it reached an agreement to purchase four pig farms in central Saskatchewan from a group of companies known more...
Tyson, Pilgrim’s $155M antitrust settlement gets final OK
The $155 million price-fixing settlement from Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride has received its final okay in the U.S. Northern District Court in more...
U.S. Senate bill would help the private sector fight cyberattacks
Two U.S. senators have introduced a bipartisan bill designed to allow private companies to strike back against hackers who disrupt business operations more...
Canadian plant sees second COVID-19 outbreak since fall 2020
About 50 employees at a poultry plant near Blumenort, Manitoba, owned by a Canadian cooperative are affected by a new outbreak of coronavirus. Exceldor more...
Retail beef prices may rise more, pork production down, Rabobank says
Already elevated retail beef prices may rise further this month and in July, even as cutout values approach a seasonal decline, Rabobank said in a newly more...
Tyson investigating source of ammonia leak at Iowa plant
Tyson Foods Inc. said it is investigating an ammonia leak at its pork processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, last week that local news reports said prompted more...
US Foods introduces new freezing tech for beef
US Foods Holding Corp. is launching a new process for freezing steak that is designed to lock in freshness and offer easier inventory control to foodservice more...
Famous Dave's parent to buy two restaurant brands
BBQ Holdings Inc., owner of the Famous Dave's and Granite City Food & Brewery restaurant chains, said it is acquiring the Village Inn and Bakers Square more...
JBS USA to spend $20 million to create affordable housing
JBS USA announced it is making an additional $20 million investment in the company’s Hometown Strong initiative to create affordable housing opportunities more...
FAT Brands expands portfolio with $442.5M franchise group purchase
FAT Brands Inc. plans to spend $442.5 million to acquire Global Franchise Group, owner of five quick-service restaurant concepts including Round Table more...
Ind. packer issues ground beef recall for possible E. coli
Merkley and Sons Packing in Jasper, Ind., has issued a voluntary recall of 1-pound and 5-pound packages of its “Ground Beef, 80% Lean” product more...
Maple Leaf completes $40M poultry plant purchase
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has completed its previously announced purchase of a poultry processing plant located near Schomberg, Ontario, together with the more...
House of Raeford worker dies in shooting after shift
An employee of House of Raeford Farms' West Columbia, S.C., processing plant was killed by another employee Thursday morning, the company confirmed in more...
N.C. govt. moves on bill to quicken hog waste permitting
The North Carolina House of Representatives has approved legislation that would quicken the permitting process for converting hog waste, according to more...
Hickory Nut Gap hosts Gordon Ramsay to film TV show
British chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay filmed an episode of his TV show “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted" at Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview, N.C more...
‘Butcher Block Act’ proposed to boost processing capacity
A busy congressional week for animal agriculture — which included USDA grant programs, “anticompetitive” legislation and Senate more...
Tenn. OSHA investigates fatality at meatpacking plant
Tennessee’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) is investigating an accident that led to the death of a worker at Southeastern more...
House Reps join fight against ‘anticompetitive practices’ in meatpacking
U.S. Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) on Wednesday introduced a bipartisan companion bill to a Senate more...
Dunkin' drops Beyond Sausage sandwiches at most locations
Dunkin' has discontinued the Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwich from its national menu, although the item still is available at an unknown number of individual more...
Cattle break free from packing plant, roam L.A. suburb
Most of a herd of cattle that escaped from a California meatpacking plant earlier this week have been rounded up by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies more...
Colorado court rejects livestock slaughter ballot measure
The Colorado Supreme Court has rejected a ballot measure that could have led to considerable changes in the state’s meat processing operations. more...
Beef in freezers down 8% from prior month; pork, poultry up
Frozen beef supplies dropped 8% in May from the previous month, while both pork and chicken stocks in freezers edged up 1%, USDA's National Agricultural more...
Argentina to keep beef export limits on some cuts through year end
Argentina is placing limits on the export of specific beef cuts until the end of the year in a partial lifting of a month-long export ban that aims to more...
NPPC says pork line speed ruling harms competition
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) predicts that a federal court ruling allowing limits on pork processing line speeds will “undermine what more...
Sanderson Farms mulls possible sale, hires adviser: WSJ
Sanderson Farms Inc. has retained New York-based investment banking firm Centerview Partners to advise the Laurel, Miss.-based company on a possible sale more...
Smithfield Tar Heel plant becomes ineligible to ship pork to Mexico
Smithfield Foods is working to resolve what the company said is a temporary halt in shipments of pork products processed at its plant in Tar Heel, N.C more...
Beef supply chain emissions can be reduced by 30% by 2030: Rabobank
New technologies and strong leadership by the beef supply chain could drive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions of more than 30% by 2030 in Europe more...
News briefs: Gilbert's Craft Sausages, Wright Brand, Niman Ranch, Hereford Proteins, Gone Rogue Snacks, Freshly, Walmart
Gilbert's Craft Sausages unveils new flavors Gilbert's Craft Sausages has introduced two new chicken sausage flavors. Ancho Queso Chicken Sausage, with more...
With wings scarce, Wingstop launches Thighstop brand
Wingstop Inc. on Monday started offering crispy chicken thighs at its more than 1,400 locations nationwide, the Dallas-based company said in a news release more...
Consumer group sues Smithfield, claims it misled public during pandemic
Smithfield Foods falsely promoted the notion that the nation was in danger of running out of meat, according to a lawsuit filed last week by a consumer more...
Tyson Foods expands plant-based offerings
The Raised & Rooted alternative protein division of Tyson Foods Inc. introduced new snacks for retail made with 100% plant protein. The new Plant more...
Breakfast sausage recalled for allergen in Canada
Meadow Valley Meats is recalling Turkey Breakfast Sausage from the marketplace because it contains milk, which is not declared on the label, the Canadian more...
CDC research shows 40% uptick in drug-resistant Salmonella infections
Scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have estimated a 40% increase in the annual incidence of human salmonellosis infections more...
Argentine official says beef exports will resume next week
An Argentine official has announced that the government will permit beef exports to resume next week after a month-long ban. The country suspended beef more...
Niche market-er: An interview with NMPAN’s Rebecca Thistlethwaite
When Rebecca Thistlethwaite became the extension specialist and director of the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN) at Oregon State University more...
K-State opens new swine research facility
Kansas State University officials announced the opening of a new swine research facility that will give students experience for their future workplaces more...
Pilgrim’s Pride reaches settlement in wage-fixing suit
Pilgrim’s Pride has reached a settlement in a wage-fixing suit involving the largest poultry processors in the U.S. While the terms of the settlement more...
Vilsack pushes for farm-labor immigration bill in Senate
The Biden administration is pushing to get a farm-labor immigration measure through Congress, with negotiations focused on the Senate after the House more...
Striking workers at Quebec poultry plant reject arbitration offer
Striking workers at the Exceldor poultry plant in Quebec have rejected an offer for an arbitrator from the province's labor minister, according to Canadian more...
Consumers still filling up the cart while dining out more
Strong consumer spending is persisting at the grocery store even as restaurants reopen, analysts said this week. The consumer price index (CPI), released more...
USDA preparing for ‘significant expansion’ of meat processing: Vilsack
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack told a U.S. Senate subcommittee the agency is building an infrastructure to support what he described as a “significant more...
Tyson, chicken growers agree to settle antitrust claims
Oklahoma chicken growers and Tyson Foods have agreed to settle class-action antitrust claims against the company, according to documents filed in the more...
14 small processors in Tenn. awarded development funds
Tennessee announced the largest number of Agricultural Enterprise Fund (AEF) recipients and the highest award of grant dollars in the program’s more...
Amazon to open first full-size Fresh store with cashier-less tech
Amazon Fresh will open its first full-size grocery store with cashier-less technology this week in The Marketplace at Factoria in Bellevue, Wash. Customers more...
Farmer-owned pork processor plans to build $500M plant in S.D.
Wholestone Farms, a farmer-owned pork processor, on Monday announced plans to build a $500 million harvest and processing facility in Sioux Falls, S.D more...
USDA launching more grants to support ag producers, rural areas
USDA today announced two initiatives designed to expand direct financial support to ag producers and to help rural areas establish high-paying jobs through more...
Senators propose antitrust investigator at USDA
Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) announced new legislation intended to address anticompetitive practices more...
Second person linked to 2019 ICE raid pleads guilty to federal charge
An employee of a contractor that supplied workers to one of four poultry plants in Mississippi targeted in a 2019 raid by federal immigration officials more...
McDonald’s security breach follows attack against JBS
McDonald’s is the latest high-profile business to get hit by cybercriminals. The hamburger chain confirmed unauthorized activity on its network more...
Man arrested for bank burglary inside Tyson plant
Sheriff’s deputies in Dakota County, Neb., arrested a man accused of robbing a satellite branch of a credit union located inside a Tyson Foods Inc more...
Plant-based nugget startup raises $50 million
Simulate, the startup behind chicken nugget alternative Nuggs, raised $50 million in a Series B funding round led by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian's more...
NAMI, NCBA comment on USDA Packers and Stockyards review
The North American Meat Institute on Friday said concepts embodied in USDA's proposals for strengthening the Packers & Stockyards Act of 1921 are more...
USDA to strengthen enforcement of Packers and Stockyards Act
In an effort to ensure fairer and more resilient markets for farmers, ranchers, and producers, the USDA will strengthen its enforcement of the Packers more...
Smithfield, union reach contract pact in Sioux Falls, avert strike
Smithfield Foods and the union representing about 3,000 workers at the company's Sioux Falls, S.D., pork plant have reached a tentative new four-year more...
Foster Farms sues insurer
Foster Farms this week sued one of its insurance companies for breach of contract. The processor is seeking declaratory judgment because the company sold more...
Giving back: Tyson Foods, Cargill, Hormel Foods
Tyson commits $1.5M to hunger relief in 15 statesTyson Foods is providing $1.5 million in grants to hunger relief groups in 38 plant communities. The more...
Cargill joins U.S. CattleTrace for disease tracking
Cargill announced today that it joined U.S. CattleTrace as an official packer member, becoming the second beef processor to invest in the effort formed more...
USDA adds South Dakota to interstate shipment program
South Dakota can now inspect meat at certain locations for shipment throughout the United States, USDA announced on Thursday. USDA’s Food more...
Harry & David launches online gourmet butcher shop
Harry & David said Thursday it has introduced a new online gourmet butcher shop, in time for grilling season, offering an assortment of nearly 60 more...
Iowa gov signs bill providing grants to small processors
Smaller meat processors in Iowa are in line for help from the state if they want to expand operations or hire more trained workers. Iowa Gov. Kim Richards more...
JBS USA invests $280M to boost beef production, worker wages
JBS USA today announced it is investing more than $130 million to expand its U.S. beef production capacity and more than $150 million in annualized pay more...
19 senators push USDA on direct payments to chicken growers
Nineteen senators and 42 representatives are pushing USDA to provide direct payments to contract chicken growers for COVID-19 losses. In a letter more...
Cattle market transparency bill introduced in House
Missouri Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler has introduced a cattle transparency bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that aims to increase price discovery more...
Tyson sets net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal by 2050
Tyson Foods Inc. is aiming to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across all of its global operations and supply chain over the next 29 years. The more...
USDA to spend $4 billion to strengthen food system, meat processing
USDA today announced plans to invest more than $4 billion to strengthen critical supply chains, including animal production and meat processing, through more...
Family feud breaks out among Boar’s Head heirs for control of company
The two families that each control 50% of Boar’s Head Provisions Co. are embroiled in a court battle over the shares owned by the late daughter more...
More fun than we can stand in the cattle market: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
JBS buys Australian pork processor for $135 million
JBS S.A. announced Tuesday it acquired Australian pork processor Rivalea for AUD175 million ($135 million) in a move that will allow it to diversify its more...
Smithfield downplays odds of strike at Sioux Falls plant
Smithfield Foods is giving little weight to word that its latest contract offer was overwhelmingly rejected by unionized workers at its pork processing more...
Quebec brings in mediator in strike at poultry plant
The Canadian province of Quebec has named a special mediator to help resolve a more than two-week old strike by roughly 500 poultry plant workers. Veteran more...
Meat industry preps for more cyberattacks after years of warnings
Last week’s cyberattack that temporarily idled JBS SA meat plants on two continents followed years of warnings, and now processors are being advised more...
News briefs: Schaller & Weber, Smithfield Foods, Honey Baked Ham, Chili's, Cargill
Schaller & Weber unveils a brand refresh New York City butcher shop Schaller & Weber, which specializes in German and northern European specialty more...
Rabobank analyst pitches fix for beef producer-packer price divide
Using beef cutout values as the means to determine a weekly base price for fed steers would make “moot” variations among transaction types more...
White House tells companies to prepare for cyberattacks
The White House said it issued a memo to corporate executives and business leaders urging them to take immediate steps to address the threat of ransomware more...
Peel: Meat markets surging in 2021
Beef, pork and poultry markets are all surging this year, according to new analysis from Derrell S. Peel of Oklahoma State University. “With more...
KFC projects ‘Buckets of Growth’ — to 3x current reach
KFC sees a way to triple in size in the next few years, particularly in overseas markets, the company told analysts in a presentation during the Yum Global more...
Man dies after accident at Mar-Jac poultry plant
A Hattiesburg, Miss., man has died from injuries sustained in an accident involving machinery while working at the local Mar-Jac poultry plant, according more...
Walmart launches its own Angus beef line
Walmart said its McClaren Farms beef brand is rolling out in 500 of its stores across five southeastern states. The retailer touted the products' transparency more...
Rabobank: Beef prices rising sharply on demand, tight supply
Renewed demand from the foodservice sector is driving up the cost of U.S. beef and cattle and helping fuel record beef prices around the world, Rabobank more...
Marfrig raises stake in BRF to 31.66%
Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods on Thursday increased its stake in poultry and pork processor BRF to 31.66% through the acquisition of 257.27 million shares more...
Cyberattack reached across JBS USA plant network
As JBS resumed operations at most of its U.S. processing plants today following a massive cyberattack over Memorial Day weekend, numerous media reports more...
Ammonia leak at Stampede Meat forces plant evacuation
An ammonia leak at the Stampede Meat processing plant in southern New Mexico prompted the plant's evacuation as firefighters were called to the scene more...
Tyson launches plant-based line in Asia-Pacific market
Tyson Foods Inc. introduced a new line of plant-based products under the First Pride brand, the protein giant’s first launch of flexitarian options more...
News briefs: Hickory Nut Gap, 7-Eleven, Cargill, AMSA
Hickory Nut Gap teams with craft beer, spice makers Hickory Nut Gap is collaborating with two other Asheville, N.C.-based companies, Wicked Weed Brewing more...
Calls for cattle, beef pricing investigation grow louder
Two U.S. senators have sent a new letter to the Justice Department urging enforcement or revision of the nation's antitrust laws to address a "concentration more...
JBS assesses operations after cyberattack
JBS SA officials are continuing to address a cyberattack that affected its operations in North America and Australia as reports of various plant closings more...
Argentina suspends beef exporters over 'irregular' activities
A few weeks into Argentina's ban on all meat exports aimed at stemming rocketing domestic price increases, the government has suspended or terminated more...
Sadler's launching ready-to-eat, pit-smoked barbeque line
Hormel Foods' Sadler’s Smokehouse brand is introducing ready-to-eat beef brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken and St. Louis ribs at several major more...
May 2021
2021 ag trade outlook is a record-breaker: USDA
U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year (FY) 2021 are projected at $164.0 billion, up $7.0 billion from the February forecast, led by increases in corn more...
Charcuterie's appeal? It's 'Instagrammable,' says Midan
More than a quarter of meat consumers are creating charcuterie boards at home at least once a month, according to a recent study from Midan Marketing more...
FDA traceability tech challenge launch approaches
On June 1, FDA's Office of Food Policy and Response will go live with the agency's challenge to food technology solution providers, public health advocates more...
USDA expects dining out will push food price inflation in ‘21
Inflation in food prices overall is expected to be between 2% and 3% for calendar 2021, according to the latest Food Price Outlook report from USDA’s more...
Sanderson forecasts get huge boost from analysts
At least two Wall Street analysts have sharply increased their earnings estimates for Sanderson Farms, predicting the chicken processor's profit margins more...
A more — not completely — normal Memorial Day planned
Nearly half of U.S. consumer expected to celebrate Memorial Day "normally," although that does not seem to correlate with intentions to have guests over more...
Target adds Tyson Fresh Meats' premium pork line
Tyson's Chairman Reserve premium pork line is now available in 49 Super Target stores in seven Midwest states, marking the first time a tomahawk chop more...
Survey says: Hot dogs rule the cookout
73% of Americans believe that a cookout is not complete without hot dogs, according to a new survey commissioned by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council more...
USDA: Pork plants should prepare for line speed limit
Pork processing plants operating under the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) should prepare to revert to a maximum line speed of 1,106 head per hour more...
Farm-to-table meat purveyor addresses mislabeling allegations
Belcampo Farms, an Oakland, Calif.-based vertically integrated purveyor of premium-priced, claims-based beef and other meats, said allegations of misrepresenting more...
Sanderson: Higher poultry pricing still overriding feed costs
Higher demand from foodservice customers largely drove improvements in the poultry market, more than offsetting higher feed costs, Sanderson Farms said more...
NAMI aims to dispel ‘beef market myths’
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) today released a fact sheet aiming to dispel what it called “beef market myths,” as cattle producers more...
Chicken-processing waste causes legal stink in Georgia
Smith Dairy Farms in northeast Georgia is being sued over foul smells that allegedly stem from its practice of letting other companies dump poultry litter more...
FSIS updates information on public health alert for frozen chicken
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) updated a public health alert issued earlier this week to reflect a change on product distribution dates more...
Feedlot situation improves: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
McDonald’s celebrity meal featuring boy band BTS officially launches
McDonald’s Corp. kicked off its latest celebrity meal promotion this week, this time with South Korean pop sensations BTS, which it first announced more...
Tyson offers to settle turkey price-fixing suit in $4.6M agreement
Tyson Foods Inc. is a step closer to settling a lawsuit accusing the company and other defendants of fixing prices for turkey that was originally filed more...
Foster Farms fined $181,500 for COVID-19 violations
Cal/OSHA has cited poultry processor Foster Farms for “not protecting workers” from the COVID-19 pandemic, and levied fines totaling $181 more...
Wis. meat market acquires Haen Meat Packing
Meat processor Haen Meat Packing has been acquired by The Meat Block, a Greenville, Wis.-based meat market. Based in Kaukauna, Wis., Haen Meat Packing more...
Halal meat processor introduces new packaging
To mark more than 25 years in business, Chicago-based halal meat and poultry maker Crescent Foods has introduced new preprinted film packages designed more...
NAMI defends meatpackers as cattle groups, lawmakers increase scrutiny (UPDATE)
As cattle groups and lawmakers increasingly call for meatpacker scrutiny and market transparency, the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) said the market more...
JBS suspends membership in NCBA
JBS has quietly left the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the trade group representing more than 175,000 cattle producers and feeders. “JBS more...
CDC announces new testing protocols for vaccinated individuals
New CDC recommendations for people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine say that those individuals can now refrain from COVID-19 testing following a more...
Lusk identifies top pork supply chain disruptors post-COVID
From venture capital investment to inflation and sustainability concerns, the pork industry will encounter a number of potentially business altering forces more...
Ex-JBS worker wins workers’ comp case on COVID-19 claim (UPDATE)
A former JBS USA worker has won a workers’ compensation case in Texas resulting from an outbreak of COVID-19 illnesses at the company’s Cactus more...
Hormel getting on top of inflationary, operational challenges: analysts
Hormel Foods exceeded Wall Street expectations for its second-quarter earnings on strong retail, deli and international demand and should benefit going more...
More small meat plants aim to fill local voids
Plans for new independent meat processing plants continue to gain momentum across the country as operators look to provide options for local producers more...
A Tip of the Cap: A Profile of Pineland Farms Natural Meat
Maine is known for many things — delectable lobster, a ruggedly beautiful landscape, and Stephen King come to mind — but beef production is more...
Tyson says over 44,000 team members vaccinated
More than 44,000 Tyson Foods employees have been vaccinated so far at more than 100 events held onsite at Tyson facilities or in nearby community facilities more...
Hormel hikes sales forecast, cites foodservice rebound
Hormel Foods today reported another consecutive quarter of record sales, with the Austin, Minn.-based food processor touting a rebound in its foodservice more...
Growing chicken chain hires supply chain exec
Bojangles announced it has named Katie Radtke as vice president of supply chain. An accomplished supply chain leader with global credentials, Radtke will more...
CDC declares salmonella outbreak linked to ground turkey over
An outbreak of Salmonella Hadar linked to ground turkey is now over, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared. In April, USDA’s more...
Quebec to invest $124M in Olymel through new fund
Quebec-based processor Olymel is set to receive a $124 million investment from the provincial government under a new fund designed to support companies more...
With beef exports banned, Argentine producers announce strike
Meat producers in Argentina have announced a retaliatory strike in response to a government ban on meat exports. The export ban – which was implemented more...
Cell-based protein manufacturer raises $170 million
Eat Just Inc. announced that its Good Meat division has secured $170 million in new funding to produce its protein products made from animal cells. The more...
What shortage? More contenders enter the chicken wars
Three foodservice chains are introducing new chicken-based products, even amid reports of national shortages of chicken filets and wings stemming from more...
Labeling bill covering plant-based products moves forward in Texas (UPDATED)
A proposal banning the use of descriptors like “meat” or “beef” on the packaging of plant-based food products is a step closer more...
Argentina suspends all meat exports
Reeling from meat price increases that totaled 22.2% in just the first four months of 2021, and 64.7% for the last 12 months, the Argentine government more...
State lawmakers push Vilsack on beef checkoff
More than 130 state legislators representing 11 states, as well as the Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, signed a letter sent to USDA Secy. Tom Vilsack more...
Fraud trial of R.I. beef processor delayed
A federal trial accusing the owners of Rhode Island Beef and Veal Inc. of defrauding customers of violating the Federal Meat Inspection Act will be delayed more...
JBS invests $351M in Brazilian poultry production
Brazil's JBS announced Friday it will invest BRL1.85 billion ($350.9 million) in the next five years to expand production in the city of Rolândia more...
U.K. officials lift bird flu zone rules, advise continued vigilance
Veterinary officials in England, Scotland and Wales recently lifted the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ), a biosecurity measure launched in November more...
Paul Kafer's capital ideas for meat processes and profitability
"Capital" is a word with multiple meanings. In economics, it refers to materials or equipment used to produce goods. In business, it means a cash amount more...
CDC announcement prompts change in FSIS policy
With new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last week, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has updated more...
Worker strike closes Olymel pork plant; hogs diverted to U.S.
Unionized workers at Olymel's Vallée-Jonction processing plant in Quebec have walked off the job, forcing the facility's closure and hogs to be more...
Tyson throws General Mills a bone, for $1.2B
Tyson Foods Inc. announced today it has sold its pet treats business to General Mills for some $1.2 billion, in a deal the company expects to be completed more...
Global hunger up, so are prices
An additional 20 million people have been pushed into “acute food insecurity” in the last 12 months, bringing the worldwide total to 155 million more...
News briefs: Renegade Chicken, Tillamook, Standard Meat, Grocery Outlet
Renegade Chicken rises in OntarioSo-called ghost kitchen concept Renegade Chicken has opened 25 permanent locations — and one pop-up location — more...
Meat prices rising as producers pass on some of the costs
Prices paid to U.S. producers rose 0.6% in April from the prior month, with a 2.1% increase in food costs led by beef, veal, pork and dairy products, more...
Tyson signs first strategic partnership for on-demand retail in China
Tyson Foods and Dada Group, operator of Chinese online retail platform JDDJ, announced the establishment of Tyson's first strategic partnership for on-demand more...
USDA promotes market resources for National Beef Month
To mark National Beef Month in May, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has introduced a number of new resources aimed at supporting the industry’s more...
News briefs: Abeles & Heymann, Brave Good Kind, Hormel, Beyond Meat
A&H all-beef hot dogs coming to Trader Joe’s Abeles & Heymann (A&H) announced that its all-beef kosher hot dogs will be available in more...
Tyson addressing breeding issue with underperforming roosters
Tyson Foods Inc. has determined that the type of rooster used to fertilize eggs in parts of its breeding program resulted in a surprising decline in hatch more...
Worker killed in forklift accident at Perdue Farms facility
Local authorities are investigating an accident late last week at a Perdue Farms operation in Prince George, Va., that claimed the life of a 22-year-old more...
Memphis Meats changes name to Upside, reveals chicken product
Memphis Meats, which focuses on cell-cultured meat, poultry and seafood, announced it has changed its name to Upside Foods and is preparing to begin production more...
Marfrig reverses loss and posts net profit in Q1
Marfrig Global Foods posted a net profit of BRL279 million ($53.43 million) in the first quarter of 2021, reversing a loss of BRL137 million ($26.24 million) more...
Tyson poised to reap beef benefits as analysts adjust estimates
Tyson Foods Inc. — which this week reported better-than-expected sales and earnings in its second fiscal quarter — should see higher sales more...
Walmart Canada partners with 'sustainable' beef suppliers
Walmart Canada is sourcing beef from "certified sustainable farms and ranches" according to the standards established by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable more...
George's promotes two key execs
George’s Inc. announced two promotions, of Devin Cole to Chief Operating Officer and Susan White to Chief Administrative Officer/Chief Financial more...
Non-profit beef facility set for Montana
The first non-profit, federally inspected meatpacking plant is set to open in Montana by 2022. According to a report from KHQ, the $2.5 million plant more...
NLRB affirms ruling on Boar’s Head’s illegal anti-union efforts
Boar’s Head Provisions Co. violated federal law in its efforts to stymie union organizing activities at its Holland, Mich., plant, the National more...
EEOC fines JBS unit for violating hostile work environment rules
A member of the JBS USA family of companies agreed to pay $130,000 to settle a national origin and race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by more...
FDA reports on deli counter safety
Supermarket deli department sales have been steadily growing for years, in keeping with consumers’ need for ever-more convenient meal solutions more...
Tyson sees 'substantial inflation' across supply chain
Tyson Foods tallied better-than-expected quarterly earnings as the price of beef, pork, chicken and prepared foods all climbed during the three-month more...
Guilting meat-eaters doesn’t work: study
Anthropomorphizing animals does not cause the majority of consumers to reduce their meat consumption out of guilt, but it does influence them to choose more...
Meatpacking worker protection bill advances in Nebraska
A bill that would require meat processors to provide COVID-19 protections to workers has moved a step forward in Nebraska's Legislature after garnering more...
2 Southern-style chicken chains ink expansion deals
What chicken shortage? Two restaurant chains specializing in Southern-style chicken this week announced separate agreements to expand their brands. Fast-casual more...
News briefs: Niman Ranch, Chef's Cut, 7-Eleven, Subway, Austin
Niman Ranch bacon wins award Niman Ranch said its Applewood Smoked Uncured No Sugar Bacon was awarded Gold in the Meat, Poultry and Seafood category of more...
Nebraska gov touts 'beef passport' to boost meat eating
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is amping up his campaign on behalf of the meat industry, voicing support for a new “beef passport” to encourage more...
150 small processors in Missouri receive nearly $17M
The Missouri Department of Agriculture has awarded $16.7 million in CARES Act funding to nearly 150 small and medium-sized meat processors. As a direct more...
Monogram sees Massachusetts plant opening in 2022
Monogram Food Solutions expects to open a food distribution facility in Haverhill, Mass., by the middle of next year, according to the Memphis, Tenn.-based more...
Conagra appoints supply chain chief
Conagra Brands Inc. today announced the appointment of Alexandre "Ale" Eboli as executive vice president and chief supply chain officer, effective Aug more...
Seaboard pork sales post big gains to start the year
The pork processing business of Seaboard Corp. has seen sales climb nearly 25% thus far in 2021, based on financial statements from the company. According more...
McDonald's Canada changes chicken sourcing amid shortages
McDonald’s Corp. said it is temporarily changing poultry suppliers in its Canada division due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19. The announcement more...
Tyson appoints brand manager at its Fresh Meats division
Tyson Foods Inc. named Britney Banuelos the new senior brand manager of its Tyson Fresh Meats beef and pork subsidiary. Banuelos will be responsible for more...
Impossible debuts at Lidl’s in U.S.
The Impossible Burger has hit the shelves at 145 locations of the European discount grocer Lidl’s across nine states along the Eastern Seaboard more...
Seaboard jumps into pork processing speed debate
Seaboard Foods is asking a federal court to delay implementation of a decision that would force the company to slow down hog slaughtering speeds at one more...
Vaxx efforts reach bulk of Cargill’s High River workers
Nearly 80% of the 2,100 employees at Cargill Inc.’s High River, Alberta, beef processing plant received COVID-19 vaccinations at an on-site clinic more...
Sustainable Beef group issues organizational updates
The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) has issued its 2020 Annual Report and elected new leadership at its virtual 2021 General Assembly more...
Giving back: Rancher's Prime, Greater Omaha Packing, Iowa Pork, Tyson
Rancher's Prime supports Farm Rescue Foundation Rancher's Prime, a Dallas-based e-commerce business offering prime steak, beef, pork and barbecue sourced more...
Bipartisan bill would block regulation of livestock emissions
Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would bar the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating livestock emissions, continuing a more more...
HPAI trends on a roller coaster ride in Europe, Asia
Poland reported its largest-ever outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in recent weeks, while the often-deadly virus has abated in Germany more...
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh calls for immigration pathway to citizenship
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is calling on Congress to create a pathway to citizenship for immigrant workers in the U.S., reportedly telling a roundtable more...
Tyson's Raised & Rooted brand rolls out grillable options
Tyson Foods' Raised & Rooted alt-meat brand is expanding its offerings with three new products ready for the grill: New plant-based burger patties more...
April 2021
DOJ: 2020 Trump order no “mandate” for meat plants
In a recent legal brief, lawyers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice have drawn a line in the sand – former President more...
Worsening drought conditions spur spring planting worries: DLR
Drought conditions have spread across most of the U.S., and dry soil is now becoming a concern during spring planting in the Midwest. USDA data more...
Seaboard builds renewable diesel plant to use animal fat
Seaboard Energy, a division of Seaboard Foods, announced it is building a renewable diesel plant in Hugoton, Kansas, that will provide more than 60 jobs more...
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Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether it is true or false. Loading… We will publish the answer and results in the more...
Pilgrim's CEO says labor shortages a growing challenge
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. is investing in automation and other technology to replace hundreds of positions and help offset a “much more challenging more...
Processor, Shaq hope new burger is a slam dunk (UPDATE)
Meat District, a Golden West Food Group brand, said today it is teaming up with Hall of Fame basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal to launch a limited-edition more...
JBS launches blockchain platform for supply chain monitoring
JBS S.A. has started registering cattle producers in Brazil using a new blockchain platform that will allow it to expand monitoring of indirect animal more...
News briefs: Teys, Diestel Family Ranch, Little Caesars, Perdue Farms, Sahlen Packing
Teys launches fully cooked grass-fed products Teys has launched the Truly Simple fully cooked line of 100% grass-fed beef products. The single-portioned more...
Man faces attempted murder charge in shooting at Pilgrim’s plant
Authorities in Sumter County, S.C., have arrested a man allegedly involved in a shooting incident in the parking lot of a Pilgrim’s Pride poultry more...
Biden nominates USDA undersecretary for marketing, regulatory
President Joe Biden on Tuesday said he intends to nominate Jennifer Moffitt to the post of undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, overseeing more...
U.S. exporters seek federal help with shipping challenges
A coalition of nearly 300 agricultural and forest product producers and industry groups are asking for federal help in combating what they say are increasing more...
Club chain names new CEO, top executives
BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings appointed Bob Eddy as president and chief executive officer, replacing Lee Delaney, who died unexpectedly earlier this more...
Epicurious eschews beef
Foodie website Epicurious, the online home for Condé Nast's food- and cooking-related content and recipes, announced it will no longer publish more...
Vaccinations at Canadian meat plants back on
Alberta health officials today will launch a delayed program to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Canadian meat plant workers now that vaccine supplies expected more...
Parent of buffet restaurant chains files for bankruptcy
Fresh Acquisitions LLC and its affiliates that operate Furr’s Fresh Buffet, Ryan’s, Old Country Buffet, Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse, and more...
Meat executive, supplier Allen Jay Ross died; he was 88
Long-time meat industry executive Allen Jay Ross died earlier this month at his home in Omaha, at the age of 88. After graduation from Rutgers University more...
Farmer John and Dodger Dogs go their separate ways
Baseball fans at Dodger Stadium will no longer be able to buy the trademark extra-long hot dogs made by a division of Smithfield Foods after the contract more...
Smithfield plans $6M wastewater treatment upgrade in S.D.
Smithfield Foods is spending almost $6 million to upgrade wastewater treatment at its meatpacking plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., according to a report published more...
Pilgrim’s Pride targeted in another COVID-19-related wrongful death suit
The families of two Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. employees who contracted COVID-19 last year are suing the company, alleging that it failed to protect more...
News briefs: Piedmontese, World Select Cuts, Wendy's, Menu Del Sol
Certified Piedmontese touts sustainability plans The Certified Piedmontese beef company said it recently signed a deal to use a significant amount of more...
Tyson loses bid to have turkey price-fixing complaint tossed
A federal court judge on Wednesday denied Tyson Foods' motion for judgment on price-fixing allegations brought by turkey purchasers, ruling that the plaintiffs more...
Cold storage supplies continue to be squeezed
Total red meat and poultry stocks in freezers in March were down almost 17% from a year ago, as high prices and limited supplies prevented processors more...
Nathan’s Famous expands into Walmart, nontraditional locations
New York hot dog chain Nathan’s Famous has partnered with Ghost Kitchen Brands to bring their new menu to 60 non-traditional locations in the U more...
Taco Bell testing proprietary alt-meat menu item
Taco Bell says it is doubling down on vegan-friendly menu items with the introduction of its own "proprietary protein" offering ahead of its Beyond Meat more...
Teen charged with setting fire at National Beef plant
Investigators believe a weekend blaze at a National Beef Packing Co. facility in Liberal, Kansas, was deliberately set and have arrested a suspect. more...
Mountaire Farms decries NLRB ruling on union decertification
Mountaire Farms is voicing disappointment in a National Labor Relations Board ruling that ballots in a union decertification vote at its plant in Selbyville more...
Man charged in fatal pork plant stabbing unfit to stand trial: report
A man facing charges for fatally stabbing a coworker at the Prestage Foods pork plant in Eagle Grove, Iowa, is not fit to stand trial, according to a more...
Delaware county greenlights poultry waste recycling plant
The Sussex County Council in Delaware voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a conditional use application for a project designed to process chicken more...
Tyson backs cattle disease traceability initiative
Tyson Foods Inc. announced its Tyson Fresh Meats unit is the first beef processor to support the cattle disease traceability program known as U.S. CattleTrace more...
JBS USA unit set to begin $200M plant construction
The consumer packaged goods subsidiary of JBS USA said it will begin construction on a previously announced $200 million meat plant in Columbia, Mo., more...
Smithfield to reappraise its entire U.S. water supply footprint
Smithfield Foods today announced it will conduct a comprehensive watershed and water-use analysis across its vertically integrated operations to increase more...
FSIS awards pathogen detection contract to 3M
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has awarded a contract to 3M Food Safety for Campylobacter detection in poultry more...
Ag stakeholders give voice to transport and shipping concerns
Livestock, grain, crop and dairy and other agriculture industry stakeholders gave voice to their concerns about the movement of goods through the export more...
JBS invests to expand production in Brazilian processing plants
JBS is investing BRL1.7 billion ($307.9 million) in production facilities in the Brazilian southermost state of Rio Grande do Sul through 2023, according more...
Worsening drought nicks the beef supply chain into next year: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
News Briefs: Tyson, McDonald’s, Smashburger, Smithfield, NAMI
Tyson expands COVID-19 vaccination program to employee families, households Tyson Foods Inc. plans to expand its current on-site vaccination program to more...
Judge approves another JBS settlement in pork pricing lawsuit
A federal judge in Minnesota gave preliminary approval of a plan allowing JBS USA to settle a lawsuit filed by commercial and indirect purchasers of the more...
Report: COVID damages in meat plants exceeded $11.2 billion
A new report in the journal Food Policy has evaluated the 2020 damages from COVID-19 in U.S. meat plants, and arrived at some notable conclusions. The more...
JBS acquires European maker of plant-based foods
Brazil's JBS has acquired the totality of shares issued by Vivera, Europe's third-largest producer of plant-based foods, for €341 million (US$410 more...
McDonald’s plans celebrity meal collab with South Korea's BTS
McDonald’s is launching another celebrity meal, this one linked to the South Korean boy band BTS, the fast-food giant said on Monday. The announcement more...
Meat leads CPI increases
Red meat and poultry products led the pack in food price increases over the 12 months ending in March, according to the most recent Consumer Price Index more...
Cargill plant workers approve 16% wage boost
Workers at the Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Hazleton, Pa. have approved a new contract with increases to both base pay and hourly wages. According more...
Kevin Ryan details ‘Where meat can’t go’
Grocery items like a chicken breast redolent of bacon, but with no pork involved. A pork chop that cooks perfectly, every time, no matter what. Or a plant-based more...
News briefs: Burger King booted, USPOULTRY, AMSA
Doctor-led protest shuts down Burger King in Newark hospitalA campaign led by a New Jersey physician has successfully shut down a Burger King franchise more...
Iowa State breaks ground on one-of-a-kind turkey research facility
Iowa State University has broken ground on a research facility that, when complete, will be the only of its kind focused on turkey production at a major more...
Maryland appeals order to regulate ammonia emissions
Maryland has filed notice that is appealing a Montgomery County Circuit Court decision that would require the state to regulate gaseous ammonia generated more...
North Country Smokehouse expands to West Coast
North Country Smokehouse announced a West Coast expansion through partnerships with distributors including KeHe, Tony’s Fine Foods and Newport Meats more...
News briefs: Tyson, USPOULTRY, Thousand Hills, Nathan's Famous, Blue Apron
Tyson program finds prescription drug cost savings Tyson Foods is partnering with RX Savings Solutions to offer its employees an online tool that makes more...
Cargill appoints president of North American protein
Cargill has named Hans Kabat group leader and president of its North American protein business, effective May 1. Kabat, who began his career with Cargill more...
Natural gas leak prompts Smithfield plant evacuation
A natural gas leak on Tuesday night forced the evacuation of the Smithfield Foods-owned Patrick Cudahy pork plant in Cudahy, Wis. Fiona Loli, a human more...
USDA 2022 funding up 16% in Biden budget request
President Biden's fiscal year 2022 discretionary spending request to Congress includes $27.8 billion for USDA, a $3.8 billion increase from the level more...
Smithfield readies $6M wastewater treatment upgrade in S.D.: report
Smithfield Foods Inc. reportedly is preparing to spend nearly $6 million on improvements on the wastewater treatment operation at a plant in Sioux Falls more...
Del. court approves $205M closure in Mountaire wastewater cases (UPDATED)
Mountaire Corp. is expected to spend a total of $205 million to settle state and federal lawsuits accusing the poultry processor of illegally contaminating more...
States battle Tyson effort to keep COVID-19-related lawsuits in federal court (updated)
Attorneys general from 19 states have banded together to fight an effort by Tyson Foods Inc. to sidestep state court reviews of lawsuits linked to its more...
ARS Administrator Jacobs-Young sets the agency's dial to "thrive"
If there's one thing that guides USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Administrator Chavonda Jacobs-Young in her work, it's an aspiration to elevate more...
News briefs: Land O'Frost, Hillshire Farm, Beyond Meat, Global Conference on Sustainable Beef
Land O'Frost launches new deli flavors, package redesign Land O'Frost Inc.'s Bistro Favorites hand-seasoned, natural deli meat brand is introducing a more...
Pilgrim's faces stiff opposition to proposed rendering plants in Ga., Ala.
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. has run into strong opposition from local residents to its efforts to build a pair of plants that would process chicken byproducts more...
Probe into Tyson plant fire in Robards, Ky., continues
Tyson Foods and local authorities are investigating a fire over the weekend at a Tyson Foods chicken plant in Robards, Ky., that is believed to have started more...
EPA urged to regulate methane from large hog, dairy farms (updated)
Dozens of environmental and consumer organizations have petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to limit methane emissions from large hog and dairy more...
USMEF upbeat on 2021 outlook despite dip in Feb exports
U.S. beef and pork exports in February remained below the rapid pace established in early 2020, according USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation more...
OSHA probes second chemical leak at Ga. poultry plant
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said it is now investigating reports that an ammonia release more...
Conagra suggests snacking habit has staying power
Conagra Brands on Thursday reported third-quarter sales that exceeded its projections, driven by elevated at-home food consumption, and predicted consumers' more...
Strong demand, pricing buoy animal protein outlook: analysts
Aggressive foodservice buying will support chicken prices through the summer, while the red meat sector stands to benefit from strong exports, economic more...
Partners put snacks in backpacks, support CSU students
A collaboration between partners at several points in the meat supply chain is putting high protein beef snack sticks into the backpacks of schoolchildren more...
Groups urge FDA to maintain authority over GE food animals
Thirteen national advocacy groups this week urged agencies within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to maintain regulatory authority over genetically more...
McDonald’s testing a new chicken breakfast sandwich
McDonald’s is testing a new chicken breakfast sandwich, the company confirmed. A limited rollout over the next few weeks at restaurants in Ohio more...
Canada taps emergency fund to boost meat production capacity
Canada on Wednesday said it will spend $12.2 million from its Emergency Processing Fund to help meat companies invest in safety measures to protect their more...
USPOULTRY accepting pre-proposals for research grants
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and its research foundation announced they are accepting pre-proposals from colleges, universities and more...
Seaboard refutes union's claims in new OSHA complaint
Seaboard Foods is refuting union accusations that it failed to protect workers from COVID-19 at its pork processing plant in Guymon, Okla., saying it more...
OSHA absent on new COVID workplace regulations: report
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has sailed past a deadline on issuing new workplace safety regulations for COVID-19, according more...
Hazmat team called in carbon monoxide incident at Ore. plant
A hazmat team responded to an incident at a Carlton Farms facility in Oregon that exposed workers to carbon monoxide, according to local media reports more...
Philippines commits to higher U.S. pork imports
The Philippines has committed to import a much higher volume of pork in 2021. According to a press release from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) more...
U.S., Brazil could lead the way on GHG emission reduction: study
The global beef production industry can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by as much as 50% in certain regions, with the most potential in the U.S more...
'We Are Meat' says Impossible Foods
Impossible Foods is kicking off its first national advertising campaign with the tagline, “We Are Meat.” The Redwood City, Calif.-based more...
NAMI expands scholarship program
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) Scholarship Foundation will expand eligibility and offer two $5,000 scholarships to graduate students for the more...
Giving back: Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Iowa Pork Producers, Zoe’s Meats
Tyson partnership speeds food donations Feed the Children, Americold and Tyson Foods have joined to rapidly deliver more than 500,000 meals to communities more...
Smithfield, Dominion energy project wins N.C. regulator permits
A controversial program to convert hog waste to energy in North Carolina will move forward with new adjustments now that state regulators have issued more...
Rising feed prices affect cattle markets
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Irish study finds many alt-meats lacking in protein
Anew research report by the Irish food and nutrition organization, safefood, has found that one in four vegetarian meat-substitute products such more...
Impossible Foods jumpstarts DTC sales of alt-meat burgers
Impossible Foods is pushing its online direct-to-consumer plant-based products in response to an anticipated potential shortage of animal-based meat products more...
D.C. court rejects Tyson’s dismissal of misleading advertising suit
The D.C. Superior Court is allowing a misleading advertising case against Tyson Foods to proceed. Filed in 2019 by Food & Water Watch and Organic more...
Scientists study feed as ASF threat
A new review of research exploring the potential spread of African swine fever (ASF) through feed suggests mitigation strategies will be “critically more...
Lamb market on the rebound after volatile year
Lamb cutout values have strengthened over the past year, a volatile period marked by the closure of a key processing plant. The weekly lamb cutout value more...
Giving back: Mountaire Farms, Perdue Farms, Ill. pork producers, Wayne Farms, Piedmontese
Mountaire Farms to donate 1,100 food boxes in NC Mountaire Farms workers are volunteering time to pack more than 1,100 food boxes for the needy this Easter more...
Federal court rules against unlimited pork line speeds
A federal judge on Wednesday vacated a USDA rule allowing pork packers to slaughter with unlimited line speeds, according to court documents. U.S. District more...
Cattle operator pleads guilty to defrauding Tyson Foods
A Washington state cattle operator pleaded guilty on Wednesday to defrauding Tyson Foods of more than $244 million by pretending to buy and feed hundreds more...
Court declines to revive false ad claims against Sanderson Farms
A U.S. appellate panel has rejected an appeal from environmental and food safety advocates to revive their false advertising case against Sanderson Farms more...
Subway to bring back roast beef, rotisserie chicken: report
Roast beef and rotisserie chicken sandwiches will return to the menu this summer at Subway, according to a report by Business Insider. The two protein more...
March 2021
NAMI gathers support from 20 states in its Prop 12 battle
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) on Wednesday said 20 states have filed an amicus brief supporting the organization’s challenge of California’s more...
Judge sides with OSHA in COVID suit involving Maid-Rite
A lawsuit that alleged OSHA failed to enforce COVID-19 protocols at a Pennsylvania meat plant has been dismissed, according to a report from Law360 more...
Colorado bill would allow direct meat sales to more consumers
Colorado lawmakers are proposing an expansion of direct producer-to-consumer meat sales programs under new regulations in the latest effort by a state more...
News briefs: Old Trapper, Country Archer, USMEF, Honey Baked Ham, Beef Checkoff
Old Trapper introduces single-serve options Old Trapper meat snack company is introducing a single serve, 1.75-ounce Beef Sticks product as a line extension more...
JBS to pay $20M to settle consumer class action on pork pricing
A federal judge approved a preliminary agreement calling for JBS USA to pay $20 million to consumers who accused the processor of fixing pork prices in more...
Tofurky maker fails in Missouri meat label law appeal
Turtle Island, which does business as Tofurky Co., has lost its appeal challenging the constitutionality of a 2018 Missouri law banning companies from more...
FSIS updates recall, adds products
A recall of meat and poultry pasta products made by Evanston, Ill.-based Avanza Pasta LLC has been updated to add products and labels, USDA's Food Safety more...
Planterra rolls out OZO frozen line at Kroger
Planterra Foods has introduced a line of OZO branded frozen, fermented-pea protein products at Kroger, according to a press release. Products so far include more...
New AI outbreaks, bleak forecast for Europe
Avian influenza (AI) is showing few signs of abating across Europe, even as mitigation measures are close to being scuttled and the outlook for Europe more...
Potential drought impacts on cattle markets: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
LIVEKINDLY Collective raises another $200M for U.S., China expansion
The LIIVEKINDLY Collective has raised $335 million in its latest funding round, the group of plant-based protein brands including The Fry Family Food more...
News briefs: Dietz & Watson, Coleman Natural, Tyson, Veroni
Dietz & Watson sausage blends chicken, veggies Philadelphia-based Dietz & Watson is introducing Blends, a 50/50 blended sausage with no antibiotics more...
Tyson beef brand to go all-Angus
Tyson Fresh Meats announced its Chairman’s Reserve brand will source its beef product exclusively from Angus cattle, citing steady consumer demand more...
Iowa bill takes new angle on ag property protection
The Iowa House has approved a bill aimed at protecting the state's livestock production industry by making it illegal to enter private property without more...
Foodservice recovery on track, but challenging: report
Rabobank estimates that pent-up demand will boost foodservice sales globally in 2021, but full recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will more...
Texas Roadhouse names new CEO after founder’s passing
Texas Roadhouse Inc. has promoted Jerry Morgan, the company’s president, to CEO following the passing of Kent Taylor, revered founder and leader more...
Historic corned beef processor to build $33M storage facility, add 300 jobs
E.W. Grobbel Sons Inc., a corned beef specialist and Detroit fixture since 1883, will expand with a $33 million food storage facility as it builds new more...
Probe into recent Agri Star plant explosion continues
Iowa’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is moving forward with an investigation of a Feb. 15 explosion at an Agri Star Meat more...
USDA keeps RFID ear tags optional for cattle traceability
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said it will not finalize a July 2020 notice proposing that Radio Frequency Identification more...
Nolan Ryan Brands names president to lead growth
Nolan Ryan Brands announced Cody Marburger has been promoted to the office of president of the Round Rock, Texas-based company. Marburger has served as more...
The new Dem party, other thoughts for ’21: AMC political update
The 2020 election made explicit the changes to the Democratic party that have been developing over the years, and that has implications for how the meat more...
Hormel appoints new head of corporate strategy
Hormel Foods has announced that Jacinth Smiley will be the company’s group vice president of corporate strategy. In that role, Smiley will lead more...
COVID-19 outbreak confirmed in Alberta poultry plant
Health officials confirmed 75 cases of COVID-19 infections among workers at a poultry processing plant in Alberta, Canada, while separately noting that more...
JBS aims for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040
JBS on Wednesday announced a commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. The commitment spans the company’s global operations more...
Power of Meat is pandemic’s silver lining
The pandemic, while whipsawing the meat supply chain, nevertheless underscored the popularity of meat and poultry to the U.S. consumer, as demonstrated more...
Judge OK's consumer portion of chicken lawsuit settlement
Agreements aimed at settling litigation accusing major chicken processors of price fixing moved a step closer to completion with a federal judge approving more...
NIFA helps small processors meet new Salmonella rules
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded nearly $300,000 to researchers at Michigan State University to develop tools more...
Years of battling ASF, and no end in 2021: Rabobank
Since this latest global outbreak of African Swine Fever among hogs was detected in China in mid-2018, it has spread throughout Asia and into major pork-producing more...
JBS fined for COVID outbreak at Brazilian plant
A Brazilian court ordered JBS to pay a BRL20 million (US$3.63 million) fine in damages due to an outbreak of COVID-19 at one of its beef processing units more...
Meat processing plant planned for 2023 in Missouri (updated)
Missouri cattle farmers can expect to have another processing option in the spring of 2023, with a new production facility planned in the northeast corner more...
MG Foods adds 3 items to recall list
MG Foods, based in Charlotte, N.C., has added three turkey wrap sandwiches to its previously announced recall. The additional products are: The Fresh more...
Minnesota plans to form panel on ag, plant worker health, safety
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is planning to form a 15-member committee that will focus on the health and safety of the state’s agricultural and food more...
Plan to build $200M beef plant unveiled in Nebraska
A newly formed company in Nebraska on Thursday publicly unveiled plans to build a $200 million, 300,000-square-foot beef processing plant in North Platte more...
Report: Local officials alerted Foster Farms to state inspection
A report in the Fresno Bee newspaper this week concluded that county public health officials "tipped off" Foster Farms executives about a Cal/OSHA inspection more...
2021 meetings update: One more cancelled, another moved
After scuttling most of the meat industry’s in-person conferences in 2020, the pandemic continues to take a toll on the face-to-face business in more...
Girlfriend dumped for secret McNugget scarfing
Since their introduction in 1983, the chicken McNuggets at McDonald’s have been a source of joy for millions around the world. For one vegan couple more...
Colorado counties go all in against Polis’ ‘meat-out’
Twenty-six Colorado counties, as of Tuesday, have signed “Meat In Day” proclamations to counter Gov. Jared Polis’ proclamation that more...
USMEF calls for review of Japan’s import limit on U.S. beef
The U.S. Meat Export Federation is urging U.S. and Japanese trade officials to revisit annual limits on U.S. beef imports to Japan. The trade group more...
Senate confirms Tai as top U.S. trade negotiator
The Senate on Wednesday unanimously confirmed Katherine Tai, a critic of China’s trade practices, as U.S. Trade Representative. Meat industry leaders more...
JBS USA offers free two-year college tuition for workers
JBS USA and Pilgrim’s announced the launch of Better Futures, a free two-year college tuition program providing more than 66,000 company employees more...
News briefs: NAMI, Honey Baked Ham, Wilde Brands, Smithfield Foods, USDA, South Beach Wine and Food Festival
NAMI renews call for meat plant workers to get vaccine priority As the Biden administration weighs workplace safety standards and seeks to deliver on more...
Tyson to reopen idled plant, boost beef and pork production
Tyson Foods said Wednesday it will invest an estimated $55 million over several years to reopen its idle plant in Columbia, S.C., and convert it into more...
Maryland must regulate ammonia gas released by poultry farms: judge
A Maryland county judge has ruled that the state must monitor and regulate gaseous ammonia generated by animal waste on poultry farms, tightening existing more...
Cargill taps GE alum as its new CFO
Former General Electric executive Jamie Miller has been named Cargill’s chief financial officer and will serve on the company’s executive more...
USDA taps Eskin as food safety lead
Sandra Eskin, an attorney and public policy consultant, has been named USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. Most recently, Eskin was project director more...
OSHA launches program to protect high-risk workers from coronavirus
In response to President Biden's Jan. 21 executive order on protecting worker health and safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) more...
Mountaire worker files second set of charges against union
An employee of Mountaire Farms in Selbyville, Md., has filed a second set of charges against the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 27 union, according more...
Smithfield reaches preliminary settlement of overtime pay lawsuit
Smithfield Foods has reached a preliminary agreement to pay $7.75 million to settle lawsuits accusing the pork producer of failing to pay overtime to more...
Nitrogen asphyxia confirmed in Ga. poultry plant deaths
The six poultry plant workers who died in a January incident at a Foundation Food Group poultry plant in Gainesville, Ga., were killed by the liquid nitrogen more...
February delivers strong results for the meat department
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. After an increase in store trips during the December holidays more...
Higher meat prices supported by foodservice return: analyst
There’s no immediate end in sight to elevated protein prices with an anticipated comeback in foodservice further supporting demand for chicken, more...
Brazilian beef processors focus on exports; domestic demand, supply low
Brazilian beef suppliers have been focusing on exports amid low domestic demand and reduced cattle supply, according to market experts over the past week more...
Wage-fixing case against poultry processors continues
A class-action lawsuit accusing the nation’s largest chicken processors of conspiring to fix and depress wages paid to workers since 2009 will continue more...
Cherokee plant to open in April: report
With pandemic-related delays behind it, the Cherokee Nation is planning to open its new custom meat processing plant in Oklahoma next month with limited more...
Amazon expanding its grocery store footprint
Amazon is preparing to open 28 more Amazon Fresh supermarkets across the United States, offering prices that are competitive with Walmart and Aldi, according more...
Nathan’s Famous effort spotlights a hot dog’s ability to unite people
New York-based Nathan’s Famous has introduced a series of videos that demonstrate how its hot dogs can bring people together and foster moments more...
Cargill unveils senior management changes
Cargill announced today that Jon Nash is joining the company’s executive team as the leader of the global protein and salt enterprise, as the company more...
Longtime employee dies in accident at Koch Foods plant
Koch Foods confirmed the death of a worker in an accident at its poultry processing plant in Montgomery, Alabama. “We had an employee who more...
Turkey sandwiches recalled due to Listeria link
MG Foods of Charlotte, N.C., issued a recall of various turkey sandwiches due to potential contamination from Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Food and more...
CME creates Boxed Beef Index to manage price risk
CME Group is now offering a Boxed Beef Index that gives producers, packers, processors, wholesalers and others another tool to track and forecast beef more...
U.S. pork supply faces ‘significant disruption’ from Prop 12 in '22: Rabobank
An upcoming regulation on animal welfare in California has the potential to cause "significant disruption" to the nation’s pork industry as West more...
JBS in talks to acquire Hebrew National from Conagra: report
JBS S.A. may be back on the acquisition trail and looking to buy the Hebrew National hot dog business from Conagra Brands Inc., The Wall Street Journal more...
FSIS internet access proposal faces resistance
A new proposed FSIS regulation is facing quick resistance from small processors. The proposed rule, Internet Access at Official Establishments and more...
WASDE estimates strong meat production, elevated grain prices
The USDA released its latest World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), and the outlook was mostly positive for meat production. For 2021 more...
Fraudulent meat sellers get hefty fines, no prison time
Two meat sellers from Brooklyn, N.Y., who pleaded guilty in a scam to sell Choice graded beef as Prime, have received more than $100,000 in fines and more...
U.S. beef, pork exports slipped in January, but 2021 optimism remains
U.S. meat processors exported less beef and pork in January 2021 compared with January one year ago, although COVID-19 vaccine programs and potential more...
USDA seeks comments on COVID-19 grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking feedback through public comments and listening sessions regarding more...
Wendy’s, Ruth’s 2020 earnings trend in opposite directions
Both The Wendy’s Company and and Ruth’s Hospitality Group reported their earnings for the fourth quarter and all of 2020, and the respective more...
USDA OIG to examine moves to protect meat inspectors from COVID
USDA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) is moving forward on an investigation of how the agency responded to the spread of COVID-19 at meat processing more...
Alaska seeks a $2-bil piece of chicken price-fixing pie: report
The state of Alaska is asking a state court to collect more than $1 billion from the defendants in the poultry price-fixing litigation that has continued more...
Washington state Senate passes bill on state inspection
The state of Washington's Senate has approved legislation that paves the way for creation of a state-run meat and poultry inspection system. The bill more...
Can't beat price, convenience even in a pandemic: report
Consumers changed their meat-eating ways over the past year, partly in reaction to the ongoing pandemic. Recently released research by Midan Marketing more...
Central Valley Meat looks to expand beef plant
Central Valley Meat has applied with Kings County, Calif., for a permit to expand its beef processing plant in Hanford, according to a local news report more...
OSHA’s pandemic response scrutinized in WSJ report
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is yet again coming under fire for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As detailed in a new more...
White Oak Pastures settles worker overtime lawsuit
A U.S. district court judge in Georgia has approved a settlement that ends a dispute over overtime premiums dating back to 2015 between White Oak Pastures more...
News Briefs: Zaxby's, USPOULTRY, Wellshire Farms, Star Ranch
Zaxby's Signature Sandwich goes national Zaxby's announced the national rollout of its Signature Sandwich to all 909 locations across the brand's 17-state more...
Olymel pork plant restarts after COVID-19 outbreak
The Olymel pork processing plant in Red Deer, Alberta, is resuming slaughter operations after a 14-day shutdown due to a deadly outbreak of COVID-19 among more...
NPPC names new leadership, sets priorities
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) elected Jen Sorensen, communications director of Iowa Select Farms, as the group’s new president. She more...
Nicholas Meat reopens beef plant after snow melt allows land application
Nicholas Meat LLC officials said the company’s Logantown, Pa., beef packing plant reopened Wednesday following a temporary closure to due a dispute more...
Aleph, BRF to co-develop cultivated meat
Israel's Aleph Farms Ltd. and Brazilian pork and poultry processor BRF S.A. have signed a memorandum of understanding to co-develop and produce cultivated more...
Tyson chicken price-fixing settlement includes $99M for consumers
Tyson Foods Inc. will pay $99 million to consumer members of the class of plaintiffs that accused the processor of fixing prices for broilers along with more...
Vaccination efforts for plant workers gain more momentum
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said at a press conference on Tuesday that the state's food manufacturing workers are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 more...
24 meat plants in Canada get emergency funds for safety upgrades
Canadian government officials on Tuesday announced the allocation of up to $7.8 million to 24 meat processors to support investments in safety measures more...
Ruby Tuesday restaurant chain emerges from bankruptcy
Restaurant operator Ruby Tuesday said a Delaware bankruptcy judge last month confirmed the casual dining chain’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan more...
COVID rates in meat plants plummeted in Feb.
Analysis of independent data showed that COVID-19 infection rates among meat and poultry workers averaged just 4.81 new cases per 100,000 workers per more...
Customs seizes nearly 500 lbs. of illegal bologna last month
Efforts to protect U.S. markets from foreign animal diseases continued making progress last month with the seizure of a total of almost 500 lbs. of bologna more...
Beyond Meat’s bumpy ride likely to continue
Beyond Meat Co. late last week reported significantly wider net losses for fiscal 2020, compared to the year earlier, despite healthy growth in revenues more...
S.D. college, processor team to offer instructional program
Western Dakota Technical College announced a new partnership with Wall Meat Processing to implement a meat processing instructional program at the school more...
Processors ramp up vaccine rollouts
Tyson Foods Inc. said this morning it will offer free, onsite COVID-19 vaccinations to thousands of frontline team members at its Iowa plants this week more...
COVID-19 killed three Olymel Red Deer workers: health officials
The recent COVID-19 outbreak at the Olymel pork processing plant in Red Deer, Alberta, played a role in the deaths of three workers, according to Canadian more...
Global ASF outbreaks continue as U.S. prevention efforts expand
Efforts to contain African Swine Fever (ASF) infections among hogs worldwide are showing limited effectiveness while U.S. officials step up potential more...
Iowa bacon-products producer hikes base pay
An Iowa producer of bacon products as of Monday is paying its workers a minimum of $15.25 an hour as it looks to retain and expand its workforce. Quality more...
February 2021
Judge finds Bell & Evans unit liable for wastewater violations
A federal district court judge has ruled that Keystone Protein Co., a subsidiary of Bell & Evans, is liable for violating limits on the discharge more...
Tax abatement gives $200M meat plant momentum
Officials in Boone County, Mo., have approved a tax abatement that will help Swift Prepared Foods to build a $200 million meat processing plant in Columbia more...
Chicken price increases point to sector profit recovery: DLR
The chicken industry is poised for a profit recovery based on price increases for products such as breast meat at a time when production is trending lower more...
USDA extends CFAP deadline for farmers, ranchers
Farmers and ranchers will have at least 30 more days to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) past the originally set Feb. 26 deadline more...
Sanderson: Higher poultry pricing offsetting grain costs for now
Higher poultry pricing and solid retail demand are more than offsetting rising feed expenses, Sanderson Farms said in reporting results for the first more...
Pa. beef packer halts production amid environmental dispute
Nicholas Meat has temporarily closed its Loganton, Pa., cattle slaughterhouse as it addresses a state-issued order demanding the company come into compliance more...
Iowa helps 2 small processors expand
Two small meat processing companies will expand to meet growing demand for locally sourced beef and pork, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) more...
Maple Leaf posts strong Q4, fueled by meat protein
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said sales in its meat protein group grew 11.3% in the fourth quarter, while plant protein sales softened. Brand renovation and more...
Pilgrim’s pleads guilty in price-fixing plea deal with DOJ
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. has pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a multi-million-dollar fine to settle allegations of manipulating chicken prices in a more...
JBS Greeley workers in line for COVID-19 vaccine (Updated)
JBS USA and UFCW Local 7 announced that the company's employees in Colorado will have access to the COVID-19 vaccine on March 5 and 6 in Greeley, in coordination more...
Hormel dinners target shoppers seeking touch-free meals
Hormel Foods' Deli Solutions Group is introducing a line of dinner meals aimed at consumers looking for touch-free meal options. Called Perfect Plate more...
Deli Star, Saint Louis U. partner to offer hands-on learning
Deli Star Corp. is preparing to launch a partnership with Saint Louis University (SLU) designed to provide access to the protein company’s new Food more...
Russia reports first H5N8 jump to humans, WHO to investigate
Russian officials say they have confirmed what they describe as the first cases of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in humans, contracted from infected more...
Cargill's Sikes levels up
Brian Sikes has been named chief operating officer (COO) of Cargill, and will also serve as a management director on the Cargill Board of Directors, the more...
Investors pressure Tyson on lobbying activity, worker safety (UPDATE)
Outside investors are leaning on Tyson Foods for greater accountability in its lobbying activities and humans rights practices in the wake of the COVID-19 more...
Tons of beef tallow recalled
GLG Trading Inc., in Chino, Calif., is recalling about 96,810 pounds of beef tallow products that were imported from the People’s Republic of China more...
NAMI counters consumer group’s claims on NSIS safety
Consumer advocacy groups say data collected in the years leading up to USDA implementing its New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) proves that contamination more...
John Oliver swipes at meat plants, COVID, line speeds
Comedian and social and political commentator John Oliver took aim at the U.S. meat industry — not for the first time — in Sunday night's more...
Olymel addresses backlog from COVID-19-related plant closure
Canada’s Olymel is shifting some of its hog processing operations to U.S. facilities in response to a temporary closure of its Red Deer facility more...
Taco Bell makes its bid in the chicken sandwich wars
Taco Bell announced a test run of its Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco in two cities ahead of a nationwide launch later this year — the Tex-Mex QSR's more...
Tyson, Washington ranch agree to move cattle amidst court dispute
Tyson Fresh Meats and Easterday Ranches Inc. have a court-approved agreement that will allow for the transfer of cattle while the companies work through more...
Ga. poultry plant cleared to reopen after deadly leak
Foundation Food Group has reportedly been given the green light by local and federal agencies to reopen its poultry plant in Gainesville, Ga., after a more...
Hormel outlook bolstered by business overseas
Analysts are offering a mixed take on Hormel Foods a day after the company reported record sales along with a drop in income in the first quarter as its more...
Meijer offers 50% off meat, other perishables near sell-by date
The Meijer grocery chain in the Midwest is rolling out a food waste reduction program that lets customers buy meat and other perishable foods nearing more...
Hormel Foods see early signs of foodservice recovery
Hormel Foods on Thursday reported record first-quarter sales of $2.5 billion, up 3% from the year-ago period, with strong retail and deli sales growth more...
USDA deploys APHIS personnel to help vaccination efforts
Officials with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said the agency has deployed 119 employees to assist administration of more...
Maker of 3D-printed meat substitute raises $29 million
Alt-meat producer Redefine Meat said it completed a $29 million A-series funding round led by Happiness Capital and Hanaco Ventures. The investment will more...
USMEF eyes red meat rebound in Colombia
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is looking to help U.S. beef and pork sales rebound in Colombia this year, in part by expanding the retail presence more...
Fatal stabbing at Prestage plant leads to arrest
Authorities are still looking into an incident at the Prestage Foods pork processing plant in Eagle Grove, Iowa, on Tuesday that left one man dead and more...
2 workers injured in explosion at Agri Star plant
Two workers were injured in an explosion Monday at the Agri Star meat processing plant in Postville, Iowa, according to local media reports. KWWL News more...
Tyson, Pilgrim's halt some operations due to extreme weather
Both Tyson Foods and Pilgrim's have temporarily suspended or scaled back operations at some faciliites due to extreme winter weather conditions across more...
Tyson to offer special incentive for COVID-19 vaccinations
Tyson Foods has announced a new incentive for its plant workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. According to a statement from the processor, Tyson will more...
COVID outbreak temporarily shutters Olymel Red Deer plant
A new COVID-19 outbreak has prompted Olymel to temporarily close its pork processing plant in Red Deer, Alberta, the company announced in a news release more...
Beef: 15, plant-based: 0
New research shows that a nationally representative selection of consumers rate beef — in steak or ground form — at higher scores than a plant-based more...
Whitmore leaves Tyson
Justin Whitmore, Tyson Foods’ executive vice president - alternative protein, is leaving the company to become Chief Strategy Officer for Keurig more...
Giving back: Perdue Farms, Cargill, Smithfield Foods
Perdue Farms awards grants for charitable facility upgrades Perdue Farms Inc. has awarded separate grants to help two charitable organizations make improvements more...
JBS USA delivers COVID-19 vaccinations at Illinois plant
JBS USA has announced that nearly 700 team members at its Beardstown, Ill., pork production facility have received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. more...
J. Alexander's Holdings 'pursuing strategic alternatives'
J. Alexander’s Holdings Inc., owner and operator of J. Alexander’s, Redlands Grill, Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill and other restaurants more...
Popeye’s rode chicken sandwich wave in 2020
The past year, while taxing on so many levels, was huge for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, which saw sales rise more than 20% for the year, buoyed by a 15 more...
'You gotta have goals': Wayne Farms' Juan De Villena talks poultry processing
Like most kids in Peru, Juan De Villena wanted to be a pro soccer player when he grew up. "Of course, I was born playing soccer," he says with a chuckle more...
Grain costs, Planters acquisition to challenge Hormel: analyst
Stephens analyst Ben Bienvenu trimmed his earnings outlook for Hormel Foods on Friday, saying the sharp rise in grain markets is likely to hit the company's more...
Smithfield plant continues battle with COVID in California
Smithfield Foods continues to battle COVID-19 at its Farmer John hot dog plant in Los Angeles, whose home county and state lead the nation in reported more...
Vermont looks to add processing capacity as demand surges
A sharp upturn in demand for local meat, particularly beef and pork, in the COVID-19 pandemic has Vermont officials looking for ways to boost processing more...
Hofmann rolls out chicken sausage line at Tops Friendly
New York's Tops Friendly Markets is the first major retailer to sell Hofmann Sausage Co.'s new line of chicken sausage products. The Syracuse more...
Tyson Foods’ operating earnings top $1 billion in Q1
Tyson Foods early Thursday reported its first-quarter adjusted operating earnings rose 24% to more than $1 billion, with the Springdale, Ark.-based protein more...
Pilgrim’s plays to strengths as feed costs rise, foodservice lags
Pilgrim’s Pride officials said today the company is leaning on its diverse product portfolio and operational improvements to overcome market challenges more...
Aldi to add 100 new stores
Value-oriented grocery chain Aldi announced plans to add 100 new stores nationwide in 2021, with a focus on Arizona, California, Florida and the Northeast more...
Wisconsin governor supports ag industry in new budget
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers plans to include $43 million to support the state’s agricultural industry as part of his 2021-2023 budget proposal. The more...
Olymel opts to continue operations as COVID-19 outbreak expands
Olymel said its Red Deer, Alberta, pork processing plant is running at half volume – despite calls by the local union to temporarily shut down the more...
Tyson buys 49% stake in Malaysian poultry operation
Tyson Foods has announced a new partnership with Malayan Flour Mills Berhad (MFM), a vertically integrated poultry business based in Malaysia. Once approved more...
Higher slaughter outlook lifts meat production forecast: WASDE
USDA projections for red meat and poultry production in 2021 moved higher in part because of expectations for increased slaughter rates and greater protein more...
Alt-meat companies team up to tackle cost, sustainability
Alternative protein company PURIS Holdings today announced the creation of two joint ventures with LIVEKINDLY Collective that aim to accelerate adoption more...
Feds point to conveyor belt in deadly nitrogen leak
In an update on its investigation posted on its website, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) noted that the poultry processor more...
Clemens Food Group slates $228M expansion of pork operations
Clemens Food Group is preparing to invest more than $228 million to build a new pork processing facility in Hartsfield Township, Pa., in response to a more...
Global pork outlook improving but uncertainties remain: Rabobank
Demand for pork products should increase in 2021, although the threat of African Swine Fever (ASF) continues to affect production in many parts of the more...
Aleph Farms, Technion produce first slaughter-free ribeye
The world’s first slaughter-free ribeye steak made of animal cells — with no genetic engineering or immortalization — has officially more...
Olymel sees new COVID-19 cases as union seeks shutdown
Canadian health officials confirmed a flare-up of new outbreaks of COVID-19 at an Olymel pork plant prompting the union representing the plant workers more...
Public poultry firms should see '21 earnings boost: analyst
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., Sanderson Farms and Tyson Foods Inc. are poised to show improvements in fundamentals this year and higher prices for chicken more...
Chef’s Warehouse expands Allen Bros. brand
The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. plans to transition its Del Monte Capital Meat Company, Bassian Farms and Ports Seafood brands to the Allen Brothers brand for more...
Gainesville victims' families get help from coalition
A "Gainesville Relief" fund has been created to help support the families of six employees of Foundation Food Group who died in the January nitrogen leak more...
2 challenges to New Swine Inspection System advance in courts
A lawsuit by environmental and consumer advocacy organizations challenging USDA's New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) will proceed after a federal judge more...
Smithfield’s sustainability claims challenged in FTC complaint
Food & Water Watch and other consumer advocacy groups on Thursday filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, asking the body to enjoin Smithfield more...
Olymel to boost capacity at Ange-Gardien pork plant
Olymel has announced it will be investing $9 million to establish a second shift at its Ange-Gardien pork processing plant in Montérégie-Est more...
Giving back: Sanderson Farms, Illinois Pork Producers
Sanderson Farms Championship donates $1.45M The Sanderson Farms Championship golf tournament in January presented a $1.45 million donation to Friends more...
National Beef worker dies in industrial accident in Kan. (Updated)
An employee at the National Beef plant in Liberal, Kansas, died as a result of an industrial accident at the plant on Sunday, the company has confirmed more...
Tyson investigates ammonia leak at Missouri plant
Tyson Foods is investigating an ammonia leak that occurred Wednesday morning at its Noel, Mo., plant, the company confirmed to Meatingplace. Multiple more...
JBS expands plant, boosts bologna production
JBS S.A. announced this week that the company has invested R$60 million (US$11 million) to expand its processing plant in Jaguariúna, a city in more...
Tyson unveils career development program for frontline workers
Tyson Foods said it is launching an in-plant career development program to give frontline team members job skills training and workforce certifications more...
Cattle operator targeted in Tyson fraud lawsuit files for Chapter 11
Easterday Ranches Inc. is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the wake of a lawsuit filed by Tyson Foods Inc. accusing the company of swindling more...
FSIS issues public health alert for E. coli in ground beef
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for a raw beef product produced by Greater Omaha Packing Co more...
Impossible drops MSRP by 20%
Impossible Foods credits growth and improving economies of scale for its plans to drop the manufacturers suggested retail price by 20% across its product more...
News briefs: Regeneration Farms, Hormel, Hofmann Sausage, Ill. Pork Producers
Regeneration Farms teams with Blue Nest Beef Regeneration Farms said it will sell its Tree-Range Chicken brand through Blue Nest Beef's website. Blue more...
Deadly Ga. gas leak probe continues, activists reportedly seek change
The organization investigating last week’s nitrogen leak that killed six employees at a poultry plant in Gainesville, Ga., is focusing on cryogenic more...
Lawmakers look to jump-start interstate state-inspected meat sales
Provisions to allow for the sale of state-inspected meat across state lines are heating up on both federal and local levels in an effort to boost the more...
Meat plant COVID case rates higher in Jan., still lower than May
New COVID-19 infection rates among meat and poultry workers are 60% lower than in the general U.S. population and two-thirds lower than case rates in more...
Hormel’s Leitch to retire, two promoted
Glenn Leitch, Hormel Foods Corp.’s executive vice president of supply chain, will retire during the second calendar quarter of 2021, the company more...
COVID ‘guidelines’ hit the fan with Congressional investigation
Conflict over how meatpackers have handled worker safety issues as COVID-19 emerged across the country — then re-emerged — has been moved more...
Foster Farms worker dies in industrial accident (Updated)
California safety officials are reportedly investigating the death of a Foster Farms employee in Livingston, Calif. Mario Ramos Espinoza, 50, died more...
Tyson seeks dismissal of wrongful death case in federal court
Tyson Foods Inc. is challenging whether a federal court is the proper forum to decide a lawsuit accusing the processor of “willful misconduct” more...
Foodservice, meat sector recoveries uneven: CoBank
The U.S. animal protein sector must remain flexible in service to its various customers as the foodservice industry continues to climb out of a big hole more...
January 2021
Smithfield to trim sodium, sugar and ingredient statements
Smithfield Foods Inc. today set out to reduce sodium, sugar and ingredient statements as part of sustainability goals that include health and wellness more...
New worker protection laws proposed in Minn., Iowa
State lawmakers in Minnesota and Iowa announced proposed legislation intended to improve the safety of workers in meat processing plants, according to more...
McDonald's says core items like Big Mac lift Q4 sales
McDonald's reported its fourth-quarter same-store sales rose 5.5%, bolstered by core menu items such as the Big Mac and Egg McMuffin. The company said more...
Take Meatingplace’s 10-second quiz
Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether it is true or false. Loading…We will publish the answer and results more...
Nitrogen leak at Ga. poultry plant kills 6, injures 11 (updated)
Six people were killed and 11 others were treated for injuries after a liquid nitrogen line ruptured at the Foundation Food Group poultry plant in Gainesville more...
Tyson sues cattle operator for $200 million in losses
A large Washington state cattle operator “fed” more than 200,000 non-existent cattle for years, Tyson Foods alleges in a lawsuit filed this more...
Thomas Foods adds operations in Toronto, Rio
Thomas Foods International has opened offices in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and in Toronto, the company said in a news release. The additional more...
Texas A&M plans $850,000 upgrade for poultry science
Texas A&M University will be investing $850,000 in new faculty and infrastructure improvements to its poultry department, the school announced more...
Pilgrim’s Pride probes fatal accident at Texas poultry plant
The death of an outside contractor working on the roof of a Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. poultry processing plant in Waco, Texas, has prompted the company more...
Beyond Meat, PepsiCo partner on plant-based snacks
Beyond Meat Inc. and PepsiCo Inc. on Tuesday announced they will form a joint venture to develop, produce and market snacks and beverages made from plant-based more...
UFCW angling for the COVID-19 vaccine in Canada
A president of the United Food and Commercial Workers union in Canada is signaling that meatpacking workers in the country should receive priority for more...
U.S. protein industry expected to face 2021 challenges: CoBank
The U.S. beef, chicken and pork industries will have to address a variety of issues in order to maintain or jumpstart growth during 2021, according to more...
Lawsuit vs. Tyson over COVID-19 death moved to federal court
A lawsuit accusing Tyson Foods Inc. of failing to protect workers as the COVID-19 pandemic escalated in 2020 is moving to a federal court from a state more...
Petition urges USDA to target salmonella, campylobacter with new standards
In a regulatory petition filed Jan. 25 with USDA, four consumer advocacy groups are calling on the agency to introduce new enforceable standards aimed more...
COVID-19 slammed Indiana food producers by $500 mil: study
Indiana’s food industry took an aggregate revenue hit of $500 million as a result of COVID-19, according to a new report from Purdue University more...
Cold storage data is all over the place
Year-end supplies of pork, beef, chicken and turkey in cold storage wass either up or down significantly compared with the same period in years past, more...
USDA withdraws poultry line speed proposal
USDA has withdrawn a proposal, submitted by the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to the Office of Budget and Management (OMB) more...
China addresses first COVID-19 outbreak at meat plant: reports
Chinese public health officials are investigating what is being described as the country’s first COVID-19 outbreak at a meat processing plant, according more...
Avian flu update: New outbreaks in Asia
Reports of new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been lodged in South Korea and India. The latest case of the H5N8 strain of the bird more...
UK meat import standards could change, boosting imports from the U.S.
Legislative stumbles in the UK parliament could open the doors to new imports of U.S. chicken and beef. According to a new report from the Guardian, parliament more...
Biden issues executive order on worker safety protection
President Joe Biden on Thursday signed an executive order that directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to revise guidance to more...
ASF vaccine news — some positive, some scary
Like a swine-centered parallel to the spread and responses to COVID-19 in humans, African Swine Fever persists, particularly in Asia. New strains have more...
Idaho Beef Council announces $250,000 endowment for Univ. of Idaho
The Idaho Beef Council has announced a $250,000 endowment to the University of Idaho to support graduate students studying meat science. In a video of more...
News briefs: Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Brooklyn Cured
Progressive Beef certifies 40% of Wendy's supplyProgressive Beef said 40% of Wendy's fresh beef supply was sourced from feedlots certified by the third-party more...
Koch Foods expanding plant with tax incentive boost
City officials in Gadsden, Ala., on Tuesday approved a 10-year tax abatement to help Koch Foods expand its local poultry plant, the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial more...
Jensen Meat to boost production of plant-based products
Ground beef processor Jensen Meat is expanding both of its facilities in Southern California in an effort to increase production of plant-based protein more...
NPPC, AFBF keep up fight against California’s Prop 12
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) continued their fight against a California animal housing law more...
News briefs: IHOP, Friendly's, ButcherBox, Southeastern Grocers
IHOP eyes to-go market with burritos, bowls IHOP said it has introduced a new menu line called Burritos & Bowls with portability in mind. With prices more...
Trump pardons three involved in beef misbranding scandal
Among the pardons granted by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, three were given to Gregory, Deborah and Martin Jorgensen of South Dakota, who were involved more...
FDA commissioner pushes back on gene-edited livestock MOU
The head of the Food and Drug Administration took to Twitter to express the agency’s opposition to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced more...
U.K.-based group calls for more organ meat consumption
An organization based in the United Kingdom is launching an effort to promote consumer awareness and consumption of organ meats, citing their nutritional more...
Arkansas State gets major grant to boost processing programs
Arkansas State University has received a $500,000 grant that will help its college of agriculture improve its meat processing safety equipment and better more...
USDA, FDA sign MOU on gene-edited livestock for food
USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services, of the Food and Drug Administration is a part, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that put more...
Virginia ag commish selected for USDA deputy secretary role
Jewell Bronaugh, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, has been nominated by President-elect Biden to serve as more...
Beyond Meat inks 12-year deal on new HQ
Beyond Meat’s new global headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., should be completed in the spring, the provider of plant-based protein recently announced more...
NAMI's McCullough passionate about science, naturally
For some, science is just in their nature. KatieRose McCullough, director of regulatory and scientific affairs with the North American Meat Institute more...
Avian flu update: Japan sets culling record, France's cases soar
The impact of the spread of avian influenza (AI) in Japan and France recently hit new milestones as the season continues overseas. Confirmed outbreaks more...
Nebraska bill would help local processors, consumers with options
Lawmakers in Nebraska are weighing a measure designed to help local meat processors expand capacity and offer consumers more options. The bill introduced more...
Taco Bell ready to jump into QSR chicken sandwich war: report
Another day, another entry into the battle for chicken sandwich market share in the fast-food realm — this time from Taco Bell, according to a report more...
Wayne Farms gets settlement, judgment in LinkedIn fraudster case
Wayne Farms has reached a settlement with social media platform LinkedIn, and is pursuing a “John Doe” would-be fraudster in a lawsuit filed more...
Tyson shareholders seek single-class stock structure, human rights report
Tyson Foods is recommending against a shareholder proposal asking the company to develop a recapitalization plan that would result in one vote per share more...
UFCW complaint over Cargill’s COVID-19 response discussed in hearings
The Alberta (Canada) Labour Relations Board continued hearings this week to discuss a complaint in which the United Food and Commercial Workers union more...
USDA expands COVID-19 assistance for some producers
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide additional assistance for certain producers more...
Giving back: Pre Brands, Agri Beef, Tyson Fresh Meats
Pre Brands helps with emergency food assistance Grass-fed beef provider Pre Brands said it has donated 6,000 pounds of lean beef to Inspiration Kitchens more...
NPPC accuses FDA of 'delay tactics' on gene-edited livestock
The National Pork Producers Council is continuing its campaign in support of a proposal to transfer regulatory oversight of gene-edited livestock to USDA more...
New Slim Jim snack features Sonic chili dog flavor
Sonic Drive-In has announced a licensing partnership with Slim Jim to produce a beef stick simulating the flavor of the fast food chain’s fan-favorite more...
Taco Bell partners with Beyond Meat
Taco Bell said it will work with Beyond Meat to create a plant-based protein for the quick-service restaurant chain. The partnership with Beyond Meat more...
Germany to cull 37,000 chickens as bird flu threat continues
Germany plans to slaughter about 37,000 chickens after bird flu was found on a farm in the east of the country, Reuters reported. Type H5N8 bird flu was more...
Butterball to expand 2 Ark. processing plants, creating 360 jobs
Turkey producer Butterball on Wednesday announced it is investing a total of $8.7 million and creating 360 new jobs within three years in two processing more...
Cargill, Tyson, JBS suspend PAC activity, review strategies (Updated)
Cargill, Tyson Foods and JBS USA have joined a growing list of large companies that are pausing political campaign contributions following last week's more...
Tyson expands clinical services to include COVID-19 vaccines
Tyson Foods Inc. announced it will continue to work with Matrix Medical Network to boost COVID-19 education resources and access to COVID-19 vaccines more...
Conestoga Meats sees new COVID-19 outbreak in Ontario plant
There has been a second COVID-19 outbreak at the Conestoga Meats pork processing plant in Ontario. According to a report from the Canadian Broadcasting more...
Tyson also proposes settlement in broiler pricing-fixing case
Tyson Foods Inc. has agreed to settle a portion of a class action lawsuit accusing major poultry processors of fixing prices for broiler chickens, which more...
Plumrose USA switches to Swift name
Plumrose USA, a JBS USA branded packaged meat subsidiary of JBS USA, is rebranding to become Swift Prepared Foods, the company said in a news release more...
Meat department closes out 2020 18.4% above 2019 levels
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. November and December sales were dominated by the holidays more...
COVID-stalled Cargill plant takes sustainability steps
Cargill’s Guelph, Ontario beef plant made headlines last month when COVID-19 infections temporarily shut it down, but with the plant reopened and more...
Pilgrim’s Pride settles part of another broiler antitrust case
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. is prepared to pay $75 million to settle part of an antitrust lawsuit over broiler chicken pricing, its second such action more...
Canadian police to probe Cargill worker’s COVID death: report
Canadian police are investigating the death of a Cargill meat plant worker of COVID-19 in Alberta, according to a report by the CBC. The Royal more...
Tyson to invest $26 million in Texas bacon plant
Tyson Foods is spending $26 million to expand its Wright Brand Bacon plant in Vernon, Texas, the company said in a news release. Slated to be completed more...
NCBA plans for one virtual and one in-person meeting
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced it will host a two-day virtual event in February to bring cattle industry participants more...
BK embarks on brand overhaul
With a new logo unveiled this week, Restaurant Brands International (RBI) has embarked on an extensive overhaul of its Burger King brand, according to more...
Canadian meat industry eyes Taiwan market
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) is encouraging the Canadian government to expand trading partners for the country’s beef industry more...
Smithfield touts latest step in cutting greenhouse gas emissions
Smithfield Foods said it is another step closer to achieving its goal of curbing its greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2025. In a post on social media, more...
Another 'sandwich war' contender: KFC
Kentucky Fried Chicken sought to get ahead of McDonald's in the Chicken Sandwich Wars 2.0 with the early 2021 rollout of a new crispy chicken sandwich more...
Peco Foods to close 3 Mississippi facilities in streamlining move
Poultry processor Peco Foods on Thursday said it will close three facilities in Mississippi while investing resources in operations elsewhere across the more...
Smithfield Foods CEO Organ names executive team
Smithfield Foods on Thursday announced a slew of promotions and retirements as its president and CEO, Dennis Organ, forms his leadership team after recently more...
Tyson pork and Cargill beef plants running again
A Tyson Foods pork plant in Iowa is up and running again after a three-week hiatus. “We resumed limited production at our Columbus Junction more...
USDA awards digital modernization contract to IBM
USDA signed a five-year agreement with IBM Corp. to help the agency implement its digital modernization strategy, designed to help ranchers and farmers more...
Nebraska high court approves Costco-affiliated poultry farm plan
The Nebraska Supreme Court has affirmed a special use permit allowing construction of a poultry farm that would supply birds to the Lincoln Premium Poultry more...
Sappenfield named president of Simmons Prepared
Simmons Foods announced Joel Sappenfield has joined the company as president of Simmons Prepared Foods. Sappenfield will be responsible for all aspects more...
Bank of America boosts Pilgrim's to 'buy,' sees better chicken pricing ahead
Bank of America on Wednesday raised its investment rating on shares of Pilgrim's Pride to "buy" from "neutral" in anticipation of a U.S. economic recovery more...
Neb. official clarifies meat plant worker status for COVID-19 vaccine
Meat processing workers in Nebraska will not need to prove U.S. citizenship ito receive a COVID-19 vaccination, a spokesman for Gov. Pete Ricketts announced more...
Union mum on Mountaire workers' rejection of representation (UPDATED)
The union that once represented an estimated 1,000 Mountaire Farms employees in Delaware has yet to comment on an announcement the processor released more...
Aleph Farms in agreement to make cultured steaks for Japan
Rehovot, Israel-based Aleph Farms Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Mitsubishi Corp.’s Food Industry Group to bring cultivated more...
Researchers quantify effects of PAA in processing wastewater: study
Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have completed a project investigating the effect of peracetic acid (PAA) solutions in poultry processing more...
Pig, broiler production costs climb 40-50% in Brazil
Monthly production costs for pigs and broilers are up between 40% and 50% in Brazil in the last year, according to new research from the Brazilian Agriculture more...
Tyson appeals order sending negligence suit back to state court
Attorneys representing Tyson Foods Inc. are appealing a federal judge’s order that sends a lawsuit against the processor based on the COVID-19-related more...
NCC defends line-speed waivers after Post report
The National Chicken Council is refuting the notion of any connection between slaughter line speeds at U.S. poultry plants and increases cases of COVID-19 more...
McDonald's trumpets the imminent arrival of its chicken sandwich
McDonald's Corp. has set the date for the rollout of its contribution to the QSR chicken sandwich wars at Feb. 24, the company said in a news release more...
Lower cattle numbers will support prices in 2021: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Germany’s ASF response has implications for U.S. pork
Mercedes-Benz founder Gottlieb Daimler said it, well, best: “Das beste oder nichts.” “The best or nothing,” as the German phrase more...
Chefs predict 2021's top dining trends: Food & Wine
After the upheaval of 2020, pandemic-weary Americans will be craving memorable experiences when they do dine out next year, according to Food & Wine more...
Brazil's beef industry association forecasts exports up 6% in 2021
Brazilian beef exports should reach 2.14 million metric tons in 2021, up 6% from the 2.02 million tons expected to be shipped in 2020, according to beef more...
December 2020
Hormel, Tyson maintain sales momentum, scanner data show
Hormel Foods Corp. and Tyson Foods Inc. maintained positive sales growth last month, especially in terms of breakfast meats and value-added products, more...
Kroger rings up big burger and ham sales, predicts 2021 food trends
Fresh ground beef patties and Black Forest ham joined zero-calorie soft drinks, shredded cheese and flavored potato chips at the top of Americans' grocery more...
A discussion with Lars Hinrichsen of the Danish Meat Institute
As the executive vice president of the Danish Meat Research Institute, Lars Hinrichsen has been at the forefront of automation in meat processing. Through more...
Judge requires Foster Farms to comply with COVID safety protocols
A California state judge last week issued a temporary restraining order against poultry processor Foster Farms. The order was issued by Judge Brian L more...
Cal/OSHA issues list of latest fines for COVID-19 violations
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has released a list of proposed fines against five meat processors for failing more...
#BaconGiftSwap: Out with the fizzle, in with the sizzle
According to a holiday consumer survey, more than 81% of Americans say they receive an unwanted item for the holidays every year. The OnePoll survey more...
Government’s new dietary guidelines suggest seafood over hot dogs
The government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 were released Tuesday under the theme “Make Every Bite Count.” more...
Whole Foods to phase out live-shackle chicken slaughter
Whole Foods Market has become the first major U.S. retailer to commit to phase out live-shackle slaughter across its major chicken suppliers, according more...
Canadian alt-protein firm prepares for U.S. expansion
Modern Meat Inc. is teaming with a California-based company to bring its portfolio of plant-based meat alternatives to the U.S. market for the first time more...
USDA seeks oversight of movement of genetically engineered livestock
USDA has announced a proposed regulation on the "movement of animals modified or developed by genetic engineering," a follow-up to the agency's move last more...
Armando Pasetti, longtime leader of Volpi Foods, dies at 96
Armando Pasetti, chief emeritus and master salumiere for Volpi Foods in St. Louis, died Christmas Eve at the age of 96, the company said more...
News briefs: CAB, Jack in the Box, Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs, Bachoco, NAMI
CAB extends deadline for college scholarship The Certified Angus Beef brand said it has extended the deadline for its CAB Colvin Scholarship to Jan. 31 more...
Retailers make big moves to beef up margins
With Costco Wholesale Corp.’s 2019 opening of a $400 million, 400,000-square-foot chicken processing plant in Fremont, Neb., a big ol' bird crossed more...
OIE confirms pork exporter Belgium is ASF-free
The World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) this week confirmed the ASF-free status of Belgium, which had been removed in September 2018 due to an outbreak more...
GRSB names 2021 executive committee
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) announced the results of the 2021 GRSB Executive Committee election. The group's mission is to advance more...
Pork still moving out of cold storage
Frozen red meat inventories fell 2% from the previous month and dropped 12% from last year, driven by a drawdown of pork, USDA said in its latest Cold more...
Canada's listeria-related deli meat recall updated
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has again updated a recall warning for certain deli meats to include additional information that was identified more...
Just how do Santa's reindeer get the job done?
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State more...
UFCW, NAMI urge states to prioritize meat workers for vaccine
The North American Meat Institute and the largest U.S. union for meatpacking workers today sent a joint letter calling on all 50 U.S. governors to urgently more...
Nova Scotia plant approved to reopen after COVID outbreak
A poultry plant in Nova Scotia that closed earlier this month after a COVID-19 outbreak has gained approval to reopen ahead of schedule with a reduced more...
Charcuterie chalet is the new gingerbread house
Nostalgia, comfort and finding adventure through food are among the forces that will drive food choices in 2021, Hormel Foods said in a press release more...
Hormel Foods opens sausage plant in Nebraska
Hormel Foods Corp. is looking to hire nearly 350 workers for its newest production plant near Omaha, Neb. Hormel on Tuesday announced the opening of the more...
‘Horse-playing’ cited in Mar-Jac plant worker death
Authorities have identified the Mar-Jac Poultry employee who died last week following an incident in a battery room at the company’s plant in Hattiesburg more...
Widow of COVID-19 victim sues Tyson over work policies
The widow of a supervisor at a Philadelphia plant owned by Tyson Foods Inc. is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and accusing the processor of more...
USDA seeks oversight of gene-edited livestock
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to solicit public input and feedback on potential new USDA more...
UFW asks judge to enforce COVID-19 rules at Foster Farms
A judge in California’s Merced County is reportedly set to rule Wednesday on whether to impose a restraining order on a Foster Farms poultry facility more...
Darden makes exec changes, reports tough quarter
Darden Restaurants has named Ricardo Cardenas president and chief operating officer, while Chief Executive Officer Eugene Lee Jr. adds the title of chairman more...
Giving back: Applegate, Tyson Fresh Meats, Pilgrim's Pride
Applegate donates 20,000 meals to end childhood hunger Natural and organic meat brand Applegate will donate more than 20,000 meals to Conscious Alliance's more...
Analysts weigh in on Sanderson Farms earnings
Near-term challenges aside, Sanderson Farms is likely looking at record earnings over the next few years, according to BMO Capital Markets analyst Kenneth more...
FSIS looks back at 2020 accomplishments
COVID-19’s impact on meatpacking plants and the workers inside them are well-documented, but alongside those breaking down carcasses and cutting more...
Meat industry icon Morris Burger dies
Morris Burger, second-generation leader of California, Mo.-based Burgers’ Smokehouse, has died after a years-long battle with cancer. He was 85 more...
Sous vide method may make beef easier to digest
The cooking technique Sous vide — French for “under vacuum” — is not only getting more mainstream, it also may make beef easier more...
Sanderson Farms ready for vaccine after a profitable quarter
Sanderson Farms is reporting increased sales even as it contends with the most employee absences since the coronavirus hit the U.S. in March. The company more...
Mar-Jac mourns poultry worker’s death
A Mar-Jac Poultry worker died Wednesday following an accident at the company’s Hattiesburg, Miss., plant, the complex manager said in a statement more...
Japan honors former USMEF CEO Seng
Japan has awarded Philip M. Seng with the "Order of the Rising Sun," an honor that is given to those who have made distinguished achievements in areas more...
Canada processor hit by COVID scrambles to divert birds
A Nova Scotia poultry plant that shut operations last week due to a COVID-19 outbreak is developing a plan to reopen earlier than currently scheduled more...
NYC comptroller asks SEC to probe Tyson on COVID-19 response
The comptroller of the city of New York wants the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate Tyson Foods Inc. based on the company’s more...
Tyson named in new lawsuit after plant worker dies from COVID-19
The family of a worker at a Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Storm Lake, Iowa, is suing the processor for allegedly failing to heed official warnings on worker more...
South Dakota creates grant program for small processors
Small processors that provide services to South Dakota-based producers will be eligible for a new $5 million grant program aimed at boosting the state’s more...
Plant & Bean, Nestle make big moves in alt-meat world
Alt-meat producers Nestle and Plant & Bean both have announced big investments in their respective food enterprises. Plant & Bean has announced more...
FDA approves biotech-altered pigs for food, therapeutic uses
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-its-kind intentional genomic alteration (IGA) in a line of domestic pigs intended for both more...
Japan bestows high honor on Phil Seng
Former CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), Phil Seng, has been awarded one of Japan's highest civilian honors, the "Order of the Rising Sun more...
AMSA's Deidrea Mabry is a "grow pro"
Like a photographer with a GoPro camera, Deidrea Mabry is all about capturing meat science action in real time, whether it's what's happening in research more...
USDA appoints agency veteran its new chief economist
Seth Meyer, a former USDA economist, has been named the agency’s new chief economist, effective at the end of January 2021. Meyer will succeed Robert more...
DOJ, states join Prop 12 legal fight
The federal Department of Justice and 20 states have joined the North American Meat Institute’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of California’s Proposition more...
Canadian poultry plant closed due to COVID-19
A poultry processing facility in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia closed last week for a two-week period to try and break the cycle of COVID-19 transmission more...
National Chicken Council website gets a fresh look
The National Chicken Council (NCC) announced its newly refurbished website, featuring an easy-to-navigate user interface that highlights the latest policy more...
Please skip this Wisconsin holiday tradition: raw meat sandwiches
Public health officials in Wisconsin are urging residents to avoid biting into one seasonal tradition, warning raw meat can lead to illnesses. “Sometimes more...
Perdue Farms calls for multi-state COVID-19 vaccine plan
Perdue Farms is calling for a multi-state, coordinated plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to both meatpacking workers and their families. In more...
Brazil’s meat industry predicts strong 2021 market
The Brazilian meat industry is predicting strong growth in 2021, according to a MercoPress report of ABPA research. Despite higher grain costs, more...
Germany presses China to ease ASF restrictions
Germany’s government continues to work to convince China to ease a ban Beijing imposed on German pork exports due to African swine fever (ASF) concerns more...
Smithfield now producing renewable natural gas in Utah
Smithfield Foods and Dominion Energy have completed their first renewable natural gas project, which is now producing energy from 26 hog farms in southwestern more...
Meat, poultry groups like Vilsack for top USDA post
Major meat and poultry trade groups are applauding President-elect Joe Biden’s nomination of Tom Vilsack for secretary of agriculture, which would more...
Tyson Foods names first chief medical officer
Tyson Foods Inc. on Thursday announced the appointment of Dr. Claudia Coplein to the newly created role of chief medical officer. Coplein is a physician more...
U.S. red meat production forecast still climbing: USDA
USDA on Thursday raised production forecasts for beef and pork for 2020, but lowered its outlook for broiler and turkey production in its latest World more...
Giving back: Hormel Foods, JBS USA, Perdue Farms
Hormel holiday concert spotlights hunger relief Hormel Foods will host another in its virtual Concerts of Hope & Thanks series. Set for Friday, the more...
Butterball says it will ramp down some Carthage plant operations
Butterball on Wednesday said it will ramp down some manufacturing operations at its Carthage, Mo., processing plant as the company works to better align more...
Meat snacks maker plans expansion, creating 40 new jobs
Grayson Natural Farms will be investing $1.5 million in an expansion of its smokehouse and production operation. According to an announcement from Virginia more...
Vietnam ripe for U.S. pork exports over next decade: study
Growth in Vietnamese pork consumption, aided by an expected shift in the country's production to modern infrastructures from backyards, could also benefit more...
George’s workers stage walkout over working conditions at poultry plant
About 20 employees at a George’s Inc. poultry facility in Springdale, Ark., walked off the job Tuesday to protest working conditions, although it’s more...
Target adds its name to list of chicken price-fixing accusers
Target Corp. is the latest retail chain to accuse at least three of the nation’s top chicken processors of illegally conspiring to fix the price more...
Foster Farms Fresno plant has reopened
Foster Farms’ Fresno Cherry Plant reopened Monday after being idled over the weekend for "deep sanitation," the company said in an emailed update more...
FSIS takes issue with inspectors' complaints
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service disagrees with its meat plant inspectors' complaints about how the agency, and the companies whose products more...
Philippines, Vietnam should be U.S. pork export targets: Pork Board
The U.S. pork industry should consider the Philippines and Vietnam as the next areas ripe for export of American pork products in the wake of African more...
Resurgence: Foster Farms closes Fresno plant, Cargill sends workers home (updated)
Foster Farms is temporarily shutting down its poultry processing plant in Fresno, Calif., after 193 workers tested positive for the coronavirus in the more...
FSIS inspectors vent about lack of protection from COVID
Federal inspectors at meat processing plants across the country are frustrated over what they say is a lack of protection against the coronavirus, from more...
Researchers to study air quality near poultry operations
The University of Oklahoma is seeking volunteers for a study on airborne contaminants from large-scale poultry-feeding operations, or PFOs. Researchers more...
Meat dominates GrubHub's 2020 take-out trends
In a watershed year for take-out dining, meat dishes dominated consumers' favorite orders, according to Grubhub's annual "Year In Food" report. Grubhub more...
JBS responds to COVID-19 outbreak in Greeley plant (updated)
JBS USA has implemented a number of policies at its Greeley, Colo., beef plant in response to a new COVID-19 outbreak. According to details from Cameron more...
NAMI seeks COVID vaccine for meat workers in phase 2
The North American Meat Institute on Friday said it is urging federal authorities to highly prioritize COVID-19 vaccination for meat and poultry industry more...
Smithfield offers to help in COVID vaccine distribution
Smithfield Foods is offering local governments access to its freezer spaces to store the new COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer. "We continue to work with health more...
Johnsonville's new flavors, sandwiches hit C-stores
Johnsonville's foodservice team announced the introduction of ready-to-eat sandwiches and three new roller-grill sausage flavors for the convenience store more...
2021 event cancellations, adjustments begin
With dire coronavirus predictions for the winter ahead dominating the headlines now, organizations are beginning to think the better of trying to pull more...
Pa. governor vetoes COVID-19 shield bill
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf this week vetoed a bill that would have provided broad protections to the state’s health care facilities and manufacturing more...
APHIS grants $14.4M for biosecurity research
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is awarding $14.4 million to 76 projects with states, universities and other partners to strengthen more...
Slim Jim recipe creator dies of COVID
The man credited for creating the modern recipe for the ubiquitous Slim Jim meat snack has died, according to a report by the News & Observer. Alonzo more...
Details emerge on $24.5M JBS pork price-fixing settlement
Plaintiffs in a long-running pork price-fixing lawsuit have filed for preliminary approval of their settlement agreement with JBS, and in the process more...
House Democrats nominate next ag committee chair
The U.S. House Democratic Steering Committee on Tuesday made several leadership recommedations for other House committees, including Georgia Rep. David more...
Singapore opens door for U.S. company's cell-based chicken
San Francisco-based Eat Just Inc. is preparing to introduce its cell-cultivated chicken in Singapore, which has become the first country to approve the more...
U.S. poultry industry study tracks job growth, economic impact
U.S. poultry industry groups on Wednesday released an updated economic impact study showing the sector created 154,833 additional jobs over the past two more...
Salm Partners gets private equity investment
Salm Partners, a Denmark, Wisc.-based contract processor for major brand sausages and hot dogs, has sold an undisclosed stake in the company to Chicago-based more...
CDC meets this afternoon on vaccine prioritization
The Centers for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will conduct an emergency meeting this afternoon to determine which segments more...
China moves forward on Phase One trade steps: reports
The Phase One trade agreement between the United States and China moved another step forward with the completion of quarantine protocols required to allow more...
News briefs: Creekstone Farms, Belgium, Canada's virtual reality tours
Creekstone Farms is exporter of the year Creekstone Farms Premium Beef has been selected to receive the 2020 Kansas Exporter of the Year Award, presented more...
November 2020
European nations step up avian flu outbreak responses
Belgium, Norway and the United Kingdom all reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the last week, prompting local officials to take more...
Canadian government promises additional support for producers
The Canadian federal government announced a "substantial package" for supply-managed poultry farmers, along with dairy and egg farmers, to ensure "full more...
Prepared meat products recalled for salmonella
Metro Ontario Inc. is recalling certain Metro brand products, including some containing meat, from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination more...
When pig guts fly: Battle in Taiwan over U.S. pork imports
A soon-to-be-enacted policy allowing imports of U.S. pork and beef is proving controversial in Taiwan, prompting lawmakers to throw pig guts and fists more...
AI-powered 'electronic nose' to sniff out meat freshness
A team of scientists led by Nanyang Technological University in Singapore has invented an electronic nose that can assess the freshness of meat with 98 more...
Canadians' faith in food system increases during pandemic
Canadians are optimistic about their food supply, even as Canada's food system faces exceptional pressure and public scrutiny due to the COVID-19 pandemic more...
New Zealand grass-fed brand launches U.S. DTC site
Silver Fern Farms has launched a direct-to-consumer e-commerce website for selling its premium grass-fed red meat products from New Zealand to customers' more...
Albertsons adds 12 entrées to its eating-at-home lineup
Albertsons Companies is adding to its Own Brands lineup of convenient meals, given the ongoing pandemic has more Americans eating at home, the Boise, more...
Indiana divvies up $4M in CARES funds among 41 processors
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture has announced it is distributing $4 million in federal CARES Act funding to 41 small local meat processing more...
Opposition emerges to processing plant proposal in Illinois
A small-scale plant that would process pork and beef, proposed for the town of Hebron, Ill., near the Wisconsin border, has become the target of a direct-mail more...
Meat eaters have fewer bone fractures, research finds
People who include animal protein in their diets are less likely to suffer from bone fractures, according to new research. Based on data involving nearly more...
Giving back: Mountaire Farms, USDA, red meat processors, Iowa Select Farms
Thanksgiving for Thousands The annual Mountaire Farms charity event, Thanksgiving for Thousands, went on this year as planned, with some modifications more...
Front of the line: Meat plant workers and vaccines
Momentum is building behind the idea that meat plant employees — along with other workers in the food processing industry, and health care workers more...
Packer who falsified E. coli test results fined $15,000
The owner and general manager of New England Meat Packing LLC in Stafford Springs, Conn., was sentenced Tuesday to two years of probation for fabricating more...
Holidays, exports draw down red meat inventories
Red meat inventories in storage continued to dwindle in the fourth quarter of the calendar year, while poultry stocks remained steady, according to USDA's more...
Giving back: Perdue, Hormel, Cargill
Perdue Farms' $100,000 grant funds truck Perdue Farms said it provided a $100,000 grant to pay for a refrigerated tractor-trailer to help Feed More of more...
[UPDATE] Study suggests meatpacking plants "COVID-19 transmission vectors"
Data from a new study indicate a strong link between meat processing plants and local community transmission of COVID-19. The analysis, published in the more...
Hormel sees Q4 sales, earnings slip; optimistic for '21
Hormel Foods Corp. reported lower sales and profits in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 but company officials say they remain optimistic for prospects more...
West Liberty Foods' Lessard to retire
Gerald Lessard, West Liberty Foods' longtime president of operations, will retire at the end of this month, the company said in a news release. Lessard more...
Hormel hosts Friendsgiving on YouTube
Hormel Foods Corp will host the "World’s Largest Virtual Friendsgiving Hormel Foods Edition" tonight at 7 p.m. Central Time on the Hormel Foods more...
Three chicken processors pay fines over wage violations
The U.S. Department of Labor said three processors — Peco Foods Inc., Koch Foods and Pearl River Foods — paid nearly $46,000 in back more...
Barber Foods nicked by OSHA fine for COVID violations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced another round of fines handed down for violations of health and safety standards related more...
Listeria concerns prompt pastrami recall
Levitts Foods (Canada) Inc. is recalling Compliments brand Smoked Beef Pastrami from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination more...
News briefs: USDA, Jack Link’s, Volpi Foods, Coleman Natural
USDA announces scholars programs for Black, tribal land-grant colleges Applications are open for the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program and the USDA more...
Smithfield settles with neighbors after court upholds nuisance verdict
Smithfield Foods announced Thursday it has settled with plaintiffs after a panel of appellate judges upheld an earlier trial verdict in district court more...
JBS USA to cover 100% of COVID-19 healthcare costs for workforce
JBS USA on Friday announced an enhancement to the company’s health plan to cover 100% of costs associated with COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment more...
Japan to cull 850,000 chickens after bird flu outbreak
Japan’s Kagawa prefecture will cull 850,000 chickens in the wake of an outbreak of avian flu earlier this month, according to Reuters. The culling more...
Antimicrobial use data systems created for animal production
Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Kansas State University have partnered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary more...
Falling prices, COVID-19 fears curb China’s appetite for imported pork
Falling domestic pork prices and consumers’ concerns around COVID-19-contaminated food have begun to curb China’s demand for foreign pork more...
Goldman Sachs helps chicken chain grow
Fast-casual chicken chain Zaxby’s announced that Goldman Sachs will acquire a “significant stake” in the company to support accelerated more...
Beyond Meat creates plant-based pork product for China market
Beyond Meat said it will introduce Beyond Pork, a new plant-based ground pork product, in the China market. It is the company's first product designed more...
USDA talks turkey safety ahead of Thanksgiving holiday
With Thanksgiving Day 2020 just around the corner, it's time to talk turkey. More specifically, how to prepare and cook the bird with food safety in mind more...
Injury rates decline further in meat plants: BLS
New analysis from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that workplace injuries and illnesses continued to fall in meat and poultry plants in 2019. According more...
Blue Apron reopening Texas fulfillment center
Meal kit producer Blue Apron is reversing course and temporarily reopening a fulfillment center in Arlington, Texas, after closing the facility in April more...
Luby’s moves closer to liquidation after shareholder vote
Luby’s Inc. shareholders overwhelmingly voted to approve the Houston-based company’s liquidation plan, which its board of directors approved more...
Jennie-O announces celebrity lineup for its hotline
Jennie-O turkey brand has enlisted the help of culinary experts to answer consumers’ questions about preparing their holiday meals. This year’s more...
Smithfield vows to fight state OSHA fine over COVID-19 violations
Smithfield Foods plans to defend itself against a citation to fine the company $58,100 from the California Department of Industrial Relations, known as more...
Remember this acronym: RCEP (updated)
Over the weekend, 15 Asian and Oceanic countries signed on the line that is dotted to form the world's largest multi-country trade agreement, accounting more...
Challenges prompt '21 Tyson estimate changes: analysts
The threat of potential headwinds in at least the first half of fiscal 2021 sparked two industry analysts to reconsider their earnings estimates for Tyson more...
Meat department posts strong October; inflation moderating
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Eight months into the pandemic, the virus remains in firm more...
Strong beef, pork results propel Tyson performance
Solid gains in beef and pork sales helped Tyson Foods Inc. offset weakness in its other operating units and post a 40% improvement in fourth-quarter adjusted more...
Smithfield invests $1.3M in plant safety in Iowa
Smithfield Foods has invested $1.3 million in an expansion to its bacon plant in Sioux Center, Iowa, intended to improve employee safety, specifically more...
USDA issues health alert on tamales
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat chicken and pork tamale products containing Food and more...
The current state of beef demand: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
CPI: Meat prices to remain elevated in 2021
Despite notable recoveries in production and no shortages in the meat case, meat prices to the consumer remain elevated above their 2020 levels, according more...
Biden transition announces USDA agency review team
The Biden-Harris Transition team has announced key members of the incoming administration's agency review teams (ARTs), including those for the U.S. Department more...
Public health alert issued on beef stock product
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing a public health alert for beef stock products that were not presented for import re-inspection more...
FPSA, Messe Frankfurt join forces for Process Expo
Messe Frankfurt Inc. and the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) have entered into a joint venture to align their resources to co-produce more...
USDA submits poultry line speed proposal to OMB
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has submitted to the Office of Budget and Management (OMB) its proposal to increase slaughter line more...
JBS Q3 profit soars; U.S. beef production recovers
Brazil's JBS SA boosted its net profit in the third quarter to BRL3.1 billion ($581.1 million), almost nine times higher than net profit in the same period more...
Tyson aims to reduce deforestation in its global supply chain
Tyson Foods Inc. today announced a forest protection standard aimed at reducing deforestation risk in its global supply chain for cattle and beef, among more...
Columbus Craft Meats offers charcuterie gift boxes
Columbus Craft Meats is launching three new premium charcuterie gift options, the Hayward, Calif.-based deli brand announced on Thursday. The new items more...
Processor breaks ground on new R&D hub
Deli Star Corp. has broken ground on a site for a new R&D hub in St. Louis, the company announced in a news release. The Food Discovery Center (FDC) more...
Forecast for U.S. protein production rises again: USDA
Total red meat and poultry production for the remainder of 2020 and for 2021 is expected to continue to increase – while wheat supplies climb more...
Independent processors prepare for holiday meat demand
Three U.S.-based processors that focus on marketing specialty meats are gearing up for the holiday season by offering special deals and new products to more...
Better than meat — really!
While dozens of analogue companies perfect ways to make plant proteins taste like meat, consumer research would indicate that they’re betting on more...
Stampede Meat sues New Mexico over plant closure
Stampede Meat is suing New Mexico after state officials ordered the company’s Sunland Park plant closed for two weeks due to COVID-19 cases among more...
Tyson to expand overseas production through new global facilities
Tyson Foods Inc. is preparing to add production capabilities in Asia and Europe as part of its global expansion strategy, the processor announced in a more...
National Pork Board launches online tool for animal disease response
The National Pork Board today launched AgView, an online portal that will allow pig producers to share information that will help response efforts in more...
Pizza Hut, Beyond Meat team up on alt-meat pizza option
Pizza Hut says it’s poised to become what it says is the first national pizza chain to offer a plant-based meat pizza on a national scale. The Plano more...
McD's lays out growth strategy for '21
McDonald’s has unveiled plans for its own line of plant-based “McPlant” products, as well as a crispy chicken sandwich, and a multi-channel more...
Maple Leaf Foods again cleared in suit over 2008 listeriosis outbreak
The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed an appeal filed by franchisees of a submarine sandwich chain seeking compensation from Maple Leaf Foods Inc. for more...
Pot pies recalled for allergen
Bake My Day Gluten-Free Bakeries Ltd. is recalling Bake My Day brand Chicken Pot Pie from the marketplace because it contains egg, which is not declared more...
Tyson expands its plant-based brand varieties to Europe
Tyson Foods is taking its Raised & Rooted plant-based protein brand to Europe, the company announced Monday. The first expansion of the brand outside more...
Broiler, turkey price-fixing cases to remain separate
A federal judge has denied a motion to merge two poultry price-fixing cases in the Northern District of Illinois. The first case — In re Broiler more...
Ontario processor plans $19.1M expansion
Canadian meat processor Piller’s Fine Foods is planning a multi-million dollar expansion in Brantford, Ontario, according to a CTV News report. more...
Kentucky gov approves funds for processors
In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear has agreed to allocate $2 million out of the state's Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding more...
IPPE shifts 2021 Young Leaders program to online platform
The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) plans to pivot its annual Young Leaders Under 30 program to an all-online format for the first more...
New Mexico orders meat plant shut amid COVID-19 outbreak
The state of New Mexico on Thursday ordered Stampede Meat to shut down its plant in Sunland Park for two weeks to stem COVID-19 infections among the company’s more...
JBS, direct purchasers agree to settle claims in pork price-fixing case (UPDATED)
JBS USA and direct purchaser plaintiffs have reached a settlement agreement in the ongoing pork price-fixing lawsuit, the parties notified a federal court more...
New beef processing plant on tap for North Dakota
If all goes according to plan, a new meat processing plant is set to open in March outside Mott, N.D. Area ranchers will be able to bring their more...
Avian influenza outbreaks hit farms in Japan, Europe
Japanese officials on Thursday said 330,000 chickens at a farm in the city of Mitoyo would be culled after testing positive for avian influenza, according more...
Wyoming beef processor gets funds to expand: report
Beef processor Wyoming Legacy Meats has received funding to build an expansion to its plant in Cody, Wyo., according to a local report. According to the report more...
Nestlé spends nearly $1B to acquire meal delivery service
Nestlé said it has acquired Freshly Inc., a subscription service that delivers fresh meals in the U.S., for $950 million, to take advantage of more...
Minerva profits in Q3 as demand rebounds in Brazil, China
Brazilian beef processor Minerva Foods expects Chinese and Brazilian beef demand to continue to increase in the fourth quarter due to a recovery in consumption more...
Beef bacon product launches at Walmart
A Chicago-area manufacturer of gyros, deli beef and Mediterranean foods is expanding the footprint for its beef bacon line through an agreement to supply more...
Wingstop tests chicken thighs to thwart higher wing prices
Wingstop Inc. is testing bone-in thighs at select restaurants in seven cities as the fast casual chain attempts to address continuing price fluctuations more...
Illinois town mulls small processing plant
A group of local businessmen in Hebron, Ill. have proposed a small-scale beef and pork processing facility for an empty building in the town of 1,200 more...
Shareholders gain legal leverage over J&F, Batistas: Reuters
Shareholders in JBS SA have been cleared to sue Wesley and Joesley Batista and their company, J&F Investimentos, JBS's biggest shareholder, and more...
ASF spreads to new German province: report
African Swine Fever has been confirmed in a wild boar shot over the weekend in the Saxony province in eastern Germany, according to a report on fleischwirtschaft more...
Pork industry applauds trade action against Thailand
The National Pork Producers Council is touting the U.S. suspension of $817 million in trade preferences to Thailand due to its “de facto” more...
Arby’s owner buys Dunkin’ Brands for $11.3 billion
Inspire Brands — owner of Arby’s and Buffalo Wild Wings —is paying $11.3 billion for coffee-and-donuts chain Dunkin’ Brands Group more...
Canadian officials label regional COVID-19 outbreak ‘over’
Public health authorities in the Fraser Health region officially declared that a recent COVID-19 outbreak at a beef plant in Surrey, British Columbia more...
OSHA fines another JBS plant
The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has imposed a COVID-19-related fine of $1,928 on JBS's Swift Beef Plant more...
October 2020
Former Texas Packing Company manager pleads guilty to misleading federal regulators
A former manager of a Texas Packing Company plant in San Angelo, Texas plead guilty to misleading federal regulators. According to an announcement from more...
COVID-19 Update: Outbreaks continue at Canadian plants
COVID-19 outbreaks continue to spread throughout Canada’s meat industry. According to a report from CTV News, there is a new outbreak at Olymel’s more...
Analysts boost ‘21 expectations for Pilgrim’s Pride
In the wake of PIlgrim's Pride’s unexpectedly strong financial performance in its third fiscal quarter, equity analysts have increased their expectations more...
UW-Madison to unveil new meat science/animal biologics building
A virtual event celebrating the completion of UW-Madison’s new $57.1 million Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery building has been set for more...
Couple charged with funneling undocumented workers to Mar-Jac plant
An Alabama couple face federal charges following a Department of Homeland Security probe finding they made a business of supplying undocumented workers more...
Pilgrim’s Sandri expects to end 2020 on a high note
A day after reporting impressive third-quarter results, Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. CEO Fabio Sandri spoke optimistically about the protein industry’s more...
National Chicken Council names 2020-21 officers
The National Chicken Council announced Thursday that Wayne Farms Chief Executive Officer Clint Rivers has been installed for a second term as chairman more...
Minerva invests in U.S. animal-free protein startup
Brazilian beef processor Minerva Foods said Wednesday it is investing $4 million in San Francisco-based startup Clara Foods as part of its venture capital more...
Tyson wins some, loses some in antitrust summary judgments
Tyson Foods was able to defeat some aspects of an antitrust lawsuit with a recent summary judgment, but two key aspects of the case will move forward more...
Tyson, Maple Leaf Foods join animal welfare coalition
Both Tyson Foods and Maple Leaf Foods have joined the Global Coalition for Animal Welfare (GCAW), an industry-led collaboration that advances farm animal more...
Seaboard Q3 earnings rise; pork sales up
Seaboard Corp. said short-term investments contributed to higher earnings in the third quarter, which also saw the diversified agribusiness and transportation more...
U.S. pork producers sign $500M supply deal with Vietnam: report
Smithfield Foods and other U.S. pork producers have reportedly signed an agreement to provide as much as $500 million worth of U.S. pork to a business more...
Despite pandemic, Maple Leaf Foods sees solid 3Q results
Canadian processor Maple Leaf Foods Inc. reported sales growth of 6.2% in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 — and a nearly 400% climb in net income more...
Restaurant Brands launches drive-thru modernization program
The pandemic has decimated in-person dining, but been rocket fuel to QSR drive-thru operations. Now, the owner of Tim Hortons, Burger King and Popeyes more...
Ag sector floats on $18 billion in fed relief
With days left before the presidential election deadline, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that more than $7 billion in payments have been made to more...
Transparency, plant-based big in 2021: Innova
The next calendar year will bring increased focus on transparency in the food supply chain and continued interest in plant-based proteins, research firm more...
New wave: Union wants closure of Olymel’s Quebec plant
A COVID-19 outbreak involving at least 60 employees at an Olymel pork plant in Quebec prompted the union representing the facility’s 1,200 workers more...
OSHA fines two processors for COVID-19-related violations
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited a unit of JBS USA and Conagra Brands Inc. in its latest more...
More shuffling in Hormel's management ranks
Hormel Foods has announced another series of promotions and retirements from among its management ranks. In a release, the company said: Joe Muzik more...
Another player in the QSR chicken sandwich game
Church's Chicken has rolled out its own version of the current QSR favorite, the fried chicken sandwich, the company said in a news release. The sandwich more...
Exports continue to move pork out of freezers
Inventory of pork in cold storage on Sept. 30 stood at 22% below year-ago levels as exports continue to move product through the system. Pork bellies more...
Steve Kopperud, animal ag advocate, has died at 69
Steve Kopperud, a longtime policy advocate on behalf of the livestock and meat industries, both inside the Beltway and across the globe, died suddenly more...
FSIS posts after-action review of S. Reading outbreak linked to turkey
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has released an after-action report on a multi-agency investigation of a 2017–2019 outbreak of more...
Stepping up: Plumrose USA, Smithfield's Pure Farmland, Tyson Foods
JBS USA unit invests $300,000 to Moberly, Mo., to support community infrastructure and other challenges caused by COVID-19. Plumrose USA – which more...
COVID-19 update: N.C. report reflects progress in state; new outbreak in Canada
The number of COVID-19 cases associated with clusters in the meat and poultry processing industry in North Carolina has decreased since May, though they more...
empirical breaks ground on Kansas beef plant
The empirical family of companies today said it has broken ground on a state of the art ground beef production facility in Garden City, Kansas. The new more...
Verde Farms gains new investors, sees robust sales growth
Verde Farms today announced it secured new funding from minority investors including Johnsonville Holdings and NHL player Alex Biega, completing its Series more...
Omaha Steaks appoints executive chef
Omaha Steaks announced today that chef and television personality David Rose has been named executive chef of the fifth-generation, family-owned gourmet more...
Judge denies motion to dismiss turkey price-fixing case
A motion to dismiss a price-fixing case against turkey producers has been denied in the Northern District of Illinois. The case – which was filed more...
Hormel announces a number of promotions, retirements
Hormel Foods has announced a number of promotions and retirements among the company’s upper management. Hormel announced the retirements more...
COVID-19 outbreak reported among Canadian poultry workers
A poultry processor in Blumenort, Manitoba, is confirming reports that 25 employees tested positive for COVID-19, although there is no evidence that the more...
Hormel adds two thick-cut bacon flavors
Hormel Foods is rolling out two new flavors in its Black Label bacon line, the company announced Wednesday. Hormel Black Label Ranch Thick Cut Bacon is more...
NCBA floats voluntary price transparency plan
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association has rolled out its promised plan for a voluntary program that would bring more price transparency to the cattle more...
Federal judge won't dismiss pork price-fixing suit
A federal judge in Minnesota has denied a request by pork processors to dismiss a long-running lawsuit accusing them of fixing prices, but he also released more...
Australian alt-protein company receives $55M investment: report
Goldman Sachs Inc. and Singapore’s Temasek Holdings are providing US$55 million (A$77 million) in Series B funding to V2food, an Australian developer more...
The Alt-Meat market after COVID: six perspectives
It seems the alt-protein markets were beginning to fire on all cylinders when COVID-19 spread globally, disrupting food channels globally. Like conventional more...
Smithfield's Sullivan to step down in '21; Organ will be CEO
Kenneth M. Sullivan will retire as president and CEO of Smithfield Foods Inc. early next year, the company said in a news release. Dennis Organ, more...
Canadian processors address new COVID-19 outbreaks (UPDATED)
Public health officials in Ontario and British Columbia have confirmed separate outbreaks of COVID-19 at two meat processing plants in the last week. more...
Analysts: Sanderson Farms faces challenging market
The poultry industry faces challenging market dynamics that are expected to persist into spring of 2021, according to analysts who participated in Sanderson more...
News briefs: NAMI, Jack in the Box, Illinois Pork, American Farm Bureau
NAMI partners with Food Safety Net Services The North American Meat Institute announced a new training partnership with Food Safety Net Services more...
Georgia beef processor kicks off multi-phase slaughterhouse expansion
Vertically integrated beef processor FPL Food LLC announced today that it has secured an initial round of financing to begin a multi-phased expansion more...
Federal appeals court props up California’s animal cruelty law
A panel of judges in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld a federal district court’s ruling that meat producers selling their products more...
September brought continued elevated gains in deli
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Seemingly overnight, the pandemic caused the food dollar to more...
US Foods names new supply chain chief
US Foods has announced that Bill Hancock will join the company as executive vice president and chief supply chain officer, effective Nov. 9. Hancock will more...
Arkansas farmers push for state meat inspection
Interest in access to a $5 million federal grant for upgrading Arkansas meat processing facilities highlights the need to revive a state meat inspection more...
Tom Brady's TB12 launches high-protein performance meals
TB12, the health and wellness brand co-founded by six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and business partner Alex Guerrero, has launched more...
Legal squabble over Sanderson '100% natural' claim continues
Advocates are asking a U.S. appeals court panel to revive their false advertising case against Sanderson Farms over the poultry processor’s “100% more...
News briefs: Johnsonville, Kroger, Red Baron, NMPAN, Maple Leaf Farms
Johnsonville debuts breakfast sausages for foodservice Johnsonville Foodservice has launched its first-ever premium breakfast sausage lineup designed more...
Pilgrim’s plans $75M expansion in Cold Spring, Minn.
Pilgrim's has announced it is making a $75 million expansion to its production facility in Cold Spring, Minn. When construction is complete in early 2021 more...
Wall Street applauds Pilgrim’s price-fixing deal
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.’s $110.5 million plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice to settle price-fixing allegations is getting a thumbs more...
Panera offers meals certified as climate friendly
Panera Bread is partnering with the World Resources Institute (WRI) in labeling more than half of the entrees on its menu as climate-friendly “Cool more...
Take a deep breath: Hormel has bacon-scented face masks
Bacon fans now have a way to inhale the scent of breakfast sizzling while wearing a mask during the public health emergency, courtesy of a technology more...
Muscogee (Creek) Nation breaks ground on $10M facility
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation has broken ground on a $10 million meat processing facility in Okmulgee County, Okla. According to a report from Tulsa more...
Cargill matches Nobel Peace Prize award with $1M donation
Cargill has given a matching donation of $1 million in honor of the United Nation's World Food Programme’s (WFP) Nobel Peace Prize for 2020. more...
NAMI calls for nominations for two programs
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) invites nominations for its Worker Safety Recognition Award Program, a joint effort with the National Safety more...
News briefs: Volpi Foods, Pollo Tropical, Beyond Meat, Gone Rogue
Chefs spotlight Volpi Foods' Heritage Prosciutto Volpi Foods announces a series of collaborations with top St. Louis restaurants to highlight the brand’s more...
Uh-oh: Scientists say coronavirus may live on surfaces for weeks
As attempts to better understand the coronavirus continue, a new study by Australian scientists indicates that SARS-CoV-2 could survive on non-porous more...
ASF outbreak worsens in Germany, E. Europe
At least five nations overseas have reported new outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in domestic pigs, according to the latest statistics from the more...
USDA grant to boost study of beef preferences, demand
USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded a group of university researchers grant funding to examine consumer preferences for U.S more...
McAdams named head of Texas Beef Council
Molly K. McAdams has joined the Texas Beef Council (TBC) as its new executive vice president. McAdams replaces Richard Wortham, who will retire from the more...
Parts of IPPE 2021 will be digital
International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) show management has cancelled the in-person component of IPPE 2021 in Atlanta, slated to take place more...
Tofurky challenges La. labeling law on alt-meat products
Alt-meat company Tofurky filed a lawsuit this week against a Louisiana law on labeling language for meat products. The law targets alt-meat food products more...
Perdue must reimburse Treasury for Hatch Act violation
USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will be required to reimburse the U.S. Department of Treasury for the cost of a taxpayer funded event after more...
UFCW and others sue govt. over PPE shortages
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) has joined 20 other union organizations in a lawsuit against the federal government more...
August exports of U.S. beef, pork muscle cuts up, variety meats down
August exports of U.S. beef and pork muscle cuts rose above last year’s strong volumes, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U more...
USDA urged to purchase $17 million in bison meat
A dozen U.S. senators are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy $17 million of bison meat, according to the National Bison Association more...
German meat plant ordered shut amid COVID-19 outbreak: report
Authorities in the Emsland district in north Germany ordered a meatpacking plant owned by the Toennies group to stop slaughter activities on Friday, complete more...
Wingstop adds 43 stores, posts sales surge in Q3
Wingstop Inc. said it opened 43 net new stores in the third quarter, while domestic same-store sales jumped 25.4%, despite the challenging industry backdrop more...
China’s pork reserves dwindle as meat demand grows
China is running out of frozen pork. That is the estimate from Enodo Economics, a London-based consulting firm that tracks market conditions in China more...
Tyson targeted in new suit alleging lax plant measures during pandemic
The family of a worker at a Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Iowa is suing the processor for allegedly failing to protect employees after the family patriarch more...
Two casual dining operations file for Chapter 11 protection amid COVID-19
The Ruby Tuesday restaurant chain and a Golden Corral franchisee submitted separate Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filings this week in the wake of more...
Meat Institute honors Rosen, Tompkin
The North American Meat Institute and its foundation have recognized Tom Rosen, CEO of Rosen’s Diversified Inc., and Bruce Tompkin, retired vice more...
Smithfield urges govt. action on vaccinations/food policy
Smithfield Foods is urging action from local, state and federal government agencies when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. “In the face of an unprecedented more...
JBS USA CEO says new COVID-19 plant closings unlikely: report
The nation’s meat processing industry is not expected to see a resurgence of plant closings experienced in the first few months of the COVID-19 more...
China trade projections point in different directions
Trade and ag advisers seem to have differing expectations for China’s chances of meeting its recently agreed-upon trade benchmarks for importing more...
News briefs: Sonic Drive-In, Perdue Farms, Kroger
Sonic in the Southeast gets new ownershipQuality Restaurant Group LLC has picked up 62 Sonic Drive-In restaurants in Florida and Alabama, according to more...
Co-op to more than double processing capacity
The Island Grown Farms Cooperative (IGFC) plans to build a bigger meat processing plant due to increasing demand in northwest Washington State, according more...
Probe into cause of West Liberty Foods fire continues
An investigation into a fire last week at a West Liberty Foods plant in Tremonton, Utah, continues as the company adjusts operations to minimize the impact more...
Danish Crown adds 375 workers to meet foreign pork demand
European pork giant Danish Crown is hiring 375 new employees to boost staffing at three of its domestic slaughterhouses in order to serve increasing foreign more...
Belcampo Meat loses 8,000 acres in California wildfire
Belcampo Meat confirmed that about 8,000 acres of land on its farm at the base of Mount Shasta have burned in the Zogg Fire in California. No employees more...
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Cargill, Ahold Delhaize partner on second beef plant
Cargill has finalized a contract to manage another case-ready beef plant owned by retail giant Ahold Delhaize, a spokesman told Meatingplace. News more...
ADP Direct Poultry acquires Cami International
ADP Direct Poultry has acquired Cami International Poultry Ltd, an 'air chill' poultry slaughter and processing company located in Welland, Ontario. Terms more...
No serious injuries in West Liberty Foods plant fire
West Liberty, Iowa-based West Liberty Foods reported a fire at its Tremonton, Utah, facility, which resulted in minor injuries for three workers more...
New bill aims to reform and expand cattle/beef markets
A new bill introduced this week in the House of Representatives is aiming for some sweeping reforms to both the cattle and beef processing industries more...
Democrats question CDC COVID-19 guidance to Smithfield
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is among the Democrats calling out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for recommendations made to Smithfield more...
Judge moves Tyson-Keystone battle to arbitration
A federal judge in New York on Wednesday transferred nearly all claims of a lawsuit over Tyson Foods’ $2.16 billion acquisition of Keystone Foods more...
Smithfield launches portable, microwaveable breakfast items
Smithfield Foods today announced the launch of refrigerated breakfast items containing sausage, egg and cheese in three flavors: Homestyle, Western Style more...
Beyond Meat triples distribution of plant-based burgers at Walmart stores
Beyond Meat’s plant-based burgers will be available at more than 2,400 Walmart stores as of next week. The move will triple from 800 Walmart stores more...
September 2020
Minnesota judge tosses cattle price fixing lawsuit
An antitrust lawsuit alleging price fixing from the nation’s largest beef processors has been tossed in federal court, though the plaintiffs were more...
Two-day protest at Smithfield slaughterhouse results in arrests
Authorities in Vernon, Calif., arrested more than 20 animal rights activists protesting what the group described as inhumane treatment of animals at the more...
Poultry executive Blake Lovette dies at 77
Blake Lovette, the former president of Holly Farms, died Tuesday in North Carolina after a brief illness, according to media reports. He was 77 years more...
Perdue Farms issues position statement on animal care and welfare
Perdue Farms reaffirmed its commitment to animal care and welfare standards throughout its operations as part of a position statement released this week more...
CME Group to debut Pork Cutout futures, options
Chicago-based CME Group Inc. is preparing to introduce Pork Cutout futures and options for trading on Nov. 9, a move the world’s leading derivatives more...
JBS's ground beef recall is expanded
The food recall warning issued over the weekend by JBS Food Canada has been updated to include additional product information, and has also been more...
Microneedle 'bioink' sensor detects spoilage, pathogens in food
Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a Velcro-like food sensor, made from an array of silk microneedles, that more...
Cure8 Ventures announces inaugural class of startups
Cure8 Ventures, a venture capital firm backed by food-industry and private-equity veterans, announced the inaugural class of startup companies supported more...
Hearing set on challenges to USDA’s swine slaughter proposals
A federal lawsuit over USDA’s slaughter rules for line speeds for swine is being supported by attorneys general from seven U.S. states, and that more...
JBS Canada issues ground beef recall
JBS Food Canada is recalling Provigo brand ground beef products from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157 contamination, the Canadian Food Inspection more...
Pork loin recalled on possible allergen
Loblaw Companies Ltd. is recalling President's Choice brand Maple Apple flavour Seasoned Pork Loin Roast because it contains mustard, which is not declared more...
Feedlot dynamics continue: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Sanderson Farms’ request for rehearing on OSHA fine denied
Federal appellate judges on Wednesday denied a petition from Sanderson Farms to rehear an earlier decision to uphold a fine that the Occupational Safety more...
FSIS revises directive on humane handling for inspectors
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a third revision to its directive on the humane handling and slaughter of livestock that outlines more...
African swine fever outbreaks in Philippines, more in Germany
Outbreaks of African swine fever, or ASF, have reportedly broken out in six provinces of the Philippines, where more than 300,000 pigs have been culled more...
Alt-meat in the news: Smithfield, Target, Mosa Meat
Smithfield adds to plant-based product line Pork producer Smithfield Foods’ subsidiary Pure Farmland is now selling plant-based sausages at retailers more...
NAMI joins effort to continue U.S. membership in WTO
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) has joined a group of 62 agricultural organizations and companies calling on U.S. trade officials and members more...
Pork workers cleared to return to Quebec plant after COVID testing
All 450 workers at Aliments Asta, a pork slaughtering and processing plant east of Quebec City, have been given the all-clear to return to work after more...
Luby’s CEO mulls buying assets of the troubled company
The current president and CEO of Luby’s Inc. is considering buying some of the assets of the restaurant holding company, which this month announced plans more...
Stepping up: Mountaire Farms, Smithfield, Tyson Foods, JBS, Country Archer, Niman Ranch, Hormel
Mountaire helps those hurt by Hurricane Laura Mountaire Farms employees traveled to Lake Charles, La., in early September to help prepare meals for people more...
Panorama Organic Grass-Fed taps Niman Ranch exec as new GM
Kay Cornelius has been named the new general manager of Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats, Jeff Tripician, president of Perdue Premium Meat Co., announced more...
Walmart, Cargill, McDonald's partner to improve ranch lands in Northern Plains
The Walmart Foundation, Cargill and McDonald’s are investing more than $6 million in an initiative led by World Wildlife Fund to make lasting improvements more...
JBS to extend monitoring to indirect suppliers; launches Amazon fund
Brazil's JBS S.A. announced Wednesday a project to extend monitoring of its production chain to indirect cattle suppliers, and a fund to promote the conservation more...
Hormel unveils Black Label fully cooked breakfast meals
Hormel is rolling out refrigerated, fully cooked breakfast meals featuring its Black Label meat products. Hormel Black Label Oven-Baked Egg Bites and more...
U.S. lags other countries in meat plant protections: report
Despite the efforts that U.S.-based meat processing facilities have made to protect employees and curb the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, companies more...
No surprise: CDC cites plant design in Smithfield COVID-19 cases
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that a severe outbreak of coronavirus disease at the beginning of the pandemic more...
USDA seeks grantees in rural economic development
USDA is seeking applications for loans and grants under the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) Programs for fiscal year (FY) 2021. The more...
Rabobank's Weststrate is dead at 66
Rabobank's former Vice Chairman—Global Corporate Clients Adriaan Cornelis Weststrate has passed away at the age of 66 from cancer. The Dutch native more...
OK Foods addresses China ban, cites health department errors
OK Foods Inc. said it is working toward resuming exports of its poultry products from one of its plants to China following a ban apparently caused by more...
Canadian officials launch COVID-19 tests at pork plant
Canada’s Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) began testing all 450 employees at an Aliments Asta Inc. pork plant in Quebec this more...
NIFA awards COVID-19 grants, has more to give
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has developed a series of COVID-19 Rapid Response funding opportunities targeted to the more...
Help wanted: Culver's in the hunt for a CEO
Joe Koss is retiring as president and CEO of Culver Franchising System at the end of the year, the Praire du Sac, Wisc.-based burger and custard restaurant more...
Johnsonville buys Vermont Smoke & Cure
Johnsonville announced today its purchase of meat snack producer Vermont Smoke & Cure. The privately held company will operate as a part of Johnsonville more...
California passes three new COVID-19 worker-protection bills
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law three new bills that protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation, which covers different more...
USDA adds $14 billion to COVID-19 agricultural assistance program
An additional $14 billion will bolster the federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) to help agricultural producers who continue to face market more...
U.K. beef on its way to U.S. for first time in 20 years
The U.K. will be shipping beef to the U.S. for the first time in 20 years following the approval of three U.K. processors this week, according to a report more...
Industry groups say FTC lacks jurisdiction over meat labels
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and Meat Importers Council of America (MICA) say the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed rule more strictly more...
Cattlemen’s Beef Board investing $39M in new programs
The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) announced more than $39 million in new investments for beef promotion, research, consumer information, and more...
R-CALF files new lawsuit over beef checkoff program
Independent cattlemen group R-CALF USA has filed a new lawsuit over USDA’s amendments to the operation of the federal Beef Checkoff program. The more...
Hormel to host virtual pizza party Friday as charity benefit
Hormel Foods Corp. is preparing to hold a virtual pizza party with the goal of supporting frontline healthcare workers battling COVID-19 and setting a more...
China suspends poultry imports from second U.S. processor over coronavirus (UPDATED)
For the second time in three months, China has suspended imports from a U.S. poultry processor due to concerns about positive coronavirus cases among more...
Tyson Fresh Meats launches case ready natural line
Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods, said its Open Prairie Natural Meats brand has launched a case ready product line. The more...
WTO says U.S. tariffs on China violated international rules
The World Trade Organization on Tuesday said it found U.S. tariffs imposed on China in 2018 violated international trade rules, prompting criticism from more...
More African swine fever cases found in Germany
German officials announced yesterday that they have uncovered five additional cases of African swine fever in wild boars in the eastern state of Brandenburg more...
NAMI responds to critics of its role in April's emergency order
An investigative report in USA Today has raised an alarm about the extent to which meat industry representatives have been advising federal decision-makers more...
Major chicken processors named in yet another price-fixing lawsuit (UPDATED)
Two chicken growers this week filed an antitrust and unfair competition lawsuit accusing five major poultry processors and their affiliates of illegally more...
Brazil's Minerva Foods to sell stake in unit
Brazilian beef processor Minerva Foods said on Monday that it has signed a non-binding letter of intent with a NASDAQ-listed special purpose acquisition more...
K-State lands $1.3M in grants to study COVID-19 in the plant
Researchers at Kansas State University will use a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to look at ways of controlling the spread of more...
Smithfield Foods commits $1M in upgrades to Mason City plant (UPDATED)
Smithfield Foods Inc. is spending nearly $1 million to make physical changes at its Mason City, Iowa, meat processing plant to strengthen COVID-19 prevention more...
OSHA fines come under fire; NAMI swipes at Washington Post
Worker safety advocates took aim at citations and fines the agency levied against one meatpacking plant owned by Smithfield and one owned by JBS USA for more...
Cal/OSHA fines processor, temp agency more than $200K each
The state of California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has fined Vernon-based Overhill Farms Inc. and a temporary employment more...
Beef dazzles in Labor Day performance
Already a strong grocery holiday during regular times, expectations for Labor Day grocery sales were high and reality did not disappoint. The holiday more...
Strauss Brands lays plans for new beef plant
Beef processor Strauss Brands is seeking approval for a new 152,000-square-foot facility in Franklin, Wisc., according to documents posted on the city's more...
Germany's ASF ripples through trade networks
The fallout has been swift from a positive African swine fever (ASF) case in Germany, with the country’s exports and local commerce already facing more...
Luby’s board approves liquidation, dissolution plan
The board of directors of the owner of the Luby’s Cafeteria and Fuddruckers restaurant chains approved a plan of liquidation and dissolution after more...
Montana boosts coronavirus relief funds for meat processing
Montana meat processors will have access to more funding from the state's Coronavirus Relief Fund beginning Sept. 15, Gov. Steve Bullock announced. The more...
OSHA cites Smithfield for failing to protect workers from COVID-19 (UPDATED)
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. in Sioux Falls, S more...
Germany confirms first case of African swine fever
German officials Wednesday confirmed the country’s first African swine fever (ASF) case in a wild boar in the eastern state of Brandenberg, according more...
Tyson Foods touts beef transparency push
Tyson Foods said Wednesday it is working to verify sustainable beef production practices on more than 5 million acres of cattle grazing land in the U more...
Beyond Meat, Starbucks expand plant-based offerings in Asia
Beyond Meat is bulking up its foothold in mainland China, this week unveiling plans for two manufacturing plants near Shanghai that should be fully operational more...
JBS laying off 600 at Australia's largest beef plant: report
JBS Australia announced plans to lay off about 600 full-time employees at the company's Dinmore plant, Australia's largest cattle processing facility more...
U.S. pork, beef exports to Taiwan may climb with ractopamine shift
Taiwan is preparing to change its rules banning imported meat from animals that were raised using ractopamine, possibly opening the door for higher U more...
Cargill identifies tech innovators in Farm-to-Fork Accelerator
Cargill and Ecolab have announced the latest participants in the Techstars Farm-to-Fork Accelerator, a program that supports new technologies to promote more...
Popeyes names new president for the Americas
Restaurant Brands International announced that Sami Siddiqui has been appointed president of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen for the Americas. Siddiqui most more...
Cal/OSHA cites meat companies on COVID-19 protections
The state of California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has cited 11 employers — including two meat processors — for more...
Bell & Evans to build $330-million harvesting plant
Bell & Evans unveiled plans to construct a $330-million organic-certified chicken harvesting facility that is expected to double its production capacity more...
Foster Farms reopens California plant
Foster Farms has reopened its poultry plant in Livingston, Calif., that was shut down after local public health officials recommended several measures more...
Panera taps Debbie Roberts as COO
Restaurant industry leader Debbie Roberts has joined Panera Bread as executive vice president and chief operations officer. She will lead operations and more...
Beef outperforms chicken in pandemic: report
Animal protein companies are making more money from beef than chicken during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report by Bloomberg. Stronger demand more...
'Doesn't dining out sound good?', restaurant ad campaign asks
The National Restaurant Association has launched a new multimedia campaign with its first ad in a series aimed at encouraging customers to dine-in at more...
Canada unveils emergency programs for processing workers
The Canadian Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food has announced a number of initial projects funded under that country’s C$77.5 million Emergency more...
FSIS to host public meeting on consumer food safety outreach
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service will host a virtual public meeting Oct. 6 to aid in the development of effective consumer food safety outreach more...
Canadian packer’s COVID-19 cases double
COVID-19 cases at Harmony Beef north of Calgary, Alberta, have doubled to 74 since last Friday, the CBC reported, citing Alberta Health officials. more...
USDA designates Iowa derecho disaster area, extends aid
USDA has designated 18 counties in Iowa as “primary” natural disaster areas and another 27 counties in Iowa and Illinois as “contiguous” more...
Marel to acquire TREIF in €128M deal
Icelandic food processor Marel has announced its acquisition of TREIF Maschinenbau GmbH, a German food cutting technology provider. For the acquisition more...
News briefs: Walmart, MamaMancini, Taco Bell
Walmart launches customer membership serviceWalmart said it is launching a membership program that offers free delivery from stores on items from tech more...
Tyson Foods to open medical clinics near processing plants
Tyson Foods plans to open medical clinics near some U.S. plants in an effort to increase the health of its workers, the Springdale, Arkansas-based company more...
Tyson reopens Arkansas poultry plant disrupted by area flooding
Tyson Foods today resumed operations at the company’s poultry plant in Waldron, Ark., where flooding caused a disruption to the city’s water more...
Virginia bill to expand reporting of COVID-19 outbreaks dies
A Virginia senator’s attempt to force the state to reveal more information about COVID-19 outbreaks in poultry plants and other businesses has failed more...
Global food prices hit six-month high, but meat lags
World food prices reached a six-month high in August after posting a third consecutive monthly increase, though beef and poultry prices weakened amid more...
Tyson to close or sell plant in Wrexham, Wales
Tyson Foods is looking at selling or closing its meat processing plant in Wrexham, Wales, and is discussing with employees a proposal to discontinue operations more...
Montana candidate for governor unveils growth plan with COOL initiative
An economic growth plan unveiled by Montana Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, who is running for governor, would revive Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for meat more...
Tyson wants workers' COVID-19 case moved to federal court
Tyson Foods is seeking to have a lawsuit brought by a group of past and present employees alleging willful misconduct during the COVID-19 pandemic moved more...
Wendy’s revives pretzel bun for two new sandwiches
Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s is bringing back the pretzel bun for a new cheeseburger that also can be ordered as a chicken sandwich. The new Pretzel more...
Intermountain Packing to expand, add 200 jobs
Eden, Idaho-based Intermountain Packing plans to build a 50,000-square-foot plant on nine acres of undeveloped land with a total capital investment of more...
Court allows punitive damage claims for E. coli outbreak case
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California has ruled that plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Sodexo Management Inc. can sue for punitive more...
Canadian processor recalls chicken on allergen concerns
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. is recalling a gluten-free chicken strip product sold in Canadian retail stores because they may contain gluten or wheat that is not more...
Fugitive beefalo will avoid slaughter: owner
A rogue beefalo that escaped from a slaughterhouse nearly one month ago will be allowed to live the rest of its life on a farm once it has been captured more...
August 2020
Claims-based meat sales up more than 32% yoy
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Following the two massive stock-up weeks in mid-March, trip more...
COOL case vs. big packers is appealed
Two lawsuits brought against National Beef, Tyson, Cargill and JBS USA over packages of their beef labeled "Product of the U.S." — which is an issue more...
Sofina Foods keeps Calgary plant open despite COVID-19
Canada’s Sofina Foods says its poultry processing plant in Calgary will remain open even after the local union called for the Lilydale plant in more...
British processors say meat eating unfairly maligned
Weary of being being a scapegoat for a variety of ills, the British Meat Processors Association has unveiled a website aimed at dispelling negative notions more...
Health officials order Foster Farms plant closed, skewer firm’s COVID response
Health officials in Merced County, Calif., issued a scathing review of Foster Farms’ management of COVID-19 cases at its Livingston facility and more...
Taiwan to lift bans on U.S. pork, beef to foster trade talks: report
Taiwan officials said they will lift restrictions on imports of U.S. pork and beef, smoothing a path to a free-trade agreement between the two countries more...
Brazilian packer launches carbon neutral beef
Brazilian meatpacker Marfrig on Thursday launched a new brand of carbon neutral beef products. Marfrig invested some $1.8 million to create the Viva line more...
Stepping up: Tyson, Smithfield, JBS, Cargill
Tyson Foods partners with Feed the Children Tyson Foods has partnered with Feed the Children to provide 10 million meals to families in 16 states across more...
Sanderson Farms hit by pandemic but spared by Hurricane Laura
Sanderson Farms facilities in Texas and Louisiana were spared the wrath of Hurricane Laura, with all of its operations continuing to operate normally more...
Johnsonville buys Malaysia-based meat products maker (Updated)
Johnsonville has acquired halal meat products manufacturer PrimaBaguz from Malaysia's state-owned private equity firm Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas), the Sheboygan more...
Lidl plans to add 50 U.S. stores by end of next year
Lidl US this week announced it will invest more than $500 million to open 50 new grocery stores along the East Coast by the end of 2021, bringing its more...
House of Raeford names Arcadia complex manager
House of Raeford Farms announced the retirement of Mark Van Benthuysen, complex manager for the company’s Arcadia, La., division, effective Aug more...
Iowa to allocate $100M to help state ag industry
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced plans to allocate $100 million in CARES Act funding to help farmers, producers and small processors adversely affected more...
COVID-19 update: virus’ impact in Delaware; JBS SA sued over testing
New data from the state of Delaware shows how pervasive the coronavirus has been among the state’s poultry workers. According to numbers published more...
Australia losing beef market share in U.S.: report
Currency fluctuations and trade disruptions threaten Australia’s — and to a lesser extent New Zealand’s — share of the beef import more...
Dan Stauft: A vehicle of change at SugarCreek
Before accepting a job with meat co-packer SugarCreek seven years ago, Dan Stauft spent 22 years working in various manufacturing engineering positions more...
Grocery, refrigerated foods help Hormel post modest profit gain
Higher sales in three of its four business segments offset COVID-19-related costs and other balance sheet issues to help Hormel Foods Corp. report a 2% more...
Hormel offers free college to all employees' offspring
Hormel Foods Corp. is launching a program that will cover the tuition for dependent children of its employees at regional community colleges starting more...
Cold storage totals drop, but pork demand looks bullish: DLR
The total supply of beef, pork, chicken and turkey in cold storage at the end of July was lower than a year ago but a look at the individual proteins more...
Frozen proteins for the win
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Frozen foods have been among the strongest performers across more...
Industry groups formally renew support for NSIS plan
Two major meat associations have filed legal brief against a challenge to new proposed swine inspection rules, citing potential problems for pork producers more...
Transparency urged in changes to farm payment eligibility rule
House Agriculture Chair Collin Peterson is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to explain how it determines which livestock and crops are eligible more...
That bet on value-added pays off, even in a pandemic
The meat department has ruled the fresh perimeter since the onset of the pandemic. With 62% of the year behind us, meat department sales have already more...
USC targets Vernon, Calif., for vaccine trial
The University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine is enrolling volunteers for a Phase 3 clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine, and more...
COVID-19 update: Cargill, OSHA, JBS
Cargill and public health officials in Calgary, Alberta, say COVID-19 cases at the meatpacker’s local Case Ready Meats plant appear to be contained more...
N.C. processor expands
Brookwood Farms, a processor of barbecued meats based in Siler City, N.C., plans to add a $3.7 million distribution center near its hometown, according more...
Turkey industry only so hopeful on Thanksgiving demand
The turkey industry is cautiously optimistic about the coming Thanksgiving holiday, based on hatchery output during July, which was down 7% from a year more...
Dan Stauft: A vehicle of change at SugarCreek
Before accepting a job with meat co-packer SugarCreek seven years ago, Dan Stauft spent 22 years working in various manufacturing engineering positions more...
USDA reduces broiler export forecast as foreign demand slows
A slowdown in foreign demand prompted USDA to reduce its 2020 forecast for U.S. broiler exports, though first-half gains propped them up slightly over more...
Pork groups: COVID-19 shows need to improve livestock insurance plan
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and 26 state pork associations are asking USDA to revise the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) insurance program more...
FSIS outlines criteria for outside lab use
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a directive detailing the criteria to be used when the agency employs outside laboratories more...
How many hot dogs can a person eat? Science has the answer
What’s the maximum number of hot dogs a human being could theoretically gobble down in 10 minutes? Veterinarian and exercise scientist James Smoliga more...
Maxwell Foods sues Smithfield over hog pricing
Maxwell Foods, which has a network of 150 contract hog farms, is suing Smithfield Foods Inc. for allegedly not fulfilling pricing standards and contributing more...
Maple Leaf Foods' Brandon plant suspends exports to China
Canada's Maple Leaf Foods on Tuesday said it temporarily suspended pork exports to China from its plant in Brandon, Manitoba, on a voluntary basis due more...
COVID-19 update: Cargill outbreak; hog euthanization; worker settlement
Developments on the COVID-19 front at midweek show how the virus continues to affect meat processors across the world. There is a COVID-19 outbreak at more...
Everyday demand, circa 2020, favors some deli
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The second week of August brought continued high levels of more...
COVID-19 Update: Olymel, Maple Leaf Foods make moves
Two Canadian processors took additional steps in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to affect their plant employees. Olymel more...
Tiger Brands to sell business tied to Africa's listeria outbreak
South African meat processor Tiger Brands has entered into two separate sale agreements for its value-added meat products business units (VAMP), including more...
ASF virus diagnosis tool is 'critical breakthrough': USDA ARS
Scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have identified a new way to isolate and detect the more...
Beyond Meat not so transparent: report
Beyond Meat pitches its plant-based protein alternatives as a way of doing less damage to the environment than its meat-based rivals. But a recent report more...
Family withdraws suit accusing Tyson of COVID-19-related death
The first of four families that have accused Tyson Foods Inc. of failing to provide a safe work environment following the death of a worker in Texas from more...
Perdue hints at second coming of CFAP
A second Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) may be in the offing, put into effect as early as the end of this month or the beginning of September more...
Poultry companies honored for safety programs
The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council recently recognized 215 chicken and turkey facilities with safety awards, the organization said in a news more...
Steak 'n Shake to sell group of restaurants
Steak 'n Shake, a unit of Biglari Holdings, has hired Keen-Summit Capital Partners and NAI Global to sell a portfolio of 15 company-owned restaurant locations more...
JBS resumes preparation for US IPO
JBS S.A. is resuming preparation for an initial public offering in the United States, said CEO Gilberto Tomazoni in conference calls with analysts on more...
Groups sue USDA for failure of humane poultry slaughter
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and Farm Sanctuary have sued USDA in federal court, claiming a failure to require humane handling of poultry at slaughter more...
McDonald’s Canada to revert to domestic beef sourcing
McDonald’s Canada has announced that come September, its restaurants will be once again serve 100% Canadian beef. “For nearly two decades more...
NAMI allies with OSHA
The North American Meat Institute and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have signed a two-year more...
Turasky Meats adding second production facility in Illinois
Turasky Meats today announced plans for a second production facility in Springfield, Ill., to support its customers that will add 15,000 square feet to more...
COVID-19 forces major N.C. pork producer to close
Goldsboro, N.C.-based Maxwell Foods, the 10th largest hog producer in the U.S., said it will permanently close its hog operations in 2021 due to the financial more...
Brazil seeks clarification from China on coronavirus finding in imported chicken
Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture today said it has contacted China's General Administration of Customs for clarification about coronavirus allegedly found more...
FAT Brands beefs up burger portfolio with acquisition
FAT Brands is paying about $25 million to buy 1950s diner-style chain Johnny Rockets from private-equity firm Sun Capital Partners, the owner of Fatburger more...
Hot dogs the exception as consumers paid less for meat in July
After a two-month rise, retail prices for animal protein declined in July, with U.S. consumers paying less last month for beef, pork and chicken. That’s more...
Schwan’s plans major addition to Kansas pizza plant
Schwan’s Co., a subsidiary of South Korean food maker CJ CheilJedang, said it will build a new 400,000-square-foot expansion at its pizza manufacturing more...
NCBA backs expansion of CattleTrace system
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has adopted a policy in support of U.S. CattleTrace as an avenue for achieving better disease traceability more...
Vermont processors gain new channels
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and Vermont have finalized a Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) agreement that will allow certain state-inspected more...
USDA declares one meat category CFAP-eligible, denies others
The USDA has updated its list of agricultural commodities that are eligible for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) funds, adding one category more...
Colo. senator seeks probe into U.S. COVID-19 response at meat plants
A U.S. senator is asking inspectors from USDA and the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate federal actions that he believes may have contributed to more...
Walmart to pay millions to settle allegations it overcharged for meat
Walmart Inc. has agreed to pay up to $9.5 million to settle a putative class action lawsuit filed in Florida that accused the retail of systematically more...
Fewer hot dogs, but more money
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The first week in August started off the month in positive more...
NMPAN offers direct-marketing classes for small processors
Farmers, ranchers and butchers can learn how to direct market meat products through a short course announced by the Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network more...
USDA urged to give producers more time to apply for relief
Nearly 30 agricultural groups are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend an Aug. 28 deadline to apply for coronavirus financial aid. more...
COVID-19 cases spike at Maple Leaf Foods plant (updated)
The spread of coronavirus around a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Brandon, Manitoba, essentially doubled from confirmed COVID-19 cases reported last week, more...
House Ag committee joins call for market investigation
Members of the House Agriculture Committee have joined the calls for USDA to investigate the beef cattle market to determine if it is operating in a free more...
Restaurant Brands International to shutter hundreds of locations
The company that runs fast-food chains Burger King, Popeyes Louisiana Chicken and Tim Hortons intends to close hundreds of underperforming locations in more...
ICE/DOJ announce indictments of 4 Mississippi poultry plant administrators
The Department of Justice and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today unsealed indictments against four administrators of poultry processing more...
COVID-19: CDC analyzes S.D. outbreak; Maple Leaf update
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday published a detailed look back at the COVID-19 outbreak that infected 929 employees over more...
Chicken sandwiches ruled delivery, too
Spicy chicken sandwiches logged 299% growth in delivery orders placed in the first half of 2020 compared to levels a year earlier, putting America’s more...
News Briefs: Whataburger, Holy Grail Steak, Nathan's Famous, Cracker Barrel, Del Taco
Whataburger promotes president to CEO postSan Antonio, Texas-based Whataburger has appointed company President Ed Nelson to the additional position of more...
Maple Leaf Foods says four Brandon workers recovering from COVID-19
Maple Leaf Foods has implemented its COVID-19 response plan at its Brandon, Manitoba, pork processing plant after learning late Wednesday that three additional more...
Credit Suisse forecasts weak year ahead for Tyson Foods
Another weak year is likely ahead for two of Tyson Foods’ most important divisions — chicken and prepared foods — due to an oversupply more...
Montana meat processors get a $7.5M boost
Montana meat processors will receive a $7.5 million grant to help them make infrastructure improvements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s more...
KFC launching plant-based sandwich across Canada
KFC Canada will expand the availability of its Plant-Based KFC sandwich as a permanent menu item in all of its restaurants in Canada starting Aug. 10 more...
Lawmakers ask DOJ to probe JBS purchase of lamb plant
A group of 12 U.S. senators and representatives is calling for a Department of Justice investigation into JBS USA's acquisition of the Mountain States more...
Tyson to add 230 jobs in Tennessee plant expansion
Tyson Foods has invested $87.6 million in an expansion of its Union City, Tenn., chicken processing plant that is expected to create 230 jobs by the end more...
Strong retail sales propel Beyond Meat past Q2 expectations
Beyond Meat posted better-than-expected revenues in the second quarter, with strong retail sales making up for weak foodservice demand. For the three more...
Red Table Meat offers consumers the whole hog
A Minneapolis salumi company has launched what it describes as the nation’s first program offering consumers an array of cured pork products from more...
General Mills to expand Ohio Totinos facility
General Mills announced it will expand its facility in Wellston, Ohio, where the company manufactures its Totinos brand pizza snacks, according to information more...
Tyson outlook trends toward positive: analysts
Tyson Foods Inc. is expected to at least maintain its sales and earnings momentum for the rest of 2020 and for part of 2021 despite the effects of COVID-19 more...
USDA updates red meat LGM insurance program
The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced changes to the Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) insurance program for cattle and swine, beginning more...
Hot dogs still hot, even without baseball games
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. In the final week of July, grocery sales were driven by strong more...
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Tyson names Banks as new CEO, effective in October
Tyson Foods Inc. announced the elevation of company President Dean Banks to the additional post of CEO, effective Oct. 3. Banks, a former executive at more...
Tyson posts ‘strong’ Q3 results
Tyson Foods Inc. reported higher segment profits that helped the protein giant offset the negative effects of COVID-19 on its balance sheet in the third more...
Smithfield, OSHA settle suit over employees' health info
Smithfield Foods and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) filed a joint motion to dismiss Smithfield's lawsuit against the agency more...
Smithfield takes another swing
In full-page advertisements running in Sunday newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Omaha World-Herald, Smithfield Foods took more...
July 2020
Minn. senator seeks COVID-19 relief for independent turkey farmers
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) on Thursday introduced a bill that would secure aid for independent turkey farms left out of past COVID-19 relief packages more...
COVID-19 update: Pilgrim's mitigation costs; Kraft Q2 demand; worker lawsuits
Pilgrim's interim CEO details COVID-19 costs, actions On the company's earnings call with analysts Thursday, Pilgrim's Pride interim Chief Executive Fabio more...
Beef jerky company hires new COO
TOP Chops Snacks, a Safety Harbor, Fla.-based producer of beef jerky snacks, has announced that Nakia Reigh Kelley, an entrepreneur with a background more...
AMSA announces food safety, sustainability session lineup
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) has announced new sessions and speaker lineups for its virtual 66th International Congress of Meat more...
Tyson launches COVID-19 monitoring program
Tyson Foods announced today the company is rolling out a new COVID-19 monitoring program focused on continued testing of workers and expanded medical more...
Nebraska lawmakers block bill seeking COVID-19 protections for meatpacking workers
Nebraska senators on Wednesday blocked the introduction of a bill that would have required certain COVID-19 protections for meatpacking workers in that more...
Smithfield CEO gets kudos from WSJ
The 14-page letter that Smithfield Foods’ CEO Ken Sullivan penned at the request of senators looking into the effects of COVID-19 on the meat processing more...
Impossible Burger makes Walmart debut
Impossible Foods said it is launching 12-ounce packages of its plant-based Impossible Burger at nearly 2,100 Walmart Supercenter and Neighborhood Market more...
Labor unions sue USDA to slow poultry plant line speeds
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union have partnered in a lawsuit against USDA that aims to more...
Maple Leaf Foods closes sale of plant to Giannone Poultry
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has completed the previously announced sale of its poultry plant in Drummondville, Quebec, to Giannone Poultry for an undisclosed more...
Frozen meat sales are still cool
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The direct relationship between coronavirus cases and consumer more...
AMSA meeting to feature meat processing, quality sessions
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) has announced new sessions and speaker lineups for its virtual 66th International Congress of Meat more...
Senate gets its own line speed-limiting bill
U.S. Senator Cory Booker today introduced the Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act, which would suspend all current and future USDA waivers and regulations more...
GOP relief proposal includes $20bn for ag
The Republican's next coronavirus relief proposal includes $20 billion in aid for agriculture interests. USDA would determine its allocation, according more...
Iowa congressman wants answers
Iowa Rep. Dave Loebsack wants to know why the state's Department of Public Health "released the inaccurate number of individuals employed at the Tyson more...
Even McDonald's earnings were bloodied in 2Q
Quick service restaurants, with their ready drive-throughs, have fared better through the pandemic restrictions than most other eateries, but even bellwether more...
Second wave: Beef sales up 30.4%
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The week ending July 19 was the second of eight non-holiday more...
Conagra slates expansion of meat snack plant
Conagra Brands is spending more than $100 million to expand capacity at its manufacturing plant in Troy, Ohio, to produce more Slim Jim meat snacks and more...
New Tönnies outbreak; reported cases in Germany climb
The German processor that temporarily shut down operations in June after more than 1,500 plant employees were confirmed to have COVID-19 infections reportedly more...
News briefs: Brakebush, Potbelly, Tim Hortons, Crowd Cow
Brakebush expands NAE chicken product line Brakebush announced it is adding two new items to its "no antibiotics ever" chicken portfolio: an NAE Panko more...
Industry rejects criticism of USDA's One Health Certified program
An assertion by consumer advocates that the One Heath Certified label is misleading as well as meaningless is getting pushback from the animal protein more...
New meat processing plant to open in Georgia
About four years after making his proposal to build a meat processing plant in Monroe County, Ga., cattle farmer Joseph Egloff says the new plant is set more...
Marfrig will track 100% of Brazilian cattle producers
Beef processor Marfrig Global Foods on Thursday launched a plan to fully track its cattle supply chain in Brazil by 2030, investing BRL500 million (US$95 more...
France has its own meat price-fixing tangle
France’s Autorité de la concurrence (Competition Authority) has handed down €93 million (US$108.2 million) in fines to 12 companies more...
Workers safe after fire engulfs hog processing facility
All 22 employees at the Custom Quality Packers hog processing facility in Bailey, N.C., were safe after a fire broke out Wednesday at the plant, taking more...
COVID-19 cases at Iowa plant were higher than state revealed: report
A COVID-19 outbreak at the Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Columbus Junction, Iowa, was more severe than initially reported by the state, according more...
NCBA launches campaign to spark comments on U.S. dietary guidelines
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is calling on cattle producers to participate in the public commentary phase in the creation of more...
Luby’s 3Q results show COVID-19's harsh impact
Luby’s Inc. reported third quarter total restaurant sales of $13.8 million, a drop of nearly $52 million — almost 80% — from revenues more...
Hormel brand brings back furloughed workers
Hormel Foods' Fontanini Foods brand announced Tuesday that all 150 furloughed employees at the McCook, Ill.-based unit have been offered the opportunity more...
Cooks Venture secures fresh funds for slow-growth chicken
Cooks Venture, a vertically integrated food company that breeds and raises a proprietary slow-growth, heirloom chicken, has announced the closing of a more...
Frozen foods trend holding well above 2019 baseline
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Holiday week or non-holiday week, the trends are the same: more...
Stepping up: NAMI, Ball Park, Ontario pork producers, Perdue Farms
NAMI members mark National Hot Dog Day with large donation In recognition of National Hot Dog Day, members of the North American Meat Institute worked more...
Boston Market suit alleging chicken price fixing to move forward
A lawsuit accusing nearly 20 poultry companies and their affiliates of fixing prices for broilers for nearly a decade will move forward next month in more...
JBS USA increases wages at Greeley beef plant
JBS USA this week announced a new base wage of $18 per hour for workers at its Greeley, Colo., processing plant, effective immediately, under the existing more...
Seaboard names Steer president, CEO
Seaboard Corp. board of directors today named Robert L. Steer, the company's executive vice president and CFO, to the office of President and Chief more...
Hot dogs benefit from everyday demand
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The week ending July 12 was the first of eight non-holiday more...
No holiday? No problem: Meat sales soar anyway.
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The week ending July 12 was a non-holiday week, but did bring more...
FSIS grants NCC's petition on avian leukosis
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has agreed that avian leukosis lesions on chickens a "trimmable condition" and will propose regulation that more...
American Foods Group snaps up pork processor
Beef processor American Foods Group has acquired Calihan Pork Processors Inc., a family-owned processor of pork products based in Peoria, Ill. The Green more...
Date set for 2021 Latin American Poultry Summit
The 2021 Latin American Poultry Summit will be held Jan. 25, 2021, a day ahead of the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), organizers more...
Union files NLRB/OSHA complaints against JBS
UFCW Local 7, the union that represents the employees of JBS USA's beef processing plant in Greeley, Colo., has filed two complaints against the company more...
Wayne Farms grooms college kids for high-tech work in industry
Wayne Farms is teaming up with two Alabama community colleges to develop an apprenticeship program to prepare students for careers in an industry that more...
Cattle, pork slaughter numbers keep improving: USDA
Meatpacking facilities continue to recover slaughter capacity, using Saturday as an opportunity to improve overall weekly totals, USDA said in its July more...
KFC embraces “meat of the future” with 3D-printed chicken
KFC may embrace nostalgia with its various branding and commercials featuring Colonel Sanders, but with its latest endeavor, it has its sights set on more...
Virginia adopts mandatory workplace protections for COVID-19
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday the adoption of statewide workplace rules that will require employers to implement various measures to more...
Omaha Steaks chairman, industry ‘icon’ Alan Simon dies
Alan D. Simon was a giant in the meat industry and a pillar of success in the Omaha business community, but those who worked with him say they will remember more...
As more restaurants close dining areas, NRA sends SOS
The National Restaurant Association is calling for federal help for its members, saying many foodservice outlets are on the brink of closure due to shutdowns more...
Chicken Check In site gets a makeover
The National Chicken Council has updated its Chicken Check In website, created to offer consumers a window onto modern chicken production in the U.S. more...
NCBA skewers Burger King’s ‘reduced emissions methane beef’ campaign
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today expressed disappointment over a new Burger King campaign that blames cattle emissions for more...
USDA releases Dietary Guidelines committee's final report
USDA today posted the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s final scientific report containing findings that will inform the agency and U more...
Grandin, Schwean-Lardner to keynote 2020 AMSA RMC
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) has announced that Temple Grandin and Karen Schwean-Lardner will be featured keynote speakers at more...
Consumers enjoyed a very deli Fourth
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Independence Day week is a big one for the grocery channel more...
Judge delays price-fixing trial of Pilgrim’s Pride CEO
A federal judge in Colorado approved a request to provide more time for attorneys to respond to an indictment of Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. CEO Jayson more...
Burger King says: Lemongrass might be the answer
Burger King is testing a Whopper sandwich made with beef from cows that have been fed a special diet aimed at significantly reducing the amount of methane more...
Dog days: Wiener sales a little ahead of year-ago levels
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. So far, the 2020 pandemic-affected holidays have seen big more...
Giving Back briefs: Hawaii Cattlemen, JBS, Cargill
Hawaii Cattlemen donate 20K pounds of beef The Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council has donated more than 20,000 pounds of beef to help feed those in need more...
Floods prompt ASF outbreaks in China: Reuters
Heavy rains and flooding have reportedly triggered fresh outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) in parts of southern China, hindering progress toward more...
Celebrate! Meat owned the July 4 holiday
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. So far, the 2020 pandemic-affected holidays have seen strong more...
Pay dispute sparks limited employee walkout at JBS USA plant
Workers at a JBS USA plant in Greeley, Colo., walked off the job late last week to protest pay differentials and safety issues in the wake of COVID-19 more...
Seaboard president Steven Bresky dead at 67
Steven J. Bresky, president, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Seaboard Corp., passed away on Friday at the age of 67. A cause of death was not immediately more...
Michigan mandates social distancing in meat, poultry plants
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday signed an executive order for workplace protections against COVID-19 that include social distance requirements more...
Worker advocates file racial discrimination complaint against JBS, Tyson
A coalition of worker advocacy groups has filed an administrative complaint with USDA, which accuses Tyson Foods and JBS of engaging in racial discrimination more...
Kroger chief merchant to retire; replacement named
Kroger Co. announced the retirement of Joe Grieshaber, senior vice president and chief merchant, effective Aug. 15, after more than 37 years of service more...
Giving back: K.C. Barbecue, Pure Farmland, Cargill, Perdue Farms
Kansas City Barbecue Society honors barbecue pioneerThe Kansas City Barbecue Society recently facilitated the distribution of 1,000 barbecue meals to more...
Two workers injured in fire at Tyson plant in Arkansas
Tyson Foods Inc. on Thursday confirmed two workers were injured in a fire overnight in part of a poultry plant in Nashville, Ark. Local firefighters and more...
Meatpacker settles workers’ back pay claims in ICE raid fallout
East Tennessee meatpacker Southeastern Provision has agreed to pay a $610,000 settlement to workers as part of the fallout of an Immigration and Customs more...
Pilgrim’s Pride fined nearly $27K after worker’s death in Alabama
Pilgrim’s Pride is facing a $26,988 fine from the federal agency that oversees workplace safety for violations found after a worker died in January more...
Private equity firm beefs up jerky portfolio
Private equity investor Sonoma Brands has acquired Chef’s Cut Real Jerky Co. for an undisclosed sum. The deal follows Sonoma Brands’ more...
COVID-19 infected 9% of U.S. meat plant workers: CDC
New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that nearly one out of 10 workers at the nation’s meat processing more...
FSIS rejects request that meat plants test products for COVID-19
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has rejected a call by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) for changes in more...
Hormel designs meats for people with swallowing disorders
Hormel Health Labs is launching Thick & Easy brand meats that meet standards established by the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative more...
Dearth of holidays dampens deli sales
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The week ending June 28 fell in between Father’s Day more...
Activists turn up the heat on Tyson's institutional investors
Worker activist groups are targeting Tyson Foods this week via communications sent to the company's largest institutional investors, including T more...
Some relief ahead for global poultry market: Rabobank
Demand and prices for chicken will slowly pick up as efforts to curb COVID-19 loosen in the global food service industry. “The global poultry more...
U.S. red meat exports slip again in May: USMEF
Production issues contributed to a continued decline in U.S. beef and pork exports in May, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Meat and Export more...
Frozen is hot in a non-holiday week of retail sales
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The week ending June 28 fell in between Father’s Day more...
Meat sales volume sees first year-over-year decline since March
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The week ending June 28 fell between Father’s Day and more...
Today's COVID news: China, Brazil, Tennessee
China freezes imports from another two meat plants in Brazil China is halting imports from two Brazilian pork plants operated by meatpackers JBS SA and more...
Panera makes several executive appointments
Panera Bread has made several changes to its executive team in recent months, including the hiring of Claes Petersson as chief food innovation officer more...
News Briefs: FSIS, Papa John’s, NAMI, Safe + Sound Week, Ibéricos COVAP, Perdue Farms, Honey Baked Ham
Updates coming to FSIS' Public Health Information System USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is updating the Public Health Information System more...
Smithfield seeks to quash OSHA subpoena for Sioux Falls COVID-19 records
Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. has filed a motion to quash an OSHA subpoena of COVID-19 records for the company’s Sioux Falls, South Dakota plant more...
Americans firing up smokers, Pork Board says
The summer grilling season is underway, and this year has Americans hungering for safe outdoor activities amid a pandemic. From smoked belly more...
Meat cutting certificate offered by Montana college
The Montana Farm Bureau and Miles Community College (MCC) in Miles City, Mont., have teamed to offer a meat processing certificate/degree program. “The more...
Beyond Meat rolls out value-priced packs for summer
Beyond Meat in late June launched packs of its plant-based burgers at their "most affordable price to date," in time for the summer grilling season. The more...
Plenty of beef for Independence Day
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Pizza Hut, Wendy's operator files for bankruptcy protection
NPC International — the biggest franchisee of Pizza Hut restaurants in the United States — has filed for bankruptcy, citing the “impact more...
Foster Farms rolls out chicken-crust pizza
With many consumers looking to reduce carbohydrates, pizza becomes a sort of forbidden fruit due to its bready crust. Foster Farms, however, has introduced more...
It's back! Spam Museum is reopening
Hormel Foods today announced the reopening of its Spam Museum in Austin, Minn., for in-person visits as well as live virtual tours. The museum is one more...
Jim Perdue: Chicken prices may be headed higher in 2020
Lower egg hatchings in recent months suggest retail prices for chicken may be poised to rise later this year, Perdue Farms CEO Jim Perdue said in an interview more...
Scientists warn of possible flu pandemic from Chinese hog virus
Researchers are reporting the emergence of a new flu virus among hogs that can infect humans with influenza that does not respond to current vaccines more...
McDonald’s appoints new Canada chief
McDonald’s Canada President and CEO John Betts will retire effective Aug. 1 after 12 years at the helm of the McDonald’s Corp. division, the more...
Father's Day celebrations boost deli, as well
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Father’s Day typically provides a boost to the perimeter more...
June 2020
USMCA takes effect as COVID-19 pandemic continues
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is set to become the official policy covering North American trade on Wednesday, even as industries more...
Meat had Father's Day down cold
Father’s Day fell a week later than in 2019 and typically provides a big boost for departments across the store, from meat and produce to baked more...
FSIS sees ‘distorted emphasis’ in report on swine production rules
Officials at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) are fighting back against a recent report that the agency did not properly assess more...
Giving back: Nebraska Farmers Union, University of Wisconsin, Center for Food Integrity
NeFU Foundation donates to state’s “Pork Cares” program Nebraska Farmers Union Foundation sent the “Pork Cares” project more...
Who's your daddy?!? Father’s Day saw massive volume
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The week ending June 21st was Father’s Day weekend and more...
Fed looks to help out large firms, including processors
As part of its ongoing effort to shore up the U.S. economy and financial markets, the Federal Reserve is getting ready to start buying bonds from big more...
Environmental groups petition USDA over depopulation
Several environmental groups have petitioned USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) over tactics used in the mass depopulation of livestock more...
Premium Brands secures C$300 million for acquisitions, operations
Premium Brands Holdings Corp. announced it has signed agreements with joint underwriters to cover a debt issue of C$300 million ($219 million) that the more...
Families sue Tyson Foods over workers who died from COVID-19
The families of three Tyson Foods workers who died after contracting COVID-19 during an outbreak at the company’s Waterloo, Iowa, pork plant filed more...
Union decertification vote will proceed at Mountaire Farms plant
After initially suspending a union decertification election at Mountaire Farms' Selbyville, Del., poultry processing plant, the National Labor Relations more...
OIG audits meat labels, finds some inaccuracies
A review by USDA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of 120 label application packages for meat, poultry and egg products has turned up some missing more...
News Briefs: ICoMST and RMC, Niman Ranch, NIFA, OSI, Hormel
Registration for the Virtual ICoMST, RMC is open Registration is open for the first-ever American Meat Science Association (AMSA) virtual experience more...
OIG questions USDA data behind new pig inspection rule
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) did not evaluate the accuracy of and was not transparent about the worker safety data it used to more...
Chuck E Cheese parent files for bankruptcy protection
CEC Entertainment Inc., parent of the Chuck E Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza restaurant and arcade chains, announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy more...
Gemstone Foods names new president/COO
Poultry processor Gemstone Foods has announced the immediate appointment of Jeff L. Power as president and chief operating officer. Power has worked in more...
Turkey industry innovator Ted Huisinga dies
Ted Huisinga, who helped found what became Willmar Poultry Farms, has died at the age of 95. Huisinga returned from service in the Army in World War II more...
COVID-19 update: Iowa closes Tyson probe; N.C. processor funding on track
The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported that it found no violations after an inspection of the Tyson Foods plant in Waterloo, more...
Tyson to shut S.C. plant to boost production efficiency
Tyson Foods Inc. plans to shut down a processing plant in Columbia, S.C., later this summer, affecting 146 employees, according to media reports. The more...
Sens. Warren, Booker open investigation of largest meat processors
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker have announced an investigation into the recent business practices of Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill and Smithfield more...
15 weeks into the Pandemic Era, frozen food sales still up 20%
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The first signs of the pandemic-induced shopping patterns more...
Senators join call to adjust regulations for smaller meat processors
A bipartisan group of senators has doubled down on calls for USDA to modify regulations that "create impediments to a diversified meat processing industry more...
COVID-19 update: Maple Leaf Farms, Tönnies Group, new stats
The union representing Maple Leaf Farms employees in Indiana asked the company, which makes duck products, to revive extra pay in light of increasing more...
Union rallies, votes today on Mountaire representation
A mail-in vote by workers at the Mountaire poultry plant in Selbyville, Del., will determine if the local United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) chapter more...
Tyson names new chief HR officer, global affairs chief
Tyson Foods Inc. has named Johanna Söderström as executive vice president and chief human resources officer, and Dan Turton as senior vice president more...
China nixes imports; Tyson, UK, EU firms targeted
China’s customs authority over the weekend said it has suspended imports of poultry from a Tyson Foods plant in Springdale, Ark., and also from more...
Smuggled meat from China seized at L.A. ports
U.S. Customs and Border Protection have intercepted nearly 20,000 lbs. of beef, chicken, duck and pork products from China over a two-month span that more...
Double-digit meat sales continue, prices high
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Three months since grocery retailing experienced two of the more...
New WOTUS rule in effect in 49 states
The federal government’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule took effect in most of the country on Monday, narrowing the definition of waters protected more...
McDonald's brings back some burgers, Subway cuts two sandwiches
McDonald's Corp. plans to add back seven items to its U.S. menu in July, including two versions of the Quarter Pounder and the Bacon McDouble, that were more...
Saturday shifts could address processing backlog: analysts
It could take several months to work through the backlog of cattle and hogs that have not been harvested on schedule due to COVID-19, and it will require more...
An epidemiologist's eye view on COVID-19, foodborne disease
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health epidemiologist Craig Hedberg's phone hasn't stopped ringing. As one of the nation's leading scientific more...
Good vibrations: Fitbit technology may help detect woody breast in chicken meat
University of Arkansas (UA) researchers hope to generate some good vibes while researching ways to advance woody breast detection in broilers — more...
Judge deems N.C. property protection law unconstitutional
A federal judge has struck down as unconstitutional parts of a North Carolina law providing for civil action to deter undercover animal welfare investigations more...
Smithfield plant in S.D. still hit by absenteeism (UPDATED)
More than 800 workers reportedly remain off the job from the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., due to the coronavirus. The AFL-CIO told the more...
Chinese port expands safety testing of meat import containers: report
One of China's top ports has begun requiring all arriving meat and seafood containers to be tested for COVID-19 contamination, prompting concerns about more...
News briefs: Belcampo, Beefshi Battle, Nolan Ryan, Micro Summit Processors, Beef Checkoff, Wayne Farms
Belcampo promotes climate-positive farm practices Belcampo Meat Co. will team with farmers to develop a network of Certified Humane and organic farms more...
COVID-19 update: Va. regulators consider mandatory social distancing in plants; Utah meat facilities close
As we reach the week’s mid-point, there are numerous updates on the COVID-19 front, including proposed state regulations and new plant closures more...
McDonald’s adjusts focus as dining rooms reopen
Chicago-based McDonald’s Corp. is preparing for a post-COVID-19 economic and operational recovery centering on kick-starting remodeling efforts more...
Hot dogs still up 17%, three months into the pandemic
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The summer season is well underway and that means strong demand more...
USAPEEC elects 2020-21 chairman, board directors
Chaz Wilson, head of international sales for Pilgrim’s USA in Greeley, Colo., has been elected chairman of the board of the USA Poultry & Egg more...
Absenteeism high among meatpacking workers: union
A substantial count of U.S. meatpacking employees did not show up for work last week amid ongoing concerns about the coronavirus, according to the United more...
Nevertheless, frozen food sales persist
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Thirteen weeks of high double-digit sales gains is the net more...
Canada recalls sausage links on listeria concerns
G. Brandt Meat Packers Ltd., in Ottawa, Canada, is recalling Mini Smoked Farmer Sausage from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination more...
New product news: Maple Leaf Foods, Burger King, Popeyes, Brooklyn Cured, Leatherneck Meats
Maple Leaf jumps into 'blended' arena Maple Leaf Foods has rolled out a line of meat-and-plant blended products it has dubbed Maple Leaf 50/50, the company more...
Federal judge rules NC law violates free speech provisions
A federal judge in North Carolina has declared that a state law designed to prevent hidden-video footage taken inside slaughterhouses violates U.S. Constitution more...
West Coast ports to observe Juneteenth with work stoppage
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union says members will shut down all 29 ports along the West Coast on Friday to support ongoing protests over more...
First look at June retail sales; meat still rules
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The first week of June marks three full months of coronavirus-related more...
JBS ordered to close a poultry plant in Brazil
JBS has been ordered by a Brazilian labor court to close a chicken processing facility in Trindade do Sul, in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do more...
COVID-19 update: Tyson reports Ark. cases; virus continues to take toll industry-wide
Tyson Foods announced on Thursday that 199 of 1,102 workers at its Berry Street poultry plant in Springdale, Ark., who underwent onsite testing June more...
U.S. meat consumption to decline for first time in six years
COVID-19 pandemic impacts will cause U.S. per-capita meat consumption to fall in 2020, marking the first such decline since 2014, according to a new report more...
U.S. COVID-19 woes pave way for Argentine beef
Argentine beef producers are taking advantage of supply disruptions caused by COVID-19 in the United States. As the Buenos Aires Times reported, Argentine more...
Lopez Foods set to begin operations at Cherokee facility
Lopez Foods will begin operations at a new 285,000-square-foot processing plant in Cherokee, Iowa next week. The plant, according to reports from the more...
COVID-19 continued: Tyson worker dies; Cargill workers protest
Tyson Foods officials confirmed Wednesday that a second employee of the company’s Sherman, Texas, beef plant has died from COVID-19, as the virus more...
Union urges Congress to protect meat plant workers
Lawmakers need to enact safeguards for meat processing plant and other workers, many of whom are having to choice between a paycheck and their health more...
Pork exports to China remain robust: Peel
This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission. By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma more...
Chili's, Red Robin reopen dining rooms
Two leading full-service restaurant chains this week reported progress in reopening dining rooms as the U.S. foodservice industry begins to restart on-premise more...
Lawmakers appeal to USDA to ease regulations on small processors
Six Republican congressmen, led by Jim Jordan of Ohio’s fourth district, are urging Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to ease regulations on more...
COVID-19 update: JBS workers call for closure of Utah plant
Workers at a JBS beef plant in Hyrum, Utah, staged a walkout protest on Tuesday in response to working conditions at the plant. According to a report more...
Iowa legislators consider liability protection from COVID-19 suits
Iowa lawmakers moved a step closer to approving a bill that would protect a wide variety of businesses, including meat processors, churches and healthcare more...
Hot dog sales heat up again, dollar-wise
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. With the summer season officially underway, meat and poultry more...
Antitrust litigation targeting beef processors heats up with new filing
Four of the nation’s top beef processors — already the targets of allegations of price-fixing dating back to 2015 — now also are more...
Today in COVID-19 news: Tyson, JBS, ranchers, state poultry associations
Tyson reports new positives at Chicago plant Tyson Foods released the results of facility-wide testing for COVID-19 at its Chicago steak-cutting facility more...
Frozen foods continue high demand
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. While grocery retailing has officially entered its summer more...
Mexico nominates veteran trade official for top WTO post
Mexico nominated its veteran trade official Jesús Seade for the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), thus becoming the more...
COVID-19 update: Hormel, Dan’s Prize, Lincoln Premium Poultry, Tyson
The Minnesota Dept. of Health reported that Hormel Foods Corp. and a separate company that slaughters hogs for a facility in Austin, Minn., together have more...
Poultry execs plead not guilty
Three of the four poultry executives who were indicted last week on price-fixing charges have pleaded not guilty; the fourth has asked for a continuance more...
Meat dept. dollars still on double-digit growth path
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. During the final week of May, meat and poultry supply remained more...
Poultry farm fire kills 64,000 birds in Pennsylvania
A fire reportedly destroyed a poultry building and killed about 64,000 chickens in Upper Tulpenhocken Township, Pa. The Friday night blaze caused $700 more...
FSIS to expand testing for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced plans to expand its routine verification testing for six Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia more...
Bipartisan Senate bill would create carbon credit program
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bill that would create a certification program at USDA to help farmers, ranchers and landowners more...
AMS mulls collagen casing for organic market
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) on Monday will propose a rule that would amend the national list of allowed and prohibited substances more...
Science briefs: Turkey avian disease, animal welfare, cattle microbiomes
Researchers examine the role of APEC in turkey cellulitis University of Georgia researchers have completed a study that suggests the primary cause of more...
Tyson takes next step toward normal; deals with shooting at plant
Tyson Foods is reinstating its attendance policy that tracks when employees miss shifts and assigns “points” accordingly; employees who collect more...
COVID-19 ripples through global cattle market: Rabobank
Just as COVID-19 is beginning to wreak havoc on some parts of the world and abate elsewhere, the pandemic’s impact on the beef industry is being more...
COVID-19 update: Reser's, Hormel, Quality Pork, JBS SA (UPDATED)
The Reser's Fine Foods baked sides and entrees plant in Topeka, Kansas, is temporarily pausing operations for up to 14 days to test all employees more...
Nathan's Famous partners to offer meal kits online
Nathan's Famous Inc. announced a partnership with Goldbelly, an online marketplace, to offer three meal kit options to consumers nationwide. The options more...
Poultry industry executives indicted on price-fixing charges
A grand jury in Denver has indicted four current and former poultry industry executives, including Pilgrim's Pride Chief Executive Jayson Penn, on charges more...
COVID-19 update: Tyson, JBS SA, Farmer John, Perdue
Processors are confirming additional COVID-19 cases at various U.S. plants while Brazil’s largest processor is accused of illegally firing workers more...
Frozen food sales gains remain on fire
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Memorial Day week traditionally signals the unofficial start more...
Food Lion in acquisition deal to expand in Southeast
Food Lion said Wednesday it has entered into a transaction to buy 62 BI-LO/Harveys Supermarket stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia from more...
COVID-19 update: Tyson, H-E-B, Lincoln Premium Poultry, Marfrig
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect operations at meat processing plants, major meat companies are moving forward with efforts to stem the more...
Hot dog sales gains slow to single digits
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. As the traditional start of grilling season, Memorial Day more...
Markets fazed by phase one talk
The back-and-forth between China and the U.S. over trade and tariffs dealt another blow to hog markets on Monday, as news spread from China that the country's more...
USDA lowers 2020 ag export outlook after COVID-19 woes
The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted USDA to revise its forecasts for U.S. agricultural exports, although protein exports are expected more...
JBS reopens poultry plant in Brazil, BRF wraps up COVID-19 tests
JBS was due to resume activities today at its poultry processing facility in the southern Brazilian city of Ipumirim, Santa Catarina state, after receiving more...
Memorial Day drove double-digit meat gains despite tight supply
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Memorial Day signals the traditional start of the summer grilling more...
Associations seek State Dept. funding of ag cooperation group
A group of more than 30 food and agriculture associations are urging the U.S. State Dept. to fund and support an organization that promotes science-based more...
RKW buys BI Foods’ assets, keeps the lights on
RKW Holdings LLC has bought the equipment and inventory assets of Beef International Inc. (BI Foods) after the Pennsauken, N.J.-based processor filed more...
May 2020
Updated federal guidance may emphasize COVID-19 testing at meat plants
The next version of federal guidance for meatpackers to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their facilities may put more emphasis on testing workers more...
COVID-19 boosts advocacy for worker protection
Outbreaks of COVID-19 at U.S. meat processing plants spurred a bout of activity this week by workers and their advocates. On Thursday, the United Food more...
Immigration rules changed to extend time limits, add flexibility
The Department of Homeland Security has announced a temporary final rule that changes certain H-2B requirements, making it somewhat easier for companies more...
Largest beef plant in Australia closes for a week
Australia's largest cattle processing plant has closed for at least a week, due to a shortage of cattle to slaughter and volatility in international meat more...
Sanderson mulls more retail production as COVID clamps foodservice
Sanderson Farms officials are contemplating a further shift in product mix toward the retail market as COVID-19 continues to cast a cloud over the foodservice more...
Iowa launches program to cover costs of hog euthanizing
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is launching a “disposal assistance program” for pork farmers who are euthanizing more...
Del Real Foods appoints COO
Hispanic refrigerated foods company Del Real Foods announced the appointment of Viviano del Villar Jr. as its new chief operating officer. Del Villar more...
Diestel Family Ranch to acquire Willie Bird brand
Diestel Family Ranch announced it is acquiring Willie Bird Turkeys, a Sonoma County, Calif., family farm and smoked poultry products business. Sonora more...
Canadian processor buys majority stake in Minnesota's Prime Pork
HyLife Ltd. has acquired a majority stake in Prime Pork, a Windom, Minn.-based hog processor, as part of an expansion of the Manitoba, Canada-based company’s more...
Brothers controlling JBS allowed to resume posts at J&F companies
A Brazilian court on Tuesday authorized brothers Joesley and Wesley Batista to return to management positions at companies controlled by J&F Holding more...
COVID-19 update: Tyson worker dies, cases rise in Fremont
An employee at the Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, has died of COVID-19. According to a report from CNN, the worker – more...
Trends hold for the deli department
The week ending May 17 fell in between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day and was a relatively good reflection of where everyday demand sits relative more...
Meanwhile, as COVID-19 rips through Brazil ...
Brazilian poultry and pork processor BRF S.A. said that 93.4% of the 5,132 workers at its Concórdia facility were resuming activities after testing more...
Purchase limitations couldn't stop double-digit retail gains
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The question on everyone’s mind is how far everyday more...
Hormel announces Vorpahl retirement, promotions
Hormel Foods has announced that Larry Vorpahl, group vice president and president of Hormel Foods International Corp., will retire, effective this summer more...
News Briefs: Hormel, Gratitude Health, Smashburger, FSIS, AMSA, BQA program
Hormel launches new hardwood smoked product line Hormel has launched Natural Choice hardwood smoked lunch meats, a new line of slow-smoked products that more...
Lean Cuisine gets a makeover, sister brand
Nestlé has introduced a new brand called Life Cuisine catering to people following low-carb, high-protein, meatless and gluten-free dietary trends more...
Perdue Farms shares CDC report
Perdue Farms earlier this month hosted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for meetings and tours of Perdue's poultry processing more...
Science ROI you can take to the bank
Larry Keener is a clinical microbiologist by education, a food technologist by certification, and food safety scientist by application. But, he is a "technical more...
Stepping up: Conagra, Smithfield, Delmarva chicken, Niman Ranch, John Soules
Conagra adds to cash bonuses for workers Conagra Brands Inc. will provide an additional $7 million in cash bonuses to eligible employees at each of the more...
COVID-19 Roundup: Testing at Seaboard, JBS, Pilgrim’s Pride plants
The closing of the week brought a fresh round of stories involving COVID-19 and the nation’s meat plants, especially in regards to testing. Expansive more...
Coalition asks for more protections for meat workers
The HEAL Food Alliance, Food Chain Workers Alliance and nearly 100 food, labor and environmental advocacy groups have signed an open letter calling on more...
FDA report suggests cattle source of E. coli in romaine contamination
The Food and Drug Administration reported that nearby cattle most likely was the source of an E. coli contamination of romaine lettuce from the Salinas more...
Mixed views on Hormel shares as COVID-19 clouds outlook
Analysts' views on Hormel's financial outlook after the company reported a 3.3% rise in second-quarter sales reflect the ongoing uncertainty brought by more...
Hormel pulls financial guidance, citing COVID-19 uncertainty
Hormel Foods believes it’s on solid footing, even as the pandemic that has upended much of the food industry continues to play out. Still, the Austin more...
COVID-19 update: Tyson reports N.C. cases, JBS Alberta resumes 2nd shift
Tyson Foods on Wednesday announced that facility-wide testing for COVID-19 at its Wilkesboro, N.C., poultry facility found 570 out of 2,244 employees more...
USDA: COVID-19 disrupts April meat production, but better days ahead
Meat and poultry production volume is expected to rise in 2021, despite year-over-year declines in estimated production levels for April across all commodity more...
Germany cracks down on meatpackers as COVID-19 spotlights labor issues
The German government has drafted a law that would prohibit the country’s slaughterhouses from hiring eastern Europeans on short-term contracts more...
Hog slaughter recovering faster than expected
The slaughter volume of hogs in recent weeks has increased much faster than many had expected, according to the latest Daily Livestock Report (DLR). Since more...
AFL-CIO petitions OSHA for worker protections
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) has filed a petition asking a federal court to compel OSHA to issue more...
Full-service dining chain details reopening progress
Darden Restaurants Inc. on Tuesday confirmed the significant impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on sales in a business update, but also expressed more...
JBS resuming operations at Passo Fundo poultry plant
JBS SA planned to resume operations at its poultry processing facility in the southern Brazilian city of Passo Fundo today, after receiving a favorable more...
COVID-19 Update: plants reopen/close, regulatory issues arise
Another meat processing plant continued limited reopening efforts after COVID-19 outbreaks, even as others shut down and regulators look at how companies more...
Perdue Farms sues NY State distributor
Perdue Farms has filed a lawsuit against a distributor, Maines Paper and Foodservice, alleging non-payment of more than $1.4 million for poultry products more...
Marfrig posts strong operations, but net loss
Marfrig Global Foods SA had its best operational performance ever recorded in the United States in the first quarter, despite a net loss due to the non-cash more...
NJ processor files Chapter 7
Beef International Inc., doing business as BI Foods, in Pennsauken, N.J., has filed a Chapter 7 bankrupty petition and will liquidate, according to court more...
Meat industry battle to thwart COVID-19 spread marches on
Additional deep-cleaning efforts at meat plants and new outbreaks of coronavirus infections continue to affect protein companies even as questions about more...
Meat still up at retail, but rising prices are a downer
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. As the meat supply, labor and prices continued to dominate more...
JBS sees demand growth in foodservice, warns of volatility
JBS SA has seen demand from the foodservice sector picking up in all the regions where it operates in recent weeks, but the short-term scenario for the more...
Mississippi links consumers to local meat producers
The state of Mississippi is now offering an online marketing portal giving meat producers and others a place to sell food locally. Andy Gipson, Mississippi’s more...
COVID-19 update: Koch Foods, Farbest Foods, Rantoul Foods
As health authorities continue to test workers at meat processing facilities in many local communities across the United States for COVID-19, positive more...
JBS posts Q1 loss of $1 billion
Brazil's JBS SA had a net loss of BRL5.9 billion ($1.02 billion) in the first quarter of 2020 due to the impact of the devaluation of the Brazilian currency more...
OSHA treads lightly on COVID-19 complaints: Politico
The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has conducted few investigations out of the thousands of COVID-19 more...
Pork antitrust plaintiffs contend Trump order supports their case
Plaintiffs in the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against U.S. pork processors are arguing that President Donald Trump's executive order requiring meat plants more...
Dance like Cowboy Troy, get bacon
The National Pork Board has teamed up with country rapper Cowboy Troy for a TikTok bacon dance challenge. Participants are encouraged to visit Troy’s more...
The days drag on, and deli still struggles
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Two months after the world of grocery retailing saw its first more...
COVID-19 updates: NC outbreaks; Jennie-O reopens; Tyson testing
As we approach the week’s midpoint, there is a new batch of COVID-19 developments in the nation’s meat processing plants. The virus continues more...
House COVID-19 bill offers aid to livestock producers
House Democrats on Tuesday introduced a $3 trillion COVID-19 aid bill that, among its wide-ranging provisions, would compensate producers for depopulation more...
USDA lowers 2020 protein production forecast due to COVID-19
USDA analysts reduced estimates for total red meat and poultry production levels for the rest of 2020 because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, more...
Recall of frozen ravioli from 2018 is expanded
Venda Ravioli Inc. of Providence, R.I., is expanding a 2018 recall to encompass a total of about 738 pounds of frozen meat ravioli products that were more...
Meat plant challenges expand
State and local health officials in several states reported additional positive cases of COVID-19 at additional meat plants, while other groups of employees more...
Phase one trade pact with China holds, for now
China has published a list of 79 products that will be exempt from the tariffs that have been imposed in the trade war with the United States, according more...
JBS Brazil injects $120 million into COVID-19 battle
Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA is investing $120 million (700 million Brazilian reais) in efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Reuters. more...
FInal rule issued on shipping fees
The Federal Maritime Commission has issued new guidance about how it will assess the reasonableness of detention and demurrage regulations and practices more...
Who's open, who's closed? Cargill, Jennie-O, Tyson, Conestoga Meats, Sofina Foods and more
Another week, another round of processor announcements on addressing COVID-19 impacts on their operations in North America. Cargill Protein is preparing more...
Meat remains the retail champ
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Two months into the COVID-19 pandemic, grocery shopping continues more...
Brazil grapples with its own meat supply chain issues
Poultry and pork producer BRF S.A. expects the COVID-19 pandemic to affect Brazil’s meat supply this year as producers have already started to reduce more...
Trump: $3 billion for meat, other agricultural products
President Trump says the federal government will soon buy $3 billion in agricultural products from U.S. ranchers and farmers. The effort to address more...
Jennie-O Turkey Minn. facility, Indiana Packers pork plant reopen
Hormel Foods' Jennie-O Turkey Store subsidiary announced that it restarted operations today at its Benson Avenue facility in Willmar, Minn., after a voluntary more...
Control area lifted around S.C. turkey farm after HPAI infection
Clemson University Livestock Poultry Health (LPH) has released the control area around a turkey farm in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, that was more...
Azar reportedly ties meat workers’ living conditions to COVID-19 outbreaks
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar recently suggested the spread of COVID-19 among meat-processing plant workers had more to do with their more...
Stepping up: Illinois Pork, Butterball, American Simmental Assn., US Foods, Thomas Foods
Pork Power As part of the Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Illinois campaign, Farmweld along with the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) more...
JBS reopens Minn. pork plant; Tyson restarts Neb. beef plant
Major meatpacking plants are starting up operations again as the industry continues to balance its function as an essential food supplier with protecting more...
Perdue predicts plants back up within 10 days
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said he expects meatpacking facilities in the United States to fully reopen in seven to 10 days, according to news reports more...
Trump adds to calls for beef market investigation
President Donald Trump has asked the Department of Justice to look into antitrust allegations regarding the beef processing industry, adding to a request more...
Hottest hot dog sales since early April
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Since the second week of March, American households have taken more...
COVID roundup: Seaboard, JBS, Harmony Beef (Updated)
A worker from Seaboard Triumph Foods’ Sioux City, Iowa, pork plant has died from COVID-19. According to a report from the Sioux City Journal more...
USDA lauds Missouri court ruling on Smithfield plant
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue applauded a ruling by the District Court of Western Missouri that affirms the Occupational Safety and Health Administration more...
USDA's Perdue, senators, CDC weigh in on Trump executive order
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue this week issued separate letters to state governors and meat processors urging cooperation to ensure the health and more...
Plant closings portend empty meat cases, price inflation: CoBank
A new report from CoBank is cautioning that meat supplies for retail grocery stores could shrink nearly 30% by Memorial Day. Some grocers, such as Costco more...
COVID today: Who's reopened, who's still closed?
Tyson Foods is busy juggling fast-changing situations at plants across the country. The company has suspended production at its pork packing plant in more...
CDC: U.S. control of major foodborne pathogens stalled
The rates of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. caused by five of the top eight pathogens increased or stayed the same in 2019 compared with the previous more...
Analysts take ‘wait-and-see’ approach on Tyson
Industry analysts generally expressed caution after Tyson Foods Inc. reported a decline in net income in the second quarter of fiscal 2020. BMO Capital more...
Biden expresses support for meat plant workers
Former Vice President Joe Biden said protein plant workers deserve not only a safe working environment, but also “extra premium pay” for their more...
Pandemic, production issues curb Tyson’s Q2 net income
The response to the evolving coronavirus pandemic sparked a sharp decline in second quarter net income for Tyson Foods Inc., although the protein giant more...
JBS refutes Mother Jones report critical of its COVID-19 management
JBS USA officials are refuting a lengthy new report by Mother Jones, in partnership with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, alleging that the more...
White House urged to protect meatpacking workers
Democrats on all levels are blasting President Trump’s executive order requiring meat plants remain open amid a pandemic that has killed multiple more...
Chicken neck skin samples yield better campy detection: study
Scientists investigating the potential impact of using different sampling types when testing broiler carcasses for campylobacter have found that more...
How does the Executive Order affect my business?
Last week President Trump signed an executive order declaring meat and poultry processors as “critical infrastructure” and, therefore, required more...
JBS sees COVID-19 cases surge in Colo.; Tyson to reopen Ind. pork plant
COVID-19 has claimed the life of a sixth worker at the JBS beef plant in Greeley, Colo., as cases among the facility's workforce more than doubled since more...
Alabama sues Tyson over 2019 wastewater spill
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and several environmental groups in the state are suing Tyson Farms seeking damages and civil penalties stemming more...
Analyst predicts chicken price rebound amid production cuts
U.S. chicken margins face unprecedented pressure now but are likely to recover, possibly as soon as late summer or early fall, as production is cut by more...
Time-lapse map added to Meatingplace COVID-19 coverage
The impact of COVID-19 on the meatpacking industry has been fast-paced and staggering, as shown by our new time lapse map below. This adds to our more...
April 2020
Tyson pausing Dakota City production; Smithfield Monmouth to reopen
Tyson Fresh Meats announced it will temporarily pause operations this Friday through Monday at its Dakota City, Neb., beef facility to complete a deep more...
JBS reopens Minn. pork plant, but only to euthanize pigs
JBS USA said Thursday it will reopen its pork plant in Worthington, Minn., but only to euthanize pigs that area farmers cannot market with so many slaughterhouse more...
Pilgrim’s CEO: QSR business at or near pre-COVID levels
After a volatile quarter, Pilgrim’s Pride is taking an optimistic view of how its business will fare in 2020. In an earnings call Thursday, company more...
Risk of soy allergen in chicken salad prompts small recall
Condies Foods of Kearns, Utah, is recalling 165 units of chicken salad on croissant and chicken sandwiches due to the possibility that the items may contain more...
Labor, state officials stress safety concerns after Trump meat plant order
Unions and state health officials are emphasizing both worker safety and plant sanitation in their reactions to President Donald Trump’s new executive more...
McDonald's Canada to import beef, take Angus burgers off menu
McDonald’s Canada said the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its supply chain are prompting a temporary change in its sourcing policy to incorporate more...
Maple Leaf posts net loss in Q1
Maple Leaf Foods on Wednesday reported a net loss of $3.7 million in the first quarter, compared to net earnings of $50.1 million a year ago, driven by more...
Trump promises executive order to keep plants open
President Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would require meat processing plants to open, declaring them "critical infrastructure" using more...
COVID update: Smithfield, George’s Inc., JBS USA, Dan’s Prize, Butterball
Smithfield Foods has been ordered by a U.S. District Court judge in Western Missouri to follow public health guidelines at its Milan, Mo., pork plant more...
Seaboard posts Q1 sales gain as investment loss slams profit, terminates contracts
Seaboard Corp. reported a 9% net sales gain in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, although what the processor described as “unrealized gains” more...
Hatfield Quality Meats' Butch Clemens passes away
Clair W. “Butch” Clemens, retired president and CEO of Hatfield Quality Meats, died on April 18, 2020. He was 90 years old. Clemens more...
COVID roundup: Central Valley Meat, Tyson, Hormel, JBS USA
The coronavirus continues to hit meat processors, with multiple employees at Central Valley Meat Co. of Hanford, Calif., testing positive for COVID-19 more...
Meat sales gains hold up vs. 2019's Easter week performance
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Since the onset of coronavirus in the United States, grocery more...
Pork board offers depopulation tips
The National Pork Board is helping pork producers examine their options in light of COVID-19-related issues at pork production plants nationwide, including more...
Canada reinstates license of Marini Foods
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has reinstated the license of Marini Foods Ltd., a maker of fresh Italian sausages and dry cured meats. The more...
Short-term pain, long-term gain: Cattle on Feed
USDA reported Friday that U.S. cattle feedlot inventory as of April 1, at 11.3 million head, was down 5% below the year-earlier tally, as was expected more...
Workers sue Smithfield over COVID-19 safety measures
A cut floor employee of Smithfield Foods’ Milan, Mo., pork processing plant has sued the company for its business practices during the COVID-19 more...
NPPC, NCBA sound alarms over COVID-19 aid plan
Pork and beef industry groups are concerned that even the most recent emergency relief legislation will leave some of their members in the cold. The National more...
Poultry plants take a further hit from COVID-19
The COVID-19 virus has continued its spread through the North American meat industry, with several new cases being reported in poultry processing plants more...
'Terribly unfair' as retail prices spike, slaughter and cattle prices fall: DLR
The squeeze on producers gets tighter every day, and won't let up soon, according to the analysts at the Daily Livestock Report. The newsletter notes more...
Check out Meatingplace's COVID-19 map
COVID-19's impact on the meat industry is enormous and fast-paced. To help you keep track of which plants are being affected, we created a map that we've more...
COVID-19’s toll again rises at meat processing plants (UPDATED)
Hundreds of meat processing workers have been sickened in the pandemic that’s shut down much of the country. Here’s a rundown of recent developments: more...
Hormel to pay second round of bonuses to plant workers
Hormel Foods today announced a second special cash bonus totaling $7 million for its plant production employees who continue to work during the COVID-19 more...
Top 500 restaurant chains face sales drop after solid 2019
After steady growth in 2019, the nation's Top 500 chain restaurants can expect a 12% to 17% decrease in overall sales in 2020 due to COVID-19, according more...
USDA seeks input on update of organic livestock, poultry rule
The USDA’s Agicultural Marketing Service today published a notice in the Federal Register seeking comment on an economic analysis report underlying more...
Tyson suspends Waterloo operations as COVID-19 continues its spread
Tyson Fresh Meats will indefinitely suspend operations at its Waterloo, Iowa, pork plant this week in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to more...
McDonald’s, Wendy’s offer thanks to pandemic responders
McDonald’s Corp. and Wendy’s are providing separate special deals to honor individuals who have stepped up in response to the national coronavirus more...
Plant-based protein tests expand in China market
Chinese consumers are getting greater access to plant-based proteins through new efforts by Starbucks and KFC, according to media reports. Starbucks this more...
News briefs: USPOULTRY, AMSA, Raybern's, Pork Board
USPOULTRY spotlights facilities on Earth Day To observe Earth Day, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is highlighting two videos from its more...
North American meat plant activity ebbs, flows as pandemic continues
Major processors continue to adjust their operations while dealing with outbreaks of COVID-19 among workers at a wide variety of North American meat plants more...
Meat companies get creative as pandemic slams sales
Efforts to revive meat sales in light of the coronavirus pandemic are taking a variety of innovative forms, including legally circumventing current USDA more...
ASF rises again in China, other parts of Asia: OIE
The outbreak of African Swine Fever first reported in China in August 2018 is recurring in areas where the disease was thought to have run its course more...
Pandemic forces postponement of World’s Poultry Congress
Organizers of the 2020 edition of the World’s Poultry Conference (WPC) are postponing the event until the fall of 2021 because of concerns about more...
E-commerce meat sales no longer 'a rounding error': Meatingplace's 'fireside chat'
After years of attending conference sessions about e-commerce sales of meat products in which the money associated with online sales was "essentially more...
More shutdowns, positive tests: Hormel, Tyson, Rose Packing, JBS
As COVID-19 works its way through the country, more meat processing facilities are being affected. Hormel Foods has shut down its plant in Rochelle, Ill more...
Spurred on by Easter sales, meat department record sales continue
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. The week ending April 12th marked the year’s earlier more...
JBS, union agree on more pay, PPE
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union announced an agreement with JBS USA to increase wages for workers by $4 per hour and more...
U.S. meat production fell sharply last week
U.S. meat production fell sharply last week, further illustrating COVID-19’s impact on the nation’s protein supply chain. A total 898.1 million more...
COVID-19-related deaths further darken meat industry's door (UPDATE)
COVID-19's ugly infliction on the meatpacking industry has continued, as major firms lose more workers to the illness and grapple with facility closures more...
USDA dissects impact of COVID-19 on beef supply chain
The spread of COVID-19 has caused shifts in the beef demand structure that are affecting the entire beef supply chain, USDA said in its April Livestock more...
New poultry research explores novel sequencing techniques
Research conducted to develop and compare novel next generation sequencing techniques has been completed, the USPOULTRY and USPOULTRY Foundation announced more...
Stepping up: Maple Leaf Foods, Foster Farms, Kingmade Jerky, Triumph Foods, FreeBird
Maple Leaf launches $2M relief campaign Maple Leaf Foods and the Centre for Action on Food Security launched a $2 million campaign to support emergency more...
COVID-19 kills two Tyson workers, troubles more meatpacking plants
Tyson Foods officials have confirmed that two workers who were employed at the company’s Columbus Junction, Iowa, pork plant have died from COVID-19 more...
Perdue addresses COVID-19’s impact on food processing
Amid increased COVID-19-related closures of meat processing plants and concern of possible shortages, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was on hand for more...
Chinese pork imports soar in 2020, but U.S. firms remain behind
Pork imports to China doubled in March, according to a Reuters analysis of customs data. Spurred by a local pork shortage from a devastating African more...
News briefs: H-2A, Hormel, AMSA, NCBA, USPOULTRY, Dietary Guidelines
DHS/USDA temporarily amend H-2A requirements for COVID-19 The Department of Homeland Security has issued a temporary final rule to change certain H-2A more...
Wayne Farms, Maple Leaf update on plant infections
Wayne Farms acknowledged in a news release that the company has confirmed positive COVID-19 test results at five of its 11 production facilities. Among more...
Join our online 'fireside chat' on how to profit from online meat sales now
Join Meatingplace’s 30-minute “fireside chat” on how to get in on the online food sales channel, which came into its own in a matter more...
Applegate hires supply chain chief
Hormel Foods' Applegate subsidiary said it hired Stefan Oellinger for the position of senior director of raw supply to lead the growth and development more...
Canada funnels more funding into food inspection amid pandemic
The Canadian government plans to provide C$20 million to support food inspection services provided by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) during more...
Chicken Marketing Summit goes virtual this year
Due to the ongoing spread of the coronavirus, the 2020 Chicken Marketing Summit is transitioning to a virtual environment. This will include a series more...
Cargill cuts shift at Canadian beef plant
Cargill Inc. is temporarily reducing a shift at its High River, Alberta, protein facility in an effort to protect workers and reduce the potential spread more...
Latest plunge in restaurant transactions may signal bottom: NPD
Restaurant transactions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic fell 41% in the week that ended April 5 compared with the same week one year ago, according more...
Belcampo Meat names sales exec
Belcampo Meat Co., a purveyor of organic, grass-fed and -finished, Certified Humane meats, broths and jerky, announced that Heather Cooper has been named more...
Join our online 'fireside chat' on how to profit from online meat sales now
Join Meatingplace’s 30-minute “fireside chat” on how to get in on the online food sales channel, which came into its own in a matter more...
Who's open, who's closed? A status check on meat plants in U.S., Canada (updated)
National Beef Packing Co. employees at the company’s plant in Liberal, Kans., have tested positive for COVID-19, the Kansas City, Mo.-based company more...
Worker shortage prompts huge Delmarva chicken cull
With 50% of its workers off the job in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a poultry processor in the Delmarva area plans to cull an estimated 2 million more...
Meat sales remain elevated
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. As the COVID-19 outbreak accelerated across states during more...
Join our online 'fireside chat' on Thursday: How to profit from online meat sales now
Join Meatingplace’s 30-minute “fireside chat” on how to get in on the online food sales channel, which came into its own in a matter more...
164 Cargill workers test positive for COVID-19: report
Cargill said on Tuesday it will reopen its Hazleton, Pa., case-ready protein plant “as soon as it is safe to do so.” That could be a more...
Giving back: Carnivore, Cargill, Foster Farms, Perdue Farms
Carnivore donates UV machine to sterilize PPE In response to the shortage of masks and other personal protective equipment nationwide, Carnivore Meat more...
COVID dampens global production estimates
Beef, pork and poultry production expectations for 2020 have been reduced from last month’s levels as all the supply chains adjust to the spread more...
Meat Business Women wants your thoughts
Meat Business Women (MBW), a global professional networking group for women working in the meat industry, is asking individuals and businesses to contribute more...
Smithfield closes Sioux Falls plant to halt coronavirus spread
Smithfield Foods announced it will close its pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., for three days to stymie the spread of COVID-19. In a Wednesday more...
Two Tyson poultry plant workers die of COVID-19, union says
Two poultry-processing workers at a Tyson Foods facility in Camilla, Ga., have died of the coronavirus, according to the Retail, Wholesale and Department more...
JBS USA beef production worker dies of COVID-19
A JBS USA worker at a beef production facility in Greeley, Colo., has died of COVID-19, according to a local news report. “We are deeply saddened more...
We remember: Jarvis President Vincent Volpe dead at 91
In the global world of beef, pork and poultry slaughter, there are few people around who didn’t know “Vin” Volpe. He was a pioneer in more...
Maple Leaf suspends operations at Brampton plant
Canadian processor Maple Leaf Foods announced this morning that it will be suspending operations at its Brampton Poultry plant in Brampton, Ontario. The more...
Processors add infrared scans, deep cleanings to COVID-19 protocols
The nation’s processors are launching specific programs designed to stem the spread of coronavirus at their facilities. Tyson Foods said it has more...
NCBA joins calls for cattle price probe as boxed beef values soar
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is asking for President Trump’s help in addressing market volatility that has depressed the more...
HSUS sues APHIS over zoonotic diseases
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) sued USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) over its response plan for Highly Pathogenic more...
Maple Leaf Foods joins roster of processors hit by COVID-19
Maple Leaf Foods is the latest major North American processor to report positive COVID-19 tests, in this case among workers at separate plants in Canada more...
Ag associations seek USDA, fed help on export trade rules
A group of 80 major agriculture associations is asking USDA Secy. Sonny Perdue and the head of the U.S. National Economic Council to help push relief more...
COVID cloud over restaurants grows
Mandated dine-in closures in the wake of COVID-19 have now affected the majority of U.S. restaurants, the NPD Group reports, with customer transactions more...
Giving back: Tyson Fresh Meats, John Soules, Hofmann Sausage, Texas Farm Products, Hormel, The Maschhoffs
Tyson Fresh Meats donates equipment Tyson Fresh Meats has donated fully equipped mechanical and hydraulic benches to Iowa Central Community College to more...
COVID sends Tyson pork plant packing; more cases pop up elsewhere
Tyson Foods officials said today the company has suspended operations this week at its Columbus Junction, Iowa, pork plant in an effort to mitigate the more...
Meat sales highly elevated for third week
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. As social distancing measures sharpened further and the number more...
Olymel warns of scaled-back hog purchases
Pork and poultry processor Olymel has warned Ontario suppliers it may not buy as many hogs as called for in pre-COVID-19 contracts, while also correcting more...
Record pig herd and stymied demand hits hog prices
Hog futures prices have tumbled in the wake of data displaying a record-large U.S. pig herd amid a pandemic. U.S. hog futures on Friday dropped to more...
Judge shares unions’ concerns over line speeds under NSIS
A federal judge in Minnesota denied USDA’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit claiming that a new protocol for the agency’s inspections in pork slaughterhouses more...
JBS sticks with plan to hire 3,000 people in Brazil in 2020
Brazil's JBS SA said in a statement that it has 3,000 job openings in Brazil to be filled in 2020, in line with the investment plan the company is maintaining more...
Hot dogs still a go-to option as COVID-19 measures sharpen
Hot dogs quickly ramped up as a go-to solution for families as a kid-friendly, protein- dense, versatile and easy-to-prepare solution amid the coronavirus more...
News briefs: National Beef, Wayne Farms, Cargill, Perdue Farms
National Beef, Wayne Farms employees test positive An employee at the National Beef facility in Tama tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, the Times more...
Personal safety: Restless workers could break the meat supply chain
Growing concerns among processing plant employees over their personal safety at work amid the spread of COVID-19 raises the specter of labor actions and more...
Sanderson reports 15 positive tests, says foodservice business off 65%
Fifteen Sanderson Farms employees have now tested positive for novel coronavirus, and another 36 are awaiting results, the chicken processor said on Thursday more...
COVID-19 cases close Pa. poultry plant for two weeks
Empire Kosher is closing its Mifflintown, Pa., poultry plant for at least two weeks in response to multiple employees there having tested positive for more...
Burger King, Popeyes, Tim Hortons employ thermometers in safety effort
Restaurant Brands International (RBI) is establishing programs to support its restaurant owners and employees as the industry deals with the coronavirus more...
Global organizations seek trade flow protection under COVID-19
The leaders of the World Trade Organization (WTO), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) are calling more...
Mountaire Farms the latest processor hit by the virus
Mountaire Farms confirmed that one of its employees at a Delaware poultry plant has tested positive for the coronavirus, making it the second plant in more...
Domino’s offers market snapshot as pandemic rages on
Domino’s Pizza Inc. said it is continuing to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its domestic and international operations, stressing more...
USMCA gets kicked down the road
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement will go into effect on July 1 at the earliest, and not June 1 as was initially scheduled, according to a report in Politico’s more...
March 2020
Processor profits draw increasing scrutiny
A growing number of Congressional voices are calling for investigations into the differences between the price of meat products at retail, particularly more...
Restaurants sound warning of permanent closures
The parent company of Brio Tuscan Grille and Bravo Cucina Italiana has temporarily closed the overwhelming majority of its restaurants in the U.S. due more...
Daignault joins The Maschhoffs
The Maschhoffs has hired St. Louis native Gerry Daignault as its vice president support operations, the company said in a news release. Daignault, born more...
News briefs: CAST, FSIS, NMPAN, USPOULTRY, Seaboard Corp., IFT, NPPC
CAST webinar on food animal veterinarians The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology will host a webinar on the “Impact of Recruitment more...
WTO members bypass U.S. with arbitration arrangements
The European Union and 15 other members of the World Trade Organization have decided on an arrangement that will allow them to bring appeals and solve more...
Pilgrim’s Pride shareholder asks for wastewater report (updated)
A shareholder submitted a proposal to Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., for inclusion on the agenda in the upcoming annual meeting, asking shareholders more...
State Dept. reverses course, will process H-2 visas
The State Department announced a decision to authorize temporary waivers for in-person interviews for eligible H-2 visa applicants. The agency had suspended more...
ASF hits large hog farm in Poland
USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service reported that Poland has confirmed an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) on a hog farm with 23,746 pigs in the more...
From the front lines: Hotel performance measures tank
This item first ran on Hotelsmag.com, the news site of our sister publication, HOTELS. Showing further effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S more...
Smithfield employee tests positive for COVID-19; production continues
A Smithfield Foods employee in Sioux Falls has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a report in the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader newspaper. The affected more...
USDOT expands food truckers' hours of service
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued an expanded national emergency declaration more...
HPAI spreads in Asia
Strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in the Philippines for the first time in two years, and the virus has spread in more...
The size of the hog herd and pork futures
As COVID-19 races across the globe, obscuring the view into future trends, USDA reports on the links in the food supply chain draw additional attention more...
News briefs: Meat Congress, Case Farms, Brashears, poultry safety awards, ag outlook board
#mce_temp_url#IMS resets date for World Meat Congress Due to the problems surrounding the COVID-19 virus, the organizing committee of the International more...
JBS says it is prepared to face COVID-19 crisis
Brazil's JBS SA is prepared to face the crisis caused by the new coronavirus pandemic, ensuring it will maintain production and jobs while prioritizing more...
McDonald’s pulls all-day breakfast during coronavirus
McDonald’s is sidelining its all-day breakfast menu as the world’s biggest burger chain simplifies operations amid the rapidly spreading coronavirus more...
Man charged with murder after fatal stabbing at chicken plant
A man has been charged with murder for the fatal stabbing of a co-worker at a chicken plant in Phenix City, Ala., city police officials said in news releases more...
China taps more pork reserves in ASF fallout
China said it will release more pork from its reserves as the country continues to deal with the impacts of African swine fever (ASF). Beijing will auction more...
Processors, agencies, associations respond as COVID-19 rolls on
As the coronavirus pandemic expands across North America, the food industry and federal and state governments are adjusting operations and providing guidance more...
Comfort food: Hot dog, sausage sales jump sharply
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Families are relying on fun and familiar hot dogs and sausages more...
USDA, USTR cite more progress under Phase One deal with China
USDA and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on Tuesday announced continued progress in implementing agriculture-related provisions of more...
NCBA calls for help in keeping supply chain moving
America’s cattle producers need increased access to low- and zero-interest loans to remain viable and grocery store shelves remain stocked, according more...
Tyson employee dies after accident at Kansas plant
Authorities in Kansas are investigating an accident at a Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Finney County that resulted in the death of a maintenance worker early more...
Analysts report that meat supplies in cold storage are plentiful
Total frozen poultry supplies on February 29 were slightly up from the previous month but down 4% from a year ago, according to USDA’s latest Cold more...
FSIS adjusts label allowances for COVID-19
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is exercising enforcement discretion for a temporary period to provide labeling flexibilities for products more...
Cattle market volatility shows in feedlot placements
USDA reported Friday that U.S. cattle feedlot inventory as of March 1, at 11.8 million head, was flat with the year-earlier tally, as expected by analysts more...
National Restaurant Association show cancelled for May 2020
Organizers of the annual National Restaurant Association Show have canceled the 2020 convention in Chicago in the midst of coronavirus pandemic uncertainty more...
Beyond donations: Processors temporarily boost pay for suppliers, employees
Tyson Fresh Meats said it will pay cattle suppliers a one-time bonus this week to support the market and help ensure a consistent supply as the COVID-19 more...
That other disease: African Swine Fever outbreaks continue in Europe, China
While the world focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic, the African Swine Fever (ASF) crisis continues in several European countries and still affects China more...
Marfrig says it will operate normally to ensure beef supply
Brazil's Marfrig said in a statement that it will operate normally during the crisis caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic to ensure beef supply more...
Restaurants take the hit: NPD update
With more Americans hunkered down at home due to the spreading pandemic, U.S. restaurants are suffering. Customer transactions at U.S. restaurants fell more...
To survive virus, Pizza Hut delivers steaks in China
Pizza Hut is now delivering raw steaks to home cooks in China; Yum China Holdings is experimenting with new business lines as customers fearful of coronavirus more...
No Magic 8 Ball: A processor's COVID-19 story
"As long as I can somehow keep the cash flow going on the production side, and I can find a market for my product, I think we could come through this more...
Chefs’ Warehouse withdraws guidance due to COVID-19
The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. has withdrawn its financial guidance for the fiscal year ending December 25, 2020, the company said in a news release, and borrowed more...
From the front lines: Analysis predicts 5 years to restore hotel industry
This item first ran on Hotelsmag.com, the news site of our sister publication, HOTELS. U.S. hotels reeling from the widespread effects of coronavirus more...
Pork Board’s anti-virus focus
Processing plants continue to operate, but attention is turning toward the future of consumer demand. People have to eat, but what will they eat and how more...
COVID-19 throws light on immigration challenge
The rapid spread of COVID-19 and the consequent suspension of U.S. visa activities in Mexico has highlighted a key problem for processor employers: The more...
Farm Bureau: Labor needs, livestock price manipulation top concerns
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is among a growing chorus of agricultural voices urging the U.S. government to take steps to help producers more...
Restaurant industry sends Washington an SOS
The National Restaurant Association is calling for immediate relief from the White House and Congress, citing the devastating industry impact of moves more...
Kroger shuts meat counters, plans to hire 10,000 workers
Kroger is joining other major grocery chains in reportedly shutting down its personal-service meat and seafood counters, along with salad bars. more...
Just how much are retail meat sales jumping? Read this.
This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research. Picked over or mostly empty meat cases are a sign of the times more...
Stimulus package could shore up consumer demand
While meat processors switch more of their production to retail products from foodservice items, the massive stimulus package moving quickly through the more...
Restaurants encouraged to keep drive-throughs open: report
President Donald Trump on Tuesday spoke with executives of nearly a dozen major restaurant chains about keeping their drive-through operations running more...
Scanner data confirm grocery buying surge: analyst
Food companies are benefiting from coronavirus-related retail purchasing, scanner data confirm, according to an industry analyst. Shares of food and grocery more...
Brazil's Marfrig announces new CEO
Brazilian beef processor Marfrig said this week that Miguel Gularte has been elected as the new chief executive officer of the company, replacing Eduardo more...
Brazilian beef processors could reduce operations amid pandemic
Brazil's JBS SA said on Monday that it is considering suspending operations at some of its beef processing units in Brazil due to the impacts of the coronavirus more...
USDA reassures processors as coronavirus crisis continues
USDA said in a statement that it is committed to working with the U.S. meat industry to make sure inspection standards are maintained even if the coronavirus more...
Proposed GIPSA rule has fans, critics — and one big detractor
Comments have closed on USDA's proposed rules to amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, released in January, and the responses have mostly fallen more...
CFIA suspends license of sausage firm
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has suspended the Safe Food for Canadians license of Marini Foods Ltd., a processing facility in Toronto, Ontario more...
Coronavirus gives meat supply chain a shiver
With coronavirus shutting down businesses and schools, and causing a mass exodus to homes, the meat industry is bracing for the ripple effects to keep more...
Virus prompts meat sales changes at Meijer, others
Regional supermarket chain Meijer is suspending service in areas including meat counters and deli salads. The move comes as retailers contend with increased more...
Food scientists slice time off salmonella ID process
Food scientists have developed a method for completing whole genome sequencing (WGS) to determine salmonella serotypes in just two hours and the whole more...
Meanwhile ... New high-path bird flu outbreak confirmed in Germany: report
Officials in Germany have confirmed a new outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza, this time at a poultry farm in the state of Saxony. The more...
China proposes limits on hormone residues in beef
China has proposed standards for hormone residue limits in beef as it expands access to imports of U.S. product, according to a report by Reuters. Maximum more...
South Africa hikes poultry import tariffs
The South African government has announced that it is raising tariffs on imports of poultry to bolster domestic producers, according to a report by Bloomberg more...
Pandemic doesn’t dampen QSR visits – yet
Consumers went for an array of breakfast promotions offered by quick service restaurantchains last week, The NPD Group reported. The QSR chain “breakfast more...
SF report shows retailers don’t have required antibiotics data
Retailers in San Francisco do not have antibiotic data for most of the red meat and poultry products sold in their stores, despite a 2017 ordinance that more...
Poultry industry sees more shipments to China on horizon
With China recently opening the door to U.S. poultry imports after a five-year ban, the logistical and trade issues that have been crimping shipments more...
Congressmen urge U.S. poultry inclusion in U.K. trade talks
Nearly 50 U.S. House members wrote a letter Tuesday to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer urging Washington to prioritize U.S. poultry in upcoming more...
Investors urge meat companies to tackle climate change
A $20 trillion network of investors says meat companies must do more to curb climate change as the combination of a warming planet and emerging alternative more...
Calif. leaves processed meat off Prop 65 list; PCRM sues
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has filed a lawsuit against the state of California for “failing to include cancer-causing processed more...
Beef, pork, poultry production forecasts all rise: USDA
The 2020 forecasts for beef, pork and poultry production are all raised from February on a robust pace of slaughter across the sectors, according to USDA’s more...
Independent group sets new beef, poultry sustainability standards
A company that provides independent, third-party verification of food production practices is launching sustainability standards for both the U.S. beef more...
Subway hires c-suite operating executive
Subway restaurants has hired Mike Kappitt for the newly created role of Chief Operating and Insights Officer, the company said in a news release. Kappitt more...
U.S. meat, poultry a ‘hot’ item in Russia
Late December in Russia was particularly cold for two of the nation’s highest customs officials. They were arrested under suspicion of covering more...
Will they or won’t they? Concerns rise over ‘phase one’ implementation
As concerns mount over China’s ability to meet the demands of even the phase one mini-trade agreement with the U.S., signed earlier this year, USDA more...
Coronavirus complicates China’s ASF outlook: Rabobank
As China takes steps to reignite domestic pork production, meet strong demand, navigate trade waters and recover from 2019’s African Swine Fever more...
Red meat exports start 2020 on a high note
Pork exports set a "torrid pace" for the month of January, on the heels of their record-breaking performance in 2019, according to data released by USDA more...
NPPC unveils list of priorities
At the National Pork Producers Council's National Pork Industry Forum, delegates adopted several resolutions, including those that call on NPPC to: more...
Meat stocks take a tumble along with everybody else
On Wall Street, investors often shoot first and ask questions later. That being said, the stock market’s ongoing coronavirus-induced wipe out is more...
FDA looks at feedlots in plan for produce safety
The FDA’s 2020 action plan aimed at reducing outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections stemming from leafy greens will include more...
Tyson sets new policy in response to coronavirus (updated)
Tyson Foods Inc. is taking several steps designed to protect its employees from the threat of coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreaks. The protein giant released more...
Livestock economist gauges impact of COVID-19 on beef demand
(This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newletter and is republished with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State more...
Hain settles old fines for P&S violations
Hain Celestial Group Inc. has entered into a stipulation agreement with USDA over alleged violations of the Packers & Stockyards (P&S) Act that more...
A ‘voluntary’ beef origin label may be available: Perdue
Mandatory country-of-origin labels (COOL) are “not going to happen unless we want to do a billion-dollar litigation damage with Mexico and Canada more...
DHS makes available more H-2B worker visas
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Thursday that it will make available 35,000 supplemental H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker more...
U Kentucky cattle/equine research lab a step closer
Negotiations on the location of a new cattle and equine research lab at the University of Kentucky continue after the recent approval of funding for the more...
Restaurant/brew pub parent files bankruptcy, announces sale
Nashville, Tenn.-based CraftWorks Holdings LLC, which operates 10 full-service restaurant and brewery chains, including Logan's Roadhouse, Old Chicago more...
Perdue casts doubt on more trade aid to farmers
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue told reporters on Wednesday that the chance of another round of trade aid to farmers this year is less than 10%, seeming to more...
Retail, deli meat leaders team on grab-and-go fare
Target and Boar’s Head have partnered on grab-and-go items including sandwiches, salads, snacks and deli meats at select Target stores. The announcement more...
Giving Back: Smithfield in Nashville, Prairie Fresh Pork, Tyson
Smithfield donates in Nashville after tornadoes Smithfield Foods Inc. said today it is donating 40,000 pounds of protein to Second Harvest Food Bank of more...
Coronavirus upends outlook for U.S. meat exports
The coronavirus is dampening anticipated demand for U.S. meat, with cold storage facilities across the country filling up with animal protein intended more...
Jack Link's names president for North America
Jack Link's Protein Snacks announced the appointment of food and beverage industry veteran Kevin McAdams as president, North America. McAdams will be more...
Applegate’s new product line mixes meat with veggies
Organic meat brand Applegate on Wednesday unveiled a new product line that combines meat with vegetables, legumes and grains. “People love meat more...
NPPC touts pork labeling message at KC airport
U.S. pork producers gathering in Kansas City this week for the 2020 National Pork Industry Forum are being greeted at the airport with a message from more...
Brakebush Brothers predicts ambitious output at its N.C. plant
Brakebush Brothers Inc. is projecting significant annual output for its revamped poultry processing plant in Mocksville, N.C., following an expansion more...
Jump in U.S. pork exports largely due to Mexico, China/Hong Kong
U.S. pork exports rose more than 29 percent in December from the last month of 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The surge more...
Impossible Foods sets new deals, products, cuts distributor prices
Redwood City, Calif.-based Impossible Foods is using new “economies of scale” to establish a new deal involving Halal dishes, new foodservice more...
News Briefs: National Deli Month, The Palm, Tyson Foods, KFC Canada, Les Viandes du Breton, Einstein Bros., Disney, Cracker Barrel
NAMI, NPB celebrate national deli and nutrition month This March, the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff and The more...
Judge in Oklahoma poultry suit says decision 'on the horizon'
A decade after final arguments were made in a water pollution lawsuit filed by Oklahoma against big poultry producers, a decision is reportedly at hand more...
Fire kills 400,000 chickens at Neb. plant
Officials are investigating the cause of a fire late last week that destroyed a building housing a reported 400,000 chickens at a Michael Foods plant more...
Wendy's, McDonald's spar on debut of new breakfast items
Wendy’s launch of upgraded breakfast menu items Monday was met with a hardball response by McDonald’s Corp., which gave away its classic Egg more...
Subway ordered to pay fees in wake of suit vs. Canadian network
A Canadian judge ordered Subway to reimburse the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) C$500,000 in legal costs stemming from a lawsuit accusing more...
February 2020
Cargill bans employee international travel amid coronavirus
Minneapolis-based global agriculture and meatpacking giant Cargill Inc. on Thursday imposed a two-week ban on non-essential international travel to mitigate more...
Jensen Meat expands ground beef operations
Ground beef processor Jensen Meat Co. announced it has invested $9 million to expand its operations in Southern California, increasing capacity to meet more...
Coronavirus stirs analysts’ Sanderson concerns
Notwithstanding Sanderson Farms officials' constructive outlook on supply and demand, equity analysts are expressing discomfort amid uncertainty around more...
Chicago archdiocese pans plant-based meat for Lent
Catholics considering eating plant-based meat substitutes during Lent are missing the point of the church tradition, local media reports quote an Archdiocese more...
Sanderson: China, sandwich wars to ‘bail out’ chicken industry
Exports to China and chicken sandwich wars expected to heat up this spring are going to “bail the industry out” of losses that otherwise would more...
National Turkey Federation names 2020 leaders
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) on Wednesday announced its 2020 officer team and executive committee. Ron Kardel, an Iowa turkey grower and vice more...
Red Robin resists investor’s takeover attempt
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. on Thursday said it would review four candidates to its nine member board nominated by would-be acquirer Vintage Capital more...
Dunkin’ offers bag of bacon as afternoon snack
With U.S. pork production forecast to jump sharply in the first quarter, one fast-food chain is finding another way to market the animal protein. Dunkin’ more...
Verde Farms introduces premium sous vide beef line
Woburn, Mass.-based Verde Farms is launching a line of sous vide cooked beef products from cattle that are 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised. The Simply more...
Sprinkler system saves Ohio poultry plant
The Gerber’s Poultry processing plant in Kidron, Ohio, avoided extensive damage from a fire that broke out in a boiler room over the weekend thanks more...
Perdue, Lighthizer say China has lifted poultry barriers
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Tuesday said China has begun to implement its agriculture-related more...
Giving back: IPPE, Perdue Farms, Dietz & Watson
IPPE raises $45,000 for Atlanta food bank The 2020 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) raised $45,000 for the Atlanta Community Food more...
Kiecker tapped as FSIS administrator as Rottenberg exits
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on Feb. 25 the appointment of Paul Kiecker to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s more...
Increase in freezer stocks follows record pork production
Increased overall inventory of beef, pork, chicken and turkey in cold storage at the end of January partially reflects supply carried from the prior month more...
NAMI, UK counterpart sign MOU
The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) more...
News briefs: Tyson, NTF, Kroger, USPOULTRY, Perdue Farms, MGM Resorts, Smithfield
Tyson accounting executive resigns Tyson Foods said Stephen L. Gibbs, senior vice president and chief accounting officer, notified the company of his more...
China further relaxes restrictions on U.S. beef: Reuters
Chinese customs officials said Monday Beijing had conditionally lifted a ban on beef and beef products from U.S. cattle older than 30 months of age, according more...
Minnesota processor seeks 20,000-sq-ft expansion
A Minnesota processor that has operated out of a modest meat market in Duluth for 20 years is looking to go much bigger, according to a report by the more...
Analysts mixed in Pilgrim’s Pride evaluations
After Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. fell short of expectations for earnings in the fourth quarter, one analyst has lowered his estimate for fiscal 2020 more...
Study: Digital image analysis tops sensory when assessing meat iridescence
The results from a study conducted by scientists at the University of Hohenheim in Germany has found that digital image analysis is an effective tool more...
Trump promises more farm aid amid uncertain export outlook
President Donald Trump on Friday said the federal government will provide additional aid payments to U.S. farmers if needed until recently negotiated more...
Tyson promises 10 blended, plant-based items in 2020
Tyson Foods will have 10 products on the market in its newly launched blended and plant-based protein category, President Dean Banks promised equity analysts more...
Marfrig plans growth in processed foods segment
Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods, the owner of National Beef, plans to expand production of beef-based processed foods and vegetable protein products in more...
Namibia becomes first African nation to ship beef to U.S.
Namibia on Wednesday became the first African nation to ship beef to the United States, when Windhoek-based meat processor Meat Corporation (MeatCo) dispatched more...
Hormel buys longtime barbecue meats supplier
Hormel Foods Corp. said today it has reached an agreement to acquire Sadler's Smokehouse, a family-owned business specializing in pit-smoked meats that more...
Hormel Q1 earnings disappoint as coronavirus takes toll
Hormel Foods Corp. today reported first-quarter profits up nearly 1% from a year ago, disappointing Wall Street analysts. The Austin, Minn.-based more...
Pork groups want organic soy imports restricted to thwart ASF
U.S. pork groups have sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue asking for a restriction on imports of organic soy products for animal feeds more...
Tyson addresses pork plant wastewater issue
Tyson Fresh Meats is working to fix a wastewater issue at its Storm Lake, Iowa, plant, a company spokesperson told Meatingplace in a statement. Liz Croston more...
Hormel goes ractopamine-free
Hormel Foods is joining the list of companies that are phasing out ractopamine from their hog supplies, company spokesman Rick Williamson confirmed for more...
Cargill launches restaurant-quality retail beef brand
Cargill announced the launch of a premium beef brand called Salt & Sear that will be available at certain retail locations starting in late spring more...
Allen Harim chicken plant reopens, mystery continues
Operations resumed at an Allen Harim Foods poultry processing plant in Harbeson, Del., this weekend, although reasons behind a four-day closure that began more...
Study: Combining handheld NIR and machine learning to ensure chicken meat authenticity
Scientists have developed a method to test chicken meat authenticity by combining portable, handheld near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy with state-of-the-art more...
Coronavirus may hurt China’s chicken, egg supplies: report
Chinese officials are predicting that the coronavirus outbreak could affect the availability of poultry and egg products in the second and third quarter more...
Applegate Farms appoints new executives
Applegate Farms has named new executives for its research and development (R&D) and sales and marketing operations, the Hormel Foods Corp. division more...
Coleman rolls out new flavors
Coleman Natural Foods, a unit of Perdue Premium Meats, is expanding the Budweiser BBQ collection with the introduction of a Spicy BBQ Pulled Pork and more...
Joe Rogan: all-meat diet 'tremendous'
Comedian and podcast host Joe Rogan is lately touting the benefits of an all-meat diet, telling his 8.5 million Instagram followers that he adhered to more...
Brashears rolls out 2020 vision for FSIS
Mindy Brashears, USDA Deputy Under Secretary of Food Safety, is rolling out a new future-forward vision for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) more...
Lost in the headlines: HPAI has resurfaced in China
Highly pathogenic avian influenza strains H5N6 and H5N1 have broken out in mainland China this month, a development that has been largely overlooked amidst more...
Study: Poultry wastewater inhibits microbes’ ability to remove nitrogen
A new study by researchers at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) provides additional evidence that wastewater from more...
News briefs: Certified Angus Beef, Outback Steakhouse, Good Food Institute, Joint Poultry Industry,
Certified Angus Beef details executive changes The Certified Angus Beef (CAB) brand announced a series of recent changes to its leadership team. Bruce more...
FSIS kicks off 2020 small meat plant outreach meetings in Austin
More than 85 people attended USDA FSIS's first 2020 "listening roundtable" meeting for small and very small meat and poultry plants on Feb. 12 at the more...
Canada funds risk management pilot for pork producers
Canada announced funding for the development of a risk management strategy being developed by the Manitoba Pork Council for pork producers to recover more...
Researchers flag hepatitis E in U.S. pig slaughterhouses
Pig blood containing hepatitis E virus (HEV) during slaughter could be contaminating raw pork products entering the U.S. food supply chain. So say Virginia more...
Giving back: Perdue, Hormel, Harrison Foundation, Smithfield, USPOULTRY
Perdue supports volunteer fire department Perdue Farms’ Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to help the City more...
Don Lee Farms steps up legal pressure on Beyond Meat
Don Lee Farms has filed a third amended complaint in its case against Beyond Meat (which it sued under the name of Savage River Inc.), this time naming more...
Meat processing plant proposed in upstate New York
Town officials are mulling a proposal for a meat processing plant in Oneonta, N.Y., according to a report by the Daily Star. Catskills Packing LLC is more...
More changes at the top for Outback Steakhouse parent
Bloomin’ Brands Inc. said Elizabeth Smith will step down from her role as executive chairman of the board, effective March 6, while Outback Steakhouse more...
DeLauro again questions USDA subsidies to JBS SA
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., is the latest lawmaker questioning whether foreign-owned firms should get money meant to help American farmers survive more...
Hormel to convert Neb. facility into manufacturing plant
Hormel Foods Corp. has confirmed media reports that it plans to spend $60 million to transform a former distribution center near Omaha, Neb., into more...
Chicago area processor sold to another PE firm
Kronos Foods Corp., previously owned by Grey Mountain Partners, has been sold to Entrepreneurial Equity Partners for an undisclosed sum. Entrepreneurial more...
Country Archer Jerky relocating to larger facility
San Bernardino, Calif.-based Country Archer Jerky Co. announced plans to move to a new, larger meat snack facility down the road from its current facility more...
Lower pork, turkey production offsets higher beef: USDA
The 2019 total red meat and poultry production estimate is reduced from last month as lower pork and turkey production more than offset higher beef production more...
JBS U.S. plans caught up in Batista feud
Meatpacker JBS SA’s plan to list its international operations in the U.S. public markets is reportedly mired in a dispute between the billionaire more...
Mountaire wastewater case can continue: judge
Mountaire Farms' efforts to have dismissed a lawsuit charging groundwater pollution have been denied by the Delaware Superior Court judge, according to more...
West Liberty, Blue Apron settle case
West Liberty Foods’ lawsuit against Blue Apron has been settled, according to documents filed in the case. The details of the settlement have not more...
Tyson unit forms oils, fats joint venture with affiliate
Tyson Foods Inc. is forming a joint venture with Jacob Stern & Sons Inc. to meet the growing global demand in the oils and fats market. Tyson Fresh more...
Smithfield Foods to shut plant, lay off 139
Smithfield Foods Inc. is shutting its meat-processing plant in San Jose, Calif., in a move that affects 139 workers, the company confirmed to Meatingplace on more...
Seaboard plans $100 million in plant improvements
The Guymon City Council has approved a Seaboard Expansion Economic Development Agreement for a $100 million upgrade of the company’s processing more...
Pizza Hut, new targets draw attention from parent YUM! Brands
Changes are on the horizon at Pizza Hut, whose parent company describes the struggling chain as a “business in transition.” YUM! Brands Inc more...
Popeye's sales see gigantic leap in Q4
Restaurant Brands International delivered better-than-expected earnings due to a big jump in fourth-quarter sales at its fast-food chain Popeyes. The more...
IFT calls for more funding for food research
Calling the area of food research “chronically underfunded,” the Institute of Food Technologists has published a white paper that makes the more...
Certified Angus announces loyalty program
Certified Angus Beef has launched the Steakholder Rewards loyalty program, offering members exclusive VIP experiences like a chef to help plan a holiday more...
USPOULTRY awards grant to Penn State
The USPOULTRY Foundation has awarded a $10,000 student recruiting grant to Penn State University. The grant was made possible in part by an endowing Foundation more...
Portable device lights the way to better E. coli detection: study
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a bioluminescence-based assay coupled with a portable device that works with smartphones and laptops to more...
Amid U.S. poultry overload, Tyson’s Q1 disappoints
Tyson Foods dished out quarterly sales below expectations as anemic pricing hit the largest U.S. meat processor’s poultry business. The Springdale more...
China cuts tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. goods
China will cut in half retaliatory tariffs on some U.S. products starting Feb. 14 as part of its phase one trade agreement with the U.S., the country’s more...
Cultivated meat oversight bill gets House version
U.S. Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.) have introduced a House version of the Food Safety Modernization for Innovative Technologies more...
Perdue, Penn State partner on sustainability center
Chicken giant Perdue Farms said it has joined the Penn State University Smeal Center for the Business of Sustainability as a founding member. Perdue brings more...
Farmers turn upbeat, Trump adviser somber on China prospects
Agricultural producers have become noticeably more optimistic about the future of agricultural trade over the last several months, and now 70% to 71% more...
NCBA identifies its top policy priorities for the year
The executive committee of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) approved the group’s 2020 policy priorities, with international more...
Denny’s realigns management, names president
Denny’s Corp., the full-service restaurant chain, said it is realigning its leadership team, effective Thursday, to position the company for continued more...
Breakfast wars poised to heat up with Wendy’s launch
Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s is preparing to launch a revamped breakfast menu, supported by a digital marketing campaign on Twitter during peak morning more...
Smithfield N.C. nuisance appeal heard; long wait ahead
The three-person panel of appellate judges has heard arguments in Smithfield Foods’ appeal of a $3.25 million jury award for neighbors of a large more...
Chef's Warehouse picks up Cambridge Packing
The Chefs' Warehouse Inc. has acquired substantially all of the assets of Cambridge Packing Co. in Boston for an undisclosed sum, according to a news more...
New research finds slight meat consumption, heart disease link
A new study says the consumption of unprocessed meat could slightly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), although at a lower risk rate linking more...
Boston Market names new CEO
Frances Allen is stepping down as CEO of Boston Market, with former COO Eric Wyatt taking the helm at the rotisserie chicken chain, the Golden, Colo.-based more...
Highly pathogenic bird flu sparks culls in China
An outbreak of what Chinese officials described as highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Hunan Province prompted the culling of nearly 18,000 chickens more...
States slog through meat-label bills
Bills seeking to spell out what can and cannot be included on the labels of alternative meat products continue to percolate in state legislatures. Those more...
CCF swipes at plant-based meat during Super Bowl [updated]
A group that advocates for the fast food and other industries is lately targeting plant-based meat producers Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. The Center more...
Breakfast goals are shifting with busier lives: NPD report
Breakfast remains an important part of a consumer’s daily diet, but the functionality of the meal is adjusting as life demands are changing individual more...
January 2020
Wyoming meat plant targets March debut: report
A company that is looking to increase processing options for local ranchers could open a planned 9,000-square-foot facility as soon as March, Wyoming more...
Tyson unit teams up with pitmasters on ‘barbecue initiative’
The beef and pork specialty division of Tyson Foods Inc. has signed a partnership with a team of barbecue pitmasters aimed at expanding awareness of the more...
Organic brand adds supply chain, sales execs
Organic Valley announced the addition of consumer packaged goods (CPG) veterans Ty Brannen and Staci Kring to the newly created positions of executive more...
News Briefs: Cooks Venture, MamaMancini’s, Smithfield
Cooks Venture raises $4 million Cooks Venture said it raised $4 million in capital, led by Golden West Food Group, as part of a long-term strategic partnership more...
Checkoff programs win in federal court
A magistrate judge has given USDA and state-level checkoff programs a boost with his ruling, issued Wednesday, granting the agency summary judgment in more...
Sanderson Farms promotes two company veterans
Sanderson Farms on Thursday said it promoted Edward Chisholm to director of operations, making him responsible for managing the company’s processing more...
Almost a quarter of Americans cutting back on meat: Gallup poll
Nearly one in four Americans, or 23%, report eating less meat in the past year than before, according to a Gallup poll released this week. The vast majority more...
New ASF cases confirmed in the Philippines
Officials in the Philippines are reporting new outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in two towns, bringing the total number of affected towns or provinces more...
Trump signs USMCA in White House ceremony
U.S. President Donald Trump today signed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in a large ceremony at the White House, fulfilling a key campaign pledge more...
Former food workers union president pleads guilty to embezzlement
The former president of a union representing 3,600 Smithfield Foods plant workers in North Carolina is facing up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine more...
Beyond Meat’s up-and-down week
Beyond Meat is losing at least one potential customer but possibly gaining several more. KFC is trying out plant-based nuggets made by Beyond Meat at more...
NAMI honors several industry leaders
Workplace and food safety were top of mind as the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) held its annual awards ceremony and luncheon this week in Atlanta more...
McDonald’s franchisees receive one chicken sandwich wish
McDonald’s Corp. today added two chicken sandwiches to its national breakfast menu, potentially opening the door for a new daypart chicken sandwich more...
Bar Louie chain files for bankruptcy protection
Bar Louie management announced it has reached an agreement with its lenders to purchase the chain through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy sale that may still more...
Suit accusing Beyond Meat of contract breach can move forward: court
A California Superior Court ruled that a lawsuit accusing Beyond Meat Inc. of fraud, negligence and breach of contract can move forward nearly three years more...
Siegel’s passion for meat science and food safety drives Deli Star
Dan Siegel is eager to get going on this interview. Fidgeting somewhat, sometimes getting texts or visiting a nearby stack of books, the founder and chairman more...
Maple Leaf Foods, union reach agreement after seven months
Maple Leaf Foods signed a new labor agreement covering 1,900 workers at its Brandon, Manitoba, pork plant over the next five years. The company had been more...
Up to 34,000 chickens die in two farm fires
As many as 34,000 chickens are believed to have died in two different poultry farm fires in North Carolina and Virginia that occurred within a day of more...
Pace of beef slaughter up sharply
Beef cow slaughter has risen sharply since the third quarter, as an increase in nonfed cattle slaughter more than offset an expected decline in fed cattle more...
Regional grocers join wave of retail bankruptcies, store closures
Lucky’s Market and Fairways Market are both in bankruptcy court as they join the count of struggling brick-and-mortar retailers. Battered by online more...
Nation’s oldest state ‘ag-gag’ law ruled unconstitutional
A Kansas law that for 30 years prohibited undercover investigations at farms and slaughterhouses was deemed unconstitutional and largely struck down on more...
Niman, Tanka partner to build Native supply chain
Niman Ranch, a brand of Perdue Premium Meat, and Tanka, a brand of Native American Natural Foods, have partnered to build a “humane and sustainable more...
Chicken in cold storage likely bound for China: analysts (Updated)
The increase in total chicken in cold storage reported by USDA this week is largely due to a buildup of leg quarters and could signal product being staged more...
USDA seeks feedback on instrument enhanced grading
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is asking for comments on the Instrument Enhanced Grading (IEG) program for beef carcasses to learn more...
Texas A&M chancellor blasts Harvard scientists’ actions on meat study
Texas A&M’s chancellor wants Harvard officials to investigate and correct “outrageous actions” taken by researchers at the Ivy League more...
With ASF at the border, Germany boosts biosecurity
Germany — the European Union's top pork supplier — is fighting to stop the deadly hog virus that's upended the global meat industry more...
Canada pulls poultry processor’s license
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the operating license of Cami International Poultry Ltd., a poultry slaughter establishment located more...
News briefs: Edwards Virginia Smokehouse, Wellshire Farms, Noodles & Co., Wendy’s
Edwards earns top ‘Good Food’ designation Surry, Va.-based Edwards Virginia Smokehouse won the Charcuterie category at the 10th annual Good more...
Perdue Premium Meat unveils plant expansion
Perdue Premium Meat Co. (PPMC) has completed the $29 million expansion of its Sioux Center hog harvest facility, the company said in a news release provided more...
Naysayers’ turn on U.S.-China trade deal
Meat processors heralded the signing of the so-called phase one of a U.S.-China trade deal a week ago, but other voices are capturing the headlines now more...
Memphis Meats closer to bringing cell-based analogues to market
The company that specializes in cell-cultivated proteins says it is preparing to bring its products to consumers after receiving $161 million in Series more...
Meat snack maker beefs up executive suite
Plano, Texas-based Stryve, which produces healthy snack foods including beef biltong, announced Jaxie Alt has been named to the role of co-CEO, effective more...
Perdue predicts 'record year' for exports in 2020
The year just past was full of challenges for agricultural producers, especially on the trade and weather front, but "we do have brighter days ahead," more...
Poultry price pressure drags on expected earnings
Abundant capacity and barriers to demand growth will create downward pressure on poultry prices in 2020, and Ben Bienvenu, protein equity analyst for more...
Tyson launches sustainability coalition to boost awareness
Tyson Foods Inc. has established the Coalition for Global Protein, an initiative that aims to advance the future of sustainable protein that will be needed more...
Study finds pig virus can transmit to chickens, turkeys
In a recently published animal study of a pig virus' potential to jump to another species, Ohio State University researchers have found that the virus more...
PE firm picks up Illinois value-added processor
Gourmet Culinary Partners LLC (GCP) has purchased Countryside, Ill.-based processor Van Lang Enterprises Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of appetizers more...
Bird flu spreads in Europe, ringing alarm bells
Two more European nations have confirmed cases of the H5N8 avian influenza (AI) strain, prompting revived biosecurity efforts as the winter season, when more...
Abundant poultry pressures prices
Expectations for more, more, more chicken, and slightly less turkey, in 2020 has led to forecasts of lower broiler prices and higher turkey prices in more...
Perdue Farms launches hunger campaign, donated $1MM
Perdue Farms announced its new "Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors" hunger initiative and a Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation-funded $1 million more...
Western’s Smokehouse buys Thrushwood Farms
Western’s Smokehouse, a premium crafted meat snack maker in Greentop, Mo., is buying Thrushwood Farms of Galesburg, Ill., from the Hankes family more...
Appeals court backs OSHA in finger amputation case
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta has denied a petition by Packers Sanitation Services to review a final order from the Occupational Safety and Health more...
As expected, ASF slammed China’s pork output in 2019
The fallout from African Swine Fever (ASF) sent China’s pork output in 2019 to lows not seen in 16 years, according to the National Bureau of Statistics more...
Pork Board helps 'influencers' decide: Will it BBQ?
The National Pork Board sponsored social media stars Rhett and Link — hosts of "Good Mythical Morning" on YouTube — for an episode of more...
Full Senate passes USMCA
The Senate today passed legislation to implement the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) by a vote of 89-10, following passage by the U.S. House of Representatives more...
Wrangling continues in antitrust suit vs. beef companies
Attorneys representing the nation’s largest beef processing companies sought to have an antitrust class-action lawsuit dismissed, sparking a new more...
Brazilian beef giant looks to raise $327M amid export surge
Brazilian beef packer Minerva S.A. will look to raise as much as 1.368 billion reais ($327 million) through a public offering of new common and existing more...
Federal judge upholds California ban on foie gras
A district court judge in California has rejected the latest challenge to a 2004 California law phasing out the production and sale of foie gras. Animal more...
Pork, beef producers welcome Phase One trade deal with China
President Donald Trump today signed the first phase of a trade deal with China that includes the purchase of $40 billion in agricultural products, including more...
Pork Board report tallies sustainability progress
The National Pork Board released a sustainability report titled “Commit and Improve: Pig Farmers’ Approach to Sustainability," updating the more...
Albertsons takes another look at an IPO: report
The Albertsons supermarket chain is considering launching an initial public offering that could value the company at about $19 billion, The Wall Street more...
Smokey Bones expands menu
Smokey Bones Fire & Grill has added new appetizers and entrees to its menu at all 61 restaurant locations in 16 states. The new dishes include: more...
New lawsuit challenges USDA's swine inspection modernization rules
Food & Water Watch (FWW), Center for Food Safety (CFS), and two other groups filed an action Jan. 13 against the U.S. Department of more...
Chicken sandwich wars may heat up as McDonald’s tests MSG
The ongoing tests of fried-chicken sandwiches by McDonald’s Corp. reportedly are being conducted with a flavor enhancer the fast-food giant does more...
New certification program will verify animal care standards
Protein producers soon will have a new method to demonstrate to consumers that they follow responsible animal care principles. The program administered more...
Worth a read: New studies in meat antimicrobials, preservatives
Preservative lauric arginate holds promise for packaging applications Scientists from the University of Tennessee have published an in-depth review more...
Maple Leaf Foods CEO blasts Trump over Iran conflict
Maple Leaf Foods CEO Michael McCain took to social media on Sunday to fire off a volley of tweets aimed the Trump administration’s decision to attack more...
Panera Bread to reduce meat products from menu by 2021
Panera Bread is preparing to increase the plant-based options on its menu to 50% from 25% by the end of this year, CEO Niren Chaudhary announced on CNBC more...
Sysco to replace CEO
Global foodservice distribution company Sysco Corp. said today that CEO Tom Bené will step down from his roles as president and CEO on Jan. 31 more...
Avian influenza, biosecurity concerns spread across Europe
An outbreak of avian influenza that started in Poland at the beginning of 2020 has officials in other European nations on alert as new reports of infected more...
USDA proposes revised GIPSA rule
USDA will publish on Monday a proposed rule outlining the criteria the agency will consider to determine if producers are being treated unfairly by meatpackers more...
Wayne Farms to expand in Mississippi, add 200 jobs
Wayne Farms LLC today announced a $16.9 million expansion and upgrade of its fresh production facility in Laurel, Miss., that will significantly increase more...
JBS opens new beef plant in Brazil, continues to expand capacity
JBS S.A. started operations on Thursday of a new beef processing plant in Brazil's central state of Mato Grosso, at the municipality of Brasnorte, and more...
FSIS alerts public on misbranded meatballs
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert because Carso’s Pasta Company of Lynnwood, Wash., sold 636 more...
Nov. beef exports trail 2018; pork posts record month: USMEF
Shipments of U.S. beef are running at a lighter pace than a year ago, curbed by weaker demand from Japan, but pork exports posted their best month ever more...
Arkansas chicken processor works to curb odors
Ozark Mountain Poultry (OMP) is taking steps to curb odor issues at the company’s chicken processing plant in Batesville, Ark., city officials said more...
Expanding family dining chain appoints new CEO, COO
The Black Bear Diner family restaurant chain announced the promotion of Anita Adams to chief executive officer and the addition of Jeff Guido as chief more...
News Briefs: Poultry barn fire, Cargill, Bob Evans, DPI, Subway Canada, Hooters
Mich. barn fire wipes out 300,000 layers About 300,000 hens died in a barn fire at a Vande Bunte Eggs/Konos Inc. poultry farm in Michigan, located between more...
Two charcuterie names merge under private equity ownership
Salt Lake City-based Creminelli Fine Meat LLC has been purchased by Chicago-based private equity firm Entrepreneurial Equity Partners (EEP), and merged more...
Sausage, bacon and ham top new 7-Eleven breakfast pizza
Convenience store chain 7-Eleven has introduced a ready-to-eat portable breakfast pizza topped with three meats. The five-inch personal-size pizza, priced more...
Kroger launching pea-based patties, grinds nationwide
Kroger, the country’s largest supermarket chain, today announced an expansion of its Simple Truth brand with the nationwide launch of Emerge meatless more...
Smithfield powers North Carolina homes, businesses
Smithfield Foods Inc. is using renewable natural gas from its Tar Heel, N.C., wastewater treatment system to help power more than 2,000 local homes and more...
Probe of death at Pilgrim’s Pride plant moves forward
Local law enforcement and federal safety officials are working with Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. to determine the exact cause of death after a worker was more...
USMCA gets committee OK; on to full Senate vote
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee today approved the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and the key trade item could be voted on by the full Senate as early more...
Impossible Foods launches plant-based pork, sausage products
The creator of the Impossible Burger is introducing its first all-new plant-based protein products since 2016. Impossible Foods will offer samples of more...
KFC UK adds plant-based burger to permanent menu
KFC made its KFC Vegan Burger a permanent menu offering across the United Kingdom starting this week, the company announced. The KFC Vegan Burger is served more...
NPPC claps back at '60 Minutes' report
A report on Sunday night's "60 Minutes" news program "failed to include critical information about modern pork production," the National Pork Producers more...
Yum! Brands to buy Habit Burger Grill
Yum! Brands Inc. said it will buy The Habit Restaurants Inc. for about $375 million, according to a press release on the company's website. The acquisition more...
Impossible Foods promises 'big news' tomorrow
Impossible Foods set off a storm of headlines in the business and technology press over the weekend with its Twitter teaser, sent Thursday, that it would more...
Foster Farms launches retail chicken wing line
Foster Farms has introduced a line of four types of chicken wings that the poultry processor contends can provide restaurant-quality wings without the more...
Lawsuit accuses EPA of allowing outdated meat plant technology
A dozen organizations, including the Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice, have sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) alleging more...
Soup recalled on misbranding, allergens
Kettle Cuisine Midco LLC, in Lynn, Mass., is recalling about 200 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) lentil and beef soup products due to misbranding and undeclared more...
The power of one
Single-serve fruit cups. Mini cans of Coke. One burger patty. Food and beverage companies are catering to the rising trend toward eating “all by more...
Japan, EU trade deals take effect; Trump to sign China pact
New trade deals with Japan and the European Union (EU) went into effect on New Year’s Day, while President Trump indicated he is preparing to sign more...
USDA, USTR seek advisory committee members
USDA and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) are accepting applications for new members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory more...
Diestel does it the old-fashioned way
On the cusp of a hot, late summer afternoon in the hillside pens high on Sonora, Calif.’s Lyons Bald Mountain, a flock of tom turkeys gather around more...
Science briefs: It's all about the cure
Curing of ground ham by remote infusion of atmospheric non-thermal plasma In a new study, scientists suggest that the remote infusion of an atmospheric more...
Meaty innovation to fuel Chipotle’s 2020 prospects: analyst
New products launched in 2019, most of which include meat proteins, should help Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. continue its fiscal advances, according to more...
CSU launches search for sustainable livestock group director
Colorado State University (CSU) has begun a national search for a director of the university's new Sustainable Livestock Systems Collaborative, a first-of-its-kind more...
Research update: New findings in pork safety, quality
Pre-emulsified canola oil useful as pork fat replacer in frankfurters Scientists have found that two different forms of canola oil used as pork back-fat more...
December 2019
Meat exporters have alternative markets
The Asia Pacific market, with the established revenue of buyers like Japan and the enormous potential of China, will continue to be prized for its growth more...
El Pollo Loco adds ‘fit’ bowls
El Pollo Loco Inc. has added a line of Pollo Fit Bowls to its menu, designed to fit into several popular lifestyle diets, the company said in a news release more...
Rural counties expected to underperform in 2020: CoBank
The U.S. rural economy will face more headwinds in 2020 and is expected to underperform relative to the economy of urban America, according to a forecast more...
Proposed law aims for clearer oversight of cell-cultured proteins
Two U.S. Senators have introduced a bill designed to clarify oversight and transparency in the production of food products derived from cell-cultured more...
China prepares to address pork demand ahead of festivals
China’s Ministry of Commerce plans to release more pork reserves in order to meet expected demand for the upcoming New Year and Spring Festival more...
President of quick-service giant to leave company in March
Restaurant Brands International (RBI) has announced the impending departure its regional president of Tim Hortons for Canada and U.S. RBI CEO Jose more...
FSIS proposes changes to animal welfare label claims
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service will announce in an upcoming edition of the Federal Register the availability of an updated version of its guideline more...
Focus of climate change conversation is about to shift: CFI
Some 52.2 million Americans are engaged in the climate change conversation, and most are mired in the debate as to whether it exists. However, the focus more...
Conagra Brands reports 2Q net sales increase
Conagra Brands has reported solid second quarter results for fiscal year 2020, ending Nov. 24, 2019, with a net sales increase of 18.3% to $2.8 billion more...
FSIS sets directive to verify contamination prevention at hog plants
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued new standards designed to help inspection program personnel verify that all swine slaughter more...
Nestlé to sell controlling stake in European charcuterie business
Nestlé announced it has agreed to sell a 60% stake of its Herta charcuterie and dough business to Casa Tarradellas, a Spanish family-run food company more...
Dining gift cards buck the trend
Gift cards purchased to use at restaurants and coffeehouses are an increasingly popular choices, even as purchases of gift cards overall drops. Market more...
What’s on your doorstep? Grubhub recaps the year in food deliveries
Most of 2019's fastest-growing delivery orders from restaurants through the Grubhub digital food-ordering and delivery service included vegan or vegetarian more...
Meat prices expected to drive rise in Canadian food costs
The average Canadian family will pay up to $487 more for food next year, with a projected rise in meat prices expected to lead the way, a report from more...
Giving Back: CAB, Maple Leaf Foods, Hormel, Tyson, Cargill, Triumph Foods
CAB scholarship applications due Jan. 17 Six students can win $33,500 through the Colvin Scholarship Fund, created in 1999 to honor the cofounder of the more...
Pork, cold storage setting up for hot 2020 export demand
Data in USDA's Hogs and Pigs and Cold Storage reports indicate that the protein export markets are readying for big first quarter demand, particularly more...
Protein tops Oklahoma State’s food trends list for 2020
Protein options, refrigerated snacks and a continued focus on veggies are among the top 10 food trends forecast for menus in 2020, according to Oklahoma more...
Per capita supply of red meat, poultry on the rise: USDA
The per capita supply of red meat, poultry and seafood available for Americans to eat after adjusting for losses rose to 143.9 pounds in 2017, after falling more...
China cuts tariffs on pork, hundreds of other goods
China said Monday it is cutting import tariffs on frozen pork, among hundreds of other goods, in a showing of openness to foreign trade, according to more...
D’Artagnan to challenge NYC foie gras ban
D’Artagnan founder and CEO Ariane Daguin, along with other companies in the foie gras supply chain, plan to challenge legislation passed by the more...
Cattle on feed up 2%
Cattle on feed for the U.S. slaughter market totaled 12.0 million head on Dec.1, 2019, 2% higher than the year-earlier number and in line with the more...
Turkey's turn: Another price-fixing lawsuit filed
A New York state grocery wholesaler and a food distributor have filed a price-fixing lawsuit against Agri Stats Inc. and a group of turkey integrators more...
LongHorn shines in Darden Q2 as steak resonates
Darden Restaurants’ LongHorn Steakhouse chain led sales gains for the casual-dining giant in the company’s second fiscal quarter, outperforming more...
Activists seek to derail pork slaughter plan with lawsuit
Seven animal activist non-profit organizations have filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the implementation of the New Swine Inspection System, which went more...
Collagen casings companies combine
Viscofan Group has reached an agreement to acquire the casing collagen division from the Japanese Group Nitta Gelatin Inc., a public company listed in more...
Better ’19, rosy outlook buoy Sanderson Farms
Improved efficiencies and capacity in production, and anticipation of solidifying demand for poultry protein abroad and at home, joined better-than-expected more...
Maple Leaf Foods links its credit facilities to sustainability goals
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said it has become the first company in Canada to secure sustainability linked terms for its credit facilities. The company said more...
Casual dining chain files for bankruptcy, seeks sale
Minneapolis-based casual dining chain Granite City Food & Brewery announced it has filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy more...
Restaurant-branded faux meats in 2020?
That is among the predictions for the coming year by Technomic, the foodservice research firm. For 2019, Technomic predicted the proliferation of more...
Poultry processor gets local funding for expansion, hiring workers
The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority has awarded the Town of Mocksville, N.C., a $2 million Community Development Block Grant to support more...
House committee approves USMCA trade pact
The House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday passed a motion to recommend the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), setting up a vote on the bill more...
Kroger begins test of plant-based sections in meat cases
Kroger Co. has rolled out a test of its plant-based sections in meat cases in 60 of its stores in Denver, Indiana and Illinois. The test, conducted in more...
Regulators affirm use of alt-protein color additive heme
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted a stay of the effective date for the use of soy leghemoglobin, commonly known as heme, as a color more...
FSIS inspectors share concerns about pork plant changes on NBC (updated)
Two Food Safety and Inspection Service inspectors have filed whistleblower disclosure forms with the Office of Special Counsel and shared those concerns more...
Beyond Meat CEO hints at poultry substitute in its future
Beyond Meat Inc. plans to do more in the coming year with a plant-based substitute for chicken, hinted Beyond CEO Ethan Brown in an interview with Bloomberg more...
Poultry packer restores pay to settle federal rules violations
Federal authorities announced that Leyen Foods paid $95,555 in back pay for failing to provide appropriate wages to workers who worked overtime at one more...
Large UK pork processor expands its live side operations
UK pork processor Cranswick announced it has acquired Packington Pork Limited from the Mercer family, bringing the pork packer’s self-sufficiency more...
McDonald’s 2020 chicken sandwich debut will be delayed: analyst
McDonald’s Corp. will be unable to launch its planned crispy chicken sandwich nationally until mid-2020 because of supply issues, according to one more...
Lighthizer sheds some light on U.S.-China trade deal
The phase one trade deal that the United States and China agreed to on Friday will double U.S. exports to China, and that includes $40-$50 billion in more...
Presidential candidate poses legislation to overhaul U.S. meatpacking industry
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has introduced legislation that seeks to overhaul the modern U.S. meatpacking industry. Booker, a vegan campaigning for more...
Strong finish for 2019 beef production: Peel (updated)
(This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner Newletter and is republished with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State more...
U.S., China agree to 'phase one' trade deal
President Trump today confirmed the Chinese government’s announcement that the two sides have reached a phase one trade deal to avert escalation more...
Federal appeals court schedules N.C. hog farm nuisance deliberations
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has scheduled the first appeals of verdicts rendered in lawsuits alleging that farms growing pigs for more...
Sanderson Farms tallies its sustainability acheivements
Sanderson Farms on Thursday said it has made significant gains in conservation, particularly over the past decade, and sets aggressive goals each year more...
GAP certifies its first South American beef supplier
Farm animal welfare organization Global Animal Partnership (GAP) announced the addition of its first South American beef supplier, Range Patagonian Grass-Fed more...
Plant-based proponents win latest round of meat-vs.-‘meat’ fight in Midwest
Federal courts in the Midwest have sided with manufacturers of plant-based meat alternatives suing the states of Arkansas and Missouri to stop enforcement more...
Antimicrobial sales rise after two years of decline: FDA report
After two consecutive years of decline, domestic sales of antimicrobials for use in food-producing animals rose 9% in 2018 from the year before, FDA said more...
IHOP unveils fast-casual U.S. restaurant concept
IHOP Restaurants on Wednesday announced plans to launch Flip’d by IHOP, a fast-casual brand focused on fresh, quality food with an emphasis on speed more...
Johnsonville’s new sausage is on trend
Sausage giant Johnsonville is introducing a new, Cajun-style sausage to its Ultimate Sausage line, inspired by the flavors, traditions and culture from more...
Plastic contamination prompts recall of frozen sausage breakfast burritos
Ruiz Food Products Inc., located in Florence, S.C., has recalled approximately 55,013 pounds of frozen, not ready-to-eat (NRTE) breakfast burrito products more...
Senator introduces companion bill to Real MEAT Act
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today introduced the Real MEAT Act, which aims to clarify the definition more...
Federal appeals court clears Sanderson in price-fixing lawsuit
The Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in New York upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit that accused Sanderson Farms Inc., among other poultry companies more...
Honey Baked ‘hamjamas’ for the holidays
Jumping on the kooky onesie trend for fun families, Honey Baked Ham Co. is offering “Hamjamas,” PJ onesies featuring a Honey Baked Ham-inspired more...
Administration, Congress strike a deal on USMCA trade pact (updated)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced an agreement with the Trump administration on a revised trade deal with Canada and Mexico, clearing the more...
ASF vaccine promises to immunize pigs, say USDA scientists
Scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have published a research preprint that describes a potentially breakthrough vaccine for African more...
Research shows Americans spending more time on food preparation
Recent USDA research may be good news for a meat industry concerned about whether Americans are willing to take the time it takes to cook a piece of meat more...
McDonald’s appoints new head of international division
McDonald’s Corp. has named Ian Borden president of its international operation, effective immediately. Borden – most recently president of more...
China waives tariffs on some U.S. pork, soybeans
China’s Ministry of Finance on Friday announced that Beijing would waive tariffs on some U.S. pork and soybean shipments, according to multiple more...
FSIS announces inspection rate changes
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has published a notice detailing the 2020 rates it will charge meat and poultry establishments, importers more...
China demand hikes global meat prices
China’s increased need for animal protein in the wake of an African swine fever outbreak and year-end holiday festivities helped FAO’s Meat more...
Research available on poultry processing wastewater treatment
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia more...
NPPC, AFBF file legal challenge to California's Proposition 12
The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation have filed a legal challenge to California's Proposition 12, which imposes more...
Beef exports down in October, China drives pork surge: USMEF
Beef exports totaled 108,017 metric tons in October, an 8% decline from the same month last year, while beef export value at $649.1 million was down 11% more...
JBS plans to invest $1.9 billion in Brazil in 5 years
JBS S.A. plans to invest BRL8 billion ($1.9 billion) in Brazil over the next five years, said the company's CEO Gilberto Tomazoni in an interview with more...
Tyson plans building expansion at Kansas location
Tyson Prepared Foods is planning an addition to its existing manufacturing building in Hutchinson, Kan., according to a local news report. Tyson's proposal more...
Sausage maker plans expansion, doubling production
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and Savoie’s Sausage Food Products Inc. President Frederick Lafleur announced a $12.7 million expansion of the company’s more...
Salmonella concern prompts chorizo recall
Ottawa, Canada-based Usine Amsellem Inc. is recalling Amsellem brand Solo Chorizo Dried Beef Sausage from the market due to possible Salmonella contamination more...
USPOULTRY launches young leader program
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) introduced its new Young Leader “20 under 30” Program, which targeting young professionals more...
News Briefs: Pork Board, California Pizza Kitchen, Godshall’s Quality Meats, Niman Ranch, McDonald’s
Pork Board makes two appointments The National Pork Board has named?two new executives to its leadership team. Bryan Humphreys?is the vice president of more...
U.S. beef, pork sectors eager to ramp up Japan trade as deal approved
The U.S.-Japan trade agreement is expected to greatly improve access for U.S. beef and pork in Japan, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) said in more...
Johnny Rockets sets expansion plans for 2020
Hamburger chain Johnny Rockets is preparing to further its expansion efforts both domestically and internationally in 2020 under the leadership of its more...
Cargill increases its climate change mitigation efforts
Cargill Inc. announced it has adopted a so-called Scope 3 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its global supply chains by 30% per ton of more...
Niman Ranch taps marketing exec
Niman Ranch has appointed Alicja Spaulding to the position of vice president of marketing, tasked with determining the strategy to grow Niman Ranch’s more...
JBS USA to acquire Pipestone plant after signing lease deal
JBS USA will pay an undisclosed price to purchase a value-added meat processing plant in Pipestone, Minn., that J&B Group had planned to close. The more...
Jefferies completes National Beef stake sale to Marfrig, USCA cries foul
Jefferies Financial Group announced it closed the previously announced sale of its remaining 31% holdings in National Beef Packing Co. to Marfrig Global more...
Johnsonville Holdings names new CEO
Sheboygan Falls, Wis.–based Johnsonville Holdings, parent company of sausage maker Johnsonville LLC, has elected Michael Stayer-Suprick to succeed more...
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Poultry firm invests in hog processing
Mexican poultry giant Industrias Bachoco has agreed to invest in Sonora Agropecuaria (SASA), a swine processing and distributor company with operations more...
N.C. Perdue Farms supplier lost half its chicken flock in electrical fire
A North Carolina-based poultry supplier lost nearly half of its flock in the wake of an electrical fire late last week, according to several media reports more...
Winter storm impacts cattle markets in many ways: Peel
A major winter storm disrupted Thanksgiving travel last week and will have a variety of impacts for some time. Winter weather often impacts cattle production more...
Taco chain goes national with meat alternative
Following a successful test earlier this year, Taco Del Mar announced it is rolling out its new Beyond Meat Taco for a limited time across all locations more...
November 2019
Texas Beef Council promotes lower cholesterol message
Citing research that it funded, the Texas Beef Council is reaching out to U.S. physicians who diagnose high cholesterol levels in their patients with more...
Fresh Direct names top food trends in 2020
Online grocery service Fresh Direct announced its top food trends for 2020. The trends list was curated by FreshDirect's in-house team of food and wine more...
Perdue Farms sells composting facility, partners with buyer
Bioenergy DevCo (BDC) announced the purchase of the Perdue AgriRecycle organic soil composting facility near Seaford, Del. The company also said it has more...
Gather 'round the 'drool log'
You might have had turkey for the holiday, but leading up to Christmas "Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner" wants you to cast your eyes upon its more...
EU approves increase in U.S. beef imports
The European Parliament today voted in favor of increasing the import quota for U.S. beef shipments to the European Union, Reuters reported. The plan more...
CFIA publishes online health, safety resource
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has launched an online multimedia resource accessible to all Canadians that features science stories of interest more...
Perdue grower opens learning center with a view
A poultry education center with a large viewing room built into the side of a working chicken house and interactive exhibits has made its debut at the more...
FSIS denies petitions on poultry from animal welfare group
USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has denied two petitions filed by an animal welfare group in 2013 and 2016 concerning the agency's oversight more...
Test differentiates listeria serotypes found in meat plants
Researchers have developed a rapid, specific and sensitive method that has potential use in identifying sources of Listeria monocytogenes contamination more...
KFC, A&W test plant-based chicken substitutes in Canada
Canadian consumers this week will be able to try the latest iterations of plant-based protein designed to substitute for chicken at both KFC and A&W more...
Giving Back: Foster Farms, Illinois Pork Producers, Perdue Farms, Hormel/Jennie-O
Foster Farms makes Thanksgiving donations Foster Farms marked its annual Thanksgiving turkey donations program with deliveries of truckloads of holiday more...
As more hog carcasses shipped to China, USDA clarifies reporting rules
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service Monday published a final rule clarifying the requirements for reporting foreign sales of beef and pork under more...
Hormel reports slight decline in Q4; optimistic about 2020
Hormel Foods Corp. posted a 2% drop in overall earnings the fourth quarter, even as two of its four divisions reported sales growth in the period. The more...
Economist sees $24.5 billion for pork industry if….
Zero-tariff access to the Chinese market for U.S. pork exports could result in $25 billion worth of trade for the pork industry, could generate 184,000 more...
Calif. court won’t halt Prop 12 enforcement
The North American Meat Institute lost its initial challenge to California’s Proposition 12 law, which requires that meat and eggs sold in the state more...
China approves 172 U.S. poultry plants
China on Friday said 172 U.S. poultry plants are now eligible to ship product to the Asian nation, according to a report by the South China Morning Post more...
CDC reports that raw turkey salmonella outbreak cases persist
Although the investigation was closed last spring, a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Reading linked to raw turkey products from 2017-2019 continues more...
USDA report shows cattle cycle may not have peaked
USDA reported on Friday that cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head more...
Canadian judge dismisses Subway suit over chicken sandwich claims
A superior court judge in Ontario, Canada, threw out a lawsuit filed two years ago by Subway against the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) over a report more...
All cattle trails lead to China
Beef markets worldwide are demonstrating some unexpected trends, with many analysts chalking the shifts up to China’s need to import protein of more...
In the November print issue: Protein expert Henk Hoogenkamp
Henk Hoogenkamp says that as demand for protein increases, all sources — whether animal, plant or lab grown — will play important roles in more...
Mississippi State awarded student recruiting grant
Mississippi State University is the recipient of a $30,447 student recruiting grant awarded by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation (USPOULTRY more...
These burgers taste like ass
Chinese restaurant owners are trying to kick down another culinary door to the Western consumer: donkey burgers. Yep, as CNN reports, burgers made of more...
Man arrested after shooting at Smithfield pork plant
Police have arrested a man following a shooting incident early this morning at Smithfield Foods’ Tar Heel, N.C., pork plant in which two workers more...
Colorado Premium to close plant, seeking buyer
K2D Inc., doing business as Colorado Premium, alerted the state of Georgia that it plans to close its production facility in Carrollton by mid-January more...
Salads containing meat recalled for possible E. coli contamination (updated)
Missa Bay LLC of Swedesboro, N.J., is recalling about 97,272 pounds of salad products that contain meat or poultry because the lettuce ingredient may more...
Tyson seeks wastewater permit renewal amid local concerns
Local environmental groups are urging the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) to place tighter controls on wastewater from Tyson Foods’ more...
Wayne Farms completes expansion tied to national rollout
Wayne Farms announced it has completed a major plant expansion, including processing and production upgrades, at its Enterprise, Ala., poultry processing more...
Legislators push USDA for data on ground beef salmonella outbreak
Two U.S. legislators have written a letter asking USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to disclose microbiological testing data related to the ongoing multistate more...
Taco Bell testing fried chicken, eyes nationwide launch (Updated)
Taco Bell is testing Crispy Tortilla Chicken in two markets with plans to roll out the item nationally in 2020, the company said in an email sent to Meatingplace more...
Pizza chain names new COO as president departs
A month after appointing a new CEO, RAVE Restaurant Group announced several additional leadership changes, including the departure of company President more...
DHS, Pork Board team to fight ASF
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Pork Board have entered an agreement to assess potential methods to disinfect and decontaminate more...
Hockey sticks: Protein exports expected to surge
While exports of beef, pork and poultry increased a ho-hum 1.1% in the first three quarters of 2019, they are expected to pick up considerably in the more...
U.S. eating patterns seem to stay consistent, but adjust: NPD
U.S. consumers may still order more hamburgers than any other menu item when they dine in restaurants over decades, but their decisions still are being more...
Brazil's BNDES will sell stake in JBS
Brazil's development bank BNDES informed JBS S.A. that it has hired banks to sell a stake at the beef processor through a secondary public offering, JBS more...
Marfrig expands stake in National Beef to 81.7 percent
Brazilian beef processor Marfrig Global Foods is acquiring an additional 30.73 percent stake in U.S.-based National Beef Packing Company for $849 million more...
Tyson beef plant to resume operations in December
Following the Aug. 9 fire that disrupted operations at its Holcomb, Kan., beef complex, Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods more...
Walmart names new Sam’s Club chief
Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon announced the company has named Kathryn McLay as president and CEO of its Sam’s Club unit, effective immediately more...
Second round of trade payments set for U.S. farmers, ranchers
The Trump administration this week will begin issuing the second tranche of 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments to help U.S. farmers recover more...
Sanderson stock upgraded after China lifts poultry ban
Bank of America, which launched coverage of the U.S. animal protein sector last month, on Thursday boosted its rating on shares of Sanderson Farms to more...
West Coast Prime expands in Northern California
In response to increased demand, West Coast Prime Meats is expanding distribution routes and delivery areas in Northern California, the company announced more...
ASF, trade and sustainability to make their mark on meat industry in 2020
African swine fever (ASF) and trade disputes will present both challenges and opportunities for the global meat and poultry trade in 2020. This, according more...
CEO, CFO depart from burger chain
The Krysal Co. said Chief Executive and President Paul Macaluso and Chief Financial Officer Berry Epley are leaving the company to pursue other opportunities more...
Poultry approvals a step forward in prolonged U.S.-China trade war
China’s decision to reopen its market to U.S. poultry and Washington’s move last week to allow imports of poultry products from birds slaughtered more...
JBS sales up in Q3 on strong global demand for protein
Brazil's JBS S.A. on Thursday reported a BRL356.7 million ($85.7 million) net profit for the third quarter, reversing losses from the same period last more...
Fast-growing pizza chain names CEO
Blaze Pizza announced the promotion of Mandy Shaw to president and chief executive officer, tasked with leading the chain’s rapid expansion. Specializing more...
News Briefs: Niman Ranch, Sanderson Farms, ‘Pork o’clock’, Papa John’s, USMEF, Hormel, Applegate
Niman Ranch, Peapod team up Niman Ranch announced that its products are now available through online grocer Peapod in the Chicago area. The new partnership more...
Blockchain victory tracking U.S. beef to Japan celebrated
UPS announced that in collaboration with the agri-tech firm HerdX Inc., it is delivering blockchain-verified traced beef from a U.S. farm to Japan, a more...
Chipotle to expand new steak option into 2020
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is celebrating the success of the recent national rollout of its first new protein item since 2018 by extending the availability more...
Analyst sees positives for Tyson despite Q4 issues, results
Tyson Foods Inc. is poised to meet its guidance of high-single-digit earnings growth in 2020, and should continue to rebound from 2019 performance levels more...
Senator stands up for meat in op-ed
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) stood up for the farmers and ranchers who raise farm animals in an opinion piece published on the Fox News website. In more...
Tyson posts higher Q4 sales although net income slipped
Tyson Foods reported a nearly 9% increase in sales in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, but also faced a 31% decline in net income in the wake of higher more...
Meat, poultry worker injuries and illnesses lowest ever
U.S. meat and poultry packers and processors continued to make significant progress in workplace safety, reaching an all-time low rate of worker injuries more...
Tyson plant partially reopens in Va. after electrical problem
Employees at a Tyson Foods Inc. poultry plant in Temperanceville, Va., have returned to limited shifts following an electrical fire that temporarily closed more...
Amazon to test another bricks and mortar grocery store
Amazon confirmed to Meatingplace it plans to open a new grocery store in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, separate from the Whole Foods more...
Pork price-fixing lawsuit reboots
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging price-fixing behavior by a raft of pork processors filed a second amended complaint with the additional information the more...
Russian meat giant eyes China’s pork market
Cherkizovo, Russia’s second-largest pork producer, is discussing pork deals with several Chinese companies to expand its Asian footprint and help more...
TGI Fridays merges, goes public
TGIF Holdings, parent to casual dining chain TGI Fridays, announced a merger agreement with Allegro Merger Corp., which would result in Fridays becoming more...
Who wants the leg? Whole Foods turkey deals, preference survey
Starting on Wednesday, Amazon and Whole Foods Market will offer savings on organic and classic turkeys in celebration of Thanksgiving. All customers can more...
China, Danish Crown agree to $100M pork deal: Reuters
The Chinese government has agreed to purchase $100 million worth of pork products in 2020 from European pork giant Danish Crown, according to a report more...
Koch Foods to build $50M feed mill in Ala.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Koch Foods officials this week announced the company plans to invest more than $50 million to build a state-of-the-art grain more...
Costco chicken farm proposal rejected
Officials in Lancaster County, Neb., have rejected a proposal to build a 380,000-chicken farm to supply a Costco Wholesale Corp. processing plant, according more...
OSHA commission upholds processor’s fines
The Occupational Health and Safety Review Commission has upheld all but one citation against Birdsboro Kosher Farms Corp. for safety violations noted more...
Maple Leaf touts carbon neutrality, science-based targets
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. today announced it is the first major food company in the world to be carbon neutral, meaning it has balanced its operations so more...
Men charged with product tampering at Va. meat plant
Two men have been indicted for product tampering at a Monogram Food Solutions plant in Martinsville, Va., earlier this year. A federal grand jury indictment more...
JBS acquires Brazilian cold cuts and sausage producer
Brazil's JBS S.A. said on Wednesday its Seara Alimentos unit has acquired Brazilian cold cuts and sausage producer Frigorífico Marba, as the meat more...
Maple Leaf taps Walmart finance exec for CFO post
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has named finance executive Geert Verellen as its next chief financial officer, effective Jan. 6. Verellen joins Maple Leaf from more...
U.S. pork exports to China face a winding road, research predicts
African swine fever-induced pork shortages in China could continue until 2025, providing plenty of opportunities for global pork exporters. However, exporters more...
China will re-open market to Canadian pork, beef: Trudeau
China, which in June halted imports of Canadian pork and beef, will begin taking shipments again from the country, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau more...
Private equity firm snaps up Chicken Salad Chick
Private equity group Brentwood Associates announced it has acquired a majority interest in SSRG Holdings LLC, parent of the Chicken Salad Chick restaurant more...
Canada updates dry sausage recall linked to salmonella
A Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) food recall warning related to salmonella contamination of various ready-to-eat sausages, first issued on Oct more...
Case Farms wins approval for $126-mln Ohio plant expansion
Case Farms Chicken is expected to move forward with a renovation and expansion program at its Winesburg, Ohio, processing plant that could add as many more...
Smithfield to close Va. distribution center, eliminate jobs
Smithfield Foods Inc. plans to shut down a distribution center in Newport News, Va., at the end of the year, affecting 39 salaried and hourly employees more...
Ag would win in ‘phase one’ U.S./China trade deal
Agreement seems near on a partial trade deal between the U.S. and China, which would buoy the U.S. ag sector in particular, according to media coverage more...
Recall: Products labeled beef were really pork
Padrino Foods, an Irving, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 1,931 pounds of beef tamales because the products may be misbranded, USDA’s more...
Ag Secretary Perdue leads trade mission to Mexico
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will lead a trade mission to Mexico November 6-8 to forge new agricultural trade opportunities. The Secretary more...
USDA settles lawsuit with Tyson over condemned hogs
USDA has agreed to pay Tyson Foods $1 million to settle a lawsuit Tyson filed accusing an agency inspector of making false inspections that caused the more...
Verde Farms opens its own processing facility
Woburn, Mass.-based grass-fed beef producer Verde Farms announced it has opened its own processing facility in Mullica Hill, N.J. In its USDA Organic more...
Grocery chain founder resigns; new CEO named
A suburban Chicago organic grocery chain has appointed Gerald Melville as its new CEO after announcing the resignation of Chris Sherrell, founder, president more...
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Eddy Packing thinks nothing’s finer than Carolina
Eddy Packing, a Yoakum, Texas-based processor owned by Insight Equity private equity firm, has acquired most of the assets of Carolina Pride Foods Inc more...
McDonald’s to expand chicken breakfast offerings in January: report
McDonald’s is planning to offer chicken for breakfast nationwide beginning in January, according to Business Insider, which said it had seen internal more...
Organic trade group pushes for summary judgment in USDA case
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) filed a motion for summary judgment on Oct. 31 that requests the U.S. District Court to rule in its favor more...
News Briefs: Quiznos, Walmart, Pork Checkoff, Denny’s
Quiznos adds to prime rib items Hot sandwich chain Quiznos has added a Prime Rib Horseradish XL Sandwich and an Italian Prime Rib Sandwich to its menu; more...
October 2019
Hispanic buying power prompts rebrands
Back in the fall of 2016, Cargill repositioned its Rumba line of fresh variety meats, launched in 2007 to cater to several ethnic groups, to go all in more...
Del Real Foods names new CEO
Del Real Foods, a leading Hispanic refrigerated foods company, announced the appointment of Michael Axelrod as its new chief executive officer. Axelrod more...
House bill would ease livestock hauling regulations
U.S. Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) have introduced a new House bill aimed at giving farmers and ranchers more flexibility when more...
Retailers added to Canadian E. coli recall
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has further expanded a recall involving possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination of hundreds of raw beef and more...
U.S. chicken prospects in China: ‘We should not hold our breath’
Washington, D.C. — U.S. negotiations with China for a trade deal and that nation’s protein supply gap due to African swine fever (ASF) have more...
Sanitation worker dies in accident at House of Raeford plant
A sanitation worker employed by Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) died when he fell into a piece of equipment at the House of Raeford Poultry Farms more...
NCC selects Wayne Farms’ Clint Rivers as chairman
Clint Rivers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Farms LLC, was installed as 2019-2020 Chairman of the National Chicken Council during more...
Perdue names retail veteran to market sustainable, humane products
Perdue Premium Meat Co. (PPMC) announced it has appointed retail veteran Luke LaPerriere as vice president of retail innovations to support PPMC brands more...
Maple Leaf Foods sees Q3 sales climb, but profit halved
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. today reported a nearly 14% increase in revenue in the third quarter, but net earnings fell by 49.5% in part because of the suspension more...
Beef processors targeted in new federal antitrust lawsuit
Four major U.S. beef companies that control 80% of the nation’s beef at wholesale are being accused of antitrust violations since 2015 by a California-based more...
WH Group positioned for profits amid ASF woes in China
With African swine fever (ASF) decimating China’s hog herd and sending pork prices soaring, WH Group, the world’s largest pork producers, more...
Tyson teams up with group to focus on deforestation efforts
Tyson Foods plans to work with an independent organization to develop a plan centered on a deforestation risk assessment throughout its global agriculture more...
The mind behind Memphis Meats: An interview with Uma Valeti
Growing up in India, Uma Valeti remembers that long walks with his grandfather, a physician, inspired him to become a doctor. He felt an intense desire more...
Chicken shares soar as U.S., China close in on ‘Phase One’ of new trade deal
Negotiations on finalizing a reported “Phase One” of a new trade agreement between the United States and China are progressing after an announcement more...
Canadian processor recalls sausage for potential undercooking
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced the recall of an undisclosed amount of ready-to-eat salami (chub) produced by Drake Meats that were more...
Cattle on feed report could indicate cycle has peaked
USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report issued Friday was in line with analysts’ expectations and could indicate feedlot inventories have peaked more...
Bill proposed on labeling plant-based meat alternatives
A bipartisan bill has been introduced that seeks to clarify plant-based meat alternative labeling. The Real MEAT (Marketing Edible Artificials Truthfully) more...
FSIS seeks comments on beef salmonella testing plan
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service next week will announce its proposed performance standards for salmonella in raw ground beef and trimmings more...
Hormel shuffles exec deck
Hormel Foods Corp. announced that Tom Day, executive vice president of the company’s refrigerated foods unit, will retire at the end of first quarter more...
JBS expanding Iowa bacon plant: report
The JBS bacon plant in Ottumwa, Iowa, is expanding with the addition of six production lines, a smokehouse and 25 new jobs, according to a report in the more...
Giving Back: Coleman Natural, Smithfield, Tyson, Cargill turkey, Certified Piedmontese, Hormel
Coleman Natural supports hero dogs In October, Coleman Natural Foods participated in the 9th annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards honoring seven dogs more...
Pittsburgh processor files for Chapter 11
Riverbend Foods LLC has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and seeks to auction off its remaining assets, according to court documents filed in U.S Bankruptcy more...
OSHA fines Pa. processor after fatal meat grinder accident
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a fine of nearly $50,000 to a Pennsylvania processor months after an employee fell more...
NCBA highlights quality program for consumers
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is launching a consumer-facing promotion and advertising campaign about its Beef Quality Assurance more...
Safety group warns on cannabis use by machine operators
The National Safety Council has issued a policy statement that advises a zero-tolerance approach to cannabis use by employees who operate potentially more...
Claxton Poultry opens poultry deboning plant in Georgia
Claxton Poultry Farms Inc. officially opened its new poultry processing plant in Screven County, Ga., more than one year after announcing plans for the more...
Demand strong for beef and pork, drawing down stocks
USDA’s latest cold storage report showed total red meat supplies in freezers were down 2% in September from the previous month and down 4% from more...
Chipotle posts double-digit Q3 sales gain, sets 2020 expansion
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is reporting a nearly 15% increase in sales in the third quarter as it prepares to open as many as 165 new restaurants next more...
E. coli recalls in Canada continue with more updates
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has further expanded a recall involving possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination of hundreds of raw beef and more...
Analyst makes eye-popping projections for pork, poultry beef from ASF
(This article first appeared in the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission.) African Swine Fever impacts more...
McDonald’s sales edge higher in Q3, net income slips systemwide
McDonald’s Corp. reported slightly higher sales in the third quarter of fiscal 2019, although overall net income slipped by 2% compared with the more...
Meat industry makes progress, faces challenges in making plant floor smarter
The promise of Industry 4.0 in manufacturing environments — aka the creation of "smart" factories by way of automation, the Industrial Internet more...
Top 10 food trend predictions for 2020: Whole Foods
While the retailer’s 2019 forecasted trends, including a rise in hemp-infused and topical CBD products, faux meat snacks and eco-conscious packaging more...
Hormel, UFCW workers agree to new 4-year contract
Hormel Foods and four United Food and Commercial Workers chapters have agreed to a new four-year contract that maintains and boosts benefits for 2,500 more...
Stormy weather temporarily shuts two Tyson plants in two states
Weekend storms caused Tyson processing plants in Georgia and Arkansas to temporarily pause production. Tyson is assessing storm damage that impacted the more...
Peco Foods hires first health and safety director
Peco Foods has hired Peter Van Derlyke to be the poultry processor’s first corporate director of health and safety, the Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based company more...
Plant-based sausage breakfast sandwich rolls out to 9,000 restaurants
Dunkin’ Brands announced today the rollout of the Beyond Sausage Sandwich at 9,000 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants nationwide, beginning Nov. 6 more...
Beef, pork margins soar as poultry heads south: analyst
Strong demand for beef and higher prices for pork in the wake of African Swine Fever (ASF) in China are driving margins higher, although poultry prices more...
Cargill Dodge City plant back up
A little more than a day after an explosion at Cargill Protein’s Dodge City, Kans., plant sent two employees to the hospital, the company issued more...
You Tube channel celebrates meat-eating culture
A new You Tube show, “Meat Life,” extols the virtues of meat eating and celebrates meat culture around the world. The show is hosted by food more...
News briefs: FSIS, Keystone Meats, Meat Academy, Perdue, Sanderson, U of Idaho, Johnsonville, Zatarain’s
Label approval for exotic species products Establishments that slaughter and process exotic species (reindeer, elk, deer, antelope, water buffalo or bison) more...
Cargill halts production at Dodge City after explosion injures two
Cargill said two workers were being treated for burns suffered in an explosion this morning in a small stand-alone building at the company’s Dodge more...
U.S. customers enmeshed in Ryding Regency recall
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) late Wednesday issued a public health alert for raw non-intact beef products imported into the more...
Tyson to stop buying ractopamine-fed hogs
Tyson Fresh Meats announced plans to prohibit the use of ractopamine in the market hogs it buys from farmers beginning in February 2020. The beef and more...
China’s pork, beef exports soar in September
China’s efforts to shore up pork supplies decimated by African swine fever prompted spikes in the nation’s imports of pork and beef in September more...
USDA projects global implications of ASF for pork, poultry, beef
A dramatic decline in China’s pork production due to African swine fever will spur higher prices for animal proteins, driving chicken meat production more...
Maple Leaf unit doubles U.S. distribution for meat substitutes
Greenleaf Foods, a subsidiary of Maple Leaf Foods Inc., announced the availability of its new plant-based line of meat alternatives in more than 12,000 more...
Hog farms improving environmental footprint, study shows
A study funded by the Pork Checkoff found that pig farms are generating less manure nutrient content associated with odor. Data gathered from more more...
Tyson jumps in on clever bridal bouquet
Tyson Foods knows a good branding opportunity when it sees one – even when it means crashing a wedding. Not really. But the chicken giant did cleverly more...
Tyson pulls the plug on protein snack
Tyson Foods Inc. has discontinued its Yappah brand protein crisps about two and a half years after the debut of the product from the company’s innovation more...
Exec resigns from food distribution giant
US Foods Holding, a major foodservice distributor, announced that executive vice president and Chief Supply Chain Officer Tim Connolly has resigned, effective more...
Taco Bell pulled 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef
Taco Bell Corp. is confirming that it has removed about 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef in 21 states following reports from customers who found metal more...
Pilgrim's Pride concludes acquisition of UK pork processor
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (PPC) has concluded the acquisition of UK pork processor Tulip Ltd., announced Brazilian parent company JBS S.A. in a statement more...
Taco Bell pulls beef from several states citing ‘quality concerns’
Taco Bell Corp. told restaurants in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and other unspecified areas to stop serving its seasoned beef temporarily because the product more...
Why all the recalls out of Canada?
Since late summer, Canada seems to have been Ground Zero for troublesome meat recalls, with new or expanded notifications a couple of times a week. The more...
Cracker Barrel acquires fast casual breakfast/lunch chain
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. says it will pay $36 million to purchase the Maple Street Biscuit Co., which operates a total of 33 restaurants more...
GFSI names new director
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) announced that Erica Sheward is the organization’s new director. Her diverse food safety experience will more...
Smithfield to prioritize U.S. pork customers over Chinese: report (UPDATE)
A Smithfield Foods official said the company will prioritize supplying pork to its U.S. customer base before directing product to China, even as that more...
Walmart U.S. names new CEO
Walmart today announced John Furner will take over as the company’s president and CEO of Walmart U.S., effective Nov. 1. Furner will report more...
Canada’s chicken, beef recalls expand further
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) this week recalled additional chicken products in its investigation into a listeriosis outbreak as well as more...
Naked Truth chicken debuts in Atlanta Whole Foods
Wayne Farms LLC’s Naked Truth brand premium chicken line is now available at all Atlanta-area Whole Foods Markets, the company said in a news release more...
Poultry wage-fixing lawsuits consolidated
A federal court judge has agreed to consolidate two lawsuits against 18 chicken processors, several of their subsidiaries and two consulting firms, alleging more...
KFC adds wings to permanent menu
Kentucky Fried Chicken announced Thursday the addition of Kentucky Fried Wings as a permanent menu item at its participating U.S. restaurants nationwide more...
JBS bans Indiana farm implicated in pig abuse video
JBS USA officials said today the company has banned an Indiana sow farm implicated in a video showing pig abuse at the facility. People for the Ethical more...
Hormel adjusts 2019 earnings outlook
Hormel Foods on Thursday narrowed its fiscal 2019 earnings target range in conjunction with an investor day presentation in New York City. The company’s more...
USMEF honors three meat industry leaders
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) has announced the recipients of its Distinguished Service Award and Michael J. Mansfield Award. The USMEF Distinguished more...
Beef processor adding capacity with expansion
Upper Iowa Beef is expanding its production facility in Lime Springs, Iowa. According to the Iowa Economic Development Authority, which approved state more...
Pork exports strong in August; beef below last year
U.S. pork exports continued to post very strong results in August, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation more...
News Briefs: AAMP, Just Bare, NCC, Famous Dave’s, Kona Grill
AAMP to hold roundtable with FSIS The American Association of Meat Processor (AAMP) and the Illinois Association of Meat Processors will host a roundtable more...
Foster Farms wins auction to acquire Zacky Farms assets
Foster Farms reached an agreement to buy 19 former Zacky Farms poultry facilities in California less than one year after Zacky filed for bankruptcy protection more...
Pilgrim's Pride shareholders settle lawsuit over Moy Park acquisition
Shareholders at Pilgrim's Pride have reached a $42.5 million settlement in a lawsuit questioning the acquisition of U.K. poultry processor Moy Park, reports more...
Aramark names returning exec its new CEO; appoints new board members
Foodservice provider and management company Aramark has named John Zillmer its chief executive officer, effective immediately. The appointment marks a more...
Tim Hortons, Red Robin appoint new executives
Canadian restaurant giant Tim Hortons has appointed a new regional president for its Canada and U.S. operations, while Red Robin named a successor for more...
Recall update causes more woes for Canadian beef packer
Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. Is adding new products to a list of beef and veal parts that may have been contaminated E. coli O157:H7, less than a more...
Federal judge allows Missouri alt-protein labeling law to stand
A U.S. District Court judge declined to approve a preliminary injunction that would block a law preventing producers of alternative protein products from more...
Making meat in space: firm says it can and it did
Aleph Farms, based in Rehovot, Israel, announced that using 3D bioprinting technology the company took a step toward producing meat on the International more...
Luxury digs for backyard chickens
Backyard chickens are particularly popular in Southern California, and chicken owners in the Los Angeles area are setting new standards in luxury for more...
NAMI files lawsuit challenging California’s Prop 12
The North American Meat Institute said it has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 12, arguing the farm more...
USDA appoints new leader to fight animal diseases
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service has appointed Dr. Alfonso Clavijo as director of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), a state-of-the-art more...
Beef, pork demand were lower during MCOOL: study
Both beef and pork demand in the United States were economically and statistically lower when a federal mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) law more...
News Briefs: NAMI, Honey Baked Hams, Conagra, Mighty Spark, P3, Hormel, Cargill, Case Farms
NAMI joins Farmers for Free Trade Farmers for Free Trade today announced the North American Meat Institute has joined the coalition, which is spearheading more...
Tip Top poultry recall prompts more related actions
Several more companies have recalled products that include cooked chicken that has been recalled by Rockmart, Ga.-based Tip Top Poultry Inc., over possible more...
Tip Top issues statement, timeline
Tip Top Poultry Inc. provided a statement on its recent recall, and a timeline of events, by email to Meatingplace. The document reads: [A]fter extensive more...
Seaboard Triumph denies 'many' claims; Iowa withholding financial incentives
In a statement, Seaboard Triumph Foods said that it is investigating allegations of mistreatment and labor violations regarding workers recruited more...
Chipotle CEO sees difference between plant-based vs. alt-meat
New plant-based foods meant to mimic meat are popping up on restaurant menus daily, but Chipotle Chief Executive Brian Niccol is not convinced the concept more...
Trade won’t solve Asia’s woes from ASF: Rabobank
Unstable market conditions are expected to thwart efforts to mitigate the African swine fever (ASF) crisis in Asia for the rest of the year and into 2020 more...
More recalls tied to possible Listeria in chicken
Reser’s Finer Foods Inc. has issued a recall of some of its chicken salad items in the wake of a recall by one of its suppliers Tip Top Poultry more...
Alvarado on the move to promote poultry science
Following an 18-month stint as a subject matter expert with USDA FSIS's Office of Program and Policy Development, Risk Innovations and Management in Washington more...
New study shows effects of poor sanitation in ground meat
A new study has shown that incomplete cleaning of grinding equipment leads to species cross-contamination. The findings suggest that proper sanitation more...
Seaboard Triumph accused of mistreating Micronesian workers (updated)
A federation of Pacific islands is asking the U.S. State Dept. to investigate alleged mistreatment of its citizens who were recruited to work at a Seaboard more...
How pork can tango with Hispanic market: NPB report (updated)
Of all the target markets for U.S. pork, the domestic Hispanic community presents one of the biggest opportunities — and is an area in more...
CFIA expands recalls for possible Listeria contamination
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is updating and adding more companies to a list of companies that issued meat that may have been contaminated more...
NSIS final rule published, effective dates established
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) final rule in the Federal Register, establishing the more...
September 2019
New study suggests Georgia is ready for local beef processing
A year-long study of Georgia’s $453 million beef cattle industry indicates that beef processing there could be made more cost-productive if regional more...
Arkansas, Cornell receive $10 million grant to study poultry sustainability
The University of Arkansas has announced that its Center for Excellence in Poultry Science and Cornell University have been awarded a $9.95 million federal more...
Australia braces as ASF nears
With the arrival last week of African Swine Fever (ASF) in East Timor, authorities in Australia are stepping up biosecurity measures against the deadly more...
U.S. pig inventory up 3%
The United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on Sept. 1 was 77.7 million head, up 3% from the same date a year ago, largely in line with analysts’ more...
‘Human trafficking’ lawsuit against poultry firm will go forward
A lawsuit filed in 2017 against Simmons Foods and Christian Alcoholics & Addicts in Recovery (CAAIR), alleging racketeering, labor law violations more...
6 hospitalized after carbon monoxide leak at Ohio plant
A carbon monoxide leak Thursday forced the evacuation of Empire Packaging in Mason, Ohio, and sent six workers to the hospital with possible CO poisoning more...
Canada recalls sausage due to listeria concerns
G. Brandt Meat Packers Ltd., based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, recalled on Sept. 26 an undisclosed amount of sausage products from the marketplace more...
News Briefs: Perdue Farms, Hormel, Panera, Kroger, Firehouse Subs
Perdue plant notches safety milestone Associates at Perdue Farms’ cook operation in Monterey, Tenn., recently reached 2 million consecutive production more...
Cargill earnings slide 10%, but beef is a bright spot
Cargill reported a 10% decline in first-quarter net earnings, to $915 million, but said strong consumer demand for beef and eggs lifted its North American more...
McDonald’s Canada tests a Beyond Meat build
The plant-based burger wars are heating up with the announcement that McDonald’s Canada will test the Beyond Meat patty in a new sandwich it’s more...
Jimmy Dean rolls out breakfast products for on the go
Tyson Foods’ Jimmy Dean unit announced two additions to its popular breakfast foods line-up. • Jimmy Dean Biscuit Roll-Ups combine eggs, meats more...
Japan to use DNA samples to verify authenticity of Kobe beef
Kobe beef advocates in Japan in October will implement a system using DNA testing to distinguish real from fake Kobe beef, according to a report by Japan more...
Landry’s buys Del Frisco’s, expanding high-end steak portfolio
Landry's Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouses and Del Frisco's Grilles from private equity firm L Catterton more...
Restaurant group giant scoops up Jimmy John’s
Inspire Brands announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Jimmy John’s Sandwiches; financial terms were not disclosed. Inspire more...
Meat industry cheers as Trump, Japan's Abe sign trade pact (Updated)
U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a preliminary U.S.-Japan trade agreement in New York today at a ceremony held more...
Chinese companies ready to buy U.S. pork as talks loom: report
Chinese companies are making inquiries on pork prices from U.S. sources in advance of the anticipated resumption of trade talks next month, according more...
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Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether it is true or false. Loading… We will publish the answer and results more...
Guilty plea in faked E. coli tests case
A quality control officer for a meat packing plant in Stafford Springs, Conn., has pleaded guilty to a charge related to multiple examples of the business more...
Canadian officials suspend license of beef processor
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has suspended the license of Ryding-Regency Meat Packers, the third-largest federally inspected plant in Ontario more...
Final rule: More salaried employees are eligible for overtime
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule to make 1.3 million American workers eligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act more...
Grocery giant revamps frozen line; adds meat-based and meatless protein
Grocery giant Albertsons Companies has revamped its lineup of Own Brands entrees with 55 new items, from premium high-protein power bowls and breakfast more...
U.S., China talks to continue despite farm snub
High-level trade negotiations between the United States and China will resume in early October despite the negative impact from a Chinese delegation’s more...
Smithfield Foods sets apprenticeships with hands-on training
Smithfield Foods is looking for the next generation of manufacturing professionals and is launching a program aimed at developing and hiring skilled workers more...
Cattle on Feed report seen as bullish
USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report on Friday showed cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with more...
Grocery giant makes new sustainability commitment
Grocery giant Ahold Delhaize USA has announced it will make its products and packaging more sustainable. Ahold’s local brands will restrict certain more...
Ammonia leak sends Tyson worker to hospital
Tyson Foods officials are investigating the cause of an ammonia leak Thursday night at the company’s New Holland, Pa., chicken plant. The more...
Pipestone beef plant to close; 145 jobs affected (updated)
J&B Group Inc. will close its beef fabrication facility in Pipestone, Minn., in November, ending about 145 jobs at that location, the company said more...
China OKs more Argentine meat plants for export: Reuters
Reuters reports that eight Argentine beef processing plants were granted export licenses on Sept. 19 by China’s customs office. Last week, more...
Mild heat-and-LED light combo boosts pathogen kill rate on food-contact surfaces
A combined treatment of mild heat and certain wavelengths of ultraviolet light (UVC) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can boost effective control of bacteria more...
Expert group forms to fight ASF in the Americas
A high-level group of national veterinarians has been created to coordinate efforts to prevent the spread of African swine fever in the Americas region more...
Analysts warm to Pilgrim’s Pride’s prospects
Equity analysts left this week’s investor day presentations at Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. with renewed enthusiasm about the poultry company’s more...
Consumer Reports rates food label claims
Consumer Reports (CR) announced it has evaluated a broad range of food label seals and claims to create a “CR rating” that will help consumers more...
Giving Back: Hormel Foods, Smithfield, Perdue Farms, Cargill
Hormel pledges $300,000 for hunger relief Hormel Foods announced donations totaling $300,000 in recognition of Hunger Action Day to help end food insecurity more...
NCBA elevates Woodall to CEO
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today announced its executive committee has confirmed the appointment of Colin Woodall to serve more...
South Korea confirms spread of ASF; culling under way
South Korea is the latest Asian nation to confirm an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) and has begun culling pigs in a country that raises about 11 more...
Tyson launches fruit and nut snacks, touts protein benefit
Tyson Foods today announced the launch of a new line of functional refrigerated protein snacks emphasizing fruit and nut ingredients under its new brand more...
News Briefs: Perdue, Wellshire Farms, Joella’s, Del Taco, Fogo de Chao, Conagra (Updated)
Safety milestone at Perdue Associates at Perdue’s harvest operation in Perry, Ga., achieved a safety milestone recently after working three million more...
FSIS finalizes New Swine Slaughter Inspection System
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a final rule to “modernize swine slaughter inspection and bring it into the 21st century more...
USDA denies petition on non-ambulatory pigs
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has denied the petition submitted on behalf of the Farm Sanctuary and various other animal welfare advocacy more...
Chipotle adds steak item
Chipotle Mexican Grill announced it is introducing a new steak option, Carne Asada, nationally on Sept. 19 for a limited time. Carne Asada is Chipotle's more...
Club chain names president
BJ’s Wholesale Club has named Lee Delaney as president, effective immediately. Delaney, currently executive vice president, chief commercial officer more...
Cargill to end fresh, frozen whole turkey production in Texas
Cargill Inc. is confirming reports that it will shut down production of fresh and frozen turkeys at its Waco, Texas, facility in November of 2019. The more...
Dakota Provisions launches turkey product line
Huron, S.D.–based Dakota Provisions announced the launch of its first consumer turkey products brand, Dakota 44. The Dakota 44 offerings extend more...
Chick-Fil-A goes full NAE
Chick-fil-A has reached its goal to serve No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) chicken in its more than 2,400 restaurants across the U.S, the company announced Sept more...
Missouri judge lifts restraining order, lets CAFO bill take effect
A Missouri judge has lifted a restraining order that temporarily halted a new law limiting county-level control of large livestock operations known as more...
China to exempt pork from latest tariff round: Xinhua
China will exclude pork and soybeans from additional tariffs placed on imports of U.S. products, the country’s official Xinhua news agency reported more...
Huddle House in deal to buy Perkins
The Atlanta-based Huddle House family dining chain has a deal to buy Memphis-based Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, the companies said in a news release more...
Baby food brand adds grass-fed bison, pasture-raised turkey
The Serenity Kids baby food brand announced two new varieties, Grass Fed Bison and Pasture Raised Turkey, and an expansion of its retail distribution more...
Carvacrol, nisin are "potent" listeria antimicrobial
New research suggests that the combination of carvacrol, a major component of oregano oil, and the naturally occurring antibacterial peptide nisin might more...
Chicken sandwich wars helped boost restaurant sales: NPD
The online debate over which restaurant chain serves the best chicken sandwich helped increase overall sales in the quick service restaurant segment last more...
Harbor Wholesale acquires portion of FSA business
Harbor Wholesale Foods of Lacey, Wash., announced the acquisition of a significant portion of the Food Services of America (FSA) Seattle business more...
Another big bet on 3D alt-meat printing
Israeli company Redefine Meat has raised $6 million in a seed round led by CPT Capital, the company said in a news release. Redefine Meat is developing more...
FDA extends comment period on animal drug withdrawal times
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday it will extend the comment period for its request for public input on transit times to more...
US Foods cleared on $1.8B acquisition; will divest three centers
US Foods Holding Corp. said today it received conditional approval from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its $1.8 billion acquisition of Services more...
Tyson Fresh Meats creates Portioned Protein Innovations team
Tyson Fresh Meats announced the formation of a new Portioned Protein Innovations (PPI) team to address growing demand for the products. The beef more...
Are you ready for the ‘pegan’ diet?
Processors have been riding the “Paleo” diet wave, but according to Mintel, now comes a new twist on the idea: The so-called “pegan” more...
Tyson Foods names John Tyson as chief sustainability officer
Tyson Foods has appointed John R. Tyson as chief sustainability officer, effective immediately. He will report to CEO and President Noel White. Justin more...
Wendy’s to expand breakfast across U.S. system in 2020
Wendy’s will be making its breakfast menu items available at all of its U.S. restaurants in 2020 in an expansion of the current roster of more than more...
Plant-based, lab-grown analogues OK as niche, but don’t call them beef: survey
The long-term future of plant-based meat analogues and cell-cultured meat may be restricted to the “niche” category, according to the results more...
Partnership launches four marinated bacon flavors
Sigma U.S. in partnership with McCormick Grill Mates, is launching four new marinated, smoked bacon flavors. The partnership explained in a news release more...
Mississippi considering updating law on alt-protein labeling
Mississippi is looking at adjusting its rules covering what producers of plant-based or cell-generated proteins can label their products. The head of more...
China authorizes meat purchases from 25 Brazilian processing plants
China has authorized meat exports from 25 Brazilian processing plants, Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday. The list of approved more...
Hog farms weathered Hurricane Dorian well
There are no reports of significant impacts to North Carolina’s pork industry, which includes more than 2,000 farms, as a result of severe Hurricane more...
Millennial shoppers willing to pay more
Quality drives millennial food shopping, and they are willing to pay more for it. According to a new Whole Foods Market survey, 80% of millennials value more...
Koch Foods files suit alleging ICE search was illegal
Koch Foods has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Mississippi accusing the federal government of illegally searching its chicken processing plant more...
Beef takes center stage in CNN town hall on climate change
A CNN town hall on climate change with Democratic presidential candidates on Thursday night in part explored beef production’s role in warming the more...
Kroger to add plant-based protein line
San Francisco — The Kroger Co. announced it will roll out a line of plant-based proteins, to be called Simple Truth Plant Based, including fresh more...
Study reveals new insight into biofilm formation
In a recent Penn State study, researchers have found that pathogenic bacteria that stubbornly lurk in some apple-packing facilities may be sheltered and more...
Specialty meat purveyor to move headquarters, build new plant
Specialty meat purveyor Strauss Brands LLC will move its Milwaukee-area headquarters to a new development on the city’s northwest side, bringing more...
China, Mexico drive record U.S. pork exports in July
Higher exports to China and Mexico drove record U.S. pork exports in July, according to data released by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service on more...
Tyson invests in maker of plant-based shellfish
Tyson Foods Inc., through its Tyson Ventures unit, has completed an investment in New Wave Foods, a producer of plant-based shellfish, the company announced more...
Red Robin snags industry veteran as next CEO
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. today announced the appointment of Paul J.B. Murphy III as president, chief executive and board member, effective Oct. more...
China ASF hog losses reach 100 million: CNN
The Chinese government released data on Tuesday that indicates the nation has lost more than 100 million hogs to African Swine Fever, according to CNN more...
Conagra to open new snack innovation center in 2020
Conagra Brands Inc. will spend an undisclosed amount to open a new Center for Food Design in Chicago with a goal of developing innovations for snacking more...
Salmonella cases linked to backyard poultry top 1,000: CDC
The spread of salmonella among people who have had contact with poultry in backyard flocks is approaching levels unseen for the last two years, according more...
Family-owned snack maker launches no-sugar grass-fed beef jerky
An Oregon-based jerky and snack manufacturer is expanding its line of jerky snacks to include an all-natural product made from grass-fed beef containing more...
Tyson closes plant ahead of Hurricane Dorian
Tyson Foods has cancelled shifts for two days at a Florida plant in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian. “We are closely monitoring hurricane Dorian more...
Administration limits scope of dietary guidelines: Washington Post (updated)
The Trump administration is limiting the scope the dietary guidelines advisory committee will consider for the 2020 guidelines, according to the Washington more...
ONE Group Hospitality buys Kona Grill’s assets
The ONE Group Hospitality Inc., owner of STK, an American steakhouse concept “with a modern twist,” has entered into an asset purchase agreement more...
Take Meatingplace's 10-second quiz
Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether you believe it is true or false. Loading… We will publish the answer more...
USDA sees higher poultry output as bird weights climb
June broiler production is estimated at 3.5 million dozen, a 0.6% increase year over year or a 5.5% increase when adjusted for slaughter days. This increase more...
Global processors know, proximity (to China) matters
The duties that the Chinese government has imposed against a wide range of U.S. imported goods means that U.S. meat producers and importers operating more...
Cooks Venture: Blue Apron founder sets out to change the poultry industry
In August 2012, Matthew Wadiak and his partners played a hunch when they founded the meal kit company Blue Apron. They bet that at least a portion of more...
Listeria forces recall of pâté in Canada
On Aug. 30, Les Spécialités Prodal (1975) Ltée recalled certain The Deli-Shop brand pâtés from the marketplace due to more...
Bone fragments spur recall of chicken breast nuggets
In Ontario, Quebec, Maître Saladier Inc. recalled an undisclosed amount of St-Hubert brand chicken breast nuggets from the marketplace due to possible more...
August 2019
Sanderson poised for profitable 2020: analysts
That Sanderson Farms’ results Thursday missed Wall Street projects has caused equity analysts to reduce their projections for the company’s more...
Pork producers get USDA grant to help combat ASF in Asia
USDA's Foreign Animal Service division has awarded about $1.7 million in grant money to the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), with active support more...
Cattlemen ask for 'summits' on market price swings
The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) said it has asked USDA and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to convene two separate more...
Stock up now on ham-flavored candy canes
Bacon-flavored everything, we're used to. Now Seattle-based joke and novelty retailer Archie McPhee is offering ham-flavored candy canes for the holidays more...
Back half of bird boosts Sanderson profit
Counter-seasonal weakness in boneless breast meat produced at big bird plants dragged on Sanderson Farms’ fiscal third-quarter earnings enough to more...
China to buy more pork, release reserves to boost supply: Reuters
China will look to increase pork imports and release frozen pork, beef and mutton from state reserves to boost market supplies in that country, according more...
Passionate consumer segment pays attention to animal welfare
Helping birds be happier wasn’t always on a poultry farmer’s to-do list. But today, many consumers equate “happier” with “healthier” more...
Largest hatchery in the U.S. opens
Aviagen announced the grand opening of a new parent stock hatchery in Quitman, Ga., that will become the largest hatchery in the United States and ninth more...
Pilgrim’s purchase a big foothold in Europe; broadens product offering
Pilgrim’s Pride’s purchase of UK pork producer Tulip Limited not only expands the JBS poultry unit’s portfolio into another protein more...
U.S., Canadian hog inventory up 3%
The United States and Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs for June 2019 was 89.5 million head, up 3% year on year, and up 5% from June 2017, USDA more...
Carl’s Jr. expands plant-based burger reach
Carl’s Jr. today announced the brand is expanding its partnership with Beyond Meat to launch the Beyond Famous Star with Cheese in Canada, building more...
Walmart Canada names new CEO
Walmart Canada has appointed Horacio (Haio) Barbeito to the position of president and CEO, effective in October, pending work authorization. Barbeito more...
Conagra teams with HSUS on chicken welfare standards
Conagra Brands announced steps to implement higher standards for the treatment of broiler chickens in its supply chain sourcing practices. The company more...
Papa John’s nabs Arby’s president as new CEO
Papa John's International announced it has appointed Rob Lynch as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Previously, Lynch was more...
USDA lowers retail poultry price forecast
Retail poultry prices decreased 0.9 percent from June to July and are down 1.8 percent since July of 2018, according to USDA’s latest monthly Consumer more...
Just add chicken: KFC elevates mac & cheese to main dish
Kentucky Fried Chicken said it is combining its macaroni and cheese side dish with crispy popcorn chicken to create a new main dish menu item. The Mac more...
Costco chicken supplier set for on-time opening next week (UPDATE)
Lincoln Premium Poultry is expected to begin producing its first birds destined for Costco Wholesale Corp. shortly after Labor Day with a full grand opening more...
United States cattle on feed up slightly; placements down
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on more...
Trump hikes tariffs on China, ‘orders’ U.S. companies out, then relents
President Donald Trump on Friday said he would increase tariffs on some $550 billion worth of Chinese goods after Beijing retaliated to earlier U.S. hikes more...
Beyond Meat boosts presence with new tests, deals
Beyond Meat Inc. is entering or expanding agreements with restaurant customers – including KFC, 7-Eleven Canada and Hardee’s/Carl’s more...
China to hike tariffs on U.S. pork, beef as it ups imports
China on Friday announced that on Sept. 1 it will raise tariffs on a host of U.S. agricultural goods, including 10% hikes on U.S. beef and pork, according more...
Texas Tech gets grant to study novel beef aging technology
A $294,000 grant to further research into the use of new mass spectrometry technology to determine tenderness, flavor and juiciness of beef in real time more...
Federal court deems WOTUS unlawful
A federal court in Georgia ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule is unlawful under the more...
News Briefs: Pre Brands, Simply Good Foods, Cargill, Dunkin’, Burger King, 7-Eleven
Pre Brands names chief sales officer Chicago-based Pre Brands, which sells grass-fed and -finished, pasture-raised beef, announced that David Meltzer more...
Hormel: Bacon helps offset pricey avocados in Q3
Hormel Foods on Thursday reported lower sales and net earnings in the third quarter on disappointing results in grocery products stemming from higher more...
Murder-suicide jolts Pennsylvania turkey processor
A recently terminated trucking contractor and a transportation manager at Plainville Farms’ New Oxford, Pa., location are dead following a murder-suicide more...
Canada expands listeria recall in poultry, again
Just a day after an expanding listeria monocytogenes outbreak snagged U.S. company Tip Top Poultry, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued more...
Meat me in the middle: an emerging niche for meat processors
While Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods grab headlines and large meat companies scramble to make their own plant burgers, another niche — blended more...
USDA weighs in on large U.S. pork stocks and China ASF implications
Larger than anticipated June ending stocks of bone-in loins and boneless hams prompted an increase in USDA’s forecast for year-end pork stocks for more...
Chinese processor gets big poultry sales boost in ASF wake
A leading pig and poultry processor in China says a surge in demand for its poultry products as African Swine Fever (ASF) affects the domestic pork market more...
Kroger, Walgreens to expand joint retail program
The Kroger Co. and Walgreens are expanding their joint retail venture less than a year after launching a pilot project in northern Kentucky. The Kroger more...
News Briefs: Tony Roma’s, Progressive Beef, Kroger, Maple Leaf Foods
Licensing deal for Tony Roma’s saucy meat snacks Romacorp Inc., parent of Tony Roma’s restaurants, announced a licensing agreement with Golden more...
Elanco to buy Bayer’s animal health business
Elanco Animal Health Incorporated announced it has entered into an agreement with Bayer AG to acquire its animal health business in a transaction valued more...
Valley Oaks Steak Co. abruptly closes operations
Valley Oaks Steak Co. has shut down, effective immediately, in the wake of what it calls “a constant barrage of legal battles” stemming from more...
Just cook it – but just DON’T wash it
A new USDA study shows that individuals put themselves at risk of illness when they wash or rinse raw poultry, the agency said in a news release. So don’t more...
Purdue gets $10 million for food safety lab
Purdue University is the recipient of a $10 million grand from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to create a lab aimed at raising more...
Chicken products recalled on listeria concerns
Ottawa-based Rosemount Sales and Marketing is recalling Rosemount brand cooked diced chicken meat from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes more...
HelloFresh, Beyond Meat to offer alt-protein option
Meal kit provider HelloFresh will begin offering the Beyond Burger from Beyond Meat as part of a new Craft Burger collection for home cooks starting next more...
Burger chain gets new leadership
Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) announced leadership changes in its burger chain Smashburger, a business it fully acquired in December 2018. Carl Bachmann more...
USDA finalized appointments as dietary guidelines work progresses
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has sworn in Brandon Lipps as deputy under secretary of the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS) and more...
FSIS publishes rule changes for specific inspections
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued amendments to federal meat and poultry products inspection regulations to eliminate more...
Beef, pork, poultry markets face new challenges: analyst
A major fire, trade issues and immigration raids all have the potential to negatively affect U.S. commodities in the near future, according to one industry more...
USDOT seeks comment on proposed revisions to trucking rules
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has published a notice of proposed rulemaking on changes more...
Pumpkin Spice Spam is a thing
Hormel Foods is rolling out a limited edition pumpkin spice flavored Spam product this fall, hitching a ride on the flavor craze that’s everywhere more...
JBS renewing focus on potential acquisitions for growth
Brazil's JBS S.A. is interested again in looking into acquisitions to accelerate growth after posting strong financial results for the second quarter more...
Mass firings at plant raided by ICE: media reports
As many as 100 employees may have been fired from the PH Food poultry processing facility in Morton, Miss., according to a report in the Jackson Clarion-Ledger more...
Pilgrim’s tops some sustainability goals, still working on others
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. reported progress on meeting sustainability targets for 2020, although the poultry processor also said more work needs to more...
This brat’s for you — all year
Budweiser and Coleman Natural Foods are giving away a year’s supply of bratwurst on Friday, which is National Bratwurst Day. The two companies collaborated more...
ASF-led ‘protein inflation’ delayed; analyst trims Hormel Q3 estimate
An anticipated pricing impact from African Swine Fever has yet to materialize in the pork sector, prompting one industry analyst to reduce his earnings more...
British university bans beef; Meat Institute posts clever response
When Goldsmiths University of London announced on Tuesday it would remove all beef products from sale at campus food outlets by the start of the 2019 more...
Tyson addresses June wastewater spill in open letter to residents
Tyson Foods has issued an open letter to the residents of Hanceville, Ala., to update them on what is being done in the aftermath of a June 6 wastewater more...
FSIS will no longer sample religious exempt, low volume poultry products
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that it will no longer sample or test religious exempt chicken carcass and low-volume poultry more...
Smithfield owner looks beyond China for pork as profits plunge
China’s WH Group, the owner of Smithfield Foods, is turning to outside markets for pork to import as the impact of global trade issues and African more...
Grocery chain CEO resigns; company exits protein cooking unit
Grocery chain and distributor SpartanNash Company announced that CEO Dave Staples as resigned and Chairman Dennis Eidson will take on the additional roles more...
Restaurant chain giant announces new CEO
Yum! Brands announced its board of directors has unanimously elected President and Chief Operating Officer David Gibbs, 55, as the company’s new more...
Eating poultry may reduce breast cancer in women, study says
Eating poultry instead of red meat could lower the risk of invasive breast cancer in women, according to a new study published in the International Journal more...
Tyson to rebuild; fire rattles cattle markets
Tyson Foods announced Monday it would rebuild its beef plant near Holcomb, Kansas partly destroyed by fire on Friday night and will pay employees in the more...
Koch Foods comments, makes own allegations on EEOC settlement
Koch Foods has released a statement seeking to “set the record straight” on its $3.75 settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity more...
USDA raises meat, corn production forecasts
USDA raised its total meat production and total corn production forecasts for 2019/20 in its monthly World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates and more...
Brazil's BRF profits in Q2 amid high sales, prices due to ASF
Brazil's BRF S.A. posted a net profit of BRL191 million (US$48.5 million) for the second quarter of 2019 — reversing a billion-dollar loss at the more...
Pork price-fixing lawsuit dismissed, for now
The U.S. District Court judge in a price-fixing case against major pork packers has dismissed the lawsuit, while granting leave for the plaintiffs’ more...
OSHA fines Wayne Farms for ammonia-related accident
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has levied $119,341 in penalties against Wayne Farms LLC for more...
NCC to Trump: help the chicken industry avoid ICE raids
The National Chicken Council is asking President Donald Trump to help provide solutions to the problem of a lack of reliable tools that companies can more...
News Briefs: Raybern’s, Sodexo, Popeyes
Raybern’s launches sandwiches at Costco Raybern’s announced the launch of two frozen, microwavable sandwich varieties, Meatball Marinara and more...
Tyson unveils automation, robotics center in Springdale
Tyson Foods Inc. today opened the Tyson Manufacturing Automation Center (TMAC) in downtown Springdale, a state-of-the-art facility designed to help the more...
Takeover target Red Robin announces board changes
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. announced changes to its board as it contends with operating losses and an uninvited bid for the company from an investment more...
UN group sees land use as key to planet's long-term survival
Current land use policies that contribute to global warming cannot continue if escalating natural disasters that will eventually reduce the planet’s more...
Plasma-activated water and mild heat combo fights E. coli
Plasma-activated water (PAW) combined with mild heat holds promise as a potential intervention strategy to reduce the incidence of E. coli and other more...
JBS buys North Carolina processing plant it once leased
JBS USA has acquired a case ready meat packaging plant in Lenoir, N.C., it previously leased starting in 2014, according to a report on Newstopicnews more...
Undisclosed amount of pork, chicken dumplings recalled
Top Taste Food Warehouse of Brooklyn, N.Y., has recalled an undetermined amount of pork and chicken dumpling product because they were produced, packed more...
Subway testing Beyond Meat items
Subway announced a new culinary innovation partnership with Beyond Meat to test exclusive plant-based protein options. Starting this September and more...
Wendy’s details 2019 expansion, posts Q2 results
Wendy’s says it will add about 100 restaurants to its global system by the end of 2019 and reported a 3.3% increase in systemwide sales in the second more...
Tyson beef plant worker killed in crushing accident
A Tyson employee working in an Amarillo, Texas beef plant was killed in an accident Friday evening in the plant’s Material Handling Department, more...
China fights back and pork is caught in the crossfire
The Trump administration’s move to impose a 10% tariff on an additional $300 billion in Chinese goods has been met with some tangible resistance more...
FSIS seeks comments on standards for campylobacter in poultry
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing and requesting comments on revised pathogen reduction performance standards for Campylobacter more...
OIG report finds fault with USDA's agency relocation plans
In a report released Monday, USDA’s Office of the Inspector General criticized the agency for forging ahead with its plans to relocate the Economic more...
Tyson optimistic after solid Q3 results; discloses DOJ subpoena
Strong sales and higher margins in its beef, chicken and prepared foods divisions helped Tyson Foods Inc. post improved overall sales and net income in more...
Pork producers furious over NYT article on antibiotics use
The National Pork Producers Council has issued a detailed rebuttal to a New York Times article on antibiotics use on hog farms, accusing the newspaper more...
Smithfield Foods connects hog farm to natural gas pipeline
Smithfield Foods announced it has completed constructing a low-pressure natural gas transmission line connecting a Smithfield hog farm located in Northern more...
Bison processors seek generic label designation
In a petition submitted to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the National Bison Association (NBA) asked the agency’s label review more...
Suit challenging Sanderson’s ‘100% natural’ claim tossed
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Sanderson Farms is misleading consumers by marketing its chicken as “100% natural” when more...
Tenn. plant owner sentenced to 18 months in prison
The former owner of a Tennessee slaughterhouse that was raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last year has been sentenced to 18 months more...
Trump to announce U.S.-EU beef deal today
President Donald Trump will announce a deal today with the European Union to expand access for U.S. beef exports, according to a report by Bloomberg. more...
Yum to close hundreds of Pizza Hut restaurants
Yum Brands Inc. executives on Thursday said the company will close more than 400 underperforming restaurants in its Pizza Hut division as the chain accelerates more...
Stronger chicken demand lifts Pilgrim’s profit
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. said improved demand for commodity chicken from retail customers and a strong market recovery in Mexico bolstered second-quarter more...
‘Natural’ definition on labels could help clear confusion: Lusk
Efforts to define the term “natural” as it applies to food aren’t likely to clear up the confusion unless the definition itself is included more...
Seaboard earnings improve, but not in protein
Seaboard Corp.’s earnings for the second fiscal quarter and first half of the fiscal year were up solidly over 2018’s results, although neither more...
Giving Back: Tyson, Smithfield, Simmons Foods, Perdue Farms
Tyson funds $1 million in classroom projects Tyson Foods announced it will fund $1 million in teacher’s classroom projects posted on DonorsChoose more...
July 2019
OSI to help Impossible Foods meet growing demand
OSI Group signed an agreement with Impossible Foods to add production capacity that will help the alternative protein manufacturer address expanding demand more...
OK Foods increases base pay, adds incentive pay
OK Foods announced it increased the base pay rate for hourly production workers in its Arkansas and Oklahoma facilities on July 28. “OK Foods recognizes more...
Impossible Foods gets color additive approval, sets Sept. retail launch
Impossible Foods said it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for use of the ingredient soy leghemoglobin as a color additive more...
JBS to double biodiesel production with new plant in Brazil
Brazil's JBS S.A. on Tuesday said it will invest BRL180 million (US$47.5 million) to construct a new biodiesel plant, more than doubling its biodiesel more...
Chipotle takes a pass on alternative protein trend
Don’t expect to find alternative proteins in meals served at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants anytime soon, according to the chain’s CEO more...
Scammer targets AAMP members
A scammer is attempting to steal money from AAMP members by pretending to be Immediate Past President Chad Lottman of LandMark Snacks, the association more...
Chia-linseed emulsion helps produce low-fat burgers
A new study shows that it is possible to replace up to 60% of pork back fat by hydrogelled emulsion (HE) to produce low-fat burgers with a healthier lipid more...
National Grocers Association names new CEO
The National Grocers Association announced Greg Ferrara has been appointed president and CEO, effective Sept. 1, 2019. Ferrara succeeds Peter Larkin, more...
Arkansas approves Tyson bid for water discharge rule changes
The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission adopted new mineral standards for specific waterways in the Natural State, including some requested more...
Taco Bell sets policy on antibiotics use by beef suppliers
Taco Bell has committed to reduce antibiotics important to human health in its beef supply chain by 25% by 2025. Effective across the U.S. and Canada more...
Bush’s Best gets into the blended burger biz
Bush’s Best, known for its selection of canned baked beans, is rolling out the Bush’s Best Blended Burger for foodservice customers, the company more...
USDA ARS scientists win presidential award
Three USDA scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have been named recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and more...
Brazil's Minerva reduces losses in Q2, AFS boosts sales
Brazilian beef processor Minerva S.A. posted a net loss of BRL113.3 million ($30 million) for the second quarter of 2019, impacted by non-cash effects more...
Another poultry grower seeks permit near Costco supplier in Neb.
Sunset Poultry is seeking permission to build a poultry operation that would provide broilers to the planned Lincoln Premium Poultry plant in Nebraska more...
Allergen misbranding prompts frozen RTE beef, pork meatballs recall
Home Market Foods, Inc., based in Norwood, Mass., has recalled approximately 53,217 pounds of frozen ready-to-eat beef and pork meatball products due more...
News Briefs: Popeye’s Chicken, IHOP, Rave, Beef Checkoff, Hooters
Popeye’s parent to open hundreds of restaurants in China by 2029 Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) announced plans to open more than 1 more...
New slaughter rules on the way for pork, beef: FSIS official
MOBILE, Ala. — USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will issue new slaughter inspection rules for pork “very soon” and is more...
Poultry further processor names operations chief
Poultry further processor Foundation Food Group Inc. announced the appointment of Bernard "B.J." Svajgl as its new senior vice president of operations more...
Beyond Meat working on a bacon alternative: Bloomberg
Plant-based meat maker Beyond Meat is developing a product meant to mimic bacon, according to a report by Bloomberg. The breakfast staple would join the more...
BRF still eyeing deals with beef focus: report
Brazil's BRF S.A. remains interested in deals to expand its product portfolio and geographical presence after the end of merger negotiations with Marfrig more...
House of Raeford to build feed mill, upgrade plant and hatchery
House of Raeford Farms announced it will spend $40 million to build a new feed mill for its Arcadia, La., poultry complex, where it will spend another more...
Cargill sets 30% GHG reduction target for beef supply chain
Cargill announced the launch of an initiative called BeefUp Sustainability aimed at achieving a 30% greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity reduction across its more...
Hormel launches single-serve lunchmeat portions
Hormel Foods announced today the addition of single-serve lunchmeat options for its Natural Choice brand. Packaged with 2 ounces – or five slices more...
Dunkin’ to sell Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwich
Dunkin’ today announced the introduction of a Beyond Sausage breakfast option at its participating restaurants in Manhattan, with plans for a full more...
Ground beef processor launches brand, individually wrapped burger
Ground beef processor Jensen Meat introduced the company's first single-serving hamburger patty, as part of its new Jensen Solos brand. According to the more...
Hormel launches edgy ad campaign
Hormel Foods has launched a new ad campaign for its Compleats microwave meals. The “Fast as BE:EP” video spot showcases the convenience of more...
Tofurkey, ACLU team up to challenge new Ark. labeling rule
Tofurkey Co. and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are challenging the constitutionality of an Arkansas law preventing companies that produce more...
Cold Storage report shows less beef and chicken, more pork
USDA’s cold storage report showed June 30, 2019 frozen pork supplies down 1% from the previous month but up 11% from last year. Stocks of pork bellies more...
Wayne Farms boosts production of GAP chicken
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Wayne Farms is set to add a second work shift this week at its Enterprise, Ala., plant, where the company will transition to more...
Spill prompts negligence claims against Tyson
A spill from a Tyson Foods rendering facility and subsequent fish kill has prompted a negligence lawsuit against the company, filed by the Sipsey (Ala more...
USDA reports show cattle expansion has ceased: analysts
USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report and its mid-year Cattle report released on Friday appear to indicate that U.S. cattle herd has stopped expanding more...
Stop petting the chicks; CDC updates backyard poultry illnesses, deaths
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on July 19 updated its count of salmonella illnesses related to contact with backyard poultry. Since the last update more...
Two deaths at poultry plants this week
Two poultry companies have recorded on-the-job fatalities this week as the result of accidents, according to local media reports. In St. Pauls, N.C., more...
Meat industry suffering from lack of workers: NTF
The meat and poultry industries have the opportunity to grow and provide more quality jobs, especially if export markets improve, but the sector is suffering more...
Report recommends U.S. consumers cut beef consumption by 40%
An extensive new report recommends that U.S. consumers reduce their average consumption of beef by about 40%, among other recommendations meant to illustrate more...
News Briefs: JBS, Fresh n' Lean, BJ's, Ahold Delhaize
JBS USA gets jobs training package in Iowa The Iowa Valley Community College District (IVCCD) Board of Directors approved a $430,000 Industrial New Jobs more...
Perdue plant resumes operations after fire
Perdue Farms resumed operations today at its Accomac, Va., chicken processing plant after a fire Wednesday forced the company to evacuate the facility more...
Nolan Ryan pitches reformulated hot dogs
Nolan Ryan Beef has launched the brand’s first uncured beef frank, using a reformulated recipe that soon will be applied to the company’s more...
FDA final rule updates animal drug residue tolerances
FDA has issued a final rule that revises regulations on tolerances for residues of approved new animal drugs in food. The rule, which takes effect Sept more...
Meat substitute makers shift focus to tenders, nuggets
Conagra Brands Inc. announced its Gardein brand is introducing wings, tenders and nuggets made from a proprietary blend of pea and wheat protein as part more...
Cross-border bison meat recall due to E. coli contamination
Quebec-based Northfork Bison Distributions has voluntarily recalled an undisclosed amount of bison burgers and ground bison products from the marketplace more...
Tyson targeted for alleged misleading marketing claims (updated)
Two non-profit advocacy groups are accusing Tyson Foods Inc. of using deceptive marketing and advertising to promote its chicken products. Food & more...
Tight supplies of Choice beef widen spread vs. Select
The price difference between Choice and Select beef is unusually wide, even for this time of year, noted the analysts of the Daily Livestock Report. At more...
Beef checkoff hosts ‘influencer event’ in NYC (updated)
The "Beef. It's What's For Dinner" brand, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, brought together 14 local and national social media “influencers” more...
Judge consolidates cattle anti-trust lawsuits
Three lawsuits filed against major beef packers have been consolidated into one, entitled “In re Cattle Antitrust Litigation” or “Cattle more...
Legislators, pork producers urge more border protection to prevent ASF
U.S. Reps. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) and Rep. James Baird (R-Ind.) urged U.S. Customs and Border Protection to prioritize agricultural inspections to prevent more...
Meat Institute serving hot dogs on the Hill where there is a lot to talk about
The North American Meat Institute on Wednesday hosts its Annual Hot Dog Lunch on Capitol Hill this week at a time when there are plenty of issues the more...
Hard Rock Café menu changes lead with steak burger
Restaurant chain Hard Rock Cafe has launched an extensive menu innovation in locations around the world, with the headliner being the world's first 24-Karat more...
Beef and chicken products recalled
Fieldsource Food Systems, Inc., a Brea, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 12,953 pounds of diced beef and chicken products due to misbranding more...
China reports surprisingly slim first-half pork production drop from ASF
China reported a 5.5% decline in pork production in the first half of the year in the wake of the continuing African Swine Fever (ASF), although other more...
Cattle and beef markets looking for summer direction: Peel
(This article was first published in the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma more...
Electrostatic spray more cost-effective for large poultry processors: study
University of West Virginia scientists report that the economic benefits of electrostatic spraying in chicken wing processing become more evident as the more...
Major Perkins franchisee files for bankruptcy protection
The operator of 27 Perkins Restaurant & Bakery locations in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio has filed for bankruptcy protection after losing the right more...
Conagra revamps product lines
Conagra Brands Inc. announced dozens of new product launches across its four grocery sectors, including several that involve meats. Among the new products more...
Native American tribes aim to open bison processing plant
The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes in Oklahoma reportedly are working together to launch a private-label bison product plant, according to a report in High more...
News Briefs: Perdue Foods, Jennie-O, Applegate, Tyson
Perdue chicken strips named top supermarket product Perdue Foods announced that its Simply Smart Organics Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Strips more...
Cargill results show protein a bright spot in ‘challenging’ environment
Animal Nutrition and Protein was the biggest contributor to Cargill's earnings in the fourth fiscal quarter, as domestic and export demand for beef remained more...
Corn stocks ‘well above consensus’ in latest WASDE report
The 2019-20 U.S. corn outlook is for larger production and beginning stocks, greater feed and residual use, and increased ending stocks, USDA said in more...
China tells 30 countries to comply with its import rules
Chinese officials hosted representatives from some 30 exporting countries on Monday, telling them to make sure they get their business in order before more...
Perdue progresses on chicken welfare path
Perdue officials said today the company is adding new initiatives in its animal care efforts in 2019 to enhance chicken health and comfort throughout more...
USDA a step closer to unveiling GIPSA revisions
A renewed effort to update the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule is expected to be ready for public comment sometime more...
Food processing experts take roles in CBD production company
NectarTek, which processes hemp to produce CBD isolate, has named food safety expert Jim Marsden to an executive position and four food industry executives more...
Popeyes supplier recalls pork and beef gravy
Fairmont Foods Inc. of Fairmont, Minn., is recalling about 35,145 pounds of ready-to-eat pork and beef gravy products that may be contaminated with extraneous more...
Giving Back: Pilgrim’s Pride, House of Raeford, Kretschmar, S.D. Cattlemen, Simmons Foods
Pilgrim’s Pride school donation The Pilgrim’s Broadway Complex in Virginia donated $25,000 to local elementary school Plains Elementary to more...
Canadian poultry coops merge, create C$1B company
Lévis, Quebec-based Exceldor has merged with Granny’s Poultry, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, creating a poultry cooperative with annual sales more...
Olymel parent picks up pork processor
La Coop fédérée, parent company of Quebec-based Olymel, is acquiring the pork processing assets of F. Ménard, the companies more...
Brazil's JBS could soon resume acquisitions - analysts
Brazil's JBS S.A. could soon embark into another round of acquisitions, according to analysts of Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual in a report released more...
Seattle-based restaurant chain files for Chapter 11 protection
New state-mandated minimum-wage laws played a role in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing this week covering Restaurants Unlimited Inc., which operates 35 more...
ASF damage could last 10 years even as disease spread slows: reports
A Cargill Inc. executive is predicting that the fallout from African Swine Fever (ASF) in China could stretch into the next decade even as Chinese officials more...
Bioactive starch packaging shows promise against listeria in RTE ham
In a new study , researchers suggest the use of antimicrobial starch packaging films is effective to control competitive microbiota and Listeria more...
Cauliflower-coated chicken nuggets to hit market
Caulipower, a maker of cauliflower crust pizza, announced it will launch cauliflower-coated frozen chicken tenders in September in Original and Spicy(ish) more...
Take Meatingplace's 10-second quiz
Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether it is true or false. Loading... We will publish the answer and results in the Food Focus more...
Calif. poultry industry optimistic as Newcastle Disease ebbs
The year-long outbreak of virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) that resulted in the deaths of more than 1.2 million birds in California since May 2018 may more...
New beef ads zoom in on the sizzle
A new digital ad campaign from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, adds some extra sizzle to the more...
Sensors could replace use-by dates, cut food waste
Researchers at Imperial College London in the U.K. have developed new sensors could help detect spoilage and reduce food waste for supermarkets and consumers more...
Ample protein, no grain in new Healthy Choice bowls
Conagra Brands’ Healthy Choice Power Bowls line has left all the grain out of its latest frozen meals for people pursuing a low-carb lifestyle. more...
Manitoba braces for rising PEDv toll
Canada’s Manitoba province is experiencing an uptick in cases of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) that is tracking with outbreak levels in more...
ASF hits N. Korea production; Philippines curbs more imports
North Korea is bracing for a major drop in pork production in the wake of an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak spreading across Asia, while officials more...
New leaders named at Stop & Shop, Giant Food
Ahold Delhaize announced executive changes at its Stop & Shop and Giant Food supermarket subsidiaries. Gordon Reid, currently president of Giant Food more...
You better believe it’s not ‘butter’
In a new front in the battle over how to label plant-based substitutes there is the age-old example of “butter” being sold in the state of more...
Simmons Foods chicken plant set for October opening
Simmons Foods’ $300 million chicken processing facility under construction in Benton County, Ark., is on track to open in October, according to more...
Plant-based food group sues Mississippi over labeling
The Plant Based Foods Association and vegan food maker Upton’s Naturals filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new labeling law in Mississippi that more...
Pilgrim’s growing Just Bare brand gets its own website
Pilgrim's Pride said it has launched a website dedicated to its Just Bare chicken brand that showcases the full product line, defines industry terms often more...
Top trick for grilling frozen hamburger patties
If you're planning a hamburger cookout for family and friends on the Fourth of July but forgot to thaw the frozen meat patties, never fear, says one USDA more...
Shenandoah Valley names c-suite execs
Shenandoah Valley Organic (SVO) has made two new changes to its executive leadership team, naming Jefferson Heatwole as chief sales officer and Dorothy more...
'Tis the season? Consumers preferences for beef vary during the year
U.S. consumers' preferences for beef products vary by season and their willingness to pay more is also season-dependent, according to a new study designed more...
Marijuana legalization makes labor law hazy
Although federal law currently deems marijuana use illegal, increasing state-by-state protections and judicial interpretations are quickly making it trickier more...
News Briefs: U.S. pork exports, Hain Celestial, Crowd Cow, Chipotle
U.S. pork exports to Mexico, China plunge in wake of trade tariffs: USMEF The effects of the U.S. trade war with Mexico and China can be measured in the more...
Brazil meat exporters eye big boost from EU-Mercosur trade deal
The Mercosur-European Union free-trade treaty announced on Friday could provide a “significant” boost to meat exports from Brazilian processors more...
Golden State Foods unit opens Salt Lake City facility
Golden State Foods subsidiary Quality Custom Distribution, a leading supplier to the quick-service restaurant and retail industries, has opened a new more...
Famous Dave’s to test plant-based protein products
Barbecue restaurant chain Famous Dave’s announced on Friday a partnership with Beyond Meat to test plant-based protein menu items in mid-August more...
Canadian pizza chain launches pies with fake meat toppings
Canada's Pizza Pizza Ltd. is introducing a pizza at its stores nationwide topped with meat substitutes developed by a Canadian manufacturer of plant-based more...
June 2019
High hopes for trade war truce in meeting
Trade will be at the top of the agenda when U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet Saturday during the G-20 summit in Japan more...
McDonald’s hints it is cooking up something spicy
McDonald’s is preparing to launch a spicy chicken sandwich and spicy tenders in September, Business Insider reported, citing leaked documents it more...
Brakebush looks to hire 300 for renovated plant: report
Brakebush Brothers Inc. expects to employ more than 300 team members at its newly updated plant in Mocksville, N.C., according to a report in the Davie more...
Animal rights group takes legal tactic to Arkansas
The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), in concert with three other organizations, has filed a lawsuit in Arkansas challenging that state’s law protecting more...
Judge allows DOJ to intervene in chicken price-fixing case
A federal judge ruled today that the U.S. Department of Justice can intervene in a lawsuit accusing the nation’s largest chicken companies of conspiring more...
Workers hospitalized after acid spill at Wayne Farms plant (UPDATE)
An acid spill Wednesday at a Wayne Farms chicken plant in Dothan, Ala., sent two people to the hospital, according to a report by the Dothan Eagle more...
USDA rejects activist group’s petition to deem feces an adulterant
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has rejected an activist group’s petition asking the agency to declare fecal contamination more...
Foster Farms launches ‘free range’ digital ad campaign
Foster Farms launched a digital ad campaign with the theme of "Feels Good to Be Free Range," the company said in a release. The ads celebrate the freestyle more...
House passes ag funding bill that would slow pork inspection changes
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a $383 billion spending package that included USDA funding for 2020 and that would slow implementation more...
Tyson identifies summer food trends
Tyson Foods has issued it Summer Trends report that outlines the following food trends that the company has observed: Alternative protein The report more...
ASF toll in Vietnam reaches 2.8 million hogs: report
The spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Vietnam has affected an industrial farm and prompted the culling of nearly 10% of the nation’s hogs since more...
Domestic beef demand lifts imports as exports lag: USDA
Stronger recent domestic demand for beef has prompted an increase in imports from major suppliers, a trend that is expected to continue for the rest of more...
DOJ seeks to intervene in chicken price fixing litigation (UPDATE)
The Department of Justice on Friday filed a motion to intervene in the mounting litigation accusing the nation’s largest chicken companies of fixing more...
OIG probes USDA on modernized swine inspection
The Office of the Inspector General is investigating whether USDA hid information and used flawed worker safety data to support the development of its more...
Tyson, Hillshire launch new seasoned meat products
The Tyson and Hillshire Farm brands, in partnership with the chili lime seasoning brand Tajín, announced the launch of five new products featuring more...
Chinese consumers cutting back on pork: Rabobank
China’s domestic pork consumption is down between 10% and 15% so far this year as African swine fever (ASF) shrinks the nation’s hog supply more...
Del Frisco sold to private equity firm for $650 million
Irving, Texas-based Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group has agreed to sell the company to the private equity firm L Catterton in an all cash transaction more...
Cattle on Feed report shows highest inventory since at least 1996
USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed reports showed cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity more...
Niman Ranch puts beer in brats, BBQ
Niman Ranch has teamed up with New Belgium Brewing to offer its brand of “sustainably raised” meat with a craft beer taste, the companies more...
Agro-defense duties moved to USDA
The USDA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have a formal agreement on how they will transfer ownership and operational responsibility for more...
Chemical spill at Koch Foods plant sends 1 to hospital
Police and fire officials are investigating a chemical spill Friday at a Koch Foods chicken processing plant in Fairfield, Ohio, according to a local more...
CDC says 10-state E. coli outbreak ‘appears to be over’
An outbreak of E. coli O103 related to contaminated ground beef that sickened at least 209 people in 10 states “appears to be over,” the Centers more...
FAT Brands adds better burger chain to its lineup
FAT Brands Inc. announced it has completed the purchase of Elevation Burger, a 44-restaurant chain specializing in certified organic grass-fed more...
News Briefs: Golden State, Crowd Cow, Prime Source, beefshi, Beyond Meat, Boston Market, Perdue Farms
GSF opens Chicago innovation center Foodservice distributor Golden State Foods (GSF) has opened its 10th innovation center and related offices in more...
Pittsburgh processor to close, 400 jobs lost
Riverbend Foods LLC, based in Pittsburgh, will close its doors July 31, eliminating 396 jobs in the process, according to a notification the company filed more...
China-Canada pork spat escalates as third plant blocked
China said it will block pork imports from a third Canadian company after customs inspectors found feed ractopamine in a shipment, according to a report more...
USTR hopes for Japan deal within ‘weeks’
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told the House Ways and Mean Committee in a hearing that he hopes the U.S. and Japan are close to a deal on more...
China lifts decades-old ban on U.K. beef
China has agreed to lift restrictions on British beef that have been in place since 1996 when the United Kingdom suffered an outbreak of bovine spongiform more...
U.S. officials play down expectations on China trade solution
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he and Chinese President Xi Jinping “will be having an extended meeting next week at the G-20 in Japan,” more...
Cargill to pay small penalty after probe finds faulty scale
USDA announced its Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) reached a consent decision with Cargill Meat Solutions after an investigation found the company more...
Injured Tyson workers reportedly still in the hospital
The five Tyson Foods employees injured in a chemical spill in Springdale, Ark., remain in a local hospital, with one in critical condition, according more...
Coleman Natural enters the deli category
Coleman Natural Foods said it is entering the deli meat category with a line of Italian-style sliced salumi in three varieties: Hot Sopressata, Genoa more...
Five taken to hospital after spill at Tyson plant
Five Tyson Foods employees at its Springdale, Ark., poultry plant were taken to hospital after cleaning materials spilled this morning outside the plant more...
Meat stocks slide on feed cost fears
Share prices of meat and poultry processors declined on Monday as Wall Street analysts lowered expectations on concerns about the cost of feed as wet more...
Women’s Forum of New York to honor Sanderson Farms
The Women’s Forum of New York will recognize Sanderson Farms at its Breakfast of Corporate Champions on Nov. 7, 2019, for achieving at least 30% more...
New study looks into peracetic acid exposure in plants
In findings from newly published research from Georgia Tech Applied Research Corp., scientists report that there is considerable variation and lack of more...
EU agrees to import more U.S. beef
The European Union has agreed to give the United States a larger share of the body’s quota for hormone-free beef, the European Commission announced more...
Miss. Supreme Court rules in Mar-Jac’s favor
The Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Mar-Jac Poultry in a lawsuit against the company charging negligence and wrongful death regarding more...
Chance to have your say on Dietary Guidelines coming up (updated)
USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) invite the public to register to attend the second meeting of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines more...
New Whataburger owners see expansion and controversy
A Chicago-based investment bank that acquired a majority stake in the Whataburger chain is targeting long-term growth, even as some of the family-owned more...
Salmonella linked to backyard poultry sickens hundreds more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said an additional 227 people have become ill from Salmonella since May due to contact with poultry in more...
Pork, pizza recall expanded
Table 87 Frozen LLC, in Brooklyn, N.Y., is recalling an undetermined amount of frozen pizza products containing pork and beef that were produced without more...
Illegal Burger CEO sees ‘breakthrough’ in 2019
West Coast Venture Group Corp., which operates the Illegal Burger fast-casual chain, sees 2019 as a potential “breakthrough” year, according more...
FAS names advisory committees
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service named the members of its advisory committees, including several representatives of the meat industry on the more...
ERS, NIFA will relocate to Kansas City area: USDA
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced USDA will relocate the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture more...
Analysts weigh in on Tyson plant protein move
Equity analysts have applauded Tyson Foods’ announcement this morning of its new plant-based and –blended brand, Raised & Rooted, even more...
South Dakota bill aims to provide local beef to schools
U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) has introduced a bill that would prioritize local livestock and meat procurement for school lunch programs in South Dakota more...
Asian dining operator doubles locations with acquisition
PWD Acquisition announced it bought Pei Wei Asian Diner from private investment firm Centerbridge Partners for an undisclosed sum. Dallas-based PWD Acquisition more...
Hormel to join the alt-protein fray with pizza topping
Hormel Foods Corp. is developing its own entrant in the alternative protein arena: a plant-based pizza topping targeting a growing number of consumers more...
Perdue Foods launches chicken-veggie nuggets, patties
Perdue Foods announced the launch of Chicken Plus frozen nuggets, tenders and patties blended with vegetables and aimed at the flexitarian market. The more...
Amazon to cease restaurant delivery operations: reports
Amazon is shutting down its restaurant delivery service in the United States and will cease operations on June 24, according to CNN and other news outlets more...
News Briefs: Perdue Farms, Sanderson Farms, Tim Hortons, American Angus, Country Archer
Perdue Farms makes Forbes list, joins United Way leadership Forbes has named Perdue Farms one of America’s Best Employers By State in North Carolina more...
USMCA, China, Japan remain ag trade focus for Trump administration
Resolution of a myriad of trade issues that have negatively impacted U.S. agriculture are high on the list of the Trump administration, according to two more...
USDA to livestock producers: feed costs are going up
USDA raised it season average corn price forecast by 50 cents per bushel to $3.80 as late planting reduces corn crop prospects. The agency raised average more...
Tyson spill causes Ala. fish kill (updated)
A release of partially treated effluent into a creek in northern Alabama has caused a large fish kill, and neighbors are being told to steer clear of more...
FSIS makes final response to petition on beef heart meat use
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has made a final ruling on a 2017 petition to amend it regulations that limit use of beef heart meat in more...
Grocer recalls Ribeye, ground beef in 3 states due to E. coli risk [Updated]
Grocery retailer Kroger posted a recall notice June 7 on its website involving beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli. The recall includes more...
Canned meat brand commits to BPA-free cans
Keystone Meats, an Ohio-based fourth-generation family brand of canned meat and meal solutions, announced it has transitioned away from BPA packaging more...
Walmart takes grocery delivery convenience to a new level
Walmart is preparing to launch a new grocery delivery service that literally will bring grocery products directly from the store to the refrigerators more...
Uncertainty is impacting cattle prices: Peel
(This article first appeared in the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State more...
Sanderson: Labor, tariffs rein in expansion plans
Sanderson Farms has marked several years of steady expansion across the Southeast, but the company plans to sit on its current capacity for now, CEO Joe more...
Hog farm plans draw neighbors' ire
A large hog farm proposed for Marshall County, Ill., has attracted opposition from neighbors who expressed their concerns at a four-hour informational more...
USPOULTRY names new head of research
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) has appointed Dr. Denise Heard as director of research, effective Oct. 1. She succeeds Dr. John Glisson more...
Research roundup: Cold plasma, pulsed electric fields
Cold plasma treatment good for surface decontamination A multinational research team has found that atmospheric cold plasma may be useful for surface more...
Outlook for restaurants turns gloomy
The health and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry took a sharp downward turn in April, according to the most recent Restaurant Performance Index more...
Not just about the chickens: Activists target Tyson, again
The activist group Mercy for Animals is taking on Tyson Foods Inc. again, but this time the focus is on the company’s contract growers, not specifically more...
Probiotic extends shelf life, inhibits bacteria in ground beef: study
A probiotic strain is effective as a biopreservative agent for extending the safety and quality of refrigerated raw ground beef, according to a new study more...
Pork Quality Assurance Plus revisions take effect
Revisions to the Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus) program took effect this week. The updated program reflects pork producers’ commitment to more...
ASF confirmed in large domestic pig herd in Poland
Biosecurity measures are now in place after the confirmation of African swine fever (ASF) in an 8,000-hog herd on a farm in Poland, according to the latest more...
Fair Oaks Farms founder responds to undercover dairy calf video
The activist group Animal Recovery Mission released a 12-minute video on Tuesday shot undercover at Fair Oaks Farms showing workers at the large dairy more...
Tyson Foods, Auburn team on solar poultry house project
Tyson Foods Inc. and Auburn University have opened what they describe as the largest stand-alone solar powered poultry house. The 54-by-500-foot poultry more...
Analysts boost Sanderson forecasts but wary of risks
Analysts dissecting Sanderson Farms’ second-quarter results came away more bullish on the company’s earnings prospects despite the difficult-to-predict more...
Brazil suspends beef exports to China due to a case of BSE
Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply announced the temporary suspension of beef exports to China on Monday due to an atypical more...
JBT Corporation acquires Prime Equipment Group
Chicago-based JBT Corporation announced it has purchased Prime Equipment Group Inc., for $65 million. Prime Equipment is a manufacturer of turnkey primary more...
EPA exempts air emission reporting on animal waste
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a final rule amending the emergency release notification regulations under the Emergency more...
Meat company reportedly starts buying corn elsewhere as rain boosts U.S. prices
At least one large meat company is already sourcing feed grains outside the United States as rains across the U.S. Midwest are negatively impacting U more...
U.S., Mexican ag leaders talk Trump’s new tariff threat
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has begun talks with his Mexican counterpart on how a new 5% tariff that President Donald Trump has threatened to apply more...
EPA approves 15% ethanol year round; NCC responds
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized action to remove the key regulatory barrier to using gasoline blended with up to 15% ethanol (E15) during more...
Cornell's Wiedmann says data will drive food safety advances
Martin Wiedmann accepts that in food industry circles his name is pretty much synonymous with Listeria monocytogenes. "Yeah, I'm the listeria guy more...
Canadian government invests C$1.1M in beef, pork industries
The Canadian government today announced an investment of up to C$1,072,335 to boost that nation’s global exports of beef and pork products. The more...
May 2019
Trump threatens more tariffs on Mexico; meat exporters feel the heat
President Donald Trump's newest trade salvo has meat exporters back on high alert. Trump on Thursday night announced plans to impose a 5% tariff on imports more...
Weather closes Butterball plant for a week
Butterball’s production facility in Ozark, Ark. has been closed for the past week, and remains closed today due to flooded roads surrounding the more...
WOTUS violates federal law, court rules
A federal judge in Texas has ruled that the “Waters of the U.S.” rule, or WOTUS, that sought to expand the Environmental Protection Agency’s more...
Paper stickers better than swabs for pathogen monitoring: research
Using paper stickers to collect pathogens on surfaces in food processing plants is just as sensitive, easier to use and less expensive than swabbing, more...
Sanderson sees good chicken demand; watching volatile grain, ASF
Solid demand from consumers at the grocery store and more chicken features on foodservice menus supported Sanderson Farms’ second-quarter financial more...
McDonald’s feels the pinch of pig disease
McDonald’s is feeling the effects of African Swine Fever’s pinch on global pork supplies, the company’s chief executive, Steve Easterbrook more...
Tyson Foods names new CMO
Tyson Foods Inc. has appointed food marketing veteran Noelle O’Mara to the newly created role of chief marketing officer, the company said in a more...
USDA selects its National Pork Board appointments
The USDA has appointed five people to the National Pork Board for three-year terms: Russell A. Nugent III of Lowell, Ark.Gene Noem of Ames, IowaBill Luckey more...
JBS USA to invest $95 million in beef facility
JBS USA announced a $95 million expansion project at its Grand Island, Neb., beef production facility. The project includes new, improved animal handling more...
Sanderson Farms to raise hourly wages next week
Sanderson Farms Inc. plans to increase pay rates for its hourly employees as part of a program to recruit and retain workers in what the poultry processor more...
China braces for possible 70% jump in pork prices from ASF
Chinese government officials believe the ongoing African swine fever (ASF) crisis in China and other parts of Asia could send pork prices as much as 70% more...
Beyond Meat to manufacture in Europe via partnership
Beyond Meat, whose initial public stock offering earlier this month attracted strong investor demand, announced a manufacturing partnership that will more...
Canada updates ongoing salmonella outbreaks linked to chicken
The Public Health Agency of Canada has issued an update on eight months of sporadic outbreaks of salmonella infections linked to raw chicken, including more...
New Poultry Inspection System conversions now posted
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service “frequently receives” Freedom of Information Act requests from the press and others, such more...
Vietnam updates African Swine Fever; it’s not good
Vietnam’s Agriculture Ministry announced on Monday the nation has so far lost 1.7 million hogs to African Swine fever (ASF), culling 500,000 pigs more...
Probe into Neb. hog confinement fire cause continues
The cause of a fire this week at The Maschoffs hog confinement unit near Cedar Rapids, Neb., is the focus of a full investigation, although officials more...
New York school districts buy into antibiotics reduction program
Four upstate New York school districts have awarded contracts to Slate Foods as part of a new program to procure beef from cattle raised on farms that more...
Heating can replace disinfection chemicals in poultry houses: study
University of Delaware researchers have found that using heat to decontaminate poultry houses in place of chemicals can be effective but has practical more...
AI-powered retail system marks down chicken prices
Dutch retailer Albert Heijn is testing a system driven by artificial intelligence that automatically discounts packages of fish and chicken based on remaining more...
News briefs: Seara, Canada, Arby's, Diestel
Seara’s new products include alt-meat burger A raft of new products rolled out by JBS unit Seara Alimentos at a recent supermarket trade show in more...
JBS sued over wastewater discharge
JBS USA’s operations in Greeley, Colo., are illegally discharging pollutants into the South Platte River, the Center for Biological Diversity and more...
Analyst sees rough seas for Hormel
There’s “turbulence ahead” for Hormel Foods, warned Ken Zaslow, equity analyst for BMO Capital Markets, in a note to investors. He lowered more...
USDA predicts more beef
U.S. beef production is expected to increase next year by almost 1 percent, according to USDA’s latest Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook report more...
News Briefs: Nathan’s Famous, Mighty Spark, Jack Link’s, Maple Leaf, Delmarva
Nathan’s Famous names restaurant chief Nathan’s Famous hired James Walker as senior vice president in charge of its restaurant division. Walker more...
Hormel cuts sales and profit outlook, braces for ASF impact
Hormel Foods on Thursday reduced its full-year forecast for sales and earnings, citing the effects of African swine fever (ASF) on pork markets. Hormel more...
Perdue Premium Meat buys Panorama
Perdue Premium Meat Co., a unit of Perdue Farms, has bought Panorama Meat, a producer of 100% grass-fed and -finished, certified organic beef, the companies more...
USDA sets up $16 billion tariff relief package for farmers (Updated)
USDA officials announced today the agency will provide up to $16 billion to aid farmers impacted by retaliatory tariffs from China and from other countries more...
Tyson says it has no ‘formalized’ plan for beef plant in Kazakhstan
Tyson Foods said it has no formalized plans to build a beef plant in Kazakhstan, contrary to media reports. The company responded to a Financial Times more...
R-CALF suit challenges Beef Checkoff across 15 states
Attorneys representing the cattle association Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) filed documents in a federal more...
Utah County approves tax incentives for planned Tyson plant
The Utah County Commission unanimously approved a $12.3 million tax incentive package covering Tyson Foods Inc.’s planned beef and pork production more...
Smithfield adds interactivity to its latest sustainability report
Smithfield Foods Inc.’s 2018 Sustainability Report uses an interactive tool that “brings to life each stage of its supply chain — from more...
News Briefs: Awards and honors
UGA professor named inventor of the year Holly Sellers, a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, has been named University of Georgia's (UGA) more...
USDA updates fatal poultry virus cases in three states
Despite additional resources, biosecurity measures and educational efforts, the spread of virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) continued in at least three more...
Grain farmers’ pain may be cattlemen’s gain
The cold, wet, late spring has corn and soybean farmers in a near panic as soggy fields have delayed planting to the point at which yields will likely more...
USDA’s Brashears tapped as keynote for AMSA meeting
Mindy M. Brashears, USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, will be the featured keynote speaker at the American Meat Science Association’s more...
Food and ag thought leader joins Meatingplace faculty
Charlie Arnot, a thought leader in food and agriculture, has joined the Meatingplace blog faculty with his blog, “Chew on This.” Arnot has more...
Pilgrim’s to pay $50,000 for alleged disability discrimination
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. will pay $50,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) more...
California sets new rules to stem Newcastle Disease tide
California officials have issued new guidelines to address the spread of virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) among domestic and commercial poultry flocks more...
Impossible Foods providing meatless sausage to pizza chain
Impossible Foods Inc. will test a plant-based sausage crumble that will debut on pizzas made by the Little Caesars pizza chain, according to several media more...
Meat Institute announces reorganization, new staff
The North American Meat Institute has hired Sarah Little as vice president of communications. Little will be responsible for strategic issues management more...
U.S. beef gains full access to Japan (UPDATE)
Japan has lifted longstanding restrictions on U.S. beef exports, paving the way for expanded sales to the industry’s top global beef market, Agriculture more...
Processor faces penalty for improper ammonia safety plan
A federal court has ordered Kayem Foods Inc. to pay a civil penalty of $138,281 to settle allegations it violated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more...
China cancels 3,200-metric ton U.S. pork shipment
China made its largest U.S. pork order cancellation in more than a year as a trade war between the two countries — and China’s need for pork more...
Science is sport in intercollegiate meat judging
“It’s college football in a cooler, a world built around high school recruiting, top-notch facilities, competition for scholarships, rivalries more...
Trump mulls $20 billion aid package for tariff-bit farmers
President Trump is working on an aid package that would make as much as $20 billion available for U.S. farmers affected by the latest retaliatory tariffs more...
USDA steps up ASF fight with surveillance plan, sample testing
USDA announced Thursday it is boosting its African swine fever preparedness efforts with the implementation of a surveillance plan that will include adding more...
Utah site revealed for new Tyson Fresh Meats plant
Eagle Mountain City, Utah, announced Thursday that Tyson Fresh Meats will build its $300 million production plant in the city, located between Salt Lake more...
USDA officials size up ASF impact, China trade talks
The problems China is having with African swine fever could have major effects far beyond China, Gregg Doud, chief agricultural negotiator in the Office more...
China adds new slaughterhouse rules, capping pork price run-up
The Chinese government is imposing new rules designed to boost testing for African swine fever (ASF), a move that could temporarily cap pork prices that more...
McDonald’s shifts breakfast menu control to franchisees
McDonald’s Corp. is giving its franchisees the option to remove some items from the all-day breakfast menu, more than three years after launching more...
Tyson, Walmart, Plug and Play partner on supply chain accelerator
Plug and Play announced plans for a new supply chain and logistics accelerator in Northwest Arkansas that will include Tyson Foods and Walmart as founding more...
Tim Hortons tests three plant-based sausage sandwiches
Canada’s Tim Hortons chain announced it will test three breakfast sandwiches on is all-day menu that will feature a plant-based sausage patty alternative more...
JBS doubles profits in Q1 2019 despite declines in U.S.
Brazil's JBS S.A. posted a net profit of BRL1.09 billion ($273 million) in the first quarter of 2019, more than double the earnings of the same time last more...
E. coli O103 outbreak tied to ground beef keeps expanding
The large outbreak of E. coli O103, traced to ground beef, has been expanded to include 196 illnesses confirmed by the PulseNet laboratory network across more...
Chicken products recalled
Taylor Farms Texas Inc., a Dallas, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 1,079 pounds of Caesar salad with chicken products due to misbranding more...
Cargill invests in Israeli cell-cultured meat company
A cell-cultured meat company based in Israel has secured US$12 million in investment from a number of sources, including Cargill Protein, according to more...
Trump plans farmer aid as China retaliates on U.S. tariffs
President Donald Trump is working to set up another federal aid package to relieve farmers as China has imposed $60 billion in tariffs on U.S. products more...
UN group raises ASF concerns as potential for vaccine emerges
A United Nations division is predicting that African Swine Fever (ASF) will reduce China’s pork product output by at least 10% this year, even as more...
Meal kit maker debuts craft burgers
Meal kit maker HelloFresh announced the launch of two new premium menu offerings: Craft Burgers and Taste Tours. Each week, the HelloFresh menu will rotate more...
Impossible Foods raises $300M, expands output, appoints execs
Privately held plant-based protein maker Impossible Foods announced Monday it has raised $300 million in the latest round of funding and that it has hired more...
Trump says tariff proceeds will pay for U.S. farm goods
President Trump said the increase in tariffs on Chinese goods that took effect today will generate more than $100 billion that will be used to buy products more...
Tyson to build $300 million case-ready plant in Utah
Tyson Fresh Meats is investing nearly $300 million to build a case-ready production plant in Utah that the company hopes to open as soon as 2021, the more...
HSUS takes label argument to SEC
The Humane Society of the United States has taken its complaint with the way Pilgrim’s Pride labels its chicken to the Securities & Exchange more...
USDA economists vote to unionize in face of office move
Faced with a planned relocation of their Washington office outside of the D.C. area, economists and other employees at USDA’s Economic Research more...
Hain Celestial sells rest of Pure Protein
The Hain Celestial Group Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to sell all of its equity interest in Hain Pure Protein Corp. to Aterian Investment more...
Maple Leaf Foods workers vote for strike action
Union workers at a Maple Leaf Foods chicken plant in Toronto voted 98% in favor of taking strike action as leverage in contract negotiations, the United more...
Pork prices surge in China, lifting inflation index
China’s official consumer price index climbed to a six-month high in April as the cost of pork jumped amid the widespread outbreak of African swine more...
Rapid salmonella sensor offers lab-on-a-chip potential
Researchers suggest that a newly developed biosensor that is able to detect salmonella as low as 33 cfu/mL within two hours could be further more...
DOJ seeks information in chicken price-fixing saga: Tyson (Updated)
Tyson Foods said the Department of Justice has issued a grand jury subpoena to plaintiffs in the class action price-fixing lawsuit against the chicken more...
McDonald’s tries out vegan burger in Germany
McDonald’s has rolled out a vegan burger, the Big Vegan TS, in Germany, one of its five leading international markets. Nestle is making the meatless more...
Tyson strengthens metal detection after chicken recall
Tyson Foods Inc. is changing the system it uses to inspect products for potential metal contamination at the plant where nearly 12 million pounds of recalled more...
Wendy’s promotes execs, says strong sales boost Q1
Wendy’s has promoted two executives whose mission will be to improve efficiencies and accelerate domestic and international growth, as the more...
Chicken meatballs recalled
Santa Fe Importers, a Long Beach, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,589 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken meatball products due to more...
Analysts diverge after Tyson posts higher Q2 earnings, sales
The earnings outlook for Tyson Foods Inc. sparked widely different responses from at least two industry analysts following the protein giant reporting more...
US Foods turns in solid 1Q financials
US Foods Holding Corp. recorded a 6% increase in net income, to $71 million for the period, on net sales that rose 3.6% to $6 billion, the result of largely more...
Kroger and Home Chef pilot three new retail meal solutions
The Kroger Co. and Home Chef announced today a pilot to enhance its existing selection of meal kits including oven-ready meals, heat and eat meals and more...
Tyson posts higher Q2 sales, sets ASF and alt-protein plans (updated)
Tyson Foods reported higher sales in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 – despite a decline in adjusted operating income – and announced more...
Someone’s eating meat: steakhouse chain sales up, expands on East Coast
Steakhouse chain Ruth’s Hospitality Group announced Friday its first quarter sales increased and the company is expanding its territory on the East more...
Lightlife puts veggie burgers in meat aisle at thousands of stores
Greenleaf Foods’ Lightlife Foods unit announced new plant-based products including the Lightlife Burger and Lightlife Ground, will be sold in the more...
USDA names finalist cities for ERS move despite opposition
USDA is moving forward with its plan to move its Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) out of Washington more...
Walmart hires new food safety boss
Walmart has hired Sara Mortimore as its new vice president of global food safety compliance, the company said in an emailed statement. Most recently serving more...
FDA bolsters animal biotech oversight, to NPPC’s dismay
That the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is hiring more scientists to evaluate development of animal biotechnology does not bode well for livestock more...
Sandwich chain switches to no antibiotics ever pork
Jersey Mike’s Subs announced it is switching to no antibiotics ever (NAE) pork products at its more than 1,500 locations across the country. The more...
Chicken, other protein-enriched snacks on trend in 2019
Not only do 52 percent of consumers say they find high-protein snacks appealing, according to market research firm Technomic, but the appeal more...
Maple Leaf Q1 sales climb 12%
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said sales rose 12% in the first quarter, lifted by acquisitions and growth in its core business. Market conditions more...
Beef industry adopts sustainability framework
Industry stakeholders on Wednesday signed on to a plan meant to strengthen the sustainability of U.S. beef through continuous improvement in production more...
Strong Q1 for Chefs’ Warehouse
Chefs’ Warehouse Inc., based in Ridgefield, Conn., reported $357.0 million in revenues for its first quarter of 2019, up 12.1% from the year-earlier more...
Canada now has financial penalties for food safety violations
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) can now issue administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) of up to C$15,000 for violations by food businesses more...
U.S. eyes quick ag trade deal with Japan: Reuters report
The United States may seek a quick trade deal with Japan focused on gaining the same access to agricultural markets as some of the country’s other more...
Impossible Foods struggles to keep up
On the heels of a deal to supply its plant-based burgers to Burger King, Impossible Foods is finding it hard to keep up with demand, the company has acknowledged more...
Beef Checkoff promoting veal with new website
The North American Meat Institute, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, has launched a new consumer and industry-focused Veal Made Easy website that offers more...
Kona Grill files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Fast casual chain Kona Grill International Holdings Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware court, according to court documents more...
April 2019
Four beef packers now also face consumer lawsuit over pricing
The nation’s largest beef processors – targets of a lawsuit alleging antitrust violations in paying U.S. ranchers unlawfully depressed more...
JBT to acquire Proseal
Food processing equipment and technology maker JBT Corporation announced it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Proseal uk Ltd., a provider of tray more...
McDonald’s sees Q1 sales, revenues slip despite same-store gains
McDonald’s Corp. reported a 4% decline in total sales in the first quarter, even though global and U.S. sales for stores open at least one year more...
Beyond Meat boosts IPO parameters; now valued near $1.5 billion
Beyond Meat Inc. has increased the target price and the number of shares in its initial public offering, expected to debut on Wednesday, according to more...
Smithfield’s parent records 1Q profit drop
Chinese pork producer WH Group, which owns Smithfield Foods Inc., reported a 21% drop in net profit for the first quarter of the fiscal year, along with more...
Consumers will buy meat, bakery items soon after recall: survey
Consumers will start buying recalled fresh food items, including meat and bakery, relatively quickly after they return to store shelves, according to more...
JBS's Seara buys pork processor in Brazil, ships chicken to India
Brazil's JBS S.A. said on Friday that its Brazilian unit Seara has signed a deal to acquire a pork processor in the municipality of Seberi, in Rio Grande more...
Perdue awards prize for animal welfare enrichment design
Perdue Farms has awarded a family farm $5,000 as the first winner of its Chicken Welfare Enrichment Design Contest. The contest challenged family farmers more...
Hormel chases the sun at Calif. facility
Hormel Foods Corp. has started construction on a solar energy project at its Swiss American Sausage Co. facility in Lathrop, Calif., the company said more...
Canada funds pork plant upgrade to boost exports to Asia
Canada’s minister of agriculture and agri-food announced an interest-free loan of up to $10 million to Conestoga Meats to help the pork processor more...
Man sentenced for killing co-worker at Ill. meat plant
A man received on Thursday a sentence of more than 2 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing a co-worker at a Hampshire, Ill., meat more...
2,300-unit fast casual chain names new CEO
Panera Bread today named Niren Chaudhary as the company’s president and CEO. He will succeed Blaine Hurst, who is retiring from the position on more...
Another day, another O103 recall
Grant Park Packing, based in Franklin Park, Ill., is recalling about 53,200 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O103 more...
Chipotle receives new subpoena tied to illness outbreak
Chipotle Mexican Grill disclosed that it has received a subpoena seeking information in an ongoing federal investigation into illness incidents involving more...
Poultry processor taps food safety head
Foundation Food Group Inc., a start-up poultry further processing company in Gainesville, Fla., has hired Kirby Childs as its vice president of food safety more...
Canadian meat processor pleads guilty to ‘disgusting’ practices: report
A Nova Scotia meat processor has pleaded guilty in provincial court to seven violations of Canada’s federal meat inspection law stemming from a more...
Olymel to conduct ultimate shift change with Quebec plant opening
Olymel is preparing to open a newly modernized pork processing plant in Yamachiche, Quebec, that ultimately will employ more than 1,000 people, including more...
Tyson sells its stake in Beyond Meat
Tyson Foods’ venture capital arm has exited its investment in Beyond Meat, the maker of plant-based meat alternatives that this week set the terms more...
CDC: Illness cases climb in E. coli outbreak linked to beef
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), several states and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service continue to investigate a multistate more...
Smithfield expands methane-to-natural gas initiative with joint venture
Smithfield Foods Inc. and Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) have formed a joint venture called Monarch Bioenergy to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) more...
Woman killed in meat grinder accident at Pa. plant (UPDATE)
A woman died Monday morning in a meat grinder accident at the Economy Locker Storage Co. Inc. plant in Pennsdale, Pa., according to media reports quoting more...
Iowa sued over its second law aimed at protecting livestock farmers
Iowa’s second version of a law aimed at protecting agricultural facilities from animal activist investigations is — like its predecessor — more...
Coalition urges U.S. trade push on new deal with Japan
A group of 88 U.S. companies and associations are calling on U.S. trade officials to take “swift action” to prevent the U.S. food and agriculture more...
Hormel's Natural Choice kicks off campaign
Hormel Foods' Natural Choice deli meats line has launched a national advertising campaign, dubbed "Good Feeds Us All," intended to "inspire people to more...
Tyson worker plays hunch, wins big lottery bucks on first try
An employee at a Tyson Foods processing plant in Sioux City, Iowa, played the lottery for the first time believing that she would win; and she did. Angelica more...
Thai ag firm acquires Canadian pork giant
Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), Thailand’s largest ag conglomerate, announced on Saturday its C$498 million acquisition of Canadian pork producer more...
Beyond Meat sets big dollar target for IPO
Plant-based meat maker Beyond Meat Inc. today set terms for its initial public offering, expecting to raise as much as $183.8 million. The El Segundo more...
Kraft Heinz names new CEO in wake of writedowns, stock woes
Kraft Heinz Co., appointed Anheuser-Busch InBev executive Miguel Patricio to succeed current CEO Bernardo Hees, effective July 1. Patricio – who more...
Woman arrested for chicken facility arson
Nebraska state fire officials have arrested a woman suspected of setting fire to a poultry barn in Tecumseh earlier this month. Kimberly Bohling, 52, more...
Man dies, another injured in accident at Costco chicken plant
An accident at the construction site of Costco Wholesale Corp.’s chicken plant in Fremont, Neb., killed a man and seriously injured another. Melvin more...
Kona Grill facing possible bankruptcy
Fast-casual chain Kona Grill said in a recent federal securities filing that it may have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to a more...
Study shows potential for Earth-friendly plastic replacement
New research has shown that combining natural rubber with bioplastic in a novel way results in a much stronger replacement for plastic, one that is already more...
From The Analogue Dish: A conversation with Greenleaf's Dan Curtin
Canadian meat giant Maple Leaf Foods threw a spotlight on its plant-based analogue efforts last fall when it folded its two analogue brands — LightLife more...
CDC reports one death in broad Listeria investigation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted a notice of its investigation into a multistate outbreak of Listeria infections linked to deli-sliced more...
Texas county approves incentives for Tyson
Officials in Denton County, Texas, have approved a series of financial incentives for Tyson Foods Inc.’s plan to build a warehouse facility in Denton more...
Activist group sues USDA over fecal matter on chicken (Updated)
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said it filed a lawsuit this week accusing USDA of ignoring concerns over fecal contamination of chicken more...
Tiger Brands to defend class action lawsuit over Listeria outbreak
South Africa’s Tiger Brands said it will fight a class action lawsuit accusing the company of causing the world’s largest-ever listeriosis more...
China may be closer on U.S. pork, poultry trade resolution: report
China is likely to buy more U.S. pork in light of shrinking domestic supply due to the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak and may lift restrictions on more...
Tyson workers ratify contract; could impact others: union
A near majority of the 1,800 workers at a Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Camilla, Ga., has ratified a new contract, an outcome that could affect poultry workers more...
Brashears: USDA waiting for data from cell-based food producers
Companies producing food products derived from animal cell cultures have yet to provide data to USDA for analysis, according to Mindy Brashears, USDA more...
Biltong maker snags new investment to fund growth
Stryve Biltong announced it has raised $16.5 million in Series B funding to promote its high-protein, low-sugar meat snacks. The two-year-old Plano, Texas-based more...
Americold snaps up Cloverleaf for $1.24B
Americold Realty Trust has an entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Chiller Holdco LLC (doing business as Cloverleaf Cold Storage) for $1.24 more...
China to discuss Brazilian meat imports next month: report
Chinese officials are ready to reassess the country's import needs when they meet with Brazilian trade officials next month, according to a report. The more...
Panera introduces three first-time breakfast wraps
Panera Bread Co. is moving into the breakfast arena for the first time through the launch of three breakfast wraps, two of which include meat. The St more...
Cranberry pomace extracts inhibit bad bugs in pork products
Researchers suggest that cranberry pomace ethanol may be a promising natural ingredient for use in meat products to increase their microbiological safety more...
USDA seeks comment on revisions to poultry disease control program
USDA’s Animal ad Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced in the Federal Register that the agency is seeking comments on proposed more...
Perdue Farms eliminates 118 jobs nationwide
Perdue Farms Inc. confirmed that it recently cut 118 jobs from its workforce of 21,000 employees, most of which were described as “overhead positions more...
Hormel Foods signs wind power deal
Hormel Foods has announced a purchase agreement for wind energy that will result in the company becoming nearly 50 percent powered by renewable sources more...
JBS USA opens food innovation center at CSU
A two-year construction project to create a meat processing innovation facility at Colorado State University (CSU) has officially opened thanks in part more...
Tyson Ventures invests in food safety tech company
Tyson Foods’ venture capital arm has invested an undisclosed sum for a stake in Clear Labs, a food safety technology company that automates parts more...
NAMI adopts new vision, mission, values
The North American Meat Institute’s board of directors adopted new vision, mission and values statements during its Meat Industry Summit in Carlsbad more...
Smart sensor IDs meat spoilage fast, say scientists
Scientists in the U.K. and China have developed a nondestructive nanosensor for use in smart food packaging that offers real-time meat spoilage monitoring more...
Giving Back: This Old Farm, Tyson, Triumph, Smithfield, Great American Turkey Co.
This Old Farm raises funds in Indiana This Old Farm Inc. in Colfax, Ind., will host a fundraiser for Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry! on May 18. “By more...
Hormel prevails in ‘natural’ lawsuit
Hormel Foods won a summary judgment in a case over the use of the term “natural” on labels brought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) more...
Pathogen control, consumer education among Brashears’ priorities
CARLSBAD, Calif. — New USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety Mindy Brashears addressed attendees here today at the North American Meat Institute’s more...
China buys a lot more U.S. pork; weekly export sales hit record: DLR
USDA reported net pork export sales to China of 77,732 metric tons in the latest week, setting a weekly volume record by far, according to the Daily Livestock more...
WHO dropped sponsorship of EAT-Lancet event
The World Health Organization dropped its sponsorship of a March event launching the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health, according to a report more...
Iowa Food Group shuts down; seeks investment
In a carefully worded statement, Iowa Food Group acknowledged the meat processor has halted production in the plant that started up in February after more...
ASF worry spurs cancellation of World Pork Expo for '19 (updated)
The National Pork Producers Council's board of directors has decided to cancel World Pork Expo 2019 "out of an abundance of caution as African swine fever more...
Canada directs funds to bolster pork industry
The Canadian government announced it will invest more than $6 million to help the nation’s pork industry strengthen public trust in the safety of more...
School purchasing coalition taps USDA ex-official as first chief
The Urban School Food Alliance has named Katie Wilson as its first executive director. Wilson, who formerly was deputy under secretary of food, nutrition more...
JBS Plainwell recalls ground beef
Plainwell, Mich.-based JBS Plainwell, Inc., is recalling approximately 43,292 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous more...
Canada considers more retaliatory tariffs next week: reports
An ongoing trade war between the United States and Canada could intensify as soon as next week when Canada may propose additional retaliatory tariffs more...
Big names said to be interested in Nestle lunchmeat line: Bloomberg
Swiss food giant Nestle SA’s plan to sell its Herta lunchmeat line is attracting the meat processing industry’s biggest names, according to more...
More scrutiny needed for less-deadly foodborne bacteria, say scientists
Employing advanced genetic-tracing techniques and sharing the data produced in real time could limit the spread of the foodborne illness-causing bacteria more...
USDA FSIS refutes story on hog inspection rule
In a pull-no-punches press release today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) refuted numerous points more...
Maple Leaf unit plans continent’s largest plant-based protein facility
Greenleaf Foods SPC will build North America’s largest plant-based protein manufacturing facility in Shelbyville, Ind., investing US$310 million more...
Meat packer to rebuild after fire
Raber Packing Company President, Buddy Courdt, announced the company will rebuild its farm-to-fork packinghouse in West Peoria, IL, which was destroyed more...
No one hurt in chicken barn fire on Tyson farm
A fire at a Tyson Foods-owned chicken farm in Nebraska on Friday night is under investigation, a company spokesman confirmed. “We’re investigating more...
JBS buys Imperial American Wagyu
JBS USA has bought Omaha-based Imperial American Wagyu Beef LLC, adding the breed to its portfolio of specialty brands. The amount of the transaction more...
Mountaire off the hook for AdvancePierre chicken recall: appeals court
A federal appeals court has affirmed a lower court’s ruling that Mountaire Farms is not liable for the costs of a 2015 recall of 1.7 million pounds more...
Cargill announces executive promotions
Cargill announced today it has promoted Joe Stone, currently enterprise leader for the company’s animal nutrition unit, to lead its company’s more...
Burger, chicken chains grow co-branding in Texas
FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands, parent company of Fatburger, announced it is developing three co-branded Fatburger and Buffalo's Express concepts more...
USDA hit with lawsuits over school lunch rules
Two lawsuits have been filed against USDA over its decision to relax some of the rules on nutritional guidelines in the National School Lunch more...
Texas processor hires new QC director as overhaul continues
Texas Meat Packers (TMP) has announced the hiring of Nikkie Vazquez as its new director of quality control amid a continuing effort to revitalize the more...
Poultry industry’s economic impact quantified
The U.S. poultry industry created 302,515 additional jobs since 2016, and its economic impact has increased by 11 percent, according to an updated study more...
News briefs: Smithfield, Pork Institute, USPOULTRY, Darden, Brunchables, Denny’s
Sustainability winners Smithfield Foods Inc.‘s Kinston, N.C., and Sioux City, Iowa, facilities are winners of the 2018 Sustainability Excellence more...
Massive fire destroys Newly Weds Foods factory
Chicago’s first five-alarm fire in five years destroyed a factory owned by Newly Weds Foods Inc., a supplier of premium batters, coatings, spices more...
Grass-fed beef provider hires operations, sales execs (updated)
Verde Farms, a provider of 100 percent grass-fed, free-range organic beef, said Marc Broccoli has joined the company as vice president of operations and more...
Nestlé launching ‘cook from raw’ plant-based patties
Nestlé announced the launch of a new “cook from raw” 100 percent plant-based patty in Europe and plans to roll out a similar product more...
Blue Apron brings in new CEO
Blue Apron Holdings Inc. announced that its board of directors has appointed Linda Findley Kozlowski as president and chief executive officer, effective more...
Smithfield Foods to build distribution center, create jobs
Smithfield Foods is opening a new distribution center in Cecil County, Md., creating 240 new jobs, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced. The 420,000 square-foot more...
Poultry company buys further processor
Exceldor, a Canadian poultry industry leader, announced it is acquiring a majority stake in Lacroix Meats Inc., a family-owned meat processing business more...
Smithfield rebrands foodservice portfolio
Smithfield Foods announced it is branding the company’s foodservice portfolio as Smithfield Culinary. Throughout the last several years, Smithfield more...
Amazon to lower prices at Whole Foods, expand Prime deals
Amazon will launch what it is describing as a third round of price cuts at its Whole Foods Market grocery chain in addition to offering new special discounts more...
CPG giants sue chicken industry over price fixing
Major consumer packaged goods companies joined the fray Friday, filing another lawsuit alleging that the nation’s largest chicken processors colluded more...
Cattle association seeks antitrust challenge to National Beef merger
R-CALF USA is asking U.S. Attorney General William Barr to block the proposed acquisition of Iowa Premium by National Beef Packing Co., a division of more...
Burger King fools customers with Impossible Whopper
Burger King announced it is testing the Impossible Whopper, which replaces the beef patty with a plant-based one from Impossible Foods. In a nod to April more...
Restaurant chain execs resign; brand exploring sale
Kona Grill CEO Marcus Jundt has resigned, as has Executive Chairman Berke Bakay and Director Alex Nanyan Zheng, as the company explores strategic options more...
March 2019
Chicken processor’s waiver revoked in win for line-speed critics
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will revoke a waiver allowing Claxton Poultry to run faster line speeds at its chicken plant in more...
New exec team, new name for BPI
The former Beef Products Inc. (BPI) has changed its name to Empirical Foods and the next generation of family leadership has officially assumed the top more...
Cargill plans LatAm investments: Reuters
Cargill Inc. is looking at investing up to $1 billion in Latin America in the next five years, the company’s CEO, David MacLennan, said in an interview more...
JBS foresees improved demand, better results in 2019
JBS S.A. expects the increased demand for animal proteins in the global market, due to the impact of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in China, which should more...
Protein unit helps propel Cargill earnings higher
Cargill reported its fiscal 2019 third-quarter revenues decreased 4 percent to $26.9 billion, bringing the year-to-date figure to $83.5 billion, the company more...
USDA refutes challenge to CAFO policy
USDA objected to and denied allegations made in a lawsuit seeking to stop an agency policy the plaintiffs say exempts medium-sized concentrated animal more...
Maple Leaf Foods names VP of animal care
Maple Leaf Foods announced Kathleen Long has been promoted to vice president of animal care. n her new role, she will lead the company’s animal more...
News Briefs: Wendy’s, Pork & Mindy's, Little Caesars, KFC, Carl’s Jr., Texas beef
Wendy’s expands lineup of meat-topped salads Wendy’s has added a Parmesan Caesar Chicken Salad to its core menu, bringing to five the number more...
STX Beef to ramp up production after Kane Beef purchase
STX Beef Co. is preparing to expand beyond the 25 percent capacity it established this week following the completion of its purchase of the former Kane more...
Illinois packer recalls beef products for possible E. coli
Aurora Packing Co. of North Aurora, Ill., is recalling about 4,838 pounds of beef heel and chuck tender products that may be contaminated with E. coli more...
Canada pushing back on trade deal due to tariffs
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland this week raised concern about U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel as a possible barrier to getting more...
Chicken chain names new COO
Costa Mesa, Calif.-based grilled chicken chain El Pollo Loco announced it named Miguel Lozano as chief operating officer, effective April 1. Lozano returns more...
USDA schedules inspections of beef plants after talks: Brazil
Less than one week after talks with USDA officials, Brazil says an inspection mission timetable that could open the door to a resumption of shipments more...
Beef, poultry prices edge higher while pork slips in food price index
U.S. consumers paid slightly more for beef and poultry products in February although pork prices fell slightly, according to USDA’s latest Consumer more...
Non-thermal processing research heats up
PEF processing improves beef quality: study Researchers from New Zealand have found that fresh and frozen-thawed beef muscles processed with pulsed electric more...
Minnesota beef, pork producer profits suffered in 2018: report
Minnesota farmers – including beef and pork producers – earned the lowest median incomes in the last 23 years in 2018, according more...
CDC says one salmonella outbreak over, sets other warnings (updated)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the recent outbreak of Salmonella Newport stemming from ground beef appears to be over, although more...
U.S., China to resume trade talks this week
U.S. and China officials are set to resume trade talks this week, the White House announced. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-press-secretary-51/ more...
More cattle placed on feed in February than expected
USDA’s latest Cattle on Feed report put cattle placements in feedlots during February at 1.86 million head, 2 percent above 2018 and greater than more...
Bettcher Industries acquires poultry processing equipment maker
Bettcher Industries announced it has acquired Cantrell, a U.S.-based manufacturer of equipment and systems for the poultry processing industry. Terms more...
Meat processors navigate Midwest floods, brace for more
Rising floodwaters across the Upper Midwest have cut into some meat processing operations in an area of the country that is thick with them. Triumph Foods more...
Beef jerky processor completes new 80k-square-foot plant
Beef jerky processor Old Trapper Smoked Products announced the completion of its new, 80,000-square-foot production plant at its headquarters in Forest more...
Rabobank sees better poultry trade ahead
Trade conditions are gradually improving for poultry due to rising global demand, especially from China, which is expected to face a protein shortage more...
Listeria lurks
Compared with other foodborne illness causing pathogens, listeria isn't the highest ranking in terms of recalls or outbreaks. But it is the deadliest more...
Arkansas passes law regulating labeling of meat substitutes
Arkansas has become the latest state to pass a law regulating use of the term “meat” on the label for plant-based meat substitute products more...
China facing pork supply gap due to ASF: USDA attaché
China’s pig inventory will be down 13 percent to 374 million head by the end of 2019, with pork production down 5 percent to 51.4 million metric more...
Cargill, NGO team to address hunger through poultry farming
Cargill Animal Nutrition and Heifer International, a nongovernmental organization working to end hunger, announced today a partnership to create a program more...
Giving Back: Tyson, Perdue Farms, Sanderson, Smithfield
Tyson gives to Midwest flood victims, hunger relief Tyson Foods is providing more than 100,000 pounds of food to various agencies to support victims of more...
Perdue CEO steps in as prepared foods exec departs
Perdue Farms CEO Randy Day will take on additional responsibilities as head of the poultry company’s prepared foods business after the departure more...
U.S., Brazil take steps to boost beef, pork trade
U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro issued a joint statement Tuesday detailing efforts to build a partnership between the more...
US Foods expands Northwest facility, eyes growth in region
US Foods Holding Corp. announced the official opening of its renovated Fife, Washington, distribution facility following a three-year remodel that nearly more...
Study identifies spoilage markers for cooked poultry
Researchers have identified volatile compounds in cooked poultry to determine the types of bacteria, bacterial loads and storage temperatures and times more...
New chicken company to raise, process expensive birds (updated)
Cooks Venture, a food company rooted in regenerative agriculture and transparency, today announced its official public launch. In conjunction with this more...
Newcastle Disease confirmed in Northern Calif.: reports
State officials have confirmed the first case of Newcastle Disease in Northern California chickens for the first time, according to several media reports more...
USDA names committee chair; aims for transparent Dietary Guidelines debate
USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee will be chaired by Barbara Schneeman more...
National Pork Board launches blockchain pilot via partnership
The National Pork Board is teaming up with Ripe Technology to establish a pilot program using blockchain technology to improve pork industry sustainability more...
U.S. agents stop pork products from China at border on ASF concerns (updated)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists seized about 1 million pounds of illegal products containing pork from China over concerns more...
FSIS amends carcass marking rule
USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service has amended the federal meat inspection regulations to repeal the requirements for livestock carcasses to more...
Wayne Farms expands Elkin, N.C. operations
Poultry processor Wayne Farms has completed the purchase of approximately 125 acres adjacent to its Elkin, N.C. hatchery and feed mill for $548,500. The more...
Judge says Pilgrim's Pride shareholders can question Moy Park deal in trial
Executives of Pilgrim's Pride and JBS S.A. could face a trial related to the purchase of U.K. poultry processor Moy Park by Pilgrim's Pride in 2017, after more...
Iowa tries again to restrict access to farms
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new law that “makes it a crime for journalists and advocacy groups to go undercover at meatpacking plants, livestock more...
China's biggest U.S. pork purchase in two years: Reuters
Chinese buyers made the country’s largest purchase of U.S. pork in almost two years last week despite hefty import tariffs, as the country grapples more...
Recipes that dole out food safety with ingredients
The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) has launched a Safe Recipe Style Guide, designed to help recipe writers and food journalists to incorporate more...
Fieldale veteran honored with lifetime award
St. Marys, Ga.-based National Poultry & Food Distributors Association has presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Sammy Franklin, vice president more...
Tyson Fresh Meats rolls out DNA traceback
Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc., is introducing DNA technology to trace beef back to the individual animal of origin more...
Beef International explores options, including potential sale
Beef International Inc. (BI), a custom maker of premium meat products in Pennsauken Township, N.J., has retained an investment bank to explore strategic more...
Breaded chicken patties recalled for possible contamination
Productos La Aguadillana Inc. in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, is recalling about 35,870 pounds of breaded chicken patties that may be contaminated with pieces more...
Impossible Foods hires first president
Impossible Foods announced that Dennis Woodside will join the company in the newly created role of president, effective March 18. Woodside will oversee more...
EU, US have tentative beef agreement
The text of a draft agreement between the United States and the European Union is being circulated to the EU member states and discussions should begin more...
Jennie-O appoints new operations vp in executive shifts
Jennie-O Turkey Store announced executive changes that include a new vice president of operations. Matt Schrupp, currently vice president of live production more...
Undeclared allergen prompts recall
North Country Smokehouse, in Claremont, N.H., is recalling about 2,601 pounds of pork sausage products due to misbranding, the USDA’s Food Safety more...
USDA adjusts MyPlate nutrition program to promote healthy eating
USDA is introducing an update of its eight-year-old program designed to help consumers make better choices when it comes to incorporating healthier foods more...
HSUS widens call challenging Pilgrim’s Pride marketing claims
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is expanding its call for state officials to investigate Pilgrim’s Pride and the company’s more...
Chicken products recalled
Choice Canning Company, a Pittston, Pa. establishment, is recalling approximately 35,459 pounds of chicken fried rice products due to misbranding and more...
New York expands ‘Meatless Mondays’ for school meals
Schoolchildren in New York City will be dining on all-vegetarian breakfast and lunch meals every Monday, starting with the 2019-2020 school year, Mayor more...
White House proposes 15% cut in USDA funding
The Trump administration’s 2020 budget requests $20.8 billion for USDA, a $3.6 billion or 15-percent decrease from the 2019 estimate, including more...
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee sets first public meeting
USDA and HHS announced that the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee will hold its first public meeting on March 28 and 29. Starting March more...
Smithfield’s nuisance tab grows as jury again sides with neighbors
Jurors in North Carolina determined on Friday that Smithfield Foods is responsible for hog farm nuisances fowling up neighboring residents’ quality more...
CTI Foods restructuring includes Chapter 11 filing, new CEO
Custom foodservice supplier CTI Foods has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and appointed a new CEO to help guide the Meridian, Idaho-based company more...
USDA study sees beef cattle emissions not significant to global warming
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has completed a life cycle analysis of beef cattle production in the United States that concluded cattle more...
USDA and analysts agree on Cattle on Feed numbers
USDA reported cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.7 million more...
FSIS issues guidance on foreign matter contamination
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued today a best practices guideline to help meat and poultry processors respond to customer more...
European pork producer announces sustainable meat initiative
Danish Crown, Europe's largest pork processor, expects to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases for each kilogram of pork it produces from farm to more...
DOL proposes new overtime rule
The U.S. Department of Labor announced on Thursday a notice of proposed rulemaking that would raise the minimum salary for employees to qualify for overtime more...
Global restaurant chain names new CEO
Bloomin’ Brands Inc. has named David Deno as chief executive officer of the company, parent of Outback Steakhouse, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse more...
Federal food safety oversight still lacks cohesive plan: GAO
The U.S. government still lacks a cohesive strategy to more effectively and efficiently regulate food safety in this country, the Government Accountability more...
NPPC wants USDA to take the reins on gene editing
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s jurisdiction of gene editing in livestock is slowing the pace of a technology that has promising animal more...
EPIC puts bacon and eggs in a breakfast bar
Snack brand EPIC Provisions announced several new offerings at this week’s Expo West trade show, including a morning-inspired bar line and new flavors more...
Ultrasound can reduce phosphates in meat emulsions: study
Recent research has shown that ultrasound technology can be used to produce low-phosphate meat emulsions under some conditions without the loss of sensory more...
USDA steps up efforts to prevent ASF entry
USDA on Wednesday announced additional steps to keep African swine fever (ASF) from entering the United States as the disease continues to spread internationally more...
Meat, poultry production could decline in 2020: DLR
Sustained lower margins and other factors have the potential to curb the growth of red meat and poultry production next year, according to a report from more...
Grass-fed beef hot dogs, sausage make debut
Woburn, Mass.-based Verde Farms, which specializes in grass-feed and organic beef, has added hot dogs and sausage to its product offerings. Verde's uncured more...
Poultry safety award applications now being accepted
The Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award Program is accepting applications from poultry industry facilities with outstanding safety programs. The application more...
Butterball names new COO
Turkey giant Butterball has hired Peter Brown as its chief operating officer, the company announced. Brown brings to Butterball more than 30 years of more...
Applegate launches new products, including a blended burger
Hormel’s natural and organic meat subsidiary Applegate announced a lineup of new products and brand ventures coming to market this year including more...
Beyond Meat goes after ground beef with Beyond Beef
Beyond Meat has launched a plant-based product to compete with ground beef called Beyond Beef. The product is being marketed as having 25 percent less more...
Church’s Chicken names new executive
Church's Chicken announced it named Brian Gies as executive vice president and global chief marketing officer. Gies comes to Church's with nearly 20 years more...
Trump asks China to lift ag tariffs, aiming at soft spot
President Donald Trump has asked China to immediately lift all tariffs on U.S. agricultural products, an area in which analysts believe the Asian economic more...
Canada reports more salmonella illnesses in latest update
Canadian officials identified additional illnesses caused by a strain of Salmonella just days after a processor recalled a second chicken nuggets product more...
Organic group’s lawsuit can move forward: federal judge
A lawsuit filed by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) over USDA’s decision to withdraw a regulation last year will move forward in U.S. District more...
NAMI recognizes meat industry leaders
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) honored several industry leaders and companies for service to the public and the industry at its annual awards more...
OK Foods sues dry ice supplier over foreign matter
OK Foods Inc. is suing its dry ice supplier for allegedly contaminating more than 300,000 pounds of the company’s chicken products last year, according more...
Kane Beef sale closes
The sale of bankrupt South Texas packer Kane Beef closed on Thursday, with STX Beef Company officially taking ownership, the company said in a news release more...
Brazil's BRF posts loss in '18, expects improvements in '19
Brazil's poultry and pork meat processor BRF S.A. posted a net loss of BRL4.46 billion ($1.2 billion) in 2018, due to export bans and sluggish domestic more...
A peek at the Gen Z future of food
The oldest of Generation Z will be 22 years old this year and they are beginning to make their mark on dining out and eating trends, according to new more...
February 2019
Weak fresh pork drags down Maple Leaf results
The “most challenging pork markets in a decade” and a restructuring charge contributed to a fourth-quarter profit decline for Maple Leaf Foods more...
Nebraska county reverses course, accepts chicken farm proposal
The fast-growing poultry industry in Nebraska scored a victory this week when the Dodge County Board approved a modified proposal for a chicken farm, more...
U.S. share of Japanese beef market shrinks as TPP countries cash in
Members of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) saw beef exports to Japan grow 56 percent in January, while U.S. beef exports to that country grew 21 percent more...
Tyson adds Chairman’s Reserve Prime beef offering
Tyson Fresh Meats is introducing a new Chairman’s Reserve Prime beef product and refreshed brand look. The Prime Beef specifications require a Ribeye more...
Chefs' Warehouse buys specialty protein processor
Specialty food distributor The Chefs' Warehouse announced it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Bassian Farms, a San Jose, Calif.-based specialty more...
Perdue Foods promotes two executives
Perdue Foods announced it has promoted Jeff Tripician to president of Perdue Premium Meat Company and Chris Oliviero to General Manager of Niman Ranch more...
Former food workers union official pleads guilty to embezzlement
A former Smithfield Foods employee who went on to become secretary-treasurer of the union local representing 3,600 workers pleaded guilty to embezzlement more...
Sanderson’s long-term prospects look good: analyst
Sanderson Farms “presents an interesting investment challenge” with long-term prospects improving even as the company reported a net loss more...
‘Challenging market’ hurts Sanderson Farms’ Q1 sales, profit
Sanderson Farms Inc. reported a nearly 4 percent decline in net sales and a loss in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, primarily as a result of lower foodservice more...
Auctions set for former Zacky Farms assets
Live online auctions have been scheduled for March 5 and March 12 to sell off assets formerly owned by Zacky Farms, which shut down operations earlier more...
JBS invests in new testing labs in Brazil
JBS S.A. invested BRL5 million ($1.38 million) over the past two years in its Brazilian laboratories to increase testing in food items produced by beef more...
All that pork will keep pushing down prices
The U.S pork industry is expected to produce about 27.3 billion pounds of pork in 2019, a volume almost 4 percent higher than the record-high production more...
Trump delays tariff hike as China talks make progress
Progress in trade negotiations with China has prompted President Trump to delay an increase in tariffs on that country. The president posted on Twitter more...
Tenn. plant workers sue ICE over April 2018 raid, detainments
Seven workers at a Tennessee beef slaughter plant raided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last year are suing the agency for alleged more...
Poultry industry mourns death of Toby Moore
USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) lost its long-time editor with the death of Toby Moore earlier this month. He was 68. “The industry more...
Delayed USDA Cattle on Feed report surprises analysts
USDA’s latest Cattle on Feed report (a month late due to the government shutdown) showed at 1.8 percent decrease in cattle placed on feed in December more...
SEC probes Kraft Heinz; Oscar Mayer value slashed
Kraft Heinz reported a dismal fourth quarter and full-year financial results, including an accounting probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission more...
Arizona bill prohibits calling nonmeat products 'meat'
A bill introduced in the Arizona house would make it illegal to “misrepresent” a product not derived from “harvested production livestock” more...
Hain begins sell-off of protein business
The Hain Celestial Group Inc. has sold its Plainville Farms business unit to a group of private investors, creating the company Plainville Farms LLC, more...
Trade update: Progress on China?
Trade talks between the U.S. and China are expected to yield an announcement today that negotiators have made progress toward a deal, Politico reported more...
Deli, value-added lines help Hormel offset profit slip
A strong performance in its new deli business and its value-added product portfolio helped Hormel Foods offset a decrease in net earnings related to declines more...
Burger King launches flame-grilled chicken sandwich nationwide
Burger King is rolling out a new flame-grilled chicken sandwich as a permanent menu addition at its restaurants nationwide, beginning today. The Grilled more...
Mountaire Farms completes cleanup of wastewater spill
Mountaire Farms reported to Delaware environmental regulators that it has completed the cleanup of an accidental release of partially treated wastewater more...
Food date label confusion linked with higher waste
A new survey examining U.S. consumer attitudes and behaviors related to food date labels found widespread confusion, leading to unnecessary discards, more...
Olymel to shut Vanier plant in Québec City
Olymel L.P. announced it will cease operations at its Vanier plant in Québec City and transfer production to its Blainville plant, affecting 47 more...
Percentage of mislabeled sausages declines in Canada, study finds
Researchers at the University of Guelph have found the mislabeling rate of sausages in Canada -- at 14 percent -- has declined from the one in five mislabeled more...
Oklahoma sets new rules for chicken farm placements, expansions
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture approved new rules covering the locations of chicken farms relative to schools, homes and water sources, although more...
Denny’s joins movement to reduce antibiotics in chickens
Denny’s has adjusted its animal welfare policies to include a commitment to eliminate the use of medically important antibiotics in all chicken more...
Tyson expansion plans hit snag
Tyson Fresh Meats’ plans to expand its operations in Perry, Iowa have hit a technical snag having to do with a 30-year-old survey of parcels of more...
Chinese firm recalls products on African Swine Fever contamination
Chinese frozen food producer Sanquan on Monday recalled products that may be contaminated with African swine fever, after government-run Beijing News more...
OIE report outlines latest in global animal antibiotic use
More countries are prioritizing data collection and regulations around the use of antimicrobials in food animals, according to a new report released by more...
Wal-Mart cites e-commerce growth in Q4 earnings surge
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. reported higher-than-expected earnings and revenue in the fourth quarter thanks in part to more shoppers using its online grocery more...
Despite the detractors, beef demand seen growing at brisk pace
While headlines continue to wave U.S. consumers away from meat, and beef in particular, Grand View Research predicts steady growth through 2025 for the more...
East Coast poultry industry thrived in 2018: report
The Delaware-based trade group representing the poultry industry in three eastern U.S. states is reporting that its 1,800 members had a prosperous 2018 more...
Farmer sentiment rises as USDA payments take hold: report
U.S. farmers were more optimistic in January compared with December — at levels unseen since June of 2018 — according more...
Group instructs how to market meatless products
Groups that oppose meat consumption are becoming more strategic in their goal of convincing consumers to choose plant-based products instead of meat. more...
EPA publishes proposed rule redefining WOTUS
The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this week published a proposed rule defining the scope of waters regulated under more...
Court approves Kane sale, operations to resume Feb. 22
The federal bankruptcy court in Houston has approved the sale of troubled packer Kane Beef to Charlotte, N.C.-based real estate development firm JDH Capital more...
Grocery cost increases causing ‘perfect storm’: study
Higher manufacturing and transportation costs sent grocery prices higher over the last five years, forcing food companies and retailers to work together more...
NSF unveils Global Animal Wellness Standards
Certification organization NSF International has launched a set of Global Animal Wellness Standards, in a move toward establishing an internationally more...
Pilgrim’s sees foodservice, product mix driving 2019 gains
Additional foodservice promotions for chicken, more diversification of its product mix and improved results in Mexico and Europe should fuel a solid financial more...
Mountaire plant reports another wastewater spill
Mountaire Farms on Wednesday reported a nearly 1-million-gallon wastewater spill at its Millsboro, Del., poultry processing plant, the state’s Department more...
Arkansas beef producers worried about the future
The first survey of Arkansas beef producers in more than a decade finds producers are most concerned with who will follow in their footsteps, how their more...
News Briefs: NCBA, AAMP, Shake Shack chicken, Taco Bell, Chipotle, Boston Market brisket
NCBA names president Jennifer Houston of Sweetwater, Tenn., was named president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association at the organization’s more...
Trade talks spark optimism in U.S., skepticism in China
Reports that President Trump may extend the March 1 deadline to impose $200 million in new tariffs on goods from China if current talks progress helped more...
BRF recalls chicken, most destined for export, due to salmonella risk
Brazil's BRF S.A. is recalling 164.7 metric tons of fresh chicken from the Brazilian domestic market and another 299.6 tons destined for international more...
Meal kit maker adds “carb-conscious” line with higher protein
San Francisco-based meal kit provider Sun Basket announced a new Carb-Conscious meal plan for consumers looking to control their carbohydrate intake and more...
Maple Leaf Farms launches duck tenders for foodservice
Family-owned Maple Leaf Farms of Leesburg, Ind., is rolling out two varieties of seasoned, marinated duck tenders to the foodservice market that are designed more...
FSIS updates inspectors on new campylobacter testing initiative
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service posted a notice Tuesday instructing inspectors to take no action, unless otherwise directed, in response more...
Applegate Farms introduces sausage line from regenerative farms
Applegate Farms is launching a line of premium, fresh pork sausages sourced from regenerative farms called “The New Food Collective,” the more...
Small lamb, beef plant approved in New Jersey
The Chesterfield Township (N.J.) planning board has approved plans for a small USDA-inspected meat processing plant, according to a report by the Burlington more...
USPoultry names award recipients
ATLANTA — The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association recognized industry leaders this week during the International Production and Processing Expo here more...
Kane Beef buyer to continue beef operations
A North Carolina real estate development firm has purchased Kane Beef in a court-approved bankruptcy auction and plans to continue operations at the Corpus more...
Dietz & Watson executive and family member dies
Former Dietz & Watson Chairwoman Ruth Dietz Eni, who was the daughter of Dietz & Watson founder Gottlieb Dietz and became the face of the Philadelphia more...
Lactic acid spray improves pork safety: study
Researchers have found that applying a 4 percent concentration of lactic acid spray to pig carcasses at slaughter and on retail pork cuts post-slaughter more...
Coleman Natural gifts $800K to American Humane program
Coleman Natural Foods has pledged to give $800,000 over three years to American Humane’s Pups4Patriots program, the company and the organization more...
Foster Farms expands in Livingston
Foster Farms has announced a multi-million-dollar capital investment to expand and upgrade the company’s poultry processing facility in Livingston more...
Kane Beef sold at auction
Kane Beef, in receivership for months and recently in bankruptcy proceedings, has been sold at auction, according to court documents. The buyer more...
Worker who suffered hand injury can sue Tyson: report
An Ohio appeals court has ruled that an employee of Tyson Foods’ AdvancePierre unit who was injured while cleaning a meat mixing machine can proceed more...
USDA lowers total meat, poultry production forecast
Total red meat and poultry production for 2018 is lowered from December as beef and broiler production more than offsets slightly higher pork production more...
Tyson posts lower sales, earnings; maintains outlook
Tyson Foods’s fiscal 2019 started off slow, with a slight drop in sales and a bigger slide in operating and net income, the company reported on more...
Activist group sues Pilgrim’s over ad claims
Food & Water Watch and the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) said they have filed a lawsuit accusing Pilgrim's Pride Corp. of making deceptive marketing more...
Kroger customizes Home Chef meal kits, expands distribution
Kroger Co. said it is introducing Home Chef retail meal kits in new cities, adding the line at 500 additional stores across the country. Kroger announced more...
FSIS eliminates hog inspection rule
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has finalized a proposal, first presented last May, that removes the provision requiring that hog more...
Kane Beef’s future may be determined at today’s auction
An auction for the assets of Kane Beef is scheduled in Houston today, and the future of the company’s more than 700 employees – and that of more...
Sanderson Farms asks for penalties in false ad lawsuit
Sanderson Farms Inc. is asking a federal judge in San Francisco to impose financial penalties on two advocacy groups suing the poultry processor for alleged more...
Blue Apron takes new approach to protein in meal kit line
Blue Apron Holdings has launched a new line of meal kits, called Blue Apron Knick Knacks, that give consumers the flexibility to combine the protein and more...
USDA, USTR seek trade advisory panel nominations
USDA, in cooperation with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), is accepting nominations for new members to serve on its agricultural more...
CNBC reporting Tyson Foods in talks with Foster Farms (updated)
Tyson Foods has held talks about buying California-based poultry processor Foster Farms for roughly $2 billion, people familiar with the situation told more...
Ag Secretary asked to widen net on Dietary Guidelines committee
The Nutrition Coalition is encouraging others to follow its lead by writing to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue encouraging him to nominate members more...
50-year protein industry veteran to retire
Benny Bishop, chief operating officer of Peco Foods, will retire at the end of March after a half-century in the protein industry, the company said in more...
Organic meat firm partners on pork product retail distribution
Swedesboro, N.J.-based natural and organic meat processor Wellshire Farms announced it will partner with The Philly Roast Pork Company to distribute their more...
Ground beef from only one steer hits retail market
Frisco, Texas-based Nurture Ranch has launched “Nurture Ranch 1 Steer Ground Beef,” a grass-fed ground beef product made from the meat from more...
N.C. Supreme Court to hear challenge to Smithfield payments
A legal challenge to the use of millions of dollars paid by Smithfield Foods Inc. to North Carolina is heading for the state Supreme Court. The seven-member more...
Tyson invests in analogue meat supplier
Tyson Foods is among a group of investors providing additional funding to a start-up that uses mushroom-based ingredients that can be used in making plant-based more...
Papa John’s gets investment, new chairman
Pizza restaurant chain Papa John’s International announced that Starboard Value LP will invest $200 million with an option to invest an additional more...
USMEF among biggest recipients of USDA trade funds
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is one of 57 organizations named by USDA Thursday to receive funding through a program intended to help mitigate more...
Pork processor bars two hog transporters over animal handling
Clemens Food Group has prohibited two hog transport companies from delivering pigs to its Coldwater, Mich., facility after finding that the truckers violated more...
Pork industry, USDA urge packers to participate in trichinae data collection
The National Pork Producers Council, National Pork Board and USDA are calling on U.S. pork packers to participate in an effort to collect samples for more...
New test detects bacterial contamination in 90 minutes: research
Researchers at Queen's University Belfast have developed a new enzyme biomarker test that can detect enzyme markers of disease known as proteases in humans more...
January 2019
'Fake meat' tops list of NCBA policy priorities
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released its official Policy Priorities for 2019 and has listed the implementation of a regulatory more...
Denmark gets a wall – against ASF
Denmark is building a “wild boar fence” designed to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever to its 5,000 hog farms, according to the country’s more...
Group wants food safety policy changes as recall rates rise
The non-profit group U.S. Public Interest Research Group is calling on USDA and the Food and Drug Administration to tighten food safety policies that more...
Bob Evans expands retail portfolio
Bob Evans Farms announced Thursday an expansion to its retail product portfolio with new side dishes and additional meal options. The new side dish line more...
Wayne Farms investigates cause of ammonia leak at plant
Wayne Farms said Wednesday it is working to determine the cause of an equipment failure that led to an ammonia release at the company’s poultry more...
Argentina establishes meat export quota to U.S.
Argentina’s secretary of agribusiness announced a 20,000-ton export quota for boneless, chilled and frozen beef to the United States. USDA notified more...
Risk model identifies campylobacter interventions
University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists have developed a quantitative risk assessment model of campylobacter in broiler chickens that offers insight more...
BurgerFi sets expansion plans for 2019
The better burger chain BurgerFi said it is preparing to expand its roster of more than 100 restaurants by adding as many as 30 new units before the end more...
Perdue recalls chicken nuggets
Perdue Foods is recalling approximately 16,011 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken nugget products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, USDA’s more...
Bankruptcy judge authorizes beef plant to pay employees
A South Texas judge has authorized Kane Beef to pay employees for what they were owed prior to the company’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection more...
Yum! Brands promotes C-suite exec to president, COO
Yum! Brands Inc. has promoted current Chief Financial Officer David Gibbs to the posts of president and chief operating officer. Gibbs, who was appointed more...
Take Meatingplace's 10-second quiz
Read the following statement in the quiz below and choose whether it is true or false. Loading... We will publish the answer and results in the Food Focus more...
Darden sues poultry companies on antitrust
Restaurant chain owner Darden has filed a lawsuit against major poultry processors alleging antitrust violations from "illegal conspiracy which increased more...
Peco Foods announces executive change following retirement
Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based Peco Foods announces that Tuscaloosa Plant Manager Tim Daniel will retire in March after 25 years with the company. Clarence Lumpkin more...
Meal kits with 55-day shelf life launched
True Food Innovations, based in Newport Beach, Calif., is launching new products under both True Chef and Chef'd branded retail meal kits with clean label more...
Another Newcastle disease outbreak found in California
Agriculture officials in California confirmed an outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease in a small flock of backyard chickens in Norco, Calif., despite more...
OSHA eases injury-reporting rule
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today published a final rule rolling back an Obama administration rule that required large employers more...
Ga. poultry lab needs $4 million fix
A state-of-the-art biosafety laboratory in Gainesville, Ga., built to research and help contain avian viruses will need an estimated $4 million in repairs more...
Tea tree oil is potential antimicrobial in ground beef: study
A new research study suggests that essential oil extracted from tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) is a potential natural antimicrobial agent to preserve more...
Should Monday after Super Bowl be a federal holiday?
The National Chicken Council, which takes a keen interest in the annual Super Bowl matchup due to the huge amount of chicken wings consumed by Americans more...
Wholesale beef prices starting the New Year strong
(Editor’s note: This report was first issued in the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter and is republished in its entirety with the author’s permission more...
Maple Leaf unit unveils pea protein burger, sausages
Maple Leaf Foods unit Lightlife Foods is introducing a new plant-based burger that gives consumers the “sensory experience” of a beef burger more...
FSIS to update heating, cooling requirements
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Wednesday issued a notice announcing plans to publish revisions to Appendix A and B heating more...
Canada’s new Food Guide emphasizes plant-based protein
New dietary guidelines released in Canada this week emphasize healthy habits, cooking more often and eating more plant-based proteins. The new Food Guide more...
Kane Beef files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Less than one week after temporarily shutting down production due to wastewater issues, Corpus Christi, Texas-based Kane Beef has filed for Chapter 11 more...
Burger King parent names new CEO and COO
Burger King veteran Jose Cil, president of the hamburger chain since 2014, has been promoted to chief executive officer of parent Restaurant Brands International more...
San Francisco-based meal delivery service closes its doors
The list of meal delivery and meal kit companies to shut down operations is one member longer with the demise of Munchery after a nine-year run. The self-described more...
News Briefs: Subway, McDonald’s bacon, Don Lee Farms, Stop & Shop, Walmart, Pork 101
Subway North America chief resigns The executive that led the Subway chain’s recent $80 million merchandising program, called Fresh Now, has resigned more...
HPP firm buys specialty food maker
American Pasteurization Company (APC), a High Pressure Processing (HPP) company, has acquired FreshCo Foods, a Milwaukee-based, end-to-end co-manufacturer more...
North Dakota expands testing after bovine TB strain is confirmed
State veterinarians in North Dakota are continuing testing cattle after a total of seven beef cows in a herd from Sargent County tested positive for bovine more...
U.S. meat group frustrated by EU unwillingness to negotiate
Last Friday the European Union said it flat out: They will not discuss agriculture topics — including duties and restrictions on imported pork and more...
Calif. processor files Ch. 11
Mercado's Meat Distribution Inc., a small meat and poultry processor in Willows, Calif., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with the intent to reorganize more...
Kane Beef closed to address wastewater issues
Kane Beef operations in Corpus Christi, Texas, have been halted since 5 p.m. Thursday after the city found that the company was discharging unauthorized more...
OSHA fines beef processor on ammonia-related injury
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Hastings, Neb.-based Noah’s Ark Processors for more...
ASF confirmed in pork products brought to Australia
Officials in Australia have identified the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus in six pork products tested under recent routine border checks at Australian more...
USDA confirms Newcastle disease outbreak in Utah chicken flock
USDA confirmed the first outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease in a small flock of backyard chickens in Utah, as California officials continue to fight more...
Smithfield restructures management, names COO
Smithfield Foods has revamped its management structure, adding a new chief operating officer among the changes. Dennis Organ, an eight-year Smithfield more...
Johnsonville recalls pork for extraneous materials
Johnsonville LLC, in Sheboygan Falls, Wisc., is recalling about 48,371 pounds of raw ground pork patty products that may be contaminated with extraneous more...
Court puts sentencing of meat plant owner off until May
The sentencing hearing for James Brantley, the owner of a Tennessee slaughterhouse raided by U.S. immigration officials in April 2018, has been put more...
Ham bone broth source of heart-healthy peptides: study
A new study in an American Chemical Society journal has shown that ham bones contain peptides that could have cardioprotective effects. Simmering animal more...
N.C. chicken processor works to pay fines, reopen
Officials in Bladenboro, N.C., and Carrol Poultry have agreed to a plan allowing the company to reopen a local chicken processing plant after paying off more...
Neb. bill would criminalize naming alternative proteins ‘meat’
A bill introduced in the Nebraska legislature would make it illegal for anyone to call lab-grown, plant-based or insect products “meat.” Legislative more...
Foodservice to tackle sustainability, other issues in 2019
The U.S. restaurant industry is expected to take steps to become more environmentally responsible while also focusing on strengthening relationships with more...
News Briefs: Blue Apron, Kona Grill, Perdue Farms, BQA, Burger King
Blue Apron gets third-party safety certification Meal kit maker Blue Apron has received Safe Quality Food (SQF) certification for its fulfillment center more...
Heads up: Group plans big rollout for report bashing meat
Starting tomorrow, a group called The EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health is planning launch events over the next month in five cities around more...
ASF toll rises in China as U.S. pork industry sets action plan
African Swine Fever (ASF) has now expanded to 24 provinces and regions of China since August 2018, prompting the culling of more than 900,000 pigs so more...
Tyson, nonprofit partner on sustainable land project
Tyson Foods and the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) announced a partnership to develop initiatives aimed at accelerating sustainable food production more...
Opportunities remain for U.S. protein exports to China: analyst
Pork, chicken and beef from U.S. producers still have viable opportunities for exports to China despite current uncertainties in trade policies between more...
Merger makes largest country ham producer in the nation
California, Mo.-based Burgers’ Smokehouse has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Clifty Farm Country Meats, headquartered in Paris, more...
Cargill shuffles protein execs
Cargill announced Jon Nash will lead its North American protein business, beginning March 1. He will report to Brian Sikes, who was recently appointed more...
WW rolls out quick pre-cooked chicken, beef meal kits
WW (Weight Watchers reimagined) has introduced new WW Fresh quick-prep meals, which are chef-inspired, nutritionist-approved and ready-to-eat in 10 minutes more...
Niman Ranch project one “to watch” in ‘19
The Niman Ranch Next Generation Foundation made it onto the Food Tank policy organization’s list of 119 organization to “keep an eye on in more...
FoodMaven buys beef processor
Colorado Springs-based FoodMaven announced its purchased Denver-based Anderson Boneless Beef, giving the distributor meat-processing capabilities, while more...
Woody breast effect on meat quality significant: study
In a new study, researchers suggest that the occurrence of woody breast abnormality in chicken breast meat exerts a more profound and noticeable effect more...
Whole Foods scraps smaller, cheaper 365 store concept: report
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey told employees the grocery chain would not open new Whole Foods 365 stores anymore, according to an internal email reviewed more...
Global meat prices rose last month while overall prices stabilized
Higher prices for meat from pigs fueled a slight increase in global meat prices in December, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization more...
Beef demand up 15 percent since 2012
Continued strength in beef prices in 2018 and regular consumer visits to the meat case helped continue beef demand’s rise — to 15 percent more...
Canadian officials update bovine tuberculosis probe results
An investigation into a case of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a herd of cattle in British Columbia will continue even though the majority of the animals more...
Poland culls wild boars to stop ASF, sparking protests: report
The culling of a large number of wild boars in Poland to help prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) and protect the country’s pork industry more...
Two investment firms acquire P.F. Chang’s chain: report
Two New York-based investment firms will pay an undisclosed price to purchase P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc., according to a report from Bloomberg more...
Sustainable beef a key goal for Taco Bell in ’19
Taco Bell laid out a series of commitments to move its business in an eco-friendly direction in 2019. A key promise is to “work to ensure all of more...
N.C. politician dodges ethics complaint tied to chicken plant
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said he didn’t know that one of his former aides contacted the state’s environmental department about more...
Barbeque chain names president, COO amid growth push
Columbus, Ohio-based City Barbeque said it has hired Mike Muldoon as its new president and chief operating officer to help lead the chain’s accelerated more...
Sorghum flour is promising antioxidant replacer in meat: study
New research suggests that whole sorghum flour (WSF) not only has the potential to replace isolated soy protein (ISP) in meat products but also scores more...
Potential Tyson expansion in Texas moves one step closer
Local officials in Texas approved a tax abatement supporting a possible expansion of a Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Sherman, Texas, that could carry more...
Hormel unit Applegate teams with diet plan
Hormel Foods natural and organic meat subsidiary Applegate Farms announced it is partnering with the low-carbohydrate 30-day diet and health plan Whole30 more...
PED virus discovered at Canadian hog farm
The first-ever reported case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) in Alberta is under investigation by Canadian veterinary officials. In a Jan. 8 more...
Wood-fire restaurant chain acquired by equity investor
Private equity investment firm J.H. Whitney Capital Partners will pay an undisclosed price to acquire a majority stake in Firebirds International, parent more...
Supreme Court declines to hear animal welfare case
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to consider challenges to laws in California and Massachusetts restricting the sale of egg, pork and veal products more...
Hain Celestial makes executive changes
Hain Celestial, whose organic and natural food brands include the Empire, FreeBird and Plainville Farms poultry product lines, announced two executive more...
Impossible Burger updates formula
Impossible Foods launched a new version of its Impossible Burger Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The recipe now uses soy protein more...
USDA tallies 2018 trade wins despite challenges
USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) said export opportunities for U.S. farm and food products expanded in 2018 despite many challenges in the more...
Ahold Delhaize unit buys grocery chain
The Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize announces today that Stop & Shop, its largest brand in the United States, has agreed to acquire King Kullen Grocery more...
Salmonella prevalence in chicken carcasses vs. parts: USDA analysis
A newly published data analysis by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Risk Analysis and Analytics staff aims to shed light on how changes more...
U.S., China begin trade talks
U.S. and Chinese officials on Monday kicked off two days of trade talks in Beijing with hopes of ending a 9-month trade war that have stunted meat industry more...
The ‘tribe’ has spoken
U.S. consumers are turning more to bloggers, social media and online communities — or echo chambers called “tribes” — for information more...
Government shutdown roils USDA programs
As the federal government shutdown continues, so do its impacts on the meat industry’s regulators. Nearing its two-week mark, the shutdown now is more...
Takeout customers buy more food than dine-in: Technomic
Consumers who regularly use takeout or delivery services tend to buy more food when ordering than when they dine in the restaurant, according to new research more...
Cold plasma inactivates salmonella in chicken cube-salad model: study
A novel in-package atmospheric cold plasma treatment of lettuce-mixed boiled chicken meat is a feasible decontamination technology for meat cubes, according more...
News Briefs: Sodexo, Red Robin, Delmarva Poultry, Kroger, Steakology, Black Bear Diner, A&W
Sodexo, which provides foodservice and facilities management services to more than 600 U.S. colleges and independent schools, said it will roll out Firehouse more...
Cargill posts 20 percent drop in net profit
Cargill Inc. said its fiscal second quarter earnings fell 20 percent, hurt by challenging conditions across a number of its global markets. Results in more...
West Liberty suit vs. Blue Apron can proceed: judge
A federal judge has denied a motion by Blue Apron LLC to dismiss the lawsuit brought against it in August for breach of contract by West Liberty Foods more...
Florida food distributor joins chicken price-fixing litigation
A Florida food distributor has joined a growing collection of litigation accusing the nation’s largest broiler-processing companies of manipulating more...
Pulsed light treatment reduces pathogens on pork skin: study
Researchers at the University of Leipzig in Germany have found that pulsed light treatments can significantly reduce pathogens on pork skin but that the more...
Former Tyson plant to reopen under new owners: report
A company that acquired a shuttered Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Cherokee County, Iowa, is reopening the facility for further processing of poultry, beef more...
Chipotle launches Keto, Paleo, double-protein salads
Chipotle Mexican Grill is introducing a line of protein-filled salad bowls aimed at those committed to following various diet regimens in the new year more...
S. Korea sets new bird flu rules as USDA urges biosecurity here
South Korean officials are imposing new rules designed to stem the potential spread of avian influenza (AI) while U.S. regulators are reminding poultry more...
Livestock haulers no longer must use electronic logging devices (updated)
In what was praised by the National Pork Producers Council as “a huge win for U.S. livestock producers and haulers,” the Department of Transportation more...
An interview with NAMI chair, JTM co-owner Joe Maas
Joe Maas’s success in the meat industry speaks for itself. Along with his three brothers, Jack, Tony and Jerry, he has helped turn what was their more...
New meat cuts, breakfast dishes top chefs’ 2019 trends
Globally inspired breakfast items and new cuts of meat are among the top menu trends forecast for 2019 by chefs in a National Restaurant Association (NRA) more...
Minnesota moves up in hog ranking
The growing business of growing hogs in Minnesota has put that state within range of taking over the No. 2 spot from North Carolina, noted a report in more...
December 2018
Beef, poultry prices may inch up in 2019; pork might decline
Retail prices for beef and poultry may inch up in U.S. stores in 2019, but pork prices just might decline, according to the latest forecasts from USDA’s more...
Q4 pork production looks like a record
Commercial pork production is on course to achieve a record in the fourth quarter, at slightly more than 7 billion pounds, largely the result of recently more...
USPOULTRY Foundation awards recruiting grant
The USPOULTRY Foundation awarded a $30,642 student recruiting grant to the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Prestage Department of Poultry Science more...
Update on Salmonella Reading outbreak in U.S., Canada
The Public Health Agency of Canada and the federal Centers for Disease Control have updated their findings on a widespread outbreak of salmonella, which more...
U.S., China officials to meet on trade
Despite the government shutdown, a U.S. government delegation plans to travel to Beijing in early January to hold trade talks with Chinese officials, more...
Government shutdown plays havoc with ag data: DLR
Key USDA agricultural data is bound to be a casualty of the federal government shutdown the longer the stalemate persists, analysts at the Daily Livestock more...
ASF virus detected in Chinese animal feed: Reuters
China has found the African swine fever (ASF) virus in protein powder made from pig blood, even after the nation banned its use as a raw material in the more...
Test results are in for depopulated Md. commercial flock
A commercial poultry flock in Wicomico County, Md., that was depopulated earlier this month had no signs of avian influenza, the Maryland Department of more...
Chrysanthemum oil promising as beef, packaging antimicrobial
A new study suggests that chrysanthemum essential oil (CHEO) incorporated into chitosan nanofibers (CS/NF) has strong antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities more...
New ASF outbreaks in China spark supply cuts to neighbors
Additional African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks in and near Guangdong Province prompted nearly 20 pig farms in China to stop sending supplies to Hong Kong more...
U.S. cattle on feed up 2%; record sent to market in November
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.7 million head on more...
Red meat, chicken supplies up, while turkey supplies down from year ago
Total frozen poultry supplies on Nov. 30 fell 13 percent from the previous month but were up 2 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s latest more...
Injury rate for meat, poultry workers hits all-time low: NAMI
The rate of occupational injuries and illnesses for U.S. meat and poultry packers and processors reached an all-time low in 2017, the North American Meat more...
Grubhub: chicken rules the takeout roost
In its annual analysis of take-out dining trends, Grubhub noted that, amidst a growing interest in plant-based foods, chicken dominated among animal-based more...
Poultry further processing joint venture unveiled
Prime-Pak Foods Inc. and Victory Processing Inc. have announced a joint venture for further processing of poultry that will be marketed under the name more...
Giving Back: Illinois Pork, Butterball, Smithfield, Triumph
Illinois Pork Power fights hunger The Illinois Pork Producers Association and Farmweld recently presented Catholic Charities and Enduring Freedom Ministries more...
Unilever buys Dutch company The Vegetarian Butcher
Joining the ranks of major companies betting on the up-and-coming meat analogue technologies, Unilever announced in a news release that it is acquiring more...
New product: grass-fed beef and uncured bacon jalapeno bars
Aiming at consumers using the low carbohydrate ketogenic diet, DNX Foods is introducing a keto-compliant Grass-Fed Beef & Uncured Bacon Jalapeño more...
Nebraska research identifies deadly swine disease gene: study
After eight years of gathering data from more than 1,000 pigs infected with porcine circovirus 2, University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) researchers more...
Richard’s Cajun Foods invests $2.7 million in La. operations
Richard’s Cajun Foods Inc. will invest $2.7 million to consolidate some production and administrative function in its Church Point, La., location more...
BRF aims to complete asset sales in early 2019
Brazil's BRF S.A. expects to close the sale of Argentina's subsidiary Campo Austral and its assets in Thailand and Europe in early 2019, according to more...
Campbell names new CEO
Campbell Soup named Mark Clouse, 50, as its new president and chief and executive officer, effective Jan. 22. Clouse previously served as CEO of Pinnacle more...
USDA on eating raw red meat: Just DON’T
USDA is warning U.S. consumers that eating raw meat — regardless of “holiday tradition” — is a bad idea. The agency more...
Sanderson Farms posts Q4 net loss
Sanderson Farms posted a net loss and lower sales in the fourth quarter, compared with a year ago, hurt by continued weak demand and pricing for its chicken more...
WW, Blue Apron team on new offerings for home delivery
WW -- the revamped Weight Watchers -- and Blue Apron meal kit company have announced WW x Blue Apron, a partnership that will produce a weekly rotating more...
23 more Pollo Tropical, Taco Cabana shops to close
Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc. will close 14 Pollo Tropical restaurants in Florida and Georgia — including all nine Pollo Tropical restaurants in more...
News Briefs: Smithfield, FSIS, Columbus Craft charcuterie
Smithfield Foods formally unveiled its previously announced, new distribution center in Tar Heel, N.C., that is expected to add 250 jobs. The company more...
Brazil's police target minister in bribery case involving JBS controllers
Brazil's federal police executed search warrants on Wednesday as part of an investigation into payment of bribes from JBS S.A.'s controllers to the current more...
Antibiotics use in animals fell sharply in 2017: FDA
A new FDA report shows that the sale of antibiotics used in food-producing animals declined by 33 percent between 2016 and 2017, signaling a significant more...
Dunkin’ Brands promotes three executives
Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. announced two executive promotions and hired an operations executive in a realignment of its management roster. Dunkin’ more...
Delmarva group updates avian disease testing at Md. farm
Chicken industry association Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. said it has stepped up testing and surveillance in the region following a spike in bird more...
Coalition sets new standards for antibiotic stewardship for animals
A group of food companies, livestock producers, trade associations and retailers has released what they call a comprehensive framework to strengthen oversight more...
Groups push for ag to be included in any U.S./EU trade deal
An ad hoc coalition of more than 50 food and agriculture organizations is insisting that any trade deal between the United States and the European Union more...
USMEF study quantifies red meat export value for corn producers
U.S. meat exports in 2018 accounted for the feed use of 29 percent more corn than it did in 2015, according to an updated study commissioned by the U more...
White House launches second phase of tariff-relief aid for pork producers
The Trump administration on Monday announced the second phase of its program to aid American farmers losing money due to ongoing trade disputes, the National more...
Butterball CEO steps down
Butterball President and CEO Kerry Doughty has stepped down from his post, citing health reasons, the company announced in a news release. Former chief more...
Avian flu concerns prompt culling of 40,000 birds in Maryland
An estimated 40,000 chickens were culled at a commercial poultry farm in Wicomico County, Md., after mortality rates spiked higher than usual in recent more...
USDA confirms Newcastle disease in commercial California flock
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) in a commercial flock in more...
Jack in the Box mulls sale
Jack in the Box Inc. announced that its board of directors and management are exploring a “range of strategic and financing alternatives to maximize more...
HSUS targets Pilgrim’s Pride label claims
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action to protect consumers against what the animal more...
Canadian companies face charges for chicken abuse
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said two chicken companies face 38 charges alleging abuse of chickens. CFIA conducted an investigation following more...
Beef quarters recalled for possible SRMs
Vermont Packinghouse LLC, based in N. Springfield, Vt., is recalling about 10,828 pounds of raw intact bone-in beef quarters from cattle identified as more...
A Kentucky Fried Yule log
Fill your holiday home with the warm, cozy scent of … Kentucky Fried Chicken? The poultry fast-food company has partnered with Enviro-Log to create more...
Number of people ill in JBS beef recall grows to 333: CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 87 additional cases of Salmonella Newport linked to beef recalled by JBS Tolleson of Arizona more...
Smithfield loses fourth N.C. hog nuisance trial
Another North Carolina jury on Wednesday issued a verdict in favor of neighbors suing Smithfield Foods on hog farm nuisance claims, according to a local more...
Brazil boosting pork and poultry production; sees need in China
Brazil’s pork and poultry sectors plan to increase production in 2019, aiming to supply growing demand in global markets, especially China, trade more...
Research clarifies spread, control of poultry blackhead disease
New research into blackhead disease, a potentially deadly parasitical infection in poultry, has resulted in the development of molecular tests and an more...
Wendy’s to verify cattle care, sustainability in beef supply
Wendy’s Co. announced a partnership with Progressive Beef to implement a beef supply program focusing on standards for animal welfare, food safety more...
McDonald’s teases Cheesy Bacon Fries expansion
Fans of the already addictive McDonald’s fries soon may have even more reasons to feed their need – for cheese and bacon, specifically – more...
WOTUS rule change cheered by livestock industry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army on Tuesday proposed what the agencies called “a clear, understandable and more...
McDonald’s updates global policy on beef supply chain antibiotics use
McDonald’s announced plans to partner with its global beef suppliers to reduce the use of medically important antibiotics by the end of 2020. McDonald’s more...
Police launches new probe related to info revealed by JBS's stakeholders
Brazil's federal police launched a new corruption probe involving Brazilian politicians on Tuesday related to information provided by JBS S.A.'s controllers more...
Red meat producers, exporters laud farm bill movement
A Senate-House conference committee’s passage Monday night of a 2018 Farm Bill that funds animal disease prevention and meat exports drew praise more...
USDA sued over exemptions for medium-sized CAFOs
A coalition of environmental and other activist groups is suing USDA over a 2016 rule that grants exemptions from certain rule-making procedures for concentrated more...
Lighthizer says March 1 is hard deadline on China trade talks
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Sunday called the March 1 deadline for the United States and China to make progress on trade that would more...
Third time, no charm: Court again rules against Sanderson
A federal judge in Northern California has denied Sanderson Farms’ third effort to have dismissed a lawsuit filed against the company in 2017 over more...
Vet groups issue statement on antimicrobial resistance
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) have more...
Former Agriculture Secretary dies at 90
Bob Bergland, who was President Jimmy Carter’s secretary of agriculture, has died. He was 90. Bergland led the Agriculture Department at more...
Marfrig acquires BRF's Argentine unit, Brazilian factory
Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods is buying BRF S.A.'s Argentinian company Quickfood and the Brazilian beef patty factory at Várzea Grande, as part more...
Grass-fed beef brand continues capital raising campaign
Teton Waters Ranch recently raised another $6 million to expand its grass-fed beef brand, according to a local media report by Business Den. The Denver-based more...
Costco updates policy on antibiotics use
Costco Wholesale Corp. today updated its animal welfare standards to restrict use of medically important antibiotics in the company’s meat and poultry more...
Buckeyes get a bacon break during finals week
Mmm … bacon. The Ohio State University students have a unique snack option for study breaks as they cram for final exams through next week. A Bacon more...
Smithfield fined for water quality violations (UPDATE)
The South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Wednesday it fined Smithfield Foods for water discharge violations at the more...
DOJ recommends Supreme Court leave Calif. animal welfare laws alone
The Department of Justice has filed an amicus brief recommending the Supreme Court of the United States not hear Missouri’s lawsuit against California more...
USDA sets final rule easing school meal requirements
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Thursday announced a final rule giving local schools more flexibility in formulating healthy meals. The rule, to more...
Global food prices hit 2-year low, but meat plateaus
World food prices fell 1.3 percent in November from the month before, reaching their lowest level since May 2016 on much weaker vegetable oil, dairy and more...
New JBS CEO lays out agenda, says IPO a top priority
New JBS S.A. Chief Executive Gilberto Tomazoni said on Wednesday that an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States is “on the top of the more...
U.S. lawmaker seeks plant test data in JBS recall expansion
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., is asking USDA for additional information on the agency’s oversight of operations at the JBS Tolleson beef packing more...
Activist groups go after Kansas law protecting livestock owner rights
A coalition of public interest groups this week filed a lawsuit in Kansas challenging the constitutionality of the state’s law that protects the more...
Giving back: Foster Farms, Tyson Foods, Hormel, Perdue Farms
Foster Farms aids in disaster relief Foster Farms announced a $25,000 donation of cooked chicken as part of a disaster relief effort to support families more...
JBS Tolleson expands raw beef recall by 5 million pounds
JBS Tolleson in Tolleson, Ariz., is expanding its Oct. 4 recall to include an additional 5,156,076 pounds of raw non-intact beef products on Salmonella more...
U.S. to pull out of NAFTA to boost legislative support for USMCA
President Trump said the United States will exit the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) soon in a move that will give Congress six months to more...
Kroger, Walgreens expand pilot on grocery, meal kits
Supermarket giant The Kroger Co. and pharmacy giant Walgreens said today they are expanding a pilot partnership that will offer the drug store chain’s more...
Pork producers could struggle next year, but may see Q2, Q3 relief
Pork producers are expected to struggle with hog prices below costs of production through the winter, Purdue University economist Chris Hurt wrote in more...
Perdue addresses China, Mexico, farm bill
CHICAGO — Taking the stage at the Illinois Farm Bureau Federation conference today after the group passed a resolution seeking an end to current more...
Trade groups applaud trade pact, renew calls for removal of duties
Three protein industry trade groups expressed their support of the formal signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) while calling on the Trump more...
Ammonia leak at Koch Foods plant sends 22 to hospital
An estimated 22 people were taken to the hospital after an ammonia leak at a Koch Foods poultry plant in Gadsden, Ga., was discovered late last week, more...
FSIS 2019 sampling program plans released
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has released the Annual Sampling Program Plan and Residue Sampling more...
November 2018
Sanderson has a new chapter in its antibiotics story
Sanderson Farms said today it will end, by March 1, 2019, the use of antibiotics considered medically important for humans for disease prevention more...
China steps up U.S. pork buying: Reuters
China is buying U.S. pork again, and traders are interpreting the fresh interest as a sign the country’s African Swine Fever outbreak has raised more...
U.S., Canada and Mexico sign trade deal
The United States, Canada and Mexico have signed a new trade agreement that essentially modernizes the North American Free Trade Agreement. The United more...
Poultry plant opposition ramps up in Ontario
Activists and others who oppose Maple Leaf Foods’ plan to build a C$660 million, state-of-the-art poultry processing plant in London, Ontario, have more...
Maple Leaf CEO refutes criticism of public money for poultry plant
That Maple Leaf Foods’ new 640,000-square-foot poultry processing facility will receive federal-provincial help in the form of a C$54.5 million more...
Farm bill negotiators reach ‘agreement in principle’: Politico
After months of deadlock, House and Senate negotiators have reached an “agreement in principle” on a new farm bill that could send the legislation more...
Ag leaders intensify efforts to stop USDA ERS/NIFA move
Pushback from the agricultural community ratcheted up a notch this week as 21 prominent voices, including two former USDA chief scientists, sent more...
Pork groups pay it forward in charitable campaign
U.S. pig farmers, the National Pork Board, the National Pork Producers Council and state pork associations this week kicked off the third annual Hams more...
Cargill invests $70 million in its Thai operations
Cargill announced it will spend more than $70 million over the next two years to grow its seafood and poultry business in Thailand, including an investment more...
Snack maker ships THC-infused jerky to Las Vegas dispensaries
A Canadian company has delivered its first shipments of what it describes as cannabis-infused beef jerky products to licensed dispensaries in Nevada. more...
Cracker Barrel to adjust focus, menu in bid to revive traffic
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. is ramping up its off-premise business and adjusting its menu as it tries to reverse a decline in customer traffic more...
Use of organogels in meat processing can produce good fat: research
Researchers from the University of Guelph, Canada, have investigated the effects of fat and oil type, form and heating rate in a comminuted meat system more...
Smithfield, energy giant team up on methane emissions project
Smithfield Foods Inc. today announced a joint venture with Dominion Energy to develop a major methane-to-energy conversion project that also is expected more...
FSIS posts data on poultry plant salmonella performance
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Friday posted a list of individual poultry slaughter plants and their salmonella performance more...
U.S., Argentina to sign beef deal: Reuters
Argentina will soon sign a deal with the United States to allow bilateral trade of fresh beef for the first time in almost two decades, according to a more...
Animal welfare a factor when consumers buy meat: survey
Animal welfare has a larger impact on meat purchasing decisions than price or quality, especially among millennials and women, according to a new survey more...
Tyson said to be in the hunt for BRF poultry assets
Tyson Foods Inc. reportedly is among the finalists seeking to buy the Asian and European chicken processing facilities owned by BRF SA, according to a more...
Climate report sees challenges ahead for livestock, crops
Higher global temperatures expected over the next several decades are expected to adversely affect the health of livestock and crop yields, according more...
WTO to create panels for myriad trade disputes
The World Trade Organization has agreed to establish dispute settlement panels to hear a series of disagreements over duties imposed on meat imports, more...
Fat is back in top culinary trends for 2019
In its 6th annual Culinary Trends report, the Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) identifies the top culinary trends that will stand out on menus, expand into grocery more...
Tillamook is on fire -- figuratively
Where there's smoke, there's fire — and meat snacks maker Tillamook Country Smoker (TCS) is most definitely on fire. Currently ranked more...
Beef demand resilient in second half of 2018
Since early August, wholesale choice beef cutout prices have avoided the seasonal third-quarter slump of the past 2 years and have stayed well above year-earlier more...
USMEF announces new officers
The U.S. Meat Export Federation has elected Conley Nelson of Algona, Iowa, to be USMEF chairman, part of the organization’s 2018 Strategic Planning more...
News briefs: Quaker Steak, Conagra, Niche Meat Processors Network, Baconfest Chicago
Steak all day at Quaker Steak & Lube Quaker Steak & Lube said its new all-day menu builds on the brand’s slogan, “Steak is our middle more...
Don't blame the turkey for that nap
The noble turkey, once championed by Benjamin Franklin as "a bird of courage" and "a much more respectable bird" than the America's first bird, the bald more...
Keystone sale to Tyson gets final approval
Brazilian meat processor Marfrig said Thursday that South Korea's competition regulatory agency approved the sale of its subsidiary Keystone to Tyson more...
Beef production adjusted marginally lower in 2018 and 2019
USDA has reduced its forecast for 2018 beef production by 30 million pounds to 26.9 billion pounds. The mild revision is based on numbers at the end of more...
Pork ads win award
A U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) advertising campaign that promotes the high quality of U.S. pork in Japan won accolades from the Japanese advertising more...
Ready-to-eat pork rolls recalled due to possible Listeria
Houston, Texas-based 165368 C. Corp., doing business as Long Phung Food Products, is recalling an undetermined amount of ready-to-eat pork products that more...
Fewer cattle placed on feed, more marketed than expected
Cattle placed on feed in the United States in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head during October totaled 2.25 million head, 6 percent below October more...
Canada investigates new case of bovine TB
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said it has launched an investigation into a case of bovine tuberculosis in British Columbia stemming from more...
Quality, convenience outrank price in holiday food shopping survey
Consumers are looking for higher-quality products and greater convenience during their holiday grocery shopping experiences, according to a recent survey more...
Refrigerated foods, international propel Q4 gains for Hormel
Sales and volume gains in two of Hormel Foods Corp.’s business segments helped the Austin, Minn.-based processor post net income gains in both the more...
SpartanNash to Acquire Martin's Super Markets
Grocery distributor SpartanNash Company announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Martin's Super Markets, Inc. a family-owned and operated Midwest more...
Raw poultry recalled on misbranding
Deleite Foods Enterprises Inc., a Salt Lake City establishment, is recalling 11,000 pounds of marinated raw poultry products due to misbranding more...
Mexico approves 26 Brazilian chicken plants for exports; in talks on beef
Mexico has authorized 26 Brazilian chicken processing plants to export chicken to Mexico, Brazil’s agriculture ministry said in a news release. more...
Cargill names new global protein leader
Cargill has named Brian Sikes to lead its global protein and salt businesses. He will succeed Todd Hall, who announced his retirement after 36 years with more...
CDC: 126 more people ill in JBS beef Salmonella outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) late last week said that, since its last update in October, 126 more people have been found more...
German retailer sets East Coast expansion via acquisition
The German-based discount grocery chain Lidl will pay an undisclosed price to acquire 27 Best Market stores in New York and New Jersey, part of an expansion more...
Poultry processor, USDA to probe animal abuse allegations
A Maryland-based chicken processor is weighing its options after an animal advocacy group released an undercover video purportedly showing workers punching more...
JBS settles for $4 million to squash hiring discrimination claims
JBS USA has agreed to pay $4 million to settle two hiring discrimination cases involving the company’s Cactus, Texas, and Hyrum, Utah, beef packing more...
Panera introduces breakfast delivery
Panera Bread said it will launch morning breakfast delivery in 231 cities nationwide. The chain said it is the first national restaurant company to offer more...
Conagra's Evol unit launches protein bowls
Evol Foods, a unit of ConAgra Brands, has launched a line of Modern Nutrition Bowls, which are designed to provide people with the vitamins and nutrients more...
News briefs: Jennie-O, Famous Dave’s, MasterClass, Long John Silver’s
Jennie-O launches Turkey Tracker Jennie-O Turkey Store has launched an online Turkey Tracker for tracing fresh or frozen Jennie-O whole turkeys back to more...
Conagra looking to expand Slim Jim plant: report
Conagra Brands has applied for local permits that would enable $15.5 million in expansion projects at its Troy, Ohio, facilities that manufacturer Slim more...
Schwan’s sold to South Korean company
Minnesota-based frozen food manufacturer Schwan’s announced it has reached an agreement to sell a majority stake in the company to CJ CheilJedang more...
Meal kit giant cuts 4 percent of workforce
Meal kit giant Blue Apron Holdings Inc. announced it is cutting 4 percent of its workforce as it reworks its strategy in an effort to turn a profit for more...
Smithfield’s Farmland to help protect land used for farming
Smithfield Foods' meat brand Farmland announced a campaign to link its products to protecting the nation’s farmland. Farmland is partnering with more...
Tyson may invest $30 million to expand Texas plant (Updated)
Tyson Foods Inc. is looking to upgrade the material handling facility at its Sherman, Texas, operations to support production at the plant, a company more...
ASF fears escalate after feed contamination discovery: Reuters
Concerns about further spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in China have reignited after a major feed producer confirmed that its animal feed was indeed more...
JBS again eyeing IPO in the US after improved results
Brazil's JBS S.A. plans to launch an initial public offering in the U.S. market “as soon as possible,” Chief Financial Officer Jerry O' Callaghan more...
Niman Ranch inks distribution agreement in western states
Niman Ranch announced a new partnership with protein distributor West Coast Prime Meats to deliver its Niman Ranch Certified Humane choice and prime beef more...
Tyson finishes ‘challenging” year with strong Q4 showing
Record beef profits and acquisitions helped Tyson Foods Inc. post solid operating income in the fourth fiscal quarter to end what President and CEO Noel more...
Sanderson embraces the future, not the past, with new infographic
Sanderson Farms, a steadfast defender of the modern technologies and the judicious use of antibiotics in poultry production, has issued a new infographic more...
NPB and USMEF partner on pork export market study
The National Pork Board, the U.S. Meat Export Federation and USDA announced the start of a new marketing study called Pork 2040 that will investigate more...
Chinese company says feed not contaminated with ASF: Reuters
China’s Tangrenshen Group said tests “failed to confirm” the presence of African Swine Fever (ASF) in animal feed manufactured by one more...
Steer slaughter below 2017 levels: Peel
(This article is republished in its entirety with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing more...
South Korean trade mission posts gains but issues remain
Last week’s four-day trade mission designed to boost U.S. food exports to South Korea scored some gains for U.S. exporters, even though other challenges more...
Two new sugar-free bacon products introduced
North Country Smokehouse has introduced two sugar-free, paleo-friendly bacon products. Organic Applewood Smoked Sugar-Free Bacon is USDA Certified Organic more...
New Logan’s Roadhouse president named after merger
Following the merger of casual dining steakhouse chain Logan’s Roadhouse and CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, the company has elevated restaurant more...
JBS owner Joesley Batista is arrested again in Brazil
Brazil's JBS S.A. former chairman and major stakeholder Joesley Batista was jailed on Friday, a result of the latest development in the “Carwash” more...
Massive fire destroys packing plant
A massive fire Thursday night destroyed a Peoria, Ill., meat packing plant, according to a report by the Peoria Journal Star. No one was hurt in more...
First death reported in salmonella outbreak linked to raw turkey
A nationwide outbreak of salmonellosis linked to contaminated raw turkey products has caused a death in California, the Centers for Disease Control and more...
Date set for auction of defunct beef processor’s assets
Bartels Packing, the Eugene, Ore.-based beef processor that closed its doors in March, will auction its assets on Dec. 11, after no buyers were found more...
Animal activists face felony charges after chicken theft
Six animal activists arrested in September for stealing chickens during a protest at a Petaluma, Calif., poultry farm now face felony burglary, theft more...
Papa Murphy's hires adviser to explore strategic alternatives
Struggling take-and-bake pizza chain Papa Murphy's Holdings Inc. announced Wednesday it has hired North Point Advisors to help conduct a review of its more...
Scientists validate method to combat meat fraud
An Italian research team has found an effective way to determine meat authenticity in complex food matrices that are the most susceptible to adulteration more...
BRF expects binding offers for several foreign assets in mid-December
Brazil's BRF S.A. expects to receive binding offers for its assets in Argentina, Thailand and Europe in mid-December, Chief Executive Pedro Parente said more...
California’s Prop 12 sets space requirements for farm animals
California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 12 in Tuesday’s mid-term election, establishing specific space requirements for farm animals more...
Burger chain's longtime CEO to retire
Sonic Corp., the Oklahoma-based drive-in restaurant chain with 3,600 locations, announced that Chairman and Chief Executive Cliff Hudson will retire and more...
Tex-Mex chain files bankruptcy, sells to Sun Holdings
Taco Bueno Restaurants announced that Sun Holdings will become the owner of the Tex-Mex quick service chain through a debt-for-equity swap under a restructuring more...
FDA approves drug to reduce cattle ammonia emissions
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it has approved Elanco’s Experior, the first animal drug that when fed to beef cattle under specific more...
Meat giants make a thud in China
Brazil’s JBS Group and Denmark’s Danish Crown agreed today to a collective $1.9-billion deal to supply Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group’s more...
Court grants R-CALF’s motion to expand beef checkoff lawsuit
The federal district court in Montana on Monday granted independent rancher group R-CALF USA’s motion to expand its lawsuit against the USDA and more...
Cargill, TGI Fridays take patties to retail
Cargill and restaurant/retail brand TGI Fridays have teamed up to stock supermarket freezers with frozen beef patties in four flavors — bacon cheddar more...
766-unit chicken chain sold
Bojangles’ Inc. announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by investment firm Durational Capital Management more...
New ASF cases reverberate in China and with U.S. meat industry
China officials confirmed a new case of African Swine Fever (ASF) in southern Hunan province, following reports of two new cases over the weekend in the more...
Canadian salmonella recall expands
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has expanded a recall, first announced late last month, for chicken products that may be contaminated with more...
McCaskill opposes Valley Oaks Steak expansion
Missouri Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill reportedly has “serious concerns” about Valley Oaks Steak Co.'s plans to expand its feedlot and beef more...
A handshake deal — the Second City way
So much of what Devanco Foods does is uniquely Chicago. The “hot, wet” (soaked in au jus and topped with giardiniera) variety of seasoned more...
Seaboard posts drop in Q3 pork operating income
Seaboard Foods reported operating income of $2 million from its pork division on sales of $412 million in the third quarter, down from $59 million in more...
Blockchain with a side of sweet potatoes
Cargill Inc.’s Honeysuckle White turkey brand is expanding its traceability program in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, the company said in a more...
Canada to help its poultry industry adjust to NAFTA replacement
Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay has announced the formation of a working group to help poultry and egg processors and more...
Giving Back: Sanderson, Perdue AgriBusiness, Applegate, Smithfield, Foster Farms, Hormel
Sanderson pledges $1 million to hurricane efforts Sanderson Farms pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross for ongoing relief efforts in the aftermath more...
Fieldale seeks $2.25 million exit from chicken price-fixing litigation
Fieldale Farms has filed a motion asking a federal judge in Illinois to give final approval of its $2.25 million settlement with chicken buyers suing more...
FDA sets biotech action plan for animals, plants
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) outlined steps the agency will take through 2020 to foster innovation in plant and animal biotechnology applications more...
Global meat prices slump in October
After holding steady last month, global prices for beef and pork came under pressure in October from growing supply, and poultry prices also fell, the more...
Poultry groups welcome EPA proposal on animal manure releases
Poultry industry groups are commending the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its proposed changes to the Emergency Planning and Community Right more...
October 2018
Zacky Farms to wind down operations in early 2019
Zacky & Sons Poultry will shut down early next year in light of unsuccessful efforts to generate business and capital, the company announced. The more...
Trade tensions, pork glut cut into Smithfield owner’s profits
WH Group, the Chinese owner of U.S. pork giant Smithfield Foods, said Tuesday that trade conflicts and oversupply in the U.S. pork market weighed on financial more...
Appeals court strikes down gag order in hog nuisance lawsuits
An appeals court panel has found that the trial judge’s gag order in the North Carolina hog farm nuisance lawsuits violated the First Amendment more...
Higher sales, different profit scenarios for restaurant giants in Q3
Stronger sales helped the owners of KFC, Pizza Hut, Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP post solid financial results in the third quarter more...
McDonald’s confirms tests of made-to-order chicken items
McDonald’s is gathering feedback from customers and employees as it tests two new made-to-order chicken-based meals in 160 restaurants in Washington more...
Hain Celestial taps Pinnacle exec as new CEO
The Hain Celestial Group announced its board of directors has named veteran consumer packaged foods executive Mark Schiller as the company's new president more...
Steakhouse chain leads parent with strong sales
Tampa, Fla.-based Bloomin’ Brands reported third-quarter comparable restaurant sales were up 4.6 percent at its U.S. Outback Steakhouse brand with more...
On the prowl with the ‘Microbe Hunter’
Robert Buchanan knew from an early age that he wanted to be a scientist of some sort, maybe a veterinarian or marine biologist. As a teen he made a decision: more...
Salmonella concerns spark chicken burger recall in Canada
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that Sofina Foods has recalled its Janes brand of Pub Style Chicken Burgers because of possible salmonella more...
Weekend ammonia leak disrupts White Castle facility operation
An ammonia leak at a White Castle facility in Covington, Ky., forced the closure of a nearby road for more than five hours until it was contained, according more...
McRib is back, and at the front door
McDonald’s Corp. has re-introduced its occasional popular McRib pork sandwich, and said the item with the cult following can be had through Uber more...
Blue Apron to deliver through Walmart-owned service
Meal kit maker Blue Apron announced a partnership with Walmart-owned online shopping service Jet to deliver its meal kits across most of New York City more...
U.S. lifts ASF restrictions on Polish pork
USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) said Thursday it has lifted restrictions on imports of some fresh and frozen pork from Poland more...
Smithfield unveils manure-to-energy projects
Smithfield Foods announced additional efforts in the expansion of its Smithfields Renewables program, including what it called an ambitious goal of implementing more...
Red meat, poultry production down in September
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.19 billion pounds in September, down 5 percent from the 4.41 billion pounds produced in more...
Cargill inks renewable energy purchase agreement
Cargill Inc. has signed a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) to buy 50 megawatts (MW) of wind power from a wind farm currently under construction more...
Maple Leaf Foods grows a ‘Greenleaf’
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods, having already invested in two plant-based food brands, has folded them into an independent subsidiary, Greenleaf Foods more...
Texas A&M holds groundbreaking for poultry research facility
Texas A&M University broke ground today on a new poultry biosafety research facility. With gift funding from Merck Animal Health and Tyson Foods, more...
Foster Farms creates refrigerated chicken snacks for on the go
Foster Farms has introduced a fully cooked, ready-to-eat chicken line called Bold Bites, intended for snacking on the go. The Livingston, Calif.-based more...
Luby’s appoints new COO as it attempts turnaround
Houston-based Luby's Inc., which is in the midst of a turnaround effort, announced the appointment of Benjamin (Todd) Coutee to chief operating officer more...
CDC ups illnesses, geographic spread from JBS beef salmonella outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting 63 more people have fallen ill in 14 states, bringing the total to 120 people in 22 states more...
Researchers produce virus-resistant pigs
Researchers from the University of Missouri, Kansas State University and animal genetics provider Genus have successfully produced a litter more...
Smithfield partners on project to reduce landfill waste in N.C.
Smithfield Foods announced a partnership with waste services provider Waste Connections to create a recycling operation that processes materials specifically more...
Competition trims same-store sales at Burger King, McDonald’s
Burger King and McDonald’s, two of the nation’s largest burger chains, each reported sluggish same-store sales growth in the third quarter more...
USDA/FDA open public meeting on cell-cultured meats
WASHINGTON —USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb welcomed a packed room of attendees to the agencies' more...
Separate fires spark losses at meat plant, duck farm
Two fires over the weekend destroyed a small meat plant in Kansas and caused an estimated $2 million in damage at a poultry farm in Maryland, according more...
More meat, poultry in cold storage, but build-up is slowing
Total meat and poultry supplies in cold storage continued above year ago levels in September, but increases slowed as the poultry industry reduces chick more...
Publix names new president, other promotions effective in 2019
Publix Super Markets Inc. announced several executive promotions, including the elevation of Kevin Murphy to the post of president, effective Jan. 1. more...
Creekstone unveils plans for distribution center
Marubeni Group-owned Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC plans to build a $35 million refrigerated distribution center at its plant in Arkansas City, Kans more...
Cargill’s robotic cattle driver could be prototype for other livestock, poultry
Cargill has developed an industry-first robotic cattle driver aimed at improving animal welfare and employee safety. The robots are designed to move cattle more...
EU, U.S. trade talks on beef to move forward
The European Commission has been authorized to open talks with the United States over the EU’s imports of “high quality,” hormone-free more...
China finds ASF in new area as crisis continues: Reuters
An outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) that has spread in China since August has now been found in a previously unaffected area, according to Reuters more...
USDA to finalize new swine inspection system
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said in its fall 2018 statement of regulatory priorities that the agency intends to finalize a proposal more...
USDA halts Polish pork imports on ASF fears
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said it has suspended imports of fresh and frozen pork products from Poland due to more...
Beyond Meat eyeing IPO: report
The CNBC financial news network has reported that Beyond Meat vegan food company has hired several investment banks in preparation for an initial public more...
Wieners recalled due to undeclared milk
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has recalled Schneiders brand Country Naturals Wieners from the marketplace because they may contain milk which is not declared more...
Antibiotic-resistant salmonella outbreak in raw poultry sickens 92 people: CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a notice on Wednesday detailing the investigation of an outbreak of Salmonella Infantis more...
Riley leaving NAMI for Maple Leaf Foods
After a 27-year career with the North American Meat Institute, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Janet Riley will be departing to join Toronto’s more...
HelloFresh makes a meal of Canadian company
HelloFresh announced Wednesday it has entered into an agreement to acquire Canadian meal kit competitor Chefs Plate. The combined companies will lead more...
Giving back: Tyson, Prairie Fresh, Smithfield, Perdue Farms
Tyson mobile kitchen provides disaster relief in Ga. In response to Hurricane Michael, Tyson Foods sent its 53-foot mobile kitchen and cook teams to set more...
Trump sets in motion trade talk plans for Japan, EU, UK
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office officially notified Congress that the Trump administration intends to negotiate three separate trade agreements more...
Activist coalition calls on burger chains to boost antibiotics monitoring
U.S. burger restaurants need to improve their efforts to address the use of antibiotics in the beef they buy to make their products, according to a new more...
Organic acids can increase listeria growth in HPP-treated ham: study
A recently published study suggests that Listeria monocytogenes may grow during storage in high pressure processed (HPP) cooked ham formulated with organic more...
Arby's to offer seared duck sandwich for limited time
Arby's announced it will serve a seared duck breast sandwich in limited quantities at 16 locations across the country to coincide with duck hunting season more...
Court takes control of debt-laden Kane Beef
Saddled with massive debt, Kane Beef is now in receivership, according to court documents. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas more...
More wastewater issues for Mountaire Farms after recent discharge
Officials in Delaware are continuing to monitor cleanup efforts by Mountaire Farms following an accidental wastewater discharge from its poultry plant more...
Deli meat processor hires sales boss
Deli meat processor Land O’Frost announced today the company hired Chris McCarthy as its vice president of sales. McCarthy will lead sales strategy more...
USDA to grant license for African Swine Fever vaccine
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) on Monday published in the Federal Register a notice of intent to grant animal health company Zoetis more...
Poultry industry calculates losses from Hurricane Michael
Hurricane Michael’s impact on the poultry industry took a toll in Georgia and Alabama, but operations in other Southeast states — already more...
Snack processor adds meat with acquisition
Hearthside Food Solutions in Downers Grove, Ill., has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Greencore USA, a unit of the Irish company Greencore Group more...
Construction begins on R.I. processing plant
Construction of a new $100-milion meat processing plant originally announced in May has launched, a facility that is expected to create about 700 jobs more...
Livestock groups keep up pressure on trucking regs
The National Pork Producers Council submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), supporting revisions to existing federal trucking more...
Kane Beef’s money problems continue: report
Already in the midst of paying back millions to the city of Corpus Christi, Texas, for overdue taxes and utility bills, and tens of millions to cattlemen more...
N.C. extends hog farm buyout program
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has partnered with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to extend its program more...
WASDE meat production outlook reduced on slaughter rates
USDA lowered its forecast for total red meat and poultry production from the previous month, citing reduced fed cattle and commercial hog slaughter levels more...
How to pin down 600 pounds of beef
The wrestling team at Colorado State University’s Pueblo campus has come up with a tasty way to beef up its funding coffers. According a report more...
Sanderson, Tyson close plants due to hurricane (Updated)
Sanderson Farms said its poultry processing plant in Moultrie, Ga., which closed as a precaution to ride out Hurricane Michael, would resume normal operations more...
EU ready to approve talks on U.S. beef: Reuters
European Union countries are nearing approval of negotiations with the United States to boost imports of U.S. beef, according to an exclusive report by more...
Animal scientists given Humane Hero awards
Three leading animal scientists have been honored by American Humane with the organization's Humane Hero Award for their work in helping improve more...
Poultry processor BRF to replace CEO by mid-2019
BRF S.A. Chief Executive Pedro Parente will step down from his post by mid-2019, when the Brazilian poultry processor's current chief operating officer more...
Smithfield worker dies of injury in N.C. plant accident (Updated)
A worker at Smithfield Foods’ Tar Heel, N.C., plant has died after an accident Tuesday afternoon, the company confirmed in a statement emailed to more...
Chipotle closes in on selecting a new food safety czar
Chipotle Mexican Grill may hire a new food safety officer before the end of the calendar year as the current head of food safety prepares to retire in more...
DOJ settles discrimination case against Mar-Jac Poultry
Mar-Jac Poultry has agreed to pay $215,000 to settle claims that it discriminated against non-U.S. citizens through a pattern of unfair documentation more...
Bovine TB identified in Michigan beef herd
The state of Michigan announced Tuesday that bovine tuberculosis was recently confirmed in a large beef herd in Alcona County. The infectious bacterial more...
NC swine lagoons still in trouble from Hurricane Florence
Swine lagoons in North Carolina still are showing signs of damage or are at risk nearly a month after Hurricane Florence made landfall, according to the more...
Oklahoma puts brakes on poultry expansion, for now
Oklahoma’s government on Monday implemented a moratorium on applications to build new poultry feeding operations in that state, according to a news more...
Maple Leaf updates sow housing and transportation progress
Maple Leaf Foods announced it has converted more than 40,000 sows, or over 50 percent of its herd, to its advanced open sow housing system. The Canadian more...
JBS expands beef production in Brazil to supply China
JBS S.A. is doubling beef production at two of its facilities in Brazil's Minas Gerais state in order to meet increased demand from China, the company more...
X-ray irradiation radically reduces pathogens in RTE deli ham: study
New research has shown X-ray irradiation has the potential to be used as a novel non-thermal process for inactivating foodborne pathogens in post-packaged more...
IBM Food Trust blockchain network adds big food retailer
Global food retailer Carrefour is the latest food-related company to join IBM Food Trust’s blockchain-based cloud network, IBM announced. Carrefour more...
Dietary Guidelines committee selection begins
The nominations for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee closed on Oct. 6, and the process for choosing the committee members has begun. The more...
FSIS to implement reorganization plan next week
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said that in the week of Oct. 14 it plans to implement a reorganization plan aimed at increasing more...
Claxton Poultry cleared in OSHA review
The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission in Atlanta has ruled in favor of Norman W. Fries Inc., doing business as Claxton Poultry, in the more...
Meat snack processor taps into pet treats, prevents layoffs
Monogram Food Solutions announced today it has signed a co-pack agreement to produce pet treats from its subsidiary Monogram Snacks Texas plant in Schulenburg more...
NAMI installs new officers
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) today elected the six new officers who will guide the organization in the next year. NAMI used the occasion more...
FSIS revises directive on common food allergens in meat
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a revised directive to inspectors to emphasize the importance of verifying control of major more...
Tennessee family sues Cargill over child’s E. coli illness
A Tennessee couple are suing Cargill Meat Solutions claiming the company manufactured and sold contaminated ground beef that caused their young daughter’s more...
With USMCA a wrap, trade focus returns to China
With a new trade agreement now in place between the United States, Canada and Mexico, there are signs that the U.S. and China could restart negotiations more...
Top E. coli interventions in beef: research
Researchers from Queen's University Belfast in Ireland have found that cold plasma, bacteriophages, vinegar, lactic acid, and carvacrol and thyme more...
Giving back: Tyson, Smithfield, Pilgrim’s, Mountaire Farms, Jennie-O
Tyson earmarks $1 million for protein sourcing The Tyson Foods Protein Innovation Fund provided $1 million to 10 food banks in nine states to fund protein more...
More frozen chicken recalled; Canada updates public health warning
Ottawa-based Loblaw Companies is recalling $10 Chicken Fries due to possible Salmonella contamination, based on findings from an ongoing Canadian more...
Industry veteran returns to TGI Fridays as CEO
Ray Blanchette is returning to TGI Fridays as CEO, taking up his third chief executive position since November 2015. Blanchette succeeds Aslam Kahn, who more...
Maple Leaf Foods buys Italian meat products maker
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said it will acquire VIAU Foods in a deal valued at $215 million that will expand the Mississauga, Ontario-based processor’s more...
Staid meat brand raises the stakes in Twitter-verse
With a series of angst-ridden tweets about – and aimed at – millennials, processed sandwich meat brand Steak-Umm is breaking through the social more...
Maple Leaf Foods buys Italian meat products maker
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said it will acquire VIAU Foods in a deal valued at $215 million that will expand the Mississauga, Ontario-based processor’s more...
JBS trucking unit sued for alleged disability discrimination
JBS USA’s trucking unit violated federal law by using pre-employment screening procedures that improperly screen out truck driving job applicants more...
More cattlemen seek repayment from Kane Beef
More cattlemen and feedlot operators are seeking to join a federal lawsuit claiming Kane Beef owes them millions of dollars, according to court documents more...
Blue Apron tries another approach to delivering meal kits
Blue Apron Holdings is launching an on-demand delivery offering in selected New York City zip codes with additional on-demand channel expansion expected more...
Meat industry gets what it wants in new U.S/Mexico/Canada deal
One thing the meat industry wanted in a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement was: nothing. The industry wanted already trade-friendly terms more...
N.C. estimates crop, livestock losses from Hurricane Florence
Crop and livestock losses from Hurricane Florence are expected to exceed $1.1 billion, including $23.1 million in livestock, poultry and aquaculture losses more...
Activists arrested after entering poultry farm and taking chickens
Members of the organization Direct Action Everywhere, which promotes a vegan lifestyle, were arrested on Saturday after entering a poultry farm near Petaluma more...
Latest Meat Processor’s Journal spotlights formed, extruded products
The newest edition of The Meat Processor’s Journal – focusing on formed and extruded meat products – is available now as a more...
September 2018
FSIS adds criteria for poultry line speed waivers
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection on Service today added criteria the agency will consider when poultry slaughter plants request a waiver allowing more...
DeLauro asks USDA for answers on Cargill beef recall timeline
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., has written a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue criticizing the length of time it took for a traceback investigation to more...
Company looks to expand grass-fed production
Strauss Brands, a third-generation family-owned and -operated meat company, Strauss Brands, is looking to expand its 100 percent grass-fed and -finished more...
KFC to get new CEO
Yum! Brands Inc. has promoted Tony Lowings to KFC Division Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2019. Lowings, a 24-year veteran of the company more...
Cargill Q1 profit rises 5 percent on strong beef
Cargill today reported both earnings and revenue rose 5 percent in the company’s fiscal first quarter, lifted by continued strong domestic and international more...
Brazil's securities regulator rejects JBS settlement deal
A deal proposed by JBS S.A. and majority shareholders to settle potential charges related to insider trading has been rejected by Brazil's securities more...
China works to keep contaminated pork from market: Reuters
As outbreaks of African Swine Fever affect several regions in China, the government there said Wednesday it will work to prevent pork that is potentially more...
Wayne Farms, Pilgrim’s water treatment efforts in spotlight
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) presented its 2018 Clean Water Award to Wayne Farms in Pendergrass, Ga., and Pilgrim’s in Guntersville more...
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Retirement fund shareholder raps McDonald’s on chicken welfare
In a letter to McDonald’s Chairman Enrique Hernandez and CEO Stephen Easterbrook, the New York State Common Retirement Fund, which owns $343 million more...
USDA names eight retailers involved in Cargill beef recall
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has published a list of eight retailers it believes received ground beef recalled last week by Cargill more...
Another snack maker sees a market for biltong
Meat snacks maker Made by True announced it is rolling out a biltong product line in the United States designed to appeal to health-conscious consumers more...
Grubhub expands to college campuses with acquisition
Online food-ordering company Grubhub has made a bet on the appetite for prepared meals among college students with the acquisition of Tapingo, a leading more...
Huge restaurant chains merge in $2.3 billion deal
Inspire Brands (parent of Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and Rusty Tacos) has agreed to buy Sonic Corp., in a deal valued at $2.3 billion that includes more...
New KORUS agreement reassuring news for pork, beef
President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have signed a revised version of the United States-Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) more...
Poultry death toll from Florence climbs, could go higher
Hurricane Florence and its aftermath has killed an estimated 4.1 million birds and the toll could increase as recovery efforts continue, according to more...
USDA Cold Storage report shows more of everything
USDA reported total frozen poultry supplies on Aug. 31 were up 5 percent from the previous month and up 11 percent from a year ago in its monthly Cold more...
Three restaurant groups name new leadership
Three large restaurant groups this past week announced new executive promotions and hires. RAVE Restaurant Group, the parent company for Pizza Inn and more...
Hormel unit plans $150 million expansion of Iowa plant
Burke Marketing Corp., a subsidiary of Hormel Foods Corp., plans to nearly double the size of its Nevada, Iowa plant and create about 210 new jobs more...
China scraps trade talks with U.S. as tariffs go live
The United States and China today activated new sets of tariffs on each other in an escalating trade war that promises no resolution in the immediate more...
McDonald’s reorganizes as executive retires
McDonald’s announced that President, International Lead Markets & Chief Restaurant Officer Doug Goare, 66, will retire after 40 years and the more...
Foster Farms rolls out interactive QR package code
Foster Farms introduces DORI, a new, interactive on-package QR code for its chicken products that is accessible via smartphones and connects consumers more...
USDA reports more cattle out there than expected
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on more...
Cargill ground beef recall linked to one death, six hospitalizations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday said one person has died and six were hospitalized in connection with an outbreak of more...
Jerky plant to bring 150 jobs to Okla. town
A new jerky plant is expected to bring up to 150 jobs to Madill, Okla., according to a local media report. Stryve Biltong CEO Gabe Carimi is quoted as more...
Virginia chicken plant hit with rare bird disease
Virginia health officials are investigating an outbreak of a rare infectious disease more commonly associated with pet birds that has sickened chicken more...
Foreign matter concerns prompt beef jerky recall
Junior’s Smokehouse Processing Plant in El Campo, Texas, is recalling some 690 pounds of ready-to-eat teriyaki beef jerky products because more...
Monogram to invest $30 million in Va. plant expansion
Memphis-based meat snack processor Monogram Food Solutions will invest $30 million to expand its plant again in Henry County, Va., and add 300 new jobs more...
Cargill recalls 132,000 pounds of ground beef
Cargill Meat Solutions' Fort Morgan, Colo., plant is recalling approximately 132,606 pounds of ground beef products made from the chuck portion of the more...
Perdue Farms makes large contribution to Carolinas recovery
Perdue Farms said it is sending food, meals and a large donation to the American Red Cross to aid recovery efforts in the Carolinas in response to historic more...
Jerky maker strikes Whole Foods deal
Homegrown Meats, a San Diego-based maker of “artisan" beef jerky, has struck a deal to sell four flavors in the brand's flagship jerky line through more...
Florence update: Animal deaths expected to top Hurricane Matthew toll
Hurricane Florence apparently has caused more livestock losses than Hurricane Matthew two years ago, as state officials and processing companies continue more...
Giving back: Tyson hurricane relief; Hormel; Perdue; Smithfield
Tyson sends teams to North Carolina to prepare meals Tyson Foods said it will send teams to prepare meals for those affected by and responding to Hurricane more...
Wood extracts add shelf life, sweet taste to pork: study
New research from Spain shows that natural oak wood extracts not only reduced oxidation and provided antimicrobial protection to raw pork patties in modified more...
Fast-growing Aldi goes national with e-commerce push
The expanding Aldi chain is embracing grocery delivery in a big way, following the lead of Amazon/Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger and others beefing up online more...
Florence update: Flooding ravages some poultry farms
The expected one-two punch from Hurricane Florence continues to impact independent farms in North Carolina, including the loss of nearly 2 million chickens more...
China retaliates with $60 billion in new tariffs
China’s Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday announced $60 billion in new tariffs on over 5,000 U.S. products, effective Sept. 24. The announcement came more...
Del Frisco’s sells steakhouse chain
Irving, Texas-based Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell Sullivan’s Steakhouse to Romano’s more...
Buffalo Wild Wings taps Walgreens exec as new president
Atlanta-based Inspire Brands announced that Lyle Tick has been named president of sports bar chain Buffalo Wild Wings. Prior to joining Buffalo Wild Wings more...
Plant-based burgers selling out at Canadian chain
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., Canada’s second-largest burger chain, is already on its second helping of plant-based patties, according to more...
No strategy changes seen for Tyson with new CEO: analysts
Today’s announcement that Noel White will succeed Tom Hayes as president and CEO at Tyson Foods Inc., effective Sept. 30, should not result in expansive more...
Perdue launches new mascot for its packaging
Perdue Foods Inc. has introduced new packaging for its poultry products that feature a blue cartoon chicken named after the founder’s wife, Pearl more...
NAMI names new regulatory director
The North American Meat Institute has hired Clarissa Moreaux as the organization’s director of regulatory affairs. Most recently, Moreaux served more...
News briefs: Honey Baked Ham, dietary guidelines, DPI, pulled pork record, SkinnyPizza, NPB, Fareway
Honey Baked Ham gets an update Honey Baked Ham Co. unveiled a brand refresh that includes a new logo with the outline of a pig in warm orange and HBH more...
Cargill to pay $1.5 million to settle discrimination charges
Cargill Meat Solutions has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve charges of discrimination investigated by the Denver office of the U.S. Equal Employment more...
Coleman Natural pork brand goes fully crate-free
Perdue Farms said its Coleman Natural brand is the first national retail pork producer to implement a 100 percent crate-free hog environment verified more...
USDA explains how it is calculating trade aid payments
USDA has released a paper telling how the agency arrived at damage estimates from trade disruptions used to calculate aid payments to farmers, including more...
In Florence fallout, USDA help is available
With Hurricane Florence expected to lash the Carolinas over the next several days, the USDA said it is ready to provide assistance to farmers and ranchers more...
Cargill enters Polish poultry market
Cargill said today it has agreed to acquire Polish food company Konspol, marking its introduction into the Polish poultry market and strengthening its more...
Tyson to close plants ahead of Hurricane Florence
Tyson Foods said it has changed production schedules at its plants in several East Coast states in preparation for Hurricane Florence. The company said more...
Cargill announces investment in Latin American swine tech firm
Cargill and Agriness, a leader in Latin America swine production technology, have formed a strategic partnership to bring emerging digital technologies more...
Oklahoma, Cherokees team to scrutinize state’s poultry expansion
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker on Wednesday announced that the state and tribe are forming a council to more...
PE firm picks up Asian food maker
Swander Pace Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm that specializes in investments in consumer product companies, has acquired Fine Choice more...
Processors to close plants ahead of Florence; groups offer tips
As residents pack up and get out of town along parts of the Eastern Seaboard, farmers and processors are making plans to keep their employees and animals more...
Chili's president steps down; interim chief named
Chili's Grill & Bar announced Kelli Valade is leaving her role as president of the restaurant chain. In the interim, Wyman Roberts will once again more...
MorningStar Farms, White Castle boost vegan, analogue meat options
MorningStar Farms is expanding the vegan products in its Chik’N line while White Castle is now offering its Impossible Burger-created slider nationwide more...
Keep on rolling: Whole Foods, Applebee's step up delivery
Consumers gained still more options for food delivery this week: groceries from Whole Foods and prepared meals from Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill more...
Clean label curing agent maker for packaged meat products sold
Private equity form MidOcean Partners announced it has acquired Florida Food Products (FFP), a manufacturer of natural and clean label ingredients, from more...
Tex-Mex chain to close some restaurants
Taco Bueno has launched a plan to permanently close underperforming restaurants in an effort to prepare for future growth. The Tex-Mex restaurant chain more...
New chicken, pork sliders aim at ketogenic diets
San Marino, Calif.–based Tribali Foods has added Chicken & Apple and Pork & Sage mini sliders to its portfolio of frozen meat items that more...
Economists say ERS move penny-wise, dollar-foolish
The American Statistical Association and 41 other economic institutes have issued a statement saying USDA’s decision to move the Economic Research more...
Delmarva poultry industry girds for Florence
Poultry producers in the Delmarva region look to be the bull's-eye for Hurricane Florence when the storm makes landfall later this week. The Delmarva more...
Japan reports case of classical swine fever
Officials in Japan said Sunday that pigs on a farm in Gifu Prefecture have tested positive for Classical Swine Fever (CSF), the first case to be discovered more...
Niman Ranch vows to double sustainable farm roster by 2028
Des Moines-based Niman Ranch is pledging to add more than 750 independent family farmers and ranchers to its network over the next 10 years as it expands more...
Weekend fire damages Tyson Fresh Meats plant
A small fire reportedly caused damage to machinery at a Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Waterloo, Iowa, Sunday afternoon, according to media reports. Welding more...
Nebraska Beef appeal shot down by court
The U.S. Department of Justice did not violate a settlement agreement with Nebraska Beef with the wording of a press release about the deal more...
UFCW merger creates biggest local in 5 states
The merger of United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 653 and 1161, to form Local 663, creates the largest UFCW Local in a five-state area in the northern more...
Organic trade group creating a voluntary checkoff
The Organic Trade Association announced it will develop a voluntary, industry-invested checkoff program to fund research, promotion and education efforts more...
A cocktail and some jerky products before the theater
Jack Link’s has opened a jerky-themed theater lounge next door to Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre just in time for the arrival of the touring more...
Smithfield relocating North Carolina distribution center
Smithfield Foods will close its distribution center in Clayton, N.C., next month, affecting 102 workers, as it transitions operations to a new facility more...
NAMI beef control meeting spotlights new research
Results from recent pathogen intervention research in the beef industry are moving the needle toward improved control strategies in production plants more...
EU wants talks on expanding U.S. beef imports
The European Commission recommended this week that the EU open negotiations with the United States on expanding access for U.S. beef to that market. The more...
Iowa State breaks ground on new poultry facilities
Iowa State University has broken ground on a $5 million overhaul of the school’s aging poultry science facilities. Made possible by private funding more...
Perdue Foods opens new Southeast distribution center
Perdue Foods said it has opened a new Southeast Distribution Center in Rincon, Ga., to support growth in the company’s No-Antibiotics-Ever (NAE) more...
Red Robin shifts CFO to COO post
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. has appointed Guy Constant, currently chief financial officer and executive vice president, as its new chief more...
Food security improved for U.S. households in 2017
An estimated 15 million U.S. households -- or 11.8 percent -- were food insecure last year, down from 12.3 percent in 2016, a new USDA report said. The more...
Chicken salad recalled because walnuts not declared
Caito Foods LLC of Indianapolis, Ind., is recalling about 242 pounds of fully cooked chicken salad products because a known allergen -- walnuts -- was more...
Marfrig names new CEO, separates U.S. beef operations in new structure
Marfrig Global Foods, the world's second largest beef processor, announced Eduardo Miron as the company's new chief executive officer (CEO), according more...
China confirms new case of swine fever, transport bans
China’s agriculture ministry has confirmed a new, sixth case of swine fever in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, adding to an outbreak in more...
Listeria outbreak in South Africa comes to a formal end
Officials at the South Africa Department of Health have declared that the world’s largest Listeria outbreak that took place in South Africa and more...
Pizza brand appoints CEO
Chicago’s Home Run Inn Pizza named President Dan Costello to the additional post of chief executive officer following the unexpected death of CEO more...
Retailers expand their grocery delivery operations
Three retail chains are boosting their online grocery delivery operations in a sign they are even more committed to making convenient access to their more...
Phage cocktail effectively kills E. coli: study
Scientists in Argentina have found that a six-bacteriophage cocktail effectively inactivated E. coli in meat and milk, especially at room and abuse temperatures more...
BBQ chain hires R&D chef
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has named Phil Butler as its new research and development chef. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, more...
Giving back: Perdue, AAMP, Smithfield, Mighty Spark, Koch Foods, Tyson
Perdue provides chicken and a grant Perdue Farms has delivered 40,000 pounds of no-antibiotics-ever chicken and a $15,000 grant to the Foodbank of Southeastern more...
August 2018
New lawsuit charges poultry price-fixing — again
Another retailer has filed a lawsuit in a federal court accusing Tyson Foods Inc., Perdue Farms and more than 15 other chicken companies of working together more...
Judge lifts gag order in N.C. hog nuisance trials
Senior U.S. District Judge Earl Britt today lifted a gag order he imposed on litigation in eastern North Carolina from hundreds of residents alleging more...
13 indicted in connection with Ohio meat plant raid
Thirteen people detained in the June raid by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) at the Fresh Mark meat processing plant in Salem, Ohio, have more...
Canadian agency expands earlier recall
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has updated an earlier food recall warning to include additional product information. This additional information more...
Farmland goes high fashion
Pork producer Farmland is making a splash on social media with its spoof of a cult streetwear clothing brand's new fall collection. When the pop culture more...
Salmonella outbreak leads to one death (Updated)
One persion from New York has died in the Salmonella outbreak linked to Empire Kosher brand chicken that has infected a total of 17 people across four more...
Virginia adds 250,000 square feet of cold storage, blast-freezing space
InterChange Cold Storage LLC will invest $41.6 million in Rockingham County, Va., to build a 250,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art cold storage and blast-freezing more...
Burger King signs with DoorDash as delivery derby heats up
Burger King is the latest quick-service operator to expand delivery, announcing a partnership Thursday with DoorDash for the service at 1,300 of its restaurants more...
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FSIS: Drug residue story is ‘pseudoscience’ and ‘scare tactics’
In a strongly worded official statement released this morning, USDA FSIS Acting Deputy Under Secretary Carmen Rottenberg took issue with the conclusions more...
USDA confirms atypical BSE in Florida beef cow
A six-year-old mixed-breed beef cow in Florida has tested positive for atypical H-type Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE, USDA said. The animal more...
Smithfield moves toward appeals, mediation in hog nuisance saga
In a letter to employees and growers, Smithfield Foods said it has agreed with plaintiffs’ attorneys to jointly ask the judge to certify the first more...
FAO warns African Swine Fever could spread through Asia
The rapid onset of African Swine Fever (ASF) in China and its detection in areas more than 600 miles apart within the country could mean the deadly pig more...
Next steps on U.S./Mexico trade
Livestock markets reacted positively to news that the United States and Mexico had agreed to the framework for a new trade agreement on Monday. Today more...
Juries should decide food poisoning cases: Georgia high court
Court decisions over the years have had the effect of placing a heavier burden on plaintiffs in food poisoning complaint cases than in other lawsuits more...
FSIS revises Campylobacter analytical method for raw poultry
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced that it has revised its Laboratory Guidebook to implement an enrichment method to more...
Charity auctioned Grand Champion ham goes for $2.8 million
A charity auction at the Kentucky State Fair raised $2.8 million paid for the Grand Champion Ham during the Kentucky Farm Bureau Country Ham Breakfast more...
U.S., Mexico forge preliminary deal to replace NAFTA
The United States and Mexico today announced the two countries have forged a preliminary agreement that would replace the North American Free Trade Agreement more...
Butterball offers new line, overhauls packaging, hires new head of R+D
Butterball announced a complete package redesign, a new All Natural product line the creation of a dedicated innovation team, and a national Food more...
USDA reports highest Aug. 1 cattle inventory in over 20 years
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on more...
Culver’s names new supply chain chief
Fast casual chain Culver’s announced Mark Nachreiner has been promoted to vice president of supply chain management for Culver Franchising System more...
Case Farms gets incentives for $49 million expansion
Wayne County, N.C., officials have approved an incentive grant to help Case Farms with its $49 million expansion project at the company’s local more...
Suit vs. USDA over organic animal welfare rules allowed
A federal district court in northern California has ruled that a lawsuit challenging USDA’s withdrawal of organic animal welfare regulations can more...
South African group wrong on quota issue: U.S. poultry official
A South African trade group’s efforts to suspend a quota exempting U.S. poultry and other goods from an antidumping tariff in response to the Trump more...
Analysts weigh in on Hormel, Sanderson
The operating fundamentals remain solid for Hormel Foods, despite the company’s cautionary notes on how higher tariffs are expected to affect its more...
Indiana Packers to buy Specialty Foods Group
Indiana Packers Corp. (IPC), has agreed to acquire Specialty Foods Group LLC (SFG), based in Owensboro, Ky., IPC said in a news release. Financial terms more...
Sanderson’s profit cut by weak prices, competing proteins
Counter-seasonal weakness in chicken pricing and competition from beef and pork in the meat case chopped Sanderson Farms Inc.’s fiscal third-quarter more...
Tariffs weigh on Hormel sales outlook
Hormel Foods Corp. on Thursday reported record sales and earnings in the third quarter but said China's tariffs on U.S. pork products will trim its full-year more...
Chipotle: food tech’s newest investor
Chipotle Mexican Grill announced today that its Chipotle Cultivate Foundation will sponsor the first Chipotle Aluminaries Project, a seven-month-long more...
U.S., Mexico near deal on NAFTA issues: reports
The United States and Mexico are close to announcing an informal agreement on bilateral trade issues in the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade more...
Turkey sandwiches recalled
Lipari Foods LLC has issued a voluntary recall of Premo brand turkey and cheese wedge sandwiches produced and packaged by sister company JLM due to potential more...
Allen Harim seeks regulatory change for Del. plant: report
Poultry producer Allen Harim reportedly is asking Delaware officials to adjust requirements they ordered to cover wastewater treatment at a facility in more...
Retraining under way at Chipotle after Ohio illnesses
Chipotle Mexican Grill is retraining about 70,000 employees at more than 2,400 U.S. restaurants this week in the wake of an outbreak of foodborne illness more...
Pork processor gets financial help for expansion
The Iowa Economic Development Authority board has awarded direct financial assistance and tax benefits to pork processor Sioux-Preme Packing to expand more...
Mobile system can inactivate Avian Influenza Virus
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, in which researchers more...
Probe into Smithfield plant ammonia discharges continues
South Dakota officials are continuing their investigation of high levels of ammonia reported at a Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., although more...
Big chain doubles down on chicken
Kentucky Fried Chicken has launched the Double Crispy Colonel sandwich, with two extra crispy hand-battered chicken fillets. "Burger places have been more...
Tyson makes big push into Asia, foodservice with Keystone purchase
Tyson Foods is planning a big expansion of its international operations and its foodservice business with the $2.16 billion purchase of Keystone Foods more...
Owner of meat plant raided by ICE pleads guilty to tax fraud
The owner of a Tennessee slaughterhouse raided by U.S. immigration officials in April agreed to plead guilty to federal charges that Southeastern Provision more...
U.S. pork, beef prospects perk up as ASF hits China
The U.S. pork and beef markets sense some opportunity in China as that country deals with a widespread outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) that could more...
Two Mediterranean restaurant chains merge
Zoës Kitchen, a Mediterranean-inspired fast-casual restaurant group with 261 domestic restaurant locations, announced it has entered into a more...
Judge reinstates WOTUS in 26 states
A judge in U.S. District Court in South Carolina on Thursday partly overturned President Trump’s efforts to delay the Waters of the U.S. rule (WOTUS) more...
Tyson Fresh Meats lands Department of Defense contracts (updated)
Tyson Fresh Meats has landed two large Department of Defense contracts — one for more than $440 million, the other for $268.6 million — to more...
Remembering Arnold Mikelberg, former president of Armour Swift-Eckrich
Arnold Mikelberg, former president of Armour Swift-Eckrich, among other meat processing companies, died in June at the age of 81. He lived in Boca Raton more...
Of bacon, cooking and the U.S. education system
The cooking instructions on a package of Black River Bacon from North Country Smokehouse start out simply enough: “Pan fry slowly on low-medium more...
Hormel sells pork processing plant
Hormel Foods Corp. said today it has reached a definitive agreement to sell its Fremont, Neb., pork processing plant to WholeStone Farms LLC, with the more...
Marfrig ‘very focused’ on selling Keystone soon: CFO
Marfrig Global Foods, the world's second largest beef processor, is committed to closing the sale of poultry unit Keystone soon, Chief Financial Officer more...
Nearly 200 poultry facilities recognized for safety performance
The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council recognized 191 U.S. chicken and turkey facilities for safety awards at the 2018 National Safety Conference more...
Impossible Foods launches video supporting its mission
Reminiscent of when Chipotle, in 2013 and ’14, made a splash using online video, Impossible Foods has released its own 90-second video in support more...
Koch Foods to launch $80 million plant expansion
Koch Foods is moving forward with an expansion of its poultry processing plant in Gadsden, Ala., that will cost $80 million and eventually bring 200 jobs more...
Tyson Fresh Meats leads beef supply chain toward transparency
Tyson Fresh Meats announced today that it has become the first beef processor to license the Progressive Beef program, a cattle management and sustainability more...
More illnesses linked to frozen raw breaded chicken
The Public Health Agency of Canada updated a public health notice for the July recall of frozen raw breaded chicken products to include 21 additional more...
N.Y. state business breaks its own record for chicken wings served
The Village Casino in Bemus Point, N.Y., successfully broke its own record for the number of chicken wings served within a 24-hour period. The weekend more...
Keystone Meats expands Ohio facility
Lima, Ohio-based Keystone Meats, which makes canned protein and meal solutions, announced it is expanding its Lima, Ohio-based plant. The addition will more...
McDonald's puts $6 billion into restaurant revamp
McDonald's announced today the company, along with its franchisees, will invest $6 billion to modernize most of its U.S. restaurants by 2020. The transformed more...
Aramark expands ‘plant forward’ college menus
Aramark said it is increasing its plant-based college menu options for the upcoming school year, citing its own research that says a large majority of more...
Restaurant parent firm’s Q4 profit slips despite sales gains
The owner of the Chili’s and Maggiano’s restaurant chains reported a nearly 1-percent increase in total revenues in the fourth quarter of more...
Poultry company names director of further processing
Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based poultry company Peco Foods announced that Jay McMillan will expand his leadership role and transition into serving as the company’s more...
Major retailer sets timeline for gestation stall-free pork
The Kroger Co. has announced plans to source pork only from producers who do not use sow gestation stalls. The nation’s largest supermarket chain more...
Meat Institute creates clever videos to promote beef in lunchbox
As the new school year begins, the North American Meat Institute, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, has created a new “Beef Up the Lunch Box” more...
‘Local’ is trendy, but is it safe?
Most any foodstuff sells faster these days, often at a premium, when it’s tagged as being “locally grown.” Christy Bratcher, associate more...
New judge to hear Smithfield nuisance cases
A new federal judge will preside over some upcoming trials in a litany of personal injury lawsuits claiming that Smithfield Foods’ hog farms in more...
Employee injured at SC beef packer, flown to hospital
An employee at Brown Packing Co. was flown to a local hospital Thursday after being involved in an accident at the company’s Gaffney, S.C., beef more...
Canadian firm recalls chicken strips on listeria concerns
Pinty's Delicious Foods Inc. is recalling Pinty's brand Oven Roasted Chicken Breast Strips because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes more...
Chipotle mulls rolling out bacon options after successful test
Chipotle Mexican Grill plans to expand a test of bacon as an option for its menu items following what the company describes as a “tremendous response” more...
Donnie Smith takes his passion for chicken to Rwanda: NPR
Former Tyson Chief Executive Donnie Smith is the driving force behind a $2 million program that aims to teach farmers to raise chickens in a poverty-stricken more...
Minn. hog producer, other Midwest ag businesses targeted in sweeping ICE raid
Minnesota’s Christensen Farms, one of the nation’s largest pork producers, was among the nearly dozen agriculture businesses to receive warrants more...
Aldi bets on fresh offerings, including meat
Aldi U.S. announced plans to boost its offerings of fresh, organic and “easy-to-prepare” options this year, including ready-to-cook and organic more...
USDA outlines plan for Chesapeake water conservation
USDA has released a three-year action plan for helping agricultural producers in the Mid-Atlantic states improve the water quality and overall health more...
U.S. poultry now welcomed in Morocco
Morocco will allow commercial imports of U.S. poultry meat and products into the country for the first time, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer more...
Debate around ag ‘nuisance’ lawsuits heats up
Ag organizations have moved to support Smithfield Foods in its bid to have a judge’s gag order lifted, in the wake of a third jury verdict finding more...
Tyson’s Leatherby dead at 58
Former Tyson Foods CFO Dennis Leatherby died suddenly on Monday of a heart attack, just four months after retiring from the company. He was 58. He had more...
Walmart in meal kit deal for online sales: Fortune
Meal kit company Gobble has agreed to partner with Walmart’s e-commerce site to sell its kits, Gobble founder Ooshma Garg told Fortune in an interview more...
Brazil's Minerva plans IPO of international units in Chile
Brazilian beef processor Minerva S.A. announced it is evaluating a potential initial public offering (IPO) of its international units on the Chilean Santiago more...
John Soules outlines latest expansion plan
John Soules Foods has announced an expansion plan for its Tyler, Texas facility, the latest in a series of expansions and acquisitions the company has more...
Analysts rethinking Tyson in wake of Q3 results
Tyson Foods Inc. may have surpassed earnings expectations in the third quarter, but at least two industry analysts are still reassessing their outlooks more...
Red meat exports soar in first half
Beef exports racked up a “huge” first half of 2018, and slowing pork exports were ahead of last year’s levels for the first six months more...
Golden West launches line of ready-to-eat deli roasts
Golden West Food Group is introducing a line of what it describes as upgraded dinner-time options for the retail deli. The new "Beeftisserie", "Porktisserie" more...
Tyson reports Q3 sales, income gains, CEO ‘not satisfied’
Tyson Foods posted solid gains in sales and net income in the third quarter of 2018, but CEO Tom Hayes told industry analysts and the media in separate more...
Mexican restaurant group sells chain, files Chapter 11
Cypress, Calif.-based RM Holdco LLC and its subsidiaries ("Real Mex"), the operator of Chevys Fresh Mex, El Torito, and other full-service Mexican restaurant more...
Walmart pilots robot to fill online grocery orders
Walmart said Friday it is piloting a “first-of-its-kind” automation technology to help employees more quickly fill online grocery orders. more...
FSIS reissues woody breast trimming notice
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has reissued instructions to inspection program personnel on how to identify and verify that poultry processors more...
Eliminating some antibiotic care could cost cattle industry $1.8 billion: study
Eliminating metaphylaxis in the U.S. cattle industry without suitable health management alternatives could cost that industry as much as $1.8 billion more...
Good news, bad news outlook for Pilgrim’s: analysts
Progress on initiatives spanning higher-value branded products and international expansion to aggressive cost-cutting proved no match for weak chicken more...
Nebraska poultry barns on hold
A proposal to build four poultry barns to supply the Lincoln Premium Poultry plant in Fremont, Neb., fell short of the votes it needed for approval at more...
News briefs: Poultry seminar, Vietti Foods, Superior Farms, Perdue food truck
Poultry welfare, biosecurity top seminar agenda Two critical issues, animal welfare and biosecurity, are at the forefront of challenges facing the poultry more...
Lovette: Competing proteins nudging out chicken at retail
Retailers stepped up promotions of beef and pork at the expense of chicken in the second quarter, contributing to a counter-seasonal decline in consumer more...
Ex-Marine files suit over E. coli in ground beef
A former U.S. Marine has filed a lawsuit against Sodexo for serving E. coli-tainted ground beef at a Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, according more...
Convenience foods maker names CEO of U.S. unit
Dublin-based Greencore Group plc, a manufacturer of convenience foods, announced the appointment of Anton Vincent as CEO of Greencore USA, a subsidiary more...
‘High-road’ food employers prefer like-minded suppliers: survey
A new survey of food industry employers – from producers and distributors to retailers and restaurant owners – found that those who provide more...
Maple Leaf invests in controlled atmosphere stunning
Maple Leaf Foods announced it is investing about $28 million to transition its Edmonton poultry processing facility to controlled atmosphere stunning more...
Tyson, Walmart invest to attract, retain workforce in NW Arkansas
With strong financial support from Tyson Foods and the Walmart Foundation, the Northwest Arkansas Council launched its EngageNWA strategic plan to more...
Kroger launches direct-to-consumer e-commerce program
Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. is rolling out a new online platform that delivers groceries to customers’ doorsteps and offers thousands of exclusive more...
Two big restaurant operators post Q2 sales gains
The parent companies of Applebee’s and Burger King separately reported sales improved among their brands, although other factors muted profits for more...
July 2018
Chipotle closes Ohio store in wake of reported illnesses
Chipotle has closed a restaurant in Powell, Ohio, near Columbus, after a cluster of reported illnesses implicated the store as a possible source, according more...
Public health alert issued on beef, pork, poultry salad due to lettuce
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a public health alert out of an abundance of caution due to concerns about contamination with more...
Maple Leaf names new COO
Maple Leaf Foods has named Curtis Frank to the role of chief operating officer, effective Oct. 1. He succeeds Gary Maksymetz, who held that position since more...
Hormel unit adds to salami snack line
Hormel Foods subsidiary Columbus Craft Meats has launched three Columbus Salami & Cheese Snacks as well as four salami flavors in snack-portioned more...
West Liberty Foods to close free-range chicken plant (UPDATED)
West Liberty Foods said it is closing its subsidiary’s free-range poultry processing plant in Jay, Okla., and reducing staffing at related farming more...
Premium Brands buys controlling stake in organic chicken processor
Vancouver, Canada-based specialty food producer and distributor Premium Brands has acquired a 62.6 percent interest in Ontario-based Yorkshire Valley more...
US Foods expands into Northwest with $1.8 billion acquisition
US Foods Holding Corp. has agreed to buy Services Group of America’s five operating companies collectively known as SGA’s Food Group of Companies more...
Edible oleogels can replace pork fat: study
Iowa State University scientists have found that rice bran oleogels may be a good option to replace pork fat in comminuted sausages. Edible oleogels are more...
Ga. processors form joint venture, add CEO
Gainesville, Ga.-based Prime-Pak Foods Inc. and Victory Processing Inc. announced they have formed a joint venture that will form one of the largest independent more...
Missouri puts feedlot expansion on hold
Valley Oaks Steak Co. has been ordered to halt plans to expand its feedlot in Lone Jack, Mo., until the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission can more...
Target hires Walmart exec as supply chain vp
Target Corp. has appointed a new senior vice president of supply chain engineering and activation. Gemma Kubat will lead the design, activation and ongoing more...
More people eating at home, often with foodservice help: NPD
U.S. consumers are increasingly eating and preparing their meals at home, despite an uptick in foodservice spending, reports the NPD Group. NPD’s more...
Texas packer ordered to repay $38 million to livestock sellers
Kane Beef must repay nearly $38 million to Texas livestock sellers as part of an agreement with the U.S. government to comply with the Packers and Stockyards more...
Maple Leaf reports weaker Q2 profit, sales
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said sales and profit fell in the second quarter due to a volatile trade environment and costs associated with the relaunch of major more...
United Natural Foods to buy Supervalu for $2.9 billion
United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) has agreed to buy Supervalu Inc. for $2.9 billion in cash in a deal that will expand the grocery distributor’s more...
Congresswoman questions USDA on Chinese chicken
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue questioning USDA’s process for approving three new more...
USDA prepares alternative to WHO antibiotics guidelines: report
USDA officials reportedly are developing alternative options to efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) to limit the use of antibiotics in animals more...
Investor buys assets of Chef’d
True Food Innovations has acquired the assets of meal kit maker Chef’d, which abruptly closed its doors last week, for an undisclosed price. True more...
Data show the tapering of pork exports to China, Mexico
Weekly export data from USDA point to a slowdown in pork shipments to Mexico and the effective closing of the Chinese market to U.S. products in the wake more...
Researchers address China's "livestock revolution"
An international team of researchers has published a blueprint to increase production efficiency and environmental performance in response to China's more...
Impossible Burger “heme” gets FDA nod
The Food and Drug Administration has accepted an expert panel’s conclusion that a key ingredient in Impossible Foods’ Impossible Burger – more...
Tyson chicken plant resumes operations after wastewater issue
Tyson Foods resumed operations at its Hope, Ark., chicken plant on Monday after correcting a wastewater treatment problem that had forced a three-day more...
WHO sees progress on antimicrobial use — and more work to be done
Countries are stepping up to tackle the problem of antimicrobial resistance, but serious gaps remain and there is an urgent need for more investment and more...
News briefs: Chick-fil-A, Perdue, JBS, North American Lamb, Hormel
Chick-fil-A goes home Chick-fil-A plans to test “Mealtime Kits” in 150 stores in the Atlanta area beginning in August, the company said in more...
JBS loses 24MM pounds of pork in tornado
Tornado damage to the distribution center at JBS USA’s Marshalltown, Iowa facility has forced the company to declare 24 million pounds of pork products more...
Wastewater treatment plant for Prestage pork project on track: report
City officials in Eagle Grove, Iowa, say a $25-million wastewater plant built to serve a Prestage Foods of Iowa pork plant that is scheduled to open this more...
Smithfield, Va., preps for ‘Smithfield Ham’ smokehouse closure
Smithfield Farms has confirmed that it will close the 50-year-old smokehouse that produces popular, long-cured “Smithfield Hams” that even more...
NACMCF to hold public meetings on pathogen control, water use
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) posted a Federal Register notice on July 20 announcing that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological more...
Label approval times creep back up
The time it takes for processors to get Food Safety and Inspection Service approval for labels has crept up to 30 business days for first priority requests more...
JBS halts production at Iowa pork plant after tornado
JBS USA management halted production at the company's pork plant in Marshalltown, Iowa, in the wake of a tornado that ravaged the town on Thursday evening more...
Worker injured at Olymel bacon plant
A woman suffered a serious injury early Thursday morning when her hand was caught in a piece of machinery at an Olymel bacon processing plant in Cornwall more...
N.C. chicken processor fined for wastewater issues
Bladenboro, N.C., officials this week upheld a $22,050 fine issued to local chicken processor Carroll Poultry for violating its wastewater permit, according more...
‘Break the power of big … meat’: report
A new report by two sustainable agriculture organizations contend that the greenhouse gas emissions by the five largest meat and dairy processors exceed more...
Judge holds the line on paper trail in chicken price-fixing suit
A federal judge on Thursday denied poultry buyers’ motion to make Tyson Foods, Koch Foods and Mountaire Farms fork over at least 21,000 email attachments more...
Fresh, frozen ground beef recalled due to possible E. coli
Win Opportunity Knocks, doing business as Ottomanelli Wholesale Meats Inc., a St. Petersburg, Fla., establishment, is recalling about 6,020 pounds of more...
Scientists map key tactics to transform U.S. ag, food production
Five critical areas of agricultural research — microbiomes, gene editing, data analysis, sensors and biosensors, and transdisciplinary collaborations more...
Research on free-range poultry often contradicts: CAST
A task force of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) has taken a comprehensive look at the available research on free-range poultry more...
Funding woes force closing of Smithfield-backed meal-kit maker
Chef’d – one of the first meal-kit companies to offer both in-store and online meal preparation concepts in a box – abruptly ceased more...
Japan, EU sign economic pact, cite rising protectionism
European leaders and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a broad economic partnership on Tuesday and told reporters the deal was a way to counter more...
Processed meat associated with ‘manic episodes’: study (Updated)
New research from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has uncovered what scientists believe is an association between processed meats and what they describe more...
USDA invests in rural wastewater systems
USDA announced the agency is investing $267 million in 103 infrastructure projects to upgrade water and wastewater systems in rural communities. USDA more...
Mercy for Animals targets JBS pork supplier
In a new video, recorded by a Mercy for Animals representative and posted on the organization’s website, a Kentucky hog farm that supplies JBS is more...
Chicken salad recalled on mislabeling
New Seasons Market, a Portland, Ore. establishment, is recalling an undetermined amount of ready-to-eat sesame noodle chicken salad products due to misbranding more...
BRF hires banks to sell some assets
Brazil's BRF S.A. announced it has hired three investment banks to advise it on the sale of assets in Europe, Thailand and Argentina, in the latest phase more...
White House nominates USDA under secretary
President Donald Trump on Monday announced his intent to nominate Scott Hutchins to be under secretary of agriculture for research, education and economics more...
Consumers want clear labels for lab-grown protein: survey
An overwhelming number of consumers believe that food products developed from cultured animal cells should carry specific labels about how they are produced more...
JBS fined for scales failure to ensure accurate weights
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service reached a consent decision with JBS USA, also known as Swift Beef Company (JBS Swift), Greeley, Colo., for more...
Allen Harim hires national accounts manager
Seaford, Del.-based chicken processor Allen Harim has hired food industry veteran Janet Anderson as a senior sales manager handling national accounts more...
WeWork founder bans meat for employees
A co-founder of WeWork, a system of co-working spaces for small companies, freelancers and others with a sometime need for an office, has banned meat more...
Stampede bets big in New Mexico
Stampede Meat, a further processor of value-added meats, portion cuts and fully cooked beef, chicken, turkey and pork, on Friday announced a new facility more...
Miss. processor plans to triple employment
Poultry processor Pearl River Foods has announced plans to add 450 jobs to its further processing facilities in Carthage, Miss., bringing the company’s more...
Workers treated, released after chemical spill at Mountaire plant
Mountaire Farms said that four employees affected by a chemical spill in the parking lot of the company’s Selbyville, Del., chicken plant have been more...
FDA stakes claim in lab-cultured tissue sector
The Food and Drug Administration’s day-long meeting in Washington, D.C., Thursday didn’t reach any conclusions, but most parties had their more...
Cargill credits beef as profits soar
Animal protein and nutrition were the largest contributors to Cargill’s stellar full-year and fourth-quarter earnings performance. The company called more...
McDonald's moves to sustainable beef in Canada
McDonald’s Canada said it will be the first company in that country to serve beef from certified sustainable farms and ranches, beginning with its more...
Packaged goods giants form sustainable food alliance
Danone North America, Mars Inc., Nestle USA and Unilever United States have joined forces in a new organization they are calling the “Sustainable more...
Healthy Choice enters breakfast bowl category
Conagra Brands Inc. announced it is extending its Healthy Choice Power Bowls line into breakfast with four new meals, each containing 190 calories or more...
Trump threatens more tariffs on Chinese goods
The Trump administration on Tuesday issued a list of thousands of Chinese imports it is targeting for a new round of tariffs, less than a week after a more...
Dunkin’ Brands names new CEO
Dunkin' Brands Group Inc. has named David Hoffmann, 50, as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately. Hoffmann will remain president of Dunkin’ more...
Hundreds rally in support of N.C. hog farmers
The recent award of $25 million in damages to residents who sued a Smithfield hog farm prompted a rally this week in support of hog farmers, and proposals more...
Somma Foods rolls out sriracha options
Somma Foods, which focuses on "clean label" chicken, beef and dairy products, has launched three new sriracha-flavored chicken items for foodservice. more...
Meatingplace interview: A small regulatory update with FSIS's Carmen Rottenberg
Meatingplace caught up with Carmen Rottenberg, USDA FSIS Administrator and Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at the International more...
Beef group estimates China trade tariff losses of $70 mln this year
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) joined a chorus of protein producer associations seeking an end to retaliatory trade tariffs that more...
Chicken breast defects not reduced by amino acid supplementation: research
Amino acid supplementation does not decrease the incidence or severity of wooden breast and white striping in broiler chickens, a North Carolina State more...
GFSI publishes guide to a safe food culture
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has produced a guidance document to help food industry professionals create and maintain a culture of food safety more...
Turkey processor announces leadership changes
Michigan Turkey Producers, a turkey grower and processor of products for foodservice and retail customers, announced the promotion of Brian Boerigter more...
Cattlemen’s group helps create beef-based meal kits (UPDATED)
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association – a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program – has provided support for a new line of more...
US Foods shifts four brands to clean label profiles
Food Service distributor US Foods said its entire line of Metro Deli, Stock Yards, Rykoff Sexton and Chef’s Line exclusive brand products will more...
Trade tensions pressuring global commodity prices: FAO
After climbing throughout this year, global food commodity prices fell in June, largely due to heightened tensions in international trade relations, the more...
China fires back after U.S. tariffs take effect
The Trump administration’s 25 percent tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese products officially went into effect overnight, prompting China to more...
NPPC: Tariffs could put U.S. pork producers out of business
Retaliatory trade tariffs by China and Mexico now apply to 40 percent of total American pork exports, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of U.S more...
Marfrig receives purchase offers for Keystone
Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods S.A. has received binding offers for the purchase of its international food service subsidiary Keystone Foods, the company more...
Giving back: Smithfield, Perdue, S.D. Cattlemen, Tyson
Smithfield protein donations Smithfield Foods Inc. donated more than 400,000 pounds of protein to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank as part of the company’s more...
GMO labeling issue divides food makers, farmers: Reuters
USDA on Tuesday closed public comment on the issue of how to label foods that use ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMO). Emerging more...
Rotisserie beef, pork hits the retail deli
Golden West Food Group has introduced a Certified Angus Beef brand Beeftisserie roast and American BBQ Co. Porktisserie roast as a dinnertime offering more...
EPA, Army aim to clarify WOTUS repeal process
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army have launched a new public comment round, this time on the legal basis of more...
New sensor detects green muscle disease in poultry: research
Researchers in Spain have developed a non-destructive sensor to detect deep pectoral myopathy (DPM) in poultry. DPM, also known as green muscle disease more...
Impossible Burger sets off debate in NZ
Air New Zealand announced this week that it would be the first airline to serve the Impossible Burger, as part of its Business Premier menu on selected more...
'Just wash your hands': USDA
Along with "just cook it," consumers should "just wash" — their hands, that is. A new study from USDA shows that consumers fail to properly clean more...
Superheroes battle “veganism” in the U.K.
British meat processor ABP Food Group has rolled out a line of burgers and sausages based on Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, intended to appeal to more...
This is a cool video, but we don't know where it's from
A reader sent this video to one of the editors of our sister publication CarneTec. If it doesn't make you want a pork sandwich, we don't know what will more...
FSIS sets new directive on commercial poultry inspections
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a new directive to help its inspectors improve their verification of what the agency describes more...
Gene-edited pigs are resistant to billion-dollar virus, study finds
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute have used gene editing techniques to produce pigs that resist the virus that causes Porcine more...
AMSA 2018 achievement award honors Bass, Kim, Joseph
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) has announced that three AMSA members are the recipients of the Distinguished Achievement Award. Drs. Phil more...
July 4 cookout a bit more affordable this year
Americans’ favorite foods for the Fourth of July, including hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pork spare ribs, potato salad, baked beans, lemonade and chocolate more...
Mountaire Farms sued again over wastewater issues
Mountaire Farms’ legal troubles mounted last week when Millsboro, Del., residents filed a new lawsuit blaming environmental and health hazards on more...
Trade disputes get real as Trump delays move on NAFTA decision
The U.S. agricultural industry is now formally on the receiving end of tariffs on a variety of fronts, even as President Trump said he will wait until more...
Michigan Turkey sets executive leadership changes
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Michigan Turkey announced effective July 9, Chief Operating Officer Brian Boerigter is being promoted to chief executive officer more...
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June 2018
Canada launches retaliatory tariffs on U.S.
Canada today announced it would make good on a threat of retaliatory tariffs on more than $12.6 billion worth of U.S. products, effective July 1. Among more...
Pork processors gearing up for fight
Several pork processors named in a federal price-fixing lawsuit filed yesterday in Minnesota have issued statements rejecting the allegations and promising more...
Senate passes farm bill; battle with House expected
The Senate on Thursday passed a bipartisan farm bill that is expected to set the stage for a battle with the House over food stamps, farm subsidies and more...
Beyond Meat triples production capacity
Beyond Meat has increased its production capacity to 100,000 square feet from 30,000 square feet, to keep up with demand for its Beyond Burger and Beyond more...
China reopens to UK beef more than 20 years after BSE outbreak
China has lifted a ban on exports of beef rom the UK for the first time since banning the product more than 20 years ago due to an outbreak of bovine more...
Maple Leaf Foods in deal to acquire two poultry plants
Canadian protein company Maple Leaf Foods said Thursday it has agreed to acquire two poultry plants and associated supply from privately held Cericola more...
Ark. processor joins bidding race for Keystone Foods as sale nears: Reuters
George’s Inc. has put in a bid to acquire Keystone Foods from Brazil’s Marfrig Global Foods S.A., according to a report by Reuters. The family-owned more...
Immigration reform festers as latest bill fails in House
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly against the latest Republican immigration bill, likely leaving the issue of immigration more...
N.C. lawmakers override veto of hog farm protection bill
Legislation in North Carolina making it more difficult to sue hog producers for allegedly being a nuisance is now law after the state’s General more...
OSHA had fined Ohio processor over safety issues before ICE raid
The Ohio-based meat processor where 146 workers were arrested by U.S. immigration officials had been fined $211,000 for alleged workplace safety problems more...
ConAgra to buy Pinnacle Foods for $10.9 billion
Conagra Brands and Pinnacle Foods announced their boards of directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which Conagra Brands will more...
USDA’s Perdue addresses trade worries for ag sector
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue this week acknowledged the agriculture sector — including the meat industry — has legitimate concerns about more...
Canada makes investment in its pork sector
Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay announced a federal investment of up to C$12.7 million in non-profit research group more...
Animal rights coalition wins place on California ballot this fall
A group of organizations seeking to change laws regarding the confinement of animals on farms has received a spot on the ballot for the November 2018 more...
JBS shareholder Joesley Batista charged with corruption
Brazilian federal prosecutors charged JBS S.A. shareholder Joesley Batista with corruption on Monday for allegedly paying a former prosecutor to help more...
FSIS to consider petition on country-of-origin labeling
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will consider a petition calling for a change in policy in the way the phrase “product of USA” more...
McDonald’s to add a new burger to its Signature line
McDonald’s has added a Bacon Smokehouse burger to its Signature Crafted Recipe burger menu, which offers alternatives to the chain’s Quarter more...
June cattle inventory hits all-time high
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.6 million head on more...
Beef and pork prices slip, chicken flat in latest food price index
Prices for beef and pork fell slightly between April and May, while poultry prices were flat, according to USDA’s latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) more...
Plenty of meat in cold storage, with tariffs looming
Total supplies of red meat and poultry reported in USDA’s May 31 Cold Storage report neared record levels, while analysts ponder the eventual impacts more...
BRF reduces stake in beef processor Minerva
Brazil's BRF S.A. reduced its stake in beef processor Minerva S.A. from 11.6 percent to 6.8 percent, according to a statement released by Minerva on Monday more...
Conagra, Pinnacle Foods discuss deal: report
Conagra Brands Inc. has reached out to Pinnacle Foods to discuss a possible deal, according to a report by Bloomberg, quoting “people familiar with more...
Brazil's BRF sends 5,600 workers on paid leave; may sell share in Minerva
Brazil's BRF will place 5,600 workers in four poultry processing facilities on a 10- to 30-day paid leave to adjust production and meet demand after a more...
Beef pastrami recalled on possible processing deviation
Agri Star Meat and Poultry LLC in Postville, Iowa, is recalling 3,592 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) beef pastrami products due to processing deviations more...
Hispanics represent opportunity for restaurants: study
Despite the challenges restaurant operators are facing these days, Hispanics could become the next growth area in the search for new customers, according more...
Ground beef recalled on E. coli concerns
Texas Natural Meats of Lott, Texas, is recalling 489 pounds of frozen, raw ground beef products because they may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing more...
HSUS targets McDonald’s on animal welfare
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) said today it is launching a new TV ad campaign aimed at getting McDonald’s to improve its welfare more...
Beef supply and demand challenges continue: Peel
(This article first appeared in the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State more...
Beyond Meat signs biggest foodservice deal yet
Meat analog producer Beyond Meat has signed a deal with A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. to add the plant-based Beyond Meat Burger to the menu at more...
Immigration officials arrest 146 workers at Ohio meat plant
Special agents from U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) have arrested 146 workers at the Fresh Mark meat processing plant in Salem, Ohio, for more...
Kingdom Farms settles lawsuit on misbranding meat, poultry
Chicago-based meat distributor Kingdom Farms Wholesale Meats has settled a federal lawsuit alleging it switched labels on meat and poultry products before more...
Farm groups focus on Senate for checkoff reform (updated)
The battle over whether commodity checkoff programs need reform within the context of the farm bill is not over. This week, 102 farm and food organizations more...
Poultry processor names plant manager in Mississippi
Peco Foods announced that industry veteran Shannon Hendry has been named plant manager for the company’s Canton, Miss., facility. Hendry will oversee more...
Feds sue Chicago meat distributor over misbranding allegations
The United States government is suing a Chicago company for its alleged sale of misbranded meat and poultry products despite repeated warnings from federal more...
Animal activists seek stiffer penalties against Mass. processor
A regional meat processing company in West Groton, Mass., that USDA recently suspended for two weeks for alleged animal abuse is the target of the People more...
USDA warns commercial poultry of backyard outbreak of Newcastle disease
USDA has confirmed at least 18 outbreaks of Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) among backyard chickens in southern California since mid-May, although no more...
Pizza chain extends goals on antibiotics use in sourced protein
Pizza Hut announced its commitment to serve chicken raised free of antibiotics important to human medicine by 2022. This commitment comprises all chicken more...
USMEF assesses damage to U.S. pork from Mexico’s retaliatory tariffs
The U.S. pork industry stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars due to tariffs that Mexico imposed on U.S. pork in retaliation to the Trump administration’s more...
Mountaire Farms formally targeted in class action lawsuit
A consent decree Mountaire Farms reached with Delaware environmental officials last week is formally being challenged by a class action lawsuit filed more...
FDA plans meeting on "cultured" foods
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a July 12 meeting to discuss issues around the production and regulation of foods created from more...
Ultrasound improves sensory attributes in ham: study
A multi-institute team of researchers in Brazil have found that combining ultrasound treatment with reduced salt in restructured cooked ham improves physiochemical more...
Trump follows through with $50 billion in tariffs on China (Updated)
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Friday released a list of products imported from China that will be subject to 25 percent more...
N.C. hog nuisance bill moves to governor’s desk
A controversial measure that would make it more difficult to sue hog producers for allegedly being a nuisance and dragging down neighbors’ property more...
BRF's chairman Parente approved as new CEO
The board of directors of Brazil's BRF S.A. appointed the former president of Brazil's state-oil company Petrobras, Pedro Parente, as the new CEO of the more...
Pilgrim’s Moy Park boosts investment in production
The Moy Park unit of poultry processor Pilgrim’s Pride announced it is investing about $24 million (£18 million) to enhance several production more...
City agrees to supply utilities for proposed Texas plant
The city council in Woodville, Texas, this week approved a plan to provide utilities to East Texas Packing, a company that has proposed constructing a more...
Small processor in Ky. gains USDA certification
Beef and Bacon Custom Processing in Beech Grove, Ky., has received USDA inspection certification, with the goal of allowing locally processed meat to more...
Grass-fed beef brand launches hot dogs, sausages
Grass-fed/grass-finished beef brand SunFed Ranch has launched its new Uncured Natural 100% Grass Fed Beef Hot Dogs and Sausages line. The new line includes more...
News Briefs: Dave & Buster’s, B.Good, Carl Buddig, EPA, USPOULTRY, A&W
Entertainment and dining venue owner Dave & Buster’s Inc. announced the retirement of Chief Executive Stephen M. King, effective Aug. 5, and more...
Maple Leaf expanding production at Ontario plant
Canada's Maple Leaf Foods is expanding production at its Port Perry, Ontario, plant, creating 40 jobs, the Unifor labor union said. The plant makes branded more...
Mountaire Farms fights challenge to recent consent decree
Mountaire Farms is asking a Delaware court to reject a potential challenge to a consent decree it signed last week over complaints the chicken processor more...
Lighter beef carcasses, lower hog slaughter reduce forecasts: USDA
USDA lowered its 2018 forecast for total meat production but left its 2019 forecasts unchanged in its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates more...
Hormel adds four bacon toppings products
Hormel Foods has launched four new bacon toppings products under its Hormel Black Label brand. The new products include cherrywood real bacon crumbles more...
Deli Brands of America opens new slicing facility
Baltimore-based Deli Brands of America (DBA) announced it has opened a 22,000-square-foot slicing and logistics facility at a new location in Baltimore more...
Keystone suitors to make bids by late June: Reuters
Companies interested in acquiring U.S. chicken processor Keystone Foods from Brazil’s Marfrig are expected to submit bids by the end of the month more...
Dick’s Wings owner to add Tilted Kilt to its portfolio
ARC Group Inc. is preparing to acquire the 47-unit Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery franchise as part of an agreement with an intermediary investment group more...
It’s Jerky Day! (Not the same as Boss’s Day)
June 12 is “Jerky Day” – for real. The “national day” reportedly was created in 2012 by Jack Link’s. In celebration more...
Lawmakers offer bill to boost packaging label clarity
Three members of Congress have introduced a bill requiring packaging labels to be more accurate and informative, a proposal that is winning support from more...
North Country Smokehouse adds humane-certified, organic deli meats
Claremont, N.H.-based North Country Smokehouse has expanded its product line to include All-Natural, Certified Humane, and Organic deli meats in three more...
COOL efforts see one last defeat
Legal efforts by groups seeking to resurrect Country of Origin Labeling laws have seen their lawsuit dismissed with prejudice, with a summary judgment more...
Growth in plant-based meatball alternatives outpacing burgers: NPD
While burgers are still the largest beef alternative category for meat-substitute protein products, ball products that mimic meatballs are leading in more...
Packing plant headed for east Texas: reports
East Texas Packing LLC is planning to build a meat processing facility in Tyler County, Texas, that will initially employ 65 to 100 workers when operational more...
China announces temporary anti-dumping measures on Brazilian chicken
China's Ministry of Commerce announced Friday that it will impose temporary anti-dumping measures on Brazilian chicken meat imports, another setback in more...
USDA appoints National Pork Board members
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has named six pork producers to serve on the National Pork Board. Five members will serve three-year terms and one more...
'Magnificient' Western ranch for sale, just $52 mil
In the market for a cattle ranching operation, preferably operating in the black? Apt to spend more if the property delivers a "national park" feel, with more...
N.C. lawmakers seek to protect pork from nuisance lawsuits
Lawmakers in North Carolina are working to protect the state’s pork farms from lawsuits filed by neighbors complaining about odors and other alleged more...
Salmonella illnesses linked to chicken from pop-up pantry
The Minnesota Department of Health said it is investigating at least four cases of salmonellosis affecting one Minnesota resident and three Wisconsin more...
Residents drop lawsuit that sought to block chicken plant
A group of residents have dropped a lawsuit they filed in Walker County, Ga., seeking to stop the rumored construction of a Pilgrim’s Pride chicken more...
Giving Back: Triumph Foods, Allen Harim, Jack Link’s, Tyson, Smithfield
Triumph Foods provides pork monthly Triumph Foods has established a partnership with Noyes Home for Children that will assist in the fight against food more...
Brazil’s Marfrig completes acquisition of National Beef
Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods has obtained all the necessary approvals to complete the acquisition of 51 percent of National Beef Packing Co., becoming more...
Perdue Farms weighs in on animal care, worker health and environment
At a time when studies show consumers increasingly aware and interested in corporate social responsibility, Perdue Farms has become the latest protein more...
Brazil's Minerva and BRF deny formal proposals for merger
Brazilian meat processors Minerva S.A. and BRF S.A. denied on Tuesday and Wednesday having made or received formal proposals for a merger, after three more...
Organic chicken brand gets a new look
Shenandoah Valley Organic has introduced new packaging and a new look for its Farmer Focus organic chicken. The Harrisonburg, Va.-based, family-run organic more...
Analysts see Tyson organic poultry purchase as smart move
Tyson Foods’ purchase of organic chicken processor Tecumseh Poultry is a positive development that bolsters the company’s presence in a higher-growth more...
Grocery Manufacturers name new CEO
The Grocery Manufacturers Association announced that Geoff Freeman would become the organization's new president and chief executive officer effective more...
Online butcher, meat delivery service gets $3.7M in seed funding
Online whole animal butcher shop and delivery service Porter Road said it has secured $3.7 million in seed funding from multiple investors. Chefs/butchers more...
JBS executive to lead Canadian Meat Council
The Canadian Meat Council has appointed David Colwell as chairman of its board of directors for the next two years. The election took place last week more...
Canadian province offers funds to develop a beef plant
The minister of agriculture in Canada’s British Columbia announced $450,000 in funding toward development of a beef-packing plant in Prince George more...
House of Raeford updates status of plans to build new plant
House of Raeford Farms said plans to open a new poultry processing facility in Wallace, N.C., this summer are on track. House of Raeford officials vowed more...
Salmonella outbreak prompts chicken burger recall
The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health more...
Meal kit brand expands into 580 grocery stores
HelloFresh SE announced today its retail debut, beginning at 581 stores under the Ahold Delhaize U.S.A. brand’s Giant Food (Landover) and Stop & more...
Wolverine Packing gets brownfield incentives in Detroit
Wolverine Packing, which broke ground in April on a $40 million processing facility and cold storage plant in Detroit, has received approval from the more...
Butterball touts benefits, flavors in new premium deli line
Butterball is rolling out a premium deli line of specialty and seasoned items with a focus on high-quality, better-for-you ingredients. Leading the portfolio more...
Recalls have lasting impact on meat prices, study says
Recalls of meat can affect meat prices for years, not just a few days or weeks, according to a new study published in the Applied Economic Perspectives more...
AMSA honors meat scientists
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) has announced four meat scientists as 2018 award recipients in various categories. —Mindy Brashears more...
May 2018
Trump imposes tariffs on Mexico, Canada and the EU (updated)
President Donald Trump will implement tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union, the White House announced Thursday more...
Tyson unveils brand with mission to end food waste
Tyson Foods’ Innovation Lab announced the launch of a new brand, Yappah, with a goal of helping to eliminate food waste. The brand’s first more...
Iconic Chicago processor opens hot dog museum
Chicago’s legendary hot dog maker Vienna Beef on Wednesday kicked off a summer-long celebration of the company’s 125th anniversary by opening more...
Chick-fil-A tests sliders
Chick-fil-A said it is testing a new menu item, Chick-n-Sliders, in select restaurants this summer, with an eye toward a possible nationwide rollout later more...
Tyson breaks ground on western Tennessee poultry plant
Tyson Foods Inc. executives along with local and state officials broke ground today at the site of the company’s future chicken processing plant more...
Crowd Cow raises $8 million in financing
Crowd Cow, the Seattle-based online platform that links independent small-batch craft meat producers with consumers, has raised $8 million is Series A more...
Meat snack innovations take spotlight at Sweets & Snacks Expo
New meat snacks, chips, jerkys and bars were in abundance at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago in May. Land O’Frost, for one, was sampling more...
Amazon expands Prime discounts to more Whole Foods stores
Amazon is wasting no time expanding a program offering 10 percent discounts on sale items to its Amazon Prime members in addition to special offers at more...
Burger maker buys bacon, sausage maker
Canadian burger and cooked protein maker Cardinal Meat Specialists announced it has purchased bacon and sausage maker D&S Meat Products Ltd., operating more...
Trump to impose tariffs on China as U.S. meat industry seeks unfettered access
President Donald Trump announced today he will move forward with a plan to impose a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion in Chinese imports and set restrictions more...
Panera parent buys another foodservice chain
JAB Holding Company, which bought Panera Bread a year ago, announced it has purchased 530-unit Pret A Manger. JAB bought Pret A Manger from private equity more...
Brazilian meat exports could reap benefits from OIE decision (UPDATED)
Brazil is expected to reap trade advantages following the formal declaration from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) that the country is free more...
Tyson Foods plans $20 million in upgrades to Mississippi facility
Tyson Foods outlined $20 million in upgrades to its prepared chicken facility in Vicksburg, Miss., in 2019, for officials of Warren County as part of more...
Lack of training could prompt OSHA ‘willful violation’
In enforcement cases involving the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, where the employer is found to have provided inadequate training in more...
NAMI unveils “beefshi” recipes for foodservice
The North American Meat Institute has developed a collection of sushi-style recipes for foodservice operators featuring fully cooked and prepared beef more...
Beef supply pressure starting to mount: Rabobank
U.S. beef cow slaughter numbers are up 10 percent through mid-April from a year ago, driven by ongoing dry pasture conditions, and the likelihood of forced more...
Cargill names new food safety chief
Cargill announced Thursday that Mike Robach, global vice president of food safety, quality and regulatory, will retire on Aug. 1 after nearly 15 years more...
Feeder cattle inventory up 5 percent
The U.S. cattle on feed inventory on May was 11.6 million head, a 5 percent increase from the year-earlier tally, USDA said in a report Friday. The second-highest more...
Sanderson results temper analysts’ expectations
Sanderson Farms’ disappointing second-quarter returns and resulting subdued outlook prompted equity analysts to adjust their profitability projections more...
April saw record high pork production: USDA
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.28 billion pounds in April, up 8 percent from the 3.97 billion pounds produced in April more...
Hormel profit up; refrigerated growth offsets grocery, turkey
Hormel Foods posted record second-quarter earnings as stronger sales of refrigerated foods offset double-digit increases in freight costs, lower hog volumes more...
Weak foodservice demand drags on Sanderson earnings
Weak foodservice demand and lower market prices cut Sanderson Farms’ fiscal second-quarter income, the company said today. Net income for the quarter more...
Del. board lets case against Allen Harim wastewater facility proceed
Delaware’s Environmental Appeals Board has ruled that a grassroots environmental group can challenge the construction permit for a wastewater recycling more...
Calzones recalled for misbranding
Uno Foods Inc., based in Brockton, Mass., is recalling about 1,881 pounds of ham and cheese calzones due to misbranding, the USDA’s Food Safety more...
Five companies interested in buying Keystone, says Marfrig
Brazilian beef processor Marfrig has selected five companies to proceed in the competition to buy Keystone Foods, the company said in a statement today more...
N.Y. processor pleads guilty, pays fine to settle wage theft charges
A New York meat processing company pleaded guilty to charges that employees were not paid for required overtime between 2013 and 2017 and has paid $120 more...
Cold storage inventories continue to build
Total red meat supplies in freezers were up 4 percent from the previous month and up 7 percent from last year, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics more...
Red Robin says sales edge up in Q1; plans more units
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. reported slightly higher first-quarter revenue even as comparable-store sales slipped from year-ago levels, and the full-service more...
U.S. Reps weigh in on trade dispute with Thailand
Nearly 50 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are asking the government of Thailand to remove what the lawmakers called unfair trade restrictions more...
NAMI adds Media MythCrusher paper on cultured, plant-based alternatives
Advances in the development of cultured meat products and plant based “meat alternatives” are hot topics in the media, though often with inaccuracies more...
Applegate touts “cleaner” hot dogs
Applegate, the natural and organic meat brand of Hormel, is marketing its “cleaner wiener” for the summer grilling season with a survey of more...
Research briefs: Peptides, sodium hydroxide
Anti-biofilm peptide can target, kill ListeriaA multi-institute team of researchers in Italy have identified a new antimicrobial peptide that holds promise more...
Pinnacle Foods exploring strategic options: report
Pinnacle Foods has hired investment bankers to help the company explore strategic alternatives, which could include a sale, the New York Post reported more...
Maintenance issues temporarily close Tyson plant in Va.
Tyson Foods Inc. confirmed reports that its Temperanceville, Va., poultry plant is closed today for what was described as “maintenance,” a more...
Canadian deli meat firms get financial boost
The Canadian government has doled out C$1.85 million to two Quebec deli meat processors to help them modernize and expand their businesses. Boucherie more...
Sales of organic meat, poultry reach record in 2017
In 2017, $45.2 billion in U.S. organic food sales contributed to a record total organic sales figure of $49.4 billion, up 6.4 percent from 2016, according more...
NAMI no fan of USCA petition
Comments have closed on the petition filed by the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association in February asking the agency for rulemaking on beef labeling to more...
House fails to pass farm bill
The U.S. House of Representatives failed today to pass a new Farm Bill, raising doubt about its ability to do so this year. The 198-213 vote came more...
South African listeriosis outbreak abates
The South African government said Thursday that the country’s deadly listeriosis outbreak, what global health officials deemed the largest ever more...
How the ‘Georgia Dock’ died
In February 2017, the state of Georgia eliminated price discovery services for chicken processors operating there in the poultry capital of the United more...
Tyson to get $20 million in state funds for Tenn. chicken complex (UPDATE)
Tyson Foods Inc. will receive $20 million in state economic funds to help the company build a new chicken complex in Humboldt, Tenn. Tennessee’s more...
USTR to look into pork producers’ complaint against Thailand
The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced that it is accepting a petition from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) challenging more...
New AMS administrator named
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has appointed Bruce Summers as administrator of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). “During more...
Meat stick maker adds grass-fed varieties
Vermont Smoke & Cure’s growing line of meat sticks, billed as “responsibly sourced, locally smoked,” now includes two grass-fed more...
Farm bill heads through House with animal husbandry amendment
The U.S. House of Representatives begins debate on the farm bill this week, including an amendment designed to stop states from regulating the way farmers more...
Prosecutors bring corruption charges against Joesley Batista
Brazilian prosecutors presented charges against JBS shareholder Joesley Batista for corruption, money laundering and obstruction of mustice, Brazilian more...
S&P upgrades JBS ratings after debt refinancing
S&P Global Ratings raised its global scale corporate credit ratings for JBS S.A. and JBS USA Lux S.A. to 'B+' from 'B,' after the company announced more...
Organic food fans unlikely to be swayed by negative news: NPD
A recent report raising questions about the quality and safety of organic foods is unlikely to change the buying habits of consumers of such products more...
Tyson buys poultry rendering firm for $850 million
Subsidiaries of Tyson Foods have agreed to buy the poultry rendering and blending assets of American Proteins and AMPRO Products, the companies announced more...
Sanderson Farms takes another crack at dispelling poultry misconceptions
Sanderson Farms has launched a new round of national television spots that seek to dispel commonly held myths among consumers regarding poultry production more...
Smithfield outlines food safety efforts
Smithfield Foods outlined recent efforts to improve food safety and progress toward its zero recall goal in the Food Safety and Quality section of its more...
JBS' Seara focused on recovering margins amid high production costs
JBS' poultry, pork and processed foods business unit in Brazil, Seara, increased its prices for processed foods products by 1.9 percent in the first quarter more...
Burger processor breathes new life into closed plant
Flanders Provision Co. has begun new operations at a former Bubba Burger plant in Hastings, Neb., according to a report by the Hastings Tribune. Flanders’ more...
Bipartisan bill seeks to expand meat movement across state lines
Three U.S. senators have launched a legislative effort designed to allow meat and poultry products already inspected by state programs to be sold across more...
Ag budget bill would give USDA jurisdiction over lab-grown 'meat'
As meat substitute products that use new technologies proliferate and the debate over what is and is not meat heats up, Congress jumped into the fray more...
Tyson launches product education program for retailers
Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods, has launched its Chairman’s Reserve Prime Pork Certified Butcher Program, free to more...
Pilgrim’s focusing on prepared foods, customized products
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. is pursuing a strategy to provide more differentiated, customized products to customers and is continuing to invest in its more...
Rottenberg, Kiecker named FSIS administrators
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the appointment of Carmen Rottenberg and Paul Kiecker to key leadership positions within the more...
Smithfield probes sow farm accused of pig abuse
Smithfield Foods officials said they have launched a third-party investigation of a North Carolina sow farm that an animal activist group claims is not more...
BRF navigates turbulent times
Just three months into the job last month, its CEO, Jose Drummond Jr. quit. It’s a sign of the very rocky times at Brazil’s BRF S.A., the more...
USDA gives initial look at 2019 meat production picture
In its first 2019 projections for U.S. livestock and poultry products, USDA today forecast beef production above 2018 on higher slaughter and heavier more...
USDA projects lower feed-grain production, ending stocks
In its first assessment of world supply-and-demand prospects for 2018-19 crops and U.S. grain prices, USDA said today its U.S. feed-grain outlook is for more...
Consumer challenges Tyson ‘all-natural’ claim
An Illinois woman has filed a lawsuit against Tyson Foods over an “all-natural” claim on one of the company’s products, according to more...
Minerva names its first global chief operating officer
Having bought JBS S.A.’s non-Brazilian South American beef operations in 2017, Minerva S.A. has created a new executive position, global chief operating more...
Allen Harim wins regulatory nod on Millsboro plant expansion
Allen Harim Foods won approval from the Sussex County Board of Adjustment to move forward with plans to convert a former Vlasic pickle plant in Millsboro more...
Amazon using artificial intelligence to monitor food safety issues
It’s one thing to collect a lot of data and quite another to make it useful. As Amazon deepens its dive into food sales and delivery, it is using more...
Wendy’s sees earnings slide as weather dents sales
Wendy’s Co. reported a nearly 10 percent decline in net income in the first quarter of 2018, saying weather adversely affected company-operated more...
Beyond Meat announces plans to go global
Plant-based protein products maker Beyond Meat said it will work with leading distribution and food service partners globally to roll out its Beyond Burger more...
China’s increased U.S. pork inspection could be costly: Reuters
China has increased inspections of pork shipped from the United States, importers and industry sources told Reuters, the latest American product hit by more...
The Maschhoffs names two new execs (updated)
Justin Fix and Rich Hollis have joined The Maschhoffs, as director of genetics and vice president of people strategy and resources, respectively, the more...
McDonald’s moves into another market with fresh beef
Philadelphia is the latest market in which McDonald’s is rolling out its made-to-order, fresh beef Quarter Pounders, making them available in about more...
Analysts adjust Tyson estimates after Q2 earnings slip
Word that Tyson Foods fell short of industry expectations with its second-quarter earnings prompted several analysts to take another look at their expectations more...
Tyson’s Q2 income slips as sales climb, outlook reaffirmed (updated)
Tyson Foods Inc. today reported second quarter net income of $315 million, or 85 cents a share, down from the $340 million, or 92 cents a share, posted more...
Settlement addresses hog farm pollution and race in North Carolina
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and local environmental justice groups have reached a settlement requiring policy changes more...
OSI completes Australian operations merger with poultry processor
Aurora, Ill.-based OSI International Foods announced it has merged its Australian operations with poultry processor Turi Foods. The new entity will be more...
What will meat companies do with all that tax savings?
Meat and poultry processors received a Christmas gift last year that will keep on giving — the new federal tax law which cut the top corporate tax more...
Kane Beef to also pay $400,000 in delinquent property taxes
Kane Beef officials said they will pay nearly $400,000 in delinquent property taxes to Nueces County, Texas. This tab adds to the $2.4 million the Corpus more...
Pork workers file comments opposing faster line speeds
Over 6,500 pork plant employees who are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union submitted comments to USDA objecting to a proposed more...
FSIS to begin 2018 dioxin survey of meat, poultry
FSIS is set to begin year-long sampling for the fourth 2018 Dioxin Survey on June 1 to determine levels of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in U.S. beef more...
USDA seeks input on Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard
USDA is asking for public comment on the proposed rule to establish the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard enacted by Congress in 2016. The more...
Tyson creates Bill of Rights for its poultry growers
Tyson Foods Inc. today announced the launch of several initiatives -- including a Contract Poultry Farmers’ Bill of Rights -- aimed at enhancing more...
Growing pains prompt Colo. processor to file for bankruptcy: report
Boulder Natural Meats has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy pressure to consolidate and restructure debt related to expanding into new facilities and adding more...
USRSB sets framework for sustainable beef
The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) today opened a 60-day public comment period on the group’s “Sustainability Framework.” more...
Hog supply reduction trims Maple Leaf Q1 results
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods said a temporary interruption in its hog supply due to Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) reduced its profits more...
Tyson, others push forward animal cell-created products in Israel
Jerusalem-based Future Meat Technologies announced today a $2.2 million seed investment round co-led by Tyson Foods’ venture capital arm Tyson Ventures more...
Meat groups speak out on hog farm nuisance verdict
Three meat industry groups and the American Farm Bureau Federation are criticizing last week’s $50 million jury award to neighbors of a hog operation more...
Cargill beef plant resumes operations after brief strike
Cargill today resumed normal operations at its beef plant in Schuyler, Neb., after some workers walked off the job yesterday to protest differences in more...
Allen Harim taps poultry industry veteran as new sales exec
Poultry specialist Allen Harim announced the appointment of industry veteran Kyle Richard as its new senior vice president of sales and marketing. Richard more...
Boston Market nabs Jack in the Box executive as new CEO (updated)
Boston Market has named Frances Allen its chief executive officer effective immediately. She succeeds George Michel upon his retirement. Allen joins Boston more...
Slow-roasted meats drive BJ’s Q1 profits
BJ’s Restaurants Inc. has reported that its slow-roasted meat menu items, including prime rib and double bone-in pork chops, has helped boost 2018 more...
Gold Creek: Not too big, not too small, juuuuust right
In the middle of the Poultry Capital of the World, Gold Creek Foods sits like Goldilocks in the Baby Bear’s chair: Surrounded by bigger and smaller more...
Oscar Mayer spoofs cryptocurrency craze with “bacoin” campaign
In a new marketing campaign, the Kraft Heinz brand Oscar Mayer seeks to engage consumers with an interactive “bacoin” that allows them to more...
April 2018
McDonald’s Q1 sales slip as profits climb on int’l results
McDonald’s Corp. reported a 9-percent decline in total sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, although net income increased 8 percent thanks more...
NY governor acts to block some ICE raids
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has demanded that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stop its “reckless” and “serious disregard more...
New Meat MythCrusher video on misconceptions about spoilage
A new Meat MythCrusher video addresses one of the ways consumers can help reduce their meat waste—by knowing the signs of spoilage. The video features more...
Boston Market adds prime rib to the menu
Boston Market now is offering a Rotisserie Prime Rib meal, the chain’s first rotisserie steak option, the company said in a news release. The meal more...
Texas beef packer to pay off $2.3 million water bill debt
Kane Beef officials said they are working to pay off all of a $2.38 million debt that the company owes the city of Corpus Christi, Texas, for water service more...
Wolverine Packing launches expansion
Wolverine Packing has broken ground on its fifth meat processing plant in Detroit's Eastern Market, the company said in a news release. The reported $30 more...
More pork products recalled in deadly Canadian E. coli outbreak
Alberta Health Services (AHS) in Canada said Thursday its investigation has determined an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in the Edmonton area is linked to more...
Brazil's BRF elects Petrobras CEO as new chairman
Shareholders at BRF S.A. elected the current CEO at Brazil's state-owned oil company Petrobras as the new chairman for its board of directors on Thursday more...
Mountaire plant back online
Mountaire Farms employees returned to work at the company's Selbyville, Del., plant Wednesday after an electrical transformer failure on Monday afternoon more...
Thrushwood Farms doubles its capacity
Thrushwood Farms Quality Meats Inc., in Galesburg, Ill., is adding 30,000 square feet of production and warehouse space to its current 27,400-square-foot more...
Chipotle execs talk up 2018
Chipotle Mexican Grill started 2018 on a roll, reporting net income of $59.4 million, or $2.13 per share, up from $46.1 million in the year-earlier period more...
EU looks to expand access for U.S. beef (UPDATE)
The European Union is looking to expand access for U.S. beef, a move that coincides with intergovernmental talks aimed at stemming a trade war. A consultation more...
Tyson in venture to sell bulk boxes of surplus food
Tyson Foods, through its Innovation Lab, is partnering with a company that specializes in redistributing grocers’ surplus fresh food and a nonprofit more...
E. coli prompts recall of Canadian pork products
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has recalled 17 raw pork products produced by The Meat Shop at Pine Haven in Alberta, Canada, due to possible E more...
Workers treated, released after Abbyland Foods ammonia leak
An ammonia leak Monday night at Abbyland Foods in Abbotsford, Wis., sent 17 people to the hospital, all of whom have since been released, according to more...
Fire-damaged Tyson plant still closed, workers being paid
A Tyson Foods poultry facility in Dawson, Ga., remains closed one week after an April 18 fire prompted evacuations of the plant and about 40 nearby homes more...
Plant-based protein coalition fights back on label challenge
A group of companies at the forefront of the plant-based protein movement is pushing back against calls by the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) more...
Congressional group asks USDA to pull swine slaughter rule
Concerns about the safety of pork line workers prompted more than five dozen members of Congress to ask USDA officials to withdraw the Swine Slaughter more...
Brazil's BRF CEO resigns
The global CEO at Brazilian poultry and pork meat processor BRF S.A., José Aurélio Drummond Jr., has resigned, according to a statement more...
Analyst cuts Sanderson Farms' 2018 earnings outlook
Weaker-than-expected pricing and slightly higher-than-expected unspecified legal costs prompted at least one industry analyst to lower her operating earnings more...
Study: HPP-L. lactis combo can control spore-formers in cooked ham
French researchers have published a new study showing that a lactic acid bacterial strain, Lactococcus lactis, used in combination with high pressure more...
China-U.S. dispute highlights challenges to global pork trade: Rabobank
China’s recently imposed retaliatory tariff on U.S. pork could cost U.S. pork producers between $6 and $8 per head, according to Rabobank analysts more...
France says ‘watch your language’ on vegetarian food with ‘meat’ names
French legislators are warning food companies that describe their vegetarian or vegan foods using terms usually associated with meat to find new ways more...
Lactic acid and hot water most effective against E. coli on beef carcasses
An Argentinian research team has found that automated application of lactic acid and hot water are more effective than other commonly used antimicrobial more...
NYU creates research unit to study environmental, animal protection
New York University has launched the Center for Environmental and Animal Protection (CEAP), a research unit to inform policy related to what it calls more...
Maine meat processor files for bankruptcy
Central Maine Meats LLC has filed for bankruptcy protection only three years after it opened, seeking to provide a rare USDA-inspected outlet for Maine's more...
EU bans imports from 20 Brazilian chicken plants
The European Union suspended imports from 20 Brazilian poultry processing plants on Thursday, affecting 30 to 35 percent of the country's chicken meat more...
Animal welfare tops list of causes Americans care about
A new survey finds animal welfare, children’s education and hunger are the top three causes Americans currently care about. Animal welfare is the more...
KFC extends ‘Extra Crispy’ line-up
KFC has added to its line-up of Extra Crispy recipe sandwiches with a Smoky Mountain BBQ, Nashville Hot and Georgia Gold honey mustard BBQ versions, the more...
Tyson fire, ammonia leak prompt closings
A fire at a Tyson Foods poultry facility in Dawson, Ga., last night has caused the closure of the plant for the rest of the week and nearby schools for more...
Perdue names several senior leaders at USDA
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a new boss for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), among other appointments to agency departments more...
C. perfringens can survive processing: research
Clostridium perfringens, a cause of necrotic enteritis, can survive processing and pose a threat of foodborne illness in people, according to research more...
Target launches same-day delivery
Target Corp. said it will start same-day delivery of more than 55,000 products, including grocery items, in Colorado, with plans to expand the service more...
Ag committee senators seek review of National Beef acquisition
Four members of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee are pressing for a review of Marfrig Global Foods’ proposed $969 million acquisition of National more...
Trump addresses TPP again, with skepticism
Following a dinner Tuesday night with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Donald Trump took to social media to express his wariness about rejoining more...
USDA chief reassures on NAFTA in speech to farmers: report
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue reportedly told a farm group in Tennessee on Tuesday that the Trump administration will not let agriculture bear the more...
GAO to USDA: Take further action to reduce pathogens in meat
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a list of recommendations the agency says will help USDA reduce pathogens in meat and poultry more...
Perdue Farms CEO ‘not overly concerned yet’ on China tariffs
China’s 25-percent tariffs on more than 100 U.S. products is not a major concern for Perdue Farms CEO Randy Day, mostly because the bulk of the more...
Premium meat processor merges with confectioner, sauce packer
An Illinois-based producer of premium, cooked meats for foodservice clients has merged with another Illinois-based producer of confectionary fudge and more...
Doing well, doing good in Canada
A meat-cutting school on the Sandy Bay First Nation reserve on the western shore of Lake Manitoba is training workers for jobs at the area’s HyLife more...
Burger King founder dead at 90
David Edgerton, who founded the Burger King hamburger chain in the 1960s, died in Miami at the age of 90, The New York Times reported. Edgerton and James more...
Brighter prospects spark Tyson earnings upgrade
Tyson Foods Inc. should see benefits from growing consumer demand in the second half of 2018 despite a challenging first quarter, according to one industry more...
Montana residents fight proposed multi-species plant
Hundreds of residents in Great Falls, Mont., gathered on Saturday night to voice concerns about a proposal to build a large multi-species slaughter facility more...
APHIS proposes NPIP rule, changes for poultry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will accept comments until May 9 on its proposed changes and more...
Bertucci’s says Chapter 11 filing aims for future growth
Officials at the Italian restaurant chain Bertucci’s said the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed over the weekend is designed to position more...
Argentina holds promise for U.S. pork
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and U.S. Meat Export Federation applauded finalization this week of an export certificate that will allow fresh more...
Rejoin TPP? Meat industry crosses its fingers (updated)
The idea that President Donald J. Trump would consider re-entering the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) was a welcome bit of sunshine in the trade storm more...
Remember the economic basics in the midst of trade turbulence
(This article first appeared in the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma more...
Iowa pork processor reportedly pulls plug on new plant
Premium Iowa Pork has ended speculation that it would revive a former Driftless Meats facility in Vernon County, Wis., into a meat processing plant, the more...
Koch Foods recalls rib-shaped beef patties
Koch Foods Inc. in Fairfield, Ohio, is recalling about 119,480 pounds of rib-shaped beef patties that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically more...
Missouri bills seek to address ‘meat’ definition
While some meat organizations have appealed to the federal government directly to define how technology-enabled developments such as lab-grown cultured more...
Impossible Burger slides into quick-service menu
White Castle, the Midwestern fast-food icon that gave the world the small, onion-steamed burger known as the “slider,” is introducing the more...
Tyson rolls out several new foodservice options
Tyson Foods has reformulated its eight “all-natural,” breaded Tyson Red Label products and has added four dark meat items to that line. The more...
GAO: No anticompetitive behavior behind cattle price drop
Regular supply and demand factors such as a drought that affected the price of cattle feed -- rather than competition levels among packers -- likely caused more...
JBS outlines sustainability efforts, sets new targets
JBS USA spent $300 million on sustainability-related efforts in 2017 and has committed to new goals for 2020, according to its latest sustainability report more...
More items added to roast beef recall for listeria concerns
A food recall warning issued on April 9, 2018 has been updated to include additional product information, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's more...
Plant-based protein maker expands product line
At a time when non-meat proteins are getting a lot of attention, Boulder, Colo.-based Gardein announced it has launched a line of Skillet Meals as frozen more...
White House promises support for farmers as China tariffs loom
President Trump said the nation will “make it up” to farmers affected by potential tariffs from China. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping more...
More groups ask USDA to distinguish food animal meat from lab-created protein
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association(NCBA) and the National Farmers Union (NFU) are the latest two organizations to call on USDA to establish more...
USCIS launches revamped E-Verify website
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a new website, E-Verify.gov, for electronic employment eligibility verification, the agency more...
USDA lowers meat and poultry production forecasts
USDA has lowered its 2018 forecasts for total red meat and poultry production from last month in its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) more...
Hormel’s Applegate unit names new president
Hormel Foods announced that its Applegate Farms subsidiary has named John Ghingo its president. Applegate is a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods more...
Alleged employment tax violations at heart of ICE-raided plant issues
The owner of a Tennessee meat plant where immigration officials conducted a raid last week is being accused of “willfully” attempting to skirt more...
Immigrant labor in rural Midwest is on the decline: study
A declining flow of immigrants into the U.S. and aging population of immigrants already in the country is exacerbating challenges in the pork industry’s more...
South African Listeria death rate rises as pork industry suffers
South African health officials are bracing for even more Listeria monocytogenes infections from processed meat after confirming nearly 690 infections more...
97 people arrested in immigration raid at meat plant
U.S. immigration officials executed a criminal search warrant at the Southeastern Provision meatpacking plant in Grainger County, Tenn., leading to the more...
Ham mogul ‘Bud’ Cook dies
Herbert “Bud” Cook, who turned a small butcher shop in Philadelphia into a Fortune 500 ham company, has died at the age of 87, according to more...
Beef producers ‘cautiously’ support traceability system
The vast majority — 80 percent — of U.S. beef producers would support industry efforts to create a national traceability system, but more...
SunFed Ranch hires new head of sales
SunFed Ranch in Woodland, Calif., has hired John Flynn to lead the sales division and drive visibility of its growing, “sustainable” beef more...
Worker safety: Tyson, UFCW want to make it the next non-competitive issue
Executives at Tyson Foods Inc.'s Fresh Meats business in Dakota Dunes, S.D., and the United Food and Commercial Workers think employee health and safety more...
Tax bite weighs on Cargill third-quarter earnings
Cargill today reported a 23.8 percent decline in third-quarter profit, hurt by a charge related to the new U.S. tax law. Net earnings for the quarter more...
JBS pork plant to hire 200 amid expansion
JBS USA is looking to hire some 200 new workers at its Beardstown, Ill., pork plant to staff four new production lines that will be added later this year more...
Two more BRF plants put poultry workers on paid leave
Brazil's largest poultry producer, BRF S.A., said it will grant a 30-day paid leave to workers at two poultry processing facilities, in Goiás and more...
China ups the ante, adds U.S. beef products to tariff list
China’s Ministry of Commerce today released a list of 106 additional U.S.-made products subject to tariffs of 25 percent in retaliation for the more...
Krystal taps quick-service veteran as CEO
Krystal Co. announced Paul Macaluso has joined the company as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately. He replaces Omar Janjua, who was more...
Impossible Foods raises more funds for expansion push
Plant-based burger maker Impossible Foods said it closed on about $114 million in convertible note financing as it prepares to launch in Asia, its first more...
Butterball Foodservice adds to its turkey crumbles line
Butterball Foodservice has created two new turkey products to help operators give diners — particularly younger, increasingly influential consumers more...
Land O’Frost enters natural/organic market with acquisition
Land O’Frost has paid an undisclosed price to acquire Wellshire Farms Inc., marking its entry into the natural/organic meat market for specialty more...
Tyson Foods launches sustainable grain effort
Tyson Foods Inc. has committed to support enhanced environmental practices on 2 million acres of land used to grow corn by the end of 2020 in what it more...
Small processors get reprieve on reg change
Small and very small establishments have been given a one-year reprieve to review and prepare for a change in federal regulation regarding scientific more...
Experts seek to help meat processors find and retain good workers
The Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN) announced a two-part series of webinars focused on best practices to help meat processors hire and more...
China strikes back on tariffs as Tyson, others affected
The Chinese government officially listed 128 U.S.-made products — including U.S. pork — that will be subject to a 25 percent tariff in response more...
Class-action lawsuit filed against South African processor linked to listeria outbreak
Victims of a deadly listeriosis outbreak in South Africa, what world health officials are calling the largest ever of its kind, have filed a class-action more...
USDA economists track 30 years of farm consolidation
Economists from the USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) have published a new report tracing the impact of consolidation on farms specialization and more...
Taco chain names new CEO
Taco Bueno announced it has appointed industry veteran Omar Janjua as CEO, effective immediately. Janjua brings more than 35 years of quick serve more...
March 2018
Perdue installs new CAS, bird handling systems at Del. plant
Perdue Farms announced today it is investing more than $15 million at its Milford, Del., chicken plant on a controlled atmospheric stunning more...
Court rules wrongful death suit against beef processor can proceed
A federal appeals court judge in Kansas has ruled in favor of the estate of a deceased man who was trampled by cattle he delivered to a Creekstone Farms more...
Small upstate N.Y. processing plant closes its doors
A USDA-inspected meat processing plant in upstate New York, hailed as a much-needed slaughterhouse for beef producers in the region when it opened in more...
DeLauro wants GAO to look into lab-grown meat
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office asking the agency to examine how cell-cultured, or more...
Cargill installs C$22 million CAS system in Canadian chicken plant
Cargill Protein today announced it is investing C$22 million to install a controlled atmospheric stunning (CAS) system at its London, Ontario, chicken more...
Salmonella outbreak in Canada spurs chicken nugget recall
Erie Meat Products Ltd., a processor based in Listowel, Ontario, is recalling Harvest Creek brand chicken nuggets because they may be contaminated with more...
Allen Harim calls $250,000 in pollution fines ‘unfair’
Allen Harim said Delaware’s issuance of about $250,000 in fines for alleged wastewater violations at the company’s Harbeson poultry processing more...
Meat-sticks maker names sales director to drive expansion
Landcrafted Food, a supplier of meat snacks made from 100 percent grass-fed cattle raised on family farms around Grayson County, Va., announced that Greg more...
Roast beef recalled in Canada due to possible Listeria link
Canadian officials are investigating a possible outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes as part of a recall of a cooked roast beef product sold in Ontario more...
U.S.-South Korea trade deal seen as good for meat industry
Today’s announcement that the U.S. and South Korea have agreed on changes to the existing U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) is a relief to more...
JBS plant running normally after small ammonia leak
A JBS beef plant in Brooks, Alberta, is running normally after a small ammonia leak on Sunday that sent two employees to the hospital on Monday. Both more...
New video addresses grilling meat and cancer myths
A new Meat MythCrusher video from the North American Meat Institute and American Meat Science Association (AMSA) addresses concerns that grilling meat more...
U.S. tariff threats with China spark concerns, except at Smithfield
President Trump’s threat last week to impose tariffs on goods made in China and Chinese counter-threats to slap tariffs on U.S. imports, including more...
Shuttered Oregon beef processor to pay off $4.6 million debt: report
Bartels Packing, the Eugene, Ore.-based beef processor that abruptly closed its doors earlier this month, said in court filings that liquidation of its more...
McDonald’s launches chicken sustainability advisory council
McDonald's on Monday announced the formation of a multi-stakeholder council composed of key suppliers and other experts to help the chain meet its chicken more...
Jersey Mike’s taps two franchise veterans to accelerate expansion
Jersey Mike’s Subs said it hired two fast casual restaurant veterans to help the submarine sandwich chain achieve its goal of developing more than more...
Groups lean on McDonald’s on chicken housing; Trader Joe’s on sow housing
Six animal activist groups alerted the media this weekend to a push aimed at pressuring McDonald’s to source chicken products according to housing more...
Weekend ammonia leak at processing plant evacuates neighbors
An ammonia leak early Sunday morning at the Carolina Pride plant in Greenwood, S.C., forced neighboring residents out of their homes for hours while firefighters more...
Acquisition creates mega Hispanic-focused grocer in U.S.
The U.S. arm of Mexico’s Grupo Comercial Chedraui (GCC) has agreed to purchase Texas-based Fiesta Mart, creating one of the largest Hispanic-focused more...
Drought helps drive historic cattle on feed inventory
Deteriorating drought conditions in the Southern Plains that have limited pasture are forcing producers to place more cattle in feedlots than analysts more...
Trade war with China: not quite pork-mageddon, but close
Further analysis of the effects of retaliatory tariffs imposed by the Chinese government on agricultural products, including pork, paints a negative picture more...
Supplies of pork, chicken building in U.S. freezers
Growing U.S. inventories of frozen pork and poultry are generally bearish for meat protein prices, but lower beef stocks are constructive for beef prices more...
Giving Back: Perdue, Hormel, Jack Link’s, Tyson, Smithfield
Perdue Foundation supports nature museum, YMCA, firefighters Perdue Farms has awarded several grants through its charitable arm, the Franklin P. and Arthur more...
Auto industry points the way to tastier smoked foods?
U.K. scientists took a page from the auto industry’s playbook to develop a filter that not only removes over 90 percent of harmful carcinogens from more...
Conagra raises profit outlook as frozen meals shine
Conagra Brands posted better-than-expected third-quarter profit and raised its full-year forecast, helped by strong growth in its Banquet, Healthy Choice more...
Processors vulnerable to cyber attacks amid ‘Industry 4.0’
Meat processors have gotten plenty of information about food defense, but know frighteningly little about cyber defense. This, even as the increasingly more...
Pasture-raised chicken specialist names sales director
Crystal Lake Farms, which raises and processes slow-growth chicken, has appointed Jeff Farver as director of national sales accounts, responsible for more...
Asian bowls aimed at the lunch crowd
P.F. Chang’s said it has launched wok-fired, made-from-scratch lunch bowls -- including several chicken and beef options -- designed to work for more...
Seaboard Triumph hiring for second shift at new pork plant
Seaboard Triumph Foods is now hiring workers as it prepares to add a second shift at a pork processing plant it opened in Sioux City, Iowa, less than more...
Albertsons to launch a digital food marketplace
Supermarket retailer Albertsons Cos. announced plans to launch a digital marketplace offering customers “hard to find” food and wellness products more...
Meal kit pioneer expands with organic acquisition
A Germany-based meal kit provider operating in 10 countries worldwide is paying an undisclosed price to acquire a competitor specializing in USDA-certified more...
Chipotle names new chief marketing officer
A week after Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Mark Crumpacker resigned, Chipotle Mexican Grill said it has hired Chris Brandt as its new chief more...
Oregon packer abruptly shuts down
Bartels Packing, a processor of grass-fed and organic beef in Eugene, Ore., has closed its doors, putting more than 130 employees out of work. In a statement more...
Private equity firm buys sous vide maker
Private equity firm Kainos Capital has acquired Green Bay, Wis.-based sous vide products maker Bonewerks Culinarte. Terms were not disclosed. Bonewerks more...
McDonald’s sets greenhouse gas reduction program goals
Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald’s Corp. has established a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to its restaurants and offices by 36 percent more...
U.S. warehouse club operator expands Central American presence
San Diego-based PriceSmart Inc. has acquired one of the largest cross-border package delivery service and online retailers to provide online shopping more...
Canada recalls suspected E. coli tainted lean ground beef products
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume some lean ground beef products distributed under the Good Boucher label more...
Processor shuts more plants in wake of deadly South African listeriosis outbreak
Tiger Brands, which closed two processing plants earlier this month after health officials linked them to a listeriosis outbreak that has killed at least more...
USDA rejects animal activists petition on poultry
Attorneys for the animal rights group Mercy for Animals are considering their options now that USDA officials have rejected the group’s petition more...
News briefs: Meyer Natural Foods, Chefs Plate, Ireland, JBS
Laura’s Lean e-commerce store Meyer Natural Foods has launched an e-commerce website for its Laura’s Lean brand. Consumers can now purchase more...
Canadian firm snaps up four protein companies
Canada’s Premium Brands Holdings announced Thursday that it has signed separate agreements to acquire four protein companies. The Vancouver-based more...
Brazilian government suspends BRF's poultry exports to EU
Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply suspended BRF S.A.'s poultry meat exports to the European Union on Friday as a precautionary measure more...
USDA says HPAI pact with Korea will minimize trade impacts
USDA said it reached an agreement with the government of South Korea that significantly reduces negative impacts on trade should another detection of more...
Allen Harim takes a step forward on Millsboro plant project
Poultry processor Allen Harim has filed a special-use exception application with the Sussex County Board of Adjustment as it moves ahead with plans to more...
Jennie-O goes big with 17 new turkey products
Hormel Foods’ Jennie-O brand announced the rollout of 17 new turkey products aimed at health-conscious consumers, including uncured turkey franks more...
Calls for transparency on SBA poultry grower loans get louder
A U.S. Senate committee has approved an amendment to a bill seeking to boost transparency in the Small Business Administration’s 7(a) loans to the more...
Canadian processor faces pushback over proposed facility
A deal to buy land for a meat packing plant in Toronto is being challenged by local residents who are concerned that the former sewage treatment site more...
Cargill Protein selects Dallas for warehouse hub; 2 other sites closing
Cargill Protein announced it is consolidating its regional warehouse operations in a Dallas/Fort Worth area hub, to increase capacity and improve supply more...
Chipotle's head of marketing, strategy resigns
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Mark Crumpacker will resign effective Thursday, the company said today in a Securities more...
Walmart expands online grocery delivery program
Walmart Inc. plans to offer its online grocery delivery option to more than 100 metropolitan areas nationwide by the end of the year, expanding the service more...
There are a few reasons pork production is inching up
Heavier dressed weights are nudging 2018 pork production higher and there are a few factors driving that, according to an analysis by Agricultural Economist more...
Court gives Pilgrim’s Pride some relief in grower lawsuit
Chicken growers have been enjoined from proceeding with an antitrust lawsuit as filed late last year alleging that Pilgrim’s Pride participated more...
Controversy, tragedy surround cattle operation’s expansion
A beef company’s proposal to expand operations in western Missouri has been met with local opposition — and tragedy. Neighbors of a 400-acre more...
China suspends select poultry imports over avian influenza
Chinese officials have suspended imports of poultry meat from parts of Texas, France and Mexico in the wake of outbreaks of avian influenza in three areas more...
Kroger expands Instacart grocery delivery partnership
Grocery giant Kroger announced it is expanding its partnership with Instacart to increase its customer delivery coverage area in 2018. Kroger currently more...
Protein processor to expand, add jobs
Sugar Creek Packing Co. is preparing to add 100 employees at its protein plant in Wayne County, Ind., by June 2019, the company told local officials. more...
USDA decides to ditch additional rules for organic livestock producers (updated)
USDA announced the agency has decided to withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) final rule published on January 19, 2017. The withdrawal more...
SBA confirms poultry farmers’ loans
The U.S. Small Business Administration reviewed loans to poultry growers that were called into question by its Office of the Inspector General, and confirmed more...
Regional restaurant chain names interim CEO
Bojangles' Inc. said it has appointed Director James "Randy" Kibler as interim president and CEO following the resignation of Clifton Rutledge for personal more...
Butterball expands in Arkansas
Butterball is expanding its Huntsville, Ark., frozen storage facility now under construction, the company's public relations manager, Christa Leupen, more...
Another small processing plant proposed in upstate N.Y.
A proposal to build a new meat processing plant in Hammond, N.Y., will undergo the scrutiny of a public hearing after county officials gave the application more...
Beef exports start year off strong, expected to keep rolling
U.S. beef exports in January were significantly higher than the large totals of a year ago, led by muscle cuts, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) more...
Study: Model for pathogen inactivation in poultry scalding
A team of Canadian and U.S. scientists have developed a thermal inactivation model that can be applied during poultry scalding to eliminate Campylobacter more...
USMEF launches ‘pound steak’ to boost beef sales in Japan
A campaign promoting a thick-cut steak is part of a new push by the U.S. Meat Export Federation to boost U.S. beef in Japan. At 15 to 16 ounces, USMEF’s more...
SBA report finds poultry growers aren't 'small businesses' (Updated)
The federal Small Business Administration's Office of the Inspector General reviewed its loan guarantees for SBA 7(a) loans made to poultry growers and more...
Kosher brand introduces turkey brisket
Empire Kosher announced the introduction of seasoned and ready-to-cook turkey brisket. Fresh Kosher Turkey Brisket is among a slew of new products that more...
NAMI launches meat product database covering nutrition data
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) has introduced a resource to help consumers and health professionals collect nutrition information in a single more...
DOJ resolves discrimination claim against West Liberty plant
The Justice Department said it has signed a settlement agreement with West Liberty Foods LLC, an Iowa-based meat processor that operates a plant in Bolingbrook more...
Seaboard Foods president to retire
Seaboard Corp. announced that Terry Holton, president of its pork division, Seaboard Foods, intends to retire during calendar year 2018. A search for more...
Deli Star names culinary innovation executive
Cooked meats producer Deli Star Corp. announced it has hired Charles Hayes as vice president of culinary innovation, leading the company’s research more...
U.S. trade chief calls for speedier NAFTA progress
The U.S. Trade Representative used this week’s conclusion of the seventh round of talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) more...
McDonald’s expands fresh beef rollout in U.S.
McDonald’s USA has announced that fresh beef is now available for all Quarter Pounder and Signature Crafted Recipe burgers across some 3,500 restaurants more...
One dead in House of Raeford plant accident
A 40-year-old forklift operator, working for an outside contractor, died at the House of Raeford plant in Arcadia, La., Sunday morning after he was crushed more...
Hormel sets new executive appointments
Hormel Foods announced that Jeff Frank, president of MegaMex Foods, has been named vice president of foodservice marketing at the company's global headquarters more...
Look out, meat: Greenpeace is coming after you
A new Greenpeace report warns that agriculture is projected to produce 52 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades, 70 percent more...
Perdue reaches settlement of pollution claims in Delaware
Perdue Foods and the Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) reached an agreement to settle what the agency called multiple more...
South African government identifies meat as cause of deadly listeriosis outbreak
South Africa’s Tiger Brands said it is recalling several ready-to-eat processed meats after the government linked at least one of those products more...
Paraguay welcomes U.S. red meat, poultry
Paraguay has agreed to allow imports of U.S. beef, pork and natural casings along with poultry, eggs, live animals and genetics, the U.S. Meat Export more...
Burger King launches spicy chicken sandwich nationwide
Burger King is following up its successful Crispy Chicken Sandwich with a super-spicy version that will be added to its national menu. The world’s more...
County considers revenue bonds for Simmons poultry plant
Benton County, Ark., is considering issuing industrial revenue bonds to provide property tax relief to Simmons Prepared Foods Inc., which is planning more...
Beef sector embracing blockchain technology: Rabobank
Applications of blockchain technology are now being widely developed in the food industry — and the beef sector is no exception — with opportunities more...
Americans still love their meat, study shows
Eighteen percent of shoppers are buying more fresh meat versus last year, while plant-based meat alternatives are growing 11 percent in units year over more...
News Briefs: Safety awards, Tyson pork, Kroger, cattle welfare, beef-bison bars
Applications accepted for poultry safety awards The Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award Program is accepting applications from poultry industry facilities more...
Applegate declares support for lawsuit against USDA
Leading natural and organic meat processor Applegate filed a declaration in federal court supporting a lawsuit demanding that USDA implement animal welfare more...
National Beef loses fight over rejected federal contracts
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) denied National Beef Packing Co.’s protest of the federal government’s decision to reject the company’s more...
Legal challenge to Iowa ag gag law moves forward
A U.S. District Court judge has denied Iowa’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s “ag gag” more...
Organic chicken manure plant proposed in Iowa
Officials in Wright County, Iowa, are considering a company’s plan to build a $25 million plant that would convert chicken manure to fertilizer more...
February 2018
Tyson unit to pay $2.5 million for violating clean water rules (Updated)
Tyson Foods’ poultry unit is expected to pay a total of $2.5 million in fines and restitution costs for violations of the Clean Water Act that led more...
USPOULTRY wins judgment against convention hotel poacher at IPPE
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia awarded $750,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association more...
Grocery chain introduces grass-fed beef line
Colorado-based Natural Grocers said it has introduced Thousand Hills' Lifetime Grazed beef brand in all of its 144 retail grocery stores across 19 states more...
Restaurant chain sets expansion plans
Fast casual sandwich chain Jersey Mike's Subs announced it has signed franchise agreements to open an additional 160 restaurants in 2018; the company more...
Power of Meat: The power of consumer education
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Education is becoming an increasingly powerful way for processors and retailers to reach shoppers and boost profits, as consumers more...
China lifts duties, but broilers still banned
China’s commerce ministry said it has removed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on U.S. broilers, according to Reuters. The move, however, is more...
Kraft Heinz crafts breakfast items for on-the-go consumers
Kraft Heinz is launching a new breakfast product that promises a fast, savory egg scramble in less than two minutes, the company said in a news release more...
Walmart unit, Instacart partner on grocery delivery
Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart, and Instacart announced same-day delivery of groceries to households in several markets across the United States more...
USDA finally gets under secretary approved
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today applauded the Senate’s long-awaited confirmation of Bill Northey as USDA’s Under Secretary more...
Meat’s regulatory plate is full
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — From the first quarter to the rest of the calendar year, a number of regulatory issues will battle for meat professionals’ more...
Research questions role of poultry plants in stormwater contamination
In a recently completed research project, University of Georgia and Georgia Tech Research Institute scientists have found that the contribution of poultry more...
Beefed up feeder cattle inventory signals strong demand
An 8 percent jump in the U.S. inventory of cattle on feed surprised analysts who were expecting numbers similar to last year’s count and could be more...
Beef, poultry prices fall, pork rises in latest food price index
U.S. consumers paid slightly less for beef and poultry between December and January while pork prices climbed slightly, according to the latest USDA figures more...
Growers sue ‘cartel’ of integrators on antitrust allegations
A group of poultry growers have sued Sanderson Farms and Koch Foods over “anticompetitive, collusive, predatory, unfair, and bad faith conduct in more...
Perdue Farms moves to controlled atmosphere stunning in Milford
Perdue Farms said it has installed a controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) system at its Milford, Del., chicken harvesting facility that is the nation’s more...
Cold storage stocks on the rise
Total beef, pork and poultry stored in freezers as of Jan. 31 are up, but industry observers are not sweating the swell as export demand helps absorb more...
Burger chain names new COO
Los Angeles-originated burger chain Fatburger has named Toni Bianco as its president and chief operating officer. Bianco will help CEO Andy Wiederhorn more...
Hormel sees record Q1, tax reform windfall
Hormel Foods Corp. reported record earnings for its first quarter of the fiscal year, with revenues for the period of $2.3 billion, up 2 percent from more...
Sanderson Farms shifts product mix to improve margins
Sanderson Farms executives said today that efforts to markedly reduce live bird weights at two of the company’s 11 chicken processing plants represent more...
Wendy’s says new restaurant growth at 13-year high
Wendy’s is opening new restaurants at the fastest pace in more than a decade. The hamburger chain said its global net new restaurant growth of 1 more...
Scientists pinpoint disease-resistant DNA receptor in chickens
In a new Wageningen University study conducted with Hendrix Genetics, scientists have identified a specific region in chicken DNA that may help explain more...
Tops Markets to reorganize under Chapter 11
Tops Markets announced it will restructure its debt under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code, with no impact on day-to-day operations across its network more...
Civil rights group reportedly looking into Pilgrim’s Pride labor dispute
A regional branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said it will investigate an incident at a Pilgrim’s more...
Maple Leaf Foods posts Q4 sales gain, but profits fall
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. reported a nearly 6 percent increase in sales in the fourth quarter but said net income dropped 22.5 percent because of factors more...
Consumers willing to pay more for some meat items, not for others
In the first weeks of February, consumers were willing to pay more for chicken breast and hamburger, but less for steak, pork chops, deli ham and more...
Kiolbassa Smoked Meats adds supply chain exec
San Antonio-based Kiolbassa Smoked Meats announced it hired Dan Marshall as the company’s vice president of supply chain. Marshall has more than more...
Steakhouse chain sells for $560 million
Brazilian-style steakhouse chain Fogo de Chão announced an agreement to sell its assets to investment entities affiliated with Rhône Capital more...
Smithfield, University of Virginia partner on research
Smithfield Foods and the University of Virginia School of Engineering & Applied Science announced a research partnership to explore and advance regenerative more...
Applebee’s, IHOP parent to open and close units; reports strong results
Dine Brands Global – the owner of the Applebee’s and IHOP restaurant chains formerly known as DineEquity – is setting new more...
Canadian firm buys U.S.-based ‘fresh’ fast casual chain
MTY Food Group Inc. said it will pay an estimated $2.75 million to acquire the assets of a franchised restaurant chain that operates 27 units across the more...
U.S. per capita meat, poultry use to rebound to pre-recession levels
Per capita use of red meat (beef and pork) and poultry (broilers and turkey) is projected to rise from roughly 218 pounds per person in 2017 to 222 pounds more...
Bulk of 2017 U.S. meat exports went to Asia, NAFTA countries
Latest available trade data totals for 2017 show that exported U.S. red meat, poultry, egg, and dairy products went mostly to Asia and North American more...
Restaurants turn to value meals, menu shifts to draw customers: NPD Group
The nation’s restaurant industry is using meal deals and other changes to their menus to offset stagnant customer traffic numbers that have been more...
Humane Slaughter Association issues new online guide
The U.K.-based Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) has produced a new online guide to humane killing of livestock during disease control operations. Primarily more...
Ohio beef checkoff targeted (updated)
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) has turned its attention to the Ohio Beef Checkoff, releasing a report that charges the organization with more...
Bill would help grow chicken industry in Kansas: report
Legislation introduced in the Kansas Senate defining parameters for chicken houses would help expand the state’s currently modest chicken industry more...
Processed meats pushed for Prop 65 listing
Two California state legislators have introduced a resolution urging the state’s Office of Environment Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to add “processed more...
Another grocery giant gets into delivery service
Texas supermarket company H-E-B has bought Favor Delivery, an on-demand delivery service based in Austin, which will become a wholly owned subsidiary more...
Pilgrim’s scaling up Just Bare brand to supply Amazon
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. on Thursday said it has made considerable progress toward its goal of reaching national distribution for the Just Bare product more...
Group weighs in on humane handling Supreme Court cases
The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) in Washington, D.C., has filed amicus briefs in two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court involving state limits on more...
Record number of students explore poultry careers
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association said a record 650 students interested in a career in the poultry industry recently attended the USPOULTRY Foundation’s more...
News Briefs: Tyson, Sam’s Club, Yum Brands, Roy’s, Pork 101
Tyson buys grain elevators near new chicken plant Tyson Foods has agreed to purchase three grain elevators in Tennessee from The Andersons Inc. Terms more...
McDonald’s mulling new chicken cooking method: Bloomberg
McDonald's is working on a strategy for continuing its three-year growth run that involves an increased focus on chicken items and pressure frying of more...
Hormel names executive to new post managing deli meats
Hormel Foods Corp. is responding to an upswing in foodservice and retail interest in deli meats by appointing one of its executives to a newly created more...
U.S. restaurant count shrinks as independents slip: NPD report
A decline in the number of independently operated restaurants is the primary reason the overall U.S. restaurant count fell by 2 percent as of last fall more...
A heart-shaped ribeye for Valentine’s Day
The Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center at Texas A&M University is offering a heart-shaped ribeye steak sure to please meat lovers this Valentine’s more...
White House budget proposes user fees, boxes of food
The White House budget proposals for 2019 include proposing legislation to impose additional user fees on meat processors. In its budget proposal more...
Tyson brand earns quality designation
Tyson Fresh Meats announced that its Chairman’s Reserve Prime Pork brand has qualified for the Seal of Excellence from the Master Chefs’ Institute more...
Philippine food giant buys majority Smashburger stake
Denver-based Smashburger announced that Jollibee Foods Corp. – the largest food service network in the Philippines – has raised its stake more...
Grocery trade group CEO to retire later this year
Pamela Bailey announced her intention to retire as president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) later this year as the organization more...
Lawsuit against Sanderson Farms chicken claim to move forward
A lawsuit accusing Sanderson Farms of misleading consumers by claiming that its chicken products are ”100% Natural” will move forward after more...
New home meat subscription service launched
Esex, Mass.-based Karv has launched as a new home meat subscription service, fulfilling orders across the eastern United States. In a news release, Karv more...
Meat trade group backs ‘sushi’ made from beef in new push
A new culinary effort that uses beef instead of raw fish to create “sushi” dishes is winning the support of the North American Meat Institute more...
Surge in online shopping on the way, grocers not ready: report
The online shopping boom is showing no signs of slowing down and 70 percent of consumers will be shopping for groceries through their computers and smartphones more...
NPPC, coalition ask for national preliminary injunction on WOTUS
The National Pork Producers Council and a coalition of agricultural and business groups have asked for a nationwide preliminary injunction in the case more...
New poultry operation approved
The Hall County, Ga., Board of Commissioners gave final approval Thursday night to Cooley Enterprises’ proposal to retrofit a poultry processing more...
Rabobank advises beef industry to get online
To stem any further decline in consumption, the beef industry must embrace the switch to online shopping that is shaking up the grocery business, Rabobank more...
Underly rolls out online butchery certificate program
Butchery expert Kari Underly has launched a new business, Range Meat Academy, offering an online program certifying meat clerks. Students of the program more...
Tyson Q1 earnings triple, prompting one-time bonuses
Tyson Foods Inc. reported first-quarter earnings were nearly triple last year’s profit and said it would pay more than $100 million in one-time more...
Montana legislators again push for FSIS investigation
A state congressional delegation from Montana has sent a second request to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service asking for an investigation more...
Incorrect cooking directions prompt recall in Canada
K.J. Foods Inc. on Wednesday recalled KJ brand Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice and Sesame Chicken with Rice due to incorrect cooking instructions. more...
Amazon offers two-hour delivery from Whole Foods
Amazon said it is introducing two-hour delivery of Whole Foods Market groceries through Prime Now in four markets, with plans to expand across the United more...
Pork soup recalled due to possible botulinum bacteria
Guymon Extracts Inc. of Guymon, Okla., is recalling about 4,202 pounds of fully cooked pork products due to a processing deviation that may have allowed more...
Olymel recalls raw pork products lacking import inspection
Olymel of Alberta, Canada, is recalling about 4,618 pounds of raw intact pork products because the items were imported from Canada and not presented for more...
Hain Celestial explores sale of poultry products unit
Hain Celestial Group announced it is exploring the divestiture of its Hain Pure Protein subsidiary that sells antibiotic-free and organic poultry products more...
TGI Fridays introduces Fire-Grilled Meats
Restaurant chain TGI Fridays this week introduced Fire-Grilled Meats as part of its menu overhaul. Among Fridays' new offerings are a 6-ounce Premium more...
Tyson Ventures bets on Chicago start-up
Tyson Foods Inc. — through its corporate venture subsidiary Tyson Ventures — has invested in Tovala, a Chicago-based food startup that makes more...
Kroger sells convenience store business
The Kroger Co. has sold its 762-unit convenience store business to EG Group, a privately held C-store retailer based in Blackburn, Lancashire, U.K., for more...
A retirement — and a promotion — at Hormel
Hormel Foods announced that Steve Binder, executive vice president and president of Hormel Business Units, will retire at the end of the second fiscal more...
Meat science meets marketing in newest Meatingplace blogger
Meatingplace is pleased to announce that Brittany Bailey has joined our faculty of experts with her "Millenial Musings" blog. Brittany Bailey has a wide more...
Meat processor asks for tax incentives for proposed plant
Wolverine Packing Co. reportedly is seeking tax abatements from the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan in order to move forward on a new $30-million more...
Meat snack firm acquires freeze-dried meal maker
Wild Zora Foods LLC has acquired with private funding freeze-dried meal maker Paleo Meals to Go. The two Loveland, Colo.-based companies’ merger more...
Nathan’s Famous posts Q3 loss despite sales increase
Nathan’s Famous Inc. has reported a net loss of $3.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2018 even as sales climbed 11 percent compared with more...
Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings merger forms Inspire Brands
Arby’s Restaurant Group has completed a $2.9 billion acquisition of Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. and announced it has renamed itself Inspire Brands Inc more...
NAMI ponders how lab-grown meat will be regulated
ATLANTA — With the growth of alternative proteins, the meat industry has some questions about how lab-grown meat will be federally regulated more...
Beyond Meat to build 26,000-square-foot R&D center
Plant-based protein producer Beyond Meat unveiled plans to build a 26,000-square-foot research and development center at its headquarters in El Segundo more...
Court again extends ammonia emissions reporting deadline
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has granted the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) request for an additional extension more...
Americans to eat a whole lot of chicken wings this weekend
The National Chicken Council projects Americans will consume a record-high 1.35 billion chicken wings this Super Bowl weekend, as the Philadelphia Eagles more...
Cargill invests in livestock facial recognition technology
Cargill announced it has made a minority equity investment in Dublin-based Cainthus, a machine vision company developing facial recognition technology more...
Colorado COOL measure rejected
Colorado legislators this week rejected a bill proposing the “Product of the USA” label be reserved in the state’s grocery stores only more...
Wayne Farms’ Maddox receives lifetime achievement honor
The National Poultry and Food Distributors Association (NPFDA) has presented Wayne Farms’ Elton Maddox with its Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition more...
News Briefs: Bob Evans, Jack Link’s, Applegate, FNS, Subway, Applebee’s, Wahlburgers
Bob Evans introduces Family Classics meals Bob Evans Farms said it has launched two refrigerated meals with 16 grams of protein per serving that more...
January 2018
Sysco, US Foods accuse chicken companies of conspiracy to boost prices
Sysco Corp. and US Foods Inc. have filed separate antitrust lawsuits in U.S. District Court for northern Illinois accusing Tyson Foods, Pilgrim’s more...
USDA would welcome individual line speed increase requests: Perdue
Atlanta — USDA’s denial of the National Chicken Council’s petition asking for young chicken plants to be exempt from the 140-birds-per-minute more...
Cargill expands beef grinding capacity in South Carolina
Cargill Protein announced it is investing $4.2 million in its Columbia, S.C., plant to expand grinding capabilities for beef customers across the eastern more...
How OSHA has changed under Trump administration: labor attorney
ATLANTA — Under the Trump administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a somewhat kinder and gentler agency to private more...
Trump’s take on trade critical for U.S. meat industry
ATLANTA — President Trump is expected to cover a wide number of issues facing the nation in tonight’s State of the Union address, but agricultural more...
Mountaire issuing bonuses with tax reform windfall
Mountaire Farms is awarding employees bonuses of up to $1,000 and making improvements to employee 401K plans in response to the tax reform package signed more...
One World Beef names plant manager
Solana Beach, Calif.-based One World Beef has appointed Terri Hall as vice president and facility manager at OWB Packers, the company’s 337,000 more...
Meat processors could benefit from USDA, FDA agreement
For meat processors that create products by combining meat with non-meat food inputs, there could be some regulatory relief on the way. In a memorandum more...
McDonald’s cites core menu, chicken tenders in Q4 results
McDonald’s cited the strong performance of its core menu items under its “McPick 2” platform and positive consumer response to its Buttermilk more...
OSHA fines Koch Foods over amputation hazards
The U.S. Labor Dept.’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has levied a fine of nearly $209,000 against Koch Foods for what the more...
NAFTA negotiators say progress made in Montreal
U.S., Canadian and Mexican negotiators said they made some progress as they concluded the latest round of talks on changes to the North American Free more...
Tyson invests in another food tech company
Tyson Foods said its venture capital arm has invested an undisclosed amount for a minority stake in Memphis Meats, a developer of cultured meat produced more...
Jack in the Box names new COO
Quick service chain Jack in the Box announced that Frances Allen has informed the company of her decision to resign as brand president, effective February more...
Canadian co-packing deal facilitates new product launch
Canada’s Bonté Foods announced on Thursday a co-packing deal with Atlantic Meats that allowed the launch of a new line of salted meat products more...
Business coalition pushes for cancer research reform
A group of industry and business interests announced the launch of a coalition to advocate for reform of the International Agency for Research on Cancer's more...
Burger chain brand president resigns
Jack in the Box Inc. announced today that brand president Frances Allen has decided to resign, effective Feb. 9., to help the business restructure and more...
NPPC’s extra effort on NAFTA
Trilateral negotiations over a revamp of the North American Free Trade Agreement seem not to have been going well, based on reports — some of them more...
Beef meatballs recalled for Listeria concern; alert issued on chicken-pork item
Rich Products Corp. of Vineland, N.J., is recalling about 3,420 pounds of beef meatball products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, more...
Sanitation worker sustains minor injuries in Cargill plant accident
An employee of a third-party sanitation company that cleans Cargill’s Springdale, Ark., turkey processing plant received minor scrapes and bruises more...
McDonald’s parts ways with executive chef
McDonald’s Corp. Vice President of Culinary Innovation and Executive Chef Dan Coudreaut has left the company after 13 years, a spokesperson for more...
Cold storage, in context
U.S. meat protein supplies continue to expand, but product flow remains good and freezer inventories are only marginally higher than last year, an indication more...
USDA chief Perdue outlines 2018 Farm Bill principles
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue has released a set of principles for Congress to consider as the new 2018 Farm Bill is developed, including such issues as more...
Canada says TPP deal reached, minus the United States
The 11 remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) have finalized a revised version of the trade pact without the United States, Canadian more...
Supreme Court rules district courts to hear WOTUS cases
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Monday against the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) claim that federal appeals courts should more...
KFC adds crispy Smoky Mountain BBQ to national menu
KFC Corp. will introduce its Smoky Mountain BBQ fried chicken at participating restaurants nationwide starting Jan. 29, the Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! more...
A poor grade; refocusing the beef grading cameras
The USDA’s beef grading system is a decades-old and dependable means of establishing the value of individual carcasses — a product that, by more...
Congressional panel to study impact of hunger on health
A bipartisan congressional group plans to take a closer look at the effects of hunger and access to healthy foods on the general health of families and more...
Darden appoints new restaurant executives
Darden Restaurants has named Dave George to the newly created position of chief operating officer (COO) of the restaurant holding company and Dan Kiernan more...
News Briefs: Mies, WKS, CMA, Tyson, Allen Harim, USPOULTRY, Crazy Cuizine
Mies adds owner Family-owned distributor Mies Wholesale Meats has added executive Ryan Hamm to its ownership group. Hamm, who now owns and undisclosed more...
Lunchmeat specialist prepares to expand Ill. manufacturing (updated)
Family-owned processor Carl Buddig and Co. announced it is expanding its manufacturing operations in Illinois now that it has acquired the former Butterball more...
Plans move forward for Georgia poultry plant
A proposal to build a poultry processing plant in Hall County, Ga., are one step closer to fruition now that local authorities have tentatively approved more...
Koch Foods renovation to create huge hatchery in Alabama
Koch Foods is renovating its hatchery in Henegar, Ala., in a project that will result in the largest, fully integrated, single-stage broiler hatchery more...
Casual dining chain names industry vet as new CEO
California Pizza has appointed Jim Hyatt as chief executive officer, effective immediately. The move follows CEO G.J. Hart’s retirement. Hyatt is more...
USDA proposes rule to ‘modernize’ pork inspection
USDA announced today the agency’s proposal to amend federal regulations to create a new voluntary inspection system and to require more pathogen more...
In case of a shutdown …
USDA employees were spending Friday (as they had much of the previous week) preparing to operate with a skeleton crew, in case Congress didn’t reach more...
WTO sides with U.S. in dispute with China over chicken
The World Trade Organization ruled Thursday that China failed to comply with the body’s earlier ruling against the country’s punitive tariffs more...
FDA publishes plan to improve its recall process
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has published draft guidance detailing updates to its policy on public warning and notification of recalled products more...
Cattlemen want USDA to enforce law on labeling imported meat
Cattlemen groups have reinforced arguments in a lawsuit they filed in June alleging that USDA is unlawfully helping meatpackers mislabel imported beef more...
Mountaire denies it’s to blame for drinking water woes: report
Mountaire Farms executives who met with Millsboro, Delaware, area residents Wednesday night to address elevated nitrate levels in residential wells said more...
Burger King launches king-sized burger, takes jab at competition
Burger King is rolling out a half-pound flame-grilled burger called the Double Quarter Pound King Sandwich -- and taking a swing at competing double-patty more...
HSUS sues USDA over organic labeling rules
The Humane Society of the United States has filed suit against USDA and several of its executives, including Sonny Perdue, over the agency’s decision more...
Officials probe gas explosion at Seaboard Foods plant (UPDATED)
A gas compressor explosion disrupted operations at a Seaboard Foods Corp. pork processing plant in Guymon, Okla., on Tuesday, according to local media more...
17 taken to hospital from Chicago meat company: fire dept.
The Chicago Fire Department said Wednesday that 17 people were transported to area hospitals from the Chicago Meat Authority’s facility on the city’s more...
Sanderson Farms warns of oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken
Demand for chicken that is antibiotic free (ABF) is not matching the amount of ABF poultry being produced, threatening the bottom line of America’s more...
Martin Preferred Foods names new CEO
Martin Preferred Foods has named Jeffrey Tapick as its new chief executive officer and president. Tapick succeeds his father, Michael Tapick, as the third more...
Cargill makes a move into plant-based protein
Cargill announced it has signed a joint venture agreement with Puris, the largest North American producer of pea protein, increasing the agricultural more...
Public hearing on Montana multi-species plant finally held
Toole County, Mont., residents came out this week to attend a hearing on a proposed meat processing plant one month after the initial informational meeting more...
Chefs Warehouse inks agreement with investors
The Chefs’ Warehouse Inc. has entered into an agreement with Legion Partners Asset Management LLC, that will put two new independent directors on more...
Bird flu outbreaks in U.K., Japan spark biosecurity concerns
Confirmation of avian influenza in birds in both the United Kingdom and Japan have prompted animal health officials in both areas to launch increased more...
Meat Institute names director of regulatory and scientific affairs
The North American Meat Institute announced the addition of Casey Gallimore at the organization’s director of regulatory and scientific affairs more...
Modernized pork slaughter rule cleared by OMB
The White House Office of Management of Budget (OMB) has cleared a rule that would change inspection duties in pork slaughter plants, according to the more...
Trump willing to extend NAFTA talks past Mexico election: WSJ
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, President Donald Trump said he’s still willing to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement more...
Jack Link’s debuts five new protein products, names new executive
Minong, Wis.-based Jack Link's has hired Manuel Ortega to serve as vice president of research & product development. Ortega has spent more than 20 more...
News Briefs: Sam’s Club, Slim Chickens, White Castle, Kroger, USPOULTRY, Meijer
Walmart closing some Sam’s Club locations Walmart’s Sam’s Club division announced it would close 63 stores around the country over the more...
Tyson pork plant getting an upgrade (Updated)
Tyson Foods’ pork processing facility in Madison, Neb., is slated to receive improvements in several sections of the plant. Upgrades and expansions more...
Class action dismissed in Costco case
A class-action consumer lawsuit accusing Costco Wholesale of fraud, because of the way it packs its in-house brand of canned chicken in water, has been more...
ConAgra to close plant in May: report
ConAgra will shutter its processing plant in Trenton, Mo., no later than May 31, according to local media reports. The company in March 2016 announced more...
Hormel launches new pork filets
Hormel Foods announced Thursday the launch of Dry Seasoned Loin Filets. The new pork filets are an extension of the brand's existing marinated Hormel more...
Canada files WTO complaint over U.S. trade measures
Canada on Wednesday requested World Trade Organization (WTO) consultations with the United States over U.S. measures concerning anti-dumping and countervailing more...
Windsor, Ontario, approves incentives for turkey plant
The city council of Windsor, Ontario, has approved more than $800,000 in financial incentives for Belwood Poultry to build a turkey processing facility more...
Miller Poultry plans to upgrade its broiler hatchery
Miller Poultry plans a renovation of its broiler hatchery in Goshen, Ind, with automated and computerized setters and supporting ventilation, for a weekly more...
BRF launches low-cost processed meats brand in Brazil
Brazil's BRF S.A. said it is rolling out a brand of low-cost poultry- and pork-based products, aimed to tap a market responsible for 30 percent of processed more...
Whole Foods asks suppliers to fund merchandising changes: report
Whole Foods Markets is requiring its suppliers to help pay for changes to how products are displayed and inventoried in its stores as the grocery chain more...
Ikea sets sustainability goals for chicken; pork, beef are next
Ikea Food Services AB introduced the Better Chicken Program, which sets criteria for broiler chicken housing, breeds and antibiotics use for its chicken more...
Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef names president
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) has named OSI Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President Nicole Johnson-Hoffman as more...
Dunkin’ Brands appoints COO, trims menu lineup
Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. promoted Scott Murphy to the post of chief operating officer of its U.S. business and began implementing a plan to eliminate more...
Klement’s Sausage names Smithfield exec new CEO
Milwaukee-based Klement’s Sausage on Tuesday named former Smithfield Foods executive Tom Danneker the company's president and chief executive officer more...
Leucadia reportedly exploring sale of National Beef stake: WSJ
The Wall Street Journal reported Leucadia National Corp. is contemplating selling all or part of its 79 percent stake in National Beef Packing Co. Leucadia more...
Colorado bill would bring stronger version of COOL to state
A pair of Colorado state legislators have introduced a bill titled “Beef Country of Origin Recognition System” that would require retailers more...
U.S. pork exports set November value record, beef export value rises
U.S. pork exports reached a record value in November while the value of beef exports set a pace toward a full-year record, according to export results more...
Land O’Frost to add jobs in Kentucky plant expansion
Land O’Frost Inc. is expected to add as many as 20 jobs following the planned expansion of its meat processing plant in Madisonville, Ky., according more...
Smithfield meets goal, releases video of group sow housing
Smithfield Foods announced it has fulfilled its commitment of providing group-housing systems for pregnant sows on all company-owned farms in the United more...
Former Utah pork group leader sentenced to probation for fraud
The former executive director of the Utah Pork Producers Association (UPPA) has been sentenced to probation for stealing money from that organization more...
Fast-casual chain launches take-home burrito kit
Fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant chain Tijuana Flats has introduced a take-home burrito kit available in-store and through UberEATS. Priced at $34.99, the more...
Idaho ‘ag-gag’ law gagged
A federal appeals court judge on Thursday struck down provisions of Idaho’s “ag-gag” law meant to criminalize videotape recording at more...
Okla. Beef Council ex-employee sentenced
A former accountant for the Oklahoma Beef Council has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, having pleaded guilty to embezzling almost $3 million more...
Wingstop promotes executive to COO
Wingstop Restaurants Inc. appointed Larry Kruguer to executive vice president and chief operating officer, in charge of global operations, supply chain more...
Pinnacle Foods names chief supply chain officer
Pinnacle Foods Inc. announced the appointment of Daniel Poland to executive vice president and chief supply chain officer, effective Jan. 22. He will more...
Busy days for Sanderson Farms with bomb threat, weather
Sanderson Farms is managing separate situations at two of its plants with workers at a Texas facility now back on the job and workers in North Carolina more...
Restaurant industry optimism is on the rise
Restaurant operators are becoming increasingly confident about business conditions in the months ahead, the National Restaurant Association said, based more...
Researchers eliminate suspected hosts in 2015 AI outbreak
A research team at Iowa State University said it has found no evidence that the 2015 avian influenza (AI) outbreak was spread in part due to small animals more...
U.K. prepares for ‘nitrate-free’ bacon debut
An Irish food manufacturer is preparing to launch what it calls a “nitrate-free” bacon that does not include the ingredient the World Health more...
Cargill earnings fall 6 percent
Cargill reported today that net earnings fell 6 percent to $924 million and revenues rose 8 percent to $29.2 billion in its second quarter ended Nov. more...
Wayne Farms truck crashes, cuts power in N.C. town
Homes in Dobson, N.C., lost electricity for hours on New Year's Day after a truck leaving the local Wayne Farms facility with a load of chicken left the more...
House of Raeford plant remains closed as fire investigation continues
Fire officials are still investigating the cause of a Dec. 14 fire and determining the extent of the damage at House of Raeford Farms’ Mocksville more...
Red Robin revamps veggie burger offering on national scale
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews said it has revamped its vegetarian burger as part of a new initiative to attract guests looking for meat alternatives more...
FDA recall process is too slow: OIG
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to speed up its initiation of food recalls after an Office of the Inspector General (OIG) audit more...
USDA proposes change to AI clean-up compensation
USDA’s Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing a change to how it reimburses poultry facilities that need to clean up after more...
TGI Fridays gives a boost to Beyond Meat burger
TGI Fridays patrons can now try the plant-based Beyond Burger at more than 450 locations nationwide following a test of the Beyond Meat product less than more...
USDA report measures full scope of HPAI impact
In a new report, USDA’s Economic Research Service evaluated the final outcome of the 2014-2015 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in more...
Poultry, pork markets on the rise: FAO
Poultry will continue to top the global meat market in terms of production, but pork is making gains on white meat, according to a recent report released more...
USDA names Cattlemen’s Beef Board appointments
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of 27 members to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. Twenty-five of more...
December 2017
‘Super Size Me’ creator back with new film on fast food chicken (UPDATED)
The creator of a 2004 movie that focused on the perceived health perils of a fast-food-only diet has a new documentary approaching the topic of what we more...
Meat demand still strong: analyst
The supply of red meat and poultry in cold storage is higher than a year ago but the drawdown in stocks during November suggests demand remains in good more...
New technology micromanages pig by pig, cow by cow.
Using satellite images and 3-D cameras, researchers at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are finding ways to help producers maximize cattle more...
USMEF raises concerns about Mexico’s beef grading plan
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) has submitted comments to the Mexican government expressing its concerns about that country’s proposed beef more...
Cargill’s China expansion now includes chicken: report
Cargill Inc. – which earlier this month announced plans to add a piglet feed production line in China and in the Philippines – is now more...
FSIS suggests food safety research ideas for scientists
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has published a list of its top research priorities for researchers interested in pursuing food safety objectives more...
Industry set to make more meat, more money in 2018
The U.S. meat industry is expected to produce 6 percent more pork, 6 percent more beef and 2 percent more poultry in the coming year, predicts Sterling more...
More schools participate in USDA Farm to School program
More schools districts – and therefore more schoolchildren – are learning about healthy eating habits, and more schools would like to more...
Poultry slaughter: ready-to-cook weight up 3 percent
Poultry certified wholesome during November (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 4.01 billion pounds, up 3 percent from the amount certified in November 2016 more...
Interview: Tyson responds to growing C-store protein demand
Convenience stores are increasingly competing with both foodservice and retailers for food dollars, upping their game on fresh foods and prepared proteins more...
What goes down, comes up: Demand survey
Compared to one month ago, the amount that consumers indicated they were willing to pay for a set selection of foodstuffs was up sharply across the board more...
U.S. company to sue EU over ban of formaldehyde in chicken feed
A U.S. animal feed and pathogen control maker plans to sue the European Commission following the body’s ban of the use of formaldehyde as a way more...
Less red meat supplies in cold storage in November
Total red meat supplies in freezers on Nov. 30 were down 10 percent from the previous month and down 4 percent from last year, USDA said in its latest more...
Supermarket chain expands meal kit reach
Kroger announced it has added its Prep+Pared Meal Kits to four new divisions: Central, Columbus, Fry's and Nashville. They join Cincinnati, Louisville and more...
Land O’Frost names brand marketing director
Mark Miller has been hired as Land O’Frost Inc.’s director of brand marketing, the maker of pre-sliced, pre-packaged lunch meats and specialty more...
Congratulations, charcuterie
The National Restaurant Association’s annual What’s Hot culinary forecasts based on a survey of 700 professional chefs identified the top more...
Texas processor expands with new facility, $110M investment plan
Texas-based fajita meat processor John Soules Foods announced today that it has completed the purchase of a 266,000-square-foot facility in Valley, Ala more...
Sandwiches recalled in Canada on Listeria fears
HQ Fine Foods, based in Edmonton, Alberta, is recalling various sandwich products due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination, the Canadian Food Inspection more...
U.S. cattle on feed up 8 percent from a year ago
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States, for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head, totaled 11.5 million head more...
Have a Meaty Christmas, from Arby’s
Arby’s, they have the “Meat Sweats.” Yes, the meat-centric sandwich chain, whose tagline is “Arby’s, we have the meats,” more...
Ground beef recalled due to misbranding, allergen
PFP Enterprises LLC, also doing business as Texas Meat Packers, a Fort Worth, Texas establishment, is recalling about 7,570 pounds of ground beef products more...
Conagra buys frozen sandwich maker, posts solid Q2 sales gain
Conagra Brands Inc. announced it acquired a manufacturer of frozen breakfast and entrée flatbread sandwiches, and the food conglomerate also reported more...
Georgia snowstorm did more damage than first believed: report
A Dec. 8 snowstorm that dumped 10 inches of snow in Carroll County, Ga., caused more damage and killed more poultry than initially thought, according more...
New CEO selected at Cattlemen’s Beef Board
The Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board (CBB) said it has named Scott Stuart of Colorado as its new chief executive officer, effective more...
Pork packer margins rebound in November
Pork production margins rebounded in November after sharp declines in October, USDA reported in its latest Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook report more...
House of Raeford plant in Mocksville still closed after fire
A week after a fire caused the shutdown of the House of Raeford poultry further-processing facility in Mocksville, N.C., the company is still working more...
Center for Consumer Freedom complains to FTC about HSUS
The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for more...
JBS expands beef jerky production in Brazil
JBS S.A. announced Wednesday that it has invested BRL18 million ($5.5 million) to expand beef jerky and dried beef production at its Santana de Parnaíba more...
Buffalo Wild Wings taps ex-Tyson exec for supply post
Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. has appointed a chicken industry veteran as its new director of protein supply chain, the company announced in a news release more...
Jack in the Box to sell Mexican restaurant chain unit
Jack in the Box announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Qdoba Restaurant Corporation subsidiary to Apollo Global Management more...
One restaurant company optimistic as Q2 sales soar after acquisition
Darden Restaurants Inc. said its acquisition of Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen helped fuel a 14.6-percent total sales increase in the second quarter more...
Supermarket, grocery delivery giants partner on e-commerce
Supervalu Inc. and on-demand grocery delivery service Instacart have signed a multiyear contract to launch refreshed e-commerce sites called Powered by more...
Allen Harim moving headquarters, deboning operations
Seaford, Del.-based chicken processor Allen Harim announced it plans to move its corporate headquarters just outside of Millsboro, Del., to the former more...
Wendy’s advances antibiotic reduction plan to beef
Wendy’s on Friday laid out plans to reduce antibiotics use in its beef supply chain, its next step after having completed such efforts in chicken more...
Wahlburgers expanding by way of supermarket sites
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based supermarket chain Meijer announced that in 2018 it will work with Wahlburgers to bring new restaurant locations to existing more...
After a year of lower retail meat prices, a year-end upswing
Government data analysis by Steiner Consulting Group shows while retail chicken prices remain low, retail prices for beef and pork in November started more...
Brazil meat shareholders’ losses are bondholder gains: Bloomberg
Debt investors have been the biggest winners in Brazil’s beef expansion over the past decade as companies’ growing sales have gone to service more...
Chicken margins probably have peaked: analyst
Chicken margins will exceed historical averages for the foreseeable future but likely have peaked and will gradually decline in 2018, reflecting modest more...
Walmart, tech giants partner on blockchain food safety effort in China
Walmart is teaming with China’s largest ecommerce business, JD.com, IBM and Tsinghua University to enhance food tracking, traceability and safety more...
PAR-TAY! Companies are once again celebrating the holidays: survey
A record number of workers will see holiday cheer in the office this year as the highest proportion of employers since the recession say they plan to more...
Early-morning fire closes Raeford plant
An early morning fire at the House of Raeford poultry plant in Mocksville, N.C., has closed the further-processing facility until further notice, the more...
Strong Q4 sales for Sanderson Farms, but profit slips
Sanderson Farms Inc. said fourth-quarter sales rose 16 percent but earnings dipped in the period as market conditions weakened and chicken prices declined more...
Competition to export beef to China expands again: report
Two companies from Belarus have won approval to begin exporting beef to China, according to a report from the region of the former Soviet Union. OAO Veles-Meat more...
One supermarket the clear winner in latest satisfaction survey
The latest research by the Retail Feedback Group showed Aldi the big winner in consumer perceptions and likeliness to return to shop there more often more...
Target to launch same-day delivery, including groceries
Target Corp. announced on Wednesday it has agreed to acquire online same-day delivery platform Shipt Inc. for $550 million in cash, in a deal that accelerates more...
Jerky maker enters Midwest markets in Costco deal
Barbacoa Sabor has launched its premium beef jerky using authentic Mexican flavors in the Midwest through an agreement with Costco Wholesale Corp., the more...
2017 beef cow herd dynamics: Peel
(This article first appeared in the Cow/Calf Newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University more...
French finance minister prepares for China pork exports
More pork from France could be heading to China if soon-to-be-released audits of France’s pork production facilities result in positive reviews more...
Red meat weighs on production forecasts
Lower beef and pork production at the close of 2017, and into 2018, dragged down the USDA’s projections in its latest World Agricultural Supply more...
Shoppers are hopping from one store to the next for food
New research shows 76 percent of weekly shoppers visit more than one retailer each week for groceries and 67 percent of those shoppers are visiting approximately more...
As NAFTA talks continue, Canada strengthens ag ties with Mexico
In between rounds of negotiation on possible changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canada’s Agriculture Minister concluded more...
Deadline for comment on new chicken line speeds nears
USDA is accepting public comments on a call for faster line speeds at chicken processing plants through Wednesday, a move that could wind up boosting more...
Brazilian Police investigates bribe payment by JBS to tax authorities
Brazil's Police conducted 14 search and seizure warrants Monday as part of its investigation into JBS SA's alleged payment of BRL 160 million ($48.6 million) more...
Analyst lowers Pilgrim’s Pride earnings estimate for 2017
Chicken wing pricing issues are among the reasons one industry analyst is reducing her earnings estimate for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. for fiscal 2017 more...
Cargill bolsters Asian operations
Cargill said it will invest more than $15 million to add a piglet feed production line at its premix and nutrition facility in Tianjin, China, and opened more...
Have you reviewed your sexual harassment policies lately?
You should. This was the warning to C-suite executives in the meat industry by John Cruickshank, associate at Alaniz Schraeder Linker Farris Mayes LLP more...
Farm-animal antibiotics sales declines
U.S. sales and distribution of antibiotics approved for use in food animals fell 10 percent in 2016, the Food and Drug Administration said in a report more...
Meat, poultry industry groups respond to GAO report
Industry groups representing the red meat and poultry industries say they will review a new report by the General Accounting Office that recommends that more...
Meat substitute maker raises $55 million
El Segundo, Calif.-based Beyond Meat has raised $55 million in its latest financing round led by Cleveland Avenue, LLC, the venture capital firm founded more...
Canada expands beef, pork trade with China
Canadian officials announced Thursday that they’ve secured expanded access to China’s market for beef and pork exports. The announcement followed more...
Simmons poultry plant decision delayed as residents express concerns
Officials in Benton County, Ark., decided to delay a decision on whether to allow Simmons Prepared Foods to build a $300 million poultry processing plant more...
Fire ravages processing plant
A fire that broke out Wednesday destroyed part of a meat processing plant in the Toronto area, according to a report by the Hamilton Spectator. The fire more...
Activist group seeks ban on Brazilian meat imports
Food & Water Watch (FWW) filed a regulatory petition with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) calling on the agency to revoke the more...
Red meat exports warmed up as autumn chilled
Beef exports are poised to break $7 billion this year for only the second time, reported the U.S. Meat Export Federation, analyzing data released by USDA more...
Poultry processor sees N.J. town as its new home
A poultry company is planning to open a processing operation in Vineland, N.J., that is expected to create about 40 jobs next year, according to local more...
Sausages, sides lift Bob Evans’ Q2 sales
Bob Evans Farms on Wednesday said sales rose 22.3 percent in the second quarter as it sold more refrigerated side dishes and pork sausages. The New Albany more...
Chicago Meat Authority names new executive
Chicago Meat Authority has named Lisa Rabe as director of technical assurance, the privately held boning and portion control firm announced. Rabe has more...
Don’t worry about meatless protein’s impact for now: CoBank
The alternative meat movement is expected to become a top food trend in the coming years, but real meat companies don’t need to worry for now, according more...
Aviagen Turkeys completes expansion, upgrade in W.V.
Aviagen Turkeys, in Lewisburg, W.V., has completed a $4.5 million hatchery expansion and refurbishment, the company said in a news release. According more...
Judge sets timetable for hog farm nuisance lawsuits in N.C.
Litigation against alleged pollution by the hog industry in eastern North Carolina will move forward with two test cases in April 2018, a federal judge more...
Cargill poultry joint venture opens
Cargill Joy Poultry Meats Production, Inc. (C-Joy), a joint venture between Cargill and Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), inaugurated its new poultry more...
Auction of former Oscar Mayer plant equipment begins this week
The new owners of a shuttered Oscar Mayer hot dog plant in Madison, Wis., plan to auction off the facility’s manufacturing equipment, according more...
Restaurants part of ‘experiential’ gift giving in 2017: NPD report
The gift of food and beverage experiences top the list of the 2017 Holiday Purchase Intentions Study conducted by NPD Group, the market information company more...
Schwan’s considering sale: report
Frozen foods maker Schwan’s Co. is mulling a potential sale in a deal that could value the business at $2.5 billion, according to a report by CNBC more...
Burger chain expands
Harvey’s, a flame-grilled burger chain based in Ontario, will add 45 new restaurants in the Quebec province, the company announced in a news release more...
Sandwich chain names new CEO
Chicago-based Potbelly Corporation announced its board appointed Alan Johnson as the company's president and chief executive officer and as a member of more...
Maple Leaf Foods to acquire vegan 'meat' maker for $120M
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods today announced it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Field Roast Grain Meat Co. for $120 million as it expands more...
Canada can export pork to Argentina again
Canadian Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay and Argentine Minister of International Trade François-Philippe Champagne announced this week more...
Grass-fed bison bars incorporated into diet system
Tucson, Ariz.-based DNX Foods announced today a partnership with Whole30 to provide its reformulated nutrient-dense line of grass-fed beef and bison bars more...
USPOULTRY Foundation funds student recruiting grants
The USPOULTRY Foundation has awarded student recruiting grants totaling more than $282,500 to six U.S. universities with poultry science departments and more...
November 2017
Schwan’s launches contract packing business
Schwan’s Co. has created a new unit, Schwan’s Strategic Partner Solutions, focused on the company’s private-label and contract-packing more...
Chicago Meat Authority has new sales head
Kyle Richard has joined Chicago Meat Authority as executive vice president for sales and marketing, leading those functions at its boning and portion more...
EPA proposes two-year delay in WOTUS adoption
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to delay the effective date of the 2015 rule defining waters of the United States (WOTUS) until more...
Competition heating up as global production expands: Rabobank
Strong growth in meat production, driven by the United States, China and Brazil, will intensify competition among proteins and exporting countries in more...
USDA ready to publish updated school meal rules
USDA announced it will publish a new School Meal Flexibility Rule designed to make “targeted changes” to standards for meals under the agency’s more...
Search is on for Chipotle’s new CEO
Chipotle Mexican Grill Chairman and CEO Steve Ells will step down from his role as CEO as soon as a replacement is chosen, the company said in a news more...
QSRs lead the way in Thanksgiving restaurant sales surge
Consumer visits to quick service restaurants (QSRs) helped drive a 6.2 percent increase in restaurant spending on Thanksgiving and Black Friday last week more...
Kiolbassa Smoked Meats names new chief financial officer
San Antonio, Texas-based Kiolbassa Smoked Meats announced the appointment of Bill Wagner as the company’s chief financial officer. Wagner more...
Bell and Evans announces new plant, new chicken breed
Bell and Evans said it broke ground on a 560,000-square-foot chicken-harvesting facility that will allow the Fredericksburg, Pa.-based processor to expand more...
McDonald’s runs out of Buttermilk Crispy Tenders
McDonald’s said its new Buttermilk Crispy Tenders will be unavailable at restaurants nationwide for a short time because the item has proved so more...
Arby’s beefs up with Buffalo Wild Wings acquisition
Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. is buying Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. for $157 per share in cash, a transaction valued at about $2.9 billion, including more...
Premium Brands strengthens its sandwich game
Premium Brands Holdings Corp. announced three acquisitions that strengthen the company’s sandwich portfolio. The three transactions are: * The more...
George’s acquires fully cooked meat plant in Tennessee
Springdale, Ark.-based poultry processor George’s Inc. announced it has acquired Campos Foods LLC from Oklahoma City-based Lopez Foods Inc. Terms more...
Bonds to support turkey processor expansion approved
The Huntingburg (Ind.) Economic Development Commission has approved $3.5 million in tax increment financing-backed bonds to support Farbest Foods’ more...
Smithfield push into China has slowed: Reuters
China pork producer WH Group is dialing back growth hopes for its U.S. unit Smithfield in the mainland amid weak demand, with a new plant there operating more...
What to expect in 2018? NAMI webinar will tell you
Take a look at the top issues and events from 2017 and learn what should be on your radar for 2018, courtesy of the experts at the North American Meat more...
Guess what tops one panel’s food trend list?
The Specialty Food Association’s Trendspotter Panel has named plant-based foods as the No. 1 food trend expected in 2018. The panel draws more...
USDA breeds pathogen-resistant broilers in study
A blood test that identifies chickens with innate immunity to pathogens such as Salmonella and Campylobacter could help breed sturdier flocks for improved more...
AMSA announces Salumi 101 course
The American Meat Science Association said registration is open for Salumi 101, a three-day program where participants will learn to craft safe, high-quality more...
‘Beef crawl’ raises awareness, funds for family farms
Like a pub crawl, but without the drunken brawls, Agriculture United for South Dakota’s “beef crawl” earlier this month took participants more...
Olymel expands another poultry facility
Olymel L.P. has begun building an C$8 million expansion (US$6.3 million) at its processing plant in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec more...
Poultry litter, treated under pressure, has powerful uses: study
Subjecting poultry litter to a process of hydrothermal carbonization — a laboratory process that mimics the creation of coal out of biomass under more...
Researchers see possible link between SAD, vegetarianism
Dutch researchers contend there may be a link between seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and vegetarianism, based on a pilot study involving residents more...
USPOULTRY’s new research grants
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation have approved $355,000 for seven new research grants at five institutions, the organizations said in a news release more...
Analysts see further turkey challenges for Hormel
Hormel Foods Corp. should be able to reach its fiscal 2018 earnings target of between $1.60 and $1.70 per share, but issues with its Jennie-O Turkey Store more...
Antitrust suit vs. major chicken companies to continue
A class-action lawsuit accusing the nation’s top poultry producers of price-fixing since 2008 will move forward now that a federal judge declined more...
USTR ‘concerned’ as latest round of NAFTA talks ends
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer is expressing concern about the “lack of headway” at the conclusion of the fifth round more...
Mississippi Poultry inducts Vizzier-Thaxton into Hall of Fame
Yvonne Vizzier-Thaxton is the Mississippi Poultry Association’s 2017 inductee into its Hall of Fame, the organization announced. Vizzier-Thaxton more...
Mixed results for Hormel in Q4 as sales decline
Hormel Foods Corp. today reported a total sales decline of 5 percent, to $2.5 billion, in the fourth quarter even as organic net sales grew 5 percent more...
Hormel names new supply chain chief, Jennie-O president
Hormel Foods Corp. today named Glenn Leitch as executive vice president of its supply chain, managing the Austin, Minn.-based processor’s efforts more...
Hormel folds Specialty Foods into Grocery Products division
Hormel Foods Corp. today announced that its Specialty Foods segment has been merged into its Grocery Products segment and will continue to be led by Luis more...
FSIS takes next step in consumer food safety research
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced its intent to collect information from focus groups on consumer food safety knowledge, attitudes more...
Tyson ends chicken site search by selecting western Tennessee
After months of controversy that ultimately resulted in Tyson Foods Inc. abandoning plans to build a chicken complex in Kansas, the protein giant instead more...
Idaho grants packer $1 million for hiring, training 700 workers
CS Beef Packers will use a $1.1 million state grant announced Friday to hire and train 701 new workers for full-time positions at the company’s more...
Case Farms responds to report on bird handling violations
Case Farms has acknowledged that some of the bird handling standards at its Morganton, N.C., plant were not met, but the company is insisting that it more...
Organic grocery delivery service shuts its doors
Door to Door Organics announced it ceased operations on Friday, Nov. 17, after 20 years of business. The grocery delivery service, which started out selling more...
26 nuisance lawsuits against Smithfield Foods hog unit to go to trial
A federal judge has ruled that 26 cases comprising litigation brought by residents calling Murphy-Brown LLC hog farms an environmental nuisance can go more...
Olymel invests C$14M in poultry plant
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec-based Olymel management is investing C$14 million to redevelop a section of its Berthierville poultry processing plant and install more...
US. Chamber looks at impact of NAFTA withdrawal by state
Withdrawal from NAFTA would be a “devastating blow for an iconic Texas product” — beef — because Mexican tariffs would rise to more...
News Briefs: Beyond Meat, Keystone, McKenzie, Feed a Bee, HPAI, USPOULTRY, Pacific
Beyond Meat expands footprint Meat substitute maker Beyond Meat is expanding its footprint in Illinois by placing its Beyond Burger in the meat section more...
USDA eliminates GIPSA as own agency, moves CODEX
Less than a month after USDA said it was postponing controversial organizational shifts for its Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration more...
Fresh meat leads Walmart grocery sales to six-year high
Walmart said Thursday its U.S. food business delivered the strongest comparable-store sales performance in almost six years, propelled by fresh meat, more...
Cargill to expand Nashville protein plant, adding 100 jobs
Cargill’s North America protein business announced Thursday it is investing $146 million to expand the company’s Nashville, Tenn., facility more...
Olymel invests $30 million in poultry business
Olymel announced it completed an investment of more than $30 million to redevelop its Orenda poultry further processing plant in Brampton, Ontario, and more...
Frozen beef tongues recalled in Texas
Texas Natural Meats of Lott, Texas, is recalling about 116 pounds of beef tongue products that may be contaminated with specified risk materials (SRMs) more...
JBS predicts higher margins for USA Beef unit in 2018
Brazil's JBS S.A. expects to boost margins in its JBS USA Beef business in 2018 as market conditions improve, JBS USA CEO André Nogueira said in more...
Vermont processor to pay environmental violation fine
Westminster Meats has agreed to pay more than $86,000 to settle state-imposed civil penalties for environmental violations at the company’s Westminster more...
Sodexo doubles footprint with food service company purchase
Sodexo has agreed to acquire Centerplate -- a provider of food and beverages, merchandise and hospitality to sports and leisure facilities -- from Olympus more...
Supervalu announces executive leadership changes
Supervalu Inc. announced that Anne Dament has been promoted to executive vice president for retail, marketing and private brands, effective immediately more...
National Beef to expand Georgia plant, add jobs
Kansas City, Mo.-based National Beef Packing Company announced it is starting a $30 million project to expand capacity to produce consumer-ready products more...
Daily’s Premium Meats names Butterball exec as new president
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Daily’s Premium Meats has appointed Jeff Handrich as its next president effective Dec. 6. Handrich succeeds former more...
Blackstone buys majority stake in Cloverleaf
Cloverleaf Cold Storage has entered into a definitive agreement to recapitalize the company whereby private equity funds affiliated with Blackstone will more...
Famous Dave’s names new CEO and COO, reports earnings
Minneapolis-based BBQ restaurant chain Famous Dave's of America announced its board appointed Jeffery Crivello as chief executive officer and the company more...
Tyson buys steak sandwich maker
Tyson Foods announced it has purchased Philadelphia-based Original Philly Holdings, a producers of raw and fully cooked Philly-style sandwich steak and more...
Poultry processor adds RTE line
Gainesville, Ga.-based Gold Creek Foods announced it has added a new $26 million RTE (ready to eat) processing line, housed next to its existing raw processing more...
Beef, pork propel Tyson to solid Q4, FY 2017 results
Tyson Foods reported strong fourth-quarter sales and adjusted earnings – in addition to its fifth consecutive record earnings for the fiscal more...
TPP moves forward, increasing need for U.S. meat trade bilaterals
The Trans-Pacific Partnership moved forward over the weekend as the 11 remaining members agreed on core elements for a new framework without the United more...
USDA delays organic livestock rules for the third time
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is delaying the effective date of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule, published more...
Key vote on chicken manure plant delayed in Md.
An expected vote by the city council of Crisfield, Md., on whether to allow a proposed chicken manure energy plant to proceed has been postponed until more...
Veal products recalled
Ontario, Canada-based Vantage Foods is recalling ground lean veal from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination, the Canadian Food more...
Consumers don’t realize costs of “clean” food: study
Consumers consistently say they want foods without additives, preservatives, excessive processing or anything on the label they can’t pronounce more...
USDA preparing in case Trump pulls out of NAFTA: Politico
As the fifth round of negotiations on changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement approaches, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is hoping for more...
Panera acquires smaller bakery-cafe chain
Panera Bread said it agreed to acquire Au Bon Pain Holding Co., parent of the Au Bon Pain bakery-cafe chain, as part of an initiative to grow in locations more...
Analysts see all upside for Pilgrim’s Pride
Pilgrim’s Pride Inc.’s better-than-expected earnings report for its third fiscal quarter made equity analysts for the sector positively giddy more...
USDA lowers meat production outlook, raises soybean meal price
USDA lowered its forecast for 2017 total red meat and poultry production from last month as lower beef, pork and turkey production more than offsets higher more...
Acquisitions, Mexico fuel Pilgrim’s sales and profit gains
Strong sales, margins and higher-than-expected results from its Mexico operations helped Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. more than double net income in the more...
Cargill expands reach into clean label with new feed facility
Cargill announced it recently broke ground on a new $50 million premix and nutrition plant in Lewisburg, Ohio, expanding its reach in the food animal more...
New FDA guidance tackles menu label concerns
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has published draft guidance with suggestions for how restaurants and other food establishments can comply with more...
Fiesta says restaurant sales returning to pre-hurricane levels
Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc. is reporting that the improving sales it was posting before separate hurricanes hit the southern United States this fall more...
Trump China visit expected to yield over $1 billion in beef, pork exports
The Montana Stockgrowers Association confirmed to Meatingplace its involvement in a deal first reported by the Wall Street Journal under which China’s more...
WHO takes strong stand against antibiotics use in food animals (updated)
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a strong recommendation against the use of antibiotics in healthy food-producing animals in order to stem the more...
Brakebush plans another expansion, this one in Wisconsin
Brakebush Brothers announced a second major expansion of its operations, this one in Westfield, Wis., according to a release posted on the state government’s more...
JBS refinances tax debt in Brazil, sees negative impact in Q3 net profit
JBS S.A. announced it will save BRL1.1 billion ($336 million) by refinancing tax liabilities in Brazil, but will have a negative impact of BRL2.3 billion more...
Hot dog maker boosts profit
Gains in license royalties and sales in its foodservice business helped hot dog maker Nathan's Famous boost its second-quarter profit. The Jericho, N more...
Whole Foods survey outlines food trends for 2018
Transparency, Middle Eastern fare and plant-based products are among the top 10 food trends identified in a Whole Foods survey of global buyers and experts more...
AmazonFresh pulling out of some markets
Amazon is withdrawing its AmazonFresh grocery delivery service from “select ZIP codes,” but plans to continue serving major U.S. markets, more...
Hurricanes cut into restaurant group’s earnings
Bloomin’ Brands Inc. said Hurricanes Harvey and Irma hurt restaurant sales in the third quarter. The Tampa, Fla.-based parent of Outback Steakhouse more...
Chipotle, CDC kept outbreaks secret, stockholders allege
Chipotle Mexican Grill stockholders allege that the company and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention withheld from the public information they more...
ACLU sues poultry company for human trafficking (UPDATED)
The American Civil Liberties Union said it filed a class action lawsuit this week against the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Program (DARP) in Oklahoma, poultry more...
Lack of inspection prompts meat, chicken recall
CC Kitchens LLC, based in Cincinnati, is recalling about 269 pounds of meat and poultry products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection more...
McCartney releases ‘meat-free’ film
High-profile vegetarian Paul McCartney today unveiled a new documentary short supporting his “Meat-free Mondays” campaign, titled “One more...
Clovis withdraws from USDA consideration
In a letter sent to President Trump on Wednesday, Sam Clovis withdrew from consideration for the position of USDA undersecretary for research, education more...
Burritos, wraps recalled for possible Listeria contamination
Chelsea Food Services, doing business as Journey Cuisine, is recalling about 28,064 pounds of pork and chicken burritos and wraps that may be adulterated more...
Staph toxin prompts chicken breast strip recall
Maple Leaf Foods is recalling Maple Leaf brand Chicken Breast Strips from the marketplace because they may contain the toxin produced by Staphylococcus more...
Buffalo Wild Wings names supply chain chief
Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. has hired Barry Barnett as its senior vice president of global supply chain. Barnett, formerly senior vice president of global more...
Sedgwick County officials woo Tyson on plant proposal
Efforts to convince Tyson Foods Inc. to build a proposed $320 million chicken complex in Sedgwick County, Kan., include a letter signed by all five county more...
EPA releases animal waste air emissions guidance
The Environmental Protection Agency has released guidance for farmers to report air releases of hazardous substances from animal waste at farms, as the more...
Analyst boosts Hormel forecast after 'on trend' acquisition
Hormel Corp.’s purchase of deli meats maker Columbus Manufacturing this week will bode well for the company’s bottom line in upcoming fiscal more...
Monogram Foods unit wins national award
Monogram Snacks, a division of Monogram Foods, was awarded “Project of the Year,” a national award from the American Biogas Council. The Martinsville more...
October 2017
Hormel buys deli meat maker for $850 million
Hormel Foods announced it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Columbus Manufacturing, a premium deli meat and salami company, from Chicago-based more...
Another fast casual chain files for bankruptcy protection
The parent company of the Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill chain of fast-casual restaurants has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and closed more...
USMEF sees strong 2017 results but warns about trade pacts
U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) officials said they are “pleased” with strong gains in exports posted for 2017, but also issued concerns more...
News Briefs: Steakhouses, Kroger, Allen Bros., Wayback Burgers, Smashburger
Steakhouse sale completed FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands completed its acquisition of Homestyle Dining LLC, the parent company to the Ponderosa more...
Probe begins in death of inmate working at Koch Foods plant
Authorities in Alabama are investigating the death of a work release inmate yesterday while he was working at a Koch Foods poultry plant in Ashland, Ala more...
Rehab programs sued for putting addicts to work for free at chicken plants
A class-action lawsuit filed last week in Benton County, Ark., Circuit Court accuses two rehabilitation programs of violating Arkansas law prohibiting more...
Tyson plant opponents in Sedgwick County hold first meeting
About 75 Sedgwick County residents held their first meeting to discuss the implications of the area being a finalist for a proposed Tyson Foods poultry more...
Fresh pork sales buoy Smithfield parent WH Group earnings
Smithfield Foods parent WH Group reported a 7.6 percent rise in operating profits to $1.4 billion on strong fresh pork and hog production results while more...
Koch Foods to expand hatchery
Chicago-based Koch Foods is expanding its hatchery in Crossville, Ala., the company announced. The first chicks are expected to hatch at the newly expanded more...
Kraft Heinz goes over to GAP
The Kraft Heinz Company today announced it will up its animal welfare standards for broiler chickens in its U.S. supply chain. Kraft Heinz said more...
One down: Senate confirms under secretary post at USDA
The slow process of Congressional approval of Trump administration appointments inched forward this week as the Senate approved Greg Ibach as USDA’s more...
BK chicken sandwiches help boost parent's third-quarter results
Restaurant Brands International Inc., the Ontario-based parent company of Burger King, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Tim Horton’s restaurant chains more...
Narrow vote advances guest-worker bill supported by meatpackers
The House Judiciary Committee has advanced out of committee a bill seeking to overhaul the agricultural guest-worker program so that it is more efficient more...
Cattle feedlot inventory continues to swell: Peel
(This article first appeared in the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter and is republished with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State more...
USDA issues public health alert on listeria concerns
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing a public health alert due to concerns that poultry products produced by Mary’s Harvest more...
Sanderson Farms names new retail sales manager
Sanderson Farms announced John Coleman has been promoted to corporate retail sales manager, responsible for introducing the company to prospective customers more...
Group forms to stop Tyson project in Kansas county
Although Tyson Foods has not yet identified which communities it is considering for a planned chicken processing plant, an opposition group has already more...
North Country Smokehouse opens new plant
Claremont, N.H.-based North Country Smokehouse this week officially opened its new meat processing facility four times the size of its original plant more...
Partnership will expand Smithfield’s presence in China
Smithfield Foods Inc. has signed an exclusive agreement with JD.com, China’s largest retailer, to offer its pork products online in China. More more...
Retail, foodservice food prices continue to diverge
USDA reported the food-away-from-home (restaurant purchases) consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.3 percent in September and is 2.4 percent higher than September more...
Update on antibiotic resistance points to a few concerns
While resistance to antibiotics remains low for most human infections, U.S. health authorities are closely monitoring a few areas of concern, according more...
The pendulum swings: Poultry stocks up, red meat down
Total frozen poultry supplies on Sept. 30 were up 1 percent from the previous month and up 8 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s latest more...
McDonald’s Q3 same-store sales up on signature sandwiches
McDonald’s Corp. reported a 10 percent drop in total revenue in the third quarter due to its ongoing refranchising program, but global comparable-store more...
Oklahoma ranchers push back on checkoff referendum
Oklahoma members of the Organization for Competitive Markets and R-CALF USA are asking the state's Supreme Court to prohibit the Oklahoma Department of more...
USDA chief puts off shifting Codex Office, GIPSA/AMS merger – for now
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has notified Congress that he will take more time to consider shifting the Codex food safety office to the agency’s more...
Moody's downgrades JBS ratings, with negative outlook
Moody's Investors Service downgraded JBS S.A.'s credit ratings to B3 from B2, with a negative outlook for the rating, after completing a review launched more...
Burger, steakhouse chain parent raises $24 million in IPO
FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. said it raised $24 million in its initial public offering on the NASDAQ market today, selling 2 million shares more...
Good news for frozen food makers: survey
As Millennials take over as the largest generation of consumers, frozen food makers are in luck: more than 40 percent of Millennials said in a recent more...
Meal kit company’s troubles continue, announces layoffs
Meal kit marketer Blue Apron Holdings Inc. announced the layoffs of about 6 percent of its total workforce, “a company-wide realignment of personnel more...
USDA grants to improve food animal health
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has announced $14.3 million in grants to support research to help maintain healthy agricultural more...
Canadian government gives over $1 million for animal welfare projects
The Canadian government announced an investment of up to C$1.31 ($1.03 million) to support its livestock sector in efforts to raise healthy, productive more...
News Briefs: USMEF, Deli Brands, Smithfield, MamaMancini’s, Beyond Meat, bologna, NPB
USMEF honors USDA’s Anne Dawson Anne Dawson, senior trade advisor for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has been named the recipient of more...
Tyson narrows search for site of new poultry complex
Tyson Foods has narrowed the list of potential sites for its new poultry processing complex after putting on hold plans to build the $320 million facility more...
Mechanically tenderized steaks recalled due to E. coli risk
Canada’s Vantage Foods Inc. is recalling mechanically tenderized steaks from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination, the more...
Panda Group founders invest in sandwich chain
A small California-based chain of restaurants specializing in scratch-made sandwiches and salads has its sights set on expansion with the help of an investment more...
High on hogs
It’s a good time to be in the pork business, a statement the superstitious (and those with long memories) might cross their fingers before uttering more...
JBS suspends activities at seven facilities in Brazil (UPDATED)
JBS S.A. announced Wednesday it is suspending its cattle purchases and slaughter activities in seven facilities in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state for more...
Construction under way on new Cargill Protein headquarters
Construction has officially started on a new headquarters for Cargill’s North America protein business in Wichita, Kan., with the 190,000-square-foot more...
OIG finds FSIS lax on foreign food safety protocols
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) needs to improve its methods for determining whether foreign countries exporting meat, poultry more...
Morris joins Pork Board in marketing post
The National Pork Board has hired Craig Morris away from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service to be its vice president of international marketing more...
USDA withdraws controversial GIPSA rule
USDA announced it is withdrawing an interim final rule — widely opposed by the processing industry — addressing sales of live animals between more...
House of Raeford plant faces odor restrictions
The city council of West Columbia, S.C., has given initial approval to restrictions on “offensive” odors coming from a major House of Raeford more...
JBS plant operating normally after ammonia leak
The JBS Packerland meat packing plant in Souderton, Pa., is running normal operations following a leak of about 34,000 pounds of ammonia over the weekend more...
Smithfield unit settles EEOC sexual harassment suit (UPDATED)
Clougherty Packing — which does business as Farmer John — agreed to pay $100,000 and revise company policies to settle a sexual more...
Brazil's JBS withdraws IPO for subsidiary in the U.S. (updated)
JBS S.A. has decided to back off a planned initial public offering for its subsidiary JBS Foods International in the United States, according to a filing more...
Ruby Tuesday sold as Q1 sales and revenues declined
Ruby Tuesday Inc. has a new owner, even as the Maryville, Tenn.-based reported a sharp drop in sales and a net loss in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 more...
Aramark to buy two firms for over $2 billion
Foodservice giant Aramark announced plans to buy Avendra, which procures food and other supplies for hotels and other institutions, for $1.35 billion; more...
Private equity firm buys stake in Culver’s chain
Culver Franchising System Inc. announced that Roark Capital Group of Atlanta has acquired a minority stake in the 600-unit, privately held restaurant more...
Nestlé USA specifies how suppliers raise, slaughter chickens
Nestlé’s USA announced that by 2024 the company will strive to source all of the broiler chickens used as ingredients for its U.S. food portfolio more...
U.S. pork in ‘expansion mode’ to 2025: Rabobank
Increased production and additional processing capacity, and the likely improvement of margins, will help the U.S. pork industry remain in expansion mode more...
Ground beef recalled on E. coli concerns
Vermont Livestock Slaughter and Processing LLC, in Ferrisburg, Vt., is recalling about 133 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E more...
Nebraska researchers win grant to study livestock-crop links
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will receive a $1-million grant to probe how to improve land use efficiency through the integration more...
News Briefs: Cargill, Hormel, IDDBA, Pork Board, FPSA, Sanderson
Cargill is acquiring full ownership of the Provimi-branded Cargill Premix & Nutrition business, serving Sub-Saharan Africa, from Astral Foods, the more...
Koch Foods hit with $1.9 million jury verdict
A state court in Alabama awarded a former Koch Foods of Alabama employee more than $1.9 million in compensatory and punitive damages in a case charging more...
Brazil judge partially approves J&F leniency deal
A leniency deal closed by J&F -- the controlling company of JBS SA -- to settle charges related to a corruption scandal involving its executives was more...
USDA boosts corn production forecast
USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand (WASDE) estimates project a slightly larger corn crop than was expected the month before and makes no more...
Japan to pitch revised beef import tariff triggers
Japan is expected to propose changes to its safeguard mechanism on imports of frozen U.S. beef, according to a report by Reuters. In talks scheduled for more...
Florida totals up Irma damage to cattle industry
Hurricane Irma made landfall on the Florida Keys as a category 4 hurricane, and again in Southwest Florida as a category 3 hurricane, leaving a path of more...
Groups challenge constitutionality of Iowa’s Ag-Gag law
A coalition of organizations that includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Center for Food Safety has filed a lawsuit questioning the more...
Kroger explores sale of its convenience stores
Kroger Co. said it is exploring strategic alternatives including a potential sale of its convenience store business. The convenience store business generated more...
Sandwich chain to expand into Mexico market
A Las Vegas-based specialty sandwich shop chain has enlisted a consulting firm to help find franchisees as part of an expansion of its operations into more...
Northern California meat companies in the line of fire
Meat processing companies reached by Meatingplace that are located in the Santa Rosa, Calif., area appear to have survived the fast-moving wildfires so more...
Niman Ranch extends reach
Niman Ranch announced its products will be available on AmazonFresh and ButcherBox to significantly increase nationwide availability of their Certified more...
N.H. beef processor burns to the ground: reports
The production facility for Lemay & Sons Beef in Goffstown, N.H., burned to the ground on Friday, according to local media reports. The three-alarm more...
Chicago, D.C. betting sausage, steaks on baseball playoff
It’s baseball playoff time, and that means inter-municipal wages, mostly of the food variety. Buona, Chicago’s Original Italian Beef and the more...
Huge multi-species slaughter facility proposed in Montana
A Canadian livestock and animal nutrition company has proposed to build a large multi-species slaughtering facility in Cascade County, Montana, according more...
Pork processor sues recruiter over foreign workers
A pork processor in Canada’s Manitoba province is suing a Toronto-based recruiting firm for allegedly luring foreign workers away to other companies more...
Burger chain names new CEO
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has announced that Randy Simon, who co-founded the chain with his late brother, Bill, more than 15 years more...
August U.S. beef exports stay strong as pork slips a bit from 2016
U.S. beef exports continued to be strong in August, although pork exports for the period were down slightly from the same time last year, according to more...
Meat production is killing the planet: report
The large tracts of land required to feed food-producing animals such as cattle, pigs and chickens is destroying the earth’s biodiversity. This more...
Beef: It’s still what’s for dinner
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, has relaunched its 25-year-old marketing campaign anchored by the tagline more...
McDonald’s tries out McVegan
It’s only in one McDonald’s restaurant. And it’s in Finland. And it’s a limited-time item. But still, it is significant that the more...
Fire kills 1 million chickens in northern Indiana
A fire that broke out this week at an egg production complex in Northern Indiana killed more than 1 million chickens, according to media reports. Officials more...
Allen Harim plant resuming normal operations after fire
A fire Wednesday evening at the Allen Harim poultry processing plant in Harbeson, Del., prompted the evacuation of the facility and a delayed start to more...
Beef-processing plant opens in New Mexico
USA Beef has opened a processing plant in Roswell, N.M., believed to be the state’s only such facility, the governor’s office announced Wednesday more...
Supermarket chain issues pot roast recall across 7 states
Publix Super Markets is issuing a voluntary recall for its Homestyle Beef Pot Roast, produced by RMH Foods/Sandridge Foods Corp., because the package more...
Maple Leaf fined for worker injury
Maple Leaf Foods pleaded guilty and was fined $110,000 after a worker was injured in a fall from a loading dock, the Ontario government reported. more...
Sec. Perdue says ag to get its due in next NAFTA round
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Wednesday he expects agricultural topics to be included in the next round, the fourth, of negotiations aimed at more...
Company buys chili brand, plans national launch
Denver-based Temptee Specialty Foods announced it has merged with Johnson Food Products, the maker of Johnson Chili. Terms of the deal were not disclosed more...
Complaint alleges misuse of Oklahoma beef funds
A group representing family farmers and ranchers filed a complaint with USDA’s Office of Inspector General alleging the Oklahoma Beef Council illegally more...
Butterball announces strategic quality hire
Butterball LLC has hired Chris Krumrey as vice president of plant product quality. He will provide strategic direction for company-wide product quality more...
San Francisco requires grocers to disclose antibiotics used in raising food animals (updated)
Lawmakers in San Francisco this week passed an ordinance requiring major grocery chains to report information about antibiotic use in the raising of livestock more...
Walmart boosts grocery e-commerce services via Parcel buy
Walmart.com customers in New York City soon will be able to receive perishable and non-perishable foods on the same day following the company’s more...
Whole Foods’ price cuts affecting other retailers: report
Immediate price reductions at Whole Foods in the wake of Amazon’s purchase of the retailer in late August are reaping benefits for the company – more...
Farmers leverage transparency with meat delivery business
Owned and operated by farmers, Moink is launching a subscription delivery service for “ethically raised” beef, lamb, pork, chicken and wild more...
Grass-fed beef sticks make debut
Independence, Va.-based Landcrafted Food announced it is expanding its product offering to include Habanero BBQ and Spicy Cajun-flavored Smoked Beef more...
Triumph Foods to expand Missouri pork plant
Triumph Foods will launch another expansion of its pork processing plant in St. Joseph, Mo., that is slated for completion in spring 2018. The project more...
FDA proposes a delay in nutrition label changes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed an 18-month delay for food companies to comply with updated nutrition labels that were first more...
NAMI installs new officers
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) elected five new officers at its annual meeting last week in Washington, D.C. John Vatri, vice president of operations more...
Belgium’s food guidelines put processed meats on the sidelines
Belgium’s nutritional guidelines aren’t kind to processed meats. In fact, the nation’s “nutritional triangle” has no place more...
September 2017
Chicken processor to add second plant, 800 jobs in Texas
Wisconsin-based Brakebush Brothers Inc. will build a new 315,000-square-foot processing plant in Greenville, Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office announced more...
Tyson CEO: Strong support for new plant in other towns
Tyson Foods’ timeline to build a new chicken processing plant is solid, thanks to strong support in communities beyond its first choice for the more...
Poultry processor names new president
Gemstone Foods LLC named Heath Loyd the company’s president and chief operating officer. The Decatur, Ala.-based poultry processor said Loyd’s more...
Cooking pork to medium — or lower — puts consumers at risk: study (UPDATE)
Many consumers prefer their pork cooked medium, but a new study says cooking pork chops to medium and lower levels does not completely eliminate pathogens more...
Conagra revenue, profit down as portfolio revamp continues
Conagra Brands Inc. said net profit and revenue fell in the fiscal first quarter as it paid more fees to supermarkets to launch new products while discontinuing more...
McDonald’s revives buttermilk-battered chicken tenders
McDonald’s Corp. said about 14,000 of its restaurants nationwide are offering its new Buttermilk Crispy Tenders made with 100 percent white meat more...
Dunkin’ Brands names culinary innovation chief
Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. has appointed Katy Latimer as its new vice president for culinary innovation, the Canton, Mass., parent of Dunkin’ more...
Premium Brands makes another protein acquisition
Vancouver-based Premium Brands Holdings Corp. announced today that it has acquired a 100 percent interest in Ontario-based Skilcor Food Products, one more...
Protein business leads Cargill earnings in quarter
Global agribusiness giant Cargill reported increased operating and net earnings in the quarter ended Aug. 31, led by strong results in its protein and more...
Tyson to pay $2 mln federal fine to resolve fish kill incident
Tyson Foods said its Tyson Poultry Inc. unit has agreed to pay a $2 million federal fine and make a $500,000 community service payment stemming from the more...
Hormel CEO and president to add chairman title
Hormel Foods today announced that Jim Snee, currently CEO and president of the Austin, Minn.-based processor, will add the title of chairman, effective more...
Buddig unit inks barbecue deal with Kingsford
CBQ LLC, a unit of Carl Buddig & Co., has reached a multiyear agreement to produce Kingsford branded pre-cooked ribs and barbecue entrees, the company more...
Man will do jail time for bomb threat to Tyson plant
A Virginia man was sentenced to seven months in prison after pleading no contest to charges that he made bomb threats against the Tyson Foods plant in more...
Salami maker expands curing facility
Columbus Craft Meats has completed its second expansion at its salami curing facility in the past three years. The deli meat maker announced it completed more...
Chipotle fine-tuning burger concept with celebrity chef partnership
Chipotle Mexican Grill has entered a partnership with chef, restaurateur and James Beard-nominated cookbook author, Richard Blais, to redefine the menu more...
Hardee's, Carl’s Jr. make push on value meals
CKE Restaurants Holdings-owned Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s quick service brands are offering $5 All Star Meals supported by a big marketing and more...
Smithfield buys packaged meat processors
Smithfield Foods has entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire 100 percent of the share capital of Romania packaged meat processors Elit and more...
Other Kansas towns could welcome Tyson poultry plant
While Tonganoxie, Kan., residents’ opposition prompted Tyson Foods to shelve plans to build a $320 million poultry plant there, more than 20 other more...
Wayne Farms gets 20-year tax abatement for expansion project
City officials have approved a 20-year tax abatement to help Wayne Farms expand its Dothan, Ala., chicken plant. Wayne Farms is spending $23 million more...
Cargill sets poultry joint venture
Cargill and Faccenda Foods announced they have agreed to establish a joint venture to create a leading UK food company focused on chicken, turkey and more...
Pork belly stocks coming back, but still way down from last year: USDA
U.S. stocks of pork bellies in freezers on Aug. 31 were up 8 percent from last month but down 40 percent from last year, according to USDA’s latest more...
Tyson awarded tax benefits to expand Iowa plant
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) board voted to award $2.4 million in tax benefits to help Tyson Fresh Meats expand and renovate its Waterloo more...
Organic chicken sales go through the roof: USDA
Sales of organic agricultural products climbed 23 percent in 2016, with organic chicken posting a 78 percent increase over the previous year, according more...
Coalition calls for global uniform food date labels
A network of 400 consumer goods companies and a coalition of government and business leaders are calling for a simplification of food date labels worldwide more...
Walmart tests service that puts food right in your fridge
Walmart is working with smart-home access company August Home to test a delivery service that would give the drivers access to your home to put the groceries more...
More options emerge for $320 million Tyson plant: reports
Several new options have emerged for Tyson Foods Inc. to build a $320 million poultry complex in Kansas, just days after Leavenworth County withdrew plans more...
Peers mourn the death of Kelly Hattan
Meat industry colleagues are mourning the loss of Kelly Hattan, president and CEO of Daily’s Premium Meats, and honoring his memory with fond thoughts more...
Bipartisan bill would double funds for ag export promotion
U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Angus King (I-Maine), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have introduced bipartisan legislation that more...
Chili’s elevates burgers, ribs in menu revamp
Brinker International said its Chili’s Grill & Bar casual dining chain is cutting 40 percent of its menu items to focus on basics including more...
Albertsons jumps into meal kits with acquisition
Grocery giant Albertsons Cos. announced it has purchased meal kit maker Plated, a strategic step to capitalize on the trend toward consumers wanting fresh more...
Pilgrim’s outlines innovation, Moy Park goals at investor meeting
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. offered its investors a preview of product innovations, strategies and its plans for U.K. poultry giant Moy Park at a conference more...
Kroger unveils zero hunger, zero waste initiative
Kroger Co. announced a plan to combat hunger in the communities it serves and eliminate waste across the company by 2025. The supermarket operator said more...
Plant-based burger makes debut at major restaurant chain
Meatless burger pioneer Beyond Meat has signed its largest restaurant brand partner, TGI Fridays, which will offer the plant-based patty at select locations more...
Olymel introduces clean-label deli meats
Addressing consumers’ growing interest in clean-label foods, Canadian processor Olymel has launched a line of sliced deli meat that is free of nitrites more...
Cereal maker to acquire Bob Evans Farms
Cereal maker Post Holdings announced it will acquire Bob Evans Farms Inc. in a $1.5 billion deal to gain a presence in the breakfast sausage category more...
County panel revokes $500-mln bond issue linked to Tyson plant
Tyson Foods is weighing its options after the Leavenworth County Commission rescinded its “resolution of interest” to issue $500 million in more...
Sofina Foods expanding turkey processing capacity
Ontario, Canada-based Sofina Foods plans to expand its turkey processing capacity, creating about 100 new jobs and retaining about 60 positions in the more...
Chorizo out, queso in as Chipotle tweaks menu
Chipotle has officially pulled the plug on its chorizo ingredient, replacing the spicy sausage item with queso dip on its national menu, spokesperson more...
Local lawmakers vow to oppose Tyson plant after hearing: report
Three Kansas state representatives who co-hosted a public hearing on a proposed $320-million chicken complex planned by Tyson Foods told attendees they more...
Ham vs. vegetables as U.S./Mexico look at NAFTA: Reuters
As the United States, Mexico and Canada finished their second round of discussions last week on how the current North American Free Trade Agreement might more...
Seaboard unit begins biogas operation
High Plains Bioenergy, a subsidiary of Seaboard Foods, has begun operations of its new Biogas Upgrading Plant [BUP], the company announced. The plant more...
Retail meat prices soften in August, CPI data show
Consumer prices for meat slipped 0.4 percent in August from the prior month, weighed down by declines in beef roasts and ham, the latest report from the more...
Canadian government gives pork packer a C$5.3 million boost
Ontario is putting up C$5.3 million to help Conestoga Meat Packers boost productivity and expand its pork processing capacity by 86 percent, while creating more...
Board extends a welcome to Tyson plant as opposition gathers steam
The Leavenworth County Development Corp.’s board of directors has voted to officially support a proposed Tyson Foods poultry complex near Tonganoxie more...
Maple Leaf Foods fined $120,000 for worker injury
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has been ordered to pay a C$120,000 fine after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a worker’s injury last more...
Report calls for revamp of Dietary Guidelines process
The process used to develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is not able to adapt to changes such as food diversity and chronic disease prevalence more...
Silo catches fire at Sanderson feed mill
A fire inside a Sanderson Farms corn silo in Robertson County, Texas, led to the evacuation of employees from the feed mill and closure of part of U.S more...
Maryland residents push back on proposed chicken manure plant
Residents in Crisfield, Md., have persuaded local officials to table discussion on a proposal for a plant that will convert chicken manure into reusable more...
Gov. promotes Nebraska proteins in Japan trade trip
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts participated in a ceremony in Tokyo during which representatives from Smithfield Foods International Group and Sagami Chain more...
Research sees good, bad in food process labels
A paper in the journal Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy identifies the positive and negative effects of labeling food processes on consumer purchasing more...
Brazilian police arrest JBS CEO Wesley Batista
Brazil's Federal Police this morning arrested JBS S.A. CEO Wesley Batista in São Paulo for allegedly using insider trading to profit while negotiating more...
Lawsuit challenges USDA organic livestock standards delay
The Organic Trade Association has filed a lawsuit demanding that USDA officials “keep up with the industry and the consumer in setting organic standards more...
USDA forecasts point to less meat, cheaper livestock feed
USDA lowered its forecast for total meat production in 2017 from last month as decreases in commercial beef and broiler production more than offset increases more...
First public hearing set to discuss proposed Tyson complex
Three state lawmakers in Kansas have scheduled a public forum to hear citizens’ concerns about a proposed Tyson Foods Inc. poultry complex in Leavenworth more...
Walmart makes its next move in the battle for grocery dollars
Walmart Canada announced it is launching an online grocery pickup service with seven locations beginning this month, allowing consumers to shop for their more...
Moy Park sale to Pilgrim's will help reduce debt at JBS
Brazil's JBS S.A. aims to use the proceeds from its sale of Irish poultry processor Moy Park to Pilgrim's Pride to pay short-term debt, the world's largest more...
Kroger prepares to join the ‘grocerant’ bandwagon: reports
Kroger Co. will add to its roster of dining options for customers by opening its first restaurant inside its stores later this fall, according to several more...
NPPC seeks exemption for livestock haulers
The National Pork Producers Council is asking for a waiver and exemption for livestock haulers from U.S. Department of Transportation regulations that more...
Pilgrim’s Pride outlines Moy Park acquisition advantages
Pilgrim’s Pride sees its purchase of U.K. poultry giant Moy Park for about $1.3 billion from both companies’ parent JBS as a hedge against more...
NCC petitions FSIS to lift poultry line speed limits
The National Chicken Council has petitioned USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to implement a waiver system to permit young chicken slaughter more...
George’s lures Tyson exec
George’s Inc. has hired Bryan McDuffie, a veteran of the food transportation industry, as its vice president of transportation. McDuffie moves over more...
Grocery chain names new CEO
Greensboro, N.C.-based grocery chain The Fresh Market, has named Larry Appel as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Appel joins more...
Florida meat industry prepared for Irma
As Irma promises to make landfall this weekend somewhere in Florida — shifting conditions were changing the storm’s projected path as of midday more...
Maine law allowing local meat oversight is rebuffed by USDA
A new law in Maine allowing municipalities to regulate local food production and processing has prompted USDA to warn the state it will take over all more...
FSIS seeks comments on STEC and salmonella reduction in beef, veal
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the availability of and requests comments on the updated compliance guideline for small more...
Hormel reports progress on water usage, animal welfare, giving
Hormel Foods reported progress on its goals around water usage, animal welfare, charitable giving, product development and employee diversity in its 11th more...
Hormel to keep marching up the value-added chain: CEO
Hormel Chief Executive Officer Jim Snee told investors the company will continue to move away from the commodity business and expand its value-added and more...
Nestle snaps up plant-based protein brand
Nestle USA has agreed to acquire Sweet Earth, a manufacturer of plant-based burritos, burgers and other foods in Moss Landing, Calif. Sweet Earth’s more...
Newest Sanderson plant achieves infrastructure milestone
A local government board has approved a memorandum of understanding with Sanderson Farms that covers the construction of utility lines for the company’s more...
Research points toward a salmonella vaccine
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association said research at the U.S. National Poultry Research Center funded by a foundation gift from Cal-Maine Foods has more...
Tyson outlines path to growth, innovation, sustainability
Tyson Foods Inc. will focus on growth, strong financial results and sustainability in both the near and long term, company officials said in a presentation more...
NCC sets broiler chicken welfare standards
The National Chicken Council (NCC), the largest association representing the U.S. broiler chicken industry, on Wednesday rolled out industry-wide standards more...
Smithfield unit reaches donning-doffing settlement
Smithfield Foods and its Curly’s Foods division have reached a $625,000 settlement with workers who said they were not paid for time spent putting more...
New Starbucks COO will lead supply chain, product innovation
Starbucks Corp. announced the appointment of Rosalind Brewer as group president and chief operating officer, effective Oct. 2. Brewer will lead the company’s more...
Tyson to build new chicken plant in Kansas
In response to strong consumer demand for chicken, Tyson Foods announced plans to build a $320 million poultry complex in eastern Kansas. The company more...
Audio recording could put JBS executives’ plea bargain in jeopardy
The immunity granted to three executives at JBS S.A.'s controlling shareholder company, J&F, via plea bargain deals is at risk of being cancelled more...
Former poultry plant GM sentenced for stealing over $1 million
A Canadian court has sentenced the former general manager of Superior Poultry Processing to three years in prison for stealing nearly C$2 million (about more...
Peapod president steps down, interim replacement announced
Ahold USA announced Jennifer Carr-Smith has resigned as president of Peapod after two years on the job, effective Sept. 15, 2017. “Carr-Smith has more...
USDA economic projections good news for meat exports
The U.S. dollar is expected to remain weak against other major currencies through the rest of 2017, according to USDA’s latest Outlook for Agricultural more...
Perdue family farmhouse makes it official
Arthur and Pearl Perdue’s farmhouse, built a century ago on the outskirts of Salisbury where they hoped to start a family and an egg business, has more...
German butcher rolls out meat ‘smoothies’
Here’s a high-protein snack with a level of convenience greater than most consumers would expect: Meat drinks. A butcher in Temmels, Germany has more...
“You’re pizza’s here!” said the robot
First there was drive-through. Then automated and online ordering systems. Now, Ford Motor and Domino’s Pizza are researching a way to deliver your more...
JBS shareholders meeting suspended by Brazilian court
JBS S.A.'s shareholders meeting, which was set to decide CEO Wesley Batista's future with the company, was suspended by a injunction issued by a Brazilian more...
Va. hands down more convictions in Tyson breeder farm case
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced this week that his Animal Law Unit secured seven more convictions in animal cruelty cases at a Tyson more...
State gathers public input on Mountaire expansion proposal
Officials from Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources (DNREC) on Thursday heard public comments that were mostly critical of Mountaire Farms’ more...
Giving Back: Triumph, Niman, Eckrich, Kretschmar, Perdue, Bar-S, Butterball (UPDATED)
Triumph donates pork Triumph Foods donated 33,000 pounds of pork products to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Missouri. This donation of lean, high more...
August 2017
Harvey: What’s next
Floodwaters still are rising in the Houston area, but elsewhere processors in the path of Hurricane Harvey are beginning to go back to work. Kane Beef more...
Packer agrees to fine for not paying for livestock on time
Schenk Packing Co. has agreed to pay a penalty of $4,175 as part of a stipulation agreement with the USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards more...
HSUS pursues cage-free pork, veal, egg production in Calif.
The Humane Society of the United States hopes to get on California’s November 2018 ballot an initiative that would prohibit the sale of products more...
Aggressive U.S. beef expansion requires foreign outlets
The United States will be a net beef exporter beginning this year, an indication of an increasing dependence on foreign markets as U.S. beef production more...
Brazil regulator allows Batistas to vote at JBS shareholders meeting
Brazilian securities regulator CVM has decided to allow the Batista brothers, controllers of JBS S.A., to vote at the company's shareholders meeting on more...
Bob Evans sales rebound on sausages, side dishes
Bob Evans Farms Inc. said its fiscal first-quarter sales climbed 27.1 percent as it sold more sausages and side dishes than in the same period a year more...
Meat processors move fast to feed Hurricane Harvey victims, responders (UPDATED)
As the pictures from Houston continue to bring home the magnitude of the need for thousands of flooded residents, meat processing and distribution companies more...
Latest burger war sizzles in federal court
In-N-Out Burger says protecting its trademark is at the heart of a federal lawsuit the California-based restaurant operator filed against rival Smashburger more...
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JBS USA appoints independent advisory board
JBS USA announced it formed an independent advisory board to support the company’s executive leadership on matters related to corporate governance more...
Commission report seeks more oversight, surveillance on antibiotic use in food animals
A new commission supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has issued a report calling for more surveillance, oversight and restriction more...
Advocacy group sues USDA over poultry operation loan guarantee
Food & Water Watch has filed a federal lawsuit accusing USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) of failing to adequately consider environmental impacts more...
Restaurant chain names industry vet as new chief culinary officer
Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar has named former Chili’s executive Stephen Bulgarelli to head its culinary team as vice president and more...
Hurricane Harvey stymies Houston meat processors (UPDATED)
Wayne Butler is watching TV news reports of Hurricane Harvey’s disastrous impacts on the Houston area — and waiting, hoping the floodwater more...
Hillshire Brands sues insurers after asbestos suit ruling
Hillshire Brands Co. is asking two of its insurance companies to cover more of the costs of a recently settled lawsuit involving a $13-million award to more...
Meat processor rolls out new NAE, organic products
Coleman Natural Foods, which specializes in organic and no-antibiotics-ever (NAE) meat products, has added new burgers, chicken sausages, hot dogs and more...
Largest number of cattle on feed since 2012
USDA reported cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.6 million more...
SEC calls off probe into Tyson’s alleged broiler price fixing
Tyson Foods Inc. announced today that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has notified the company that it does not intend to recommend an enforcement more...
Hurricane Harvey disrupts coastal Texas plants
Meat production facilities located near the coast in Texas where Hurricane Harvey is expected to make landfall tonight already have closed down, although more...
Whole Foods cuts prices: ground beef, chicken on list
Amazon and Whole Foods Market said they will mark the closing of their merger on Monday with an initial round of price reductions at Whole Foods stores more...
Tyson opens new hatchery to support NAE efforts
Tyson Foods has announced the opening of a state-of-the-art, 75,000-square-foot hatchery in its hometown of Springdale, Ark., to support its transition more...
Price increases, turkey production cuts will aid Hormel: analyst
Hormel Foods has increased prices to cover higher commodity costs, and the turkey industry appears to be cutting production — two factors that will more...
Sanderson 3Q results soar; Jackson plant getting $11.5 million investment
Sanderson Farms Inc. today reported considerably higher results for its third fiscal quarter and nine months ended July 31, crediting higher more...
High pork belly, beef trim prices bite into Hormel earnings
Record-high pork belly and beef trim prices overshadowed a record pre-tax earnings performance and dragged on overall third-quarter results for Hormel more...
Hormel buys Brazilian meats brand for $104 million
Hormel Foods Corp. announced today it has acquired Brazilian branded, value-added meats maker Cidade do Sol for $104 million, giving the company its first more...
UK considering video cameras in all slaughterhouses
A UK food agency is seeking feedback from voters and consumers on a proposal to require closed-circuit television cameras in all slaughterhouses in England more...
Perdue Farms settles with family in crash death case
Perdue Farms has agreed to settle a lawsuit with the family of a sheriff’s deputy who died when a truck transporting the company’s frozen more...
Cargill among new investors in alternative meat company
Memphis Meats Inc. – a company that has developed beef, chicken and duck protein from animal cells – has completed a new round of financing more...
Trump stirs the pot again on NAFTA (updated)
In the latest twist in the ongoing dialogue about the fate of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), President Trump on Tuesday once again threatened more...
IBM teams with Tyson, retailers on food safety tracing
IBM Corp. said it will work with food producers and retail chains to identify new opportunities to use blockchain technology to advance food safety in more...
Smithfield expands Tar Heel pork plant
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced today it will build a new distribution center and expand its blast cell cold storage capabilities at its processing facility more...
EPA head steps into WOTUS fray with video push
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt is urging farmers and ranchers to comment on a push to repeal the Waters of the United more...
Quarterly restaurant traffic slips, prices climb: NPD
Higher menu prices contributed to the sixth consecutive quarter of zero gains in restaurant and foodservice traffic — for the first time since more...
Mushroom product being co-marketed with ground beef (updated)
In the latest indication that there is a market for products targeted at consumers who want to consume less (but not no) meat, To-Jo Mushrooms is partnering more...
APHIS launches animal welfare compliance database
USDA said its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has launched a “refined public search tool” offering access to compliance more...
Alternative meats efforts gain home at UC Berkeley
A new lab at the University of California-Berkeley, will focus on the technology and tools to engineer plant-based meat alternatives, according to a news more...
A banner year for beef: USDA
Although the pork markets have been commanding the lion’s share of the attention of late, due to substantial supply and anticipation of several more...
USMEF’s incoming leader has plenty on his plate
Set to take the helm at the U.S. Meat Export Federation in December, succeeding longtime boss Phil Seng, Dan Haltrom looks to help red meat exporters more...
U.S., Japan discuss beef tariffs, agree to speed trade talks
The United States and Japan have agreed to accelerate bilateral trade talks, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expressed U.S. concerns about more...
China starts anti-dumping probe of Brazilian chicken imports
China on Friday launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of Brazilian broiler chicken after a complaint from the country’s domestic industry more...
Cargill assists China on effort to reduce antibiotics in poultry
Cargill’s Animal Protein business is working closely with the China Institute of Veterinary Drugs Control (CIVDC) on a guidebook intended to reduce more...
Vegetarian men more likely to get depressed: study
Vegetarian men showed more symptoms of depression than non-vegetarians, possibly due to nutritional deficiencies, a University of Bristol study said. more...
Hormel buys Italian meats processor with new plant
Hormel Foods Corp. announced today it acquired Chicago-based foodservice supplier Fontanini Italian Meats and Sausages from Capitol Wholesale Meats Inc more...
Consumers tighten purse strings for proteins
Consumers are less willing to pay for all meats than they were a month ago, according to Oklahoma State University’s Food Demand Survey. A sharp more...
Cargill CEO: Exiting NAFTA would be ‘destructive’
A U.S. withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would be a "big mistake," David MacLennan, chief executive of Cargill Inc., told more...
After Q2 loss, Marfrig to restart three plants
Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods posted a net loss of BRL167 million ($52.4 million) in the second quarter and announced it will reopen three beef processing more...
Tyson to expand poultry operation, create a lot of jobs
Tyson Foods announced it plans to invest $84 million to expand its Union City, Tennessee, poultry plant, creating more than 300 jobs. The project is expected more...
ConAgra to invest $54 million in Arkansas plant upgrade
ConAgra Brands plans to spend $54 million to expand the capabilities at its Russellville, Arkansas, plant over the next four years, according to the Arkansas more...
Frozen food processor to build in New Mexico
Flagship Food Group, a processor of frozen foods for retail and foodservice, said it will expand its manufacturing and distribution facilities in the more...
Divergent comments on China chicken imports
The comment period for USDA’s proposal to import cooked chicken products from China has ended, and supporters and opponents of the rule making the more...
JBS profit falls 80% in 2Q despite strong performance in the U.S.
Brazil's JBS S.A. reported a 79.8 percent drop in net profit for the second quarter on Monday to BRL309.8 million ($97.15 million) year-on-year, despite more...
Hormel unit takes another ingredient out of bacon
Hormel Food’s natural and organic meat brand is now offering Applegate Naturals No Sugar Bacon. The product is marketed as, “humanely raised more...
FDA proposes changes in tracking antimicrobial sales data
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering a new method to determine animal antimicrobial sales and distribution data that will be based on more...
Beef processor approved for export to China
Corpus Christi, Texas-based Kane Beef announced it has been cleared to export beef products to China. “Research shows that per capita demand for more...
Universities, pork group push to preserve ag trade provisions in NAFTA
A group of public and land-grant universities and a pork industry association separately are calling on U.S. negotiators to prevent disruptions on the more...
Smithfield Foods owner posts solid first-half profit gains
WH Group Ltd., the privately held, China-based owner of Smithfield Foods, reported a 7.5-percent increase in overall operating profit and a 28.3-percent more...
Chick-fil-A rolls out protein-rich breakfast item
Chick-fil-A announced it has launched its first breakfast bowl item, the Hash Brown Scramble, describing it as “another protein-packed choice for more...
Smithfield confirms, details investment in Chef'd
Smithfield Foods announced a strategic partnership with an investment of $25 million in meal kit maker Chef'd. The news was first reported on Friday by more...
Aldi launches grocery delivery service tests in three cities
Discount grocer Aldi is teaming up with Instacart to offer on-demand online grocery shopping and delivery service in three U.S. cities starting later more...
Consumer prices rose at lower-than-expected rate in July
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.1 percent in July with the index for food climbing by 0.2 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Economists more...
Smithfield invests in meal kit maker: CNBC
Meal-kit maker Chef’d has raised $35 million in new funding, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission and, according to more...
BRF posts BRL167 million net loss in Q2, amid negative effects of meat scandal
Brazil's BRF S.A. reported a second quarter net loss of BRL167 million ($52.6 million) Thursday night, hit by expenses related to “Operation Weak more...
Southeastern Grocers appoints new CEO
Southeastern Grocers announced that it has appointed Anthony Hucker President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. He has served as interim more...
Struggling Applebee’s to re-evaluate hand-cut steaks
Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar will re-consider whether to continue hand-cutting steaks — an approach that was the focus of the struggling more...
EEOC finds cause in Muslim workers’ complaint against Cargill
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has found reasonable cause that Cargill discriminated against Muslim workers at its Fort Morgan, Colo more...
Retailer launches antibiotic-free pork line
Landover, Md.-based supermarket chain Giant Food announced on Wednesday the launch of its private-label “No Antibiotics Ever” line of pork more...
USDA sees grain production down, prices steady
U.S. production of corn and soybeans this harvest is expected to be down from last year’s record levels, but still high historically. That, plus more...
National restaurant chain hires chief brand officer
Sonic Corp., operator of more than 3,500 drive-in restaurants, said Jose A. Dueñas is joining the company as executive vice president and chief more...
BPI attorney: Disney likely funding $177 million of settlement out of pocket
Walt Disney Co., parent of ABC News, is likely funding $177 million of its settlement with Beef Products Inc. in the processor’s libel and defamation more...
USDA report raises concerns about Canadian inspection system
A recent USDA report questioning the system used by Canadian food inspectors for meat, poultry and eggs is expected to lead to another review of procedures more...
Impossible Foods seeks to assure public its burger is safe
Impossible Foods, maker of the plant-based Impossible Burger, issued a news release to assure the public of the safety of its product after the New York more...
Fed: Local food movement can spur job growth
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has released research examining how the growing popularity of locally sourced food can be harnessed to boost economic more...
Fieldale Farms chicken price fixing settlement could be good news for others
Chicken processor Fieldale Farms has proposed to pay $2.25 million to settle its part in a lawsuit involving 14 chicken processors, according to court more...
Beef products recalled on possible E. coli O26 contamination
Good Food Concepts, a Colorado Springs, Colo. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,290 pounds of raw intact and non-intact beef because the products more...
Major chains roll out clean label chicken sandwiches
Quick service giant CKE Restaurant Holdings announced its Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s chains are rolling out a line of “no antibiotics ever” more...
Sodexo to begin sourcing pork products from specified sow housing
Foodservice provider Sodexo announced that the company's 12,500 accounts in the United States will begin to source open sow housed pork products this more...
McDonald’s ramping up its China business
McDonald's Corp. announced a strategic partnership to drive its expansion strategy in China with the aim of nearly doubling the number of its restaurants more...
“Busting at the seams,” Tyson to add chicken capacity
Tyson Foods on Monday reported a 4.8 percent increase in third-quarter sales, and its CEO said the company is speeding up expansion plans in its chicken more...
Lowell Koch, turkey entrepreneur, dead at 85
Lowell Koch, 85, founder and president of Koch’s Turkey Farm in Tamaqua, Pa., died Thursday of lymphoma, the company said in a news release. Lowell more...
Wayne Farms fire causes evacuation, no injuries
An electrical fire at a Wayne Farms plant near Jack, Ala., on Friday morning caused 400 employees to evacuate, but none were harmed, and the fire was more...
Restaurant groups merge
Fidelity National Financial announced that its FNFV Group has signed a definitive agreement to merge its 99 Restaurant & Pub operations with J. Alexander's more...
Canadian study finds off-label meat in 1 in 5 sausages
Canadian researchers found cross-species contamination of meat ingredients in 20 percent of sausage samples from grocery stores across the country, in more...
US Foods to expand footprint, add jobs
Food distribution giant US Foods announced it plans to nearly double its footprint in Virginia’s Prince William County by 2018 and create approximately more...
Cargill to acquire Virginia animal feed business
Cargill announced Thursday it has reached an agreement to acquire the animal feed business of Richmond, Va.-based Southern States Cooperative Inc. to more...
Fatburger operator sets plan to go public
FAT Brands Inc., operator of the Fatburger and Buffalo’s Cafe restaurant chains, said it intends to raise up to $20 million in an initial public more...
JBS hires Almanza to head food safety, quality assurance
JBS said it has hired former USDA Deputy Under Secretary Alfred Almanza as Global Head of Food Safety and Quality Assurance. Almanza will report to JBS more...
2Q all good news for Pilgrim’s Pride
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. executives credited a broad range of strategic initiatives and international investments for the company’s jump in second-quarter more...
FAO meat prices steady, but U.S. beef values a drag
The FAO Meat Price Index averaged 175.1 points in July, virtually unchanged from June, as higher international prices for sheep meat offset price more...
News briefs: Beyond Meat, KFC, Bobby Flay, Taco Bell, Uzbekistan, Arby’s, Red Robin, Bachoco
Beyond Meat invades meat case Plant-based products in the meat case? Yep. Beyond Meat announced that its Beyond Burger will be available in the meat case more...
Hormel unit receives tax exemption for plant expansion
The Wichita, Kansas, city council on Tuesday unanimously approved granting Hormel Foods’ Dold Foods unit a five-year tax exemption for a $132 million more...
Burger King posts strong second-quarter sales
Burger King, a unit of Restaurant Brands International Inc., reported better-than-expected growth of 3.9 percent in comparable sales in the second quarter more...
JBS near sale of stake in dairy company
Brazil's JBS S.A. is close to sealing the sale of its stake in dairy food company Vigor Alimentos to Mexican Grupo Lala, the meat processor said in a more...
Poultry breeders merge
Poultry breeder Aviagen announced it has signed an agreement to purchase Hubbard Breeders, the broiler genetics division of Groupe Grimaud. As part of more...
Sanderson Farms continues ‘truth-telling’ campaign
Sanderson Farms announced new television and radio ads called “Old MacGimmick” as the company continues a campaign to reveal what it says more...
New agreement ensures labor peace at West Coast ports
The union representing longshoremen at West Coast ports agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), most likely more...
JBS concludes $300 million asset sale to Minerva
JBS S.A. has concluded the sale of its beef operations in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay to Minerva for $300 million, the company announced Monday. more...
Plant-based burger maker gets a $75 million boost
Impossible Foods, maker of the plant-based Impossible Burger, said it has closed a $75 million investment this week as it reaches more intellectual property more...
July 2017
New pork plant set to open in Michigan in September (UPDATED)
Clemens Food Group is preparing to open its new pork processing facility in Coldwater Township, Mich., on Sept 5. The plant is expected to bring 800 full-time more...
Cargill named exclusive producer for Simply Essentials brand beef products
Cargill is now the exclusive producer of the Simply Essentials brand of premium Black Angus beef products, the two companies announced. Cattle dedicated more...
Livestock blamed in E. coli deaths
And investigation into an E. coli outbreak around the twin cities of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz. that killed two children has determined that more...
Meat processing equipment makers merge
Provisur Technologies, the Mokena, Ill., maker of food processing technologies and systems, announced it has purchased Plailly, France-based food equipment more...
Judge tosses Tyson price-fixing lawsuit
A federal judge in western Arkansas dismissed a lawsuit filed by Tyson Foods investors who alleged that the company conspired with other producers to more...
Japan to increase tariff on U.S. frozen beef
The government of Japan has announced that rising imports of frozen beef in the first quarter of the Japanese fiscal year (April-June) have triggered more...
Chipotle receives subpoena related to norovirus outbreak
Chipotle Mexican Grill said it received a follow-up federal grand jury subpoena related to the norovirus outbreak earlier this month at its Sterling, more...
McDonald’s announces big progress in expanding delivery
McDonald’s announced that customers can now have meals delivered from 7,800 of its restaurants worldwide, after the company more than doubled the more...
Va. board rejects consent order on Tyson plant discharge
A state board in Virginia has rejected a consent order with Tyson Foods for pollution violations at the company’s poultry processing plant in Temperanceville more...
JBS convenes shareholders meeting to evaluate management
Brazil's JBS S.A. has called a shareholders meeting for Sept. 1 to evaluate the future of the company's management, after members of the family controlling more...
Clock started on WOTUS repeal
The Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army and Army Corps of Engineers have proposed a rule to rescind the Clean Water Rule and re-codify the regulatory more...
William A. McCall, businessman and food scientist, dies at 71
William A. McCall, owner and president of McCall Associates Inc. and a food scientist whose resume includes a half-dozen meat processors, passed away more...
Newspaper says Cargill may bid for Pilgrim's; JBS says unit not for sale
Cargill Inc is considering a bid for Pilgrim's Pride, the U.S.-based poultry processor owned by JBS S.A., Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S.Paulo reported more...
Pizza recalled due to misbranding, undeclared allergen
D & D Foods Inc., an Omaha, Neb., establishment, is recalling 17,847 pounds of pepperoni pizza products due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen more...
Hormel rolls out new deli meat snacks
Hormel Foods announced today the addition of new all-natural deli meat snacks that are paired with cheddar or pepper jack cheese and a dark-chocolate more...
Senators urge speedy reopening of China to U.S. poultry
A bipartisan group of 37 U.S. senators led by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) today called on Secretary of Agriculture Sonny more...
Premium burgers boost McDonald’s 2Q
McDonald’s Corp. CEO Steve Easterbrook credited the chain’s newly introduced line of $5 premium burger sandwiches — along with its value-priced more...
Hormel debuts new deli meat snacks
To feed consumers’ love affair with snacking, Hormel Foods announced four new natural deli meat snacks, paired with cheddar or pepper jack cheese more...
Schwan’s snaps up two more pizza brands
Schwan’s Co., a diversified food manufacturer and school lunch program supplier, has bought two more frozen pizza companies, Better Baked more...
Cold Storage: more poultry, less red meat
USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report revealed total frozen poultry supplies on June 30, 2017 were up 4 percent from the previous month and up 4 percent more...
New members named to Meat Industry Hall of Fame
The Meat Industry Hall of Fame announced members of the Class of 2017, chosen by current members of the Hall of Fame and the organization's board of trustees more...
Cattle futures drop on bearish USDA reports
Live cattle futures fell this morning in the wake of USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed and Cattle Inventory reports, both released on Friday, indicating more...
Senate panel calls for alternatives to antibiotics use in animals
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee released a series of recommendations to consider as part of the 2018 agriculture spending bill, including a provision more...
Sonic rolls out new chicken item
In the latest nod to the consumer trend toward bolder flavors, Quick service chain Sonic Drive-In is adding the Dunked Ultimate Chicken Sandwich. The more...
GenX becomes solid customer base for restaurants: NPD study
Consumers between the ages of 36 to 52 – also known as Generation X – remain an important customer base for restaurants and foodservice more...
Perdue holds firm on Brazilian beef ban
Brazil needs to demonstrate progress on food safety issues before a timeline can be set to end a U.S. ban on imports of fresh Brazilian beef, U.S. Agriculture more...
Research suggests 'woody breast' has been around for decades
Newly completed research shows that the so-called wooden breast condition has existed in broilers since the 1950s, according to USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY more...
Buffalo Wild Wings COO to retire
Buffalo Wild Wings Chief Operating Officer James Schmidt has told the restaurant chain that he will retire, effective Aug. 14, the company said in a recent more...
Misbranding prompts 10-pound pork recall
Cesina Sausage Company, an Aliquippa, Penn., establishment, is recalling 10 pounds of pork sausage product due to misbranding, the USDA’s Food Safety more...
Japanese trader to acquire Creekstone Farms
Japanese trading house Marubeni announced today it will acquire Creekstone Farms from private-equity firm Sun Capital Partners. Terms were not disclosed more...
Judge unblocks assets of JBS owner, dismisses lawsuit
A Brazilian federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that resulted in the freezing of BRL800 million (US$246 million) in bank accounts belonging to JBS controlling more...
White House announces Trump’s pick to fill new trade post
President Donald Trump intends to nominate Ted McKinney of Indiana to be under secretary of agriculture for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, the more...
Canada funding meat processing upgrades
Canada’s federal and provincial governments are partnering to provide nearly $5 million to help five local food processors expand capacity and improve more...
Board turns down House of Raeford expansion request
The zoning board of appeals in West Columbia, S.C., has denied House of Raeford’s variance request needed for the company to build an addition on more...
Korea boosts quarantine checks on U.S. beef after BSE case
South Korea has tightened its quarantine checks on U.S. beef imports following USDA’s announcement Tuesday that an atypical case of bovine spongiform more...
Wichita approves subsidies for new Cargill HQ
The Wichita City Council approved about $20 million in subsidies for Cargill Protein’s new downtown headquarters building, according to a report more...
PEDv spreads in Manitoba
After a mostly quiet two-year period, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) is spreading rapidly across southeast Manitoba, with 69 sites reporting positive more...
Chipotle shares fall after Virginia location closed over illness fears
Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill plummeted after reports that one of its restaurants in Virginia was closed after customers reported symptoms consistent more...
Bachoco’s OK Foods buys Alabama processor
Mexican poultry producer Industrias Bachoco announced that its OK Foods unit has agreed to buy Alabama-based Albertville Quality Foods (AQF). AQF produces more...
Olymel doubles the size of Quebec plant
Olymel L.P. is investing C$8.1 million to nearly double the size of its La Fernandière plant in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, the company said more...
How chickens raised lower among attributes important to consumers: survey
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Price, taste, freshness all still rank higher than how a chicken is raised among attributes consumers consider important when more...
Amazon gets aggressive on meal-kit plans
Amazon is moving quickly toward an official launch of its new meal-kit service, having already trademarked a new line of kits with the tag line “We more...
Chicken industry must close gap between perceptions and reality: Lovette
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The chicken industry needs to better communicate and engage with consumers who are increasingly smart and skeptical in order to more...
US Foods agrees to buy three food distributors
Major food distributor US Foods announced today that it has agreed to acquire three broadline distributors: The Thompson Company, Braunger Foods and Variety more...
Protein prices rise in June as other retail prices fall: CPI
Overall food prices declined in June, although prices for meat, poultry and fish rose 0.6 percent and beef prices climbed 2.9 percent, according to the more...
Congressman seeks antitrust hearing on Amazon-Whole Foods
A member of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee wants the congressional panel to take a closer look at the proposed $13.7-billion acquisition of Whole more...
Ruiz Foods expanding plant, adding 700 jobs
Ruiz Foods is expanding its existing Florence County, S.C., operations with a $79 million investment that is expected to create 705 new jobs over the more...
Almanza to depart FSIS
Alfred V. Almanza, long-time administrator for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, will retire at the end of July, a spokeswoman for the more...
Panera creates three menus, including protein rich
Panera Bread Co. announced the addition of three new curated menus to its digital-ordering platform: Plant Based, Protein Rich and Nutrient-Packed. The more...
Giving back: House of Raeford, Smithfield, Pork Producers, Nathan’s Famous
House of RaefordPoultry processor House of Raeford has donated nearly $15,000 to provide a home security system to a home in West Columbia, S.C., that more...
Beef, poultry power Cargill financial results
Cargill on Thursday posted strong fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year earnings, lifted by robust consumer demand for beef in North America and higher more...
USDA expands Netherlands’ access to U.S. market for raw veal
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced it will begin allowing imports of raw intact veal intended for raw non-intact use from the Netherlands more...
Brazil court clears the way for JBS asset sale to Minerva
A Brazilian federal judge has granted an injunction to JBS S.A. that lifts any restrictions to sell assets, freeing it to proceed with the sale of beef more...
Chicken nuggets recalled on salmonella concerns
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced Loblaw Companies Ltd. is recalling President's Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets from the marketplace more...
USDA lowers corn, raises soybean price forecasts
This month’s 2017-18 U.S. corn outlook is for larger supplies, greater feed and residual use, and higher ending stocks, according to USDA’s more...
USDA forecasts more beef and chicken, less pork, turkey
USDA raised its forecast for 2017 red meat and poultry production from last month as higher forecast beef and broiler production more than offset declines more...
Hunt for source of deadly E. coli prompts ground beef warning in Utah
The Southwest Utah Public Health Department is warning local residents not to consume raw milk or any previously purchased ground beef until further notice more...
India's top court suspends ban on sale of cattle for slaughter
India's Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended a government ban on the trade of cattle for slaughter, a win for the multibillion-dollar beef and leather industries more...
OSI Group appoints new exec, China unit gets animal welfare award
OSI Group announced it has named Nicole Johnson-Hoffman its chief sustainability officer effective July 1, 2017. In addition to her existing role more...
Perdue names chief diversity and inclusion officer
Perdue Farms has expanded Vice President of Human Resources Services Kelly Fladger’s role to assumed additional responsibility as the company’s more...
Private equity firm Roark Capital Group adds to restaurant portfolio
Atlanta-based Roark Capital Group is paying an undisclosed price to acquire the 37-unit Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q chain, bringing its roster of more...
Fast food giant names more new executives
Franklin, Tenn.-based CKE Restaurants, parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, announced two additional appointments and a promotion to more...
Olymel invests in existing pork processing plant
Canadian pork processor Olymel announced it would invest $2 million to convert a section of its pork processing plant in Red Deer, Alberta, to make fresh more...
Utah judge strikes down “ag-gag” law as violation of free speech
A federal judge in Utah ruled that a state law barring unauthorized filming of agricultural operations violates free-speech rights, marking a victory more...
Two Hispanic grocery chains combined, new CEO named
Global investment firm KKR announced it has named John Gomez as chief executive officer of the newly formed combination of Cardenas Markets and Mi Pueblo more...
Private equity firm buys controlling stake in burger chain
Axum Capital Partners has paid an undisclosed price to acquire a controlling interest in Back Yard Burgers, a 55-unit chain of fast casual restaurants more...
EEOC says JBS 'lost or destroyed' documents in religious discrimination case
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) this week filed a motion in Colorado federal court seeking sanctions against JBS USA for allegedly more...
Sanderson Farms plant closed due to electrical issues
Sanderson Farms has closed its St. Pauls, N.C., plant today as it works to repair electrical problems that occurred there on Thursday, spokesman Mike more...
Beef research center expands, aims to reduce feed needs of Canadian livestock
Canada announced an investment in research designed to improve the productivity and competitiveness of the country’s livestock industry through more...
Campbell Soup expands health focus in Pacific Foods deal
Campbell Soup Co. said it would acquire natural and organic broth and soup maker Pacific Foods for $700 million in cash to expand in the “faster-growing more...
U.S. meat industry nervous about EU-Japan trade agreement
The European Union announced it reached a trade agreement with Japan that will reduce tariffs on several imported items, including pork and beef products more...
EPA proposes renewable fuel volume requirements
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday proposed renewable fuel volume requirements that must be supplied to the market in 2018 under the more...
Tyson to expand Pa. distribution center, add 114 jobs
Tyson Foods Inc. said today the company is investing $59.7 million to expand its distribution center in Pottsville, Pa. To begin this summer, the project more...
FAO Meat Price Index climbs on limited export supplies
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) Meat Price Index averaged 175.2 points in June, up 3.2 points (1.8 percent) from more...
Walmart ups the beef ante with Angus products nationwide
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has adjusted its beef offerings to feature Angus beef in its Walmart grocery stores across the nation, according to a report from more...
Marfrig, Minerva boost beef production in Brazil
Marfrig Global Foods and Minerva S.A., the second- and third-largest beef processors in Brazil, are expanding beef production in the country, while competitor more...
Animal rights group accuses chicken farm of abuse
The animal rights group Animal Justice has released a video alleging animal abuse by workers at another British Columbia chicken farm, the second such more...
Glenn Grimes, ag economist and hog specialist, dead at 94
University of Missouri Professor Emeritus Glenn Grimes, an agricultural economist and a livestock marketing specialist, died last Sunday at the age of more...
Independence Day 2017 cookout costs decline slightly
Preparing that All-American Fourth of July meal will cost a little less this year than in 2016, according to the latest statistics from the American Farm more...
Online retailer launches Spanish-inspired smoked beef
La Tienda, the largest online retailer of Spanish foods in the United States, announced the launch of American-made Cecina, a dry-cured smoked beef created more...
Netflix film satirizes business via pork supply chain
In late June, Netflix debuted a new film by eclectic Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, “Okja.” The main story line is about a girl, the pig she more...
Brazilian cattlemen seek changes to vaccination program
Brazilian cattlemen are urging the federal government in that country to overhaul its Food and Mouth Disease vaccination program to address concerns that more...
Middleby acquires CVP Systems in processing expansion
Middleby Corp. will pay an undisclosed price to acquire CVP Systems, a manufacturer of high-speed packaging systems for the meat processing industry based more...
Hot dogs: preferences and punchlines
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) estimates that Americans will eat 150 million hot dogs on July Fourth alone — a fitting start to more...
News briefs: Perdue, Wayne Farms, Calif. Beef Council, Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, Wellshire Farms
Perdue releases corporate responsibility report Perdue Farms has released its 2016 Company Stewardship report. In it, the company highlights its leadership more...
June 2017
House of Raeford Farms plans rebuild of N.C. plant following February fire
Following a fire at its Wallace, N.C.-based processing plant in February, House of Raeford Farms has selected a contractor to manage the rebuilding more...
Maple Leaf poultry workers switch unions
Employees of Maple Leaf Foods Inc.’s poultry plant in Edmonton voted in favor of switching unions from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) more...
'Menus of Change' report tracks meat reduction efforts
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have released the “2017 Menus of Change” report more...
Potbelly shareholder seeks change, cites “nothing but losses”
Ancora Advisors, a 4 percent shareholder of Potbelly Corp., has sent a letter to the company’s board of directors urging they change their strategy more...
JBS board takes steps to improve governance amid shareholder pressure
JBS S.A.'s board of directors on Wednesday approved a new Executive Committee to advise the company's management and a compliance program, as part of more...
Mountaire Farms plant expansion to add production, jobs
Mountaire Farms is proposing to expand its Millsboro, Del., poultry plant to boost production and add jobs, the Sussex County Post reported. The $14 million more...
ConAgra posts sales decline in quarter, fiscal year
ConAgra Brands Inc. reported lower sales, but positive net profit — compared with a year-ago loss — in fiscal 2017 as it worked to reshape more...
Senators send NAFTA missive to USTR
Seventeen ag-state senators have signed a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, reminding him of the boon the North American Free Trade more...
Work break dispute disrupts Tyson operation in Nebraska (updated)
Production at the Tyson Fresh Meats facility in Dakota City, Neb., has resumed after some activities were temporarily halted Tuesday due to a disagreement more...
Pilgrim’s Pride ends relationship with contractor for animal abuse
Pilgrim’s Pride is taking steps to sever its ties to a contract chicken grower in Hull, Ga., in the wake of undercover video footage alleging animal more...
California poultry processor sued over donning and doffing
Workers at Petaluma Poultry in Petaluma, Calif., are suing the company to be paid for time spent donning and doffing protective gear at the end of their more...
Agro-terrorism prevention bill lands on Trump’s desk
A bill designed to heighten preparedness of the nation’s food, agriculture and veterinary systems has been sent to President Trump’s desk more...
Private equity firm buys controlling stake in Stampede Meat
Rosemont, Ill.-based private equity firm Wynnchurch Capital announced it has taken a controlling interest in Stampede Meat. Stampede Meat, based in Bridgeview more...
Pilgrim’s Pride probing two allegations of animal abuse
Pilgrim’s Pride says it also is looking into allegations of animal abuse at one of its poultry processing facilities in Texas and Georgia in the more...
Mountaire Farms makes purchases in Maryland and Virginia
Mountaire Farms Inc. in Millsboro, Delaware, is pleased to announce they have entered an agreement to purchase the grain elevators and operating assets more...
Dunkin’ Donuts accused of misrepresenting beef on two menu items
A lawsuit filed this week in a federal court in Brooklyn is accusing Dunkin’ Brands Inc. of fraud and breach of warranty when it comes to its Angus more...
BPI v. ABC: Tyson Fresh Meats exec addresses Smith’s board seat
In a day of videotaped testimony from customers and suppliers of Beef Products Inc., Chad Martin, senior vice president of beef for Tyson Fresh Meats more...
Federal court affirms Montana beef checkoff challenge
The U.S. District Court for the District of Montana has supported a lower court order preventing the involuntary collection of funds to support USDA’s more...
Meat Institute updates animal handling guidelines on stunning
The North American Meat Institute’s 20th Anniversary Edition of its Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide contains updated information more...
Oscar Mayer expands marketing fleet, including a drone
The Kraft Heinz Company’s Oscar Mayer brand is adding to its fleet of marketing vehicles that started in 1936 with the Wienermobile, was later expanded more...
USTR suggests Japan make ‘unilateral concessions’ in trade, including beef imports
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Wednesday he feels Japan should make some “unilateral concessions” to help reduce its trade more...
More burgers with less meat popping up
Two announcements this week reflected the continuing trend toward restaurants offering burgers that contain less or no meat. Sonic Drive-In will be testing more...
Red meat, pork production hit record highs
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.28 billion pounds in May, up 7 percent from the 4 billion pounds produced in May 2016 according more...
U.S. beef inventories down 10 percent in May
Thursday afternoon's USDA monthly cold storage report showed total pounds of beef in freezers declined 10 percent in May from a month earlier, suggesting more...
Burger King upstages Wendy’s in customer satisfaction survey
For the first time in two decades, Burger King has edged past Wendy’s among limited-service restaurants in the American Customer Satisfaction Survey’s more...
USDA proposes additional methods of grading beef carcasses
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing to include dentition and documentation of actual age as additional methods of classifying more...
Hard Rock names new restaurant operations boss
Hard Rock International said it has appointed Stephen Judge as president of the chain’s Cafe Operations. The restaurant industry veteran is tasked more...
PMMI offers free training on packaging and processing issues
PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, is accepting registrations for two new PMMI “U On the Road” courses taking more...
Food safety expert Dave Theno dead at 66
David M. Theno, CEO of Gray Dog Partners food safety consultancy in Del Mar, Calif., and a high-profile and well-regarded expert in the industry, was more...
Separate fires hit Tenn. meat processing plant, N.C. chicken house
A fire at a meat processing plant in Tennessee early this morning has been contained, while a blaze at a chicken farm in North Carolina has resulted in more...
Cattlemen sue USDA to reinstate COOL
A group of U.S. cattle ranchers has filed a lawsuit against USDA alleging that the agency is violating federal law by not requiring country-of-origin more...
Shift toward flavor from fat boosts ribeyes, pork among consumers
Consumers craving more flavor – combined with a perception shift on how animal fat affects health – are driving demand for boneless ribeye more...
Smithfield expands ready-to-heat barbecue line for foodservice
Smithfield Foodservice has added to its Farmland Smoke’NFast line of ready-to-heat barbecue meats with the introduction of chicken and pork belly more...
Brazil's JBS plans to sell Moy Park, Five Rivers & stake in Vigor Alimentos
Brazil's JBS S.A. announced on Tuesday it has submitted an asset divestment program to its board of directors, in which it plans to sell Moy Park, Five more...
Tyson spends $59M on Ga. distribution center, add jobs
Tyson Foods Inc. is investing $59 million to expand its distribution center in Macon, Ga., the company said in a news release. The project, which is scheduled more...
Ag Sec. Perdue sets tone for NAFTA renegotiation during tour
USDA chief Sonny Perdue and his counterparts from Canada and Mexico struck a collaborative and collegial tone in discussing upcoming talks to revamp the more...
Smithfield unit expands ready-to-heat foodservice line
The Farmland brand of Smithfield Foods has introduced two new products for foodservice customers in its line of prepared Smoke’NFast line: smoked more...
Interview: Maple Leaf CEO on sustainability, food security, society
Mississauga, Ont.-based Maple Leaf Foods recently distributed its newly articulated Sustainable Meat Principles to “guide its growth and business more...
White House proposes former beef group economist as top ag trade official
The White House announced President Trump intends to nominate Gregory Doud to be chief agricultural negotiator, with the rank of ambassador, United States more...
JBS considers opening meat stores, food trucks: report
Embattled multi-protein processor JBS S.A. is mulling over a concept that would include opening meat stores and food trucks in United States, Canadian more...
BPI v. ABC: Expertise questioned, accessibility to information discussed
Testimony at the end of last week wrapped up the first two weeks of what is expected to be an eight-week trial in which Beef Products Inc. is suing ABC more...
U.S., Canadian poultry industries regroup on animal welfare
Two newly established groups, the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry & Eggs (US-RSPE) and the International Poultry Welfare Alliance (IPWA), more...
Buffalo Wild Wings looking to sell 83 restaurants
Buffalo Wild Wings announced it is offering 83 company-owned restaurants for sale to franchisees as part of its on-going portfolio optimization process more...
Amazon's $14 billion buyout of Whole Foods unnerves grocery industry
Amazon and Whole Foods Market Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement for Amazon to acquire Whole Foods Market more...
Tyson lobbyist's condition upgraded after D.C. shooting
Tyson Foods lobbyist Matt Mika, 38, who was shot multiple times in the chest and arm on a baseball field outside of Washington D.C. earlier this more...
NCC urges USDA to suspend organic livestock handling rule
The National Chicken Council (NCC) is asking USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) to suspend the twice-delayed final rule for organic livestock more...
NAMI releases 20th anniversary animal handling, audit guide
The North American Meat Institute today released the 20th Anniversary Edition of its "Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide" written more...
USDA proposes rule paving way for cooked Chinese chicken imports
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing amending its inspection regulations to list China as eligible to export poultry products more...
Noodles & Co. names top leadership
Almost a year after announcing the resignation of former Chief Executive Kevin Ruddy, fast-casual restaurant chain Noodles & Co. has named Dave Boennighausen more...
Wesley Batista is replaced on Pilgrim’s board
Wesley Batista notified Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. on Wednesday that he has resigned as a director of the company effective immediately, Pilgrim’s more...
Buffalo Wild Wings tests express restaurant concept
Buffalo Wild Wings plans to test what it calls “small-format” locations this summer that are designed to respond to consumer interest in takeout more...
Tyson lobbyist among victims in D.C. shooting
A Tyson Foods lobbyist is among the five victims wounded in a mass shooting this morning targeting a Republican congressional baseball team practicing more...
FDA delays revised nutrition label enforcement
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an indefinite extension to the dates by which manufacturers will have to comply with new nutrition more...
Canadian chicken-catching firm fires six workers tied to abuse
The company at the center of a video depicting animal abuse at a chicken-catching operation in Canada has fired five workers and one supervisor in more...
First U.S. beef shipment in 14 years en route to China
Nebraska’s Greater Omaha Packing announced it is the first U.S. supplier to ship beef to China in 14 years. The shipment was due to be sent today more...
Cargill-Pew report urges new approach to federal meat inspection
A report recently issued by Cargill Inc. and Pew Charitable Trusts recommends an overhaul of federal meat and poultry inspection that would center on more...
China beef deal could tighten cattle supply initially, incent hormone-free production
USDA’s announcement yesterday that the technical details have been hammered out to allow U.S. beef shipments to China is good news in the long term more...
Even pizza now marketing humane handling certified ingredients
Oath Craft Pizza, a small Massachusetts-based chain, is being marketed as the first pizza chain in the nation to receive Humane Farm Animal Care's (HFAC) more...
Giving back: Nathan’s Famous, Seaboard Foods, Jack Link’s, Smithfield
Nathan’s Famous in Syracuse, N.Y. Nathan’s Famous has donated a year’s worth of free hot dogs to Syracuse Reviving Baseball in Inner more...
Discount grocer plans $3.4 billion plan to add more than 900 stores
Batavia, Ill.-based discount grocery chain Aldi announced a $3.4 billion capital investment to expand to 2,500 stores nationwide by the end of 2022 to more...
Moody's downgrades JBS ratings to reflect risks related to corruption scandal
Moody's Investors Services downgraded JBS S.A.'s corporate family rating to “B2” from “B3” on Friday, reflecting continued risks more...
Tyson makes new executive appointment
Tyson Foods announced it has hired Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Chief Information Officer Scott Spradley to become the company’s chief technology more...
Weekend fire kills 134,000 chicks at Minnesota poultry barn
State officials are investigating to determine the cause of a poultry barn fire near Hawley, Minn., that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 134,000 more...
Beef jerky sales growing
A report of a single-digit climb for beef jerky sales last year coincided with National Jerky Day today. Sales of beef jerky rose by nearly 7 percent more...
Brazilian police raid JBS on probe into alleged insider trading
Brazil's Federal Police conducted a search and seizure operation at the headquarters of JBS S.A. and FB Participações S.A., a company from more...
Ammonia leak sends worker to the hospital
An ammonia leak at the Tyson Foods prepared foods plant in South Hutchinson, Kansas, on Thursday morning sent one contract worker to the hospital, a Tyson more...
Smithfield launches Spanish-language website
Smithfield Foods has launched its first multimedia, Spanish-language website — SaborSmithfield.com — highlighting a series of partnerships more...
Nathan’s Famous posts higher Q4 profit
Nathan's Famous Inc. on Friday reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $729,000, or 17 cents a share, up from $507,000, or 12 cents, in the more...
BPI v. ABC, in pictures
Proceedings kicked off Monday in Beef Products Inc.'s trial against ABC News. The company is suing the network for $1.9 billion in damages that could more...
Pilgrim’s Pride is not for sale, JBS says
JBS S.A. has no plans to sell its majority stake in Pilgrim’s Pride or any other core assets, the company said in a statement following news that more...
Buddig OK’d to buy Rupari; licensing dispute sent to mediation
The judge in the Delaware bankruptcy case of Rupari Food Services has approved its sale to the stalking horse bidder in the case, a unit of Carl Buddig more...
Consumer groups sue FDA for delaying menu calorie counts
The Center For Science in the Public Interest and National Consumers League are suing the Food and Drug Administration for delaying the deadline by which more...
Oklahoma tribe prepares to open processing plant
The Quapaw tribe plans this summer to open a processing plant near Miami, Okla., for bison and cattle, the Joplin Globe reported. The tribe began raising more...
Holly Poultry eyes expansion with opening of new plant
Holly Poultry Inc. announced the opening of a newly constructed, 37,500-square-foot processing plant in West Baltimore, Md., that quadruples the company’s more...
Mexican-American chain names new CEO
Del Taco Restaurants Inc. said President and Chief Brand Officer John Cappasola Jr. has been named chief executive, to succeed Paul Murphy III. Cappasola more...
Tyson pork plant back online after ammonia leak
The Tyson pork plant in Storm Lake, Iowa, was evacuated with no injuries after an ammonia leak was discovered in the production area Monday night, a company more...
Bar-restaurant chain appoints new COO
BL Restaurant Operations LLC announced that Tony Wehner is the new chief operating officer of neighborhood bar-restaurant chain Bar Louie. He succeeds more...
ABC's "pink slime" coverage swayed consumer sentiment toward BPI: expert (UPDATE)
ELK POINT, S.D. — An estimated 61 percent of viewers who watched the March 7, 2012, broadcast in which ABC News first reported on Beef Products more...
Kentucky company recalls more than 11 tons of beef
Louisville, Ky.-based Creation Gardens Inc. has recalled about 22,832 pounds of raw ground beef and beef primal cuts that may be contaminated with E. more...
U.S. beef, pork exports moderate in April after surge
U.S. red meat exports slowed in April from the red-hot pace seen in March but were still significantly higher year over year, U.S. Meat Export Federation more...
Wyoming ranchers gain new option as plant gets USDA certification
Wyoming Legacy Meats has persevered in its efforts to obtain USDA certification to process meat, and now Wyoming ranchers no longer have to leave the more...
Attorneys outline opening statements in BPI vs ABC trial
ELK POINT, S.D. — A jury trial in South Dakota state court to determine the outcome of Beef Products Inc’s nearly $2 billion defamation lawsuit more...
$100-mln joint-venture beef plant opens in Idaho
A cattle harvest and processing plant first announced by partners Caviness Beef Packers and J.R. Simplot Co. in early 2015 has opened for business in more...
US Foods acquires La.-based food distributor
Rosemont, Ill.-based US Foods Inc. has agreed to purchase F. Christiana & Co., a distributor of food and food-related products focused on center-of-the-plate more...
Cracker Barrel names new head of culinary
Cracker Barrel has named Cammie Spillyards-Schaefer its new vice president for culinary and menu strategy, a company spokeswoman confirmed. She is the more...
Meal kit company to go public
Blue Apron Holdings, one of the biggest players in the relatively new meal-kit sector, announced a proposed initial public offering with the Securities more...
Ag, meat industries give mixed reviews to Paris climate agreement withdrawal
After weeks of will-he-or-won't-he speculation about whether President Trump would keep the U.S. as a party to the Paris climate agreement, his decision more...
Salmonella infections from backyard birds in 47 states this year
The Centers for Disease Control, USDA and state health departments are investigating eight multi-state outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked more...
World’s largest halal processors: Technavio
The Technavio search firm has released a list of the largest processors of halal food products in the world. The British research firm noted that the more...
New ‘Glass Walls’ video tackles food safety
A new video, “Food Safety Interventions in the Meat Industry,” has been added to the North American Meat Institute’s “Glass more...
Meat inspectors find large marijuana operation
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture meat inspectors who went to a slaughterhouse and butcher shop in Jefferson Township found no meat, or butchering more...
Smithfield acquires Polish packaged meats companies
Smithfield Foods Inc. said today it has completed its acquisition of packaged meats companies under Poland’s Pini Group. The closing followed more...
Poultry company pays $600,000 in back wages in Labor Dept. settlement
A North Carolina company that rounds up live chickens for poultry processors has paid nearly $600,000 in back wages and an equal amount in damages to more...
Chicken processor investigated for hiring minors
The Alabama Department of Labor is investigating Gemstone Foods for employing several workers under the age of 18 at its chicken processing plant, the more...
Chemical leak hospitalizes three poultry plant workers
A chemical leak Wednesday at a poultry plant in Jefferson County, Ga., sent three employees to the hospital, according to a local media report. The workers more...
May 2017
JBS shareholder J&F to pay $3.3 billion in leniency deal in Brazil
JBS S.A.'s controlling shareholder J&F will pay a BRL10.3 billion ($3.27 billion) fine in a leniency deal with Brazilian prosecutors to settle bribery more...
Olymel investigating China ractopamine finding in shipment
Olymel L.P. is cooperating with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to investigate how ractopamine, a banned growth drug, was found by Chinese more...
Potbelly CEO to leave company in August
Potbelly Corp. said a search is under way for a successor to Chairman and Chief Executive Aylwin Lewis, who will be leaving the Chicago-based company more...
McDonald’s delivery roll-out is picking up steam
McDonald’s Corp. said it will expand delivery service to more than 3,500 restaurants, including in the New York City area, by the end of June, as more...
California egg sales law challenges end at U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected attempts by attorneys general from six states to challenge California’s egg sales law. The nation’s highest more...
World’s largest beef exporter bans cattle slaughter, but court delays rule (updated)
India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests announced a nationwide ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals more...
Production resumes at Smithfield plant after weekend fire
An investigation into a suspected grease fire at a Smithfield Foods Inc. plant in Lincoln, Neb., over the weekend continues while the plant resumed limited more...
Brazilian prosecutors propose new leniency fine for JBS
Brazilian federal prosecutors made a new leniency fine proposal of BRL10.9 billion ($3.49 billion) to JBS S.A.'s controlling shareholder J&F, according more...
Premio Foods acquires New Jersey sausage company
Hawthorne, N.J.-based Italian sausage maker Premio Foods announced it has purchase Union City, N.J.-based Appetito Provision Co., effective May 12. The more...
Turkey troubles mask Hormel’s strengths: analysts
Hormel Foods’ Jennie-O Turkey Store unit has been slow to recover from industry oversupply that has pushed turkey breast prices to seven-year lows more...
USTR invites comments on NAFTA objectives
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has published in the Federal Register a request for comments on negotiating objectives for modernizing the North more...
U.S. poultry production down in April on shorter month
USDA reported a 4 percent decline in U.S. poultry production in April, a month that had one less weekday than the year ago month. Poultry certified more...
Butterball expands NAE deli line
Butterball announced Tuesday the expansion of its no-antibiotics-ever lunchmeat line to include Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, Smoked Turkey Breast and Oil more...
Buddig prevails in bid for Rupari
Rupari Food Services Inc. announced that a subsidiary of family-owned and operated Carl Buddig & Co. is the successful bidder in the sale more...
FSIS focuses raw pork sampling for E. coli at slaughter facilities
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today reissued a notice clarifying that it the only raw pork samples the agency will analyze for more...
Cattle on feed up 2 percent
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.0 million head on more...
Listeria fears prompt recall of frozen waffle and turkey sausage products
Golden Gourmet, an Americus, Ga., establishment, is recalling 5,248 pounds of frozen entrée products because they may be adulterated with Listeria more...
Analysts like the outlook for Sanderson Farms
At least two Wall Street analysts raised their full-year profit forecasts and stock price targets for Sanderson Farms after the chicken processor posted more...
Hormel earnings lag on turkey oversupply
Hormel Foods today said an oversupply in the turkey market continued to hamper company profits in its second quarter. The Austin, Minn.-based company more...
Robust chicken demand lifts Sanderson profit
Sanderson Farms reported higher-than-expected second-quarter earnings on strong retail and export demand for chicken. Strong demand at grocery stores more...
USDA official outlines specifics on China beef deal
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States has so far been able to negotiate favorable terms of the broad agreement between President Donald Trump and more...
USMEF announces leadership transition
The U.S. Meat Export Federation announced that Phil Seng, who has led the organization for the past 27 years, will step down as CEO at the end of this more...
The Maschhoffs name new COO
The Maschhoffs LLC has hired Paul Fox as Chief Operating Officer. At The Maschhoffs, Fox will be responsible for operations across the company’s more...
JBS's controlling company denies hiring banks to sell assets
JBS' controlling shareholder J&F Investimentos denied it has hired banks to sell assets in a statement sent to the press late Tuesday, following a more...
Pilgrim’s seen as insulated from JBS scandal
The bribery scandal engulfing JBS may force the Brazilian meat processor to divest some assets but is unlikely to result in a fire sale of its Pilgrim’s more...
Jennie-O starts work on new turkey processing plant
Jennie-O Turkey Store says construction has begun on a new state-of-the-art turkey processing plant in Melrose, Minn., that eventually will replace an more...
Organic meat and poultry sales jump
While fresh produce has long been the star of the organic industry, the latest data from the Organic Trade Association show sales of organic meat and more...
Perdue remains optimistic as 2018 budget process begins
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue expressed optimism that the U.S. agricultural industry will be able to get the intended mandates executed through 2028, despite more...
USMEF worries beef, pork export gains could be temporary
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Even in the face of strong first quarter U.S. beef and pork exports, there is plenty of trade policy uncertainty to worry about more...
Moody's downgrades JBS S.A., JBS USA ratings
Moody's Investor Service downgraded JBS S.A. and JBS USA ratings on Monday to reflect increased risks related to the corruption scandal involving the more...
WTO grants India’s request for compliance panel in U.S. poultry dispute
The World Trade Organization has agreed to establish a panel that will determine whether India complied with the body’s earlier ruling ordering more...
Demand holds red meat inventory steady; poultry mixed
Judging by the fairly stable level of red meat inventories reported in the USDA’s latest Cold Storage Report, demand remains robust for beef and more...
Nurture Ranch launches grass-fed line
East Texas-based Nurture Ranch launched its brand at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago, offering fully traceable grass-fed beef for restaurants more...
Frozen Mexican entrée maker opens new plant
Red’s, a maker of “all-natural” frozen Mexican entrees for retail sale, has opened its first wholly owned manufacturing facility in more...
Investor in Smithfield parent to sell more shares
CDH Investments, one of China’s longest-running private equity funds, plans to sell 883.5 million shares of its stake in WH Group, parent company more...
Millennials like their chicken
Millennials are boosting some restaurant brands, awarding higher than average brand equity to coffee and quick service, casual dining and chicken restaurants more...
JBS's Batista admits wrongdoing in open letter; securities regulator investigating trades
JBS's controlling shareholders are being investigated by Brazil's securities regulator CVM for currency and stock trades made after the company's executives more...
Lawsuit challenging Costco chicken plant dismissed
A lawsuit against the city of Fremont, Neb., over zoning for Costco Wholesale Corp.’s planned chicken processing plant has been dismissed, the Omaha more...
Applegate speaks out on organic delay
Applegate natural and organic meat company, a unit of Hormel Foods, expressed disappointment in the USDA’s decision to further delay the implementation more...
Smithfield Foods, Skinnygirl collaborate on new deli meat line
Smithfield Foods announced it has teamed up with lifestyle brand Skinnygirl for a new line of all-natural pre-packaged lunchmeat. Skinnygirl Market Fresh more...
Pork and beef products recalled for lack of inspection
The Osso Good Co., a San Rafael, Calif., establishment, is recalling 1,210 pounds of beef and pork bone broth products that were produced without the more...
Tyson CEO not high on 'slow growth' chickens
While Tyson Foods is focusing on animal welfare and sustainable food production practices, it does not see “slow growth” chickens as a way more...
JBS records Brazilian president discussing bribe: report
JBS Chairman Joesley Batista presented a recording during a plea bargain testimony in April in which Brazil's President Michel Temer appears to endorse more...
Tyson plant resumes operations after ammonia leak (UPDATE)
Part of Tyson Foods’ Goodlettsville, Tenn., processing plant was evacuated early Thursday morning due to an ammonia leak, spokemsan Worth Sparkman more...
Meat industry makes requests for Trump’s NAFTA renegotiations
President Trump today officially notified Congress of his administration’s intent to initiate negotiations with Canada and Mexico to update the more...
Jack Link’s serves up breakfast snacks
Minong, Wis.-based Meat snack specialist Jack Link’s announced today it has launched a new breakfast line that features four bacon and sausage items more...
Sec. Perdue: Trade undersecretary will be “million-mile flyer”
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Wednesday said USDA’s new undersecretary for trade will be a dealmaker who is constantly on the road meeting more...
USDA issues public health alert on raw veal from the Netherlands
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing a Public Health Alert to inform consumers that approximately 424 pounds of raw veal products more...
Wayne Farms to construct R&D facility in Alabama
Chicken processor Wayne Farms has begun construction on a research and development facility that, when complete in 2018, will bring 20 jobs to Decatur more...
German grocery giant plans big move into U.S. market
Germany-based grocery giant Lidl announced it will open its first stores in the United States on June 15 and unveiled plans to open up to 100 stores across more...
Boston Market to go GAP on animal welfare by 2024
Boston Market announced it would further expand its "Quality Guarantee" with a strengthened commitment to animal welfare. "By 2024, our intent is to source more...
Brazil's JBS delays U.S. IPO, posts quarterly profit
Brazil's JBS S.A. does not intend to hold the initial public offering (IPO) for its JBS Foods International unit in the United States before the second more...
Former Safeway exec tapped as new Zacky Farms COO
Zacky Farms has appointed Steve Burnham its new chief operating officer and general manager, with a goal of expanding the growth and profitability of more...
Prime Pork’s big plans in Minnesota
Prime Pork — the Minnesota hog processing plant that opened in the renovated facility that used to be PM Beef — is up and running, with plans more...
Process Expo to feature actual meat product production
The Food Processing Suppliers Association announced it will feature working production lines and demonstrations at this fall’s PROCESS EXPO. The more...
Jewel agrees to buy Central Grocers' assets
Joliet, Ill.-based Central Grocers announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Itasca, Ill.-based Jewel Foods Stores, a subsidiary more...
Ammonia leak prompts facility evacuation
An ammonia leak at a meat processing facility in Denver prompted a full evacuation early Monday morning, although no one was reported injured and production more...
Conagra launches four new items
Conagra’s Healthy Choice brand has launched “Power Bowls,” available in four flavors. The new bowls are quick and easy to make and offer more...
Chicken, pork margins positive in April, not so much for beef: analyst
Strong demand for both chicken and pork sent margins sharply higher in April, but a temporary surge in live cattle costs put a damper on beef packer margins more...
U.S.-China beef, chicken deal a give and take, matter of details
As they continue to marvel at the potential opportunities to come from a progressing trade deal with China, beef and poultry industry leaders know that more...
Brazil Police investigates loans from national development bank to JBS
Brazil's Federal Police has launched an operation to investigate loans granted by national development bank BNDES to JBS SA, the Federal Police's press more...
N.C. lawmakers limit damages in nuisance lawsuits
North Carolina’s General Assembly overrode the governor’s veto of a bill that limits monetary damage awards in lawsuits targeting animal smells more...
Organic livestock handling rule delayed another six months
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is delaying the effective date of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule by an additional more...
Study of meat from home delivery services shows disturbing results
ROSEMONT, Ill. — Researchers at Rutgers University and Tennessee State University who ordered and tested hundreds of meat, poultry, game and seafood more...
Tony Roma's inks new licensing deal; Rupari cries foul
The street fight over the rights to license Tony Roma's brand for ribs and BBQ meats at retail has intensified. Romacorp Inc., parent company of Tony more...
AdvancePierre closes facility, retains employees
Just two weeks after announcing its acquisition by Tyson Foods Inc., AdvancePierre has closed one of its facilities in Enid, Okla., moving production more...
Canadian ground beef recall expands
A recall of ground beef and veal issued Tuesday and originating at Newmarket Meat Packers Limited in Newmarket, Ontario, has been updated to include additional more...
Stuffed entrées boost AdvancePierre profit, sales
AdvancePierre Foods Holdings Inc. said net income and sales rose in the first quarter as it expanded distribution of stuffed entrées and value more...
Maple Leaf recalls breaded chicken products over toxin threat
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods has recalled an unspecified amount of breaded chicken products that may contain a toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria more...
Cargill Protein names foodservice boss
Cargill Protein announced today that Jon Nash has been named president of the division’s foodservice channel, effective June 1. Nash will lead a more...
Grass-fed beef specialist to acquire West Coast beef producer
Boston-based Verde Farms will pay an undisclosed price to acquire Estancia Beef, the import division of El Raigon Natural Beef Co., in a move designed more...
USDA forecasts lower red meat, poultry and corn production estimates
USDA lowered estimates for total red meat and poultry and corn production in 2017 in its latest monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates more...
Analysts see positives ahead for Tyson after Q2 results
Mixed results in the second quarter of fiscal 2017 did not dampen the outlook of at least two industry analysts for Tyson Foods Inc.’s earnings more...
Brazil's Minerva sees 95 pc profit drop; blames exchange rate, investigation
Minerva S.A., one of Brazil's largest beef processors, registered a 94.7 percent decrease in net profit during the first quarter of 2017, influenced by more...
Peco Foods plant resumes operations after flood
Peco Foods resumed operations Monday at its Pocahontas, Ark., chicken plant after historic flooding in the Midwest and South engulfed that area and forced more...
NAE turkey line boosts Butterball Foodservice portfolio
Butterball Foodservice announced Tuesday it has launched “Farm to Family by Butterball,” a new line of no-antibiotics-ever, all-natural turkey more...
Tyson reports lower Q2 results, optimism for second half
Tyson Foods Inc. reported lower sales and profits for the second quarter of fiscal 2017, although company officials expressed optimism for the second more...
Ten legislators urge Sec. Perdue to ditch GIPSA rules
In a letter sent last Friday, ten members of Congress from the state of Georgia urged Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to rescind Grain Inspection, more...
Tyson receives request for Georgia Dock info from Florida attorney general (UPDATED)
Tyson Foods Inc. said Monday it is cooperating with the Office of the Attorney General for the state of Florida, which issued a civil investigative demand more...
IPC adopts position on antimicrobial use in poultry production
The International Poultry Council has adopted a position statement on the responsible and efficacious use of antimicrobials in global poultry production more...
Swine expert, 2 others killed in accident while attending European conference
Dr. Robert Morrison, professor in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota, and two companions died this week in more...
Urban school alliance responds to school lunch program changes
The Urban School Food Alliance “has been able to meet and continue to support the nutrition standards set by the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act,” more...
Major processing equipment firms form strategic alliance
Cabinplant A/S, MULTIVAC Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG and Meyn Food Processing Technology B.V., announced today the completion of a strategic more...
Yum! Brands to invest in Pizza Hut
Yum! Brands CEO Greg Creed announced the company plans to invest $130 million in its struggling Pizza Hut brand. Yum! Brands first-quarter results revealed more...
Midwest grocery chain names new president, COO
Schnuck Markets Inc. has named David Peacock, former president of Anheuser-Busch, as the St. Louis-based grocery chain’s president and chief operating more...
Brazil's JBS starts importing special cuts of U.S. fresh beef
Brazil's JBS plans to import about 150 metric tons of U.S. premium cuts of fresh beef to Brazilian foodservice customers each month, the company said more...
Chicken market dynamics “very favorable”: Lovette
Strong consumer demand, tepid supply growth, low inventories, an improving economy and good export demand for competing proteins will support chicken more...
Misbranding, undeclared allergen prompt frozen meals recall
Blount Fine Foods Corp., based in McKinney, Texas, is recalling about 8,685 pounds of Beef Chile Colorado frozen meals due to misbranding and an undeclared more...
PEDv confirmed in Manitoba sow barn
Manitoba’s first case of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus since last September was confirmed in a sow barn in the southeast part of the province more...
Spotlight glows on chicken-raising alternatives
Efforts by animal welfare organizations with regard to how chickens are raised are drawing attention from restaurants, retailers and consumers, specifically more...
Better burger chain sold to private equity firm
Plano, Texas-based fast-casual better burger chain MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes announced it was sold to private equity firm Balmoral Funds in partnership more...
New burger has three beef patties, nine pieces of bacon
Steak 'n Shake unveiled a new line-up to its summer menu, which includes the Bacon 'n Cheese Triple Xtreme Steakburger. "We dedicated the past year to more...
Starbucks boosting protein offerings
In response to customer feedback, Starbucks has added more protein, fruits and vegetables to the company’s grab-and-go lunch menu. The top customer more...
Taco Bell launches Naked Chicken Chips
Taco Bell announced it would soon release a cross between a chicken nugget and chips and dip with a new dish called Naked Chicken Chips. The triangular-shaped more...
Georgia poultry processor sets expansion
Lake Foods LLC, a poultry processor based in Hartwell, Ga., plans to invest $8 million to expand its 62,000-square-foot facility, creating 130 additional more...
Tyson video series aims to educate from nuggets to NAE
Tyson Foods is launching a series of videos aimed at educating consumers about everything from how chickens are raised to what’s inside a Tyson more...
Report cites poultry processing's dangers; NCC cries foul (updated)
A recent report from a labor advocacy group noted that Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride placed among some of the largest U.S. companies that had more...
Smithfield, Keystone Foods win sustainability awards
Smithfield Foods and Keystone Foods have been recognized for their environmental sustainability efforts by the OpX Leadership Network, created by PMMI more...
Take Meatingplace's 10-second quiz (NEW LINK)
Read the following statement and choose whether it is true or false. We will publish the correct answer and survey results in the Food Focus more...
Oscar Mayer announces clean-label hot dogs
The Kraft-Heinz brand Oscar Mayer has reformulated its full line of products, making it the first to market with no added nitrates or nitrites, no more...
Probe continues in weekend chicken house fire
Officials in Lancaster County, Pa., are continuing their investigation into the cause of a chicken house fire that killed an estimated 19,750 birds overnight more...
Perky Jerky rolls out snack stick line
Perky Jerky is launching a new line of 100 percent grass-fed beef sticks in the same bold flavors as the brand’s jerky offerings. Studies have shown more...
Pollo Tropical to close 30 restaurants in overhaul plan
Fiesta Restaurant Group announced recently it plans to close 30 Pollo Tropical restaurants in Texas, Tennessee and Georgia as part of a plan to relaunch more...
April 2017
Trump taking aim at U.S.-Korea FTA: Washington Post
President Donald Trump told the Washington Post he is contemplating renegotiating or pulling out of the U.S. free trade agreement with South Korea, an more...
Smithfield parent posts higher profit
WH Group Ltd. said operating profit rose 2.2 percent in the first quarter as strength in its fresh pork and hog production units offset lower earnings more...
FDA signals a delay to menu labeling rule
The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has submitted an interim final rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget that signals a more...
Poultry Slaughter: ready-to-cook weight up 2% from year ago
Poultry certified wholesome during March 2017 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 4.17 billion pounds, up 2 percent from the amount certified in March 2016 more...
Oxfam aims at other poultry companies after Tyson move on workers
The non-profit worker advocacy group Oxfam is focusing on large poultry companies including Perdue and Pilgrim’s Pride in the aftermath of Tyson more...
Trump agrees not to terminate NAFTA for now
President Donald Trump said he will not immediately end the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), after speaking with the leaders of Mexico and more...
Maple Leaf profit up as prepared meats offset poultry, bacon
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods Inc. reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter profit, excluding charges, as both its retail sales and exports increased more...
Yale becomes first university to carry Beyond Burger at dining halls
Plant-based meat maker Beyond Meat announced Wednesday that Yale is now the first university to carry its “burger.” The school has begun serving more...
Tyson launches sustainability, wage initiatives for plants, workers
Tyson Foods Inc. has announced separate programs that are expected to boost sustainable food production at its facilities and provide higher wages for more...
Cargill to sell cattle feed yards to continue protein business growth
Cargill announced today it has reached an agreement to sell its beef cattle feed yards in Leoti, Kan., and Yuma, Colo., to Omaha-based Green Plains Inc more...
Tax abatement finalized for new Sanderson plant
Smith County, Texas, commissioners on Tuesday finalized a 10-year tax abatement package for Sanderson Farms, which plans to build a poultry processing more...
Big Mac, breakfast boost McDonald’s earnings
McDonald’s reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings on a 4 percent surge in same-store sales, driven by expanded all-day breakfast more...
Tyson buys AdvancePierre in $4.2 billion deal (updated)
Tyson Foods Inc. and AdvancePierre Foods Holdings Inc. have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which a subsidiary of Tyson will launch more...
USDA to launch study on antimicrobial use in pork operations
Next month USDA will begin a four-month study of how antimicrobials are used on U.S. swine operations. The agency’s National Animal Health more...
Delivery service, eateries install social media ordering platform
FreshDirect, Subway and The Cheesecake Factory have begun using Masterpass-enabled bots to enable online shopping through Facebook Messenger, Masterpass more...
News briefs: Sofi winners, Hormel, poultry awards, NAMI, Johnsonville, Smithfield
Sofi winners The Specialty Foods Association unveiled the winners of its 2017 Sofi Awards for best specialty food products, and a handful of meat products more...
Buffalo Wild Wings seeks support amid proxy battle
Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) officials today urged shareholders to support the company in a June 2 vote over the future leadership and direction of the company more...
Rupari bankruptcy, sale turns into a street fight
The bankruptcy filing and planned sale of Rupari Food Services to Carl Buddig and Co. has run into opposition and legal objections from Roma Dining LLC more...
Cloverleaf Cold Storage appoints new plant manager
Cloverleaf Cold Storage has appointed Bruce Meilhammer to the post of plant manager at its warehouse and meat processing facility in Sanford, N.C. Meilhammer more...
USPOULTRY names new head of safety programs, HR
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has appointed Matthew Spencer as director of human resources and safety programs, the organization said in a news release more...
U.S. blocks India’s request for WTO compliance panel in poultry dispute
The United States has blocked India’s request for the World Trade Organization to form a panel that would determine whether it has complied with more...
Gold Meat introduces new pork products
Gold Meat has added two new pork products to its line of ready-to-cook meat and Brazilian-style sausage: Seasoned Pork Loin and Seasoned Pork Tenderloin more...
Record pork, total red meat production in March
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.54 billion pounds in March, up 6 percent from the 4.26 billion pounds produced in March more...
Campylobacter is top reported foodborne germ: CDC
Campylobacter caused the most reported bacterial foodborne illnesses in 2016, followed by salmonella and shigella, according to preliminary data from more...
Walmart calls on suppliers to join in greenhouse gas goals
Walmart on Wednesday launched a sustainability platform inviting suppliers to join in committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) resulting from more...
Tyson Foods names first chief sustainability officer
Tyson Foods has appointed Justin Whitmore to the newly created role of chief sustainability officer following Tyson’s recent introduction of a new more...
JBS, Marfrig and Minerva resume operations in Brazilian plants
Minerva will resume operations at its meat plant in Várzea Grande (Mato Grosso state) on Monday (24), the same day JBS will restart operations more...
Albertsons promotes Denningham to president & COO
Wayne Denningham, executive vice president and chief operating officer, has been appointed to the role of president and chief operating officer for Albertsons more...
Allen Brothers, Niman Ranch set new venture
Chefs’ Warehouse Inc., owner of Allen Brothers Inc. in Chicago and Michael’s Finer Meats in Columbus, Ohio, announced a new co-branded venture more...
New Tyson CEO sharpens focus on sustainability
Tyson Foods’ Tom Hayes is leading a new emphasis on sustainable growth, but the recently appointed chief executive says trade-offs will be minimized more...
Midamar loses appeal; criminal convictions stand
An effort by Midamar Corp. and two of its executives to have their criminal convictions overturned was denied by the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals more...
Johnsonville prepares for national launch of chicken line
Johnsonville Sausage will roll out what is being described as the largest product launch in the company’s 71-year history with the introduction more...
Pew, Cargill join forces on meat and poultry safety
Pew Charitable Trusts and Cargill Inc. have partnered to develop recommendations for how the United States can modernize its meat and poultry safety inspection more...
Sugar Creek to add jobs at Missouri facility
Sugar Creek Packing plans to expand its facility in Carthage, Mo., adding up to 70 new jobs, the Missouri Department of Economic Development said in a more...
Sioux City officials approve tax break for Seaboard Triumph
Seaboard Triumph Foods is expected to receive property tax exemptions for a planned joint pork processing plant in Sioux City following a city council more...
Mexico makes a difference in Outlook report
In February 2017, the United States imported 200.5 million pounds of beef, 14 percent below a year ago but partially offset by 22 percent higher imports more...
Sanderson Farms extends production deal with House of Raeford
Sanderson Farms announced it has signed an agreement to continue processing chickens grown by House of Raeford Farms at the Sanderson Farms poultry processing more...
Brazil indicts 63 people in meat probe
Brazil's Federal Police has charged 63 people investigated for participating in a corruption scheme involving meat processing plants in the country on more...
Tyson cooperating in probe of worker’s accidental death
Tyson Foods says it is working with local authorities in the investigation of an accident outside one of its poultry processing plants in Henderson County more...
KFC adding spicy sandwich to U.S. menus
KFC is bringing its Zinger spicy chicken sandwich – already on the menu in more than 120 countries – to the United States. The sandwich more...
Grocer to invest $1.3 billion; open 30 stores, renovate others
Canadian grocery and pharmacy chain Loblaw Companies announced it will invest $1.3 billion this year in plans to open 30 new stores and renovate more...
Chicken back on L.A. school lunch menu after hiatus
The country’s second-largest school system will again serve chicken to Los Angeles school children after contracts with suppliers fell apart two more...
Carl’s Jr. adds its ‘most epic’ burger to lineup
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s announced on Thurday the addition of their next “and most epic food innovation” — the Baby Back more...
Super Bowl in Atlanta to shift 2019 IPPE dates
Atlanta will host the Super Bowl in 2019, prompting the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) to move the annual show back to Feb. 12-14 more...
Activist group sues Calif. schools for serving processed meats (updated)
A national physicians group filed a lawsuit Wednesday against two California school districts seeking to stop them from serving processed meats to students more...
Producer groups ask for a hold on traceability programs
Four cattle producer groups have sent a joint letter to President Trump and Acting Secretary of Agriculture Michael Young, asking that upcoming meetings more...
Tenn. gives the all clear after avian flu outbreak
Tennessee’s top veterinarian on Wednesday lifted a statewide poultry health advisory and removed the control zone around two Lincoln County poultry more...
USDA raises total red meat and poultry production forecasts
The 2017 forecast of total red meat and poultry production is raised from last month as higher beef and turkey production more than offset modest reductions more...
Smithfield enters pharmaceutical/nutraceutical/medical segment
Smithfield Foods, Inc. has launched a new strategic platform organization that leverages byproducts from the meat production process for the development more...
Tyson plant getting an upgrade
Tyson Foods’ Concordia, Mo., prepared foods plant is undergoing $12 million in capital improvements that will allow the plant to boost production more...
Good news for chicken, pork margins; beef, not so stable: analyst
The outlook for chicken and pork margins is solidly positive, but temporary front-end cattle supplies held beef margins at break-even last month, an industry more...
U.S. beef gains expanded access to Thailand
Bone-in and boneless beef from cattle of any age is now eligible for Thailand, as long as the slaughter date is on or after April 1, 2017, according to more...
Cargill completes $111 million cooked meats facility in Nebraska
Cargill next week will dedicate its new $111 million cooked meats facility in Columbus, Neb., a project that nearly doubled employment at what was previously more...
Workers vote to end Holten Meat walkout
About 230 striking workers that set up picket lines at Holten Meat in Sauget, Ill., last month will be returning to their jobs tomorrow, now that union more...
Tyson Foods names new head of poultry operations
Tyson Foods chief operations officer, Noel White, announced Doug Ramsey has been promoted to president of poultry operations, succeeding White, who was more...
Peco Foods employee charged with murder after shooting at Miss. Plant
A Peco Foods employee has been charged with murder after shooting and killing a co-worker Friday morning in the parking lot of the company’s Bay more...
Ag groups applaud GIPSA rule delay
Agricultural groups including the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the National Chicken Council (NCC), and the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) more...
Wayne Farms launches child nutrition products for schools
Wayne Farms has launched two new products that meet national nutritional guidelines that schools are required to follow, while providing healthier chicken more...
Tough restaurant outlook for mid-2017: study
Restaurant operators are facing what an advisory firm sees as “challenging and even turbulent” times in the next few months as customers demand more...
APHIS sees progress, remaining gaps in traceability system
USDA’s system for tracking livestock for the purpose of tracing back the movement of diseased or at-risk animals has some fundamental requirements more...
Beef Checkoff launches Food Waste Challenge
In recognition of Earth Day later this month, the Beef Checkoff is challenging consumers to #WasteLess with its 30 Day Food Waste Challenge. Although more...
Major meat distributors merge, form national network
San Diego-based Harvest Food Distributors and Detroit-based Sherwood Food Distributors have merged, forming a nationwide protein and perishable food distribution more...
7-Eleven to buy 1,100 convenience stores
Convenience store operator 7-Eleven Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to purchase about 1,100 of Sunoco LP’s convenience stores in 18 states more...
KFC U.S. to buy only chicken raised without antibiotics (UPDATE)
By the end of 2018, all chicken purchased by KFC U.S. will be raised without antibiotics important to human medicine, the company announced. KFC said more...
Senators seek Trump’s help on beef exports
Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) issued a letter, signed by 37 senators, urging President Trump to prioritize U.S. beef access more...
ABC fails to block BPI case from going to trial
ABC Broadcasting struck out in its last chance to derail Beef Products Inc.’s defamation lawsuit over ABC’s reporting on its product, lean more...
Beef processor, union set to return to bargaining table next week
A nearly three-week-old labor dispute at Holten Meat’s beef grinding plant in Sauget, Ill., may be moving closer to resolution with both sides prepared more...
Groups seek delay of new Nutrition Facts label
Several food industry trade groups are asking that updates to the Nutrition Facts label on food products be delayed until May 2021, citing a need for more...
All the bacon you can eat while raising money for charity
Eating bacon and raising funds for food donations is a powerful combination. This year’s Baconfest Chicago finished feeding over 4,000 bacon lovers more...
Private equity firm buys Custom Corned Beef
An affiliate private equity firm New Water Capital Partners has completed purchasing Denver-based Custom Made Meals. As part of the transaction, New Water more...
Brazil lifts export bans on 3 meat plants; exports fall in March (updated)
Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply authorized three meat processing facilities under investigation in the Federal Police's “Operation more...
Three execs leaving McDonald’s; chain also faces European complaints
Three senior McDonald’s Corp. executives helping to manage the company’s recent turnaround efforts are preparing to depart. Separately, the more...
Land O’Frost names head of operations
Land O’Frost Inc. has appointed Mike Bartikoski as senior vice president of operations, overseeing the supply chain and manufacturing processes more...
Panera Bread sold for $7.5 billion
JAB has agreed to buy Panera Bread Company for $7.5 billion, including the assumption of approximately $340 million of net debt, the two companies announced more...
ProPortion Foods plant destroyed by fire
ProPortion Foods, a provider of further processed meat products to retail and foodservice, saw one of its Los Angeles-area plants burn to the ground last more...
Group vows to pursue redacted data in Beef Checkoff battle
An organization representing family farmers and ranchers is vowing to continue its pursuit of specific information on Beef Checkoff spending after USDA more...
Ball Park reformulates its beef hot dogs
Tyson Food’s Ball Park brand announced it has removed added nitrites and nitrates from all Ball Park beef hot dogs, and eliminated by-products and more...
Meal kits resonating with consumers: Harris Poll study
One in four adults bought a meal kit in 2016 and 70 percent of meal kit purchasers are still actively buying meal kits, according to a new Harris Poll more...
Veal, pork supplier to expand production in upstate NY
A New York Mills, N.Y.-based veal and pork processor is about to expand its production facilities thanks in part to a Community Development Block Grant more...
Guatemala lifts tariffs on U.S. chicken imports
The government of Guatemala has agreed to lift all import tariffs on bone-in U.S. chicken parts, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced more...
Nathan’s Famous inks deal with theme park company
Six Flags Entertainment, the world's largest regional theme park company, announced a new multi-year marketing partnership and food service program with more...
Meat processor launches store locator for customers
Garrett Valley has launched its updated website, complete with a store locator. The store locator allows customers to type in their location and more...
FPSA launches Defeat Hunger campaign
The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) announced the launch of the 2017 Defeat Hunger campaign and has committed to contribute $75,000 at this more...
March 2017
Wendy’s takes a swipe at McDonald’s fresh beef switch
Wendy’s took the gloves off in its rivalry with McDonald’s after the burger giant announced Thursday it would switch to fresh beef instead more...
Foster Farms continues negotiations with union; no strike planned
Talks between Foster Farms management at its Livingston, Calif., chicken plant and the United Farm Workers (UFW) union will continue today, and as of more...
OSI Group expands in Europe with beef slaughter purchase
OSI Europe Foodworks, a division of OSI Group, announced it purchased privately owned Hynek Schlachthof GmbH, based in Tauberbischofsheim, Germany. Hynek more...
Fitch gauges Brazil agribusiness losses from meat scandal
Fitch Ratings released a report pegging losses across Brazil’s agribusiness sector from an investigation into corrupt practices in the protein industry more...
McDonald’s moves to fresh beef in all Quarter Pounders
McDonald’s USA announced that by mid-2018 it will use fresh beef in all Quarter Pounders served in the majority of its restaurants. The burgers more...
Butterball makes executive appointments
Butterball announced it has promoted Dean Lisenby to vice president of supply chain and continuous improvement and Neal Walsh to vice president of strategic more...
Foster Farms plant prepares for potential strike: report
Foster Farms has erected temporary fencing and lighting outside of its Livingston, Calif., chicken plant in preparation for a possible union strike there more...
Two major restaurant chains commit to GAP broiler welfare standards
Qdoba Mexican Eats and Jack in the Box restaurants today announced their commitment improve the welfare of broiler chickens. The companies said that by more...
East Coast supermarket chain announces new CEO
Wegmans Foods Markets Inc. announced Wednesday that Colleen Wegman has been named president and CEO of the East Coast supermarket chain. Colleen Wegman more...
Demand for beef boosts Cargill profit
Cargill said stronger consumer demand for beef and higher cooked chicken exports out of Southeast Asia helped lift the company’s third-quarter earnings more...
JBS will reduce beef production in Brazil for 20+ days
JBS S.A. decided to mandate at least 20 days of paid vacation for staff at 10 out of 36 beef slaughter plants in Brazil, following international embargoes more...
Holten Meat confirms latest labor pact end as strike continues
Sauget, Ill.-based Holten Meat Inc. – a beef grinding plant where about 250 production workers launched a strike earlier this month – said more...
Lawmakers call for beef, pork checkoff reform
Lawmakers proposed twin legislation in the Senate and House of Representative calling for strengthening pork and beef checkoff program prohibitions against more...
Two big restaurant chains add 'no antibiotics ever' chicken
CKE Restaurants Holdings' quick-service restaurant chains Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s have introduced a charbroiled chicken fillet from birds more...
H7 bird flu confirmed in Georgia, thousands of chickens culled
Authorities in Georgia are recommending that poultry owners take extra precautions following the confirmation of low pathogenic avian influenza in a commercial more...
Brazil’s biggest beef importer lifts meat ban; investigation continues
Hong Kong decided to resume Brazilian meat purchases on Tuesday, Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture announced in a statement. Hong Kong is Brazil's largest more...
Premium Brands buys Canadian meat distributor
Premium Brands Holdings, which owns specialty food manufacturing and food distribution businesses across Canada, has acquired Interprovincial Meat Sales more...
Sealed Air sells to private equity firm
Sealed Air Corporation has entered a definitive agreement to sell its Diversey Care division and the food hygiene and cleaning business within its Food more...
Food prices rose last month vs. January: CPI report
The cost of all food rose 0.2 percent last month compared with January, although prices U.S. consumers paid for their food was flat when compared with more...
Smith & Wollensky selects new ranching partner to source steaks
The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group Inc. announced a new partnership with Double R Ranch that makes the Pacific Northwest cattle producer the exclusive more...
Fast-casual chain commits to chicken welfare standards
Einstein Bros. Bagels announced it will work with its suppliers, licensees and industry partners to improve the welfare of broiler chickens it sources more...
Organics have gone mainstream, competition heats up
The Organic Trade Association released new Nielsen findings that showed organic products can now be found on the shelves of kitchen cupboards and in the more...
Nearly 1 million lbs. of chicken recalled over possible foreign matter contamination
OK Foods, Inc., an Oklahoma City, Okla., establishment, is recalling approximately 933,272 pounds of breaded chicken products that may be contaminated more...
Brazilian pork & poultry industries lose $40 million in exports after probe
Brazilian pork and poultry industries have accumulated $40 million in losses due to export cuts over the past week, since the Federal Police announced more...
Arkansas governor signs property rights bill into law
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday signed into law HB 1665, allowing individuals to file suit over unauthorized access to “non-public” more...
Robust pork demand defines early 2017
For the first 2 months of 2017, pork production is estimated to be greater than a year ago, and most pork products are selling at year-over-year higher more...
U.S. beef exports up despite dollar strength
First-quarter 2017 U.S. beef exports were up 10 million pounds, largely due to the strength of export sales to Japan, other Asian countries and our North more...
No hitches in Perdue committee hearing
USDA Secretary nominee George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III spent a congenial couple of hours on Thursday before the Senate Ag Committee in the first hearing more...
Latest cold storage data supports bullish near-term beef prices
USDA’s latest cold storage report released Wednesday did not present any major surprises, according to the Daily Livestock Report, published by more...
Oak Hill Capital Partners to acquire Checkers for $525 million
New York-based private equity group Oak Hill Capital Partners has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc. from more...
Study on marbling upends conventional wisdom
A Kansas State University study has found the marbling texture of steak makes no difference to consumers, countering the notion that people prefer to more...
Smithfield parent 2016 operating profit up 15 percent
WH Group Ltd. said operating profit rose 14.8 percent last year, helped by a lower cost structure, strong profit growth in fresh pork and the launch of more...
USDA now testing all raw beef, RTE products from Brazil (updated)
In the wake of the ongoing Brazilian government investigation into alleged corruption and tainted meat processing, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection more...
Meal kit maker buys Niman’s BN Ranch
Meal kit maker Blue Apron has bought Bill Niman’s BN Ranch, a provider of sustainable, responsibly raised beef, lamb, and poultry in the United more...
Bird flu confirmed at two Alabama sites, biosecurity effort expands
Alabama State Veterinarian Tony Frazier confirmed that low pathogenic avian influenza was found in two flocks in two counties, the state’s Dept more...
Large restaurant chain names new CEO
CKE Restaurants Holdings, parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, announced that Jason Marker has been selected as the company’s more...
South Korea lifts ban on Brazilian meat; Hong Kong suspends purchases
South Korea canceled its suspension of meat imports from Brazil on Tuesday, while Hong Kong was added to the list of countries temporarily banning Brazilian more...
Burger King commits to GAP animal welfare standards
Burger King pledged today to use only chicken raised in accordance with Global Animal Partnership (GAP) animal welfare standards, animal activist group more...
Testing continues as bird flu is confirmed in Kentucky
A confirmed case of low pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed at a commercial poultry farm in Kentucky, but authorities added that the H7N9 strain more...
KFC gets new president, chief concept officer
Yum! Brands Inc. has promoted Kevin Hochman to president and chief concept officer of KFC U.S., reporting to Roger Eaton, CEO of KFC Global, effective more...
Young processor looks to bridge gap between large & small competitors
“Let’s just put it like this. We’re in the middle of nowhere,” says Arion Thiboumery, co-owner of three-year-old Vermont Packinghouse more...
China temporarily bans meat imports from Brazil
China informed the Brazilian government that it would not allow meat from the South American country to enter its territory until it receives more information more...
Albertsons considering buying Sprouts: Bloomberg
Grocery-chain operator Albertsons has held preliminary merger talks with Sprouts Farmers Market, Bloomberg reported, quoting sources with knowledge of more...
Union workers still on the picket line at Holten Meat facility
Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 remain on the picket line after rejecting a contract proposal from Holten Meat Inc., in Sauget more...
Subway ups legal ante on chicken claims by Canadian network
Subway is suing the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) over recent claims that the sandwich chain’s chicken is only about 50 percent poultry with more...
Private label’s importance growing: Walmart CEO
With more consumers comparison-shopping for branded products online, private brands will be key to building customer loyalty and sales going forward, more...
JBS, Brasil Foods investigated for selling meat unfit for consumption
Units of Brazilian meat processors JBS and BRF are among food companies being investigated by Brazil's Federal Police, to dismantle an illegal scheme more...
GAO urges more oversight of antibiotic use in food animals
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is calling for the federal government to establish more specific guidelines and increase data collection more...
McDonald’s fresh beef test expands again
McDonald’s is now testing never-frozen beef patties at all of its Dallas area restaurants, expanding a test it began last year, spokeswoman Becca more...
Consumers less willing to pay for meat products compared to last year
Consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for all meat products are lower than one year ago, except for the hamburger, according to the latest Food Demand more...
Sanderson Farms announces site for new poultry complex in Texas
Sanderson Farms has selected sites located in Smith and Wood Counties, Texas, for construction of a new feed mill, hatchery, poultry processing plant more...
White House budget would cut USDA by 21%
The White House 2018 Budget proposal requests $17.9 billion for USDA, a $4.7 billion, or 21 percent, decrease from the 2017 annualized continuing resolution more...
Niman Ranch launches charcuterie line
Niman Ranch has unveiled a line of artisan charcuterie featuring 23 items, the company said in a news release. Samples of Genoa salame, capocollo, hot more...
Harrison Poultry names Bleth CEO
Harrison Poultry Inc. President and CEO Mike Welch will retire from his roles at the end of April, and Vice President of Operations David Bleth will succeed more...
White House budget would cut EPA by 31%, Labor Dept. by 21%
The White House 2018 budget requests $5.7 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, a savings of $2.6 billion, or 31 percent, from the 2017 annualized more...
BPI v. ABC case slated to begin June 5
A Circuit Court judge in South Dakota has dismissed Diane Sawyer from the lawsuit that Beef Products Inc. filed against ABC, Sawyer and reporter Jim Avila more...
Company claims first product made from cultured chicken cells
San Francisco-based food technology company Memphis Meats announced today what it is calling “the world’s first clean poultry” — more...
Alabama sets ‘stop-movement’ order after suspected bird flu outbreaks
Alabama officials are waiting for test results for avian influenza after three chicken flocks were suspected of having contracted some form of the virus more...
Senators seek to protect U.S. agriculture from foreign acquisitions
U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) have introduced new bipartisan legislation to give top U.S. agriculture and food officials more...
JBS sees up to $30 million in synergies from Plumrose acquisition
JBS SA, the word's largest meat processing company, expects $25 million to $30 million in annual synergy gains for its U.S. business after acquiring Plumrose more...
Chicken margin outlook seen stable, despite HPAI, woody breast
Near-term chicken margins likely will remain relatively stable with a slight bias to the upside, reflecting seasonally higher cutout values, a muted feed more...
Iowa joins states suggesting better bird flu prevention measures
Recent confirmed outbreaks of both highly and low pathogenic avian influenza in Tennessee and Wisconsin prompted officials in Iowa to reinforce the importance more...
Cowboy Chicken rides toward the sunset
Dallas-based Cowboy Chicken fast casual chain is planning to push into Southern California, with a 30-store development deal, including several in San more...
A&W Canada commits to new animal welfare plan for chickens
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. is adopting what it calls advanced animal welfare standards for farm-raised broiler chickens that wind up on its more...
Chicago Italian beef coming to retail stores
Buona, a family-owned Chicago area restaurant group with 19 locations, announced it will now supply its Italian beef and meatballs to retailers in a three-state more...
Research indicates new tool for reducing ammonia emission
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation have completed a research project at the University of Georgia in which the researchers found evidence of a new more...
Report cites lack of organic meat processors in North Central U.S.
Among the challenges to organic food production in the United States is a lack of organic meat processors and USDA meat and poultry inspectors in the more...
Tenn. confirms second case of avian influenza
Tennessee’s state veterinarian said a chicken flock at a commercial breeding operation tested positive for avian influenza, but the low pathogenic more...
Applebee’s names new president
DineEquityInc., the parent company of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP restaurants, announced Thursday that John Cywinski has been appointed more...
“All-natural” nuggets return to stores
Swedesboro-N.J.-based Wellshire Farms has brought back its “all-natural” Chicken Dino Bites, available for purchase online and at Whole Foods more...
University opens purebred beef research unit
Kansas State University has dedicated a new purebred beef unit at its Stanley Stout Center to expand the research capability of the department, according more...
Pilgrim’s Pride sued by environmentalists in Florida
An environmental advocacy group in Florida filed a lawsuit in federal court today alleging that a Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. chicken processing plant more...
AdvancePierre posts higher profit, eyes more acquisitions
AdvancePierre Foods Holdings Inc. posted higher fourth-quarter sales and earnings and said it expects more growth through acquisitions. “We plan more...
Beef pulls USDA production forecasts higher
USDA raised its expectations for total U.S. meat production for 2017, as higher forecast beef production more than offsets lower forecast pork and turkey more...
Grass-fed beef brand names CEO
Teton Waters Ranch, a Denver-based producer of sausages, frankfurters and chili from 100-percent grass-fed beef, announced that Walt Freese will more...
Man charged in bomb threat gets year in jail
A 40-year-old Texas man has agreed to a plea bargain of one year in county jail after he phoned in a bomb threat to a Pilgrim’s Pride plant in Lufkin more...
McDonald’s tests buttermilk chicken tenders
McDonald’s said it is testing a new buttermilk-battered chicken tender recipe in North Carolina that is free of artificial ingredients. The Buttermilk more...
Niche processor going strong – and looking to grow
Arion Thiboumery isn’t a big-city guy. The California native earned his doctorate in sustainable agriculture and rural development. So it’s more...
USDA says HPAI on Tenn. farm not related to China strain
USDA officials have confirmed that the strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) confirmed this week at a commercial farm in Lincoln County, more...
More overseas bans, local warnings after U.S. bird flu confirmations
Japan and Singapore are the latest Asian regions to impose bans on chicken or chicken products from parts of two U.S. states where avian influenza has more...
Hain Celestial wades through accounting woes
Organic/natural food maker Hain Celestial Inc. said Monday it will make its case to a NASDAQ panel in order to keep its stock listing while it deals with more...
Hampton House chicken products recalled in Canada
JD Sweid Foods Ltd. has recalled an unspecified amount of Hampton House brand Chicken Strips because of possible harmful bacteria, the Canadian Food Inspection more...
Who knew? Customer experience at quick service, grocery top list
Based on a study of 10,000 U.S. consumers evaluating the customer experience of 331 companies across 20 industries, supermarkets and quick service food more...
New U.S. HPAI reports spark bans, hit stock prices
Confirmation of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Tennessee has prompted three Asian countries to impose bans on chicken from more...
US Foods to buy Alabama meat processor
Rosemont, Ill.-based food distributor US Foods announced that it has agreed to acquire SRA Foods, a meat processor and distributor in Birmingham, Ala more...
Hormel unit to increase chicken housing, handling standards
Hormel-owned natural and organic meat brand Applegate announced that by 2024, the company intends to elevate and third-party verify its standards for more...
GenZ, Millennials shift snacking to mealtimes: NPD report
As snacking trends continue to expand, U.S. consumers –especially young adults – are eating snack foods as part of their main meals, a new more...
World meat prices rise as Australia rebuilds beef herd
Higher quotations for Australian beef boosted worldwide meat prices in February and helped send overall food prices to a new two-year high, according more...
McDonald’s to tap technology, delivery for growth
McDonald’s unveiled a long-term growth plan at its annual investor day that focuses on expanding the use of technology and accelerating delivery more...
Smithfield launches “pork library” for smartphones
Smithfield Foods has launched its first chef-driven mobile application, called “Pork Solved”, the company said in a news release. “Pork more...
New research explores better beef demand indices
The beef industry should focus on maintaining retail beef demand indices that are updated frequently and can be dissected by product or market region more...
Costco completes land purchase for chicken plant
Costco Wholesale Corp. has closed on its land purchase for a planned $280 million chicken processing plant in Fremont, Nebraska, a company spokesman confirmed more...
Subway says tests discredit report of soy in its chicken
Subway said two independent tests of its chicken products prove a Canadian media report that claimed the items contained half chicken DNA and half soy more...
Popeyes CEO to step down
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc. said today that Cheryl Bachelder will step down as CEO when Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International Inc. completes more...
BK debuts new chicken sandwich
Burger King announced Thursday the addition of the “New Crispy Chicken Sandwich” to its menu. The New Crispy Chicken Sandwich is made with more...
Devault unveils line of fresh and frozen burgers
Devault Foods, a leader in portion-controlled and private label meat preparation, packing and distribution, has introduced a line of Signature Fresh and more...
Gold’n Plump to offer five fully-cooked chicken sausages
Pilgrim’s Pride is launching a line of new chicken sausages under its Gold’n Plump label in late April. The five varieties contain boneless more...
New Jimmy Dean item adds to Tyson’s innovation push
A new Jimmy Dean breakfast item – three twists on traditional hash browns – represent a new entry for the larger “grab-and-go” more...
Record profits lift National Beef parent at year-end
“Another quarter of record profits for National Beef” boosted parent company Leucadia National Corp.’s year-end financial results, the more...
February 2017
Iowa town approves second Tyson expansion project: report
The Council Bluffs, Iowa, city council has approved plans for Tyson Foods to add to a prepared foods operation near its previously announced expansion more...
Vegas processor plans major expansion
Freedom Meats, in Las Vegas, plans to almost double the size of its processing facility to just under 29,000 square feet, President and CEO Jeff Pugh more...
GAO calls for national federal food safety strategy
The United States needs a national strategy to shore up a still fragmented system that has 16 federal agencies overseeing food safety with sometimes overlapping more...
JBT buys HPP equipment maker Avure
Chicago-based food and beverage equipment maker JBT Corp. has bought Avure Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of high pressure processing (HPP) systems more...
Struggle to control salmonella, campy in comminuted chicken, parts continues
Chicken processors continue to struggle to control salmonella and campylobacter contamination in chicken parts and not-ready-to-eat comminuted chicken more...
Smithfield expands frozen foods lineup for breakfast
Smithfield Foods is launching six breakfast items to help consumers provide convenient breakfast solutions straight from grocery store freezers. The Smithfield more...
US Foods offers 26 new products aimed at millennials
US Foods has unveiled Spring Scoop 2017 under the banner "What Millennials Crave," featuring a lineup of 26 new products designed to help restaurant more...
Jumbo wings take center stage at Dallas-based eatery
A casual-dining restaurant chain has launched a promotion that pairs jumbo-sized chicken wings with new and returning sauce offerings in advance of the more...
Analysts adjust Hormel expectations, remain confident in rebound
A 25 percent operating loss in Hormel Foods Corp.’s Jennie-O business due to a seven-year-low in turkey breast prices had a couple equity analysts more...
Ag shippers respond to dock strike threat
The Agriculture Transportation Coalition has asked Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to intervene with the International Longshoreman’s Association’s more...
Record production to pressure prices: USDA economists
Record meat and poultry production will outpace demand in 2017, pressuring prices for cattle and hogs, while broiler prices remain flat, USDA economists more...
More red meat, again, though less veal
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.29 billion pounds in January, up 6 percent from the 4.06 billion pounds produced in January more...
Turkey prices, competition hurt Hormel results
Hormel Foods Corp. said plummeting turkey prices, higher expenses and tougher competition battered its Jennie-O Turkey Store business, prompting the company more...
Sanderson earnings more than double
Sanderson Farms said net income in the first quarter more than doubled as market prices improved for dark meat products sold from the company’s more...
Canada approves irradiated ground beef
The Canadian government said Wednesday it will permit the sale of fresh and frozen raw ground beef treated with irradiation. Health Canada developed more...
Chicken salad recalled on listeria concerns
Three Ready Pac Foods Inc. plants, located in Swedesboro, N.J., in Jackson, Ga., and the company's headquarters in Irwindale, Calif., are recalling 59 more...
Chipotle works on whittling wait times
Chipotle Mexican Grill, still struggling to revive sales in the wake of its 2015 food safety crisis, said it has completed the national rollout of new more...
Who’s who and how to market to them among meat buyers (updated)
DALLAS — Meat-eating consumers fall into one of six categories, according to new research, dubbed “Segmeatation,” by Midan Marketing more...
HPAI woes expand in France, Asia
The ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to take its toll in France and two Asian nations as new incarnations of the virus more...
Hardee’s brings the heat to its chicken tenders
Hardee’s has launched a spicy version of its popular hand-breaded chicken tenders at participating restaurants systemwide, the company announced more...
Tyson to convert all Tyson brand chicken products to No Antibiotics Ever
Tyson Foods executives announced that all Tyson consumer brand products would feature chicken with No Antibiotics Ever (NAE). The company also unveiled more...
Georgia nixes new poultry price discovery system
The Georgia Premium Poultry Price Index (GPPPI) will not be published due to a lack of available data, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) said more...
Burger King parent to buy Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Restaurant Brands International (RBI), which owns Burger King and Tim Hortons, has agreed to buy Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen for $1.8 billion in cash, the more...
U.S. seeks to send Koch Foods worker back to Mexico
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has filed a complaint in federal court seeking to deport a Mexican man who gained employment at Koch Foods chicken more...
Smithfield launches pork products from animals raised without antibiotics (updated)
Smithfield Foods announced it launched a line of fresh pork products made from animals that were raised without antibiotics under its Pure Farms brand more...
FSIS reminds plant inspectors they can slow down poultry line speeds
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service reissued instructions reminding in-plant Inspectors-in-Charge (IICs) of their responsibilities and authorities more...
Meat, savory appetizers figure into deli growth projections
The global market for chilled and deli food is expected to grow by 3.2 percent per year through 2022, with meat items, savory appetizers and pies leading more...
Video counters HSUS stance on antibiotic use
HumaneWatch, a project of the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom, released a video rebutting Humane Society of the United States CEO Wayne Pacelle’s more...
2016 trade data shows U.S. animal product sector a major exporter
Latest-available trade data show that foreign demand accounts for a significant share of U.S. animal products production, USDA reported in its monthly more...
Seaboard Triumph Foods sets plans for second shift at new plant
Seaboard Triumph Foods is set to expand the new pork processing plant still under construction in Sioux City, Iowa, to make way for a second shift that more...
Kraft Heinz pursues Unilever takeover
Kraft Heinz will continue to pursue an acquisition of Unilever plc after the consumer goods maker rejected an initial merger proposal from Kraft, Kraft more...
Outback parent to close dozens of restaurants
Bloomin’ Brands Inc. on Friday said the company had decided to close 43 underperforming restaurants. Fourth-quarter same-store sales at its Outback more...
Foodservice giant announces CEO resignation
DineEquity Inc., parent company of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP restaurants, announced today that chairman, CEO and interim president more...
Wayne Farms gets expansion approval
The Dothan (Alabama) Planning Commission has approved Wayne Farms’ development plans to construct a 47,330-square-foot refrigerated warehouse at more...
Kansas town considers meat plant
Officials in Doniphan County, Kan., are mulling a proposal to build a meatpacking plant in Troy, according to a local media report. A proposal to build more...
Wendy’s profit down as it sells stores to franchisees
Wendy’s said fourth-quarter profit fell as it completed its plan to reduce company-operated restaurant ownership to 5 percent of its system. Same-restaurant more...
Willingness-to-pay for all foods drops compared to January
Consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) dropped over the previous month for all food products, with chicken wings experiencing the largest percentage decline more...
Congress looking at ag economy, trade situation
Two congressional committees this week took a look at prospects for the health of the U.S. agriculture economy; one looking at falling farm prices and more...
Agritourism destination to add protein-based attractions
A popular Midwest theme park that specializes in offering hands-on agricultural “adventures” to visitors is preparing to install new areas more...
Iowa to improve roads for new Prestage plant
The Iowa Transportation Commission approved a grant worth up to $2.34 million to fund a project that will improve road access to Prestage Foods’ more...
US Foods continues shopping run with All American buy
US Foods said it will pay an undisclosed price to acquire All American Foods, a broadline distributor based in North Kensington, R.I., that posts annual more...
Trump indicates little change in U.S./Canada trade in NAFTA reset
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Donald Trump yesterday downplayed the extent of changes he more...
Efforts launched to restore animal welfare docs to USDA site
A group of animal activist organizations has sued USDA and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) over the recent removal of thousands more...
Chicken processor to create 150 jobs in Mississippi
Poultry processor Pearl River Foods is locating a processing plant in Carthage, Miss., investing more than $2 million and creating 150 jobs, according more...
Wendy’s sets new course for chicken-based products (UPDATED)
Wendy’s has confirmed reports that it is making adjustments to the chicken used in its sandwiches and salads in an attempt to address consumer concerns more...
Natural/organic poultry maker under SEC scrutiny
The Hain Celestial Group said Friday that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating the company’s accounting practices after more...
Harmony Beef announces opening date
A shuttered Canadian beef processing plant whose reopening date has been pushed back numerous times over the previous two years is now set to open Feb more...
HPAI toll continues to rise in Asia, Germany
Bird culls in the wake of the months-long outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) are continuing as Asian nations report higher cull figures more...
NPPC, coalition seek port fee relief
A coalition including the National Pork Producers Council is petitioning the Federal Maritime Commission for relief from port fees when labor disputes more...
Woman injures arm in accident at Perdue Farms plant
A woman suffered a serious injury to one of her arms in an accident Thursday morning at a Perdue Farms’ plant in Milford, Del., according to a local more...
Analysts see Pilgrim’s margin weakness as temporary
The U.S. operating margin for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. fell to its lowest level in five years due to a series of plant conversions, but margins are more...
JBS USA raises $2.8 billion to reduce cost of debt
JBS USA has raised $2.8 billion in a credit line, which will help the company reduce its annual financial expenses by $58 million, parent company JBS more...
TGI Fridays appoints COO
Long-time restaurateur Jerry Comstock and marketer Stephanie Perdue have joined TGI Fridays as president & chief operating officer more...
Meat groups speak up on trade with Japan
Ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state visit to Washington, D.C., the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the National more...
Lovette: Strong economy, exports to bolster chicken
An improving U.S. economy and higher exports of all proteins will support the chicken sector in the coming year, Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. Chief Executive more...
Organic livestock handling rules delayed until May
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is delaying the effective date of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule by 60 days, until more...
USDA lowers pork, poultry production forecasts
USDA lowered its total red meat and poultry production forecast for 2017, largely reflecting decreased pork and poultry forecasts and despite raising more...
Whole Foods shutting stores, rethinking expansion
Upscale grocer Whole Foods will close nine stores and is rethinking its growth strategy, the company revealed yesterday in reporting its financial results more...
Buffalo Wild Wings preps for shareholder battle as profits plunge
An activist shareholder intends to nominate four people to the board of Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. at the upcoming annual meeting, even as the Minneapolis-based more...
Restaurant chain targets c-store expansion
A&W Restaurants has kicked off an aggressive development program that includes a new franchising website aimed at recruiting gas station and convenience more...
Unitherm receives bacon-cooking patent
Unitherm Food Systems has received a patent for its process that produces pre-cooked bacon slices in a spiral oven. The process uses superheated steam more...
Canadian deli meat brand expands in U.S.
The Black Kassel brand of deli meats is expanding its reach in the United States, with new products and packaging, the company said in a news release more...
Calif. processor settles EPA chemical safety violations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it has settled charges that Pitman Farms Inc. violated the Clean Air Act by releasing ammonia at its more...
Analysts raise Tyson FY estimates after record Q1 results
News that Tyson Foods posted record per-share earnings in the first quarter prompted at least two industry analysts to raise their earnings estimates more...
Online food retailer outlines expansion plans
FreshDirect, a privately-held New York-based online food retailer, announced plans for geographic expansion this year, on the heels of “record more...
Pork sirloin deemed a ‘heart-healthy’ food
The American Heart Association (AHA) has designated pork sirloin as the latest heart-healthy food that provides benefits to consumers, the Pork Checkoff more...
Beef, pork propel Tyson to record Q1 net income
Strong gains in its beef and pork segments fueled record-setting results for Tyson Foods in the first quarter of 2017, the processor announced this morning more...
West Liberty Foods announces executive changes
West Liberty Foods announced that, effectively immediately, Michael Quint has been promoted to president. Ed Garrett, who had held the positions of president more...
GNP worker faces felony charges for contaminating chicken
A Cold Spring, Minn., woman has been charged with two felony counts of first-degree damage to property after she admitted to contaminating chicken while more...
USDA removes personal information from website related to Animal Welfare Act
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has removed certain personal information from documents it posts on its website involving more...
Cargill CEO speaks out on trade, immigration
The CEO of Cargill is speaking out on issues of concern to the privately held agri-business giant including trade and immigration, a move seen as a departure more...
Farmers sue the chicken industry again
A group of broiler growers has filed another lawsuit accusing major U.S. chicken processors of collusion to boost profits, according to court documents more...
Independent Meat Co.’s Otto Florence Jr. dies (UPDATED)
Longtime Independent Meat Co. owner Otto Florence Jr. has died at the age of 92, according to a local media report. "My father was a man with a capital more...
Abundant supply takes meat out of global food price inflation
The cost of food around the world is at its highest point in two years, as measured by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s more...
Groups tout Perdue’s ag work in letter of endorsement
Nearly 670 organizations on Thursday sent a letter to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and ranking member Debbie Stabenow more...
Salmonella declared as an adulterant? It’s a matter of time, Dopp says
ATLANTA — It’s no longer a matter of if but when the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will declare some salmonella strains more...
Whole genome sequencing helping track foodborne illness sources faster
ATLANTA – Regulatory agencies and public health authorities have established whole genome sequencing (WGS) as the newest technology for use in addressing more...
Pilgrim’s Pride should see higher Q4 net despite sales drop: analyst
Pilgrim’s Pride is still on its way to completing a product revamp, but the poultry processor should reap benefits when it reports fourth-quarter more...
Hormel Foods supply chain VP to retire
Hormel Foods announced the upcoming retirement of Bryan Farnsworth, senior vice president of supply chain. As a result, Mark Coffey, vice president of more...
USDA Cattle report shows expansion continues
USDA’s Cattle report issued Tuesday showed more cattle on hand on Jan. 1, as well as more heifers retained for beef cow replacement, indications more...
New product labels reflect consumer trends at IPPE
ATLANTA – New product introductions are an important part of ongoing success for many processors – and among consumer trends driving those more...
State to consider country-of-origin labeling
A group of South Dakota state congressmen has introduced a bill that would require retail beef products sold in the state to bear a country-of-origin more...
Poultry plant prepared to open soon after settling debt
The new owners of a shuttered poultry plant in Arkansas may be on the verge of reopening next week now that the company has settled a debt over wastewater more...
January 2017
Hormel, Maschhoffs launch probes after hog farm video release
An investigation is already under way after this morning’s release of an undercover video from the activist group Mercy for Animals alleging abuse more...
Online grocery shopping to boom in 2017: NPD Group
Online grocery shopping is already popular among U.S. consumers, and is expected to expand by nearly 50 percent by summer, according to a new study by more...
USPOULTRY recognizes industry leaders
ATLANTA — The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association (USPOULTRY) recognized a number of industry leaders this week at the 2017 International Production more...
Del Frisco’s names new brand presidents
Del Frisco's Restaurant Group Inc. has announced that Ray Risley has been named brand president of Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, and Scott more...
A lot more cattle placed on feed in December than expected
USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report on Friday showed U.S. cattle placed on feed in December up 17.6 percent from a year ago, while, on average more...
JBS lagoon fire cause identified; investigation completed
A fire at a JBS pork plant lagoon last week that caused an estimated $500,000 in damage has been ruled unintentional after a Marshalltown, Iowa, fire more...
NPPC hopeful over trade talk prospects between U.S. and U.K.
The National Pork Producers Council praised the Trump administration for announcing plans to pursue closer trade relations with the United Kingdom. Meeting more...
JBS picks politician for subsidiary board
Global meat processing giant JBS S.A. announced it named former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner as an independent member of more...
Implications for beef, pork, chicken if tariff set on Mexican exports to U.S.
The White House on Thursday said President Donald Trump is considering a 20 percent tax on imports from Mexico to pay for a southern border wall, a move more...
Longtime sausage maker plans second plant
Williams Sausage Co. will build a second plant in Union City, Tenn., that will create 226 new jobs over the next five years, the company and state officials more...
Fitch expects JBS to reduce leverage and improve margins in 2017
Brazil's JBS S.A. is expected to reduce its net debt/EBITDA ratio to 3x in 2017 and improve profit margins, according to Fitch's LATAM Spotlight report more...
Poultry processor strikes deal on debt repayment
Summit Poultry has reached an agreement with the Pine Bluff (Ark.) Wastewater Utility, in which Summit will pay off most of an outstanding debt associated more...
Oscar Mayer plant to close by March
The Oscar Mayer unit of Kraft Heinz Co. will cease production in Madison, Wis., by the end of March as it prepares for the previously announced closing more...
Alaska plant nearing sale
The long-struggling Mt. McKinley Meat and Sausage plant, the only USDA-inspected meat plant in southcentral Alaska, has been sold. Greg Giannulis, owner more...
More meat price declines forecast, but chicken looking up
Ample supplies of beef and an expected rise in pork production will keep retail prices for both proteins on a downward path in the coming year, USDA’s more...
Pork in storage dives; prices going up
Frozen pork supplies closed out 2016 down 8 percent from levels in November, and down 13 percent from the year earlier, according to USDA’s Cold more...
Ag coalition asks Trump to preserve NAFTA 'windfall'
More than 130 agricultural trade groups and companies have sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to modernize the North American Free more...
Bob Evans ready to reset after selling its restaurants
Bob Evans Farms Inc. is preparing to refocus its business on its refrigerated foods operation now that it has sold its restaurant chain in a deal valued more...
Company pulls the plug on Illinois hog plant
A west-central Illinois company has withdrawn its notice of intent to build a 20,000-hog-capacity barn, according to media reports. Carthage, Ill.-based more...
Sonic names new head of company-owned restaurants
Sonic Corp. has appointed Christina Bell Vaughan as president of its Sonic Restaurants Inc. division, which manages Sonic's company-owned drive-in restaurants more...
Lower broiler, turkey production seen in late 2016: USDA
Poultry production figures for the end of 2016 came in lower than anticipated, although early 2017 numbers are projecting slightly higher, according to more...
Former U of Ariz. meat prof pleads guilty in theft
A former University of Arizona animal-sciences professor has been sentenced to probation and restitution of $83,000 for theft from a student-run meat more...
Meat Institute launches new MyMeatUp app to aid shoppers
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) has unveiled mobile app aimed at helping consumers become more confident when buying meat and poultry. The free more...
What pigs eat matters to millennials
Millennial consumers say that what pigs eat has a strong influence on their pork-buying habits, according to a consumer survey conducted for Cargill Animal more...
Trump withdraws from TPP; goes to work on NAFTA
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday morning to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an expected move more...
JBS beef plant up and running after steers reportedly run loose
JBS USA’s Grand Island, Neb., beef plant is operating as normal after a temporary shutdown over the weekend due to an "animal handling issue," the more...
Groups petition to stop Arkansas chicken industry expansion
Animal rights and environmental groups are asking for a halt to building more live chicken facilities in Arkansas until federal regulators assess the more...
McDonald’s posts Q4 revenue decline, still optimistic for 2017
McDonald’s Corp. reported a 5-percent decline in consolidated revenues in the fourth quarter on a global comparable sales increase of 2.7 percent more...
Restaurant chain unveils new antibiotic policy
Sonic Corp., which operates 3,500 drive-in restaurants, announced a new antibiotics use policy for chicken as part of its animal welfare program. The more...
AdvancePierre rolls out new Big AZ options
AdvancePierre Foods has introduced three Big AZ-brand breakfast sandwiches for the vending and micro-market channels: Double Sausage & Cheese Biscuit more...
Group says phone app promotion is moving beef
The Federation of State Beef Councils said it will extend a smart phone app promotion targeting millennials that has generated sales of more than 270 more...
France mandates cameras in slaughterhouses
The French Parliament voted to mandate cameras in all areas of slaughterhouses in France where live animals are handled, beginning in 2018. The rule must more...
Colorado Premium to build in Georgia
Colorado Premium will invest $15 million in a processing facility in Carroll County, Ga., creating 190 jobs when it begins operating by the end of 2018 more...
Poultry industry pioneer dies at 101
Charles Weldon Wampler, Jr., who with his late brother, William, founded Wampler Foods, died at his home Jan. 15 at the age of 101. In 1937 he began working more...
Ireland confirms atypical BSE in cow
Ireland’s agriculture department confirmed Wednesday the discovery of a case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy in an 18-year-old cow more...
Record U.S. red meat, pork production in December
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.40 billion pounds in December, up 3 percent from the 4.27 billion pounds produced in December more...
Organic livestock handling rule goes into effect
New rules regarding humane handling of organic livestock will go into effect Thursday, Jan. 19, when they are published in the Federal Register. Last more...
Wyoming’s first USDA-inspected beef plant on the horizon
A Cody, Wyo., company is gearing up to become the Equality State's first USDA-certified slaughterhouse, the Cody Enterprise newspaper reported. Wyoming more...
Sanderson’s success could cut into earnings: analyst
Sanderson Farms Inc.’s organic growth and “strong execution capabilities” mean that bonus accruals are large enough to cut into the more...
Turkey products recalled for misbranding
Burger’s Ozark Country Cured, based in California, Mo., is recalling about 1,905 pounds of fully cooked turkey products due to misbranding, the more...
Pollution suit vs. processor closing in on resolution
A long-running dispute over water pollution issues allegedly caused by a Missouri-based processor appears to be a step closer to resolution nearly two more...
AdvancePierre stockholders announce secondary offering
AdvancePierre Foods Holdings Inc. announced Tuesday that some of its stockholders intend to offer for sale in an underwritten secondary offering 12.5 more...
Taco Bell tests chicken nugget alternative
Taco Bell’s test of a tortilla chip-shaped chicken nugget has fans of the quick-serve chain buzzing. The thin, triangular, chicken pieces coated more...
Analysts look at volatility in pork cutout and ham primal prices
Record hog numbers, tight processing capacity and recent changes USDA made in how the pork cutout is calculated have all contributed to what has become more...
QPP, Albert Lea announce retirement, promotions
Quality Pork Processors (QPP) and Albert Lea Select Foods (ALSF) announced today that Kelly Wadding will be retiring as the companies’ president more...
New HPAI outbreaks in Europe, Japan as culling continues
Officials across Europe and in Asia continue to report outbreaks of high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), even as additional biosecurity measures are more...
Panera touts all-additive-free menu
Panera Bread announced that its entire U.S. food menu is now free from all artificial flavors, preservatives, sweeteners and colors. It said it is the more...
American Humane names new director
American Humane announced the appointment of Dr. Janet Helms to the position of National Director of its American Humane Farm Program. The program is more...
Sanderson opens new plant in North Carolina
Sanderson Farms announced it has opened its new, $155 million processing plant in St. Pauls, N.C. The 180,000-square-foot plant, supported by an existing more...
Beef, pork margins to buoy Tyson in 2017, says analyst
Tyson Foods is on track to approach, if not exceed, $5 in earnings per share in fiscal 2017 as beef and pork packer margins stay strong after hitting more...
Consumers bounce back in willingness to pay for food
After a dip in December, consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) increased for all food products rebounded, with all food products experiencing gains of at more...
Taco Bell takes chicken taco shell national
Taco Bell announced that on Jan. 26 it will launch taco shells made of crispy chicken nationwide. The quick-service Mexican chain tested its Naked more...
Tyson plant resumes operations after fire
Tyson Foods Inc. said operations resumed today at its Haltom City, Texas, prepared foods plant after the facility sustained a fire Tuesday night. A plastic more...
JBS pork plant addresses odor, humane handling complaints
JBS and Louisville, Ky., are close to an agreement that would resolve years of odor complaints against the company’s pork processing plant in the more...
USDA predicts more beef/pork/poultry; slightly more expensive feed
USDA raised its estimate for total red meat and poultry production for 2016 slightly, as well as its price forecasts for main feed ingredients corn and more...
New CEO to revive steakhouse chain
A few months after emerging from bankruptcy, Logan’s Roadhouse has named Hazem Ouf as CEO and charged him with revitalizing the struggling steakhouse more...
‘Not so fast’ on slow-growing birds: NCC
The idea of slower-growing broilers has caught on quickly in both food production and consumption circles as it appeals to consumers’ desire for more...
Incentives package for Costco chicken plant approved
The Fremont, Neb., city council has unanimously approved financial incentives for Costco Wholesale Corp.’s planned chicken complex over the objection more...
Pilgrim's Pride sets layoffs at GNP after purchase
After confirming that its acquisition of GNP Co. had closed last week, Pilgrim’s Pride has announced that about 30 corporate position at GNP were more...
New Meat Processor’s Journal focuses on fresh sausage
The latest edition of The Meat Processor’s Journal – this time focusing on the production of fresh sausage – is now available more...
Avian influenza confirmed in Montana as caution is urged
Officials in Montana have confirmed a case of avian influenza in a mallard duck harvested by a hunter, although the precise strain has yet to be determined more...
Neb. town considers grants for Costco plant, faces residents’ amended lawsuit
City officials in Fremont, Neb., are moving forward with plans for Costco Wholesale Corp. to build a massive chicken complex in town while residents continue more...
Protein group helps drive Cargill’s Q2 operating earnings rise
Cargill Inc. today reported an 80-percent climb in adjusted operating earnings in the second quarter of fiscal 2017, with the company’s North American more...
Chicken tenders recalled on foreign matter, misbranding
Schreiber Processing Corp., based in Maspeth, N.Y., is recalling about 2,330 pounds of chicken tender products that may be contaminated with plastic and more...
Chatting about smart factories in meat processing
At noon CST tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan. 10), Meatingplace will take to Twitter to publish the latest story in a multimedia package examining the rise of smart more...
USDA seeks dismissal of pork trademark lawsuit
The USDA has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) against the agency over the sale by National more...
Two quick service giants make moves in China
McDonald’s announced it has sold a majority stake in its China operations to CITIC Capital Holdings (52 percent) and The Carlyle Group (28 percent) more...
RAVE Restaurant Group names CEO
RAVE Restaurant Group’s board of directors has named Scott Crane as chief executive officer. Crane succeeds interim CEO Clinton Coleman more...
DOL sues processor for firing worker who called 911 after co-worker severed thumb
The U.S. Department of Labor is suing a West Virginia beef jerky processor for firing a worker because she called 911 to help a co-worker who had severed more...
Feds investigating $2.6MM in missing Okla. Checkoff funds: report
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Oklahoma City reportedly is investigating the alleged embezzlement of $2.6 million by a former employee of the Oklahoma more...
Del Taco promotes John D. Cappasola, Jr. to president, chief brand officer
Mexican-American QSR chain Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. promoted John D. Cappasola, Jr. to president and chief brand officer. In his new role, Cappasola more...
Fast-growing burger chain appoints first COO
Shake Shack Inc. said it promoted Zack Koff to serve as the burger chain’s first chief operating officer, where he will help execute the company’s more...
Tyson pork plant resumes operations after fire
Tyson Foods Inc. officials said operations resumed Wednesday at the company’s Storm Lake, Iowa, pork plant after a fire damaged the facility on more...
Georgia debuts new chicken pricing index
The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) on Wednesday launched a new chicken pricing index after controversy over its decades-old “Georgia Dock” more...
Butterball introduces new turkey product
Butterball announced it is now offering Chorizo Seasoned Ground Turkey to the foodservice industry. Positioning the product as having about half the calories more...
BRF incorporates halal unit
Global poultry giant BRF S.A. announced it is in the final stages of incorporating the operations of OneFoods, which will hold assets related to producing more...
FDA cites compliance with responsible antibiotics use rule
U.S. drug companies are meeting new standards imposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding labels on medically important antibiotics more...
NCBA, Public Lands Council offer Trump suggestions
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council have drawn up a list of proposed federal land management priorities more...
Smithfield closing in on pregnant sow crate goals
Smithfield Foods is reporting that nearly 90 percent of pregnant sows on its U.S. company-owned farms are living in group housing systems, putting its more...
2017 restaurant outlook looks grim: NPD report (UPDATED)
The new year is not expected to bring much new traffic growth to the U.S. restaurant industry, although visits to quick service restaurants (QSRs) are more...
Nebraska Beef will appeal judgment
Nebraska Beef Ltd. has filed notice of its intent to appeal the judgment against it entered last month in a case in which the federal Department of Justice more...
HPAI toll still rising in Asia, Europe, United Kingdom
The financial impact and spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is showing few signs of slowing down more than two months after the first more...
Greencore to buy Peacock Foods
U.K.-based Greencore Group has entered in an agreement to buy Geneva, Ill.-based Peacock Foods for $747.5 million, according to a release posted on Peacock more...
Pact opens doors for U.S. turkey exports to New Zealand
A new veterinary certificate approved by New Zealand authorities will open that nation’s market to cooked turkey products from U.S. sources, according more...
College helps Okla. tribe build meat plant
The University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and School of Law are helping the Quapaw Tribe design and build more...
NAMI hires two scientific experts
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) announced the addition of Tiffany Lee, D.V.M., and KatieRose McCullough to the organization’s regulatory more...
Wing chain acquires more restaurants
ARC Group Inc., the owner, operator and franchisor of Louisiana-based Dick's Wings & Grill concept has completed the acquisition of two of its Dick's more...
Move over vegans, there’s a new flexitarian in town
Whole Foods Market’s global buyers and experts announced the trends to watch in 2017. Among them, a trend toward “flexitarians” who more...
December 2016
Former National Beef plant back in business
One World Beef began production late last month at the former National Beef plant in Brawley, Calif., according to local media reports. One World Beef more...
FDA extends ‘healthy’ comment period
In a notice posted on its website, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the comment period for feedback regarding its process to redefine more...
Frank Litterst, Jr., TAMU beef ‘legend,’ 94
Frank Litterst, Jr., a favorite beef cattle production instructor at Texas A&M University for more than 20 years, died just after Christmas. He was more...
Perdue makes $20,000 donation to recovery center
Perdue Farms has committed a $20,000 Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation grant to help the Recovery Resource Center (RRC), in Salisbury, Md., more...
Canadian Pork Excellence program set to begin
Pilot testing of the new Canadian Pork Excellence program is just a couple weeks away as volunteer farms nationwide will begin participating in the program more...
German minister wants fake meat clearly labeled
Germany’s agriculture minister is calling for an end to labels that identify meatless food products as vegetarian meat, saying the practice is confusing more...
Beans and peas increase fullness more than meat
Meals based on legumes such as beans and peas are more satiating than pork and veal-based meals, according to a small study by the University of Copenhagen's more...
Tech briefs: Fetal programming, poultry nutrition, prepping cattle for slaughter
The following briefs are taken from some of the more than 500 articles on best practices, processing technology and troubleshooting that appear in our more...
Local officials approve expanded Costco chicken complex
The Fremont City Council on Tuesday voted 8-0 to in favor of plans for a bigger Costco Wholesale Corp. plant in Nebraska that boosts the size of the processing more...
What FSIS will charge in 2017 for inspection services
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the 2017 rates it will charge meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants, and more...
Strong finish for 2016 beef markets
(This article is republished in its entirety with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University extension livestock marketing more...
Why don’t you stay?
Employee turnover is a constant industry concern and many companies may be approaching it all wrong. At a North American Meat Institute conference more...
Worldwide HPAI toll escalates as culling continues
Authorities in several Asian and European nations say the fallout from a variety of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks continues as even more...
Poultry industry tallies economic impact
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and United Egg Producers have made available more...
Costco chicken plant expansion on city council agenda
The city council of Fremont, Neb., plans to consider Costco's amended plan for an expanded chicken processing plant in the community at a regular meeting more...
FSIS unveils research plan for consumer food safety
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced plans to conduct observational studies on how consumers handle food products with more...
Datassential calls out 15 flavor trends for 2017
From Egypt to Japan to Indonesia, flavor trends on menus nationwide offer a peek into what'll be hot in 2017, both at restaurants and at home. Using its more...
Pork Board wants to boost year-round ham sales
Beyond holidays, pork processors know whole hams usually don’t make it onto the shopping list. The Pork Checkoff recently funded a study to find more...
Hawaii looks to beef up local supplies
A Hawaiian cattle company has plans to boost the local beef supply in order to cut down the costs of using mainland resources and shore up the sustainability more...
DQ expands in South Korea
Minneapolis-based International Dairy Queen Inc. has signed a multi-unit development agreement to expand into the Republic of Korea with plans to open more...
Trump considers former FSIS boss for ag secretary
President-elect Donald Trump is considering former FSIS boss Elsa Murano for the agriculture secretary post, according to multiple media reports. more...
Cattlemen press USDA on China beef trade
The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) on Thursday sent Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack a letter seeking an update on negotiations with China more...
Lawsuits call the chicken industry a 'cartel'
Cutting production to fend historic losses during and after the Great Recession in 2008, to poultry producers, was simple supply-and-demand economics more...
Wal-Mart testing blockchain technology to trace Chinese pork, U.S. produce
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. early next year will run a four-month pilot project to test the use and scaleability of blockchain technology to trace pork in China more...
U.S. wins WTO dispute on Indonesia trade barriers to beef, poultry
A World Trade Organization (WTO) panel agreed with the United States on all 18 of its claims that Indonesia’s unfair trade restrictions are not more...
U.S. to pursue tariff retaliation against EU on beef
The Obama Administration announced the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is taking action against the European Union’s (EU) more...
HPAI woes in Asia, Europe and U.K. expand
New outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom are prompting even more culling of poultry flocks, more more...
Two full-service brands to combine under one roof
DineEquity Inc. announced plans to open a new location in Detroit that will bring together its International House of Pancakes (IHOP) and Applebee’s more...
Costco expands its plan for Nebraska chicken plant
Costco’s planned chicken processing plant in Fremont, Neb., will be bigger than originally designed, local media reported. The size of the processing more...
OIG audit refutes NYT claims against US meat research center
A USDA Office of Inspector General report evaluating research practices at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Neb., in the wake of assertions more...
NAMI debunks study linking processed meat with asthma
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) was quick Wednesday to debunk a small French study that claimed a link between cured meats and asthma. The more...
FSIS expands salmonella testing of imports to pork
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice today instructing inspectors how to sample imported pork products for salmonella more...
Hormel settles with Labor Dept. for more than $500,000, retroactive hiring (updated)
Hormel Foods Corp. has agreed to hire 37 women with retroactive seniority and pay $550,000 in back wages to 403 female job applicants denied entry-level more...
Panera sets future goals on slower growth chicken breeds, housing specs
Panera Bread announced its intention to align its broiler chicken policy with the Global Animal Partnership’s Broiler Chicken Standard and set goals more...
Tyson seeks options to end Asian labor dispute
Tyson Foods Inc. said it is looking at “all appellate options” in response to a recent ruling by officials in the Philippines over the closing more...
Costco chicken plant: ‘boon’ or ‘boo’?
The physical and economical impact of the chicken plant that Costco Wholesale Corp. aims to build in Fremont, Neb., would be staggering for that area more...
Increased inspections, more focus on imports in latest FSIS strategic plan
The USDA’s 2017-2021 Strategic Plan for its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the latest indication of its move toward a science-oriented more...
CDC estimates annual antibiotic-resistant salmonella illnesses
Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) believe that cases of resistant salmonella occurred in about two of every 100,000 cases annually more...
N.C. gives town wastewater grant to support Mountaire Farms expansion
The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority has granted the town of Siler City $1.5 million to assist in providing expanded wastewater services more...
Hormel announces regional president
Hormel Foods International Corporation, a division of Hormel Foods Corporation, announced that Don Gadsden will assume the position of president more...
Poultry plant must pay back debt before opening
Before it can begin operations, a poultry plant planning to open in southeast Arkansas must first pay off an outstanding debt to a local utility, the more...
OSHA fines Ala. poultry plant for whistleblower violations
The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reportedly has fined Farm Fresh Foods LLC, of Guntersville, Ala. more...
Kraft Heinz hot dog plant promises jobs for tax abatement
Missouri’s Boone County Commission approved a tax abatement for a Kraft Heinz hot dog plant to purchase $93.3 million in new machinery in exchange more...
Higher chicken prices boost Sanderson profit
Sanderson Farms reported fourth-quarter earnings that were sharply higher than analysts’ expectations, driven by stronger market prices for poultry more...
High-protein, low-carb diet better for weight loss than low-fat
Consumers deciding between low-carb and low-fat diets should know that research shows a slight advantage for low-carb diets (LCDs) when it comes to weight more...
Maple Leaf takes aim to lower food insecurity in Canada
Maple Leaf Foods is establishing a new non-profit organization with the goal of reducing food insecurity in Canada, the Mississauga, Ont.-based company more...
Sears Canada to try food retailing
Toronto-based Sears Canada, a unit of the U.S. retailer, plans to experiment with grocery sales, according to Canadian Grocer magazine.The company has more...
USDA issues proposed GIPSA rule changes
The USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has announced updated regulations "to protect the rights of farmers," the agency more...
Chipotle shareholder says more changes needed
Frustrated with turnaround efforts at Chipotle Mexican Grill in the wake of a 2015 food safety crisis, shareholder CtW Investment Group is urging the more...
Animal welfare group sues USDA
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has filed a lawsuit against USDA for its “unreasonable delay in responding to an AWI petition — filed in more...
USDA proposes labeling tweaks aimed at waste
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued updated information on food product labeling, including new guidance aimed at reducing more...
R-CALF wins a legal round against beef checkoff
This week, a U.S. magistrate judge recommended that the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana grant R-CALF USA’s request for a preliminary more...
OSHA issues $40,000 fine over finger amputation
The Labor Dept.’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed a fine of $39,762 after a worker at a Mountaire Farms Inc. poultry more...
HPAI fallout: Major culling, new reports, arrest threats
The expanding outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Asia and Europe are sparking more extensive biosecurity measures, even as new outbreaks more...
Organic meats — a new Russian delicacy
Russia’s largest meat processor has introduced a line of what it calls “affordable, additive-free organic” meats under its Petelinka more...
Dakota Pack’s hog processing expected to double
Dakota Pack, a division of Farmers Union Industries (FUI), will double capacity of its current cull hog processing facility to accommodate increasing more...
Food distributor buys meat processor
Performance Food Group, a national food distribution company, recently completed the acquisition of T.F. Kinnealey & Co., a premier meat company based more...
Prestage loses appeal in odor suit
An Iowa appeals judge has ruled against Prestage Farms in which the company appealed an earlier ruling ordering it to pay damages to an Iowa woman over more...
Chipotle founder returns to sole CEO role in wake of resignation
Chipotle Mexican Grill’s board of directors has named company founder Steve Ells as its sole CEO after Monty Moranhas stepped down from more...
Washington moves to put processor out of business
Officials in the state of Washington have obtained a court order to stop operations at a meat processing facility in Auburn, Wash., that has continued more...
Packer seeks $10MM+ in suit against supplier
Bartels Packing, in Eugene, Ore., is seeking $10.1 million in a lawsuit against the company that supplied its labeling equipment, claiming that it would more...
Younger crowd making its way to Costco: CFO
Costco Wholesale Corp. is attracting a younger demographic thanks to its organic selections and a focus on value, which is helping it compete with the more...
USDA raises meat, poultry production forecasts
USDA raised its 2016 forecast of total red meat and poultry production from last month in its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) more...
Organic foods maker names top executives
Hain Celestial Group announced several executive appointments, including the naming of Gary Tickle to the post of chief operating officer and Jay Erskin more...
NAMI weighs in on sodium
The North American Meat Institute last week submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration regarding its draft guidance, " Voluntary Sodium Reduction more...
Canada studies imaging to improve pork cuts
Canada announced it would spend nearly $1 million to help the pork sector use new imaging technology to identify hogs for breeding that produce the best more...
U.S. red meat exports rise in October
U.S. pork and beef exports in October both achieve double-digit increases from a year ago, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the more...
Investor turns up heat on BWW’s company-owned strategy
One of Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.’s largest shareholders has taken its message — that the “wings, beer, sports” chain should have more...
Two restaurants caught in executive shuffles
Two major restaurant chains announced leadership changes, both taking the reins only months after their predecessors had been named. Michael Nolan is more...
Canadians to face sharp rise in food costs: report
The average Canadian family could see their overall food expenses increase by as much as $420 in 2017, with higher prices for meat, seafood and fresh more...
Consumer views of food may have broader fallout
The way Americans view how food is created, prepared and consumed has the potential to affect the nation’s social, economic and political future more...
Bob Evans engages J.P. Morgan to ‘create shareholder value’
Bob Evans Farms Inc. said it is working with investment bank J.P. Morgan to sift through opportunities designed to enhance what the New Albany, Ohio-based more...
JBS will use IPO proceeds to reduce leverage
JBS S.A. intends to use funds raised from the initial public offering (IPO) of JBS Foods International shares on New York Stock Exchange to reduce leverage more...
Tyson working with authorities after stabbing incident at N.C. plant
Tyson Foods is assisting local officials as they investigate a stabbing incident yesterday at the company’s Wilkesboro, N.C., plant that left one more...
Indiana Packers builds $23 million cold storage facility
Indiana Packers Corp. announced today the construction of a 99,000-square-foot cold storage distribution center adjoining its existing pork plant in Delphi more...
Tyson Foods venture fund to finance alternative proteins
Tyson Foods announced it has launched a venture capital fund focused on investing, among other things, “commercializing delicious, safe and affordable more...
Two charged with human trafficking following slaughterhouse probe
Two New Jersey businessmen were arrested Wednesday after an indictment was filed in federal court charging them with forcing employees to work at a halal more...
Texas beef plant operating normally following overnight fire
A fire at a Corpus Christi, Texas, beef processing plant was extinguished soon after its discovery by plant maintenance and security workers last night more...
Amazon confirms it will open first bricks-and-mortar grocery concept
Amazon confirmed months of speculation that it was building a new concept grocery store in Seattle. In an FAQ on its website, the retail delivery more...
Smithfield Foods makes executive appointment
Smithfield Foods announced today the appointment of Tim Zimmer to chief marketing officer. In this role, Zimmer will lead Smithfield's brand strategy more...
Koch Foods evacuates Tenn. plant due to ammonia leak
Koch Foods evacuated workers Wednesday from its Morristown, Tenn., plant due to an ammonia leak, according to local media reports. Emergency responders more...
BMJ stands behind article by “Big Fat Surprise” author Nina Teicholz
There was plenty of controversy leading up to the federal 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines issued last January, much of it surrounding the recommendations more...
Steakhouse chain climbs out of bankruptcy
Steakhouse chain Logan’s Roadhouse Inc. said it has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with plans that include a revised menu and renewed more...
Vegans find nothing funny about new UK money
The revelation that tallow was used in the manufacturing process for new British five-pound notes that went into circulation in September has prompted more...
Georgia Dock index suspended amid pricing controversy
The Georgia Department of Agriculture on Wednesday suspended the Georgia Dock chicken-pricing index while companies that use the benchmark adjust to the more...
USDA outlines proposes revisions to poultry, meat nutritional fact panel
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service detailed proposals to amend the nutrition labeling regulations for meat and poultry products to parallel more...
USDA projects steady beef, pork exports; worries over trade with China, Mexico
Fiscal year 2017 agricultural exports are projected at $134.0 billion, up $1.0 billion from the August forecast, largely due to expected increases in more...
Protein stocks attractive at these levels: analyst
A recent pullback in protein company stocks has created a good value for investors, according to one analyst, who expects a rebound from pressure tied more...
November 2016
GNP boosts Pilgrim’s 'better-for-you' focus: CEO Lovette
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.’s acquisition of GNP Co., whose Just Bare product line is the leading chicken brand sold on Amazon.com, will accelerate more...
S. Korea, Japan start HPAI culling, Great Britain prepares
Officials in South Korea and Japan have begun culling thousands of birds in the wake of an outbreak of the H5N6 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
Culver’s elevates Koss to CEO post, Bonner to COO
Joseph Koss, who has been chief financial officer for Culver Franchising System Inc. (CFSI) since 2000, will become president and CEO effective Jan. 1 more...
McDonald’s confirms testing chicken breakfast items
McDonald’s Corp. is confirming reports that 72 of its restaurants in the Dayton, Ohio, area are testing three breakfast sandwiches featuring chicken more...
Pilgrim's Pride, GNP combo looks delicious
The announcement this morning that Pilgrim’s Pride has a definitive agreement to acquire GNP Company, a leading provider of branded chicken products more...
McDonald’s expands fresh burger test
McDonald’s is expanding its testing of “fresh never frozen beef” patties to about 75 restaurants in and around Tulsa, Okla., according more...
U.S. beef-buying corporations failing on deforestation commitments
Thirteen U.S. fast food, retail and food-manufacturing corporations that source beef from South America are failing to help curb deforestation there, more...
Bacon (still) on a roll
Bacon: Every time you think they’ve run out of ideas they find new uses — so said Patrick Fleming, Director, Market Intelligence and more...
Catelli Brothers offers new pork product
Catelli Brothers has teamed with chef Angelo Lutz to offer fully cooked pork sausage meatballs to retail and food service customers. Chef Lutz, who operates more...
Analyst looks at beef cold storage myths and realities
(This article has been reproduced in its entirety from the Cow Calf Corner newsletter with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State more...
Olymel continues recent growth with Alberta hog producer purchase
Olymel L.P. has acquired Pinnacle Farms Inc., a major hog producer located just east of Calgary, near Strathmore, Alberta. Olymel becomes the more...
Bird flu expands to 10 European countries, culling continues
The European poultry industry is bracing for more bad news as the spread of the H5N8 strain of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus has more...
Cargill rolls out new packaging for ground beef chub products
Beginning January 2017, Cargill will be the first beef producer to offer easy-to-open packaging with customizable peel strength for ground beef chubs more...
15 U.S. companies pledge to halve food loss, waste
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy announced the inaugural class of the U.S. Food more...
Artisanal jerky, fat among "hottest food trends for 2017"
Artisanal jerky, butter and Jewish cuisine are just a few of the food trends to watch heading into the New Year, according to THP's 2017 Flavor & more...
Tech briefs: Portioning, packaging for HPP, ergonomic challenges, feed withdrawal
The following briefs are taken from some of the more than 500 articles on best practices, processing technology and troubleshooting that appear in our more...
Cargill extends push in Asia with $50 million poultry plant expansion
Cargill is investing $50million to expand its poultry processing operations at its facility located in the Nakhon Ratchasima province in Thailand. The more...
Cultural and societal shifts shape new Thanksgiving traditions
Thanksgiving traditions are evolving to reflect the new cultural and societal makeup of the U.S., according to The NPD Group, a leading global information more...
Derrell Peel discusses decline in cattle imports from Canada, Mexcio
(This article is republished in its entirety with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing more...
Ruby Tuesday adds to menu at all dayparts
Ruby Tuesday unveiled new entrées and appetizer options in a redesign of its menu, addressing all dayparts, the company said in a news release more...
USDA, EPA name first 15 food waste champions
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy announced the inaugural class of the U.S. Food Loss more...
Listeria concerns prompt RTE chicken chili recall
Hale and Hearty Soups LLC, a Brooklyn, N.Y. establishment, is recalling 455 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken chili soup product because it may be adulterated more...
Legal challenge to Calif. hen cage rules rejected
A federal appeals court has rejected a lawsuit filed by six states that sought to block California laws dictating housing standards for chickens whose more...
Global food prices to stay low in 2017: Rabobank
High global stock price levels are expected to hold down food prices worldwide next year, although the Trump presidency brings currency uncertainty that more...
Cold storage supplies levels moderating
USDA’s latest Cold Storage report shows that the amount of beef, pork, chicken and turkey in freezers has moderated somewhat from this past summer more...
Hormel posts record Q4 results, sets ambitious 2020 margin goals
Hormel Foods Corp. today reported record net income in the fourth quarter and all of fiscal 2016 and told industry analysts that it is working on a goal more...
Georgia Dock users must verify pricing information
Chicken processors using the Georgia Dock to determine the price of their products will be required to provide documentation verifying the accuracy of more...
Analysts detail muted optimism on Tyson after Q4 earnings miss
The fallout from news that Tyson Foods Inc. missed analysts’ estimates for fourth-quarter earnings prompted at least one 2017 estimate reduction more...
Pork prospects bright: analysts
The best is yet to come for U.S. pork producers, say industry analysts, with record production levels and new fabrication capacity on the way, and despite more...
Tyson shares fall on Q4 results as Smith steps down
Tyson Foods reported a 16-percent increase in adjusted net income in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016, even as overall sales in the period slipped 13 more...
Smithfield parent reportedly eyes other meats, acquisitions
WH Group will set its sights on a new round of sizeable acquisitions by the end of next year as it aims to become the world’s largest packaged meat more...
Police raid Florida horse slaughter facility
A Florida man has been arrested in connection with illegal horse slaughtering in an unlicensed rural slaughterhouse in western Miami-Dade County, according more...
Del Frisco's Restaurant Group names new CEO
Del Frisco's Restaurant Group announced that CEO Mark Mednansky is retiring and Norman Abdallah has been named to succeed him. Abdallah is an industry more...
Analyst projects higher profits for Tyson, Hormel
Saying the companies are “well positioned for growth” with diverse, well-managed operations, Stephens Inc. analyst Farha Aslam boosted her more...
Brazil company to export Certified Humane chicken to Hong Kong
São Paulo, Brazil-based Korin Agropecuária, the largest organic chicken producer in Brazil and the first Brazilian company more...
Restaurant chain accuses former exec of advising beef jerky venture
Taco John’s International Inc. has filed a federal civil lawsuit against a former executive it accuses of working for a beef jerky business on the more...
Ohio barn fire kills thousands of chickens
A barn fire that burned for several hours at a Mennonite poultry operation in north-central Ohio resulted in the death of more than 22,000 chickens, according more...
NCC downplays importance of Georgia Dock in overall chicken pricing
As questions continue to be raised about the integrity of the “Georgia Dock” poultry prices published by the Georgia Department of Agriculture more...
Bangkok firm buys Bellisio Foods for over $1 billion
Minneapolis-based Bellisio Foods announced that Charoen Pokphand Foods (known as CPF), based in Bangkok, Thailand, has entered into a definitive agreement more...
Animal byproduct gelatin plant to expand in Iowa
Gelita USA Inc. is planning to expand its Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, plant that makes commercial gelatin products from pork skins and cattle bones, the Sioux more...
FSIS seeks comments on Nutrition Facts label compliance
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issues an advance copy of a Federal Register notice allowing establishments to use the Food and more...
JBS expects to improve margins, reduce debt in 2017
JBS S.A. expects to recover EBITDA margins in the coming year while also reducing the protein conglomerate's debt, CEO Wesley Batista told analysts more...
New biosecurity efforts emerge in Europe to block HPAI
Officials in the Netherlands and Denmark are taking steps to protect their poultry flocks, even as Austria added its name to the list of nations dealing more...
Delaware cites Allen Harim over excess chemical discharge
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) cited Allen Harim’s Harbeson, Del., chicken processing plant for more...
Election has ripple effect on consumer food demand: report
Consumers were significantly less likely to pay for food across several categories in November and last week's elections may have contributed to the sharp more...
Overseas HPAI outbreaks prompt import restrictions
A recent series of separate reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks have sparked import bans of poultry products in at least two more...
Document maps out possible Trump ag policies: report
Post-election coverage prognosticating the ifs, ands or buts of President-elect Donald Trump’s agricultural policies center on uncertainty, but more...
Report looks at worker conditions across the food chain
A report by the Food Chain Workers Alliance (FCWA) and Solidarity Research Cooperative titled, “No Piece of the Pie — U.S. food workers in more...
Cheesecake Factory invests in two eatery brands
Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has entered into what it called a strategic relationship with Fox Restaurant Concepts LLC with respect to two of its brands more...
Creekstone joint venture adds grass-fed product line
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef announced a joint venture under which grass-fed beef producer Pasture One is transitioning all of its production to the more...
McDonald’s trying out spicier Big Mac in one market
McDonald’s announced its restaurants in the Central Ohio area are testing a new Big Mac sandwich, spicing up the original “special sauce” more...
Officials probe chicken house fire that killed 12,000 birds
Authorities in Yadkin County, N.C., are investigating what may have caused a multiple-alarm fire over the weekend that killed an estimated 12,000 chickens more...
NAMI pushes again for TPP, but Washington quits trying
As it has so many times in the recent months and years, the North American Meat Institute issued a news release Monday morning calling on Congress to more...
Groups urge USDA to expand access to antibiotic-free chicken in schools
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Urban School Food Alliance and School Food Focus have petitioned the USDA to make antibiotic-free chicken more...
Thanksgiving turkey: What a difference a year makes
Concerns about available supply of turkeys for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday are not an issue, in contrast to a year ago, when avian influenza played more...
Global meat prices fall on waning China demand
Global meat prices declined in October due to slackening import demand from China, bucking an upward trend in food prices overall, according to an index more...
Researchers find way to monitor salt as ham matures
Researchers from the University of Extremadura in Spain have developed a non-destructive method to quantify the salt content of Iberian ham and classify more...
Danish Crown to open pork plant in China
Danish Crown, Europe’s largest pork producer, said it plans to invest about $44 million to build a pork processing and retail product plant in Shanghai more...
Gold'n Plump launches chicken meatballs, sliced sausage products
Gold'n Plump is rolling out chicken meatballs and sliced sausages made with boneless skinless chicken thigh meat. Gold'n Plump Chicken Meatballs have more...
Montreal co. recalls cured meats over possible listeria contamination
Montreal-based Charcuterie Parisienne is recalling Charcuterie Parisienne brand cured meats from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination more...
Strong customer traffic propels Wendy’s profit
Wendy's Co. reported strong third-quarter earnings, boosted by a redesigned grilled chicken sandwich and limited-time offerings including a summer berry more...
Post-election export picture is bleak: analysts
With Donald J. Trump as the president-elect, meat analysts and lobbyists are anticipating rough seas for exports, on which a growing number of meat processors more...
AdvancePierre resets C-suite table before 2017 CEO retirement
The board of directors of AdvancePierre Foods Inc. has approved a slate of executive-level appointments before the expected retirement of current CEO more...
Ethanol use up, corn production higher: WASDE forecast
November’s U.S. corn outlook is for larger production, increased food, seed and industrial (FSI) use and slightly higher prices, according to the more...
US Foods reports sales, profit climbed in Q3
US Foods Holding Corp. reported higher net sales and net income in the third quarter thanks primarily to both volume growth and improved profitability more...
U.S. judge dismisses OSHA warrant to inspect Mar-Jac plant
A federal judge has rejected a warrant obtained earlier this year that would have allowed the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) more...
Lower selling prices trim National Beef’s Q3 financial results
National Beef Packing Co. said its sales slipped in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 in part because of lower average selling prices, even as it recovered more...
An election day ag round-up: FERN's Ag Insider
The Ag Insider newsletter of Food and Environment Reporting Network Inc. today offers a rundown of initiatives and elections that will have a direct effect more...
Del Taco launches drive-through plated Mexican meals concept
Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. has introduced Platos, its new premium menu offering of individually-plated meals. Complete with an entrée, two sides more...
Grocer/distributor to buy distributor with new processing facility
Grocery distributor SpartanNash has agreed to purchase certain assets of Caito Foods Service and Blue Ribbon Transport (BRT) for $217.5 million in cash more...
Smithfield’s Armour brand offers new product
Smithfield Foods’ Armour brand announced it is rolling out a new frozen Sauce & Meatballs in a microwaveable bag. The product is fully cooked more...
Taco Bell plans big U.S. restaurant expansion
Taco Bell is preparing to boost the number of its U.S. restaurants by about 30 percent over the next six years and will add an estimated 100,000 jobs more...
Pork exports to Mexico seen growing as China slows: USMEF
U.S. pork exports to China may not repeat this year’s strong pace, but Mexican imports are likely to pick up the slack, executives with the U.S more...
First Neb. beef heads to Israel since ban; expansion planned
Nebraska officials on Thursday helped load the first shipment of U.S. beef destined for Israel since a 13-year-old ban was lifted. WR Reserve of Hastings more...
Price-fixing allegations again dim chicken processors’ stocks
A New York Times article on litigation charging the chicken processing industry with price fixing again has sent the stock prices of Tyson Foods, Sanderson more...
McDonald’s offers two new Big Mac sizes
McDonald’s announced that, for a limited time, it has added two new burger sizes to its menu — the Grand Mac and Mac Jr. The Grand Mac is more...
Kraft Heinz cites cold cuts as a drag on sales
Kraft Heinz Co., which has been downsizing since the two conglomerates merged last year, reported higher-than-expected third-quarter profit but said sales more...
Foodservice firms commit to slower-growing chicken
Charlotte, N.C.-based Compass Group USA and Philadelphia-based Aramark announced changes to their chicken sourcing policies that will eventually limit more...
Meat groups, and others, file brief in WOTUS case
The National Pork Producers Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association were among the organizations and companies signing on to a brief more...
Maple Leaf posts strong third quarter
Canadian meat processor Maple Leaf Foods said third-quarter earnings jumped 70 percent and per-share profit doubled before items, propelled by higher more...
Whole Foods eliminates co-CEO structure; appoints John Mackey CEO
The Whole Foods board of directors has announced changes to the leadership structure, including transitioning from co-CEOs to a sole chief executive officer more...
HSUS is ‘deflecting attention’ from ‘real’ issue: Fulton (updated)
Kevin Fulton, a Nebraska rancher and former chairman of the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) National Agricultural Advisory Council, more...
Group amps up promotion budget as cattle prices slide
The Federation of State Beef Councils is planning to invest nearly $1 million in new promotions, several aimed at Asian export markets, to boost demand more...
Poultry industry maintains low injury rate: Labor Dept.
The number of non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses in the poultry processing industry remains at an all-time low, according to the latest report more...
Japan’s poultry import market shines
Exports are increasingly important to U.S. producers and processors as domestic consumption remains mostly flat and Japan is an attractive target for more...
Alaska gives meat plant survival effort another go
Alaska’s Board of Agriculture and Conservation has issued another request for proposals to lease or purchase the long struggling Mt. McKinley Meat more...
Bachoco cites sales increase for Q3 earnings surge
O.K. Foods owner Industrias Bachoco said steady domestic sales and improved exports of its poultry products offset weaker prices in U.S. markets and sent more...
For animal ag, cheap grain is good, but might not be enough
The monthly average price of corn received by U.S. producers has been less than $4 per bushel for 27 consecutive months and prices below $4 are expected more...
COFCO IPO runs into choppy waters
The initial public offering for COFCO Meat Holdings Ltd., on Tuesday, ran into a buzzsaw of a market in its first day. The value of its shares, priced more...
October 2016
Hormel expands Black Market bacon line with new flavors
Hormel Corp. plans to introduce new flavors in an expansion of its Hormel Black Label bacon line, the company announced in a news release. The Austin more...
No advantage in using genetically modified crops: reports
The use of genetically modified crops with a goal of developing pest-resistant crops that produced higher yields has failed to meet either target, according more...
Canada, EU sign trade deal
Over the weekend, Canada and the European Union signed a trade agreement that will eliminate nearly all import duties, including those on beef. In a statement more...
Celebrity celebrates birthday with bacon
With so many celebrities speaking out for animal activists and vegan movements, it was notable to see a pop star post her unabashed love for red meat; more...
UN group weighs in on animal welfare, food security
The UN Committee of World Food Security approved new policy recommendations related to animal welfare at a meeting held last week in Rome. As summarized more...
UW-Madison to host one of nation’s most advanced meat labs
Ground on one of the most advanced meat science teaching labs in the nation is expected to be broken by early December, slating the University of Wisconsin more...
Clean label meats post rapid growth: Nielsen
Sales growth for several clean meat label claims is fast outpacing that of conventional meat, showing clear consumer interest in those products, the Nielsen more...
White Castle series highlights chef creations using Original Slider
White Castle is partnering with Tastemade, a video network that brings people together with shared passions for food and travel, and Foodbeast, a more...
Pilgrim’s expects volume to recover after plant upgrades
Pilgrim’s Pride executives on Thursday said a series of plant upgrades under way hurt sales volume and profit in the third quarter, but predicted more...
Chicken industry doing its part in curbing antimicrobial resistance: FDA
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sales of antimicrobials among food-animal producers in the United States have been on the rise, but the chicken industry more...
Carl’s Jr., Hardees launch new premium burger
CKE Restaurants Holding’ Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s chains are launching a new premium burger offering: the Budweiser Beer Cheese Bacon more...
Whole Foods puts veggie protein in meat case; veggie chain gets funding
Plant-based burger maker Beyond Meat got its second boost of the month this week with the news that Whole Foods will stock the plant-based protein in more...
JBS shareholder explains why it vetoed the meatpacker’s reorganization
Brazil's BNDES Participações, one of JBS' largest shareholders, said it vetoed the meatpacker’s corporate restructuring plan because more...
JBS cancels reorganization after shareholder veto (UPDATED)
Brazil's JBS SA will evaluate alternatives to unlock the company's value after shareholder BNDES Participações (BNDESPar) vetoed its corporate more...
Smithfield Q3 profit up on fresh pork margin surge
Smithfield Foods Inc. today reported a 73-percent jump in third-quarter net income, boosted by strong fresh pork margins even as the company’s hog more...
Teamsters launch new US Foods strike, end one in Md.
Teamsters Local 455 has launched a new strike against US Foods Inc., alleging unfair labor practices, even as the union reached a tentative agreement more...
Arby’s takes regional efforts into the woods
Arby’s will introduce a Venison Sandwich in popular hunting markets beginning in early November in an appeal to hunters, the company announced. more...
Cheaper meat, poultry forecast but restaurant food seen climbing
The gap between the cost of buying groceries and going out to eat looks like it will continue to widen, according to USDA’s latest Food Price Index more...
Trial begins in Canada on allegedly false ‘organic’ chicken claims
An Ontario, Canada-based poultry processor is continuing to deny accusations it mislabeled chicken as “certified organic” as a formal trial more...
Koch Foods plant emerges from two fires
Investigators this week are trying to determine the cause of two fires Friday night at Koch Foods’ chicken processing plant in Forest, Miss., according more...
Executive resets for Hard Rock, Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee
The executive suites at Hard Rock International and Diversified Restaurant Holdings Inc. (DRH) are poised for change on very different schedules. The more...
Allen Harim to build large hatchery on Delmarva
Seaford, Del.-based chicken producer and processor Allen Harim Foods announced plans to invest $22 million to build a state-of-the art hatchery in Dagsboro more...
National Beef plant resumes operations after fire
No one was injured and operations resumed after a fire late Friday night at a National Beef Packing Co. plant in Liberal, Kan., according to a report more...
Organic meat processor buys Tender Choice Foods
Canadian protein and organic food company Blue Goose Capital Corp. will pay an undisclosed price to acquire Tender Choice Foods Inc., a processor, packer more...
Brookwood Farms recalls 127,000 pounds of pulled pork
Siler City, N.C.-based Brookwood Farms Inc. has recalled about 126,570 pounds of pulled pork products because of misbranding and undeclared allergens more...
Memphis firm recalls 13 tons of poultry products
St. Clair Foods Inc. has recalled about 26,800 pounds of chicken and dumplings because of misbranding and an undisclosed allergen, USDA’s Food Safety more...
Mountaire Farms gets $2.3 million in tax incentives for N.C. plant project
A local tax incentive package totaling some $2.3 million over the next six years will help Mountaire Farms reopen and possibly expand a former Townsends more...
Frozen food maker to add 150 jobs in purchased facility
Buddy’s Kitchen plans to add 150 jobs after it renovates and reopens the former Arden International Kitchens frozen food facility in Lakeview, Minn more...
Pork piling up as export pace slowing: Rabobank
A glut of U.S. pork at a time when Chinese imports are slowing will pressure global pork prices in the months ahead, Rabobank said in its latest quarterly more...
New chicken nuggets, all-day breakfast lift McDonald’s sales
McDonald’s Corp. said the launch of Chicken McNuggets with no artificial preservatives and the continued popularity of All Day Breakfast supported more...
Hormel sued again over ‘natural’ claims
A Florida man, on behalf of a class of consumers, has filed a lawsuit against Hormel Foods alleging that the company’s “100% Natural” more...
U.S. beef exports to benefit as Australian shipments plunge: USDA
U.S. beef exports will benefit from reduced competition from Australia in 2017 as producers there focus on rebuilding their herds, USDA’s Foreign more...
CDC declares E. coli outbreak over
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared over an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses that resulted in Adams Farm Slaughterhouse more...
Processor intros “Vermont flavors” sausages
Hinesburg, Vt.-based Vermont Smoke & Cure has introduced a line of pork sausages in five “Vermont flavors,” the company said in a news more...
China pork imports surge: USDA
Shipments of U.S. pork to China doubled during the first eight months of the year, as a percentage of total U.S. exports, with elevated domestic prices more...
JBS rules out acquisitions in 2016 and 2017
JBS S.A. has no plans to make any acquisitions until the end of 2017, according to global CEO Wesley Batista in a report in Brazil's Valor Econômico more...
Meats on suspect list in Canadian listeria outbreak
Health officials in Vancouver, British Columbia, are trying to determine the cause of an outbreak of listeriosis that has sent at least six people to more...
Restaurant delivery market has plenty of upside: Mintel
The convenience of third-party food delivery services, such as GrubHub and UberEats, is catching on, with new research from Mintel revealing that 87 percent more...
Brazilian processor BRF buys stake in COFCO pork unit
Brazil’s BRF S.A., one of the country's largest poultry and pork processors, is buying a $20-million stake in a pork meat division of China’s more...
Canadian pork processor announces (another) expansion
La Broquerie, Manitoba-based pork processor, HyLife Ltd., plans to invest up to C$125 million to modernize and expand its integrated pork production and more...
N.C. agency says hog lagoons holding up against floodwaters
Aerial tours indicate that some hog waste lagoons were inundated by floodwaters in North Carolina but did not show any confirmed breaches or overtopping more...
Sanderson Farms outlook appears rosier: analysts
Expected organic volume growth and prospects for an improved export market sparked two industry analysts to project an improved financial picture for more...
Smithfield worker diagnosed with TB poses no food safety issue
Smithfield Foods is working with public health officials in the wake of a confirmed case of tuberculosis in an employee at its Smithfield, Va., pork processing more...
Large supermarket chain sells discount grocery unit for over $1 billion
Minneapolis-based Supervalu announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Save-A-Lot discount grocery business to an affiliate of Onex more...
Minnesota pork plant set to open in January
A Minnesota pork plant expected to go online in January will focus on the export and natural foods market, according to a Minnesota Public Radio report more...
Court dismisses challenge to industry input on Dietary Guidelines
A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a nonprofit animal activist group that alleged too much food industry influence on the Dietary Guidelines more...
USDA moves forward with GIPSA rules
The USDA will move forward with rulemaking on the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Act (GIPSA) rules proposed in 2010, despite that effort more...
Cargill breaks ground on Philippines-based poultry plant
Cargill and Jollibee Foods Corporation, an Asian food service company, have broken ground on a poultry processing plant in Santo Tomas, Batangas, in the more...
First Brazilian beef shipment to U.S. arrives in Philly
The first shipment of beef from Brazil to the U.S. in nearly two decades arrived Thursday in the Port of Philadelphia, according to a notice posted by more...
NCC expands social media presence
The National Chicken Council (NCC) has launched a new blog — The Cluck — and a new Instagram account as part of its Chicken Check In initiative more...
USDA launches public-private rural investment program
USDA announced the launch of a private investment fund with the potential to inject $100 million into small businesses across rural America. The initiative more...
Premium Brands acquires Belmont Meats for $50 million
Specialty foods distributor Premium Brands Holdings Corp. announced today that it has acquired 100 percent of the shares of Ontario-based Belmont Meats more...
Heat inactivates avian influenza, researcher finds
The avian influenza virus may be quickly inactivated by heat, a USDA researcher has shown. Erica Spackman, of USDA ARS, recently completed research that more...
Amazon to open perishables-only stores: report
Amazon.com Inc. plans to build small brick-and-mortar grocery stores, some with curbside pickup, selling perishable items including meat, the Wall Street more...
Famous Dave’s CEO out; successor named
Famous Dave’s of America Inc., which has struggled with declining sales in recent quarters, said it has replaced Chief Executive Adam Wright after more...
Smithfield slowly reopening plants in flood areas
Operations at Smithfield Foods Inc.'s hog processing plants in North Carolina are slowly coming back online in the wake of Hurricane Matthew and the storm's more...
WASDE report sees higher corn prices
USDA‘s corn outlook is for lower production, increased exports, reduced stocks, and higher prices, according to the October report on the World more...
Sandwich chain adds meaty mac ’n cheese dishes
Austin, Texas-based sandwich chain Schlotzsky's has added to its menu four new mac’n cheese entrées, called “Macs,” that are more...
Pork group sets Latino-centric holiday promotion
The National Pork Board (NPB) has launched a campaign designed to raise the profile of pork at holiday meals among Latino and Hispanic consumers. The more...
Duck processor says PETA video does not reflect its practices
An Indiana-based duck processor says an undercover video released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) does not reflect how the company more...
Wall Street analyst weighs in on Tyson Foods, lawsuit
Other Wall Street analysts this week are weighing in on Tyson Foods as an investment after last week’s stock plunge on a single analyst's concerns more...
Veterinary medicine school gets large estate gift (updated)
Mississippi State University announced it has received a $7.2 million gift from the Charles E. and Viola G. Bardsley Estate to endow a scholarship program more...
Burger King launches bacon-based, half-pound burger
Burger King is taking the concept of “there’s no such thing as too much bacon” to the next level. The Miami-based chain has introduced more...
Federal court rejects Tyson request for new don-doff trial
A federal court in Iowa has rejected a request from Tyson Foods for a new trial following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in March upholding a $5 more...
Meat plants appear spared hurricane damage but floods hamper transportation
Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods plants in the path of Hurricane Matthew are back online today, though flooding is slowing some live animal movement to more...
AdvancePierre buys raw/cooked beef, chicken maker
Cincinnati, Ohio-based sandwich maker AdvancePierre Foods announced it completed the acquisition of Allied Specialty Foods, Inc., a manufacturer of raw more...
Clean label meat brand names new marketing executive
Bridgewater, N.J.-based natural and organic meat brand Applegate has named Nicole Glenn its vice president of marketing. Applegate Farms is a stand-alone more...
CDC declares salmonella outbreaks from backyard poultry over
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it concluded its investigation into eight separate multistate outbreaks of salmonella infections more...
Tyson speaks out as share price falls on analyst report
Tyson Foods share price fell more than 8 percent in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange after a research firm cut its stock rating and in a report more...
Perdue announces completion of no-antibiotics effort
Perdue Farms announced today that it has completed the final step away from the routine use of any antibiotics in its chicken production by eliminating more...
Harrison Poultry settles EEOC lawsuit for $100,000
Harrison Poultry has agreed to pay $100,000 and provide other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment more...
FSIS to hold livestock haulers accountable for animal welfare at slaughterhouses
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service today announced in a notice that the agency intends to hold downstream livestock handlers accountable more...
Cargill will launch 100% traceable beef brand
BANFF, Alberta, Canada — Cargill Meats is preparing to launch its Pasture Crafted Beef brand, which will be grass-fed, grain-finished, “guaranteed more...
N.C. officials approve tax incentives for Tyson Foods project
City and county officials in Wilkesboro, N.C., this week approved separate agreements awarding Tyson Foods nearly $650,000 in tax reimbursements to support more...
CFIA expands listeria recall
A food recall warning issued Oct. 4 has been updated to include additional product information. The additional information was identified during the Canadian more...
U.S. turns some Canadian pigs away due to viral symptoms
U.S. authorities have turned away at least eight truck loads of pigs that apparently showed signs of Senecavirus A (formerly called Seneca Valley Virus more...
Darden CEO: Casual-dining sector due for more closures
The struggling casual dining sector is beginning to see a shakeout as large chains start to announce restaurant closures, but more will be needed to balance more...
Supermarket giant names new U.S. chief executive
Zaandam, the Netherlands-based supermarket chain Ahold Delhaize announced that James McCann has resigned and Kevin Holt has been named to succeed him more...
FSIS seeks comments on animal-raising claims on labels
Federal regulators have released an update on the documentation needed to win approval of animal-raising claims on labels before they can appear on meat more...
Listeria recalls prompt another look at control efforts
So far this year USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has reported more listeria-related recalls than the agency reported in 2013, 2014 and more...
Chipotle launches chorizo nationwide
Beginning today, Chipotle Mexican Grill will serve chorizo in all U.S. restaurants. The product was introduced in five markets in June. Made with a blend more...
Foodservice traffic stable-to-growing globally in second quarter
Britain voted to leave the European Union just as the second quarter of 2016 ended, but at that point British consumers made enough foodservice visits more...
Pork Board debuts two online resources to help build transparency
The National Pork Board has debuted Pork Quick Facts and the Pork Checkoff Photo Library, two new online resources designed to help build transparency more...
World Health Summit endorses "Meatless Mondays" concept
On Oct. 10, professionals from academia, government and civil society will dine on a Meatless Monday menu at the World Health Summit 2016 (WHS) in Berlin more...
OSI fined $3.6 million in China
Market watchdogs in Shanghai have fined Shanghai Husi Food Co., and its U.S. parent OSI Group, more than 24 million yuan ($3.6 million) over meat that more...
JBT buys Tipper Tie
Food and beverage industry equipment provider JBT Corporation announced it signed a definitive agreement to purchase engineered processing and packaging more...
US Foods acquires N.Y. Italian specialty distributor
US Foods has agreed to acquire Jeraci Foods, an Italian specialty distributor based in Elmsford, N.Y. Family owned since 1972, Jeraci Foods offers a full more...
Smithfield, MLB Hall of Famer team up to stop school bullying
Smithfield Foods is working with a company owned by former Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench to sponsor an app designed to help stop bullying, among more...
September 2016
Law updating Packers and Stockyards Act passes Senate
The U.S. Senate passed a bill that revises the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 to include video and online sales of livestock. The legislation -- H more...
FSIS updates guidelines on animal-raising label claims
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today the availability of an updated compliance guideline on documentation required to more...
FSIS issues instructions on checking grinding records
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued instructions to its inspectors on verifying whether processors and retail stores are more...
Survey explores food perceptions of two biggest consumer groups
The two largest U.S. consumer populations — baby boomers and millennials — view food differently and have different priorities when it comes more...
Tyson expands Iowa case-ready plant
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. announced today it is investing $27 million to expand production capacity at its Council Bluffs, Iowa, case-ready beef and pork more...
Hormel announces several leadership appointments
Hormel Foods announced today that James M. Splinter has been appointed to the position of group vice president, corporate strategy. In this new role, more...
GIPSA slaps JBS's wrist for inaccurate scale
JBS USA has agreed to pay an $8,000 fine after the USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) alleged the company operated more...
ConAgra profit up, boosted by strategy shift
ConAgra Foods on Thursday posted first-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street expectations as the packaged foods maker benefited from a new focus on higher-margin more...
USDA, industry trading data ahead of primal testing for salmonella
WASHINGTON — USDA officials met with meat industry executives this week and agreed to look over existing industry data on beef primal and sub-primal more...
Verde Farms hires top executives
Verde Farms, a supplier of grass-fed, grass-finished beef for retail and foodservice, has hired two food industry veterans for its the leadership team: more...
Here's why most employee retention programs don’t work
WASHINGTON — If your company is diligently focused on employee engagement surveys, exit interviews, employee-of-the-month programs or even raising more...
Buyer emerges for Fox & Hound, Champps chains
A San Diego-based investment firm is expected to acquire the Fox & Hound, Champps and Bailey’s Sports Grille sports bar chains, which closed more...
JBS didn’t discriminate in 2008 worker dispute, judge rules
A federal judge has ruled that JBS USA did not have a discriminatory motive when it fired nearly 80 Somali Muslim workers in a dispute over prayer breaks more...
U.S. House questions funding, research of WHO’s cancer research wing
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform wants answers on how the World Health Organization’s cancer research arm gets funding more...
Farm group reports meat, egg and dairy price drops in survey
Declines in retail prices for meat, eggs and dairy products are combining to hurt the share of consumer wallets that American farmers receive from meals more...
Soup purveyor completes move to antibiotic-free chicken
All 36 soups sold at retail from the Progresso soup division of General Mills are now exclusively using chicken breast meat that are 100-percent antibiotic- more...
China opens doors to Canada with new beef agreement
The announcement of a new agreement that will open China to Canadian beef appears to be a significant development and a sign of a warming political relationship more...
Pork production accelerating, pushing down prices
Strong second-half U.S. pork production, coupled with increases in beef and poultry supplies, is expected to result in lower hog prices, pressuring producer more...
China adjusts date of duties on U.S. broilers to Sept. 27
The Chinese government said it will extend anti-dumping duties on U.S. broilers imported into the country for another five years starting Tuesday, according more...
Marfrig enables 2nd plant to export beef to US; JBS ships 27 tons
Brazilian beef processor Marfrig's unit in Paranatinga, located in Mato Grosso state, received authorization on Sept. 21 to start exporting fresh more...
Sanderson’s dividend actions reflect solid chicken outlook
Sanderson Farms boosted its regular dividend and announced a special dividend -- signs that the chicken industry remains fundamentally healthy, says one more...
Cattle, wholesale, retail beef prices continue downward spiral
Negative psychology continues to permeate the U.S. cattle and beef industry, with both fed cattle and wholesale beef prices yet to find stability, according more...
Big Canadian feedlot to close cattle operations
One of Canada’s largest cattle feedlots announced it will shut down, a victim of unfavorable market conditions. Western Feedlots announced it would more...
Record commercial red meat, pork production for August
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.43 billion pounds in August, up 14 percent from the 3.90 billion pounds produced in August more...
Butterball to expand footprint in Arkansas
Butterball LLC is expanding turkey production in Arkansas, with plans to add 30 new farms in the River Valley region and add almost 164 jobs at more...
China lifts ban on U.S. beef: USMEF (UPDATE)
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine have announced that China has lifted more...
Olymel plans C$11 million expansion of pork plant
Olymel announced an investment of C$11 million to expand and modernize its pork further processing facility located in St-Henri-de-Lévis on the more...
Tax cuts proposed for Tyson plant upgrade in N.C.
County commissioners are proposing that Tyson Foods be paid back 80 percent of county property taxes the company pays each year on its Wilkesboro, N.C more...
JBT to acquire protein equipment solutions company
JBT Corporation has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the assets of Cooling and Applied Technologies (C.A.T.) Inc. for $90 million, before customary more...
Panera announces changes to sourcing, ingredients for bacon
Panera Bread has announced that it will serve bacon that is free of artificial preservatives, flavors, sweeteners and colors from artificial sources prohibited more...
FSIS updates non-GMO label process for meat products
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has released a new procedure that allows certified organic meat and poultry producers to obtain more...
Legal challenges to new overtime rule heating up
A coalition of 21 U.S. states and several business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce both have filed lawsuits seeking to block or overturn a more...
Chinese premier promises U.S. beef imports 'soon'
China will soon allow imports of U.S. bone-in beef, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said last night at a dinner in New York where he is attending the United more...
OSHA cites Koch Foods after worker injuries
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to Koch Foods’ poultry plant in Morton, Miss., for more...
Cargill partners on poultry processing in Indonesia
Cargill and So Good Food, a wholly owned Indonesian subsidiary of the agri-food company Japfa, have entered into a 60-40 joint venture to produce and more...
Tyson’s Iowa incentive package totals $1.2 million
Iowa’s Economic Development Authority approved some $1.2 million in tax incentives to support Tyson Foods in the $30 million expansion of its Storm more...
Canada sees another PEDV confirmation, boosts biosecurity
Officials in Manitoba are investigating the possible sources of an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) on a sow farm that was confirmed more...
Growing number of restaurant chains going AB-free
Compared with a year ago, twice as many of the nation’s largest QSR chains are adopting policies that prohibit the routine use of antibiotics, or more...
New talks expected after union rejects Pilgrim’s Pride contract
Negotiators are expected to return to the bargaining table now that members of a union representing workers at a Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. facility more...
USDA projects red meat and poultry per capita disappearance for 2016
In 2016, U.S. per capita disappearance of red meats and poultry on a retail basis is projected at 214.8 pounds per person, down 7 pounds per capita from more...
Traffic issues spark restaurant roster decline: NPD report
Stagnant growth in customer traffic contributed to a decline in the number of total restaurants operating this spring compared with the spring of 2015 more...
Vilsack announces rural opioid epidemic initiatives
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new USDA initiatives to strengthen local outreach and education resources to combat the rural opioid epidemic more...
Class action suit accuses chicken industry of price fixing
A class action lawsuit filed in U.S. district court in northern Illinois accuses the largest U.S. chicken processors of killing chickens and destroying more...
Tyson plant expansion in Iowa gets tax incentives
Iowa state officials have awarded Tyson Fresh Meats tax incentives to help the company with a $30 million improvement project at the Storm Lake pork plant more...
Analyst expects soft quarter for Pilgrim’s
Stephens analyst Farha Aslam cut profit forecasts for Pilgrim’s Pride, citing higher-than-expected grain costs and reduced production due to an more...
Tyson beef plant operation still on hold
After resuming operations earlier this week to finish processing carcasses that were in its coolers, Tyson Foods’ beef plant near Pasco, Wash., more...
Consumer willingness-to-pay holds steady
The amount consumers are willing to pay for beef remained unchanged in September, but there was an uptick in willingness to pay (WTP) for chicken more...
Poultry plant faces stiff fines after worker injury
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed penalties totaling $317,477 against Birdsboro Kosher Farms Corp. in Pennsylvania for more...
Lunchables plant will stay open after all
Kraft Heinz Co. said it has reversed plans to close its Fullerton, Calif., plant that makes Lunchables due to strong consumer demand for the packaged more...
House ag committee OKs bill to modernize Packers & Stockyards Act
The House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday passed a bill that would amend the Packers & Stockyards Act with regard to electronic livestock transactions more...
FAO to help tackle antimicrobial resistance
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) this week pledged to help countries develop strategies for tackling the spread of antimicrobial more...
Wesley and Joesley Batista can return to positions at JBS
Wesley and Joesley Batista can resume their positions of CEO and chairman at JBS S.A., after controller J&F Investimentos set up a deal with Brazil's more...
Tyson plant partially reopens after grease fire
Tyson Foods is confirming reports that some of its workers have returned to a plant near Pasco, Wash., that was temporarily closed after a grease fire more...
Pilgrim’s Pride names new business unit head
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. has named Mark Chranowski, a 37-year veteran of the industry, to lead its commercial business unit in the newly created role of more...
Executive changes at the top at Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday Inc.’s chairman and CEO has resigned all positions, effective immediately, and the company has named interim executives, announced more...
JBS names interim president, chairman amid Batistas’ suspension
JBS S.A. announced today that its board of directors appointed José Batista Júnior as interim president and CEO of the company and also more...
Fire shuts down Tyson beef plant
A fire at a beef slaughter plant owned by Tyson Foods has shut down the plant, near Pasco, Wash., for at least the rest of today, according to a statement more...
New report questions role of sugar vs. saturated fat in healthy diets
The recent discovery of documents that the sugar industry paid scientists to blame saturated fat for promoting heart disease appears to vindicate the more...
Menu price hikes hasten drop in foodservice lunch traffic
Recent menu price hikes, among other factors, have steepened declines in foodservice lunch traffic, according to The NPD Group in a news release about more...
USDA lowers cattle, hog, soybean prices, raises corn price forecast
USDA lowered its forecast for total red meat and poultry production for 2016 from last month, projecting lower beef, pork, and broiler production. Turkey more...
NPPC, Farm Bureau win FOIA case against EPA on CAFOs
A federal appeals court has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency violated the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by releasing personal information more...
Chipotle settles nearly 100 cases from 2015 food outbreaks
Chipotle Mexican Grill has resolved issues raised by nearly 100 customers who fell ill late last year in a series of outbreaks of E. Coli, norovirus and more...
Ammonia leak caught quickly at Cargill beef plant
A minor ammonia leak at Cargill’s beef plant in Fort Morgan, Colo., was discovered this morning before shift work began and was remediated, causing more...
Montreal company buys U.S. Mexican chains
MTY Food Group Inc. announced that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries has an agreement to acquire all of the equity interest of BF Acquisition Holdings more...
Texas restaurant chain files for bankruptcy protection
Zio’s Restaurant Co., which operates Zio’s Italian Kitchen restaurants across the Southwest, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last Wednesday more...
FSIS official outlines more upcoming policy proposals
CHICAGO — USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is working on a number of policy proposals, including animal handling and labeling more...
Legislators eye local food movement
Editor's Note: This is part of a multimedia package that examines the growing consciousness among consumers for sustainable food — and how more...
World meat prices edge higher in August: FAO
International meat prices inched up in August as higher pork, sheep and poultry prices offset weakness in beef, the United Nations food agency said on more...
USDA seeks comment on GMO rules
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public comment to inform the design of a study that will help establish a standard for the more...
Tyson innovation pipeline continues to flow
Tyson Foods is currently introducing into the marketplace three new varieties of its Hillshire Small Plates meat-and-cheese snacking line. Joining the more...
Smithfield plant ramps back up after fire
Smithfield Foods said its Monmouth, Ill., hog processing plant will resume a full schedule on Friday and Saturday following a Monday night fire in the more...
Experts warn against following others on pathogen interventions
CHICAGO — Meat industry experts warned participants at the North American Meat Institute’s Pathogen Control and Regulatory Compliance in Beef more...
Red meat volumes up, value results mixed in July
U.S. beef and pork export volumes trended higher in July than in the same month a year ago, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by USMEF more...
Smithfield working to resume operations after fire
Smithfield Foods is focused on resuming normal operations at its hog-processing plant in Monmouth, Ill., following a Monday night fire whose cause remains more...
Wholesale chicken breast, leg prices raise eyebrows
Unchanged production this summer from last year underlies unseasonably soaring wholesale prices for chicken breast and chicken leg meat, according to more...
Koreans embracing processed meat products
A diet that includes a growing amount of animal proteins and time pressure that favors quick-fix food is fueling sales of processed meat products in South more...
American, Chinese study energy digestibility in wheat bran fed to pigs
Researchers at the University of Illinois collaborating with colleagues at China Agricultural University in Beijing are close to determining the nutritional more...
Massive fire closes Smithfield plant
A fire in Smithfield’s Monmouth, Ill., pork plant Monday night has closed the plant for an undetermined amount of time, a spokeswoman told Meatingplace more...
Major chicken processors targeted in federal antitrust lawsuit
A New York-based foodservice distribution company has filed a class action lawsuit accusing 14 poultry processors of illegally manipulating poultry supplies more...
Judge orders JBS execs to step away from corporate roles
JBS's CEO Wesley Batista and chairman Joesley Batista were ordered by a Brazilian judge to step away from executive positions in their companies, according more...
Fire breaks out at threatened USDA facility
A fire broke out Tuesday at a USDA facility in Beltsville, Md., which was one of five offices closed then reopened last week after anonymous emailed threats more...
Fire damages Oscar Mayer storage building
A small fire connected to an elevator shaft erupted on Labor Day in a storage building near an Oscar Mayer plant in Davenport, Iowa, according to local more...
Report: Multidrug resistance on the rise in common salmonella serotype
Multidrug resistance in salmonella has remained stable over the past decade, but the authors of the latest surveillance report from the Centers for more...
JBS CEO questioned by Brazil's police on investigation about pulp producer firm
JBS CEO Wesley Batista was questioned by Brazil's Federal Police on Monday, as part of its investigation into pension fund investment in Eldorado Brasil more...
Organic poultry startup seeks to be a “large player” in the field
Sebastopol, Calif-based startup Hip Chick Farms has had quite a year. The organic, frozen poultry company founded by Serafina Palandech and chef more...
Top meats for Labor Day grilling revealed in survey
More Americans plan to grill hamburgers on Labor Day than any other meat, with hot dogs ranking as the No. 2 choice, finds a new survey from Budweiser more...
Virginia beef and pork processor plans to grow
Processor T&E Meats will expand its USDA-inspected facility in Harrisonburg, Va., to boost capacity by one-third and increase its focus on value-added more...
Judge denies calls for temp injunction in Costco chicken plant case
In Dodge County District Court Thursday, Judge Geoffrey Hall denied calls for a temporary injunction of the planned Costco poultry operation more...
Distribution center surpasses 3 million hours without lost-time accident
Employees and Cargill leaders are celebrating more than 3 million hours without a lost-time accident at the company's distribution center in Mt. more...
Niche processing group offers free downloads for small processors
The Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN) has developed a new set of short fact sheets on the basics of meat processing, available for download more...
Canadian firm buys Cracker Barrels in La.
Canadian convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. announced it has entered into an agreement to buy 53 Cracker Barrel sites located primarily more...
Cargill names North America protein business CMO
Cargill has selected Chuck Gitkin to lead its North America protein business marketing efforts in a newly created role as chief marketing officer (CMO) more...
Native American tribe breaks ground on red meat plant
The Quapaw Tribe has broken ground on a red meat processing plant in Oklahoma that is thought to be the first such facility to be owned and operated by more...
Proposed rule would add more categories for imported veal
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued a proposed rule that would amend the Beef Promotion and Research Order established under the Beef more...
U.K. firm boasts plans for most advanced poultry plant in the world
2 Sisters Food Group announced plans for a £45 million ($60 million) upgrade that will create the world’s most advanced poultry processing more...
August 2016
‘Last Call’ truly begins for three restaurant chains
The ironically named owner of the Fox & Hounds, Champps and Bailey’s Sports Grille chains closed 25 of its total of 70 restaurants over the more...
Bob Evans turns in strong quarter, boosts earnings guidance
Bob Evans Farms Inc. reported net income for its first quarter of fiscal 2017, ended July 29, of $9.2 million, up from net income of $4.3 million more...
USDA reopens some offices after anonymous threat
USDA is reopening some offices that were closed Tuesday following an anonymous threat contained in an email sent to multiple employees, a USDA spokesman more...
National Beef unveils second expansion in five weeks
National Beef Packing Company LLC announced it will expand boxed beef storage and shipping capabilities at its facility in Liberal, Kan., the company more...
Threats prompt USDA to close six offices nationwide
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has closed six offices in five states after receiving anonymous threats, according to the Associated Press and several more...
OK Foods granted summary judgment in grower's lawsuit
Poultry processor OK Foods Inc. was granted summary judgment in a case in which the company was accused of breach of contract by a former poultry grower more...
Falling beef prices to drive exports, USDA says
U.S. beef exports are expected to rise in 2017 as expanding production and declining wholesale prices, along with a pickup in global economic growth, more...
Tyson begins construction on $136MM poultry plant
Construction is under way on a new poultry processing plant being built by Tyson Foods Inc. near its existing poultry operation in Green Forest, Ark. more...
Smithfield Tar Heel plant evacuated after chemical reaction
Smithfield Foods’ Tar Heel, N.C., pork plant is back up and running after being evacuated along with nearby homes after a reaction occurred at the more...
USDA to add three muscles to ham primal
Effective Sept. 12, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will revise its pork cutout by including additional muscles in the ham primal more...
All legal sides weigh in on OSHA access to Mar-Jac plant
A magistrate judge has recommended that the district court quash a warrant allowing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to inspect more...
USDA continues poultry industry warnings as HPAI is confirmed in Alaska
USDA is stressing that poultry farmers continue to practice solid biosecurity measures following the first confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
Fast casual chain CEO to retire; board reconsiders spinoff
Dallas-based Fiesta Restaurant Group, parent company of the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana fast casual restaurant brands, announced Fiesta CEO and President more...
USDA seeks comment on revised standards for beef carcass grades
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking public comments on a petition asking to amend standards for beef carcass grades, according to a more...
Sanderson: “Woody breast” issue to curb production
Efforts to reduce “woody breast,” a recent phenomenon in which tough breast muscle tissue develops in broilers, are limiting industry more...
Wholesale firm launches masterclass butchery videos for customers
U.K.-based wholesaler JJ Food Service has launched a series of meat masterclass videos to share traditional butchery skills and classic cuts via its social more...
Swine gain weight on weed; give new meaning to “potbelly pig”
OK, it’s not exactly a scientific study. But it is, dare we say, food for thought: Farmers in Washington state have been feeding their pigs marijuana more...
Sanderson profit up as feed costs offset chicken pricing
Sanderson Farms Inc. on Thursday said third-quarter earnings rose more than 7 percent from a year ago as lower grain costs offset pressure on chicken more...
Cargill eyes seven employee clinics
Cargill’s meat operations has opened two more employee health centers near its meat processing plants, in Schuyler and Nebraska City, Neb., according more...
University of Nevada claims new cut of beef
Behold the “Bonanza Cut,” a small cut of beef normally used in meat grinds but one that University of Nevada researchers are calling a high-end more...
How we believe meat is raised may influence its taste, study finds
Our beliefs about how farm animals are raised can shape our meat-eating experience, according to a new study led by Lisa Feldman more...
Health systems call for more 'sustainable' proteins
Nine U.S. health systems, working with the non-profit Health Care Without Harm, have put out a call to producers and manufacturers to provide more meat more...
U.S., Canadian hog inventory up 2%
United States and Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs for June 2016 was 81.8 million head. This was up 2 percent from June 2015, and up 10 percent more...
CKE adds steak options at breakfast
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s are rolling out seasoned, marinated grilled steak, eggs and melted cheese in two new menu items nationwide on a signature more...
Rastelli and Three Jerks roll out new beef/pork burgers
Three Jerks Jerky has entered the premium burger market by introducing two burger varieties: 100 percent Filet Mignon and Pork Belly Blend (60 percent more...
Baltimore processor to build new poultry plant, create 100 jobs
Baltimore-based Holly Poultry is building a brand-new, USDA-inspected poultry processing plant that will bring 100 new jobs to that city once the facility more...
Cold storage: that’s a lot of meat and a lot of poultry
USDA’s latest Cold Storage report shows the largest combined volume of beef, pork, chicken and turkey in freezers since 2002, according to the Daily more...
China extends duties on U.S. poultry for five more years (UPDATED)
China will continue to levy anti-subsidy duties on broilers from U.S. sources for another five years, according to several media reports, including the more...
Canadian snack maker launches protein snack pack combo
McSweeney’s Premium Jerky & Meat Snacks is launching a new snack product that combines two types of proteins the company says should meet the more...
Iowa county approves $240 million Prestage pork plant
The Wright County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a development agreement allowing Prestage Foods of Iowa to build a $240 million pork more...
BPI drops some defendants from lawsuit against ABC
Four years after lean finely texture beef (LFTB) maker Beef Products Inc. sued ABC and certain individuals for news reports about its product that resulted more...
WTO rules Russian ban on pork illegal
A World Trade Organization (WTO) panel has declared illegal the Russian import ban on live pigs, fresh pork and other pig products from the European Union more...
McDonald's in Brazil to serve sustainable beef supplied by JBS
McDonald's in Brazil will start serving sustainable beef supplied by JBS S.A., Arcos Dorados Holdings, the largest operator of McDonald's restaurants more...
Open house set for Smithfield manure-to-energy project
Roeslein Alternative Energy and Smithfield Foods Inc. plan to host an open house this week to showcase their $120 million animal waste-to-energy more...
Iowa OKs $11.5 million to help Prestage build pork plant
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDC) has voted to approve $11.5 million in state incentives for Prestage Farms to build a proposed $240 million more...
Analyst expects Sanderson to outperform in Q3
Stephens analyst Farha Aslam is predicting Sanderson Farms will easily beat Wall Street’s earnings expectations when the company reports results more...
Online cattle auction set to resume: report
An online cattle auction that aims to improve transparency in livestock pricing is preparing to resume operations in September after fixing technological more...
Greater hog capacity could benefit Hormel: analyst
Expected growth in hog industry capacity with the addition of several new plants over the next few years could prove positive for Hormel Foods as the more...
Jennie-O, Applegate, food service propel Hormel profit
Hormel Corp. posted a 33 percent rise in quarterly net earnings and raised its full-year outlook, crediting its Applegate acquisition, a recovery more...
Foster Farms names new president, CEO
Livingston, Calif.-based poultry producer Foster Farms has appointed Laura Flanagan president and chief executive officer effective Aug. 29. Flanagan more...
Poultry facilities recognized for outstanding safety performance
At the 2016 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry in Destin, Fla., 122 chicken and turkey facilities received safety awards by the Joint more...
Processor launches new meat snacks
Boulder, Colo.-based smoked meats maker Duke's announced a new line of protein-based snacks as it rebrands and expands distribution nationwide. The new more...
Buffalo Wild Wings preps for international growth
From the current 19 restaurants operating outside the United States and Canada, Buffalo Wild Wings has an ambitious plan to eventually operate 3,000 locations more...
Lower meat prices keep a lid on food inflation
Consumer food prices were unchanged in July thanks largely to declining meat costs, the Labor Dept. reported. The consumer price index for meats, poultry more...
Approach to meals shifting among Millennials: NPD [UPDATED]
Dinner has become the dining experience that is differentiating Millennials from Gen Xers and Boomers, according to new research from NPD Group. The Chicago-based more...
Domino’s adds chicken-based salads to national menu
Domino’s Pizza said it is addressing the needs of customers who might not want its pies on pizza night by adding salads to its national delivery more...
Smithfield posts Q2 revenue gain despite hog challenges [UPDATED]
Smithfield Foods today reported net income of $137.8 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2016, even as the operating profit from hog production for more...
OSHA fines Tyson on 17 violations
Responding to a report of a finger amputation at the Tyson Foods chicken processing facility in Center, Texas, U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety more...
Texas distributor starts cooking meat; opens new facility
San Antonio-based Labatt Food Service has opened a new, 65,000-square-foot, $28 million meat cooking facility and begun shipping products including barbacoa more...
Canadian company reacquires U.S. firm
Premium Brands Holdings Corp., a maker of branded specialty food products, announced that its Ferndale, Wash.-based subsidiary, Hempler Foods Group LLC more...
Taco John’s installs new president after CEO departure
Taco John’s International Inc. has appointed Jim Creel its new president following the departure last week of Jeff Linville as the chain’s more...
HSUS moves on from pork, eggs to target chicken; reaches out to CEOs
A senior director of food policy for the Humane Society of the United States last week sent a letter to the CEOs of major broiler processing companies more...
Tall Tree Foods buys specialty sausage maker
Tall Tree Foods, a portfolio company of Altamont Capital Partners, announced it purchased The January Company, a manufacturer of Chinese-style meat products more...
Fire destroys processed meat plant (updated)
New Hamburg, Ontario-based processed meat maker Cloverleaf Farms burned to the ground over the weekend. No one was injured, but the processing plant was more...
Supervalu becomes Fresh Market grocery wholesaler
Minneapolis-based Supervalu Inc. has signed an agreement to become the grocery wholesaler for the Fresh Market Inc., a specialty grocery retailer offering more...
USDA predicts record corn crop; slashes corn, soybean price outlook
U.S. corn production is forecast at a record 15.2 billion bushels, up 613 million from the July projection, according to USDA’s first survey-based more...
USDA, OIE agree 14 countries are negligible risk for BSE
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said it has reviewed and agrees with the World Organization for Animal Health’s more...
Domestic demand for chicken legs on the rise: analysts
Domestic demand for chicken dark meat is increasing, helping to offset the collapse in exports triggered last summer by international concerns about avian more...
Mexican restaurant chain first to commit to stall-free pork
Mexican company Grupo Toks has announced that it will source only cage-free eggs and gestation stall-free pork in its supply chain. With 226 restaurants more...
Animal protein a bright spot in Cargill Q4
Cargill said adjusted operating earnings in its animal nutrition and protein business rose significantly in the fiscal fourth quarter, boosted more...
JBS sees recovery in U.S. beef margins, further improvement in pork business
JBS S.A. expects recovery in United States beef margins through the second half of this year as cattle availability increases, company executives told more...
Smithfield releases sustainability report
Smithfield Foods released it 2015 sustainability and financial report, in accordance with the core option of the G4 Guidelines of the Global Reporting more...
Antimicrobials may increase shelf-life in poultry parts when used prior to grinding, study finds
Treating chicken parts before packaging or prior to grinding with peracetic acid (PAA) or cetylpyridinium chlorine (CPC) not only may improve food safety more...
Another restaurant chain files for bankruptcy protection
Add Fox & Hound, Bailey’s Sports Grille and Champps Kitchen to a rash of restaurant chains seeking bankruptcy protection as consumers seek cheaper more...
AdvancePierre says earnings doubled in Q2
Sandwich specialist AdvancePierre Food Holdings Inc. today said productivity gains helped it post strong profit growth, offsetting a decline in revenue more...
Yum! Brands responds to activist calls on antibiotics
The owner of several casual restaurant chains is reminding critics calling for an extension of its position on antibiotics in the foods it sells that more...
Dickey’s rolls out no-antibiotics chicken initiative
Dallas-based Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has announced that all meats sold at its stores will be “responsibly raised, quality meats,” including more...
USPOULTRY releases driver safety video
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) has developed a driver education and awareness video, “Driver Safety – Out of the Cab.” more...
Cargill dials down antibiotics use — again — and rolls out new turkey brand
Cargill has stopped using gentamicin in some of its newly hatched, conventionally raised turkeys (they still will be treated with antibiotics for control more...
Two Smithfield employees arrested for identity theft
A nearly month-long investigation has led to the arrest of two Smithfield Foods employees in Orange City, Iowa on charges of identity theft and forgery more...
Premium Brands Holdings swings to 2Q profit, plans more acquisitions
Premium Brands Holdings announced today it swung to a profit and posted record sales in the second quarter as it eyes additional acquisitions. The Vancouver-based more...
Analysts raise Tyson estimates after Q3 earnings surge
Solid results for Tyson Foods Inc. in the second quarter prompted two industry analysts to raise their earnings estimates for the processor, just as Tyson more...
From farm to flavor: Profile of a cross-border courtship
A Canadian-American company — the largest veal and lamb producer in North America — says the key to its success is the vast amount of control more...
Segment growth pushes Tyson’s Q3 net to record levels
Tyson Foods today reported record net income in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 despite a 4.1-percent drop in sales in the period to $9.4 billion. All more...
OSI buys Dutch meat processor
Aurora, Ill.-based OSI Group announced it has purchased a controlling stake in Baho Food, a private Dutch meat processor that makes deli meats, convenience more...
Nathan’s Famous income up despite foodservice sales decline
Hot dog maker Nathan’s Famous reported total income from operations increased by 15.9 percent to $8.82 million in it first fiscal quarter ended more...
Custom-food manufacturer expands capabilities at Dallas facility (updated)
Surlean Foods has opened a customer research and development facility in Dallas. “Our decision to build a culinary innovation center in Dallas reflects more...
Restaurant chain files bankruptcy, CEO steps down
Nashville-based Logan's Roadhouse announced it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and will close 18 underperforming restaurants. The company more...
Olymel to shutter pork butt boning operations in St-Hyacinthe
Over the next year, Canadian proessor Olymel will discontinue pork butt boning operations at the firm's plant in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which will more...
Cargill to pay fired Muslim workers unemployment claims
More than 100 Muslim workers fired by Cargill Meat Solutions for walking off the job at its Fort Morgan, Colo., plant deserve unemployment benefits, the more...
Wendy’s releases policy on antibiotics
Wendy's Co. said it has begun the process of eliminating all antibiotics important to human medicine from its chicken by 2017. The company told Reuters more...
Global meat price index rises in July
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations monthly FAO Food Price Index averaged 161.9 points in July 2016, 1.3 points (0.8 percent) more...
Arrest made in Tyson Foods bomb threat probe
Police in Center, Texas, have arrested a local man suspected of calling in a bomb threat to a Tyson Foods plant, according to local news reports. Vincent more...
Poultry, beef maker expands on demand for specific husbandry, processing methods
Joyce Farms announced a plant expansion to accommodate increasing consumer demand for older-breed, slow-growing chickens, game birds and grass-fed beef more...
Outback Steakhouse names new president after retirement
Outback Steakhouse has appointed Gregg Scarlett to the post of president, parent company Bloomin’ Brands Inc. announced in a regulatory filing. more...
Chefs’ Warehouse says tax charge slammed Q2 results
The Chefs’ Warehouse Inc. said an after-tax loss of $13 million stemming from the early extinguishment of debt resulted in a net loss in the second more...
Chicago newspaper takes aim at state’s hog farms
In an eight-part package of stories accompanied by 10 videos, the Chicago Tribune today published a “special report,” titled “The Price more...
Wisconsin sausage rivals back in court
Johnsonville Sausage LLC has filed a lawsuit against Klement Sausage Co. accusing its competitor of stealing a tray package design it says helps its products more...
Russia looking to export beef, pork, poultry to Japan
Russian and Japanese officials met last week to discuss Russia’s desire to export poultry, beef and pork to Japan, and plans are underway to inspect more...
Pork, beef producers mourn passing of former industry leader
Former National Pork Board president and Wisconsin pork and beef producer Doug Wolf died suddenly last week. He was 61. Wolf had served in leadership more...
Sanderson campaign touts ‘responsible use’ of antibiotics
A new ad campaign released by Sanderson Farms Inc. stumps for the continued use of antibiotics in poultry production against what it calls “marketing more...
McDonald’s moves on preservatives, antibiotics
McDonald’s USA today announced a number of moves across its menu as the company continues to evolve. Changes include: Removing artificial preservatives more...
Chicken is trending with restaurant diners, chains: report
The popularity of chicken for out-of-home dining continues to grow and chicken brands are among the fastest growing U.S. chains, according to data from more...
Availability of meat contributes to global obesity: researchers
Australian researchers say that although meat in the modern diet offers surplus energy, it also contributes to global obesity worldwide. Scientists from more...
Tyson Foods fills newly-created ecommerce position
Tyson Foods has named Tim Madigan to the newly created role of vice president, ecommerce to lead development and execution of the company’s strategy more...
Russia looking to export beef, pork, poultry to Japan
Russian and Japanese officials met last week to discuss Russia’s desire to export poultry, beef and pork to Japan, and plans are underway to inspect more...
Food and consumer groups react as GMO legislation signed into law
President Barack Obama on Friday signed the GMO labeling compromise bill into law, drawing praise from food makers and disappointment from those who wanted more...
Pork, beef producers mourn passing of former industry leader
Former National Pork Board president and Wisconsin pork and beef producer Doug Wolf died suddenly last week. He was 61. Wolf had served in leadership more...
July 2016
New Missouri pork plant to create 160 jobs
The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) announced pork processor Moon Ridge Foods cut the ribbon on its flagship processing facility in more...
Canadian boy awarded $2.5 million in E. coli lawsuit
A 14-year-old Canadian boy was awarded more than $2.5 million after eating ground beef tainted with E. coli bacteria that left him with lasting disabilities more...
NAMI offers insight into food safety assessments, noncompliance records
The North American Meat Institute has authored two exclusive technical articles for Meatingplace to help processors better understand how to work with more...
True or false? Take Meatingplace's 10-second quiz
Debate about the topic of free trade in the presidential race has caught some attention in the industry lately, particularly over the Trans-Pacific Partnership more...
Pilgrim’s says capital investments dent sales volumes
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. on Thursday said operational improvements to its plants weighed on sales volumes in the second quarter but will be an important more...
OSHA to fine poultry processor in Florida
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. for safety and health hazards at its Live Oak, Fla., poultry more...
Dollar General buys Walmart Express stores, will expand meat offerings
Dollar General announced it has purchased 41 former Walmart Express locations across 11 states. Dollar General anticipates relocating 40 existing Dollar more...
Restaurant chain names new CEO, synergies sought with sister brand
Lake Forest, Calif.-based restaurant chain Johnny Rockets announced John Maguire has been named president and CEO. Maguire assumes this role in addition more...
National Beef to expand Dodge City facility
Kansas City, Mo.-based National Beef Packing Company announced it is starting a $30-million project to increase its capacity to handle and ship boxed more...
Costco plant wins final approval from Fremont, Neb.
The Fremont City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an agreement with Costco Wholesale Corp. covering the building and financing of a planned more...
Tyson Foods unit names foodservice sales chief
Tyson Fresh Meats has appointed Todd Nogelmeier vice president, foodservice sales, a promotion from his previous post as president of the company's Midwest more...
Veggie burger with 'blood' debuts after long wait
Redwood City, Calif.-based Impossible Foods today introduced the Impossible Burger at a New York restaurant. The new type of plant-based burger has been more...
Residents sue Nebraska city over proposed chicken plant
A community organization opposed to a proposed chicken plant in Fremont, Neb., have sued the city over zoning for the site, according to a report by the more...
Prestage Farms plant wins zoning nod, soybean group support
A proposed pork processing plant Prestage Farms wants to build in Iowa cleared another hurdle with the unanimous approval of a zoning change by the Wright more...
McD’s financial results hit 2Q speed bump
Financial results for McDonald's Corp.’s second quarter slowed from its first-quarter performance, coming in below analysts’ expectations more...
Large grocery chain offers meal kits
Supermarket chain Giant Eagle is now offering in some stores “Fresh in :30 by Market District” meal kits. The company websites describes more...
Analyst takes a closer look at Cattle on Feed, Cold Storage reports
(This report has been republished in its entirety with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock more...
Food CPI dips between May and June
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all food decreased from May to June by 0.2 percent from last year, while food prices are 0.3 percent above the June more...
Hormel sets up scavenger hunt using food trucks
Hormel Foods Corp. is preparing to launch a scavenger hunt in Austin, Minn., this week to help celebrate its 125th anniversary, according to its Facebook more...
Chipotle considers new loyalty program as traffic climbs
Chipotle Mexican Grill may institute a new loyalty program in the wake of improving near-term sales and higher traffic after the first three weeks of more...
Presidential election puts trade pact in choppy waters
Debate about the topic of free trade in the U.S. presidential race could send some discouraging signals to U.S. trade partners. So warned Thad Lively more...
Foodservice delivery trumps drive-through service for convenience: NPD
Foodservice delivery is increasingly the go-to option for consumers seeking convenience, according to a new NPD Group report showing that delivery has more...
Italian mayor takes a celery stick to meat
The new mayor in Turin, the capital of Italy’s famed, meat-centric Piedmont region, pledged this week to make vegetarian and vegan diets a priority more...
News briefs: AdvancePierre, Eckrich, Sanderson Farms, OSI Group, Supervalu, Tilted Kilt
AdvancePierre Foods has introduced new packaging for the Pierre Jumbo Chipotle Bacon Cheeseburger, with a clear, flexible film — featuring easy-to-read more...
Wayne Farms gets tax exemption in Mississippi (updated)
City officials in Laurel, Miss., have voted to give poultry processor Wayne Farms a tax exemption over the next five years on the company's investment more...
Police arrest suspect in bomb threat at Pilgrim’s Pride plant
Police have arrested a suspect for calling in a fake bomb threat in May at the Pilgrim’s Pride plant in Lufkin, Texas, local media reported, citing more...
Salmonella concerns with whole hog roasters prompt public health alert
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns about illnesses caused by Salmonella I more...
Papa John’s commits to serving antibiotic-free chicken
The world’s third-largest pizza delivery chain, Papa John’s, announced Wednesday that its grilled chicken pizza toppings and chicken poppers more...
USDA proposes beef checkoff changes
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has proposed changes to both the beef and soybean checkoff programs that would allow producers to request more...
Allen Harim forges new partnership
Poultry processor Allen Harim has established an exclusive partnership with C&S Wholesale Grocers to distribute its Nature’s Sensation brand more...
Meal kits generating more buzz than bite: NPD study
Meal kits that contain fresh ingredients delivered to your doorstep are attracting a lot of attention, with companies from ranging from startups to more...
El Pollo Loco introduces four chicken quesadillas
Fire-grilled chicken chain El Pollo Loco announced the introduction of four chicken-based quesadillas, two for the permanent menu and two offered for more...
Canadian government invests in Maple Leaf expansion
Maple Leaf Foods is expected to launch a major expansion of its bacon production operation in Winnipeg, Man., and will receive an investment of C$500 more...
Fremont to consider Costco site redevelopment plan
In a special meeting called for this evening, the city council of Fremont, Neb., is expected to review and consider the recommendations of the Fremont more...
Chick-fil-A launches new sandwich, mayhem ensues
Public response to a new breakfast sandwich introduced this week by Chick-fil-A may have prompted the Atlanta-based chain to rethink its strategy to replace more...
Popularity of healthy oils, clean labels heats up
CHICAGO — Consumers are reaching for healthy oils in the grocery store aisles, and they’re looking for food products with clean labels, according more...
South Korea reopens import doors to U.S. poultry
The South Korean government has updated its requirements to allow the import of specific U.S. poultry and its products following a 2015 ban on poultry more...
JBS' Brazilian pork plant temporarily closed; another plant's managers investigated
A JBS pork processing plant in Brazil was closed temporarily Friday due to risky work conditions, as managers at another of the group's poultry units more...
Outlook is for more red meat, pressure on prices: USDA
Increases in available supply of the major proteins reflects healthy growth and stabilization in production, although prices are expected to take a related more...
Milford Valley offers $7,000 in prizes in summer promotion
Milford Valley and Sandra’s brands of chicken products have launched summer recipe contests with total prizes worth $7,000, the company said in more...
Experts to address impact from proposed Costco chicken plant
As plans for a Costco Wholesale Corp. chicken plant move forward in Fremont, Neb., community groups have organized a town hall meeting where experts more...
ConAgra names chief financial officer
ConAgra Foods, Inc. has appointed David Marberger executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Aug. 29. Marberger will report more...
Investigators: Lightning likely caused fire at Mich. meat facility
The family that owns the small western Michigan meat processor that was gutted by fire three weeks ago said that lightning likely struck the facility's more...
Quiznos names new CEO
Denver-based sandwich chain Quiznos announced Thursday the company has named Susan Lintonsmith as its new president and CEO. Lintonsmith succeeds Doug more...
Perdue, NCC at odds over stringent USDA care standards for organic chicken
The nation’s fourth largest poultry company is at odds with the National Chicken Council (NCC) over a proposed rule from the National Organic Program more...
Congress passes GMO bill
The House of Representatives today voted 306-117 to pass a bill establishing a national mandatory system of disclosure for foods containing genetically more...
Applegate to remove GMOs from animal feed
Applegate, a unit of Hormel Foods, said it would remove genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from animal feed used to produce its meat and launched its more...
Ahold, Delhaize to sell 86 U.S. supermarkets
Ahold and Delhaize Group announced agreements to sell 86 U.S. grocery stores to a range of established retailers as they seek clearance from U.S. regulators more...
USDA probes low-pathogenic avian flu in three states
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is following up on recent testing that indicated the presence of low-pathogenic avian more...
Number cruncher issues warnings to poultry industry
HILTON HEAD, S.C. — Richard Kottmeyer wants the poultry industry to know that much of what it thinks it knows about what lies ahead for the industry more...
JBS declines to renew lease at case-ready facility (UPDATED)
JBS USA will not renew its lease at a nearly 40-year-old facility in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., where it processes case-ready meat products amd more...
Top Kroger executive to retire, remain an adviser
Kroger Co.announced that Roundy's CEO Bob Mariano will retire from his post Sept. 1, but will continue to serve as a strategic adviser to Kroger and Roundy’s more...
Tyson sued over worker’s frostbitten finger
A Louisiana man is suing Tyson Foods to hold the company responsible for the loss of his finger due to frostbite that set in while he was working in a more...
Maple Leaf Foods plant gets $90K boost
Maple Leaf Foods has received $90,380 in federal and provincial government grants to bolster employee training at the company’s Hamilton, Ontario more...
Hormel appoints corporate foodservice development chef
Hormel Foods Corp. has hired Tony Finnestad as corporate development chef for its foodservice division, the company announced in a news release. Finnestad more...
Neb. town annexes land for potential Costco chicken plant
City officials in Fremont, Neb., have voted unanimously to annex land to set up for the potential construction of a Costco Wholesale Corp. chicken processing more...
FSIS to share ‘new levels’ of processors’ food safety data
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS announced today the agency will soon begin sharing new levels of food safety data specific to U more...
Concerns over glatt kosher meat shortage reportedly climb
U.S. consumers seeking a specific type of kosher meat may have more trouble finding glatt kosher meat now that two suppliers have closed in the last year more...
USDA makes it easier to export U.S. meat to Cuba
Exports of U.S. meat, poultry and eggs are expected to increase now that USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has established requirements more...
Canadian bone-in beef gains Taiwan access
Taiwan is set to allow bone-in beef and other specified meat products from Canadian cattle under 30 months of age, which was previously closed in 2003 more...
Oscar Mayer winds down hot dog production in Wisconsin
The Oscar Mayer unit of Kraft Heinz Co. will cease making hot dogs in Madison, Wis., by the end of September as it prepares for the previously announced more...
Midwest beef plant halts production: report
A beef processing plant in Lime Springs, Iowa, has ceased production and reduced staff after only four months of operation, the Waterloo Cedar Falls more...
U.S. seeks trade sanctions against India in poultry dispute
The United States has filed a request with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to impose trade sanctions against India a year after winning a dispute over more...
Large grocery chain CEO is out – immediately
The boards of directors of Empire Company Limited and Sobeys Inc. have announced that President & CEO Marc Poulin has left the companies effective more...
Restaurant chain COO resigns
Wingstop Restaurants Inc. announced this week that William Engen resigned as chief operating officer, the company said in a filing with the Securities more...
Chicken plant worker sentenced in animal cruelty case
A Foster Farms chicken plant worker who was caught on camera beating and pulling handfuls of feathers from live birds was sentenced to three years’ more...
Chipotle reportedly moving ahead on burger concept: Eater
Chipotle is moving ahead with its burger concept under the name TastyMade and could open its first store later his summer in Ohio, the website Eater reported more...
Ireland can ship grinding beef to U.S.
The Irish government has announced that processors there can now also ship manufacturing beef intending for grinding to the U.S. Improved access for Irish more...
Processor to build new sandwich plant
Vancouver-based Premium Brands Holdings Corp. announced today plans to build a 212,000-square-foot sandwich assembly plant in Phoenix. The plant, scheduled more...
Tyson winds down Wisconsin pepperoni operation
A Tyson Foods Inc. pepperoni plant in Jefferson, Wis., will close permanently on July 9, affecting 200 workers who have remained at the facility since more...
Major chain becomes Marsh grocery supplier
Marsh Supermarkets has signed an agreement allowing Supervalu Inc. to become its primary grocery wholesaler covering its stores in two midwestern states more...
OSHA to raise penalty maximums next month
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is preparing to raise maximum civil penalties for a variety of safety violations starting Aug more...
Fried chicken, hot dogs have their days in the sun
Restaurants around the country are drawing attention to the fact that today is National Fried Chicken Day, observed annually on July 6, although it's more...
Prestage chooses Iowa site for new pork plant
Prestage Foods of Iowa LLC today named Wright County for its new, state-of-the-art pork processing facility. Construction is set to begin in the fall more...
AdvancePierre sets IPO
AdvancePierre Foods Holdings Inc. has set the initial public offering of shares of its common stock, which will be priced between $20 and $23 per more...
Restaurant performance declines, retail food growth slows in May
The Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) stood at 100.6 in May, down 0.9 percent from a level of 101.6 in April. "The RPI continued along a choppy trend more...
Recall involves ‘future of protein’ plant-based product
General Mills has issued a national recall involving a product that uses the Beyond Chicken plant-based protein for the possible presence of Listeria more...
Deadline set for Northern Beef creditors to submit claims
Creditors of the failed Northern Beef Packers plant in South Dakota have been given until Sept. 12 to file claims with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Pierre more...
Russia extends ban on Western food
Russia has extended its ban on imports of Western food to the end of 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced earlier last week, according to more...
Many factors affecting beef market prices and volatility
(This article is reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University extension livestock marketing more...
Rabobank BBQ Index reviews commodities fueling BBQ prices
Americans everywhere are now planning for the age-old tradition of the backyard summer barbeque. And although consumers may expect to see prices drop more...
Brazil police targets company from JBS' controller group in corruption probe
Brazilian federal police searched the offices of Eldorado Brasil, a cellulose and eucalyptus producer owned by J&F Investimentos, the group controlling more...
‘False labeling’ is ag secretary’s jurisdiction, Aosseys say in appeal
Midamar Corp. executives convicted in federal court of falsely labeling meat products are appealing on their contention that such a determination is the more...
Texas researchers clone cattle for better quality, yield
Scientists at West Texas A&M University confirmed on Wednesday that they have taken a step closer to achieving a cattleman’s dream: a herd of more...
FSIS unveils new process to avoid salmonella false negatives
Only about a month after publication of a study by USDA researchers warning of the possibility of false negative tests for salmonella due to sanitizer more...
June 2016
Hormel sued over ‘natural’ pork claims (UPDATE)
Hormel Foods Corp.’s claims that certain of its pork products are “natural” are deceiving consumers, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) more...
Corn gets cheaper, soybeans more expensive on USDA reports
Corn futures prices fell and soybean prices rose in midday trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange after USDA estimated that farmers planted more corn more...
ConAgra profit slumps as brands struggle
ConAgra Foods Inc. reported lower earnings and sales in the fourth quarter, hurt by weakness across more than 20 of its consumer brands. Revenue in the more...
Online cattle auction site closes after a few sessions
Just a month after holding its first auction, the online Fed Cattle Exchange has ceased holding auctions. “Effective June 29th, 2016, the Fed Cattle more...
Chipotle chorizo makes its debut
Chipotle Mexican Grill has rolled out chorizo as a new menu item in select cities, with plans to expand the spicy chicken and pork sausage to all more...
U.S. lawmakers push USDA on pathogen testing protocols
Four Congressional legislators have appealed directly to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to revised current pathogen testing protocols to “improve test more...
Costco nears final step as town hall request is rejected
Officials in Fremont, Neb., say there’s no need for a town hall meeting sought by opponents of the proposed Costco chicken processing plant as the more...
Canada-Mexico beef trade under a worker-shortage shadow
As Canada prepares for an expansion of beef exports to Mexico this fall, a trade group representative is warning that there may not be enough skilled more...
Cargill, union open health center for beef plant workers
Cargill and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union announced the opening of a new employee health center in Texas that will serve workers more...
Canadian processor, group probes alleged abuse at Vancouver plant
The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) has confirmed that it is investigating suspected animal cruelty at a poultry more...
Next step for Costco at hand, farmers complete sessions
The Fremont City Council is scheduled to meet tonight to possibly finalize annexing a parcel of land for a proposed Costco poultry facility, even as local more...
Brazil beef exports to China on the rise
Brazil continued to boost its beef exports in the second quarter, with China a willing consumer thanks to demand from higher-income earners in the country more...
What’s ‘cooking’? Depends, survey says
When American consumers say they are cooking at home, the phrase has vastly different meanings to different people, based on age, ethnicity, lifestage more...
Perdue details new animal welfare standards
Perdue Farms announced today new animal welfare standards it said will improve care for birds on its farms, trucks and slaughterhouses, from installing more...
USDA: Beef, veal, pork prices to decrease in 2016
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of economy-wide inflation for food, decreased from April to May—a slight decrease of 0.2 percent, according more...
More poultry, less red meat in cold storage
Total frozen poultry supplies on May 31 were up 4 percent from the previous month and up 7 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s monthly more...
Walmart reverses online grocery strategy in China
Walmart Stores Inc. has reached an agreement to sell its Yihaodian online grocery unit to Chinese online retailer JD.com in exchange for a 5-percent more...
Chicken catchers sue Koch Foods over pay
Two chicken catchers employed by a subcontractor to Koch Meat Co./Koch Foods have filed a class-action lawsuit against the processor in U.S. District more...
How 'Brexit' may impact the U.S. meat industry
The impacts of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union might help make livestock feed a bit cheaper in the near term, but a larger issue more...
Consumer Reports ‘decodes’ meat labels
Consumers have high expectations for claims on meat and poultry package labels but don’t know their true meaning or how they are regulated, a new more...
Meat exempted in Senate GMO label compromise
A bipartisan compromise reached Thursday in the U.S. Senate on labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) exempts foods in which meat and poultry more...
When life hands you deli meat — and bread …
A deli meat truck collides with a bread truck … It sounds like a bad joke. But it’s not. That very collision happened late last week in New more...
George’s names new strategy boss
Springdale, Ark.-based poultry processor George’s Inc. has named Devin Cole as chief strategy and commercial officer, overseeing the development more...
Mich. facility gutted by fire
A fire destroyed a small western Michigan meat processor overnight, according to media reports. Fire officials have not yet determined what caused the more...
Court allows HSUS suit against hog operation to proceed
A federal court had denied a motion by Hanor Co. of Wisconsin to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the Humane Society of the United States over ammonia emissions more...
True or false? Take Meatingplace's 10-second quiz
The FDA is making changes to nutrition label requirements that will affect about 20 percent of current labels. Food manufacturers will have until July more...
Jennie-O to pay nearly $500,000 to settle lawsuit
Jennie-O Turkey Store Inc. has agreed to hire 53 women and pay $491,861 in back wages to settle a Department of Labor lawsuit alleging gender discrimination more...
Costco wins land annexation vote, critics seek new details
The Fremont City Council last night approved the annexation of land slated for a new Costco Wholesale Corp. chicken processing plant in Nebraska, although more...
Wayne Farms seeks tax exemption renewal in Miss.
Wayne Farms LLC is seeking the extension of a tax exemption on equipment used at its Laurel, Miss., processing facility, reportedly worth almost $9 million more...
Pullet placements surge as chicken production climbs
USDA’s May Chicken and Eggs report showed a 7.2 percent jump in pullet placements from a year ago, pointing to an increase in production capacity more...
Costco plant moves another step forward, obstacles lie ahead (UPDATED)
Costco Wholesale Corp.’s plan to build a chicken processing plant in Nebraska won the backing of the Fremont Planning Commission to annex the land more...
Olymel to expand Canadian pork plant in $25-mln project
Canadian processor Olymel plans to spend more than $25 million to expand a pork processing facility near Montreal, creating as many as 200 jobs in the more...
Hollywood icons add muscle to China’s meat reduction efforts
Hollywood A-list actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron are cheering for China’s new dietary guidelines that shoot for a 50 percent more...
What’s in a name? Free hot dogs
Ball Park, maker of Angus Beef Franks, kicked off a 100-hour-long promotion on Tuesday that will award free hot dogs to people named Angus or Frank — more...
Outbreak and sporadic foodborne illnesses share similarities
Foodborne illnesses share similar characteristics whether associated with outbreaks or sporadic infections, according to a government study that could more...
Beef production down on lower weights; exports lackluster
According to the USDA’s weekly slaughter data, average cattle carcass dressed weights remain on a downward trend. For the week ended May 28, cattle more...
Broiler feed costs expected to outpace broiler prices
Preliminary production data for broilers in May was stronger than expected, and official April data was 3.2 percent higher than in 2015 after adjusting more...
National Pork Board elects new officers
The National Pork Board announced that Jan Archer, a pork producer from Goldsboro, N.C., was elected as president at the organization’s June board more...
Acquisition of shuttered National Beef plant completed
One World Beef announced late Thursday the completion of its acquisition of the shuttered National Beef processing plant in Brawley, Calif. OWB Packers more...
Senate spending bill would block WOTUS rule
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday passed a spending bill with a rider that would stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more...
Canada publishes new chicken handling code
Canadian poultry groups announced Thursday new national chicken care and handling guidelines. The revised “Code of Practice for the Care and more...
House adopts ban on Meatless Monday in military
The Fiscal 2017 Defense Appropriations bill the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Thursday includes language that would ban the "Meatless Monday" more...
Coalition petitions Congress to finalize GIPSA rules
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the Rural Advancement Foundation International and the Government Accountability Project are urging Congress more...
Another 'Meatless Monday' ban effort emerges: POLITICO
While the amendment offered by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) that would have headed off future attempts to expand Meatless Mondays within the military failed more...
Study published on cattle growth promotant zilpaterol
A study published by University of Nebraska researchers on the animal welfare impacts of the growth promotant zilpaterol on finishing steers showed no more...
Bolivia rejects Gates’ offer of hens
The Bolivian government has rejected Bill Gates’ offer to donate chickens to rural families as part of a program to help alleviate global poverty more...
CDC to continue monitoring after MCR-1 gene found in pigs
The discovery of a bacteria in a second pig that is resistant to the so-called “antibiotic of last resort” — just months after more...
Bob Evans Q4 net falls 90 percent on sales drop, cost surge
Bob Evans Farms Inc. is citing a decline in sales and higher labor costs for contributing to a 90-perecnt drop in net income in the fourth quarter. The more...
Neighbors fret over another proposed Neb. chicken operation
More than 60 residents from the Gage County, Neb., area attended a public meeting this week to express concerns about a proposed chicken operation, saying more...
Food Demand Survey finds pessimistic consumers
Although the summer grilling season has arrived, consumers do not seem to be in the mood, according to Oklahoma State University’s monthly Food more...
Economic impact of U.S. meat, poultry tops $1 trillion: NAMI study
The impact of the domestic meat and poultry industry on the U.S. economy exceeded $1 trillion for the first time, according to the latest study commissioned more...
Informational meetings set for proposed Costco poultry plant - UPDATED
Experts on poultry contracts will be the featured speakers at a series of informational meetings designed to answer questions about a proposed Costco more...
Gemstone names new CEO
Gemstone Foods LLC has announced the appointment of William T. Andersen as president and CEO of the company. Andersen joins the Brandon, Miss.-based poultry more...
Grocery stores raising the bar to attract millennials
Supermarkets are raising the bar on their foodservice offerings with restaurant-quality and fresh food, chef-driven menus and in-store experiences, attracting more...
McDonald’s confirms move back to Chicago
Oakbrook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. confirmed today it plans to move its corporate headquarters to downtown Chicago by the spring of 2018. The move more...
OSHA investigates meat plant accident
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said Friday it has opened an investigation into a man’s fall at a Nebraska meat plant that more...
Nathan’s Famous says Q4, fiscal year net incomes slip
Nathan’s Famous reported declines in net income for the quarter and for fiscal 2016, although income from operations increased in both reporting more...
Scientists investigate how toxoplasma is linked to neurodegenerative disease
A University of California, Riverside team of biomedical scientists reported in a recent journal article in PLOS Pathogens that toxoplasma infection more...
Prestage exec helps save man’s life during World Pork Expo
A Prestage Farms executive helped save a man’s life while eating at a restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa, according to local media reports. Ron Prestage more...
Thieves enter poultry plant yard, drive off with trailer
Thieves drove a semi-truck onto the plant yard at Harrison Poultry in Bethlehem, Ga., hitched up a refrigerated trailer and made off with it, the Athens more...
Higher feed priced dampen meat, poultry production
USDA has lowered its forecast for total red meat and poultry production in 2016 and 2017 is lowered from last month, largely as higher feed prices dampen more...
Oprah files new trademark, includes meat
Oprah Winfrey has added to her list of trademarks, filing in mid-May for a trademark on “Oprah’s Kitchen.” The all-around entrepreneur more...
Costco chicken plant clears another hurdle in Nebraska
The Dodge County Board of Supervisors voted to lift legal restrictions on the Nebraska site proposed for a chicken plant to be built by Costco and Georgia-based more...
Smithfield CEO seeks to tap the potential of packaged meats
As a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan, Ken Sullivan is a student of the game of baseball. He is also, by virtue of that lot in life, well schooled in story more...
Weekly Outlook: Hog profits - battle between higher hog prices and higher feed prices
(This article is republished in its entirety with the author’s permission) By Chris Hurt, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University more...
Restaurant chain names new COO
Innovative Dining Group (IDG) announced it has hired Nicolas Kurban to the newly created position of chief operating officer. Founded in 1997, Los Angeles-based more...
USDA extends comment period for organic livestock rule
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has extended the public comment period for a proposed rule that calls for changes in animal welfare practices more...
Grupo Kuo takes over Cargill joint venture in stock buy
Industrial conglomerate Grupo Kuo has purchased the 34-percent stake in the Mexican food processing joint venture it established with a unit of Minnesota-based more...
Hong Kong to resume poultry trading after H7N9
Live poultry trading in Hong Kong is set to resume Thursday, less than one week after droppings tested positive for H7N9 avian influenza, according to more...
Murray’s Chicken pays penalty for GIPSA violations
Murray’s Chicken in South Fallsburg, N.Y., has agreed to pay a $7,000 penalty for failure to pay for poultry within the time period required by more...
PEDv cases confirmed on three Manitoba hog farms
Since May 26, there have been three confirmed cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea Virus (PEDV) on sow and finishing hog farms in southeast Manitoba more...
FSIS clarifies rule on mechanically tenderized beef
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has posted a notice clarifying how products subject to its final rule on mechanically tenderized beef more...
Twin Rivers bulks up Fort Smith
Twin Rivers Foods announced in April that it would close one chicken processing plant in Neosho, Mo., and move that production to Fort Smith, Ark., and more...
Brazil's raw meat exports help reduce drawback in domestic market
Brazilian raw meat exports have risen 21 percent through the first five months of this year in comparison with 2015, helping the industry to reduce negative more...
Researchers identify E. coli that survives recommended cook temps, high pressure
Food researchers at the University of Alberta have found that cooking beef at 160°F — the level of heat treatment recommended by Health Canada more...
Supreme Court ruling could have WOTUS ripple effect
A unanimous ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court could bolster ag groups’ legal challenges to the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, the National Pork more...
Looking good: Analyst lifts earnings estimates for Tyson, Pilgrim’s Pride
An industry analyst has raised his estimates for fiscal 2016 earnings for both Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride, even as he downgraded the shares more...
New JBS int'l company names CFO
Brazil's JBS S.A. announced Monday that Morgan Stanley's former investment bank executive Russ Colaco will be Chief Financial Officer at JBS Foods International more...
Backyard poultry linked to 7-state salmonella outbreak
Seven outbreaks of salmonella linked to backyard poultry flocks have caused 324 cases of illnesses in 35 states since January, according to an update Thursday more...
Strong Mexico results to offset grain rally for Pilgrim’s: analyst
A rally in grain prices is worrying investors in shares of Pilgrim’s Pride, but a strong performance in its Mexico division should help the company more...
Fast food chain CEO steps down
Quick-service chain Quiznos announced company President and CEO Doug Pendergast has stepped down. Katie Scherping, current chief financial officer, will more...
Nation ponders next president; New Jersey ponders pork
While the country ponders a likely choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, New Jersey lawmakers have a less pressing question ahead of them: more...
Hormel ditches Spam Snacks
Hormel Foods Corp. said it will take Spam Snacks off the shelves at the end of summer because sales are not meeting the company’s expectations. more...
McDonald’s concludes first-ever pilot to verify Canadian sustainable beef
McDonald's Canada has wrapped up its industry-first Verified Sustainable Beef Pilot, marking a milestone of its collaborative partnership with more...
FSIS to assess poultry pathogen reduction efforts in July
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced it will push back until July 1 the date when the agency will begin assessing how more...
Safe Food Coalition seeks safe food handling instruction changes
The Safe Food Coalition, comprised of seven consumer groups, has petitioned USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service asking the agency to initiate more...
Activists challenge city’s plan for Costco study
Activist groups that oppose the addition of a poultry processing plant in Fremont, Neb., are calling into question the legality of the Fremont City Council’s more...
FDA unveils sodium reduction targets
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today released voluntary sodium reduction targets for the food industry aimed at helping Americans lower sodium more...
Pork Board names new CEO
The National Pork Board has named William Even as its Chief Executive Officer, to begin later this month, the organization said in a news release. Even more...
Pizza Hut joins antibiotic-free chicken bandwagon
Pizza Hut is preparing new initiatives covering the products that go into their pies, including eliminating the use of chickens raised with antibiotics more...
May 2016
Hormel completes Justin’s acquisition, appoints COO
Hormel Foods Corp. announced today the completion of its $286 million acquisition of nut butter snack maker Justin’s LLC, announced earlier this more...
Canadian gov’t. seeks public comment on irradiated ground beef proposal
The Canadian government is considering adding both fresh and frozen raw ground beef to its list of foods that have been approved for irradiation. The more...
2016 beef markets so far
(This article is republished in its entirety with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing more...
Chick-fil-A promotes exec to president, COO posts
Chick-fil-A Inc. has appointed Tim Tassopoulos its new president and chief operating officer, making the former hourly restaurant team member just the more...
Group names poultry plants that have adopted NPIS
Food and Water Watch released a list of poultry plants that have converted to USDA’s optional New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS), saying more...
USDA leads ethanol trade mission to Mexico
USDA led a trade mission to Mexico May 24-25 to encourage implementation of a renewable fuels program in the country that could create a market for U more...
Taco Bell testing taco with fried chicken shell
Taco Bell is nearing a national launch of a new taco with a fried chicken shell instead of a traditional tortilla, according to a report by BuzzFeed News more...
Cornell opens privately funded food safety lab
Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) has opened a new food safety lab through $250,000 in funding from Buffalo, more...
Preferred Meals acquired
Preferred Meals, a processor of meals, snacks and entrees for school districts and other foodservice clients, is being acquired by the U.S. arm of France's more...
Senator hints meat might be exempted from GMO labeling: Politico
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) suggested at a hearing this week that a GMO labeling bill currently being drafted could exempt meat, according to Politico more...
New OSHA standard deadline approaching
Employers have less than a week to meet the June 1 deadline to meet new OSHA Hazard Communication Standard requirements. OSHA estimates that when this more...
Carl’s Jr. rolls out new burger
Carl’s Jr. on Wednesday launched a new menu item, the California Classic Double Cheeseburger. The Carpinteria, Calif.-chain announced the launch more...
Hormel suspends supplier amid pig abuse investigation
Hormel Foods Corp. said Wednesday it is suspending The Maschhoffs LLC as a pig supplier while Hormel investigates alleged animal cruelty videotaped by more...
Sanderson Farms reports lower sales, net income
Sanderson Farms said sales and earnings fell in the second quarter as prices for its products decreased significantly even as it sold more pounds of chicken more...
China pork shortage creates opportunity for U.S. exports: USMEF
A shortage of pork in China has led to a jump in that country’s imports from around the world, and U.S. exporters have been able to take advantage more...
McDonald’s names new board chairman
McDonald’s board of directors announced that Enrique (“Rick”) Hernandez, Jr. has been elected non-executive Chairman of the company’s more...
Feds sue Pilgrim’s Pride alleging discrimination
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has filed a lawsuit alleging that Pilgrim’s Pride has more...
Tyson Foods target of new animal activist video
Tyson Foods officials are investigating alleged animal cruelty at a contract farm in Lewisburg, Tenn., that was captured on videotape by activist group more...
Worker safety improves, but data collection needs work: GAO
The meat and poultry industries have made marked improvements in worker safety as injury and illness rates have declined over the past decade, but data more...
JBS completes Utah plant expansion
JBS USA has completed the expansion work on its Hyrum, Utah, beef processing complex that will allow the company to boost production by more than 400 more...
Cargill sets joint poultry venture in the Philippines
Cargill Inc. said its Cargill Philippines unit is launching a poultry processing facility as part of a joint venture with Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC), more...
Peapod, ConAgra, Campbell team up on new meal kits
Online grocer Peapod.com announced three new meal kits created in partnership with ConAgra Foods Inc. and Campbell Soup Co., a likely response to the more...
Cargill protein HQ to move, but not too far
Cargill's protein business headquarters will remain in Wichita, Kan., and relocate from 151 North Main Street to a new office building, which will be more...
Cold Storage report could pressure chicken, pork prices
USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report showed plentiful supplies of meat, which analysts expect to keep meat price inflation down over the summer months more...
Idaho must pay $250,000 in farm privacy defeat
The state of Idaho must pay nearly $250,000 in attorneys’ fees after complainants People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other groups more...
AMSA honors 3 meat scientists
The American Meat Science Association has announced that three young AMSA members are the recipients of the Distinguished Achievement Award. The more...
Number of cattle placed on feed in April surprises market
USDA reported on Friday cattle placed in feedlots during April totaled 1.66 million head, up 7 percent from a year ago, well beyond what analysts were more...
Costco takes another step toward building large poultry plant
Costco Wholesale Corp. has filed a petition for annexing and rezoning land for a poultry processing complex at Hills Farm, an industrial tract located more...
Iraq bans poultry from Missouri, Italy after bird flu discovery
Iraq reportedly has added live and frozen poultry products from the state of Missouri and from Italy to a growing list of banned items in the wake of more...
Food waste bills introduced in Congress
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Me.) recently introduced legislation in both congressional chambers to more...
Senate committee approves agriculture appropriations bill
The Senate Committee on Appropriations today approved a $147.7 billion appropriations bill to support federal agriculture and nutrition programs in fiscal more...
E. coli fears prompt Canadian recall
Cantran Meat Co. Ltd. is recalling raw pork and pork organ products from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination, the Canadian Food more...
Red meat production down in April
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.98 billion pounds in April, down 1 percent from the 4.02 billion pounds produced in April more...
School lunch advocates oppose House block grant plan
Critics of a U.S. House bill approved this week by the education committee say the legislation, which would set up a block grant pilot program in three more...
EPA proposes increase in ethanol production
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Wednesday proposed increases in renewable fuel volume requirements across all types of biofuels, including more...
TPP would give strong boost to beef exports, report says (UPDATED)
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would lead to a substantial increase in U.S. beef exports and modest gains in pork and poultry exports if enacted more...
Lawmakers introduce bill to standardize food date labeling
Lawmakers on Wednesday introduced legislation to establish a uniform national date labeling system to simplify regulatory compliance for companies and more...
Organic sector sets sales record
The U.S. organic industry hit a record $43.3 billion in sales in 2015, up 11 percent from the prior year’s record level and outpacing the overall more...
Hormel posts strong Q2 profit, raises outlook
Hormel Foods raised its full-year earnings forecast after posting a 20-percent increase in net earnings in the second quarter, helped by higher margins more...
Mountaire Farms can’t be sued for injury: N.C. court
The North Carolina Court of Appeals has ruled that a former factory maintenance mechanic for Mountaire Farms can’t sue the company for “reckless” more...
Sanderson says Oxfam conditions ‘do not exist’ in its plants
Sanderson Farms says worker conditions as described in a recently released report from Oxfam America are not an issue in its operations, especially in more...
Chicken, beef margins rise, pork slips in latest protein report
The average U.S. spot chicken margin rose last week along with beef packer margins, but pork margins declined for a third straight week, according to more...
CDC: Chicken among top sources of foodborne disease outbreaks
Chicken is one of the top three sources of foodborne illness outbreaks among U.S. consumers, according to the latest joint report from the Centers of more...
Steakhouse chain gets a little breathing room from lenders
Nashville, Tenn.-based casual-dining steakhouse chain Logan’s Roadhouse has entered into an agreement with its lenders to put off trying to collect more...
Amazon adds restaurant delivery option in NYC
Amazon.com is expanding its popular meal delivery service to include more than 350 participating New York City restaurants for its Amazon Prime members more...
U.S. beef exports to jump 5 percent in 2017
Recent rains have improved the cattle outlook for spring and early summer, but cattle prices are moving lower and supplies of cattle remain large. Given more...
Maine-based poultry firm seeks help with expansion funding
A poultry processing firm that also happens to be the only USDA-inspected poultry operation in Maine hopes to expand the operation to handle 6,000 birds more...
FSIS seeks to educate consumers on tenderized beef rule
Beginning Tuesday, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is requiring meat processors to disclose whether their products have been more...
Taiwan opens market to U.S. lamb after 13 years
For the first time since 2003, U.S. lamb and lamb products have regained access to Taiwan, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation. U.S. lamb lost more...
Piggly Wiggly wins auction of three Chicago-area grocery stores
The Midwest division of the 600-store Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain successfully bid $32 million to acquire three suburban Chicago grocery stores more...
Muslim poultry processor can continue discrimination suit
A Muslim poultry processor suing city and county officials in New Jersey for allegedly shutting down his business based on his religious beliefs can continue more...
Canada beef unveils antimicrobial research program
With an eye on making the most of increasing investment in research on antimicrobial resistance and use, Canada’s Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) more...
Butterball rolls out new premium hams
Butterball Foodservice is introducing a new line of premium pork hams for chefs and restaurant operators. The company will launch the following products more...
Maple Leaf Foods launches craft meats
Maple Leaf Foods has launched a new line-up of “craft meats” called Maple Leaf Canadian Craft. The roster of specialty meats inspired by “iconic more...
JBS posts $795 million loss, lower revenue in US beef
Brazil's JBS S.A. announced Thursday it had a BRL 2.7 billion ($795 million) net loss in the first quarter of 2016, once again affected by high expenses more...
Chicken groups refute Oxfam report on working conditions
The National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association released the following statement in response to the release of Oxfam America's more...
Grassley bill would ban packer ownership of livestock
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said he has introduced legislation that would ban packer ownership of livestock after seeing continued consolidation more...
GMA urges FDA to define “natural” in food labels
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to more clearly define the term “natural” more...
Poultry companies ‘concerned’ about Oxfam allegations
Oxfam America takes aim at poultry processor policies, or lack of policy, regarding bathroom breaks for workers on the production line in a new report more...
Neb. town may annex land for Costco chicken plant
The city council in Fremont, Neb., agreed by a 7-0 vote to pursue the first of what would be a series of steps necessary to annex a parcel of land near more...
Tyson’s Amazon deal aims to boost e-commerce options
A program that offers Tyson Foods the opportunity to provide fresh proteins to an expanding online grocery program is part of a strategy to grow Tyson’s more...
News briefs: Greenridge Farm, USPOULTRY, Beef checkoff, World Poultry, Tyson
Greenridge Farm Greenridge Farm, an Elk Grove Village, IL-based artisanal maker of deli meats, sausages, cheeses and condiments, announced it will start more...
U.S. to fight China’s chicken tariffs; poultry orgs applaud
U.S. Trade Rep. Michael Froman is taking America’s fight against China’s policies regarding U.S. broiler chicken products back to the World more...
WASDE’s first look at 2016-17 — $3 corn?
Another bumper corn crop looks on the way for the 2016-17 marketing year, projected at 14.4 billion bushels, up 829 million from last year and 214 million more...
CFIA recall related to U.S. veggie contamination
Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. is recalling Ajinomoto brand Yakitori Chicken with Japanese-Style Fried Rice from the marketplace due to possible Listeria more...
Solid Q2 results prompt analysts to lift Tyson FY estimates
At least three industry analysts have raised their individual estimates for the fiscal year profit for Tyson Foods in the wake of a record performance more...
Tyson Foods posts record Q2 results as growth plan continues
Tyson Foods reported strong operating margins in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 despite a small decline in overall sales volume. The Springdale, Ark more...
Olymel to expand poultry processing plant
St-Hyacinthe, Quebec-based Olymel announced a $10 million investment to expand its primary poultry processing plant at St-Damase in the Montérégie more...
Trump sounds off on U.S./Japan beef trade
Donald Trump, the presumptive U.S. Republican presidential nominee, on Friday said he’d raise the 2.5 percent U.S. tariff on Japanese cars to counter more...
Process Expo agreement with IFFA to expand international reach
The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) today announced it signed an agreement of mutual cooperation with Messe Frankfurt, the owner of the world-famous more...
Tyson Foods breaks ground on $31 million project
Tyson Foods broke ground this week on the future site of a new $31 million incubation center that will deliver hatching operations for the company’s more...
Consultant who falsified beef test report gets probation
A California beef industry consultant whose false certification led to the recall of 5.7 million pounds of meat products was sentenced in U.S. District more...
FAO Food Price Index shows food cheaper, but not beef
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations monthly Food Price Index averaged 151.8 points in April 2016, up 1.1 points (0.7 percent) more...
Cargill brand campaign features Ark. turkey farmers
The second phase of a Cargill campaign around its Honeysuckle White turkey brand has kicked off with recording of Northwest Arkansas turkey farmers that more...
Allen Harim names new CEO
Allen Harim announced today the company has promoted Joe Moran to the office of CEO. Moran, a poultry industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience more...
Evans returns to Perdue Farms
Steve Evans will rejoin Perdue Farms as president of Perdue Foods LLC, effective May 31, the company announced today in a news release. Evans, most recently more...
National Beef profits rebound in first quarter
Increased margins and a small uptick in volume combined to catapult National Beef Packing Co.’s profits in the first quarter, the company’s more...
Canadians' outcry prompts Earls to reverse decision on U.S. beef
It began a week ago with a short announcement on Twitter: “This is really big. Earls is the first chain in North America to source all its beef more...
Meat, frozen meals lag in Kraft’s latest quarter
Kraft Heinz Co. reported better-than-expected first-quarter profit due to cost savings but said its meat and frozen meal businesses underperformed. The more...
Prestage Farms back to square one after Mason City vote
Officials in Mason City, Iowa, effectively ended plans by Prestage Farms to build a $240-million pork processing plant in the final vote before a development more...
Missouri officials confirm AI outbreak at turkey farm
The Missouri Dept. of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed an outbreak of low-pathogenic avian influenza (AI) was discovered at a commercial turkey farm in more...
No fast switch to slow-growth chicken: report
Companies including Whole Foods Market Inc., Starbucks Corp. and Bon Appetit Management Co. are pushing suppliers to switch to slower-growing chicken more...
Meal kit service lands $10 million in financing
Meal kit delivery service Home Chef has secured $10 million in capital investment, which the Chicago-based company will use to expand its consumer more...
New potential site for Costco poultry plant confirmed: report
Costco Wholesale Corp. may be closing in on a new site for a proposed poultry processing facility in Nebraska just weeks after the village board of Nickerson more...
TTIP’s prospects affect meat, poultry trade
Speculation has been rampant since the release on Monday of leaked communications regarding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) more...
Red Robin names new COO
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. on Friday announced the appointment of Carin Stutz as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Stutz will more...
News briefs: Temple Grandin, American Veal Association, Hormel, Dinty Moore, Smashburger
Temple Grandin honored Temple Grandin was one of six teachers at Colorado State University chosen for a Best Teacher Award. The honorees were nominated more...
Perdue names new chief operating officer
Randy Day, president of Perdue Foods, has been promoted to chief operating officer of Perdue Farms, effective immediately. “Randy’s more than more...
Hormel launches high protein meals for cancer patients
Hormel Foods has launched Hormel Vital Cuisine, a line of packaged ready-to-eat meals, nutrition shakes and whey protein powders designed to support the more...
Cattle ranchers sue USDA over beef checkoff program
The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) today filed another suit against the USDA, alleging that the agency’s more...
Restaurant chain first in North America to serve Certified Humane Beef
Vancouver-based Earls Restaurants Ltd. said it has become the first restaurant chain in North America to serve 100-percent Certified Humane more...
April 2016
Sanderson settles lawsuit on truck accident for $27.5 million
Sanderson Farms has agreed to pay $27.5 million the settle a lawsuit in Texas with a mother and her two sons injured almost three years ago when a Sanderson more...
Whole Foods prevails in ‘humane’ lawsuit
A federal judge in California has dismissed, with prejudice, a lawsuit filed against Whole Foods by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, alleging more...
Salmonella in retail poultry at lowest since 2002, FDA says
The prevalence of salmonella in retail poultry reached its lowest level since testing began in 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said more...
Organic push, export market recovery to lift Pilgrim’s: analysts
Wall Street analysts raised their full-year earnings forecasts for Pilgrim’s Pride after the company announced an organic chicken initiative and more...
Packaged meats propel Smithfield to record first quarter
Smithfield Foods on Thursday reported record-high first-quarter operating profit as strong packaged meats sales more than offset a loss in the company’s more...
Pilgrim’s Pride eyes big slice of organic market, talks Costco
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. will convert one of its existing chicken complexes to USDA-certified organic and expects to capture more than 20 percent of more...
Land O'Frost names new sales boss
Munster, Ind.-based deli meat processor Land O'Frost announced Wednesday it hired Doug Skeoch as the company's vice president of sales. Skeoch, a 30-year more...
Tyson plant back online after ammonia leak
The Tyson Foods poultry plant in Hope, Ark., that was shut down after an ammonia leak early last Saturday reopened on Thursday, a company spokesman confirmed more...
NCC study defends current poultry processor/grower relationship system
The National Chicken Council has released a study that presents the results of a 2015 broiler industry survey that defends the current business model more...
McDonald’s testing 'simpler recipe' McNuggets
McDonald’s Inc. is testing a new, “simpler” recipe for its Chicken McNuggets at about 140 restaurants in Oregon and Southwest Washington more...
Chipotle tests new protein in bid to regain customers
Chipotle, which on Tuesday reported a 30-percent drop in same-store restaurant sales in the first quarter, said it is testing new menu items as part of more...
American Foods Group announces executive shifts
American Foods Group has announced the promotion of three executives in anticipation of the upcoming retirement of Greg Benedict, Rob Hovde and Don Mehesan more...
Hormel honors nearly 90 suppliers
Hormel Foods Corp. said 87 suppliers, including 30 in pork procurement, have received its Spirit of Excellence Award for their roles in the company’s more...
Greater Omaha petitions 8th Circuit to rehear E. coli case
Greater Omaha Packing Inc. announced it has filed a petition for a rehearing with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in an effort to overturn a legal decision against more...
USDA to allow continued payments for “Other White Meat” trademarks
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has approved continuing annual payments by the National Pork Board to the National Pork Producers Council more...
Lawsuit over Chipotle’s “non-GMO” claims to move forward
A U.S. District Court judge in Florida has ruled that a class-action lawsuit accusing Chipotle Mexican Grill of overstating the absence of genetically more...
Meat Institute releases Temple Grandin-narrated ‘Glass Walls’ video
The North American Meat Institute today released a new Temple Grandin-narrated “Glass Walls” video shot in a lamb processing plant. Grandin more...
Bob Evans Farms to close under-performing restaurants
Bob Evans Farms announced that it is closing 27 Bob Evans Restaurants. Twenty-one of the restaurants are owned and six are leased locations. The owned more...
Analysts dissect Cattle on Feed, Cold Storage reports
Livestock analysts saw Friday’s Cattle on Feed and Cold Storage reports as mildly bullish for cattle and meat prices. Cattle on Feed “There more...
USDA sees meat prices rising in 2016, especially poultry
Prices for food eaten at home and food away from home are expected to climb this year, according to USDA’s latest Consumer Price Index for food more...
AB-free has its limits, say avian pathologists
Antibiotic use in poultry should be minimized “through carefully planned and well-executed preventive practices,” but the birds’ health more...
Proposed Tyson plant gets a boost
Tyson Foods' proposal to build a $136 million poultry plant in Green Forest, Ark., got a boost Tuesday when local officials recommended tax incentives more...
All-day breakfast propels McDonald's sales, profit
McDonald’s said all-day breakfast and its McPick 2 value deal boosted U.S. sales and drove stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings. Chief more...
E. coli concern prompts small recall in New York
Meating Place, a Buffalo, N.Y., establishment, is recalling approximately 325 pounds of ground beef product that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
Senators urge GAO to investigate cattle price drop
Four U.S. Senators wrote a letter this week to the Government Accountability Office asking the agencies to investigate the cause of a 15 percent drop more...
Smithfield plant back in operation after fire
Smithfield Foods’ processing facility in Milan, Mo., is fully operational again after an electrical fire on Tuesday forced the evacuation of the more...
OSHA finalizes whistleblower protection rule
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published final rules this week outlining protection for food industry workers who speak up about more...
Tyson assessing working conditions at plants
Third-party auditors are evaluating workplace conditions as part of a new social compliance program started by Tyson Foods, the company announced. The more...
Regional grocery chain introduces "100 percent local" beef program
Indiana-based Marsh Supermarkets stores has launched a “100% Local” program for Angus beef at its 38 stores with service meat cases in more...
Clear as … mud: New criticism of IARC process
An article by the Reuters newswire service critical of the process that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) uses to classify substances more...
Industrial accident kills Iowa Premium Beef worker
A 22-year-old worker at an Iowa Premium Beef plant in Tama, Iowa, was killed this morning in an industrial accident, according to the company and local more...
Chicken group convenes experts to review plant video
A panel of animal care experts found little to be concerned about in video footage of activities at a poultry farm captured by an animal advocacy group more...
McDonald’s tests Big Mac in new sizes
McDonald’s today confirmed reports it is testing both larger and smaller versions of its classic Big Mac sandwich in central Ohio and Dallas/Fort more...
Maine meat processor gets a $2.6 million boost
A $2.6 million loan from USDA will allow upstart meat processor Central Maine Meats to grow its business in Gardiner, Maine. The loan from the agency’s more...
Mexico lifts most of year-old U.S. poultry ban
The Mexican government has lifted its ban on poultry exports from 14 U.S. states, instituted 15 months ago in response to the spread of highly pathogenic more...
JBS/Swift wins hog slaughter program OK in Ky.
Officials in Kentucky have approved plans allowing JBS/Swift Pork Co. to launch a new hog slaughtering system deemed as more humane, according to local more...
Old data, new conclusion: saturated fat not the bad guy in coronary death
A new analysis of previously unpublished data from the Minnesota Coronary Experiment, originally performed more than 40 years ago, is raising questions more...
Costco launches campaign to support proposed Neb. plant
Costco Wholesale Corp. is promising transparency in an effort to win support for a proposed poultry processing plant near Fremont, Neb. The Seattle-based more...
Prestage moving forward on Iowa plant permits as hearings loom
Efforts by Prestage Foods to win permits to build a $240-million pork processing plant near Mason City, Iowa, reportedly are moving ahead while the next more...
Poultry groups say expanded inspections exceed legal limits
Poultry industry say they are concerned about recent attempts to expand the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) authority to conduct more...
Demand falls — heading into grilling season
Consumers are getting cranky about high food prices, with decreases in willingness-to-pay for all food items down across the board in April compared with more...
Costco wants to build giant poultry processing plant in Nebraska
The Greater Fremont Development Council announced that Costco Wholesale Corporation has selected the Greater Fremont area in Dodge County, Neb., as a more...
Police probe stabbing at Pilgrim’s Pride plant
Police in Sumter, S.C., are investigating a reported stabbing at a Pilgrim’s Pride plant there, the company confirmed to Meatingplace. Spokesman more...
CDC: Increased use of certain diagnostic test poses challenge to tracking foodborne illness
Changes in the tests that diagnose foodborne illness are helping identify infections faster but could soon pose challenges to finding outbreaks and monitoring more...
It’s a McWrap: Menu item on the way out, report says
McDonald’s Corp. has dropped wraps from its menu in most markets after the product, geared toward the health-conscious millennial demographic, proved more...
Tyson Foods proposes to build additional plant in Arkansas
Officials for Tyson Foods announced plans to build a $136 million poultry processing facility that would create about 85 jobs in Green Forest, Ark. Tyson more...
Iowa group seeks documents related to hog plant project
A citizens group opposed to a proposed pork processing facility in Mason City, Iowa, has filed a formal request with the city for all documents related more...
Analyst sees chicken margin pullback as temporary
Chicken cutout margins should spring back from a dip in March, supported by favorable production and feed cost trends, BMO Capital Markets analyst Kenneth more...
Surging EU pork exports to Asia disrupt U.S. shipments
The United States and the European Union combined account for nearly two-thirds of world pork trade. In 2015, the EU surpassed the United States as the more...
Walmart expands online grocery program to new markets
The nation’s largest retail chain is expanding its grocery pickup service to an additional eight markets, allowing even more consumers to order more...
Hormel simplifies labels companywide
Hormel Foods Corp. plans a companywide “clean label initiative,” with the goal of simplifying the ingredient statements of many of its retail more...
Butterball launches 'antibiotic-free' line
Butterball has unveiled its Farm to Family line, a new product offering produced completely from turkeys raised with no antibiotics ever, the company more...
Meat industry icon vows to improve beef quality
Bill Fielding, CEO of HeartBrand Beef, in tranquil Harwood, Texas, isn’t quite hunky dory. Selling an unestablished Japanese cattle breed — more...
Arkansas chicken processor closes plant, expands other facility
Ozark Mountain Poultry shuttered its Warren, Ark., plant late last week as part of a plan to consolidate its front-half deboning operations into its new more...
Monogram Foods expands appetizer lineup with acquisition
Memphis-based Monogram Foods is paying an undisclosed price to acquire Progressive Gourmet, a specialty food distribution and manufacturing business based more...
USDA predicts more meat, cheaper corn
USDA raised its 2016 forecast of total red meat and poultry production from last month as higher expected cattle slaughter and heavier carcass weights more...
New dipstick test allows for quick pathogen testing
Scientists are reporting in the American Chemical Society journal Analytical Chemistry that a new paper-based test may detect pathogens more...
Investors lean on McDonald’s, others on antibiotic use on food animals
A group of financiers that manage portfolios worth more than $1 trillion in assets is calling on fast food, pub and restaurant chains to demand decreased more...
AdvancePierre sets IPO
Cincinnati-based AdvancePierre Foods announced it plans to go public and has registered a proposed initial public offering with the U.S. Securities and more...
UK pork processor buys chicken company
In the latest global cross-protein merger, British pork processing giant Cranswick announced it has purchased the UK-based chicken processor Crown Chicken more...
Ted Wampler, Sr., 86, founder of Wampler's Farm Sausage
Ted L Wampler, Sr., age 86 of Lenoir City, Tenn., chairman and founder of Wampler's Farm Sausage, passed away Sunday, April 10. He was past president more...
Analysts evaluate meat processors hunted and hunting for acquisitions
BB&T Capital Markets analysts took a look at which meat processing companies, in their view, are looking to make acquisitions and which might be attractive more...
More teamwork, more resources on AB resistance needed: USDA’s OIG
USDA and its sub-agencies need to better define their performance goals and objectives related to antibiotic resistance issues, develop a central communication more...
Rastelli Foods partners with two 'Shark Tank' companies
Rastelli Foods Group has partnered with two "Shark Tank" businesses, Bubba's-Q and Three Jerks Jerky, to assist with distribution of their products. Bubba's-Q more...
News Briefs: Great moms, poultry webinar, baseball and more baseball
Armour new campaign targets moms Smithfield Foods’ Armour brand is launching its "Great Moms" campaign, which will include monthly events more...
Cargill riding out tough ag markets as revenue declines
Cargill Inc. reported higher third-quarter earnings, overcoming an 11 percent drop in revenue, as it continued to streamline operations to cope with challenging more...
DOJ, FDA prioritize criminal probes in foodborne illness outbreaks
The Department of Justice, in partnership with the Food and Drug Administration, is stepping up efforts to conduct criminal investigations of any company more...
USDA proposes animal welfare requirements for organic label
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) on Thursday proposed amending organic livestock and poultry production requirements to include specific more...
Analysts predicts beef/pork production/trade
CHICAGO — U.S. beef exports are expected to rebound in 2016, increasing by 7 percent, after declining by 12 percent in 2015, predicted Sterling more...
McDonald’s on antibiotics use in beef and pork sectors: interview
CHICAGO — McDonald’s is currently working with the beef and pork industries on an approach to antibiotics use in cattle and hog production more...
FSIS, Almanza seeing out ‘modernization’ initiatives
CHICAGO — Likening the remaining months of his tenure under the Obama Adminstration to the fourth quarter of a football game, Al Almanza said more...
Iowa officials move forward on pork plant despite outcry
The Mason City Council voted unanimously to approve development plans for the proposed Prestage Farms processing facility less than 24 hours after local more...
Stanford scientists target salmonella
A $10 million grant from Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen will fund salmonella research at Stanford University. The Allen Discovery Center for Multiscale more...
Cargill prevails in case vs. Greater Omaha
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Cargill Meat Solutions and its insurance company in its long-running case against Greater Omaha more...
Opposition rises to Prestage pork plant as analysts weigh capacity boost
Local residents voiced concerns about a proposed pork processing facility in Mason City, Iowa, during public hearings this week, according to local reports more...
Mysterious Neb. chicken plant threatened by council vote: reports
A proposal by a still-unidentified food company to build a state-of-the-art poultry processing plant near Nickerson, Neb., ran into a roadblock this week more...
Congress weighs in on immigration (sort of)
Federal legislators have proven unable to reach consensus on the issue of immigration reform for nearly a decade, but they have had their say via the more...
Analysts assess impact of chicken plant, Chinese pork and currency rates
BB&T Capital Markets looked at the impact of a planned large new poultry plant, high pork prices in China and a more favorable currency environment more...
Kroger makes further play into organic, natural with partnership
Kroger Co. has made what it described as a “meaningful investment” in Lucky’s Market, a Boulder, Colo.-based specialty grocery store more...
Mexican beef exports continue to grow with new Sukarne operation
(This article is reproduced with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University extension livestock marketing specialist Mexican more...
Large food retailer launches new store brand
Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Companies announced it has launched Signature, a new store brand that includes more than 4,000 items across all 2,286 of more...
CDC finds half of retail delis fail to properly clean slicers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report indicating that half of retail delis fail to follow U.S. guidelines for cleaning more...
JBS worker union in Butchertown forces Democratic rally to move
The Democratic National Committee was forced to move a fundraising event in Louisville, Ky., from the Butchertown Grocery on Wednesday night after a labor more...
Burrito chain names new president
Freebirds World Burrito has named COO Bobby Shaw to the additional title of president, a role left empty since Jim Mizes left the company in 2013. more...
Hormel’s wacky ad gets AdAge shout out
Every weekday, Ad Age/iSpot Hot Spots tracks new and trending TV commercials. A new TV ad for Hormel pepperoni made the list this week of most engaging more...
March 2016
Tyson Foods expands water conservation efforts
Tyson Foods announced in the latest installment of its annual sustainability report that it is expanding the company’s ongoing water conservation more...
Corn just got cheaper
USDA reported U.S. farmers are expecting to plant 93.6 million acres of corn, up 6 percent from last year and well above the roughly 90 million acres more...
Chipotle readies for possible ‘better burger’ concept
Chipotle Mexican Grill is looking to expand even further beyond its original concept and perhaps get into the burger business. “We have filed trademark more...
McDonald’s announces big push in Asia
McDonald’s Corp. said it intends to add more than 1,500 restaurants in China, Hong Kong and South Korea over the next five years and is seeking more...
Wayne Farms plant expansion to open soon, add 600 jobs by August
The Wayne Farms poultry plant expansion in Dothan, Ala., announced a year ago is weeks away from opening its doors and by the end of August will have more...
Smithfield CEO restructures management team
A year into a corporate restructuring effort whereby Smithfield Foods folded its many independent operating companies under a single corporate umbrella more...
Hormel announces retirements, promotions
Hormel Foods Corporation today announced the upcoming retirements of Roland G. Gentzler, vice president of finance and treasurer, and James R. Schroeder more...
South America to boost beef exports
South America beef exports are expected to surge 11 percent this year, helped by favorable currency values, improved access to importing countries and more...
Smithfield reports strong results despite hog production profit fall
WH Group’s Smithfield Foods unit reported income of $452.3 million in 2015, compared to net income of $556.1 million in 2014 as packaged meat sales more...
Panel to vote on Obama antibiotic-resistance progress report
The Presidential Advisory Committee on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria this week will review and vote on a report detailing the federal government’s more...
Vilsack presses on for mandatory GMO labeling
With the issue and media coverage of it picking up steam, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack continues to stump for mandatory labeling on foods containing more...
Perky Jerky gets new investor
Sunrise Strategic Partners announced a minority investment in Perky Jerky, maker of all natural beef and turkey meat snack products. Sunrise is a Boulder more...
Poultry processor names new business development manager
Seaford, Del.-based chicken processor Allen Harim has hired Michael Coleman as its new business development manager. He will oversee sales of Nature’s more...
Dunkin' Brands changes up supply chain team
Among several recent appointments of new vice presidents to its management team, Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. has made changes to its supply chain personnel more...
NAMI highlights all-time industry-low injury rates in new video
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) released today the latest installment of its “Meat MythCrushers” series, this time to clarify more...
Fast casual brand adds seven new sandwiches to menu
Fast casual sandwich chain Schlotzsky's has added seven new specialty sandwiches to its menu – including six meat-based items. The new sandwiches more...
USDA reports quarterly hogs and pigs estimates
USDA reported the United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1 was 67.6 million head, up slightly from March 1, 2015, but down 1 percent from more...
Beef prices inch up, pork still in slump
Beef prices inched up in February from January but are still well below a year ago, while pork prices continued to march downward, USDA’s Economic more...
Mexico reopens to Canadian poultry
Mexico has resumed imports of Canadian fresh poultry meat after easing a ban imposed in 2004 due to an out break of influenza, Canadian announced Thursday more...
Hen abuse case comes to a close
One of two people charged with animal cruelty for mistreating thousands of hens at a California poultry farm pleaded no contest and has been sentenced more...
Storage data suggest meat’s on the move
A modest increase in meat inventories at the end of February indicates demand for protein is healthy, with boneless beef supplies seeing an especially more...
BSE detected on French farm
France’s ministry of agriculture announced that a suspected case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has turned up on a farm in the northeastern more...
NCBA names new CEO
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has named Kendal Frazier its new chief executive officer. Frazier, previously NCBA’s chief operating more...
Ag industry failing to attract next generation
A recent survey sponsored by the agribusiness Land O’Lakes shows only 3 percent of college graduates and 9 percent of millennials have or would more...
Premium Brands buys Montreal packing company
Vancouver, B.C.-based Premium Brands Holding Corp. has added to its portfolio with the announcement it will buy Montreal-based C&C Packing Inc. and more...
Central Beef files in bankruptcy court
Central Beef Industries LLC and two affiliates have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Florida. The company cited liabilities totaling between more...
Pinnacle Foods says search for new CEO is on
Pinnacle Foods Inc. has begun looking for a new CEO after today's announcement that Robert Gamgort will be leaving the company at the end of April, the more...
Kroger names two top executives
Kroger Co., the largest U.S. supermarket chain, promoted Michael Marx to the post of president of Roundy’s Supermarkets and Don Rosanova to president more...
Supreme Court upholds ruling against Tyson on donning and doffing
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a $5.8 million lower court judgment against Tyson Foods regarding pay for 3,000 pork plant workers for time spent more...
Another Rancho Feeding conspirator sentenced
The kill-floor manager of Rancho Feeding Corp. has been sentenced to three months in prison for his part in a scheme whereby the company processed and more...
Small N.Y.-based processor back in business
Tri-Town Packing Corp., based in the North Country region of upstate New York, has resumed USDA-inspected slaughter and processing operations after a more...
East meets West in Brazil’s Korin brand
The Brazilian city of Ipeuna is about 125 miles north of Sao Paulo and it’s home to Korin, one of the country’s leading companies in organic more...
Prestage Farms to build pork plant in Iowa
Prestage Farms will create a new company, Prestage Foods of Iowa LLC, and build a state-of-the-art pork processing facility in Mason City, Iowa, pending more...
Central Beef mulls sales, investment options
Central Beef Industries LLC, which suspended production late last week, is “actively looking at sales options and investment options,” Adam more...
Walmart to expand ability to produce the food it sells
Walmart, the nation’s largest grocer, announced plans to build one of the largest milk processing plants in the country in Fort Wayne, Ind. This more...
Energy co. to build facility in N.C. to convert poultry, swine waste to power
Poultry and swine waste from North Carolina producers will help an energy company comply with that state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency more...
Hickory Farms names new CEO
Toledo, Ohio-based Hickory Farms announced it named Diane Pearse its new chief executive officer and president. Prior to joining Hickory Farms, Pearse more...
Bomb threat evacuates Tyson plant
Tyson Foods on Thursday evacuated employees from its Robards, Ky., poultry plant as a precaution following a bomb threat, but operations resumed after more...
FSIS proposes rule to consolidate regulations for pork, thermally processed products
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Thursday announced the agency is proposing a rule that would consolidate and streamline existing more...
No injuries in Virginia plant fire
Employees of the T.O. Williams meat packing plant in Portsmouth, Va., were briefly evacuated from the facility on Thursday afternoon after a fire started more...
OSHA program focuses on Nebraska’s meat processing industry
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it has launched a local emphasis program for Nebraska’s meat processing industry more...
Sanderson Farms expands training, recruiting
Sanderson Farms announced it has expanded its employee recruiting and training teams to include a second corporate recruiter and two additional training more...
JBS plant plans to change hog-stun method
A JBS pork plant in Louisville, Ky., plans to change how it stuns pigs before slaughter, the company confirmed to Meatingplace. The company discussed more...
FDA issues final BSE rule
The Food and Drug Administration issued today a final rule to reduce the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in human food. The final rule provides more...
JBS sees investment in organic growth bringing better return than acquisitions in 2016
JBS SA, the world's largest meat processor, plans to invest in organic growth in 2016, and is evaluating opportunities for stock and debt repurchases more...
McDonald’s CFO discusses all-day breakfast test results
McDonald’s CFO Kevin Ozan discussed this week McDonald’s ongoing testing of a more expansive All Day Breakfast menu to capitalize on the success more...
Chipotle using new cooking method to boost safety
Chipotle Mexican Grill said it is now using the sous-vide technique to pre-cook its steak as one of the new safety measures it has implemented following more...
U.S. Senate votes down GMO labeling proposal
The U.S. Senate at mid-day today voted not to invoke cloture on a bill by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) that would have pre-empted states’ rights to more...
Mason City pork plant a step closer to reality
A pork processing facility slated to be built in Mason City, Iowa, won zoning approval from the city council, allowing the project to continue to move more...
NCC seeks to ease consumer confusion with glossary
The National Chicken Council (NCC) is taking steps to combat recent findings that nearly two-thirds of consumers surveyed find chicken labels “confusing more...
U.S. beef gains greater access to Peru market
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman have announced that the U.S. government has reached agreement with the government more...
Packer resistance and cattle herd expansion reduce slaughter
Cumulative weekly federally inspected cow slaughter and estimated monthly commercial cow slaughter through February appear close to 2015 levels, with more...
Man arrested, jailed after knife fight at meat plant
A man was arrested Monday morning for allegedly stabbing another man during a fight at an American Foods Group plant in Green Bay, Wis., according to more...
NAMI announces new Ambassadors Group
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) announced plans to launch its inaugural Ambassadors Group, designed to recognize the “significant contributions” more...
Grocery chain accepts $1.36 billion buyout offer
Greensboro, N.C., specialty grocer The Fresh Market announced it has entered a definitive agreement to be acquired by New York-based Apollo Global Management more...
$2.65 million gift to support beef genomics, nutrition research
The University of Missouri announced it received an estate gift of $2.65 million to support research into beef genomics and nutrition in the MU College more...
Chick-fil-A launches new chicken breast item nationwide
Chick-fil-A is adding a new spicy salad to its permanent, national menu that for the first time offers grilled chicken breast as the protein component more...
Consumers prepared to pay more when eating out; want more breakfast
For the first time since 2007, U.S consumers are expecting to spend more per restaurant meal this year and half of them want more breakfast offerings more...
OSHA fines Pilgrim’s Pride
OSHA is proposing fines of $77,000 for Pilgrim’s Pride, resulting from an investigation into a worker injury at its Russellville, Ala., poultry more...
Jack Link’s buys meat snack business
Minong, Wis.-based Jack Link's Protein Snacks announced it acquired the meat snacks division of Grass Run Farms. Grass Run Farms is a collaboration of more...
Colo. Senate votes to expand local food movement
A Colorado bill unanimously approved by the state Senate this week would expand the state's “Cottage Foods” law to small poultry producers more...
Taco Bell adds three items to $1 breakfast menu
Taco Bell has launched a new 10-item $1 Morning Value Menu with three new items: the Mini Skillet Bowl, a breakfast bowl filled with seasoned breakfast more...
ConAgra to shutter facility
ConAgra will close its processing facility in Trenton, Mo., according to local media reports. The company announced Wednesday that it would shutter the more...
Former Cargill workers file religious discrimination complaints
Religious discrimination complaints have been filed on behalf of Somali Muslims who were fired from Cargill's Fort Morgan plant after a dispute over more...
Pew study criticizes USDA’s chemical testing program
A study by Pew Charitable Trusts has identified “major deficiencies” in USDA’s National Residue Program that tests meat and poultry more...
How early meat processing techniques helped humans evolve
A new Harvard study concludes that early meat processing techniques such as slicing and pounding played a key role in human anatomical changes that paved more...
WASDE projections mixed in March
In its monthly World Agriculture Supply Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, USDA boosted its forecasts for total meat production in 2016, as higher forecasts more...
FDA food and vet medicine chief to depart in June
The deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food and veterinary medicine is leaving the agency sometime in June, according to more...
EU OKs animal health law, will monitor antibiotic use
The European parliament this week approved new rules aimed at containing transmissible animal diseases such as avian flu and food-and-mouth disease and more...
Probiotics cut broiler death rate, boost weight gain: study
Results from a recent study showed that broilers had a lower death rate and increased weight gain in the first two weeks they were fed probiotics more...
Magro Meats opens one plant, closes another
Just months after opening a meat processing plant in Springfield, Ill., the owners of Magro Meats & Produce have shut down a smaller facility in Auburn more...
Boomers top millennials in snacking frequency: NPD
Food companies and retailers may be counting on millennials to continue fueling the snack trend, but the boomer generation is outpacing its younger counterparts more...
S&F rolls out gluten-free selections for retail
S&F Foods Inc. has introduced a line of gluten-free frozen sandwiches for sale through the retail channel, the company announced. S&F has specialized more...
Applications accepted for poultry safety recognition awards
Poultry facilities with outstanding safety programs are invited to apply for recognition under the Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award Program. The program more...
OK Foods lifts base pay for hourly production workers (updated)
More than 2,500 employees at three OK Foods processing plants are now receiving higher hourly wages as part of the company’s recently adopted new more...
State court allows Allen Harim plant exception in Delaware
A legal battle over Allen Harim Foods’s plan to convert a former pickle plant in Millsboro, Del., into a chicken processing facility won approval more...
HACCP validation deadline approaches for small facilities
The nation's small and very small federally inspected facilities have just one month to finalize their plans to comply with revised validation requirements more...
National Pork Board delegates unanimously support N.C. advisement
In a historic move, 145 Pork Checkoff delegates representing 43 states and importers unanimously joined the North Carolina Pork Council in support of more...
Cargill buys S.C. plant from FPL
Cargill has bought a ground beef processing plant in Columbia, S.C., from FPL Food LLC, the companies announced. The 100,000-square-foot plant employs more...
Smithfield subsidiary slapped with don-doff suit
Workers at John Morrell & Co.’s Sioux City, Iowa, meat plant have filed a lawsuit contending the company failed to pay them for time spent putting more...
Cargill rehires some Somali workers (updated)
Cargill Meat Solutions has rehired 10 of the 150 Somali workers who were terminated late last year for violating the company’s attendance policy more...
Claxton names new president
Claxton Poultry Farms has named Mikell Fries the company's new president, Fries confirmed to Meatingplace. The grandson of company founder Norman Fries more...
Okla. Supreme Court finds in favor of Seaboard worker
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday struck down part of the state’s workers' compensation law in an injury case involving a Seaboard Foods employee more...
Pork producers weigh in on antibiotics use
In a recent survey, most pig farmers say they are aware of the upcoming regulatory changes regarding on-farm antibiotic use and have a defined record-keeping more...
Two defendants in Rancho Feeding scandal sentenced
Rancho Veal Corp. owner Robert Singleton, 79, was sentenced to three months in prison, and a former employee of Rancho Feeding Corp. received three months’ more...
Weak restaurant traffic is worrisome for meat industry: analysts
Restaurant business conditions are still much softer than a year ago despite a mild winter – a troubling sign for the U.S. meat industry at a time more...
McDonald’s confirms expanded Calif. breakfast test
McDonald’s restaurants in Southern California are testing a variety of breakfast bowls, in addition to adding Greek yogurt options to its breakfast more...
Golden State Foods breaks ground on new Ala. plant
Golden State Foods today broke ground on its new $63-million meat processing plant after the city council of Opelika City, Ala., approved an amended agreement more...
After Super Bowl, back to basics for meat buyers
Consumers were less willing to pay for steaks, deli ham and chicken wings in February than they were in January, showing a return to normal meat consumption more...
USPOULTRY awards recruiting grant to Texas A&M
The USPOULTRY Foundation has awarded a grant to Texas A&M University for recruiting programs targeting future poultry science students. The $34,766 more...
JBS denies fraud in Brazil's Bertin merger deal in 2009
JBS S.A. denied Tuesday it had committed fraud in the merger that created the word's largest beef processing company in 2009, in response to a Brazilian more...
HSUS claims Oscar ad generated $1-million donation (updated)
The CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) said a television commercial against his organization that was broadcast during the Academy more...
Wis. Supreme Court sides with workers in Hormel don-doff case
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled today that Hormel Foods must compensate workers at its Beloit, Wis., plant for time spent donning and doffing protective more...
Maple Leaf Foods posts higher-than-expected Q4 earnings
Maple Leaf Foods today reported stronger operating earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 in light of improved margins in its prepared meats subsidiary more...
February 2016
Restaurant brands appoint new executives
Four restaurant chains recently made changes in their executive ranks in a variety of posts: Rave Restaurant Group named industry veteran Bob Bafundo more...
Subway adds no-antibiotics rotisserie chicken to menu
Subway’s newest addition to its sandwich menu is Rotisserie-Style Chicken that is raised without antibiotics, the next step in the brand's commitment more...
USDA predicts lower beef, pork, poultry exports
USDA lowered its livestock, poultry and dairy exports dollar value forecast for 2016 to $2.5 billion to $25.7 billion, as lower prices drive declines more...
Consumer group targets HSUS in TV ad during Oscars
A consumer group that tracks cause-related organizations and their marketing campaigns again called out the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) more...
Perdue expands no-antibiotics-ever poultry production
Perdue Farms announced today the continued expansion of its no-antibiotics-ever poultry production efforts that are growing the category’s footprint more...
Analysts grow more confident of chicken cycle rebound
Sanderson Farms’ first-quarter results were modestly better than expected, suggesting the company will soon put the chicken industry’s cyclical more...
Aossey sentenced two years for halal beef scheme
The founder of halal foods supplier Midamar Corp. was sentenced Thursday in federal court to two years in prison and then three years of supervised probation more...
Red meat production down
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.06 billion pounds in January, down 1 percent from the 4.09 billion pounds produced in January more...
U.S. pork now finds a home in South Africa
As of today, U.S. pork producers can export some of their goods to the South African market, a country previously closed to them as a matter of practice more...
Weak chicken exports, prices drag on Sanderson profit
Sanderson Farms reported sharply lower first-quarter earnings as sluggish export and foodservice demand kept pressure on chicken pricing. Both markets more...
Coalition urges In-N-Out Burger to help curb antibiotics use
A coalition of 50 public interest, environmental, food safety and consumer groups are calling on In-N-Out Burger to change sourcing policies to help curb more...
China’s appetite for pork bodes well for pork exporters
The combination of China’s growing appetite for pork and its pork industry restructuring is creating a demand gap that bodes well for future pork more...
McDonald’s revamps its value lineup, tests breakfast bowls
McDonald’s has replaced its McPick 2 promotion launched last month with a two-for-$5 deal that lets customers choose from the following: Big Mac more...
Union files with NLRB after Bachoco plant purchase
Industrias Bachoco is facing a formal complaint filed by a union representing about 90 workers at a Oklahoma City, Okla., cooked chicken plant it formally more...
Md. lawmakers argue over poultry litter law
A controversial state bill over the disposition of excess poultry litter throughout Maryland is in the midst of arguments and negotiations, according more...
Analysts see chicken in cold storage as burdensome
Cold storage stocks climbed for all three main species in January according to USDA, but chicken inventories are the biggest concern, analysts said in more...
Chain stores to benefit from falling beef, chicken, pork prices
Reversing years of steadily increasing prices, the cost of beef is expected to decrease between 10 percent and 17 percent across all primal cuts in 2016 more...
Tyson beef plant rejects union
Workers at a Tyson Fresh Meats beef plant in Wallula, Wash., have rejected union representation at the plant, according to the National Labor Relations more...
Power of Meat report sees lasting changes in shopper behavior
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Changes in shopping habits that consumers made during the recession have continued long after the economic downturn officially more...
Jack Link’s expands, adds jobs
Jack Link’s Protein Snacks announced plans to expand its presence in Minneapolis. The approximate 78,000 square-foot space in the Mayo Clinic Square more...
Montana meat firm gets state grant to create jobs
Montana Meat Company has received a $75,000 state grant to create jobs, according to a report by NBC Montana. The Bozeman-based company, a collaborative more...
Sysco buys foodservice distributor, extends global reach
Houston-based major foodservice distributor Sysco announced it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Brakes Group, a European foodservice distributor more...
Proteins on a roll — for now: economists
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — All the major proteins are seeing solid profits and excellent growth prospects and should continue to benefit from supportive more...
Tyson Fresh Meats launches Open Prairie Natural Pork
Tyson Fresh Meats announced the debut of its Open Prairie Natural Pork brand, minimally processed, containing no artificial ingredients. The company said more...
GNP launches line of fully cooked chicken sausages – UPDATED
GNP Company is preparing to launch a line of fully cooked chicken sausages under its Gold’n Plump brand. The products originally were scheduled more...
Cracker Barrel to debut fast-casual restaurant concept
Cracker Barrel plans to debut a new restaurant concept called Holler & Dash, according to media reports. The fast-casual restaurant will open more...
Analyst boosts outlook for Sanderson on better leg pricing
Stephens analyst Farha Aslam raised her 2016 profit forecast for Sanderson Farms by more than a $1 a share, encouraged by improving leg quarter prices more...
McDonald’s franchisees pessimistic on all-day breakfast: report
Just 14 percent of McDonald’s U.S. franchisees think the company’s turnaround plan is working, according to an internal survey conducted in more...
Active packaging on steady growth path through 2020
Global packaging market revenues are expected to increase to nearly $48.3 billion by 2020 from $43.3 billion in 2015 at a compound annual growth rate more...
Paris gets first meat vending machine
Paris saw its first raw meat vending machine installed last week outside a butcher shop in the 11th arrondissement, a popular neighborhood, according more...
Court approves XL Foods settlement
A court in the Canadian province of Alberta has approved a $4 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed against XL Foods after an E. coli outbreak more...
McDonald’s tests its own twist on a popular pairing
McDonald’s is testing an on-the-go variation on the classic chicken-and-waffles dish, serving a crispy chicken patty on a McGriddle bun, a company more...
Wendy’s takes shots at frozen Australian beef
In its latest marketing campaign, Wendy's takes lighthearted shots at Australian beef, promoting the chain’s use of all-American beef. The angle more...
British study suggests organic meat has more omega-3s
British researchers have found that both organic meat and milk contain about 50 percent more omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally produced products more...
Indiana Packers responds to lawsuit
Indiana Packers Corp. issued a statement today, responding to the lawsuit filed yesterday in U.S. District Court by a former employee alleging that the more...
Pork products recalled over E. coli concerns
Hillview Meat Processor, based in Ottawa, Ontario, is recalling raw pork and pork organ products from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 more...
Hormel impresses, but analysts grow jittery
Some Wall Street analysts are questioning whether Hormel Foods can continue its pattern of industry-leading earnings growth after the company outperformed more...
Japan expands access to Mexican pork
Japan’s agriculture ministry has expanded access to Mexican pork exports after deeming Mexico free of classical swine fever. All Mexican states more...
Family-owned butcher launches Black Angus beef brats
A small Illinois-based butcher shop has introduced a raw Black Angus bratwurst. Gridley Meats in Gridley, Ill., said its new bratwurst is made from cattle more...
Pilgrim’s pumps $190 million into expansion
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. today announced a $190 million capital investment plan to enhance growth with key customers and expand production of its Pierce more...
Tyson unveils Tastemakers line at analysts' confab
Tyson Foods executives unveiled a new line of value-added fresh items, dubbed Tastemakers, at the annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference more...
Hormel sees record Q1 earnings on sales slip, resets 2016 estimates
Hormel Corp. shook off a 4-percent sales decline to report better-than-expected profits of 43 cents a share in the first quarter of 2016. The figure — more...
Red Robin names new president
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. has promoted Denny Marie Post to the company’s president post, the company said in announcing its most recent quarterly more...
Fresh Market grocery chain may be in play: report
Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the United States, is seeking to acquire Fresh Market the specialty grocery retailer Fresh Market, which has more...
More than 25,000 pounds of pork recalled over possible foreign matter contamination
Lisle, Ill.-based McCain Foods USA, Inc. is recalling approximately 25,215 pounds of bacon fritters that may be contaminated with extraneous plastic materials more...
Beef products recalled over lack of import inspection
Canyon Creek Soup Co., an Edmonton, Alberta, establishment, is recalling approximately 7,275 pounds of meatball soup products that were not presented more...
CTI Foods acquires Liguria Foods
Wilder, Idaho-based CTI Foods, which provides custom food solutions to restaurant chains, has acquired Liguria Foods, a producer of protein pizza toppings more...
Schwan’s faces $172,000 in OSHA fines
OSHA is proposing more than $172,000 in fines for Schwan’s Global Supply Chain Inc. after two workers at its Salina, Kan., plant suffered amputations more...
Bigger supply of prime beef benefits Ruth’s Chris
An increase in the supply of prime beef reduced costs and generated savings for Ruth’s Chris steakhouses in the fourth quarter, the chain’s more...
Analysts view Pilgrim’s stumble as temporary
Weaker fourth-quarter profits at Pilgrim’s Pride surprised the market this week, but at least two Wall Street analysts say the company’s woes more...
OSHA cites Case Farms again
Case Farms faces additional OSHA charges alleging two repeat and one other-than-serious safety violations at its Winesburg, Ohio, processing facility more...
Industry takes issue with report on conditions of Arkansas poultry workers
Arkansas poultry workers earn approximately $28,792 per year — well below living wage for a family of four ($71,000) even in a household with two more...
Pilgrim’s details capital spending plans to drive growth
Following the release of weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results, Pilgrim’s Pride Chief Executive Bill Lovette outlined the company’s more...
BK throws hot dogs on the grill
Burger King announced the launch of flame-grilled hot dogs at participating restaurants year-round, beginning Feb. 23. The 100% beef dogs Grilled Dogs more...
Full-service chain adds slow-roasted sirloin
Outback Steakhouse is adding a Hand-Carved Roasted Sirloin dish to its menu, joining its signature grilled steaks. The new steak is seasoned and seared more...
U.S. beef shipments to Israel to resume after 13 years
The USDA announced a new agreement with Israel to lift the ban on U.S. beef imports for the first time since 2003. Shipments will come from Nebraska’s more...
Wendy’s predicts sales growth, says strategy working
Wendy’s reported better-than-expected preliminary fourth-quarter results and projected sales momentum would continue, crediting the success of its more...
Sustainability evolution: waste turns into chicken feed
The challenge of more efficiently transforming raw materials like agricultural waste into useful products – like chicken feed – has moved more...
Direct-to-door food sector exploding: NPD study
The depth and breadth of the choice of foodstuffs that consumers can have delivered to their door, often on demand, is expanding exponentially — more...
New West Liberty division launches HPP toll business
West Liberty Foods has launched a new division, Liberty Cold, and has opened a new 173,000-square-foot cold storage complex on a greenfield site in Bolingbrook more...
Indiana officials prepare to lift HPAI restrictions
Animal health authorities in Indiana are preparing to release the control area and surveillance zone established following last month’s outbreak more...
More pork and chicken, less beef and turkey: WASDE
USDA raised its 2016 forecast of total red meat and poultry production from last month in its latest World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report more...
USDA sets protocol for payments in case of bird flu outbreaks
USDA has announced amended regulations to cover indemnity payments to the poultry industry in the event of another outbreak of highly pathogenic avian more...
Nathan’s Famous sees Q3 earnings plunge by 80 percent
National hot dog purveyor Nathan’s Famous Inc. reported that net income for the third quarter ended Dec. 27 fell by 80 percent to 10 cents a share more...
Strong Tyson Q1 results spark estimate upgrades
Higher-than-expected results in the first quarter prompted two industry analysts to raise their 2016 earnings estimates for Tyson Foods, citing the company’s more...
Judge’s order puts nail in coffin for horse slaughter plan
A state district judge in New Mexico has granted an order that permanently prohibits plans to slaughter horses for human consumption. In his order, filed more...
Meat further processor opens innovation center
Fayetteville, Ill.-based meat processor Deli Star Corporation announced it is opening a new Innovation Center in downtown St. Louis. The Innovation Center more...
Tyson boosts 2016 outlook after first quarter tops expectations
Tyson Foods reported sharply higher first-quarter earnings on Friday that far exceeded analyst expectations and raised its full-year forecast, sending more...
Meat scientist reviews beef data; not all Choice is created equal
Consumers who want more than a “run of the mill” eating experience should reach for premium Choice or Prime, according to the findings of more...
Buffet chain shutters 74 restaurants effective immediately
Ovation Brands, which operates Old Country Buffet, Hometown Buffet, Ryan’s, Fire Mountain and Country Buffet restaurants nationwide, announced Thursday more...
FAO food price index falls
FAO’s meat price index, in line with all other commodities the organization tracks, declined in January. The meat price index (derived from projected more...
Canadian Super Bowl fans turn more toward pizza than wings
Football fans north of the U.S. border are more likely to munch pizza rather than chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday, according to a new survey. The Leger more...
Beef processor buys deli meat company
Greeley, Colo.-based beef processor Colorado Premium Foods announced it has acquired the assets of Miami-based branded deli meats company National Deli more...
Tougher pathogen standards set for further-processed poultry
USDA announced it has finalized new standards aimed at reducing salmonella and campylobacter in raw chicken parts and ground chicken and turkey. The agency more...
Minn. beef plant to become pork plant
The shuttered PM Beef plant in Windom, Minn., will become a new pork processing plant, according to a report by the Star Tribune. Minnesota Timberwolves more...
Canadian E. coli outbreak linked to Calgary retailer
An outbreak of E. coli in Canada has been linked to pork sausage sold in and around Calgary. Alberta Health Services (AHS) announced Wednesday that it more...
Maryland bill would shift poultry manure removal to companies (update)
A group of Maryland legislators have proposed a state bill that would make poultry companies, rather than their contract growers, responsible for the more...
Supervalu names new CEO, keeps eye on spin-off
The Supervalu grocery chain has named Mark Gross its next president and chief executive officer, and said it continues to consider a potential spin-off more...
Sentence begins for now-defunct Conn. processor’s embezzler
A former financial consultant to a New Haven, Conn.-based processor has begun serving his 12-year sentence on embezzlement, a scheme that the company’s more...
Jim Perdue leverages legacy of innovation
Inside the original Perdue Farms homestead, now a museum of sorts, are the black-and-white photographs of three family generations. There’s the more...
Bad Midwest weather shuts down four Tyson plants
Tyson Foods has shut down three pork plants and one beef plant and curtailed operations in three other facilities in light of what has been described more...
Indiana judge rejects complaint vs. local hog farmers
A Randolph County judge in Indiana has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Maxwell Farms of Indiana and its contracted operators, according to a news release more...
New study confirms explosion of grocery prepared foods
A new study showed that 64 percent of grocery retailers saw growth of 9 percent or more in their fresh prepared food sales in 2014. Released by the Food more...
Three restaurant chains name new executives
Smashburger Denver-based Smashburger announced that Michael Nolan, who previously was overseeing franchising and development at Corner Bakery, has been more...
OSI Group speaks out against Chinese verdict; will appeal
Aurora, Ill.-based OSI Group plans to appeal a Chinese court’s verdict of a fine and prison time for “producing and selling inferior products more...
Cattle futures unfazed by USDA projecting higher inventories
Cattle futures prices traded slightly higher in early morning trade on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange despite Friday’s USDA report showing larger more...
Small recall over products made without benefit of inspection
The Noble Spoon, a Santa Rosa, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 289 pounds of beef and chicken entree products that were produced without more...
Are you old enough to remember this jingle?
Smithfield Foods’ Armour brand is resurrecting a jingle it introduced in 1967, which aired for many years on radio and TV and is considered one more...
January 2016
Taiwan’s new president brings hope for U.S. pork exporters
The election this month of Tsai Ing-wen as Taiwan’s new president was encouraging news to U.S. pork exporters seeking greater access to that Asian more...
McDonald’s boosting all-day breakfast lineup in test
McDonald’s will add seven sandwiches to its all-day breakfast lineup, including the popular McGriddle, in Tulsa, Okla., in a test expansion of the more...
More than 6,000 pounds of bone-in pork mistakenly sent to prisons
Ontario's Ministry of Community Safety and Corrections mistakenly ordered -- and received -- more than 6,600 pounds of bone-in pork for the province's more...
News briefs: Universal Pasteurization, Super Bowl wings, HoneyBaked Ham, KivaSun
Toll processor names new CEO Lincoln, Neb.-based Universal Pasteurization and Universal Cold Storage announced Mark Duffy has joined the company as its more...
LA schools’ food contract: A ‘test’ for Tyson
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is preparing to negotiate a new round of contracts with food providers for its school meals, and school more...
Price tag disclosed in Mountain States-JBS plant deal
A cooperative that agreed to acquire a JBS USA lamb processing plant in Greeley, Colo., last fall apparently paid $8.5 million for the facility, according more...
Pork Board hires new retail leader
The National Pork Board has hired Sara Crawford as its director of retail marketing and innovation, the organization said in a news release. In her new more...
Tech briefs: Salmonella in turkey, woody breast, drying sausage, white striping
The following briefs are taken from some of the more than 500 articles on best practices, processing technology and troubleshooting that appear in our more...
Analyst predicts poultry outlook in face of global economy slump
ATLANTA —The good news for poultry producers is that the corn and soybeans they feed their birds should remain cheap for the next couple years; more...
Hormel splits stock; announces executive changes
Hormel Foods Corp. announced it received shareholder approval for a two-for-one stock split at its annual meeting on Tuesday, reflecting its executives’ more...
U.S. beef faces stiff competition
U.S. beef producers have their work cut out for them on the international trade arena as export agreements favor competitors, the U.S. dollar gains in more...
Perdue poised for ‘antibiotic-free’ proliferation
Today indeed is a new day for the chicken industry. Big birds the likes of Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride are waking up to consumer concerns about more...
Keeping meat appealing in the retail meat case
ATLANTA — A lot goes into keeping meat fresh looking and appealing to consumers in the meat case, and small shifts in packaging, light and refrigeration more...
JBS pork plant suffers fire
JBS USA's pork processing facility in Marshalltown, Iowa, sustained damage from a rooftop fire on Sunday evening, according to a report in the Marshalltown more...
Beef products recalled; may contain pork
Berks Packing Co., based in Reading, Pa., is recalling about 1,320 pounds of beef products that may be misbranded, and may contain pork and erythorbate more...
News briefs: Tyson, TGIF, NAMI, Jack’s Links, Millennials, Pineland Farms, Cargill, meat locker expansion
Tyson exec recognizedRay Team, director of group manufacturing for Tyson Foods' Storm Lake Turkey operations, was recently inducted into the Iowa Turkey more...
Winter storms, Cattle on Feed, and more data to come: Peel
(This article is reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock more...
McDonald's rides the wave of all-day breakfast to surging 4Q results
What a difference a quarter makes: For its fourth fiscal quarter of 2015, riding the wave of all-day breakfast, McDonald's Corp. posted a healthy increase more...
Feds extend Sudanese refugee status
The federal Department of Homeland Security has extended Sudan's designation for Temporary Protected Status for an additional 18 months — through more...
USDA’s top vet moves into trade position
Dr. John Clifford, who has served for the past 12 years as chief veterinary officer and deputy administrator for veterinary services for USDA’s more...
Global, $130 million food waste initiative launched
Movers and shakers at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, announced the launch of a $130 million, seven-year initiative targeting more...
Senate WOTUS veto override attempt blocked
Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a Republican-led effort to override President Barack Obama’s veto of a congressional resolution that would more...
WH Group names Smithfield, Shuanghui executives to board
Smithfield parent WH Group announced it named Kenneth Sullivan as an executive director and a member of the board’s environmental, social and governance more...
True or False? Take our 10-second quiz
True or false? Read the following statement on an issue of importance to the meat industry, and tell us if you agree or disagree. We'll publish the results more...
Lawmakers urge USDA to delay hog slaughter rule
Lawmakers are asking for more data proving the validity of USDA’s proposed modernized hog slaughter protocol before the agency moves to expand the more...
Perdue names VPs of sustainability, live production
Perdue Farms has appointed Steve Levitsky as vice president of sustainability and Mike Levengood as vice president, chief animal care officer and farmer more...
Senate attempt at WOTUS veto override expected
The Senate is expected to take up a vote aimed at overriding President Barack Obama’s veto of a congressional bill aimed at preventing the Environmental more...
NAMI/AMSA video explains why it’s a bad idea to wash meat
It’s an old wives’ tale that just won’t die: the idea that you should wash your meat and poultry before cooking it. In the newest Meat more...
Indiana bid flu toll passes 400,000, concerns rise
The fallout from the recent avian influenza outbreak in Indiana now includes more than 400,000 turkeys and chickens culled, concerns in nearby Kentucky more...
USDA to lead trade mission to Chile, Peru
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will lead a trade mission to Chile and Peru to help U.S. companies make connections with buyers in those countries. Participants more...
Grocery chain sets new executive appointments
Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets Inc. announced that along with CEO Ed Crenshaw’s planned retirement on April 30, 2016 and President Todd more...
Organic meal kit maker goes national
Boulder, Colo.-based organic meal kit maker Green Chef announced the opening of a second distribution facility, allowing nationwide shipping capabilities more...
Indiana poultry farmers brace for avian flu, analyst sees confidence
Even as poultry producers in Indiana absorb the news of more cases of avian influenza — confirmed at 10 farms — at least one industry analyst more...
Simmons leases new space, creates 100 jobs
Siloam Springs, Ark.-based poultry processor Simmons Prepared Foods announced it is leasing new space at the Zero Mountain Fort Smith facility, creating more...
Supreme Court to hear immigration case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will hear the case brought by 26 states over President Obama’s 2014 executive orders related to immigration more...
Perdue plant resumes operations after cleared of smoke
Perdue’s Concord, Md., plant resumed operations this morning after smoke filled the facility Monday night and forced its closure for cleanup, spokeswoman more...
Chicken products recalled
Kayem Foods Inc., a Chelsea, Mass. establishment, is recalling approximately 22,182 pounds of chicken sausage products due to misbranding, USDA’s more...
More HPAI discovered in Indiana; importers react
More farms in Indiana have tested positive for the presence of highly pathogenic H7N8 avian influenza (HPAI), prompting a variety of responses worldwide more...
Consumers increasingly looking for “healthier” meat, poultry products
One-fourth of consumers say they have switched to healthier meat and poultry products within the last year, and all signs indicate that share will continue more...
KFC launches national rollout of its Nashville Hot Chicken
KFC today introduced its Nashville Hot Chicken in all of its 4,300 U.S. restaurants months after testing the product in regional markets. The YUM! Brands more...
New HPAI strain found in Indiana turkey flock
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H7N8 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial more...
Walmart to close 269 stores, shift grocery focus
Walmart announced it will close 269 stores around the globe, including all 102 of its small-format Express stores, while preparing to open more Supercenters more...
Small slaughterhouse in plans for Potsdam, N.Y.
The for-profit business development arm of a regional community services organization is exploring the possibility of establishing a small beef slaughter more...
Chipotle to close all units for food safety meeting
Chipotle will close all its restaurants Feb. 8 until 3:00 p.m. to review food safety changes with employees in the wake of a series of foodborne illness more...
Coalition sues to overturn N.C. ‘ag-gag’ law
A coalition of animal and consumer activist groups on Wednesday filed a lawsuit in federal court to overturn North Carolina’s “ag-gag” more...
Jerky giant expands plant, consolidates
Oberto Brands announced Wednesday plans to expand its Kent, Wash., plant, while selling its Albany, Ore., plant and discontinuing manufacturing operations more...
POTUS to veto snub of WOTUS
The U.S. House on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at preventing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from extending its jurisdiction over more U.S more...
Shake Shack launches first-ever chicken sandwich
The Chick’n Shack ($6.29), Shake Shack’s debut chicken sandwich, will launch on most U.S. Shake Shack menus Thursday. The chicken breast sandwich more...
Canadian co-op to launch $37-mil plant expansion
One of Canada’s largest processors of chicken and turkey is preparing to spend $37 million to expand the farmer-owned cooperative’s plant more...
Scotland farm culls 40,000 birds in wake of H5N1
Officials in Scotland have begun the process of culling an estimated 40,000 chickens at a farm where the H5N1 strain of avian influenza was confirmed more...
Arby's sets expansion pact with largest franchisee
Arby's Restaurant Group Inc. has reached a new development agreement with its largest franchisee, United States Beef Corp. (U.S. Beef), to open 70 new more...
Plant security guard rescued from water runoff tank (UPDATED)
A security guard who fell into a water runoff holding tank at Perdue Farms’ Petaluma Poultry Processors plant in California is recovering after more...
Smithfield technology issue solved; analysts review impact
Smithfield Foods has confirmed that operations at production facilities affected by yesterday’s issues at a data center have resumed as normal, more...
USDA raises price forecast for poultry, lowers pork, leaves beef alone
USDA lowered its estimate of 2015 total meat production from last month as lower pork, broiler, and turkey production more than offsets higher beef production more...
USDA’s AMS pulls standard for grass fed, naturally-raised meat
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) published a notice in the Federal Register to withdraw the United States Standards for Livestock more...
Poultry processor hikes pay
Simmons Foods said Tuesday the company is raising hourly pay at many of its processing plants to support employee recruiting and retention. Effective more...
Computer glitch snarls some Smithfield Foods' operations
A "technology issue" at Smithfield Foods' data center has "impacted production at a number of our facilities" on Monday, Smithfield spokeswoman Kathleen more...
Bird flu found on Scotland poultry farm
Authorities in Scotland have launched biosecurity measures around a poultry farm on the outskirts of Dunfermline that initial tests indicated is a low more...
House to kill WOTUS, Obama to veto move
The House of Representatives is expected this week to consider a resolution to kill the Waters of the U.S. rule (WOTUS), but President Obama already has more...
Pork board launches producer text alert
The National Pork Board today introduced a pork industry crisis text news service, called “Pork Crisis Alert,” that will immediately deliver more...
Analyst sees improving export markets lifting Pilgrim’s
BB&T Capital Markets analyst Brett Hundley boosted his 2016 outlook for Pilgrim’s Pride, saying the company will benefit from the re-opening more...
Momentum continued for U.S. pork exports in November
U.S. pork exports continued to gain momentum in November while beef exports also showed signs of a rebound, according to data released by USDA and compiled more...
Analysts estimate net loss for JBS in the 4Q2015 but see 2016 as a good year
Brazilian meat company JBS S.A. is expected to report a net loss for the last quarter of 2015 and a reduction in US beef margins, according to a report more...
Campbell Soup comes out in support of GMO labeling
Campbell Soup Company is the first packaged food company to publicly support enactment of federal legislation to establish a single mandatory labeling more...
Dietary Guideline specifics on poultry and meat
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued today by USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services recommends consumption of meats, poultry more...
Men, teen boys advised to eat less meat
Among the recommendations in the new dietary guidelines for Americans is a call for men and teen boys to reduce meat and poultry consumption and increase more...
South Africa reopens market to U.S. poultry
South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry announced Thursday that the country will accept imports of 65,000 metric tons of U.S. poultry annually more...
Nearly 8,000 pounds of meat, poultry products recalled
Neto’s Sausage Co., a Santa Clara, Calif., establishment, is recalling 7,687 pounds of beef, pork and chicken products that were produced and labeled more...
Perdue takes steps in wake of chicken farm worker conviction (UPDATED)
Perdue Farms has severed its ties with two contract poultry farms, including the North Carolina farm where a farm employee was convicted of animal cruelty more...
Meal deal war intensifies as Burger King enters the fray
Burger King has raised the ante in the latest value menu price war, bundling five items including a bacon cheeseburger and four chicken nuggets into one more...
Chipotle discloses subpoena, sharp sales drop
Chipotle Mexican Grill was served with a federal subpoena in connection with a criminal investigation of the norovirus outbreak at its restaurant in Simi more...
Colombia grants full access to U.S. beef
Colombia has removed all restrictions on imports of U.S. beef, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said this week. Recent updates to Colombia’s protocols more...
FSIS to raise rates on plant inspections, services next month
Meat and poultry establishments will have to dig a little deeper to pay for inspections, laboratory and other services starting Feb. 7. USDA’s Food more...
Dairy cow, feedlot losses seen from winter snowstorms
Winter Storm Goliath has killed thousands of dairy cattle in Texas and New Mexico with some loss estimates as high as 30,000 dairy cows and beef cattle more...
Ground beef recalled on concerns over wood pieces
Huisken Meat Co., based in Sauk Rapids, Minn., is recalling about 89,568 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous wood materials more...
Undercover poultry video subject pleads guilty to animal cruelty (UPDATED)
A worker at a chicken farm that supplies Perdue Farms Inc. has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges just weeks after an undercover video showed him more...
Canada opens beef import door and resumes Korea beef exports
Canada trade is expanding in two directions as a result of two separate agreements with Argentina and South Korea, officials announced in news releases more...
Researchers identify species of bacteria linked to lameness in broilers
Researchers at the University of Arkansas have identified a species of bacteria that had never before been associated with lameness in broiler chickens more...
Smithfield reports progress on converting sow housing
Smithfield Foods reported it has made “significant progress” on the transition it began in 2007 to convert pregnant sows on all company-owned more...
Analysts see bright 2016 for Buffalo Wild Wings
Stephens Inc. has issued a positive report on the restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings for 2016. Stephens analyst Will Slabaugh called Buffalo Wild Wings more...
Sandwich products recalled over possible cooling/process deviation
Du Monde Gourmet, a Park City, Utah, establishment, is recalling approximately 235 pounds of ready-to-eat pocket sandwich products, which may have experienced more...
9 Asian flavors spicing up kitchens worldwide
Two-thirds of consumers eat a wider variety of ethnic cuisines now versus five years ago, in particular foods and ingredients from Asia—everything more...
Better understanding of calcium absorption helps in forming better pig diets
Results of a study on the digestibility of calcium in swine may help pork producers avoid waste and increase their feed efficiency. The majority of the more...
Maple Leaf Foods launches video series touting protein, good health
To promote the benefits of protein to young Canadians, Maple Leaf Foods has launched a video series called "Protein Builds." The first two videos in the more...
December 2015
Cargill fires 190 beef plant workers for walking out over prayer dispute
Cargill has fired some 190 workers who walked off the job at its Fort Morgan, Colo., beef plant over a dispute about accommodation of religious prayer more...
Beef margins slide, pork slips, chicken flat in processor report
U.S. processing margins for beef and pork fell while the chicken margin was flat for a second week, according to the latest Weekly Commodity Monitor from more...
Researchers lead fight against food fraud
Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) are helping governments, manufacturers and retailers around the globe develop strategies to prevent food more...
OK Foods donates 40,000 lbs. of chicken to Ark. food bank
OK Foods has donated 40,000 pounds of chicken to the Arkansas Foodbank, the food bank said in a news release. “The donation by OK Foods represents more...
Carl’s Jr. launches all-natural, antibiotic-free turkey burgers
Carl’s Jr. announced today what it bills as the fast-food industry’s first All-Natural Turkey Burger line. The All-Natural Turkey Burgers more...
Iowa joins states lifting poultry show bans as avian flu warnings continue
Iowa this week became the latest state to lift restrictions on poultry exhibitions imposed in the wake of the 2015 avian influenza outbreak, even as Secretary more...
Grocery chain names first new CEO in 36 years
San Bernadino, Calif.-based grocery chain Stater Bros. Markets, announced Pete Van Helden has been appointed president and chief executive officer, effective more...
What to expect for 2016: Datassential
Food industry research firm Datassential has released its list of expected industry trends that will take center stage in 2016. They include: Don’t more...
Smithfield parent pork plant in China to make “American style” meat
WH Group, the world’s largest pork company and the parent company of Smithfield Foods, announced it has opened a new “American-style packaged more...
Hong Kong lifts HPAI restrictions on Iowa, South Dakota poultry
Hong Kong has lifted restrictions on poultry from Iowa and South Dakota as the U.S. continues to reemerge from a historic outbreak of highly pathogenic more...
NAMI to honor industry leaders at IPPE
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) will honor industry leaders at its inaugural Annual Awards Ceremony and Luncheon at the 2016 International Production more...
OSI trial begins in Shanghai
OSI Group finally gets its three days in court, as its trial over allegations of providing substandard meat to such fast-food customers in Asia as McDonald’s more...
PETA, Certified Humane spar over Tasty Burger marketing
The Tasty Burger chain, with five locations in the Boston area, is at the center of a holiday tiff over humane handling between People for the Ethical more...
Mass. mulls changes to meat processing oversight
A state legislator has introduced a bill that would shift oversight of meat processing facilities in Massachusetts to an agency believed to have a closer more...
BBQ chain names new CEO
Famous Dave's of America Inc. has appointed Adam Wright as chief executive officer. Wright joined Famous Dave’s as the interim CEO after former more...
Seven more illnesses in salmonella outbreak linked to poultry
The Public Health Agency of Canada reported seven more illnesses — bringing the total to 98 — from an outbreak of salmonella, believed to more...
Commercial red meat production up 7 percent
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.03 billion pounds in November, up 7 percent from the 3.76 billion pounds produced in November more...
Burke introduces cooked chicken crumbles
Burke Corp., which provides fully cooked meat products to manufacturers and pizzerias, has launched two new Chicken Sausage crumbles: Chicken Sausage more...
USPOULTRY releases video on environmental stewardship
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is releasing a fourth video in a series highlighting environmental stewardship on poultry and egg farms more...
Explosion at Valley Proteins in building near Perdue plant (updated)
One man was injured when a boiler exploded at the Valley Proteins, Inc. factory in Accomack, Va., early Thursday morning, according to a news report by more...
Hog herd at record levels: NASS
U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on Dec. 1 was 68.3 million head, the highest inventory of hogs and pigs since quarterly U.S. estimates began in 1988 more...
U.S. cattle industry: Where to from here?
(This article has been reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing more...
U.S. broiler shipments down
Broiler shipments dropped 20 percent in October compared with a year earlier, totaling 521 million pounds, according to USDA. Exports to Mexico, the United more...
What chefs are saying never goes out of style; and what does
Members of the American Culinary Federation have identified foods they believe are perennial favorites that will continue to be popular in 2016. The National more...
Food prices look like they’re going up: USDA
Food inflation is expected to wrap up 2015 just under its historical average increase of 2.6 percent, according to USDA’s monthly Food Price Outlook more...
Federal court rejects challenge to USDA poultry rules
A U.S. Court of Appeals has rejected a challenge to revised USDA poultry inspection rules filed by a retired doctor and the group Food and Water Watch more...
FSIS developing guidance on ‘geographic claims’
In a notice sent to inspection personnel on Monday, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said it is “developing guidance for federally more...
CDC says E. coli outbreak from chicken salad is over
The recent outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 linked to chicken salad sold at Costco Wholesale stores “appears to be over,” more...
Mexican poultry giant buys American Food Group plant
Mexican poultry giant Industrias Bachoco announced Monday it has acquired a fully cooked chicken plant from American Foods Group in Oklahoma City, Okla more...
Hillshire Brands to pay $4MM for EEOC violations at former Sara Lee plant
Hillshire Brands Co. will pay $4 million to a group of 74 African-American former employees and provide other significant relief to settle a lawsuit where more...
Bob Evans Farms to sell, leaseback 145 restaurants
Bob Evans Farms Inc. has signed a letter off intent to sell 145 restaurant properties to an affiliate of Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc. in a deal valued more...
Muslim workers walk off the job at Cargill plant
About 200 Muslim employees of Cargill Meat Solutions’ Fort Morgan plant in Fort Morgan, Colo., walked off the job on Monday in response to what more...
ConAgra’s Q2 profit plunges, but adjusted earnings beat estimates
ConAgra Foods Inc. today reported a 24.2-percent decline in net income in the second quarter of fiscal 2016, but other factors allowed the company to more...
Hormel supplier notes progress on animal handling reforms
The Minnesota pork supplier cited in an undercover video depicting questionable animal handling procedures is assuring the public and client Hormel Foods more...
US Foods ‘expands footprint’ by buying distribution operation
US Foods has agreed to acquire foodservice distributor Dierks Waukesha in Waukesha, Wis., as part of a plan to expand its presence in the Upper Midwest more...
Cattle on Feed report seen bullish for cattle prices
USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report released Friday was seen as bullish for cattle prices for the first six months of 2016, according to analysts more...
Canada focusing on poultry in search for salmonella outbreak culprit
The Public Health Agency of Canada is investigating an outbreak of salmonella infections in nine provinces. To date, the source of this investigation more...
Congress passes COOL-killing spending bill (updated)
As expected, the House of Representatives and the Senate approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill on Friday that would fund the federal government through more...
Dietary Guidelines announcement delayed to January; Congress calls for review
The release of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines — which was expected any day now by USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — more...
Analysts on Sanderson: Brighter chicken outlook expected
Wall Street analysts see one more weak quarter ahead for chicken margins due to oversupply but are optimistic market conditions will improve after the more...
N.C. county woos Tyson to expand chicken plant
Union County officials in North Carolina have approved a $225,000 incentives package that would help Tyson Foods expand its chicken plant in the city more...
Sanderson Q4 profit down; sees small 2016 production hike
Sanderson Farms Inc. on Thursday reported a sharply lower fourth-quarter profit, citing deteriorating prices in the big-bird deboning market. Fourth-quarter more...
Dietary guidelines showdown intensifies in Washington
The fight in Washington over controversial dietary guidelines the Obama Administration could release within days intensified this week when legislators more...
Smithfield launches premium ground pork
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced the launch of its new Signature Ground pork. The product is made from “quality-aged” sows using a proprietary more...
Simmons Foods breaks ground on new pet food ingredient plant
The feed ingredient subsidiary of Simmons Foods has broken ground on new 89,125-square foot pet food ingredient plant in Siloam Springs, Ark. The company more...
USDA’s OIG studies processed-verified programs
The USDA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a critique of the agency’s various processed-verified programs, noting several areas more...
Minnesota lifts last limits on HPAI-affected farms
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has lifted the last quarantines it imposed on 108 farms where the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) more...
Nebraska Beef files response, counterclaim in DOJ suit
Nebraska Beef filed a response in the case brought against it by the federal Department of Justice in October alleging that the company failed to comply more...
Restaurant sales hit slowest pace for year in November: report
Restaurant sales slowed in November to the weakest pace seen all year, dragged down by quick-service sales, according to a survey by MillerPulse published more...
JBS notes fall amid probe
JBS S.A.’s $1 billion worth of notes due in 2020 have fallen 11 percent, to a record low since Nov. 25 when Brazil’s federal audit court said more...
AdvancePierre Foods opens innovation and research center
AdvancePierre Foods has opened a customer innovation and research center that is co-located with its Cincinnati processing facility. “Customer satisfaction more...
Togo’s sold to investment firm
Togo's Eateries Inc. announced that Nimes Capital will acquire the shares in the sandwich franchise that have been held by growth equity firm Mainsail more...
Hodges to leave National Pork Board
Chris Hodges will leave his position as chief executive officer of the National Pork Board effective Dec. 31, 2015. The National Pork Board will more...
FSIS tightens recordkeeping rule for ground beef makers
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is requiring that all processors of raw ground beef products, including retailers, maintain “adequate more...
Three countries update poultry export requirements
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has updated its poultry export requirements for Japan, Ukraine and the Republic of Macedonia Following more...
Survey in Japan rates U.S. beef against domestic and Australian beef
U.S. beef was ranked as the fifth best among 35 beef brands surveyed in Japan by the Nikkei Marketing Journal, an industrial newspaper, USDA's Foreign more...
Pet snack maker recalls Beef Dinner Morsels for possible Listeria presence
Milwaukee-based Stella & Chewy’s has announced a recall of four of its products made for dogs and cats because of the possible presence of Listeria more...
Ag issues kicked forward with spending bill
The short-term extension on spending authority for the federal government delays the resolution of several agriculture-related issues, including country-of-origin more...
FDA report shows rise in sales of antibiotics for animal use
Sales and distribution of antibiotics for use in food-producing animals that are considered important in human medicine increased 3 percent in 2014, the more...
GMO labeling bill may have to wait till next year: report
Federal legislation on GMO food labeling that would block a Vermont law from taking effect in July may now have to wait until early next year, Debbie more...
Egyptians crack down on fraud with ID cards for donkeys
Donkeys across Egypt soon will be issued ID cards by the government to ensure that their meat ends up as feed for circus animals and not on unsuspecting more...
Wisconsin meat vendor aims to fill a void
A Wisconsin meat company that formed following the demise of a popular local organic processor is preparing to open a butcher shop in a new space where more...
AdvancePierre rolls out new chicken product
Cincinnati-based sandwich and value-added protein processor AdvancePierre Foods introduces the Pierre Signatures Chicken Salad with Bacon on a Croissant more...
University, genetics firm develop first pigs resistant to PRRSv
Global animal genetics firm Genus announced it has developed the first pigs resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSv), more...
Beef exports decline to Korea and Taiwan, but improve elsewhere
October beef exports rebounded to some degree from their low September totals, but were still down 14 percent from a year ago in volume (94,524 metric more...
Meat production expected to slow: WASDE
In its monthly World Agriculture Supply Demand Estimates report, USDA lowered its forecasts for total meat production in 2015 and 2016, as cattle marketings more...
Kuwait lifts ban on Virginia poultry
Kuwait has lifted a ban on poultry imports from Virginia that was imposed earlier this year in response to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
Burger chain launches ‘steakhouse burger’ nationally
The Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s burger chains are introducing a steakhouse-based hamburger at participating outlets nationwide, owner CKE Restaurants more...
Stouffer’s, MLB stars team up behind Fit Kitchen
Frozen entrée producer Stouffer's will join with Kansas City's renowned third basemen Mike Moustakas and Chicago's breakout third baseman, Kris more...
APHIS confirms avian influenza found in wild Oregon duck (updated)
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced that Eurasian H5 avian influenza was found in the genetic material more...
Activist group repackages video used against Tyson, suppliers
The animal activist organization Mercy For Animals (MFA) today re-released undercover video footage that the group says shows "extreme cruelty and violence” more...
Chicken lasagna recall in Canada
A national recall in Canada has been issued for President's Choice brand butter chicken lasagna, due to possible bone fragments in the food. The more...
New MythCrusher video addresses iron deficiency
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutrition deficiency in the U.S., Canada and other countries, but not all iron-rich foods are equally beneficial more...
WTO COOL decision fuels meat groups’ frustration; all eyes on Senate
Groups representing the U.S. animal protein industries, which have opposed the U.S. country of origin labeling laws since they went into effect in 2009 more...
Cargill lays off 33 from beef production plant
Cargill Meats has laid off almost three dozen employees from its beef production plan in Marshall, Mo., which now employs 470 in total. Cargill Meats more...
Keystone Foods names Tyson exec new North American president
Keystone Foods announced today that Devin Cole has joined its executive leadership team as president of Keystone U.S., overseeing all North American business more...
Processor sets new policies for animal welfare practices
Maple Leaf Foods has unveiled new guidelines designed to improve animal welfare at its pork and poultry processing plants, the company announced in a more...
Activist investor says Bob Evans Foods could fetch $1 billion
Sandell Asset Management Corp., the activist investor that is urging Bob Evans Farms Inc. to sell its packaged foods business, says the unit could fetch more...
CDC declares pork salmonella outbreak over
An outbreak of two strains of salmonella that infected 192 people in five states appears to be over, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Epidemiologic more...
Restaurant group sues NYC over sodium-labeling law
The National Restaurant Association said it has sued New York City’s Board of Health over its decision to require chain restaurants to post sodium more...
WHO counts pathogen outbreaks worldwide
The first global estimate of foodborne diseases has been announced by Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO), which said almost one in 10 people more...
Bob Evans sausage, sides shine as restaurants struggle
Bob Evans Farms Inc., in the midst of a turnaround effort, reported weaker-than-expected sales at its restaurants in the second quarter but said its refrigerated more...
Poultry outlook favorable, but AI a 'wild card' in Q4: Rabobank
Robust poultry demand, continued low feed prices and a price advantage over competing proteins such as pork and beef all make for a positive outlook for more...
NAMI ‘crushes’ myths about meat’s environmental impact
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) released today the latest installment of its “Meat MythCrushers” series, this time to try to more...
Plan unveiled to provide more food ingredient details
More than 30 top food and consumer goods makers including Tyson Foods, Hormel Foods and ConAgra Foods said they will offer consumers a new way to access more...
JBS to invest BRL1.2 bln to expand operations in Brazil
JBS S.A. will invest BRL1.2 billion ($311 million) to expand meat production capacity in Brazil, the company announced this week during an event in Dourados more...
New CEO appointed at 1,300-unit grocery chain
The former head of a Canadian chain of value retail stores has been named CEO of the Save-A-Lot chain of retail stores and distribution centers, effective more...
Consumers identify food transparency overseer
A new survey by the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) asked consumers to identify the party whom they hold most responsible for transparency — food more...
Panorama Meat brand unveils new Web store
Western Grassfed Beef, Panorama Meats’ brand of 100 percent grassfed and grass-finished beef, has launched a website that makes its products available more...
Ex-Rancho Feeding exec gets sentencing delayed to February
The former owner of Rancho Feeding Corp. is scheduled to be sentenced in two months for his role in the sale of tainted beef in a national issue that more...
Most Americans believe chicken has added hormones or steroids: NCC
Nearly 80 percent of Americans mistakenly believe that chicken contains added hormones or steroids, according to a new national survey released today more...
Minnesota officials optimistic on bird flu, lift limits
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health is sending signals that it is much less concerned about the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) now more...
Chain restaurant menus must warn about salty foods in New York
Starting today, food service establishments in New York City that are part of chains with 15 or more locations nationwide will be required to post icons more...
November 2015
McDonald’s launches latest customization effort: report
Fast food giant McDonald’s this week introduced a new customer-centric burger ordering system in hundreds of its restaurants in California, according more...
Trucker makes off with 40,000 pounds of meat
A truck driver posing as a legitimate product hauler allegedly made away with 40,000 pounds of beef from a Pennsylvania company that was supposed to be more...
Beef market in transition
(This article is reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock more...
Scientists say biotechnology governance must be ‘even-handed’
Protecting animals that enter the human food supply should require what a group of researchers label “agnostic governance” of technologies more...
Chefs see free-range pork, charcuterie, fresh sausage on menus in 2016
Members of the American Culinary Federation have identified food categories they believe will be the top trends as main dishes on restaurant menus in more...
Americans weigh in on favorite holiday, most anticipated eats
Despite annual outcries about a war on Christmas, it's still Americans' top pick (by a wide margin) when naming their favorite holiday from any point more...
Pig blood good indicator of pork quality, researchers say
South Korean scientists say that blood from a recently slaughtered pig may be a good indicator of the pork quality. This, according to an article published more...
QSR market growing at 6 percent CAGR to 2019
Various innovations in the quick service restaurant (QSR) market likely will lead to the steady growth of the market through 2016. Analysts forecast global more...
Detecting disease in beef cattle using ear tag units
A smartphone switches its orientation from portrait to landscape depending on how it’s tilted. A car’s airbags inflate when it senses collision more...
USPOULTRY presents on environmental regulations
USPOULTRY has made available four presentations from the Environmental Bootcamp education program held during the latest International Production & more...
Giving back, Thanksgiving edition: Cargill, Just Bare, Smithfield, AdvancePierre, Illinois Pork Producers, House of Raeford, Carando
Cargill helped celebrate the season by donating 15,000 pounds of bone-in turkey breasts each to the Northwest Arkansas (NWA) Food Bank and the River Valley more...
Maple Leaf Foods to cut 400 management jobs
In an effort to streamline its costs after opening one of Canada’s largest meat processing plants, Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is preparing to eliminate more...
Misbranding, undeclared allergen spark beef product recall
Boyle’s Famous Corned Beef Co. is recalling an undermined amount of beef products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen, USDA’s more...
NAMI requests extension on "natural" comment period
The North American Meat Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking more...
Bacon jumps the shark*
A sure sign the bacon craze is on its way out: bacon-scented underwear. J&D’s Foods, makers of Bacon Salt, has rolled out such a product, billed more...
Record Q4 net for Hormel despite HPAI-related woes
Hormel Foods Corp. today reported record earnings for the fourth quarter and for fiscal 2015, even as the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
Analysts lift projections for Tyson
After Tyson Foods Inc.’s record financial showing in the fourth quarter and fiscal 2015, analysts are adjusting their expectations for future performance more...
USDA reports less turkey, pork in freezers; more beef
Total pounds of turkey in freezers on Oct. 31 were down 21 percent from last month and down 9 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s Cold more...
Costco chicken salad linked to E. coli in four states
Costco is removing chicken salad from stores in four western states in which public health officials have linked the product to E. coli O157:H7 illnesses more...
Synergies, prepared foods help Tyson posts record Q4 margin
Tyson Foods Inc. this morning reported record adjusted margins in the fourth quarter – as well as record adjusted sales and earnings for fiscal more...
Black Earth Meats’ lawsuit dismissed, in part
A federal judge in Wisconsin has dismissed the federal claims included in a lawsuit brought against the Village of Black Earth, Wis., by Black Earth Meats more...
Hormel names new unit president
Hormel Foods announced that Chad Randick, vice president of the foodservice division at Jennie-O Turkey Store, will advance to the position of president more...
AMSA launches new consumer website
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) has launched a consumer website, TheMeatWeEat.com, created to provide accurate, fact-based information from more...
Central Maine Meats nears opening
Only the OK from the USDA is standing between Central Maine Meats and the official opening of its red meat slaughterhouse in Gardiner, company executives more...
University unveils pasture-based poultry farm
The University of California Davis announced the opening of its new Pastured Poultry Farm, which will serve as a laboratory for students and researchers more...
FSIS updates export requirements for Hong Kong
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has updated its export requriements for Hong Kong. On its list of eligible poultry products, FSIS announced more...
Former University of Georgia professors joins USAPEEC
Dr. Guillermo Zavala, an independent clinical avian medicine consultant specializing in controlling infectious diseases in commercial poultry and egg more...
Dominican Republic gets $40 million pork processing meat
Dignitaries including Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina this week attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of a US$40 million pork more...
“SciBabe” aims to teach consumers to fish — for scientific facts
Although she is most famous for her campaign against the inaccuracies promoted by The Food Babe blog, Yvette d’Entremont, a.k.a. SciBabe, is building more...
Iowa joins legal fight over water rule
Iowa’s Gov. Terry Branstad has intervened in a case against the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Waters more...
Consumers shift away from conventional three-meals-a-day routine
Consumer trends encouraging healthier eating habits and reduced overall meat consumption have contributed to a decline in overall lunchmeat usage. This more...
ConAgra to split in two, change names
ConAgra Foods Inc. announced plans to divide the company into two independent public companies: one comprising its consumer portfolio of brands, and the more...
Meat groups dispute recent reports on antibiotic use
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and the National Pork Board both have issued statements taking issue with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ more...
Cargill streamlines leadership structure
Cargill said it is replacing its two-tiered leadership structure with a single executive team comprising leaders of the company’s five major business more...
USDA provides $58 mln for Ghana poultry industry
USDA has announced plans to invest a total of more than $58 million to support the poultry in Ghana as part of the agency’s “Food for Progress” more...
Oaktree now mulling IPO for AdvancePierre: report
Oaktree Capital Group LLC is considering an initial public offering for Cincinnati-based AdvancePierre Foods that would value the company at about $2 more...
Possible ‘adulteration’ sparks chicken wing recall by Tyson
Tyson Foods Inc. is recalling 52,486 pounds of chicken wing product that may be adulterated, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced more...
South Africa, U.S. finalize poultry agreement
South Africa will resume import of U.S. poultry under a finalized trade agreement, South Africa’s departments of Trade and Industry and of Agriculture more...
Executive changes on tap at Supervalu
Supervalu Inc. is preparing for the retirement of Janel Haugarth as executive vice president and president of its Independent Business and Supply Chain more...
Smithfield announces CEO Larry Pope to retire
Smithfield Foods announced this morning that C. Larry Pope, chief executive officer, will retire from the company, effective Dec. 31, 2015, following more...
JBS to phase out swine gestation stalls in global supply chain by 2025
Brazil's JBS S.A. is working for its global swine supply chain to abandon gestation stalls and use only group housing for breeding sows by 2025, a company more...
Pediatrics group warns of “overuse” of antibiotics in animal agriculture
In a new technical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the group is spotlighting what it said is a major cause of antimicrobial-resistant more...
Hormel supplier adds ‘corrective measures’ in wake of video
Quality Pork Processors Inc. (QPP) has unveiled additional operational changes following last week’s release of an undercover video showing what more...
Poultry processor names new executive director of operations
Seaford, Del.-based poultry processor Allen Harim has hired poultry industry veteran Joe Moran as executive director of operations. Moran will oversee more...
Nebraska chicken plant boosts production capacity by 50 percent
Tecumseh Farms has opened a new 30,000-square-foot addition to its poultry plant in Techumseh, Neb., expanding production capacity by 50 percent. The more...
Researchers use Vitamin D to fight coccidiosis in turkeys
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, Ohio, has completed funded research more...
2016 looks good for pork, unless …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. pork industry is looking solidly profitable and growth-oriented for 2016 as it seems to have put the porcine epidemic more...
Butterball to hire another 250 at turkey plant
Butterball plans to add another 250 workers at the Raeford, N.C., turkey plant it purchased from House of Raeford in February, a spokeswoman confirmed more...
FDA looks at use of “natural” claim on food products
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking public comment on use of the term “natural” on food product labels, the agency said in a more...
Fortune puts JBS CEO on corporate chieftain list
Fortune magazine has released its annual ranking of the top business people and making the list at #20 is JBS S.A. Chief Executive Officer Wesley Batista more...
Empire Kosher rolls out new logo, products, campaign
Empire Kosher Poultry Inc. has revamped its logo to reflect its natural and organic product values, the company said in a news release. At the same time more...
McDonald’s unveils new turnaround strategy, cost cuts
Quick service restaurant giant McDonald’s Corp. rolled out a strategy for righting its financial ship at its investors’ conference, including more...
Kroger to buy Roundy’s for $800 million
Kroger Co. on Wednesday said it would buy Roundy’s Inc. for about $800 million including debt, giving the Cincinnati-based grocery giant an additional more...
Union workers approve new Hormel Foods contract
Hormel Foods Corp. today announced that about 1,500 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union have approved a new four-year contract. The more...
Subway Canada introduces shaved steak sandwich in menu upgrade
Subway is launching a new shaved steak sandwich that the company said will contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives in more than 3,200 restaurants more...
Feds will appeal immigration ruling to Supreme Court
President Obama plans to put his plans for immigration reform in the hands of a politically conservative Supreme Court, the Department of Justice said more...
Waiting game begins after Tyson's Supreme Court pitch
Attorneys for Tyson Foods this morning presented oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on its challenge of a $5.8-million judgment over employee more...
Seaboard-Triumph plant on track
Sioux City, Iowa, officials on Monday approved a tax break paving the way for a $264 million pork plant to be built jointly by Seaboard Foods and Triumph more...
USDA lowers beef production forecasts
In its monthly World Agriculture Supply Demand Estimates report, USDA left its forecasts for total meat production in 2015 and 2016 little changed from more...
Pork processors form joint venture
The executives of Canadian pork processing pork companies Groupe Robitaille and Olymel L.P. announced they have signed an agreement in principle to enter more...
Iowa city council to vote on approval of grant for pork plant
The Sioux City (Iowa) City Council will vote tonight on whether to approve an application for a $4.6 million state grant to assist in funding the proposed more...
Chicken house building boom rankles Maryland residents
Local residents are urging Somerset County, Md., planning officials to find ways to limit the impact of new large-scale poultry house operations amid more...
Diversity Council honors Honeybaked Ham president
Maggie DeCan, president and chief operating officer of The Honey Baked Ham Company, was honored with a 2015 Most Powerful and Influential Woman Award more...
Regulatory update: Humane handling, labeling, commodity purchases
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Processors were updated on a host of programs and proposals under consideration by various sub-agencies of the USDA during a more...
Battle over meat’s place in the dietary guidelines continues
Journalist Nina Teicholz, the author of the book, “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet,” is continuing more...
Food price index surges, meat remains stable
The FAO Food Price Index averaged nearly 162 points in October 2015, as much as 6 points (3.9 percent) more than in September and the sharpest increase more...
Former McDonald’s CEO joins board of vegan protein company
Former McDonald’s Chief Executive Don Thompson has joined the board of directors of Beyond Meat, a maker of plant-based foods fashioned after traditional more...
Chicken producers breaking eggs as margins slide: analyst
Chicken supplies may not be as burdensome in 2016 as some industry watchers fear, in part because producers are choosing to break eggs due to deteriorating more...
Senate vote on water rule falls short
A Senate vote came up short on a bill that aimed to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Waters of the United States” more...
Arby's adds steak sandwich to menu
Arby's has partnered with steak sauce brand A.1. to create the A.1. Special Reserve Steak Sandwich, avilable now nationwide. The sandwich includes sliced more...
U.S. opens doors to meat from Lithuania
Meat from the Republic of Lithuania has been added to the list of countries eligible to export meat and meat products to the United States, according more...
S. Korea to import U.S. chicken again
South Korea plans to resume importing chickens from North America since no new outbreaks of bird flu have been reported in the region in recent months more...
Target looking to partner on fresh food supply chain: Reuters
Target is seriously considering partnerships with outside companies to help shore up a creaky fresh food supply chain that has led to chronic shortages more...
Making some bets on the 2016 elections
WASHINGTON D.C. — While the 2016 presidential election promises, if nothing else, a year of wall-to-wall political advertising and rallies, Randy more...
Restaurants that list calories serve lighter items, study finds
Large chain restaurants that voluntarily list calorie counts on their menus average nearly 140 fewer calories per item than those that do not post the more...
Major manure-to-energy project on track for 2016 debut
A project being built on a Smithfield Foods hog production plant that's being described as the largest livestock manure-to-energy project of its kind more...
Restaurant group acquires 47 Panera units
The nation’s largest restaurant franchise group announced Tuesday it acquired 47 Panera Bakery Café units in the San Francisco Bay area, more...
Natural brand launches chicken bacon
Kayem Foods’ al fresco, a brand best known for its all-natural gourmet chicken sausage, announced Tuesday the launch of its latest product: Chicken more...
International Beef Alliance expands
The International Beef Alliance has added two members: Paraguay and the Mato Grosso state of Brazil, the group said in a news release. The members of more...
Consumers unfazed by studies showing health risks of eating certain foods
Last week’s release of a World Health Organization study showing a link between processed and red meat consumption and cancer raises the question more...
No injuries in Sanderson plant fire
A water pump caught fire Saturday morning at a Sanderson Farms chicken processing plant in Waco, Texas, causing a chain reaction that set fire to a tarp more...
High-end steakhouse chain sees improved beef pricing
Executives at Ruth’s Chris Steak House chain expect their beef costs to fall by as much as 3 percent in the fourth quarter, continuing a cost easing more...
ConAgra to sell private label operations to TreeHouse Foods
ConAgra Foods, Inc. has reached a definitive agreement to sell its private label operations to TreeHouse Foods for approximately $2.7 billion in cash more...
October 2015
IARC clarifies position; NAMI answers petition
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) issued a statement clarifying its position on the consumption more...
Poultry farmers guilty in cruelty case, fined $25 + costs
Two Tennessee poultry farmers have pleaded guilty to one count each of animal cruelty, based on actions recorded on undercover video shot by a representative more...
Analysts expect Pilgrim’s to bounce back from rough quarter
Two analysts are predicting that Pilgrim’s Pride will weather near-term profit pressure and outperform its poultry industry peers next year. BMO more...
Scientists group launches Plate of the Union campaign
The Union of Concerned Scientists announced a “Plate of the Union” campaign to challenge 2016 presidential candidates to change food and farming more...
U.S. avian influenza outbreak under control, but trade restrictions linger
WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the U.S. outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza currently under control and almost completely cleaned up, Washington more...
Price pullback, pork supplies weigh on Pilgrim’s
Export challenges and more pork on the market are pressuring domestic chicken prices, with the cutout now at levels not seen since 2011, Pilgrim’s more...
Maple Leaf Foods earnings reflect improved pork processing margins
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods’ third quarter financial results for the period ended Sept. 30 included flat results for its Meat Products Group more...
Foster Farms exec takes CEO role at another food company
Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Basic American Foods announced that Bryan Reese will join the company on Nov. 9 as its new president and chief executive officer more...
Group petitions USDA to remove processed meat from school lunch program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture should stop distributing hot dogs and other processed meats to children through the National School Lunch Program, more...
Smithfield Foods optimistic despite Q3 earnings struggles
Smithfield Foods today reported a 46-percent decline in net income in the third-quarter, but remained optimistic for fiscal 2015 considering that year-ago more...
Mercy for Animals swears out affidavits vs. Tyson, 6 workers
The animal rights group Mercy for Animals (MFA) has sworn out a series of affidavits against Tyson Foods Inc. and six workers in Justice Court in Leake more...
National effort urged to reduce poultry worker injuries
Congressional Democrats are pushing for broader implementation of a regional pilot program aimed at reducing poultry worker injuries. Congresswoman Rosa more...
Grass-fed beef delivery company 'Kickstarted'
A new grass-fed beef delivery service has launched operations after a successful Kickstarter campaign. The Butcher Box raised more than $240,000 more...
Reactions mixed to IARC decision on meat and cancer
A 34-year old mother of two in Columbus, Ohio said she chose ground turkey instead of ground beef at the grocery store after hearing news reports on Monday more...
OSHA launches program to protect regional poultry workers
The Labor Dept.’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has launched a three-month regional pilot program designed to help protect more...
Industry slams report claiming human DNA found in hot dogs (UPDATED)
The hot dog industry is taking it on the chin this week. In addition to the explosive report from the World Health Organization that processed meat is more...
Rovit named CTI Foods CEO
CTI Foods announced Monday that Sam Rovit has been named the company’s president and chief executive officer. Rovit, former president of Kraft Foods’ more...
Parsing the IARC ruling on meat and cancer; it’s complicated
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) conclusion that processed meat is a carcinogen and red meat is more...
McDonald’s Canada sets antibiotic-free chicken goal
McDonald’s Canada is following the lead of its U.S.-based parent company by vowing to only source chicken raised without antibiotics used in human more...
Poultry group explains mind-numbing array of label claims
There are more label claims on today’s retail poultry products than any consumer can reasonably be expected to comprehend. Consequently, the U.S more...
C-suite reorganization includes the return of Famous Dave
A reorganization at Famous Dave’s of America Inc. will feature the return of founder Dave Anderson, who left the company in 2014 and is expected more...
IARC on Monday to link meat and cancer: newspaper reports
On Monday, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) will issue its report on whether there is enough scientific evidence to conclude that more...
Tyson Foods increases pay at chicken plants
Tyson Foods, Inc. is increasing hourly pay at most of its U.S. chicken plants, the company reported Friday. The move is designed to boost employee recruiting more...
China to resume imports from U.S. pork facilities
The Republic of China will resume imports of pork from 14 U.S. plants and cold storage facilities that were banned, in some cases, for more than a year more...
Packaged soup produced without benefit of inspection
Los Angeles-based Rustico Foods is recalling approximately 2,659 pounds of packaged soup products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection more...
Koch Foods to expand two poultry plants
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and officials from poultry processor Koch Foods announced the company is expanding operations at its facilities in Forest more...
Hormel shuffles exec team
Hormel Foods today announced several leadership appointments resulting from yesterday’s election of James Snee as the company’s president more...
Stabenow wants GMO labeling bill passed by year-end
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) called for GMO legislation to prevent a patchwork of state laws and said she is committed to passing a bill by the end more...
Things are finally looking up for McDonald’s
McDonald’s reported a 4 percent rise in global same-store sales and its first positive domestic sales in two years, prompting analysts to declare more...
Virginia processor opens its doors
Seven Hills Food has officially opened for business in Lynchburg, Va., with a focus on processing and wholesaling Virginia-grown meat. The company will more...
Longtime Hormel exec named president, COO
Veteran Hormel Foods executive James Snee, 48, has been named president and chief operating officer of the company, succeeding Jeffrey Ettinger, 57, who more...
FDA offers guidance on preventing E. Coli outbreaks in cattle
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued what it calls a guidance document for studies aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of new animal drugs more...
Beef margin up, pork down, chicken flat in weekly processor report
U.S. processing margins were varied for a second straight week with beef climbing, pork slipping and chicken remaining flat, according to the latest Weekly more...
Smithfield plant set to reopen after evacuation
A Smithfield Foods plant in Tar Heel, N.C., that was evacuated and shut down yesterday after a problem was discovered in the roof structure is expected more...
COOL decision pushed back
Canada and Mexico will have to wait a little longer for the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) final report on U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) more...
Yum! Brands spins off China unit
Yum! Brands announced it is separating its struggling China business unit into a separate entity less than a week after naming activist investor Keith more...
CDC launches improved online foodborne outbreak search tool
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a redesigned online tool making it easier to search data on foodborne disease outbreaks more...
Protein alternatives to meat abound, fat not seen as so bad: Mintel
Mintel Global Food and Drink Analyst Jenny Zegler discusses the top food and drink trends set to impact global markets in 2016, including implications more...
Walmart’s grim earnings outlook could squeeze suppliers
Last week, Walmart reported disappointing quarterly earnings and projected earnings per share would decline by between 6 percent and 12 percent in fiscal more...
Most common misinformation about antibiotics use in food animals
Antibiotics use in food animals has become such a hot button issue that the North American Meat Institute put the topic on the agenda of last week’s more...
Author seeking signatures for dietary guidelines petitions
The author of a recent book that promotes the inclusion of natural fats in human diets is supporting two petitions seeking to adjust the proposed 2015 more...
Demand drops again in October
The meat demand picture was much the same as it was a month ago, with a drop in the amount that consumers are willing to pay for a range of meat production more...
Arby’s selling a ton of sliders
Arby’s said it sold a ton of sliders – literally – in its first month offering the mini meat sandwiches, pronouncing the new menu offering more...
USDA gets squirrelly on food safety
USDA is invoking “Alvin & The Chipmunks” to relay food safety messages to children, the agency said in a news release. Together with the more...
Canada seeks comment on poultry handling code
Canadian poultry groups are seeking comment on a draft code for the care of hatching eggs, breeders, chickens and turkeys. The Chicken Farmers of Canada more...
GAO posts report — no recommendations — on USDA's school lunch program
A new report has been released by the federal Government Accountability Office, titled, "School Nutrition: USDA has efforts underway to help address ongoing more...
Small details make big differences in animal handling: Temple Grandin
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Meat packing companies looking to improve animal handling at their facilities must first sort people problems from facility problems more...
Smithfield responds to environmentalists' legal maneuver
Smithfield Foods Inc. provided a statement to Meatingplace in response to the legal fling by the Southern Environmental Law Center charging that the company's more...
Company gets more time to break ground on plant
Union, Mo., aldermen have agreed to delay a bond issue to give Volpi Industries and Epicure LLC another year before they are required to begin construction more...
DOJ sues Nebraska Beef for failing to pay fine
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday said it is suing Nebraska Beef Ltd. for failing to comply with a previously announced settlement agreement more...
Smithfield commits to Kansas City via lease extension
Smithfield Foods announced that it will spend an estimated $10 million to cement its plans to maintain a corporate presence in Kansas City, Mo., more...
USPOULTRY OK’s $550,000 to fund emergency AI efforts
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) has approved $550,000 in emergency funding to support avian influenza (AI) research and communication programs more...
USDA unit sets plans to improve in-house residue testing
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has launched a pilot program it says is designed to clarify and improve testing procedures for more...
PM Beef sets date for company closure
Windom, Minn.-based PM Beef confirmed it would close its beef slaughter/processing facility on Dec. 11. The last day of production was Sept. 25. Approximately more...
Hog farm avoids pig abuse charges
Christensen Farms workers will not face charges for alleged animal abuse, according to a report by the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Video footage captured more...
Dietz & Watson’s better-for-you ‘Originals’
Deli meat maker Dietz & Watson has introduced a line of “no antibiotics ever” and organic deli meats, and organic beef hot dogs called more...
Smashburger sells 40 percent of company
Denver-based Smashburger, a fast-casual burger chain, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell 40 percent of the company to Jollibee Foods Corp more...
Ammonia leak stops production at Smithfield Tar Heel plant
Smithfield Foods had to evacuate workers at its large pork production plant in Tar Heel, N.C., after an ammonia leak was discovered early this morning more...
Calif. governor approves tough limits on livestock antibiotics use
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation that is expected to make California the state with the toughest restrictions on the use of antibiotics in meat more...
USMEF honors two meat industry members
The U.S. Meat Export Federation will present Rosemary Muckow its Mansfield Award and present Rich Degner its Distinguished Service Award at the 2015 USMEF more...
Meat association names new executive director
The American Association of Meat Processors has appointed Chris Young as its new executive director, effective Nov. 30, 2015. Young succeeds Marty Manion more...
Smithfield Foods shifts sustainability champion roles
Smithfield Foods announced that Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Dennis Treacy will step down from that role on Jan. 1, 2016 more...
Court stops EPA water rule
A federal appellate court today suspended nationwide implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Waters of the United States” more...
Aspen lays off workers following recall
Aspen Foods, a division of Chicago-based Koch Poultry Co., laid off 65 employees last month following its recall of almost 2 million pounds of chicken more...
Midamar ordered to forfeit $600,000 in halal fraud case
Midamar Corp. and the Islamic Services of America have been ordered to forfeit $600,000 after each pleaded guilty last month to one count of wire fraud more...
USDA raises forecasts for total meat production in 2015, 2016
USDA raised its forecasts for total meat production in 2015 and 2016, compared with the September edition of the World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates more...
Producers balk at decision to cut pork from prison menus
Pork is off the menu for the nation’s 205,700 inmates incarcerated across the federal prison system, The Forth Worth Star-Telegram has reported more...
Analyst slashes Sanderson 2016 profit outlook
Stephens analyst Farha Aslam sharply reduced her forecast for Sanderson Farms’ profits next year, citing extra dark meat on the market and an uncertain more...
Cuba halts bird flu embargo and restarts U.S. chicken imports
Cuba has recently imported at least 30 million pounds of U.S. chicken, traders told Reuters. This ends a 2-month Cuban suspension due to a bird flu outbreak more...
U.S. meat exports struggle
U.S. beef and pork exports struggled in August, remaining below year-ago levels, according to data released by USDA and compiled by USMEF. August beef more...
Vilsack, Burwell defend guidelines process in hearing
The 2015 federal Dietary Guidelines, while not yet written, are likely to treat the inclusion of lean meat in the average American’s diet in much more...
USDA steps up TPP support effort with fact sheets
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service has released a series of interactive fact sheets illustrating how the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement more...
Maple Leaf to require safety certification for suppliers
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods said it will require all of its protein, ingredient and packaging suppliers to become certified to a Global Food Safety more...
Cargill posts higher Q1 profit despite struggling beef operations
Cargill Inc. reported an increase in net income for the first quarter of 2016, but noted that certain segments — such as its Animal Nutrition more...
House Ag Committee chief raises concerns about dietary guidelines
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for American report may not be as scientifically based as it should be in its current form, U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) more...
Beef and pork margins climb as chicken edges lower: analyst
U.S. processing margins for beef and pork rose last week while chicken margins slipped, according to the latest Weekly Commodity Monitor compiled by Stephens more...
Marie Callender’s unveils new pot pies
Marie Callender's has introduced three new pot pies in time for comfort food season. The new offerings include: Family Size Chicken Pot Pie: Marie Callender's more...
News briefs: Supervalu, NPPC, Buddig, Smithfield, Sausage Council, Burger King, mandatory price reporting, Meijer, Noodles & Co.
Supervalu Inc. said Chief Executive Sam Duncan, 63, has informed the board he will retire on Feb. 29. The grocery retailer also announced it promoted more...
USDA responds to New York Times article alleging cruelty (CORRECTION)
The USDA has responded to specific statements made in a January New York Times article that alleged inhumane practices at the Meat Animal Research Center more...
Meat groups praise TPP, but details sketchy and not everyone happy
Meat industry groups were quick to issue congratulatory statements after the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced that following seven years more...
Classic breakfast fare (including bacon) aids restaurant visit growth
Breakfast is the only restaurant daypart with sustained visit growth over the last several years. As a result, classic foodservice breakfast fare, such more...
Wendy’s CEO to step down; CFO steps up
The Wendy's Company announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Emil Brolick plans to retire from management duties with the company in May 2016 more...
Hormel workers reject contract
Hormel Foods’ Austin plant employees voted down a proposed three-year contract this week over proposed scheduling and healthcare issues, according more...
Court rules against activist groups in data lawsuit
A federal court dismissed a request by five non-profit groups that would have required livestock producers to submit information about their operations more...
Researchers argue for the role of sustainability in guidelines
Issues of sustainability have a legitimate role in the federal dietary guidelines, as originally recommended by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee more...
BRF strengthens its presence in Argentina with new acquisitions
Brazil-based BRF announced Thursday its acquisition of the Argentinian brands Vieníssima (sausage), GoodMark (hamburgers) and Manty e Delícia more...
USDA investigation links PEDV to shipping containers
A USDA investigation has concluded the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) most likely entered the United States through shipping container sacks commonly more...
ConAgra Foods to cut jobs, relocate headquarters
ConAgra Foods on Thursday confirmed rumors that it will relocate its headquarters to Chicago from Omaha, Neb., and also announced it will eliminate more...
USDA scientists develop affordable digital camera system to detect foodborne pathogens
The high cost of equipment used to identify pathogens restricts widespread testing of foods for toxins that cause food poisoning, so a new digital camera more...
CDC adds two cases to count in Minn. salmonella outbreak
CDC reported Tuesday two more illnesses associated to an outbreak of salmonella In Minnesota associated with a recent Aspen Foods recall. The case more...
For whom the ‘Bell’ tolls: vegetarians
Taco Bell announced today it is the first quick-service restaurant chain to menu items certified by the American Vegetarian Association. The menu — more...
September 2015
ConAgra reportedly mulls moving headquarters to Chicago
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has offered tax incentives to ConAgra Foods to move its headquarters to Chicago from Omaha, prompting Nebraska officials to more...
Tour-friendly hog processor slated for Turlock, Calif.
Capital Cultivators LLC has submitted a proposal to the Turlock (Calif.) Planning Commission to build a pork packing facility in an industrial park in more...
FSIS to begin verifying validation compliance at plants
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) sent a notice reminding poultry and meat processing plants it will begin verifying their validation more...
Endowment benefits future meat executives
Texas A&M (TAMU) graduate Don Rea (’69) has made a major contribution to the Department of Animal Science at TAMU to support graduate students more...
OSHA levies more than $1.4 million in fines on Case Farms
Case Farms faces more than $1.4 million in fines in total this year for worker safety and health violations, including some that led a teenaged worker more...
Beef Checkoff budgets $42 million for 2016
The Cattlemen’s Beef Board will invest about $42 million into programs of beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information more...
Revere, Buckhead Beef executives settle
A settlement has been reached in the lawsuit filed by Buckhead Beef Co. against its former president, Chad Stine, over the launching of Stine’s more...
Strong dollar, global economy affecting beef trade: Rabobank report
A strong U.S. dollar, a weakening Chinese yuan and renewed product bans are all expected to affect the global beef industry in the fourth quarter, according more...
Bloomberg: JBS financial results will benefit from depreciation of Brazil's real
JBS SA, the world’s largest meat processing company, will see its third quarter results benefit from the impact of a strong appreciation of the more...
Proposed Iowa pork plant faces local vote on transit study
Officials in Sioux City, Iowa, are expected to vote today on whether to fund a transit study on a proposed pork plant planned by partners Seaboard Foods more...
Chipotle announces return of suspended pork menu item
Chipotle Mexican Grill has restored most of its pork supply and is again serving the Carnitas menu item in 90 percent of its restaurants. The company more...
Whole Foods to eliminate jobs over next 8 weeks
Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market plans to eliminate 1,500 jobs (1.6 percent of its workforce) over the next eight weeks, the company said in a filing more...
Ag groups fighting EPA over Chesapeake get extended Supreme Court deadline
The Supreme Court has extended to Nov. 6 from Oct. 4 the deadline by which agricultural groups must file to fight lower-court approvals of the Environmental more...
Consumer Price Index forecasts for beef, pork and chicken
USDA reported the Consumer Price Index for food-at-home (grocery store or supermarket food items) rose 0.3 percent in August and is 0.8 percent higher more...
Red meat production up 3 percent from August 2014
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.90 billion pounds in August, up 3 percent from the 3.79 billion pounds produced in August more...
McDonald’s makes two executive appointments
McDonald’s has named Chris Kempczinski executive vice president of strategy, business development & innovation and promoted David Fairhurst more...
Cargill invests $111 million in Neb. plant; 80 jobs affected
Cargill plans to invest $111 million to convert its ground beef plant in Columbus, Neb., to a cooked meats facility and relocate that location’s more...
Canadian producer to expand gestation stall-free pig production (UPDATE)
Canada’s duBreton, North America’s leading producer of organic and Certified Humane Raised and Handled pork, announced today its $30 million more...
European Commission clears acquisition of Moy Park by JBS
The European Commission (EU) has approved the acquisition of Irish poultry producer Moy Park (Holdings) Europe Limited by Brazil's JBS S.A., according more...
New study examines factors for shelf stability in RTE products
Product parameters for controlling the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in shelf-stable, ready-to-eat (RTE) products have been identified, according to more...
JBS unit may face fine for breaching Brazil court ruling (CORRECTED)
The Brazilian Public Prosecutors’ office in the southern state of Santa Catarina may fine a JBS SA division nearly $100,000 for violating a court more...
Darden boosts outlook, says menu changes working
Darden Restaurants, operator of Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, reported quarterly earnings that beat analyst expectations and raised its full-year more...
Monogram, comedian become bacon bedfellows
Monogram Foods has signed a partnership agreement with a company co-owned by comedian Steve Harvey as it prepares to introduce a “game changer” more...
Prominent poultry specialist dies at 78
Thomas Lionel Barton, professor emeritus of poultry science at the University of Arkansas, died Sept. 19 at his home in Fayetteville, the school announced more...
Proposed Costco meat plant in Illinois a step closer to reality
Plans to build a $120-million meat processing plant in Morris, Ill., cleared another hurdle with the passage of a proposed annexation agreement with Costco more...
First public meeting set on fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria
The Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria is preparing for its first public meeting next week, six months after the more...
USDA prepares to battle avian influenza this fall
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a report on planning and preparations for highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
Senate passes Mandatory Price Reporting law
The U.S. Senate on Monday passed the Mandatory Livestock Reporting Act of 2015, according to the Congressional Record. Livestock Mandatory Price more...
Cattle on Feed report a mixed bag for prices
While USDA’s latest Cattle on Feed report on Friday showed fewer cattle placed on feed than anticipated, the total cattle supply was up from a year more...
Iowa helps Quality Food Processors with bacon plant expansion plans
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) has awarded Quality Food Processors $1 million in direct financial assistance and tax benefits for its more...
Shareholders renew call to cut antibiotics use in McDonald’s food: Reuters
A shareholder group that earlier this year called on McDonald’s to stop buying meat made from animals raised with antibiotics also used in humans more...
Better burger chain sets expansion plans
North Palm Beach, Fla.-based better burger chain BURGERFI has set two development agreements in Texas with SM Restaurant Partners and Fresh Burger that more...
Batista offers clues to JBS’ expansion plans
Brazil's JBS is focused on expanding its processed foods business in Europe as well as its international chicken and pork operations, Reuters reported more...
Iowa man convicted in Tyson plant stabbing
An Iowa man has been convicted on two felony charges after stabbing a co-worker at a Tyson Fresh Meats facility in Dakota City, Neb., in April. Mahamud more...
Salmonella outbreak prompts public health alert for chicken products
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced late Thursday it is alerting consumers that frozen, raw, stuffed and breaded chicken more...
Environmental activists speak out about new Sanderson plant
Environmental activists in North Carolina are urging the state’s water resources department to do more studies on the impact of Sanderson Farms’ more...
Ham products recalled for lack of inspection
Di Stefano Cheese Co. has recalled about 1,280 pounds of Parma Boneless Ham produced in Italy that were not presented for inspection at the U.S. point more...
Study cites diets 'high' in red meat being 'risk factor'
A wide range of avoidable risk factors to health – ranging from air pollution to poor diets to unsafe water to red meat consumption – account more...
Poultry outlook is golden, globally: Rabobank
The margin outlook for the global poultry industry is strong and the industry is benefiting from balanced supply, high beef prices and low feed costs more...
Progress reported on vaccine for poultry disease
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation reported advances in developing a vaccine to limit the effects of a virus that causes infectious laryngotracheitis more...
Processors, suppliers form certified technician program
A group of processors and equipment manufacturers has created the first national certification program for service technicians in the packaging and processing more...
Two Midwest states lift post-HPAI poultry bans
State agriculture officials in Illinois and Indiana this week are lifting bans on out-of-state poultry and poultry movement that were issued in the wake more...
Tyson unit to add 60 jobs, new lines at Iowa plant
Tyson Fresh Meats is adding new production lines and 60 jobs at its case ready beef and pork plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the company announced. The more...
Senators urge action to open South Africa to U.S. poultry
Two U.S. senators have asked South Africa’s president to act quickly to resolve the remaining issues blocking the resumption of U.S. chicken exports more...
Indiana Packers plans $40.6 million expansion
Delphi, Ind.-based Indiana Packers Corp. plans to expand its pork processing plant in Delphi, adding as many as 91 additional jobs in 2016, according more...
New report blasts fast food restaurants for antibiotics in menu items
A group of consumer, public health and environmental organizations are calling on fast food and fast casual restaurants to publicly limit the use of antibiotics more...
Subway founder dies
Fred DeLuca, co-founder of global sandwich giant Subway, has died of Leukemia, the company announced on its website. He was 67. DeLuca and business partner more...
Tim Hortons upgrades lunch menu with ‘handcrafted’ sandwiches
Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop announced an upgraded lunch menu with all-new “handcrafted” sandwiches. The new handcrafted sandwiches include: more...
Tyson at center of new undercover video
Tyson Foods is the subject of a second undercover video inside of a few weeks, one that was released Monday showing the alleged mistreatment of chickens more...
Record year for chicken in Japan
With the price of red meat high in Japan, and getting higher, chicken is enjoying record-setting popularity, reports USDA’s Foreign Agricultural more...
Foster Farms awards $4K in sandwich contest
Chris Lewis of Turlock, Calif., walks away with $4,000 of Foster Farms’ money as the winner of the company’s "Don't Call Me Basic" turkey more...
Krave jerky launches fall football promotion
Krave, a brand known for a variety of flavor options, this year is giving football a fancy food focus with its "Pair, Share & Win" campaign, the company more...
Tennessee farm operators charged with abusing chickens
Criminal charges have been filed against the operators of a Tennessee farm that was the subject of an undercover video shot by activist group Mercy for more...
Cargill elects CEO David MacLennan as next chairman
Cargill's board of directors has elected David W. MacLennan, currently Cargill's president and chief executive officer, as chairman of the board in addition more...
USDA forecasts more beef, less chicken; pork and turkey unchanged in ‘16
USDA lowered its forecasts for total meat production in 2015 and 2016 for the second consecutive month, compared with the August edition of the World more...
Pork products recalled due to misbranding and undeclared
The Pork Rind Factory, a Spartanburg, S.C., establishment, is recalling 18,406 pounds of pork rinds due to misbranding and possible undeclared allergens more...
FSIS looking into inaccurate fat content labeling in ground beef
Rosemont, Ill. — USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will be expanding sampling for the nutritional composition of ground beef destined more...
Costco downsizes plant plan: report
Costco is looking to build a smaller meatpacking plant in Morris, Ill., than previously proposed, the Morris Herald reported. The company now intends more...
New chicken plant planned in Georgia
Coastal Meats plans to open a chicken processing facility in Louisville, Ga., that will create about 115 jobs, according to local media reports. The plant more...
Krystal hires strategic executive
Chattanooga-based Krystal Co. has hired Scott Gallagher as its vice president, New Assets and Implementation, effective immediately. He reports to CEO more...
Vilsack calls for renewal of healthy school meals law
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urged Congress to reauthorize the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, saying it is a myth that students aren’t eating more...
Pork, chicken margins slip, beef rises in latest weekly report
Processing margins for domestic pork and chicken fell somewhat last week from the previous week even as beef margins rose in the same period, according more...
Tyson launches fall beef promotion
Tyson Fresh Meats’ Star Ranch Angus beef brand announced the “100% Irresistible” fall campaign promoting the company’s “Real more...
White Castle trumps McDonald’s on all-day breakfast
Getting quick-service breakfast items throughout the day and night is getting a lot easier for consumers thanks to a new initiative from Columbus, Ohio-based more...
Canada’s Premium Brands makes U.S. protein acquisition
Vancouver, B.C.-based Premium Brands Holdings Corp. has acquired a majority interest in Expresco Foods Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of grilled protein more...
Marfrig launches conservationist beef label
Brazil's second-largest beef processor, Marfrig Global Foods, and the environmental organization Alianza del Pastizal have launched a label for meat products more...
Pork board names new science, technology chief
The National Pork Board announced Tuesday that veterinarian Dave Pyburn has been named its new senior vice president of science and technology. Pyburn more...
Study finds labeling can affect enjoyment of poultry
Consumer perceptions of poultry can be influenced by packaging that touts sustainable or “organic” claims, according to a new study from a more...
USDA inspects SuKarne’s Tijuana plant
USDA representatives recently visited the SuKarne processing plant TIF-95 in the Mexican city of Tijuana, said the company in a press release. SuKarne more...
Meat processing among targets of OSHA training grants
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has awarded $10.5 million in one-year federal safety and health training more...
Study links iron intake with increased appetite
In a study conducted in mice, researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that too much iron in the diet suppressed leptin, a hormone that more...
Montreal packer expands, consolidates units
C&C Packing Inc., based in Montreal, expects to complete its ongoing expansion project in November, adding a little less than 30,000-square-feet to more...
Canadian meat plant workers face pension cuts
For former workers at Hub Meat Packers in Moncton, New Brunswick, the cuts keep coming, according to a report by the CBC News. The plant, which reportedly more...
Minnesota meat processor looks to expand
A South St. Paul, Minn., meat processor is taking steps to expand to a larger facility in the area. Husnik Meat Co., which supplies national food service more...
OSHA: Allen Harim discouraged workers from reporting injuries
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday said it sent a hazard alert letter to Allen Harim Foods that accuses the company of using more...
Bob Evans boosts earnings outlook
Bob Evans Farms, in the midst of a turnaround effort under new management, raised its forecast for full-year earnings, citing progress in improving its more...
NLRB rule does speed union elections: report
A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rule intended to streamline the process by which union organizers can file and arrange for elections in a given more...
Non-GMO sausage line debuts at Whole Foods
San Francisco-based Fork in the Road Foods has launched a line of gourmet sausages and hot dogs that are GMO-free, as verified by the Non-GMO Project more...
Chipotle adds delivery services to college campuses
Fast casual chain Chipotle Mexican Grill is expanding its existing delivery services to include 40 college campuses nationwide this fall as part of a more...
Activists petition USDA on animal welfare issues
A coalition of animal rights activist organizations have formally petitioned USDA to amend regulations related to the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act more...
Alabama poultry plant wins state infrastructure funding
The Alabama Dept. of Economic and Community Affairs has contributed $200,000 to help fund infrastructure projects at an expanding Mar-Jac Poultry Inc more...
Details emerge on McDonald’s all-day breakfast
McDonald’s all-day breakfast rollout reportedly will not include the entire morning menu as it now stands and will involve changes to cooking more...
Chipotle sued over GMO claims
A California woman has sued Chipotle Mexican Grill in U.S. District Court in Northern California on the grounds that the chain falsely advertised its more...
Smithfield to scuttle Murphy-Brown name
As part of Smithfield Foods’ reorganization plan, the company’s livestock production subsidiary, Murphy-Brown LLC, will soon be known as the more...
Damage, but no poultry fatalities at Pa. chicken house fire
Investigators will visit the scene today to determine what caused of a fire that destroyed a chicken house in Upper Bern Township, Pa., over the weekend more...
AAMP launches rebranding campaign
A new logo is part of a rebranding effort by the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) to “strengthen the association and its communications more...
August 2015
Subway plans switch to meat raised without key antibiotics: report
After months of pressure from the National Resources Defense Council, Consumer Reports and others to do so, Subway officials said that they plan to switch more...
Foster Farms to pay state fine over wastewater leak
Foster Farms has agreed to pay a $44,000 fine to settle state charges that one of its chicken processing plants in Kelso, Wash., released untreated wastewater more...
McDonald’s sets bonus offers as it tests mobile app
McDonald’s Corp. is providing a series of offers to inspire consumers in the Philadelphia area to download, register and use its new mobile digital more...
California firm offers free ‘bacon’ in wake of recall
A company that specializes in natural products aimed at health-conscious consumers is stepping in to help people whose breakfast menus may have been affected more...
OIG criticizes FSIS implementation of PHIS
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service didn’t establish sufficient internal controls to effectively implement the domestic Public Health more...
Judge blocks new EPA rule on smaller waterways
A federal judge in North Dakota has blocked a new rule that would have extended government oversight to smaller bodies of water like streams and wetlands more...
Bob Evans restructures leadership
Bob Evans Farms announced today that Douglas Benham, former president and CEO of Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc., and a director of Bob Evans since more...
Ham maker rides the rails
Krakus, "The True Imported Polish Ham," is celebrating its nearly 50 percent market share in Chicago’s deli ham category by wrapping two of the more...
Tyson terminates grower depicted in activist video
Tyson Foods said it has terminated its contract with a farmer who grew chickens for the company after the animal activist group Mercy for Animals shot more...
Cincinnati meat distributors charged in food stamp scheme
Owners, employees and contractors of two Cincinnati-area meat delivery services face criminal charges after an 18-month federal investigation into an more...
Norbest restructures, adds investors
Utah’s largest turkey producing, processing and marketing cooperative has changed its corporate structure to a limited liability company, added more...
Giving back: OSI, Hormel, Hillshire, Process Expo
OSI Group So far in 2015, OSI Group has donated more than 150,000 pounds of wholesome food products to food banks across the country through more...
Appeals court sides with Tyson in don-doff case
An Appellate Court in Nebraska has ruled in favor of Tyson Foods Inc. in a class-action donning and doffing lawsuit filed on behalf of employees of two more...
USDA lifts Canadian poultry limits as bird flu fallout continues
Poultry and poultry products from Ontario, Canada, are again welcome in the U.S. market after USDA this week rescinded a ban imposed after the discovery more...
Sanderson profit shortfall sparks FY estimate reductions
At least two industry analysts responded to Sanderson Farms missing projected earnings estimates for the third quarter by lowering their earnings estimates more...
Best Chicago Meat owner Bob Beavers dies
Robert M. Beavers, Jr., majority owner of Best Chicago Meat Co. and five other operating companies as founder and chief executive of Beavers Holdings more...
Chicken price slump slams Q3 profit at Sanderson Farms
Significantly lower prices for its products combined with pressure on bulk leg quarter prices and a strong U.S. dollar overseas combined to pull net income more...
DOJ penalizes Omaha firm $200,000
The Justice Department has announced that it reached a settlement with Nebraska Beef Ltd., based in Omaha, resolving its investigation into the firm’s more...
Smithfield Foods remains upbeat despite Q2 net decline
Weeks after reporting a decline in sales and profits in the second quarter, Smithfield Foods today cited global pressures on hog supplies even as company more...
Tyson files opening brief in Supreme Court on don-doff case
Tyson Foods has filed its opening brief in Supreme Court where the company is challenging lower-court rulings ordering a $5.8 million class-action payout more...
$1 million grant to continue relocation of Smithfield hog plant neighbors
An $8.2 million community development package announced recently by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe includes a $1 million grant to continue the relocation more...
More cattle on feed as red meat freezer supplies also rise
The number of cattle and calves on feed for the U.S. market rose to 10 million head as of Aug. 1, according to USDA’s latest “Cattle on Feed” more...
Datassential puts numbers to national burger obsession
More than 75 percent of Americans have eaten a burger over the past week and nearly one-quarter have eaten one in the past 24 hours, according to the more...
Smithfield introduces pre-seasoned ribs
Smithfield is rolling out a new product — Smithfield Dry Seasoned Ribs — in four geographically inspired flavors, the company said in a news more...
Rancho owner fights feds’ protective order on records
Sentencing for the owner of now-defunct Rancho Feeding Corp., who has pleaded guilty to a scheme of selling meat from diseased cattle, has been delayed more...
Organic beef supplier to build new headquarters
Meyer Natural Foods has finalized a deal to build a new corporate headquarters in its home base of Loveland, Colo., according to the real estate firm more...
FSIS seeks comment on label book
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) intends to revise the Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book, and is seeking comments from processors on more...
Air freshener maker prompts “rethink” of meat plant plan
A proposed $20.6 million beef plant in upstate New York may look for a new location after a manufacturer of car air fresheners objected to the developer’s more...
Smithfield names new president, CFO
Smithfield Foods today announced the appointment of Kenneth Sullivan to president and chief operating officer and that of Glenn Nunziata to chief financial more...
Analysts see past avian flu hit, boost Hormel targets
Two Wall Street analysts raised their profit forecasts for Hormel Foods after the company showed it could overcome the negative impact of highly pathogenic more...
Air freshener maker thumbs nose at meat plant
The manufacturer of those pine tree-shaped air fresheners that dangle from rearview mirrors has declared it will relocate if a proposed meat plant becomes more...
Mistica Foods rolls out Jim Beam-flavored wings
Addison, Ill.-based Mistica Foods has introduced Jim Beam Boneless, Breaded Chicken Wyngz with Honey Bourbon Sauce, the company said in a news release more...
Hormel posts Q3 profit despite bid flu hit on Jennie-O
Hormel Corp. today reported better-than-expected profits in the third quarter even as the effects of this spring’s highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
USDA to stockpile avian influenza vaccine
USDA has announced a request for proposals to stockpile vaccine doses in preparation for a potential recurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) more...
$11 million loan expected for Allen Harim in Del.
The Water Infrastructure Advisory Council for the state of Delaware is expected to approve an $11 million loan for Allen Harim to invest in wastewater more...
More prospects for affected Tyson workers in Iowa
Some of the 400 workers who lost their jobs when Tyson Fresh Meats shut down the bulk of its beef processing operations in Denison, Iowa, received some more...
Plant expansion may partially offset Tyson job losses in Iowa
Efforts to expand a bacon and ready-to-eat meat processing plant could help some of the 400 Denison, Iowa, residents who worked at a now-closed Tyson more...
Givaudan Flavors recalls nearly two tons of uninspected beef tallow
Givaudan Flavors Corp. of Florence, Ky., has recalled about 3,950 pounds of beef tallow products produced in Australia that were not presented at the more...
Hain turns in record 2015 financial performance
Hain Celestial Group reported record net sales and income for its fiscal 2015, a financial performance boosted by its acquisitions of the rest of Hain more...
NPD study shows burgers are artillery in restaurant lunch wars
Casual dining restaurants and quick service restaurants (QSRs) are fighting for lunchtime customers and burgers are becoming the weapon of choice for more...
Local officials aim to help Tyson plant workers in Iowa
Iowa officials are preparing to offer additional assistance to the 400 affected workers at a Denison, Iowa, beef fabricating plant that Tyson Fresh Meats more...
Grocery chain to shed 27 stores after expansion surge
Haggen Inc. is preparing to shut down or sell 27 stores following a rapid expansion earlier this year, according to a press release posted on the retailer's more...
HSUS’s pork checkoff suit will get another hearing
A 2012 lawsuit alleging that pork checkoff funds are being mishandled will have its day in court after all. The District of Columbia Court of Appeals more...
Safeway recalls cooked chicken wings in Canada
Concerned about the possible presence of a toxin produced by the Staphylococcus bacteria, Safeway Inc. recalled four varieties of store-packaged, cooked more...
Canada bans poultry products from Iowa, Minnesota
All raw poultry and poultry products from Iowa and Minnesota have been prohibited entry into Canada, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) more...
Cattle shortage prompts Tyson to close beef plant
Tyson Fresh Meats is closing its Denison, Iowa beef fabricating plant "due to a continued lack of available cattle," the company said in a news release more...
JBS profit falls to $22.7 million in Q2, due to higher expenses
JBS SA, the world's largest meat processing company, reported net profit of BRL 80.1 million ($22.7 million) in the second quarter of 2015, down 68 percent more...
OSHA instruction on reducing amputation injuries in plants
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued an instruction describing policies and procedures for implementing a National Emphasis more...
Chipotle boosting prices on beef menu items
Chipotle Mexican Grill is raising prices on its steak and barbacoa burritos, tacos, bowls and salads. The price hikes, which will average 4-6 percent more...
Case Farms faces $861,000 in fines from OSHA (UPDATE)
Case Farms faces $861,000 in fines for continued safety problems cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration more...
Salmonella outbreak in Washington linked to slaughterhouse
The salmonella outbreak linked to pork products in the state of Washington has grown to 134 illnesses in 10 counties and early testing points to a link more...
Good news, bad news in FDA antibiotic resistance report
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said findings in its 2012-2013 report on antibiotic resistance were mostly encouraging, but two salmonella isolates more...
McDonald’s boosts Quarter Pounder weight: report
McDonald’s has increased the size of its Quarter Pounder sandwich to 4.25 ounces of beef before cooking from the 4 ounces the burger previously more...
Midwest states still feel HPAI impact as threat looms
This spring’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to impact Midwest states in a variety of ways as fall – and more...
USDA sees more corn than expected; lower corn, soybean prices
U.S. corn production is forecast at 13.7 billion bushels, down 4 percent from last year’s record production, but up from 13.5 billion bushels forecast more...
Smithfield Foods reports Q2 profit decline
Smithfield Foods Inc. today reported a 27-percent drop in profits in the second quarter despite strong results from its packaged meats segment. The privately more...
Kraft Heinz to slash 2,500 jobs in cost-cutting move
The nation’s third-largest food and beverage company today confirmed it will eliminate 2,500 jobs from its U.S. and Canada operations, including more...
McDonald’s Canada adds premium burger
McDonald's Canada has unveiled the “Mighty Angus” burger to its permanent menu north of the border. The sandwich includes 100 percent pure more...
Olymel throws in towel on court ruling on slaughterhouse
Canadian processor Olymel announced that it will not appeal a decision from the Superior Court of Quebec dismissing the company’s request to review more...
FSIS updates research priorities
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is constantly researching ways to improve food safety through better pathogen detection and interventions more...
Allen Harim makes senior management moves
Allen Harim has promoted four employees to senior level positions, the company said in a news release. Sylvia Nicholson has been promoted to Senior more...
Poultry helps men’s fertility, study finds
Boston researchers have found that, among infertility patients having in vitro fertilization (IVF), men’s poultry intake is related to better fertilization more...
Buyers circling Niman Ranch parent: TheStreet.com
ConAgra, Nestle, and General Mills are among the companies eyeing private equity-backed Natural Food Holdings, the parent of Sioux City, Iowa-based natural more...
Activists to appeal ruling allowing Allen Harim chicken plant
Controversy over a proposed poultry processing plant near Millsboro, Del., continues as a citizen’s group opposed to the Allen Harim Foods plant more...
Penn. town sets CAFOs rules as egg operation seeks to expand
The board of supervisors of Codorus Township in York County, Penn., approved a health ordinance aimed at health, air quality and drinking water safety more...
Poultry exec appointed to Federal Reserve board
Lampkin Butts, president and chief operating officer of Sanderson Farms, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s more...
FAO price index shows strong demand for Australian beef
The FAO Meat Price Index averaged 174.1 points in July, nearly unchanged from June, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported more...
Port woes, competition stymie first-half red meat exports: USMEF
The West Coast port dispute that held up shipments and intensified competition in foreign markets dampened U.S. red meat exports in the first half of more...
Jack in the Box sees better burgers driving sales
Jack in the Box said new “better burger” offerings have driven several consecutive quarters of strong financial results, and it plans to debut more...
BBQ chain names new COO
Famous Dave's of America has appointed Abelardo ("Abe") Ruiz as the company's chief operating officer. Ruiz was previously employed as the COO of Colon more...
Cargill swings to loss (UPDATED)
Cargill Inc. posted a net loss in the fourth quarter due to a special charge and currency fluctuations. Its finances were not helped by weakness in its more...
COOL damages way overestimated, USTR tells WTO
Canada and Mexico are asking for way too much money in tariffs retaliating against country-of-origin labeling law, the U.S. Trade Representative has told more...
JBS sued over stun line electrocution
A contractor electrocuted by a stun line while installing video equipment in JBS USA’s Hyrum, Utah, beef plant years ago is suing the company for more...
Pork takes a page out of chicken’s book on South African trade
The National Pork Producers Council is asking the Obama administration to withdraw or at least limit preferential trade benefits for South Africa because more...
HPAI warnings along Eastern Flyway take wing
East Coast poultry producers and processors are again being warned by various entities about the upcoming fall waterfowl migration in light of the 2014-2015 more...
Midamar founder files for new trial
William B. Aossey, convicted last month on conspiracy and wire fraud charges related to operations at the halal meat processing company Midamar Corp. more...
Growers’ rights petition garners 80,000 signatures
A petition posted on Change.org on behalf of Rudy Howell, a contract poultry grower for Perdue Farms, has garnered 80,000 signatures in the two weeks more...
Wendy’s lifts profit forecast, says restaurant sales on track
Wendy’s raised its full-year profit outlook as same-store sales increased and said it remained on track with plans to sell a large group of its more...
Federal judge tosses Idaho’s ‘ag-gag’ law
A federal judge on Monday deemed unconstitutional Idaho’s new “ag-gag” law that criminalizes undercover investigations in agricultural more...
Maschhoff Family Foods announces new leadership
Maschhoff Family Foods has announced that Tim Schellpeper, most recently president of Kansas City, Mo.-based Smithfield-Farmland, will become CEO more...
Analysts see Tyson’s Q3 results as minor setback (updated)
Despite Tyson Foods missing earnings estimates for the third quarter, at least two industry analysts do not see the results as problematic for near-term more...
Tyson Fresh Meats announces two promotions
Sheldon Phillips has been named vice president of value-added sales for Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. In his new role, Phillips is responsible for the production more...
“Ham cam” trains its eye on world’s oldest ham
When it comes to clever marketing, the Isle of Wight County Museum is taking a page from the book of its most famous display: the world’s oldest more...
Beef a bummer for Tyson’s 3Q tally
Unexpected struggles in Tyson Foods’ beef business tempered the success of the company’s improved fiscal third-quarter performance, which more...
Salmonella illnesses possibly linked to pork expands to 90 cases
The outbreak of salmonella infections that may be linked to pork products has grown to 90 cases in several counties the Washington State Department of more...
Seven sandwiches gaining traction in foodservice, retail deli
Packaged Facts survey data shows that 79 percent of U.S. adults having eaten a sandwich in the past seven days. Leveraging progressive food sourcing and more...
Papa John's promotes COO to president
Papa John's International, Inc. has promoted Chief Operating Officer Steve Ritchie to the position of president and chief operating officer, reporting more...
July 2015
Ham processor expands Kentucky plant
Specialty Foods Group on Thursday celebrated a $2.6 million expansion to its Owensboro, Ky., plant that will create at least 65 new jobs. The ham, lunchmeat more...
Pilgrim’s nimble in face of leg quarter pressure: analysts
Cost cuts and strategies to improve its product mix will help Pilgrim’s Pride buffer pressure from leg quarter prices, analysts said following the more...
Strong sales drive profit jump at high-end steak chain
Ruth’s Chris Hospitality reported a higher second-quarter profit on a nearly 10 percent rise in revenue, helped by an increase in customers visiting more...
Researchers shine new light on controlling broiler disease
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn., in which more...
Pilgrim’s posts strong profit despite sales dip
Pilgrim’s Pride said profit rose 27 percent as an ongoing cost-savings effort offset lower sales caused by plant upgrades that reduced production more...
Smithfield puts new regional rib products on the grill
Smithfield Foods announced Wednesday the launch of a new line of prepared, ready-to-grill rib products and flavors tailored to regional tastes. Leading more...
Steakhouses lead full-service restaurant growth (UPDATE)
Rising beef prices be damned. Steakhouses had the largest increase in sales among full-service restaurants in 2014. Recent Technomic data show that among more...
Whole Foods “365” stores aim to beat “whole paycheck” rap
Whole Foods, sometimes cynically referred to as “Whole Paycheck” because of its high prices, announced the first five locations for its new more...
Senator presses for review of Cargill’s pork sale to JBS
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter yesterday to the Dept. of Justice pressing the Antitrust Division to review JBS USA’s proposed acquisition more...
Vilsack says bird flu tab closing in on $200 million
The federal government is preparing to spend an estimated $191 million to cover the losses of chicken and turkey farmers in the wake of the recent avian more...
Food retailing sector still roiling: Now it’s Supervalu
SUPERVALU Inc. announced that it is exploring a spinoff of its Save-A-Lot business into a stand-alone, publicly traded company. “Save-A-Lot is a more...
New president at Cargill Meat Solutions
John Keating has been appointed president of Cargill Meat Solutions, succeeding Ruth Kimmelshue, who will become a corporate vice president at parent more...
Foster Farms enters lunchmeat category with new product line
Livingston, Calif.-based Foster Farms announced a new line of All Natural Sliced Turkey lunchmeat available now at retailers throughout California and more...
Burgers recalled in Canada over undeclared allergens
Belmont Meat Products in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is recalling The Keg brand Horseradish Blended Prime Rib Beef Burgers because the product contains soy more...
Arby’s sales on a roll as expansion plans continue
Arby’s reported the 19th consecutive quarter of same store sales increases and outlined plans to expand its 3,300-unit chain with new and refurbished more...
Johnsonville goes retro with sausage crooner promotion
Johnsonville Sausage has launched a new promotional campaign video that incudes a 1950s-style crooner singing a tribute to a made-up holiday on Aug. 16 more...
‘Make sure dumb doesn’t happen’: Lower the risk of allergen recalls
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — What with all the focus on pathogen reduction in meat processing, it’s easy to overlook the fact that just shy of half more...
WTO decides Argentina can now export fresh beef to U.S.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) last Friday decided in favor of Argentina by deciding U.S. restrictions on its fresh beef exports were “unjustified more...
More states brace for bird flu as researchers gather in Des Moines
Officials in Maryland and Georgia are preparing for a possible resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) during the fall migration season more...
NCC to EPA on ethanol: Freeze!
The National Chicken Council is calling on the Environmental Protection Administration to freeze biofuel targets that support the ethanol industry at more...
Salmonella illness outbreak appears to be linked to pork
State health officials in Washington are working with state and local partners to investigate several cases and clusters of Salmonella infections that more...
U.S. House votes to ban state GMO labeling laws
The House passed by a 275-150 vote legislation that would prohibit states from enacting mandatory labeling laws for foods containing genetically modified more...
McDonald’s profit down on fewer guests
McDonald’s reported a 13 percent decline in second-quarter net income on a drop in customer traffic as the struggling burger giant forges ahead more...
Study links pathogen to meat for the first time
Chicken, turkey and pork sold in grocery stores can harbor bacteria known as Klebsiella pneumoniae, according to a new study in the journal Clinical more...
Sustainable beef group set out to establish criteria, goals
The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRB) convened this month in Denver for its first General Assembly meeting to establish objectives around beef more...
Recall delays potential sale of AdvancePierre: report
A possible $2 billion sale of AdvancePierre Foods has been postponed due to the recall earlier this month of about 1.7 million pounds of frozen, raw stuffed more...
West Liberty Foods begins beef operation led by industry vet
West Liberty Foods announced it has expanded and diversified its product line with the startup of beef cutting operations at its Bolingbrook, Ill., location more...
Tyson worker taken to hospital after plant accident (updated)
A Tyson Foods worker reportedly lost two fingers and was taken to a local hospital Thursday morning after an equipment accident at a plant in southwest more...
USDA Cold Storage report: there’s a lot of meat out there
USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report showed poultry, beef and pork stocks on June 30 were all much higher than a year ago, though stocks did decline more...
Vilsack: Scientists have developed effective bird flu vaccine for chickens
A new avian influenza vaccine is effective in protecting chickens, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told a House Agriculture Committee at a hearing Wednesday more...
Va. co-op puts almost $62 mln into turkey processing facility
Virgnia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has announced that Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative Inc. will invest nearly $62 million over the next three years to more...
Analyst notes slide in beef, chicken and pork margins
Margins on beef, chicken and pork all fell last week compared with the previous week, according to an analyst at BB&T Capital Markets. Brett Hundley more...
Carl’s Jr. expands ‘all-natural’ burger offering, adds Hardee’s
Carl’s Jr. today expanded its “All-Natural Burger” line with a second item and will add the grass-fed, free-range beef sandwich to the more...
Forget July: grillers love proteins in winter as well — Harris poll
Americans are still firing up beef, hot dogs and chicken on the grill during the winter months, long after National Grilling Month has passed, according more...
Foster Farms launches new turkey product
Livingston, Calif.-based Foster Farms announced it is introducing Foster Farms Organic Ground Turkey, available now at retailers and Costco locations more...
Ahold unit picks up some A&P stores
Ahold announced its Stop & Shop division has entered into an agreement with The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company to acquire 25 A&P stores more...
Canadian officials lift quarantine on some Ontario poultry farms
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has lifted its quarantine on 25 poultry farms in Oxford County in Ontario that was imposed after avian influenza more...
Poultry plant probed for illegal dumping
A Mississippi poultry plant is under investigation for burying chicken parts under the facility, according to a report by the Clarion-Ledger. It’s more...
Grocery chain files bankruptcy again, sells some stores, closes others
Montvale, N.J.-based The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) announced A&P filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the more...
CDC updates illness count from frozen chicken entrée recall
The Centers for Disease Control updated its investigation of an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to raw, frozen, stuffed chicken entrees more...
Man survives meat grinder incident
A worker at a Vitco Wholesale Grocery facility in San Luis Obispo, Calif., was rescued by local fire department officials after reaching into the hopper more...
Maple Leaf names government veterinarian to head up animal care
Maple Leaf Foods has appointed the former chief veterinarian of Ontario to serve as its vice president, animal care, according to a company news release more...
Senate committee passes agriculture spending bill
The Senate appropriations committee has passed an agriculture funding bill that delays the end of a ban on beef from Brazil and Argentina and extends more...
XL Foods case reaches settlement
The class-action lawsuit over the largest recall in Canadian history has been resolved. Canadian media report that $4 million in compensation will be more...
Brazil projected to lead global beef, poultry exports
Driven largely by consumer demand in Asia, Brazil is set to become the world's largest beef and poultry exporter by 2024, according to the latest "Agricultural more...
Sausage products recalled
The Sausage Factory Inc., a Carson City, Nev., establishment, is recalling approximately 5,960 pounds of sausage products due to misbranding, USDA’s more...
NLRB rules OK Foods execs interfered with union election (updated)
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that OK Foods executives interfered with employees’ free choice in an election held May 1, 2014, at more...
CDC dissects decade of E. coli data
A CDC analysis of E. coli O157 outbreaks between 2003 and 2012 found food to be the main culprit for transmitting the bacteria, with the majority of outbreaks more...
Shelf-life enhanced with UV, pulsed light in the mix
Light-based technologies are emerging as tools to enhance shelf-life and guard against food contaminants, but more research needs to be done, said food more...
Beef, pork margins lower, chicken flat in latest weekly report
Beef and pork processing margins fell sharply last week while chicken margins stayed generally flat, according to the latest Weekly Commodity Monitor more...
House bill would block state GMO labeling laws
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee approved by voice vote a bill that would stop states from passing laws requiring labeling of genetically modified more...
Food demand survey shows consumers paying less for meat
The amount consumers were willing to pay declined in the month ended in mid-July for all meat products except hamburgers, with chicken breasts, chicken more...
Custom small processor charged with destroying meat
An Oregon firm that caters to customers who brought their wild game and poultry for processing is in hot water for allegedly destroying meat, according more...
Oscar Mayer adds new items to P3 protein snack line
Oscar Mayer is celebrating the second year of its P3 Portable Protein Packs by adding new flavors and textures to the snack line, the company announced more...
Former Midamar owner convicted in halal meat labeling trial (UPDATED)
A federal jury in Iowa has convicted the founder and former owner of a halal meat processing company on conspiracy and wire fraud charges originally filed more...
Chicken concerns could be marketing opportunities: NCC
AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — Chicken continues to attract consumers’ attention at the meat case, but the protein is not without its concerns. The more...
Chicken, pork, beef margins all down last week: analyst
The average margin for chicken, pork and beef were all down last week compared with the previous week, according to industry analyst Brett Hundley at more...
Major restaurant chain names new COO
Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants Holdings, parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurant chains, promoted Eric Williams to more...
Chipotle goes across the pond for pork; allows antibiotics use
Chipotle Mexican Grill, which stopped serving carnitas temporarily after firing a U.S. pork supplier for not giving its hogs outdoor access, is now importing more...
JBS gets $1.2 billion in long-term loan to finance latest acquisition
JBS SA, the world's largest meat processing company, said Monday it received a guarantee of $1.2 billion via long-term credit line through subsidiary more...
Unique U.S. beef and cattle trade situation continues
(This article was reproduced in it entirety with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing more...
U.N. body guidance for trichinae risk in pork could boost exports
The United Nations’ food-safety standard-setting body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Saturday finalized global guidelines that provide a way more...
Kraft Heinz seeks to update hot dog plant, cut head count
The recently merged Kraft Heinz company plans to invest $114 million in its Oscar Mayer hot dog plant in Columbia, Mo., adding and upgrading equipment more...
Corn forecast down; total meat production up
USDA lowered its corn forecast for 2015/16 but raised its soybean forecast in its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report more...
US Foods names new chief
Starting Monday, Pietro Satriano is US Foods’ president and chief executive officer, the company said in a news release. Previously, Satriano was more...
Giving back: Maple Leaf, Smithfield, John Morrell
Maple Leaf helps schools buy food Maple Leaf Foods has given $50,000 to Tastebuds, a Student Nutrition Collaborative in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Maple more...
Animal activists release video of sick chickens at Tyson farm
An animal activist group is calling on Tyson Foods to adopt meaningful animal welfare policies after releasing a secretly recorded video of sick more...
FAO projects global meat output, consumption, prices
The outlook for the global meat market remains largely positive over the next ten years, with feed grain prices set to remain low for the projection period more...
Canada's Premium Brands buys sausage-maker Isernio's Inc.
Kent, Wash.-based Isernio's Inc. has been acquired by Canadian company Premium Brands Holdings Corp., a producer, marketer and distributor of branded more...
FDA puts off menu labeling compliance
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has pushed back the compliance date for its Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar more...
Perdue highlights no-antibiotics policy in new ad campaign
Perdue Farms announced it is now raising more than half of its chickens without antibiotics of any kind and will launch six new national television ads more...
Congress hears from HPAI-affected producers as USDA sets plans
Poultry producers and industry groups told the U.S. Senate Agricultural Committee that what has been described as the nation’s largest animal health more...
Imported beef products recalled due to lack of inspection
A Canadian company is recalling about 1,540 pounds of beef lip products produced in Australia that were not presented at the U.S. point of entry for inspection more...
Beef margins down, pork up, chicken flat in latest week
Processing margins for beef were down this week versus the previous week, with pork margins up and chicken margins flat, according to the Weekly Commodity more...
Higher feed costs could mean pork industry losses
Weather damaged corn and soybean fields are also harmful to hog producers as rising feed prices mean higher costs of production for the pork industry more...
USDA updates safe ingredients for meat, poultry products
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has updated its list of safe and suitable ingredients for use in producing meat, poultry and egg products more...
FDA supplements 2013 Food Code
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a supplement to the 2013 Food Code, which provides science-based controls for reducing risk of foodborne more...
More restaurant dine-ins for a third straight year: NPD study
Consumers are eating more meals in restaurants than taking meals home, according to a new report from the global information company NPD Group. Chicago-based more...
Listeria findings trigger recall throughout Canada
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that FG Deli Group Ltd. is recalling Grimm's Fine Foods brand Home Style Roast Beef from the marketplace more...
Roast beef products distributed in Alberta are recalled
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that HQ Fine Foods is recalling Gloria's brand and Lunch Box Roast beef sandwich products from the more...
Federal, local officials probe 40-state, 181-person salmonella outbreak
A team of several agencies is investigating what is being described as four multi-state outbreaks of human salmonella infections linked to contact with more...
Full-service restaurant meals boost cholesterol, sodium intake: study
Eating at a full-service restaurant can be less healthy than eating at a fast-food outlet, concludes a University of Illinois study that looked at eight more...
Chicken products recalled on salmonella concerns
Barber Foods, in Portland, Maine, is recalling about 58,320 pounds of frozen, raw stuffed chicken product that may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis more...
Magro meat plant and store opening pushed back
Building permit holdups are being blamed for the rescheduling of the opening of a Magro Meats and Produce facility in Springfield, Ill., according to more...
Summer cookout prices drop – depending on the protein you’re serving
A Fourth of July cookout will cost slightly less this year and still comes in at less than $6 per person, the American Farm Bureau Federation said. Farm more...
Brinker buys large franchisee of its Chili’s restaurants
Casual dining restaurant operator Brinker International Inc. said it acquired 103 franchised Chili’s Grill & Bar restaurants for $106.5 million more...
JBS sees synergy gains of at least $75m from Cargill pork business
JBS SA, the word's largest meat processing company, expects at least $75 million in annual synergy gains for its US swine business after acquiring pork more...
Monogram Foods buys Golden Country Foods
Monogram Foods announced it was the successful bidder for Golden County Foods in Plover, Wis., a frozen appetizer business with approximately $100 million more...
USDA issues warning on chicken products related to illness clusters
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing a public health alert due to concerns about illnesses caused by Salmonella that may be associated more...
New Monfort Endowed Meat Science Chair named at Colorado State
Keith Belk, past president of the American Meat Science Association (AMSA), has been named the new Ken and Myra Monfort Endowed Chair in Meat Science more...
California closer to banning some antibiotics in poultry, livestock
Legislators in California today will consider passing a bill that would ban the use of over-the-counter antibiotics in animals, part of a continuing effort more...
OSI China showcases new plant, tallies toll of 2014 quality issues
OSI China gave media and local officials a tour this week of its OSI Henan Foods plant built in 2013. The plant took over making chicken and beef products more...
Repairs close Pilgrim’s Pride plant
A Pilgrim’s Pride plant in Mount Pleassant, Texas is closed today so that repairs can be made to the facility’s roof, according to local media more...
Beef processing margin up, pork down in latest commodity report
The U.S. beef processing margin improved per head from last week while the pork margin fell and the chicken margin was flat for the week, according to more...
Bar-S, seasoning specialist launch new sausages
Bar-S Foods and McCormick Grill Mates have partnered to launch new smoked sausages featuring Grill Mates Seasonings, the companies said in a news release more...
June 2015
Tyson upgrades, adds staff at Ky. poultry plant
Tyson Foods Inc. announced today the company will spend $8 million to install a new freezer and add work stations at its Robards, Ky., poultry plant, more...
ConAgra posts Q4 profit, throws in the towel on private label
ConAgra Foods Inc. today reported solid earnings in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 while also announcing plans to get out of the private-label business more...
PETA sues California over poultry slaughter
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the legality of poultry slaughter methods in California, the organization more...
Kraft Heinz details new management structure
The Kraft Heinz Company announced its senior leadership team as the merger announced in March nears completion. Effective upon the close of the merger more...
Sysco terminates merger with US Foods
Sysco Corporation announced today that the company has terminated its merger agreement with US Foods, which also terminates an agreement with Performance more...
McDonald’s mum on reports of Quarter Pounder upsize
The revamp of the menu at McDonald’s Corp. restaurants is expected to continue next month with a resizing of its venerable Quarter Pounder burger more...
Carl’s Jr. slaps a pork chop on a breakfast sandwich
Adding a wrinkle to traditional breakfast pork fare such as bacon, sausage and ham, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s Restaurants announced today the more...
Beyond Meat expands meat-analog offerings
Beyond Meat, the Los Angeles-based food company focused on creating as-good-as-the-original meat-analog proteins, has rolled out two new products. The more...
Pork production up in May, but beef, veal and lamb all down
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.81 billion pounds in May, down 4 percent from the 3.95 billion pounds produced in May 2014 more...
Jack Link’s launches chicken jerky
Jack Link’s on Thursday announced the launch of its Original Chicken Jerky. The Minong, Wis.-based meat snack maker said the product helps address more...
Two grocery giants with big U.S. holdings agree to merge
Dutch grocery store operator Ahold said it agreed to buy Belgium’s Delhaize Group in a $28 billion transaction that will create one of the biggest more...
True or False? Take Meatingplace’s 10-second quiz
Read this statement on an issue of importance to the meat industry, and tell us if you agree or disagree. We'll publish the results of the poll, along more...
Senator proposes swapping COOL for voluntary label
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) released a draft proposal that would replace current country-of-origin labeling (COOL) with a generic, voluntary label more...
Judge denies Midamar founder’s motions to dismiss
A motion by Midamar executives to dismiss 12 of 19 charges related to misbranding meat has been denied in federal court, according to court documents more...
USDA predicts retail pork prices will keep falling
USDA now expects retail pork prices to decline by 3 percent to 4 percent during 2015, a steeper decline than the agency predicted last month when it forecast more...
Pa. processor’s mushroom burger addresses high beef prices
Devault Foods Inc. announced today the expansion of its homestyle burgers line with the the new mushroom-infused Harvest Value Savory Burger. Devault more...
Whole Foods caught with thumb on the scale
The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) said it has uncovered a pattern of overcharging for pre-packaged foods including meats, dairy and more...
JBS sets sights on branded packaged goods
JBS USA wants to make a name for itself among consumers, according to a news report. The U.S. beef unit of the world’s largest meat processor sees more...
GMO-, AB-free meat "tastes better": survey
Consumers wants additive-free foods, including meat, because they perceive those goods as "healthier" and "tastier," according to a new report from Technomic more...
Cargill weathers drought, economic headwinds to regain profitability
Despite strong headwinds from severe drought, a sluggish economy and other gale-force impediments, Cargill Inc.’s domestic meat business has stabilized more...
Extending meat's shelf life ... 40 years?!?
News headlines in China today detailed the tortured route that some 800 metric tons of smuggled frozen meat had taken to a wholesaler's warehouse in Changsha more...
Trade Promotion Authority passes major Senate hurdle
Trade agreements such as the giant Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) are a giant step closer to realization, now that the U.S. Senate has voted to give more...
JBS sees $50 million in synergy gains from Moy Park in 2016
JBS SA, the world's largest meat processing company, said it expects $50 million in synergy gains for Moy Park Holdings Europe Ltd. next year, after acquiring more...
Court orders Greater Omaha to reinstate employees
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that Greater Omaha Packing must reinstate three employees, agreeing with an earlier National Labor more...
Pork plant wins Iowa approval to begin construction
A proposed pork processing joint venture in Sioux City, Iowa, is a step closer to reality now that the city council has approved the construction plans more...
U.S. poultry players to benefit from USDA special purchase: analyst
Three major U.S. poultry producers should see the usual positive stock boost after USDA makes its recently announced bonus purchase of dark chicken meat more...
Cattle on Feed report seen slightly bullish for cattle prices
USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report on Friday came in close to analysts’ expectations, although slightly fewer cattle placed on feed than more...
DQ looking to sell more chicken, bacon before that ice cream cone
Minneapolis-based American Dairy Queen Corporation, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, announced the rollout of the new DQ Bakes! menu with nine products across more...
Smithfield unit sets research partnership with tobacco firm
Smithfield Foods' Hog Production Division, Murphy-Brown LLC, and Tyton BioEnergy Systems announced a research partnership to develop new applications more...
Idaho county gives go-ahead to new beef plant
Commissioners in Ada County, Idaho, have approved an application from J.R. Simplot Co. and Caviness Meat Packers to build a 300,000-square-foot beef processing more...
Cargill names new boss of European poultry unit
Cargill has appointed Mary Thompson, president of Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Value Added Meats, to lead the company’s European poultry business more...
House subcommittee approves ag spending bill
A House subcommittee approved a 2016 agriculture appropriations bill that would increase funding for food safety activities and maintain spending levels more...
FSIS seeks comment on listeria regulation
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has made some changes to its interim final rule, "Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat more...
USAPEEC announces new chair, board
Jim Wayt, managing director of Intervision Foods in Atlanta, has been elected chairman of the board of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) more...
Trade Promotion Authority moves forward
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 218-208 today to approve Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), granting President Obama “fast-track” authority more...
Hormel names president of subsidiary Dan’s Prize
Hormel Foods announced today it has named Jeffrey Tobak as president of Gainesville, Ga.-based subsidiary Dan’s Prize. Tobak, most recently serving more...
Meat Industry Hall of Fame 2015 members announced
The Meat Industry Hall of Fame, now in its seventh year, named its latest list of inductees. They include William Bucker, Jo Ann Smith, William McMillan more...
USDA sees lower chicken prices due to avian flu
The recent avian influenza outbreak has not affected broiler meat production but is expected to pressure chicken prices due to trade restrictions placed more...
Foster Farms investigating behavior shown in video
Foster Farms, the target of a new Mercy for Animals (MFA) video allegedly shot undercover at its Fresno facility, is investigating the actions by workers more...
Bob Evans closes restaurants, cuts jobs as profit slides
Bob Evans Farms said it eliminated 60 positions in May and closed 18 of 20 underperforming restaurants it had previously identified as part of a turnaround more...
Venus Foods recalls pork sausage for misbranding, allergen
Venus Foods Inc. of City of Industry, Calif., has recalled about 25,380 pounds of pork sausage products because of misbranding and undeclared allergens more...
Three injured in ammonia leak at Koch Foods plant (updated)
A Koch Foods poultry process facility on the Northwest Side of Chicago was evacuated Tuesday folowing an ammonia leak. Three employees were taken to an more...
AMSA recognizes processors for lasting contributions
LINCOLN, Neb. — The American Meat Science Association’s (AMSA) last night honored two corporate scientists with the 2015 AMSA Signal Service more...
Food companies have three years to get rid of trans fats: FDA
The Food and Drug Administration announced today that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) — the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in more...
Researchers take aim at Dietary Guidelines' recs
In an article published in the journal, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, three researchers in the areas of nutrition, obesity and heart disease take aim at the more...
Johnny Rockets targets expansion sites, opens new outlet
Johnny Rockets has identified five markets where it plans to expand its made-to-order hamburger chain while also announcing the opening of its latest more...
Farm size doesn’t impact animal welfare
Factors that affect the welfare of cows on small-scale dairy farms are the same as those in larger, more intensive farming systems, the European Food more...
Bob Evans to sell or spin off part of its real estate portfolio
Bob Evans Farms Inc. is preparing to raise cash by selling or spinning off what the company is calling “a select portion” of its real estate more...
Wayne Farms announces terms for $250 million IPO
Wayne Farms LLC today set terms for its initial public offering (IPO), first announced in March along with expansion plans. The Oakwood, Ga.-based company more...
Philippines expands U.S. import ban as bird flu prompts new state action
Officials in the Philippines made Nebraska the 14th U.S. state to land on its banned poultry import list and North Carolina suspended the sale and shows more...
'What we got here is a failure to communicate.'
In the 1967 film “Cool Hand Luke” Paul Newman famously says, “What we got here is a failure to communicate” — right before more...
House passes TPA but implementation still uncertain
Although the U.S. House narrowly passed the Trade Promotion Authority bill 219-211 this afternoon, an essential precursor to its implementation was soundly more...
U.S. beef regaining its lead in Korean market
U.S. beef exports to South Korea have nearly caught up with Australian shipments, seven years after the country lifted a ban on American imports, Business more...
Ireland probes suspected BSE case
Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) announced Thursday the discovery of a suspected case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy more...
Wingstop shares surge on first trading day
Shares of fast-casual restaurant chain Wingstop soared on Friday, opening above $30 in their initial public offering, sharply higher than the company’s more...
Long time food safety advocate changes jobs
Caroline Smith DeWaal, longtime director of food safety at the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, is leaving the organization for a more...
Smithfield Foods presses state on renewable energy
Smithfield Foods, which has several renewable energy projects under way in North Carolina, is lobbying the state’s lawmakers to maintain requirements more...
N.C. municipalities get grants to accommodate Sanderson Farms
The North Carolina state Golden LEAF Foundation has awarded $1.12 million to two Robeson County municipalities to pay water and sewer infrastructure needed more...
Study finds pork as good as chicken, fish for blood pressure
Adults following the health-promoting DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan to help lower blood pressure can also include lean pork more...
FSIS updates guidance for Lm control in delis
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service posted today in the federal register an update to its best-practices guidance for controlling Listeria more...
Food groups protest part of White House antibiotics protocols
More than 20 food industry and industry-related organizations and companies are asking for changes to a fact sheet distributed in the wake of the recent more...
Kansas joins states canceling poultry shows in HPAI wake
Kansas officials have issued orders to restrict the movement of live poultry in the wake of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak, effectively more...
Meat forecast down for ’15 — way down for turkey
Projections for overall meat production in 2015 is down somewhat, reflecting lower beef slaughter and, especially, lower turkey supplies, according to more...
CDC reports Salmonella strain gaining strength vs. antibiotics
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that a strain of Salmonella detected beef and pork from live-animal markets is no longer more...
Stuffed chicken recalled due to undeclared wheat allergen
A Lake Charles, La.-based company is recalling about 93,006 pounds of raw and cooked stuffed chicken because the products contain the allergen wheat, more...
Bird flu costs expected to mount, Michigan outbreak confirmed
USDA chief Tom Vilsack sees the cost of avian influenza outbreaks topping the $410 million budgeted to fight U.S. outbreaks, as Michigan becomes the 21st more...
Koch adds capacity, recruiting 200 in Ohio
Poultry processor and food product manufacturer Koch Foods Inc., has added a production line to its facility in Fairfield, Ohio, and is looking to hire more...
Meat groups lean on USDA to lean on China over pork plants
The North American Meat Institute and the National Pork Producers Council are asking USDA to push China to move more quickly to reapprove 34 U.S. pork more...
Pizza Hut planning hot dog stuffed crust pizza: Report
Pizza Hut may be planning to roll out a hot dog stuffed crust pizza in the U.S. later this month, according to a report by restaurant equity analyst Mark more...
Supreme Court to weigh in on Tyson donning and doffing case
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear Tyson Foods’ challenge to a $5.8 million judgment against the company regarding paying workers for time more...
Georgia professor dies at age 50
Scott Marshall Russell, a professor of poultry processing and products microbiology at the University of Georgia for 21 years, died May 31 at his home more...
McDonald’s posts global, U.S. same-store sales drops in May
McDonald’s Corp. today reported that same-store sales fell in both its global and U.S. businesses, although the decline overseas was not as steep more...
Barber Foods to launch reformulated chicken products
Barber Foods is preparing to launch an update of its stuffed chicken breast product line tied to the company’s 60 years in business. Portland, Me more...
Pork products recalled
Holland, Mich.-based Quincy Street, Inc. is recalling approximately 49,308 pounds of pork sausage products that may be contaminated with foreign materials more...
Canada and Mexico set a price on COOL, and it’s a big one
Canada and Mexico jointly issued a statement this week putting dollar figures totaling more than $3 billion on their plans to ask the World Trade Organization more...
Subway launches ingredient pledge with new beef recipe
Subway Restaurants said it aims to remove all artificial flavors, colors and preservatives from its menu items over the next 18 months and would kick more...
Phages in chicken transfer antimicrobial resistance to bacteria
Researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, found phages (viruses that exclusively infect bacteria and are therefore harmless more...
WTO rules for U.S. poultry producers in Indian trade dispute
The World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body today rejected India’s appeal of its ban on U.S. poultry imports. “We hope that the Indian more...
USDA rejects emergency vaccine use for HPAI
USDA on Wednesday said it has determined that existing vaccine options are not effective for emergency use in fighting highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
Why the rush to clean chicken labels? In a word: millennials
Recent weeks have seen a flurry of major poultry producers announcing, or even reiterating, their plans to further curb antibiotics use in their live more...
Wendy’s to open 1,000 new units
The Wendy’s Co. said Wednesday it plans to open 1,000 new restaurants by 2020 as the company’s sales and profits increase. Most of the more...
Pork industry group sets antibiotic stewardship plan
The National Pork Board today announced an update of its quality-assurance program that will add new antibiotic stewardship protocols designed to promote more...
Economic rebound should spark restaurant visits: Mintel
Higher wages and improved consumer confidence should help the restaurant industry regain some lost ground over the next five years, according to a report more...
NPD Group says foodservice spending up, visits flat
Consumers are spending more money on foodservice meals but visiting restaurants at the same rate as a year ago as they continue to eat more of their meals more...
Burger chain Farmer Boys names new president
Riverside, Calif.-based Farmer Boys Restaurants has promoted Karen Eadon, chief marketing officer, to president and chief operating officer. She will more...
Peterson Brothers love their livestock in new video
If you're not among the 96,000+ people who have subscribed to the YouTube channel of the Peterson Brothers of Kansas after the debut of their first for-the-heck-of-it more...
White House turns the crank on antibiotic-resistance reduction effort
Federal departments and agencies will be directed to favor meat and poultry produced with “responsible antibiotic use,” the White House said more...
State responses to HPAI all over the map
Even as U.S. state officials try to manage outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), some of them are taking vastly differing paths as testing more...
Nestle takes aim at artificial flavors, salt
Nestle USA plans to remove artificial flavors and reduce sodium by 10 percent in its frozen pizza and snack products in the U.S. by year-end, the company more...
Food safety initiative seeks applicants for working groups
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), an industry-driven organization focused on advancing food safety management, is seeking stakeholders to participate more...
Foster Farms cutting back on antibiotics use, sets new product lines
Foster Farms announced it is introducing two new product lines, Foster Farms Certified Organic and Foster Farms Simply Raised antibiotic-free chicken more...
HPAI still spreading despite warmer weather
The massive highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the Midwest continues to expand with USDA reporting five new outbreaks in Minnesota more...
Mexican commission approves Tyson de Mexico sale
Mexico's Federal Economic Competition Commission has approved the sale of Tyson Foods, Inc.'s (NYSE:TSN) poultry business in Mexico to JBS-owned Pilgrim's more...
News briefs: USPOULTRY, Outback, Kosher pioneer, omega beef, Hooters
USPOULTRY Foundation names new chairman The USPOULTRY Foundation has appointed Dr. Travis Cigainero as chairman of the Foundation Research Advisory more...
May 2015
EPA unveils RFS projections, aims for the middle
The federal Environmental Protection Agency unveiled its proposed volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for the years 2014 more...
Avian influenza to pressure global prices, require new management
Global poultry prices will remain under pressure for the remainder of 2015 due to avian influenza and related trade bans could cause significant long-term more...
The dollar dampens exports, but variety meats save the day
The U.S dollar is on the rise against many global currencies, which could dampen beef and pork export. However, continued strong demand for variety meats more...
Bob Evans to sell, lease back two plants
Bob Evans Farms Inc. said it would sell two manufacturing plants and its Ohio headquarters and use the proceeds to manage debt and repurchase stock as more...
Robust demand for chicken lifts Sanderson results
Sanderson Farms said strong demand for chicken from both retail and restaurant customers boosted sales and profit in the second quarter. The company also more...
Harris Ranch ground beef sales resume
California supermarket chain Grocery Outlet has resumed sales of Harris Ranch Beef Company ground beef after an investigation concluded that a consumer’s more...
EPA expands authority to streams, wetlands
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday finalized a rule that expands its authority over streams and wetlands. The agency said the Clean Water more...
Beef, pork recall updated
Garden Grove, Calif.-based LQNN Inc. is now recalling some 227,731 pounds of chicken, beef and pork products that were produced without the benefit of more...
Applegate deal sets credibility, advantage: Hormel's Ettinger
Hormel Foods’ agreement to buy Applegate Farms gives the larger company immediate credibility in a part of the market that typically requires years more...
Analysts applaud Hormel/Applegate combination
Equity analysts see a lot of upside in Hormel’s acquisition of Applegate Farms, despite its hefty price tag. Hormel plans to pay $775 million to more...
Smithfield joint venture to build N.C. sausage plant
Smithfield Foods is teaming up with Kansas City Sausage LLC to build a state-of-the-art sausage plant in Sampson County, N.C., that will create 177 new more...
Tyson takes donning-doffing case to U.S. Supreme Court
Tyson Foods is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a nearly $6 million donning-and-doffing judgment, arguing that a lower court should not have more...
JBS, union agree to new contract
JBS USA and the union representing some 900 workers at the company’s Plainwell, Mich., slaughterhouse have agreed to a new contract, a spokesman more...
EU wants U.S. beef, but import quota a problem: USMEF
U.S. beef is sought after by top restaurants in Europe because of its quality, but an import quota threatens to restrain further expansion in the market more...
Taco Bell steps up removal of artificial ingredients in its menu
Taco Bell is joining the list of restaurants and food companies adjusting their menu items in a move that is expected to affect 95 percent of the food more...
Paragon Economics sold; Meyer to bow out of DLR
Pork market economist Steve Meyer has sold his economic analysis firm, Paragon Economics Inc., to Express Markets Inc. Analytics (EMI) of Fort Wayne, more...
Tune in for the Protein and the Plate webinars
Take a deeper dive into the data generated by the Protein and the Plate research in a two-part webinar series presented by Midan Marketing. The first more...
AdvancePierre is making the most of consumers’ love for sandwiches
It’s tricky business bringing multiple family businesses together, not to mention assembling a new leadership team, forming a new corporate culture more...
Seaboard pork plant plan gets financial assistance
The Iowa Economic Development Authority on Friday awarded direct financial assistance to Seaboard and Triumph Foods for the proposed new pork plant in more...
Square 1 Burgers marries burgers and white tablecloths
Square 1 Burgers & Bar has eight Florida locations open and two more opening in the state soon, and the full-service concept is ready to explore franchising more...
Minn. firm recalls roast beef over misbranding, undeclared allergen
Old World Meats, a Duluth, Minn. establishment, is recalling approximately 12 pounds of roast beef products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens more...
Poultry grower sues Pilgrim’s Pride for breach of contract
A West Virginian poultry farmer is suing Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. for breach of contract, according to court documents. M&M Poultry Inc., which more...
Shake Shack may be considering a chicken concept
Shake Shack, the small but trendy hamburger and hotdog chain that launched a highly successful public offering earlier this year, may be mulling a chicken-themed more...
U.S. pork production jumps 8 percent in April
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.02 billion pounds in April, up 1 percent from the 3.98 billion pounds produced in April more...
Fewer U.S. cattle placed on feed than expected in April
USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report estimated cattle and calves placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.55 million, 5 percent below 2014 more...
Harris Ranch investigates consumer claim of glass found in ground beef
Harris Ranch Beef Company is investigating a consumer’s claim that he and his wife found glass in the company’s ground beef bought at a California more...
Canada, Mexico calculating COOL damages: USMEF
Canada and Mexico are working together to determine damages stemming from the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law and will no doubt impose retaliatory more...
Smaller burger among menu changes at better burger company
Better burger franchise Burger 21 has rolled out several new menu items designed to appeal to changing consumer preferences. As part of the menu changes more...
Giving back: Smithfield, Baconfest, Tyson, Eckrich
Smithfield Foundation adds scholarship funds The Smithfield Foundation has announced that North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State more...
Hormel details HPAI impact on turkey supplies in Q2 report
Hormel Foods posted stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings today, but cautioned that with many of its turkey barns still empty, the fallout from more...
More bird flu in Iowa, S. Dakota takes new steps
Four new confirmed outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Iowa has brought the total number of chickens killed or sickened to about more...
House committee votes to repeal COOL
The House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday approved H.R. 2393, a bill that would effectively repeal mandatory country of origin labeling requirements more...
Brazilian prosecutors sue JBS' Tyson over alleged workplace violations
Brazil's Public Labor Prosecutors' Office in Santa Catarina state has filed a civil suit against JBS subsidiary Tyson in Brazil, requesting BRL 50 million more...
FDA will collect antibiotics data by species
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed a rule that would require animal drug sponsors of all antimicrobials sold or distributed for use in more...
Canada, Mexico seek retaliatory measures on U.S. exports
With their position against U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law confirmed Monday by the World Trade Organization, Canada and Mexico said more...
Monogram lined up to buy bankrupt Wisconsin firm
Memphis-based Monogram Food Solutions is the stalking horse bidder in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Golden County Foods Inc., based in Plover, Wisc more...
Tyson accused of rigging poultry grower system in ‘tournament’
Ten poultry growers in Kentucky are claiming that Tyson Foods has unfairly set up a system to pay them less than its competitors as part of an established more...
House ag chairman to float bill repealing COOL
House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas) plans to submit a bill seeking to repeal meat- and poultry-related elements in U.S. more...
Veal recalled on E. coli concerns going back to January
ZYK Enterprises, Inc. a Duvall, WA establishment, is recalling 2,522 pounds of boneless veal trim and whole veal muscle cut products that may be contaminated more...
Cargill facility hits worker safety milestone
Cargill’s 150-member team at its distribution center in Mount Crawford, Va., has logged 2.6 million hours without a lost time injury, dating back more...
Two U.S. states report more HPAI amid news of vaccine, economic impact
Federal and state officials confirmed two new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at poultry farms in Iowa and Minnesota, even as efforts more...
US Foods to close Fla. plant
US Foods will close one of its Florida plants amid reported business losses and its merger talks with Sysco. The Rosemont, Ill.-based food distributor more...
USDA verifies non-GMO label for a global company
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has verified the first Process Verified Program claim request from a global company seeking to label its products more...
FSIS releases revised HACCP validation guidelines
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has released the final revision of the Compliance Guideline for Hazard Analysis Critical Control more...
House approves bill to overturn EPA water plan
The U.S. House this week approved a bill that would require the Obama administration to withdraw a proposed rule aimed at redefining which waterways are more...
HPAI toll hits South Dakota chickens, state of emergency in Nebraska
South Dakota is now the 17th U.S. state to report an outbreak of high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial chicken flock since December, more...
Seaboard, Triumph Foods to build new pork processing plant
Seaboard Foods and Triumph Foods announced a joint venture, with equal ownership, to construct a new pork processing facility in Sioux City, Iowa, with more...
JBS profits $458 million in the first quarter
Brazil's JBS SA reported net profit of BRL 1.394 billion ($458 million) in the first quarter of 2015, up from BRL 70 million ($23 million) in the same more...
Jensen teams with wildlife preserve for grass-fed beef
Jensen Meat Company today signed an agreement with a wildlife reserve to support wildlife-friendly ranching and secure grass-fed beef for its restaurants more...
USDA puts $6.5 million to water conservation in drought-impacted cattle country
The USDA is investing $6.5 million in the Ogallala Aquifer region this year to help farmers and ranchers conserve billions of gallons of water and improve more...
Restaurants nab lion’s share of consumer food dollars
Americans are spending more money at restaurants than at grocery stores for the first time on record, a change in behavior that has accelerated in recent more...
USDA releases final tenderized beef labeling rule
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has released its final rule requiring labels on mechanically tenderized meat products, including validated more...
New HPAI outbreaks hit U.S. states as global poultry bans expand
Iowa has reported new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) — and Nebraska became the 16th U.S. state to do so since December — more...
Union accuses OK Foods of unfair labor practices
A union that represents 11,000 workers at grocery stores and food production facilities is formally filing unfair labor practices charges with the National more...
McDonald’s all-day breakfast, mid-price sandwiches on tap: reports
McDonald’s, which is attempting to turn around flagging U.S. sales, has told franchisees it will streamline its drive-through menu, expand a test more...
U.S. beef industry outlines traceability system for access to China
U.S. beef industry interests said they have agreed to implement a traceability system that would satisfy China’s demands for one, and thereby gain more...
Two major European grocery chains confirm merger talks
Two European grocery chains — that nevertheless generate an estimated 60 percent of their annual sales through their U.S. operations — confirmed more...
USDA projections into 2016 signal more normal markets
Total U.S. red meat and poultry production in 2016 is projected to be above that of 2015, as pork and poultry production is expected to further recover more...
Charges dropped in chicken deaths — for now
The former Pilgrim's Pride contract grower accused in the deaths of up to 300,000 chickens earlier this year has seen all charges against him dropped more...
Cases still rising in bird flu outbreak, the “worst ever” in the United States
The pace of bird flu confirmations has rapidly grown in recent weeks due to the infection of several large flocks – especially since the first confirmed more...
Smithfield earns water management kudos
Smithfield Foods ranks No. 1 for responsible water management among meat processors in a new report from Boston-based business sustainability organization more...
Western snowpack melts early, little remains
Snowpack across the western United States has mostly melted, according to data from the fifth 2015 forecast by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation more...
Online fundraising propels poultry project forward
Plans to build a small-scale poultry processing plant in western Montana took a big leap forward when an online fundraising campaign raised more than more...
USDA proposes new rule for handling veal calves
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced proposed changes to improve humane handling and food safety inspections at plants more...
Commission approves Clemens site plan for Mich. facility
The Coldwater (Mich.) Planning Commission on Monday approved the site plan for the 550,000-square-foot fresh pork processing plant owned by Hatfield, more...
Groups question “inconsistent” scientific review of evidence in dietary guidelines report
Nutrition guidance recommending nutrient dense foods such as meat and poultry products, including red and processed meats, should be the foundation of more...
McDonald's U.S, global comparable sales decline in April
McDonald’s announced that its April comparable sales in the United States fell by 2.3 percent, while global comparable sales declined by 0.6 percent more...
Global meat trade to slow as import demand softens: FAO
International trade in meat will expand at a much slower rate in 2015, compared with the year before, constrained by limited export supplies and subdued more...
Tyson, USDA work to reduce, verify antibiotics in chicken for school lunch
A group of large U.S. school districts has set a rigorous new standard not only to reduce but also verify the amount of antibiotics used in chicken they more...
Perdue seeks dismissal of farmer’s whistleblower complaint
Perdue Farms has filed a response to a contract grower’s “whistleblower” complaint, rejecting claims of retaliation and asking the U more...
Video release timed to oppose ag privacy legislation
The activist group Compassion Over Killing has released footage shot at Mountaire Farms that alleges unacceptable poultry handling just as the North Carolina more...
Small beef recall prompted by misbranding, undeclared allergen
Khubba Al Nahrain, Inc., a Skokie, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 665 pounds of beef products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens more...
Wayne Farms to add 500 jobs in Ala. plant expansion
Wayne Farms is preparing to expand its poultry processing plant in Dothan, Ala., by more than 40 percent in a move that will create a minimum of 500 jobs more...
Seaboard fires seven workers over animal welfare breaches
An undercover video shot at Seaboard Foods hog farms for the group Mercy for Animals showing rough animal handling practices has resulted in the company more...
Feds add fiscal aid for HPAI crisis; USDA, state take stock
The federal government is providing additional emergency funding to help contain the avian massive avian flu outbreak as other government and state officials more...
USDA suspends Eastern Livestock, ex-president for 10 years
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) this week announced the latest administrative actions against Eastern Livestock more...
Analysts boost Tyson estimates in wake of higher Q2 results
Three industry analysts increased their estimates for Tyson Foods Inc.’s earnings for fiscal 2015 and 2016 after the processor reported higher-than-expected more...
Minnesota’s HPAI toll tops 5MM as poultry group seeks trade monitoring
State officials reported that an additional 1.1 million birds died of avian flu in Minnesota even as a poultry industry association sought global assistance more...
Canada revises E. coli regs
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has revised its policy to control E. coli in raw beef products. As noted by the North American Meat Institute more...
Food critic, writer, meat lover Josh Ozersky dead at 47
Josh Ozersky, food critic for Esquire magazine and one of the country’s most vocal proponents of meat in all its forms, died Monday. He was 47. more...
Prepared foods, chicken propel Tyson to higher Q2 results
Strong sales in its prepared foods and chicken operations helped send Tyson Foods to higher-than-expected earnings in the second quarter although more...
New McDonald’s CEO wastes no time, announces restructure
McDonald's President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Easterbrook announced a plan intended to turn around the fast food giant in the face of increasing more...
USDA report on COOL not exactly a ringing endorsement
USDA’s latest analysis of mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) is consistent with earlier looks at the controversial rules mandated by Congress more...
More avian influenza cases confirmed; another state of emergency
On Sunday, Wisconsin officials with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection confirmed yet another case of H5 avian influenza – more...
Analysts boost estimates after Pilgrim’s strong quarter
Analysts increased their earnings forecasts for Pilgrim’s Pride after the company’s strong first-quarter showing to reflect continued benefits more...
Cargill, Tesla, PG&E collaborate at Fresno beef plant
Cargill has collaborated with Tesla and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), to install Tesla's Energy Storage product at the company’s Fresno more...
Report: McDonald's drops nine menu items
McDonald’s eliminated the Deluxe Quarter Pounder, six chicken sandwiches and two snack wrap options during the first quarter as the company works more...
Sausage products recalled over misbranding, undeclared allergen
Fresno, Calif.-based Ohanyan’s Bastirma & Soujouk Co., is recalling approximately 159,291 pounds of sausage products due to misbranding and more...
April 2015
Pilgrim’s details small-bird focus, antibiotics plan
Pilgrim’s Pride is bucking the industry trend by boosting its presence in the small-bird category and has set an aggressive goal for reducing antibiotics more...
Congressional leaders seek more funds to fight bird flu
Senate and House agriculture committee leaders urged the release of more emergency funds to help fight the spread of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza more...
Bob Evans to close 20 restaurants
Bob Evans Farms Inc. announced Wednesday that it plans to close 20 under-performing restaurants over the next 12 months, with the majority of closures more...
Crime blotter: One assault, one arraignment
One man faces criminal charges in a stabbing incident at a Tyson Fresh Meats facility in Dakota City, Neb., according to local media reports. Mahamud more...
Mississippi flyway strikes again: HPAI confirmed in Kentucky
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed that two wild birds, a goose and a duck in Kentucky, tested positive for more...
Smithfield net income down on lower pork prices
Smithfield Foods said net income fell nearly 8 percent in the first quarter due to lower fresh pork and live hog market prices. The West Coast port slowdown more...
Improved method for detecting salmonella in processing
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced the completion of a funded research project at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., in which more...
Grandin, CSU win coveted Webby Award
Temple Grandin and Colorado State’s social and digital media team were honored this week with a Webby Award in the category of Social: Education more...
Tyson tips the scale of antibiotic-free movement
Tyson Foods’ announcement today that it is working to eliminate human-use antibiotics from its chicken flock by September 2017 was another major more...
Consumer Federation of America takes on HACCP
The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) today released an analysis of the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (PR/HACCP) regulation more...
New major bird flu outbreak in Iowa as Minnesota tallies costs
Yet another commercial poultry operation in Iowa is now dealing with a bird flu outbreak even as Minnesota officials expand their response and project more...
Ammonia leak sends four poultry workers to the hospital
Four workers at a poultry plant operated by Shenandoah Processing in Harrisonburg, Va., were sent to a local hospital after ammonia leaked from a line more...
Calif. processor amends beef, pork recall
Corn Maiden Foods Inc., a Harbor City, Calif. establishment, added an additional product that should have been part of its original 15,600 pounds of pork more...
Chipotle moves on GMOs; could meat be next?
Chipotle Mexican Grill announced it will no longer cook with ingredients that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), though it will still be sourcing more...
Burger King BLT Whopper fuels sales in Q1
Higher comparable sales growth in the first quarter has executives at the company that owns the Burger King and Tim Hortons chains feeling positive about more...
Maple Leaf names high-profile corporate chef
Mississauga, Ontario-based Maple Leaf Foods announced that it has appointed Andrea Nicholson as the company's new Corporate Chef. Nicholson will also more...
More avian influenza in Iowa, Canada, Minnesota to seek more help
Officials in Iowa and Ontario, Canada, reported additional outbreaks of a form of avian influenza over the weekend as Minnesota officials prepared to more...
Judge rules in favor of embattled JBS pork plant
A judge has ruled that a neighborhood association’s opposition to JBS USA’s efforts to upgrade its pork plant in Louisville, Ky., is “a more...
GNP adds value-added chicken patty to product line
Adding Tex Mex spice to its product line, Gold'n Plump is expanding its line of frozen chicken patties. Joining the existing Original, Bacon & Cheddar more...
Minnesota declares state of emergency over bird flu
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton declared a peacetime state of emergency on Thursday to address the spread of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in turkey more...
Truck driver guilty of trading lunch meat for crack
An Arkansas truck driver who traded a company’s tractor-trailer filled with lunch meat for crack cocaine has been sentenced to one year of in-patient more...
Bird flu spreading among Minnesota turkey flocks
USDA this week added 14 cases of H5N2 highly pathogenic avian influenza in commercial turkey flocks in Minnesota to its running tally of outbreaks more...
Chipotle finds solution to its pork supply woes
Chipotle, which has been unable to serve pork carnitas at over a third of its restaurants since severing ties with a key supplier in January, said it more...
More meat, poultry in cold storage could dampen prices
USDA reported total red meat supplies in freezers up 18 percent from last year and chicken stocks up 27 percent, which analysts said could mean lower more...
Senate committee moves TPA, S. Africa legislation forward
The Senate Committee on Finance on Wednesday approved language that would put pressure on South Africa to remove limits on American chicken imports, and more...
Bill Gates shares thoughts on return to 'carnivorous ways'
In his latest blog post, Bill Gates discusses returning to his “carnivorous ways” after a year as a vegetarian and concludes the more...
‘Modernized’ pork inspection rule on its way
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has begun collecting data to support a potential rule that would “modernize” pork inspection more...
USDA working on a bird flu vaccine
USDA is developing a vaccine to protect U.S. poultry flocks against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) as the virus continues to spread. Work on more...
McDonald’s reports weak first quarter, hundreds of restaurant closures
McDonald’s Corp. reported weak global financial reports, with consolidated revenues down 11 percent and “negative guest traffic in all major more...
Pilgrim’s Pride flips switch on green energy plant
Pilgrim’s Pride is now operating a $5.3 million combined heat and power (CHP) plant at its processing facility in Sumter, S.C., that converts methane more...
Worst-case HPAI scenario hits Iowa egg layers; Wisconsin calls for help
Nearly 10 percent of the hens in Iowa are scheduled to be destroyed in what USDA has confirmed is the nation’s largest outbreak of highly pathogenic more...
Hormel issues warning, poultry stocks under HPAI scrutiny
Hormel Foods Corp.’s announcement that its earnings will be negatively affected by the recent U.S. highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks more...
Accused processor says river discharge was accidental
The owner of a Missouri slaughterhouse accused of violating state water pollution laws by allowing plant waste to escape its wastewater treatment system more...
Smashburger sets U.K. expansion in franchise pact
Fast-casual dining restaurant chain Smashburger is preparing to open its first restaurants in the United Kingdom as part of an agreement with U.K.-based more...
Iowa officials approve financial support for Smithfield expansion
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) has approved a package of tax and other incentives to help finance the $9-million expansion of the Curly’s more...
Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s pile on the bacon
Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants Holdings announced its Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurant chains are introducing a new breakfast more...
Bill pressures S. Africa on U.S. poultry imports
U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, last Thursday introduced legislation more...
U.S., Canadian officials update bird flu spread, quarantines
The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among U.S. and Canadian flocks continues on both sides of the border even as quarantines and additional more...
Salmonella spurring ‘scary’ regulation changes
CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Failure to decrease salmonella sickness in the United States is prompting USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service more...
CDC ties 2014 Creutzfeldt-Jakob death to British beef
A Texas man who died last year from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), likely contracted it by eating contaminated British beef a decade before more...
Surge in import recalls to subside
CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Federal plants importing meat from foreign countries can expect the current surge in “failure to present” recalls more...
South Africa, U.S. revisit poultry imports
South African chicken producers hope to reach an agreement soon with U.S. counterparts in a dispute over anti-dumping duties imposed on the United States more...
Settlement proposed in Northern Beef Packers’ class-action suit
A proposed settlement has been reached in the class-action lawsuit brought against Northern Beef Packers LLC by former employees that would pay $180,000 more...
Man sentenced for killing Foster Farms chickens
An 18-year-old Fresno man was sentenced to 120 days in jail for clubbing 925 chickens to death last year, according to the Sacramento Bee. The court ordered more...
Kosher poultry processor agrees to $34,000 penalty
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration has entered into a Consent Decision with Birdsboro Kosher Farm Corp. in Birdsboro more...
Environmental groups sue EPA over feed operation emissions
Environmental groups on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging a rule that exempts large feed operations from reporting data on air emissions from animal more...
Experts see U.S. bird flu issues extending to even more flocks
As Minnesota becomes what might be considered the epicenter of the continuing U.S. avian influenza outbreak, at least two experts believe that it's likely more...
Two baby food recalls: one in the U.S., one in Canada
Two recalls have been issued for baby food products in the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., Beech-Nut Nutrition, located in Amsterdam, N.Y., is recalling more...
Consumers willing to pay more for chicken wings but not pork
Consumers were willing to pay more for chicken wings, but they sharply reduced the price they would agree to pay for pork products, according to Oklahoma more...
New primer available on food companies, class action suits
With more than 200 class action lawsuits filed against many major food companies over the past several years, The Food Institute is offering a primer more...
Smithfield eyes acquisition targets, cost savings, a big boost to exports
After 18 months spent focused on debt reduction, Smithfield Foods is “quickly approaching the point where we can afford to be looking externally more...
National Beef finds buyer for Brawley, Calif. plant (updated)
National Beef Packing Co. and One World Beef (OWB) today announced an agreement to sell National Beef’s Brawley, Calif. beef slaughter and processing more...
Veal recalled for lack of inspection
Leader Slaughterhouse LLC, based in Imler, Penn., is recalling about 1,800 pounds of veal carcasses that were produced without the full benefit of federal more...
Going to jail for salmonella; a cautionary tale for meat processors
Two former egg industry executives received jail sentences Monday for their roles in a major 2010 salmonella outbreak, a cautionary tale for meat processors more...
PECO shift employees tested for TB
Some 200 employees of PECO Foods’ chicken processing facility in Canton, Miss., are being tested for tuberculosis today after one former employee more...
USDA starts pork pathogen sampling
USDA has issued a notice dated April 13 that outlines sampling protocols for salmonella as part of the nationwide raw pork products exploratory sampling more...
FDA reports increased antimicrobial sales for food animal use
The Food and Drug Administration reported domestic sales and distribution of medically important antimicrobials approved for use in food-producing animals more...
Another state confirms bird flu, more in other states, Canada
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial layer more...
Cargill meat plant becomes company's first verified landfill-free facility
Cargill announced its meat processing facility in Hazleton, Pa., has completely eliminated all landfill waste. The 225,000-square-foot plant that sits more...
Poultry company announces major expansions in Alabama
Mar-Jac Poultry Alabama LLC is investing about $50 million in its Northwest Alabama operations, creating and retaining more than 100 new and existing more...
Local board approves incentives for Sanderson plant in N.C.
Sanderson Farms came one step closer to constructing a huge new poultry complex in North Carolina when the St. Pauls Board of Commissioners approved an more...
New trade deals expand access for cattle, pork exports to Mexico, Peru
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday that USDA has reached trade agreements giving U.S. beef and pork producers greater access to consumers more...
Former Wilson Certified Foods CEO Lyon dies
Durward “Dewey” Lyon, former president and CEO of now-defunct Wilson Certified Foods in Oklahoma City, died this week. Lyon started his career more...
USDA slashes poultry export forecast due to bird flu
USDA on Thursday sharply reduced poultry export projections due to widespread trade restrictions triggered by the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian more...
Motive in Pilgrim's chicken deaths was retaliation: sheriff
The suspect arrested in the deaths of 320,000 chickens being raised for Pilgrim’s Pride in South Carolina had himself been a grower for the company more...
Strong meat results drive Cargill profit jump
Cargill posted a 33 percent rise in third-quarter earnings on a strong showing across the company’s meat group that helped offset slowing growth more...
Jack Link's refreshes brand, reformulates product
Jack Link’s Protein Snacks announced today a brand refresh that includes a product formulation to serve customers looking for healthier snacks. more...
USDA boosts meat, poultry production forecast
The 2015 forecast of total red meat and poultry production is raised from last month as higher beef and pork production more than offset lower turkey more...
New Canada bird flu outbreak sparks poultry bans, quarantines
Three Asian markets have banned poultry imports from Canada in the wake of the recent avian influenza outbreaks, even as Canada takes steps to contain more...
Smithfield confirms Curly's plant expansion
Smithfield Foods today confirmed that it will spend $9 million to expand production capacity at its Curly's Foods ready-to-eat and cooked meat products more...
Suspect arrested in Pilgrim’s Pride chicken house deaths
A suspect has been arrested in the killing of more than 300,000 chickens last month on farms in Clarendon County, S.C., that were growing the birds for more...
McDonald’s brings back one-third-pound burgers
McDonald’s will again offer one-third-pound sirloin burgers on its menu for a limited time, according to media reports. The Sirloin Third Pound more...
Calif. chain reportedly closes scores of restaurants
The new owner of Carrows and Coco’s Bakery abruptly has closed about half of the chain’s 150 restaurants in three western states, according more...
Former Meat House co-owner to plead guilty to theft charges
One of the former owners of a chain of high-end butcher shops is expected to plead guilty to charges that he allegedly diverted money raised during a more...
Dutchman gets 30 months in jail for horsemeat fraud
A Dutch meat trader has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for selling horsemeat fraudulently labeled as beef during the European scandal more...
Butchers' school sets September opening
The Muscolo Meat Academy, co-founded by butcher Kari Underly and advertising and marketing veteran Megan O’Connor, is set to begin classes in September more...
News Briefs: Carl Buddig, FSIS, Cochon 555
Pittsburgh-area resident Sherie Clark has received the $50,000 grand prize check from Carl Buddig & Co.’s Dream Big Sweepstakes. This marks more...
More bird flu in Minnesota turkeys; two states issue warnings
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in two more more...
Smithfield Foods unit applies to expand plant
Smithfield Foods has requested the City of Sioux City support its application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority for financial assistance to expand more...
Vietnam lifts cattle-age restrictions on U.S. beef
Vietnam has lifted age restrictions on beef from U.S. cattle and no longer will require certification through USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service more...
Hilton Worldwide switches to gestation stall-free pork
Hilton Worldwide will begin to eliminate pork from suppliers that use of gestation stalls for breeding pigs from its global food supply chain. All pork more...
Montana becomes latest state hit with avian flu
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the finding of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in a backyard poultry more...
Tailoring sow’s diet through pregnancy can improve productivity
Phase feeding sows may lead to greater productivity for both the mother and her piglets, according to researchers at South Dakota State University. A more...
WHO tallies costs of European E. coli outbreak that sparked expanded serotype testing
Germany’s 2011 E. coli outbreak reportedly caused $1.3 billion in losses for farmers and industries and $236 million in emergency aid payments to more...
Global meat prices decline in March as supply up
Meat prices fell 1 percent worldwide in March, continuing to retreat from a historic peak in July, pulled down by lower import demand in Asia, according more...
More avian flu found in Minn., S.D. commercial turkey flocks
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed Minnesota’s fourth finding of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza more...
FDA pulls last arsenic-based animal drug from market
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn approval for nitarsone, the last arsenic-based drug on the market used for food animals. Nitarsone more...
Poultry house fire kills 21,000 chickens
A fire Wednesday at a poultry house in Sussex County, Delaware, along the Maryland border killed 21,000 young chickens, according to an Associated Press more...
A recall so small it might fit in — but is unfit for — your lunch box
Fears of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination prompted Robber’s Roost Jerky of Ellensburg, Wash., to recall 4 pounds of ready-to-eat smoked more...
USDA details rollout of new salmonella, campylobacter testing in poultry
USDA has issued details of how it will implement the changes to salmonella and campylobacter verification testing that were announced in January and will more...
McDonald's revises its grilled chicken recipe
McDonald’s said it is revising its grilled chicken recipe to focus on simple ingredients including “pantry spices” and will roll out more...
Restaurant sales, traffic dampened by winter storms in February
Despite dampened sales and customer traffic levels as a result of extreme weather in parts of the country, the National Restaurant Association’s more...
Everything you always wanted to know about bacon
Bacon has been called meat candy, the gateway meat for vegetarians and the perfect food. To honor bacon’s role as a cultural icon, the North American more...
March 2015
Tyson, Kan. workers reach preliminary settlement in don-doff case
Tyson Foods Inc. and a class of workers at the company’s Emporia, Kan., beef packing facility who sued the company in 2006 for overtime pay have more...
Missouri pork processor to build new plant
Daily’s Premium Meats announced today plans to build a new pork processing plant in St. Joseph, Mo., with construction expected to begin this summer more...
Jensen Meat Co. names new CEO
Otay Mesa, Calif.-based ground beef processor The Jensen Meat Company has appointed Abel Olivera its CEO. Olivera, who has been with Jensen since 2005 more...
Arizona gov. vetoes animal welfare bill that would separate farm animals from pets
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has vetoed a bill that would have separated animal cruelty rules for pets from rules governing livestock. “I know more...
Analysts were expecting less corn, more soybeans than USDA is predicting
USDA released its quarterly Grain Stocks report today. Corn stocks on March 1 are estimated at 7.74 billion bushels, up 11 percent from last year. According more...
GNP to expand chicken processing facility, sets new management structure
Maschhoff Family Foods-owned chicken processor GNP Company announced the first of a two-phase expansion plan for its Cold Spring and St. Cloud, Minn. more...
Dunkin’ Donuts adding steak, chicken items
Dunkin’ Donuts is adding a new Snack 'N Go Steak Wrap to its permanent menu and introducing a new Pretzel Roll Chicken Sandwich for a limited time more...
New case of avian flu in U.S. commercial turkey flock
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Saturday confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in more...
JBS concludes takeover of Australian Primo Group
Brazil's top beef and poultry processor JBS SA said on Monday that its Australian subsidiary concluded the acquisition of Primo Smallgoods Group, the more...
White House releases antibiotic resistance plan, seeks elimination of certain drugs by 2020
The Obama Administration on Friday released its highly anticipated five-year antibiotic resistance plan, the culmination of a year-long effort by the more...
Quantum sues Tyson to recover $26 million to repay debts
Quantum Foods’ bankruptcy estate is suing Tyson Foods Inc. to recover $25.7 million in order to repay its debts, according to court documents. The more...
Group turns tables on HSUS with former undercover investigator interview
HumaneWatch.org, a project of the Center for Consumer Freedom, released a video interview on Friday with a former undercover investigator more...
Global beef supplies to remain tight: Rabobank
Liquidation in the Australian cattle herd now under way due to drought cannot continue at its current high rate, suggesting global beef supplies will more...
ConAgra posts loss on private brands, but raises outlook
ConAgra Foods posted a net loss in the latest quarter due to weakness in its private brands business but also raised its full-year forecast, noting results more...
NPPC urges resolution to COOL
The National Pork Producers Council urged Congress on Wednesday to change U.S. mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law to avoid trade retaliation more...
Broiler slaughter, weights on the rise
USDA data show weekly broiler slaughter running about 3 percent above a year ago, with average weights also up, analysts wrote in the Daily Livestock more...
Dutch horsemeat trader should get 5 years in jail: prosecutors
Dutch prosecutors sought a five-year jail term in court Tuesday for a local meat trader alleged to have played a key role in Europe’s 2013 horsemeat more...
Kraft, Heinz to merge as Buffett, Brazil’s 3G Capital invest
H.J. Heinz Company and Kraft Foods Group Inc. have entered into a definitive merger agreement to create The Kraft Heinz Company, the companies said in more...
Smithfield Q4 profit triples on hog production, bacon
Smithfield Foods Inc. today reported that net income more than tripled in the fourth quarter on brisk sales of branded bacon, while its hog production more...
Koch Foods sets another Alabama expansion plan
Koch Foods is planning to add 70 jobs to its chicken processing facility in Gadsden, Ala., just a few months after announcing the addition of 80 jobs more...
Olymel lays off managers, cancels deliveries due to strike
Olymel said it will lay off almost all managers and administrative staff at its Vallée-Jonction plant in Quebec starting Monday as a result of more...
Fresh & Easy to close nearly one-third of stores
The Fresh & Easy grocery chain, a unit of The Yucaipa Co. investment firm, plans to close about 50 of its 167 remaining stores, according to media more...
Public hearings begin on dietary guidelines; groups take positions (UPDATED)
About 70 groups were expected to address the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) proposed recommendations on U.S. consumer diets at public more...
Mexico eases ban on U.S. poultry
Mexico, the largest buyer of U.S. turkey and chicken, has eased restrictions on imports of U.S. poultry from states it had banned amid an ongoing avian more...
Frozen stocks of beef, pork and poultry building significantly
Analysts are calling USDA’s latest Cold Storage report “bearish” for beef, pork and chicken prices. USDA reported total frozen beef more...
Executive shuffle at Hormel via retirements, appointments
Hormel Corp. today announced the retirements of two of its executives and the appointments of two others to take on their roles, the company said in a more...
Ga. poultry processors mum on reports of runoff polluting local waters
Reports that two Georgia poultry processors are responsible for high levels of pollution in local water supplies are being disputed by the state’s more...
Scientists predict more animal antibiotic use by 2030
A team of researchers is predicting that the use of animal antibiotics will increase in use by 67 percent by 2030 from levels reported in 2010. The report more...
Burger King upgrades Chicken Fries to permanent menu
The self-described second-largest fast food hamburger chain in the world is making a recently reintroduced chicken product part of its permanent menu more...
Eau de beef
It's no April Fool's joke: Burger King Japan will be selling limited-edition bottles of its latest (though not only) fragrance: "Flame-Grilled." In recognition more...
A big night in Carlsbad, Calif. for Tyson Foods, FPSA
CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Tyson Foods CEO Donnie Smith formally accepted the 2015 Meatingplace Richard L. Knowlton Award at a dinner Thursday night hosted more...
Potstickers, dim sum recall due to allergen
Van Lang Foods, based in Countryside, Ill., is recalling about 232 pounds of pork potstickers and chicken dim sum due to misbranding and an undeclared more...
Ban on U.S. poultry continues
Yet another nation has joined the growing list of nations — including Mexico and Canada — that have imposed bans covering either poultry more...
PEDV cases uptick in latest week, USDA and vets data show
There were 58 new premises confirmed positive for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in the week ended March 14, up from 31 new cases the prior week more...
Third case of bird flu reported on California farm
About 61,000 turkeys were infected with low pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza on a commercial farm in Merced County, Calif., according to a report posted more...
Frozen meals manufacturer files for bankruptcy
Gourmet Express LLC, a maker of frozen meals with a variety of proteins, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and reorganization in Maryland more...
Cargill offers to restock fish pond after irrigation water leak
Cargill Inc. has offered to restock a Beardstown, Ill., park pond where the fish died following a breach in the company’s irrigation water lagoon more...
Japan group pitches 50 percent reduction in pork tariffs
A Japanese pork producer group says it could live with a 50 percent reduction in import tariffs to help Japan reach an agreement on the Trans-Pacific more...
Tyson raises curtain on several new retail products
Speaking to the Consumer Analysts Group of Europe (CAGE) at its meeting in London, Tyson Foods today officially introduced several new retail branded more...
Comment period extended for Dietary Guidelines
The comment period on the initial recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has been extended by 30 days, and now will be ending May more...
NPPC testifies to support Trade Promotion Authority
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) today formally asked federal lawmakers to approve legislation that makes it easier to finalize free trade agreements more...
Analyst lifts Sanderson Farms estimate on ‘good fundamentals’
Improving retail trends and falling grain prices prompted an industry analyst to raise her second-quarter earnings estimates for Sanderson Farms by 17 more...
Wayne Farms files for IPO, plans plant expansion
Wayne Farms, a unit of Continental Grain Co. and the sixth-largest poultry processor in the United States, has filed for an initial public offering and more...
New legislative voices join call for Dietary Guidelines extension
A bipartisan group of four U.S. Senators is formally requesting that the comment period on the proposed 2015 U.S. dietary guidelines be extended by 30 more...
California poultry firm nears expansion
California free-range and organic chicken processor Petaluma Poultry’s plan to expand operating hours to 24 hours per day, seven days a week and more...
Farm fire kills 22,000 chickens overnight
Authorities in Rankin County, Miss., are investigating a fire at two chicken barns near Puckett, Miss., this morning, according to a report in the Clarion-Ledger more...
Avian flu spreads to Kansas, sparking quarantines, raising export concerns
Federal and local officials are taking steps to contain a confirmed outbreak of the avian influenza in Kansas as poultry producers and processors watch more...
Expert panel examines undercover video from chicken processing facility
An expert panel review of the most recent video issued by Mercy for Animals to promote their goal of convincing consumers to stop eating animal proteins more...
Poultry bans could weigh on pork and beef, says economist
Pork and beef prices could come under spillover pressure from import bans on U.S. poultry products in the wake of confirmed cases of avian influenza in more...
Study: Mediterranean diet cuts heart disease risk by nearly half
Adults who closely followed the Mediterranean diet were 47 percent less likely to develop heart disease over a 10-year period compared to similar adults more...
Speak not of ‘WH Group,’ Smithfield owner tells pig farm neighbors
Smithfield Foods’ China-based owner has filed a motion in North Carolina federal court to bar residents suing the company over its hog waste lagoons more...
National beef organizations agree to doubling checkoff assessment
The Beef Checkoff Enhancement Working Group (BCEWG) on Friday signed a revised memorandum of understanding (MOU), agreeing to increasing the program’s more...
Video bashing U.S. food production provokes controversy
A group called “Only Organic” has launched a video called “New MacDonald” that has raised the ire of the farming community across more...
States restrict transport of poultry as bird flu precaution
Kansas has established a quarantine zone in two counties and Louisiana set entry requirements for poultry destined for its borders following confirmation more...
Sanderson announces site for new poultry complex in N.C.
After years of searching in North Carolina, Sanderson Farms Inc. announced today the company has selected the town of St. Pauls and Robeson County as more...
Worker reportedly hurt when pallet of hams tumbles
A 30-year-old man was hospitalized after a pallet of hams fell on his head at Hatfield Quality Meats in Montgomery County, Pa., Philly.com reported. The more...
Smithfield names new Cudahy president
Smithfield Foods Inc. said today it promoted Daniel Kapella to president of subsidiary Patrick Cudahy LLC, effective March 1. Kapella will lead the day-to-day more...
NAMI launches online petition on dietary guidelines
The North American Meat Institute has launched a Change.org petition urging the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to more...
The Finnish product formerly known as "Meatballs"
The food division of Helsinki-based retailer Kesko Corp. has removed the prefix “meat” from the description of its meatball products to accommodate more...
USDA tests confirm bird flu in Arkansas; poultry industry takes steps (UPDATED)
USDA has confirmed an avian influenza outbreak in Arkansas, on the heels of those confirmed last week in Minnesota and Missouri, prompting a variety of more...
Analyst sees HPAI effect on poultry trade, Wall St. responds
The growing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Midwestern states may not have a material impact on overall U.S. poultry production more...
Cargill beefs up poultry welfare team
Stephanie Cottee has been named Cargill's head of animal welfare for its international poultry businesses in the U.S., Canada, China, Thailand, Europe more...
FSIS set to roll out raw chicken parts testing project
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) provided more details on its inspection program to collect raw chicken parts for campylobacter more...
Cargill drops lawsuit against JBS exec accused of taking trade secrets
Cargill has dropped a lawsuit accusing a former executive of taking trade secrets to competitor JBS USA, according to documents filed Monday in Colorado more...
OMP to acquire ConAgra plant
Ozark Mountain Poultry (OMP) said it plans to purchase a chicken processing plant in Batesville, Ark., that ConAgra plans to close, the company confirmed more...
FSIS extends comment period for proposed poultry pathogen standards
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said today that it is extending the public comment period for proposed performance standards for more...
Sysco extends closing date for US Foods purchase
Sysco Corp. has again pushed back the interim closing date for its proposed acquisition of US Foods by 60 days, the company has confirmed. The move sets more...
Canadian firm buys New England artisanal bacon, sausage maker
Breton Foods Canada’s Les Spécialités Prodal unit has agreed to purchase third generation family-owned North Country Smokehouse, based more...
O157:H7 contamination prompts chicken patty recall in Canada
Scarborough, Ontario-based Juici Patties is recalling its Juici Patties brand Jamaican-style unbaked chicken patty from the marketplace due to possible more...
Bird flu woes expand for Minnesota, Missouri
Officials in Minnesota and Missouri are bracing for the repercussions following the discovery of avian influenza at poultry farms, including a 40-nation more...
McDonald's U.S. comparable sales down in February
Global comparable sales for McDonald’s decreased 1.7 percent in February, while comparable sales in the United States decreased 4 percent due to more...
USDA makes meat specifications available to wider audience
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has published Spanish-translated USDA Institutional Meat Purchasing Specifications (IMPS) and Trade Descriptions more...
Pilgrim's offers $50,000 reward for vandals of family farms
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation is offering an award of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of vandals responsible for damage more...
Costco phasing out antibiotics in meat products
Costco Wholesale Corp. is working with its suppliers to eliminate human-use antibiotics in the chicken and other meat products it sells, Reuters reported more...
FSIS considers specific temperature labels on raw poultry, meat
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is seeking comments as it prepares to start consumer testing possible changes to safe-handling instructions more...
Avian flu confirmed in Minnesota turkey flock
USDA said it has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in a commercial turkey flock in Pope County, Minn., the first finding more...
Misbranding prompts beef, pork recall
Premier Distribution Center, Inc. a Nogales, Ariz., establishment, is recalling approximately 50,953 pounds of pork and beef products due to misbranding more...
Move would amend Neb. livestock ownership bill
An amendment filed to Nebraska Legislative Bill 176 would exempt packers from restrictions on ownership of swine in certain situations. The amendment more...
Target ups its game on groceries
Target is honing its food strategy a decade after the mass merchandiser started seriously competing for grocery dollars. In a conference call earlier more...
GNP brand expands into organic
GNP Company chicken brand Just BARE brand of chicken announced today its plans to expand distribution of its new certified organic product line. more...
Reusable plastic containers in the crosshairs
A University of Arkansas study that faults reusable plastic containers for harboring bacteria including salmonella, listeria and E. coli should be viewed more...
McDonald’s to phase out chicken raised with antibiotics important to human health
McDonald’s Corp. plans to eliminate using chickens exposed to human antibiotics in a program expected to take full effect over the next two years more...
Regulator approves JBS takeover of Australia's Primo Group
The Australian government has approved a November 2014 bid by JBS SA's North American subsidiary to acquire Primo Group – Australia's largest more...
New group focuses on U.S. beef sustainability issues
An organization featuring 43 founding members ranging from processors to industry associations to beef retailers plans to take a closer look at sustainability more...
Bob Evans misses Q3 expectations; reaffirms strategy
Bob Evans Farms Inc. reported a decline in its third-quarter financial results compared with the same period a year earlier — far short of the earnings more...
Tyson gift to establish Don Tyson research center at Arkansas
Tyson Foods and the Tyson family are providing $5 million to help fund a major research center at the University of Arkansas that will cost a total of more...
Legislators back at it against antibiotics use in animals
Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Monday reintroduced the “Prevention Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2015.” more...
JBS pork plant opponents drop lawsuit over parking lot
A group of residents in Louisville, Ky.’s Butchertown neighborhood have dropped a 9-year-old lawsuit against JBS USA’s use of a parking lot more...
Fire halts production at Ga. poultry plant
A fire this morning at Tip Top Poultry’s Rockmart, Ga., plant injured no one and caused only minor damage to the exterior, but the company halted more...
Undeclared allergen prompts large beef recall
Campos Foods LLC, based in Caryville, Tenn., is recalling about 136,950 pounds of beef products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the USDA’s more...
News Briefs: Tyson, Nathan's Famous, Applebee's, Einstein Bros., Bruegger's, MIchael Angelo's, Kretschmar, NAMI
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. has introduced a new brand of pre-seasoned and -marinated fresh beef and pork items, called Crafted Creations. The brand debuts more...
JBS cancels IPO in Brazil for JBS Foods
JBS SA has canceled its request of an initial public offering (IPO) for Brazil-based subsidiary JBS Foods due to the “current market environment more...
China curbs Canadian beef over BSE; NAMI issues video
China has now become the sixth nation to limit imports of Canadian beef products in the wake of the confirmation of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) more...
Man injured in meat plant accident
A man was hospitalized after getting his arm caught in a piece of equipment at the JTM Foods plant in Harrison, Ohio late Friday evening, according to more...
S.C. authorities hunt for suspected chicken farm vandals
Officials in Clarendon County, S.C., are looking for an unspecified number of suspects in a string of vandalism over the last two weeks that ended up more...
International poultry group is looking to fill a key spot
The International Poultry Council is seeking applicants for the position of full-time secretary-general. George Watts, who holds the post currently, will more...
February 2015
Maple Leaf Foods trims more infrastructure amid overhaul
Maple Leaf Foods is nearing the end of an efficiency-improvement effort seven years in the making with the closure today of its Kitchener, Ontario, plant more...
Seaboard gets earnings boost from sale of meat unit stake
Seaboard Corp. reported a higher fourth-quarter profit, boosted by a gain on its sale of a 50 percent stake in its processed meats division to Triumph more...
Former politician, Ag Secretary joins OSI Group board
Aurora, Ill.-based OSI Group announced former U.S. Senator Michael Johanns has been elected to its board of directors, effective Feb. 18. A previous U more...
USDA secretaries band together to call for TPA
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and former secretaries Ann Veneman and Dan Glickman gave a joint press conference calling for Congress to authorize Trade Promotion more...
Tyson, Hillshire hit with false advertising suit (UPDATE)
Parks LLC has filed suit in Pennsylvania federal court against Tyson Foods and its subsidiary Hillshire Brands claiming false advertising and trademark more...
Mechanically tenderized beef label rule to go forward sooner
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he would suspend the Uniform Labeling Regulation so the pending rule for labeling mechanically tenderized beef more...
Sens. urge USDA on pathogen standards for beef, pork
U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday urged USDA to establish salmonella and campylobacter more...
JBS asks for dismissal of EEOC suit
JBS USA has asked the U.S. District Court in Nebraska to dismiss the remaining counts of a lawsuit filed against it by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity more...
Sausage recalled on misbranding, undeclared allergen
Sunset Farm Foods, Inc., a Valdosta, Ga. establishment, is recalling some 42,669 pounds of link sausage products due to misbranding and an undeclared more...
Two Canadian pork processors plan ‘business partnership’
Olymel and ATRAHAN Transformation Inc. today announced that they are in talks to establish what’s being described as a “business partnership” more...
Analysts see a soft landing in store for the chicken cycle
Encouraged by soild first-quarter results for Sanderson Farms, two Wall Street analysts boosted 2016 forecasts for the company to reflect growing confidence more...
JBS strikes deal in Brazil over lawsuit involving staff breaks
JBS SA has reached a deal with Brazil's Ministry of Public Labor (MPT) to compensate staff that worked in refrigerated rooms at one of its plants in Sao more...
Schweid names new director of foodservice
Schweid & Sons has hired Bill Schmitt as its director of foodservice to lead foodservice growth strategies and work with the sales team to develop more...
Higher prices, demand gives Sanderson Farms to ‘solid’ Q1 start
Sanderson Farms today cited higher poultry market prices, strong demand from retail customers and lower grain prices for a solid increase in sales and more...
Gov’t report outlines new approach to attributing foodborne illnesses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service more...
JBS plant fined again for odor issues
JBS USA’s pork plant in Louisville’s Butchertown neighborhood has been slapped with additional fines related to odor issues at the facility more...
Maryland Gov. proposes rules for litter use on fields
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday unveiled proposed “Phosphorus Management Tool” regulations that would limit the use of chicken litter more...
Hormel names new Farmer John president
Hormel Foods has named Mark Morey president of its Vernon, Calif.-based Farmer John subsidiary. Morey is currently president of Dan’s Prize, which more...
Major full-service restaurant chain names CEO
Orlando, Fla.-based Darden Restaurants announced that its board of directors has appointed current Interim Chief Executive Officer Eugene Lee, Jr. as more...
Tyson Fresh Meats launches new branded beef and pork items
Tyson Fresh Meats is debuting its Tyson Crafted Creations brand of pre-seasoned and pre-marinated fresh beef and pork items today at the Annual Meat Conference more...
Fewer U.S. cattle placed on feed, marketed than expected
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.7 million head on Feb more...
Taiwan becomes fifth country to ban Canadian beef imports
Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration announced Sunday that it has banned imports of Canadian beef, according to a report in Want China Times. The move more...
Cargill seeks new trial in E. coli suit with United Food Group (UPDATE)
Cargill has asked a federal judge in California to dismiss a jury’s finding that the company supplied contaminated meat to United Food Group and more...
FTC sues to block Sysco-US Foods merger
The Federal Trade Commission filed today an administrative complaint to block the proposed merger of foodservice distribution giants Sysco and US Foods more...
Grower files whistleblower lawsuit against Perdue (UPDATED)
The North Carolina contract poultry grower who invited an animal activist group to record a video of his operations where he raises chickens for Perdue more...
Columbus Foods to close facility
Columbus Foods plans to close its 50-year-old South San Francisco processing plant in July and migrate production to its renovated facility, CEO and President more...
New CEO announced at Johnsonville Sausage
Nick Meriggioli, the former president of Oscar Mayer, has been named the new CEO of Johnsonville Sausage, according to a report in the Wisconsin State more...
Dietary Guidelines committee submits recommendations, industry responds
USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services today released the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommendations online, the agencies more...
Turkey, refrigerated foods lift Hormel profit
Hormel Foods reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings on strong profit growth in its Jennie-O turkey and refrigerated foods units. Jennie-O more...
House of Raeford sells NC turkey plant to Butterball
House of Raeford Farms said today it sold its Raeford, N.C., turkey cook plant to Butterball LLC, which plans to expand operations there. House more...
Perdue put its chicken houses on the web
Perdue Farms has launched a new website featuring video and photographs in and around their poultry growers’ facilities, in an effort to help consumers more...
Two West Coast ports reopen; labor talks continue
Two key West Coast ports have re-opened following a four-day partial closure last week of 29 ports amid an ongoing labor dispute. The Pacific Maritime more...
Agri Beef says it is first to export into new market
Agri Beef Co. announced it is the first U.S. producer to sell beef and pork products in Myanmar. The Boise, Idaho-based company said it sent more than more...
Undeclared allergens behind two recalls
In the first of two recalls due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, Michigan Brand Inc., based in Bay City, Mich., is recalling about 4,287 pounds more...
One worker killed, one injured at JBS plant
An employee at the JBS meat plant in Montgomery County, Pa., has died after being stabbed on Wednesday morning in the parking lot of the facility by a more...
Worker dies while cleaning equipment at Tyson plant
A cleaning company worker died Tuesday while performing his job at the Tyson Foods poultry plant in Shelbyville, Tenn., a Tyson spokesman confirmed. James more...
USPOULTRY sets Ensuring the Future Campaign funding
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation (USPOULTRY Foundation) said $10.5 million in commitments have been pledged for Ensuring the Future more...
Golden State Foods to open meat plant in Alabama
Golden State Foods confirmed reports that it will build a new meat processing plant that is expected to create about 125 jobs and cost between $40 million more...
Another Calif. commercial flock hit with highly pathogenic AI
A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza has been confirmed at a second commercial poultry farm in California. The farm, in Kings County, is a 114 more...
Decisions, decisions for Sanderson on plant site options
The door apparently has reopened for Sanderson Farms to build a plant in Cumberland County, N.C., even though the company has already reportedly announced more...
NAMI video addresses beef, water myths
The newest video in the Meat MythCrusher series addresses one of the most commonly seen myths in the media: How much water it takes to produce more...
Smithfield Foods unifies brands, reorganizes leadership
Smithfield Foods announced it has realigned its organization and key senior management appointments that unify all of its independent operating companies more...
Lack of import inspection prompts beef recall
ATM International USA Inc. of Torrance, Calif., is recalling nearly 2,000 pounds of boneless beef products that were not presented at the U.S. point of more...
S. Korea suspends Canadian beef after single BSE case found
South Korea has suspended quarantine inspections of Canadian beef after the major exporter confirmed its first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy more...
SuKarne invests $40.8 million to modernize beef processing plant in Mexicali
SuKarne will today inaugurate a newly upgraded beef processing plant in the Mexican city of Mexicali thanks to a $40.8 million investment, the company more...
Meat could be good for your mental health: study
Evidence is rapidly growing showing vital relationships between both diet quality and potential nutritional deficiencies and mental health, a new international more...
AdvancePierre buys second sandwich maker
Cincinnati-based value-added protein and sandwich maker AdvancePierre Foods announced it would acquire the manufacturing assets of Better Bakery, a Valencia more...
Canada confirms new case of BSE in a beef cow
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed its first new case since 2011 of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a beef cow from Alberta more...
Hormel-Applegate marriage a good one, analyst says
A combination of Hormel Foods Corp. and Applegate Farms would be a “good strategic fit” and could add 5 cents to 10 cents a share to Hormel’s more...
Investors wary of turn in chicken cycle: analyst
Despite a solid earnings report from Pilgrim’s Pride and projections for an even stronger performance in 2015, investors are looking past the good more...
Chicken demand more than outpacing supply: Pilgrim’s
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. on Thursday said 2015 is off to a strong start, with demand for chicken robust and growing while the industry has remained more...
Vilsack sounds reassuring on meat’s role in dietary guidelines
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday said he did not expect the 2015 Dietary Guidelines to make any big more...
Extra-lean beef gets Heart Association certification
Extra lean ground beef — that which is at least 96 percent lean — has been certified by the American Heart Association to use the Heart-Check more...
Culver’s names new CEO
Culver’s announced that Phil Keiser will be promoted to chief executive officer and president, effective June 15, succeeding company co-founder more...
Whole Foods recalls several products on allergen fears
Whole Foods Markets Inc. is recalling about 33,191 pounds of ready-to-eat products due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the USDA’s Food more...
Canadian poultry recalled for lack of inspection
Sunrise Poultry Processors, based in Alberta, Canada, is recalling about 2,705 pounds of poultry products that were not presented at the U.S. point of more...
USDA sees roller coaster ride for pork, beef in 10-year forecast
Lower feed costs are expected to lead to pork price declines over the next decade as beef prices initially rise and then fall as production increases more...
U.S. poultry, egg exports set records in 2014 despite ban
The U.S. poultry industry exported a record volume of poultry and eggs last year despite a fourth-quarter embargo by Russia that affected food and agricultural more...
Court rejects anti-HIMP lawsuit
A federal judge tossed a lawsuit claiming new USDA poultry plant inspection rules put consumers at greater risk of getting sick. U.S. District Judge Ketanji more...
Analyst discusses who might want to buy AdvancePierre
Last week, Reuters reported that AdvancePierre Foods’ private equity owner Oaktree Capital Group is talking to investment bankers and may be getting more...
Higher meat production means moderating price forecasts: USDA
Expectations for higher protein production from all species are fueling expectations for moderating prices for meat and a reduction in the ending stocks more...
Arby’s posts momentum growth in system sales, sets new goals
Efforts in 2014 to emphasize innovation and improving the customer experience apparently is paying off for Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc., which reported more...
New Hillshire Farm product comes with money-back guarantee
Tyson Foods-owned Hillshire Brands is so convinced that consumers will like its new line of all-natural lunchmeats that it’s offering its first-ever more...
Meat group drops COOL lawsuit
In papers filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, meat industry opponents to the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law more...
McDonald's global comp sales dip in January as Asian fears linger
McDonald’s Corp. said today that global sales in stores open at least a year decreased nearly 2 percent in January as concerns in Asia stemming more...
Cattlemen discuss increase to $2 beef checkoff: reports (updated)
The Federation of State Beef Councils supports the work of the Beef Checkoff Enhancement Working Group, which is proposing to increase the beef checkoff more...
Meat Institute announces key staff appointments
North American Meat Institute, the new meat industry association that blends three former trade groups, has a number of key staff appointments, President more...
Applegate Farms may be seeking a buyer: WSJ
Applegate Farms, which makes natural, organic and antibiotic-free further processed meat and poultry products, has hired Goldman Sachs to help it find more...
OSI hires former FSIS official to oversee food safety
Aurora, Ill.-based OSI Group has hired Dr. Kenneth Petersen as senior vice president, quality assurance, food safety and regulatory affairs. Petersen more...
U.S. meat exports overcome trade restrictions, labor disputes, high prices
Export value for both U.S. beef and pork reached new heights in 2014, posting double-digit gains over the previous year’s totals, according to statistics more...
The hot dog business is good, at least for Nathan's Famous
Nathan’s Famous reported third-quarter net income more than doubled, boosted by increased hot dog sales to food service and increased sales at company-owned more...
Higher wing costs ding restaurant chain’s earnings
Buffalo Wild Wings said its fourth-quarter profit fell 2.4 percent as higher costs for chicken wings and labor expenses offset rising sales. The company more...
AdvancePierre could soon be for sale: Reuters
Cincinnati-based AdvancePierre Foods’ private equity owner Oaktree Capital Group is interviewing investment banks to prepare to sell the protein more...
Chipotle may increase beef entrée prices again
Chipotle Mexican Grill said it is considering another price increase on its steak and barbacoa entrées to help cover beef costs that have climbed more...
Former ConAgra manager sentenced to misappropriating funds
Chief Judge Laurie Smith at the U.S. District Court in Omaha, Neb., has sentenced a former ConAgra employee to three and a half years in prison and ordered more...
Kansas processor recalls small amount of bratwurst over misbranding
Krehbiels Specialty Meats Inc. has recalled approximately 29 pounds of pork bratwurst because the label does not include an accurate list of ingredients more...
New HPAI poultry quarantine as CDC sets human warning
Officials in Washington State have established a third quarantine zone after the discovery of a new outbreak of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) more...
Poultry groups throw support behind RFS Reform Act
Two major U.S. poultry associations are backing a Congressional effort to fix what one group calls “our badly broken federal ethanol mandate.” more...
Research finds low risk of PEDV spread in porcine-sourced feed
The Pork Checkoff says new research indicates that the risk of PEDV surviving in feed ingredients of porcine origin is negligible. The research evaluated more...
Laura’s Lean Beef introduces new grass-fed products
Lexington, Ky.-based Laura’s Lean Beef announced it has launched a line of 100% Grass Fed Beef Hot Dogs that are uncured and made without nitrates more...
Single food safety agency in White House budget
President Barack Obama is seeking broad reorganization authority in the fiscal 2016 budget to consolidate USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service more...
Hearing sheds little light on Sanderson in Cumberland County, NC: Report
A public hearing to discuss possible incentives to attract Sanderson Farms to Cumberland County, N.C., attracted an estimated 770 people — both more...
Respect Foods rolls out breakfast sandwich line
Respect Foods Inc. has introduced a new line of frozen breakfast sandwiches made with whole grains and without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives more...
Bird flu woes in Canada, Taiwan expected to continue
The head of Canada’s poultry industry organization says the recent outbreaks of avian flu will lengthen the process of reestablishing international more...
USDA report shows more cattle than expected, however...(updated)
USDA’s Cattle Inventory report on Friday showed more cattle on hand on Jan. 1, than expected, though analysts don’t see the surprise numbers more...
Japan proposes to cut beef tariff in TPP
Japan has proposed to reduce a high tariff on imports of beef as part of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, according to a report more...
Smithfield exec retires after 40 years in the meat business
Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced today that Robert (Bo) Manly IV, executive vice president and chief synergy officer, has retired from the company effective more...
Analysts boost Tyson estimates in wake of solid Q1 results
Two protein industry analysts applauded the first-quarter results posted last week by Tyson Foods by raising their estimates for the company’s quarterly more...
Sysco finds buyer for 11 food distribution centers
Houston, Texas- based Sysco announced it has reached a definitive agreement to sell Performance Food Group 11 US Foods facilities related to its pending more...
January 2015
Tyson profit soars 22 percent on strong sales
Tyson Foods said its first-quarter profit rose 22 percent, fueled by strong chicken sales and increased demand for pork and prepared foods and predicted more...
Fayetteville to offer Sanderson $3.8 million in incentives: Report
The city of Fayetteville plans to propose an incentive package worth $3.8 million to Sanderson Farms, in an effort to convince the company to build a more...
Small burger joint makes big splash on Wall Street
Better burger chain Shake Shack wowed Wall Street on Friday as its shares doubled in value on its first day of public trading after raising $105 million more...
California firm recalls chicken products
Korean Farm Inc., a Santa Fe Springs, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 14,610 pounds of chicken stew products produced in the Republic more...
Hershey jumps on the meat snack bandwagon
Hershey Co. announced plans to acquire Krave Pure Foods Inc., maker of all-natural premium jerky products, in a move to tap into the fast-growing meat more...
Think-tank says eliminate biofuels to feed the world
The World Resources Institute has published a new working paper that says if crops such as corn, sugar cane or vegetable oils were used for food rather more...
Agencies plan public meeting on food safety collaboration
The Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) plans to hold a public meeting in February to provide updates on its efforts to improve data more...
News briefs: Super Bowl, Starbucks, Krystal, PFG, Campbell's
According to the National Chicken Council's 2015 Wing Report, 1.25 billion wings will be eaten during Super Bowl XLIX, as fans watch the Seattle Seahawks more...
Dietary Guideline committee recommendations expected any day now
ATLANTA —The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is expected to release its recommendations within days and meat is likely to be “guilty more...
Washington lifts poultry quarantine in two counties
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) lifted a quarantine that had restricted the movement of poultry or poultry products in parts of more...
Progress seen in West Coast port dispute: report
Efforts to resolve a labor dispute affecting 29 ports along the West Coast for the last six months may have opened a door toward a resolution with a new more...
Cargill notes speed of its sow-housing conversion
Cargill Pork LLC is 11 months ahead of its own schedule for completing the conversion to group housing for sows at company-owned farms, the company said more...
Mintel executive discusses what consumers want from food makers
ATLANTA — Consumers want control, choices, value, clean labels and information about where their food comes from, according to Lynn Dornblaser, more...
Tyson expansion of Ga. plant to create 500 jobs
Tyson Foods plans to spend more than $110 million to expand its chicken processing plant in Vienna, Ga., a move that will create more than 500 jobs at more...
U.S. burger consumption defies competition, restaurant traffic decline
Consumers continued to show their love of restaurant burgers in 2014 despite tough competition from other types of sandwiches and a continuing drop in more...
N.Y. firm recalls sausages for misbranding, undeclared allergen
Oscar’s Hickory House Inc. is recalling about 376 pounds of sausage products because of misbranding and undeclared allergens in products produced more...
USPOULTRY announces slate of annual awards at IPPE
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association presented several high-profile annual awards at International Poultry Expo, part of the 2015 International more...
NPPC joins the push for Trade Promotion Authority
The National Pork Producers Council voiced its support for providing Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, more...
House ag committee to review food safety, trade, livestock marketing
The House Agriculture Committee has released a lengthy list of issues that it and its subcommittees expect to oversee in the 114th Congress. Here are more...
Taiwan enforces poultry slaughter ban
Beginning Saturday, all poultry slaughterhouses in Taiwan stopped killing chickens, ducks and geese at the nation's 100 slaughterhouses, according to more...
Record high pork production for December
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.14 billion pounds in December, up slightly from the 4.14 billion pounds produced in December more...
Finally — it's Meat Week 2015!
Take note: From farm to fork, this is the week (eight days, actually) designated — albeit informally — for celebrating all things meat, or more...
Cargill temporarily suspends pork plant slaughtering
A broken sprocket gear forced Cargill to suspend slaughtering at its Beardstown, Ill., pork processing facility Friday morning, according to a company more...
USDA reports double digit beef price rise; pork not far behind
USDA reported retail beef and veal prices rose 12.1 percent in 2014, while pork prices rose 9.1 percent and poultry prices rose just 2 percent. In its more...
Meat, poultry in freezers could reflect West Coast port jams
Total red meat supplies in freezers on Dec. 31, 2014, were up 6 percent from the previous month but down 4 percent from last year, according to USDA’s more...
McDonald’s posts 21 percent drop in earnings
McDonald’s Corp. said net income fell 21 percent in the fourth quarter and warned results would remain pressured in the first half of 2015 as the more...
Perdue unveils antibiotic-free chicken for school lunch
Perdue Foodservice has introduced seven no-antibiotics-ever chicken products for school lunch programs, including a nugget, sandwich patty, chicken rings more...
Foster Farms reaffirms pathogen controls as USDA sets standards
Foster Farms has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining salmonella prevalence levels on chicken parts below 5 percent as USDA proposed a performance more...
Survey points to more weak sales for McDonald’s
A survey of McDonald’s Corp. franchisees ahead of the company’s fourth-quarter earnings release suggests that sales remained weak in December more...
Burger chain sets IPO, looks to build 'fine casual' niche
Shake Shack Inc. – which serves premium burgers and hotdogs alongside beer, wine and frozen custard – said it expects to sell 5 million shares more...
Butterball launches three turkey products for foodservice
Butterball Foodservice has rolled out new turkey options aimed at chefs and foodservice operators. The Garner, N.C.-based division of Butterball LLC says more...
USDA proposes new salmonella, campy standards for poultry parts and pork testing
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced it has proposed new federal standards to reduce salmonella and campylobacter in ground chicken more...
Flip-flop: County will consider incentives for Sanderson
A North Carolina county will consider an incentives package for a proposed Sanderson Farms chicken processing plant in an about-face from a decision earlier more...
Survey says most consumers want labels … for DNA?
Most respondents in the January Oklahoma State University Food Demand Survey said they supported mandatory country of origin labels for meat (86.5 percent) more...
Chick-fil-A names new CFO, CMO in exec team expansion
Chick-fil-A announced Tuesday the expansion of its executive committee including a new chief financial officer and new chief marketing officer. Brent more...
West Coast port situation hurting meat industry (updated)
Stalled labor talks between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union that have led to work disruptions and more...
Third avian flu outbreak reported in Washington State
Ag officials are preparing to set up quarantine zones now that a third outbreak of the same avian influenza strain that was discovered in two other counties more...
New York Times story points finger at USDA livestock research center
A front-page story in the New York Times delved into operations at the USDA's Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Neb., raising questions about more...
Texas Tech discovers new salmonella serotype
A Texas Tech University researcher has discovered a new salmonella serotype, giving its hometown of Lubbock, Texas, a new claim to fame, the school said more...
FSIS reports rise in recalls in 2014, but fewer related to pathogens
The number of official government recalls of meat and poultry and the total pounds recalled rose in 2014, with more allergen and labeling issues and fewer more...
Livestock manure can be regulated as solid waste: federal court
A federal court has for the first time opened the door for livestock manure to be regulated as solid waste under the federal Resource Conservation and more...
EU may resume exporting pork to Russia soon
Talks last Thursday between EU Commission and Russian veterinary and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) officials are expected to result in Russia allowing more...
Poultry firm donates $1 million to college athletics program
House of Raeford Farms announced it would donate $1 million to the University of North Carolina – Wilmington (UNCW) Athletics. The donation, one more...
West Liberty adds to HPP capacity
West Liberty Foods plans to add a second high pressure pasteurization (HPP) system to its facility in Bolingbrook, Ill., the company said in a news release more...
Researchers trace "superbug" genes to better understand antibiotic-resistance
Researchers at Colorado State University are investigating the weighty topic of antibiotic resistance by tracking the genetic footprints of drug-resistant more...
Export trade is fast requiring traceability
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — While the U.S. meat industry dithers over the issue of traceability of animals and the subsequent meat products from the barn more...
Chicken QSR launches new mobile app
Quick-service chicken chain Church's Chicken has launched a free mobile application to offer instant digital coupons, weekly exclusive offers and free more...
Sanderson reportedly tells Cumberland County it’s over
Sanderson Farms is apparently no longer considering building its next processing plant in Cumberland County, N.C., according to media reports. The Fayetteville more...
Pilgrim’s Pride to pay large special dividend
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. said it would pay shareholders a special cash dividend of $5.77 per share, reflecting its strategy to improve its capital more...
Halal poultry slaughterhouse planned in upstate N.Y.
Four businessmen plan to open a halal poultry slaughterhouse near downtown Buffalo, N.Y., later this year, the Buffalo News reported. Bismillah Poultry more...
Beef recalled on misbranding, allergen
Agri Star Meat & Poultry, a Postville, Iowa establishment, is recalling some 1,690 pounds of beef products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens more...
Chipotle pork decision based on bedding, outdoor access
Chipotle’s decision to stop using one of its major suppliers and pull its pork items from menus at a third of its outlets was based on the company’s more...
U.S. House lobs first salvo in immigration battle with White House
House representatives today voted to reverse immigration reform initiatives aimed at undocumented immigrants brought into the United States as children more...
Cargill says plastic in nugget not from its facilities
Cargill said the results of its investigation into how blue plastic turned up in a McDonald’s chicken nugget sold in Japan show the foreign material more...
Worker injured at Iowa meat plant
A worker at the OSI meat processing plant in Oakland, Iowa, was injured at approximately 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to a company statement emailed more...
Cargill sells Texas cattle feed yard affected by 2013 drought
Cargill announced it has sold a cattle feedlot it acquired in 1986 and planned to shut down last year to a California-based cattle operation for an undisclosed more...
New York firm recalls beef
US Foods, a Blasdell, N.Y. establishment, is recalling approximately 700 pounds of beef product due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, UDSA’s more...
Analyst gauges China ban on U.S. poultry; Taiwan outbreak spreads
A financial analyst says the impact on China’s ban of all U.S. poultry in the wake of an avian flu outbreak on the West Coast should be limited more...
Salmonella tops list of most costly pathogens
Ringing up some $3.7 billion every year in medical costs for Americans, salmonella ranks first among the top 15 most costly foodborne illnesses, according more...
Chinese officials arrest 110 suspected of selling pork from diseased pigs
Chinese police have busted 11 groups and arrested more than 110 suspected of selling pork from pigs that died of diseases in a crackdown on food safety more...
Food distributor buys California meat company
Ridgefield, Conn.-based specialty food distributor The Chefs' Warehouse announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially more...
China bans all U.S. poultry and eggs due to avian influenza
The Chinese government announced Monday it will ban all imports of U.S. poultry and egg products because of recent detections in the U.S. of highly pathogenic more...
Smithfield Farmland exec moves to National Pork Board
The National Pork Board has named Smithfield Farmland executive Chris Hodges as its new chief executive officer, effective Feb. 16. Hodges leaves his more...
USDA raises feed price forecasts; sees higher meat production
USDA raised its forecast for U.S. corn prices in the 2014/15 marketing year by 15 cents per bushel to a range of $3.35 to $3.95 per bushel on a slightly more...
Avian flu outbreaks erupt in Taiwan; Utah boosts biosecurity
Authorities in Taiwan have halted transportation of poultry following the discovery of the H5N2 and highly pathogenic H5N8 strains of avian flu on six more...
Cargill to close meat slicing plant
Cargill said today it will close its Springfield, Mo., meat slicing plant, affecting 118 employees there, and shift operations to its Nebraska City, Neb more...
World protein prices jump, food costs overall drop: FAO
Worldwide, the cost of putting meat on the table jumped 8.1 percent in 2014, compared with the same measure for the year 2013, the United Nations’ more...
U.S. ag groups seek end to Cuban embargo
U.S. food and agriculture associations and companies announced the formation of a coalition that seeks to advance trade relations between the United States more...
NRA elects 10-year board member its new chairman
The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has elected John G. (Jack) Crawford chairman of its board of directors in a tenure that will last until 2016 more...
Former Midamar manager admits to halal beef scheme
A former operations manager for halal beef supplier Midamar Corp. is cooperating with prosecutors under a plea deal in which he admitted to an export more...
Protein powers strong Cargill second-quarter earnings
Cargill reported a 41 percent jump in second-quarter earnings, led by its animal protein and grain processing businesses. Earnings in the animal nutrition more...
Meat snacks maker plans major expansion
Monogram Foods on Thursday announced a $36.5 million expansion of its Martinsville, Va., plant that will add 200 jobs at the facility. The 54,000-square-foot more...
Poultry groups oppose contract wage reporting rule
A rule proposed to require federal contractors to submit an “Equal Pay Report” will not identify wage discrimination and will increase employers’ more...
ConAgra secures victory in overtime lawsuit
A federal judge in Arkansas has thrown out a lawsuit filed against ConAgra Foods Inc. in 2012 seeking overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act more...
Gordon Food Service buys Halperns'
Gordon Food Service (GFS) has announced that it has acquired Atlanta-based Halperns' Steak and Seafood Co. for an undisclosed price. Founded in 2005, more...
Restaurant supplier buys meat company
Creation Gardens Inc., a wholesaler to the restaurant industry, has acquired Mattingly Foods of Louisville LLC as part of an effort to expand its high-quality more...
Batista brother, formerly of JBS, enters Brazilian beef processing
Brazilian cattle ranching company JBJ Agropecuária, led by a brother of the family Batista which controls world-leading meat processor JBS SA, more...
Cincinnati-based processor to open $120 million plant
A Cincinnati-based processor of a wide range of raw and ready-to-eat proteins is about to dramatically expand its RTE product line and operations when more...
OSI’s problems in China just won’t end
The city of Shanghai’s municipal food safety agency over the weekend destroyed the last of the recalled products made by Shanghai HUSI Food Co. more...
McDonald’s Japan investigates reports of foreign objects in nuggets
McDonald’s Corp. Japan has pulled specific batches of chicken nuggets produced by a Thailand-based supplier it hired over the summer after a Chinese more...
Smithfield Foods reports progress in phasing out gestation crates
Smithfield Foods Inc. is making what it calls "significant strides" toward moving its pregnant sows to group housing systems and out of controversial more...
USDA amends protein label rules, but mechanically tenderized beef labels further off
USDA officials added amendments to its protein labeling rules to list the solutions added to raw meat and poultry, but they were unable to win approval more...
U.S. lifts ban on Irish beef
Ireland has become the first EU member state to have its beef re-opened to export to the United States. Beef from the EU has been banned from the United more...
Bird flu outbreak expands in Washington State; other nations take new steps
Officials in Washington State are investigating a confirmed outbreak of avian influenza in a second area where almost 50 birds died at a backyard flock more...
Nominations open for 2015 Meat Industry Hall of Fame
Now in its seventh year of honoring the best in the industry, the Meat Industry Hall of Fame is requesting nominations for members of the Class of 2015 more...
NPD says restaurant consumer needs are changing
U.S. restaurant traffic is expected to grow by 1 percent in 2015, but how consumers define such competitive edges as convenience, value, quality and variety more...
The North American beef cow and heifer situation
(This article has been reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock more...
Turkey shipments rose to annual high in October
Turkey shipments totaled 85.4 million pounds in October 2014, an increase of 10.0 percent from a year ago. The United States shipped 50.1 million pounds more...
NFU opposes meat imports from areas with history of FMD
The National Farmers Union (NFU) is opposing the resumption of meat imports from northern Argentina and Uruguay because of ongoing concerns with Foot more...
Broiler meat production in October up 1 percent
Broiler meat production in October continued to show at least a small gain over the previous year, totaling 3.5 billion pounds, 1.4 percent higher than more...
Vilsack appoints members to inspection advisory committee
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed members to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) for the 2014-2016 term more...
Your top picks in 2014
Recalls, plant closures and acquisitions were among the most widely read news stories of 2014, according to our readers. Following is the list of the more...
December 2014
Last minute, closed-door meeting yanks meat from healthy diet recommendations
Now you see it; now you don’t. The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is calling foul over a last-minute, closed-door meeting of a portion of more...
JBS to contest OSHA fine linked to June plant death
JBS USA intends to formally contest a $45,500 fine issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that cited the company for failing more...
USDA enlists trade partners against U.S. poultry bans
USDA officials are working with the agency's trade partners in response to several instances of bans of all U.S. poultry imports stemming from an outbreak more...
Livestock analysts predict top issues for 2015
The Daily Livestock Report, published by Paragon Economics President Steve Meyers and Len Steiner Inc., has forecast what these analysts see to be the more...
USDA assesses salmonella performance of school lunch ground beef suppliers
USDA’s Economic Research Service has published results of its study of the food safety performance of suppliers approved to sell raw and cooked more...
Nearly 25,000 pounds of beef missing along with driver
More than 24,000 pounds of boxed beef has vanished, along with the truck and driver charged with transporting it from Greater Omaha Packing to customers more...
Fast casual chain adds restaurants in bid to double national footprint
With a strong expansion strategy in place, Corner Bakery Cafe plans on doubling its national footprint in the next two years. To accomplish this goal more...
Woman contracts avian flu in HK; Japan, S. Korea battle it in poultry
The Hong Kong government is also reporting the city’s first case of H7N9 bird flu in a human this season. A 66-year-old woman is believed to have more...
New N.C. county officials to consider Sanderson plant incentives
A recently elected slate of Board of Commissioners is expected to vote on whether to offer incentives to Sanderson Farms to build a controversial poultry more...
Tyson Emporia plant adds production line, jobs
Tyson Foods, Inc. has concluded a $3 million line expansion at its prepared foods plant in Emporia, Kan., that created 16 jobs. The expansion will make more...
Patrick Cudahy launches new line of ham products
Smithfield Foods-owned Patrick Cudahy has launched a new line of ham products called Culinary Collections. The applewood-smoked carved ham products more...
Unsafe pork allegedly in commerce in China; eight officials 'dismissed'
Unsafe pork fabricated from dead or sick hogs are suspected to have entered the market in at least seven provinces, to the tune of more than 20 million more...
Airborne E. coli from cattle feedlots spreads further than expected
Current leafy green field distance guidelines of 120 meters (400 feet) may not be adequate to limit the transmission of E. coli O157:H7 to produce crops more...
Broiler shipments up significantly to Mexico, Hong Kong
Broiler shipments in October 2014 decreased 3.3 percent from a year earlier, totaling 652.9 million pounds. Top export partners in October included Mexico more...
Canadian burger brand takes new direction
Canadian fast-casual burger chain South St. Burger Co. opens its 29th location, but one of its stores is not like the others. No. 28, which opened recently more...
Consumers increasingly curious about what's in food, study reveals
Most consumers want restaurants to be more transparent about menu-item ingredients, according to new research by Technomic. Two in five consumers cite more...
Hog industry expansion ramping up rapidly: analyst
(This article is republished in its entirety with the author’s permission. Mike Brumm is the principal of Brumm Swine Consultancy and a former University more...
Meeting beef demand in 2015
(This article is reproduced with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Many more...
Rabobank global beef outlook; tight supplies, strong demand
Continued high U.S. demand for beef will continue to drive the global market in 2015, with the potential for even higher prices is still present, according more...
Misbranding sparks recall of more than 3,000 lbs. of bacon
DaBecca Natural Foods, a Chicago, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 3,450 pounds of bacon products due to misbranding, the USDA’s Food more...
Rabobank sees more balance in global commodity markets in 2015
Rabobank Group is predicting that the world’s agri commodity markets will be more balanced next year than in 2014, although trading ranges also more...
October turkey production jumps 9 percent
Turkey meat production in October totaled 562 million pounds, 9 percent more than a year earlier. This follows a 12-percent increase in production in more...
Cargill beef plant hits milestone
Cargill’s beef plant in Friona, Texas has gone 6 million worker hours without a lost time injury, the company announced earlier this month. The more...
Seven more nations ban poultry from Oregon as bird flu spreads globally
The discovery of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza among a backyard flock in Winston, Ore., has prompted seven more countries to temporarily ban poultry more...
Canadian firm recalls pork products
BMG Trading, Inc. an Oakville, Ontario, establishment, is recalling approximately 26,108 pounds of pork products that were produced without the benefit more...
Frozen stocks of poultry and meat combined lowest since 2003
Combined U.S. stocks of beef, pork, chicken and turkey in cold storage on Nov. 30 total of 1.769 billion pounds, constituting the lowest level since December more...
Tyson Foods names vice president of commodity purchasing
Tyson Foods announced that Rex Holstein has been promoted to vice president of commodity purchasing, replacing Clark Irwin, a 36-year veteran with the more...
JBS denies link to shell company involved in Brazilian corruption case
Brazil's JBS SA, the world's largest beef and poultry processor, said Monday it vehemently denies any relation to a shell company that is being investigated more...
Maple Leaf to close three meat processing plants
Canadian food company Maple Leaf Foods said it would close its meat further processing plant on Panet Road in Winnipeg on Dec. 31, making it the sixth more...
South Korea bans U.S. poultry, others set narrower bans from Oregon
South Korea, a major market for U.S. poultry, has banned all U.S. poultry imports for 21 days after H5N8 avian influenza was confirmed among a backyard more...
Walmart reportedly names “meat czar”
Walmart’s Wal-Mart Stores unit is creating a top meat and produce leadership position to focus on improving the quality of the company’s fresh more...
GAO report calls for Congress to step up cross-agency food safety efforts
Citing a need for improvement in addressing cross-agency food safety efforts, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is directing Congress to more...
Vilsack dropping second beef checkoff
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is dropping his proposed second beef checkoff, a plan he announced in October that was seen as a move to put pressure more...
Analysts predict strong 2015 for Sanderson Farms
Wall Street analysts see 2015 shaping up as another strong year for Sanderson Farms, with high beef prices, falling oil prices and improving consumer more...
Rancho co-owner to stand trial alone
Rancho Feeding Corp. co-owner Jesse Aramal Jr. will stand trial alone as three others indicted in the federal case alleging conspiracy to sell diseased more...
Brazil's top poultry processor signs JV deal for Indonesian market
Brazil's top poultry processor BRF has signed a joint venture deal with Indonesia's PT Indofood Suskes Makmur to invest $200 million together in poultry more...
Walmart issues new poultry safety measures for suppliers
Walmart announced today it will implement enhanced poultry safety measures for suppliers to reduce foodborne illnesses such as salmonella. The new guidelines more...
Sanderson Farms profit doubles; upbeat on economy
Sanderson Farms Inc. on Thursday said its profit more than doubled in the fiscal fourth quarter, helped by lower grain prices and strong retail buying more...
New plant to process beef and pork in Virginia
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced Seven Hills Food will open a meat processing facility in Lynchburg, Va. The company, a locally-sourced meat more...
OSHA fines Texas processor after worker killed by a car
Surlean Foods has been fined $52,000 following the death of an employee who was struck by a car while cleaning outside the company’s processing more...
Kraft chairman Cahill adds CEO title as Vernon steps down
Kraft Foods Group announced that its board of directors has named Chairman John Cahill to the role of chief executive officer, succeeding Tony Vernon more...
Avian flu detected in wild U.S. birds, Alberta prepares
The fallout from the outbreak of H5N2 avian influenza in western Canada has crossed the U.S. border, even as another Canadian province tries to mitigate more...
Cargill names new president of meat division
Ruth Kimmelshue has been appointed president of Cargill Meat Solutions, replacing Jody Horner, who is leaving the company to become president of Midland more...
Panera Bread commits to all-antibiotic-free pork
Panera Bread’s pork supply will be entirely antibiotic-free and its sows will no longer be housed in gestation stalls by January, the company more...
U.S., Canadian, firms recall small-batch products
Two companies have issued separate recalls as precautionary efforts involving chef salads with meat and smoked sausages. Real Foods of Kent, Wash., has more...
Clemens Food Group to build pork plant in Michigan
Hatfield, Penn.-based Clemens Food Group plans to build a pork processing plant in Michigan’s Coldwater Township expected to generate $255.7 million more...
Global equity firm buys Chicago’s oldest beef processor
New Hope Investment Fund, the major shareholder of Australian beef processor Kilcoy Pastoral Company (KPC), announced it reached a definitive agreement more...
Poultry groups question OSHA ruling against Wayne Farms
Two major poultry organizations are taking “exception” to a recent finding by the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health more...
Broiler pellet coating can boost fat levels, study finds
Vacuum coating of broiler pellets offers opportunities to increase fat levels in the feed, Canadian researchers said. The technology allows for post-pellet more...
30 meat, poultry executives share their enthusiasm in new video
Thirty C-Suite level executives from meat and poultry companies shared their excitement for the industry and even had a little fun in a new video called more...
Canadian bird flu outbreak expands; another country bans imports
An outbreak of H5N2 avian influenza that began earlier this month with two British Columbia poultry farms has now expanded to include 10 farms and about more...
Maine prepares for new poultry, red meat processing plants
The state of Maine is about to address a lack of USDA-inspected poultry plants over the next few months with the opening of three plants, including one more...
Bob Evans CEO steps down
Bob Evans Farms announced that Steve Davis, by mutual agreement with the Bob Evans board of directors, has stepped down as chief executive officer and more...
Mexico eliminates tariffs for pork imports
The Mexican government has eliminated tariffs for pork imports due to the high product prices and low domestic product supply, according to CNNExpansion more...
Capitol Hill veteran to lead legislative affairs at NAMI
Capitol Hill veteran Pete Thomson has been named senior vice president of legislative affairs of the North American Meat Institute’s (NAMI), incoming more...
Tensions rise over South African anti-dumping duties on U.S. poultry
South Africa’s long-standing anti-dumping duties on U.S. chicken parts could prevent that country from receiving preferential trade benefits under more...
Retailer recalls chicken salads over listeria concerns
Giant Eagle has issued a recall of Giant Eagle Apple Pistachio Salad with Chicken because the salads may contain fresh cut Gala red apples currently recalled more...
Packers and processors reach all-time best for non-fatal injuries, illnesses
Newly-released Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows that U.S. meat and poultry packers and processors continued to make significant progress in more...
Buckhead Beef gets restraining order on former execs
A federal judge has granted Buckhead Beef’s request for a temporary restraining order against former executives the company is suing on allegations more...
UK antibiotic resistance paper calls for action
The first paper produced in response to U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s call last summer for ideas to bring global antimicrobial resistance more...
Ham, turkey salad recalled on misbranding, undeclared allergen issue
Real Foods LLC, a Kent, Wash., establishment, is recalling 308 pounds of Chef Salad with Ham and Turkey due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, USDA’s more...
McDonald’s streamlining menu to focus on burgers, breakfast
McDonald’s is de-cluttering its menu to focus on a core burger-and-breakfast strategy that will feature fewer items but more options for customization more...
NAMA exec. director steps down as merger with AMI proceeds
Phil Kimball has stepped down as executive director of the North American Meat Association (NAMA), one of more staffing changes to come as NAMA merges more...
School districts set goal of antibiotic-free chicken for meals
A group of six of the largest U.S. school districts is preparing to provide antibiotic-free chicken to the nearly 2.9 million students who eat at their more...
Projections on meat production hinge on beef: USDA
Beef slaughter in the fourth quarter is expected to drop off to the point that it drags total meat production down for the year, despite heavy beef carcass more...
Tim Hortons shareholders say 'yes' to Burger King
Shareholders of Canada’s Tim Hortons Inc. have approved the company’s sale to Burger King Worldwide Inc., which will have a new name as a more...
Johnsonville tests Naples, Fla., retail market
Johnsonville Sausage LLC has opened its first retail location in Naples, Fla., the company said in a news release on its website. At the shop, Johnsonville more...
Canada sets control zone, reimbursements in bird flu fallout
Canadian officials have established a “primary control zone” designed to prevent the spread of a highly pathogenic H5N2 avian flu strain that more...
Celebrity family burger chain set to expand
Wahlburgers, a casual burger restaurant founded by brothers Mark, Donnie and Paul Wahlberg and subject of an A&E TV reality series, announced multi-unit more...
Food groups seek the middle ground on diet, nutrition
Eighteen food organizations have banded together to promote a balanced diet across food groups and help address conflicting messages about what constitutes more...
Prime restaurant purveyor opens shop online
Los Angeles-based Premier Meat Co. is bringing its goods to the consumer market online, with PremierMeats.com for meats, poultry and seafood. Premier more...
Worker injured at beef jerky distribution facility
Company officials with Link Snacks, maker of Jack Link’s jerky snacks, are investigating the cause of an accident that injured a worker over the more...
Canada’s bird flu crisis sparks poultry ban in seven nations
The expanding avian influenza outbreak in British Columbia has prompted seven countries – including the United States – to temporarily more...
Indictments filed against two more Midamar executives
Two additional corporate executives at two Iowa firms accused of mislabeling Halal beef products are facing 92 federal charges similar to the 19 counts more...
Mistica, Jim Beam partner on products
Mistica Foods LLC announced a partnership with Jim Beam bourbon to develop and offer Jim Beam ready-to-cook flavored protein meats. Mistica, a newly formed more...
Perdue, animal welfare panel reviewing video at grower farm
A North Carolina chicken farmer under contract with Perdue invited animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming to video flock conditions on his farm more...
Taco Bell announces big expansion plans
Taco Bell Corp. announced an ambitious plan to expand both domestically and internationally and made several leadership changes to support the initiative more...
Canada gives blessing to BK-Hortons deal, with conditions
The Canadian government approved Burger King's application to acquire a controlling interest in the Canadian restaurant chain Tim Hortons, with some caveats more...
FMI studies shoppers using grocery apps
A new study has found that the more active a shopper is with social media, the less likely it is that shopper will use a grocery retailer’s app more...
Seaboard responds to activist group’s anti-gestation stall video
Seaboard Foods said the use of gestation stalls in its pork production facilities is supported by science as the safest way to raise pigs and posted a more...
Pew to FDA: Shore up policy on antibiotics use
The Pew Charitable Trusts is urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take additional steps to ensure that food animals receive antibiotics only more...
Canada expands avian flu quarantine; more Asian markets close
Two more British Columbia poultry farms have been placed under quarantine due to an outbreak of avian influenza, and it is possible more at-risk farms more...
USPOULTRY funds new research
The research grants include: Combined Heat Recovery and Ammonia Control System for Broiler Brooding North Carolina State University (research more...
Fallout expands as H5 bird flu is found at Canadian poultry farms
Two poultry farms are under quarantine following the discovery of avian flu in the Fraser Valley area of southwest British Columbia. Testing earlier this more...
Greater Omaha denied new trial, plans to appeal
A judge for the U.S. District Court of Nebraska has overruled Greater Omaha Packing Co.’s motion to set aside the verdict against it in its lawsuit more...
Bob Evans hires independent adviser for financial review
Bob Evans announced that it has hired Lazard as an independent adviser to review its strategic and financial plans in a release that also reported its second-quarter more...
Potassium additives may put kidney disease sufferers at risk
Potassium additives are frequently added to sodium-reduced meat products in amounts that may be dangerous for patients with kidney disease, according more...
Cargill recalls beef ground in Canada for possible E. coli
Cargill Meat Solutions has recalled packages of ground beef sold at Walmart stores in four provinces due to possible E. coli contamination. The ground more...
U.S., Mexico reopen chicken leg antidumping appeal
The United States and Mexico have reopened appeal proceedings of Mexico’s final ruling against the U.S. in an antidumping investigation on U.S. more...
Applegate Naturals rolls out new bacon offering
Applegate Naturals has introduced a new bacon product it calls "Good Morning Bacon." Made from "less fatty" pork shoulder, the company says its bacon more...
Campylobacter exploits “chicken juice” to linger on surfaces: report
Researchers have identified the culprit in campylobacter’s persistence in food processing sites and the kitchen: “chicken juice.” This more...
Lawmaker threatens to override N.J. gestation stall veto
A New Jersey legislator is threatening to override a veto by Gov. Chris Christie of legislation that would have banned the use of individual maternity more...
Hormel pulls out of fresh meat venture with Cargill
Hormel has ended its Precept Foods partnership with Cargill Meat Solutions. "Effective at the end of fiscal 2014, we dissolved our Precept Foods partnership more...
Tyson Fresh Meats promotes Heffernan
Dan Heffernan has been appointed vice president of human resources operations for Tyson Fresh Meats, the company said in a news release. Heffernan began more...
Eckrich introduces new smoked sausage product
The Eckrich brand of Smithfield’s John Morrell Food Group has introduced Eckrich Fire-Roasted Pepper & Onion Smoked Sausage cooked over hardwood more...
Chicken poised to have a strong 2015
An improved demand outlook bodes well for chicken companies — despite the prospect of meaningfully higher 2015 chicken and pork production, according more...
November 2014
U.S. appeals WTO ruling on COOL
The United States filed an appeal Friday to the World Trade Organization's recent ruling against the nation's country-of-origin-labeling law, according more...
GIPSA dings Ind. packer for late payment
The USDA'S Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) fined an Indiana packer for not paying for livestock when due. Vin-Lee Ron more...
Cold storage warehouse expands
Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Interstate Warehousing and Tippmann Group announce a major expansion project at Interstate Warehousing’s largest cold storage more...
Analyst dissects beef slaughter data
(This article is reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission.) by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing more...
Four burger sandwiches land on Rock Bottom’s menu
Rock Bottom Brewery is featuring six specialty burger options in a promotion that runs to the end of November, and four of the six will permanent menu more...
Marfrig program aims to put Brazil ahead of U.S. beef production by 2017
Brazil's second-largest beef processor, Marfrig Global Foods, earlier this month introduced a program for improving beef cattle genetics and reducing more...
U.S. Census Bureau outlines Thanksgiving by the numbers
The 2014 Thanksgiving celebration will feature a lot of traditional and expected activities, 151 years after the event became a national holiday thanks more...
U.S. red meat production in October down 4 percent
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.32 billion pounds in October, down 4 percent from the 4.51 billion pounds produced in October more...
Tentative deal reached on part of XL Foods E. coli lawsuit
A tentative settlement has been reached on a portion of the class action lawsuit against XL Foods Inc. over the 2012 recall of beef products tainted with more...
Brazil's largest pork processor partners with NGO on open sow housing
Brazil's largest pork processor, BRF, will partner with global non-profit organization World Animal Protection to implement a system of collective gestation more...
Dutch researchers unveil powdered avian flu vaccine
Researchers from four universities in The Netherlands have introduced a powdered form of vaccine for poultry against avian influenza, which is suitable more...
Giving back: Foster Farms, Cargill Meats, ConAgra, Illinois Pork Producers, Mountaire Farms, Smithfield, Land O'Frost, Indiana State Poultry Assn.
In preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday, and to address the growing issue of food insecurity, Foster Farms has donated more than 81,000 pounds of more...
Hormel posts record Q4 earnings and sales, segments mixed
Hormel Foods Corp. reported record earnings and sales in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 but added that some of its business segments had mixed results more...
FDA issues two rules on hot food calorie counts
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued two final rules that require restaurants, other hot food purveyors and vending machines to list calorie more...
“Why yes, I made that!” (Not.)
Almost half of holiday hosts this year say they’ll happily buy prepared foods for part of their Thanksgiving meal — and almost one-third would more...
Butterball goes beyond the Talk-Line
Butterball is best known this time for year for the Turkey Talk-Line, one of the first national helplines, established in 1981. This year, however, the more...
Meat supplier fails in effort to have Starbucks lawsuit dismissed
A U.S. District judge in New Jersey has ruled against a motion, filed by Westminster, Md.-based Hahn Brothers Co., to dismiss a lawsuit brought against more...
More cattle placed on feed than expected
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.6 million head on Nov more...
USDA reports lowest October meat, poultry in freezers since 2003
Total frozen poultry supplies on Oct. 31, 2014, were down 5 percent from the previous month and down 9 percent from a year ago, USDA reported in its monthly more...
Habit Burger IPO fetches $90 million
The Habit Restaurants Inc., owner of “better-burger” chain Habit Burger, raised $90 million in its initial public offering. The offering more...
California drought bill effort runs dry for this year
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said a bipartisan bill to address California’s ongoing drought will not be passed before Congress adjourns this more...
Private label hot dog and sausage maker plans expansion
Looking to boost its national distribution and export capabilities, a family-owned producer of private-label hot dogs and sausages will open a plant in more...
JBS acquisition in Oceania aimed at capturing Asian market growth: Batista
JBS SA expects to achieve synergies of AU$30 million ($26 million) with the acquisition of Primo Group, a leader in processed meats for Australia and more...
No RFS number for 2014: EPA
The federal Environmental Protection Agency finally kicked the Renewable Fuel Standard can all the way into 2015, announcing that it would not issue applicable more...
National Geographic explores meat in premiere mini-series episode
Meat – its history and production methods – is the focus of the premiere episode of a six-hour mini-series set to air on the National Geographic more...
Early morning fire kills thousands of chickens
An early morning fire destroyed a poultry house in Laurel, Del., killing about 25,000 chickens, according to news station WBOC. Seven fire stations helped more...
NLRB tells OK Foods to get out of union’s way (UPDATED)
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled this week that OK Foods interfered with a union election held at the company’s Heavener, Okla., more...
Misbranding, undeclared allergens force sausage recall
K. Heeps, Inc., an Allentown, Pa., establishment is recalling some 2,902 pounds of Bratwurst and Bangers sausage products due to misbranding and undeclared more...
Chicken plant vote delayed over processing definition
The planning board in Concord, N.H., again postponed a vote on whether to approve the building of a poultry processing plant in the city, this time over more...
Maryland governor pushes phosphorus rule
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who will leave office Jan. 21, is moving forward with a regulation to reduce phosphorus pollution in the Chesapeake more...
Frozen pretzel hot dog recall expanded
Federal regulators have expanded a recall of frozen pretzel hot dog products from a Pennsylvania-based company for the same undisclosed allergen noted more...
Koch Foods subject of undercover activist video
The animal activist organization Mercy for Animals has released a hidden-camera video purporting to show cruel and inhumane treatment of chickens raised more...
Darden announces restructuring, cites commodity costs
Darden Restaurants said Chief Financial Officer Brad Richmond is retiring as the restaurant chain owner makes several management and operational changes more...
Norbest names new marketing director
Moroni, Utah-based turkey processor Norbest has named Norm Ramos as its director of marketing. Ramos will be responsible for overseeing all retail and more...
HIMP performing well, to continue in hog plants: USDA
Hog plants using the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Inspection Models Project (HIMP) are performing as well as those using the existing more...
Analysts lift Tyson’s 2015, '16 estimates on '14 earnings gains
Solid financial results and positive prospects for the next few years sparked three industry analysts to raise their individual earnings estimates for more...
Global fallout from new Dutch, British, German avian flu discoveries
More nations are taking steps to prevent the spread of a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain, even as the World Health Organization (WHO) prepares more...
Three quick-serve categories were winners in 3Q dining-out trends
Total consumer traffic to U.S. restaurants and foodservice outlets overall was flat in the third quarter, but three quick service restaurant categories more...
Tyson reports Q4 earnings, sets forecasts for 2015
Tyson Foods reported record sales of $10 billion and an adjusted net income per share that beat analysts’ forecasts in the company’s fiscal more...
Smithfield Farmland launches fresh pork line from Duroc hogs
Smithfield Farmland is introducing PRIME, a premium, All Natural Fresh Pork line. In a news release, the brand declared the product line to be 20 percent more...
Calif. processor to consolidate operations
Marin Sun Farms is consolidating all slaughter, processing and distribution operations to its facility in Petaluma, Calif., the San Francisco-based company more...
European regulators take steps to address Dutch bird flu
Authorities in Europe are preparing to launch special measures to contain an outbreak of highly contagious H5N8 avian flu virus that already has led to more...
OCM sues USDA for Beef Checkoff audit records
The Organization for Competitive Markets is suing USDA’s Office of Inspector General for its alleged failure to fulfill the organization’s more...
Obama says he’ll move forward on immigration
Speaking in Rangoon, Burma, on Friday, President Obama refused to change his plans to overhaul the immigration system through executive action even if more...
Analysts adjust forecasts for Tyson earnings
One analyst raised her forecast for Tyson Foods’ profit when the company reports fourth-quarter results on Monday due to an expected benefit from more...
CFIA recalls beef product on listeria concerns
Ottawa-based Nha Trang Deli Inc. is recalling Beef Balls from the marketplace due to possible Listeria Monocytogenes contamination, the Canadian Food more...
JBS to continue expanding, China trade deal to boost Australia outlook
Brazil's JBS SA will continue pursuing expansion in the coming quarters, using the BRL2.1 billion ($815.7 million) in free cash generated after investments more...
Senators urge FDA to gather more data on antibiotics use
Four U.S. senators sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg urging her to issue a proposed rule to increase data collection on the distribution more...
Walmart shoppers trade down amid meat price inflation
Walmart reported flat grocery sales in the latest quarter as reductions to the federal food assistance program and customers’ frugal shopping habits more...
News briefs: Dunkin, Butterball, Smashburger, Foster Farms
The Angus Steak & Egg Breakfast Sandwich and the Angus Steak & Egg Wake-Up Wrap are now part of the regular menu at Dunkin’ Donuts, a move more...
Brazil beef exports bounce back in October, Russia sales surge
Brazilian beef exports rebounded in October after a September decline, with sales abroad totaling 140,600 metric tons worth $687.7 million, up 17.5 percent more...
Merck follows Zilmax update with cattle behavior program
One week after updating regulator status on administering Zilmax, Merck Animal Health has announced a new program designed to help producers better understand more...
Ozark Mountain to double plant workforce weeks after opening
An Arkansas poultry processor is preparing to nearly double its employees next month just weeks after opening a deboning plant in Warren. Ozark Mountain more...
Virginia vet joins National Pork Producers Council
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has named Dr. Daniel Kovich its assistant director of science and technology, the organization announced in more...
Perdue goes beyond COOL labeling rules
Perdue Farms announced its Perdue brand is now labeling its further processed items with a new “Raised Cage-Free in the USA” label. The company more...
JBS challenges local odor policy
Trying to address odor issues at its Butchertown, Ky., pork plant that have resulted in fines, JBS USA contends local authorities are using a decades-old more...
Luby’s sees positives from ‘combo units,’ pressure from ‘Cheeseburger’
Luby’s Inc. reported that its main operating units lost a combined 5 cents a share from continuing operations in the fourth quarter, although its more...
Fast-growing burger chain prepares for $80 million IPO
A Southern California-based fast-casual burger chain that has nearly four times the number of restaurants it has run since 2007 is preparing to offer more...
Allen Harim names poultry industry vet to new role
Seaford, Del.-based poultry processor Allen Harim has hired poultry industry veteran Jack Coleman as senior director of marketing and sales. Coleman joins more...
McDonald’s same-store October sales slip, but don’t plunge
McDonald’s Corp.’s sales at restaurants open at least one year continued to fall in October, but domestic and international results were not more...
USDA sees a little less corn; a little more expensive
USDA lowered its estimate of the 2014/15 corn crop by 68 million bushels, but it remains a record at 14.407 billion bushels. Market analysts, however more...
Jensen Meat promotes exec to expand markets
San Diego-based Jensen Meat Company announced it has promoted Patricia (Trisha) Lavigne to vice president of executive accounts. In the role, she will more...
Smithfield profit jumps; eyes expansion
Smithfield Foods, acquired by China’s WH Group last year, reported a surge in third-quarter profit and said it may expand hog production next year more...
Misbranding, undeclared allergens prompt pork recall
CS Best Food Inc., a Panorama City, Calif. establishment, is recalling some 6,560 pounds of pork products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens more...
USDA approves imports from four Chinese poultry plants
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said it has approved four Chinese poultry plants to ship product to the United States. The four plants more...
Tick tock, beef industry; USDA seeks comment on second checkoff
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking public comment on its proposed second beef checkoff program to help fund industry promotion, research more...
Cargill brands offer turkeys without growth-promoting antibiotics (updated)
Cargill’s Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White brands are now offering fresh, whole turkeys and fresh, bone-in turkey breasts raised without more...
Hillshire fined in accidental worker death
Hillshire Brands has been fined $12,600 after a worker died in a May accident at its plant near Zeeland, Mich., according to the Grand Rapids Press. In more...
Nathan’s Famous finishes first half strong
Hot dog maker Nathan’s Famous said today its net income rose 45 percent in its second fiscal quarter ended Sept. 28. The Jericho, N.Y.-based more...
Pork board launches 5-year strategy
The National Pork Board has launched a new 5-year strategic plan to build pork demand around the ideas of transparency, cooperation and continuous improvement more...
Merck updates Zilmax: FDA approval, plans field-use study
The Food and Drug Administration has approved an alternative method of administering Zilmax to cattle in order to ensure the “appropriate dose” more...
New Congress expected to make milestone Ag appointment
The re-election of Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kans.) may make the 34-year Washington veteran the first person ever to lead the agriculture committees in both more...
Political shift may have different Ag impacts
With Republican candidates taking control of the U.S. Senate after yesterday’s elections, various scenarios regarding current and future spending more...
Greater Omaha seeks vacated judgment or new trial
Greater Omaha Packing Co. Inc. has petitioned the U.S. District Court in Omaha to vacate the $9 million judgment in favor of Cargill Meat Solutions and more...
World's top poultry exporter may be after Doux (UPDATED)
The world's largest poultry exporter, Brazil's BRF, is rumored to be pursuing an acquisition of French poultry processor Doux SA, which emerged from bankruptcy more...
Proposed U.S.-Canadian meat trade language standards released
USDA officials and their Canadian counterparts today released common trade language proposals covering fresh beef, lamb, veal and pork designed to enhance more...
Importers undaunted by high U.S. beef prices; pork demand strong
Regional directors for the U.S. Meat Export Federation have been pleasantly surprised; even as U.S. beef prices hit record highs, import demand continues more...
McDonald’s revamps organization to align regional offers
Continued sagging sales have prompted one of the nation’s largest fast-food chains to reorganize its U.S. operations in a move designed to address more...
Fitch upgrades Marfrig's ratings
Fitch Ratings has upgraded Marfrig Global Food S.A.'s Issuer Default Rating (IDR), senior unsecured notes and its National Scale rating with a stable more...
International group approves sustainable beef definition, criteria
SAO PAULO – The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) announced today its membership overwhelmingly approved global principles and criteria more...
Seaboard pork, turkey segment income rises in Q3
Seaboard Foods’ pork segment reported sales in its third quarter ended Sept. 27 of $454.93 million, up from $435.98 million in the year ago quarter more...
New video seeks to explain sow housing
The American Meat Institute announced a new video that seeks to explain modern sow housing decisions and the animal welfare aspects of how producers house more...
Mixed news for U.S. restaurants on September performance index
Softer customer traffic and a lack of optimism among restaurant operators resulted in a moderate decline in the National Restaurant Association’s more...
October 2014
Cleaning service worker injured at Tyson plant
A worker for a contract cleaning company was injured early Friday morning at Tyson Foods’ Omaha, Neb., prepared foods plant. The employee of Packer more...
Appeals court denies meat lobby’s request for COOL rehearing
The District of Columbia appeals court denied a request by the American Meat Institute and other industry groups to rehear a July decision that upheld more...
Midamar owner pleads not guilty to beef mislabeling charges
The owner of a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based halal food supplier Midamar Corp. pleaded not guilty Thursday to all charges of a 19-count federal indictment more...
Slow road to India for U.S. poultry, despite WTO’s ruling
The World Trade Organization’s recent order for India to remove curbs on imports of U.S. poultry won’t soon create a steady flow of shipments more...
Analysts hail Pilgrim’s earnings performance
Wall Street analysts boosted their earnings expectations for Pilgrim’s Pride in the wake of the company’s better-than-expected third fiscal more...
Pilgrim’s Pride posts 59% increase in 3Q profits
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. said Wednesday third-quarter profits rose 59 percent on operational excellence amid favorable chicken market conditions. The more...
Wayne Farms faces $102,000 in OSHA fines
Wayne Farms LLC has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for exposing workers to dangerous more...
NCC installs new officers
The National Chicken Council today installed Jerry Lane, president of Claxton Poultry in Claxton, Ga., as the group's chairman during NCC's more...
Coalition petitions Congress over COOL regs
An alliance of industry organizations and companies under the name COOL Reform Coalition has sent a letter to Congress asking legislators to “immediately more...
JBS facing lawsuit after ammonia gas leak
The Public Labor Ministry of Brazil's Paraná state has filed a civil suit against JBS SA, seeking BRL16.8 million ($6.9 million) in punitive damages more...
Animal health group notes new avian influenza strains in China
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has announced that it has received reports of five different strains of H5 bird flu in China last month more...
Higher costs spark Buffalo Wild Wings price hike
Buffalo Wild Wings said it will raise menu prices by 3 percent next month due to sharply higher costs for chicken wings and increases in the minimum wage more...
U.S. pork production could pass beef in 2015: Farm Bureau
Production of pork may pass that of beef in 2015, as cattle producers work to rebuild their herds from the lowest levels since the 1960s, according to more...
JBS asks court to toss claims from religious bias suit
JBS USA has asked a federal court in Nebraska to dismiss claims in a lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that the company discriminated more...
WH Group shares pressured just months after IPO, $1.5-billion loan
The owner of Smithfield Foods Inc. saw its stock price fall below the level of its initial public offer (IPO) in the Hong Kong markets this week, just more...
Millennials still an influential customer base for restaurants: study
Millennials may have reduced their visits to restaurants in the last few years, but the group between ages 18 and 34 continue to be a sought-after and more...
Michigan turkey industry predicted to nearly double by 2016
Turkey production in Michigan is expected to nearly double over the next two years, according to an official of that state’s poultry industry association more...
Minn. farm fire kills 13,000 pigs
A fire Saturday at a Minnesota hog-breeding farm killed more than 13,000 pigs, local authorities said. Some 4,100 sows and 9,000 piglets perished in the more...
Fire at Alabama chicken house kills 10,000 birds
Authorities are blaming an electrical short for starting a fire at an Alabama chicken house late last week that killed about 10,000 of 18,000 birds housed more...
Chef's Warehouse makes new acquisition
The Chef’s Warehouse Inc. has paid an undisclosed price to acquire the assets of Euro Gourmet Inc. in a move that will add to the Ridgefield, Conn more...
New York poultry plant fined
Kiryas Joel Poultry Processing Plant Inc. in Orange County, N.Y., has agreed to pay $330,000 to settle charges that it violated the Federal Clean Water more...
Minn. salmonella cases linked to raw, frozen chicken entrees
Health and agriculture officials in Minnesota said six recent cases of salmonellosis in the state have been linked to raw, frozen, breaded and pre-browned more...
Seaboard looks to build large hog operation in Kansas (updated)
Seaboard Foods, based in Shawnee Mission, Kans., has registered with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment its intention to open a large new more...
As beef prices rocket, USDA predicts when prices will temper
U.S. retail beef and veal prices rose 2 percent in September compared to August and were a whopping 17.8 percent higher than September 2013, USDA reported more...
Koch Foods Alabama plant expansion to add 80 jobs
The city council of Gadsden, Ala., on Tuesday approved tax abatements for a $6 million expansion of Koch Foods that will add 80 jobs early next year, more...
Mexico updates animal origin regulations
Mexico’s agriculture department, SAGARPA, has published an updated rule for controlling toxic residues in products of animal origin, according to more...
Minn. slaughterhouse employee charged in fake ID scheme
A worker at a Minneapolis-area slaughterhouse has been charged with several crimes related to providing fake IDs to illegal immigrants, including a 14-year-old more...
Former Cargill employee fined for tampering with wastewater samples
A Canadian court has fined a former Cargill employee $7,500 for tampering with wastewater samples before they were sent to an external lab for analysis more...
Beef, pork, chicken stocks decline in September
Total frozen poultry supplies on Sept. 30 were down 2 percent from the previous month and down 10 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s latest more...
FSIS to survey meat industry on food safety technologies
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is surveying the meat slaughter and processing industry on technologies that combat pathogens and more...
Hormel to shift co-packer operations, jobs to be cut
Hormel Foods will shift operations from a co-packer’s facility by late fall, the company confirmed to Meatingplace. Lakeside Foods in Plainview more...
Magro Meat wins OK for supermarket-to-plant conversion
Aldermen in Springfield, Ill., overwhelmingly approved a plan to convert a shuttered supermarket into a meat processing plant and retail business that more...
Billhartz adds title at Maschhoff Family Foods
Greg Billhartz has added the title of Chief Financial Officer to his position at Maschhoff Family Foods, where he has been executive vice president and more...
Analyst predicts upside for Bob Evans restaurants
“The worst is likely over” for Bob Evans Farms Inc.’s chain of family restaurants, wrote Mark Kalinowski, lead restaurant equity analyst more...
GAO calls on USDA to improve food safety procedures for poultry
The U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) is calling on the USDA to strengthen its approach to detecting and limiting such pathogens as Salmonella and more...
McDonald’s reports rotten financial quarter
Analysts and investors were expecting McDonald’s Corp. to have a rough third quarter, but perhaps not this rough: Revenues, operating income and more...
Antibiotics might actually worsen the incidence of salmonella infection: study
A new study by researchers at Stanford University and the Yale School of Medicine indicates that the use of antibiotics on animals may actually exacerbate more...
Pilgrim’s worker dies at Mt. Pleasant, Texas plant
A worker died at the Pilgrim’s Pride plant in Mt. Pleasant, Texas on Friday, a company spokesman confirmed to Meatingplace. The company issued the more...
Iowa Premium Beef gets set to open its doors
Iowa Premium Beef will open for business in Tama, Iowa in the next couple of weeks with 600 employees and a plan to build up production to 1,100 head more...
McDonald’s strategy on 2014 McRib return
McDonald’s Corp. has decided to let its regional franchisees decide whether they will participate in the latest return of the McRib sandwich, rather more...
Trading company sued Smithfield over $2.6 million debt (updated)
Asian-Pacific Trading Inc., based in Seattle, has sued Smithfield for breach of contract and “unjust enrichment” over $2.6 million that Asian-Pacific more...
EEOC’s discrimination case against JBS continues
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said a Nebraska federal court already deemed adequate its efforts to conciliate with JBS USA as its lawsuit more...
Chicken stocks tumble after Sanderson remarks on supply
Shares of chicken producers fell sharply on Thursday after investors took a negative view of comments made by Sanderson Farms executives on industry production more...
Just 26 more questions; Legislators still unhappy with poultry inspection (updated)
Even as USDA begins implementing the new the new poultry inspection rules finalized on Aug. 1, members of the U.S. House of Representatives who opposed more...
Ammonia gas leak at JBS plant sends 60+ to hospital
The rupture of an ammonia gas pipe on Thursday morning at a JBS SA poultry slaughterhouse in Brazil's Parana state sent 66 employees to the hospital, more...
Perdue brand goes antibiotic-free
Perdue Farms’ Simply Smart brand of fully cooked, frozen breaded products are now USDA Process Verified for being made from chickens raised with more...
FSIS may issue guidance on salmonella in beef cattle lymph node
CHICAGO – The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) plans to move forward with new ground beef pathogen performance standards, more...
Influential senator applauds U.S. WTO win over India
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) is calling the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) decision favoring U.S. poultry interests in a dispute with India more...
Rantoul Foods/Trim-Rite plans expansion
Rantoul Foods/Trim-Rite Foods in Rantoul, Ill., plans to build a 48,000-sq.-ft. addition to its pork processing facility, according to a report in the more...
Consumers warming to breaded chicken sandwiches
While hamburgers are still the top sandwich ordered at foodservice outlets, more consumers are choosing breaded chicken sandwiches when dining out, reports NPD more...
Cattlemen tell Vilsack to back off on checkoff
State cattlemen’s associations and the National Beef Cattlemen’s Association on Tuesday wrote a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack more...
Pork group discusses online information strategy
The National Pork Board uses search engine optimization (SEO) on an as-needed basis to direct consumers to the association’s information online more...
Pa. firm recalls soup on allergen issue
Fresh Food Manufacturing, a Freedom, Pa., establishment, is recalling some 1,008 pounds of Italian Style Wedding Soup due to misbranding and undeclared more...
New Darden board appoints interim CEO
Darden Restaurants Inc. said shareholders elected all 12 directors nominated by investor Starboard Value LP to its board. The new board appointed Gene more...
Kroger removes ‘humanely raised’ claim on chicken labels to settle case
Kroger Co. has agreed to remove its “raised in a humane environment” claim on store-brand chicken to settle a federal lawsuit claiming the more...
Poultry groups praise WTO ruling on India's poultry import policies
U.S. poultry organization hailed the World Trade Organization's ruling, announced today, that India's policies regarding poultry imports are inconsistent more...
Court arguments kick off in Allen Harim plant case
Lawyers for Delaware-based poultry processor Allen Harim Foods and opponents of its efforts to convert a food manufacturing facility into a poultry processing more...
Galant expands recent beef recall
Galant Food Co., based in San Leandro, Calif., is recalling an additional 130 pounds of beef products because the meat filling used in the products did more...
Perdue pulls chicken labels to settle with HSUS
Perdue Farms and The Humane Society of the United States jointly announced the settlement of two federal cases in New Jersey and Florida concerning Perdue’s more...
Foodservice firm recalls nearly 150 products over possible listeria
A North Carolina-based foodservice provider is recalling nearly 150 food products that were distributed to four states after a test revealed possible more...
Poultry processor to reopen after CFIA suspension
Canadian poultry processor Country Ribbon which had its license suspended on Friday due to Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) program more...
Authorities investigate incident at National Beef plant (updated)
An employee at a National Beef plant in Liberal, Kan., has died from wounds sustained during an altercation with another employee at the plant, according more...
Foster Farms CEO stepping down
Ron Foster announced Thursday that he will step down as president and chief executive officer of Livingston, Calif.-based Foster Farms, he announced in more...
House of Raeford to close turkey cook plant
House of Raeford has announced it will phase out the last of its operations at its Raeford, N.C., turkey cook plant within the next 60 days, the company more...
USDA predicts record corn, soybean crops; cheaper feed
USDA predicted a record corn crop, which will mean cheaper feed costs for livestock producers, whom USDA expects to feed more corn to their animals as more...
USDA raises forecasts for meat production
The forecasts for total meat production in 2014 and 2015 are raised from last month, USDA said in its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates more...
Restaurant to offer $385 steak
New York’s Empire Steak House announced it would begin offering imported certified Japanese Kobe tenderloin and ribeye. A choice of an 8-ounce tenderloin more...
Tyson sets closing date for Buffalo, N.Y., plant
Tyson Foods has notified the state of New York that it will close its Buffalo prepared foods plant on Jan. 3, affecting 287 jobs, according to the state more...
Bomb scare at Tyson plant turns out to be false alarm
Police in Center, Texas, evacuated the Tyson Foods chicken plant to investigate a report of a bomb threat on Wednesday, but nothing suspicious was found more...
Consumers eating more pork, liking it better (updated)
Results of a consumer tracking study conducted in June 2014 and recently released by the Pork Checkoff found that consumers are eating more pork and they more...
PEDV fears in Taiwan boost imports of U.S. poultry
Fears of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) in Taiwan have been a boost to U.S. poultry exports as consumers there look to replace pork, according more...
Minnesota firm recalls meat, poultry products after listeria detection
A Burnsville, Minn.-based manufacturer of frozen sandwiches and breakfast items is recalling more than 62,000 pounds of meat and poultry products after more...
Judge upholds citations for health hazards against chicken plant
A judge affirmed citations issued more than two years ago against MB Consultants Ltd. – doing business as Murray’s Chickens – for health more...
Supreme Court won’t hear House of Raeford wage case
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a wage case brought by workers against a House of Raeford poultry unit, meaning an appellate court decision more...
News briefs: Allen Harim, FMI, Cargill, Smithfield Foods, Aviagen
Allen Harim Chicken processor Allen Harim has hired industry veteran, Pat Haynes, as its breeder manager at its Liberty N.C. breeding facility. more...
Parties file briefs in COOL case
The meat industry lobby and USDA both filed briefs Monday in ongoing litigation over country-of-origin labeling law. In the American Meat Institute et more...
Cargill earnings decline in Q1
Minneapolis-based global agribusiness Cargill reported a 26 percent decline in its first quarter earnings compared to a year ago, even as its animal protein more...
Galant Foods has new recall
Galant Food Co., based in San Leandro, Calif., is recalling about 410 pounds of beef products because the meat filling used in the products did not meet more...
Burger King gets aggressive on chicken nugget pricing
Burger King Worldwide is throwing down the gauntlet in its fight for customers against other fast-food outlets — at least in terms of the price more...
Cargill pork plant reaches safety milestone; celebrates with beef
Cargill announced that its Beardstown, Ill., pork processing plant has gone 6 million hours (since April 2013) without a lost-time injury at the plant more...
WH Group takes out $1.5 billion term loan
China’s WH Group has taken out a $1.5 billion term loan, according to a news release from Paul Hastings, a law firm that advised the Chinese pork more...
Mexico signs agreement to export beef to China
The Mexican Ministry of Agriculture announced that Mexico and China have signed an agreement to export Mexican beef to China. The signing took place during more...
Jerky company ex-employee faces theft, fraud charges
A former employee at Old Santa Fe Trail Beef Jerky is facing fraud, embezzlement and van theft charges after the company uncovered $33,000 in improper more...
Judge dismisses case against California hen housing law
United States District Court for the Eastern District of California Judge Kimberly Mueller has dismissed a case by six farm states against California more...
WHO drafts action plan on antimicrobial resistance
The World Health Organization has published its first draft of a global action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). One of WHO’s five more...
McDonald’s adds chorizo burrito in some regions
McDonald’s is now offering a chorizo burrito made with dark-meat chicken on its breakfast menu in some regions of the country. The item is a regional more...
Russian bans won’t dent strong beef demand, prices: Rabobank
Russia’s import bans won’t have much impact on tightening global beef supplies, strong demand and record prices, Rabobank said in its third-quarter more...
Canadian companies want foreign worker counts retracted
Two Canadian companies have asked the government to correct errors in data they say overstated the number of temporary foreign workers they employ, in more...
Tyson removes antibiotics from chicken hatcheries
Tyson Foods said that, as of Oct. 1, the company no longer uses antibiotics at its 35 chicken hatcheries. “Since the antibiotic typically used in more...
Four arrested for killing 920 birds at Foster Farms facility
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office announced it has arrested four persons in connection with the slaughter of 920 chickens last month at a Foster more...
Mountaire Farms announces acquisition
Mountaire Farms announced it has purchased the operating assets of Star Milling Company in Statesville, N.C. “Star Milling is ideally located in more...
CSPI asks USDA again to declare salmonella adulterant
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is again asking the USDA to declare four antibiotic-resistant strains of salmonella as adulterants under more...
Calif. governor vetoes livestock antibiotics bill
Gov. Jerry Brown of California has vetoed a bill that would have curbed the use of antibiotics in farm animals, saying that most major meat producers more...
U.S. Trustee drops effort to force sausage company’s liquidation
The U.S. Trustee has withdrawn its motion, filed in August, that would have converted Crofton & Sons’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing into a Chapter more...
N.C. poultry plant sets opening date
Carolina Premium Foods plans to start producing chicken products at a revamped plant in Siler City, N.C., on Oct. 6, according to a report in the Triangle more...
Foster Farms offers reward after brutal chicken shed attack
Authorities in Fresno, Calif., are looking for at least one burglar who apparently broke into a Foster Farms Inc. chicken barn 11 days ago and bludgeoned more...
September 2014
Plenty of old corn, plenty of new corn weighs on prices
Old crop corn stocks in all positions on Sept. 1, 2014 totaled 1.24 billion bushels, up 50 percent from Sept. 1, 2013, according to USDA’s latest more...
More details emerge on new Ozark Mountain Poultry plant
Ozark Mountain Poultry (OMP) is set to open its new deboning plant in Warren, Ark., on Oct. 3, a facility that’s designed to meet the growing demand more...
JBS Canada worker dies from August injuries
An employee of JBS Food Canada has died of injuries he received in a hot-water accident in August. Christopher Harper, 43, died Monday, the company said more...
TGI Fridays prepares to sell most company-owned restaurants
Add TGI Fridays Inc. to the list of restaurant companies opting to stop running restaurants that carry its name. The Carrollton, Tex.-based company’s more...
Sold – Einstein Noah Restaurant Group has a new owner
Einstein Noah Restaurant Group announced JAB Holding Company has agreed to acquire it in a deal valued at $374 million. Einstein Noah operates under the more...
Production mix-up adds to woes at U.K. retailer Tesco
The international retailer Tesco PLC is explaining how some of its pork sausages were contaminated with undeclared chicken and undeclared lamb meat was more...
FAO director talks infectious disease/animal link at White House
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva stressed the need for controls on animal health to help curb the spread of Ebola and other infectious more...
Brazil's BRF names new global CEO
Brazil's BRF, the world's largest poultry exporter has confirmed that its current CEO of international operations, Pedro Faria, will take over as global more...
Recall No. 1: Chicken, recalled for possible listeria contamination
Foster Farms’ plant in Farmerville, La., is recalling about 39,747 pounds of frozen, pre-cooked chicken products due to possible contamination with more...
Recall No. 2: Beef trim, recalled on E. coli concerns
Caviness Beef Packers, based in a Hereford, Texas, is recalling about 23,100 pounds of beef trimmings products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
Fort Worth processor files bankruptcy
Taylor Dressed Beef in Forth Worth, Texas, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, seeking to liquidate its assets, according to court documents. The case more...
Trade negotiations with Japan hit a wall
The latest round of trade talks between the United States and Japan ended without an agreement as market access for agricultural products including pork more...
Iowa Premium Beef names new CEO
The new operator of a long-shuttered Iowa beef plant has named a new chief executive officer ahead of the facility’s reopening in October. Iowa more...
OSHA finalizes injury-reporting rule
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a final rule with new requirements for reporting work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses more...
Chicken implicated in outbreak at food safety meeting
A buffet lunch of chicken Marsala served at the Food Safety Summit in Baltimore last April is thought to be the source of an outbreak of food poisoning more...
Supermarket chain combines food brands for ready-to-go meals
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based supermarket chain Meijer announced a new food-solutions program that combines products from assorted manufacturers into ready-to-go more...
Cargill, McDonald’s join UN pledge on forests
Cargill and McDonald’s are among 39 companies and 32 countries endorsing a formal commitment to halt and reverse the loss of forests around the more...
FDA issues ‘food safety challenge’
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is calling for breakthrough ideas on how to find foodborne pathogens, the agency announced in a news release. Although more...
Ind. processor recalls beef corn dogs
Monogram Comfort Foods has recalled about 607 pounds of uncured beef corn dogs that may have been stored improperly in the distribution chain, according more...
Hormel promotes three veteran executives
Hormel Foods Corp. will install three executives to new posts, effective Oct. 28, in a shuffling of its information services, Asia-Pacific operation and more...
SuKarne to invest $600 million in new beef plant in Mexico
Mexico’s SuKarne will invest $602.6 million to build a massive beef processing plant in the northwestern state of Durango that's expected to begin more...
Northern Beef Packers sues to get money back
Northern Beef Packers has sued three businesses to get back money paid to creditors even as it still owes some money, according to court documents. The more...
JBS fined for odor violations from Kentucky hog plant
The Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District has fined the JBS pork slaughter plant another $16,000 for alleged odor violations on top of still-unresolved more...
Briefs: NARMS funding, Krystal interim CEO, Beef Checkoff, Buddig sponsorship
Three U.S. Senators are asking the Obama administration to include a proposed $15-million budget to cover the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring more...
OSI cuts China unit staff as fallout continues over food safety scandal
OSI Group announced Sunday evening that OSI China would lay off 340 workers at its Shanghai Husi Food Co. unit, effective today. The move comes two months more...
Chicken cycle still strong, but demand set to slow
Chicken prices and margins remain solid, but demand typically slows in the fall, and supply is headed higher in 2015, Stephens analyst Farha Aslam said more...
Agencies monitoring new bird flu strain in Southeast Asia
The World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) are all taking a more...
U.S. wants Taiwan to clarify ractopamine policy
A top U.S. trade official said Taiwan needs to clarify its policy on ractopamine in imports of pork and certain beef products. Taiwan established a maximum more...
Rendering plant stench debated
The city council in Russellville, Ark., told Premium Protein Products manager Danny Craig they want a solution to the “smells and stench” more...
Study: Mushroom "blendability" enhances flavor, nutrition
A new study from the Culinary Institute of America and University of California-Davis, published in the Journal of Food Science, explored the flavor-enhancing more...
Slim Jim shines as ConAgra posts solid results
ConAgra Foods said its first-quarter profit was stronger than it initially projected as sales volumes in consumer foods recovered, with its Slim Jim jerky more...
Odors, property values cited in opposition to proposed slaughter plants
The planning and zoning commission in Springfield, Ill., is recommending the denial of a variance for construction of a small state-regulated slaughterhouse more...
Uruguay seeks to introduce new beef product into the U.S.
USDA representatives will be in Uruguay this week auditing beef processing plants and reviewing related certification programs, Spanish-language El Observador more...
Meat processing industry loses a longtime member
Melvin Salomon passed away Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the age of 100. He was the president of the North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) in 1965-66 more...
Walmart invests $3 million in Costa Rican poultry plant
Walmart is investing more than $3 million in a poultry and egg processing plant in Costa Rica to guarantee product quality and availability to its national more...
Fire guts family-owned meat processing facility
An overnight fire destroyed most of a Pennsylvania meat-packing facility and at least $30,000 worth of beef, local media reported. The cause of the blaze more...
Russia meat exec warns of ‘industry default’
The head of one of Russia’s meat associations has published an open letter to President Vladimir Putin, saying the industry is “in crisis” more...
Major Brazilian beef processor takes anti-slavery stand
Brazil's second-largest beef processor, Marfrig Global Foods, announced plans this week to work with the National Institute Pact for the Eradication of more...
Proposed standards for salmonella in development: FSIS
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Testing is underway and proposed performance standards for salmonella in various species are expected in the next 12 months, more...
PEDV cases waning
New reports of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDV) cases are waning, according to reports from both Canadian and American sources. In Ontario in particular more...
Johnny Rockets reboots with multiple nostalgic formats
The Johnny Rockets burger chain is preparing to launch a multi-format prototype program that’s inspired by the historic Route 66 highway and offers more...
High-protein diets linked to lower blood pressure: study
A new study, published in the American Journal of Hypertension by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine, found that adults who consume more...
NCC responds to Reuters article about antibiotic use in chicken industry
The National Chicken Council (NCC) responded to an article by Reuters by reiterating that the majority of antibiotics approved for use in raising more...
Consumers willing to pay more for beef, chicken products in September
Consumers polled in September said they were spending slightly less overall on groceries than they did in August – but they spent more on food consumed more...
Jimmy John’s, investors mum on report of possible sale
A report that the Jimmy John’s sandwich chain may be on the block so far is being met with silence from the Champaign, Ill.-based company and two more...
Mexico sets strategy to become free of avian flu by 2015
Mexico hopes to be declared free of avian flu H7N3 by September 2015 through a new program devoted to disease control and eradication, said the Mexican more...
Group releases Foster Farms’ USDA inspection reports
An environmental advocacy group has published 300 pages of federal inspection reports for Foster Farms plants that describe hundreds of incidents of fecal more...
Exclusive: Jim Marsden on what is next in the fight against salmonella
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The industry still has a way to go in combatting the pathogen salmonella, which spans all species, but USDA is not likely to more...
Feds bust Puerto Rican man for selling 52,000 pounds of spoiled meat
A Puerto Rican food distributor is facing three years in prison for selling thousands of pounds of spoiled meat over the course of more than a year in more...
Wash. firm recalls pork sausage due to undeclared allergen
Interbay Food Company LLC, a Woodinville, Wash., establishment, is recalling some 4,820 pounds of pork Banger-style sausage products due to misbranding more...
U.S. meat production forecasts reduced: USDA
The forecasts for total meat production in 2014 and 2015 are reduced from last month, according to the latest monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand more...
Unhappy meal: Consumers losing taste for fast food
Americans of all ages are visiting quick-service restaurants much less frequently in a big shift from just a year ago, a new survey by consulting firm more...
Smart labels to detect pathogens prior to retail
Researchers at the University of Alberta are developing smart materials to detect harmful microbes that cause food-borne illnesses before products reach more...
Global meat prices rise as other commodity prices fall
The FAO Food Price Index averaged 196.6 points in August 2014, its lowest level since September 2010. In August, the index, which measures the monthly more...
15 people dead in Denmark in outbreak linked to deli meat
A fifteenth person has died from a listeria outbreak traced to deli meat, the Danish State Serum Institute (SSI) has confirmed, according to Denmark’s more...
Taco Bell to expand national breakfast menu
Taco Bell will introduce two new breakfast items in its nearly 6,000 U.S. restaurants next month and also is testing a line of taco-shaped biscuits featuring more...
Citizens voice concerns (again) over two processing plants
An ongoing protest against a proposed Sanderson Farms Inc. now has a counterpoint regarding a proposed facility in Springfield, Ill., according to online more...
Dave & Buster's hopes next play scores with investors
Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Inc. filed with U.S. regulators to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering of its common stock more...
Beef check-off reform on USDA’s radar
Earlier this week, the National Farmers Union board of directors voted to withdraw from the beef checkoff working group, and Agriculture Secretary Tom more...
Pork groups again call for elimination of tariffs on hog products
A coalition of groups representing hog farmers in five nations are asking negotiators discussing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to again consider more...
New tests planned for H7N3 bird flu in New Jersey
The latest report by USDA and New Jersey agricultural officials on the discovery of H7N3 avian influenza in the state earlier this month outlines future more...
One restaurant chain snags CEO from another
Einstein Noah Restaurant Group has named Frank Paci as president and chief executive officer. Paci has been the CEO of 300-unit McAlister’s Deli more...
Canadian hog plant sale approved
A Canadian judge has approved the sale of a hog plant formerly owned by Great Lakes Specialty Meats to Sofina Foods. According to court documents, a Superior more...
Pork company makes sow housing demand of all suppliers
Clemens Food Group said it will require open sow housing from all of its independent producers by 2022. In announcing its decision to transition from more...
Chick-fil-A founder dies
S. Truett Cathy, founder of the nation's largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain Chick-fil-A, died early Monday at home. He was 93 years old. Credited more...
SuKarne has closed 20 cattle feedlots in northern Mexico
Mexico-based processor SuKarne has closed down 20 cattle feedlots in the city of General Escobedo, Nuevo Leon state, as part of a 2011 agreement between more...
Hormel embraces the new and the familiar
Consumers want more multicultural, better-for-you and on-the-go food, but too much change makes people uncomfortable, according to Hormel Foods Chief more...
Raging Bull’s defense against fraud claims filed
Raging Bull Acquisition Co. and its parent, Oaktree Capital Management, filed documents laying out their defense against fraud allegations by Quantum more...
Canadian pork recalled on E. coli fears
V&T Meat and Food of Calgary and Hiep Thanh Trading of Edmonton, Alberta, are recalling certain raw pork products due to possible E. coli O157:H7 more...
NCC and ASPCA celebrate National Chicken Month differently
It was bound to happen. As the National Chicken Council announced plans to celebrate September as National Chicken Month, the American Society for the more...
Yum says it’s suing OSI over China supply scandal
Yum Brands said it expects same-store sales in its China division to drop 13 percent in the third quarter and said it will pursue legal action against more...
OSI forms European joint venture
OSI Inc. has joined forces with a UK meat processor, Pickstock Telford Ltd., in a joint venture. In a new release, the Aurora, Ill.-based company said more...
N.C. utilities to meet poultry waste goal; swine delayed
North Carolina electricity producers will meet a state mandate for generating power from poultry waste in 2014 but say they must delay a swine waste requirement more...
Food-insecure households in America not budging
The percentage of U.S. households that were food-insecure remained essentially unchanged from 2012 to 2013. There were 17.5 million food-insecure households more...
Perdue Foods responds to “consumer concerns” on antibiotics use
Perdue Foods Inc. says it has reached a milestone in its program to eliminate the use of human antibiotics in its chickens by removing the use of all more...
Forum on proposed N.C. chicken plant draws large, testy crowd
A public meeting held on Tuesday to address residents’ concerns about a proposed Sanderson Farms chicken plant in Fayetteville, N.C., drew a crowd more...
USDA grants license for PEDV vaccine
Animal health company Zoetis announced the USDA has granted a conditional license for a vaccine to help fight porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in more...
Brazilian poultry, pork exports up in August
Following a record month for Brazilian poultry exports in July, revenue from chicken meat exports posted a 5.7 percent gain in August against the same more...
Low-carb trumps low-fat for weight loss and cardiovascular risk: study
A new clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health bucks decades of nutritional advice, finding a low-carbohydrate diet is more effective more...
National Pork Board CEO steps down
The National Pork Board announced today that Chief Executive Officer Chris Novak will step down after six years of service to the pork industry and the more...
South Korea lifts ban on beef with zilpaterol: report
South Korea’s food ministry has lifted a ban on the use of zilpaterol in beef, according to a report by Reuters. The move effectively allows imports more...
Jennie-O to launch reformulated turkey products
The Jennie-O Turkey Store brand plans to expand its line of reduced-sodium deli items in time for the holiday meal season. The Jennie-O Cranberry Sage more...
Poultry industry video series highlights environmental stewardship
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is releasing a new video series highlighting environmental stewardship on poultry and egg farms. The first more...
Pork Board launches Hispanic-focused marketing push
The National Pork Board (NPB) has introduced a Spanish-language website designed to provide cooking and other nutritional information to Latinos who already more...
Bubba Burger named official burger of Auto Club Speedway
Bubba Burger has been named the official burger of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. "Southern California is a major growth market for us and we look more...
August 2014
JBS fined nearly $1 million for labor violations
Brazil's JBS SA has been fined BRL2 million ($892,120) for failing to meet labor standards for cold-room recovery at one of its slaughterhouses in the more...
Six OSI employees arrested in China in tainted-meat case
OSI Group, which owns the Shanghai Husi plant that was closed after a Chinese television investigation found workers making products from expired meat more...
JBS plant to jump through another hoop
Situated in a gentrifying Louisville, Ky., neighborhood that no longer wants it and already working through odor and humane handling issues, JBS USA’s more...
Upstate N.Y. city paves way for potential meat plant
The Common Council of Rome, N.Y., has approved amendments to the city’s zoning code that would open the door to a meat processing plant in certain more...
Tyson completes tender offer for Hillshire stock
Tyson Foods Inc. announced this morning the completion of its tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Hillshire Brands Co.’s common stock more...
Deli meat producer selects Indiana site for new plant
Boar’s Head is planning to build a 150,000-square-foot plant in New Castle, Ind., where it will produce deli turkey, ham and chicken products. The more...
Cleveland passes “Meatless Mondays” resolution
Cleveland has become the latest city to get behind the “Meatless Mondays” campaign. The resolution declares that “the City of Cleveland more...
Fast-casual chain launches expansion
Fast–casual chain Muscle Maker Grill announced it plans to open 22 new locations throughout the country, bringing its total to over 75 units. Founder more...
Tyson reaches agreement with DOJ on Hillshire offer
Tyson Foods and Hillshire Brands announced that, in connection with the review of Tyson's proposed acquisition of Hillshire Brands by the Antitrust Division more...
Arrests made in China for chemical use on chicken feet
Chinese police have arrested 38 people on suspicion of making or selling contaminated chicken feet, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported. Police more...
Sanderson stumble catches analysts by surprise
Sanderson Farms’ third-quarter earnings shortfall, due to breeder issues and higher -than-expected employee compensation expense, caught Wall Street more...
Bob Evans reports loss as investor secures board spots
Bob Evans Farms Inc. announced that four nominees proposed by Sandell Asset Management were elected to its board, one less than the activist investor more...
Investment firm bets on China’s chicken industry
Global investment firm KKR announced it will invest $400 million to take an 18-percent stake in Fujian Sunner Development Co. Ltd., a leading vertically more...
Sanderson sees Q3 profit, sales gains despite hatch, weight issues
Sanderson Farms Inc. posted improved sales and profits for the third quarter of fiscal 2014, but the results were muted because of lower hatch rates and more...
Tyson owes workers $5.8 million, court says
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed a $5.8 million judgment awarded to a class of Tyson Foods employees who sued for overtime pay for more...
Pilgrim’s Pride plant sustains fire
Local authorities are investigating the cause of a fire Sunday evening at a Pilgrim’s Pride processing plant in Russellville, Ark., according to more...
Tyson plant back in operation following water issue
Tyson Foods Inc. has resumed normal operations at a poultry plant in Shelbyville, Tenn., that was temporarily affected after black specks were discovered more...
Tyson to limit processing at Tennessee plant over water issue (updated)
Tyson Foods Inc. is temporarily curtailing production at a poultry plant in Shelbyville, Ark., after black specks were discovered in the water supply more...
USDA boosts food cost forecasts for beef and pork
USDA raised its price forecasts for pork and beef consumed at home in 2014, while restaurants appear to continue to refrain from boosting prices as much more...
Cheaper grain to boost Sanderson earnings: analyst
Stephens Inc. analyst Farha Aslam has raised her earnings forecasts for Sanderson Farms on the prospects of strong sales and cheaper feed costs. In a more...
Study says blurred lines between meals, snacks to drive growth of better-for-you snacks
Americans are eating traditional snack foods, particularly snacks with a perceived health benefit, in between and at meals, and this behavior will drive more...
Cargill accuses former exec of taking trade secrets to JBS
Cargill on Thursday filed a lawsuit against a former executive claiming he stole trade secrets from Cargill and brought them to his new employer and competitor more...
WTO panel rules against U.S. on COOL: WSJ
A World Trade Organization (WTO) panel has sided with opponents of U.S. country-of-origin labeling law, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal more...
Poultry processor gets state grant to revive plant
The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority announced the approval of a $750,000 grant to support the reuse of the former Townsend Chicken plant more...
McDonald’s names new U.S. chief
McDonald’s announced its board of directors elected former McDonald's executive Mike Andres as McDonald's USA president effective October 15, replacing more...
Investor group claims Bob Evans board seats
Although the votes still are being counted after yesterday’s Bob Evans Farms Inc. annual shareholders meeting, an activist investor group that has more...
Tyson loses don-doff court appeal
Tyson Foods Inc. will have to pay up both damages and attorneys’ fees in a long-running class-action donning-and-doffing case involving the company’s more...
Cargill fined for wastewater sample issues at Canadian beef plant
Cargill has been fined $80,000 for not immediately reporting a former employee’s tampering with wastewater samples at the company’s High River more...
Robust meat-processing margins drive Hormel results
Hormel Foods Corp. said strong meat-processing margins and demand for pork and turkey helped the company post a 21 percent jump in fiscal third-quarter more...
N.M. processor ends bid for slaughterhouse amid horse controversy
Valley Meat Co. has ended its efforts to build a plant near Roswell, N.M., that had envisioned horse slaughter for overseas meat buyers, state government more...
Tyson extends Hillshire tender again on antitrust information request
Tyson Foods has for the second time extended the offering period for its tender offer to buy Hillshire Brands shares due to the Department of Justice more...
Pork margins holding up better than expected: analyst
Pork margins fell midsummer but are holding up better than expected against the impact of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV), according to a Wall more...
Survey shows college students still favor proteins
College students are twice as likely as other consumers to order food after 10 p.m. and are 25 percent less likely to order vegan or vegetarian items more...
Poultry industry cites 96 plants for high safety performance
Three poultry industry organizations recognized 96 chicken and turkey processing facilities for outstanding safety performance through innovative and more...
CFIA recommends improvements to U.S. food safety inspection
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the U.S. food inspection system is working as intended but recommended some improvements. CFIA’s recently more...
Sanderson Farm hears it again from N.C. residents
Although Sanderson Farms has not committed to building a new chicken processing plant in their area, residents in Cumberland County in North Carolina more...
Optimism dominates New Angus CEO’s outlook for plant
The reinvention of the former Northern Beef Packers operation near Aberdeen, S.D., eventually may include a plant with 600 employees and the capacity more...
Russian demand to boost Brazil poultry, pork prices, limited beef impact
Russia's decision since Aug. 6 to rapidly increase food imports from Brazil should lead to an increase in prices for Brazilian pork and poultry, but will more...
Quantum Foods argues against dismissal of complaint
In new legal documents filed in the dispute between Quantum Foods and its one-time prospective acquirer, Quantum says Oaktree Partners and the acquisition more...
Study highlights PEDV's spread via contaminated environments
Newly published research underscores the importance of washing down all equipment that could come in contact with Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) more...
China to overtake U.S. in processed meat segment
The global processed meats market continues to perform steadily, but it is especially buoyed by growth in the Asia-Pacific region — both the world’s more...
Researchers find antimicrobial use for cinnamon
Two Washington State University scientists have found cinnamon to be a promising possibility in fighting foodborne pathogens. They found that its essential more...
USDA says beef grading system may be outdated
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public input on possible revisions to the U.S. Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef to adjust more...
After less than year at the helm, president of Brazil's BRF plans exit
After being approved by the board of directors of Brazil's top poultry processor BRF just one year ago to serve as global president, Claudio Galeazzi more...
Chicken still profitable, but some prices seen peaking
Higher wing prices and lower feed costs will continue to drive profits for chicken processors, while the constrained supply of breeder hens will limit more...
Restaurant count flat; only chains see solid growth
The number of visits to restaurants is flat for spring 2014 compared with the same time a year earlier, and so the total number of restaurants in the more...
Lawyers mull lawsuit against JBS over Ky. pork plant
Lawyers are considering a potential class-action lawsuit against JBS USA as the company grapples with odor issues at its Louisville, Ky., pork plant, more...
New studies stir sodium debate
Two studies published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) generally counter the federal government’s advice on recommended intake more...
Calif. antibiotic resistance bill goes to governor
The California Legislature has sent to the governor two bills that would prohibit the use of antibiotics in farm animals as growth enhancers and would more...
NPPC seeks elimination of Japan’s ‘gate price’ on U.S. pork
The National Pork Producers Council urged the Obama administration to insist in Trans-Pacific Partnership talks that Japan eliminate its co-called “Gate more...
Justice Dept. digs deeper on Tyson-Hillshire deal
Tyson Foods Inc. said it extended the offering period for its expected acquisition of Hillshire Brands Co. by one week, after the U.S. Department of Justice more...
China puts clamps on six U.S. pork plants, storage facilities
China today suspended six major U.S. pork plants and six cold storage facilities from its list of eligible pork exporters based on its ractopamine-free more...
FSIS recalls frozen chicken nuggets over reports of plastic
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced a recall of more than 15,000 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets produced at a Georgia more...
New poultry operation to add 100 jobs in Arkansas
Blue Rooster is finalizing plans to open a poultry deboning operation at the former H&L Poultry plant in Warren, Ark., and anticipates 100 new jobs more...
USDA predicts record crops; cheaper feed
USDA forecast record U.S. corn and soybean crops, resulting in lower price forecasts for these key livestock feed inputs in its first estimates of the more...
Helgeson to retire from GNP; Jurek steps up
GNP Co. CEO Michael Helgeson will retire from the company in early November, and Steve Jurek will take the job as president of the producer and processor more...
Iowa senator continues push for more Tyson-Hillshire deal scrutiny
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has renewed his call for the U.S. Justice Dept. to increase regulatory scrutiny of the proposed acquisition of Hillshire more...
Few shoppers handle raw poultry properly, study shows
Findings from a new USDA study indicate that few shoppers follow safe handling protocols when handling raw poultry at the store. Researchers from Tennessee more...
Higher sales, margins propel Smithfield to record earnings
Smithfield Foods Inc. officials cited strong results across all of its segments – especially packaged meats and fresh pork – for record net more...
Cargill finding jobs for Milwaukee beef plant workers
Cargill is working with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development to help find jobs for about 600 workers who will lose their jobs as a result more...
CDC: Live poultry-related salmonella outbreak sickens 300
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has raised its tally of salmonella-related illnesses to include 300 people infected with strains more...
ConAgra Foods CEO announces intent to retire
Gary Rodkin, chief executive officer of ConAgra Foods, has informed the company’s board of directors that he will retire at the end of the company’s more...
Déjà vu for Sanderson Farms
Even before the company has announced a location, Sanderson Farms is seeing opposition to talk of a proposed chicken processing facility in Cumberland more...
FAO Food Price Index hits six-month low – but not meat
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported its FAO Food Price Index decreased for a fourth consecutive month in July mainly more...
McDonald’s posts weak global sales on China supplier woes
McDonald’s on Friday reported a drop in global sales in July and cautioned its full-year forecast is now at risk due to food quality and safety more...
Tech briefs: Waste reuse savings, sodium reduction, yield, packaging robotics
Quantifying cost savings For anyone involved in meat production, it is no surprise to hear that reducing waste and reusing manufacturing by-products, more...
Cargill profit down 12 percent, but beef business improves
Cargill Inc. said fourth-quarter earnings fell 12 percent from a year ago due to weak economic conditions in some countries and a change in Venezuela’s more...
New York firm recalls sausage product over misbranding, undeclared allergen
Zemco Industries Inc., a Buffalo, N.Y., company, is recalling approximately 106,800 pounds of smoked sausage due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen more...
Brazil beef, poultry exporters to benefit most from Russian ban of U.S. protein
More than 80 Brazilian processing plants are expected to be approved for exports to Russia as soon as Thursday, making Brazil's beef and poultry sectors more...
Hormel bacon bike heads to California
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel has begun tracking the status of a unique vehicle developed to market its Black Label Bacon. Earlier this week, Hormel’s more...
Mediation ordered in Quantum Foods dispute
The rash of claims and counterclaims between the now-defunct Quantum Foods LLC and its would-be acquirer, Raging Bull Acquisition LLC and its parent company more...
Michigan probes Listeria in chicken Caesar salad
State inspectors in Michigan are looking into an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes discovered in a sample of chicken Caesar salad sold at a Sam’s more...
Northeast Meats wins approval for new plant in Maine
City officials have approved a plan from Northeast Meats to open a new meat processing plant in a business park in Gardiner, Me. The Gardiner City Council more...
Popeyes exec departs for Asian restaurant chain
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc. is looking for a successor to Ralph Bower, president of its U.S. operations, who is stepping down at the end of the week more...
Pilgrim’s worker dies in plant accident
Pilgrim’s Pride employee Bobby Beall died after an incident at a processing plant in Nacogdoches, Texas, the company confirmed. Local Texas more...
McDonald’s suffers as China investigates OSI-owned plant
McDonald’s on Monday reported the global quick service chain is experiencing “a significant negative impact to results” from the food more...
Oscar Mayer launches new bacon snack product for retail markets
Oscar Mayer and parent Kraft Foods Group expanding their presence in the growing protein snack arena with the introduction of a bacon jerky that provides more...
U.S., Japan resume TPP talks on pork, beef
U.S. and Japanese trade officials have resumed negotiations on market access for pork and beef under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), according to more...
Jobs lost in Calif. as Nestle moves Hot Pockets production
Nestlé USA announced it is moving its Hot Pockets sandwich production from its Chatsworth, Calif., facility to its Mt. Sterling, Ky. plant, impacting more...
California men charged with cheating Foster Farms out of nearly $50,000
A father and son have been charged with mail fraud over construction work that never occurred at the Foster Farms processing plant in Livingston, Calif more...
CDC says salmonella outbreak linked to Foster Farms is over
The federal agency that monitors food-borne illnesses and other related illnesses has declared that an outbreak of salmonella stemming from poultry produced more...
Bob Evans sends a message to shareholders on Sandell proposals
Bob Evans Farms Inc. is warning its shareholders that proposals from a company led by activist stockholder Tom Sandell to break up the company are not more...
FSIS denies CSPI’s 2011 salmonella petition
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has denied a petition asking that the agency issue an interpretive rule declaring antibiotic-resistant more...
Yum requiring monitoring equipment at China plants: report
Yum Brands Inc. said it would takes steps to improve oversight of its supply chain in China, including requiring suppliers to install monitoring equipment more...
Arby’s launches Mega Meat Stacks sandwiches nationwide
Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. has introduced three premium sandwiches that feature combinations of five proteins including its traditional roast more...
OpenTable reveals top 30 best barbecue restaurants in America
OpenTable, a provider of online restaurant reservations, has released its 2014 Diners' Choice Award winners for the Top 30 Best Barbecue Restaurants in more...
July 2014
Armour-Eckrich workers want settlement enforced
A group of 770 Armour-Eckrich Meats workers has asked a federal judge in Minnesota to prevent an additional group of plant employees from participating more...
Pilgrim's Pride earnings dip
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. said earnings slid slightly in the second quarter as sales inched up. The Greeley, Colo.-based subsidiary of Brazil’s more...
USDA unveils roadmap of greenhouse gas controls
USDA released a 600-page report designed to give food producers, including livestock producers, a set of consistent, science-based methods for quantifying more...
Russia mulls restrictions on poultry imports from U.S.
Russia is threatening to suspend poultry imports from the United States, according to a report by Reuters. The Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance more...
Cargill to close Milwaukee harvest facility
Cargill will close its Milwaukee, Wis., beef harvest facility primarily because of a lack of cattle available for slaughter due to "producers retaining more...
Colorado Premium buys Buedel, Vlcek
Colorado Premium Foods has acquired all the assets and stock of Buedel Fine Meats & Provisions and Vlcek Fine Meats Inc., both based in Bridgeview more...
USDA proposes Mexican pork import rules change
The USDA has published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that would loosen somewhat the restrictions on the import of pork and hogs from Mexico more...
Chairman, CEO of huge restaurant chain steps down
Darden Restaurants, which describes itself as the world’s largest full-service restaurant company, announced that Clarence Otis is stepping down more...
Court denies injunction on COOL
Meat industry representatives have lost their appeal seeking a preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the country of origin labeling (COOL) more...
OSI shakes up management in China in wake of food safety scandal
Aurora, Ill.-based OSI Group announced sweeping management and operational changes at its Shanghai Husi unit a week after a Chinese television report more...
WH Group raises $2.05 billion: report
The Wall Street Journal reports that WH Group Ltd.’s initial public offering on Tuesday raised US$2.05 billion. The company reportedly sold 2.57 more...
Beef carcass baseline study to begin Aug. 1
FSIS will begin its beef and veal carcass baseline study on Aug. 1, and has provided instructions to inspectors. FSIS will sample carcasses at two places more...
Amidst other news, Tyson reports record third-quarter
Strong demand for chicken and pork products helped Tyson Foods Inc. report what company officials described as a “record” third quarter, alongside more...
Ammonia leak causes brief evacuation at poultry plant
OSI Group-owned Amick Farms evacuated its poultry processing plant in Hurlock, Md., early this morning after an ammonia leak was discovered, an Amick more...
Analysts scrutinize JBS buying spree and question whether it's all good
SAO PAULO —JBS SA's purchase of poultry businesses from Tyson Foods marks the eighth company or set of assets acquired this year by JBS in Brazil more...
Poultry worker arrested; had eluded police for two years
A woman who was a fugitive for two years in an attempted murder case in Atlanta was arrested after police caught up with her working at a poultry plant more...
Hong Kong bans imports from OSI Chinese unit
Hong Kong has suspended all imports from OSI Group’s Shanghai Husi Food subsidiary following a food safety scare involving several global brands more...
Farm, consumer, faith groups oppose Tyson-Hillshire deal
A coalition of 82 farm, ranch, consumer and faith-based groups sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice demanding it extend its anti-trust more...
Kunzler & Co. chairman dies
Christian (“Chris”) C. Kunzler Jr., chairman of Kunzler & Company Inc., died on Sunday after a lengthy illness, the company announced more...
Listeria concerns prompt Texas firm to recall RTE products
Houston-based processor Great American Marketing is recalling some 475 pounds of FSIS and FDA-regulated, ready-to-eat products due to possible contamination more...
OSI CEO issues personal apology
OSI Group CEO and owner Sheldon Lavin has posted a personal apology on the company’s website home page, saying “What happened at Husi Shanghai more...
Second time’s a charm? Zoning changes would allow plant
An upstate New York town that rejected a proposed meat processing business earlier this year now is considering changes to its zoning laws that would more...
Campbell’s chicken noodle goes organic
Campbell Soup Co. announced an ambitious new product lineup for fiscal 2015 that involves more than 200 items, including an organic version of its classic more...
Oscar Mayer partners with university on animal welfare program
Kraft Foods Group Inc.’s Oscar Mayer brand has given a three-year, $125,000 grant to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) to create an more...
Chinese police detain OSI employees over expired meat
Shanghai police have detained five employees of the OSI Group unit in China that was shut down earlier this week after a TV report showed workers using more...
Organic processor to close after dispute with village
Black Earth Meats has notified employees it will close by the end of the month after losing its bank loan following a decision by the village of Black more...
Union workers OK pact with JBS Greeley beef plant (updated)
Union employees at JBS USA’s Greeley, Colo., beef plant overwhelmingly approved a five-year contract agreement with the company even as the processor more...
Residents express concerns over Delaware poultry plan
Odor control, property values, transparency and environmental impact were some of the concerns raised by about 40 local residents at a hearing to discuss more...
Tyson Foods investigating Kansas plant ammonia leak (Updated)
Tyson Foods Inc. is investigating the possible cause of an ammonia leak at an Emporia, Kan., facility Tuesday morning that sent two people to the hospital more...
Court OKs Tyson’s $7.75 million donning-and-doffing settlement
A federal judge in Tennessee has given preliminary approval to a donning-and-doffing settlement reached between Tyson Foods Inc. and Tyson Fresh Meats more...
WH Group reportedly sets $2.36-billion IPO level, timing
The world’s largest pork processor has set an initial public offer timetable for the second time in 2014, according to a several media reports. more...
U.S. chicken consumption, popularity rises sharply: NCC report
More chicken is finding its way onto American plates than ever – especially among Millennials – according to a new survey presented by more...
Pork exports up slightly
U.S. pork exports in May were 430.8 million pounds, slightly above (0.06 percent) exports in May 2013. The largest foreign destinations for U.S. pork more...
OSI outraged, apologetic on China chicken processing scandal
Aurora, Ill.-based OSI Group issued a statement saying it is investigating a story on Chinese television by a reporter who went undercover for two months more...
JBS, union reach tentative labor agreement covering 3,000 workers
JBS USA and the union representing 3,000 workers at its beef plant in Greeley, Colo., are a step closer to a new contract after 11 months of negotiations more...
New survey shows chicken consumption soaring
U.S. consumers are eating more chicken in every region except the Midwest, according to new survey results presented by the National Chicken Council. more...
Hebrew National heads back to state court over two-year lawsuit
ConAgra Foods Inc.’s Hebrew National division will take a motion to dismiss a lawsuit over whether the unit’s hot dogs are “100% kosher more...
Hain Celestial becomes sole owner of protein unit
Hain Celestial Group Inc. has bought the 51.3 percent of poultry processor Hain Pure Protein Corp. that it did not already own, paying $40 million, the more...
Sysco fined for storing meat, milk in unrefrigerated sheds
Food distributor Sysco Corp. has agreed to pay almost $20 million in restitution and penalties for illegally holding seafood, milk and raw meat in unrefrigerated more...
CDC closes lab associated with botched H5N1 shipment
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has closed the influenza laboratory where a culture of non-pathogenic avian influenza was unintentionally more...
Farm groups say Chesapeake cleanup is on track
Responding to a report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), groups representing Maryland poultry farmers say restoration goals for the more...
Campylobacter research reveals potential for vaccine
Researchers say they have identified a potential vaccine for Campylobacter after purifying proteins from Campylobacter and testing them for their potential more...
As poultry inspection rule sits at OMB, union wants another chance to comment
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents USDA food inspectors in poultry plants, is asking for an exception to normal rule making more...
Tyson’s Hillshire purchase takes another step forward
Tyson Foods on Wednesday commenced its a cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of common stock of The Hillshire Brands Company for $63 a share more...
Taco Bell breakfast and China lift Yum results, but Pizza Hut lags
Yum Brands Inc said its Taco Bell breakfast launch and a rebound in KFC China sales bolstered second-quarter earnings, though its Pizza Hut division struggled more...
USDA proposes stricter records on grinding meat at retail
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today proposed requiring all makers of raw ground beef products to keep records, a rule aimed more...
Sanderson eying NC site for new plant: report
Sanderson Farms is considering a location in Cumberland County, N.C., for the site of its next chicken processing plant, the Fayetteville Observer reported more...
Processor receives thumbs down on plant plan
The Lyon County Planning Commission in western Nevada voted 6-0 against granting variance requests for a proposal to develop a small-scale livestock slaughterhouse more...
Delayed GA poultry lab now set to open this fall
A $9.6-million lab designed to support the growing poultry industry in Georgia is now set to open this fall, about 18 months after ground was broken on more...
Study of 20 heifers shows little impact from Zilmax
The cattle feed additive Zilmax has no noticeable detrimental effect on cattle health or well being, according to research by scientists from the University more...
JBS Foods acquires more Brazil poultry assets, inroad to Mexico
JBS SA, the world's largest beef and poultry processor, announced Monday the purchase of assets from Brazilian poultry processor Céu Azul Alimentos more...
Congresswomen take more steps on USDA oversight of Foster Farms
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) stepped up their efforts to convince the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection more...
Hormel cites positive gains helping malnourished children with protein
A program designed to help malnourished children by providing them with a fortified poultry-based product is reaping positive results, according to Hormel more...
NPD findings on consumers and sodium may surprise you
U.S. consumers are less concerned about their sodium intake, and they’re eating less low- or no-sodium foods, a trend that will continue in the more...
Princeton study details surge in global antibiotic use; discussions abound
Global use of antibiotics is rising rapidly, especially in developing countries, driving increased resistance to drugs used to combat both common and more...
U.S. restaurant sales ‘lackluster’ in Q2, same-store traffic still down
Consumers continued to stay away from restaurants in the second quarter of 2014, and the industry can no longer blame the weather, according to new data more...
Mixed emotions in the beef industry
(The article has been reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission.) Mixed emotions in the beef industry By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State more...
Let the sparring begin (again); groups react on poultry inspection
On your mark. Get set. Fight! Groups for and against USDA’s proposed updates to the federal poultry inspection system were ready and waiting for more...
USDA raises beef production forecast; lowers pork
USDA raised its forecast for total meat production in 2014 in its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, predicting more beef, more...
USDA sees more, cheaper corn and soybeans
Ideal crop conditions point to large U.S. corn and soybean crops and lower feed prices for the livestock industry, USDA reported in its World Agricultural more...
Taco Bell amps up the protein in bowls, burritos
Taco Bell is launching burritos and bowls with double the steak and chicken in its Cantina Bell line to cater to customers looking for more protein-packed more...
Smithfield plant stabbing leads to arrest, hospitalization
An altercation this morning at a Smithfield Foods plant in Smithfield, Va., sent one man to a local hospital and another into police custody, a spokesman more...
Smithfield parent reportedly reviving IPO plan
Smithfield parent WH Group Ltd is looking to raise up to $3 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, according to more...
EPA chief acknowledges ‘concern’ over RFS
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said the delay in issuing new Renewable Fuels Standard regulations is due to the consideration the agency more...
Senate confirms chief ag negotiator to USTR
The Senate has confirmed Darci L. Vetter as the chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). President Obama nominated more...
Foster Farms sues insurers (corrected)
Foster Farms Inc. is suing underwriters at Lloyd’s of London, accusing the insurers of wrongfully denying benefits under a product contamination more...
JBS boosts footprint in Australia via purchase
Brazil's JBS SA, the world's largest beef and poultry processor, has acquired a majority stake in Australian processor Andrews Meat, in an effort to expand more...
Bob Evans posts lower profit, slashes outlook
Bob Evans Farms Inc. reported sharply lower fourth-quarter earnings and slashed its outlook for the year ahead, prompting an activist stockholder to renew more...
Tyson Foods rebuts Dr. Oz, author on food safety
This just in: Tyson Foods (and all poultry processors) use food safety interventions when creating products for consumers to eat. That basically sums more...
China reduces two tax levies on U.S. chicken processors
China’s Ministry of Commerce has lowered anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on chicken products imported from the United States in the wake of more...
AMI on dietary guidelines: processed meat has a role
The American Meat Institute is using a menu model analysis developed by a team of nutrition experts to make the case for processed meat and poultry products more...
Burger chain names former Burger King president as CEO
Umami Restaurant Group, the company that runs the Umami Burger chain and is a partner of 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza, announced it named Paul Clayton more...
McDonald’s tests mobile ordering app
McDonald’s is testing a mobile app that would let customers use their phones to order meals ahead. After placing an order by phone, customers scan more...
CDC updates Foster Farms illnesses in wake of recall
The Centers for Disease Control on Friday reported that as of July 4, 2014, a total of 621 people infected with seven outbreak strains of Salmonella more...
Texas beef producers approve measure to establish state Beef Checkoff program
Texas beef producers have voted in a referendum to establish a state-level Beef Checkoff program by a margin of 2-1. The vote establishes a producer-funded more...
Analyst upgrades expectations for Tyson, Pilgrim's results
Anticipation of continued strong chicken margins prompted one industry analyst to raise his earnings estimates for both Tyson Foods Inc. and Pilgrim’s more...
A deep dive into North American cattle numbers
(This report is reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing more...
Foster Farms recalls chicken linked to Salmonella Heidelberg illness (updated)
Fresno, Calif.–based Foster Farms is recalling an undetermined amount of chicken products that may be contaminated with a particular strain of Salmonella more...
Exclusive interview: Foster Farms exec talks about food safety
Foster Farms recently marked its 75th anniversary by focusing on its ongoing efforts to battle salmonella. The company has been implicated in an outbreak more...
Mishandled HACCP plan prompts small recall
Las Vegas-based Kanani Foods is recalling approximately 59 pounds of various chicken products because the products were not produced under a fully implemented more...
Cudahy sends home the bacon
Patrick Cudahy is kicking off a two-month, cross-platform summer marketing campaign on behalf of its branded bacon that will include free bacon for several more...
Restaurant chain serves up bison for brunch
Ted’s Montana Grill, the collaboration between media mogul Ted Turner and LongHorn Steakhouse founder George McKerrow, has put bison on the menu more...
Processor halts operations due to short cattle supply
Dakota Premium Foods said it would immediately cease production at its South Saint Paul, Minn., beef processing plant due to a lack of cattle supplies more...
Global beef market assessed in new Rabobank report
Rabobank has published a new report on the global beef industry, looking at issues of price, supply and demand in key markets around the world. In the more...
Quiznos exits bankruptcy
Quick-service sandwich chain Quiznos announced it has completed its financial restructuring and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Denver-based more...
Your Fourth of July is 5% more expensive
The components of a picnic meal typical of a Fourth of July outing cost $5.87 per person, up about 5 percent over the total a year ago, says the American more...
Group sues Trader Joe’s over COOL
A California organization head has filed a lawsuit in California against Trader Joe’s Co. over the retailer’s alleged noncompliance with country-of-origin more...
FDA says antimicrobial phase-out has full compliance
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said all 26 drug makers affected by its initiative to phase out use of medically important antimicrobials in food more...
Longstreet, others have new jobs at Hormel
On the heels of its announcement that it will acquire CytoSport Holdings Inc., Hormel Foods said that Greg N. Longstreet, CEO of Farmer John, and others more...
Beef prospects positive in Q3, but a supply squeeze on the horizon: Rabobank
With a current relative balance in supply and demand, global prospects for beef in the third quarter are “very positive,” but longer term more...
Ettinger: Muscle Milk is extension of Hormel's Specialty Foods unit
Hormel Foods Corp. believes that its $450 million acquisition of the maker of Muscle Milk and other ready-to-eat/drink alternative protein products will more...
House of Raeford workers take wage case to Supreme Court
Former workers are taking to the Supreme Court their wage case against a House of Raeford poultry unit, according to court documents. The Columbia Farms more...
Indiana Packers acquires Mich. pork processor
Indiana Packers Corp. announced today the acquisition of a Michigan pork processor that will expand the company’s footprint in national and regional more...
Atkins rolls out breakfast sandwiches
High-protein, low-carb nutrition is back on the front pages, and Atkins Nutritionals Inc. has four new breakfast sandwiches that fill the bill: sausage more...
June 2014
New study shows 40% of Americans undercook chicken
While most consumers are very aware of food safety issues, including salmonella, and the risk of foodborne illness, many do not follow recommended food more...
Animal husbandry practice at chicken farm unacceptable
A video released last week by the animal activist group Compassion Over Killing taken at Prince Poultry, a large North Carolina chicken grower, showed more...
California pulls plug on law requiring food workers to wear gloves
Legislators in California repealed a law requiring restaurant workers to wear gloves when handling food, less than six months after the statute went into more...
More corn, less soybeans on hand; more soybeans planted
USDA issued its Grain Stocks and Acreage reports this morning, showing tight supplies of soybeans now, but record acreage planted for the crop that will more...
Jimmy Dean brand expands beyond breakfast
Hillshire Brands’ Jimmy Dean brand is expanding beyond breakfast with the launch of new lunch and dinner offerings, the company announced. The new more...
Alabama poultry farmers seek relief from Pilgrim’s requirements
Poultry farmers hoping to grow birds for Pilgrim’s Pride are asking county officials to reduce fees that would be required to install larger water more...
‘Ag-gag’ opponent takes fight to the skies
A man fighting Idaho’s ‘ag-gag’ law is raising funds to buy drones to keep a watch on livestock operations from the air, according to more...
Misbranding, undeclared allergens prompt pork nugget recall
Las Vegas-based Mr. Wok Foodsis recalling approximately 14,760 pounds of raw pork nugget product because of misbranding and undeclared allergen. The product more...
Brazil's cattle, poultry slaughter in 1Q set new records
Brazil's beef industry slaughtered 8.4 million head of cattle in the first quarter of this year, up 2.9 percent from the same period in 2013 and a new more...
FSIS responds to salmonella recall bill
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is maintaining its position on the implementation of its Salmonella Action Plan,in light of Wednesday's more...
ConAgra posts loss on weak consumer foods, private label
ConAgra Foods posted a loss in its fiscal fourth quarter, hurt by a drop in sales of consumer foods and sagging margins in its private label business more...
Iowa firm recalls sausage products over undeclared allergens
K & W Sausage, an Evansdale, Iowa, establishment, is recalling approximately 1,761 pounds of sausage products because of misbranding and undeclared more...
Misbranding prompts small recall
Rudolph Foods, a Lawrenceville, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 34 pounds of pork products due to misbranding. To access the full recall more...
Pork, beef prices soared in May, USDA says
USDA reported retail pork prices jumped 12.2 percent in May compared to a year ago, while beef and veal prices climbed 10.7 percent and poultry prices more...
Whole Foods fined for overcharging on weighed items
Whole Foods Market was ordered to pay nearly $800,000 in penalties under a California court order after a yearlong government investigation uncovered more...
Bob Evans names new CFO amid accounting issues
Bob Evans Farms Inc. has announced the appointment of Mark Hood as chief financial officer, effective immediately. The hiring comes as the New Albany more...
JBS promotes its branded beef
Consistent with JBS USA’s objective to promoted its branded beef products, the company has given its Chef’s Exclusive beef program its own more...
Smithfield parent reportedly eyes discounted IPO
Smithfield parent WH Group’s Hong Kong IPO could come back to the market at a discounted valuation of at least 25 per cent below the original offer more...
Dietz & Watson plans $50 million facility
Premium deli meats manufacturer Dietz & Watson plans to build a $50 million, 200,000-sq.-ft. trucking and distribution center in Tacony, a neighborhood more...
OSHA fines poultry plant for repeat, serious violations
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $59,400 in fines on Birdsboro Kosher Farms Corp more...
Separate fires kill thousands of birds, damage chicken house
Investigators are looking into the possible causes of two fires that killed at least 27,000 birds in North Carolina Monday and severely damaged an unoccupied more...
West Liberty buys Quantum Foods’ assets
West Liberty Foods LLC is buying substantially all of the assets of Bolingbrook, Ill.-based Quantum Foods for $12.7 million, West Liberty Foods and a more...
Union complaint against OK Foods moves forward
The regional director of the National Labor Relations Board has sided with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1000 in its complaints against more...
Pork producers claim victory in New York
The National Pork Producers Council and the New York Pork Producers on Monday hailed the New York legislature for not taking up legislation that would more...
U.S. beef exports strong, but so are imports
U.S. beef exports this year through April were up 7 percent, while beef imports were up 6 percent, driven largely by increased imports from Australia more...
Smithfield resumes operations at Tar Heel plant
Smithfield Packing Co. has resumed operations at its Tar Heel, N.C., pork plant after recovering from an ammonia leak earlier this week. Spokesman Dennis more...
Dispute with FSIS threatens small N.Y.-based processor
One of the two slaughterhouses in St. Lawrence County in New York State certified by the USDA has significantly changed its operations after voluntarily more...
Analyst sees positive outlook for protein demand
Protein producers should see continued strong export and domestic demand for their products despite historically high prices, according to an industry more...
FSIS names international coordinator
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has appointed Jane Doherty to serve as FSIS' International Coordination Executive. She will serve as the more...
Exclusive interview: IMS president seeks equivalence to expand meat trade
BEIJING — At the start of this week’s 20th International Meat Secretariat’s World Meat Congressthe organization’s new president more...
Allen Harim names three industry veterans to senior posts
Seaford, Del.-based chicken processor Allen Harim announced it has hired three industry veterans to key company positions. Keith Moore has been named more...
OSHA cites Louisiana processor over carbon dioxide exposure
Acadian Fine Foods LLC has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for 16 safety and health more...
Bob Evans delays earnings as it reviews accounting issues
Bob Evans Farms Inc. this week said it postponed the release of its fourth-quarter financial results until July to allow more time to complete a more...
Ruiz Foods starts second phase of Texas plant expansion
Ruiz Food Products Inc. announced today the second phase of expansion of its Denison, Texas, processing plant a year after the announced the first phase more...
Auction set for Quantum Foods assets
A live webcast auction for assets of Bolingbrook, Ill.-based processor Quantum Foods has been scheduled by order of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on June more...
Smithfield works to resume operations Thursday after Tar Heel ammonia leak
Smithfield Packing Co. is working to resume operations at the world’s largest pork packing plant following an ammonia leak Tuesday that knocked more...
ConAgra warns profit to be below plan, cites Chef Boyardee
ConAgra Foods on Wednesday said its fiscal fourth-quarter profit would be below its prior expectations due to declining sales volumes in its consumer more...
Hong Kong opens to all U.S. beef products
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that effective today, Hong Kong has agreed to accept all U.S. beef products from animals of any age more...
Ammonia leak evacuates Smithfield plant (updated)
Smithfield Foods has evacuated its pork processing plant in Tar Heel, N.C. after a valve broke off of an ammonia reserve tank, a spokesman told Meatingplace more...
Walmart to triple food safety investment, boost meat testing in China
Walmart China announced the company will significantly increase its investment in food safety to more than 300 million yuan ($48 million) in the years more...
Steakhouse looking to franchise
Kansas City, Kan.-based J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood announced plans to start franchising. The brand, known for its steaks, currently more...
On a world stage, Ritz jabs U.S. COOL
Beijing — Making opening remarks at the World Meat Congress here, Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz used the occasion to make a brief jab more...
Consumers willing to pay a lot more for beef, pork, chicken
U.S. consumers were willing to pay a lot more by mid-June for beef, pork and chicken products compared to what they were willing to pay in mid-May, according more...
Consumer Reports seeks ban on “natural” designation on packaging
Consumer Reports is working with a social action organization to ban use of the word “natural” on food packaging following a survey indicating more...
Hillshire Brands board withdraws support for Pinnacle Foods offer
The path for Tyson Foods Inc. to complete its acquisition of Hillshire Brands Co. is somewhat clearer now that Hillshire’s board of directors has more...
Judge dismisses Butterball suit over Colorado property
A judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by Butterball LLC that accused Longmont, Colo., of violating its constitutional rights when it rezoned company more...
Nathan’s Famous sees benefits from John Morrell pact in 2015
Nathan’s Famous Inc. posted solid revenue gains in for the fourth quarter and for all of fiscal 2014, but it expects even more positive gains from more...
Mountaire Farms exec named USAPEEC chairman
Mike Little, director of export sales at Mountaire Farms in Selbyville, Del., has been elected chairman of the board of the USA Poultry & Egg Export more...
Jack Links debuts “Meat Rushmore” for National Jerky Day
Snacking reached new proportions this week as Jack Link’s introduced its “Meat Rushmore” in New York City, a mini-replica of South Dakota’s more...
Fresh beef recalled for specified risk materials
Jackson, Mo.-based Fruitland American Meat is recalling approximately 4,012 pounds of fresh beef products because the dorsal root ganglia may not have more...
CEO of major pork processor to retire
St. Joseph, Mo.-based Triumph Foods announced that Chief Executive Officer Rick Hoffman will retire effective June 30, 2014. Mark Campbell, currently more...
NAHLN updates PEDv/PDCoV cases in U.S. swine herd
USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network reported that 142 tests for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) proved positive out of 749 conducted more...
Starbucks expands lunch menu with meat-centric offering
Jumping into the increasingly competitive lunch game, Starbucks will add grilled cheese and turkey panini to its midday offerings this month, the company more...
House amendment would speed Rancho Feeding probe
Spurred by the Rancho Feeding Corp. recall of 8.7 million pounds of beef in February, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment Wednesday more...
S&P puts Tyson on watch for credit downgrade
Standard & Poor’s placed Tyson Foods Inc. on its CreditWatch list for possible downgrade of its credit rating, saying it expects the company’s more...
Total meat production forecast down from May
The forecast for total meat production in 2014 is lowered from last month as lower beef and broiler production more than offsets increased pork and turkey more...
House debates ag bill amid White House veto threat
The debate over the 2015 Agriculture spending bill on the House floor began Wednesday under a strong threat of a White House veto. The White House on more...
Soybean supplies to get very scarce later this summer
USDA expects U.S. soybean supplies to drop to just 125 million bushels by September 2014 (before this year’s crop is harvested), putting soybean more...
Creditor, insurer, suitor cry foul as Quantum bankruptcy proceeds
The bankruptcy court has approved an agreement between Quantum Foods and Tiger Remarketing Services, enabling Tiger to handle the liquidation of the company’s more...
Agri Beef sells Supreme Cattle Feeders
Green Plains Inc. announced it has acquired the assets of Supreme Cattle Feeders from Agri Beef Co., including the feed yard doing business as Supreme more...
11 prominent CEOs push for immigration reform
A coalition of CEOs from some of the nation’s most prominent businesses are working with the advocacy organization ImmigrationWorks USA to nudge more...
Mexico pork prices up to 30% due to PEDv
Mexican pork prices have increased by 30 percent due to the recent porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) outbreak in the country, according to the Mexico more...
Tyson’s Smith outlines Hillshire plans
Tyson Foods announced this morning it had offered $63 per share to buy Hillshire Brands in an $8.55 billion deal that includes Hillshire dropping its more...
Cargill to complete move to group sow housing
Cargill announced that its company-owned sow operations will be 100 percent group housing by the end of calendar 2015 with contract hog farms that contain more...
Koch Foods plant ammonia leak
An ammonia leak Monday morning at a Koch Foods poultry plant in Gainesville, Ga., sent four workers to a medical center with minor complaints. The problem more...
Livestock haulers get exemption from DOT rule
The U.S. Department of Transportation has granted truck drivers hauling livestock and poultry a one-year exemption from an hours-of-service rule that more...
Meat Industry Hall of Fame to induct six new members
The Meat Industry Hall of Fame announced six new inductees to its Class of 2014. This year, the results of voting by its more than 70 members and trustees more...
USDA to allow younger chickens to be labeled roasters
USDA announced it will allow poultry producers to label younger chickens as roasters if they meet size and other attribute requirements. The agency’s more...
PEDv may have killed 8 million pigs: analyst
As many as 8 million pigs may have been lost due to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv), livestock economist Steve Meyer projected, according to the more...
Judges deny rehearing of Koch Foods don-doff case
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit judges denied a petition to rehear en banc a class-action donning-and-doffing lawsuit poultry workers filed more...
Chinese pork firm looks to boost quality, safety with new investors
COFCO Meat, one of China’s largest pork companies, is planning to expand and boost its food safety and quality standards with a strategic partnership more...
USDA sets funding to combat PEDv disease in hogs
In response to the significant impact porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) are having on U.S. pork producers, the more...
CDC links Texas death to CJD but doubts from U.S. beef
Laboratory tests have confirmed a diagnosis of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in a patient who recently died in Texas, according to the Centers more...
Poultry processor buys turkey further processor
Canadian poultry processor Exceldor has agreed to buy turkey further processor Parrish & Heimbecker Limited, which sells products under the Butterball more...
OSI forms joint venture with further processor
OSI Group, LLC announced it is creating a new joint venture company with Select Ready Foods of Edmonton, Canada. The new venture will be named OSI Select more...
Study compares natural antimicrobials against Listeria
A new study looks at how well commercially available natural antimicrobials and postlethality interventions control Listeria monocytogenes growth and more...
New info offered in IPO plans for JBS Foods
JBS Foods, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JBS SA that oversees the company's poultry, pork and processed foods operations in Brazil, can be expected to more...
Pork Checkoff announces new common industry audit platform
After more than a year of industry collaboration, the National Pork Board today shared plans for a new common industry audit platform for pork producers more...
Poultry worker hospitalized after machinery accident
An employee at the House of Raeford poultry plant in West Columbia, S.C., was hospitalized after his leg was tangled in an auger for almost two hours more...
Bellisio, Chili’s team to put restaurant’s meals in retail freezers
Bellisio Foods Inc. and Chili’s Grill & Bar have teamed to put a new line of licensed frozen meals in retail outlets nationwide. The Chili’s more...
Pilgrim's raises bid; Hillshire ready to talk to both suitors
Hillshire Brands Co. said today that its board of directors authorized discussions with Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. and Tyson Foods following their respective more...
Ruiz Foods expands with acquisition of S.C. plant
Frozen Mexican food maker Ruiz Roods announced late Monday the company is expanding to the East Coast with the acquisition of a new plant in Florence more...
Tyson Foods plant recovers from electrical fire
A Tyson Foods plant in Arkansas is slated to completely reopen soon after an electrical fire this week prompted the company to cancel the second and third more...
World Bank reports international food prices rose in early 2014
A new report from the World Bank indicates that international food prices reversed a nearly two-year trend by rising between January and April 2014. The more...
House of Raeford buys chicken further processor
Poultry processor House of Raeford Farms announced it has agreed to buy the business, operating assets, and trademark of Filet of Chicken Acquisition more...
Foster Farms turns spotlight on pest control vendor in new lawsuit
The California-based company at the center of a massive salmonella outbreak is now suing a pest control company it hired last year for failing to halt more...
Restaurant performance improves in April; so does optimism
Fueled by improving same-store sales and customer traffic and a positive outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association’s more...
South Korea delays zilpaterol approval: Reuters
Reuters reported that South Korea is delaying approval of beef product imports from cattle fed the growth promotant zilpaterol by at least a month to more...
May 2014
Fitch sizes up Tyson, Pilgrim’s bids for Hillshire Brands
Tyson Foods’ bid for Hillshire brands leverages less debt than JBS-owned Pilgrim’s Pride’s bid, according to analyses of the two bids more...
Russia bans U.S. pig imports
Russia said on Thursday it was suspending live pig imports from the United States due to concern about outbreaks of the deadly Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea more...
Hormel Institute breaks ground on expansion
The Hormel Institute on Wednesday broke ground on a $28-million expansion project to nearly double in size its world-class cancer research center in Austin more...
Poultry groups protest transportation rule
A coalition of poultry organizations has submitted comments arguing against a proposed rule that would require the use of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) more...
Tyson execs talk up Hillshire bid
Tyson Foods Inc.’s CEO Donnie Smith and CFO Dennis Leatherby spent the morning extolling the virtues of their company’s $6.8 billion bid for more...
Sanderson doubles profit; eye on new plant
Sanderson Farms said its second-quarter profit more than doubled from a year ago, benefiting from strong demand for chicken and lower feed costs, and more...
Tyson to pay $305,000 federal fine
Tyson Farms has agreed to pay a $305,000 federal fine stemming from a spill that dumped rendered chicken byproducts containing oil from its facility in more...
EPA fines Pa. meat company $40,000 over waste discharge
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with the owner of a meat processing plant in Lancaster, Pa., for allegedly failing more...
Kretschmar launches super-premium "Master's Cut" deli line
Kretschmar Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses has launched Master's Cut, a line of super-premium bulk deli items. The line features unique flavors of turkey more...
USDA to post final poultry inspection rule in July
USDA is scheduled to issue in July a final rule establishing new poultry inspection procedures, according to the Obama administration’s recently more...
Swine vets update PEDv numbers
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network reported that 187 tests for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) proved positive out of 825 conducted more...
Salmonella cases tied to Foster Farms still growing
Fifty new cases of salmonella illness have been linked to Foster Farms brand chicken in recent weeks, bringing to 574 the total number of people infected more...
Cracker Barrel adds beef, bacon jerky to retail stores
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. announced Friday the addition of CB Old Country Store premium beef jerky and bacon jerky exclusively at the chain’s more...
Hillshire cool on Pilgrim’s offer; analyst expects other bidders
Executives at JBS S.A. and its Pilgrim’s Pride unit spoke excitedly this morning about their plans to bring their operating efficiencies and raw more...
School lunch proposal gets White House, congressional attention
A controversial program to allow the nation’s schools to opt out of rules on nutrition standards at lunch for economic reasons is generating much more...
Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s goes ‘Big’ with new chicken sandwich
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s have introduced what they call the biggest chicken sandwich among all major fast food chains. The Big Chicken Fillet more...
BBQ chain taps former McDonald’s chief
Famous Dave's of America Inc. has appointed appointment Ed Rensi as its CEO, among other leadership changes. Rensi, who was named a board member in January more...
California firm recalls beef over misbranding, undeclared allergen
Vista, Calif.-based Chaparros Mexican Foods Inc. has recalled 568,503 pounds of beef products due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. more...
Butterball expands Turketarian campaign
Not quite a year after launching a campaign to define the “Turketarian” demographic, Butterball is adding television to the marketing mix more...
Ontario chicken farmers issue call for more kosher businesses
One year after the closure of a kosher chicken processor in Toronto left Canada’s Jewish community with but one processor in Montreal as the nation’s more...
Taste and price still matter, but more consumers want healthy food
Consumers are thinking more about their health when choosing what to eat, now ranking it nearly as important as price in their food decisions, new survey more...
Smashburger announces exec promotion, expansion plans
Smashburger announced it has promoted David Biederman to chief development officer. He will oversee information technology, purchasing and real estate more...
USDA lists retailers in 12 states in Wolverine recall
Retail locations in a dozen states have been identified as probable recipients of the ground beef products recalled earlier this week by Wolverine Packing more...
Tyson launches summer grilling campaign
Tyson Fresh Meats has launched the “Never Settle” summer grilling campaign to promote its Chairman’s Reserve Premium Meats brand. The more...
Virginia county looks to woo poultry processors
Virginia’s Pittsylvania County has been awarded a state grant to study how best to attract integrated poultry companies to the area. Virginia Gov more...
Brits cite economic woes for drop in meat consumption
A recent report by British market research firm YouGov suggests that pressure on household finances has meant fewer purchases of meat and poultry products more...
Cargill E. coli case against Greater Omaha moves closer to trial
A federal judge in Nebraska has denied Greater Omaha Packing Co.’s motion to avoid a trial in the E. coli lawsuit brought by Cargill Meat Solutions more...
Bankruptcy suspended for JBS-leased poultry assets in Brazil
A high court in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state has suspended the bankruptcy of poultry processor Doux Frangosul this week, which has had its plants more...
Burger chain adds purchasing to executive’s duties
Smashburger has promoted David Biederman to the post of chief development officer, where he will oversee information technology, purchasing and real estate more...
Georgia chicken recall due to misbranding, undeclared allergens
Prime Pak Foods, a Gainesville, Ga., establishment, has recalled approximately 23,250 pounds of fully cooked breaded chicken breast and tender products more...
Tyson buying heftier pigs; plans to lower production
Tyson Foods is accepting pigs that are up to 15 percent heavier and will reduce hog slaughter and pork production levels more than usual this summer as more...
Hormel profit misses analysts’ target as costs weigh
Hormel said earnings rose 12 percent in the second quarter, but results came in below analyst expectations as tight supplies pushed up costs for pork more...
Tyson selling stake in renewable fuels venture
Tyson Foods announced today it has reached an agreement with Renewable Energy Group Inc. (REG) to sell the processor’s 50 percent ownership in Dynamic more...
Taco Bell names new CEO
Taco Bell Corp. announced today that Brian Niccol will be promoted to CEO on Jan. 1, 2015, and current Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed will become CEO of Yum! more...
Quantum Foods to liquidate assets
Quantum Foods LLC plans to liquidate its hard assets and intellectual property, and will seek to have agreements with prospective buyers by the end of more...
House ag spending bill draws fire
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has issued a warning on the effect of the House's fiscal year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations Bill regarding school more...
Wolverine recall updated
The 1.8 million-lb. ground beef recall by Wolverine Packing Co. in Detroit has been expanded — not in volume terms, but in geography, according more...
Tyson announces plans for Tennessee expansion
Tyson Foods Inc. plans to expand its operations in Goodlettsville, Tenn., investing $15.5 million and adding 157 new employees, the company announced more...
Former beef plant to be auctioned
The bank-owned former North Dakota Branded Beef facility in Harvey, N.D., will be auctioned on June 4, according to Maas Companies, the auction firm handling more...
Butterball names new executives
Butterball, LLC named Jay Jandrain as the company’s executive vice president of sales and Bill Klump as chief marketing officer, effective today more...
FSIS boosts salmonella testing in ground beef testing
As grilling season heats up, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is enhancing its food safety testing program for detecting salmonella more...
FPL Food to reopen beef plant earlier than anticipated
FPL Food announced it would re-open its harvest facility in Augusta, Ga., on Tuesday, May 27, four weeks ahead of schedule. In April, FPL announced it more...
USDA, CDC agree to work closer on meat, poultry-related illnesses
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry more...
JBS highlights sustainability progress in 2013 annual report
Brazil's JBS SA consulted strategic stakeholders for the first time last year to develop a materiality matrix that highlights which economic, environmental more...
PEW pushing for antibiotics language in sustainable beef definition
Leaving no stone unturned to further its views on the use of antibiotics to treat food animals, 11 organizations led by the PEW Charitable Trusts are more...
Hormel touts packaging, waste reductions in latest corporate report
In the past year, Hormel Foods Corporation reduced product packaging by 4.72 million pounds, the Austin, Minn.-based company announced in the release more...
USDA fails to verify most food label claims, group says
A new report reveals the USDA is failing to verify the accuracy of label claims on meat and poultry products sold in the United States, according to the more...
Europe lifts customs duties on Ukrainian exports
The European Commission said it has temporarily removed customs duties on imports of Ukrainian poultry, pork and beef in an act of support for the country more...
JBS Q1 net profit down 69% from last year
Brazil's JBS SA, the world's largest beef and poultry processor, posted a net profit of BRL69.98 million ($31.5 million) in the first quarter this year more...
E. coli O157 illnesses in Michigan likely related to ground beef
The Michigan Departments of Community Health (MDCH) and Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) along with local health departments in Kent, Livingston more...
Cargill’s Dodge City plant to layoff some workers
Cargill is reducing its workforce at the company’s beef slaughter facility in Dodge City, Kan., as cattle supplies are expected to remain tight more...
Proposed chicken plant clears another hurdle
After a daylong hearing, an appeals board in Delaware voted unanimously to uphold an environmental remediation plan for the site of a former pickle plant more...
Smithfield profit soars on pork price run-up
WH Group subsidiary Smithfield Foods Inc. said its earnings climbed to a record high in the first quarter as the crisis over porcine epidemic diarrhea more...
Ammonia leak evacuates Maple Leaf Foods plant
An ammonia leak Tuesday forced hundreds of workers to evacuate a Maple Leaf Foods meat plant in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, according to Canada’s more...
Increased meat prices help boost PPI
The Producer Price Index for final demand rose 0.6 percent in April, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. The seasonally adjusted more...
Cargill feedlot plans (CORRECTION)
Meatingplace incorrectly reported this morning that Cargill is closing its Dalhart, Texas, feedlot. The feedlot is not closing. Last year Cargill announced more...
Would-be acquirer alleges misconduct by, wants money back from Quantum Foods
Raging Bull Acquisition Co., the company that was lined up to buy Bolingbrook, Ill.-based Quantum Foods LLC in bankruptcy, has as a part of that case more...
U.S. pork, beef exports accelerate in March
U.S. beef and pork exports accelerated in March on double-digit increases in leading markets Mexico, the China/Hong Kong region and South Korea, according more...
Technomic looks at latest fast casual trend: BBQ
An emerging concept for the fast casual restaurant sector is barbecue, according to Darren Tristano, executive vice president of the food research firm more...
Family restaurant visits continue downward trend: NPD
Families with children are still making fewer visits to restaurants, continuing a six-year trend, according to a new report from NPD Group Inc. Family more...
Nebraska processor seeks to expand
Fremont Beef Company is planning to build a 50,000-square-foot addition to its facility in Fremont, Neb. On Tuesday the Fremont City Council will take more...
Another protein company diversifies
When Hillshire Farms announced earlier today it is purchasing Pinnacle Foods in a deal valued at $6.6 billion including debt, it became the latest protein more...
Missouri meat processor expects to resume operations soon
A custom exempt processor in Aurora, Mo., is preparing to resume operations after being temporarily shut down by officials at the Missouri Department more...
Man killed in accident at Hillshire plant
A sanitation worker at a Hillshire Brands facility in Michigan was killed early Saturday in an accident, a company spokesman confirmed to Meatingplace more...
Former Quantum Foods executive joins seafood processor
Peter Brown, the former president of struggling meat processor Quantum Foods, has been named president and chief operating officer of seafood processor more...
Keystone founder Herb Lotman dies
Herb Lotman, founder of Keystone Foods, died Thursday from complications of heart failure. He was 80 years old. West Conshohocken, Pa.-based Keystone more...
Salami maker, shut down by state, seeks donations
The state of Wisconsin has shut down a small producer of specialty salami in Milwaukee that was the subject of a recall last month for incorrect labeling more...
Multicultural millennials; how they shop, what they eat
WASHINGTON — The millennial generation, broadly defined as those born after 1980, are about 40 percent multicultural with 20 percent identifying more...
JBS and Temple Grandin sign animal welfare agreement
JBS and Temple Grandin are expected to sign today a technical cooperation agreement at the Beef Sumit Brasil event in the city of Riberão Preto more...
Marketing meat to millennials takes a new mindset
WASHINGTON — Speakers at the Animal Agriculture Alliance conference here painted a tricky picture of marketing to millennials (those born after more...
Village grants meat plant more time to move
The village of Black Earth, Wisc., has given Black Earth Meats an indefinite extension on its requirement that the slaughter and fabrication plant find more...
Cargill agrees to license genomic technology
Cargill Inc. and Branhaven LLC said they entered into a non-exclusive agreement to license their BeefGen genomic technology to BeefTek Inc. The BeefGen more...
FSIS, APHIS team up to fight foodborne illness
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have signed an agreement to collaborate comprehensively more...
Perdue names supply chain, sales executives
Perdue Foods announced it has created two new leadership positions. Randy Day has been named executive vice president of supply chain and Mark McKay has more...
Subway tests thinner meat slices on sandwiches
Subway is experimenting with thinner slices of deli meat on its sandwiches as a way to improve “bite” and appearance, the company’s more...
WH Group’s failed IPO: The backstory
The China Economic Review business publication has posted an analysis of WH Group’s scuttled — for now — IPO lists a host of Murphy’s more...
Mexico expands access to U.S. beef
The Mexican government has decided to expand access of U.S. beef imports, U.S. Meat Export Federation spokesman Joe Schuele confirmed for Meatingplace more...
Hillshire Brands celebrates fruits of cost cutting, brand strength in Q3
Hillshire Brands Co. cited cost-cutting efforts over the last two years — along with strengthening its brands through advertising and promotions more...
Tyson analysts adjust earnings expectations
Equity analysts have recalculated their expectations for future earnings for Tyson Foods Inc. after the company’s second quarter earnings results more...
Iconic Chicago eatery closing for good
No, not Alinea, Blackbird, Gene & Georgetti’s or Everest, but Hot Doug’s, where Chicago-style hot dogs — or hot dog-type sandwiches more...
Tyson posts solid Q2 profits but falls short of estimates
Tyson Foods today reported a 58-percent jump in earnings in the second quarter of 2014, but fell just shy of the consensus earnings estimate expected more...
Brenneman steps down at Butterball (updated)
Turkey product giant Butterball today named Kerry Doughty as the company’s president and chief executive officer (CEO) effective May 5, succeeding more...
Private equity firm buys Wisconsin sausage maker
Tall Tree Foods, a portfolio company of Altamont Capital Partners, announced it has purchased Klement Sausage Co., a leading manufacturer of premium more...
Analyst sees nearly 10% drop in hog slaughter by Q3
Agricultural economist Steve Meyer, president of Paragon Economics, is forecasting third quarter hog slaughter will be down 9.7 percent from last year more...
WHO’s first global report on antimicrobial resistance
The World Health Organization’s first global report on antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance, calls it a serious health threat more...
Restaurant outlook optimistic in March
Stronger same-store sales and customer traffic, and a more optimistic outlook among restaurant operators, drove the National Restaurant Association’s more...
Giving back briefs: Bob Evans, Tyson, Hormel, Cargill
Bob Evans Farms Inc. has raised more than $100,000 to help fund research to fight Type 1 diabetes, the autoimmune disorder formerly known as juvenile more...
Food truck selling pulled pork with a buzz
Now that Colorado and Washington have legalized small amounts of recreational marijuana, entrepreneurs are proliferating vehicles within which to serve more...
Pilgrim’s showing strong appetite for an acquisition
Pilgrim’s, which reported an 80 percent jump in first-quarter earnings on Thursday, is “very busy” evaluating acquisition possibilities more...
Tornado devastates poultry farms
As many as 30 chicken farms in Mississippi were damaged by a massive tornado yesterday, with one Tyson Foods contract grower losing most of its 220,000 more...
Butterball offers two new burger products
Butterball is introducing two new turkey burger options at the start of the grilling season: Butterball Every Day All Natural White Turkey Burgers and more...
Global restaurant chain giant names new CEO
Yum! Brands announced today it has named Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed to succeed David Novak as Yum! Brands CEO effective Jan. 1, 2015. Novak, who has served more...
April 2014
Cargill seeks to expand Calif. beef plant, add 300 jobs (UPDATED)
Cargill will pitch plans to expand its Fresno, Calif., beef plant at a public hearing scheduled for May 22, according to a report by the Fresno Business more...
Klement Sausage Co. said to be for sale
Milwaukee-based Klement Sausage Co., best known for the Famous Klement’s Racing Sausages that perform at Milwaukee Brewers games, is for sale and more...
NPPC: Hog prices could climb 15-25 percent on PEDv
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) could push up U.S. hog prices by 15 percent to 25 percent and consumer prices for pork by 10 percent to 12 percent more...
Chicken industry a ‘drought away’ from ‘economic crisis,’ NCC says
The chicken industry is enjoying good net margins in today’s market, but it is only “one drought away from another economic crisis” more...
Smithfield parent pulls IPO, citing weak demand (updated)
Smithfield parent WH Group has postponed its already reduced initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, citing deteriorating market conditions more...
ABC News gets temporary stay in lawsuit battle
The South Dakota Supreme Court has issued a temporary stay on Beef Products Inc.’s defamation lawsuit against ABC News, halting the case’s more...
University develops communication tool for poultry producers
A new self-guided DVD and smart phone-accessible website are closing the link between academia, industry, government and poultry producers to help more...
Togo’s adds Italian sandwich to menu
San Jose, Calif.-based sandwich chain Togo's Eateries Inc. announced its new “#16 Primo Italian,” an Italian sandwich “packed” more...
Consumers underestimate nutrition benefits of meat, poultry
Most consumers don’t fully recognize the nutrition benefits that meat and poultry offer, according to a recent survey conducted online by Harris more...
Smithfield parent IPO size continues to shrivel
Estimates of the expected size of Smithfield parent WH Group’s initial public offering on the Hong Kong exchange now range as low as $1.3 billion more...
California Pizza Kitchen adds ribeye steaks in menu revamp
The restaurant chain known for its California-style cuisine – including hand-tossed, hearth-baked pizzas – is testing a revamped more...
Cooper endows USPOULTRY Foundation
The Cooper Family Foundation has endowed the Virgil H. Cooper Turkey Fund to support industry research and recruiting, according to the USPOULTRY Foundation more...
Alberta levels environmental charges at Cargill
The Alberta provincial government has filed charges against Cargill Ltd. over a 2012 incident involving compromised waste water samples from the company’s more...
Beef, pork, poultry; whatever is for dinner is costing more
USDA reported beef and veal prices in March were up 7.4 percent from a year ago, while pork prices were up 5.3 percent and poultry prices rose 3 percent more...
Report takes aim at EU nitrogen emissions from meat production
A report from a United Nations task force says the European Union could reduce nitrogen emissions by as much as 40 percent if its citizens cut their meat more...
Taco Bell to test fast-casual concept with premium tacos, craft beer
Taco Bell Corp. is launching a fast-casual concept focused on upscale tacos, thick-cut fries and eventually alcohol-infused shakes and craft beers, a more...
Obama, Abe talk around beef as negotiations continue
Marathon trade talks between U.S. and Japanese negotiators this week in the context of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement failed to reach more...
Brazil investigates cow with 'nerve disease', similar to past atypical BSE cases
Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture is investigating the new case of an animal with symptoms of a “nerve disease” that collapsed while at a slaughterhouse more...
Retailer first to launch USDA Certified Very Tender beef program
North Carolina-based Harris Teeter has become the first retailer in the country to offer USDA Certified Very Tender beef. The Kroger-owned subsidiary more...
Rastelli Foods Group breaks ground on expansion
Rastelli Foods Group announced it broke ground on an expansion that will nearly double the size of the current processing and manufacturing plant. The more...
Veterinarians report more cases of PEDv
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network reported that 262 tests for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) proved positive out of 819 conducted more...
USDA funds climate change research
A $6 million chunk of research dollars USDA doled out Tuesday to help academia study climate change impacts on agriculture and develop mitigating strategies more...
Applegate rolls out breakfast patties
Applegate Farms is introducing Naturals Sausage Patties, a line of poultry patties made from “humanely raised” chickens and turkeys that were more...
Consumers more trusting of food companies
Nearly two out of three consumers (65 percent) want to know more about where their food comes from — although food companies are increasingly one more...
Briefs filed on all sides in COOL case
Several briefs have been filed this week in the lawsuit over the enforcement of current mandatory country of origin labeling requirements. The U.S. Court more...
Smithfield parent delays public offer pricing on soft demand: Reuters
Smithfield parent WH Group, now the world's biggest pork company, is slashing its proposed Hong Kong initial public offering and delaying pricing to next more...
Analyst cuts Hillshire Farms 2014 estimate on PEDv concerns
Concerns that higher pork costs in the wake of PEDv will hurt profits, Stephens Inc. analyst Farha Aslam is cutting her earnings estimate for Hillshire more...
NPB debuts new video highlighting sustainability
The National Pork Board has a new video that highlights the ways that hog farmers are raising more pork using fewer natural resources. The group more...
Hillshire expands beyond protein with acquisition
The Hillshire Brands Company and private equity firm Catterton Partners have inked a deal to buy Van’s Natural Foods – a health food company more...
U.S./Japan still unable to agree on beef trade agreement
U.S. and Japanese government negotiators late last week failed to reach an agreement on opening Japan’s market more broadly to U.S. beef imports more...
KFC revives Double Down breadless “sandwich”
For the first time in four years, KFC is promoting a high-calorie product comprised of bacon and cheese between two chicken breasts standing in for bread more...
Florida sausage company files for Chapter 11 protection
A Tampa, Fla.-based maker of sausages and smoked meats, Crofton & Sons, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company markets its products under more...
Beef plant gets $4 million in Iowa tax credits
The Iowa Economic Development Authority on Friday said its board approved $4 million in state tax credits for Iowa Premium Beef’s $48 million plant more...
USDA to require reporting of PEDv
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today USDA’s plan to combat porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) and swine delta coronavirus by requiring more...
Quantum Foods moves to complete sale
Quantum Foods LLC, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware in February, moved to cancel the official auction of its assets and accept the stalking more...
Wisconsin firm recalls salami products
Milwaukee-based Bolzano Artisan Meats is recalling approximately 5,723 pounds of salami products for misbranding and because they were produced without more...
CDC data show salmonella infections down; campylobacter up
The Centers for Disease Control’s 2013 Food Safety Progress Report showed a 9 percent decrease in salmonella infections in 2013 compared to the more...
Post buys Michael Foods; analyst still bullish on Tyson
Post Holdings announced it will buy Michael Foods (MFI Holding) for about $2 billion, after weeks of speculation that it and Tyson Foods were bidding more...
JBS ordered to pay $1.1 million on worker conditions
The Brazilian Ministry of Labor of Acre State has ordered JBS to pay $1.1 million in collective moral damages, per its website. Federal Prosecutor Marielle more...
Cargill gives $150,000 to National Pork Board for PEDv feed research
As the first anniversary of confirmation of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) in the United States nears, Cargill's Animal Nutrition and Pork more...
Neighbors appeal JBS pork plant expansion
Residents of Butchertown in Louisville, Ky., have filed in circuit court an appeal to overturn local officials’ approval of JBS USA’s plans more...
U.S. pork, beef exports start strong but face challenges in Mexico
U.S. pork and beef exports to Mexico excelled through February, but the market is a mix of great potential and challenges, according to the U.S. Meat more...
Sugar-vinegar blend destroys campylobacter, salmonella in poultry study
A simple mix of sugar and vinegar reduced campylobacter and salmonella counts in refrigerated poultry products in a Korean study, demonstrating that the more...
Sub sandwich chain adds 10 items to menu
Fast casual restaurant chain Firehouse Subs has launched a new "Hearty & Flavorful, Under 500 Calories" menu, the largest and most significant menu more...
National Beef faces $3.7 million water pollution fine
National Beef Packing Co.’s slaughterhouse in Brawley, Calif., faces a fine of more than $3.7 million for alleged water pollution violations. In more...
La.’s Chisesi Bros. gets $7.1 million USDA boost
New Orleans-based local favorite Chisesi Brothers Meat Packing Co. has been named a recipient of a $7.1 million loan guarantee from the USDA’s Rural more...
Cargill sniffs out odor issue at Neb. plant
Cargill is trying to fix an odor problem at its further processing plant in Nebraska City, Neb. The company has discovered that the odor is emanating more...
AMI recognizes plants for safety, environmental management
The American Meat Institute recently recognized poultry and meat processing plants that have excelled in the areas of worker safety and environmental more...
Tyson reportedly one of two final bidders for Michael Foods: Reuters
Tyson Foods and Post Holdings are the final bidders to buy Michael Foods Group for nearly $2.4 billion, according to Reuters, quoting people familiar more...
Smithfield parent execs cash in from massive stock offer
Last week’s $5.3-billion initial public offer (IPO) launch of WH Group Ltd. stock has provided a windfall for two of the Hong Kong-based conglomerate’s more...
Pork industry loses swine health, food safety expert
Dr. James McKean, longtime Iowa State University Swine Extension veterinarian and porcine disease and food safety researcher, has died. "Swine more...
More PEDv cases across more states reported
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network reported late last week that 257 tests for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) proved positive out of more...
Costco considering site to build hot dog plant
Costco is making plans to build a 310,000-square-foot meat processing plant near an existing warehouse facility in Morris, Ill., an economic development more...
Meat prices, notably pork, help push PPI higher
The Producer Price Index for final demand rose 0.5 percent last month, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The seasonally more...
Hormel exec sees accelerating sales for REV snack product
Even with a solid head start in one of the more competitive snack food markets — protein-based snack products — Hormel Corp. is looking more...
Giving back: Cargill, Johnsonville, Perdue
Cargill’s meat processing facility in Columbus, Neb., and beef processing facility in Schuyler, Neb., are donating $100,000, including corporate more...
Hog producers say restructuring processor hasn’t paid them
Producers who shipped hogs to a Canadian processor that is restructuring its operations say they have not been paid for animals delivered last week to more...
Smithfield parent sets initial stock offering; sets IPO date
China’s WH Group Ltd., which last year bought Smithfield Foods, will launch its initial public stock offering on the Hong Kong stock exchange later more...
Chicago-area seafood firm buys Chicago artisanal sausage maker
Fortune Fish & Gourmet announced the company has purchased Chef Martin’s Alpine Brand Sausages, a Chicago-based maker of small-batch, premium more...
CDC updates Foster Farms outbreak illnesses
The Centers for Disease Control on Wednesday reported as of April 7, 2014, a total of 524 persons infected with seven outbreak strains of Salmonella Heidelberg more...
Idaho gov asks court to toss ‘ag-gag’ lawsuit
Attorneys for Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter have asked the federal court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Animal Legal Defense Fund over more...
Big purchase for small town — thanks, pork plant!
Rantoul Foods/Trim-Rite Foods in Rantoul, Ill., may soon be buying the village nearly $200,000 for new equipment for the waste water treatment facility more...
Hog plant temporarily idled as processor restructures
Operations were suspended Monday at the downtown Toronto plant of Quality Meat Packers and Toronto Abattoirs Ltd. after the company last week sought protection more...
OSI announces promotions to executive team
OSI Group LLC has announced two promotions to its executive team. The company promoted Sherry DeMeulenaere to senior vice president and chief financial more...
Seattle officials favors limits on antibiotic use on livestock
Seattle has become the fifth U.S. city — and the largest — to approve a resolution supporting a statewide and national ban on the use of non-therapeutic more...
Cargill quarterly earnings take a hit, but not from meat
Cargill Inc. today reported net earnings of $319 million in its fiscal 2014 third quarter ended Feb. 28, down 28 percent from $445 million in the year-ago more...
FAO posts draft guidelines for livestock, poultry environmental impact
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has posted Lifecycle Assessment Guidelines developed by its Livestock Environmental more...
Subway tests new pulled pork sub with a kick
Subway is testing a new iteration of its pulled pork sandwich in its Chicago-area restaurants, according to multiple media reports. The new Kung Pao Pulled more...
Mississippi sausage plant to close
Pontotoc, Miss.-based Southern Quality Meats notified its 110 plant workers on Friday that the plant is closing, according to a company statement. Operations more...
Japan/Australia bilateral cuts beef tariff in half
Australia on Monday concluded a bilateral trade agreement with Japan that cuts the Japanese tariff on imported Australian frozen beef to 19.5 percent more...
Chinese protein giant makes another expansion purchase
The Chinese company that acquired Smithfield Foods Inc. last year in a $4.7-billion deal is expanding it global reach again. WH Group has agreed to acquire more...
Oscar Mayer extends Deli Fresh lunchmeat line
Kraft Foods’ Oscar Mayer brand announced it is expanding its Deli Fresh line of lunchmeats by introducing new Deli Fresh BOLD flavors. The Deli more...
Hebrew National lawsuit returns to lower court in Minnesota
A federal judge has sent a lawsuit filed in 2012 against ConAgra Foods Inc. and its Hebrew National hot dog brand back to a Minnesota state court where more...
Hillshire Brands closing sausage-cooking facility
The Hillshire Brands Company announced that it would discontinue all production at its Florence, Ala. facility by Dec. 30, 2014, affecting 1,100 employees more...
Meat group’s COOL argument gets another hearing
The meat groups’ request for a stay in the enforcement of country-of-origin labeling laws will get another hearing before a panel of judges of the more...
Texas further processor files for bankruptcy
Lubbock, Texas-based Pedro’s Tamales has voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company listed just over $523,000 in assets, and more more...
Wis. meat outlet recalls sausage containing potential allergen
Manitowoc, Wis.-based Griffin Meat Sales is voluntarily recalling its beef sticks, summer sausage, bologna and wieners of varying flavors containing a more...
Del Taco adds breakfast tacos
Lake Forest, Calif.-based Del Taco has introduced new breakfast tacos to its morning menu line-up. The new tacos include sausage and steak varieties, more...
More PEDv cases reported; Brazil pork industry asks for safeguards
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network reported on Wednesday that 247 tests for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) proved positive out of 802 more...
Meat industry sheds light on sanitation efforts
A new poll shows only 34 percent of Americans know that meat plants are cleaned and sanitized daily. The American Meat Institute decided to do something more...
World food costs soar; dry weather lifts beef
Global food prices reached their highest level in almost a year in March, driven by political tensions over Ukraine and unfavorable weather including more...
Greenpeace approves Amazon actions by JBS, other Brazil processors
Brazil's three largest beef slaughter companies – JBS SA, Marfrig Global Foods and Minerva Foods – have developed “effective” more...
Sale of Northern Beef Packers is finalized
A San Francisco-based investment firm has completed the purchase of the Northern Beef Packers plant in Aberdeen, S.D., according to local media reports more...
AMI board votes in favor of merger with NAMA
The American Meat Institute (AMI) board of directors today voted to proceed with a merger with the North American Meat Association (NAMA), AMI said in more...
Frozen chicken breasts recalled due to misbranding, undeclared allergens
AdvancePierre Foods’ Enid, Okla., plant is recalling some 8,730 pounds of frozen chicken breast products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens more...
News briefs: Tyson, A&P, CAB, CFI, China CEO
Forbes has named Tyson Foods as one of “America’s 100 Most Trustworthy Companies,” ranking sixth among large-cap companies. Forbes’ more...
Russia bans Aussie beef over stimulant
Russia has banned imports of refrigerated beef from Australia over the use of the growth stimulant trenbolone, according to the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS more...
JBS submits odor-control plans at Ky. pork plant
JBS USA has submitted plans to Louisville, Ky., officials for controlling odors at local pork plant, according to a report by the Louisville Courier-Journal more...
UFCW seeking to organize some OK Foods workers
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1000 in Heavener, Okla., announced OK Foods agreed to a May 1 election date for 55 maintenance and more...
Italian restaurant chain files bankruptcy
Johnny Carino’s Italian Kitchen has filed for bankruptcy protection, according to court documents. In 1997, Fired Up Restaurant Concepts acquired more...
March 2014
Organic poultry plant in Nevada to create hundreds of jobs
A company that specializes in green energy solutions has won approval to launch a $20-million organic poultry meat and egg production plant in west central more...
Farmers say they will plant record soybean acres, less corn
Corn planted area for all purposes in the United States in 2014 is estimated at 91.7 million acres, down 4 percent from last year, according to USDA’s more...
Maple Lodge Farms fined for animal transport violations
Brampton, Ontario-based Maple Lodge Farms agreed to pay a fine and implement improved animal welfare procedures to essentially close the books on charges more...
GIPSA settles case with Cargill on carcass weights
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration announced Cargill Meat Solutions agreed to pay a $10,175 penalty for failing to ensure more...
Court denies appeal of industry’s injunction request over COOL
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday denied the meat industry’s appeal of a denial of more...
Marin Sun Farms tries to step out of Rancho’s shadow
Marin Sun Farms officials said today they’re looking forward to opening a Petaluma, Calif., plant on April 7 and distancing their company from the more...
FDA launches online tool for reporting livestock feed problems
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has opened a new Web portal designed to give food manufacturers, drug manufacturers and the general public the opportunity more...
Hillshire plant remains closed after weekend fire
The Hillshire Brands Company’s Storm Lake, Iowa, turkey processing plant remains closed after a fire last Saturday evening as damage assessment more...
Fire closes beef plant for a week
At approximately 1 a.m. Thursday, FPL Food LLC experienced a minor fire in a section of the roof above the harvest floor of the plant located in Augusta more...
Perdue adding 190 new jobs in Virginia
Perdue Foods announced it is increasing capacity at its Mid-Atlantic Replenishment Center in Prince George, Va., with a $3 million investment in additional more...
Drug makers agree to limit antibiotics in food animals
The Food and Drug Administration said 25 drug companies have agreed to comply with its plan to phase out use of antibiotics to promote growth in animals more...
Researchers say transglutaminase plays role in gum disease
Scientists at Forsyth, an independent, not-for-profit research institute specializing in oral health and related-conditions, along with a colleague from more...
Russia bans beef from one JBS Australia unit over steroid, considers nationwide ban
Russia imposed a temporary ban on beef imports from an Australian unit of JBS SA after finding traces of the steroid trembolone, which is banned in Russia more...
NAMA honors Guy Loneragan
The North American Meat Association granted Guy Loneragan of Texas Tech University its Harry L. Rudnick Outstanding Educator award at a ceremony held more...
CDC releases 40 years of salmonella data
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new report availing 40 years of data on salmonella, the top foodborne cause of hospitalizations more...
Smashburger expands in “non-traditional” venues
Smashburger, the Denver-based chain of premium burger restaurants, has announced partnerships to open Smashburger locations at airports in Phoenix, Washington more...
‘Superdosing’ poultry diets with enzyme may save industry money
'Superdosing' poultry diets with the enzyme phytase could result in huge savings to the poultry industry, new research has revealed. The study, led more...
Small scores big in Consumer Reports ranking of supermarkets
Wegmans, Trader Joe's, Publix, Costco and Sprouts topped Consumer Reports’ most recent rankings of supermarkets based on shopper satisfaction with more...
PEDv to cause larger shortfall in hog market than first thought: Rabobank (updated)
The overall effect of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) on the nation’s hog supply will be steeper and longer than first estimated, according more...
JBS reports surging 2013 financial results
Brazil's JBS SA recorded overall net profit for fiscal 2013 of BRL926.9 million ($399.2 million), up 28.9 percent from 2012, on total net revenue more...
Maple Leaf Foods fined $110,000 over lost digits
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has been fined $110,000 after a worker lost fingers in a chopping machine, Ontario’s Ministry of Labor said in a news release more...
Smithfield results mixed in abbreviated period
In an abbreviated reporting period of just eight months, ended Dec. 29, 2013, Smithfield Foods reported net income of $86.6 million on sales of $9.6 billion more...
Two meat companies reportedly in the hunt for Unilever’s Ragu brand
The principals are keeping mum, but at least two meat processors reportedly are competing to acquire the Ragu pasta sauce brand from Unilever in a deal more...
Gourmet pizza maker reportedly to shutter Kansas facility
Schaumburg, Ill.-based Nation Pizza will shutter one of its two manufacturing facilities, according to a report in the Wichita Eagle. The facility in more...
USDA reports more cattle placed on feed than expected in February
USDA reported cattle placed in feedlots during February totaled 1.65 million, 15 percent above February 2013. On average, analysts polled by Urner Barry more...
Five Guys’ Moseley on phenomenal growth, beef supply
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Mark Moseley, director of franchise operations for the fastest-growing quick service food chain in the world, is eager to more...
Pork supplies in cold storage rose in February
Frozen pork supplies in February were up 6 percent from the previous month and up 3 percent from last year, according to USDA’s monthly Cold Storage more...
Two Smithfield plants OK to export to Russia
Earlier this month, USDA announced Russia approved two Smithfield Food plants to export pork products to that country made from hogs never fed beta-agonists more...
USDA updates new PEDv cases in U.S.; gauges Canadian hog impact
USDA reported this week another 296 new cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv), bringing the cumulative cases reported since the disease entered more...
McDonald’s COO to retire due to severe asthma problems
McDonald's Corp. announced today that that Chief Operating Officer Tim Fenton will retire from the company Oct. 1 due to asthma problems so severe he more...
Tyson addresses criticism from WSJ review of ‘The Meat Racket’
Tyson Foods responded to criticism of the company’s tournament system of paying chicken growers laid out in a Wall Street Journal review of “The more...
Smithfield unit sets marketing plan for agreement with hot dog maker
Lisle, Ill.-based John Morrell Food Group, a division of Smithfield Foods, announced its marketing plan for the previously announced exclusive licensing more...
Union seeks extended benefits for former Cargill workers
The union representing 2,000 former employees of the shuttered Cargill meat plant in Plainview, Texas, has asked the federal government to extend the more...
ConAgra profit up on private label; some brands struggling
ConAgra Foods Inc. said quarterly profit nearly doubled on strength in its private label business even as sales of consumer foods declined 3.5 percent more...
The important role of expectations in the beef industry
(This report is reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing more...
Indiana Packers Corp. president to retire
Gary Jacobson, president and chief operating officer of Indiana Packers Corp. (IPC), will retire at the end of March, the company announced in a news more...
Gold’n Plump expands chicken patty line
GNP Company announced today the extension of its Gold’n Plump brand Frozen Chicken Patties line with two new flavors. The new Bacon & Cheddar more...
Craving protein, consumers look beyond meat
Consumers want more protein in their diets and are willing to look at meat alternatives to satisfy their hunger, according to the latest research from more...
SuKarne closes down feedlots in northern Mexico
Mexico-based processor SuKarne has begun closing down cattle feedlots in the northern city of General Escobedo, Nuevo Leon state, in keeping with a 2011 more...
New study questions fat consumption-heart disease link
An in-depth analysis of existing data on the consumption of different types of fats and their effect on coronary health has concluded that the evidence more...
Activists sue over constitutionality of Idaho ag protection law
Just weeks after the Idaho governor signed it into law, a host of activist organizations and individuals have sued the state's governor and attorney general more...
Nearly 70 federal lawmakers call for USDA to halt HIMP plan
A bipartisan coalition of 68 members of Congress have delivered a letter to the U.S Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) asking the agency to withdraw its plan more...
JBS pork plant expansion approved
Officials in Louisville, Ky., approved JBS USA’s controversial bid to expand its local pork plant, according to a report by the Courier-Journal more...
Roundtable defines sustainable beef
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef has issued for public comment a document that sets out to define the principles and criteria that constitute more...
Beef product Schmacon takes on bacon; wins an award
The beef industry’s answer to bacon, a product called Schmacon, received a 2014 Food and Beverage Innovations Award (FABI) presented by the more...
Quiznos assures smooth transition with suppliers during bankruptcy
Quiznos, which has filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, announced its distribution centers are open and fulfilling orders more...
Vegetarians suffer from lower quality of life: study
Vegetarians often suffer from allergies, cancer and mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders and depression. This, according to researchers at the Medical more...
Tyson keeps historic Iowa beef plant open
Tyson Foods Inc. confirmed today that it will keep open its historic Denison, Iowa, beef plant as market conditions have improved since the company announced more...
PEDv disaster relief sought for small pork producers
Two U.S. senators are urging USDA to approve disaster assistance for small pork producers hit by the deadly porcine endemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). Senators more...
Obama orders review of immigration enforcement practices
President Barack Obama has ordered a review of U.S. immigration enforcement practices to see how current procedures can be conducted “more humanely more...
Meat may stave off mental, physical declines in older men: study
A diet rich in animal protein may help older men maintain higher levels of physical, psychological and social function, according to a study from Japan more...
Study shows beta-agonist use increases cattle deaths (updated)
Even though cattle feedlot deaths are rare, beta-agonists (βAA) including zilpaterol and ractopamine fed to cattle to improved growth and increase more...
Kansas approves Seaboard Foods hog feeding expansion
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has approved a Seaboard Foods request to expand its Greeley County Ladder Creek hog feeding operations more...
Analyst explores whether hog price rise is overreaction to PEDv
(This report is reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission.) By Chris Hurt, extension economist, Purdue University How large are the more...
Pizza chain files for Chapter 11 protection
Sbarro and a number of related companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New York court on March 10. According to court paperwork, Sbarro more...
SEC files charges against AgFeed, execs
The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged AgFeed Industries Inc. and certain of its top executives with conducting a massive accounting fraud more...
Poultry, meat demand all up in 2013: analysts
Measures of consumer demand for all four major animal proteins were up for calendar 2013, the first time that has happened, livestock analyst Steve more...
Hillshire launches premium Ball Park franks
Hillshire Brands Co. is rolling out a premium frankfurter under the Ball Park brand that comes in four varieties and contains no artificial preservatives more...
A different take puts produce at top of GHG tally
When evaluating the carbon footprint of meats, vegetables and other foods, calculating greenhouse gas emissions by calorie rather than weight significantly more...
Authorities investigate death at Louis Rich plant in South Carolina
State and federal authorities are continuing an investigation into an accidental death at a Louis Rich plant near Newberry, S.C., over the weekend. The more...
LSD-laced beef not tampered with: Walmart
Walmart said it has no evidence that beef contaminated with LSD was tampered with before a family bought it at a Tampa, Fla., store, according to more...
AMI opposes OSHA bid for electronic injury data
AMI filed comments last week opposing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposal to require employers to electronically submit more...
Wendy’s adds new chicken offerings
Wendy's announced it has added two new permanent menu items to its premium salad line — the Asian Cashew Chicken Salad and BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad more...
Processor to build large poultry complex in Arkansas
Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based poultry processor Peco Foods announced plans to locate a new, fully integrated poultry facility in the Randolph and Clay counties more...
National Beef reportedly delays closure of Calif. plant
National Beef Packing Co.’s Brawley, Calif., beef packing plant will remain open until May 23, according to a report in the Imperial Valley Press more...
LSD-laced beef an isolated incident
The Tampa (Fla.) Police Department maintains that there have not been other reported cases of LSD ingestion from beef since a family was hospitalized more...
USDA sees more beef; less pork/poultry; pricier soybean meal
USDA lowered its total red meat and poultry production, as higher beef production is more than offset by lower pork, broiler and turkey production, according more...
Albertson’s, Safeway to merge
Safeway Inc. has agreed to be acquired by the investor group that owns Albertsons, and be merged with the latter supermarket chain, the companies said more...
Legislation introduced to prevent EPA from releasing producer info
United States Reps. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), Lee Terry (R-Neb.), Mike McIntyre (D-NC) and Jim Costa (D-Cal.) have introduced legislation to prohibit the more...
FAO food price index shows slight meat price dip
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported its monthly FAO Food Price Index averaged 208.1 points in February 2014, 5.2 points more...
Long-time IDDBA president dead at 83
Carol Christison, longtime International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA) president died on March 4. She was 83. Christison replaced retiring International more...
Zoning board votes down proposed N.Y. meat plant
An upstate New York town for the second time has rejected a developer’s plan to build a meat processing plant. Developer Tino Marcoccia had sought more...
U.S./Canadian cattle, hog inventories down
All cattle and calves in the United States and Canada combined totaled 99.9 million head on January 1, 2014, down 2 percent from the 101.6 million on more...
Canada sets new sow housing rules effective July 1
The Canadian Pork Council has updated its Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs that includes a commitment to adopt loose housing for sows more...
U.S. continues to pressure Taiwan on ractopamine levels in pork
The United States continues to pressure Taiwan into establishing a maximum residue level (MRL) on the use of ractopamine in pork. This, according to the more...
Accidental wastewater discharge at Cargill plant
Cargill Meat Solutions’ pork processing plant in Ottumwa, Iowa, was the site of an accidental discharge of wastewater Monday night, according to more...
Tyson Foods lands Defense Department contract
The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Tyson Foods a three-year contract worth a maximum of $444 million to supply chicken to the department. Tyson more...
Study links diet rich in animal protein to higher death, cancer rates
A new study links a high-protein diet to increased cancer, diabetes and mortality in middle-aged people but found higher protein consumption may be protective more...
BBQ chain fires COO soon after CEO departure
Famous Dave’s of America has notified President and Chief Operating Officer Christopher O’Donnell that his employment will terminate effective more...
CFIA reports results of PEDv tests related to hog feed
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has officially announced it was unable to confirm a link between feed containing blood plasma and Porcine Epidemic more...
CDC boosts Foster Farms salmonella outbreak to nearly 500 cases
Federal officials report that seven different strains of salmonella linked to chicken produced by Foster Farms have sickened at least 481 people in 25 more...
Allen Harim rebrands with new logo, mission
Allen Harim Foods has unveiled a new logo and color palette, and a new take on its mission statement that reflects the evolution of the company, Allen more...
Processor launches Korea-inspired frozen food line
American Halal Co.’s Safron Road brand is introducing a new line of frozen meals and tacos inspired by traditional Korean cuisine exclusively for more...
Tests raise doubt about feed as source of PEDv
Tests conducted in the U.S. and Canada on animal feed have determined that even when the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) is present, it may not more...
Savell honored with 'distinguished' title
Jeffrey W. Savell, regents professor of animal science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University has been appointed one of more...
Quiznos rolls out ‘toasty’ pastas
Denver-based Quiznos quick service restaurant chain is introducing six new pasta offerings to its menus. True to the company’s tagline, the pastas more...
‘Self’ magazine joins branded food biz
Self magazine has unveiled its own Self Healthy Kitchen line of frozen foods, available at retail, the company said in a news release. The publication more...
February 2014
Rancho Feeding apologizes, tells USDA to spare local ranchers
A California slaughterhouse shuttered while USDA investigates allegations that the company sold product from diseased animals has issued a statement apologizing more...
McDonald’s wants more feedback on customized burgers
McDonald’s, which has been experimenting with customized burger ordering, is looking to gather more feedback on the concept, the company confirmed more...
Meat House company faces mounting lawsuits
While trying to right its financial ship, the owners of Dover, N.H.-based Meat House chain of franchised high-end butcher and gourmet foods shops face more...
Quiznos may be headed for bankruptcy filing: report
Quiznos, the toasted sandwich chain, is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources familiar more...
O.K. Foods CEO departs quietly; Goins takes over
Trent Goins, former senior vice president of sales and marketing of O.K. Industries, has assumed the helm of the Fort Smith, Ark.-based poultry processor more...
FDA details proposed nutrition label changes
Updated serving sizes, more focus on calories, and information about added sugars could be coming soon to the ubiquitous Nutrition Facts panel. The Food more...
Upstate N.Y. company opens slaughterhouse
The USDA-inspected Adirondack Meat Company Inc. has opened a slaughterhouse to serve farmers in upstate New York’s Champlain Valley. The 7,500-square-foot more...
Imported liver pâté products recalled for lack of full inspection
Sun Hing Foods, Inc., the Importer of Record, a South San Francisco, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 1,282 pounds of Canadian liver more...
Study ties grilling meat to higher risk of Alzheimer’s, diabetes
New research suggests that compounds found in high levels in grilled and broiled meats increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and pre-diabetes more...
Fast casual has the lead in outlet growth
The number of restaurants in the fast casual category grew 6 percent between fall 2012 and fall 2013, the largest growth in any category nationwide, according more...
Canada is top market for American “high-value” ag goods
A new USDA report breaks down the value of Canadians’ purchasing of “high-value” agricultural goods made in the United States — more...
Sbarro to close some eateries
Sbarro announced on Wednesday it plans to close 155 of its North American, company-owned eateries. “The action represents an important step towards more...
Optimism at Sanderson Farms in wake of strong Q1 results
Sanderson Farms Inc. today reported strong profits in the first quarter of 2014 thanks in part to lower production costs and steady consumer demand for more...
Peco Foods to acquire Townsends poultry complex (updated)
(This story was re-issued in error and has been withdrawn. Peco Foods has owned the Townsend complext in Batesville, Ark. since 2011.) more...
Boneless beef prices hit record high
Last Friday, the benchmark 90CL (90 percent lean) boneless beef price, central U.S. basis, was quoted at an all-time record high of $250.68 per hundredweight more...
USDA, White House propose curbing junk food marketing in schools
The USDA and First Lady Michelle Obama have proposed guidelines that would, among other policies, curb the marketing in schools of food and beverages more...
Chinese meat processor unit of WH Group posts big profit boost
The Chinese meat-processing arm of WH Group Ltd. posted a 33.7-percent increased in net income in fiscal 2013, setting the stage for a successful public more...
Taco Bell entering breakfast market
Yum! Brands’ Taco Bell chain announced it will roll out nationally on March 27 a breakfast menu that includes hand-held items, becoming the latest more...
Oscar Mayer introduces Portable Protein Pack
Kraft’s Oscar Mayer brand is introducing the P3 Portable Protein Pack, which combines meat, cheese and nuts, in an effort to compete with snack more...
Animal health giant buys poultry vaccine maker
Elanco, the animal health division of Eli Lilly and Company, announced an agreement to acquire Lohmann SE (Lohmann Animal Health), a privately held feed more...
U.S. and Canada harmonized meat cut names
The United States and Canada have agreed to harmonize the terminology used for wholesale meat cuts, effective today, USDA announced. Both more...
Senators urge TPP to resist Japan request for ag product exemptions
In a letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, 17 senators led by Michael Bennett (D-Colo.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) asked for assurances more...
Pilgrim’s profit jumps; sees expansion ahead
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. reported a big increase in fourth-quarter profit as it maintained its focus on paring costs and outlined a number of ways more...
Creekstone expansion on track
A city commission has approved annexation of the last parcels of land necessary to complete an expansion of the Creekstone Farms facility in Arkansas more...
Unilever sells meat snack business to U.S. firm
London-based Unilever announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its meat snacks business to Minong, Wis.-based Jack Link’s, for an more...
Recall-wrecked Rancho Feeding is being sold
Rancho Feeding Corp., shuttered after recalling 9 million pounds of beef harvested from diseased animals and without the benefit of federal inspection more...
Skippy, bacon lift Hormel profit despite the weather
Hormel Foods’ first-quarter profit jumped 18 percent as higher Skippy peanut butter sales, strong bacon demand and positive pork operating margins more...
Walmart puts its eggs in Neighborhood Market basket
Walmart will accelerate the growth of its smaller retail formats, including its grocery Neighborhood Markets, following weak earnings for the fourth quarter more...
Meat, overall PPIs up in January
The Producer Price Index rose 0.2 percent last month, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. The seasonally adjusted more...
Arizona, Idaho latest states to mull animal abuse reporting bills
The Idaho House Agriculture Affairs Committee is slated to consider that state’s “Agriculture Production Interference” today, just days more...
Central Valley reopens after correcting sanitation problems (UPDATE)
Central Valley Meat Co. has reopened its Hanford, Calif., processing plant after taking measures to correct sanitation issues that prompted USDA to withdraw more...
Calif. water agency offers National Beef a break on upgrades
The Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board is offering to hold off on its enforcement of upgrades needed to National Beef Co.’s more...
New book on modern meat industry seen as a “hit piece”
The National Chicken Council and American Meat Institute have come out swinging in their defense of the meat industry in response to a new book that takes more...
Meat House has new investor, co-founder says
The Meat House company of franchised butcher and gourmet food shops has been experiencing “financial hurdles,” but has a new capital investor more...
Don’t give up on immigration reform in ’14: Tamar Jacoby
The momentum behind immigration reform seemed to disappear after the House Republican retreat in Maryland at the end of January. But changes to immigration more...
Cargill resumes production at Iowa pork plant
Production resumed at Cargill Meat Solutions' Ottumwa, Iowa pork processing plant on Tuesday, after an overnight water main break in the city closed it more...
Asian countries move to contain spread of avian flu
Health authorities in Hong Kong have extended a ban on live poultry from mainland China for another four months, even as Vietnam takes additional steps more...
USDA projects per capita beef, pork, poultry consumption
U.S. red meat and poultry per capita consumption is expected to decline again in 2014, but USDA sees this year as the bottom for consumption and predicts more...
Researchers use DNA from exceptional carcass to produce donor cow
Beef researchers in Texas are just a month away from producing a large number of embryos from recently cloned male and female cattle -- all part of an more...
USDA projects long-term trends for red meat and poultry exports
USDA expects U.S. red meat and poultry exports to rise over the next decade. In its “USDA Agricultural Projections to 2023” report the agency more...
Pork Board ups multicultural marketing with new agency
The National Pork Board has selected Republica, a cross-cultural advertising, digital, and communications agency, as its national multicultural marketing more...
News briefs: Lamblympics, IPC consultant, fast casual CEO and more
On the heels of the Winter Olympics, Superior Farms has dedicated a new consumer sweepstakes to the theme. “The Lamblympics” involves an online more...
Hormel cooperating with ICE identity theft investigation
Six Hormel Foods employees were arrested this week when officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement visited its plant in Freemont, Neb., a Hormel more...
Rancho Feeding co-packer issues its own recall
In the wake of Rancho Feeding’s massive recall of all goods produced over a year’s time, Pescadero, Calif.-based LeftCoast GrassFed is issuing more...
Feds avail drought assistance for California livestock producers
USDA announced today the availability of additional assistance for California livestock and other agriculture producers amid the state’s severe more...
Russian meat processors ask Putin to lift EU pork ban: report
Russia’s largest meat processors have asked President Vladimir Putin in an open letter to lift restrictions placed recently on imports of pork from more...
Another processor rolls out turkey patty products
Hillshire Brand’s Ball Park brand announced it has rolled out its first fully cooked frozen turkey patty products. The Flame Grilled more...
Kroger sued over Perdue chicken products
Kroger Co. on Tuesday was named in a lawsuit alleging that it organized a deceptive campaign to market products made from chicken from Perdue Farms as more...
Latest salvo in the new poultry inspection rule war (updated)
Food and Water Watch sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking him to look into staffing deficiencies at the Food Safety and Inspection more...
Second try for proposed N.Y. plant
A developer who wants to build a meat plant in upstate New York will present his plans to the local zoning board for a second time, the Rome Observer more...
Calif. town offers National Beef incentives to stay
Brawley, Calif., officials on Tuesday released details of an incentive package to try to persuade National Beef Packing Co. to keep its plant open, according more...
JBS to acquire Brazil poultry processor Frinal, strengthen global position
SAO PAULO — JBS SA will add at least 120,000 birds-per-day of slaughter capacity to it's position as the world's top poultry processor after reaching more...
Chick-fil-A pledges to go antibiotic-free
Chick-fil-A Inc. said it has committed to serve antibiotic-free chicken at all of its restaurants nationwide within five years, responding to consumer more...
Utah firm recalls 90,000 pounds of beef jerky products
Prime Snax Incorporated, a Salt Lake City, Utah establishment, is recalling approximately 90,000 pounds of beef jerky products because of misbranding more...
Rancho Feeding closed; OIG investigating after massive beef recall (updated)
The California company that recalled nearly 9 million pounds of beef products last week has voluntarily closed and USDA's Office of the Inspector more...
Specialty Foods Group to cut 250 jobs by March 1
Specialty Foods Group Inc. of Hampton, Va., is preparing to lay off about 250 workers in Illinois, according to notification paperwork filed with state more...
Hormel fuses turkey, rice, vegetables and fruit in a burger
In the latest indication protein processors are looking to meet evolving consumer protein preferences, Hormel Foods has introduced a new fully-cooked more...
NCC releases 2014 animal welfare guidelines, audit checklist
The 2014 update of the National Chicken Council (NCC) Animal Welfare Guidelines incorporates new parameters to improve bird welfare. The new guidelines more...
Cargill introduces premium turkey burger line
Cargill announced its Honeysuckle White and Shady Brook Farms brands are rolling introducing six varieties of premium frozen turkey burgers nationwide more...
USDA raises price projections for cattle, hogs, broilers and turkeys
USDA lowered its 2014 forecast of total red meat and poultry production from last month as higher beef production is more than offset by lower pork, broiler more...
Cargill’s Nebraska plant back to full production
Cargill’s beef processing plant in Schuyler, Neb. was back to full slaughter production on Monday for the first time since a fire at the plant early more...
Smithfield parent hires bankers for $5-billion IPO: reports
The Chinese owner of Smithfield Foods has set a roster of at least 17 banks to lead its initial public offer this spring, according to reports in the more...
Winter weather takes its toll on McDonald’s January domestic sales
Severe winter weather is being partially blamed for a 3.3-percent drop in comparable monthly sales at McDonald’s Corp.’s U.S. restaurants more...
Cargill plant remains closed on Friday
Cargill’s beef processing plant in Schuyler, Neb., remained closed for a second day on Friday as USDA and plant officials continue to assess the more...
House leader says immigration reform unlikely to pass
The yearlong effort to overhaul U.S. immigration laws, which had the support of President Obama, Republican leaders and business and labor leaders, was more...
President signs farm bill, rolls out “Made in Rural America” program
President Obama was scheduled to sign the nearly $1 trillion farm bill into law this afternoon on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing more...
FAO food price index falls
The FAO Food Price Index fell in January for the first time in three months as lower prices of cereals, sugars, oils and meat outweighed gains in dairy more...
Ammonia leak, fire close Cargill plant
Cargill had to close its beef processing plant in Schuyler, Neb. on Thursday after an ammonia leak and fire were discovered, according to a company spokesman more...
Turkey groups want action on propane shortage
With more than 20 states issuing disaster declarations related to the propane shortage, the National Turkey Federation and Minnesota Turkey Growers Association more...
Nathan’s Famous reports earnings, details John Morrell agreement
Nathan’s Famous reported a 4.2 percent increase in net income in results for the third quarter of its 2014 fiscal year ended Dec. 29, 2013 as revenues more...
Glenmark debuts four new burgers
Glenmark, which developed the first individually quick frozen (IQF) burger for home use, has launched four new one-third-pound Angus burgers under the more...
Tyson Foods launches its first breakfast line
Tyson Foods, Inc. is adding a new line of breakfast items to its product offerings with Tyson Day Starts products. The line of frozen breakfast sandwiches more...
Two giants control 70% of Brazil's poultry exports
Nearly 70 percent of Brazilian poultry meat exports in 2013 were controlled by two companies, BRF and JBS SA, according to the market's lead association more...
Fast casual segment still soars
Fast casual restaurants remain the winners as the rest of the dining-out market still struggles to climb out of the recession, according to new research more...
Smith and wife pledge large gift to U. of Tenn.
Tyson Foods CEO Donnie Smith and his wife, Terry, have pledged $3.2 million to establish the Donald and Terry Smith Endowed Chair for International Sustainable more...
Senate passes farm bill
After more than a year’s delay and several months of intense wrangling and days of last-minute deal-making, the Agriculture Act of 2014 was passed more...
NJ processor reopens after corrective measures
Federal regulators held in abeyance a suspension that temporarily shut down the Shrewsbury, N.J., operation of Catelli Brothers Inc. in late January. more...
Texas firm recalls beef products on E. coli concerns
Fort Worth, Texas-based PFP Enterprises is recalling about 15,865 pounds of beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O103, E. coli more...
Universal Pasteurization grows with latest purchase of HPP toll processor
UPC Texas LLC, the wholly owned subsidiary of Lincoln, Neb.-based high-pressure processor Universal Pasteurization Co., has acquired the assets of Global more...
Cargill rolls out finely textured beef labeling
Effective Jan. 20, 2014, all Cargill branded, U.S. produced, fresh, 100 percent ground beef products containing Finely Textured Beef include a printed more...
Cattle report shows herd declining, but hints of future rebuilding
USDA on Friday issued its annual U.S. Cattle Inventory Report, which showed a continued decline in the cattle herd, but also hinted that ranchers may more...
Agriprocessors former manager sentenced
Federal Judge Linda Reade on Friday sentenced former Agriprocessors manager Hosam Amara to 41 months in prison, but granted him 11 months' credit for more...
Russia blocks European pork on fears of African Swine Fever
Officials in Russia have temporarily suspended the import of hogs and pork products from European Union nations following the discovery of an outbreak more...
January 2014
National Beef to close Calif. plant, affecting 1,300 workers
National Beef Packing Co. announced today plans to shutter its Brawley, Calif., beef packing plant due to a declining supply of fed cattle in the region more...
Tyson posts strong quarter; assesses bird flu, PEDv impact
Tyson Foods Inc. posted its stronger-ever first-quarter sales on Friday while saying it would curb expansion in China due to the impact of avian influenza more...
FDA issues proposed rule on sanitary transport of food
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing a rule that would require certain shippers, receivers and carriers who transport food by motor or rail more...
Two generations of Prestages accept Jewell Award at IPPE
Two generations of the Prestage family were on-hand to accept the Jesse Jewell Award for innovation in the poultry industry at the International Production more...
Investor drops suit against Bob Evans
An investor has dropped its lawsuit seeking to break up Bob Evans Farms, in the wake of changes to the company’s bylaws that the investor group more...
Hillshire profit tops expectations as Jimmy Dean shines
Hillshire Brands reported strong second-quarter earnings, propelled by price increases and double-digit growth in its Jimmy Dean line of breakfast sandwiches more...
Hormel announces staffing switches in supply chain, grocery products, HR
Hormel Foods Corporation announced a set of retirements and advancements Thursday. Supply chain William Snyder, senior vice president of supply chain more...
Mar-Jac acquires Marshall Durbin
Mar-Jac Poultry has acquired all the assets of fellow poultry processor Marshall Durbin, a company official confirmed for Meatingplace. For Gainesville more...
Dutch block shipments after horsemeat found at plant
A year after a horsemeat scandal rocked Europe, Dutch authorities have blocked shipments from an unnamed slaughterhouse after horsemeat was discovered more...
Pa. sausage maker acquired by investment bank
Pittsburgh-based investors F.N.B. Capital Partners have announced the acquisition of Uncle Charley's Sausage Company, saying F.N.B. will boost funding more...
House passes farm bill
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Farm Bill bill by a 251-166 vote, much to the dismay of the meatpacking lobby lamenting the more...
Internal FDA review raised questions on nontherapeutic antibiotic use in livestock: report
An internal review by the Food and Drug Administration suggests some antibiotic feed additives currently approved for nontherapeutic livestock use wouldn't more...
AMI honors Boyle with its highest award
The American Meat Institute (AMI) today gave J. Patrick Boyle its highest award, the Industry Advancement Award, at the International Production & more...
Farm bill agreement details emerge
Congressional leaders say they have reached a bicameral agreement on a five-year farm bill dubbed “The Agricultural Act of 2014.” The House more...
NJ processor working with USDA following plant closure
A New Jersey-based meat processor is working with government regulators who suspended its operations last week following the release of a video showing more...
Butterball seeing salmonella success in SIP program
ATLANTA — Turkey processing giant Butterball has seen significant reductions in its products testing positive for salmonella since it started participating more...
USPoultry honors industry leaders at IPPE
ATLANTA — The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association honored industry leaders at the International Production & Processing Expo here this week. Charles more...
South Korea expands poultry culling program in light of H5N8 detection
Officials in South Korea are expected to kill more than 1.4 million farm birds in three provinces in an attempt to stem the spread of H5N8 avian influenza more...
Defendant sentenced in Tyson meat theft
Oganes Nagapetian, who in November entered a guilty plea related to the theft of a trailer of Tyson meat products, will serve one year and one day in more...
Smithfield to expand N.C. plant, create jobs
Smithfield Foods Inc. is continuing its expansion of a pork processing facility in Kinston, N.C., committing to expand that current plant this year in more...
Cattle on feed down 5 percent
Total cattle on feed as of Jan. 1 were 10.6 million head, down 5 percent from Jan. 1, 2013, according to USDA’s latest estimates posted Friday. more...
PHIS experiencing technical difficulties
USDA’s Food Service and Inspection Service notified inspectors today they’ll have to put some poultry-verification information collection more...
Canada has its first case of PEDv
A farm in Ontario is the site of Canada's first confirmed case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). The farm is a farrow to finish operation. The more...
Danish Crown says 470 workers to lose jobs due to closures
Danish Crown, Europe’s largest pork producer, said it would close two operations in Faaborg, Denmark, due to surplus capacity, affecting a total more...
Alabama poultry growers struggle to obtain propane
Poultry farmers in Alabama are having problems obtaining enough propane gas to keep flocks warm amid extreme cold that has caused a spike in demand for more...
"Pink slime" blogger launches another petition
Bettina Siegel, the blogger who launched the 2012 petition on change.org to remove lean finely textured beef from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) more...
Purdue University names head of new animal welfare center
Purdue University announced that associate professor of animal sciences Candace Croney will lead the newly created Purdue University Center for Animal more...
Shuttered Alberta beef plant expected to reopen by August
The former Rancher’s Beef processing facility in Balzac, Alberta, that was shuttered in 2007 just 14 months after it opened is expected to reopen more...
New Hampshire legislators table animal abuse reporting bill, kill GMO labeling
The New Hampshire House has tabled the country’s first state legislative proposal of 2014 aimed at making it illegal to witness animal abuse and more...
McDonald’s fourth-quarter sales slump
McDonald’s Corp. said sales declined in the fourth quarter as fewer guests visited its restaurants. The company also said global comparable sales more...
Employee charged with attempted murder in hog stomach altercation
Police have filed charges including attempted murder after a dispute at the Carolina Pride pork processing plant in Greenwood, S.C., according to local more...
No injuries as plant making biodiesel from poultry fat explodes
Explosions and fire destroyed a biodiesel facility in northeast Mississippi, but two workers were able to escape without injury, the state’s emergency more...
Foster Farms resumes operations at Livingston, Calif., plant
Foster Farms resumed operations at its Livingston, Calif., poultry plant this morning, the company announced. The action comes 10 days after the company more...
Bob Evans warns of weather-beaten fiscal year
Bad weather and other factors will cost Bob Evans Farms Inc. $10 million to $12 million in its fiscal second half, the company said in a news release more...
Americans improving diet quality: USDA study
More frequent dining at home and attention to nutrition labels are among factors contributing to improved diet quality of American adults, according to more...
Salmonella resists disinfectants in study of food processing
Once Salmonella bacteria get into a food processing facility and have an opportunity to form a biofilm on surfaces, it is difficult, if not impossible more...
Global pork giant changes corporate name in branding move
The Chinese processor that last year acquired Smithfield Foods Inc. has changed its name and its corporate logo even as it reportedly looks to sell $6 more...
Two bills curbing antibiotic use on deck in Calif.
The California Legislature is expected to consider two separate bills that seek to limit the use of antibiotics in livestock as part of an initiative more...
Germany finds its first BSE case since 2009
German officials have completed an investigation following the discovery earlier this month of the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy found more...
PEDv still the wild card in determining hog supply
The impact of the porcine endemic diarrhea virus outbreak has taken longer than expected to subside and remains the key risk to pork packer margins if more...
Tyson buys Bosco's Pizza
Tyson Foods Inc. has acquired the assets of Bosco's Pizza Co., based in Warren, Mich., the companies announced today in a news release. Bosco's Pizza more...
Cattle, beef prices defying gravity and expectations
(The following article is republished in its entirety with the author’s permission) Cattle and Beef Markets: What’s Next? By Derrell Peel more...
Philippine government temporarily bans all poultry from China
A new outbreak of a subtype of avian flu prompted officials in the Philippines to temporarily ban all poultry products from China, according to media more...
ConAgra, Omaha Steaks pounce for charity on Manning’s “Omaha”
While Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos prepare for the Super Bowl, the quarterback’s foundation for disadvantaged children has already been more...
Tyson to lay off workers at pork plant
Tyson Foods will temporarily layoff about 60 workers from its pork plant in Cherokee, Iowa, effective today, a spokesman confirmed to Meatingplace. “As more...
Taiwan opens to Canadian bone-in beef
Taiwanese officials this week indicated intent to open the Taiwanese market to Canadian bone-in beef and other specified beef products, according to The more...
CDC updates salmonella cases linked to Foster Farms, Tyson
The number of people infected with seven strains of Salmonella Heidelberg due to an outbreak linked to consumption of Foster Farms brand chicken has increased more...
U.S. spending bill blocks funding for horse plant inspection
The fiscal 2014 budget bill that Congress sent to President Obama on Thursday night contains a provision that prevents USDA from funding inspections at more...
Tyson weighing bid for milk, egg distributor: Reuters
Tyson Foods is exploring a bid for Minnetonka, Minn.-based egg and dairy products distributor Michael Foods Group in a deal valued at $2 billion to $2 more...
Burger King adds new chicken sandwich to the menu
As diners crave spicier foods, Burger King Worldwide is introducing a spicy version of its Original Chicken Sandwich, the company announced Thursday. more...
CDC looking for link between recent Salmonella outbreak and others in 2013
While testing for antibiotic resistance in samples collected from the nine prisoners infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg Jan. 10 more...
Chuck E. Cheese parent agrees to $1.3 billion offer
An affiliate of Apollo Global Management has agreed to buy Chuck. E. Cheese parent CEC Entertainment for $1.3 billion, including the assumption of outstanding more...
Grocery company names new president
The Jewel-Osco supermarket chain has named Jim Rice as interim president, replacing William Emmons in the post. Rice was promoted to vice president of more...
Perdue to close Penn. plant, affecting 650
Perdue is consolidating production from the Booth Creek Natural Chicken (BCNC) plant in Fredericksburg, Penn., to modernized plants with the capability more...
Judge expected to rule Friday on horse slaughter plant
The legal wrangling over a proposed horse slaughter plant in New Mexico continues, with a state judge saying he will rule Friday on whether to bar the more...
Canada program offers nutrition info public wants consistently nationwide
From the fat content to the amount of sugar, Canadians want a complete picture of the foods they eat at home and in restaurants. According to research more...
Hey, Android users: Kansas City Steak will help you grill your steak
The Kansas City Steak Company has released its Steak Grilling Timer & Recipes app for Android devices to help consumers grill the perfect steak every more...
Calif. firm recalls meat products
Rancho Feeding Corp., based in Petaluma, Calif., is recalling about 41,683 pounds of various meat products because they were produced without the benefit more...
Texas high school to build multi-million-dollar meat lab
Education officials in Longview, Texas, unanimously approved a plan to build a $2.23 million meat-processing lab on property just north of Longview High more...
Dutch authorities recall tons of horse meat labeled as beef
Dutch food authorities are recalling 24,000 lbs. of horse meat that was sold in The Netherlands last year labeled as beef. The recall involves five companies’ more...
Grandin reports improvement in animal handling on feedlots
Most feedlots have improved greatly in the handling of cattle in squeeze chutes, according to the results of a Colorado State University survey. “People more...
Tyson Fresh Meats workers at Nebraska plant approve new contract
Union workers at Tyson Fresh Meats beef plant in Dakota City, Neb., have ratified a new five-year labor agreement that includes a pay increase of $1.60 more...
Shuanghui to apply soon for $6 billion IPO on HK exchange: report
Shuanghui International, the investment firm that owns Smithfield Foods and a portion of China’s largest pork processor Henan Shuanghui Investment more...
Cargill, partner ink bovine genetics analysis license
Cargill Inc. and the private holding company Branhaven LLC have signed a non-exclusive agreement to provide their patented BeefGen genomics (DNA) tools more...
Dunkin’ Brands outlines expansion plans for 2014
The parent of the Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins chains is continuing its successful global expansion program that in 2013 added nearly 800 net more...
Ammonia leak evacuates Cargill pork plant
Emergency workers evacuated Cargill Meat Solutions’ pork plant in Ottumwa, Iowa, early Friday morning after an ammonia leak was detected, sending more...
Antibiotics, human and animal health covered in NIAA white paper
A new white paper developed by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture synthesizes expert insights on antibiotics’ impact on animal and human more...
Restaurant chain to close 30 units amid losses, restructuring
Ruby Tuesday said this week it plans to close 30 restaurants this year as the company tries to cut losses and restructure the business. The Maryville more...
USDA boosts beef forecast; reduces pork
USDA increased its beef production forecast for 2014, but reduced its pork and turkey production forecasts in its latest World Supply and Demand Estimates more...
Tyson urges changes to pork production practices
The largest company in the animal protein industry – Tyson Foods Inc. – is backing major changes to the way its contract hog farmers operate more...
Cargill earnings reflect strong protein business
Cargill reported strong earnings in its second quarter, noting that cheaper feed grains provided relief for its protein segment, particularly the beef more...
Select beef prices hit record highs during cold snap
USDA’s select beef cutout prices reached record highs above $200 this week, as record cold weather and heavy snow across the U.S. Midwest and Northeast more...
Burger chain COO to lead chicken chain
Bojangles' Restaurants Inc. has appointed Clifton Rutledge its chief executive officer, effective Jan. 24, the chicken and biscuit chain announced Wednesday more...
Cargill eyes Saturday plant shifts after weather snarls transportation
Cargill Inc. will likely operate its pork plants this Saturday to make up for production volume lost this week due to extreme winter conditions that slowed more...
Halal chicken plant opens in New York
Pakistan-based poultry processor K&N’s Foods is preparing to begin operations in a former Bird’s Eye Foods plant in Fulton, N.Y., and more...
McDonald's to use “sustainable beef” in burgers beginning in 2016
McDonald’s Corp. is putting concrete plans — sort of — behind its stated commitment to sustainability in the production of the ingredients more...
Smithfield subsidiary to develop renewable biogas project
The Missouri division of Smithfield Foods’ livestock growing subsidiary announced today a joint division with Roeslein Alternative Energy to develop more...
Applebee’s menus healthier kids’ meals
With an eye on rising consumer interest in healthful kids’ meals when dining out. Applebee’s restaurants has announced a redesigned kids menu more...
Smithfield wants group housing at contract growing operations
Smithfield Foods and its hog production subsidiary, Murphy-Brown LLC, is encouraging all of its contract sow growers to convert to group housing systems more...
USDA audit urges Canada to improve food safety oversight
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is doing an “adequate” job in maintaining equivalence with U.S. food safety standards but needs to improve more...
Starbucks' case against meat suppliers moves to NJ court
Starbucks Corp.’s lawsuit against two of its meat suppliers has been transferred from Washington state, where it was filed in July, to New Jersey more...
Cargill promotes pork
Along with retailers and restaurant chains, Cargill is using the tradition of New Year’s resolutions related to health to promote its products — more...
FSIS issues first pork salmonella compliance guideline
USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) on Monday published compliance guidelines for controlling Salmonella in hog slaughter facilities in more...
SQF to require unannounced audits
The Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), a division of the Food Marketing Institute, announced today that unannounced audit protocol will be included in more...
First animal abuse reporting bill of 2014 introduced
The first state legislative proposal of 2014 aimed at making it illegal to witness animal abuse and not report it has been introduced despite the failure more...
Russia puts more poultry, pork plants in Brazil under enhanced control
The Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Rosselkhoznadzor (also known as VPSS) placed two plants belonging to BRF and more...
This just in (almost): Big Foot loves pork ribs
It has been almost a year since a man who has been chasing the elusive mythical creature dubbed “Big Foot” announced that he lured the beast more...
USDA allows larger protein portions for school lunch
USDA announced the agency has made permanent the current flexibility that allows schools to serve larger portions of lean protein and whole grains at more...
AgFeed court papers reveal extent of “fictitious” accounting
Court documents and managers’ emails emerging during the bankruptcy proceedings of pork producer AgFeed USA are shedding light on the extent of more...
Cattle prices, futures are high — for now: DLR
Cattle futures prices are high, reflecting higher prices paid for cattle in the cash market and an improvement in the value of the cutout, say analysts more...
Restaurants report more customers, stronger sales
Busier customer traffic and improving sales drove the National Restaurant Association’s performance index to a five-month high in November as operators more...
House Speaker Boehner may embrace immigration change: NYT
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has signaled he may embrace a series of limited changes to the nation’s immigration more...
Recent USDA reports seen negative for Tyson, Sanderson, Hillshire
USDA’s recently released Chicken & Eggs, Cold Storage, and Hogs & Pigs reports were all seen as negative for protein producers, according more...
Tyson pushing healthy lifestyle in the New Year
Tyson Foods has launched a “Just Add This” program that promotes healthy eating habits and exercise as a way to promote its Tyson Grilled more...
Applebee's debuts new low-cal menu items
Applebee's International Inc. restaurants announced it is rolling out two new "Great Tasting & Under 550 Calories" menu items. One is the Roma Pepper more...
Restaurants will continue to adjust to expensive beef in 2014
The outlook for the restaurant industry will improve in 2014 as real disposable income is forecast to grow, inflation will remain moderate, and unemployment more...
Supermarket Guru sees protein focus among 2014 food trends
Phil Lempert – the self-proclaimed Supermarket Guru – is out with his Top 10 food trend predictions for 2014 and protein plays a more...
Applebee’s, IHOP parent names new executive
Glendale, Calif.-based DineEquity, the parent company of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP restaurants appointed Daniel del Olmo more...
December 2013
Top Meatingplace stories of 2013
We write them; you read them. Not surprising, the biggest story of the year for our readers was Shuanghui International buying U.S. pork giant Smithfield more...
Cattle imports down in 2013
Cattle imports to the U.S. are expected to pick up a bit in the fourth quarter, but overall for 2013 the trade in animals will be down significantly, more...
USPOULTRY posts new completed research
Just-completed research from Auburn University on development of a novel vaccine for infectious bronchitis has been posted by USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY more...
Another meat festival? Yes!
Amongst the Ribfests and Baconfests and Josh Ozersky’s expanding Meatopia empire, it would seem that the meat-fest connection would have been thoroughly more...
Broiler production maintains upward swing
Broiler meat production in October continued the strong gains of the last three months. Production of broiler meat totaled 3.5 billion pounds, up 4.1 more...
Natural foods retailers on a growth track
Grocery retailers catering to the natural and organic segment are expanding at a fast clip. Sprouts Farmers Market Inc., the Phoenix, Ariz.-based specialty more...
Pecan shell extracts may offer antimicrobial option to prevent listeria in organic meat
A study in the Journal of Food Science published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) showed that extracts from pecan shells may be effective more...
Light during incubation reduces stress on broilers post-hatch
Researchers are reporting that by providing 12 hours of light per day during incubation, poultry producers can reduce stress susceptibility in the broilers more...
14 burger concepts to watch in 2014
Burger Business blogger Scott Hume is shining a light on 14 multi-unit burger concepts to watch in 2014. “These are concepts that might not more...
Kansas City Sausage announces acquisitions
Kansas City Sausage Co. LLC announced it has a letter of intent to buy Martin’s Abattoir & Wholesale Meats Inc., and its sister companies Coastal more...
China ramps up beef imports
The value of China’s beef market will grow by more than 10 percent annually over the next three years amid a shortage in domestic supply and increased more...
Chinese acquisition would expand access to U.S. heparin supply
China’s Shenzen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Co. (Hepalink) has announced a stock purchase agreement to acquire former Oscar Mayer unit Scientific Protein more...
K-State researcher looks at cutting off E. coli effects on immune system
An associate professor at Kansas State University is looking at the ways that foodborne pathogens like E. coli O157:H7 interact with the immune systems more...
Exclusive video: How Empire Kosher keeps poultry kosher
Empire Kosher Poultry was named after the state of New York when Joseph Katz founded it in 1938 in Liberty, N.Y. The company moved to the rolling hills more...
Cargill plant on track to reopen
Cargill Inc.’s Dodge City, Kans. beef plant is operating in “clean-up” mode today after a fire Monday night damaged part of the roof more...
Beef sector improvements slow to appear: USDA
USDA predicted dressed cattle weights will decline in 2014 as the growth promotant Zilmax (zilpaterol) so far remains off the market and cheaper corn more...
Upscale burger chain launches $65 hamburger
Just in time for the 2013 truffle season, a Los Angeles-based restaurant chain has introduced a hamburger in three of its eateries that will set diners more...
Whole Foods eyes big expansion
The co-chief executives of Whole Foods Market said they envision the supermarket chain expanding to as many as 1,200 U.S. stores, more than tripling its more...
China reportedly to re-investigate U.S. poultry shipments for WTO violations
China will reportedly re-investigate U.S. poultry-product shipments for potential violations of trade terms after the World Trade Organization ruled against more...
Smithfield unit in $100 million biogas project
Smithfield Foods hog production unit Murphy-Brown announced a $100 million joint venture to turn hog manure into energy at its farms in northern Missouri more...
Holiday dinners take a back seat
The holidays may ideally be about gathering with family and friends, but not necessarily around a hand-crafted homemade meal, according to a survey by more...
Reader recipe: Mama's Christmas Veal Birds
This recipe was submitted by Meatingplace reader and Mountain States Lamb Cooperative Producer Pierre Carricaburu in Riverton, Wyo. Pictured are Pierre more...
Hog producers could see best margins in years
With hogs in short supply, 2014 is shaping up to be a very good year for producers, one Wall Street analyst is predicting. Outbreaks of Porcine Endemic more...
Mintel analyst on ham consumption in the U.S.
As families enjoy their holiday dinners this season, they can rest assured that having ham on the menu is not that unusual in American homes. According more...
October turkey production falls 11 percent
Turkey meat production in October totaled 517 million pounds, 11 percent less than a year earlier, according to USDA. This follows year-over-year declines more...
Fresh pork, foodservice among Smithfield's targets in 2014
Coming off a $4.2 million loss in its second fiscal quarter on decreased operating profit in its pork segment and costs associated with its merger with more...
Shuanghui, Sigma to share control of Campofrio
Mexican food company Sigma Alimentos and Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. have signed an agreement to share control of Spanish-owned meat processor more...
JBS acquires ready foods co. in Brazil for $110 million
JBS SA, the world's largest beef and poultry processor, has acquired processed foods company Massa Leve for BRL260 million ($109.7 million), one of the more...
Broiler shipments still strong in October
Broiler shipments in October 2013 increased 4.1 percent from a year earlier, totaling 675.5 million pounds, according to USDA. Top export partners in more...
CDC updates salmonella illnesses linked to Foster Farms
As of Dec. 18, 2013, a total of 416 persons infected with seven outbreak strains of Salmonella Heidelberg have been reported from 23 states and Puerto more...
One hospitalized in Perdue plant stabbing
A Perdue employee from Harrisonburg, Va., has been charged with attempted murder and malicious wounding after an incident at a company facility in Bridgewater more...
USDA names acting under secretary for food safety
USDA has named Brian Ronholm as acting under secretary for food safety following Elisabeth Hagen’s departure from the post on Dec. 13, a USDA spokeswoman more...
U.S., China target July 2014 for access for U.S. beef
U.S. and Chinese officials at the 24th session of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) agreed to work toward U.S. beef access more...
Staph concerns prompt sausage recall
Lee Bros. Foodservice Inc., based in San Jose, Calif., is recalling 740 pounds of sausage products that may be contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus more...
Darden to spin off unit; limit Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse growth
Orlando, Fla.-based Darden Restaurants announced it plans to spin off its Red Lobster chain, suspend new unit growth at Olive Garden and limit new unit more...
Latin-Caribbean concept acquires stake in grass-fed beef supplier
GRILLiT, Inc., a Latin-Caribbean fusion restaurant concept marrying fast casual and healthy food, has acquired a 10 percent equity stake in Natura Foods more...
Consumer Reports finds “superbugs” in half of chicken samples
Consumer Reports said about half of the raw chicken it tested contained at least one “superbug” bacteria resistant to three or more classes more...
Pew: Recent salmonella outbreaks show failure to protect public health
The Pew Charitable Trusts said it has identified “significant weaknesses” in existing federal regulations and policies aimed at controlling more...
Allen Harim makes another case for processing plant
Allen Harim Foods attorneys told Millsboro, Del., residents Tuesday night that the company's efforts to clean up a polluted industrial site in town and more...
Sanderson’s earnings miss raises questions
Sanderson Farms’ fourth-quarter profit reported Tuesday was lower than analysts on average had expected, leaving some to fret over when the much-anticipated more...
EU takes another crack at banning clones
The European Commission has proposed a law to ban cloning of farm animals in the European Union, as well as the import of cloned livestock and the sale more...
USDA gives some holiday cheer to schools
The USDA will award $11 million in grants to help school systems in 14 states, the District of Columbia and Guam buy equipment geared to help the institutions more...
OSHA cites Tyson plant for workplace safety violation
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Tyson Foods for four workplace safety violations at the Hutchinson more...
Sanderson Farms posts solid Q4 sales, net gains on higher margins
Higher margins and more moderate grain costs helped Sanderson Farms Inc. report solid sales and net income gains in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 more...
Hearing to scrutinize poultry processor’s environmental plans
Millsboro, Del., residents will have an opportunity tonight to comment on Allen Harim Foods’ plan to monitor pollutants at a local site on which more...
Restaurant group files for Ch. 11 bankruptcy
The parent company of casual dining restaurant chains Fox & Hound sports bar, Champps and Bailey’s Sports Grille filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy more...
The Maschhoffs completes GNP Company purchase
Carlyle, Ill. –based pork production company The Maschhoffs announced it completed its purchase of integrated poultry producer GNP Company. GNP more...
Oral arguments in BPI suit vs. ABC News set for tomorrow
The battle between Beef Products Inc. (BPI) and ABC News moves into a new phase tomorrow with a judge in South Dakota scheduled to hear oral arguments more...
JBS listed among alleged contributors in Brazil bribery investigation
JBS SA has been listed in a Brazilian news story out this week as one of a dozen or more companies that paid millions of dollars to a Sao Paulo-based more...
Chili’s trying out delivery
Fast casual chain Chili’s Grill and Bar is now offering delivery service for party platter orders of $125 or more. Items listed on the company website more...
Senators urge action on new poultry inspection rule
A bipartisan group of 13 U.S. senators sent a letter last week to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to move forward with a proposal to modernize more...
Merck updates on Zilmax, ‘responsible beef’ plan
Merck Animal Health has released an update on its “Five-Step Plan to Ensure Responsible Beef,” noting that “it is too early to determine more...
Legal battle prompts Iowa processor to put plant up for sale
A start-up beef processing operation in Iowa has put itself up for sale due to ongoing costs to defend a lawsuit brought by the Humane Society of the more...
Pork prices jump, chicken down in latest producer index
Pork prices surged 5.6 percent in November from October, while the price of processed young chickens fell 2.3 percent, the Labor Department said in its more...
Shooting in Tyson Foods plant parking lot
Two men were shot in the parking lot of a Tyson Foods plant in Monroe, N.C. Friday morning and were sent to a local hospital with non-life threatening more...
E. coli outbreak linked to salads with chicken is over, CDC says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday reported that the outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 associated with ready-to-eat salads with chicken more...
Village board tells meat plant to leave
On Tuesday, the Black Earth Village Board in Black Earth, Wis., decided that a meat processing plant needs to leave town, according to the Wisconsin State more...
Eggs set rise 5 percent, chick placement down slightly
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 200 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Dec.7, 2013, the USDA reported in its latest more...
Meat-centered diet alters gut microbes quickly, researchers say
Within two days of changing to a meat-based diet, consumers will dramatically shift the way that their gut microbes act, according to a report in the more...
Court denies preliminary injunction in COOL lawsuit (Updated)
(Note to reader: This decision was made in September and this story was reissued in error. Our apologies.) Here is a link to our original coverage more...
FDA issues proposals to curb antibiotics in farm animals
The Food and Drug Administration issued today final guidance on two proposals aimed at limiting the use of antibiotics in food animals to curb the potential more...
Smithfield worker charged with sexual assault after attack at plant
Police have charged a former Smithfield Foods employee with sexual assault charges after a female coworker reported that she was attacked at the company’s more...
Recent changes in U.S.-Mexican cattle and beef trade
(This article has been reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission.) By Derrell S. Peel Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock more...
Free-range broiler farms may need better waste disposal, researchers say
Researchers have found evidence of environmental contamination salmonella and campylobacter at small-scale free-range broiler farms, according to a new more...
Kansas meat packer to add 300 jobs at Black Angus plant
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef announced plans to expand its processing operation and add 300 jobs over the next five years. Creekstone Farms has operated more...
Tyson set to expand animal welfare requirements
Tyson Foods is on schedule to expanding its animal welfare requirements to include the company’s beef and chicken suppliers, a spokesman confirmed more...
Insanitary conditions prompt meat, poultry recall
Yauk’s Specialty Meats, a Windsor, Colo., establishment, is recalling some 90,000 pounds of various meat and poultry products that were produced more...
USTR details TPP progress and benefits for beef, pork
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Tuesday announced “substantial progress” toward completing Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) more...
New company buys Pilgrim’s plant
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell announced that Shenandoah Processing, LLC, a newly-formed, locally-owned company located in Harrisonburg, will reopen a former more...
Sysco Corp. buys Illinois-based rival in $3.5-billion deal
Sysco Corp. is getting an even bigger profile in the food distribution industry through an agreement to acquire rival US Foods in a cash-and-stock deal more...
Slim domestic same-store sales gain for fast food giant in October
McDonald’s Corp. reported a slight gain in monthly comparable U.S. store sales for the period ended Oct. 31 with domestic sales rising just two more...
Wisconsin health agency issues warning about popular holiday sandwich
If you’ve never eaten a “cannibal sandwich” or “tiger meat,” now’s not the time to start. This, according to the Wisconsin more...
Wayne Farms, Salm partner on chicken sausage
Wayne Farms has announced a joint venture with Salm Partners to begin producing chicken sausage products, according to a news release. The new company more...
Whistleblowers can now file OSHA complaints online
The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that whistleblowers who have faced retaliation in the workplace will more...
Video dispels myths about ‘superbugs’
The American Meat Institute’s latest Meat MythCrusher video challenges the claim that so-called “superbugs” are commonly found on meat more...
Locally sourced protein tops 2014 trend forecast
Next year, restaurants will be all about local sourcing, environmental sustainability, and nutrition, according to predictions released by the National more...
White Oak winner of Northern Beef Packers auction (UPDATED)
The San Francisco-based lending company that loaned Northern Beef Packers money before it filed for bankruptcy has made the top bid in the auction to more...
New poultry slaughter rules on White House schedule for April
The White House has targeted April 2014 to issue final rules on USDA’s proposed new young chicken and turkey slaughter inspection rules based on more...
Broiler egg sets, chick placements down slightly
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 201 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Nov. 30, 2013, according the the USDA's more...
Jerky brand gets athletic with new campaign
Oberto Thursday announced a new marketing campaign dubbed “America's PROtein.” The campaign is a yearlong partnership between the jerky brand more...
FSIS launches salmonella reduction plan
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service released today a plan to reduce salmonella in meat and poultry products, a priority coming into tighter more...
Tyson to invest $8 million in Iowa plant upgrade
Tyson Foods Inc. said it wil in 2014 make $8 million's worth of upgrades to its pork processing plant in Storm Lake, Iowa, a spokeman confirmed for Meatingplace more...
Wisconsin company places first bid on Aberdeen plant
American Foods Group LLC is the first company to indicate interest in buying the beef processing facility built by Northern Beef Packers in Aberdeen, more...
Bob Evans profit tumbles on sow prices, expansion costs
Bob Evans Farms Inc. said second-quarter income fell due to higher-than-expected sow prices and costs for plant expansions and its ongoing restaurant more...
Hagen to join Deloitte practice
Dr. Elisabeth Hagen will join Deloitte's consumer products practice as a food safety senior adviser with Deloitte & Touche LLP, Deloitte said in a more...
China confirms first human H7N9 bird flu case
Chinese health officials have confirmed the first case of H7N9 avian influenza contracted by a human near Hong Kong, just months after an outbreak of more...
Pork specialist refutes allegations
A Madison, Wis.-based restaurateur who also raises rare heritage pigs is denying claims by state regulators that he violated rules on meat production more...
Citizens’ group appeals permit allowing new poultry plant
A citizens’ organization has filed an appeal in Sussex County (Del.) Superior Court to overturn a land use permit that would allow Allen Harim Foods more...
Tech briefs: Thermal processing how-to; new uses for HPP; AMSA exclusive; conveyor belt checklist
All thermal processes, regardless of the specific equipment/technology, use heat transfer concepts to transform a foodstuff into a consumable product more...
State officials cite pork specialist for violating licensing rules
State regulators in Wisconsin are accusing a Madison restaurateur who also raises heritage pigs of violating state rules on meat production and distribution more...
No injuries in fire at Tyson plant
The cause of a fire that broke out shortly before midnight Sunday at a Tyson Foods facility in Virginia is still being investigated. The fire broke out more...
China sets five-year policy to stem bird flu outbreaks
Officials in China are taking concrete steps to make sure that this year’s bird flu outbreak will not repeat itself in future years by periodically more...
Fast food workers plan nationwide strike
Fast food workers in more than 100 cities plan to strike Thursday, Dec. 5, demanding that employers raise their hourly wages to $15 — more than more...
November 2013
Researchers discover where campylobacter’s genes are turned on
A British study from the Institute of Food Research has produced a new map of the campylobacter genome, showing the points where all of the pathogenic more...
New study links meat, egg and dairy nutrient to brain development
Asparagine, found in foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products, was until now considered non-essential because it is produced naturally by the body more...
New pork task force to examine customer needs for sustainable nutrition
The National Pork Board has named a new task force that will examine consumer needs, animal care, sustainable pork production and other current challenges more...
Fewer turkeys, heavier weights, lower prices: USDA
Turkey meat production in fourth-quarter 2013 is forecast at 1.48 billion pounds, 4 percent lower than a year earlier, according to USDA. Most of this more...
USDA sees tighter pork supplies through year’s end
Even as U.S. pork slaughter schedules are expected to increase seasonally during the quarter, tight supplies of hogs may temper the size of slaughter more...
Groups push for humane holidays
A couple of humane handling groups have gone public with entreaties to consumers to make sure their Thanksgiving table is humane (if, in fact, it’s more...
Sandwich chain hires its first COO
Bruegger's Bagels has engaged Miguel Fernandez as its first chief operating officer, parent company Le Duff America Inc. announced. Fernandez will be more...
The art of food, and food in art
This time of year, food is top of mind. It is fitting, then, that the Art Institute of Chicago has just unveiled a new exhibit, “Art and Appetite: more...
Hallmark/Westland pays $3.1 million in final settlement with HSUS, DOJ
Owners and investors of Hallmark/Westland Meat Co. have paid a final settlement of more than $3 million in a False Claims Act lawsuit filed by the Humane more...
Auditor’s report critical of Canada’s food recall system
Canada’s auditor general found failings in the how the government managed its food recall system in an examination of 59 cases, including the September more...
Shuanghui Int’l., Bank of China strike agreement
Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd., the Hong Kong-based company that completed its acquisition of Smithfield Foods Inc., in September, has entered more...
Turkey prices give shoppers reason to be thankful
Turkey, the centerpiece of many a Thanksgiving dinner, should cost consumers less this year, while moderate price increases are expected on other traditional more...
Hormel posts huge fiscal fourth quarter
Strong sales and profits in four of its five operating units propelled Hormel Foods Corp. to record net income of 58 cents a share in the fourth quarter more...
Compassion Over Killing mole charged with animal cruelty
A member of the animal rights activist group Compassion Over Killing, who secretly captured on video alleged abuses of dairy calves at a Colorado ranch more...
QSR company reorganizes
Yum! Brands Inc. will reorganize its business to drive more brand and geographic focus, the Louisville, Ky.-based parent of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut more...
It’s time to buy Hillshire Brands, analyst says
A Wall Street analyst upgraded Hillshire Brands to “outperform,” predicting the company could be the “surprise investment of 2014” more...
S. D. governor details probe into Northern Beef funding
South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard has made public a complicated web of federal and state investigations into government funding of the now defunct Northern more...
Wal-Mart Stores CEO steps down
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. announced that its board of directors elected company veteran Doug McMillon, 47, to succeed Mike Duke, 63, as president and chief more...
Cold Storage report shows more chicken, less pork
Total frozen poultry supplies on Oct. 31, 2013 were down 6 percent from the previous month but up 3 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s more...
Beyond the Turkey Talk-Line
Butterball is deepening its connection to the upcoming holiday — in the minds of Thanksgiving hosts everywhere — by partnering with complementary more...
GNP Company sold to pork giant
The Maschhoffs LLC, the largest family-owned pork production company in North America, is buying GNP Company, the St. Cloud, Minn.-based processors of more...
Animal care experts call video of pig abuse “deeply disturbing”
A panel of farm animal care specialists created by the Center for Food Integrity condemned the behavior of workers caught abusing pigs in an undercover more...
Tyson, Bachoco receive $10 million fine for monopolistic practices
Mexico-based poultry companies Industrias Bachoco, Pilgrim's, Tyson Mexico, Pollo de Querétaro and San Antonio, as well as the National Union of more...
Delaware weighs cleanup options for planned chicken plant site
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control laid out groundwater remediation options at a public workshop this week for residents more...
National Beef to add grinding capabilities, employees to existing infrastructure
National Beef Packing Company, LLC will expand its Hummels Wharf processing facility in Hummels Wharf, Penn. The $5 million expansion will include the more...
Beef and veal push food producer prices higher
Beef and veal are largely responsible for last month's jump in finished consumer food prices—the largest such increase since March 2013. The data more...
Jennie-O working with public health officials on TB
Stearns County Public Health Department informed members of the Jennie-O Turkey Store Melrose Plant team on Monday, Nov. 18, that an employee had tested more...
Salmonella outbreak update: 389 people now infected
The latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the latest Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak has infected 389 people. Although more...
Tyson drops pork supplier caught abusing pigs
Tyson Foods announced it has terminated immediately its contract with an Oklahoma farm whose employees were caught on videotape abusing pigs. The video more...
U.S. poultry exports continue record pace for 2013
U.S. poultry exports through the third quarter of 2013 continued a record pace, growing marginally in quantity and value over the same period a year earlier more...
Hardees, Carl’s Jr. parent gets new owner
Private equity firm Roark Capital Group, an investor in about a dozen restaurant brands, has agreed to acquire a majority stake in CKE Inc., the parent more...
Norbest rolls out new turkey product
Norbest Inc. has introduced its Signature Classics Single Lobe Turkey Breasts for foodservice, a line of fully cooked, premium whole-muscle breast meat more...
Analysts mostly bullish on Tyson following positive FY2013 financials
Industry analysts delivered mostly positive outlooks for 2014 in the wake of Tyson Foods Inc.’s solid earnings in its latest fiscal year. But the more...
USMEF: beef exports climb, pork slides in September
Paced by sustained strong performances by the Japan and Hong Kong markets and a rebound in Mexico, U.S. beef exports in September remained ahead of 2012 more...
A&W ‘Better Beef’ campaign irks Canadian cattlemen
Canadian cattlemen are taking issue with a foodservice chain’s claim that its beef is a better alternative to conventionally raised product. Launched more...
USDA will skip Cattle Report again next year
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will not conduct a number of statistical surveys in fiscal 2014, including the July Cattle Report more...
Tyson posts record Q4 sales; sets new products
Tyson Foods Inc. celebrated record sales in the fourth quarter – propelling earnings 23 percent higher than year-ago results as it launches new more...
Tyson’s Lochner to retire; new leadership roles announced
Tyson Foods Inc. announced today that, among a host of management changes, Jim Lochner, the company’s chief operating officer, will retire in September more...
Criminal charges filed against cattle trucking co. workers
The Weld County Sheriff’s office in Colorado has charged three former temporary workers for the animal transportation firm Quanah Cattle Company more...
Meat industry seeks to eliminate corn ethanol mandate
On the heels of last week’s EPA proposal to lower the conventional (mostly corn ethanol) renewable fuel requirement in the Renewable Fuel Standard more...
EPA reduces corn ethanol mandate
The Environmental Protection Agency released the proposed 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumetric requirements in which it proposes to lower the more...
Hagen resigns from FSIS
Dr. Elisabeth Hagen has resigned her position as Under Secretary for Food Safety at the Food Safety and Inspection Service of FSIS, the agency has announced more...
Poultry processor pursues cleanup of planned plant site
Allen Harim Foods, which wants to develop a chicken processing plant at a former Vlasic Pickle facility in Delaware, has entered into an agreement with more...
HSUS establishes fourth state ag council in Iowa
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has established a state agriculture council in Iowa, the fourth in a growing system of state agriculture more...
Another way to enjoy bacon
Just when you thought there was no other way to serve bacon, the Beef Jerky Outlet Franchise announced it has added Bacon Jerky to it product line of more...
Incidence of injuries, illnesses down slightly in meat industry
The overall incidence of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in the animal slaughter and processing industries dropped in 2012, according to more...
Analyst raises Sanderson profit forecasts, but still cautious
A Wall Street analyst raised his earnings forecasts for Sanderson Farms, predicting 2014 will be another strong year, but he cautioned that variables more...
Campylobacter outbreak tied to undercooked chicken livers
An outbreak of campylobacter that sickened six people in three Northeast states last year has been traced to undercooked chicken livers, the Centers for more...
Following debt influx in Q3, JBS looks for synergies with Seara, debt reduction in 2014
Synergies from the recent acquisition of Seara Brasil should result in savings of BRL1.2 billion ($515.47 million) for new owner JBS SA in 2014, helping more...
Keystone Foods' 3Q revenue rises 15 percent
Marfrig Group, the second-largest beef processor in Brazil and owner of U.S.-based Keystone Foods, recorded a loss of $83.5 million in the third quarter more...
Buddig buddies up to Blackhawks
With hockey season underway, Carl Buddig & Co., the Chicago-based maker of Buddig lunchmeats and Old Wisconsin sausage and meat snack, has scored more...
State ag teams bring beef-genetics insights to Russia
The agriculture departments of South Dakota, Montana and Kansas partnered to send a delegation of beef genetics experts to Russia to help that country more...
USPOULTRY Foundation announces $180,000+ in grants
The USPOULTRY Foundation has approved student recruiting grants totaling some $183,520 to the six U.S. universities with poultry science departments and more...
NJ legislators seek to overturn gestation stall ban veto
Accusing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie of pandering to Iowa pork producers in anticipation of running for president in 2016, state legislators are attempting more...
McAlister’s Deli ups the meat ante in new sandwich line
The fast casual restaurant chain McAlister’s Deli is launching a menu upgrade that will provide up to double the meat in two of its specialty sandwiches more...
Lamb processor launches ad campaign in time for the holidays
Superior Farms has kicked off a two-month digital advertising campaign targeting food lovers. The advertisements will appear on food and food blogger more...
Chicken sausage brand expands into freezer aisle
Kayem Foods brand al fresco announced its chicken sausage will take its first foray in the freezer aisle in March 2014. The debut will feature the brand’s more...
California firm recalls 181,000 pounds of grilled chicken products
Glass Onion Catering, a Richmond, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 181,620 pounds of ready-to-eat salads and sandwich wrap products with more...
New certification available for meat raised without beta agonists
USDA has launched a certification program that allows companies that produce livestock, beef and pork products to market their wares using “Never more...
FSIS says it is not ready to approve chicken slaughtered in China
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a statement Sunday afternoon disputing assertions earlier in the day by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N more...
Sow packers to begin using premises ID tags by 2015
Major U.S. sow packers and processors will start using U.S. Dept. of Agriculture-approved premises identification number (PIN) swine tags as a condition more...
S.D. blizzard losses approach 15,000 head
Protracted discussions of the beleaguered farm bill aren’t helping the situation in South Dakota, where the state’s Animal Industry Board more...
USDA sees cheaper corn on record crop; pricier soybean meal
USDA forecast this year’s corn crop currently being harvested at a record 14 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the previous forecast and up 30 more...
Scientists link enzyme level to broiler muscle disease
After more than a decade of research into an increasingly common and costly broiler condition known as green muscle disease, poultry scientists at Auburn more...
FAO’s food price index shows prices on the rise
The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) latest data shows the food price index up increased for the first time since April and promises steady more...
Giving Back: Perdue, Farmland Foods, Smithfield
Perdue Farms has donated $50,000 to the Maryland Grow Oysters Program as part of a partnership with CBS EcoMedia Inc., a company focused on developing more...
OSHA wants injury data submitted electronically
The federal government Thursday proposed a new rule that would require employers to submit workplace injury records electronically, enabling the Department more...
FDA moves to remove most trans fats in processed foods
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Thursday announced a preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils, the primary source of artificial more...
Kraft CEO says Oscar Mayer battling back
It has been a tough year in the lunch meat business, but Kraft Foods Group Inc. is making progress on its plan to reinvigorate the Oscar Mayer brand, more...
Cargill to invest US$56 million in U.K. poultry facility
Cargill is implementing a multi-year investment plan to boost its focus on the retail and foodservice sectors. Over the next 24-36 months, the company more...
Burger King launches new two-patty sandwich
Burger King Worldwide introduced a new Big King sandwich to its menu, which features two fire-grilled beef patties, lettuce, onions and signature sauce more...
Ag lobbyists update efforts on COOL, immigration, ethanol (updated)
CHICAGO — Lobbyists explained their ongoing efforts on behalf of animal agriculture relative to mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL), immigration more...
Butterball weighs on Seaboard quarterly results
Seaboard Corp. reported lower third-quarter earnings as weakness in its turkey business offset higher sales and income in its pork segment. Seaboard, more...
Calif. men fess to trying to steal Tyson beef
Two California men have pleaded guilty to attempt the theft of some $83,000 worth of beef from Tyson Fresh Meats’ Holcomb, Kan., plant, according more...
Wingstop bets on chicken; outlines expansion plans
Richardson, Texas-based chicken wing chain Wingstop reported strong quarterly earnings and outlined aggressive expansion plans on its march toward 1,000 more...
Cargill to label products containing finely textured beef
Cargill Beef will begin labeling ground beef products that contain finely textured beef (FTB) after conducting consumer research, the company announced more...
Horsemeat processing on hold — again (updated)
A federal court in Denver has temporarily halted moves to open unrelated horsemeat processing plants in New Mexico and Missouri that were slated to open more...
Manchester Farms buyout completed
Columbia, S.C.-based Manchester Farms, which produces quail, chicken and pork products, announced that Brittney Miller has completed the acquisition for more...
St. Patrick’s Day isn’t far away
In plenty of time for the annual spring rite of Irish passage, National Beef Packing Co. announced it now offers both branded and private label corned more...
Exclusive: Canada’s Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz addresses COOL
CHICAGO — “For Canada, trade is not an option, it’s a lifeline,” Canadian Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food, Gerry Ritz, more...
Poultry processor reportedly plans new $120 million complex
A Peco Foods official would neither confirm nor deny a FeedMachinery.com report that the company plans to construct a $120 million integrated poultry more...
Ozark Mountain ready to open second Arkansas plant: report
Ozark Mountain Poultry Inc. (OMP) is reportedly preparing to open its second plant in its home state of Arkansas next week, about three months after Pilgrim’s more...
Laura’s Lean Beef launches new product line
Laura’s Lean Beef is extending its brand with a new line of products called Laura’s Kitchen. Laura’s Kitchen is a line of all-natural more...
Six meat industry contributors honored in Chicago
CHICAGO — The historic Drake Hotel in the town that Carl Sandburg dubbed “The City of Big Shoulders,” and birthed the nation’s more...
Northern Beef Packers, state subject of federal investigations
The troubled and bankrupt Northern Beef Packers company and the South Dakota economic development agency that helped built it are the targets of multiple more...
Attorneys mull class action lawsuit in Foster Farms outbreak
A national litigation law firm is investigating a potential class action lawsuit against Foster Farms after its chicken has been linked to 362 reports more...
Hormel looking to add lines, jobs to Dubuque processing plant
Hormel Foods is considering expanding its Progressive Processing plant in Dubuque, Iowa, a company spokesman confirmed. “We are making an application more...
South Korea to allow Zilmax in 2014
South Korea is set to lift a ban on zilpaterol next year, according to media reports quoting a senior food ministry official. Son Seong-wan, director more...
USDA data signal expanding chicken supply: analyst
A spike in broiler-type hatching layers in USDA’s latest chickens and eggs report points to an expanding meat supply next year, cautioned J.P. Morgan more...
October 2013
Higher pork costs forcing price increases at Hillshire Brands
Hillshire Brands reported decreased retail sales and lower operating income in its fiscal 2014 first quarter ended Sept. 29 as pricier commodity pork more...
Pilgrim’s profit up sharply on exports; sees production in balance
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. reported strong third-quarter earnings as it benefited from cost reductions and robust exports, and its chief executive said more...
Still more illnesses linked to Salmonella Heidelberg
As of Oct. 29, a total of 362 people infected with Salmonella Heidelberg had been reported from 21 states and Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. Centers more...
Egg sets rise, but broiler placements fall
Commercial hatcheries in the 19 state weekly program set 193 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Oct. 26, 2013, according the the USDA's more...
Taiwan toughens inspections of U.S. beef supplier after Zilmax finding
Taiwan will step up inspections of imports of U.S. beef from a plant implicated in a second finding of a banned growth additive in a shipment in Asia more...
Meat snack company makes acquisition, creates new division
Memphis-based meat snack maker Monogram Food Solutions announced Tuesday the acquisition of a manufacturer of ready-to-eat bacon that inspired the creation more...
Salad recall expanded, includes meat products
Taylor Farms Maryland Inc., based in Jessup, Md., and Taylor Farms Texas Inc. in Dallas are recalling about 22,849 pounds of broccoli salad kit products more...
Maple Leaf Foods operating profit falls 61 percent
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said its third-quarter adjusted operating earnings fell 61 percent, pressured by higher costs for implementing its more...
Foster Farms says Salmonella on its chickens not drug-resistant
Foster Farms, the West Coast poultry company caught up in a 20-state outbreak of human salmonellosis, says that laboratory tests show that it’s more...
Koch Foods sets $20 million expansion: report
Park Ridge, Ill.-based poultry processor Koch Foods is planning a $20 million expansion to its Alabama operations that could create 150 new jobs, according more...
FSIS reports decline in Salmonella presence in raw young chicken
A new report indicates that the prevalence of Salmonella on young raw chicken carcasses has fallen 34 percent between the first quarter of 2013 and the more...
Mercy for Animals video ignores key facts: NPPC
The activist group Mercy for Animals has unveiled another undercover video, this time of operations at a sow weaning facility in Pipestone, Minn. that more...
Foster Farms apologizes in newspaper ads
Since Foster Farms was implicated in the outbreak of human salmonellosis tied to its products by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more...
Mountaire Farms looking to finance expansion
Authorities in Delaware are expected to consider a request from Mountaire Farms for more than $200,000 in state grants to expand its chicken processing more...
Cattle prices continue ascent
Cash cattle prices this fall have continued to increase due to small cattle supplies, a favorable demand base and low feed prices that have pushed feeder more...
Tyson Foods launches new recyclable packaging in Mexico
Tyson Foods and Printpack have introduced what’s being called the first 100-percent recyclable, consumer-friendly stand-up pouch for its frozen more...
Mexico bans Foster Farms poultry plants amid salmonella outbreak
Mexico has suspended imports of poultry from three Foster Farms plants in California linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonellosis in the U.S. This more...
Massachusetts company recalls RTE products over Listeria concerns
Boston Salads and Provisions Company, Inc., a Boston, Mass., establishment, is recalling approximately 222,959 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken salad products more...
Scientists explore link between genetics, meat and colorectal cancer
Genetic variants may play a role in whether processed meat consumption triggers colorectal cancer, researchers said in a study reported at the American more...
U.S. gamers go down on the farm starting next month
Next month, console video gamers will have the chance to swap raising livestock for slaying zombies and crushing candy. Farming Simulator, a game for more...
Foster Farms says improvements are restoring consumer support
Officials at West Coast poultry giant Foster Farms say that a raft of improvements to chicken production and processing aimed at getting a Salmonella more...
Belmont Meats CEO pushes for consumer education in light of recall
The adage “just cook it” likely is falling on too many deaf ears at the consumer level, Duffy Smith of Canadian burger-and-steak company Belmont more...
Calvetti meats launches “think tank” to create custom products for wholesale market
Chicago-based wholesale meat processor Calvetti Meats, Inc. has launched its newest venture: Innovative Food Creations, a think tank for the development more...
Chicken price retreat is “steeper” than expected: analyst
Chicken prices are falling faster than expected, offsetting the benefit of lower grain costs for chicken producers and prompting one Wall Street analyst more...
Permit not needed for storm runoff from CAFO farmyard, judge rules
A West Virginia district court judge has found that rainwater runoff from the farmyard area of a concentrated poultry feeding operation is exempt from more...
USDA to issue new animal handling guidance
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today it will introduce new guidance — FSIS Compliance Guide for a Systematic Approach more...
Industry experts refute activists’ take on industry
A panel of third-party experts on Monday touted the animal agriculture industry’s progress in areas including antibiotic use and animal welfare more...
Listeria concerns prompt recall of chicken, ham and beef products
Topeka, Kan.-based Reser’s Fine Foods is recalling approximately 22,800 pounds of chicken, ham and beef products due to possible contamination with Listeria more...
Costco recalls ground beef on E. coli concerns
Costco, in Coon Rapids, Minn., is recalling an undetermined amount of lean fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
Johns Hopkins report blames D.C. for 'regressive' food animal policies
A follow-up to a study of the government’s role in food safety and industrial food production is giving a poor grade to efforts by the Obama administration more...
Experts, consumers at odds over ways to address hunger
While some proposed solutions to stem worldwide hunger easily garner broad support, consumers are more likely to latch on to ideas that experts say are more...
Analyst sees tight hog supplies easing despite PEDv
A larger pig crop and breeding herd plus higher sow productivity all point to looser U.S. hog supplies beginning late this year, one Wall Street analyst more...
Chicken becomes first-ever bird cooked in space
A manufacturer of high-end marinades has made history by slow-cooking a chicken basted in teriyaki sauce in space and returning it safely for consumption more...
Maple Leaf Foods a step closer to completing its protein-based refocus
A seven-year effort by Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods to refocus on its protein business is likely to include the sale of its global bakery business, more...
Industry coalition counters activists with new report, teleconference
The Animal Agriculture Alliance (AAA) released a report Monday that hits back at consumer groups that have criticized the livestock, poultry and egg industries more...
Seaboard comments on report it is in talks on Ukraine pork venture
Seaboard Foods issued a carefully worded statement that neither confirmed nor denied a report in Global Meat News that it is engaged in talks about a more...
Lower chicken pricing sparks analyst scrutiny on Sanderson Farms
A recent drop in chicken prices – combined with lower prices for corn – is prompting two analysts to reassess their views on Sanderson more...
CFIA adds product to Belmont Meats recall over E. coli concerns in beef
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Belmont Meats are warning the public not to consume another uncooked lean ground beef product because it may be more...
Northern Beef asks court to set minimum bid for vacant plant
Northern Beef Packers has asked a bankruptcy court to approve a minimum bid of $12.75 million for the vacant beef processing plant it built for an estimated more...
Canada says Costco recalls more ground beef for possible E. coli
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has expanded its public warning about Kirkland Signature brand Lean Ground Beef because some of the products may be more...
Worker killed in Utah meatpacking accident (UPDATE)
A man died Thursday in an accident at Draper, Utah, meatpacking plant, local police confirmed to Meatingplace. Camacho Guillermo Borcequin, 52, was operating more...
Utica sausage maker to expand
Utica, N.Y.-based Dino’s Sausage and Meat Co. is planning an expansion that could add up to 15 jobs, according to the Utica Observer Dispatch. The more...
A decidedly unkosher...milkshake?
Bacon, the trendy food that refuses to die, has popped up in another unusual form: a milkshake at the Texas Motor Speedway, according to the Houston Chronicle more...
USDA expands Wisconsin RTE recall on listeria concerns
Milwaukee-based Garden Fresh Foods is recalling about 6,694 additional pounds of ready-to-eat chicken and ham products due to possible contamination with more...
USDA back in business, but key reports will not be issued
The good news is: The U.S. government went back to work today. The bad news is: USDA announced it would not issue the October World Agricultural Supply more...
OSI outlines beef, poultry expansion in China
Aurora, Ill.-based global protein processor OSI Group announced that its Henan OSI Foods unit is opening two new poultry and meat processing plants in more...
Meatless Monday schools report complaints, food waste to Animal Ag Alliance (updated)
Some schools, restaurants and foodservice providers report complaints and food waste after implementing a “Meatless Monday” menu, according more...
JBS beef workers set to strike: UFCW
Some 3,000 workers at JBS USA’s Greeley, Colo., beef plant are preparing to strike over benefits, according to a statement by the United Food and more...
FSIS posts FAQs on salmonella outbreak
The federal government may be shut down, but USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is working overtime on the Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak more...
A new lawsuit for Northern Beef Packers
A Northern Beef Packers employee, who was laid off from the company in July, has filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, saying he and other more...
Oberto unveils new packaging and branding
Meat snack maker Oberto Brands on Tuesday unveiled packaging and branding updates to its Oh Boy! Oberto All Natural Jerky line. The rebrand includes a more...
Official S. Dakota cattle death toll updated, reporting problems continue
As the official livestock death toll from last week’s historic snowstorm in western South Dakota continues to mount, state officials warn that reporting more...
Former Tallgrass Beef CFO sues company over back wages
Tallgrass Beef Co. is the target of a lawsuit filed by a former CFO and a marketing company seeking what the suit claims are “significant amounts” more...
EU to require some country-of-origin labeling
The European Commission but won’t ask for country-of-origin labeling from birth on all EU meat products, as it currently does for beef only, according more...
Canada pork industry, academia team to fund swine welfare chair
Researchers affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan said they have reached a fund-raising target, with the help of industry, for establishing a more...
Salmonella toll rises as chicken product brand warnings expand
The Salmonella outbreak linked to three Foster Farms poultry processing plants in California had officially sickened 317 people as of last Friday, according more...
Wayne Farms announces poultry plant expansion
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and officials from poultry processor Wayne Farms announced a $3 million expansion of its operations in Laurel, Miss., that more...
Pilgrims plant shut Friday on water supply issue
A Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plant in Guntersville, Ala., closed for two shifts last Friday due to water supply problems, according to a local media more...
S. Dakota storm cattle death toll could be fewer than initially estimated
The number of cattle killed in last week’s record snowstorm in western South Dakota is still being determined, but the state veterinarian believes more...
Smithfield’s Pope, Shuanghui’s Wan talk synergies in Hong Kong
Newly merged executives Smithfield CEO C. Larry Pope and Shuanghui International Chairman Wan Long talked about expanding exports of U.S. pork produced more...
JBS works to resolve Korea’s beef suspension
JBS USA said it is working to resolve issues that led to Korea’s ban on imports of beef from the company’s Dumas, Texas, plant. Korea announced more...
Safeway will close or sell all Dominick’s locations
Safeway Inc. has announced plans to exit the Chicago market by early 2014, selling or closing 72 Dominick’s store locations across the region. Four more...
Franchisors eye Sub-Saharan Africa with trade mission (updated)
The United States-based International Franchise Association (IFA) is completing a week-long trade mission to sub-Saharan Africa as it seeks to drum up more...
Grocery chains pull Foster Farms fresh chicken, warn consumers
While Foster Farms has so far not recalled its fresh chicken products in the wake of a major salmonellosis outbreak, some of the company’s big retail more...
Foster Farms facing USDA threat to close three plants
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued letters Monday to Livingston, Calif.-based chicken processor Foster Farms threatening to more...
Would-be beef thief gets prison sentence
A man who pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal a truckload of beef from Nebraska Beef in Omaha has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, plus three more...
Beef Checkoff releases tool to help retailers with pricing
The Beef Checkoff has introduced a cut test tool to retailers, to help them determine the true cost of beef cuts. Retail professionals already rely on more...
Korea halts some U.S. beef imports after feed additive found
South Korea suspended imports of beef from a work site at JBS USA Holdings unit Swift Beef Co. after finding the cattle feed additive zilpaterol in a more...
Cargill profit down sharply as drought impact lingers
Cargill Inc. said its first-quarter net earnings fell 41 percent on weak results in its energy business and the lingering impact of the 2012 Midwest drought more...
AMI asks for withdrawal of tenderized beef rule
The American Meat Institute has submitted comments recommending that USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) withdraw its proposed rule more...
CFIA expands burger recall
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Tuesday announced that it is recalling additional products as part of a public warning issued Oct. 2. CFIA and more...
Proposed small poultry processing operation moves forward in Mass.
Local officials have approved plans to open a poultry slaughterhouse and processing plant on a less than two acres of land in an industrial park in Leominster more...
As gov’t. shutdown drags on, so does effect on meat industry
As the furlough of many government employees continues into its second week, the impact grows on the meat industry as processors and entities like the more...
New study identifies food influencers affecting today’s food issues
A new breed of vocal online evangelists is being recognized for their efforts to affect what they see as being done by food marketers, buyers and sellers more...
Tech Briefs: World’s fastest plant (VIDEO), pathogen-free packaging, AMSA exclusive
One of Germany’s largest producers of fresh chicken has found a niche in German discount chains. It produces nearly 30 percent of all fresh chicken more...
Mississippi doctors rip chicken nuggets
Doctors in Mississippi have put chicken nuggets under the microscope, and they don’t like what they saw – as much fat, skin and other parts more...
Deli meat processor expanding again
West Liberty, Iowa-based West Liberty Foods announced a $13 million plan to expand its Tremonton, Utah facility. This addition will add 3,750 square feet more...
School lunches under scrutiny again in Virginia after burger changes
The nutritional value of the food eaten a lunchtime by in public schools is again being scrutinized in Fairfax County, Va., according to a published report more...
VION sells slaughterhouse byproduct division to U.S. firm
Dutch processor VION announced Monday that a final agreement has been reached on the proposed sale of its ingredients division to Irving, Texas-based more...
Executives on NCC panel upbeat about chicken industry prospects
WASHINGTON -- Chicken industry executives sounded chipper about the prospects for their industry in the next few years during a panel discussion here more...
Antibiotic-resistant E. coli more frequent in kosher chicken: study
Kosher raw chicken was twice as often found to have antibiotic-resistant E. coli as conventional chicken in a study funded by Northern Arizona University more...
Global cattle industry sees better days
Higher prices and the expectation of tight supply globally is boosting the outlook for the global cattle industry, according to Rabobank’s most more...
News Briefs: Land O'Frost, NCC update, gestation stalls, Smithfield EVP, Zacky Farms president
Land O’Frost broke ground Oct. 2 on what is expected to be a 27,000-square-foot headquarters in Munster, Ind., located just six miles east from more...
Protein industry adapts as government shutdown limits data
WASHINGTON — Companies in the protein industry will have access to “overall less information” on markets and pricing and will have to more...
CFIA recalls beef burgers on E. coli concerns
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Belmont Meats Ltd. are warning the public not to consume certain Compliments brand Super 8 Beef Burgers more...
Latest legal volley in 11-year COOL debate
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted the R-CALF USA, Food & Water Watch, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and more...
Kronos introduces new beef product line for foodservice
Glendale Heights, Ill.-based -based Kronos Foods announced a new Italian beef product line for use in foodservice. Kronos' Italian Beef is chilled immediately more...
Coons announces formation of Senate Chicken Caucus
WASHINGTON – Oct. 3, 2013 -- Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) announced today the formation of a Senate Chicken Caucus to help improve congressional discussion more...
FDA rescinds approval of three feed additives: NYT (UPDATE)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn approval of three chicken feed additives containing arsenic, in response to requests from the companies more...
USDA sees retail beef prices holding at record levels for 2013
USDA is reporting continued high prices for retail beef over the last two months and is projecting that the high costs will continue near the current more...
Butterball introduces convenience items
Butterball has unveiled what it calls “dinner solutions” aimed at simplifying the task of making the family meal. The new products include: more...
Congress [hearts] agriculture
Ag exports are in the spotlight, in a good way, in a new report released by the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress. The report, “The more...
FSIS inspectors still at work, other USDA, FDA activities shut down (updated)
The good news:USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in-plant inspectors are unaffected by the budget-induced government shutdown, as are laboratory more...
Creekstone Farms sees full production returning soon
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef anticipates that its meatpacking plant in Arkansas City, Kan., will return to full capacity by mid-October following last more...
Meat groups take another run at COOL
The meat industry organizations that have made quashing the final country-of-origin labeling rule a top priority have penned a letter to USDA Secretary more...
Report: Per-pound beef consumption lowest since 1950s
The consumption of beef by Americans has not been this low since the 1950s, according to a recent report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest more...
It’s Sausage Month! Here’s the guide.
Sausage consumption is growing in the U.S. — 5 percent last year, according to data from SymphonyIRI — and so the National Hot Dog and Sausage more...
September 2013
Cargill to distribute Teys Australia beef in U.S.
Cargill Food Distribution and Teys Australia have entered into an agreement to import Australian beef to the United States. A variety of Teys beef products more...
AdvancePierre names new CEO
Cincinnati-based AdvancePierre Foods Inc. has named John N. Simons, Jr. its new president and CEO, the company said in a news release. Simons has more more...
Once again, undeclared allergens prompt recall
Grey Eagle, Minn.-based Junction Pizza is recalling approximately 17,194 pounds of frozen pizza products that contain soy lecithin, a known allergen, more...
Montana nonprofit seeking proposals for potential processing plant
The Bozeman, Mont.-based non-profit development group hoping to open a USDA-inspected, multispecies processing facility in Montana is issuing requests more...
Bob Evans shutters sausage plant amid record-high sow costs
Bob Evans Farms’ foods production unit announced today the immediate closure of its Richardson, Texas, pork plant to mitigate record-high sow costs more...
NCC doubtful U.S. will begin importing more chicken
The recent decision by USDA to allow China to export chicken food products to the United States is unlikely to change the fact that a “miniscule more...
FAO’s new number: 14.5
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization has released a new report on the relationship between the global livestock and protein industry more...
Martha Stewart lobbies N.J. legislators on gestation crates
Martha Stewart has added her voice to the chorus of animal rights groups urging New Jersey legislators to override the governor’s veto of a bill more...
Fire at Creekstone plant injures one (UPDATE)
(A previous version of this story used a file photo. The photo did not accurately reflect the incident that occurred at Creekstone Farms. The fire was more...
Listeria concerns spur chicken, ham product recall
Milwaukee-based Garden Fresh Foods is recalling approximately 19,054 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken and ham products due to possible contamination with more...
U.S., Japan streamline organic trade
The U.S. and Japan will have reciprocal organic certification starting Jan. 1, 2014, the USDA announced Thursday. Products certified as organic in either more...
Court dismisses HSUS case involving pork slogan sale (updated)
A judge has dismissed a case brought by the Humane Society of the United States and other plaintiffs, ruling that they “lack constitutional standing” more...
Russia suspends Brazil beef, pork imports from 10 suppliers
Russia will reduce or suspend its imports of pork and beef from 10 Brazilian suppliers suppliers beginning Oct. 2 following a recent inspection which more...
Tyson to teach Tanzanians how to raise chickens for food
Tyson Foods Inc. announced today a new partnership with a Christian humanitarian group and to help small family farmers in northern Tanzania raise their more...
FSIS’s Almanza answers critics on chicken-from-China policy
In a USDA blog entry posted Tuesday, Food Safety and Inspection Service administrator Al Almanza responded to critics and the merely unconvinced about more...
Surge in poultry prices lifts USDA’s latest consumer index
Poultry prices jumped 5.5 percent in August from a year ago, one of the biggest monthly gains in the U.S. consumer price index’s food category, more...
Broiler production will keep expanding into 2014, USDA predicts
Lower corn and soybean meal prices and an improving domestic economy will drive continued expansion in broiler production in 2014, USDA forecast. Chick more...
COOL appeal gets rolling
Nine meat and livestock organizations have filed an initial brief in a case that appeals an earlier decision to deny a preliminary injunction on USDA's more...
Hormel's Phil Minerich to retire; new R&D VP named
Phillip Minerich, vice president of research and development for Hormel Foods, will retire from his current position effective Dec. 31, 2013. Kevin Myers more...
Proposed Del. chicken plant moves a step closer to reality
Plans by Allen Harim Foods to revive a shuttered Delaware pickle plant as a poultry processing facility moved a step closer to opening with the unanimous more...
That’s a lot of chicken: Analysts pick apart recent reports
Two USDA reports out yesterday —Cold Storage and Chicken and Eggs — could prove negative for chicken processing margins, according to industry more...
Canadian pork processors tout ability to trace live hogs
The Canadian Pork Council has updated its PigTrace Canada initiative that offers what the organization claims is a world-class, live-animal traceability more...
Fate of NC meat plant uncertain following closing, loss of 180 jobs
Officials at a privately held meat processing company are mulling the fate of a 58-year-old plant in Godwin, N.C., that was forced to close as the availability more...
Cargill unveils huge new poultry complex in China
In the latest nod to the protein-consuming potential of China's increasingly urban population and growing middle class, Cargill held an inauguration ceremony more...
Custom-order beef plant sets October opening date, hiring workers
A Nebraska beef processing plant that will specialize in custom kill orders is now hiring workers in preparation for an Oct. 15 opening, a company executive more...
Cargill goes solar at meat processing facility
Cargill announced its Fresno, Calif., beef plant has added solar energy to pre-heat water used throughout the plant for food safety and sanitation purposes more...
All in the family: JBS adds responsibilities to CEO’s son
JBS S.A. announced last week the company has named Wesley Batista Filho as CEO of JBS Paraguay. He is the son of JBS S.A. CEO Wesley Batista. The appointment more...
Iowa city gives green light to chicken processing plant
The city council of Spencer, Iowa, has given the final approval for a poultry slaughter plant that could eventually employ 100 to 200 workers, according more...
Senator raises concerns about processed Chinese chicken
A U.S. senator is asking USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to clarify whether U.S. inspectors will be stationed in Chinese plants where chicken destined for more...
Calif. company recalls ground beef shipped for NSLP
Central Valley Meat Co., based in Hanford, Calif., is recalling 58,240 pounds of ground beef that may contain small pieces of plastic, the USDA's Food more...
Retailer and foodservice chains announce new leadership
Kroger Co. and Darden Restaurants, Inc. announced top management leadership changes today. Kroger Kroger Chief Executive Officer David Dillon, a 37-year more...
Russia lifts Arkansas poultry ban
Russia has lifted a ban on imports of poultry products from Arkansas, effective Sept. 18, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said more...
State’s first USDA-certified meat plant set to open
Wyoming’s first USDA-certified meat processing facility is expected to begin operations by the end of the year, according to a report in the Cody more...
Humane boost for small plants: FSIS expert discusses upcoming guide
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will soon release guidelines for establishing a humane handling system at small and very small more...
ConAgra earnings plunge on weak frozen foods, Chef Boyardee
ConAgra Foods Inc. said its fiscal first-quarter earnings fell by 42 percent and predicted a weaker-than-expected second quarter, hurt by poor volumes more...
Pork dumplings recalled for undeclared seafood
A limited number of P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Pork and Leek Dumpling frozen appetizer sold at retail in 12.5 ounce bags is being recalled due to the more...
Living near pig farms, manure raises MRSA risk, study finds
Living near a high-density livestock operation or crop field where swine manure is used as fertilizer raises a person’s risk of MRSA infection, more...
Former Swift CEO takes over top post at Oscar Mayer
Kraft Foods Group announced today that Sam Rovit has been named executive vice president and president of the company’s Oscar Mayer unit, effective more...
Court informed of new Mo. horse-processing plant
In a court filing, the USDA has announced that a plant in Gallatin, Mo., has met all the federal requirements for processing horsemeat for human consumption more...
Restaurant traffic and consumer spending increases: NPD study
Restaurant traffic and consumer spending are on the rise, according to a new study from the NPD Group. The study found that United States restaurant more...
Butterball launches new animal welfare program
Butterball LLC announced today the launch of its new animal welfare program as it aims to raise “a higher standard for the industry,” according more...
Lawmakers question USDA position on China chicken plants
At least two federal officials are calling on the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to take greater steps to monitor chicken processing in China now that the more...
ConAgra sells meat substitute brand
ConAgra Foods has sold its Lightlife brand of meat substitute products to Brynwood Partners VI LP, the company said in a news release. Lightlife makes more...
OSI releases first sustainability report
OSI North America today released its first North America Sustainability Report for 2013/2014, available online at www.osigroup.com/sustainability.html more...
Colorado flooding prompts JBS to cancel plant shifts
Severe flooding in Colorado that so far has killed at least six people since Thursday sparked JBS USA to cancel at least two shifts at its plant in Greeley more...
Meat wholesaler wins tax incentives to build processing plant in Utah
Nature Food Products in Modesto, Calif., has won a $1.4-million tax incentive to help move forward with plans to build a $20-million pork-processing plant more...
USDA develops quicker ways to detect causes of bovine tuberculosis
USDA scientists at the Agricultural Research Service National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, are developing new methods to prevent and control bovine more...
AMI to host Animal Welfare Conference
The AMI Foundation will host its Animal Care and Handling Conference for the Food Industry on Oct. 16-17, 2013 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City more...
Legislation would create mandatory pathogen reduction standards
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has introduced the Safe Meat and Poultry Act, which would create mandatory pathogen reduction performance standards, more...
National Beef issues small recall on E. coli concerns
Dodge City, Kan.-based National Beef Packing Company is recalling approximately 690 pounds of beef tongue root filet products that may be contaminated more...
Tyson Fresh Meats names new sales, production executive
Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods, has named Keith Culver vice president of new product sales and production. In his new more...
Second proxy voting advisory firm recommends Smithfield/Shuanghui
Smithfield Foods announced that Glass Lewis & Co. ("Glass Lewis"), an independent proxy voting and corporate governance advisory firm, recommends more...
Expect cheaper corn and more expensive soybeans: USDA
USDA raised its corn crop forecast to a record 13.843 billion bushels, beating market analysts’ forecasts and bringing the forecast average farm more...
Smithfield transaction on track to close by Sept. 26
Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced Thursday that Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), an independent proxy voting and corporate governance advisory more...
NAMA, AMI in merger talks
The American Meat Institute (AMI) and the North American Meat Association (NAMA) have begun merger talks. Together the associations represent nearly all more...
Poultry plant fire delays production shift
Tyson Foods is investigating the cause of a fire at its Glen Allen, Va. poultry plant, a company spokesman told Meatingplace. The fire delayed the first more...
Brazil regulator fully approves JBS acquisition of Seara Brasil
Brazil's antitrust regulatory body, CADE, has approved JBS SA's acquisition of Seara Brasil from competitor Marfrig without restrictions, a deal involving more...
The return of LFTB — maybe
More school districts that a year ago had rejected lean finely textured beef (LFTB) in their lunch programs seem to have specified that the product is more...
Meat industry’s request for preliminary injunction on COOL denied
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied a meat industry coalition’s request for a preliminary injunction on USDA’s revised more...
Cargill names next chief executive
Cargill said on Wednesday its board of directors elected David MacLennan as chief executive officer effective Dec. 1, replacing Gregory Page, who will more...
Olive Garden goes ‘small’ in new menu section
Olive Garden is adding a line of small plates to its permanent menu that is likely to appeal to diners seeking to keep their restaurant tabs under control more...
ConAgra reins in outlook; analyst says more food makers could follow
ConAgra Foods said today it is revising downward its earnings-per-share outlook for fiscal 2014 following a softer-than-expected first-quarter performance more...
Europe drives sales gains for McDonald’s; U.S. sales tread water
Fueled by higher demand for its food in Europe, McDonald’s Corp. is reporting stronger-than-expected overall same-store sales for the month of August more...
Poultry consumption shifts, USDA adjusts
The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced plans to buy frozen drumsticks and thigh quarters out of cold storage in an effort more...
Church’s names Burger King exec as new U.S. chief
Quick service chain Church’s Chicken has appointed Joe Christina as executive vice president of the chain’s U.S. operations, effective Sept more...
FSIS updates its recall policies
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Monday reissued Directive 8080.1, “Recall of Meat and Poultry Products,” replacing more...
Analysts note positives from Shaunghui/Smithfield deal
Two protein industry analysts remained neutral on the proposed $34-a-share deal between Smithfield Foods Inc. Shaunghui International Holdings of China more...
Calif. firm pulls products on allergen concerns
San Leandro, Calif.-based Galant Food Company is recalling approximately 1,650 pounds of fresh or frozen calzone products because of misbranding and an more...
Touchdown: Eckrich announces “Ultimate Tailgate” smoked sausage
Eckrich, a part of the John Morrell Food Group, a division of Smithfield Foods, announced a new line of smoked sausage, Kirk Herbstreit “Ultimate more...
FAO’s Food Price Index slips again despite meat price increases
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is reporting a fourth straight monthly decline in its Food Price Index, which measures more...
Smithfield says latest quarterly results mark a “low point”
Smithfield Foods Inc., which in May announced plans to be acquired by Shuanghui International, on Friday reported a sharply lower first-quarter profit more...
Smithfield foodservice launches cook-in-bag smoked pork butt
To address the cooking process of pulled pork — which remains both time- and labor-intensive — Smithfield Foodservice has launched its new more...
Sandwich chain sold to private equity investors
St. Louis-based Lion’s Choice restaurant has been sold to private equity investors from the St. Louis area, the company said in a news release. more...
Canadian, with a chance of meatballs
Canadians have a 12 percent greater chance of finding meatballs on the menu than they were just a year ago, according to new research by Technomic Inc more...
Company proposing NY beef packing plant vows to press on
A company that wants to build a beef packing plant in upstate New York will try to change the minds of town officials who voted against the facility even more...
McDonald’s testing $5 items with expanded Dollar Menu
McDonald’s Corp. says it is exploring a national launch of an updated version of its decade-old Dollar Menu later this year that may include new more...
OSHA cites Vienna Beef, proposes $53,000 in fines
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Wednesday cited Vienna Beef Ltd. for 10 serious safety violations more...
JBS USA to raise $800 million to rebuy senior notes due in 2014
JBS USA plans to raise $800 million in debt securities and loans in order to repurchase the company's senior notes that are due in 2014, Brazilian parent more...
News briefs: Perdue launches CSR program, Sanderson renews golf partnership, Kraft names CFO, and more
Perdue Farms has released its first corporate responsibility report, launching a formalized sustainability platform called “We Believe in Responsible more...
Chicken industry defends its safety record
The National Chicken Council (NCC) is defending its safety record in response to a new push by a coalition of civil rights groups to alter USDA’s more...
OSI boosts supply chain management
OSI Group announced today a new global trading platform it says will help it better control its worldwide meat business. MPO (Meat, Poultry & Other) more...
Russia reopens to Pilgrim’s Pride plant
Russia has reinstated to its list of eligible U.S. poultry exporters a Pilgrim’s Pride plant in Douglas, Ga., according to USDA’s Food Safety more...
AMI’s newest video addresses mechanized processing
In response to the argument that using machinery is an unnatural way of processing beef, pork and poultry, the American Meat Institute has posted a new more...
Investigators probe fire that destroyed Dietz & Watson warehouse
Delanco, N.J., officials are investigating a Labor Day weekend fire at a Dietz & Watson cold storage facility that was still burning 24 hours after more...
ConAgra prevails in don-doff proceedings
A federal appeals panel ordered last week that ConAgra Inc. is not required to pay workers at the company’s Marshall, Mo., frozen foods plant for more...
Hillshire Brands beefs up portfolio with leading jerky company
The Hillshire Brands Company today announced it signed an agreement to acquire the maker of Golden Island jerky products, a Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based leader more...
Consumers say 'meh'
In an analysis of three key indeces of consumer sentiment, Steve Meyer and Len Steiner — authors of the Daily Livestock Report — accentuate more...
Subway adds 40,000th location
Quick-service sandwich chain Subway announced Monday the addition of its 40,000 worldwide location at a gas station in Ipswich, England. The world’s more...
Uruguay to audit poultry processing plants in U.S.
The Uruguayan Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries will inspect select poultry processing plants and their risk analysis programs in the U more...
New foodservice study shows pork is fastest-growing protein
According to Technomic, Inc.'s 2013 Volumetric Assessment of Pork in Foodservice, pork is sustaining its popularity having become the foodservice industry's more...
School with meat processing plant gets $2 million gift
California State University, Chico announced the largest scholarship gift in the history of the University: a $2 million endowment from the Bell Family more...
August 2013
S&P reaffirms rating, stable outlook for JBS, despite debt growth
Ratings agency Standard & Poor's is reaffirming its BB rating with a stable outlook for Brazilian meat processor JBS SA and subsidiary JBS USA, after more...
California court upholds Proposition 2
The Superior Court of California in Fresno County has upheld Proposition 2, the 2008 California ballot measure barring agricultural operators from confining more...
Calif. pork recall expands to 70,000 pounds
Westlake Foods, a Santa Ana, Calif., establishment, has recalled a total of 69,123 pounds of cured pork products because of misbranding and undeclared more...
AgFeed operations picked up by three pork producers
Bankrupt pork producer AgFeed USA will sell its operations to three of its competitors in a $79.2 million deal that the bankruptcy court judge signed more...
Deli sandwich chain sets plans to go public, expand
Potbelly Corp., whose menu features toasted sandwiches, filed plans with securities regulators for an initial public offering of its stock. The Chicago-based more...
Exclusive interview with Zilmax researcher Dan Thomson
A lot has happened in the three weeks since the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association met in Denver where spirited discussions ensued about lameness more...
Vandals damage meat processing plant, set cows loose
An animal rights group has claimed responsibility for vandalism at a meat processing plant in North Branch, Mich., and local law enforcement has asked more...
Town board votes against proposed plant
The town board of Frankfort, N.Y. has voted to oppose a proposed beef processing facility in advance of a meeting with the processing company, according more...
Weekly broiler egg sets still climbing
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state USDA weekly program set 201 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Aug. 24, 2013, up 5 percent from the more...
Fast food workers walk off jobs nationwide
Fast food workers in 60 cities walked off their jobs Thursday in what organizers said was the largest-ever strike to hit the $200 billion fast-food industry more...
Pilgrim's wins appeal of damages award in suit over plant closing
A federal appeals court has reversed a damages award of more than $25 million to a group of contract chicken growers that accused Pilgrim’s Pride more...
Md. withdraws litter pollution rule pending discussions
The Maryland state Department of Agriculture (MDA) has withdrawn a request for emergency consideration of proposed changes to a state regulation that more...
Cargill invests $10 million to upgrade Thai poultry processing facility
Cargill is investing $10 million to upgrade its integrated poultry processing facility in Saraburi, Thailand, which produces a range of cooked poultry more...
Slap some fries on it and, voila, new burger!
Burger King Corp. will roll out on Sept. 1 what it calls the French Fry Burger, according to media reports. True to its name, the novelty is the addition more...
Cargill to install $48 million distribution system at Kan. beef plant
Cargill Inc. announced today plans to install a $48 million automated order distribution system at the company’s beef plant in Dodge City, Kan. more...
Sanderson's third quarter something to smile about
Sanderson Farms today reported third-quarter earnings of $67.9 million, or $2.95 a share, compared with $28.7 million, or $1.25 a share in the corresponding more...
Meat industry seeks preliminary injunction on COOL
In a big day in court for the meat industry, lawyers representing nine of the industry's organizations presented their arguments in U.S. District Court more...
Chicken wings take center stage in latest McD’s menu revamp
Just in time for the 2013 football season, McDonald’s Corp. is confirming reports it will launch a line of bone-in chicken wings nationally next more...
Cattle on Feed shocker: even fewer placed on feed than expected
USDA reported a 10 percent drop in cattle placed in feedlots during July compared to a year ago. At 1.72 million head, the figure was nearly 8 percent more...
Poultry processor hires Perdue exec as new CEO
Poultry processor Allen Harim announced Steven Evans has been hired as chief executive officer effective Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013. Evans was most recently more...
Moody’s concerned about JBS debt; JBS concerned about Oppenheirmer
Ratings agency Moody's is maintaining its Ba3 long-term rating of Brazilian meat processor JBS SA but reduced its outlook on the company to negative, more...
Fast casual segment outpaces overall restaurant unit growth: NPD Group
Fast casual restaurants added 7 percent more units in the year that ended in May 2013 while parts of Colorado took the top three slots in terms of having more...
Camera grading errors may be costing consumers $375 million a year: OIG report
A recent report from USDA’s Office of the Inspector General said that the standards for the camera-grading system used to evaluate and grade some more...
Pork producer to sell $645 million rendering business
Maple Leaf Foods announced today an agreement to sell its Rothsay rendering and biodiesel business to Irving, Texas-based Darling International Inc, as more...
Moody’s predicts near-term chicken industry mostly smooth sailing
Moody’s is reviewing Pilgrim’s Pride’s debt for a possible upgrade partly because the rating agency sees positive outlook for the chicken more...
Hormel to see pressures ease from here, analyst says
Hormel Foods is poised to see its earnings accelerate beginning next quarter, aided by lower feed costs, turkey production cuts and moderating pork prices more...
USDA reports larger poultry supplies in cold storage
Total frozen poultry supplies on July 31, 2013 were up 3 percent from the previous month and up 5 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s monthly more...
Pork price spike hurts Hormel profit
Hormel Foods Corp. reported a 2 percent rise in quarterly profit that came in below Wall Street expectations due to the impact of higher pork prices on more...
Millennials drive healthy, spicy, between-meal (meat) snacking
Millennials are driving an increase in between-meal snacking, and they like their snacks healthy and spicy, according to new research published by the more...
Brazil initiates its very first poultry exports to Mexico
Brazil sent its very first poultry exports to Mexico last Wednesday, said Francisco Turra, president of the Brazilian Poultry Union (Ubabef), during a more...
Fitch upgrades Bachoco ratings to “AA+”, outlook remains “stable”
Fitch Ratings upgraded Mexico-based Industries Bachoco’s ratings from “AA” to “AA+” and maintained a “stable” more...
Number of cattle on feed a conundrum
Opinions vary widely about the number of cattle placed on feed during July and the total inventory as of Aug. 1, though on average both are expected to more...
JBS USA trumpets Black Angus site
JBS USA on Tuesday launched a website that highlights the company’s Swift Black Angus beef program. SwiftBlackAngus.com, the company said, serves more...
Poultry plants awarded for worker safety
Ninety-two U.S. poultry facilities were recognized today by the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council for worker safety performance at the 2013 National more...
Food trucks competing well with quick-service restaurants: NPD Group
The national food truck invasion may not be affecting all brick-and-mortar restaurant choices, but the impact is being felt among quick-service restaurants more...
Bob Evans to launch ‘express’ concept; reports weaker 1Q earnings
Bob Evans Farms Inc. is preparing to launch an express restaurant concept, even as it plans to complete its Farm Fresh Refresh remodeling program by the more...
Canada asks WTO to take a new look at U.S. COOL
Canada on Monday asked the World Trade Organization to review again U.S. country-of-origin meat labeling rules in the latest salvo of the cross-border more...
Proxy vote on Smithfield-Shuanghui deal slated
Shareholders of Smithfield Foods Inc. are scheduled to vote Sept. 24 on the proposed acquisition of the Smithfield, Va.-based processor by Shuanghui International more...
USDA releases pork outlook data
Strong demand fed increases in slaughter numbers in the first half for pork, although relatively high feed costs helped make profits elusive. Conditions more...
Meatingplace exclusive: Almanza on PHIS outage, pathogen testing
The New York Times published a story on Saturday titled, “Shipping Continued After Computer Inspection System Failed at Meat Plants” that more...
USDA assesses cattle outlook, touches on Zilmax issue
Greater year-over-year total commercial cow slaughter through the first half of 2013 would suggest the potential for another decline in Jan. 1, 2014 cow more...
Olymel slowly reopens Quebec pork plant following ammonia leak
Olymel L.P. has reopened its pork processing plant south of Quebec City, six days after an ammonia leak forced the facility to shut down operations, according more...
Scheduling conflict postpones U.S./China chicken meeting
A trip by two senior USDA food safety officials to Beijing for bilateral talks on opening the U.S. market to Chinese processed chicken was supposed to more...
Merck makes game-changing announcement on Zilmax
Merck Animal Health announced it would temporarily suspend sales of the food animal growth promotant Zilmax in a surprise move a week after Tyson Foods more...
Chilean chicken recall expands
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has expanded the amount of product being recalled by the Chilean Ministry of Health. After official more...
Retail margins for beef, pork, poultry show some surprises
Despite the high cost of beef, retail margins are improving and are now above the 10-year average, according to J.P.Morgan analyst Ken Goldman. USDA reported more...
Restaurant chain expanding fast
Corner Bakery Cafe said it has signed five restaurant franchise agreements that will add 61 new cafes to the chain, with the first to open next year. more...
JBS posts revenue, income gains in 2Q on higher prices in U.S., better capacity use
Brazil's JBS SA closed the second quarter with adjusted net income of BRL482.5 million ($207.5 million), up 126 percent from BRL212.9 million ($91.5 million) more...
Grower gets prison time, fine for arson at chicken company
A man who was expecting to raise chickens for Marshall Durbin Cos. in Alabama has been sentenced to five years in prison for setting a fire at a company more...
Chicken surpasses pork in Japan for first time
Consumption of chicken during the Japanese fiscal year 2012 (April 2012 to March 2013) increased 5 percent year-on-year – exceeding pork consumption more...
Perdue Farms honored for being green
Perdue Farms announced today that it has received Platinum certification – the highest possible ranking – for the renovation of its corporate more...
JBS video inflames beta-agonist debate (updated)
A video of apparently lame cattle presented last week by JBS USA’s animal welfare director at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association summer more...
N.C. DOL fines Smithfield Packing for safety violations
The North Carolina Department of Labor has handed Smithfield Packing citations for occupational safety and health violations, and fines totaling $44,100 more...
Iowa company says it will process beef instead of horses
An Iowa-based company that has completed renovations on a 50,000-square-foot plant is dropping plans to slaughter horses there and instead will concentrate more...
JBS names president of South American operations
JBS SA has appointed Miguel Gularte as president of its South American operations, the company said in a news release. Gularte has worked in the South more...
Merck defends Zilmax; Tyson still stands alone
In response to the uproar over Zilmax, a growth promotant that may be fed to cattle, manufacturer Merck Animal Health released a statement in defense more...
Ammonia leak closes pork plant
Olymel was forced to temporarily close a Quebec pork processing plant after an ammonia leak Monday evening sent nine of its workers to the hospital, according more...
Russia pulls some U.S. beef (withdrawn)
This story has been withdrawn. It was based on a statement on the English version of Russia's Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection Service more...
FDA issues final ‘gluten-free’ rule
The Food and Drug Administration has published a final rule defining how “gluten-free” can be used in voluntary food labeling. Among the major more...
Poultry processor to open at former Petit Jean site in Ark.
Poultry processor Vikon Farms will open a $5.4 million processing facility in Arkadelphia, Ark., which will employ more than 172 people within four years more...
Pilgrims to close rendering plant
Pilgrim's Pride plans to shut down its rendering plant in El Dorado, Ark., which currently employs about 30 people, a company spokesman confirmed to Meatingplace more...
BPI files arguments against efforts to dismiss defamation suit
On Friday, Beef Products Inc. filed four briefs opposing efforts to dismiss its $1.2 billion defamation lawsuit against ABC News and others, related to more...
Soybean, corn futures rise on USDA report
USDA’s latest projections for the U.S. soybean and corn crops did not live up to analysts’ pre-report expectations, sending futures prices more...
USDA raises beef forecast, lowers pork, poultry
The total red meat and poultry production forecast for 2013 is raised from last month as higher beef production more than offsets lower pork, broiler more...
Lunchmeat sector competition will challenge Hillshire Brands targets
Heighted competition especially in lunchmeats and rising meat input costs could prevent Hillshire Brands from meeting its fiscal 2015 financial goals more...
Comment period on tenderized beef extended
Responding to industry requests, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has extended the comment period on its proposed rule regarding needle- more...
Ill. pork firm plans $10 million rendering plant to curb odor problems
Rantoul Foods plans to build a $10 million rendering facility at its Rantoul, Ill., pork plant to ease odor problems that have riled neighbors in the more...
Multi-specied slaughter plant aims to break ground after delays: report
Construction on a proposed multi-species meat processing plant in Nevada could start before the end of the year now that a number of hurdles have been more...
Tyson decision against growth promotant boosts cattle futures
Live cattle futures prices jumped Thursday on the news that Tyson Foods would stop accepting cattle fed the growth promotant Zilmax on Sept. 6, over concerns more...
Hillshire says sow costs to dampen 2014 earnings
Hillshire Brands Co. reported lower fourth-quarter net income and revenue and said earnings in 2014 would be hurt by higher commodity costs. “Heading more...
Franchise revenues down, branded sales up for Nathan’s Famous
Revenues for Nathan's Famous, Inc. increased by 15.9 percent to $23,401,000, as compared with $20,182,000 during the thirteen weeks ended June 24, 2012 more...
Classic, meaty menu items drive July McDonald's sales in US
McDonald's Corporation Thursday reported mixed global comparable sales for July, with sales up in the United States and down just about everywhere else more...
Cargill says meat earnings weak, spotlights poultry projects
Cargill Inc. reported fourth-quarter earnings from meat processing fell due to high feed costs and tight U.S. cattle supplies but highlighted a number more...
GIPSA fines Ohio packer
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration announced today a consent decision with Sandusky, Ohio-based J.H. Routh Packing Co more...
Make way for the waffle taco (UPDATE)
Taco Bell is launching its breakfast menu, including the Waffle Taco, in more U.S. markets as it prepares for a national rollout in 2014. The Waffle Taco more...
Giving Back: Hormel, ConAgra, Tyson, Hartley Ranch
Former Hormel Foods Corp. CFO Mike McCoy and his wife have donated $2 million to establish a faculty position at the religion and philosophy department more...
Analysts lift Tyson fiscal year estimates
Industry analysts are raising their upcoming fiscal-year earnings estimates for Tyson Foods Inc. following yesterday’s solid financial performance more...
Burger King says refranchising, expansion efforts are on track
Burger King Worldwide Inc. says efforts to become a fully franchised business are moving forward, even as its plans to open more international units progress more...
Researchers find pigs digest fat easier in soybeans than corn
Researchers at the University of Illinois have determined the true ileal (end of the small intestine) and total tract digestibility of fat in four corn more...
University partners with Chinese food inspection center
The University of Minnesota has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine Center, forging a partnership more...
Record chicken earnings, beef rebound triple Tyson’s 3Q profit
Tyson Foods Inc. said today the company tripled its fiscal third-quarter profit on strong demand for chicken and beef and higher pricing. The Springdale more...
Analyst: Hillshire still strong, but estimates lowered
J.P. Morgan analyst Ken Goldman has lowered estimates on "overweight-rated" packaged meat business Hillshire Brands Co., in light of several facors including more...
Horse slaughter plant operations stalled again
New Mexico District Court Judge Christina Armijo issued a temporary restraining order Friday against Valley Meat Co. from converting its cattle processing more...
Recall guidelines issued for restaurants, retailers
The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) has released a new guide for food establishments on how to best protect the public and aid more...
WTO favors U.S. in poultry dispute with China
The World Trade Organization determined today that China’s anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports of U.S. chicken violate international more...
Beef processor files suit against biofuels company
Idaho-based Agri Beef Co. has filed suit against North Star Biofuels, alleging that the company borrowed some $8 million and has yet to repay the debt more...
Kraft earnings surge but Oscar Mayer weak
Kraft Foods reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings on Thursday, helped by a large one-time gain, cost savings and more marketing, but softer more...
JBS launches premium beef website
JBS USA has unveiled CedarRiverFarms.com, an interactive website that highlights the company’s premium Cedar River Farms Natural Beef program. The more...
Pilgrim's reaps benefits of strong market as profit leaps
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. said its second-quarter profit more than doubled as it picked up more business, boosted prices and generally took advantage of strong more...
Processor gets nod as fit-friendly workplace
The American Heart Association recognized Omaha Steaks as a platinum-level Fit-Friendly Worksite, the processor announced Wednesday. Platinum-level workplaces more...
Feed practices may point to porcine virus source (Update)
As researchers continue to better understand Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, or PEDV, an association of veterinarians is reporting that some feed practices more...
Mexican pork exports drop by 15% in first half of 2013
Mexican pork exports reached 29,000 tons in the first semester, a 15-percent decrease compared to the same period last year, according to the Mexican more...
July 2013
Tyson unit takes majority stake in Chinese company
Tyson Foods’ supplier of broiler breeding stock has taken a majority stake in Chinese chicken producer Hubei Tong Xing Agriculture Co. Ltd. Cobb-Vantress more...
China bans poultry imports from Arkansas, Wisconsin
China has banned imports of poultry from Arkansas and Wisconsin, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said on its web site. All poultry more...
FDA proposes rules for imported food safety
The Food and Drug Administration has proposed two new rules that would set new standards for the safety of imported food, as called for in the Food Safety more...
Analyst sees dark clouds on Maple Leaf's horizon
BMO Capital Markets analyst Kenneth Zaslow is concerned that two consecutive weak quarters casts doubt on Maple Leaf Foods' long-term plans. "While we more...
Judge sentences Nebraska man to probation over false labeling
A federal judge has sentenced a Clearwater, Neb., man to one year of probation for mislabeling hundreds of pounds of meat as having been inspected and more...
El Pollo Loco hires new COO
Restaurant industry veteran Kay Bogeajis has joined El Pollo Loco as chief operating officer. In her new position, Bogeajis will oversee company and franchise more...
Florida restaurant chain sets major expansion plans
Miami-based Grillit Inc. is launching a major expansion of its Latin-Caribbean fusion concept to include at least 21 corporate stores and 58 franchises more...
Giving back: Cargill, Tyson, Eckrich, Perdue
Cargill’s Wichita, Kans.-based meat businesses helped jump-start a program of the Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters with a $100,000 contribution. more...
Shareholder alleges withholding of financials in suit against Smithfield
A Smithfield Foods shareholder has filed a putative class action against the company, seeking an injunction and related legal costs, in the latest move more...
Pilgrim’s plant evacuated briefly on bomb threat
A Pilgrim’s Pride poultry processing plant in Lufkin, Texas shut down for about two hours on Saturday after an unidentified caller said there was more...
Dunkin’ Donuts credits sandwich growth for solid Q2 results
Dunkin’ Brands Group posted strong revenue growth in the second quarter of fiscal 2013 and the Canton, Mass.-based quick-service restaurant chain more...
Analyst sees chicken business lifting Tyson profit
A constrained U.S. breeder flock that is limiting chicken industry expansion and boosting profits will keep market fundamentals positive for the next more...
Meat groups seek injunction against COOL
Nine organizations representing the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican meat and livestock industries are asking the United States District Court for the District more...
Grass-fed meat label introduced in Canada
The group Animal Welfare Approved said the Canadian government has approved its food label for animals fed 100 percent grass and forage. The Animal Welfare more...
Nestle announces new chicken, beef frozen entrées
Nestle's Lean Cuisine brand has added a new collection of entrées to its frozen offerings. The Honestly Good line is made with ingredients the more...
OSI announces animal welfare sponsorships
OSI Group, LLC announced Thursday two sponsorships and a new membership in an industry group, all part of what the company describes as an effort to “advance more...
Only six workers left at Northern Beef Packers
About 260 workers were laid off this week at Northern Beef Packers, leaving just six employees at the vacant plant, a local executive told Meatingplace more...
Beef, pork, poultry retail prices all up in June: USDA
USDA reported retail pork prices rose 0.6 percent in June compared to a year ago, while beef and veal prices were up 1.4 percent and poultry prices were more...
Cravings behind consumer burger boom, report says
Consumers are eating burgers more often then they have before, according to research from the Chicago-based consultancy Technomic. An overwhelming majority more...
Meaty sandwiches boosting restaurant sales
Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. reported stronger second-quarter earnings, citing momentum in sandwich sales from items including the Turkey Sausage Breakfast more...
Shuanghui-Smithfield deal to get extra scrutiny
The federal Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) will conduct a more extensive, second phase of review of the proposed acquisition more...
Bill aims to shield meat producers’ personal data from activists
Prompted by the release of personal data on thousands of livestock and poultry farmers to activists, U.S. Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joe Donnelly more...
Hormel announces exec promotions
Hormel Foods Corp. has promoted Thomas R. Day, group vice president, Refrigerated Foods from group vice president, foodservice, the company said in a more...
Oscar Mayer line goes gluten-free
Oscar Mayer said it is making its full line of Selects cold cuts, hot dogs and bacon gluten-free, citing research suggesting consumers want meat and other more...
USDA data shows decline in pork stocks in June
USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report showed frozen pork supplies were down 14 percent from the previous month and down 5 percent from last year in more...
Pork Board ups its funding for PEDV research
The National Pork Board has committed to investing an additional $350,000 toward research, education and coordination of efforts to better understand more...
Corn crop condition slips on drought/flooding depending on the state
In the week ended July 21, USDA rated 11 percent of the U.S. corn crop in major producing states in poor or very poor condition, up from 9 percent the more...
Taco Bell boots kid’s meals
Taco Bell will take kid’s meals and toys off the menu at its U.S. restaurants, the company said in a news release. Taco Bell claims to be the first more...
Maple Leaf Foods to sell turkey operations in separate deals
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods is selling its commercial turkey farms and its breeder farms and hatchery operation in two deals slated to close by the more...
WTO hearings on U.S.-India poultry dispute to begin this week
The World Trade Organization this week will hold its first hearing on a dispute between the United States and India over last year’s ban on U.S more...
Tight feeder supplies ahead, analysts predict
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.4 million head on July more...
Coalition of farmers, consumers, urges rejection of Smithfield deal
A coalition of farm, rural and consumer organizations has delivered a letter to members of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States urging more...
Northern Beef Packers delaying paychecks: report
Northern Beef Packers told employees on Wednesday that their Friday paychecks would be delayed but wages could be paid early next week, the Aberdeen News more...
Boyle ends tenure as longest serving president in AMI history
American Meat Institute (AMI) President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle announced Friday that he will step down at the end of 2013 as president and CEO of the more...
Chicken processor’s assets sold in bankruptcy auction
A group of investors led by San Francisco-based Rabin Worldwide submitted a high bid of $5.36 million for the North Carolina assets of bankrupt chicken more...
DeLauro calls for review of Smithfield purchase
The day after Shuanghui International Holdings announced that it wants to list its merged company with Smithfield Foods on the Hong Kong stock exchange more...
Hot weather forcing cattle to market, hurting beef demand
Drought in the U.S. West and Southwest is driving heavy cow slaughter and placements of heavy-weight feeder cattle that will likely mean increased beef more...
E. coli strain can help in cases of salmonella infection, research finds
Fighting off a salmonella infection? Relief may come in the unlikely form of E. coli, used as a probiotic. The key is competition for iron, according more...
JBS could hold 10% of stock in circulation after share buyback
Brazil's JBS SA may repurchase up to 91.49 million outstanding shares over the next 12 months, following the renewal of a share buyback program approved more...
Remember SpaghettiOs? Are you ready for CheeseburgerOs?
Campbell Soup Co. has introduced a new flavor for its SpaghettiOs line of canned foods, its first in more than 20 years: CheeseburgerOs. "SpaghettiOs more...
Guilty plea in attempted $163,000 beef theft
A California man has pleaded guilty of conspiracy to try to steal $163,000 in beef from Nebraska Beef in Omaha, according to court documents. In January more...
Canadian researchers create E. coli test-in-a-box
Researchers at the University of Alberta have developed what they say is a device for use at meat processing plants that is more sensitive at recognizing more...
Butterball launches "Turketarian" promotion
Butterball is looking to add a new foodie designation to the lexicon with its new "turketarian" promotion. Noting that 33 percent of turkey eaters more...
Hot dog fan to enjoy a season in the sun
Two finalists in a hot dog topping contest will soon square off for a chance to have their recipe sold at Boston’s Fenway Park for the remainder more...
Shuanghui Int’l.’s plans to cash in: Report (updated)
Shuanghui International Holdings, the company that has agreed to buy Smithfield Foods Inc., wants to list the merged company on the Hong Kong stock exchange more...
Vietnam to get its first taste of Big Macs
A Vietnamese-American businessman who first dreamed of opening a McDonald’s restaurant in his native country a decade ago will launch the first more...
Restaurants losing out to prepared foods: NPD study
Restaurants have more to worry over the next decade or so in terms of competition, according to a new study from NPD Group. Consumers are expected to more...
News briefs: USPOULTRY, J. Alexander's, PEDv update
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association will hold its Women’s Leadership Conference in August, focusing on "essential techniques for professionals more...
Activist shareholder advances challenge to Smithfield/Shuanghui deal
Starboard Value LP is calling on two financial advisors to help identify the value of breaking up Smithfield Foods Inc., even as the Virginia-based hog more...
New Hormel snack product aims at teens
Hormel Foods is launching a new meat and cheese snack line called REV Wraps marketed toward teens and adults as a high protein, lower calorie snack to more...
Russia restrictions weighing on U.S. beef, pork exports
The inability of the United States to ship beef and pork to Russia is putting a damper on U.S. red meat exports this year, according to the U.S. Meat more...
News Briefs: New JBS site, pizza chain exec, Taco John’s
JBS launches site for 5 Star JBS USA has launched 5StarBeef.com to serve as a sales resource and information tool for retail and foodservice operators more...
Smithfield/Shuanghui deal passing regulatory hurdles
Smithfield Foods announced that the required waiting period has expired under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in connection with more...
ABC News files for dismissal, again
ABC News has filed for dismissal of the defamation case against it in the South Dakota state court that now has jurisdiction in the matter. Earlier this more...
BRF: The first Brazilian meat processing company to export to Japan
Brasil Foods (BRF) is the first Brazilian meat processing company to export pork produts to Japan. The shipment, composed of tenderloin and shoulder chops more...
Hormel upgraded on turkey, new product momentum
BMO Capital Markets analyst Kenneth Zaslow upgraded his rating on Hormel Foods to outperform, saying an “extensive list” of positives, from more...
U.S. porcine virus cases top 300; U.K. issues warning
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) now has hit 16 states and continues to spread, according to a report by the National Animal Health Laboratories more...
USDA lowers meat, poultry production forecasts
USDA lowered its forecast for 2013 red meat and poultry production is reduced from last month on lower beef, pork and turkey production. Beef production more...
Poultry Federation honors Childers as ‘2013 Leader of the Year’
The Poultry Federation of Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma has named organization President Marvin Childers the recipient of its 2013 Industry Leader of more...
10 cities that love their red meat
Sharecare.com has released a ranking of U.S. cities that love their red meat, with New Orleans at the top of the heap. Sharecare.com is a health blog more...
Mexican poultry giant buys U.S. hatchery assets
Mexican poultry giant Industrias Bachoco announced it agreed to buy the breeding assets in Arkansas of Morris Hatchery. These assets comprise mainly equipment more...
Chicken production could expand after summer: analyst
The chicken market is showing signs that production may accelerate after summer, according to a Wall Street analyst. BMO Capital Markets analyst Kenneth more...
Food safety testing costs projected to hit $5.5 billion by 2018
The cost of tracking pathogens in food processed by U.S., Canadian and Mexican companies will rise by 47 percent over the next five years, according to more...
Farmed fish production overtakes beef
Over the past two years, there has been more protein produced globally from fish farm than from cattle ranches, according to the Earth Policy Institute more...
Meat industry sues USDA over latest COOL rule
Eight organizations representing the U.S. and Canadian meat and livestock industries filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of more...
Kroger to buy regional supermarket chain in $2.4 billion deal
Kroger Co. has agreed to buy Harris Teeter Supermarkets in a cash deal valued at about $2.4 billion, the companies announced Tuesday morning. Kroger will more...
JBS settles part of donning and doffing case; judge denies attorney fee request
The judge in a case involving payment for time employees spent donning and doffing required equipment at the JBS Packerland facility in Plainwell, Mich more...
Bankruptcy court approves Zacky Farms, Foster Farms compromise
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California approved a compromise to settle differences between Foster Farms and what remains of more...
Smithfield Foods targeted in court filing over hog waste in North Carolina
A dispute over the treatment of hog waste from a processing plant in North Carolina owned by Smithfield Foods Inc. is heading to mediation. Nearly 600 more...
Shuttered Iowa beef plant may reopen after 10 years
After being shuttered for nearly a decade, a 106,000-square-foot beef plant in Tama, Iowa, may get a chance to re-open now that the Tama City Council more...
DOT give livestock truckers 90-day waiver on new hours
The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted a limited 90-day waiver from the 30-minute rest break more...
Meat the Stanley Cup
The National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup is as famous for its post-season social schedule as it is for the battle to win it in the first place. more...
Caviness cited by OSHA, faces $120,000 in fines
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Caviness Beef Packing Ltd. in Hereford, Texas, with 25 safety more...
Poultry producer expands in Delaware
Mountaire Farms has begun an $8.5 million expansion of its hatchery operations in Millsboro, Del., to keep up with growing demand from customers, a company more...
PCRM sets off fireworks in Ark.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine put up a billboard this week in Little Rock, Ark., touting its website, fecalsoup.org, criticizing poultry more...
U.S. Hispanics are changing what America eats for lunch
The U.S. Hispanic population eats their largest meal of the day at lunch and is more likely to consume it at home, according to NPD’s National Eating more...
USDA researchers report enzyme is as effective as antibiotics in pigs
USDA scientists are reporting that piglets fed with an enzyme instead of antibiotics performed as well as those fed with common antibiotics. Lysozyme more...
Giving back: Smithfield, Cargill, Tyson
This is an occasional roundup of charitable activities by poultry and meat processors. It is not meant to be all-inclusive, but rather to give readers more...
Moo & Oink joins summer promotion bandwagon
Calling it the “Sizzling Summer Giveaway,” Chicago barbeque brand Moo & Oink is promising to give away free Moo & Oink products for more...
Applegate launches 'wienervention' promotion
Organic and natural meat company Applegate is offering a "wienervention" in a new advertising and promotion campaign aimed at Americans who love their more...
Cargill High River beef plant to start slaughter operations again
Nearly two weeks after Cargill halted beef slaughter operations at its plant near High River in Alberta, Canada due to massive flooding in surrounding more...
Shuttered Indiana meat plant could reopen as Halal food maker
Halal Processing Solutions, a group of Texas businessmen, plan to turn the former Monogram Comfort Foods corn dog facility in Muncie, Ind., into a Halal more...
Smithfield’s acquirer expects surge in earnings
Chinese pork processor Henan Shuanghui, whose parent company has agreed to buy Smithfield Foods, is projecting a net profit increase of up to 66 more...
Missouri keeps ban on foreign ownership; Smithfield not concerned
Missouri’s governor vetoed two bills that would have allowed foreign ownership of farmland in the state, an issue that has drawn attention in light more...
Restaurant sales picking up steam as customers return
Stronger same-store sales and busier customer traffic lifted a national restaurant index to its highest level in over a year in May. It was the third more...
Kraft wins injunction over Cracker Barrel's meat
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. from selling packaged meats because he agreed with Kraft Foods that more...
Small ammonia leak temporarily evacuates Tyson plant
A small ammonia leak evacuated Tyson Foods’ Clarksville, Ark. poultry processing plant temporarily on Monday night, according to a company spokesman more...
Settlement reopens Columbia Packing in Dallas
A Texas state judge approved a settlement plan between the city of Dallas and Columbia Packing Co. that will allow for the reopening of a pork processing more...
Investors snap up Cajun food, bacon and sausage processor
A Northern California private equity company has purchased Richard's Cajun Foods and Blue Ribbon bacon and sausage brand from Atlantic Premium Brands more...
Kansas City Star looks into animal handling at slaughter plants
The Kansas City Star on Friday published an investigative report by Mike McGraw about alledged animal handling abuses at slaughter plants and Food Safety more...
New state grant to help New Mexico processor’s expansion
A company planning to expand what’s become the first commercial meat processing plant in northeast New Mexico is receiving its third state subsidy more...
JBS contests more than $83,000 in OSHA violations
JBS USA is contesting 20 alleged health and safety violations (with associated $83,414 in proposed penalties) raised by the Occupational Safety and Health more...
Animal welfare groups, legislator decry USDA horse slaughter approval
USDA’s decision last week to allow a New Mexico company to slaughter horses is creating a backlash among animal welfare groups and at least one more...
Meat from TB-infected cattle sold in the U.K.
Beef cattle that tested positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) are being sold by the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural more...
June 2013
Proteins are leading culprits in foodborne disease outbreaks: CDC
Poultry, fish and beef lead the list of foods most often associated with foodborne disease outbreaks and illnesses, according to a new study from the more...
FSIS offers guidance on choosing testing labs
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced final guidance for federally inspected establishments in selecting commercial and private microbiological more...
European meat inspections get overhaul
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) completed a review of practices that provide a scientific basis for the body’s move to risk-based meat more...
News briefs: Northern Beef Packers fine, Cosi resignation
Northern Beef Packers has been fined $7,315 after wastewater leaked from a lagoon wall and flowed into Moccasin Creek in Aberdeen, S.D., without a permit more...
Senate committee to take closer look at Smithfield deal; Pope on witness list
A U.S. Senate hearing will examine Shuanghui International's plan to purchase Smithfield Foods and host a more general discussion of foreign companies more...
Two countries ban Arkansas poultry after influenza diagnosis
Russia and Japan have banned poultry and poultry products from Arkansas after a flock in Scott County was diagnosed with low path avian influenza, the more...
USDA to set standards for healthier food options at schools
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that under USDA's new " Smart Snacks in School" nutrition standards, America's students will be offered more...
Consumer foods lift ConAgra results; eye on breakfast sandwiches
A turnaround in ConAgra Foods’ struggling consumer foods business, which is launching new items such as frozen breakfast sandwiches, bolstered fourth-quarter more...
Blue cheese chicken dip recalled on undeclared allergen, misbranding
ECRS, LLC of Hollywood, Fla. is recalling 12,560 pounds of chicken dip products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department more...
AFA Foods bankruptcy settlement approved over Greater Omaha’s objections
The Delaware bankruptcy court on Tuesday approved a revised settlement among AFA Foods, its creditors and a class of former workers despite Greater Omaha more...
White House says it would veto agriculture funding bill
The White House on Tuesday said it would veto the agriculture appropriations bill now making its way through the House, saying funding cuts proposed in more...
McDonald’s takes halal meat off menu in Michigan
McDonald's said it will no longer serve halal foods at two of its restaurants in the Detroit area. McDonald’s had sold Chicken McNuggets and McChicken more...
Mexico prohibits U.S. live hog imports in light of PED outbreak
Mexico has officially prohibited U.S. live hog imports in light of the recent porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PED) outbreak, the Ministry of Agriculture more...
Tyson supplier euthanizes breeder flock after H7N7 outbreak
A farm in Scott County, Ark., that supplies poultry to Tyson Foods Inc. has euthanized its entire flock of breeder chickens after an outbreak of H7N7 more...
Spam goes beyond the can (at least in the U.K.)
Those looking for “Spam in a can” across the pond will see the versatile pork product in a first-time packaging shift starting later this more...
Pork prices decline, while beef and poultry rise in May
USDA reported retail pork prices declined by 0.2 percent in May compared to a year ago, while beef and veal prices were up 1.7 percent and poultry prices more...
HoneyBaked Ham sets inaugural expansion into international markets
HoneyBaked Ham Company of Georgia is teaming up with a partnership in Asia to introduce its ham, turkey, sides and dessert products in Japan through a more...
Smithfield Foods severs ties with Paula Deen
Smithfield Foods on Monday severed ties with celebrity chef Paula Deen, whose reputation over the past week has been tarnished by charges of racial slurs more...
More federal lawmakers raise Smithfield/Shuanghui questions
Additional lawmakers on both sides of Congress are raising questions about the proposed $4.7-billion acquisition of Smithfield Foods Inc. by a major Chinese more...
Kroger names new exec to oversee food processing plants
Kroger announced that Erin Sharp, the current vice president of operations, has been appointed as the new group vice president of manufacturing. In her more...
Antibiotic resistant salmonella serotype spread rapidly worldwide: study
In a study published online May 28 for the Lancet Infectious Diseases medical journal, scientists revealed that antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Kentucky more...
Victory for anti-GMO community with FSIS labeling approval
Marking a milestone for opponents of genetically engineered foods, also known as genetically modified organisms (GMO), USDA’s Food Safety Inspection more...
Labor Department to assist Cargill workers who lost jobs
The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a National Emergency Grant of $2,066,314 to provide assistance to more than 320 workers affected by the closure more...
Quantum beefs up executive team
Bolingbrook, Ill.-based value-added protein processor Quantum Foods announced Friday that it has appointed John Morrissey as executive vice president more...
JBS shareholders to face odd legal battle
Grupo Bertin, a player in Brazil's infrastructure, energy and food sectors, is taking U.S.-based company Blessed LLC to court over alleged illegal transfer more...
Carl’s Jr. ‘indulges’ with chicken salads, Jenny McCarthy
Carl’s Jr. has launched two new “indulgent” salads that center around chicken. The new items include the Cranberry Apple Walnut Grilled more...
House votes down its own farm bill
The U.S. House of Representatives Thursday afternoon failed to pass its version of the farm bill, known as 2013 Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management more...
Sugar Creek plant expansion gets under way
Work began this week on the expansion of a production facility near Cambridge City, Ind., owned by Sugar Creek Packing Co., which aims to begin operations more...
Senators jump into the fray on Smithfield/Shuanghui deal
It seems everyone has something to say about China’s Shuanghui International buying Smithfield Foods. The latest to weigh in: farm state Senators more...
Plant employee bites off colleague's finger during restroom dispute
An employee of the Sanderson Farms processing plant in Moultrie, Ga. bit off a co-worker's finger during a dispute Tuesday at the facility, Sanderson more...
JBS' use of derivatives questioned in Brazil
Brazil's Securities Commission (CVM) asked JBS SA in recent weeks to justify its use of derivatives operations since 2011, which has dwarfed any other more...
Butterball expands Ill. facility
Butterball LLC today announced that the company plans to create 75 jobs at its Montgomery, Ill., plant as it invests $24 million to expand its turkey more...
Stabbing at Iowa meat plant leads to arrest
Police arrested a Postville, Iowa, man Tuesday night after a stabbing incident at the Agri Star meat processing plant, according to the Waterloo Cedar more...
JBS made a bid for Smithfield: report
Smithfield Foods Inc.’s preliminary proxy statement, filed Tuesday night in advance of its proposed acquisition by Shuanghui International Holdings more...
FSIS lists broiler plants that failed salmonella standards tests
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has published a list of young chicken slaughter establishments whose sample sets failed performance standards more...
News Briefs: FSIS notice; Golden State Foods new exec; FSIS HACCP meeting; Taco Bell ‘Power Protein’ menu
This notice reissues the instructions in FSIS Notice 22-12, Sampling of Raw Beef Product Intended for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). This notice more...
Hormel lowers full-year earnings outlook
Hormel Foods Corp. lowered today its fiscal 2013 earnings expectations pointing to weak results in pork operations and refrigerated foods amid increased more...
Two top Cabinet members stress support for immigration reform bill
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Dept. of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano reiterated their backing for the stalled immigration reform more...
Fast casual Mexican food chain to shut 20 pct of company-owned stores
Jack in the Box Inc. will close 67 of its 340 company-operated Qdoba stores by the end of September, the company said in a news release. The closures more...
News briefs: Church's Chicken, Alabama poultry processors, National Pork Board
Steve Davis has been named chief concept officer of Church’s Chicken, the company said in a news release. In the newly created position, Davis will more...
New Smithfield investor details alternative to Shuanghui sale
An investment firm that bought a 5.7 percent share in Smithfield Foods just two months before Smithfield announced an agreement to sell the company to more...
Supreme Court strikes Arizona proof-of-citizenship law
The Supreme Court today ruled that Arizona violated federal law by adding a proof-of citizenship requirement to a standard federal voter registration more...
Educators mull proposed Neb. plant impact on local schools
Officials in Scottsbluff, Neb., are taking a closer look at a proposed beef processing plant that could create as many as 550 jobs, but also could clog more...
Cargill promotes hot dog brand on Facebook
In the latest sign that Facebook is the “go to” place to engage consumers, Cargill is launching a sweepstakes to promote its Minnesota-based more...
Smithfield reports mixed year-end financials
In what is expected to be its last financial report before its acquisition by China’s Shuanghui Group is closed, Smithfield Foods Inc. reported more...
Brazil's Marfrig can sell recently acquired assets to JBS: regulator
Brazil's Marfrig Alimentos is free to manage and sell assets it acquired from local competitor BRF in 2011, some of which are included in the Seara Brasil more...
AMSA announces awards ahead of conference
In advance of its 66th Reciprocal Meat Conference (RMC) in Auburn, Ala., next week, the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) has announced several more...
T-Rex burger goes extinct at rogue Wendy’s outlet
A nine-patty burger called the T-Rex that was a popular item among customers at a Canadian Wendy’s restaurant for almost a decade has been retired more...
New pork import rules can't be enacted yet, New Zealand court says
The Supreme Court of New Zealand has ordered the Ministry for Primary Industries to halt the implementation of new regulations that would open a new export more...
JBS plant resumes production after ammonia leak
Production resumed Thursday at the JBS beef plant in Cactus, Texas, a day after a small ammonia leak prompted the company to halt operations, a JBS spokesman more...
Beef jerky recalled on misbranding, declared allergen concerns
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Wednesday that Hickory Hollow Jerky LLC’s Eufaula, Ala., plant is recalling some more...
CAB hits the high seas
Norwegian Cruise Line announced Thursday it has included among its dining options Certified Angus Beef steaks, making it the only cruise line to carry more...
Office manager accused of embezzling more than $600,000
North Country Smokehouse has filed a lawsuit against its office manager, Bonnie Johnson, alleging she embezzled more than $600,000 from the company, according more...
Texas beef packer gets $3 million in tax breaks
The Corpus Christi City Council on Tuesday approved a grant giving Sam Kane Beef Processors $3 million in tax breaks over the next five years, according more...
Hot dog maker’s profit jumps 44 percent
Nathan’s Famous Inc. said its fourth-quarter net income soared 43.7 percent, boosted by sales of its branded hot dogs to food service outlets. The more...
Immediate reactions to JBS-Marfrig deal mixed for ratings agencies
Ratings agency Fitch put a negative outlook on its rating of JBS SA on Wednesday, following its announced purchase on Monday of Seara Brasil and Zenda more...
USDA forecasts record corn, soybean harvests
USDA on Wednesday predicted record grain harvests this year, trimming its forecasts for the U.S. corn and soybean crops by less than traders and analysts more...
Post-acquisition, JBS becomes world's largest in poultry
JBS SA's newest acquisition of Seara Brasil will make it the largest poultry processor in the world, in addition to already being the world's top beef more...
Midwest state laws are no speed bump to deal: Smithfield
Statutes in at least eight states that prohibit foreign ownership of land used for livestock or crops are unlikely to affect the proposed acquisition more...
Schwan to consolidate distribution centers
Schwan Food Company plans to close two distribution centers in the Dakotas and consolidate those operations in one facility in Aberdeen, S.D. The executive more...
News briefs: Patrick Cudahy, USPOULTRY, farm bill
Patrick Cudahy, part of the John Morrell Food Group, is turning 125 this year, and the company is marking the anniversary with a social media, advertisement more...
Sale of Seara Brasil to JBS nearly zeroes out Marfrig's debt: president
Brazilian processor Marfrig Alimentos is selling subsidiaries Seara Brasil and Zenda to JBS SA for BRL5.85 billion ($2.74 billion), which will be paid more...
Canada cites antibiotic-resistant salmonella as ‘growing concern’
Salmonella species still rarely exhibit antibiotic resistance, but it’s a “growing concern” that should be monitored, says a new study more...
Proposed plant to provide kosher, halal meats to Milwaukee area
A Jerusalem native is awaiting final approval to open a slaughtering and meat-processing plant to provide kosher and halal meat prepared under traditional more...
Thai pork producers protest against U.S. (UPDATED)
Citing the impact on the local pork industy, an estimated 2,000 Thai pork producers planned a protest Monday urging the government to continue to ban more...
Agreement reached over animal ag in Chesapeake Bay Watershed
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have reached a new agreement to reduce pollution from animal operations more...
SEC charges Smithfield investor with insider trading
The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday charged a Thai trader of profiting more than $3 million by buying up Smithfield Foods stock in advance more...
Cargill names new meat retail head
Effective June 1, Cargill has named Ruth Kimmelshue as president and business unit leader for Cargill Value Added Meats Retail in Wichita, Kan., responsible more...
The latest on listeria from CDC, FSIS and FDA
The focus on tracking and preventing listeria infections has effectively moved away from meat products, demonstrating the effectiveness of years of processor more...
Giving back: Smithfield, Wellshire, Agri Star
This is an occasional roundup of charitable activities by poultry and meat processors. It is not meant to be all-inclusive, but rather to give readers more...
Proposed rule would mandate labeling of mechanically tenderized beef
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has proposed labeling requirements for mechanically tenderized meat products, including validated more...
Poultry plant closes, a year after opening
The Horizon Foods poultry processing plant in Pine Bluff, Ark., has closed, a year after it opened. About 200 workers were employed at the plant, according more...
CFIA funds more meat inspection after XL Foods recall review
Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz on Wednesday received the report for the Independent Review of XL Foods Inc. Beef Recall that called out the more...
FAO forecasts slowdown in global meat production, rising prices
Global meat production is expected to grow at a slower pace over the next decade than the one before, with the poultry sector driving the deceleration more...
JBS faces nearly $84,000 in OSHA fines
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited JBS USA with 11 serious, one repeat and eight other-than-serious more...
Inspections of small plants are inconsistent: GAO
A new Government Accounting Office (GAO) report has found inconsistent application of rules for an inspection program to support interstate shipment of more...
Calif.'s second-largest school district goes 'meatless' on Mondays
The San Diego Unified School District on Tuesday voted 4-1 to adopt a proposal that would force its elementary and K-8 schools to drop meat from cafeteria more...
National Pork Board funds PEDV research
The National Pork Board announced today its approval of $450,000 in Checkoff funds to speed research into the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV), more...
Land O’Frost likes “Despicable Me 2” promotion
Deli meat processor Land O’Frost is teaming up with Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment to offer one family a VIP trip to Hollywood more...
Cargill opens $40 million poultry plant near Moscow
Cargill has opened a major poultry processing plant at its food complex in Efremov, Russia, that company officials say will focus on supplying Chicken more...
Continental Grain exits ownership of Smithfield Foods
Following Smithfield Foods’ sale to China’s largest meat processor for $7.1 billion last week, agribusiness giant and Smithfield stockholder more...
Lawsuit over 2010 E. coli-related death in Minnesota finally settled
The estate of a man who died in the wake of an outbreak of E. coli in beef more than three years ago has settled a lawsuit filed against several beef more...
Undeclared allergen prompts lasagna recall
Vocci Italian Food Products, based in Kansas City, Mo., is recalling about 2,025 pounds of lasagna products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen more...
What’s sweet and salty and full of bacon?
Starting this Friday, Dunkin’ Donuts is offering the Dunkin’ Donuts Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich nationwide as a permanent menu item. Consisting more...
Tyson Foods acquires second tortilla maker this year
Tyson Foods has purchased the assets of Circle Foods, LLC, a producer of frozen and refrigerated handheld Mexican foods, uncooked tortillas and Indian more...
Poultry plant fire in China kills at least 119, authorities say
Authorities in China are investigating the cause of a fire in a poultry processing plant in the northeast province of Jilin Monday that killed at least more...
Canadian groups draft hog housing code, seek comment
The Canadian Pork Council and the National Farm Animal Care Council have launched a public comment period on the draft Code of Practice for the Care and more...
Cargill calls all ‘porkivores’
Pork processors have been hoping that consumers would become aware of the protein’s taste and versatility since the USDA officially lowered the more...
May 2013
Chicken sector is sizzling, but how long will it last?
The chicken market is on fire, analysts agree, but they differ in where they see it headed next. Industry profits are on track to hit a record in May more...
USDA lowers pork export forecast
USDA left its fiscal 2013 export forecast for livestock, dairy and poultry unchanged at a record $30.1 billion as declines in pork, broiler meat and animal more...
U.S. poultry officials express concerns about EU trade deal
The U.S. poultry industry will not support a proposed bilateral trade agreement that doesn’t provide real market access to the European market for more...
Meat Industry Hall of Fame announces 2013 inductees
The Meat Industry Hall of Fame will induct six new members Nov. 3, it announced Thursday. The class of 2013 includes: Barry Carpenter, CEO of the newly more...
A burger and some coke
An Englishman alleged to have smuggled drugs into his homeland has given new meaning to the phrase “a burger and a Coke.” Dane Hamilton, a more...
Little risk for Smithfield, little impact on U.S. hog industry, analysts say
As the dust clears after Wednesday’s announcement that China’s largest meat processor would buy Smithfield, the emerging consensus among analysts more...
Strong demand, prices for chicken boost Sanderson profit
Sanderson Farms Inc. on Thursday reported a better-than-expected second-quarter profit as strong demand for poultry products from retail and export customers more...
Proteins a growth category for McDonald's; salads less so, CEO says
Premium beef and chicken continue to drive growth for McDonald's Corporation, while salads will not be as profitable in the short term, President and more...
Poultry company to build broiler production facility
Orland, Ind.-based Miller Amish Country Poultry plans to build an organic broiler growing facility with capacity for more than 250,000 birds in Michigan more...
Tech briefs: Meat tenderization, cattle efficiency, novel technology
There are several technologies that can be used to improve meat tenderness. Most are well-known and several are widely used. Due to the importance of more...
Long-developing Smithfield deal to boost U.S. pork industry: Pope
The announcement that Smithfield would sell itself to Shuanghui, the Hong Kong-based Chinese pork producer, came out of the blue for most employees and more...
With merger, Smithfield gains massive Chinese distribution network
With Wednesday’s surprise announcement that Hong Kong-based Shuanghui International Holdings Limited would purchase Smithfield Foods Inc., the Virginia-based more...
Caviness pulls out of San Angelo purchase
Caviness Beef Packers Inc. has decided not to go through with its purchase of San Angelo Packing Co., company President Trevor Caviness said in a press more...
Tyson all-natural line pushes into frozen foods
Tyson Foods’ NatureRaised Farms brand has expanded into the frozen food aisle with a line of ready-to-eat chicken products. The brand was launched more...
Sausage maker to phase out gestation crates
Johnsonville Sausage LLC said it will work with its pork suppliers to transition to alternative pregnant sow housing from gestation crates by 2025. “Johnsonville more...
Canadian processor starts $50 million chicken plant
Canadian poultry and meat processor Sunnymel has officially opened the company’s new $50 million chicken slaughterhouse in the Maritime province more...
Fatburger patties to debut in Walmart Stores
The iconic West Coast-based burger chain Fatburger is poised to make its national freezer-case debut in Wal-Mart Inc. stores starting next month. The more...
FSIS clarifies HACCP documentation notice
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has instructed inspectors on how to respond when notified that adulterated or misbranded product has entered more...
News briefs: Minerich honored, Nolan Ryan, new deli products, Noodles & Co., Au Bon Pain, Laura's Lean, USPOULTRY, NAMA, Cooper Farms
Hormel Foods' Vice President of Research and Development, Phillip L. Minerich, is the recipient of this year's prestigious Siehl Prize in Agriculture more...
Evol Foods inks Target deal
EVOL Foods has a deal to distributes its "made-from-scratch natural and organic frozen meals and snacks" through Target stores nationwide, the company more...
Supermarket execs see positive business environment ahead: FMI
A majority — 60 percent — of supermarkets saw increased customer traffic and 46 percent reported larger average transaction amounts in 2012 more...
FSIS launches MPI directory mobile app
FSIS has launched a mobile app version of the Meat, Poultry and Egg Inspection (MPI) Directory. The Android app provides a listing of establishments that more...
Burger chain founders open pizzeria
Tom Ryan and Rick Schaden, co-founders of Smashburger, opened the fast casual Live Basil Pizza in Denver Thursday. They plan to open another location more...
Canada warns of "retaliatory" measures regarding labeling rule
In the wake of the USDA's issuance of the final rule on Country of Origin Labelling (COOL), Canada's Minister of International Trade and Minister for more...
After earnings stumble, Hormel still draws high marks
Hormel Foods drew praise from Wall Street analysts focused on its longer-term growth potential and willing to overlook a decline in second-quarter profit more...
Poultry per bird weights still climbing
Young chickens slaughtered during April averaged 5.90 pounds per bird, up 1 percent from April 2012, according to USDA’s monthly Poultry Slaughter more...
Animals get the munchies, too!
As two states — for starters — look ahead to the legal use of marijuana for recreational purposes, some enterprising folks are looking at more...
Jennie-O drags Hormel earnings down
Hormel Foods on Thursday said its second-quarter net income fell 2 percent, hurt by weak results in its Jennie-O Turkey Store business and charges related more...
Tyson plant evacuated after ammonia leak
A Tyson Foods plant that processes beef and pork in Emporia, Kan., was temporarily evacuated this morning after an ammonia leak was discovered but has more...
USDA issues final COOL rule; industry blasts decision
Two of the industry’s largest groups decried a USDA decision Thursday to issue a final rule to its Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) provisions more...
Chorizo tests positive in salmonella investigation
Officials investigating an outbreak of salmonellosis that has sicked 294 people have found salmonella in chorizo, the Southern Nevada Health District more...
Poultry company CEO to retire Friday
Dr. Gary Gladys will retire as chief executive officer of Allen Harim effective Friday, May 24, the company announced Thursday. Gladys has served as CEO more...
Lagging exports build meat, poultry cold storage stocks
Total poultry and red meat supplies grew in April as lagging exports left more to domestic consumption, according to the latest data from USDA’s more...
FMI joins USDA, FDA talk on listeria risks in the deli
The Food Marketing Institute will provide input on efforts to minimize the risk of Listeria monocytogenes in retail delicatessens at a public meeting more...
Russia suspends imports from Minerva, Marfrig units over listeria
The Russian veterinary and phytosanitary service, Rosselkhoznadzor, temporarily suspended imports from two Brazilian beef slaughterhouses and one poultry more...
Butterball goes mini
Butterball has entered the "slider" category of small-plate dining with a new product, Every Day Turkey sliders. In a news release, the company bills more...
Ex-Burger King vet tapped for Church’s Chicken post
Church’s Chicken has hired a former senior executive at Burger King to lead its domestic and international expansion plans in the role of chief more...
Giving Back: Tyson tornado aid, ConAgra fights hunger, Smithfield supplies hot dogs
Tyson Foods has sent a disaster relief trailer and cooking teams from several of its plants to Moore, Okla., to provide meals to victims and relief workers more...
Ground beef linked to Texas E. coli outbreak
Ground beef served by a Brazos County, Texas restaurant has been linked to 10 confirmed or "probable" cases of E. coli infections, according to releases more...
Judge backs one plaintiff claim in Farmland Foods compensation suit
A federal judge in Missouri agreed that workers at a Farmland Foods plant in Milan, Mo., should be compensated for the time it takes to put on and take more...
Cattlemen, Korean seek Nebraska spot to build beef plant
Future Food Energy LLC on Monday night proposed to the Scottsbluff, Neb. City Council a plan to build a 358,000-square foot beef slaughter facility that more...
Calif. chicken processor launches American Humane Certified product
Foster Farms announced today the launch of American Humane Certified Oven Ready Chicken Entrées aimed at consumers with a taste for bold, more...
FSIS to start sampling comminuted poultry products
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has instructed inspectors at plants that produce not ready-to-eat (NRTE) comminuted poultry products that more...
Porcine virus detected for first time in United States
USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories has confirmed that porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has been identified for the first time in the more...
Antibiotic resistance varies between EU states: study
Resistance to antibiotics used in both food-producing animals and in human medicine was a common finding in tests of salmonella and campylobacter from more...
China holding New Zealand meat imports at entry
Apparently since late April, China has been holding meat imports from New Zealand at its port of entry, not due to any food safety concerns but rather more...
JBS target for U.S. beef unit rebound meets with skepticism
Even if grilling season demand lifts beef prices this summer, high cattle costs will make it hard for JBS’ U.S. beef business to reach its full-year more...
Consumers want COOL, survey says
The majority of Americans support mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) of fresh meat and poultry, according to a survey conducted by the Consumer more...
Anti-viral drugs may disrupt Schmallenberg virus, study finds
A key building block in the Schmallenberg virus may be targeted by anti-viral drugs, according to a new study led from the University of Leeds in the more...
The scent of a man … candle
Yankee Candle, of scent-as-home-décor fame, has added two fragrances to their, um, “Man Candles” line: “MMM Bacon!” and more...
Sex, bribes and imported beef all in one juicy scandal
In a country that has seen its share of government corruption, a case involving an Indonesian political party aide accused of taking a bribe in exchange more...
Deli slicing plant lays off 100 employees
Plumrose USA has notified 100 workers at its deli meat slicing facility in Booneville, Miss., that they are losing their jobs. The remaining 320 more...
Hormel fire out quickly; one employee treated and released
Hormel Foods’ annex building in Austin, Minn., which houses its spice blending operations, was evacuated on Wednesday after a fire broke out. One more...
More tough times in the offing for beef plants in the South: Tonsor
Macroeconomic trends are pushing the geographic center of the domestic cattle herd to the North and West, and with overcapacity in the traditional packer more...
House of Raeford sets date for turkey plant closing
House of Raeford will close its turkey slaughter facility in Raeford, N.C., in July. The company has issued a W.A.R.N. notice as required by the Worker more...
News Briefs: Pinnacle earnings; Nolan Ryan's Texas Steak Cookoff; Chili's adds chicken flatbreads
Pinnacle Foods Inc. announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2013, for which net earnings more than doubled over the year-earlier more...
Smithfield boosting production of ractopamine-free pork
Smithfield Foods Inc. will soon convert a third plant to ractopamine-free production as the company positions itself to take advantage of demand for pork more...
EPA vastly overestimates poultry pollution: study
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency vastly overstates the poultry industry’s contribution to pollution in Delmarva, a new study conducted by more...
JBS to focus on debt reduction: CEO
Brazil's JBS SA will continue to push toward a goal of reducing the company's ratio between net debt and earnings to below 3x by year's end, with an improvement more...
Burger King takes on the McRib
Burger King is set to launch a boneless pork sandwich in tangy sauce, along the lines of its rival’s popular McRib offering, as part of a summer more...
Bankrupt Omtron sues chicken growers
Omtron USA, the Ukrainian-owned company that acquired Townsends Inc. in February 2011 and in November 2012 filed for bankruptcy, filed a lawsuit Friday more...
China sets poultry industry losses from H7N9 at $6.5 billion
Five months after the outbreak of the H7N9 virus, China’s poultry industry has lost more than $6.5 billion, according to the Ministry of Agriculture more...
Another study links chickens and arsenic as industry groups balk
Researchers led by a scientist at Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future are warning consumers of varying amounts of arsenic found in samples of chicken more...
Tyson unveils aggressive new product launch schedule for 2013
Tyson Foods Inc. unveiled plans to introduce new products in 2013 as a significant part of its growth strategy. Tyson president and CEO Donnie Smith told more...
Tennessee governor vetoes animal abuse reporting bill
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has vetoed state legislation that would have mandated that anyone photographing animal abuse at a food animal facility report more...
Monogram/Butterball launch new turkey jerky products
Memphis, Tenn.-based Monogram Food Solutions announced the launch of a new line of turkey meat snacks featuring turkey jerky, turkey bacon jerky, turkey more...
Oscar Mayer launches first bacon hot dog
Kraft Foods’ Oscar Mayer brand announced five new hot dog innovations, including the Bacon Dog, which it said is the first of its kind. Available more...
In-vitro 5-ounce burger to be consumed to make a point
Researchers have for some time been trying ways to replicate beef muscle cells in quanitiy to create in-vitro, or cultured meat. According to the New more...
International food prices up for a second straight month: U.N. report
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is reporting a second consecutive month of food prices climbing on an international more...
Pork processor to expand, add jobs
St. Joseph, Mo.-based pork processor Triumph Foods announced it recently began a $7.5 million expansion that will add about 105 employees to its more...
USDA predicts big corn crop and sharply lower prices
USDA expects a big bounce back in the U.S. corn crop that is largely still unplanted, predicting a 14.14 billion bushel crop compared to last year’s more...
USDA lowers 2013 meat forecasts; expects pork, poultry rebound in 2014
Total U.S. red meat and poultry production in 2014 is projected to be above 2013 as higher pork and poultry production more than offsets declines in beef more...
Zhongpin sets pork expansion goals for 2013
Zhongpin Inc., one of China’s leading pork processing companies, is preparing to spend millions of dollars expanding its facilities over the next more...
Wanna live longer? Texan says try bacon
The nation’s latest media darling is a 105-year-old Texan who credits her longevity to her life-long devotion to “hard work and bacon.” more...
Vienna Beef exploring plant purchase options
Vienna Beef is in the market for another processing facility. The Chicago-based company has signed a contract to potentially purchase a former Sara Lee more...
Private investment firm sells custom processor
Greenwich, Conn.-based Littlejohn & Co. LLC, has announced plans to sell CTI Foods, a value-added processor, in the second quarter of this year. Littlejohn more...
Executive appointments at Hillshire Brands, Tim Hortons, Long John Silver’s
Hillshire Brands, Tim Hortons and Long John Silver’s all made executive appointments this week. Hillshire Brands The Hillshire Brands Company more...
AdvancePierre Foods brings back retired sandwich
AdvancePierre Foods Inc. is reintroducing its Classic Patty Melt sandwich as part of its Pierre Panini Style Melts lineup for convenience and vending more...
Agriculture becoming more energy efficient: Worldwatch
A new report by Worldwatch Institute showed growth in agricultural production between 1990 and 2010 outpaced growth in emissions by a factor of 1.6, demonstrating more...
USDA funds $19.5 million study of climate’s impact on dairy, beef cattle
USDA has awarded $19.5 million to study climate solutions in agriculture aimed at the impacts of climate variability and change on dairy and beef cattle more...
AMI takes viewers into pork slaughter plant with video tour
The American Meat Institute posted a video tour of a pork slaughter plant, hosted by Temple Grandin, on its animal welfare website www.AnimalHandling more...
Johnsonville celebrates Burger Month with new items
Johnsonville Sausage introduces its latest Griller varieties in Cheddar Cheese & Bacon and Swiss Cheese & Mushroom. The company’s pork burgers more...
RTE sausage subject of recall
Tibor’s Gourmet, based in a Palmdale, Calif., is recalling about 200 pounds of ready-to-eat smoked pork sausage products because they were produced more...
Wall Street analysts see opportunities despite Tyson’s Q2 net slide
Solid prospects for Tyson Foods Inc.’s chicken business are bolstering earnings expectations for two industry analysts, even as weak beef and pork more...
Add road kill to China’s meat woes
Chinese media have reported that three suspects have been arrested for processing and selling some 40 metric tons of pork derived from hog carcasses that more...
Denver Broncos star tackles new poultry venture
Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller has excelled well enough on the gridiron to have been selected to two Pro Bowls in his first two seasons, but he’s more...
USDA funds research on weather’s impact on beef and dairy cattle
USDA announced it awarded $19.5 million to support research, education and extension activities associated with climate solutions in agriculture aimed more...
News briefs: Dietz & Watson; White Castle, Burger King; AMSA; Wendy's; FSIS
Dietz & Watson announced a new line of seven All Natural Chicken Sausage varieties. The fully cooked sausages contain no fillers, extenders or MSG more...
Tyson earnings hit by challenges across proteins
Tyson Foods reported reduced earnings on slightly larger sales volume in its second fiscal quarter ended March 30 as feed costs hit its chicken business more...
Smithfield Foods targeted in lawsuit alleging non-payment for services
A Virginia-based storage company is suing Smithfield Foods Inc. for allegedly violating a warehousing agreement. Suffolk Cold Storage Inc. claims in its more...
Wall Street analysts lift earnings estimates for Pilgrim’s Pride on Q1 profits
A solid fiscal performance in the first quarter of 2013 is prompting two industry analysts to raise their earnings estimates for Pilgrim’s Pride more...
Scientists make strides in identifying ‘green muscle’ markers in poultry
Researchers at Auburn University have completed a research project aimed at identifying the potential for broilers to develop deep pectoral myopathy, more...
Analysts see sunnier skies after Hillshire reports upbeat Q3 results
At least two Wall St. analysts see positive opportunities for Hillshire Brands Co. following yesterday’s discussion with management on the processor’s more...
Maple Leaf’s surprising Q1 fall worries Wall Street
Maple Leaf Foods executives and Wall Street analysts knew that at least the first half of 2013 would be challenging, but the company’s worse-than-expected more...
Pilgrim's Pride results hit the right notes
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. reported stronger sales for its first quarter 2013 compared with the same period a year earlier, and net income rose 39 percent more...
Two companies issue recalls
Nestlé Pizza Co., based in Little Chute, Wisc., is recalling an undetermined amount of frozen pizzas that may be contaminated with extraneous materials more...
Chinese authorities have more than bird flu on their minds
Food safety concerns in China apparently began long before the recent outbreak of H7N9 avian flu sparked major changes in the nation’s poultry industry more...
Sam Kane acquired by Texas cattlemen
Corpus Christi, Texas-based Sam Kane Beef Processors announced Thursday that the company has been acquired in a private transaction by a group of Texas more...
Lawyer outlines how to avoid hiring animal activists
WASHINTGON — Animal agriculture operations can take steps to avoid hiring animal activists seeking to gain entry to their property for the purpose more...
Hillshire Brands ‘on track’ to meet FY13 expectations after Q3 profit
Hillshire Brands Co. posted net income of 75 cents a share in the third quarter of fiscal 2013 – despite declines in its lunch meat, foodservice more...
Pork woes widen Maple Leaf Foods loss
Weak meat sales and continuing restructuring costs helped cause Maple Leaf Foods first-quarter earnings loss to more than double, the company said today more...
Eggs set, chicks placed drop slightly over last year
Commercial hatcheries in the USDA's 19-state weekly program set 198 million eggs in incubators during the week ending April 27, 2013. That figure represents more...
Neb. processor’s lawsuit against inspector tossed
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that a Nebraska meat processor filed alleging a USDA inspector made false statements that resulted in the suspension more...
Cargill takes a run at childhood nutrition
Cargill has a new initiative to help food and beverage makers and foodservice operators find ways to formulate their products so that the nutritional more...
Vilsack sees proposed horsemeat plant opening ‘soon’: report
Barring Congressional action, a proposed horsemeat processing plant is likely to open “relatively soon,” according to an interview with Agriculture more...
N.Y. public school kids primed to ask ‘Pass the veggies’ at lunchtime
A new program that provides vegetarian-only lunches at a New York public school for the first time is prompting some kids at the Queens elementary school more...
April 2013
Consumer Reports turkey study sparks spirited responses
A new study by Consumer Reports magazine linking bacterial resistance to antibiotics on turkeys raised with antibiotics is prompting varied reactions more...
Ore. authorities investigate meat blender fatality
Oregon state authorities are investigating how a contract cleaner fell into a meat blender and died Friday night at a Clackamas processing plant. Hugo more...
Name change set to settle Smithfield Foods lawsuit
A three-year-old business that began as a food truck operator in Durham, N.C., has agreed to change its name to settle a lawsuit filed by a division of more...
Tallgrass, Buedel unveil grass-fed burgers for retail
Grass-fed beef specialist Tallgrass Beef and Chicago processor Buedel Fine Meats have teamed up on a frozen burger packaged and distributed for retail more...
Wall Street analyst is bullish — sometimes very bullish — on three processors
Farha Aslam, equity analyst at Stephens Inc., is giving her earnings estimates for three major poultry processors a strong boost — including a 45 more...
Five more cases discovered in E. coli O121 outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday added five more people to its list of confirmed cases in an outbreak of E. coli O121 linked to more...
Study finds in-package plasma process eliminates salmonella, E. coli
Exposing packaged liquids, fruits and vegetables to an electrical field for just minutes might eliminate all traces of foodborne pathogens on those foods more...
News briefs: China update, Panera, Cargill's Rumba brand
Scientists at two universities in China are closing in on uncovering a slight gene mutation in human virus H7 that could potentially cause human-to-human more...
Ala. man pleads guilty to arson at Marshal Durbin facility
A northwest Alabama man pleaded guilty this week to arson after he tried to set a Marshal Durbin building on fire, according to court documents. more...
Stars aligning for a banner year in the poultry industry: analyst
The signs were subtle at first, but now it looks like one of the best years on record is taking shape in the poultry industry, one Wall Street analyst more...
China says poultry farms free of H7N9 so far
Chinese agricultural authorities said no samples collected from poultry farms so far have tested positive for the H7N9 avian influenza strain, the Xinhua more...
Chicken, turkey weights per bird still rising
Young chickens slaughtered during March 2013 averaged 5.87 pounds per bird, up 1 percent from March 2012, according to USDA’s monthly Poultry Slaughter more...
Washington Post looks for links between poultry line speeds, chemicals and illnesses (updated)
The Washington Post has published an article that investigates whether increased production line speeds at poultry plants and greater use of chemicals more...
Continental steps up pressure on Smithfield to split (updated)
Continental Grain, the Smithfield Foods shareholder that is pushing for a breakup of the company, is calling for the addition of three new directors and more...
Poultry prices rose more than beef in March: USDA
USDA reported retail poultry prices rose 3.9 percent in March compared to a year ago, while beef and veal prices were up 2.7 percent and pork prices declined more...
College dining offers insight into changing foodservice trends
Collegiate foodservice executives are boosting customer satisfaction by cutting back — on options, on waste and on portions. This, according to more...
Tyson weighs dog treat plant expansion, adding 130 jobs
Tyson’s Pet Products division is close to a decision on whether to expand its Iowa plant that produces chicken jerky dog treats, in a move that more...
Sanderson Farms gets tax break for Texas facility
City officials in Palestine, Texas, on Monday approved a tax abatement deal to help Sanderson Farms Inc. build a chicken complex in Anderson County, according more...
GNP’s “Farm to Fork” report outlines finances, sustainability
In its fourth “Farm to Fork” report, GNP Corp. reports 2012 sales of $372 million, up 10 percent over the year-earlier figure of $338 million more...
News Briefs: Cargill's new site; Smithfield's sustainability; new CEO for Mexican chain
Cargill's Harvest Provisions Turkey brand has a new website aimed at K-12 school foodservice operators. The site details the brand's 30-plus products more...
CSPI issues “Risky Meat” report
The non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has issued a report titled “Risky Meat” funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts more...
Armour-Eckrich sued in donning and doffing action
Three employees of Armour-Eckrich Meats LLC have filed a donning-and-doffing lawsuit on behalf of about 500 employees at its St. James, Minn., location more...
Trial begins in lawsuit alleging abuse of turkey plant workers
A jury trial began today in federal court over the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s lawsuit alleging that a now-defunct company verbally more...
Teens benefit from a.m. protein consumption: study
Teens who consistently skip breakfast could improve their chances to avoid obesity later in life by eating a protein-rich breakfast, according to researchers more...
Europe develops biodegradable food container made of flax and hemp
A Europe-based research group has developed a biodegradable container made of flax and hemp specifically for poultry meat products, the Spanish news site more...
Meatingplace exclusive: Interview with Ted Conover on meat plant story
Writer Ted Conover got a job as a USDA inspector and was assigned to Cargill’s beef slaughter plant in Schuyler, Neb. He then quit after two months more...
Iowa settles dispute with Japanese pork subsidiary over integration prohibition
The State of Iowa and the subsidiary of a Japanese meat processor have reached a settlement over the constitutionality of Iowa’s prohibitions against more...
FDA cautions against misinterpreting antimicrobial resistance data
The Food and Drug Administration is warning against misinterpreting its recently released 2011 Retail Meat Annual Report of the National Antimicrobial more...
Bird flu crisis described ‘worst in history’ for China’s poultry industry
The H7N9 avian influenza outbreak that has killed 20 people and infected more than 100 people in four provinces in China is also wreaking havoc on the more...
CDC finds some foodborne infections on the rise
Rates of infections from two germs spread commonly through food have increased significantly since a baseline period of 2006-2008, while others are stable more...
Chicken at center of global stage: Pilgrim’s Pride CEO Lovette
NEW BERN, N.C. — As demand for protein rises globally in the coming decades, demand for chicken is expected to rise more than for other proteins more...
China bird flu mystery deepens: half of patients had no poultry contact
More than half of the 87 patients infected with the new H7N9 avian influenza virus in China had no contact with poultry, the World Health Organization more...
McDonald’s U.S. sales decline in first quarter
McDonald's Corporation reported comparable sales and operating income declined in the first quarter ended March 31, with U.S. sales down 1.2 percent due more...
NCBA petitions Supreme Court against greenhouse gas regulations
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association along with the Coalition for Responsible Regulation filed a petition Thursday in the United States Supreme more...
“Ag gag” bills pick up speed; Tennessee expected to be latest state to pass law
The Tennessee House is expected to approve today a bill that would make it illegal to record animal cruelty incidents on livestock farms without reporting more...
Sandwiches knock bacon off breakfast top 10 list
Bacon is no longer on a list of the top 10 foods Americans eat for breakfast—it's been booted by breakfast sandwiches. This is the first time sandwiches more...
McDonald’s in UK to buy only pork that meets animal welfare standards
McDonald’s said it will switch to buying only pork that meets an animal welfare group’s standards for its U.K. restaurants. The Freedom Food more...
Egg sets slightly up, chick placements edge down
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 200 million eggs in incubators during the week ending April 13, 2013, up slightly from the eggs more...
Pilgrim's Pride cited by OSHA after worker fatality
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Pilgrim's Pride Corp. with eight safety violations following a fatality last fall at more...
Cargill puts $5 million into Pa. beef plant
Cargill announced today the company is investing $5.5 million on new equipment to boost efficiency, product quality and ergonomics for workers at its more...
OSHA investigates JBS chemical leak
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) opened an investigation Tuesday into a chemical leak at JBS USA's Grand Island, Neb., beef plant more...
EU tests find horse DNA in 5 percent of beef; tougher labels proposed
About 5 percent of beef products in tests conducted across Europe contained horse DNA, the European Commission said Tuesday, vowing to strengthen controls more...
Congressional committee approves bill to continue study of E15
A bill designed to look more carefully at gasoline blends that contain 15 percent ethanol — commonly known as E15 — has moved out of committee more...
Cargill’s Spencer Beef to return to Japan after 10-year absence
Cargill Inc. is preparing to relaunch its Spencer Beef brand in Japan just months after the Japanese government said it will allow imports of U.S. beef more...
Meat boosts grocery bill in market basket survey
Higher retail prices for sliced deli ham, boneless chicken breasts and ground chuck were among the items pushing up the total grocery bill at the start more...
Beef offal values soar as tight supplies meet Japanese demand
Prices received for beef offals during March rose 2 percent from the previous month and were up 4 percent from a year ago, as tight cattle supplies collide more...
Meatingplace exclusive: West Liberty Foods' technology takes center stage at Protein Summit
Food safety is center stage — and a major selling point for Iowa-based West Liberty Foods. But it’s innovative technology that will drive more...
Five treated after chemical accident at JBS plant
Five JBS employees were transported to the emergency room after a chemical incident at the Grand Island, Neb., plant at about 9:15 p.m. Sunday. All five more...
Analyst looks at whether cattle and beef markets have peaked
(This report has been reproduced in its entirety with the author’s permission.) By Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University extension livestock marketing more...
China bird flu now affecting health of poultry industry
As the number of deaths and illnesses from the avian influenza outbreak in China expands, the toll on China’s poultry industry is starting to mount more...
JBS pork unit using social media to promote products
JBS USA’s Swift Premium Fresh Pork brand has a new website that is aimed at making it easier for consumers to use social media tools to navigate more...
US$1.5 billion in credit may be headed to Brazilian poultry sector
At least BRL3 billion (US$1.52 billion) in credit lines should be extended to Brazil's poultry industry for modernization investments this year, as part more...
Caviness Beef Packers to buy San Angelo Packing
San Angelo Packing stopped slaughtering cattle two weeks ago and laid off most of its plant workers, but has recently entered an agreement to sell the more...
Meat producer plans plant expansion in Pennsylvania
John F. Martin & Sons Inc. plans to expand its smoked meat manufacturing operations in Pennsylvania and is receiving financing assistance from a local more...
U.S. welcomes Japan to TPP negotiations
The office of the U.S. Trade Representative has given the high sign to Japan’s participation in ongoing negotiations to create a Trans-Pacific Partnership more...
McDonald's names global chief brand officer
McDonald’s Corp. has named Steve Easterbrook as executive vice president and global chief brand officer, responsible for marketing, menu development more...
Five farm workers convicted of animal cruelty
Five employees from Wheatland, Wyo.-based Wyoming Premium Farms have been convicted on multiple counts of cruelty to animals, according to the Humane more...
White House budget pulls funding for horse slaughter inspection
The White House 2014 budget issued this week pulled funding for horse slaughter inspection, just as a New Mexico plant believed it would soon be approved more...
Louisiana firm recalls beef products on listeria concerns
Baker, La.-based Manda Packing Company is recalling approximately 20,166 pounds of cooked roast beef deli meat due to possible contamination with Listeria more...
Iowa firm recalls pork products
Hull, Ind.-based Formosa Food Company is recalling approximately 1,133 pounds of a pork jerky product because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen more...
Burger King names new management; expects Q1 sales slump
Burger King Worldwide Inc. said Daniel Schwartz will become its chief executive on July 1, replacing Bernardo Hees, who will move to H.J. Heinz Co. as more...
More horsemeat woes as Dutch say 50,000 tonnes of beef suspect
The Netherlands' food safety authority on Wednesday asked hundreds of companies across Europe to check a total of 50,000 tonnes of beef supplied by two more...
Ethanol reform bill introduced in House
Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Steve Womack (R-AR) and Peter Welch (D-VT) today introduced the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Reform Act more...
Canada threatens $1 billion in sanctions over U.S. meat labeling
Canada is considering imposing sanctions of up to $980 million a year against the United States unless it complies with a WTO ruling requiring changes more...
USDA lowers red meat, poultry forecasts; lowers corn price
USDA lowered from last month its 2013 forecast of total red meat and poultry production on reductions in all but pork figures. In its monthly World Agriculture more...
Chili’s puts pizza on the menu; more changes coming
Chili’s Grill & Bar is rolling out a selection of pizzas with a focus on southwestern flavors in what the company says is the first in a series more...
Cargill earnings tumble 42% on drought-related feed costs
Cargill reported net earnings of $445 million in the fiscal 2013 third quarter ended Feb. 28, down 42 percent from $766 million in the same period a year more...
Bird flu impact still expanding in China, reports say
The outbreak of H7N9 bird flu in humans has expanded to 24 people and seven deaths even as chicken is being pulled from menus and calls increase for live more...
Russia tightens noose on Canadian beef, pork
Russia’s veterinary and phytosanitary watchdog said today it will reduce the number of Canadian pork and beef plants authorized to export to that more...
News briefs: USPOULTRY, dining out with kids, Farmland,
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation is now accepting spring research pre-proposals from colleges and universities, with a deadline of May 1. For a more...
China takes new steps as bird flu in humans tops 20; new death confirmed
Authorities in several areas of China are confirming that the outbreak of H7N9 bird flu in humans now stands at 21 nationwide, including a total seven more...
U.S. beef exports slip in volume, rise in value in February
February continued the trend set at the end of 2012 for U.S. beef exports with higher values on lower volumes for beef, according to statistics released more...
Poultry firm George's Inc. announces co-CEOs
Springdale, Ark.-based poultry processor George's Inc. announced Carl George and Charles George have been named co-CEOs/presidents effective April 5, more...
KFC pulling the bones out of chicken offerings
KFC is introducing Original Recipe Boneless on April 14 – boneless, skinless pieces of both white and dark meat chicken hand breaded using the company’s more...
Poultry economist goes part time after 40 years
Bill Roenigk, senior vice president of the National Chicken Council, will become a part-time consultant to NCC starting in June 2013, it was announced more...
Rich recall expanded to 10.5 million pounds on E. coli 0121 concerns
USDA detailed the recall expansion by Rich Products announced yesterday by the Food and Drug Administration. The expanded recall of various heat treated more...
Tyson pays $3.95 million fine in DOJ consent decree
Tyson Foods Inc. has signed a consent decree with the federal Department of Justice to “resolve concerns over the maintenance of refrigeration systems more...
Fifth former Butterball worker pleads guilty to animal cruelty
This week former Butterball employee Ronnie Jacobs pled guilty to criminal cruelty to animals in North Carolina, the fifth worker convicted since a 2011 more...
New bird flu strain kills six in China; officials cull poultry
Chinese officials slaughtered more than 20,000 birds at a poultry market in Shanghai on Friday as the death toll from a new form of bird flu rose to six more...
Brisket on a donut and bacon cotton candy martinis hit Speedway
Racing fans will have some meaty treats available to them at Texas Motor Speedway, starting April 13. One signature item, the Smokin' Hubcap, piles smoked more...
Private equity group explores sale of protein supplier: report
The private equity group that owns CTI Foods Holding Co. is exploring the potential sale of the company, which supplies a wide array of proteins and other more...
Tyson joins others in school lunch pricing pledges to combat obesity
Tyson Foods is the latest company to team up with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, including making pricing pledges for leaner proteins that comply more...
USPOULTRY launches app
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has launched a free app on iTunes and the Android Play store. Titled “USPOULTRY,” the app's featured areas more...
Russia threatens to reduce meat imports from Spain and Mexico
The Russian Service of Agricultural Inspection and Livestock (SIAG) announced on Tuesday that it will reduce frozen meat imports from Spain, if the country more...
Cargill expands ground beef plant, adds up to 20 jobs in Pa.
Cargill is investing $2.3 million to install ground beef production and packaging equipment at its Wyalusing, Pa., beef processing facility, the more...
Allergen concerns prompt Tyson recall
Tyson Foods Inc. is recalling about 127,000 lbs. of uncooked breaded chicken tenderloins and uncooked chicken tenderloin fritter products because of an more...
ConAgra profit dives 57 percent, hurt by acquisition
ConAgra Foods Inc. on Wednesday reported a 57 percent drop in third-quarter profit due to costs for absorbing Ralcorp but said some of its meat brands more...
Beef board’s activities comply with checkoff law: OIG
The Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association are using Beef Checkoff in accordance with more...
Another restaurant chain to eliminate sow gestation stalls from supply chain
Canada-based café chain Tim Hortons says in its 2012 sustainability report that it will eliminate sow gestation stalls from its supply chain by more...
Simplified beef and pork cut names approved
The National Pork Board and Beef Checkoff Program received unanimous approval from the Industry-Wide Cooperative Meat Identification Standards Committee more...
Golden State Foods expands its Midwest distribution network
Golden State Foods is paying an undisclosed price to acquire a food distribution center near St. Louis operated by Gateway Distribution Inc. that serves more...
U.S. takes China to task on trade barriers
Washington took to task China for continuing to maintain barriers to bilateral trade, including those restricting U.S. beef exports, in an annual trade more...
Perdue will keep defending its labels against HSUS complaint
Perdue Farms will continue to defend itself against an activist group charge that some of its labels are misleading. Yesterday, a federal judge denied more...
Allen Harim to buy one plant to expand poultry, sells another
Poultry processor Allen Harim announced it is in negotiations to buy the former Pinnacle Foods (Vlasic) processing facility in Millsboro, Del., and that more...
Smithfield makes its case for remaining intact
Smithfield released an 8-K filing on Monday that essentially lays out the company's argument for remaining an integrated pork processor, according to more...
Perdue’s motion to dismiss HSUS lawsuit denied
A federal judge has denied a motion by Perdue Farms to dismiss a lawsuit by animal activists alleging that one of the company’s brands misleads more...
Sara Lee exec moves to Cargill
Cargill named former Sara Lee executive, Marcel Smits, is its new chief financial officer, effective April 15. Smits, a native of the Netherlands more...
Boston Market sees opportunity in pork; sets new rib offering
Boston Market announced today a limited-time offer of St. Louis Style Ribs to its menu. In doing so, the Golden, Colo.-based company says it will become more...
March 2013
New York firm recalls chicken products linked to E. coli O121 illnesses
Buffalo, N.Y.-based Rich Products Corporation is recalling approximately 196,222 pounds of frozen chicken quesadilla and various other heat treated, not more...
FSIS must improve E. coli testing in beef: OIG
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service must take steps to test for E. coli O157:H7 in all boxed beef used for grinding and tenderized beef, the more...
Bob Evans Farms sells corporate campus, two plants
Bob Evans Farms announced it sold its headquarters building in Columbus, Ohio and two Ohio food plants expected to close later this year to New Mill Capital more...
Proposed legislation could boost chicken’s chances in school lunch
Bills introduced over the past two weeks in both the House of Representatives and Senate seek to permanently eliminate weekly maximums on proteins and more...
Giving back: HoneyBaked, Smithfield, Tyson, Hormel, ConAgra
This is the first in an occasional roundup of charitable activities by poultry and meat processors. It is not meant to be all-inclusive, but rather to more...
Corn, soybean futures prices tumble on report showing more corn
Futures prices for corn and soybeans tumbled in midday trading on the Chicago Board of Trade as two key USDA reports showed more corn available on March more...
Pork, dairy producers launch animal welfare initiative
The National Pork Producers Council, National Pork Board, the dairy industry and the Center for Food Integrity this week jointly launched an initiative more...
New turkey meatballs hit the frozen food section (updated)
Butterball is launching its new Every Day Recipe Starters Frozen Turkey Meatballs. The meatballs are available in original and Italian-style varieties more...
40,000 chickens dead in Pa. farm fire
At least 40,000 chickens died in a fire Wednesday afternoon in North Cornwall, Pa. According to local media reports, a chicken house on the property is more...
Pinnacle completes IPO, stock debuts on NYSE
Shares of Pinnacle Foods Inc. began trading on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday as the company listed its initial public offering. Pinnacle Foods' more...
Ag coalition urges U.S. to include Japan in trade talks
A coalition including meat and poultry organizations and companies today urged the United States and other countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership more...
2 Brazilian poultry plants re-approved by Russia, optimism for lengthy embargo's end
Russia has lifted its export ban this week on two poultry processing plants in Brazil's Parana state, the first concrete step by Moscow to reopen more...
UK meat sales show first sign of rebound since horsemeat scandal
Sales of pre-packed minced beef were up slightly in March at one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains in the first sign of a recovery since horse more...
Restaurant deals slip in attracting customers: NPD
Consumer visits to restaurants offering a deal or a discount fell last year, according to the latest research from NPD Group. The firm notes that more...
Minnesota firm recalls ribeye products on specified risk material
Buffalo Lake, Minn.-based Triple J Family Farms is recalling approximately 15,270 pounds of bone-in ribeye products because the vertebral column may not more...
Ball Park brand rolls out new, leaner beef and pork hot dogs
The Hillshire Brands Company’s Ball Park Brand announced two new, leaner hot dog products. One is 100 percent beef; the other is 100 percent pork more...
Premium Brands buys privately held gourmet foods maker
Premium Brands will pay an undisclosed price to acquire Freybe Gourmet Foods Ltd., a leading manufacturer of gourmet deli meats in western Canada. Vancouver-based more...
NAMA offers meat industry regulatory guidance
The North American Meat Association announced a new website for meat industry regulatory guidance at meatexperts.com. The new NAMA Meat Experts more...
Horsemeat shows up in chicken products; testing continues
Food safety officials in Ireland are continuing to test for the presence of unlabeled horsemeat in consumer food products as new reports of horsemeat more...
Fewer cattle placed in feedlots in February than expected
USDA on Friday reported that cattle placed in feedlots in the United States with capacity of 1,000 or more head in February totaled 1.48 million, 14 percent more...
Too much of a good thing? Poultry pushes cold storage stocks higher
Total frozen poultry supplies on Feb. 28, 2013, were up 2 percent from the previous month and up 9 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s more...
Another burger chain launches another chicken sandwich
After testing five flavors in four regional markets, Wendy’s is introducing two chicken sandwiches on flatbread seemingly designed to compete with more...
NAMA offers systematic approach to humane handling
The North American Meat Association will host a webinar April 4 to cover the steps plants must take to guarantee humane handling practices are being upheld more...
Lights! Camera! Farmers and ranchers?
James Moll, an Academy Award- , Emmy- and Grammy-winning film director, is embarking on a documentary film project with the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers more...
China looks to enhance trade, food safety with U.S.
Chinese government officials met Thursday in Denver with U.S. beef and pork export industry leaders to discuss the potential for increased trade between more...
Leverage at risk with Marfrig's 4th debentures offer, analysts say
Brazil's Marfrig Group will issue its fourth public non-convertible debentures offer of up to BRL570 million (US$283.5 million), the company said Thursday more...
AMI honors plants on environmental policies
The American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) recognized 124 plants with Environmental Recognition awards during a reception at its annual Conference more...
Poultry groups' white paper refutes investigation of worker welfare
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the National Chicken Council have released a white paper that refutes claims made in a recent report released by more...
Meat is money ... for Australian drug addicts
There is legal tender, and there is illegal tender. Police in Wodonga, a city on the border of the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales, more...
House follows Senate on legislation that keeps inspectors in plants
On a 318-109 vote Thursday morning, the House passed the same funding bill the Senate passed yesterday to keep the federal government running for another more...
Chorizo plant planned for central NY
Gloversville, N.Y. will be home to a new specialty sausage plant, the Fulton County Center for Regional Growth announced. The 23,000-sq-ft plant, which more...
McDonald's adds chicken wraps to menu
McDonald's core menu now includes Premium Chicken McWraps. The wraps, which come in a flour tortilla, include grilled or fried chicken breast as well more...
Sanderson driver released from hospital after collision with train
Authorities are still trying to determine the cause of a Monday collision between a Houston-bound freight train and a Sanderson Farms truck hauling 5 more...
Agri Beef Co. adds grind operation at Wash. plant
Agri Beef Co. said Monday the company has expanded its Washington Beef plant in Toppenish, Wash., to include a grind operation. The expansion will more...
China’s largest pork processor to up production 50%
China’s biggest pork processor plans to ramp up production by more than 50 percent in 2013 to meet demand that is increasing along with incomes more...
GIPSA slaps Triumph on the wrist
Triumph Foods will have to pay a $3,750 fine as part of a stipulation agreement with USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration more...
Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s hit the sauce for new burger
A new burger offering from Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s is aimed at those with adult tastes. The restaurant chains this week rolled out the Jim more...
USDA approves 2009 HSUS petition on downer veal calves
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture is apparently on track to change the policies of its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regarding the treatment of more...
U.S. pork export sales must now be reported to USDA
Beginning today, all exporters of U.S. pork will begin reporting weekly export sales to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the agency announced more...
Overhill Farms blasts shareholder call to auction off company
Overhill Farms Inc. says a letter from a shareholder recommending that the company be sold to the highest bidder is potentially harmful to opportunities more...
Pew group promises continued pressure on antibiotics legislation
The Pew Charitable Trusts, in a statement released Monday, expressed disappointment in the version of the Animal Drug User Fee Act that was released more...
Burger King giving turkey and veggie burgers, ethnic flavor a try
Burger King is trying out turkey burgers and veggie burgers this spring, the latest move by a quick service chain to diversify beyond beef. Announcing more...
AHA certifies 3 beef cuts as heart healthy
The Beef Checkoff Program announced today that three additional fresh beef cuts are now certified to display the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check more...
No injuries in Cargill fire
A Saturday afternoon fire at a Cargill Meat Solutions pork processing facility in Ottumwa, Iowa, caused $250,000 in damage, according to a report in more...
ConAgra breaks ground on $100-million Ark. plant expansion
Construction is under way on a $100-million expansion project at a ConAgra Foods plant in Russellville, Ark., that was announced last fall. The facility more...
Dead pig scandal in Chinese river expands to more than 13,000 carcasses
Officials in China are reporting that the number of dead pigs pulled from the Huangpu River has topped 13,000 just days after the gruesome discovery that more...
Smithfield Packing to close bone-in ham plant
The Smithfield Packing Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, announced today that it plans to shift bone-in ham production from its Landover more...
Waterkeeper argues against paying court costs
In a new filing in its long-running lawsuit against Hudson Farms and Perdue Farms, the Waterkeeper Alliance argues its reasons why it should not be required more...
NCC takes issue with report critical of poultry worker conditions
The National Chicken Council issued a statement contesting many of the claims in a recent report from the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Alabama more...
Pork producers eager for Japan to join Pacific trade talks
The National Pork Producers Council is urging the United States and other nations to swiftly accept Japan into Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations more...
House of Raeford exits commodity turkey business, eliminating 950+ jobs
House of Raeford Farms announced it would close its Rose Hill, N.C. turkey hatchery; Raeford, N.C. turkey slaughter plant; and turkey growing operations more...
FSIS furloughs expected to begin in mid-July: Hagen
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection System plans to furlough all employees, including frontline meat and poultry inspectors, on non-consecutive days more...
Peer Foods plans new facility, jobs in Ind.
Peer Foods Group, Inc. plans to invest $5.5 million on a new production facility in Cumberland, Ind., creating up to 80 new jobs this year, according more...
Fourth time is the charm? Rep. Slaughter reintroduces antibiotics bill
For the fourth time since 2007, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) has reintroduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA). The more...
Congress considers reviving ban on horse meat processing
A bipartisan group of U.S. congressmen on Wednesday introduced a bill to prohibit horse slaughter for human consumption, following efforts by several more...
Less investment, debt reduction in JBS' plan for 2013
JBS SA, the world's largest beef producer, plans to invest around BRL1.1 billion (US$558.7 million) in 2013, down slightly from the year prior, and will more...
Quantum Foods names Cargill executive its new president
Bolingbrook, Ill.-based Quantum Foods, LLC, a leading independent custom provider of value-added proteins, announced that it has appointed Peter Brooks more...
Chicken products recalled on listeria concerns
Hot Springs, Ark.-based Hot Springs Packing Co. is recalling approximately 6,120 pounds of chicken polish sausage and chicken breakfast link products more...
Bob Evans on sow housing: will require change by 2025
Bob Evans Farms issued a statement today supporting in principle all forms of sow housing, but also saying it would follow Ohio’s livestock care more...
Koch Foods promotes two new Snack Craver product extensions
Koch Foods has introduced two new items to its Snack Cravers product line, which it will promote through a “Flavor Madness” campaign more...
OSHA proposes $160,000 fine on Miss. poultry processor
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Southern Hens Inc., based in Moselle, Miss., with 43 safety and more...
New Tyson natural chicken product set for NC plant production
Tyson Foods Inc. will produce its new line of all-natural chicken products under the NatureRaised Farms brand at its existing plant in Wilkesboro, N.C more...
Land O’Frost looks to net snackers with Minis
In a move to lure consumers who snack rather than build full-on Dagwood sandwiches, Land O’Frost has introduced Minis, 2-in.-wide versions of its more...
U.S./Taiwan trade talks resume after 6 years; ractopamine in pork discussed
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs reaffirmed Sunday its opposition to imports of U.S. pork containing the leanness-enhancing drug ractopamine during more...
News briefs: Foster Farms, Qdoba, lions and tigers and meat, oh my!
Family-owned Foster Farms today announced that its fresh chicken products have earned humane certification from American Humane Association. The company more...
USDA proposes rule to modify COOL
The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued a proposed rule to modify the labeling provisions for muscle cut commodities covered under more...
Shareholder suggests Smithfield split up the company
A large shareholder is recommending Smithfield Foods Inc. hire an adviser to consider splitting the company into three independent businesses, saying more...
OSHA proposes fines on Nebraska Beef for safety violations
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Nebraska Beef Ltd. with eight safety violations, including more...
USDA lowers corn, soybean price projections
USDA lowered its season-average farm price forecast for corn by 20 cents on the high end of the range to $6.75 to $7.45 per bushel in its latest World more...
FPSA Foundation partners to defeat hunger
The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) and the Greater Chicago Food Depository announced an initiative called Defeat Hunger in conjunction with more...
McDonald's global comparable sales decline in February
McDonald’s U.S. February comparable sales decreased 3.3 percent, reflecting the negative calendar shift due to leap year. Excluding this impact more...
Bacon boosts Smithfield profit; Pope gives glimpse of growth strategy
“Modest” acquisitions of branded and value-added companies and increased capital investments in its facilities will help Smithfield Foods more...
Study links processed meat, increased mortality; industry responds
A European study has found an association between processed meat consumption and increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases and cancer, but more...
Egg sets for up slightly, but chicks placed down a bit last week
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 200 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 2, 2013, up 1 percent from the eggs more...
25,000 lbs. of Bolognese sauce recalled on undeclared allergens
Summer Garden Food Manufacturing of a Boardman, Ohio, is recalling approximately 25,000 lbs. of Bolognese sauce products because of undeclared allergens more...
U.S./Canada cattle and hog inventories shed light on N. American supplies
USDA and Statistics Canada yesterday released semi annual estimates of cattle and hog inventories in the two countries combined, showing joint hog more...
Vilsack: Several months before inspector furloughs kick in
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said the agency is notifying its unions this week of possible worker furloughs due to mandated U.S. budget cuts, meaning it more...
Fla. packer fined $22,000 for late payment for cattle
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration has fined Central Beef Industries LLC $22,000 for failing to pay, when due, the full more...
Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak sickens 128 people
An outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg centered on the West Coast has sickened a total of 128 people since June 4, according to the latest report from the more...
Mexico will administer 210 million poultry vaccines per month
Mexico will administer 210 million poultry vaccines per month, said the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture (SAGARPA) in a news release. This measure will more...
News Briefs: Hormel anniversary; Pizza Hut COO: poultry app, RMC keynote; Tulip CEO
Because this year marks the 50th anniversary of Hormel’s Cure 81 ham brand, the company is planning a reunion of the seven current and past Curemasters more...
Smithfield venture in Mexico gets $40 million infusion
Global investment institution International Finance Corp. announced it will lend $40 million to Norson Holding, a joint venture between Smithfield Foods more...
U.S. meat, trade officials detail cost of ‘non-science-based’ ractopamine bans
U.S. meat and trade officials are pressing Russia, China and Taiwan to change their stances against the use of beta agonists such as ractopamine in beef more...
Nebraska turkey processor closes after forced Chapter 7 filing
Midwest Meat Packing Facility has closed its doors following an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing submitted by a major creditor in early December more...
Cargill wrecks it with Disney
Cargill's Honeysuckle White and Shady Brook Farms turkey brands are partnering with Disney in a springtime promotion, offering consumers a $5 mail-in more...
Shutdown of kosher chicken plant stirs supply concerns ahead of Passover
Empire Kosher was expected to resume production Monday at its Mifflintown, Pa., plant following a short-term closure last week that had Passover celebrants more...
Feds detail new hardship waiver for undocumented immigrants
Just days after immigration officials freed hundreds of immigrants from the nation’s detention centers on supervised release, the government has more...
English company to acquire Dutch pork giant
Birmingham, England-based 2 Sisters Food Group will acquire Dutch-based food producer VION NV’s poultry and red meat processing businesses in the more...
Consumers unwilling to pay more for sustainable meat
Researchers have found that although they prefer “sustainable” and “organic” meat, consumers are reluctant to pay more for it more...
Potential pain of inspector furloughs still unknown, JBS USA says
The potential impact of meat inspector furloughs within the Food Safety Inspection Service over the next month concerns processors across the country more...
Poultry industry conditions to improve in 2013: Rabobank
The global poultry market will improve in 2013 as corn prices abate, competing proteins price higher and producers continue to restrain supply, according more...
BBC report says UK sausages contain mislabeled meat ingredient
European meat suppliers have found a legal loophole to sell a mechanically separated meat ingredient to U.K. sausage makers without labeling the product more...
Monogram Food Solutions expands smoked sausage line
Glory Foods and Monogram Foods have introduced new meat products, Glory Foods Cocktail Links and Glory Foods Smoked Sausage, both of which are flavored more...
February 2013
Vilsack warns of meat shortages due to furloughs: report
Automatic U.S. budget cuts set to take effect on Friday will eventually cause meat shortages due to layoffs of safety inspectors, but the government may more...
Horse DNA found at 3 slaughterhouses as EU scandal continues
Poland's chief veterinarian has confirmed that horse DNA has been found in three processing plants as fallout from the discovery of equine DNA in beef more...
Eggs sets, chicks placed continue to rise
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 199 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Feb. 23, 2013, up 2 percent from the eggs more...
Hormel’s Spam brand icon Sir Can-A-Lot courts consumers digitally
Hormel Foods announced a new social media campaign starting in March that will feature its Spam Brand’s mascot Sir Can-A-Lot in partnership with more...
Mexico suspends poultry exports for six months
Mexico has suspended its poultry exports for six months in order to normalize prices and avoid market distortions, said the Mexican Ministry of Economy more...
Senators seek details on possible meat inspection furloughs
A group of U.S senators led by Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) is asking USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to clarify how meat inspectors can be furloughed under sequestration more...
Police probe bomb threat at Cargill plant
Police are investigating a bomb threat made Tuesday to Cargill's Wyalusing, Pa., beef plant, the company said. No bomb was found Tuesday after the Pennsylvania more...
House of Raeford gets $150,000 fine in wastewater case
House of Raeford Farms Inc. received today a fine of $150,000 stemming from wastewater pre-treatment violations in 2005 and 2006 at its Raeford, N.C. more...
Cargill launches ground beef site aimed at consumer ed
Cargill, the world's largest producer of ground beef — more than 1 billion pounds a year in North America — has launched a website aimed at more...
News Briefs: Buddig, Schlotzsky's, Umami Burger
Carl Buddig & Co. has hired Marlon Villanueva, of Mississauga, Ontario, as the company’s new Canadian sales manager. Villanueva will oversee more...
Meat complex margins shrinking
Tyson Foods COO James Lochner came right out and said it: Poor beef and pork margins are squeezing near-term profits. Wall Street and industry analysts more...
Power of Meat study shows shift toward convenience v. price
Consumers' focus on price is "no longer as strong as it has been in the past two years, as high-income shoppers ease up on money-saving measures," according more...
Maple Leaf’s 4Q earnings jump by $47 million
Lower restructuring charges helped Canadian pork processor Maple Leaf Foods enjoy a $47 million jump in fourth-quarter earnings, but officials expect more...
Canada finds two more ill from E. coli outbreak
Canadian health officials have confirmed two additional cases of E. coli O157:H7 illness as part of an outbreak investigation related a recall of frozen more...
News briefs: Sara Lee, Republic of Texas, Steak 'n Shake, Logan's Roadhouse, White Castle
Sara Lee Premium Meats has introduced Sara Lee Angus Roast Beef, available in Rare and Medium varieties. The product is found behind the deli counter more...
Pilgrim’s Pride steps up monitoring of possible bird flu outbreak in Mexico
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. announced it is working with Mexican authorities to better contain a possible avian influenza outbreak at one of its plants more...
Two more former Butterball workers convicted of animal cruelty
Two former Butterball workers were found guilty late last week of animal cruelty in connection with a 2011 video secretly take by an employee working more...
NCC, others appealing to Supreme Court on E15
The National Chicken Council has joined the American Petroleum Institute and other trade associations in a petition for a writ of certiorari with the more...
Beef, poultry prices rise in January; pork declines
USDA reported retail poultry and beef prices continued to climb in January while pork prices declined, according to the agency’s monthly Food Prices more...
Workers file appeal in Sanderson Farms illegal hiring suit
Workers suing former employer Sanderson Farms Inc. in Georgia for allegedly conspiring to hire illegal immigrants to reduce labor costs are appealing more...
U.S. attorney to employers: Hire ex-offenders
Both law enforcement and the private sector are beginning to look closer at the potential of an untapped employee base: ex-offenders. “This is also more...
Red meat production up from last year
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.35 billion pounds in January, up 5 percent from the 4.12 billion pounds produced in January more...
Smithfield recalls pork sausage that may contain plastic
Smithfield Packing Co. is recalling approximately 38,000 pounds of pork sausage that may contain small pieces of plastic, likely from gloves, USDA's Food more...
EU horsemeat saga spreads and just won’t stop
Irish officials have shut down an Irish slaughterhouse after confirming it labeled horse meat as beef and shipping it to a company in the Czech Republic more...
Hormel results: Spam and chili sales strong, but Jennie-O turkey struggles
Hormel reported lower refrigerated foods and Jennie-O Turkey Store profits, while grocery products, specialty foods and international operation profits more...
Sanderson posts loss, but sees market improving slightly
Sanderson Farms Inc. posted a first-quarter loss, below analyst expectations for breakeven results, as the company lagged competitors in raising chicken more...
Smithfield set to cash in on demand for ractopamine-free pork
Smithfield Foods announced the company is well-positioned to meet rising demand for ractopamine-free pork, following recent announcements that China and more...
Burgers recalled for possible E. coli in Canada; illness investigation ongoing
Canada Safeway Ltd. is recalling a range of frozen beef burgers after health regulators launched an investigation into possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination more...
JBS hires Bunge exec to lead its poultry operations
Brazil's JBS SA is tasking a former vice president from Bunge Alimentos with leading its global poultry operations, the company announced Thursday. Gilberto more...
China to require more tests for U.S. pork
China is set to require that U.S. pork exporters get third-party verification that their products are free of beta-agonists including the leanness-enhancing more...
Bob Evans hits supplier snag in quarter; sees more deals ahead
Bob Evans Farms Inc. posted a lower net profit in the third quarter as it worked through a number of changes, including the sale of its Mimi’s Café more...
Mexico confirms avian flu presence in Bachoco poultry farms
The Mexican Sanitary Authority (SENASICA) confirmed yesterday the presence of avian influenza H7N3 at 12 of Industrias Bachoco’s poultry farms, more...
News Briefs: Pork Board's social network; Kashi's new chicken product; BK's Twitter hack
Pork Social — “the first-ever social network all about pork” — has been launched on PorkBeInspired.com. It’s a place where more...
JBS dragged into European horsemeat scandal as Nestle, others react
JBS SA has suspended contracts with a German processor allegedly involved in the discovery of horsemeat in Europe’s meat supply as Nestle SA and more...
NC poultry processor suddenly ceases operations
Scruggs Poultry Inc. has officially closed its doors, although the reasons behind the closing last Friday have yet to be announced. The Rocky Mount, N more...
Organic, natural beef companies merge
Canada-based Sprott Resource announced its subsidiary One Earth Farms has acquired Toronto-based Beretta Farms, a purveyor of hormone-free and antibiotic more...
Tyson extends Angus brand into ground beef
Tyson Food’s unit Tyson Fresh Meats announced it is extending its Star Ranch Angus beef line to include ground beef. The new Star Ranch Angus beef more...
Tyson Deli offers point of sale materials to delis
Tyson Deli, a division of Tyson Foods, is now offering point of sale communication materials that highlight the eligibility of cold deli prepared foods more...
Vermont processor expands distribution to foodservice
Vermont Smoke and Cure, based in Hinesburg, Vt., is working with Paul W. Marks distributors to deliver its meat products to foodservice accounts throughout more...
Best Chicago Meat acquires kosher brand
Best Chicago Meat Co. LLC has acquired David's Kosher, the company has announced. David's Kosher all-beef hot dogs will hit grocery shelves March 15. more...
What are the numbers? Find them here.
The 2012 edition of the American Meat Institute’s Meat & Poultry Facts is now available. The 41st edition of this statistical resource contains more...
School district drops “healthier” lunch options
Arlington Heights School District 25 in Illinois has removed what it termed “entrées with exceptional nutritional qualities” from its more...
Consumers want to dine out more but spend less: report
Restaurant patrons expect to dine out a bit more this year but aim to spend less on their meals, according to a new analysis from consulting firm AlixPartners more...
Salmonella outbreak in Wash., Ore. linked to Foster Farms
Health officials in Washington and Oregon say Foster Farms chicken is the most likely source of a Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak that began in that region more...
Pilgrim’s posts profit as it focuses on costs, exports
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. swung to a fourth-quarter profit from a year-ago loss, aided by reduced expenses, higher sales and a tax benefit. Chief Executive more...
Bachoco swings to profit, boosted by OK acquisition
Mexico’s Industrias Bachoco said it swung to a fourth-quarter profit from a year-ago loss, helped by a jump in chicken sales stemming from its acquisition more...
Tyson buys Don Julio
Tyson Foods’ subsidiary, Tyson Mexican Original, has bought the assets of Don Julio Foods in Clearfield, Utah, Tyson said in a news release. The more...
Listeria concerns prompt small recall for Illinois company
Perfect Pasta Inc., an Addison, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 315 pounds of ready-to-eat roast beef products due to possible contamination more...
Overhill profit falls; deal talks reportedly near conclusion
Overhill Farms Inc. on Thursday posted lower first-quarter earnings, hurt by higher freight costs for distributing its Boston Market products, and said more...
Iconic food brand goes private in massive acquisition
An investment consortium formed by Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital will acquire H.J. Heinz Company, Heinz announced Thursday. The transaction, which more...
EU urges increased testing for horsemeat; drug concerns spark test-and-hold on UK horse carcasses
The European Union is urging member states to conduct random DNA tests on meat as it grapples with the continuing fallout from the discovery of horse more...
Brazil pork exports up in January, Russian sales up 500%
Brazil exported 40,118 metric tons of pork in January worth US$104.64 million, figures up 5.08 percent and 7.42 percent, respectively, from the same month more...
U.S., EU begin work on trade deal
U.S. and European Union officials will initiate internal procedures needed to launch negotiations for a free-trade deal, President Barack Obama, European more...
January pork woes spark earnings adjustments for Smithfield Foods, Hormel
Pressure on pork margins and tighter hog supplies last month prompted one analyst to reduce her earnings estimates for Smithfield Foods Inc. and Hormel more...
Study links pre-stun shocks to poultry meat quality
A study conducted at the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences that examines the link between pre-stun shocks in broiler chicken more...
Beef Board names officers; new chairman details goals
Cattlemen’s Beef Board members elected Weldon Wynn, a cow and calf producer from Star City, Ark., to serve as the group’s chairman in 2013 more...
Seaboard settles HSUS complaint without FTC action (updated)
Seaboard Foods has changed some of its online advertising language to settle a complaint The Humane Society of the United States lodged with the Federal more...
USDA reloads on COOL
USDA has submitted to the Office of Budget Management a new draft of country-of-origin labeling regulations in order to comply with international trade more...
Fire closes Butterball feed mill in Arkansas
A Butterball feed mill in Mountain Home, Ark. caught fire Sunday night, shutting down production until at least midweek, according to a local media report more...
Help customers help themselves with research: analyst
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Customers place a high value on industry information and insight into trends provided by their suppliers, and that opens up an more...
USDA food inspection threatened by automatic U.S. budget cuts (Updated)
As Congressionally mandated budget cuts move closer to their Mar. 1 launch, reports are surfacing that the nation’s food inspection operations will more...
CFIA suspends operations of beef slaughter plant
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has suspended the operating license of St. Ann's Foods Inc., a beef slaughter plant located in St. Ann's, Ontario more...
Canadian panel to review XL Foods E. coli outbreak
The government of Canada has appointed an independent expert advisory panel to review of events and circumstances related to the XL Foods Inc. E. coli more...
U.S. says Russia refused to discuss ractopamine before meat import ban
As Russia’s ban on U.S. meat and turkey imports goes into effect today, U.S. officials are calling for an immediate overturn of the decision, saying more...
OIE reaffirms Brazil's 'negligible' risk for BSE
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) is maintaining Brazil's status of “negligible risk” for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) more...
Meat production, corn supply forecasts raised: USDA
USDA raised its 2013 forecast of total red meat and poultry production from last month reflecting higher-forecast beef, pork, broiler, and turkey production more...
Bill introduced to ease Renewable Fuel Standard
U.S. Reps. Gregg Harper (R–Miss.) and Jim Matheson (D–Utah) introduced a bill this week that would relieve businesses and consumers from what more...
Smithfield launches big marinated pork promotion
After recently lowering the sodium content of its Marinated Pork Line, the Smithfield Packing Company is launching their strongest Marinated Pork promotional more...
Quantum Foods secures financing
Crystal Financial LLC announced it has secured an $80 million senior secured credit facility to Quantum Foods to repay existing debt, for general working more...
Landry’s seeks expansion with $71m offer for N.Y. restaurant group
Landry’s Inc. has offered $22 per share in cash to acquire New York-based restaurant, bar and quick-service operator Ark Restaurant Group, according more...
Cargill adds solar power to California plant
Cargill is installing what it says is the largest solar energy system at a California meat processing facility at its plant in Fresno, the company announced more...
Be heard on gestation stalls, issues management research finds
Much of what consumers believe about the use of gestation stalls in pork production is inaccurate, but when they are exposed to further explanation of more...
E. coli O26 clone emerges in Europe
Scientists are working to identify the sources and reservoirs of a new, highly virulent clone of E. coli O26 they’ve discovered emerging in Europe more...
Custom processor’s license suspended as inspection probe continues
Two days after an inspection uncovered processing exemption violations, Hilty’s Custom Meats in Bowling Green, Mo., the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture more...
Brakebush buys Trinity Valley
Foodservice chicken producer Brakebush Brothers has bought Trinity Valley Foods of Irving, Texas, a further processor of raw, sized, marinated and ready-to-cook more...
Trial delayed for poultry export conspiracy
Three Mississippi men indicted for falsifying temperatures of poultry exported to Russia will wait longer for their trial, according to court documents more...
Sara Lee Deli revamps premium line with healthier profile
Sara Lee Premium Meats has revamped its turkey, chicken and ham deli meat offerings to meet the American Heart Association criteria for heart-healthy more...
K-State develops omega-3-rich ground beef
Jim Drouillard, professor of animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University, has developed a technique that enriches ground beef with the fatty more...
News Briefs: Fuddruckers expands; Freirich goes 'green'; Foodservice ass'n directors
A new agreement with Isthmus Food Service S.A. will allow Houston-based Fuddruckers to expand into Aruba and Panama with the opening of a total of 10 more...
Consumers and LFTB, gestation stalls, antibiotics: Exclusive video
ATLANTA — That consumers' actions often run counter to their stated opinions is not new, but how that dynamic plays out is of immediate interest more...
Tyson’s improved Q1 net sparks analyst forecast upgrades
Two industry analysts are raising their earnings estimates for Tyson Foods Inc. following last week’s better-than-expected showing in the first more...
Irish officials intensify probe into horsemeat scandal at two plants
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland and Irish police are investigating who is responsible for the horsemeat that has appeared in hamburger meat linked more...
Tyson gets an “A” on social responsibility
Tyson Foods announced the company received an “A” from the Global Reporting Initiative for its latest corporate social responsibility report more...
Jimmy Dean brings flatbread to breakfast
Hillshire Brands’ Jimmy Dean brand is introducing several new savory product offerings across its frozen and refrigerated protein breakfast platforms more...
USDA cattle report hints at herd rebuilding
USDA on Friday reported all cattle and calves in the United States on Jan. 1, 2013 totaled 89.3 million head, 2 percent below a year ago and the lowest more...
Marfrig names former Cargill exec as new Keystone Foods CEO
Brazil's Marfrig Alimentos has hired former Cargill executive Frank Ravndal Jr. to serve as CEO of its Keystone Foods unit, the company announced Monday more...
Longshoremen’s labor agreement a boon for pork, beef industries (updated)
A tentative agreement between the U.S. Maritime Alliance and the International Longshoremen’s Association is generating sighs of relief for pork more...
FSIS issues updates on notices on E. coli, hold-and-test, downer cattle
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued updates to several notices addressing sample collection for E. coli, hold-and-test procedures more...
Restaurant situation index at lowest point in nearly 2 years
The National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) fell slightly last month, while its current situation index fell to its lowest more...
Tyson Foods invests $40 million in four plants, adds jobs
Tyson Foods President and CEO Donnie Smith announced the company has made capital investments of more than $40 million in four of its plants that could more...
Tyson posts strong quarter on higher beef, chicken prices
Tyson Foods Inc. posted higher first-quarter net income that exceeded analysts’ expectations as it benefited from higher prices for its beef and more...
Judge tosses lawsuit questioning Hebrew National kosher claim
U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit alleging that hot dog maker Hebrew National was making false kosher claims because more...
Judge grants class-action status against National Beef
U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn H. Vratil on Thursday granted class-action status to a lawsuit alleging that National Beef Packing Co. failed to compensate more...
USDA school snack proposal names protein as a good thing
USDA opened the public comment period on proposed new standards to ensure that children have access to healthy food options in school, including those more...
January 2013
J&F's CEO Batista accused of Friboi-era tax crimes
The federal prosecutor's office in Brazil's Goias state has filed a complaint of tax crimes against Joesley Batista, president and CEO of J&F, the more...
Oscar Mayer fined for selling underweight meat packages
Oscar Mayer has agreed to pay a $14,000 fine and install some $10 million worth of checkweighers following alleged violations of short-weight packages more...
Bankrupt Zacky Farms to sell assets to Pitman Family Farms
A hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 6 in the U.S. District Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of California for approval of an asset purchase more...
Hillshire earnings get boost from easing commodity costs
Hillshire Brands Co. posted better-than-expected second-quarter earnings on Thursday, helped by a pullback in commodity costs, but the company cautioned more...
Police investigate bomb threat at Tyson plant
Police are investigating a bomb threat made Monday to Tyson Foods' beef plant in Finney County, Kan., company spokesman Worth Sparkman confirmed to Meatingplace more...
Northern Beef Packers seeks Cargill workers
Northern Beef Packers is hoping to gain from Cargill's pain. The Aberdeen, S.D.-based company has dispatched recruiters to Plainview, Texas, to interview more...
Corn prices this year: $4 or $10?
ATLANTA — U.S. corn prices could fall as low as $4 per bushel with timely rains this year; but without such rains, poultry and meat producers could more...
JBS prices US$500mil in senior notes, sale till Feb. 5
Through its Austrian subsidiary, JBS SA has priced US$500 million of its 6.25 percent-senior unsecured notes that will be due in 2023. They'll offer a more...
Cooper Farms wins Jewell Award
ATLANTA — Meatingplace today presented its industry leadership award to Oakwood, Ohio-based Cooper Farms in recognition of the processor's innovations more...
Bob Evans Farms gets $50 million for Mimi’s Café unit
Bob Evans Foods Inc. is selling its Mimi’s Café restaurant chain to LeDuff America Inc. in a deal worth $50 million. The Columbus, Ohio-based more...
Tyson Foods backs latest immigration reform effort
Tyson Foods Inc. is putting its support behind the latest attempt to reform the nation’s immigration policies, an effort that has been in the processor’s more...
CDC unveils food source-illness breakdown
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today the publication of a paper offering for the first time a set of estimates using data more...
Sonic Corp. president to step down
Sonic Corp. President Scott McLain will resign from his post effective March 31, and Chief Executive Cliff Hudson will assume the title, the drive-in more...
News Briefs: Perdue, sow housing, worker safety, meatless offerings, and CEOs
A U.S. District Court judge in Maryland has decided to bifurcate the issue of whether Perdue Farms and one of its growers, the Hudson farm, have the right more...
Japan widens access to U.S. beef (UPDATE)
Japan and the United States have agreed to a new deal that will vastly widen access to U.S. beef exports to that country, effective Feb. 1, U.S. Trade more...
Salmonella outbreak sickens 16 people in five states, CDC reports
Federal authorities are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium that has hospitalized half of the 16 people infected in Arizona, Illinois more...
Perdue acquires Washington subsidiary’s assets
Perdue Foods announces today it has purchased the leased assets of its Draper Valley Farms operation in Washington State to expand in organic livestock more...
Immigration reform effort seen as good news for major protein producers
A bi-partisan framework aimed at reforming the nation’s immigration policies will definitely have an effect on the meat industry should it become more...
USDA resets food safety committee
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced the re-chartering of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for more...
Chicago processor expands footprint in Indiana
Peer Foods Group Inc. has acquired Emge Foods LLC, an Indiana-based meat company specializing in retail-branded, high-quality hams, bacon, hot dogs, sausage more...
Food at home prices to rise more than food away from home
Prices for food purchased to make meals at home are expected to rise more on a percentage basis than prices at restaurants and other foodservice establishments more...
JBS expects USA beef to benefit from Japan decision
Brazil's JBS SA expects its JBS USA division to benefit significantly from Japan's decision to relax restrictions on beef exports from the United States more...
Texas firm recalls 4,700 pounds of RTE pork
Stallings Head Cheese Co., Inc., a Houston, Texas establishment, is recalling 4,700 pounds of hog head cheese that may be contaminated with Salmonella more...
Small amount of ground beef recalled in Michigan
Jouni Meats, Inc., a Sterling Heights, Mich. retail store, is recalling approximately 500 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with more...
Employee charged with stealing meat company funds
A 72-year-old employee of a South Carolina meat packing company was charged with one count of breach of trust for allegedly stealing more than $10,000 more...
No appeal in Maryland poultry litter ruling
The Waterkeeper Alliance will not appeal a federal court ruling in a high-profile environmental lawsuit in which the judge found in favor of defendants more...
West Liberty adds HPP
Sliced deli meats and IQF processor West Liberty Foods has installed a high pressure pasteurization (HPP) system at its Mount Pleasant, Iowa, facility more...
Burger King stops buying beef from Irish beef processor
Burger King announced it has decided to replace all Silvercrest products in the UK and Ireland with products from another approved Burger King supplier more...
Pork farm files for bankruptcy protection
Burger Pork Farms LLC of Jasper, Ind., filed a voluntary petition seeking Chapter 11 protection Tuesday. The company lists total assets of $1,619 more...
Fresh & Easy fined $833,000 for overcharging on meat
A San Diego judge has ordered the Fresh & Easy grocery store chain to pay $833,136 in fines to settle charges that shoppers paid higher prices at more...
MSG prompts pork, chicken recall
C & H Meat Co., based in Vernon, Calif., is recalling about 79,400 pounds of marinated pork and chicken products because they are misbranded in that more...
Meat groups seek extension on HACCP reassessment
A coalition consisting of six organizations representing the meat industry have sent a letter to USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) Administrator more...
Poultry vaccines cut salmonella infections in UK: study
Mass poultry vaccinations have dramatically lowered salmonella infections in the UK since the late 1990s, according to new research published by the University more...
Japan could ease U.S. beef restrictions Feb. 1
Japan could ease restrictions on imports of U.S. beef as early as Feb. 1, according to several media reports out of that country that quote its top health more...
Zacky Farms to sell to Zacky family trust
Various stakeholders in the Zacky Farms bankruptcy case have reached agreement to sell the company to the Robert T. and Lillian D. Zacky Trust, according more...
Effort to phase out gestation stalls wins three new supporters
General Mills Inc., Marriott International Inc. and Au Bon Pain are joining more than 50 other companies in announcing plans to phase out the use of gestation more...
McDonald’s, franchisee settle halal lawsuit
Oak Brook-based McDonald’s Corp. and one of its franchisees in Michigan will pay about $700,000 to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of falsely more...
Sanderson Farms reimburses Nash County $1 million
Sanderson Farms Inc. sent a check for more than $1 million to Nash County and the Carolinas Gateway Partnership to restore funds used to fight a lengthy more...
JBS USA beef could benefit most from Cargill closing: analysts
Beef operations for JBS SA in the United States should see better profit margins this year than originally forecast, following Cargill's indefinite closing more...
Burger chain tests new ‘premium’ line
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is testing a new premium burger line that could launch in the second half of this year. Stephen Carley, CEO of the Greenwood more...
Animal Ag Alliance says, ‘Say it ain’t so, Giada!’
Food Network celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis has thrown her hat into the Meatless Mondays ring with a recent episode of her show, “Giada at Home more...
Analysts see Cargill beef plant closing as 'game changer'
A day after Cargill announced it would idle its beef processing facility in Plainview, Texas on Feb. 1, analysts are calling the move a big one that will more...
Illinois firm recalls frozen poultry
Springfield, Ill.-based Humphrey’s Market, Inc. is recalling approximately 2,764 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat (RTE) and raw poultry products because more...
U.S., Canada cooperate on animal disease zoning
Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced this week that Canada and the United States aim to recognize each other’s zoning measures during more...
Plant closes as more horse meat found in Irish burgers
The Irish Agriculture Department on Friday said it found horse DNA in more laboratory tests on burger samples taken from product manufactured at the Silvercrest more...
Cargill to idle beef plant that employs 2,000
Cargill will idle its beef processing facility in Plainview, Texas, at the end of business on Feb. 1, the company announced Thursday. Wichita, Kan.-based more...
Canadian processor charged with selling tainted beef
A Canadian meat processor is facing 11 charges of selling food unfit for human consumption stemming from the 2010 recalls of beef trimmings thought to more...
FDA approves first test that simultaneously identifies 11 causes of gastroenteritis
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed marketing for the first test that can simultaneously detect 11 common viral, bacterial and parasitic more...
Wendy’s pulls back on breakfast
Wendy’s will discontinue breakfast at certain restaurants, CEO Emil Brolick told investors on Wednesday. Brolick indicated the company would take more...
Current snow drought adds more concerns for cattle, hog producers
On the heels of last summer’s dry spell, the snow drought of 2013 is likely to have distinct implications for cattle and hog producers in the coming more...
E. coli fears prompt ground beef recall
Watertown, Wis.-based Glenn’s Market and Catering is recalling approximately 2,532 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with more...
Chipotle launches catering business
Having grown to 1,350 restaurants in 20 years on a fast-casual model that preaches higher-quality ingredients and sustainable practices, Chipotle Mexican more...
Vilsack stays at USDA
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he will remain in his post in President Obama’s second term. The former Iowa governor said he will continue more...
Country-of-origin labeling diverts billions from Canada, study says
Mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) has had a major impact – about US $1.9 billion worth – on Canada’s pork sector, according more...
JBS opens two new beef processing plants in Brazil, more planned
JBS, SA opened two new beef processing plants last Monday in the Brazilian cities of Pontes e Lacerda and Vila Rica, both located in Mato Grosso state more...
New Hampshire bill would force quick reporting of animal abuse
A state bill has been proposed in the New Hampshire legislature that would force anyone recording cruelty to livestock to report such cruelty and submit more...
AAMP executive director steps down after nearly a decade
Jay Wenther has resigned his position as executive director of the American Association of Meat Processors after leading the group that represents mostly more...
Food retailer Meijer sets new executive appointments
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer announced it appointed Mark Murray to the new position of co-CEO and J.K. Symancyk as president. Murray will serve with more...
BPI says lawsuit linking E. coli illness to LFTB is without merit
A lawsuit alleging Beef Products Inc. product lean finely textured beef was linked to E. coli O157:H7-related illnesses three years ago was filed on Jan more...
Grocery chains lock some meat prices through April
Wegmans and Giant Eagle have announced guaranteed pricing programs for common items, including poultry and meat products. Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans more...
U.S. beef exports slow on volume, up slightly on value
U.S. beef exports in the first 11 months of 2012 slid by 2.3 billion pounds, or 12 percent in volume, compared to year ago record levels, according to more...
Land O'Frost promo offers family “dream trip”
Packaged lunch meat company Land O'Frost is offering an opportunity for 1,500 families to win in their "Hungry for Adventure" national promotion. Consumers more...
Russia bans U.S., Canadian pork and warns Brazil over ractopamine
Russian sanitation authority Rosselkhoznadzor has said it found ractopamine in pork imported from the John Morrell Food Group facility in Sioux Falls more...
Beef industry, consumers to be affected by cattle production drop in 2013
Beef production in the United States is expected to decrease 4.8 percent in 2013, the second largest year-over-year decrease in 35 years, trailing only more...
Layoffs to begin at Zacky Farms
Employees at Fresno, Calif.-based Zacky Farms Inc., are receiving notices of future lay-offs, according to a report from KSEE24 News, which added that more...
Founder of anti-GMO movement 'discovers science,' blasts activists
Known as the man who in 1995 founded the movement that opposes the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food production, British journalist more...
Colorado Premium wraps up expansion
Colorado Premium has completed a $2 million expansion of its facility in Denver, adding and reconfiguring 25,000 square feet of space for processing ground more...
Vilsack names inspection advisory committee members
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced new appointments to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). The 17-member more...
Study identifies Campylobacter risks at poultry plant
Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified several risk factors among workers at a Virginia poultry processing plant who more...
Broiler-type eggs set up 2 percent
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 196 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Jan. 5. This was up 2 percent from the more...
World food prices decline for third month; meat dips
World food prices remained on their downward path in December due to retreating grain prices, finishing down 7 percent in 2012 compared with the year more...
Koch Foods breaks ground on expansion project
A major expansion project at Koch Foods’ Fairfield, Ohio, chicken further processing plant that will eventually roughly double production broke more...
Plant president pleads guilty to ignoring inspector
The president of a meat processing plant in Prince Edward Island, Canada, has plead guilty to one charge of violating the country’s Meat Inspection more...
Perdue names new CFO
Perdue Farms has promoted Mark Garth to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective Jan. 1. Garth joined Perdue in May more...
Cargill animal protein unit swings to profit
Cargill Inc. on Tuesday said its animal protein business swung to a profit in the fiscal second quarter as margins and volumes improved in most of the more...
McDonald’s legendary Fred Turner dies at 80
Former McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Fred Turner had died. He was 80. Turner is heralded as the architect of the "quality, service, and cleanliness" more...
Brazil hopes to reverse beef bans before Q2 2013
Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture said it wants to reverse all the full or partial bans against its beef products within the first three months of this more...
Menu adjustments, food safety on tap for eateries in 2013: Mintel
Higher beef prices and food safety concerns will be among the four trends that Mintel Group Ltd. sees impacting U.S. restaurants in 2013. The international more...
Lean Cuisine unveils frozen chicken dishes for the salad crowd
Lean Cuisine has introduced a new line of Salad Additions frozen entrees, which consumer heat up and heap on top of their choice of lettuce for a “meal-worthy more...
Target shifts national ads to focus on grocery items, including proteins
Target Corp. has launched a national ad campaign that highlights its grocery offerings, including one spot that exclusively promotes its proteins. The more...
Grassfed beef firm buys 3 restaurants; seeks more diversification
Greenfield Farms Food Inc. has announced it intends to buy Cincinnati-based Carmela's Pizzeria, which serves “authentic New York-style pizza” more...
FDA seeks comment on new food safety rules for food processors
The Food and Drug Administration has released for public comment a proposed rule on Preventive Controls for Human Food as part of the 2011 FDA Food Safety more...
News briefs: Hillshire Angus sausage, breakfast sandwiches, meat & weight loss
Hillshire Farms has introduced a new addition to its Gourmet Creations line: Chicken Basil Pesto with Parmesan and Provolone Cheese, which has no artificial more...
Feed costs, tight supply to constrain JBS: analyst
Analysts at Deutsche Bank say they are not yet ready to recommend buying shares of JBS due to margin pressures in the company’s core U.S. divisions more...
National Pork Board to strategize on marketing to Hispanics in Texas
The National Pork Board will meet in San Antonio Jan. 7-9 to explore opportunities to market more pork to the growing Hispanic population in the United more...
Seven Mexican states will face red meat shortage in 2013, industry warns
Seven Mexican states will face a red meat shortage in 2013 due to increased exports and a high cattle slaughter rate, warned Gilardo López Hinojosa more...
North Dakota group looks at custom slaughter niche
An economic development group is spearheading a project to open a custom slaughter plant in northeast North Dakota, hoping to reverse a trend that has more...
Applebee’s boasts large portions with lower calories; adds chicken entrée
Applebee’s started the New Year on trend with new menu options under 550 calories. A number of research firms have tagged food options that promote more...
Hormel CEO: Skippy deal complements meat
The acquisition of Skippy peanut butter will bulk up Hormel’s domestic packaged foods business while also helping to accelerate sales of Spam canned more...
Smithfield moving toward complete sow group housing
Smithfield Foods announced that at the end of 2012 it had successfully transitioned 38 percent of pregnant sows on its company-owned farms in the United more...
Rosina Foods faces OSHA fine
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Rosina Food Products Inc. with nine serious violations of more...
Safeway exec to retire
Safeway Inc.’s Chairman and CEO Steve Burd will retire in May, the company announced. Burd has served as CEO since 1993. He will retire as CEO and more...
3 more countries ban Brazilian beef
Taiwan, Chile and Jordan have become the eighth, ninth and 10th countries to announce full or partial bans on Brazilian beef since a case of bovine spongiform more...
First merger of the year: Butterball buys Gusto Packing
Garner, N.C.-based Butterball, LLC today announced that it has acquired Gusto Packing Co., located in Montgomery, Ill. Gusto Packing Co. is a family owned more...
Lebanon 7th export market to ban Brazil beef
Lebanon announced on Wednesday it would impose an indefinite ban on Brazilian beef from Parana state, where a 2010 case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy more...
‘Kick the can’ works (mostly) in processors’ favor
New Year’s emergency Congressional meetings steered the country’s economy clear of the fiscal cliff and extended the provisions of the 2008 more...
Tyson marketing campaign taps healthy trend
Tyson Foods announced it will again team up with healthy food expert “Hungry Girl” Lisa Lillien with a the 30 Days, 30 Ways, 30 Rewards Program more...
Restaurant sales, traffic up in latest index but spending still sidelined
U.S. restaurants in November reported their highest sales and customer traffic figures in three months, but operators remain worried about the direction more...
Canadian processor expands plant with new technologies (UPDATED)
Canada’s Cardinal Meat Specialists is expanding its Brampton, Ontario, plant to add new cooking capabilities through a unique combination of processing more...
China, China, China: Rabobank
China will continue to drive agricultural commodity demand for the next decade, according to 350 food, beverage and agribusiness industry executives polled more...
Turkey steals some market share
Consumption of turkey, duck and other specialty poultry grew a healthy 6.5 percent in the last year across the U.S. market — while chicken consumption more...
December 2012
Peru bans beef imports from Brazil for 90 days
Peru will ban beef imports from Brazil for about 90 days due to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) announcement that a dead cow from 2010 more...
Foodborne illness hits children more than adults, study finds
Children ages 5 and younger are more likely than adults to be sickened from foodborne pathogens, according to a study published in The Pediatric more...
China’s western provinces to up halal exports to Mid East
China is cozying up to the Arab world by focusing on increased halal meat exports, according to a report in the Washington Post. The Middle East’s more...
Study examines plant oils to thwart salmonella in chicken
A blend of plant-based oils in chickens’ drinking water can cut salmonella contamination in poultry meat, a University of Georgia study has found more...
Canadian province waives rules to aid JBS purchase of XL plant
The Alberta government has waived its foreign-ownership land rules to allow JBS to exercise its option to purchase the XL Foods plant it took over managing more...
Russian agency claims salmonella in JBS frozen beef
Russia’s sanitation authority, Rosselkhoznadzor, published a notice Wednesday that it had detected salmonella in a JBS frozen beef shipment in November more...
East Coast dock strike averted in deal to extend negotiations
The International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance agreed on Friday to a 30-day contract extension, averting a possible more...
Kraft launches new meat items among 40 new products
New Oscar Mayer meat products are among Kraft Foods’ launch of more than 40 new products meant to meet consumer demand for adventurous flavors, more...
New Mexico company sues USDA over horse slaughter plant
Valley Meat Co. is suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a delay in approving its application for a grant of inspection for a horse slaughter facility more...
Rural groups urge DOJ to scrutinize JBS buying XL plants in U.S.
The National Farmers Union and more than 40 farming, rural and agricultural organizations sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice last week asking more...
Turkey consumption on the rise: Mintel
Sales of turkey, duck, and other specialty birds grew a 6.5 percent in just one year, reaching $7.1 billion from 2011 to 2012, according to new research more...
Larger cattle placed on feed looks permanent: DLR
The 645,000 head of light-weight cattle placed in feedlots in November is 14 percent fewer than were placed last year, according to Thursday’s Daily more...
EPA administrator to step down
Lisa Jackson, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, on Thursday announced her resignation. Jackson, appointed to the cabinet post by President more...
Canada ends E. coli investigation of Cardinal Meat burgers
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it has completed its E. coli investigation into ingredients used in burgers produced at Cardinal Meat Specialists more...
HSUS CEO drops bid for seat on Tyson board
Humane Society of the United States Chief Executive Wayne Pacelle has withdrawn his nomination for a seat on Tyson Foods’ board of directors. “He more...
Brazil threatens WTO action over BSE-based beef bans
Brazil, the world'st largest beef exporter, will allow the six countries that have enacted bans on its beef this month until March to drop their restrictions more...
More birds, bigger birds push poultry numbers in November
Poultry certified wholesome during November 2012 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.57 billion pounds, up 3 percent from the amount certified in November more...
Eateries wind up 2012 flat: NPD
The year 2012 is winding up flat for sales at restaurants, after a quick start to the year followed by slow traffic in the spring and summer, reports more...
Iowa plant ineligible for export to Canada
A facility in Muscatine, Iowa, operated by H.J. Heinz Co. has been listed as ineligible for poultry exports to Canada on the USDA's export requirements more...
Pork exports above year ago
For the first 10 months of the year, U.S. pork exports totaled almost 4.5 billion pounds, more than 7 percent higher than the same period of 2011, according more...
Poll puts food safety on par with deficit concerns
A new poll released earlier this month by the Canadian Food Safety Alliance shows Canadians' concern for food safety — and specifically E. coli more...
Wyoming pig producer charged with animal cruelty
Nine employees of a Wyoming-based company that supplied pork to Tyson Foods have been charged with cruelty to animals exposed by the Humane Society of more...
New study results on dietary vitamin E and broiler meat
A new study concluded dietary vitamin E level is not associated with the condition of white striping in broiler breast meat, but carcass weight does. more...
Pilgrim’s profiting from domestic sales, exports
Stephens Inc. analyst Farha Aslam raised her target for Pilgrim’s Pride’s fiscal 2012 sales, noting the fourth quarter of the year will benefit more...
Heavier cattle weights offset reduced slaughter
Beef production is projected to be higher year-over-year for the fourth quarter of 2012, largely due to heavier dressed weights and despite lower more...
Consumers have healthy appetite for breakfast as nutritional claims thrive
American consumers are growing more conscious of the importance of a healthy start to the day. According to latest research from Mintel on the breakfast more...
Groups target FDA over ractopamine
As the already-heated debate over the use of beta-agonists continues to grow, an animal rights group and a food safety group have petitioned FDA to reduce more...
Beef output up, pork down in November
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.31 billion pounds in November, up 1 percent from the 4.26 billion pounds produced in November more...
Canada will allow two big pork mergers
Canada’s Competition Bureau has concluded two proposed vertical mergers in the pork industry are unlikely to lead to a substantial lessening or more...
China welcomes back Minnesota poultry
China has lifted a ban on imports of poultry from Minnesota based on an avian flu scare in the state a year ago, according to a report by Bloomberg. Beijing’s more...
USDA ups chicken option for school meals
Changes in the USDA’s instructions to schools regarding lunch planning now allow schools to order a chicken portion that is up to 3¾ lb for more...
JBS drops lawsuit, cooperates again with Greenpeace
Brazil's JBS SA is dropping its six-month-old lawsuit against environmental action group Greenpeace and is renewing joint efforts to eliminate deforestation more...
USDA issues final rule for animal disease traceability
USDA announced today a final rule establishing general regulations for improving the traceability of U.S. livestock moving interstate. Under the final more...
Perdue, poultry groups celebrate legal victory
Statements by Perdue Farms Inc., the National Chicken Council and others hail the Maryland judge’s decision earlier today that found in favor of more...
Arby’s joins ranks of those calling for end to gestation stalls
Arby’s has joined the growing list of foodservice and retailer calling for the eventual end of gestation stall use as a form of sow housing in response more...
Carl's Jr., Hardee’s roll out new turkey burger
Carl's Jr. and Hardee's announced the introduction of the Jalapeao Turkey Burger, the latest in its line of charbroiled turkey burgers. The charbroiled more...
Cargill expands Missouri meat operation
Cargill Inc. has announced the expansion of its facility in Marshall, Mo., which produces ready-to-cook beef, pork and chicken items sold at retail, company more...
Analysts see chicken industry production heading up
Wall Street analysts evaluating the impact of Sanderson Farms’ strong quarterly earnings report said they expect increased chicken industry production more...
Meat and poultry groups urge president to prevent port strike
AMI has joined a coalition of meat and poultry industry groups urging President Obama to intervene and prevent a strike at container ports from Maine more...
Grandin to keynote RMC
Renown livestock handling expert Temple Grandin will be the Animal Welfare Keynote speaker June 18 during the 66th American Meat Science Association (AMSA) more...
Sanderson Farms returns to profitability, beats Q4 estimates
Despite what Chairman and CEO Joe F. Sanderson described as “a challenging year,” Sanderson Foods Inc. posted net income of 41 cents a share more...
Unique genetic fingerprint found in expanded Canadian recall
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed links between Butcher’s Choice Garlic Peppercorn from the Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd more...
Former Pilgrim’s Pride worker charged with stealing equipment
A former employee of Pilgrim’s Pride was being held Monday on $500,000 bond, charged with stealing mechanical and electronic equipment valued at more...
FSIS issues STEC testing instructions
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a notice to its inspectors on verifying and documenting the sources of samples taken more...
Prime Rib Beef Burgers recalled
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd. are warning the public not to consume the Cardinal Select brand Prime Rib more...
GIPSA uncovers string of false invoices at livestock auction markets
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has found evidence in 12 separate cases of fraud including 7 livestock auctions more...
Omaha Steaks releases introduces mobile app
Omaha Steaks has released a Steak Time App designed for the estimated 60 percent of consumers who plan to use a mobile device to shop for gifts this year more...
Russian ban on Brazilian slaughterhouses drags on despite earlier report
Despite attempts to negotiate last week in Moscow directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said Friday she wasn't more...
Pilgrim’s Pride shifts exchanges to save money
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation announced that it would voluntarily transfer its stock exchange listing from The New York Stock Exchange to The NASDAQ Global more...
Cargill settles donning and doffing suit (updated)
Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. has agreed to pay $1.3 million to settle a donning and doffing lawsuit involving workers at its Fresno, Calif., meat processing more...
HSUS takes it to the streets
Activists have used billboards as a favorite channel for their message, but the Humane Society of the United States has taken the idea further: The organization more...
CFIA expands recall
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Loblaw Companies Ltd. has expanded the beef recall originally announced on Dec. 12 to include barbecue burgers more...
More love for bacon
The Center for Consumer Freedom, the organization behind HumaneWatch.com, has unveiled a new website, handsoffmybacon.com. This site is dedicated to the more...
New E. coli illnesses in Canada; burgers recalled
Some frozen burgers are under recall in Canada after four cases of E. coli O157:H7 illness, though authorities have yet to conclusively link the illnesses more...
U.S. beef, veal prices surge in November
U.S. beef and veal prices jumped 8.2 percent in November, pushing up prices for finished consumer foods by 1.3 percent overall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics more...
VION agrees to UK pork operation sale
Dutch-based food producer VION NV has reached an agreement for a management buy-out of its pork operations in the United Kingdom, securing around 4,000 more...
London council tries to calm rare burger brouhaha
A crackdown by health authorities in London on a restaurant serving hamburgers cooked rare sparked an uproar among restaurant owners, prompting the Westminster more...
Ex-BPI worker sues ABC News, others over ‘pink slime’
An ex-Beef Products Inc. employee has filed a civil lawsuit against ABC News and other media contending their “pink slime” coverage cost him more...
OSHA cites Pilgrim’s plant for chemicals violations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Pilgrim's Pride Corp. with three repeat and four serious violations for exposing workers to hazardous more...
JBS addresses odor from beef plant
JBS USA is taking steps to control odor emanating from the company’s Greeley, Colo., beef plant, company officials confirmed to Meatingplace. JBS more...
Consumers want to eat healthier breakfasts
Most U.S. consumers understand the importance of eating a healthy breakfast and are willing to pay more for better quality packaged breakfast foods, according more...
Animal welfare experts weigh in on Canadian hog farm video
An independent panel of animal well-being experts concluded most of the actions depicted in a video released yesterday by the group Mercy For Animals more...
U.S. to press China on meat restrictions
The United States will push for China to ease restrictions on imports of U.S. meat and other products next week, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and more...
USDA lowers 2013 meat and poultry production forecasts
USDA lowered its 2013 red meat and poultry production in its latest World Supply and Demand Estimates report as lower pork production more than offsets more...
USDA lowers corn, soybean price projections
USDA lowered its season-average farm price for corn by 20 cents at the midpoint and the projected range is narrowed to $6.80 to $8.00 per bushel from more...
NRA optimistic about employment in restaurants in 2013
The restaurant industry is poised to create more jobs than those created by the overall national economy in 2013, despite a continuation of challenging more...
Kansas City Star takes on tenderized beef; AMI reacts
Kansas City Star reporter Mike McGraw has written a series based on a yearlong investigation of the beef industry entitled “Beef’s Raw Edges more...
USDA green lights XL Foods shipments to U.S. markets
XL Foods Inc. can again begin shipping its products to U.S. customers more than three months after an outbreak of E. coli in an estimated 2.5 million more...
Mercy For Animals video targets Canadian hog farm
The animal activist group Mercy For Animals Canada has released a new video alleging animal abuse one of Canada’s largest pork producers — more...
Morrell launches low-sodium franks for foodservice
The John Morrell Food Group, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, has introduced Armour and John Morrell 40% Lower Sodium Franks for foodservice operators more...
FSIS to implement mandatory ‘hold and test’ policy
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said today that, beginning in 60 days, the agency will require producers to hold shipments of non-intact more...
JBS, police investigate loaded gun found in frozen meat package
JBS USA officials are cooperating with police investigating how a loaded pistol ended up in a frozen meat package that the company’s Greeley, Colo more...
Veal plant notifies state of plans to close (Updated)
A veal processing plant has notified the New York Department of Labor of its intent to close, putting 58 employees out of work. The Delft Blue plant more...
Brazil gov't negates claim of BSE case in Parana, OIE reaffirms ranking
Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture said Friday morning that the country had no confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), referred to as more...
Smithfield is handling its challenges well: analyst
Smithfield Foods is deftly navigating a challenging grain environment, and better than expected results in its hog production and international businesses more...
Tyson disputes CDC report following 2011 chlorine gas release
Tyson is disputing the findings of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report on more...
Smithfield net profit falls on debt charge, softer revenue
Smithfield Foods Inc. posted second-quarter adjusted profit above analyst expectations, though net income fell sharply due to a large charge for early more...
Ind. county approves bonds for Sugar Creek plant
The Wayne County Council has voted to issue $50 million in economic development revenue bonds so Sugar Creek Packing Co. can start renovations on a former more...
Senate votes to extend normal trade to Russia
The U.S. Senate voted Thursday 365-46 to stop applying the Jackson-Vanik amendment to Russia and Moldova, authorizing President Obama to extend Permanent more...
U.S. asks for WTO panel on Argentina import restrictions
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced the United States has asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to establish a dispute settlement panel to more...
Group sues FDA over food animal antibiotics data
The government watchdog group the Government Accountability Project (GAP) announced it has sued the FDA for withholding agency data regarding the sale more...
JBS names JBS Canada president, weighs XL purchase
JBS USA has named William Van Solkema as president of JBS Canada as the company weighs an option to buy XL Foods' North American assets amid the fallout more...
FSIS posts notice for NRTE comminuted poultry processors
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service filed a document today with the Office of the Federal Register regarding compliance with the reassessment more...
Northern Beef Packers stumbles out of the gate
The city of Aberdeen, S.D., has reduced the amount of cattle that Northern Beef Packers can process in its recently started packing plant after the company more...
Pocino Foods has a ball with ‘banh mi’ flavors
Pocino Foods Co. has introduced a banh mi meatball product, based on the flavors of the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, the company says in a news release more...
Tyson, police bust employees for using, selling drugs at N.C. plant
Tyson Foods is cooperating with Wilkesboro, N.C., police in an investigation involving employees using and selling controlled substances including anxiety more...
Analysts see Smithfield Foods steady for FY13 in advance of Q2 results
Two industry analysts see solid, if lower-than-consensus or consensus earnings for Smithfield Foods Inc. in fiscal 2013 in advance of Thursday’s more...
C-stores suffer from gas price increase
Total consumer traffic through convenience stores dropped in the third quarter of 2012, in comparison with the same period the year earlier, according more...
Country-of-origin labels show no economic benefit for meat: KSU study
Opponents of mandatory country-of-origin labels (MCOOL) are winning some support from a new study conducted by the Kansas State University Department more...
FSIS updates donning and doffing rules for safety inspectors
USDA’s Food and Safety Inspection Service is providing updated instructions on how to measure the time it takes workers to retrieve required gear more...
Analyst likes prospects for big chicken companies
Sanderson Farms, Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride all stand to benefit from strong retail demand for chicken even as the industry struggles to return more...
PR battle still wages in Md. chicken farm case
Closing arguments have been made in the case of Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc. v. Alan & Kristin Hudson Farm, and while the text of the arguments themselves more...
Man jailed in connection to ham theft
An Arkansas man has been arrested after police witnessed him unloading a truck that had been transporting $42,000 worth of meat from Smithfield Hams. more...
November 2012
EU council paves way for lactic acid use in beef
The European Commission received the green light to authorize the use of lactic acid to reduce microbial surface contamination in beef carcasses, a move more...
FDA approves use of ionizing radiation on meat, poultry products
The Food & Drug Administration filed today two final rules amending the food additive regulations allowing safe use of ionizing radiation to reduce more...
Russia lifts 18-month ban on meat exports from 3 key Brazilian states
Russia has lifted its nearly 18-month trade embargo on beef, pork and poultry exports from three Brazilian states, but stipulations still exist for shipments more...
Kobe beef — the real thing — on its way to U.S.
Japan on Thursday exported to the United States its first-ever shipment of Kobe beef, according to media reports. Not the “Kobe beef” that more...
Three injured in boiler explosion
Three maintenance employees were injured when the end caps blew off of the boiler at a Murray’s Chicken facility in Fallsburg, N.Y., Wednesday night more...
Japan suspends beef imports from Cargill plant
Japan today halted beef imports from a Cargill plant, citing the failure to confirm that the products met that country’s safety requirements, according more...
CFIA denies allegations in wake of leaked memo from XL plant
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is defending its practices following a media report that inspectors were told to report visible fecal and intestinal more...
USDA sets trade mission to Russia
USDA Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Michael Scuse will lead a mission to promote U.S. agricultural exports to Russia, Dec more...
KFC takes flight for the holidays
Japan Airlines (JAL) and KFC Japan have announced a new program that will bring KFC to hungry travelers, mid-flight. The program will bring the more...
HSUS files complaint with USDA over pork checkoff investments
The Humane Society of the United States filed a complaint with the USDA’s Office of the Inspector General seeking an investigation into the possibility more...
Boar's Head launches new ham for the holidays
Boar's Head Brand announced today the national launch of its new Spiral Sliced Applewood Smoked Boneless Ham. The new product is intended to provide more...
Group tallies cost of U.S. ethanol mandate, urges repeal
Federal ethanol policies are driving up costs for restaurant operators by inflating the price of corn and should be repealed, according to the more...
Rabobank projects 2013 rebound in corn supplies
In its Outlook report on agricultural commodities markets in 2013, Rabobank has good news for processors: More corn and falling corn prices. Following more...
Consumer Reports investigation finds antibiotic-resistant bacteria in pork
In testing and analysis of pork chop and ground-pork samples from six U.S. cities, Consumer Reports, the policy and action arm more...
Government’s probe of halal meat supplier can continue: court
A federal investigation into whether an Iowa company is falsely claiming its meat products comply with Islamic law will continue after the courts denied more...
ConAgra gobbles up Ralcorp
ConAgra Foods Inc. will become the nation’s largest provider of private-label foods after reaching an agreement to acquire Ralcorp Holdings in a more...
News briefs: Zhongpin to go private; Tyson promotion; scholarships available
The CEO of Zhongpin Inc. is working with other investors to take the Asian pork producer private in a deal scheduled to close in the first quarter of more...
Capital Packers files action plan following CFIA license suspension
A Canadian meat processor has filed an action plan in response to the suspension of its operating license late last week by the Canadian Food Inspection more...
Canadian Parliament passes new federal food safety law
Canadian meat processors are chewing over a newly adopted law designed to make Canada’s food supply safer in the wake of recent food contamination more...
Ready-to-cook poultry production up 8 percent in October
Poultry certified wholesome during October 2012 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.97 billion pounds, up 8 percent from the amount certified in October more...
USDA reports more beef produced in October from heavier cattle
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.58 billion pounds in October, up 7 percent from the 4.27 billion pounds produced in October more...
Chefs project dining trends for 2013
A panel of chefs hosted by The Certified Angus Beef brand predicted 13 foodservice trends for 2013, including everything from strip steaks to “gourmet more...
Australian red meat exports to China up 600 percent year-on-year
Australian red meat exports to China exploded during October with a 611-percent year-on-year increase, according to data from the Department of Agriculture more...
What consumers want restaurants to disclose: Technomic
In a recently completed survey of restaurant user attitudes, Technomic found that 65 percent favor nutritional labeling in restaurants, with the strongest more...
Production under way at new poultry and animal center at Auburn University
One of only two such facilities in the nation, Auburn University's new $7.1 million Poultry and Animal Nutrition Center is housed inside a 12,500-square-foot more...
No elevated 10-year risk of heart disease for E. coli victims
According to a new study in Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), people who became ill during an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario more...
Cargill to outsource transportation at beef plant; workers will lose jobs
Cargill announced Wednesday that effective February 2013 its Canadian unit will outsource its transportation needs at its Guelph, Ontario, beef processing more...
Poultry, beef stocks in cold storage decline in October
Total frozen poultry supplies on Oct.v31, 2012 were down 6 percent from the previous month and down slightly from a year ago, according to USDA’s more...
Chicken, South American fare among 2013 restaurant trends: Technomic
Chicago-based foodservice and research consulting firm Technomic has identified food trends that may significantly impact the restaurant industry in 2013 more...
Researchers develop DNA chip to predict beef quality
French scientists have developed DNA tests that can help predict the quality of beef. Lead researcher Jean-François Hocquette helped select more more...
WingStreet reportedly set to open first stand-alone store
The Dallas area will be the testing grounds for what reportedly will be the first stand-alone WingStreet chicken restaurant from YUM! Brands Inc. While more...
Hormel says thanks to workers with $16.9 million profit-sharing distribution
Hormel Foods Corp. announced today the distribution of more than $16.9 million in its annual Thanksgiving Eve profit-sharing program. The dough goes to more...
Analysts have different takes on Hormel’s prospects
Two Wall Street analysts came away from Hormel Foods’ quarterly earnings report with divergent expectations for the company’s financial prospects more...
Retail meat and poultry prices still on the rise
Another record has been set for the all-fresh beef series (which includes Select grade and store specification beef). The October average of $4.772 per more...
More college students spending more dollars at C-stores
The impact of college-aged consumers on the fortunes of convenience stores is growing, according to a new report by NPD Group Inc. Visits to convenience more...
OSHA fines Cargill Meat Solutions
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. with three safety violations more...
Grocery products gains drive Hormel’s Q4 profit increase
Hormel Foods Corp. today reported a 14 percent increase in net income in the fourth quarter to 49 cents a share, fueled primarily by a 22 percent profit more...
Solid Q4 results prompts analysts to boost Tyson’s FY2013 profit estimates
Three analysts are raising their fiscal 2013 profit estimates for Tyson Foods Inc. in the wake of the company’s strong net income gain in the fourth more...
Bob Evans’ earnings are strong; remodeling program accelerated
Bob Evans Farms Inc. reported strong financial results for its second quarter period, ended Oct. 26, 2012, with $24 million in operating income, about more...
Solid poultry gains help Tyson offset beef, pork sales declines in Q4
Tyson Foods topped analyst estimates for its fourth quarter earnings, posting net income of 51 cents per share, nearly double year-ago results. Wall Street more...
Darden CMO to become Ruby Tuesday CEO
Orlando, Fla.-based Darden Restaurants announced that JJ Buettgen has resigned from his position as chief marketing officer at the company, effective more...
Branded beef programs on the rise, scientist says
Continued expansion of branded beef programs and cattle herds with black hides are several trends identified in the 2011 National Beef Quality Audit, more...
McDonald’s rolls out three new Quarter Pounders
McDonald's restaurants in Northern California will begin today to showcase three new varieties of the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, the company announced more...
Hallmark owners to pay $300,000 in abuse case
A partial settlement has been reached with two of the nine defendants in a major False Claims Act lawsuit filed by the Humane Society of the United States more...
House approves trade normalization with Russia
The U.S. House of Representatives Friday morning voted 365-43 to approve permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status with Russia, a move the poultry more...
Burger King to deliver more Whoppers to your doorstep
Burger King Worldwide Inc. is expanding its delivery service into the Houston market, after a successful test of the service in Miami and Washington, more...
Indian textbook labels meat eaters as bad eggs
A new textbook available to schools India says meat eaters “easily cheat, lie, forget promises and commit sex crimes,” according to media more...
Tech briefs: Ribeye cap (video), worker safety, avoiding E. coli, maintaining pickers
In an exclusive cutting demo, third-generation butcher and James Beard Award-nominated author of The Art of Beef Cutting, Kari Underly shows us how to more...
OSHA reduces fines against Hormel pork supplier
Austin, Minn.-based Quality Pork Processors and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration have come to a settlement that reduces fines the agency more...
XL Foods outbreak gets 18th confirmed case
The Public Health Agency of Canada has announced that an 18th case of E. coli O157 has been linked to the specific strain found in the XL Foods Inc. investigation more...
Producer prices for pork, chicken rise in October
The Producer Price Index for finished consumer foods rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent in October from September, its fifth consecutive monthly more...
McDonald’s USA names new president
Jeff Stratton will succeed Jan Fields as president of McDonald’s USA effective Dec. 1, the company announced Thursday.Fields is leaving after more more...
Batista details JBS plans for beef, chicken, debt
JBS S.A. President Wesley Batista on Wednesday outlined future plans that include paying down debt, expanding chicken operations, beating the competition more...
Oberto to open new plant in Tenn. next year
Oberto Brands announced today that the company will open a new production facility in Nashville, Tenn., in the first half of 2013. The new plant will more...
Butterball is target of another video by vegetarian group (updated)
Mercy for Animals, which supports a vegetarian diet, has released a video alleging abuse at multiple Butterball turkey facilities in North Carolina, just more...
JBS to add 1.2 million head of beef slaughter in Brazil
JBS is scheduled to open 6 new beef plants in Brazil that it already owns, a move that will add 1.2 million head of cattle per year to its Brazilian slaughter more...
Smithfield Packing details plan for plant closing
Smithfield Packing Co. this week distributed layoff notices to its 406 employees of its plant in Portsmouth, Va., the company said. The unit of Smithfield more...
Ahold to build new meat processing plant in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett announced today that Ahold USA will invest at least $63 million to build a new meat processing facility in Cumberland more...
Don Clift, CEO of Preferred Beef Group, dies in car crash (updated)
Don Clift, CEO of Booker, Texas-based Preferred Beef Group, and his wife, Jana, died Sunday in a car crash in Oklahoma. Clift, director and co-secretary more...
John Morrell, Cracker Barrell ink licensing deal
Smithfield Foods subsidiary John Morrell and Cracker Barrell Old Country Store today announced a multi-year licensing deal that will make select Cracker more...
Rising grain costs drag down major Brazilian processors' Q3 net profit
BRF Brasil Foods registered a net profit of BRL91 million (US$44.1 million) for the third quarter, down 75 percent from the BRL365 million (US$176.9 million) more...
Townsends asset buyer Omtron files Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
The North Carolina-based company that acquired some of the assets of bankrupt Townsends Inc. last year itself has filed for Chapter 11 protection from more...
AMSA launches meat processing technology resource
The American Meat Science Association has completed Producing Battered and Breaded Meat Products, a new work in the growing Meat Processing Technology more...
Steakhouse chain broadens steak offerings, plans expansion
Orlando, Fla.-based casual dining chain LongHorn Steakhouse has added more information about its steaks to its menu, as well as debuting two news steaks: more...
Los Angeles City Council declares Mondays meatless
The Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to declare all Mondays “meatless” in a symbolic gesture that has no force of law, although it is more...
George’s Inc. plant cited for water pollution problem
A George’s Inc. plant in Edinburg, Va., has been cited for the second time since August for violating the facility’s wastewater permit, according more...
USDA forecasts more chicken, less beef and pork
USDA raised its forecast of 2013 broiler production, while slightly reducing projected beef and pork output in its monthly World Agricultural Supply and more...
Canada updates food safety regulations
The Canadian government announced today that new rules regulating food additives and improving food safety have taken effect.“These changes are more...
USDA raises corn, soybean crop forecasts, reduces price outlook
USDA raised its forecasts of the U.S. corn and soybean crop above its month ago projections and above what market analysts were expecting. In its monthly more...
Meat processor buys land for Ohio plant
An affiliate of Empire Foods has purchased 21 acres in Mason, Ohio, as the company moves forward with plans to build a meat processing plant expected more...
McDonald's logs first comparable sales drop in 9 years
McDonald's announced its global comparable sales decreased 1.8 percent in October, the first decline in nine years and a larger drop than Wall Street more...
Brinker International sets CEO transition
Dallas-based Brinker International, which owns Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy, announced Chili’s President Wyman Roberts would more...
FAO: Meat prices stabilize
The FAO Food Price Index fell one percent in October 2012, and for the first ten months of the year food prices were on average eight percent lower than more...
Taco Bell adds extra meat to the menu
Today, Taco Bell is launching new products that include a restaurant-sized nacho dish with extra steak. The XXL Steak Nachos include a triple portion more...
GIPSA hits Tallgrass Beef with big penalty
Tallgrass Beef has been hit with a penalty to the tune of almost $403,000 by USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, the more...
Calif. voters reject proposal to label GMO foods
California residents voted Tuesday to reject Prop 37, a proposed law that would have required labeling of genetically modified foods and prohibited such more...
Seaboard Corp. sees big quarterly earnings jump
Seaboard Corp., based in Shawnee Mission, Kan., posted a significantly improved performance for the quarter ended Sept. 29, compared with the year-earlier more...
Golden State Foods acquires KanPak China in joint venture
Irvine, Calif.-based food processor and distributor Golden State Foods said Tuesday it acquired and now is the 51 percent majority owner of KanPak China more...
Shooting rampage kills one, closes Calif. chicken processor (updated)
A gunman opened fire today at Apple Valley Farms Processing in Fresno, Calif., killling one person, wounding three, then shooting himself, according to more...
Iowa OSHA fines pork farm
Iowa’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to Anogla Pork LLC for serious and other violations of state labor law more...
Stressed economy puts today’s millennials on restaurant diet
The latest generation of millennials is feeling the impact of the recent economic downturn in ways their predecessors never did, according to new data more...
Sonic revamps chicken charge with sandwich upgrades
Sonic Corp. want to make its 3,500 restaurants a consumer destination for chicken and has introduced new approaches to its chicken sandwiches to achieve more...
JBS buys poultry processor
Brazilian meat processor JBS S.A. announced it signed a contract last Saturday to acquire poultry processor Agroveneto S.A. in a transaction valued at more...
Livestock analysts say liquidation fears not realized
Despite predictions earlier this year of a massive liquidation of the U.S. hog and cattle herds, data so far is suggesting that the impact has not been more...
XL Foods plant faces more CFIA scrutiny after reopening
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued four new requests for corrective actions at the recently reopened XL Foods Inc. plant in Brooks more...
Fish kill traced to pork plant discharge
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced it traced a fish kill in the West Branch of the Floyd River to a discharge from pork processor Sioux-Preme more...
Maple Leaf Foods to acquire hog production company
Maple Leaf Foods announced today an agreement to acquire Manitoba hog production company Puratone Corp. for some $42 million. The transaction, which includes more...
Cargill CFO steps down
Cargill announced that Sergio Rial, its chief financial officer, would resign his post with the company effective at the end of November in order to return more...
Chicken recalled on misbranding, allergen
Perdue Foods' facility in Bridgewater, Va. is recalling about 1,440 pounds of chicken breast nugget products because of misbranding and an undeclared more...
Another E. coli case linked to XL Foods outbreak
The Public Health Agency of Canada said Thursday it has confirmed an additional case of E. coli O157: H7 illness in Quebec was due to the same strain more...
Hillshire Brands profit up as Jimmy Dean shines
Hillshire Brands Co. on Thursday posted a better-than-expected first-quarter profit, boosted by momentum in retail brands including Jimmy Dean and Ball more...
Hot dog maker posts strong earnings
Nathan’s Famous Inc. on Thursday posted a 25-percent jump in second-quarter earnings, boosted by sales of its branded hot dogs to foodservice customers more...
Restaurant Performance Index declined in September
As a result of softer same-store sales and customer traffic levels, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) declined more...
Red meat finds an ally in...Dr. Oz?
Although one-third of Americans aged 16-27 are overweight or obese, convenience, portion sizes and fast food availability are all major contributing factors more...
October 2012
Bruce Aidells carves up the issues
Bruce Aidells’ name is invariably linked to sausage, and that in a way is a shame. While Aidells is known to most in — or out — of the more...
Pork market weighs on Maple Leaf earnings
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. reported a decline in third-quarter net earnings, hurt by higher feed costs and lower prices for hogs and softer sales volumes of more...
Processors need to think one-handed when packaging
CHICAGO — Consumers now spend 40 percent of their time trying to complete tasks with one hand while holding a cell phone, a cup of coffee or even more...
U.S. beef, pork prospects look good in Russia: USMEF
Russia is making strides in terms of self-sufficiency in meat production, but persistent animal disease problems present continued opportunities for U more...
Perdue to sell plant to Wayne Farms
Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue Farms announced today that it has entered into an agreement to sell its chicken-processing complex in Dothan, Ala., to Wayne more...
The day after: processors come through Hurricane Sandy safely
Major processors contacted by Meatingplace have so far made it through Hurricane Sandy without damage or injury. Shipping product to East Coast customers more...
Maple Leaf Foods ordered to pay $200,000 for 2010 worker injuries
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is expected to pay $200,000 for violations of Canada’s Occupational Health and Safety Act in two workplace incidents more...
News briefs: Cherkizovo, HSUS, Fresh & Easy, Omaha Steaks
Cherkizovo Group, the large Russian beef, pork and poultry producer, plans to build a $200 million hog production facility in Russia’s Far East more...
Poultry and meat processors batten down for Sandy (updated)
Major poultry and meat processors with plants and customers on the East Coast are taking precautions today that range from shuttering plants to ensuring more...
Analysts see blue skies ahead for Pilgrim’s Pride’s 2013 earnings
Three industry analysts separately raised their estimates for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.’s earnings in 2013, with all of them citing improved results more...
Hormel upgraded; refrigerated foods expected to shine
Lower hog prices and a stronger fresh pork margin will help Hormel Foods beat earnings expectations, according to a Wall Street analyst who raised her more...
Global meat consumption posts rare dip
Bucking a decades-long trend, global meat consumption decreased slightly last year as severe drought in China, Russia, the United States and Africa curbed more...
Pilgrim’s profit tops expectations; shares rally
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Friday reported better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter earnings, pushing its shares up 12 percent, as the chicken processor more...
USDA launches tenderness marketing claim standards
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service today launched on its website industry standards for tenderness marketing claims more...
Company unveils line of meats enriched with omega-3
NBO3 Technologies said it is rolling out a line of beef, chicken, pork and dairy products under the GreatO brand that are enriched with omega-3 fatty more...
Beef production down 9 percent
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.95 billion pounds in September, down 6 percent from the 4.19 billion pounds produced in more...
NAMA, MICA to co-locate during 2013 Process Expo
The North American Meat Association (NAMA) and the Meat Import Council of America (MICA) will co-locate their fall 2013 conferences during the Food Processing more...
News Briefs: Farm Bill vote, more gestation stalls, Canada's hogs
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., has promised a vote on the stalled Farm Bill during the lame-duck session some time after the Nov. 6 general more...
CFIA releases letter from XL Foods detailing “top down” changes
Just one week after embattled Canadian processor XL Foods agreed to give JBS USA the option to buy its Canadian and U.S. operations, XL’s co-CEOs more...
Smithfield, Hormel up, Kraft and Tyson down in green ranking
ConAgra, Smithfield and Hormel have risen in Newsweek’s ranking of green companies, while Kraft and Tyson fell this year. Newsweek’s green more...
Up, up and away: USDA forecasts retail beef, poultry, pork prices
USDA reported retail beef prices rose 5.4 percent in September compared to the same month last year, while poultry prices rose 4.8 percent and pork prices more...
Poultry production down 7 percent from last year
Poultry certified wholesome during September 2012 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.43 billion pounds, down 7 percent from the amount certified in September more...
Midwestern retailer revamps meat department
Food retailer Meijer announced it will move its meat departments to a more traditional model reminiscent of a butcher shop. The new departments will have more...
Poultry plant worker killed in machinery accident
A worker at the Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plant in Canton, Georgia, has died in an accident that occurred when the 37-year-old was attempting to dislodge more...
HSUS uses animated video to present its views on hog farming to children
In an animated video that anthropomorphizes food animals, the Humane Society of the United States is aiming its opposition to hog production practices more...
Northern Beef Packers OK'd to boost production
Northern Beef Packers has been approved by the Aberdeen (S.D.) Building Inspections Department to slaughter more cattle, according to a report in the more...
Poultry industry supporters issue statements at trial’s end
As the high-profile, often acrimonious case between Waterkeeper Alliance and Hudson Farm, one of Perdue Farms’ contract growers, came to a close more...
XL Foods regains license, expected to reopen next week
Canadian food safety authorities today restored the license to resume processing operations at the XL Foods Inc. plant in Brooks, Alberta, less than one more...
Hawaii processor recalls ground beef on E. coli concerns
Honolulu, Hawaii-based Higa Meat & Pork Market is recalling approximately 4,100 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with more...
Hudson Farms, Perdue lawsuit defense: Cows, not chickens polluted water
As a lawsuit accusing Hudson Farms and Perdue Farms of polluting local water supplies in Maryland enters its third week, the defense has called in an more...
Cold storage stocks show concerns of rising prices
Soaring pork, low chicken and declining beef inventories in freezers on Sept. 30 suggest a mix of demand considerations and reactions to expected increases more...
News briefs: poultry research, El Monterey packaging, jerky sampler
USPOULTRY is accepting research pre-proposals from colleges and universities through November 1. Research proposals are accepted twice each year, in the more...
XL Foods destroys recalled meat; another illness confirmed
XL Foods spent the weekend carting hundreds of tons of tainted meat to local Alberta, Canada, landfills, as another illness from the E. coli outbreak more...
National Beef resets after losing Wal-Mart
National Beef Packing Co.’s plant in Moultrie, Ga. is continuing efforts to diversify its client roster as it manages losing Wal-Mart Stores Inc more...
Operating license suspension lifted for Quebec facility
A Quebec, Canada-based veal processing plant will operate under enhanced inspection conditions for 30 days in the wake of a three-day suspension of its more...
Smithfield to get a boost from lower hog raising costs: analyst
A decline in hog raising costs thanks to moderating grain prices will lift Smithfield Foods’ earnings in fiscal 2014, but higher hog prices will more...
Former USDA scientists get more time to respond in BPI case
Two former USDA scientists being sued by Beef Products Inc. have been granted more time to respond to the defamation lawsuit the company’s lean more...
Seaboard employee dies in accident at Guymon plant
A Seaboard Foods employee died after an apparent accident on Thursday at the company’s plant in Guymon, Okla., a company spokesman confirmed to more...
Chicago firm buys California artisan deli product maker
Chicago-based Arbor Investments announced it has purchased California artisanal salumi and deli meat maker Columbus Manufacturing Inc. for an undisclosed more...
India to fuel rise in global beef production
Fueled by growth in India’s output, world beef production will increase by 0.6 percent to 57.525 million metric tons in 2013, which would mark the more...
News Briefs: Quiznos execs; Popeyes, Corner Bakery to expand
Denver-based toasted sandwich chain Quiznos has named John Coletta as chief financial officer and James Lyons as chief operating officer. Coletta more...
What a steal! Industry experts react to JBS move on XL
Beef industry experts saw JBS USA’s deal to first manage the Alberta, Canada XL Foods plant embroiled in a massive recall, then possibly purchase more...
Keystone Foods unit to cut workforce by one-third (Updated)
One hundred people – 90 hourly employees and 13 managers – will be laid off from North Baltimore, Ohio-based Equity Group. The company more...
Chicken company consolidates processing, distribution
Draper Valley Farms, a unit of Coleman Natural Foods that produces free-range, hormone-free chicken, is relocating a distribution center to be closer more...
Two Canadian processors sizing up ailing hog producer
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods and Quebec-based Olymel L.P. have expressed interest in acquiring Canada’s second-largest hog producer, Big Sky Farms more...
CFIA expects XL Food report soon; workers laid off again
Workers at the XL Foods Inc. plant in Alberta, Canada, have been laid off again as regulators continue their review of food safety improvements at the more...
Consumers Union backs antibiotics proposal
Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, announced its support today for legislation Rep. Henry Waxman intends to introduce in more...
Global bank expects strong Q3 results from Minerva this week
Brazilian beef processor Minerva will report its third quarter results at the end of Wednesday, weeks ahead of the standard reporting period in November more...
Public isn't freaked out about outbreaks: NPD
Despite the frequency of recent food safety outbreaks and recalls, concerns among consumers about the safety of the U.S. food supply has remained relatively more...
ConAgra to close Tennessee Pride plant
ConAgra Foods will close its Odom’s Tennessee Pride pork processing plant in Little Rock, Ark. in late spring 2013, affecting 240 workers, a ConAgra more...
House of Raeford fined for child labor violation
The U.S. Department of Labor announced it has fined chicken processor House of Raeford Farms $12,400 for violating child labor laws at its Teachey, N more...
Uninspected and misbranded beef, pork products recalled
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) says a Dallas-based processor is recalling about 8,200 pounds of beef and pork products because more...
Processing line speeds are too fast, XL union says
The processing line at the Brooks, Alberta, XL Foods plant runs at such a fast speed that workers take shortcuts, risking the cleanliness of the facility more...
Just one Bubba Burger Grill still operating: report
Three of the four Bubba Burger Grills that had opened in Jacksonville, Fla., in 2011 have been closed, according to a report in the Jacksonville Times-Union more...
USDA to audit Canadian agency, XL Foods in wake of beef recall
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture officials will visit the Canadian agency responsible for protecting that nation’s food supply next week, a trip that will more...
U.S. red meat exports fall in August
Volume and sales of U.S. red meat exports in August were down, but year-to-date value remained slightly ahead of 2011’s record-setting pace, according more...
Hawaii slaughterhouse to begin $4 million upgrade
Pa’auilo Slaughterhouse on Hawaii’s Big Island will break ground this week on $4 million in state-funded renovations, according to local media more...
KFC launches new chicken tender offering
KFC has introduced a chicken tender product it’s calling Dip’Ems. All-white meat chicken is marinated and double-breaded to make the tenders more...
Poultry industry leaders outline challenges beyond high feed prices
WASHINGTON — While high corn and soybean meal prices and frustration with the Renewable Fuels Standard dominated conversations at the National Chicken more...
Hog price recovery near: Rabobank
Global hog prices are expected to remain under pressure for the next several weeks, but prices will recovery toward the end of 2012 and into 2013 when more...
Cheesecake Factory latest to target gestation stall phase-out
The Cheesecake Factory has joined the growing list of food companies that have announced plans to eliminate sow gestation stalls from their pork supply more...
Jennie-O targets snack market with new taco kit
Jennie-O has introduced new Turkey Tacos Mini Soft Taco Kits for the snack or “mini meal” market. The kits include six ounces of fully cooked more...
News briefs: Premium burger chain goes global, Danish Crown director, Mimi’s prototype, bacon jerky
Steak n Shake has signed an exclusive area development agreement with the Saleh Bin Lahej Group to open 40 restaurants throughout the United Arab Emirates more...
Renewable Fuels Standard repeal unlikely: Congressman (updated)
WASHINGTON — While two bills in Congress call for some reform of the Renewable Fuels Standard that mandates ethanol production rates, mostly from more...
USDA drops corn, raises soybean estimates; protein trade projections little changed
Falling feed grain stocks point to higher prices, while pork and poultry production overall are expected to offset lower beef production, the USDA reported more...
Cargill turns in a quarter on the upside
Cargill Inc. today reported net earnings of $975 million in the fiscal 2013 first quarter ended Aug. 31, a huge jump from $236 million reported for the more...
XL plant to process carcasses in next phase of review
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced it will allow an XL Foods Inc. plant to move to the next stage of the review process beginning today more...
Retailer locks grocery prices for holidays
As corn, wheat and soybean prices continue to rise, Giant Eagle has announced a program to lock prices on more than 300 items through the holidays. The more...
Poultry pollution trial gets under way in Maryland
The lawsuit alleging that a Maryland chicken farm and Perdue Farms polluted waterways feeding into the Chesapeake Bay went to trial Tuesday with attorneys more...
Tyson Foods targeted in a federal age, gender discrimination lawsuit (updated)
A female employee who contends that she was fired last year because of her age and gender is suing Tyson Foods Inc. in a Texas federal court. Rita Huske more...
XL Foods says corrections made, ready for inspection
XL Foods Inc. said it has addressed all of the corrective actions required by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency following the company’s massive more...
Mexico officially joins TPP as participating member country
Mexico has officially joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) after having complied with internal procedures as required by its member countries, said more...
News briefs: Niman founder, AMI officers, new CEO
Paul Willis, Niman Ranch Pork Company founder and manager, was honored at the 2012 Chefs Collaborate Summit with the Pathfinder Sustainability Award. more...
New financing moves Essex County, N.Y., plant closer to realization
Adirondack Meat Co. is a step closer to opening a proposed meat processing plant in upstate New York after receiving a $900,000 loan guarantee from the more...
Zacky Farms poultry processor files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Zacky Farms LLC has filed for voluntary bankruptcy under Chapter 11, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento more...
One more E. coli illness linked to XL Foods; plant review begins
The Public Health Agency of Canada announced another E. coli O157 illness has been linked to the food safety investigation at XL Foods Inc., bringing more...
Pa. processor launches new ham product
Lancaster, Pa.-based Kunzler & Company announced today the launch of its newest product: Kunzler Ham Medallions. Ham Medallions join the product mix more...
XL Foods now linked to 10 E. coli illnesses; deficiencies detailed
There are now 10 illnesses from E. coli O157:H7 linked to products from XL Foods Inc. or illnesses associated with the XL Foods food safety investigation more...
Fall beef cow culling and tricky year-ago comparisons: analyst
(This article by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, is republished with permission.) Will fall beef cow more...
Georgia poultry pioneer dies
Thomas Weston Hodge, a pioneer in the early development of the North Georgia poultry industry, died Oct. 6. He was 86. For 25 years, Hodge was president more...
Olive Garden joins lighter menu revamp bandwagon; boosts advertising
Olive Garden is using new menu items and a new digital initiative as part of its first new national advertising campaign designed to attract new diners more...
Northern Beef Packers climbing out of money pit
Now five years into efforts to open a beef packing plant, Northern Beef Packers is nearly clear of the debt that has helped bog the process down, according more...
USDA: Broiler sales just fraction of overall certified organic market
Although the amount of land dedicated to certified organic crops and livestock is on the rise – 3.6 million acres at latest count – the overall more...
Town gets federal grant to help meat processor grow
A western Minnesota city has won a $1.2 million federal grant that will help fund the expansion of an industrial park to facilitate the growth of kosher more...
Triumph announces expansion plan
Triumph Foods announced Thursday that it will soon begin construction of a 30,000-square-foot expansion at the existing facility at its headquarters in more...
XL recall expanded again; plant reopening timeline uncertain
XL Foods, in the midst of the largest beef recall in Canada’s history, is reported to be bringing back workers to the Brooks, Alberta, plant at more...
Jimmy Dean unveils new packaging for some products
THe Jimmy Dean brand has launched new packaging for its convenience breakfast products. The packaging features new graphics, softer fonts, easy-to-read more...
Pa. company launches new “every meal” bacon product
Lancaster, Penn.-based Kunzler and Company has addressed consumer demand for easy meal solutions and developed a unique item for the breakfast, lunch more...
Russia suspends imports from Brazil-based JBS processing plant
As of Oct. 12, Russia's food safety oversight agency, Rosselkhoznadzor, will temporarily suspend JBS exports from their processing plant in the Brazilian more...
Under grain strain, 2 Brazilian poultry processors to merge
Poultry processors Averama and BR Frango from Brazil's state of Parana should soon merge, following six months of negotiations that culminated in an agreement more...
FSIS to propose new mechanically tenderized label rules soon
CHICAGO — USDA expects to propose new labeling requirements for mechanically tenderized meat products, including validated cooking instructions more...
E. coli victim files suit against XL Foods
An Edmonton, Alberta, man who was sickened with E. coli after eating a beef steak has sued XL Foods, CBC News reported. Matthew Harrison, who was hospitalized more...
Perdue sells two rendering plants
Perdue AgriBusiness’ Fats and Proteins unit has agreed to sell two rendering plants to Valley Proteins Inc. for an undisclosed sum. The sale of more...
Study quantifies economic impact of U.S. poultry industry
The U.S. poultry industry provides more than 1.3 million jobs, $63 billion in wages, $265.6 billion in total economic activity and $23.4 billion in government more...
Tech briefs: Exclusive video of turkey facility; water or air chilling?; improving deli meat sliceability; scalder maintenance
Watch our exclusive video that documents how a prolific family-owned turkey company continues to be innovative — and why it was chosen to receive more...
HSUS CEO seeks Tyson board seat — with an assist from investor Icahn (updated)
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) President and CEO Wayne Pacelle is in the hunt for a seat on the board of directors of Tyson Foods Inc., with more...
Jack Link’s buys plant, plans further expansion
Minong, Wis.-based Jack Link’s Beef Jerky announced it has agreed to buy a packaged meat snack products manufacturing facility in Bellevue, Neb more...
Cargill boosts production during XL Foods closure
Cargill has ramped up beef production at its plants in High River, Alberta, and Guelph, Ontario, following the temporary closure late last week of XL more...
News briefs: Charcuterie; restaurants; Smithfield; flu
To celebrate October’s National Sausage Month, the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council (NHDSC) is debuting a comprehensive guide to charcuterie more...
Canadian official says XL Foods plant may reopen soon
The XL Foods plant in Brooks, Alberta shut down last week after concerns its beef products could be tainted with E. coli O157:H7 could reopen soon, according more...
Supreme Court weighs in on Rubashkin appeal
The Supreme Court today declined to hear an appeal by Sholom Rubashkin, former executive with Agriprocessors Inc., over his conviction and 27-year prison more...
JBS may post highest Q3 profit in 4 years: Bloomberg
Brazil's JBS SA is expected to post its highest quarterly profit since 2008 in mid-November for the third quarter, thanks mainly to the Brazilian beef more...
Wendy’s continues to bet on bacon and beef with new menu item
Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s announced a new sandwich: the Bacon Portabella Melt cheeseburger. The sandwich is made from North American, fresh, never more...
September 2012
USDA extends alert on XL Foods; Canada suspends license
USDA has extended its public health alert about beef from XL Food Inc.’s Alberta, Canada, plant to include stores in 30 states, and the Canadian more...
Northern Beef Packers to test cattle slaughter
Northern Beef Packers has received a permit to test cattle slaughter at its long-delayed beef plant in Aberdeen, S.D., according to a report by Aberdeen more...
Casual dining chain announces new menu
T.G.I. Friday’s adds nine new dishes to its menu this week, along with four cocktails. The new menu includes: A flatbread with pulled chicken breast more...
FSIS issues instructions on non-O157 STEC positives
The USDA’s Food Service and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued instructions to its employees regarding steps to take after an establishment has more...
Annual “worst foods” list: And the losers are…
The authors of the book “Eat this, Not that!” released their annual “worst foods” on restaurant menus list based on such factors more...
Four E. coli cases linked to steak from Alberta Costco
Health officials in Alberta, Canada, have determined that four people became infected with E. coli after eating beef steaks purchased at a Costco store more...
Early morning crash kills six meat plant workers
Six men on their way to work at a Texas beef processing plant were killed when an SUV crossed a highway median and slammed into their van, the Dallas more...
Brinker moves to remove gestation stalls from supply chain
Brinker International, owner of the Chili’s and Maggiano’s restaurant chains, has announced that it will work toward eliminating gestation more...
Missouri gets FDA grants for food safety
The Food and Drug Administration has awarded three grants to the Missouri departments of Agriculture and Health and Senior Services, the state announced more...
News Briefs: Cargill, Kraft, ConAgra, Europe, Healthy Ones
Cargill’s Honeysuckle White and Shady Brook Farms turkey brands will be featured in a nationwide holiday season promotional tie-in campaign with more...
Live stream: USDA's Hagen to take questions on Twitter at 2 pm CDT
USDA Under Secretary Elisabeth Hagen for Food Safety will take questions live on Twitter this afternoon using the @USDA account. You can ask your questions more...
FSIS updates health alert for recalled Canadian beef
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Wednesday said it discovered that a U.S. processing facility was using whole muscle cuts of more...
Tyson pork plant suspended by Russia
Russia has suspended imports of pork from a Tyson Foods plant in Logansport, Ind., according to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The ban makes more...
Sanderson plant opponents not giving up without a fight
Two private citizens have filed a lawsuit accusing Sanderson Farms Inc. and Nash County, North Carolina, of secretly arranging the sale of land for a more...
JBS to pay $492k in Brazilian fines for labor rights violations
Brazilian meat processor JBS SA will have to pay BRL1 million (US$492,319) in a civil action case filed against its plant in Barra do Garças, Mato more...
Dunkin’ Donuts pledges switch from gestation stalls
Dunkin’ Donuts today announced that it will begin eliminating gestation stalls from its pork supply chain. In a news release, the Canton, Mass.-based more...
ConAgra sets $100-million plant expansion, adds jobs
ConAgra Foods is expanding its facility in Russellville, Ark., to make Bertolli and P.F. Chang’s frozen meals. The expansion, anticipated to be more...
CFIA finds ‘deficiencies’ at XL Foods plant
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Monday that a combination of several deficiencies at an XL Foods Inc. plant in could have caused E. coli more...
U.S. to Canada: To join trade pact, remove border restrictions
Canada needs to remove all border restrictions – including high tariffs – that discourage poultry imports if it wants to join another free more...
USDA reports more poultry slaughtered in July and August
Poultry certified wholesome during August 2012 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.91 billion pounds, up slightly from the amount certified in August more...
Kroger’s new line of natural and organic foods offers protein alternatives
Kroger Co. today introduced a line of nearly 250 products it believes will address consumer concerns about artificial preservatives and other ingredients more...
HSUS files suit to cut NPPC funding
In its latest attack on pork industry practices, The Humane Society of the United States and a single pork producer filed suit against Secretary of Agriculture more...
ConAgra asking pork suppliers for gestation stall, traceability action plans
ConAgra Foods, which now owns sausage-maker Odom's Tennessee Pride, is asking its pork suppliers to present action plans by 2017 that address eliminating more...
Canadian officials expand recall of suspect Canadian beef
On Saturday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency expanded its recall of beef products for the sixth time over concerns about E. coli O157:H7 contamination more...
Illinois sausage maker recalls bratwurst
Chicago-based Makowski’s Real Sausage Co. is recalling approximately 1,305 pounds of cooked bratwurst sausage products because of misbranding and more...
President makes sausage stop in Milwaukee
While campaigning in Wisconsin over the weekend, President Barack Obama made an unannounced stop at the retail storefront deli of Usinger’s Famous more...
Hillshire Brands says it's exploring gestation stall alternatives with suppliers
Hillshire Brands, owner of Hillshire Farms, Ballpark, Jimmy Dean and State Fair meat brands, today announced it is "actively engaged in advancing more...
Sanderson Farms sues union for “meritless” workplace complaints
Sanderson Farms is suing a union and related individuals for filing 11 “meritless complaints” against Sanderson Farms with USDA and the Occupational more...
Central Valley Meat plant suspended by Mexico
Mexico has removed Central Valley Meat from its list of eligible U.S. beef exporters, according to an update on the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s more...
Farm bill will expire Sept. 30; no action until after election
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced Thursday the House of Representatives will not vote on the 2012 farm bill before it expires Sept. 30 and does more...
FSIS issues a public health alert over Canadian beef
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a Public Health Alert related to a recall in Canada of raw boneless beef trim products more...
News Briefs: Butterball; Smithfield; USPOULTRY; pork checkoff; Buddig
Butterball’s Carthage, Mo. facility has marked 5,000,000 worker hours without a lost-time injury or illness among its 600 employees. That figure more...
ICE officials seize documents at Seaboard Foods
U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers on Tuesday collected documents more...
ConAgra profit up as price hikes offset lower unit sales
ConAgra Foods Inc. reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings as acquisitions and price increases boosted revenue, and the company raised its full-year more...
Judge hands down third million-dollar judgment against Henry’s Turkey Service
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Henry’s Turkey Service must pay $1.3 million for exploiting mentally handicapped employees at the company over more...
California beef processor expanding, adding jobs
Jensen Meat is expanding its manufacturing facility in Otay Mesa, California, and will hire 200 employees for jobs ranging from forklift operator to data more...
Cargill in talks to sell cultures business
Cargill is in exclusive discussions with Royal DSM, a global life sciences and materials sciences company, about the possible sale of its global cultures more...
FSIS proposes redesign of E. coli testing program for beef trim
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said it plans to redesign its E. coli O157:H7 verification testing program for beef manufacturing trimmings more...
Consumer Reports arsenic probe ruffles chicken industry’s feathers
A Consumer Reports investigation into arsenic levels in rice misleads consumers about chicken feed, the National Chicken Council said today. The probe more...
Canadian border pilot program raises food safety concerns
Food safety activists have sent a letter to the USDA expressing concern over an element of the Beyond the Border Action Plan that would eliminate the more...
Russia boosts poultry production in August: report
Russia’s poultry production climbed about 16 percent in August from a year earlier, while pork and cattle output also rose, Bloomberg News reported more...
Daniele wins $33 million judgment against spice supplier (updated)
Pascoag, R.I.-based Daniele International Inc., which had a 1.3 million-pound recall of its Italian sausage in early 2010, has been granted a $33 million more...
Canadian firm’s ground beef recall expands to U.S. after E. coli discovery
A recall of ground beef sold by Canadian processor XL Foods Inc. for suspected E. coli O157:H7 contamination has expanded into the United States after more...
Proposed Sanderson plant takes a big step forward
Commissioners in Nash County, N.C., voted 5-2 Monday night to approve plans for a long-proposed Sanderson Farms plant, according to a report by WITN-TV more...
Hormel employee treated for TB; other workers screened
An employee at Hormel Foods’ Austin, Minn., plant is being treated for active tuberculosis, according to a company spokesman. Active tuberculosis more...
Research finds antibiotic-resistance in antibiotic-free pigs
Researchers from North Carolina State University have found identical strains of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter Coli (C. coli) in both antibiotic-free more...
Bill Marler to represent former USDA employees in BPI litigation over LFTB (updated)
Food safety lawyer Bill Marler, whose law firm publishes the newsletter Food Safety News, will defend two former USDA employees that Beef Products Inc more...
Nationwide ground beef recall in Canada linked to Alberta company
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public, distributors and food service establishments not to consume, sell, or serve the ground more...
Court battle over alleged poultry grower water contamination to begin
A federal lawsuit accusing Hudson Farm and Perdue Farms Inc. of violating the Clean Water Act in Maryland is scheduled to begin Oct. 9 in a U.S. District more...
Smithfield launches pork-centric recipe app
Smithfield has launched a pork-centric recipe app. The new “365 Days of Pork” Facebook application provides fans with a recipe for each day more...
Seaboard to open Kansas hog farm
Seaboard Foods plans to open a 60-barn hog farm in Greeley County, Kan., in October. Each barn will house about 1,000 hogs, according to a report in the more...
Monogram makes another acquisition
Monogram Food Solutions LLC, the Memphis-based manufacturer of value-added processed meats, has acquired the Enjoy and Hickory’s Best beef jerky more...
July U.S. pork exports slow, beef exports steady
U.S. pork exports in July dipped from the year-ago period and beef exports, while moderately lower in volume, achieved their largest monthly total of more...
Performance Food Group promote business development exec
Performance Food Group Inc. today announced the promotion of Kent Berke to senior vice president of business development. He reports to George Holm, president more...
BPI suit names ABC’s Sawyer, Avila, calls inaccurate information ‘intentional’
Dakota Dunes, S.D.-based Beef Products Inc. specifically names ABC anchor Diane Sawyer, Senior National Correspondent Jim Avila and correspondent David more...
Beef prices slump in latest producer price report
Beef and veal prices at the producer level fell 3.2 percent last month after surging 3.8 percent in July and 4.9 percent in June, the U.S. Labor Department more...
Court rejects challenge to Calif. confinement measure
On Wednesday, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of a ballot measure concerning more...
Incentives for Sanderson Nash County plant detailed
Although Sanderson Farms’ planned chicken processing plant in Nash County, N.C., remains on hold due to volatility in the grain markets, the county more...
FSIS administrator to tour Brazilian meat plants next week
The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service will send its administrator to Brazil on Sept. 17 to visit meat processing plants and more...
Creditors put processor into involuntary bankruptcy
Three creditors of Brooks Food Group Inc. and its subsidiary, Gold Signature Foods, have forced both business entities into involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy more...
Jackson to retire from JBS USA; Nogueira steps up
Don Jackson will retire at the end of the calendar year from his position as president and CEO of JBS USA, the company said in a news release. Jackson more...
USDA sees less pork, poultry, corn, soybeans; more beef
USDA lowered its forecasts of pork, poultry, corn and soybean production, but raised its forecast for beef production in its September Crop Report and more...
Oscar Mayer launches new Lunchables line
Kraft Foods’ Oscar Mayer announced today a new line of Lunchables pairing proteins with a CHIQUITA Strawberry Banana Smoothie. The three new more...
McDonald's to post calorie counts on its menu boards
McDonald’s USA announced it will list calorie information on both its in-store and drive-through menu boards nationwide starting next week. The more...
AFA to close plant early
AFA Foods Inc. has told the State of New York that it will close its Ashville, N.Y. plant on Wednesday, rather than in mid-October as originally planned more...
Survey finds compensation in the pork industry remains competitive
Employees in the pork industry are earning wages and receiving benefits that are competitive with other industries, according to a survey by the Pork more...
Japan holds promise for beef in 2013: Meyer, Steiner
Based on the trends in export figures, Japan looks to be a “much more prominent market for U.S. beef in 2013,” according to Steven Meyer and more...
CDC picks Minnesota for food safety center
The Centers for Disease Control has chosen The Minnesota Department of Health in partnership with the University of Minnesota School of Public Health more...
Meat cooperative sells shares to fund processing plant in WA State
A farmers’ cooperative is trying to raise more than $400,000 to fund a new processing plant that would bring USDA-inspected services to farmers more...
JBS Australia closes unprofitable King Island processing plant
JBS Australia will close its King Island meat processing plant, located off the Tasmanian Coast, in an effort to refocus its southern beef processing more...
Oscar Mayer bets on bacon as currency
Kraft Foods brand Oscar Mayer announced a new marketing campaign: It is sending a comedian on the road for two weeks with only Oscar Mayer Butcher Thick more...
FDA issues warning to egg company over salmonella plan (Updated)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to the company that late last year acquired the egg production facilities that were the source more...
USDA puts Central Valley Meat back on school lunch list
USDA has lifted its hold on Central Valley Meat as a beef supplier for the School Lunch Program after concluding the company has taken appropriate steps more...
What the drought will cost a family in 2013
This summer’s drought will cost a family of four $351.12 more in food costs in 2013 — about $6.75 a week — according to calculations more...
Jack in the Box joins chorus on sow gestation stalls
Jack in the Box, Inc. has set a goal of sourcing all its pork from supply systems in which pregnant sows are cared for in a group housing environment more...
Price, nutrition concerns limiting beef purchases, study finds
Price is the number one limiting factor in how much beef consumers buy now, according to a checkoff-funded market research study. The study, with a sample more...
Virginia rendering plant clears hurdle to expand
Planning officials in a Virginia community approved a poultry rendering plant's request to process more material despite protests from some local residents more...
Appeals court upholds Tyson victory on donning and doffing
The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court decision that Tyson Foods is not under-paying the workers at its Lexington, Neb. plant more...
Monogram Food Solutions buys corn dog maker
Memphis, Tenn.-based Monogram Food Solutions announced it has purchased Bristol, Ind.-based Hinsdale Farms, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers more...
Goya Foods breaks ground on its largest expansion
Goya Foods, the nation’s self-described largest Hispanic-owned food company, broke ground Wednesday on a facility in Jersey City, N.J. The more...
Retail giant to close 60 locations
Supervalu, Inc. will close approximately 60 of its underperforming or non-strategic store locations, the grocer announced Wednesday. The closures will more...
Food prices steady, but UN urges vigilance
Global food prices were steady in August, with lower sugar costs offsetting higher meat and dairy prices, but the international community needs to be more...
Japan panel approves easing U.S. beef restrictions
A Japanese government food safety advisory panel approved recommendations on easing restrictions on imports of U.S. beef, according to media reports. more...
El Salvador, Mexico expand access for U.S. beef
El Salvador and Mexico have expanded access for imports of U.S. beef, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said in a news release. El Salvador lifted all age more...
Fewer poor U.S. residents know where dinner is coming from
A new report released by the USDA’s Economic Research Service indicates that while 85.1 percent of the nation’s residents enjoy a secure supply more...
Chicken chain adds snack-sized sandwich
KFC is introducing a new Chicken Littles sandwich aimed at consumers who want a meal that is both affordable and portable. The sandwich, priced at $1 more...
Smithfield Foods sees quarterly earnings slip
Smithfield Foods Inc. today reported an 18 percent decline in net income in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, primarily because of higher supply costs more...
Russia bans Tyson, Triumph pork plants
Russia’s food safety agency, Rosselkhoznadzor, announced Monday it has imposed temporary bans on imports of pork from a Tyson Foods plant and a more...
Hot dog chain joins HSUS' position on gestation stalls
Galardi Group, which franchises the Wienerschnitzel hot dog chain, has announced that it will buy pork only from suppliers with documented plans to end more...
JBS' holding company pursues indebted Brazilian power distributors
Brazilian holding company J&F, controller of meat processor JBS SA, has made a formal offer to buy part or all of indebted Brazilian power company more...
News briefs: Stanford's study; a ton of beef; heart-healthy burgers; Aramark's kickoff menu; safe at House of Raeford
Stanford University reviewed 237 studies of organic products and found no obvious health advantages to organic meats. It noted, however, that organic more...
Applegate launches new gluten-free product
Bridgewater, N.J.-based Applegate has introduced Applegate Naturals Gluten Free Corn Dogs, which also include fewer calories, less fat and less sodium more...
McDonald's cuts Brazilian Big Mac price in half
SAO PAULO — McDonald's reduced the price of its Big Mac sandwich in Brazil by as much as 51 percent, dubbing the change a limited time promotion more...
Whole Foods sets goal of 1,000 stores
Whole Foods Market has set an ambitious goal of tripling the number of its stores in the United States by expanding into small markets as well as large more...
NCC food safety education partnership
Using a microwave oven to cook or reheat foods can be fast and convenient, but it’s not effective at killing harmful bacteria if the food isn’t more...
August 2012
USDA finishes CVM investigation; confirms no food safety risk
USDA has finished its investigation of Central Valley Meat and confirmed its initial conclusion that no downer cattle entered the food supply and no food more...
Ohio reports first known H3N2v-associated death
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) today announced the first known H3N2v- associated death. The 61-year-old female Madison County resident passed away more...
Calif. poultry processor to stay put
A federal judge has approved an agreement between Chinese American Live (CAL) Poultry Vikon Inc. and the city of Rosemead, Calif., which will allow the more...
Analyst sees more hog price weakness, cuts Smithfield forecast
Anticipating further deterioration in hog prices, BB&T Capital Markets analyst Heather Jones lowered her profit outlook for Smithfield Foods. While more...
Wisconsin company recalls bratwurst patties
Klement Sausage Company Inc., a Milwaukee, Wis. establishment, is recalling approximately 2,920 pounds of frozen bratwurst patties because they may contain more...
Plant to add new cooked food line, hire 300
Prime Pak Foods Inc. and Victory Processing LLC will expand their facility in Gainesville, Ga., according to local media reports. The company, which processes more...
HSUS goes to Wall Street to lean on Tyson, Seaboard on gestation stalls
The Humane Society of the United States wrote to the boards of directors of four investment firms informing them that they have become shareholders in more...
Deutsche Bank lowers JBS price target, maintains 'hold' on stock
Deutsche Bank Equity Research has lowered its price target for JBS SA by 7 percent and is maintaining a “hold” rating on the stock, based more...
Sandwich chain rolls out hot turkey sandwiches
Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. is introducing a new line of hot turkey sandwiches in three varieties. The Turkey Roaster sandwiches are made fresh more...
NAMA, Grandin developing new ways to monitor high-risk animals at slaughter
The North American Meat Association and animal welfare expert Temple Grandin are working on a new approach to monitoring animal handling at slaughter more...
Cargill to open large chicken production facility in China: Reuters
Cargill plans to start operating a $250 million broiler production facility in China by next summer, according to a Reuters report quoting a Cargill executive more...
USDA extends emergency grazing for ranchers impacted by drought
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a two-month extension for emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres, freeing up more...
Campylobacter prevalence varies widely by region, researches say
The prevalence of campylobacter in skinless, boneless retail broiler meat varies widely by brand, location and time of year, according to research published more...
Poultry worker severed arm could be saved
A worker whose arm was severed when it got caught in a piece of machinery at a Tip Top Poultry plant in Rockmart, Ga. Tuesday afternoon is expected to more...
Sanderson cutting production even as it swings to 3Q profit
Sanderson Farms Inc. swung to a profit in its third fiscal quarter on increased chicken prices, but rising feed grain prices amid continued historic drought more...
Economist predicts record $60 per head losses for pork producers
The following report is reproduced in it entirety with permission. Pork producers face record loss By Chris Hurt, Extension Economist, Purdue University more...
Senators ask Vilsack for more drought aid for poultry
Five democratic senators from poultry-producing states sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for more help for the poultry industry more...
Canadian poultry plant closed as worker strike
Lilydale Foods’ Edmonton turkey processing plant closed Monday as about 200 workers went on strike after wage negotiations broke down last week more...
Former Butterball worker pleads guilty to felony animal cruelty
A former Butterball LLC worker shown on a video last year violating company animal welfare standards at a turkey breeder farm in Shannon, N.C., has pleaded more...
OSHA cites Tyson on safety violations, proposes fines
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Tyson Foods Inc. for seven safety violations after conducting an more...
CVM still off school lunch program; humane plan detailed
USDA confirmed it approved Central Valley Meat’s humane handling plan and has allowed the company to reopen its doors, but the company will remain more...
State bill to ban gestation stalls moves ahead (updated)
Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill that would impose a penalty on farmers who use such equipment as gestation stalls. Last Thursday the Massachusetts more...
World’s largest hot dog chain adds chicken to the menu
Irvine, Calif.-based Wienerschnitzel, the self-described world's largest hot dog chain, has added lightly breaded white-meat “Der Chicken Dippers” more...
AMI, Temple Grandin release video on humane slaughter
The American Meat Institute and animal handling expert Temple Grandin have released a video that depicts and explains the cattle slaughter process at more...
Calif. legislators ask USDA to reopen Central Valley Meat
Three congressmen representing California districts — Devin Nunes, Jeff Denham and Kevin McCarthy — sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary more...
USDA reduces meat price forecast for 2012
USDA is predicting prices for meat, poultry and fish will rise by 3 percent to 4 percent in 2012, half a percentage point less than it predicted last more...
Red meat, poultry slaughter both rise 4 percent
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.94 billion pounds in July, up 4 percent from the 3.79 billion pounds produced in July 2011 more...
Japan to resume beef exports to the U.S.
Japan on Friday was set to resume beef exports to the United States after a two-year ban that stemmed from a foot-and-mouth outbreak in that country in more...
John Soules Foods pays $392,000 to settle beef label case
Tyler, Texas-based John Soules Foods Inc. agreed to pay $392,000 to the U.S. Treasury General Fund as part of a settlement on a case of mislabeled beef more...
Earlier Central Valley Meat violation also involved animal stunning
Central Valley Meat Co., which USDA shut down on Aug. 19 after investigating a video alleging inhumane animal treatment, was also shut down for a couple more...
Hormel boosts 3Q profit
Hormel Foods Corp. today posted a 13-percent increase in net earnings on strong operating performance in each of its five business segments, with grocery more...
Minn. processor contests OSHA citations
Quality Pork Processors, Inc. of Austin, Minn., is contesting three citations stemming from an April 6, 2012 Minnesota OSHA inspection. The three citations more...
Prison salmonella outbreak tied to chicken salad
Authorities have linked chicken salad served at Arkansas’ Tucker Unit prison Aug. 4 to a subsequent salmonella outbreak, but so far officials said more...
Butterball expands Mo. plant production, adds 90 jobs
Butterball announced today an expansion to production at the company’s Carthage, Mo., plant. The facility will boost production of its existing more...
Richard Raymond discusses ways forward on animal handling
Richard Raymond was the under secretary for food safety at USDA four years ago when a video portraying cows being abused at Hallmark/Westland led to the more...
Workers file new union-related complaint against JBS plant (Updated)
A Burmese immigrant has filed a complaint against JBS Swift and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union for allegedly forcing 600 of his countrymen more...
EPA seeks comment on RFS waiver
The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking comment on letters from the governors of Arkansas and North Carolina requesting a waiver of the renewable more...
News Briefs: Cargill plant upgrades, Campbell on sow stalls, Advance Pierre award, Watts heads IPC, new Smashburger exec
Recent investments by Cargill at its Fort Morgan, Colo., beef processing plant, totaling approximately $1.8 million have increased the facility’s more...
USDA investigating whether or not downer cows involved in abuse
USDA is investigating whether any downer cattle were involved in alleged abuse at Central Valley Meat Co. and if so, whether any downed cattle entered more...
House of Raeford found guilty in water pollution case, plant manager cleared
A federal jury on Tuesday convicted House of Raeford on 10 counts of violating the Clean Water Act at its Raeford, N.C., poultry plant, but the facility’s more...
Eckrich launches low-sodium smoked sausage to product line
Eckrich is introducing a new low-sodium product in the smoked sausage category, with the goal of building a customer base among consumers concerned about more...
Aramark to lean on pork suppliers to phase out gestation crates
Philadelphia-based foodservice supplier Aramark announced today with the Humane Society of the United States its plans to eliminate all pork from animals more...
Sysco, Certified Angus Beef, Cardinal Meat announce new patty forming technology
Sysco, Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd. and Certified Angus Beef brand announced a new patty-making technology used to create a burger they say is lighter more...
Pan-fried meat ups prostate cancer risk, researchers say
Researchers from the University of Southern California and Cancer Prevention Institute of California are reporting that cooking red meats at high temperatures more...
Fitch, Moody's lower ratings on 3 Brazilian processors after Q2 reports
Credit rating agency Fitch downgraded its outlook for Brazilian processors JBS SA, BRF Brasil Foods and Marfrig Alimentos from “stable” to more...
USDA data show cattle being held off feedlots
Cattle placed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head during July totaled 1.92 million, 10 percent below 2011, according to USDA’s monthly more...
Possible salmonella contamination prompts Calif. recall
Real Mex Foods, a Vernon, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 77,688 pounds of Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Kits. The salad kits include more...
Brasil Foods' Q2 profit tops US$3mil; down 98% year-on-year
BRF Brasil Foods, a global leader in poultry exports, reported a second quarter net profit of BRL6.387 million (US$3.16 million) Monday night, down 98 more...
Illinois company recalls products after mispackaging
On-Cor Frozen Foods, a Geneva, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 605 pounds of frozen boneless rib-shaped patties with barbecue sauce because more...
Jennie-O launches new turkey bacon product
Jennie-O Turkey Store has launched a new turkey bacon, debuting in stores across the country starting this month. The new recipe has improved taste and more...
Ohio meat processor to buy Indiana facility: report
An Ohio meat products manufacturer has purchased a former organic food processing facility in Indiana for $13 million in a bankruptcy auction, according more...
FSIS details hazard analysis verification task
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has published FSIS Directive 5000.6, which provides instructions for inspectors performing hazard more...
Egg sets edge down, placements edge up
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 193 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Aug. 11, USDA reported. That marks a 1-percent more...
Turkey numbers rising slightly
Turkey eggs in incubators on Aug. 1 totaled 28.7 million, up 1 percent from Aug. 1, 2011, according to the USDA’s latest Turkey Hatchery report more...
JBS posts net profit of US$84mil, buoyed by Mercosur beef, US poultry sales
Brazil's JBS SA posted a net profit of BRL169.4 million (US$83.6 million) for the second quarter this year, a recovery from the BRL180.7 million (US$89 more...
More counties are ‘natural disaster areas’, loan program expands
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 172 additional counties in 15 states are primary natural disaster areas due to drought and heat. All qualified more...
E. coli concern prompts beef recall
Draper, Utah-based Dale T. Smith and Sons Meat Packing is recalling approximately 38,200 pounds of beef products because they may be contaminated with more...
Taiwan sets allowable ractopamine levels for beef
Taiwan announced Wednesday forthcoming notice of allowable levels of ractopamine in beef imports and origin labeling requirements, the country’s more...
Chefs’ Warehouse buys Michael’s Finer Meats
Chefs’ Warehouse Inc. is paying $54.3 million to acquire Michael’s Finer Meats as part of an expansion of its protein distribution network more...
OSHA targets Pennsylvania poultry plant
The U.S. Labor Dept.’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing $140,000 in fines against a privately held company that more...
Brazil court demands ag inspectors return to work
Brazil's federal agricultural inspectors and their union have to ensure a minimum number of specialists are working this week in Brazilian ports, airports more...
News briefs: Caribou Coffee, AMIF, Cooper Farms, and Aussie cattle rustlers
Caribou Coffee Company Inc. announced the return of its fall season menu — which is heavy on all things pumpkin — but also unveiled the permanent more...
USDA to purchase $170 million worth of meat
The U.S. Agriculture Dept. today announced a program to buy $170 million worth of pork, lamb, chicken and catfish to help relieve the financial pressure more...
CBB unveils new committee structure
The number of committees advising the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) on how to spend money collected for the beef checkoff is being reduced to just more...
Maple Leaf reopens plant after Friday fire
Maple Leaf Foods has reopened a further processing facility in Winnipeg, Canada, after a fire broke out in the packaging area Friday morning. Employees more...
Vegetarian cavemen died off, researchers say
Although Paleolithic diets, or meat-heavy caveman diets, are among the latest diet fads, researchers have shown that our most successful ancestors likely more...
News briefs: Beef in Africa; Quaker Steak; fertilizer controversy
Alternative U.S. beef cuts — including the chuck roll, tri-tip, top blade, flank steak and top butt — were the focus of a recent seminar for more...
USDA predicts more meat this year, less next year
The forecast for 2012 total red meat and poultry production is raised from last month but the forecast for 2013 is reduced as higher feed prices are expected more...
Checkoff will be target of lawsuit over how funds are used
A free-market advocacy organization, the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM), has promised to file a lawsuit today seeking a permanent injunction more...
Food insecurity expected to increase over next decade
About 24 percent of the world’s population is “food insecure,” according to a new report by the USDA’s Economic Research Service more...
CKE cancels IPO
CKE Inc. the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurant chains, “announced today that due to market conditions it has determined more...
Food writer spoofs PETA ads to promote meat-centric fest
Although it’s the ninth year that the festival has been held, Meatopia, a self-described “giant open meat bar,” according to founder more...
Cargill reports fourth-quarter earnings below expectations
Cargill reported $1.17 billion in earnings from continuing operations in the 2012 fiscal year ended May 31, 2012, a 56-percent decrease from a record more...
Hillshire posts weaker operating income, better sales
Hillshire Brands Co. reported lower operating income but improved sales in the fourth quarter as it continued its transformation into a meat-focused company more...
USDA Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program to launch in Ohio
Some small state-inspected processors in Ohio will be able to ship their products across state lines thought the USDA’s cooperative interstate shipment more...
Hottest July ever, surging corn prices drive food prices higher
A jump in grain and sugar prices as well as increases in oils/fats drove a July surge of the UN’s Food Price Index (FFPI), although it remains well more...
CDC: Don’t panic over more influenza cases from swine contact
The Centers for Disease Control called a news conference today to explain an uptick in human cases of influenza H3N2 from contact with swine at fairs more...
Oscar Mayer retirees’ lawsuit tossed
A U.S. District judge in Wisconsin has dismissed a lawsuit that four retirees of Oscar Mayer had brought against Kraft Foods Global Inc., the company’s more...
Seaboard pork division posts lower sales, income
Seaboard Corp. reported a sharp drop in income in its pork division in the latest quarter on weaker sales. Operating income in the pork business fell more...
Russia’s WTO accession to bolster U.S. beef, pork exports
Russia’s accession into the World Trade Organization should bolster exports of U.S. beef and pork to that country, which has prove to be one of more...
News Briefs: Validation deadline, Aussie hog video, farewell to a poultry scientist
Dr. Clarence Richard Creger, Jr., a professor in the Department of Poultry Science at Texas A&M University, died on Aug. 4 in Bryan, Texas. He was more...
Tyson’s Q3 results spark contrasting responses by analysts
News that Tyson Foods Inc.’s third-quarter earnings fell 61 percent from corresponding 2012 results prompted sharply different responses from two more...
JBS, union ordered not to interfere with anti-union activity
Managers and union officials at JBS Swift’s pork plant in Marshalltown, Iowa, have not been advising employees of their union rights, according more...
Calif. firm recalls misbranded sausage
Gardena, Calif.-based Alexis Wholesale Inc. is recalling approximately 6,210 pounds of chorizo sausage because it is misbranded in that it contains monosodium more...
Mexican agency decides anti-dumping case on U.S. chicken imports (updated)
The Mexican Ministry of Economy decided today in favor of Mexican poultry companies in the anti-dumping case on U.S. chicken leg quarters imported into more...
Senators join chorus: Waive ethanol mandate
First it was a group of livestock and poultry groups; then a group of House of Representatives members. Now 25 senators have also written to Environmental more...
Tyson will maintain production as Q3 earnings miss targets
Tyson Foods Inc. today reported a 61-percent decline in net income in the third fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2012, but is maintaining its production more...
Minnesota firm recalls RTE meat and poultry on listeria concerns
Rochester, Minn.-based Reichel Foods is recalling approximately 15,880 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products due to possible contamination more...
Cattle liquidation not in full swing…yet
(This report is republished with permission) Oklahoma Cattle Producers Face Additional Decisions By Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension more...
Proposed APHIS rule would exempt domesticated farm animals
A proposed rule that would redefine what a retail pet store is will not affect farmers and ranchers as previously thought. The USDA’s Animal and more...
Nevada county oks $175 million meat plant
Officials in Lyon County, Nev., voted Thursday to allow Walker River Meat Processing Inc. to build a $175 million meat processing plant in the town of more...
Fewer cattle, but still a lot of beef
The U.S. cow herd is definitely shrinking; but the correlated reduction in beef output is not a one-to-one ratio, according to livestock analysts in the more...
Brazil's Ag inspectors threaten strike, could halt meat exports
Inspectors for Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture will go on strike beginning Monday if their demands for salary increases, vocational school benefits and more...
It’s official: Brits love bacon
Bacon is Britain’s favorite food, according to a survey commissioned by Food Network UK. The survey asked 2,000 adults about their favorite foods more...
Power outages affect Tyson plant
Electricity was temporarily disrupted at a Tyson Foods poultry processing facility in Wilkesboro, N.C., this morning after overnight storms caused hundreds more...
Congressmen urge Renewable Fuels Standard waiver
A bipartisan group of 156 members of the House of Representatives signed a letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency to act immediately to reduce more...
Founder wants to sell Uncle Charley’s: report
Charles S. Armitage, the founder of Vandergrift, Pa.-based Uncle Charley’s Sausage Co., has told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he plans to sell more...
Nathan's Famous sees strong growth in foodservice program
Nathan's Famous Inc. reported sales from its branded product program, which features Nathan's hot dogs sold to the foodservice industry, increased by more...
Technomic sees opportunities in better burger category
Fast-casual burger chains grew sales by 20.8 percent last year, while all limited-service burger chains grew 3.7 percent, according to the food industry more...
Mexico will not impose tariffs on U.S. chicken imports
Mexico will not impose tariffs on U.S. imports of chicken leg quarters, the Foreign Trade Commission (COCEX) said today. The recent avian influenza outbreak more...
Workers protest outside shuttered poultry plant
Several of the nearly 400 employees laid off when MVP Kosher Foods (also called Mehadrin Kosher Poultry) closed up shop in mid-July have taken to protesting more...
Tyson unveils new products for schools
Tyson K-12 announced today the introduction of two new Proportion Chicken products for school menus: Southern Breaded and Oven Roasted Chicken. Both products more...
News Briefs: CAST ag paper, USPOULTRY award, APHIS exports
Ames, Iowa- based Council for Agricultural Science and Technology issued a paper titled “Water and Land Issues Associated with Animal Agriculture: more...
July 2012
Butterball settles Arkansas donning and doffing suit
Butterball LLC has agreed to settle a four-year donning and doffing class action lawsuit for about $4.25 million, not including attorneys’ fees more...
Smithfield, Cargill CEOs take ethanol cause to the media (updated)
In a recent editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Smithfield CEO C. Larry Pope addressed the need for government action to reduce the amount of corn used more...
FSIS updates guideline for jerky production
FSIS has updated its “Compliance Guideline for Meat and Poultry Jerky Produced by Small and Very Small Establishments.” Following a 2003 salmonellosis more...
Restaurant index shows improved performance now, but future concerns
Bolstered by stronger same-store sales and customer traffic levels, the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) stood above more...
News briefs: Jamie Oliver, Taiwan, Agri Beef, FSIS, Eckrich, IHOP
The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Paramount Pictures has plans for a comedy loosely based on Jamie Oliver and his short-lived reality TV series more...
ConAgra Foods to buy two frozen meal businesses
ConAgra Foods announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to buy the Bertolli and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu frozen meals businesses from Unilever more...
Four recalls: chicken and sausage; listeria and allergens
USDA announced four recalls late Friday afternoon. Three were on listeria concerns, of which two were linked to a diced onion recall by the FDA. The fourth more...
CDC reports drop in E. coli illnesses
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says instances of E. coli O175:H7 and Shingella infections continued a five-year decline in more...
Meat industry asks EPA to waive ethanol mandate for drought relief
Organizations representing poultry, beef and pork producers today petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to waive the federal mandate for more...
Animal Ag Alliance cuts ties with Bank of America over HSUS
The Animal Agriculture Alliance has announced that it is ending a 25-year relationship with Bank of America after the bank refused to sever its ties with more...
Pilgrim’s ends first half profitably, braces for tough second half
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. posted today its second-straight profitable quarter, ending the first half of 2012 on a high note as the company and its industry more...
Legal flap over Perdue’s use of 'Simply Smart' tag moves forward
A trademark dispute over Perdue Farms Inc.’s use of the term “Simply Smart” and other language to promote its chicken products will more...
Foster Farms, Fresno State break ground on education center
Foster Farms broke ground today on the new Foster Farms Poultry Education and Research Facility at The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology more...
Mexico begins vaccinations of 10 million birds to combat flu outbreak
Agricultural officials in Mexico this week began innoculating an estimated 10 million chickens and hens in an effort to limit the effects of a bird flu more...
Undeclared allergen prompts small chicken recall
Santa Clara, Calif.-based Piccadilly Fine Foods is recalling some 79 pounds of chicken and yam pie products because they may include a curry paste containing more...
News Briefs: Smithfield ammonia leak; Heinkel's anniversary; Ruby Tuesday; Checkoff support
A spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Labor says an investigation into the cause of a May 31 ammonia leak at a Smithfield Foods more...
Burger company to build new frozen food plant
White Castle will build a new frozen foods plant in Vandalia, Ohio, the company announced Wednesday. The company plans to spend about $18 million to build more...
More egg sets, chicks placed for the first time in 14 months
Commercial hatcheries set more eggs and placed more broiler-type chicks than a year ago last week, the first year-over-year increases since April and more...
McDonald’s tests spicy Mighty Wings
McDonald’s is testing spicy, deep-fried, bone-in chicken wings at its restaurants in Atlanta. But don’t expect the item, called Mighty Wings more...
France's Doux to sell majority stake to Barclays, fate of Brazil assets unknown
Europe's largest poultry producer, France's Doux, plans to accept an offer from Barclays Bank to sell a majority stake in the company in order to continue more...
OSHA cites Bridgford for willful and repeat violations
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Anaheim, Calif.-based Bridgford Food Processing Corp. with more...
Taiwan will allow U.S. beef imports containing ractopamine
Taiwan’s legislature passed a bill Wednesday allowing the import of U.S. beef containing some amounts of ractopamine, a leanness-enhancing feed more...
Radio station leaves ABC over LFTB coverage
A Sioux City, Iowa, AM radio station will be switching its national news affiliation to CBS from ABC effective July 30. The company is pointing the finger more...
Beef, poultry prices jump in USDA’s latest consumer index
Beef prices were up 0.6 percent in June, while poultry prices increased 1.5 percent and pork prices fell 0.1 percent in the month, according to USDA’s more...
Hormel announces retirements, promotions
Hormel Foods Corp. announced today the upcoming retirements of Douglas Reetz, vice president of Hormel Foods and senior vice president of consumer products more...
Beef demand is still the key: analyst
The following is republished with permission from the Oklahoma State University’s Cow Calf Corner newsletter: Beef Demand is Still the Key more...
UK Parliament blasts moratorium on desinewed meat
A report issued this month by UK’s Parliament concluded that the European Commission’s decision to impose a moratorium on the production of more...
USAPEEC supports efforts to control avian influenza in Mexico
The USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) and Mexico’s Union Nacional de Avicultores (UNA) have recently established a NAFTA Egg and Poultry more...
Chef explains new children’s menu for Hyatt
Alice Waters is known around the world for her passionate, often unconventional views about food — ideas brought to life at her iconic restaurant more...
Cargill recalls ground beef on salmonella concerns
Cargill Meat Solutions in Wyalusing, Pa., is recalling 29,339 pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis more...
Vilsack on drought: My focus is on livestock producers
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced new flexibility and assistance in the USDA’s major conservation programs to get much-needed help more...
Sysco joins effort to eliminate sow gestation stalls among suppliers
Sysco Corp. is the latest food industry player to commit to eliminating sow gestation stalls from its pork supply chain, confirming its move through the more...
Brazilian bank has losses of US$1.25 billion on meat processing investments
The equity investment arm of Brazil's National Development Bank (BNDESPar) currently holds a cumulative loss of BRL2.56 billion (US$1.25 billion) for more...
Cold storage inventory is drawn down, but still high
The amount of beef, pork and poultry in cold storage was less at the end of June than it had been at the end of May, but nevertheless far greater than more...
AFA Foods to close another ground beef plant
AFA Foods Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April following extensive media coverage and consumer backlash over lean finely textured more...
New Jersey firm recalls RTE meat, poultry on listeria concerns
Bridgeton, N.J.-based Buona Vita Inc. is recalling about 72,510 pounds of various frozen, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products due to possible contamination more...
Cargill CEO: The fight over GMOs is coming, so be prepared
MINNEAPOLIS – Although India and China account for 40 percent of the 1 billion undernourished people in the world, Africa represents the largest more...
June commercial red meat production down from last year
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.02 billion pounds in June, down 5 percent from the 4.22 billion pounds produced in June more...
Canadian lender to sue JBS over role with failed Brazilian tannery
SAO PAULO, Brazil — An international lending company is planning to sue JBS SA on claims that the Brazilian processor acquired the assets of an more...
Livestock, poultry groups release ethanol study
A coalition of livestock and poultry groups is urging Congress to change the Renewable Fuels Standard. The moves comes after a study, conducted by Thomas more...
Group says humanely raised meat is more nutritious
A group opposed to so-called factory farming has analyzed data from 76 scientific studies to conclude that meat from animals raised in “higher-welfare” more...
U of Illinois offers drought resources website
University of Illinois Extension has launched an Illinois Drought Resources website. Although the site is focused on information related to the weather more...
News Briefs: Another gestation crate pledge, Omaha Steaks' referral program, new Quiznos execs, and more
TrustHouse Services – the country’s sixth-largest U.S. foodservice company, serving 150,000 meals daily – announced in a joint press more...
Pork processors tread lightly on gestation issue; activists do not
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Representatives from Cargill and Farmland Foods on Tuesday told Illinois pork producers they had no intention of asking them more...
USDA publishes initial non-O157:H7 beef testing results
USDA has released data on initial testing for six non-O157:H7 strains of E. coli in beef conducted since June 4. Of 110 samples of beef trim that have more...
Smithfield to refinance to reduce interest expenses
Smithfield Foods announced it is initiating an underwritten public offering, subject to market and other conditions, of $650 million aggregate principal more...
Experts weigh in on undercover video of hog farm
Animal activist group Mercy for Animals has released a new undercover video that raised questions about animal handling practices at a Minnesota hog farm more...
Corn prices, industry groups put ethanol on the hot seat
The drought and rising grain prices have provided an opportunity for livestock groups and meat processors to again push for a waiver of the renewable more...
Drought damage to corn supplies likely has been done: analysts
STOWE, Vt. — It’s got to be bad when the discussion over corn supplies amid a severe drought in the Midwest gets to some never-used clause more...
Brazil's confined cattle herd should top 3.9 million this year
The number of confined cattle in Brazil should rise 13 percent this year, to around 3.9 million head from 3.46 million head in 2011, according to Brazil's more...
Analyst lowers Smithfield 2013, '14 earnings estimates
Citing a recent stock drop and concern about the upcoming grain harvest, Stephens Inc. analyst Farha Aslam has lowered earnings estimates for Smithfield more...
OSHA proposes more than $92,000 in fines for Quail International
The U.S. Labor Dept.’s Occupational Safety and Heath Administration (OSHA) cited Quail International Inc. for 23 alleged safety and health violations more...
News briefs: Moo & Oink; Glorious Malone; British pork; Rosina Foods' Corigliano
Chicago-based Moo & Oink LLC has named Chicagoan Dwight Evans II corporate chef and “grill master extraordinaire.” Evans serves as the more...
OSHA hands down nearly $200,000 in penalties in worker’s death
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Hastings Acquisition LLC, which operates as Nebraska more...
Heinz joins gestation crate trend
H.J. Heinz Co., maker of Weight Watchers frozen meals, and foods distributed under the T.G.I. Friday’s and Classico brands, has joined the parade more...
Australasia poultry company Inghams Enterprises prepares for sale
Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd. – Australasia’s largest poultry producer – is preparing to sell its assets after 94 years as a privately more...
Researcher: Chicken is a "workhorse" for foodervice operators
STOWE, Vt. — New research that polled 3,500 consumers and nearly 400 restaurant operators in May points to new opportunities and challenges for more...
Nearly 95,000 pounds of soup recalled
Austin, Ind.-based Morgan Foods, Inc. is recalling approximately 94,850 pounds of corn chowder soup products that may contain foreign materials, the U more...
EPA finds deficiencies in Iowa animal farm discharge regulation
The Environmental Protection Agency announced an informal investigation found “several correctable deficiencies” in the Iowa Department of more...
Chicken vaccines may have created new virus: researchers
Australian scientists said virus strains used to vaccinate chickens in the country may have combined to form a virus that is killing the birds. To combat more...
Canada plans single national traceability system
Canada plans to build a single, national livestock traceability system called the Canadian Agri-Traceability Services (CATS), with investment from the more...
Pork exports to China remain strong
U.S. pork exports in May were at 150,235 metric tons, 8.2 percent larger than a year ago, according to the CME Group's Daily Livestock Report. Japan and more...
Darden to buy restaurant chain, eyes upscale guests
Darden Restaurants Inc. said it agreed to acquire Yard House USA Inc. from a private equity firm for $585 million in cash in a move to attract younger more...
Cargill's Excel found liable for damages in Sizzler E. coli case
Sizzler USA Franchise Inc. can recover damages from Cargill’s Excel Corp. in the case of a little girl who died 12 years ago from E. coli contamination more...
Major foodservice company latest to move on gestation crates
Sodexo Inc. will ask all of its pork suppliers to provide plans to eliminate gestation crates from the farms they own and operate as well as from their more...
House farm bill advances; includes GIPSA amendment (UPDATED)
Now that the House Agriculture Committee has approved the farm bill, formally known as the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012 more...
News Briefs: new CAB products hit stores, Hillshire Brands hires exec, Beef Checkoff updates retail site
Golden West Food Group has launched new marinated products that include a variety of Certified Angus Beef cuts in flavors such as honey bourbon and Kansas more...
USDA slashes corn crop, feed use; sees more cattle off pastures
USDA cut its U.S. corn crop estimate by a massive 1.8 billion bushels, to 12.97 billion, and slashed its livestock feed use forecast by 650 million bushels more...
Vilsack sets aid for livestock producers, but holds firm on ethanol
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced programs to aid farmers and ranchers hit by this year’s drought and urged Congress to work faster more...
HSUS unveils new legal tactic
The Humane Society of the United States announced this morning that it will sue 51 pig producing operations in Iowa, North Carolina and Oklahoma for “unreported more...
TPP’s new kid doesn’t play by the rules, pork producers say
Now that Canada has been approved for membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, effective in October, pork producers in the U.S., New Zealand and Australia more...
Baconator family welcomes burger offspring
The newest addition to Wendy’s burger lineup bears a striking resemblance to its namesake. Called Son of Baconator, the new sandwich starts with more...
House of Raeford criminal case re-filed
The Department of Justice has re-filed a criminal case against House of Raeford Farms Inc. and its plant manager, Gregory Steenblock, alleging criminal more...
Koch Foods to expand Ohio plant, add jobs
Poultry processing giant Koch Foods plans to expand its plant in Fairfield, Ohio, in a move that could add at least 390 jobs within three years, a Fairfield more...
Russia bans pork from Smithfield's largest plant
Russia has announced it will ban pork imports from Smithfield Packing Inc.’s facility in Tar Heel, N.C., according to the Food Safety and Inspection more...
KFC launches bite-sized chicken product to battle 'nugget-mania'
KFC is introducing a bite-sized chicken product that the chain is calling its biggest product launch since its grilled chicken line was introduced in more...
News Briefs: West Liberty landfill-free; Stampede secures credit; Farmers Produce plant expansion
West Liberty Foods announced today that its Mount Pleasant, Iowa, plant has successfully achieved ‘landfill free’ status. This status more...
Analysts downgrade protein processors on weather, crop concerns
Hot weather and higher feed prices are affecting the outlook of three protein companies, resulting in earnings estimate adjustments and ratings downgrades more...
Baja Fresh says pork suppliers need a gestation stall plan
Fresh Enterprises, LLC, owner of the Baja Fresh, La Salsa Mexican Grill and Canyon’s Burger restaurant concepts, announced that it is committed more...
Study: BSE may spread before identified in central nervous system
Although previous research has indicated that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) becomes affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) only after more...
Chocolate and peanuts and piglets, oh my!
Smithfield Foods announced it will open on Tuesday a restaurant in its home town of Smithfield, Va. adjacent to its newly located retail shop which will more...
Court ruling favors Perdue in RICO suit
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit this week affirmed a lower court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit that a group of hourly-wage employees more...
No injuries in Farmland Foods plant fire
No one was injured in a fire at a Farmland Foods Inc. processing plant in Lincoln, Nebraska, that began in a storage room filled with flattened cardboard more...
Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s set 10-year goal on pork supplier gestation stall use
CKE Restaurants, owner of the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurant chains has set a goal of transitioning to acquiring all of its pork from more...
Brazilian exports for 3 main meat sectors take major fall in June
Brazilian exports of beef, pork and poultry fell significantly in June in both volume and revenue, hit by declining prices throughout the global market more...
AMSA names president-elect to board
Dr. Robert “Bob” Delmore, professor of animal science at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, has been named president-elect more...
Codex adopts ractopamine standards
Member countries of the Codex Alimentarius Commission voted today 69-67 in favor of adopting standards for maximum residue levels for ractopamine hydrochloride more...
Food industry to Rep. Slaughter: We follow the rules on antibiotics
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) continued her campaign against antibiotics use in animal agriculture by sending a detailed questionnaire to 60 fast food more...
Diseases from animals kill millions of people: study
Diseases transmitted from livestock to people who raise them account for more than 2 million human deaths a year worldwide, and growing demand for meat more...
Food Price Index at lowest level in 21 months
The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Price Index fell for the third consecutive month in June 2012, dropping to its lowest more...
Dutch pork processing giant could close U.K. plant due to losses
Dutch meat processing giant Vion announced that its Vion UK unit could be forced to close its Hall’s of Broxburn, Scotland, pork processing plant more...
Weather and other factors change cattle market outlook
The following article is republished with permission from the Oklahoma State University Cow/Calf Corner newsletter. Weather and Other Factors Change Cattle more...
MLA outlines markets for Australian beef by cut
Meat & Livestock Australia analyzed export data and broke out which markets prefer which cuts of Australian beef. In 2011, Australian industry more...
Bird flu results in more than 1 million chicken deaths in Mexico, China
Officials in Mexico and China are dealing with separate outbreaks of bird flu that have killed at least 870,000 chickens in western Mexico and forced more...
USDA launches food safety smartphone app in Spanish
USDA announced a new Spanish-language food safety app is available to consumers around the clock on their mobile devices. “Mobile Pregúntele more...
Major buffet chain to menu sirloin daily
Greer, S.C.-based Buffets Inc. announced starting July 5 it is offering its Rancher's Select Sirloin every night at all of its brands which include over more...
Washington Post joins anti-antibiotics chorus
A Washington Post editorial published this week joined a swell of scrutiny against the use of antibiotics in food animals. The article, titled “Meat more...
China’s Olympic athletes struggle with meatless diets
Chinese officials and coaches are blaming the struggles of their Olympic athletes on meat-free diets imposed to avoid potential disqualification from more...
Third time’s a charm for P.F. Chang’s new owner
New York-based private equity firm Centerbridge Partners is set to complete the $1.1 billion purchase of P.F. Chang's China Bistro Inc. In May the company more...
News briefs: Neuske’s, Eckrich, ARAMARK, IFT, Beef Checkoff
Neuske’s Applewood Smoked Meats is celebrating its sixth gold medal from the National Association for the Specialty Trade Meats organization. The more...
OSHA, Pilgrim’s Pride resolve whistleblower case
The U.S. Department of Labor announced it has entered an agreement with Pilgrim's Pride Corp. in Mount Pleasant, Texas to resolve an investigation by more...
Meat processors admit to harboring illegal aliens
Behrmann Meat Processing and Behrmann Yorkshire Farms have been ordered to forfeit to the federal government a reported $50,000 in property and pay a more...
Calif. poultry processor gets court reprieve
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction that temporarily prevents the city of Rosemead, Calif., from kicking poultry processor CAL Poultry more...
NRA sees positive restaurant sales in May despite slip from April
The National Restaurant Association says its Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) held above 100 for the seventh consecutive month in May, although the more...
June 2012
WTO rules again against U.S. COOL
A World Trade Organization appellate body upheld today an earlier ruling by a dispute panel that U.S. country-of-origin labeling law violates Washington’s more...
Smithfield celebrates declining worker injury rates
Smithfield Foods announced its companywide injury rate in 2011 continued at its lowest levels in company history and remained well below the national more...
Analysts see Hillshire Brands as takeover target
Sara Lee Corp. spinoff Hillshire Brands Co. is just one day old, but analysts are already speculating that it is a takeover target. Shares of the new more...
Johnsonville blends chicken and pork in new sausage
Sheboygan Falls, Wis.-based Johnsonville Sausage today announced the launch of its new Pork and Chicken Sausage - available in Traditional Brat and Mild more...
USDA reports huge corn acreage, but prices soar as weather looms larger
USDA reported U.S. farmers planted 96.4 million acres of corn, the largest acreage since 1937 and a bit more than analysts were expecting, but concerns more...
Three charged in $1.6 million meat theft
Three people have been charged with stealing meat valued at an estimated $1.6 million from a beef packing plant in a scheme that lasted several years more...
Donning and doffing suit denied class action status
A judge has denied class action status to complainants in a donning-and-doffing lawsuit filed by former employees of Overhill Farms Inc., according to more...
Smashburger expanding again
Denver, Colo.-based Smashburger announced six new franchise partners, which puts them on track to expand from 160 to 507 locations over the next several more...
News Briefs: JBS education; NCC directors; Smokey Bones CEO; Tony Roma COO; White Castle pulled pork
JBS S.A. will offer StraighterLine online courses to the company’s employees and employees’ immediate family members as an option for their more...
WTO agrees to investigate India restrictions on U.S. poultry
The World Trade Organization on Monday accepted a request by the United States for a dispute settlement panel to probe India’s restrictions on U more...
Nebraska Beef to pay GIPSA penalty
Nebraska Beef Ltd. has entered into a consent decision with GIPSA that will cost the company $15,000 in a civil penalty. The Omaha, Neb.-based company more...
Largest JBS Australia plant expected to shut for a day
Australia's largest meat processing plant, the JBS facility at Dinmore near Brisbane, will close for the day on Friday rather than operate around a four-hour more...
Five Guys leads fastest-growing chains
Lorton, Va.-based Five Guys Burgers and Fries tops the list of fastest-growing chains, according to Nation Restaurant News’ own Top 5 list published more...
Sexy farm video parody could be positive for animal agriculture
The Peterson Farm Bros. have created a YouTube parody of the rapper group LMFAO’s “Sexy And I Know It” song called “I’m more...
Looming carbon tax concerns Australian protein producers
A tax on carbon emissions that targets an estimated 500 Australian businesses goes into effect July 1 and some processors are considering temporary closures more...
Press conference for 'pink slime' book postponed
A press conference scheduled for this afternoon, to launch a book describing one former Beef Products Inc. manager's experience with the media backlash more...
Poultry meat output rises in May
Poultry certified wholesome during May (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.86 billion pounds, up 1 percent from the amount certified in May 2011, USDA reported more...
QSR expands chicken tender offerings
Hardee's announced today the expansion of its Hand-Breaded Chicken Tender Sandwiches line-up to include three new varieties: Original, Honey Mustard and more...
Former Minneapolis beef processing executive dead at 75
Robert Goldberger, who owned Minneapolis-based beef packing company GFI America Inc., died on June 22 after a long battle with heart disease, according more...
Supreme court strikes down parts of Arizona immigration law
The Supreme Court announced it has upheld one section of Arizona’s tough immigration law but struck down three others. The law was passed in 2010 more...
Ex-BPI manager to launch book, lawsuit over LFTB saga
Beef Products Inc.’s former director of environmental health and safety Bruce Smith plans a press conference on Tuesday at which he’ll unveil more...
Insurance firm buys another restaurant chain
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Fidelity National Financial (FNF) announced it signed a definitive agreement to buy the casual dining chain J. Alexander's in more...
USDA’s food price index holds steady between April and May
Overall food costs were unchanged between April and May, even though the latest USDA figures show that the food Consumer Price Index (CPI) is 2.8 percent more...
Pork, beef supplies in cold storage rise from a year ago, chicken declines
U.S. frozen pork supplies on May 31 were down 4 percent from the previous month but up 16 percent from last year, USDA reported in its monthly Cold Storage more...
USDA reports record May pork production
U.S. pork production in May totaled 1.93 billion pounds, up 9 percent from the previous year and a record for the month of May, USDA reported in its monthly more...
South Korea to ease U.S. beef import inspection
South Korea will end special inspections of all U.S. beef imports over the weekend, nearly two months after Washington confirmed its fourth case of bovine more...
Papa John’s tops customer satisfaction survey; McDonald’s last
American consumers rated Papa John’s No. 1 among limited-service restaurants in a major survey gauging overall consumer satisfaction, while McDonald’s more...
Ag Sec outlines beef, pork, poultry gains of permanent normal trade with Russia
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told a Senate committee U.S. pork, beef and poultry exports stand to gain from ending the application of the Jackson-Vanik more...
Eggs from wheat? Bacon from maize?
The food information gap isn’t simply a U.S. phenomenon: In the U.K., 10 percent of British 16- to 23-year-olds believe eggs come from wheat or more...
Senate passes farm bill
The U.S. Senate passed the farm bill earlier this afternoon, voting to end direct payments and other subsidies to farmers, expand crop insurance and provide more...
Rhode Island bans sow and calf stalls, cattle tail docking
Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee has signed legislation that will prohibit animal agriculture producers from using sow gestation stalls, from confining more...
ConAgra sales rise, but profit off due to pension costs
ConAgra Foods Inc. reported a net loss in its fiscal fourth quarter due to an accounting change for its pension obligations but said price increases and more...
House committee passes amendment to ban horse slaughter
The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed an amendment proposed by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) that would (again) eliminate federal funding for more...
Workers at JBS plant in Australia prepare to strike: reports
More than 500 workers at the JBS Australia Fitzroy meat processing plant in central Queensland are preparing to go on strike after more than a year of more...
Consumers want antibiotic-free meat: poll
A majority of Americans want their supermarkets to sell antibiotic-free meat, according to a new national poll conducted by Consumer Reports. The poll more...
Marfrig, Carrefour Brazil to sell meat products under new agreement
Marfrig Group and supermarket chain Carrefour signed a new partnership last Thursday, Brazilian news site Globo Rural reports. Under this agreement, the more...
Burger King begins trading on NYSE
Burger King Worldwide Inc. on Wednesday said it completed its business combination with a subsidiary of Justice Holdings Ltd. As a result, the burger more...
Canada’s turn: TPP extends a hand
While Mexico was getting its invitation to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement negotiations, the nine countries also were extending a welcome more...
Old Wisconsin unveils two new turkey snacks
Old Wisconsin has added Turkey Snack Slices and Turkey Summer Sausage to its line-up of turkey meat snack products, introducing them at the recent IDDBA more...
Farm bill logjam broken; controversial amendments dropped
Late Monday night Senators reached a bipartisan compromise on the 2012 farm bill that axed most of the proposed amendments and set the proposed legislation more...
Mexico gets invite to TPP party
Mexico has been invited to join the negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office announced more...
Tyson re-listed by Asian beef importers
Japan, South Korea and Taiwan all have relisted a Tyson Foods plant as eligible to resume beef exports to those countries, USDA’s Food Safety and more...
Aurora Packing offers DNA-traceable kosher beef
Aurora Packing Co. is distributing kosher beef products in New York, Florida and California that is DNA-traceable back to the animal of origin, the company more...
More EU nations on track to ditch sow crates by 2013
Efforts by the British government to push the European Union toward compliance with a ban on sow crates by Jan. 1, 2013 appear to be on track. Nine of more...
Sonic Corp. to source pork from gestation stall-free suppliers
Drive-in restaurant chain Sonic Corp. announced plans today to buy pork only from suppliers that don’t use sow gestation stalls, the Humane Society more...
Hebrew National targeted in class-action suit over kosher practices
Hot dog specialist Hebrew National is being sued in a Minnesota district court for allegedly not upholding standards to certify that its products meet more...
Sara Lee’s meat business names chief innovation officer
Sara Lee Corp. announced today the hiring of Sally Grimes to the position of chief innovation officer of the company’s meat-focused Hillshire Brands more...
A&P extends private label Angus line
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Inc. (A&P) has extended its in-house Woodson & James line of Angus beef products with a hot dog offering more...
News Briefs: Cargill plant manager; USAPEEC officers; Keystone promotion; 1 million egg layers
Jarrod Gillig has moved into the positions of vice president and general manager of Cargill Meat Solutions in Plainview, Texas, effective June 1. Gillig more...
Lightning ignites fire near JBS beef plant
Lightning struck a wastewater lagoon at JBS Swift’s Grand Island, Neb., plant on Thursday night and caused an explosion and fire, a spokeswoman more...
Immigration issues heat up with policy shift announcement
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has unveiled a big change in national immigration policy, announcing that some young people who were brought more...
French poultry group will receive $44.2 million credit line
French poultry group Doux will receive a US$44.2 million (€35 million) line of credit to pay its suppliers, along with animal transport and packaging more...
Stock analysts see buying opportunity in Smithfield
Shares of Smithfield Foods are undervalued after selling off on weak fourth-quarter earnings, Wall Street analysts said, and some recommended buying the more...
Condo Kale-ifornia
Vegetarians and vegans will find it easy to live it up at the Madison Jackson Building on New York’s Lower East Side: The building is being marketed more...
Smithfield profit down on weak fresh pork margins
Smithfield Foods Inc. said its fourth-quarter profit fell 19 percent, hurt by lower fresh pork margins, increased hog supplies and soft domestic retail more...
Cracker Barrel latest chain to take a stand on gestation stalls
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. announced it would begin formulating plans for a pork supply system that is free of gestation stalls. The move follows more...
New plant possibly in the works for New York
The Herkimer County (N.Y.) Board of Legislators will seek funding for a potential meat processing plant in Frankfort, N.Y. According to local media reports more...
Mountaire Farms buys grain elevator
Mountaire Farms announced it has purchased Gavilon Grain in Townsend, Del. “Mountaire is a producer of high quality chicken products with market more...
News Briefs: BI-LO updates stores, livestock auction fraud sentencing, Johnsonville app
Over the last two months, BI-LO has update 13 of its stores in the Carolinas. The redesign includes signature food items such as the Gold Star line of more...
Brazil court orders Greenpeace to remove JBS report from website
JBS SA has obtained a court ordered injunction in Brazil that requires environmental group Greenpeace to remove from its website the report “JBS more...
Pilgrim’s Pride workers vote for union representation
Over 1,000 hourly wage employees at Pilgrim’s Pride’s Russellville, Ala. Plant voted for representation by the Retail Wholesale and Department more...
OSI triples production at Hungarian plant
OSI Food Solutions Hungary announced today a $25 million addition to its Bábolna, Hungary, plant that has tripled production of processed chicken more...
You want sprinkles on that…or bacon?
Burger King announced a number of limited time offer summer menu items, including a bacon sundae. The sundae, successfully test-marketed in Nashville more...
Senator adds hen welfare to farm bill proposal
In the latest attempt to push forward already proposed legislation that would mandate housing protocols for egg-laying hens, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif more...
Senate bill would remove obstacle to normalized trade with Russia
Four senators have proposed a bill that would establish permanent normalized trade relations (PNTR) with Russia by revoking the 1974 Jackson Jackson-Vanik more...
USDA sees lower beef, higher pork and poultry output
USDA lowered its forecast for 2012 U.S. beef production to 25.088 billion pounds from 25.190 billion a month ago as lower steer and heifer slaughter more more...
Wis. processor faces $186,000 in fines for latest safety violations
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited VPP Group LLC with 11 safety violations and $186,000 in fines more...
Independent electronic livestock tracking goes live in Louisiana
Louisiana agriculture officials have implemented what they describe as a state-of-the-art livestock tracking system designed to improve detection of foreign more...
New warnings on toxoplasmosis threat in undercooked organic meat
Higher demand for “organically raised” or “free-range” meat could increase the spread of a parasite that’s already carried more...
Brazilian group accuses Greenpeace of defaming JBS, considers lawsuit
The National Union of Meat Industry of Brazil (or União Nacional da Indústria da Carne: UNIEC) has refuted recent Greenpeace allegations more...
Pork export up, beef exports down in April: USMEF
U.S. pork muscle cut and variety meat exports in April were up slightly in volume and up 4 percent in value from a year ago while beef exports declined more...
Taiwan legislators launch filibuster to thwart U.S. beef import change
A dispute over a proposed amendment allowing U.S. beef containing ractopamine to enter Taiwan has sparked a planned five-day, 120-hour filibuster by that more...
Judge upholds Greater Omaha’s counterclaim against Cargill in E. coli suit
A federal judge Thursday denied a motion by Cargill Meat Solutions to dismiss a counterclaim by Greater Omaha Packing Co. in a lawsuit spurred by a 2007 more...
Coalition says USDA “significantly underestimated” cost of new traceability rule
If implemented, the USDA’s Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) program would cost the cattle industry $1.3 billion annually. This according to a coalition more...
Meat has stronger nutritional case to make: Layden
PARIS — Meat protein has a stronger case to make in the nutritional debates, but the industry must pull together to speak with one voice to really more...
JBS loses another international customer over Amazon destruction allegations
JBS has lost yet another customer over Amazon destruction allegations, a plus one to a list that already includes IKEA, Clarks, Princes, Sainsbury’s more...
Missouri horse slaughter plant to open by end of summer
Unified Equine Missouri announced the company is on track to re-open an existing meat processing plant in Rockville, Mo., by summer's end to slaughter more...
World protein markets in midst of structural change: Rabobank’s Nelson
PARIS — The fundamental economics underlying world grain and protein markets have changed, and the sector is heading into new territory, said David more...
Tyson to offer $1 billion in notes, repurchase older debt
Tyson Foods Inc. announced plans to restructure its debt through a bond offering that reduces its interest rate. The company said it has agreed to sell more...
Meat lasagna recalled for undeclared allergens
Windsor Quality Food Co. of Toluca, Ill., is recalling approximately 96,408 pounds of meat lasagna products that contain egg and soy, both known allergens more...
Egg sets, chicks placed inch down
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 200 million eggs in incubators during the week ending June 2, down 2 percent from the eggs set more...
Ruby Tuesday founder steps down
Casual dining chain Ruby Tuesday Inc. announced that Founder, Chairman, CEO and President Sandy Beall plans to retire. Beall will continue to serve in more...
Scathing Greenpeace report on JBS prompts grocer-clients to react
British grocery chain Tesco said Wednesday it has canceled its meat contract with Brazil's JBS SA after Greenpeace published a report Wednesday morning more...
Study suggests changing MCOOL labeling for Canadian beef and pork
A new study by Canadian and U.S. public policy research firms suggests current U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) rules should be changed more...
Bob Evans' profit strong, but revenue light
Bob Evans Farms Inc. said net income rose 20 percent in the fiscal fourth quarter from a year ago as operational improvements in its plants and restaurants more...
Taco Bell goes upscale with new menu
Taco Bell announced a wide array of new Cantina Bell menu offerings developed by celebrity chef Lorena Garcia aimed at providing more gourmet-inspired more...
News Briefs: National Pork Board officers; new Butterball product; Beef Checkoff, Garrett Foods new beef items
Conley Nelson, a farmer and pork production executive from Algona, Iowa, was elected president of the 15-member National Pork Board Tuesday during the more...
Federal judge orders FDA to consider petitions on antibiotics in food animals
A federal judge late Monday once again ordered the Food and Drug Administration to consider petitions that it limit the use of antibiotics in food animals more...
Just three states ordered school lunch beef with LFTB by mid-May (updated)
USDA data shows that just three state agencies — Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota — making initial ground beef purchases through the agency’s more...
California processor upgrades meat plant
Pocino Foods announced today an $8 million expansion of its deli and prepared meat products plant in City of Industry, Calif. The fourth and largest expansion more...
Sara Lee meat company named Hillshire Brands
Sara Lee Corp. announced today that Hillshire Brands Company is the new name of its meat-centric North American business, which will be listed on the more...
Kroger urges suppliers to accelerate transition from gestation stalls
Supermarket chain giant Kroger Co. today urged its pork suppliers to speed up their transition away from using gestation stalls, but also reminded its more...
US Foods buys New City Packing, to relocate Stock Yards Chicago
Rosemont, Ill.-based US Foods announced it has purchased steak and portion meat processor New City Packing Company. Founded in 1884, New City Packing more...
OSI launches new production facility
Aurora, Ill.-based OSI Group LLC and refrigerated warehousing and distribution services company Millard have opened a new OSI plant attached to the existing more...
Nathan’s Famous reports fiscal results
Jericho, N.Y.-based Nathan's Famous Inc. reported improved financial results in the year ended March 25, even when calculated without last year’s more...
JBS holding co. backs away from scandal-ridden Delta in Brazil
J&F Participações, the Brazilian holding company of meat processor JBS SA, will not exercise an option to buy local construction company more...
Fire breaks out at N.C. plant
A fire broke out at the Washington Packing Company in Chocowinity, N.C., just before 6 a.m. today, according to WCTI2.com. Several fire units were sent more...
Industry should learn from LFTB: Vilsack
The media storm over lean finely textured beef (LFTB) is a “lesson” for meat companies about the growing influence of social media, USDA Secretary more...
NPPC disappointed with McDonald’s decision on gestation stalls
The National Pork Producers Council expressed disappointment with McDonald’s decision to move forward with requiring its pork suppliers to phase more...
Nolan Ryan Beef rolls out grass-fed line
Huntsville, Texas-based Nolan Ryan Beef announced today the launch of its All-Natural Grass-Fed Beef line. The beef is derived from cattle raised exclusively more...
Hands off students’ lunches, N.C. lawmakers tell childcare facilities
The North Carolina state senate has unanimously approved legislation that would bar childcare facilities from providing food or drink to students whose more...
May 2012
Tyson sued over patented fuel made from animal fat
A Finnish fuel company has sued Tyson Foods Inc., claiming Tyson fuel products derived from animal fats infringe a patent on a renewable diesel fuel it more...
Kayem Foods expands ballpark domination with new deal
The Miami Marlins and Kayem Foods announced today a new multi-year sponsorship and licensing agreement to manufacture and distribute Kayem Franks and more...
Salmonella cases since 2004 linked to mail-order hatchery
Researchers have linked human salmonella infections with live poultry from a mail-order hatchery. The researchers, led by Nicholas Gaffga of the Centers more...
FSIS issues new export document procedures for China
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued new documentation procedures for certifying exports to China. “The government of the more...
News Briefs: E. coli webinar; Roseda deal; AMI blog; AMSA award; Drive-through data
The North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP), the National Meat Association (NMA) and other industry groups will host a webinar June 7 at 2 p more...
OSHA fines N.Y. chicken processor
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited MB Consultants Ltd., doing business as Murray's Chickens, for eight more...
Pilgrim’s Pride considers additional cuts at Tenn. plant: report
Pilgrim’s Pride may lay off or transfer from its Chattanooga, Tenn., processing plant as many as 400 workers by June 15, according to a report by more...
Most analysts impressed with Sanderson earnings, upgrade forecasts
Sanderson Farms shares fell yesterday even as it reported strong second-quarter earnings, but three Wall Street analysts today boosted their earnings-per-share more...
U.S. corn crop off to a strong start, raising yield expectations
USDA reported 72 percent of the U.S. corn crop in major producing states was rated in good or excellent condition in the week ended May 27, down from more...
This grilling season, will consumers finally dig in? A Q&A
As we lit the charcoal to mark the start of the outdoor dining season, Meatingplace checked in with James Robb, director of the Livestock Marketing Information more...
Sanderson Farms earnings aided by chicken and corn prices
Higher chicken prices and lower corn prices contributed to Sanderson Farms second quarter profits of $23.9 million, or $1.04 per share, on sales of $595 more...
French poultry group Doux near bankruptcy, suspends two execs
French poultry group Doux suspended two lead executives last week without explanation, following the decision earlier this month to lease its plants in more...
Poultry processor suffers Memorial Day fire
Harrison Poultry, based in Bethlehem, Ga., was hit with a fire Memorial Day afternoon that reached from the processing facility’s basement to the more...
JBS holding company wants new construction asset to benefit beef exports
Grupo J&F, the holding company of meat processor JBS SA, is expected to change the name this week of recently acquired Brazilian construction company more...
News Briefs: Food safety confidence; USDA market reports; Fogo de Chao buyout; DiGiornio dipping sticks
Some 78 percent of American consumers feel “somewhat confident” of “very confident” in the safety of the U.S. food supply, up more...
Brazil beef exports reduce slightly in Q1, exchange rate optimism for Q2
Brazilian beef exports declined just under 2 percent by volume and revenue in the first quarter compared to 2011 but could bounce back in the second quarter more...
Who’s at the door? Kabob delivery!
Kabobs of all kinds are the fastest growing category of food to order online during warm weather, according to GrubHub. If that seems like a rather narrowly more...
Social media, smartphone apps connect consumers to groceries
Smartphone apps, the Internet and social media in general are increasingly common tools that consumers use to find recipes, shop for food and “connect more...
Tyson resumes operations following ammonia leak
Tyson Foods' Madison, Neb., pork plant has resumed operations following an ammonia leak that forced an evacuation Thursday night, the company told Meatingplace more...
Pilgrim's cuts 85 jobs at Tenn. plant
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. announced it will lay off 85 workers today as the company makes operational improvements at the company's plant in Chattanooga more...
Misbranding, undeclared allergen prompts bratwurst recall
Portland, Ore.-based Zenner's Quality Meat Products is recalling some 3,660 pounds of a bratwurst product because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen more...
Red meat production holds steady year-on-year
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.86 billion pounds in April, down slightly from the 3.87 billion pounds produced in April more...
Undeclared allergen prompts small chicken recall
Mt. Airy Meat Center, a Mt. Airy, N.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 100 pounds of a frozen, raw chicken breast product because of misbranding more...
Analysts still skeptical on Hormel despite solid earnings
Concern about volatile pork industry margins is keeping analysts from embracing Hormel Foods stock even as they applaud the company’s strong second-quarter more...
USDA halts pork imports from the Mexican state of Queretaro
U.S. pork imports from the Mexican state of Queretaro have been halted based on USDA orders, ElEconomista.com.mx reports. The decision comes based on more...
Temper pork expectations in China: USMEF’s Haggard
Although China could present great opportunities for U.S. pork exporters in the long run, it should have ample domestic pork supplies through the rest more...
OIE gives Brazil a 'no risk' BSE rating; EU markets could open as result
Third time was the charm for Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture this week, as the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) approved on Wednesday the country's more...
National Beef sued in donning-and-doffing action
Two employees of National Beef Packing Co. have filed a donning-and-doffing lawsuit on behalf of the company’s more than 2,000 employees at its more...
Demand for turkey burgers lifts Hormel profit
Hormel Foods Corp. said its second-quarter earnings climbed 17 percent, beating expectations, on a strong showing by its Jennie-O Turkey Store line of more...
Suspicious fire shutters Alabama pork plant
A pork processing plant in Gadsden, Ala., was closed Wednesday after a fire deemed suspicious in origin caused extensive damage but no injuries. The Avco more...
Chicken’s a fast-rising star in foodservice: Mintel
New data from Mintel Menu Insights shows the number of U.S. menu items with poultry as an ingredient has climbed an average of 12 percent in the past more...
News Briefs: McDonald’s new culinary director; Benihana bought; Sizzler hires
McDonald’s Corp. has hired former Applebee’s executive chef Shannon Johnson to be the burger giant’s culinary director. The graduate more...
FSIS seeks comments on revised validation rule
Interested parties have until July 9 to submit comments on the long-awaited revised version of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s more...
Maryland Gov. to sign bill to ban arsenic in poultry feed
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley will sign into law today a ban on the use and sale of poultry feed containing roxarsone or any other additive that more...
Animal rescue groups sue to reclaim expenses in Feb. poultry incident
Three animal rescue agencies that say their efforts saved nearly 4,500 chickens in an incident in California three months ago are suing a poultry company more...
Alltech launches new beef, poultry line
Alltech, the animal health and nutrition company, is introducing a line of beef and poultry that is free of growth hormones and antibiotics and branded more...
News briefs: Miller's Ale House, 'roo meat market, AMI
Jupiter, Fla.-based casual dining chain Miller’s Ale House announced its first Illinois location, in Lombard, and said it plans to expand its number more...
OIG releases second and final N-60 report
On the heels of a report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), FSIS may start examining lymph nodes of cattle for the presence of Salmonella more...
Arrests made in one bomb threat case; police investigating another
Police in Mount Pleasant, Texas have arrested two people in connection with a bomb threat directed at a Pilgrim’s Pride processing facility there more...
APHIS lifts quarantines on Calif. dairies
With confirmation from two OIE laboratories that the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy discovered in April was atypical and not passed along through more...
Steakburgers recalled for undeclared allergens
J&B Group of Pipestone, Minn., is recalling about 456 pounds of steakhouse burgers that contain a seasoning mix that contains known allergens (soy more...
Brazilian prosecutor opens inquiry to construction firm purchase by JBS' parent company
The Federal Prosecutor of Rio de Janeiro opened an inquiry into Brazilian construction company Delta and holding company J&F Participações more...
Another restaurant chain plans an IPO
CKE Inc., parent of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, filed with U.S. regulators to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering, a month more...
Allergen prompts lamb dinner recall
August Foods Inc. in Downington, Pa., is recalling about 20,520 pounds of lamb koftis, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced more...
‘Turkey burger product’ recalled
Foster Farms, based in Turlock, Calif., is recalling about 15,040 pounds of a turkey burger product because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen more...
N.C. chicken plant closes; 116 workers lose jobs
The Gold Signature Foods processing plant in Monroe, N.C., has closed, putting 116 people out of work, according to a notice filed with the state’s more...
Arkansas plant evacuated after bomb threat
About 20 employees at a Butterball plant in Ozark, Ark., were evacuated early Wednesday following a bomb threat. A phone call was made by telephone shortly more...
When it comes to patents on meat cuts, financial rewards are rare
When it was announced in April that meat scientists had developed a process for mass-producing an entirely new steak – the Vegas Strip steak – more...
Western cultures link meat and masculinity, study finds
Western consumers see meat as metaphorically masculine, according to a study in the Journal of Consumer Research. The study found a strong perceived link more...
JBS nets US$58 mil in Q1, expects US$1.5 bil in extra revenue this year from acquisitions
JBS SA closed the first quarter with a net income of BRL116.1 million (US$58 million), a result down 21 percent from the same period last year, when it more...
Court dismisses NLRB law expediting union votes
A U.S. District Court judged deemed as invalid a rule passed by the National Labor Relations Board in December 2011 that aims to accelerate the process more...
Marfrig to restart beef plants
Brazilian beef processor Marfrig Alimentos SA plans to resume production in the second quarter at three of nine previously idled plants due to an uptick more...
Red Robin beefs up menu development team
Casual dining chain Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. is expanding its menu development staff with the addition of a director of research and development more...
News Briefs: Tyson CEO; Tyson promos; Hormel corporate responsibility; Fast-casual fuels restaurant growth
Tyson Foods Inc. announced Wednesday the appointment of Arex Lee as CEO of the company’s China operations. Prior to joining Tyson, Lee gained more more...
HSUS secures Denny’s cooperation on gestation stall policy
The Humane Society of the United States has announced that Denny’s has agreed to “work with its suppliers” to eliminate from its supply more...
Canadian processor to relocate workers in wake of plant fire (updated)
Olymel L.P. is relocating about 180 workers who were displaced when a fire at a bacon plant earlier this month significantly damaged the facility in Princeville more...
Oscar Mayer unveils meat with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
Oscar Mayer is building on its line of Selects Hot Dogs by launching a line of meats that contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, including more...
Private label use rises, but satisfaction on the decline
The number of consumers using private label food and beverage products continues to rise, but U.S. consumers are losing their enthusiasm for these value-oriented more...
Fitch sticks with 'BB-' rating for JBS, cites 'geographic diversification'
Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed its credit rating of “BB-” and stable outlook for Brazil's JBS SA, saying the world's largest meat processor more...
Win some, lose some for workers at two plants in North Carolina
Actions by two processors in North Carolina is bringing some good news and some bad news for workers in Sampson County and Union County, respectively more...
New report provides a decade of foodborne illness analysis
Clinical Infectious Diseases is publishing a supplement, “FoodNet in 2012 – A Foundation for Food Safety in the United States,” which more...
Brazil pork exports down 3.5% in rev., 4.8% in avg. price for Jan-Apr
Brazil's pork exports dropped in April in both volume and revenue sales compared to the same month a year ago, and sales abroad for January through April more...
News Briefs: Local beef, pork and veal, obesity
The Kalispell Public School system is shifting its foodservice focus to local producers in a move that will save about $750 annually and pump about $35 more...
Cargill ramps up Texas hog facility
Cargill Pork is ramping up operations on its 21,500-acre hog production facility in Dalhart, Texas, the Amarillo Globe-News is reporting. The company more...
Cagle’s sold to Koch Foods subsidiary in bankruptcy auction
Cagle’s agreed Monday to sell essentially all its assets to Koch Foods subsidiary JCG Foods LLC in an auction held Monday in the U.S. Bankruptcy more...
Pork up, beef mixed in first quarter export data
Export of pork muscle and variety meats were 8 percent higher in the first quarter, at just over 598,000 metric tons, than the year-earlier period. The more...
O’Connor announces retirement from AMS
Martin O’Connor, director of the Standardization Program of the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Livestock and Seed program, will retire at more...
News Briefs: GNP report, AMS admin, USDA lawsuit
St. Cloud, Minn.-based GNP Company has published its 2011 Farm to Fork report, outlining the company’s new mission of “healthy food, families more...
China delists Smithfield pork plant
China has delisted Smithfield's plant in Tarheel, N.C. after rejecting one container of pork that tested positive for ractopamine, a company spokesman more...
USDA predicts more pork and poultry, less beef, lower feedgrain prices
Total U.S. meat production in 2013 is projected to be above 2012 as higher pork and poultry production more than offsets continued declines in beef production more...
Corn prices decline as USDA predicts big crop
Corn futures prices fell this morning as USDA predicted a record U.S. corn crop of 14.8 billion bushels, up 2.4 billion bushels from last year and enough more...
JBS' holding company buys controversial Brazilian construction firm
J&F Participações, the Brazilian holding company that controls JBS SA, announced on Wednesday its purchase of a controlling share of more...
China’s Zhongpin hires bankers, considers going private
Zhongpin Inc. said it has appointed Barclays Bank Plc to advise the company on a proposal from its chief executive to take the Chinese pork and fresh more...
Kraft pays fine on Oscar Mayer package weight shortages
Kraft Foods paid a civil forfeiture settlement of $36,908.50 for alleged violations of short weight product packages found in Wisconsin stores, according more...
Overhill Farms Q2 net income down as high costs weigh
Overhill Farms Inc. reported a decline in second-quarter net income, saying high commodity costs and strong price competition eroded profits despite robust more...
JBS sells Argentine plant
Brazil’s JBS SA announced Wednesday it had sold a processing plant in Argentina that had been closed since 2009 for $16.5 million. Located in San more...
Aramark names new CEO
Foodservice and facilities management company Aramark announced Tuesday it named Eric Foss as chief executive officer and president, effective immediately more...
HSUS releases video shot at Wyo. pig facility
In a news conference this morning, the Humane Society of the United States unveiled its most recent video, captured surreptitiously, of “cruel treatment more...
FSIS amends rules on adulterated, misbranded meat
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced it is implementing provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 by amending more...
Analysts boost Tyson Foods outlook on positive Q2 results
Solid second-quarter earnings for Tyson Foods Inc. prompted four prominent industry analysts to raise their earnings estimates for the processor’s more...
Engeljohn moves to head FSIS's field offices
Dr. Dan Engeljohn reportedly has been tapped to replace Ken Petersen, who is retiring as assistant administrator of the Office of Field Operations (OFO) more...
Wendy’s pays a premium in beef costs
Wendy’s Co. said today its quarterly profit missed Wall Street’s expectations mainly due to higher fresh beef costs and those associated with more...
Safeway announces plans toward gestation stall-free pork supply
Grocery giant Safeway today became the latest food industry player to announce plans to attempt to source pork from operations that do not use sow gestation more...
Tyson Foods beats Q2 estimates, projects meeting $2 a share for FY12 (updated)
Tyson Foods’ second quarter profits handily beat analyst estimates, although the beef segment suffered in the wake of lean finely textured beef more...
Smithfield’s Eckrich brand rolls out new bacon deli products
Smithfield Food’s John Morrell Food Group announced its Eckrich brand has rolled out a new deli meat line that includes five varieties of deli meats more...
FSIS proposes adding substances approved for meat, poultry products
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has proposed adding three substances to those approved for use in meat or poultry products. In a Federal more...
News Briefs: Animal health/food safety, meat consumption, Hormel employment
A report released Monday by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology analyzes the correlation between animal health and food safety. Co-authored more...
JBS to lease, operate assets of Brazilian poultry processor
JBS SA, the world's largest beef processor, announced Friday morning it would lease the assets of Brazilian poultry and pork processor Doux Frangosul more...
Tim Hortons sends message on gestation stalls
Tim Hortons today called upon the pork industry and its suppliers to eliminate gestation stalls for sows and to develop clear plans and timelines by the more...
Danish Crown approves cattle slaughterhouse
Danish Crown's board of directors has approved the final plans for construction of a cattle slaughterhouse in the Municipality of Vejen, located in southern more...
Grandin’s ‘ethical’ meat essay available
Renowned animal welfare expert Temple Grandin has made public her essay, “Eating Meat is Ethical.” Grandin wrote the piece in response to more...
Grocery chain issues RTE recall
San Antonio-based supermarket chain HEB Grocery Company, LP has issued a precautionary recall for certain Asian Ready-to-Eat meals due to the possibility more...
Walmart adds Choice to its steak lineup
Walmart stores across the country now offer USDA Choice steaks, including T-bone, NY Strip, filet, ribeye and top sirloin cuts. Walmart is offering a more...
Sara Lee posts net loss, but meat sales edge up
Sara Lee Corp. posted a net loss for the third quarter, hurt by costs linked to the planned spinoff of its coffee and tea business, but said sales rose more...
Superior Farms, MLA partner on lamb burgers
Davis, Calif.-based lamb processor Superior Farms announced today a partnership with Meat & Livestock Australia to market Australian lamb burgers more...
NY Times meat ethics contest draws to a close
It turns out that when the New York Times asks whether it’s ethical to eat meat, thousands answer. The contest drew around 3,000 entries, the New more...
News Briefs: AMI awards; Butterball worker safety; Yum appointments
Phil Clemens, CEO of The Clemens Family Corporation, has been honored with the American Meat Institute’s (AMI) Edward C. Jones Community Service more...
Sun may be setting on FSIS’s proposed changes to poultry inspection
DALLAS — If history is any indication, USDA’s proposal to reduce cosmetic inspection in poultry plants won’t see the light of day. Bob more...
USDA won’t wait for confirmation to investigate foodborne illness
To strengthen the industry’s ability to trace contaminated products through the supply chain, the USDA today announced guidance on both traceback more...
Taiwanese agriculture officials to visit nine U.S. beef plants
A group of Taiwanese agricultural officials will travel this weekend to the United States to inspect nine beef-processing operations, following the recent more...
Transglutaminase latest media target
ABC's investigative reporters are at it again, this time targeting transglutaminase (commonly known as meat glue). And this time ABC News Senior National more...
More phosphorous in broiler diets, research suggests
The latest research from USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation – “Project #F033: Evaluation of Animal Protein Meals on Nutritional Quality more...
Dallas meatpacker to appeal city order to stop operations
Officials at a family-owned meat processing plant are appealing an order by Dallas officials that has shut down all operations at Columbia Packing Co more...
P.F. Chang’s goes private for $1.09 billion
P.F. Chang's China Bistro Inc. has entered into a definitive merger agreement with private equity firm Centerbridge Partners L.P. ("Centerbridge"), a more...
Creditors for Brazilian processor delay decision on JBS buyout offer
Creditors for Brazilian meat processor Independência delayed a meeting set for Monday to analyze a multi-million dollar purchase offer from JBS more...
Thailand will not restrict U.S. beef imports
On Tuesday government and industry officials got some good news: Indications on Monday that Thailand might stop importing U.S. boneless beef from cattle more...
Processor offers trip to Italy to support new chicken product
To support a unique new deli item, Chicken Parmagiana, Philadelphia-based Dietz & Watson is offering customers a chance to win a trip to Rome. To more...
News Briefs: Walmart workers freed; ConAgra; Popeyes; Smashburger; USDA buys lamb; export programs
Two Wal-Mart Stores Inc. employees were released from jail in China, six months after they were arrested in connection with a probe into mislabeled pork more...
April 2012
BSE update: Korean group heads to U.S., Thailand may ban U.S. beef
A group of South Korean officials, scholars and others left for the United States Monday to look into the discovery of a 10-year-old California dairy more...
Jury favors Tyson Foods in donning and doffing class action suit
A federal jury in Iowa last week returned a verdict in favor of Tyson Foods Inc. in a class action lawsuit, filed in 2007, which alleged Tyson did not more...
Consumers want food label transparency, sustainability: new report
A new study indicates that consumers want clearer labels on food products, a move that may positively impact the growth of consumer acceptance of sustainable more...
Brasil Foods Q1 net income down 60 percent on poor exports
Hurt by lackluster sales in two important export markets, BRF Brasil Foods posted a net income of BRL153 million ($81 million) for the first quarter more...
Einstein Bros. new 'Smart Choices' menu features chicken, turkey
Einstein Bros. Bagels has unveiled its 'Smart Choices' menu featuring a selection of lighter options for consumers seeking healthier every day choices more...
JBS shifts production after E. coli found at Neb. plant
JBS USA will resume slaughter operations today at its Grand Island, Neb., plant following a discovery of E. coli in beef earlier in the week, a spokeswoman more...
Tyson expands Missouri facility
The multi-million dollar improvement and expansion project at a Tyson Foods, Inc. poultry complex in Sedalia, Mo. will include state-of-the-art processes more...
Cargill Beef takes FTB for spin around NASCAR track
Cargill Beef has enlisted its sponsorship of Roush Fenway Racing car No. 6, driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., in its marketing plans to educate consumers more...
Pilgrim’s posts profit; says industry production to stay constrained
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. reported its best first-quarter results in seven years and predicted chicken breast prices would strengthen as the industry more...
Domino’s votes “no” on HSUS shareholder proposal on gestation stalls
Domino’s shareholders rejected a proposal by the Humane Society of the United States that the board of directors report on the feasibility of Domino’s more...
USDA sets media straight in pointed memo
The USDA’s press secretary sent a memo to the agency’s media list Thursday evening, taking reporters to task for an “unfortunate amount more...
Indonesia bans certain U.S. beef products after BSE discovery
Indonesia will suspend imports of U.S. bone-in beef and variety meats, but continue to allow boneless muscle cuts after USDA announced a confirmed case more...
FSIS adds time to comment on poultry slaughter rule change
Comments on a proposed rule to modernize the way young chickens and turkeys are inspected are now due on May 29, FSIS announced in the Federal Register more...
McDonald’s Canada tweaks McNuggets, Happy Meals
McDonald’s Canada has reduced the sodium in its Chicken McNuggets and changed the sides for its Happy Meals, the company announced Thursday.Chicken more...
Russia’s Cherkizovo sees Q1 poultry sales jump; pork also up
Russian meat producer Cherkizovo Group said sales volumes in its poultry division climbed 42 percent to about 75,860 metric tons in the first quarter more...
International markets for U.S. beef respond to BSE news
Government officials in several major markets for U.S. beef said they may be watching more closely but so far are not changing their import policies after more...
BK to go stall-free, cage-free
Burger King Corp. said Wednesday that by 2017 it will purchase only eggs from cage-free hens and pork from suppliers that can prove they don’t use more...
JBS readies in case international beef-trade disruptions occur
Although the most tangible impact thus far from Tuesday’s discovery of the fourth U.S. case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was a reaction by more...
Buffalo Wild Wings plans price hike
Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. said it will raise the price of chicken wings on its menu due to the high cost it is paying for the popular item. The company more...
Poultry weights down year-over-year
Poultry certified wholesome during March 2012 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.60 billion pounds, down 7 percent from the amount certified in March 2011 more...
News briefs: Target upgrades, Smithfield rates, export development, Omaha Steaks, Subway
Target announced it has initiated remodels at 90 general merchandise stores to offer fresh foods in the second of three cycles of store upgrades this more...
Fourth BSE-infected cow found in U.S.; was not in food supply (updated)
USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford today released the following statement on the detection of BSE in the United States: “As part of our more...
Barber Foods to lay off 79 more as upgrade is completed
Calling it the "last phase of integration" into Cincinnati-based AdvancePierre Foods, Barber Foods said another round of layoffs — the third more...
OSHA cite American Foods Group for safety violations at Ohio plant
American Foods Group LLC is facing penalties of $47,000 after an inspection of its Sharonville, Ohio, plant by the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Occupational more...
Chili’s steak deals drive increased sales
Chili’s Grill & Bar executives hailed the chain’s new steak offerings as a driver of a strong third-quarter performance. Wyman Roberts more...
Hardee’s, Steak ‘n Shake introduce new breakfast items
The most important meal of the day is becoming even more important for quick-service restaurants. This week, Hardee’s began serving two new more...
Two Minnesota processors noted in federal illegal worker indictment
An affidavit accusing a Minnesota resident of transporting and harboring illegal immigrant workers claims that Gold’n Plump and Michael Foods Inc more...
JBS offering $142 million to buy out Brazilian processor
JBS SA announced it has offered to buy all the assets of Brazilian processor Groupo Independencia for BRL268 million reais ($142 million). JBS said more...
FSIS unveils additional guidance on residues
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced two steps designed to prevent meat products that contain illegal residues from reaching more...
Jimmy Dean introduces Meat Lovers Breakfast Bowl
Sara Lee Corp.’s Jimmy Dean brand announced it has added the Meat Lovers Breakfast Bowl to its frozen Breakfast Bowl product line-up. The offering more...
Smithfield launches video on feeding the world
Smithfield Foods announced it has launched a new video that talks about what the company, along with others in the pork industry, is doing to help feed more...
Newcomer BR Frango seeks capital for rapid Brazil expansion
Brazilian processor BR Frango is negotiating with three investment funds to aid expansion plans, which if achieved would turn the company into the third more...
U.S. beef production down in March, but weights way up
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.17 billion pounds in March, down 4 percent from the 4.35 billion pounds produced in March more...
China bulks pork reserve to boost prices
China is buying up frozen pork to bolster prices to offset producers’ profit margins amid falling live-hog prices, according to a report by Reuters more...
Slovenia-Austria border battle heats up — over sausage
In a show of national pride, Slovenia has applied to the European Union for exclusive use of the name “Kranjska klobasa,” the term applied more...
USDA to delay poultry inspection proposal: report
USDA will delay implementation of proposed changes to the way the Food Safety and Inspection Service inspects poultry to be able to respond to criticism more...
Zoning ruling in pig blood case means plant can’t reopen
A zoning board ruling in the case of Columbia Packing Co., which is accused of releasing pig blood into the Trinity River in Dallas, forbids the company more...
Researchers discover particularly dangerous Salmonella
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have discovered Salmonella bacteria that are up to 100 times more capable of causing disease. The "hypervirulent" bugs more...
Pork producers call HSUS complaint an 'assault'
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is calling a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission by the Humane Society of the United States "an more...
News Briefs: Perdue case gets court date, Top 100 Corporate Citizens, and more
A trial date of Oct. 9 has been set in the case brought by the Waterkeeper Alliance against a Maryland farm and Perdue Farms, which are accused of polluting more...
HSUS files FTC complaint
The Humane Society of the United States has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, asserting that the National Pork Producers Council is more...
Jury awards Hormel $4 million for Iowa flood damage
An Iowa jury ordered a warehouse to pay Hormel Foods Corp. $4 million for failing to protect its products stored there from flood waters when the Cedar more...
Chicago chef introduces 'pig wings'
Traditionally the pork shank has been prepared and sold as a bone-in ham, but it’s been given a renewed life as an all-too-familiar item that is more...
Johnsonville debuts four cooked sausage varieties
Johnsonville Sausage announced today the launch of Premium Fully Cooked Sausage in four varieties: Andouille, Polish Kielbasa, Smoked and Three Cheese more...
Fast-casual chain appoints new COO
Panera Bread Co. said it promoted Charles Chapman to chief operating officer, replacing John Maguire, who is leaving to become chief executive of more...
Large-scale sustainability entirely achievable, Smithfield exec says
CHICAGO – The challenge of sustainability is no clearer than in food production, and between the responsibility to feed ever-increasing world population more...
Balance health, indulgence on the menu: Tristano
While consumers aren’t looking to stray too far from their dining budgets, they’re still interested in healthy and fresh, yet indulgent, menu more...
New McDonald’s COO brings foreign experience to the table
The appointment of Tim Fenton to chief operating officer of McDonald’s Corp. brings decades of experience in international markets to the new management more...
Iowa Beef Center gets new director
Dan Loy, interim director of the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University, has been named the new director, according to an article on the Iowa State more...
Brazil poultry exports rise in Q1 on strong Asia, Africa growth
Brazilian poultry exports rose 4.42 percent through the first three months of this year compared to 2011, driven by a record volume of shipments in March more...
Study says cut meat consumption in half for environment
A new study concludes that in order to sufficiently curb nitrous oxide emissions by 2050, the developing world must cut its meat consumption in half. more...
Tyson launches cooked fried chicken line for foodservice operators
Tyson Foods Inc. is introducing a line of fully cooked fried chicken that it contends will help foodservice operators maximize their profits while reducing more...
Hillshire Farm launches new chicken breast products
Hillshire Farm announced it has introduced a new line of fire grilled, pre-cooked, chicken breasts. The products boast 120 calories and 19 grams more...
Hormel unit president retires
Hormel Foods announced William Burke, Jr., president of its Burke Marketing Corp. unit, has retired and David Weber, Hormel Foods foodservice Southeast more...
U.S. pork exports up; beef down in February
U.S. pork exports (including variety meats) in February were 9 percent ahead of a year ago in volume and up 21 percent in value, according to USDA statistics more...
Pilgrim’s gets tax reduced in settlement over former headquarters
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. emerged the victor in a tax dispute with a Texas county over the appraised valuation of the company’s former headquarters more...
Tyson poultry plant re-listed by Russia
Russia has re-listed as an eligible exporter to that country a Tyson Foods poultry plant in Glen Allen, Va., according to an update on USDA’s Food more...
Meat, cheese lifting retail food prices: Farm Bureau
Meats – including sliced deli ham, sirloin tip roast, ground chuck and bacon – as well as cheddar cheese posted the greatest price increases more...
JBS Australia closes its Prime City feedlot in southern New South Wales
JBS Australia has closed its Prime City feedlot located near Griffith in southern New South Wales, a company spokesperson confirmed to Meatingplace. This more...
In lieu of cash, Uzbek teachers get paid with chickens
Cash-strapped authorities in Uzbekistan this month paid out part of public sector salaries in chickens. They claim the initiative was so successful they more...
Don’t be fooled by “voluntary” in FDA antibiotics proposal: Hurd
Reaction to the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed voluntary initiative to reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock in order to curb antimicrobial more...
Beef products recalled on E. coli concerns
Town and Country Foods Inc., a Greene, Maine establishment, is recalling approximately 2,057 pounds of ground and tenderized beef products that may be more...
Former Hormel CEO dies at age 92
Ira James Holton, former president and CEO Hormel Foods Corp., died Wednesday at the age of 92 at his home in Austin, Minn. Holton spent 36 years working more...
HSUS pushes animal housing legislation with new video
The Humane Society of the United States today promoted animal handling legislation specific to the egg industry — which beef and pork producers more...
PCRM reports high levels of E. coli – but doesn’t identify strains
Nearly half of all skinless chicken breasts sold at grocery stores tested positive for E. coli — or so says the Physicians Committee for Responsible more...
Beef packer margins take another hit, partly on lack of LFTB demand
Beef packers lost about $112 per head in the week ended April 7, which means they lost over $15 more per head than they did a week ago, according to market more...
Sofina Foods buys Fearmans pork plant
Sofina Foods Inc. said it is acquiring Fearmans Pork Inc., the operator of Canada’s oldest pork processing facility. The Burlington, Ontario, plant more...
US Foods unveils the Pat LaFrieda chopped beef burger
Foodservice distributor US Foods has introduced the Chef’s Line Pat LaFrieda Angus Chopped Beef Burger, available exclusively to its customers. more...
Safeway names new president
Pleasanton, Calif.-based grocery chain Safeway has named Robert Edwards its president, filling a role previously held by Chairman and Chief Executive more...
News Briefs: Organic standards, FreeBird promo, Beef and Bud Light, Dickey's-Sysco deal
The National Organic Standards Board has scheduled its spring meeting for May 22 to 25 in Albuquerque, N.M. The twice-yearly meetings provide a public more...
Chicago further-processor opens new R&D center
Bolingbrook, Ill.-based further-processor Quantum Foods announced today the opening of its new Innovation Center at the company’s headquarters to more...
USDA predicts costlier soybean meal, cheaper cattle, hogs
USDA raised its average price forecast for the livestock feed ingredient soybean meal to a range of $335 to $355 per short ton, up from a range of $310 more...
Northern Beef Packers takes more hits
Troubled start-up beef processor Northern Beef Packers has raised almost $3 million in tax increment finance bonds, but will face more financial hurdles more...
N.D. Natural Beef sees major GIPSA fines (updated)
Fargo, N.D.-based North American Bison Cooperative and North Dakota Natural Beef LLC have been assessed a civil penalty in the amount of $140,000 more...
Cargill reports “strengthened” third-quarter results
Cargill earned $766 million on continuing operations in its fiscal 2012 third quarter, ended Feb 29, on revenues of $31.9 billion, compared with earnings more...
OK Industries to expand two poultry plants, will add 182 jobs
OK Industries is expected to spend $7 million in an expansion of its chicken processing plants in Arkansas and Oklahoma, a project that will add 182 jobs more...
GIPSA fines Smithfield unit on scale accuracy
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration announced it has fined Smithfield Packing Company Inc. $39,000 for failing to maintain more...
Ground beef tied to salmonella illnesses in Canada
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Intercity Packers (East) Ltd on Saturday warned the public, distributors and food service establishments not to more...
Celebrity butcher fights with Wendy’s over burger name on eve of show launch
On the eve of the debut of his new reality show on the Food Network, Pat LaFrieda Jr. reportedly is in a dispute with Wendy’s International over more...
Sioux-Preme to resume exports to Mexico
Sioux-Preme Packing Co. will resume pork exports to Mexico from its Sioux City, Iowa, plant next week after resolving issues that prompted that country more...
UK producers call EU ban on desinewed meat a “criminal waste”
British meat producers defended a process for removing meat from animal bones after the European Commission banned the use of desinewed meat (DSM), saying more...
Jerky products resilient to the downturn
Meat jerky products have proven to be resilient to economic downturns. IBISWorld estimates that revenue has grown in each of the past five years, including more...
Ruby Tuesday to close underperforming restaurants
Ruby Tuesday Inc. announced it would close 25 to 27 underperforming restaurants in the fourth quarter as it looks to increase cost savings to help fund more...
Operations and supply vet gets promotion at Perdue
Jim Leighton has been promoted to president of Perdue Food Products effective April 1, the company announced Wednesday. Leighton started as the senior more...
JBS seeks to boost beef slaughter capacity: Reuters
JBS S.A. will seek to boost slaughter capacity in its beef business, Jeremiah O'Callaghan, head of investor relations for JBS, told Reuters in an interview more...
Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and … chicken wings
Just in time for Opening Day, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council has come out with its 2012 report on Major League ballparks, predicting that Americans more...
Researchers find banned antibiotic in feather meal
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Arizona State University said they have found evidence that a class of antibiotics banned by the U.S. government more...
News Briefs: burger chain gets new CEO, Pork 101, BK to sell restaurants
Following its acquisition by Argonne Capital Group, burger chain The Krystal Company has three new executives. Former Church’s Chicken EVP Doug more...
Exclusive interview: Microbiologist who coined 'pink slime' talks labeling
Ten years and 1,200 miles separate Beef Products Inc.’s headquarters in Dakota Dunes, S.D., and Lorton, Va., where Gerald Zirnstein now resides more...
South Dakota beef plant could open in spring
A South Dakota beef processing plant first proposed six years ago could finally begin operations this spring, according to a news report. The 420,000-square-foot more...
Feds pave the way for E15; hurdles to adoption remain
Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week approved the first applications to make E15 (gasoline that contains up to 15 percent ethanol) more...
Food banks fear hit from higher food, gas
While all U.S. consumers feel the effects of rising food and gas costs, the nation’s food banks warn that they and their clients could be disproportionately more...
BPI, others weigh in on LFTB labeling
Beef Products Inc., whose lean finely textures beef (LFBT) product is at the epicenter of a media and social media storm, came out in favor of USDA’s more...
LFTB fallout: Beef packers losing nearly $100 a head
U.S. beef packer margins were already suffering from expensive cattle, but the recent lack of demand for lean finely textured beef (LFTB) and similar more...
Sens. urge Kirk to nix Mexico’s antidumping case on U.S. poultry
A group of 16 senators led by Tom Carpenter (D-Del.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) on Monday sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk calling more...
Costco, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans cited for meat in Consumer Reports survey
A Consumer Reports survey finds that its subscribers are impressed by the meat products offered by national chains Costco, Trader Joe’s and Wegmans more...
Exclusive: USDA will approve LFTB label requests
USDA has agreed to approve requests by ground beef product makers to voluntarily label their products that contain lean finely textured beef (LFTB) or more...
Ground beef maker files Chapter 11; cites LFTB flap
King of Prussia, Pa.-based ground beef processor AFA Foods announced that it has filed voluntary Chapter 11 protection and plans to sell all or some of more...
Chicken to play starring role in latest Burger King menu revamp
Burger King today launched the biggest menu expansion in its 58-year history and chicken will play a prominent role in the new items, part of a reported more...
Kayem Foods launches chicken product
Kayem Foods’ al fresco All Natural brand has introduced smoked andouille to its line of chicken sausage. The new flavor is made with Cajun seasoning more...
News Briefs: West Liberty, organics, poultry award,restaurant index, HSUS, bacon coffins
On Thursday NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR) verified that the West Liberty Foods facility in Tremonton, Utah, successfully achieved more...
March 2012
Retail, QSR chains announce differing takes on LFTB
Decisions this week by Iowa-based retailer Hy-vee and Dublin, Ohio-based QSR giant Wendy’s highlight the continuing conflict over the use and perceptions more...
Lower corn prices expected, but could still be bad news for proteins
USDA reported U.S. corn growers intend to plant 95.9 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2012, up 4 percent from last year and 9 percent higher more...
Sanderson worker injured outside processing facility
A Sanderson Farms worker was injured when he was hit by a moving vehicle in a restricted loading area outside a Sanderson chicken processing facility more...
Vt. slaughterhouse proposal would circumvent processors
A legislative report is encourage Vermont lawmakers to make it easier for farmers to slaughter their own animals and sell the meat, according to a report more...
FSIS releases notice on non-O157 STEC verification program
FSIS is notifying inspection program personnel (IPP) of the agency's plans to implement its HACCP verification testing program for beef manufacturing more...
Two steps forward, one back for beef industry on LFTB; news conference today
Things were looking up for the beef industry in the war of words over lean finely textured beef yesterday when Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Iowa more...
Carcass lesions could predict Salmonella contamination, study finds
The human eye and visible lesions could be key to predicting Salmonella contamination in swine carcasses, a new study suggests. In the study, swine carcasses more...
Nation’s vets respond to court ruling on food animal antibiotics use
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) yesterday reaffirmed its support for limited, mostly therapeutic use of certain antimicrobials in food more...
Report sparks antibiotic-use debate in UK
The UK organic-and-sustainable advocacy group Soil Association released a report today claiming, among other things, that there is “overwhelming more...
Governors to tour BPI plant; Vilsack news conference live on Meatingplace
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Iowa Governor Terry Brandstad announced they will hold a news conference at 3:00 CDT today “to clarify facts more...
Cagle’s seeks to sell assets to Koch Foods affiliate — or higher bidder
Cagle’s Inc. wants court approval to sell essentially all of its assets in a bankruptcy auction that will test a $72 million bid the company accepted more...
Processing plant employee assaulted with meat hook
On Friday, a JBS Swift employee was working the meat processing line at the Grand Island, Neb. plant when he got into an altercation with a coworker, more...
Two restaurant chains gear up to expand
Mexican quick-service chain Del Taco said it will open 40 locations in Houston as it targets the Texas market for growth, while Pizza Hut is planning more...
Four plead guilty in Kentucky livestock fraud case
Four former executives of now-defunct Eastern Livestock, based in New Albany, Ind., have pleaded guilty in a fraud case involving the sale of livestock more...
Tyson changes processes due to lack of LFTB demand
Officials at Tyson Foods released the following statement regarding Beef Products Inc. suspending operation at three plants: "We believe it's extremely more...
Fresh & Easy, others use LFTB flap as marketing opportunity
As most retailers across the country are eliminating lean finely textured beef (LFTB) from their stores, others are using the flap as a marketing more...
Antibiotics ruling could delay process FDA already started
Both the pork and chicken industries are voicing their discontent over the decision by a U.S. district court judge requiring the Food and Drug Administration more...
Texas firm recalls sausage product
Waelder, Texas-based J Bar B Foods, is recalling approximately 64,020 pounds of a smoked sausage product because it contains whey and casein, known allergens more...
News Briefs: Tyson, tequila & Tobasco; Hormel promotion; Marie Callender’s CEO; Boar’s Head battles diabetes; Zhongpin could go private
Tyson Foods Inc. will partner with two popular brands for a spring and early summer savings opportunity. Tyson Wings and Boneless more...
BPI suspends operations at three plants (updated)
Beef Products Inc. today suspended operations at three of its locations: Garden City, Kans.; Amarillo, Texas; and Waterloo, Iowa, affecting 650 jobs. more...
EPA orders Foster Poultry Farms to stop discharging
The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Foster Poultry Farms, doing business as Foster Farms Athens Hatchery, to stop discharging pollutants into more...
Utah passes law aimed at animal activists videotaping
Last week Utah became the second state after Iowa to pass new laws that prohibits taking photographs or videos on farms without permission. Violation more...
Poultry ready-to-cook pounds up 4 percent from last year
Poultry certified wholesome during February 2012 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.47 billion pounds, up 4 percent from the amount certified in February more...
News briefs: Food CPI, injury settlement, Vienna Beef, Wendy’s, Paul McCartney
Economists at the USDA are predicting that the cost for all food will rise between 2.5 and 3.5 percent in 2012 after finishing 2011 at a higher-than-expected more...
Northern Beef plant finds an investor
The former owner of a livestock auction business is the first investor to buy bonds in the planned Northern Beef Packers plant, according to the Aberdeen more...
U.S. to appeal WTO ruling against meat labels
The U.S. government said Friday it would appeal a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against that the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law for more...
How much is an E. coli vaccine worth to the industry?
One of the promising approaches to reducing food-borne pathogens in the live animal is the use of vaccines. Vaccines have been shown to be effective for more...
LFTB update: More retailers, schools bow out but headlines may signal shift
Several more retail grocery chains have said they will no longer purchase fresh ground beef that includes lean finely textured beef (LFTB). They include more...
News briefs: Hip Chick; LFTB, Niman's GIPSA fine; Krystal burger
The USDA's GIPSA agency posted a release saying that Niman Ranch Inc. has agreed to pay the agency $5,000 for failing to make required disclosures. Niman more...
Supervalu, Kroger say “no” to FTB; Walmart offers a choice (Updated)
Supervalu, the nation’s second-largest grocery chain, Kroger, the nation's largest grocery chain and 400-store Stop & Shop have all announced more...
Tyson to shut down facility for two days
Slaughter operations at the Tyson Foods Dakota City, Neb., beef plant will not run Thursday, March 29, and Friday, March 30, as the company performs scheduled more...
McDonald's exec announces retirement
McDonald’s announced yesterday that Vice Chairman and CEO Jim Skinner will retire after 41 years with the company, seven of them as CEO. Skinner more...
‘Drought-stricken’ takes on new meaning
U.S. cattle producers could be excused for feeling singled out for punishment by the water gods. A long, hot, dry year that cost the ag industry $7.62 more...
Strong Q4 reduces JBS' 2011 loss; Pilgrim's and Argentina prove challenging
JBS SA, the world's largest beef processor, should invest between BRL900 million and BRL1 billion (US$492.9 million and US$547.7 million) in 2012, but more...
News briefs: ConAgra earnings, beef co-op founder dies, Real Mex exits Ch. 11
In the third quarter of fiscal year 2012, ConAgra reported a 4 percent increase in net consumer food sales, driven largely by recent acquisitions. Slim more...
The LFTB story’s newest developments
The LFTB snowball just keeps rolling on. The past day or so has brought several new developments in the ongoing controversy over lean finely textured more...
The right amount of red meat can be good-mood food
Australia’s Deakin University health researchers have found that eating either too little or too much red meat is related to depression and anxiety more...
Russia ramps up poultry production
Russia increased poultry production by 25 percent, to 268,000 metric tons, in February compared with the same month last year, according to a Bloomberg more...
Cheesecake Factory refreshes menu
Cheesecake Factory unveiled a dozen new dishes, incorporating international favors as well as expanded offerings in its low-calorie Skinnylicious menu more...
OSHA updates hazardous chemical handling rules affecting 43 million workers
After a four-year effort, the U.S. Labor Dept.’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today released the final update of its Hazard Communication more...
Golden Arches to feature U.K.-sourced chicken at London Olympics
McDonald’s Corp. is vowing to serve only chicken raised in the United Kingdom at this summer’s Olympic Games in London after public outcry more...
Pork recalled on inspection issues
Lawson Foods LLC, based in Irvington, N.J., is recalling about 84,587 pounds of pork product, as it includes pork product imported from Canada that was more...
Best Chicago Meat Co. introduces new product line
Best Chicago Meat Co. LLC, which in December acquired the Glenmark brand, is rolling out a new line of three products under the Glenmark Black Label line more...
News Briefs: HSUS & Seaboard, beef recall, Maple Leaf, Hall of Famers
For the third time in three months, the Humane Society of the United States has complained to the Securities and Exchange Commission about Seaboard Foods more...
Assault on LFTB expands; industry, others push back
On the heels of Friday’s support by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association for the use of lean finely textured beef (LFTB), media outlets more...
Canadian frozen beef recall expanded to 1.25 million pounds
Canadian officials are expanding a recall of beef products produced by a now-bankrupt processor to cover frozen ground beef distributed between July 2011 more...
Restaurant chain annual sales make big gains in 2011: Technomic
The 500 largest U.S. restaurant chains registered a 3.4 percent annual sales increase in 2011, a sharp improvement over 1.8 percent the prior year. Results more...
And the winner is…Hormel, according to Walmart
Hormel Foods announced it was named the Walmart Supplier of the Year for overall best supplier performance and partnership in 2011. The Supplier of the more...
FSIS evaluating petition to deem four Salmonella strains adulterants
CHICAGO — USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has received a petition from Center for Science in the Public Interest requesting that more...
Moody's lifts Tyson outlook to positive on debt reduction
Moody's Investors Service revised its rating outlook on Tyson Foods Inc. to positive, affecting about $2 billion of debt instruments, and said the company more...
JBS slaughterhouse in Brazil burns
A fire broke out Thursday morning at a JBS SA beef slaughterhouse and deboning plant in the city of Santana de Araguaia, Para state. None of the 600 employees more...
Industry urges Congress to improve trade ties with Russia
Poultry groups and companies including Hormel Foods and Kraft Foods have joined a coalition of U.S. business interests urging Congress to pass a bill more...
It beats antelope for lunch
Following a power outage that plunged Boston's Hynes Convention Center into darkness Tuesday, the center's Capital Grille restaurant decided not to take more...
USDA offers schools more choice; affirms safety of LFTB
As reported earlier today, USDA said today that it will offer schools who buy food through the National School Lunch Program the option of ordering ground more...
Tyson worker dies in plant accident
Tyson Foods shut down first-shift beef carcass operations at its Dakota City, Neb., plant following an accident there that killed a worker early Thursday more...
Hormel to launch new products next month
In April, Hormel Foods will add new pork, beef, turkey and chicken products to its retail lines, the company announced Thursday. Hormel Natural Choice more...
OSI Group celebrates second plant in India
OSI Group’s Vista Processed Foods Pvt. Ltd. commissioned a second frozen foods further processing plant in India, the company announced Thursday more...
JBS ups stake in Pilgrim's Pride
JBS SA finalized its purchase of more than 18 million shares of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation on Monday from founder Lonnie “Bo” Pilgrim, paying more...
Consumer confidence in beef safety up
New consumer research funded by the Beef Checkoff shows that, compared to 10 years ago, consumer confidence in the safety of beef steaks and roasts has more...
Chicken cycle rebound priced into Pilgrim’s, analyst says
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. is expected to return to profitability in the fiscal first quarter, aided by recovering chicken prices, strong exports and more...
Lack of funding delays CDC food safety centers: report
One of the goals of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act was the establishment of five food safety centers that would serve as resources to respond more...
News Briefs: Boneless wings, McDonald’s money, Ruth’s Chris happy hour
Boneless wings are on the rise, one of several wing trends identified in a new report by Technomic Inc. Good news is, even as restaurants have added more...
Pork processor to keep slaughter facility closed amidst “pig blood” controversy
Dallas-based Columbia Packing Co., which temporarily closed its operation in January over allegations of illegally dumping pig blood into a creek, sent more...
Togo’s looks to sink $15 million info franchise growth, remodeling
Togo’s Eateries Inc. is establishing a $15 million fund it plans to use to expand its franchise network and pay for remodeling existing outlets more...
McDonald's lauds suppliers on sustainability accomplishments
McDonald's Corp. has announced its 2012 Best of Sustainable Supply Chain winners, among which are several protein companies. In a report, the more...
News Briefs: K-State's sheep, goats; Wild Wing; NIFA; and Gene Simmons
The Kansas State University Department of Animal Sciences & Industry unveiled its new Sheep & Meat Goat Center March 3. The $1.68 million more...
Pre-slaughter E. coli interventions at heart of new GAO report
Considering that since 2006, the U.S. beef industry has recalled more than 23 million pounds of beef due to E. coli contamination, the government is pushing more...
Former Tyson employee indicted for construction bid rigging
A former Tyson Foods employee has been accused of bid rigging in a 2007 construction project at Tyson's Clarksville, Ark. complex. According to more...
Georgia officials set new rules for poultry runoff after storms
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is preparing to impose new regulations designed to protect groundwater from potential contamination from more...
EU report: Campy infections on the rise
Salmonella cases in humans fell by almost 9 percent in 2010 in EU member states, marking a decrease for the sixth consecutive year, according to the annual more...
Consumers snacking a lot more and menus responding: Technomic
Consumers are snacking significantly more now than they were just two years ago, according to a new study by the research firm Technomic. Almost half more...
Exports a wild card in Smithfield’s future, analysts say
Concerns about whether the robust pace of export sales will continue for Smithfield Foods is capping upside appreciation in the stock, Wall Street analysts more...
Analysis finds that company inspectors often miss defects
Washington, D.C.-based Food & Water Watch says that it has found evidence that inspectors at poultry companies regularly miss quality defects on the more...
USDA changes BSE rules on beef imports
USDA announced a proposed rule that would align U.S. beef import rules with World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines regarding risk of bovine more...
Bill seeks more flexibility on Chesapeake water quality goals
A Virginia Congressman has introduced legislation aimed at giving states and communities more flexibility in meeting water quality goals for the Chesapeake more...
USDA forecasts more poultry; higher soybean, beef, poultry prices
USDA raised its forecast for broiler production this year and boosted its beef, broiler, turkey, soybean and soybean meal price forecasts in its World more...
Smithfield profit beats forecasts, but Campofrio charge hits net earnings
Smithfield Foods Inc. reported a fiscal third-quarter profit that exceeded analysts’ expectations on strong packaged meat sales and healthy world more...
Popular and social media in renewed ire over industry use of recognized safe intervention
The always attention-grabbing “your kids are in danger” cry has thrust back into the national conversation about the use of lean, finely textured more...
Pilgrim's new shares offering drew 94% subscription ratio, company says
Ninety-four percent of existing shareholders chose to participate in the rights offering by JBS USA Holdings and Pilgrim's Pride Corp. by buying 44.4 more...
World’s largest food service company to ban gestation crate pork
Charlotte, N.C.-based Compass Group, which describes itself as the world's largest food and support services company, announced it will eliminate all more...
New Briefs: Grandin recognized, Corner Bakery hires exec, European fake meat
Corner Bakery Café has named Jonathan Benjamin vice president of franchise sales. The company plans an aggressive franchising program to complement more...
Chicken plant worker in critical condition after accident
A 57-year-old worker at Miller Poultry in Orland, Ind., was critically injured when he got caught in a machine at the poultry processing plant, according more...
Sara Lee pays down half its debt
Sara Lee Corp. is taking steps to pay down about half of its outstanding debt — nearly a billion dollars’ worth — as the company prepares more...
Bob Evans renovations to boost sales
Bob Evans announced Tuesday that it will be refreshing 160 restaurants in the next fiscal year, in addition to the 121 restaurants it will have completed more...
Deli meat maker launches new product line
Bronx, N.Y. deli meat maker Nations Best, announced the launch of a new line of custom-flavored, fully cooked fillings for specialty manufactuers such more...
NACMPI to hold public meeting on proposed poultry rule
The National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) will hold a public meeting on March 21 to discuss USDA's proposed rule on the more...
U.S. starts WTO process by seeking meeting with India on poultry access
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced the United States is requesting consultations with India under the dispute settlement provisions more...
National Pork Board to spend $1 million or more on sow farm transparency
The National Pork Board has agreed to donate $1 million to the proposed Fair Oaks Pig Adventure Center in Indiana that will include a working sow farm more...
Taiwan to lift ban on U.S. beef
Taiwan officials said Tuesday the government plans to lift a ban on most U.S. beef containing ractopamine to pave the wayfor trade talks with Washington more...
Nash County officials continue to support Sanderson Farms plant
Officials in Nash County, N.C., are continuing their support of a proposed poultry processing plant, despite word last month that Sanderson Farms is holding more...
Teacher suspended in N.C. lunch cop controversy
The Hoke County, N.C., preschool teacher supervising a classroom in which a student’s lunch was deemed unsatisfactory by a state employee and supplemented more...
JBS SA's parent company names former central bank president as chairman
The longest-serving president of Brazil's central bank, Henrique Meirelles, took over as chairman on Monday (March 5) of J&F Participações more...
USDA sets public meeting on school lunch ground beef safety
USDA announced the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods plans to hold a meeting of the full committee by an audio conference more...
GNP expands natural chicken line
GNP announced it is extending its line of Just Bare all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken products to include deli and frozen offerings geared toward retailers more...
News Briefs: White Castle, Wal-Mart, Sara Lee, Dunkin
White Castle is teaming up with Wal-Mart to bring the Original White Castle Slider to Panama City Beach, Fla., during spring break. The Wal-Mart more...
FSIS notice addresses intervention deficiencies
USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued new instructions to its Inspection Program Personnel who oversee veal slaughter or more...
Nearly 40,000 lbs. of potentially dangerous chicken given away
Talk about a perfect raw-meat storm: A distributor’s truck traveling through Mills County, Texas, is involved in a rollover accident. Much of its more...
Pilgrim's drums up $200 million in rights offering, JBS to pay short-term debt
US-based poultry processor Pilgrim's Pride raised US$200 million for it and parent company JBS SA in a rights offering of 44.4 million new shares to current more...
U.S. trade official cancels Taiwan trip
A senior U.S. trade official has canceled a planned trip to Taiwan, citing “unforeseen circumstances,” weeks after the government ordered more...
Bob Evans to build transportation center
Construction on a $3.5 million transportation center in Springfield, Ohio, by Bob Evans Farms Inc. is expected to begin this spring, the Dayton Business more...
Tyson may close one beef plant as it expands another
Tyson Foods unit Tyson Fresh Meats announced it might close its beef plant in Denison, Iowa next year as a result of a major expansion at its operations more...
Nutrient in poultry dark meat may have cardiovascular benefits
A nutrient found in the dark meat of poultry may provide protection against coronary heart disease (CHD) in women with high cholesterol, according to more...
Iowa Bill restricting undercover livestock videos clears legislature
A proposed bill passed the Iowa State Legislature Tuesday intending to make it more difficult to record undercover video in livestock operations, bringing more...
Nutrition label in effect today
Following a two-month delay, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) rule requiring nutrition labeling for most single-ingredient, more...
Tyson executive sees continued decline in U.S. protein supplies
The amount of protein available to U.S. consumers has declined in recent years and is expected to continue declining for the foreseeable future, Jim Lochner more...
February 2012
Cargill trumpets beef plant’s $6.1 million upgrade
Cargill’s $6.1 million investment at its Plainview, Texas, beef plant has paid off in increased efficiency, reduced energy consumption and added more...
Sanderson employees file RICO suit over hiring practices
Two former employees of Sanderson Farms Inc.’s plant in Moultrie, Ga., have filed a lawsuit alleging that human resources employees at the facility more...
Chicken turnaround taking time to build
The much-anticipated chicken recovery sputtered as the year started, but the market is working through the excess supply, analysts said in the wake of more...
New frozen meals feature chicken
Kashi brand on Tuesday introduced Steam Meals, a collection of new frozen meals that feature chicken. The 9.5-ounce servings use microwave steam more...
News Briefs: USDA’s ‘food compass,’ animal-handling videos, organic burger joint
USDA announced today the launch of “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass,” an interactive, web-based document and map that highlight the more...
Sanderson Farms notes improved Q1 results, sets 2012 priorities
Sanderson Farms Inc. was able to trim its losses in the first quarter of 2011, but company officials remain cautious as they prepare to face continuing more...
Fitch sees poor processor margins and price-weary consumers
Fitch Ratings has taken note of declining beef and pork processing margins and warns that passing on the higher prices processors are paying for livestock more...
E. coli report covers the ‘Good, Bad & Deadly’
A report entitled “E. coli: Good, Bad & Deadly” offers a broad overview of the pathogen to shed a more accurate view of the “often more...
Maple Leaf reports strong protein product earnings for fiscal 2011
Maple Leaf Foods wrapped up 2011 in a better place, financially, with net earnings of $87.3 million on sales of $4.9 billion, the company reported in more...
It turns out 'Spamalot' was taken*
Spam rolled out its first ever spokescharacter this week: Sir Can-A-Lot, a two-and-a-half inch tall computer-animated knight on a quest to “rescue more...
Keystone Foods poultry business to be absorbed into larger Marfrig unit
Brazilian processor Marfrig announced a new management structure to create Seara Foods as a new operating unit that will integrate poultry, pork and processed more...
Cloverleaf Cold Storage unit to build new processing facility
Cloverleaf Cold Storage Co. of Sioux City, Iowa, will begin offering custom processing and packaging operations through its Farmers Produce facility in more...
Independent restaurants hit hard by heavy traffic losses: NPD Group
A new report quantifies the impact of the nation’s economic woes when it came to dining out over the last few years. A study by Chicago-based NPD more...
News Briefs: Greater Omaha fined, steak on Dunkin menu, turkey achievement award
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration announced last week it fined Greater Omaha Packing $24,750 for inaccurate weights more...
Olymel walks away from potential beef slaughter partnership
Pork and poultry processor Olymel has terminated discussions over a potential partnership in a large producer-owned beef slaughter plant. Last week the more...
Hormel results show consumers’ shifting tastes
A drop in Hormel Foods’ grocery product sales and pickup in demand from food service customers suggest consumers dined out a bit more during the more...
January pork production up; poultry down
U.S. commercial pork production in January totaled 1.99 billion pounds, 5 percent above the previous year, while poultry certified wholesome (ready-to-cook more...
Missouri site considered for horse meat processing plant
A company owned by a Wyoming state legislator is looking at opening a horse meat processing plant in south-central Missouri. The company, United Equine more...
News briefs: NMA awards, Applebee’s Weight Watchers, George Washington chicken nugget
The National Meat Association gave out awards to several industry members at its 66th annual convention in Tucson, Ariz...(more) Founding more...
Tyson settles EEOC disability discrimination lawsuit (updated)
Tyson Foods will pay $35,000 and furnish other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission more...
Hormel profit falls 14 percent; weak pork margins a culprit
Hormel Foods Inc. said earnings fell 14 percent in the fiscal first quarter, hurt by soft grocery sales and significantly weaker pork operating margins more...
OSHA cites Asian food producer for amputation hazard
The U.S. Department of Labor has cited Amy Food Inc. for possible amputation hazards at its facility in Houston, with proposed penalties of $77,100. Amy more...
Workers locked out as plant unable to find buyer
Canadian protein food maker New Food Classics locked its doors this week after failing to find a buyer while under federal creditor protection, putting more...
Beef industry stakeholders solidify commitment to sustainable practices
Companies in the beef-production continuum joined environmental advocates today in solidifying a commitment to doing business with sustainable practices more...
Big reward offered for information on Calif. feedlot arson
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who set fire to more more...
MegaMex exec gets Hormel promotion
Hormel Foods Corp. has promoted Luis G. Marconi to vice president of Grocery Products marketing at the Hormel’s corporate office. Marconi previously more...
AdvancePierre gets new CFO
Cincinnati-based AdvancePierre Foods has announced that Michael Sims will join the company as Chief Financial Officer. Sims joins the processor after more...
News Briefs: AMIF food safety, Quiznos hire
The AMI Foundation (AMIF) today provided feedback on the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) more...
HSUS, Bon Appetit Management announce plans for crate-free pork supply
Bon Appetit Management and the Humane Society of the United States issued a joint press release today announcing that the institutional food service company more...
Meat case study shows price-shopping but not protein-shifting
The seventh Power of Meat study was released today, revealing that shoppers are more price-driven than ever and are doing more comparison-shopping before more...
Surprising Pilgrim’s Pride results may bode well for 2012: analysts
A smaller-that-expected loss in the fourth quarter of 2011 for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. has several industry analysts providing a fairly optimistic more...
Briefs: NTF, Canadian cattle and Self-Check
The National Turkey Federation's board of directors elected Steve Willardsen to serve as the federation's 2012 chairman. Willardsen is president of Cargill more...
Conflicting beef data have USDA analysts scratching their heads
“Mixed Signals Cloud Beef’s Future” headlines USDA’s analysis of the beef situation in its most recent Livestock, Dairy and Poultry more...
Fewer than half of Americans eat breakfast daily, survey says
Only 48 percent of Americans eat breakfast every day, according to a survey conducted by StrategyOne for Kraft Foods. That figure is even lower among more...
Wellness center opens for N.C. processor
House of Raeford Farms has opened a wellness center for its employees in Wallace, N.C. The facility, operated in partnership with TransformHealthRX, is more...
News Briefs: Sanderson Farms, cow quadruplets, Taco John's death
Sanderson Farms extends stock repurchase Sanderson Farms has expanded and extended to Feb. 16, 2014, its stock repurchase program approved Oct. 22, 2009 more...
Indiana processor files for Chapter 11
Ossian, Ind.-based Ossian Smoked Meats Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Feb. 10 in an attempt to restructure its $2.9 million in debt. It has about more...
Pilgrim's posts loss, looks to a better 2012
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Friday reported a fourth-quarter loss it attributed to high grain and other costs but sounded an upbeat note on its own prospects more...
Case Farms finalizes acquisition
Case Farms said today it finalized its acquisition of assets from Ohio-based Park Farms, including a processing plant and hatchery. Case plans to resume more...
London student proposes raising chickens with their heads cut off
In response to increasing demand for meat, Andres Ford, an architecture student at the Royal College of Art in London, recently proposed a new way to more...
Sunnymel chicken plant taking shape; recruitment stepping up
The foundations have been poured and the steel-beam framework of the future Sunnymel chicken plant in Clair, New Brunswick, is now being erected, with more...
Another day, another video on hog gestation crate use
The group Compassion Over Killing, which advocates a vegetarian diet, released this week a video taken covertly by one if its members that showed gestation more...
Sanderson deboning plant will remain on hold
Sanderson Farms will continue to place on hold plans to build a second big bird deboning plant and hatchery operation in North Carolina until market conditions more...
Tyson partners with Anheuser-Busch
Tyson Foods announced that Anheuser-Busch, Inc. will be a corporate partner in a March basketball tournament promotion featured in thousands of retailers more...
Former KSU professor, ag judge and advocate dies at age 90
Don L. Good, former head of the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University, died Tuesday at 90 years of age in his home in more...
N.C. state official suspended after tipping off Butterball on raid
A North Carolina state official who admitted to tipping off Butterball officials to allegations of animal abuse before a raid by law officers has been more...
Bob Evans restaurant profit up, packaged food lags
Bob Evans Farms Inc. said its third-quarter net income jumped 31 percent as cost cuts boosted profit at its namesake restaurants, but higher commodity more...
Keystone Foods quick-service logistics unit sold for $400 million
Brazilian meat processor Marfrig has completed the sale of logistics operations for its subsidiary Keystone Foods LLC to The Martin-Brower Company in more...
State nutrition police arrest N.C. preschooler's lunch
A student enrolled in West Hoke (N.C.) Elementary’s preschool program was recently told her homemade lunch did not meet USDA guidelines. Instead more...
News Briefs: U.S./EU trade pact, FSIS notice, Lean Cuisine No. 1, USDA fights hunger, Ohio processor revoked
U.S./EU Organic trade pact Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced that the United States and the European Union formed a partnership more...
Salmonella vaccine effort takes another step
The discovery of a set of antigens common to both mice and humans marks an important step in the development of a vaccine against salmonella, an international more...
Pork makes the menu at heart disease awareness gala
The National Pork Board is leveraging the pork tenderloin’s recently acquired Heart-Check mark from the American Heart Association by getting it more...
AMI/AMSA take on environmental impact of large cattle operations
The American Meat Institute (AMI), in conjunction with the American Meat Science Association (AMSA), today launched the fifth installment of seven new more...
News briefs: Perdue Farms theft, Beef Board, Chinese athletes, poultry politics in N.C.
A Millsboro, Del. man has been charged with two counts of theft and one count of malicious destruction of property for stripping copper and aluminum from more...
McDonald’s pork suppliers must outline plans to stop sow gestation stalls
McDonald’s will require its U.S. pork suppliers to outline their plans to phase out the use of sow gestation stalls, the company announced in a more...
User fees would jump 91 percent in proposed 2013 budget
The Obama administration is proposing $266 million in user fees in the fiscal 2013 federal budget, released today during a media conference with Agriculture more...
Taiwan pulls more U.S. beef for ractopamine; local protests threatened
Health department officials in Taiwan have pulled U.S. beef from store shelves for the second time in two months after discovering traces of the drug more...
USMEF details record pork, beef, lamb exports
Exports of U.S. pork, beef and lamb set new records across the board in 2011, reaching all-time highs in both volume and value and exceeding $11.5 billion more...
Pilgrim’s Pride fined in N.C. ammonia leak
The North Carolina Department of Labor has fined Pilgrim’s Pride a total of $107,100 and cited the company for a number of safety violations stemming more...
HSUS takes its next swat at Seaboard
The Humane Society of the United States said Thursday it has filed supplemental complaints with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission and Federal Trade more...
Petaluma Poultry founder dies at 91
Charles Baum, a native of Poland and Holocaust survivor who founded Petaluma Poultry Processors more than half a century ago, died Jan. 26 of congestive more...
Tyson to provide beef to U.S. commissaries
Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. was awarded two of three contracts to provide fresh beef for resale at commissaries, according to a Feb. 7 press release by the more...
News Briefs: Friendly's Ice Cream, record exports, statistical book
The chief executive of Friendly’s Ice Cream LLC, Harsha Agadi, will resign Friday, although he will remain on the company’s board of directors more...
Smoke damages Tyson plant, operations to resume tomorrow
The Tyson Foods plant on Ford Avenue in Springdale, Ark. is expected to resume normal operations Friday morning following a fire, a spokesman told Meatingplace more...
Sanderson plant foes take battle to next level
Opponents of a proposed Sanderson Farms chicken processing plant in Nash County, N.C., returned to the courts this week to press their case, the Rocky more...
Sara Lee brand launches new sausages
Sara Lee’s Hillshire Farms brand debuted a new line of smoked sausage Thursday. The Hillshire Farm Gourmet Creations contain no artificial colors more...
Overhill Farms profit down amid new product ramp-up
Overhill Farms, a maker of frozen foods for retail and foodservice customers, reported lower net income in its fiscal first quarter as it invested in more...
USDA projects eased feed supply and higher cattle, broiler prices
While U.S. corn and soybean supplies remain tight, USDA projected slightly larger stocks than market analysts were expecting, which will slightly decrease more...
EPA overestimates chicken waste pollution in Chesapeake: study
A new University of Delaware study challenges the Environmental Protection Agency’s estimates of how much chicken manure and nutrient more...
Economist spells out 2012 for beef — sector by sector
In the context of decreasing cattle supplies, Kansas State University livestock economist Glynn Tonsor predicted a tough year for feedlots and packer more...
Beef helps bring China, Canada together
Chinese Premier Web Jiabao and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper have signed a series of trade agreements that will increase the amount and value more...
Chicken powers McDonald's strong January sales
McDonald's Corp. reported a better-than-expected jump in January sales, citing demand for its new Chicken McBites limited-time menu offering. Global sales more...
Buffalo Wild Wings continues to defy gravity
Minneapolis-based Buffalo Wild Wings announced strong gains in sales and earnings it is fourth quarter and plans to roll out online ordering this year more...
Wal-Mart Stores launches label icon for “healthier” grocery items
The nation’s largest food retailer today introduced a new program that makes it easier for shoppers to identify healthier food choices using an more...
Maple Leaf Foods distributes listeriosis settlement checks
Maple Leaf Foods has sent out what it considers the final settlement checks to close the books on a 2008 listeriosis outbreak that killed 23 people in more...
Recalled chicken salad likely found in unbranded sandwiches
Bear Creek, N.C.-based Bost Distributing Co., doing business as Harold Food Co., is recalling about 1,200 pounds of chicken salad products. The products more...
Walmart China names new CEO
Walmart Stores Inc. announced that Senior Vice President for Walmart International, Greg Foran, is the company's choice as president and CEO of Walmart more...
Ruiz Foods expands snack line
Dinuba, Calif.-based Ruiz Food Products Inc. announced today that its El Monterey brand added “Mini Tacos” to its “Snack Bag” more...
Tyson, Cargill employees evacuated in separate ammonia leaks in same city
Employees at a Tyson Foods plant and a Cargill plant, both in Springdale, Ark., were evacuated and some sent to a local hospital this morning after each more...
Union workers, Cargill compromise in new contract at beef plant
Union workers at the Cargill Meat Solutions beef processing plant in Guelph, Ontario, agreed to give Cargill more flexibility in adjusting staffing levels more...
Tyson 2012 outlook to suffer from continuing beef woes: analysts
Tyson Foods Inc. is likely to be negatively impacted by poor beef margins, even if its pork and chicken businesses are in recovery mode, according to more...
Multi-concept restaurant chain sells to investor
Nashville, Tenn.-based multi-concept restaurant chain O’Charley’s Inc. announced an agreement to sell the company to Fidelity National Financial more...
Research to help control emerging broiler breeder disease
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced that North Carolina State University has completed a research more...
Burger chain permanently adds chicken entrée to QSR menu
Quick service burger chain Whataburger Restaurants is permanently adding a chicken fajita dish to its menu, adding to its non-beef offerings, which already more...
Tyson shares jump on better-than-expected results
Tyson Foods Inc. reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings, sending its stock up nearly 6 percent, as surprisingly robust pork sales and improved more...
Analysts see poor beef packer margins, possible plant closure
Initial indications that cattle producers are starting to retain breeding stock to rebuild herds points to higher cattle prices and even tighter beef more...
Rule would reduce limits of synthetic methionine in organic poultry production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to publish a proposed rule that would continue the allowance of synthetic methionine in organic poultry production more...
Pork, chicken, beef and turkey in Super Bowl packs for soldiers
The U.S. Department of Defense has shipped thousands of pounds of snacks for U.S. troops in Afghanistan to munch on while watching the New England Patriots more...
Tyson sets new board
Tyson Foods Inc. shareholders today elected nine people to the company's board of directors, including seven independent directors. Those elected were more...
Poultry safety award open for applications
The Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award Program is seeking applications from poultry processing plants, hatcheries, feed mills or rendering facilities more...
HSUS sets Tyson as next target on hog gestation stalls
The Humane Society of the United States plans to confront Tyson Foods executives at their annual meeting tomorrow, just days after the group went after more...
Cargill plant workers ratify union contract
Union workers at Cargill’s case ready meat processing plant in Hazleton, Pa. approved a new five-year contract, the company confirmed to Meatingplace more...
Landry’s to close "a few" more Morton’s restaurants
The Jacksonville, Fla., location of Morton’s the Steakhouse has closed, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union. Although the report listed more...
Sara Lee sees “marked improvement” in Q2 meat volume
Sara Lee’s retail and foodservice segments saw adjusted net sales rise 1 percent in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012, while reported net sales more...
Promotions, retirements at Hormel Foods
Hormel Foods Corp. announced the retirement of two vice presidents and the promotion of several executives in consumer product sales. Daniel Hartzog, more...
Beef cutting demos for processors now available
The Beef Checkoff’s Beef Innovation Group has added new animated cutting demonstrations to its website. The website now includes new beef cutting more...
Better Homes & Gardens honors Ball Park frank
Ball Park was just awarded one of Better Homes and Gardens’ Best New Product Awards for its Deli Style Beef Franks, according to a press release more...
Packer ordered to pay $50,000 for wrongful termination
Washington Beef will pay a former employee $50,000 in back wages to settle a wrongful termination suit brought by the U.S. Department of Labor’s more...
Chemical spill at Marfrig plant kills four, poisons 20
Brazilian meat processor Marfrig confirmed on Tuesday night the deaths of four employees at its tannery facility in Bataguassu, Mato Grosso do Sul state more...
Tyson unit teams with oil maker to fuel commercial fleet
Dynamic Fuels, a joint venture between Tyson Foods and Syntroleum Corp., announced today a partnership with Mansfield Oil Co. to distribute synthetic more...
USDA backs off of stringent proposal for federal contractors
The USDA has withdrawn its proposal that would have required companies doing business with the agency to certify that all subcontractors are in compliance more...
Restaurant performance gauge leaps to six-year high
The National Restaurant Association’s monthly performance index jumped to a six-year high in December as rising sales and customer traffic stoked more...
Dunkin' Donuts expands menu with all-day sandwiches
Dunkin’ Donuts is adding four toasted, made-to-order sandwiches to its menu aimed at busy consumers who want to grab some protein during the day more...
January 2012
S.F. sausage maker settles with feds; will spend $6.7 million
A division of Columbus Foods LLC, will spend about $6.7 million to settle issues linked to two ammonia leaks at its plant in South San Francisco in 2009 more...
HSUS releases video documenting ‘abuse’ at pig farms
The Humane Society of the United States today released two undercover videos that it says document “unequivocal proof of the inherent and extreme more...
Cargill procurement chief to retire
Kenneth L. “Ken” Bull, vice president of procurement for Cargill’s U.S.-based beef business, has announced his retirement after 33 years more...
Meat association refutes study connecting "spam" and diabetes
A recent study that linked an apparent connection between processed canned meat and diabetes in Native Americans is being refuted by officials at the more...
Safeway names new president for Vons unit
Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway Inc. announced it named Lori Raya president of its Vons Division a week after it announced Tom Keller was stepping down more...
Kayem to reward one stay-at-home football fan
With an eye on the millions of people who will watch the Super Bowl from home, Kayem Foods today launched a promotion that will award $2,500 — the more...
One of nation’s oldest meat companies to close
A longtime New England producer of meat products ranging from frankfurters and sausages to deli meats, Bloomfield, Conn.-based Grote & Weigel, Inc more...
EU committee backs plan to increase beef imports
The EU Parliament’s International Trade Committee has approved a proposed EU concession on importing beef from cattle not treated with hormones more...
Cherkizovo launches new poultry product line
Russian meat processing giant Cherkizovo Group announced it launched a new line of chilled semi-processed poultry products under the Petelinka brand. more...
Seara Alimentos names ConAgra executive its new CEO
Brazil-based Marfrig Alimentos S.A. has announced the appointment of David Alan Palfenier to CEO of its subsidiary, Seara Alimentos. He will replace Mayr more...
Meijer announces new executive appointments
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based food retailer Meijer announced it appointed J.K. Symancyk to the newly created role of chief operating officer and has hired more...
Sara Lee to close Miss. plant
Sara Lee will close its Shannon, Miss., plant by March 30, moving production of its Bryan Smokies cocktail sausages to facilities in Claryville, Ky., more...
Johnsonville targets foodservice with distribution deal
AdvancePierre Foods and Johnsonville Sausage announced a strategic alliance aimed at expanding the sausage maker’s reach in the foodservice market more...
GNP Co. launches new sausages, brats
St. Cloud, Minn.-based GNP Company announced today the launch of its first-ever line of Gold’n Plump chicken sausages, brats and breakfast links more...
Fast-casual restaurants shine in dim industry
Fast-casual restaurants are the exception to the rule in a restaurant industry that has been stifled by a lagging economy, according to food industry more...
Texas packer names second new executive this month
Yoakum, Texas-based Eddy Packing Co. Inc. named Robert Beckwith its new chief operating officer, three weeks after naming Scott McNair its president and more...
20 years of meat and the media: interview
American Meat Institute spokeswoman Janet Riley has faced every media tidal wave to hit the meat industry over the past 20 years. In an interview featured more...
Columbia Packing explains pork waste discharge
Columbia Packing Co. said a sewer line clog caused its pork processing waste to discharge into a creek that flows into a nearby river. (See “Pork more...
Meat company executives charged with selling adulterated poultry
Two executives of Hitchin’ Post Steak Co., in Kansas City, Kansas, were indicted on charges of selling misbranded and adulterated poultry products more...
Cargill upgrades infrastructure at beef processing plant
Cargill’s beef processing plant in Schuyler, Neb., has completed a $4.2 million upgrade to its lighting and boiler facilities. The plant, which more...
USDA school meal rules omit meat mandate for breakfast
A proposal to require schools to offer a daily meat or meat alternative at breakfast was scrapped from USDA’s new guidelines after school districts more...
Pork tenderloin gets nod from Heart Association
The American Heart Association has certified pork tenderloin as a heart healthy food, the National Pork Board announced. The move puts the AHA’s more...
Sausage giant partners with Taco Bell for breakfast
Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu features Johnsonville sausage, the restaurant chain announced Thursday. The menu offerings, dubbed “FirstMeal more...
USAPEEC executive receives lifetime achievement award
The National Poultry & Food Distributors Association (NPFDA) named Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC), the more...
USDA backs biofuels beyond corn ethanol with large cellulosic plant grant
The USDA has conditionally committed $232.5 million to a project that will make ethanol and bio-chemicals from agricultural waste and other biomass, the more...
Hagen: Higher poultry performance standards to come
ATLANTA — USDA’s announcement Friday to all but abandon the food inspection system under which federal inspectors examine chicken and turkey more...
USDA school lunch rules cut calories and salt, add veggies
USDA on Wednesday released its final rules for school lunches and breakfasts, requiring more fruits and vegetables and less sodium and calories in children’s more...
Tyson stock lowered on poor beef margins
Optimism around the recovery in chicken market fundamentals has some analysts confident in Tyson Foods Inc.’s future stock performance. But larger-than-expected more...
Poultry ready-to-cook weight falls 9 percent
Poultry certified wholesome during December 2011 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.37 billion pounds, down 9 percent from the amount certified in December more...
Sandwich chain restructures debt, gets new owner
Quick-service sandwich chain Quiznos said it completed a financial restructuring that eliminates one-third of its debt while avoiding bankruptcy court more...
Manganese may be “magic bullet” to fight E. coli infections: interview
A new study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University is showing promising results in helping cells fight off the effects of Shiga toxin, a deadly more...
Egg bill is making meat industry nervous
The Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers announced they would make passage of H.R. 3798, the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments more...
McDonald’s posts record results, unveils new restaurant plans
McDonald’s Corp. posted record results for the full year 2011, with worldwide revenues topping a record $27 billion and earnings per share of $5 more...
Beef Checkoff releases annual research report
The Beef Checkoff announced today that it has issued its Research, Education and Innovation Annual Update. “In the end, all development, education more...
Psst… Ready for a $100 hot dog?
An enterprising hot dog purveyor in Canada is rolling out what it calls the first hot dog in the world to sell for three-figures: the cognac-infused Dragon more...
OSHA cites Jennie-O for safety violations, proposes fines
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Hormel Foods’ Jennie-O Turkey Store unit for 11 safety violations at its Barron, Wis more...
Tyson steak-cutting unit to open new plant
Tyson Foods announced its steak-cutting subsidiary, The Bruss Company, plans to open a plant in Jacksonville, Fla. that will employ up to 200 workers more...
Supreme Court sides with industry on Calif. slaughter law
The Supreme Court has ruled that a state livestock slaughter law cannot preempt federal slaughter regulations. The ruling makes the National Meat Association more...
USDA awards grant for E. coli research
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture today announced that it will provide a $25-million grant to researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to study Shiga more...
NAMP agrees to join with NMA to form new meat industry association
The North American Meat Processors Association announced its membership has voted overwhelmingly to join forces with the National Meat Association to more...
Giants-Patriots Super Bowl implications for chicken wings: NCC
The upcoming Super Bowl matchup between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots should hold chicken wing consumption steady with last year’s more...
USDA to roll out “modernized” poultry inspection system
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA will all but abandon the food inspection system under which federal inspectors examine more...
Taco Bell to roll out breakfast line
Yum Brands Inc.'s Taco Bell subsidiary will be rolling out what it’s calling the “First Meal” line of breakfast items beginning next more...
MRSA prevalence in pork higher than thought
A newly published study on the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in pork products purchased at retail found that its prevelance more...
Poultry groups peck at EPA’s CAFO rule
Poultry groups today submitted comments expressing concerns about a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed rule that seeks detailed information more...
Canadia to resume beef exports to South Korea
South Korea has approved the resumption of imports of Canadian beef products derived from cattle less than 30 months of age, Canadian officials announced more...
U.S. pork production record high in December
U.S. pork production hit another record in December, totaling 2.07 billion pounds, up 1 percent from the previous December, according to USDA’s more...
Dudley Butler resigns as head of USDA’s GIPSA
J. Dudley Butler has resigned as administrator of USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, effective next week, USDA confirmed more...
Largest U.S. steak-buffet chain files Chapter 11, closes retaurants
Buffets, Inc., owner of Old Country Buffet and other restaurant chains, announced it will reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, implementing more...
Church’s CEO names four to management team
Church's Chicken said Jim Hyatt named four executives to the company’s leadership team as the quick service restaurant chain focuses on improving more...
Applegate natural nuggets now in family-size pack
Applegate said it is introducing a family-size package of its natural chicken nuggets that are made from humanely raised, antibiotic-free chicken and more...
Russia to ramp up poultry exports
This year, Russia will export as much as 250,000 metric tons of poultry meat, according to an ITAR-TASS report. While visiting Bahrain, Russian First more...
Kraft warns of 1,600 positions to be cut
Kraft Foods will eliminate some 1,600 positions in North America over 2012, part of the company’s move to split into two independent, publicly held more...
JBS initiates $400 million bond issue
JBS S.A. said today it will issue bonds in the amount of $400 million, to expire in 2020, through subsidiaries JBS USA and JBS USA Finance Inc. The more...
Jennie-O Turkey Store promotes products in breakfast push
Jennie-O Turkey Store Inc. wants consumers to use its products in more healthful breakfast meals as part of a promotion involving a contest for a chance more...
Wendy’s tests new premium burger
Wendy’s is testing two premium burgers under a new line called Black Label Hamburgers, spokesman Denny Lynch confirmed to Meatingplace. Lynch said more...
Chili’s caters to health-conscious diners with new menu
Chili’s Grill & Bar is introducing a menu section that showcases its lower-calorie dishes, including three new entrees. The Lighter Choices more...
JBS SA allegedly has up to 45 assets for sale
Brazil's JBS SA will put on sale as many as 45 properties, including land and aging dairy facilities the company acquired in 2009 when it bought Bertin more...
Study links antibiotics in pig feed to resistant microbe genes
Antibiotics in pig feed increased the number of antibiotic resistant genes in gastrointestinal microbes in pigs, according to a study conducted by Michigan more...
Canadian meat inspectors decry possible food safety cuts
Members of the union that represents the Canadian government’s meat inspectors are warning that Ottawa’s plan to cut spending on food safety more...
Burger King testing delivery
Burger King has confirmed it is testing delivery service in the Washington D.C. area with plans to expand the test by next week. In a statement emailed more...
Look for more beef packers, feedlots to go out of business: analyst
The “war of attrition” on feedlots and beef packing plants will continue and accelerate in 2012, according to Oklahoma State University Extension more...
ARAMARK shifts college menus toward seafood, vegetarian options
ARAMARK is adjusting the spring menus at the 600 North American colleges and universities it serves to include more seafood, vegan and vegetarian entrees more...
Rockin’ export markets hold up pork, beef prices: USMEF
Exports of pork and beef both are on record-setting pace for the full year 2011 as November export statistics demonstrate, according to new statistics more...
Brazil prohibits avermectin drugs in beef cattle raised in that country
Brazilian farmers that keep cattle in full confinement or semi-confinement are prohibited from applying anti-parasitic drugs derived from the avermectin more...
Cargill receives patent for animal hide processing in meat facility
The U.S Patent and Trademark Office has granted Cargill a patent for an animal hide processing system for meat processing facilities developed by Ronn more...
Obama seeks to consolidate agencies; concerns raised on foreign trade
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama announced today he would ask Congress for the authority to consolidate several federal agencies dealing with more...
State official accused of tipping Butterball to impending raid
A North Carolina agriculture official is accused of tipping off a veterinarian working for Butterball that law officers planned to raid a company facility more...
Animal ag groups call for feedlot arsonists’ prosecution
Animal agriculture organization are beginning to weigh in on the arson attach at Harris Ranch Beef Co. in Coalinga earlier this week. (See “Fire more...
Danish scientists find meat quality biomarkers
Farmers hoping to predict the quality of pork meat with the help of biomarkers may have found their answer. Danish researchers have identified a way to more...
Hut, hut ... haiku? Sausage promo pairs football and poetry
Johnsonville Sausage and Michigan-based retailer Meijer are teaming up for a “Pigskin Poetry” promotion that combines football and wordsmithy more...
OSHA proposes more than $142,000 in fines for poultry processor
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited poultry processor KD Acquisition I LLC, doing business as more...
Bill seeks to permanently ban all downer livestock
U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) has reintroduced a bipartisan bill to permanently prohibit all unhealthy livestock that cannot walk because they are diseased more...
Grain prices plummet after USDA boosts supply forecasts
Corn futures plunged their 40-cent limit on the Chicago Board of Trade and soybean futures fell sharply Thursday after USDA projected much larger crops more...
Germany may limit antibiotic use in farming
In light of a report by a German environmental group reporting large amounts of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in chicken meat bought at German supermarkets more...
Brazilian poultry sets records in 2011, limits 2012 forecast
Brazil's poultry industry set new records in 2011 for production, consumption and exports, and saw Brazilians' per capita consumption of poultry surpass more...
Fire destroys trucks at Calif. feedlot; animal activists take credit
Arson is suspected in a fire that destroyed 14 trucks at one of California’s largest cattle feeding operations, and anonymous animal rights activists more...
HACCP effective at preventing salmonella illness from broilers: USDA study
Introducing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs into chicken processing plants likely prevented at least 190,000 cases of salmonella more...
JBS halts Argentine beef exports to focus on domestic sales
JBS is halting exports of beef products from its Argentinian facilities in order to focus on domestic sales, local Chief Executive Officer Artemio more...
NCBA taps Cattle Fax COO for marketing and research post
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced it named Mike Miller its senior vice president of global marketing and research. Miller was more...
Vilsack reaffirms commitment to food safety in consolidation
USDA Secy. Tom Vilsack today repeated the agency’s message that the closing of 259 field offices as part of a plan to save $150 million a year will more...
Meat operations hurt Cargill’s second-quarter results
Cargill Inc. reported $100 million in earnings from continuing operations for its fiscal 2012 second quarter, ended Nov. 30, 2011, on revenues of $33 more...
Friendly’s shutters 37 restaurants; emerges from bankruptcy (Updated)
Friendly Ice Cream Corp. announced it has closed 37 restaurants on the East Coast as it completes the sale of the company and emerges from Chapter 11 more...
Community-run processing facility to open in NC
The Foothills Pilot Plant — a nonprofit joint venture developed by state and local governments in Marion, N.C. — will begin offering processing more...
Brazilian poultry reaches record production levels
Brazil's poultry industry set new records in 2011 for production, consumption and exports, and saw Brazilians' per capita consumption of poultry surpass more...
60 criminal charges filed against Maple Lodge Farms
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has charged Maple Lodge Farms with violating dozens of federal animal regulations. The CFIA is alleging that more...
OSHA proposes $288,000 fine for alleged Case Farms Processing violations
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is proposing total fines of $288,000 for 61 safety and health violations it uncovered at a Case more...
Godwin to retire as president of Smithfield’s Murphy-Brown unit this summer
Jerry Godwin will retire as president of the Murphy-Brown division of Smithfield Foods Inc., effective July 31, after more than 10 years in the position more...
Land O'Frost partners with sub sandwich chain
Beginning in March, packaged lunch meat company Land O’Frost will offer the four signature meats of Blimpie’s famous sandwich, Blimpie Best more...
Sara Lee appoints MeatCo CEO
Sara Lee has tapped a Campbell Soup head to lead its North American Retail and Foodservice (to be renamed MeatCo), the company announced today. Sean Connolly more...
Chick-fil-A rolling out grilled chicken nuggets
Quick-service restaurant operator Chick-fil-A said it will introduce grilled chicken nuggets in a Kid’s Meal as part of several menu changes designed more...
Campaign touts underutilized beef cuts in Middle East
The U.S. Meat Export Federation launched a retail education campaign in the Middle East to promote underutilized U.S. beef cuts and other U.S. beef products more...
Safeway exits the Philadelphia market
Safeway Inc. said it is selling or closing all of its Genuardi’s grocery stores as it exits the Philadelphia area market. The Pleasanton, Calif more...
Ill. pork processor to expand
The Rantoul, Ill., pork processing plant operated by Rantoul Foods is adding five loading docks and a $1.8 million cooling unit to keep pace with production more...
Dunkin signs provider pact, to double U.S. outlets
Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Brands announced it has signed a pact for National DCP LLC , a Dunkin' Donuts franchisee-owned cooperative, to be the exclusive more...
Low-protein diet leads to less lean body mass, study finds
Caloric content alone contributes to the increase in body fat among overeaters on diets with varying protein levels, while protein content seems to impact more...
Diner chain to expand franchise opportunities
Denny’s plans to expand franchise opportunities and has a $100 million loan pool that could help open 75-100 new restaurants, the company’s more...
Another rapper to open chicken restaurant
Rapper Ludacris announced plans to open a new restaurant called Chicken & Beer at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Ludacris, whose more...
FDA cracks down on extra-label use of ceftiofur
The Food and Drug Administration cracked down today on extra-label use of the drug ceftiofur in food-producing animals on the grounds that unauthorized more...
JBS to close plant in Argentina
JBS will close its beef processing plant based in the city of Venado Tuerto, Argentina, and will either relocate or compensate its 540 workers, Lanacion more...
China lifts bans on Texas, Penn. poultry
China has lifted a ban on imports of poultry produced in the states of Texas and Pennsylvania, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service noted in more...
Chairman of Outback Steakhouse parent company resigns
OSI Restaurant Partners LLC, parent of the Outback Steakhouse casual-dining chain, said A. William Allen III resigned as chairman of the board effective more...
National cost of foodborne illnesses revised downward, study reports
An update of a study on the economic impact of foodborne illnesses to the U.S. economy each year has found that the estimated $77.7 billion tab is significantly more...
2012 tariff rate quotas for Russia lowered for pork, poultry: USDA report
The Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union (CU) published its meat and poultry tariff rate quota (TRQ) volumes for 2012, lowering those for pork and more...
Optimism abounds as restaurant performance index climbs to five-month high
Restaurant operators were increasingly optimistic as same-store sales climbed in November 2011, according to new data from the National Restaurant Association more...
Tyson, Food Network star team up for health kick
Tyson Foods Inc. said today the company and Food Network star and author “Hungry Girl” Lisa Lillien have teamed up to coach women through more...
FSIS, FDA, CDC aim for better foodborne illness attribution
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that in January it will hold a tri-agency meeting with the Food and Drug Administration and more...
High-end steakhouse chef sees beef challenges in 2012: interview
With beef prices expected to continue to climb during 2012, at least one high-end steakhouse plans to continue a 2011 program that aims to maintain profitability more...
Poultry litter to power Maryland prison
Maryland’s Board of Public Works has approved a deal with Virginia-based EcoCorp to build a facility that would supply a quarter of the power needs more...
Chili’s Grill & Bar adds remote ordering app to smart phone menus
Chili’s Grill & Bar is introducing a free smart phone app that allows customers to find a Chili’s restaurant, get directions and order more...
December 2011
China bans ractopamine production and sale
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced Friday that the country has banned the production and sale of ractopamine, a feed additive more...
Foodservice distributors still concentrating power, report says
The largest U.S. foodservice distribution companies have continued to grow and solidify their positions, according to a recent report by Chicago-based more...
AMIF launches new website
The American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) has unveiled a revamped and redesigned website aimed at the scientific community, policymakers and more...
Music album captures the life of a pig
When you think of music and pigs, the only thing that comes to mind is probably "oink." A pig actually stars in a British album. Musician Matthew Herbert's more...
Video prompts law enforcement raid at Butterball facility
Law enforcement officials raided a Butterball semen collection facility in Shannon, N.C. on Thursday after a video shot by the group Mercy for Animals more...
Tyson gets new trial in gender discrimination case
Tyson Foods Inc. will get to make its case again in a new trial on allegations of gender discrimination against the company. Judges in the U.S. Court more...
FSIS warns plants not to alter practices during listeria testing
USDA's Food safety & Inspection Service has some advice for meat and poultry processing plants that change their routine practices when FSIS is conducting more...
Cargill receives patent for low temperature rendering process
The United States Patent and Trademark office has granted Cargill a patent on its low temperature rending process for meat trimmings. "Low Temperature more...
Study: Red meat consumption linked to rare kidney cancer types
Middle-aged adults who eat large amounts of red meat each week are 19 percent more likely to be diagnosed with certain types of kidney cancer than those more...
Feds issue revised trucking rule
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a revised hours-of-service rule for commercial truck drivers. FMSCSA’s new rule revises more...
Tyson, 7Up join forces for late-season football
Tyson Foods Inc. is combining its efforts with 7Up brand beverages in a nationwide promotional push tied to National Football League games leading up more...
Wendy’s re-enters Japan with upscale theme, plans 100 stores in 5 years
Wendy’s opened its first restaurant in Tokyo with a new joint venture partner, two years after pulling out of Japan, and said it planned to open more...
Okla. coalition feeds overseas troops
When you’re stationed in the desert, a beef snack stick is a little taste of home. And so the Oklahoma National Guard units still deployed in Afghanistan more...
Vending distributor agrees to cease sandwich production: FDA
Triple A Services Inc., based in Romeoville, Ill., has agreed to stop making read-to-eat sandwiches and produce after investigators from the Food and more...
New USDA hog report reinforces analyst’s positive outlook for Smithfield
News from the USDA that the U.S. hog inventory was up 2 percent from December 2010 to December 2011 is good news for Smithfield Foods next year, according more...
Japan lifts ban on N.C. poultry
Japan has lifted a ban on imports of poultry originating in North Carolina that stemmed from concerns over low-pathogenic avian influenza in that state more...
EC publishes active and intelligent packaging guidance
The European Commission (EC) has issued a 26-page guide to assist the industry in understanding Regulation (EC) No. 450/2009, which establishes requirements more...
BPI cuts production as fast food giants drop its ground beef product: report
Beef Products Inc. has lost about 25 percent of its business and has had to cut production to four days a week from five as McDonald’s, Taco Bell more...
Live mature chicken weight declines from last year
The average live weight of mature chickens slaughtered during November 2011 was 5.71 pounds per bird, down 8 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s more...
Poultry groups hail end of ethanol blenders’ credit
The National Chicken Council and the National Turkey Federation were among the organizations expressing satisfaction Friday as Congress adjourned for more...
Brazil's poultry production gains in 2011, next year questionable
Brazil's poultry production for 2011 should reach 13.084 million metric tons, up 6.9 percent from the year prior, and the portion of that product destined more...
Lighter cattle reflect tight supplies: USDA
Another signal of tight U.S. beef supplies, a disproportionally large cow slaughter has kept average dressed weights lower during 2011 than if steers more...
Sara Lee confirms plant expansion plans
Sara Lee will expand its plant in St. Joseph, Mo., the company confirmed to Meatingplace. The $3 million project will add 29,000 square feet to the facility more...
Military rations evolve to bring protein and caffeine to soldiers
The U.S. Army’s Solider Research, Development and Engineering Center at Natick, Mass., is working on ways to improve military rations and create more...
Analysts fired up about Sanderson’s 2012 prospects
Lower feed costs and industry supply cuts will help Sanderson Farms achieve stronger profits in 2012 than previously thought, said two Wall Street analysts more...
New iPad app offers Buffalo Wild Wings ordering, entertainment options
A Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Toronto is testing a new iPad app that allows visitors to consider menu options, order food and even pay for their more...
Pennsylvania show to feature modern livestock production
When the 2012 Pennsylvania Farm Show kicks off in early January, it will feature a large exhibit of modern livestock production techniques. The more...
Turkey processor to build large new plant
Farbest Foods, Inc. plans to build a new plant in Vincennes, Ind., the Indiana Economic Development Corporation announced Thursday. The turkey processor more...
Ohio chicken processor in preliminary deal to be sold
Ohio-based chicken processor Park Poultry Inc. has reached an agreement to sell itself to a buyer that is expected to continue to operate the business more...
Navy sued for $326 million in 2009 Cudahy fire
Insurance carriers that paid the claims for damages from a 2009 fire shuttering part of a Patrick Cudahy, Inc. plant in Wisconsin filed suit against the more...
Seaboard Foods names new CEO, other key executives
Shawnee Mission, Kans.-based Seaboard Corporation announced it appointed Terry Holton president and chief executive officer of Seaboard Foods LLC, succeeding more...
Expiration of ethanol credit could help ease corn prices
Corn users could see some softening in prices if the tax credit supporting the ethanol industry – the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) more...
Broiler-type eggs set down 5 percent
Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 195 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Dec. 17, down 5 percent from the eggs set more...
Japan halts beef imports from JBS plant
Japan has halted beef imports from a JBS USA plant, reporting that regulators had found prohibited material regulated to reduce the risk of bovine spongiform more...
Land O’ Frost to buy hot dog, sausage maker
Lansing, Ill.-based lunch meat maker Land O’ Frost announced it has signed an agreement to purchase Wimmer’s Meats, a leading provider of more...
Beef packers recover from blizzard
Major U.S. beef packers are returning to normal operations following some hiccups caused by snowstorms that have pounded the Southern Plains. Cargill more...
JBS SA to cut $500m in costs in 2012
Following successful efforts to restructure internally this year, JBS SA plans to cut costs internationally in 2012, aiming to save up to US$500 million more...
National Beef sale approved
The Federal Trade Commission has effectively given its blessing to a private-equity investor’s proposed acquisition of National Beef Packing Co more...
Sanderson reports Q4 loss, secures land for new N.C. hatchery
Laurel, Miss.-based poultry producer Sanderson Farms reported a net loss in its fiscal fourth quarter, ended Oct. 31, of $21.6 million, or 97 cents per more...
Mexico bans Iowa pork plant
Mexico has removed from its list of eligible U.S. exporters a Sioux City, Iowa, pork plant, according to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service more...
New bacon among Kraft’s 2012 plans
New bacon products will be a part of 70 new products that Kraft Foods Inc. is planning to launch in 2012, the company said in a news release. The Northfield more...
Mountain City Meat auction slated for January
The remaining surplus capital and manufacturing assets of Mountain City Meat will be sold at two auctions scheduled for January, according to the company more...
ConAgra Q2 EPS higher than expected as inflation pressures continue
ConAgra Foods Inc. this morning reported higher-than-planned comparable earnings per share of 47 cents for the second quarter of fiscal 2012, up two pennies more...
Canadian government reports on food safety updates
The Canadian government this week issued its final report on the steps it’s taken to improve food safety nationwide, based on recommendations of more...
Cargill ground turkey production resumes in Springdale, Ark.
Ground turkey production has resumed at Cargill’s meat processing facility in Springdale, Ark., after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) more...
Chinese-owned poultry plant to open in Iowa by end of year
Charles City, Iowa-based Cedar River Poultry has hired about 60 people to work in a local processing plant that will process about 50,000 spent hens and more...
Federal appeals court rules on Tyson discrimination case
A three-judge federal appeals court panel on Friday approved $364,049 in damages to John Hithon, a shift supervisor at a Tyson Foods plant, reversing more...
Supermarket chains merge in $560 million deal
BI-LO, LLC and Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. announced that BI-LO will purchase Winn-Dixie in a merger valued at about $560 million, creating a supermarket more...
Study shows beef carbon footprint shrinking
A study published in this month’s Journal of Animal Science found that raising a pound of beef in the United States today uses significantly fewer more...
Dietz & Watson offers nitrate-free, uncured ham
Philadelphia-based Dietz & Watson announced its new All Natural Uncured Classic Dinner Ham. The ham is uncured, prepared with Sea Salt and has more...
Grocery ground beef recalled, antibiotic-resistant illnesses involved, records sketchy
Scarborough, Maine-based grocery chain Hannaford is recalling an undetermined amount of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with an antibiotic-resistant more...
China imposes tariffs on U.S. vehicle imports following WTO poultry action
China said it will implement anti-dumping duties of up to 22 percent on U.S. car imports, a week after the United States asked the World Trade Organization more...
Chinese pork packer begins trial production at two new plants
China’s Zhongpin Inc. said it began today trial production runs at its two newest chilled and frozen pork products plants. Zhongpin started the more...
Perdue, Fibrowatt propose biomass power plant
Perdue AgriBusiness Inc. announced it has partnered with Fibrowatt LLC to submit a proposal to the state of Maryland to build a 10-megawatt power plant more...
Landry’s owner buys Morton’s for $116.6 million
Tilman Fertitta, who owns Landry’s Inc., is buying the 95 percent of Chicago-based Morton’s Restaurant Group Inc. that he doesn’t already more...
Meatloaf entrees recalled on allergen mislabeling
Charlotte, N.C.-based B. Roberts Foods is recalling approximately 130 pounds of individual serving meatloaf entrées because of misbranding and more...
Research links lean beef to heart health
New research shows that eating lean beef every day can be good for heart health by improving cholesterol levels, according to a Beef Checkoff-funded study more...
Overhill Farms quarterly results hit by food, other costs
Los Angeles-based frozen foods maker Overhill Farms reported a fourth quarter loss as higher food costs and one-time costs weighed on results. For more...
Tyson workers ratify union contact
Workers at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Waterloo, Iowa last week ratified a new union contract with the United Food and Commercial Workers. The more...
Moo & Oink brand sold at auction
The Moo & Oink retail brand, characters, website and other intellectual property went on the auction block Wednesday, the Chicago Sun-Times reported more...
Sunnymel to hire 250 workers for new poultry plant
Chicken processor Sunnymel plans to hire 250 workers for the poultry processing facility it is building in Clair, New Brunswick, Canadian media reported more...
QSR chain expands turkey burger line
Carl’s Jr. has expanded its line of Charbroiled Turkey Burgers with the new Santa Fe Turkey Burger, created as a low-calorie alternative to the more...
Vt. meat processor eyes expansion
A Vermont meat processor is looking to expand after a state-funded project to get his business off the ground has met with success. Dan Mandich, owner more...
FAO calls for more intensive, 'benign' livestock farming
Projections that the world population by 2050 will consume two-thirds more animal protein than it does today means that concentrated livestock operations more...
Most Americans still plan to cut back on dining out: Harris Poll
Americans remain glum about employment prospects and will continue to curb non-essential spending, with six in 10 saying they plan to decrease spending more...
Poultry foundation appoints new director of research
U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation (USPOULTRY Foundation) has appointed Dr. John Glisson director of research. Succeeding Dr. Henry Marks more...
Cargill workers may be recalled
Some of the employees of Cargill’s Springdale, Ark., poultry processing plant may be recalled to work soon, company spokesman Mike Martin confirmed more...
OSHA cracks down on Wis. processor
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Emil's Pizza Inc. with nine alleged safety and health violations more...
Wis. poultry firm inks $40 million deal with Saudi chain
Taylor, Wis.-based organic poultry producer Guttenberg Farms has signed a deal to ship some $40 million in whole frozen chickens to a Saudi Arabian grocery more...
Smithfield back on Twitter with live event this week
Smithfield Foods announced it will host a live Twitter dialogue to bring awareness to issues concerning hunger in America on Dec. 16 at 1:00 EST. This more...
Opportunities to expand breakfast sales still out there: Technomic report
Even as annual sales of breakfast items reach an estimated $42 billion, there’s still room for growth, according to a new report from food industry more...
U.S. Supreme Court to consider Arizona immigration law
The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it will decide whether Arizona may impose its strict immigration law, which was passed last year but most provisions more...
Poultry groups ask administration to address export access to India
The USA Poultry & Egg Export Council and the National Chicken Council have asked the Obama administration to begin consultations with India through more...
Most consumers want antibiotic restrictions, survey reveals
A new survey finds 75 percent of Americans want government to do something to restrict the use of antibiotics in the animal farms that produce those turkeys more...
Pork, beef exports set new annual value records
October was another excellent month for U.S. pork and beef exports, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation more...
Glazier Group sells Strip House brand
BR Guest Hospitality has purchased the Strip House steakhouse brand from the Glazier Group, including its New York City and Las Vegas locations, while more...
USDA reinstates July Cattle Report
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics announced it has reinstated several reports the agency previously announced it would drop in 2012, including more...
OSHA cites Cargill for 23 serious violations
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Cargill Meat Solutions for 23 serious violations of more...
USDA pulls most of the teeth from final GIPSA rule
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, under pressure from Congress, pulled most of the teeth from its final rule on competition in livestock and poultry more...
Schwan Food Co. cuts 60 jobs
The Schwan Food Company said Thursday it has eliminated the positions of some 60 current employees as the company continues a cost-reduction effort. more...
Stuffed ravioli recalled for lack of inspection
D’Orazio Foods Inc., based in Bellmawr, N.J., is recalling about 161,000 pounds of frozen stuffed pasta products that were produced without the more...
USDA lowers corn, soybean price projections
USDA lowered its average farm price projection for corn in the 2011/12 marketing season, which began Sep. 1, by 30 cents per bushel to a range of $5.90 more...
USDA raises broiler, steer price projections
In the face of tight cattle supplies, USDA raised its 2012 price forecast for cattle (5-area direct, all grades) to an average of $120 to $128 per hundredweight more...
Smithfield profit down 16 percent, but CFO sees strong 2012
Smithfield Foods Inc. on Thursday reported a 16 percent decline in quarterly earnings, hurt by high-priced corn and a weak market in Europe, but predicted more...
Smithfield to meet 2011 gestation stall conversion goal
Smithfield Foods is on track to meet its 2011 goal for converting sows to group housing from individual gestation stalls, Smithfield President and CEO more...
U.S. calls for WTO panel on China’s duties on U.S. chicken products
The United States is requesting that the World Trade Organization establish a dispute settlement panel to address China’s imposition of antidumping more...
USDA publishes final rules on GIPSA provisions on livestock marketing
USDA has published the final rule implementing the 2008 farm bill provisions to better protect livestock producers and poultry growers under the Grain more...
Pilgrim's Pride to make 44+ million shares of common stock available
Pilgrim's Pride will attempt to boost its capital structure with a rights offering of 44.44 million shares of common stock made available to stockholders more...
U.S./Canada pact could ease meat trade
President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday announced two economic partnership initiatives that include streamlining more...
New technologies in packaging films: webinar
Once a product leaves the plant, everything depends on the packaging. The best package can extend shelf life, enhance appearance and boost sell-through more...
Odor complaints at JBS plant drop 25 percent
Odor complaints at the JBS pork processing facility in Marshalltown, Iowa, have dropped to 149 this year from 206 in 2009 — a 25 percent decrease more...
A coalition of industry groups takes aim at RFS
A coalition of organizations serving the beef, pork and poultry industries have signed a letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, more...
FAO food outlook reflects globalization of meat markets
The projected increase of trade volumes for poultry, pork and beef next year exemplifies the increasing globalization of the world’s meat markets more...
Study finds drug resistance remains for years after being discontinued
It’s not months, but years, that it takes for bacteria to lose their resistance to antibiotics. This, according to a new study by Canadian researchers more...
Industry continues to lean on USDA to delay non-O157 STEC policy
USDA has already denied industry requests to postpone implementing new policies around testing for six non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STECs) more...
Minerva sees boom in Brazilian beef demand in 2012: CEO
Brazilian meat processor Minerva expects to close 2011 with just over BRL4 billion (US$2.2 billion) in net revenue, and foresees a boom in domestic demand more...
Sale finalized for Canadian poultry processor
Grand River Foods of Cambridge, Ontario, has finalized the sale of its fresh poultry processing division to Maple Lodge Farms, based in Brampton, Ontario more...
Hooters names new COO
Atlanta-based Hooters of America announced it has named Sam Rothschild as chief operating officer. With over 35 years of experience in the restaurant more...
7-Eleven adds sausage breakfast item
Dallas-based announced it has added the Maple Pancaake Sausage Roller as a new breakfast item this month. The Maple Pancake Sausage Roller is a maple-flavored more...
Cargill announces global layoffs
Minneapolis-based Cargill announced it will cut its workforce by up to 2,000 of its 138,000 employees globally, a reduction of about 1.5 percent. It was more...
Butterball sued By EEOC for harassment
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced it charged in a lawsuit filed last week that Garner, N.C.-based Butterball, LLC violated more...
Kraft Foods names top leaders for split companies
Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods announced that current Chairman and CEO Irene Rosenfeld will head up its global snacks company and W. Anthony (Tony) more...
FSIS proposes rule to ease labeling approval process
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced it is proposing a new rule that will allow establishments to label a broader range of products more...
Navy, USDA announce major biofuel purchase from Tyson venture
The U.S. Navy and U.S. Dept. of Agriculture this morning announced what’s being described as the single largest purchase of biofuel in government more...
Central Valley Meat faces state charges
Central Valley Meat Co. now faces charges of “serious safety violations” from the California OSHA; the charges are related to an incident more...
Sanderson sees higher chicken prices around the corner: analyst
The chief executive of Sanderson Farms said he expects chicken prices to rise again after Christmas and suggested light breeder flocks could lead to strong more...
Chili’s new kitchens facilitate food preparation changes: report
The installation of new kitchen units at more than 100 Chili’s Grill & Bar restaurants is changing the way the chain prepares its menu items more...
Middleby scoops up another food processing equipment firm
Elgin, Ill.-based food processing equipment maker The Middleby Corporation announced it has acquired the F.R. Drake Company, adding to its growing list more...
OSHA cites Sigma for violations at Okla. plant
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Sigma Processed Meats Inc. for exposing workers to hazards more...
Lifting of U.S. horse slaughter ban renews debate
The lifting of a prohibition on funding USDA horse meat inspections means horses could again be slaughtered in the United States to produce meat for human more...
Restaurants emerge from bankruptcy
In separate announcements, Sbarro, Inc. and Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc. said they have both completed restructuring and emerged from Chapter more...
Better burger chain, meat snack company make new Forbes list
Forbes magazine has named Smashburger America's most promising company and included Performance Enhancing Meat Snacks in a new list of 100 privately held more...
Restaurant operators hanging in there, survey shows
Restaurant operators reported positive same-store sales for the fifth consecutive month despite softer business conditions, resulting in an essentially more...
November 2011
Context would be critical in public release of FSIS inspection data (updated)
The success of National Research Council recommendations that USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service release establishment-specific raw inspection more...
Sodium reduction has health benefits, hazards: review
A scientific review of 176 studies on the impact of sodium reduction on a population’s health concluded that the results show conflicting health more...
Allergen prompts small recall
Papa Cantella's Inc., based in Vernon, Calif., is recalling about 456 pounds of chicken sausages because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the more...
New Applebee’s steak entrees aim to sizzle
Applebee’s has added two new beef dishes to its Sizzling Entrees lineup as part of its ongoing strategy to improve its menu. The new dishes are: more...
Labor Dept. files discrimination complaint against Cargill
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced it has filed an administrative complaint against federal contractor more...
S.C. man pleads guilty in scheme that cheated Pilgrim’s Pride, GoldKist
A Sumter, S.C., man pleaded guilty Monday to cheating poultry processors out of more than $2 million by faking proper disposal of chicken parts, according more...
California firm recalls sausage
Gilroy, Calif.-based Silva Sausage Co., a Gilroy, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,010 pounds of British style banger sausages because more...
Sara Lee marketing options include upselling deli meat
Two new Sara Lee brands – Smith & Smith Fine Meats and Flat Iron Ranch -- could enter the ultra-premium lunchmeat market as charcuterie brands more...
USA Today explores feasibility, cost of pre-harvest E. coli interventions
Food safety experts say a vaccine and a feed additive administered to cattle in pre-harvest stages could help to virtually eliminate E. coli from beef more...
BLS: Injury rates remain low
The meat industry’s workplace injury and illness rates remain at a record low, according to statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics more...
Hormel shares $16.5 million with employees
Hormel Foods Corp. said it distributed profit sharing of more than $16.5 million to eligible hourly and salaried employees as part of its 73rd annual more...
China jails more than 100 in tainted pork scandal
China has sentenced 113 people, including 77 government employees, in a scandal over tainted pork that occurred earlier this year. One of them was given more...
More frugal consumers come armed with grocery lists
Americans are clipping coupons again and shopping with carefully planned grocery lists. Food marketers who want to reach the newly frugal American consumer more...
Uruguayan processors eye U.S. market in midst of EU crisis
As economic crises befalls EU nations, many Uruguayan meat processors are looking toward the United States, ElPais.com.uy is reporting. "The U.S. offers more...
USMEF promotes pork butt cut in four regions
Chefs from China, South Korea and the British Virgin Islands, as well as a recipe contest winner from Japan, demonstrated unique approaches to the pork more...
FSIS extends E. coli comment period
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has extended its public comment period and will hold a public meeting on the agency’s implementation more...
AMSA paper reviews risks, benefits of sodium nitrite
The AMSA Scientific Information Committee recently completed a highly anticipated white paper, “Sodium Nitrite in Processed Meat and Poultry Meats: more...
Research holds promise for battling common chicken virus
Scottish researchers have identified a gene that makes chickens more susceptible to Marek’s disease, making it possible to breed birds with greater more...
Center-of-the-plate cupcakes
No, it’s not a child’s dream come true — dessert for dinner! — but an upending of the mealtime norm by a Chicago eatery that is more...
Cheaper cuts among leading restaurant trends for 2012
Just as the United States economic forecast includes mixed signals, restaurants across the nation face a varied landscape of expected trends in 2012. more...
Pork producers, farmers help students make the connection
At a time when animal activist groups have made inroads into classrooms by providing lesson materials that promote their point of view, farm groups are more...
Research puts stock-based products in spotlight
As a base for sauces, soups, and cooking liquids for meats, stocks are integral to the quality of restaurant menu items. The results of a study published more...
Tufts research adds to antibiotics debate
The “substantial and expanding volume of evidence reporting animal-to-human spread of resistant bacteria, including that arising from use of [non-therapeutic more...
Tyson addresses wastewater leak at Iowa plant
Tyson Foods Inc. said Wednesday the company corrected a wastewater problem at its Perry, Iowa, pork plant, that polluted a nearby river. A line in the more...
Chicken products recalled for misbranding, undeclared ingredients
Berk Lombardo, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., is recalling about 1,080 pounds of stuffed chicken products because of misbranding and undeclared ingredients more...
Jack in the Box rolls out new burger patties
Jack in the Box is rolling out reformulated burger patties as part of the restaurant chain’s effort to improve overall guest experience and drive more...
Poultry ready-to-cook weight down from last year
Poultry certified wholesome during October 2011 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.67 billion pounds, down 2 percent from the amount certified in October more...
Beef, pork production climb, but cattle weights plummet
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.27 billion pounds in October, up slightly from the 4.26 billion pounds produced in October more...
Higher costs, lower margins drag on Hormel’s quarterly results
Hormel Foods Corp. today reported fourth-quarter net income of 43 cents a share, a 3.2 percent decline from profits for the same period a year ago. Company more...
Perdue puts new facility plans on hold
Perdue Inc. said it will delay a plan to build a new headquarters facility for a subsidiary as it deals with economic uncertainty, according to a report more...
CA market to pay $500,000 for mis-labeling non-halal meat
An Anaheim grocery has agreed to pay $527,000 to settle a civil lawsuit over having advertised non-halal meat as “halal.” At the behest of more...
South Korea finalizes FTA with U.S.
On Tuesday the South Korean Parliament approved the Free Trade Agreement with the United States that has been six years in the making. The U.S. Congress more...
Tyson Foods optimistic for 2012 despite major Q4 loss in chicken
Tyson Foods Inc. today reported a 54-percent drop in fourth-quarter earnings as its chicken business lost $82 million, but record sales have company officials more...
U.S.-China trade talks inch forward on beef access, poultry bans
U.S. and Chinese trade officials made some progress on the issues of opening China to U.S. beef exports and removing avian-influenza-related poultry bans more...
USDA sets meeting, extends comment period on non-O157 E. coli
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced it will hold a public meeting and has extended the comment period for the agency’s implementation more...
EU launches action plan on antimicrobial resistance
The European Commission late last week announced an action plan to tackle the growing health problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Europe. The more...
WTO favors Canada in COOL ruling
The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled today that Washington’s country-of-origin labeling law (COOL) violates U.S. obligations under WTO rules more...
Congress votes to limit GIPSA rule and save school pizza
Congress gave final passage Thursday for an agricultural appropriations bill that would, among other things, block the U.S. Department of Agriculture more...
Northern Beef Packers opening date slips again
Northern Beef Packers continues to make progress on plant construction and hiring employees, but the opening of the $100 million plant has been pushed more...
Brazil poultry export growth slows through October
Brazilian poultry exports by volume are growing at a rate barely above break-even this year, with exports from January through October totaling 3.2 million more...
Wayne Farms to eliminate over 300 jobs by January
Oakwood, Ga.-based Wayne Farms LLC announced it would streamline operations at its Decatur, Ala. further processing facilities, affecting about 360 hourly more...
Temple Grandin sees transparency, focus on farm as next steps
Identifying problems with animals before they reach the slaughterhouse and using video monitoring to show the public advancements made in livestock handling more...
Moody’s may downgrade Pilgrim’s if chicken recovery slows
Moody's Investors Service said a prolonged recovery in the chicken market could lead to a credit downgrade for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. The ratings more...
ConAgra names chief strategy officer
Andrew Ross has joined ConAgra Foods, Inc. and will serve as executive vice president and chief strategy officer, the Omaha, Neb.-based food company announced more...
IHOP launches fast casual concept
IHOP has opened its first IHOP Express, a fast casual concept, in the Gaslamp District of San Diego. Customers order at a counter, with portable items more...
Congress set to cut money for parts of proposed GIPSA rule
Congress is moving to block the rules for marketing livestock and poultry being prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Inspection more...
JBS USA beef should remain strong in Q4, Batista says
JBS USA's beef segment should remain strong in the coming fourth quarter regardless of price increases, and capacity utilization rates in Brazil should more...
Profit outlook boosted for Smithfield, Sanderson
Smithfield Foods’ earnings will benefit from sustained demand for pork in 2012, while Sanderson Farms will return to profitability on rising chicken more...
HSUS ups pressure on Smithfield
The Humane Society of the United States turned up the volume on its campaign for Smithfield Foods Inc. to resume its transition away from gestation crates more...
How much more will consumers pay for sustainable cuisine?
About 57 percent of respondents to a recent Mintel survey said they were willing to pay more for local and sustainable fare; however, the majority of more...
JBS SA posts Q3 loss, blames currency and Pilgrim's Pride
JBS SA, the world's largest beef processor, posted a loss of BRL67.5 million (US$38.2 million) in the third quarter of this year due mainly to poultry more...
Sausage maker gets tax break for potential plant
Cibao Meat Products Inc. is reportedly considering a move to Paterson, N.J., and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority has awarded the company more...
Multi-species processing plant in Nevada on track for 2012 groundbreaking
Plans to build a meat processing plant in western Nevada will meet a goal of breaking ground next spring and ultimately bring 1,000 jobs to the area, more...
Wendy’s executive to depart
The Wendy's Company announced today that David Karam, president of its North America division, will be leaving the company, effective the end of 2011 more...
USDA uses orange peels to cut pathogens in cattle
Scientists with USDA’s Agriculture Research Service have found orange peels an effective antimicrobial in cattle in a series of studies that explore more...
Further processing at Tyson plant still down after Saturday fire
The further processing portion of Tyson Foods’ poultry complex in Pine Bluff, Ark., will not operate today after a fire in the Fulton boiler building more...
Global food safety fund launched with $1 million in public-private partnership
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk applauded plans to establish the world’s first Global Food Safety Fund, an initiative that will offer training more...
Tyson Foods stock upgraded on rising chicken prices, corn price stabilization
JP Morgan Chase analyst Ken Goldman today upgraded Tyson Foods shares to “overweight” from “neutral” and raised its Dec. 12 target more...
Cherkizovo launches pork production sites
As part of its aggressive push to enter the pork market, Cherkizovo has launched production at three greenfield farms in central Russia. Designed to house more...
Russian embargo continues to hurt Brazilian pork exports in October
The Russian embargo on Brazilian meat continued to negatively impact pork exports in October, playing a major role in a 7 percent year-on-year drop for more...
Court allows sale of Tyson plant to George’s
A U.S. District Court judge has approved the sale of Tyson Foods’ Harrisonburg chicken plant to George’s Inc. with conditions. George's must more...
Nutrition labeling rule delayed
FSIS announced Thursday that the agency is delaying the effective date of the final rule that will require nutrition labeling of the major cuts of single-ingredient more...
WTO agreement sets tariff rate quotas for meat
The agreement approved this week spelling out terms for Russia’s entry to the World Trade Organization establishes tariff rate quotas for beef, more...
Livestock building ID’s as state fair E. coli source
A permanent livestock building used at the North Carolina State Fair in October has been identified as the likely source of an E. coli outbreak in the more...
AFA Foods mixes it up
AFA Foods announced late Thursday the launch of Miller-brand Fresh Seasoned Beef Skillet Mix to offer consumers an affordable ground beef product in time more...
GIPSA backs off rule on “base pay” for poultry farmers
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is backing away from one of the most contentious provisions of its proposed “GIPSA Rule” more...
FDA rejects petitions to ban antibiotics
The Food and Drug Administration has rejected two petitions to ban antibiotics from being used in food animal production.Wednesday’s decision was more...
NMA says Supreme Court justices understand livestock slaughter law
U.S. Supreme Court justices who heard oral arguments in the case challenging California’s ban on the slaughter of non-ambulatory livestock seem more...
JBS considers deautomation of deboning lines at Pilgrim's Pride
In an effort to boost efficiency throughout its poultry processing units, JBS SA is considering replacing machines with people on production lines, a more...
Chicken livers linked to salmonella; recall underway
Schreiber Processing Corp., in Maspeth, N.Y., is recalling an undetermined amount of broiled chicken liver products that are linked to a cluster of salmonellosis more...
Indiana hog facility set to expand
County commissioners in Delphi, Ind., have approved a plan by Indiana Packers Corp. to purchase about 30 acres of a county-owned parcel adjacent to the more...
USDA lowers 2012 forecasts for red meat, poultry production
USDA cut its 2012 forecast for total red meat and poultry production from last month, with beef production reduced due to slightly lower cattle slaughter more...
USDA projects lowest corn yield in eight years
USDA reduced slightly its forecast for the U.S. corn crop on Wednesday, projecting the lowest national average yield since 2003. Despite the smaller crop more...
Supreme Court declines to hear RFS case
The Supreme Court is not going to sweep away the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and resolve the ethanol issue in favor of meat processors. The nation’s more...
Texas firm recalls jerky product on salmonella fears
Whittington’s Jerky Inc., based in Johnson City, Texas, is recalling about 126 pounds of beef jerky products that may be contaminated with salmonella more...
Sysco earnings rise on higher food prices
Global food distribution leader Sysco Corp. reported an 8.6 percent rise in sales during its first fiscal quarter ended Oct. 1, boosted in part by higher more...
Surf meets turf in large restaurant chain buyout
Houston-based Landry's Inc. announced it has signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants (MSSR) for $8 more...
Smithfield sees profitable hog and pork production next 12 months
Smithfield Foods started today a three-city tour of investor meetings at which it is projecting a strong profit outlook for the pork business. In a presentation more...
Prison time, fine expected after guilty plea for January Tyson bomb threat
An Arkansas man faces a possible two-year prison sentence and a fine of $250,000 after pleading guilty to calling in a phony bomb threat at a Tyson Foods more...
Dunkin, Hillshire Farm team up on new sandwich
Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Donuts and Sara Lee’s Hillshire Farm brand announced a new Smokehouse Sausage Breakfast Sandwich, available for a limited more...
Alaska Airlines starts using Tyson biofuel
Alaska Airlines announced that on Wednesday it will begin flying commercial passenger flights powered by sustainable biofuel, part of a program that ultimately more...
Brazil's Minerva reports 3Q financials, beef export growth outpacing peers
Brazilian meat processor Minerva reported a net profit of BRL15.5 million (US$8.86 million) for the third quarter of this year, down 36.5 percent from more...
U.S. backs final judgment in antitrust suit against George’s
The U.S. Department of Justice is asking a federal court to sign off on a proposed final judgment in its antitrust suit against George’s Foods that more...
Denver meat company’s assets sold
The assets of Denver-based Mountain City Meat, which filed for bankruptcy in September, have been sold for a little more than $5.65 million, according more...
USDA revises ready-to-cook poultry classifications
USDA has revised its definitions for the official U.S. classes of poultry to reflect more accurately the characteristics of poultry in the market. The more...
Vending machine dispenses fresh meat
Residents of one Alabama town have a convenient new way to pick up a fresh steak for dinner: from a vending machine. The carousel-style refrigerated machine more...
Daily Show takes on hot dogs
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council took to Comedy Central last night to defend the safety of hot dogs in a segment on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart more...
Process automation yet to reach its potential
CHICAGO — The world of process automation is a place where a company presently can slice 10-foot turkey logs to maximize yields and in the future more...
Cargill cuts greenhouse gas emissions
Cargill says it cut greenhouse gas emissions at its U.S. facilities by 11 percent in calendar year 2010, the company announced Wednesday. That exceeds more...
JBS to overhaul brand marketing, feature Friboi and Swift names
JBS SA will spend the next 18 months conducting a major overhaul of its brand portfolio through the most extensive marketing campaign it has ever put more...
Fewer calories, more chicken in Fazoli’s new entrees
Fazoli’s, the Italian quick-service chain, is revamping its menu with a focus on lighter, chicken-based entrees and dishes that can be customized more...
HSUS complains to SEC about Smithfield videos
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission, alleging that Smithfield Foods has “falsely more...
Hormel settles SPAM suit
Hormel Foods Corp. and a Dutch food maker’s U.S. unit have settled a trademark dispute concerning the former’s iconic SPAM brand. U more...
Beef Checkoff to launch multi-year sustainability project
The Beef Checkoff said it will fund a multi-year research project to identify opportunities for improving the sustainability of beef-cattle raising practices more...
AMI names six industry executives to officer posts
The American Meat Institute elected six officers for 2011-12 at its recent board meeting in Washington, D.C. They are: • Larry Odom, chairman. Odom more...
Little Caesars spreads its wings
Little Caesars Pizza is expanding its chicken wing offerings with five new varieties at its restaurants nationwide. The chain is selling an eight-piece more...
FSIS asks inspectors to dig deeper on salmonella interventions
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is asking its inspectors to review data from any programs that establishments use to control or monitor more...
Schools to serve whole muscle antibiotic-free chicken
Chicago Public Schools today began serving whole-muscle antibiotic-free raw chicken prepared on-premise in 473 schools. The school district plans more...
Calif. processor recalls chicken products
Los Angeles-based Windsor Quality Food Co. is recalling about 11,390 pounds of chicken pot pie empanadas that may contain foreign materials, USDA's Food more...
Armour offers lower sodium sausage product
John Morrell Food Group’s Armour brand announced a new pepperoni product with 50 percent less sodium than the brand’s regular pepperoni. "We've more...
Cargill helps food banks with food safety
While U.S. meat processors have a long and stellar history of food contributions to food banks, Cargill announced a recent donation to Feeding America more...
Smithfield launches social responsibility website
Smithfield Foods announced it has launched a new interactive corporate social responsibility (CSR) website that speaks to consumers who wish to know more more...
October 2011
New Tyson, Lopez Foods venture dedicates new facility
Ponca City, Okla.-based Dorada Foods today formally dedicated its 180,000-square-foot chicken processing facility that currently employs 250 workers and more...
Former poultry industry leader dies at 91
Broiler industry pioneer Russell Franklin “Frank” Frazier died October 20 at the age of 91. He served as the first president of the National more...
Japanese panel begins considering beef import rule changes this week
Japan's health ministry began deliberations Monday at a food safety panel on easing screening requirements for domestic beef and import restrictions on more...
Options running out for Rubashkin
Just a month after a federal appeals court in St. Louis turned down a motion for a new trial for the imprisoned former Agriprocessors CEO Sholom Rubashkin more...
Russia’s Cherkizovo sees poultry sales climb 26 percent from 2010 levels
Cherkizovo Group, a leading meat producer in Russia, is reporting a 26-percent gain in poultry sales over the first nine months of the year compared with more...
Pilgrim’s Pride posts bigger-than-expected loss
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. reported a larger-than-expected loss in the third quarter as it coped with higher feed costs and lower chicken pricing. “As more...
Mexican poultry group Industrias Bachoco announces 3Q11 results
Industrias Bachoco S.A.B. de C.V., a Mexican poultry group, reported yesterday an $8.1 million net majority loss for its 3Q, compared to a net income more...
Canada looks at celery extract in “natural” label controversy
The Canadian government is considering whether makers of processed meats that contain cultured celery extract should be prevented from claiming the products more...
Oklahoma firm recalls products with unapproved ingredient
Davis, Okla.-based t. 27, 2011 - Original Fried Pies is recalling approximately 8,888 pounds of misbranded frozen meat and poultry pie products that contain more...
Calif. firm recalls RTE meals
Judy's Catering LLC., in Burbank, Calif., is recalling about 4,100 pounds of ready-to-eat meals because they were produced without the benefit of federal more...
Competitive edge should keep U.S. meat exports flowing: analyst
The weak dollar coupled with a competitive advantage in production costs point to better-than-expected growth in U.S. protein exports next year, according more...
Commercial ag out of sync with consumers, survey says
When considering those factors that would engender trust with consumers, commercial farming operations are seen as largely out of sync with consumers’ more...
Walmart stores reopen in Chinese pork scandal
Chinese Walmart stores have reopened after incorrectly labeled pork products led local authorities to close them for 15 days, China Daily reported. During more...
Tyson beef plant barred by Japan (UPDATE)
Tyson Foods is investigating Japan’s ban on exports from the company’s Hillsdale, Ill., beef processing plant, a spokesman confirmed. more...
Texas processor recalls beef on misbranding, undeclared allergen
San Antonio, Texas-based Supreme Meat Purveyors is recalling about 22,100 pounds of Carne Guisada because they products contain soy, a known allergen more...
Chicken McBites to be offered nationwide: report
McDonald's Corp. plans to add Chicken McBites to its national menu in early spring as a limited-time offer, Crain’s Chicago Business reported. McBites more...
Name your baby Sam, get free lunch meat
Land O’Frost said today the company is giving away pounds of lunch meat in a promotion around National Sandwich Day and the birthday of the Earl more...
Cargill taps famous chef to promote offal line
Cargill has tapped Hispanic celebrity chef and cultural icon Chef Pepín as spokesman for its second annual sweepstakes promotion — “Calor more...
September U.S. poultry output down, but August revised up
U.S. poultry certified wholesome during September (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.71 billion pounds, down 1 percent from the amount certified in September more...
Vilsack outlines farm bill priorities
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday outlined USDA’s priorities for the 2012 farm bill, which included funding to maintain a safety net for more...
Processors ranked on environmental impact
Some big names in meat processing appear on Newsweek’s 2011 Green Rankings list, which assesses the environmental performance of the 500 largest more...
Poultry demand spurs growth for Brazilian cold-storage sector
SAO PAULO, Brazil – Strong growth in domestic demand for Brazilian meat products has elevated the nation´s cold-storage business to new heights more...
McRib LTO takes advantage of low pork prices
Monday’s announcement by McDonald’s that it is returning the McRib to its menus through Nov. 14 surely was good news for fans of the boneless more...
Cattle on Feed report another surprise for the market
USDA reported the second highest Oct. 1 U.S. cattle inventory since 1996 and reported an increase in cattle placed on feed in September, while analysts more...
Consumer demand sparks Tyson unit to revive Weaver Chicken Roll
The Weaver Chicken brand of Tyson Foods is reintroducing the Weaver Chicken Roll lunchmeat in response to online demand and consumer phone calls. The more...
Media coverage of animal welfare affects protein sales, studies report
Two unprecedented studies by Kansas State University indicate that media coverage of how animals are treated influence meat and poultry purchase decisions more...
JBS SA's holding company gains cleaning, hygiene assets in Brazil
J&F Participações, the holding company that controls Brazilian meat processor JBS SA and Banco JBS, acquired cleaning and personal-hygiene more...
Mexico drops tariff on U.S. pork
As part of an agreement for a cross-border trucking program, Mexico today dropped retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports including pork. The two governments more...
Allergens prompt turkey product recall
Kuck’s Turkey Farm in St. Marys, Ohio, is recalling about 2,325 pounds of fully cooked skinless turkey breast products. The products contain wheat more...
Obama signs trade pacts in expected boost for farm sector
President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia expected to generate billions of dollars more...
USDA authorizes $675 million in credit for exports to Korea
Just a week after Congress ratified the free-trade agreement with South Korea, the United States Department of Agriculture has authorized $675 million more...
USDA/FDA report recommends point system on labels
Under new, stricter recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), food companies would be allowed to include just four items on front-of-package more...
Natural food company launches new frozen entrées
La Jolla, Calif.-based natural food purveyor Kashi Co. has launched two new single-serve, all-natural frozen entrées. The Kashi Chicken Enchilada more...
Caviness pays $600,000 to settle DOJ hiring discrimination charges
Caviness Beef Packers Ltd. agreed to pay $600,000 to settle with the U.S. Department of Labor on allegations the company discriminated against job applicants more...
Cagle’s files for bankruptcy
Woeful conditions in the broiler industry have forced another processor to cry uncle. Cagle’s Inc. filed for Chapter 11 relief Wednesday in the more...
JBS responds with detailed denial of Brazilian prosecutor's charges
JBS SA responded late Wednesday night to charges by Brazil's public prosecutor's office that it had bought cattle from ranchers in Mato Grosso state breaking more...
KFC adds a bowl with bacon
KFC has introduced a version of its Famous Bowls that adds bacon to other ingredients, including chicken, in an item priced at $3.99. The Cheesy Bacon more...
JBS violates accord by buying cattle from illegal ranchers, prosecutor says
Brazil's public prosecutor's office notified JBS SA on Monday it had violated an agreement with the government to not buy cattle from ranchers that were more...
White House highlights Tyson Foods commitment to veterans
President Obama today announced the American Logistics Association (ALA) and its 270 affiliate companies have committed to hiring 25,000 veterans and more...
Food prices march higher in latest CPI report
While overall inflation slowed in September, the cost of food and gas continued to climb at a robust pace, the Labor Department said Wednesday. The Consumer more...
Aussie chain launches nation’s first organic burger
Burger King’s Australian franchise, the 337-restaurant Hungry Jack’s, has launched the first certified organic beef product for an Australian more...
Labor Dept. extends assistance related to closed John Morrell plant
The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an $815,740 National Emergency Grant increment to continue re-employment services for about 800 workers affected more...
Six months later: Choice beef back on top and then some
Just six months ago, Select grade boxed beef was selling for more than Choice grade. Choice has not only returned to its usual place as higher priced more...
Panera Bread co-COO is out
St. Louis, Mo.-based fast casual chain Panera Bread announced Cedric Vanzura will step down as co-chief operating officer three years after he took the more...
EU resumes imports of Neb. packer’s beef
The European Union has re-listed an Omaha, Neb., beef packer as an eligible exporter to the region, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said more...
BRF Brasil Foods to pursue acquisitions, exec says
BRF Brasil Foods, the world's top poultry exporter, will pursue more acquisitions in Latin America as part of its global growth strategy, a top executive more...
GNP launches new frozen chicken product line
St. Cloud, Minn.–based GNP Company announced it has launched a new retail frozen chicken product line. Suggested retail prices for the new line more...
Japan may ease beef import restrictions: report
Japan will likely ease import restrictions on beef from the United States and some other beef exporters as early as next year, Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri more...
Walmart China CEO resigns in midst of pork label scandal
Walmart announced Monday that effective immediately, Scott Price, president and CEO of Walmart Asia, will also serve as interim leader for Walmart China more...
Meat MythCrushers campaign expands
The American Meat Institute, in conjunction with the American Meat Science Association, has expanded its “Meat MythCrushers” campaign with more...
Mississippi State names new poultry science department head
Mississippi State University has named Mary Beck, a past president of the Poultry Science Association, the new head of its Dept. of Poultry Sciences. more...
Perdue sets corporate layoffs in motion
Salisbury, Md.-based chicken company Perdue is eliminating about two dozen corporate jobs, amounting to about 3 percent of its current corporate staff more...
John Morrell Co. pays fine on ammonia handling
The Environmental Protection Agency announced John Morrell & Company has agreed to pay a $206,000 penalty and improve the maintenance of process equipment more...
Chicago steak-cutter mulling Fla. expansion
Tyson Foods subsidiary Bruss Co., a provider of portion-controlled steaks and chops for restaurants, chains and cruise lines, is close to a deal with more...
Danish Crown lays off 500
Although it’s Europe’s largest pork producer, Danish Crown is not immune from fluctuations in the market. The company has cut 500 positions more...
Chicken, steak mix-up prompts fajita recall
Phil’s Fresh Foods Inc. is recalling about 15,760 pounds of frozen chicken and steak fajitas because some products may be in the wrong package. more...
Walmart to shut down Marketside stores: reports
Walmart Inc. plans to close all of its small-format Marketside stores by the end of next week, according to media reports. Walmart launched four of the more...
Industry outlines FTA benefits for beef, pork, poultry
Yesterday’s passage of free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia came just in time for the U.S. meat industry as the economy continues more...
Turkey filets labeled as steaks lead to recall
Bacon-wrapped steaks under recall may leave consumers asking, “Where’s the beef?” Instead, the packages contain turkey. Chef’s more...
Smithfield debt upgraded despite economy, feed prices
Standard and Poor’s announced it raised its corporate credit rating and various debt ratings for Smithfield Foods, saying it believes the company more...
Walmart workers arrested in China pork label scandal
Police in southwest China's city of Chongqing arrested two Wal-Mart Stores employees and have detained several others after discovering local stores sold more...
Alabama poultry plants affected by protest
A handful of poultry facilities in Alabama reportedly either closed or curtailed production on Wednesday due to a protest by Hispanic residents of the more...
Corn ending stocks up sharply in USDA report
USDA boosted its forecast for domestic ending stocks of corn by 29 percent from a month ago, above what analysts were expecting, sending corn futures more...
Oklahoma company develops new steak line for casinos, schools
Owasso, Okla.-based National Steak and Poultry is expanding its brand-name Steakhouse Certified line of products with five additions, each of which is more...
Private-label meat products make inroads with consumers
Private-label meat products are gaining market share among consumers still looking for ways to save money in the food aisle, even as total private label more...
Barber Foods to lay off 71
Barber Foods in Portland, Maine, plans to cut 71 jobs from its processing facility there, according to a report by the Associated Press. The fully cooked more...
Nestle USA unit recalls mislabeled Lean Cuisine entrees
Nestle Prepared Foods has launched a voluntary recall of a small quantity of its Lean Cuisine Dinnertime Selects Chicken Fettuccine meals because some more...
Hormel Foods revamps business structure, sets executive changes
Hormel Foods Corp. is realigning its business units and making some changes in its executive ranks that will begin taking effect at the end of this month more...
Perfect deli meat? Sara Lee launches new campaign
Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee announced the launch of its "Life's Not Perfect ... But Your Deli Meat Can Be," social media campaign that uses humorous more...
John Morrell to pay fine to settle pollution violations in South Dakota
John Morrell & Co. has agreed to pay more than $44,000 to settle a federal lawsuit covering dozens of violations of pollution violations under the more...
Walmart stores closed in Chinese city on pork mislabeling charge
Walmart Co.’s Wal-Mart Stores has temporarily closed 13 stores in Chongqing, China for mislabeling pork, a Walmart spokeswoman told Meatingplace more...
Wenneman Meat Co. opens doors on new processing plant
Wenneman Meat Co. has formally opened a new 22,000-sq.-ft. meat processing plant in St. Libory, Ill., on the site where a fire destroyed its previous more...
One-fifth of consumers more vulnerable to pathogens: report
A report recently published in the journal Foodborne Pathogens and Disease indicates that as many as 20 percent of U.S. consumers are more vulnerable more...
Uncle Charley’s head, two others confirmed dead in plane crash
Charles Armitage, Jr., the president of Uncle Charley’s Sausage Co. in Vandergrift, Pa., is among three confirmed deaths in a plane crash in West more...
Vietnam to modernize its livestock industry
Vietnam plans to modernize its livestock breeding sector by shifting from household-based breeding to industrial farms, Vietnam News reported. Modernization more...
New General Mills breakfast products feature ham, sausage, bacon
General Mills brand Pillsbury has introduced frozen Egg Scrambles and Grands! Biscuit Sandwiches, the company announced. The Egg Scrambles are available more...
NMA offers conference on food-borne illness litigation
The National Meat Association, in conjunction with the American Conference Institute, will present the Fifth National Forum on Food-borne Illness litigation more...
Gold’n Plump brand to give away real gold (updated)
Talk about brand-building: GNP Company’s Gold’n Plump brand plans to give away $10,000 worth of solid gold at the end of a fall promotion more...
USDA official puzzles over corn, says to watch Brazil
WASHINGTON – A USDA official acknowledged that even USDA analysts are puzzled by the larger-than-expected corn stocks discovered by the agency’s more...
Canadian beef, lamb processor lays off 75
SunGold Specialty Meats has laid off 75 people, more than half its workforce, according to the Alberta Farmer Express. The plant in Innisfail, Alberta more...
Ohio prison system under fire for banning pork
Abe Lincoln said, “You can’t please all of the people all of the time,” and Ohio officials are getting a lesson in that truism in the more...
P.F. Chang’s launches new frozen noodle entrees
The Asian fast casual chain P.F. Chang’s has added four noodle entrees to its line-up of frozen home meals, the company announced in a release. more...
Supreme Court won’t hear House of Raeford pollution case
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a petition by House of Raeford Farms Inc. to hear its appeal of federal criminal charges alleging the company released more...
GNP Company honored with annual Jewell Award for innovation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Meatingplace magazine today presented its industry leadership award to St. Cloud, Minn.-based GNP Company in recognition of the more...
Pork outlook brightens: Hurt
The prospects for pork producers to earn profits in the next year are suddenly brighter, thanks to a couple of USDA reports, says Purdue University Chris more...
JBS to close select overseas plants
JBS will close some of its inactive overseas plants, the company has announced. These include Bertin Trading UK, Bertin Foods UK, Bertin Peru, Friboi more...
Cargill lays off 130 from Ark. facility
Cargill Inc. has laid off 130 people from its facility in Springdale, Ark., that was involved in a recall of more than 36 million pounds of ground turkey more...
Pilgrim’s Pride to appeal magistrate’s ruling
Pilgrim’s Pride CEO Bill Lovette says the company will appeal a ruling by a federal magistrate in Texas that ordered the poultry processor to pay more...
Brasil Foods acquires Argentina's Avex, creates BRF Argentina branch (updated)
BRF Brasil Foods announced Monday it was buying a 67 percent stake in Argentinian poultry processor Avex, according to a company press release . The move more...
S. Korea the linchpin in trio of free trade agreements
Passage of three long-stalled free trade agreements (FTAs) with South Korea, Panama and Colombia — now before Congress for final ratification — more...
New Japanese government rules may doom raw beef dishes
TOKYO — Japan meatpackers and restaurateurs are concerned that tougher regulations on raw meat will make it impossible to serve some popular more...
Pilgrim’s Pride ordered to pay millions in damages over 2009 plant closing
A federal magistrate in Texas has ordered Pilgrim’s Pride to pay more than $25 million in damages to contract poultry growers over the company’s more...
FSIS issues new directive on sanitation procedures
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a new directive to its inspectors that prohibits less-than-daily sanitation procedures in slaughter more...
Omaha Steaks sponsors new Big Ten Network tailgate show
Omaha Steaks will serve as the official sponsor of a new weekly show on the Big Ten Network (BTN) that spotlights the conference’s athletic programs more...
Arby’s rolls out a new Angus option
Arby’s announced Monday the nationwide launch of the third sandwich added to its Ultimate Angus Beef line. The new Ultimate Angus Philly features more...
Bankrupt Chicago meat chain closes
Two months after announcing that it was seeking Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a popular Chicago butcher store has shuttered its four stores, putting 200 employees more...
September 2011
Russia bans Tyson beef from Kansas: reports
Russia has banned imports of ground beef produced in the state of Kansas by Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. following the company’s recall due to concerns more...
Smithfield pork plant re-listed by Russia
Russia has re-listed Smithfield Foods Inc.’s Tar Heel, N.C., pork plant as an eligible exporter to that country. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection more...
USDA grain stocks report good news for meat industry
USDA reported old crop corn stocks in all positions on Sept. 1 totaled 1.13 billion bushels, down 34 percent from a year ago, but above what market analysts more...
Poultry processor fined for discrimination
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission announced it has ordered Mehadrin Kosher Poultry in Birdsboro, Penn. to pay $6,900 for illegally discriminating more...
FSIS issues instructions on allergen labeling
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a notice to its inspectors on verifying that ingredients used in product formulations are appropriately more...
Hormel international exec retires
Hormel Foods Corp. has announced the retirement of James R. Hoffman, vice president of Hormel Foods International Corporation for the Americas, effective more...
Hog inventory up 1 percent year-on-year
As of Sept. 1, the United States inventory of all hogs and pigs was 66.6 million head — a slight bump of 1 percent from a year ago but up 3 percent more...
Arby's introduces new kid’s meal items with less fat, salt
Arby's Restaurant Group Inc. is rolling out new Kids Meal menu items with sharply reduced calorie, fat and sodium counts. The company said input from more...
Industry, FSIS partner on nutritional labeling webinar
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the American Association of Meat Processors and the Niche Meat Processor Network have partnered to present more...
NZ pig farmers press for upholding anti-PRRS import restrictions
New Zealand pig farmers believe a move by their country's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) to relax health standards and allow consumer-ready more...
Tyson recalls ground beef on E. coli related to illnesses
Emporia, Kan.-based Tyson Fresh Meats is recalling approximately 131,300 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
USDA promises tougher poultry regulation
On the morning after the announcement of another development in recent Cargill ground turkey recalls, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Elisabeth Hagen more...
No criminal charges for Henry’s Turkey Service
The Iowa attorney general has decided not to file criminal charges against Henry’s Turkey Service or its owners for allegedly exploiting the disabled more...
Right time in the chicken cycle to buy Sanderson stock, Goldman Sachs says
Calling it a “once-in-a-cycle” chance to buy chicken, Goldman Sachs this week added Sanderson Farms Inc. to its list of top stock picks. Analyst more...
Pizza chain launches 'gourmet' product line
Domino’s Pizza on Monday launched a national campaign to promote the latest offering in its lineup of ongoing menu expansion – the Domino’s more...
Metal fragments prompt pork recall
Allentown, Penn.-based K. Heeps Inc is recalling some 5,550 pounds of pureed pork products because they may contain foreign materials, USDA’s Food more...
Iowa, AgFeed reach agreement
The state of Iowa’s Attorney General Tom Miller has announced the state has reached a consent decree with AgFeed Industries Inc. regarding the company’s more...
Uncle Charley’s introduces heat-and-serve ham, sausage products
Vandergrift, Penn.-based Uncle Charley's Sausage Company announced it has introduced more new fully cooked, heat-and-serve products. A hickory hardwood-smoked more...
Don Shula expands beef empire to burgers
Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula announced the opening of his newest concept — a fast-casual gourmet burger chain called Shula Burger — in the more...
OSHA cites Kraft for 12 serious violations
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Kraft Foods Inc. for 12 serious and one other-than-serious more...
Lack of U.S. animal ID system to cost beef, pork industries millions: study
The U.S. beef- and pork-export industries would lose hundreds of millions of dollars if the United States doesn’t implement an animal identification more...
Ready-to-cook poultry weights up 3 percent from 2010
Poultry certified wholesome during August 2011 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.84 billion pounds, up 3 percent from the amount certified in August 2010 more...
Minerva SA to open new distribution center in northeast Brazil
Minerva SA, one of Brazil’s four largest meat processors, will open its first distribution center in the country’s northeastern region in more...
USDA hikes its forecast for beef price inflation
USDA Friday raised its forecast for beef prices in 2011 but left its outlook for overall food inflation unchanged. Beef prices are now projected to rise more...
Beef slaughter up, weights down — again
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.30 billion pounds in August, up 4 percent from the 4.13 billion pounds produced in August more...
Small recall for California sausage maker
Mattern Sausage, an Orange, Calif., establishment is recalling approximately 72 pounds of tongue and blood sausage because of mislabeling and an undeclared more...
Outback co-founder launches chicken chain
A founder of the global Outback Steakhouse restaurant chain is opening a chicken sandwich chain, starting in Florida, according to media reports. The more...
Undercooked chicken breast recalled
Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc., of Milwaukee with an establishment in Kenosha, Wis., is recalling approximately 360 pounds of breaded chicken breast more...
USDA sees beef, pork, chicken export opportunities in Vietnam
USDA announced that Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Michael Scuse will lead the agency’s first-ever agricultural more...
New Texas barbeque products hit retail shelves
Sadler’s Smokehouse has introduced a “Texas Barbeque” line of ready-to-eat proteins in gluten-free sauces, the company announced. The more...
Interest in where food comes from is high, knowledge low: survey
Consumers think about food production constantly, especially when they are shopping, but know very little about how their food is grown, a survey by the more...
Brooklyn company recalls dumplings with multiple proteins
M & P Food Production Ltd., in Brooklyn, N.Y., is recalling about 11,000 pounds of chicken, beef, veal and pork dumpling products because they may more...
China says its duties on U.S. poultry follow WTO rules
China said its duties on U.S. poultry comply with World Trade Organization rules, a day after the U.S. filed a complaint with the agency over Beijing’s more...
Cargill names Dolezal AVP of NA beef sales
Cargill announced today the appointment of Glen Dolezal to assistant vice president of business development and field sales leader for the company’s more...
Poultry groups see little safety benefit from OSHA proposals
A proposal to require more types of work-related incidents to be reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will do little to improve more...
Sara Lee unveils new deli meat flavors
Sara Lee now is producing new types of herbed and seasoned deli meats, available by order at grocery store deli counters, the company said in a news release more...
Tyson to pay $2.25 million to settle sex discrimination cases
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced that Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. has entered into two consent more...
U.S. lodges WTO complaint against China over chicken duties
The United States has filed a complaint against China with the World Trade Organization over Beijing’s imposition of duties on imports of U.S. chicken more...
ConAgra sees Q1 operating profit slip, forecasts stronger late 2012
ConAgra Foods Inc. today reported a 38 percent decline in diluted earnings per share from continuing operations in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, but more...
Paraguay moves to contain FMD; Minerva, JBS affected
Paraguayan officials confirmed an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in domestic cattle on Sunday and suspended beef exports, forcing Brazilian beef giants more...
Marfrig seeks to expand its Brazilian, Latin American clientele
Marfrig wants to increase its clientele among small food service establishments, Agência Estado reports. “This Brazilian market has around more...
Snake River Farms lays it on ‘thick’
Snake River Farms announced Monday the launch of its American Kobe Beef Gourmet Hamburger Thick Slider Patty, its contribution to the slider trend but more...
Perdue introduces low-cal frozen chicken line with “simple” ingredients
Perdue Farms today launched a line of frozen chicken products it contends meets the challenge of providing great taste, fewer calories and fat, as well more...
USDA unit seeks to refine COOL implementation
USDA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has issued a series of recommendations designed to strengthen implementation of country of origin labeling more...
Marfrig to sell off fast food-focused logistics service of Keystone Foods
Brazil's Marfrig Foods announced on Sunday it would sell the logistics services business from subsidiary Keystone Foods that specializes in fast food more...
Europe's largest packer selling more than meat in Russia
Danish Crown, Europe’s largest meat processing company, is making inroads into Russia’s meat industry beyond meat exports and into selling more...
Washington wrestling with issues dear to meat industry
DEL MAR, CALIF. – As Congress and the administration wrestle with issues such as budget appropriations, immigration, an upcoming farm bill and proposed more...
Tyson boosts awareness of hunger via social media
Tyson is turning to social media to help boost hunger awareness in the United States and let the public choose three food banks to divide a 90,000-pound more...
Steve Meyer gives less than rosy outlook for proteins
DEL MAR, CALIF. -- The convergence of high feedgrain prices, drought conditions and an unsteady economy are all weighing on the beef, pork and poultry more...
Perdue teams with ag groups to support farm in legal battle
Perdue Farms Inc. has teamed with two local farm groups to support a Maryland poultry farm defending itself again a lawsuit brought by an environmental more...
Chipotle’s first Asian-themed restaurant opens its doors
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has opened its first ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen location in Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood, featuring more...
Sam’s Club launches new private brands
Sam’s Club shoppers have two new private labels to choose from, as the membership warehouse club retailer rebrands some popular food items from more...
Superior Farms launches fall comfort food line
Superior Farms has added to its value-added lamb products a fall line-up of retail comfort food items. They include a 2.5-pound pre-marinated cook-in-bag more...
Outback Steakhouse voted No.1 steak
Outback Steakhouse serves the “Best Steak,” according to Zagat’s 2011 National Chain Restaurant Survey. Zagat has named Outback the more...
Townsends to liquidate under Ch. 7 bankruptcy
A federal bankruptcy judge granted a motion Wednesday allowing Townsends Inc. to abandon the company’s efforts to restructure under Chapter 11 and more...
NAMP holds off on proposed NMA merger
DEL MAR, CALIF. – The North American Meat Processors Association board of directors Wednesday tabled a decision on whether or not to merge with more...
Fire at halal plant still burning
Dozens of firefighters continued to battle a fire at an Ontario halal poultry plant this morning. The fire broke out around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and blazed more...
Darden Restaurants pledges to cut salt, calories
Darden Restaurants, operator of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Bahama Breeze, pledged Thursday to reduce the calorie and sodium content more...
Rising meat prices pace jump in U.S. wholesale food costs
The cost of food at the wholesale level jumped 1.1 percent in August, led by higher prices for beef, pork and turkey, the U.S. government reported. Prices more...
GAO can't find link between antibiotic use in food animals and human resistance
A report issued today by the Government Accountability Office concluded there isn’t sufficient data to study a link between antibiotic use in food more...
Murray’s looks to sell more chicken to hospitals
South Fallsburg, N.Y.-based Murray’s Chicken has entered into an agreement with a coalition of healthcare providers to promote the sale of its antibiotic-free more...
Butterball completes purchase of Powell Feed
Butterball LLC said it completed the purchase of Powell Feed & Milling Co. in Green Forest, Ark. The operation, which will become Butterball’s more...
Chicken companies cluck to Congress about corn prices
The skyrocketing price and short supply of corn is sapping chicken companies’ profitability, a spokesman for the National Chicken Council told Congress more...
Top union officials meet with National Development Bank over JBS layoffs
Top officials from Brazil's national food workers unions met Tuesday with the president of Brazil's National Development Bank to push for intervention more...
USDA starts non-O157 STECS testing with beef trim only
USDA today declared six additional serogroups of E. coli as adulterants in non-intact raw beef and said it would begin testing beef trim on March 5, 2012 more...
Survey finds consumers less concerned about food safety despite outbreaks
U.S. consumers apparently are less concerned about food safety than a year ago, despite recent cases of foodborne illnesses that affected nearly twice more...
Brazil's Banco JBS to buy 100% of Rio-based bank
Brazil's J&F Participacoes SA, also known as Banco JBS and controller of meat processor JBS SA, is putting up BRL1.85 billion ($1.1 billion) to fully more...
Bad news for U.S. families continues as poverty rates, food costs climb
The nation’s troubled economy is showing few signs of imminent improvement as the total number of people living in poverty climbed to its highest more...
Tyson exec joins renewable oil, bioproducts company
Former Tyson executive Jeffrey Webster has been named chief operating officer of renewable oil and bioproducts company Solazyme. Solazyme said in a news more...
Sara Lee North American CEO resigns
Sara Lee Corp. announced today that CJ Fraleigh, chief executive officer of North America, has resigned from the company to pursue other opportunities more...
Gillibrand proposal would adjust, expand definition of 'adulterated'
A U.S. Senator who last year vowed to put food safety at the top of her legislative agenda has introduced a bill that expands the definition of “adulterated” more...
USDA predicts less corn, more soybeans, higher prices
USDA decreased its U.S. corn crop forecast by 417 million bushels to 12.497 billion, slightly below what analysts were expecting. The agency also pushed more...
USDA predicts more cattle slaughter, less pork, poultry
USDA raised its 2011 forecast of total red meat and poultry production to reflect higher beef production, lower pork production and nearly unchanged broiler more...
Wisconsin producer names new director to its senior team
Steve Esau has been named director of beef and pork for Franklin, Wis.-based Strauss Brands. Esau, formerly with Niman Ranch, will oversee the continued more...
FSIS pulls back on O157:H7 testing
The USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service has discontinued testing for E. coli O157:H7 in domestic and imported read-to-eat dry and semi-dry fermented more...
Poultry processor charged for ammonia leak
The Alberta government announced it has laid charges against Canadian poultry processor Lilydale Inc. in relation to a 2009 ammonia leak. The government more...
Beef, pork still lead export pack
July was another strong month for U.S. beef and pork exports, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). In a news release, the organization more...
Belgian plan to reduce the pig herd
The Flemish pig farmers organization, VEVA, has presented a plan to the Minister of Agriculture, Kris Peeters, which outlines a scheme which would reduce more...
$350,000 for a burger?
The technique is far from ready for commercial-scale production, and the cost of creating the first burger could cost more than $350,000 – but the more...
Smithfield profit up on packaged meat; sees smaller hog herds
Smithfield Foods Inc. on Thursday reported stronger first-quarter earnings, boosted by higher pricing for its packaged meats, and said it expects U.S more...
Kraft, Sara Lee settle in "wiener war"
Kraft Foods and Sara Lee Corp.'s longstanding lawsuit over hot dog marketing has come to an end, Sara Lee confirmed to Meatingplace. "Sara Lee and Kraft more...
State DOH finds some Burger King patties undercooked (updated)
Inspection reports cited by the Washington State Department of Health point to “a disturbing trend” of undercooked burger patties at Burger more...
Tyson still on track for strong year
Thanks to continued strong performance by its beef and pork segments, Tyson Foods is still on track to deliver the second-best annual earnings per share more...
Marfrig aggressively pursues frozen ready foods, launches bigger frozen patty
Brazilian meat processor Marfrig and its main brand Seara are set to launch this month a frozen hamburger patty 33 percent bigger than similar patties more...
Culver’s unveils premium, antibiotic-free chicken sandwiches
Best known for its “butter burgers,” Prairie du Sac, Wis. -based Culver’s announced it is adding a line of premium chicken sandwiches more...
Smashburger expands beyond U.S. borders
Denver-based -Smashburger, announced its first international development agreements, which will bring the better burger chain to the Middle East with more...
Again? USDA downgrades corn, soybean, pasture conditions
USDA reported that 52 percent of the U.S. corn crop was in good or excellent condition in the week ended Sept. 4, down from 54 percent the previous week more...
One in six households lacks adequate food: USDA
Nearly 15 percent of U.S. households, or one in six, did not have enough food or were unsure of having enough to meet their needs at some point last year more...
Talks resurface between Brazil, Russia on meat trade embargo
Meetings will be held this week between Brazilian and Russian officials in multiple countries to renew discussions over quotas for meat exports, Russia's more...
Dutch, German poultry giants merge
The Dutch poultry and food processing group Plukon Royale has announced its intention to merge with the Friki Stolle group in Germany. The Stolle family more...
Upcoming festivals push up meat prices in China
China's pork prices rose 0.4 percent during the week ending September 2 as upcoming holidays spurred an increase in demand, Xinhua News Agency reported more...
USDA sets final rule on equine slaughter
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced it has published a final rule on amended regulations regarding commercial transportation more...
Millennials the next, best target for foodservice industry: NPD report
Restaurateurs would be smart to target millennials in the coming years, but they also need to be responsive to the group’s diversity, according more...
Former FSIS professional joins NTF
The National Turkey Federation announced Lisa Wallenda Picard, formerly chief of staff at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), will more...
Brazil's cattle confinement expected to rise in 2011 after 10% drop last year
Brazil's 50 largest feedlots placed almost 10 percent less cattle under intensive fattening in 2010 compared to the year prior, but the industry should more...
Butterball names new staff vet
Butterball LLC has hired Dr. Kabel Robbins as the staff veterinarian for its Ozark and Huntsville, Ark. facilities, the company said in a news release more...
CAST plans air quality presentation
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), based in Ames, Iowa, has scheduled a publication presentation titled, “The Air We Breathe: more...
Employee killed at Indiana poultry plant
A maintenance employee was killed Thursday at the Miller Poultry chicken processing facility near Orland, Ind., the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reported more...
Pilgrim's Pride fined for overcharging consumers in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) announced it has fined Pilgrim’s Pride $7,000 for shorting consumers buying more...
Panda Express expands into Mexico
Panda Express, the Asian cuisine franchise, today announced that it will open its first restaurant on Sept. 3 in Mexico City, Marketwatch reports. The more...
Restaurant outlook weakens as sales, traffic slow
An index tracking the health of the U.S. restaurant industry fell to its lowest level in 11 months in July, reflecting softer sales and customer traffic more...
Eight in 10 adults don’t use thermometers in burgers
Summer may be waning, but with Labor Day cookouts, NCAA college football tailgates and the NFL season right around the corner, September’s 17th more...
Costco CEO to step down, replacement named
Costco Chief Executive Officer Jim Sinegal will step down effective Jan. 1, 2012, the company announced Wednesday. Sinegal will stay on at Costco through more...
Wendy’s names Yum executive as CEO; Cosi chief resigns
The Wendy’s Co. said Yum executive Emil Brolick will rejoin Wendy’s as president and chief executive, effective Sept. 12, replacing Roland more...
Once more with feeling: Cook it!
Government agencies and private groups are partnering on a campaign to raise awareness about the need to follow package instructions in order to full more...
Marfrig gets go-ahead to acquire Seara, plans for new swine slaughterhouse
Brazilian food processor Marfrig already has a busy agenda. Yesterday, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (or CADE) gave the Brazilian company more...
August 2011
JBS shuffles operations in Brazil
JBS S.A. said late Tuesday the company is reorganizing operations at six plants to improve efficiencies and boost domestic production. The São more...
Fatal workplace injuries hold steady, but deaths from fires double: report
The number of workers who died from injuries received while on the job held steady in 2010 compared with the year before, though deaths due to workplace more...
USDA nears decision on Brazilian beef imports
U.S. consumer health organizations already are seeking to prevent their government's upcoming decision on allowing Brazilian beef imports, Valor Economico more...
Chicken Caesar salad recall expands
So Ono Food Products in Honolulu is expanding its recall of chicken Caesar salad products by an additional 46 pounds, USDA’s Food Safety Inspection more...
Smithfield earnings expected down, then up: analyst
Lower-than-expected pork processing margins prompted industry analyst Christina McGlone of Deutsche Bank to lower her projections for Smithfield Foods’ more...
Construction begins on disputed poultry plant in Canada
Olymel LP and Groupe Westco have begun construction on a poultry processing plant in New Brunswick province that has been at the subject of a long-running more...
Jerky brand expands with military contract
Boca Raton, Fla.-based DNA Brands announced today a contract with the Naval Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM), the third military agency to approve its more...
Ray’s takes sausage/jerky brand national
Ray’s Own Brand is expanding its reach through an updated distribution agreement with McLane Co., which delivers more than 10 billion pounds of more...
Brazil's new ag minister sees stronger industry
Brazil's new Minister of Agriculture, Mendes Ribeiro Filho, was inaugurated last week and assigned with growing the industry by President Dilma Rousseff more...
East Coast processors mostly dodge Hurricane Irene’s bullet
Most major protein processors along the East Coast were spared major damage when Hurricane Irene made landfall over the weekend, although officials in more...
Employees return two weeks after ammonia leak at NC plant
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of an ammonia leak at a Pilgrim’s Pride poultry facility in Union County, N.C., even as employees more...
Newest corn data points to further livestock liquidation
The newest private projections about the U.S. corn crop, along with nervous Chicago options traders willing to bet corn prices could top $10, may point more...
‘Better burger’ brands make their presence felt
The fast-casual boom has continued to make its impact felt in the limited-service burger segment, as more than half of the top 75 burger chains are now more...
FSIS announces final compliance guide for in-plant video
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today it has issued final guidelines to assist meat and poultry establishments that want to more...
Chicken industry may have hit bottom: analysts
The chicken industry finally may be headed in the right direction in reducing the oversupply that has wiped out profits for many operators, Wall Street more...
Weak dollar, strong domestic demand slowing halal certification in Brazil
SAO PAULO -- The number of Brazilian meat processors seeking halal certification has grown rapidly within the last few years but may be leveling off, more...
U.S. meat production continues to decline
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.79 billion pounds in July, down 4 percent from the 3.96 billion pounds produced in July more...
Sanderson posts large loss; plans production cut to last indefinitely
Sanderson Farms Inc. on Thursday posted a large third-quarter loss and said it would extend a planned production cut until demand for poultry improves more...
Hormel earnings beat forecasts but share price falls anyway
Hormel Foods reported net earnings of 36 cents per share in its third quarter ended July 31, up from 32 cents a year ago and a penny above analysts’ more...
Meyer Natural Angus to partner with Green Bay Packers
Loveland, Colo.–based Meyer Natural Angus announced today the company has agreed to provide its beef products for Green Bay Packers team meals and more...
Poultry weights down slightly
Poultry certified wholesome during July 2011 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.51 billion pounds, down 2 percent from the amount certified a year earlier more...
Smithfield Foods marks best safety records ever
Smithfield Foods marked its best safety record in its corporate history for the 12 months ended early in 2011, the company said in a news release. Smithfield more...
FPL Food to expand beef plant in Ga., create 100 jobs
FPL Food is spending $3 million to expand a beef processing plant that will create up to 100 new jobs in the company’s home base of Augusta, Ga more...
California organic poultry plant evacuated after fire
About 200 workers were evacuated when a fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at the Petaluma Poultry Processors plant in California. No one was injured, and more...
Industrias Bachoco acquires Mexican meat processing facility
Mexican poultry processor Industrias Bachoco said it reached an agreement with Grupo OSIG to acquire the assets of Trosi de Carnes, whose further processing more...
The 'King' has left the building
In a further effort to reinvent itself, Burger King has scrapped its ever-present grinning King mascot – eight years after launching the edgy marketing more...
Federal grant to help laid-off beef plant workers in Idaho find new jobs
The U.S. Dept. of Labor is providing a grant of nearly $2 million to provide what it describes as “pre-employment services” to about 250 workers more...
Poultry, meat groups protest proposed NLRB election rule changes
Organizations representing poultry, beef and pork processing companies have filed comments with the National Labor Relations Board, protesting the agency's more...
Analyst projects what pork producers can afford to pay for corn
On average, U.S. pork producers could pay about $6.65 per bushel for corn and still meet all their costs this year, Purdue University Extension Economist more...
Pork rally to rev up Smithfield earnings
A recovery in the pork market prompted equity analyst firm BB&T Capital Markets to raise its fiscal 2012 first- and second-quarter earnings estimates more...
Casual dining chain president steps down
Nashville-based O'Charley's Inc. announced that Wilson Craft, O'Charley's concept president, has resigned to pursue other opportunities. O'Charley's, more...
Smithfield’s sustainability report earns top honors
The annual corporate sustainability report produced by Smithfield Foods Inc. this year topped the list of food and beverage companies nationwide producing more...
Cattle shipping ban lifted in Japanese prefecture
TOKYO - Cattle farmers in Miyagi Prefecture expressed relief as the government lifted a ban Friday on beef shipments from their area, the Yomiuri Shimbun more...
Researchers convert bovine byproducts into plastic
A Canadian researcher and his colleagues have filed a patent for a new thermal process that converts protein from bovine byproducts into plastics. Using more...
National forum addresses antibiotics in food animal production
The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) will host a national forum to discuss the use of antibiotics in the sustainable production of food more...
Pilgrim’s Pride eyes next week to re-open plant
A Pilgrim’s Pride chicken processing plant in Union County, N.C., remained closed at the end of the week, following an early-morning ammonia leak more...
Hormel resumes operations after chili plant explosion
Operations returned to normal soon after an explosion at a Hormel Foods plant on Thursday, a company spokesman confirmed to Meatingplace. “An air more...
JBS SA will reduce investments in 2012
JBS SA, which lost BRL180.8 million (US$113 million) in the second quarter of this year, will reduce investments in 2012 as a way to lower its leverage more...
Global expansion, feed costs sink Q2 earnings of Brazil's top processors
Three of Brazil's largest meat processors closed the second quarter of this year in the red, with strategies for international expansion and rising costs more...
AMI fires back at anti-hot dog billboards
The American Meat Institute’s Director of Scientific Affairs, Betsy Booren, took on the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine with a recent more...
US rejects JBS beef imports due to vermifuge residues
According to the Brazilian news site G1 Globo, the U.S. has rejected a JBS shipment of processed meat, sent from the Barretos unit, 265 miles north of more...
Processors detail various E. coli intervention results
The road to replicating lab results in plants on various E. coli O157:H7 interventions is one that takes patience and a lot of trial and error, meat processors more...
New California Pizza Kitchen owners name new CEO
About a month after private-equity firm Golden Gate Capital bought California Pizza Kitchen, the company today named G.J. Hart its new president, chief more...
O’Charley’s founder dies at 87
Charles H. “Charlie” Watkins Jr., 87, of Nashville, founder of O’Charley’s restaurants nearly 40 years ago, died on Tuesday.Watkins more...
Brazilian Minister of Agriculture resigns amid corruption scandal
Brazilian Agriculture Minister Wagner Rossi resigned yesterday amid allegations of embezzlement. He becomes the fourth top official to leave President more...
Cargill resumes production at Ark. plant after turkey recall
Cargill has resumed production at its Springdale, Ark., plant after making improvements to address concerns raised amid its recall of 36 million pounds more...
Bob Evans cuts costs to lift profit as revenue slumps
Bob Evans Farms Inc. said first-quarter profit jumped 42 percent, beating Wall Street’s expectations, as it cut costs to offset commodity price more...
U.S. beef, pork exports set a record pace
With continued strong global demand, U.S. beef and pork exports could exceed the $5 billion mark for the first time ever in 2011, the U.S. Meat Export more...
Gusto Packing awarded SQF Level 3 certification
Gusto Packing Company Inc., a pork and turkey processor based in Montgomery, Ill., has been awarded SQF Level 3 certification, the company said in a news more...
Sonic adds breakfast burritos
The Sonic drive-in chain is adding three new burrito options to its all-day breakfast menu: Ultimate Meat & Cheese, Fiesta Steak and Steak & Egg more...
Ammonia leak at Pilgrim’s Pride plant prompts evacuation, no injuries (updated)
An early-morning ammonia leak at a Pilgrim’s Pride plant in Union County, N.C., prompted the evacuations of about 100 people from the plant along more...
FSIS to replace swine slaughter test
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a notice (45-11) to inspection program personnel notifying them that on September 11 more...
JBS SA posts net loss in second quarter
JBS SA, the world's largest processor of beef, posted a net loss of BRL180.8 million (US$113.6 million) in the second quarter, reversing net gains of more...
Moody’s upgrades Smithfield debt rating
Moody's Investors Service upgraded Smithfield Foods’ Corporate Family and Probability of Default Ratings to Ba3 from B1 based on the company's material more...
McDonald’s exec shuffles include new EVP of global supply chain
An executive-level shuffle at McDonald’s Corp. includes a new executive vice president of global supply chain, the company announced Tuesday. Jose more...
Wal-Mart’s international sales make up for U.S. decline
Wal-Mart beat analyst expectations when it reported that its second-quarter profits rose 5.7 percent due to international growth and cost cutting. International more...
Mountain City Meat in receivership (updated)
Mountain City Meat, a Denver-based processor with more than $100 million in revenues, last week voluntarily went into receivership pending liquidation more...
USDA issues humane handling enforcement directive
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service today issued a directive with new instructions to its inspectors that it said will better ensure the humane more...
Bank nearly doubles stake in JBS S.A.
Brazilian meat giant JBS S.A. has announced that BNDES (Brazilian Development Bank) converted a large amount of JBS debt into equity, boosting the bank’s more...
Cargill to buy global animal nutrition company
Minneapolis-based Cargill announced it has made a binding offer to acquire Provimi, the global animal nutrition company, for an enterprise value of euro more...
Sara Lee, Kraft take next round of ‘wiener war’ to a Chicago federal court
A two-year-old battle between Sara Lee Corp. and Kraft Foods Inc.’s Oscar Mayer division over which company can claim supremacy in ads for their more...
Turkey expert dies at 92
Internationally known poultry expert Dr. Albert Wade Brant, a member of the International Poultry Hall of Fame and retired professor at the University more...
Tyson adjusts grower stipulations
Tyson Foods is asking contract growers in some of its complexes to reduce the weights of their birds among other adjustments the company is making to more...
'Difficult' quarter for Overhill Farms results in Q3 loss
The sluggish economy and the resulting weak consumer demand contributed to what Overhill Farms, Inc. management described as a “difficult” more...
JBS SA in midst of numerous layoffs at deboning, tannery facilities
Three hundred employees were laid off this week by meat and frozen foods processor JBS SA-Bertin at a deboning facility in Mato Grosso do Sul state, according more...
Chinese courts cracking down in clenbuterol scandal
Just two weeks after a Chinese court sentenced five people – including one to a suspended death penalty – involved in the latest clenbuterol more...
Wendy’s sues largest franchisee over new burger ovens
Wendy’s Co. – which spun off from Arby’s Restaurants in July – is suing its largest franchisee over its resistance to install more...
Corn, soybean prices climb on prospects of smaller crops
USDA’s first U.S. corn and soybean crop forecasts based on actual field surveys put both crops lower than the market anticipated, sending futures more...
Sara Lee profits plummet but new meat products perform well
Sara Lee reported a drop in profits for its fiscal year 2011 fourth quarter but said its new meat products performed well. Net income at the packaged more...
Red meat increases diabetes risk, Harvard study says
A new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers finds a strong association between the consumption of red meat—particularly when more...
Premium Standard Farms odor fix ahead of schedule
Premium Standard Farms said today its court-ordered remedies for odor issues at its farms in north Missouri are well ahead of schedule. The Smithfield more...
USDA sees declining meat production as heat, prices take a toll
USDA predicted reduced beef and pork production as hot weather and high feedgrain prices take their toll. In its monthly World Agriculture Supply Demand more...
Smashburger names new president
Denver-based “better burger” concept Smashburger announced today the promotion of Greg Creighton to president, headlining a number of key more...
Frozen food processors team up for new Boston Market line
Leading frozen food makers Overhill Farms Inc. and Bellisio Foods announced Wednesday a sales, distribution, and co-manufacturing agreement in conjunction more...
EU panel’s support for lactic acid bodes well for U.S. beef exporters
The European Food Safety Authority has officially backed the use of lactic acid as a safe and effective antimicrobial treatment on beef carcasses, a position more...
Seaboard’s Q2 earnings jump — partly fueled by pork income surge
Seaboard Corp. reported a 46 percent increase in corporate earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2011, helped along by a 27 percent jump in pork sales more...
Michigan ground beef recalled
McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC, based in North Branch, Mich., is recalling about 360 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli more...
Brazil pork exports fall in July over Russian ban
Brazilian pork exports to Russia fell 78 percent by volume in July — compared to the same month in 2010 — pulling Brazil's total pork exports more...
Proposed traceability system to boost U.S. meat exports: Vilsack
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said today that a new proposed rule aimed at improving the nation’s ability to trace animal-disease outbreaks more...
Optimism among industry analysts for Tyson Foods despite Q3 earnings drop
The outlook for Tyson Foods Inc. remains fairly positive despite yesterday’s report that earnings fell by 22 percent in the third quarter of fiscal more...
Cow-calf, dairy farmers profit in corn-ethanol boom: study
A new study has concluded that the U.S. cow-calf and dairy segments have improved economically since Washington expanded the Renewable Fuel Standard in more...
Second-largest U.S. coffee chain launches lunch menu nationwide
Caribou Coffee, the second-largest coffeehouse chain in the United States, said Monday the company launched a new lunch menu nationwide. The menu features more...
Meat thieves cost industry $30 billion annually
As food prices climb, so does the theft of high-end beef cuts, according to a report in USA Today. Including everything from 2,500 pounds of rib eyes more...
Greater Omaha Packing refutes Cargill lawsuit over 2007 beef recall
Greater Omaha Packing has denied responsibility for selling E. coli O157:H7-tainted beef trim that prompted Cargill to recall 845,000 pounds of ground more...
Brasil Foods to look for acquisitions abroad
BRF Brasil Foods will look to acquire processing plants in foreign markets as long as the strong Brazilian currency makes it advantageous, the company's more...
Tyson Foods remains bullish despite FY Q3 earnings decline (updated)
Higher costs sparked a 22-percent decline in net income for Tyson Foods Inc. in the third quarter of fiscal 2011, but company officials expressed optimism more...
For industry, much at stake in D.C.: NMA
Park City, Utah — The period between now and the end of the year is critical to the outcome of several major issues of importance to meat processors more...
Japan changes stance on food safety because of radioactive beef
TOKYO - Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeaki Matsumoto has instructed his ministry to refrain from claiming the safety of Japanese foods more...
USDA staff girding for budget cuts in FY 2012
Park City, UT — For USDA employees, fiscal 2011 hasn’t been a financial picnic, as recession-plagued tax revenues squeeze operating budgets more...
Knives come out after giant ground turkey recall
A consumer advocate, a legislator and a food safety lawyer all went on the attack after Cargill recalled 36 million pounds of ground turkey linked to more...
China's pork prices decline for second week
China's pork prices inched lower for the second week after months of surging prices that have been leading food inflation, Xinhua News Agency reported more...
Watchdog group targets food industry for mislabeling
The average American eats significantly more per sitting than the government’s standard serving size, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest more...
FSIS, CDC update Salmonella outbreak data as investigations continue
Federal officials this morning announced updated information on the recent outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg that prompted a voluntary recall of about more...
Kraft Foods to split into separate snacks, grocery businesses by 2013
Kraft Foods is preparing to spin off its grocery business from its global snacks operation in a move that will create two separate companies by the end more...
Premium Brands acquires Canadian specialty deli meat business
Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, which produces and distributes branded specialty food products, announced Thursday that it would purchase Waterloo more...
Beef Board appoints new officers after chairman’s resignation
The Cattlemen’s Beef Board has elected a new chairman, vice chairman and secretary treasurer in the aftermath of its CEO and chairman resigning more...
Brazilian raw exports take big hit in July, due mainly to Russia's ban
Brazilian exports of raw meat fell 38.2 percent by volume in July compared to the same month a year ago, and shipping revenue dropped 22.5 percent as more...
Naturally occurring preservative kills bacteria, researchers say
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered and patented a peptide that kills harmful bacteria. The peptide, a lantibiotic produced by more...
Cargill cooperating with USDA on Salmonella outbreak investigation
Cargill Inc. is confirming media reports that is has been contacted by the USDA for information that may be connected to an outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg more...
U.S. looks to open its market to Mexican poultry imports
The United States is looking to welcome Mexican poultry imports which for many years have faced sanitary sanctions, Mexican news outlet Milenio.com more...
Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm launch new products
Both Jimmy Dean and Hillshire will allow 3,000 female bloggers to taste new meat products before they hit store shelves at the BlogHer conference. Jimmy more...
L.A. processor gets social with burger promotion
Los Angeles-based MORAN’S said its frozen ground beef patties are doing some social networking on Facebook this summer. The “Grillsational more...
Japan checking all beef cattle for radiation
Fifteen prefectures across Japan are in the process of implementing or are planning to implement checks on all beef cattle for radioactive substances more...
CDC confirms death in multi-state outbreak of Salmonella in ground turkey
The Centers for Disease Control says at least one person reportedly has died from an outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg that’s believed to be linked more...
Higher retail beef prices expected for 2012
The quantity of beef available to consumers in the U.S. has declined dramatically – and that downward trend is expected to continue, says Purdue more...
Russian trade embargo on Brazil extended to 37 more plants
The Russian trade embargo on Brazilian meat, in effect since June 15 that was supposed to end by Aug. 10, will continue indefinitely and be extended to more...
S. Korea eliminates tariffs on imported pork
South Korea said Tuesday it will impose zero tariffs on all imports of pork for processing through Sept. 30 as the government tries to curb inflation more...
El Pollo Loco introduces four grilled chicken burritos featuring fresh ingredients
El Pollo Loco is launching a line of hand-made, grilled-chicken burritos it says offers a premium alternative to those offered by upscale Mexican restaurants more...
Tyson announces temporary layoffs due to plant renovation
As part of a multi-million dollar renovation at one of its Council Bluffs, Iowa, plants, Tyson Foods has announced it will temporarily lay off 135 of more...
FSIS issues public health alert covering Salmonella in ground turkey
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Friday it has issued a new public health alert in the wake of more...
Three analysts revise Pilgrim’s Pride forecasts due to Q2 weakness
A larger-than-expected loss in the second quarter prompted three industry analysts to lower their earnings estimates for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., more...
Major organic producer loses certification
Promiseland Livestock, a major provider of cattle and dairy cows for organic production and organic beef, has lost its organic certification, according more...
Iwate cattle shipments banned in Japan
Japan banned cattle shipments from Iwate prefecture due to radioactive cesium contamination. Iwate is the nation’s fifth-largest cattle producer more...
July 2011
Pilgrim's Pride to close Dallas plant, affecting 1,000 workers
In the latest example of the financial strains of the poultry industry, JBS USA unit Pilgrim’s Pride announced it would close its chicken-processing more...
Townsends to close two plants in N.C.
The new owner of poultry producer Townsends Inc. has begun the process of shuttering operations at the company’s Mockville, N.C., and Siler City more...
Cargill to install waste-to-energy system in Canadian beef processing facility
Cargill today announced it will invest about C$36 million ($38 million) in a waste-to-energy project at its High River, Alberta, beef processing facility more...
Pilgrim’s Pride posts bigger loss than expected as feed costs hurt
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Friday posted a larger-than-expected second-quarter loss on surging feed costs combined with weak demand and pricing for chicken more...
Arizona, Ohio firms announce recalls
An Arizona firm recalled an undetermined amount of meat products because they were produced without federal inspection, while an Ohio firm recalled just more...
Korean company Harim takes over U.S. poultry producer Allen Family Foods
Further details have come to light in South Korean food company Harim's acquisition of Seaford, Del.-based U.S. poultry company Allen Family Foods. Harim's more...
E coli fears prompt large beef recall
Tri State Beef, based in Cincinnati, is recalling about 228,596 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the USDA’s more...
Recall prompted by presence of animal drug
Northwestern Meat Inc., based in Miami, Fla., is recalling about 6,240 pounds of frozen boneless beef products imported from Honduras that may contain more...
Dairy owner pleads guilty to animal abuse
A Texas dairy farm operator this week pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cruelty to animals and was fined $4,000 plus one year of probation after an animal more...
N.C. town wants to keep battling Sanderson Farms plant
The city of Wilson, N.C., is appealing to be allowed to continue its opposition to a proposed Sanderson Farms deboning facility that officials say could more...
Maple Leaf prepared meat sales volume declines in Q2
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods reported sales from its meat products group declined by 7 percent to C$762.2 million ($800 million) in the second quarter more...
Police arrest woman in House of Raeford bomb-threat probe
Police have made an arrest in an investigation of bomb threats telephoned to two House of Raeford plants in Duplin County, N.C. (See “Bomb threats more...
Pew report criticizes impact of 'Big Chicken' on environment
A new report by the Pew Environmental Group says waste management programs have not kept pace with the rise of industrial chicken production facilities more...
Two previously announced recalls are expanded
Two companies have expanded previously announced recalls (both due to possible contamination by Listeria monocytogenes). Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. in more...
Motion over immigration status filed in suit against Creekstone
Two immigrants from El Salvador are asking a federal judge to bar a Kansas slaughterhouse from discovering the immigration status of about 700 workers more...
Beef exports to Hong Kong on the rise
Since January, U.S. beef exports to Hong Kong have more than doubled in volume to 50.8 million pounds — a good sign of a vibrant market, according more...
New video demystifies poultry production for consumers
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association announced today the release of a new video that gives consumers a behind-the-scenes look at how chickens and turkeys more...
Allen Family Foods sold, but not to Mountaire
The asset sale of Allen Family Foods, which filed for bankruptcy in June, was conducted Monday as scheduled, but at the end of the day the buyer was not more...
Cloverdale Foods closes Minot, N.D. facility
Cloverdale Foods has closed its Minot packing plant, the company said in a statement, adding that its business model “no longer includes owning more...
BRF Brasil Foods starts putting properties up for sale
As one of its first orders of business in response to the merger requirements mandated by Brazil's anti-trust body, BRF Brasil Foods has announced 11 more...
Chinese courts mete out clenbuterol punishments; officials find new formulation
Chinese courts on Monday sentenced one man essentially to life in prison and four others to long prison terms for their roles in producing and selling more...
Private investment firm Advent International acquires Bojangles’ chain (UPDATE)
Advent International is making its first investment into the U.S. restaurant industry, paying an undisclosed amount for a majority stake in Bojangles’ more...
GIPSA fines Morrell $162,500
The USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) entered into a consent decision with John Morrell & Co. over the company's more...
Poultry weights up, broiler numbers down
Poultry certified wholesome during June 2011 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.86 billion pounds, up 5 percent from the amount certified in June 2010. more...
Cattle placed on feed in June far exceeded what analysts expected
USDA’s Friday afternoon Cattle on Feed report showed a 4.1 percent increase in cattle placed on feed in June compared to a year ago as severe droughts more...
Beef, pork prices continue to rise in June from year ago
Beef prices decreased 0.7 percent in June but are 8.2 percent above last June, with steak prices up 4 percent and ground beef prices up 11 percent, according more...
Burger King rolls out mini beef, chicken sandwiches
Burger King Corp. announced Monday the nationwide rollout of miniature chicken and beef sandwiches. BK Minis are snack-sized sandwiches that are available more...
McDonald’s posts unexpectedly strong profit
McDonald’s on Friday reported robust second-quarter earnings on sales that were much stronger than analysts expected, with the new lemonade and more...
Shoppers seek protein, among other positive attributes: survey
Instead of searching for foods without undesirable characteristics such as fat or sugar, American shoppers are now looking for the inclusion of components more...
Ohio livestock board launches communications plan
The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board has wrapped up nearly all of the rule-making steps necessary to create its initial set of standards, and is embarking more...
New CEO hired for Pollo Tropical, Taco Cabana
Carrols Restaurant Group named Timothy Taft, 53, to be chief executive of its Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc. subsidiary, which operates the Pollo Tropical more...
Just another meat-filled Monday
No “Meatless Mondays” for Chef Christian Ragano of New York Central restaurant in the Grand Hyatt New York: The culinarian has turned the more...
“Dismal” chicken market to hurt Sanderson, Tyson in Q3: Analysts
Deteriorating chicken breast prices and an “incredibly dismal” operating environment prompted BB&T Capital Markets analyst Heather Jones more...
FSIS proposes labeling rule for raw meat, poultry with added solutions
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service Thursday proposed a new rule intended to establish common, easily understood names for raw meat and more...
Misbranding, undeclared allergens spur beef recall
Northwood, Ohio-based Malcolm Meats is recalling 4,530 pounds of various marinated beef products because of misbranding and undeclared allergens. The more...
Pilgrim’s Pride recalls RTE chicken on listeria fears (UPDATE)
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. is recalling some 11,240 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes more...
Court upholds award in Link Snacks case
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled to uphold a $5 million ruling in favor of Jay Link, the Duluth News Tribune reported. Link, the former president more...
Hormel JV acquires Fresherized Foods
MegaMex Foods LLC, a joint venture between Hormel Foods Corp. and Herdez Del Fuerte S.A. de C.V., will acquire the manufacturer of Wholly Guacamole and more...
Zhongpin denies charges; stock rides a roller coaster
Chinese pork processor Zhongpin has come out swinging at a report in the China Economic Review accusing the company of vastly overstating information more...
Cargill meat business settles donning-doffing case
Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. has agreed to settle a class-action donning-and-doffing lawsuit brought by employees of its meatpacking plant in Schuyler more...
Company settles in case of disabled Iowa turkey plant workers
A federal judge in Iowa this week approved a settlement in which Hill Country Farms of Texas agreed to follow minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping more...
Ga. firm recalls RTE chicken wraps from Starbucks
Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Flying Food Group is recalling about 204 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken wraps and plates sent to Starbucks because the products more...
Russia approves Tyson, Seaboard pork plants
Russia has given the go-ahead to two U.S. pork-processing plants to ship product to that market. Tyson Foods Inc.’s Waterloo, Iowa, facility and more...
Sanderson plant approved to export to Russia
Sanderson Farms Inc.’s Hammond, La., poultry processing plant can now export product to Russia, according to an update on the Food Safety and Inspection more...
Heat wave puts corn prices on a roller coaster
The meat industry is in for a ride this summer on feedgrain costs as corn prices react to a massive heat wave that is hitting the Midwest Corn Belt at more...
Idaho officials mull rules for bourgeoning poultry operations
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture is preparing to finalize rules covering new poultry processing facilities expected to launch operations in the more...
Japan bans beef shipments from Fukushima Prefecture
TOKYO - To ensure food safety, the Japanese government's nuclear disaster task force decided Tuesday to order Fukushima Prefecture to suspend shipments more...
13 convicted of veterinary medicines racket in the EU
The United Kingdom’s department of agriculture (Defra) has released details of thirteen people who have been convicted in connection with Europe’s more...
Chicago Mercantile Exchange delists frozen pork belly futures
The CME Group announced July 15 in a report to traders that “because of a prolonged lack of trading volume and after significant discussion with more...
Taxpayer tab for Sanderson Farms plant fight tops $1.1 million
Residents of Nash County and the city of Wilson reportedly have spent a total of more than $1.1 million – and counting – in the battle over more...
143 heads affected: Japan domestic beef cattle shipment ban set to expand
TOKYO - The Japanese government may expand the area that beef cattle shipments would be subject to suspension beyond Fukushima Prefecture, where it plans more...
Suspected salmonella contaminations spark recalls of duck breast meat
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is investigating the possible contamination of smoked duck breast meat more...
Researchers find new antimicrobial peptide to kill STECs
A study published in the July 2011 issue of Nature Medicine, an international journal for biomedical research, has identified the peptide wrwycr as a more...
DOJ sues poultry processor for employment discrimination
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Mar-Jac Poultry Inc. of Gainesville, Ga., for allegedly placing a heavier documentation more...
OSHA cites Pilgrim's Pride for dust and other hazards (updated)
A Pilgrim's Pride chicken feed facility in Enterprise, Ala. has been cited for six safety violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety more...
Exclusive video: A tour of Cargill's new Innovation Center
Friday marked the official opening of Cargill's new Innovation Center in downtown Wichita, Kans. One of eight major innovation centers worldwide for the more...
Group looks to install huge multi-species slaughter operation in Nevada
A company is looking to build a large multi-species processing complex in Nevada that could employ 700 people and process cattle, hogs, sheep and goats more...
Chinese company intends to buy Kansas City processor
China-based hog production and processing company AgFeed Industries announced it has signed separate non-binding letters of intent to acquire Pine Ridge more...
Bar-S worker dies in meat grinder accident: report
A man died Wednesday after an accident at a Bar-S Foods meat processing plant in Lawton, Okla., a local TV news station, KFOR News Channel 4, reported more...
BPI expands hold-and-test policy to six additional STECs
Beef Products Inc. is expanding its testing protocols to six pathogenic, non-O157:H7 forms of E. coli, and will hold product until negative test results more...
Pilgrim's Pride hiring 100 at Texas plant
Pilgrim’s Pride plans to hire 100 workers at its Lufkin, Texas, plant and will host its first job fair at the facility in four years. The more...
New website highlights corn-for-ethanol-or-food conflict
A new website sponsored by the American Meat Institute, the National Meat Association, the National Turkey Federation and the National Chicken Council more...
Competitors allegedly lining up to buy Brasil Foods assets for sale
SAO PAULO — At least three major competitors of BRF Brasil Foods may pursue buying brands and assets that the newly merged company has been mandated more...
OSHA fines Tyson Foods beef plant for hazards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined Tyson Foods Inc.’s Dakota City, Neb., beef plant after finding process safety management more...
Chickens feeling the heat of summer (updated)
Extreme heat has caused poultry flock fatalities from North Carolina to Kansas, according to local media reports. In North Carolina, about 50,000 more...
Processor blends Certified Angus cuts for new burger offering
Carlstadt, N.J.–based ground beef processor Burger Maker announced its new line of burger products, the Certified Angus Beef brand Signature Blend more...
NCC points to a first: more corn to be used for ethanol than food
USDA statistics issued this week projected corn use for ethanol is about to surpass domestic use for feed and food for the first time, the National Chicken more...
Some radioactive beef in Japan sold and consumed
TOKYO - The meat of six cattle that ate radioactive straw at a Fukushima Prefecture farm has been distributed to at least nine prefectures, more...
AMI comments on new FSIS test and hold procedures
The American Meat Institute filed comments on USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service notice submitted in response to Food Safety and Inspection more...
China hopes higher pork output means lower food costs
China’s Premier Wen Jiabao ordered local leaders to support pork production in an effort to contain consumer prices. According to the National Bureau more...
USDA lowers corn, soybean price forecasts
USDA lowered its average farm price forecasts for corn and soybeans to reflect increased corn acreage and supplies and reduced soybean usage. USDA pegged more...
USDA lowers meat production forecasts
USDA lowered its forecast for 2011 total U.S. meat production from last month as lower beef production more than offsets higher expected pork and turkey more...
Starbucks adds to low-calorie “grab-and-go” lunch choices
Starbucks today is expanding its line of lunch selections aimed at consumers seeking low-calorie, moderately priced dining options during the day. The more...
ConAgra finds lemonade in Palin's lemons
PR pros are applauding ConAgra Foods' response to Sarah Palin's gripe, in a Newsweek cover story, that the price of Slim Jim meat snacks had skyrocketed more...
FSIS temporarily boosts E. coli sampling frequency
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced it will increase the sampling frequency for E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef during August more...
Overnight fire damages plant, retail store
A fire that reportedly broke out in the slaughterhouse of the Highland Packers Ltd. meatpacking and retail complex in Stoney Creek, Ont., overnight caused more...
Fukushima refectural government inspects farm over beef radiation fears
The Fukushima prefectural government inspected a farm Sunday in response to the detection of excessive levels of radioactive cesium in the meat of 11 more...
Donning and doffing rule delayed
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has delayed implementation of its donning and doffing rule until July 17. The announcement follows a request more...
Applebee's launches new twists on steaks, chicken and pasta dishes
Applebee’s is rolling out three new entrées it contends will satisfy the needs of customers seeking familiar dishes as well as those looking more...
JBS CEO anticipates rising meat and poultry production, stable prices for 2011
JBS SA, the Brazil-based global meat producer, is keeping a close eye on beef and poultry trends in the U.S, anticipating increases by year’s end more...
FSIS previews notice on Salmonella Initiative Program changes
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a preview of its responses to comments on its New Agency Policies and Clarification of Timeline more...
McDonald’s testing new Angus burger: reports
Some McDonald’s locations in Illinois are testing an English Pub Burger, industry blog Burger Business reported. A McDonald’s spokesperson more...
Egg producers, Humane Society to develop federal standards for hens
The United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States have agreed to work together to enact federal legislation that would set new standards more...
South Korea to impose lowered tariffs on more pork imports
South Korea will expand the amount of imported pork subject to lower tariffs as part of efforts to stabilize food prices and ease inflationary pressure more...
Honolulu firm recalls meals on listeria concerns
Honolulu-based Warabeya U.S.A. is recalling approximately 1,550 pounds of convenience meals that may be contaminated with Listeria Monocytogenes, USDA’s more...
International body fails to set safe residue limit on ractopamine
The Codex Alimentarius Commission has failed to adopt an international maximum residue limit on the feed additive ractopamine, which promotes lean muscle more...
World food prices hover below winter peak; poultry hits new high: UN
A composite index of world commodity prices edged higher in June as sugar prices surged, outweighing a pullback in wheat, while meat prices also increased more...
DOE offers funding to corn ethanol plant that won’t compete with feed grain
The U.S. Department of Energy has conditionally offered a $105 million loan guarantee to what would be the nation’s first commercial-scale cellulosic more...
U.S., Mexico sign cross-border trucking agreement
The secretaries of transportation for the U.S. and Mexico today signed agreements that finally resolve the dispute over long-haul, cross-border trucking more...
South Carolina ham products recalled on listeria concerns
Carolina Pride Foods Inc., based in Greenwood, S.C., is recalling about 18,416 pounds of boneless, fully cooked ham products that may be contaminated more...
Kosher chicken processor plans new plant after delay
A kosher chicken processor is jump-starting plans for a new plant in Tulare, Calif., initially proposed several years ago, according to a report in the more...
EU food safety agency names likely source of E. coli outbreak
A task force set up by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) to trace the source of the French and German outbreaks of E. coli O104:H4, has more...
Banco JBS controller may take larger stake in merger
The controlling company of JBS SA and Banco JBS may soon own as much as 80 percent of a merged entity with Banco Matone SA, according to a report on Wednesday more...
U.S. House to Russia: Revise your sanitary requirements
Eighty-three U.S. representatives are pushing Russia to do its part to ensure accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). In a letter to Russian more...
Brazil takes steps to settle meat embargo in Moscow this week
Under pressure from meat processors to try and speed up the removal of a Russian embargo on Brazilian meat exports, the Brazilian government will reduce more...
Poultry Federation honors industry leader of the year
The Poultry Federation named Jerry Moye, president of Cobb-Vantress and a member of the National Chicken Council board of directors, its 2011 Industry more...
Champion hot dog eater defends his crown
Hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut gobbled 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes yesterday, winning for the fifth year in a row the Mustard Yellow Belt at Nathan’s more...
Young adults eat beef, could be prompted to eat more
Young adults in the “Millennial” demographic do eat beef and might eat it more often if given more information on selecting and preparing more...
FMD causes the death of 45,000 animals in Vietnam
A foot-and mouth epidemic in Vietnam has spread to 39 provinces, forcing the culling of 37,760 pigs, vetsweb.com reported. In addition, 5,000 buffaloes more...
Tax free smoked sausages roll off the line in Kaliningrad
The Cherkizovo Group has begun operations at the meat processing plant in the Kaliningrad region with a production line for smoked sausages. The site more...
Anti-cloning lobby starts new campaign in the EU
A new campaign, Clone-Free-Food, has been launched against using cloning techniques in farm livestock in Europe. The campaign is led by Eurogroup more...
A third JBS customer stops buying from Iowa farm (UPDATED)
Retail warehouse chain Costco announced Thursday that it would not be carrying pork products from one of the Iowa Select Farms locations that has been more...
USDA funds large study of heat stress in poultry
A $4.7 million grant from USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative will fund a five-year study of poultry genetics and management to help more...
K-State research uncovers perceptions on cloning
European consumers are less accepting of cloned animal products than their American counterparts, according to new research from Kansas State University more...
Maple Leaf Foods seeks ‘top dog’
In a summer promotion of its Top Dog brand, Maple Leaf Foods said it would award $25,000 to the winner of a hot dog recipe contest. “Serving food more...
Restaurant industry outlook softens for first time in six months
U.S. restaurant operators in May reported softer sales and traffic and less optimism about the future, marking the first time in six months that the National more...
June 2011
USDA boosts corn acreage estimate, prices plunge
USDA estimated corn planted area for all purposes in 2011 at 92.3 million acres, up 5 percent from last year, and the second highest planted acreage in more...
Kraft taps new EVP for its supply chain
Daniel Myers, a 33-year veteran of Procter & Gamble, will join Kraft Foods Inc. in September as that company’s new executive vice president more...
Tyson JV biofuel takes flight in commercial debut
Biokerosene made its maiden commercial voyage Wednesday, as part of a fuel blend in a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 737-800. The flight carried 171 more...
Food tastes better at smaller quick-serve chains: Consumer Reports
Smaller quick-serve restaurant chains such as In-N-Out and Chick-fil-A are beating the big boys hands down on taste and service, the first fast-food ratings more...
Maple Leaf Foods names non-exec chairman
Maple Leaf Foods announced that its board has appointed Purdy Crawford to the position of non-executive chairman of the board. The appointment was effective more...
Gestation stalls at heart of undercover Iowa video
Despite the graphic images in a two-minute video released by a Chicago-based animal rights group of the handling of piglets and sows by employees at an more...
Campbell to cut 770, close soup plant in Michigan
Campbell Soup Co. announced it will eliminate 770 positions worldwide by fiscal 2013, all related to efforts to “improve supply chain efficiency more...
Most Tyson workers on the mend
As of Wednesday morning, 14 Tyson employees remained in the hospital out of the 45 initially admitted after chlorine fumes permeated the fresh processing more...
Moody's downgrades Pilgrim's Pride credit, cites industry woes
Moody's Investors Service has downgraded Pilgrim's Pride Corp.’s credit ratings due to concern about the company’s ability to reduce its leverage more...
Poultry exec tell legislators industry is cutting production, jobs
Poultry companies pressured by rising feedgrain costs are trimming production plans and cutting jobs, Harrison Poultry President and CEO Mike Welch told more...
Smithfield Foods unit targeted in federal discrimination lawsuit
The U.S. Dept. of Justice is suing Smithfield Foods, Inc., subsidiary Farmland Foods for alleged discrimination in hiring against non-U.S. citizens at more...
Barber Foods announces layoffs
Barber Foods will eliminate 82 jobs at its Portland, Me., plant as it consolidates its manufacturing operations to a single line from two chicken processing more...
Feds launch foodborne illness campaign
USDA, FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and the Ad Council announced a joint national multimedia public service campaign to help families prevent exposure more...
FAO elects first new leader in 18 years
The U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced it elected Brazilian native Jose Graziano da Silva as its new director-general. He will succeed more...
Chlorine fumes send 100+ Tyson workers to hospital
Over 100 Tyson Foods employees at the company’s Berry Street plant in Springdale, Ark. were taken to hospital for evaluation after an error in chemical more...
Simmons Foods sets second round layoffs this year at Arkansas plant
For the second time this year, Simmons Foods Inc. announced it will eliminate scores of jobs at its chicken processing plant in Arkansas as it shifts more...
Supreme Court will hear NMA case on non-ambulatory livestock
The Supreme Court announced it will review the Ninth Circuit's decision in a National Meat Association suit seeking injunctive relief from a California more...
Perdue launches national ad campaign
Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue Farms Inc. announced today a series of documentary-style TV spots as part of a new national campaign, “We Believe in more...
Hogs and Pigs report shows slight breeding herd increase
USDA’s quarterly Hogs and Pigs report on Friday showed sows kept for breeding at 5.8 million head, up just 0.3 percent from a year ago, an indication more...
South Korea to allow Canadian beef imports
South Korea and Canada have resolved technical issues surrounding beef imports after an 8-year ban on Canadian beef, Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry more...
Pilgrim's Pride amends loan covenants, gains flexibility
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Friday said its banks agreed to amend financial covenants in its credit facility to give it more favorable terms and flexibility more...
Tyson venture takes flight
Renewable fuel produced by the joint venture of Tyson Foods and Syntroleum Corp. will power KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, beginning in September, the companies more...
Study informs dry aging techniques for U.S. beef exports
U.S. beef destined for international markets doesn’t maintain its integrity so well if wet aged in transit after having been wet aged and dry aged more...
Oscar Mayer debuts … adult Lunchables?
Oscar Mayer’s new Sandwich Combinations include sandwich fixings, a crunchy side and a dessert — similar to the Lunchables line it has for more...
Keystone Foods names new CEO
Keystone Foods promoted Larry S. McWilliams, chief operating officer, to the company’s corner office to take the reins as president and CEO. He more...
ConAgra sees strong fourth quarter results
ConAgra Foods Inc. reported stronger sales and net earnings for fiscal 2011, with net income of $ 817.0 million dollars, up 12.6 percent from the year-earlier more...
Egg rolls recalled on labeling issue
Chef One Corp. in Brooklyn, N.Y., is recalling about 36 pounds of pork egg rolls because the product is misbranded and contains undeclared allergens. more...
Smithfield prevails in odor nuisance case
A jury in DeKalb County, Missouri, on Wednesday found in favor of defendants Smithfield Foods Inc. and its Premium Standard Farms unit in a case over more...
Hormel Foods announces Farmer John executive appointment
Hormel Foods announced Robert Samples was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing at the company’s Farmer John unit in Vernon, Calif. more...
New chicken processor targets halal market niche
A small startup company that plans to process halal chickens has purchased a facility in Princess Anne, Md. for its new venture, local media reported more...
One worker injured in Pa. plant explosion
An oven explosion at a Lebanon, Pennsylvania, meat processing plant left one worker slightly injured when the building was evacuated, the Lebanon Daily more...
Mitsubishi forms $1.5 billion chicken, hog venture with China’s Cofco
Mitsubishi announced a $1.5 billion farming and processing joint venture with China state-run food firm Cofco Wednesday. The project will focus on chicken more...
Burger processor opens first restaurant
Leading retail hamburger patty processor BUBBA burger announced Wednesday the opening of its first restaurant in the company’s hometown of Jacksonville more...
Cagle’s to cut 300 jobs at Georgia poultry plant by September
Cagle’s Inc. is blaming skyrocketing corn prices for a decision to eliminate a production shift at its Pine Mountain Valley, Ga., poultry processing more...
Non-O157 STEC proposal sits at OMB; new validation draft on the way
Manhattan, Kan. — The Office of Management and Budget will hang on to USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service’s proposals on whether non-O157:H7 more...
FSIS waits on inspectors' donning and doffing time
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will wait until final publication of a rule before it begins requiring processors to pay for inspectors’ more...
Longer rides, sufficient floor space improves pig transport: study
Longer journey times and sufficient floor space in trucks allow pigs to better handle transportation stress, a recent study concluded. The study, which more...
Beef Board’s 2012 budget expected to be 20 percent lower than in 2007
The Cattlemen’s Beef Board is expected to have more than 20 percent less to spend on its programs in fiscal 2012 than it did four years ago if the more...
Paula Deen selects supplier for branded chicken line
Food Network personality Paula Deen has teamed with Springer Mountain Farms to produce and package her branded line of chicken products, the Baldwin, more...
Marshall Durbin Cos. facing $120,000 OSHA fine after worker death
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing a fine of $120,000 against Marshall Durbin Cos. more...
Denny’s introduces lower-fat, higher protein menu items
Denny’s Corp. today launched a new set of meals and menu options designed to help customers better manage their diets and general health. The new more...
USDA survey shows fewer cattle placed on feed, more marketed
USDA on Friday reported that U.S. feedlots placed fewer cattle on feed during May and marketed more cattle than analysts were expecting. In its monthly more...
Senate vote symbolizes ethanol angst: analysts
An amendment to an economic bill that would end the 45-cent ethanol blenders tax credit and the 54-cent ethanol import tariff on June 30 is not likely more...
Spending bill cuts support for food safety measures
Food safety concerns got caught this week between differing political philosophies over how to manage the country’s debt and spending levels. In more...
Food safety lab funding restored
The U.S. House of Representatives Thursday passed an amendment to restore funding to the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). Rep. Cory more...
Suit against Pilgrim's Pride goes to court
A lawsuit filed by chicken growers against Pilgrim's Pride had its first day in court Thursday, Shreveport, La.-based TV station KTBS reported. The lawsuit more...
Eight children sickened in French E. coli outbreak
One of the eight children infected with an unnamed strain of E. coli in northern France has now been listed in serious condition after the four-year-old’s more...
UN report warns of high, volatile food prices for next decade
Cereal prices could average 20 percent higher and meat prices 30 percent higher over the coming decade, compared with the last, according to a new report more...
Smithfield profit soars; Pope sees good news continuing
Smithfield Foods Inc. reported record financial results for its fiscal 2011, ended May 1, with net income of $521 million, or $3.12 per share, on sales more...
Meat groups hail House vote against GIPSA funding
Meat industry associations today praised the U.S. House of Representatives for voting to deny funding for livestock marketing rules proposed by more...
Burgoo soup recalled for misbranding, undeclared allergen
Big B Distributor, Inc. in Evansville, Ind., is recalling about 5,160 pounds of burgoo soup because it is misbranded and contains an undeclared allergen more...
Bill would mandate E-Verify; AMI supports the proposal
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) has introduced legislation in Congress that would required all U.S. employers to use the E-Verify program to avoid employing more...
Brat maker, Guinness team up on new product
What’s better than a brat marinated in beer? How about a brat infused with Guinness Irish Stout? Rose Packing this summer is rolling out more...
Senate rejects ethanol bill; new bill introduced
On Tuesday the U.S. Senate rejected an amendment that would have killed the annual $6 billion taxpayer subsidy for corn ethanol. The measure to eliminate more...
Food costs changing the way the world eats, Oxfam says
Consumers worldwide are changing their diet because of the rising cost of food, according to the results of a global opinion poll released by Oxfam as more...
Grocers cede more ground to non-traditional food retailers
Traditional grocery stores are seeing their market share erode further as mass merchandise, drug and dollar stores expand their food offerings and will more...
Colombia lifts restrictions on six states
Colombia has lifted restrictions on poultry shipments from six states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In a revision to the export requirements more...
Sara Lee tweaks company split plan
Sara Lee Corp. said today it plans to spin off its International Coffee and Tea business, rather than spinning off the North American food service business more...
White House opposes FSIS and GIPSA rule funding cuts
The Obama administration announced it has serious concerns about cuts to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service funding in a spending bill passed more...
Deteriorating pastures will keep clipping U.S. cattle herd
Deteriorating pasture conditions in the big cattle states of Texas and Oklahoma combined with soaring corn prices are causing analysts to predict further more...
Mexican chain unveils ‘ultimate’ chicken burrito
Lake Forest, Calif.-based Mexican QSR chain Del Taco has launched the “Ultimate Grilled Marinated Chicken Burrito.” The new item features more...
Russian ban on Brazilian exports should lift in July, official says
The Russian embargo on beef, pork and poultry that has cut off exports from 85 processors in three Brazilian states should be resolved by the end of July more...
Restaurant chain files bankruptcy, to close some restaurants
Perkins & Marie Callender’s Inc., filed for bankruptcy in a Delaware court Monday along with plans to shut about 65 restaurants and eliminate more...
Dietz & Watson, ACME launch first gluten-free deli
Dietz & Watson Premium Deli Meats & Artisan Cheeses and Supervalu’s ACME Markets announced they would debut the first-ever dedicated Dietz more...
Processors to pay for inspectors’ donning and doffing time
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service published a final rule Friday that will require meat and poultry processors to pay overtime for inspectors’ more...
Investor group buys Corner Bakery, Il Fornaio chains, major Arby’s stake
Roark Capital Group is paying an undisclosed price to acquire the Corner Bakery Café and Il Fornaio restaurant chains and buying a majority stake more...
Cattle Council of Australia: Government and industry partnership critical to resumption of Indonesian trade
The Cattle Council of Australia (CCA) understands the pressure on the Australian government that has led to its decision to suspend the livestock export more...
German officials identify source of E. coli outbreak
Bean sprouts are likely the source of the deadly E. coli outbreak in Europe, German officials now say. Although sprouts from a farm in Lower Saxony initially more...
Smithfield gets a new credit line to lower interest expense
Smithfield Foods Inc. said it entered into new revolving credit facilities totaling $1.2 billion, replacing its old credit line, in a key step toward more...
Beef leaders push BSE rule to expand exports
Beef industry leaders want USDA to finalize a comprehensive rule regarding bovine spongiform encephalopathy to facilitate expanded access to export markets more...
Federal initiative launched to combat immigration services scams
The U.S. government unveiled Thursday a multi-agency, nationwide initiative to combat immigration services scams through the Departments of Homeland Security more...
Sizzler management buys out U.S. operations
A Sizzler USA management-led group said Thursday that it has acquired the steakhouse chain from Australia's Pacific Equity Partners. Terms of the deal more...
AFBF survey shows meat leads yet another food price jump
Retail food prices at the supermarket increased by 4 percent in the second quarter from first quarter prices and rose 8 percent from a year ago, according more...
Influential alt-rock singer wins meat ban at music fest
When the singer Morrissey performs at Belgium’s Lokerse Feesten music festival, the entire venue will be meat-free in accordance with the vegetarian more...
USDA raises its corn price projections on lower supplies
USDA raised its 2011-'12 average farm price forecast for corn to $6 to $7 from last month’s $5.50 to $6.50 on expected lower acres, production and more...
Brazil anti-trust body delays decision on BRF Brasil Foods merger
A board member for Brazil's anti-trust body CADE recommended rejecting the merger between Brazilian meat processors Perdigao and Sadia that would form more...
Cargill expands poultry production in Thailand
Cargill Meats Thailand announced it is expanding its integrated poultry processing operations in Thailand.The expansion is planned at the company's Korat more...
Cargill shuffles executives
Cargill Inc. has rearranged its executive line-up, “in order to support the broadening of its management team and enhance its focus on business more...
Chinese pork giant to build new plant
Zhongpin Inc. will continue its expansion into north China with a new plant east of Beijing, the company announced Thursday.The new plant will be in Tangshan more...
Pfizer subsidiary to cease U.S. sales of poultry drug 3-Nitro
Alpharma, a subsidiary of giant drug maker Pfizer, said today it would suspend U.S. sales of 3-Nitro, which poultry producers have used to protect the more...
Bob Evans profit down on higher commodity costs, less pounds sold
Bob Evans Farms Inc. reported a 12 percent decline in quarterly earnings as higher commodity costs ate into profit. Total revenue and profit both fell more...
N.Y. senator continues her battle against E. coli
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is taking another stab at E. coli, having introduced on Tuesday new legislation that would target “all currently more...
Johnsonville launches chicken sausage
Johnsonville Sausage has introduced three varieties of chicken sausage, the Sheboygan Falls, Wis.-based company announced Wednesday. Johnsonville’s more...
Nearly 60 poultry firms recognized for health and safety
The Joint Industry Safety and Health Council has awarded 56 chicken and turkey companies for outstanding safety performance by implementing innovative more...
Vienna Beef sues competitor for trademark infringement
Chicago-based hot dog processor Vienna Beef is suing the grandson of one of the company’s founders for trademark infringement, false advertising more...
Kayem’s al fresco brand launches gluten-free chicken sausage
Chelsea, Mass.-based Kayem Foods’ al fresco All Natural brand announced today that its entire line of chicken sausage products is now gluten-free more...
Slim Jim turns up the heat with new products
Slim Jim has launched a new line of spicy meat sticks, the ConAgra Foods brand announced Monday. The new Slim Jim DARE line offers an escalation of heat more...
China’s labeling rules to cost U.S. pork exporters
China has begun to impose new labeling requirements on imported meat products that will make shipping pork there a costly venture for U.S. processors more...
FAO says meat prices hit record and will go higher
The international meat price index hit a new record at 183 points in May and a combination of strong import demand and limited export availability point more...
New Sara Lee facility to be Hillshire Farm flagship
As Sara Lee Corp. nears its planned 2012 split into two separate companies, its opening of a state-of-the-art 200,000-square-foot plant in Kansas City more...
New CFO takes over at Pilgrim’s Pride
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. today announced that Fabio Sandri has moved into the position of chief financial officer of the Greeley, Colo.-based poultry more...
Cagle's reports fiscal year loss, holding production steady
Atlanta-based Cagle’s Inc. reported a fiscal 2011 loss on higher feed prices without a corresponding rise in poultry prices in the last six months more...
AMSA awards Nebraska professor
Chris Calkins, professor of animal science at the University of Nebraska, has been named by the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) the recipient more...
Smithfield cancels Campofrio acquisition
Smithfield Foods Inc. said today its declining stock price and continued economic struggles in Europe prompted the company to call off its proposed takeover more...
Oscar Mayer workers to split $4.2 million in donning-doffing settlement
Current and former workers at Oscar Mayer’s Madison, Wis., plant will split a $4.2 million settlement with the company after a federal judge ruled more...
Chicken, ham salad recalled due to undeclared ingredients
Allison's Gourmet Kitchens Inc. of Moore, Okla., is recalling about 22,594 pounds of chicken and ham salad products because they are misbranded and contain more...
Japanese beef bowl chain switches to U.S. beef
The Japanese beef bowl chain Matsuya, with 799 locations, switched to U.S. beef from Australian suppliers in mid-May. "We choose the best ingredients by more...
Meat industry leader Marvin J. Walter dies
Marvin J. Walter, a longtime meat processor and meat industry champion, died Wednesday of cancer, according to a current business colleague who notified more...
Cargill buys Central American processor
Cargill Inc.’s Central American operations have purchased Corporacion Pipasa, a leading poultry and meat processor in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, more...
USDA replaces food pyramid with dinner plate
The USDA food pyramid is officially out, replaced by a new “MyPlate” icon unveiled by first lady Michelle Obama, Agriculture Secretary Tom more...
JBS, Marfrig navigate Russian ban on Brazilian meat
JBS S.A. and Marfrig Alimentos S.A. said today they would continue to serve Russian customers amid Moscow’s recent ban on meat imports from the more...
Chipotle tests chorizo
Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing chorizo at almost all of its New York City-area restaurants and at one location in its hometown, Denver, a spokesman more...
Rare STEC implicated in European outbreak
More than a thousand people have been diagnosed with enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) in an outbreak across Europe that has claimed at least 16 lives more...
Sealed Air, Diversey join forces
Sealed Air Corporation and Diversey Holdings have entered into a definitive agreement under which Sealed Air will acquire Diversey, which provides cleaning more...
House Appropriations Committee approves bill cutting GIPSA-rule funding
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee late Tuesday approved a 2012 Appropriations Bill with language to cut funding for implementation of a livestock more...
E. coli fears spur small ground beef recall
Tipton, Mich.-based Irish Hills Meat Company of Michigan is recalling approximately 900 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated more...
Brasil Foods nears JV with Chinese distributor
BRF Brasil Foods SA will form a joint venture with Dah Chong Hong Limited to distribute the Brazilian meat processor's products in China, establish BRF more...
DineEquity to divest a block of Applebee’s restaurants
DineEquity Inc. said it would sell 66 Applebee’s company-operated restaurants on the U.S. East Coast to Apple American Group, its largest franchisee more...
Nathan’s Famous launches Angus beef franks
Nathan's Famous said today it has launched a new Angus beef product in time for grilling season. "Consumers love Angus beef, and now they can choose Nathan's more...
May 2011
Beef producers hungry for access to China
The U.S. beef industry needs more meaningful access to China, but a variety of stumbling blocks are preventing that from happening, a top U.S. trade official more...
Marfrig partners with South American NGO
Brazil's Marfrig Alimentos S.A. has signed an agreement with an environmental NGO representing four South American countries to conserve native grasslands more...
Church’s introduces new chicken sandwich
Church’s Chicken today introduced a Southern Style Chicken Sandwich that it contends will make consumers feel like they’ve consumed an entire more...
Beef cut designed for beer pairing now available nationwide
For the first time, the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut will be available nationwide through an online retailer. The Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut, designed more...
Australia bans live cattle exports to Indonesia because of inhumane treatment
Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Joe Ludwig announced today the suspension of live exports to eleven Indonesian abattoirs more...
Twin disasters shake up Japan’s restaurant industry: NPD
Two months after an earthquake and then a tsunami battered Japan, rattled Japanese consumers are staying away from restaurants, according to foodservice more...
USPOULTRY makes new research results available
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has posted the results of three research projects as part of its research program encompassing all phases of poultry more...
Bob Evans executive inducted to university hall of fame
The Ohio State University’s Department of Animal Sciences has inducted Mike Townsley, president of Bob Evan Farms subsidiary BEF Foods, into the more...
Picture this: A hot dog photo contest
The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council is having first-ever photo contest in honor of the hot dog, in all its forms. “The hot dog is ready for more...
JBS debuts new flavor of dry-rubbed pork spareribs
JBS announced today the launch of its new Smokey Chipotle-flavored Dry Rubbed St. Louis Style Pork Spareribs. The product is derived from the “finest more...
Smithfield files trademark suit against Puerto Rico distributor
Smithfield Foods Inc.’s Smithfield Packing unit sued a food distributor based in Guaynabo, P.R., for infringing on its trademark for “Shorgood” more...
Supreme Court upholds Arizona immigration law
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld an Arizona law that allows the state to penalize businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. In a 5-3 more...
U.S. ends sanctions stemming from EU beef dispute: report (UPDATE)
The United States has ended trade sanctions imposed on some EU products in a dispute over hormone-treated beef, U.S. Trade Representative spokeswoman more...
Tim Hortons launches search for new CEO
Tim Hortons Inc., Canada’s largest publicly traded quick-service restaurant chain, announced Don Schroeder is no longer its president and chief more...
Wienermobile — with something extra — kicks off tour in Times Square
Kraft Foods Inc.’s Oscar Mayer brand of hot dogs launched its summer promotion season Wednesday with a special New York City appearance by the new more...
House Republicans’ ag appropriations draft cuts GIPSA-rule funding
The Republican majority of the U.S. House of Representatives passed this week a draft appropriations bill that would eliminate funding for the implementation more...
Georgia retailer recalls small amount of ground beef on E. coli concern
McDonough, Ga.-based retailer Food Depot #24 is recalling about 500 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, USDA’s more...
Group petitions USDA on antibiotic-resistant Salmonella
Center for Science in the Public Interest has petitioned USDA to recall from the marketplace or withhold from commerce ground meat and poultry found to more...
Groups sue FDA over antibiotics given to livestock
Five activist groups have together filed suit against the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Center for Veterinary more...
NCBA supports WTO preliminary ruling against COOL
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said today it supports a preliminary ruling by the World Trade Organization that U.S. country-of-origin more...
Chicken production cuts coming soon, more analysts predict
Soft breast meat prices heading into the Memorial Day start of grilling season have more poultry market watchers predicting production cuts cannot be more...
Hormel profit soars on pork, turkey strength, but input costs loom
Hormel Foods Corp. said its fiscal second-quarter earnings jumped 41 percent as strong refrigerated foods and Jennie-O turkey results offset the impact more...
A&P shifts beef steaks, roasts to new brand from one processor
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Inc. announced its new Woodson & James Choice Angus Beef brand of “premium-quality” fresh more...
Sara Lee brand launches new frank
Ball Park is celebrating the beginning of the grilling season by launching a new Deli Style Beef Frank, the company announced. Deli Style Beef Franks more...
Private equity group to buy California Pizza Kitchen
Los Angeles-based California Pizza Kitchen and Golden Gate Capital today announced a definitive agreement for an affiliate of Golden Gate Capital to buy more...
FMI names new food safety chief
The Food Marketing Institute announced it appointed Hilary S. Thesmar as vice president of food safety programs. Starting in mid June, Thesmar joins FMI more...
Beef, pork prices show double-digit rise in April from year ago
Beef prices increased 1.2 percent in April and are 10.4 percent above last April, with steak prices up 8.2 percent and ground beef prices up 12.1 percent more...
Sanderson Farms posts Q2 loss on lower net sales, higher costs
Sanderson Farms Inc. today cited a slight reduction in net sales and significantly higher feed costs while reporting a loss of $0.74 per share in the more...
Tyson plant renovation gets more momentum
City officials in Council Bluffs, Iowa, approved on Monday night Tyson Foods’ bid to seek local tax incentives to renovate and expand its prepared more...
Chicken before, after or with the egg: consumers want more poultry for breakfast
Consumers are hungry for chicken in the morning, according to new research by foodservice consultancy Technomic. According to the firm’s "Center more...
Bob Evans names new retail development executive
Columbus, Ohio-based Bob Evans Farms announced that Chris Lambrix has joined the company as senior vice president of retail business development for BEF more...
AMI questions cancer experts’ warnings on eating meat
The American Meat Institute (AMI) is skeptical of a report from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) today recommending that consumers limit their intake more...
National foodservice distributor acquires regional player
U.S. Foodservice has purchased Great Western Meats, a broadline foodservice distributor and provider of fresh-cut portion meats in central Florida. Terms more...
University gets ‘smart’ with beef tracking system
A new pilot program launched at Michigan State University aims to help consumers trace the origin of the beef they purchase with their smart phones. Michigan more...
Brazil trade mission to China pays off in poultry, pork
Frozen meat products from Brazil are one of the main import sectors benefitting greatly of late from China's annual economic growth rate of 10 percent more...
Corn ethanol byproduct may increase E. coli levels in cattle: research
Cattle fed a corn ethanol byproduct may have higher incidence of E. coli O157:H7, according to ongoing research at the USDA’s Agricultural Research more...
Bipartisan bill seeks to help independent ranchers and farmers
Senators Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Tim Johnson, D-S.D., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Jon Tester, D-Mon., introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday that would amend more...
Taiwan to step up food inspections amid safety concerns
The Taiwanese government plans to step up inspections of dairy farms and wholesale meat markets to check the safety of food at its source, Central News more...
McDonald’s CEO to critics: It’s about choice
McDonald’s has rejected calls for the company to assess its role in the childhood obesity epidemic, with shareholders voting down a proposal that more...
AdvancePierre to lay off 100+ workers at Iowa plant
Cincinnati-based AdvancePierre Foods announced it is moving one of its processing lines from its Orange City, Iowa plant to facilities in Oklahoma and more...
Hormel advertises its food safety technology
Hormel Foods has used high-pressure pasteurization on its deli meats since 2005, but now its foodservice unit is launching an advertising campaign to more...
Russia to lift ban on exports from 29 Brazilian processing plants
The Brazilian government reached an agreement with Russian authorities in Moscow on Tuesday to speed up the re-approval of 29 Brazilian meat processing more...
Kayem named official sausage for Major League team
Chelsea, Mass.-based Kayem Foods, maker of Fenway Franks and the largest meat processor in New England, has announced it has been named the official sausage more...
Dutch poultry giant operations re-arranged, 255 jobs at risk
The huge Dutch meat processor VION announced that its VION Food UK unit plans to transfer poultry processing from its factory at Thorne to its sites at more...
Doctors urge McDonald’s to stop marketing to kids, retire Ronald
A coalition of more than 550 health professionals and institutions is turning up the heat on McDonald’s Corp., taking out full-page newspaper ads more...
JBS could raise $2.15 billion through share offer
JBS S.A. said today its board agreed to raise as much as $2.15 billion in capital through a stock offer. Brazil’s state development bank, BNDES more...
Brazilian poultry industry cuts production
Francisco Turra, the president of the Brazilian Poultry Union (UBABEF), announced that some national companies have decreased their poultry production more...
Restaurant and retail franchising vet is new Bennigan’s CEO
Paul M. Mangiamele, 58, former president and CEO of fast-casual Mexican chain Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina, has joined Bennigan’s Franchising more...
U.K. packer set sights on U.S.
Cranswick plc, the U.K. cooked meats processor known for its value-added offerings and high margins, said while announcing its preliminary results that more...
Rubashkin will get his day in appeals court
Sholom Rubashkin will have the chance to make his case for a new trial before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis in mid-June, according more...
George’s asks court to speed up lawsuit
George’s Inc. has filed a motion to expedite a federal antitrust lawsuit alleging the company’s acquisition of a competitor’s poultry more...
Tyson sees high prices into 2012 as demand climbs
Cold weather in April, record-high corn feed prices and recent flooding in the corn belt are among several factors influencing higher protein prices, more...
Hormel plans to expand Fremont plant
Hormel is planning to expand its plant in Fremont, Neb. to increase production capacity for its SPAM family of products, a company spokesman confirmed more...
Buffalo Wild Wings opens in Canada, looks beyond North America
Buffalo Wild Wings yesterday opened its first Canadian store, part of its previously announced plan to open at least 50 stores north of the border in more...
Processor eyes new ham plant in Iowa
Plumrose USA is zeroing in on construction of a 100,000-square-foot ham slicing and packaging plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa, that would create 100 jobs more...
AMI points out E. coli decline in ground beef since 2000
New federal data show that E. coli O157:H7 is found in less than one quarter of one percent of ground beef samples, a 72 percent decline since 2000 in more...
Processor reports lower earnings, new products, potential acquisition
Net income at Overhill Farms, Inc. dropped by more than a third this quarter over last year’s figures, the Los Angeles-based frozen foods processor more...
U.S. red meat exports reach record per-head values
U.S. pork and beef export achieved record value levels in March, signaling a resurgence of global demand, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said Thursday more...
USDA slaughter data glitch is fixed
Computer problems that had been delaying certain USDA slaughter data has been fixed, a USDA spokesman told Meatingplace. “The issue related to getting more...
Cargill unit expected to respond to new OSHA citations, fines
For the second time in 13 months, the U.S. Labor Dept.’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Cargill Meat Solutions for more...
JBS to raise up to $2.5 billion to pay down debt
JBS S.A. announced that its board of directors has given approval for its management to raise up to $2.5 billion in funds through one or more debt arrangements more...
Tyson revives stock buyback program, analysts applaud move
Tyson Foods Inc. today announced a reactivation of its stock repurchase program that could involve as many as 22.5 million common shares, starting in more...
Governor signs bill limiting farm lawsuits
Missouri has new legal limits on nuisance lawsuits against farms and livestock producers, under the terms of a bill Governor Jay Nixon signed into law more...
Missing ingredient on label spurs small beef recall
Tri-City Cheese and Meats of Kawkawlin, Mich., is recalling approximately 252 pounds of kippered beef because it contains sodium nitrite, which is not more...
Feds sue George’s over purchase of Tyson poultry plant
A federal lawsuit claiming George’s Inc.’s purchase of Tyson Foods Inc.’s Harrisonburg, Va., poultry complex will harm competition in more...
JBS profit jumps 48 percent
JBS S.A. said today that the company’s first-quarter profit increased 48 percent over the same period in 2010 on higher sales in Brazil and the more...
Cargill, Teys merge to form Australian beef giant
Cargill Beef Australia and Teys Bros. said late Tuesday they have agreed to merge. The new company, pending regulatory approvals, will be a 50-50 joint more...
Lawsuit alleges deli-meat mislabeling by Kraft, Hormel
Kraft Foods and Hormel Corp. are the targets of a class-action lawsuit filed in a federal court in Florida alleging that the companies separately misled more...
USDA predicts record corn crop, but also record prices
USDA predicted U.S. farmers will produce a record 13.5 billion bushels of corn in the 2011/12 crop year, up 1.1 billion from 2010/11 as a 4-million-acre more...
Buckhead Beef expanding N.C. plant
Buckhead Beef Co. will expand a building in Charlotte, N.C., to create a new distribution facility in a project that will add up to 100 jobs over the more...
Analysts lower earnings expectations for Tyson
Industry analysts are lowering or maintaining their earnings estimates for Tyson Foods in the wake of yesterday’s report showing the second-quarter more...
Hormel touts meeting water reduction, other sustainability goals
Hormel Foods Corp. says it accomplished its water reduction goals early, and met other sustainability targets in its latest report covering its corporate more...
Hillshire Farm adds two reduced fat sausage products
Sara Lee’s Hillshire Farm brand announced two new smoked sausage products — Turkey Pepper Jack and Turkey Polska Kielbasa Smoked Sausage Links more...
Whole Foods eying bacon for animal welfare certification
Now that Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market has certified all fresh beef, pork and chicken sold in its U.S. stores under its 5-Step Animal Welfare more...
Tyson Q2 profits flat even as prices rose 12 percent
Higher production costs, particularly record-high feed prices, resulted in flat second-quarter earnings for Tyson Foods in the period ended March 31. more...
Seaboard pork business booming, Mexico ham plant improving
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Corp. reported first quarter earnings results that included strong numbers and a positive outlook for its Seaboard more...
Major breakfast chain launches frozen retail line
IHOP-inspired breakfast items are now available in the frozen foods section, the company announced Monday. Plover, Wis.-based Golden County Foods manufactures more...
Consumers more sensitive to higher food prices, smaller portions
Some 84 percent of consumers believe that grocery prices have risen in the past three months and 62 percent believe restaurant prices also have risen more...
South Korean bottled water feared tainted with FMD virus
Bottled water produced in South Korea's northern Gyeonggi Province could be contaminated with the foot-and mouth disease (FMD) virus and other harmful more...
Kentucky firm recalls chicken products
Louisville, Ky.-based Stir the Pot, LLC is recalling approximately 18,648 pounds of chicken products because they contain an undeclared allergen, fish more...
New vaccine targets poultry disease
USDA scientists have developed a new vaccine that not only reduces Newcastle disease in poultry but also reduces the spread of the virus, the agency’s more...
FMD researchers suggest a way to avoid mass culls
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) can be controlled without resorting to mass culls of livestock, research published in the journal Science suggests. FMD disease more...
Beef groups try for a meeting of the minds
Officials from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association met in Denver this week to improve their working relationship more...
South Korea tempers U.S. calls for wider beef access
South Korean officials said today that Seoul has no plans to expand access to imports of U.S. beef following Washington’s latest call for talks more...
Sara Lee to buy Aidells, expanding its meat business
Sara Lee Corp. has agreed to buy San Leandro, Calif.-based Aidells Sausage Co. for $87 million in cash, Sara Lee said in a news release announcing fiscal more...
E. coli O111 outbreak causes four deaths in Japan
Two adults and two children have died in central Japan after eating raw beef contaminated with E. coli O111, according to Japanese news reports. The infections more...
Calif. firm recalls salads with meat and poultry for salmonella
Tracy, Calif.-based Taylor Farms Pacific is recalling approximately 22,000 pounds of ready-to-eat fresh salad products that contain meat and poultry because more...
Sausage line gets two new additions
The Eckrich line of sausages has two new varieties: Old World Smoked Sausage and Old World Polska Kielbasa, John Morrell Food Group announced. Both sausages more...
Patio Foods co-founder dies in San Antonio
Louis Stumberg Sr., co-founder of Texas-based Patio Foods, died at the age of 87 on Tuesday. The Rotary Club of San Antonio, where he served as president more...
USDA to tighten restrictions on school meals
The USDA commodity program, which provides foods to schools taking part in national school meals programs, will no longer buy ground beef that has tested more...
Obama administration renews focus on beef exports to South Korea
Additional funding has been set aside to support beef exports to South Korea, and talks could help pave the way for expanded accessl. USDA awarded an more...
Study finds no blood pressure benefit from low-salt diet
Healthy people who ate less sodium were no less vulnerable to developing high blood pressure after eight years than those who consumed the highest levels more...
ConAgra raises its offer to buy Ralcorp
ConAgra Foods, maker of Healthy Choice frozen meals and Slim Jim meat snacks, sweetened its bid to buy Ralcorp Holdings to about $4.9 billion in cash more...
Coalition lauds senators’ efforts to end ethanol credit, tariff
A coalition including meat-and-poultry industry associations said today they applaud U.S. Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for more...
Gates, others join to transform food and ag policy
Eight of the world’s leading foundations launched AGree, an initiative that will tackle long-term food and agriculture policy issues confronting more...
U.S. Department of Justice drops probe of Perdue Farms, Coleman deal
The Justice Dept.’s Antitrust Division has dropped its investigation on the proposed acquisition of Coleman Natural Foods by Perdue Farms Inc.’s more...
Raleigh officials echo environmental concerns on proposed Sanderson plant
Officials in the city of Raleigh, N.C., are expressing concerns that a proposed Sanderson Farms poultry processing facility in Nash County will undermine more...
NAMP asks U.S., Canadian regulators to allow 'pasteurized' descriptor
The North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) is petitioning the U.S. Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Canadian Food Inspection Service more...
South Korea to exempt tariffs on chicken for price stability
South Korea will exempt 50,000 metric tons of chicken meat and 10,000 head of milk cows from import tariffs until the end of this year, Yonhap News more...
AMI, AMSA team to bust meat myths
The American Meat Institute and the American Meat Science Association today launched “Meat MythCrushers,” a campaign to reconnect Americans more...
Cargill partnership exclusive to Texas consumers
Citing its own research into consumer preferences in Texas, Cargill is partnering with 94-year-old United Supermarkets, LLC to introduce Genuine Texas more...
Russia slams Brazil meat safety standards, restricts 20+ export plants
Russia has imposed temporary restrictions on imports of Brazilian meat products from as many as 21 of 29 processing plants that were visited during two-week-long more...
FSIS publishes interstate shipping rules
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service today published a final rule on interstate shipment of meat and poultry products. The regulation establishes more...
Livestock analysts up in arms about USDA lapse in slaughter data (updated)
Livestock analysts voiced grave concerns about a note USDA issued last week advising it is currently unable to provide weekly livestock slaughter data more...
Technomic: Asian cuisine is next growth area for U.S. restaurants
Familiarity with Asian cuisine by American consumers can open the door for solid growth among U.S. restaurant chain operators, according to a report from more...
April 2011
U.S. chicken companies close plants, assess storm impact
Storms and tornadoes that ripped through the U.S. Southeast this week may have killed millions of chickens in Alabama and forced several plants to temporarily more...
Temporary layoffs start next week at Oscar Mayer plant
A Kraft plant in Coshocton, Ohio, will lay off roughly a quarter of its workforce for the summer, according to the Coshocton Tribune. Beginning next week more...
Pilgrim’s posts large loss as feed costs take a bite
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Friday posted a larger-than-expected quarterly loss, hurt by depressed chicken prices and winter storms that shuttered plants more...
Feds extend comment period for antibiotic resistance plan
The Department of Health and Human Services has extended by 60 days the comment period on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s antibiotic more...
Henry's Turkey Service ordered to pay $1.76 million
Under the terms of a partial summary judgment obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor, Hill Country Farms (doing business as Henry’s Turkey Service) more...
JBS signs pact on cattle purchases
JBS S.A. said late Wednesday it signed an agreement with the Brazilian state of Acre that eliminates a civil action and any possibility of a fine against more...
Protein groups respond to U. of Fla. food safety report
Meat industry organizations on Thursday responded to a report published by the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida on the riskiest more...
New Subway expansion to include unique locations, job training
Subway is launching a new program that will expand its presence in additional innovative locations with the added goal of providing job skills to the more...
Undeclared allergens prompt small recall
Kawkawlin, Mich.-based Tri City Cheese and Meats Inc. is recalling about 87 pounds of teriyaki-flavored kippered turkey and beef products that did not more...
Sanderson plant foes file second suit against Nash County
The city of Wilson, North Carolina, and area homeowners who oppose a proposed Sanderson Farms poultry processing plant have filed a second lawsuit against more...
McDonald’s testing new chicken offering
McDonald’s customers near Detroit may notice a new menu item: Chicken McBites. The snack is being tested in the Detroit market, financial news site more...
Feds indict alleged spoiled meat salesman
A Puerto Rican businessman has been indicted on violations of the Federal Meat and Poultry Inspection Acts after he allegedly sold spoiled meat to processors more...
EPA’s Jackson says no change in corn ethanol policy
Meat industry groups seeking relief from high feed grain costs due to short corn supplies got no relief on Tuesday when Environmental Protection Agency more...
At-home, bilingual animal handling certification: $25
Kansas State University is offering a series of animal handling certification courses online, in English and in Spanish, which adhere to industry best more...
Butterball CEO resigns, effective immediately
Garner, N.C.-based Butterball LLC announced today the resignation of Keith Shoemaker as president and CEO of the company effective April 25, 2011 with more...
Japan disasters may drive U.S. beef exports even higher: USMEF
The 2011 triple whammy of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear contamination may add to what was already a solid year of U.S. beef exports to Japan, according more...
Analyst paints grim picture for poultry
The chicken industry needs to cut production by 1 percent to 2 percent to return to profitability and cut by 2 percent to 3 percent to return to normalized more...
Poultry ready-to-cook weight up 4 percent from last year
Poultry certified wholesome during March 2011 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.86 billion pounds, up 4 percent from the amount certified in March 2010 more...
Land O'Frost gives customers something to sing about
Lunchmeat processor Land O’Frost this summer will give away $50,000 worth of concert tickets through the Pick Your Ticket promotion. An additional more...
Brazilian beef giant launches barbecue products
Brazil’s Marfrig Alimentos S.A. has launched a new line of branded barbecue beef cuts, the company said in a news release. BBQ Seara includes 19 more...
Meat prices up by double digits, expected to keep climbing: USDA
U.S. meat prices are now expected to rise 6 percent to 7 percent in 2011, while poultry prices rise 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent, according to USDA’s more...
Consumers apparently still buying high-end beef despite higher prices
Record-high cattle prices last month have had little negative impact on consumer choices when it comes to buying beef in stores, according to Certified more...
Rapping reality TV star exits Iowa chicken restaurant
It was a busy week for rapper-turned-reality-star Flavor Flav, who ended his association with a Clinton, Iowa, chicken restaurant while signing a deal more...
JBS SA to sign new conduct contract with Brazilian prosecutor
Sao Paulo-based JBS SA will conduct an external audit this year to fulfill a new compliance agreement the company will sign with federal prosecutors, more...
Gold’n Plump changes name, adds carbon footprint label
St. Cloud, Minn.-based Gold’n Plump Poultry announced that effective today it has changed its name to GNP Company. The company said the change reflects more...
Placement of heavyweight cattle to create a summer bulge: economist
Meatingplace asked Jim Robb, director of the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver, to interpret Thursday’s USDA cattle-on-feed report more...
Two more countries ban Missouri poultry
Taiwan and the Philippines have banned poultry products from Missouri after an outbreak of H7N3 low-pathogenic avian influenza was found on a turkey farm more...
Shuttered Iowa chicken plant wants to sell its assets
Iowa-based Custom Poultry Processing, which processed organic and antibiotic-free chicken before closing its doors in January, has asked a bankruptcy more...
Cattle, hog weights on the rise in March: USDA
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.35 billion pounds in March, up 2 percent from March 2010, according to USDA’s Livestock more...
Global growth lifts McDonald’s
Poultry and beef offerings helped McDonald's Corp. achieve strong results for the first quarter ended March 31, the company announced today. Fueled by more...
In Sonoma County, wine may go with chicken manure
State bonds to finance a power plant that would generate energy from chicken waste cleared an initial hurdle, winning approval from the board of supervisors more...
Applebee’s adds sizzle and steak — and chicken
Applebee’s casual dining chain is adding to the “sizzle” on its menu with two new entrees: Sizzling Smokehouse Chicken Stack (grilled more...
Tyson eliminates jobs at Emporia beef plant
Tyson Foods Inc. is eliminating 60 to 80 jobs at its Emporia, Kans. facility, reducing the workforce at the beef processing and cold storage plant to more...
JBS SA says it is on the right side of the law on cattle purchases
Sao Paulo-based JBS SA said it has strong systems in place to ensure it does not purchase cattle raised on deforested land in the Amazon or raised with more...
Swift introduces premium diced pork
JBS has introduced diced pork as part of its Swift Premium line. The product, which comes from super trim Cushion and is a lean cut of meat, is retail-ready more...
China opens to more Brazilian beef
First it was pork, then chicken, and now beef: China has agreed to raise to eight from three the number of Brazilian beef packers from which it will accept more...
Food safety veteran recognized for lifetime achievement
Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Senior Vice President of Food Safety Jill Hollingsworth received the 2011 NSF Food Safety Leadership Award for Lifetime more...
Taco Bell has a beef with lawyers who maligned its beef
Taco Bell wants an apology from the lawyers who sued the company over the quality of its beef and is asking for it loudly. In a slightly snarky national more...
OSHA accuses Tyson of safety violations at Nebraska plant
Tyson Foods has 15 business days to respond to what the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is describing as one repeat and seven more...
Taco Bell beef lawsuit dropped
Attorneys dropped a class-action lawsuit accusing Taco Bell of making false claims about the quality of the seasoned beef it serves in its products, the more...
Experts cite potential water contamination from proposed Sanderson plant
Environmental experts expressed concerns last night that a proposed poultry farm in Nash County, N.C., could cause long-term problems with local water more...
South Korea confirms additional FMD case
South Korea reported an additional outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) Sunday, local media reported. The report came four days after the Ministry more...
Panama trade agreement could boost hog prices, jobs
As the United States and Panama completed work on the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement this week, an economist predicted if the deal is approved more...
U.S. escalates future penalties against beef and veal exporters
The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York and USDA today announced court approval of a consent judgment and decree that provides more...
U.S. Foodservice buys meat, poultry distributor
Rosemont, Ill.-based foodservice distributor giant U.S. Foodservice announced it has purchased Ritter Food Service, a division of The Pennfield Corporation more...
Jack Link’s messes with new ‘Sasquatch’ steak snack
Jack Link’s Beef Jerky extended its Sasqautch Big Snacks like to include the new Sasquatch Big Steak. Exceeding 16 inches in length, the new product more...
Sodexo expands Meatless Monday
Foodservice provider Sodexo has significantly expanded the reach of its Meatless Monday offerings, the Gaithersburg, Md.-based company announced Monday more...
Marfrig to monitor company-wide greenhouse gas emissions
Marfrig is attempting to separate itself from Brazilian competitors by appointing a new director of sustainability and mapping carbon emissions throughout more...
Subway chain takes new step to reduce sodium content in sub line
The Subway sandwich chain is cutting the sodium content of its Fresh Fit line of subs by 28 percent, marking the second such reduction of salt in its more...
AMI disputes small U.S. study of staph bacteria in meat
The American Meat Institute is challenging the conclusions of a small study that found nearly half of meat and poultry samples purchased at grocery stores more...
Poultry plant to move after SPCA drops opposition
New American Poultry will move its plant to an industrial area in Sacramento, The Sacramento Bee reported. The Sacramento Society for the Protection of more...
NMA stands up for processor’s technology
The National Meat Association today defended Beef Products Inc. and the processor’s use of ammonium hydroxide ground beef. BPI’s use of the more...
Poultry industry to Congress: These corn prices are killing us!
When it comes to corn use of ethanol and government policies that support it, something’s got to give. That’s the message representatives more...
Canadian Creutzfeldt-Jakob case confirmed; cattle not suspected
A Canadian resident has been diagnosed with probable variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, according to Health Canada, but Canadian beef is not suspected more...
How to sell meat to millennials: AMI Expo
CHICAGO -- By 2017, the so-called “millennial” generation (those now 19 to 30 years old) will surpass baby boomers as spenders, making their more...
Consumer meat, poultry buying on the rise, study finds
Consumers are purchasing as much meat as they did two years ago or slightly more as the economy has begun to improve, while still looking for value in more...
AMI awards include Seaboard, Don Tyson
CHICAGO — The American Meat Institute posthumously awarded Don Tyson its Industry Advancement Award at the AMI International Meat, Poultry and Seafood more...
New dietary guidelines open door to innovation
CHICAGO – The federal government’s updated dietary guidelines present both challenges and opportunities for meat and poultry processors, experts more...
USDA reports broiler-type eggs sets, chicks placed
Commercial hatcheries in the 19 state weekly program set 209 million eggs in incubators during the week ending April 9, 2011, up slightly from the eggs more...
Brazilian poultry processor makes Middle East inroads with halal certification
Brazilian poultry processor Pioneiro Alimentos has obtained halal certification for its products, allowing the company further access to markets in the more...
More U.S. beef, pork exports going overseas
U.S. beef and pork exports in February continued a trend of a rising portion of national production going overseas and more money coming back home, the more...
Cargill sees 30 percent jump in quarterly results
Cargill Inc. reported a 30 percent jump in its financial results for the fiscal third quarter, posting $763 million in earnings from continuing operations more...
Second quarter a challenge for Tyson, analyst says
Lower-than-expected chicken pricing prompted BBT Capital Markets analyst Heather Jones to cut her profit estimate for Tyson Foods’ just-ended more...
Meat groups comment on school lunch nutrition rules
On the last day of the 90-day comment period for USDA’s proposed school nutrition standards, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and more...
Speakers outline keys to successful sustainability plans: AMI Expo
CHICAGO — Whether a meat processor is large or small, a successful sustainability plan must contain plant-by-plant goals and interim targets to more...
Dutch meat industry warns on disease outbreaks in Russia, Bulgaria
The Dutch Central Organization for the Meat Industry (COV) has released a statement asking that, whatever the cost, all livestock and animal transport more...
EU experts assess nitrogen use, say 'eat less meat'
The first European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA) was released in the U.K. Monday, and the findings include that nitrogen pollution is costing each person more...
Hispanics' restaurant visits differ by language: NPD
The primary language used by the nation’s expanding Hispanic population has an effect on when and how this group uses restaurants, according to more...
Top Chef All-Stars winner to promote pork at pop-up cafe in NYC
The National Pork Board is teaming up with a reality show veteran to inspire cooks to use pork in their homemade dishes while also launching nationwide more...
Marfrig’s Keystone sets joint ventures in China
São Paulo, Brazil-based Marfrig Alimentos S.A. announced it will form two joint ventures in China through its Keystone Foods unit -- a supply and more...
Appeals court upholds ruling on Arizona immigration law
A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a lower court decision that blocked certain provisions of Arizona's immigration law from taking effect, according more...
Triumph Foods pork approved by Russia
Triumph Foods has been approved to ship pork to Russia, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said on its website. Certificates can be signed more...
Certified Angus Beef sets pop-up store, restaurant in NYC
The Certified Angus Beef brand announced it has partnered with the James Beard Foundation to launch its first pop-up store and restaurant. The JBF more...
FAO food price index shows a decline
FAO has announced that its Food Price Index has dropped for the first time after eight months of continuous price rises. The Index averaged 230 points more...
USDA raises corn use for ethanol projection
USDA raised its forecast of U.S. corn use for ethanol, but left corn ending stocks and its corn price forecast largely unchanged in its monthly World more...
U.S. beef, pork output up slightly; poultry output down: USDA
The forecast for 2011 U.S. red meat and poultry production is virtually unchanged from last month as small increases in beef and pork production are largely more...
EU experts outline targets for reduction of Campylobacter incidence
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a scientific opinion evaluating the public health impact of control measures that could be used more...
Processors make Forbes ‘most reputable companies’ list
Kraft Foods, Sara Lee Corp., Tyson Foods and ConAgra Foods all made Forbes magazine’s annual “America’s Most and Least Reputable Big more...
Android users can bring home the ‘Baconnection’
Reader's Digest Association (RDA) has launched Baconnection, an app for Android smartphone users, offering bacon facts, games, the chance to earn “bacon more...
FSIS inspectors to continue work if government shuts down
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service confirmed to the North American Meat Processors Association this morning that all front-line inspectors more...
Smithfield’s Campofrio takeover talks raise eyebrows on Wall St.
Smithfield Foods’ possible purchase of a controlling interest in European packaged meats company Campofrio Food Group S.A. drew a tepid response more...
Proposed Sanderson plant finds favor in N.C. — again
The board of commissioners in Nash County, N.C., has voted to rezone property in favor of a controversial Sanderson Farms poultry plant, overriding the more...
South Korea to reopen all livestock markets Friday
South Korea will reopen all 85 of its livestock markets Friday, nearly four months after they were closed November 29 when foot-and-mouth disease more...
Forecast puts pig prices at new 10-year peak value
Whole Hog, a London-based global pig price forecasting agency, has released a new forecast for global pig prices that describes 2011 as breaking through more...
Smithfield in talks to buy controlling interest in European affiliate
Smithfield Foods Inc. said today that it and the chairman of Campofrio Food Group S.A. packaged meats company, Pedro Ballve, are evaluating a joint de-listing more...
AMIF, FMIF to study Listeria control in retail delis
The American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation will contribute $50,000 toward research into practical more...
Obama, Colombia pave way for FTA passage
President Obama announced today an “Action Plan Related to Labor Rights” that will enhance labor rights in Colombia and potentially allow more...
U.S. court finds for House of Raeford in donning-and-doffing case
A U.S. District Court in western Louisiana has ruled that workers at House of Raeford chicken processing plants in Arcadia, La., and Wallace, N.C., are more...
U.S. steps up scrutiny of Mexican poultry
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will be checking to make sure that cooked poultry products brought into the United States from Mexico more...
International Poultry Expo sets new format for 2012 (updated)
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association said its 2012 International Poultry Exposition is moving its show hours to a Tuesday-through-Thursday format that more...
USDA moves to make test-and-hold mandatory
The U.S. Department of Agriculture today proposed a requirement for beef, pork and poultry processors to hold finished products from commerce until the more...
Fire claims 300,000 chickens at Md. poultry operation
A four-alarm fire overnight at a Cecil County, Md.-based poultry farm killed nearly 300,000 chickens and destroyed three of the nine barn buildings at more...
Turkey burger recall due to antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strain
The recall of Jennie-O frozen raw turkey burger products is due to the presence of Salmonella Hadar, a strain of the bacteria that is resistant to many more...
Stampede Meat to resume operations after plant evacuation
Stampede Meat Inc. said plant operations would resume today after an erroneous chemical mixture forced an evacuation early Tuesday morning. The mixture more...
South Korea lifts FMD livestock restrictions
South Korea's foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak seems to be under control, the daily Chosun Ilbo reported. The Ministry for Food, Agriculture more...
Omaha Steaks launches new site for mobile devices
Omaha Steaks has introduced what it’s calling a mobile Web site that offers access to its entire product line to users of smart phones and other more...
Townsend Engineering founder dies at 97
Ever the innovator, Ray Townsend knew he could improve on the outdated practice of manually trimming the skin off pork. So the Des Moines, Iowa, native more...
Brasil Foods to invest nearly $1 billion (Updated)
Even though it's still waiting on a ruling about its future by Brazil's anti-trust body (CADE), BRF Brasil Foods S.A. will invest BRL1.5 billion (US$933 more...
Poultry groups join Chesapeake Bay lawsuit
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the National Chicken Council have joined the American Farm Bureau Federation in a lawsuit challenging the Environmental more...
Top Mexican food casual chain names new leader
Cypress, Calif.-based Real Mex Restaurants Inc. announced it has appointed David Goronkin as president, CEO and chairman of the board, effective more...
AMSA course cancelled
The American Meat Science Association has cancelled its Quality Assurance short course, QA 101, which was scheduled for April 12-13 at McCormick Place more...
Maple Leaf Foods sells plant to poultry processor
Maple Leaf Foods will sell its plant in Berwick, Nova Scotia, to Eden Valley Poultry, according to a report by Reuters. Eden Valley, a new company owned more...
Iowa beef plant could reopen
A group of investors plans to re-open a beef plant in Tama, Iowa, that has been closed since 2004, according to a report by the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier more...
USTR names head of agriculture affairs
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk today announced that Sharon Bomer Lauritsen will join USTR in early May as the new Assistant United States more...
Low-pathogenic avian flu prompts regional tests at Missouri poultry farms
An apparent outbreak of what the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture is describing as “low-pathogenic Avian Influenza” at a Polk County poultry more...
Take me out...for a hot dog
As Major League Baseball throws its first pitch, one thing is clear: the hot dog will once again be an MVP nationwide. The National Hot Dog and more...
AMSA Quality Assurance course set for April is cancelled (UPDATED)
The American Meat Science Association planned to hold its next Quality Assurance short course, QA 101, April 12-13 at McCormick Place in Chicago more...
March 2011
Worker lawsuit vs. Tyson Foods wins class-action status
A federal judge in Omaha has granted class-action status for a lawsuit filed by workers at two Tyson Foods plants in Nebraska seeking wages for activities more...
U.S. farmers to plant more corn, but current supplies tighten: USDA
USDA reported that farmers expect to plant more corn than anticipated in 2011, but in a separate report estimated tighter stocks of old-crop corn than more...
Marfrig reports strong gains, announces 2011 plans
Acquisitions and a rebound in domestic demand helped Marfrig Alimentos boost its fourth-quarter profit year-on-year, the Brazilian processor reported more...
Iowa authorities reach settlement with Christensen Farms on hog contracts
Christensen Farms Midwest has settled a long-running dispute with the state of Iowa over the way the company treats contract hog producers following similar more...
Hormel puts up Spammy hunger relief website
Hormel Foods has created a website to allow individuals to contribute to its Spammy hunger relief program. Spammy, as reported in the March issue of Meatingplace more...
Tyson COO sees 'new paradigm' for protein supplies
The protein industry will be working under new rules when it comes to what drives profitability and production, according to Tyson Foods Chief Operating more...
Obama circles corn country on roadmap for energy security
As turmoil rocks the Middle East and North Africa and energy costs soar, President Obama said today the nation’s long-term energy security will more...
Marfood USA names new North American executive
Marfood USA — the North American headquarters for Marfrig Group — said today that Paul Fox has been appointed managing director, effective more...
APHIS names new administrator
Gregory Parham, associate administrator of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has been appointed administrator of the more...
E. coli Eradication Act author to chair Senate livestock subcommittee
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday she will serve as chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Marketing and Agriculture more...
China launches one-year investigation into clenbuterol in pig feed
The Chinese government reportedly is launching a one-year probe into illegal introduction of a chemical considered dangerous to humans into pig feed. more...
Tough economy continues to drive hot food trends: consultant
CHICAGO — Today’s hottest food trends are related to economic headlines such as rising foreclosures and high unemployment, according to a more...
Exclusive video: Nightclub, restaurant developer discusses the dishes of the moment
Chicago — James Gottwald, director of culinary operations for one of Chicago's top restaurant and nightclub development and management companies more...
USDA seeks nominations for biotech committee
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a request for nominations of qualified persons to serve as members of the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology more...
Hormel Foods names two executive appointees
Hormel Foods Corp. today named Scott Aakre to the post of vice president of corporate innovation and new product development, and appointed Whitney Velasco-Aznar more...
Russia reopens to U.S. beef, pork and poultry plants
Russia re-listed as eligible exporters a number of U.S. beef, pork and poultry facilities, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said Friday more...
BK chicken tenders get a makeover
Burger King is revamping its chicken tenders, Burger Business reported Friday. The crown-shaped tenders are on their way out, replaced by a slightly larger more...
Big Russian pork, poultry processor reports strong growth
London-listed Cherkizovo Group, one of Russia’s largest integrated pork and poultry producers, reported a 17 percent increase in sales in 2010 to more...
Study finds less salmonella, antibiotic resistance in organic chicken
Chicken raised organically has less salmonella, and the salmonella it does have isn’t antibiotic resistant, suggests research published in the journal Foodborne more...
Chicken catchers’ suit vs. Mountaire Farms to proceed
A federal judge in Wilmington, Del., has rejected a request by Mountaire Farms to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the poultry processor did not properly pay more...
Chinese trade barriers costing U.S. farmers billions: study
Although the United States remains the leading supplier of agricultural products to China, Chinese trade barriers are keeping out billions of dollars more...
Tyson launches wing, deli promotions during March Madness
The retail promotion pairs Tyson Wings and Boneless Wings with Marzetti dips for savings. From March 7 to April 15, consumers can enter a sweepstakes more...
No. 23 returns to Chicago — in steakhouse business
Twelve years have passed since Michael Jordan’s self-branded steakhouse closed in the city where he made his name. Now plans are afoot for him — more...
Extra-meaty sausage sparks complaint in Sweden
A Swedish man filed a report with that country’s consumer agency over a sausage that contained too much meat, according to Swedish news website more...
Delayed IPO bites JBS in the bottom line
JBS S.A. late Wednesday reported a fourth-quarter loss of $325 million, compared with net income of $77 million in the fourth quarter of 2009, after paying more...
Danish meat giant has plans for new cattle slaughter capacity
Danish Crown (DC) is considering a new $100 million investment in a state-of-the-art cattle slaughterhouse. The move will have implications more...
No arrests in Pilgrim's Pride bomb threat (UPDATED)
A bomb threat at a Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plant in northeastern Alabama shut down operations for nearly two hours Tuesday night after an unidentified more...
ConAgra profit slips, but meat brands strong
ConAgra Foods Inc. reported a slightly weaker fiscal third quarter profit as it raised prices to offset higher commodity costs, and said several more...
Land O’Frost names new sales executive
Land O’Frost has hired David G. Funk for the newly created position of senior vice president of sales and marketing. Funk previously worked for more...
Russia, Japan ban N.C. poultry
Russia and Japan have banned all imports of poultry produced in North Carolina on concerns of low-pathogenic avian influenza, according to USDA’s more...
Bologna recalled in connection with E. coli investigation
Palmyra Bologna Company Inc. of Palmyra, Penn., is recalling approximately 23,000 pounds of Lebanon bologna products that may be contaminated with E. more...
RTE meat contains minimal cancerous compounds: study
If consumers are looking for a quick meal but also seeking less exposure to cancerous compounds, they would be better off eating a hot dog than rotisserie more...
Perdue immigrant/wage dispute heading to Md. court
A federal class action lawsuit against managers and supervisors of Perdue Inc. is moving to a Maryland court, where the chicken company is based, according more...
UK supermarkets accused of 'double standards' by pig producers
The UK pig industry has declared war on the UK’s retailers. In what will be seen as an escalation in the war of words between UK pig producers and more...
Nash County rejects rezoning for Sanderson Farms plant
The Nash County Planning Board yesterday rejected a request to rezone land where Sanderson Farms is considering building a controversial poultry processing more...
Tyson plant in Iowa damaged by fire
Tyson Foods workers at the company’s Council Bluffs, Iowa, plant were not harmed in a fire early Monday that stopped production for two hours, according more...
Smoked ham, bacon recalled on labeling issue
Nampa, Idaho-based Northwest Premium Meats is recalling about 2,130 pounds of smoked ham and bacon products because they contain sodium nitrite, which more...
Hormel launches shelf-stable kids meals (updated)
Hormel Foods, the makers of Hormel Compleats microwave meals, announced a line of shelf-stable meals specifically designed as a meal solution for children more...
National Pork Board announces Ham-A-Day promotion
The National Pork Board is offering consumers the opportunity to refresh their ham recipes in time for Easter while registering for a chance to win a more...
George’s to buy Tyson plant
George’s Inc. has signed a letter of intent to buy Tyson Foods’ poultry complex in Harrisonburg, Va., officials from both companies announced more...
USDA details new salmonella, campylobacter standards
USDA published further details on the new performance standards for the poultry industry to reduce salmonella and campylobacter in young chickens and more...
Lighter, fewer U.S. cattle push beef prices high: USDA report
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.4 million head on March more...
Canada and South Korea near deal on beef import ban
South Korea and Canada are close to reaching an understanding that could lift the beef import ban imposed by Seoul since May 2003, Yonhap reported.The more...
GAO recommends single food safety agency
Food safety systems could be significantly more effective if the 15 bodies focused on oversight were combined into a single agency, the General Accountability more...
AMI cites rising retail meat prices to make case against ethanol
The American Meat Institute issued a statement on Monday linking rising meat prices to the use of corn to create ethanol. Retail meat prices rose 9.2 more...
N-60 beef testing likely to change: Hagen
CHICAGO — USDA is likely to increase its beef trim and ground beef testing protocol beyond the current N-60 sample rate as a result of the recent more...
Chicken products recalled for mislabeling, possible allergen
Kashi, based in La Jolla, Calif., is recalling about 2,790 pounds of Kashi Southwest Style Chicken products because the packages may instead contain Kashi more...
Arizona Senate rejects immigration bills
Arizona’s Senate on Thursday rejected five immigration bills that would have cracked down on illegal immigrants and stripped citizenship from children more...
Japanese meat trade will likely rise in longer term
TOKYO — In the short term, Japan's meat market will shrink as the country continues to suffer from the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake, the more...
Chinese officials punished for Clenbuterol in pigs
Chiefs of three Chinese animal husbandry bureaus have been suspended, and 27 additional officials are in policy custody, have been fired, or suspended more...
Smithfield settles $208 million claim in Cudahy fire
Smithfield Foods Inc. has settled its claims with its insurance carriers over the damages done by the 2009 fire at its Patrick Cudahy Inc. plant in Cudahy more...
Swift agrees to pay more than $37,000 in fines
Swift Pork Company has entered into a settlement with the Louisville (Ky.) Metro Air Pollution Control Board after the board Wednesday unanimously approved more...
Sanderson outlook improves on grain hedges, higher chicken prices: analyst
A Wall Street analyst has sharply increased her earnings outlook for Sanderson Farms, predicting the chicken producer will benefit from strengthening more...
Chinese meat processor apologizes, shares halted, consumers react to Clenbuterol
Shuanghui Group, China's largest meat processor, apologized Wednesday after Clenbuterol was allegedly found in meat products in an affiliate of the company more...
Rising food, energy prices continue to pinch consumers
Consumers continue to take a hit as higher food and energy costs helped pushed the Consumer Price Index up 0.5 percent in February, and packaged food more...
Steakhouse chain exploring sale of company
The board of directors at Morton’s Restaurant Group, Inc. has approved the exploration of options including a potential sale of the upscale steakhouse more...
USDA implements new salmonella, campylobacter standards
USDA today announced implementation of new performance standards for the poultry industry to improve reduction of salmonella and campylobacter in young more...
Japan crisis hits livestock, grain futures
The devastating earthquake in Japan and unfolding nuclear crisis pressured grain and livestock futures on Tuesday, sending a number of contracts down more...
ConAgra launches childhood hunger campaign
ConAgra Foods has partnered with Feeding America to launch a new initiative to fight child hunger. The “Child Hunger Ends Here” campaign is more...
Alliance forms to tell story of modern food production
A number of food groups have joined forces to form the Alliance to Feed the Future, whose aim is to promote the benefits of modern food production, processing more...
EU farmers complain about import competition, margins
The European farmers’ unions (Copa-Cogeca) have warned that EU livestock farmers face a “drastic situation” as they are squeezed by more...
Spaghetti and meatballs recalled for foreign materials
Nestle Prepared Foods Co., based in Gaffney, S.C., is recalling about 10,260 pounds of frozen spaghetti and meatball entrees that may contain foreign more...
Activists stop poultry processor from expansion
A Sacramento poultry processor has been denied a special-use permit to build a slaughterhouse less than a block from an animal shelter operated by the more...
USDA awards grant to study reducing E. coli shedding by cattle
USDA announced a $2.5 million research grant award to Michigan State University to reduce “shedding” --- the release of E. coli from the digestive more...
French farming woes get Ministers' attention
Jean-Michel Serres, the chairman of the French National Federation of Pig producers (NPF) has written to the French federation of meat manufacturers (FICT) more...
Potential NFL lockout prompts concerns about chicken wing sales
The fallout from a possible long-term lockout of NFL players has chicken industry players and analysts concerned about taking a hit of a different sort more...
Batista family makes second foray into banking
The Batista family, owners of Brazilian meat giant JBS SA, is buying a controlling interest in Brazilian bank Matone, the holding company, J&F more...
U.S. beef, pork exports get off to good start in 2011
January exports of U.S. pork and beef in January far exceeded year-ago levels, although both fell behind totals recorded in the previous month, according more...
Improved economy helps boost 2010 U.S. restaurant sales, says Technomic
Thanks in part to an improved U.S. economy, the nation’s 500 largest restaurant chains posted a 1.8-percent gain in annual sales in 2010, according more...
Revision to standard the focus of safety conference
The ANSI/B155.1 standard – which addresses the necessity for safety and reliability in fluid power for both pneumatic and hydraulic systems – more...
Investors fret over Smithfield director resignation: analyst
Weakness in shares of Smithfield Foods following the company’s very strong third-quarter earnings report on Thursday suggests investors are worried more...
Cattle futures hit all-time high
The prices of U.S. cattle futures have hit an all-time high as the industry braces for declining beef supplies and the export market continues to soar more...
Keystone, Perdue plants snag environmental honors
Keystone Foods’ facility in Gadsden, Ala., and Perdue Farms’ plant in Perry, Ga., have been named as the winner of U.S. Poultry & Egg more...
Marathoner trains on an all-McDonald’s diet
A 36-year-old suburban Chicago dad is training for the Los Angeles Marathon fueled only by McDonald’s fast food. Palatine dad Joe D’Amico more...
Smithfield profit tops expectations
Smithfield profit tops expectations Smithfield Foods Inc on Thursday reported quarterly earnings that far exceeded analyst expectations, and predicted more...
Coalition applauds ethanol subsidy elimination bill
A coalition of agricultural groups, taxpayer advocates, environmental groups and other organizations has sent a letter to Thomas Coburn (R-Okla.) and more...
Protein production forecasts up across the board: USDA
USDA expects protein production to increase across the board in 2011, according to the agency’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates more...
U.S. corn, soybean forecasts unchanged, prices narrows
USDA narrowed by 10 cents on both ends of the range its corn price forecast for the 2010-11 marketing year that begins Sept. 1, to a range of $5.15 to more...
McDonald’s announces sustainability commitment
McDonald’s Wednesday announced its Sustainable Land Management Commitment (SMLC), which will ultimately require that suppliers only use agricultural more...
AMI Foundation recognizes meat and poultry plants for worker safety
The American Meat Institute Foundation recognized more than 120 meat and poultry plants this week for outstanding achievements in workplace safety in more...
$1.2 million fine reaffirmed for Iowa turkey processor's contractor (Updated)
The Iowa Division of Workers’ Compensation has reinstated a nearly $1.2 million fine against a Goldthwaite, Texas-based labor broker that exploited more...
Bologna recalled on fears of staphylococcus aureus contamination
Zweigle’s Inc., based in Rochester, N.Y., is recalling about 2,997 pounds of bologna products that may be contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus more...
Analyst sees chicken cycle turning, upgrades Tyson
Expecting pressures on the chicken industry to force production cuts, Deutsche Bank analyst Christina McGlone upgraded shares of Tyson Foods to a “buy” more...
Farmers warn of issues with EU free trade deal with South America
The EU farmers’ organization (COPA) has released the results of a study which say that trade liberalizing talks could result in a serious contraction more...
Wendy's returns to Japan
Wendy's/Arby's Group plans to establish a joint venture in Japan as early as this month, The Nikkei Weekly newspaper reports. The company aims to more...
OIG recommends FSIS improve N-60 sampling
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service should take steps to improve the method by which it takes samples of beef trim in order to test for the more...
Brazilian beef may have largest carbon footprint: study
Beef from the Brazilian Amazon may have the highest carbon footprint of any beef in the world, according to new research published in Environmental Science more...
Canadian BSE case worries South Korea
Canada’s 18th case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) since 2003 found Friday in Alberta worries South Korea, media in the country more...
Maple Leaf Foods expands deli meats line
Maple Leaf Foods said today it has added five has added five new varieties of deli meats to its Natural Selections line: hardwood smoked salami and baked more...
Frank’s RedHot sauce maker to launch line of chicken wings, other appetizers
The makers of Frank’s RedHot hot sauce will soon introduce a line of fully cooked chicken wings, shrimp and chicken-based appetizers smothered in more...
The good, the bad and the salty: NPD’s report on dietary sodium
Older generations are more careful, middle generations are learning, but everybody — especially young adult consumers — consume more sodium more...
U.S. meat exhibits at Foodex Japan annual food fair
CHIBA, Japan - Overall prices are rising as Japanese buyers have become price-conscious, consumption is levelling off, and U.S. beef supplies are insufficient more...
House of Raeford Farms cuts broiler production
House of Raeford Farms, Inc., one of the nation’s top 10 fully integrated poultry processors, announced it will decrease broiler production by 10 more...
Pork distributor plans new Iowa processing facility
Citing growing pork exports, Global Foods Processing Inc. has announced that it will expand its Sioux City, Iowa, operation with a $10 million, 67,000-square-foot more...
Zhongpin poised for more expansion as FY 2010 profits climb 28 percent
Zhongpin Inc., a leading meat and food processing company in China, is setting plans to continue its 2010 expansion efforts as it reports a 28-percent more...
Smithfield launches video series
Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced today that it is launching a new, educational series of videos providing an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at pork more...
JBS takes full control of Italian cured meats processor
JBS S.A. said Friday it took control of 100 percent of Rigamonti Salumificio, one of the 10 largest cured meat processors in Italy, as it terminated a more...
JBS parts ways with Italian partner
JBS S.A. said today it has signed a termination agreement with the Cremonini Group to end its participation in INALCA. Under the agreement, JBS has returned more...
Canada identifies BSE in Alberta dairy cow
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy has been identified in a dairy cow in Alberta, Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed to Meatingplace more...
Pork Board announces successor to 'The Other White Meat'
Almost 25 years after the launch of “The Other White Meat,” the National Pork Board announced its new slogan Friday: “Pork Be more...
South Korea beef consumption up almost 31 percent in 4 years
South Korea beef consumption jumped almost 31 percent in the past four years, causing the country to rely more on imports to meet domestic needs more...
McDonald’s spares the crustaceans
Fishy rumors that McDonald’s planned a nationwide rollout of its McLobster sandwich have proven untrue. McDonald’s addressed the rumors swirling more...
U.S., Mexico strike deal in trucking dispute
Mexican trucks may soon be rolling along U.S. highways and Mexico will suspend its retaliatory tariffs on American products, including pork, now more...
USDA official calls for better beef trim E. coli test procedures
An audit by USDA’s Office of the Inspector General to assess how the Food Safety and Inspection Service tests beef trim for E. coli O157:H7 called more...
Record world food prices higher for eighth straight month: UN
Global food prices climbed for the eighth straight month in February to a new record level, with meat prices alone up 2 percent from last month, the United more...
Top 10 breakfast trends according to The Food Channel
Ethnic preparations, lean protein as an anytime energy boost, and --- yes --- breakfast pizza (as opposed to pizza for breakfast) are among the “top more...
Meat trade deficit widens, pig numbers shrink in UK
The United Kingdom is still a net importer of red meat, with the trade deficit largest for pork, according to the latest trade report by the Agriculture more...
GAO report makes case for single food safety agency
The General Accountability Office, in a new report, is calling for federal food safety responsibilities to be consolidated under one agency to improve more...
Chicken, pork products recalled; ingredients pose listeria concern
Tracy, Calif.-based Taylor Farms Pacific is recalling about 64,000 pounds of chicken and pork products because the broccoli used in these products may more...
Dutch processor to acquire Vietti Foods
The U.S.-based subsidiary of Dutch meat processor Zwanenberg Food Group BV said today it intends to acquire Nashville, Tenn.-based Vietti Foods Co. in more...
Poultry industry objects to proposed changes in trucking rules
The Joint Poultry Industry Safety & Health Council submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation opposing the Federal Motor Carrier more...
Breakfast rebound seen in 2011, with a catch
Restaurant breakfast sales are expected to grow by 4.1 percent in 2011, according to consumer research firm Mintel, but diners have a request: make it more...
Worker dies in accident while cleaning batching machine
A Central Valley Meat Co. employee died from injuries sustained while cleaning a batching machine on Monday. The worker was Leopolodo Guiterrez, 72, company more...
Undeclared allergen prompts chicken product recall
Piccadilly Fine Foods is recalling about 775 pounds of chicken and mushroom pie products because they may contain an undeclared allergen, egg, the USDA’s more...
Cargill to launch shipping initiative using large kite-powered vessel
Cargill Inc. will become the second major U.S. company to employ wind power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the shipping industry using patented more...
Sara Lee unveils low-sodium food service options
Sara Lee Foodservice has introduced a line of lower-sodium deli meats under the Sara Lee and Hillshire Farm brand names, all certified by the American more...
Kayem introduces natural chicken meatballs
Kayem Foods’ al fresco All Natural product line has added two flavors of chicken meatballs boasting 60 percent less fat and 40 percent more...
Sandwich chain launches Angus, ad campaign
Arby's Restaurant Group Inc. announced Monday the launch of the Angus Three Cheese & Bacon Sandwich as part of a new integrated marketing and advertising more...
DNA Brands names new meat snack executive
DNA Brands, Inc. has appointed Jim Hawkins vice president of its meat snack division, the company announced. In his new role, Hawkins will lead the expansion more...
Protein groups lobby against ethanol, ‘user fees’
The American Meat Institute, National Meat Institute, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation were among dozens of agriculture groups more...
February 2011
N.Y. processor unveils new meatball packaging
Buffalo, N.Y.-based processor Rosina Food Products announced today a package redesign for its flagship meatball product line and a new logo. The new packaging more...
Taco Bell to launch new ads to combat recent meat controversy
Taco Bell will introduce a new series of commercials this week that will allow its employees to weigh in on recent questions about the ingredients in more...
Jon Fitch, director of Ark. livestock panel, dead at 60
Jon Fitch, director of Arkansas’ Livestock & Poultry Commission, died Saturday night of complications of a stroke. Fitch was appointed by Governor more...
Beef, pork descriptors impact taste expectations: report
Almost two out of three consumers think beef and pork described on a label or menu with terms like “grass-fed,” “lean,” “organic” more...
Two more bird flu outbreaks in South Korea
South Korea confirmed two additional avian influenza (AI) outbreaks, Yonhap reported. The Ministry for Food, Agriculture more...
Ark. firm recalls a variety of items made without inspection
Petit Jean Farm is recalling an undetermined amount of various meat and poultry products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection more...
Steak company to appear on ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’
Omaha Steaks will appear as a featured company on the fourth season of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” in which celebrities such as Meat Loaf more...
UK recommends less red, processed meat after cancer study
People who eat a lot of red or processed meat — around 90 grams or more of cooked weight per day — are at greater risk of getting bowel cancer more...
Vilsack to sign document for continued biofuels development
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to encourage continuing development of biofuels and other bio-based products more...
El Monterey rides with NASCAR’s Tony Stewart
El Monterey, a brand of Dinuba, Calif.-based Ruiz Foods, announced Thursday it’s teaming up with Stewart-Haas Racing as an associate sponsor of more...
Rotisserie chickens to spin round the clock on their own TV channel
A television channel dedicated to showing nothing but rotisserie chickens rotating on a spit is set to launch next week in Canada. The provider, Rogers more...
Sanderson Farms posts big loss, delays plans for second N.C. plant
Sanderson Farms posted a hefty net loss in its fiscal first quarter, hurt by higher feed costs and an oversupply of chicken on the market, and said it more...
Gold’n Plump to introduce new chicken fillet options
Gold’n Plump Poultry announced new packaging for its fresh, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, to begin selling this spring in retail stores. Four more...
Frozen burger maker enters restaurant business
Jacksonville, Fla.-based frozen burger maker Bubba burger announced it will launch a fast casual restaurant chain. Original Bubba burger Grill restaurants more...
USDA projects record ag exports in 2011
USDA said today that agricultural exports are expected to reach a record $135 billion in fiscal year 2011, up $9 billion from the November projection more...
Poultry groups weigh in on proposed noise rules
The U. S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council, and National Turkey Federation submitted comments to the Occupational Safety & more...
Tyson amends credit line, reducing 2011 interest expense
Tyson Foods said it amended its $1 billion credit facility with JP Morgan Chase Bank as part of its plan to reduce overall debt expenses. Amending the more...
Grocery chain won’t raise prices on staples for the rest of the year
Wegmans Food Markets will not increase prices on 40 family staples including a variety of meats through the end of 2011, the Rochester, N.Y.-based supermarket more...
Marfrig shifts production in Brazil
Brazil’s Marfrig Alimentos S.A. announced it has completed a production transfer as part of the reorganization of its Seara division. Marfrig has more...
NMA honors Superior Farms executive
The National Meat Association announced it honored Superior Farms Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Les Oesterreich with its Floyd Forbes Award for more...
Consumers want more information about their food when dining out
U.S. diners want details about the sourcing and nutritional value of their restaurant meals, saying they would eat healthier if the information were provided more...
Higher sales lift Hormel Q1 results to record levels even as costs climb
Hormel Foods Corp. reported record first-quarter profits of $148.8 million, a 34-percent increase from year-ago results thanks in part to stronger sales more...
ConAgra to raise prices, lowers growth forecasts
ConAgra Foods will increase prices on more than half of its U.S. products and has lowered its earnings growth forecasts in the face of higher priced inputs more...
Buying meat, poultry at retail reaches ‘new balance’
Buying meat and poultry products at supermarkets has reached a “new balance,” according to the Power of Meat Survey 2011, with consumers spending more...
Walmart Stores posts modest Q4 sales gain as U.S. operation sales slip
Walmart Stores Inc. reported a 2.5-percent gain in overall sales to $115.6 billion in the fourth quarter ended Jan. 31, 2011, despite a 0.5-percent decline more...
Townsends sells Arkansas poultry operations to Peco Foods
Townsends Inc. will sell its Arkansas poultry operations to Peco Foods following final approval from U.S. Bankruptcy court to effectively sell all of more...
House targets ethanol, blocks funding
The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of blocking federal funding to install blender pumps and blocking waivers for fuel that is 15 percent more...
USDA projects beef production, export through 2020
Beef production will continue to decline through 2012, then rise through 2020 as strengthening returns support herd rebuilding, USDA projected in its more...
Grocery chain names new execs for meat, deli
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) has named six new executives, including for the meat and deli departments, the company announced more...
Food service provider adds to “Weigh Better” product line
Harrison, Ohio-based JTM Food Group announced new product additions to its Weigh Better product line for restaurant, healthcare and military food service more...
New ethanol advocacy group formed
Advanced ethanol industry representatives and the Renewable Fuels Association have formed the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC), the RFA announced. The AEC more...
AMSA sets PORK 101 course in Iowa
The next PORK 101 course will be held March 1-3, 2011 at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, hosted by the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) in more...
South Korea nearly doubles tariff-free pork imports allowed
The South Korean government on Friday said it will nearly double the amount of tariff-free pork allowed to 110,000 metric tons, up from 60,000 metric more...
Employee in custody in Sanderson bomb threat
A man has been arrested in Georgia in connection with a bomb threat at Sanderson Farms Wednesday, according to The Moultrie Observer. Warren Louis Range more...
Chipotle fires 450 workers in Minnesota after U.S. immigration audit
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. said it fired about 450 restaurant employees in Minnesota after an audit of their work authorization documents by U.S. immigration more...
Butterball launches turkey burgers
Butterball LLC introduced a new frozen turkey burger Friday. Each burger is a third of a pound, and they come six to a package. The new burgers will be more...
NMA names new officers, board members
The National Meat Association at its annual convention this week announced newly elected officers and board members to serve for the year beginning July more...
State-run vegetarian restaurants turn carnivorous in Cuba
In the face of a national diet that celebrates meat, state-run vegetarian restaurants in Cuba now feature pork chops instead of soy picadillo, the Associated more...
Ammonia leak at Wayne Farms plant in Ala. sends four to hospital
An ammonia leak caused by a forklift accident sent four employees to the hospital early Thursday morning and forced the evacuation of the Wayne Farms more...
Colorado firm recalls chili products
Denver-based Gold Star Sausage is recalling an undetermined amount of chili products because they contain an undeclared allergen, soy, which is not declared more...
Quiznos debuts 3 new prime rib subs
Quiznos announced three new prime rib subs, bringing to eight the prime rib variations it offers on its menu. Prime rib subs are some of the most popular more...
Safeway rolls out shelf tags to point shoppers to healthy food
Supermarket giant Safeway Inc. announced its new SimpleNutrition program, an in-store shelf tag system that points shoppers to better nutrition choices more...
South Korea says FMD caused by virus from Vietnam
South Korea's latest foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus is closely related to the one found in Vietnam, Yonhap News Agency reported. The National more...
Bob Evans profit falls but sausage sizzles
Bob Evans Farms Inc. on Tuesday reported a 14 percent decline in net earnings on lagging restaurant results in its fiscal third quarter, but the company’s more...
East Coast supermarket chain to close 32 stores
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) said Tuesday it has filed a motion in court for approvel to close 32 supermarkets in six states amid more...
Football legend launches burger chain
Don Shula, the winningest coach in National Football League history, announced he is launching a new quick-casual burger concept called Shula Burger. more...
Steak-umm powers NASCAR truck champion
Steak-umm Co. announced it will hit the speedway this Friday as the primary sponsor of four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday more...
German meat production reaches record high
Meat and poultry production in Germany achieved a new record total of 8 million metric tons in 2010, according to data released by the Federal Statistical more...
Three beef cuts win American Heart Assoc. “heart-check mark” certification
The American Heart Association has bestowed its most familiar certification mark – the “heart-check” – on three cuts of beef as more...
USDA projects poultry will overtake red meat per capita
By 2018, USDA projects per capita poultry consumption in the United States will hit 106.7 pounds, surpassing per capita red meat consumption of 106.3 more...
Select beef price tops Choice but reason may differ from last time
For the first time in nearly two years, USDA data on Monday and Tuesday showed higher prices paid for Select grade boxed beef than Choice grade, but weather more...
NTF board elects new chairman, leadership
Rick Huisinga will serve as the 2011 chairman for the National Turkey Federation, the industry group announced. The NTF’s board of directors elected more...
Asian food restaurant chain names new president
F. Lane Cardwell will be president of P.F. Chang’s Bistro beginning March 1, the chain announced. Cardwell served as CEO of Boston Market from June more...
Cargill launches new ground beef patties
Cargill announced today the launch of new fresh ground beef patties it says have double the shelf life of their traditional counterparts, enhanced food more...
Deli and prepared meats processor expands plant
Pocino Foods Co. is nearing the end of renovations to its production plant in Industry, Calif., the company confirmed to Meatingplace. By April 2011, more...
U.S. beef exports set record, pork exports excel in 2010
The year 2010 was the best year on record for U.S. beef export value, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said today, citing federal data. A final total of more...
Panera Bread adds steak sandwich as part of growth strategy
Panera Bread Co. will launch a new steak sandwich in the second quarter as part of an expansion program that also will involve adding as many as 105 new more...
USDA 2012 discretionary budget proposal cuts spending
The Obama administration’s fiscal 2012 budget proposals included a decrease in USDA discretionary spending of about $3.2 billion to $23.9 billion more...
Pilgrim’s earnings climb as retail, foodservice demand rebound
Chicken producer Pilgrim’s Pride on Friday said net income rose 24 percent in the fourth quarter as demand improved from retail and food service more...
Dorada Poultry to hire 450 workers at revamped Tyson plant
Dorada Poultry will add more than another 100 jobs at the former Tyson Foods plant in Ponca City, Okla., with the help of a $4.5 million boost from the more...
JBS gets $1.8 million from Utah to help expand beef plant
JBS USA will receive as much as $1.8 million in tax breaks from the state of Utah to expand its beef plant in Hyrum, Utah, the state’s Office of more...
Seoul will expand its tariff quota on pork
South Korea will raise the volume limit of imported pork subject to its tariff quota system, Yonhap reported. "We will expand the amount of imported pork more...
Who needs chocolate? Sing it with salami
A bouquet of roses is a Valentine’s Day staple, but in Portland, Ore., bouquets of salami are popping up in a distinctly musical fashion. The Singing more...
Tyson pays $5.2 million to resolve Mexican subsidiary’s 'improper payments'
Tyson Foods said today it has paid $5.2 million to the federal government to resolve claims resulting from improper payments made by the company's Mexican more...
FDA safety materials target deli slicers
The Food and Drug Administration has released a poster and flyer intended to raise awareness of proper sanitation for deli slicers. The poster, which more...
Lower chicken prices lift Buffalo Wild Wings profit
Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. said lower chicken costs helped propel its profit up 22 percent in the fourth quarter, and prices are still declining. The cost more...
ConAgra launches recipe and ingredient locator site
ConAgra Foods announced it has launched www.ReadySetEat.com, a site that pairs recipes with information on where to buy ingredients locally and sometimes more...
North Korea notifies FAO of FMD outbreak: report
North Korea reported a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak within its borders in a letter Wednesday to the United Nations' Rome-based Food and Agricultural more...
Cagle's posts steep loss, slashes production by 20 percent
Chicken producer Cagle’s Inc. said net losses deepened in the third quarter versus a year ago, and the company announced a 20 percent cutback in more...
JBS plant ratifies first union contract
Workers at JBS USA’s beef plant in Souderton, Pa., signed on Monday their first union contract, the company’s spokesman, Chandler Keys, confirmed more...
Everyone wants more corn, so up the prices go: USDA report
USDA once again lowered its forecast for U.S. corn ending stocks in the year ending September 2011, citing stronger use for ethanol and high fructose more...
Fire forces evacuation of Columbia Farms chicken plant in S.C.
No workers were injured Tuesday evening in a fire that forced the evacuation of the Columbia Farms chicken processing plant in West Columbia, S.C more...
USDA sees higher prices for cattle, hogs; lower for broilers
USDA raised its 2011 production forecasts for U.S. beef, broilers, and turkey, but lowered its pork output forecast in its monthly World Agricultural more...
Early morning ammonia spill spurs Smithfield plant evacuation (updated)
An ammonia leak was reported at a Smithfield Packing Co. plant in Maryland early Tuesday morning, leading to the evacuation of 100 to 125 employees to more...
Mexico to probe U.S. chicken processors on antidumping complaints
The Mexican government said Tuesday it would probe U.S. exporters following dumping complaints alleged by Mexican chicken processors, according to a resolution more...
American Foods buys assets of Double D Foods
American Foods Group LLC has signed a definitive purchase agreement to buy certain assets of Double D Foods Inc. of Oklahoma City, Okla., the Green Bay more...
Oberto changes beef jerky formulation
Kent, Wash.-based Oberto Brands announced it is changing the formulation and name of its Oh Boy, Oberto! beef jerky line to become All Natural Beef Jerky more...
Turkey brand joins salt cutting initiative
Butterball LLC has partnered with the National Salt Reduction Initiative, a nationwide effort to reduce salt in packaged and restaurant goods by a quarter more...
Japan regains OIE FMD-free status
TOKYO - The Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) last week declared Japan uninfected by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), the country's more...
Analysts mostly bullish on Tyson after upbeat earnings report
Several industry analysts supported Tyson Foods stock in light of last week’s positive earnings report for the first quarter of 2011 and prospects more...
FSIS seeks comment on activists' petitions on non-ambulatory livestock
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is requesting comments on two petitions for rulemaking that raise issues associated with the disposition more...
Smithfield lowers sodium on pork products
Smithfield Foods said today it has reduced sodium levels in its marinated pork category by an average of 25.5 percent as part of a company-wide initiative more...
Russia to buy beef from Cargill plant in eastern Canada
Cargill Meat Solutions recently signed an agreement to sell beef to Russia generated at its plant in eastern Canada worth an estimated C$2 million more...
NCBA elects leadership, approves resolutions
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) elected new leaders and approved resolutions as it wrapped up its trade show in Denver Saturday more...
Tyson profit up 86 percent on strong beef, pork prices; shares jump
Tyson Foods on Friday said its first-quarter profit soared 86 percent, topping expectations due to stronger prices for its beef and pork and sending its more...
FSIS re-issues animal handling notice
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued FSIS Notice 06-11: Humane Handling at All Entrances and the 28-Hour Law. The notice more...
Jennings Premium Meats to double capacity with new facility
Franklin, Mo.-based Jennings Premium Meats is constructing a new $2.5 million further processing plant that will double its capacity to make meat snacks more...
Wing chain announces new COO
James Schmidt will fill the newly created chief operating officer post at Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc., effective immediately, the chain announced. In his more...
World food prices hit historic peak in January
World food prices surged to a new historic peak in January, for the seventh consecutive month, according to the updated Food and Agriculture Organization more...
Cargill in talks to buy Australian processor
Cargill is looking at buying a 50 percent share in Australia's Teys Meat Group, which owns a meat processing plant in Naracoorte, a town in the state more...
Iowa chicken processor files for bankruptcy
A federal bankruptcy judge has granted Custom Poultry Processing’s request to file for Chapter 11 (reorganization) bankruptcy after closing an organic more...
Idaho town in talks to land poultry processing plant
A poultry producer plans to build a $2.75 million chicken processing plant near Interstate 84 in southern Idaho, according to the town of Burley’s more...
Study finds no link between red meat, bladder cancer risk
An analysis of the lifestyles and dietary habits of nearly 500,000 Europeans found no association between the consumption of fresh or processed red meat more...
Quick-service chain serves up breakfast platter
Hardee’s is launching a new way to start the day: the Hardee Breakfast Platter. The meal includes eggs, two strips of bacon, hash browns and a biscuit more...
Atlanta meat suppliers indicted on tax, immigration fraud charges
Three Georgia men operating a meat company have been arraigned on federal charges of filing fraudulent corporate and individual tax returns that failed more...
National Beef makes management changes
National Beef Packing Co. announced today a number of management appointments, effective today. Terry Wilkerson, formerly executive vice president of more...
Poultry scientists support judicious use of antibiotics
The Poultry Science Association has released a policy statement and guidelines supporting the judicious use of antibiotics in food animals in response more...
Pent-up demand to drive first restaurant sales rise in three years: forecast
Restaurant industry sales are poised to grow again for the first time in three years, powered by “substantial” pent-up demand from recession-weary more...
Japan culls 190,000 chickens in 10th outbreak this winter
The Miyazaki prefectural government began culling about 190,000 chickens because of avian influenza Wednesday at a poultry farm in Miyazaki City, Kyodo more...
Ukraine poultry producer has impressive year
MHP, a major Ukrainian poultry and grain company has released its trading update for the fourth quarter of 2010 and for the full year ended Dec. 31, 2010 more...
385 lose jobs as Ark. poultry plant closes
Danville, Ark.-based Petit Jean Poultry will close a deboning plant on April 1, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. The facility is the last Petit more...
Illinois processor vows to rebuild after fire
St. Libory, Ill.-based Wenneman Meat Co. burned to the ground last Thursday, but owners of the fresh and cured meat products company vowed this week to more...
Hormel shareholders approve stock split
Hormel Foods announced Tuesday shareholders approved a two-for-one stock split at the company's annual meeting on Monday. The split was approved by the more...
Chain to debut new burger
Jack in the Box has announced a new burger: the All-American Jack. The burger, which will be available starting Feb. 3, includes two jumbo beef patties more...
ConAgra CEO elected to GMA post
Gary Rodkin, CEO of ConAgra Foods, has been elected as the chairman of the Grocery Manufacturers Association board of directors. Rodkin’s two-year more...
Oprah reveals results of seven-day “vegan challenge” at Harpo Studios
Less than three years after launching her own 21-day vegan “cleanse diet,” talk show host Oprah Winfrey launched a one-week “vegan challenge” more...
January 2011
USDA, HHS issue new dietary guidelines
Officials from USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services today introduced the seventh edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans more...
Smithfield to close small ham and products facility
Smithfield Foods’ Smithfield Packaging Company will close a small production facility in Smithfield, Va., in March that employs 53 workers, according more...
USDA cattle report show surprisingly low heifer numbers
USDA’s twice yearly Cattle report on Friday surprised market analysts by estimating even fewer than expected heifers being held as beef replacements more...
OSI new chicken processing venture in China to supply McDonald’s
The OSI Group, LLC, through its wholly owned Leges Corporation, and Fujian Sunner Development Corporation announced it has formed a vertically integrated more...
Perdue first poultry company to get new USDA seal
Perdue now has the USDA’s Process Verified seal, the company announced Monday. The move makes Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue the first poultry company more...
Sausage producer unveils pork, turkey products
Bridgewater, N.J.-based Applegate Monday announced two new breakfast options: Classic Pork Breakfast Sausage and Savory Turkey Breakfast Sausage. A package more...
South Korea's beef and pork imports spike in January amid spreading FMD
Korea's imports of beef and pork jumped in January amid a massive slaughter of cattle and pigs caused by the spreading foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in more...
Sara Lee splits into meats, coffee companies
Sara Lee Corp. announced today the division of the company into two separate, publicly traded companies specializing in meats and coffee. The company more...
Tyson adding up to 300 jobs at two Arkansas plants
Tyson Foods said it will hire up to 300 new workers as it expands chicken deboning operations at two plants in Carroll County, Ark. Tyson is installing more...
Taco Bell fights back with 'Thank you for suing us' ad
Taco Bell Corp. continues to fight back against allegations about its seasoned beef, running full-page advertisements in newspapers under the headline more...
McDonald’s names new executive
Kevin Newell has been named executive vice president and global chief brand officer for McDonald’s Corp., the company announced Thursday. Newell more...
Protein groups collaborate on inaugural research conference
Four protein associations have banded together to offer a new conference focusing on meat and poultry research in fall, 2011. The Meat and Poultry Research more...
JBS ends pursuit of Sara Lee: Bloomberg
JBS S.A. ceased efforts today to raise financing for a purchase of Sare Lee Corp., Bloomberg reported, quoting “a person with knowledge of the matter more...
Pilgrim’s Pride to add up to 250 jobs in Texas, may hire refugees
Pilgrim's Pride said it plans to hire up to an additional 250 workers at its Nacogdoches, Texas, processing plant to operate new manual deboning equipment more...
Our taco filling is 88 percent beef, Taco Bell says
In the wake of a class-action lawsuit alleging that its beef taco filling contains low amounts of beef, Taco Bell has fired back with details about its more...
Perdue Farms opens wellness center at S.C. plant
Perdue Farms has opened a wellness center at its Dillon, S.C., plant that offers medical care through an onsite clinic staffed by healthcare providers more...
Oscar Mayer launches new deli meats
Oscar Mayer announced today the launch of a new line of deli meats meant for hearty sandwiches made at home. The Kraft Foods subsidiary’s Carving more...
Casual dining chain adds Angus burgers, skewers to menu
T.G.I. Friday’s has added new dishes to its menu, the chain announced Thursday. Burgers get an upgrade to USDA choice Black Angus beef, and diners more...
JBS shares fall after Sara Lee rejects competing buyout bid
JBS shares dipped 2 percent this morning in Brazil as investors feared the company would be forced to offer more debt or shares to buy Sara Lee Corp. more...
Tyson managing grain costs, makes the case against ethanol: IPE
ATLANTA — Tyson Foods CEO and President Donnie Smith held up a recent Wall Street Journal editorial that blasted U.S. corn-based ethanol policy more...
Butterball joins movement to reduce sodium in its products
Butterball LLC has announced its participation in the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI), and its intent to cut the salt in its packaged and restaurant more...
Bob Evans names new CFO
Bob Evans Farms Inc. has named Paul F. DeSantis the company’s chief financial officer. DeSantis, 46, also will take on the roles of treasurer and more...
ConAgra Foods unveils new meat snack flavors
ConAgra Foods introduced new flavors for its Slim Jim line of meat snacks: Zesty Garlic Monster and Jamaican Jerk Giant sticks. The new meat tastes were more...
Kayem adds another team to its roster
Kayem Foods Inc. has added the Tampa Bay Lightening hockey team to its list of sports competitors naming Kayem their official hot dog and sausage. The more...
GIPSA finalizes rule on weigh-scale testing
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has amended a section of the Packers and Stockyards Act that requires stockyard more...
McDonald’s posts solid FY2010 gains, will open 1,100 restaurants in 2011
McDonald’s Corp. today reported strong improvements in sales and net income for fiscal 2010, while also announcing plans to open 1,100 restaurants more...
Separate efforts launched to reopen meat plants in N.D., Iowa
Two groups are working to reopen separate plants in their small towns: a meat processing plant in Bowdon, N.D., and an organic chicken plant in Charles more...
EU supports pigmeat storage plan to counter dioxin price impacts
The EU’s farmers’ unions (Copa-Cogeca) called for private storage aid at the end of last week and saidthat pig producers were losing money more...
Foodservice giant pushes ‘Meatless Mondays’
Gaithersburg, Md.-based foodservice giant Sodexo Inc. has announced it has launched the Meatless Monday initiative nationwide by adding the option of more...
Consumers’ interest in reading labels wanes
U.S. consumers’ interest in reading nutrition facts labels on the backs of food and beverage products has steadily waned, according to food market more...
Rapper opens first of planned fried chicken chain
Rapper and reality show star Flavor Flav is literally spreading his wings by opening a fried chicken restaurant in Clinton, Iowa. Flav’s Fried Chicken more...
Sara Lee to decide on JBS offer, other buyout bid this week: WSJ
Sara Lee Corp. will decide this week whether to accept buyout offers from either JBS S.A. or a private-equity firm, according to a report by the Wall more...
Celebrity chef cooks up higher ham sales for Smithfield
Smithfield Foods is thanking author and Food Network star Paula Deen for helping boost sales of its pork products since signing on as a celebrity spokesperson more...
Lawsuit calls Taco Bell beef “misleading” (updated)
A class action lawsuit alleges Taco Bell’s advertising is misleading consumers by marketing a mix of beef with extenders as “seasoned ground more...
Bird flu in Japan launches over 400,000 chicken cull
The government of Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan's second most important poultry producer after Kagoshima Prefecture, began culling about more...
Applebee's expands diet menu with chicken, steak entrees
Lenexa, Kan.-based Applebee’s announced it is expanding its Weight Watcher-endorsed menu items by three, bringing the total to five. The three new more...
EPA approves E15 for more vehicles, causing corn price concerns
The Environmental Protection Agency today waived a limitation on selling gasoline that contains more than 10 percent ethanol for model year 2001 through more...
Second month of record U.S. red meat production
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.36 billion pounds in December, up 5 percent from the 4.15 billion pounds produced more...
Russia bans German pigs, pork in wake of dioxin scare
Russian authorities have banned the importation of pork products and live pigs from Germany for fattening and slaughter, ITAR-TASS reports. The announcement more...
South Korea pork imports may jump 15 percent to 20 percent, observers say
South Korea, the sixth-biggest buyer of U.S. pork in 2009, may import more pork and beef this year as it culls swine and cattle in the face of a foot-and-mouth more...
Zoning changes would smooth way for Sanderson plant in N.C.
Proposed zoning rule changes could pave the way for Sanderson Farms to build a chicken processing plant in Nash County, N.C., over the opposition of a more...
Walmart to cut sodium, reformulate products in healthy food push
Walmart announced Thursday it will work with suppliers to reformulate thousands of packaged food items by 2015, pledging to reduce sodium by 25 percent more...
Wendy’s/Arby’s may be splitting
Wendy’s/Arby’s Group today announced that it is “exploring strategic alternatives” for Arby’s. In a news release, the Atlanta-based more...
Armour launches new pepperoni with cheese
Armour-Eckrich Meats LLC announced that its Armour brand is introducing Pepperoni with Cheese, a new sliced product that blends cheddar cheese with Armour more...
Tyson, ICE together tout IMAGE employment program
In a news conference on Thursday, Tyson Foods Inc. and the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency hailed the more...
Centre of the Plate Training gets Canadian accent
When the Centre of the Plate Training program debuts in Vancouver, B.C. next month, the agenda will have a distinct Canadian take on the options available more...
Calif. firm recalls RTE beef patties
Vernon, Calif.-based United Food Group, LLC is recalling approximately 7,875 pounds of ready-to-eat Angus Beef patties that may be contaminated with Listeria more...
Smithfield managing corn costs, focusing on value-added
Wall Street gained insight into operations at Smithfield Foods this week when the company detailed its strategic plans for pork, hog production and hedging more...
Dutch farmers threaten to blockade meat processors over dioxin
The Association of Dutch pig farmers (NPT) has asked its members to blockade slaughterhouses as a protest against the collapse of Dutch pig prices caused more...
Pilgrim's Pride announces initiatives under rebranding campaign
JBS USA-owned Pilgrim's Pride announced a redesigned website and plans introduce in April new packaging for its core line of 13 products as part of on more...
Sears names head of food and consumables
Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings announced today that Robin Michel has joined the company as senior vice president and president – food more...
Tyson, authorities address graffiti, bomb threats at Shelbyville plant
Authorities in Shelbyville, Tenn., are continuing their search for the person or people believed to be responsible for two alleged bomb threats at the more...
Taiwan ag minister sees no need to revise ractopamine ban
There is currently no need for Taiwan to revise its ban against a residue of banned muscle-growth drug ractopamine being used in drugs to promote more...
Dioxin scare spooks pork pricing
The dioxin food scare in Germany has resulted in a significant drop in demand for pork on the German market and a sharp drop in pork prices in the Netherlands more...
Boston Market rolls out ten lower calorie items
Golden, Colo.-based Boston Market announced it now offers eight Individual Plates and two Lunch Combos with fewer than 550 calories per meal. Entrée more...
National Steak and Poultry reports environmental stewardship initiatives
National Steak and Poultry announced that its environmental stewardship program is generating gains in reducing natural resource consumption one year more...
American Institute in Taiwan, USTR protest ractopamine-based recall
Two hypermarket chains in northern Taiwan removed U.S. beef from their shelves Saturday after Taiwan's Department of Health (DOH) said that Paylean more...
More dioxin discovered; more farms shut down; politicians bicker
The dioxin scare in Germany was revealed over the weekend to be worse than had been previously thought. A feed company that had been identified as taking more...
South Korea culls another 2 mllion livestock in FMD fight
South Korea has ordered the culling of close to 2 million livestock across the country in order to slow the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) more...
Pizza for breakfast?
Pizza leads the list of the top 10 fastest-growing breakfast trends, according to a recent menu analysis by Chicago-based food industry consultancy Technomic more...
Feels like 2008 all over again
As prices on corn futures contracts jumped to their highest price in almost 30 months this week, protein analysts hammered home a familiar refrain for more...
German Minister promises “improved food safety standards”
In Berlin Friday, the German Federal Minister for Consumer protection, Ilse Aigner, presented a 10-point action plan for consumer protection in the animal more...
South Korea weighs options for regaining FMD-free status: official
South Korea is seeking to regain its foot-and-mouth disease-free status without resorting to constant use of vaccines, a senior level government official more...
AFRI releases Request for Proposals
USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has released its 2011 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Request for Applications more...
Campbell Soup units get new management
Campbell Soup Co. has announced a new management team for its North American healthy beverages and soup and simple meals businesses, the company said more...
Former Swift CEO to steer Kraft Foods’ strategy
Sam Rovit, the chief executive of Swift & Co. before JBS S.A. acquired the Greeley, Colo.-based beef packer in 2007, has been tapped by Kraft Foods more...
Maple Leaf pork plant could become poultry facility
A Maple Leaf Foods pork processing plant in Berwick, Nova Scotia, scheduled to close this spring, could be turned into a poultry processing facility, more...
Pork magnate still fighting IRS after losing tax case
Wendell Murphy and his family spent four years contesting $26 million in taxes, plus a 40 percent penalty, after the family sold its giant pork operation more...
E. coli vaccine hits the market
Earlier this month, Pfizer Animal Health began to market in the United States the vaccine made by Epitopix designed to control E. coli 0157:H7 more...
Cargill triples total 2Q earnings
Cargill today reported a profit of $1.49 billion in its fiscal second quarter ended Nov. 30, tripling net earnings of $489 million the year-ago period more...
Undeclared MSG spurs breakfast product recall
Lettieri’s Foods Inc., of Shakopee, Minn., is recalling about 101,629 pounds of Breakfast Stackers Sausage, Egg & Cheese products that contain more...
California sausage company pays big fine to settle ammonia leak case
California sausage maker Columbus Manufacturing has agreed to pay $850,000 to settle a lawsuit in connection with an ammonia leak in 2009 that sent 17 more...
USDA lowers corn, soybean outlooks; hedging critical to protein cos.
USDA has lowered its forecasts of corn and soybean production and stocks and raised its corn and soybean price forecasts, making it more important than more...
South Korean activists blame the U.S. for FMD
The South Korean government on Tuesday berated rumormongers linking the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crisis in the country with the U.S.-South Korea free more...
Germany tracks pork potentially contaminated with dioxin
A pig farm in Germany’s Lower Saxony region was the source of a sample of pork that exceeded the permitted level of dioxin in meat fat, Germany’s more...
Cargill to launch $6-million wastewater project in Colorado
Cargill Inc. announced plans Tuesday to begin a program designed to improve the quality of the water discharged from its beef processing facility in Fort more...
Oscar Mayer workers win donning-doffing case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a petition by Kraft Foods unit Oscar Mayer to review a lower-court ruling in favor of employees who sued the company more...
Snowstorms alter plants’ production schedules
Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Cargill and Pilgrim’s Pride were among meat and poultry companies making adjustments to their plant production schedules more...
EU livestock test positive for FMD
Blood samples from one cow, eight pigs, 14 sheep and 12 goats have tested positive for foot-and-mouth disease, according to the World Organisation for more...
High levels of dioxin found in German pigs; hundreds to be slaughtered
The German dioxin scare has spread to pigs, with the first discovery of contaminated pork prompting authorities to order the slaughter and incineration more...
Foodservice group adds chicken meatballs, Asian sauces to the menu
JTM Food Group, an Ohio foodservice company, has added two new menu items for their chain restaurant, healthcare and military food customers: chicken more...
JBS revising Sara Lee bid: report
JBS S.A. is considering pitching a new offer to buy Sara Lee Corp. after the Brazilian company’s bid last month was spurned as too low, Bloomberg more...
Hagen pushes prevention, tools, people in Farm Bureau address
Preventing foodborne illness, having the right tools with which to do that, and remembering that real people are affected at every step along the food more...
Dioxin within permitted levels: German government
The results of the first tests of meat samples for dioxin levels have been released, and there are no instances in which dioxin levels in poultry or pig more...
Casual dining needs differentiation in 2011: Technomic
The boom seen among casual dining restaurants over the last two years is expected to continue in 2011, according to a new study by Chicago-based food more...
Gold Star Chili adds “Cincinnati-style” burritos
The Cincinnati-based Gold Star Chili restaurant chain has added “Cincinnati-style” burritos and burrito bowls to its menu, according to the more...
California firm recalls meat, poultry products on allergens
San Francisco-based Homestead Pasta Co. is recalling about 144,633 pounds of frozen meat and poultry tamale products because they contain an undeclared more...
Industry groups praise effort to resolve trucking dispute
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken initial steps to resolve the ongoing cross-border trucking dispute with Mexico. In a “concept more...
GIPSA slaps JBS USA on the wrist
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has assessed a $175,000 fine to JBS USA for alleged violations of the Packers more...
More than a million animals culled in Korean FMD outbreak
South Korea has culled 1.1 million pigs and cows in an effort to control foot-and-mouth disease, reported The Telegraph, of London. The figure represents more...
Dioxin scare closes 4,700 EU farms
The Federal German Government has collated data from the various state ministries affected by the dioxin scare and has announced that, as a precautionary more...
Industry lauds late Don Tyson, company stock rises
As industry colleagues praised the pioneering contributions of the late Don Tyson, former president and chief executive of Tyson Foods, the giant protein more...
Russia nearly doubles U.S. frozen beef import allocation for 2011
Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development has announced the initial distribution of 2011 tariff-rate quota quantities to importers and the quota more...
House of Raeford turkey plant evacuated after ammonia leak
An ammonia leak forced the evacuation Wednesday afternoon of a House of Raeford turkey plant in Hoke County, N.C. and the plant remains closed on Thursday more...
South Korea bans German pork, poultry imports over dioxin
In the most recent development in the evolving dioxin-contaminated feed situation in Europe, South Korea has effectively halted imports of German pork more...
Sanderson plant supporters fire back with economic impact study
A Sanderson Farms chicken processing plant proposed for Nash County, N.C., would pump more than $5.5 billion into the local economy over a decade, according more...
Tyson plant gets another scare
A bomb threat shut down operations for 90 minutes on Monday at Tyson Foods’ Shelbyville, Tenn., poultry plant, according to a report by the Shelbyville more...
Obama signs food safety bill into law
President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed into law a bill intended to modernize the FDA, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced in a list of more...
Vineland Kosher Poultry plant ceases production
Vineland Kosher Poultry has shut down production in New Jersey, according to a local media report. Brian String, president of Local 152 of the United more...
Opponents of Sanderson plant hire public relations firm
A group of Nash County, N.C., residents opposed to plans by Sanderson Farms to build a new chicken processing plant in their area has hired a public relations more...
FSIS corrects recall notice
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued an editor’s note on its recall notice from Monday, Jan. 3, clarifying that the recall more...
JBS nixes U.S. IPO
JBS S.A. on Monday cancelled an initial public offering of its U.S. unit, JBS USA Holdings Inc. The company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange more...
Obama to sign food safety bill, but funding battle possible
President Barack Obama is expected to sign the food safety bill into law today, but some congressional Republicans may try to block funding for the measure more...
NRA Performance Index dips in Nov.; analysts see more instability
Lower same-store sales and reduced customer traffic combined to pull the National Restaurant Assn.’s Performance Index below 100 in November 2010 more...
Dioxin scare halts sales from German poultry farms
Sales from more than 1,000 farms are on hold in parts of Germany after high levels of dioxin were found in tests on eggs and feed used for poultry more...
New group aims to take NC plant fight to Sanderson Farms board
The newly formed Nash County Landowners Assn. plans to petition the board of directors of Sanderson Farms in an effort to stymie plans to build a poultry more...
Analyst downgrades Tyson and Smithfield
One equities analyst opened the week with a downgrade of the shares of both Tyson Foods and Smithfield Foods, based on changing fundamentals in the companies' more...
Land O’Frost names new CEO
David Van Eekeren is chief executive officer of Land O’Frost, America’s third-largest lunchmeat brand, effective immediately, the company more...
Conference to focus on campylobacter
The North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP), Auburn University and Texas A&M University will offer a two-day conference on campylobacter more...
Livestock analysts project 5 key issues for meat markets in 2011
The CME Group’s Daily Livestock Report, published by livestock analysts Steve Meyer and Len Steiner, projected the following five factors livestock more...
December 2010
California firm recalls ground beef due to possible E. coli
First Class Foods, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif., is recalling approximately 34,373 pounds of organic ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. more...
Worker safety, job losses dominated 2010 industry headlines
Despite tentative signs of economic recovery, many in the beef, pork and poultry industries are all-too-happy to put 2010 behind them. Unlike previous more...
Plumrose meats to carry AMA recognition on salt
East Brunswick, N.J.-based Plumrose USA meat products will soon carry the logo of the American Heart Association in recognition of the company’s more...
Mexican chain to add 40 restaurants in 2011
Emeryville, Calif.-based FREEBIRDS World Burrito plans to open 40 new locations in California, Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana during 2011 according to more...
Food Channel predicts top trends for the new year
The Food Channel in collaboration with Mintel International and the International Food Futurists, has released its top food trends of 2011. This more...
Beef Checkoff offers nutrition labeling tool
The Beef Checkoff introduced a new tool for processors who will need to comply with USDA’s new nutrition labeling rules due to go into effect in more...
Tyson launches new Any'tizers varieties
Tyson Foods announced new varieties of its Any’tizers line of products, including new protein snacks featuring two salsa dipping sauces. Available more...
Dunkin’ Donuts adds turkey sausage wrap
Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin’ Donuts announced it has added two new varieties of its Wake-up Wraps: Egg White Turkey Sausage and Egg White Veggie more...
Down economy not a barrier for organic product purchases
Down economy has not done anything to slow down families’ purchases of organic food products, according to a survey conducted by the Organic Trade more...
Europeans put on weight – obesity report
A report jointly presented by the European Commission and the OECD in December concluded that life expectancy in the European Union has increased more...
Small plants among exemptions from new FSIS labeling rules
Along with detailed new labeling rules for nutrition labeling of single-ingredient products and ground or chopped meat and poultry products, the USDA’s more...
Tyson boosts security at Tenn. plant
Tyson Foods has heightened security at its Shelbyville, Tenn., poultry plant after the company last week found threatening graffiti messages made inside more...
Maple Leaf sues hog farm for nonpayment
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods has filed suit against hog farm operation North Dakota Sow Center for nonpayment for young pigs Maple Leaf supplied in more...
Keystone Processors announces new management
Canada’s Keystone Processors Ltd. said Tuesday a new management team has taken over efforts to open the company’s St. Boniface, Manitoba, more...
Hagen to speak at conference
Dr. Elizabeth Hagen, the USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, will be the keynote speaker at NAMP’s Meat Industry Management Conference, which more...
Fire levels Indiana certified organic processor
A grease fire that apparently started in a smokehouse destroyed the plant of Colfax, Ind.-based This Old Farm Meats and Processing on Monday. It is one more...
Senators urge USDA to follow through on GIPSA analysis
A dozen U.S. senators are asking USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to conduct a more rigorous cost-benefit analysis of the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers more...
Poultry slaughter numbers up in November
Poultry certified wholesome during November (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.7 billion pounds, up 12 percent from the amount certified in November 2009 more...
Only hormone-free beef here: Australian supermarket chain
Australian supermarket chain Coles has announced that as of the beginning of the new year, it will sell only hormone-free beef, according to a report more...
Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s launches smartphone app
CKE Restaurants Inc., parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants, announced its new Happy Star Rewards application for iPhone and more...
Russia bans two U.S. pork facilities
Russia has banned imports from two U.S. pork facilities, according to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The latest round of action affects more...
Former Bob Evans Farms CEO dies
Dan Evans, former Bob Evans Farms Inc. chairman and CEO, died Christmas Eve, according to the Columbus Dispatch newspaper. He was 74. Dan Evans started more...
Church’s joins portability trend
Church’s Chicken announced an addition to its menu: Chicken Mini Sandwiches. Each has an all-white meat breast filet on a toasted bun topped with more...
Meat-rich diet off the hook in Neanderthal demise, evidence suggests
New evidence appears to disprove the theory that a meat-heavy diet deficient in other nutrients contributed to the demise of the Neanderthals. Some scientists more...
Smithfield releases findings of pig-abuse probe
Smithfield Foods on Wednesday released findings of independent and internal investigations into alleged abuse of sows on a company-owned farm in Waverly more...
FSIS report shows goals met for salmonella prevalence
A survey of poultry slaughter establishments in 2010 showed that 87.3 percent of young chicken slaughter establishments would meet the new standard for more...
Russia reiterates 180 on frozen poultry imports
Russian officials reiterated Thursday the country will continue to allow imports of frozen poultry from the start of 2011. Gennady Onishchenko, head of more...
Disabled turkey plant workers could get $1.7 million settlement
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a $1.7 million settlement in the case of a Texas-based labor broker accused of underpaying mentally disabled more...
Vet fudges documents for Canadian cattle exports
A Manitoba, Canada, veterinarian has pleaded guilty to two counts of contravening the Health of Animals Act after having admitted to falsely claiming more...
FSIS unveils humane handling enforcement measures
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced several measures to better enforce humane handling laws for cattle slaughtered at more...
U.S. poultry exports to China to increase in 2011: USAPEEC president
It was a year upheaval in the poultry export market as top U.S. customers Russia and China closed their doors to American products. But as USA Poultry more...
Ohio processor promotes three
Three executives have been promoted to the vice president level at Fresh Mark Inc. in Massillon, Ohio. They are: Rick Foster, promoted to vice president more...
USDA posts regulatory agenda
USDA has published in the Federal Register its twice yearly regulatory agenda. The agency listed the following regulations in the final rule stage: more...
Danish Crown slaughterhouses 'back to normal'
The government employees that walked out of three of Danish Crown’s slaughterhouses earlier this week have resumed work. This wildcat strike centered more...
Three fired in Smithfield Foods probe
Smithfield Foods Inc. fired three employees last late week for violating the company’s animal welfare policies, according to statements posted on more...
Russia rings in New Year with U.S. pork plant bans
Three major U.S. pork-packing plants will begin 2011 without access to Russia as an export market. Effective Dec. 31, 2010, Smithfield Foods’ Smithfield more...
ConAgra cites consumer behavior changes for Q2 earnings decline
ConAgra Foods today reported that net income in the second quarter fell 16 percent from the corresponding period one year ago, citing specific adjustments more...
Walkout at Danish Crown’s meat plants
Danish government employees that monitor Danish Crown’s technicians in three abattoirs in Ringsted, Esbjerg and Herning in Denmark abandoned work more...
Rubashkins ordered to pay $2 million
U.S. District Judge Edward McManus has ordered three members of the Rubashkin family to pay more than $2 million for having defaulted on their bank loans more...
Poultry processing giant files for bankruptcy protection
Georgetown, Del.-based Townsends, Inc. and four wholly owned subsidiaries announced they have filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of more...
Sara Lee-JBS talks said to be snagged on price
Talks between Sara Lee Corp. and JBS SA reportedly are at an impasse over price, according to Bloomberg news service. Quoting “people with direct more...
GEA acquires Convenience Food Systems (CFS)
Food and energy process systems provider GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft announced it is purchasing meat and food processing equipment provider Convenience more...
Va. vet probes Smithfield abuse allegations, will monitor
Virginia’s state veterinarian said he found no evidence of animal abuse during a visit to a Smithfield Farms facility in Waverly after the Humane more...
Senate passes food safety bill -- again
The U.S. Senate approved a food safety package by unanimous consent Sunday night, after a procedural error led to a previous vote being voided, according more...
USDA reports more cattle on feed, more marketed
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.6 million head on Dec more...
Former NCBA president dead at 68
Former National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President and longtime Cedar Rapids, Iowa lawyer, Wythe Willey, died Sunday after a two-year battle more...
AFA Foods modifies Calif. plant operations, reduces labor force
An operational shift at an AFA Foods-owned ground beef plant in Vernon, Calif., resulted recently in a 7 percent reduction in staffing. Dave Miller, spokesman more...
U.S. beef exports to China could generate $200 million in 2011
The value of U.S. beef exports to China in 2011 would be in the range of $200 million if Beijing agrees to reopen its market early next year, the U.S more...
Package that changes ethanol, estate taxes headed for president’s desk
Both the House and Senate have now passed a compromise tax legislation package, and President Barack Obama is expected to sign it into law this afternoon more...
Montana ranchers export a herd of cattle to Russia
Two Montana ranchers have successfully exported an entire herd of cattle to Russia, including cows, bulls and five quarter horses. The shipment of 1,439 more...
China agrees to resume beef talks with U.S.
U.S. officials said Wednesday that China has agreed to continue discussion on expanding access to imports of U.S. beef, with the goal of re-opening that more...
Proposed North Dakota beef plant detailed
Principals of Kim and Price Corporation this week detailed plans to build a nearly $100 million beef processing plant in North Dakota that would ship more...
Pilgrim's could face penalties for Va. plant odor
Pilgrim's Pride could face civil penalties including fines and court action if it doesn't eliminate odors at its processing plant near Timberville, Va more...
Minn. processor agrees to $20,000 civil penalty
Noah’s Ark Processors LLC has agreed to pay $20,000 in connection with environmental discharges from its meat processing plant and animal hide storage more...
HSUS releases new video footage to scrutinize Smithfield's gestation crates
The Humane Society of the United States is calling on pork producer Smithfield Foods to make good on its pledge to end the practice of breeding pigs in more...
Salmonella leads known foodborne pathogens in causing death: CDC
About 48 million people (one in six Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases, with salmonella the more...
Meat groups decry Senate vote extending ethanol tax credit; praise estate tax action
The Senate on Wednesday passed a tax policy package that includes a one-year extension of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) at its current more...
Sanderson results spur cautious optimism
Even with increasing chicken production on the way, some Wall Street analysts found enough to like in Sanderson Farms’ fourth-quarter results this more...
National Beef receives $14.5 million to expand Mo. tannery
A subsidiary of National Beef Packing Co. will expand its St. Joseph, Mo.-based leather tannery with the help of $14.5 million in city-issued bonds. St more...
Higher prices fuel strong Q4 sales, profits for Sanderson Farms as NC plant is delayed
Sanderson Farms is citing improved market prices for poultry for more than doubling higher net income and sales in the fourth quarter ended Oct. 31 versus more...
Russia proposes 250,000-ton quota at WTO
Russia proposed an annual tariff rate quota (TRQ) for imports of U.S. poultry of 250,000 metric tons as a provision in its negotiations for achieving more...
U.S. beef, pork exports boom in October
Exports of U.S. beef and pork in October respectively rose 37 percent (to $375.3 million) and 9 percent (to $407.8 million) in value compared with the more...
European food safety authority says BSE declining
The latest data on BSE surveillance from 2001 to 2009 shows that in all 25 countries examined the BSE epidemic has been declining and is converging to more...
EU plans promotion for Italian ham and Polish meat overseas
The European Commission approved seven overseas promotion programs for agricultural products this week, including two country schemes for meat – more...
A&P bankruptcy opens door for grocery chain shakeout
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P), which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late Sunday, could wind up selling more parts of more...
School lunch overhaul signed into law
President Obama has signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 into law, changing the guidelines for school lunch programs in order to add vegetables more...
Morton’s secures $70 million credit facility
Morton's Restaurant Group Inc. said it has secured from Goldman Sachs Bank USA a new five-year $70 million credit facility, replacing a former facility more...
Zhongpin building new processing, R&D facility
Zhongpin, one of China’s leading meat processing plants, announced it will build a new production and R&D facility in the city of Chang ge in more...
Police, CFIA investigate sewing needle in ground beef
Toronto police are warning residents to double-check ground beef purchases and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating how a large sewing more...
Hormel will split its stock
Hormel Foods Corp.’s board of directors has authorized a two-for-one split of the company’s common stock, the company said in a news release more...
Surprising 2Q results boosts expectations for Smithfield
In the wake of Smithfield Foods Inc.’s unexpectedly high profits and margins, announced earlier this week, equity analysts rushed to boost their more...
Vilsack talks trade with Mexican counterpart
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today issued a statement following his meeting with Mexican Agricultural Secretary Francisco Mayorga on agriculture more...
USDA raises meat production forecasts
USDA raised its forecasts for total U.S. meat production for both 2010 and 2011 in its monthly World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report and more...
Pilgrim’s Pride prices $500 million note offering
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. today announced pricing for its private offering of $500 million of senior unsecured notes due 2018, an increase from the more...
USDA surprises trade by raising corn stocks figure
USDA surprised market analysts by raising its corn ending stocks estimate due to an increase in corn imports from Canada. In its monthly World Agricultural more...
Smithfield soars in second fiscal quarter
Smithfield Foods Inc. CEO C. Larry Pope was effusive in a conference call with equity analysts and the media to report the company’s second quarter more...
DG Foods expected to open a La. poultry plant
Mississippi-based chicken processor DG Foods is expected to open a plant in Bastrop, La., that will create 300 jobs, according to local media reports more...
New Tyson web site targets deli professionals
Tyson Foods Inc. has launched TysonDeli.com, a website offering research, data and merchandising strategies for deli operators. Tyson, which processes more...
Undeclared allergen prompts pork recall
L&R Fine Fashions Inc. is recalling about 2,182 pounds of raw pork paste and ready-to-eat fried pork loaf products because they contain an undeclared more...
FSA does U-turn on cloned animals
The board of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom met this week and changed its position on how the meat and produce from cloned animals more...
Cargill spends $8 million to upgrade Calif. beef plant
Cargill invested $8 million in its Fresno, Calif., beef plant to expand food safety efforts and renovate and expand some of its packaging lines, the company more...
Russia rejects U.S. poultry shipment
Russia’s agricultural watchdog seized more than 55,000 pounds of U.S. poultry due to what it said were concerns about the product’s quality more...
FreeBird frees itself of packaging trays
Beginning in 2011, FreeBird brand chicken will be distributed in vacuum-sealed, trayless packages, a change that the company says is “greener” more...
USDA, Justice complete last listening session on competition
USDA and the Department of Justice today held the fifth of five joint public workshops to explore the appropriate role for antitrust and regulatory enforcement more...
New House Ag chairman targets EPA overreach
Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) has vowed to take a hard look at Environmental Protection Agency policies as he takes up his new role as chairman of the House more...
EU food labels take another step toward COOL
The Health and Consumer Ministers of the Member States of the European Union agreed Tuesday that the European Food Information Regulation -- which requires more...
No more beef age limit talks: South Korea
South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong Hoon said Monday that Seoul will not hold further talks regarding age limits on U.S. beef imports, Bloomberg reported more...
Seaboard completes Butterball purchase
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Corporation announced it has completed the acquisition of a 50 percent interest in Butterball, LLC, in partnership more...
N.C. county to buy land eyed by Sanderson Farms for poultry plant
Commissioners in Nash County yesterday approved the purchase of a 145-acre parcel that may become the future home of a controversial Sanderson Farms poultry more...
Healthful eating, education gains vary by generation: NPD Group report
While adults may understand more about healthy eating than ever, they don’t often put what they know into practice, especially on a generational more...
Arizona sausage processor plans expansion
A Phoenix-based sausage processor will spend $30 million on an expansion plan that includes opening seven restaurants in the city and add 200 jobs. Stanley’s more...
Seaboard hog farm spurs another vote
Greeley County, Kan., will hold a formal election on Dec. 21 to determine whether to allow confined hog operations, the Garden City Telegram reported more...
User fees dropped from recommendations: AMI
User fees for the poultry and meat industry were not included in the revised recommendations of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform more...
Brinker taps two execs for senior positions
Brinker International Inc. is bringing back a former vice president to manage innovation initiatives for its Chili’s Grill & Bar division and more...
Mexican food en fuego in 2010: Technomic
The nation’s appetite for Mexican food rose in popularity in the past year, fueling higher sales even as the Mexican food industry contracted by more...
HHS sets new 10-year goals for food safety
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled Healthy People 2020, the nation’s new 10-year goals and objectives for health promotion more...
Gold’n Plump to add 35 plant jobs in Minn. to support new brand
Gold’n Plump Poultry announced plans to add 35 positions and create a second shift at its processing plant in Luverne, Minn., as it focuses on its more...
QSR chain gets new COO
Diana Petrovich-Tao is the new chief operating officer of Arby’s Restaurant Group, the company announced Friday. Petrovich-Tao, 51, has a resume more...
Overzealous customs officials stop canned 'meat' at German border
You can’t make this stuff up. A shipment of "canned unicorn meat" was detained at the German border because it is “meat of a rare animal more...
JBS adopts video auditing at U.S. beef plants (UPDATE)
JBS USA’s beef division said today it is installing remote video-surveillance camera systems at all of its eight beef plants to enhance food safety more...
Smithfield closes tender offer, announces results
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced today the closure and final results of its tender offer to buy $337 million of its outstanding 7 percent senior unsecured more...
Analysts downgrade Sanderson on burgeoning chicken supplies
Goldman Sachs cut its rating on Sanderson Farms to “sell” this week, citing an oversupply of chicken in the U.S. market, according to media more...
Locally sourced meats among top menu trends for 2011
Locally sourced meats, healthy children’s dishes and food trucks will be among the hot trends in food service next year, according to a survey of more...
Poultry company chairman dead at 88
Springdale, Ark.-based George’s, Inc. announced the death of Chairman Gene George after a short illness. He was 88 years old. George served as president more...
Perdue, Tyson want more chicken houses to supply Va. plants
Perdue Farms and Tyson Foods both would like to build hundreds of additional chicken houses to supply their plants in Accomack County, Va., according more...
Pilgrim's Pride to sell $350 million in notes to repay debt
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. said it will sell $350 million of eight-year notes through a private placement and use the proceeds to repay an existing loan. The more...
Dakota Beef, former CEO drop lawsuits (updated)
Howard Venture LLC, doing business as Dakota Beef, and Scott D. Lively, Dakota Beef’s former chief executive, have dropped the court claims they more...
Russia approves 28 U.S. facilities to export poultry
Russian authorities have approved as eligible exporters 28 U.S. poultry cold storages, according to an update posted Tuesday on USDA’s Food Safety more...
November 2010
Cudahy announces 300+ layoffs, most temporary
Patrick Cudahy Inc. is in the process of laying off 300+ employees at its facility in Cudahy, Wis., according to information provided to Meatingplace more...
FSIS directive addresses E. coli O26 testing
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has released a new directive for its inspection program personnel and import inspection personnel more...
Cargill defends against environmental abuse allegations
Cargill is refuting recent allegations by an environmental watchdog group that its pork processing plant in Beardstown, Ill., is dumping toxic chemicals more...
Major Russian pork, poultry producer sees self sufficiency by end of 2011
The CEO of one of Russia’s largest integrated pork and poultry producers predicted the country will reach self-sufficiency by the end of next year more...
Wendy’s tests new ‘Big Mac-esque’ burger
Wendy’s is testing in certain markets a new big burger that honors the company’s late founder, Dave Thomas. The company’s spokesman more...
HSUS sues Perdue over ‘humane’ claims (UPDATE)
The Humane Society of the United States announced today the filing of a class action lawsuit against Perdue Farms, alleging that the company is falsely more...
Groups seek Supreme Court hearing in Tyson case
A group of 51 agriculture groups this weekend filed a brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to consider a lower court case involving alleged deceptive practices more...
Marfrig expands beef packing capacity
Brazil’s Marfrig Alimentos S.A. announced over the holiday that it received regulatory approvals to lease six meatpacking plants from the Margen more...
USDA to establish pork pricing committee
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service announced its intent to establish a Wholesale Pork Reporting Negotiated Rulemaking Committee. The Committee more...
Technology helps Meyer Natural Foods bond with consumers
Meyer Natural Foods recently became the first processor to bring technology not usually associated with meat and poultry into the meat case. As Chris more...
Argentina creates a new category for classifying cattle
A scientific study conducted by researchers at Argentine animal-nutrition company Coneco, in conjunction with meat processing companies Quickfood/Marfrig more...
Danish Crown reports record results
Danish pork and beef processor Danish Crown announced its best-ever financial results on Friday, with sales of just over $8 billion for fiscal 2010, and more...
Brooklyn processor awarded SQF Level 3 certification
Atlantic Pork & Provisions, a private label meat processor based in Brooklyn, N.Y. has been awarded SQF 2000 Code Level 3 certification, the company more...
USDA survey shows hunger in America still high, but stable
USDA’s annual survey of food security in the United States showed about 17.4 million household had difficulty providing enough food due to lack more...
IFIC Foundation launches Spanish-language website
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation has launched a Spanish-language version of its website FoodInsight.org (Sabiduria Alimentaria) more...
NSF seeks nominees for food safety award
Ann Arbor, Mich.-based non-profit organization NSF International is seeking nominations for the 2011 Food Safety Leadership Awards (FSLA) Program. The more...
Joint venture to open small meat processing plant in N.M.
A joint venture between Blue Mountain Meats of Monticello, Utah, and the Navajo Nation's Ramah Chapter in western New Mexico plans to open a small lamb more...
Analyst sees hog prices rising
Despite the run-up in corn prices that made hog production unprofitable in recent months, live hog prices should climb seasonally in the coming months more...
Marfrig unit opens turkey plant in N. Ireland
Moy Park, a unit of Brazilian food giant Marfrig, has opened a new turkey processing facility at its Ballymena processing plant in Northern Ireland. In more...
T’is the season to stuff a turkey with burgers?
Nothing says Thanksgiving like 10 White Castle sliders stuffed inside a turkey. White Castle issued a news release with a turkey stuffing recipe that more...
Russia to slash poultry import quota for 2011
A Russian official said today that Russia will cut its poultry import quota for 2011 to 350,000 metric tons, according to the USA Poultry and Egg Export more...
Hormel reports profit gains with rosy 2011 expectations
Solid growth in its refrigerated foods and Jennie-O turkey segments helped Hormel Foods post better-than-expected earnings in its fourth fiscal quarter more...
Cold Storage report causes concern for pork, chicken
Stocks of chicken and pork are building, according to USDA’s monthly cold storage report, causing concern among analysts who see trade issues with more...
City takes fight against proposed poultry plant to court
The city of Wilson, N.C., and some residents of Nash County, N.C., have taken Nash County to court over rezoning that could let Sanderson Farms open a more...
USDA sets compliance date for meat and poultry labels
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a final rule that sets Jan. 1, 2014, as the uniform compliance date for new meat and poultry more...
Tyson Foods beats Q4 EPS estimates, sees strong 2011 despite rising costs
Tyson Foods posted stronger-than-expected earnings in the fourth quarter of 2010 despite lower production volumes in its beef, pork and prepared foods more...
Cattle brokerage owes 743 sellers: USDA
New Albany, Ind.-based cattle broker Eastern Livestock Company owes 743 sellers in 30 states more than $130 million, the USDA announced today. The USDA’s more...
AMI, NCC hammer home issues with GIPSA proposals (updated)
On the last day available for interested parties to comment on USDA’s proposed changes to the Packers & Stockyards Act the American Meat Institute more...
Hog prices in China to hold steady
Hog prices will remain steady in China amidst the government’s efforts to curb domestic inflation, pork processor Zhongpin Inc. said in a news release more...
Tyson upgrading Arkansas plant, adding 250 jobs (updated)
Tyson Foods said it will invest $13 million in new equipment and additional chicken houses at its Hope, Arkansas, processing plant in a project that will more...
Veal plant worker pleads guilty to animal cruelty charges
A former employee of Bushway Packing, Inc. in Grand Isle, Vt., pleaded guilty to one charge of aggravated cruelty to animals Thursday, Vermont Attorney more...
Certified Angus Beef hails sales surge in 2010
Certified Angus Beef LLC said it trumped recession-induced trends against premium brands to turn in a 17.2 percent sales increase during its fiscal year more...
Philippines reopens market to beef from Spain following BSE ban
The EU has announced that Philippines has lifted its ban on imports of beef and beef products from Spain. This followed earlier decisions to lift the more...
Will the royals roast a pig?
British pig farmers have made a bid to get pork on the menu at the forthcoming wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. In a press release the British more...
Illinois town says no to possibility of JBS pork plant
The mayor of Pekin, Ill., has announced the city is no longer in talks about a possible pork processing plant that could have brought over 2,500 jobs more...
Steakhouse chain files bankruptcy, closes 47 restaurants
CB Holding Corp. announced it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and has closed 29 of its Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse locations and 18 more...
Mexican trucking dispute hurting U.S. pork
U.S. pork exports to Mexico have fallen by 20 percent since the Mexican government added pork to the list of U.S. products against which it is retaliating more...
11 trends in foodservice for 2011: Technomic
Business at restaurants nationwide may be inching upward, but the recovered foodservice industry will look very different from its pre-recession status more...
Russian officials expected to set 2011 poultry import quotas soon
Russian officials will meet soon to determine the amount of poultry the country will aim to import next year, according to a USA Poultry & Egg Export more...
EU CAP reform options published
The European Union’s Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Dacian Ciolos presented on Thursday the three options being considered for reform more...
Sow costs hurt Bob Evans profit, but stock jumps on brighter outlook
Bob Evans Farms Inc. posted a lower fiscal second-quarter profit on higher sow costs and slow sales at its restaurants, but the company raised its full-year more...
Foster Farms turkeys headed to White House
Two Foster Farms turkeys will fly to D.C. for a significantly happier Thanksgiving than the rest of their flock, according to The Merced Sun-Star. President more...
Steakhouse group files for bankruptcy protection
New York-based steakhouse operator The Glazier Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the U.S. Southern Court District of New York on Nov more...
Economy takes a bite out of bison burgers
Atlanta-based Ted’s Montana Grill, known for its gourmet bison burgers, said Monday it closed nine restaurants across the country, according to more...
Oscar Mayer employees seek pay for donning, doffing
Oscar Mayer employees at the company’s Davenport, Iowa, plant have filed a class action lawsuit seeking pay for time spent donning and doffing protective more...
U.S. opens to beef, pork from Brazilian state
The United States authorized today the import of fresh beef and pork from the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. A final rule posted today in the Federal more...
FSIS issues final rule on air inflation
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service agency has published a final rule that permits processors to use air to inflate livestock carcasses more...
Pat Boone launches mail-order steak line
Singer and actor Pat Boone, a popular entertainer in the '50s, has launched a line of mail-order meats called Pat Boone All-American Meats. The line includes more...
Preliminary cattle-vaccine results show promise: Cargill
Cargill said today it will enter a second stage of testing vaccines intended to reduce E. coli O157:H7 occurrence in cattle, following promising results more...
Listeria concerns prompt turkey breast recall
New Braunfels Smokehouse is recalling roughly 2,609 pounds of ready-to-eat turkey breast products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes more...
Russia approves some U.S. poultry plants, bans others
The Russian Veterinary Service (VPSS) has updated its list of eligible U.S. poultry plants and cold storage facilities, including approvals and suspensions more...
Food groups oppose exempting small, local shops from safety protocols
More than 30 groups representing poultry, meat and other fresh food makers sent a letter today to legislators asking them to oppose an amendment to the more...
Snapshot on hunger in America yields somber picture: Hormel
More than one-quarter of Americans surveyed say they or someone they know has been forced to choose between feeding their families or paying their bills more...
JBS pushes IPO to back half of 2011
JBS S.A. CEO Joesley Batista said today the company’s plans for an initial public offering through its U.S.-based unit is still on the table, but more...
New Meyer Natural label ignites video on shopper’s smartphones
Lexington, Ky.-based Meyer Natural Foods announced new on-pack labels that apply Microsoft Tag barcode technology to coincide with the launch of the Meyer more...
Agreement ends blockade of giant European meat processor
French farmers won livestock price increases from giant French meat processor Bigard, bringing to an end a blockade of nine slaughterhouses, according more...
Analyst sees lower chicken profits, has harsh words for industry
BMO Capital Markets analyst Kenneth Zaslow has cut his profit outlook and stock price targets for Tyson Foods and Sanderson Farms, taking the poultry more...
Men who look at meat are less aggressive: study
Looking at a picture of ready-to-eat meat appears to make men less aggressive, according to new research from McGill University in Montreal. Researcher more...
Obama, S. Korea president fail to solve autos, beef in FTA
U.S. and South Korean officials failed to resolve issues stalling ratification of a bilateral free-trade agreement, prompting disappointment among some more...
Major European meatpacker reports strong six months
Hilton Food Group plc, one of Europe’s major retail meatpacking businesses, reported an optimistic interim financial statement that was in line more...
Kayem is top dog for Patriot games
Continuing its domination of the Boston athletic dining scene, Kayem Foods Inc. has inked a deal with the New England Patriots to be the official hot more...
Study finds no link between red meat and prostate cancer
There is no association between eating red or processed meat and developing prostate cancer, according to a new analysis of existing research published more...
FMI unveils food safety center
The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) has established the Center of Excellence for Food Safety and Protection, intended to be a resource for food safety more...
GIPSA rule to take a $1.5 billion toll on GDP: study
A meat industry-commissioned economic analysis of proposed livestock marketing rules in the Packers & Stockyards Act estimated a $1.5 billion reduction more...
Cagle's is cautiously optimistic after second-quarter results
Atlanta-based Cagle’s Inc. reported net income of $3.1 million on net sales of $83.2 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2011, which ended more...
Maple Leaf Foods closes sale of pork plant
Maple Leaf Foods today announced that is has completed the sale of its pork processing plant in Burlington, Ont., to an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners more...
Darling International to acquire Griffin Industries in $840-million deal
Darling International plans to acquire Griffin Industries, a provider of value-added rendering, bakery feed and cooking oil-recycling services, in a deal more...
JBS tightens grip on Pilgrim’s Pride
JBS S.A. said today it has increased its ownership share of Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. to more than 67 percent through a purchase of common stock. The more...
USDA lowers corn, soybean estimates, raises price forecasts
USDA reduced its corn production estimate by 1 percent from a month ago to 12.5 billion bushels, down 4 percent from last year’s record crop, pushing more...
Protein units post gains but Q1 operating income, EPS down at Sara Lee
Sara Lee Corp. today reported improved sales for its Hillshire Farms and Jimmy Dean meat product lines, although overall first-quarter earnings fell to more...
Maple Leaf Foods selling Canadian pork processing plant to investor group
Maple Leaf Foods said Tuesday that it is close to completing the sale of its Burlington, Ont., pork processing plant to an affiliate of the private investment more...
Chinese pork processor reports higher revenues, net income
Giant Chinese meat processor Zhongpin Inc had higher revenues and net income in the third quarter of 2010 as compared to third quarter 2009, the more...
USDA raises meat production forecast
USDA raised its forecast of total U.S. meat production in both 2010 and 2011 in its monthly World Supply and Demand Estimates report. For 2010, beef production more...
Meat groups, others file ethanol lawsuit
The American Meat Institute, National Meat Association, National Turkey Federation, National Chicken Council and the National Pork Producers Council are more...
Seaboard warns ham-boning plant in Mexico could close
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Corp. reported improved pork segment sales and income in the quarter ended Oct. 2 due to higher pork prices, but more...
Hormel launches new ham, BBQ products
Hormel Foods today introduced new product cuts and barbeque options from two familiar brands -- Hormel Cure 81 ham and Lloyd's Woodfire Barbeque products more...
Residents in two states voice concerns over proposed processing plants
Two proposed processing plants – neither of which have been formally confirmed by JBS USA or Sanderson Foods – are at the center of separate more...
Chicken McNuggets, Big Mac among drivers of McDonald’s sales increase
Core products and the Monopoly promotion helped drive a global comparable sales increase of 6.5 percent in October from the same month last year, McDonald’s more...
Tyson, Syntroleum open biofuels plant
Tyson Foods Inc. and Syntroleum Corp. announced today that their joint-venture renewable fuels plant has begun operations and currently is producing 2 more...
More customers want healthy menu options than order them: research
Although nearly half of consumers say they want healthier menu options when they dine out, roughly a quarter actively consider nutrition when they place more...
Illinois firm recalls meat and poultry products
Seward, Ill.-based Eickman's Processing is recalling approximately 12,086 pounds of meat and poultry products because they may have been underprocessed more...
Chicago processor closes doors; 300-plus laid off
Agri-Best Solutions, doing business as Protein Solutions, a portion-controlled processor on Chicago’s Southwest Side, shut its doors today, putting more...
Bob Evans to close fresh sausage line at Ohio plant
Bob Evans Farms said it closed today the fresh sausage production line at its Bidwell, Ohio, plant in the face of excess processing capacity and shrinking more...
Mountaire Farms plans resource recovery center; 31 additional jobs
Mountaire Farms will invest about $34.5 million to build a resource recovery center at its poultry complex in Millsboro, Del., adding 31 new jobs by December more...
Grass-fed beagles: canines defy culinary convention
Some canines also may be turning up their noses to conventional beef production methods. Bark, er, hark the Original Pet Food Co.’s grass-fed beef more...
USDA expands public health warning on products lacking federal inspection
USDA announced its Food Safety and Inspection Service has expanded its Oct. 30 public health alert for an undetermined amount of various meat and poultry more...
IOM report recommends changes for government nutrition program
A new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) said the meals and snacks served to children and adults at day care facilities through a federally supported more...
Chipotle to open Asian themed restaurant
Chipotle Mexican Grill said it is working on an Asian dining concept, with the first restaurant in the new format expected to open next year. Chipotle more...
Beef: It’s what’s for breakfast
A new promotion by the Beef Checkoff is urging consumers to add beef to their breakfast meals. Research, the checkoff says in a news release, suggests more...
Election turns ag panel chiefs, meat groups focus on lame duck Congress
Midterm election results will bring new heads to both the Senate and House agriculture committees just before 2012 farm bill negotiations start in earnest more...
Russia to ban frozen poultry
Russia will ban the sale of frozen poultry starting Jan. 1, 2011, according to a report by RIA Novosti quoting Gennady Onishchenko, head of the country’s more...
Meat eaters are in for sticker shock in 2011: economist
Consumers should prepare to pay significantly higher prices for meat, especially beef, by the end of 2011, Purdue University agricultural economist Chris more...
Fast food toy ban wins preliminary approval in San Francisco
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to prohibit the inclusion of toys in children’s meals that don’t meet certain health more...
USDA to reset agricultural trade committees
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced today that the USDA would like to re-establish the defunct Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade more...
Veneman sees more cooperative future for ag issues
DENVER — The issues facing agricultural production across the planet are ever more complex, and finding solutions will require cooperation among more...
Sanderson Farms wins next round to build N.C. plant at disputed site
Sanderson Farms moved another step closer to possibly building a new poultry processing plant in North Carolina after the Nash County Board of Commissioners more...
Smithfield offers to buy $337 million in debt
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced today it has commenced an offer to buy for cash up to an aggregate of $337 million principal amount of its outstanding more...
Farm prices for livestock down in October
USDA’s preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers in October, at 160 percent (1990-1992 prices =100), increased 12 points more...
AMI, PMMI tackle meat packaging issues
CHICAGO — The American Meat and Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institutes announced today a joint study to determine packaging issues and solutions more...
Russia officials invest in production amid partial meat import ban
The Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance has issued a partial ban on meat and pork imports from U.S. and European processors more...
Poultry industry analysts lower expectations for FY2011
Despite positive outlooks for earnings for poultry producers as 2010 draws to a close, higher feed prices may put a damper on earnings in the sector for more...
Drive-in chain launches new Coney
Sonic Drive-In has introduced a new Tex-Mex Footlong Quarter Pound Coney to the menu, just in time for football season. The new Coney is topped with chili more...
Americans’ sodium levels same as 50 years ago: Harvard
The levels of sodium in Americans’ diets have been virtually unchanged since 1957, according to a new study by Harvard University. This, in spite more...
October 2010
Upbeat Pilgrim’s Pride says on track to ramp production
Pilgrim’s Pride on Friday posted better-than-expected third-quarter profits, saying demand from both retail and food service customers was on the more...
Dairy group will no longer pay members to slaughter cows
Members of Cooperatives Working Together (CWT), the dairy farmer-funded self-help program, voted this week to focus exclusively on building export markets more...
Steak chain sees improvement in third quarter
Ruth’s Hospitality Group Inc. reported a loss of $500,000 on revenues of $79.8 million for its fiscal third quarter, ended Sept. 26, but revenues more...
Restaurant Performance Index expands first time in five months
The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) improved in September, rising 0.8 percent from August to 100.3. The updated more...
Steakhouse looks to cash in as trick-or-treaters go Gaga
What started as a controversial costume at the MTV Video Music Awards has become a highly sought-after Halloween costume — and one New York Steakhouse more...
California firm recalls pork products
Autentico Foods, a Hawaiian Gardens, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 54,000 pounds of ready-to-eat pork products that were not produced more...
FSIS adds consumer group rep to microbiological committee
The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) has been re-chartered to add a consumer group representative, USDA’s more...
Maple Leaf Foods’ profit meets views despite surge in materials costs
Canadian hog and poultry processor Maple Leaf Foods posted quarterly earnings that met analysts’ expectations as an efficiency drive helped offset more...
Restaurant patrons want green eggs and ham, hold the tweet
Consumer intelligence provided Zagat Survey’s latest poll of 153,000 diners revealed that 31 percent seek out restaurants specializing in “green” more...
Rubashkin request denied -- again
A federal judge in Iowa has denied Sholom Rubashkin’s request for a new trial, brushing off his lawyer’s charge of bias, according to court more...
Meat industry worker safety improves according to new data
Total injury and illness rates in the meat industry decreased by 8 percent in 2009, according to the American Meat Institute. Citing new numbers released more...
Analyst slashes outlook for chicken profits due to feed costs
J.P. Morgan has sharply reduced its 2011 profit forecasts for Sanderson Farms and Tyson Foods due to skyrocketing corn futures prices. Analyst Ken Goldman more...
Poultry producer introduces new ground products
Gold’n Plump Poultry has announced some new additions to its Recipe Ready Ground Chicken line of products. The new, leaner ground chicken options more...
Latest data document expanding poultry supplies
Chicken production is on the rise, and there’s more supply to come. The ready-to-cook weight of poultry certified wholesome rose 5 percent in September more...
Two workers injured at NC poultry plant
Perdue Farms officials are investigating the cause of an accident at its Lewiston, N.C., poultry plant that sent two unidentified workers to a local hospital more...
U.S. accepts WTO ruling on Chinese chicken
The United States did not appeal the World Trade Organization’s adoption of its dispute panel’s ruling against U.S. restrictions on imports more...
JBS digs its heels deeper in Colo.
JBS USA bought its headquarters building, further entrenching the company in Greeley, Colo.The U.S. subsidiary of Brazil’s JBS S.A. put up $21.8 more...
House of Raeford facility reaches food safety milestone
House of Raeford Farms’ further processing facility in Hemingway, S.C., has been awarded SQF 2000 Code Level 3 certification, the company announced more...
Burger King shakes up senior management
Burger King Holdings announced Monday some changes to its senior management.Jonathan Fitzpatrick, who was the company’s senior vice president of more...
Superior Farms expands with lamb acquisition
Davis, Calif.-based lamb packer Superior Farms announced Friday it entered an agreement to buy Iowa Lamb Corp. to improve efficiencies in a struggling more...
FDA calls for more food protection managers as standard
Boosting food safety practices in U.S. retail food establishments should involve increasing the number of certified food protection managers, according more...
Food makers, grocers get mixed grades on BPA in can linings
ConAgra received top marks among food makers for removing the controversial chemical bisphenois A from its product packaging, while Wal-Mart, Kraft and more...
A&W floats value menu, new marketing campaign
A&W Restaurants has unveiled a value menu with so-called Big Taste value meals for $3 each, the company said in a news release. There are four meals more...
AMI solicits applications for awards
The American Meat Institute is accepting applications for the 2011 Environmental Achievement Awards and Environmental Recognition Awards, the group announced more...
Sausage maker introduces its first turkey breakfast sandwich
Odom’s Tennessee Pride has introduced Turkey Sausage Biscuits, the company’s first poultry-based breakfast sandwich. The product stems from more...
Report gauges consumer confidence in beef safety
A recent research report by the Beef Checkoff gauges consumer confidence in the safety of beef. The report includes a trend analysis of consumer more...
Ohio board votes on livestock care penalties
The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board announced it has proposed civil penalty rules to enforce newly created livestock care standards. The proposed more...
More Americans dining out, boosting restaurant earnings
After rediscovering the joy of cooking during the recession, Americans are dining out again, bolstering sales for several restaurant operators that reported more...
Tyson upgrades N.C. poultry plant
Tyson Foods Inc. said ongoing upgrades to its Wilkesboro, N.C., poultry complex will improve efficiency in fresh poultry operations and add 165 jobs. more...
Foster Farms postpones Farmerville expansion plans due to corn prices
Citing rising feed costs, Foster Farms has decided it will not increase production at its Farmerville, La., poultry complex, as earlier planned, the company more...
JBS trying to build new pork plant in Ill.: report
JBS USA and city officials in Pekin, Ill., are in talks this week about building a new pork processing plant that could create as many as 2,500 jobs, more...
AMI study projects big costs of GIPSA livestock marketing proposal
Changes in livestock marketing rules proposed by USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) in June would cost $14 billion more...
U.S. to pay farmers for non-food biofuel crops, Vilsack says
The government will resume payments to farmers to produce non-food crops that can be converted to biofuels with the aim of reducing the country’s more...
FSIS issues guidance on regulatory waivers for new technology
The Food Safety and Inspection Service today issued guidance for establishments that would like to obtain a regulatory waiver to test new technology. more...
Court dismisses House of Raeford appeal on discharge
A federal court has dismissed an appeal by the House of Raeford, clearing the way for criminal charges regarding discharged untreated wastewater in 2005 more...
McDonald’s honors Tyson for cost-savings initiative
McDonald's USA has named Tyson Foods Inc. its 2010 Supplier of the Year, recognizing the poultry producer’s efforts to implement a cost-savings more...
Fast food chain adds hand-breaded chicken
Carl’s Jr. has added a hand-breaded chicken tender to its menu, the company announced. The tenders are made with white chicken breast meat, dipped more...
Carry-out pizza chain debuts frozen product line
Dallas-based Pizza Patron is launching a line of frozen pizzas available at retail, the company announced in a news release. This marks the company’s more...
Putin puffs chest on poultry imports (UPDATED)
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the country will not need to import poultry in 2011 and subsequent years, local news agency Interfax reported more...
Chicken chain auctioned
Brown’s Chicken and Pasta hit the auction block Monday with the highest bid coming in at $585,000, the Chicago Sun Times reported.A judge was expected more...
ConAgra’s Chef Boyardee launches online “mom” club
Chef Boyardee is inviting moms to join Club Mum, an online community for moms to share “insider experiences, ideas and helpful hints about family more...
It’s better to give, find State Fair, Gold‘n Plump
Two major processors are spreading the financial love and riding a wave of positive promotion during economically trying times. State Fair Corn Dogs, more...
Chef's TV show has him sampling meat nationwide
Chef Rahm Fama does it for the love of meat. On “Meat and Potatoes,” one of Food Network’s newest TV shows, he gets his meat on traveling more...
N.Y. beef producers plan to build new processing plant
A group of farmers in New York plan to build a $2 million beef processing plant in Madison County in order to keep profits at home, according to a report more...
Turkey added to processor's meatball lineup
Quaker Maid Meats has just introduced a new turkey option to the Shillington, Pa.-based company's already extensive line of meatball products more...
Poultry processor reaches highest SQF certification
Seaford, Del.-based Allen Family Foods announced it has achieved Safe Quality Food (SQF) 2000, Level 3 Certification. “Allen Family Foods is a member more...
Made-from-scratch main courses down from 30 years ago
While consumers are eating many of the same foods they ate in 1980, preparations and cooking-appliance preferences have changed, according to research more...
Japan reviewing risk of U.S. beef
Japan is analyzing the safety of U.S. beef from cattle older than 20 months as the United States continues to press for expanded access to the Tokyo market more...
Meat prices surge in latest U.S. inflation reports
Meat prices jumped in September, an exception to overall benign U.S. inflation data released this week.The price of meat climbed 5.2 percent in the government’s more...
Md., Pa. companies team to turn chicken manure into energy
Annapolis, Md.-based EnergyWorks North America said it has partnered with Pennsylvania egg producer Hillandale Farms Gettysburg to run a manure-to-energy more...
Takeover rumor lifts Wendy's/Arby's stock
Shares of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. jumped this week on rumors the restaurant operator could be the next target for a private equity takeover more...
USDA halts operations at Tyson plant
USDA officials suspended operations Tuesday at a Tyson deli meat plant in Buffalo, N.Y., stemming from sampling following the facility’s recall more...
Cargill beef plant accident leaves two workers burned, hospitalized
Two workers suffered burns Wednesday at Cargill’s Wyalusing, Pa., facility, the company’s spokesman confirmed in an e-mailed statement to more...
Walmart to expand beef sourcing rules beyond Brazil
Walmart announced new sustainable agriculture goals that include expanding to all of its companies worldwide by 2015 Walmart Brazil’s practice of more...
FSIS drafts guidelines to govern video monitoring
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued draft guidelines for poultry and meat establishments that intend to install in-plant video more...
USDA opens temporary cattle inspection on Mexico border
USDA announced it has opened a temporary cattle inspection facility in Eagle Pass, Texas, in an effort to protect the livestock trade between the United more...
EPA raises maximum ethanol blend rate for some vehicles
The Environmental Protection Agency announced it raised to 15 percent from 10 percent the maximum allowable ethanol blend rate into fuel for use in cars more...
Lawmakers tackle Chinese tariffs on U.S. poultry
U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) have asked the Obama administration to stop China’s tariffs on U.S. poultry exports more...
Sara Lee launches site for Hispanic moms
Sara Lee Corp. today launched “More choices. Healthier Lives,” a dual-language mobile site designed for Hispanic moms. The website, available more...
McDonald’s tests new chicken flatbread sandwiches
McDonald’s Corp. is testing new chicken flatbread sandwiches in restaurants in Albuquerque, N.M., Omaha, Neb., and Baltimore, Md., according to more...
Search warrant at Ariz. packing plant yields 14 arrests
Maricopa County (Ariz.) Sheriff’s deputies arrested 14 people at Phoenix’s Prime Cut Meat & Seafood Co. Tuesday after serving a search more...
Farmland Foods to add 50 jobs, upgrade plant
Farmland Foods in Monmouth, Ill., secured funding for a $20 million business development plan with the aid of an investment package from the state’s more...
Corn price rise refuels ethanol debate
Groups opposed to and in support of corn ethanol subsidies sparred publicly today as a two-day, 15 percent rise in corn prices collided with a list of more...
Cargill sees upswing in first quarter earnings
Cargill Inc. on Tuesday reported net earnings of $883 million in its fiscal first quarter 2011, ended Aug. 31, up 68 percent from $525 million in the more...
Kraft earns accolades on its climate change disclosures
Krafts Foods has garnered huzzahs from two organizations tracking businesses and their efforts to reduce carbon emissions and curb other activities thought more...
Corn price surge will hit producers, processors, consumers
USDA’s dramatic cut in U.S. corn production and corn stock prospects Friday morning sent corn futures prices today soaring for the second day in more...
The story behind Texas meat company closure
In the end, Loggins Meat Co. was closed with a bang. After 70 years in Tyler, Texas, the processor of pre-portioned and custom-cut beef, pork and chicken more...
IHOP new health menu, tips including suggesting turkey bacon
IHOP announced a new “Simple & Fit” menu of more than 30 items under 600 calories, including all kid’s menu items. The Glendale more...
Omaha Steaks goes mobile with iPhone app
Omaha Steaks is taking its brand to the palm of consumers’ hands with a new application for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The app, called “Steak more...
USDA catapults corn price forecast, processor shares take a hit
USDA raised its average corn price estimate to a range of $4.60 to $5.40 per bushel, up 60 cents on both ends of the range as it lowered its corn production more...
AMI elects new officers, directors
The American Meat Institute elected six new officers for the next year at its annual business meeting in Bolton Landing, N.Y. AMI members elected J. Patrick more...
NCC responds to Dr. Oz show segment on chicken
The National Chicken Council released a detailed statement in defense of fresh chicken this week after TV personality Dr. Oz “raised some questions more...
Cautious optimism for restaurant industry rebound
Restaurant earnings results this week reinforced a recent National Restaurant Association survey that showed restaurant operators expect business to improve more...
Mood upbeat at NCC meeting, but feed costs a worry
Top industry executives attending the annual meeting of the National Chicken Council in Washington, D.C., predicted more growth ahead for the poultry more...
Butterball debuts fully-cooked product
Garner, N.C.-based Butterball, LLC announced a new fully cooked turkey breast product in four varieties. The product can be heated for 30 minutes in the more...
Boston Market rolls out makeover that is boosting traffic
Golden, Colo.-based Boston Market announced plans to roll out nationally its new concept that produced and sustained a double -digit guest count increase more...
NTF sets 2011 annual convention, leadership conference dates
The National Turkey Federation announced its 2011 Annual Convention will take place in Tucson, Ariz. The convention will be held at Loews Ventana Canyon more...
JBS workers organize at Pa. beef plant
Workers at a JBS USA beef plant in Souderton, Pa., voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday for representation by the United Food and Commercial Workers International more...
Maple Leaf to construct new prepared-meats facility in 2012
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. today announced plans to build a new prepared-meats facility in 2012 as part of a five-year plan for increasing short- and long-term more...
Consumers name HSUS most credible farm-animal care information source
CHICAGO – Consumers rate the Humane Society of the United States as the most credible source for information about farm animal care. That finding more...
Retail meat prices moving both ways: survey
Retail food prices at the supermarket dipped slightly during the third quarter of 2010, according to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket more...
Worker killed at Wis. beef plant
A worker at Green Bay Dressed Beef in Green Bay, Wis., was killed this past weekend, according to local media reports.Gregory Davis, 47, was killed Saturday more...
Mislabeling prompts small chicken potstickers recall
Windsor Foods is recalling about 1,608 pounds of Spicy Vegetable Potstickers due to a mislabeling of individual pouches that were packed with Chicken more...
Lawmakers want economic review of GIPSA rule
More than 100 U.S. House members have sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking that USDA conduct additional analysis of the economic more...
Sandwich chain president named CEO
Greg MacDonald has been appointed as CEO of Quiznos worldwide, the sandwich chain announced Tuesday.MacDonald, who was named president of Quiznos Canada more...
Russia OKs more U.S. poultry plants, plans inspections
Russia on Friday re-listed three more U.S. poultry plants as eligible exporters as Moscow plans to begin inspections of U.S. facilities to ensure they more...
Unions, Smithfield reach accord on representation
A compromise has been reached regarding which union will represent some 1,300 employees at Smithfield Foods Inc.’s main packing plant, ending an more...
Processor launches site for “recipe nuts”
Hormel Foods Corp. has launched a social network for recipe lovers. The site, at RecipeNut.com, lets people swap recipes, aggregate them from online sources more...
Jimmy Dean launches new sausage product
Sara Lee’s Jimmy Dean brand announced it has launched a fully-cooked sausage crumble product in three varieties. Jimmy Dean Hearty Sausage Crumbles more...
Fitch Ratings boosts outlook for Smithfield
Fitch Ratings has revised its rating outlook for Smithfield Foods to “positive” from “stable.” Fitch assigned the positive outlook more...
Pierre CEO to lead newly formed protein company
Cincinnati-based Pierre Foods, Advance Food Company and Advance Brands have officially closed on their merger to form AdvancePierre Foods. The combined more...
Senators toss another immigration reform bill into the ring
Two senators introduced another immigration reform bill for consideration in the waning weeks of the 111th Congress, although no such legislation is expected more...
Kevin Bacon’s head is sculpted from bacon
Truth be told, the Kevin Bacon likeness doesn’t really look much like the actor. But the Bacon Kevin Bacon Statue, commissioned by Seattle’s more...
September 2010
U.S. meat exports need traceability to compete: USMEF’s Phil Seng at World Meat Congress
BUENOS AIRES – The messages at the World Meat Congress 2010 are clear. The world’s population will grow to 9 billion people from 6.8 billion more...
Thanasi Foods adds products, brands beef jerky line
Boulder, Colo.-based Thanasi Foods announced plans to brand its line of meat snacks as DUKE'S, bringing all of its co-branded meat snacks more...
DeLauro uses salmon debate to seek cloned animal food labeling
As the Food and Drug Administration nears its decision on approving genetically-modified salmon as safe to consume, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced more...
Wealthy Americans spending more on fast food
The wealthiest Americans spent 24 percent more on fast food during the second quarter ending June 30 than they did during the same period in 2009, according more...
Engeljohn reminds processors of the need to validate processes
CHICAGO – Ready-to-eat meat product processors must make sure their processes address the possibility of product contamination after their lethality more...
Jack in the Box to close 40 restaurants
Jack in the Box Inc. will close 40 company-owned restaurants by Monday, Oct. 3, the company said in a news release. The targeted locations are in seven more...
Niman Ranch moves processing to Omaha, Neb.
Niman Ranch has relocated its beef processing plant from JBS Swift in Hyrum, Utah to XL FourStar in Omaha, Neb. the company announced in a news release more...
Hormel announces a handful of meaty promotions
Hormel Foods Corp. has announced a series of personnel promotions that affect its meat-related operations: * Steven G. Binder has been named executive more...
The Iron Man’s on deck with Ripken’s Power Shred jerky product
Florio Sports LLC teams up with the “Iron Man” and National Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. to launch Ripken Power Shred, a lean-meat more...
Argentina reflects challenges highlighted by World Meat Congress
BUENOS AIRES – Argentina has its nuances, including its version of the Spanish language. But the challenges the country’s beef farmers are more...
Russia reported to lift ban on Smithfield plants
Russia has reinstated the eligibility of pork exports to two Smithfield Foods Inc. processing plants after a month-long ban, according to Reuters. However more...
Cargill unveils Sow Innovation Center
The Cargill Pork and Cargill Animal Nutrition businesses of Cargill Inc. have opened the Cargill Sow Innovation Center in Sugar Grove, Ky., the companies more...
Steak 'n Shake joins smaller-is-better trend
Steak 'n Shake has debuted a prototype of a smaller and less expensive restaurant in Rome, Ga., the company said in a news release. The new 3,200 square-foot more...
China confirms anti-dumping duties on U.S. chicken products (updated)
China’s Ministry of Commerce announced Sunday it will levy anti-dumping duties of 50.3 percent to 105.4 percent on imports of U.S. chicken products more...
Poultry ready-to-cook weight up 6 percent from a year ago: USDA
Poultry certified wholesome during August 2010 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.73 billion pounds, up 6 percent from the amount certified in August 2009 more...
Valley Meats unveils pork patties
Valley Meats LLC introduces a new ground pork patty now available for sale to quick-service dining restaurants throughout the central Midwest. Offered more...
Chain’s new menu features bacon-y burgers
Family restaurant chain IHOP has announced a new menu, featuring a lineup of Bacon ‘N Beef burgers. The new burgers have hickory-smoked bacon blended more...
Most grocery shoppers don’t buy on impulse: report
Most people know what they are going to buy before they enter a grocery store and rarely make impulse purchases, according to a recent report from market more...
Floods temporarily shutter Gold'n Plump plant in Wisconsin
A Gold’n Plump chicken processing plant in Arcadia, Wis., resumed operations Friday after it was forced to close for a day when severe storms swept more...
Marfrig’s bid for Keystone goes through
Brazilian meat processor Marfrig Alimentos S.A. said it has been authorized by all involved antitrust agencies to complete its acquisition of U.S.-based more...
Canada, U.S. to address S. Korea trade issues
Canada and South Korea meet next week discuss the latter's ban on imports of Canadian beef, while the United States aims to finalize a free-trade deal more...
McDonald’s testing burrito-sized chicken wraps
McDonald’s is testing larger versions of its Chicken Snack Wrap, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The Chicken Grande Wraps are the size of a more...
Chick-fil-A tests spicy chicken nuggets in five locations
Chick-fil-A is testing a new product, Spicy Nuggets, by offering free samples to consumers who reserve the meal online.The Atlanta-based quick-service more...
Japanese restaurant chain up for sale
Japanese restaurant chain Benihana Inc. announced Thursday that it is for sale.“In July, as part of our Board's commitment to exploring all avenues more...
Hagen stresses prevention in first public speech
In her first public speech as Under Secretary for Food Safety, Dr. Elisabeth Hagen said her agency will focus on preventing foodborne illnesses. Hagen more...
Mexico resumes pork imports from Smithfield plant
Mexico has lifted a ban on imports of pork from Smithfield Packing Co.’s Tar Heel, N.C., slaughterhouse, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection more...
Beef Checkoff budget approved
The Beef Promotion Operating Committee has approved the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) Fiscal Year 2011 budget of $42.8 million for a total of 42 more...
Analyst’s projections for Smithfield earnings go up, and down
As the hog industry has exercised more discipline and prices --- and margins --- have improved, expectations are rising for Smithfield Foods Inc.’s more...
Poultry processors workshop slated for October
The Annual Poultry Processors Workshop will cover a wide range of current issues for executives in the industry, and is scheduled for October 6 and 7 more...
New ethnic chicken product highlights Tyson’s school lunch efforts
Tyson Foods today announced a new, ethnic-inspired chicken entrée created for the National School Lunch Program. The Springdale, Ark.-based protein more...
Former Morrell employee charged with pig theft, embezzlement
A former employee of John Morrell & Co. has been charged with embezzlement involving grand theft, the Argus Leader reported. Mathew Henry Oldenburg more...
Cherokees denied intervention in Okla. poultry lawsuit
The Cherokee Nation’s bid to intervene in Oklahoma’s water pollution lawsuit against 11 Arkansas companies was rejected Tuesday by a federal more...
Workshop to cover listeria intervention and control
The AMI Foundation’s Advanced Listeria monocytogenes Intervention and Control Workshop is scheduled to take place in November. The workshop will more...
Supermarket meets speedway with weekend pop-up store
Some 2,500 products -- including deli meats and other fixings -- will be included in a temporary, mini-Giant Food supermarket open for the weekend only more...
ConAgra profit downed by discounts, inflation
ConAgra Foods saw earnings decrease 11.4 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2011 on intense promotions in grocery stores and higher costs for some more...
Higher corn prices prompt downgrade of Sanderson (updated)
The relatively high prices in the corn futures markets are taking their toll on processors: JPMorgan equity analyst Ken Goldman today lowered his rating more...
NPPC, pork groups ask Obama to resolve Mexican trucking issue
The National Pork Producers Council and 36 state pork producer organizations have sent President Obama a letter urging him to quickly resolve the Mexican more...
Jennie-O wants consumers to “Make the Switch”
Wilmar, Minn.-based company Jennie-O Turkey Store launches “Make the Switch,” a new advertising push encouraging consumers to move away from more...
Restaurant chain to branch out into Mexican food
Ruby Tuesday has signed a licensing agreement that will let it open up to 200 fast-casual Lime Fresh Mexican Grill locations, according to media reports more...
Potential pork plant gets state funding
The Iowa Department of Economic Development has offered $255,000 in direct financial assistance and additional tax benefits to North American Co-Pack more...
CPI for meats, poultry drops first time in 8 months
After seven consecutive increases, the Consumer Price Index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs dropped 0.3 percent in August, according to the Bureau of more...
EPA could approve ethanol increase by mid-October
The Environmental Protection Agency could raise the ethanol blend in motor fuel to 15 percent for at least some vehicles as soon as early-to-mid October more...
Panda Express unveils new Kobari Beef entrée
Asian dining chain Panda Express plans to roll out a new beef entrée inspired by the flavors found in Korean BBQ. The Kobari Beef entrée more...
USDA brings in the big guns to push child nutrition bill
USDA announced more than 100 retired generals and admirals will release a letter to Congress on Tuesday asking them to pass before Sept. 30 a more...
Russia bans two Smithfield pork plants (UPDATE)
Russian sanitary authorities have suspended imports from two Smithfield Foods plants, according to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Media more...
JBS pork plant sued by surrounding property owners
A local neighborhood association and three property owners in Butchertown, Ky., have filed a lawsuit that aims to force JBS USA to apply for a new permit more...
Town raises a stink over Pilgrim’s Pride plant odor
Officials in the town of Timberville, Va., have asked state regulators for their help in eliminating pungent odors emanating from a Pilgrim’s Pride more...
Foster Farms introduces mini chicken cheeseburgers
Foster Farms is rolling out Great Bites mini chicken cheeseburgers, marketed as a healthier afternoon snack option that can be ready in two minutes in more...
USDA opens new agricultural trade office in China
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the opening of a new Agricultural Trade Office in Shenyang, the capital of northwest China’s international more...
Labor Department sues Tyson for discrimination against women
The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an administrative complaint that accuses Tyson Fresh Meats of systematically rejecting female job applicants at more...
Food safety bill hits snag in the Senate (updated)
Time is running short for food safety legislation being considered in the Senate, which Sen. Tom Coburn (R.-Okla.) is threatening to block. Coburn objects more...
USDA to pay poultry farmers for losses related to bankruptcy
USDA will provide $60 million in the form of a grant to those states where poultry producers lost a contract due to the bankruptcy of an integrator in more...
U.S., Japan talk beef in generalities (UPDATE)
U.S. and Japanese officials met this week in San Francisco to discuss their countries’ long-standing dispute over bilateral beef trade, but apparently more...
Former Tyson exec spices up resume
Spices and seasonings supplier McCormick & Co. has named Wendy Davidson as vice president of the company’s consumer food manufacturers unit more...
OSU announces endowed professorship in honor of Temple Grandin
Oklahoma State University has announced the Temple Grandin Endowed Professorship in Animal Behavior and Well-Being during an event Wednesday at which more...
General Mills launches frozen entrée line
General Mills has introduced Romano’s Macaroni Grill frozen entrées, the company announced Wednesday. The prepared meals serve two and go more...
JBS plans merger with Vigor subsidiary
JBS S.A. plans to merge with its subsidiary, Fabrica de Produtos Alimenticios Vigor, the Brazilian meat processing giant said in a news release on its more...
Moody’s upgrades Smithfield’s liquidity rating
Moody’s Investor Service announced it has elevated its Smithfield Foods Inc. speculative liquidity rating of “SGL-1” from “SGL-3 more...
Kraft outlines growth strategy
Kraft Foods outlined plans to deliver organic revenue growth of 5 percent or more, margins in the mid- to high-teens and earnings per share growth of more...
Wolf-Brand Chili goes on a Midwest prowl
When it comes to chili, Midwesterners tend to know their stuff, and Wolf Brand Chili, a brand of ConAgra Foods, Inc. is confident to put itself to the more...
Chicago company recalls imported beef
Sampco Inc. is recalling about 258,000 pounds of cooked beef products that were imported from an ineligible Brazilian establishment, the USDA's Food Safety more...
New FSIS chief’s priorities include pre-harvest food safety
USDA’s new Under Secretary for Food Safety Elisabeth Hagen recently outlined her four priorities in a meeting with industry association leaders more...
Hormel Foods added to Dow Jones Sustainability Index
Hormel Foods announced the company was added to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), a list of the most sustainable companies around more...
JBS can buy Australian beef firm: officials
Australian regulators announced late last week that JBS S.A. can complete its proposed acquisition of Rockdale Beef. The Australian Competition and Consumer more...
USDA, FDA employees report food safety interference: survey
USDA and Food and Drug Administration employees responsible for various aspects of food safety regulation report situations in which their scientific more...
Senator, execs push for vote on food safety bill
As members of Congress return to D.C. for the year’s last few months of legislative work, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D.-Minn.) and executives from Hormel more...
JBS reopens senior notes offering for another $200 million
JBS S.A., through its subsidiary JBS Finance II Ltd., said Friday it reopened an offering of senior notes to capture an additional $200 million that the more...
AgFeed completes acquisition of Iowa hog producer
Chinese firm AgFeed Industries announced today that it has completed the acquisition of hog producer M2P2 LLC. Ames, Iowa-based M2P2 employs 215 people more...
BK Canada adds breakfast bowl, other breakfast items
Burger King Restaurants of Canada Inc. has added three breakfast items to its morning menu, including the original BK Breakfast Bowl, the company said more...
Analysts dissect Smithfield earnings, Butterball sale
J.P. Morgan analyst Ken Goldman downgraded shares of Smithfield Foods, saying recent gains in the stock already reflect bright prospects for the company’s more...
USDA predicts big jump in corn, soybean prices
USDA raised its average corn price forecast to a range of $4.00 to $4.80 per bushel from $3.50 to $4.10 for the 2010/11 marketing year that began Sept more...
Sadler’s Smokehouse launches new brisket product
As football season gets underway, Sadler’s Smokehouse has launched a Tailgate-Ready Beef Brisket. The brisket is smoked over hickory and hard woods more...
USDA lowers meat production forecast
USDA slightly reduced from last month its total U.S. meat production forecasts for 2010 and 2011 as lower pork and broiler production more than offset more...
Steak chain files bankruptcy, enters sales agreement
Claim Jumper Restaurants LLC has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Wilmington, Del., the company announced Friday. In a statement, the company more...
7-Eleven seeks $2 billion buyout of convenience competitor
Ankeny, Iowa-based convenience store chain Casey’s General Stores Inc. confirmed today it is discussing a possible sale to 7-Eleven. 7-Eleven has more...
Cargill sensory center opens
Cargill said today the company’s new sensory center in Wichita, Kan., began operations this week. A 5,000-square-foot addition to the company’s more...
JBS confirms plant bans by Russia
JBS S.A. said late Wednesday that Russian authorities told the company that several of its meat plant have been barred from exporting product to more...
Tyson’s Cobb-Vantress building a hatchery in Tennessee
Tyson Foods' Cobb-Vantress poultry research and development unit will invest $14 million to build a new production facility in Lafayette, Tenn., more...
Cargill beef product wins prize
In the latest reminder that the Hispanic market is a big one for the meat industry, Cargill announced that the Nebraska Beef Council awarded the more...
Oscar Mayer adds two new chicken varieties to Lunchables line
Oscar Mayer announced two new varieties in its Lunchables Lunch Combinations with water line Thursday. The new Chicken and American Sub Sandwich Lunch more...
Burger King acquirer taps new CEO for the chain
Private equity group 3G Capital on Thursday said it plans to appoint former railroad executive Bernardo Hees as chief executive officer of Burger King more...
Smithfield reports strong earnings, predicts strong quarters ahead
Smithfield Foods reported profits in line with analysts’ expectations as reduced pork supplies met strong global demand for pork and despite rising more...
Smithfield now expects to sell Butterball rather than buy it
It now appears more likely that Smithfield Foods will sell its 49 percent share in Butterball LLC, rather than buy out its joint venture partner, Maxwell more...
Tyson execs set high bar for company performance
Tyson Foods Inc. investors should expect the company’s recent financial success to be the norm going forward, not a typical cyclical protein market more...
Bob Evans expands into take-out meals
Bob Evans introduces Bob Evans Family Meals To Go, a new carry-out option designed for busy families that still want to eat a wholesome dinner at home more...
Middle East offers upside for U.S. beef: expert
Wealth created by booming oil exports and market share made available by a relative lack of competing suppliers make the Middle East a market with more more...
ConAgra adds to management team
ConAgra Foods said late Tuesday today the company hired Brian L. Keck as executive vice president and chief administrative officer. Keck assumes the position more...
American Humane OKs new poultry stunning method (Updated)
The American Humane Association has accepted as humane a controlled-atmosphere stunning method called Low Atmospheric Pressure System (LAPs). The science more...
Despite sunny corporate news, consumers say their finances are sliding
Consumers at all income levels report that their personal financial circumstances now are worse than they were a year ago, according to a new report by more...
Burger King expands breakfast menu
In what it called its largest menu expansion ever, Burger King today announced nine new breakfast items available until 10:30 a.m. A new sandwich joins more...
McDonald’s blasted by burger competition
Consumer Reports' subscribers consider McDonald’s burgers knocked out by the competition. The consumer-marketplace magazine released a fast-food more...
Whole Foods to give meats animal welfare ratings
Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods plans to implement an animal welfare rating program in all its stores by Jan. 1, 2011, company co-founder John Mackey more...
Pork Board to address competition, consumers, hog raising practices
When more than 50 pork producers gather to discuss the proposed 2011 budget in Des Moines this week, consumers will be key. The board announced that the more...
Campaign aims to make bacon-wrapped hot dog official in L.A.
Hormel subsidiary Farmer John and Los Angeles Dodger Andre Ethier have teamed up on a campaign to make the bacon-wrapped hot dog the Official Hot Dog more...
USDA policies need to address more E. coli strains: Hagen
USDA pathogen policies need to go beyond E. coli O157:H7 in beef products, USDA’s newly confirmed Under Secretary of Food Safety Elisabeth Hagen more...
Pilgrim’s Pride, others resumes chicken exports to Russia
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. said today it will resume chicken exports to Russia on Saturday after USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service finalized certificates more...
Moody’s upgrades Tyson, sees better market conditions
Moody's Investors Service on Thursday upgraded its ratings and outlook for Tyson Foods, citing a “relatively attractive market environment” more...
Grocers put beef, pork on sale for Labor Day, ads show
In a surprising finding, food retailers across the country are offering strong deals on beef and pork rather than on relatively less expensive chicken more...
Pork ribs or chicken? Depends on your smart phone
What you carry in your pocket may have a connection to what's on your plate. A recent survey suggests that along with a personal preference for an iPhone more...
USDA boosted price paid for federal food program ground beef
The amount the federal government will pay for ground beef under its commodity purchasing program went up significantly with the latest contracts --- more...
Lack of inspection prompts pork skin recall
Trinh Co. is recalling about 2,070 pounds of cooked shredded pork skin products because the products were produced without the benefit of federal inspection more...
Fire damages Maryland processing plant
A fire Wednesday morning caused about $470,000 of damage at Hillside Turkey Farms in Thurmont, Md., according to The Frederick News-Post. According to more...
Premium Standard gets more time
Premium Standard Farms announced Wednesday that it has reached an agreement to extend the company’s deadline for installing new technology systems more...
OSHA fines Wisconsin plant $369,500
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it has levied $369,500 in proposed fines against VPP more...
Private equity firm to buy Burger King for $4 billion
Private equity group 3G Capital will buy Burger King for $4 billion, the hamburger chain announced Thursday. 3G Capital agreed to acquire all Burger King more...
Chinese firm completes pork plant expansion
Chinese pork processor Zhongpin Inc. said Thursday it completed a five-month expansion and upgrade of its processing plant in the city of Anyang. The more...
Butterball plant damage extensive: employees moved
The fire Monday at Butterball’s Kinston, N.C., turkey processing plant damaged the entire facility and workers will be temporarily shifted to its more...
Kayem scores a touchdown
With the dawn of new hope for a successful 2010-2011 football season at Florida State University comes the dawn of Kayem franks as the official hot dog more...
Burger King reportedly in buyout talks
Burger King is in talks with New York-based private investment firm 3G Capital about a possible sale, according to The New York Times. On the 3G side more...
Infrared test finds E. coli faster
Infrared spectroscopy can drastically cut the time it takes to detect E. coli in ground beef, scientists at Perdue University concluded in a study published more...
Beef checkoff pairing beef with wine in tailgate promotion
The Beef Checkoff announced it is partnering with AmeriGas Cylinder Exchange for the Sutter Home Tailgating Promotion. The promotion includes $1 more...
August 2010
JBS discriminated against Muslim workers, feds say
Federal officials said JBS USA’s Grand Island, Neb., beef plant must provide Muslim workers prayer time and not retaliate against those who request more...
Mobile-slaughter session heads to Nevada
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Safety Inspection Service will host a red meat mobile-slaughter unit information session on Sept. more...
ConAgra adds new line of steamed meals
ConAgra brand Marie Callender’s has added a new line of frozen entrees that use steam cooking. The new dishes, called Fresh Flavor Steamer entrees more...
Coalition of groups gathers 180,000 letters on antibiotics issue
A group of organizations delivered more than 180,000 letters to the Food and Drug Administration Thursday in response to the agency’s request for more...
Tyson plant breathes new life
Tyson Foods and Lopez Foods Inc. today announced a joint venture that will reopen Tyson’s Ponca City, Okla., plant in mid-2011. The joint more...
Cargill recalls beef on E. coli O26 concerns related to illnesses
A Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Wyalusing, Pa., is recalling some 8,500 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O26, USDA’s more...
JBS mulls sale of Argentine beef plants
JBS S.A. said Sunday in a statement on its website that it is considering the sale of some Argentine beef plants among options to improve operations in more...
S&P sees rosier outlook for Smithfield
Standard & Poors analysts revised their outlook upward for Smithfield Foods Inc., while keeping their actual rating on the company’s debt where more...
Jack in the Box adds pastrami sandwich
San Diego-based Jack in the Box announced it has launched a Pastrami Grilled Sandwich. Made with hot pastrami, Swiss-style cheese, pickle fillets more...
Fort Collins hearing on livestock competition opens to a big crowd
USDA, Department of Justice and state officials began the hearing on competition in the livestock sector in Fort Collins, Colo., today by telling about more...
Russia approves 4 more U.S. poultry plants, 5 left: report (Update)
Russia has re-listed another four U.S. poultry plants as eligible exporters, leaving just five processing plants to be reauthorized, according to a report more...
JBS beef plant gets bumped by Russia (Update)
Russia has halted imports of beef from JBS USA’s Grand Island, Neb., plant, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service noted on its website more...
Tyson pork plant to resume exports to Russia (Update)
Russia has reauthorized Tyson’s Logansport, Ind., pork plant as an eligible exporter, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said on its more...
Denny's appoints new COO
Denny's Corp. said Thursday it appointed Robert Rodriguez as the company’s new chief operating officer. Rodriguez will take the helm Sept. 13 and more...
Brits consuming burgers, sausage, chicken at gut-busting rate
A recent survey showed the average Briton consumed 56 sausages, 54 burgers and 59 bar snacks including pork pies and Scotch eggs over the summer. The more...
GIPSA livestock marketing rules to take center stage in Colorado
When USDA and the Department of Justice hold the fourth of five workshops on competition in agriculture on Friday in Fort Collins, Colo., the agency’s more...
Survey tracks rising popularity of cooked turkey meat
The turkey industry distributed 6 percent more cooked white turkey meat last year, boosted by demand from food service operations, according to the latest more...
Study hails promise of imaging technology for microbes
An imaging technology called hyperspectral imaging can be used to distinguish Campylobacter from other microorganisms as quickly as 24 hours after the more...
World’s largest casual-dining chain adds new meat dishes
Applebee’s said Thursday it added Florentine Ravioli with Chicken and Provolone-Stuffed Meatballs with Fettuccini on its 2 for $20 every day value more...
Ammonia leak prompts poultry plant evacuation
An ammonia leak at Tip Top Poultry’s Rockmart, Ga., plant this morning forced an evacuation and sent 23 employees to nearby hospitals, according more...
Perdue launches $12.8 million headquarters remodel
Perdue plans to begin this month a two-year, $12.8 million project to redesign its corporate headquarters in Salisbury, Md., to be more environmentally more...
Restaurant traffic to lag population growth in next 10 years: NPD
Restaurant visits are expected to grow less than 1 percent per year over the next 10 years, a pace that doesn’t even match expected growth in the more...
Chain offers portable steak and gravy breakfast
Hardee’s has added an on-the-go country-fried steak and gravy breakfast item to its menu. The new offering consists of a seasoned, breaded steak more...
Listeria fears prompt deli meat recall
Buffalo, N.Y.-based Zemco Industries is recalling nearly 380,000 pounds of deli meat products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes more...
Mich., Colo. companies acquire beef jerky plant
Dearborn, Mich.-based Dearborn Sausage Co. and Boulder, Colo.-based snack food maker THANASI Foods have formed a joint venture to buy and manage the American more...
Pork cut out values reach new highs two days in a row
USDA reported record pork carcass cut out values on Monday at $95.67 per hundredweight, breaking the record set on Friday at $95.49 as tight supplies more...
McDonald’s gets new global chief brand officer
McDonald’s announced it has appointed Steve Easterbrook to the newly created position of executive vice president and global chief brand officer more...
Johnsonville Sausage launches football promo
Sheboygan Falls, Wis.-based Johnsonville Sausage has kicked off a new online fantasy football promotion, the company announced today. The “Rush more...
Sbarro no longer with Farmland Foods
James C. Sbarro has left his position as president of Farmland Foods Inc. In a phone call to the company's headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., Meatingplace more...
Hot weather cools results for Sanderson Farms
Sanderson Farms Inc. reported lower sales and earnings for its third fiscal quarter of 2010, ended July 31. Extremely hot weather in areas where its chickens more...
Pork in cold storage plunges, higher prices on the horizon
Total red meat supplies in freezers on July 31 were down 20 percent from last year and down 1 percent from last month, according to USDA’s Cold more...
USDA says cattle placed on feed slightly higher than trade expected
USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report issued late Friday showed cattle placed on feed as of Aug. 1, at 1.71 million head, fell 5.9 percent from a more...
More Americans familiar with term “factory farming”: study
Fifteen percent more Americans are familiar with the term “factory farming” than in 2008, according to a study funded by the beef checkoff more...
Pork cut-out margins, Jennie-O lift Hormel earnings
Hormel Foods beat Wall Street expectations with strong fiscal third quarter earnings as strong pork cut-out margins and sales from its Jennie-O turkey more...
Hormel’s Ettinger talks margins, bacon and products with Meatingplace
Hormel Foods reported strong third quarter earnings today even in the face of rising raw material costs. Chairman, CEO and President Jeffrey Ettinger more...
Tyson’s credit outlook brightening, say S&P, Morningstar
Standard & Poor's Rating Services raised its credit ratings on Tyson Foods and Morningstar began coverage of the company, with both highlighting improved more...
Tenn. county weighs new early processing facility
The commissioners of Tennessee’s Haywood County are due next week to consider a proposal that would put a brand-new, 12,500-quare-foot slaughter more...
Russia approves Sanderson plant for poultry exports
Russia has given the go-ahead for a Sanderson Farms plant to resume exports of poultry to that country amid squabbles between Moscow and Washington over more...
AMI opposes making non-O157:H7 STECS adulterants
Designating non-O157:H7 shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) as adulterants would result in a regulatory program that will do more harm than more...
New ConAgra frozen entrées feature chicken
ConAgra’s Healthy Choice brand has announced a new line of frozen entrées that steam in the microwave. The lineup includes eight dishes: more...
7-Eleven promotes U.S. beef in Japan
Some 13,000 7-Eleven stores in Japan are promoting U.S. beef in August by carrying the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s “We Care” more...
Mexico pork tariff seen having moderate effect
Mexico’s announcement earlier this week that it plans to add pork to a list of U.S. products on which it will impose tariffs in retaliation more...
Bob Evans adjusts to hog costs
Bob Evans executives said today the recent closure of the company’s Galva, Ill., fresh sausage processing plant would result in a $2 million charge more...
Buffalo Wild Wings takes it north of the border
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar plans to build more than 50 company-owned and franchised restaurants across Canada over the next five years, the company more...
American Halal distributes frozen entrees through Whole Foods
Saffron Road, the packaged food brand of American Halal Co., has begun shipping four all-natural, halal-certified, frozen Indian entrees to Whole Foods more...
AMI’s Boyle gets grilled on ‘Colbert Nation’
The U.S. meat industry gets its fair share of unfair news coverage, but comedian Stephen Colbert’s interview of American Meat Institute President more...
U.S. pork producers decry anticipated Mexican tariffs
U.S. pork exporters are decrying an expected move by the Mexican government to lump pork in with many other U.S. products on which it is imposing more...
Cargill reports strong fourth quarter earnings
Minneapolis-based Cargill reported net earnings of $691 million in the fiscal 2010 fourth quarter ended May 31, compared with $327 million in the same more...
Marfrig profit falls 69 percent on exchange rates
Brazilian meat processor Marfrig Alimentos S.A. said today its second-quarter profit fell 69 percent from the same period last year on losses from exchange-rate more...
Burger King opens NYC Whopper Bar, debuts Meat Beast
Burger King announced it has opened its flagship Whopper Bar in New York City’s Time Square where it currently debuts the Meat Beast Whopper and more...
Full-service chain names new executives
Perkins & Marie Callender’s Inc. has announced two new promotions. Cheryl Ahlbrandt is now the executive vice president responsible for marketing more...
JBS readies to resume shopping in Europe
JBS S.A. President Joesley Mendonca Batista said today his company is exploring more acquisition opportunities in Europe because the continent’s more...
Tyson adding 60 jobs in North Carolina
Tyson Foods is investing $9 million in new equipment and building improvements at its chicken “tray pack” facility in Monroe, N.C., as part more...
Senators weigh in on USDA proposals on livestock contracts
Twenty U.S. senators led by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) have come out in support of USDA’s proposed regulations aimed at increasing protections for more...
Chicago Meat Authority adds new COO
Chicago Meat Authority (CMA) has promoted Sheila Quinn to chief operating officer of the Chicago-based custom processor. Quinn has worked at the company more...
XL Beef shuts doors at Saskatchewan plant for good
XL Foods announced its beef processing plant in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan -- which has been temporarily closed since March, 2009 -- will close more...
Fitch upgrades Tyson debt; assesses industry fundamentals
Credit rating agency Fitch announced it has upgraded its ratings on a number of Tyson Foods debt instruments based on Tyson’s debt reduction, strong more...
Burger chain plucks El Pollo Loco CEO for its own
Greenwood Village, Colo.-based Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. announced it has appointed Stephen Carley its chief executive officer effective Sept. 13 more...
Senators call Russia out on U.S. poultry
In a joint letter to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, U.S. Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) said Moscow needs to honor its more...
World’s first butchers go back 3.4 million years
The world’s first butchers go back 3.4 million years in history, which makes them 800,000 years older than previously thought, scientists said in more...
Sara Lee invests in meat brands, boosts results
Strong sales of retail products such as Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches and sausages helped Sara Lee Corp. boost its quarterly profit while the company more...
Foodborne disease outbreaks, illnesses down in 2007: CDC
In all, state investigators reported 21,244 illnesses and 18 deaths resulting from the 1,097 outbreaks of foodborne disease reported during 2007. The more...
USDA lowers meat production forecasts
USDA slightly reduced its U.S. meat production forecasts for 2010 and 2011 from a month ago, but left price forecasts largely unchanged in its latest more...
USDA forecasts record crops, but also higher prices
USDA forecast record corn and soybean crops, but crop shortfalls overseas will increase use, resulting in the lowest corn ending stocks in four years more...
U.S. meat groups applaud Mexico for dumping import duties
The U.S. Meat Export Federation, National Beef Cattlemen’s Association and American Meat Institute applauded Mexico’s decision to eliminate more...
Pork recovery sends Seaboard earnings soaring
Greatly improved sales and profits in its pork segment led to a significant overall improvement in Seaboard Corp.’s financial results for the second more...
N.Y. processor, distributor begins supermarket sales
Diamond Ranch Foods Ltd. has “reorganized” its product line and begun selling meat products, as well as seafood products and mineral water more...
Survey identifies Top 10 pork and poultry trends on menus
Barbecue flavors as diverse as Texan, Korean and Caribbean are America’s hands-down favorite accent for pork, according to a survey of over 1,000 more...
Angus wraps steer their way to McDonald’s
Lovers of McDonald’s Angus Third Pounders can now “halve” their meat and eat it too with Angus Snack Wraps, steering their way into more...
Plant co-owner in veal cruelty case surrenders to authorities
The co-owner of Bushway Packing, Inc. in Grand Isle, Vt. turned himself in to authorities Monday following accusations he participated in animal cruelty more...
Analysts raise Tyson forecasts
Two Wall Street analysts raised their earnings estimates for Tyson Foods after the company reported a strong third fiscal quarter despite market concerns more...
Chinese pork companies report glowing first-half results
AgFeed Industries Inc. and Zhongpin Inc., two of China’s largest pork processing companies, both reported positive first-half financial results more...
Tyson raises profit -- and concerns
Tyson Foods Inc. said today its net profit in its fiscal third quarter rose 89 percent, thanks to higher beef and pork prices. The company also credited more...
Smithfield shares rise on analyst's recommendation
Shares of Smithfield Foods rose after BB&T Capital Markets analyst Heather Jones upgraded her rating on the pork producer to “buy” from more...
USDA inspector donning and doffing will cost slaughter facilities
USDA would start charging poultry and livestock slaughter facilities that want to run 8-hour line shifts about 15 minutes of overtime per inspector shift more...
Sara Lee CEO steps down, permanently
Brenda C. Barnes, who has been on a temporary medical leave of absence from her position as CEO of consumer foods giant Sara Lee Corp., will relinquish more...
Jimmy D’s serves up meaty new breakfast items
Timed to sync with the new school year, Jimmy Dean announced the launch of Jimmy D’s, three new microwaveable breakfast items targeting moms and more...
Public can comment on USDA 'test and hold' policy
BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Interested parties will have a chance to comment when USDA issues a policy notice of intent in Federal Register this fall to change more...
E. coli concerns prompt 1 million-lb. ground beef recall (updated)
Valley Meat Co. is recalling about 1 million pounds of frozen ground beef patties and bulk ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli more...
Analyst boosts earnings expectations for Tyson
Deutsche Bank analyst Christina McGlone raised her profit outlook for Tyson Foods Inc.'s third quarter, ahead of the company's earnings release on Monday more...
NPR makes the case: Meat made us smart
In a recent feature report, National Public Radio mounted the argument that not until our simian ancestors started dining on animal flesh was it possible more...
USDA will make test and hold mandatory
BELLEVUE, Wash. -- USDA plans to issue a Federal Register notice within the next two to three months withholding the stamp of inspection on meat products more...
USDA looking at pathogen vs product adulterant determinations
BELLEVUE, Wash. -- USDA is considering a number of policies that could affect meat processors in the future, an agency official told participants at the more...
Brasil Foods’ chicken sales suspended by government
Findings of excess water in Brasil Foods S.A.’s chicken prompted the Brazilian government to suspend the company’s chicken sales, according more...
Costco July sales top expectations with a boost from meat
Costco Wholesale Corp. on Thursday reported surprisingly strong sales for July, with rising meat prices contributing to the better-than-expected results more...
Meatballs recalled for allergen
Ugo. DiLullo & Sons is recalling about 147,667 pounds of canned meatball products because they contain an allergen, egg, which is not declared on more...
U.S.-Russia poultry deal hits a snag
U.S. officials are working to address concerns Russian authorities have raised regarding technical issues with a new trade agreement allowing imports more...
Tyson posts corporate responsibility efforts online
Tyson Foods Inc. has posted its Sustainability Report on its Web site, outlining the company’s efforts and achievements in the areas of water conservation more...
Analysts predict mixed supply, pricing for chicken, beef, pork
Chicken prices should remain high despite increased output, according to a new survey of economic analysts. The eight analysts who forecast poultry production more...
Oscar Mayer employees win pay case
A federal appeals court on Monday upheld an earlier decision to make Oscar Mayer pay workers at the company’s Madison, Wis., plant for time more...
AMIF refutes study linking bladder cancer to meat
The American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) said a study published over the weekend by the American Cancer Society linking nitrite and nitrate compounds more...
FDA announces draft guidance on salmonella in animal feed
The Food and Drug Administration has published in the Federal Register draft guidance on its regulatory policy relating to salmonella in animal feed. more...
ConAgra Café Steamers recognized again
ConAgra Foods was recognized with the Institute of Food Technologists Industrial Achievement Award for its Healthy Choice brand Café Steamers product more...
Brandt Meat Packers plant closed after 120 products recalled
Canadian sausage and deli meat maker G. Brandt Meat Packers Ltd. closed its plant in Mississauga, Ontario on Saturday and recalled 120 ready-to-eat products more...
Analyst bullish on Pilgrim’s Pride despite grain costs
BMO Capital Markets analyst Kenneth Zaslow has raised his fiscal 2010 earnings forecast for Pilgrim’s Pride, despite the fact that the company on more...
Grandin gets NCBA Lifetime Achievement Award
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association on Saturday awarded world-renowned livestock handling expert Temple Grandin its Lifetime Achievement Award more...
QSR rolls out street-style tacos, carnitas pork
Starting today, Taco Bell customers will be able to order Mexican-restaurant style tacos and carnitas shredded pork. The new Cantina Tacos feature grilled more...
AMI announces keynote speakers for April 2011 show
The American Meat Institute announced Michael Hayden and Carlos Gutierrez as the keynote speakers for the 2011 AMI International Meat, Poultry & Seafood more...
July 2010
Pilgrim’s Pride posts lower profit, says on track to reopen three plants
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Friday posted lower second-quarter net earnings, hurt by hefty restructuring charges, but gave an optimistic outlook for the more...
AMI addresses ‘Misconception and Explanation’ about GIPSA rule
American Meat Institute President J. Patrick Boyle this week sent Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack a response to the Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards more...
Analyst lowers Sanderson Farms earnings on feed costs, demand
Higher feed costs, lackluster poultry demand and a growing breeder stock all factored into BB&T Capital Markets lowering its earnings forecasts for more...
ConAgra moves Slim Jim HQ to Illinois
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods is moving the headquarters operation for its snacks segment to Naperville, Ill., from Edina, Minn., according to as company more...
Survey examines American cooking habits, use of pre-prepped and frozen foods
A survey by The Harris Poll has shed light on America’s love of cooking, as well as its reliance on frozen and pre-prepared ingredients. Four in more...
Russia expands roster of U.S. poultry exporters
Russia has more than doubled the amount of U.S. poultry establishments that are approved to export to that country, USDA’s Food Safety Inspection more...
WTO panel favors China in U.S. poultry dispute: reports
A World Trade Organization panel has ruled in China's favor in the dispute over the U.S. ban on imports of Chinese chicken, Chinese media reported Thursday more...
NCBA addresses CBB audit at summer conference
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association held a press conference at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver Thursday, seeking to set the more...
Aldi, Trader Joe’s owner dies at 88
Pioneering discount retailer Theo Albrecht, the reclusive German billionaire who founded the Aldi Group and owned the Trader Joe’s grocery chain more...
Bill reauthorizing meat price reporting law advances
The House Agriculture Committee has approved legislation to reauthorize the law requiring meat packers to report to USDA the prices they pay producers more...
Maple Leaf Foods says hog operation return to profit
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods posted lower second-quarter net earnings but said its hog production operations returned to profitability in the period more...
USDA shuts down NY poultry plant
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said concerns over food safety controls have prompted the agency to order Murray’s Chicken to temporarily more...
Federal judge blocks parts of Ariz. law, Neb. town suspends own law
A federal judge in Phoenix ruled today that some key elements of Arizona’s immigration enforcement law cannot go into effect tomorrow, as originally more...
Barbecue chain explores convenient store format
Tyler, Texas-based Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants Inc. has launched a new effort to open franchised restaurants in convenience store locations, and merging more...
Casual-dining chefs put on new R&D hats
Two chefs in research and development for leading casual dining chains are moving to or taking on additional responsibilities at other companies, according more...
NCBA misused checkoff funds, audit indicates
A routine compliance review indicated that the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has misused beef checkoff dollars, prompting further investigation more...
Beef companies, World Wildlife Fund team up to address sustainability
Global beef industry leaders and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today said they will work together to develop a more sustainable system for beef production more...
Green means gold for Hormel
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel foods just scored another star for its commitment toward environmental performance. The Dubuque, Iowa plant, Progressive Processing more...
Sara Lee’s Carlson dies
James R. Carlson, an executive of Sara Lee Corp. for almost 30 years, died on Sunday of complications from a brain tumor. He was being treated at Northwestern more...
Japan lifts state of emergency, shipment ban in FMD outbreak
Three months after foot-and-mouth disease began spreading, Japan has lifted a shipment ban on pork and beef from Miyazaki prefecture. Officials have ended more...
USDA extends comment period for GIPSA rule
USDA said today it will extend by 90 days, until Nov. 22, the comment period associated with livestock marketing rules proposed by the agency to limit more...
Hormel plant repairs force shift cancellations
Hormel Foods said today that mechanical repairs to the boiler system at the company’s Austin, Minn., plant has forced the cancellation of two production more...
FSIS posts list of eligible poultry exporters to Russia
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service late Friday posted a list of U.S. chicken processors now eligible to resume exports to Russia. On the more...
Zhongpin to build new plant, logistics center in northeastern China
Zhongpin Inc. will build a new plant in Nong’an county in China’s northeastern Jilin province. The company said it expects to process 1.2 more...
Cattle on feed report comes in as expected, points in two directions
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.1 million head on July more...
Chicken supply on the rise --- again
Broiler-type pullets hatched in June and intended for future domestic hatchery supply flocks were up 6 percent over June 2009. It was the third straight more...
Judge lets pollution case against Perdue Farms proceed
A federal court judge this week denied a motion by Perdue Farms to dismiss a case brought against it and a family farm in Maryland accusing them of polluting more...
JBS prices offering of notes
JBS S.A., through its subsidiary JBS Finance II Ltd, has priced an offering of senior secured notes at $700 million, with a coupon of 8.25 percent, due more...
Sysco buys land to build new center near Dallas
Sysco has purchased some 257 acres to build a 1-million-sqaure-foot distribution center south of Dallas, according to a report by the Dallas News. Spokesman more...
Record red meat production for June: USDA
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.18 billion pounds in June, up slightly from the 4.16 billion pounds produced in June 2009 more...
Russia puts Smithfield pork plants on hold
Only months after putting them back on its list of eligible U.S. exporters, Russia has banned imports of pork from Smithfield Foods’ Tar Heel, N more...
Foster Farms wins $10 million judgment against bank
Foster Farms has won a $10 million final judgment in a long-running dispute against SunTrust Bank, which was found to have violated credit and confidentiality more...
American Humane Association approves FASS animal welfare guide
The Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS) said its animal welfare program has been approved by the American Humane Association’s (AHA) scientific more...
More consumers skimping on lunch, lattes: survey
Almost half of all Americans are now brown-bagging lunch, while those who have stopped buying their morning coffee out and are finding other little ways more...
AMI, NMA, NCBA pass on public debate with R-CALF
The American Meat Institute, National Meat Association and National Cattlemen's Beef Association said they will not accept an invitation from a Nebraska more...
Tyson readies to restart poultry exports to Russia
Tyson Foods Inc. is prepared to resume poultry exports to Russia following that country’s ban on imports of chicken treated with chlorine to combat more...
Five sentenced for illegal immigrants on chicken catching crews
Five people were sentenced Friday for conspiring to harbor, transport and employ illegal immigrants, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement more...
Grandin touts Hormel pork plant
In a visit to Austin, Minn., famed animal welfare expert Temple Grandin praised the Hormel Foods plant for livestock handling practices and designs implemented more...
ConAgra to get $400,000 from Ohio for plant expansion
ConAgra Foods will receive a $400,000 Rapid Outreach Grant from the state of Ohio for the costs associated with buying new machinery and equipment in more...
AgFeed to buy U.S. hog production firm for $16 million
AgFeed Industries Inc. said today it will acquire Ames, Iowa-based hog production company M2P2 LLC for an estimated $16 million as AgFeed bolsters its more...
JBS ratings raised by S&P
Ratings on JBS S.A. and JBS USA have been raised by Standard & Poor’s to "BB" (stable outlook) from "B+". and the ratings were removed from more...
Perdue recalls nuggets due to foreign materials
Perdue Farms, Inc. is recalling some 91,872 pounds of frozen chicken nugget products that may contain foreign materials, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection more...
Sadler’s Smokehouse expands RTE entrée lineup
Sadler’s Smokehouse announced it is adding two new items to its Dinner for Two product line: Pulled Pork with Baked Beans and Shredded Beef Brisket more...
Price trends spread the love over processors’ margins
While wholesale and retail prices have been all over the board in the last 12 to 18 months, pricing trends at the wholesale and retail level more recently more...
U.S. beef exports to South Korea up 66% through May
U.S. beef exports to South Korea were up 66 percent through May year on year, according to a report by Yonhap. Seoul imported 37,117 tons of U.S. beef more...
Cargill launches beef line with leakproof packaging
Cargill’s new Grantwood Meats line is designed to address specific consumer concerns about leaky packaging, the company said Monday. The beef is more...
Sandwich shop trims fat for new menu
Joining the ranks of fast-food establishments focusing on nutrition like Wendy’s and McDonald’s, Blimpie, the sub shop, rolls out its own more...
Russia bans JBS beef plant
Russia has put the brakes on beef imports from a JBS USA plant, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said on its website. Products produced more...
AMI takes issue with FSIS’ pre-harvest management guide
The American Meat Institute said Thursday that pre-harvest management controls posed by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service are not supported more...
Analyst cuts Sanderson outlook on price, volume concerns
Stephens Inc. analyst Farha Aslam cut her fiscal 2010 earnings forecast for Sanderson Farms, noting lower chicken volumes from a heat wave in the South more...
KFC unveils its follow-up to the Double Down
Looking to build on the buzz generated by the Double Down, KFC is introducing the Doublicious, a sandwich in a choice of two varieties that’s notably more...
Former Beatle doesn’t feel fine about pictures in McDonald’s
Sir Paul McCartney wasn’t about to let it be when a McDonald’s restaurant in Liverpool hung pictures of him, so the fast-food outlet took more...
Nonprofit groups issue new traceability guide for industry
The Meat and Poultry B2B Standards Organization (mpXML) and GS1 US announced a new guide available for applying consistent traceability standards throughout more...
Tyson renewable fuels plant prepares to begin operations
Tyson Foods announced its Dynamic Fuels plant in Geismar, La., is mechanically complete and the company has begun working to start operations. Dynamic more...
Vilsack names members to meat and poultry inspection panel
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed members to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) for 2010-2012. "I am more...
Brazil beef exports down in volume, resumption to U.S. delayed
Brazil's beef exports in June totaled 177,377 metric tons, down 2.3 percent from last June, but the average price received per metric ton, at $3,866, more...
JBS buys Belgian beef processor
JBS S.A. said late Tuesday the company completed the acquisition of a Belgian beef processor that gives the Brazilian giant a bigger footprint in Western more...
AMI asks FSIS for achievable, quantifiable performance standards
The American Meat Institute has called on the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service to change poultry slaughter performance standards for salmonella more...
Census data shows pork, beef exports up, chicken down
U.S. pork and beef exports showed strong gains in May over a year ago, while chicken exports declined, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau more...
Nolan Ryan’s newest pitch: All-beef franks
Nolan Ryan’s All-Natural Beef has expanded its product line to include “Hickory Smoked Beef Franks,” hot dogs made from vegetarian-fed more...
JBS to expand Mich. beef plant, add 100 jobs
JBS plans to expand its beef plant in Allegan County, Mich., in a project that would add nearly 100 jobs over the next two to three years, according to more...
Sysco expands distribution network by acquisition
Sysco Corp. announced today that it has acquired Lincoln, Neb.-based broadline foodservice distributor Lincoln Poultry & Egg Co. to generate further more...
USMEF realigns, brings former JBS exec aboard
Dan Halstrom has joined the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) as senior vice president for marketing and communications as the group realigns its staff more...
McDonald’s appoints nutrition chief
Karen Wells will now serve as vice president of U.S. nutrition and menu strategy for McDonald’s USA, the company announced Tuesday. Wells, who had more...
Footlong burger? QSR tests the waters
Some Carl’s Jr. locations are testing a footlong cheeseburger, according to “Fast Food Maven” Nancy Luna of The Orange County Register more...
Restaurant chain in bankruptcy finds a buyer
Columbus, Ohio-based family dining chain Max & Erma’s Inc. has found a buyer, according to a filing with the U.S. bankruptcy Court for Western more...
National Beef boosts profits on higher volume, sales prices
The nation’s fourth-largest beef processor said Friday its profits rose by $33 million on higher processing volumes and average sales prices. Kansas more...
Land O’Frost launches game to promote its lunchmeat
Lansing, Ill.-based Land O’Frost announced a promotional campaign that puts codes on certain retail deli meat packages that give consumers a chance more...
Ruiz Foods launches social-media promo for Tornados
Ruiz Foods announced the “Flavor Challenge 2.0” promotion for its popular Tornados line of grilled-meat-and-cheese rolled sandwiches, the more...
Nolan Ryan’s expands distribution network
Nolan Ryan’s has signed agreements with SuperTarget and Sun Harvest to supply them with beef for retail sale. The processor will be a fresh beef more...
Bacon processor still eyeing former Tyson plant
A former Tyson plant in Norfolk, Neb. has been the target of at least one suitor for more than six months. Local economic development officials confirmed more...
Feds report progress on food safety recommendations
USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services issued a list of actions taken this year to implement recommendations of the administration’s more...
USDA sees more meat, slightly lower prices
USDA raised its 2010 forecast for commercial red meat production slightly to 48.2 billion pounds from 47.9 billion a month ago and lowered its average more...
Pricy proteins: Survey shows meats’ retail dollar value trending up
Food prices at the supermarkets, especially meat prices, increased during the second quarter of 2010 compared to the first quarter, according to the latest more...
USDA boosts price forecasts for corn, soybeans
USDA projected smaller corn stocks at the end of this year and next and boosted the agency’s average price projections for corn and soybeans. In more...
E. coli-related bison recall expanded
Approximately 776 additional pounds of ground and tenderized steak bison products from Rocky Mountain Natural Meats in Henderson, Colo., that may be contaminated more...
FSIS spells out approved processes on poultry destined for Russia
USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service has posted information on processes and solutions now allowed in processing poultry destined for export to more...
McDonald’s says additives in McNuggets are harmless
Additives in McDonald’s chicken McNuggets are harmless, a spokesman for the company’s China unit said, following reports that Chinese authorities more...
AMI defends importance of meat in diet
The American Meat Institute asked a government panel to reconsider suggesting consumers moderate their meat consumption when new dietary guidelines more...
Why don’t moms buy organic? Survey weighs in
Forty-nine percent of moms don’t buy organic deli meat because of price, while 26 percent can’t find organic deli products where they shop more...
Mislabeling, undeclared allergen prompt beef jerky recall
M&K II Co. in Macomb, Mich., is recalling approximately 8,000 pounds of beef jerky products because they contain undeclared allergens — wheat more...
Study examines link between high-protein diet, bone density
Two small sample studies at Purdue University showed postmenopausal women using high-protein diets including lean meats to lose weight might also be losing more...
Frozen food maker names new sales and marketing executive
Bedford, Va.-based Brooks Food Group said it has named Jeff Sterling as its vice president of sales and marketing. In his new role, Sterling will lead more...
The veal deal: New Web site highlights recipes for foodservice
The Beef Checkoff announced the launch of a new Web site for foodservice professionals, VealFoodservice.com. Highlights include a database of both more...
Brazil Ag official to pitch plan to reopen beef exports to U.S. this week
A representative from Brazil's Agriculture Ministry will travel to the United States Wednesday to present to a plan of action from Brazilian beef exporters more...
Suspected new case in Japan FMD outbreak
Another cow in the city of Miyazaki has displayed symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease, The Japan Times reports. The new discovery—the first new suspected more...
Meat Industry Hall of Fame names 2010 inductees
The Meat Industry Hall of Fame has named 12 new members to be inducted on Oct. 30 in conjunction with the North American Meat Processors Association’s more...
Consumers plan return to restaurants: study
When it comes to restaurants, consumer confidence is up, according to a study by research firm Market Force Information.One in four consumers surveyed more...
Livestock marketing among issues on deck for NCBA Summer Conference
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association will host its Summer Conference in Denver July 28-Aug. 1. Among the issues NCBA President Steve Foglesong said more...
Burger chain promotes ‘totally reinvented’ salads
Quick-service restaurant chain Wendy’s is promoting online four new “totally reinvented” salads. The salads include Apple Pecan Chicken more...
Sandwich chain to offer yet another fair food on a stick
Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based sandwich chain Cousins Subs is going to stick it to Wisconsin State Fair visitors this summer — with the new Deep-Fried more...
Sasquatch strikes again
Meat snack processor Jack Link's Beef Jerky announced the debut of new television commercials that continue the Minong, Wis.-based company's Messin' With more...
Rubashkin appeals conviction, sentence
Attorneys for Sholom Rubashkin on Friday appealed his conviction and his 27-year sentence for financial fraud, according to a report by The Associated more...
AMI seeks more time on controversial livestock trade rules
The American Meat Institute has asked USDA to extend the comment period on proposed new rules that would limit meatpackers' ability to buy and sell livestock more...
USDA rolls out food recall “app” for smartphones
In a push to address how consumers get their news, USDA announced a new "app" that enables consumers to receive notices about food recalls on their smartphones more...
Hormel founder logs on for 150th birthday
Hormel Foods founder George A. Hormel would have turned 150 this year — and the company is turning to Twitter to celebrate. A new weekly series more...
New ‘Bob-B-Q’ menu highlights regional flavors
Family-dining chain Bob Evans has introduced a new "Bob-B-Q" menu that highlights barbecue offerings from around the United States. The menu includes more...
Tyson looking to expand in Brazil
Tyson Foods' subsidiary Tyson do Brasil confirmed it is looking to expand in Brazil's southern region, as well as boost international sales from its three more...
Labor Department sets grant for John Morrell workers
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a grant of up to $6,255,784 to assist about 800 workers affected by layoffs at John Morrell and Co. as well as more...
Ohio, HSUS set agreement that halts ballot initiative
A November ballot initiative that would have changed state law regarding confinement for livestock has been taken off the table, now that the state of more...
Undeclared allergen prompts sausage recall
San Antonio Packing Co. is recalling some 9,408 lbs. of Cervelat Summer Sausage because it may contain an undeclared allergen, milk, the USDA's Food Safety more...
USDA finalizes school lunch ground beef standards
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA has finalized tougher new standards for ground beef purchased by the Agricultural Marketing Service for more...
June 2010
Senate Ag Committee approves Hagen as USDA food safety chief
The Senate Agriculture Committee this morning approved on a voice vote the nomination of Elisabeth Hagen as USDA's under secretary for food safety. Her more...
Cloverleaf adds cold storage space, to expand processing operations
Sioux City, Iowa-based Cloverleaf Cold Storage said late Tuesday it has concluded the acquisition of three freezer warehouses, giving the company a total more...
USDA reports show less corn
Two USDA reports released today showed smaller stocks of corn on hand and fewer acres planted to corn this year than analysts had expected, news that more...
New frozen entrées promise to be ‘dinner-worthy’
Nestle USA brand Lean Cuisine announced the debut of Lean Cuisine Market Creations, frozen, "dinner-worthy" meals packaged in "steaming pouches that lock more...
Smithfield stock leaps on takeover rumor
Smithfield Foods Inc.'s stock jumped 8.7 percent Tuesday on talk that JBS S.A. is interested in buying all or some of the U.S. hog production and pork more...
Cincinnati area courts Keystone for potential new plant
Keystone Foods LLC may build a new plant in the Cincinnati area, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The proposed processing and distribution plant more...
Groups question science, seek to clarify FDA antibiotic use proposals
The FDA's announcement yesterday on proposals that would limit using medically important antibiotics for humans in animal agriculture has stirred the more...
NLRB seeks injunction against Smithfield
The National Labor Relations Board has sued to prevent Smithfield Foods from changing the contractual benefits for some of its unionized employees while more...
Obama camp initiates new push for trade deal with S. Korea
President Obama has directed the U.S. Trade Representative's official to launch new talks with the South Korean government to resolve issues holding up more...
Monogram Food invests $4 million to expand, add jobs at Va. plant
Meat snack maker Monogram Food Solutions announced it will pump $4 million into an expansion project at its Martinsville, Va., plant that will boost production more...
NCBA changes plans for governance structure
Leaders of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association announced they are suspending plans to proceed with changes to NCBA's governance structure to allow more...
Fewer pigs now, but what about tomorrow?
USDA's quarterly Hogs and Pigs report showed U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1 was 64.4 million head, down 4 percent from June 1, 2009, but more...
Canada-China beef deal opens industry’s eyes
China's staged opening to imports of Canadian beef has stoked interest among U.S. beef exporters who also have long sought expanded access to a market more...
USDA posts acceptable poultry treatments for Russia
In announcing Russia's agreement to reopen its borders to imports of U.S. poultry, USDA said it will post on its Web site those antimicrobial treatments more...
China opens door for Canadian beef
China has lifted a ban on imports of Canadian beef, making Canada the first among countries affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy to regain market more...
Chicago firm recalls beef products
Chicago-based Sampco Inc. is recalling approximately 61,000 pounds of cooked canned and frozen beef products that may contain the animal drug Ivermectin more...
CBB weighs in on NCBA, state beef councils
The Cattlemen's Beef Board Executive Committee this week unanimously approved a motion to separate the Federation of State Beef Councils from the National more...
HSUS livestock measure poised for placement on Ohio ballot
Ohioans for Humane Farms, an affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States, said it has more than enough signatures to put an animal-housing initiative more...
ConAgra profit falls on weak food service unit
ConAgra Foods Inc. on Thursday reported a lower fourth-quarter profit, as growth in brands including Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice and Slim Jim more...
USDA: Meeting biofuels targets will take 6.5 percent of cropland
A USDA report issued Thursday on how to meet the U.S. Renewable Fuels Standards mandate to produce 36 billion gallons of renewable transportation fuel more...
Butterball exec to lead USAPEEC
Joel Coleman, vice president and general manager of international sales at Butterball LLC, was elected chairman of the board of the USA Poultry & Egg more...
Applebee’s serves up new chicken, steak skillets
Casual-dining restaurant chain Applebee's said today it is serving up a new lineup of its Sizzling Skillet entrees. Guests have a choice of steak, chicken more...
U.S. Attorney outlines evidence revealed during Rubashkin trial
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Iowa detailed evidence presented during the fraud trial against former Agriprocessors CEO Sholom more...
California firm recalls ground beef on E. coli concerns
South Gate, Calif.-based South Gate Meat Co. has recalled approximately 35,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
Tyson, Iowa Pork Producers pair up for promotion
Tyson Foods announced it is collaborating with the Iowa Pork Producers Association and Fareway Stores Inc. on a pre-Fourth of July cookout promotion. more...
OSHA announces two more meetings on illness and injury prevention
In order to accommodate overwhelming interest, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it will host two more stakeholder meetings more...
Jobbers investigating meat grinder accident
Vernon, Calif.-based Jobbers Meat Packing Co. said it is investigating how an accident occurred early Saturday morning that severed a worker's legs. (See more...
Neb. town votes to ban hiring, renting to illegal immigrants
Fremont, Neb., residents voted Monday night to approve a measure that prohibits hiring or renting property to illegal immigrants, though opponents are more...
Arby's names new head of menu and restaurant innovation
Atlanta-based Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. announced it has named Warren Chang to the newly created position of chief innovation officer for taste, quality more...
Pork Board sends cease-and-desist letter for mythical “new white meat”
The National Pork Board has sent a 12-page cease-and-desist letter to a Web site that offered canned unicorn meat as part of an April Fools' Day joke more...
More cattle placed on feed, but supplies still tight
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.5 million head on more...
USDA says corn ethanol industry is improving energy efficiency
Net energy gain from converting corn to ethanol is improving in efficiency, according to a new USDA report based on data collected in 2005 and 2008. The more...
Neb. town to vote on measure aimed at illegal immigrants
Residents of Fremont, Neb., will vote Monday on a measure that would prohibit hiring or renting property to illegal immigrants, according to a report more...
Fuddruckers to get new owner
Houston-based Luby's Inc., which operates 96 cafeterias, mostly in Texas, announced Friday that it will buy most of the assets of burger chain Fuddruckers more...
Pizza chain slices 2Q earnings guidance
In a sign that the casual-dining sector isn't quite out of the woods yet, California Pizza Kitchen Inc. is predicting lower comparable sales in the second more...
USDA proposed rules aim to protect producers from unfair packers
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has proposed sweeping changes in the way USDA uses its existing authority under the Packers and Stockyards Act that more...
Processors, producers react to bold USDA proposals
Producer groups praised USDA's dramatic proposals aimed at ensuring fair play between livestock and poultry producers and processors, while a group representing more...
Creekstone Farms faces $130,000 fine for OSHA violations
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it alleges that Creekstone Farms Premium Beef exposed workers to a potential more...
Salmonellosis infections prompt recall of frozen products
ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods LLC in Council Bluffs, Iowa, is recalling all Marie Callender's brand Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen meals in commerce, regardless more...
Analysts trim Smithfield forecasts on subdued outlook
Wall Street analysts on Friday tempered their expectations for Smithfield Foods' 2011 earnings performance a day after the pork producer posted a fourth-quarter more...
Smithfield improves fiscal results; moves on hedging, Butterball
Heralding the end of the restructuring of Smithfield Foods' processing operations, CEO C. Larry Pope reported significantly improved results for fiscal more...
JBS to pay $2 million for Pa. plant’s pollution problems
JBS USA will pay $2 million in fines stemming from pollution issues at its beef plant in Souderton, Pa., as part of a settlement with the federal government more...
Sharp drop in chicken prices prompts Sanderson downgrade
Seeing no signs that feed costs or production levels will offset a "precipitous" decline in chicken prices, BB&T Capital analyst Heather Jones on Thursday more...
USDA offers live food safety chats
USDA announced it is now offering live online chats about food safety on its Askkaren.gov Web site. Experts from USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline take more...
U.S. acquisition keys Marfrig’s expansion into China
Marfrig Alimentos S.A. officials said today the Brazilian company plans to use some of the cash it would gain from aquiring Keystone Foods to expand its more...
Judge approves Cargill settlement with E. coli victim
A federal judge on Tuesday approved the settlement agreement jointly announced last month by Cargill Meat Solutions and Stephanie Smith, who was left more...
Certified Angus Beef now just a click away
The Certified Angus Beef brand announced that it now offers online ordering. Steaks and gourmet frankfurters are among the products available online. more...
National Pork Board honors chefs as Vilsack approves board appointees
Adam Wells-Morgan, executive chef of The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia, Mo., won top honors in the Pork Checkoff-sponsored National Taste of Elegance more...
NCBA names new communications VP
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association announced that Kim Cooke will join the organization as vice president of communications effective June 28. Cooke more...
Proposed dietary guidelines take aim at obesity
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee of experts established jointly by USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services has issued its report more...
Bob Evans counters sow costs with sausage price increase
Columbus, Ohio-based food processor and foodservice operator Bob Evans Farms on Tuesday announced it would raise the prices of its retail sausage products more...
National Pork Board elects new leaders, searches for ‘grillers with groupies’
The National Pork Board announced it has elected a new president and vice president who will serve one-year terms effective July 1. Gene Nemechek, a swine more...
Research examines family-dining restaurants
Research from foodservice consultancy Technomic, Inc. shows the family-style restaurant, which offers diverse menus and service across dayparts in a family-friendly more...
FSIS validation guidance should be rewritten: NAMP
Draft guidance issued by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service for in-plant HACCP validation should be rewritten entirely because it does not make more...
Cargill, Meyer unite on ‘go-to-market’ initiative
Cargill and Meyer Natural Foods said today they have entered into a multi-year agreement that aims to expand sales of Meyer Natural Angus and Laura's more...
N.J. processor to expand plant
Rastelli Foods Group has announced plans to roughly triple the size of its plant in Swedesboro, N.J., according to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer more...
CEO Barnes recovering from stroke: Sara Lee
Sara Lee Corp. CEO Brenda Barnes is on temporary medical leave of absence because she is recovering from a stroke, the company said in a news release more...
Sausage icon Jimmy Dean dies at 81
Jimmy Dean, founder of the sausage brand that bears his name and country music singer, dies Sunday at his home in Virginia, at the age of 81, the Associated more...
Wendy’s/Arby’s says unnamed suitor expresses interest
Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc.'s largest shareholder said an unnamed third party has inquired about a possible acquisition of the third-largest fast-food chain more...
Zhongpin to build $63 million plant in eastern China
Chinese pork processor Zhongpin Inc. said today that in August it will begin construction of a new production plant and distribution center in the city more...
Burger chain names new COO
Fast-casual burger chain Smashburger has promoted Greg Creighton to chief operations officer. In this newly created position, Creighton will oversee all more...
Chicken feathers flock together to mop up oil spills
Chicken feathers, if cut to just the right size, will arrange themselves in an interlocking network that can attract and trap oil spilled on a water surface more...
Pilgrim's Pride goes 'local' in Florida
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. and Florida's agricultural department have partnered to introduce "Fresh from Florida" chicken at several leading retailers across more...
USDA boosts forecasts of corn used for ethanol
USDA raised its estimate of corn use for ethanol in the 2009/10 marketing year ending in September by 150 million bushels to 4.55 billion bushels and more...
Cattle, hog prices forecasts lowered on weakened demand
USDA lowered its 2010 price forecasts for cattle and hogs because demand has slackened, the agency said in its monthly World Agriculture Supply and Demand more...
FMD hits Japan’s biggest pork, beef city (updated)
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Japan's Miyazaki prefecture has reached the country's largest production center for beef and pork, according more...
N.Y. processor names new COO, CFO
Bronx, N.Y.-based Diamond Ranch Foods, a meat and poultry processing and foodservice distribution company, said Thursday it has appointed Victor Petrone more...
Down on the farm: Bob Evans hurt by sow costs
Citing record-high sow costs impacting its food products segment and difficult operating conditions in the restaurant segment, Bob Evans Farms late Tuesday more...
Not so fast: Hardee’s offers hand-breaded chicken item
Hardee's has a new chicken tender on its menu—one that's hand-breaded. The new strips, made with chicken breast tenderloins, are dipped in an egg and more...
Senate Ag chair wins primary, but what about Hagen?
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) Tuesday night won a primary runoff election over challenger Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, enabling more...
ConAgra holds memorial a year after NC plant explosion
ConAgra Foods held a private memorial service today at its Garner, N.C. plant for the four people who died in an explosion one year ago, according to more...
‘Justice’ kosher mark nears roll-out (updated)
The Magen Tzedek, a new kosher mark some two years in the making, is several concrete steps closer to fruition, according to the Cornell meat scientist more...
Russian poultry imports plunge in January-April period
Russia imported 70,900 metric tons of poultry meat worth $103.4 million in the January-April period, down 68 percent from the 220,100 metric tons worth more...
Penn State cuts ag science jobs
Penn State University said it is eliminating 10 jobs and dozens of additional positions due to budget shortfalls in its College of Agricultural Sciences more...
Forget in-flight peanuts: Blog highlights meaty masterpieces at U.S. airports
Sure, air fares are high and security lines are long, but one bright spot of your airport layover just might be the food in the terminal, according to more...
Taiwan to inspect U.S. beef slaughter facilities
Taiwan for the first time will send officials to conduct on-site inspections of U.S. meat packers that export beef to Taiwan, Focus Taiwan News quoted more...
Md. officials levy record safety penalties on poultry processor
The Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) unit on Friday announced it had issued citations of major violations against poultry processor Allen more...
Chain claims all-natural beef crown
Chipotle Mexican Grill, known for dishing all-natural meats into its burritos, has announced it now serves only naturally raised beef in its barbacoa more...
ConAgra brand goes country with upcoming sponsorship
ConAgra Foods' Manwich sloppy joe sauce brand on Monday announced its sponsorship of the Country Music Association's Music Festival in Nashville, Tenn more...
USDA sets public meetings on HACCP validation
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced it will hold a series of public meetings starting June 14 to discuss and receive public input on the more...
Judge sides with JBS in Ky. pork plant saga
A judge has scrapped a requirement by city officials in Butchertown, Ky., for JBS to beautify its pork plant property or another site in the neighborhood more...
Casual-dining company’s CEO resigns
O'Charley's Inc. on Friday announced that Jeffrey Warne has resigned as president and chief executive officer and as a member of the company's board of more...
Meat processor lands a starring role on TV network
Most food lovers just watch the Food Network, but the folks at Sadler's Smokehouse saw a prime public relations vehicle in the network's popular "Unwrapped" more...
EPA names Smithfield, JBS execs to advisory board
The EPA announced new members of its Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC) for the 2010-2012 term, including representatives from Smithfield more...
Tyson, feds agree to wage and hour plan for 38,000 workers
Tyson Foods Inc. said today the company and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) have reached an agreement that might provide a model for how some workers more...
Hormel rolls out new snack item
Hormel Foods announced it has introduced Hormel mini BBQ pork sandwiches to deli departments and convenience stores nationwide. The palm-sized sandwiches more...
NPD reports bad, but better, news for foodservice
Restaurant traffic declined for the seventh consecutive quarter in the first quarter of 2010, but the rate of visit losses in some categories began to more...
AMIF makes case for food safety research dollars
American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) Director of Scientific Affairs Betsy Booren told USDA officials Tuesday that food safety is the poultry and more...
What’s that smell?
Grilling season is underway, but drivers along River Highway in Mooresville, N.C., aren't breathing in the aroma of someone's local barbecue. They're more...
FMD outbreak stalls U.S.-Japan beef talks
U.S. and Japanese officials have postponed beef trade discussions amid an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Japan, according to a report by the Jiji more...
(A different) UN agency calls for less meat consumption
The United Nations' Environment Programme (UNEP) is renewing the call for consumers to eat less meat as part of efforts to stem global warming. UNEP's more...
Foster Farms says survey supports salt campaign
Livingston, Calif.-based Foster Farms released a survey it commissioned that showed a big jump in consumer awareness that some raw chicken products have more...
Darling acquires Neb. rendering business
Darling International Inc. said Tuesday the company has completed its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Nebraska By-Products Inc. Based more...
Brazil team to question U.S. processed meat testing methods
Brazil is questioning the methods the United States uses to test processed meat imports in the wake of a recalled JBS S.A. shipment in May. Brazil's Agriculture more...
China lifts ban on imports from Smithfield plant
China has lifted its ban on imports from Smithfield's Tar Heel, N.C., plant for products packed on or after May 17, 2010, according to USDA's Food Safety more...
Hormel expands international team
Hormel Foods Corp. on Tuesday announced that Swen Neufeldt, group product manager, Grocery Products, will advance to vice president of Hormel Foods International more...
Foot-and-mouth disease restricts imports from Japan
The appearance of foot-and-mouth disease among cattle in Japan has prompted USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to restrict imports of Kobe more...
May 2010
Grass-fed perhaps not as healthy as thought: study
Grass-fed beef may not be as healthful as some believe, according to a study conducted at Texas A&M University's AgriLife Research center. Dr. Stephen more...
USDA names new members to NACMCF
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed nine new members and 10 returning members to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria more...
Pork management conference planned for June
The Pork Checkoff with host the 2010 Pork Management conference June 16-18 in Hilton Head, S.C. Presentations will include an update on the We Care industry more...
JBS introduces new Swift Premium products
JBS announced the addition of two new fresh pork products to its Swift Premium line. The line of Swift Premium dry-rubbed pork ribs now includes a new more...
Costco earnings dine on fresh meat
Earnings for the fiscal third quarter for club store giant Costco saw a 46 percent jump, due in part to improving sales of fresh foods, including fresh more...
Dairy cow slaughter program announced
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) announced its tenth herd retirement program since 2003, accepting bids from May 28 through June 25. CWT, funded by more...
Talk about dead meat
The newest gone-viral-on-the-Internet sensation is a meat snack sold in Japan, called "Zombie meat." Basically, it seems, a jerky product made with blue more...
U.S.-Russia poultry deal hinted, but analyst skeptical
U.S. and Russian officials have agreed on four guidelines for resuming poultry trade, according to media reports citing Russian officials. At least one more...
Pilgrim’s Pride to add 1,400 jobs
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and Pilgrim's Pride on Wednesday announced the company will hire as many as 1,400 local workers and invest about $30 million more...
Senator proposes bill to regulate non-O157 E. coli strains
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said she has introduced legislation to require USDA to regulate the six currently unregulated strains of E. coli proven more...
Hagen outlines food safety concerns
Elisabeth Hagen outlined some of the current issues around food safety at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing to consider her appointment as under more...
Eating organic foods not good or bad for you: study
Consuming organic foods does not provide health benefits or harms, according to a systematic review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition more...
NCBA seeks to address firewall concerns
Following a meeting with USDA's Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Edward M. Avalos, executives of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association more...
Hormel to buy back shares
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods announced its board of directors has authorized the repurchase of up to 5 million shares of its common stock. The buyback more...
Analysts weigh in on Sanderson Farms
Three Wall Street analysts raised their earnings forecasts for Sanderson Farms after the company beat expectations with its second fiscal quarter results more...
Hormel names sustainability director
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods announced that Thomas Raymond, manager of environmental engineering, has been named director of environmental sustainability more...
‘Ingredients you can actually pronounce’ star in new deli meat products
Maple Leaf Foods on Wednesday announced the introduction of Natural Selections, deli meats the Toronto-based food processor said are made with "simple more...
Sanderson chief looks at poultry pricing, demand and production
Sanderson Farms Chairman and CEO Joe Sanderson expects some seasonal pricing increases this summer, continued soft foodservice demand for poultry and more...
FSIS proposes changes to carcass air-inflation rules
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said it is proposing changes to federal meat inspection regulations that would allow slaughterhouses to inflate more...
Maple Leaf resurrects sale of pork processing unit
Maple Leaf Foods said today that its pork processing business in Burlington, Ontario, is again up for sale following renewed interest from potential buyers more...
Seeing red: New consumer video explains ground beef color
The American Meat Institute today unveiled a new educational video about the color of ground beef featuring Betsy Booren, director of scientific affairs more...
Beef and beer: A classic pairing enters a new marriage
The Boston Beer Co., best known for its Samuel Adams beer, now wants to be known for another specialty: high-end beef. Samuel Adams announced that it more...
Hormel sees new pork offering everywhere on the menu
Hormel Foods Corp. unveiled its new Always Tender Oven Roasted Pork items for food service at a press conference during the National Restaurant Show in more...
USDA sets compliance guide for mobile slaughter units
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced it has created a compliance guide intended for owners and managers of a new or existing red meat or more...
NTF recognizes three foodservice companies
The National Turkey Federation announced it recognized three foodservice companies for their use of turkey products at the eighth annual T.O.M. (turkey more...
Down, now up? Foodservice roller coaster ride continues
Citing better-than-expected performance in several foodservice segments, research and consulting firm Technomic on Monday adjusted its 2010 U.S. foodservice more...
Chain brings the bacon — and other burger toppings — to Florida (updated)
Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc., is launching a new menu of burgers at 18 locations in two South Florida counties. The six burgers on the "Flavor Built" more...
JBS plant puts brakes on beef exports to U.S. (UPDATED)
JBS S.A. said it has halted exports of beef to the United States from a plant in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo after USDA's Food Safety and Inspection more...
Red meat production down, but beef up slightly in April
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.01 billion pounds in April, down 2 percent from the 4.09 billion pounds produced in April more...
No ‘meat glue’ in the EU
Members of the European Parliament this week voted not to authorize the use of thrombin — so-called "meat glue" — as an additive in meat sold more...
Burger King sets four price points for new rib entrees
Miami-based Burger King officially announced the launch of its Fire-Grilled Ribs in four serving sizes and price points. (See Burger King rolls out a more...
Tyson trumpets plant overhaul, new product line
A two-year conversion of Tyson Fresh Meat's Emporia, Kan., plant from a beef slaughterhouse to a multiple-protein further processing facility has culminated more...
Say goodbye to steep discounts at restaurants?
With signs that the economy may be improving, restaurants will be trying to wean customers off steep discounts and deals with different types of offers more...
New chicken sausage pairs chipotle and mango
Kayem Foods brand al fresco All Natural on Thursday announced the national debut of its Chipotle Chorizo with Mango Chicken Sausage. The fully cooked more...
Meat and greet at White House state dinner
Guests at the White House state dinner honoring Mexican President Felipe Calderon Wednesday night dined on a sumptuous feast featuring Oregon wagyu beef more...
Jennie-O soars as Hormel tops analyst expectations
Crediting stronger commodity meat markets and improved efficiencies, Hormel Foods on Wednesday said its Jennie-O Turkey Store segment improved profits more...
Tyson CEO sees sunny skies ahead
Favorable market conditions that have boosted the bottom lines of meat and poultry processors will continue through next year, Tyson Foods Inc. President more...
Study weighs in on broiler sector competition
Competition is alive and well in the broiler chicken industry and benefits chicken farmers, poultry companies and consumers, according to a study of the more...
AMI hits a triple for processed meats
An appearance Tuesday night on "World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer" by the American Meat Institute's senior vice president of public was just one successful more...
Burger King rolls out a whopper of a rib meal
Miami-based Burger King is launching a new bone-in rib meal this month at the whopping price of $8.99, according to Nation's Restaurant News. A Burger more...
KFC extends popular bunless sandwich offering
Louisville, Ky.-based KFC announced it will extend it "limited time only" KFC Double Down "bunless" chicken sandwich scheduled to end May 23 through the more...
FSIS guidelines aim to reduce E. coli shedding
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a guidance document aimed at preventing E. coli O157:H7 contamination through reduced fecal shedding more...
Big food companies get serious about cutting calories
Sixteen big food companies — including Kraft Foods, Sara Lee, ConAgra Foods and Unilever pledged — pledged to reduce 1.5 trillion calories more...
Walmart puts 300 items back on grocery shelves
Walmart Stores Inc. has returned some 300 products to its grocery shelves, executives said during an call Tuesday with analysts and the media, official more...
Survey says: One age group is way more interested in cooking
Even as the recession eases, four in five Americans say they don't feel like it's receding and seven in 10 say they will continue the savings habits they more...
New consumer video focuses on meat and poultry portion sizes
The American Meat Institute on Tuesday unveiled a new educational video outlining for consumers the proper portion sizes for meat and poultry products more...
China sets date for accepting U.S. pork shipments
China gave official notice on May 13 that it is accepting shipments of U.S. pork produced on or after May 1, according to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection more...
At long last: Date set for food safety chief confirmation hearing
The Senate Agriculture Committee will meet May 26 at 9:30 a.m. to consider Elisabeth Hagen's nomination as USDA's under secretary for food safety, the more...
Tyson Food Service unveils deli sandwich slices
Tyson Food Service announced a new product, Tyson Deli Slices meats, for restaurant and institutions, the company announced in a release. Pre-sliced turkey more...
Kosher poultry deal closes with equity stake
Hain Pure Protein Corp.'s sale of the Kosher Valley brand of kosher poultry products to Empire Kosher Poultry Inc. has been completed, HPP announced in more...
Canadian hogs get government pork
The Canadian government has announced a series of initiatives totaling more than C$15 million, designed to make Canadian hogs more competitive in domestic more...
JBS USA’s beef unit posts record 1Q profit
JBS USA said the company's beef business achieved record-high earnings in its first quarter of 2010 on favorable market conditions such as increased domestic more...
USDA completes new ground beef standards for school lunches
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday that USDA has completed new food safety standards for ground beef purchased by the Agricultural Marketing more...
Fast-food chains limp along as value wars rage on
Wendy's/Arby's posted a first-quarter loss and Jack in the Box Inc's second-quarter earnings fell 40 percent as both quick-service chains struggled to more...
Where in the world is the best steak?
Disappointed by the bland steaks he found even at expensive restaurants and retailers, Canadian journalist Mark Schatzker set out on a three-year, worldwide more...
Ohio processor to close plant
Cincinnati-based Pierre Foods announced it will close its Rome, Ga., plant in August, impacting about 350 workers. Pierre produces a broad line of fully more...
Redesigned green cards incorporate new security features
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has redesigned the Permanent Resident Card — commonly known as the green card more...
AMI to USDA: Don’t fix what isn’t broken
The American Meat Institute is unaware of any data that would support the need to change current policy regarding E. coli follow-up sampling and inspection more...
Whole Foods reports soaring profit, names co-CEO
Whole Foods said its second-quarter profit nearly doubled from a year ago, exceeding expectations, as consumers traded up to more expensive items. The more...
Ham and cheese? PB&J? Consumers demand more from sandwiches
Diners want more variety in sandwiches, according to a new report from foodservice industry consultant Technomic. Only about half of consumers polled more...
Animal welfare group attacks Perdue packaging claims
Perdue Farms' "Humanely Raised" and "Raised Cage Free" labels on chicken product packaging are deceptive and should be removed, according to the Animal more...
USDA poultry research farm gets organic certification
A poultry research farm run by USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Fayetteville, Ark., has become the first of such facilities to receive organic more...
Grass-fed beef purveyor links up with Whole Foods (updated)
Panorama Meats Inc. and Wellshire Farms have announced a new line of organic hot dogs made with grass-fed beef, available exclusively at Whole Foods Markets more...
Grocery chain beefs up grilling options
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has added eight new options to its grilling range, if you're thinking about firing up the ol' barbey. The 14-item grilling more...
Hot dogs — with a twist
Pretzelmaker/Pretzel Time announced the launch of Mini Pretzel Dogs, all-beef hot dogs wrapped in Pretzelmaker's original pretzel dough. The Mini Pretzel more...
USDA predicts record corn crop with plenty to spare
USDA forecast a record 13.37 billion bushel U.S. corn crop and record corn supplies of 15.118 billion bushels in the 2010/11 (September-August) marketing more...
White House asks food makers to do more to fight childhood obesity
The White House released a 120-page report Tuesday outlining ways to fight childhood obesity, including calling on food makers to limit marketing of unhealthy more...
Cargill to build new R&D center
Cargill Meat Solutions has received a $750,000 grant from the Kansas Bioscience Authority (KBA) to help the company build a new research and development more...
New Kraft products include Angus Beef Bologna
Kraft Foods announced that it is highlighting more than 30 new products this week at the 2010 Food Marketing Institute Show in Las Vegas. New offerings more...
Listeria concerns for Canadian RTE products prompt FSIS public health alert
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a public health alert for various ready-to-eat deli meat products because they may be contaminated more...
McDonald’s marketing exec leaves for CEO post
Mary N. Dillon, executive vice president and global chief marketing officer for McDonald's Corp., will leave to take the helm of U.S. Cellular. "We're more...
Tyson raises expectations for beef and pork units
Tyson Foods Inc. said Monday its beef and pork units will make more for every dollar of product they sell as officials offered positive guidance after more...
Zhongpin’s aggressive pork processing expansion continues
China's giant pork processor Zhongpin Inc. updated its massive pork production and distribution expansion plans as it reported increased sales and income more...
Processor debuts chicken bacon
South Fallsburg, N.Y.-based Murray's Chicken announced the debut of a new naturally hardwood smoked chicken bacon product. The uncured, gluten-free product more...
Chicken, value items help boost McDonald’s
It certainly looks like consumers are lovin' it: Global comparable sales at McDonald's rose 4.9 percent in April. Sales at all U.S. restaurants open for more...
Analysts keep the faith, stay positive on chicken
Even with production set to rise, the chicken industry will continue to benefit from tight supplies and rising demand, two Wall Street analysts argued more...
Lack of USDA mark prompts pretzel dog recall
Vienna Beef Ltd. in Chicago is recalling about 49,600 pounds of fully cooked mini pretzel dog products because of misbranding, USDA's Food Safety and more...
Boosted by Oscar Mayer, Kraft profit tops targets
Kraft Foods this week reported stronger than expected first-quarter earnings and credited its Oscar Mayer lunch meat brand for helping boost North American more...
U.S. beef, pork exporters navigating price sensitivity in Asia
A recent uptick in global demand has caused beef and pork prices to rise steadily, which is good news for the U.S. meat industry but also can present more...
Pilgrim’s ramp-up stirs supply worry; Tyson, Sanderson shares hit
Shares of Tyson Foods and Sanderson Farms slumped Thursday along with Pilgrim's Pride after the latter said it would raise output by restarting three more...
Kosher poultry brand sold amid losses
Hain Pure Protein Corp. said Thursday in a news release the company will sell its Kosher Valley poultry brand to Empire Kosher Poultry Inc. In a quarterly more...
Strong retail meats performance fails to reverse Sara Lee loss
Despite strong results from its North American Retail segment, which includes the Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean and Ball Park brands, Sara Lee Corp. on Thursday more...
Almanza continues as FSIS boss
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the appointment of Al Almanza as the agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service administrator, overseeing more...
Second prosciutto recall blamed on listeria fears
International Gourmet in Springfield, Va., is recalling about 70 pounds of prosciutto products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, USDA's more...
Foreign materials fears prompt small chicken salad recall
Boston Salads and Provisions Inc. in Boston is recalling about 40 pounds of Buffalo-style chicken salad products that may contain foreign materials, USDA's more...
Wash. meatpacker pays $750,000 to settle alleged water violations
Washington Beef has agreed to pay a $750,000 civil penalty and will spend about $3 million to install new equipment to resolve alleged wastewater issues more...
HSUS submits signatures for Mo. ballot initiative (updated)
The Humane Society of the United States says it has submitted more than 190,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State's office in support of its more...
Listeria fears prompt small prosciutto recall
Carol Stream, Ill.-based Orlando Greco & Son Imports is recalling approximately 822 pounds of prosciutto products because they may be contaminated with more...
Burger chain celebrates ‘tastes of Hawaii’ in new sandwich
Carl's Jr. on Wednesday announced the launch of the Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich, which aims to build upon the success of the chain's Teriyaki Burger. The more...
JBS clears the air at Neb. beef plant
JBS Swift & Co. said Monday it would spend about $850,000 to combat an odor problem emanating from rendering and blood-drying operations at its Grand more...
Analyst sees blue skies for Tyson, Sanderson Farms
The financial picture looks brighter for Sanderson Farms Inc. and Tyson Foods Inc., according to BB&T Capital Markets equity analyst Heather Jones. In more...
New consumer video explains beef cuts
The American Meat Institute announced Tuesday it has released a new educational video featuring meat scientist Betsy Booren, director of scientific affairs more...
Reductions in solid waste, water use highlight Hormel report
Hormel Foods on Tuesday announced the release of the 2009 Hormel Foods Corporate Responsibility Report, available online here. The report includes details more...
Agriprocessors: The execs’ next trial
Several former Agriprocessors Inc. executives are due to stand trial beginning this week on more than 9,000 charges of violating Iowa state child labor more...
Sausage line gets a new look
Al Fresco All Natural chicken sausage is changing things up with a new logo, website and packaging, accompanied by a new ad campaign. Recipes from Al more...
EPA, USDA to help livestock producers capture methane gas
USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency announced the agencies will provide up to $3.9 million over the next five years to help farms recover and more...
Boston Market debuts new chicken, turkey sliders
Goldon, Colo.-based Boston Market today unveiled "Market Sliders" as the latest addition to the restaurant chain's menu. Boston Market guests can choose more...
Instrument detects poultry spoilage without damaging product
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have designed an instrument that can detect trace amounts of chemical compounds more...
April 2010
DG Foods expands chicken plant, adds 200 jobs
Chicken processor DG Foods is investing $2.78 million in capital improvements to its Gallman, Mississippi, facility to prepare for an expansion that will more...
Allergens prompt stew meat recall
The Murphy House of Louisburg, N.C. is recalling 414 lbs. of Brunswick stew products because they contain cracker meal with undeclared allergens — more...
USDA announces beef, lamb buys for federal food programs
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service will buy $161.4 million worth of foods for federal food and nutrition more...
Culver’s marries cheddar, BBQ in new burger offering
In celebration of National Hamburger Month in May, Culver's quick service restaurant chain is unveiling a new BBQ Cheddar ButterBurger, the company said more...
Walmart’s food safety chief outlines new beef rules
The new beef safety requirements Walmart announced today for its beef suppliers will include asking further processors to validate a 2 log reduction in more...
Improved protein results boost Maple Leaf Foods
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods credited improved results in its protein operations for the first-quarter profit it reported Thursday, although earnings more...
Restaurants not out of the woods yet
Disappointing financial results from some of the restaurant industry's most recession-resilient chains suggest the sector hasn't quite put its woes behind more...
Internet grocer introduces humanely raised beef
Internet grocer Peapod announced it is introducing Heartland Meadow All Natural Meats from Albert's Organics. Peapod is the exclusive home-distributor more...
JBS looks to raise $1 billion
JBS S.A. said it is raising about $1.04 billion through the sale of new voting shares as the company continues efforts to expand global distribution, more...
China’s new tariffs on U.S. poultry don’t impress
The Chinese government's announcement today that it will impose new duties, up to 31 percent, on imports of U.S. poultry is doing little to cause worry more...
Panorama seeks more organic ranchers to meet demand
Vina, Calif.-basked Panorama Meats, Inc. announced it is seeking new ranchers to increase its supply of organic grass-fed and finished cattle to meet more...
Survey: limit or take some meat products off school menus
Americans want hamburgers, chicken nuggets and pizza to make infrequent appearances on school lunch lines, according to a new survey. Three of these foods more...
Butterball names quality director, plant manager
Garner, N.C.-based Butterball, LLC announced it has named Anita Colglazier its director of quality further processing, responsible for quality and food more...
Chicken processor plans 20 percent expansion, 70 new jobs (updated)
Allen Family Foods Inc. plans to boost the capacity of its plant in Harbeson, Del., by 20 percent, to 1.2 million chicken a week, the company said in more...
N.Y. senator wants non-O157 STECs deemed adulterants in beef
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is urging USDA to deem an additional six strains of E. coli as adulterants for which the agency must test in beef products more...
Wal-Mart seen getting even more aggressive on food prices
Wal-Mart is still gaining share against supermarkets in food sales growth, but a slowing of that growth could push Wal-Mart to roll back food prices and more...
AMI teaches parents how to cut a hot dog
The American Meat Institute and the National Hot Dog and Sausage council has posted a video that teaches parents the proper method of preparing hot dogs more...
Amtrak testing new use for beef outside the club car
Amtrak announced it is testing a biodiesel blend that includes a beef byproduct on its daily Heartland Flyer train between Oklahoma City, Okla., and Fort more...
Smithfield caution prompts analyst to revise down — and up
Higher hog prices are bad news in the short run but good news in the long run for Smithfield Foods Inc., JP Morgan analyst Ken Goldman said. In a note more...
Winning bidder emerges in battle to acquire burger chain
CKE Restaurants, which owns the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's burger chains, has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of more...
Tyson promotes Angus beef products with chance at a vacation
Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork business of Tyson Foods, Inc., announced it will offer consumers a chance to win a vacation trip to promote its Star more...
USDA poultry report shows history does not predict the future
Typically, when a protein industry has been profitable for a year, production increases; but USDA's Chicken and Egg report released late Friday showed more...
Applebee’s launches burgers with regional flavors
The newest additions to Applebee's Realburger lineup aim to bring American regional flavors to the table. The Realburgers from Across America, made with more...
Gold’n Plump kicks off plant expansion
Gold'n Plump said today it kicked off construction on an expansion to its Arcadia, Wis., chicken processing plant, representing the final phase of a multi-year more...
Even pork supplies in cold storage declined in March
Pork supplies in freezers as of March 31 fell by 5.5 million pounds, or 1.1 percent, from February, according to USDA's Cold Storage report that also more...
Kosher poultry plant resumes production
Mehadrin Kosher Poultry resumed production on Thursday, after an ammonia leak Tuesday evening prompted an evacuation of the company's 180 or so employees more...
New research results available from USPOULTRY
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has announced that two of its research projects have been completed, and the results are available from the organization more...
Possible E. coli contamination prompts beef trim recall
Beltex Corp. in Fort Worth, Texas, is recalling approximately 135,500 pounds of beef trim products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, USDA's more...
Tyson plant halted by supply shortage
Tyson Foods Inc. has temporarily halted operations at its Rogers, Ark., chicken processing plant due to a lack of supply, the company's spokesman Gary more...
Burger King adds to Value Menu
Burger King Corp. on Thursday announced the addition of the new Buck Double sandwich to its BK Value Menu at locations nationwide. The Buck Double, which more...
Subway immortalizes NFL players-to-be in … lunchmeat
The likenesses of Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh and Clemson's C.J. Spiller were rendered in pepperoni and olives, among other ingredients, at a Subway store more...
Smithfield offers peek at fourth-quarter earnings expectations
Preparing for meetings with investors this week, Smithfield Foods Inc. noted in a news release that its fourth-quarter financial results are expected more...
Ammonia leak adds to Pa. poultry plant’s woes
An ammonia leak Tuesday night forced the evacuation of a Birdsboro, Pa., poultry plant and hospitalized five people, according to a report by the Reading more...
Lovin’ it: McDonald’s announces good financial news
Crediting value menu options such as the recently introduced Breakfast Dollar Menu as well as core favorites like Chicken McNuggets, McDonald's Corp. more...
Meat consumption may impact bladder cancer risks
Scientists at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have found higher risks of bladder cancer in people who eat a lot of red meat, particularly more...
Hormel announces plant closing
Hormel Foods Corp. said in a news release on Tuesday that it plans to close its plant in Turlock, Calif., which makes Valley Fresh canned chicken products more...
China could chop U.S. chicken imports in half: USDA
China may cut imports of U.S. chicken by about 55 percent as anti-dumping tariffs take effect, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service said in a recent report more...
New video tackles salty subject
The American Meat Institute on Tuesday released a new educational video on AMI's YouTube channel about salt's role in meat and poultry products featuring more...
Unilever delivers P.F. Chang’s to freezer section
Get those chopsticks ready: P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Unilever have launched a line of frozen meals. The eight P.F. Chang's Home Menu items are packaged more...
Chick-fil-A adds major U.S. market
After five years of market research and evaluation, Chick-fil-A announced Tuesday that it has started construction on three stand-alone restaurants in more...
Murphy-Brown hit with two discrimination lawsuits
Two female employees of Murphy-Brown LLC last week filed lawsuits alleging "sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation in violation of more...
Ground beef recall expands to six states
WinCo Foods, based in Boise, Idaho, is recalling ground beef sold at all 70 of its stores in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon and Utah. WinCo more...
USDA modifies cattle TB eradication program
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a federal order modifying certain elements of its bovine tuberculosis (TB) eradication more...
N.Y. processor plans acquisitions
Bronx, N.Y.-based Diamond Ranch Foods said Monday is actively pursuing merger and acquisition candidates as the meat and poultry processor and food distributor more...
Mountaire Farms to add 51 jobs in $18 million expansion
Mountaire Farms Inc. will invest $17.9 million and add 51 jobs over the next three years in an expansion of its Lumber Ridge, N.C., poultry plant. Mountaire more...
Calif. Supreme Court sides with industry on labeling
The California Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed a lower court ruling which held that the state's Proposition 65 is expressly preempted by the Federal more...
Sysco announces promotions
Foodservice distributor Sysco Corp. announced that William B. Day, currently senior vice president, merchandising and supply chain, will be promoted to more...
Where the manure hits the road: Mo. experiments with unique asphalt
It's a project that gives the term "road apple" new meaning: The Missouri Department of Transportation has approved as a "lower-grade asphalt binder" more...
CDC report shows drop in E. coli illnesses (Updated)
Government data released Thursday showed significant decreases in the reported incidence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 infections more...
Neb. packer gets $100,000 loan to start operations
Midwest Meat Packing has received a $100,000 loan from local county authorities to help start operations at its Gibbon, Neb., plant, the Kearney Hub reported more...
PETA again pressures kosher processor
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is calling for Alle Processing, one of the country's largest processors of glatt kosher meat products, and more...
Beef, pork exports muscle up in February
Strong expansion in muscle cuts helped U.S. beef and pork exports grow in February, according to USDA statistics compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation more...
Lunchmeat processor announces movie promotion
Lansing, Ill.-based lunchmeat processor Land O'Frost announced it will partner for the second time with Marvel Entertainment LLC on a national promotion more...
Tyson ordered to pay plant manager for sex discrimination
A jury has ordered Tyson Foods Inc. to pay a former female plant manager nearly $709,000 after finding that the company discriminated against her based more...
Sadler’s Smokehouse says its meals are now healthier
Frisco, Texas-based Sadler's Smokehouse announced it has reduced sodium in some of its refrigerated entrees and will soon debut new packaging to highlight more...
FSIS revises list of suitable ingredients
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued FSIS Directive 7120.1, Revision 2: Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of more...
Actress promotes humanely raised meats
Actress Tiffani Thiessen, who currently stars in USA Network's series "White Collar" and previously had roles on series including "Saved by the Bell" more...
Audit finds USDA falls short on tracking residue in beef
A March audit report by USDA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded that the agency, along with the Food & Drug Administration and the Environmental more...
Cargill fires on all cylinders, doubles profit
Cargill on Tuesday said net earnings in the company's fiscal third quarter ended Feb. 28 nearly doubled on gains in all five of its business segments more...
New Oscar Mayer lunch product promises to cure ‘case of the Mondays’
Calling them a way to help consumers cure a "case of the Mondays," Kraft Foods brand Oscar Mayer announced the debut of new Deli Creations Cracker Combinations more...
Green ham (no eggs): Hormel announces sustainability results
Hormel Foods Corp. has announced progress with environmental sustainability projects currently in place at U.S. facilities. Specifically, the company more...
For a change, some positive signs for foodservice
There are some signs the U.S. foodservice industry is poised for a recovery, market research firm the NPD Group reported. NPD research that measures same-store more...
Pilgrim’s Pride to close HQ, Atlanta offices; plans layoffs
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced Monday that it will close its corporate headquarters building in East Texas and a satellite corporate office in Atlanta more...
National Beef raises 2Q profit by $19 million
National Beef Packing Co. said Friday it boosted profits by $19 million during its fiscal second quarter on lower costs and steady beef demand and live more...
Sanderson Farms’ expansion bolsters confidence in poultry
Following Sanderson Farms' announcement that it will build a new poultry complex in Goldsboro, N.C., that eventually will boost production by 30 percent more...
Pizza chain considering sale, merger, other options
Casual-dining pizza chain California Pizza Kitchen on Monday announced that its board of directors has authorized management to "consider a wide range more...
Perdue perpetrated illegal immigrant ‘hiring scheme,’ lawsuit alleges
A class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Perdue Farms Inc. workers alleges the company knowingly hired illegal immigrants. The suit, filed in the U.S more...
USDA predicts more beef, chicken and corn
USDA forecast higher U.S. meat production in 2010 as higher beef and poultry output more than offset lower pork production, but also raised its price more...
Tesco Fresh & Easy stores add new line
British grocer Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market announced it has launched a new line of more nutritious products to help customers manage their more...
Meat supplier gets aggressive in resolving unpaid bill
Facing a restaurant's unpaid bill, a meat supplier in Germany took matters — and steaks — into his own hands. According to published reports more...
Tyson to add jobs at Tenn. poultry plant
Tyson Foods Inc. said in a news release Wednesday the company is soon to begin improvements designed to streamline operations and add jobs at its poultry more...
Ammonia leak forces evacuation of Pa. pork plant
An ammonia leak Wednesday afternoon forced the evacuation of U.S. Pork Packers' plant in Hazleton, Pa., according to a report by local newspaper Standard more...
Comment period extended on draft guidance for HACCP validation
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service confirmed that the agency will extend the comment period on its Draft Guidance: HACCP System Validation until more...
U.S., Japan talk about talking about beef issue
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday after a meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Hirotaka Akamatsu, that the two sides agreed to continue more...
Egg sets hop to highest rate in two years
While a jump in egg sets in March to the highest average weekly rate in two years raises eyebrows in the meat industry, broiler producers still have little more...
U.S.-Brazil cotton deal has beef, pork implications
The United States and Brazil have agreed on a plan to settle a dispute on U.S. cotton subsidies that includes the possible re-entry of Brazilian beef more...
Burger chain giant gets second buyout offer
Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants, which owns Hardee's and Carl's Jr., announced it received a second takeover offer from a new party that could more...
Japan’s desire for pork branding bodes well for U.S. exporters
U.S. pork industry officials touring Japan this week said intense competition for market share in that export market has led to a proliferation of branding more...
Another city supports meat-free initiative
San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted to designate every Monday as "Veg Day" to "encourage restaurants, grocery stores and schools to offer a greater more...
SRM concerns prompt beef head recall
North American Bison Co-Op in New Rockford, N.D., is recalling approximately 25,000 pounds of whole beef heads containing tongues that may not have had more...
Boston-area processor goes to bat for Florida baseball team
Chelsea, Mass.-based Kayem Foods on Tuesday announced a new multi-year sponsorship and licensing agreement to manufacture and distribute Kayem Beef Hot more...
Updated animal welfare guide adds transportation guidelines
The American Meat Institute Foundation's "2010 Animal Care & Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide: A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare," has added more...
KFC promotes ‘most buzzworthy new product ever'
Quick-service restaurant chain KFC is touting the April 12 nationwide debut of the Double Down, its first bunless chicken sandwich that KFC said has generated more...
Meatingplace webinar to address yield, ROI in sausage processing
The making of cooked sausages, more than any other meat product, involves many steps in which processors may be getting less-than-optimal results, cutting more...
Tyson blasts jury’s decision to award poultry growers $7.3 million
Tyson Foods Inc. said it was "extremely disappointed" by a jury's decision to award 10 poultry growers in Oklahoma a $7.3 million verdict for what they more...
FPSA plays latest card in trade show showdown
The Food Processing Suppliers Association announced that, beginning in November, 2011, it will transition to a biennial show in Chicago. The announcement more...
Tyson launches low-cost foodservice chicken product
Tyson Food Service said it has launched a new line of value-added chicken items designed to lower foodservice food costs by up to 20 percent as compared more...
No joke: Jack Link’s partners with news satire outlet
The Onion may focus on parodies of the news, but it's not joking about its advertising partnership with meat snack processor Jack Link's. Minong, Wis more...
Blaze renders N.C. poultry plant inoperable
House of Raeford Farms officials and local authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that ravaged the company's Maxton, N.C., poultry plant late more...
Vilsack visits meat plant to highlight jobs
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Morton, Ill.-based RMH Foods on Friday to highlight job creation and retention from the American Recovery and more...
College students chow down on local beef
Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., announced this week it began serving local beef burgers in four campus eateries, another sign that younger consumers more...
White Castle names COO
Columbus, Ohio-based White Castle System Inc. named Lisa Ingram chief operating officer of the 421-unit budget-priced burger chain. Ingram, a fourth-generation more...
Pork Checkoff offers twists on traditional Easter ham
Sixty-seven percent of households plan to celebrate Easter with a ham dinner this year, according to the National Pork Board, but research also indicates more...
Salami maker sues spice companies tied to salmonella outbreak
Daniele International Inc. has filed a lawsuit against two companies that supplied the salami maker with contaminated spices linked to an outbreak of more...
NRA Restaurant Performance Index reflects good news, bad news
The National Restaurant Association's February Restaurant Performance Index, a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U more...
McDonald’s Canada thinks small
Downsizing is impacting the menu even at one of the world's largest restaurant chains, as McDonald's Canada announced the national debut of McMini sandwiches more...
AMI expands worker safety, HR and environment conference
New, expanded and updated sessions will be featured at the American Meat Institute Foundation's 2010 Conference on Worker Safety, Human Resources and more...
Outback to offer low-cal entrees alongside the Bloomin’ Onion
OSI Restaurant Partners will roll out low-calorie and smaller entrees at it Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill chains as it attempts to attract more...
March 2010
Corn, soybean prices fall on planting forecasts
A pair of USDA reports showed plenty of corn and soybeans on hand now and that farmers are expecting to plant more of both, sending corn and soybean prices more...
Group helps processors respond to HACCP validation proposals
New USDA proposals that would mandate more in-plant validation of HACCP and prerequisite programs has groups representing smaller processors very concerned more...
Quick-service restaurants: Leading upswing or continuing downturn?
Quick-service restaurants saw some improvement in the last quarter of 2009, according to new research from the NPD Group, even as foodservice across the more...
New turkey burger brings Thanksgiving flavors to grilling season
Just in time for summer grilling season, Koch's Turkey Farm is launching a cranberry turkey burger. The burgers are made with Koch's turkey, raised without more...
Fla. chain names new CEO
Tampa, Fla.-based sports pub franchise Beef 'O' Brady's announced it has appointed 30-year foodservice veteran Chris Elliott as its CEO. In a news release more...
Bomb found in employee locker at Hormel plant
A homemade bomb found in an employee locker at a Hormel plant in Fremont, Neb., was removed and diffused on Monday, according to the Nebraska State Patrol more...
U.S. pork exporters to Russia get official go-ahead
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Tuesday that Farmland Foods' Milan, Mo., slaughterhouse is now eligible to ship to Russia pork products more...
China finalizes resumption of U.S. pork imports
U.S. pork exporters can ship product to China following final revisions Friday and Monday announced by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Changes more...
NCBA appoints working groups for new governance structure
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association has appointed three groups to continue development of an improved governance concept, which NCBA's board of more...
AVMA tells Congress antibiotics are ‘vital’ to protect livestock
The American Veterinary Medical Association briefed Congress Monday on the need for using antibiotics to prevent and treat disease in companion animals more...
Hogs and Pigs report seen as positive for Smithfield
Smithfield Foods, as the largest U.S. hog producer, may be set to benefit from Friday's bullish Hogs and Pigs report, according to Wall Street analysts more...
La Cense Beef partners with Glacier Park for burger service
Dillon, Mont.-based grassfed beef purveyor La Cense Beef said today it has partnered with Glacier Park Inc., a concessioner in Glacier National Park, more...
Burger King adds two new sausage items to breakfast menu
Quick-service restaurant chain Burger King on Monday announced two new additions to its breakfast menu: the BK Breakfast Muffin sandwich and the BK Breakfast more...
New USTR chief ag negotiator named as one of Obama recess appointments
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk today announced Dr. Isi Siddiqui is USTR's new chief agricultural negotiator. Siddiqui already had been pegged more...
Junk food = heroin? That’s what one study concludes
Eating high-fat, high-calorie foods in excess led to compulsive habits similar to addiction to drugs like heroin, cocaine or nicotine, according to a more...
AMI weighs in on fat/lean ground meat labeling
Ground meat labels should use "% lean/% fat" claims only to identify the type of product to the consumer and not be misconstrued as health claims, the more...
Industry groups criticize proposed ethanol tax credit extension
A coalition of industry groups including the American Meat Institute spoke out against a proposed bill from Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) that would extend more...
Organic food sales poised for strong comeback with economy: survey
Shoppers spent less on natural and organic foods last year as the recession took its toll, but sales should bounce back strongly in the next three years more...
Brinker to sell On the Border chain; boosts sales forecast
Brinker International Inc. has announced plans to sell its On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina chain of 160 restaurants to an affiliate of Golden Gate more...
Burger King looks to capitalize on search error messages
Error messages for failed online searches are an annoyance for most Web surfers, but quick-service restaurant chain Burger King sees them as a marketing more...
Senator introduces Meat Safety and Accountability Act
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) on Wednesday proposed the Meat Safety and Accountability Act, which would mandate quicker, more extensive actions by USDA inspectors more...
USDA seeks comment on new food safety rules for processors
USDA announced it is seeking comment on proposed food safety requirements for meat processors that would implement a provision of the 2008 farm bill. more...
ConAgra stock tumbles on disappointing Q3 sales
Shares of ConAgra Foods Inc. fell sharply on Thursday after the maker of Slim Jim meat snacks and Hebrew National hot dogs reported a dip in third-quarter more...
Zhongpin begins $6.3 million expansion of pork plant
Chinese meat and food processor Zhongpin Inc. said it has begun to expand and upgrade the company's pork plant in the city of Anyang. The company is spending more...
Technomic report details restaurant downturn, but some bright spots remain
The 500 largest U.S. restaurant chains posted a 0.8 percent annual sales decline in 2009, while U.S. systemwide sales for those chains dropped to an estimated more...
Cargill pork plants approved by Russia (UPDATED)
Russia has reinstated two Cargill pork plants among the country's eligible exporters. Eleven other major U.S. pork slaughterhouses that the country had more...
Analyst raises ratings for Tyson, Sanderson; ups forecast for Sanderson
Just a few weeks after cutting stock ratings for Tyson Foods and Sanderson Farms to "hold," BB&T Capital Markets analyst Heather Jones raised them back more...
UN to revisit calculation of livestock-produced GHGs
A comparison central to the argument that livestock production results in excessive greenhouse gas emissions may be wrong, the United Nations' Food and more...
Wornick names new development chef
Cincinnati, Ohio-based Wornick Co., which makes shelf-stable foods primarily for the military, has named Paul Sturkey as development chef for the company's more...
Nebraska meat processing plant sells for less than $1 million
The group that plans to turn a former Premium Protein Products plants in Hastings, Neb., into a kosher slaughter plant has now agreed to buy PPP's further more...
Dakota Provisions receives approval to build rendering plant
City officials in Huron, S.D., have approved a proposal by turkey processor Dakota Provisions to construct a rendering plant that will make pet food out more...
Dickson named NAMP Top Educator
The North American Meat Processors Association has honored Dr. James Dickson, a meat science professor at Iowa State University, with the Harry L. Rudnick more...
NMA, CMMA announce affiliation
The National Meat Association and the Chicago Midwest Meat Association have announced an affiliation, effective immediately, to share resources in representing more...
USDA hits the road for Child Nutrition Act
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA will be holding a series of school nutrition events across the country to highlight the Obama Administration's more...
Increased chicken prices plump up confidence in Tyson, Sanderson
Expecting that higher-than-expected chicken prices over the past two weeks will be sustainable, J.P. Morgan analyst Ken Goldman raised his earnings-per-share more...
Chefs to processors: Tell us your story
Foodservice customers want beef, pork and poultry processors to tell them more about the proteins they are buying — where the animal lived, how more...
Cattle placed on feed slightly higher than expected
Cattle placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.67 million, down 0.8 percent from a year ago, according to USDA's monthly Cattle on Feed report more...
State Fair Brand corn dogs roll out home giveaway
Sara Lee Corp.'s State Fair corn dogs brand has launched a new promotion, which will give one lucky consumer $500,000 toward the purchase of a dream home more...
JBS to buy Rockdale Beef of Australia
Brazil's JBS SA, the world's largest beef processor, said it has agreed to buy Australia-based Rockdale Beef for an undisclosed price. Rockdale has slaughtering more...
Salmonella incidence rises, focuses FSIS’ attention (UPDATED)
CHICAGO — Of the estimated 286,040 cases of human illness associated with meat, poultry and egg products inspected by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection more...
USDA setting pathogen baselines for cattle, hogs, poultry
USDA is testing cattle, hog, chicken and turkey carcasses to reset existing pathogen testing baselines and plans to create baselines for beef trim, other more...
Retail demand for chicken headed up: analyst
After a strong January but a slump in February, retail demand for chicken has rebounded this month, although food service demand hasn't budged, Stephens more...
Judge rules Foster Farms violated U.S. labor laws
Foster Farms violated federal law in 2007 when it granted workers better sick leave and vacation benefits to dissuade them from supporting a union at more...
Cargill to build new poultry plant in Russia
Cargill plans to begin construction of a poultry processing plant in the Tula region of Russia this summer, the company confirmed to Meatingplace. Wendy more...
New video focuses on consumer food safety at the grocery store
The Food and Drug Administration has released a new video with information for consumers about safe food-handling practices at the supermarket. FDA Consumer more...
Denny’s plans expansion via truck stops
Denny's Corp. has signed an agreement with Pilot Travel Centers to install Denny's restaurants in as many as 140 of the truck stops that Pilot operates more...
Kraft to cut sodium by 10 percent across North American portfolio
Kraft Foods on Wednesday announced plans to reduce sodium by an average of 10 percent across its North American portfolio over the next two years. This more...
Senators' food bills align with Obama agenda
It's hard to find a food-related news release these days that doesn't reference locally-sourced food, school lunch and First Lady Michelle Obama's child more...
USDA issues warning on Canadian RTE deli meats
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a public health alert due to illnesses possibly associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) deli meat products more...
Officials talk U.S. pork, poultry developments in Russia
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday the first shipments of U.S. pork to Russia since the two countries reached a new trade agreement earlier more...
Michigan proclaims meat-free day
Touting the benefits of a plant-based diet including "increased energy levels, lower food budget costs and simplified food preparation and cleanup," Michigan more...
HVP-related recalls prompt labeling guidance from FSIS
Following recent recalls involving hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), companies may need to revise product formulations and labeling of products containing more...
Rubashkin takes case to Supreme Court
Lawyers for Sholom Rubashkin last Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review his conviction in the District Court of Northern Iowa, in hopes that the more...
Vilsack to meet with Japanese ag minister on trade
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will travel to Japan April 5-9 to meet with Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Hirotaka Akamatsu more...
Darden sees opportunity to add 1,000 new restaurants
Despite the recession's wallop on the foodservice industry, Darden Restaurants Inc. is laying out a sizable growth plan that speaks to confidence in the more...
Conference to focus on sourcing school food
School foodservice directors, food companies, government agency partners and community activists will gather in Chicago March 25-27 at the University more...
Canada hiring meat and poultry inspectors to meet USDA rules
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is beefing up its meat and poultry inspection after a request from USDA officials to increase inspection frequency more...
Slow variety meat demand weighs down January beef, pork exports
Relatively strong U.S. beef and pork muscle cut exports were offset by a poor offal market, according to the most recent USDA data compiled by the U.S more...
Quiznos aims at new daypart with convenience store breakfast
A new day is dawning at the nation's 175 Quiznos locations within convenience stores as the sandwich chain launches a new breakfast strategy. The chain more...
AVMA offers loans to fight food-animal vet shortage
The American Veterinary Medical Association said it has launched the Food Animal Veterinarian Recruitment and Retention Program to provide student loan more...
USDA sets deadlines for biomass funding applications
USDA announced funding available through three USDA programs to promote increased biomass and bioenergy production, including that produced from animal more...
Hog outlook improving for Smithfield: analysts
The future looks brighter for Smithfield Foods in 2011 if hog production margins continue to improve, Wall Street analysts said in the wake of the company's more...
Tyson Food Service launches new chicken breast filets
Restaurants have two new chicken choices from Tyson Food Service: Tyson True and Tyson True Tenderpressed chicken breast filets. Tyson True breast filets more...
USDA to propose expanding poultry loan guidance to include pork operations
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA will expand guidance currently in place for loans to contract poultry operations meant to protect more...
National Pork Board crafts vision statement, evaluates brand position
A new vision statement based on a strategic five-year plan developed by the National Pork Board focuses on "leading a world-class food industry" and lists more...
Meatingplace honored with two Neal awards
Meatingplace has been honored with two 2010 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards by American Business Media. ABM, the New York-based association more...
Smithfield posts first profitable quarter since 2008
Smithfield Foods Inc. said Thursday it recorded its first quarterly profit since 2008 as its hog production businesses slashed losses and its packaged more...
ICE rounds up 17 at Neb. meatpacking plant (UPDATE)
Federal immigration agents on Tuesday took into custody 17 people as part of an ongoing probe of a Nebraska meatpacking plant. U.S. Immigration and Customs more...
Laura’s Lean Beef, Meyer Natural Angus merge operations
Meyer Natural Foods' two core beef brands, Laura's Lean Beef and Meyer Natural Angus, have announced that they will share operations. Both brands had more...
Ingredients: the new food safety scourge?
Two giant recalls plaguing the food industry did not come from the kill floor. They came from pepper and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Illnesses related more...
USA Today article points to ‘lag time’ in beef recall notification to schools
In its latest installment of a series of articles examining ground beef safety in the nation's schools, USA Today published a story Wednesday about the more...
Premium Protein Products plant sold
The former Premium Products Plant in Hastings, Neb., will have a new owner, according to a report by the Lincoln Journal Star. Hastings Acquisitions LLC more...
Superior Farms debuts new retail lamb products designed for grilling
Davis, Calif.-based lamb processor Superior Farms announced the launch of its Mediterranean Grill line, lamb products designed for grilling that retail more...
NPPC elects new officers and board members
The National Pork Producers Council at its annual meeting in Kansas City, Mo., elected new officers and members to its board of directors. Taking over more...
Miami equity firm acquires chicken and sausage processors
Miami-based private equity investment firm HIG Capital LLC said Monday it has acquired Albertville Quality Foods and Southern Quality Meats. The former more...
Consumers weigh in about what makes a good meat label
ORLANDO, Fla. — The meat case is still a confusing place for many shoppers, but the right kinds of labels can help them, according to the second more...
Red Robin adds directors, sets search committee for new CEO
Greenwood Village, Colo.-based casual dining chain Red Robin Gourmet Burgers said its board of directors has agreed to set up a committee to search for more...
S. Korea starts tracking imported beef
South Korea on Monday launched a tracking system for imported beef to provide country-of-origin information to consumers and enhance recall procedures more...
JBS to focus on debt reduction in 2010
JBS S.A. said today the company, having finalized recent mergers and acquisitions, is focused on improving its financials in order to achieve an investment-grade more...
Tyson investigating worker death
Tyson Foods Inc. is investigating the death of a maintenance worker at the company's Houston plant. "We have few details at the moment, but can tell you more...
Analyst brightens Smithfield forecasts on strong margins
BB&T Capital Markets has improved its Smithfield Foods earnings forecasts for both 2010 and 2011 on improved margins and futures prices that imply an more...
Retail meat and poultry purchases normalizing, annual survey shows
ORLANDO, Fla. — With restaurant visits on the decline, food retailing grew its share of total production among most proteins for the first time more...
Russian reopens its doors to U.S. pork imports, USDA announces
Russia and the United States have reached an agreement paving the way for shipments of U.S. pork products to resume, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack more...
Fire halts production at Tyson pork plant
Tyson Foods Inc. has temporarily suspended operations at its pork plant in Logansport, Ind., after the building was damaged by fire this morning, spokesman more...
Keystone Foods cuts 295 poultry jobs (Updated)
Keystone Foods said it is eliminating a total of 70 salaried and 225 hourly positions across its U.S. poultry division as part of a cost-reduction plan more...
HSUS-backed animal cruelty bill introduced
U.S. Reps. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) and Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) this week introduced the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act to set rules around confinement more...
Premium Standard plans to appeal $11 million award
Premium Standard Farms said Friday that it will appeal this week's jury decision to award 15 plaintiffs a total of more than $11 million in damages stemming more...
ConAgra to close Slim Jim plant, cut 500 jobs in N.C.
ConAgra Foods Inc. said it will close its damaged Slim Jim plant in Garner, N.C., and transfer production of the meat snacks to a facility in Troy, Ohio more...
Pilgrim’s Pride worker deliberately damaged equipment: police
Police in Franklin County, Ala., said a disgruntled worker took out his frustrations on machinery at the local Pilgrim's Pride plant, according to a newspaper more...
Federal agency meeting to focus on measuring food safety progress
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service will host a joint more...
NuVal scoring systems seen as useful for hypertension
The NuVal Nutritional Score System corresponds with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet (DASH) recommended for consumers with high-blood more...
Environmentalists sue Perdue for polluting Chesapeake Bay
A Maryland environmental activist group has filed suit in federal district court against Perdue Farms and one of the poultry company's local contract more...
Beef products recalled on E. coli concerns
Asheboro, N.C.-based Randolph Packing Co. Inc. is recalling about 96,000 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the USDA's more...
Tight protein supplies are ‘key’: Tyson official
Tyson Foods Chief Operating Officer Jim Lochner and Chief Financial Officer Dennis Leatherby told investors today at the CLSA AsiaUSA conference in San more...
Idaho looking to get ahead of HSUS on poultry
The Idaho Senate approved a bill that would set up a Livestock Care Standards Board in a move similar to one taken in Ohio to get out ahead of potential more...
Pork Checkoff works with Darden on pork recipes
The Pork Checkoff recently made a presentation at Darden Restaurants Inc.'s new Orlando, Fla., headquarters about possible new pork dishes at the foodservice more...
Sara Lee updates earnings guidance as share repurchase begins
Sara Lee Corp. on Tuesday added 2 cents per share to its earnings per share guidance for fiscal 2010, updating its expected EPS to $1.02 to $1.07, as more...
USDA to spend $6.5 million to boost quality, oversight of school lunch
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday that USDA will dole out $6.5 million in grants to seven state agencies for training and technology projects more...
Brasil Foods to increase exports
Brasil Foods said Monday it expects meat exports to increase between 3 percent and 5 percent in 2010, but sales of pork and poultry to key foreign markets more...
CDC director endorses sodium limits — voluntary or otherwise
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Thomas Frieden, wrote of the importance of limiting sodium as an ingredient — more...
Foodservice group announces Silver Plate Award winners
The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association has named nine operator executives from across the nation as recipients of the 2010 Silver Plate more...
Bubba Foods to buy, upgrade Armour-Eckrich plant
Bubba Foods LLC said it has entered into an agreement to buy the Armour-Eckrich production plant in Hastings, Neb., to meet growing demand for its BUBBA more...
Australia lifts nine-year BSE ban
Australia has lifted a nine-year ban on imports of beef from countries where cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy occurred, but new protocols will more...
Washington Post spotlights manure as pollutant
In a Monday front-page story, the Washington Post examined the growing issue of animal manure as a water pollutant, and traced the fault back to high-density more...
Chipotle to make food-origin film for kids
Fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexico Grill said it is working with Aubin Pictures to produce a documentary film called "What's On Your Plate?" more...
Increasing chicken hatchings gives one analyst pause
In USDA's January Chicken and Eggs report released on Friday the agency said the number of broiler-type pullets (young breeding hens) hatched rose by more...
February 2010
Salmonella linked to red pepper from outside meat plant
A New York spice distributor has recalled 25-pound boxes of crushed red pepper due to possible salmonella contamination as tests at meat processor Daniele more...
Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s parent to be sold
Private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL) announced a definitive merger agreement to buy CKE Restaurants Inc. for approximately $928 million, including more...
EPA orders corrective action on ammonia leaks
The federal Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Columbus Salame, a South San Francisco-based processor, to replace faulty equipment and improve more...
Speakers and agenda for NAMP E. coli mini-conference announced
Dan Engeljohn of the FSIS Office of Policy and Program Development has been added to the program for the E. coli O157:H7 Mini-Conference on March 18 at more...
State bird campaign out to ruffle some feathers
A grassroots campaign in Georgia aims to give the Cornish Chicken its due by elevating the Southern cultural icon and engine of the state's economy to more...
Global demand to boost protein profits in 2010: Fitch
Expected growth in global demand for animal proteins from increased exports and improving restaurant traffic in 2010 portends profitability for Tyson more...
Feds put veal calf dealer out of business
A Maryland veal calf dealer will close his business after being charged with repeatedly violating federal law and U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations more...
Poultry ready-to-cook weights down 3 percent
Poultry certified wholesome during January (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.30 billion pounds, down 3 percent from the amount certified in January 2009 more...
Novelty meat company promotes ‘choke-proof’ hot dog
Calling it the "American Academy of Pediatrics Special," Chicago-based Gorilla Tango Novelty Meats is offering its Big Hot Dog — which weighs 7 more...
Sen. Boxer, CSPI push USDA for limits on ‘pumped-up’ poultry
Legislators and consumers seek to turn up the heat on USDA over the amount of salt water that poultry processors are allowed to inject into poultry products more...
Improved protein performance boosts Maple Leaf Foods’ earnings
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods on Wednesday announced profits for both the fourth quarter and full year ended Dec. 31, thanks largely to what President more...
Jennie-O Turkey Store launches wellness site
Hormel subsidiary Jennie-O Turkey Store has introduced a new Web site designed for health-conscious consumers. The site, WellnessDaily.com, offers a variety more...
Poll examines attitudes about food-related illnesses
Forty-two percent of Americans said they have become sick over the past two years from what they attribute (at least in part) to something they ate, according more...
Smithfield names Treacy 'chief sustainability officer'
Smithfield Foods Inc. has promoted Dennis H. Treacy to senior vice president of corporate affairs and the company's first chief sustainability officer more...
Sanderson earnings rise on prices; China, Russia loom
Sanderson Farms reported improved sales and earnings in its first quarter ended Jan. 31 as strong retail demand boosted chicken prices while reduced feed more...
Hormel introduces Turkey Pepperoni Minis
Hormel Foods announced the debut of Turkey Pepperoni Minis, bite-sized rounds that contain 70 percent less fat than regular pepperoni. The new product more...
Turkey Bubba Burger debuts
Bubba Burger announced the debut of a turkey version of its frozen burgers. Turkey Bubba Burgers are made of 100 percent all-natural white turkey. With more...
Food safety chat available via Twitter
Christine Bruhn, director of consumer research at the University of California, Davis, will participate in a live chat via Twitter Feb. 24 from 10 a.m more...
Pediatricians call for hazard labels on hot dogs, other foods
The official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics has a new policy calling for the federal Food and Drug Administration to require warning labels more...
JBS raises nearly $2 billion from debenture sale
JBS S.A. said late Friday it has raised $1.93 billion after closing a second allocation of convertible debentures, according to a report by Dow Jones more...
Cattle on Feed report shows more cattle than expected
USDA's monthly Cattle on Feed report showed that on Feb. 1 there were more cattle on feed, more cattle placed on feed and more cattle marketed than analysts more...
Burger King launches new premium burgers, new broiler technology
Burger King Corp. announced on Monday the launch of the Steakhouse XT premium burger line, which boasts flame-broiled burgers the company says are 30 more...
CKE launches popular Carl’s Jr. burger at Hardee’s
CKE Restaurants announced it is introducing the Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger, launched at Carl's Jr. in late January, at its sister-chain Hardee's as the more...
Hormel results dazzle, but analysts see challenges ahead
Hormel Foods' exceptionally strong first-quarter results delighted Wall Street this week, but rising hog prices will pose challenges, analysts said, even more...
NMA and NGA combine convention forces
The National Meat Association and the National Grocers Association have announced that they will co-locate their annual conventions in 2011, according more...
HSUS cleared to circulate petitions for Ohio animal handling initiative
The Ohio Ballot Board has certified the Humane Society of the United States to circulate petitions in an effort to place an initiative on the state ballot more...
Price hike seen for Burger King’s $1 double cheeseburger
It's looking like Burger King's $1 double cheeseburger soon will cost a little bit more. Burger King Holdings Inc. plans to raise the price of the sandwich more...
Hormel profit jumps on strong canned meat, Mexican sales
Hormel Foods Corp. posted a surprisingly strong 37 percent rise in fiscal first-quarter profit on Thursday, getting a boost from sales of its canned meat more...
Sanderson Farms sets sights on continued growth in fiscal 2010
Short-term challenges such as volatile export markets and soft foodservice demand did not deter Sanderson Farms officials from expressing confidence today more...
Wal-Mart profit up, but outlook sketchy
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. reported higher net income for its fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal year 2010, ended Jan. 31, but indicated that the upcoming months more...
Meatingplace launches worker safety blog
Meatingplace is pleased to add worker safety expert Steve Sayer to our distinguished line-up of meat and poultry industry professionals with a blog titled more...
Salami recall expands for third time as salmonella illness count grows
Rhode Island-based Daniele International Inc. is expanding for the third time its Jan. 23 recall to include an additional 115,000 pounds of salami/salame more...
Perdue unveils 'process verified' chicken
Perdue Farms Inc. is introducing all-natural chicken products bearing the USDA Process Verified Seal in stores in North Carolina, the company said in more...
Sara Lee announces share repurchases
Sara Lee Corp. said Tuesday its board of directors revised capital plans with new dividend targets and a clearer plan for how to use proceeds from the more...
Whole Foods' 1Q profit jumps 79 percent
Whole Foods Market said earnings during the company's first fiscal quarter increased 78.7 percent, compared with the same period a year ago. The Austin more...
Oscar Mayer helps Kraft triple 4Q earnings
Strong performances by Oscar Mayer products helped Kraft Foods Inc. more than triple earnings in the company's fourth fiscal quarter. Kraft said Tuesday more...
ConAgra sets repurchase program
ConAgra Foods announced a $500 million share repurchase program and reaffirmed its earnings guidance to investors at the Consumer Analyst Group of New more...
Land O’Frost targets busy moms with new social networking push
The nation's third largest lunchmeat brand is going digital to connect with the primary sandwich maker in many homes: mothers. Land O'Frost has launched more...
Philly-Gourmet launches new turkey patties
A new product is taking wing at Philly-Gourmet Meat Company, which has added frozen, ready-to-cook turkey patties to its lineup of frozen convenience more...
Foodservice distributor founder dies in helicopter crash
Thomas Stewart, founder, chairman and CEO of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Services Group of America, died Sunday in a company helicopter crash in Arizona along more...
International chief leaves Tyson
Richard Greubel, the president of Tyson Foods Inc.'s international operations, has announced that he will leave the company at the end of the month to more...
Agri Star loses one of its kosher certifications
Postville, Iowa-based Agri Star Meat and Poultry LLC has lost the Supreme Kosher certification of its glatt kosher meats, according to news reports. A more...
Former Agriprocessors CFO sentenced
The federal judge in the trial of former Agriprocessors executives continues to work her way up the ladder with sentences for the guilty parties. On Thursday more...
National Meat Association elects officers and directors
The NMA's Board of Directors held an election Saturday at its Annual Meeting. The votes have been tallied, and the following people will begin their terms more...
BPI to post pathogen test results on Web site
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Beef Products Inc. Founder and Chairman Eldon Roth announced here Friday at the National Meat Association's annual conference more...
Smithfield unveils new line of complete meals
Smithfield Foods Inc. has introduced a new line of complete meals for the supermarket meat case, dubbed Something Different Tonight, the company said more...
Poultry industry fundamentals improve, but image struggles: Starkey
The economics of the U.S. poultry industry are getting back in line, and its brightening prospects were reflected in the success of the annual International more...
Scant evidence of a restaurant rebound in latest earnings reports
Disappointing earnings reports at some of the hottest restaurant chains have dampened hopes for an industry rebound led by a recovering U.S. economy. more...
Looking to send the perfect valentine? The answer is in the meat case.
Forget candy and roses. Sixty-one percent of Americans said they favored a nice meal on Valentine's Day as opposed to other gifts, while 62 percent professed more...
FSIS indicates shift in processing of 'high-risk' animals for raw beef (UPDATED)
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Food Safety and Inspection Service Administrator Al Almanza said here today in a roundtable discussion on food safety reform more...
Antibiotics experts take issue with CBS News report
Veterinarians and antibiotics experts found plenty to disagree with in a CBS Evening News report on the potential threat to human health from the use more...
Plastic pieces prompt sausage recall
Schmalz European Provisions in Springfield, N.J., is recalling about 1,485 pounds of ready-to-eat sausage products that may contain bits of plastic, USDA's more...
Meat processors brace for feds' approach to labor issues
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — If federal officials have not come knocking on your plant's door, chances are they soon will, labor relations attorney Rick more...
Hillshire Farm introduces chicken smoked sausage
Sara Lee brand Hillshire Farm announced the debut of Hillshire Farm Chicken Hardwood Smoked Sausage, created to serve as a better-for-you alternative more...
USDA sets timeline for school lunch overhaul
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — In a briefing held here Wednesday at the National Meat Association's annual conference, USDA officials set an aggressive more...
CDC reports more illnesses linked to salmonella outbreak
Four people and two states have been added to the tally of those affected by the Salmonella Montevideo outbreak linked to salami processed by Daniele more...
Bob Evans posts 3Q profit, but shares fall on missed expectations
Despite posting a profit in its fiscal third quarter, ended Jan. 22, sausage maker and restaurant operator Bob Evans fell short of analysts' expectations more...
Shane’s Rib Shack introduces salads
Salads are joining baby back ribs and barbecue pork on the menu at Shane's Rib Shack. Customers can top each Garden-Fresh Salad with a variety of meats more...
Hormel branded products marketed together in new ad campaign
Hormel Foods will market its portfolio of Hormel branded products in a single campaign for the first time in the company's 119-year history, the Austin more...
Farmland introduces bone-in, net-weight ham steak
Farmland Foods has introduced a new bone-in, net-weight ham steak targeting consumers who want a convenient meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The steaks more...
Winter weather, moldy corn creating light cattle
Both USDA and the CME Group's Daily Livestock Report noted harsh winter weather is having an impact on cattle weights at slaughter. In its World Agricultural more...
First lady launches childhood obesity campaign
The much-heralded federal task force on the issue of childhood obesity was established officially on Tuesday, with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack one more...
Organic beef processor moves operations
Dakota Beef, which bills itself as the largest vertically integrated U.S. organic beef processor, announced it has entered into a co-packing partnership more...
Chicken plant fined for fatal ammonia release
The North Carolina Division of Air Quality announced it has fined Mountaire Farms Inc. $27,410 for improper handling of hazardous materials that led to more...
Monday morning quarterbacking: analysts cheer Tyson results
Several equity analysts weren't too busy on Super Bowl Sunday to raise their earnings projections and write up glowing reports for Monday on Tyson Foods more...
Tyson Food Service launches “Cut & Ready” raw meats
Precut chicken, pork and beef are joining the uncooked meat offerings from Tyson Food Service. The Springdale, Ark.-based company says the new lines are more...
Agriprocessors HR employee sentenced
A former human resources employee for the now-defunct Agriprocessors Inc. was sentenced to one year of probation on one count of "aiding and abetting more...
Tyson's record 1Q profit has analysts clucking
Tyson Foods CEO Donnie Smith told investors Friday the company's chicken business would generate a full-year operating margin, or percentage of sales more...
USDA tightens school lunch ground beef rules for suppliers
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service will implement five new rules to improve its ground beef purchase program's food safety requirements, according more...
China to slap heavy tariffs on U.S. poultry imports
China has announced it will impose heavy anti-dumping duties on American poultry imports, claiming its local producers have been hurt by U.S. products more...
USDA announces school lunch food safety initiatives
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced several new initiatives to assure the safety and quality of food purchased by USDA for the National School more...
USDA scraps NAIS, shifts interstate traceability to states
USDA announced it is scrapping the controversial voluntary National Animal Identification Program in effect since 2004 and will shift responsibility to more...
Reviews offer high praise for upcoming Temple Grandin film
The film "Temple Grandin," which chronicles the life of the renowned humane handling expert and debuts on HBO Saturday night, has received a fair amount more...
Pilgrim’s posts profit, may reopen idled plant
Pilgrim's Pride Corp., which exited bankruptcy protection in December, on Thursday posted a quarterly profit fueled by a one-time tax gain, and said it more...
Salmonella outbreak linked to black pepper, investigation continues
Tests have shown that the Salmonella Montevideo that has sickened hundreds and prompted an Italian sausage recall has been found in black pepper, but more...
Farmland introduces seven new fresh pork items
Farmland's Premium Farms line of all-natural fresh pork has expanded to include seven new items, the Kansas City, Mo.-based processor announced. The seven more...
Meat brands help Sara Lee soar to 2Q profit
Sara Lee Corp. said today it swung to a fiscal second-quarter profit on the strength of operating performances in segments including its North American more...
Fire up the corn planter, EPA opens ethanol floodgate
President Obama on Wednesday announced a series of steps to enhance American energy independence, including an EPA final rule that will pave the way for more...
Missouri firm recalls boneless beef on E. coli concerns
Rockville, Mo.-based West Missouri Beef LLC has recalled about 14,000 pounds of fresh boneless beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
JBS starts making burgers in Russia
JBS S.A. on Tuesday opened a new hamburger patty plant in Moscow that primarily will supply a growing number of McDonald's restaurants in Russia, a company more...
Kraft launches new Lunchables sub varieties
Kraft Foods has added four new varieties of sub sandwiches to its Oscar Mayer Lunchables product roster: Turkey & Cheddar, Ham & American, Chicken & American more...
Maple Leaf Foods’ new packaging launch pairs sex and bacon
Maple Leaf Foods put some sizzle in its launch Wednesday of the company's new re-closable bacon packaging, tying the announcement in with survey results more...
Cattlemen’s Beef Board elects leadership
The Cattlemen's Beef Board has elected officers and representatives to its 2010 Executive Committee and the Beef Promotion Operating Committee. Newly more...
Meat industry bracing for CBS antibiotic piece
Barring another big news story, the CBS Evening News has now scheduled its two-part series on antibiotic use in livestock production to run Feb. 3-4, more...
Indiana pares budget for meat inspections
Indiana plans to cut its budget for state inspections of meat processors, although not to the extent it had originally proposed, according to a report more...
AMS report shows shifts in beef quality grades
During calendar year 2009, the percentage of all quality-graded beef that graded Choice or Prime increased, while the percentage of Select beef dropped more...
Meaty snacks score as fan favorites during last three Super Bowls
The Colts and the Saints may be the best-known competitors in Sunday's Super Bowl, but sandwiches, chicken and pizza will likely make their own plays more...
Rhode Island company expands sausage recall
Daniele International Inc. is expanding its Jan. 23 recall to include some 17,235 pounds of ready-to-eat Italian sausage products that may be contaminated more...
Agri Star plans to add 150 employees
Postville, Iowa-based Agri Star Meat and Poultry LLC, the successor company to Agriprocessors Inc., plans to expand its turkey processing operations, more...
Cattle inventories falling, but less than market expected
USDA reported Friday that all cattle and calves in the United States as of Jan. 1, 2010, totaled 93.7 million head, 1 percent below a year ago, but short more...
NCBA adopts new governance structure, other 2010 plans
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association Board of Directors has voted to create a new governance structure that would feature a smaller NCBA Board of more...
Poultry association announces new officers
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association last week elected its slate of officers and directors for 2010, during the annual International Poultry Expo in Atlanta more...
January 2010
Food safety attorney calls for labeling mechanically tenderized meat
Food safety attorney Bill Marler has joined the chorus of those calling for USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service to add special labeling to meats more...
FSIS issues notice on poultry microbiological data collection program
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued Notice 08-10 — Nationwide Raw Chicken Parts Microbiological Baseline Data Collection Program more...
Review of studies fails to link meat and cancer: Beef Board
A review of epidemiologic evidence around possible links between red meat and cancer was unable to establish an independent link between the two, according more...
Report touts ergonomic improvements in poultry industry
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the poultry industry have declined 75 percent during the last 25 years, according to a recently released report commissioned more...
JBS delays IPO amid down market
JBS S.A. said Wednesday the company is delaying its $2 billion initial public offering until market demand improves, according to a report by Bloomberg more...
Instant noodle products imported from China recalled
Well Luck Co. Inc. in Jersey City, N.J., is recalling approximately 50,000 pounds of instant noodle products that were ineligible for import to the United more...
Beef Checkoff approves additional funding for some projects
The Beef Promotion Operating Committee has approved additional funding for a number of projects for fiscal year 2010, the Beef Checkoff Program announced more...
Meeting scheduled, comments solicited for Dietary Guidelines revisions
USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the fifth meeting of the Dietary Guidelines more...
Thaxton accepts Hall of Fame award
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Hormel touts new plant’s opening, 2010 goals at stockholders meeting
In a presentation Tuesday night centered around the theme "responsible results," Hormel Foods CEO Jeff Ettinger reviewed the Austin, Minn.-based processor's more...
Kraft achieves packaging reduction goals
Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods Inc. said Wednesday it has reduced 150 million pounds of packaging materials from its supply chain since 2005, reaching more...
USDA announces funding for export promotion
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Tuesday the allocation of $234.5 million to 70 U.S. trade organizations in fiscal 2010 to help promote American more...
Japan lifts ban on Texas poultry
Japan has lifted a ban on imports of poultry and eggs from Texas after tests showed that a flock of ducks in the state were not sick with avian influenza more...
Carl’s Jr. debuts ‘ultimate comfort food’
Quick-service restaurant chain Carl's Jr. has introduced what it bills as the "ultimate comfort food," the Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger. With four slices more...
County decides against incentive package to keep ConAgra plant
Wake County, N.C., leaders decided last week not to participate in an incentive package to help ConAgra Foods keep its Slim Jim plant open in Garner, more...
Farmland debuts seasoned pork for fajitas
Farmland Foods announced the debut of seasoned pork for fajitas that aims to offer consumers authentic flavor in a pork product that's more tender than more...
FSIS issues instructions on humane handling and 28-hour law
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued Notice 06-10: Humane Handling at All Entrances and the 28-hour law. The notice instructs inspectors more...
Recovering economy in Mexico lays ‘foundation’ for U.S. beef, pork
A recovering economy in Mexico bodes well for exports of U.S. beef and pork in 2010, according to Chad Russell, the U.S. Meat Export Federation's regional more...
Mintel data shows natural, organic new product launches declining
The economic slump took a toll on food manufacturers' new product launches in 2009, including launches of products with "all-natural" or organic claims more...
Double the pleasure: Hardee’s introduces huge breakfast sandwich
Considering Hardee's is the proud home of the Monster Thickburger, it's hardly surprising that the quick-service restaurant chain has launched the Double more...
Tyson debuts new natural Angus brand
Tyson Food's unit Tyson Fresh Meats announced it has launched Open Prairie Natural Angus Beef nationally to meet the growing demand for natural beef. more...
Hormel launches online recipe exchange for Spam
Long a pantry staple, iconic canned meat product Spam now is looking to enhance its Web presence via an online recipe exchange, "Spam Products: Dish This!" more...
Restaurant outlook revised downward
Foodservice research and consulting firm Technomic has lowered its expectations for restaurant performance in 2010, the firm said in a news release. Technomic more...
American Poultry Industry Hall of Fame announces new inductees
The American Poultry Historical Society announced it will honor five individuals by inducting them into the American Poultry Industry Hall of Fame. The more...
Smithfield, Premium Standard to pay $900,000 fine: DOJ
The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday announced that, to settle a federal lawsuit alleging antitrust violations, Smithfield Foods Inc. and its Premium more...
Tyson, Sanderson boosted on chicken pricing, but Russia looms
Rising chicken prices prompted another brokerage firm to upgrade shares of Tyson Foods to "buy" on Friday, but analysts cautioned the U.S.-Russia trade more...
McDonald’s beats estimates with strong quarter
McDonald's Corp. reported fourth -quarter earnings and revenues that topped analysts' estimates, driven by global comparable sales growth. The hamburger more...
Yes, he’s serious: Man makes meatloaf likeness
Most anybody would like to be held in high enough regard for their likeness to be rendered in … well, marble or even plaster would be among the top choices more...
Metal straight pins found in chicken pot pies lead to recall
Park 100 Foods Inc. in Kokomo, Ind., is recalling approximately 19,200 pounds of frozen chicken pot pie products that may contain foreign materials, USDA's more...
Analysts favor Hormel purchase, strategy
Stephens Inc. analyst Farha Aslam has raised her fiscal 2010 earnings forecast for Hormel Foods based on its recent agreement to buy the Country Crock more...
U.S., Russia to extend poultry talks
The United States and Russia have agreed to extend talks on the latter's de facto ban on U.S. poultry, according to a report by Reuters. "We shared information more...
Lawmakers back USTR in pressuring Taiwan to rectify beef pact
U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-Mich.), Trade Subcommittee Chairman Sander more...
Uno Restaurant Holdings filed bankruptcy reorganization
Uno Restaurant Holdings Corp., the Boston-based parent company of three pizza chains and a foodservice unit, announced it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy more...
Morrell plant closing a net positive — except in Sioux City
The plan to close the John Morrell & Co. plant in Sioux City, Iowa, surprised no one versed in the hog and pork industries, and is seen as a positive more...
DeLauro calls for independent food safety advisory board
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has called for an independent science board to review USDA's meat and poultry inspection system in the wake of Montebello more...
Frozen food processor schedules Super Bowl promotion
Dinuba, Calif.-based frozen Mexican food processor Ruiz Foods Inc. announced a full-page FSI brand-awareness promotion to target Super Bowl XLIV. The more...
USDA hosts webinars on mobile slaughter units
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Wednesday the agency is holding two webinars today and Thursday on the topic of mobile slaughter units more...
“I Heart Beef” campaign launches in time for Valentine’s Day
Nothing says "I love you" like a filet mignon — or so said 50 percent of respondents in the Beef Board checkoff's food survey. The Beef Board is more...
ConAgra gets tax credits for new jobs at Mo. plant
ConAgra Foods will receive state tax credits to help create new jobs and investment at the company's meat and poultry processing plant in Trenton, Mo more...
House of Raeford names VP and GM of turkey operations
The board of directors of Rose Hill, N.C.-based poultry processor House of Raeford Farms Inc. has appointed Robert A. "Bob" Wright as vice president and more...
Johnny Rockets names new CEO, marketing VP
Casual-dining burger chain Johnny Rockets has appointed John Fuller as president and chief executive officer and Tim Hackbardt as senior vice president more...
Pork Checkoff announces Transport Quality Assurance advisor training workshops
The Pork Checkoff is offering two Transport Quality Assurance advisor training workshops in 2010, on Feb. 23 and May 11 at the National Pork Board office more...
E. coli concerns prompt beef recall of more than 800,000 pounds
Huntington Meat Packing Inc. in Montebello, Calif., is recalling approximately 864,000 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
Hormel acquires refrigerated side dish line
Hormel Foods Corp. on Monday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Country Crock chilled side dish line from Unilever more...
Tyson’s ‘Raised Without Antibiotics’ settlement approved by judge
A federal judge on Friday approved a preliminary settlement of a class-action lawsuit contending Tyson Foods falsely advertised that the company's chickens more...
Taiwan OKs first shipment of U.S. bone-in beef since BSE ban
Taiwan on Monday cleared through customs the first shipment of U.S. bone-in beef to arrive on the island after Taipei and Washington agreed to a new protocol more...
Meat groups’ letters published in New York Times
National Meat Association Director of Communications Jeremy Russell wrote a letter to the editor published in Sunday's New York Times that took exception more...
McCartney adds PETA DVD to Golden Globes’ gift bags
The gift bags that are given to all the presenters and nominees attending the annual Golden Globes award show this year included a copy of the DVD, "Glass more...
Meat processors send help to Haiti (UPDATE)
Food companies including major meat processors and hunger relief groups are mobilizing to provide emergency aid to Haiti in the wake of the massive earthquake more...
Oscar Mayer brand kicks off major ad campaign
The Wienermobile rides again. Kraft Foods is launching its first multi-category advertising campaign to promote the 125-year-old Oscar Mayer brand's entire more...
Analysts bullish on chicken industry in 2010
Encouraged by improving chicken prices and margins, Wall Street analysts are ratcheting up expectations for Tyson Foods and Sanderson Farms in the new more...
FDA taps Taylor for new food safety-related post
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has named Michael R. Taylor to the new post of deputy commissioner for foods, which was created along with a new more...
Taiwan’s acceptance of U.S. bone-in beef spurs optimism
As Taiwan customs officials evaluate the first shipment of U.S. bone-in beef to land on the island in five years, U.S. exporters are optimistic about more...
USDA, Dairy Council join in child obesity prevention
USDA, the National Dairy Council, the National Football League and several major corporations are joining to fight childhood obesity in a campaign called more...
Hold it right there: pork rinds held up at the border
In an effort to stop classical swine fever from crossing the border, U.S. Customs officials are cracking down on fried pork rinds, or chicharrones, from more...
Tyson settles ‘Raised Without Antibiotics’ suit
Tyson Foods Inc. has settled a consumer class action suit targeting its chicken "Raised Without Antibiotics" claim. An agreement filed Tuesday night in more...
National Beef union vote called off
It will be at least another six months before the United Food and Commercial Workers union can call for a vote at National Beef Packing Co.'s Dodge City more...
Townsends moves forward with new Innovation Center
Georgetown, Del.-based poultry company Townsends on Wednesday announced more details about the new Innovation Center for its Atlanta-based foodservice more...
Carl’s Jr. expands in Texas
CKE Restaurants Inc. announced two franchise agreements that will bring an additional 31 Carl's Jr. restaurants to Texas over the next nine years as part more...
Chipotle broadens its appeal by scaling down on size
Fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill has created a new restaurant prototype that has reduced the size of the restaurant by 25 percent and more...
ConAgra agrees to fine, safety improvements at Garner, N.C., plant
Following an explosion that killed four and injured dozens last June at its Slim Jim plant in Garner, N.C., ConAgra Foods has agreed to pay $106,440 and more...
Oscar Mayer, union forge tentative contract
Oscar Mayer and a union representing 900 workers at the company's Madison ,Wis., plant have come to a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract more...
Agriprocessors manager pleads guilty to document-fraud conspiracy
A former manager at Agriprocessors Inc. pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to participating in a conspiracy to obtain fake documents for illegal workers more...
Panorama Meats announces executive appointments
Vina, Calif.-based organic, grass-fed beef company Panorama Meats Inc. has promoted Lori Carrion to chief operating officer and Wayne Langston to vice more...
USDA sees more corn, soybeans but also higher prices
USDA boosted its estimates of the 2009-10 corn and soybean crops, but also raised its price forecast for both commodities in its monthly World Supply more...
Momentum for pork, chicken demand to continue in 2010: USDA
USDA raised its forecasts for both hog and broiler prices in 2010 because strong demand late in 2009 is expected to continue, the agency said in its monthly more...
National Beef swings to 1Q profit (UPDATE)
National Beef Packing Co. said late Friday the company posted a $41.3 million profit in its first quarter of fiscal 2010, compared with a net loss of more...
Meadowbrook Farms claims to be reviewed at hearing
Farmers owed money by bankrupt Meadowbrook Farms Cooperative in Rantoul, Ill., have the opportunity to collect after a hearing to be held by the Illinois more...
New York City to encourage food companies to cut salt
The city that made headlines for forcing restaurants to cut trans fats and post calorie counts on menus now is launching a voluntary initiative aimed more...
Livestock outlook cautiously optimistic
Given the past year for livestock producers, particularly hog producers, analysts temper their outlooks with caution, but point to signs of a better year more...
Chicago meat company names new VP
Chicago Meat Authority announced it has named Sheila Quinn as senior vice president of corporate planning. Quinn brings her extensive business development more...
Animal rights groups using religion to guilt meat eaters
Wes Jamison, associate professor of communications at Palm Beach Atlantic University, is studying how the Humane Society of the United States and other more...
New Boar’s Head campaign promotes ‘salt sensibility’
Sarasota, Fla.-based lunchmeat processor Boar's Head announced a new campaign, "Launch Your Assault on Salt," that encourages "salt sensible food choices more...
El Pollo Loco puts steaks on the grill
El Pollo Loco, the quick-service chain specializing in Mexican grilled chicken entrees, is expanding into steak. The 30-year-old California-based restaurant more...
S.C. meat thief gets way more than he bargained for
The steak would have sold for $80, but a South Carolina man is going to pay a much higher price after attempting to steal it from a local grocery store more...
CDC updates illnesses from E. coli outbreak
As of Jan. 4, there were 21 people infected with an outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 with 9 hospitalized, one case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) more...
Smithfield to lay off far fewer than expected: report
In closing its mammoth South Plant in Smithfield, Va., and consolidating operations at the nearby North Plant, Smithfield Foods Inc. will wind up laying more...
Japan bans Texas poultry on avian flu fears
Fears of avian influenza this week prompted Japan to ban imports of poultry from Texas, according to state and federal authorities. Poultry slaughtered more...
New leader for University of Arkansas poultry science programs
Michael T. Kidd has been appointed director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and Head of the Department of Poultry Science at the University more...
Taiwan seeks new beef talks with U.S.
A day after reinstating a ban on certain U.S. beef parts, Taiwan said it wants to reopen talks with Washington on beef trade, according to a report by more...
Tyson stock upgraded on improved operations, debt reduction
BMO Capital Markets analyst Ken Zaslow raised Tyson Foods Inc. to "outperform," saying operational improvements and efforts to reduce debt have the protein more...
Veal merger creates coast-to-coast organization (updated)
A merger of four companies in the veal industry announced today creates a coast-to-coast, international, vertically integrated organization producing more...
Brandt Beef introduces new premium cut strip loins
Brawley, Calif.-based Brandt Beef on Tuesday announced the launch of its new product, Center Cut Premium Strip Loins, packaged for the convenience of more...
Where there’s fire, there’s marketing, thanks to KFC
Fire hydrants and fire extinguishers in several U.S. cities are getting repairs — and marketing makeovers — thanks to quick-service restaurant more...
Pilgrim’s Pride cuts 230 jobs as JBS takes over
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. said today it will cut nearly 230 corporate and administrative positions amid the first phase of its integration with JBS USA. JBS more...
Taiwan reinstates ban on U.S. beef products
Taiwan's legislature on Tuesday reinstated a ban on certain U.S. beef imports, backpedaling on a pact the two countries agreed to in late October and more...
Kraft Foods sells pizza lines in $3.7 billion deal with Nestle
Kraft Foods is selling the entirety of its North American frozen pizza business to Nestle for $3.7 billion, the company announced in a news release Tuesday more...
Morrell buys other half of Premium Pet Health
John Morrell & Co. has bought the 49 percent of Premium Pet Health LLC that it didn't already own, the company said Tuesday in a news release. Terms of more...
AMI hires Philippi, makes senior staff changes
American Meat Institute has hired Joy Philippi to serve as its vice president of legislative affairs. In that capacity, Philippi will handle a variety more...
Sam Kane Beef Processors founder dies at 90
Sam Kane, the founder of Corpus Christi, Texas-based Sam Kane Beef Processors Inc., died on Sunday. He was 90. Kane, one of 12 children raised in a Jewish more...
Smithfield completes sale of share in Chinese joint venture
Smithfield Foods announced Monday it has completed the sales of both its Chinese joint venture Maverick Food Company Limited to COFCO Limited and the more...
Zhongpin opens new pork plant in China
China's Zhongpin Inc. said today it has begun production at its new prepared pork products plant in Changge, a city in Henan province. The new facility more...
National Bison Association working to increase production
The National Bison Association announced a campaign to encourage new producers to get into the business, and to encourage existing ranchers to increase more...
USDA rethinking climate change analysis
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has requested a review climate change analysis models being used to calculate the impacts of climate legislation on more...
KFC’s grilled chicken tops 2009’s most memorable new product list
A poll of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers asking them to name the most memorable product launches in 2009 placed five fast-food products among the top more...
Consumers pick top fast food choices
In a consumer survey conducted by Market Force Information, Inc., Chik-fil-A was selected as No. 1 fast food restaurant with Five Guys coming in second more...
December 2009
New York Times article questions BPI’s beef treatment
E. coli and salmonella have been found dozens of times in meat from Beef Products Inc., despite the company's treatment of its products with ammonia, more...
USDA seeks proposals for Federal-State Marketing Improvement funds
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has invited state departments of agriculture, state agricultural experiment stations and other state agencies to submit more...
Ruby Tuesday kicks off mini giveaway on New Year’s Day
Ruby Tuesday is promising to service bar guests a free Ruby Mini beef, turkey or Buffalo chicken burger and fries with their first $3 drink all day on more...
Smithfield, Tyson, JBS moves dominated 2009 headlines
Although it occurred barely six weeks into the year, news that Smithfield was laying off 1,800 employees as part of an overall restructuring of its pork more...
Russia bans imports of poultry treated with chlorine
Russian officials said that effective Jan. 1 imports of poultry treated with chlorine from any country is prohibited, according to a report by Interfax more...
Taiwan sending team to U.S. for damage control on beef ban
Taiwan will send a team to the United States to explain its legislature's recent move to re-impose a ban on certain U.S. beef imports, according to a more...
Media, politicians and lawyers turn up heat on food safety
As 2009 comes to a close, there is no letup in the calls from politicians, consumer advocates, food safety lawyers and major media outlets for USDA and more...
HSUS measure in Missouri takes next step
The Humane Society of the United States has gotten the green light from the Missouri Secretary of State's office for the wording on its petition for a more...
Feds move to enjoin uninspected N.Y. kosher poultry processor
An effort by the New York Attorney General's office to block kosher processor New Square Poultry/Adir Poultry from continuing to process uninspected meat more...
AMI responds to call for tenderized steak labeling
Blade-tenderized steaks are comparable in safety to those that have not been mechanically tenderized and do not need special labeling, according to the more...
Hong Kong is fastest-growing export market: USDA
Hong Kong is the fourth-largest market for U.S. food and beverage exports at the end of a year in which those exports grew by 15 percent, the fastest more...
Banff Pork Seminar program announced
The 2010 Banff Pork Seminar will feature a close look at the global implications of H1N1, both from a scientific and a marketing perspective, according more...
Congresswoman calls for tenderized meat labels
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) on Monday called for labels identifying mechanically tenderized beef and pork products in the wake of National Steak more...
Pilgrim’s Pride exits bankruptcy
Pilgrim's Pride Corp.'s on Monday emerged from bankruptcy as had been expected just over a year after its initial filing, according to court documents more...
NCBA petitions court over EPA greenhouse gas rule
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association has joined with several other associations and companies in filing a petition challenging the Environmental more...
N.C. becomes 4th state with H1N1 in hogs; all have recovered
A federal laboratory has confirmed the presence of the 2009 novel H1N1 flu virus in samples taken from pigs at two North Carolina farms, according to more...
Whole Foods co-founder relinquishes chairman title
John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, has given up the title of chairman of the board of directors after years of petitions by shareholder more...
Meat Week 2010 dates set
Meat Week, an informal celebration of barbecue, is scheduled for Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, 2010. Meat Week participants eat as a group at a different barbecue more...
Senate Ag committee names leadership positions
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) announced new subcommittee leadership positions, with former more...
The Beast arrives in Belleville
The Gateway Grizzlies minor-league baseball team this week unveiled the 2010 monster addition to its concession line-up: The Beast is 15 one-third-pound more...
Associations win decision on labeling in Calif.
The National Meat Association and the American Meat Institute are the winners in a court case involving labeling requirements in the state of California more...
2010 Cattle Industry Convention to include enhanced educational platform
The 2010 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio, scheduled for Jan. 27-30, will include new or enhanced educational offerings. more...
Pork Checkoff touts success of Allrecipes.com tie-in
From April through October 2009, a Pork Checkoff-branded microsite via Allrecipes.com generated 237,971 impressions, the National Pork Board announced more...
JBS to sell debentures to Brazilian government
JBS S.A. said Wednesday that Brazil's national bank has agreed to buy a portion of $2 billion in convertible debentures that the company is planning to more...
Cold storage totals fall in November
In the USDA's monthly Cold Storage report, released this week, the amount of meat in storage in November had fallen across the board, compared with the more...
Chicken supplies remain low; analyst projects they’ll stay low
In USDA's Chicken and Eggs report, released this week, the number of broiler-type pullets that hatched rose 3.4 percent from their levels last year. J more...
National Hot Dog & Sausage Council releases new holiday appetizer recipes
The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council has released a brochure with six new recipes for holiday canapés. The recipes, available via hot-dog.org, include more...
Interstate shipping rule gets NCBA support
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association submitted comments this week to USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service in support of a proposed rule to allow more...
U.S. beef ‘making inroads’ in South Korea
An improving economy and intensive marketing efforts have enhanced prospects for U.S. beef in South Korea, U.S. Meat Export Federation CEO Phil Seng said more...
Organic consumers appear unmoved by recession
Most consumers have traded sharply down in price and sometimes quality as the recession has dragged on, but a new survey by market research firm Mintel more...
ConAgra’s consumer foods unit boosts profits
ConAgra Foods reported Monday that second-quarter earnings for fiscal 2010 rose 43 percent on lower commodities costs and market share gains in the company's more...
Poultry processor gets $250,000 from Iowa for plant
An Iowa poultry processor has received a $250,000 state loan to re-open a food processing plant in Charles City, a remodel it for poultry harvesting, more...
Bakery cafés are bright spot in foodservice: report
A new report by Technomic shows that bakery cafés — such as Panera and Einstein Bros. Bagels — are posting high-flying growth in the face more...
USDA proposes nutrition labeling on major cuts and ground meat, poultry
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service posted in the Federal Register Friday proposed rules mandating nutrition labeling of the major cuts of single-ingredient more...
USDA announces new vaccines against E. coli O157:H7
USDA's Agricultural Research Service said late Thursday its scientists have developed two forms of a vaccine that might reduce the spread of E. coli O157:H7 more...
Police shoo union reps from JBS beef plant
Police in Greeley, Colo., escorted union representatives off JBS Swift's property on Wednesday while contract negotiations progress, according to a report more...
Murray’s Chicken launches new turkey, chicken sliders
South Fallsburg, N.Y.-based Murray's Chicken announced Thursday the launch of what it claims are America's only poultry sliders made from antibiotic- more...
National Beef postpones IPO in soft market
National Beef Inc. said Thursday the company has decided to shelve its previously announced initial public offering amid waning confidence in the IPO more...
AMIF clarifies role of N=60 ground beef sampling
The American Meat Institute Foundation has released a backgrounder explaining the role of N=60 sampling for raw beef components used to make ground beef more...
Immigration reform bill introduced in the House
After months of speculation about imminent immigration reform, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and 90 Democratic representatives this week introduced more...
Second round of Canadian hog reduction program results announced
Preliminary results from the second tender of Canada's Hog Farm Transition Program (HFTP) showed 43,182 sows removed from production for the next three more...
USDA to provide financial relief to dairy producers
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA will implement a new Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment (DELAP) program to help struggling dairy more...
Court decision seen as victory for processors
A decision this week by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in New Orleans, is being seen as a boon for processors as the issue of competition more...
Poultry companies get favorable ruling in Okla. litter case
A federal judge on Tuesday threw out the state of Oklahoma's claim that poultry litter is solid waste as defined by federal law, favoring the defense more...
Mountaire Farms fined for fatal ammonia leak
Mountaire Farms has been fined $73,325 for nearly two dozen safety violations six months after an ammonia leak at the company's Lumber Bridge, N.C., chicken more...
USDA commits funds to climate change research as part of global pact
USDA will boost funding for climate change research as part of a 20-country Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases announced at climate more...
JBS acquires Australian lamb processor
JBS S.A. announced Tuesday the acquisition of Australian lamb processor Tatiara Meat Company. The $27.5 million purchase of Tatiara makes JBS's Swift more...
USDA partners with dairy industry on greenhouse gas-reduction goal
USDA announced a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. dairy industry to help the dairy sector cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 more...
Sen. Gillibrand calls for safer school lunch meat
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said Monday that USDA should implement stricter pathogen testing on ground beef served in school lunches, according to more...
Overhaul recommended for NCBA
Members of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association are considering a structure change that would allow the organization to quickly and efficiently address more...
Meatingplace enhances magazine coverage to include poultry market
Effective with its March 2010 issue, Meatingplace magazine will expand its comprehensive market coverage to include poultry, parent company Marketing more...
CEO comments fuel speculation about Smithfield plant
Comments that Smithfield Foods' CEO C. Larry Pope made last week during a conference call with analysts and media are prompting discussion about the future more...
NLRB sets dates for National Beef union vote
The National Labor Relations Board has set Jan. 21 and 22 for the vote on whether to unionize by workers at the National Beef Packing Co. plant in Dodge more...
No foodservice recovery until second half of 2010: NPD
After five consecutive quarters of traffic declines through September 2009, the foodservice industry will remain weak at least through the first half more...
Qdoba Mexican Grill debuts new meals for kids
Fast-casual restaurant chain Qdoba Mexican Grill announced that it will offer a new Kids Meal that aims to provide kids nutritious meal options. Kids more...
Analysts paint positive picture for Smithfield
Weighing in the day after Smithfield's surprisingly good second-quarter earnings announcement, several Wall Street analysts boosted their year-end earnings more...
Judge orders Oklahoma to turn over all poultry farm soil samples
The U.S. judge in the Oklahoma pollution case against the poultry industry has ordered the state to turn over all of its soil test records for chicken more...
McDonald’s pushes value in tough fast-food environment
As the fast-food segment continues to struggle, McDonald's has announced new plans to promote value items on its menu. On Thursday McDonald's announced more...
McCartney uses video, song, Web site to promote meat-free initiatives
When it comes to meat consumption, Paul McCartney refuses to "let it be." The former Beatle and longtime vegetarian has narrated a 13-minute video for more...
Smithfield Foods posts second-quarter loss
Smithfield Foods announced its fourth fiscal quarter in a row ending in red ink — dragged down by poor hog prices — but CEO C. Larry Pope said more...
Pilgrim’s Pride reorganization plan approved by court
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. said Thursday the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas has approved its joint plan of reorganization with six more...
Russia expands U.S. pork bans, threatens full market closure
Russia on Thursday expanded its ban on U.S. pork imports to include four more plants and said it may close its market entirely if Washington doesn't comply more...
USDA sees lower meat production, higher exports
USDA lowered its production forecasts for beef, pork and poultry in 2010, while raising its export forecasts for beef and pork during both 2009 and 2010 more...
USDA raises corn stocks, soybean price forecasts
USDA cut its corn export forecast by 50 million bushel, which raised corn ending stocks by 50 million bushels to a projected 1,675 million bushels in more...
USA Today story blasts USDA school lunch standards (Updated)
USA Today on Wednesday published a story that questioned the efficacy of USDA standards for the meat and poultry purchased for school lunch programs, more...
Tyson, Cargill plants cut production amid storms
A snowstorm raging across the Midwest on Wednesday has forced Tyson Foods and Cargill to cut production, the companies said. Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson more...
USDA reacts to DeLauro call to close Cargill plant
USDA defended its actions and those of Cargill-owned Beef Packers in the wake of two recalls in recent months related to salmonellosis outbreaks and a more...
Sanderson’s results get rave reviews from analysts
Equity analysts picking their way carefully through the poultry industry's fast-changing fundamentals were buoyed by Sanderson Farms' financial results more...
McDonald’s sales drop for second month in a row
McDonald's Corp. reported Tuesday that while sales have risen 0.7 percent globally in the past month, same-store sales in the U.S. have slipped 0.6 percent more...
Congresswoman calls for Cargill plant closure
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) on Tuesday called on USDA to close Cargill-owned Beef Packers Inc. in the wake of its second connection to a salmonellosis more...
OSI Group hires three execs
Aurora, Ill.-based food processor OSI Group said Tuesday it has added three executives to the company's corporate office. Donna Bunch Coaxum has been more...
Sanderson Farms beats Wall Street estimates in 4Q, new plant on track
Improving chicken prices and lower feed costs helped Laurel, Miss.-based Sanderson Farms report a fourth-quarter profit that beat Wall Street estimates more...
Smithfield to benefit from more profitable hog production: analyst
Predicting improvement in the profitability of hog production in the next year, Stephens Inc. analyst Farha Aslam on Tuesday raised the firm's rating more...
Jack Link’s expands Matador line to include jerky
Minong, Wis.-based meat snack processor Jack Link's has expanded its Matador line with the introduction of new Matador Beef Jerky. Jack Link's launched more...
EPA clears way to regulate greenhouse gas emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday formally declared greenhouse gasses (GHGs) a threat to public health and the environment, clearing the way more...
Climate legislation to reduce hog, cattle output: USDA economist
Climate change legislation currently debated in Congress that would encourage cropland conversion to forests and over time increase the cost of carbon more...
Poultry head count flat, weights up, demand so-so: Analyst
The poultry industry is in for a "mediocre" 2010, as chicken head counts stay flat but weights rise, and demand increases only slightly, says Farha Aslam more...
National Beef launches IPO
National Beef Inc. said Monday the company has been approved to trade its Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NBP." more...
Tyson introduces mini-beef patties
Tyson Food Service announces they are adding mini Tyson Charbroil Beef Patties to their food service products line up. In their annual chef's survey, more...
Tyson names poultry, beef and pork unit leadership
Tyson Foods announced it has named Donnie King senior group vice president of Poultry and Prepared Foods and Noel White senior group vice president of more...
Tyson touts gains in chicken, solid returns in other segments
Three of the four operating segments of Tyson Foods Inc. produced returns in fiscal 2009 at or above normalized levels, while its chicken business made more...
After Kinston, Sanderson eyes deboning plant for expansion
Sanderson Farms, the fourth-largest U.S. poultry processor, is mulling the addition of a big-bird deboning plant for its next leg of expansion once its more...
Rubashkin denied bail, again; former HR exec sentenced
The federal judge in Sholom Rubashkin's fraud case denied his request to be released on bail while he awaits sentencing, according to court papers. It more...
National Beef plant in Kansas to vote on union
Workers at the National Beef meatpacking plant in Dodge City, Kan., will vote as soon as this month on whether to unionize, according to wire service more...
Hormel continues to eliminate meat packaging waste
Hormel Foods Corp. is on a mission to cut millions of pounds of materials waste by redesigning the packaging for many of its meat products. Austin, Minn more...
New CFO for Beef Board
The Cattlemen's Beef Board announced it has hired Katherine Ayers as its chief financial officer. As CFO, Ayers will oversee all of the board's financial more...
FSIS notice covers importation of Canadian livestock
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued Notice 80-09: Importation of Canadian Cattle, Bison, Sheep and Goats in the United States. This notice more...
National Beef announces terms of IPO
National Beef Inc. on Wednesday filed terms of its initial public offering announced in October. National Beef said it will sell 17.25 million shares more...
USA Today article questions safety of school lunch meat
An article published Wednesday by USA Today calls into question the safety of ground beef produced for the National School Lunch Program. The story particularly more...
N.C. Labor Department cites ConAgra, contractor in Slim Jim plant blast
The North Carolina Labor Department on Tuesday cited ConAgra Foods for 26 serious health and safety violations in the June explosion at ConAgra's Garner more...
USDA unveils final GIPSA rule for poultry market
USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration has published a final rule intended to "increase fairness and equity in the poultry industry more...
McDonald’s president to retire
McDonald's Corp. announced Ralph Alvarez, president and COO of the company, will retire at the end of this month for health-related issues. McDonald's more...
EPA postpones decision on 15 percent ethanol blend
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it has postponed until mid-2010 its decision on whether to enact a waiver that would allow up to 15 more...
House of Raeford charged with wastewater violations
House of Raeford Farms faces a federal indictment charging that the poultry processor sent untreated wastewater to a municipal treatment plant in Raeford more...
Senator proposes bill on meat, poultry pathogens and labeling
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced Monday she has introduced legislation that would amend USDA inspection rules to mandate pathogen treatment more...
Canadian pork producer's bankruptcy has continental ripple effect
The November bankruptcy filing of Canada's largest hog producer is having a ripple effect across North America, according to court filings and media reports more...
KFC introduces menu option that’s both low-cost and low-cal
Quick-service restaurant chain KFC has introduced a 395-calorie Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal for just $3.95 plus tax. The meal includes a Kentucky Grilled more...
November 2009
NCC disputes Consumer Reports’ findings on pathogens in poultry
A Consumers Reports story slated to appear in the January 2010 issue of the magazine states that two-thirds of broilers bought in 22 states last spring more...
Russia bans three U.S. pork plants (UPDATE)
Russia has removed three U.S. pork plants from its list of eligible exporters for findings of oxytetracycline and salmonella exceeding that country's more...
Meadowbrook Farms suppliers say $2.4 million was withheld
Three suppliers to the bankrupt Meadowbrook Farms Cooperative in Rantoul, Ill., filed suit in November against Meadowbrook lender The CIT Group/Business more...
USMEF seeks applicants for branded meat marketing program funds for 2010
U.S. Meat Export Federation is accepting applications for its 2010 fiscal year from U.S. companies interested in receiving matching funds to promote their more...
Restaurants to feature quality over cost savings in 2010: report
The restaurant industry will refocus its menus on high quality food and ingredients to attract diners following a year of $5 menus, gourmet meals for more...
‘Cattlemen to Cattlemen’ to feature live Q & A
Four National Cattlemen's Beef Association leaders will take live questions from viewers Dec. 1 on NCBA's "Cattlemen to Cattlemen." The program, which more...
Nominations sought for 2010 Food Safety Leadership Awards
Ann Arbor, Mich.-based non-profit organization NSF International is seeking nominations for the 2010 Food Safety Leadership Awards (FSLA) Program. The more...
McDonald’s goes green — literally
Fast-food giant McDonald's has adopted plenty of "green" practices in recent years — using environmentally friendly refrigeration, converting used more...
Consumer food spending rebounds in October: analyst
Consumers are spending more on food compared with a year ago, breaking a three-month streak of declines, according to research from Janney Montgomery more...
PORK 101 dates set for 2010
PORK 101, a three-day, hands-on experience designed to update participants on quality and consistency issues in the pork industry hosted by the American more...
Hormel distributes record annual profit sharing
Hormel Foods Corp. on Wednesday announced the largest annual profit sharing in company history to be distributed to employees. More than $15.9 million more...
S. Korea not yet bending on Canadian beef ban
The South Korean government on Wednesday denied local media reports indicating that Seoul would resume beef imports from Canada in 2010, according to more...
Cost of Thanksgiving dinner drops
The cost of a Thanksgiving dinner has dropped 4 percent nationally this year compared with last year, according to the American Farm Bureau. The Farm more...
Poultry numbers down in October
Poultry certified wholesome during October (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.63 billion pounds, down 7 percent from the amount certified in October 2008 more...
Hormel chili, pepperoni boost fourth-quarter earnings
Despite a sales decline, Hormel Foods on Tuesday reported a 53 percent increase in earnings for the quarter ended Oct. 25. The Austin, Minn.-based processor's more...
Poultry supplies under control, but reductions getting harder: analyst
The number of broiler-type pullets hatched are inching upwards compared with year-earlier levels, and cuts in already rationalized supplies are tougher more...
Beef Industry Scholarship program seeks nominations
Applications are now being accepted for the 2010-2011 Beef Industry Scholarship program, sponsored by the CME Group and presented by the National Cattlemen's more...
Researchers explore converting recovered fat from poultry wastewater to fuel
Recovered fat from broiler production wastewater could be an alternative fuel source for processors, according to a news release from the Poultry Science more...
Tyson’s chicken biz stops ‘bleeding’ in 2009
Newly named Tyson Foods CEO Donnie Smith said Monday in an earnings call the company's mission in 2009 was "about stopping the bleeding" from 2008, when more...
Pilgrim’s Pride reports 4Q net profit, year-end loss
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. reported a net profit of $82.7 million, or $1.07 per share from continuing operations, on quarterly net sales of $1.7 billion in more...
USDA Cold Storage shows reduced meat stocks; Cattle on Feed neutral
USDA on Friday reported lower meat and poultry stocks in cold storage during October, which a Wall Street analyst called good news for meat processors more...
Kraft touts sustainable transportation efforts
Since 2005, sustainability projects have saved Kraft Foods more than 50 million miles in its global transportation and distribution network — the more...
ICE plans 1,000 I-9 audits of workplaces
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday that it had issued Notices of Inspection to 1,000 employers nationwide, announcing the agency's more...
AMI comments in support of interstate meat and poultry shipment
The American Meat Institute submitted comments on Friday in support of Food Safety and Inspection Service Rule 2008–0039 that would allow inspected establishments more...
National Beef’s annual profit up 13 percent
National Beef Packing Co. posted a 13 percent increase in profits this year thanks to reduced cattle purchases, lower cattle prices and other cost cuts more...
WTO panel to take up EU ban on US poultry
The World Trade Organization has formed a panel to investigate the decade-long European Union ban on imports of U.S. poultry, according to media reports more...
Sodexo names new president of its education division
Lorna Donatone has been promoted to chief operating officer and president of the Education Market division of Sodexo Inc., the provider of foodservice more...
Analysts like new Tyson lineup at the top
Tyson Inc.'s board of directors didn't throw any curveballs in their choices for CEO and COO of the protein giant. And equity analysts indicated in their more...
Feds drop immigration charges against Rubashkin
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Iowa dropped 72 immigration charges against Sholom Rubashkin saying, essentially, that the outcome of such a trial would more...
Panera Bread CEO is moving on
One of the founders of fast-casual restaurant chain Panera Bread Co. is stepping aside as the company's chief executive. Ron Shaich, who co-founded the more...
Chipotle reports major plans to expand in 2010
Fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill earlier this week announced a plan for major expansions in the next year. The Denver-based chain already more...
Court reinstates $5 million award in Link Snacks feud
A Wisconsin appeals court on Tuesday reinstated a $5 million damage award in a family dispute over control of beef jerky maker Link Snacks Inc., court more...
CEO, partner buy rest of Vande Rose Farms
Vande Rose Farms, a processor of premium Duroc pork and Hereford beef, has been acquired by the CEO of its previous owner and a partner through their more...
Lack of inspection prompts meat and poultry recall
Thrive Foods in Lindon, Utah, is recalling approximately 3,790 pounds of assorted meat and poultry products because they were produced without federal more...
Possible E. coli contamination prompts ground beef recall
Fairbury Steaks Inc. in Fairbury, Neb., is recalling approximately 90 pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
AAMP launches new Web site
The American Association of Meat Processors announced the launch of a new Web site at www.aamp.com. Overhauled over several months, the Web site makes more...
JBS pork plant can continue operating in Butchertown
A Louisville zoning board voted Monday night that a JBS USA pork plant can continue to operate in Butchertown, Ky., even after it began an expansion project more...
Agri Star owner opens up about Postville plant’s future, not its past
The new owner of the former Agriprocessors Inc. facility in Postville, Iowa recently answered questions for The Jewish Press news organization in the more...
Kosher meat entrepreneur gets 15 years for fraud
A federal judge sentenced former Denver kosher meat entrepreneur Arnold Zaler to 15 years in prison for fraud and ordered him to pay $2.5 million in restitution more...
Mintel sees low sodium items among packaged goods trends
Sodium reduction is "poised as the next major health movement," according to consumer research company Mintel, which lists it among the top seven packaged more...
Tyson expands Any’tizers line with new chicken varieties, sauces
Tyson Foods Inc. said Tuesday the company is expanding its Tyson Any'tizers product line with four new varieties featuring "Sauce and Stir" sauce packets more...
JBS pork plant under the gun in Kentucky
A Louisville, Ky., zoning board will decide Monday whether JBS USA's Butchertown pork plant can continue to operate after the company failed to obtain more...
Cargill fined $200,000 on waste water violations
Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. has been fined $200,000 for violating clean water standards at its meat packing plant in Fort Morgan, Colo., in 2003 and more...
Animal rights video alleges abuse at hog farm supplier for Hatfield
Animal rights group Mercy For Animals has released a video alleging animal abuse at a Country View Family Farms hog facility in Fannettsburg, Penn., which more...
USDA reports highest food insecurity since reporting began in 1995
USDA released its annual report on household food security in the U.S., which revealed that in 2008, 17 million households, or 14.6 percent, were food more...
JBS earnings plunge; in talks with investor
JBS S.A. reported a steep decline in earnings in its third fiscal quarter, and separately said it was in an "advanced" stage of negotiations with an unnamed more...
Rubashkin convicted; lawyers promise to appeal
After three days of deliberation, a federal jury on Thursday convicted Sholom Rubashkin on 86 of 91 fraud charges. The former manager of Agriprocessors more...
Congresswoman calls validity of N-60 E. coli testing into question
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) is asking USDA's Office of the Inspector General to investigate the scientific merits and potential shortcomings of N-60 testing more...
Retailer dropped Fairbank Farms on ground beef testing concerns: NYTimes
Retail grocer Trader Joe's, which has more than 325 stores in 25 states, announced this week it has stopped buying ground beef from Fairbank Farms in more...
What headline would you give this story?
Early Thursday morning, a deer crashed through a plate glass window at Echo Valley Meats in Bartonville, Ill., according to a report in the Peoria Journal-Star more...
Premium Protein Products files for bankruptcy
Premium Protein Products has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection five months after it furloughed most of its employees while reportedly seeking more...
Wal-Mart Stores highlights food sales as 3Q earnings rise
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced earnings in the third quarter of its fiscal 2010 that exceeded the company's own guidance, highlighting strong grocery more...
Smithfield trumpets facilities’ new ISO environmental certifications
Smithfield Foods announced Thursday that 36 additional facilities in the U.S. and Europe had achieved ISO 14001 environmental certification. The newly-certified more...
Food fight! Beef Checkoff urges industry to ‘fling the facts’
Citing the recent tide of "anti-meat rhetoric" in mainstream media, much of which is based on "unfounded information and emotional pleas rather than facts more...
Home cooking means 'zap' not 'sear' or 'stir fry': NPD
Americans are cooking at home more, if heating up dinner in a microwave can be considered "cooking." A recent report by The NPD Group market research more...
Pork market trends portend brighter days for Smithfield
Smithfield Foods Inc. should see earnings increases that are better than projected earlier, says Farha Aslam, an equity analyst for Stephens Inc. Noting more...
Tyson downgraded on grain prices, competition
J.P. Morgan has downgraded shares of Tyson Foods to "neutral" from "overweight" based on recently rising corn and hog prices and concerns about competition more...
Higher sausage sales, lower sow costs spur Bob Evans’ 2Q success
Growing food product sales helped Bob Evans Farms Inc.'s bottom line in the second quarter, with the company reporting a 37 percent increase in profits more...
Cagle’s reports profit on stronger sales
Atlanta-based poultry processor Cagle's Inc. reported net income of $691,000, or 15 cents per share, for its second quarter of fiscal 2010 ended Oct. more...
USDA to purchase pork for domestic nutrition programs
USDA on Wednesday announced it will buy $50 million of pork products for federal food nutrition assistance programs. The action is part of an $82.6 million more...
Big hog producer files bankruptcy in latest sign of tough times
One of the largest pork producers in the country has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and will probably have to liquidate its 30,000-sow operation more...
Closing arguments begin in Rubashkin case
Monday saw closing arguments from both sides in the criminal case against Sholom Rubashkin. According to a report in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier more...
Maple Leaf Foods names new CMO
Maple Leaf Foods said Monday the company appointed Stephen Raham to fill the newly created position of chief marketing officer, effective Jan. 11. Graham more...
USDA inches down corn crop, raises soybeans, sees higher prices
USDA forecast the U.S. corn crop now being harvested at 12.9 billion bushels, down 1 percent from last month's forecast but still the second-highest on more...
New FDA food code affects ground beef
In the first full edition published since 2005, the Food and Drug Administration announced significant changes to its Food Code, affecting state, city more...
USMEF urges exporters to use caution under new Taiwan protocol
With the most recent revision to USDA's export requirements for Taiwan, the agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service said late Friday it will certify more...
Seaboard pork segment shows 3Q loss, expects continued losses
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Foods said its pork segment showed an operating loss of $2 million on sales of $260.6 million in the company's third more...
Premio Foods’ Steven Cinque, 49, dies in N.J.
Steven Cinque — who, with his brother, founded Rochelle Park, N.J.-based Premio Foods — died Saturday in New Jersey after a long battle with more...
Cargill launches redesigned Web site for Sterling Silver meats
Cargill announced the launch of its re-designed Sterling Silver brand Web site, SterlingSilverMeats.com. Some of the major modifications to the site include: more...
JBS plans to open hamburger plant in Russia
JBS S.A. plans to open a hamburger plant in Russia next month, the company's director of investor relations, Jerry O'Callaghan, confirmed to Meatingplace more...
Dakota Beef ex-CFO fined for employing illegal workers
The former chief financial officer of Dakota Beef has been sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine after a judge determined more...
Defense takes its turn in Rubashkin trial
The prosecution rested its case on Monday in the 91-count criminal trial of Sholom Rubashkin, formerly the top executive of Postville, Iowa-based Agriprocessors more...
Wing craze manifests itself via … iPhone app?
As if evidence of chicken wings' popularity was not already abundant enough, now there's yet another example: an iPhone application that allows users more...
FSIS holds U.S. beef exports until Taiwan clarifies new protocol
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Thursday it will not certify U.S. beef for shipment to Taiwan until that country clarifies what products more...
Iowa firm recalls roast beef deli products
Curly's Food Inc. in Sioux City, Iowa, is recalling approximately 12,181 pounds of roast beef deli products because they were inadvertently mislabeled more...
Meat brands help Sara Lee’s fiscal first quarter results
Solid gains for its Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farms and Ball Park brands helped Sara Lee report year-over-year earnings gains in its first 2010 fiscal quarter more...
Land O’Frost names director of innovation
Lansing, Ill.-based Land O'Frost announced it has named Karen Malsom to the newly created position of director of innovation. In her new role, Malsom more...
Ohio’s Issue 2 passes; HSUS vows a rematch
Voters in Ohio are expected to pass a statewide referendum creating a board of experts to oversee livestock care in the state. With about half of precincts more...
Analysts raise Kraft forecasts on strong earnings
Two Wall Street analysts raised their fiscal 2009 and 2010 earnings forecasts for Kraft Foods a day after the company beat analysts' expectations with more...
Texas Meat Packers appoints new president
Dallas-based Texas Meat Packers has named John Pieper the company's new president. Pieper will oversee all daily operations including sales and production more...
Landry’s CEO buys company out, pays premium price
The board of directors of Landry's Restaurants Inc. have agreed to sell to a company owned by Tilman J. Fertitta the 44.9 percent of Landry's he didn't more...
H1N1 found in Indiana commercial pigs
H1N1 influenza has been detected for the first time in a U.S. commercial hog herd, USDA said Monday. The agency said the sick herd was discovered in Indiana more...
Triumph Foods settles lawsuit over 2005 plant explosion
Triumph Foods has settled a lawsuit it filed against Missouri Gas Energy after an explosion killed one person during the construction of the pork processor's more...
OSI Restaurant Partners names new CEO
Tampa, Fla.-based casual-dining company OSI Restaurant Partners LLC on Tuesday announced the appointment of Elizabeth (Liz) Smith as its new chief executive more...
O’Charley’s varies prices points, meal combinations with new menu
O'Charley's on Monday launched a new "Lunch Combos" menu, featuring 66 meal combinations of the restaurant chain's Savory Signatures and Hearty Favorites more...
First draft of pig genome complete
An international team of scientists has completed the first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig, which will spur advancements in swine production more...
Barbecue chain files for bankruptcy protection
G&R Acquisitions Inc.-owned barbecue chain Damon's Grill has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection less than a week after sister brand Max and Erma's more...
Dunkin Donuts adds chicken sandwiches to menu
Dunkin Donuts announced Monday it will be adding new chicken sandwiches to its menu. Currently available in only select northeastern stores, the options more...
Aging palates pose challenges for processors
As the median age in America increases, consumer food product choices are changing in terms of flavor profiles, healthy formulations and ease of use packaging more...
AMI says WWFE attendance good, meeting suppliers on future shows
While exhibitors at last week's Worldwide Food Expo complained of slow booth traffic, the American Meat Institute said buyer attendance exceeded 2007 more...
October 2009
USDA condemns alleged abuses at Vt. veal packer, shuts plant down
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Friday condemned alleged abuses at a Vermont slaughter plant based on evidence provided by a Humane Society of the more...
Analyst downgrades Tyson, but likes Sanderson’s prospects
BB&T Capital Markets this week downgraded Tyson Foods Inc. to "hold" from "buy" and said it preferred Sanderson Farms, whose chicken margins currently more...
Taiwan to implement beef checks in U.S.
Taiwan officials said Thursday the government's animal health inspection bureau will deploy officials to the United States to examine the quality of U more...
USDA to post H1N1 detections in swine on Web site
USDA announced its National Veterinary Services Laboratories has confirmed six Minnesota State Fair pig samples as positive for 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza more...
A big week in Rubashkin trial
The third week of Sholom Rubashkin's fraud trial brought testimony of disastrous accounting at Agriprocessors Inc., multiple company-supplied identities more...
Meat industry shines spotlight on improved safety record
The meat industry's track record on worker safety continues to improve, with injuries and illnesses down 10.7 percent in 2008, the American Meat Institute more...
China to lift ban on U.S. pork
China will lift a ban on U.S. pork and live hogs imposed last spring on concerns over the H1N1 virus, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Agriculture more...
African Swine Fever could spread beyond Russia, officials say
The spread of African Swine Fever in Russia has United Nations officials worried that the virus could eventually jump into Europe, central Asia and possibly more...
AMI switches WWFE to April, getting bids from other cities
CHICAGO — The American Meat institute will hold its next Worldwide Food Expo April 13-16, 2011, in Chicago, but has already fielded bids from Dallas more...
Iowa firm recalls chili with beans product on undeclared allergen
Fort Madison, Iowa-based Pinnacle Foods Group is recalling about 91,125 pounds of a canned chili with beans product because it was packaged with an incorrect more...
Ettinger receives 2010 Knowlton Award
CHICAGO — Hormel Foods CEO Jeffrey Ettinger became the 11th recipient of Meatingplace's Richard L. Knowlton Innovation Award during a presentation more...
Michael Formichella joins Meatingplace with ‘Chef’s Table’ blog
Chef Michael Formichella, co-owner of Chella Foods and former chief operating officer of Smithfield Innovation Group, is joining the Meatingplace team more...
Packaged meats recovery spurs 3Q profit for Maple Leaf Foods
Helped by what it deemed a "substantial recovery" in its packaged meats business, Toronto-based food processor Maple Leaf Foods on Wednesday reported more...
Companies are going ‘green,’ but not talking about it: expert
CHICAGO — More and more large corporations are adopting sustainable practices not only as a way of improving their environmental impact but also more...
Taiwan eyes FTA with U.S. following beef deal
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou expressed hopes of reaching a free-trade agreement with the United States after his country's decision to allow more U.S more...
AAMP announces site for 2010 convention
The American Association of Meat Processors announced that its 71st American Convention of Meat Processors and Suppliers' Exhibition for small and very more...
The best and worst of times for McDonald’s overseas
The news is both good and bad for fast-food giant McDonald's overseas operations, as its unit in France posts healthy growth even while the company plans more...
FSIS confirms Mass. firm’s beef recall after E. coli illnesses
Crocetti's Oakdale Packing Co., doing business as, South Shore Meats Inc. in Brockton, Mass., is recalling approximately 1,039 pounds of fresh ground more...
Second man sentenced for Cudahy fire
The second of two brothers responsible for a $50 million fire at the main Patrick Cudahy facility in Cudahy, Wis., this past July was sentenced Monday more...
Meatpacker arrested in connection with terrorist plot
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, owner of a halal meat processing plant in Kinsman, Ill., was arrested for alleged involvement in an international terrorist plot more...
Marfrig swings to 3Q profit
Brazilian meat processor Marfrig Alimentos S.A. this week said it swung to a third-quarter profit, citing new acquisitions that helped bolster production more...
Taiwan’s decision to expand U.S. beef imports stirs controversy
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin said Monday the central government of Taiwan should reconsider its decision last week to expand access to U.S. beef imports more...
Chicken and egg report is good news for poultry companies
September declines in pullets and broiler-type hatching layers spell good news for companies like Tyson Foods and Sanderson Farms, according to an analysis more...
Robert Murphy, meat scientist and pioneer, dies in Illinois
Robert Murphy was featured in "Who's Who in American Science," had done research into ways to tenderize beef and breed cattle, and championed issuing more...
FSIS notice announces upcoming food defense plan survey
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued Notice 72-09 announcing the upcoming food defense plan survey, the fourth in a series, which will run more...
Sanderson Farms expands stock repurchase to 1 million shares
Laurel, Miss.-based Sanderson Farms announced that its board of directors expanded its stock repurchase program to 1 million shares through April 24, more...
Agriprocessors’ clients, lenders have their day in court
Testimony this week in the criminal trial of former Agriprocessors executive Sholom Rubashkin included statements by former executives, clients and the more...
Cold storage stocks show positive signs for meat prices
Decreases in cold storage stocks of beef, poultry and turkey and only a slight increase in pork supplies indicate a positive trend for prices across all more...
Martha Stewart to introduce turkeys with Hain Pure Protein
Domestic diva Martha Stewart's company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, announced it has partnered with the Hain Celestial Group and its affiliate Hain more...
Pork industry asks Congress for help amid crisis
The U.S. pork industry took its plight to Capitol Hill on Thursday, asking Congress to help an industry that says it is suffering its worst economic crisis more...
Iowa processor suspects sabotage in glove incident
Swan Packing Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa, shut down its operations for 12 hours late last week while workers searched through 20 tons of ground pork for more...
Listeria concerns prompt beef brisket recall
Lone Star Brisket Co. in Thorndale, Texas, is recalling approximately 14 pounds of smoked beef products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes more...
Regional favorite processor suffers damaging fire
A blaze Wednesday night at Weber Meats Inc. of Geneseo, Ill., caused "extensive" damage to the small, but regionally high-profile, processor and retail more...
New Angus burger boosts McDonald’s 3Q earnings
Crediting growth from new products such as the Angus Third Pounder, McDonald's Corp. on Thursday reported a 6 percent jump in profit for the third quarter more...
Pilgrim’s Pride posts 4Q profit
Pilgrim's Pride reported a net profit of $56.7 million in its fiscal fourth quarter ended Sept. 26 on gross revenues of $1.63 billion, according to a more...
FDA promises standards for front-pack nutrition labels
Citing potential consumer confusion about various front-pack food product labels touting positive nutrition information, the Food and Drug Administration more...
Japan ag minister’s visit to Washington signals hope for U.S. beef
U.S. Meat Export Federation CEO Philip Seng said this week that the new Japanese agricultural minister's recent visit to Washington D.C. was an encouraging more...
Carl’s Jr. introduces Parmesan Chicken Sandwich
Quick-service restaurant chain Carl's Jr. on Wednesday announced the debut of the Parmesan Chicken Sandwich, a breaded chicken fillet topped with melted more...
Fitch gives junk bond rating to Smithfield; outlook is ‘stable’
Fitch Ratings bond credit rating agency initiated coverage of Smithfield Foods Inc., assigning its long-term debt with a non-investment grade "B-" rating more...
Institute of Medicine to USDA: more fruit, less fat in school lunch
School lunch and breakfast menus need more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less saturated fat and sodium, according to a report prepared by the more...
National Newspaper Association agrees to call flu H1N1
The National Newspaper Association is urging its members to drop "swine flu" and use H1N1 to properly identify the virus during coverage of the associated more...
Corn harvest behind, but price surge may be temporary
Corn harvest behind, but price surge may be temporary U.S. corn harvest in the largest corn producing states as of Oct. 18 stood at 17 percent compared more...
H1N1 virus confirmed in Minn. pigs
USDA announced Monday that the presence of H1N1 influenza virus was confirmed in pigs that had been at the Minnesota State Fair over the summer. (See more...
KeyBanc downgrades Sanderson Farm shares, cuts earnings
KeyBanc Capital Markets has downgraded its rating of Sanderson Farms shares to "hold" from "buy" and reduced its earnings forecasts based on a recent more...
Oscar Mayer investigating fire at Wis. facility
Oscar Mayer officials are investigating the cause of a fire that occurred early Sunday morning at the company's headquarters in Madison, Wis. Spokeswoman more...
Burger King $1 double cheeseburger (finally) hits stores nationwide
After testing in multiple U.S. markets over the past 18 months, Burger King's quarter-pound $1 double cheeseburger is now available in participating restaurants more...
Agriprocessors’ Rubashkin goes on trial
The criminal trial of former Agriprocessors Inc. executive Sholom Rubashkin got underway this week, with the kind of media attention that would make a more...
Farmer John rolls out new meat products with healthy twist
Farmer John is rolling out a new line of fresh products aimed at the health-conscious consumer, including several items that boast the American Heart more...
Incomplete tonsil removal prompts beef tongue recall
J.F. O'Neill Packing Co. in Omaha, Neb., is recalling approximately 33,000 pounds of beef tongues that may not have had the tonsils completely removed more...
Benihana upgrades beef and chicken, adds new menu items
Japanese theme restaurant chain Benihana announced new menu additions and upgrades that are part of Benihana Inc.'s Teppanyaki Renewal Program, which more...
Tyson to convert Iowa ham canning plant for pet treat production
Tyson Foods Inc. said Thursday it reopening and renovating its former ham canning plant in Independence, Iowa, to begin pet treat production in early more...
Senator poses E. Coli Eradication Act
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) announced she is authoring the E. Coli Eradication Act that would require all meat plants to test beef before and after more...
USA Today calls out USDA, industry on E. coli in ground beef
In the wake of a New York Times story earlier this month about E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef that prompted a wave of media attention to the topic, the more...
Mintel predicts ethnic food will soar in next four years
Ethnic food sales in the United States reached a record $2.2 billion in 2009, and consumer research firm Mintel predicts sales will grow by 20 percent more...
7-Eleven to expand hot food program
Convenience-store chain 7-Eleven will add high-speed ovens to 1,400 locations this year, a move that will allow it to expand its hot foods program, the more...
National Beef plans IPO
National Beef Inc. on Tuesday filed plans to sell up to $300 million of stock through an initial public offering. The Kansas City, Mo.-based firm said more...
Marie Callender’s debuts shelf-stable microwavable meals
ConAgra Foods brand Marie Callender's announced the launch of Marie Callender's Home-Style Creations, shelf-stable microwavable meals that feature "premium" more...
APHIS seeks comments on bovine TB, brucellosis concept papers
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced the availability of two concept papers for comment: "Bovine Tuberculosis Program Concept Paper" more...
Wendy’s launches new bacon burger, ad campaign
Quick-service restaurant chain Wendy's, part of the Atlanta-based Wendy's/Arby's Group, has debuted a new Bacon Deluxe burger and advertising campaign more...
AMI’s Boyle, others speak for meat on ‘Larry King Live’
Larry King covered the gamut of the E. coli O157:H7 issue Monday night on his CNN news talk show, "Larry King Live." AMI President J. Patrick Boyle, attorney more...
Cargill 1Q earnings down 65 percent
Cargill on Tuesday reported net earnings of $525 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2010, down 65 percent from the company's record $1.49 billion more...
Michigan enacts animal welfare law
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Monday signed a law giving certain farm animals more room to stand up, lie down, turn around and extend their limbs more...
Pork, beef exports struggle in August
U.S. pork and beef exports struggled in August compared with the same month last year, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said, citing recent USDA data. more...
‘Beef: Safe or Scary?’ asks Larry King Live
Following the New York Times' front-page scrutiny of the meat industry's practices in the production of ground beef, CNN's Larry King is scheduled to more...
U.S., Brazil poultry industries sign Memorandum of Understanding
Leaders of the poultry industries of the United States and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding at a trade show in Cologne, Germany, over the weekend more...
FDA awards $17.5 million in food safety-related grants
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has awarded 83 grants in fiscal year 2009 totaling $17.5 million to state and local regulatory more...
Poultry group to host grain forecast, economic conference
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association's Poultry & Egg Institute will host the 2009 Grain Forecast and Economic Outlook Conference on Nov. 12 at the Airport Hilton more...
Congress members ask USDA for more pork aid
Ninety-five members of Congress this week urged Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to immediately provide further assistance to the ailing U.S. pork industry more...
Tyson expands poultry plant, adds jobs in Indiana
Tyson Foods Inc. on Friday said it plans to expand poultry processing operations at its Corydon, Ind., complex, creating 78 new jobs in the next year more...
Congress passes bill opening door to Chinese poultry imports
Congress on Thursday passed a 2010 agriculture appropriations bill that includes a provision establishing an inspection system that could allow China more...
USDA predicts record corn yield, soybean crop
USDA forecast the largest U.S. corn yield and largest soybean crop in history for the 2009/10 marketing year that began Oct. 1. In its monthly Crop Production more...
Actress stays slim eating beef jerky
Actress and model Elizabeth Hurley says snacking on beef jerky helps maintain her enviable figure. She told Easy Living magazine: "It's an excellent thing more...
Costco to buy beef trimmings from Tyson: NYTimes
Costco said Wednesday that it will start buying beef trimmings from Tyson Foods to grind into hamburgers with the understanding that Costco will test more...
Cargill settles with victim from 2007 E. coli outbreak
Cargill confirmed to Meatingplace that on Wednesday it reached a settlement with the parents of Ruth Hemmingson, an 11-year-old girl from Mahtomedi, Minn more...
Man sentenced for Cudahy fire
One of two brothers who caused a massive fire at the main Patrick Cudahy facility in Cudahy, Wis. last Fourth of July weekend, was sentenced Thursday more...
E-Verify, worksite enforcement winners in funding bill
A Congressional Conference committee has reached agreement on appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal 2010, and E-Verify and more...
New Japanese ag minister meets with Kirk, Vilsack
Hirotaka Akamatsu, Japan's new agricultural minister, is scheduled to meet Thursday with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Friday with Agriculture more...
U.S. requests WTO panel on EU poultry restrictions
The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced it has asked the World Trade Organization to establish a dispute settlement panel regarding more...
Meat groups, others respond to NYT E. coli story
Both the American Meat Institute and the National Meat Association have weighed in on Sunday's New York Times article on E. coli that has been broadly more...
JBS sues over landscaping requirement
JBS USA is suing local officials over a requirement that the company spend $137,500 on landscaping improvements at its Butchertown, Ky., pork plant, according more...
DHS rescinds ‘no-match’ rule
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday issued a final rule rescinding its "no-match" regulation regarding aliens not authorized to work more...
Burger King redesigns restaurants, to add ‘Steakhouse’ burger
Burger King Corp. on Wednesday announced plans to redesign many of its restaurants with décor elements that "encourage intimate and engaging dining," more...
Melting Pot Restaurants to debut two fast-casual concepts
Tampa, Fla.-based fondue restaurant chain Melting Pot Restaurants Inc. will debut two new fast-casual restaurant concepts in 2010, the St. Petersburg more...
USDA, DeLauro respond to NYT E. coli article
Monday night Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a statement outlining actions USDA has recently taken to reduce E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef as more...
GAO tells EPA to rethink ethanol tax credits
A new report by the Government Accountability Office recommends the Environmental Protection Agency consider revising or phasing out a tax credit for more...
Target to open 26 new stores, many with expanded food
Minneapolis-based retailer Target announced the opening of 26 new stores, including five full-grocery SuperTarget locations and 18 general-merchandise more...
Health info in restaurants largely ineffective: study
A new study examining the impact of posting calorie information in fast-food restaurants in New York shows that, at least among low-income populations more...
AMI: Just say no to “Meatless Mondays” (updated)
The American Meat Institute is urging Baltimore Public Schools to reconsider its decision to hold "Meatless Mondays," noting that meat and poultry products more...
Delhaize Group to buy BI-LO grocery chain
Belgian food retailer Delhaize Group announced it has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent to acquire a substantial majority of BI-LO LLC's assets more...
Marie Callender’s adds four new meals to Pasta al Dente frozen line
ConAgra Foods brand Marie Callender's announced the addition of four new meals to its Pasta al Dente line of frozen entrees. The new meals include: Penne more...
Sandwich chain offers new dinner deals
Sandwich chain Blimpie announced new specials aimed at attracting consumers at dinner. The new specials include: Six-inch Turkey Bacon Cheddar on Pretzel more...
Baltimore schools eliminate meat from Monday menus (UPDATED)
The Baltimore City Public Schools system on Wednesday became the first in the United States to pledge to serve no meat on Mondays, according to the organization more...
Cherokee Nation appeals to intervene in poultry litter case
The Cherokee Nation, seeking to intervene in Oklahoma's lawsuit accusing the poultry industry of polluting the Illinois River, said any decision in the more...
Russia re-lists two U.S. poultry plants
A Tyson Foods poultry plant and a House of Raeford poultry plant are again eligible to export product to Russia, according to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection more...
National Pork Board revamps consumer Web site
The Pork Checkoff's consumer Web site, TheOtherWhiteMeat.com, has undergone an extreme makeover thanks to a collaborative effort by multiple departments more...
Meat at stake in college football game
There will be more than just state pride on the line on Saturday when the Wisconsin Badgers take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium in more...
Smithfield CEO sells one-third of his stock; rattles investors
On Wednesday, Smithfield Foods CEO C. Larry Pope filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission notifying the agency that he sold 100,000 more...
Oklahoma judge allows state evidence on poultry litter
The federal judge presiding over Oklahoma's pollution lawsuit against 11 poultry companies on Wednesday agreed to allow the state to present as evidence more...
U.S. poultry industry urges action on EU import ban
The poultry industry is pressing for the World Trade Organization to examine whether a European Union barrier to U.S. poultry exports violates WTO rules more...
O’Charley’s names new concept president
Casual-dining chain O'Charley's Inc. said Thursday it has named Wilson Craft to the position of concept president. In that role, Craft will lead day-to-day more...
POULTRY magazine unveils Jewell award winner
Washington, D.C.--POULTRY magazine today presented its newly renamed industry leadership award to Perdue Farms, in recognition of the processor's innovation more...
September 2009
Senate climate change bill fine tunes cap and trade
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass) today introduced an 821-page climate change bill including "cap and trade" provisions that more...
Brazil to seize 100,000 cattle from Amazon
Brazil's environmental protection agency said it will remove 100,000 cattle from the Amazon in its effort to eliminate illegal cattle ranching in the more...
More funding to go toward beef marketing at retail
An extra $100,000 will go toward retail marketing programs for beef in 2010 in the area of national beef promotions and partnerships, 10 Cattlemen's Beef more...
Meal preparation trend a boon to fresh meat sales: expert
As the "Great Recession" enters its 21st month, already making it 10 months longer than the average U.S. economic recession, fresh meat sales have benefited more...
Former Agriprocessors CFO pleads guilty
The former chief financial officer of Agriprocessors Inc. on Tuesday entered a guilty plea on charges that he conspired to "willfully overvalue property more...
States ask feds to buy more pork, turkey
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture has put forth a proposal called "Meat the Need" asking the federal government to purchase more...
Longtime Jack in the Box president to retire
Jack in the Box Inc. has announced that its president and chief operating officer, Paul L. Schultz, will retire after 36 years with the company, effective more...
Do you know more about food safety than a fifth-grader?
Meat professionals and consumers looking to test their food safety knowledge can take the quiz now posted on the American Meat Institute's Web site. The more...
Tyson’s Holly Farms brand makes comeback
Tyson Foods Inc., has announced that it will reintroduce Holly Farms premium fresh chicken at more than 1,200 Food Lion, Bloom and Bottom Dollar Food more...
China to proceed with U.S. poultry dumping probe
Two days after congressional conferees cleared the way for Chinese chicken product imports, China announced it will go forward with its unfair trade practice more...
Hogs and Pigs report taken with a grain of salt
USDA Friday issued its quarterly Hogs and Pigs report that showed a 3 percent decline from a year ago in hogs kept for breeding in the quarter ended Sept more...
Burger King to debut $1 double cheeseburger
Burger King Corp. has announced that it add a $1 double cheeseburger to its menu nationwide starting Oct. 19, despite objections from franchisees seeking more...
Congress moves closer to allowing Chinese poultry imports
The Obama administration Friday applauded agreement by a House/Senate conference committee on language in the 2010 agricultural appropriations bill that more...
Townsends to add 103 jobs at N.C. poultry plant
Georgetown, Del.-based poultry processor Townsends Inc. will add 103 jobs at its Mocksville, N.C., plant as part of a $700,000 investment over the next more...
Missouri firm recalls sausage products
Frick's Quality Meats is recalling about 756 pounds of Braunschweiger liver sausage products because they were inadvertently packaged with a premium bologna more...
August meat production steady as cattle, hog weights rise
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.08 billion pounds in August, down slightly from the 4.10 billion pounds produced in August more...
Brasil Foods sets sights on U.S.
Brasil Foods, formed by the recently completed merger of Perdigao and Sadia, is exploring expansion in the United States following JBS S.A.'s bid to acquire more...
Meat beats booze, coffee on what consumers unwilling to give up
Consumers may be shopping around and looking for value, but more say they won't go without meat, poultry and seafood than any other items, according to more...
Analysts see positives for Smithfield
Two Wall Street analysts are upbeat about Smithfield Foods in light of improving fresh pork margins and despite concerns that industry sow slaughter is more...
China’s continuing ban on U.S. pork hurting sausage makers
China's ban on imports of U.S. pork based on fears of the H1N1 influenza, in place now for more than four months, has been particularly harmful for processors more...
Coalition pens letter as ethanol debate heats up
A coalition of business associations, public interest organizations and environmental groups, including several protein and food industry-related groups more...
Poultry waste trial gets under way in Oklahoma
Opening statements began Thursday in the state of Oklahoma's lawsuit accusing the poultry industry of polluting the Illinois River watershed. The case more...
Domino’s adds four new oven-baked sandwiches to line-up
Domino's Pizza has launched four new varieties in its oven-baked sandwich line. The company said it has sold over 35 million sandwiches since the line more...
China remains wary of H1N1, maintains restrictions on EU
A meeting between European Union's health chief and Chinese food safety officials in Beijing this week did nothing to change China's stance regarding more...
GAO sees holes in school food recall info; makes recommendations
The federal General Accounting Office has completed an audit of how federal food recalls are communicated to schools and made several recommendations more...
Senators try to stop EPA on biofuels indirect land use
Senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) this week introduced legislation that would prevent the Environmental Protection more...
Meat stocks Cold Storage better than expected: report
USDA's Cold Storage report on Tuesday reflected declines in chicken and beef stocks during August and surprised analysts with a lesser build-up in pork more...
USDA gives consumers protein choice suggestions
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced three new online tools to help consumers make healthier food choices and gain a better appreciation of the more...
ConAgra raises outlook even as 1Q profit drops 63 percent
ConAgra Foods on Tuesday reported a 63 percent drop in its fiscal first-quarter profit due to the absence of last year's gains from the sale of its trading more...
U.S., China renew ag trade pact
As Washington and Beijing wrangle over the trade of tires and chicken, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Tuesday he and China's Minister of more...
Sara Lee appoints Smits as new CFO
Sara Lee Corp. has named Marcel H. M. Smits its new executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Oct. 1. Smits, 48, will oversee Sara more...
Morton’s and Allen Brothers team up for “Steakhouse At Home” catalog, Web site
Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc., has joined with Chicago steakhouse supplier Allen Brothers to launch its new "Morton's The Steakhouse At Home" catalog more...
AMIF hails nine plants for environmental excellence
The American Meat Institute Foundation on Tuesday said nine meat and poultry plants have been selected to receive the organization's Environmental Achievement more...
USDA’s Aug. cattle on feed report beats estimates, shows heavy animals
USDA reported a 2.4 percent increase in the number of cattle placed on feed during August, while analysts on average were expecting an increase of nearly more...
Outlook improving for U.S. beef in Korea
Korean consumer attitudes toward U.S. beef appear to be improving from earlier in the year, when negative publicity from protests against the reopening more...
Study finds no link between processed meat, brain tumors
A study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinic Nutrition found no data to suggest that consumption of processed meats is related more...
CiCi’s debuts Rustic Pizza
CiCi's Pizza announced the launch of the Rustic Pizza, a thin, rectangular, flatbread crust topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and Syracuse-style more...
Pilgrim's Pride files reorganization plan with Texas court
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. late Thursday filed its plan of reorganization in a Texas bankruptcy court, saying it expects to have at least $1.65 billion of more...
Hormel plans addition for Austin plant
Hormel Foods is planning a $1 million, 3,600-square-foot addition to relocate a skinning operation at its pork processing plant in Austin, Minn., the more...
AMI seeks meeting on carcass irradiation
The American Meat Institute is requesting a meeting with USDA officials on its long-standing request that the agency approve electron beam irradiation more...
JBS has beef on wheels in Brazil
Leaving no stone unturned, JBS S.A., in the midst of dizzying mergers and acquisitions that will make it the largest protein company in the world, is more...
Senate bill ensures new fuels are compatible with car engines
Lawmakers have introduced in the U.S. Senate a bill that would require that new fuels introduced into the marketplace are compatible with current gasoline-fueled more...
ConAgra to layoff 300 at Garner Slim Jim plant
ConAgra Foods will lay off 300 workers at its Garner, N.C. plant, which suffered severe damage from a fire ignited by a gas leak that killed three workers more...
JBS-Pilgrim’s: Done deal?
JBS USA's pending acquisition of a 64 percent share of poultry producer Pilgrim's Pride Corp. could be a positive development in the U.S. the chicken more...
Jury trial dropped in Oklahoma poultry litter case
There will be no jury trial in Oklahoma's lawsuit against Tyson Foods and other poultry companies the state has accused of polluting the Illinois River more...
Smithfield prices equity offering
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced it has priced the shares for its upcoming equity offering at $13.85 a share. The company will offer 21,660,649 shares more...
JBS to acquire Brazilian rival Bertin in stock deal
JBS S.A. said Wednesday it would acquire Brazilian beef rival Bertin S.A. in a stock transaction. Together the companies would create a new holding company more...
Judge denies Cherokee Nation entry to Okla. poultry case
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Cherokee Nation can't intervene in a U.S. lawsuit accusing several poultry companies of polluting the Illinois more...
Poultry processor pays $450,000 fine in illegal worker case
Poultry processor George's Processing Inc. has paid a $450,000 fine as part of a settlement stemming from the 2007 arrest of 136 illegal-alien workers more...
Consumers enjoy new beef value cuts, but communication critical
CHICAGO — Consumers provided positive feedback about the flavor, convenience and value of the two newest beef value cuts, but the industry needs more...
Smithfield directors quit over equity offering
One of Smithfield's directors and an advisory director have quit the company's board because they do not support the company's $250 million common equity more...
Marfrig acquires Cargill unit
Brazilian multi-protein company Marfrig Alimentos S.A. said Monday it will acquire Cargill Inc.'s Brazilian pork, poultry and prepared products business more...
FSIS proposes interstate shipping regs for small plants
USDA announced it will publish on Wednesday proposed regulations to implement a new voluntary cooperative program under which select state-inspected establishments more...
Jennie-O ads highlight weight loss and wellness
Hormel Foods brand Jennie-O Turkey Store announced the launch of three broadcast advertisements that aim to put a personal face on the challenges and more...
NAMP elects new president
The board of directors of the North American Meat Processors Association announced the election of Gary Malenke, president of Sioux-Preme Pork Products more...
Tyson, Iowa reach agreement on hog production contracting
Tyson Fresh Meats and the state of Iowa have reached an agreement that waives enforcement of the state's ban on packer ownership of livestock and gives more...
China starts anti-dumping probe of U.S. chicken products
China has launched anti-dumping and anti-subsidies investigations into some U.S. automobile and chicken products, China's Ministry of Commerce announced more...
Sara Lee launches social media campaign for deli meats
In an effort to promote its Sara Lee Fresh Ideas pre-sliced deli meats, Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee Deli has launched a humorous social media campaign more...
Burger battle continues with new Hardee’s sandwich, ad campaign
Carl's Jr. and Hardee's continue to wage a burger war against competitor McDonald's, following the release of the Angus Third Pounder burger. The latest more...
U.S. pork, beef exports lag
U.S. pork and beef exports through July are down amid the global economic downturn and lingering effects from the H1N1 flu outbreak, the U.S. Meat Export more...
The day after: did Vilsack’s flu lesson work?
Not really. A scan of headlines — including those from news organizations that participated in teleconferences Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack more...
Pork, broilers boost U.S. meat production
Higher pork and broiler production resulting from higher third-quarter slaughter in both segments more than offset lower beef production, prompting USDA more...
Record crops, lower prices: USDA reports
USDA forecast a record U.S. soybean crop and the second largest corn crop on record, pushing down average price forecasts for the 2009/10 marketing year more...
USDA seeks comment on “natural” claim labeling
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced it will solicit further public comment as it seeks to define the conditions under which it would permit more...
Man dares Facebook fans to make him ‘Mr. Beef”
Restaurant owner Vince Viriyakul is letting fans determine if he'll become Mr. Beef. Legally. Viriyakul, owner of Mr. Beef and Gyros in Joliet, Ill., more...
Vilsack seeks to set record straight with media on H1N1
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack called a news conference Thursday to remind the media the continued misuse of the terms "swine flu" to characterize more...
House of Raeford gets clean bill on injury reports
A state audit found House of Raeford Farms followed regulations for filing workers' initial injury reports and minor medical claims at its Greenville more...
FSIS issues notice on compositing Listeria samples
A notice issued Thursday by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service provides instructions to inspectors for collecting environmental samples collected more...
Pilgrim’s Pride on track for timely bankruptcy exit: spokesman
Pilgrim's Pride expects to file its reorganization plan by Sept. 30, on schedule, with the aim of emerging from bankruptcy protection by year end, a company more...
Panda Express to roll out new SweetFire chicken dish
Quick-service Chinese food chain Panda Express is debuting a new entrée called SweetFire Chicken Breast later this month. The Thai-inspired dish, priced more...
Pennsylvania firm recalls soup with steak
Bay Valley Foods LLC is recalling about 6,490 pounds of a canned soup product — chunky grilled steak with vegetables — due to possible underprocessing more...
Tyson touts beef, pork and prepared foods returns
Tyson Foods' beef, pork and prepared foods units are experiencing solid results, while the long-term outlook for the company's chicken business remains more...
Amid slow same-store sales, McDonald’s promotes Angus burger
McDonald's reported same-store sales growth in August of 2.2 percent, half what the fast-food company posted in July, as U.S. same-store sales rose just more...
Farmland donning-and-doffing suit gets class-action status
A federal judge in Nebraska has certified as a class action two employees' compensation lawsuit against Farmland Foods Inc., according to court papers more...
Limited space remains for Value Cuts Summit
Only a handful of open seats remain for the Sept. 16 Value Cuts Summit, co-hosted by Meatingplace and Plate at Kendall College in Chicago. The one-day more...
Smithfield execs ‘optimistic’ despite 1Q losses
Most companies reporting a quarterly net loss of $107.7 million on revenues for the period of $2.7 billion would be chastened, but Smithfield Foods Inc more...
Smithfield’s Cumberland Gap workers reject union
Employees at Smithfield Foods Inc.'s pork processing plant in Middlesboro, Ky., voted against being represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers more...
FDA opens electronic food safety portal
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday opened the Reportable Food Registry, an electronic portal that food industry officials must use to alert more...
McDonald’s loses ‘Mc’ battle
Malaysia's highest court has ruled that fast-food giant McDonald's cannot stop a local restaurant in Kuala Lumpur from using the "Mc" prefix in its name more...
Windsor Foods launches red mini tacos and beef enchiladas for foodservice
Posada, the Mexican food division of Houston-based Windsor Foods, announced the addition of new Red Mini Tacos and Beef Enchiladas to its foodservice more...
USDA offers grants for those producing ‘value-added’ commodities
USDA plans to award approximately $18 million in value-added grants nationwide to farmers and business owners to help them add value to the commodities more...
Poultry group to host women’s leadership conference in October
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association's Poultry & Egg Institute will host the 2009 Women's Leadership Conference Oct. 22-23 at the Sandestin Hilton in Destin more...
Conference to bring together U.S. and Chinese animal scientists
The American Society of Animal Science and the Chinese Association of Animal Science & Veterinary Medicine announced they will come together for the first more...
Second brother pleads guilty in Cudahy fire
A Milwaukee man charged with firing a military flare that ignited a $50 million fire that damaged the Patrick Cudahy meat plant in July pleaded guilty more...
Russia reopens to Sanderson Farms plant
The Russian Federation has reopened its doors to imports of poultry from a Sanderson Farms poultry plant, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said more...
Food coalition warns against U.S. tariff on Chinese tires
More than 30 food companies and agricultural groups are voicing concern over the potential consequences for the U.S. food industry if the government slaps more...
Poultry additive maker cited for OSHA violations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing $69,500 in penalties against Brigham Farms for safety violations at its poultry additive more...
Smithfield faces federal labor complaint
The National Labor Relations board has issued an official complaint against Smithfield Foods Inc. related to charges made several months ago by one local more...
USDA gives pork producers $30 million boost
USDA announced Thursday it will buy an additional $30 million in pork products in fiscal 2009 for federal food and nutrition assistance programs. The more...
Poultry Protein and Fat seminar slated for October
The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association's Poultry Protein and Fat Council has announced its annual Poultry Protein and Fat Seminar, to be held Oct. 8-9 in more...
JBS looking to acquire Pilgrim's Pride: report
JBS S.A. has sought talks with Pilgrim's Pride Corp. about a possible buyout, according to a report by Reuters quoting South American newspaper Valor more...
RTE meal kits recalled on listeria concern
Big Boy Food Group is recalling about 39,514 pounds of ready-to-eat meal kits that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the USDA's Food Safety more...
Creta Farms, Shop ‘n Save serve up deli meats with olive oil
Creta Farms Gourmet Deli Meats, which claims to process the only lunchmeat with extra virgin olive oil in each slice, said it has secured a deal to sell more...
Popeyes debuts chicken wings with photo contest
Quick-service chicken chain Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has added chicken wings to its menu for a limited time, accompanied by a photo contest. The wings more...
Vegan group’s videotape alleges abuses at Iowa egg hatchery
Hy-Line North America said it has launched an investigation into alleged animal welfare abuses captured on a videotape by a vegan organization at the more...
Farmland Foods launches Black Angus sliders line
Farmland Foods said Tuesday it launched a line of bite-sized burgers with "bold, premium taste" for foodservice customers. Farmland Black Angus Sliders more...
AMI Foundation fights GMA segment on processed meats
The American Meat Institute Foundation said Tuesday it has responded to a "Good Morning America" segment on the alleged dangers of eating processed meats more...
GIPSA proposes rule on scales
The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that would set a more definitive more...
August 2009
Canadian firm recalls deli meats on listeria fears
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Delstar Foods Inc., based in Montreal, on Friday announced a recall of sliced RTE deli meats, on the fear that more...
Ammonia leak at Calif. plant injures dozens
An ammonia leak at the Columbus Salame processing plant in South San Francisco injured at least 24 people, eight of whom were hospitalized, a fire official more...
JBS-Swift urged to accommodate Muslim workers at Neb. plant
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled last week after a year-long investigation that JBS-Swift & Co. needs to do more to accommodate the religious more...
Meyer Natural begins direct consumer marketing
Meyer Natural Angus has launched a direct-to-consumer business, Meyer Natural Beef, which will sell its "premium natural beef" products online, to be more...
Perdue to close two hatcheries, expand another
Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue Farms announced it will close its hatcheries in Showell and Bishopville, Md., in early May of 2010. At the same time, Perdue more...
JBS creates leather company
JBS S.A., the world's largest beef producer, said Thursday it founded a new hides and leather company in Brazil. JBS Couros Ltda, the company said in more...
USDA stats show sow cull climbing: DLR (Updated)
Pork industry executives and analysts have been disappointed all year at the meager evidence of meaningful sow slaughter they all agree is needed to pull more...
Laura’s Lean promotion seeks ‘charcoal clunkers’
Inspired by the government's Car Allowance Rebate System, better known as "Cash for Clunkers," Laura's Lean Beef Co. has launched a promotion encouraging more...
Smithfield’s Pope has good, bad news for 2010
At Smithfield Foods' annual shareholders' meeting in Williamsburg, Va., CEO C. Larry Pope saw continued tough times for hog production but "very good" more...
Chinese pork processor expands plant capacity by 37 percent
As China ramps up efforts to grow the country's pork industry, Zhongpin Inc. said Thursday upgrades to its pork slaughtering and processing plant in Changge more...
West Liberty Foods names new VP of technical services
West Liberty, Iowa-based turkey and deli meat processor West Liberty Foods announced that Lee Johnson has joined the company's executive management team more...
Experimental Burgerville receipts come with calorie count
A Portland unit of quick-service chain Burgerville is testing a system that calculates the nutritional information of each order — and prints it more...
Wall Street boosts Sanderson earnings forecasts on strong results
Wall Street analysts raised their 2009 earnings forecasts for Sanderson Farms after the company reported stronger-than-expected results in their fiscal more...
Premium Protein Products furlough now three months long
Premium Protein Products again extended its furlough at its Hastings and Lincoln, Neb., plants, this time through Sept. 8, according to the Lincoln Journal more...
Ruby’s Diner to expand slider line at retail
The Ruby Restaurant Group is expanding its retail products in grocery stores this fall after successful sales of its Rudy's Diner-branded sliders in Costco more...
Union calls for ouster of Whole Foods CEO over health care remarks
The chief executive of Whole Foods has riled unions following his recent comments criticizing the Obama administration's efforts at health-care reform more...
Sanderson Farms 3Q results strong despite weak demand
Poultry industry production cutbacks and reduced feed grain prices helped Sanderson Farms report strong third fiscal quarter results, even as weak foodservice more...
Farmland Foodservice debuts Diner Cut Bacon
Smithfield-owned Farmland Foodservice has introduced Diner Cut Bacon, a product that is pre-sliced to "the perfect thickness to offer up that authentic more...
Listeria concerns prompt smoked beef brisket recall
Lone Star Brisket Co. in Thorndale, Texas, is recalling approximately 207 pounds of smoked beef products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes more...
Burger King unveils a whopper earnings report
Burger King Holdings reported its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings on Tuesday, and saw boosts to its bottom line of 16 percent and 7 percent, respectively more...
New York Stock Exchange promotes new pork dishes
The New York Stock Exchange and Nestle division Minor's have partnered to promote new pork offerings through late September at NYSE's on-site dining outlets more...
Cold storage numbers bad news for pork prices
USDA released its monthly Cold Storage report on Friday, reflecting a disconcerting buildup in pork stocks, particularly hams. USDA reported total pork more...
Two USDA reports point to lower cattle prices
USDA surprised analysts by reporting a 12.5 percent increase in cattle placed on feed during July, while analysts on average were expecting about a 6 more...
Two reports seen positive for poultry
Two USDA reports issued late Friday showed poultry supplies remain below year-ago supplies and five-year trends, while reduced pullets hatched indicate more...
Hardee’s introduces Fried Bologna Biscuit
Quick-service restaurant chain Hardee's announced a new Oscar Mayer Fried Bologna Biscuit, which includes a thick-cut slice of grilled Oscar Mayer bologna more...
Tyson pays $2 million to settle Neb. beef plant wastewater charges
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. has agreed to pay a $2,026,500 civil penalty to resolve wastewater issues that occurred years ago at its Dakota City, Neb. beef more...
Asian food restaurant chains merge
Chicago-based Stir Crazy Restaurants and FlatTop Grill, owned by the Happy Valley Corporation in Oak Park, Ill., announced they have merged to form a more...
AMI takes immigration reform ideas to the White House
American Meat Institute President J. Patrick Boyle told President Obama and other administration officials that immigration reform needs to include enhancing more...
Expo to cover animal identification, other traceability issues
The National Institute for Animal Agriculture will host its eighth annual ID Info Expo Aug. 25-27 in Kansas City, Mo., as a forum to explore issues surrounding more...
Spam, chili, Jennie-O boost Hormel in 3Q
Despite lower overall sales and volumes, Hormel Foods Corp. on Thursday posted a 49 percent jump in third-quarter earnings thanks to a strong performance more...
USDA wants to help pork farmers: Vilsack
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told reporters at the Iowa State Fair that while the agency is out of money to buy more surplus commodities right more...
Taiwan bans Creekstone beef plant
Taiwan has suspended imports of beef from Creekstone Farms Premium Beef's plant in Arkansas City, Kan., following a protocol violation, according to USDA's more...
Tri-National Ag delegates push media on H1N1 references
With flu season around the corner, U.S., Canadian and Mexican representatives to the 2009 Tri-National Agricultural Accord have released a statement noting more...
Processor recall plans will be mandatory: USDA officials
CHICAGO — Within the next year, meat processors will be required to develop and maintain a recall plan, USDA officials told participants here Wednesday more...
Smithfield, union plan further talks
Smithfield Foods Inc. and Food Processors Local 1046 plan to hold further discussions this month to try to resolve their differences, although the company more...
Five questions further processors must answer to combat E. coli
CHICAGO — Despite the challenges that E. coli O157:H7 presents for all beef processors, there are steps further processors can take to gain better more...
Russia bans Iowa pork plant (UPDATED)
Russia has suspended imports of pork from a Des Moines, Iowa, slaughter facility, according to a recent update by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service more...
Argentina eyes importing beef amid drought, export controls
Within the next two years, Argentina may begin importing beef for the first time as drought conditions kill cattle and government controls on exports more...
Smithfield to lay off more workers at Texas facility
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced its intent to lay off 117 workers at its Dalhart, Texas, operation, a Murphy-Brown facility that supplies Smithfield with more...
Kraft unit recalls pizza products due to allergen
Kraft Foods Global Inc. in Medford, Wis., is recalling about 8,000 pounds of frozen pepperoni and sausage pizza products because they may contain an undeclared more...
N.J. firm recalls ground beef on E. coli concerns
Pasha Halal Poultry, doing business as Marcacci Meats, is recalling about 128 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s challenge McDonald’s with new burger, money-back guarantee
Fast-food chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are claiming premium burger superiority in light of the recent launch of the Angus Third Pounder by competitor more...
Animal antibiotics improve food safety, coalition tells White House
A coalition of 20 organizations representing food producers sent a letter to the White House on Friday stating the importance of the use of antibiotics more...
FSIS directive covers laboratory sampling imported meat and poultry
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued Directive 9500.5, Laboratory Sampling Program for Imported Meat and Poultry Products. Key points more...
Poultry company disputes OSHA citations
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it is proposing $379,800 in penalties against Mar-Jac Poultry Inc more...
UGA researchers aim to skew chickens’ sex ratio
A University of Georgia researcher is working on ways to skew avian sex ratios to help the chicken industry streamline production and improve profitability more...
E. coli fears prompt ground beef recall (UPDATED)
Sterling Pacific Meat Co. is recalling some 3,516 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, USDA's Food Safety and more...
Seaboard pork unit boosts profit, sales down
Lower feed costs helped Seaboard Corp.'s pork unit report a positive swing of some $30 million dollars to post a second-quarter operating profit of $4 more...
FSIS notice addresses antemortem verification of livestock
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued Notice 52-09: Ante-Mortem Verification of Livestock Offered for Slaughter by the Establishment. This more...
Weight Watchers adds grilled flatbreads to Smart Ones lineup
Weight Watchers has debuted a new line of flatbread sandwiches as part of its Smart Ones brand of frozen entrees. The new Artisan Creations Grilled Flatbreads more...
JBS’s strong 2Q results set stage for resumed ascension mode
With a strong performance in their company's second fiscal quarter, JBS S.A. officials said the global economic crisis is behind them, and they are once more...
Mexico reopens to JBS-Swift’s Greeley, Colo., plant
Mexico has re-listed JBS-Swift & Co.'s Greeley, Colo., beef plant, which had been suspended after fears of E. coli O157:H7 prompted the company to recall more...
Hillshire Farm debuts 1-pound, ‘family-size’ lunchmeat tubs
Sara Lee brand Hillshire Farm announced the launch of Hillshire Farm Family Size Lunchmeat Tubs, part of the Hillshire Farm Deli Select line featuring more...
Consumers paying more attention to salt intake: Mintel
Consumers are starting to pay more attention to their sodium intake, according to market research firm Mintel, which found that more than half (52 percent) more...
Sara Lee posts 4Q loss
Sara Lee Corp. on Wednesday posted a $14 million loss for its fiscal fourth quarter ended June 27, which at least is much smaller than its loss of $672 more...
Oscar Mayer adds healthier options in new Lunchables line
Oscar Mayer has debuted a new line of Lunchables Lunch Combinations, featuring nutritious items like applesauce, spring water and sub sandwiches on whole-grain more...
USDA predicts huge corn crop; lowers price forecast
In its first crop estimates based on field surveys, USDA predicted a 12.8-billion-bushel U.S. corn crop, up 5 percent from last year and just 2 percent more...
Meat industry concentration not causing increased food prices: GAO
The structure of the beef and pork processing industries, among other agricultural sectors, hasn't negatively impacted commodity or food prices, according more...
Ill. veal packer pleads guilty to fraud, pays $2 million
Brown Packing Co. pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud Monday, and will pay a forfeiture of $2 million, according to court more...
Smithfield equity offering or divestitures ‘likely’: analyst
With the sow herds still at financially unsustainable levels, Smithfield Foods Inc. is likely to either sell more stock or divest some operations in order more...
South Korea lifts H1N1 ban on live hog imports
South Korea has lifted its ban on live hog imports from North America imposed in April out of fear surrounding the H1N1 viral outbreak, Reuters reported more...
FSIS directive covers food defense verification during Homeland Security threat
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued Directive 5420.1, Revision 6: Homeland Security Threat Condition Response – Risk-Based Food Defense more...
Smithfield earnings, credit rating lowered: analysts
J.P.Morgan lowered its fiscal 2010 earnings forecast for Smithfield Foods while Standard and Poor's lowered its credit rating after the pork processor more...
Hormel raises FY09 earnings outlook
Hormel Foods Corp., whose brands include Spam, Jennie-O and Dinty Moore, announced Monday it is increasing its guidance for fiscal 2009 earnings. The more...
Surf and turf still struggling through recession
It's hard to say whether fish if faring better than steak, but recent second quarter earnings reports showed poor performances from a couple of high-end more...
Obama promises end to border trucking issue
In his meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Sunday, President Obama said he was committed to resolving a trade dispute between the two countries more...
Smithfield issues another $225 million in secured notes
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced Friday that it will issue an additional $225 million in senior secured notes. The new offering is identical, other than more...
Cagle's turns a profit, helped by lower feed costs
Cagle's Inc. posted a profit in its first fiscal quarter, compared with a year-ago loss, and said it expects to remain profitable for the rest of the more...
Colombia blocks imports of Minn. poultry
Columbia has suspended imports of poultry and poultry products produced in Minnesota, according to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The ban more...
At Tesco, old meat = new energy
U.K. supermarket company Tesco PLC earlier this week announced it had found ways to divert 100 percent of its waste generated in the United Kingdom away more...
800,000+ pounds of ground beef recalled on salmonella illnesses
Beef Packers Inc. in Fresno, Calif. is recalling about 825,769 pounds of ground beef products that may be linked to an outbreak of salmonellosis, USDA more...
More dairy cows headed to the ground beef market
Cooperatives Working Together announced it has tentatively accepted bids that will take 86,710 dairy cows out of production, which means many of those more...
For restaurants, no end in sight to sales slump
Casual-dining chains continued to struggle with weak sales in July even as cost cuts helped shore up profit margins. Shares of Brinker International Inc more...
DOD endorses low meat ‘Mediterranean Diet’
The U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) has issued a news release citing evidence a "Mediterranean Diet" that includes very more...
Former Agriprocessors exec pleads guilty to conspiracy
Yomtov Bensasson, a former executive with the kosher slaughterhouse Agriprocessors Inc., pleaded guilty Tuesday to a conspiracy charge, according to the more...
Senate-passed bill would allow Chinese chicken imports
The Senate on Tuesday passed its version of a funding bill for USDA and FDA which would allow chicken imports from China with additional oversight. The more...
China bans U.S. pork, poultry plants
China has de-listed three U.S. pork and two U.S. poultry plants, according to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Effective Aug. 3, the following more...
NCC president wins Distinguished Industry Career Award
George Watts, president of the National Chicken Council, has received the Poultry Science Association's Merial Distinguished Poultry Industry Career Award more...
Maple Leaf Foods recalls hot dogs on listeria fears
Maple Leaf Foods on Tuesday said it is recalling nine wiener products produced under the Hygrade, Shopsy's and Maple Leaf brands at its Hamilton, Ontario more...
Analysts shift forecasts for Tyson, Sanderson, Pilgrim’s
Tyson Foods' and Pilgrim's Pride's earning reports Monday have resulted in Wall Street analysts shifting earnings forecasts for those two companies and more...
Japanese QSR introduces barbecue plates at U.S. locations
Yoshinoya is adding a new line of barbecue plates to its quick-service Japanese menu, including a BBQ Short Rib plate, a Barbecued Chicken plate and a more...
Value Cuts Summit to feature interactive product development
New speakers, presentations and an interactive product innovation exercise will mark the Sept. 16 Value Cuts Summit, co-hosted by Meatingplace and Plate more...
Tyson enjoys 3Q profit, warns of 4Q challenges (UPDATED)
A profitable third quarter for Tyson Foods, thanks largely to a strong performance in its chicken business, had company executives in a good mood Monday more...
FSIS outlines beef bench trim rules
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued two notices providing further details of Friday's announcement that beef bench trim at non-slaughter more...
Pilgrim’s Pride turns a profit in 3Q
Pilgrim's Pride reported net income of $53.2 million, or $0.72 per common share, on sales of $1.77 billion in its fiscal third quarter ended June 27. more...
McDonald’s goes public with upscale burger offerings
McDonald's quietly started offering three new one-third-pound Angus burgers on its menu about a month ago, but now the company is poised to trumpet its more...
July 2009
USDA to test bench trim for E. coli
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday that USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing guidance for inspectors to begin conducting more...
WTO will form panel to probe U.S. ban on Chinese poultry
The World Trade Organization on Friday decided to establish an expert panel to investigate and rule on whether a U.S. ban on Chinese poultry imports violates more...
House passes food safety bill
On a 283-to-142 vote, the House of Representatives Thursday night passed broad food safety legislation backed by the Obama administration, clearing the more...
Tesco to sell live chickens to consumers
Why did the chicken cross the road? Because Tesco was about to sell it to that Birkenstock-wearing British couple. Tesco, Britain's largest retailer, more...
Vilsack, Cookie Monster fight child obesity
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Sesame Workshop on Friday unveiled a public service announcement promoting healthy eating habits to children and more...
Calif. firm recalls pork products
Salinas, Calif.-based Camacho's Food Processing is recalling about 1,450 pounds of ready-to-eat pork skin products because they were prepared without more...
Dietz & Watson slams Boar’s Head strategy
Philadelphia-based deli meats processor Dietz & Watson on Thursday denounced a rival company's business dealings with retailers and vowed never to follow more...
Organic food no healthier: study
Organic food provides no more nutritional benefits than conventionally produced food, according to a major study published Wednesday. Researchers from more...
Judge deals another blow to Oklahoma in poultry waste case
Two scientists hired by the state of Oklahoma to support its claim that poultry waste is polluting the Illinois River watershed will not be allowed to more...
Prepared meats help Maple Leaf swing to profit in 2Q
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said Wednesday it swung to a profit in its fiscal second quarter with the help of strong performances by its prepared meats and more...
Another day, another extension at Premium Protein Products
Workers furloughed last month from Premium Protein Products' plants in Hastings and Lincoln, Neb., are now being told the furlough has been extended for more...
Major grocery chain buys Asian food retailer
Loblaw, Canada's largest grocer, announced it is buying T&T Supermarket, Canada's largest Asian food retailer, for C$225 million. T&T, which posted sales more...
Cheesecake Factory to roll out meaty kids’ menu
The Cheesecake Factory Inc. has announced plans to debut its first-ever kids' menu in August, for diners 10 and younger. Kids' menu items include two more...
U.S. meat sector urges Congress to lift ban on Chinese chicken
Major U.S. meat companies on Tuesday urged Congress to remove barriers to Chinese poultry imports to avert a potential retaliation on U.S. meat exports more...
AMI sends letter to Congress on E-Verify
The American Meat Institute sent a letter Tuesday to Congress urging legislators to "enhance and mandate" the E-Verify system, according to a news release more...
USDA to give $3.3 million for international agriculture grants
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service will award more than $3.3 million more...
Shaw’s Supermarkets names new president
West Bridgewater, Mass.-based Shaw's, a division of grocery retailer Supervalu Inc., announced that Mike Witynski will take over as president of Shaw's more...
Autopsy: 3 ConAgra workers crushed in factory collapse
Autopsies indicate that three workers died from blunt force trauma when the ceiling collapsed at a ConAgra plant in Garner, N.C. Autopsy results were more...
Cattle inventory smallest since surveys began in 1973
USDA on Friday released its monthly Cattle on Feed report as well as it Cattle Inventory report, which were generally in line with market expectations more...
Ag coalition presses Pelosi on antibiotics ban
A coalition of agricultural groups is urging the Speaker of the House to keep a ban on antibiotics for animals out of pending legislation. In a letter more...
June red meat production hits record high
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.16 billion pounds in June, up 3 percent from the 4.05 billion pounds produced in June 2008 more...
JBS $2 billion IPO will boost case-ready, value-added production
JBS USA Holdings Inc., a unit of the Brazilian meat processor JBS S.A., filed documents on Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell more...
Salmonella illnesses prompt Colo. ground beef recall
Denver-based King Soopers Inc. is recalling about 466,236 pounds of ground beef products that may be linked to an outbreak of salmonellosis, the USDA's more...
Ammonia leak at Perdue plant sends workers to hospital
Twenty-one employees of a Perdue Farms poultry plant in Virginia went to the hospital on Wednesday night after they were exposed to low levels of ammonia more...
Columbus Foods investigating four-alarm fire
South San Francisco-based Columbus Foods said it is working with investigators to determine the cause of a four-alarm fire this morning at the company's more...
Vilsack says ag would make money on climate change bill
USDA analysis shows the economic benefits to agriculture from proposed climate change legislation recently passed by the House will likely outweigh the more...
Japan bans beef from Creekstone Farms plant
Japan has halted imports of beef from Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC after inspectors discovered spinal columns in two packages of a beef shipment more...
Oscar Mayer introduces four shaved deli meat varieties
Kraft Foods brand Oscar Mayer has introduced four new varieties of Deli Fresh Shaved Meats: Black Forest Ham, Cracked Black Peppered Turkey Breast, French more...
JBS moving former Smithfield Beef jobs to Greeley (updated)
JBS S.A. is relocating corporate jobs associated with the former Smithfield Beef Group it acquired last year from their current location in Green Bay more...
Del Taco rolls out new breakfast burrito and taco
Quick-service Mexican chain Del Taco has launched two new breakfast items: a Steak and Hashbrown Breakfast Burrito and a Breakfast Taco Del Carbon. The more...
Groups spar over ethanol blend as comment period closes
As the window closes this week for public comment on the EPA's deliberations on whether to raise the allowable ethanol blend rate, the meat and ethanol more...
NPPC warns Canadian pork subsidy would push hog prices lower
The National Pork Producers Council on Monday said an emergency government subsidy program Canadian pork producers are seeking for their industry would more...
A new strategy for growing beef exports
With the global economic recession causing discretionary income to decline and consumers to turn to lower-priced proteins, times are tough for U.S. beef more...
New veal promotion includes grilling recipes, consumer contest
The Veal Retail Marketing Initiative is kicking off a Veal Summer Grilling Program developed by the Veal Go to Market Strategy Team and funded by the more...
Dems pare 'card-check' out of pro-union bill
Six Democratic senators have decided to take the controversial "card-check" provision out of the Employee Free Choice Act, according to a report in The more...
Patrick Cudahy workforce back up to 1,300
Nearly 1,300 of 1,800 total workers employed at the Patrick Cudahy plant in Milwaukee have returned to work less than two weeks after a fire burned at more...
Tyson, Sanderson Farms shares downgraded
Weakening demand for chicken, less-than-expected impact from hot weather, and low pork prices mean plenty of poultry to sell, and less upside to the stock more...
Kraft's Wienermobile crashes into home
Late last week, one of the fleet of seven Wienermobiles (the brainchild of the late Oscar Mayer) crashed into the garage of a home in southern Wisconsin more...
Smithfield cutbacks result in layoffs at John Morrell: report
Smithfield Foods' John Morrell and Co. unit has cut back on some of its hog kill and pork cut shifts at its Sioux Falls, S.D., plant, resulting in about more...
Police identify two suspects in Cudahy fire case
Authorities have identified two brothers as suspects in the investigation of who fired a military flare that started a fire at the Patrick Cudahy plant more...
Analyst lowers Smithfield stock rating on less sow reduction
BMO Capital Markets downgraded its stock recommendation for Smithfield Foods to "market perform" from "outperform" based in part on concern that recently more...
Agriprocessors’ Rubashkin faces new wire and mail fraud charges
A new 163-count federal indictment that adds wire and mail fraud charges was filed Thursday against former Agriprocessors CEO Sholom Rubashkin, according more...
Wal-Mart asks suppliers 15 questions on sustainability
It all comes down to 15 questions. Wal-Mart today announced its long-awaited plans to develop a worldwide sustainable product index through a three-step more...
Agriprocessors’ sale finds bumpy road to closing
A hearing scheduled Wednesday, expected to end with court approval for the sale of Agriprocessors Inc. to SHF Industries LLC, was held over until Thursday more...
Russia lifts meat import restrictions from three states (updated)
Effective July 16, Russia has lifted import restrictions on pork, beef and poultry products from New York and Utah and lifted poultry and beef import more...
New online tool provides historical quality and yield grade info
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has debuted a new Web-based tool that provides meat grading and certification historical quality and yield grade more...
Cudahy fire cause identified
A military flare that landed on the roof of the Patrick Cudahy plant in Cudahy, Wis., started the fire that burned for more than two days last week and more...
JBS-Swift workers ratify first union contract
Workers at the JBS-Swift plant in Hyrum, Utah, on Tuesday night voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first union contract, according to the United Food more...
Tyson reducing sow herd over the next 10 weeks
Tyson Foods is selling five hog farms and eliminating 76 jobs, a move that will reduce its sow herd by 20,000 head, company spokesman Gary Mickelson confirmed more...
Prime steaks showing up at retail, and cheap!
You can't buy this type of publicity. The Wall Street Journal today gave over half a page of precious ink to a big color photo of a USDA Prime steak and more...
FDA supports ban on certain antibiotics in livestock
The Food and Drug Administration said it wants to ban certain uses of antibiotics in U.S. livestock in order to prevent the development of harmful bacteria more...
FSIS seeks comments on ‘roaster,’ ‘roasting chicken’ definitions
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is providing new information on and re-proposing the definition and standard for "roaster" and "roasting chicken more...
Quiznos rolls out $3 Toasty Bullet sandwich
Sandwich chain Quiznos has added the new Toasty Bullet sub to its Everyday Value menu. The new 8-inch sandwich costs $3 and joins other affordable offerings more...
P.F. Chang’s debuts first kid's menu
Chinese casual-dining chain P.F. Chang's announced the launch of its first kid's menu across 190 restaurants. The menu features: Kid's Chicken served more...
National Beef’s third-quarter income down on soft beef demand (UPDATED)
National Beef Packing Co. on Friday reported a $28 million decrease in third-quarter profit as soft demand slowed volumes and dragged on sales prices more...
Analyst upgrades Kraft; Deli Fresh Lunchmeat sales strong
BMO Capital Markets has upgraded Kraft Foods shares to "outperform" from "market perform" based on positive management changes, lower commodity prices more...
Ill. company recalls ground beef on E. coli fears
E.S. Miller Packing Co. in Montgomery, Ill., is recalling about 219 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, USDA's more...
Chicago Meat Authority debuts Marinade on Demand products
Chicago-based processor Chicago Meat Authority announced the introduction of Marinade on Demand products, which combine various marinades and meat in more...
USDA boosts corn, soybeans production, cuts price forecasts
Based on last month's surprise forecast of expanded corn acreage, USDA raised its forecasts for the 2009/2010 corn production marketing year and predicted more...
Plan to cull more dairy cows in the works
Fresh off its largest dairy herd retirement ever, Cooperatives Working Together on Friday announced a second herd reduction program for 2009 aimed at more...
Australia eyes piece of U.S.-EU beef quota
Australian beef producers are looking to capitalize on a new beef quota their U.S. counterparts hashed out with the European Union, according to a report more...
USDA sees more pork, lower prices
USDA raised its forecast for pork production and lowered its price forecasts based on larger-than-expected second quarter slaughter and heavier carcass more...
Cudahy fire extinguished, costs may exceed $50M
Cudahy, Wis., officials on Wednesday afternoon declared that a fire that burned at the local Patrick Cudahy Inc. meat plant for two-and-a-half days finally more...
USDA names deputy under secretary of food safety
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today named Jerold Mande as deputy under secretary for food safety. In this position, Mande will be responsible for more...
Discounts, giveaways boost restaurant fortunes
Lower-priced menu items and giveaways are improving the outlooks of some restaurant chains in the casual-dining and quick-service segments. Earlier this more...
Tyson exec to keynote Poultry Federation nutrition conference
Donnie Smith, Tyson Foods senior group vice president poultry and prepared foods, will keynote the Poultry Federation's 2009 Nutrition Conference. The more...
Sara Lee expanding distribution center, adding jobs
Construction is underway on another expansion to the Sara Lee Mixing Center in Rochelle, Ill., that will add about 35 jobs to the distribution center more...
Petaluma Poultry introduces tray-less packaging
Petaluma, Calif.-based Petaluma Poultry announced the debut of tray-less packaging, which eliminates a Styrofoam tray in favor of freezer-safe, leak-resistant more...
Oscar G. Mayer dies at 95
The meat processing industry has lost a legend with the passing of Oscar G. Mayer, retired chairman of the Madison, Wis.-based firm that carries his grandfather's more...
Brinker names new COO of Chili's, On the Border chains
Brinker International Inc. has named 13-year company veteran Kelli Valade as chief operating officer for its Chili's Grill & Bar and On The Border Mexican more...
More E. coli sampling, salmonella program among Obama panel recommendations
A Food Safety Working Group created by President Obama in March on Tuesday announced recommendations that include new standards to reduce salmonella in more...
JBS boosts slaughter capacity
JBS S.A. announced it has expanded its slaughter capacity in Brazil by 25 percent by leasing five slaughter and deboning units. In a statement on its more...
New Empire Kosher Poultry production line to more than double capacity
Mifflintown, Pa.-based Empire Kosher Poultry announced plans to increase its kosher chicken capacity in time for the High Holiday peak demand period this more...
Arby’s adds BBQ Bacon Cheddar Roastburger to summer lineup
Fast-food chain Arby's has introduced a new summer sandwich to its line of Roastburgers. The BBQ Bacon Cheddar Roastburger is topped with pepper bacon more...
Patrick Cudahy plant continues to burn
The mayor of Cudahy, Wis., announced at noon Monday that the Milwaukee suburb has declared a state of emergency as the Patrick Cudahy Inc. meat plant more...
USTR concerned over beef dispute with Japan
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk on Monday announced progress in a number of areas as Washington and Tokyo engage under the U.S. Japan Regulatory Reform more...
Dairy retirement removes 101,000 cows
Cooperatives Working Together announced it finished its latest herd retirement round by removing 101,040 cows from 41 states that produced almost two more...
Retail meat and poultry prices down in 2Q
Retail food prices at the supermarket decreased slightly for the third consecutive quarter, with meat and poultry items among the leading losers, according more...
Smithfield sets over $1 billion in credit, other debt restructuring
Smithfield Foods announced Thursday it has entered into a new $1 billion asset-based revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative more...
New Cedarlane breakfast items feature egg whites, turkey bacon
Carson, Calif.-based Cedarlane Natural Foods Inc. announced the launch of new frozen egg white omelettes and egg white breakfast burritos. The egg white more...
New USDA Web site highlights Recovery Act projects
USDA has launched a new Recovery Act Web site, usda.gov/recovery, that aims to allow people to learn about, share and discuss American Recovery and Reinvestment more...
Dress like a cow, get free food
In honor of the fifth annual Cow Appreciation Day celebration — a nod to the Chick-fil-A Cows and the "Eat Mor Chikin" ad campaign — Chick-fil-A more...
Twelve people hospitalized in E. coli outbreak
Twelve people have been hospitalized, including two with kidney failure, in connection with a multi-state E. coli outbreak, according to the U.S. Centers more...
Smithfield, N.C. plant workers ratify union contract
Smithfield Packing Co. and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1208 said late Wednesday they have ratified a new four-year contract covering more...
ICE tells 600+ businesses of planned audits
Putting into practice its new approach to illegal immigration, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement arm of U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced more...
Foster Farms says unable to hire all Louisiana growers
Livingston, Calif.-based Foster Farms said it will contract with most, but not all, of the independent Louisiana growers who raised chickens for the Farmerville more...
Chicken ban? What chicken ban? China denies import action
A Chinese vice minister has denied reports that China would block imports of chicken from the United States, according to Reuters. "According to our information more...
New York firm recalls frozen meat and poultry products
Buffalo, N.Y.-based SAV, Inc. is recalling approximately 208,768 pounds of frozen meat and poultry products because they contain Amaranth Red #2, which more...
Mississippi firm recalls meal kits on possible Salmonella
Pearl, Miss.-based Traditions is recalling an undetermined amount of boxed pre-packaged meal kits that contain nonfat dried milk previously recalled due more...
If China bans U.S. chicken, mixed views on impact
China appears to be on the verge of banning U.S. chicken imports, according to importers who say U.S. exporters will be denied import permits starting more...
Helping employers combat obesity is focus of new CDC Web site
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has unveiled LEANWorks!, a Web site designed to help businesses address obesity. "LEAN" stands for Leading more...
June 2009
USDA shocks markets by estimating higher corn acreage
In what will undoubtedly be a windfall of lower feed prices for livestock producers, USDA estimated U.S. corn acreage at 87 million acres, up 1 million more...
Turkey abuse draws home confinement sentence
A former worker at Aviagen Turkeys Inc. was sentenced earlier this week to a year of home confinement, fined $1,000 and ordered to have no contact with more...
Current I-9 form remains valid
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the Employment Eligibility Verification form (I-9) that now is posted on its Web site does not more...
Chefs’ competition spurs adventurous pork recipes
Pork loin, cheek, belly and jowl took center-of-the-plate stage at the National Pork Board's Taste of Elegance dinner and chefs' competition in Baltimore more...
Smithfield to lay off 140 in Texas
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced its intent to lay off 140 workers at its Dalhart, Texas, operation, a Murphy-Brown facility that supplies Smithfield with more...
U.S. swine stock down 2 percent
USDA's quarterly Hogs and Pigs report released Friday afternoon generally came in line with consensus expectations, although some analysts noted the information more...
Four given probation for pig abuse
Four of six former employees of MowMar Farms LLP have been sentenced to probation for their role in abusing pigs at an Iowa farm, abuse that was widely more...
Cargill expands Rumba brand to cover pork variety meat cuts
Cargill on Monday launched a new line of pork variety meat cuts under its Rumba brand. The new Rumba pork products include ears, hocks, jowls, kidneys more...
Premium Protein chairman resigns, company’s future unclear
Premium Protein Products Inc. Chairman Steve Sands told Meatingplace Friday that he has resigned from the company, whose future is unclear as the economic more...
Agriprocessors auction set; Rubashkin trials severed
A second auction of the assets of Agriprocessors Inc. has been set for July 6, according to court documents; this auction is expected to result in the more...
Smithfield, UFCW reach first Tar Heel agreement
The first tentative agreement has been reached between Smithfield Packing Co. and the bargaining committee of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local more...
Here, chicky chicky! Roosters, game hens provide therapy for seniors
Not exactly the conventional image of a lap animal, chickens are being used — at least in one corner of Montana — as therapy animals. Jana more...
Smithfield offers $500M in senior notes, arranges $1 billion credit facility
Smithfield Foods Inc. said Thursday it is offering $500 million in senior secured notes and has begun arranging a new $1 billion asset-based credit facility more...
JBS-Swift recalls beef on E. coli concerns
JBS-Swift Beef Co. is recalling about 41,280 pounds of beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the USDA's Food Safety and more...
ConAgra net profit down; Slim Jims back soon
ConAgra Foods Inc. on Thursday said net profit fell 13 percent in the fourth quarter, but earnings excluding special items met Wall Street expectations more...
Texas firm recalls potentially undercooked sausage
Laxson Provision Co. is recalling some 350 pounds of a cervelat sausage product because it may be undercooked, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service more...
Buyer emerges for Agriprocessors
As expected, the company that bought some of bankrupt Agriprocessors Inc.'s large loans several months ago has been presented to the court as a buyer more...
Brazil’s Marfrig stops buying cattle from deforested areas
Brazilian meat and poultry processor Marfrig Alimentos S.A. said this week it will no longer buy cattle or sell beef derived from cattle raised in deforested more...
ConAgra shares rise on analyst recommendation
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods shares rose on Tuesday after financial firm UBS upgraded its recommendation on the stock to a "buy" from "neutral." ConAgra more...
Carl’s Jr. promotes ‘bikini-friendly’ burger
Quick-service restaurant chain Carl's Jr. is using Audrina Patridge, the star of MTV reality show "The Hills" who also has been honored for her bikini more...
E. coli concerns prompt ground beef recall
International Meat Co. Inc. in Chicago is recalling approximately 6,152 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, more...
Hormel helps consumers balance budget with desire for healthy meals
Hormel Foods announced Tuesday that the company's Natural Choice meats line has teamed with up with registered dietician Patricia M. Bannan to create more...
USDA report shows less pork build-up than feared
USDA's monthly Cold Storage report showed stocks of pork in storage was up only 0.8 percent in May from a year ago, easing concerns that H1N1 fears and more...
Consumers will ditch healthy for tasty, filling and cheap
Consumer research firm Mintel found that only 20 percent of American diners rank food health as an important factor when ordering dinner. Far more essential more...
Regulators investigating 10 companies in ConAgra plant blast
North Carolina regulators are investigating 10 companies in the probe of a natural gas explosion last week at ConAgra Foods' Garner, N.C., food plant more...
Fewer cattle placed on feed in May than expected
Not only were cattle placed on feed in May the second lowest for that month since tracking began in 1996, placements were also well below analysts' expectations more...
Russia relists Pilgrim’s Pride plant
Russia has relisted a Pilgrim's Pride poultry plant as an approved exporter after learning that the facility has maintained a high standard of salmonella more...
Buy a burger, win a car — twice
It is either a case of great minds thinking alike, or Detroit is in even more trouble than we thought. Fast food companies are constantly offering contests more...
Hormel creates joint venture to sell Mexican foods
Hormel Foods on Friday announced it will form a joint venture with Herdez Del Fuerte that aims to capitalize on the growing popularity of Mexican foods more...
Brazilian meat probe not aimed at JBS: spokesman
Sao Paulo, Brazil-based beef giant JBS S.A. has been erroneously implicated in the Brazilian government's meat industry-related crackdown on corruption more...
Judge to Rubashkin: No means no (for now)
U.S. District Court judge in Iowa has again denied Sholom Rubashkin's request for a change of venue for his upcoming criminal trial, according to court more...
‘CNN flu’? Contest recognizes best alternate names for H1N1
In the case of H1N1, which was first unfortunately dubbed "swine flu," it seems the answer to the immortal question "What's in a name?" is "plenty." Which more...
ConAgra makes alternate production plans for Slim Jim products
In the wake of the June 9 gas leak at its Garner, N.C., plant that killed three, sent dozens to the hospital and damaged the packaging end of the facility more...
Mexico demand for U.S. pork to normalize by end of June: expert
Demand for U.S. pork in Mexico is on the rebound and by the end of June shall have nearly returned to pre-H1N1 levels, according to Chad Russell, the more...
Consumer group to hold food safety symposium June 25 (UPDATED)
Consumer Federation of America will hold a half-day symposium June 25 from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. to discuss recent changes in USDA's Food Safety and Inspection more...
Stage set for higher poultry production, USDA says
Broiler meat production is on the rebound, spurred by rising chick placements, after falling strongly in the first half of the year, USDA said in its more...
New online tool helps pork producers prepare for emergencies
The Pork Checkoff recently unveiled a new emergency action plan tool to help pork producers prepare for floods, fires and other unexpected events. The more...
JBS cooperates in corruption probe, denies criminal involvement
JBS S.A. said Wednesday the company is not involved in crimes associated with the Brazilian government's probe of alleged corruption among meatpackers more...
Contractor denies role in ConAgra explosion
The company sued by two survivors of last week's explosion at ConAgra's Garner, N.C., plant issued a statement denying a role in the incident. According more...
Pilgrim’s Pride posts monthly profits
Pittsburg, Texas-based chicken processor Pilgrim's Pride posted profits during the first two months of its fiscal third quarter, which ends June 27, according more...
U.S., Canada set organic trade agreement
USDA announced the United States and Canada have entered a first-of-its-kind equivalency agreement under which each country recognized the other's organic more...
Church’s Chicken acquired by private equity firm
San Francisco-based private equity firm Friedman Fleischer & Lowe LLC announced that an affiliate of the firm has entered into a definitive agreement more...
Smithfield earnings: Good, bad and just plain ugly
Smithfield Foods Inc.'s earnings report Tuesday morning was awful — but still a little better than analysts had expected. The company reported its more...
ConAgra calls some employees back to work, at least for now
A week after a gas leak at ConAgra Foods' Garner, N.C., plant killed three and injured dozens, the company is calling back some day-shift workers to help more...
New nutrition labeling program counts Kraft, ConAgra among participants
Non-profit organizations NSF International and the American Society for Nutrition announced their joint roles in administering a new nutritional front-of-package more...
Country music group creates Denny’s offering with steak, bacon, gravy
Country music group Rascal Flatts has contributed the star item on Denny's newest Rockstar menu, part of the family-dining chain's Allnighter program more...
Dark skies for Smithfield
Wall Street doesn't expect a sunny forecast Tuesday when Smithfield Foods Inc. reports its fourth-quarter results. Analysts on average predict the world's more...
Texas, Nebraska cope with TB in cattle
Cattle tuberculosis has been confirmed in a west Texas dairy that has been quarantined since April when some cattle in the herd responded to a TB test more...
DineWise acquires Home Bistro Foods
Farmingdale, N.Y.-based national prepared meal company DineWise Inc. announced its strategic asset acquisition of Plattsburgh, N.Y.-based Home Bistro more...
Former Beatle calls for meat-free Mondays
Former Beatle Paul McCartney is launching a new campaign calling for meat-free Mondays, which encourages people to have one meat-free day a week to help more...
Wall Street factors rising feed costs into Smithfield, Hormel outlooks
Wall Street analysts are factoring the prospect of rising grain prices into their outlooks for meatpackers including Smithfield Foods and Hormel Foods more...
Jack Link’s partners with Frito-Lay
Minong, Wis.-based meat snack processor Jack Link's and PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division announced they have entered into an agreement in which more...
DeLauro proposes eliminating NAIS funds
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has proposed cutting new funding for the National Animal Identification System from the 2010 spending bill, saying more...
Poultry top vector for foodborne illness: CDC
A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed the largest number of cases of foodborne illness in 2006 were associated with poultry more...
Wis. meat plant worker wins $1 million in lottery
In some good news for the meat industry, a meat plant worker in Wisconsin recently got lucky playing the state lottery. Rafael Ruiz Jr., a supervisor more...
Okla. Firm to recall 2.68 million pounds of ham
Seminole, Okla.-based Sigma Processed Meats Inc. is recalling roughly 2.68 million pounds of fully cooked ham products because they contain monosodium more...
Premium Protein furloughs workers at two plants
Lincoln, Neb.-based Premium Protein Products put plant workers at both its Lincoln and Hastings, Neb., plants on a two-week unpaid furlough starting Thursday more...
Pilgrim’s Pride recalls frozen poultry products
Mount Pleasant, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. is recalling some 608,188 pounds of frozen poultry products because they may contain the potential allergens more...
Meat groups get nervous about food safety bill
The American Meat Institute and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association both issued news releases this week expressing concern over the proposed Food more...
Industry groups create Web site to counter ‘Food, Inc.’
An alliance of meat and poultry industry groups has created a new Web site, safefoodinc.org, to respond to the documentary film "Food, Inc.," which takes more...
WHO calls H1N1 a pandemic, media still call it ‘swine flu’
The World Health Organization said Wednesday the agency has deemed the outbreak of the novel H1N1 strain of influenza as a pandemic, the first flu pandemic more...
Third body found, all recovered in ConAgra plant rubble
Authorities said they found a third body on Wednesday morning inside the rubble of a ConAgra plant in Garner, N.C., following a Tuesday explosion, according more...
Brazilian beef firm closes more plants, lays off 1,100
Independencia S.A. on Wednesday announced more beef plant closures as the company continues a restructuring process amid the global economic crisis. The more...
USDA says corn use will exceed production this year
Total U.S. corn use, projected at 12.5 billion bushels, is expected to exceed production by 525 million bushels in the 2009/10 marketing year that begins more...
'Food, Inc.' makers launch aggressive marketing campaign
The documentarians behind "Food, Inc.," the new film examining the modern food production system, are using an aggressive campaign to put their points more...
Casual-dining pioneer dies
Norman Brinker, a restaurant entrepreneur who popularized casual-dining chains such as Chili's Bar & Grill, died Tuesday at a Colorado hospital of complications more...
Slim Jim plant explosion leaves workers injured, missing
An explosion at a ConAgra Foods plant in Garner, N.C., sent ammonia fumes into the air, caused a roof to collapse and sent at least 20 workers to the more...
Foster Farms to buy two foodservice brands from ConAgra
Livingston, Calif.-based poultry company Foster Farms announced it has reached an agreement to purchase the Fernando's and El Extremo foodservice brands more...
Producers detail sow retirement program
By June 17, hog producers will be able to sign up for the Producer Retirement Program, formed by a group of hog producers in an attempt to make it easier more...
E. coli concerns prompt recall of fresh beef trim products
Snow Creek Meat Processing in Seneca, S.C., is recalling approximately 75 pounds of fresh beef trim products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
Higher ethanol blend equals higher commodity costs: studies
A 50 percent increase in the allowable limits of ethanol in gasoline will result in higher commodity costs for livestock, poultry and food producers and more...
Vilsack speaks out on delay naming food safety chief (Updated)
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told reporters the unusual delay in naming an undersecretary for food safety is due at least in part to the Obama more...
FSIS reissues notice on E. coli sampling procedures
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a new notice (Notice 44-09) that cancels Notice 18-09 and reissues its content adding provisions more...
New ads pitch Spam as barrier to boredom
Hormel Foods' Spam canned meat product is more than a budget-friendly choice during a recession — it's a way to battle boredom at mealtimes, according more...
Dunkin’ Donuts launches value-priced breakfast wrap
Coffee and baked goods chain Dunkin' Donuts announced the debut of the Wake-up Wrap, a breakfast sandwich the company said is designed for value-conscious more...
Hog producers create sow buyout program
An independent group of U.S. hog producers has organized a sow buyout program aimed at helping producers get out of the hog business in response to low more...
Russia’s bid for WTO a factor in lifting meat bans: USTR
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk expressed hope during a visit to Moscow this week that Russia soon will lift several bans on imports of U.S. meat and more...
Consumer group calls out unhealthy restaurant meals
A consumer advocacy group has bestowed upon several chain restaurant operators some dubious dinstinctions related to menu items that are far from healthful more...
U.K. study finds beef, pork protein in chicken products
A small study by the British Food Standards Agency into ingredients in chicken products has found undeclared beef and pork proteins may be added to chicken more...
N.Y. firm recalls duck leg and sausage on listeria concerns
Long Island City, N.Y.-based Schaller Mfg. Corp. is recalling 564 pounds of duck leg confit and kolbase sausage products because they may be contaminated more...
Russia bans pork from two Tyson plants, watching Cargill
Russia has banned imports from Tyson Foods pork processing plants in Columbus Junction, Iowa, and Waterloo, Iowa, according to a notice on the country's more...
Tyson Fresh Meats retools premium beef line
Tyson Fresh Meats said it is re-launching its high-end Star Ranch Angus brand aimed at consumers who want top-quality, American-made beef. The brand uses more...
Restaurant veteran named to lead IHOP
Jean M. Birch, a 25-year restaurant industry veteran, has been named president of IHOP Restaurants, effective June 22. Birch will be responsible for the more...
E. coli fears prompt Ore. firm to recall ground beef
Portland, Ore.-based SP Provisions is recalling nearly 40,000 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, USDA's more...
Bob Evans posts strong results despite higher sow costs
Columbus, Ohio-based Bob Evans Farms beat analysts' estimates with strong fiscal fourth-quarter results driven by cost cutting and strength in its restaurant more...
GIPSA checks farm bill compliance
Representatives of USDA's Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration have been checking production contracts between pork and poultry processors more...
El Pollo Loco launches chicken “slider”
Costa Mesa, Calif.-based quick-service chain El Pollo Loco has introduced a new BBQ Chicken Slider. The new sliders feature barbecued chicken with cole more...
JBS ammonia leak sends 40 to hospital
An ammonia pipe leak in a JBS Swift pork processing plant in Worthington, Minn., this morning sent 40 to the hospital for observation, but only two have more...
Tyson chicken exec makes no promises amid market volatility
Asked whether Tyson Foods foresees normalized margins in its chicken business, Donnie Smith, the company's senior vice president of poultry and prepared more...
Pilgrim’s Pride faces lawsuit from city hurt by closed plant
Accusing Pilgrim's Pride of trying to manipulate chicken prices and devastating the town, the city of Clinton, Ark., sued the Pittsburg, Texas-based poultry more...
ConAgra looks to reposition with new branding campaign
ConAgra Foods said it is launching a new brand identity campaign that includes a new logo and the tagline "Food you love." The Omaha, Neb.-based maker more...
E-Verify mandate for federal contractors delayed a fourth time
The deadline by which all federal contractors and subcontractors are to begin using E-Verify has been moved for the fourth time this calendar year, this more...
OIE raises BSE age limit for beef trade
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has adopted a resolution raising the cattle age limits related to preventing bovine spongiform encephalopathy more...
Miami beef plant shrugs off ammonia leak
An ammonia leak forced the evacuation of an area surrounding a Miami-based beef plant early Monday morning. No one was injured. Firefighters reportedly more...
Brazil's beef industry causes Amazon deforestation: Greenpeace
A new report by environmental advocacy group Greenpeace blames the Brazilian government for supporting Brazil's cattle industry in deforesting the Amazon more...
Boston Market name foodservice veteran as CEO
Golden, Colo.-based fast-casual chain Boston Market said it named F. Lane Cardwell, Jr. its new chief executive officer and that Rick Arras, at the helm more...
May 2009
Sara Lee to open new meat slicing plant
Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee Corp. said it will open a state-of-the-art sliced meat manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Kan. that will become more...
JBS restructures ownership of U.S. cattle feeding operations
JBS S.A. said Friday it has restructured its ownership of Five Rivers Cattle Feeding to reap the benefits and reduce the risks associated with the business more...
Wall Street ramps up Sanderson forecasts after stellar quarter
Several Wall Street analysts raised their full-year profit forecasts for Sanderson Farms after the chicken producer turned in a robust quarterly earnings more...
McCormick & Schmick’s seeking new CFO
Portland, Ore.-based McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants Inc. said it is seeking a new chief financial officer. In a news release, the company said more...
Sanderson Farms profit surges as chicken market recovers
Poultry producer Sanderson Farms on Thursday reported a strong second-quarter profit that was twice what Wall Street had expected, aided by production more...
Tyson donates chicken in class-action settlement
Tyson Foods will donate 1.7 million pounds of chicken to food banks in Illinois as part of the settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed seven years more...
Oberto Sausage, Frito-Lay end meat snack partnership
Seattle-based Oberto Sausage Co. and Plano, Texas-based Frito-Lay North America have agreed to end their partnership of 10 years that covered the distribution more...
IFT launches food safety videos for consumers
The Institute of Food Technologists has produced a series of videos, "Understanding Food Safety and Toxicology," on instructional video Web site MonkeySee more...
Pilgrim’s Pride said to reject El Dorado plant bid
Pilgrim's Pride has rejected a bid by local investors to buy its shuttered El Dorado, Ark., plant, according to local media reports. (See Local investors more...
Russia won't budge on meat import bans
Russia's agricultural products watchdog said it will not bow to U.S. pressure to lift bans on U.S. meat imports, contending the measures are health-related more...
APHIS announces NAIS meetings nationwide
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced six upcoming meetings to discuss stakeholder concerns related to the implementation of the more...
New Burger King Kids Meals include lower-sodium chicken tenders
Burger King announced the addition of three new meals to its BK Kids Meal menu, all of which meet nutrition criteria the quick-service restaurant chain more...
USDA report shows light cattle placed on feed
USDA's monthly Cattle on Feed report showed fewer cattle on feed May 1 than a year ago, and those placed on feed were lighter, which could mean fewer more...
Pullet inventory sees steep decline
The number of broiler-type pullets (young breeder hens) hatched in April fell 13.5 percent from the same month a year earlier, according to USDA reports more...
Meat stocks in cold storage up in April, down from year ago
Total red meat supplies in freezers April 30 were up 1 percent from March but down 5 percent from a year ago, according to USDA's monthly Cold Storage more...
Study debunks link between meat and breast cancer
There is no link between eating meat and developing breast cancer, according to a study by the National Institutes of Health and the American Association more...
Local investors bid to buy Pilgrim’s El Dorado plant
City officials in El Dorado, Ark. told Shreveport, La.-based KTBS News that a group of local investors have placed a bid to buy the shuttered Pilgrim's more...
USTR seeking increased access for U.S. beef, pork exports
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk told red-meat industry leaders late last week his office is trying to unlock significant foreign markets for more...
American Lamb Board sponsors ‘Get Your Grill On’ video contest
The American Lamb Board is holding its second annual "Get Your Grill On" video competition, challenging contestants to submit a 3- to 5-minute video showing more...
Scholarship initiative aims to support beef industry careers
The National Cattlemen's Foundation is launching the Bright Futures Scholarship fund, a new initiative to inspire young people to pursue careers in agriculture more...
Tyson adding 100 jobs at Va. poultry plant
Tyson Foods said it is adding 100 jobs to its Harrisonburg, Va., poultry plant amid a shift in product mix and effort to improve operational efficiencies more...
Pilgrim’s Pride repays $450 million in debt
Pilgrim's Pride on Friday said it has repaid its entire debtor-in-possession (dip) financing authorization of $450 million. The debt was repaid by May more...
Foster Farms begins hiring managers at Farmerville
Foster Farms said it has begun filling key management posts at the Farmerville, La., chicken complex it just acquired from Pilgrim's Pride. Both companies more...
Meatingplace launches blog email service
Starting Tuesday, May 26, Meatingplace will begin a new daily e-mail service that will update you on the latest active blog discussions on Meatingplace more...
Top five countries for unusual meats
With more fresh meats going international, it's worth taking a moment to consider the list compiled by the European flight search engine SkyScanner: the more...
E. coli illnesses prompt ground beef recall
Valley Meats LLC, based in Coal Valley, Ill. is recalling some 95,898 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
Hormel profit beats forecasts; pork rebounds from H1N1 scare
Hormel Foods Corp. on Thursday posted a second-quarter profit that beat analysts' forecasts by 9 cents and said its pork business is bouncing back after more...
Sara Lee, Kraft in court over tastiest hot dog
Sara Lee announced it has filed suit against Kraft Foods over claims in a series of advertisements that compares Kraft's Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef Franks more...
University of Missouri vet professor dies unexpectedly at 51
University of Missouri veterinarian and food animal researcher "Jeff" Wayne Tyler, 51, died unexpectedly on Sunday at his home in Columbia, Mo. Tyler more...
Cap and trade: Who likes this bill?
This week Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) introduced the much-anticipated American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454) more...
National Beef launches new retail campaign for grilling season
National Beef Packing Co. on Wednesday announced the launch of its Black Canyon Grillmasters Program, aimed to position retailers for increased sales more...
Tyson's earnings forecast, stock recommendations boosted by analysts
KeyBanc Capital Markets said it is upgrading Tyson Foods shares to a buy from a hold with a price target of $16. In a note to investors, KeyBanc analyst more...
Tyson introduces lower-sodium frozen entrees
Tyson Foods announced that this month it introduced Skillet Creations meal kits, a new line of frozen entrees designed to offer consumers convenience more...
Brazilian meat processors announce merger
Brazilian food companies Perdigao SA and Sadia SA on Tuesday announced they will merge amid the global financial crisis, the Associated Press reported more...
Hormel adds new flavors to Always Tender line
Hormel Foods announced it has expanded its Always Tender product portfolio to include three new flavors: Pomegranate Basil Pork Tenderloin, Mediterranean more...
Panorama Meats, Arapaho Tribe to supply beef to Whole Foods
Petaluma, Calif.-based Panorama Meats announced it has partnered with certified organic cattle operation Arapaho Ranch to supply Panorama Organic Grass-Fed more...
Denny’s launches 16 new menu items
In response to the struggling economy and consumer appetites, family-dining chain Denny's has added 16 new items to its menu. The restaurant chain promises more...
BSE case confirmed in Canada
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced it has confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy in an 80-month-old dairy cow from Alberta. In a more...
EPA extends public comment period for higher ethanol blend rate
The Environmental Protection Agency announced it is extending the comment period by 60 days on a waiver application requesting an increase in the amount more...
Agriprocessors managers see 140+ new charges
The federal government has again upped the ante in the legal game of Iowa hold 'em unfolding in the U.S. District Court for Northern Iowa in Cedar Rapids more...
U.S. pork, beef exports stay strong in March: USMEF
U.S. pork and beef exports in March were solid, anchored by very strong pork sales to Mexico and a surge in beef exports to Vietnam, Japan and the Middle more...
JBS 1Q loss widens on financial expenses
JBS S.A. on Thursday reported that its first-quarter loss widened largely on debt servicing costs and losses in its Argentine beef business. The world's more...
Tyson, others not responsible for boy's cancer, jury finds
An Arkansas jury on Thursday found in favor of three poultry companies sued by a family who claimed arsenic from chicken waste spread on fields caused more...
Former Agriprocessors workers awarded “victims” visas
Twenty women and children arrested a year ago in the immigration raid at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville, Iowa have been granted special visas reserved more...
California firm recalls pork products
Wayne Provision Co., a Vernon, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 2,075 pounds of frozen pork sausage products because they may contain more...
Wal-Mart hints grocery sales may be leveling
A Wal-Mart executive on Thursday hinted that gains in grocery sales in recent quarters are leveling as food inflation eases. In a conference call following more...
La. budget committee OKs $50 million for Foster Farms plant deal
Louisiana's Joint Legislative Budget Committee late Wednesday gave its approval for the state to spend $50 million to facilitate the sale of the Pilgrim's more...
Injunction denied in Oklahoma poultry waste case
A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a judge's ruling denying the state of Oklahoma's request for an injunction to stop poultry growers from dumping more...
Marie Callender’s introduces frozen Italian entrees
ConAgra Foods brand Marie Callender's has introduced Pasta al Dente, a new line of Italian frozen entrees designed to offer consumers authentic, high-quality more...
Tyson, Sanderson CEOs give optimistic outlooks
Tyson Foods CEO Leland Tollett and Sanderson Farms CEO Joe Sanderson on Wednesday gave upbeat assessments of their companies and the chicken market in more...
JBS “ready to grow again”: CEO
JBS S.A. CEO Joesley Batista told investors at the BMO Capital Markets Agriculture, Protein and Fertilizer Conference on Wednesday that the world's largest more...
Obama food safety group outlines priorities
The Obama administration's newly formed food safety working group held its first listening session on how to fix food safety in America, outlining five more...
Vilsack names administrator for food and nutrition services
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that Julie Paradis will serve as administrator for USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. Paradis has served as more...
Poultry 101 slated for June 16-18
A Poultry 101 workshop will take place at Texas Tech University in Lubbock Texas June 16-18. Poultry 101 is a two-and-a-half-day, hands-on workshop that more...
Feds move to drop some charges against Rubashkin, others
On Monday, federal prosecutors in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, filed a motion to dismiss seven charges of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft against more...
Poultry boosts total meat production in 2009, 2010: USDA
Total meat production will increase in 2009 and 2010, thanks in large part to higher poultry production, according to USDA's World Agricultural Supply more...
USDA forecasts escalating ethanol corn use
USDA projected 4.1 billion bushels of corn will be used to produce ethanol in the 2009/10 marketing year beginning Sept. 1, an increase of 350 million more...
Sara Lee appoints interim CFO
Sara Lee Corp. announced it has appointed its vice president, Mark Garvey, as interim chief financial officer. Garvey, who has held a variety of executive more...
Canada culls hogs on flu-infected farm
Canadian officials on Friday culled 500 hogs on the farm where the H1N1 flu virus was detected, but not because the animals were sick, Alberta's chief more...
Some countries are over H1N1 scare, some aren't
With news about the H1N1 virus spreading and changing at a pace too quick to keep up with, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service on Friday issued more...
Rubashkin wants child labor charges dismissed
Sholom Rubashkin last week asked the Iowa District Court for Allamakee County to dismiss an unknown number of the 9,311 counts of child labor violations more...
Supervalu launches new beef products, meat-case marketing
Minneapolis-based grocery retailer Supervalu on Monday announced the launch of the Stockman & Dakota brand of USDA Choice Angus beef products as well more...
Pilgrim's Pride posts smaller loss, signs deal to sell Farmerville plant
Pilgrim's Pride Corp., which is reorganizing under bankruptcy protection, posted a smaller quarterly net loss, compared with a year ago. The Pittsburg more...
Big Agriprocessors loan sold; trustee expects plant sale soon (updated)
One of the largest loans made to the bankrupt Agriprocessors Inc. — a $10 million line of credit held by First Bank Business Capital of St. Louis more...
Wendy's/Arby's to roll out new chicken, beef items
In the face of declining same-store sales at Arby's and a loss in its latest quarter, Wendy's/Arby's executives detailed a number of new products it plans more...
Saintly salami: Miami woman sees divine message in meat
A Miami woman said she found religion in a rather unexpected place this week: a frying pan. According to Miami television station WFOR, Nancy Simoes was more...
Sara Lee net profit down, but meat sales shine
Sara Lee Corp. on Thursday said third-quarter net profit fell 22 percent on weak demand in Europe and the stronger dollar, but sales of its Ball Park more...
Former Ag Secretary blasts Obama’s approach to agriculture, emissions
Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) took the Obama administration to task on Wednesday for focusing more on organic and small farm production than traditional more...
N. American trade chiefs urge end to ‘unjustified’ pork bans
The trade chiefs of the United States, Canada and Mexico issued a joint statement Thursday calling for an end to "unscientific bans" on pork imports based more...
ConAgra adds VP to oversee digital, social marketing
ConAgra Foods announced that Brett Groom has joined the company as vice president, media, digital and social marketing for the company's consumer foods more...
U.S., EU reach provisional deal in beef dispute
The United States and European Union have agreed in principle to a deal that would gradually expand duty-free access for hormone-free U.S. beef in the more...
China, Russia keep flu bans rolling; Canada confirms H1N1 in pigs
Despite repeated assurances from world health authorities about the safety of pork amid the outbreak of 2009 H1N1 virus, some countries, namely China more...
EPA proposes new renewable fuel standards, estimates commodity price impact
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed revisions to the National Renewable Fuel Standard program and set greenhouse gas reduction thresholds more...
Tyson introduces new fully cooked refrigerated meals
Tyson Foods has introduced four new varieties to its "Fully Cooked Heat 'N Eat Dinner Meats" line. The new varieties include Beef Brisket in Fire Roasted more...
NPPC asks USDA to help pork producers in wake of flu
The National Pork Producers Council on Wednesday sent a letter to USDA asking the agency to help the U.S. pork industry recover from financial losses more...
China bans pork from 17 more U.S. states on apparent flu fears
China on Monday banned pork from 17 more U.S. states amid the 2009 H1N1 virus outbreak, according to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The recent more...
N.Y. firm recalls ground beef on E. coli fears
Alex & George Wholesale Inc. is recalling about 4,663 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, USDA's Food more...
Sara Lee debuts sliced-to-order lower-sodium deli meats
Sara Lee is launching four new premium, lower-sodium, sliced to order deli meat products in beef, chicken, turkey and ham varieties. The Downers Grove more...
Oscar Mayer products boost Kraft earnings
Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods reported net earnings rose to $662 million or 45 cents per share in its first quarter ended March 31 compared to $601 more...
Obama directs Vilsack to speed biofuels investment
President Obama issued a presidential directive Tuesday to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to aggressively accelerate biofuels investment and production more...
Tyson posts $104 million 2Q loss, addresses flu concerns
Tyson Foods Inc. on Monday reported that its second-quarter loss widened to $104 million on tax and restructuring charges, although its struggling chicken more...
Foodservice trends mean broader kid’s menus, regional cuisines
Americans are looking for restaurants that deliver value, convenience, healthier options and more regional cuisines — so says culinary consultant more...
Workers win again in 'donning and doffing' suit
In a recent ruling in Maryland District Court, non-unionized employees of a Mountaire Farms Inc. poultry processing plant were granted back pay for time more...
Wal-Mart debuts Supermercado concept in Houston
Wal-Mart Stores last week in Houston opened its first Supermercado de Walmart, which is part of the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer's effort to reach more...
Mexico protein market may suffer for months in wake of flu
Consumption of pork of all kinds in Mexico is down 50 percent or more in the past week, and retailers in that country expect the aftereffects of the outbreak more...
FDA issues final guidance for feed ban
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday the agency issued final guidance to help renderers comply with a new rule that prohibits high-risk cattle more...
NAIS to have positive economic impacts here and abroad: study
An assessment of the costs and benefits of implementing the National Animal Identification System concluded, among other things, that the economic benefits more...
Joe vs. the Burrito: Taco Del Mar’s latest weighs in at 5 pounds!
Taco Del Mar is pitting the average eater against a five-pound burrito in a Cinco de Mayo bout expected to last more than 30 minutes. On May 5, the quick-service more...
April 2009
Smithfield awaiting test results on pigs: CEO
Smithfield Foods on Wednesday conducted additional tests on pigs at a jointly owned farm in Mexico to make sure the animals are not infected with the more...
Flu gets new name; pork defense heats up (updated)
In in industry telephone briefing Thursday, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan and others reported that the World Health Organization and the Centers more...
Protein companies’ credit could weaken amid flu outbreak: Fitch
Fitch Ratings sounded yet another alarm on Thursday when it questioned the credit profiles of key food and restaurant companies in the wake of what is more...
Brazil to bail out poultry industry: report
The Brazilian government said it is considering extending a line of credit of up to $1.38 billion to bailout the country's struggling poultry industry more...
Sale of Farmerville plant to Foster Farms clears a hurdle
Louisiana's Senate on Wednesday passed a bill allowing Gov. Bobby Jindal to tap a state economic development fund to pay for the $50 million he has pledged more...
Varied foreign reactions to flu continue to emerge
As each day passes since the outbreak of the new hybrid Type A/H1N1 influenza virus that originated in Mexico, more countries are taking varied actions more...
Good news, bad news for Maple Leaf Foods
Maple Leaf Foods on Wednesday reported first-quarter earnings reflecting a $2.9 million profit but said lower margins in its packaged meats business put more...
Pork Checkoff unveils new Web site for videos
The Pork Checkoff has created a new Web site, video.pork.org, to provide a central location for all its videos, including YouTube clips, features on the more...
Jennie-O Turkey Store partners with NBC show
Hormel Foods brand Jennie-O Turkey Store announced it has partnered with NBC's weight-loss show "The Biggest Loser" as the exclusive protein brand for more...
Russia expands flu ban to U.S. beef, poultry
Russia has suspended imports of not only U.S. pork but also U.S. beef and poultry from certain U.S. states amid concerns of a hybrid swine, avian and more...
JBS undeterred by fears of flu’s potential impact on pork business
JBS S.A. on Monday said it is maintaining its sales and profitability targets despite an outbreak of a hybrid swine, avian and human influenza (H1N1) more...
Canada relaunches COOL complaint with WTO
Canada has reissued its complaint to the World Trade Organization about the U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labeling law, Canadian Trade Minister Stockwell more...
Little Lady Foods names two new senior managers
Little Lady Foods, an Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based manufacturer of pizzas, sandwiches, wraps and other products for the foodservice and retail industries more...
Food (Safety) Fight blog: Is the sky falling?
"So is this the coming pandemic the local, state and federal public health agencies have been planning, preparing and drilling for, or is it a case of more...
More trading partners prohibit U.S. pork on swine flu fears
Some international trading partners are tightening their borders to U.S. and Mexican pork following reports of cases of hybrid swine, avian and human more...
Flu news beats up on protein stocks
Having been identified with the unfortunate — and inaccurate — moniker "swine flu," news of the spread of the hybrid swine, avian and human more...
USDA has answers on swine relationship to hybrid influenza
USDA on Monday answered frequently asked questions on the relationship between swine and the hybrid swine, avian and human influenza virus that has killed more...
Foster Farms outlines plans for Farmerville plant
Livingston, Calif.-based poultry processor Foster Farms on Monday announced that its negotiations to acquire Pilgrim's Pride's Farmerville, La., chicken more...
Ranking foods by risk would improve food safety: FSIS official
The United States should employ a ranking of the riskiest foods in order to improve overall food safety and focus inspection efforts, a USDA official more...
Pilgrim’s Pride can cancel grower contracts, judge says
A federal bankruptcy judge has ruled that Pilgrim's Pride can cancel some contracts with local poultry producers who supply the company's Live Oak, Fla more...
Vilsack names USDA under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs
Edward M. Avalos will be nominated as USDA under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, USDA announced. Avalos has served with the New Mexico more...
Ethanol makers cry foul over Calif. greenhouse gas rules
Thursday's decision by California's Air Resources Board to implement the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) has ethanol makers saying they will be more...
Purchase rumors put Smithfield stock in play
Rumors of a pending sale of Smithfield Foods has boosted the stock price this week, although analysts reportedly say they doubt the scuttlebutt — more...
Gold Creek plans poultry plant in former Ga. carpet facility
Gold Creek Foods has signed a letter of intent to purchase a former Mohawk Industries carpet fiber plant in Dahlonega, Ga., and plans to transform it more...
JBS-Swift pork plant banned by Russia
Russia has barred imports of pork from a JBS-Swift & Co.'s Louisville, Ky., pork slaughter plant, according to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service more...
Foodservice earnings mixed, but mostly up
A raft of earnings reports from foodservice companies on Wednesday showed the mixed effects the economy is having on the dining-out sector. Ultimately more...
U.S. gives EU more time on beef dispute
The United States and European Union agreed Wednesday to extend discussions involving a decades-old beef dispute and postpone retaliatory U.S. duties more...
North Star Foods may find new zip code
North Star Foods, the processor that suffered a devastating fire last week, has told its hometown that it will rebuild, but — contrary to earlier more...
Pork, beef stocks in cold storage decrease
Inventories of pork and beef in refrigerated warehouses at the end of March were below year-ago levels, according to USDA's cold storage report released more...
Kahiki Foods names new foodservice VP
Kahiki Foods announced that Don Blumenthal has been named vice president of its foodservice division. Blumenthal will be responsible for leading foodservice more...
Weak retail demand downs first-quarter cattle prices: economist
The economy's blow to the beef production sector in the first quarter of 2009 came in the form of weak retail demand and a resulting decline in finished more...
Mexico’s leading poultry processor posts record sales on pricing
Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico-based Industrias Bachoco S.A.B. reported the largest sales in the company's history in its first quarter ended March 31 as more...
McDonald’s to launch third-pound Angus burger nationwide
After testing its third-pound Angus burger in New York, California and Ohio, fast-food giant McDonald's plans to launch the sandwich nationally by August more...
NMA to host Spanish-language HACCP program
The National Meat Association is hosting a Basic HACCP Spanish Workshop at the end of this week in Ontario, Calif., along with the HACCP Consulting Group more...
Neb. Senator moves to exempt ranchers from EPA rules
When the EPA announced Friday it had determined that greenhouse gases may endanger public health or welfare, a collective shiver went down the back of more...
Buffalo, N.Y. eyes plans for new halal slaughterhouse
Opponents of plans to build a new slaughterhouse in Buffalo, N.Y. had their turn at the microphone at this week's Common Council meeting. New slaughterhouses more...
Cattle on Feed reports points to more heavy cattle; more Choice
USDA's Cattle on Feed numbers released Friday afternoon came in right where analysts' had expected them to in terms of the total number on feed and placed more...
OSHA cites poultry processor with 22 violations
The Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it has proposed 22 safety and health violations with fines of $73,275 against more...
Sara Lee new R & D kitchen includes mini meat plant
Sara Lee Corp. today opened The Kitchens of Sara Lee, a 120,000-sq.-ft. research and development facility in Downers Grove, Ill. that includes a meat more...
Brazil approves $4.6 billion in credit for meat sector
The Brazilian government's National Monetary Council on Thursday approved a 10 billion-real (about $4.6 billion) line of credit for that country's meat more...
Improved food safety requires investment, one agency: report
Fulfilling the public's desire for a safer food supply requires a greater financial investment in the food safety system, and one agency to oversee it more...
Non-ambulatory cattle final rule takes effect today
USDA's final rule prohibiting the processing of cattle that become non-ambulatory after they pass federal veterinary inspection is scheduled to go into more...
Vilsack names head of Environment and Climate
As the controversy over global warming — and meat production's contributions to it — gains steam, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that more...
OSI to lay off 150 workers
OSI Industries LLC, which counts McDonald's among its customers for ground beef, plans to lay off 150 workers at its Chicago Stockyards Campus Division more...
EPA seeks comment on boosting ethanol blend to 15 percent
The Environmental Protection Agency said it will seek public comments on a waiver application to increase the amount of ethanol that can be blended into more...
Fitch rates JBS' planned notes, says outlook stable
Fitch Ratings has assigned a 'B+/RR4' rating to JBS S.A.'s proposed $400 million senior unsecured notes due in 2014, and said the ratings outlook for more...
Domino’s YouTube disaster a cautionary tale
If you are a fan of YouTube, Twitter or other social media, or if you read the newspaper or watch TV, you probably already know about the crisis facing more...
USDA says WIC program does not contribute to being overweight
USDA announced three reports on USDA's food assistance programs, one of which included a study that found participation in USDA's Special Supplemental more...
North Star Beef shut down over water issues
Federal and state authorities forced North Star Beef to close its Buffalo Lake, Minn., slaughterhouse because its water contained excessive amounts of more...
Cargill Pork outlines animal welfare assurance programs
Cargill Pork announced it has achieved a number of priority animal welfare assurance objectives related to hog production, handling, transportation and more...
Vilsack seeks stakeholder feedback on NAIS
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday held a roundtable discussion with livestock producers to gather views on the National Animal Identification more...
Burger King shares tank on March traffic declines
Miami-based Burger King Holdings said it expects its third quarter fiscal 2009 earnings to be negatively impacted by significant traffic declines in March more...
Value Cuts Summit sets final speakers, dovetails with barbecue competition
Two final speakers have been added to the lineup of presenters at the May 1 Value Cuts Summit, co-hosted by Meatingplace and Plate, at the Texas Culinary more...
Ark. governor orchestrates offer for Pilgrim’s Pride plant
In the words of Yogi Berra, it's déjà vu all over again. Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe told a local TV station Monday that a group of investors and the state more...
Russia delists, relists U.S. pork facilities
Russia on Monday deemed three U.S. pork plants ineligible to export to the country while relisting four U.S. pork facilities that had been banned in February more...
Texas processor expands to Tennessee
Fort Worth, Texas-based Five Star Custom Foods announced that it will open a new, $20 million processing facility in Nashville, Tenn., that is expected more...
KFC introduces grilled chicken
KFC announced Tuesday it is launching KFC Kentucky Grilled Chicken nationwide. In a nod to the health-conscious consumer, KFC said the new chicken pieces more...
Pilgrim's Pride to close Dalton, Ga., chicken plant
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Monday announced plans to close its chicken processing plant in Dalton, Ga., within 60 days and consolidate production at the more...
Sanderson Farms benefiting from production cuts
A Wall Street analyst raised earnings forecasts for Sanderson Farms, describing management's tone in a recent meeting as "cautiously optimistic." BB&T more...
Court ruling on NAIS favors producers' privacy rights: NCBA
A federal court has ruled that records collected under the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) will be protected by the U.S. Privacy Act. The more...
Cargill's Good Nature pork posts online videos for home cooks
Cargill's all-natural Good Nature pork brand announced the launch of a series of chef-led how-to videos on GoodNaturePork.com, aimed at helping at-home more...
Ethanol raises cost of federal food assistance programs: report
A report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that food prices raised by increasing ethanol production will boost federal expenditures more...
U.S. pork, beef exports still going strong: USMEF
A 45 percent jump in sales of pork variety meats in February helped offset a slight decline in pork muscle cut exports, while strong showings in the South more...
Shoppers make unplanned purchases despite lists: study
An overwhelming majority of shoppers — more than 90 percent — make unplanned purchases despite the fact that most of them (65 percent) also more...
Sharing meat helps chimps get lucky: study
It's not exactly the same as taking a date out for a nice steak dinner, but a new study suggests male chimpanzees double their chances of having sex with more...
Heavy steers, cow slaughter to boost beef production: USDA
Although beef output is now expected to be slightly higher in 2009 than earlier predicted, lower-than-expected pork and poultry production will more than more...
USDA sees more corn, soybean demand boosting prices
USDA raised its price forecasts for corn and soybeans based on increased projected use that will lower ending stocks for the 2008-2009 marketing year more...
Canada involves WTO in beef dispute with S. Korea
The Canadian government said Wednesday it is urging the World Trade Organization to initiate consultations on South Korea's refusal to lift a ban on Canadian more...
Arkansas congressman asks USDA to aid poultry farmers
U.S. Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) is appealing to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for federal funds to help struggling chicken farmers stay afloat during more...
Ecuador, Colombia ban imports of Ky. poultry on bird flu fears
Ecuador and Columbia are the latest countries to place restrictions on imports of poultry and poultry products from Kentucky after the state discovered more...
Canada threatens S. Korea with trade action over beef trade
Canada's agriculture minister is running out of patience with South Korean officials who he says have failed to respond to his requests to reopen Seoul's more...
FSIS revises list of approved additives for meat, poultry items
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has amended FSIS Directive 7120.1, which identifies substances approved for use in meat and poultry products more...
Ham, chicken star in new Denny's late-night value menu
Family-dining chain Denny's has added value-priced items to its Allnighter program, which caters to a younger crowd between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. with menu more...
FDA proposes to delay feed ban (UPDATE)
The Food and Drug Administration announced it has proposed delaying for 60 days the 2008 BSE final rule prohibiting the use of certain cattle materials more...
Hormel has 'ample firepower' for acquisitions, analyst says
With its "recession-proof stock" and "one of the cleanest balance sheets in the entire consumer staples universe," Hormel Foods is in a solid position more...
Consumer Reports rates grocers; Wal-Mart near bottom
A Consumer Reports survey of shopper experiences at 59 regional and national grocery chains showed customers most content with Wegmans and Trader Joe's more...
Calif. caterer brags that it buys less beef, lowers carbon footprint
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Bon Appetit Management Co. said it has reduced its beef purchases by 25 percent as part of its effort to reduce the carbon footprint more...
Salmonella link prompts chicken products recall
EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC, in Hayward, Calif., is recalling about 12,460 lbs. of frozen chicken egg roll products, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection more...
FSIS adjusts dollar limits related to retail inspection exemption
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Monday it is issuing new dollar limitations on the amount of meat, meat food products, poultry and poultry more...
Rosina Food names VPs for consumer products, foodservice
Buffalo, N.Y.-based Rosina Food Products Inc. announced that Tom Finn has been named vice president of the consumer products division and John Zimmerman more...
Beer, Italian spice star in new Hillshire Farm products
Sara Lee brand Hillshire Farm announced the debut of two new products for the summer grilling season: Hillshire Farm Miller High Life Beer Brats and Hillshire more...
New York firm recalls imported chicken products
White Plains, N.Y.-based Perk-Up Inc. is recalling 114,540 pounds of chicken base products that were ineligible for import, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection more...
Healthy Choice revamps brand, launches all-natural frozen meals
ConAgra Foods is revamping its 20-year-old Healthy Choice brand with the introduction of a new line of all-natural frozen entrees, refreshed packaging more...
Food prices drop, but some meat prices rise: AFBF survey
Retail food prices at the supermarket dropped slightly in the first quarter, but some meat items got more expensive, according to the latest American more...
Beef Checkoff webinars promote protein’s role in healthy diet
The Beef Checkoff announced it has coordinated a series of protein webinars to educate health professionals nationwide about the power of protein in a more...
Maple Leaf shelves sale of Burlington pork plant
Maple Leaf Foods announced Thursday it is shelving efforts to sell its Burlington, Ont., pork processing plant until economic conditions and credit markets more...
Tyson expands Any’tizers line of frozen chicken snacks
Tyson Foods has added two new flavors to its Tyson Any'tizers line of frozen chicken snacks. Both new products contain breast rib meat shaped and stuffed more...
Ball Park launches two new Angus beef franks
Sara Lee brand Ball Park announced it has introduced two new versions of its Angus beef franks. The new franks include Ball Park Bun Size Angus Beef Franks more...
Denny’s introduces portable ‘Grand Slamwich’
Family restaurant chain Denny's announced the debut of the Grand Slamwich, designed to be a portable version of its Grand Slam breakfast. The Grand Slamwich more...
Cutting to the Chase blog: Can I see your I.D.?
"If there was a thing for the U.S. to go overboard it is on monitoring and being extremely tough on any country with the potential to introduce one of more...
Dakota Beef COO resigns, new president/CEO in place
Daniel Feinberg has taken over as president/CEO of Howard, S.D.-based organic beef processor Dakota Beef, and Chief Operating Officer Richard Morris has more...
Brazilian beef processor shuts plants, lays off workers
Brazilian beef processor Independencia SA is shutting three units and laying off 1,400 workers in response to lower demand for beef and falling prices more...
Kayem Foods scores hot dog contract with Red Sox
Kayem Foods and the Boston Red Sox announced Wedneday they have entered into a multi-year sponsorship and licensing agreement to produce and distribute more...
Judge approves Gold’n Plump settlement with Muslim workers
The Minnesota Federal District Court has approved a settlement amongst Gold'n Plump Poultry, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and private more...
Meat science and culinary innovation converge at spring Value Cuts Summit
A marquee lineup of speakers is on tap for the spring Value Cuts Summit, co-hosted by Meatingplace and its sister publication, Plate. The one-day product more...
March 2009
FSIS to focus on retailers to improve meat safety
CHICAGO — USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service will pay more attention to retail establishments that grind trim and on retailers that slice more...
Seaboard launches heat-and-serve barbecue pork products
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Foods announced it is partnering with Sweet Baby Ray's to launch fully cooked, heat-and-serve barbecued meats. The more...
USDA to purchase turkey, pork, lamb
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday announced USDA's intention to purchase turkey, pork, lamb and walnut products for federal food nutrition more...
U.S. farmers to plant less corn, more soybeans: USDA
Corn growers intend to plant 85 million acres of corn and 76 million acres of soybeans in 2009, according to USDA's Prospective Plantings report. Those more...
Cargill adds remote video auditing at slaughter plants
Cargill said Monday it has begun implementing a third-party video auditing program to bolster the company's animal welfare protection systems and will more...
Land O’Frost launches sandwich kit with both ham and turkey
Lansing, Ill.-based deli meat processor Land O'Frost announced it has launched its first Sub Sandwich Kit, featuring smoked ham and oven-roasted turkey more...
USDA report: more hogs now, fewer later
USDA's quarterly Hogs and Pigs report issued Friday showed more hogs kept for marketing than expected, but fewer kept for breeding, leading analysts to more...
Panel tips processors to foodservice strategies in recession
CHICAGO — In an effort to deliver value to a shrinking number of consumers dining out, foodservice operators and the processors that supply them more...
Tyson to close Oklahoma meat plant
Tyson Foods said Friday it is closing its Ponca City, Okla., processed meats plant and shifting production to other facilities as the company continues more...
Major beef, pork processors shut down by storms
Major beef and pork processors including JBS-Swift, Seaboard Foods and Tyson Foods had to close their plants on Friday, bracing for a large snow storm more...
Pilgrim’s gets six more months to file reorganization plan
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. has been granted an additional six months to submit its plan of reorganization for emerging from bankruptcy protection, according more...
Take me out to the ballgame, then to the hospital
Minor league baseball's West Michigan Whitecaps are hitting health out of the park at their Grand Rapids, Mich., stadium. A new addition to the Detroit more...
Sara Lee issues hot dog recall
Sara Lee North American Retail is recalling some 1,728 lbs. of cheese franks, because they were packaged with beef frank labels and so contain the undeclared more...
Tyson says no international acquisition talks in the works
Media and analyst reports indicated that, as part of Tyson Foods' focus on expanding its international footprint, the company could be seeking red meat more...
ConAgra profit exceeds expectations on reduced inflation, costs
ConAgra Foods Inc. on Thursday reported a third-quarter profit above Wall Street's expectations as new products, moderating inflation and cost cuts boosted more...
The roast to the final four: meat bracketology
This time of year, college basketball fans are in a frenzy about the picks they penciled in on their NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket sheets, more...
Tyson, Hormel, Healthy Choice among top brands of 2008: IRI
Tyson and Hormel products were among the most successful new consumer packaged goods brands of 2008, according to a new report from research firm Information more...
Calif. firm recalls chicken sausage
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced late Tuesday that some 3,456 pounds of smoked chicken sausage is being recalled because it was mislabeled more...
Pork Checkoff to host 2009 Pork Management Conference in May
The Pork Checkoff is offering the 2009 Pork Management Conference, Your Pork Industry Investment, May 6-8 in Fort Myers, Fla. Participants will learn more...
Carrows serves up budget prime rib on weekends
Family-dining restaurant chain Carrows announced it is offering prime rib dinners starting at $13.99 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at its locations in more...
Pilgrim’s Pride plant deal hinges on La. legislative approval
Pilgrim's Pride's sale of its Farmerville, La., plant to Foster Farms needs to clear a few hurdles with Louisiana legislators before it's completed. Louisiana more...
AMI disputes study claiming red meat increases mortality risk
The American Meat Institute said a study in the March 23 edition of Archives of Internal Medicine that attempts to predict the future risk of death based more...
Hormel’s engineering VP to retire
Larry J. Pfeil, Hormel Foods' vice president of engineering, will retire from his position in mid-April, the company said in a news release. Pfeil has more...
Grace Foods expands distribution of Caribbean frozen meals
Kingston, Jamaica-based Grace Foods announced it has expanded distribution of its Grace Caribbean Traditions frozen meals to include 400 chain and independent more...
FPL Food cuts 10 percent of workers
Augusta, Ga.-based FPL Food last week laid off about 10 percent of its workforce, or about 100 people, Steve Hixon, the company's marketing manager, confirmed more...
Vilsack names new FAS administrator
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday announced that a fellow Iowan, Michael Michener, would be administrator of the agency's Foreign Agricultural more...
Cattle on feed below expectations, cold storage offers mixed results
USDA on Friday released its latest estimates of the number of cattle on feed for slaughter as well as the amount of meat and poultry in cold storage, more...
Quiznos launches 'extra-long' sub for $4
Quiznos announced the debut of Toasty Torpedoes, which the quick-service sandwich chain says boast more than a foot of flavor for only $4. The sandwiches more...
Russia suspends three U.S. poultry plants due to drug residue
Russia has suspended imports from three U.S. poultry processing plants due to drug residue findings, possibly from antibiotics or anti-parasitics, a USDA more...
Union files charges against Smithfield
On Thursday, Food Processors Local 1046 in Smithfield, Va., filed three charges against Smithfield Foods, saying it had violated terms of the National more...
Agriprocessors employee sentenced, another pleads guilty
On Thursday, a former supervisor from Agriprocessors' beef line was sentenced to three years in prison for conspiring to hire and aiding and abetting more...
Silver lining for Madoff victims: Free meal at New York restaurant
It may be just a small consolation for victims of Bernard Madoff's investment scheme, but everyone needs to eat, and through Saturday those victims can more...
Foster Farms makes third offer to buy Pilgrim’s Pride plant
Pilgrim's Pride said it is considering a third offer from Foster Farms and the state of Louisiana to buy its poultry processing plant in Farmerville, more...
Hormel suing Iowa warehouse over ruined meat
Hormel Foods Corp. is suing a Waterloo, Iowa-based warehouse operator over damage to millions of dollars worth of meat caused by flooding last summer more...
Swift raids benefitted workers, didn’t hurt company: Think tank
The Center for Immigration Studies released a report on Thursday that examined the after-effects of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on Swift more...
Center of the Plate Training set for May at Texas A&M
The North American Meat Processors Association announced that Center of the Plate Training, a three-day course designed to teach participants the fundamentals more...
FDA to delay enhanced feed ban rule
The Food and Drug Administration will extend by 60 days the April 27 effective date of the agency's enhanced ban on high-risk cattle material in feed more...
Analysts see $5 corn in 2009: report
Speculation that U.S. farmers could plant less corn and more soybeans this spring has some analysts predicting corn prices as high as $5 a bushel at some more...
Farmer John franks star in new Carl’s Jr. chili dogs
Quick-service restaurant chain Carl's Jr. announced the debut of a new limited-time offering, Jumbo Chili Dogs, featuring hot dogs from Hormel's Farmer more...
AMI uses YouTube to address processed meat concerns
Using social networking site YouTube as its platform, the American Meat Institute has released a new video online that covers the latest science on the more...
Tyson capitalizes on ‘humanization’ of pets
As Americans increasingly treat their pets as members of the family, Tyson Foods Inc. said it has joined forces with a pet food company to change the more...
Land O’Frost introduces thicker cut Canadian Bacon
Land O'Frost has introduced two flavors of what it calls "Breakfast Cuts" Canadian Bacon: Natural Hickory Smoked and Sweet Country Maple. The Breakfast more...
Lean Cuisine introduces 15 new or reformulated entrees
Nestle USA brand Lean Cuisine announced the debut of 15 new or reformulated meals targeting consumers trying to maintain a nutritious diet and a budget more...
U.S. beef, pork exports strong in January
Strong U.S. beef and pork exports in January defied predictions that sluggish global economies and volatile currencies would dampen them, according to more...
Poultry Perspective blog: Food safety = Industry and Consumer
"We need to reintroduce the consumers to the facts of food safety and get some common sense back into the system. We need to find a way to give the consumer more...
Smithfield should consider selling some hog operations: analyst
Smithfield executives told analysts last week they would not be surprised if the hog operation portion of the company's vertically integrated structure more...
Another Calif. firm recalls poultry imports from unapproved source
Kim Seng Co. in Commerce City, Calif., is recalling about 17,674 pounds of granulated chicken bouillon products that were ineligible for import to the more...
Two new USDA under secretaries named
President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate James W. (Jim) Miller to be under secretary of agriculture for farm and foreign agricultural more...
Tyson closes sale of Canadian beef operations
Tyson Foods said late Friday it completed the sale of its Lakeside operations in Canada to XL Foods. The transfer of ownership was to take place Saturday more...
Recall affects poultry products imported from unapproved source
Khong Guan Corp., a Union City, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 2,858 pounds of chicken drink products that were ineligible for import more...
U.S. delays extra duties on EU products in beef dispute
The U.S. Trade Representative's office said Friday it will hold off for a month on imposing additional duties on a modified list of European Union products more...
Obama to decide on raising ethanol blend
President Barack Obama told reporters he wants to preserve the U.S. ethanol industry but develop new biofuels made from feedstocks other than corn, according more...
E. coli cattle vaccine is conditionally approved
A vaccine that studies show reduces the incidence of E. coli 0157:H7 in cattle by 85 percent or more has received conditional approval, USDA announced more...
PETA wants to turn Pilgrim’s plant into “chicken empathy museum”
PETA wants to turn Pilgrim's plant into "chicken empathy museum" People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal more...
Smithfield 3Q loss smaller than feared; stock leaps 18 percent
Smithfield Foods Inc. on Thursday posted a smaller third-quarter loss than was expected as healthy margins on packaged meat helped offset substantial more...
Congressional hearing debates making animal ID mandatory
Industry representatives, legislators and administration officials argued the pros and cons of making USDA's currently voluntary National Animal Identification more...
FSIS committee on microbiological criteria for foods to meet
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold public more...
Bourbon-flavored burger debuts at Carl’s Jr.
Quick-service restaurant chain Carl's Jr. announced the debut of a burger with a boozy twist: the Kentucky Bourbon Burger. The burger, available for a more...
Pilgrim’s Pride rejects joint Foster Farms, state offer to buy plant
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal on Tuesday offered Pilgrim's Pride CEO Don Jackson $40 million to purchase the company's Farmerville, La. processing facility more...
Card-check bill resurfaces in Congress
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have reintroduced the Employee Free Choice Act, or card-check bill, which would allow workers more...
Tyson Foods shares upgraded on debt, poultry prices
J.P. Morgan has boosted its stock recommendation for Tyson Foods to "neutral" from "underweight" based on the company's recent debt actions and recent more...
USDA predicts lower poultry production, slightly higher beef and pork
Lower poultry production forecasts overshadowed slight increases in projected red meat output in USDA's latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates more...
Hormel proposes convenience meals aisle for retailers
Rather than having convenience items scattered throughout the supermarket, shoppers would prefer a dedicated convenience meals aisle where a range of more...
New consumer meat purchase data shows some surprises
DENVER — New data on retail shopper behavior from October 2008 through January 2009 show consumers are buying more meat than they were a year ago more...
COOL survey to detail level of compliance
The ongoing COOL survey of how well labels reflect the newly implemented law will evaluate packaging as seen in 50 stores in seven populous states, according more...
Burger King opens first Whopper Bar restaurant
Quick-service restaurant chain Burger King on Tuesday announced the opening of the first Whopper Bar restaurant at Universal CityWalk at Universal Orlando more...
Smithfield trying to harmonize workers under one union
Smithfield Packing Co. is trying to integrate two sets of employees represented by separate unions and working under separate contracts as it closes one more...
Meat must be marketed differently to every generation
DENVER — Just as each generation has its own music, movies and worldview shaped by the times, each generation also has its own attitudes about food more...
New Beef Checkoff tool aims to help retailers promote middle meats
The Beef Checkoff Program announced it has created a new tool, the Retail Pricing Matrix, designed to help retailers promote middle meats. The checkoff more...
Poultry plants honored for excellence in wastewater treatment
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association announced it has selected four poultry processing plants to receive the 2009 Clean Water Award. The awards, presented more...
Maple Leaf Foods not linked to latest listeriosis death: report
A death in Quebec may not be linked to last summer's Maple Leaf Foods recall due to listeriosis, after all. CBC News on Thursday quoted Quebec health more...
Whole Foods to sell 32 store locations in antitrust agreement
Whole Foods Market Inc. on Friday said it will sell 13 stores and 19 shuttered locations as part of a settlement resolving the U.S. government's antitrust more...
Beef Checkoff survey shows consumer confidence in beef safety
Consumers are confident in the safety of their ground beef, steaks and roasts despite a rise in their overall concern about food safety in recent months more...
I repeat: They're out of McNuggets!
A Fort Pierce, Fla., woman was in such distress over her local McDonald's lack of chicken McNuggets that she called 911 three times, according to national more...
Sentence pronounced for former Agriprocessors supervisor
One of the former supervisors from Agriprocessors' Postville plant has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for his role in helping and more...
Missouri biofuels plant owner seeks bankruptcy protection
The owner of a Missouri biofuels plant has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing escalating expenses for commercializing its waste conversion more...
Brinker sets executive changes including Mexican chain president
Dallas-based Brinker International announced executive changes including expanding Todd Diener's role to serve as President of both the Chili's Grill more...
New mini sirloin burgers part of Jack in the Box overhaul
Quick-service restaurant chain Jack in the Box on Wednesday announced several strategies to reinvent its brand, including the introduction of Mini Sirloin more...
Consumers cutting back, and so are producers
As consumers in the United States and export markets cut back on meat consumption, producers and processors also are reducing output, but when and whether more...
Food safety reform bill garnering industry backing
A proposed bill that would give FDA new authorities, tools and resources to better regulate food safety is starting to garner support from food companies more...
NAMP to offer Meat Buyer’s Guide materials on CD-ROM, in Spanish
The North American Meat Processors Association announced it will offer the content of its Meat Buyer's Guide on a user-friendly, searchable CD-ROM. The more...
New Aramark campus c-store focuses on fresh, convenient dining options
Aramark Higher Education has introduced a new campus convenience store concept, Provisions on Demand (P.O.D.) Market, designed to provide students with more...
Pork pains plague Seaboard despite profit projections ahead
Seaboard Corp. reported a $45.9 million operating loss in its pork segment during 2008, compared to operating income of $39.5 million in 2007. In its more...
Cargill promotion focuses on budget-friendly ground beef meals
Cargill is partnering with grocery retailers on a promotion focused on ground beef meal solutions centered around the theme "Feed the Whole Family for more...
Land O’Frost names CFO
Lansing, Ill.-based lunchmeat processor Land O'Frost on Tuesday announced George Smolar has been appointed chief financial officer. Smolar will oversee more...
Budget meat brand among new strategies at Fresh & Easy stores
Less than two years after Tesco's debut in the U.S. market with its Fresh & Easy supermarkets, the British retailer has shifted its strategy with initiatives more...
Poultry Perspective blog: Preserving the family farm?
"The U.S. poultry industry is doing its part to save the family farm," writes Yvonne Vizzier Thaxton in her latest blog. more...
Pilgrim’s Pride names executive VP of sales and marketing
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced Monday that Jerry Wilson has been named executive vice president of sales and marketing, subject to approval of the U more...
Vilsack says Obama has three priorities for USDA
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said President Barack Obama has three goals for USDA and that the agency will make a major effort to encourage Americans more...
Arby's launches burger alternative
Quick-service restaurant chain Arby's announced the debut of Roastburgers, designed to offer consumers an alternative to standard burgers. Arby's Roastburger more...
USDA awards $11 million in animal genomics grants
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has awarded more than $11 million in grants to 15 states to support research, education and outreach in animal genomics more...
February 2009
Pilgrim’s Pride to close three chicken plants, lay off 3,000
Pilgrim's Pride, which is reorganizing under bankruptcy protection, on Friday said it would idle three U.S. chicken processing plants and lay off 3,000 more...
Maverick Ranch licenses brand to two companies, cuts jobs
Facing soft sales that have prompted layoffs and temporary plant closures, Denver-based natural and organic meat processor Maverick Ranch on Friday announced more...
Tyson to pay more for expanded debt offering
Tyson Foods said it has increased to $810 million from $500 million its previously announced offering of unsecured senior notes due 2014. The notes will more...
Burger King says beef costs have plunged
Miami-based Burger King Holdings said its beef costs have plunged nearly 25 percent so far this year as weaker global demand and increased supplies have more...
JBS-Swift worker hits the jackpot
A man working for JBS-Swift & Co. in Marshalltown, Iowa, won a $1 million jackpot after turning in his winning Powerball ticket to the state's lottery more...
Sanderson Farms Q1 loss smaller than feared; stock up 10 percent
Shares of Sanderson Farms Inc rallied 10 percent after the poultry producer on Thursday reported a first-quarter loss that was not as steep as Wall Street more...
Analyst upgrades rating on Smithfield
Citing stabilizing fundamentals and a falling risk that the company will violate its debt covenants, equity analyst Ken Goldman of J.P. Morgan bumped more...
Pilgrim's to negotiate $594,000 in back property taxes: report
Pilgrim's Pride owes $594,000 in back property taxes and plans to negotiate the matter with the Texas county where it is based, The Longview News-Journal more...
Harris Ranch exec elected president of CattleFax
David Wood, chief operating officer and beef division chairman of Harris Farms Inc., has been elected as the new president of CattleFax, a member-owned more...
JBS’ Batista: Optimistic, holding on to cash for now
LAS VEGAS -- Wesley M. Batista is optimistic about the present and the future of the meat industry. The CEO of JBS-Swift & Co., however, is holding on more...
U.S. Premium Beef spreads the wealth
U.S. Premium Beef LLC, the majority owner of Kansas City, Mo.-based National Beef Packing Co., said Wednesday it has paid its unitholders a record cash more...
Recall affects chicken bouillon products imported from unapproved source
Wei-Chuan USA Inc. in Bell Gardens, Calif., is recalling approximately 89,531 pounds of granulated chicken bouillon products that were ineligible for more...
Hormel added to S&P 500
Credit rating service and financial research firm Standard & Poor's announced Hormel Foods Corp. will join the S&P 500, replacing alternative asset manager more...
Chicken QSR accepts competitors’ coupons
Quick-service chicken restaurant chain El Pollo Loco announced it will accept any printed chicken coupon from another restaurant for a limited time. The more...
Tyson adding jobs at Va. plant
Tyson Foods Inc. is in the process of adding jobs at its Glen Allen, Va., poultry plant as the company implements a new production line at the facility more...
Live from NMA: ‘Voluntary’ COOL compliance will be watched
LAS VEGAS — USDA plans to do a retail review of products carrying COOL labels in six to nine months, to see how well processors covered under the more...
Judge okays Pilgrim’s agreements with Rivers, Wright
Despite the objections from a bankruptcy trustee, a bankruptcy judge has ruled that Pilgrim's Pride can retain former President and CEO Clint Rivers and more...
White House nominates deputy secretary of agriculture
President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced his intention to nominate Kathleen Merrigan to be deputy secretary of agriculture. "She will bring to USDA more...
Outback Steakhouse parent reports huge losses
Tampa, Fla.-based OSI Restaurant Partners LLC reported a net loss of $506 million in the fourth quarter of 2008, compared to a loss of $23.5 million in more...
AMI chief addresses Vilsack’s COOL letter
American Meat Institute President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle has issued a statement responding to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's letter asking meat more...
Smithfield to begin union talks at Tar Heel
Smithfield Packing Co. officials and a newly organized bargaining unit at its Tar Heel, N.C., pork processing plant are slated to begin contract talks more...
Cold storage numbers seen as good news for poultry, pork prices
On the heels of generally building stocks of frozen meat and poultry, USDA on Friday reported declines in chicken and ham stocks, which was seen by one more...
Fewer cattle on feed, but market watching economy
USDA on Friday reported cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in U.S. feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.3 million head on Feb more...
Cutting to the Chase blog: Who can blame JBS?
"So what is there to make anyone enthusiastic about buying another large beef plant with significant debt and more feedlots?" Raoul Baxter writes in his more...
JBS, National Beef go their separate ways after merger fails
Having broken talks with the Justice Department on the merger of their two companies, JBS-Swift & Co. and National Beef emphasized they are moving forward more...
JBS CEO still open to investments as company reports 4Q loss
JBS S.A. President Joesley Batista said the company was ready to ride out the global economic downturn, but would still keep an eye out for future investment more...
Fitch cuts Tyson debt ratings
Fitch Ratings said it downgraded its issuer default rating and other debt ratings on Tyson Foods Inc. and its Tyson Fresh Meats subsidiary. Fitch cited more...
Drug bust brings new meaning to (not quite) grass-fed beef
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Sumas, Wash., port of entry seized more than 1,700 pounds of high-grade marijuana concealed within more...
Hormel boosted by retail products like canned meats as foodservice slumps
Helped by strong sales of canned meat items such as Spam and Dinty Moore stews, Hormel Foods' first-quarter earnings beat analyst expectations even as more...
Sanderson CEO: Supply cuts needed for chicken prices to improve
The poultry industry must get supply in line with demand if chicken prices are to improve at a time when Americans are avoiding dining out, the chief more...
Tyson to offer $500 million notes, arrange new credit facility
Tyson Foods Inc. said Thursday the company will offer $500 million of unsecured senior notes due 2014 and will be arranging a new senior secured credit more...
Rubashkin wins a point, Agriprocessors loses a lead bidder
Former Agriprocessors executive Sholom Rubashkin won a point in his criminal trial, getting the approval of the U.S. District Judge to have an outside more...
Vilsack cancels COOL call, plans to issue letter to meat industry
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday called off a scheduled press teleconference on the final rule for mandatory country-of-origin labeling more...
Tyson adds 7th outside director [updated]
Tyson Foods Inc. has named a seventh independent director to its board, Robert C. Thurber, former vice president of purchasing for Sysco Corp. "We believe more...
U.S. and Canadian cattle inventory down 2 percent
All cattle and calves in the U.S. and Canada combined totaled 107.7 million head on Jan. 1, down 2 percent from a year ago, according to Statistics Canada more...
Carl’s Jr. introduces new Crisp Burritos
Starting today, quick-service chain Carl's Jr. will add new Green Burrito Crisp Burritos to its menu. The burritos, featuring ground beef and condiments more...
Smithfield CEO: What’s the economy got to do with it? (UPDATED)
Smithfield Foods' restructuring plan involving the closures of six pork processing plants and consolidation of independent operating companies reflects more...
ConAgra stands behind higher earnings projection
ConAgra Foods Inc. executives told equity analysts Tuesday that they stand behind their expectation that fiscal 2009 earnings will be above analysts' more...
Carl’s Jr. to expand in Texas
CKE Restaurants Inc. announced its second major franchise deal in Texas in two months, this one for 32 Carl's Jr. restaurants in Dallas and 40 in the more...
Poultry 101 slated for March 10-12
Casey Owens of the University of Arkansas, Christine Alvarado of Texas Tech University and Shelly McKee of Auburn University will conduct their Poultry more...
Poultry Perspective blog: Confusion abounds
"Just in case you are confused, the American Humane Society is a supporter of agriculture and children. On the other hand, the Humane Society of the United more...
Meatingplace readers say: Merge food safety functions
About three out of five Meatingplace readers who responded to an online survey last week favored combining the current food regulatory functions of USDA more...
PETA again targets McDonald's over chicken-slaughter methods
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals on Monday announced a new offensive against McDonald's Corp., demanding that the fast-food giant require its more...
Web site aims to educate non-farming consumers about ag issues
The American Farm Bureau Federation launched a web site, Your Agriculture, aimed at educating the non-farming public about agriculture issues. The site more...
Study homes in on ways to boost beef demand
A comprehensive study seeking to find areas in which the beef industry can focus efforts to enhance beef demand amid the economic recession showed that more...
Cutting to the Chase blog: Prosecuting meat companies
"Along with the civil suits involving food-related illnesses or death, government agencies might start getting much more aggressive in pursuing felony more...
Consumers wary of processors, change habits from recalls
A survey done in the wake of the recent peanut recall showed nearly a third of U.S. consumers do not see food processors as well prepared to deal with more...
Canadian ag committee to investigate Maple Leaf Foods outbreak
Just a few weeks after the Canadian federal government announced plans for an investigation into Maple Leaf Foods' massive listeria-related recall last more...
Restaurant operators go lean as sales slump
California Pizza Kitchen Inc. and the Cheesecake Factory Inc. are reining in growth plans after the two casual-dining chains on Thursday reported weak more...
End of the green mile: Locavore’s food quest runs out of gas
A Salem, Ore., man had green intentions when eight months ago he committed himself to spending a full year eating only locally grown foods. But with four more...
Buffalo Wild Wings profits jump 29 percent; stock soars
Shares of fast-growing restaurant operator Buffalo Wild Wings soared on Thursday after the company reported Wednesday afternoon that its fourth-quarter more...
U.S. red meat exports boom in ’08, but challenges loom
U.S. pork and beef exports in 2008 saw double-digit increases over 2007, but concerns about their performance going forward have arisen as the global more...
IHOP president out after seven months
IHOP Restaurants President Desmond Hague will resign effective Feb. 20, parent company DineEquity announced. The departure comes seven months after Hague more...
Boston Market adds new chicken option
Fast-casual chain Boston Market has added a baked Crispy Country Chicken to its menu for lunch and dinner, the Golden, Colo.-based company announced. more...
Temple Grandin launches new sustainable and humane certification
Temple Grandin, renowned designer of humane livestock handling facilities, is launching a new certification program that evaluates both sustainable and more...
Smithfield’s Pope downplays recession’s impact
Smithfield Foods President and CEO C. Larry Pope said during a speech in Virginia Beach earlier this week that the Smithfield, Va.-based company was "somewhat more...
Bob Evans’ fears come to fruition
Bob Evans Farms on Tuesday reported a net loss in its fiscal third quarter of $51.4 million, or $1.67 per diluted share, affirming numbers it had predicted more...
Quiznos to implement new animal-welfare policy
Denver-based sandwich chain Quiznos has adopted a new animal-welfare policy regarding its purchases of eggs, pork and turkey, a company spokesman confirmed more...
USDA lowers meat output, exports, price forecasts (Updated)
USDA reduced its forecasts for beef, pork and broiler production, but also dropped its exports forecasts for all three and lowered its price projections more...
FSIS issues three listeria control directives
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued three directives related to verification of listeria monocytogenes control. Directive 10, 240.4 Rev more...
New director of consumer marketing joins Certified Angus Beef
Certified Angus Beef LLC announced that Mary McMillen has joined the staff as director of consumer marketing. McMillen will oversee the Wooster, Ohio-based more...
Food quality, not religion, tops kosher consumers’ criteria: study
People of all faiths are fueling a robust market for kosher foods, according to a new report by market research firm Mintel. A consumer survey of 2,500 more...
Smithfield Foods welcomes new debt covenant rules
Smithfield Foods Inc. unveiled the terms of new debt covenants on its $1.3 billion secured revolving credit facility Friday, in documents filed with the more...
Qdoba cuts price of chicken offerings
Fast-casual restaurant chain Qdoba Mexican Grill announced that it will cut the price of its chicken entrées nearly 20 percent when they are purchased more...
McDonald's sales zoom as consumers trade down
Oakbrook, Ill.-based McDonald's reported a 7.1 percent increase in global comparable sales in January and a 5.4 percent increase in the United States more...
Starbucks rolls out new ham, bacon sandwiches
Seattle-based Starbucks announced it is adding two new hot breakfast sandwiches as part of a new "pairings" menu promotion beginning March 3 that offers more...
Cutting to the Chase blog: Bailout Blues
"Pretty soon we are going to be printing money with pictures of Donald Duck." writes Raoul Baxter in his latest blog. Click here to read it and write more...
Pilgrim’s Pride posts wider loss, plans to cut 505 plant jobs
Pilgrim's Pride Corp., which sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December, reported a wider first-quarter loss and said it would cut 505 positions more...
Tyson looks to spur demand, not cut production, unveils new products
Tyson Foods plans to focus on increasing demand rather than cutting production as a long-term strategy, company executives said Friday. "We don't plan more...
Tyson to expand deli meat plant in Iowa: report
Tyson Foods Inc. plans to expand its deli plant in Cherokee, Iowa, and boost production by 25 percent, according to a TV news report by NBC's KARE 11 more...
Vilsack calls for single food agency, more ethanol in gas
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Bloomberg in an interview that the food safety duties shared by USDA and the FDA should be combined into a single more...
Analyst softens concern over Tyson debt covenant restrictions
The possibility of Tyson Foods' violating its debt covenants still exists, but following a series of conversations with Tyson management about the issue more...
Bob Evans Farms curbs expansion, warns of third quarter loss
Columbus, Ohio-based Bob Evans Farms warned Thursday that it expects to report on Feb. 10 a net loss of about $51.4 million, or $1.67 per diluted share more...
Chicago Meat Authority names chief operating officer
Chicago Meat Authority said Thursday it named food industry veteran Tom Perlstein as the company's chief operating officer. More than 20 of Perlstein's more...
Egg sets post largest drop in three months
Broiler-type eggs set in commercial hatcheries in 19 selected states fell 9 percent in the latest week from the comparable week a year ago, according more...
Meadowbrook Farms lays off 600 pork plant workers
Meadowbrook Farms temporarily laid off all 600 workers at its pork processing plant in Rantoul, Ill., after a default on a customer contract crippled more...
Salmonella concerns prompt frozen chicken recall
West Chester, Penn.-based The Hain Celestial Group Inc. is recalling some 983,700 pounds of frozen entrees in commerce because they contain peanut products more...
Dakota Beef to face fine for hiring illegal immigrants
Federal prosecutors will recommend that a judge levy a $37,500 fine against Dakota Beef after the organic processor admitted it knowingly hired 15 illegal more...
Kraft, Sara Lee bring more bad news
The litany of sour financial reports by food companies continues, with Kraft and Sara Lee now leading the charge. Kraft Foods' results for the fourth more...
Burger King launches bite-size burgers and breakfast sandwiches
Miami-based quick-service restaurant chain Burger King announced it has added two new bite-size items to its menu: BK Burger Shots and BK Breakfast Shots more...
How Bond rolls: Ex-CEO leaves Tyson with 2009 Mercedes (UPDATED)
Dick Bond is leaving Tyson Foods in style. The former CEO's severance package includes a 2009 Mercedes Benz, according to a company filing with the Securities more...
JBS executive outlines plans to grow beef exports
JBS plans to grow its U.S. beef exports in excess of industry export forecasts, but will need to make some changes to do so, JBS-USA Senior Vice President more...
Chili’s parent confirms layoffs
Brinker International Inc., parent to the Chili's Grill & Bar casual-dining chain, confirmed it laid off about 155 workers last week, according to media more...
El Pollo Loco launches low-cost chicken 'Carnitas' items
Quick-service chain El Pollo Loco said it is offering through mid-May four types of Chicken Carnitas with prices starting at $1.79. In a news release more...
Maple Leaf Foods settlements range from $750 to $125,000
Toronto-based processor Maple Leaf Foods announced details about its Canada-wide settlement with plaintiffs in class-action lawsuits filed in the wake more...
USDA report shows fewer cattle than expected
USDA's semi-annual survey of U.S. cattle inventory as of Jan. 1, 2009 showed fewer cattle than expected and a revision in year ago numbers pushed overall more...
NCBA seats new officers, sets policies for '09
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association on Saturday elected new officers at the 2009 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Phoenix. Gary Voogt of Michigan more...
Spartan Brand all natural chicken hits supermarket shelves
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Spartan Stores said it has introduced Spartan Brand All Natural Chicken. The 100% natural Spartan Brand chicken is free of hormones more...
January 2009
JBS talking divestitures, not plant closures
Brazilian meat giant JBS SA is talking to the U.S. Department of Justice about divesting assets to gain approval to buy National Beef Packing, Wesley more...
Agriprocessors livestock suppliers paid; purchase, trial sagas continue
The USDA announced Friday that livestock sellers owed money by bankrupt Agriprocessors Inc. will be paid this week in full. The payouts total more than more...
COOL gets cool reception during panel discussion
Trade problems, challenges with segregation of cattle and higher production costs were among the problems with mandatory country-of-origin labeling identified more...
Take bacon. Add sausage. Become a media darling
A recipe that consists simply of bacon and sausage, together with some savvy online marketing, has catapulted its creators to the cover of the New York more...
Russia suspends nine U.S. pork plants
Russia has suspended pork imports from nine U.S. pork processing plants and cold storage facilities, including some owned by Smithfield Foods, its Farmland more...
Pay discrimination law widens window for workers to sue employers
President Barack Obama plans to sign his first major piece of legislation into law today, a bill that makes it easier to sue for pay discrimination, even more...
LIVE FROM IPE: Labor expert expects fewer ICE raids, more paperwork
ATLANTA—Labor attorney Jim Wimberly on Thursday told attendees at the International Poultry Expo to expect a shift in immigration enforcement, away from more...
LIVE FROM IPE: Focus on farms needed to reduce salmonella
ATLANTA — American processors ought to "put more pressure on the farm" to reduce salmonella incidences, but getting to zero instances is an unrealistic more...
Hearings on Pilgrim's agreements with Rivers, Wright delayed
Pilgrim's Pride Corp.'s plan to retain former CEO Clint Rivers and former COO Robert Wright as consultants following their resignation will not be reviewed more...
Cargill Meat plant briefly evacuated for ammonia leak
Cargill Meat Solutions' plant in Marshall, Mo. was briefly evacuated this morning after an ammonia leak was discovered, company spokeswoman Rebecca Hayne more...
Fresh & Easy brings back its Grill Pack
In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market announced it is offering a package of nearly 5 lbs. of meat and poultry for $5.99. The more...
Midwest Poultry Federation Convention slated for March 17-19
The 38th annual Midwest Poultry Federation Convention, which is billed as the largest regional poultry convention in the United States, is scheduled for more...
Analysts’ reviews mixed on Tyson’s 1Q performance
Having crunched the numbers on Tyson Foods' first fiscal quarter financials, protein sector equity analysts were all over the map, some lowering, some more...
Judge grants bail for Rubashkin
A judge for the U.S. District Court of Northern Iowa on Tuesday ruled that Sholom Rubashkin, the former CEO of Postville, Iowa-based Agriprocessors Inc more...
NAMP adds poultry science advisor
The North American Meat Processors Association announced the addition of a new science advisor: Manpreet Singh, assistant professor of food microbiology more...
P.F. Chang’s debuts dishes celebrating Chinese New Year
Restaurant chain P.F. Chang's China Bistro announced the debut of several new dishes celebrating Chinese New Year. To mark the Year of the Ox, P.F. Chang's more...
Interesting names emerge as possible FSIS under secretary
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said yesterday he will move quickly to name a new head of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Consequently, in more...
Tyson posts 1Q loss, but stock rises
Despite the losses that Tyson reported Monday for its first fiscal quarter due to drag from its chicken segment, the stock responded positively. It floated more...
Natural Food Holdings buys Niman Ranch
Alameda, Calif.-based Niman Ranch announced it has been purchased by its largest shareholder, Natural Food Holdings LLC, bringing much-needed capital more...
McDonald's to open 1,000 new restaurants
McDonald's reported lower fourth quarter earnings but beat Wall Street expectations and said it plans to open about 1,000 new restaurants in 2009. Oak more...
Global panel to offer salmonella reality check at IPE
Is it realistic to expect raw foods to be completely salmonella-free? That was the question tackled recently by an unprecedented international committee more...
Pop that champagne cork: It’s Meat Week!
You probably won't see it on your desk calendar, but this week (Sunday, Jan. 25 to Sunday, Feb. 1) is national Meat Week. Each night this week in several more...
Nebraska Beef Ltd. explains production, job cuts
Nebraska Beef Ltd. told Meatingplace Friday that reductions in staff at its Omaha, Neb.-based plant are part of preparations for an installation of new more...
Cold storage stocks continue well above year ago
USDA's monthly Cold Storage report showed meat and poultry stocks continuing well above year-ago levels. USDA reported that combined beef, pork and poultry more...
Greeley to study energy plant to use JBS waste
Greeley, Colo. has received an $82,000 grant from the state to study developing a "Clean Energy Park" that could use waste from the local JBS-Swift plant more...
Cigarette lighter ignites lockdown at Sanderson plant
Sanderson Farms' poultry processing plant in Moultrie, Ga. was temporarily locked down on Wednesday when an employee reported a colleague was armed. Turns more...
COOL, other laws on hold for Obama review
The long, winding and very bumpy road for mandatory country-of-origin labeling law and other legislation could continue as President Barack Obama's administration more...
Consumer shifts playing havoc with beef cut-out values
As consumers have shifted from eating at restaurants to eating at home, the demand for hamburger has gone up while steak demand has declined — a more...
Bob Evans Restaurants, Mimi's Cafe make management changes
With long-time Bob Evans Restaurants President Roger Williams set to retire next month, Bob Evans Farms announced management changes at both the Bob Evans more...
Kraft, CPK to launch flatbread sandwich line
California Pizza Kitchen and Kraft Foods are launching a line of frozen grocery flatbread melt sandwiches, CPK's first non-pizza frozen grocery item, more...
Maine company recalls frozen, stuffed chicken products
Barber Foods Company of Portland, Maine, is recalling nearly 6,050 pounds of frozen, stuffed chicken carving roast products that may contain foreign materials more...
Hormel launches SPAM in China
Hormel Foods is launching SPAM in China, expanding on the success of the company's iconic meat product line in other Asian markets. "We are launching more...
Certified Hereford Beef names new president
Certified Hereford Beef board members elected Marshall Ernst as the new president of CHB LLC. Ernst has served on the CHB LLC and American Hereford Association more...
FSIS to host workshop on humane livestock handling
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service will host workshops in several locations covering humane handling of livestock. The workshop will provide owners more...
Tyson Food Service unveils new wing flavors
The Tyson unit announced it has introduced Wing Stingers and Fire Stingers Boneless Wings, as well as Honey and Ranch-flavored versions, in fully cooked more...
Brazilian meat processing giant Sadia to cut jobs
Santa Catarina, Brazil-based meatpacker Sadia S.A. will cut 350 administrative jobs, company Chairman Luiz Furlan told local financial newspaper Valor more...
Pork producers sue EPA over emissions rule
The National Pork Producers Council on Monday filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to require more...
Peruvian trade agreement lacks benefit for U.S.: R-CALF
Former President George W. Bush signed the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement shortly before leaving office even though it lacks any benefits for the more...
U.S. downplays Canada-Hong Kong beef pact
USDA officials are downplaying the impact of a beef-trade protocol recently signed by Canada and Hong Kong, saying the former's access to the latter's more...
Golden Corral finds success with pork promos
Golden Corral has two current pork promotions that have achieved success for the family-dining chain, the National Pork Board announced. On Jan. 1, Golden more...
VeraSun to auction off seven ethanol plants
VeraSun Energy Corp., one of the nation's largest ethanol producers, will auction for sale seven ethanol plants as part of a bankruptcy financing agreement more...
USDA approves first loan guarantee for cellulosic ethanol plant
USDA announced it has approved an $80 million loan guarantee to Soperton, Ga.-based Range Fuels Inc., the agency's first ever loan guarantee to a commercial-scale more...
EU restrictions on U.S. poultry challenged through WTO
The United States has filed a case with the World Trade Organization regarding the European Union's ban on the import and marketing of U.S. poultry processed more...
Rubashkin hit with 99 more federal, 25 more bank fraud charges
Sholom Rubashkin, former CEO of Agriprocessors Inc., has been indicted on 99 additional federal and 25 additional bank fraud charges, according to court more...
USDA issues naturally raised marketing claim standard
USDA on Friday issued a voluntary standard for naturally raised livestock and meat marketing claims. The naturally raised marketing claim standard states more...
Saying 'I love you' with lamb
Flowers or chocolate might be traditional romantic gifts, but this February, the American Lamb Board is challenging consumers to say "I love you" with more...
USTR takes trade action in EU-beef hormones battle
U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab said Thursday the USTR is modifying its list of European Union products subject to additional duties under World more...
Clinton has beef with U.S.-S. Korea FTA
U.S. Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton is pushing for renegotiation of a free-trade agreement between the United States and South Korea, terms more...
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers to slow expansion, cut TV ads
Red Robin Gourmet announced it will slow expansion plans and has pulled the plug on national cable television advertising, prompting an investment firm more...
Southwest Meat Association conference set for February
The Southwest Meat Association announced its 2009 Mid-Year Conference is scheduled for Feb. 4-5 at the Hyatt Regency North Dallas in Richardson, Texas more...
Agriprocessors’ suppliers get day in court
The suppliers of beef to Agriprocessors Inc. may find out as early as Thursday when they will finally be paid for $3.1 million in livestock delivered more...
National Beef posts lower 1Q loss
National Beef Packing Co. on Tuesday said higher beef prices helped the company narrow its first-quarter profit loss. The Kansas City, Mo.-based company more...
Supervalu launches nutrition info labeling program
Minneapolis-based grocery retailer Supervalu announced the launch of "nutrition iQ," an in-store nutrition information program designed to help consumers more...
T.G.I. Friday’s launches the ‘Ultimate’ burger
A nationwide recipe search for the best burger recipe has turned into a menu item now featured at more than 600 U.S.-based T.G.I. Friday's restaurants more...
Pilgrim’s Pride announces more layoffs
Embattled poultry processor Pilgrim's Pride on Monday confirmed it will eliminate 450 positions at its plant in Nacogdoches, Texas, by Jan. 24, according more...
Cargill 2Q net up 25 percent, some meat units report improvement
Cargill Inc. saw a 25 percent jump in net earnings for the second quarter of its fiscal year, ended Nov. 30, 2008, thanks to contributions from its majority more...
New COOL soothes Canadian livestock producers, for now
Canadian cattlemen say USDA's final rule on country-of-origin labeling is an improvement over the interim final rule that has cost them some $90 per head more...
Largest West Coast ethanol producer latest to cut production
Sacramento, Calif.-based Pacific Ethanol announced last Friday is has temporarily suspended operations at its Madera, Calif., facility due to unfavorable more...
Wendy’s cuts restaurants serving breakfast nearly in half
Wendy's/Arby's Group will cut the number of Wendy's restaurants currently selling breakfast nearly in half, aiming to launch a new morning menu across more...
Pilgrim’s Pride to cut jobs at Athens, Ga., plant
About 80 to 100 workers will be laid off from Pilgrim's Pride's Athens, Ga., poultry plant Feb. 9 when the Pittsburg, Texas-based company eliminates the more...
Supervalu to shutter 50 stores
Supervalu, the nation's third largest grocery retail chain, said it plans to shutter 50 stores to cut costs amid an economic downturn. Many of the targeted more...
USDA’s reduced meat production forecasts speak to industry contraction
USDA reduced its broiler production forecasts for 2008 and 2009, respectively, by 100 million pounds and 200 million pounds, in the most glaring example more...
USDA sees more corn, less use, lower prices
USDA raised its forecast of corn ending stocks in the marketing year that ends Aug. 31, 2009 by 316 million bushels to 1.79 billion bushels on higher more...
Taco Del Mar introduces low-calorie chicken burrito
Seattle-based quick-service restaurant chain Taco Del Mar announced it has added a low-calorie chicken burrito to menus at locations in Oregon, Washington more...
USDA inspector sues Hormel, QPP over pig brain ailment
A USDA inspector has filed a lawsuit against Hormel Foods and Quality Pork Processors, claiming he was injured after being in the vicinity of a machine more...
East Coast retailer names new CEO
Sunbury, Pa.-based supermarket chain Weis Markets announced it has promoted Chief Operating Officer David J. Hepfinger to succeed former CEO Norman S more...
Personal finance guru suggests one-month restaurant fast
Just when the restaurant industry thought things couldn't get any worse, personal finance expert Suze Orman went on "Oprah" and suggested everyone stop more...
City of Big Shoulders urged to slim down by going veggie
Italian beef sandwiches, pepperoni deep dish pizza and hot dogs are all among Chicago's meat-laden culinary claims to fame, but now the city's health more...
Analyst encouraged after talks with Tyson execs
A Wall Street analyst said she was encouraged that Tyson Foods is making progress on cutting costs, will reap increased revenues from international investments more...
COOL ‘stifling’ North American cattle, hog trade
Mandatory country-of-origin labeling law is choking imports of cattle from Canada and Mexico, according to livestock analysts. Steve Meyer and Len Steiner more...
Hillshire Farm helps shoppers find supermarket savings
Hillshire Farm is taking a new marketing approach by introducing its first-ever eBook, "Supermarket Mani-Feast-O," which maps out for shoppers ways to more...
T.G.I. Friday’s to feature comfort food winner with chicken and bacon
A dish that won the comfort food category in the Food Network's "Ultimate Recipe Showdown" is now being featured at over 600 T.G.I. Friday's restaurants more...
Doubled quota positions U.S. pork for growth in Russia
The doubling of the country-specific tariff rate quota for U.S. pork could pave the way for boosting export opportunities in Russia, according to U.S more...
EPA and Perdue Farms sign water protection initiative
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an agreement with Salisbury, Md.–based Perdue Farms to implement a four-year program aimed at protecting more...
Analyst predicts modest hog profits
Modest gains in hog prices and lower cost of production should return hog producers to profitability in 2009 after six consecutive quarters of losses more...
Blagojevich: Or do you pronounce it “baloney”?
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged corruption — federal wire tap recordings include an expletive-laden discussion about selling President-elect more...
Carl’s Jr. sets big expansion plans for Texas and beyond
Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants and RWJP Star Enterprises announced a franchise agreement to open a minimum of 121 Carl's Jr. restaurants in more...
Good Times to upgrade to Angus beef, expand bacon burgers
Golden, Colo.-based Good Times Restaurants said it is switching its strategy to upgrading its product offerings rather than competing with larger fast-food more...
AMI names interim foundation president
The American Meat Institute announced it has named AMI Executive Vice President James Hodges interim president of the AMI Foundation, following the Jan more...
Four-state beef conference scheduled
Kansas State University, Iowa State University, the University of Nebraska and the University of Missouri will present the 25th Annual 4-State Beef Conference more...
Bond’s early departure raises questions
Tyson-watchers should expect uncertainty and volatility in the company's stock price in the near term, but little or no shift in the company's strategy more...
JBS sued for polluting Pa. waterways
The U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia has filed a lawsuit alleging JBS S.A.'s, Souderton, Pa., beef and rendering facilities have been discharging excessive more...
NCBA names new CEO
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association announced it has named Forrest Roberts as its chief executive officer. Roberts, 42, will start January 20, 2009 more...
Listeria workshop planned for February in Chicago
Registration is open for the 2009 American Meat Institute Foundation Advanced Listeria Intervention and Control Workshop, scheduled for Feb. 3 and 4 at more...
USDA proposes five-year terms for livestock dealers
USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has proposed amending the Packers and Stockyards Act to require market agencies more...
NCBA taps Whole Foods analyst for beef marketing role
Trevor Amen, former market analyst for Whole Foods Market's national meat purchasing division, has joined the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's more...
Yum Brands logs onto online fitness program
Facing mounting criticism over the health impact of fast-food products, KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell parent Yum! Brands Inc. is teaming up with online more...
Coming soon to a theater near you: Agriprocessors?
The May 2008 Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raid at kosher meatpacker Agriprocessors' Postville, Iowa, plant sparked plenty of dramatic developments more...
Lymphoma claims noted meat safety researcher
Retired USDA mirobiologist and meat safety expert Samuel Palumbo died Dec. 29, following a two-year battle with lymphoma. As a teen, Samuel Palumbo helped more...
Premium deli meats, ethnic foods among 2009 winners: IDDBA
As the recession prompts consumers to forgo restaurants, many are choosing instead to buy meals at their supermarket deli, according to the International more...
New Arby’s chief marketing officer to start Jan. 5
Stephen H. Davis will take over as chief marketing officer for the Arby's brand Jan. 5. Davis will lead all strategic brand marketing efforts including more...
Virtual tie in one grass-fed versus grain-fed battle
The question of whether grass-fed or grain-fed beef tastes better is definitely subject to debate, and students at one Portland, Ore., elementary school more...
December 2008
Tyson to cut 45 jobs at Va. poultry plant
Tyson Foods will lay off 45 workers on Friday at the company's poultry plant in Harrisonburg, Va., according to the Daily News-Record. The company is more...
USDA report shows fewer hogs now, but larger litters
U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on Dec. 1 was 66.7 million, a 2 percent decline from inventories a year ago and at the low end of the range of analysts' more...
Jack in the Box serves up $2.99 meal deal
San Diego-based fast-food chain Jack in the Box is offering a $2.99 meal deal to help consumers make a financial recovery from the holiday gift-giving more...
Cheers: Why mixing meat and booze can be a good thing
Treating your steak to a cocktail of sorts before grilling or frying it might be good for your health, according to research from scientists at the University more...
U.S., Mexico to meet on new meat packaging restrictions
U.S. and Mexican officials will meet Jan. 5 to discuss a proposal by Mexico to ban shipments of U.S meat products in large containers called combos, a more...
USDA lists meat plants Mexico has re-approved
USDA issued a list of 20 meat plants delisted by Mexico a week ago that have been re-approved for export after submitting corrective action plans. Product more...
U.S. and Russia sign new import quota; chlorine ban postponed
The United States and Russia have signed a new 2009 meat agreement, implementing the previously reported reduction in the U.S. poultry quota, rise in more...
USDA nixes mandatory premises registration
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Veterinary Services (APHIS-VS) has canceled a memorandum mandating premises registration under the National more...
NCBA’s ‘Cattlemen to Cattlemen’ to celebrate 100th episode
"Cattlemen to Cattlemen," the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's award-winning television program created in 2007, will celebrate its 100th episode more...
Pork biggest loser in Mexico plant ban
Mexico's recent ban of 30 U.S. meat processing plants will have a more significant impact on pork exports than beef or turkey and even if the bans are more...
JBS-Swift worker dies in industrial accident (UPDATED)
A man died Saturday evening in an apparent industrial accident at a JBS-Swift & Co. beef plant in Greeley, Colo. Sgt. Joe Tymkowych, spokesman for the more...
Red meat production up in first 11 months of 2008
U.S. commercial red meat production from January through November 2008 totaled 46.1 billion pounds, up 3 percent from 2007, according to USDA's monthly more...
Macaroni Grill sale complete, CEO named
Golden Gate Capital announced it completed its acquisition of 80 percent of Romano's Macaroni Grill from Brinker International, giving it majority ownership more...
Mexico suspends imports from 30 U.S. meat plants
Mexico suspended meat imports from 30 U.S. meat processing plants, according to a list posted on USDA's Web site. The list includes plants owned by Tyson more...
Christmas day fire at Ed Miniat rendering plant (updated)
It took 165 firefighters using dozens of engines and support vehicles to extinguish a three-alarm blaze at Ed Miniat Inc.'s South Chicago Packing animal more...
Sausage products recalled for possible listeria: FSIS
T. Piekutowski European Style Sausage, based in St. Louis, on Thursday announced a voluntary recall of about 750 lbs. of sausage products because they more...
Beef plant water operator loses license appeal
The water system operator at the Washington Beef plant in Toppenish has lost a bid to overturn the suspension of her license, according to the Associated more...
Simple pleasures, familiar brands to thrive in 2009: Mintel
As consumers cope with the economic crisis as well as the ever increasing pace of the modern world, they will find pleasure in simple things and look more...
Schwan Food chairman retires
Schwan Food Co. Chairman Alfred Schwan, 83, will retire effective Dec. 31, 2008, the company announced. Schwan has been chairman of the board for the more...
USDA buys chicken from Pilgrim’s Pride, others
USDA said it has purchased about 60.5 million pounds of chicken products for about $42.2 million for school lunch and other nutrition assistance programs more...
City OKs wastewater plan to accommodate JBS pork production
Officials in Worthington, Minn., have voted to approve a contract with an engineering firm accelerating a project aimed at improving its industrial wastewater more...
Three arrested for using false identities at Quality Pork Processors
Authorities have arrested three men for using false identification to gain employment at Quality Pork Processors in Austin, Minn., the Post-Bulletin reported more...
Poultry industry and USDA urge farm registration
The National Turkey Federation, National Chicken Council and United Egg Producers are urging farmers to register their premises with the National Animal more...
NLRB certifies Smithfield vote
The National Labor Relations Board on Monday certified the vote that ushers in union representation at Smithfield Foods' giant Tar Heel, N.C. plant. The more...
Agriprocessors CEO denied bail, again
Sholom Rubashkin's second attempt to be released from jail on bond was rejected Monday, according to The Des Moines Register. The former CEO of Agriprocessors more...
EU again challenges U.S., Canadian sanctions in WTO beef
The European Union has filed a new challenge at the World Trade Organization against sanctions imposed by the United States and Canada on imports of EU more...
Ruby Tuesday to close 70 restaurants
Maryville, Tenn.-based Ruby Tuesday announced late last week plans to close 40 restaurants during its third fiscal quarter and said it expects to close more...
Hormel to require producers to participate in quality program
Hormel Foods announced that by Dec. 31, 2009 all hogs it purchases will be raised by pork producers and their employees who are certified in the Pork more...
Smithfield plant plans seasonal layoff
Smithfield Foods plans to lay off nearly 30 percent of employees at its ham plant in Grayson, Ky. Company spokesman Dennis Pittman told Meatingplace.com more...
Tar Heel union cert on hold: NLRB
The National Labor Relations Board would have been expected to sign off by now on last week's election results in favor of union representation at Smithfield more...
Don’t miss the chance to comment
Several draft notices and proposed rules have been published in the Federal Register, and have comment periods associated with them that are still open more...
Special Feature: Cargill details Carneco Foods plant plans
Things have a way of working out. The picture was pretty bleak for Cargill Value Added Meats Foodservice (CVAM), a division of Cargill Meat Solutions more...
Pierre Foods, ConAgra add to boards of directors
Cincinnati-based Pierre Foods announced Friday that it has appointed Dean Hollis and Margaret Cannella as new members of its board of directors. Earlier more...
One by one, executives in failed Mississippi Beef plant sentenced
Over the past week, two more executives were sentenced for illegal activities related to the Mississippi Beef Processors plant that closed three months more...
Notes of musk, woods, citrus … meat?
Burger King (yes, Burger King) has rolled out a cologne for men, called "Flame," that carries the scent of meat. Presumably, that of cooked meat. If the more...
S&P lowers Smithfield credit rating
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it lowered its corporate credit rating on Smithfield Foods Inc. to 'B' from 'BB-'. "The downgrade reflects weak more...
Mexico files COOL complaint with WTO
Mexico on Thursday filed a complaint about the U.S. country-of-origin labeling law with the World Trade Organization, the Associated Press reported. The more...
Grassley news conference dominated by Obama appointments
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IOWA) held a teleconference with agricultural reporters this week to talk about his legislative priorities, but the reporters more...
Obama names Vilsack Ag Secretary; good, bad news for meat industry
Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, named Agriculture Secretary by President-elect Barack Obama, historically has supported some initiatives favored by the more...
Pilgrim’s Pride CEO, COO resign
Clint Rivers resigned Tuesday from his position as president and chief executive officer of Pilgrim's Pride, the Pittsburg, Texas-based processor announced more...
ConAgra’s 2Q profit plunges 31 percent
ConAgra Foods Inc. reported a 31 percent loss in net income, largely due to the absence of trading operations the company sold months ago. The Omaha, more...
Hardee’s transforms diner classic into portable breakfast offering
Quick-service restaurant chain Hardee's has introduced the Ham & Three Cheese Breakfast Burrito, which aims to take a classic ham-and-cheese omelet and more...
JBS brushes off recent plant suspensions like lint
Recent export suspensions at three JBS S.A. production facilities are "immaterial" due to the breadth of its global production platform, the Brazilian more...
Maple Leaf Foods continues damage control with plant tour, TV campaign
Maple Leaf Foods is still trying to restore its brand after last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak linked to the Toronto-based processor's deli meats more...
Market for prepared meals and snacks at retail growing: NPD
Six percent of the roughly 62 billion commercial foodservice meals and snacks consumed annually are purchased at retail stores — food, drug, discount more...
S. Korea bans JBS-Swift beef plant
South Korea has suspended imports of beef from JBS-Swift & Co.'s Greeley, Colo., plant, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Monday. "South more...
Agriprocessors’ case moved; potential investor identified
Last week the bankruptcy case of Agriprocessors Inc. was moved to the Northern District court in Cedar Rapids from New York, where the company originally more...
EPA exempts animal waste air emissions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it has issued a final rule providing an administrative reporting exemption for releases to the more...
Russia raises pork quota, boosts duties for poultry and pork
The Russian Economic Development Ministry said Friday it raised the import quota for pork in 2009 to 531,900 metric tons from 493,500 metric tons in 2008 more...
U.S. attorney wants Agriprocessors’ assets
The U.S. Attorney's office for northern Iowa is now seeking the forfeiture of substantial assets from Agriprocessors, including its property, corporate more...
Pilgrim’s Pride suffered $1B in losses in 2008
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. lost nearly $1 billion in fiscal year 2008, according to its annual report. Pilgrim's Pride posted the report more...
FDA reverses ban of certain animal antibiotic uses
The Food and Drug Administration said it would continue to allow livestock producers access to a class of antibiotics for a variety of off-label uses more...
Wingstop opens restaurants, soars to 1.5 billion wings sold
Dallas-based chain Wingstop announced that it will have sold more than 1.5 billion wings by the end of fiscal year 2008, and now sells nearly 1 million more...
Sara Lee to cut 700 jobs in outsourcing initiative
Sara Lee Corp. on Thursday announced plans to cut approximately 700 positions as it outsources parts of its North American and European Finance (transaction more...
Agriprocessors HR employee says ‘guilty’ (updated)
Karina Pilar Freund, a former employee in Agriprocessors' human resources department, on Wednesday changed her plea to "guilty" of one misdemeanor count more...
USDA lowers meat production, export, price forecasts
USDA reduced its total U.S. meat production forecasts for 2008 and 2009 from last month, reflecting lower forecasts for all meats in 2008 and lower forecasts more...
USDA cuts ethanol use and prices for corn, soybeans and meal
USDA said lower corn use for ethanol and sluggish exports led it to lower its estimate of corn use in the marketing year ending Aug. 31, 2009, resulting more...
Hong Kong confirms bird flu is deadly H5N1 strain
Health authorities in Hong Kong have confirmed that the recent outbreak of bird flu in the area was caused by the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, according more...
Agri suppliers invited to GIPSA meeting
Unpaid suppliers of livestock or poultry to Agriprocessors, which filed for bankruptcy last month, can learn about their rights under the Packers and more...
EPA report doesn’t mean livestock will be taxed to curb methane emissions
The fact that a 570-page Environmental Protection Agency rule-making report on ways to implement the Clean Air Act included a discussion of ways to curb more...
HK culls 80,000 chickens after first bird flu scare since 2003
Health officials in Hong Kong raised the city's avian flu alert to "serious" and culled 80,000 birds following the discovery of H5-positive chickens on more...
FPL Food to close S.C. plant
Augusta, Ga.-based beef processor FPL Food said it will close its West Columbia, S.C., plant at the end of January, only eight months after opening the more...
Smithfield’s Tar Heel plant readies for benchmark union election
The union election on Wednesday and Thursday of this week may finally mark the close of the 16-year-long battle between the United Commercial Food Workers more...
Giant Eagle looking to cash in on discount food concept
As cash-strapped consumers look to save money on their grocery bills, O'Hara, Pa.-based retailer Giant Eagle Inc. is opening a prototype store outside more...
CKE to open Carl’s Jr. locations in Kazakhstan
Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants Inc., franchisor and operator of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's quick-service restaurants, and Americana Group S.A more...
Petit Jean Poultry to shutter another plant
Petit Jean Poultry will close its processing plant in Danville, Ark., on Jan. 31, a company official said late last week, according to the Associated more...
Irish pork’s loss is no one’s gain: USMEF
A crisis of confidence among importers of Irish pork following the discovery of dioxin in shipments to some 25 countries threatens more than the stability more...
So bad it’s good: analysts say it’s time to buy shares in Smithfield
Citing reduced production and possible increased demand for pork in 2009 because it is a less-expensive protein, Deutsche Bank upgraded Smithfield Foods' more...
‘PorkCast’ online seminar to address pricing and buying feed
The Minnesota Pork Board and the University of Minnesota Extension Swine Program on Tuesday are sponsoring a PorkCast Webinar entitled "Pricing and Buying more...
Keystone Processors to open new beef plant in Canada
Keystone Processors Ltd., formed by initial shareholders Natural Prairie Beef Inc. and the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council, will own and operate a more...
Kansas tops list of sites for new livestock disease lab
Kansas State University looks to have prevailed as the site of a new $450 million federal laboratory to study livestock diseases and some of the world's more...
As feared, beef exports are slumping
USDA's weekly export data are bearing out fears that beef exports are slumping, in particular to Mexico and recently to South Korea. In the CME's Daily more...
Vegetarians to Ikea: Don’t eat Rudolph this Christmas
International vegetarian group Viva! is calling on home goods retailer Ikea to stop selling reindeer meat. Viva! is calling on the Netherlands-based retail more...
Financials squeezed, but Smithfield CEO positive about fundamentals
Smithfield Foods Inc. turned in worse-than-expected earnings for its second 2009 fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31, managing to eke out net income of only more...
Agriprocessors up and running — in a limited way
Agriprocessors Inc. opened its doors again for production on Wednesday, the company confirmed, although press reports indicate that only a fraction of more...
Sanderson Farms posts 4Q loss
Laurel, Miss.-based Sanderson Farms Inc. reported greater losses than Wall Street expected for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Oct. 31, due mainly more...
Three new YouTube videos help tell pork industry’s story
The Pork Checkoff is using the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube to highlight what the pork industry is doing right through three new videos on the more...
Court approves $365 mln DIP financing for Pilgrim’s Pride
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corporation announced that it has received approval by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District more...
Russia suspends imports from six U.S. pork plants
Russia has suspended imports of pork products from six U.S. pork facilities, claiming the products did not meet Russian requirements, USDA's Food Safety more...
Niman Ranch launches natural, air-chilled poultry line
Denver-based Niman Ranch announced the launch of a new line of all-natural, air-chilled poultry products. The Epicure Reserve poultry is raised following more...
Carl’s Jr. aims new steak sandwich at young men and date night
Carpinteria, Calif.-based Carl's Jr. announced a new Charbroiled Steak Sandwich aimed at the elusive young male demographic with a campaign that positions more...
Pilgrim’s Pride lines up DIP financing, analysts weigh in (updated)
Pilgrim's Pride lined up $450 million in debtor-in-possession funding after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday, Dow Jones Newswires more...
Canada challenges COOL through WTO
The Canadian government has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the United States over mandatory country-of-origin labeling. The more...
N.Y. company recalls Polish sausage
Elmira, N.Y.-based DeNunzio's Sausage has recalled approximately 36,388 pounds of ready-to-eat Polish Kielbasa sausage products because they may contain more...
North Country Smokehouse’s Mike Satzow is 2009 Knowlton honoree
Mike Satzow, owner of North Country Smokehouse and provider of smoked meats to popes, five-star hotels and "The Today Show," has been named the 2009 Richard more...
Pilgrim’s Pride files for bankruptcy
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride announced that it has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The processor is also seeking approval more...
Bomb scare evacuated pork plant briefly on Friday
A bogus bomb threat forced the Triumph Foods pork processing plant in St. Joseph, Mo. to evacuate briefly on Friday afternoon, according to local media more...
Group stages protest at Quality Pork plant over P.I.N. treatment
About two dozen protesters gathered outside Quality Pork Producers in Austin, Minn., over the weekend to call attention to what they consider inadequate more...
U.S. beef sales in South Korea soar since last Thursday
South Korea's top three retailers sold over 200 tons of U.S. beef in the first four days since they began selling it last Thursday, Yonhap quoted industry more...
November 2008
Agri update: Ind. co. seeks $3 million in fees; trustee picks plant managers
An Indiana company is looking to collect almost $3 million from Agriprocessors' owner and two companies he owns, fees it says it's owed for leased equipment more...
Burger King expands into the Czech Republic
Burger King Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of Miami-based Burger King Corp., announced that it is opening its first restaurant in the Czech Republic. "It is more...
USDA announces panelists for 2009 Ag Outlook Forum
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the distinguished plenary panelists for its 85th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, "Global Agriculture more...
Scientists create eco-friendly pigs
Scientists at Guelph University in Ontario are re-writing the famous Dr. Seuss story "Green Eggs and Ham." That is, they have genetically engineered a more...
Pilgrim’s Pride receives another reprieve from lenders
Chicken processor Pilgrim's Pride on Wednesday announced it reached an agreement with its lenders to extend its credit lines until Monday. The Pittsburg more...
Research project to examine safety of organic and natural poultry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Integrated Food Safety Initiative awarded a grant to several food and poultry scientists to conduct food more...
FDA issues draft guidance animal feed ban
The Food and Drug Administration has issued for rendering facilities a draft compliance guide for on the agency's regulations banning the use of certain more...
‘Original’ Buffalo wings go on sale in Pa., N.Y. supermarkets
Williamsville, N.Y.-based retailer Tops Friendly Markets has become the first food retailer licensed to sell Anchor Bar Buffalo Wings at its 71 stores more...
Agriprocessors trucks reported repossessed
Several of the delivery trucks operated by Agriprocessors reportedly were repossessed over the weekend, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. At least more...
NCBA adds youth programs to 2009 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show
The 2009 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, scheduled for Jan. 28-31 in Phoenix, will feature new events designed especially for young people more...
Free turkeys among holiday gifts on the decline
The tradition of giving holiday turkeys to employees is practically defunct, having been on the decline even before the current economic crisis, according more...
N.J. firm recalls ground beef on suspicion of E. coli
Dutch Prime Foods Inc. late Monday issued a recall of nearly 345 pounds of ground beef products on suspicion that they may be contaminated with E. coli more...
Increased costs, investment loss drop Hormel 4Q earnings
Hit hard by what President and CEO Jeffrey Ettinger called a "unique and challenging economic environment," Hormel Foods on Tuesday announced its fourth-quarter more...
S. Korean retail chains to resume U.S. beef sales
South Korea's major discount retailers said they will resume sales of U.S. beef starting Thursday. The U.S. Meat Export Federation reported Tuesday that more...
Meatpacking execs tell producers of COOL challenges
Speaking at the Texas Cattle Feeders Association's annual convention, executives with Tyson Foods, Cargill Meat Solutions and JBS-Swift & Co. told producers more...
Decline in feedlot placements surpasses market expectations
Cattle placed in feedlots during October totaled 2.44 million head, 10.5 percent less than a year ago, and an even bigger decline than the market had more...
KFC launches new Two Originals Meals
Louisville, Ky.-based chain Kentucky Fried Chicken announced that it is introducing new Two Originals Meals to its lineup, featuring Original Recipe chicken more...
JBS-Swift beef plant unionizes
Workers at JBS-Swift & Co.'s Hyrum, Utah, beef plant voted this week to join the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, according to more...
Aviagen suspends supervisor after PETA video
Global poultry breeder Aviagen Inc. said it has suspended a supervisor and would investigate a video released by an animal-rights group that appears to more...
Sanderson Farms worker dies after fall
An employee at a Sanderson Farms plant in Bryan, Texas, died after sustaining injuries from an accidental fall Tuesday, according to local media reports more...
Jaycees try luck with “wheel of meat”
The Jaycees organization in Huntley, Ill. are looking to raise money and help defray traditional holiday costs by launching a "Wheel of Meat" charity more...
Sara Lee to exit kosher business, eliminate jobs
Sara Lee Corp. announced it will close its Chicago kosher hot dog and meat processing facility no later than Jan. 30, 2009, laying off about 185 employees more...
Meat processor to launch direct-order Web site, new products
Swedesboro, N.J.-based processor Rastelli Foods Group announced it will launch a Web site for consumers to purchase its beef, pork, lamb, poultry and more...
Wellshire Farms to launch new gourmet bacon
Swedesboro, N.J.-based Wellshire Farms announced that it is re-instituting its Global Gourmet line, starting with a new Uncured Sliced, thick Irish Bacon more...
Yum Brands to expand Taco Bell internationally: WSJ
Capitalizing on a strategy that has worked well with its KFC and Pizza Hut brands, Yum Brands plans to expand the international presence of its Taco Bell more...
PETA video shows Aviagen Turkeys workers abusing birds
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a video showing workers at an Aviagen Turkeys poultry-breeding operation abusing live birds. PETA more...
Russia bans pork imports from Indiana Packers
Russia has suspended imports of pork from Indiana Packers Corporation after reporting the discovery of salmonella in a pork shipment, according to USDA's more...
CPI takes biggest plunge since 1947, but food prices rise
U.S. consumer prices in October plunged by the steepest amount since record keeping began in 1947, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Prices fell more...
Organic group launches campaign to boost sales
At a time of slowing organic food sale growth as cash-strapped consumers make careful spending choices, the Organic Trade Association said it is launching more...
EPA raises ethanol blend rate for 2009
The Environmental Protection Agency said it has raised the amount of ethanol that refiners, importers and blenders must blend into gasoline to meet their more...
Nestle recalls frozen Lean Cuisine meals
Springville, Utah-based Nestle Prepared Foods Company recalled approximately 879,565 pounds of frozen chicken meals that may contain foreign materials more...
Pennsylvania kosher poultry producer to ramp up output
Mifflintown, Pa.-based Empire Kosher Poultry will expand its production by 50 percent to meet demands resulting from recent shortages in the marketplace more...
FSIS updates voluntary recall procedures
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued Directive 8080.1, Revision 5, which provides updated information on the terminology, responsibilities more...
Supremes reject Agri appeal, but investors reportedly tour plant
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Agriprocessors Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board, letting stand a lower court decision more...
Hormel steps up Spam production
Hormel Foods is maximizing the production of its Spam products to meet demand for the thrifty meats during the throes of a down economy. Dan Bartel, business more...
Sara Lee to launch lower-sodium deli meats
Sara Lee Deli announced it plans to launch a new line of sliced-to-order deli meats that will be available in 2009. The lower-sodium varieties will include more...
KFC teams with NFL on wing sponsorship
Kentucky Fried Chicken on Monday announced its first-ever sponsorship agreement with the National Football League to make KFC's chicken wings the "Official more...
Agriprocessors’ Rubashkin arrested for bank fraud
Sholom Rubashkin, former CEO of Agriprocessors Inc., was arrested Friday on charges of bank fraud. The federal complaint alleges that Rubashkin defrauded more...
R-CALF, OCM file new lawsuit vs. JBS acquisition
Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America and the Organization for Competitive Markets filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court more...
Conference to address food-borne illness litigation
The American Conference Institute will host its second annual conference on food-borne illness and contamination litigation Dec. 4-5 in Phoenix. Speakers more...
Flying hot dogs in the spotlight
The Philadelphia Phillies have gotten plenty of attention since their World Series championship last month, and now there's one more thing that puts them more...
Wall Street analysts exasperated with Tyson; Pilgrim’s devalued
A paraphrased version of an exchange between Wall Street analysts and Tyson Foods CEO Richard Bond earlier this week on an earnings teleconference went more...
Tesco putting the brakes on U.S. store expansion
Britain-based Tesco has rowed back expansion plans for its Fresh & Easy stores in the United States in the wake of the economic meltdown, according to more...
Pork Checkoff studies niche pork buying patterns
In order to better understand the potential of niche pork, the Pork Checkoff recently funded a study to determine the factors that influence consumer more...
Subway to roll out flatbread sandwiches
Milford, Conn.-based Subway will introduce a new flatbread option for its sandwiches, along with two new flatbread sandwich varieties, starting Nov. 17 more...
Ethanol group formed to push agenda, dispute food price assertions
Six major ethanol producers on Tuesday announced they had formed an organization called Growth Energy to promote the value of ethanol and fight back on more...
ConAgra promotes new lunch meals through comedic Web skits
Working Americans are brown-bagging their lunches with greater frequency, and ConAgra Foods is looking to make good on that trend by promoting its new more...
Ben E. Keith acquires Winn Meat Co.
Fort Worth, Texas-based institutional foodservice distributor Ben E. Keith Foods announced Tuesday it acquired foodservice distributor Winn Meat Co. in more...
Study finds obesity ages children's bodies
Health findings more typical of sedentary adults of middle age or older are being seen in obese children, according to a study presented at the American more...
Analysts cut earnings forecasts, downgrade Tyson stock
Three Wall Street analysts cut their earnings forecasts for Tyson Foods and one downgraded the stock following larger-than-expected losses in its chicken more...
Gold’n Plump workers to receive settlement in religious discrimination suit
Gold'n Plump announced that it will pay $720,000 for class-action plaintiffs' attorneys' fees and $215,000 to the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) more...
Kosher beef products supplier draws GIPSA complaint
USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration has filed a complaint against North Star Beef Inc. and one of its owners, Bill Gilger, more...
USTR and EU discuss beef, poultry
US Trade Representative Susan Schwab met in Brussels today with EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton to discuss a number of bilateral trade issues, more...
Beef, pork profits outweigh chicken losses in Tyson’s 4Q
Beef and pork sector profits more than outweighed losses in Tyson Foods' chicken sector in its fourth fiscal quarter, but the company missed Wall Street more...
Russia to cut poultry imports again, mulls pork
Russia will cut its poultry import quotas by another 100,000 metric tons in 2009, making the total cut 300,000 tons, according to The Moscow Times. "We more...
Pilgrim’s Pride selects chief restructuring officer
Pilgrim's Pride has appointed William K. Snyder, managing partner of Dallas-based CRG Partners Group LLC, to be its chief restructuring officer, the Pittsburg more...
USDA cuts corn, soybean forecasts slightly
USDA inched both its corn and soybean crop production forecasts down slightly for the 2008 crops, leaving area harvested unchanged, but adjusting yield more...
Who will be the next secretary of agriculture?
No one knows for sure who President-elect Barack Obama will choose to be the next secretary of agriculture, but a Meatingplace.com survey of agriculture more...
Union vote cancelled at Country Natural Beef feedlots
Some 85 workers at Beef Northwest Feeders feedlots in the state of Washington, which handle cattle for Country Natural Beef, will not vote on unionizing more...
Major steakhouse chains see declining financial results
That major steakhouse chains such as Morton's Restaurant Group Inc. and Ruth's Hospitality Group Inc. would unveil bad news in the current economic climate more...
U.S. fund sues Brazilian processor Sadia over currency losses
A New York retirement fund has sued Brazilian meat processing giant Sadia S.A. over shareholder losses after the company announced in September it lost more...
Wal-Mart to cut food prices between now and Christmas
Wal-Mart said it is launching weekly price cuts between now and Christmas on items typically purchased for the holiday season, including food. Over the more...
Global economic crisis slows U.S. meat exports
Limited credit availability, volatile currency exchange rates and global economic uncertainty will create an uphill climb for U.S. beef and pork exports more...
Hormel, Jennie-O to switch up key leadership roles
The group vice president of specialty foods for Willmar, Minn.-based Hormel Foods will be swapping roles with the president of the company's Jennie-O more...
H.E.B promotes execs
San Antonio-based supermarket chain H.E.B appointed Bob Loeffler, the company's chief operating officer, to president. Craig Boyan will fill the role more...
Agriprocessors files for bankruptcy protection
Embattled kosher meatpacker Agriprocessors on Tuesday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, one day before the Postville, Iowa-based processor was more...
California voters pass animal welfare initiative
Voters in California on Tuesday voted in favor of Proposition 2, a measure that phases out gestation crates for breeding pigs, veal crates for calves more...
Meat product sales highlight Sara Lee 1Q profits
Sara Lee Corp. reported a 15 percent increase in profits during its first fiscal quarter of 2009 ended Sept. 27, driven in part by increased market share more...
S. Korea to inspect Canadian beef plants
South Korea will send inspectors within the next month for on-site inspections of Canadian beef exporters, signaling momentum for a new trade agreement more...
JBS boosts 3Q earnings
Brazilian beef behemoth JBS S.A. on Monday reported a giant boost in earnings during the company's fiscal third quarter, citing the depreciation of the more...
Seaboard losing money on pork segment
Seaboard Corp. reported a $30 million operating loss from its pork segment in the first nine months of 2008, while third quarter operating income fell more...
Mexican consumers seen shifting down the protein ladder
As the peso dropped against the dollar over the past three months, research suggests that Mexican consumers are shifting down the protein ladder from more...
Lack of genetic diversity leaves commercial poultry vulnerable
After studying thousands of commercial chickens, scientists discovered that birds on modern production lines are missing at least half of the genetic more...
A big week for Agriprocessors
Interested parties from Postville, Iowa, to Crown Heights, Brooklyn, are watching the unfolding events at Agriprocessors Inc. this week, as key deadlines more...
Hormel launches new interactive Web site
Hormel Foods Corp. has launched a new Web site focused solely on the products in its Hormel brand, the Austin, Minn.-based company announced. The site more...
EPA issues new regulations for concentrated animal feeding operations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized new regulations for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) designed to help them safely more...
South Korea, Canada resume beef talks
South Korea and Canada on Monday resumed technical talks regarding expanded access for Canadian beef exports to Seoul. Korean media reported that Seoul more...
October 2008
Butterball sells Longmont brand to Sigma Alimentos
Butterball LLC has sold its Longmont turkey brand to Sigma Alimentos, Mexico's largest producer and distributor of refrigerated and frozen food, the Garner more...
Russia limits meat import from Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, US
MOSCOW, October 31 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian Federal veterinary and phytosanitary control service (Rosselkhoznadzor) has imposed a temporary ban on meat more...
Rubashkin out on bond, to face grand jury
Sholom Rubashkin, the former CEO of Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville, Iowa, was released after a hearing on Thursday on the condition that he provide more...
Fresh & Easy introduces new ready-to-eat products
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the Tesco-owned retail chain that has locations in Arizona, California and Nevada, announced it has introduced a line more...
Agriprocessors’ former CEO arrested, slaughter operations halted
On Thursday, former Agriprocessors Inc. CEO Sholom Rubashkin was arrested and charged with conspiring to harbor one or more aliens, aiding and abetting more...
Dakota Farms debuts new burgers for retail
Fargo, N.D.-based processor North Dakota Natural Beef is now offering two new all-natural Angus beef burgers in supermarkets under its Dakota Farms brand more...
Sadia, Perdigao post large losses
Brazilian meat giants Sadia and Perdigao both announced third-quarter net losses Wednesday after posting gains during the same period a year ago. Sadia's more...
Denny’s debuts late-night Rockstar menu
Hot roast beef and meaty Mexican-inspired dishes are among the offerings on Denny's new late-night Rockstar menu inspired by various musical performers more...
Japan suspends beef imports from JBS-Swift plant
Tokyo said Wednesday it halted imports of beef from a JBS-Swift & Co. plant following a breach of a bilateral trade agreement between the United States more...
Iowa proposes nearly $10 mil in Agri fines
The commissioner of Iowa's Department of Labor has assessed nearly $10 million in civil penalties against Agriprocessors Inc. for repeated violations more...
Kraft reports 3Q profit, but deli costs outstrip price hikes
Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods reported strong revenues and net income in its third quarter ended Sept. 30, beating Wall Street estimates and reflecting more...
Maple Leaf loses C$13 million in 3Q, largely on recall
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. on Wednesday posted a nearly C$13 million loss in fiscal third quarter earnings, largely on the recall of hundreds of meat products more...
Carl’s Jr. rolls out triple meat breakfast burrito
Carpinteria, Calif.-based quick service chain Carl's Jr. on Wednesday announced the addition of a hearty new breakfast burrito stuffed with ham, bacon more...
Tyson rolls out new all-natural chicken nuggets, patties
Tyson Foods Inc. will team with Food Network host Robin Miller to launch its new 100 percent All Natural Chicken Nuggets, the Springdale, Ark.-based processor more...
NCBA membership, revenues grow in 2008
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association said membership and revenues grew "significantly" in fiscal 2008, ended Sept. 30. Membership rose 6.7 percent more...
USDA revises corn, soybean crop forecasts down; price forecast up
USDA revised its Oct. 10 crop production and supply and demand forecasts for corn, soybeans and other crops to correct data discrepancies. The bottom more...
ConAgra, Kraft Foods among companies to join new nutrition labeling program
A group of large U.S. food companies has joined a voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labeling program that is meant to help shoppers make more nutritious more...
Pilgrim’s Pride lenders extend covenant waiver
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced that it has reached an agreement with its lenders to extend its temporary waiver under its credit facilities to Nov. 26 more...
Smithfield, UFCW settle before lawsuit gets underway
On Monday, Smithfield Foods Inc.' RICO lawsuit against United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and its agents was to begin with jury selection more...
Newman’s Own tests all-natural pizzas
Westport, Conn.-based Newman's Own is testing all-natural, family-size pizzas in five markets, Brandweek reported. Varieties of Newman's Own Thin and more...
Jack in the Box brings back meaty Teriyaki Bowls
San Diego-based quick service chain Jack in the Box announced that it is putting its long-retired chicken and steak Teriyaki Bowls back on its menu. The more...
JBS-Swift falls in line with COOL
JBS-Swift & Co. said Wednesday it will comply with the intent of mandatory country-of-origin labeling law, saying it will label the majority of its beef more...
Chertoff announces final No Match rule
In a press conference on Thursday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he had signed the final rule regarding the steps employers more...
Montana launches certified natural beef program
The state of Montana on Wednesday announced the launch of the Montana Certified Natural Beef Cattle Program, designed to help producers promote beef raised more...
The high cost of the Recession (Special)
Even the Recession is going to cost more than we thought. The Recession Special, that is, at Gray's Papaya, a small chain of hot dog joints on the West more...
Meat, livestock groups blast USDA aid program
Officials with the nation's leading meat and livestock associations have signed and sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, questioning the more...
Six workers at Hormel supplier charged with animal abuse
Six workers at a hog farm near Bayard, Iowa, that contracts with Hormel Foods were charged Tuesday with animal abuse and neglect in the wake of a video more...
North American Bison Cooperative introduces 'value cuts'
The North American Bison Cooperative announced it is introducing TenderBison products for retail and foodservice customers that aim to address increased more...
Cattle industry seeks nominations for environmental award
The National Cattlemen's Foundation is seeking nominations for the 19th Annual Environmental Stewardship, which honors regional and national winners for more...
McDonald's honors Smithfield with sustainability award
McDonald's USA announced it has recognized Smithfield Foods Inc. with the first-ever Sustainability Award during the fast-food giant's 2008 Supplier Summit more...
Odom’s Tennessee Pride launches all natural turkey sausage
Odom's Tennessee Pride announced that it is introducing a new turkey product into its traditional pork-only line: All Natural Fully Cooked Turkey Sausage more...
Health trends impacting teens’ eating habits: Mintel survey
Despite concerns about obesity among young people, a new survey from research firm Mintel reports that many adolescents are making healthy eating choices more...
Got MBA? (Master of Beef Advocacy)
The Beef Checkoff has unveiled a new program aimed at helping everyday beef producers better communicate the details of their work and their point of more...
JBS to complete Smithfield buy, fight for National Beef
JBS S.A. chimed in late Monday to state the company's intentions to fight the Department of Justice's attempt to stymie its merger with National Beef more...
Jimmy Dean launches new microwaveable breakfast entrees
Sara Lee brand Jimmy Dean has introduced Jimmy Dean Breakfast Entrees, microwaveable breakfast offerings that include one savory breakfast item and two more...
USDA announces animal ID partnership with tribal organizations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service this week announced a partnership with four tribal organizations for National more...
American Lamb Board sponsors recipe contest
The American Lamb Board has announced it is sponsoring a nationwide contest to find the best American lamb family recipe. Through Nov. 11, contestants more...
National Beef vows to fight DOJ lawsuit
National Beef Packing Co. and its majority owner U.S. Premium Beef LLC expressed disappointment following the U.S. Department of Justice's announcement more...
Supreme Court to rule on issue of illegal immigrants’ culpability
The Supreme Court of the United States on Monday agreed to hear a case (Flores-Figueroa v. U.S.) that will enable the justices to rule on the issue of more...
Hormel cuts profit outlook for FY08
Citing cost pressures, unfavorable product mix changes and an under-performing investment fund, Hormel Foods announced Monday it is lowering its expectation more...
Feedlot placements fall below market expectations
Cattle placed in feedlots during September totaled 2.28 million, down 6 percent from a year ago, and significantly lower than market expectations. Lower more...
Pilgrim’s Pride does not plan to seek bankruptcy protection
Despite industry speculation, Pilgrim's Pride Corp. is not planning to file for bankruptcy protection, the Wall Street Journal reported. "We don't believe more...
Cargill boards the COOL train
Three days after Tyson Foods notified customers and producers of its plans to follow the intent of a new mandatory country-of-origin labeling law, competitor more...
Meat lovers show off sensitivity in haikus
"Because meat lovers are sensitive people too" is the rationale behind a new Burger King Web site urging Canadians to express their fondness of the chain's more...
LIVE FROM NAMP: New president, executive officers named
LAS VEGAS — The North American Meat Processors Association elected its new president and executive committee officers at a conference here this more...
Tyson cool with federal labeling law
Tyson Foods Inc. said it will comply with federal mandatory country-of-origin labeling law by labeling most of its retail, fresh meat cuts as a product more...
Armour-Eckrich exercises new PR for lunchmeats
Armour-Eckrich Meats LLC announced Thursday it has tabbed celebrity fitness trainer Kathy Kaehler as spokesperson for the Lisle, Ill.-based company's more...
Pork Checkoff, Kroger celebrate Oktoberfest
The Pork Checkoff has built a national promotional campaign around Oktoberfest for the first time, the National Pork Board announced. Throughout October more...
An open invitation to Oprah
The Illinois Farm Bureau has extended an open invitation to Oprah Winfrey to visit any of the livestock farms in the state. "Oprah is obviously interested more...
ConAgra brand debuts new shelf-stable meals
ConAgra Foods brand Healthy Choice announced the debut of Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers, meals that require no refrigeration or freezing, so they can be more...
Trichinae program could boost pork exports: NPPC
USDA has issued a final rule for implementing a program in which pork producers can certify that their product is free of trichinae, which should help more...
Nearly 20,000 tons of U.S. beef clear Korean customs since June
Almost 20,000 tons of U.S. beef have cleared South Korean customs since June, Yonhap News reported Wednesday, quoting the Korean Embassy. Since June 26 more...
COOL brochure educates consumers: AMI
The American Meat Institute said Wednesday it has released a new brochure that explains to consumers the meaning behind country-of-origin labels on meat more...
Mexico de-lists six U.S. meat plants
Mexico has suspended imports from six U.S. meat plants, according to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. FSIS spokeswoman Amanda Eamich told Meatingplace more...
U.S. meat exports perform well in August despite market volatility
U.S. beef and pork exports bucked concerns about a global recession and a surging U.S. dollar to turn in a stellar performance in August, according to more...
National Pork Board research shows favorable response to pork ads
This year's pork ad in Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine scored favorably in terms of reader reaction when compared with a similar ad last year, according more...
Oprah spotlights Calif. animal welfare bill, animal handling
"I believe how we treat the least of being among us determines our own humanity," Oprah Winfrey said, by way of opening "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Tuesday more...
Sara Lee rolls out new deli items
Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee Corp. announced that it will add four new chicken and ham deli meats to its Fresh Ideas line this fall. The new Sara more...
Cargill earnings up sharply in 1Q; new beef patty plant opened
Cargill reported net earnings of $1.49 billion in the 2009 first quarter, ended Aug. 31, up 62 percent from $917 million in the same period a year ago more...
S. Korea to resume beef talks with Canada
South Korea will resume talks with Canada on beef imports in early November, according to Yonhap News. The Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and more...
Government agencies launch food defense awareness training kit for food industry
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has more...
USDA reduces pork export forecast
USDA reduced its pork export forecast for 2008 by 125 million pounds to 5.318 billion pounds, based on recent weakness in shipments. Industry analysts more...
Tyson chairman reaffirms acquisition interest
Tyson Foods Chairman John Tyson this week reaffirmed the company's interest in acquisitions, particularly in light of the current global economic conditions more...
Cargill uses election to promote interest in hamburgers
In a bid to generate consumer interest in hamburgers at a time of high ground beef prices, Cargill Meat Solutions is giving away a trip for two to Washington more...
USDA sees more corn and soybeans, lower prices
USDA raised its crop forecasts for both corn and soybeans, as well as its ending stocks projections, leading to sharp declines in its forecasts for average more...
Nicaraguan beef prompts three E. coli-related recalls
Beef imported from Nicaragua is involved in three separate recalls of frozen beef trim that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, USDA's Food Safety more...
Maple Leaf defends protocols after more listeria found at plant involved in outbreak
Maple Leaf Foods announced there have been four positive findings for listeria in two products produced on a single line at the Bartor Road plant in Toronto more...
Sanderson Farms files shelf registration to sell up to $1B in shares
Sanderson Farms Inc. announced that it will file a shelf registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission to register for possible future sales more...
LIVE FROM CFI: Immigration reform could be today’s ‘Industrial Revolution’
INDIANAPOLIS — A leading advocate for immigration law reform likened the potential economic growth that would come from legal immigrant labor in more...
Canadians say COOL already hurting volume and pricing
Just one week after new U.S. rules on mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) went into effect, Canadian livestock producers say the new law is hurting more...
BSE trade restrictions cost U.S. $11 billion: ITC report
The U.S. International Trade Commission released a report estimating that trade restrictions resulting from bovine spongiform encephalopathy cost the more...
Vietnam to raise import tariffs on meat and poultry
Vietnam will raise its import tariffs on most meat and poultry products starting next week, according to Vietnam News Agency. Starting next week, the more...
Sodium reduction symposium set for Nov. 6
The Food Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is hosting a symposium on sodium reduction and its effect on food safety, food quality more...
ICE agents execute massive search at House of Raeford plant
Federal agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday executed a criminal search warrant at House of Raeford's Greenville, S.C., plant involving more...
Kraft to cut 400 jobs
Kraft Foods will cut about 400 jobs in North America next month, a Kraft spokeswoman told Meatingplace.com. The layoffs, to occur in November, include more...
Top two Sadia executives step down after large currency losses
Brazil's main meat exporter, Sadia S.A., accepted the resignations of its chairman and vice chairman during a special board meeting Monday, according more...
Hillshire Farm launches new lunchmeat varieties
Sara Lee brand Hillshire Farm announced it has launched several new varieties of lunchmeat. The new offerings include Hickory Smoked Chicken Breast and more...
USDA to offer incentives for opening land to CRP
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced that USDA would fully implement President Bush's directive to offer incentives to farmers and ranchers for more...
Jennie-O turkey truck rolls over in Minnesota
A Jennie-O Foods semi truck driving from Hawick to Melrose, Minn., late last week drove off the roadway, killing and injuring the nearly 2,600 turkeys more...
Meijer starts selling bulk groceries online
In a new twist for a non-warehouse club retailer, Meijer has begun selling grocery and dry good items in bulk via its Web site, Meijer.com, the Grand more...
USPOULTRY announces Animal Agriculture Environmental Sustainability Summit
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, along with a coalition of stakeholders, announced that it will sponsor an Animal Agriculture Environmental Sustainability more...
Cattle feeding changes to reduce costs have beef quality consequences
High feed costs in recent months have made it attractive to "grow" cattle to heavier weights and grain feed them fewer days, but there are many implications more...
Cost of a bag of groceries way up from last year
The total cost of 16 basic grocery items in the third quarter of 2008 was $48.68, up about 4 percent from the second quarter and 10.5 percent above the more...
Omelettes track presidential preferences at Washington-area restaurant chain
There is no shortage of differences between presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, and a Washington-area restaurant chain has found a unique more...
LIVE FROM NCC: New officers, board members elected to Chicken Council
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Newly elected officers and members of the National Chicken Council's executive committee and board of directors were announced yesterday more...
S&P raises Tyson debt rating
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said Wednesday it raised its ratings on Tyson Foods' Inc.'s senior secured revolving credit facility and Tyson Fresh more...
Maple Leaf listeriosis outbreak claims 20th victim
The number of deaths due to an outbreak of listeriosis linked to a Maple Leaf Foods deli meat plant in Toronto continues to rise. On Wednesday, the Public more...
FSIS targets kids with ‘food safety camp’
Attending summer camp has long been a tradition for many kids, but USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service put a new spin on that time-honored practice more...
Coleman launches chicken meatball line
Coleman Natural Foods has released a line of sausage-inspired chicken meatballs in three different flavors, the Golden, Colo.-based company announced more...
Tyson Food Service launches value chicken collection
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Food Service announced that it has launched a new Value Chicken Collection line to help restaurant operators reach out to more...
FDA awards $5.2 million to promote food and feed safety
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it has awarded 17 one-year grants worth a combined $5.2 million to various state and local regulatory more...
Calories count: Yum! Brands to post calorie info on all menu boards
Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver's and A&W All-American Foods, all fast-food subsidiaries of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! more...
Vienna Beef looks for a “W” with playoff line-up
Chicago-based Vienna Beef is unveiling a series of hot dog sandwiches named after the pitching rotation for the National League Central Division Champion more...
September 2008
Pierre Foods files reorganization plan in bankruptcy court
Pierre Foods on Tuesday announced it has filed a consensual joint plan of reorganization and disclosure statement with the United States Bankruptcy Court more...
Tyson names new independent board member
Tyson Foods Inc. has added a senior executive with 3M Co. as a new independent member of the Springdale, Ark.-based protein processor's board of directors more...
AMI says COOL changes boost implementation costs
Exasperated over USDA's latest change in rules to implement mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL), the American Meat Institute issued a statement more...
Report shows larger corn, soybean stocks than expected
U.S. stocks of old crop corn and soybeans on Sept. 1 were larger than the market expected, while wheat stocks were below expectations, which could indicate more...
Pilgrim’s Pride receives 30-day covenant waiver from creditors
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced that it has reached a definitive written agreement with its lenders to waive its fixed-charge coverage ratio covenant more...
USDA updates COOL rules interpretation
USDA on Friday updated its online Q&A on mandatory country of origin labeling that goes into effect on Tuesday to say meat processors cannot label U.S more...
Senate snubs bill including non-ambulatory cattle language
The U.S. Senate on Friday rejected a motion to proceed to debate the Economic Stimulus package, which included language that would ban non-ambulatory more...
U.S. hog supply should start to tighten into 2009
USDA's quarterly Hogs and Pigs report indicated U.S. hog producers continue to reduce their breeding herds — which could mean moderation in hog more...
UFCW files grievances for fired JBS-Swift workers
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union have filed 81 grievances on behalf of workers fired recently for walking off the job at JBS-Swift & Co.'s more...
Farewell for now – USDA’s Richard Raymond reflects on his tenure
Dr. Richard Raymond retires Sept. 30 after three years at the helm of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. His tenure held no shortage of thorny more...
Animal raising claims, FSIS sampling to be discussed at USDA public meetings
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and Agricultural Marketing Service will host a public meeting in Washington Oct. 14 to review policies on the more...
Taco Bueno launches flame-grilled meat items
Dallas-based Mexican quick-service chain Taco Bueno announced that it is adding new flame-grilled meat items to its menu. New items include Fajita Tacos more...
Art imitates meat: Calif. show highlights unique subject
Considering the gallery is housed in a former butcher shop, the fact that its current exhibit showcases meat is only fitting. Through Nov. 29, Sam the more...
Pilgrim’s Pride predicts significant 4Q loss as stock plunges
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced that based on preliminary results, it expects to report "a significant loss" in its fiscal fourth quarter as the company's more...
White House names acting head of FSIS as Raymond departs
President Bush announced he intends to designate Elizabeth Johnson as Acting Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety, following Richard Raymond more...
ConAgra ammonia leak injures one worker
An ammonia leak at a ConAgra Foods frozen foods plant in Russellville, Ark., on Wednesday resulted in a brief evacuation and injured one worker. The leak more...
7-Eleven to expand in-store hot-food program
Dallas-based convenience-store chain 7-Eleven plans to increase the number of locations offering an in-store hot-food program, Supermarket News reported more...
Storm brewing over COOL implementation
Days before the Sept. 30 start of mandatory country-of-origin labeling, concern is growing that U.S. meat processors will use broader, mixed-origin labels more...
S. Korea adds 18 U.S. beef plants to export-eligible list
South Korea has approved imports of beef from an additional 18 U.S. slaughterhouses following a recent visit by inspectors to verify quality and sanitation more...
Smithfield workers tentatively approve contract
Unionized employees of a Smithfield Foods plant in Denison, Iowa, have tentatively approved a new contract with the company, according to Reuters. Contract more...
USDA to host COOL informational sessions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service will host three informational sessions about country-of-origin labeling that will more...
Hormel executives in protein, grocery divisions retire
Gary Ray, president of Hormel Foods protein business units, and Russell Potter, vice president of operations for the company's grocery products division more...
Washington Beef to install ammonia alarm system in EPA settlement
Washington Beef will spend at least $115,942 to settle alleged risk management program violations under the federal Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection more...
Health Canada approves use of preservatives in RTE meats
Health Canada said it will recommend that Canadian food and drug laws be amended to allow the use of sodium diacetate and sodium acetate as preservatives more...
Texas Chicken enters India
Atlanta-based chain Church's Chicken announced that its international brand, Texas Chicken, will be opening its first location at Hyderabad in India. more...
JBS-Swift fires Muslim workers in Neb.
JBS-Swift & Co. said it has fired 86 Muslim workers amid recent protests for religious accommodations at the company's Grand Island, Neb., beef plant more...
Nebraska Turkey Growers to shut down plant
The Nebraska Turkey Growers Cooperation will shut down its turkey processing plant due to high input costs such as feed and fuel, according to the Kearney more...
Cattle placed on feed in August below market expectations
Cattle placed in feedlots during August totaled 2.06 million, down 3 percent from a year ago, below market expectations that placements would actually more...
Banquet launches frozen meals priced around $1.50
ConAgra Foods brand Banquet has introduced a line of frozen meals priced around $1.50 that promise to offer families on a budget great value without sacrificing more...
JBS-Swift recants compromise for Muslim workers at Neb. plant
JBS-Swift & Co. on Thursday reversed a decision to move up second-shift supper break at its Grand Island, Neb., beef plant in order to allow Muslim workers more...
Minn. packer seeks to poach Agri workers
Although meat processors rarely, if ever, try to lure talent from one another's payroll, Rosen's Diversified Inc. (dba Long Prairie Packing) in Long Prairie more...
Catelli Brothers introduces meatball and meatloaf mix
Catelli Brothers has added a meatball and meatloaf mix to its Catelli Italian Bistro line, the Collingswood, N.J.-based veal and lamb processor announced more...
ESPN personality to promote Armour-Eckrich products
Kirk Herbstreit, college football analyst for ABC/ESPN, has signed on to promote the family of Armour-Eckrich products, the Lisle, Ill.-based processed more...
Tyson buys three poultry companies in Brazil
Tyson Foods Inc. announced that it has expanded its international business prospects by buying three poultry companies in southern Brazil. The Springdale more...
More workers walk out at JBS-Swift plant
Nearly 400 workers walked off the job Wednesday at JBS-Swift & Co.'s Grand Island, Neb., beef plant in protest of the company's compromise to allow their more...
ConAgra sees 1Q earnings drop; plans big push for meals
ConAgra wrapped up a tough first quarter Thursday, reporting an 18 percent drop in income from continuing operations, to $107.4 million for fiscal quarter more...
FDA issues draft guidance on genetically engineered animals
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday released for public comment draft guidance on the regulation of genetically engineered (GE) animals more...
Pilgrim’s Pride to lay off 116 workers at Pennsylvania plant
Pilgrim's Pride is laying off 116 workers at its further processing plant in Franconia, Penn., the Pittsburg, Texas-based company announced. "This is more...
Rupp to leave Cargill Meat Solutions
Bill Rupp, the business unit leader of Cargill Beef and president of Cargill Meat Solutions, will leave the company as of Feb. 1, 2009 to "pursue philanthropic more...
China lifts poultry ban from six U.S. states
China agreed on Tuesday to lift a ban on poultry exports from six U.S. states, the Associated Press reported. The agreement was made at the end of the more...
Hormel, NPPC condemn animal abuse on video
Hormel Foods has ended producer contracts in the past over animal welfare issues and is working with the supplier that recently purchased the farm where more...
LIVE FROM E. COLI SUMMIT: processors urged to question new FSA format
CHICAGO – Meat processors should familiarize themselves with the Food Safety and Inspection Service's new methodology of conducting food safety assessments more...
More religious unrest for JBS-Swift
Some 500 Muslim workers walked off the job Monday at JBS Swift & Co.'s Grand Island, Neb., beef plant after they say supervisors prevented them from praying more...
Japanese police to make arrests on false meat labeling
Japanese police have obtained arrest warrants for three executives of a meat wholesale company accused of mislabeling U.S. pork as domestic meat in order more...
New Mexico’s bovine TB status downgraded
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has downgraded New Mexico's bovine tuberculosis status from "accredited-free" more...
Live from the Value Cuts Summit: Processors share real-world applications
CHICAGO — After a morning learning about the textbook truths behind beef, pork and veal value cuts, a panel of processors shared their insights more...
Tyson renegotiates debt; Fitch raises debt rating
Tyson Foods renegotiated a $1 billion five-year revolving credit agreement, providing additional guarantees and pledging some assets to secure its performance more...
Hatfield Quality Meats introduces new pork products for fall
In honor of October being National Pork Month, Hatfield Quality Meats has introduced four pork products, the Hatfield, Pa.-based processor announced. more...
U.S. to press China on beef
The U.S. will urge China to halt its ban on U.S. beef imports when top officials from both nations meet this week via the U.S.-China Joint Commission more...
USPOULTRY releases storm water pollution prevention video
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association announced that it has released a new training video designed to keep poultry environmental managers up to date on the more...
USDA cuts corn, soybean forecasts
USDA said it cut its forecasts for the 2008 U.S. corn and soybean crops to slightly below market expectations but its projections would still result in more...
USDA raises beef export forecast
USDA raised its beef export forecasts for both 2008 and 2009 based on strengthening exports to Asia. In its monthly World Supply and Demand Report, USDA more...
FSIS revises standards for Accredited Laboratory Program
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced revised and consolidated standards and procedures for the accreditation of non-federal analytical more...
Lipstick on a pig
In the wake of this week's presidential campaign sparring over the use of the phrase, "You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig," pork producers more...
JBS-Swift fires Muslim walk-offs
JBS-Swift & Co. has fired Muslim workers for violating a collective bargaining agreement by walking off the job late last week at the Greeley, Colo., more...
ICE arrests two Agriprocessors HR employees
Two employees of Agriprocessors Inc.'s human resources department have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents, the agency more...
CME COOL seminar set for Sept. 24
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange said it is offering a seminar on mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 2:00 to 3:00 more...
Stater Bros. opens new refrigerated distribution center
Southern California supermarket chain Stater Bros. has opened a new 2.1 million-square-foot refrigerated distribution center in San Bernardino, Calif more...
ICE program expands; Smithfield joins
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency announced it has expanded its ICE Mutual Agreement Between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program to more...
Settlement allows prayer time for workers in Gold’n Plump plants
St. Cloud, Minn.-based poultry processor Gold'n Plump has agreed in a settlement to allow Somali workers short prayer breaks in accordance with their more...
Tyson to raise $705 million from stock, debt offerings
Tyson Foods Inc. said it has priced its 20-million-share common stock offering at $12.75 per share, which, when combined with the proceeds of its $450 more...
FSIS rule on net weight compliance excludes ‘wet tare’ method
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a final rule, "Determining Net Weight Compliance for Meat and Poultry Products," that excludes the more...
JBS-Swift plant embroiled in conflict over Muslim holiday
JBS-Swift & Co. officials were expected to respond Tuesday to grievances supplied by Muslim workers after the company reportedly reneged on a change to more...
FSIS notice covers food defense verification in warehouses
USDA's Food and Safety Inspection Service has issued Notice 58-08, which provides instructions that inspection personnel are to follow when conducting more...
KFC launches boneless chicken strips with original recipe
Louisville, Ky.-based Kentucky Fried Chicken announced that its newest menu item — Original Recipe Boneless Chicken Strips — will be the first-ever more...
Where the buffalo roam: Bison promotion targets Salt Lake City
The National Bison Association is stampeding through Salt Lake City during September and October with a campaign aimed at introducing consumers to bison more...
Maple Leaf identifies likely source of listeria contamination
Maple Leaf Foods said investigations into the listeria monocytogenes contamination that led to a massive deli meat recall was most likely sourced to bacteria more...
Seoul sending inspectors to U.S. beef plants
South Korea will send inspectors to U.S. slaughterhouses to ensure those facilities are following proper export protocol, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture more...
Mexican meat exports to U.S. to resume this week: report
The Mexican government has told a Mexican meat producers association that it could resume issuance of export permits this week, Meat Council President more...
JBS-Swift workers protest company's accommodation to Muslims: report
JBS-Swift & Co.'s decision last week to accommodate Muslim workers wishing to celebrate Ramadan has led to protests by other workers at the Greeley, Colo more...
New research could lead to BSE testing on live animals
The key to determining whether an animal has bovine spongiform encephalopathy could be in an unexpected place — its urine — according to scientists more...
PETA catches cruelty at Agriprocessors — again
In an undercover video posted on its Web site, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it shows animals being slaughtered in an inhumane way more...
Mexico suspends exports of meat, poultry to U.S.
Mexico voluntarily has suspended exports of meat and processed poultry product to the United States while the government implements corrective actions more...
Seaboard plant on hold for possible delisting by Mexico
Mexican officials recently contacted Seaboard Foods to inform the company it is considering delisting its Guymon, Okla. pork processing plant due to what more...
Standard and Poor’s cuts Tyson debt rating
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said on Friday it lowered the corporate credit ratings on Tyson Foods Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Tyson Fresh more...
Tyson could use stock, debt offer proceeds for acquisitions
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods announced it intends to offer 20 million shares of common stock for sale, as well as $450 million in convertible senior more...
Livestock producers unite on COOL procedure
A coalition of livestock industry organizations has developed a unified approach to complying with mandatory country-of-origin labeling law, which takes more...
High protein intake at breakfast may help dieters: study
Eating high-quality, protein-rich foods such as eggs or lean Canadian bacon for breakfast promote a greater sense of sustained fullness throughout the more...
New Cheesecake Factory offerings include Weight Management items
Calabasas Hills, Calif.-based casual-dining chain the Cheesecake Factory announced it has added 12 menu items ranging in price from $7.50 to $20.95. The more...
Triumph Foods expanding on success of pork exports
With a 43 percent increase in exports of fresh pork to countries such as China, Russia and Japan during the first half of 2008, Triumph Foods is planning more...
FSIS issues notice about salmonella control FSAs
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued FSIS Notice 56-08, which addresses Food Safety Assessments conducted to analyze an establishment's more...
Campbell Soup cleans up labels in new low-sodium line
Campbell Soup Company announced that it is launching a new line of Select Harvest soups that will feature natural ingredients and cans with easy-to-read more...
China opens door, welcomes German pork
China has lifted a ban on imports of German pork following two years of negotiations. The German Agriculture Ministry said it signed a veterinary agreement more...
Russia ban not to significantly affect poultry exports: Tyson
Last Thursday's announcement that Russia will de-list 19 U.S. poultry plants, including three from Tyson Foods, will not have an immediate effect on the more...
Animal clone offspring entering the U.S. food supply: WSJ
Meat from the offspring of cloned livestock is entering the U.S. food supply, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. While a miniscule portion of more...
Twelve deaths confirmed from Maple Leaf listeria outbreak, China halts imports
The listeriosis outbreak that prompted Maple Leaf Foods to close its Bartor Road plant in Toronto and recall more than 200 ready-to-eat meat products more...
Papa John’s expands specialty pizza menu
Louisville, Ky.-based pizza chain Papa John's announced it has expanded its specialty pizza menu to 14 offerings with the addition of six new pizzas. more...
House of Raeford workers arraigned on ID theft charges
Three former House of Raeford employees were arraigned Thursday on charges that they used fake identification to obtain employment at the processor's more...
Committee on microbiological criteria for foods to hold public meetings
The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) announced it will hold public meetings of the full committee and subcommittees more...
Wendy’s rolls out value sandwich nationwide
Dublin, Ohio-based fast food chain Wendy's announced that it is putting a new 99-cent cheeseburger item on its menu. The Double Stack cheeseburger, featuring more...
Maggiano’s Little Italy spices up fall menu with meat items
Dallas-based dining chain Maggiano's Little Italy announced that it is putting new meat-heavy items on its menu for fall. The new Italian Harvest menu more...
August 2008
Russia names banned U.S. chicken plants, warns 22 Tyson plants
Russian will begin its ban of imports from 19 U.S. poultry plants on Sept. 1, Russia's animal and plant health regulatory agency Rosselkhoznadzor announced more...
Nearly 50 products added to Canadian meat recall
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency added nearly 50 ready-to-eat products to a list of recalled items because they may contain meat from a Maple Leaf more...
Sara Lee adds 11th director to board
Sara Lee Corp. announced Thursday it has appointed Jeffrey W. Ubben a director of the corporation, bringing the number of directors of the Downers Grove more...
Tyson workers struck by car
Three workers at a Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Sherman, Texas, were hospitalized Thursday after being struck by a car in the facility's parking lot. Local more...
Maple Leaf plant involved in recall remains closed
Maple Leaf Foods' Bartor Road processing facility in Toronto — which recalled more than 200 brands of ready-to-eat deli meats and sandwiches because more...
Second Agriprocessors supervisor takes plea deal
Martin de la Rosa-Loera is the second Agriprocessors Inc. supervisor in a week to plead guilty for his role in hiring what he knew were undocumented immigrants more...
ImmigrationWorks slates Sept. meeting in Atlanta
ImmigrationWorks USA is hosting a day-long regional gathering in Atlanta to discuss options for advancing immigration reform at the federal level. The more...
Updated BSE Web site offers new content, design
The Beef Checkoff announced it has relaunched BSEinfo.org, a Web site that bills itself as one of the most trusted sources of information about bovine more...
Smithfield planning more cutbacks at Butterball
Smithfield Foods Inc. is planning additional production cuts at its Butterball LLC joint venture, even after this week's announcement that the company more...
USDA proposes complete ban on slaughter of downer cattle
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Wednesday a proposed rule to amend federal meat inspection law to include a complete ban on the slaughter more...
Japanese meat companies expand feedlots
In a move that theoretically could signal some challenges for U.S. meat exporters, several Japanese meat processors are expanding domestic feedlot operations more...
Burger King pushes value with new snack wraps
Miami-based Burger King announced that it has put two new hand-held wraps on its value menu. The new Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper features eggs, bacon, hash more...
Smithfield loses money on high grain costs in first quarter
As expected, Smithfield Foods Inc. said it lost money in its first fiscal quarter, partly due to higher feed grain costs. Smithfield reported a net loss more...
Sanderson Farms swings to net loss in 3Q, despite higher sales
Sanderson Farms Inc. on Tuesday reported a net loss in its third quarter due to difficult market conditions and higher feed costs. The Laurel, Miss.-based more...
BJ’s Restaurants unveils lunch menu with new value items
Huntington Beach, Calif.-based casual-dining chain BJ's Restaurants announced the introduction of a new lunch menu with 10 items starting at $5.95. New more...
National Turkey Federation names 2008 ‘Turkey Trendsetter’
The National Turkey Federation announced that Michael Wagner, chef and owner of Lola's on Harrison in Hollywood, Fla., has been named as the recipient more...
Cattle on Feed report shows cattle being grazed longer
USDA's monthly Cattle on Feed report released Friday showed the number of cattle placed on feed during July, while up 2.4 percent from last year, was more...
FSIS to hold public meeting regarding beef irradiation petition
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced it has scheduled a public meeting about what action it should take regarding a petition from the American more...
Cold Storage report shows stable meat supply
USDA released its monthly Cold Storage report on Friday, which showed the fifth straight month of stable total meat and poultry stocks. At about 2.3 billion more...
Burger King to test smaller Whopper Jr.
Miami-based Burger King will test a smaller version of its iconic Whopper Jr. sandwich as an effort to fight back against the high ingredient costs that more...
Live from NMA: An interview with Barry Carpenter
TELLURIDE, Colo. — The National Meat Association couldn't have selected a more beautiful or relaxing setting for its summer conference, but NMA CEO more...
Live from NMA: USDA to ease into COOL enforcement
TELLURIDE, Colo. — USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service will spend the first six months following official implementation of mandatory country-of-origin more...
Stuffed pepperoni pizza sandwiches recalled
Nestlé Prepared Foods Co. in Mt. Sterling, Ky., is recalling approximately 215,660 pounds of frozen stuffed pepperoni pizza sandwich products that may more...
Tyson worker killed in grain silo
A worker was found dead inside of a grain silo at the Tyson Feed Mill in Webster County, Ky., Associated Press reported. 59-year-old Paul Brewer was found more...
Claire Danes may play Temple Grandin in HBO film
Actress Claire Danes is in negotiations to star in an HBO biographical film on Temple Grandin, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Production is slated more...
Hormel 3Q earnings fall on higher feed and fuel costs
Hormel Foods Corp. on Thursday reported a 9 percent drop in earnings for the fiscal third quarter, ended July 27, citing higher feed and fuel costs, particularly more...
Listeria outbreak in Canada leads to one death, 16 illnesses
The Public Health Agency of Canada announced one person has died in Ontario as a result of Listeria monocytogenes with the same genetic fingerprint that more...
RMH lands Wal-Mart deal for Italian entrée line
RMH Foods in Morton, Ill. has secured a contract with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to distribute its six-item line of refrigerated Italian entrees called Milano more...
Speakers named for meat industry E. coli conference
A Sept. 16-17 meat industry conference focused on reducing beef contamination and recalls related to E. coli O157:H7 will address the recent spate of more...
House of Raeford employees plead guilty to ID theft
Seven former employees of the House of Raeford poultry plant in Greenville, S.C. pleaded guilty to identity theft Tuesday, the Associated Press reported more...
Big China hog player names U.S. hog industry executive as COO
AgFeed Industries Inc., the largest commercial hog producer and animal feed company in China, announced it has named Gerry Daignault as its chief operating more...
U.S. and Canadian cattle inventory down 1 percent
All cattle and calves in the United States and Canada combined totaled 119.5 million head on July 1, 2008, down 1 percent from a year ago, according to more...
Boston Market puts rotisserie chicken on value menu
Golden, Colo.-based fast casual chain Boston Market said it launched a new $5 value menu that will feature 11 of its chicken meals. The new menu will more...
Cargill reports record earnings in year of volatile grain markets
Minneapolis-based Cargill said its earnings rose 55 percent this fiscal year compared to a year ago, aided by strong grain and fertilizer prices. The more...
New ConAgra frozen meal trays use recycled plastic
ConAgra Foods announced it is the first company in North America to use post-consumer recycled plastic — packaging such as plastic bottles that more...
Koch Foods cuts 35 jobs due to rising water costs
Koch Foods has reduced production and eliminated 35 positions from its poultry processing plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., due to rising water prices and more...
AMI to offer seminar for family business leaders
The American Meat Institute announced it is teaming up with Loyola University Chicago to offer an education seminar customized for meat industry family more...
Japan inspects U.S. beef plants
Japanese inspectors began visits to U.S. beef processing plants Sunday after USDA concluded that human and computer errors were to blame for recent shipments more...
Canada confirms 15th case of BSE
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy has been found in a six-year-old beef cow in Alberta, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced Friday. CFIA more...
FSIS posts results of reassessment of E. coli controls in beef plants
FSIS has published a report titled "Results of Checklist and Reassessment of Control for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Beef Operations," a study that stemmed more...
USDA seeks comment on guidelines for trim testing for E. coli
USDA on Friday issued draft guidelines on the design of sampling and testing programs for E. coli o157:H7 for establishments that make or use boneless more...
S. Korean broadcasters says sorry for exaggerating threat of U.S. beef
Seoul-based Munhwa Broadcasting Company has issued a public apology over its erroneous report on the danger of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which more...
Beef found in pork shipment gets Swedish companies in trouble with Japan
Japan's Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry announced it has provisionally barred exports from two Swedish companies after beef was discovered more...
State fair features ride powered by cows
The California State Fair announced it will feature the first known amusement ride powered entirely by cow manure. Pacific Gas and Electric Company and more...
Neb. Beef expands recall of primals, subprimals and boxed beef
Omaha, Neb.-based Nebraska Beef Ltd. has expanded an earlier recall of primal cuts, subprimal cuts and boxed beef to a total of some 1.36 million pounds more...
Smithfield worker hospitalized after plant accident
A Smithfield Foods employee was critically injured Tuesday afternoon when her shirt caught on a piece of machinery at the company's Clinton, N.C., plant more...
Research explores real-time detection of nervous tissue on beef
Scientists with USDA and Iowa State University have conducted research on a fluorescence-based method of detecting central nervous system tissues on beef more...
Farmer Boys Restaurants introduces new chicken wraps
Farmer Boys Restaurants is adding four new chicken salad wraps to its menu, the Riverside, Calif.-based fast casual chain announced. The new wraps include more...
S. Korean inspectors to check U.S. slaughterhouses
South Korea will send a team of inspectors to the United States later this month to ensure that export-eligible slaughterhouses are meeting the requirements more...
Sausage sales drive Bob Evans earnings rise
Columbus, Ohio-based Bob Evans Farms Inc. reported strong sales and earnings led by continued sales gains in sausage products. In its first fiscal quarter more...
FSIS updates Calif. beef recall
USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service late Tuesday updated information about a recall earlier this week of product from Renna's Meat Market in Fresno more...
Ag economists forecast steady cattle prices through 2009
The 2008 survey of American Agricultural Economics Association members showed they expect fairly steady cattle inventories and prices through 2009, according more...
USDA forecasts second-largest corn crop in history
USDA forecast the 2008 U.S. corn crop at 12.3 billion bushels, the second-largest corn crop in history and well above the average trade estimate of about more...
Tyson cuts 200 jobs from flood-damaged plant
Tyson Foods Inc. has resumed production at its prepared foods plant in Jefferson, Wis., that was damaged by flooding in early June, but will cut 200 of more...
E. coli concerns prompt ground beef recall for Calif. company
Renna's Meat Market in Fresno, Calif., is recalling approximately 780 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the more...
FSIS issues new performance-based inspection system instructions
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued FSIS Notice 50-08, New Performance-Based Inspection System (PBIS) Procedure Code and Result Codes. The more...
Pilgrim’s Pride to cut 600 jobs at two plants
Pilgrim's Pride announced that it will eliminate some 600 positions as it idles a chicken processing plant in Clinton, Ark., and a further-processing more...
Listeria concerns prompt pork product recall in Hawaii
Palama Holdings is recalling about 4,535 pounds of fully cooked pork products from consumers and foodservice establishments in Hawaii, because they may more...
U.S. beef ribs on sale in Korea as lawyers’ group voices concerns
After being banned for almost five years due to BSE concerns, U.S. beef ribs hit store shelves in South Korea on Monday, Yonhap reported. The bone-in more...
Analysts predict tomorrow’s USDA corn crop estimate
Analysts are expecting USDA to estimate the 2008 U.S. corn crop at just less than 12 billion bushels, according to media reports. Dow Jones surveyed 22 more...
Union reinstates Labor Day holiday at Tyson’s Shelbyville plant
Tyson Foods announced Friday it has reached a new agreement with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union reinstating Labor Day as a designated more...
Cargill beef plant banned by Japan
Japan has banned imports of beef from Cargill Meat Solutions' Dodge City, Kan., plant following the discovery of banned ground beef in a recent shipment more...
Hormel lowers 3Q, full-year profit outlook
Citing higher-than-expected feed and fuel costs for its Jennie-O Turkey Store segment, Hormel Foods Corp. announced Friday that it expects third-quarter more...
AMI blasts group’s effort to take processed meats out of schools
American Meat Institute Executive Vice President James Hodges used the occasion of a USDA listening session on possible reforms to the Child Nutrition more...
Calif. firm recalls ground beef on E. coli fears, 11 sickened
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Thursday it has received 11 reports of illnesses associated with consumption of ground beef product now more...
Seaboard to open ham plant in Mexico
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Corp. said its Seaboard Foods unit is expected to complete construction of a ham-boning and processing plant in Reynosa more...
EPA denies Texas governor request to waive ethanol mandate (updated)
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson announced he has denied Texas Gov. Rick Perry's request that the agency reduce the requirement more...
Tyson recalls raw chicken breast tenderloin products
Tyson Foods is recalling approximately 51,360 pounds of raw frozen chicken breast tenderloin products that may contain undeclared allergen soy, USDA's more...
Sara Lee posts loss for 4Q, FY2008
Faced with challenges including high wheat costs, the sluggish overall economy and various acquisition-related write-downs, Sara Lee Corp. on Thursday more...
State alleges dozens of child labor violations at Agriprocessors
The Iowa Labor Commissioner's Office has uncovered evidence of 57 individual child labor violations at the Postville facility of Agriprocessors Inc. Each more...
Possible Listeria contamination prompts recall of chicken products
Wilmington, Mass.-based DBC Inc., doing business as World Class Canapes Inc., is recalling approximately 285 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products that more...
Cagle’s reports loss in first quarter earnings
Cagle's Inc. on Tuesday said its profits sunk on high grain costs. The Atlanta-based poultry processor posted a net earnings loss of $3 million, or 64 more...
Poultry Federation announces fall conferences
The Poultry Federation, a three-state trade organization representing the poultry and egg industries in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, has announced more...
Cross-border trucking with Mexico extended for two years
The Department of Transportation Monday announced it will extend for two years its pilot program that allows Mexican truckers full access to U.S. highways more...
Meat, poultry processor stocks soar on falling grain prices
Shares of major publically-traded meat and poultry processors soared on Tuesday as tumbling grain and soybean prices led traders to react positively to more...
North Dakota Branded Beef to close small processing plant
Bismarck, N.D.-based North Dakota Branded Beef Inc. will close its processing plant in Harvey, N.D. for financial reasons and because it now has alternatives more...
Olive Garden’s new dishes inspired by trip to Italy
Casual-dining chain Olive Garden announced it has introduced new dishes that incorporate chicken, inspired by its chefs' annual visit to Italy. Olive more...
Petit Jean Poultry to close Mo. plant
Petit Jean Poultry will close its plant in Buffalo, Mo., by Oct. 4, eliminating about 465 jobs, according to published reports. The facility provided more...
Jennie-O Turkey Store launches redesigned Web site
Jennie-O Turkey Store has launched a redesigned Web site at jennieo.com, the Willmar, Minn.-based Hormel Foods subsidiary announced. "The site was redesigned more...
Lower CRP rent in drought-stricken counties
Producers in drought-stricken counties may see their rental payments for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land cut by 10 percent instead of 25 percent more...
North Carolina State to host second water conservation workshop
North Carolina State University in Raleigh will host the next in an ongoing series of water conservation workshops for meat and poultry processors Aug more...
USDA, DOE award grants for cellulosic biofuels research
Agriculture Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Gale Buchanan and Energy Department Under Secretary for Science Raymond Orbach earlier more...
Court orders South Korean network to correct misleading statements on U.S. beef
A Seoul civil court on Thursday ordered that major South Korean broadcast network Munhwa Broadcasting Company issue a correction in regards to an inflammatory more...
USDA renews funding for swine disease
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has renewed funding for the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Coordinated Agricultural Project (PRRS CAP) more...
Police chief arrested for pilfering pigs
The common correlation between police and pigs was never more fitting than in rural Iowa this week. Sutherland police chief David Johannsen, 44, was arrested more...
July 2008
Excel ordered to pay Sizzler in E. coli death case
A Milwaukee County jury decided that Excel Corp. should pay Sizzler USA more than $7 million to compensate for lost revenue resulting from the death of more...
Premium Protein Products names new CEO
Lincoln, Neb.-based Premium Protein Products said Thursday the company has promoted Kevin Miller, most recently its chief financial officer, to CEO. Steve more...
AMI updates COOL Web site to reflect farm bill changes
The American Meat Institute announced it has unveiled an updated country-of-origin labeling Web site that reflects changes included in the recently passed more...
Doha trade talks die
U.S. trade officials said negotiations seven years in the making under the World Trade Organization Doha Development Round have collapsed, citing India's more...
USDA will not release CRP acres for crop production
USDA announced Tuesday it will not allow the early release of acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) without penalty to land owners more...
Maple Leaf hog plant to become beef operation
Natural Prairie Beef Inc. said Tuesday it has acquired a Winnipeg, Manitoba, hog processing plant from Maple Leaf Foods and begun to redevelop the facility more...
Analysts encouraged by Pilgrim’s Pride cutbacks
Although Pilgrim's Pride reported a large loss in the third quarter of fiscal year 2008, analysts are encouraged by the Pittsburg, Texas-based chicken more...
Climbing grain costs sideline Pilgrim's Pride 3Q earnings
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. posted a significant net loss in its third quarter earnings, citing the same rising feed costs that are negatively affecting the more...
Russia to cut tariff quotas on U.S. poultry imports
Market lobbies from Russia and the United States have agreed to cut tariff quotas on U.S. poultry imports next year, Reuters reported. The proposed agreement more...
Bennigan’s, Steak and Ale file bankruptcy, close restaurants
Popular national restaurant chains Bennigan's and Steak and Ale have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and closed many of their restaurants, according more...
USDA details COOL rules, costs
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a five-page document summarizing the technical requirements and cost estimates of its interim final rules more...
Grain drain: Tyson Q3 earnings sink on feed costs
Profitable performances in its red meats segments were overshadowed by sharp losses related to feed costs in its chicken business as Tyson Foods Inc. more...
Oscar Mayer sales help fuels Kraft earnings increase
Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods Inc. reported double-digit revenue and operating income increases in its second quarter ended June 30 as pricing increases more...
USDA cattle report surprises analysts with beef cow replacements
Two USDA cattle reports on Friday showed there are fewer cattle on U.S. feedlots than a year ago, but more heifers than expected are being held for beef more...
Immigrants’ status, working conditions prompt rally at Agriprocessors
Hundreds of people including rabbis, Hispanic immigrants and activists rallied Sunday outside the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa more...
Hormel breaks ground at new production plant
Hormel Foods Corp. on Friday broke ground on a new microwave meals production facility in Dubuque, Iowa. Progressive Packaging LLC, which will be operated more...
Big ag weighs in on food vs. fuel debate
Leading agricultural leaders on Thursday announced they have partnered to form the Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy, giving them a unified voice more...
Lawmakers call for employer accountability for illegal workers
The idea of prosecuting employers for hiring undocumented workers, and not just the workers themselves, is getting vocal support in Washington these days more...
Mind over meat matter: study finds social status linked to taste
Diners who think they savor the taste of meat with their meal may actually favor its associations with social power. That is a theory put forth by three more...
LIVE FROM AAMP: Windfall for small processors in a down economy
CINCINNATI – While the largest meat processors struggle to bankroll escalating costs and weather Wall Street disdain in a down market, small and very more...
E. coli fears prompt recall of beef cheek product
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Wednesday that Fresno, Calif.-based Beef Packers Inc. is recalling some 1,560 pounds of beef cheek product more...
Judge limits grazing on CRP acreage, skewers USDA
A federal judge in Seattle Thursday morning entered a permanent injunction against the U.S. Department of Agriculture's program releasing acreage from more...
Tyson plant to reopen after boil order
Tyson Foods Inc.'s Green Forest, Ark., poultry processing plant was expected to open at noon Thursday following a precautionary boil order affecting seven more...
Chicken items help McDonald's hit unexpected 2Q profit
New chicken and breakfast items helped McDonald's reach strong second quarter profits, the Oak Brook, Ill.-based chain announced Wednesday. Still, the more...
LIVE FROM AAMP: Selling the family business
CINCINNATI — Many small meat processors are family businesses, but few make it past the second generation, often because important planning and more...
Marfrig snaps into ConAgra beef jerky
Brazilian meat processor Marfrig on Wednesday announced that it has acquired the Pemmican beef jerky brand and related production equipment from ConAgra more...
Calif. governor signs state downer cattle ban
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday signed legislation that bans the purchase, sale and processing of meat from non-ambulatory livestock more...
New research predicts steak tenderness
New research from scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln indicates that scanning fresh meat using hyperspectral imaging can predict its tenderness more...
Stew Leonard's launches 'Naked Pork'
East Coast retailer Stew Leonard's has added Naked Pork as the newest addition to its line of all-natural meats that contain no antibiotics, added hormones more...
Fire breaks out at Pilgrim’s Pride protein conversion plant
A fire that broke out at a Pilgrim's Pride protein conversion plant in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, late Monday night has resulted in the injury of a firefighter more...
Ammonia leak briefly evacuates beef plant
The release of anhydrous ammonia forced North Dakota Natural Beef to briefly evacuate its plant in Fargo, N.D., on Monday, according to local media reports more...
Corn, soymeal price declines slash hog feed costs
It's a weather market. The weather has been as cooperative in July for corn and soybean crop development as it was uncooperative for planting in May, more...
Pork Checkoff, industry partners offer scholarships
The Pork Checkoff and industry partners announced they will offer scholarships to sophomore, junior and senior level college students considering a graduate more...
ICE to open office in Greeley, Colo.
The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement bureau will open an office in Greeley, Colo., home to the headquarters of JBS-Swift & Co., sometime this more...
Neb. Beef E. coli outbreak confirmed in seven states
The number of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses associated with the Nebraska Beef Ltd. recall continues to grow, with a total of seven states now reporting cases more...
More than 100 poultry workers strike at Ohio plant
About 150 employees of a Case Farms poultry processing plant in Winesburg, Ohio, went on strike late last week and continue to withhold labor, according more...
LIVE FROM NCC: new promotion plans unveiled
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — The National Chicken Council on Monday announced plans to promote chicken consumption both year-round and during the more...
JBS Group establishes bank to boost cattle breeding
Sao Paulo — JBS S.A. on Thursday announced it has created a "bank of cattle breeding." With $18.7 million in starting capital, JBS Banco aims to more...
Almost half of Americans worried about getting sick from contaminated food: poll
Scared by a flurry of recent food safety problems with meat and produce, 46 percent of Americans said they were worried they might get sick from eating more...
A hearing, a plea, a contradiction: An Agriprocessors roundup
The May ICE raid on the Agriprocessors facility in Postville, Iowa has prompted a hearing Thursday, July 24, titled "Immigration Raids: Postville and more...
Ham, ice cream on U.K. pizza targeting pregnant women
Pregnant women are known to have crazy cravings, and now a London pizza restaurant is catering to them. ECO restaurant in Chiswick, West London, began more...
JBS-Swift hog plant temporarily shut down
USDA inspectors temporarily shut down the kill floor at JBS-Swift & Co.'s Worthington, Minn., hog plant late Tuesday after an alleged breach of humane more...
OECD blasts biofuels policies
Government support of biofuel production is costly, has a limited impact on reducing greenhouse gases and improving energy security, and has a significant more...
USMEF names new communications director
The U.S. Meat Export Federation has named Joe Schuele as its new director of communications. Schuele began work at USMEF's Denver headquarters last week more...
Carrabba’s Italian Grill highlights chicken in new summer entrée
Casual-dining chain Carrabba's Italian Grill has introduced an entrée featuring two chicken dishes that aim to highlight the lighter, seasonal flavors more...
Keystone Foods to expand Gadsden, Ala., plant
West Conshohocken, Pa.-based food processing company Keystone Foods will expand its operations in Gadsden, Ala., investing $118 million in a new facility more...
Three more states report E. coli cases linked to Nebraska Beef
New York, Kentucky and Indiana each have reported one lab-confirmed case of a bacterial E. coli O157:H7 infection matching the 41 previously reported more...
Cancer organization wants processed meats off school lunch menus
A Washington D.C.-based cancer-prevention organization has launched a TV commercial campaign that calls for processed meats to be removed from the National more...
National Turkey Federation updates its Web site
The National Turkey Federation announced that it has retooled its Web site, www.EatTurkey.com, to include new design features, recipe collections and more...
Pilgrim’s Pride to cut 600 jobs at El Dorado, Ark., plant
Pilgrim's Pride announced plans to eliminate 600 jobs from its tray-pack facility in El Dorado, Ark., as it consolidates that plant into six other case-ready more...
Creekstone ribs, bone-in beef to arrive in South Korea this week: report
For the first time since they were banned nearly five years ago, U.S. ribs and other bone-in beef cuts are slated to be imported in South Korea sometime more...
FTC approves COFCO stake in Smithfield
The Federal Trade Commission has cleared COFCO Ltd., to purchase a 5 percent stake in Smithfield Foods Inc., according to Dow Jones News. Smithfield announced more...
Industry organizations to host E. coli conference for further processors
Responding to an ongoing focus by both industry and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service to reduce the number of recalls and illnesses related to more...
Smithfield to expand farm network in Romania
A Smithfield Foods Inc. subsidiary is upping its investment in Romania, a country that the company's chairman Joseph Luter III likes to call the "Iowa more...
USDA raises pork production, export forecasts
USDA raised its pork production and export forecasts for 2008 and 2009 in its most recent World Agricultural Supply and Demand report released on Friday more...
USDA sees higher soybean meal prices
USDA raised its soybean meal price forecast for 2008/09 (September-August) by $60 per short ton to a range of $355 to $415 based on expected lower soybean more...
Land O’Frost promotes Van Eekeren, names new COO
Land O'Frost, the nation's third-largest maker of pre-packaged lunchmeats, announced last week that it had promoted David Van Eekeren, grandson of the more...
Walk-ups welcome at water conservation workshop
Meatingplace and POULTRY, in partnership with the University of Georgia, are hosting a water conservation/wastewater technology workshop July 16 at the more...
USDA to list recipients of recalled meat
USDA officials on Friday announced a new rule that will allow the federal government to publicize the names and locations of retailers that receive meat more...
Former Pilgrim’s Pride workers plead guilty to identity theft
Nineteen former Pilgrim's Pride employees face deportation after pleading guilty Thursday to misusing Social Security numbers to obtain work, according more...
Hearing set of July 17 on halted haying and grazing on CRP land
USDA and National Wildlife Federation lawyers will meet in court on July 17 for a hearing following a decision by a Seattle federal judge to temporarily more...
Alarming development: U.K. retailer tags chickens for security
Chicken thieves won't be able to fly the coop anymore at one Sainsbury's supermarket in East Sussex, England. With food theft on the rise worldwide, the more...
S. Korea beef market reopens
South Korea's beef market officially opened Thursday to exports of U.S. beef, USDA said. Processors eligible to export to South Korea were allowed to more...
House of Raeford manager arrested in connection to ICE probe
A director of human resources for House of Raeford was arrested in connection to an ongoing Immigration and Custom Enforcement investigation at the company's more...
Cargill Meat Solutions rebrands value-priced beef cuts
Cargill Meat Solutions has introduced a line of newly branded, value-priced beef cuts that aims to give consumers an affordable way to enjoy beef while more...
Workshop to focus on water conservation, wastewater technology
Meatingplace and POULTRY, in partnership with the University of Georgia, are hosting a water conservation/wastewater technology workshop July 16 at the more...
Cargill launches antibiotic-free pork brand
Cargill Meat Solutions announced the introduction of Good Nature pork, the Wichita, Kan.-based processor's new all-natural, antibiotic-free pork brand more...
NCBA looks to change governance structure
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association's leadership said it has appointed a task force to identify potential changes to NCBA's governance structure more...
Group drops boycott of Agriprocessors
An Orthodox Jewish group has dropped its call for fellow Jews to boycott products made by Postville, Iowa-based Agriprocessors Inc. New York-based Uri more...
Kayem Foods introduces natural Italian sausages
Chelsea, Mass.-based meat processor Kayem Foods announced that it is introducing two new all-natural pork Italian sausage items. The Kayem Fresh Pork more...
Nebraska Beef deflects blame in recall (UPDATE)
The attorney for Nebraska Beef Ltd. says he disagrees with the assertion by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service that the company responded slowly more...
USDA releases CRP land in flood regions for grazing
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced Monday that he is releasing Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for livestock grazing in counties recently more...
AMI, NAMP, AAMP, NMA to host summer webinars
The American Meat Institute, the North American Meat Processors Association, the American Association of Meat Processors and the National Meat Association more...
Chick-fil-A promotion: Be a cow, get free chicken
Atlanta-based chicken restaurant chain Chick-fil-A announced the launch of its Cow Appreciation Day promotion that will give free sandwiches to customers more...
DOJ looking at Five Rivers, other match-ups in JBS purchases
Department of Justice officials reviewing JBS S.A.'s proposed purchases of Smithfield Beef and National Beef Packing are looking with particular interest more...
OK Foods to reduce broiler egg sets
O.K. Foods plans to reduce its broiler egg sets by 7.5 percent, the Fort Smith, Ark.-based poultry producer announced. As the reason for the reduction more...
Bush asks Japan to lift restrictions on U.S. beef
President Bush on Sunday asked Japan to fully open its market to U.S. beef, Kyodo News reported, citing an anonymous Japanese official. Bush broached more...
Judge orders USDA to allow comment on Canadian beef imports
USDA must initiate new rulemaking and allow for public comment on its decision to resume imports of beef from Canadian cattle 30 months of age and older more...
Campbell to roll out all-natural chicken, beef stocks
Camden, N.J.-based Campbell Soup Company announced it will roll out new Swanson stock featuring a line of all-natural cooking stocks in both beef and more...
RFA: Removing Brazilian ethanol tariff will not reduce prices
Responding to calls by legislators and food groups for the Bush Administration to remove a tariff on Brazilian ethanol imports, the Renewable Fuels Association more...
International group unveils standard for cold workplaces
The International Organization for Standardization in Geneva, Switzerland has released a new standard intended to help manage risk in cold workplaces more...
$10 hogs this fall, analyst predicts
Predicting live hog prices not seen since the liquidation of 1998, Credit Suisse food stocks analyst Robert Moskow said prices could plummet to $10 per more...
Independence Day to spur strong hot dog, ground beef sales: Nielsen
Despite rising food costs, U.S. consumers are still expected to purchase plenty of hot dogs, ground beef, bratwurst and knockwurst thanks to the Independence more...
Meat as art: Boston-area gallery presents unique exhibit
An art gallery in Cambridge, Mass., has set out to show that meat can be more than just a meal, it can also be a masterpiece. The Pierre Menard Gallery more...
Kroger expands beef recall
The Kroger Co. said it has expanded its recall of beef products linked to E. coli O157:H7 in response to USDA identifying Omaha, Neb.-based Nebraska Beef more...
Foster Farms opts out of Colorado expansion plan
Livingston, Calif.-based Foster Farms announced that it will no longer pursue its plans to open a poultry processing facility in northeastern Colorado more...
Charges filed in N.C. hog abuse case
A former worker at a North Carolina sow farm that supplies hogs to Smithfield Foods Inc. has been charged following an investigation into allegations more...
New Web site ranks supermarkets, labels for humanely raised foods
The World Society for the Protection of Animals has released a survey ranking 23 U.S. grocery store chains by the availability of humanely labeled food more...
Smithfield sells 7 million shares to China's COFCO
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced late Monday that it is selling 4.95 percent of its stock, or 7 million shares, to COFCO Ltd., China's largest agricultural more...
Nebraska Beef recalls beef for E. coli in connection with Kroger recall
Nebraska Beef Ltd. in Omaha, Neb., is recalling approximately 531,707 pounds of ground beef components that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, more...
Ready-to-cook poultry weight in May up from last year
Ready-to-cook poultry weight that was certified wholesome during May 2008 totaled 3.74 billion pounds, up slightly from the certified amount that month more...
Dunkin' Donuts adds new chicken item
Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Donuts announced it has added a new Southwest Chicken Flatbread Sandwich to its oven-toasted menu introduced earlier this more...
June 2008
Tyson enters joint venture in India
Tyson Foods Inc. announced Monday it has acquired majority ownership of a leading poultry processor in India.The Springdale, Ark.-based protein giant more...
Groupe Smithfield, Campofrio boards approve merger plans
Groupe Smithfield's plans to merge with Spain's largest meat processor, Campofrio Alimentacion SA, has been approved by both companies' boards, according more...
More corn acres, stocks than expected: USDA
USDA's highly anticipated Acreage and Grain Stocks reports Monday showed more corn acres and larger corn stocks than expected, good news for the meat more...
Hog report could push prices down and sow slaughter up
USDA's quarterly Hogs and Pigs report released Friday showed larger hog inventories than the market was expecting, which could push prices down and sow more...
Mo. firm recalls cattle heads due to tonsil-removal issue
Paradise Locker Meats in Trimble, Mo., is voluntarily recalling about 120 pounds of fresh cattle heads with tonsils not completely removed, the U.S. Department more...
Sanderson sees two more waves of industry production cuts
In addition to production cuts the poultry industry has taken in recent months, Sanderson Farms Inc. Chairman and CEO Joe F. Sanderson predicted another more...
South Korea resumes inspecting U.S. beef
South Korea on Friday started inspecting about 5,300 tons of U.S. beef in eight of 17 storage facilities across the country as the opposition party continued more...
Calif. bill that would have required cameras in slaughterhouses fails
Legislation in California that would have required surveillance cameras in the state's slaughterhouses was rejected earlier this week by the California more...
Tyson to shed its Canadian beef operations
Tyson Foods Inc. said Wednesday it has a preliminary agreement to sell its beef packing operations in Brooks, Alberta, to Canadian beef processor XL Foods more...
Kroger recalls ground beef for possible E. coli
Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co. is recalling an undetermined amount of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, USDA's Food more...
Texas firm recalls cattle heads that may contain SRMs
Beltex Corp., doing business as Frontier Meats in Fort Worth, Texas, is recalling approximately 2,850 pounds of fresh cattle heads that may contain specified more...
ConAgra profits up in 4Q on recently sold trading unit results
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods Inc. on Thursday said its fourth-quarter profits were up nearly 5 percent owing to strong results in its trading unit more...
Michigan, Ohio E. coli illnesses linked to ground beef
The Ohio and Michigan health departments are investigating more than two dozen illnesses linked to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7, and Michigan has issued more...
Butterball to cut more than 200 jobs at Colo. plant
Butterball LLC has announced that it will reduce turkey placement and slaughter operations at its Longmont, Colo., facility, which will result in some more...
Seoul to resume imports of U.S. beef on Thursday
The South Korean government said it will reopen its market to imports of U.S. beef on Thursday, more than two months after agreeing to a new protocol more...
Vienna Beef launches all-natural frank
Vienna Beef has launched an all-natural frank, its first product in the expanding natural marketplace, the Chicago-based processor announced.The product more...
Smithfield subsidiary to merge with Spanish processor
In what is viewed as a response to a difficult cost environment, Smithfield Foods Inc. has a non-binding memorandum of understanding to merge its primary more...
HSUS video can't be linked to processor, food chain
Despite efforts to link its latest undercover video to the larger question of food safety, Humane Society of the United States President Wayne Pacelle more...
Consumers suing Tyson over RWA claim
Consumers in several states have filed lawsuits against Tyson Foods Inc., challenging the company's use of the "raised without antibiotics" marketing more...
Meat associations: Beef exporters prepared to meet Korea's demands
Three trade associations representing major U.S. beef processors and exporters said their constituents are willing to appease South Korean consumers who more...
ConAgra to beat earnings forecast, makes new executive appointments
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods Inc. said it will beat its previous earnings estimate of 30 to 35 cents per diluted share in its fourth quarter ended more...
Founder of Hardee's dies at 89
Wilbur Hardee, founder of the burger-centric chain Hardee's, died Friday in Greenville, N.C., the same town where he opened his first Hardee's restaurant more...
S&P may downgrade Tyson, Pilgrim's Pride debt
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it has placed its 'BB-' corporate credit ratings on Dean Foods Co. and Pilgrim's Pride Corp., and its 'BBB-' corporate more...
U.S., S. Korea reportedly near agreement on "technical issues"
Trade representatives for the United States and South Korea wrapped up a week of talks on Thursday having either achieved "considerable progress" toward more...
Wachovia analysts see corn prices rising but doubt cattle cut-backs
Wachovia Capital Markets analysts predicted corn prices could rise as high as $10 a bushel, but based on current feeder cattle price premiums to fed cattle more...
EU parliament blasts proposal to allow U.S. poultry imports
The European parliament on Thursday passed a non-binding resolution saying that importing U.S. poultry that may have been processed with chlorine was more...
Tyson plant closed briefly from nearby fire, flooded plant remains offline
As if two plants downed by flooding weren't enough, Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods had to shut down its Amarillo, Texas, plant briefly on Tuesday more...
Meat industry leaders warn cutbacks are coming
Meat industry executives Thursday warned of production cutbacks in the beef, pork and poultry sectors as runaway corn prices have pushed input costs to more...
S. Korean president promises to ban U.S. beef from older animals
Apologizing for his April decision to resume imports of U.S. beef from cattle of all ages, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday promised to more...
Farm bill finally re-approved, fixing printing error
The Senate and House of Representatives both re-approved the new farm bill on Tuesday, fixing a clerical error that forced the already vetoed and veto-overridden more...
Fitch cuts Tyson rating to junk on cost concerns
Credit-rating agency Fitch Ratings on Tuesday said it downgraded Tyson Foods Inc.'s bonds due to increased input costs and expected lower earnings. Fitch more...
House of Raeford plant supervisors arrested
Four supervisors at House of Raeford's Greenville, S.C., poultry processing plant were arrested on Tuesday as part of the continuing Immigration and Customs more...
As flooding continues, meat processors ask EPA to suspend ethanol mandate
As rising waters continued to breach levees and corn prices topped $8.00 on the Chicago Board of Trade, a group of agribusiness and environmental groups more...
Canadian marketing group unveils "Canadian Pork" label
Fresh pork is now labeled as "Canadian Pork" at participating grocery stores across Canada under a new labeling initiative launched by Pork Marketing more...
Analyst upgrades Sanderson Farms, shares jump
A Wall Street analyst on Tuesday upgraded her rating for Laurel, Miss.-based chicken processor Sanderson Farms, causing the stock to jump more than 5 more...
Fewer hog imports and lower weights to reduce U.S. pork production
USDA lowered its 2008 and 2009 forecasts of commercial pork production slightly in June, responding to lower-than-expected imports of Canadian slaughter more...
Poultry production rises in April
Total broiler meat production in April 2008 was 3.18 billion pounds, up 10.2 percent over the previous year, according to USDA's latest Livestock, Dairy more...
CKE's Hardee's moves into Pakistan
Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants Inc. announced it has signed agreements with MDS Foods Pte. Ltd. and Global Food Connection LLC to open a combined more...
Tyson extends closure of Iowa pork plant due to flooding
Tyson Foods Inc. said its Columbus Junction, Iowa, pork plant likely will remain idle through this weekend as flood waters rise in southeast Iowa.The more...
U.S., S. Korea extend beef talks
U.S. and South Korean officials have extended talks on Seoul's plea to revise a beef-trade agreement such that it would be allowed to bar imports of U more...
Raided Iowa plant at 70 percent poultry capacity, kosher shortages reported
A consultant for the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville, Iowa, said the facility is running at about 70 percent capacity now in its poultry processing more...
Tesco's Fresh & Easy chief hints at U.S. expansion, denies negative rumors
The Fresh & Easy retail chain, owned by of U.K.-based Tesco is not only doing better than critics have maintained, but is also planning on expanding operations more...
Tyson filed suit against USDA over antibiotics-label ruling (updated)
Tyson Foods Inc. filed a lawsuit in Washington federal court this week over USDA's new ruling that forces the Springdale, Ark.-based protein giant to more...
Hog producers could need $95 per hundredweight to break even next summer
The weather-related run-up in corn and soybean futures prices over the past 10 days have pushed projected break-even costs for hog producers a year from more...
Poultry workers to be paid for donning and doffing time
A Baltimore judge has ruled that unionized poultry workers at Arkansas-based Mountaire Farms must be paid for the time they spent donning and doffing more...
Explosive chicken: Police find pipe bomb in poultry on roadway
Why did the chicken cross the road? To detonate, of course.Police officials found a raw chicken filled with a rather unusual — and illegal — more...
Cargill, Tyson hog plants curtail operations amid flooding
Cargill Meat Solutions and Tyson Foods Inc. said they were ceasing hog slaughter at plants in regions expecting more flooding from rains ravaging Iowa more...
Seoul sends trade minister to step up pressure on U.S. to revise beef deal
Already having sent two teams of delegates to Washington, South Korea said Thursday it will deploy its top trade negotiator to the United States to push more...
Peterson Farms sale to be completed in July
Peterson Farms said it will sell the company's poultry processing operations to Simmons Foods in a transaction that could be completed in July, according more...
USDA trying to avoid mandatory animal ID as COOL approaches
USDA is boosting its efforts to get livestock producers signed up in the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) ahead of mandatory country of origin more...
Tyson to close hog plant amid flooding in Midwest
Tyson Foods Inc. said Wednesday that it will temporarily suspend slaughter at its Columbus Junction, Iowa, pork plant because flood waters are expected more...
Livestock industry leader dies at 56
Ward "Lynn" Cornwell, a rancher who held a number of leadership positions for the livestock industry, died June 5 in Glasgow, Mont., from an aortic aneurysm more...
USPOULTRY redesigns Web site
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has launched a new Web site, the association announced. The new pages were designed with an emphasis on being user-friendly more...
Pork Checkoff names leadership program participants
Twenty-two U.S. pork producers have been selected for the Pork Leadership Academy, a program sponsored by the Pork Checkoff to identify and train industry more...
Even lower corn stocks in 2009: USDA
USDA on Tuesday again lowered its forecast for corn stocks at the end of the 2008/2009 crop season in its monthly World Agriculture Supply and Demand more...
Groups launch 'food before fuel' campaign
More than 20 groups, comprised of food processors and retail, environmental, hunger and food industry organizations, on Tuesday launched a cooperative more...
White House mandates use of E-verify to determine workers' status
President Bush has signed an executive order requiring all businesses that contract with the federal government to use the E-Verify electronic system more...
Food recalls heighten consumer concerns: survey
Food recalls, especially recalls of meat products, have increased consumer concerns about the products they buy and in some cases caused them to stop more...
N.J. firm recalls ground beef on E. coli concerns
Dutch's Meat Inc. in Trenton, N.J., is recalling approximately 13,275 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
Tyson names new CFO
Tyson Foods Inc. has promoted Dennis Leatherby to executive vice president and chief financial officer, the Springdale, Ark.-based company announced on more...
Manly adds CFO role at Smithfield
Smithfield Foods has named Robert W. Manly IV, currently executive vice president, to the additional position of chief financial officer, effective July more...
New research could prompt changes in growth-promoting methods for poultry
The best methods to produce healthy chickens without antibiotics have been called into question by a new University of Georgia study.Lead author Adriana more...
S. Korea president: U.S. beef deal is non-negotiable
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Friday he would not re-negotiate a deal on U.S. beef imports that has triggered massive protests and a sharp more...
U.S. to dispute EU poultry ban at WTO
Washington is likely to fight the European Union's ban on U.S. poultry in front of the World Trade Organization, an anonymous EU official told Reuters more...
El Pollo Loco to serve up chicken sandwich on summer menu
Costa Mesa, Calif.-based fast-food chain El Pollo Loco announced that it will be adding a chicken sandwich to its menu lineup of flame-grilled chicken more...
Green consumers put their money where their mouths are: Nielsen
Shoppers who consider themselves environmentally concerned and socially responsible really walk the talk, according to new research linking attitudes more...
Smithfield unveils surprisingly poor fourth-quarter results
Smithfield Foods Inc.'s net income plummeted 93.5 percent in the company's fiscal fourth quarter, compared with results a year earlier, as higher raising more...
Catelli Brothers names new executives
Catelli Brothers has added two new executives to its leadership team, the Collingswood, N.J.-based veal and lamb processor announced.Joey Garrard joins more...
Food Safety Partnership announces new members and expanded board
The Partnership for Food Safety Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving public health through research-based, actionable consumer more...
Bennigan's rolls out new menu showcasing mini sandwiches
Plano, Texas-based restaurant chain Bennigan's announced the introduction of a new core menu that introduces new entrees, removes some old standbys, and more...
Arkansas poultry exports to Russia, Japan suspended
Following the discovery of a low pathogenic strain of avian influenza in an Arkansas hen flock, Tyson Foods Inc. has announced that the United States more...
AMI to host two webinars on COOL
The American Meat Institute will host two webinars, June 10 and June 12, on how to implement mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL), which is scheduled more...
EU vets oppose lifting ban on U.S. chicken
Veterinary specialists from 26 of the 27 European Union member states oppose the practice of using a chlorine wash and support an import ban on U.S. poultry more...
Yum! Brands names new president of KFC
Louisville, Ky.-based restaurant company Yum! Brands announced that it has appointed a new head of KFC USA to replace Gregg Dedrick, who is leaving the more...
American Airlines debuts new Indian fare on flights between Chicago and Delhi
American Airlines is offering new Indian menu offerings on flights between Chicago and Delhi, India, the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline announced.Maneet more...
U.S. beef processors to label product by cattle age to allay S. Korea fears
As the South Korean government asks the United States to refrain from exporting beef from cattle 30 months of age and older, major U.S. beef processors more...
Tyson abandons raised without antibiotics label
Tyson Foods Inc. has announced that it will remove the controversial raised without antibiotics label from its chicken. Tyson said it would withdraw the more...
Tyson hen flock shows H7N3 AI antibodies
Tyson Foods Inc. on Tuesday said that a flock of breeder hens at the farm of one of its contract poultry producers in northwest Arkansas has been exposed more...
Buffalo Wild Wings launches after-dinner menu
Minneapolis-based sports bar and chicken wing chain Buffalo Wild Wings announced that it will cater to its crowd of late diners with an after-dinner "Night more...
USDA releases gene sequences for 150 AI viruses
The Department of Agriculture has announced that it released the genetic coding sequences for 150 different avian influenza viruses. The information will more...
Same story, different day: S. Korea delays imports of U.S. beef
For the second time since agreeing to new standards for imports of U.S. beef in April, South Korea has delayed resumption of quarantine inspections as more...
Dakota Beef, Organic Prairie form partnership
Howard, S.D.-based vertically integrated organic beef processor Dakota Beef and Organic Prairie, the meat brand from La Farge, Wis.-based CROPP Cooperative more...
ICE probing practices at House of Raeford
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials reportedly are investigating hiring practices at House of Raeford's Greenville, S.C., poultry plant, the more...
FSIS to host public meeting about proposed pay-for-performance system
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a public meeting to discuss the Public Health Human Resources more...
May 2008
Record-setting pork projections boost USDA ag exports forecast
U.S. agricultural exports are expected to reach a record $108.5 billion for fiscal 2008, boosted by factors including soaring pork exports and the strength more...
N.C. legislation calls for increased poultry-plant scrutiny
A North Carolina legislator has introduced a bill calling for more inspections at poultry plants in the state in an effort to better protect poultry workers more...
New Ill. biodiesel plant will produce 45 million gallons per year
Blackhawk Biofuels LLC has bought the assets of a biodiesel facility under construction in Danville, Ill. that it intends to upgrade to eventually produce more...
Diddy helps Burger King extend late night hours
Miami-based Burger King announced it is extending its late night hours of operation, staying open until 2 a.m. or later Thursday through Saturday starting more...
South Korea to resume U.S. beef imports next week
Seoul has informed Washington that South Korea will resume imports of U.S. beef sometime next week."We are still studying the statement released by [Korean more...
Creta Farms USA launches Gourmet EVOO Deli Meats
Creta Farms USA has partnered with Creta Farm Greece to launch Creta Farms Gourmet EVOO Deli Meats, which are made with heart-healthy extra virgin olive more...
World trade in beef, pork seen expanding by more than 40 percent
World trade in beef and pork are expected to grow by more than 40 percent by 2017 while poultry trade expands by just below 40 percent, according to the more...
Ready-to-cook poultry weight up 11 percent in April
Ready-to-cook poultry weight in April 2008 totaled 3.76 billion pounds, an 11 percent increase over the same period a year earlier, USDA said in its latest more...
National Beef cuts beef production
National Beef Packing Co. said Wednesday it will cut production to five days per week from six days beginning this week.The Kansas City, Mo.-based processor more...
Cargill names new CFO
Cargill announced its board of directors elected David MacLennan its chief financial officer, succeeding the late William Veazey, who passed away May more...
ConAgra to receive state tax credits for Mo. plant expansion
ConAgra Foods has been approved to receive more than $1.7 million in state tax credits to expand its plant in Marshall, Mo., Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's more...
KFC puts chipotle kick in new fried chicken offering
Louisville, Ky.-based Kentucky Fried Chicken announced that the chain is rolling out new Smoky Chipotle Crispy flavored fried chicken, the third fried more...
Agriprocessors launches CEO search
Aaron Rubashkin, owner of Agriprocessors Inc., announced late last week that the company has begun a search for a new permanent chief executive officer more...
Korea again delays U.S. beef imports: report
South Korea said Monday it again will delay implementation of a new beef trade deal with the United States.Agriculture Ministry spokesman Kim Heyong-soo more...
OIE declares 11 Brazilian regions FMD-free
SAO PAULO, Brazil — The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has declared 11 Brazilian regions as free of foot-and-mouth disease with vaccination more...
Burger King loses board members, appoints new chairman
Burger King Holdings Inc. announced that it has made changes to its current board of directors and appointed John Chidsey as the company's chairman and more...
Cattlemen's Beef Board budget reduced
The Beef Promotion Operating Committee has recommended a 6.6 percent decrease in the Cattlemen's Beef Board budget for fiscal 2009 to $45.8 million from more...
Pork Checkoff to present PORK Academy at World Pork Expo
The Pork Checkoff is presenting the Producers Opportunity for Revenue and Knowledge (PORK) Academy on June 5 and June 6 at World Pork Expo in Des Moines more...
USPOULTRY sponsors training for poultry wastewater operators
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association will sponsor a poultry wastewater operators training program July 9-10 in Tucker, Ga. The course introduces students more...
W Hotels partners with celebrity chef for new menu launch
W Hotels Worldwide announced that is has teamed with celebrity chef, author and Food Network star Dave Lieberman to launch a new summer menu featuring more...
Tornado in Colo. rips roof off JBS-Swift headquarters
A tornado that whipped through northern Colorado on Thursday damaged the corporate headquarters of JBS-Swift & Co. in Greeley.The tornado tore off the more...
Analysts raise expectations for Sanderson Farms' performance
Two Wall Street analysts in the protein sector raised their expectations for Sanderson Farms' fiscal year financials, following the company's surprisingly more...
Most Agriprocessors employees charged on immigration violations will serve time
Court proceedings are over for 297 immigrant employees rounded up in a raid last week at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville, Iowa. Of those, 268 will serve more...
Greatest spectacle in grilling? Pork stars in Indy 500 promotion
It might be "the greatest spectacle in racing" Sunday when the Indianapolis 500 takes place, but Saturday, pork will be the focus at Marsh Supermarkets more...
Five arrested for smuggling turf as surf
Five people were arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle Japanese beef into China by passing it off as frozen crabs, according to Kyodo News Service more...
Hormel posts second-quarter gains
Taking advantage of factors including low pork prices and sturdy Spam sales, Hormel Foods Corp. on Thursday reported second-quarter earnings that were more...
Sanderson Farms reports surprising profit in Q2
Sanderson Farms Inc. on Thursday posted a profit and beat Wall Street's expectations despite a challenging grain market. For the second fiscal quarter more...
Sausages produced in Calif. recalled for listeria
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service on Wednesday announced that Cecina Los Amigos in Carson, Calif., is voluntarily recalling some 290 pounds of more...
E. coli concerns prompt Tyson beef health alert
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service on Wednesday issued a public health alert for 808 pounds of ground beef products made by Tyson Fresh Meats Inc more...
Do over: Missing pages send farm bill back two steps
The devil is in the details. As it turns out, about 35 pages of details were somehow left out of the copy of the farm bill President Bush vetoed earlier more...
R-CALF raises concerns about JBS-Swift feedlot contracts
Cattle producer group R-CALF USA has raised concerns about the terms of recent JBS-Swift and Co. feedlot contracts in its fourth submission to the U.S more...
U.S.-Korea beef trade letters fuel debate
Letters of understanding exchanged Tuesday by U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and South Korea's Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon initially fueled, more...
Bush vetoes farm bill, override expected soon
As expected, President Bush formally vetoed the 2007 farm bill today.Both houses of Congress passed the bill at margins above the two-thirds majority more...
Butterball adds new turkey items to breakfast offerings
Butterball Foodservice announced that it has added three new turkey products to its lineup of healthy alternative breakfast items, including turkey sausage more...
NTF honors Jimmy John's with T.O.M. award
The National Turkey Federation has announced that it presented Jimmy John's with its sixth annual Turkey on the Menu (T.O.M.) award at the National Restaurant more...
USDA to ban downer cattle slaughter
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer on Tuesday announced his intention to ban slaughter of cattle at federally inspected facilities that go down more...
Kayem acquires brands from Tyson
Chelsea, Mass.-based Kayem Foods announced on Tuesday that it has entered into an agreement to acquire seven regional brands of frankfurters and deli more...
USTR wants answers from Seoul on 'inaccurate' quote about beef protocol
The U.S. Trade Representative's office is seeking answers from the South Korean government about a spokesman's quote to the press indicating Seoul would more...
Salmonella concerns prompt public health alert for pork cracklings
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a public health alert for approximately 1,100 pounds of fully cooked more...
U.S. bows to skittish South Korea on beef-trade pact: report
Washington has agreed to add a provision to a new beef-trade deal with South Korea allowing Seoul to halt imports of U.S. beef if a new case of bovine more...
USDA says ethanol production has limited impact on food prices
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said he had "no sympathy" for a group of Republican senators asking for an overhaul to Washington's energy policies because more...
Tyson refinery in La. gets funding
Tyson Foods Inc.'s plans to develop a synthetic fuel plant in Louisiana has received a financial boost, according to Dow Jones Newswires. The Louisiana more...
Cattle on feed data may curb price rise this fall
USDA's Cattle on Feed report issued on Friday showed both cattle placements and cattle marketings higher than analysts expected, leading some to predict more...
Hyatt offers grilling socials in Summerfield Suites hotels
Global Hyatt Corporate has announced that its Hyatt Summerfield Suites chain has partnered with celebrity grillmaster David Joachim to create 13 recipes more...
JBS may trim beef production, workforce in Argentina: CEO
Restrictions on beef exports may force JBS S.A., which reported a third straight quarterly loss on Thursday, to cut production and fire workers in Argentina more...
Sara Lee launches all-natural Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage
Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee Foodservice announced that it is launching a new, all-natural line of its Jimmy Dean brand breakfast sausage.The new more...
Broiler production to increase slightly, turkey production to fall in 2009: USDA
U.S. broiler production is expected to rise slightly next year while turkey production should experience a reduction, according to the latest Livestock more...
Year-round grilling at all-time high, burgers most often grilled: NPD
Outdoor grill use in the United States is at an all-time high, according to the 22nd annual "Eating Patterns in America" report from market researcher more...
Landslide Senate farm bill passage makes it veto-proof
Just one day after the House passed the 2007 farm bill with the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto, so did the Senate on an 81 more...
Tyson trumpets new ad campaign, products
Other than again lamenting the continued rise of feed costs that has forced industry-wide production cuts, Tyson Foods Inc. CEO Dick Bond used the occasion more...
Pilgrim's Pride CEO looks to industry to continue production cutbacks
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. President and CEO Clint Rivers hopes to see the chicken industry continue to cut production to help the industry return to profitability more...
Colo. governor signs law to phase out veal and gestation crates
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday signed legislation that phases out veal crates within four years and gestation crates within 10 years.Colorado more...
Chicago lifts foie gras ban
Chicago residents will once again be able to legally order foie gras from the menus of their favorite restaurants after the city's aldermen voted Wednesday more...
Tyson laying off almost 200 at poultry plant
Tyson Foods Inc. has announced it will cut about 190 jobs at its poultry processing complex in Glen Allen, Va. The changes will take effect in the middle more...
S. Korea to delay resumption of U.S. beef imports
Amid mounting public pressure, Seoul said it will delay resumption of U.S. beef imports.Under a new trade protocol, South Korea was slated on Thursday more...
Agriprocessors is operating, hiring
Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville, Iowa, is operating again, a company spokesman told Meatingplace.com, after the nation's largest immigration raid on more...
Cattle flatulence featured on TV tonight
Allegations that beef is bad for the environment have been around for a long time. Tonight, ABC's World News with Charles Gibson will wave that flag as more...
Pizza Hut launches ultimate grill pizza with chicken and steak
Dallas-based restaurant chain Pizza Hut announced the introduction of a new meat-topped pizza item designed to coincide with the summer grilling season more...
South Korea can't arbitrarily block U.S. beef imports
In the wake of overtones from Seoul indicating its government would ban imports of U.S. beef again if another case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy more...
China suspends imports from three U.S. meat and poultry plants
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said China has banned imports of meat and poultry from three U.S. protein processing facilities.Now ineligible more...
Pilgrim's Pride stock offering raises Wall Street eyebrows
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced it is making a public offering of 7,500,000 shares of common stock at $24 per share, a move that raised some concern for more...
Donning and doffing suit filed against Smithfield
A suit filed in a U.S District Court on behalf of 231 hourly workers at Smithfield Foods' Smithfield, Va., plant alleges the workers are unpaid for between more...
A hire purpose — Cargill manager vents over labor pool woes
Any number of factors make filling jobs on the line in a processing plant tough to do, but one Cargill Meat Solutions HR manager aired her specific frustrations more...
South Korea delays dispatching beef inspectors to U.S.
Seoul said it has delayed sending inspectors to evaluate U.S. beef slaughterhouses, citing scheduling conflicts."The dispatch of inspectors was put off more...
Pollo Campero opens inside first Wal-Mart location
Fried chicken chain Pollo Campero opened its first restaurant inside a Wal-Mart and hopes to expand further within the retailer's U.S. locations over more...
NAMP, CMC to host seminar on Canada's updated E. coli policy
A special training seminar on Canada's updated E. coli O157:H7 policy, sponsored by the North American Meat Processors Association and the Canadian Meat more...
E. coli concerns prompt Hawaii firm to recall ground beef products
Palama Holdings LLC in Kapolei, Hawaii, is voluntarily recalling approximately 68,670 pounds of ground beef products because it may be contaminated with more...
USDA latest corn forecasts bad news for meat industry
USDA predicted that lower production, strong demand, and lower ending stocks will push U.S. corn prices to $5 to $6 a bushel in the September 2008-August more...
Court says cancer claims against poultry companies can go forward
The Arkansas Supreme Court has overturned a lower-court's ruling and is allowing a lawsuit to proceed against several poultry processors that alleges more...
USDA's Schafer unconcerned about South Korean beef protests
Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said current protests in South Korea and calls to renegotiate the recent agreement that allows more U.S. beef to enter more...
Seoul stirring up controversy with U.S. beef
Only a week ahead of a scheduled resumption of imports of U.S. beef, the South Korean government said it may renegotiate the protocol, and halt imports more...
Details of farm bill livestock title
The office of the Senate Agriculture Committee provided the following highlights of the livestock title of the 2007 farm bill provisions recently passed more...
CME to expand lean hog contract listings by two months
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange said it will add two trading months to its lean hog futures trading contracts, bringing the number of months investors more...
WingStreet concept takes flight
Dallas-based Pizza Hut's hot wings concept WingStreet recently was named the fastest growing chain in the quick service restaurant segment by consumer more...
Sausage and sandwiches and steak, oh my! FMI exhibits in review
Whether you were looking for the most convenient microwaveable meal, the newest hot dog variety or just a cold beer, it was available on the exhibit floor more...
Hormel ground pork patties make their West Coast debut
The Pork Checkoff is promoting Hormel Foods' ground pork patties at 220 stores in a California retail chain as the summer grilling season begins."This more...
T.G.I. Friday's expands 'Right Portion' menu with meaty options
Carrollton, Texas-based T.G.I. Friday's announced that it is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its "Right Portion, Right Price" menu by making it more...
AMSA, NAMP to host QA 101 in Florida in June
QA 101, a symposium developed by the American Meat Science Association and its task force of university and industry experts, is scheduled for June 21-22 more...
Sara Lee 3Q profits soar, meat units gain market share
Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee Corp. on Tuesday said its third-quarter profit doubled owing to price increases and international sales benefits from more...
Wall Street firm raises ratings on two big poultry producers
Stephens Inc. has raised its stock rating for Sanderson Farms Inc. to overweight from equal-weight/volatile and its Pilgrim's Pride Corp. rating to overweight more...
Schafer says current proposed farm bill likely still headed for veto
LAS VEGAS — Although legislators are still working to hammer out a new farm bill before May 16, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said he thinks more...
E-Verify program unveils updates to reduce false mismatches
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency announced it has made three improvements to its E-Verify employment authorization program more...
McDonald's to promote new breakfast chicken biscuits with mass giveaway
Fast food giant McDonald's is introducing new chicken items to its morning and evening menu lineups, and will promote them during a mass sampling event more...
Ruiz Foods launches new line of family meals
Dinuba, Calif.-based Mexican food company Ruiz Foods has launched a new line of refrigerated family meals. El Monterey Family Meals come in five different more...
Pilgrim's Pride widens second-quarter loss
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Monday said it widened its second-quarter loss owing to the now all-too-familiar issue of feed costs. For the three months ended more...
Raymond trumpets safety of U.S. beef to wary South Koreans
As the public and political backlash to Seoul's decision to fully reopen its market to U.S. beef gains momentum in South Korea, Washington officials are more...
JBS completes purchase of Tasman Group
JBS S.A. said it has completed the acquisition of Tasman Group, Australia's largest multi-protein processor.The $150 million deal makes Sao Paulo-based more...
Candidates join calls for ethanol reform
Presidential candidates Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Barak Obama (D-Ill.) both recently called for corn-based ethanol policy change, with Sen. more...
Tyson sued for overtime pay at Ind. pork plant
A lawsuit filed earlier this week in a federal district court in South Bend, Ind., claims Tyson Foods Inc. denied plant workers pay for overtime and preparatory more...
Farm bill does not prohibit livestock ownership for packers
Attempts to get a ban on packer ownership of livestock into the final version of the new farm bill have failed."There is no packer ban. Sen. Grassley more...
Class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Wendy's shareholders over buyout deal
Atlanta-based law firm Holzer Holzer & Fistel announced it has filed a class-action lawsuit against Wendy's International on behalf of shareholders in more...
FDA to hire more than 1,300 by October
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is embarking on a multi-year hiring initiative and plans to hire more than 1,300 biologists, chemists, medical officers more...
National Beef appeals alleged humane handling violation
National Beef Packing Co. said it is appealing a noncompliance report it received from USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service following a nationwide more...
Albert Lea Select Foods to expand facilities, workforce
Albert Lea, Minn.-based pork processor Albert Lea Select Foods is set to spend $1.5 million to expand its pork plant and workforce.General Manager Nate more...
Senate subcommittee to scrutinize JBS' pending acquisitions
As the Department of Justice continues to mull JBS' proposed acquisitions in the U.S. beef processing industry, a Senate Judiciary subcommittee plans more...
Truck fire roasts 50,000 pounds of ribs
An unexpected barbecue lit up the roadway on Interstate Highway 80 just south of Chicago after a truck carrying 50,000 pounds of ribs went up in flames more...
April 2008
School lunch suppliers complying after humane handling audit: USDA
U.S. beef processors implicated in a USDA audit of slaughterhouses in the wake of the Hallmark/Westland recall have remedied the problems that prompted more...
Seaboard Foods reports pork segment loss in Q1
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Corp. said the pork segment of its Seaboard Foods division reported a $4.8 million operating loss in the quarter more...
Kraft first-quarter profit falls
Increased input costs have hit Kraft Foods Inc., which on Wednesday said its first-quarter profits fell 13 percent. The Northfield, Ill.-based maker of more...
Tyson introduces three foodservice products
Tyson Foods has introduced three fully cooked beef products for foodservice that aim to put a new twist on comfort food classics.The products include:Ropa more...
South Korean panel to mull U.S. beef deal
A South Korean parliamentary panel is slated to hold a hearing next month on Seoul's agreement to fully open its market to U.S. beef.Opponents to the more...
Poultry ready-to-cook weights up in March
A total of 3.51 billion pounds of poultry was certified wholesome in March 2008, a 1 percent increase over the same period last year, according to the more...
Healthy 'depots' offer new option for marketing beef brisket: study
A Texas A&M study has found that beef brisket contains "depots," or tiny reservoirs, of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.Those found in beef brisket more...
Hard Rock launches new kids' menu
Hard Rock International has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation for the launch of its new Lil' Rockers Menu, featuring kids' meals packaged with activities more...
Tyson swings to Q2 loss, expects input costs to rise by $1 billion for the year
Tyson Foods Inc. on Monday said it swung to a loss in its fiscal second quarter on rising input costs that could cost the Springdale, Ark.-based protein more...
Japan's largest retailer resumes U.S. beef sales
Following a four-year ban that stemmed from the first U.S. case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in 2003, Japan's largest supermarket chain has announced more...
Texas governor requests ethanol-mandate relief
Texas Governor Rick Perry has requested that federal regulators grant a 50 percent waiver to the renewable fuels mandate for his state, saying that artificial more...
Jack in the Box returns chicken salad to menu
San Diego-based Jack in the Box announced that it is putting its Latin-inspired Acapulco Chicken Salad back on the menu this spring and summer.The Acapulco more...
Smithfield set to fight Mo. lawsuits individually
Smithfield Foods Inc. has decided to litigate a series of lawsuits by residential neighbors of several of its hog farms in Missouri rather than agree more...
Canadian hog inventories fall, could mean fewer exports to U.S.
Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs on April 1 was down 12 percent from a year ago, according to a joint USDA/Statistics Canada report, further evidence more...
Japan could increase U.S. beef inspection
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has asked the health minister to reassess whether the current system of U.S. beef inspection is sufficient after more...
Dance to the meat? Japanese company creates beefy iPod case
Apple Inc.'s iPod portable media players are hardly new in the gadget world, but they do have a new — and somewhat unexpected — accessory: more...
Arby's owner buys Wendy's in $2.34 billion deal
The franchisor of the Arby's restaurant chain, Triarc Companies, announced that it is buying Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's in a $2.34 billion all-stock deal more...
Japan says it won't ban U.S. beef following latest shipping blunder
Japanese officials have deemed as an isolated event a recent shipping mistake by a National Beef Packing Co. and said the incident would not prompt Tokyo more...
Maple Leaf posts loss in wake of soaring grain prices
Toronto-based protein processor Maple Leaf Foods Inc. on Thursday reported a small loss in the first quarter, citing the increasingly high grain costs more...
Manitoba provides $500,000 to support sow culling effort
Canada's Manitoba Province announced it will provide $500,000 to process nearly 5,000 sows for ground pork that it will distribute through food banks more...
Japan suspends imports from National Beef plant
Japan said Wednesday it has suspended beef imports from a National Beef Packing Co. plant following an apparent shipping snafu.USDA Press Secretary Keith more...
Perdue, Sanderson 'pleased' with judge's antibiotics decision
Perdue Farms Inc. and Sanderson Farms Inc., which on Tuesday were granted a motion for a preliminary injunction against Tyson Foods Inc.'s "raised without more...
ConAgra to cut more than 200 jobs
ConAgra Foods will cut 212 positions throughout the company over the next year as part of its efforts to integrate various divisions into a single operating more...
Bush blasts farm bill proposals, calls for one-year extension
Days after giving legislators another week to hammer out an acceptable farm bill proposal, President Bush pointed to several unacceptable aspects of their more...
Sara Lee makes management changes
Sara Lee Corp. is making a number of management changes as part of a restructuring to cut costs and boost profits, according to published reports citing more...
Pilgrim's Pride Ark. workers face deportation
All 18 Pilgrim's Pride employees at the company's Batesville, Ark., plant who faced criminal charges after last week's Immigration and Customs Enforcement more...
Marel completes Stork acquisition
Marel Food Systems hf. announced it has completed its purchase of the Stork Food Systems division of Stork N.V. for about $664 million (EUR 415 million) more...
Foodservice company promotes low carbon diet, carbon footprint calculator
Bon Appetit Management Co., a Palo Alto, Calif.-based foodservice management company, has launched the Low Carbon Diet, a commitment to lower the carbon more...
Wall Street analysts warm to protein stocks, despite earnings declines
Despite soaring feedgrain and energy costs as well as pork and poultry oversupplies, Wall Street analysts have a good feeling about the medium- and long-term more...
Bush signs another farm bill extension
President Bush has signed a one-week farm bill extension, giving House and Senate legislators until April 25 to come up with a new five-year law that more...
PETA to offer prize for in vitro meat
It might sound like a science experiment gone awry, but the idea of growing tissue cultures that could be consumed like meat is prompting People for the more...
Wellshire Farms adds all natural beef hotdogs to product line
Swedesboro, N.J.-based Wellshire Farms announced that it has partnered with Lemoyne, Pa.-based processor Kessler's to add reformulated all natural beef more...
Opportunity for U.S. beef knocks, enters South Korea's door
Beef exports to South Korea could recover quickly following today's announcement the country will reopen its borders to U.S. beef, and economists say more...
91 Pilgrim's Pride employees criminally charged in raid
Of nearly 400 employees of Pilgrim's Pride who were rounded up by officials of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week, 91 have been criminally more...
N.C. governor speaks out against mistreatment of immigrant poultry workers
Saying he was disappointed in the state labor department's response to a series of articles published in the Charlotte Observer detailing mistreatment more...
Mexico's Bachoco poultry plant sustains fire damage
Mexico's leading poultry processor Industrias Bachoco S.A.B. de C.V. said it sustained a fire at its poultry plant in Monterrey on April 13. There were more...
Wrigley has a beef, but the Cell bites back
You don't have to live in Chicago to appreciate the rivalry between the North Side Cubs and the South Side White Sox, but you do have to visit the city more...
Pilgrim's Pride fired employees arrested in ICE raid
Pilgrim's Pride said it has terminated the hundreds of workers arrested after U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials raided five of the more...
Mayo Clinic homes in on pork plant disease
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., say a neurological condition that sickened 17 workers at three pork plants in three states is a unique more...
Subcommittee issues damning report before Hallmark hearing
In advance of today's hearing on circumstances leading up to the record-setting beef recall in February, the House Committee on Oversight and Government more...
Russia approves U.S. pork and poultry facilities for export
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Thursday that Russia has added more pork and poultry facilities to its list of eligible exporters.L&K Packing more...
ICE raids five Pilgrim's Pride plants
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided five Pilgrim's Pride plants on Wednesday as part of an investigation into workers using fake documentation more...
S. Korean president: Swap U.S. beef access for visa waiver
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak reportedly will pitch a full reopening of Seoul's market to U.S. beef in exchange for Washington's authorization more...
AMI names worker safety award winners
The American Meat Institute has announced the 2008 winners of the AMI-National Safety Council Worker Safety Recognition Awards. A total of 121 packing more...
Papa John's to open 500 stores in China
Louisville, Ky.-based pizza chain Papa John's plans to open 500 new restaurants in China over the next five years, Reuters reported.Papa John's currently more...
BB&T raises Smithfield to buy from hold
BB&T Capital Markets said it has raised its stock recommendation of Smithfield Foods to "buy" from "hold" based on strong pork exports and evidence sow more...
Immersion and air chilling poultry economically equivalent: study
New research from scientists at the Russell Research Center in Athens, Ga., suggests that immersion chilling and air chilling poultry are economically more...
FMI to host food industry sustainability summit
The Food Marketing Institute announced that its Food Industry Sustainability Summit focusing on practices and strategies that will promote the well-being more...
Do you think food riots will force a biofuels policy rethink?
Food riots in cash-strapped countries like Haiti are leading to calls from industrialized nations for the United States to rethink biofuels policies that more...
Pilgrim's Pride cutting production
In its latest move to combat record feed costs, Pilgrim's Pride Corp., the nation's largest chicken processor, on Monday announced that it will reduce more...
Cargill earnings soar in 3Q
Cargill Inc. on Monday said its earnings rose 86 percent in its fiscal third quarter.Earnings for the quarter ended Feb. 29 were $1.03 billion, compared more...
Legislators introduce food safety recall bill
Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) and 10 co-sponsors last week introduced the Food Safety Recall Information Act (H.R. 5762), which would require more...
U.S., S. Korea still at odds over beef
U.S. and South Korean officials have failed to resolve a dispute over Seoul's restrictions on imports of U.S. beef, according to international media reports more...
Uruguay holds world's biggest barbecue
Uruguay was home to the world's largest recorded barbecue on Sunday, where approximately 1,250 cooks grilled up 26,400 pounds of beef, the World Records more...
Pilgrim's Pride may close El Dorado facility
High costs for grains continue to squeeze the nation's largest chicken processor, Pilgrim's Pride Corp., which may close its processing complex in El more...
Cagle's latest poultry processor to cut production
Cagle's Inc. late Thursday announced that it will immediately cut chicken production by 4 percent, making the Atlanta-based processor the third company more...
Export markets a boon to U.S. pork/beef industries: USMEF
The U.S. pork industry got a boost from exports in the first two months of 2008, and U.S. beef exports are improving over last year, says the U.S. Meat more...
Taco Bell launches promo Web site, complete with swimsuit model
Quick-service Mexican chain Taco Bell became the latest in a series of fast food companies to launch an interactive Web site designed to engage customers more...
Ill. Armour-Eckrich plant to lay off nearly one-third of workers
Lisle, Ill.-based Armour-Eckrich Meats LLC expects to lay off about 110 workers from its St. Charles, Ill. plant, almost one-third of its total workforce more...
U.S., South Korea to resume beef talks
U.S. and South Korean delegates will resume discussions about Seoul's restrictions on imports of U.S. beef.The meeting is slated to begin Friday in Seoul more...
Farm bill conferees meet nine days before deadline
With nine days left on the 2002 farm bill extension that President Bush signed nearly a month ago, legislators on Thursday met for the first time in the more...
Del Taco to open 32 units in Minneapolis-St. Paul
Lake Forest, Calif.-based Mexican quick-service chain Del Taco announced that it is looking to the Twin Cities to further its Midwest expansion, with more...
USDA to start testing for non-O157 E. coli in beef
USDA plans to start testing ground beef and ground beef component samples for non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli (STECs) to determine whether to declare more...
Simmons cutting chicken production
Citing high feed costs and a weak domestic market, Simmons Foods has announced that it will cut chicken production by 6 percent starting this month. The more...
Tyson lawsuit settlement approved
A Delaware chancery judge on Tuesday approved a settlement that Tyson Foods Inc. shareholders reached in January with former CEO Don Tyson and his family-led more...
Burger King launches new bacon breakfast wrap
Miami-based Burger King announced the introduction of a new cheese and bacon handheld breakfast wrap to its morning menu.The new Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper more...
City, state offer Cargill incentives to rebuild Booneville, Ark., plant
Both the state of Arkansas and the city of Booneville have offered Cargill incentives to rebuild its beef plant there, which was heavily damaged by a more...
Neb. town may restrict production at JBS-Swift plant: report
City officials of Grand Island, Neb., where JBS-Swift & Co. runs one of its beef processing plants, are considering restricting the plant's production more...
Biofuels policies cost poultry, livestock and ethanol industries billions, study says
The U.S. biofuels policy that is driving higher prices of corn, other grains and soybeans is costing the poultry, livestock and ethanol production industries more...
Papa John's to expand in Canada
Louisville, Ky.-based pizza chain Papa John's announced plans to expand northward, making deals to open 57 new locations in Canada.Papa John's has teamed more...
Foster Farms considering new plant
Livingston, Calif.-based poultry processor Foster Farms is considering opening a new processing complex in Colorado. "A final decision is expected within more...
Brazil questions U.S. regulations on imports of frozen beef
Negotiations between Brazil and the United States for an agreement that would allow Brazilian traders to ship frozen beef to America have been ongoing more...
Brandt Beef honored by Master Chefs Institute
Brawley, Calif.-based natural beef producer Brandt Beef has received the Seal of Excellence from the Master Chefs Institute.The Master Chefs team put more...
Jack in the Box rolls out BBQ bacon sirloin burger
San Diego-based fast food chain Jack in the Box announced the addition of the BBQ Bacon Sirloin Burger to its menu, one year after the introduction of more...
Meyer Natural Angus confirms plans to buy Coleman beef business
Loveland, Colo.-based Meyer Natural Angus on Friday confirmed that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase the natural and organic beef more...
Neurological disorder linked to pork processing prompts worker's comp claim
The neurological disorder allegedly caused by the use of compressed air to remove pig brains during processing has prompted its first worker's comp claim more...
PQA Plus counts 10,000 certified
The checkoff-funded pork-safety program Pork Quality Assurance Plus has certified 10,000 pork producers, the National Pork Board announced.PQA Plus, launched more...
Smithfield unit wins beef innovation contest with short rib
Smithfield Beef Group's Visionary Design division won first prize for its grilled beef short rib product in the Beef Innovations Group (BIG)-sponsored more...
Proscuitto di Parma sales rise 20 percent in the U.S.
Sales of Proscuitto di Parma, Italy's premium dry-cured ham, reached 6.55 million pounds in the U.S. in 2007, a 20 percent increase over the previous more...
Fieldale cutting chicken production
Baldwin, Ga.-based poultry processor Fieldale Farms announced Thursday it will reduce live chicken production by 5 percent. "It's a tough decision to more...
Justice official says industry concentration not enough to reject JBS purchases
Referring to JBS S.A. buying two of its U.S. competitors, a Justice Department official said a high level of concentration alone does not necessarily more...
Japan lifts ban of beef from Smithfield plant
Japan's farm ministry said Thursday it has lifted a month-old ban on beef imports from Smithfield Foods' plant in Tolleson, Ariz., according to Kyodo more...
Wendy's ramps up chicken offerings
Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's announced some changes to its chicken lineup with the roll out of new on-the-go handheld chicken wraps, as well as the return more...
Senate committee holds hearing on alleged underreported poultry worker injuries
The Senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions on Tuesday held a hearing in response to a serious of articles published by the Charlotte more...
Calif. legislation proposes tougher penalties for processing downers
A California bill proposes fines and jail time for processors that sell meat from non-ambulatory cattle, swine, sheep or goats in the state.The measure more...
Panera introduces new grilled breakfast sandwiches
Fast-casual chain Panera Bread on Tuesday introduced several new grilled breakfast sandwiches at units nationwide. The three made-to-order sandwiches more...
Smokey Bones 'running of the pigs' a farce
Restaurant chain Smokey Bones on Wednesday said that the running-of-the-pigs event and companion YouTube video it touted on Tuesday was a farce. (See more...
JBS to target Brazilian companies: report
JBS S.A. indicated that it might shift its shopping spree to its home country of Brazil following its recent expansion in the United States.The Sao Paulo-based more...
AMI lashes back on USDA expanding adulterated meat rules
The American Meat Institute has sent a letter to USDA voicing opposition to the agency's potential expansion of a rule that would deem raw beef products more...
Nellor back to directing AMI's legislative affairs
Dale Nellor is back in the saddle at the American Meat Institute as the group's director of legislative affairs, after spending several months as the more...
Burger King launches new steakhouse burgers
Miami-based Burger King has announced the addition of two new steakhouse-quality sandwiches to its menu that boast ingredients such as Angus beef patties more...
Wendy's to expand in Mexico
Dublin, Ohio-based burger chain Wendy's International Inc. announced Monday it will open dozens of new restaurants in the Mexican cities of Monterrey more...
March 2008
Farmers intend to plant less corn, more soybeans than expected
U.S. farmers responding to a survey in the first two weeks of March indicated they plan to plant about 86 million acres of corn, down 8 percent from last more...
JBS reports 4Q Swift results
Brazilian beef processor JBS S.A. said Monday that the beef business operated by its U.S. subsidiary, Greeley, Colo.-based Swift & Co., bled further in more...
FSIS begins posting salmonella performance results
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has for the first time made public results from completed samples sets from its Salmonella Verification Program more...
WTO ruling against EU ban on beef with hormones a 'victory': U.S. official
U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab said the World Trade Organization's ruling, announced Monday, that a ban by the European Union on imports of more...
Burger King unveils new Whopper Bar concept
Miami-based quick-service chain Burger King plans to open a new concept called Whopper Bar, a small-scale version of its restaurant that serves different more...
USDA lists school districts that received recalled beef
USDA has released a list of school districts nationwide that received some of the 143 million pounds of beef recalled by Hallmark/Westland Meat Co.The more...
Extension granted in poultry watershed case
A federal magistrate has given Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson's office a 45-day extension to submit expert reports in its lawsuit, which alleges more...
Burger for a song? Wendy's puts promos on bar jukeboxes
Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's is launching an interactive marketing campaign that puts images of its menu items on touch-screen digital jukeboxes in bars more...
Pig farmers sing: Stand by your ham
Skyrocketing grain prices have hit pork producers globally. Rather than taking it to the streets, British pig farmers have taken it to the studio, morphing more...
Live from NAMP: FSIS concerned 2008 could mirror 2007 in E. coli problems
CHICAGO — USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has anecdotal evidence suggesting 2008 could present E. coli O157:H7 challenges similar to those encountered more...
ConAgra posts strong earnings, sells unit, plans aggressive price increases
ConAgra Foods Inc. posted strong third-quarter earnings largely on the strong performance of its trading operation, but announced it will sell the unit more...
Burger King hits 2007 animal welfare goals, sets up plan for 2008
Miami-based Burger King announced that it has met its animal welfare goals for the 2007 calendar year, including purchasing 10 percent of its pork products more...
Egg McMuffin inventor dies
Herb Peterson, inventor of the McDonald's Egg McMuffin, has died. He was 89.Peterson, who developed the famed sandwich in an effort to help the company more...
Rice asks South Korea to let down its guard on U.S. beef
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice used the occasion of talks with South Korea centered on a joint effort to disarm North Korea's nuclear program more...
Beef producers among bloc urging feds to block JBS deals
A coalition of 72 groups including cattle producers, consumers and religious leaders are urging the U.S. Department of Justice to block JBS S.A.'s purchase more...
Pilgrim's Pride names new COO, restructures management
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Wednesday named Robert A. Wright chief operating officer. Wright previously served as executive vice president more...
Murray's introduces eco-friendly chicken packaging
South Fallsburg, N.Y.-based Murray's Chicken has moved its fresh chicken to a new, eco-friendly packaging format, Murray's Sales and Marketing VP Steve more...
Beef checkoff launches video contest
The National Beef Ambassador Program, sponsored in part by beef checkoff, announced the launch of the "More BEEF in More Places" video contest that will more...
Cargill, civic officials don't count Booneville plant out yet
Although a fire still smoldered Tuesday morning in the debris of Cargill Meat Solutions' Booneville, Ark., meat processing plant and the local judge and more...
Maple Leaf Farms closing plant
Milford, Ind.-based duck processor Maple Leaf Farms announced on Tuesday that it will permanently close its Franksville, Wis., duck farm and processing more...
Gates Foundation grant to fund animal health research at Washington State (updated)
Washington State University has received a $25 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to put toward a building that will be the centerpiece more...
Pizza Hut to home deliver pasta meals
Pizza Hut will soon deliver pasta meals nationwide alongside its regular pizzas, making one more move towards becoming a provider of "home meal replacement" more...
Cargill scrambles to evaluate damage in the wake of plant fire
The day after a fire racked a meat packing plant in Booneville, Ark., Cargill Meat Solutions was working to evaluate the damage, aid employees and repair more...
Tyson workers file donning and doffing suit
Eight Tyson Foods Inc. employees have filed a lawsuit in Des Moines federal court seeking payment for time spent on preparatory work needed to do their more...
DHS proposes safe harbor steps on no-match rules
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is proposing to amend Immigration and Nationality Act regulations issued last August that would, among other more...
Fortune lists "most admired" food production companies
Two meat processors were among Fortune Magazine's "Most Admired Companies" list for 2008 in the food production category, while two more were listed as more...
Hormel microwave meals plant receives tax benefits
Hormel Foods' planned microwave meals plant in Dubuque, Iowa, will receive an estimated $5.8 million in tax credits from the Iowa Department of Economic more...
AMI offers OSHA standards compliance course
For the second year, the AMI Foundation Worker Safety, Health and Human Resources Conference will offer a 10-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration more...
What a ham: Restaurant owner uses food as weapon
Pie in the face might be funny, but ham in the face hurts, and in this case helped a restaurant owner stop a meat thief.Joe Scola of Scola's Place in more...
Broiler production up, 2008 estimates raised: USDA
Broiler production in January 2008 was 3.22 billion pounds, a 6.4 percent increase over the same period a year earlier, according to the latest Livestock more...
USDA renews funding for Johne's cattle disease project
USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) awarded the Johne's Disease Integrated Program (JDIP) $4.8 million in renewed more...
Greenbacks going for greener goods
More consumers regularly buy products considered good for or less harmful to the environment and fewer consumers say they "never" buy such products, compared more...
Governor bets 40 pounds of pork on NCAA game
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver announced he made a friendly wager with Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear on the outcome of Friday's Western Kentucky University game more...
Maple Leaf to close Winnipeg plant, expand other facilities (UPDATED)
Canadian pork processor Maple Leaf Foods said Tuesday it will close its Warman Road plant in Winnipeg and expand other nearby facilities.The decision more...
Boar's Head gets bigger in Michigan
Boar's Head Provisions Co. Inc. is planning a big expansion for its Southwestern Michigan plant, its second in three years.The $24 million investment more...
JPMorgan upgrades meat, poultry stocks; downgrades packaged food
JPMorgan has upgraded its stock ratings for some meat and poultry processors, citing positive indications in pork, chicken and beef production, while more...
HPAI in Indonesia could mutate, create pandemic: FAO
The prevalence of avian influenza in Indonesia remains serious despite containment efforts undertaken by national authorities and the international community more...
FSIS addresses salmonella sampling and reporting questions
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued Notice 18-08, Questions & Answers Related to Raw Meat and Poultry Product Performance Standards for more...
Wal-Mart introduces store with 45 percent energy savings
Continuing its push to lead the industry in environmental sustainability, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced its newest store in Las Vegas will use up to more...
Cargill Meat Solutions chef honored by Research Chef Association
Chef Stephen Giunta, a certified master chef and culinary director of Cargill Meat Solutions' Culinary Innovation Center (CIC), received the Pioneer Award more...
AMSA, NMA partner on career Web site
The American Meat Science Association and the National Meat Association have teamed up to launch the Meat Industry CareerLink, an online resource for more...
National Beef majority owner approves JBS S.A. purchase
U.S. Premium Beef (USPB), the majority shareholder of National Beef Packing Co., said its unitholders overwhelmingly supported the sale of the Kansas more...
NCBA reorganizes staff, Truitt resigns
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is reorganizing its staff, eliminating three executive positions.The new organization includes the following more...
Quiznos puts made-on-TV sandwiches on menu
Denver-based sandwich chain Quiznos has announced that the sandwiches created for the chain by contestants on "The Celebrity Apprentice" last week will more...
Would you kiss your mother with that mouth?
Some months ago, Meatingplace.com began offering space for readers to discuss daily topics of interest in a forum directly beneath each story.The results more...
Sara Lee sells stake in Mexican meat supplier
Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee Corp. said Friday it plans to sell its almost-50 percent stake in Mexican meat vendor Qualtia Alimentos to its joint more...
Livestock industry leader Paul Hitch dies
Longtime cattleman and livestock industry leader Paul Hitch has died after a difficult bout with cancer. Hitch was 64.Best known for his success in cattle more...
Pilgrim's exec details reasons for distribution center closures
Pilgrim's Pride Chief Financial Officer Richard J. Codgill on Friday told attendees at the Lehman Brothers High Yield Bond and Syndicated Loan Conference more...
Bush poses one-year farm bill extension
President Bush on Thursday said he would sign the one-month extension of the 2002 farm bill Congress passed this week, but will ask Congress to extend more...
In the raw. Really.
If you've ever referred to a social gathering spot as a "meat market" or called an attractive member of the opposite sex a "nice-lookin' piece-a meat" more...
Two more meatpackers sued for back pay on donning and doffing
Plant workers at Greater Omaha Packing Co. and Nebraska Beef Ltd. have filed federal lawsuits seeking back pay for the time taken for such tasks as putting more...
U.S. beef exports to Japan expected to rise in '08: USMEF official
A meat industry official said U.S. beef exports to Japan should rise more than 60 percent to 75,000 metric tons in 2008 if Tokyo eases its import restrictions more...
Pollo Campero launches grilled chicken menu
Dallas-based Latin American chicken chain Pollo Campero announced the official launch of its new grilled chicken menu to debut in 38 of its U.S. restaurants more...
House passes farm bill extension
As expected, the House of Representatives yesterday followed the Senate in agreeing to extend the 2002 farm bill to April 18, 2008, giving conference more...
Dates set for poultry processor workshop
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association announced its 2008 Poultry Processor Workshop will be held May 21-22 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Atlanta.The program more...
Pilgrim's Pride cuts 1100 jobs, shutters 7 facilities
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Wednesday announced that it will shutter one processing plant and six distribution centers, all resulting in the loss of some more...
Smithfield to move smoked ham operations, add jobs to Kentucky plant
Smithfield Packing Co. said Wednesday it will shift its smoked ham operations from Kinston, N.C., to Grayson, Ky., and plans to spend $10 million to update more...
Legislators rake Hallmark CEO over the coals
They were already miffed when he walked in. Members of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee who had to subpoena Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co more...
Senate extends 2002 farm bill for another month
Unable to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the 2007 farm bill by a March 15 deadline, the Senate Tuesday night voted to more...
Outback Steakhouse launches LTO menu
Tampa, Fla.-based dining chain Outback Steakhouse announced that it plans to celebrate its 20th anniversary with a limited-time-only menu featuring big more...
Smithfield to close N.C. ham plant
Smithfield Packing Co. has announced it will close its smoked ham plant on West Vernon Avenue in Kinston, N.C., effective May 9.Smithfield's other ham more...
Brazilian beef exports fell 17 percent in February after EU restrictions
SAO PAULO, Brazil — Hit by European Union restrictions, Brazilian beef exports in February fell nearly 17 percent in volume and about 30 percent in value more...
National Pork Board unveils traveling promotional tour
The National Pork Board has announced plans to launch The Other White Meat Tour, an experiential mobile marketing campaign that will travel across the more...
LIVE FROM AMI: E. coli in 2008: Fasten your seat belts, expert says
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Changes to laboratory methods that heighten the intensity of tests USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service uses to detect E. coli 0157:H7 more...
LIVE FROM AMI: Burden of COOL record keeping on meatpackers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — U.S. meatpackers are going to have their cattle records in a row if country-of-origin labeling goes into effect as written. The more...
LIVE FROM AMI: Hallmark/Westland a 'perfect storm' for activists
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. recall of 143 million pounds of beef prompted by an animal rights group's videotaped footage more...
Relieved of its beef, Smithfield pushes hard into China for pork
Smithfield CEO Larry Pope told reporters on Friday that the company's next delegation to China will stay three to five months to seriously scope out business more...
Hallmark worker blames boss for animal abuse
Luis Sanchez, the former Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. worker caught on video abusing animals in the case that led to the largest beef recall in more...
Chick-fil-A considers rollout of spicy chicken sandwich
Atlanta-based chicken chain Chick-fil-A is currently testing a spicy chicken sandwich in units in Florida and Maryland, and is considering launching the more...
National Pork Board honors longtime service, environmental stewardship at forum
The Pork Checkoff honored James McKean, a professor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, an Extension veterinarian focusing on swine and the associate more...
Neurological illness strikes Nebraska pork plant worker
A former worker at a Hormel Foods pork plant in Fremont, Neb., has the same neurological illness that hit meatpackers in Minnesota and Indiana.Dr. Joanne more...
More concerns over JBS deals voiced
On Thursday, a third legislator added his voice to the chorus of those concerned about anti-trust issues raised by JBS's acquisition plans announced earlier more...
USDA creates new office to reach out to small processors
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced it has created a new program office to reach out to and educate small and very small meat processors more...
More meat than ever — red meat production sets all time record
Total red meat production for the United States totaled 48.8 billion pounds in 2007, up 2 percent from a year ago and setting an all-time record, USDA more...
Smithfield to focus on reducing debt, growing pork: CEO
Smithfield Foods Inc. President and CEO C. Larry Pope told Meatingplace.com in a telephone interview Thursday that selling off the company's beef operations more...
Congressman urges Justice Dept. to think twice about JBS beef purchases
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has asked the Justice Department to think long and hard about approving JBS S.A.'s proposed purchases of the fourth- and more...
USDA to Hallmark: We want our plaque back
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has formally rescinded Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co.'s supplier of the year award from the 2004/2005 school more...
Bush promotes alternative ethanol sources as corn drives up food costs
Citing the effect skyrocketing corn prices are having on food prices, President Bush advocated making ethanol from agricultural waste, wood chips or other more...
Pork Checkoff to take 'Don't Be Blah' campaign national
The Pork Checkoff's "The Other White Meat. Don't Be Blah" brand campaign will go national this year through a combination of high-visibility print and more...
JBS-Swift to resume strategy of maximizing slaughter capacity
With Smithfield Beef Group and National Beef Packing Co. under its belt, JBS S.A. now accounts for some 30 percent of the U.S. market's total beef processing more...
Wall Street loves JBS beef-buying spree
Stocks of meat processors rose sharply in morning trading on the news that JBS has agreed to purchase U.S. beef packer rivals National Beef Packing Co more...
Pilgrim's Pride names new CEO
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Wednesday said it has named J. Clinton Rivers president and CEO following the unexpected December death more...
AMS increasing grading, certification and audit fees
The Agricultural Marketing Service has announced that it is increasing the fees for federal voluntary poultry, rabbit and egg grading, certification and more...
Canadian processor recalls frozen chicken entrees on listeria concerns
Inovata Foods in Edmonton, Alberta, is voluntarily recalling approximately 3,780 pounds of frozen chicken entrées that may be contaminated with Listeria more...
Judge rules poultry are not 'livestock'
A San Francisco judge has ruled that chickens are not "livestock," and, as a result, are not subject to the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, according more...
JBS S.A. to buy National Beef Packing Co.
JBS S.A. is buying Kansas City, Mo.-based National Beef Packing Co. for $465 million in cash, $95 million in JBS stock and assumption of National Beef's more...
More brands added to Hallmark/Westland recall, CEO to be subpoenaed
Over the weekend, more retail brands were discovered to have included some beef involved in the Hallmark/Westland recall.They include a lasagna dish from more...
Sanderson Farms vague about plans for new N.C. plant
Sanderson Farms Inc. late Monday said it may or may not build a new poultry-processing complex in North Carolina or any other state. The statement from more...
More frozen chicken entrees recalled on listeria concerns
Costco Wholesale in Issaquah, Wash., is voluntarily recalling approximately 10,368 pounds of frozen chicken entrées that may be contaminated with Listeria more...
EU auditors inspecting Brazilian beef producers
SAO PAULO, Brazil — Three teams of inspectors with the European Commission are in Brazil to audit some 106 farms cleared by Brazil for exporting more...
Fred Ruiz receives frozen food industry honor
Fred Ruiz, chairman, co-founder and CEO of Dinuba, Calif.-based Ruiz Foods, was installed into the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats last month in San more...
Hormel sets $2 billion goal for new-product sales
Hormel Foods Corp. on Monday announced that it has set a new sales goal for new-product growth. The Austin, Minn.-based company's "Go for $2B by 2012" more...
FSIS reopening comment period on salmonella initiative program
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has told industry members that it will reopen the comment period and extend the implementation date associated more...
USMEF appoints five at-large directors to executive committee
The U.S. Meat Export Federation has appointed five representatives of the meat, livestock and grain industries to its executive committee as at-large more...
IHOP I am: chain serves up green eggs & ham
Glendale, Calif.-based dining chain IHOP announced the launch of a promotional menu that will serve up green eggs & ham, along with other Dr. Seuss-style more...
February 2008
Smithfield beef plant suspended by Japan
A Smithfield beef plant has been suspended from exporting to Japan following an apparent breach of Tokyo's import regulations, USDA confirmed.The Tolleson more...
Tyson may add 370 jobs at poultry plant
Tyson Foods Inc. may add about 370 jobs at its Springdale, Ark., poultry processing facility as part of a new plan to expand operations there, CEO Dick more...
San Bernardino DA says it did not ask HSUS to withhold video
The San Bernardino County District Attorney's office said it did not ask the Humane Society of the United States to withhold information from USDA on more...
USDA to focus on plants that handle vulnerable animals
USDA announced it will implement a series of interim actions to verify and analyze humane handling activities in all federally inspected establishments more...
Seaboard sees '07 sales up, earnings down
In its year-end financial results announced Thursday, Shawnee Mission, Kans.-based Seaboard Corp. reported that net sales were up 18.7 percent, to $3 more...
Glauber selected as USDA chief economist
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today announced the selection of Joseph Glauber as USDA chief economist. Glauber has served as acting chief economist more...
Smithfield 3Q results drop despite growth in exports, packaged meats
Smithfield Foods on Thursday reported a drop of about 10 percent in third-quarter profits despite some strong-performing segments.The Smithfield, Va.-based more...
In wake of Hallmark, AMI calls for training and random 3rd party checks
Getting out in front of a high-profile Senate committee hearing on the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. animal handling violations, American Meat Institute more...
Canadian government funds program to reduce hog breeding herd 10 percent
The Canadian government has announced a cull program designed to reduce the hog breeding herd by 10 percent.The initiative aims to remove 150,000 sows more...
Hormel opens R&D center in China
Hormel Foods Corp. said Thursday it has opened the Idea and Innovation Center in China, allowing the Austin, Minn.-based processor to create new products more...
Tyson adds pork ribs to Any'tizers line
Tyson Foods Inc. has added a new pork mini-rib offering to its Any'tizer line of appetizers, the Springdale, Ark.-based processor announced. The new Tyson more...
Retail brands caught up in Hallmark/Westland recall
The largest meat recall in history has reached the packaged goods industry, and brands that are distributed at retail.Minneapolis-based General Mills more...
Salmonella notice comment period set to close despite industry protests
The comment period for USDA's proposed salmonella initiative is set to close today, despite extension requests from industry members and trade associations more...
Smithfield exec appointed to newly formed EPA committee
Dennis H. Treacy, Smithfield Foods' VP for environmental and corporate affairs, has been appointed to the Environmental Protection Agency's newly formed more...
NIOSH issues guide to protecting poultry workers from AI
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has issued an informational guide to protecting poultry workers from avian influenza. Though more...
Humane Society grilled on not advising USDA about Hallmark
WASHINGTON — Congressmen repeatedly questioned a representative of the Humane Society of the United States on Tuesday about why the group did not immediately more...
Sanderson Farms swings to a profit, beats estimates
Sanderson Farms Inc. on Tuesday said it swung to profit in its fiscal first quarter, citing higher chicken prices that more than offset steep increases more...
Perdigao's 2007 profit soars 174 percent
Sao Paulo, Brazil-based food processor Perdigao S.A. reported Monday that its profit for fiscal 2007 rose 174 percent from last year to $190.5 million more...
McDonald's launches giveaway promotion with McSkillet Burritos
McDonald's announced that it will give away a free McSkillet Burrito to any consumer who purchases a medium and large beverage on Feb. 28 and 29, while more...
Mexico to lift import ban on live female calves from Canada
MEXICO CITY — Mexico will partially lift its five-year long ban on live imports of Canadian beef and dairy calves in March, allowing females under 30 more...
Industry lights fete Mucklow
MONTEREY, Calif. — In what amounted to a "Rosemary" love-fest, industry leaders lined up to praise (and roast) former National Meat Association executive more...
KFC launches new toasted wrap through 'Touch Tests'
Louisville, Ky.-based Kentucky Fried Chicken announced the introduction of a Toasted Wrap to its menu lineup, and will promote the new product via a series more...
Carl's Jr. puts Chili Cheese Burger back on the menu
Carpinteria, Calif.-based chain Carl's Jr. announced the return of its messy Chili Cheese Burger and Chili Cheese Fries to its menu lineup.The Chili Cheese more...
Proposed rule would allow USDA to name recipients of recalled meat
Among the myriad questions reporters are asking of USDA officials in the media storm generated by the Hallmark/Westland recall is, "Which companies received more...
LIVE FROM NMA: Schafer says recall a factor in trade negotiations
Monterey, Calif. — Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer told the Board of Directors and members of the National Meat Association on Friday that the consequences more...
USDA may extend salmonella initiative comment period
The Department of Agriculture has received a request to extend the comment period on its recently released salmonella initiative and is considering honoring more...
LIVE FROM USDA: Analysts see a lot more hogs than USDA does
WASHINGTON — U.S. and Canadian livestock analysts said they expect only a modest decrease in the North American sow herd a year from now and expect more...
LIVE FROM USDA: Biofuels a big topic at annual outlook forum
WASHINGTON — As more than 1,700 people gathered this week at USDA's Agricultural Outlook Forum just days after the biggest beef product recall in more...
Maple Leaf's 4Q loss widens
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. on Thursday said its fourth-quarter loss widened, citing a strong Canadian dollar and restructuring charges. For the three months more...
U.S. poultry exports set record in '07
Exports of U.S. poultry, eggs and related products surpassed $4 billion for the first time in 2007, according to the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council more...
Hallmark/Westland recall includes commingled products: USDA
MONTEREY, Calif. — The record-setting recall of Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. products does include any Hallmark/Westland product that may have been more...
Politics may prolong ratification of KORUS trade deal
Political processes on both sides of the Pacific Ocean threaten to further prolong ratification of a free-trade agreement between the United States and more...
Smithfield sow cut a start, but a long way to go: analysts
Smithfield Foods' announced 4 to 5 percent sow herd reduction on its own will reduce U.S. production by about 1 percent by early 2009 and by more if others more...
ConAgra to feature USDA's MyPyramid on packaging
ConAgra Foods Inc. on Wednesday announced packaging changes to help consumers better understand the nutritional values of the Omaha, Neb.-based company's more...
Donning and doffing suits against Pilgrim's Pride moved to federal court
Several donning and doffing lawsuits filed against Pilgrim's Pride Corp. have been consolidated and moved to a federal court, according to legal filings more...
Beef checkoff introduces five new beef cuts
The checkoff-funded Beef Innovations Group announced the introduction of five new beef cuts from the chuck roll.The new cuts include:The Delmonico Steak more...
ConAgra increases 3Q profit expectations, Rodkin touts Healthy Choice
Citing stronger-than-planned performance from its trading and merchandising and food and ingredients segments, ConAgra Foods on Tuesday announced that more...
Reformulated Oscar Mayer frank to hit shelves by Memorial Day: report
Kraft Foods Inc.'s Oscar Mayer unit aims to have a beefier hot dog in supermarkets by Memorial Day.For the first time in two decades, the Northfield, more...
T.G.I. Friday's puts chicken dish from Food Network contest on menu
Carrollton, Texas-based casual dining chain T.G.I. Friday's announced that it will put the champion dish from the Food Network's Ultimate Chicken Recipe more...
New roadway to be named after Don Tyson
The city council in Springdale, Ark., where Tyson Foods is based, has voted to name the new southern corridor from Interstate 540 to Butterfield Coach more...
Media focuses on school lunch program aspect of Hallmark/Westland beef recall
Television media coverage of Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co.'s record 143-million-pound beef recall was massive and focused largely on the fact that more...
Congress to investigate poultry worker safety
Lawmakers in both the House and Senate plan to investigate worker safety in the poultry industry in the wake of a Charlotte Observer series on safety more...
Meat industry groups oppose legislation on E-verify program
Six meat industry groups sent a letter to lawmakers opposing the Secure America through Verification Enforcement (SAVE) Act that would make a number of more...
Smokey Bones looks beyond barbecue to more steak options
Smokey Bones Barbecue & Grill, a restaurant chain owned by Boca Raton, Fla.-based private-equity firm Sun Capital Partners, is looking to expand its menu more...
Hormel ups profit on surge in SPAM sales, lower hog costs
Hormel Foods Inc. CEO Jeffrey Ettinger called the 15 percent increase in sales of the company's SPAM meats an "aberration," but the legendary brand, as more...
Criminal charges announced in Hallmark/Westland case
Two employees of Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. will be criminally charged in the case involving their abuse of cattle at the plant, which was secretly more...
Obama again slams Korea FTA
Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama this week renewed his opposition to the proposed free-trade agreement between the United States and South more...
Flesh, not meat, stars at 'world's first vegan strip club'
A strip club might not seem like the most obvious place to expose people to new philosophies, but that's not stopping Johnny Diablo, owner of Casa Diablo more...
Federal judge dismisses Tyson wage suit
Tyson Foods is off the hook — for now — in the lawsuit brought against the company by four employees in 2002 alleging Tyson had arranged to hire illegal more...
Oklahoma poultry litter injunction request to be heard next week
A hearing is set for next Tuesday as part of the ongoing battle between poultry processors and Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson. Edmondson in more...
Steak-umm launches new line of burgers
Reading, Pa.-based Steak-umm Company, LLC announced it has added a new line of burgers to its product lineup.Steak-umm offers its new line of frozen, more...
NTF honors Bil-Mar Foods founders
The National Turkey Federation has honored Bill and Marvin DeWitt, founders of Bil-Mar Foods, with the NTF Lifetime Achievement Award.Presented in conjunction more...
Smithfield says manure didn't make the grade for biofuel
Smithfield Foods said it sold its Utah biofuels plant because after three years of trying, it concluded it could not generate enough methane from the more...
Animal welfare groups protest long-distance animal transport
A global coalition of animal welfare groups has launched a campaign calling on governments to stop what it terms "the brutality of transporting live animals more...
Cattlmen's Beef Board seats new members, leaders
The Cattlemen's Beef Board has seated new board members and elected officers and representatives to its 2008 Executive Committee and the Beef Promotion more...
Dunkin' Donuts launches oven-toasted menu
Canton, Mass.-based chain Dunkin' Donuts announced the launch of new, all-day oven-toasted menu items that include meat sandwiches and personal pizzas more...
Former growers suing Pilgrim's Pride
Forty-two poultry growers in Southwest Arkansas are suing Pilgrim's Pride Corp. alleging that the Pittsburg, Texas-based processor defrauded and deceived more...
USDA names new deputy under secretary for food safety
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced the appointment of H. Scott Hurd as deputy under secretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture more...
Feds promise faster green card service for legal immigrants
Thousands of immigrants who already are in the States legally should find their applications for permanent residency status — a.k.a. green cards more...
Foster Farms unleashes new Foster Imposter ads
Livingston, Calif.-based Foster Farms announced the launch of three new television ads for its Foster Imposter campaign that will focus on the qualities more...
Tyson board appoints lead independent director, compensation committee chair
The board of directors of Tyson Foods has appointed a lead independent director, a new chairman of its Compensation Committee and also established a Nominating more...
House of Raeford responds to workplace safety allegations
Raeford, N.C.-based poultry processor House of Raeford Farms said it is further investigating allegations by the Charlotte Observerthat it has underreported more...
NCBA looks to double Beef Checkoff fee
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association proposed to increase the Beef Checkoff fee from $1 per head to $2 at the association's annual convention in more...
Safeway to give preference to animal-welfare-friendly suppliers
In response to discussions it had with the Humane Society of the United States, Safeway announced new policies to work with pork and poultry suppliers more...
Pierre Foods shuts down Georgia plant
Cincinnati-based Pierre Foods Inc. announced that it will close its plant in Cedartown, Ga. today, amid plans to shift the majority of the facility's more...
USDA expects larger imports of live hogs from Canada
USDA raised its U.S. pork production forecast to 23.06 billion pounds from last month's 22.77 billion pounds, and compared to an estimated 21.96 billion more...
USDA lowers beef export forecast; sees higher cow slaughter
USDA lowered its forecast of U.S. beef exports in 2008 to 1.67 billion pounds from last month's forecast of 1.71 billion, but still an increase from 1 more...
USDA extends administrative hold on Calif. plant's products (corrected version)
USDA's Food Nutrition Service said Friday that it had extended the administrative hold on the products that Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. had previously more...
Hallmark/Westland had been cited in the past for animal handling
The Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. in Chino, Calif. had a record of lesser animal handling violations with the USDA dating back to 2005 and an animal more...
Worker at JBS-Swift plant dies after fall
A worker who fell about 20 feet last Friday at JBS-Swift's plant in Greeley, Colo., died early Wednesday from head and brain injuries, according to the more...
FDA drafts policy to control listeria
The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday a draft compliance policy to control Listeria moncytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods that support more...
P.F. Chang's introduces new grill menu
Scottsdale, Ariz.-based chain P.F. Chang's China Bistro announced the launch of its Chinese Grill Menu featuring new chicken and steak dishes.New items more...
USDA suspends inspection of Hallmark for humane violations
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has suspended its inspection of the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. in Chino, Calif., "based on the establishment's more...
Tyson unveils final plans for Emporia plant
Tyson Fresh Meats will lay off 1,700 to 1,800 people at its Emporia, Kan., plant, upping by between 200 and 300 the number of job cuts it will perform more...
Worker in Hormel rendering area showing neurological symptoms
The Minnesota Department of Health is investigating the thirteenth worker in Austin, Minn., to show signs of neurological distress possibly related to more...
Sara Lee swings to 2Q profit on overseas sales
Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee Corp. on Wednesday said it swung to a profit in the fiscal second quarter, buoyed by sales increases in its international more...
KFC looking at shaking up menu, brand image
Yum Brands Inc., parent of KFC, is considering restructuring the chicken chain to include what officials called a "nonfried chicken platform," during more...
OSHA investigates fall that leaves JBS-Swift employee near death
A longtime employee at JBS-Swift's Greeley, Colo., plant is on life support after sustaining head injuries from a fall at the facility last Friday, the more...
New ag budget earmarks fund avian disease center project
Agricultural earmarks in the president's fiscal 2009 budget, announced Monday, include a $13 million provision to proceed with the design and planning more...
Pork Checkoff among issues to be discussed at National Pork Industry Forum
The Pork Act Delegate Body will deliberate on issues and challenges facing the pork industry during the National Pork Industry Forum in St. Louis March more...
Nearly half a billion chicken wings consumed on Super Bowl Sunday
Approximately 94 million people feasted on 465 million chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday, according to a USDA/AMS report. The poultry industry produces more...
Now and 'forever': Tyson adjusting to struggles in beef industry
Tyson Foods doesn't regard its decision to discontinue cattle slaughter at its Emporia, Kan., processing facility as just a band-aid for a bleeding beef more...
Australian beef exports to fall in 2008: report
Competition from the United States in Japan and South Korea will help force beef exports from Australia to dip some 5.5 percent this year.Total shipments more...
Bush budget not changing ethanol import tax
The Bush administration did not propose any changes to the expiring U.S. ethanol import tariff in the 2009 budget it sent to Congress on Monday, an Energy more...
Controversial former Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz dead at 98
Former Secretary of Agriculture and Dean of Purdue University's College of Agriculture Earl Butz died in his sleep this past weekend in Washington D.C more...
Tyson strikes deal for raising chicken in China; not selling pork there
SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Tyson Foods said on Friday it has firmed up a joint venture with a Chinese breeding company to raise chicken there as the protein giant more...
Alarm over Hallmark/Westland beef products grows nationally
The fallout from the cattle-abuse video posted by the Humane Society of the United States continues to spread.Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the more...
CDC names pork plant workers' illness as investigation continues
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday outlined the ongoing investigation of a neurological illness reported by pork plant workers more...
Three in W.V. charged in alleged cattle brokering scam
Three West Virginia men — two of them local bank officials in Ronceverte — have been charged with crimes arising from a multimillion-dollar cattle scandal more...
January 2008
Montana processor seeks approval for new pork plant
Butte, Mont.-based Ranchland Packing Co. is seeking approval to build a slaughter facility that would process about 1,000 pigs a day and employ roughly more...
National Pork Producers Delegate Body named
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has appointed 155 pork producers and eight importers to the 2008 National Pork Producers Delegate Body. The delegates more...
Burger King 2Q profit rises
Burger King Holdings Inc. on Thursday reported a 29 percent increase in profit during its fiscal second quarter, defying high input costs and other macroeconomic more...
Denny's new breakfast campaign challenges QSRs
Spartanburg, S.C.-based chain Denny's announced that it won't just sit back and let QSRs steal all of the breakfast menu glory. The company recently launched more...
Court ruling overturns $9.25M cattle case, favors meatpackers
A panel of judges of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided Tuesday to reverse a 2006 ruling that granted $9.25 million to three cattle producers more...
Hormel to open microwave meals plant in Iowa
Hormel Foods Corp. plans to break ground on an $89 million microwave meals production facility in Dubuque, Iowa, this summer, the Austin, Minn.-based more...
Smithfield suit against UFCW to proceed in court
A federal court on Tuesday denied the United Food and Commercial Workers' motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Smithfield Foods and subsidiary Smithfield more...
Kraft 4Q earnings drop
Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods Inc. on Wednesday said its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings fell 6 percent, citing higher dairy costs and one-time charges more...
Pilgrim's Pride widens 1Q loss, raising prices, not planning production cutbacks
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Tuesday posted a wider loss in the first quarter despite analysts' profit expectations and said customers could expect a nearly more...
JBS S.A. reveals '08 financial expectations
JBS S.A., the world's largest beef producer and exporter and parent company of JBS-Swift & Co. in the United States, on Monday announced its expected more...
USDA probes possible link between E. coli, distillers grains
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Neb., are studying whether feeding cattle distillers grains more...
Noted poultry veterinarian dies at 98
Arnold S. "Rosy" Rosenwald, extension poultry pathologist emeritus at the University of California, Davis, died Jan. 23 in Davis at age 98, the university more...
Tyson 1Q profit plummets, expects price jumps
Tyson Foods Inc. on Monday said earnings for the first quarter dropped 40 percent, withdrew its earnings guidance and said customers could expect substantial more...
Tyson looks to shorten pricing contract cycle to recoup feed costs
Tyson Foods is looking to shorten its pricing cycles for both food service and retail customers to allow more flexibility to adjust to volatile feed grain more...
Tyson will not make up Emporia beef production at other plants
Tyson Foods, which announced Friday it would stop beef slaughter at its Emporia, Kan. facility, does not plan to try to recoup that production at other more...
McDonald's same-store sales flat; net up in fourth quarter
McDonald's Corp. reported flat domestic same-store sales for the month of December, blaming winter weather and soft consumer spending for the disappointing more...
Competitors' challenge to Tyson chicken marketing program denied
Four competitive poultry companies on Friday filed a temporary restraining order against Tyson Foods Inc., claiming the company was using the "Raised more...
Former Sara Lee pork plant sold
Sara Lee has sold its former pork processing plant in West Point, Miss., to CRG Acquisition LLC, a joint venture of Capital Recovery Group, Rabin Worldwide more...
USDA accepts applications for export assistance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service is accepting applications for the Emerging Markets Program (EMP) to help expand commercial more...
Schafer appears to sail toward imminent confirmation as ag secretary
President Bush's nominee for the cabinet-level secretary of agriculture position, former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer, enjoyed a friendly hearing before more...
LIVE FROM IPE: Korea FTA would benefit poultry
ATLANTA — While disrupted beef trade with South Korea has received the most attention in the Korean free-trade agreement process, U.S. Secretary of Commerce more...
Murray's Chicken debuts gluten-free breaded chicken nuggets
New City, N.Y.-based processor Murray's Chicken has launched Murray's Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Nuggets.The product, Murray's first foray into gluten-free more...
Watch out, Angus: Certified Hereford Beef launches upgraded Web site
Certified Angus Beef gets a lot of attention for its marketing tactics, but Certified Hereford Beef now has a new tool to compete: an upgraded Web site more...
Research firm lowers growth forecast for foodservice in 2008
As the news about the U.S. economy worsens, so do forecasts of how much consumers will spend eating out in 2008. Foodservice research firm Technomic Inc more...
ConAgra drops N.M. ethanol project
Citing volatility in the ethanol market and increased costs of the project, ConAgra Foods has abandoned plans to build an ethanol plant in Clovis, N.M more...
Tyson partners with Mary Lou Retton on contest to win trip to Olympics
Tyson Foods announced a partnership with Olympic gymnastics champion Mary Lou Retton in a contest to select the most deserving "Gold Medal Mom" to win more...
Minnesota cattle herd tests positive for bovine tuberculosis
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced that a Roseau County beef cattle herd tested positive for bovine tuberculosis (TB), making it the ninth more...
Live from IPE: Salmonella initiative soon to be published, official says
ATLANTA — USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service will likely publish its salmonella initiative, introduced last fall, in the federal register within more...
USDA amends regulations on imports from BSE minimal-risk countries
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has amended its regulations for the importation of animals and animal products, removing several restrictions more...
Tyson biofuels plant gets a boost from Louisiana group
A $126 million biofuels plant in Geismar, La., that's a joint venture of Tyson Foods and Syntroleum Inc. has received a $400,000 grant from the Louisiana more...
UGA scientists studying use of electrolyzed oxidized water in poultry
University of Georgia scientists are looking at approaches to using electrolyzed oxidized water to sanitize fresh chicken, the university has announced more...
The burger is still king, research confirms
A whopping 85 percent of Americans eat burgers at least once a month, and only 6 percent never eat burgers, according to a recent survey of 1,200 U.S more...
Seoul may reopen to U.S. beef in phases: report
South Korea is considering reopening its market to U.S. beef by way of a step-by-step process that may allow previously banned bovine parts such as bones more...
Broiler production, average liveweight up: USDA
The amount of chicks placed in the fourth quarter of 2007 increased about 4 percent over the prior year, according to the Department of Agriculture's more...
National Pork Board names 2008 Celebrated Chefs
The National Pork Board has named five Celebrated Chefs for 2008, the 12th year of the program designed to highlight pork's versatility in the foodservice more...
Hardee's adding Hillshire Farm sausage to breakfast lineup
Carpinteria, Calif.-based hamburger chain Hardee's announced that it is putting Hillshire Farm sausage links on its breakfast menu for a limited time more...
Product development showcase at IPE to feature hot trends, cooking demos
At the International Poultry Expo this week in Atlanta, POULTRY and Plate magazines will present four hot trends in foodservice and show how processors more...
Failed beef plant in Mississippi a step closer to re-opening
The long-running saga of the failed Mississippi meat processing plant seems finally to be nearing a happy ending.Houston, Texas-based Windsor Quality more...
Survey results: readers raise a variety of concerns about cloning
Nearly half (43 percent) of respondents to a Meatingplace.com reader survey said they wouldn't eat meat derived from cattle bred from cloned livestock more...
Meat plays prominent role in NFC Championship wagers
When the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants go to battle on Sunday, it won't be just the National Football Conference Championship on the line more...
Spanish-language education at IPE addresses new product development, processing solutions
At this year's International Poultry Expo, CarneTec.com will present four Spanish-language educational sessions addressing the use of phosphates in poultry more...
Illnesses at Ind. and Minn. pork plants may be linked, feds say
Federal health officials are investigating whether illnesses reported by workers at a pork plant in Indiana are linked to those reported earlier at a more...
Poultry 101 to be held March 4-6 at Texas Tech
Christine Alvarado of Texas Tech University, Shelly McKee of Auburn University and Casey Owens of the University of Arkansas will conduct their Poultry more...
Red Robin to open more than 40 new units in 2008
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. plans to increase its total number of units by as much as 12 percent in 2008, the company announced. The Greenwood Village more...
Humane-labeling program names director of animal science programs
Humane Farm Animal Care, the national nonprofit organization that certifies humane treatment of farm animals with its Certified Humane Raised and Handled more...
Russia approves three U.S. beef companies for export
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Wednesday that Russia has added three more U.S. meatpacking facilities to its list of eligible U.S. exporters more...
Asian nations want more information about meat from cloned U.S. animals
Officials in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan all promised to study the issue of using cloned animals for food, although they don't view the issue as extremely more...
Quiznos expands line of healthy flatbread sandwiches
Denver-based sandwich chain Quiznos announced the expansion of its line of low-cal flatbread Sammies, now including two new sandwiches available for $2 more...
Switzerland faces sausage crisis
The world might be most familiar with the cheese and chocolate of Switzerland, but now another Swiss delicacy is creating a stir: cervelat sausage.The more...
Smithfield, Tyson to remain clone-free following FDA approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring are as safe for human consumption as more...
Proxy firm criticizes Tyson directors, tells shareholders to withhold votes
Citing concerns about performance and pay, proxy advisory firm Proxy Governance Inc. recommended Tyson Foods shareholders withhold votes for nine of the more...
Meyer Natural Angus acquires Laura's Lean Beef
Lexington, Ky.-based Laura's Lean Beef was sold to Colorado-based Meyer Natural Angus on Dec. 28, making the combined companies among the largest suppliers more...
Boiler explodes at Pilgrim's Pride plant
A boiler exploded late Monday afternoon at a Gainesville, Ga., Pilgrim's Pride Corp. plant, causing a minor production interruption, company spokesman more...
Smithfield beef imports suspended by Japan
Smithfield Beef Group's Moyer Packing Co. plant in Souderton, Pa., has been suspended from exporting beef to Japan, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection more...
Cargill earnings jump in 2Q
Cargill Inc. on Monday said earnings jumped 44 percent in its second fiscal quarter, citing investment realizations. The Minneapolis-based company reported more...
National Pork Board CEO resigns
Steve Murphy, the chief executive officer of the National Pork Board since 2001, has submitted his resignation.The board has asked Murphy to continue more...
Wal-Mart testing small grocery stores to compete with Tesco
Wal-Mart plans to open new small-format grocery stores in Arizona this year in a play seen as a response to UK-based grocer Tesco's move into the U.S more...
Former Pilgrim's Pride employees indicted in hiring scheme
Some 24 people were indicted this week, including 21 former Pilgrim's Pride Corp. employees, for either orchestrating or participating in an identity more...
Cargill plant resumes beef exports to Japan
Japan has lifted its ban on imports of beef from a Cargill Meat Solutions beef plant, a Cargill spokesman told Meatingplace.com."We have been notified more...
Kosher processor to continue battle with union over illegals
A three-judge panel of the federal District of Columbia Court of Appeals has ordered a leading kosher meat processor to bargain with a union trying to more...
USDA sees cattle weights down, prices up in 2008
Higher cattle on feed inventories in December will boost beef production in early 2008, but high feed costs are likely to limit weight gains through the more...
USDA boosts hog production, export forecasts; lowers price outlook
A larger pig crop in the second half of 2007 and expected gains in pigs per litter in 2008 will result in higher hog slaughter and lower prices in 2008 more...
Officials recover stolen, tainted beef sold to Dallas restaurant
A local Dallas restaurant bought a box of ground beef that came from a stolen truckload possibly tainted with E. coli, according to The Dallas Morning more...
China invests millions to improve pork quality
China has invested almost $69 million in a nationwide effort to improve the quality of its pork, the Ministry of Commerce said, according to the official more...
Mintel predicts eight menu trends for '08
National restaurant-tracking service Mintel Menu Insights has delivered up a list of menu trends that are likely to hit dining establishments in the New more...
Bennigan's launches promotional menu with baby back ribs
Plano, Texas-based dining chain Bennigan's Grill & Tavern announced the introduction of a limited time only promotional menu featuring fried baby back more...
National Beef widens loss in 1Q
National Beef Packing Co. on Tuesday reported a wider loss in earnings on higher-priced cattle.In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission more...
Topps Meat assets sold, most creditors left out in the cold
Topps Meat Co. sold its assets for about $1.25 million, leaving most unsecured creditors likely to receive little, if any, money, according to the Associated more...
Wellshire offers line of all-natural meatballs and stuffed pastas
Swedesboro, N.J.-based Wellshire Farms announced that it now offers Colameco's line of all-natural stuffed pastas, beef and turkey meatballs, and meat-rich more...
Wendy's cuts its Frescata sandwich line
Dublin, Ohio-based burger chain Wendy's International Inc. has discontinued its Frescata line of deli sandwiches, once touted as a boon to the struggling more...
Cargill beef plants get the nod from Taiwan
USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service said Tuesday that Taiwan has reopened its doors to product from two Cargill Meat Solutions beef plants.The company's more...
The return of Spam: Hormel launches new campaign for old icon
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods will launch a campaign this month that aims to put its Spam product back in the public consciousness, Brandweek reported more...
Dallas ups inspections following beef heist
The city of Dallas announced its health inspectors will ramp up scrutiny of local restaurants owing to concerns over a missing shipment of ground beef more...
E.coli concerns prompt another ground beef recall
Detroit-based Mark's Quality Meats Inc. is voluntarily recalling approximately 13,150 pounds of various cuts of steaks and ground beef products because more...
Tyson again on receiving end of donning-doffing suit
Six workers at a Tyson Foods meat plant in Joslin, Ill., are suing the company over pay for time spent during pre- and post-production procedures.According more...
Cargill acquires British poultry processor
Cargill Inc., through its European subsidiary Sun Valley Europe, has acquired chicken processor Freeman's of Newent Ltd., the company announced on Monday more...
Chipotle to increase natural meat offerings
Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill announced its plans to serve more than 52 million pounds of naturally raised meat in 2008, a 40 percent increase over more...
FDA to approve livestock cloning: report
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to issue a final rule approving the sale of meat and milk to the public from cloned livestock as early as more...
R-CALF to hold annual convention in Omaha
R-CALF USA's 9th annual convention will take place Feb. 20-23 in Omaha, Neb., at the Holiday Inn Omaha Convention Center, 3321 S. 72nd St. The theme for more...
ARAMARK introduces low-calorie meal options
An example of another foodservice company jumping on the healthy foods bandwagon, Philadelphia-based ARAMARK Business and Industry Group announced the more...
Argentina extends cap on beef exports
Argentina has extended to March 31 its limits on beef exports, which were imposed by President Nestor Kirchner in March 2006 in an effort safeguard domestic more...
1,500 Minnesota cattle herds test negative for bovine TB
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced that 1,500 Minnesota cattle herds have tested negative for bovine tuberculosis, as part of the statewide more...
National Pork Board to meet in California
Air quality, swine reproduction and potential production practice changes are on the agenda for the National Pork Board's meeting in Sacramento, Calif more...
Kraft launches new South Beach Living dining options
Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods has launched three new varieties of its South Beach Living brand of frozen entrees.The new meal options include meatloaf more...
Second Brazilian beef co. enters U.S. market
Following the lead of competing Brazilian beef company JBS S.A., Marfrig Frigoríficos e Comércio de Alimentos S.A., Brazil's third largest beef exporter more...
Dakota Beef sells recently purchased grain elevators, seeks better fit
Howard, S.D.-based Dakota Beef has sold the 12 grain elevators it recently purchased from Quinter, Kan.-based Midwest Cooperative to cooperative Frontier more...
PETA, other activist groups impacting kids: Pork Checkoff research
Activist groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are affecting children's meat-eating habits, according to research by the Pork Checkoff more...
Taco Bell to offer low-fat menu
Just in time to meet America's dieting resolutions for the New Year, Irvine, Calif.-based chain Taco Bell announced the launch of its Fresco menu, featuring more...
December 2007
USDA issues ground beef health alert for possible salmonella
USDA has issued a public health alert due to illnesses from Salmonella Newport associated with fresh ground beef products contaminated with multi-drug more...
Tyson, USDA agree on chicken labeling
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. on Thursday said the company and USDA have agreed to change the wording in its "raised without antibiotics" chicken more...
Hormel announces director promotions
Hormel Foods Corp. on Friday announced that Fred D. Halvin has been named director of mergers, acquisitions and strategy, effective Jan. 1, 2008.Halvin more...
Meatingplace announces holiday news schedule
The Meatingplace Daily News service will post on an amended holiday schedule Monday, Dec. 24 through Tuesday, Jan. 1. During this period, we will only more...
ConAgra earnings survive pot pie recall, lagging consumer foods segment
Despite having to shell out $27 million in the fallout of a recall of chicken pot pies and a lackluster performance by its consumer foods segment, ConAgra more...
Bush signs renewable fuels bill
President Bush signed into law an energy bill that will call for at least 36 billion gallons of biofuel to be used nationwide by 2022, the White House more...
Frank's Redhot meat snacks offer three new flavors
Boulder, Colo.-based Thanasi Foods announced the addition of three new flavors to its line of Frank's Redhot meat snack sticks.The new flavors include more...
Meatingplace announces holiday news schedule
The Meatingplace Daily News service will post on an amended holiday schedule Monday, Dec. 24 through Tuesday, Jan. 1. During this period, we will only more...
Company to buy former Tyson Foods plant, hire 300
Pine Bluff Poultry LLC said Tuesday that it will buy a former Tyson Foods plant in Pine Bluff, Ark., spend $3 million to upgrade it and hire up to 300 more...
EU restricts Brazilian beef imports
The European Union said it would restrict Brazilian beef imports starting Jan. 31 because of what it called "serious and repeated'' failings in Brazil's more...
Reader poll: What was the most important news event of 2007?
ICE raids, the JBS-Swift acquisition, ethanol, landmark beef recalls…any way you cut it, it was a big news year for the meat and poultry industries. Now more...
Breast cancer foundation sues Smithfield over logo
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation filed a trademark lawsuit in a Dallas federal court last week against Smithfield Foods for using a pink ribbon more...
E. coli concerns prompt ground beef recall
Snapps Ferry Packing in Afton, Tenn., is voluntarily recalling approximately 102 pounds of hamburger patties and bulk ground beef that may be contaminated more...
Sizzler puts tropical-themed steak dish on new holiday menu
Culver City, Calif.-based dining chain Sizzler announced the rollout of its promotional holiday menu, complete with a new tropical-themed steak dish.The more...
Senate slips chicken into COOL farm bill provision
The Senate added chicken to its version of the country-of-origin labeling provision in the 2007 farm bill passed late Friday, even though nearly all chicken more...
Pilgrim's Pride's Goolsby dies
O.B. Goolsby Jr., president and chief executive officer of poultry processor Pilgrim's Pride, passed away Monday after suffering an apparent massive stroke more...
Jack in the Box rolls out new sirloin steak melt
San Diego-based hamburger chain Jack in the Box announced the debut of its new sirloin steak melt, featuring slices of marinated sirloin steak along with more...
Senate passes energy bill that boosts ethanol output
The Senate, by a vote of 86-8, Thursday night approved an energy bill with enough changes to the House version to win White House approval, but did not more...
USDA opens new agricultural trade office in China
USDA on Friday opened a new agricultural trade office in Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's province of Sichuan. Chengdu is China's fifth most more...
New IKE scenario covers inspection coverage, overtime
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has released Interactive Knowledge Exchange (IKE) Scenario 07:07: FSIS Directive 12, 600.2 — Determining more...
Ham bone busted by Australian pork producers
Safeway pulled a controversial leg ham product off the shelves in Australia after the local pork industry cried foul over the way it was labeled, according more...
N.C. authorities probe pig abuse allegations
A county prosecutor in North Carolina is investigating allegations of animal cruelty by workers at Murphy Family Ventures, an independent contract grower more...
Paula Deen visits Smithfield plant after union protest
Celebrity cook Paula Deen paid a surprise visit to union workers at a Smithfield processing facility two days after the United Food and Commercial Workers more...
U.S. beef exports up 19 percent from a year ago
U.S. beef exports (including variety meat) from January through October increased 19 percent in volume to 639,549 metric tons and 30 percent in value more...
Burger King expands into Colombia
Miami-based Burger King announced that it will expand its brand into Columbia with one restaurant opening during the first half of 2008 in Medellin, and more...
Smithfield hog supplier abused pigs, PETA alleges
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said Wednesday that undercover video recordings at a Garland, N.C.-based sow farm shows workers abusing more...
National Beef cutting back production
Kansas City, Mo.-based National Beef Packing Co. announced it will cut back production at its beef processing facilities to 32-36 hours per week starting more...
Healthy eating, to-go options among hot trends in 2008 Restaurant Industry Forecast
Americans are looking for healthy options, environmentally conscious choices and more convenient takeout when they eat at restaurants, according to the more...
Chicken chain Dixie Lee expands into Middle East
Dixie Lee International Industries announced that it will expand its Dixie Lee Chicken & Seafood Restaurant chain into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) more...
China to allow six U.S. pork processing plants to resume exports
Six U.S. pork-processing facilities have received clearance to resume exports to China as part of a broad food and product safety agreement, according more...
Specialty Foods recalls liver sausage for undeclared allergen
Specialty Foods Group Inc. in Owensboro, Ky., is recalling 98,772 pounds of Braunschweiger liver sausage products because they may contain non-fat dry more...
USPOULTRY foundation donates to N.C. State
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation recently presented a check for $23,495 to the North Carolina State University department of poultry science more...
Church's Chicken to expand into Russia
San Antonio-based Church's Chicken, under its international brand name Texas Chicken, announced that it will open 100 restaurants over the next seven more...
Taiwan finds more bone fragments in U.S. beef shipment
Taiwan's Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday it found two bone fragments in a shipment of U.S. beef, marking the third such case within the last more...
Smithfield wins appeal in dispute over alleged employee mistreatment
A federal appeals court has ruled that Smithfield Packing Co. security personnel did not mistreat employees who worked for a cleaning contractor during more...
Canadian beef plant receives $12 million to stay open
The struggling Atlantic Beef Products plant in Albany, Prince Edward Island, Canada, has received $12 million in government assistance to remain open more...
FSIS issues cancellation of obsolete issuances
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has instructed inspectors to only follow instructions found in current FSIS notices and FSIS directives, and more...
Japan's proposal to ease age limit on U.S. beef not good enough: U.S. official
Washington's headaches with Tokyo continued when Japanese officials indicated amid technical talks Friday that it might allow imports of U.S. beef from more...
House passes energy bill boosting biofuel targets
The House of Representatives Thursday passed an energy bill that would boost U.S. production of ethanol and other biofuels.The bill would mandate use more...
Undeclared allergen prompts recall of beef and chicken base products
Custom Culinary Inc. in Oswego, Ill., is recalling approximately 990 pounds of beef and chicken base products because they may contain undeclared allergens more...
Yum! Brands to build 425 restaurants in China
Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! Brands Inc. said it plans to open at least 425 new restaurants in mainland China, including 310 KFCs, 85 Pizza Hut Casual Dining more...
U.S. begins beef talks with Japan
U.S. and Japanese officials began subcabinet-level discussions Thursday in Tokyo to discuss beef, among other issues.Co-chairing the meeting were Japanese more...
Pork Checkoff launches Web page on nutritional efficiency
The Pork Checkoff announced that is has launched a new Web site aimed at helping producers optimize feed costs and maximize production efficiencies.The more...
Burger King's Whopper sandwich hits 50, turns to wax
Burger King's Whopper has hit its 50th birthday, and the company plans to celebrate by turning the iconic sandwich into an exhibit at Madame Tussauds more...
International Livestock Congress to focus on global beef opportunities
The 2008 International Livestock Conference is scheduled for Jan. 15 in Denver.The conference's theme is "Global Beef Opportunities: Blazing New Trails more...
Kraft dispels rumor of Brazilian acquisition
Kraft Foods Inc. on Wednesday dispelled reports that it is seeking to buy a leading Brazilian meatpacker.The Northfield, Ill.-based food giant released more...
ConAgra cuts sodium levels in several brands
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods Inc. on Wednesday announced that it has cut sodium levels in several of its brands, including Banquet, Chef Boyardee, more...
Spanish Iberico ham ready for U.S. debut
The first Iberico ham from Spain will debut Thursday at Washington's Jaleo restaurant, where it will be served to guests including the Spanish ambassador more...
And the quality award goes to…FSIS
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service was honored with the 2007 Presidential Quality Award for Management Excellence more...
Minnesota pork plant investigated for illness cluster
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced it is investigating a cluster of 11 cases of neurological illness in workers at Quality Pork Processors more...
Sanderson Farms profits more than double, shares soar
Sanderson Farms Inc. on Tuesday said profits for the fourth fiscal quarter more than doubled, citing price increases that offset higher input costs. Shares more...
Pork industry disturbed by EU export subsidies
The National Pork Producers Council said it is deeply disturbed by the European Union's decision to reintroduce export subsidies for pork."The EU subsidies more...
China insures more than 21 million sows to ease pork shortage
In an effort to ease a pork shortage and curb rising pork prices, more than 21 million sows have been covered by insurance, according to the China Insurance more...
USDA sees pork exports hitting new record on weak dollar
USDA boosted its forecast of U.S. pork export volume to a new record in 2008 and beef export volume will remain steady, while dollar values of both rises more...
Most recalled meat is not recovered: report
At a time of increasing meat recalls, data shows that most of that meat is never recovered, according to a USA Today analysis of USDA's recall data.For more...
New human H5N1 case reported in China
The Chinese government on Monday said that a man from the country's south has become the nation's 17th human victim of highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
Japanese chain cops to selling outdated food
In the latest of a series of food-related scandals for Japan, the country's second-largest convenience store operator, Lawson Inc., admitted Monday to more...
November 2007
Report: Tesco anticipates big splash in U.S. markets
A report released by TNS Retail Forward, a global market insight group, estimated that the U.K. megastore Tesco's arrival in the United States will have more...
McDonald's names new chief marketing officer
McDonald's announced it has promoted Neil Golden to senior vice president and chief marketing officer for McDonald's USA, effective April 1, 2008.Golden more...
IPE educational sessions to feature FSIS administrator, chefs and more
At the 2008 International Poultry Expo in Atlanta, POULTRY magazine, along with its sister publications Plate magazine and CarneTec.com, will present more...
Strange feedstuffs: Chicken key to missing jewelry
Twenty-five years after losing an ID bracelet, a Massachusetts man was reunited with his jewelry thanks to a chicken. Aaron Giles lived in Fairmont, Minn more...
Smithfield 2Q profit sinks on lower hog production earnings
Smithfield Foods on Thursday said second-quarter earnings sunk 61 percent, citing a decline in hog prices and charges related to the fallout of classical more...
North Dakota Natural Beef hires sales VP, regional sales manager
Fargo, N.D.-based North Dakota Natural Beef, marketer of the Dakota Farms brand, has hired Michael Levine as vice president of sales and Kevin Foxwell more...
USMEF educates Korean restaurants about U.S. pork
To get out in front of South Korea applying country of origin labeling (COOL) to pork, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said it held U.S. pork education more...
Maid-Rite teams with convenience chain to launch express sandwich shop
Des Moines-based sandwich chain Maid-Rite has joined forces with West Des Moines-based convenience store operator Hy-Vee to launch a new sandwich store more...
Major food industry manufacturers merge in 'aggressive' growth plan
With its $642 million purchase of Stork Food Systems, Iceland's Marel Food Systems has doubled in size — again.Last year, Marel, which manufactures high-tech more...
ConAgra exec to leave company
Dean Hollis, president and chief operating officer of ConAgra Foods' consumer foods division, will leave the company in July 2008 to seek the top leadership more...
Economist sees hog price losses continuing through next year
Hog producers are expected to continue losing money through early 2009, even if breeding herd reductions begin this winter — and that's a big "if more...
Information on new I-9 form published in Federal Register
Information on the newly amended Eligibility Verification Form (I-9) has been published in the Federal Register. All employers are required to complete more...
JBS-Swift to resume slaughter following fire
JBS-Swift said it will resume normal slaughter operations Wednesday at its Grand Island, Neb., beef plant after a minor electrical fire forced the company more...
Cattlemen's Beef Board adds staff to inform industry on checkoff program
The Cattlemen's Beef Board announced that it has added two veteran ag communicators to its staff who will inform cattlemen on how their checkoff dollars more...
USPOULTRY names new institute VP
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has named Paul Pressley vice president of the Poultry & Egg Institute. In his new role, Pressley will provide overall more...
Report details environmental, land-use benefits of growth hormones in beef
Cattle raised on grain-based diets in feedlots using both natural and synthetic supplemental growth hormones produce 40 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions more...
Taiwan suspends beef imports from Cargill, Swift plants: report
The Taiwanese government on Sunday found bone chips in a shipment of JBS-Swift beef, but the Greeley, Colo.-based processor has not received confirmation more...
Topps files for bankruptcy
Topps Meat Co., which closed in October after a huge E. coli-related recall, filed for bankruptcy protection last week.Among the more than 5,000 creditors more...
South Korea to expand domestic cattle, beef tracking
In a nod to farmers fearing a flood of foreign beef if South Korea further opens its border, the South Korean government said Monday it would expand its more...
Chipotle offering naturally raised meats in Southwest locations
Denver-based fast-casual chain Chipotle Mexican Grill announced that it is now serving naturally raised chicken in all of its 28 Arizona restaurants, more...
Acheson adds more duties to his role at FDA
FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach earlier this week appointed David Acheson acting director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition more...
Pork processor to be featured on the History Channel
California, Mo.-based processor Burgers' Smokehouse is featured in an upcoming episode of "Modern Marvels" on the History Channel.In an episode titled more...
USMEF accepts applications for branded products promotion program
The U.S. Meat Export Federation is accepting applications for fiscal year 2008 from U.S. companies interested in receiving matching funds to promote their more...
Advance Food Co. offers two new 'mini' products for foodservice
Enid, Okla.-based Advance Food Co. is offering two new smaller-sized products for foodservice: the Tenderbroil Mini Beef Steak Burger and the Advance more...
Smoked turkey highlighted online
The National Turkey Federation this month launched a guide to smoked turkey products on its Web site, www.EatTurkey.com, as the last installment of its more...
National Turkey Federation annual convention scheduled
The National Turkey Federation's 2008 annual convention is planned for Feb. 9-12 in San Diego. The conference will examine business strategies in production more...
Pizza Hut to launch a meatier deep dish
Dallas, Texas-based restaurant chain Pizza Hut has introduced a Double Deep Pizza with double the toppings and twice the cheese than the chain's other more...
Japan snubs U.S. beef again
Despite having in its hands the same scientific data that prompted the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to classify the United States as a controlled-risk more...
Registration now open for Annual Meat Conference
Registration is now open for the industry's premier retail meat merchandising conference, the Annual Meat Conference, slated for March 9-11, 2008, at more...
Pork shines in the Big Apple's spotlight
ABC's full-motion and sound SuperSign is promoting pork in New York's Times Square, airing an ad from the National Pork Board every 20 minutes through more...
Burger King to put $1 double cheeseburger to the test
Burger King plans to test out a $1 version of its double cheeseburger to compete with rival chain McDonald's value items, the Dow Jones Newswires reported more...
Tyson, USDA battling over 'raised without antibiotic' claim
Federal regulators have directed Tyson Foods Inc. to change its "raised without antibiotics" labeling claim, according to a letter sent by USDA to Tyson more...
Hormel reports increase in 4Q profits, raises dividend
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp. on Tuesday said fourth-quarter profits rose on strong performance in its refrigerated foods and Jennie-O Turkey more...
IDDBA sets date for 2008 Dairy-Deli-Bake
The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association announced that its 44th annual seminar and expo, the Dairy-Deli-Bake, will be held in New Orleans on June more...
USDA mulling mandatory test-and-hold to reduce meat recalls: report
The federal government continues to ponder the implementation of a mandatory test-and-hold procedure to help prevent meat recalls, a USDA official told more...
Analysts drop Smithfield earnings outlook, stock recommendation
One Wall Street analyst dropped her fiscal 2008 earnings forecast for Smithfield Foods Inc., while another downgraded the company's stock to "neutral" more...
Fatburger launches seasonal turkey burger promotion
Los Angeles-based Fatburger, a subsidiary of Fog Cutter Capital Group, has announced plans to celebrate the holidays with a promotion for its Turkeyburger more...
Listeria concerns prompt sausage recall
Double B Foods Inc. in Meridian, Texas, is voluntarily recalling approximately 98,000 pounds of frozen sausage roll products that may be contaminated more...
Poultry companies say Okla. AG's injunction motion a 'PR stunt'
A group representing poultry companies said the recent actions taken by Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson to try to stop the companies from disposing more...
Slow going on S.D. beef plant construction
A new beef processing plant in Aberdeen, S.D., is behind schedule with construction and financing, the Aberdeen American News reported.Almost a year and more...
Cold case: Tourists nabbed trying to smuggle Japanese beef into China
The luggage cases were cold to the touch. That was the first clue for Shanghai airport officials who found $54,00 worth of illegal Japanese beef in tourist more...
ConAgra pot pies back on line, recall charge estimated at $30 million
ConAgra Foods Inc. has resumed production of Banquet and private label pot pies at its Marshall, Mo., plant, the Omaha, Neb.-based company announced. more...
Frustration flares on farm bill, Reid files cloture
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday filed cloture on the Senate farm bill in an attempt to move forward the stalled legislation.Kate more...
Injunction request latest move in lawsuit against Arkansas poultry industry
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson is seeking an injunction from a federal judge to stop 14 Arkansas poultry companies from disposing of animal more...
Former president of Japanese meatpacker indicted for false labeling
Admitting that he falsely labeled meat products "to make profits," the former president of Japanese meatpacker Meat Hope Co. was indicted earlier this more...
FSIS reassessing data after e-mails raise more questions about meat packaging
USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service said it would review data that weighed in its decision to allow adding carbon monoxide to meat packages after the more...
Smithfield taps Manley to head international unit
Smithfield, Va.-based Smithfield Foods Inc. on Wednesday announced that Robert W. Manly IV will head the company's international operations. Manly, an more...
Lower hog prices a boon for Bob Evans
Bob Evans Farms Inc. executives partially attributed its strong fiscal second quarter earnings from its food product segment to recent lower hog prices more...
Brazilian beef exports up in sales and volume through October
Brazilian beef exports totaled $3.705 billion from January through October, a 16.13 percent increase from the same period last year. Volume reached 2 more...
Pilgrim's Pride swings to profit in 4Q but misses estimates
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Tuesday said it swung to a profit in its fiscal fourth quarter, but results fell short of Wall Street's more...
Modified atmosphere packaging back to the woodshed on Capitol Hill
Industry and administration officials are testifying today before a House subcommittee on the role of meat packaging in food safety.The fourth in a series more...
China trying to show world its meat is safe
The opening of a new slaughterhouse in Beijing on Monday was intended to show the world that Chinese meats are safe, both for the general public and Olympic more...
Hardee's brings back Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger
Carpinteria, Calif.-based burger chain Hardee's announced that is putting the Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger back on its menu due to popular demand.First more...
Tyson swings to a profit in 4Q, expects weak 2008
Tyson Foods Inc. on Monday said it swung to a profit in its fiscal fourth quarter, but warned of a rocky year ahead, citing difficult market conditions more...
Cagle family members want to buy Cagle's Inc.
Atlanta-based poultry processor Cagle's Inc. on Monday announced that it has received an acquisition proposal from Cagle family members.The group, which more...
Bovine TB found in Canada, farms quarantined
Canadian officials have quarantined one farm, placed another 27 under a precautionary quarantine and will destroy 470 cattle after discovering a bull more...
Quiznos rolls out new flatbread sandwiches
Denver-based fast-casual sandwich chain Quiznos announced the introduction of $2 flatbread Sammies, which are available in four new varieties: Sonoma more...
Tyson laying off almost 200 managers
Tyson Foods Inc. plans to lay off almost 200 managers as part of its new corporate streamlining initiative, Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson told Meatingplace more...
Cargill Meat Solutions announces layoffs
Citing challenging livestock markets, rising commodity costs and disruptions in key export markets, Cargill Meat Solutions on Friday announced it will more...
USDA lowers U.S. corn, soybean crop estimates, raises price forecasts
USDA forecast the 2007 U.S. corn crop at 13.2 billion bushels, down 1 percent from last month's forecast, and put the soybean crop at 2.59 billion bushels more...
Survey says: Retailers find speed of recalls top challenge in industry
A recent survey on recall technology for food and beverage companies found that the speed of recall was the top challenge facing U.S.-based food retailers more...
JBS swings to a loss in 3Q
Brazilian meatpacker JBS S.A., parent company of Greeley, Colo.-based JBS USA, on Wednesday said it swung to a loss, citing a weakened U.S. dollar. The more...
Raymond defends USDA recall policies at hearing
Despite acknowledging that "we cannot be satisfied with the progress we have made," USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Richard Raymond defended FSIS more...
USDA funds genetic research to help breeders predict animals' makeup
USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service announced $5 million in funding during fiscal 2008 for a four-year research project more...
KFC launches another guerilla marketing campaign
Kentucky Fried Chicken announced it launched a new guerilla promotional campaign for its Triple Dip Strips, one of a recent series of nontraditional marketing more...
Sara Lee profits plummet on commodity costs
Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee Corp. on Wednesday said its fiscal first-quarter profits dropped 40 percent, citing steep increases in commodity costs more...
Colorado Boxed Beef co-founder dies
Edith Saterbo, co-founder of Colorado Boxed Beef, died Nov. 2 in Winter Haven, Fla., from heart failure. She was 77.She and her late husband Dick Saterbo more...
China denies reports of pampered pigs being raised for Olympics
The Beijing Olympics organizing committee denied Chinese media reports that pork for 2008 Olympics athletes will come from secret farms where pigs are more...
U.S. beef imports force S. Korean meat prices to fall: report
An influx of U.S. beef imports and a pending free-trade agreement between Washington and Seoul have forced overall meat prices in South Korea to fall more...
Colombia presents significant market for U.S. red meat: USMEF
The U.S. Meat Export Federation says a free-trade pact between the United States and Colombia would open a key door for U.S. red meat.Expecting Congress more...
USDA provides funds to promote U.S. food and ag products overseas
The U.S. Meat Export Federation and the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council are just a couple of the organizations that benefited from more than $234 million more...
NCC restructures chicken-cooking contest
The National Chicken Cooking Contest, the nation's oldest competitive-cooking competition, is changing its judging and award structure, the National Chicken more...
FSIS puts imports of Canadian meat and poultry under microscope
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is stepping up its scrutiny of Canadian meat and poultry imports after identifying an Alberta-based beef company more...
Seaboard earnings drop in 3Q
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Corp. late Friday said earnings for the third quarter were down 14 percent, citing high feed costs for hogs. Net more...
Burger King 1Q profit rises
Miami-based fast-food giant Burger King Holdings Inc. said Monday that its fiscal first-quarter earnings jumped 23 percent, citing limited-time offerings more...
Hyatt launches new Mediterranean menu
Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announced the launch of its new "Spice, Savor the Flavor" menu featuring Mediterranean dishes with chicken and lamb more...
Beef and chicken products recalled on adulteration fears
Annex Foods, a Portland, Ore., food processor, is voluntarily recalling approximately 4,374 pounds of various cooked beef and chicken products that may more...
Cagle's earnings plummet in second quarter
Atlanta-based poultry processor Cagle's Inc. on Friday reported an almost 79 percent drop in earnings for the fiscal second quarter, causing the company's more...
American Meat Science Association adds resources to processing technology series
The American Meat Science Association announced that it has added three new titles to its Meat Processing Technology Series that is designed to create more...
World's oldest bratwurst recipe uncovered
A hobby historian discovered the oldest known recipe and processing instructions for German sausage, proving that even in the Middle Ages, meat processors more...
Ohio firm recalls frozen meat pizza for possible E. coli
General Mills Operations, a Wellston, Ohio, establishment, is voluntarily recalling an undetermined amount of frozen meat pizza products because they more...
Three arrested for passing off Australian beef as Japanese
Three Japanese men were arrested Thursday on evidence that they falsely labeled Australian beef as Japanese and sold it to elementary schools in Marugame more...
Minimal trade impact seen from final rule on Chilean poultry imports
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced that Chile will be allowed to export to the United States poultry and poultry products processed more...
Co-op Atlantic to offer Omega 3 pork to consumers
Canadian retailer Co-op Atlantic announced that it has partnered with Natural Organic Food Group to offer customers a line of Omega 3 pork products.The more...
October 2007
New cancer report says limit red and processed meat; industry disagrees
A new report by the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research suggests limiting intake of red meat and avoiding processed meat more...
Kraft profit drops 20 percent in third quarter
Hurt by new product investments, high dairy costs and one-time charges, Kraft Foods on Wednesday reported that third-quarter profits dropped 20 percent more...
Ammonia leak forces Tyson plant evacuation
Tyson Foods Inc.'s Transcontinental Cold Storage in Sioux City, Iowa, was evacuated Tuesday afternoon following an ammonia leak in the warehouse.Fourteen more...
Merger forms Brazil's largest meatpacker
The merger of poultry and pork giant Perdigão S.A. and Eleva Alimentos S.A. on Tuesday created Brazil's largest meatpacking company, with a combined revenue more...
Tyson joins immigrant-friendly coalition
Tyson Foods Inc. is teaming up with other major Arkansas-based businesses, churches and civic groups to fight state and local laws targeting immigrants more...
Dalton to retire from USPOULTRY
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association announced that President Don Dalton is retiring from the organization effective Nov. 30. Dalton started at USPOULTRY more...
More bovine TB detected in Minnesota
A heifer from a farm in northern Minnesota has tested positive for bovine tuberculosis.Minnesota has now found the disease in eight beef herds in Roseau more...
Omni Hotels brings Argentinean flavors to menu
Irvine, Calif.-based Omni Hotels announced that it will be incorporating the flavors of Argentina into its meat dishes for a limited time.From Nov. 1 more...
Former poultry plant employees win lawsuit, Pilgrim's Pride to appeal
A federal jury last week awarded almost half of a million dollars to two ex-poultry plant workers who were fired after lodging complaints of fraud and more...
National symposium to address best practices for improving food safety
Cooperating for Food Safety, a new non-profit, consumer-led organization, will host a symposium Wednesday in Washington that focuses on ways to improve more...
New food defense policies won't stop at pet food, Pet Food Institute official predicts
In view of growing concerns about the safety of U.S. imports, no fewer than 13 bills relating to food safety are in play in Congress, Nancy Cook, vice more...
Burger King rolls out new homestyle melts
Miami-based Burger King announced the introduction of "comfort food" items to its breakfast, lunch and dinner menus with the launch of its new Homestyle more...
Live from WWFE: Novelty, convenience continue to drive eating patterns, NPD says
CHICAGO — The forces that drive what Americans really eat — rather than what they say they eat — have remained the same more than they have changed, according more...
Live from WWFE: AMI names JBS Swift CEO, others to board of directors
CHICAGO — The American Meat Association named five new members to its board of directors, including newcomer JBS Swift and Co. President and CEO Wesley more...
Live from WWFE: AMI honors Smithfield chairman, others for contributions
CHICAGO — The American Meat Institute awarded Joseph W. Luter, III, chairman of Smithfield Foods, Inc., its highest award: the Industry Advancement Award more...
Maple Leaf swings to a profit in 3Q
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. on Thursday said it swung to a third-quarter profit despite the increasing price of grain and a strong Canadian dollar. For the more...
Hormel launches new Web sites
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp. has announced the launch of its new corporate Web site — HormelFoods.com — and a new recipe site — HormelFoodsRecipes more...
USPOULTRY announces new educational initiative
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has formed The Poultry & Egg Institute, a new initiative within the association. The Poultry & Egg Institute will focus more...
Pioneering Harris Ranch leader wins Knowlton Award
CHICAGO — When he was only 12 years of age, an age at which many young boys are more apt to be trading baseball cards, David E. Wood convinced his grandfather more...
Japanese businessmen arrested for falsely labeling minced meat
Former executives of the Japanese meat packing company Meat Hope Co. were arrested Wednesday for falsely labeling minced meat containing pork and chicken more...
Nominations open for National Pork Checkoff Board
The National Pork Checkoff Board is accepting nominations to fill five three-year terms for directors of the board. Candidates also are being sought for more...
Taco Bell promotion to tie in with World Series
Irvine, Calif.-based quick service giant Taco Bell announced the launch of its "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" promotion that will reward customers with more...
Cattle prices seen strong into 2008
Tight cattle supplies and strong prices are likely to remain in place through the first quarter of 2008, even though more cattle are moving to feedlots more...
Livestock title of Senate Farm Bill addresses Packers and Stockyards Act
The Senate Agriculture Committee Tuesday outlined provisions for the livestock title of the Senate version of the 2007 Farm Bill, addressing animal health more...
New version of AMI's Meat & Poultry Facts released
The American Meat Institute, in cooperation with Sterling Marketing Inc., has released the 2007 edition of Meat & Poultry Facts.The 36th edition of Meat more...
Poultry industry safety record best ever: report
The rate at which injuries and illnesses occur among poultry processing workers in the United States has reached its lowest level ever and is below the more...
Food Lion recalls ground beef
Retailer Food Lion issued a recall for 230 pounds of fresh ground beef sold at its Cary, N.C., store, company officials announced Sunday.The Salsibury more...
Wal-Mart to take full ownership of Japanese retailer Seiyu
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced it plans to purchase all of the remaining shares of its Japanese subsidiary, The Seiyu Ltd. for about $862 million under more...
KFC launches triple dip chicken strips
Louisville, Ky.-based KFC announced that it is putting a new spin on the packaging and branding of its chicken strips by launching Triple Dip Strips with more...
Seventeen poultry plants denied by Russia
A total of 17 poultry processing plants and six cold storage warehouses are among the facilities de-listed for export to the Russian market, USA Poultry more...
Brazilian meatpackers Perdigão and Eleva explore merger
Perdigão S.A. and Eleva Alimentos S.A. said on Thursday they are exploring a merger that could create one of Brazil's largest meatpackers. "We wish to more...
Hormel sues Campbell over soup maker's stew claims
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp., maker of Dinty Moore stews, is suing Campbell Soup Co. over the soup maker's marketing of its new "Chunky Fully more...
McDonald's 3Q profits jump
Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. on Friday said third-quarter profits were up 27 percent over last year, citing large sales increases in its chicken more...
George's employees charged with hiring illegals
Seven employees of George's Processing Inc. were arrested and charged with hiring illegal immigrants at the poultry processor's southwest Missouri facility more...
Farm bill moves to Senate Ag committee next week
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) announced key committee members have agreed on a framework for the Senate version of the farm more...
Military food probe focuses on middleman
A federal investigation into food supplied to the military in Iraq is focusing on a company that bought the food from U.S. companies then sold it to two more...
Poultry industry veteran dies at 66
Poultry industry veteran James Paul Thaxton Jr. passed away Wednesday in his Starkville, Miss., home. He was 66. Thaxton, a professor at Mississippi State more...
Japan puts clamps on Cargill plant
Japan has suspended beef imports from a Cargill Meat Solutions plant, saying documents failed to properly identify tendons in a shipment.Japan's Agriculture more...
Major U.S. food companies in military food supply probe: report
Investigators from the Justice Department and the Defense Department are looking into dealings between Army food contractor Public Warehousing Co. and more...
Missouri processor unveils two new ham products
Pacific, Mo.-based Double-G Brands has introduced spiral-sliced ham and ham steaks to its natural-juice ham product line.The spiral-sliced ham is cut more...
Grass-fed marketing claim standard to go into effect next month
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is establishing a voluntary standard for a grass-fed livestock marketing claim. The standard incorporates the revisions more...
U.S. red meat exports up in value through August
U.S. red meat exports continued to rise in value through August, with pork up 6 percent to $1.96 billion and beef up 28 percent to $1.67 billion compared more...
House adopts energy goal for 2025
The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed a resolution that calls for 25 percent of the nation's energy needs to be met by renewable resources more...
NAMP announces five-step commitment to improve food safety
In light of the rash of recent E. coli-related recalls, the North American Meat Processors Association has announced a five-step program aimed at helping more...
Hardee's puts 'complete breakfast' in new burrito offering
Hamburger chain Hardee's, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants, announced the addition of a new breakfast burrito — more...
Smithfield, union still at odds as negotiations falter
Smithfield Packing Co. said Monday that the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union rejected the processor's plan for a union election more...
Cargill earnings skyrocket in first quarter
Minneapolis-based Cargill Inc. on Monday said earnings for the fiscal first quarter shot up 83 percent, citing successes in the company's origination more...
Class-action lawsuit filed in connection with ConAgra recall
Two law firms have announced the filing of the first nationwide class-action lawsuit on behalf of consumers who purchased, consumed and/or suffered physical more...
Ground beef recalled on E. coli concerns
Arko Veal Co., a Forest Park, Ga., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 1,900 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated more...
NAMP names new president
The North American Meat Processors Association elected Mark Shuket president during the group's annual convention in Tucson, Ariz.Shuket is president more...
ConAgra Foods recalls pot pies
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods on Friday recalled all varieties of Banquet brand and store brand frozen pot pies, three days after it stopped making more...
LIVE FROM NAMP: Nine steps for processors to achieve E. coli compliance
TUCSON, Ariz. — Given the spate of recent headlines regarding E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef products, it's no surprise that E. coli is a huge topic here more...
U.S., S. Korea beef talks bear no fruit, but both sides 'engaged': USDA
U.S. and South Korean officials on Friday concluded a two-day round of negotiations on potential revisions to Seoul's import protocols for U.S. beef, more...
Chicago student gobbles his way to chicken wing victory
The world of competitive eating faced an upset when 22-year-old Chicago culinary arts student Patrick Bertoletti beat out top-ranked competitors in the more...
Retailers asked to pull Banquet pot pies, still no recall planned
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods Inc. on Wednesday asked retailers to refrain from selling chicken and turkey pot pies that have been linked to cases of more...
Judge says no to 'no match' rule
A federal judge's ruling nixed a proposed rule that would force employers to fire workers whose names don't match their Social Security numbers, a setback more...
U.S., S. Korea produce no breakthroughs in 1st day of beef talks
U.S. and South Korean agriculture officials concluded the first day of beef-trade talks on Thursday but made no progress, the Associated Press reported more...
Pilgrim's Pride exec to retire
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Wednesday announced the pending retirement of Clifford E. Butler as vice chairman of the company. Butler more...
Listeria concerns prompt recall of chicken and pasta product
Aliki Foods Inc. in Old Lyme, Conn., is voluntarily recalling approximately 70,400 pounds of a chicken and pasta product that may be contaminated with more...
U.S. beef is safe, says South Korean ag minister
South Korea's agriculture minister told local media Wednesday that U.S. beef poses no significant health risk, a statement sure to please Washington officials more...
Burger King creates new global marketing VP position
Burger King Corp. has promoted John Schaufelberger to the newly created position of senior vice president, global marketing.In the role, Schaufelberger more...
United Airlines to serve up short ribs on flights to Hawaii
United Airlines, in partnership with Trader Vic's Restaurant Group, announced that they will be offering luau-themed meals to customers on flights between more...
Hormel looking forward to fiscal 2008
With a "mixed bag" of a fiscal quarter coming to a close at the end of October, Hormel Foods Corp. says the near future looks bright.CEO Jeffrey Ettinger more...
New E. coli illness in Wisconsin identical to strain in Cargill recall
Five cases of E. coli-related illness are being investigated in Wisconsin and one has been confirmed as identical to the strain that sickened consumers more...
Russian meat imports on the rise; U.S. opportunities on the horizon?
Russian meat imports rose 14.6 percent by volume from January through August this year compared to the same period in 2006, according to Russia's Federal more...
Japan to study how AI spreads
Japan's Agriculture Ministry next year will embark on research examining birds' migratory patterns in Asia and avian influenza in an attempt to better more...
Meeting to address public health significance of various E. coli strains
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition more...
Former Tyson recruiting manager convicted in kickback scheme
A former recruiting manager for Tyson Foods Inc. could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine after he was convicted of accepting kickbacks more...
American Airlines offers island-themed menus on Hawaiian flights
American Airlines is offering menus with an island flair to first class passengers on flights to and from Hawaii.Dishes include Hibachi Chicken, teriyaki-glazed more...
Meatingplace survey says: multiple interventions needed against E. coli
The massive ground beef recall that put Topps Meat Co. out of business last week has re-ignited the debate on how to prevent, detect and contain E. coli more...
Topps bottoms out, ends operations after 'shocking and sobering' recall
Saying the financial loss resulting from one of the largest beef recalls in U.S. history is too much to overcome, Topps Meat Co. on Friday announced the more...
U.S. beef's hot-and-cold relationship with S. Korea on ice..again
USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service reported Friday that South Korea has again suspended import inspections of U.S. beef after the discovery of banned more...
National Chicken Council elects new officers
Arlington, Va. — The National Chicken Council installed new officers for a one-year term at its annual meeting here Thursday. Mike Welch, president more...
Mimi's Café, Bob Evans roll out holiday meals to go
Mimi's Café and Bob Evans restaurants, both subsidiaries of Colombus, Ohio-based Bob Evans Farms Inc., announced the launch of fully prepared meals that more...
USDA likely to publish salmonella instances online
Arlington, Va. — USDA will likely publish the salmonella statuses of poultry plants online, Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner told the National more...
Pilgrim's Pride agrees to pay $1 million and hire workers to settle suit
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride agreed to pay a total of $1 million to more than 5,300 applicants for hiring discrimination based on gender and more...
Peterson Farms founder dies at 94
Lloyd Peterson, founder and chairman of Decatur, Ark.-based poultry processor Peterson Farms, died Tuesday. He was 94.Peterson was recognized as an international more...
Zaxby's features Southern celebrities in new TV spots
Fast-casual chicken chain Zaxby's will feature five celebrities with Southern roots in new TV spots set to begin airing Oct. 8.Four-time heavyweight champion more...
Judge ponders "no-match" worksite rules, keeps letters on hold
A San Francisco federal judge said he'll need more time to rule on an order delaying the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from implementing a new more...
Hillshire Farm spices up sausage products
Hillshire Farm, a brand of Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee Food & Beverage, announced the addition of two new flavors to its Smoked Sausage and Lit'l more...
Levy Restaurants, Schussler Creative to open 10 new restaurant concepts
Chicago-based Levy Restaurants and Minneapolis-based Schussler Creative are collaborating to open multiple locations of 10 new restaurant concepts.The more...
Meatingplace reader suvey: What's the answer to E. coli?
Topps Meat Co.'s recent recall of 21.7 million pounds of ground beef for possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination was one of the largest in history and more...
One step forward? S. Korean panel nearing recommendation on U.S. beef imports
A South Korean consultation committee is expected to render a recommendation on existing U.S. beef import regulations this week, Yonhap News reported more...
Hormel announces promotions, new directors
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp. has announced two promotions and added three new members to its board of directors. Donald H. Kremin has been promoted more...
Fatburger expands in Asia
Quick-service chain Fatburger has opened its first restaurant in China, in the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel.By early 2008, Fatburger plans to open two more...
AMI refutes newspaper's criticism of modified atmosphere packaging
Rebutting USA Today's recent criticism of low-oxygen modified atmosphere packaging, the American Meat Institute pointed to its benefits in arguing that more...
More E. coli cases surface in wake of ground beef recall, USDA searching for suppliers
Two more cases of illness have been reported that are likely connected to frozen ground beef Topps Meat Co. recalled last week on E. coli contamination more...
Private-equity firm acquires chicken processor
Los Angeles-based private-equity firm Creo Capital Partners LLC has acquired chicken further processor and distributor Filet of Chicken, the companies more...
E. coli concerns prompt another ground beef recall
Baltimore-based Impero Foods & Meats Inc. is voluntarily recalling approximately 65 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with more...
Applebee's narrows finalists in burger showdown
Overland Park, Kan.-based dining chain Applebee's announced four finalists in its "Big Burger Showdown" cook-off that features Chef Tyler Florence as more...
September 2007
AI hits Canadian poultry farm, export bans ensue
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday announced that the highly pathogenic H7N3 strain of avian influenza was detected on a commercial broiler more...
New short course addresses quality assurance
Industry and university meat scientists with strong professional training in quality assurance applications will lead QA 101, a new two-day short course more...
Subway adds breakfast menu to 850 L.A. restaurants
Milford, Conn.-based sandwich chain Subway announced that it will add breakfast menus to 850 Subway units in Los Angeles, making the California city the more...
Philadelphia chefs fight proposed foie gras ban
As some city legislators push for a ban on foie gras, a group of Philadelphia chefs are showing their support for the goose- or duck-liver delicacy.Approximately more...
Three illnesses linked to E. coli in recalled hamburger, 18 more being investigated
Three cases of illness have been linked to frozen hamburgers recalled Tuesday by Topps Meat Co. for E. coli contamination, while 18 other cases in eight more...
Kentucky cattle hit by epizootic hemorrhagic disease
Already coping with inadequate feed supplies due to a spring freeze followed by a summer drought, now some Kentucky cattle producers are faced with herds more...
Listeria workshop aimed at small- and medium-sized processors
Helping small- and medium-sized processors of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products improve their listeria-control programs will be the focus of a one-day more...
Publix opens new 'green' store
Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets Inc. said it is opening a new store today where roughly 50 percent of the products are natural or bear the organic more...
Another Japanese ag minister, another cold shoulder for U.S. beef
The latest installment in Japan's agriculture ministry's top post said political pressure from the United States won't persuade Tokyo to change its current more...
Possible E. coli contamination prompts ground beef recall
Topps Meat Co. LLC in Elizabeth, N.J., is voluntarily recalling approximately 331,582 pounds of frozen ground beef products because they may be contaminated more...
Hardee's, Carl's Jr. to buy cage-free pork
Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants announced an agreement to buy cage-free pork at two of its fast-food chains.The company agreed to improve animal more...
USDA awards $14 million in food safety grants
USDA announced more than $14 million in food safety grants to researchers and educators at 17 universities to focus on improving food safety while reducing more...
Like Mike: Conner calls for Japan et al to relax limits on U.S. beef
In his first press conference as acting agriculture secretary, Chuck Conner placed the reopening of Japan's market to U.S. beef high on his priority list more...
'Chickens' flock to D.C. for labeling campaign
Several six-foot-tall chickens are hitting the streets of Washington, D.C., Tuesday and Wednesday as part of the Truthful Labeling Coalition's campaign more...
Survey reveals Americans dining out less
More than half of Americans said they will eat out at restaurants less over the next three months due to rising economic concerns, according to a survey more...
LIVE FROM NAMP: FSIS presents six tips for beef purchasing programs to prevent E. coli
SCHILLER PARK, Ill. — Through Sept. 5, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service had recorded 12 recalls associated with E. coli O157:H7 in beef products more...
Cargill introduces Excel Australian Grain Fed Beef
Cargill Meat Solutions has unveiled the Excel Australian Grain Fed Beef brand, an extension of the Excel Fresh Meats brand, the Wichita, Kan.-based processor more...
Beef Board sets checkoff initiatives, cuts funding for 2008
A Cattlemen's Beef Board committee announced the funding of 42 program proposals for fiscal 2008, but said it cut more than $1.8 million in proposals more...
China releasing pigs from reserves to curb pork prices
China has begun releasing pigs from its central reserves into the domestic market to head off surging pork prices that have helped boost inflation to more...
Whittington's Jerky to be sold at Whole Foods
Johnson City, Texas-based Whittington's Jerky announced that two of its all-natural jerky products will be sold at Whole Foods Market locations in Texas more...
Mississippi Beef Processors contractor pays $250,000 in restitution
The failed Mississippi Beef Processors plant has cost its contractor, Sean Carothers, $250,000 in restitution to taxpayers, which will be returned to more...
U.S. exports to S. Korea will increase from FTA, report says
The U.S. International Trade Commission on Thursday submitted to President Bush and Congress its report predicting that the KORUS free-trade agreement more...
Environmental groups say Iowa hog producers polluting water
Environmental groups claim that the state of Iowa is not enforcing rules that limit the amount of pollution from the hog industry that enter the state's more...
Conference to focus on employee management in agriculture
Kansas State University Research and Extension, the National Pork Board and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association are sponsoring the "Employee Management more...
Johanns leaves ag secretary post
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns has resigned from his position as agriculture secretary, President Bush announced at a Rose Garden ceremony Thursday more...
Sales boost ConAgra's earnings in 1Q
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods Inc. on Thursday said fiscal first quarter earnings jumped 5 percent due to increased sales. The maker of Healthy Choice more...
Del Taco names new chief marketing officer
Lake Forest, Calif.-based Mexican fast-food chain Del Taco appointed industry veteran Mimi Somerman to the newly created role of chief marketing officer more...
LIVE FROM USDA: Consumers demand animal welfare, experts say
Washington D.C. — "I get all the hate mail," Dennis Treacy, VP of environmental and corporate affairs for Smithfield Foods, said after introducing more...
Maverick Ranch unveils animal welfare system
As an interim step toward offering only 100 percent organic meats by 2011, Maverick Ranch Natural and Organic Meats has developed a new hog farm protocol more...
General Mills profit up in 1Q
Minneapolis-based General Mills Inc. on Wednesday said profits for the company's first fiscal quarter rose 8 percent, citing higher revenues that offset more...
EU proposal aims to reduce threat of animal diseases
The European Union Commission on Wednesday presented a strategy paper that suggests various short- and long-term approaches to reducing the threat of more...
Campbell changes soup cans to support breast cancer awareness
Camden, N.J.-based Campbell Soup Co. announced Wednesday that it will change the iconic red and white colors on its Chicken Noodle and Tomato soups to more...
S. Korean cattle breeders protest U.S. beef
Some 7,000 South Korean cattle farmers converged near the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday to protest the government's pending free-trade agreement more...
Castleberry's reopens factory involved in recall
Castleberry's Food Co. said it would resume production this week at its Augusta, Ga. factory, nearly two months after it shut down operations over a national more...
Hardee's launches tropical chicken sandwich
Carpinteria, Calif.-based fast-food chain Hardee's brought a taste of the tropics to its menu with the introduction of a new grilled pineapple and chicken more...
Jimmy Dean updates promotion of breakfast sandwiches
Jimmy Dean announced that it will update its Happy Breakfast ad campaign this week to help promote the nationwide rollout of its "better-for-you" frozen more...
China rejected pork products from U.S. and Canada in August
Chinese officials said Saturday they rejected shipments of frozen pig kidney imported from the United States and frozen pork spareribs from Canada after more...
Wellshire Farms launches new brand for its all-natural products
Swedesboro, N.J.-based Wellshire Farms said it has combined its best selling all-natural beef, pork and poultry products into a single line called Garrett more...
California lawmakers reject trans fat ban
The California state legislature last week rejected a proposal that would phase out the use of partly hydrogenated artificial fats in restaurant kitchens more...
Survey says retail dining on the rise in hospitals
Hospitals in North America are serving more retail meals and nearly half say they are selling catering trays as part of their retail operation, according more...
U.S. reopens border to older Canadian cattle
USDA on Friday issued its final rule for normalizing cattle trade with Canada and other regions deemed at minimal risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy more...
Tyson employees among 'fugitives' arrested by ICE
During a two-day enforcement operation in Lexington, Neb., Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities arrested 15 illegal alien fugitives at five more...
Brazil to export beef to China
Brazil and China will ink a deal for future exports of Brazilian beef to China, according to Brazil's Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes.The agreement more...
Pollo Tropical customers cluck for their supper
Miami-based quick-service chain Pollo Tropical is promoting its menu of chicken items by giving away one free quarter chicken value meal to any customer more...
USDA boosts U.S. corn crop forecast by 2 percent
USDA forecast a record U.S. corn crop of 13.3 billion bushels, up 2 percent from last month's forecast and 26 percent above last year's crop. The agency more...
Foodservice business growing in retail outlets
Foodservice operations at retailers are growing faster than any other segment of the restaurant industry, according to a new report issued by foodservice more...
Healthy Choice partners with celebrity chef
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, ConAgra Foods' brand Healthy Choice said it is teaming up with Chef Robert Irvine, host of the cooking show "Dinner more...
Taco Del Mar expands to East Coast
Seattle-based quick casual Mexican chain Taco Del Mar will expand into New England with approximately 100 new restaurants beginning in the spring of 2008 more...
Korea finds more banned bones, considers revising U.S. beef import rules
For the third time this month, officials in South Korea have found banned bones is a shipment of U.S. beef, and plan to return the entire shipment.One more...
Custom Food Products cleared to proceed with reorganization
Value-added meat and poultry processor Custom Food Products Inc. can move forward with its plan to exit bankruptcy protection under the control of a Connecticut more...
Burger King to promote healthier products to children
Burger King has announced that it will redirect its advertising aimed at children under 12 by December 2008, limiting ads to products that meet strict more...
Web site to link Wisconsin consumers with local farmers
A Web site slated to launch next spring will aim to enable Wisconsin consumers who buy locally raised meat, poultry and produce at farmers markets to more...
Korean lawmakers lobbying for ban on U.S. beef imports
Some 68 lawmakers on Tuesday submitted to South Korea's National Assembly a resolution urging President Roh Moo-hyun and his administration to immediately more...
Breakfast boosts McDonald's same-store sales
Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. on Tuesday said global same-store sales for the month of August surged 8.1 percent, citing increases in the chain's more...
T.G.I. Friday's beefs up entrees
Carrollton, Texas-based restaurant chain T.G.I. Friday's has added six new entrees to its $12.99 3-Course Menu.The new options include:Argentinean Rubbed more...
USDA offers ag census Web site
USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service has created a new Web site offering information about the upcoming 2007 Census of Agriculture.The site more...
Smithfield foresees increased earnings charge from swine fever
Smithfield Foods Inc. on Friday said it now forecasts a $12 million to $13 million charge against fiscal second quarter 2008 earnings related to swine more...
Peco exec joins Allen Family Foods
Poultry industry veteran Wayne Butler has joined Seaford, Del.-based Allen Family Foods as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Most more...
L.A. policymakers consider limiting fast-food restaurants
In an effort that could be termed "health zoning," Los Angeles officials and city council members are considering issuing a two-year limitation on the more...
Baja Fresh to offer more beef items
Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based fast-casual chain Baja Fresh Mexican Grill announced the addition of six items to its quick service menu, including two new more...
Another donning-doffing suit against Tyson revived
A federal appeals court on Thursday ruled that work deserving pay is not dependant on how demanding the work is, a move that revived a donning-doffing more...
FSIS plans HACCP outreach to small plants
In a recently released review of USDA's Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) rules, the agency concluded the benefits more...
U.S. Pork Center Web feature encourages pork industry careers
The U.S. Pork Center of Excellence said it has launched a new program, PIG Opportunities, within its Pork Information Gateway (PIG) Web site to help individuals more...
Baja Fresh to open express units in travel centers
Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based Baja Fresh Mexican Grill said it would partner with HMSHost Corp. to place outlets in travel centers to extend the brand to more...
S. Korea revokes trade permit for Cargill plant
Cargill Meat Solutions is looking into how a box of bone-in beef short ribs wound up in a shipment of 1,188 boxes of chuck eye to South Korea, which prompted more...
Possible E. coli contamination prompts ground beef recall
Ashville, N.Y.-based Fairbank Reconstruction Corp., doing business as Fairbank Farms, is voluntarily recalling approximately 884 pounds of ground beef more...
Grocer's nutritional rating system impacts meat sales
Guiding Stars, the system from Hannaford Supermarkets that ranks food items with one, two or three stars for good, better or best nutritional value, has more...
Tyson Foods named POULTRY magazine's 2007 Industry Innovator Award winner
Tyson Foods Inc. has been selected to receive POULTRY magazine's 2007 Industry Innovator Award, which honors excellence in the U.S. poultry industry in more...
Tyson lowers earnings guidance, shares slide
Tyson Foods Inc. on Wednesday lowered its fiscal 2007 earnings guidance, citing higher live cattle and hog costs and beef-trade disruptions with South more...
Swift workers sue ICE over raid
Meatpackers detained during an immigration raid on a Swift & Co. plant in Worthington, Minn., last year have filed a lawsuit against federal agents claiming more...
China's live pig supply shortage could last 18 months
The short supply of live pigs in China will not change fundamentally any time soon, but widespread pork imports are unlikely, Bi Jingquan, vice minister more...
Hooters updates menu for football season
Atlanta-based restaurant chain Hooters announced the addition of five meat-heavy items to its menu just in time for fall's first kickoff.The football-oriented more...
S. Korea pulls trade permit from Swift plant
South Korea revoked the trade permit of a JBS-Swift & Co. plant after it sent to Busan a 39.4-pound box of beef containing banned ribs.Seoul only just more...
Court consolidates donning-doffing suits against Tyson
A federal judicial panel has ordered 18 lawsuits against Tyson Foods Inc. be heard simultaneously in a Georgia district court, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette more...
Another Maple Leaf Winnipeg plant could face closure
After workers at Maple Leaf Foods' hog cutting and killing plant on Warman Road in Winnipeg, Manitoba, rejected the company's request to reopen their more...
Jennie-O partners with 'The Biggest Loser'
Willmar, Minn.-based Jennie-O Turkey Store announced an exclusive brand partnership with NBC's reality show "The Biggest Loser" for a second year.Jennie-O more...
Import safety panel to hold public meeting
The U.S. Interagency Working Group on Import Safety set up the White House in July will hold a public meeting Oct. 1 to explore actions that public and more...
Burger chain tops list of fastest-growing casual dining chains
Casual dining restaurants are the fastest-growing and most prevalent sector among full-service restaurant operations, according to a report by Chicago-based more...
Wisconsin Meat Industry Hall of Fame seeks nominations
The University of Wisconsin Extension program is seeking to honor individuals who have contributed to the state's meat industry by inducting them into more...
Chinese dishes to get new English names before Olympics
Travelers dining out in Beijing during next summer's Olympics will no longer be confused by menu items such as "virgin chicken" and "steamed crap." The more...
August 2007
U.S. gets 'frank' with China on meat-trade barriers
U.S. and Chinese agricultural officials this week began technical talks over Beijing's ban on the leanness-enhancing feed additive ractopamine.China recently more...
Officials consider where Miss. beef plant owner should serve time
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is deciding where Richard N. Hall Jr., the driving force behind the failed Mississippi Beef Processors LLC, should serve more...
China tightens food safety recall rules
The Chinese government issued a new slate of recall rules Friday for food and other products that it hopes will allay international concerns about product more...
Labor takes center stage at Smithfield's annual meeting
Smithfield Foods wants workers at its Tar Heel, N.C., hog plant to vote for union representation by secret ballot, but the United Food and Commercial more...
Pending inspections, Japan may start beef talks with Canada
Japan plans to inspect five Canadian meatpacking plants from Sept. 2 to 13 in order to determine their potential for exporting beef to Japan, Japanese more...
Hain Pure Protein acquires Plainville Turkey Farm
Melville, N.Y.-based Hain Pure Protein Corp. said it has acquired Plainville Turkey Farm Inc., a leading all-natural, antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed more...
Jimmy Dean kicks off free breakfast tour
Sarah Lee Corp's Jimmy Dean brand announced the return of its annual Happy Breakfast Tour, a charitable tour that will provide free breakfasts at community more...
Jail time looms for Smithfield workers rounded up in raid
Among other penalties, workers arrested in a recent raid on Smithfield Packing Co.'s Tar Heel, N.C., pork plant could each spend two years in prison and more...
Kraft Foods names new CFO
Kraft Foods appointed Timothy McLevish, senior vice president and CFO of Ingersoll-Rand, to the position of executive vice president and CFO. McLevish more...
Baja Fresh rolls out meat-and-potato burrito
Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based fast-casual chain Baja Fresh announced the addition of three new burritos to its menu, including a beef burrito wrapped up more...
Meatingplace reader survey: Is China ready for U.S. pork?
Last week Smithfield Foods announced it had entered into an agreement with a major Chinese trading company to sell U.S. pork, confirming weeks of rumors more...
Immigration officials raid Koch Foods facility
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided a Koch Foods facility in Fairfield, Ohio, Tuesday morning, ICE spokesman Richard Rocha told Meatingplace more...
Sanderson Farms profits surge, but miss estimates
Poultry processor Sanderson Farms Inc. on Tuesday posted a sharp earnings increase in the fiscal third quarter, but missed analysts' estimates, causing more...
AMS names new poultry programs deputy administrator
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has announced the appointment of Rex A. Barnes to the post of deputy administrator of AMS's Poultry Programs."It more...
Pork Board targets Hispanic moms in new campaign
The National Pork Board said it is targeting Latina moms in Los Angeles and Dallas with a promotional campaign that includes TV advertising, a media tour more...
S. Korea resumes quarantine inspections of U.S. beef
Seoul resumed quarantine inspections of U.S. beef on Monday, ostensibly allowing the product to return to South Korea's supermarket shelves in the next more...
Bob Evans introduces new microwaveable products
Columbus, Ohio-based Bob Evans Farms Inc. announced the introduction of microwaveable sausage sandwiches and pigs in a blanket to its retail line of convenience more...
Deputy USTR stepping down
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Karan Bhatia, who most recently helped Washington strike a free-trade deal with South Korea, will leave his post in October more...
Germany culls 160,000 birds in wake of AI outbreak
Tests have confirmed that dead birds found at a poultry farm in southern Germany were infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Associated more...
U.S. beef exports set to re-enter S. Korea market: report
South Korea will resume quarantine inspections of U.S. beef exports Monday, the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry (MAF) said in a statement.The decision more...
Advance Brands calls contaminated chicken strips 'isolated'
Advance Brands of Oklahoma City said Friday that a bag of frozen chicken strips contaminated with mercury and glass appears to be an isolated case. The more...
Burger King swings to a profit in 4Q
Burger King Holdings Corp. on Friday said it swung to a profit in its fiscal fourth quarter on surging late-night and breakfast sales boosted by the Miami-based more...
Three mistakes to avoid when coping with negative press
Whether it's a recall, a labor dispute or an environmental problem, chances for negative press seem to lurk almost everywhere for meat and poultry processors more...
Smithfield recuperating from latest ICE raid
Smithfield Packing Co. is determining whether to schedule work Saturday at its Tar Heel, N.C., hog-processing plant following a raid by Immigration and more...
Hormel posts lower profits, announces acquisition
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp. on Thursday said profits dropped 4 percent in the third quarter on weak performance from chunk chicken and the more...
Smithfield profits up on beef, pork sales increases
Smithfield, Va.-based Smithfield Foods Inc. on Thursday said profits in its fiscal first quarter more than doubled, citing sales increases in its beef more...
O'Charley's introduces new limited-time-only dishes
Nashville, Tenn.-based casual dining restaurant O'Charley's introduced a new, limited-time-only "Flavor Road" menu featuring dishes with grilled burgers more...
Tyson aims to boost production at N.Y. deli meat plant
Tyson Foods is looking to increase production at a Buffalo, N.Y., deli meat processing plant currently operating below capacity, CEO Dick Bond said during more...
U.S. organic meat sales rise across meat categories
Retail sales of organic meats in the United States saw double-digit increases in 2006, according to the Organic Trade Association. Citing statistics from more...
Researchers convert poultry litter into bio-oil
Researchers at Virginia Tech are developing transportable pyrolysis units that will convert poultry litter into bio-oil. Foster Agblevor, associate professor more...
Over the hamburger hill? McDonald's Big Mac celebrates the big 4-0
Fast-food giant McDonald's honored the 40th birthday of its iconic Big Mac sandwich with the opening of a Big Mac Museum Restaurant in North Huntingdon more...
Cargill earnings up sharply in fourth quarter
Minneapolis-based Cargill Inc. on Tuesday said earnings for the fiscal fourth quarter jumped 75 percent, citing increases across segments and a decrease more...
Slaughterhouse closing blow to Canadian cattle industry
A slaughterhouse near Calgary that opened just over a year ago shut down last week, dealing another blow to the Canadian beef processing industry, according more...
McDonald's expands launch of Angus Third Pounders
McDonald's has introduced its Angus Third Pounders in two new markets after successfully launching the burgers in Southern Calif. restaurants in March more...
7-Eleven introduces hot chicken offering
Dallas-based convenience chain 7-Eleven Inc. said it has added a hot dog-shaped chicken sandwich to its line of on-the-go roller grill offerings.The Chicken more...
Tyson scrapping CO packaging
By Sept. 7, Tyson Foods will have discontinued its use of carbon monoxide packaging, a move the company said resulted from a lack of customer demand rather more...
OSHA cites poultry plant for 34 violations
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $253,500 in penalties against Koch Foods of Cumming, more...
Nathan's Famous looks to launch new concept
Westbury, N.Y.-based quick-service restaurant operator Nathan's Famous is testing a new concept, a smaller version of its full-size stores, at eight locations more...
Worksite enforcement rules won't improve compliance: survey
The Department's of Homeland Security's recent reforms to existing immigration law, including several aimed at worksite enforcement, won't improve compliance more...
China's list of suspended U.S. meat plants growing
The list of U.S. meatpacking plants China has delisted has grown to 15, including eight plants delisted between August 7-17, according to USDA's Food more...
Wal-Mart explores smaller, urban stores with upscale groceries
Wal-Mart Stores is investigating opening smaller, urban convenience stores carrying upscale groceries, starting in the San Francisco Bay area, the Wall more...
Judge rejects FTC move to block Whole Foods-Wild Oats merger
A federal judge on Thursday denied a Federal Trade Commission motion to temporarily block Whole Foods Market Inc.'s $565 million bid to buy rival Wild more...
Prank leaves Dutch supermarket to explain maggots in meat
That wasn't marbling in packages of meat at a supermarket in the northern Dutch town of Damwoude — it was maggots.Two men between the ages of 18 more...
China suspends imports from eight U.S. pork plants
China has suspended imports from eight U.S. hog-processing plants after discovering traces of the leanness-enhancing feed additive ractopamine in Beijing-bound more...
Swift parent reports increased Q2 earnings
Brazilian-based JBS SA, which recently purchased Greeley, Colo.-based Swift & Co., late Tuesday said earnings for the company's fiscal second quarter more...
"Western" diet linked to increased risk of colon cancer recurrence
Colon cancer patients who eat a diet high in red meat, fatty products, refined grains and desserts — a so-called "Western" diet — may be increasing their more...
Taiwan to lift ban on feed additive ractopamine
Taiwan said it plans to lift its ban on the leanness-enhancing feed additive ractopamine, a dramatic shift from earlier calls to crack down on its use more...
Sara Lee earnings skyrocket in fourth quarter, beat estimates
Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee Corp. on Wednesday said its fiscal fourth-quarter profits soared, citing price increases that offset higher costs. more...
Undeclared allergen prompts turkey recall
Ian's Natural Foods, a Revere, Mass., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 12,894 pounds of frozen turkey products because they may contain more...
New Whole Foods stores to feature eateries, takeout
Whole Foods is aiming to offer a whole lot more at its new locations.The retailer is billing its new store in Chandler, Ariz., as the "Disneyland of grocery more...
Meatingplace reader survey: What about those reformed immigration rules?
The Departments of Homeland Security and Commerce recently announced a number of immigration reforms under existing law, including eight that apply to more...
USMEF touts benefits of CAFTA ratification
The Central America Free Trade Agreement has increased access and lowered tariffs for U.S. product in several of the region's countries, the U.S. Meat more...
Rendering plant wastewater spill kills 10,000 fish
Wastewater that spilled from the MoPac rendering plant in Franconia Township, Pa., killed 10,000 fish in a mile-long stretch of Skippack Creek, the Morning more...
What's in? Takeout, report shows
Takeout sales at casual-dining chains have grown at an annual rate of almost 10 percent over the last three years — nearly twice the pace of overall more...
Poultry 101 slated for Sept. 25-27
Shelly McKee of Auburn University, Christine Alvarado of Texas Tech University and Casey Owens of the University of Arkansas will conduct their Poultry more...
U.S. wants S. Korea to revise quarantine guidelines
The United States wants South Korea to align its import quarantine guidelines with OIE guidelines, which don't consider backbones from cattle under 30 more...
White House sets new worksite enforcement rules on immigration
The Departments of Homeland Security and Commerce on Friday announced a number of immigration reforms under existing law, including eight that apply to more...
Sanderson Farms announces promotions, new personnel
Laurel, Miss.-based Sanderson Farms Inc. has announced several personnel changes. Perry Hauser, who began his career with the company in 1999, will now more...
Whole Foods extends Wild Oats offer, consumer groups join opposition
Whole Foods Market Inc. said it extended the expiration date for its tender offer to buy Wild Oats Markets Inc. for the fifth time, setting a new deadline more...
S.D. turkey plant to close
A turkey processing plant in Watertown, S.D., will close by early fall, the Associated Press reported. The Oak Valley Farms facility was hit with higher more...
Sizzler goes south of the border
Culver City, Calif.-based Sizzler USA has reached a deal with Grupo Payger that will allow it to serve its steaks, seafood, chicken and salads at four more...
WWFE to offer Saturday educational sessions
The 2007 Worldwide Food Expo, which will be held be held Oct. 24 to 27 at McCormick Place in Chicago, will feature two free educational sessions on Saturday more...
Smithfield Foods says swine fever in Romania will impact Q2 results
Smithfield, Va.-based Smithfield Foods, Inc. confirmed outbreaks of classical swine fever (CSF) at two of its hog farms in Romania and said clean-up costs more...
U.S. government orders millions of doses of AI vaccine
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has ordered an additional 22.5 million doses of the human avian influenza vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline more...
WWFE to feature Spanish-language series sponsored by CarneTec.com
Six Spanish language sessions will be featured at the International Meat, Poultry & Seafood Industry Convention & Exposition, part of Worldwide Food Expo more...
Processor spotlight: Size aside, Woods smokes the competition
Competition is certainly nothing new to Woods Smoked Meats, a small processor with a processing plant and retail store in Bowling Green, Mo., and a staff more...
U.S. Senator wants audit of Asian barriers on U.S. beef
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has written a letter to the International Trade Commission urging it to assess the damages to the U.S. beef industry resulting more...
Washington poultry processor to be sold to private-equity firm
Mount Vernon, Wash.-based Draper Valley Farms has agreed to be acquired by Draper Valley Farms LLC, an affiliate of private-equity firm Booth Creek Management more...
Late night and early morning hours drive McDonald's July sales
Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. said U.S. same-store sales rose 4.3 percent in July over the same period a year ago, spurred by breakfast sales more...
Chicken chain expands taco offerings
Irvine, Calif.- based Mexican grilled-chicken chain El Pollo Loco announced the addition of hard shell chicken tacos to its menu, according to Nations more...
Labor Department sues Pilgrim's Pride over overtime
The U.S. Department of Labor on Monday filed suit against Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp., alleging the poultry processor did not pay overtime more...
S. Korea in no hurry to resume U.S. beef imports
South Korea says the ball is in Washington's court with regard to when and if Seoul will resume imports of U.S. beef."We don't need to hurry," Kim Chang-sub more...
Johanns to Japan: End age limits
He's asked before and he's asking again. During a phone conversation Monday night, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns asked Japanese counterpart Masatoshi more...
Second suspected foot and mouth site tests positive for disease
A second British herd of cattle suspected and slaughtered Monday night for foot and mouth was confirmed as carrying the disease, Chief Veterinary Officer more...
U.K. foot and mouth disease outbreak spurs global import bans
British agriculture officials have discovered at least 38 cattle in Surrey infected with foot and mouth disease, halting meat, milk and livestock exports more...
S. Korean farm minister can't take the beef, gets out of the kitchen
South Korea's agricultural minister offered to resign Monday after Seoul's suspension of inspections on U.S. beef heightened tensions between the two more...
Brazilian chicken exports nearly double in July
Brazilian chicken exports reached $370.1 million, up almost 90 percent in July over the same period last year, the nation's foreign trade secretariat more...
Townsend introduces certified Halal chicken wings
Georgetown, Del.-based Townsends Inc. announced the addition of certified Halal chicken wings to its value-added product line.The new certified Halal more...
U.S.-Japan beef technical trade talks conclude, no more scheduled
The United States and Japan concluded two days of technical talks on beef trade and now it's up to Japan to respond after digesting the data the U.S. more...
Tyson adds independent board member
Kevin McNamara, executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Nashville, Tenn.-based HealthSpring Inc., is joining the board of directors more...
Burgers Smokehouse hires outside firm to lead branding projects
Burgers Smokehouse has selected advertising agency Woodruff Sweitzer to lead its brand evolution projects as the company looks to establish a stronger more...
COOL or not? Split decision on House provisions, survey says
As the House version of revised Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling provisions heads to the Senate for further fine-tuning, Meatingplace.com readers more...
S. Korea suspends quarantine inspections of U.S. beef
The U.S. Meat Export Federation says it's a critical distinction that South Korea has suspended inspections and not trade of U.S. beef following the discovery more...
Japan/U.S. hold working level meetings on beef trade
Japan and the United States began two-day working level meetings in Tokyo on Thursday to continue the conversation about easing Japanese restrictions more...
U.S. pork exports down in 2007
U.S. pork exports slipped 3 percent year-on-year in the first five months of 2007, owing to sharp declines in exports to Mexico and Russia, according more...
Tyson launches Web site to promote chicken raised without antibiotics
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. has launched a new interactive Web site to promote the company's new line of 100 percent All Natural Fresh Chicken more...
Japanese ag minister resigns, delaying Washington beef talks
Scandal-ridden Japanese Agriculture Minister Norihiko Akagi resigned Wednesday, derailing a meeting set for Thursday with USDA Secretary Mike Johanns more...
Kraft profit up slightly, CEO open to divestitures
Kraft Foods Inc. on Wednesday said second-quarter profits were up slightly on lower restructuring charges and tax rates in addition to increased sales more...
USDA names acting APHIS administrator
Cindy Smith has been named new acting administrator of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service."Cindy has been an integral part of the APHIS more...
Some vegans shunning sex with meat-eaters, New Zealand researcher finds
It seems some people are interpreting the phrase "you are what you eat" more literally than others.Take "vegansexuals," a group discovered by Annie Potts more...
July 2007
Pilgrim's Pride swings to third-quarter profit, beats estimates
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Tuesday said it swung to a profit in the fiscal third quarter, citing better pricing conditions and increased more...
U.S., China begin food safety talks aimed at agreements by December
U.S. and Chinese health officials Tuesday began a series of bilateral food and drug safety meetings in Beijing that Washington hopes will result in agreements more...
Major shareholder sets price for Wendy's buyout
A major shareholder of Wendy's International said Monday he is prepared to offer $37 to $41 per share to buy the Dublin, Ohio-based burger chain, the more...
Kiwi farmer fined for triggering S. Korean beef ban
A New Zealand farmer has been fined roughly $11,500 for using plant pesticide on cattle, which prompted South Korea to ban New Zealand beef imports in more...
Tyson swings to a profit in 3Q
Tyson Foods Inc. on Monday said it swung to a profit in its fiscal third quarter, citing price increases that offset higher feed costs. The Springdale more...
House passes Farm Bill, COOL provisions seen as positive
The U.S. House of Representatives Friday passed a version of the 2007 Farm Bill the White House has threatened to veto, but many meat industry groups more...
Turkey plant under fire over odor
A Carthage, Mo., plant that turns turkey offal into oil is facing legal scrutiny, with local residents and a lawsuit seeking to eliminate odors emanating more...
More farms find unlikely power source: manure
An increasing number of U.S. farms are converting manure into electricity and reducing the smell in the process.Anaerobic digesters extract methane gas more...
Maple Leaf swings to a loss in 2Q
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods Inc. on Friday said it posted a loss of $1.6 million for the three months ended June 30, compared with earnings of $20 more...
China establishes food-safety team
China says it has created a food-safety team to "coordinate the resolution of major problems" associated with adulterated product that have compromised more...
Burger King ties promotions to global growth plan
Burger King Corp. announced senior leadership appointments in four key departments as part of a plan to meet aggressive global growth targets in fiscal more...
Mass meaterer: Aussie man jailed after stealing $9,500 worth of meat
An Australian man has been jailed for stealing $9,500 worth of meat from Melbourne supermarkets and reselling it for $50 per theft, the Australian Broadcasting more...
U.S.-S. Korea beef talks delayed
Talks toward easing South Korea's import restrictions on U.S. beef have been delayed following Seoul's recent discovery of two packages of banned U.S more...
Ground beef and buffalo recalled on E. coli concerns
Custom Pack Inc., a Hastings, Neb., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 5,920 pounds of ground beef and buffalo products because they more...
Consumer demand up for beef and pork
Consumer demand for beef rose 0.6 percent in the first half of 2007, while pork demand rose 0.3 percent, according to a University of Missouri report more...
Buffett buys stake in Velveetaville
Billionaire investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett has his foot in the door at Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods. His investment firm, Birkshire more...
Rib redux: More banned bone-in beef sent to S. Korea
South Korea's National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service said Tuesday it has discovered two boxes of banned ribs imported from the United States more...
ConAgra agrees to pay $45 million penalty in wake of SEC charges
The Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil charges against ConAgra Foods Inc., alleging the Omaha, Neb.-based food processor misreported profits more...
Beef Checkoff group to roll out new line of beef cuts
A new line of beef value cuts fabricated from the beef chuck roll is slated for a 2008 rollout, according to the Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Innovations more...
APHIS nixes TB, brucellosis testing for certain exports
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services is amending its livestock export regulations to eliminate tuberculosis and brucellosis testing requirements more...
Bone-in or bone out? S. Korea to decide on U.S. beef in July: report
The South Korean government is expected to decide whether it will allow imports of U.S. bone-in beef this month, Yonhap News reported, citing an anonymous more...
Tyson introduces 'Culinary Alliance'
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. introduced the "Tyson Culinary Alliance" at the 2007 American Culinary Federation National Convention in Orlando more...
McDonald's posts first loss in almost five years
Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. on Tuesday reported its first quarterly loss in almost five years, citing a one-time charge from the sale of some more...
N.C. lawmakers move ahead with compromise between hog industry, environmentalists
The North Carolina House voted this week to prohibit the construction of new waste lagoons on hog farms and set more environmentally friendly standards more...
Castleberry's expands earlier canned meat recall
Castleberry's Food Co., an Augusta, Ga., establishment owned by Bumble Bee Foods LLC, is voluntarily expanding its recall of canned meat products that more...
Muslim workers at Swift allege harassment over prayer
An American-Islamic advocacy group has drafted a complaint to the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that Muslim Somali workers more...
U.S., S. Korea FTA to push pork prices down, think tank says
A free-trade agreement between the United States and South Korea, coupled with high demand for beef, could cause Korean pork prices to drop, a Seoul-based more...
NACMPI to hold public meetings on key industry issues
The National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) will hold public meetings on Aug. 8 and 9 regarding data collection and analysis more...
House Ag panel approves COOL
The House Agriculture Committee voted Thursday night to require country-of-origin labels on meat product beginning next year, finally allowing full implementation more...
China to reassess food safety supervision; shuts two pet food plants
The Chinese government is reassessing its food safety control system and has shuttered two plants whose products were linked to pet deaths in the United more...
Illinois horse slaughterhouse back in business — at least for now
After being forced to close twice in the last two months, the last U.S. horse slaughter plant will be allowed to reopen while it challenges the state more...
Hot dog stand rolls out 10-pound "doublewide" burger
A rustic Appalachian hot dog stand once featured in National Geographic Traveler is adding some girth to its legacy.Hillbilly Hotdogs in Huntington, W more...
Safeway pulls product packaged in CO
Congress asked, and Safeway complied. The nation's largest retail chain announced Wednesday it will no longer stock meat packaged in carbon monoxide gas more...
Maple Leaf to close Winnipeg pork plant
Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods plans to close its primary pork processing plant on Marion Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in October.In a news release, more...
Koch's Turkey Farm launches natural and organic deli meats
Tamaqua, Penn.-based Koch's Turkey Farm has launched an all natural and organic turkey deli meats line.Sold nationally at Whole Foods and other natural more...
Chinese TV reporter arrested for faking cardboard-in-buns story
Chinese police detained a TV reporter for fabricating a story that drew international attention about a vendor stuffing pork buns with cardboard soaked more...
White House sets import safety panel
President Bush on Wednesday created a government panel to review the safety of imported foods and recommend ways to improve U.S. import monitoring, according more...
Court ruling protects certain livestock farms from emissions lawsuits
In a ruling seen by some as a rebuke to environmental groups, a federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that farms cannot be sued over emissions if they more...
Taiwan blocks U.S. pork
Taiwan has banned sales of tons of U.S. pork after finding that they contained a banned veterinary drug, and legislators there are pressing for tighter more...
Steak-Umm Co. launches recipe contest
Steak-Umm Company, the Reading, Pa.-based producer of frozen steak slices for sandwiches and burritos, announced a recipe contest that will award the more...
U.S. and China to meet following plant bans
U.S. and Chinese officials will discuss China's recent actions to delist or suspend meat imports from 11 U.S. plants when they meet in Washington for more...
Montana herd heads to slaughter after exposure to brucellosis
A herd of Montana cattle headed to slaughter Monday following exposure to brucellosis.Semi trucks loaded 290 cows and 16 bulls owned by ranchers Jim and more...
Livestock farms participate in $14.6 million air-emissions study
Twenty hog, dairy and poultry farms in nine states are the subject of a $14.6 million air-emissions study by scientists at eight universities that began more...
Pilgrim's Pride names senior VP of commodity risk management
Pittsburg, Texas-based chicken company Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced that W. Edwin Carter has joined the company as senior vice president of commodity more...
Pigging out: Chestnut wins pork-eating prize, but falls short of record
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut won the recent Chinook Winds World Rib Eating Championship in Lincoln City, Ore., but he's still hungry for more.Chestnut more...
China's import suspensions fuel latest round of additive debate
As U.S. meat processors seek to clarify China's weekend announcement that it has suspended import of certain U.S. pork and poultry product, industry officials more...
IHOP to acquire Applebee's
Glendale, Calif.-based IHOP Corp., parent company of International House of Pancakes, said Monday it will buy Overland Park, Kan.-based bar-and-grill more...
Dueling housewives, beef-burning protestors greet U.S. beef's return to Korea
Housewives desperate for U.S. beef. Protestors taking their case to the meat counter. All in all something of a free for all as beef returned to supermarket more...
Cattle vs. caterpillars in N.M. pastures
Armed with crop-dusters, fogger-fortified pickup trucks and insecticide, ranchers in northeastern New Mexico are busy battling caterpillars known as range more...
LIVE FROM NCC: Young and liberal is where it's at for poultry, survey guru says
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Chicken processors should target young liberal Americans, particularly single females and African Americans, according to a new more...
Canada's enhanced feed ban takes effect
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said on Thursday it has implemented an enhanced feed ban that completely bars the use of specified risk materials more...
Tyson cited by OSHA at poultry plant
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. was cited by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for alleged violations at a southwest Missouri more...
China promises food-safety crackdown during Olympic trials next month
In an effort to reassure the world that it wants to crack down on unsafe food practices, China plans to launch a daily food safety reporting system next more...
Mimi's Café introduces seasonal dishes for summer
Tustin, Calif.-based family-dining chain Mimi's Café has introduced nine new summer dishes that will be available through Sept. 19.The items include a more...
Chinese vendor gets caught stuffing pork buns with cardboard
Beijing authorities shut down a dim-sum booth that was stuffing its steamed buns with cardboard in an apparent attempt to offset the rising cost of pork more...
JBS completes Swift acquisition
JBS S.A., Latin America's largest beef processor, on Thursday announced it had completed its acquisition of Greeley, Colo.-based Swift & Co.The all-cash more...
Montana sets deadline for slaughter of quarantined cattle.
Montana's Board of Livestock has ordered that a herd of quarantined cattle be slaughtered if the owners and federal government can't come to terms on more...
Publix experiments with curbside service for deli items
Publix recently began testing curbside service for deli items such as sandwiches, salads and fried chicken at a store in Fort Myers, Fla.The Lakeland more...
Bennigan's fires up the grill with summer offerings
Plano, Texas-based dining chain Bennigan's Grill & Tavern is introducing new grilled chicken items to its summer menu.The Irish Fire Drill promotional more...
Oscar Mayer account awarded to new ad agency
Kraft Foods has hired WPP Group's Chicago-based Ogilvy & Mather as the new advertising agency for the Northfield, Ill.-based food company's Oscar Mayer more...
Seiyu says yes to more U.S. beef
Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu Ltd. said Wednesday it will resume selling U.S. beef at an additional 90 stores starting Sunday, Kyodo News reported more...
Energy watchdog predicts global biofuels output will double by 2012
Global biofuels production will double to 1.75 million barrels a day by 2012 as global energy needs rise and new biofuels projects continue at a rapid more...
Be on TV: Taco Bell's ad contest to put consumers on the air
Taco Bell Corp., an Irvine, Calif.-based subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc., has teamed up with MTV and avatar-creation company Gizmoz to launch Taco Bell more...
China gets dead serious about food safety, executes former food and drug chief
In perhaps a demonstration of how serious China is about shoring up the safety of its food products, Beijing executed the former head of its State Food more...
Campbell Soup announces plans for new products in Russia and China
Campbell Soup Co. is planning to introduce new products in Russia and China, the world's two largest soup consumption markets.After conducting extensive more...
Brazil meat exports blaze past $10 billion mark
Brazil's meat exports are sizzling, having broken records in both volume and value over the last 12 months, according to the country's Agriculture Ministry more...
Foodservice chain exec jumps to retail purchasing position
T.G.I. Friday's VP of Food and Beverage Phil Costner has left the company to become VP of purchasing at San Antonio, Texas-based supermarket chain H-E-B more...
Obesity from 'meat-sweet' diet linked to cancer risk in older Asian woman: study
Postmenopausal Asian women who eat a "meat-sweet" or Western diet are at greater risk of developing breast cancer than those who eat a "vegetable-soy" more...
FSIS increasing raw ground beef sampling in July
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says it is increasing the number of scheduled raw ground beef product samples for the agency's E. coli O157:H7 more...
Undeclared allergen prompts beef and chicken recall
Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville, Iowa, is recalling approximately 35,860 pounds of frozen beef and chicken products because they may contain egg albumen more...
More U.S.-South Korea beef talks expected in August
South Korea expects to begin new beef trade talks with the United States, a government official said Monday. It will likely be August before the two countries more...
Wendy's brings home the bacon in new summer offering
Dubbed the Baconator, the latest hamburger offering from Wendy's International Inc. features six strips of hickory-smoked bacon piled on a half-pound more...
China unveils plan to combat infectious diseases such as bird flu
China launched a new plan to combat the spread of infectious diseases with better prevention efforts and research, according to the Ministry of Health more...
Illinois horse slaughterhouse loses another legal battle
Cavel International in DeKalb, Ill., the last U.S. horse slaughterhouse in operation, will remain closed after a federal judge on Thursday threw out the more...
Burger King begins transition to trans fat-free oils
Miami-based fast-food chain Burger King Corp. said it has replaced its fryer oil with trans fat-free blends in key U.S. markets and expects to affect more...
Perdue receives award from state of Georgia
Salisbury, Md.-based poultry producer Perdue Farms recently received an award from the state of Georgia as its "Large Manufacturer of the Year," the company more...
Japan lifts ban on imports from Jobbers Meat Packing
Japan lifted a ban on imports from Los Angeles-based Jobbers Meat Packing Co., Japan's Agriculture and Health Ministries said in a joint statement. The more...
Ga. poultry firm wins in precedent-setting donning-doffing case
A federal appeals court in Atlanta has ruled that Camilla, Ga.-based poultry processor Cagle Foods JV does not have to compensate its workers for the more...
GIPSA assesses $96,000 civil penalty against United Producers Inc.
USDA ordered United Producers Inc. to cease and desist creating false or misleading records and assessed a $96,000 civil penalty.The consent decision more...
Hot dog! American wins title at annual Coney Island eating contest
After eating 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes — or one every 10.9 seconds — American Joey Chestnut broke his own world record and emerged as the more...
Survey shows decreased bird flu concern among U.S. consumers
Concerns about highly pathogenic avian influenza among U.S. consumers have diminished over the past 12 months, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos more...
Marco's Pizza names new VP of purchasing
Marco's Pizza has named Don Vlcek vice president of purchasing. Vlcek is a former vice president of Domino's Pizza, and also served as a member of its more...
Max & Erma's unveils new tagline
Casual-dining chain Max & Erma's has introduced a new tagline, billing the restaurant as "A Better Place to Eat."The chain features the tagline in its more...
Meat impasse could stall U.S.-S. Korea FTA, says top Korean trade official
South Korean Deputy Trade Minister Lee Hye-min acknowledged Tuesday that the U.S.-South Korean free-trade agreement could stall in Congress unless Seoul more...
WHO official remains 'concerned' about bird flu in Asia
An official with the World Health Organization urged Asian nations to remain vigilant against highly pathogenic avian influenza because of its continued more...
Listeria antimicrobial achieves GRAS status
The FDA and USDA have approved LISTEX P100, a natural bacteriophage against listeria, as generally recognized as safe for all food products. Both agencies more...
Fourth of July forecast: burgers from backyard grill will cost more
Hamburgers and steaks served on Independence Day, the most popular grilling day of the year, will cost Americans about nine percent more than last year more...
U.S.-Korean trade deal may hit bumps in Congress
As expected, the United States and South Korea signed a free-trade agreement Saturday, meeting the deadline for President Bush's expiring special trade more...
Bush loses "fast track" trade authority
Congress refused on Saturday to renew President Bush's power to fast track trade deals, citing concerns that recent trade pacts have sent U.S. jobs abroad more...
U.S. hog inventory up 2 percent
U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1 was 62.8 million head, up 2 percent from both June 1, 2006 and March 1, 2007, USDA reported Friday in its more...
Energy Department invests $375 million in three bioenergy research centers
The U.S. Department of Energy will invest up to $375 million in three new bioenergy research centers to accelerate basic research needed to develop cellulosic more...
June 2007
House Republicans rallying to revive trade renewal
With the clock winding down on the Bush administration's fast-track authority to broker trade deals, U.S. House Republicans are seeking to renew the initiative more...
GAO says USDA's avian influenza plan lacking
USDA is not fully prepared to deal with a domestic outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to a report issued earlier this week by the more...
Time runs out for Illinois horse slaughterhouse
A federal judge on Thursday effectively closed the last U.S. horse slaughterhouse, refusing to extend an earlier order that stayed the enforcement of more...
Japanese supermarket chain resumes U.S. beef sales
Japanese supermarket chain Ito-Yokado Co. has resumed selling U.S. beef at 20 stores in and around Tokyo, according to Agence France Presse. Ito-Yokado more...
Sir, will you please step away from the hot dog?
An Arizona Highway Patrol officer pulled over Oscar Mayer's Wienermobile on Wednesday when its YUMMY license plates came up stolen, but the mix-up was more...
Japan seeks more information on U.S. cattle feed, surveillance; more trade talks expected
Japan asked the United States for detailed compliance data on its measures to safeguard against BSE as technical trade talks between the two countries more...
Australia may be next in line for FTA with S. Korea
As the United States and Canada continue efforts to reach respective free-trade agreements with South Korea, Australian beef producers are now pushing more...
Safeway tests stand-alone restaurant
Pleasanton, Calif.-based grocery chain Safeway has opened a stand-alone restaurant called Citrine in Redwood City, Calif.The 5,000-square-foot restaurant more...
USA Poultry & Egg Export Council elects chairman
The USA Poultry & Egg Export Council elected Mark Blanchard, executive vice president of New Orleans-based warehousing and cold storage company NOCS, more...
U.S., Japan conclude first day of beef-trade talks
The United States and Japan on Wednesday concluded the first of two days of technical talks on Japanese imports of U.S. beef, with Washington continuing more...
ConAgra profit more than triples, beats estimates
ConAgra Foods on Wednesday reported soaring fiscal fourth-quarter profits buoyed by increases in its commodities trading division, compared with depressed more...
Butterball exec announces retirement
Mt. Olive, N.C.-based Butterball LLC President of Sales and Marketing Dan Blackshear announced his retirement after 38 years of service in the poultry more...
New AMI Web site defends meat companies' ability to own livestock
The American Meat Institute has launched www.TheMarketWorks.org, a Web site that details AMI's opposition to legislative efforts to ban meat companies' more...
Senate blocks 'card-check' bill
Republican senators stymied a bill that would have made it easier for workers to unionize their job sites, dashing hopes that unions had pinned on a new more...
S. Korea reinstates Tyson and Cargill plants
South Korea has lifted its suspensions of imports from six U.S. beef plants owned by Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods and Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill more...
Japan, U.S. to meet on beef trade rules this week
The U.S. and Japan will meet this week to begin technical discussion on next steps toward more fully opening the Japanese market to U.S. beef, Agriculture more...
Taiwan resumes imports of Canadian beef
Taiwan has reopened its markets to Canadian beef, albeit only boneless cuts from animals under 30 months of age. Nevertheless, the move amounts to a significant more...
Kroger profit surges 10 percent
Kroger Co. on Tuesday reported a 10 percent increase in net earnings in the first quarter, including charges related to labor unrest at one of its distribution more...
Tyson launches renewable fuels joint venture
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. on Monday announced it will form a joint venture with Tulsa-based synthetic fuels technology company Syntroleum more...
Swift & Co.'s Rovit to step down following sale
Swift & Co. on Monday announced that President and CEO Sam Rovit will relinquish all executive and director responsibilities immediately following the more...
H5N1 resurfaces in Germany
Six wild birds found dead in Nuremberg on Sunday tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, although officials do not expect the disease to more...
Brinker beefs up management team
Dallas-based Brinker International, parent of several casual dining chains including Chili's Grill & Bar and Romano's Macaroni Grill, announced the promotion more...
WTO Doha talks collapse — again
It was the same old story in Potsdam, Germany, on Thursday as representatives from the big four attempted — and failed — to resuscitate the more...
Bob Evans founder dies
Bob Evans, founder of the restaurant chain bearing his name, died of complications from pneumonia at the Cleveland Clinic on Thursday. He was 89. Evans more...
S.D. sounds the natural-beef horn
Consumers who buy state-certified beef produced in South Dakota will soon have another option: natural beef.State officials have launched the South Dakota more...
Wendy's expands breakfast menu
After a successful round of testing breakfast items at 160 locations, Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's will expand its morning menu to 650-plus additional restaurants more...
U.S. beef still scary to some Japanese consumers
During a public hearing held Wednesday in Tokyo, Japanese consumers said they still fear U.S. beef.Nearly 170 people representing consumer groups and more...
COOL-er heads prevail: AMI and R-CALF have 'cordial' meeting
The leaders of the American Meat Institute and producer group R-CALF, recently feuding over country-of-origin labeling law, buried the hatchet in a meeting more...
Poultry plant employees test positive for TB
More than 130 workers at a poultry processing plant in Greenville, S.C., tested positive for tuberculosis after being exposed to the disease by a co-worker more...
Pizza Hut brings back meat-stuffed P'Zones
Dallas-based Pizza Hut is pushing the limit on both portion and waistband sizes, announcing the return of the P'Zone, a one-pound, 12-inch pizza pie stuffed more...
Presidential candidate to meet with Smithfield workers
Presidential hopeful John Edwards is slated to sit down with Smithfield Packing Co. workers Thursday morning at his campaign headquarters in Chapel Hill more...
Ohio congressman set to introduce meat-inspection bill
Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) has indicated he will introduce legislation to allow meat processed at a state facility that meets federal inspection requirements more...
FSIS introduces new interactive information system
The Food Safety and Inspection Service is now offering a new Interactive Knowledge Exchange (IKE) scenario comment page. The page will be used by the more...
Time ticks on calorie-count rule
New York City health officials have delayed enforcement of a new rule that forces fast-food restaurants to display calorie information on their menus more...
Tyson to tag all fresh chicken as 'raised without antibiotics'
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods announced Tuesday morning that it is now producing all of its brand-name fresh chicken from birds raised without antibiotics more...
R-CALF requests meeting with AMI to discuss COOL
Thus far, the pen has proved mightier than the sword in an ongoing dispute between the American Meat Institute and producer group R-CALF USA over Country more...
Marinades shown to reduce cancerous compounds in grilled beef
Researchers at Kansas State University have discovered that marinating steaks can help reduce heterocyclic amines, carcinogenic compounds known as HCAs more...
Fatburger eyes China
With its cult status firmly entrenched in its home state of California, and in a growing number of outlets in the United States, the Fatburger fast-casual more...
Washington processor recalls beef products
Washington Beef in Toppenish, Wash., is recalling approximately 82,286 pounds of beef products that were produced under insanitary conditions, the U.S more...
FSIS to hold meeting about risk-based inspection elicitation
The Food Safety and Inspection (FSIS) will hold a public meeting on June 26 to present the results of an expert elicitation relating to risk-based inspection more...
OIE says S. Korea free of avian influenza
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has classified South Korea as free of avian influenza. OIE confirmed that South Korea has had zero AI outbreaks more...
NAMP adds second 'Center of the Plate' course
As a result of high attendance at its Center of the Plate course in May, the North American Meat Processors Association has scheduled a second such workshop more...
Lawmakers resuscitate immigration bill
Senate leaders struck a deal Thursday night that breathes new life into stalled immigration legislation.Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority more...
Slaughterhouse revived: Horse plant to remain operational — for now
A federal judge on Thursday said a DeKalb, Ill., horse-slaughter facility could remain operational while it challenges a state law that would force it more...
Chicago to revisit foie gras ban
Fourteen Chicago aldermen have signed on to measures that would repeal last year's controversial council ban on the sale of foie gras in the city. In more...
Steak n Shake beefs up management
Steak n Shake Co. on Thursday announced Omar Janjua joined the Indianapolis-based restaurant company as executive VP of operations. Janjua will oversee more...
Washington Beef water contains coliform bacteria
Toppenish, Wash.-based Washington Beef sent 800 employees home Wednesday after state health officials confirmed the presence of coliform bacteria in water more...
Seoul looks to seal FTA deal by June 30
South Korea says it has not yet been contacted by the United States for additional negotiations on a tentative bilateral free trade agreement, and will more...
Swift ex-workers sentenced following immigration raid
As the fallout from the federal government's raid on Swift & Co. continues, 13 ex-workers who pleaded guilty to immigration violations have received sentences more...
Official promises republic of Georgia has contained swine fever
A series of measures have prevented a major spread of African swine fever following an outbreak in the republic of Georgia, the deputy agriculture minister more...
Japan halts 100 percent checks on U.S. beef
After having dispatched officials to inspect U.S. beef plants, Japan says it plans to stop checking all U.S. beef cargoes, Takashi Himeda, the Agriculture more...
Hatfield settles donning-doffing dispute
Hatfield, Pa.-based Hatfield Quality Meats has settled a lawsuit by workers seeking back pay for time spent donning and doffing protective gear.The $1 more...
Aussies in a tizzy over alleged U.S. beef imports
The Australian Beef Association is demanding that the federal government revise beef-import regulations after the group found canned beef product from more...
DQ going to the dogs with all-beef wiener
Minneapolis-based International Dairy Queen is beefing up its hot-dog offerings with the July introduction of an all-beef frank at locations nationwide more...
Food recalls 'more routine,' public concern high: poll
Food recalls — from produce to protein to pet food — have come to be more routine and anticipated by the public, according to a poll of 2 more...
Corn hits two-month high on drought fears
Corn futures rose sharply Monday, to the highest level since USDA announced spring planting intentions two months ago, as traders at the Chicago Board more...
Applebee's teams with Food Network for burger contest
Overland Park, Kan.-based Applebee's International Inc. is partnering with the Food Network to launch the "Big Burger Showdown," a promotional contest more...
QSR menus reflect Hawaiians' love of Spam
Spam, Hormel Foods' iconic canned meat product, has been beloved in Hawaii since World War II, and fast-food chains are starting to get the message.Last more...
USDA keeping a 'close watch' on spike in recalls
On the heels of three E. coli-related recalls, two of which Vernon, Calif.-based United Food Group expanded to include 5.7 million pounds of ground beef more...
U.S., Taiwan delegations ink agricultural accords
Taiwan's agricultural sector has signed letters of intent to procure a combined $3.9 billion worth of U.S. soybeans, corn, wheat and beef.Parties to the more...
FSIS issues six enforcement-related directives
FSIS issued six new directives this week that provide new and additional guidance to inspection personnel. The directives are particularly focused on more...
McBlogs: McDonald's invites moms to review restaurants, post comments online
McDonald's is giving six mothers behind-the-scenes access to the fast-fooder's restaurants and inviting them to blog about what they see.The "Moms' Quality more...
South Korea reopens to U.S. beef imports
South Korea has officially resumed accepting U.S. beef imports after Washington assured Seoul that two shipments containing banned bones and intended more...
JBS to construct $15.2 million cattle farm
Fresh off the acquisition of Greeley, Colo.-based Swift & Co., Brazil's largest meatpacking conglomerate JBS said it's set to build a $15.2 million cattle more...
NAMP, AAMP jointly promote listeria workshop
The North American Meat Processors Association and the American Association of Meat Processors are jointly promoting a one-day workshop Tuesday, June more...
Kentucky animal lab looks to expand
The only animal lab of its kind in Kentucky is seeking funds from the state government for expansion.The Murray State University Breathitt Veterinary more...
Johanns appoints new ERS administrator
USDA Secretary Mike Johanns has appointed Katherine "Kitty" Smith administrator of the department's Economic Research Service. Dr. Smith will oversee more...
Smithfield profits surge
Smithfield Foods Inc. on Thursday reported a steep increase in fourth-quarter profits, citing increased pork prices and sales, which offset higher feed more...
United Food Group expands ground beef recall
Vernon, Calif.-based United Food Group LLC, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California State Department of Health Services more...
Winn Meat Co. to provide Nueske's products
Dallas-based foodservice supplier Winn Meat Co. announced Wednesday that it will carry products from Wisconsin-based Nueske's Applewood Smoked Meats.Winn more...
Wendy's burger-building contest hits the road
In its newest promotion, Dublin-Ohio based Wendy's is launching a 25-city North American taste tour that will allow consumers to build original burgers more...
U.S. must meet S. Korea's beef import standards, Iowa lawmakers say
U.S. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) — two of the most vocal among lawmakers urging South Korea to fully reopen its market to U more...
Don Tyson home after cancer surgery
Former Tyson Foods Chairman and CEO Don Tyson is home now following cancer surgery last month, his family said.Tyson, 77, had a tumor removed from his more...
New Diddy ad promotes Burger King's late-night hours
Crowning Sean "Diddy" Combs "Late Night Ambassador," Burger King Corp. is using the music mogul in a national ad spot promoting that participating Burger more...
Baja Fresh debuts Mango Chipotle Salad
Fast-casual restaurant chain Baja Fresh Mexican Grill has introduced a Mango Chipotle Salad featuring chipotle-glazed grilled chicken.The chicken is served more...
Korea closed for business, pending investigation of beef export snafu
The Agriculture Department would neither confirm nor deny reports that South Korea has temporarily suspended quarantine inspections of U.S. beef until more...
Bob Evans fourth-quarter profit drops
Bob Evans Farms Inc. late Monday announced that fiscal fourth-quarter profits dropped 26 percent, but beat analysts' expectations. For the three months more...
Quiznos does Tex-Mex with new chicken sandwich
Denver-based sandwich chain Quiznos on Monday launched a new, limited-time-only sandwich. The Baja Chicken sandwich features grilled chicken with cilantro more...
Gut reaction: A real-time tour of the bovine stomach
Researchers at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville have surgically implanted 4-in.-wide tubes, called cannulas, in the sides of 12 cattle to get a more...
Return to sender(s): S. Korea rejects 66 tons of U.S. beef
South Korea will return two shipments totaling 66 tons of U.S. beef that violated the country's import restrictions, government officials said Monday more...
E. coli concerns prompt ground beef recall
United Food Group LLC in Vernon, Calif., is voluntarily recalling approximately 75,000 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated more...
Plant operations short courses planned for WWFE
A special track of short courses focusing on plant operations will be part of the educational program at Worldwide Food Expo 2007, Oct. 24-27, 2007, at more...
Eckrich hits the road on summer sampling tour
In its "Trust the Taste" tour, Armour-Eckrich Meats LLC is taking its newest products on the road, visiting festivals and sporting events around the country more...
U.S. is testing beef import ban, S. Korean lawmakers say
That rib bones found in a 15-ton shipment of U.S. beef to Seoul were visible to the naked eye suggests they weren't mistakenly included, lawmakers in more...
Illinois horse slaughter plant receives temporary reprieve
The last U.S. horse slaughterhouse will be allowed to operate for at least a few more weeks thanks to a ruling issued Friday morning.Judge Frederick J more...
Murray's Chickens introduces new chicken burgers
South Fallsburg, N.Y.-based Murray's Chickens on Thursday launched the latest addition to its convenience-oriented Chicken Express line, antibiotic-free more...
Chicken to be star attraction in summer flyers
Chicken looks to be the starring protein in the advertising run up to Independence Day, as retail grocers look to increase the protein's presence as a more...
May 2007
More on melamine: FDA recalls feed made with tainted binders
In the latest twist of a saga that began unraveling in March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says a pair of companies are voluntarily recalling more...
Spam among $118 million in U.S. food headed to Cuba
Hormel's iconic Spam canned lunchmeat, chicken leg quarters from Pilgrim's Pride and turkey drumsticks from Butterball are all part of a $118 million more...
CKE to sell Mexican food division
Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants, Inc., the owner, operator and franchiser of fast-fooders Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, has inked a deal to sell more...
Pizza piles on the pork 'n beef
Concord, Calif.-based chain Round Table Pizza is combining not one, but two of America's most popular meats into a single premium product — the Sirloin more...
S. Korea puts kibosh on U.S. beef plant
South Korea suspended beef imports from a yet-unnamed U.S. meatpacking plant after finding bone-in beef in its shipment, quarantine officials said Wednesday more...
USDA fights ruling on BSE testing
USDA will fight a federal court ruling that would pave the way for private U.S. meatpacking companies to test their animals for bovine spongiform encephalopathy more...
Smithfield lowers 4Q earnings guidance
Smithfield Foods Inc. late Tuesday said it expects fiscal fourth-quarter earnings to fall short of Wall Street expectations due to rising hog-production more...
Oscar Mayer to debut new bacon packaging
Oscar Mayer plans to introduce a "Stay-Fresh Reclosable Tray" for its Center Cut Bacon.The Kraft Foods brand bills the new packaging as sturdy and easy more...
Brazilian firm to buy Swift, become world's biggest meat conglomerate
Latin America's largest beef processor has agreed to acquire America's third-largest beef and pork processor, creating the world's largest meatpacking more...
Japan's ag minister dies
Japan's agriculture minister, Toshikatsu Matsuoka, died Monday after hanging himself in his Tokyo home. He was 62.Local media reported Matsuoka took his more...
FSIS seeks comments on melamine investigation
A Federal Register document from the Food Safety and Inspection Service details the decision-making process that FSIS followed related to pet food scraps more...
CKE Restaurants sues Jack in the Box over 'Angus' ads
CKE Restaurants, the parent company of fast-food chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, has sued fellow QSR Jack in the Box over what it deems deceptive advertising more...
Bush serves 'cheeseburger' in China
Fed up with China's refusal to import U.S. beef, President Bush last week fed the Chinese some so-called "cheeseburger diplomacy," saying they "need" more...
USDA releases avian influenza education materials
USDA has introduced Understanding Avian Influenza, a lesson plan for use in schools around the country aimed at helping American young people understand more...
Dinner by Design promotes grilled items for summer
With summer about to begin, meal-assembly chain Dinner by Design is offering a variety of grilled options for customers, including:Peach daiquiri bacon-wrapped more...
Survey says more turkey showing up on chain menus
Mentions of turkey on chain restaurant menus have increased by 20 percent over the past seven years, a new survey by Food Beat Inc. shows. According to more...
U.S. Cattlemen's Association calls for federal brucellosis controls
The U.S. Cattlemen's Association is calling on USDA and the Department of the Interior to establish a long-term brucellosis control and eradication program more...
Bill signed to shutter last U.S. horse slaughterhouse
Proclaiming it was "past time to stop slaughtering horses in Illinois," Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday signed a law making it illegal to slaughter horses more...
Denny's launches new breakfast ad campaign
Spartanburg, S.C.-based Denny's launched a new ad campaign in hopes of renewing American interest in full-service breakfasts instead of fast-food breakfasts more...
Not booked up? Read the 1,000-page U.S.-South Korean free-trade agreement
Legislators looking for a little something to do over the long weekend can pour over a 1,000-page "draft" of the U.S.-South Korean free-trade agreement more...
Hormel earnings go flat
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp. on Thursday reported fiscal second-quarter results, indicating sales of Hormel-brand products offset weaker Jennie-O more...
Sanderson Farms swings to profit 2Q, beats Wall Street's expectations
Laurel, Miss.-based poultry processor Sanderson Farms reported Thursday it swung to a profit in the second quarter on more favorable market pricing and more...
Raided poultry plant defends hiring practices
Officials from George's Processing on Wednesday said that the company makes every effort to comply with federal immigration laws. Immigration and Customs more...
Carl's Jr. goes tropical with pineapple burger
Just in time for summer, Carpinteria, Calif.-based Carl's Jr. is rolling out a teriyaki hamburger, the first-ever fast-food burger to be served with grilled more...
ICE raid leads to more than 100 arrests at poultry plant
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested more than 100 workers Tuesday after raiding a rural Missouri poultry plant. The workers at the George's more...
Japan unmoved by OIE ruling on U.S. beef
Despite the World Organization for Animal Health's classification of the United States as a "controlled risk" region for bovine spongiform encephalopathy more...
Iowa Quality Meats to shutter plant
Pork processor Iowa Quality Meats is closing an Iowa meatpacking plant in Clive, the company indicated yesterday. The closure will affect 95 workers, more...
Brucellosis emerges in Montana beef herd
Montana state animal health officials confirmed that a herd of seven cows in Bridger, Mont., has tested positive for brucellosis.The state's beef herds more...
U.S. receives 'controlled risk' BSE classification from OIE
Members of the World Organization for Animal Health on Tuesday officially classified the United States as a "controlled risk" region for bovine spongiform more...
Perdue exec to retire
Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue Farms announced that Bob Turley, president of Perdue's international division, will retire effective June 1. "I want to personally more...
Albertson's to require temperature-monitoring devices on all fresh meat
Albertson's LLC announced Tuesday that it will require temperature-monitoring devices on all inbound fresh meat, seafood and produce shipments to its more...
Atlanta Bread Co. adds chicken and steak dishes
Atlanta Bread Co., a Smyrna, Ga.-based quick-casual restaurant concept with more than 145 locations, will offer a new chicken sandwich and steak salad more...
Bush biofuel initiative may be unrealistic, producers say
Leading producers of ethanol and biodiesel said Friday their industries are facing serious barriers to meeting the 2017 growth targets outlined last week more...
Undeclared allergen prompts sausage recall
Chelsea, Mass.-based Kayem Foods Inc. is recalling approximately 35,580 pounds of raw chicken sausage products due to the presence of an undeclared allergen more...
Butterball honored by fast-casual chain
Mt. Olive, N.C.-based Butterball LLC was named supplier of the year by fast-casual chain Panera Bread.Butterball, the nation's largest turkey processor more...
KFC's consumer-generated ad celebrates move to zero trans fats
Louisville, Ky.-based KFC is tapping into consumer-generated content to promote its conversion to trans fat-free oil in a 15-second television ad that more...
Japan suspends beef imports from another Cargill plant
Japanese officials on Friday announced a temporary ban on beef imports from a Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Fort Morgan, Colo., because of a recent more...
USDA clears more poultry for processing amidst melamine investigation
USDA on Friday announced that testing on poultry fed rations supplemented with pet-food scraps containing melamine is safe for human consumption. As a more...
Sanderson Farms' new facility opening soon
Sanderson Farms Inc. will begin putting eggs in the hatchery at its processing operation in Waco, Texas, next week, the company said. Laurel, Miss.-based more...
Pigs across America: Animal sanctuary owner leads hogs on journey of freedom
A farm animal sanctuary owner from Ohio on Sunday is embarking on a cross-country road trip with some unusual companions: 10 not-so-little piggies that more...
China to U.S.: Be gentle about the melamine mess
Fearing backlash from Washington after two Chinese companies intentionally contaminated U.S. pet food ingredients with melamine, China's quality inspection more...
Illinois lawmakers vote to close last U.S. horse slaughterhouse
The Illinois Senate on Wednesday approved a measure that would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption, likely forcing the closure of Cavel more...
New deputy administrator for AMS Livestock and Seed Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service has named Craig A. Morris as the new deputy administrator of its Livestock and Seed more...
Sizzler to test full-service concept
Culver City, Calif.-based limited-service steakhouse chain Sizzler is planning to test a new format this summer that features table service and a full more...
Japan to Johanns: age limit on U.S. beef imports stays
Japanese agriculture minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka rejected another Washington plea to scrap a cattle age limit on U.S. beef imports during a meeting with more...
APHIS proposes voluntary trichinae certification program
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to establish a voluntary trichinae certification program for the U.S. pork industry.The more...
Ethanol industry needs to be weaned off corn, Harkin says
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said Tuesday that the nation's nascent ethanol industry shouldn't rely solely on corn, and indicated that Congress will seek more...
New Pittsburgh McDonald's will pay tribute to Big Mac inventor
Pittsburgh native Jim Delligatti not only brought the city its first McDonald's restaurant in 1957, but also invented the fast-food giant's most famous more...
Senators call on USDA to expedite price reporting rule
A group of bipartisan senators led by Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) urged USDA Monday to expedite more...
Animal-rights group takes a swing at the Dodger Dog
The Dodger Dog, beloved by baseball fans in Los Angeles for decades, is being attacked by an animal rights group.Stephen Wells, executive director of more...
Four nations to conduct drug trial for avian and human flu
A new drug aimed at treating both avian and human influenza in humans will be tested across four nations next month, Reuters reported. The drug, developed more...
Outback parent postpones buyout vote again
Perhaps three times will be the charm. Late on Monday, Tampa, Fla.-based OSI Restaurant Partners Inc., parent to Australian-themed restaurant chain Outback more...
Red Robin introduces burgers, chicken salad for summer
Casual-dining restaurant chain Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has introduced several menu items that will be available through July 15.The new menu items include:Apple more...
Tyson to get a visit from Japanese inspectors
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. is on a checklist that Japanese officials will be carrying with them on a two-week tour of U.S. meatpacking plants more...
Michigan firm recalls beef because of E. coli concerns
Davis Creek Meats and Seafood in Kalamazoo, Mich., is voluntarily recalling approximately 129,000 pounds of beef products, due to possible contamination more...
Indonesia tallies another bird flu death
A 26-year-old pregnant woman became Indonesia's latest bird flu fatality on Saturday, bringing the country's death toll from the H5N1 virus to 76.The more...
Bob Evans goes international
Columbus, Ohio-based Bob Evans Farms Inc. has inked deals to sell its sausage and other breakfast foods in Canada, making it the first time the brand more...
Japan officials packing bags for tour of U.S. beef plants
Japanese officials have made travel plans for a two-week journey to the United States, where they will inspect meatpackers exporting beef to Japan to more...
Study questions cost-effectiveness of gestation crates for sows
A study by researchers at Iowa State University found that placing pregnant sows in group housing structures called hoop barns could be more cost-effective more...
Minnesota E. coli infections prompt expansive beef recall
PM Beef Holdings LLC in Windom, Minn., is voluntarily recalling approximately 117,500 pounds of beef trim products used to make ground beef, due to possible more...
Wendy's tops with consumers, survey says
It may trail McDonalds and Burger King in sales, but more than 5,000 consumers surveyed by Zagat and the Today Show have crowned Wendy's queen of the more...
Sara Lee profits nearly triple in 3Q; retail meats segment plummets
Sara Lee Corp. on Thursday announced earnings in its fiscal third quarter nearly tripled, citing increased sales abroad. North American retail meats, more...
Whole Foods profits slide in second quarter
Whole Foods Markets Inc. late Wednesday announced that fiscal second-quarter profits dropped 11 percent on new store openings, causing the Austin, Texas-based more...
The burgers are back at Cracker Barrel
Lebanon, Tenn.-based restaurant chain Cracker Barrel said Wednesday it will resume serving hamburgers after pulling the menu item following an injury more...
Good Times Restaurant introduces Bambino Burger
Good Times Restaurants Inc., a Golden-Colo.-based company serving burgers, chicken sandwiches and fresh frozen custard in 52 locations, announced the more...
Minnesota officials investigate E. coli infections linked to ground beef
Health officials in Minnesota are investigating seven cases of E. coli infection that have been traced to ground beef purchased at Lunds or Byerly's grocery more...
Brazilian beef exports on the rise
The first four months of 2007 was a boom period for Brazilian beef exports, up nearly 44 percent over the same period in 2006.According to data presented more...
Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses debut entrée platters
Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouse are adding entrée platters to their menus.The new offerings include a steak, chicken or seafood entrée with more...
National Chicken Cooking Contest announces winner
A Thai-inspired dish made with boneless chicken breasts was the grand prize winner of the 47th National Chicken Cooking Contest held May 4 in Birmingham more...
Tyson scales back on beef production
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods said it idled two beef facilities and shortened shifts at two others on Monday in response to what it called "unfavorable more...
Brazilian firm may enter bid for Swift
Brazil's biggest meatpacking conglomerate, JBS-Friboi, confirmed that it may put in a takeover bid for 100 percent of Swift & Co. on Wednesday, according more...
Ammonia leak at Illinois meat plant prompts evacuation
An ammonia leak at an Ed Miniat plant in South Holland, Ill., on Monday prompted the evacuation of the facility and some nearby homes and businesses.No more...
Mimi's Café adds spring menu items
Family-dining restaurant chain Mimi's Café has added 10 new menu items inspired by springtime farmers market produce.Available in a "Seasonal Features" more...
USDA clears 20 million chickens for market in melamine investigation
The Department of Agriculture on Monday announced that some 20 million chickens that may have eaten feed contaminated with melamine held on farms in several more...
LIVE FROM FMI: Johanns says 2007 Farm Bill will help meat industry
CHICAGO — Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns spoke at the Food Marketing Institute show Monday morning, saying that the 2007 Farm Bill represents the more...
S. Korea prepares to welcome U.S. beef, begins FTA talks with EU
As major U.S. processors prepare large beef shipments for South Korea, more than 200 tons of American beef are expected to arrive in the country by the more...
Hormel relaunches line of shelf-stable microwave meals
Hormel Foods today announced the launch of a new line of shelf-stable, microwavable convenience meals.The Hormel Compleats line, which replaces the company's more...
Price squeeze, softer live values might signal beef slaughter cutback
A recent decline in Choice beef cutout prices, coupled with a softening of live cattle values is squeezing packer margins and prompting speculation that more...
LIVE FROM NCC: Cooking and ethanol take center stage
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — "Ladies and gentlemen, start your ovens!" With those words, National Chicken Cooking Contest Chairman Elise Durbin opened the nation's more...
Chicago Meat Authority introduces pork flat iron steak
Chicago Meat Authority has introduced a new boneless, marinated pork cut: the Pork Flat Iron Steak.The foodservice product can be broiled, grilled, pan more...
S. Korea's beef imports surge in first quarter
South Korea's beef imports surged 42.7 percent in the first quarter due to increased shipments from Australia, a state agricultural marketer said Thursday more...
Martha Stewart to debut branded food line at Costco
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. will launch a line of fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods to be sold at warehouse club Costco.The news came during more...
Report shows sales growth for largest U.S. restaurant chains
The 500 largest U.S. restaurant chains posted 6 percent annual sales growth in 2006, while their U.S. system-wide sales rose nearly $13 billion to an more...
Taco Bell appoints new chief marketing exec
Yum Brands Inc. on Friday named David Ovens chief marketing officer for the Louisville, Ky.-based company's Taco Bell chain. Ovens, who currently oversees more...
Seaboard earnings down, pork segment plummets
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Corp. on Thursday announced that first-quarter earnings were down slightly, while operating income from its pork more...
Maine company recalls beef due to potential fecal contamination
Bubier Meats in Greene, Maine, is recalling 1,936 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with fecal material, state officials announced.Packages more...
South Korea: U.S. beef still unsafe
Asian news sources are reporting that South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has sent the World Organization for Animal Health a written opinion more...
U.K. beef exports total almost $200 million
Beef exports have reached almost $200 million in the U.K. as beef finally returned to international markets. By volume, exports from the United Kingdom more...
Don Tyson recovers from surgery
Don Tyson, former chairman and CEO of Tyson Foods, is recovering from an operation to remove a tumor from his liver, according to a statement released more...
Food safety 'broken,' former FDA chief testifies
Several former FDA chiefs testified Tuesday that regulators simply don't have the resources to prevent pathogens and industrial chemicals from adulterating more...
Listeria concerns prompt turkey recall
Diestel Turkey Ranch in Chinese Camp, Calif., is voluntarily recalling approximately 6,907 pounds of ready-to-eat turkey products that may be contaminated more...
Indiana poultry farmers checking feed for melamine
With U.S. officials estimating that some 3 million broiler chickens ate feed tainted with melamine, Indiana poultry producers are working to ensure their more...
Yum posts positive first-quarter results
Rat infestations and an E. coli outbreak within its Taco Bell brand haven't affected the financial health of Louisville, Ky,-based Yum! Brands Inc., which more...
Pilgrim's Pride widens loss in second quarter
Pittsburg, Texas-based poultry processor Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Tuesday announced that its fiscal second-quarter loss widened, citing the high price more...
For the birds: Contaminated feed now found on chicken farms in Indiana
USDA and FDA investigators said Monday that byproducts from pet food contaminated by wheat gluten imported from China were used in chicken feed on farms more...
O'Charley's offers new menu items through spring
Nashville, Tenn.-based O'Charley's is introducing three new protein-rich dishes along with other new menu items showcasing herbs and vegetables for a more...
South African-inspired restaurant chain plans aggressive expansion
Boneheads Grilled Fish & Piri Piri Chicken, which currently operates six locations, on Monday announced plans to open 24 new restaurants in Southern California more...
April 2007
Tyson swings to a profit in second quarter
Tyson Foods Inc. on Monday announced that earnings for its fiscal second quarter were $68 million, a stark shift from its $127 million loss in the same more...
No need for meat recall, feds say
USDA and FDA said it's very unlikely that a person would become ill after eating pork from a hog fed melamine-contaminated feed, leading officials to more...
KFC, Taco Bell offerings now trans-fat free
KFC and Taco Bell, both subsidiaries of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands Inc., have completed the conversion of cooking oils in their restaurants to products more...
Ham that's just a mouse click away
Pam Cole on Monday launched Pam's Hams, a new Web site that offers baked hams, side dishes, desserts and recipes.The fully cooked, spiral-sliced sugar- more...
Breakthrough: Creekstone beef to enter South Korean commerce
Arkansas City, Kan.-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef confirmed today that its beef is good to go in South Korea.Korean quarantine officials found no more...
Beef, pork not part of Canada-S. Korea FTA talks
Beef and pork were not among items discussed by South Korea and Canada during their bilateral free-trade agreement meeting in Seoul this week.Canadian more...
Beef: it's not what's for dinner at the White House
To the chagrin of Montana Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, the White House announced its menu for a dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would more...
New Mexican consulate promises help for immigrant workers
A new Mexican consulate officially opened Wednesday in Little Rock, Ark., promising assistance for the growing number of Mexican immigrants in the region more...
Creekstone awaiting Korea's OK of beef shipment; Iowa Pacific arrives on its heels
Arkansas City, Kan.-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef said it has not received official word on whether the 6.4 tons of beef it shipped to South Korea more...
Maple Leaf profit plummets in first quarter
Toronto-based processor Maple Leaf Foods Inc. announced on Thursday that first-quarter profits took a 39-percent nosedive, citing restructuring costs more...
Wendy's mulling over 'strategic options,' including sale
Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's International Inc. announced late Wednesday it has formed a special committee of independent directors to "review strategic more...
Smithfield finds no melamine in feed
Smithfield Packing Co. said Thursday it hasn't purchased or processed any hogs from any farms quarantined by the FDA or USDA after the discovery of feed more...
Swift seeks federal government's 'not guilty' verdict after ICE raids
Still stung by the federal government's immigration sting at meatpacking plants in six states in December, Swift & Co. told lawmakers Tuesday the company more...
Smithfield investigating whether it fed hogs tainted feed
With a chemical that tainted more than 100 brands of pet food and killed pets across the country having arrived at a hog farm in North Carolina, Smithfield more...
Abe-Bush agenda to include Japan's beef import restrictions
Scheduled to meet Friday at Camp David with President Bush, Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to express Japan's willingness to consider relaxing more...
Sonny's Bar-B-Q boards zero-trans-fat bandwagon
Orlando, Fla.-based Sonny's Franchise Co., parent of Sonny's Bar-B-Q restaurants, on Wednesday announced that the chain will switch to zero-trans-fat more...
USDA to Japan: Tyson plant stays on list
USDA rejected Japan's request to take a Tyson Foods plant off a list of plants authorized to export beef to Tokyo.Japan suspended beef imports from the more...
Japan's market for U.S. pork growing
U.S. pork producers worried last year when Japan changed maximum residue limits on all food products for 799 feed additives, veterinary drugs and agriculture more...
WHO estimates potential AI pandemic could cost $200 billion
A World Health Organization official warned that the global economy could incur up to $200 billion in losses with even a "modest" highly pathogenic avian more...
Researcher says Eastern European nations worst for trans fat in fast food
A researcher who tested fast-food chains across 35 countries found that several Eastern European nations are the world's worst when it comes to serving more...
Hardee's brings turkey to its breakfast menu
St. Louis, Mo.-based Hardee's Food Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants, is introducing a new breakfast sandwich more...
Recalls come at critical time for FSIS
Timing, as the saying goes, is everything. No sooner did members of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service endure a scathing session with the House more...
U.S. meatpacker breaks ice, sends beef to S. Korea
Nearly six months after South Korea blocked its shipment of U.S. beef for containing banned bone fragments, an Arkansas City, Kan., meatpacker is trying more...
Calif. food safety officials follow tainted hog trail
Four meat vendors received hogs tainted with melamine from a Ceres, Calif., farm, the California Department of Food and Agriculture said.USDA said it more...
ConAgra among companies encouraging employees to wear sneakers to work
This Wednesday, April 25, ConAgra Foods will be among companies asking their employees to wear sneakers to work for the American Heart Association's Start! more...
U.S. processor to ship beef to S. Korea
A Kansas processor is planning to ship 10 tons of meat to Seoul via plane, possibly Monday, sources told Yonhap News"Once the meat arrives in the country more...
McDonald's profits jump in first quarter
Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. on Friday announced that its first-quarter profits were up 22 percent, citing strong demand for its new product more...
Calif. hog farm quarantined after discovery of industrial chemical
California authorities quarantined a Stanislaus County hog farm after an industrial chemical tied to a broad pet-food recall was discovered in pig urine more...
Bob Evans announces restaurant closures
Bob Evans Farms announced Friday that it closed 11 Bob Evans Restaurants, citing the locations' financial performance.The affected restaurants are in more...
Smaller producers call for market structure reforms
Smaller producers are taking issue with a USDA study suggesting that alternative livestock marketing arrangements benefit both producers and meat packers more...
S. Korea, Canada to hold FTA talks
South Korean officials said Thursday they will continue negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement with Canada next week in Seoul.The talks, scheduled more...
U.S. may file complaint over Japanese beef trade
The United States is threatening to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization if Japan doesn't set a concrete deadline to soften its import requirements more...
Pseudorabies confirmed in Wisconsin swine herd
A pseudorabies outbreak in a swine herd in Clark County, Wis., was confirmed by the Natinonal Veterinary Services Laboratories on Wednesday. "It's odd more...
U.S. Chamber of Commerce weighs in on U.S.-S. Korea beef debate
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea leaned on local officials to fully reopen Seoul's beef market to U.S. beef imports, reiterating that U.S. Congress more...
Niman Ranch names marketing director
Northglenn, Colo.-based Niman Ranch has named Kelli Harrington senior director, e-commerce and consumer marketing. Harrington most recently served as more...
Argentina beset by beef shortage
Argentina is bearing a beef shortage blamed on suppliers who are unwilling to sell their product at government-imposed prices.Local media report that more...
WHO presses China for human AI samples
China has not shared human samples of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a year, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. WHO officials contend more...
Cargill Meat Solutions announces management shuffle
Growth at Cargill Inc. has prompted changes in the company's management team, most notably the relocation of Cargill Meat Solutions President Tom Hayes more...
Beef's pain is pork's gain in South Korea
The beef exporter's losses are the pork exporter's gains for Korea-bound U.S. meat product, according to new figures from USDA. South Korean imports of more...
Aussies deliver cloned beef cow
Scientists on Tuesday announced they cloned a beef cow, the first of its kind in Australia.Cloning "Mini," a Brahman cattle, cost her central Queensland-based more...
OSI Restaurant's profits drop on beef prices
OSI Restaurant Partners Inc. on Tuesday said its first-quarter profits dropped 14 percent, citing higher beef and produce prices. Tampa, Fla.-based OSI more...
Tyson teams with ConocoPhillips to produce renewable diesel fuel
By teaming up with Tyson Foods, ConocoPhillips will be able to use beef, pork and poultry byproduct fat to create renewable diesel fuel, an effort aimed more...
Swift holding cards closely as possible sale spurs "rumors and speculation"
Swift & Co. officials refused to comment Monday about the prospect of a leading Brazilian beef producer buying the Greeley, Colo.-based processor as the more...
Staph concerns prompt sausage recall
Earle of Sausage in Willernie, Minn., is voluntarily recalling approximately 330 pounds of ready-to-eat sausage products that may contain staphylococcus more...
Quiznos introduces turkey and bacon sandwich
Denver-based Quiznos added a new salad-inspired offering to its toasted sandwich line-up. The Peppercorn Parmesan Turkey with Bacon will be promoted and more...
Cargill refutes 'HSUS's interpretation' that it's phasing out gestation stalls
A spokesman for Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Meat Solutions said a media report stating the company is phasing out its use of sow gestation stalls isn't more...
Johanns warns that South Korea is endangering free-trade deal
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns told farm economists that South Korea's refusal to normalize beef trade with the United States will imperil a free-trade more...
McDonald's same-store sales up on new snack products
Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. announced today that same-store sales in the United States were up 6.2 percent in March, citing the success of more...
Target plans to grow U.S. presence
Minneapolis-based Target Corp. plans to increase its U.S. presence to about 2,000 stores, including its first outlets in Alaska and Hawaii, over the next more...
Nestle to buy baby-food company for $5.5 billion
Nestle SA, the world's largest food company, will purchase baby-food company Gerber for $5.5 billion in a cash-only transaction. As a result of the deal more...
Schlotzsky's parent to buy burrito chain
Atlanta-based Raving Brands has agreed to divest its Moe's Southwest Grill division, franchisor of the namesake burrito chain, to Focus Brands for cash more...
South Dakota readies rule for natural beef
Today marks the final day for public input on a South Dakota Agriculture Department rule for natural beef. The department's aim is to produce hormone- more...
Kashi introduces all-natural frozen pizzas
La Jolla, Calif.-based processor Kashi Company will add all-natural, minimally processed frozen pizzas to its line of frozen-food products starting in more...
South Korea's mixed message on beef rings loud and unclear
On Tuesday, top South Korean trade and agriculture officials indicated they expected to normalize beef trade with the United States once the World Organization more...
Disgruntled employee poisons Kmart meat
A former Kmart employee was arrested Monday after confessing she put rat poison in packages of the retailer's ground beef in order to "slow down the meat more...
KFC making noise with new product, ad campaign
KFC on Wednesday launched a new variety bucket product complete with its own sound.The Boneless Variety Bucket, which includes four crispy strips, eight more...
British study attempts to define the perfect bacon sandwich
Researchers at the U.K.'s University of Leeds spent more than 1,000 hours testing some 700 variations on the bacon sandwich, which many Britons call a more...
U.S. bone-in beef should return to Korea, trade ministry official says
In a series of radio interviews Monday, a Korean trade ministry official said that Korea will resume imports of U.S. bone-in beef if the World Organization more...
Tyson poultry goes trans-fat free in foodservice
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. announced that, effective this month, all of its foodservice breaded poultry products will be trans-fat-free. more...
Subway, Eat Pizza!
With years of in-store testing finally finished, Subway announced it will roll out deep-dish personal pizzas at its 13,000-plus U.S. locations.A basic more...
Diet Web site offers meal-delivery service
Healthy living Web site eDiets has launched eDiets Deliciously Yours, a meal-delivery service that ships freshly prepared, nutritionally balanced foods more...
Swift posts $48.6 million loss
Greeley, Colo.-based beef processor Swift & Co. reported a net loss of $48.6 million in the quarter ended Feb. 25 as a result of weak beef sales. Beef more...
Hillshire Farm ads celebrate meat
Hillshire Farm's latest ad campaign uses a variety of cheers, chants and rallying cries to celebrate Americans' love for meat.The Sara Lee brand cites more...
Russia to join WTO
Russia will become a full-fledged member of the World Trade Organization by year's end, or by the beginning of 2008 at the latest, an official said Monday more...
Chicken-wing giant's sales flying high
Dallas-based Wingstop Restaurants Inc. on Monday said that the chicken wing chain's same-store sales have increased for 15 consecutive quarters. For the more...
Cargill stuck in Japan's web after shipping snafu
Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Meats Solutions became the third major U.S. meatpacker in less than two months to find itself tangled in Tokyo's sticky import more...
National Beef narrows 2Q loss
Kansas City, Mo.-based National Beef Packing Co. reported Thursday it narrowed its second-quarter loss after last year's purchase of Brawley Beef generated more...
OIE launches AI Web site
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recently launched a new Web site providing key facts and figures about highly pathogenic avian influenza more...
Organic Valley promotes 'Earth Dinners'
The classic American holiday dinners might still belong to Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, but organic co-op Organic Valley, along with other organizations more...
Canadian beef barred from U.S. FTA, S. Korea says
A free-trade pact struck recently with the United States does not provide for the importation of Canadian beef, a South Korean Agriculture Ministry official more...
Washington State BSE lab to remain open through September
The bovine spongiform encephalopathy testing laboratory at Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in Pullman will remain open for more...
AMI announces worker-safety award recipients
The American Meat Institute has announced the 2007 winners of the AMI-National Safety Council Worker Recognition Awards.Presented at the 2007 Worker Safety more...
Pizza chain rolls out some meaty menu items
Among a Dallas-based pizza chain's 18 new menu items this spring are some meaty offerings — from a pizza topped with grilled chicken tossed in buffalo more...
Feds raid Cargill pork plant
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 62 sanitation workers Wednesday during an overnight raid at a Cargill Meat Solutions pork plant more...
S. Korea may end U.S. beef embargo by year's end
With a U.S.-South Korean free-trade agreement hanging in the balance, an unidentified official from Korea's Agriculture Ministry told Yonhap News that more...
FDA proposes rule to change irradiated food labels
The Food and Drug Administration has proposed changes to its rules about labeling irradiated foods.The proposed rule would require irradiated food to more...
Union 'card-check' submitted to Senate
The U.S. Senate has received a bill that would make it easier for workers to unionize.The Employee Free Choice Act, sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass more...
Ruiz Foods founder dies
Louis Ruiz, who founded Ruiz Foods in 1964 with his son Fred, died Sunday at his home in Dinuba, Calif. He was 88.Ruiz Foods, which began operations in more...
Risk-based inspections may face delays
A new risk-based inspection program of meat plants, which was to roll out this month at 30 prototype sites, could be delayed by as little as a month or more...
FSIS eliminates 'minimal' and 'limited' inspections
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is immediately suspending all "limited" and "minimal" inspection programs, and will now inspect all processing more...
Low-path strain of bird flu affects W.Va. turkey farms
The discovery of a strain of avian flu at a farm in rural Pendleton County, W.Va., has prompted agriculture officials to destroy about 25,000 turkeys more...
Tyson exec to retire early
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. on Tuesday announced that Greg Lee, chief administrative officer and international president, will retire early more...
U.S., S. Korea hatch FTA; S. Korea commits to renegotiating U.S. beef imports
More than 10 months of discussions between U.S. and South Korean trade officials have culminated in a bilateral trade agreement, but it will take even more...
Horses likely headed to Canadian slaughterhouses following court ruling
Two hundred horses will likely be slaughtered at Canadian facilities after a court ruling last week effectively shut down U.S. horse slaughter plants more...
Niman Ranch introduces new dinner sausage, franks, bacon
Oakland, Calif.-based Niman Ranch is introducing four new dinner sausage flavors, three new frank flavors and three new bacon flavors.The new sausages more...
Outback president steps down
Curt Glowacki resigned as president of the 953-unit Outback Steakhouse chain less than four months after taking the job, citing personal reasons, parent more...
March 2007
USDA reviewing federal court's ruling on BSE testing
USDA has 60 days to decide whether to appeal a federal judge's ruling that allows Creekstone Farms Premium Beef to test its cattle for bovine spongiform more...
Johanns wants Japan to promptly ease restrictions on U.S. beef imports
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said Thursday that Japan should promptly ease its restrictions on U.S. beef imports once the World Organization for more...
U.S. legislators chime in on FTA talks with S. Korea
As final talks for a free-trade agreement between U.S. and South Korean trade officials wind down, U.S. legislators are stepping up pressure on negotiators more...
Foie gras hot dogs prompt $250 fine
Hot Doug's, which bills itself as a "sausage superstore and encased meat emporium," has become the first establishment fined for violating Chicago's ban more...
Japanese official: Science will determine fate of U.S. beef
Japan Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshio Kobayashi said Thursday that accurate scientific data — not pressure from Washington more...
Court ruling deals another blow to U.S. horse slaughter industry
In another setback for the U.S. horse slaughter industry, a federal appeals court on Wednesday blocked the Agriculture Department from providing horse more...
KFC to expand in Brazil
Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands Inc., on Thursday announced a franchise agreement with Brazil Fast Food Corp. to grow the KFC brand in Brazil. Under more...
High-end grocery store launches ad campaign
As it plans to open 40 stores in the Washington, D.C., area, the Bloom supermarket chain will also debut a $4 million broadcast campaign next month, Brandweek more...
Pilgrim's Pride employee files lawsuit over hiring practices
An hourly employee of Pilgrim's Pride Corp.'s Russellville, Ala., poultry processing complex filed a lawsuit against managers at the plant, alleging they more...
Insufficient cooling prompts bacon recall
Kraft Foods Global Inc. in Kirksville, Mo., is voluntarily recalling approximately 1,800 pounds of bacon due to insufficient cooling during processing more...
Study links beef-eating moms to sons with low sperm counts; AMI objects
Men whose mothers ate a lot of beef during pregnancy are more likely to have low sperm counts and fertility problems, according to a report in the journal more...
BK serves up new animal-welfare policy
Miami-based Burger King announced that it would buy eggs and pork from suppliers that use more animal-friendly means of production.The world's second-largest more...
Korea denies tit-for-tat trade off in FTA negotiations
South Korea is denying reports that it will revise its quarantine against U.S. beef if the United States agrees to keep rice out of free-trade talks between more...
Suspect feed the likely culprit in Canadian BSE case
A Canadian case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy discovered in February was most likely caused by suspect feed, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency more...
Cargill launches online tracking system to select product for premium brands
Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Meat Solutions is now using an online tracking system with its camera vision grading technology to verify carcass attributes more...
Sweetbay supermarkets launch nutritional star rating program
Tampa, Fla.-based retail chain Sweetbay has launched Guiding Stars, a program designed to provide nutritional ratings for products throughout the store more...
Wendy's expands Frescata sandwich line
Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's International Inc. is putting a little spring in its step with the addition of a new sandwich to its Frescata lineup: the Chunky more...
Korea threatens to walk on free-trade talks
With just days to go before South Korea and the United States must strike a free-trade accord, Kim Jong-hoon, Seoul's chief negotiator, told reporters more...
WHO may guarantee poor countries access to AI vaccines
The World Health Organization may assure underdeveloped nations access to avian influenza vaccines in the event of a pandemic, a WHO official said Monday more...
Johanns still committed to older Canadian cattle
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns says he remains committed to ensuring USDA's regulatory approach "keeps pace with the body of scientific knowledge more...
Researchers hope dipstick holds the key to food poisoning prevention
Researchers at the University of South Carolina have developed a disposable dipstick that can detect whether a food is safe to eat or whether it has spoiled more...
Feds to crack down on animal rights extremists, prosecutor vows
Federal prosecutor Richard Solano, who once served in the Terrorism Unit at the U.S. attorney's office, served notice to animal rights activists that more...
Environmental groups press for ban on certain hog waste systems in N.C.
Environmental groups are pushing North Carolina lawmakers to adopt a permanent ban this year on lagoons and fields where hog waste is sprayed. They also more...
Burger King to open first restaurant in downtown Hong Kong
BK Asiapac PTE. LTD., a subsidiary of Miami-based Burger King Holdings Inc., has granted development rights for expansion into downtown Hong Kong and more...
Hands-on workshop to cover controlling and eliminating listeria
Listeria monocytogenes is a major concern for processors of ready-to-eat meat and poultry, which is why a two-day workshop presented by POULTRY magazine more...
ConAgra swings to a profit in 3Q
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods on Thursday said it posted earnings of $192.6 million in the fiscal third quarter despite the company's massive peanut-butter more...
Tyson selling two Alabama poultry plants
Tyson Foods Inc. on Thursday announced it will sell two of its poultry-processing complexes in Alabama to Koch Foods Inc. The plants, which are located more...
Deal or no deal? Beef, free trade still up in the air as U.S. and Korea take a break
Bad news for exporters of U.S. beef to Korea: Four days of meetings between U.S. and Korean negotiators in Seoul ended much as they began, with no substantial more...
Boston Market offers whole banquet meals for Easter
Golden, Colo.-based Boston Market is putting the ease back into Easter dinner with a variety of ready-to-cook ham and turkey meals. Complete Easter Banquets more...
Tomorrow's another day: After stalemate, South Korea, U.S. to extend beef talks
South Korea and the United States were due to wind down beef trade talks in Seoul on Wednesday, but after three days and no progress, the two countries more...
Cattlemen's Beef Board names new CEO
The executive committee of the Cattlemen's Beef Board has named current board member Tom Ramey to the position of chief executive officer, effective May more...
Bon Appetit bids adieu to antibiotics in burgers
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Bon Appétit Management Company announced Tuesday that it will source only all-natural hamburger beef for its food-service sites more...
Ad campaign encourages U.S. consumers to try Australian lamb
A new advertising campaign from Meat & Livestock Australia aims to entice more U.S. consumers to try Australian lamb.Using the positioning "Easy, any more...
Not rice: Korea plays hardball on major ag issues during FTA talks
Rice liberalization has emerged as a major stumbling block in free-trade talks between the United States and South Korea. The United States wants it, more...
Altria outlines Kraft spin off
Altria Group Inc. on Monday said that shareholders will receive 0.69 shares of Kraft Foods Inc. for each Altria share they own as the cigarette-maker more...
McDonald's: sale of Latin America ops 'nothing but rumors'
Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. is refuting media reports indicating that the company would soon announce a buyer of its Latin America-based operations more...
Schlotzsky's introduces Angus beef sandwiches
For a limited time only, Austin, Texas-based sandwich chain Schlotzsky's will offer up three new menu items featuring Angus roast beef.The French Dipsky more...
Hands-on workshop to cover controlling and eliminating listeria
Listeria monocytogenes is a major concern for processors of ready-to-eat meat and poultry, which is why a two-day workshop presented by POULTRY magazine more...
Last chance to dance: Time winding down on U.S-Korean FTA
Negotiators are convening on two continents this week as the United States and South Korea work to beat the clock on a free-trade agreement, which must more...
Relic of Chicago's meatpacking past to move
Chiappetti Veal and Lamb, known as Chicago's last major slaughterhouse, plans to move.Franco Chiappetti, representing the fourth generation to run the more...
Target working with Muslim employees on pork issue
Minneapolis, Minn.-based Target Corp. is working to reconcile the religious beliefs of its Muslim cashiers with the fact that the employees must ring more...
Another Indonesian dies of avian influenza
Indonesia, the nation hit hardest by highly pathogenic avian influenza, on Monday announced that the virus killed a 21-year-old woman there. The victim more...
Korean ag minister says no to U.S. bone-in beef, despite impact on FTA
Korean ag minister says no to U.S. bone-in beef, despite impact on FTA In talks with farmer groups today, South Korean agriculture minister Park Hong-soo more...
Tyson may post Q2 profits in all units
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods said that despite a recent hike in cattle prices, the company may post profits in all four of its units for its second more...
Bird flu's human death toll grows
An unidentified 42-year-old woman who died in Laos on March 4 was confirmed Friday to have been the country's second death due to H5N1 bird flu.The other more...
Premium Standard Farms declares quarterly dividend
Kansas City, Mo.-based Premium Standard Farms Inc. declared today a quarterly dividend of $0.06 per share, to be paid April 27 to all common stockholders more...
FDA to study AI's food-safety impact
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it plans to study the possibility of avian influenza contamination in prepared foods, animal feed more...
S. Korea's beef tops the price charts
A lack of diversity in import channels and high tariffs have made South Korea's beef prices the highest among 29 countries, a private consumer group said more...
Anti-horse meat sentiment is gaining momentum
Kentucky, the horse capital of the world, is more horse-centric than ever, owing to growing U.S. opposition to their slaughter for consumption overseas more...
Popeyes' parent posts profit gain
Atlanta-based AFC Enterprises Inc., parent company and franchisor of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits on Thursday announced that it swung to a fourth-quarter more...
Hands-on workshop to cover controlling and eliminating listeria
Listeria monocytogenes is a major concern for processors of ready-to-eat meat and poultry, which is why a two-day workshop presented by POULTRY magazine more...
Smithfield pays to clean N.C. waterways
Smithfield Foods will pony up $1.3 million to help clean agricultural waste and protect wildlife in eastern North Carolina, the state's Attorney General more...
Tyson relaunches chicken line with new products, packaging
Tyson Foods Inc. Wednesday announced that it is relaunching its Oven Roasted Chicken line with additional offerings and redesigned packaging. The Springdale more...
Report cites weaknesses of Quebec pork industry
The Quebec pork industry is fragile and threatened more than ever by growing worldwide competition from rivals such as the United States and Brazil, according more...
N.Y. restaurant embarks on national expansion plan
Johnny's Lunch, a restaurant that's been serving up Johnny's Hots and Johnny's Burgers in Jamestown, N.Y., for 71 years, plans to open a new location more...
Workers, environmentalists to fight increased Smithfield slaughter
Tar Heel, N.C.-based Smithfield Packing Co.'s bid to increase its annual hog slaughter by 12 percent will undergo the scrutiny of a state environmental more...
Seaboard chairman dies at 81
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Corp. on Tuesday announced that Chairman of the Board H. Harry Bresky died March 11 in Boston. He was 81. Bresky more...
Developing countries are developing a taste for beef
A study by the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association suggests that developing countries are primed to become the primary consumers of beef more...
Burger King moving into Poland
Burger King Corp. on Monday announced that the first Burger King restaurant will be opened in Poland through an agreement with a subsidiary of AmRest more...
U.S., S. Korea chip away at rocky FTA
South Korean and U.S. negotiators have made some headway in the latest round of free trade talks by settling customs procedures between the two countries more...
Undeclared allergen prompts sausage recall
Hempler Foods Group in Ferndale, Wash., is voluntarily recalling approximately 5,084 pounds of summer sausage due to the presence of an undeclared allergen more...
OIE rates U.S. beef a 'controlled risk' for BSE
A World Organization for Animal Health expert panel has classified U.S. beef as a "controlled risk" for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which will allow more...
McDonald's boosts breakfast promotions with video contest
Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp. is adding a video contest component to its breakfast-menu promotion portfolio. Customers can visit www.morningimpaired more...
Washington state investigating cattle deaths
Washington state animal health officials are investigating reports of dead cattle at a dairy operation in Stevens County, a spokesman for the state's more...
S. Korea eases U.S. beef quarantine rules
South Korea has confirmed it will implement softened quarantine standards this month in an attempt to smooth over its row with the United States on the more...
Bill to ban trans fats in Calif. passes first hurdle
Lawmakers in California earlier this week took the first step in making the state the first to ban trans fats in restaurants. California's Assembly Health more...
Subway slims down menu with new 'fresh fit' meals
Milford, Conn.-based Subway is upping its commitment to help fight obesity by introducing Fresh Fit meals for children and adults.The Subway Fresh Fit more...
U.S. Trade Rep. takes another pass on Korean beef compromise
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler once again has said no way to a South Korean proposal to quarantine only those portions of U.S. beef more...
NMA supports USDA in border litigation
The National Meat Association has filed an amicus brief being supporting USDA in its ongoing legal battle with producer group R-CALF to keep the U.S. more...
Darden says Applebee's isn't on its menu
Orlando, Fla-based Darden Restaurants Inc. says it is sidelining itself potential acquisition of Applebee's and other bar-and-grill concepts, citing market more...
Hormel names environmental director
Hormel Foods has named Dennis L. Boik director of environmental sustainability, effective immediately.Boik will help the Austin, Minn.-based company expand more...
Canadian BSE investigation shifts to tracing other animals
Canada's latest case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy involved a 6-1/2-year-old animal that was born and raised on the same farm where it died, according more...
Pilgrim's Pride named to 'Most Admired' list
Chicken company Pilgrim's Pride Corp. has been named to Fortune's list of "America's Most Admired Companies" for the fifth consecutive year. The firm more...
Wendy's sounds the 'alarm' with new sandwich
For a limited time only, Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's is heating up its menu with a new variation of its spicy chicken sandwich.The 4-Alarm Spicy Chicken more...
Bird flu outbreak reported in Vietnam capital
Vietnamese officials Wednesday confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza on two chicken farms in the country's capital city of Hanoi more...
Live from Tyson: New Discovery Center to 'beef' up R&D efforts
SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Tyson Foods Inc. President and CEO Dick Bond said that the new state-of-the-art research and development center unveiled here today more...
Hormel expands Natural Choice line
Hormel Foods on Tuesday announced the expansion of its Natural Choice line of 100 percent natural meats to include roast beef, chicken strips, Canadian more...
No progress on U.S.-Korea trade talks
South Korea and the United States made no headway in talks to resolve outstanding agricultural issues that have been a sticking point in bilateral free more...
Uniform compliance date set for labeling regulations
Jan. 1, 2010, is the compliance date for new food-labeling regulations that were issued between Jan. 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2008, by the Food Safety and more...
Canada investigating feed mix-up following farm quarantines
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it is premature to speculate whether Canadian cattle and deer from nine farms that received shipments of tainted more...
Japan to inspect all imports of U.S. processed meat
After discovering beef in sausages it imported from the United States last week, Japan plans to inspect all U.S.-manufactured processed meat to ensure more...
E. coli concerns prompt ground beef recall
Tyson Fresh Meats in Wallula, Wash., is voluntarily recalling approximately 16,743 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 more...
Southern California McDonald's to offer Angus beef burgers
McDonald's restaurants in Southern California on Monday debuted "Angus Third Pounders," a line of hamburgers made with 100 percent Angus beef.The fast-food more...
Tyson workers reject Holcomb union bid
Workers at Tyson Foods Inc.'s Holcomb, Kan., slaughterhouse soundly rejected a plan to unionize the plant.According to media reports, results from the more...
USTR presses Japan on beef import restrictions
Citing a steep fall in U.S. beef sales, the office of the United States Trade Representative is once again demanding Japan to end its ban on the import more...
NCBA inaugurates retail beef backer award program
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is launching a Retail Beef Backer Awards program designed to award retailers who have demonstrated their commitment more...
CEO of Popeyes' parent resigns
Ken Keymer, president and CEO of Popeyes' parent company AFC Enterprises Inc., has resigned, effective March 30. Atlanta-based AFC gave no reason for more...
Smithfield profits drop in third quarter
Smithfield Foods Inc. Thursday reported a 15 percent drop in net income on higher feed costs and lower profit from its hog production division.The Smithfield more...
Coalition urges lawmakers to reject pro-union bill
The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, whose members include American Meat Institute and more than 300 other organizations, has sent a letter to U more...
Drought driving record exports in Australia
Beef exports from Australia could reach record tonnages this year as drought conditions prompt producers to send more and more cattle to slaughter. A more...
China confirms human case of HPAI
China Thursday confirmed that a man in southeast China contracted highly pathogenic avian influenza. The 44-year-old farmer from the coastal Fujian province more...
February 2007
Coalition to protest supermarkets carrying Smithfield products
A coalition of student, faith, consumer advocate, civil rights and immigrant rights organizations plans to launch on March 31 a protest of supermarkets more...
Listeria concerns prompt ham steak recall
Las Vegas-based First Quality Sausage is voluntarily recalling approximately 930 pounds of semi-boneless ham steaks that may be contaminated with listeria more...
R-CALF asks Johanns to extend comment period on Canadian cattle rule
Billings, Mont.-based Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund Producer Group has sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns formally requesting more...
Former FDA chief Crawford fined almost $90,000
Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester Crawford on Tuesday was fined $89,377 in conjunction with charges related to his ownership of more...
Alternative methods for lean meat trimmings released
Establishments can now meet the minimum 12 percent lean tissue standard in meat trimmings by either visually examining each piece of trim or by using more...
Sanderson Farms narrows first-quarter loss
Chicken processor Sanderson Farms Inc. on Tuesday reported that it narrowed its fiscal first-quarter loss on improved poultry prices. The Laurel, Miss more...
S. Korea's 'inter-ministerial discord' causing FTA delay, watchdog says
A South Korean government oversight panel has decided to monitor free-trade negotiations with the United States, saying stagnation of the talks can be more...
Bar-S introduces new breakfast sausage links, lunchmeat packaging
Phoenix-based Bar-S Foods has introduced fully cooked breakfast sausage links in five varieties: smoked, maple, sage, ham-flavored and turkey.The new more...
First human case of HPAI discovered in Laos
A 15-year-old Lao girl is the nation's first confirmed human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to the World Health Organization. In more...
U.S., S. Korea to address beef dispute
Aiming to smooth out bumps in the road to a free-trade agreement between the two countries, American and South Korean officials have agreed to meet March more...
Smithfield to join program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Smithfield Foods will join Chicago Climate Exchange, a voluntary, legally binding greenhouse gas emissions reduction, registry and trading program, according more...
Quiznos continues Subway attack with new Prime Rib sandwich
With the nationwide debut of its Prime Rib on Garlic Bread sandwich, Quiznos is firing another shot in the sandwich wars it started with rival chain Subway more...
Carl's Jr. and Hardee's introduce hot buffalo chicken sandwich, hotter Web campaign
Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, subsidiaries of Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE Restaurants Inc., introduced a new spicy buffalo chicken sandwich with a racy commercial more...
Stockholders OK Smithfield-Premium Standard buyout
Kansas City, Mo.-based Premium Standard Farms announced today that its common stockholders have approved an acquisition agreement with Smithfield Foods more...
S. Korean trade official hints end to U.S. beef row
Kim Jong-hoon, South Korea's chief negotiator in free-trade talks with the United States, hinted in Asian media reports that the two countries could be more...
China hottest poultry export market in December
China and Hong Kong edged out Russia in December as the top importer of U.S. chicken meat and paws, according to data from the Foreign Agricultural Service more...
Oberto launches 100-calorie jerky bites
Oh Boy! Oberto has introduced two 100-calorie meat snacks, 100 Calorie Original Beef Jerky Bites and 100 Calorie Teriyaki Turkey Jerky Bites.The snacks more...
USDA sets timeline for risk-based inspection initiative
The USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service today established a timeline to implement a risk-based approach to its oversight of the nation's meat and poultry more...
Whole Foods to acquire Wild Oats Markets
Whole Foods Market Inc. late Wednesday announced it will buy rival natural retail chain Wild Oats Markets Inc. for about $565 million in an attempt to more...
Maple Leaf swings to 4Q loss
Maple Leaf Foods Thursday announced that it swung to a loss in the fourth-quarter, citing restructuring costs. The Toronto-based pork and poultry processor more...
National Turkey Federation names new legislative director
The National Turkey Federation has appointed a new lobbyist to handle policy formation and advocacy in Washington. In his new position, Damon Wells will more...
USDA refutes Washington cattlemen's take on Canada cattle imports
USDA officials are disputing a claim by Washington producers that hundreds of Canadian cattle have crossed the border without the proper paperwork.Bruce more...
Case clothed: Judge rules against Tyson in plant pay case
A federal district judge ruled in favor of workers at a Tyson Foods beef plant seeking payment for time spent donning and doffing safety gear for work more...
Hormel introduces cinnamon sugar bacon
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corporation has added a new flavor to its Old Smokehouse line of signature bacons.Old Smokehouse cinnamon sugar bacon more...
Jack in the Box profits up in first quarter, shares jump
Jack in the Box Inc. on Wednesday reported a 48-percent earnings increase for the first fiscal quarter on same-store sales increases, causing the stock more...
LIVE FROM NMA: Don't become complacent about pathogen reductions, processors warned
LAS VEGAS — The number 0.17 — as in the percentage of beef samples testing positive for E. coli O157:H7 last year — may sound like magic to meat industry more...
Hundreds quit Smithfield plant in wake of immigration crackdown
Hundreds of workers have left their jobs or have refused to come to work at Smithfield Packing Co.'s Tar Heel, N.C., plant since federal agents initiated more...
Russian AI outbreak spreads
Russian officials Tuesday confirmed that the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza was discovered at two additional locations, increasing the more...
ConAgra pays for peanut butter recall
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods Inc. said Tuesday it will take a charge of $50 million to $60 million, or 6 cents to 8 cents per share, in the current more...
Wal-Mart profits up despite holiday price cuts
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Tuesday posted higher than anticipated fourth-quarter earnings despite cutting prices during the holiday shopping season. For the more...
Group says Canadian cattle improperly imported into United States
The Cattle Producers of Washington has obtained documents showing that hundreds of cattle from Canada, where officials found a ninth case of bovine spongiform more...
Chicken strips recalled due to potential listeria contamination
Carolina Culinary Foods, a West Columbia, S.C., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 52,650 pounds of fully cooked chicken breast strips that more...
Seaboard Foods introduces well-marbled pork
Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Foods Monday announced the introduction of PrairieFresh Prime, a product line it bills as well-marbled, grain-fed more...
H5N1 detected near Moscow
Russian officials Monday confirmed that five different outbreaks of avian influenza near the capital city of Moscow were caused by the highly pathogenic more...
Live from the Meat Conference: Natural/organic rise among trends identified in consumer survey
ORLANDO, Fla. — The steady rise of natural and organic meats and the continuing dominance of the conventional supermarket when it comes to meat purchases more...
Japan suspends beef imports from Tyson plant
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods is investigating how beef from older animals wound up in a shipment bound for Japan. The country has suspended all more...
Hormel profits up in first quarter
Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp. on Friday announced that profits for the first quarter increased 8.7 percent despite mounting grain prices and more...
Chipotle fourth-quarter profits beat estimates
Chipotle Mexican Grill late Thursday reported that fourth-quarter earnings more than doubled, beating analysts' expectations, on new restaurant openings more...
FDA launches trial program to help consumers identify recalled foods
The Food and Drug Administration is starting a trial program this month that involves releasing images of labels from recalled products to help consumers more...
Smithfield outperforms Wall Street predictions
Pork processor Smithfield Foods Inc. said today it anticipates third-quarter earnings of 53 to 56 cents per share, down from 63 cents a year ago but better more...
Cutler reports 'substantial progress' in U.S.-Korea trade talks
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler told reporters that though a seventh round of free trade discussions between U.S. and South Korean negotiators more...
Applebees's values itself at $4.7 billion
Restaurant chain Applebee's International has filed proxy materials with regulators that value the brand at $4.7 billion. Having formed a committee of more...
Whole Foods, Wild Oats to steer clear of cloned meat
Despite last December's report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring are safe to eat and more...
S. Korea going on the defensive?
Anticipating that U.S. officials will increase pressure on South Korea to fully reopen its market to U.S. beef, Seoul plans to form a task force of government more...
Egypt confirms 21st human case of H5N1 bird flu
A 37-year-old Egyptian woman has tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the World Health Organization confirmed Wednesday. She represents more...
Japan to gauge BSE risk for beef from 13 countries
Japan's former ban of U.S. beef imports due to a 2003 case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy has led to a surge in imports from countries like Mexico more...
Natural Harmony Foods introduces interactive Web site
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Natural Harmony Foods Inc. recently introduced a new Web site that offers shareholders current investor information, including more...
Senators urge Johanns to reconsider Canadian rule
A bipartisan group of four U.S. senators from major cattle-producing states have sent a letter of concern to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns regarding more...
Yum fourth-quarter earnings up
Yum Brands Inc. posted a 2.6 percent earnings increase Monday, citing a lower tax rate and strong growth in its Chinese units, offsetting decreased sales more...
Maggiano's updates menu with new entrees, salads
Dallas-based Maggiano's Little Italy has introduced a new menu complete with entrees and salads inspired by Italian neighborhoods in cities across the more...
New Alaskan beef product boasts high levels of omega-3
The Alaska Organic Beef Joint Venture has begun harvesting wild Hereford cattle from Umnak Island in the Bering Sea.The animals live in free-range conditions more...
Smithfield plant to cut shift, lay off workers
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced that it will shut down its second hog-processing shift at its John Morrell & Co. pork plant in Sioux City, Iowa, which more...
New ownership, chairman for Pinnacle Foods
Private investment firm Blackstone Group announced on Monday that it is buying Mountain Lakes, N.J.-based Pinnacle Foods Group, which owns brands including more...
Harris Ranch launches expanded ground beef line
Selma, Calif.-based Harris Ranch has introduced an expanded line of ground beef products for both retail and foodservice customers. The products are produced more...
Removal of visible beef tonsillar material released
Verification instructions for inspection program personnel regarding the removal of tonsillar material from beef tongues have been released by USDA's more...
Despite beef impasse, U.S.-S. Korea trade talks to continue
South Korean and U.S. free-trade officials will begin a seventh round of negotiations next week in Washington, but the failure by both sides to reconcile more...
U.S. House passes bill to boost biofuels
The U.S. House of Representatives late Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that authorizes $10 million for federal agencies to create research and more...
Kansas packing company recalls smoked meats
Jones Packing Inc. of Dodge City, Kan., has recalled 1,331 pounds of smoked meats distributed throughout southwest Kansas last year because they may be more...
Live from NTF: Two restaurants win Turkey on the Menu award
Tucson, Ariz. — For the first time, two restaurants, Bob Evans Restaurants and Wendy's International, received the fifth annual Turkey on the Menu more...
USDA awaiting answers on latest Canadian BSE case
USDA Press Secretary Keith Williams told Meatingplace that Ag. Department officials are awaiting further information about a new case of bovine spongiform more...
Indiana considers new limits on large livestock farms
Indiana legislators are considering two bills that would place new restrictions on large livestock farms.One bill aims to address concerns about odors more...
McDonald's profit skyrockets in Japan
Targeting health-conscious consumers, keeping more restaurants open around the clock and selling more promotional menu items paid off big for McDonald's more...
New restaurant concept combines sophistication, beer
Plano, Texas-based Metromedia Restaurant Group opened a new concept in Fort Worth that aims to provide the atmosphere of an upscale sports bar.29 Degree more...
Cargill names new CEO
Cargill has announced that effective June 1, Gregory Page will become the company's chief executive officer and president. Page will succeed Warren Staley more...
One-time charges dent Sara Lee 2Q earnings
Sara Lee Corp. largely blamed one-time charges for a loss of $62 million, or 8 cents per share, for the quarter ending Dec. 30.The Downers Grove, Ill more...
USDA budget includes new user fees
USDA's proposed budget for fiscal 2008 includes new user fees totaling $105 million through the Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Animal and more...
Union-friendly bill submitted to Congress
House Education and Labor Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) has introduced in Congress legislation that would make it easier for workers to form labor more...
Hormel enlists new partner to build SPAM brand
Hormel Foods Corp. announced on Tuesday that it has retained Design Plus to facilitate the licensing and merchandising of its SPAM line of products.Design more...
Smithfield, Premium Standard certify antitrust compliance
Pork giant Smithfield Foods Inc. and Kansas City, Mo.-based processor Premium Standard Farms have each certified substantial compliance with the second more...
Mislabeling prompts recall of beef and chicken pasta
The Wornick Co. in Cincinnati is voluntarily recalling approximately 7,848 pounds of pasta entrees for toddlers due to mislabeling, the U.S. Department more...
Food-loading industry consolidates
F.R. Drake Co. has purchased the food-loading division of Cincinnati-based Planet Products Corp., which manufactures food-loading equipment for the commercial more...
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association names board of directors
Five members of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association have been newly elected into positions on its board of directors.Henry Welch, a production manager more...
Senators urge USDA to scrap beef import rule
USDA should withdraw a proposed rule that would allow the United States to import Canadian cattle born after March 1, 1999, and beef from animals of any more...
Mislabeling prompts chicken soup recall
Morgan Foods of Austin, Ind., is voluntarily recalling 6,317 pounds of chicken noodle soup because it contains milk and soy — potential allergens more...
Japan confirms 32nd BSE case
Japan has confirmed its 32nd case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.A health ministry official told reporters that a cow born in August 2001 in a farm more...
Wendy's fourth-quarter earnings plummet 90 percent
A slimmer and trimmer Wendy's International Inc. reported that fourth-quarter earnings fell 90 percent in the wake of its September spin off of Canadian more...
Armour Eckrich plant to close in August
Armour Eckrich Branded Meats, a unit of Smithfield Foods subsidiary John Morrell & Co., has announced it will shift its processed meats production to more...
U.S. to Japan: OK more U.S. beef exports
Washington officials have urged Japan to raise the number of U.S. beef producers that can export product to Japan.Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and more...
Australia to produce, export less beef in 2007
Meat & Livestock Australia Ltd. forecasts that the nation's beef production and exports will decrease in 2007 due in part to softer demand in the key more...
Hotel industry jumps on trans-fat-free bandwagon
Marriott International Inc., the world's largest hotel company by revenue, announced Thursday that it will eliminate trans fats from the cooking oil used more...
Premium Standard Farms reports drop in third-quarter profit
Kansas City, Mo.-based Premium Standard Farms Inc. reported a 79-percent decrease in third-quarter profits, citing higher costs and lingering health issues more...
Poultry volumes down in December: USDA
USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Wednesday that poultry certified wholesome in December 2006 totaled 3.18 billion pounds, a 7 more...
Russia lifts ban on U.S. pork imports
Russia's federal food quality oversight service will allow the importation of U.S. pork and sub-pork products starting today, Dow Jones reports.Pork supplies more...
Draft animal ID documents available for review, comment
Three documents related to the National Animal Identification System have been released by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for more...
January 2007
Altria will spin off Kraft in March
Altria Group Inc. announced Wednesday that it has finalized the spin off of its 89-percent stake in Kraft Foods Inc. on March 30.The terms of the spin more...
Cargill launches new DNA-based cattle-breeding tools
A collaborative research and product-development project between Cargill and MMI Genomics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Beltsville, Md.-based MetaMorphix more...
NCBA to launch weekly TV show
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association announced that it will launch a new weekly television program for U.S. cattle farmers on Feb. 6."Cattlemen to more...
Proposed bill would ban slaughter of 'downed' animals
Legislation that would ban the slaughter of "downed" animals, such as cattle that cannot stand or walk because of illness or injury, has been introduced more...
Pilgrim's Pride swings to a first-quarter loss
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. said Tuesday it swung to a quarterly loss of $8.7 million due to higher corn costs.For the three months ended more...
E. coli concerns prompt ground beef recall
The Natural State Meat Co. of Batesville, Ark., is voluntarily recalling approximately 4,240 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with more...
Burger King second-quarter earnings jump 41 percent
Burger King Holdings Inc. on Tuesday reported a 41 percent jump in earnings for the second quarter, which ended Dec. 31.Net income for the quarter increased more...
McDonald's offers another option for snackers
McDonald's will add another item to its menu of mini meals: the new Honey Mustard Snack Wrap.After the successful launch of its Ranch Snack Wrap (see more...
Tyson first-quarter profits jump
Tyson Foods Inc. reported a 46 percent increase in profits during its fiscal first quarter on increased chicken sales and reduced costs, helping the company more...
Smoked hams recalled for possible underprocessing
Hill Meat Co. of Pendleton, Ore., is voluntarily recalling approximately 1,080 pounds of smoked ham due to possible underprocessing, the U.S. Department more...
Kraft adds to board of directors
Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods Inc. announced the addition of Ajay Banga to its board of directors Monday, increasing the number of seats on the board more...
Taiwan to decide on Canadian beef ban
Taiwanese officials have completed inspections of quarantine and packaging procedures in Canada, clearing the way for a decision on whether to lift a more...
Dunkin' Donuts adds sausage sandwich to menu
Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Donuts added a new sausage offering to its growing line of breakfast sandwiches that are served throughout the day.The Maple more...
Smithfield recoups from ICE raid; says union is 'scaring people to death'
Smithfield Packing Co. officials said today that its Tar Heel, N.C., plant will run slaughter on Saturday to make up for hours of lost production stemming more...
Possible listeria contamination prompts chicken salad recall
Garden Leaf Foods of Gardena, Calif., is voluntarily recalling approximately 1,591 pounds of pasta salad with chicken that may be contaminated with listeria more...
U.K. processor investigated for BSE slip
U.K. beef processor ABP Shrewsbury is under investigation by regulators after allowing a heifer into the food chain without first performing mandatory more...
Out of sight: Maine law would change livestock slaughter rules
A proposed state law in Maine would prevent animals from being slaughtered within sight of other animals."Whenever we must harvest an animal, an animal more...
A kinder, gentler ICE raid on Smithfield?
Following the Immigration Customs Enforcement's raid of Smithfield Packing Co.'s Tar Heel, N.C., plant and arrest of 21 workers on Wednesday, the company's more...
Undeclared allergen prompts pork dumpling recall
Water Lilies Food Inc. of Astoria, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling approximately 77,730 pounds of pork dumpling and won-ton products due to an undeclared more...
USMEF reports pork opportunities in Russia
A U.S. Meat Export Federation study has found there are significant opportunities for U.S. pork in Russia.According to the report, demand in Russia is more...
KFC offers free chicken strips
Louisville, Ky.-based KFC Corporation is launching a nationwide one-day promotion of its Colonel's Crispy Strips by giving them away for free with the more...
LIVE FROM IPE: Food experts say bigger birds aren't always better
Atlanta — Retail and foodservice experts said dramatic increases in bird weight aren't necessarily palatable to retailers, restaurateurs or their customers more...
Swift assets may be sold separately, analyst says
They say the sum is only as valuable as its parts. But a cattle industry analyst says that might not be the case when it comes to the potential sale of more...
Sara Lee finalizes plans for multimillion-dollar R & D facility
Sara Lee Corp. announced Wednesday morning that it has finalized plans for a multimillion-dollar research and development facility to be located at the more...
NPPC concerned about Bush call for increased ethanol
President Bush's call for increased production of biofuels to decrease America's dependence on foreign energy sources elicited robust applause from politicians more...
McDonald's is lovin' it
McDonald's Corporation executives today were happy to report record results for 2006, and expressed confidence that 2007 would be another productive year more...
LIVE FROM IPE: Experts offer insight on poultry pathogen control
Atlanta — Controlling pathogens in the poultry plant is on the minds of every processor today, and POULTRY magazine's educational session here Wednesday more...
S. Korea to inspect U.S. military meat products
South Korea's scrutiny of U.S. beef has reached a new level, with Seoul now saying that it has secured the right to conduct quarantine inspections on more...
Pork production to rise in 2007: USDA
USDA forecasts that 2007 U.S. commercial pork production will be 21.7 billion pounds, an increase of 3 percent compared to 2006. The forecast is based more...
Bumble Bee introduces fully cooked chicken breasts
San Diego-based Bumble Bee Foods is launching Prime Fillet Chicken Breasts, ready-to-eat, entrée-style whole chicken breasts.Each microwaveable 4-oz. more...
IHOP expands to Mexico, U.S. Virgin Islands
Glendale, Calif.-based IHOP Corp. announced that franchisees will open the first IHOP restaurants in Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands over the next more...
Cutler hopes for meeting with S. Korea on beef issue before next FTA round
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler told reporters Monday that she's hoping to establish a meeting time and agenda to discuss with South more...
Analyst upgrade boosts Sara Lee shares
J.P. Morgan analyst Pablo Zuanic upgraded shares of Sara Lee Corp. to "Overweight" from "Neutral" and expects results for the second quarter of 2007 to more...
FSIS issues revised labeling guidance for uncooked, breaded, boneless poultry
Revised labeling policy guidance for uncooked, breaded, boneless poultry products has been issued by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) over more...
Horse slaughtering plants may challenge court's backing of Texas ban
The owners of two horse slaughtering plants in Texas are mulling a challenge to a federal appeals court ruling that upheld a state law banning horse slaughter more...
IPE education: Reducing labor through automation
As labor shortages mount, see how you can reduce labor needs through automated equipment to run your plant smoothly an profitably when POULTRY magazine more...
Cutler reports important progress on U.S.-S. Korea FTA
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler told reporters Friday that free-trade agreement discussions with South Korea have progressed significantly more...
More Swift workers indicted in Nebraska
A federal grand jury has indicted 13 more former workers of a Swift & Co. slaughterhouse in Grand Island, Neb.The feds had already indicted 15 former more...
Former ConAgra exec joins Kroger
Kroger Co. Thursday announced the appointment of Linda Severin, formerly vice president of marketing at ConAgra Foods, to the newly created position of more...
FSIS issues revised list of suitable ingredients
A revised list of safe and suitable ingredients used in the production of meat and poultry products has been issued by the Food Safety and Inspection more...
Burger King's dollar menu expands to breakfast
Miami-based Burger King will expand its value menu to include breakfast sandwiches and sides when it releases its first-ever dollar breakfast menu on more...
U.S., S. Korea FTA talks: Pride, progress and protests
Negotiators who claim they're making progress in free-trade talks. Legislators who are threatening to vote against the deal. One official after the next more...
China aims to curb AI by 2015
China will spend $1 billion in an attempt to rid itself of avian influenza and other animal diseases by 2015, several Chinese media outlets announced more...
Montana pitches statewide natural beef program
The Montana Cattlemen's Association, in conjunction with the state of Montana, has proposed a marketing program aimed at establishing a statewide natural more...
Damon's introduces 'lighter side' entrees
Full-service casual-dining chain Damon's Grill has introduced five new entrees, all with 600 calories or less and seven grams of saturated fat or less more...
IPE education: Control condensation in the plant
At this year's International Poultry Expo, POULTRY magazine will present "Controlling condensation in the plant." Find out how to maximize the effectiveness more...
Cargill profits soar in second quarter
Ethanol, food and agricultural products sales and profits reached record levels in the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2007 at Minneapolis-based more...
Smithfield denies report production fell 27 percent on MLK day
Officials at the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which supported workers at Smithfield Packing's Tar Heel, N.C., plant in requesting a paid more...
Moody's downgrades Pilgrim's Pride
Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday downgraded its credit ratings for Pilgrim's Pride Corp., owing to the Pittsburg, Texas-based processor's recent acquisition more...
Maple Leaf to close poultry plant in Nova Scotia
Maple Leaf Foods, Toronto, will close a poultry plant in Canard, Nova Scotia, at the end of April. About 380 employees will lose their jobs. The company more...
Three former execs of ConAgra unit face SEC lawsuit
Alleging they overstated profits in 1999 and 2000, the Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit against three former executives of what more...
India approves Wal-Mart joint venture
A joint venture between Indian retailer Bharti and Wal-Mart Corp., Bentonville, Ark., has received formal approval from the Indian government, clearing more...
Smithfield disputes no-show reports
Despite union claims, attendance during the second shift Monday at Smithfield Packing's Tar Heel, N.C. plant was "pretty close to normal," Smithfield more...
Korea beef imports up 20 percent in 2006
Spurred by high domestic beef prices, imports of beef in South Korea rose 20 percent in 2006 compared to 2005, to $759 million from $631 million. The more...
Tests confirm H5N1 bird flu in southern Japan
Bird flu detected in southern Japan was the virulent H5N1 strain, according to tests by the National Institute of Animal Health.The virus killed about more...
Hardee's introduces a breakfast 'Monster'
St. Louis-based Hardee's has added a new breakfast sandwich to its menu: the Monster Biscuit, served with three different types of meat.Introduced as more...
Food industry groups launch initiative to promote USDA's MyPyramid
Several food industry trade associations have launched "Take a Peak," an initiative to promote MyPyramid, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food guidance more...
Smithfield, union differ on MLK walkout
Union organizers claim that Smithfield Packing's Tar Heel, N.C., plant had to shut down one production line this morning as a result of 400 or more workers more...
Red meat exports up sharply through November
The U.S. Meat Export Federation reports that exports of beef and pork rose substantially through the first 11 months of 2006.Pork and pork variety meats more...
Taiwan to resume Canadian beef imports
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said his country plans to resume importing of Canadian beef, after a near four-year ban on the product.Shui-bian told more...
AAMP appoints new executive director
The American Association of Meat Processors named Jay Wenther its new executive director following the retirement of Stephen Krut, who held the job until more...
United Airlines enlists gourmet chef to spice up in-flight menus
United Airlines has hired well-known Chicago-based chef Charlie Trotter to add some gourmet flair to in-flight menus for first- and business-class passengers more...
IPE education: Control bacteria in the chiller
At this year's International Poultry Expo, POULTRY magazine will present "Controlling Bacteria in the Chiller," a discussion of chemical interventions more...
Smithfield, pork packers head for confrontation
Workers at Smithfield Packing's Tar Heel, N.C., pork plant still intend to walk out on Monday to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the company more...
Japan to Johanns: No beef from older cattle
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns met face to face with Toshikatsu Matsuoka, Japan's minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and once more more...
Pork producers aim for 100-percent premises registration
The National Pork Producers Council, armed with a $400,000 grant from USDA, will try to register the premises of all pork producers by the end of the more...
Major British grocers to boycott meat from cloned animals
Reacting to reports that a cloned cow from the United States has birthed a calf on a British farm, virtually all major British grocery chains have pledged more...
McDonald's to sell Boston Market?
After its successful initial public offering of a large part of its stake in the Chipotle casual Mexican restaurant chain, McDonald's may be planning more...
Smithfield workers set to walk Monday for King holiday
Thousands of workers at Smithfield Foods' Tar Heel, N.C., plant plan to walk out on Monday to celebrate Martin Luther King day, which the workers demand more...
Swift workers in Texas indicted
A federal grand jury has indicted 53 former Swift & Co. workers on charges of aggravated identity theft and related charges in the wake of the December more...
Tyson settles Illinois environmental suit
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. announced it has settled with the State of Illinois an environmental lawsuit it inherited with its purchase of more...
UC Davis study aims to protect against foot-and-mouth disease
The Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance in the School of Veterinary Medicine at University of California-Davis has launched a nationwide more...
Bird flu pandemic still major risk in 2007: report
A pandemic stemming from the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus could still occur at any time and ranks among the top risks for 2007, according to a study released more...
Colorado cattle death count levels off, costs pile up after blizzard
The Colorado Cattleman's Association says a blizzard that buried the state's southeastern region has killed between 8,000 and 15,000 head of livestock more...
Pilgrim's Pride completes Gold Kist acquisition
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced late Tuesday that it completed its acquisition of Atlanta-based Gold Kist Inc. "We believe the more...
Web site for natural beef processors to launch in February
The Natural Cattle Connection listing service collects information from cattle producers and provides it to feedlot managers and natural beef programs more...
Sodexho reports increase in first-quarter revenue
Citing rising demand in continental Europe, Britain and Ireland, Paris-based catering company Sodexho Alliance SA on Wednesday reported a 5.8 percent more...
IPE education: Control bacteria in the chiller
At this year's International Poultry Expo, POULTRY magazine will present "Controlling Bacteria in the Chiller," a discussion of chemical interventions more...
Packers cut slaughter amidst 'standoff' with feedlots
Meat-processing giants have shut down or scaled back slaughter operations this week in what an industry analyst called a "standoff" between manufacturers more...
Tyson won't rebuild fire-damaged plant
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. announced that it will not rebuild its fire-damaged poultry processing facility in Heflin, Ala., but the nation's more...
Hormel grants stock option to all employees
All 18,000 full-time employees of Hormel Foods Corp. will receive a one-time award of an option to purchase 100 shares of stock at the closing price on more...
Supervalu reports record earnings in third quarter
Minneapolis-based Supervalu Inc. recorded record sales, earnings and earnings per share in its third quarter in the wake of its acquisition of a large more...
Burger King tests hand-held wraps
Miami-based Burger King is currently testing several new products, including a new "BK Hold 'Ems" line, but details of test results and release dates more...
Colorado counting on federal cash to shore up feed supply
An emergency haylift that has dropped roughly 80 tons of hay to livestock stranded by a Dec. 28 blizzard that buried southeastern Colorado has almost more...
Pilgrim's Pride, Gold Kist deal nears completion
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced Monday that it has successfully acquired about 92 percent of Atlanta-based Gold Kist Inc. stock more...
Arrest made in Maple Leaf syringe case
A 51-year old employee in an Ontario Maple Leaf Foods processing plant has been arrested in connection with a possible food tampering incident last fall more...
Outback profits continue to plunge in third quarter
Sales increased 8.9 percent to $950.6 million at OSI Partners Inc., operator of Outback Steakhouse and other restaurant chains, but profits fell dramatically more...
Jack Link's unveils new meat snacks
Minong, Wis.-based Jack Link's Beef Jerky has introduced a number of new meat snacks:Jack Link's A.1. Steak Sauce Beef Jerky and Beef Steak Nuggets pair more...
Kansas requests U.S. blizzard relief; Colo. braces for more bad weather
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has declared 44 counties in the state as disaster areas and has asked for federal aid in helping Kansas recover from a blizzard more...
Swift sees weak demand for older cattle, strong prospects for Japan
In an analysts' teleconference this morning, Sam Rovit, chief executive of Swift & Co., Greeley, Colo., said that USDA's proposed rule to allow older more...
Masters to leave FSIS
Food Safety and Inspection Service Administrator Dr. Barbara Masters will leave the agency effective Jan. 19 to become senior policy analyst for Washington-based more...
Japan sets 2007 beef import levels
Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has set the level of imports in fiscal 2007 at the same level as fiscal 2006, and it will trigger more...
Pilgrim's Pride launches new foodservice products
Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride Foodservice has introduced Pierce Chicken Filet-Vors, breast fillets available with different seasonings and preparation more...
Colorado blizzard could top '97 storm's livestock death toll, state ag commissioner says
Colorado Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament told Meatingplace today that he expects a Dec. 28 blizzard that hit the Rocky Mountain state will be a crueler more...
Beef buoys Swift & Co. in second quarter
Buoyed by improving beef performance both in the United States and Australia, Greeley, Colo.-based Swift & Co. reported this morning that both sales and more...
Study: Antibiotic use in poultry hurts bottom line
A new study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University contends that using antibiotics in poultry for growth-promoting purposes actually reduces more...
Burger King to open first Indonesian restaurant
BK Asia Pac Pte Ltd., a subsidiary of Miami-based Burking King Holdings Inc., has authorized PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk (MAP) to open Indonesia's first Burger more...
