Food Industry Archive

High-fructose corn syrup has become a bit of a pariah. It’s still ubiquitous, used to sweeten a range of products from soft drinks to bread, but it doesn’t get very good press. It’s become widely associated with obesity and other health problems — and that was before evidence came out that it often contained trace amounts of mercury. Most major companies insist...

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New trade rep was food company board member — Former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk was sworn in Friday as the U.S. trade representative, the top post for negotiating and enforcing trade agreements. Kirk was on the board of directors of Dean Foods, PetSmart, and restaurant chain company Brinker International, but he resigned from these positions to serve as trade representative. A long supporter...

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Gluten-free products are on a roll. The market has grown an average of 28 percent since 2004, according to a recent report by Packaged Facts, and it’s now a $1.5-billion-a-year industry. Hundreds of new gluten-free products appeared on the shelves last year, and Packaged Facts expects double-digit growth to continue. “Americans have a lot of health problems, limited access to health...

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Foreign demand for U.S. farm products — particularly peanuts — is down, and that’s hurting American farm incomes, according to the Federal Reserve. The Fed, when Chairman Ben Bernanke isn’t slamming the phone in outrage over AIG bailouts, tracks all phases of the U.S. economy, including agriculture. And according to the Fed’s most-recent Beige Book report, which...

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China says “No” to Coke buy — The Chinese government rejected an attempt by the Coca-Cola Company to purchase the Hiyuan Juice Group, which controls 40 percent of China’s juice market. The government said the proposed $2.4 billion takeover would have had “an unfavourable impact on competition.” [Source: Just-drinks] Tyson forms alliance with Freshpet —...

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Flavor experts are still trying to unlock the secrets of stevia. Extracts from the South American plant have the benefit of being all-natural, zero calories, and up to three hundred times sweeter than sugar. Four months ago, everyone was calling it the “holy grail” of sweeteners, and there was almost a sense that if the Food and Drug Administration would only approve the stuff, the...

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The growing success of private labels has given grocery chains more muscle when it comes to negotiating with food companies. Safeway last month threatened to further push its store brands if suppliers didn’t lower their prices, and CEO Steve Burd colorfully declared Safeway would “chew them up on corporate brands.” Nevertheless, food companies are resisting pressures to drop...

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Cadbury done with drink market — Cadbury is selling Schweppes in Australia, the last of its beverage holdings, to Japanese brewer Asahi for $767 million. The two companies reached a conditional agreement in December, but the Coca-Cola Company still had the right to negotiate with Cadbury over any potential sale. Coca-Cola confirmed it will not exercise that right, allowing the deal to...

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The Obama administration is working to close what it considers a loophole in food labeling rules to give consumers a better idea of where their food comes from. New labeling regulations were originally announced under Bush, but the former president’s version didn’t require meat companies to name an animal’s production location — specifically, where it was born, raised...

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The recall list is still growing and all things peanut are taking a hit. Peanut growers are anticipating $1 billion in losses, according to the Georgia Peanut Commission. And jarred peanut butter sales continue to drop, despite the fact that no peanut butter sold directly to consumers was ever part of the recall. A Harvard study last month confirmed that a majority of Americans mistakenly...

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