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Specialty Food Association Accepts 152 New Members

The Specialty Food Association has accepted 152 companies for new membership, including makers of ghost chili sea salt, bacon brittle, burrata and lavender martini mocktails. Among the new members are Blis Caviar of Grand Rapids, Mich., maker of flavor-infused wild domestic caviar; Califia Farms of Pasadena, Calif., producer of cold brewed coffee, almond milk and […]

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Blue Diamond Posts Record Sales And Revenue

Blue Diamond Growers’ global almond sales soared to $1.2 billion, up $189 million in fiscal year 2012-13. Value-added sales volume increased by 14 percent, even with a crop that was 7 percent smaller, according to President and CEO Mark Jansen, who addressed the cooperative’s grower owners at the company’s annual meeting. Value-added sales now represent more […]

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Food Packaging Choices: Sustainability Trumps Novelty

An independent research study conducted by MindClick Global on behalf of the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), found that when asked about sustainability in food packaging choices, two-thirds of consumers preferred steel cans. The results support findings that consumers consider sustainability to be a […]

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Kentucky’s Homegrown By Heroes Brand Goes National

A Kentucky initiative to identify farm products produced by veterans will become a national brand, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer announced on Veterans Day at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville. The Farmer Veteran Coalition will administer the Homegrown by Heroes program on the national level. At the announcement, the Farm Credit System announced a […]

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Cargill Announces Labeling For Finely Textured Beef

Cargill Beef will begin labeling its branded, U.S.-made, fresh, ground beef products containing Finely Textured Beef, prior to the 2014 grilling season, with the declaration “Contains Finely Textured Beef.” “Our research shows that consumers believe ground beef products containing Finely Textured Beef should be clearly labeled,” said John Keating, Cargill Beef president. “We’ve listened to […]

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Murdock Completes Acquisition Of Dole Food Co.

David H. Murdock, Dole’s chairman and CEO, has completed his acquisition of Dole Food Co. Inc. The $13.50-per-share purchase price represents a total valuation of Dole at more than $1.6 billion, including net debt, fees and expenses. The going-private merger agreement was approved on Oct. 31 during a special meeting of the Dole stockholders. Dole’s […]

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U.S. Beer Consumption Is Up; Rising Demand For Higher-Priced Offerings

The beer industry saw gains in both dollar and volume in 2012 after a three-year downturn. Well-marketed new products and slight improvements in the unemployment rate contributed to the beer industry’s overall growth. Although the second half of the year didn’t fare as well from an economic standpoint, the industry was still able to see […]