FoodBusinessNews

KANSAS CITY — Wheat’s association with flour to bake bread dates back thousands of years, but food formulators may seek to explore ways for other wheat-based ingredients to help them create products for today’s trends. Think germ, bran, fiber and protein, all extracted from wheat, for use in products that offer...

SPRINGDALE, ARK. — Actions taken by Tyson Foods, Inc. in the past year position the company for long-term growth, but unanticipated challenges, including a fire at a beef processing plant and grain market volatility, hindered results in the recent quarter. While earnings and sales fell short of analysts’ estimates; shares...

KANSAS CITY — While new breakfast options continue to proliferate on menus and on supermarket shelves, ready-to-eat cereal is still a morning mainstay. Ninety-six per cent of U.S. consumers typically purchase cereal during their grocery shopping trips, 41% of consumers buy two boxes of cereal per shopping trip and 19%...

LONDON — Nils Anderson has been elevated to chairman of Unilever. He succeeds Marijn Dekkers, who has decided to step down so he can focus on his growing responsibilities as founder and chairman of Novalis LifeSciences, an investment and advisory firm. Mr. Dekkers will continue as a non-executive director of...

LOS ANGELES — Private equity firm Butterfly has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Orgain, Inc., an Irvine, Calif.-based producer of organic and clean nutrition products. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2009 by physician and cancer survivor Andrew Abraham, M.D., Orgain offers...

DUBLIN, OHIO — Wendy’s Co. is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the debut of the Birthday Cake Frosty, the first new Frosty flavor in 13 years. The limited-edition frozen treat features a blend of vanilla Frosty mixed with the flavor of a classic birthday cake, Wendy’s said. A small contains...

CHICAGO — McDonald’s announced that 100% of the ground and whole bean coffee used in its U.S. restaurants is now sustainably sourced. The coffee is verified sustainable through the company’s McCafe Sustainability Improvement Platform (SIP), developed in partnership with Conservation International, or sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. McDonald’s has...

CANTON, MASS. — To help consumers get their suggested daily servings of vegetables, Maria and Ricardo’s, a Harbar L.L.C. brand, is introducing a trio of grain-free veggie tortillas. Made with a blend of avocado oil and tapioca flour, the tortillas are grain-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, certified gluten-free, Non-GMO Project verified...

KANSAS CITY — Safe and clean has become a mantra in the ready-to-eat (R.-T.-E.) meat space. Preservatives are added to R.-T.-E. meats to maintain food safety and extend shelf life by retarding oxidation, but they also must meet consumer expectations. Clean ingredients have become a requirement to draw and hold the...

CLEVELAND — Athens Foods, Inc., producer of phyllo dough and phyllo dough products for more than 60 years, is making its first foray into the gluten-free segment with a new line of gluten-free phyllo bites. The appetizers feature crispy layers of phyllo dough made with rice flour and tapioca flour...

KANSAS CITY — Fresh water scarcity may one day lead to a realignment of food and beverage supply chains throughout the world. As climate change advances, many producers and processors are becoming more efficient with fresh water usage, but near-term threats will continue to add pressure and require embracing more innovative...

CHICAGO — Fast-paced, on-the-go lifestyles are giving rise to an array of drink powders that allow consumers to add, mix and enjoy all types of beverages, anywhere, anytime. This includes everything from next-generation refuel, recover and rehydrate mixes to weight-loss and meal replacement systems. There’s even mixes to make sleepy-time...

AUSTIN, MINN. – Hormel Foods Corp. is expanding its Hormel Cure 81 brand pork portfolio with new Vermont maple spiral sliced half ham. The bone-in, premium ham features Vermont maple flavor baked into the ham and comes with a glaze packet for added flavor and crunch. “The new Hormel Cure...

NEW YORK — Chickpea-based food company Banza announced $20 million in growth funding, led by Enlightened Hospitality Investments and Prelude Growth Partners. The company, which is known for its better-for-you pastas, said it will use the funds to expand into other comfort foods and scale investment in its U.S.-based supply...

NORWICH, VT. — King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. is offering new options to consumers following paleo and gluten-free diets with the debut of two new products: paleo baking flour and gluten-free single-serve dessert cups. The new paleo baking flour features a blend of cassava, almond and coconut flour and may be...

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. — Net income at J&J Snack Foods in the year ended Sept. 28 totaled $94,819,000, equal to $5.04 per share on the common stock, down 9% from $103,596,000, or $5.54 per share, in fiscal 2018. Fiscal 2018 results benefited from a $20.9 million gain on the re-measurement of...

DALLAS — Dean Foods Co. and all its subsidiaries have initiated Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings in the Southern District of Texas, the Dallas-based company said Nov. 12. Dean Foods and Dairy Farmers of America are discussing a potential sale of substantially all the assets of the company. “The actions we...

DALLAS — TGI Fridays is planning to go public. The casual dining chain announced a definitive agreement to merge with Allegro Merger Corp., a blank-check special purpose acquisition company, early next year in a transaction valued at $380 million. TGIF Holdings, L.L.C. shareholders will receive approximately $30 million in cash...

DEERFIELD, ILL. — The average adult eats more snacks than meals on a given day, according to the first-ever State of Snacking report from Mondelez International, Inc. and The Harris Poll. Around the world, consumers are choosing small bites over meals to fuel modern lifestyles, cultural connection and functional and...