consumers

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new work requirement rules on Dec. 4 for certain people receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamps. The rule goes into effect on April 1, 2020. The rule will move more able-bodied adults...

NEW YORK — Grupo Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V., Wegmans and Pivot Bio have been recognized by Rabobank for demonstrating significant progress across innovation, sustainability and market leadership. The three companies were selected from hundreds of companies across three categories as part of Rabobank’s 2019 Food and Agribusiness Industry Leadership Awards....

KANSAS CITY — New snacks are sailing into supermarkets. General Mills, Inc. has teamed up with Mars, Inc. to create a new yogurt candy mashup: Starburst flavored Yoplait yogurt. Containing 150 calories per 6-oz container, the low-fat yogurt comes in in three Starburst candy-inspired flavors: cherry, strawberry and orange. After...

WASHINGTON — The food and beverage industry dominated Morning Consult’s fastest-growing brands ranking this year. More than half of the top 20 spots were claimed by food brands and delivery services. With a 14-point purchasing consideration increase, DoorDash was the fastest-growing brand for the second year in a row and...

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND — Barry Callebaut sourced 51% of its ingredients sustainably this year, including 47% of cocoa and 54% of other ingredients. The company is on track to achieve 100% sustainable chocolate sourcing by 2025, said Antoine de Saint-Affrique, chief executive officer at Barry Callebaut Group. Using only sustainable ingredients...

CINCINNATI — Inertia is a death sentence in modern retail. Yet the new endeavors needed to attract and retain customers require capital investment and offer no guarantee of success. During the third quarter of fiscal 2019, The Kroger Co. saw upside from some endeavors and had to take write downs...

PARIS – Consumer interest in authenticity and transparency almost demands companies tell a story about their products, which is a main reason why Innova Market Insights ranked storytelling as the No. 1 trend among its top 10 trends for 2020. Survey findings from Innova show 56% of global consumers say...

KANSAS CITY — The announcement earlier this month that Hostess Brands, Inc. has entered an agreement to acquire Voortman Cookies Ltd. from Swander Pace Capital is generating buzz, not just from the Kansas City-based maker of Twinkies and Ho Hos, but also from the analysts who cover the sweet goods...

EFFINGHAM, ILL. — Plant-based ingredient developer Nutriati secured $12.7 million in a Series C funding round led by Manna Tree Partners, a Vail, Colo.-based private equity fund. The investments will support R.&D. and increased production, said Michael Todd, chief executive officer at Nutriati. The company, which was founded in 2018,...

CHICAGO — Conagra Brands, Inc. has announced plans to place eight acres of solar panels on the property of its Wish-bone salad dressing facility in St. Elmo, Ill. The energy generated by the panels will be equivalent to the amount needed to produce approximately 35% of all Wish-bone salad dressings...

AMSTERDAM — Cargill is investing more than $113 million to expand two West African cacao processing sites. The company announced a $100 million investment aimed at doubling its production capacity in Yopougon, Ivory Coast. An additional $13 million investment in Tema, Ghana, will increase production capacity by 20%. “We aim...

PARIS – Novel sources of plant protein, including mung bean and moringa, could affect the food and beverage industry in the coming years, but sourcing, distribution and functionality issues need to be solved. In the case of moringa, a Dr. Seuss children’s story illustrates one problem. Does anybody like green...

CAMDEN, N.J. — Campbell Soup Co.’s soup business played a prominent role in the company’s performance during the first quarter of fiscal 2020. On the positive side, the company grew its soup market share for the first time in 10 quarters. To the negative, the timing of U.S. soup shipments...

NEW YORK — Starbucks Corp. has evolved its approach to menu innovation over the past two years to focus less on food and more on beverages. Previously, efforts were evenly split between food and beverage, said Patrick J. Grismer, chief financial officer. “There’s no doubt that food remains an important...

WASHINGTON — Japan’s Upper House approved a trade deal with the United States on Dec. 4. The agreement opens markets and will support expansion of U.S. food and agricultural exports, increase farm income, generate more rural economic activity, and promote job growth. The deal, previously announced in September, includes Japan...

SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WIS. – Michael Stayer-Suprick has been elected by the board of directors of Johnsonville Holdings, Inc. as the company’s next chief executive officer. He will succeed his father Ralph C. Stayer. Johnsonville Holdings is the parent company of Johnsonville L.L.C., the 74-year-old sausage company based in Sheboygan Falls. “Over...

SEATTLE – Aqua Star is bringing convenience to the seafood segment with a new line of chef-designed seafood meals that are microwavable. New MicroSteam Seafood Meals feature technology that locks in the steam so each meal may be cooked from frozen in six minutes. In the microwave, the MicroSteam film...

CHICAGO – Specialty hot sauce company Co-Op Sauce is launching its core line of five hot sauces with keto-friendly recipes made with zero sugar. The wild-fermented sauces start with probiotic bases and non-G.M.O. produce from small farms in Illinois and Michigan. Each variety is keto-friendly, vegan, gluten-free and allergen-free. Flavors...