food production

COPPELL, TEXAS — While many restaurants are scrambling to adjust their service models and edit their menus to cope with the effects of coronavirus, Smoothie King is taking the pandemic in stride. “Coronavirus has certainly been devastating and unfortunate, and like almost every other business in the food and beverage......

MANITOWOC, WIS. — Serious Bean Co. has teamed up with Dallas-based sports and entertainment brand Dude Perfect to develop a new flavor of its craft baked beans: jalapeño and bacon. The new “Perfect Bean” variety pays homage to Dude Perfect’s Texas heritage and features pinto beans, jalapeños, applewood smoked bacon......

BATTLE CREEK, MICH. — Kellogg Co. is supersizing four of its cereal brands to create new snack packs. Kellogg’s Jumbo Snax come in four varieties: Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Corn Pops and Frosted Flakes-inspired Tiger Paws. The Froot Loops, Apple Jacks and Tiger Paws Jumbo Snax contain 150 calories and......

KANSAS CITY — Restaurant operators are adapting as the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues. Both Panera Bread, St. Louis, and Subway, Milford, Conn., have started selling some grocery staples to customers. Panera Grocery is a new service offering customers milk, bread, fresh produce as well as soups, salads or sandwiches. Products......

VANCOUVER, BC — Low-sugar candy maker SmartSweets is launching its first innovation outside the gummy category with the debut of Sweet Chews. The individually wrapped chews come in mango, strawberry and watermelon candies. Each 1.6-oz bag contains 3 grams of sugar, 10 grams of fiber and 120 calories. The chews......

KANSAS CITY — As the coronavirus continues to keep consumers quarantined across the country, the foodservice industry is innovating to meet the needs of sheltering families. Restaurants are launching family meal bundles and meal kits to alleviate the stress of meal prep and encourage family time. Chick-fil-A is introducing Family......

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration in recent days issued three guidance-to-industry documents to assist food manufacturers, retailers and restaurants meet consumers’ food needs during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The guidance documents temporarily relax certain food labeling rules that if rigorously enforced may result in bottlenecks in the supply......

WILMINGTON, DEL. — DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences launched a new culture series for yogurt manufacturers. Yo-Mix Prime cultures were designed to increase process flexibility by providing full pH control before cooling and processing, DuPont said. They allow manufacturers to reduce the amount of skimmed-milk powder added to boost texture and......

SEATTLE — Craft soda maker Jones Soda Co. has named Jamie Colbourne as interim chief executive officer. Mr. Colbourne steps in for Jennifer Cue, who has decided to step down from the position of CEO after eight years and spend more time with her family. Ms. Cue will be available......

SPRINGDALE, ARK. — While it has suspended operations at its Columbus Junction, Iowa, pork plant, Tyson Foods Inc. is taking a proactive approach to ensure the rest of its processing facilities remain in operation while minimizing risks to employees during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Iowa plant was closed after......

PITTSBURGH — In an update to investors, Kraft Heinz Co. management said it expects the company’s net sales to rise 3% and organic net sales to rise 6% during the first quarter of fiscal 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and increased demand at retail. But despite the sales......

NEW YORK — Shake Shack is partnering with online marketplace Goldbelly to launch ShackBurger meal kits. The ready-to-cook boxes will be available for nationwide shipping and contain all the ingredients needed to recreate the chain’s signature burger at home, including cheese, buns and Shake Shack sauce. The company also is......

SAN FRANCISCO— Instacart is expanding its consumer insights platform to help companies manage supply during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The company has been building its CPG insights team for several months and has provided tailored insights to partners including Kraft Heinz and General Mills since mid-February. The platform offers data......

WASHINGTON — The National Grain and Feed Association urged US governors in a letter dated April 6 to adopt measures to allow the issuance of new commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) during shutdowns or reduced operations of state motor vehicle offices in response to the coronavirus pandemic.  “We are concerned that......

WASHINGTON — The dairy industry expects to lose $5 billion to $10 billion in sales over the next six months as restaurants and schools remain closed due to the spread of COVID-19, said Andrew Jerome, director of external and member communications for the International Dairy Foods Association, Washington. Groups representing......

MINNEAPOLIS — Companies that grow, process and sell food have been allowed to continue operating as dozens of states impose restrictions on non-essential business.  “The food industry is almost always put as a critical or essential industry, and usually exempt from even the most restrictive stay-at-home orders,” said Rebecca Bernhard,......

DES MOINES, IOWA — Patrick Wood has been promoted to chief financial officer of Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer. He succeeds Tammi Guldenpfennig, a longtime Kemin leader who spent 30 years with the company, including the past 18 years as CFO. Mr. Wood joined Kemin in 2013 as a......

VEVEY, SWITZERLAND — Nestle SA is using blockchain to trace the supply chain supporting its Zoegas coffee brand. The brand, which is sold in Sweden, uses Rainforest certified arabica beans from Brazil, Colombia and Rawanda. The technology allows interested consumers to trace the Zoegas coffee they purchase back to where......

GLADSTONE, MO. — It’s not just US restaurants that are hurting. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic already hit food service traffic in China, and it’s cutting into sales in Europe as well. Weekly transactions at restaurants in the United States were down 42% for the week ended March 27, said Susan......