Sep. 13, 2010 at 9:54 a.m.
Filed under:
Environment,
Food,
Green,
Packaged foods
By Associated Press
Whole Foods Market Inc. is trying to clear some murky waters for seafood shoppers.
The grocery chain on Monday launched a new color-coded rating program — with the help of Monterey Bay Aquarium and Blue Ocean Institute — that measures the environmental impact of its wild-caught seafood. Get the full story »
Sep. 13, 2010 at 6:29 a.m.
Filed under:
China,
Food,
International,
Packaged foods
By Reuters
Oreo products packaged for distribution in China. (Lane Christiansen /Tribune)
Kraft Foods, North America’s largest food company, is looking to double the number of Chinese cities in which it distributes Cadbury products within the next two years, its China head said on Monday.
The number of cities in China in which Cadbury confectionary is sold would rise to about 40 by tapping Kraft’s distribution network, Lorna Davis, president and chairman of Kraft’s China operations told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in China. Get the full story »
Sep. 10, 2010 at 2:04 p.m.
Filed under:
Agriculture/Farming,
Food,
Government,
Litigation
By Reuters
Groups opposed to genetically modified foods have sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thursday over the agency’s recent decision to allow limited plantings of altered sugar beets. Get the full story »
Sep. 10, 2010 at 1:22 p.m.
Filed under:
Bankruptcy,
Food,
Restaurants
From Crain’s Chicago Business | Brown’s Chicken and Pasta has agreed to be sold at auction as a going concern to speed its contentious bankruptcy proceedings.
Sep. 10, 2010 at 11:30 a.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Food,
Investing,
Restaurants
By Reuters
(Reuters/Molly Riley/Files)
Moody’s Investors Service said on Friday it may raise its ratings on McDonald’s Corp. due to solid operating performance and growth prospects.
Moody’s placed McDonald’s A3 senior unsecured rating, the seventh-highest rating, and Prime-2 short-term commercial paper rating on review for possible upgrade.
“The review for possible upgrade reflects McDonald’s solid operating performance achieved through various strategic initiatives such as new product innovation, cost savings, re-imaging and new restaurant growth,” Moody’s analyst Bill Fahy said in a statement. Get the full story »
Sep. 10, 2010 at 10:19 a.m.
Filed under:
Beverages,
Personnel moves
From The Wall Street Journal | MillerCoors LLC’s No. 2 executive, Tom Long, will share an office with Chief Executive Leo Kiely, the brewer told employees, in the latest sign that the company is grooming Mr. Long to lead the second-largest U.S. beer maker by sales.
Sep. 10, 2010 at 6:08 a.m.
Filed under:
Beverages,
Consumer news,
Food
By Associated Press
A trifecta of bad news has sent coffee futures soaring 44 percent since June, and companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Green Mountain and Maxwell House are passing on those costs. Bad weather in South America is threatening crops. Brazil and top exporter Vietnam are talking about hoarding their stocks. And U.S. stockpiles are reportedly at 10-year lows. Get the full story »
Sep. 10, 2010 at 5:44 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Work culture
By Associated Press
Employees talk outside the scene of a workplace shooting at the Kraft facility in Philadelphia. (For the Daily News/ Joseph Kaczmarek)
Minutes after a woman was suspended from her job at a Kraft Foods Inc. plant and was escorted out, she returned with a handgun and opened fire, killing two people and critically injuring a third before being taken into custody, police said.
The shootings occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. Thursday inside a northeast Philadelphia plant where workers for the nation’s largest food manufacturer, headquartered in Northfield, makes cookies and crackers. Get the full story »
Sep. 9, 2010 at 6:01 p.m.
Filed under:
Beverages,
Food,
Updated
By Emily Bryson York
Starbucks Corp. said it isn’t just dropping its small-sized drink from its drive-through locations throughout the country, it’s preparing for the future.
In addition to removing the 12-ounce “tall” from its drive-through menus, the Seattle-based coffee chain has added images of some newer items. Starbucks maintains the changes are in response to consumer confusion over its many offerings, from hot chocolate to oatmeal, as well as highly customizable coffee beverages. Get the full story »
Sep. 9, 2010 at 11:47 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Franchises,
Personnel moves,
Restaurants
By Associated Press
Burger King’s soon-to-be new owners have named a former Latin American railroad executive to be CEO of the fast-food chain after the $3.26 billion deal goes through.
The appointment of Bernardo Hees by 3G Capital is a signal that the investment firm is serious about expanding the Burger King brand further into Latin America and elsewhere abroad. Get the full story »
Sep. 9, 2010 at 7:11 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Restaurants
By Associated Press
Fast-food giant McDonald’s says a key revenue figure rose 4.6 percent in the U.S. in August, as customers continued to come in for its frappes and smoothies. The world’s largest hamburger chain says overall its August sales at restaurants open at least 13 months climbed 4.9 percent.
Sep. 9, 2010 at 6:27 a.m.
Filed under:
Food
By Reuters
Barry Callebaut AG said Thursday it has signed a supply contract with Kraft Foods Inc., a deal that will increase the Zurich-based chocolate company’s global reach and spark heavy investment. Get the full story »
Sep. 8, 2010 at 3:32 p.m.
Filed under:
Beverages,
Food
By Associated Press
Americans are getting more than just a jolt of caffeine with their coffee these days — the price is jumping, too.
Coffee for December delivery settled up 2.25 cents at $1.9455 a pound Wednesday after hitting a 13-year high of $1.9865 per pound earlier in the day. Get the full story »
Sep. 8, 2010 at 9:47 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Litigation,
Restaurants
By Becky Yerak
Groupon has filed a trademark and copyright infringement case against two Australian businesses that it claims use “confusingly similar terms” while providing “identical services” to the Chicago-based daily deal site. Get the full story »
Sep. 8, 2010 at 9:38 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Restaurants
By Wailin Wong
A New York-based Web start-up specializing in restaurant discounts and reservations is expanding into Chicago, hoping to give restaurateurs and diners an alternative to daily deal sites such as Groupon.
VillageVines officially launches in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C. on Sept. 15. In the meantime, Chicagoans can sign up for the site starting today. When the site goes live, members will be able to log in and book a reservation through an online calendar that lists available restaurants and dates. VillageVines charges $10 per reservation and typically offers 30 percent off the check. Get the full story »