Looking at the latest personal expenditure data from the government, in 2014’s final quarter, consumers spent 9% less than the prior year on gasoline for their vehicles than the year before – or about $33 …

February shrimp landings in the Gulf of Mexico are up from a year ago. For the entire Gulf of Mexico, 2.9 million-lbs. of shrimp were landed according to data from NOAA. Looking across count sizes, …

As the winter snows thaw and spring makes its way out of hibernation, U.S. fruit and vegetable production will begin to prop up, offering relief to anyone who has been awaiting the joy of eating …

The overall liquid refreshment beverage sector grew 2.2% in 2014 even as soda sales declined for the tenth straight year. Overall soda volume fell 0.9%, with Coke as the biggest seller and Pepsi overtaking Diet …

According to a Food Institute analysis of the USDA Cold Storage monthly report, frozen vegetables and fruits both saw declines for February. For frozen vegetables, cold storage declined 2% to 2.0 billion-lbs. overall with potatoes …

In the news reports about the $46 billion merger of Heinz and Kraft Foods, most analysts immediately noted that the new company would be the 3rd largest U.S. food company (or 5th largest in the …

Technology has had a profound effect on the way we transact business, from automating inventory to connecting buyers and sellers around the world. Technology permeates the business world, from simple phone calls to massive databases. …

While consumer tastes seem to be shifting away from soda and toward healthier beverages, Coca-Cola Co.’s CEO Muhtar Kent believes the company’s best course of action is simply selling more cola. The company’s plans include …

As the decline of orange juice production and sales continues, Florida farmers are contemplating an advertising campaign that would downplay the state’s prominent production role. The USDA recently reduced the estimate of this season’s orange …

While a record 15.0 million tons of tomatoes are estimated to be harvested in California this coming year by the USDA, a couple of red flags have appeared to cast doubt if the number will …

Produce for Better Health Foundation recently released its State of the Plate 2015 report which noted a 7% decrease in per-capita consumption of fruit and vegetables over the last five years, fueled by a 14% …

As the U.S. becomes more multicultural, the tastes and buying habits of younger consumers are reflecting growing ethnic populations. Multicultural consumer purchasing power reached $3.4 trillion in 2014, and has been growing at more than double …

Disposable coffee cups may be the norm with takeout coffee, but that could be changing. Despite the introduction of reusable cups into the marketplace, most people still throw out their beverage containers when they are …

It seems all varieties of food and drink are entering the “craft” marketplace, and Mountain Dew is no exception. The company will release Mtn Dew DEWShine on Mar. 23, marking the brand’s first foray into …

Import and exports of canned beans showed strong increases in the first month of 2015 despite overall volume and dollar values being mixed. January imports for shelled beans increased 5% in volume to about 7.3 …

Tuna has received some prominent attention lately, as Greenpeace ranked 14 well-known tuna brands for sustainability. Their overall grade was not great; in fact, their assessment stated that most companies in the industry did not …

After losing ground to the Greek yogurt market General Mills’ Yoplait brand is once again growing, boosted by a reformulation that reduced sugar content by 25% in combination with a new marketing campaign. The result …

Even though the use of newspaper circulars is decreasing, they remain important for attracting customers. When Walmart shifted its marketing funds over to digital advertisements in several markets, reducing spending on newspaper circulars, traffic declined …

The demand for organic, locally-sourced, all-natural food is growing and growing. Gone are the days of infinite shelf-life and preservatives; instead, consumers today are looking for the freshest produce, meats, dairy and grains. Although the …

McDonald’s decision to remove human antibiotics from its U.S. chicken supply will be costly, and analysts believe that price will be passed on to suppliers, not franchisees or consumers. Suppliers, including Tyson Foods Inc., have …

Final results from the Bureau of Census’ Aquaculture recorded an overall increase of selected fish and shellfish products imports while exports declined for 2014. Imports overall increased 7% in volume and 19% in dollar for …

Six frozen vegetable commodities in cold storage decreased more than 10% from the preliminary movement announcement for December. The overall change for cold storage stocks of frozen vegetables was down 9% to 2.4 billion-lbs. Green …

Blueberries saw a 9% increase in cold storage as of Jan. 31 when compared year-over-year. In 2014, 172.7 million-lbs. of blueberries were held in cold storage. In 2015, the number rose to 187.5 million-lbs. held …

The attempt to reduce the use of antibiotics on animals is growing, as concerns grow over the possibility of superbugs that are resistant to medicine used on both humans and livestock. Just this week, McDonald’s …

California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) introduced a Non-GMO & More seal for its certified members. The seal is intended to better communicate that GMOs are prohibited in organic foods and also to recognize the contributions …

Beef, chicken and pork jerky represents a $2.5 billion industry in the U.S., but it was only a few years ago that entrepreneurs began tapping into the bustling market. The jerky market has been traditionally …

On Feb. 23, USDA purchased 11 types of canned vegetable products for federal food assistance programs worth about $6.3 million. There was a total of 553,840 cases purchased that included 194,400 24/300 cases of meatless …

There is no doubt that the millenial mindset is expanding to include all aspects of the U.S. economy. Food retailers have been quick to notice this emerging market and have begun to appeal directly to …

Dealing with falling consumer interest, Target plans to reignite the spark with a makeover for its grocery department. The offer more organic and natural products, making up for ground lost after it focused too heavily …

While economic stress has taken its toll on the family restaurant industry, cheaper gas prices and improving employment are improving prospects. For the past several years casual dining has been losing customers to the booming …

While the recent preliminary settlement has been reached with dock workers and West Coast port operators, monthly shipment reports from California shows the damage that was done to certain segments of the dried fruit and …

Ambiguous laws can cause problems for businesses and individuals. This is borne out by the recent Supreme Court decision in Yates vs U.S.  Much to the chagrin of federal prosecutors, the Court ruled on Feb. …

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans has some very specific verbiage about what we eat: “On average, current dietary patterns are too low in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and low-fat dairy, and too high in …

Food Institute board member, C. Winston (Win) Taylor, will be feted at Saint Joseph’s University’s second annual Food Marketing Hall of Honor Day on April 21, for his achievements and contributions to the food industry. …

While 80% of shoppers use lists, 74% still make a combination of planned and unplanned purchases, according to the NPD Group’s Bites of Insights: The New Grocery Shopper. Shoppers are more likely to add items …

According to IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm, supermarket sales for five selected products was down 1.24% for dollar sales while increasing 1.27% in unit sales for 52-week period ending Jan. 25.  Dollar sales totaled …