The kinds of venture capital investments that made Silicon Valley into a tech powerhouse are becoming involved with agriculture and food, which saw investments increase by 54% to $486 million last year, according to Dow …
Facing pressure from dollar stores and other deep discounters, Walmart is working to hold onto its title as the country’s low-price leader. One of its biggest initiatives is pressuring suppliers to cut costs on their …
American consumers have always demanded perfection. We want the best product available for the lowest possible price. Our entire economic system is fashioned so that we reward products with beautiful form and efficient function by …
The 2015 salmon harvest is projected to be 40% larger than last year. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game forecast released March 30 predicts the 2015 total commercial salmon catch at 220.9 million. That …
Larger food companies may increase acquisitions of smaller organic producers in the wake of Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz Co.’s merger, according to analysts. The two companies could be busy dealing with the merger …
It’s no secret that Americans are dealing with health issues stemming from their food choices. Nearly two-thirds of people over 20 years of age are overweight, and a third of Americans over age 20 are …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 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 …
