North American Meat Institute Statement on Cattle Contract Library Act

The North American Meat Institute, a trade association for meat and poultry packers and processors of all sizes, today released the following statement regarding the Cattle Contract Library Act of 2021, H.R. 5609, which was marked up and reported out of the House Committee on Agriculture:

“Members of the Meat Institute are still analyzing the bill and how it might affect their operations,” said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute. “More time is needed to consider how the bill will affect livestock producers..."

IRI Releases Data Detailing Availability of Key Thanksgiving Holiday Sides

IRI®, a global leader in innovative solutions and services for consumer, retail and media companies, today released new data on availability of a basket of five Thanksgiving-related grocery categories across stores nationally.

“As the holiday season approaches and widespread supply chain challenges continue to impact industries across the economy, IRI is tracking a basket of items for their availability, demand, price and promotion for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Dr. Krishnakumar (“KK”) S. Davey, president of IRI Client Engagement. “Halloween season is shaping up nicely..."

Wayne Farms Completes Divestiture of Laurel Poultry Production Complex to Amick Farms

Wayne Farms LLC, a subsidiary of Continental Grain Company, announced today that on October 17, 2021, it completed the sale of its Fresh Processing Complex in Laurel, Mississippi, to Amick Farms. The complex includes live production, hatchery, feed mill, manufacturing and production facilities. The divestiture is a key milestone towards completing the previously announced transaction which will combine Wayne Farms and Sanderson Farms, Inc. under the joint ownership and control of Cargill and Continental Grain.

Clint Rivers, President and CEO of Wayne Farms LLC, said...

Over $22B Worth of Cargo is Stuck on Container Ships Off California

There was fleeting hope that Southern California port congestion had turned the corner. The number of container ships waiting offshore dipped to the low 60s and high 50s from a record high of 73 on Sept. 19, trans-Pacific spot rates plateaued, the Biden administration unveiled aspirations for 24/7 port ops, and electricity shortages curbed Chinese factory output.

The reality is that the port congestion crisis in Southern California is not getting any better.

The time ships are stuck waiting offshore continues to lengthen...

Chipotle Announces Third Quarter 2021 Results

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. today reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2021.

Third quarter highlights, year over year:

- Total revenue increased 21.9% to $2.0 billion
- Comparable restaurant sales increased 15.1%
- Digital sales grew 8.6% and accounted for 42.8% of sales
- Operating margin was 12.3%, an increase from 6.7%
- Restaurant level operating margin was 23.5% 1, an increase of 400 basis points
- Diluted earnings per share was $7.18, a 154.6% increase from $2.82. Excluding a $0.16 after-tax net impact resulting from a tax benefit, which...

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Helps Families Celebrate Together With Care This Holiday Season

This holiday season, care is in the air and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® is the perfect one-stop-shop to help guests care for their loved ones and make this holiday season special. After more than a year of interrupted and often cancelled family gatherings, Cracker Barrel boasts a variety of seasonal offerings made with care, fully prepared meals, and holiday gift options to help guests celebrate with family and friends both in store and at home. For a limited time...

Jack in the Box Signs Seven Development Agreements in Q4 of Fiscal Year 2021 to Open 47 Stores

Jack in the Box Inc., one of the nation’s leading QSR chains, announced today it has awarded seven development agreements in Q4 of fiscal year 2021 to open 47 new restaurants. In total, Jack in the Box has awarded 23 development agreements in fiscal year 2021 to build 111 stores over the course of the next several years. The agreements will help the brand grow in existing markets including Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, as well as new ones such as...

GrubMarket Expands to Canada through Acquisition of Funtech Software

GrubMarket today announced it has completed the acquisition of Vancouver-based Funtech Software, a provider of comprehensive eCommerce systems and online grocery software solutions to both online grocery companies and brick-and-mortar grocery stores, enabling them to manage their business online and reach more consumers. This marks GrubMarket's first acquisition in Canada, and the formation of GrubMarket's first overseas software technology R&D center, leveraging the rich software engineering resources in the Vancouver area.

Founded in 2017 by Sam Qi, Funtech designs, develops and supports eCommerce storefronts across platforms...

This Week in Retail: Buying Opportunities Increase for Pork

Meat and poultry features are bountiful this week as consumers hunker down for hearty home-cooked meals during chilly autumn evenings. While Halloween is just around the corner, some retailers are already showcasing Thanksgiving promotions.

This week in retail, buying opportunities were lower week-over-week for turkey and seafood features. Towards the tail-end of October National Pork Month, marketing campaigns pushed pork features higher than the previous week. Meanwhile, retail activity for chicken and beef was nearly flat with the week prior. 

Buying opportunities for seafood this week are centered around fresh/frozen fillets—namely tilapia—and raw shrimp. The fresh/frozen fillets complex makes up 33% of ad space and averages $6.89 per pound, 20.1% above a year ago. Tilapia is up 7.8% from this week last year at $5.93 per pound on average. Atlantic salmon boneless filet is also widely featured and averages $8.68 per pound, compared to $7.70 per pound last year. The raw shrimp complex claims 23% of ad space. The regional price spread for 16-20 raw ranges from $6.99 per pound to $8.99 per pound, generally on par with year-ago levels...

Sanderson Farms Stockholders Approve Combination with Cargill and Continental Grain Company

Sanderson Farms, Inc. announced that at a special meeting of stockholders held earlier today, its stockholders approved the previously announced agreement for a joint venture between Cargill and Continental Grain to acquire Sanderson Farms for $203 per share in cash. Upon completion of the transaction, Cargill and Continental Grain will combine Sanderson Farms with Wayne Farms, a subsidiary of Continental Grain, to form a new, privately held poultry business.

“We are pleased Sanderson Farms stockholders approved this transaction and thank them for their support,” said Joe Sanderson, Chairman...

America is Freezing Food at Record Rates

Americans have been freezing food at record rates these past two years, with a majority of people across the country (55%) saying they bought a second or even third freezer to house all the extra frozen food.

A recent survey* of 2,000 people across America revealed that some of the most common foods in freezers are vegetables, soups and sauces. And close to a third reported feeling ‘stressed,’ ‘uneasy,’ or ‘surprised’ when they open their freezer and see all the unused food; one-half say they have to waste their frozen food because...

ANALYSIS: Shining Light on Chicken Slaughter

Considering what has been a volatile couple of weeks in the world of chicken, both in terms of pricing and spot availability, we thought it would be a good opportunity to back away from the day-to-day in favor of a broad assessment on the current state of production...

Natural Grocers® Now Taking Reservations for the Humanely Raised Thanksgiving Turkeys

Every October, as the leaves start to fall and the air starts to cool, Natural Grocers® kicks off its Thanksgiving turkey pre-order season at each of its 162 stores across 20 states and on its turkey reservations website www.naturalgrocers.com/turkeys. By securing an early reservation, customers can rest easy knowing they have purchased the perfect variety and size of turkey to help make their Thanksgiving celebration special this year.

As grocery industry leaders in animal welfare standards, Natural Grocers exclusively partners with...

Mercatus Survey Reveals 75% of Online Grocery Orders To Be Fulfilled at Grocery Stores

Mercatus, the leading provider in digital commerce solutions for grocery retail, today announced findings from its annual eGrocery survey of U.S. consumers, conducted in collaboration with Incisiv. The report, titled eGrocery Transformed: 2021 market projections and insight into online grocery's elevated future, confirms that U.S. online grocery customers are predominantly oriented towards grocery pickup services with 75% of survey respondents preferring store pickup.

The number of online grocery customers who report using curbside pickup at least once in the last year increased to 61% on average...

ANALYSIS: Turkey Exports: It’s a Matter of Perspective

Although the majority of our top turkey export destinations continue to register year-over-year (YoY) advancements in volume, the cumulative figures through the end of August tell a slightly different story...

Urner Barry Releases October Emerging Plant Protein Report

According to the latest USDA WASDE, the outlook for 2021/22 U.S. rice this October is for reduced supplies with lower domestic use, unchanged exports, and smaller ending stocks. Supplies were reduced on lower projected imports that more than offset minimally higher production. NASS increased the average all rice yield by 2 pounds per acre, to 7,625 pounds. Total domestic and residual use was decreased by 1.0 million cwt to 146.0 million on lower supplies, and ending stocks were reduced to 33.2 million cwt, down 1.0 million. The season-average farm price for all rice remains unchanged at $14.80/cwt.

Persistent rainfall across the southern United States this spring delayed rice planting and field operations, which has led to slightly slower than average harvest pace to date. For the week ending October 3...

New Korean BBQ Chicken Taquito Rolls Into 7-Eleven® Stores

New this fall: bold flavors to a roller grill near you—because that's how 7-Eleven, Inc. rolls. Inspired by the awesome flavors of Korean BBQ, America's largest convenience retailer is putting a new, Asian fusion spin on its popular taquitos. The Korean BBQ Taquito features crispy flour tortillas filled with a juicy, all-white meat chicken tossed in a sweet but tangy Korean BBQ sauce and is wrapped in the crispy shell customers know and love.

Great for a quick lunch on the run or as a snack...

BASF and Cargill expand partnership for the Animal Feed Industry

BASF and Cargill are expanding their partnership in the animal nutrition business, adding research and development capabilities and new markets to the partners’ existing feed enzymes distribution agreements. Together, they will develop, produce, market, and sell customer-centric enzyme products and solutions. The goal is to bring farmers feed innovations that reduce nutrient waste, improving feed efficiency, and promote animal growth and wellbeing.

“We are proud to enter this next stage of collaboration with Cargill. Through joint solutions we will further increase the value creation opportunities in the enzymes space..." 

Yum China Inaugurates Digital R&D Center to Further Implement Digital Strategy

Yum China Holdings, Inc. announced the opening of its Digital R&D Center with three sites in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Xi'an. The inauguration of the Digital R&D Center represents an important milestone for the Company's strategy to build a dynamic digital ecosystem comprised of 1) the Digital R&D Center, 2) joint venturing, and 3) third party collaboration, to provide a solid foundation for Yum China to further develop its brands and businesses, accelerate expansion and capture market opportunities.

The Digital R&D Center will consolidate and...

‘Tis the Season: Ruth’s Chris Steak House Unveils Holiday Offerings

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, known for its unmatched dining experience and steaks served on 500-degree sizzling plates, today announced its holiday offerings available soon in-restaurant or for pick-up at more than 150 locations nationwide.

Enjoy the Holidays at Ruth’s Table

Ruth’s Chris’ in-restaurant menu for Thanksgiving encompasses the following:

Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner
Single portion inclusive of the below; exclusively available in-restaurant on Nov. 25.
- Starter: Choice of Caesar Salad, Steak House Salad or Lobster Bisque
- Entrée: Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey, Ruth’s Sausage and Herb Stuffing...

Quiznos Adds a Flavorful Twist to Traditional Favorite with the New Bison Reuben Sandwich

Quiznos is shaking up its fall menu with its latest innovation, the limited-time only Bison Reuben, bringing a unique twist to a popular sandwich. The Bison Reuben features tender and delicious, premium bison from High Plains Bison and is piled high with sauerkraut, swiss cheese and tangy Thousand Island dressing, all served on toasted rustic rye bread.

Quiznos is proud to partner with High Plains Bison to push the boundaries of fast-casual sandwich options and offer a flavorful, high-quality corned bison, free from...

NCBA Welcomes Cattle Contract Library Bill Amid Ongoing Push for Transparency

Today, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) welcomed the introduction of the Cattle Contract Library Act, led by Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX).

The bipartisan bill would establish a cattle contract library within USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS), equipping cattle producers with the market data they need to make informed business decisions and exert greater leverage in negotiations with major meatpackers.

The cattle contract library is widely supported by industry groups and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and the...

JUST Egg's Key Ingredient Receives European Safety Approval, Paves Way for Launch

Eat Just, Inc., a company that applies cutting-edge science and technology to create healthier, more sustainable foods, announced today that the key ingredient in its popular plant-based JUST Egg products has received approval from the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) expert panel on nutrition. This paves the way for the initial launch of JUST Egg to occur in Europe in mid-2022 after the European Commission concludes its review.

By participating in the European Union’s novel food process and passing the EFSA Panel on Nutrition...

Panera Bread Announces Its Goal to Become Climate Positive By 2050

Today, Panera Bread announces its commitment to become climate positive – removing more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits – by 2050. The first national fast casual restaurant company to set a climate positive target, Panera today updated its Food Beliefs to include climate goals, establishing an ambitious vision for its business. With approximately 25 percent of global greenhouse gases created from food production1, Panera hopes to lead and inspire its industry to address the climate crisis.

“Climate change is one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our time..."

NCC Statement on New USDA Plans to Address Salmonella Illnesses

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced plans to undertake a new effort to reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry products. The agency said it would be initiating several key activities to gather the data and information necessary to support future action and move closer to the national target of a 25% reduction in Salmonella illnesses.

USDA said it intends to seek stakeholder feedback on specific Salmonella control and measurement strategies, including pilot projects, in poultry slaughter and processing establishments.

In response to today’s...

NAMI: Meat and Poultry Industry to Assist USDA in Reducing Salmonella Infections

The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) today welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new national goal of reducing Salmonella illnesses by 25 percent and committed to continue working with USDA and other groups to achieve the shared goal of reducing Salmonella infections.

“As an industry, our goal is to produce safe products without exception,” said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute. “The industry has significantly improved efforts to reduce incidence of Salmonella, and we will continue to work with..."

Albertsons Sees More Inflation

Albertsons Cos. projected higher inflation for the rest of the year, driven by higher supply-chain and labor costs across the food industry.

The Boise, Idaho-based supermarket chain is passing through some price increases to shoppers but said it is also offering cheaper alternatives. Executives said consumers are still spending heavily on groceries as they stay at home and cook more than they did before the pandemic.

"We have not seen material change in customer behavior," Chief Executive Officer Vivek Sankaran said Monday during a call with analysts.

Food companies say they have been...