Beef Checkoff's Producer Communications Efforts Necessary to Shape Current, Future Programs

Since 1988, beef producers have funded the national Beef Checkoff by paying a mandatory $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, overseen by the Cattlemen's Beef Board (CBB) and the USDA. While the Beef Checkoff has been around for decades, some beef producers have questions about how their dollars are being spent. That's why the Beef Checkoff sets aside a very small percentage of its funds each year for the Producer Communications program...

United States Burger Restaurant Industry Research Report 2023-2028

Grilling the Stats - The Industry Will Likely Continue Approaching Market Saturation, Hurting Participation

The "Burger Restaurants in the US - Industry Market Research Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Industry revenue recovered in 2021 as the government eased COVID-19 restrictions. Consequently, industry revenue is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.9% to $176.8 billion over the past five years, including an expected 0.1% decline in 2023 alone.

This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors...

Rising Gas Prices Continue to Limit Purchasing Power of Middle-Income Households

Primerica, Inc. (NYSE: PRI), a leading provider of financial services in the United States and Canada, announced today the release of the Primerica Household Budget Index™ (HBI™), a monthly index illustrating the purchasing power of U.S. middle-income households with incomes between $30,000 and $130,000. In August 2023, the average purchasing power for U.S. middle-income households was 97.4%, down from 97.5% in July 2023. A year ago, in August 2022, the index stood at 88.6%...

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. to Acquire Egg Production Assets of Fassio Egg Farms, Inc.

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: CALM) (“Cal-Maine Foods” or the “Company”), the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs in the United States, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of Fassio Egg Farms, Inc. (“Fassio”), related to its commercial shell egg production and processing business. The assets to be acquired, subject to the completion of this transaction, include commercial shell egg production and processing facilities with current capacity of approximately 1.2 million laying hens, primarily cage-free, feed mill...

TMF at Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to Increase 4% on November 1, 2023

The West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA) today announced that on November 1, 2023, the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will increase by 4%. The adjustment matches the combined 4% increase in longshore wage and assessment rates recently ratified in the coastwide contract between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association.

Beginning November 1, the TMF will be $35.57 per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) or $71.14 per forty-foot container...

ANALYSIS: Chicken Hatch: Short-Term Drain, Long-Term Gain?

The chicken marketing environment has been anything but a sure bet throughout 2023. Wide fluctuations in average live weight and volatile demand patterns are among several factors which have forced players to roll up the seasonal roadmap and, instead, fly by the seat of their pants. However, one component which has maintained a fairly consistent trend, especially in recent weeks, is the hatch.

The latest stats out of the Broiler Hatchery Report, highlight a 3.7% year-over-year (YoY) downturn in egg sets during the week ending September 23rd...

USDA Works to Update Contingency Plans Ahead of Possible Partial Government Shutdown

Time is rapidly winding down for Congress to avert a partial government shutdown, which will begin on Sunday if lawmakers fail to reach an agreement on spending legislation or approve a stopgap bill known as a continuing resolution (CR), to extend funding through November 17. 

As the Democratic-led Senate and House Republicans continue to work at odds, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is preparing for a potential partial shutdown that could cause widespread disruptions for millions of Americans and impact key reports that protein traders rely on to conduct their day-to-day businesses...

California Pizza Kitchen Celebrates National Pizza Month With FREE Pizza Offer 

California Pizza Kitchen (CPK), the creator of California-style pizza, is helping guests celebrate National Pizza Month with a special dine-in free pizza offer and the launch of a new limited time only Korean BBQ Steak Pizza.

From October 3 through October 31, guests who order a pizza while dining-in will get a free, Take + Bake pizza to bring home on their next visit. CPK’s Take + Bake pizzas are prepared fresh to order, allowing guests to enjoy the oven-fresh restaurant experience at home...

Americans Value Homemade Dishes, High-Quality Ingredients, and Alternating Annual Hosting Duties 

DuraPlas, a leading provider of innovative plastic solutions in the agriculture industry, today released findings from its 2023 DuraPlas Holiday Foods Survey showing that Americans value quality homemade dishes over cost. The survey revealed that most Americans make budgeting exceptions when shopping for holiday meal items, and a growing portion is becoming more source-and-sustainability-minded.

Reaching out to 600 U.S. adults via third-party survey platform Pollfish, DuraPlas conducted a comprehensive survey to gain insights into Americans' holiday meal plans, including shopping, hosting and culinary habits...

US Q2 GDP Growth Unrevised at 2.1%; Weekly Jobless Claims Edge Higher

The U.S. economy maintained a fairly strong pace of growth in the second quarter, the government confirmed on Thursday, and appears to have gathered momentum this quarter amid a resilient labor market.

Gross domestic product increased at an unrevised 2.1% annualized rate last quarter, the Commerce Department said in its third estimate of GDP for the April-June period on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had expected GDP for the second quarter would be unrevised.

Growth for the first quarter was revised up to a 2.2% rate from...

Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Arriving in Walmart Stores Nationwide

CEC Entertainment, LLC, the parent company of the world's number one global family entertainment fun center, Chuck E. Cheese, and licensing partner Flatlander Foods, announced today the expanded distribution of its licensed fan-favorite frozen pizza to Walmart groceries across the U.S. As an award-winning frozen pizza in the groceries category, the product has been a hit with families as an easy, delicious meal at home. New distribution includes Winn-Dixie, Giant Food, & Hannaford and is also available at Kroger and other select grocery stores across the country...

IHOP® Fall Menu Features New Waffles, Seasonal Flavors and More

Today, IHOP® announced a new menu full of fall flavors and a variety of updated favorites, including craveable Belgian Waffles, Hand-Crafted Melts, entrées and more. The latest IHOP menu innovations join the recently released Biscuits and seasonal Pumpkin Spice menu items to deliver delightfully surprising sweet and savory options for any time of day.

The new Waffles keep the batter that our guests love and add four new varieties with best-in-class ingredients, plus a Waffle Breakfast Combo...

Honeygrow Announces New Miso Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry for Fall

It’s time to cozy up this fall with Honeygrow’s latest flavorful stir-fry creation! The Philadelphia-based fast-casual restaurant known for its wholesome, simple, and made-to-order stir-frys, salads, and honeybars, is bringing back a fan-favorite, the Miso Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry throughout its seven markets in DE, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA, and VA markets beginning today.

Delicious, savory and bursting with umami flavor, honeygrow’s Miso Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry is prepared with freshly prepared egg white noodles, roasted chicken, miso corn, caramelized onions, shaved...

CurderBurger Returns to the Culver’s Menu on Oct. 2 by Popular Demand

Culver’s made guests’ dreams a reality in October of 2021 when they turned the mythical CurderBurger® from an April Fools’ joke into a very real phenomenon. Following a historic one-day debut that year and an extended encore in 2022, the CurderBurger is returning to Culver’s nationwide on Oct. 2.

Guests again flocked to restaurants in Culver’s 26 states to get the cheese-topped delight last year, with the brand selling nearly 1 million CurderBurgers and drawing thousands of rave reviews on social media...

Volpi Foods Introduces New Product: Salami Stix

Fourth generation, family-owned Volpi Foods, known for its slow-aged meats, has announced a new addition to its line of snacking products, Salami Stix, a delicious, easy-to-eat snack that come in Spicy and Original flavors.

Salami Stix are made with minimal, all-natural ingredients, making them a great snacking solution for people always on the go. With 14 grams of protein per serving and no carbs, Stix are perfect snacks for commuters, athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, or for a lunchbox.

"We are excited to introduce our newest product, Stix, to our...

Moe's Southwest Grill® and Eggo® Unveil the "Eggo Taco" For National Taco Day

To celebrate National Taco Day, Moe's Southwest Grill® and Eggo® are teaming up to release a limited-time Eggo Taco. The new taco combines Moe's Southwest Grill's bold flavors with the crispy, fluffy goodness of the famous Eggo Homestyle waffle. A first-of-its-kind for the fast casual restaurant, now open nation-wide at 10:30 AM, the Eggo Taco features Moe's adobo chicken topped with bacon, shredded cheese and chipotle ranch served on a fried Eggo waffle as the taco shell...

Eataly Appoints New CEO North America

Eataly (‘the Group’), the international Italian restaurant and retail group, today announces the appointment of Tommaso Brusò as the new CEO of North America with effect from 2 October 2023.

Tommaso Brusò joins from Colourful Standard (part of RTG Group), the sustainable essentials clothing brand, where he was Group CEO. He was previously global COO for Benetton Group, where he spent a significant period of time in the US. Prior to that, he was CEO of Diesel North America from 2013-2017, CEO of Furla Americas from 2008-2013...

What the Potential Government Shutdown May Mean for Agricultural Price Reporting 

A potential government shutdown is just days away, raising concerns among those who depend on critical data to make timely market assessments and business decisions. A shutdown will begin on October 1 at 12:01 a.m., the start of the federal fiscal year, if Congress does not pass a funding plan that President Biden signs into law.

The Senate is currently preparing its own bipartisan plan for a stopgap measure to keep offices funded after Saturday’s deadline. Failure to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal...

Retail Crime Accounted for Over $112 Billion in Industry Losses in 2022, According to NRF Report

As incidents of retail crime continue to escalate throughout the country, retailers have seen a dramatic jump in financial losses associated with theft. When taken as a percentage of total retail sales in 2022, shrink accounted for $112.1 billion in losses, up from $93.9 billion* in 2021, according to the 2023 National Retail Security Survey released today by the National Retail Federation.

“Retailers are seeing unprecedented levels of theft coupled with rampant crime in their stores, and the situation is only...

The Retail Rundown: Pork and Seafood Share the Spotlight Next Month

Pork and seafood will share the spotlight next month, as October is recognized as both National Pork Month and National Seafood Month. Retailers are expected to increase feature volume for the two proteins in the weeks ahead to promote spending this fall. 

October is reserved for National Pork Month to help move product when hog supplies are large. While a seasonal expansion in supplies typically takes place around this time of year, ongoing liquidation efforts may keep a lid on supplies this fall and winter.

Weekly hog slaughter levels...

El Florido Boosts Its Supply Chain with Infor WMS

Infor®, the industry cloud company, today announced that El Florido supermarket chain has chosen Infor WMS (Warehouse Management System) solution to optimize its operating times throughout the supply chain. The solution will be implemented by Infor partner Cerca Technology, a leader in cutting-edge technology for supply chains in Latin America.

The supermarket chain, located in Baja California Norte in Mexico, dedicated to the commercialization of meat-based products and groceries, aims to streamline the times for the assortment in stores...

FAT Brands Announces Acquisition of Smokey Bones Barbecue Chain

FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: FAT) (“FAT Brands” or the “Company”) today announces it has acquired the Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill restaurant chain from an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc. The acquisition marks the Company’s first foray into barbecue and expands FAT Brands’ portfolio of polished dining chains, which currently includes Twin Peaks. The purchase is expected to increase annual adjusted EBITDA by approximately $10 million, and bring 61 new corporate locations under FAT Brands’ umbrella. The $30 million transaction was funded from the Company’s...

Corn and Soybean Harvests Remain Ahead of 5-Year Avg

The corn harvest in the 18 major producing states made further progress last week and remains ahead of a year ago and the five-year average.

The same can be said about the soybean harvest. It is early in the harvest season and farmers may face weather-related delays that could slow their progress versus historic levels in the weeks ahead. 

USDA data released Monday showed corn harvest in the top 18 producing states as of Sunday at 15%, up from 9% the previous week and above 11%...

Del Valle Import and Export, LLC, Recalls Ineligible Pork Chicharrones Product

Del Valle Import and Export, LLC, a distributor and importer located in Kenner, La., is recalling approximately 1,271 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) pork chicharrones product that was imported from Honduras, a country ineligible to export pork products to the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The following product is subject to recall, regardless of the product date [view label]:

100g foil pouch packages containing “DEL RANCHO CHICHARRONES AUTENTICOS 100% PRODUCTO DE CERDO.”...

Tyson Foods Combines Prepared Foods and Growth Team to Drive Value of World Class-Brands

Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) recently announced it will combine its Prepared Foods business unit with the company’s Growth organization. Melanie Boulden has been named Group President of Prepared Foods, an expansion of her current role as Chief Growth Officer at Tyson Foods. This approach will directly support the company’s vision and strategy focused on value creation, continued growth and the customer and consumer experience. Boulden will now oversee Tyson Foods’ broad retail, foodservice and ecommerce portfolio which includes the company’s beloved brands such as...

Panera Brands Appoints Patrick Grismer to Lead Independent Director 

Panera Brands today announced the appointments of Board Member Patrick Grismer to Lead Independent Director and Michael Tattersfield to the Panera Brands Board of Directors, effective immediately. The appointments are another step in the preparation of Panera’s upcoming IPO.

Mr. Grismer, who joined the Board in 2022, currently Chairs the Board’s Audit Committee, and brings extensive financial experience including nine years as a public company CFO at Starbucks, Hyatt Hotels, and Yum! Brands. Mr. Tattersfield is a highly seasoned, world-class brand builder, having led Krispy Kreme through significant growth...

Subway® Challenges Fans to Prove Their Loyalty by Racing to the Top

Since its debut on September 9, millions of Subway® MVP Rewards members have started their ascent from Pro to Captain to All-Star member tiers in Subway's all-new loyalty program. Today, Subway is asking its most loyal members to reach even higher and trek to the top of the world – the northernmost city in the U.S. – by October 13 to earn one million points and be automatically upgraded to All-Star, unlocking the program's best...

Return of the King's Hawaiian® Pork & Slaw Sandwich After More Than Eight Years

Guests asked, and Firehouse Subs® listened. After a hiatus of more than eight years, the brand is celebrating the sweet return of the King's Hawaiian® Pork & Slaw Sandwich. Available for a limited time only in U.S. locations, the sandwich features slow-smoked pulled pork, melted pepper jack cheese, and sweet and tangy slaw all on a King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Bun.

"For more than eight years, guests have been continuously sending us messages asking us to bring back the King's Hawaiian Pork & Slaw," ...

Green Valley Foods Recalls Frozen Meat Pizza Products Due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens

Green Valley Foods, a Devils Lake, N.D. establishment, is recalling approximately 4,062 pounds of frozen meat pizza products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product contains soy, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.

The frozen meat pizza items were produced from September 20, 2022, through September 20, 2023, and may contain the lot codes 2632 through 2633. The following products are subject to recall...

Construction Breaks Ground at JBS' First Cultured Protein Center in Brazil

Construction has broken ground at JBS' Biotech Innovation Center, the first and largest Research, Development, and Innovation Center for cultured protein and food biotechnology in Brazil. 

The center, which is expected to be inaugurated at the end of next year, will be located within the Sapiens Parque innovation park, in Florianópolis. It will employ a team of 25 postdocs in addition to administrative support staff.

Two of Brazil's leading bioengineering specialists, Dr. Luismar Marques Porto, president of the Cultured Meat Division and the JBS Biotech Innovation Center, and...