Versova, Northwest Farms and Proterra Investment Partners Acquire Williamette Egg Farms

Northwest Farms and Proterra Investment Partners (Proterra) has acquired the operations and assets of Willamette Egg Farms (Willamette) in the Pacific Northwest from Michael Foods, Inc., a subsidiary of Post Holdings.

Northwest Farms is a newly formed company that includes several egg farming families who also are owners in Versova Management (Versova). Versova, headquartered in Sioux Center, IA, has assumed day to day management of the farms, located in Washington and Oregon.

The acquisition includes Willamette’s egg farms in Moses Lake, WA; and Canby and Molalla, OR. The farms...

UK Lamb Could be Shipped to the U.S. in the New Year

Lamb exporters in the UK will have access to the American market – worth an estimated $48.9 million (£37 million) in the first five years of trade – as we head into 2022.

After extensive risk evaluations, US authorities have today removed the small ruminant rule, which was introduced more than 20 years ago banning imports of lamb from countries where scrapie had been identified.

Work has been ongoing to finalise this important piece of legislation in the US, effectively allowing UK processors to be eligible to ship...

NCC Submits Comments on the Labeling of Cell-Cultured Meat, Poultry Products

The National Chicken Council (NCC) believes cell-cultured products must be marketed in an appropriate manner that clearly conveys their basic nature to consumers and avoids confusion between cell-cultured protein products and traditional animal protein products.

“This approach ensures a neutral playing field wherein consumers are provided truthful information about cell-cultured products so that they may make choices as they deem most appropriate,” said NCC SVP of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., in comments submitted to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on...

ANALYSIS: The Rib Primal Trend - A More Focused Look

With the rib being the main focus going into the year's end, and a rally into that period is typical, let’s take a deeper look into the price cycle. We will also look at the pullback that follows...

Smithfield Foods' Saratoga Food Specialties to Expand, Nearly Double Presence in Southern Nevada

Smithfield Foods, Inc. today announced Saratoga Food Specialties, its customized dry seasoning blends, sauces, dressings, and glazes business, will nearly double its footprint in Southern Nevada and bring approximately 50 additional jobs to the Clark County area with support from the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) and the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA).

In December 2019, Saratoga announced plans to acquire and invest in a former seasonings production plant to be the company's premier sauces, dressings, and glazes facility. Building on its initial...

NCBA Fights for Definitive Labels on Lab-Grown Meat

Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) submitted comments to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) related to the labeling of meat or poultry products that contain lab-grown animal cells. NCBA believes that the term “beef” should only be applicable to products derived from livestock raised by farmers and ranchers. As USDA-FSIS works to develop regulatory standards for labeling lab-grown, or cell-cultured, protein products, NCBA is committed to ensuring that product labels are fair, accurate, and will safeguard a...

ANALYSIS: Year-End Chicken Production Begins to Recede

With the final month of Q4 upon us, market participants are reflecting on what has been a topsy turvy year...

ANALYSIS: Turkey White Meat Values: What Seasonality?

As we transition into December, there is little if any doubt that the turkey white meat complex has far outpaced historic seasonal expectations...

Sanderson Farms Recognized by Newsweek as one of America's Most Responsible Companies for 2022

Sanderson Farms, Inc. has been recognized by Newsweek magazine as one of America's Most Responsible Companies for 2022. This prestigious list is presented by Newsweek and Statista, Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The complete list of the top 500 most responsible companies in the United States across 14 different industry subcategories can be viewed on Newsweek's website.

"We are honored to be recognized as a leading company in corporate responsibility, not only by Newsweek, but also by consumers nationwide," said...

National Pork Producers Council Hires New Chief Executive Officer

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) announced Bryan Humphreys has been chosen as the organization’s new chief executive officer, effective Dec. 21, 2021, following the retirement of long-time leader Neil Dierks. Humphreys brings with him years of experience in the pork industry, including as a former NPPC employee, state association executive and National Pork Board senior vice president, as well as outside the industry as a campaign operative, lobbyist and business owner.

“I am honored to have been chosen to lead NPPC as its CEO and continue..."

Blue Apron Now Available with Amazon Alexa

Blue Apron recipes are now available with Amazon Alexa, allowing for easier home cooking and more culinary exploration. Customers can prepare their Blue Apron Two-Serving and Four-Serving recipes with hands-free instructions on Alexa-enabled devices. In addition, individuals with Echo Show devices have the option to order select Blue Apron meal kits, no subscription required.

“We continue to add more product flexibility that addresses our customers’ diverse cooking interests and desire for unique flavors. Through this collaboration, Alexa customers in the United States can now prepare our..."

Kroger Reports Third Quarter 2021 Results and Raises Full-Year Guidance

The Kroger Co. today reported its third quarter 2021 results and will update investors on how key initiatives are positioning the company for long-term sustainable growth.

Comments from Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen

"Kroger's strategy to lead with fresh and accelerate with digital continues to connect with our customers. Our agility, and the commitment from our amazing associates, is allowing us to navigate current labor and supply chain conditions and provide the freshest food at affordable prices across our store and digital ecosystem.

"Our focus on execution, combined..."

This Week in Retail: Jingle Bells, December Sells

December has arrived and retailers have been proactively preparing for what could be a record-breaking season for holiday spending.

The National Retail Federation predicts the highest holiday retail sales on record this year. According to the NRF’s forecast, holiday sales during November and December could grow between $843.4 billion and $859 billion. This compares with a previous high of $777.3 billion in 2020.

Rising incomes along with household wealth, a desire to return to in-person events, and a favorable weather forecast for the holiday season are among the factors contributing to a promising spending outlook...

Foodservice Industry Performance in October Slightly Declined from the Month Before

According to Technomic’s latest TIndex, its index on foodservice industry health, performance in October declined slightly compared to September, dropping to 97.8 from 98.9. The decline could be due to a few key factors, including softness in the travel and leisure segments as well as slight traffic moderation among independent restaurants.

“Based on this data, the industry is down 2.2% over a two-year basis,” explains Joe Pawlak, managing principal at Technomic. “With that being said, however, foodservice has grown by 18.5% compared to the same..."

Pork Producers Lobby Lawmakers on Issues

Preventing foreign animal diseases, addressing a shortage of agricultural workers and reauthorizing a livestock price reporting law are the primary issues on which pork producers will lobby their congressional lawmakers over the next two days, during the fall Capitol Hill fly-in of the National Pork Producers Council. More than 100 producers from across the country are expected to participate virtually in NPPC’s Legislative Action Conference.

“These are critical but by no means the only issues of concern to U.S. pork producers,” said NPPC President Jen Sorenson, communications director for Iowa Select Farms in...

Crave Launches Food Truck And Restaurants In Raleigh, N.C.

Crave Hot Dogs and BBQ is one of the fastest growing Hot Dog and BBQ restaurants in the United States. Their award-winning all beef hot dogs, hot and mild sausages, and brats, along with the pulled pork, pulled chicken and smoked brisket, it's a classic family friendly favorite with something for everyone! An array of toppings and sides are available to accompany the meal as well as desserts to include pineapple upside down cakes and toffee sticky cakes. Self-pour beer walls that use local craft beers, wines and...

Bojangles Celebrates Chicken Supremes, Art and Culture in NFT Collaboration

The Southern expert in flavorful food is mixin’ up a cultural blend so perfectly seasoned, you know it can only be from Bojangles. Today, the brand is launching its first ever batch of NFTs – Non-Fungible Tokens – individually crafted by seven North Carolina artists with a nod to Bojangles’ beloved Chicken Supremes™.

NFTs exploded on the scene this year as a non-reproducible form of digital assets, many of which have sold for millions of dollars and some even auctioned off at Christie’s Auction House for fine art...

ANALYSIS: Tightening Supplies Lift Cash Cattle Prices

Negotiating leverage in the spot market appears to be shifting from the packers to the cattle owners...

HelloFresh Brings Back Holiday Hosting Box and Introduces Winter Market Offerings

HelloFresh, the world’s leading meal kit company, is bringing back its annual Holiday Hosting Box, providing a sumptuous, stress-free feast to make holiday hosting easier than ever this season. Additionally, HelloFresh is introducing Winter Market, a collection of festive winter-themed appetizers, baking kits, quick snacks, and more, which can easily be added to customers’ weekly orders through the HelloFresh Market.

Holiday Hosting Box

The Holiday Hosting box provides all of the ingredients and step-by-step instructions to prepare a full holiday spread, with...

Maple Leaf Foods Announces National Bacon Month in December 

Maple Leaf Foods today declared December as National Bacon Month, a time to celebrate what Canadians have made clear in new polling: bacon is unquestionably one of Canada's favourite foods. The Canadian producer of top-quality natural pork bacon products released an array of sizzling new facts and statistics to mark the beginning of National Bacon Month and the leadup to National Bacon Day on December 30.

The results are in: Canadians are 'hog wild' over bacon!

Bacon's story dates back to 1500 B.C in China, where pork belly was...

Kroger and Kipster Farms Announce Plans to Bring the First Carbon-Neutral Eggs to U.S. Customers

The Kroger Co., America's largest grocery retailer, and Kipster Farms, the award-winning egg production system founded in The Netherlands, announced today a strategic partnership to bring the world's first carbon-neutral, cage-free eggs to retail shelves in the U.S.

"Simple Truth is excited to partner with the innovative team at Kipster to further elevate our brand's purpose to be a force for good," said Brad Studer, senior director, Our Brands for Kroger. "These Simple Truth and Kipster eggs will be produced..."

Rising Inflation, Relentless Pandemic Dampen U.S. Consumer Confidence

U.S. consumer confidence dropped to a nine-month low in November amid worries about the rising cost of living and pandemic fatigue, but that did not change expectations for stronger economic growth this quarter.

The survey from the Conference Board on Tuesday showed consumers less enthusiastic about buying a house and big-ticket items such as motor vehicles and major household appliances over the next six months, likely because of shortages, which have boosted prices. Consumers held strong views of the labor market, with the gap between those saying jobs are plentiful...

eCommerce Platform Pepper Raises $16M in Series A Funding for Food Distributors

Pepper, the eCommerce platform for food distributors, has raised $16 million in Series A funding that will enhance the ordering experience for distributors servicing over 25,000 restaurants and grocery stores in the U.S. and Canada. Index Ventures led the round with participation from Greylock, Imaginary Ventures, BoxGroup, Moving Capital, and Brett Schulman, bringing the total capital raised to date to $20M.

With the Series A secured, platform enhancements are a top priority for Pepper. “This funding enables us to accelerate product development in..."

The Perfect Charcuterie Bite Is Now In Reach, Thanks To Columbus Craft Meats

The makers of Columbus® Craft Meats, one of the leading deli brands in the United States, announced today the launch of three new delivery kits exclusively available for purchase on the brand's website. The kits, called The Unexpected, Rustic Beauty and Smoky Vibes, are part of the new Perfect Charcuterie Bite from Columbus®—a distinctive, flavor-forward take on charcuterie that makes this trending cuisine more accessible and delicious than ever. Each kit of the Perfect Charcuterie Bite from Columbus comes with its own...

Waiver from Trucking Federal Rule Extended

The National Pork Producers Council today thanked the Biden administration, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Meera Joshi, deputy administrator of DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for extending to Feb. 28, 2022, a waiver for commercial truckers from the federal Hours of Service regulation.

The HOS rule limits truckers to 11 hours of driving time and 14 consecutive hours of on-duty time in any 24-hour period and requires prescribed rest periods.

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and prompted by NPPC’s efforts to ensure pork producers could...

Discounter Market Set to Top £34 Billion as Sales Spring Back in 2022

From the lure of the middle aisle to the thrill of a bargain, Britain’s savvy shoppers are set to splash out £34.4 billion at food and non-food discounters in 2022—an annual increase of 6.6%—as the sector looks set to spring back to growth, benefiting from continued economic uncertainty.

Next year’s forecast return to growth will be much welcomed by the sector, as food and non-food discounter sales in 2021 are expected to drop to £32.3 billion, following a bumper 2020... 

Roy Rogers Announces Grand Opening of New Location on University of Maryland Campus

Roy Rogers Restaurants announces the grand opening of its newest location at the center of the University of Maryland campus. The western-themed quick-service restaurant chain will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, December 2, at 9 a.m., and will present a generous donation to the University of Maryland Campus Pantry. Additionally, the first 50 people in line will receive a free $100 gift card.

"We can't wait to open this new non-traditional location on University of Maryland's campus," says Gregg Koffler, Vice President..."

Velvet Taco Receives Significant Investment from Leonard Green & Partners

Velvet Taco (the "Company"), the popular Dallas-based restaurant concept serving up globally inspired tacos, today announced that Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. ("LGP") acquired a majority stake in Velvet Taco from L Catterton, the largest global consumer-focused private equity firm, and FB Society (formerly Front Burner Restaurants), which spearheaded the creation of Velvet Taco ten years ago. L Catterton and FB Society will retain significant minority ownership stakes in the business. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in Dallas in 2011, Velvet Taco is a...

WhatsGood To Bring Local Food To Customers Year-Round with New Retail Store in Lincoln Park

WhatsGood, an innovative technology provider for online orders at local farmers markets, is opening the first in a series of Chicago-based Farm Shops in Lincoln Park on December 7th, 2021. WhatsGood's Farm Shop is a small footprint grocery store with an array of locally curated products that will provide Chicagoans with in-store shopping and on-demand delivery. WhatsGood's team can deliver everything you'd expect at the farmers market in about an hour.

"WhatsGood's Farm Shop draws inspiration from the intimate relationship between..."

Cargill, Vattenfall and Windpark Hanze Accelerate the Green Energy Transition in the Netherlands

Cargill and Vattenfall partner with Windpark Hanze in the Netherlands, who will build a wind farm that is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 350,000 metric tons a year, which is equivalent to providing electricity for more than 95,000 homes in the Netherlands per year once construction is complete.

The onshore wind farm, consisting of 15 wind turbines, will be commissioned in the Flevoland province near the city of Dronten. It will have a total installed capacity of 90 megawatts and will go into full...

Smashburger® Collaborates With Celebrity Chef And Restaurateur Rick Bayless To Launch New Menu Items

Smashburger®, the better burger fast casual restaurant, announces the launch of its newest creation, the Chorizo Cheeseburger by Chef Rick Bayless. Developed in collaboration with the award-winning chef and restauranteur, and winner of Bravo TV's Top Chef Masters Chef Rick Bayless, the authentic Mexican-inspired burger is available at all Smashburger locations nationwide starting today through February 15, 2022. Throughout the duration of the limited time dish, Smashburger is encouraging guests to donate to the Frontera Farmer Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by...

Sign Up Now! Supply Chain Webinar Coming December 1st

Delays in deliveries, changes in purchasing patterns, skyrocketing price rises throughout the supply chain
These are just some of the impacts seen in recent months as a result of global disruption to supply chains in shipping, staffing, production and more. So what is going on, and how can agricommodity markets protect against (or even benefit from) these kinds of disruptions?

In this live one-hour webinar from Agribriefing, you’ll learn about the main factors behind supply chain disruption, amongst other things, freight to staffing, energy shortages in China....

There's a Glitch in the Matrix and Denny's is Offering Free Delivery and Other Glitchy Offers

Denny's, one of the nation's largest full-service family restaurant chains, is entering The Matrix through a new partnership with Warner Brothers, the film studio producing the fourth installment of the blockbuster franchise starring Keanu Reeves. During this limited-time promotion that starts Cyber Monday (November 29), Dennys.com and the new Denny's iOS and Android apps will transport guests into a real-life version of The Matrix where they will experience personalized "glitches" that were created just for them in their...

New Barn Organics Launches Regenerative Organic Certified™ Pasture Raised Eggs

When New Barn Organics decided to partner with NestFresh Eggs earlier this year on its first egg products, co-Founder Ted Robb wanted to ensure the brand's deep commitment to premium organic products was a focal point of this new partnership.

"NestFresh is one of the largest egg producers in the country, and there was no question that they could handle the day-to-day operations of our brand," says Robb. "But what really excited our team was their genuine desire to support our deeper mission and..."

Hopdoddy Burger Bar Adds Force of Nature Bison to its Better Burger Menu

Hopdoddy Burger Bar, a leader in the burger space, has partnered with Force of Nature to provide the highest quality free-range, grass-fed bison for its famous Buffalo Bill burger or as an alternative patty option in any burger on the menu. The new partnership is Hopdoddy's latest step in evolving and elevating the better burger concept it pioneered more than a decade ago with the opening of its first Austin location.

Located in Dripping Springs, Texas, Force of Nature is committed to regenerative farming...

In-store Retail Sales Rise to Pre-pandemic Levels, as E-Commerce Growth Slows, Reports NPD

The steady, gradual growth of e-commerce dramatically accelerated during the pandemic, elevating the amount consumers spent shopping online to almost equal the amount consumers spent in stores. Now, with brick-and-mortar stores open across the U.S., online revenue growth is slowing down. At the same time, physical store sales have increased, rising to 64% of all retail sales in September 2021, according to The NPD Group.

“Physical stores are more relevant today than they were before the pandemic,” said Marshal Cohen... 

Del Taco Spreads Holiday Cheer with Return of Holiday Gift Card Bonuses and More Seasonal Deals

Del Taco Restaurants, Inc., the nation’s second largest Mexican quick service restaurant*, celebrates the holiday season bigger and better this year with the return of its holiday gift card bonus program and launch of new Black Friday deals. Del also welcomes back its popular Cyber Monday deals, limited-edition holiday merchandise, and 12 Days of Holiday retail offers.

“Del Taco fans enjoyed giving the gift of Del so much last year, we brought it back to reward them with more opportunities to spread some..."

Egg Processing Market to grow US$ 40.2 Bn by end of 2027, Says Coherent Market Insights

According to latest report, the global egg processing market is estimated to account for 40.2 Bn in terms of value, witnessing a CAGR of 4.3% by the end of 2027.

Egg processing is usually performed by the hens and is carried out in large numbers. Some of them include shell manipulation, cracking of shells, removal of scrapings, removal of tail feathers, removal of extra skins, etc. This process is very important to make healthy and hygienic egg products. Different steps are...

Walmart Announces CFO Transition Plan

Walmart Inc. announced that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs will begin transitioning from Walmart during this upcoming year, after 22 years with the company, to begin a new chapter of opportunities in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors.

Biggs will remain in the CFO role until a successor is named next year and then support that transition, remaining as an associate until he leaves the company on Jan. 31, 2023. As part of the transition, he will also continue representing the company as a board member on Walmart’s FinTech startup joint venture with Ribbit Capital.

Jack in the Box Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2021 Earnings

Jack in the Box Inc. announced financial results for the fourth quarter ended October 3, 2021, comprised of growth in systemwide sales, same store sales and earnings per share.

"I am very proud of the execution and determination shown by our outstanding franchisees and corporate team members, continuing to deliver for our guests during a challenging operating environment,” said Darin Harris, Jack in the Box Chief Executive Officer. “We closed the year with strong comps on a two-year basis of +12.3% in Q4, leading us..."