Cal-Maine Acquires Van's Pancakes and Waffles Brand from Sara Lee Frozen Bakery

Cal-Maine Foods has announced the acquisition of Van's Foods brand from Sara Lee Frozen Bakery LLC.

Van's produces pancakes and waffles, and is an established brand in the frozen breakfast category through broad retail distribution and products tailored to diverse dietary needs. 

The deal is expected to increase Cal-Maine Foods' prepared foods annual sales by approximately 10% and volume by about 6% on a pro forma basis, Cal-Maine Foods said.

Sherman Miller, CEO of Cal-Maine Foods

Cargill Expands Port Klang Plant with New Specialty Fats Production Line

Cargill is expanding its edible oil plant in Port Klang, Malaysia with a new specialty fats production line, part of a multi‑million‑dollar investment aimed at broadening its global specialty‑fats portfolio and beefing up food solutions for customers in chocolate, bakery and dairy.

The upgraded facility will use advanced palm‑oil processes to make a wide range of cocoa butter equivalents, low‑trans‑fat cocoa butter replacers and specialty fats for applications from chocolate confectionery and fillings to frying and...

US Baking and Milling Industry Execs Discuss Countering Inflationary Pressures - Agri-Food Americas

As inflationary pressures persist through 2025, leaders in the North American bakery and milling industries are grappling with supply chain complexities that continue to reshape procurement strategies and product portfolios.

On the sidelines of the recent Agri-Food Americas 2025 conference in Chicago, executives from Sara Lee Frozen Bakery and Bay State Milling outlined to Expana how ingredient costs, tariffs, and operational uncertainties are driving adjustments across their businesses.   

Jason McDonald, Senior Manager of Procurement at Sara Lee Frozen Bakery

Feed and Bakery Procurement Execs in Chicago Promote Strategic Partnerships to Navigate Volatility

A panel of procurement leaders from the food and agriculture sector discussed the significant market challenges of 2025 and strategic responses to ongoing volatility during Expana’s Agri-Food Americas conference in Chicago today.   

Panelists included Jason McDonald, Senior Manager of Procurement at Sara Lee Frozen Bakery; Ed Fish, Senior Vice President at Bay State Milling; Jerry W. Rogers, Senior Director of Procurement for Feed Ingredients at Wayne Sanderson.   

Rogers pointed to the difficulty of managing risk amid historically low commodity prices.