News on Chips and Snacks from the Americas

July 25, 2008

EEUU sospecha de aji jalapeño en brote de salmonela

Más de 1.000 personas han enfermado debido a un brote de intoxicación con salmonela y funcionarios federales dijeron el miércoles que ahora sospechan de varias causas, incluidos los ajíes jalapeños. Desde abril, se han diagnosticado 1.017 casos de inf...

July 25, 2008

'Green' potato health risk (glycoalkaloids) can be eliminated by cutting away affected area

Potatoes that have turned 'green' can potentially contain a naturally occurring toxin called Glycoalkaloids and pose a risk to public health according to a review paper published in the latest online issue of SCI's Journal of the Science of Food and ...

July 23, 2008

What is the healthier option?

Last week we were going to buy popcorn. OK, I admit, we do not only eat potato chips. We ended up to make a choice between two healthier options

July 23, 2008

PepsiCo Profit Advances on Cheetos, Higher Prices

PepsiCo Inc., the world's largest snack maker, said second-quarter profit rose 9.1 percent after it boosted prices for potato chips and streamlined delivery routes. Net income increased to $1.70 billion, or $1.05 a share, in the three months ended Jun...

July 23, 2008

The Inventure Group, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2008 Results

The Inventure Group, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 28, 2008. Net revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 were $29.2 million, representing an increase of 28% compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2007....

July 21, 2008

Washington State 2008 Potato acreage down 6%

The Washington office of NASS said Washington growers planted fewer potatoes and more dry peas and will have lighter peach and apricot crops. Washington winter wheat production is expected to reach 109.7 million bushels this season, up 1 percent.Potato...

July 21, 2008

Jalapeño Pepper Tests Positive for Salmonella

A fresh jalapeño pepper grown in Mexico and processed in Texas has tested positive for the strain of salmonella that has sickened more than 1,200 people in recent months, food safety and health officials said today. The U.S. Food and Drug Administratio...

July 18, 2008

US Potato chip manufacturers feel crunch of rising potato costs

It's not the Great Irish Potato Famine of the 19th century, but the summer of 2008 has turned into a major test for potato-chip producers across the country. The price of a bushel of chip potatoes has doubled in the last few months, going from $9 to a ...

July 18, 2008

Middleswarth potato shortage easing

Potato chip producer Ira Middleswarth &Son may soon see the end of the potato shortage that slowed their July production to a crawl, according to a company official. Thanks to Midwestern crop shortages, the Middleburg-based chip maker endured three...

July 17, 2008

ConAgra Foods Announces Dividend Payment

The board of directors of ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) approved a dividend payment of $0.19 per common share, to be paid on Sept. 4, 2008, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Aug. 1, 2008.

July 16, 2008

Texas A&M AgriLife Research Helping Potato Chip Industry with Zebra Chip Disease

Dr. Don Henne isn’t wasting his degree when he’s standing by the deep fryer waiting for potato slices to turn brown. He’s conducting research that will help the potato industry and consumers. Henne, an assistant research scientist in the Texas AgriLif...

July 15, 2008

PreventASe Xtru: DSM's tailormade solution for acrylamide reduction in Extruded snacks

DSM Food Specialties introduces a complete portfolio of application-specific and tailor-made PreventASe™ solutions. PreventASe™ is now available in three formulations covering specific food applications under the following sub-brands: Panna™, Bicra™ an...

July 15, 2008

Do Consumers Care that Frito-Lay's Sun Chips are Solar Powered? Apparently.

It’s getting harder to find a brand that doesn’t claim to be green. But, do they have a solar power factory? Is the rest of their energy use offset by energy credits? And, are they rebuilding a town that was virtually wiped out by a tornado? Not likely...

July 11, 2008

Snack Alliance expands Hermiston plant

Nearly 5,000 pounds of potatoes an hour are processed into potato chips at the Hermiston Snack Alliance plant, which runs three shifts, six days a week. The Hermiston Snack Alliance plant has added two production lines to make riceworks brand snacks. T...

Cargill Innovation Center for snacks and cereals

July 09, 2008

New Cargill Innovation center focuses on snacks and cereals

Cargill has opened a new innovation center for snack and cereal products which it says will help food manufacturers create new products that drive sales growth. The agro-giant's Snacks and Cereal Product Innovation Center in Minneapolis, which is no...

July 09, 2008

Frito-Lay Leases Build-to-Suit Facility in Ft. Myers for Distribution Center

Snack maker Frito-Lay has signed a long-term lease for a 35,000-square-foot, build-to-suit distribution facility in Fort Myers, FL. The building will include state-of-the-art racking and distribution equipment, a 30-foot clear height and 5,000 squar...

July 07, 2008

Herr Foods still has adequate supply of chips potatoes

Herr Foods is still in the chips despite a recent potato shortfall.The southern Chester County salty snack maker purchases about 15 tractor-trailer loads of potatoes each weekday.That's 3.4 million pounds a week, roughly 125 million to 150 million poun...

July 05, 2008

Growing chips potatoes for generations

Last year, in the U.S., an average of 126 pounds of potatoes per person were consumed, according to the Department of Agriculture. Twelve percent of the total -- 16 pounds -- was in the form of chips. That's where the Hoekstra family comes in. For ha...