News on Food Trends from Northern America

Potatoes are for more than just french fries. With the federal government's aid, a nation-wide network of researchers co-ordinated from Fredericton is hoping to develop new uses for spuds - and help Canadian farmers cash in. The federal government is i...

Frito-Lay's Canton, Ohio, facility has become the city's first member of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Environmental Performance Track Program by demonstrating excellence in environmental management and committing to above-stand...

McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) posted a 1.4 percent rise in February sales at restaurants open at least 13 months, as strength in the United States helped offset the impact of the stronger dollar. Shares in the company -- one of the restaurant industry's to...

Bell Flavors and Fragrances has introduced a new sodium-reducing flavor technology for use in meats, snacks, condiments and soups, which it claims mimics the flavor of salt without its negative health impacts. ReduxSo is a natural flavor system based o...

Un nuevo estudio sugiere que una sustancia química potencialmente cancerígena presente en algunos alimentos ricos en carbohidratos no elevaría el riesgo de desarrollar tumores mamarios. La sustancia, llamada acrilamida, ganó notoriedad hace varios año...

ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston is known for uncovering opportunities for the foodservice industry in even the most challenging of economies. And today, that opportunity comes via a program that delivers a most innovative kind of support during these tough t...

Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. posted a net loss of $393.2 million for its fourth quarter, as impairment charges and continued slow sales at the Arby’s chain weighed down results.The parent company to both the Wendy’s and Arby’s chains reported on Monday im...

The following packaging of potato products won an award at the FPA 2009: Ore Ida’s Steam n’ Mash package (Packaging Excellence Category)Heinz North America wanted a lightweight, flexible package instead of a rigid tray for its convenience. Alcan Packagi...

Un nuevo estudio realizado en Polonia sobre los efectos sobre la salud de la acrilamida en los alimentos indica que podría aumentar el riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular, lo que refuerza la idea de que los alimentos que tengan un alto contenido en est...

Es probable que McDonald´s, Berger King, Popeye, Subway, Friendly´s, Wendy´s, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) y muchas otras cadenas de comidas rápidas y atractivas a los niños, tengan una gran parte de la culpa en relación a los altos niveles de colecto...

An investigative report on a Michael Foods plant that aired on WCCO news over the weekend has generated concern among residents in northern Chaska who could soon be living next to the new potato processing plant. Michael Foods purchased the old Mammo...

Lamb Weston, a division of Con-Agra Foods, has decided to grow a larger share of its own potatoes this year through joint ventures or custom-farming arrangements, according to industry officials in Idaho.The move away from traditional contracts with in...

Sorry, men: Baked Lay's are no longer meant for you. Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, is overhauling all of its calorie-conscious snacks to make them appeal to women, including the baked versions of Lay's, Fritos, Ruffles, Doritos, Cheetos and Tosti...

From 1996 through October 2007, officials say Glenns Ferry cogeneration sold power to Idaho Power under a contract;but now Idaho Power Company is seeking $11.15 Million in damages for an alleged breach of that contract. Gene Fadness, Spokesman for Id...

Investment funds affiliated with Nelson Peltz, the well-known activist investor and nonexecutive chairman at Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc., have snatched up stock in quick-service and snack brands, and dumped holdings in casual-dining companies. Accordin...

Tracking data of the sales of frozen potato products to foodservice by the major US potato processors indicates a low single digit drop in pounds sold in the last quarter of 2008 and a high single digit dollar value increase. For entire 2008, the volume sold is flat. Export of frozen potato products is up, both in volume and dollar value, but export is relatively small (about 15%) compared to total sales. There is no clear sign in these tracking data that foodservice is moving away from higher priced specialties.

Fourth quarter 2008 consumer food spending met its steepest decline in more than half a century, according to data from Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis. Spending on food at retail and restaurants fell 3.7% from the previous quarter, w...

Dairy Queen’s Sweet Deals value menu may be rolling out nationally just in time to fight the recession, but it’s hardly a knee-jerk reaction to economic pressure, according to officials. The chain began testing the offer in 2007, before the downturn hi...