News on Food Trends from the United States

McDonald's Corp, the largest purchaser of potatoes in the United States, has agreed to take preliminary steps to reduce pesticide use in its domestic potato supply, shareholder groups said on Tuesday. Following the agreement, the Bard College Endowme...

Doyle Niemann, a delegate in the Maryland General Assembly, agreed Thursday to withdraw his menu-labeling bill after it failed to draw much support from lawmakers. The Restaurant Association of Maryland, which actively opposed the measure, praised Niem...

ConAgra Foods, Inc. today reported results for the fiscal 2009 third quarter ended Feb. 22, 2009. Overall sales grew 6%. Diluted EPS from continuing operations was $0.43 for the quarter, an increase of 26% from prior-year levels of $0.34. Excluding $0...

Supermarkets in the US are more reliant on branded products than their counterparts in Europe, which have bigger selections of private label goods. But the recession is being treated by US retailers as a chance to have another go with private label.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) today expressed support and encouragement for the Canadian and U.S. governments in their efforts to reach an organic equivalency agreement. Progress on the Canadian-U.S. talks was announced yesterday at OTA’s Policy ...

ConAgra Foods announced today its inaugural Corporate Responsibility Report is now available.  The report captures the facts and data behind ConAgra Foods’ commitment to improving not only the food it makes—such as Healthy Choice meals, Chef Boyardee p...

Kentucky Fried Chicken today announced its own urban renewal program. The chicken chain has offered to fill up the potholes in five major U.S. cities to promote its “fresh” brand positioning. Giving back has become a trend for marketers, including Star...

Three words can sum up the increasing popularity of sweet potatoes in the foodservice industry: sweet potato fries.They’re stars on restaurant menus across the country, and some fine dining establishments are pursuing different fresh-cut angles and co...

The United States Potato Board (USPB) grower membership elected new leadership during its Annual Meeting held in Denver, CO, March 10-13. The News release lists the leadership for the coming year by section.

Restaurateurs looking for signs of an economic recovery will not see it in a recent survey that found consumer spending down markedly across all income groups in early March.Even as government officials suggested that consumer spending might have stabi...

The National Potato Council (NPC) is calling on the Obama Administration and Congress to either reinstate the funding required to continue the pilot program allowing Mexican trucks into a limited area within U.S. border states or to quickly develop an ...

French fries and pizza may soon have more competition in school cafeterias in Tennessee.Grants worth $1.4 million in public dollars are being used to spur fresh vegetable consumption at some Tennessee public schools next school year. Priority will be g...

Renal specialists have called for clear labeling on products that use potassium chloride as a salt replacer because it could pose a hidden risk for dialysis patients. Potassium chloride has been seen as a potential candidate for salt replacement becaus...

After suffering from cost inflation nearly all of last year, relief from sky-high commodity and energy costs is here, and restaurant bottom lines should stand to benefit from deflated prices by the second half of this year, said UBS Securities analyst ...

Maine potato growers are thriving thanks to a late blight spraying advice offered by the University of Maine's cooperative extension program.

Competition and market access are the two biggest issues facing the potato industry as it tries to expand exports.“We had been benefiting from having a weak dollar, but that has also made the cost of international programs higher,” said Bart Connors, ...

As if unemployment rates, home foreclosures and the deepening recession weren't enough, the beleaguered casual-dining industry has to fend off new, formidable competition: fast-food chains. As consumers increasingly trade down to fast food, several pla...

Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) has completely overhauled its oldest and biggest store brand, a move likely to send shock waves through the ranks of branded grocery manufacturers around the globe. For the past year, Wal-Mart has worked with suppliers and consu...