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Hammond’s Candies Red Velvet Cake Bar Receives NCA Award
Hammond’s Candies Red Velvet Cake chocolate bar was named by the National Confectioner’s Association (NCA) as the Most Innovative New Gourmet Product of the Year. The NCA gives awards in several categories: Chocolate, Non-Chocolate, Sweet Snacks, Savory Snacks, Novelty/Licensed, Seasonal and Gourmet/Premium. One of six new chocolate bar flavors introduced by Hammond’s, Red Velvet Cake is made from dense milk chocolate and gets its distinctive flavor from a rich ganache filling that tastes remarkably like its namesake. “Red Velvet Cake is a classic, nostalgic dessert that has great appeal for modern taste buds,” said Andrew Schuman, Hammond’s president and CEO. ... |
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Rogers Family Co. Wins Patent Lawsuit Against Keurig
The Rogers Family Co. announced recently that it has won a patent lawsuit filed by Keurig last year over the Rogers’ single-serve coffee product OneCup. “I am pleased to announce that the U.S. District Court in Boston ruled that the Rogers Family Co.’s OneCup products do not infringe any of the Keurig patents,” said Jon B. Rogers, president. “This is a great victory for the Rogers family and our customers. There is no longer any doubt about our ability to sell our OneCup products for use in Keurig brewers.” The case involved three Keurig patents, U.S. patent D 502,362 (“362”); ... |
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Dark Chocolate Creeps Up on Milk Chocolate in Popularity
There’s no contest when it comes to the preference of chocolate – milk chocolate still rules this confectionery battleground. However, dark chocolate is creeping up in popularity. The latest research from Mintel reveals that for just more than half (51 percent) of all adult consumers, the favorite type of plain chocolate is milk chocolate, followed by 35 percent who favor dark chocolate and 8 percent who prefer white chocolate. In contrast, Mintel’s 2011 report found that 57 percent of consumers favored milk chocolate and 33 percent of consumers preferred dark chocolate.“The progressively better understood health benefits of dark chocolate may be ... |
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Chinese Company to Acquire Smithfield Foods
Shuanghui International Holdings has agreed to buy Smithfield Foods Inc. for $5 billion, which would be the largest ever acquisition of a U.S. company by a Chinese company, and some expect it could lead to more future Chinese acquisitions of U.S. companies.Smithfield will become a wholly owned independent subsidiary of Shuanghui International, operating as Smithfield Foods, once the deal is completed. C. Larry Pope is expected to continue as Smithfield’s president and CEO, and the management teams and workforces of Smithfield’s companies are expected to remain intact.Although the deal has raised concern in Washington among politicians, the deal must still ... |
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Fusionbrands Names New EVP of Sales
Fusionbrands has named Maurizio Rispoli as its executive vice president (EVP) of sales, effective immediately.Rispoli comes to Fusionbrands with extensive knowledge of the world’s economies, having successfully established relationships across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East. A prolific developer of business within housewares, Rispoli has held a number of senior international roles, most recently as head of business, rest of world, at Joseph Joseph Ltd.Rispoli will be responsible for Fusionbrands’ global presence, working directly with retail partners, as well as via their network of distributors and agents around the world, increasing sales and profitability.“We are thrilled and ... |
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Zak Designs Becomes USDA National Strategic Partner
Spokane, Wash.-based Zak Designs has been approved as a National Strategic Partner of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its ChooseMyPlate.gov initiative to promote healthy eating.With its line of licensed dinnerware and drinkware, Zak Designs has always been committed to helping children eat healthy meals by making mealtime fun for kids around the world; but Zak took that commitment to a new level last year when it launched its Healthy by Design plate. The plate is divided into four sections that each represent the food groups – fruits, vegetables, grains and protein – recommended by the USDA. When paired ... |
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KeHE Distributors to Host Holiday Show in Chicago
KeHE Distributors will host its annual Holiday Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, June 10-11, bringing together thousands of retailers and suppliers in the natural, specialty and fresh product categories to showcase holiday products and also hot year-round merchandise.“Both our retail and supplier partners rely on our guidance regarding what products will perform well during the upcoming holiday season,” said Brandon Barnholt, president and CEO of KeHE Distributors. “We look forward to showcasing the industry’s hottest new products, and sharing our expert insights on successful holiday merchandising.” New to the show this year is the KeHE New Items area, which ... |
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Vermont Butter & Cheese Breaks Ground on Demo Goat Dairy
Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery in Webster, Vt., officially broke ground at the newly acquired Ayers Brook Goat Dairy in Randolph for the first demonstration farm of its kind in the United States. Ayers Brook will model best practices in goat dairy farming, support regional agriculture and offer a teaching venue for potential and current goat farmers. “From the beginning, Bob and I envisioned dairy goats flourishing on hillside farms in Vermont,” said Allison Hooper, co-founder of Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery. “But the idea of taking on a farm was so audacious and undoable that we barely dared ... |
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Lifeway Foods Buys Dairy Plant for Expanded Kefir Business
Lifeway Foods Inc., a leading supplier of kefir cultured dairy products, acquired for $7.4 million the Golden Guernsey dairy plant in Waukesha, Wis., to provide additional manufacturing capacity for its growing kefir-based business. Adding the 170,000-square-foot plant to Lifeway’s existing 50,000-square-foot facility in Morton Grove, Ill., will more than quadruple the company’s production capacity and provide much-needed expansion abilities. The Golden Guernsey plant was shuttered in January following a bankruptcy filing, leaving 112 employees without jobs. Lifeway plans to reopen the plant this summer and rehire a portion of the workforce to staff the facility. The transaction is expected to ... |
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Louisiana Launches Certified Wild Seafood Program
The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board (LSPMB) and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) unveiled the Vermilion Bay Sweet White Shrimp Gumbo Pack from supplier Delcambre Direct Seafood as one of the first products to carry the Certified Authentic Louisiana Wild Seafood seal on the packaging. “Vermilion Bay Sweet Shrimp Gumbo Packs are processed, packaged and distributed by Gulf Crown Seafood in a cooperative effort with the Port of Delcambre and Delcambre Direct Seafood,” said Thomas Hymel, project manager of Louisiana Direct Seafood. “This Louisiana Certified Seafood product is sustainable, traceable, contains no sodium tripolyphosphate and meets an ... |
