Food

A dairy farm near the disaster-struck Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan began shipping raw milk again. It was the first milk shipped for processing and public sale from an area previously designated for evacuation following the March 2011 nuclear disaster at the seaside plant in Fukushima Prefecture, according to the prefectural government. Milk produced at the farm in the Naraha district had been checked for radioactive cesium every week from last May to December, with no reading ever surpassing the government-set limit of 50 becquerels per kilogram. [node:read-more:link]

Ample supplies of beef and an expected rise in pork production will keep retail prices for both proteins on a downward path in the coming year, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) predicted in its 2017 Food Price Outlook.  Beef and veal prices paid by consumers declined 6.3 percent in 2016 as the increased pace of cattle slaughter, especially during the second half of the year, and higher carcass weights result [node:read-more:link]

USDA has released its first-ever survey on direct marketing, and it shows that the local food industry is huge. More than 167,000 U.S. farms sold food through direct marketing, earning $8.7 billion in 2015, the survey shows. The report includes not only fresh produce, but also “value-added foods,” defined as foods like meat and cheese.  The report, titled “Local Food Marketing Practices Survey,” is the first survey USDA has conducted focusing on the economic impact of farm marketing in the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Leading Australian dairy brand, a2 Milk®, today announced the beginning of the national launch of its full line of 100 percent pure, natural cows' milk that is easy to digest. A natural alternative for people with sensitivities to conventional dairy milk - which typically contains the A1 beta-casein, a protein often associated with indigestion and discomfort - a2 Milk® offers consumers with perceived lactose sensitivities the opportunity to enjoy the taste and nutritional benefits of real and natural dairy milk. [node:read-more:link]

Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found women who lacked vitamin B12 in their diets were more likely to have a preterm birth.  The study of 11,216 pregnancies in 11 countries showed that low levels of vitamin B12, commonly found in animal products, were linked to increased risks of having preterm births. Vitamin B12 is vital for the production of red blood cells and cellular metabolic energy. Vitamin B12 deficiencies can lead to anemia and damage to the nervous system. [node:read-more:link]

Fruit, which industry hopes is a breakthrough, may hit some stores soon. After years of development, protest and regulatory red tape, the first genetically modified, non-browning apples will soon go on sale in the United States. The fruit, sold sliced and marketed under the brand Arctic Apple, could hit a cluster of Midwestern grocery stores as early as Feb. 1. The limited release is an early test run for the controversial apple, which has been genetically modified to eliminate the browning that occurs when an apple is left out in the open air. [node:read-more:link]

Bob Evans Farms, Inc. is now a pure play food company. On Jan. 24, the company announced the sale of its Bob Evans Restaurants business unit to the private equity company Golden Gate Capital for $565 million plus the assumption of certain liabilities. Net proceeds from the sale to Bob Evans Farms are expected to be between $475 million to $485 million.  On the same day, Bob Evans Farms entered into an agreement to acquire the Pineland Farms Potato Co. (PFPC), Mars Hill, Maine, for $115 million. Pineland Farms is a value-added potato processor serving the retail and food service markets. [node:read-more:link]

The state of New York has taken notice of its role in the regional food supply chain and in August allocated $15 million of the $20 million needed to build Greenmarket’s new 20,000-square-foot distribution center, commonly known as a food hub. [node:read-more:link]

Got “lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows”?Doesn’t quite have the same marketing zing as the traditional four-letter word for moo juice, but according to the Food and Drug Administration rule 21 CFR 131.110, that is the legal definition of milk.But the definition should be upheld, according to 32 members of Congress — including six from Wisconsin — who recently sent a letter to U.S. Food and Drugs Administration Commissioner Robert Califf to crack down on almond-, coconut- and other plant-based fluids. [node:read-more:link]

Activists groups are pushing slower-growing broilers as a higher welfare alternative to modern breeds, but they don't seem to be willing to let consumers demonstrate that they want them at the cash register.  When questioned about what consumers want, Super said, “What the majority of consumers actually want is choice. Slow-grow, conventional, raised without antibiotics – each of these production practices dictate choices about how chickens’ living conditions are managed. [node:read-more:link]