Dec. 13, 2010 at 8:15 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Internet,
Restaurants
By Bruce Japsen
McDonald’s Corp. has informed an undisclosed number of customers that certain information such as phone numbers and ages has been obtained by an “unauthorized third party” via information collected from its Web sites.
McDonald’s described the information as customer information as “limited information” provided to McDonald’s that included “information required to confirm your age, a method to contact you (such as name, mobile phone number, and postal address and/or email address).” Get the full story »
Dec. 13, 2010 at 5:53 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Restaurants
By Dow Jones Newswires-Wall Street Journal
Food trucks — essentially restaurants on wheels — have taken off in cities such as Los Angeles and New York, spurred by the weak economy, trendy fare and the proliferation of social media, like Twitter. But in Chicago, one of the nation’s most progressive culinary cities, the trucks are held back by restrictive rules and operate in a legal twilight zone. Get the full story »
Dec. 9, 2010 at 3:47 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Food,
Packaged foods,
Recalls
By Reuters
Johnson & Johnson issued a recall of its Softchews Rolaids antacids Thursday after wood and metal bits were discovered in the tablets.
J&J, which recalled some Rolaids products in November, said it was voluntarily recalling all lots of the Softchews products after potentially uncovering problems with a third-party manufacturer.
The recall is the latest in a string of pulled products for J&J’s consumers unit that has drawn attention from U.S. authorities and Congress, hurt sales for its consumer products parent company and tarnished J&J’s reputation. Get the full story »
Dec. 9, 2010 at 8:24 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Litigation,
Restaurants
From WBBM | A woman who claimed a McDonald’s worker screamed at and spit on her during an early morning visit to the drive-through at the restaurant on Western and Madison is suing McDonald’s Corp. for $300,000.Get the full story>>
By Reuters
General Mills Inc. is lowering the amount of sugar in its children’s breakfast cereals to no more than 10 grams per serving from 11 grams a year ago, the latest move from a U.S. foodmaker to address childhood obesity.
The step-down in sugar by General Mills, the maker of Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs and Trix cereals, is a move closer to its year-old goal to reduce to single-digit levels the number of grams of sugar per serving in all of its cereals advertised to children under 12. Get the full story »
Dec. 8, 2010 at 12:43 p.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Packaged foods
From Bloomberg News | Sara Lee Corp. was headed for the highest close in almost three years and trading of bullish options jumped to five times the four-week average on speculation that the food company may be acquired.
The shares advanced a fourth day, touching a high of $16.05 around 9 a.m.. Almost 10,000 calls to buy the stock changed hands, six times the number of puts to sell. About half of the call volume was concentrated in December $16 calls, which rose 50 percent. Get the full story>>
Dec. 8, 2010 at 10:54 a.m.
Filed under:
China,
Food,
International
By Reuters
Yum Brands said China would surpass the United States as the fast-food restaurant operator’s top profit generator this year, and the Chinese market’s potential is still largely untapped.
Yum has more than 3,700 restaurants in China, mostly KFC outlets, and has a big lead over Western rivals like McDonald’s in the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Get the full story »
Dec. 8, 2010 at 7:25 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Restaurants
By Emily Bryson York
McDonald’s Corp. reported global comparable sales for November were up 4.8 percent, which was weaker than anticipated in its key domestic market and Japan.
In the U.S., McDonald’s credited the McRib sandwich, demand for McCafe beverages and its core menu for boosting sales 4.9 percent. Although winter is a historically slow period for McDonald’s is likely to grab its share of media attention with a nationwide promotion of oatmeal in the wings. Get the full story »
Dec. 7, 2010 at 6:11 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Jobs/employment,
Layoffs,
Restaurants
By McClatchy Tribune Newspapers
Burger King’s new owners continued their purge of headquarters Monday, dismissing a large number of workers there in an effort to catch-up with McDonald’s in the fast-food wars.
The Miami-based company announced 413 dismissals company-wide, including 261 in South Florida. Most of those jobs came from the No. 2 burger chain’s headquarters. Get the full story »
Dec. 6, 2010 at 3:01 p.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Restaurants,
Retail
By Emily Bryson York
Rendering of planned grocery and eatery. (Richtree)
Westfield Old Orchard mall in Skokie has demolished its old food court and is in the process of building a high end eating area with a variety of organic, sustainable, and artisan options as well as a grocery. It’s expected to open next summer.
“Our new open kitchens and natural market experience will reflect the ever-growing sophistication and culinary awareness of our customers,” Deborah Mattes, senior general manager of Old Orchard. Get the full story »
Dec. 6, 2010 at 10:40 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Recalls
From KTLA TV | The discovery of hard plastic inside packages has prompted a nationwide recall of 72,000 pounds of canned chicken salad sold nationwide under several labels.
The Suter Company, based in Sycamore, Ill., is recalling 8.2-ounce packages of the “Bumble Bee Lunch on the Run Chicken Salad Complete Lunch Kit” and 3.5-ounce packages of “Bumble Bee Chicken Salad with Crackers,” according to a statement released Sunday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Dec. 6, 2010 at 10:09 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
International,
M&A
By Associated Press
Sara Lee Corp. has completed the $1.6 billion sale of its body care and European detergent segments to Unilever NV, the food company said Monday. Get the full story »
Dec. 6, 2010 at 7:28 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Litigation,
Packaged foods
By Emily Bryson York
Kraft is seeking a preliminary injunction against Starbucks Coffee Co., which has announced plans to sever its agreement with the Northfield-based packaged food company to manage its grocery coffee business. Starbucks plans to assume responsibility of the coffee business March 1.
“Starbucks is proceeding with flagrant indifference to the terms of the contract and customary business practices,” Marc Firestone, Kraft’s general counsel said in a statement. Get the full story »
Dec. 3, 2010 at 10:39 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
M&A
By Associated Press
Shareholders of pretzel and snack food maker Snyder’s of Hanover Inc. are casting their ballots to approve the company’s acquisition by Lance Inc.
Privately held Snyder’s makes EatSmart products, Krunchers! and Grande tortilla chips. It expects the results of the vote to be announced later Friday. Get the full story »
Dec. 2, 2010 at 1:23 p.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Packaged foods
By Associated Press
The peanut butter and cheese crackers of Lance Inc. are just one vote away from being combined with the pretzels of Snyder’s of Hanover Inc. as the companies aim to form the country’s No. 2 producer of salty snacks after PepsiCo Inc.’s Frito-Lay division.
Shareholders of Charlotte-based Lance cast 96 percent of their votes Thursday in favor of issuing the stock needed to merge with privately-held Snyder’s of Hanover, Pa. Snyder’s shareholders will vote on the merger Friday, and if they approve, the companies could complete the move Monday. The new company would be called Snyder’s-Lance.
