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Rising consumer demand aids organic industry sway

The organic food industry is gaining clout on Capitol Hill, prompted by rising consumer demand and its entry into traditional farm states. But that isn’t going over well with everyone in Congress.

Chicago Heights pita plant has major expansion

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Holding a small crucifix in one hand and clutching a clump of basil dipped in holy water in the other, George Kaloudis walked Thursday alongside an array of ovens in a Chicago Heights pita bakery. The blessing of the hulking machine with holy water by …

How loyalty programs influence the way you shop

Loyalty programs at supermarkets used to be as simple as getting access to the cheaper advertised prices on store shelves. Today, companies are using shoppers’ purchasing histories to offer more personalized deals.

Dem bid to stop food stamp cuts turned back by House committee

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee rebuffed Democratic efforts Wednesday to keep the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program whole, as debate on the farm bill turned into a theological discourse on helping the poor.

Americans eating more smoked seafood products

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There’s no smoke and mirrors about it — Americans are eating a lot more smoked seafood than they used to. And that demand — part of a larger trend of infusing everything from salts and cocktails to fruit and teas with a kiss of smoky …

Idaho spud giant bets on biotech potatoes

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A dozen years after a customer revolt forced Monsanto to ditch its genetically engineered potato, an Idaho company aims to resurrect high-tech spuds. This month, tuber processing giant J.R. Simplot Co. asked the U.S. government to approve five varieties of biotech potatoes. They’re engineered not …

Hellmann’s whips up centennial campaign

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A lot changes in 100 years, but the key to Hellmann’s success may be that not much has changed for the mayonnaise. To celebrate Hellman’s centennial birthday, owner Unilever is launching a marketing campaign to drum up attention for the country’s top-selling mayonnaise, whose formula …

Strawberry Pepsi? New fountain machine in test

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PepsiCo says it plans to start testing a new fountain machine at restaurants that lets people create a variety of flavor combinations, such as strawberry Mountain Dew.

Whole Foods mixes up chicken, vegan salads

Whole Foods Market Inc. said labels on a chicken salad and those on a vegan version were reversed at some of its cold food bars in the Northeast.

Coke’s anti-obesity push to go global

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Coca-Cola says it will work to make lower-calorie drinks and clear nutrition information more widely available around the world. Earlier this year, it began airing its first TV commercial in the U.S. addressing obesity.

A Wisconsin favorite raises a stink

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MONROE, Wis. — The sign above the bar in Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern warns visitors about the perils of sampling the $3.25 house specialty — a slab of Limburger cheese on rye bread slathered with onions and mustard. “Limburger: don’t eat it with your …

A tapas-style take on a Mother’s Day brunch

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A tapas-style meal made up of a variety of small, appetizer-like bites is something we tend to associate with evenings and cocktails. But we thought the same idea of small plates would lend itself perfectly to a Mother’s Day brunch. So we came up with …

Vickroy: It’s no fib: You can grow figs in this climate

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Long before humans cultivated wheat, barley or legumes, they grew fig trees. Some even suggest that figs were grown a thousand years before wheat and rye were domesticated. “For 98 percent of the time humans have been alive, it has been a starvation existence,” said …

Shepard chefs take second in first MACS event

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Shepard culinary team takes second in MACS contest

California almond crop to surpass 2B pounds in 2013

MODESTO, Calif. (AP) — Federal agricultural officials are predicting another bumper crop for California’s almonds this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is predicting that the state’s almond growers will produce more than 2 billion pounds of almonds.

Kraft’s profit beats Wall Street expectations

Kraft Foods reported first-quarter results that beat Wall Street expectations as it increased sales and cut costs after its split from its global snack business.