Tagged: Conagra
ConAgra Nixes High Fructose Corn Syrup in Hunts Ketchup
Following up on King Corn news, we just spotted this in the AP:
ConAgra Foods Inc. has removed high fructose corn syrup from its Hunt's brand ketchup.
That's not a big shock -- FFF reported that this was coming -- but also of note in this article:
The price has not changed, the company said.
This is worth noting because cane sugar is most certainly more expensive than corn syrup. The fact that ConAgra doesn't see a need to hike its prices after going to a more expensive ingredient shows how far corn syrup has fallen from favor.
Read moreAmericans Turning Away from High Fructose Corn Syrup
A terrific piece in the New York Times this weekend details the decline of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a food sweetener in recent years. According to the article, this decline is exemplified by ConAgra's decision this month to pull the sweetener from the ever-popular Hunt's ketchup in favor of cane sugar.
And you know an ingredient is unpopular when Big Food is making a financial call like this one:
Although sugar costs more than high-fructose corn syrup, the price of Hunt’s is not set to increase. Eager for a sales boost from the switch, ConAgra decided to absorb the extra costs.
Read moreSalmonella Outbreak: I got it…let’s blame farmers!
Get this. Turns out a strain of salmonella in the most recent peanut butter outbreak -- Salmonella Tennessee -- is the same strain that got loose in the last peanut butter outbreak, and both Salmonellas came straight outa Georgia.
Predictably, the peanut processors blame Georgian farmers. The farmers blame the processors.
My problem with the article is the lack of examination on the farm end. Why didn't the reporter talk to an actual peanut farmer producing on industrial scale, or, better, an agronomist specializing in ag pathogens? It seems rather irresponsible to cast aspersions on any group without consulting an expert in that field.
Read moreMexico Suspends US Meat Imports: La Vida Locavore
Jill Richardson, over at La Vida Locavore, is procrastinating on her book, and, accordingly, blogging up a storm. Well, her delay is our gain! She reports today that Mexico is is suspending US imports of meat.
From the goblueridge.net article that Jill cites:
According to the Associated Press, other companies that will be affected by this move are Tyson Foods, Inc., Cargill Inc., ConAgra Foods Inc., and Swift Foods Inc.
The ban could greatly affect Tyson because high feed prices have already strained its profits and Mexico represented 23 percent of its international sales in 2008.
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