Author: Ess Seshat

Walmart announces private label additions



BENTONVILLE, ARK. – Walmart Inc. has introduced Bettergoods, a line of approximately 300 private label products in categories that include frozen food, dairy, snacks, beverages, pasta, soups, coffee, chocolate and more.

Bettergoods products are focused on three applications, according to the retailer — creating culinary experiences, plant based and “made without.” Products sold for creating culinary experiences include specialty salts and seasonings, a line of soups in jars and pasta items positioned as premium.

Plant-based products will feature green branding and include oat milk non-dairy frozen desserts and plant-based cheese alternatives. The made without pillar will offer a variety of products that focus on different dietary lifestyles like gluten-free, made without artificial flavors, colors and added sugars.

“Today’s customers expect more from the private brands they purchase — they want affordable, quality products to elevate their overall food experience,” said Scott Morris, senior vice president of private brands, food and consumables for Walmart. “The launch of Bettergoods delivers on that customer need in a meaningful way. Bettergoods is more than just a new private brand. It’s a commitment to our customers that they can enjoy unique culinary flavors at the incredible value Walmart delivers.”

Products included in the Bettergoods line will range from under $2 to $15, with most products available for under $5, according to Walmart.



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Linkbar Seeks Connections with New Frothing and Dispensing MachinesDaily Coffee News by Roast Magazine


Linkbar Double Favor milk frothing machines. All images courtesy of Linkbar.

A Chinese company called Linkbar is quickly gaining steam on Asian markets with its first two commercial products, both geared for commercial cafes. 

One is a steam-free milk frothing and dispenser called Double Favor and the other is a countertop dispensing system called Single Touch. 

Linkbar has recently engaged with brand ambassadors in numerous international markets and expects United States availability of both the flagship products soon. 

Double Favor

The Double Favor system heats and froths without steam while allowing baristas to program the temperature and consistency of milk.

The steam-free system dodges incidental dilution with water for what the company claims is a creamier, more full-bodied milk.

The system works with plant-based and dairy milks and can be installed on mobile coffee counters. Pricing for the United States has not yet been determined, while the retail price for Double Favor in China is CNY 36,800 (approximately $5,150 as of this writing).

Single Touch

Products within the Single Touch series require permanent installation into a stationary countertop. They include the Single Touch Milk (ST-Milk), Single Touch Coffee (ST-Coffee) and Single Touch Tea (ST-Tea).

Linkbar Single Touch units.

The ST-Coffee dispenses brewed coffee from an under-counter container. The system can heat and maintain temperatures set by the barista but does not brew the coffee.

Overseas, both the ST-Coffee and ST-Tea are sold for CNY 40,000 ($5,600); the ST-Milk goes for CNY 43,000 ($6,020).

Linkbar owner Bo He co-founded the company with YiWei Yuan in Hefei, Anhui Province, China, where the production facilities are also located.

With eyes on international markets, the company has partnered with renowned baristas Joe Yang from the United States and Liang Fan from China as brand ambassadors.

Fan is the 2023 World Latte Art Champion from China. Portland, Oregon-based Yang’s many professional accolades include the 2023 U.S. Brewers Cup Championship and the 2024 U.S. Latte Art Championship.

“Linkbar will continue to focus on innovating and developing coffee equipment, and may soon begin to concentrate on coffee grinding and extraction technologies,” Louise Law, brand marketing and sales manager for Linkbar, told Daily Coffee News. “The core concept of Linkbar is straightforward: We aim to connect various bar equipment in an interesting way, to cater to the needs of diverse coffee and tea beverage scenarios.”

Comments? Questions? News to share? Contact DCN’s editors here. 


Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.

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BII and DP World partner to develop DRC’s first Deepwater Container Port


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British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, has committed up to $35 million towards the development of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) first deepwater container port.

The Port of Banana is set to be developed in phases with gradually increasing capacity and will be a cornerstone of DRC’s trade infrastructure. Connected to a network including a free zone and multimodal logistics infrastructure, it will economically benefit the 54 million people living along the 578km Banana-Matadi-Kinshasa trade corridor.

Chris Chijiutomi, Managing Director and Head of Africa for BII, said, “The Port of Banana will play a major role in supporting the economic aspirations of millions living in the DRC. This investment forms part of BII’s ongoing commitment to investing in key sectors in Africa, with further projects under development in the region.”

The collaboration aims to unlock the DRC’s international trading potential and enhance economic growth. Key aspects of the project include:

  • Job creation: Expected to generate approximately 85,000 new jobs.
  • Trade boost: Projected to facilitate an additional $1.12 billion in trade annually.
  • Economic impact: Anticipated to increase economic output by $429 million per year, equivalent to a 0.65% increase in the DRC’s GDP.
  • Trade cost reduction: Expected to cut trade costs in the DRC by 12%.

The Port of Banana project is an extension of the existing partnership between BII and DP World, which began with port modernisation and expansion projects in Senegal, Egypt, and Somaliland in 2021.

Mohammed Akoojee, CEO of sub-Saharan Africa for DP World, said, “This project is a significant step towards enhancing the DRC’s trade infrastructure, unlocking economic potential, and creating jobs. By reducing trade costs and improving access to global markets, we aim to support the DRC’s growth and prosperity.”

As the sole maritime gateway for containerised goods, the port will ensure the DRC’s logistical independence and trade sovereignty. As such, essential imported goods will become more affordable and accessible to millions. It’s also expected to significantly boost economic welfare for rural households, increasing the number of new jobs in agriculture by about one-third.

This partnership between BII and DP World represents a strategic step towards improving Africa’s trade infrastructure and supporting economic development in the DRC and the broader region.



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FDA expects to rollout labeling rules for added sugars



SEATTLE — Mandatory front-of-pack (FOP) labeling rules for added sugars, expected from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October (originally expected in June), are just the beginning of government efforts to reduce sugar consumption and prompt product reformulation away from sugar, Courtney Gaine, PhD, president and chief executive officer, The Sugar Association, told attendees at the International Sweetener Symposium Aug. 6.     

“Front-of-pack labeling will not do much by itself,” Gaine said, adding that information about calories also is important. “The fact that calories aren’t in consideration is a problem.”

She noted that FOP labeling for added sugars was just the first step, or “part of a toolbox,” in the FDA’s attempt to reduce sugar consumption.

“It’s more than just more information,” she said.

One FDA goal is to prompt food manufacturers to reformulate away from sugar, she said, citing an FDA document that said, “The mandatory declaration of added sugars may also prompt product reformulation of foods high in added sugars like what was seen when trans fat labeling was mandated.”

“The FDA is moving forward quickly without evidence that it (FOP labeling) really works,” Gaine said. “That’s a little scary.”

“Seventy-five percent of consumers support front-of-pack labeling,” she said, but without added information about calories, use of artificial sweeteners to replace sugar and other information, the added information is lacking.

The FDA is aiming at “nutritionally illiterate” consumers, or those with low nutrition literacy who aren’t going to flip the product over to the back panel that contains additional information, Gaine said. 

Humberto Jasso Torres, executive president, Mexican Sugar Chamber, said that since Mexico mandated FOP labeling along with warning signs in 2020, sugar consumption has declined, but diabetes and obesity rates have continued to increase. Further, he said that many food manufacturers replaced sugar with artificial sweeteners, which do not have to be listed on the front of the pack.

Since 2002 (well before FOP labeling for sugar was implemented), sugar consumption has declined by 33%, the percentage of overweight people has increased by 76% and the presence of diabetes has risen 207% in Mexico, Jasso Torres said. Consumption of non-caloric sweeteners increased 760% from 1993 to 2020, taking a sharp increase in 2020. 

There should be clarity for consumers about the intake of artificial sweeteners, Jasso Torres said, such as “no sugar” should be changed to “sweetened with Aspartame,” as an example. 

“Everything in the supermarket has a label on it. Is that adding more information?” Jasso Torres said, adding that much of the additional information isn’t understandable to consumers. “The problem is that it’s not solving anything. It’s harmful for packaged goods manufacturers and not beneficial for consumers’ health.” 

In Mexico, added sugars include all types of caloric sweeteners, but sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) should be labeled separately, Jasso Torres said. Consumption of HFCS, which is mostly imported from the United States, has increased because of its price advantage over domestically produced cane sugar. Legal challenges from the food industry concerning FOP labeling have failed, he said. 

Melissa San Miguel, president, Red Flag USA, noted that labeling laws began in Chile in 2012, followed by a sugar tax in 2014, FOP labeling and warning signs in 2016, limited advertising and other restrictions. There was a net reduction of 6.4 calories per person per day in Chile after the FOP labels were implemented, she said.  

Response to Chile’s FOP labeling was more muted than expected, San Miguel said. Now Chile is cited as an article of proof for other countries seeking to do the same. Seven countries have mandated FOP labeling, and 11 others are planning to do so, with most preferring some type of warning signs for sugar, sodium and fat, San Miguel said. 

“The regulatory ratchet only goes in one direction,” San Miguel said, noting FOP labeling for added sugar was just the beginning.

Many consumer groups want more aggressive FOP labeling, Gaine said, including “High In” warning labels to draw attention to saturated fat, sodium and added sugars.



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Ag Outlook Forum: Stakeholders remain optimistic despite growing food insecurity challenges



KANSAS CITY, MO. — The question on everyone’s mind at this year’s ninth annual Ag Outlook Forum, organized by Agri-Pulse and the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City, was, “How do we feed a growing population of 8 billion people?” Speakers from a vast array of agricultural backgrounds offered solutions and insights into this worldwide problem as well as a rundown on the state of the agriculture sector at large.

One of the opening speakers at the 2023 Ag Outlook Forum, which was held at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown on Sept. 25, was Hans Kabat, president of Cargill Protein North America.

Kabat addressed how Cargill is navigating current industry challenges, including climate change, new technologies, rural flight and shifting economics that lend to the difficulty of feeding the world.

“Change is a constant in our industry, and lately change has been happening at a dizzying rate,” he said. “We need to imagine new possibilities for us. From our perspective at Cargill, we think it’s possible to reframe these challenges as opportunities. It’s led me to believe that all of us — and those of us in the food industry in particular — have a good reason to be optimistic.”

Driving that optimism is innovation and collaboration.

“As a partner to farmers, NGOs, industry groups, governments and manufacturers, we know that all of us need to work together to solve those problems,” Kabat said.

Within the past couple years, Cargill has launched two programs to help facilitate a combined effort across the agricultural community to improve sustainable practices.

The BeefUp Sustainability program, which was organized in partnership with Cargill, Nestlé and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, supports regenerative agriculture of 1.7 million acres of the United States’ land over the next five years. Through this initiative, Cargill estimates that 845,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be sequestered.

BeefUp provides technical and financial support for ranchers to implement regenerative practices through a $30 million investment into the program.

Future investments are expected to come through 2030, totaling $80 million and impacting 5.2 million acres of land.

In 2021, Cargill launched its RegenConnect program, which compensates farmers for adopting climate-friendly practices. That program expanded to reach farmers in Europe in May this year.

Since its inception, RegenConnect has had around 1,000 farms and 625,000 acres enrolled in the program, and $7 million in cash payments have been given to farmers.

“By providing farmers financial incentive for positive environmental contributions, we can help mitigate climate change, improve soil health and decarbonize the global food supply,” Kabat said.

Farm Bill in the throes

Stakeholders wait anxiously for the finalization of the 2023 Farm Bill to bring additional solutions to the food insecurity crisis and bolster the support for producers working to feed the world.

Joining a panel moderated by Blake Hurst of Hurst Farms, and former president of Missouri Farm Bureau, were Congressman Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) and Congresswoman Sharice Davids (D-Kan.). Mann and Davids offered a look at ongoing discussions within the Agriculture Committee.

With the expiration date for the current Farm Bill coming up on Sept. 30, Davids confirmed that the ag committee is not optimistic about passing the bill before then. Nevertheless, she assured attendees at the Ag Outlook Forum that the Senate and House of Representatives are prioritizing passing the bill.

“There is a sense of urgency for both the folks in the Senate and the House to get this done,” she said.

Mann pointed out that as the end of the crop year rolls around on Dec. 31, crop insurance policies and related regulations will revert back to the original legislation passed in the 1930s without a new amendment or an extension of some kind. Seeing as “no one wants to go back” to outdated policies, Mann said he was confident an extension would be issued if the 2023 Farm Bill is not enacted by that time.

“I think we have got to remember that Farm Bills are five-year policies for a reason,” he said. “Long enough to provide certainty for our producers but short enough so that we are looking at these policies and making sure that we are updating it and it’s changing with the times.”

While the Farm Bill consists of 81% food nutrition policies, both Mann and Davids still placed crop insurance and agriculture research as top priorities for the legislation.

Despite the challenges Congress faces in reaching agreement on the Farm Bill, Hurst noted that the legislation has held strong for almost 90 years and has greatly improved farmers’ average household income.

“It is important to remember that in 1934, when my grandfather signed that first contract, farm households were about 40% of the average household income,” Hurst said. “Today, farm households enjoy an income that’s around 120% of the US average. Gratitude for the hard work that has gone into 90 years of farm bills is in order.”



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Minerva receives Brazilian government approval to acquire plants from Marfrig



SÃO PAULO — Brazilian meat producer Minerva Foods recently confirmed an asset deal with fellow processor Marfrig Global Foods S.A.

The agreement’s framework was first announced in August 2023, when Minerva Foods announced that it would buy some meat processing plants from Marfrig for $1.5 billion.

Information from Marfrig officials said the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) in Brazil provided “approval of the transaction through the execution of a concentration control agreement (ACC), which requires a reduction in the material and geographic limits established in the expansion restriction clause set in the agreement, which will not alter the other terms and conditions set forth in the agreement and the transaction.”

The CADE stated that it approved the acquisition which included meat facilities in Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

“Considering this understanding of the solution negotiated with SG/CADE, which would mitigate the potential harm to the competitive environment resulting from the non-competition clause in the form originally presented, it was concluded that an ACC should be signed,” the Brazilian government agency said on its website.

Minerva also explained another step needed to finish the deal moving forward.

“The company highlights that, in addition to the final approval by CADE, the closing of the transaction is still subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the agreement that rules the acquisition of the assets located in Brazil, Argentina and Chile,” Minerva said in an investor statement.

The original deal included processing plants in Uruguay, but regulators blocked those sites during May.

With the acquisition, Minerva would have beef plants in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Colombia. The meat processor also exports its product to five continents.

Marfrig holds a stake in BRF S.A., a global food company. In 2018, the company acquired Kansas City, Mo.-based National Beef Packing Co. LLC. 



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Posted on Author Categories Meat

Vietfish day one recap: Easing feed prices mean pangasius shortage now unlikely


HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — Undercurrent News is reporting live from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for the annual Vietfish trade show, held this year from Aug. 21-23. […]

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Posted on Author Categories Seafood

HPAI remains crucial to egg pricing



KANSAS CITY, MO. — Egg and egg product prices should continue to decline as cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) decline, Amy Smith, vice president, Advanced Economic Solutions, said June 6 at the Sosland Publishing Co. 45th annual Purchasing Seminar.  

“HPAI is the story,” Smith said, noting that the disease, carried by wild birds, was confirmed in all four North American flyways this year. Egg layers were the poultry segment most affected with about 30 million layers destroyed, 44% of which were in the top egg producing state of Iowa, with about 9% of the total US laying flock impacted. That compares with about 32.5 million layers affected by the 2015 HPAI outbreak. In contrast, only 2.36 million birds were culled from broiler flocks and about 5.5 million turkeys. To date, about 38 million total birds have been culled due to HPAI.

Smith noted that since June 2 (as of June 6) only one commercial flock and no laying flocks had been detected with HPAI.

“I think we’ve peaked,” she said.

The loss of laying hens sent egg and egg product prices skyrocketing from March to May. Prices for eggs have dropped sharply since mid-May, and prices for most egg products also have declined except for dried whole egg and yolk and liquid and frozen yolk. Smith noted that the industry entered the HPAI pandemic in 2022 with less dried egg product inventory than in the 2015 HPAI outbreak.

Smith forecast prices for large table eggs at $2.44 per dozen in the second quarter, at $1.93 per dozen in the third quarter and at $1.95 per dozen for the full year compared with $1.21 per dozen in 2021. She forecast dried whole egg prices at $13.70 a lb in the second quarter, $11.20 a lb in the third quarter and $9.10 a lb for the full year compared with $3.16 a lb in 2021. Dried yolk prices were forecast at $11.70 a lb in the second quarter, $8.58 a lb in the third quarter and $7.50 a lb for all of 2022 compared with $2.39 a lb in 2021.

It will take about 10 to 12 months for layer flocks to fully recover, Smith said, but the industry is facing more “headwinds” than in 2015, including more expensive pullets and feed and the move to cage-free eggs. Feed costs have risen sharply, gaining 28% from October 2021 to April 2022, Smith said. Some producers who had traditional commercial flocks may take the opportunity to convert to cage-free operations, she said.



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Posted on Author Categories Eggs

Kraft Heinz to build $400 million automated distribution center



CHICAGO — The Kraft Heinz Co. announced plans to build a $400 million automated consumer packaged goods (CPG) distribution center in DeKalb, Ill. Spanning 775,000 square feet, the facility will be one of the largest of its kind in North America, Kraft Heinz said, with a 24/7 automated storage and retrieval system.

“The DeKalb distribution center is expected to play a critical role in our larger distribution strategy, moving more than 60% of Kraft Heinz dry goods in North America through our automated facilities,” said Carlos Abrams-Rivera, Kraft Heinz executive vice president and president, North America. “It’s a testament to the dynamic, out-of-the-box thinking of our supply chain teams whose work enables us to operate with greater efficiency and agility every day.”

The new distribution center will be able to deliver double the volume to Kraft Heinz’s customers while helping to reduce the company’s environmental footprint. Through sustainable technology and reduced waste, Kraft Heinz will take a step closer to its ESG (environmental, social and governance) goals with this development.

“We’re driving end-to-end transformation across our entire supply chain, investing in automated technology and digitized solutions to increase the agility of our logistics operations,” said Erin Mitchell, vice president of logistics and head of network restructuring at Kraft Heinz. “The construction of our new DeKalb distribution center is the latest example of this transformation in action. We have designed it to help ensure the delivery of our delicious, innovative and iconic products at the right time for our customers and consumers for years to come.” 

To make Kraft Heinz’s vision a reality, the company has partnered with Trammell Crow Co., a global commercial real estate developer; Krusinski Construction Co., a general contractor; Daifuku, an integrated logistics automation provider; and the City of DeKalb and the DeKalb County Economic Development Corp. on the development of the facility. 

The facility is scheduled to be operational in 2025 and is expected to bring 150 new jobs to the DeKalb area.



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Cargill, Darden support rangelands conservation program



DENVER — A total of $1.5 million in grants is being distributed to restore, improve and conserve grasslands and wildlife habitats in the Intermountain West, announced the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) on Nov. 29. Matching contributions of $2.5 million will create a total impact of $4 million.

The grants are funded through the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program, the product of a partnership between NFWF, Cargill, Darden Restaurants Inc., the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management and the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

“The Intermountain West is a region rich with wildlife and unique habitats,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and chief executive officer of NFWF. “Through voluntary collaborations and impactful grants such as these, we can make major progress toward conserving and restoring this important working landscape and providing improved habitat for native species including elk, mule deer, sage-grouse and songbirds.”

Five grants are being spread across the Intermountain West, which includes habitats in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The recipients include:

  • Pheasants Forever (receiving two grants), to (1) restore rangelands in southern and central Idaho by removing invasive annual cheatgrass and reseeding native grasses to benefit sage-grouse and other native species; and (2) remove invasive western juniper in southwestern Idaho to restore greater sage-grouse habitat. 
  • Grand Teton National Park Foundation, to restore a previously cultivated section of the Kelly Hayfields in Grand Teton National Park to benefit bison, elk, pronghorn, sage-grouse, songbirds and other native wildlife through replanting native grasses, fobs and shrubs. 
  • National Audubon Society, to implement replicable grazing/seeding techniques and infrastructure to increase native forage and protect riparian habitat to benefit greater sage-grouse and other native species in Utah and Wyoming. 
  • The Mule Deer Foundation, to enhance rangeland habitat across the Rocky Mountain Region to benefit mule deer, sage-grouse, and other native wildlife species through fencing removal, replanting native sagebrush, and management of invasive annual grasses and juniper. 

Together, the five grants will improve grazing management on 37,500 acres of land for cattle and wildlife, open wildlife migration corridors by removing or improving 28 miles of fencing, install six water tanks to provide alternate water sources for livestock, and restore more than 12,000 acres of rangelands with native grasses, forbs and brush.

NFWF said that thanks to the program’s partners, the projects funded through the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program have the potential to sequester up to 107,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents by 2030.

“Restoring and maintaining a sustainable, natural ecosystem for wildlife and livestock to cohabitate is a top priority for Cargill,” said Jeffrey Fitzpatrick, leader of Cargill’s BeefUp Sustainability Program. “As part of the BeefUp Sustainability initiative, we continue to focus our efforts on bringing together the programs and partners that can make the most significant impact on climate change. It is exactly these types of public-private partnerships, connecting the right resources to the right organizations, that support that type of environment, building an agricultural supply chain to feed the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.” 

“At Darden, we’re committed to doing our part to protect our planet for future generations,” said Bryan Valladares, director of sustainability at Darden. “We’re proud to support the work that NFWF is leading to help promote climate resiliency by restoring grazing lands in the Rocky Mountain Rangelands and enhancing conservation projects in this vital ecosystem.”



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