Reuters — California was sued on Friday by the largest U.S. trade group for meat packers and processors, which wants to block enforcement of a voter-approved measure requiring farmers to provide more space for animals being raised for food. The North American Meat Institute, whose members include processors such as Tyson Foods and retailers including […] Read more

U.S. meat industry sues California for animal protection ‘overreach’

KFC to test plant-based nuggets, wings
Reuters –– Yum Brands said on Monday it will be testing plant-based nuggets and boneless wings at an Atlanta KFC restaurant, the latest fast-food chain trying new options to attract vegan diners. The quick-service fried chicken restaurant will nationally roll out the vegan menu items, produced by U.S. processor Beyond Meat, based on the customer […] Read more

Poultry co-ops Exceldor, Granny’s to merge
Quebec poultry co-operative Exceldor is expanding its westward reach through a merger deal with Manitoba-based Granny’s Poultry Co-operative. The two co-ops announced the combination Wednesday, noting it’s already been approved by Granny’s producer members in a “unanimous” vote taken in May, and by the federal Competition Bureau in a decision last month. “The main objective […] Read more

U.S. launches criminal probe into alleged chicken price fixing by Tyson, rivals
Reuters — The U.S. Department of Justice has begun a criminal probe into allegations that Tyson Foods and other poultry processors including Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson Farms colluded to fix poultry prices, court documents show. The DOJ filed a motion to intervene and stay discovery of evidence in an antitrust lawsuit involving the companies and […] Read more

KFC testing vegan ‘chicken’ burger in U.K.
Reuters — Yum Brands’ KFC is looking to tap into the popularity of plant-based protein foods by rolling out a vegan version of its classic chicken burger at some outlets in the U.K. The new burger, called “the Imposter Burger,” will have a fillet made from a meat substitute product, Quorn, instead of its classic […] Read more

All-day breakfasts lead to record-breaking year for eggs
People still outnumber layers in Alberta — but the hens are catching up fast
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s egg industry has cracked the code for increased sales — all-day breakfast at your favourite fast-food chains. “Egg consumption is up in Canada, and all-day breakfasts have been the main driver,” said Sylvain Charlebois, senior director of the agri-food analytics lab at Dalhousie University. “Eggs are primarily consumed in the morning, and now all […] Read more

Order your heritage chickens
Reading Time: < 1 minute The University of Alberta Heritage Chicken program is again offering small flock enthusiasts the chance to order heritage chicks until supply sells out. “Heritage chicks are vaccinated and hatched at the U of A’s Poultry Research Centre,” says Dawn Hage, program co-ordinator. “This year, we’re offering Brown Leghorn, Light Sussex, Plymouth Barred Rock, Random Bred […] Read more

Gene-edited chickens planned in bid to halt next pandemic
London | Reuters — British scientists are developing gene-edited chickens designed to be totally resistant to flu in a new approach to trying to stop the next deadly human pandemic. The first of the transgenic chicks will be hatched later this year at the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, said Wendy […] Read more

Maple Leaf to consolidate Ontario poultry processing
A new $660 million plant at London, Ont. will house Maple Leaf Foods’ Ontario fresh poultry processing operations by mid-2021 as the food processing firm prepares to shut three older facilities. Toronto-based Maple Leaf announced Monday it will build a 640,000-square foot plant at London, billed as “one of the most technologically advanced poultry-processing plants […] Read more

JBS posts narrower-than-expected quarterly loss
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil-based food company JBS SA on Tuesday posted a narrower than expected quarterly loss on the back of a strong performance by its Seara processed foods and Brazil beef divisions, and resilience in certain of its U.S. operations. Seara booked net sales of 4.9 billion reais (C$1.72 billion) last quarter, […] Read more