VENTURE CAPITAL POST

A recent testing conducted by Consumer Reports has revealed that the widely-used Lunchables have been found to contain elevated levels of lead, as well as sodium.

Food and Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) under the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recalled mislabeled uncured pork pepperoni. Referring it as a Class II hazardous situation, FSIS advices Whole Foods customers to return the purchased products or just throw them away. But the recalling has taken place as consequences of changed ingredients from supplier’s behalf.

USDA monthly outlook reported that soybean crops are expected to reach a record high harvest in six years, thus lowering the price in CBOT. Two other U.S. major crops, corn and wheat also estimated to produce higher than expected result.

Flower Foods Inc. has made the decision to acquire Alpine Valley Bread Company which is a family-owned natural bread producer for $120 million in cash and stock as reported by Source Media.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday asked China to drop a ban on imports of U.S. poultry imposed because of an outbreak of bird flu in chickens and turkeys.

The United States is pressing Mexico, the top importer of U.S. chickens and turkeys, to relax restrictions imposed on poultry shipments because of an outbreak of a strain of avian flu deadly to birds, an Agriculture Department spokeswoman confirmed on Friday.

KFC, the world's largest chain of fried chicken restaurants, may face pressure from consumer and environmental groups to change how its poultry are raised after McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) said it would switch to chicken raised without human antibiotics.

Across the U.S. Midwest, the plunge in grain prices to near four-year lows is pitting landowners determined to sustain rental incomes against farmer tenants worried about making rent payments because their revenues are squeezed.

Texas rancher Jim Rackley would like to add more cattle to his herd of about 50 to take advantage of sizzling beef prices and growing demand from health-conscious consumers for his grass-fed beef. But the prospect of cloudless skies keeps him cautious.

Though diet studies disagree about what's worse for you, carbohydrates or fat, most say nice things about eating protein, including its potential for better weight control.

The cost to produce a BLT, America's favorite summer sandwich, hit a record high of $1.65 in May and will continue to take a bigger bite out of wallets in the coming months, given a pig virus that has ramped up bacon prices and drought-stricken salad crops in California.

Foster Farms said consumers should not worry about the company's chicken products amidst the salmonella outbreak traced back to its plants.

USDA said it would shut down Foster Farms unless the company would address the salmonella outbreak by Thursday.