News

Study Finds American Grown Pistachios Contain Melatonin

FRESNO - An analysis conducted by researchers Dr. Jack Losso and Millicent Yeboah-Awudzi at Louisiana State University in partnership with American Pistachio Growers found that American pistachios contain significant amounts of melatonin, much higher than most fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes and seeds.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland to regulate the body's internal biological clock and control daily sleep cycles. Melatonin supplements are commonly used by people with insomnia or with irregular sleep patterns which may arise from frequent travel or irregular work schedules, among other causes.

Beef, It's What's For Dinner. Keeps Sizzlin' with New TV Ads

DENVER - The iconic Beef. It's What's For Dinner. brand keeps consumers craving beef with the release of its latest drool-worthy creative digital advertisement collection – "Keep Sizzlin'". The new "Keep Sizzlin'" collection is inspired by the success of the original "Sizzle" video, which caught the attention of consumers by stimulating their eyes and ears with the satisfying look and sound of a juicy strip steak crackling and popping as it cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet.

The video, originally thought to be a fun "extra" on the Beef. It's What's For Dinner. YouTube page has been viewed more than 2 million times and become a fan favorite. Lasting just longer than three minutes, viewers are mesmerized, watching the video an average of two minutes and 21 seconds. More than 500,000 viewers have watched the video in its entirety.

The Wonderful Company Announces The Launch Of Wonderful Seedless Lemons

LOS ANGELES - The Wonderful Company, known for its dedication to harvesting health and happiness around the world through its iconic consumer brands today announced the introduction of a new produce brand, Wonderful Seedless Lemons, a naturally seedless, Non-GMO Project Verified variety of lemon that will debut this fall 2019. The Wonderful Company owns the exclusive rights to this new, premium quality seedless lemon variety available in North America.

"As the leading grower, shipper, packer, and distributor of citrus in North America, Wonderful is uniquely positioned to offer this new and innovative variety of seedless lemons," said Adam Cooper, senior vice president of marketing at The Wonderful Company. "As consumers' appetite for seedless varieties in produce continues to grow, Wonderful Seedless Lemons will disrupt the industry and become a top category driver for branded produce."

Consumer Spending on Cannabis Keeps Growing With New Regions Setting up Shop

NEW YORK - The cannabis marketplace has continued to trend in the eyes of consumers all around the globe, as over the past decade, many countries have moved to adopt cannabis into their legislation. Meanwhile, other countries which have yet to take that larger step have begun to decriminalize the plant as well as study its potential benefits.

Despite this growing international movement, the U.S. still dominates the overall industry, with states such as California and Colorado recognized as the main drivers. Specifically, California and Colorado collectively delivered over USD 3 Billion in revenue in 2017 as these two states are among the most mature marketplaces in the world. California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis back in the 1990's with the approval of Proposition 215, while Colorado legalized medicinal use in 2000.

How the FDA Plans to Deal With Hemp Now That It's Legal

LOS ANGELES - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering what it terms "potential regulatory pathways" for the interstate commerce of hemp and cannabis compounds in foods and beverages. This follows the renewal of the Farm Bill signed by President Donald Trump on Dec. 20, which legalized the commercial production of hemp.

The legalization of hemp production is yet another product of the wave of change that has all manner of cannabis companies preparing for the massive increase in demand for the plants including leading providers like Aphria (TSX: APHA) (NYSE: APHA), Canopy Growth Inc. (TSX: WEED) (NYSE: CGC), and MedMen (CSE: MMEN) (OTC: MMNFF).

US Honey Industry Contributes More Than $4.7 Billion to Economy, 22,000 Jobs

FREDERICK, Colo. - The U.S. honey industry is thriving, according to a new study¹ from the University of California Agricultural Issues Center. The research found that the U.S. honey industry in 2017 was responsible for more than 22,000 jobs and its total economic output was $4.74 billion. Total economic output includes direct effect, such as workers hired to move beehives, indirect effect, like packaging supply companies for honey products, and induced effects, the wages honey industry workers spend at local businesses.

The study was directed by Dr. Daniel A. Sumner, an economist and director of the University of California Agricultural Issues Center, an institute which has studied the economic impacts of many farm commodities. The U.S. honey industry is made up of beekeepers, importers, packers and processors.

Sun-Maid Continues Successful Expansion with Move to Fresno

KINGSBURG - As part of the company's commitment to growth and efficiencies, Sun-Maid Growers of California announced it will move its corporate offices from Kingsburg and satellite offices from northern California to a new consolidated headquarters in Fresno this summer. Sun-Maid's Kingsburg location will be transformed into a center for operational excellence and product development to further incite innovation and encourage a strong focus on new products for the brand. To ensure a beneficial transition for employees, individuals may elect flex schedules, remote access and work-from-home options—all of which are being made available to the existing workforce.

The moves reinforce three key areas to help drive the company's transformation: it will support the growing talent base, create a culture of creativity, collaboration and excellence, and build its innovation pipeline. Sun-Maid's expanded Central Valley footprint serves as another milestone that's part of its re-emergence in the marketplace, which has included the hiring of a new CEO and launch of its first integrated campaign in a decade.