Deal could be Wonder for Sara Lee

Since Ms. Barnes said last month she is ready to do deals, industry analysts have zeroed in on potential targets: Oscar Mayer meats, Folgers coffee and Interstate's bread and snack-cake brands. Interstate, which is trying to reorganize in Bankruptcy Court, appears the most plausible near-term option because of its availability and strategic fit with Sara Lee. The company is seeking a buyer for all or parts of its business.

Chicago Business

chip detox

The reality of the snack food business is taste is always king, Matta says. People also want to enjoy snack foods because they’re a break from their daily routine, he adds. “The nirvana consumers seek is they want to eat their cake and have it, too,” he says. “They want to have healthier snacks and do the right things for their diet. At the same time, they don’t want to give up taste.”

brandchannel.com

Kraft, Sara Lee face rising beef and pork prices

"Kraft and Sara Lee are in trouble because, at the end of the day, they are going to have to pay more for meat," says Ann Gilpin, a Morningstar Inc. analyst in Chicago who follows meat processors. "The ability to pass on the higher cost is limited in a very competitive industry, as consumers are increasingly sensitive to the price of food."

Chicago Business

Meals on Wheels

Asia has always had great street food, and you can get perfect crepes in Paris and amazing tacos in Mexico City. Now American food snobs are separating themselves from regular snobs by lining up outside food trucks. And they're willing to wait longer--and pay more--than at local fast-food restaurants.

Time Magazine

The story of the Oreo is the story of how junk food became a centerpiece of the American diet, worked its way deep into the national psyche and continues to defy efforts to reform what we eat.

A Tribune special report in three parts:

Part 1: Craving the cookie
Part 2: Selling the cookie
Part 3: For every fad, another cookie

Starbucks' Sweet Surprise

Starbucks chocolate will be available in grocery stores, mass retailers, drugstores, and club stores, at price points starting at $2.99. (The chocolates will not be making a debut in Starbucks stores themselves at this time.) They're made by Artisan Confections Co., which is a Hershey unit that also makes Joseph Schmidt, Scharffen Berger, and Dagoba organic chocolates.

Motley Fool