The industry's three major advocacy groups, International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) and Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) have rolled out a new campaign that suggests a link between dairy consumption and reduced body weight. And the usual critics have wasted no time in attacking it.

National Dairy Holdings, Dallas, is making moves again.

Higher marketing costs and sales weakness in categories such as cookies and European chocolates, were blamed for a third-quarter earnings drop of 7% at Kraft Foods Inc.

Polytainers Inc., Toronto, a leading supplier of rigid plastic packaging for the food and dairy industries, is expanding its current manufacturing facility in Lee's Summit, Mo., near Kansas City.

Reacting to a WTO export barricade, and a need to serve expanding global pizza customers, Saputo Inc. is buying the third-largest dairy company in Argentina to serve as a springboard for global exports.

Schepps Dairy celebrated the re-opening of its blowmolding facility last month with Dallas Fire Department personnel, city officials, and company employees present for a ribbon cutting and check presentation.

Michael Foods Inc., the Minnesota-based company whose grocery brands include Crystal Farms and Simply Potatoes, said recently it has agreed to be acquired for about $1.05 billion by Thomas H. Lee Partners, a Boston private equity firm.

Following other fast food chains in developing healthier fare, Pizza Hut is introducing a lower-calorie pizza with half the cheese of the Dallas-based chain's Thin ‘N Crispy pizza. The new Fit ‘N Delicious pizza also has 25% less fat and 30 fewer calories per slic

A joint venture between Swedish-Danish dairy group Arla Foods and German sugar refiner Nordzucker AG has been cleared by the European Union.

The Natural Products Expo East show in held in Washington D.C. in September drew more than 20,000 attendees.