Conagra Brands' transformation seen accelerating

"Transforming Conagra is a multiyear effort, not a flip of the switch," says Sean Connolly, president and CEO of Conagra, a CPG brand that in recent years has acquired Blake's and Duke's as part of an effort to jump start innovation. Read more at Food Business News...

Snack bar company Kind explores stake sale: sources

Citing unnamed sources, Reuters reports that Kind has hired investment banks to advise on a minority stake sale, potentially to a corporate partner like a big food company. According to the sources, the transaction would value the company at more than $3 billion. Read more at Reuters...

How Kroger can combat Amazon's onslaught 

Some industry watchers think Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods could be especially challenging for Kroger and its nearly 2,800 stores. Part of the reason is that Amazon could lower prices for Whole Foods, up its selection of groceries and gain valuable consumer insight. But it's still unknown whether Amazon wants to build or acquire more brick-and-mortar stores, or focus more on digital. Read more at USA Today...

Campbell's acquisition represents overall industry M&A trend

Campbell's $700 million acquisition of Pacific Foods—its first since 2015—will accelerate its efforts to meet customer demand for healthier foods. According to the Food Institute, the first half of 2017 saw more than 270 food industry acquisitions. Read more at Food Institute Blog...

Judge overturns Utah's 'ag-gag' ban on undercover filming at farms

In 2012, Utah enacted a law that banned secretly filming farms and slaughterhouses, but now a federal judge has ruled that the law is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment's free-speech protections. This is the second time a federal court has overturned such a ban; in 2015, a district court ruled Idaho's ag-gag law unconstitutional. Read more at NPR...