Dairy

General Mills Incorporated (NYSE:GIS) (Minneapolis, Minnesota) has begun excavation in preparation for the expansion of a food processing plant in Murfeesboro, Tennessee. General Mills is investing $100 million to expand yogurt production at the facility, which also manufactures breakfast foods. Dubbed “Project Queen,” it is partly in response to double-digit rates of growth for yogurt products at grocery stores. …

Late last month, the Food and Drug Administration released a draft document outlining the agency’s strategic priorities and program goals for the next five years. Implementing a comprehensive food safety system that focuses on prevention and improved nutrition is listed as one of four key priorities. IDFA expects that issuing guidelines on front-of-package labeling and encouraging the food industry to reduce sodium content in products will be high on FDA’s to-do list in the coming year. …

Lifeway Foods, Inc., maker of the nutritious, probiotic dairy beverage, Kefir, today announced its support of the USDA’s recent decision to exempt Kefir beverages from the Class I milk classification. …

September was a good month for most milk-producing states, but not Wisconsin or Minnesota. …

Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) will host a live webcast of its third quarter earnings conference call on November 9 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Management will discuss the third quarter results, as well as comment on the forward outlook. A press release will be issued before the market opens on the same date. The webcast is expected to last approximately one hour and will be accessible by visiting the investor relations section of http://www.deanfoods.com and by clicking on “Webcasts.” …