Creating a buzz throughout the global food industry, the H.J. Heinz Company and Kraft Foods Group, Inc. announced a merger deal Wednesday to create The Kraft Heinz Company financed in part by American business mogul Warren Buffet, becoming the third largest food and beverage company in North America.

The 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. board of directors named Carl Buell chair and elect­ed the 2015 officers: Ronald Schmidt, vice chair; Kenneth Anderson, secretary; and Dan Meyer, treasurer.

Morton Salt announced it is expanding its product offerings and capabilities in China through a strategic collaboration with Morton China National Salt (Shanghai) Salt Co. Ltd., a Chinese joint venture.

Consumers will have a new method of picking produce when shopping at Whole Foods Market which announced today the launch of a new Responsibly Grown tiered produce rating system to assess how eco-friendly a product’s growing practices are and the potential impact on human health.

The Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT) Global Food Traceability Center announced a new seafood traceability financial tool to assist those in the seafood industry understand the financial impact of implementing traceability.

Chick-fil-A restaurant chain founder Truett Cathy died at home Monday morning at the age of 93 surrounded by family.

In what will become the world’s third largest quick service restaurant (QSR) company, Burger King Worldwide Inc. and Tim Hortons Inc. have reached an agreement to create what the companies are calling a new “global powerhouse.”

The Hershey Company said Tuesday it will increase wholesale prices of its products an average of 8 percent to offset future increases in the costs of raw materials, packaging, fuel, utilities and transportation.

Scientists in the food industry are working to mask, block or distract from bitter tastes in foods in order to make them more palatable to consumers according to a presentation held during the 2014 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) annual meeting and food expo.

Five Washington-based food industry groups have issued a joint statement, urging US trade negotiators to continue to press Japan to open more of its agricultural markets to US exports.