CHICAGO – Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. said Tuesday that it is cutting the number of Wendy’s locations selling breakfast items and plans to relaunch the morning menu in 2011.

Roland Smith, president and chief executive officer, told the media that the company is also working on improving margins at Wendy’s restaurants. Smith also serves as the CEO of the Wendy’s brand.

Smith reportedly said that Wendy's would focus on the Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Phoenix markets this year with a revamped breakfast menu. After testing, it plans to relaunch breakfast nationally in 2011.

Wendy's/Arby's reported that it would reduce the number of Wendy's locations selling breakfast to between 450 and 475, down from 850.

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON – The American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) and the Animal Transportation Association (AATA) will host the Livestock Transportation Conference on March 17 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo.

The conference will precede the AMIF’s Animal Care and Handling Conference March 18 and 19.

Attendees will receive a educational agenda with sessions hosted by industry leaders. The conference is designed for members of the meat industry, livestock producers and transporters and anyone involved in the care and handling of livestock.

Some of the topics on the preliminary agenda include: Alberta livestock industry’s proactive approach to transportation welfare; transportation audits; how trucking companies manage the risk of unfit animals; how unfit animals leave plants vulnerable and cross-border collaboration between Canada and the United States among others.

Registration for this special conference is $175 for AMI and AATA members and $275 for non-members. To register, go to the Events/Education Section of www.meatami.com.

Source: American Meat Institute

WASHINGTON – The 48^th National Chicken Cooking Contest has finished regional judging and set the finalist for the grand prize.

“We have nine outstanding finalists, and we expect a very intense competition in the national showdown,” said contest director Nancy Tringali Piho.

The national cook-off will be held at the San Antonio campus of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. The nine contestants will prepare their dishes twice in a three-hour period, once for the judges and once for display. The winner of the grand prize and the $10,000 Judge’s Choice Award will be announced at an awards reception that evening at La Mansion Del Rio hotel.

The finalists were selected from a field of 51 semi-finalists, one from each state and the District of Columbia, who were chosen from thousands of entries from all over the country.   The regional judging events were held at facilities of member companies of the National Chicken Council, sponsor of the competition. The regionals were at Perdue Farms in Salisbury, Md.; Sanderson Farms in, Jackson, Miss.; Tyson Foods in Springdale, Ark.; and Foster Farms in Livingston, Calif.

Source: National Chicken Council