Jack in the Box Appoints Lance Tucker as Permanent CEO

Jack in the Box Inc., one of the nation’s largest hamburger chains, has named Lance Tucker its permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. Tucker will also join the company’s Board of Directors.

Tucker had been serving as the company's interim CEO following the resignation of Darin Harris in February 2025. Prior to this role, he was Jack in the Box’s Chief Financial Officer.

“Lance brings decades of experience within the restaurant industry as well as a financial mind into the CEO role that is...

PODCAST: Agri-Food for Thought Ep 26 - M&A in the Global Agri-Food Industry, March 2025 Overview

Expana presents Agri-Food for Thought, the podcast series for agriculture and food professionals.

M&A in the global agri-food industry is an ongoing and very regular trend. Although many companies are putting the brakes on M&A as they face tariffs and market uncertainty, hundreds of deals continue to take place each month.

On today's episode of Agri-Food for Thought, we showcase selected mergers and acquisitions in the agri-food sector that took place in March 2025.

HPAI H5N1 Virus in Dairy Cattle – What We Know

In March 2024, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1), commonly referred to as bird flu, was confirmed in domestic U.S. livestock for the first time in a dairy operation in Texas. Since then, the virus has spread to 995 dairy operations across 17 states, raising widespread uncertainty throughout the dairy and livestock markets. Industry participants have raised concerns about the outbreak's potential impact on consumer perception and demand for dairy and meat products, though government agencies reiterate that the national food supply remains safe. Expana is closely monitoring the situation...

Cargill Kitchen Solutions Recalls 212,268 Pounds of Liquid Egg Products

Cargill Kitchen Solutions is recalling approximately 212,268 pounds of liquid egg products due to potential contamination with a cleaning solution containing sodium hypochlorite.

The recall was initiated after the company received a tip regarding the contamination. Following a thorough investigation, FSIS scientists determined that the use of the affected products poses negligible risk to health, resulting in a Class III recall.

The products were produced on March 12 and 13, 2025, and bear the establishment number "G1804" on the label. They were shipped...

Yum! Brands CEO Set to Retire in 2026

Yum! Brands has announced that David Gibbs, the company’s current Chief Executive Officer, will retire after nearly four decades of service. Gibbs, who became CEO in January 2020, has informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire in the first quarter of 2026.

In preparation for this transition, the Board has formed a succession planning committee tasked with identifying and appointing Gibbs’ successor. Gibbs will remain with the company throughout the search process and until his retirement.

Under Gibbs' leadership, Yum! Brands saw remarkable growth...

ANALYSIS: Lowest February Pork Cold Storage on Record

In February 2025, total pork stocks in cold storage reached 423.1 million pounds, rising 15.9 million pounds (3.9%) from January but still down 35.5 million pounds (-7.75%) from February 2024, marking the lowest February figure with data going back to 1999. This reflects a moderate seasonal rebuild yet continued tightness compared to historical levels.

Total hams increased 4.2 million pounds (5.3%) from January and 13.1 million pounds (18.63%) from last year. Belly stocks rose 6.9 million pounds (16.5%) month-over-month but remain 15.2 million pounds (-23.8%) below...

Jollibee Premieres Its NEW 100% Certified Angus Beef® Burgers

Jollibee has announced the nationwide launch of its new menu items. The global restaurant, renowned for its fried chicken, aims to appeal to meat lovers with its new 100% Certified Angus Beef® burgers: the Angus Cheeseburger, Angus Deluxe Burger, and Angus Aloha Burger.

Jollibee highlights that these new offerings will set a new standard of quality in the quick-service industry, while reinforcing its commitment to value.

"We're confident that our trio of new premium Angus burgers will be...

ANALYSIS: The Perfect Storm Drives Jumbo Boneless Chicken Breast Prices

Current chicken boneless breast meat prices are well above the 5-year average and are quickly approaching record highs. With year-to-date (YTD) ready-to-cook production at an all-time high, it raises the question: what is driving prices upward? As discussed in several market conversations, there is a perfect storm of factors pushing prices higher—even amid record production.

The first component to consider when analyzing the upward-trending market is current demand. Per capita consumption forecasts from the USDA estimate... 

ANALYSIS: EU Shell Egg Market Stabilises Following Six-Week Price Rally

The European Union's shell egg market has experienced a notable shift last week, marking the end of a six-week price rally. After a sustained period of price increases, the market has now reached a point of stabilisation, driven by a combination of slowing demand and improving supply conditions. Despite this stabilisation, prices remain historically high, with record-high values observed across all housing types.

In the retail sector, buyers are adopting a cautious approach due to the elevated prices. Many retailers...

ANALYSIS: Cage-Free Price Decline Grinds to a Halt

Cage-free egg market movement has stalled following a 41% drop to $5.78/dozen in March. Now that supply volumes are more closely aligned with renewed consumer demand, most activity is occurring near supportive levels – a dramatic change in pace given the market's recent volatility.

Retail demand has started to pick up this week, driven in part by modest declines in shelf prices. Most notably, upcoming April features have led some retailers to pull well above average volumes from suppliers, reducing the amount of product available on the open market...

Idaho Smokehouse Partners Recalls Nearly 30,000 Pounds of Meat Sticks Contaminated with Metal

Today, FSIS announced a recall by Idaho Smokehouse Partners, LLC, a Shelley, Idaho-based company, for approximately 29,541 pounds of ready-to-eat beef stick products that may be contaminated with metal.

The affected items are 1.15-ounce vacuum-sealed packages of “CHOMPS ORIGINAL BEEF STICK MILD,” with an expiration date of 02-10-2026 and lot code 25016 printed on the label. The products also bear the establishment number “6220A” ink-jetted on the package.

These beef sticks were produced...

Applegate Achieves Milestone in Regenerative Sourcing Nine Months Early

Hormel Foods’ natural and organic meat brand, Applegate, announced it has achieved its goal of sourcing 100% of the beef for its hot dog brands from certified regenerative grasslands — nine months ahead of schedule.

As of today, every Applegate Organics® The Great Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog and Applegate Naturals® Beef Hot Dog is sourced exclusively from verified regenerative farms certified by Regenerative Organic Certification, Land to Market, and Certified Regenerative (endorsed by Certified Humane®).

This achievement has contributed to the transition of...

Tim Hortons® Appoints Naira Saeed as New Chief Operating Officer

Tim Hortons® announced today Naira Saeed as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), overseeing restaurant and field operations, franchising and development across Canada.

Saeed began her career working in capital markets, including at the Bank of Canada, before joining Tim Hortons in 2017 as the brand’s Head of Finance. In the eight years since, Saeed has led a number of the teams responsible for restaurant operations, franchising and franchisee profitability.

Saeed will continue to report to and work closely with Axel Schwan, President of...

ANALYSIS: UK’s Ongoing Measures Against Bluetongue

The UK government has been actively working to restrain the spread of Bluetongue among its herds, taking measures through restriction zones, pre-movement virus tests and licensing requirements. The latest effort is a vaccination cost calculator tool created by the AHDB on March 18, as part of the Battle Bluetongue vaccination campaign that launched in February 2025. The online tool aims to help farmers and vets make informed decisions about vaccinations by calculating the risk costs of Bluetongue against the monetary benefits of vaccinating...

ANALYSIS: US Egg Market Grapples with Volatility Amid Historic Supply Lows and Demand Swings

The US egg market continues to contend with significant volatility, shaped by historically low production levels and sharp demand fluctuations. The USDA reported on Friday that the national layer flock stands at 285 million head, marking the lowest count for the month of March since 2009. Over the past decade, the average March flock size has been 321 million, highlighting the severity of the current underproduction.

This supply-side constraint is largely due to the ongoing impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza...

Kroger Responds to Albertsons’ Lawsuit, Files Counterclaims

Kroger has announced that it has filed its formal answer and counterclaims in response to Albertsons' lawsuit, which was brought before the Delaware Court of Chancery following the termination of the proposed merger.

On December 11, 2024, Albertsons called off its bid to merge with Kroger after a two-year effort, subsequently filing a suit alleging breach of contract in connection with the collapse of the deal. 

Today, Kroger issued a statement revealing that it had filed its answer and counterclaims. The company asserts that while it was diligently working to secure regulatory...

ANALYSIS: Turkey Poult Supply Shrinks in 2025

In what has been a continuation of the established trajectory, turkey poult placements in 2025 are trending notably below the 5-year average for both hen and tom poults, as depicted in the chart. This decline reflects ongoing challenges within the industry, primarily driven by persistent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and the growing presence of Avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV). HPAI continues to significantly disrupt operations through forced depopulations, movement restrictions, and prolonged farm downtimes, all of which have reduced the availability of breeder stock and subsequently limited poult supply...

ANALYSIS: Argentina Beef Exports Up 7.5% MoM in February, Down 27.5% YoY

Following record volumes in 2024, Argentina’s beef exports declined notably in early 2025. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Census, shipments in February totaled 50,080 metric tons (mt), up 7.2% from January but still 27.5% lower Y-o-Y. The monthly recovery was supported by stronger exports to secondary markets in Europe, such as the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy, as well as to the US and Brazil. Although volumes to China also posted a modest increase, they remained considerably below 2024 levels, continuing...

The Retail Rundown: 20th Power of Meat Report Reveals Record-Breaking Meat Sales

The 2025 Power of Meat Study was unveiled this week at the Annual Meat Conference in Orlando, Florida, where Anne-Marie Roerink, Principal at 210 Analytics, shared key insights into shoppers' evolving meat and poultry purchasing habits. Here are some key takeaways from the study's 20th edition: 

Meat sales reach new heights 

This year’s report, released by the Meat Institute and The Food Industry Association (FMI), revealed that the meat department set a new sales record in 2024, reaching $105 billion in total...