NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) – Smithfield Foods Inc,
the largest U.S. hog producer, has hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc
to help it weigh options after a key shareholder urged
the company to break up, according to four people familiar with
the matter.

Continental Grain, an agribusiness company which controls
about 6 percent of Smithfield, said in a letter earlier this
month that Smithfield should hire an independent bank to help it
analyze options including splitting into three companies,
instituting a cash dividend or bringing on new board members and
executives with new skills.

By Martinne Geller

(Reuters) – General Mills Inc (GIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) forecast a decline in quarterly earnings on Wednesday because of increased spending on in-store merchandising of its foods, which range from Cheerios cereal to Haagen Dazs ice cream.

The company, whose shares fell slightly in premarket trading, reported a higher-than-expected profit for the third quarter ended on February 24, but lifted its full-year outlook only slightly due to the higher costs this quarter.

By Martinne Geller and Lisa Baertlein

(Reuters) – The Dow Jones industrial average is at an all-time high, the U.S. jobless rate has fallen to a four-year low and the housing market is seeing a recovery, but for many lower income and middle class Americans, the improving economy has yet to take hold.

Instead, they are anxious enough about higher gasoline prices and a payroll tax increase to slash their spending.

NEW YORK, March 12 (Reuters) – Dean Metropoulos may not be a
household name, but the food industry veteran’s reach extends
from the pantry to the refrigerator to the freezer.

Metropoulos, who works with his sons Daren and Evan, has
teamed up with longtime partner Apollo Global Management
to buy some snack cake brands from bankrupt Hostess Brands Inc
. Hostess said on Monday that their $410 million bid
was unrivaled, paving the way for the sale of Twinkies, Ding
Dongs and Cupcakes once a U.S. bankruptcy court approves.

By Martinne Geller and Lisa Baertlein

(Reuters) – The Dow Jones industrial average is at an all-time high, the jobless rate has fallen to a four-year low and the housing market is seeing a recovery, but for many lower income and middle class Americans, the improving economy has yet to take hold.

Instead, they are anxious enough about higher gasoline prices and a payroll tax increase to slash their spending.

March 12 (Reuters) – The Dow Jones industrial average is at
an all-time high, the U.S. jobless rate has fallen to a
four-year low and the housing market is seeing a recovery, but
for many lower income and middle class Americans, the improving
economy has yet to take hold.

Instead, they are anxious enough about higher gasoline
prices and a payroll tax increase to slash their spending.

By Phil Wahba and Martinne Geller

(Reuters) – Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd said on Friday that 108 people fell sick with a gastrointestinal illness believed to be a norovirus on its Vision of the Seas ship, which docked in Port Everglades, Florida, at the end of an 11-day trip.

The outbreak was the latest black eye for the cruise industry, trying to regain its sea legs after several high-profile mishaps.

March 8 (Reuters) – Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd said
on Friday that its Vision of the Seas ship arrived in Port
Everglades, Florida after 108 people fell sick with a
gastrointestinal illness believed to be caused by a norovirus.

Royal Caribbean shares were down 2.9 percent at $34.35 in
afternoon trading, while Carnival shares slipped 1.5 percent to
$35.69.

By Martinne Geller

(Reuters) – Monster Beverage Corp, defending its Monster Energy drinks from mounting criticism about potential health risks, said on Monday its medical investigators found no evidence that the drinks caused the death of a 14-year-old girl.

The family of Maryland teenager Anais Fournier sued the company last year after she died of cardiac arrest that her parents blamed on “caffeine toxicity” after she drank two Monster Energy drinks in a 24-hour period.

By Martinne Geller

(Reuters) – Monster Beverage Corp, defending its Monster Energy drinks from mounting criticism about potential health risks, said on Monday its medical investigators found no evidence that the drinks caused the death of a 14-year-old girl.

The family of Maryland teenager Anais Fournier sued the company last year after she died of cardiac arrest her parents blamed on “caffeine toxicity” after she drank two Monster Energy drinks on consecutive days.