Tyson Foods Inc. Chairman John Tyson today said the company's board of directors selected Donnie Smith as the meat and poultry company's president and chief executive officer, effectively immediately.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., New York, N.Y., said it will partner with The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. and its affiliate Hain Pure Protein Corporation to introduce a new Martha Stewart-branded food line at retail.

Poultry giant Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, Pittsburg, Texas, and several of its subsidiaries will file a joint plan of reorganization and disclosure statement under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.

With retailers holding ready-to-eat meat and poultry processors to relatively defined price levels, the only way to effectively increase profit margins is to lower production cost without sacrificing food quality or safety.

A Wall Street Journal article says Brazilian processor JBS SA, parent company of JBS Swift, is about to pay $2 billion to acquire poultry giant Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.

Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P., New York, N.Y., said it purchased a controlling 51 percent interest in Hain Pure Protein Corp.

Wayne Farms LLC, Oakwood, Ga., said it expects by the end of July to phase out further-processed poultry operations at its Douglas, Ga., site.

Pilgrim's Pride Corp., Pittsburg, Texas, said it will close its Dalton, Ga., chicken processing plant within 60 days and consolidate production into the company's Chattanooga, Tenn., operation.

After several rounds of reported negotiations, Pilgrim's Pride Corp., Pittsburg, Texas, said it agreed to sell its Farmerville, La., chicken complex for $80 million to Foster Farms.

For frozen chicken products purveyor Barber Foods, migrating to SAP R/3 put several related projects on the IT team’s plate.