TOP STORIES

Beyond Meat Debuts Beyond Chicken Tenders at Various Restaurants

Beyond Meat Inc. said its Beyond Chicken Tenders are now available in nearly 400 U.S restaurants.

This year, Beyond Meat announced agreements with McDonald's Corp. and Yum! Brands. In contrast, the new product is launching at a slew of smaller restaurants, such as Detroit Wing Co., Fire Wings, Milwaukee Burger Co., Flyrite Chicken and Melt Bar and Grilled.

Ingredients include fava beans and peas. Beyond Meat and others seeking mass-market appeal have emphasized taste rather than a niche "eat-your-vegetables" approach. Beyond Meat said its tenders have a "crispy, golden outside immediately followed by a flavorful, juicy inside." It also notes that "consumer demand for chicken is continuing to skyrocket--in fact, chicken is so in-demand that the nation is currently facing a shortage."

Global Food Prices Fall For First Time in a Year

Global food prices fell in June for the first time in 12 months, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization said Thursday, halting a long-running uptick that had prompted concerns about food security in the poorest nations.

The FAO's Food Prices Index fell to 2.5% from its May level to 124.6 points. That marked the first monthly decrease in a year for the benchmark index, which nonetheless remains almost 34% higher than its June 2020 level.

STORIES OF INTEREST

Papa John's Unveils New Hiring, Referral and Appreciation Bonuses

Papa John's International Inc. said it expects to invest about $2.5 million in employee initiatives during the remainder of 2021.

The pizza-restaurant company unveiled new hiring, referral and appreciation bonuses for its about 14,000 front-line employees in its corporate restaurants and supply chain. Papa John's said it also plans to make additional investments in its full-time staff in its higher volume company-owned stores to support continued growth.

FUTURES MARKETS

Livestock Futures Slide -- Market Talk

1433 ET - Live cattle futures extend losses, falling 1.1% as traders seem to burn some of the bullishness built into prices in past sessions. Seasonal weakness is to be expected for beef in July, Top Third says. Hogs close stable, after Wednesday's decline. "The charts are flirting with some support," Top Third says, noting that "it seems like bears are gaining more leverage every day." (paulo.trevisani@wsj.com; @ptrevisani)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

07-08-21 1756ET