Baskin-Robbins Has Got Game

With rival chains growing like mad, Baskin-Robbins plans to  add about 1,600 shops over the next four years. The bulk of the growth will occur outside the U.S., where Baskin-Robbins already has 3,000 of its 5,600 stores.

J&J Gets Cool

J&J Snack Foods has acquired the Whole Fruit Sorbet and Fruit-a-Freeze Fruit Bars brands from CoolBrands.  J&J is the maker of Luigi’s Real Italian Ice, and Minute Maid Juice Bars.

DFA Plant Shut Down

Dairy Farmers of America has idled its cheese plant in Lovington, N.M., saying the 12-year-old operation had failed to achieve a financially viable status. Production was to be transferred to other DFA plants last month. 

Flavor Symposium in the Netherlands

The 5th Nizo Dairy Conference: Prospects for Flavour Formation and Perception will be held June 13-15 in Papendal, the Netherlands. Find out more at www.nizodairyconf.elsevier.com.

Tillamook’s McMullen Joins Kettle Foods

Former Tillamook Cheese CEO Jim McMullen is now v.p. of operations at Kettle Foods, an Oregon-based maker of natural and organic potato chips.

Danone’s Dairy Sales Climb 12%

Groupe Danone says its sales rose 3.9% in the first quarter to $4.98 billion. Fresh dairy product sales were up12% to $2.92 billion.