Pasquale Conte has joined the company as executive vice president and chief financial officer.

The Kraft Heinz Co. is now the third-largest food and beverage company in North America.

Effective immediately, Chris Luke assumes the role of publisher of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, and Douglas J. Peckenpaugh takes on the responsibilities of chief editor.

We’re only halfway through the year, but we’ve uncovered so many interesting new snack and bakery products already that we can’t wait to share our favorites with you.

SARV Asia presents the SNACK INDIA Conference on July 18 at India International Centre, New Delhi.

Hillshire Brands Co. agrees to acquire Van’s Natural Foods from private equity firm Catterton Partners for $165 million. The purchase would broaden Hillshire’s portfolio of frozen food products and extend the company’s reach into gluten-free products, cereal and snack categories.

Shearer’s Foods, owned by Toronto-based Wind Point Partners, acquires the assets of Medallion Foods from Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods for $33.5 million. Medallion Foods produces value- and private-label, corn-based snack foods, including tortilla chips, corn chips and extruded corn products. ConAgra bought Medallion Foods as part of its purchase of Ralcorp Holdings Inc. in early 2013.

With March, the winds of change are here, and bakers and snack food companies may get the urge to make some updates to their operations, and do a little spring cleaning. One thing already budding in this issue is an unusual production process for bread. 

Frito-Lay’s Doritos brand partners with Taco Bell to bring two Doritos Locos Tacos (DLT) Tortilla Chips varieties to grocers’ snack aisles for a limited time.