FOOD

State to Help Retrain Granny Goose Workers: In a continuing effort to maintain long-term secure jobs in Oakland, a state agency is footing the bill for a job-retraining program at Granny Goose Foods Inc., California’s largest snack food producer. The California Employment Training Panel is giving $710,084 to retrain 445 employees in a move it says will help Granny Goose compete better on the national market. The program will involve classes in team building, production techniques, management skills, computer training and customer relations. Granny Goose was purchased last year by an Oakland entrepreneur just days before the plant was expected to close. The Oakland Redevelopment Agency gave the 50-year-old company $2.25 million last year to prevent it from closing and eliminating 500 jobs.