Food Institute News
UPCOMING EVENTS:
U.S. Food Labeling Seminar 2008 - Presented by The Food Institute
June 3, 2008 ** At The Marriott Newark Liberty International Airport Hotel, Newark, NJ ** 8:00AM-5:00PM
Featuring:
Robert Hahn, Esq., Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode
Matz PC
Elizabeth (Betty) Campbell, Vice President, EAS Consulting
LLC; former Acting Director Office of Food Labeling, FDA
This day-long seminar will update you about the latest developments impacting the labeling of food products, as well as provide an overview of the basics of food labeling. Learn what important changes in food labeling may lie ahead and could affect your products. Click here to register.
Health & Wellness: Opportunities for the Food Industry - A Webinar hosted by the Food Institute and Mintel
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 2pm (EST)
Join The Food Institute and Mintel for an insightful webinar that will explain how food manufacturers and marketers can target today's health & wellness oriented consumers. This webinar, led by Mintel's Lynn Dornblaser, will focus on health & wellness issues pertaining to food and beverage, revealing what drives consumer purchase behavior.
Better managing the integrity of the food supply from farm to fork is a complex issue that defies easy solutions, according to a recent Supermarket News roundtable featuring eight members of The Food Institute who cumulatively represent several different sides of the food safety issue. Balancing business interests with the perceptions and well-being of consumers is, in many ways, at the heart of contemporary food safety. Full Story
Is your business trending in the right direction?
A comprehensive analysis of your financial trends and a comparison of your performance to others in the food industry is now offered by The Food Institute in conjunction with the iLumen Financial Information Network. Register now to find out how you are performing and how you compare.
FI Members Only
For members only
The Food Institute's Article Index has been updated through Feb. 25, 2008! FI Members click here to search for articles that have appeared in the weekly Food Institute Report. Search by company or by subject. To learn about becoming a Food Institute Member, click here.If you're not a member, click here to sign up!
Our Mission Statement
The Food Institute:* Strives to be the best "single source" for current, timely and relevant information about the food industry from "farm to fork."
* Serves as a trusted source of information, providing balanced coverage of the issues.
* Delivers information through multiple media so that industry professionals worldwide can tap in when and how they choose.
Industry News
The global surge in food prices is being driven primarily by fundamental market conditions, claim economists in the latest Wall Street Journal forecasting survey. Some 51% of the respondents believe demand from China and India was the prime factor in soaring energy prices, and 41% claim demand was the chief contributor to rising food costs. Constraint in supply was cited second most often; 20% blamed supply problems for higher food prices, and 15% for increasing energy prices.
International News
China reported a deficit of $3.66 billion in agricultural product trade in the first quarter, against a surplus of $460 million for the same period of 2007. Exports reached $9.35 billion in the first three months, up 9.6% year on year, while imports surged 61% to $13.01 billion, according to statistics released by China's Ministry of Agriculture. Although no explanation was given for the deficit, a decrease in grain exports and soaring pork and oilseed imports could be contributing factors, reported China Daily.
Health News
Shoppers are opting to choose locally grown produce over organic alternatives, according to the Shopping for Health 2008 survey released by the Food Marketing Institute and Prevention. For example, when cost is the same, 50% of consumers say they would choose locally grown produce vs. organic (28%). Only 9% would choose a store-packaged alternative. "Shoppers' new interest in locally grown food reflects their strong desire to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables," said Cary Silvers, director of consumer insights for Rodale, the publisher of Prevention. "The battle between organic and locally grown represents who shoppers believe can deliver the freshest produce."
Washington News
Congressional negotiators reached a final agreement for the $300 billion Farm Bill, but White House and key conservatives continued to signal opposition to the legislation. President Bush vowed to veto the bill, claiming it is too expensive and too generous to wealthy farmers, reported The Associated Press.
Market News
After months of increases, the prices of rice, wheat and soybeans have fallen globally . The spot price of rice from Thailand dropped by close to 20% in the last two weeks after nearly tripling in the first four months of this year. Rice prices on American markets rose this week, but are down 10% from their high on Apr. 23. Similarly, despite jumps in the last few days, contracts for future delivery of American wheat and soybeans are down markedly from their highs in March, reported The New York Times on the Web.