Industry News

Restaurant industry performance remained sluggish in July, as the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of restaurant activity stood below 100 for the ninth consecutive month. The Association's Restaurant Performance Index stood at 98.3 in July, unchanged from its June level. Full Story

Consumer Food Spending and the Changing Economy Although the slumping economy is impacting the restaurant industry and restaurant growth is forecast at the lowest level since 1991, concepts that offer unique and resonating value equation can find success, noted Kevin Higar, Senior Manager of Technomic Inc. during the Consumer Spending and the Changing Economy webinar presented by Technomic Inc. and The Food Institute. Additionally, opportunities to increase menu prices do exist, as not all menu price elasticities are created equal. Meanwhile, supermarkets can benefit from trading down, noted Ron Paul, President of Technomic. If you missed the webiner, but would like to purchase a recording of the event, click here.

Although products from cloned animals cannot be sold directly to consumers, products from their offspring are entering the U.S. food supply, albeit in very small quantities, reported The Wall Street Journal. FDA stated that such products are safe to eat; however, the agency reportedly received some 150,000 letters opposing doing so without some label requirements. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required)

CKE Restaurants, Inc. sold 29 Hardee's restaurants as part of its ongoing strategic refranchising program that was originally announced in April 2007. To date, CKE sold 224 restaurants to franchisees and secured commitments for 105 new franchise restaurants under development agreements for those markets. CKE most recently completed the sale of 23 restaurants in Indiana and Ohio to Midwest First Star Inc., which also committed to build a minimum of seven new Hardee's restaurant locations over the next seven years in these markets. Full Story

Many school foodservice operators are exceeding local and federal nutrition requirements. For example, the New York City Department of Education, which serves more than 860,000 meals each day, reformulates products constantly to boost their nutritional value, reported Restaurants & Institutions. Full Story

With food prices rising and packages shrinking, parents are changing their food-buying habits to keep costs down. For example, some children will receive baggies full of snacks like home-packed chips and crackers instead of prepackaged ones, reported CBSNEWS.com. Full Story

International News

The proposed EU regulation on food labeling is too complicated, makes unrealistic demands on font size, and will be burdensome for SMEs, according to a Brussels hearing on food information regulation. The different sides of the industry generally agreed that the proposal makes food labeling more complicated rather than simpler, reported Food Navigator Europe. Full Story

Britian imports poultry, lamb, and beef at the same rate as it exports the products. Part of the explanation lies in different national tastes, as British consumers prefer the white meat of chickens to the darker legs and wings, so the latter are exported to parts of Europe, while white meat is imported from as far away as Thailand, reported Financial Times. Full Story

Supermarkets are offering too many promotions for fatty or sugary foods, British campaigners claim. The National Consumer Council went into eight chains and found over half of promotions were for unhealthy foods, double the level seen in 2006, reported BBC News. Full Story

Health News

Concentrated freeze-dried extracts from black raspberries may help prevent certain cancers, suggests a new Ohio State study using rats. Over 2,000 genes were affected in animals when they were exposed to a carcinogen, but normal function was restored in 460 after supplementation with freeze-dried black raspberries. Full Story

Washington News

The government can prohibit meat packers from testing their animals for mad cow disease, according to a ruling from a federal appeals court, reported The Wichita Eagle. Creekstone Farms Premium Beef sued USDA for the right to do the testing. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned a lower court ruling that would have cleared the way for the testing. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Market News

California's contracted processing tomato production is forecast at 11.6 million tons, down 1% from the May forecast and 3% below the 2007 season. This year's processing tomato crop is about a week behind schedule, and frosty weather in mid-April caused spot damage in tomato plants in some growing areas. Dry conditions and high winds during the spring delayed fruit setting. Full Report

The drought-stricken Southeast U.S. received several inches of rain last month, reducing the potential of a disastrous season. The rain helped tobacco, cotton, peanuts, and hay, which are heading toward harvest, according to the South Carolina Agriculture Department, reported TheState.com. Full Story

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.'s Matson Global Distribution Services subsidiary completed the acquisition of Pacific American Services, LLC, a regional, asset-light warehousing, packaging, and distribution company. Full Story

NMFS prohibited directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. Full Notice

U.S. & Foreign Sales Leads

USDA offers to purchase beef for processing. Offers are due by 1:30 p.m. (CT), Sept. 5. View Details