Industry News

Consumers are altering their shopping behaviors as food and gasoline continue to grab a larger wallet share, according to TNS Retail Forward's American ShopperScape 2008. Shoppers are trading down to save money and seeking one-stop shopping venues and stores closer to home to save time and gasoline. Discount and value retailers are benefiting from an influx of cost-conscious shoppers at the expense of conventional and high-end retailers. In addition, store brands are benefiting at the expense of national brands. Full Story

A small but growing number of restaurateurs believe they can launch successful seafood chains in Dallas. For example, Neighborhood Ventures plans to open 10 Fish City Grill and Half Shells Seafood Grill restaurants in 2008 and 10 in 2009, and Dallas Restaurant Group plans to open three more Fish Express restaurants by the end of 2009, reported The Dallas Morning News. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Kum & Go LC will break ground on a new environmentally friendly convenience store in Johnston, IA. The new store will be the first Leadership in Energy & Environment Design (LEED) store for Kum & Go, and the first LEED c-store in the Midwest, according to the company. Full Story

Rise & Dine Restaurants, Inc. signed a 10-store agreement for Central Florida, its first entry into the state. Full Story

"PANKs," "professional aunt, no kids," is the new demographic marketers are targeting, reported The Charlotte Observer. "People are just starting to realize how huge this segment is," stated Melanie Notkin, founder of SavvyAuntie.com, which launched in August. Some 20% of women ages 40 to 44 were childless in 2006, a figure that doubled over the past three decades, according to a recent Census Bureau report on fertility. "Aunties have more discretionary income to indulge those nieces and nephews with gifts or activities," stated Ms. Notkin. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

International News

Kraft Foods Inc. will focus on 10 countries and 10 brands to expand internationally, rather than taking a blanket approach to launching U.S. brands overseas, the head of its international business told Reuters. China, Russia, Brazil, and Southeast Asia are the four "growth engines" in the 10 international markets Kraft plans to focus on, and the six other markets, Australia, the UK, Spain, France, Italy, and Germany are "scale markets," where annual sales are expected to grow 1% to 3%. The international unit should produce more than $18 billion in sales in 2008. Full Story

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is considering opening its first stores in Southeast Asia and expects to approach 10% growth in international sales to $100 billion this fiscal year despite a global economic slowdown, reported The Globe and Mail. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Chinese poultry meat will begin to appear in Europe as the result of an EU decision to lift a six-year import ban. The European Commission released a list of nine Chinese companies, all in the eastern Shandong Province, that were approved to export heat-treated poultry meat products to the EU. China's annual exports of heat-treated poultry products to the EU could reach 100,000 tons worth $1 billion, reported China Daily. Full Story

Health News

Antioxidant-rich foods, such as blueberries and artichokes, may help protect against macular degeneration. Antioxidants disrupt a link between two processes in the retina that, in combination, contribute to macular degeneration. Antioxidants also extend the lifetime of irreplaceable photoreceptors and other retinal cells, according to U.S. researchers, reported HealthDay. Full Story

Washington News

Schools can keep their budgets in the black while serving nutritious lunches, according to case studies evaluated in a USDA report, Balancing Nutrition, Participation, and Cost in the National School Lunch Program. Some schools succeeded by reducing costs, and others have raised revenues through increased student participation. Federal nutrition guidelines, meal reimbursement, and commodity donations can help schools meet their objectives, although variation in food prices and nutrition goals present added challenges. Full Story

USDA's Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) needs to collect and analyze a more representative sample of intact product during a foodborne illness investigation to be able to conclude whether contamination occurred at the establishment under investigation. In addition, FSIS should finalize and implement the new directive for investigating foodborne illnesses and the revised directive for handling recalls, according to an audit by USDA Office of the Inspector General: Food Safety and Inspection Service Recall Procedures for Adulterated or Contaminated Product. Full Report

Meanwhile, Food Safety and Inspection Service did not conduct a review of the interim final rule, Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products, in 2007 as stated in its amended schedule plan for reviewing regulations. Full Notice

Market News

Fewer people are ordering lobster due to the economy, driving down lobster prices and further impacting lobster fishermen encountering high fuel and bait costs. However, lobster fishermen are capturing large catches, and as a result, restaurants including Legal Sea Foods are being more creative with their lobster offerings, reported The New York Times on the Web. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

California's Imperial Valley farmers are preparing their fields to plant winter vegetable crops. Lettuce, carrots and other winter vegetables will be ready to market in December. Planted acreage is much lower than last year because there is not enough water available, reported California Farm Bureau.

Researchers hope to keep Oregon pear growers ahead of international competition by creating "flat" orchards. The orchards would be denser, with trees three times closer than they are now, and more compact, with trees eight to 10 ft. tall rather than the conventional 16 ft. Those growth characteristics and a trellising system would allow orchards to be tended without ladders, reported OregonLive.com. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

USDA amended the brucellosis regulations concerning interstate movement of cattle by changing the classification of Montana from Class Free to Class A. Full Notice

U.S. & Foreign Sales Leads

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