Industry News

Wal-Mart customers are purchasing items at the store to sustain their standard of living while cutting back on other activities, according to chief marketing officer Stephen Quinn. For instance, Ben & Jerry's ice cream sales are up, as premium ice cream is still cheaper than going to an ice cream parlor, reported AZCentral.com. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

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.

More than 1,000 shops, groceries, cafes, and restaurants now sell gelato, according to PreGel America chief executive Marco Casol. Sales at the wholly owned subsidiary of one of Italy's gelato ingredient suppliers has grown 30 to 35% annually since 2002, reported The New York Times on the Web. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Cefiore Italian Frozen Yogurt is seeking franchisees to open stores in numerous U.S. cities, including New York, Dallas, Kansas City, and San Francisco. The company currently has more than 30 locations across seven states and three countries. Full Story

A new smoothie and juice bar concept called Roxberry Juice was launched by Brad Davis, a former Zuka and Jamba Juice executive. Roxberry Juice opened its first store in March in American Fork, UT and will open four more stores in the state by the first quarter of 2009. Full Story

Some 89% of consumers use coupons, according to research from the Promotion Marketing Association's Coupon Council. Some 97% of primary shoppers use coupons at supermarkets, and report an average of 7% savings on their grocery bill when they are utilized. The typical family saves between $5.20 and $9.60 per week using coupons. Full Story

International News

Food prices in UK supermarkets and shops increased 8.3% since January, according to an index compiled for the BBC. Meat and fish, up 22.9%, registered the biggest price increases for any one category in the survey. Fresh fruit and vegetables increased 14.7%, reported BBC News. Full Story

The number of Japanese food-safety violation cases is surging, according to a report released by the National Police Agency. The number of food-safety cases involving questioning, arrest or referral to prosecutors totaled 29 during the January-June period, a pace likely to surpass the record of 52 set in 2007, reported The Japan Times. Full Story

Health News

A diet deficient in vitamin B can cause cognitive dysfunction and significantly reduce learning capacity, according to American scientists in research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reported Food Navigator USA. Full Story, Full Study

Washington News

The Mexican government suspended voluntarily shipments of meat and processed poultry after U.S. officials reported misgivings about the quality of Mexican food processing and inspections, according to an Agriculture Department official, reported The Associated Press. Full Story

 

Market News

Florida tomato growers will embark on a $1.2 million marketing campaign in an effort to restore public confidence eroded by this summer's salmonella outbreak. More than three months after FDA first told consumers to stop eating certain kinds of tomatoes, industry growers and distributors claim business is still down as much as 20% from pre-outbreak levels. While the impact of the salmonella outbreak is hard to quantify, sales volumes for Florida tomatoes sold in June reflect a dramatic drop as consumer demand ground to a halt. While Florida tomato growers sold 1.67 million tomatoes during the week of June 1, the following week that number was cut in half and by the week of June 15 that number fell to 191,958, reported Miami Herald. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

After surpassing the 1.0 million metric ton level for the first time in 2007, Canadian broiler chicken production in 2008 is on pace to reach a record 1,030,000 metric tons, almost 2.5% above last year's level. Strong domestic demand for chicken at both retail and foodservice is expected to propel total Canadian broiler chicken production to at least 1,060,000 metric tons during 2009, according to a report from USDA. Full Report

The directed fishery for butterfish in the Exclusive Economic Zone will be closed effective Sept. 5, 2008. Full Notice