| Industry
News The
Daily Brief, which was brought to you by BNP Media and The Food Institute, will
cease publication on Feb. 28, 2011. The Food Institute
knows that the Daily Brief is a valuable daily resource that you depend on and
we do offer alternative electronic newsletters. A subscription to Today
In Food, a robust alternative to the Daily Brief, is available
for only $49.95 per year. Daily Brief readers who subscribe to Today In Food
by Mar. 18 will receive a Second Year for Free - two years for the price
of one! So Why Wait? Click
here to take advantage of this special offer. Wal-Mart
Stores Inc. plans to launch a small-format store called Wal-Mart Express.
The concept will debut in its second quarter and will be targeted to urban and
rural locations, reported Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Full
Story (Free Registration Required) 
New!
The Food Institute reports on price increases in the Feb. 24 edition of
the Lempert Report, hosted by Phil Lempert. Click
here to view. Coca-Cola Co. plans
to offer its beverages in a variety of package sizes in the U.S. to boost
pricing power as a result of higher commodity costs and price-sensitive consumers.
Coke began pilot testing 1.25-liter bottles of its Coke brand  at
supermarkets in some parts of the country at a price of 99 cents, and raised prices
for two-liter bottles in those markets after previously offering them as low as
99 cents, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full
Story (WSJ Subscription Required) The Coca-Cola
Company and H.J. Heinz Company entered into a strategic partnership that enables
Heinz to produce its ketchup bottles using Coca-Cola's PlantBottle packaging.
Heinz will launch PlantBottle in all 20-oz. ketchup bottles in June, with 120
million PlantBottle packages planned for 2011. The Coca-Cola Company will use
more than five billion during the same time. Full
Story Bubba burger will develop Original Bubba
burger Grill restaurants. Following the chain's initial four units currently
under development in Jacksonville, FL, Bubba burger Grill plans to grow across
the country through traditional  restaurant
locations as well as food courts, airport locations, college campuses and sporting
venues. Full
Story The company took over former Times Grill restaurants, reported
Jacksonville Business Journal. Full
Story (Free Registration Required) "Better
burger" restaurants constitute about 3% of the $65 billion burger market in
the U.S. but their share is growing at about 25% each year, according to Technomic.
New Jersey will see more than a dozen new openings from a number of "better
burger" chains in 2011, including Smashburger, Elevation Burger, Zinburger,
Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Cheeburger Cheeburger, reported The Star-Ledger.
Full
Story (Free Registration Required) International
News Dunkin' Donuts signed an agreement with Jubilant
FoodWorks Ltd. to enter India. The master franchise
agreement calls for Jubilant FoodWorks to develop, sub-franchise and operate more
than 500 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants throughout the country over the next 15 years.
The first Dunkin' Donuts locations are expected to open by early 2012. Full
Story 
Wendy's
International, Inc. signed a long-term agreement with Wenphil Corporation to
expand Wendy's brand presence in the Philippines. The new agreement with Wenphil
calls for the development of 44 additional restaurants, which would increase the
total number of Wendy's locations in the country to 75. Full
Story Washington
News Panera
Bread Co. agreed to pay $5.75 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought
by shareholders who alleged the chain misled investors about the success of its
Crispani pizza, a product Panera discontinued in 2008, reported STLToday.com.
Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
| Recording
Now Available for Purchase! The Food Institute presented Understanding
the New Food Safety Legislation, a webinar designed for those who want and
need to understand the impact of the new food safety legislation. John W. Bode,
Principal at Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz PC, and Dr. David William Kennedy
Acheson, Managing Director, Food and Import Safety Practice, at Leavitt Partners
were the speakers. To purchase the recording and learn more, click
here. | | Florida
Sen. Gary Siplin (D-Orlando) will introduce the Healthy Schools for Healthy
Lives Act, proposed by the state's agriculture commissioner, to help improve
school districts' access to local produce. The act would increase coordination
between businesses providing fresh produce and the state's school foodservice
programs by using the ag department's existing relationships and distribution
networks, reported The Packer. Full
Story (Subscription Required) Market
News The early February freeze in Mexico created challenges
for green onions. The freeze, coupled with a slew of
recent storms and cold weather, slowed the crop for Ocean Mist Farms, which sources
from the Mexicali Valley of Baja California in Mexico, reported The Packer
Online. Full
Story (Subscription Required) As a result of the freezes and higher
prices, Whataburger is replacing round tomatoes on hamburgers with oval-shaped
Roma tomatoes and Jason's Deli is using conventional lettuce instead of organic
greens. One cafe owner in Texas is paying almost triple for a case of carrots
and expects to pay triple for eggplant and double for cabbage, reported Houston
Chronicle. Full
Story (Free Registration Required) 
About
8,569 U.S. farm operations produce their own renewable energy, according to
USDA's 2009 On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Survey. Solar panels were
the most prominent way to produce on-farm energy. In 2009, farmers on 7,968 operations
reported using photovoltaic and thermal solar panels. The use of wind turbines
was reported by farmers on 1,420 operations across 48 states. Full
Story | 
