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Industry News
IMC Licensing entered into a representation
agreement with Roman Meal,
a producer of whole grain products, to develop a portfolio
of licensed food items. Initial categories may include
bagels, muffins, pizza crusts, baking mixes, whole grain
salty snacks and crackers, breakfast cereals, pastas
and frozen breakfast foods. Full
Story
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WMS Report: Is Your Warehouse
Ready for the Upswing? Three Steps to Take Now
You've been in maintenance mode for what seems
like years - are you sure your warehouse or DC
is ready for the economic recovery? Follow a three-step
action plan to prepare your business.
Download
your FREE copy
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Soup
sales are falling, with Citigroup reporting a 6.7% decline
for the 12 weeks ended Jan. 23 and a drop of 3.3% over
the 52-week period. Campbell's U.S. soup sales dropped
8% over the 12-week period compared with 2009, as ready-to-serve
soups such as the Chunky brand declined 18% due to a
lack of aggressive promotion, stated food industry consultant
Rick Shea. General Mills Inc.'s soup sales also fell
12.6% during the three-month period while ConAgra's
sales fell 14.1% in the segment, according to Nielsen
data, reported The Los Angeles Times. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Positioned
as a relatively inexpensive luxury, upscale coffee sales
continue to thrive even as many other industries
suffer from consumer cutbacks on nonessential purchases,
according to Packaged Facts' Coffee and Ready-to-Drink
Coffee in the U.S.: The Market and Opportunities in
Retail and Foodservice, 6th Edition report. Total
coffee market sales, including foodservice and retail,
rose to $48 billion in 2009, with annual growth of 4%
in 2008 and 2009. Sales in foodservice reached $42 billion,
accounting for 87% of the coffee market. Full
Story
Hispanic
shoppers tend to spend more on food consumed at home,
African-American shoppers tend to buy fewer items on
deals or with coupons and Asian-American consumers are
more likely to eat outside of the home, according to
The
 Nielsen
Co. Full
Story New!
Eating In, a Food Institute webinar
presented in cooperation with Willard Bishop and The
Coca-Cola Retailing and Research Council, will be
held Thursday, Apr. 15 at 12 p.m. (EST). The webinar
will highlight results from a study sponsored by the
Coca-Cola Retailing and Research Council - North America
using NPD Group data. A copy of the study will be available
for download upon webinar registration. To sign up,
learn more and download the study, click
here.
C-stores
including Wawa, QuikTrip, Quick Chek, Rutters and Sheetz
compete against the quick-casual segment by delivering
fresher food and coffee and more sophisticated  packaging
and accoutrements, according
to Tim Powell, senior manager and c-store program director
at Technomic Inc., who spoke at the annual American
Wholesale Marketers Association
show.
The executive noted that convenience
chains will continue to ramp up store designs and foodservice
areas, reported CSP Daily News. Full
Story
In
response to a recent Daily Brief survey, "Will the
shift toward more eating at home change as the economy
improves," 67% voted Yes and 33% voted No.
International News
A
mayor loyal to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, Amalia
Saez, ordered the expropriation of property owned by
food producer Empresas Polar, reported The Associated
Press. Full
Story
 BusinessWeek
examines Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's
takeovers of various food companies and industries.
Under state ownership, food production in the country
is declining. From 1999 to 2008, per capita, sugar cane
was off by 8%, fruit declined by 25% and beef production
dropped by 38%, according to Carlos Machado, an expert
in agriculture at the Institute of Higher Administrative
Studies. Full
Story
Health News
A
diet rich in berries may reduce levels of inflammatory
markers associated with liver
health and metabolic syndrome, claims a study published
in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
reported Food Navigator. Full
Story
Washington News
The Massachusetts state Senate approved
a bill that bans the sale of junk food and sugary drinks
in school vending machines
and school stores, reported The Boston Globe.
Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Georgia's House passed HB 883, a
food safety bill that would provide the Commissioner
of Agriculture with certain authority regarding safety
plans. Full
Story
Market News
Due to the recent earthquake in Chile,
Whole Foods Market is anticipating a significant
shortage of Chilean grapes that will extend through
early April and perhaps to May, according to Karen
Christensen, Whole Foods' Global Produce Buyer. Whole
Foods received reports that many cold storage facilities
and packing plants were destroyed. Full
Story
U.S. hog farmers halted reductions
in their breeding herds too soon and more cuts are
needed to keep supply and demand in balance, according
to Smithfield Foods Inc. CEO C. Larry Pope, reported
Bloomberg.com. Full
Story
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