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Industry News
Private label products may see a
dip in market share, as recent
food-price deflation is allowing brand-name manufacturers
to offer discounts. Private label firms also tend to
fare best when branded competitors are raising prices,
and recent declines in soft commodity prices may not
force branded manufacturers to do so. Input costs, a
small proportion of overall costs for major food producers,
also have a bigger influence on private label manufacturer's
margins, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full
Story (WSJ Subscription Required)
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Grocers and restaurant operators
will raise prices in 2010 as commodity costs rise,
but most of the increases are likely to be given back
to consumers as "special" discounts and coupons, according
to Bill Lapp, economist and president of Advanced Economic
Solutions, a speaker at the Reuters Food and Agriculture
Summit, reported Reuters. Full
Story
Organic foods and beverages are pulling
back from the increasing growth levels of recent
years and settling into a small niche space at mainstream
retailers, according to food industry executives and
analysts at the Reuters Food and Agriculture Summit,
reported Reuters. Full
Story
Rite Aid is accepting electronic
benefit transfer cards/food stamps provided through
the Supplemental  Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP). Full
Story
Casey's General Stores Inc. raised
prices on several foodservice products Mar. 1 "in
response to cost pressures and changes in the competitive
landscape," according to CFO Bill Walljasper. The increases
include: adding 10 cents to the cost of a slice of pizza;
adding 10 cents to the cost of doughnuts and cookies;
and adding four cents to the cost of refillable coffee,
reported CSP Daily News. Full
Story
 New
Product News: General Mills introduced Yoplait
Simply ... Go-Gurt, free of artificial colors, flavors
and sweeteners, in two flavors. Full
Story ... Nestle added two flavors to its
Lil' Drums Drumstick sundae cones line.
Full Story ... Borden Cheese added two varieties
to its Singles Sensations line of process cheese singles.
Full
Story ... HAPPYBABY launched the Easy Organic
Baby Food line in 14 flavors. Full
Story ... Green Mountain Coffee introduced
two K-Cup portion packs for the Keurig Single-Cup Brewers.
Full
Story ... Crispy Green Inc. added two flavors
to its FruitziO line of freeze-dried fruit. Full
Story
In response to a recent Daily Brief
survey, "Will the shift toward more eating at home
change as the economy improves," 68% voted Yes and
32% voted No.
International News
 A
U.S.-backed proposal to ban export of the Atlantic
bluefin tuna was overwhelmingly rejected at a UN
wildlife meeting, reported The Associated Press.
Full
Story
Coca-Cola Co. is attempting
to purchase a 75% stake in Russian fruit juice maker
Nidan Soki. Coke applied to the Russian antimonopoly
agency to buy a majority stake in the company from Lion
Capital, and the deal is likely to close in the late
third quarter or early fourth quarter, reported The
Wall Street Journal. Full
Story (WSJ Subscription Required)
Health News
High
consumption of high fructose corn syrup is associated
with liver scarring or fibrosis,
claims a study from the Duke University Medical Center,
reported Triangle Business Journal. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Washington News
The U.S. and China reached an agreement
to reopen the Chinese market to U.S. pork
and pork products. Full
Story
USDA's
Office of the Inspector General's (OIG) audit of National
Organic Program (NOP) program was released.
The
audit was conducted to assess the effectiveness of AMS's
corrective actions implemented in response to a prior
audit of NOP. AMS officials made improvements to the
program and implemented corrective actions for eight
of the 10 recommendations issued. However, NOP officials
still need to further improve program administration
and strengthen their management controls to ensure more
effective enforcement of program requirements when serious
violations, including operations that market product
as organic while under suspension, are found, noted
OIG. Full
Report
Market News
The cold weather in the Southeast
U.S. will likely increase Florida's blueberry crop 25%
over last year's figures,
according to Keith Mixon, president and CEO of SunnyRidge
Farm Inc., reported The Packer Online. Full
Story (Subscription Required)
The
46 grower-members of Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative
of Florida produced 2.7 million tons of sugarcane grown
on 62,436 acres in Palm Beach County during 2009-10,
an increase from 2.5 million tons produced last year.
Full
Story
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