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Industry
News
Sales of organic foods and beverages
are expected to average about 18% growth through 2010,
although growth recently slowed because of the economy.
In addition, new customers are tougher to attract, given
that organics can cost 10% to 50% more than non-organic
rivals, reported USA Today. Full
Story
Many restaurant chains plan to keep
absorbing some or all of rising food costs, risking
further impact to their margins in order to keep attracting
cost-conscious customers. Restaurant food costs were
up more than 8% in the first half of the year; however,
menu prices increased only about 4% in the first seven
months of 2008. For example, Starbucks Corp is planning
no increases for its upcoming fiscal year ending September
2009 and Chipotle limited its menu price rise to 4%
so far this year, even though its food costs are among
the highest in the industry, reported Reuters.
Full
Story
ConAgra Foods began using between
30% and 40% post-consumer recycled plastic in nearly
all of its frozen meal trays for Healthy Choice,
Banquet, Kid Cuisine and Marie Callender's products.
By incorporating post-consumer recycled plastic in its
frozen meal trays, ConAgra estimates it will eliminate
about eight million pounds of plastic from going to
landfills, save 236 million BTUs of energy, and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 15,200 tons of CO2 per year.
Full
Story
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Stevia-based
sweeteners could give new life to the U.S. beverage
industry, said John Sicher, editor and publisher
of Beverage Digest. Coke and Pepsi, working with
food products partners, took steps earlier this year
that could pave the way for stevia-based sweeteners
in beverages. Coke and Pepsi are keeping quiet about
what drinks could get the new sweeteners, but Coke could
have a soft drink with its stevia-based sweetener on
the market by the end of the year, a person with knowledge
of the situation said. Pepsi is launching this month
in Peru a version of SoBe Life that uses its stevia-based
sweetener, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Latest
sales & earnings for food related companies
(Updated Daily)
Frutarom
will seek out new acquisitions in the second half
of 2008, after another strong quarter in which it experienced
the benefits of the seven businesses it acquired in
2007, according to president and CEO Ori Yehudai, reported
Beverage Daily. Full
Story
Dunkin'
Donuts will expand to 14 locations across the U.S.:
Harrisonburg and Bluefield, WV; Florida Keys; Erie,
PA; Bowling Green, KY; Lima and Zanesville, OH; Columbus-Jefferson
City and Ottumwa, MO; Jonesboro, AR; Jackson, TN; and
Paducah, KY. Full
Story
SYSCO
and Dezina Marketing, Inc. entered into a joint venture
to sell groceries online. The venture marks SYSCO's
first foray into online grocery marketing to individual
consumers. Full
Story
 Salsa
maker Garden Fresh Gourmet Inc., which expects $60
million in sales this year, is profiled by Reuters.
The company is negotiating the purchase of 22 acres
to build a facility with more than 100,000-sq. ft. of
production space. Full
Story
Microalgae
supplier Cyanotech plans to increase prices of its
full range of ingredients as it cannot absorb rising
fuel and energy costs. The increase will be enacted
within about three months, reported Food Navigator
USA. Full
Story
Hat Trick Beverages Inc. introduced
three soups: Beef, Chicken, and Vegetable. Full
Story
Applegate Farms added fortified Yogurt
Cheese to its range of antibiotic and hormone-free
meats and cheeses, reported Just-Food. Full
Story
Garden
of Life, Inc. launched The Vitamin Code, a dietary
supplement line that utilizes raw food-created nutrients.
Full
Story
In
honor of its 19th anniversary, Noah's Bagels will
sell a 12-oz. cup of its Anniversary Blend coffee for
19 cents on Aug. 19. Full
Story
International News
Last year, the Coca-Cola
brand claimed 22% of China's carbonated soft drink market,
up half a percentage point from 2006. In China, Pepsi-Cola
is No. 1, with 22.9% of the market, but early results
show Coke's Olympics push, which began in early 2007,
is cutting into Pepsi's lead, reported The Wall Street
Journal. Full
Story (WSJ Subscription Required)
Brazil's farms are
turning the country into an agricultural superpower.
Some 70 to 80 million
hectares are utilized of the 350 million hectares of
land available, and the potential for growth is enormous,
analysts claim, reported BBC News. Full
Story
Japan's
convenience stores are thriving as consumers prefer
"conbinis" over supermarkets. Newscom Seven-Eleven
Japan Co. claims that convenience stores might be ahead
in adapting to a more budget-conscious period, reported
The Wall Street Journal. Full
Story (WSJ Subscription Required)
 With
global wheat prices rising, an increasing number
of Japanese retailers are producing sweets and breads
made from rice flour. Companies like Starbucks and
convenience store chain Lawsons added rice flour items
to their menus. The items are popular with customers,
especially those allergic to wheat, reported The
Japan Times. Full
Story
Japan is considering amending a policy
that limits rice planting to about 60% of its paddy
fields due to global rice shortage fears, reported Reuters.
Full
Story
Sandella's Flatbread Cafe
reached a master franchise deal with Abela & Co.
to open 12 restaurants throughout the United Arab Emirates
over the next five years, reported QSR Magazine.
Full
Story
Scottish manufacturer Double
D Food Engineering developed a customized Browning Unit
to brown meat and vegetable products without the
need for coatings and additives, reported Food Production
Daily. Full
Story
Health News
Flavanol-rich
chocolate may increase blood flow in the brain and reduce
the risk of dementia and stroke,
according to Boston-based researchers. The study, funded
by Mars, supports previous studies linking consumption
of flavanol-rich cocoa products to improved cardiovascular
health, reported Food Navigator Europe. Full
Story
A
strongly gelled alginate drink can restore cholesterol
and glucose uptake to healthy levels in overweight
men, according to a study published in Nutritional
Research. If the results can be repeated in larger
human trials, alginate could be used as a health ingredient
against metabolic syndrome, a condition which affects
an estimated 32% of American adults, reported Food
Navigator Europe. Full
Story
Washington News
Federal
inspectors at U.S. border crossings repeatedly turned
back disease-ridden shipments of peppers from Mexico in
the months before the salmonella outbreak, according to
an Associated Press analysis of FDA records. Since
January, 88 shipments of fresh and dried chilies were
turned away. FDA officials insisted they were surprised
by the outbreak because Mexican peppers were not previously
a problem. However, peppers and chilies were consistently
the top Mexican crop rejected by border inspectors over
the last year, reported The Associated Press. Full
Story
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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.
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Congress cut California dried fruits
and nuts from a school snack program in the latest Farm
Bill, reported The Modesto
Bee. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
About 100 college presidents are
calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking
age from 21 to 18, claiming current laws encourage
dangerous binge drinking on campus, reported CNN.
Full
Story
Toufayan Bakery initiated a voluntary
recall of its Publix Vanilla Wafers as they may
contain undeclared soy. Full
Story
Market News
Demand
for California-grown mangoes is increasing,
and consumers will find the keitt variety in some stores
later this week. Growers expect to harvest about two
and a half million pounds of the green-skinned variety,
which is raised in Southern California, reported California
Farm Bureau.
Nature's
Premium Brand claims it is the first North American
pork company to track DNA for reliable and accurate
traceability back to the farm where the animals
were raised. The company will use IdentiGEN's DNA TraceBack
system. Full
Story
A
new quick-freeze trailer, using IQF technology, is designed
to process and freeze vegetables on a farm. It can
quick-freeze produce and berries at a rate of 600-lbs.
per minute,
reported ION News. Full
Story
California walnut growers are reporting
a heavier crop this year, and while there are concerns
that some tree branches may break from the weight of
the crop, this is not an uncommon occurrence, reported
California Farm Bureau.
There will be water for release in
California's Russian River for the fall salmon run,
due to Sonoma County farmers helping the local water
agency meet its goal of reducing water use by 15% through
a voluntary conservation program. Grape growers reduced
their use by closely monitoring their vineyards and
irrigating only when the plants needed it, reported
California Farm Bureau.
North
Carolina will transfer its commercial bluefish quota
to New York from its 2008 quota. Full
Notice
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