Industry News

Nestle agreed to acquire Kraft Foods' frozen pizza business in the U.S. and Canada for $3.7 billion in cash. The business includes brands such as DiGiorno, Tombstone, California Pizza Kitchen, Jack's and Delissio. Kraft Foods will use an amount equivalent to the full net proceeds from the sale to fund a partial cash alternative as part of its offer for Cadbury. Full Story Meanwhile, Nestle does not intend to make, or participate in, a formal offer for Cadbury. Full Story

Webinar: UNDERSTANDING FDA'S REPORTABLE FOOD REGISTRY Join The Food Institute and Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz for the interactive Understanding FDA's Reportable Food Registry webinar. Learn about FDA's current thinking regarding RFR and gain insight on the legal obligation of reporting an adverse event through RFR. The 90-minute webinar will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 12 p.m. (EST). To sign up or for more information, click here.

Few grocery industry leaders are anticipating much will change in 2010, according to Supermarket News. Optimism for 2010 centers on retailers being able to keep their own costs down, and for deflation to reverse itself. Retailers are also anxious to apply the lessons that operating in 2009's difficult environment provided, including the ability to remerchandise on the fly. Many were reluctant to predict a reversal of fortunes in the grocery business until job growth perks up again, perhaps late in the year. Full Story

The Food Channel named the biggest trends, flavors and food influencers of the last decade. Top overall trends include sushi, cupcakes, bacon, sliders and gourmet burgers. Pomegranate, cranberry, dark chocolate, ginger and blueberry are among the top flavors. Top food influencers are food safety, fast casual restaurant concepts and international cuisines. Full Story

Latest sales & earnings for food related companies (Updated Daily - FI Membership Required)

Target launched The Great Save, a nationwide bulk good promotion in approximately 1,000 of its 1,740 stores. The company will offer food, health and beauty products and other items in one central location in the store through Feb. 21. Full Story

Batter Blaster is now carried at 13,000 outlets in the U.S., including Costco and Whole Foods stores. Batter Blaster's annual revenues were $15 million in 2008, and the total for 2009 is expected to surpass $19.5 million. New flavors are planned, reported CNNMoney.com. Full Story

What forecasted trend do you anticipate taking off in 2010? Korean cuisine Food with health benefits Umami Hibiscus

Food Institute News

Now Available!!! The 2009 Food Industry Review is THE reference resource on the U.S. food industry. This publication contains valuable information for the success of any food related business. The 2009 Edition is filled with indispensable data and analysis on supermarkets, membership clubs, supercenters and convenience stores, a comprehensive look at the restaurant and foodservice industry, and also provides information on topics such as private label, organic food and new product launches. To order, click here.

Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc. The Processor Team of Seminis Vegetable Seeds draws on the vast resources of the world's largest vegetable seed company to provide the vegetable processing industry with the finest products available. Headquartered in Oxnard, CA, Seminis offers industry-leading bean, pea, sweet corn and pickle varieties that have proven themselves in the field, in the plant and on the dinner plate. Starting with research and continuing on through seed production, sales and service, Seminis works with processors to bring quality vegetables to consumers throughout the world. To learn more aboutthis 44-year Food Institute member visit: www.seminis.com. Interested in seeing your company featured here? Email us for more details.

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International News

Nestle resumed operations in Zimbabwe following assurances by the government that it will not interfere in its business, reported Reuters. Full Story

Health News

The pulp of acai berries may counter the effects of a high-fat diet and reduce the risk of developing high blood cholesterol levels, according to a study on rats published in Nutrition, reported Beverage Daily. Full Story

The Daily Update is a substantially abbreviated version of Today In Food. You can get a subscription to Today In Food, which usually has over 30 news items each day, as well as access to the archives for just $49.95 per year. Click here to sign up.

Washington News

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint for permanent injunction against Quesos Mi Pueblito, a cheese manufacturer with an alleged history of operating under insanitary conditions and producing cheese contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Full Story New!!! The two-part Listeria Control and Regulation webinar, presented by the Food Institute and Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz PC, is now available for purchase. Topics addressed include root cause analysis and corrective preventive measures when Lm is discovered and how to respond to the government when an agency requests a recall or threatens enforcement actions as a result of Lm positives. Click here to purchase or for more information.

A provision of New York's expanded bottle bill that requires a dealer or retailer who operates 10 or more stores in New York to install and maintain a certain number of reverse vending machines (RVM) was originally aimed at big-box chains that were not redeeming bottles, according to Michael Rosen, Food Industry Alliance of New York State senior VP. However, several members of the Alliance, including Wegmans Food Markets and Tops Markets, face extra costs in complying with the the law because of the bill's square footage requirement. Retailers that have stores in the 40,000 to 60,000-sq. ft. range need to install three reverse vending machines; stores in the 60,000- to 85,000-sq. ft range need to install four RVMs; and stores more than 85,000-sq. ft. need to install eight RVMs. The previous bottle bill law had no such requirements, reported Supermarket News. Full Story

How Can You Comply With Complex Food Safety Regulations? The Food Institute's HACCP & U.S. Food Safety Guide - 2nd Edition provides clear explanations of the recent regulations and requirements issued by FDA and USDA regarding the handling and sanitation of food products. Authored by Olsson, Frank & Weeda, P.C., this guide includes information on applying HACCP plans in the plant, mandatory HACCP systems in general and specific HACCP requirements for seafood, meat & poultry. For details, click here.

Market News

The all-source available U.S. avocado supply should expand to 1.5 billion-lbs. in 2010, claimed Calavo Growers CEO Lee Cole. Meanwhile, in the company's fourth quarter, it saw a 61% quarterly drop in unit count year-to-year of California avocados that was offset by higher fourth quarter sales of Chilean avocados and a slight increase in fruit sourced from Mexico. Full Story