Industry News

The average American eats about five meals outside the home each week, according to the NPD Group. This amount did not change between 2007 and 2008. In fact, Americans bought 2% more meals at a restaurant in November 2008 than November 2007, reported USA Today. Full Story

United Resource Recovery Corp. and Coca-Cola Co.'s plastic bottle-to-bottle recycling plant is expected to ramp up to full operation this year. The grand opening of the 30-acre plant, which will be able to produce annually about 100 million-lbs. of food-grade recycled PET plastic, is scheduled for Jan. 14. By 2010, Coca-Cola hopes to recycle or reuse 30% of its bottles and cans in the U.S., reported The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Kroger is using its loyalty card data to target coupons to customers, and the chain claims as many as half the coupons it sends regular customers are utilized. Kroger's part ownership of data mining firm dunnhumbyUSA allows it to give shoppers coupons for products they regularly purchase, reported The Associated Press. Full Story

Some 78% of manufacturing companies are planning to reduce cost of the goods they sell, 59% are striving to reduce selling, general and administrative expenses, 46% are aiming to optimize their global supply-network structures and 27% are aspiring to improve their global tax management, according to a study by Deloitte, Mastering Finance in Business: The Role and Impact of Financial Management on Strategy, Operations and Business Performance. Full Story

Pepsi Bottling Ventures, LLC signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to purchase the Nagel Beverage Company of Boise and the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Twin Falls, both Pepsi-Cola independent franchise bottlers based in Idaho. The terms of the LOI provide for a closing by the end of February 2009. Full Story

International News

The frozen foods market is exhibiting signs of a revival in the UK, with indications that consumers are switching from higher-priced chilled foods to frozen alternatives in order to save costs and reduce waste. Data from TNS Worldpanel shows a steady increase in the growth rate for the UK frozen food sector over the past year, from 3.1% 12 months ago, to 4.6% in June, to 5.8% in November. The biggest change is in the ready meals category, which were in a value decline of 3.8% in December 2007 but now show a growth rate of 3.4%, reported Food Navigator Europe. Full Story

British retailer Marks & Spencer plans to close 27 stores, including 25 Simply Food stores. Full Story

Health News

Drinking coffee lowered the risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity or throat in Japan, according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, reported Reuters. Full Story

Washington News

President Bush designated three areas of the Pacific Ocean as marine national monuments, protecting 195,274-sq. mi. Destruction or extraction of protected resources within the boundaries of these monuments will be prohibited, as will commercial fishing in the coral reef ecosystem areas of the monuments. Full Story

New York is among the first states offering healthier food choices to low-income mothers and their young children in a national effort to improve nutrition and discourage obesity. All states will have to meet new requirements for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food program by October 2010. Under the revised program, foods like whole grain cereals and breads, canned or dried beans and jarred baby foods will be available. WIC will also offer cash-value checks for vegetables and fruits. New York has more than 500,000 WIC participants, according to The Buffalo News. Full Story

Market News

Pear demand may exceed supply in the near future, according to the California Pear Advisory Board. Orchards that produce about 11 tons of pears yearly are being removed. Those reductions will lower the potential crop for 2009 by about 5%, reported California Farm Bureau.

California state hydrologists claim that although the Sierra Nevada snowpack is deeper than this time last year, the depth and water content are 70% to 80% of average and below what is needed to irrigate properly during the growing season, reported USA Today. Full Story