Industry News

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to launch a small-format store called Wal-Mart Express. The concept will debut in its second quarter and will be targeted to urban and rural locations, reported Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

The Food Institute will present The State of the Economy: A Retail Perspective, a one-hour webinar, on Tuesday, Mar. 1 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. (EST). Featuring Mike Jackson, retired president and COO, SUPERVALU, and Marc de Speville, partner, Food Retail Research Redburn Partners, the webinar will present detailed analysis and insight into what is happening, and what the future holds, for the U.S. retail market. Food Institute president Brian Todd will moderate. To learn more and register, click here.

New! The Food Institute reports on price increases in the Feb. 24 edition of the Lempert Report, hosted by Phil Lempert. Click here to view.

Coca-Cola Co. plans to offer its beverages in a variety of package sizes in the U.S. to boost pricing power as a result of higher commodity costs and price-sensitive consumers. Coke began pilot testing 1.25-liter bottles of its Coke brand at supermarkets in some parts of the country at a price of 99 cents, and raised prices for two-liter bottles in those markets after previously offering them as low as 99 cents, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required)

The Coca-Cola Company and H.J. Heinz Company entered into a strategic partnership that enables Heinz to produce its ketchup bottles using Coca-Cola's PlantBottle packaging. Heinz will launch PlantBottle in all 20-oz. ketchup bottles in June, with 120 million PlantBottle packages planned for 2011. The Coca-Cola Company will use more than five billion during the same time. Full Story

Bubba burger will develop Original Bubba burger Grill restaurants. Following the chain's initial four units currently under development in Jacksonville, FL, Bubba burger Grill plans to grow across the country through traditional restaurant locations as well as food courts, airport locations, college campuses and sporting venues. Full Story The company took over former Times Grill restaurants, reported Jacksonville Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

"Better burger" restaurants constitute about 3% of the $65 billion burger market in the U.S. but their share is growing at about 25% each year, according to Technomic. New Jersey will see more than a dozen new openings from a number of "better burger" chains in 2011, including Smashburger, Elevation Burger, Zinburger, Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Cheeburger Cheeburger, reported The Star-Ledger. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

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

Food Institute News

Now Available for Purchase! Private Label: Consumer Perceptions & Intentions, a Food Institute webinar held in conjunction with PLMA and the NPD Group, explores private label perceptions, usage patterns and intentions. The webinar navigates marketers and manufacturers alike through the complexities of understanding this increasingly popular market segment. To learn more and purchase, click here.

F.A.B., Inc. Alpharetta, GA-based F.A.B., Inc. is an international foodservice distribution marketing and food buying cooperative, dedicated to helping their members provide high-quality national and private brands to the foodservice arena. F.A.B.'s cooperative membership is comprised of independent (mostly family owned) food distributors in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and Canada, and includes broad liners, wholesalers, retailers, system distributors, and center-of-the plate specialists. To learn more about this 45-year Food Institute member visit: www.frostyacres.com. Interested in seeing your company featured here? Email us for more details.

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International News

Dunkin' Donuts signed an agreement with Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd. to enter India. The master franchise agreement calls for Jubilant FoodWorks to develop, sub-franchise and operate more than 500 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants throughout the country over the next 15 years. The first Dunkin' Donuts locations are expected to open by early 2012. Full Story

Wendy's International, Inc. signed a long-term agreement with Wenphil Corporation to expand Wendy's brand presence in the Philippines. The new agreement with Wenphil calls for the development of 44 additional restaurants, which would increase the total number of Wendy's locations in the country to 75. 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

Panera Bread Co. agreed to pay $5.75 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by shareholders who alleged the chain misled investors about the success of its Crispani pizza, a product Panera discontinued in 2008, reported STLToday.com. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Market News

The early February freeze in Mexico created challenges for green onions. The freeze, coupled with a slew of recent storms and cold weather, slowed the crop for Ocean Mist Farms, which sources from the Mexicali Valley of Baja California in Mexico, reported The Packer Online. Full Story (Subscription Required) As a result of the freezes and higher prices, Whataburger is replacing round tomatoes on hamburgers with oval-shaped Roma tomatoes and Jason's Deli is using conventional lettuce instead of organic greens. One cafe owner in Texas is paying almost triple for a case of carrots and expects to pay triple for eggplant and double for cabbage, reported Houston Chronicle. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

About 8,569 U.S. farm operations produce their own renewable energy, according to USDA's 2009 On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Survey. Solar panels were the most prominent way to produce on-farm energy. In 2009, farmers on 7,968 operations reported using photovoltaic and thermal solar panels. The use of wind turbines was reported by farmers on 1,420 operations across 48 states. Full Story