Industry News

Baobab Foods will produce nutraceutical products featuring baobab through the development of private-label products in partnership with other companies. Baobab Foods is North America's exclusive importer of baobab from Afriplex in South Africa, and has developed its own line of Baobest brand products including Fruit Cubes, Fruit Powder and Drink Mixes. Full Story

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is introducing a new menu for health-conscious customers that will feature breakfast items under 500 calories and lunch and dinner offerings that are below 600 calories, according to Food Business News. The new Wholesome Fixin's menu is expected to appear this summer, and reportedly will include grilled catfish, a baked chicken breast and a breakfast sandwich on whole wheat bread, reported Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Full Story

Conscious shoppers are increasing their spend on organics, sourcing food products, seeking out Non-GMO, and buying sustainable 'Farm to Table' food products traceable to local / regional farmers and producers, according to the 2013 MamboTrack Annual Natural and Organic Product Survey. 'Farm to table' buying mirrors local food trends with conscious shoppers tracing their food products to regional growers and producers. About seven in 10 or more healthy consumers sourced brands by reading package labels or in-store signage while more than six in 10 visited brand or product websites. Eco-seafood labels, Wild Seafood certifications, and sustainable guides also influence sustainable seafood buying. Full Story

Wrigley plans to start selling Alert Energy Caffeine Gum next month at convenience stores, supermarkets and mass retailers in the U.S. The confectioner is targeting consumers 25 and older who want a portable energy product that will let them control their caffeine consumption. Wrigley, reportedly the world's largest gum company, is marketing Alert while discouraging misuse or overuse and producing servings about the diameter of a nickel to keep people from chewing more than one at a time, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required)

Starbucks does not plan to change its offerings when New York City's ban on large, sugary drinks is scheduled to go into effect March 12. The company does not think its beverages are subject to the new regulations because many of its signature drinks are milk-based, and most are highly customizable. Starbucks stated it interpreted the new rules not to apply to beverages customized by the customer to be sweet or not, and that specialty coffee and tea drinks are only subject to the rule if they are less than half milk or milk substitute. However, the company does plan to use a three-month grace period before the levying of fines to test the enforcement of the ban, reported NBCNews. Full Story

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International News

Buffalo Wild Wings will open restaurants in Mexico later this year through agreements with three Mexican franchise groups: PRENSA, Family Dine Foods and Grupo SE. Construction is expected to begin soon, with three restaurants scheduled to open in 2013. The new restaurants will also feature Buffalo Wild Wings' new design. Full Story

Health News

Increased salt consumption may be a key culprit behind rising rates of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, researchers reported in a trio of papers looking at the role of a specific class of cells linked with inflammation. Reporting in the journal Nature, the researchers claimed high-salt diets increased levels of a type of immune cell linked with autoimmune disease, reported Reuters. Full Story

Washington News

USDA is revising the Standards for Grades of almonds in the shell. The Almond Board of California recommended changing the method of reporting defective almonds from one that counts individual defects in each sample to a process that weighs defective almonds found within the given sample. This revision will harmonize procedures for incoming and outgoing inspections, ensuring consistency. The notice will be published in the March 8 Federal Register. Full Story

FDA made available a guidance for industry, "What You Need to Know About Administrative Detention of Foods; Small Entity Compliance Guide" (SECG), which updates an earlier guidance of a similar title. The previous guidance was consistent with the changes made by an interim final rule issued in the May 5, 2011 Federal Register, and the updated guidance reflects the interim rule's adoption as final without change. The guidance is intended to provide individuals in the human and animal food industries with an understanding of FDA's authority to order the administrative detention of human or animal food under section 304(h) of the FD&C Act, as amended by section 207 of FSMA. Full Notice, Guidance Document

Market News

Blueberry production is ramping up in Florida and this year promises an abundant crop with ample returns to growers, despite a mild freeze in early March that damaged some fruit in the northern part of the state and nipped at the edges of central Florida fields. Chilean growers are pushing their season further with storage shipments that first stretched almost-into and then entered Florida's window, which typically begins in mid-March and extends into early May, reported The Produce News. Full Story