Industry News

Campbell Soup Company entered into an agreement to sell its Australian snack foods business to a group of investors, including senior management of The Real McCoy, an Australian owned snack foods company. The transaction includes several salty snack brands, such as Kettle Chips and two plants in Australia. The company will also discontinue its private label biscuit and industrial chocolate production at its Miranda, Australia facility. In Canada, Campbell will close an Ontario food plant that produces primarily frozen products. Full Story

U.S. bottled water consumption rose 7.1% to 22.5 gallons per capita in 2007, surpassing beer consumption, which rose 1.4% to 22.2 gallons, according to Beverage Digest. Carbonated soft-drinks continued to hold the top spot with Americans, who drank on average 49.3 gallons of carbonated soft drinks in 2007, down 3.3% from 2006, reported The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Aldi will add 28 locations in Tennessee over the next several years to its 21 existing locations in the state, capitalizing on the rising growing demand for food bargains. Stores such as Aldi and Save-A-Lot are benefiting from the economic downturn, according to Willard Bishop. Part of limited assortment stores' attraction is they often sell items at about 40% below a traditional grocery store's price because of private labeling and competitive pricing, said Jim Hertel, Willard Bishop's managing partner, according to The Tennessean. Full Story

More than 60% of those who celebrate Mother's Day will eat out, according to The National Restaurant Association's Mother's Day Dining Fact Sheet. Of those who will eat out, 59% will celebrate the occasion at dinner; 51% at lunch/brunch; and 22% at breakfast. Full Story

Federal tax rebates will provide enough stimuli that the retail industry, excluding autos and gas, can expect to achieve a 3.5% sales gain in the second quarter of 2008 and 6% sales gain in the third quarter, according to TNS Retail Forward. Specifically, households will spend an estimated $42 billion, of the $105.7 billion tax rebate total, at retail stores from May through the end of the year. Full Story

Food Institute News

Health & Wellness: Opportunities for the Food Industry
A Webinar presented by The Food Institute and Mintel
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 2PM (EST)

Join The Food Institute and Mintel for an insightful webinar that will explain how food manufacturers and marketers can target today's health & wellness oriented consumers. This 1-hour webinar, led by Lynn Dornblaser, Mintel Custom Solutions Director, will focus on health & wellness issues pertaining to food and beverage, revealing what drives consumer purchase behavior. It will take a look at how consumers perceive health & wellness, the abundance of messages concerning health issues, and the types and number of products on the market making health & wellness claims. Lastly, Dornblaser will provide some interesting thoughts for the future. For more information or to register click here.

KENDALL FROZEN FRUITS, INC. KENDALL FROZEN FRUITS is an industrial food brokerage specializing in the sale and marketing of frozen, dried and concentrated fruit products. Headquartered in Encino,CA, KENDALL sources product both domestically and abroad, proudly representing the finest food manufacturers in the industry. By working directly with growers, packers and customers, Kendall Frozen Fruits, Inc. remains on the cutting edge of innovation and will continue expanding its presence both nationally and internationally. KENDALL FROZEN FRUITS was named one of the top 50 women owned businesses in Los Angeles County. To learn more about this 42-year Food Institute member visit: www.kendallfruit.com. Interested in seeing your company featured here? Email us for more details.

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International News

A strike by Coca-Cola Enterprises workers in France ended with all three affected facilities expected to resume production. The facilities accounted for about 40% of annual sales volume in continental Europe, reported The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Health News

Adding five tablespoons of tomato paste to the daily diet can improve the skin's ability to protect against UV rays, suggested researchers at the universities of Manchester and Newcastle. The study suggested the antioxidant lycopene was behind the apparent benefit, reported BBC News. 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

President Bush would veto the Farm Bill if it comes to him in its current iteration, claimed White House spokesman Scott Stanzel. "The farm bill proposal currently being discussed lacks important reforms the president has repeatedly called for. With farm incomes at an all time high, Congress should not be asking taxpayers to pay for even more government subsidies for farmers," reported CBSNEWS.com. Full Story

Market News

In 2007, the value of all U.S. egg production was $6.68 billion, up 51% from 2006. Egg production totaled 90.6 billion eggs, down 1%, and in 2007, all eggs averaged 88.5 cents per dozen, compared with 58.2 cents in 2006. Full Report