Industry News

The Inventure Group, Inc. will expand its Bluffton, IN-based manufacturing facility to add extruded snack production capabilities. The $4 million expansion is expected to be complete by the third quarter of 2010. Full Story

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. reached an agreement in principle to acquire the assets and business of World Gourmet Marketing, LLC. Full Story New! A recording of the Food Institute webinar A Look at Merger & Acquisition Activity, Past, Present and Future is now available! The webinar reviewed recent M & A activity and discussed what makes certain companies appealing to sell or buy. To purchase a recording, click here.

Pilgrim's Pride plans to re-open its chicken processing plant in Douglas, GA by January 2011. The company also plans to re-open two other idled facilities, one by mid-2011 and the other by spring 2012. The re-opening of these three plants will result in a production increase of 10%, or approximately 3.5 million birds per week. Full Story

Smart Balance may possibly license its name for yogurt, according to John Mintz, VP for finance and investor relations. Its buttery spreads have about 15% market share, reported The Record. Full Story, Full Release

Register Now - The Future of Food Retailing 2010, a webinar presented by the Food Institute and Willard Bishop. Join Jim Hertel, Managing Partner, and Craig Rosenblum, Partner, both of Willard Bishop, and moderator Michael Sansolo, editor, columnist, and FI Board Member, as they provide their unique and unparalleled insights into the Future of Food Retailing in a one-hour webinar to be held 12 p.m. (EST), Tuesday, June 29. They will delve into retailer strategies, identify specific actions Walmart and others are taking, and point out intended and unintended consequences of retailers' actions. They will also point out winners and losers in the post-recession food retailing landscape. To sign up and learn more, click here.

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

Santa Monica Seafood completed construction on a Las Vegas distribution hub. The 3,825-sq. ft. building features three loading docks, and refrigerated and frozen storage. Full Story

Food Institute News

Well over 90% of new products in 2009 were brand extensions, often just "tweaks" to existing offerings, reflecting consumers' general disinterest in trying something new, according to Information Resources Inc.'s 2009 New Product Pacesetters: Innovating Growth in Recessionary Times Times & Trends report.. Foods and beverages with wellness qualities, such as waters infused with vitamins and light beers, dominated the ranks of 2009's most successful new product launches. For the report, click here. (FI Membership Required)

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International News

India's health and wellness food market was valued at $725 million in 2009; consumers in the country are placing increasing priority on healthy food and beverage products, according to Datamonitor. The total Indian packaged food and beverage market was worth around $21.5 billion in 2009, and has seen solid annual growth over the last five years, reported Food Navigator. Full Story

Health News

Consumption of sucralose and sucralose-sweetened products does not affect gut hormones linked to hunger, or detrimentally affect blood sugar levels, claims findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition, reported Food Navigator. 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

FDA could strengthen oversight of imported food by improving enforcement and seeking additional authorities, according to a GAO report. FDA inspected 153 foreign food facilities out of an estimated 189,000 such facilities registered with FDA in 2008 and estimated that it would conduct 200 inspections in 2009 and 600 in 2010. Full Story

Freshway Foods issued a voluntary recall of its romaine lettuce. Full Story The romaine lettuce, sold in 23 states and the District of Columbia, was blamed for an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 19 people, reported The Associated Press. Full Story NEW! A recording of the Food Institute and Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz PC webinar Implementing An E.coli Control Policy is now available! A panel of experts discussed how to prevent and control E. coli outbreaks; how to keep your records in order to avoid shouldering the blame for mishandling foodstuff; and how to deal with a positive finding should it occur. To purchase a recording, click here.

Market News

California will produce about 470 million-lbs. of avocados this year, compared with a historic light crop of 170 million-lbs. last year, according to Jan DeLyser, VP marketing for the California Avocado Commission. Despite this year's heavier crop, demand for avocados far exceeds California's supply, making the state reliant on imports from Mexico and Chile, reported The Seattle Times. Full Story (Free Registration Required)