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| The Food Institute, One Broadway, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 Phone: 201-791-5570 Fax: 201-791-5222 www.foodinstitute.com | |
June 18, 2008Industry NewsWal-Mart Stores, Inc. lowered its capital expenditure forecast for the current fiscal year, ending Jan. 31, 2009, to between $13.0 and $14.0 billion, down from the $13.5 to $15.2 billion range it forecast in October. The retailer continues to be focused on moderating supercenter growth in the U.S. Full Story In trying to boost the participation of Wal-Mart and other large companies such as Procter & Gamble, some proponents of fair trade fear the whole idea of helping small farmers is getting warped. Many of the beneficiaries, critics say, wind up being the same type of big operations that prospered under the old system, reported BusinessWeek Online. Full Story Demand for trucking services is falling. The American Trucking Association's for-hire truck tonnage index, a measure of how much freight trucks are hauling, fell 1.1% in April, compared with its level in March, following a 1.7% drop from February to March. Full Story Nearly 60% of consumers claim increased gas prices will impact their July 4 spending, up from 42.1% last year, according to the National Retail Federation's (NRF) 2008 Independence Day Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch. Retailers are aware of the strain gas prices have on consumers and most will be offering special promotions on food and beverages, noted NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. Full Story McDonald's franchisees are currently resisting a company plan to give away chicken sandwiches in August. Resistance to the promotion reflects rising tension between McDonald's and its franchisees, reported Crain's Chicago Business. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
Food Institute NewsThe Future of Food Retailing - A Webinar hosted by the Food
Institute and Willard Bishop The future of food retailing for the next three to five years will be dramatically affected by two major trends: food inflation and the emergence of small format stores. Join Willard Bishop and The Food Institute for our annual Future of Food Retailing webinar, as we examine the state of the food and consumables retail industry in 2007 and beyond. Find out what the industry experts at Willard Bishop foresee happening over the next five years, in terms of the strategies that retailers are implementing and their impact on the supplier community. Not only will you get an understanding of where these industry experts see the food retailing world headed, you will have an opportunity to have your specific questions answered. For details or to register, click here.
* Members only International News
Health NewsAfter studying current research, the American Medical Association concluded that high fructose syrup does not appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners, but called for further independent research to be done on the health effects of high fructose syrup and other sweeteners. Full Story
Washington NewsThe Chinese government gave approval for plans to allow U.S. food and drug inspectors in three Chinese cities - Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. FDA inspectors should be in place before the end of the year. However, the head of the Chinese agency in charge of guaranteeing safety and quality control said the issue had not been totally resolved because U.S. authorities have not given permission to allow Chinese food and drug inspectors in the U.S., according to The Associated Press. Full Story
Market NewsThe Fishery Foundation of California completed transplanting the output of state-run salmon hatcheries to the top of San Pablo Bay. Salmon carried by truck to net pens in the Bay have a two to four-times better chance of surviving and returning to spawn as adults than fish released directly from the hatcheries, according to the state Fish and Game Department, reported The Contra Costa Times. Full Story (Free Registration Required) |
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FI's Mission: The Food Institute strives to be the best "single source" for current, timely and relevant information about the food industry from "farm to fork." The association serves as a trusted source of information, providing balanced coverage of the issues. It delivers information through multiple media so that industry professionals worldwide can tap in when and how they choose. For more information, visit, http://www.foodinstitute.com. |
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