Industry News

H.J. Heinz Co. is adding more products at lower prices and accelerating the introduction of entry-priced items in developed markets, especially in the U.S., to appeal to consumers with $50 or less to spend on groceries each week. Heinz will roll out its plans for smaller product sizes that it can sell for less at convenience and dollar stores, which were in development for about three months and emphasize price per ounce rather than entry price point, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required) Meanwhile, the traditional Heinz consumer is more affluent and shopping at club stores but "we are seeing a consumer that is truly struggling and value means something different," according to its SVP of investor relations and global program management officer, reported Pittsburgh Business Times. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Kraft Foods Inc. reduced the list price of its coffee brands Maxwell House and Yuban by about 6% in the U.S., reported Reuters. Full Story

Some 40% of 18 to 24-year-olds drink coffee daily, up from 31% in 2010, according to the 2011 National Coffee Drinking Trends Study from the National Coffee Association. Gourmet coffee continues to be a significant portion (37%) of total coffee consumed. Penetration is also growing in the single serve arena at an average of 1% per year, and 35% of those with a pod system acquired it in the past six months. Full Story

New! The Aug. 24 edition of New Products Hits and Misses with Phil Lempert profiles: Mojo Milk Probiotic Chocolate Milk; Pillsbury Sweet Moments Raspberry Cheesecake Flavor; Bachman Toasted Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips; Newman's Own Organics Family Recipe Cookies Ginger Snap Flavor; and Burgers' Smokehouse Peppered Bacon Steak Cuts. Click here to view.

Sysco Corp. received an unsolicited "mini-tender" offer by TRC Capital Corporation to purchase up to 3.5 million shares, or approximately 0.6% of the outstanding Sysco shares, at a price of $26.65 per share. Sysco does not endorse TRC's offer. Full Story

New Product News: The Coca-Cola Company is introducing Odwalla Super Protein Mango smoothies with 20 grams of soy protein. Full Story ... Sargento Food Ingredients introduced Portionables soup ingredients, individually quick frozen pellets designed for the frozen soup market, reported Meat & Poultry. Full Story (Free Registration Required) ... Spartan Stores is rolling out school lunches. A lunch may contain a chicken tender wrap, chips, carrots, juice and a fruit snack, reported MLive.com. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

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

Food Institute News

Sign Up Today! The Consumer Federation of America will host the 34th Annual National Food Policy Conference in Washington, DC. The event, to be held Oct. 3 and 4, is co-sponsored by The Food Institute. This year's conference will focus on key issues facing consumers, the food industry, and government and will analyze the impact of federal budget cuts on government food programs; examine reauthorization of the 2012 Farm Bill; explore key nutrition initiatives; and discuss the next steps in food safety. Speakers and panelists will examine how the global food system must evolve to feed a growing world population and examine consumer food priorities and trends. Please click here to register for the conference or contact Sally Karwowski at 202-939-1005 for more information.

J. M. Degen & Company J. M. Degen & Company is a market research and consulting firm focused on all channels of the food industry. In addition to providing proprietary market research and consulting to food manufacturers, the Degen Company also publishes research reports for general subscription under the name Supermerchants®. Supermerchants overview reports cover various retailing channels such as membership warehouse clubs, supercenters, specialty wholesale-retailers including extreme value retailers (dollar stores), cash & carry stores and limited assortment stores, as well as convenience retailers (such as drug stores, convenience stores and Wal-Mart's Neighborhood Market concept). To learn more about this Food Institute member, please visit: www.degenconsulting.com. Interested in seeing your company featured here? Email us for more details.

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International News

KFC is reportedly the first American fast food outlet to open in Kenya. McDonald's and Burger King have not entered the area due to supply chain concerns. KFC investors worked with a Kenyan chicken supplier for more than a year to bring it up to the quality control standards demanded by Yum! Brands. Two more KFCs are slated to open in Nairobi this year, and there are plans to open 15 restaurants in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in the next three years, reported Forbes.com. 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.

Health News

Adding specific cholesterol-lowering foods, such as nuts, to one's diet can lower cholesterol more than a low-fat diet alone, according to research published in Journal of the American Medical Association, reported HealthDay. Full Story

Washington News

Del Monte Fresh Produce, N.A., Inc. filed suit against FDA in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to seek an injunction that would lift an FDA rule restricting the importation of fresh cantaloupes into the U.S. Full Story

Market News

The Mexican apple crop is expected to total 21.8 million bushels this year, up 12% from 2010, stated a partner with Pico Largo SPR, Chihuahua, Mexico. Domestic production in Mexico covers about 61% of the country's demand for apples. Mexico's apple imports were about 11.6 million bushels in 2010. Meanwhile, Canada's 2011 apple production is estimated up 4.5% over 2010 at 21 million 42-lb. cartons this year, reported The Packer Online. Full Story

Coffee exports from Colombia, Mexico and seven other Latin American countries gained 0.3% from a year earlier in July. Total shipments rose to 1.97 million bags from 1.96 million bags in July 2010, according to Guatemala's National Coffee Association, reported Bloomberg.com. Full Story