Industry News

Supermarket chains are being forced to reconcile raising prices with potentially losing shoppers to rivals who do not, with retailers including Whole Foods Market Inc., Safeway Inc. and Supervalu Inc. trying to make promotions more effective, reconsider where they raise prices and work out better deals with vendors. Facing a 4% rise in food costs this year, the CEO of Whole Foods stated supermarkets have to push back with vendors, asking them to explain where those cost increases are coming from before agreeing to them, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required)

Google acquired Zagat. Zagat's ratings will work in tandem with the technology company's search and mapping functions. Full Story

PepsiCo Inc. was named supersector leader in the food and beverage segment on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, released by SAM and Dow Jones Indexes. Lotte Shopping Co. Ltd. was the leader in the retail sector. Full Story

Baptista's Bakery Inc. is planning a 120,000-sq. ft. expansion of its Franklin, WI-based baking facility. Baptista's will invest about $75 million into the project. Construction plans include a groundbreaking in October with construction scheduled for completion in spring of 2012, reported Milwaukee Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

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Amazon is reportedly developing a program that will put lockers in 7-Eleven stores, letting customers have their online orders delivered to a storage locker, reported The Daily. Customers would get an email with a bar code that would then allow them to get a number to punch in to access a locker, reported CNN. Full Story

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Food Institute News

Purchase Today! The Food Institute's Demographics of Consumer Food Spending, 2011 Edition examines consumer spending patterns on food, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2009 Consumer Expenditures survey (the latest data available). This book provides an easy-to-read breakdown of spending on food overall, food at-home (in 24 categories & sub-categories including beef, poultry, fruits & vegetables, dairy products and bakery products), food away-from-home, and alcoholic beverages. Topics covered include age, income, career, education, race, gender and region of the U.S. To learn more and purchase, click here.

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International News

Sobeys cut prices on 4,000 items in its Manitoba, Canada stores in preparation for increased competition from Walmart and Target, reported Winnipeg Free Press. Full Story

Health News

Women who consume moderate amounts of alcohol in middle age are somewhat more likely than non-drinkers to be in good physical and mental health in old age, according to research published in PLoS Medicine, reported HealthDay. Full Story

Washington News

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act of 2011. The legislation would require companies to register their products with FDA; disclose all ingredients, including proprietary blends; and list known health hazards on the labels. The bill also targets the area of food, beverage and dietary ingredients by requiring FDA to clarify the difference between a food and a health aid, reported Chicago Tribune. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Amazon.com agreed to abandon its planned 2012 referendum on internet-sales taxes in California in exchange for a one-year break in levying the tax on purchases by state residents, reported Bloomberg.com. Under the proposed compromise, Amazon and the state would also work together to seek a uniform federal standard to assess taxes on internet commerce. Full Story

Market News

Retail prices for both fruits and vegetables rose in the second quarter of 2011 compared with the same period last year, driving an increase in weekly dollar sales, according to FreshFacts on Retail report from the United Fresh Foundation. Higher prices led produce sales volume to a slight decline, down 1% from Q2 2010, however volumes of value-added fruits, value-added vegetables and organics each grew in Q2 2011, reported Western Farm Press. Full Story