Industry News

Maines Paper & Food Service Inc. will build a 400,000-sq. ft. distribution center in Terrell, TX that will open in April 2012. This will be the company's first distribution center to open west of the Mississippi River. It will serve 196 restaurants throughout Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma. Customers include Burger King, Wendy's, Applebee's and Subway, reported Dallas Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. will introduce new Kids Meals on Oct. 3. The meal will include Chiquita apple slices and a strawberry yogurt dipping sauce as the side item, instead of fries. Beverage choices include low-fat white milk, Capri Sun 100% Fruit Juice or bottled water. Adults will have the option to request curly fries, or a fountain drink as substitutes. Full Story

The vending industry was broadly affected by the recession, recording $19.25 billion in sales in 2010 after reporting revenue of about $20 billion in 2009 and $23 billion in 2007, according to Automatic Merchandiser. To appeal to Generation Y vending consumers, the industry developed "Micro-markets," or small pay-by-kiosk convenience stores owned by vending-machine companies. The stores offer a wider variety of products and process payments through a self-checkout kiosk machine that accepts debit or credit cards, reported The Seattle Times. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Coca-Cola reached a deal with Five Guys Burgers and Fries to install Freestyle fountain machines in all company-owned locations. Five Guys has been testing Freestyle machines in the Atlanta market since 2010 and expanded testing in multiple markets in 2011, reported The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Gabelli Funds, LLC reported a 9.96% stake worth $18.35 million in 203-unit Ingles Markets Inc., according to an SEC filing. It also runs 70 neighborhood shopping centers, of which 58 contain an Ingles supermarket. SEC Filing

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Food Institute News

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International News

Increased chocolate consumption in Asia is reshaping the cocoa industry. Until recently, suppliers had so much extra cocoa powder it was sometimes burned in boilers as a fuel. But over the last two years, powder prices more than doubled, and grinders can barely keep up. Global chocolate sales rose 2% to $83.2 billion in 2010, according to Mintel. This was helped by growth in places such as China, where sales rose 21% to $976 million, and Indonesia, where sales climbed 26% to $888 million, reported Reuters. Full Story

Health News

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization held a meeting with experts that recommended member states better assess and manage the risks and benefits of fish consumption and more effectively communicate them with their citizens. The consultation recommended that states should acknowledge fish as an important food source of energy, protein and a range of essential nutrients and fish consumption and emphasize the benefits of fish consumption on reducing mortality from coronary heart disease (and the risks of mortality from coronary heart disease associated with not eating fish) for the general adult population. Full Report (63-page PDF)

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Washington News

Friendly's may reportedly file for bankruptcy as early as next week and try to sell itself at auction. The company is in talks with Wells Fargo & Co to take a $70 million loan to continue operating during the process, and under the bankruptcy Friendly's would roll some of its existing debt into a new loan from Wells Fargo that would include $25 million in new funds, reported Reuters. Full Story

Papa John's franchisee PJCOMN Acquisition Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Baltimore. The company operates 72 restaurants in Colorado and Minnesota, reported Denver Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Market News

Hass avocado volume in the U.S. from all sources totaled a record 1.28 billion lbs. in 2010. But due to light crops, the first three quarters of 2011 saw the first significant decline in volume in over a decade coupled with record-high prices. The new-crop harvest is now underway in Mexico and Chile, both of which have larger crops for 2011-12, reported The Produce News. Full Story