Industry News

Consumer expenditures declined a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in October from the prior month, according to just released government data, following a 0.3% decline in September. Full Release

Consumer expenditures for all food fell in the third quarter of this year, marking the first such decline in almost six years, according to revised data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Seasonally adjusted sales dropped a sharp 2.0% from the second quarter, the largest such decline since records on this began in 1947, according to an exclusive Food Institute analysis. Full Story

McDonald's will raise the price of its Double Cheeseburger to $1.19 and introduce its "McDouble" to the Dollar Menu Dec. 1. The prices mentioned are McDonald's recommended prices, but franchisees may price the items differently, reported Reuters. Full Story

Some food companies are considering modifications to their end-of-the-line equipment, according to the Packaging Machinery Manufacturing Institute's new Secondary Packaging Market Research Study. Sixty-seven companies participated in a discussion about their secondary packaging and how it is changing now and over the next three years. Full Study

Artisanal Premium Cheese is entering a master distribution and marketing agreement with Harvest Song Ventures, LLC, a specialty food company that sources organic and natural food products and provides them to consumers across several market segments. Artisanal will continue to service the existing Harvest Song customer base and expects to expand that base by marketing Harvest Song products to Artisanal's customers ranging from premium restaurants and hotels to luxury goods retailers. The companies also plan to expand and create cross-selling opportunities for the two product lines which have natural pairing complements. Full Story

International News

South African retailer market leaders Shoprite, Pick n Pay, Spar, Massmart and Woolworths continue adapting to changing conditions and perfecting their store formats while expanding across the borders into the Southern African countries and beyond, according to a FAS report. 2007 value sales of supermarkets grew by 22% to reach $10 billion, mixed retail outlets grew by 7% to reach $6 billion, forecourt retailers recorded value sales growth of 9% to reach $0.9 billion, and convenience stores grew by 10% to reach $0.8 billion. FAS Report

Customers of grocery chains in Toronto would pay a fee of five cents per plastic bag under a proposed deal to reduce packaging waste expected to be announced Nov. 26 by Mayor David Miller and supermarket executives. The proposed compromise is an alternative to the city's plan to require retailers to offer a 10-cent-a-bag discount to customers, reported The Globe and Mail. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Health News

Red wine may fight dementia, according to a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. UCLA and Mount Sinai School of Medicine scientists claim that polyphenols blocked the formation of toxic protein clumps thought to destroy brain cells, which also may hinder the formation of protein plaques linked to Alzheimer's disease, reported USA Today. Full Story, Study Abstract

Washington News

Traces of melamine were detected in samples of U.S. infant formula. Previously undisclosed tests, obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, show that FDA detected melamine in a sample of one formula and the presence of cyanuric acid, a chemical relative of melamine, in the formula of a second manufacturer. Separately, a third formula maker told AP that in-house tests detected trace levels of melamine in its infant formula. The three firms, Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson, manufacture more than 90% of all infant formula produced in the U.S. FDA and other experts believe the melamine contamination in U.S.-made formula occurred during the manufacturing process, rather than intentionally, according to The Associated Press. Full Story

USDA is now verifying and certifying "numerous" claims by livestock and poultry sellers for non-payment from Agriprocessors, according to a court motion filed by a U.S. attorney in New York. The U.S. district attorney for the Eastern District of New York is asking a New York bankruptcy judge to send Agriprocessors' bankruptcy case to Iowa, reported The Gazette. Full Story

Market News

U.S. hog producers will import wheat from Britain and Brazil due to the high cost of U.S. corn and feed grain, stated Don Butler, spokesman for Murphy-Brown, the hog-raising unit of Smithfield Foods Inc. Hog producers will also import a cargo of wheat middlings from Nigeria, reported Reuters. Full Story

U.S. Sugar formed a final contract with the South Florida Water Management District. Highlights of the contract include $1.34 billion paid by the South Florida Water Management District at closing for approximately 180,000 acres. U.S. Sugar will lease the land for a total of seven crops for $50/per acre/year ($9,050,000/year) with no lease payment in year seven. Full Story