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Contents:

It Has Never Been Easier To Track Down A Food Law
The Food Law Anthology is a collection of the major food-related federal laws that are enforced by the FDA, USDA and FTC. It provides an up-to-date reference to federal food statutes such as the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act, including the major changes made by the Bioterrorism Act of 2002. The Anthology also includes related federal statutes such as the Administrative Procedure Act and the Fair Labeling and Packaging Act. To order, click here.


Food Store Sales Drop 5.4% In June Vs. May

And Food Store Sales Drop 5.4% While food store sales typically decline in June versus May, this year's decline was significantly larger than prior years, falling 5.4%, compared to just 1.7% in 2007. .. .... Full Story

Stimulus Checks' Impact Short-Lived As Restaurant Sales Fall 5.2% From May

On the heels of a sharp 7.7% jump in sales at eating and drinking places between April and May, June sales dropped 5.2% from the prior month, eking out only a 1.1% gain in sales versus a year earlier. Apparently, consumers splurged with at least a portion of the government stimulus checks they received during May, driving sales at full-service restaurants up a revised 8.7% from a year earlier that month .... Full Story

Clubs & Supercenters Got May Bounce

Since the Census Bureau reports sales at warehouse clubs and supercenters a month later than other retailers, the latest data shows that these retailers benefited significantly from those stimulus checks, with sales increasing twice as much as the prior year between April and May - by 13.8%. Full Story

Food-At-Home Prices Up 6.1% From '07 In June

During June, the Consumer Price Index for food-at-home rose another six-tenths of a percent, bringing the rate for the first half of 2008 to 5.6% -- an 18-year high. Food-at-home prices were up 6.1% from the same month last year, the largest such increase since November of 1990. Full Story

Wholesale Food Prices Jump 1.4% In June Vs. May

Driven by very large jumps in fresh vegetables and egg prices during June, the Producer Price Index for finished consumer foods rose 1.4% versus the prior month. That put this index of wholesale food prices 8.3% higher than May of 2007, and...Full Story

Grocers And Restaurants Saw "Real" Sales Growth In May

Sales growth at both grocery stores and restaurants clearly outpaced rising prices during May after flattening out, or even declining a month earlier, compared to year-earlier levels. Real or deflated sales growth at the nation's supermarkets rose 2.9% during the month versus 2007, the largest such gain since February. Full Story