April 12, 2011

IFDA News

On Tuesday, April 26, at 2:00 p.m. EDT, an IFDA webinar will examine how changing demographics in the U.S. population are affecting the overall foodservice industry. Arnie Schwartz, foodservice president at The NPD Group, will show participants how an emerging generation Y, aging baby boomers, and significant growth in Hispanic and Asian populations are reshaping consumption behaviors in the U.S. The webinar is open to IFDA Distributor Members and IFDA Partners. To see a full webinar description and to register, click here.

IFDA is currently conducting a search for the position of Director, Member Retention and Recruitment. The position is responsible for providing strategic direction to member retention and growth activities and to increase member knowledge of, and participation in, IFDA programs and services. If you know of an appropriate candidate for the position, please feel free to share the following job description. Click Here

Distributor News

As of Apr. 11, U.S. average diesel fuel prices were $4.078 per gallon, up 0.102 cents per gallon from a week ago, and up $1.009 from one year ago. Full Story

Operator News

Firehouse Subs will open 429 restaurants in nine states, reported The Florida Times-Union. Full Story

Timothy's World Coffee opened its first U.S. location at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Timothy's plans on opening two more U.S. locations in the coming months, in West Roxbury, MA and St. Paul, MN, reported Fast Casual. Full Story

Several U.S. chains are planning to enter India, including Denny's Corp. and Rita's Water Ice. Pollo Tropical, Applebee's and Johnny Rockets are also looking to enter the market, which is worth $13 billion, reported Reuters. Full Story

Retail News

Metro Atlanta's first hybrid Publix supermarket will open Apr. 21 in Brookhaven. The 54,000-sq. ft. store will feature a combination of traditional and all-natural and organic offerings found in the Publix GreenWise markets. The store will also have extended delis, bakeries and a wine selection replete with an in-house sommelier, reported Brookhaven Patch. Full Story

Industry News

Revenue growth was expected by 76% of small and mid-size businesses in a first quarter survey from Vistage International, ahead of last year's 64%. Nearly half (49%) of the CEOs expect their prices for products or services to increase during the next 12 months; only 39% had such an expectation a quarter ago. Among all firms, 48% planned to increase their investment spending, up from 34% one year ago and more than twice the 22% recorded at the start of 2009. Full Story

Salmon contributed 12.9% to seafood department sales during the 52 weeks ending Dec. 25, and accounted for 36.1% dollar share of the finfish category, according to data from Perishables Group, reported Seafood Business Magazine. Farmed salmon is predominant for U.S. salmon sales, accounting for 72.9% dollar share, and it increased in all U.S. regions in 2010. Full Story

New! Rewarding shoppers for healthier shopping is explored in the Apr. 12 edition of the Lempert Report, featuring Phil Lempert. Spirits section growth is also examined. Click here to view.

XL Foods is temporarily ceasing production at facilities in the U.S. and Calgary due to a significant decrease in Western Canadian cow herds that impacted mature cattle supply and a tough competitive marketplace. Operations are expected to resume as early as this fall, reported Meat & Poultry. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

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

Online home delivery service Green B.E.A.N Delivery is expanding its services to Louisville on Apr. 27. The company, based in Indianapolis, also delivers to Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, OH, reported Business First of Louisville. Green B.E.A.N., which stands for Biodynamic, Education, Agriculture and Nutrition, sources most of its sustainable, organic products from local producers. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Pura Vida H2O Inc. provides vending machines that dispense purified tap water into reusable bottles. The machines are going into health clubs, campuses and office buildings. The company has orders for 200 machines, and the company expects to have 450 units placed by mid-summer, including 150 in Massachusetts, reported The Boston Globe. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Jollibee Foods Corp. signed loan agreements with the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. and Citibank NA to raise a total of $90 million. The new loans will be used in part for foreign acquisitions, reported Reuters. Full Story

Brazilian ministers are floating proposals aimed at stimulating local ethanol supplies. Such measures, if successful, would likely redirect cane away from sugar production, reported Reuters. Full Story

Health News

Eating less meat and more vegetables is tied to a lower risk of cataracts, according to a study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reported Reuters. Full Story

Blueberries may help fight obesity, as the fruit contains high levels of polyphenols, which prevented the development of fat cells in research conducted at Texas Woman’s University, reported MLive.com. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Washington News

USDA is inviting public comment on guidelines for a voluntary initiative to enable entities to reduce the likelihood that agricultural products or commodities imported into the U.S. are produced by forced labor or child labor. USDA will also hold a public meeting of the Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural Products on May 12 to hear comments on the guidelines. Full Notice

FDA is denying requests for a hearing that it received on a final rule amending the food additive regulations to provide for the safe use of ionizing radiation for the reduction of Salmonella in fresh shell eggs. After reviewing objections to the final rule and requests for a hearing, FDA concluded that the objections do not raise issues of material fact that justify a hearing or otherwise provide a basis for revoking or modifying the amendment to the regulation. Full Notice

USDA is amending the regulations under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act to allow a seller, supplier or agent who has met the PACA trust eligibility requirements to enter into a scheduled agreement for payment of the past due amount without foregoing its trust eligibility, if there is a default in payment as defined in the regulations. USDA is also amending the regulations to clarify that the 30-day maximum time period for payment to which a seller can agree and still qualify for coverage under the trust refers to pre-transaction agreements. Full Notice

Market News

Michigan's fresh apple holdings fell from 2.9 million bushels on Apr. 1 to 196,000 bushels this year at the same time, the result of frosts in May 2010 that cut volumes sharply. Holdings also are down significantly in New York and Pennsylvania, but they are up in Washington. About 41 million bushels of fresh-market U.S. apples were still in storage on Apr. 1, 3% fewer than last year at the same time but 3% above the five-year average, according to the U.S. Apple Association's April Market News report, reported The Packer Online. Full Story

Cocoa exports from Ivory Coast are set to resume May 14 after the seizure of the country's incumbent president, according to container shipping group CMA CGM. After that, exports will resume on a weekly basis depending on the security situation. Dealers remained cautious, claiming that it could take weeks before any cocoa is moved out of the country as both the financial and physical infrastructure needed to release the stocks remains paralyzed, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required)

California growers ship more than $1 billion worth of product annually to Japan. The real effects of any trade disruptions will be felt in May, after Easter, when domestic demand falls and growers look to export markets, according to the executive director of the California Asparagus Commission. In a normal year, 10% of California's asparagus production goes to Japan. Japan's food safety concerns may boost demand for imported products, and California melons, citrus and grapes may also see spikes in demand, reported The Sacramento Bee. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

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