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April 27, 2011 | |
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IFDA NewsHunter C. Sledd, Jr., a father of five, a business executive, and a community volunteer died April 23 at the age of 86. Mr. Sledd entered the family business of Taylor & Sledd following service in the U.S. Navy in World War II, starting with the company as a warehouse laborer and forklift operator before moving to sales. In 1955, he became president of the company, which included Pocahontas Foods. He retired as chairman of the company in 1990. "I think he was certainly pleased with his business accomplishments, but he was all about setting the right example and being a good person and giving back to the community," said Bob Sledd, who reflected that his father never had a bad word to say about anyone and that he looked for the best in people. "That's the way he lived his life," said Sledd in an interview with the Richmond Times Dispatch. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at River Road United Methodist Church in Richmond, VA, noted Richmond Times Dispatch. Full Story The National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon announced in an April 22 letter that he has instructed NLRB lawyers to proceed with the immediate filing of lawsuits to invalidate recent "secret ballot" amendments to the Arizona and South Dakota constitutions requiring secret ballots when employees decide whether or not to join a union. The two states, along with Utah and South Carolina, enacted the constitutional provisions as part of ballot measures last fall. In the letter, the Board states it is only moving forward with suits against Arizona and South Dakota at this time (in an effort to conserve legal resources) but reserved the right to file additional lawsuits "at the appropriate time." For more information, contact the IFDA government relations department. Operator NewsSome 75 million American adults will dine out on Mother's Day, according to the National Restaurant Association. About 58% of Mother's Day diners will go out to a restaurant for dinner; 32% will go out for lunch, 24% for brunch and 10% for breakfast. In addition, 19% will go out for more than one meal that day. Full Story Big Game Brands purchased The Original Italian Pie, a full-service Italian restaurant. Big Game Brand plans to expand the concept across the U.S., focusing its efforts in the Southeast by opening a corporate location in Charlotte, NC and a new franchised location in New Orleans. Big Game Brands expects to add to 25 locations by the end of 2012, reported Atlanta Business Chronicle. Full Story (Free Registration Required) A new KFC restaurant in Indianapolis was designed to use 25% less energy and water than a conventional KFC restaurant. It features energy-efficient cooking equipment, low-power, long-life LED lighting, locally sourced building materials, parking preference for hybrid vehicles, fixtures designed for lower water use, waste recycling (including cooking oil and plastics) and other green features, reported Meat & Poultry. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Mama Fu's Asian House signed a development agreement with Mama's Alamo LLC for six restaurants in New Mexico and El Paso, reported Austin Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Yum! Brands Inc. will seek to buy all outstanding shares in hotpot-restaurant operator Little Sheep Group Ltd. to further expand in China. Yum! may bid for all shares that it does not already own or are held by parties acting in concert with it, reported Bloomberg.com. Full Story Smashburger opened its 100th location in Schaumburg, IL, reported The Denver Post. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
Retail NewsGrocery prices have gone up by about 2%, according to Kroger Co.'s chairman and CEO. The company is passing along price increases and expects to benefit from fuel prices going up because of the discounts it offers on gasoline. More than half of U.S. households have Kroger cards, and the penetration rate is some 85% in its markets. The numbers of shoppers using food stamps remain at all-time high, reported The Cincinnati Enquirer. Full Story
Industry NewsVisitors to Groupon and Living Social are similar in that nearly two-thirds are female and more likely than the average U.S. internet user to be affluent. Living Social's visitors trend slightly more affluent and more educated than Groupon's with 46% having a bachelor's or post-graduate degree, compared to 39% for Groupon. Visitors to Living Social are also 49% more likely than the average American online to make $150,000 or more, while Groupon's visitors are 30% more likely, reported Nielsen. Full Story View Today! The Apr. 27 edition of New Products Hits and Misses with Phil Lempert evaluates: Penny's Pop Surprise Epicurean Extra Virgin Olive Oil Blend, Hawaiian Kettle Style Potato Chips Wasabi Flavor, Mary's Gone Crackers Wheat Free Gluten Free Crispy Crackers, Guylian Belgian Chocolates Extra Dark Flavor and Cavewoman Bars PB&J Flavor. Click here to view. Latest sales & earnings for food related companies (Updated Daily - FI Membership Required) U.S. exports of high value food products to Hong Kong reached a record level of $2.1 billion in 2010, consolidating Hong Kong's position as the fourth largest market for these products after Canada, Mexico and Japan. Benefiting from the strong economic growth in Mainland China, Hong Kong enjoyed 7.8% economic growth in 2010. In addition, it is expected that Hong Kong will maintain its position as one of the top four markets for U.S. consumer ready food products in 2011, as it continues to be a major buying center and transshipment point for China and Southeast Asia, noted FAS. FAS Report Health NewsAdding a half-teaspoon of red pepper to one's daily diet can curb appetite, especially for those who do not normally eat the spice, according to research from Purdue University. Full Story Washington NewsStates can do more to improve food access, regulations and policies to promote healthy eating and fight childhood obesity, according to a CDC report, The 2011 Children's Food Environment State Indicator Report. As of December 2008, only one state, Georgia, enacted all of the following state licensure regulations for child care facilities, including restricting sugary drinks. Full Story, Full Report Omaha Sen. Brenda Council introduced legislation that would offer tax credits and encourage private funding for grocery stores, farmers markets and community gardens that serve low-access areas. An amendment to the bill would reduce the total available tax credit each year to $200,000, down from the $350,000 originally proposed, reported Bloomberg Businessweek. Full Story, Bill Details USDA and the U.S. Agency for International Development could make enhancements to the impact of U.S. food assistance by reformulating fortified, blended foods; improving composition and use of fortified vegetable oil; improving fortified cereals used in general food distributions; using ready-to-use products when appropriate; and modifying USAID processes and guidance given to implementing partners, according to researchers from Tufts University. Full Story Delaware Court of Chancery Chancellor William Chandler III will step down in June after 14 years in the post, leaving one of the nation's most powerful business courts to receive new leadership. The chancellor decides who on the court will handle a specific case, and chancellors often chose to handle high-profile cases themselves. Court observers stated that there is a possibility that Delaware Gov. Jack Markell could pick Vice Chancellor Leo Strine Jr., a Democrat, to fill the top post, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required) Market NewsCoffee bean prices are hovering near $3 a pound, the highest price in more than three decades. Although demand for coffee would diminish somewhat at the conclusion of the coffee growing season in May, experts do not expect prices to significantly drop because of the length of time it takes for a coffee crop to mature, reported Chicago Tribune. Full Story (Free Registration Required) Cool, wet weather blanketed much of the northern half of the U.S. during the week, limiting spring planting in many areas while compounding the effects of local flooding in others, according to USDA's weekly weather report. By Apr. 24, feed corn producers planted 9% of the nation's corn crop, 14 points behind the five-year average. Continued wet weather and localized flooding throughout much of the Corn Belt hampered fieldwork, limiting planting progress to 2% or less in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska. In Minnesota, planting had not yet begun. Full Report Peanut butter may soon reach its retail highest price in more than 25 years as manufacturers pass along cost increases, according to a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analyst, reported Bloomberg.com. Full Story Above-average spring rainfall and warming temperatures will mean solid supplies of California figs this summer, stated the CEO of the California Fresh Fig Growers Association. The state's fresh fig production is estimated at 12 million-lbs. to 13 million-lbs. in 2011. It was 12 million-lbs. last year, reported The Packer Online. Full Story The California Cherry Advisory Board predicts a decent crop out of the San Joaquin Valley this year. Cool temperatures in the Northern San Joaquin Valley may have reduced crop size a bit, but the board noted the trees appear to have average-sized crops, reported California Farm Bureau. Tree nut imports to Russia showed 8% growth and reached 75,549 metric tons (MT) in 2010. The Russian tree nut market is far from saturated and has good potential for further expansion. Consumer demand for tree nuts is rising, driven by revitalized consumer spending post-economic crisis and a trend toward healthy diets. Though Russia remains a price sensitive market, demand-led growth is forecast to push imports up to 78,000 MT in 2011, up 5% from 2010, noted FAS. FAS Report
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