IFDA's Daily Update

July 15, 2008

Does your company use engineered work standards to measure worker productivity?

Yes - 47%
No - 53%

IFDA News

Apex Logistics Group has joined IFDA as an Allied Member. Apex Logistics is a licensed and bonded freight brokerage company that specializes in warehouse and logistical services. Apex also provides lumping service, trailer relocation, rack building, pallet sorting, and more. For more information about Apex Logistics Group, click here.

Distributor News

As of July 14, U.S. average diesel fuel prices were $4.76 per gallon, up 3.7 cents per gallon from a week ago, and up $1.88 from one year ago. Full Story

Operator News

Spanish-language menus are now available at the 310 Bennigan's Grill & Tavern restaurants nationwide, reported The Dallas Morning News. The menus are part of an effort throughout the restaurant industry to draw in more Hispanic customers. For example, Sonic Drive-In posts its menu in Spanish online and makes Spanish menus available in markets where operators request it, and Chili's Grill & Bar provides menus in Spanish nationwide to any customer who requests one. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Sports names and restaurants not always a successful combination, according to South Florida-Sun Sentinel. Each situation is unique. Some athletes lend their names and likenesses in exchange for a percentage of food and merchandise sales. Some become investors and have a say in the decor and menu. Others enter the restaurant business. The key, restaurant and sports experts say, is the right mix of good food and atmosphere, location and experienced management. Full Story

Rising Roll Gourmet introduced a breakfast catering program geared towards businesses. The company will expand its catering menu to include breakfast offerings such as breakfast stuffers, breakfast paninis and breakfast sliders, reported Franchising.com. Full Story

A growing number of Japanese companies are reestablishing employee cafeterias, or setting them up for the first time, with an emphasis on creating meals with the employees' welfare in mind and on promoting interaction among them. General trading house Mitsubishi Corp. is scheduled to reopen a dining room in a building near its head office in Tokyo's Marunouchi district for the first time in about six years, according to The Japan Times. Full Story

Consumer Food Spending and the Changing Economy

Although the slumping economy is impacting the restaurant industry and restaurant growth is forecast at the lowest level since 1991, concepts that offer unique and resonating value equation can find success, noted Kevin Higar, Senior Manager of Technomic Inc. during the Consumer Spending and the Changing Economy webinar presented by Technomic Inc. and The Food Institute. Additionally, opportunities to increase menu prices do exist, as not all menu price elasticities are created equal. Meanwhile, supermarkets can benefit from trading down, noted Ron Paul, President of Technomic. If you missed the webiner, but would like to purchase a recording of the event, click here.

Retail News

7-Eleven plans to add another 55 stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth market by the end of 2009, bringing its total count in the area to approximately 300. The company plans to achieve this 20% growth goal through acquisition, ground-up, and franchise opportunities, according to James Massey, 7-Eleven's real estate manager, reported GlobeSt.com. Full Story

Wegmans' store brand outsells other brands in several categories at its stores, including: yogurt, cereals, salsa, frozen self-rising pizza, ice cream, and basic frozen vegetables. The retailer attributes this achievement to its quality standards, which include an audit of the plant where product is to be produced; the specific product “recipe;” a quality check of the first shipment to make sure it matches specifications; reviews of consumers' comments, along with several other steps. Full Story

Despite rising fuel and food costs, sales at organic and health food markets remain strong, according to store managers. Many customers are convinced that natural foods are the key to good health, taking organic purchases out of the discretionary spending category, reported The Toledo Blade. Full Story

Employees of a Wal-Mart outlet in northeast China signed a collective contract with the retailer, the first among Wal-Mart's 100-odd stores across China. The Wal-Mart outlet in Shenyang agreed on a proposal by its trade union to raise employees' salary by an annual rate of 8% in 2008 and 2009, according to the city's trade union. Other agreements included the standard of minimum salary, paid vacation, social security treatment and payment for overworking, according to China Daily. Full Story

Industry News

In June, prices for finished consumer foods moved up 1.5% following a 0.8% increase in May, according to just-released Producer Price Index data. The index for fresh and dry vegetables advanced 14.7% after declining 9.0% in the preceding month. Prices for pears, eggs for fresh use, fluid milk products, and processed young chickens also turned up in June. Meanwhile, prices for pork fell 2.4% compared with an 8.0% increase a month earlier. Full Story

InBev will introduce Anheuser-Busch products in Europe, Asia, and Latin America as a result of the acquisition of the company, reported The New York Times on the Web. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Latest sales & earnings for food related companies (Updated Daily)

Imperial Sugar Company increased its ownership stake in organic and natural sweetener company Wholesome Sweeteners, Incorporated, and also acquired an option to purchase the remaining equity interest. Wholesome was formed as a venture in 2001 between Imperial Sugar and UK-based Edward Billington & Son. Full Story

GoodBelly probiotic products are now available at Whole Foods Market. Full Story

Some 40 food and drink companies pledged to make fewer and friendlier food transport miles, signing up to the UK's Food and Drink Federation's Environmental Checklist and Clause for Greener Food Transport. The companies, which include Kellogg's UK, Kraft Foods UK, Nestlé UK, and United Biscuits, committed to using a ten point checklist that includes transport practices and contracts with third party hauliers. Full Story

Danisco A/S will sell its Danisco Sugar A/S to Nordzucker AG for $1.1 billion. The divestment of Danisco Sugar is the final step towards the transformation of the company into an ingredients provider. Full Story

An African fruit, the baobab, will be available in the UK after being approved by the EU. The fruit, contained in a hard nut, has six times more vitamin C than oranges and twice as much calcium as milk, reported BBC News. Full Story

Supercenter Sales Hit $208.3 Billion In 2006

Supercenter sales reached $208.3 billion in 2006, up 15.5% from 2005 and up 34.3% from 2004, according to the latest edition of the Supercenter Industry Overview, part of the Supermerchants series published by alternative format expert James M. Degen & Co. The number of supercenters in the U.S. Increased 12.5% to 2,837 in 2006. This report covers company specific market size and growth, top companies, physical characteristics, consumer demographics, competitive response and an outlook for future developments. Click here to order.

Health News

Extracts from black tea may reduce total cholesterol levels by 9% and LDL cholesterol levels by 12%, according to a new study from Japan, reported Beverage Daily. Full Story, Study Abstract

Mothers-to-be who eat nuts every day may increase their child's risk of developing asthma by 50%, claim Dutch researchers. The results suggest that potent allergens found in some nuts might prime the fetus to be allergy-prone, reported BBC News. Full Story

Washington News

USDA confirmed it will begin listing retail stores receiving meat and poultry products involved in Class I recalls - those of the most serious concern to public health. There will be a 30 day notice after the rule is published in the Federal Register before the process of listing retail stores takes effect. Full Story

In Michigan, legislation to strengthen consumer protections on gift cards and gift certificates was signed into law by Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm. The new laws, which take effect Nov. 1, amend the Michigan Consumer Protection Act and the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act. Full Story

Market News

In May, pork exports reached 432.4 million-lbs., up 12% from April and 95% from a year ago. China/Hong Kong was the largest destination for U.S. pork exports during the month, with exports totaling 121.9 million-lbs., valued at $99.4 million. Meanwhile, beef exports reached 184.6 million-lbs. in May, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Full Story

ML Macadamia Orchards, L.P. signed an addendum to its current nut purchase contract with Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation, its primary customer. The addendum provides that Mauna Loa will purchase between nine million and 12 million additional pounds of macadamia nut-in-shell between July 21, 2008 and June 30, 2009 at a price of sixty cents per pound, adjusted to 20% moisture and 30% kernel recovery. Full Story

Mann Packing Co. introduced its "Simply Singles" whole-leaf lettuce items to the retail supermarket channel. "Simply Singles" are washed and ready-to-use single lettuce leaves available in romaine hearts, red leaf and green leaf lettuce, reported The Produce News. Full Story

CHS Inc.'s decision five years ago to buy grain from growers outside the U.S. has paid off, with the company becoming a major player in the global agriculture industry, according to The Wall Street Journal. Once a loose collection of farm cooperatives, CHS prospered in large part because it partnered with farmers in South America and Eastern Europe and with grain brokers in Australia and Canada. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required)

Mid-Columbia farmers and officials are optimistic about the upcoming wheat harvest. "It's going to be a good quality year," stated Damon Filan, manager of Tri-Cities Grain, who added that the harvest is expected to be on time, reported the Tri-City Herald. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

"Vertical farms," crops grown on skyscrapers, are garnering interest in New York, reported The New York Times on the Web. Manhattan borough president Scott M. Stringer's office is "sketching out what it would take to pilot a vertical farm," and plans to pitch a feasibility study to the mayor's office within the next couple of months, according to Mr. Stringer. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Fruit growers in Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley are setting fires in their orchards in hopes of halting a bacterial disease that attacks pear and apple trees during humid weather, reported the Tri-City Herald. Full Story (Free Registration Required)