September 02, 2011

Editor's Note: IFDA's Daily Update will not publish Monday, Sept. 5. Publication will resume Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Operator News

Two Central Florida McDonald's outlets are inviting guests inside for tours later this month. The "behind-the-counter" tours are part of a statewide effort to teach people about foodservice operations. Those participating can see the workings of a McDonald's and sample menu items, reported Orlando Sentinel. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Cruise lines are increasingly attracting travelers with high-quality food and food-oriented programs. For instance, Holland America installed show kitchens in public view across its entire fleet of ships and partnered with Food & Wine magazine to bring wine experts, leading cookbook authors and guest chefs on board, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required)

Panda Express plans to open its first restaurant in Mexico with an eatery in Mexico City. The location is scheduled to open Sept. 3, reported North County Times. Full Story

Retail News

Several potential buyers emerged for Andronico's Markets, including Renovo Capital, which owns $29 million in secured debt of the company and proposed to pay $20 million to buy the rest of it, reported San Jose Mercury News. Full Story

HoneyBaked Ham's grocery store kiosks make up 12% of annual revenue. The company has 150 kiosks across the country, bringing its total number of locations to 600. Seven of the kiosks are in Ohio-area Kroger stores, reported The Cincinnati Enquirer. Full Story

Industry News

The cost of pasta increased about 20 cents in the past few months to an average of about $1.48 a pound across the U.S. due to heavy spring rain and record flooding, according to American Italian Pasta Co., reported The Associated Press. Full Story

A new, 496,000-sq. ft. Riverside, CA-based cold storage facility used by Wal-Mart is one of the largest in the world, according to Ocean County Register. The storage space can hold up to 60,000 pallets. Full Story

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

Hostess Brands Inc. hired restructuring advisers to negotiate with creditors and rework its finances. The baker has been facing sharply higher costs for labor and ingredients that outweighed its $2.2 billion in annual sales, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required)

Health News

Individuals who regularly swap a serving of white rice for beans had a 35% lower chance of showing symptoms that are usually precursors to diabetes, according to a study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reported Reuters. Full Story

Washington News

While a broad range of factors influence the price of gasoline, worldwide crude oil prices continue to be the main driver of gas prices, according to a Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Economics staff report examining trends in the petroleum industry and how they have affected gasoline prices between 2005 and early 2011. Full Story, Full Report

An amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic was submitted by The Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. The amendment proposes actions to revise the lobster species contained within the fishery management unit; revise definitions of management thresholds; establish an acceptable biological catch control rule, an annual catch limit, and an annual catch target for Caribbean spiny lobster; revise the Federal spiny lobster tail- separation permitting requirements; revise the regulations specifying the condition of spiny lobster landed during a fishing trip; modify the undersized attractant regulations; modify the framework procedures; and transfer to the state of Florida the authority to remove derelict spiny lobster traps within the exclusive economic zone off Florida. Full Notice

Market News

Agricultural damage in New York state reached $45 million as of Aug. 31 due to Hurricane Irene, with the hardest hit region being the "black dirt" region of Orange County, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Some 80% of farms that sell their products at New York City's Greenmarket Farmers Markets had seen some kind of damage, and 20% to 30% of them saw significant damage. Around 100 of the farms represented at the city's farmers' markets (70%) are from upstate New York, reported WNYC. Full Story

USDA will release its Vegetables report on Sept. 2 at 3:00 p.m. EST. View Details

Fresno County, CA farmers and ranchers produced a record $5.9 billion in crops and commodities in 2010, enough to rank as the top county in the nation, according to the county's agricultural commissioner. The value was an increase of 11.2% over 2009, despite a slight drop in the number of acres in crop production and a continuing drought and water shortages, reported The Fresno Bee. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

The Gravenstein apple, harvested in Sonoma County, CA, has been overtaken by wine production. Wine grapes were the No. 1 crop in the county in 2010, valued at about $390 million, while the Gravenstein was No. 13, with $1.7 million, according to the 2010 Sonoma County Crop Report. Land used for Gravensteins dropped to 763 acres, down from 833 acres in 2009, part of a long decline in apples in the county, reported The New York Times on the Web. Full Story (NYT Subscription Required), Full Report

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