Retail News
Walmart will close 10 underperforming Sam's Club locations
in the U.S. Full
Story
Consumers want a personalized experience with social media,
and retailers need to unify offers across social media channels,
according to a survey from the NCR Corporation. Recommendations
based on the findings include nurturing online communities
to add credibility and to put experts online and respond quickly.
Full
Story Recording
Now Available! Regulating The New
Social Media ... What You Need To Know Before You "Tweet,"
a Food Institute webinar, discussed the regulatory and
legal repercussions companies face in using social media outlets.
Webinar participants included Mary Engle with the Federal
Trade Commission, Violet Aldaia of Brand Edge Global, David
Mallen with the National Advertising Division of the Better
Business Bureau, and Richard Leighton with the law firm of
Keller and Heckman. To purchase a recording or learn more,
click
here.
Manufacturer News
Coca-Cola's Minute Maid has a five-year plan to widen
its market margin, including targeting younger consumers
and the health-conscious with new products, new packaging
and a new ad campaign. "We think we can grow our market
share by 50%," stated Mike Saint John, Minute Maid president.
Minute Maid's recent overhaul, including new flavors strawberry
kiwi and pomegranate lemonade, is intended to attract young
adults in the 25-to-39 age range, reported The Houston
Chronicle. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Mizkan
Group's Mizkan Americas purchased World Harbors Sauces
& Marinades. The company also purchased the Holland House
brand of cooking wines from Mott's LLP, a Cadbury Schweppes
Americas Beverages Company and the Creole Fermentation of
Louisiana. Mizkan also acquired the Gourmet and Specialty
Division of Imperial Brands Inc., a subsidiary of Belvedere
S.A. (France). Full
Story
New Product News: Kellogg Company's Bear Naked
introduced two new granola flavors. Full
Story ... Nonni's Food Company's New York Style
launched Risotto Chips. Full
Story
The Chicago Tribune predicted several nutritional
trends for 2010. Forecasts include fresh is the new functional,
simplicity is the new sophistication, food is the new insurance
and meat-free is the new meat. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Rosemary extracts may prevent the formation of carcinogens
in meat cooking at a high temperature, claims a study published
in the Journal of Food Science, reported Food Navigator.
Full
Story
Foodservice News
BJ's
Restaurants Inc. plans to increase market share in 2010 by
placing an additional focus on kids' meals, a new loyalty
program, technology and catering, according to chief executive
Jerry Deitchle. BJ's expects to open 10 to 11 new restaurants
during 2010, reported Nation's Restaurant News. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Chick-fil-A
plans to open 78 new locations this year. Full
Story
CKE
Restaurants, Inc. signed two franchise agreements that
will bring an additional 31 Carl's Jr. restaurants to Texas
over the next nine years. Full
Story
Restaurant
Roundup: Jamba Juice will launch 10 hot beverage
items on Mar. 1, as well as additional baked goods and a new
beverage, the Chill-icious Chai smoothie. Full
Story ... Caribou Coffee introduced oatmeal in
two varieties and five flavors. Full
Story
Health News
Supplemental blueberries may boost memory in older people
with early memory problems, according to findings published
in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,
reported Beverage Daily. Full
Story
Washington News
Merisant Company completed its financial restructuring
and emerged from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Full
Story
Menu
labeling in New Jersey won final legislative approval,
reported The Star-Ledger. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
The
sale of all of the retail convenience stores and petroleum
distribution assets of Uni-Marts LLC to Kwik Pik LLC,
an affiliate of Lehigh Gas Corp., was completed, reported
Convenience Store News. Full
Story
A
proposed AMS rule would amend USDA's National List of Allowed
and Prohibited Substances to reflect recommendations submitted
to the Secretary of Agriculture by the National Organic Standards
Board. The recommendations addressed in this proposed rule
pertain to amending an annotation for one exempted material
on the National List and establishing an exemption for another
material in organic crop production. Full
Notice
Adams
Farm Slaughterhouse, LLC initiated a voluntary recall of
approximately 2,574-lbs. of beef products that may be contaminated
with E. coli. Full
Story
Parkers
Farm, Inc. initiated a voluntary recall of several products
including but not limited to peanut butter, salsa and bagels
due to possible contamination of Listeria monocytogenes. Full
Story
HP
Hood is recalling select Heluva Good branded 8-oz. plastic
cup containers of Cold Pack Cheese Food because they may
contain Listeria monocytogenes. Full
Story
Global News
Nissin Foods aims to stimulate demand with new
technology that it claims will enable it to make thicker
and straighter ramen noodles. The company plans to spend a
total of 75.7 billion yen in factory upgrades and other capital
outlays for the three financial years from April, up more
than 60% from the amount eyed for the three years to March.
The company anticipates that the U.S. and China will likely
to lead its overseas business growth, reported Reuters.
Full
Story
Shanghai-based Bright
Food Group Co. offered as much as $1.4 billion cash for CSR
Ltd.'s sugar unit. However, Bright Food's offer is "merely
an expression of interest" and is not capable of acceptance,
CSR stated in a stock exchange filing, reported Bloomberg.com.
Full
Story
One-quarter of Tesco's
UK shoppers purchased its "Finest" range of food
and champagne over the holidays. Same-store Tesco UK sales
rose 4.9% in the six weeks ended Jan. 9, reported Bloomberg.com.
Full
Story
TGI
Friday's UK franchise, AAC Capital Partners, is expected to
auction its 60% stake for around £50 million once
an agreement with co-owner Carlson expires in March, reported
The Independent. Full
Story
Royal Wessanen's Italy-based
Righi S.r.L. was sold to local management and an investment
company. Righi manufacturers oven-ready frozen products. Full
Story
Israel-based
Hefestus is launching a processing machine for pomegranate
fruit that allows firms to squeeze a juice at a reduced
cost without the peel, reported Food Production Daily.
Full
Story
Food packaging in India will experience a multi-dimensional
shift over the next five years, as companies use it as
a key value differentiator, according to Datamontitor's Innovations
in Packaging - Emerging Opportunities in the Indian Food Industry
report. Full
Story
Market News
Florida's winter tomato and vegetable crops could be in
jeopardy due to persistent freezing weather. "This
freeze really was the kind of proverbial knockout blow for
growers," stated Lisa Lochridge, director of public affairs
for Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association. The freeze hit
Immokalee-area tomatoes and vegetables such as bell peppers,
according to industry sources. Ms. Lochridge claims temperatures
dropped low enough and long enough to have caused some significant
losses to crops grown in that region, reported The Packer
Online. Full
Story (Subscription Required)
Florida's FCOJ yield forecast for the 2009-10 season is
1.60 gallons per box at 42.0 degrees Brix, down 2% from
the Dec. 1 forecast and down 4% from last season's final yield
of 1.66 gallons per box. The early-midseason portion is projected
at 1.53 gallons per box, down 4% from last season's record
yield of 1.60 gallons per box. The U.S. tangerine and mandarin
crop is forecast at 13.25 million boxes, up 8% from the Dec.
1 forecast and 23% above the 2008-09 crop. USDA
Crop Production Report USDA also released its Crop
Production Annual Summary. Full
Report
U.S. growers intend to plant 28,000 acres of spring onions
in 2010, down 7% from 2009. The winter celery crop for
harvest in California is forecast at 7,100 acres, down 1%
from last year. Meanwhile, planted area for strawberries for
the major states (California, Florida and Oregon) is forecast
at 48,500 acres, down 3% from 2009. California's strawberry
season started slowly this year due to wet and cool weather.
USDA
Vegetables Report
U.S. wheat ending stocks for 2009/10 are projected 76
million bushels higher this month with lower expected
domestic use and exports. Meanwhile, soybean production is
estimated at a record 3.361 billion bushels, up 42 million
bushels from last month based on higher yields. The soybean
yield is estimated at a record 44.0 bushels per acre. WASDE
Report
AMS released the Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary.
The data collected through this program provides comprehensive
database available on actual levels of pesticide residues
found in the U.S. food supply. Full
Story
Dow AgroSciences LLC and Keygene N.V. entered
into a Trait Development Agreement for improved yield
in tomatoes. Full
Story
Monsanto
Company and Stokes Bio Limited entered into a plant breeding
licensing agreement and R&D collaboration. Full
Story
USDA
submitted the Small Socially-Disadvantaged Producer Grant
Program to the Office of Management and Budget for review
and clearance. USDA is seeking comments regarding whether
the collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether
the information will have practical utility, among other topics.
Full
Notice
An AMS rule revised the administrative regulations governing
voting procedures for the California Walnut Board. This
rule specifies the voting procedures to be used for expanded
types of non-assembled meetings and removes voting by telegraph.
Full
Notice
APHIS prepared a draft environmental impact statement
in connection with making a determination on the status
of the Monsanto Company and Forage Genetics International
alfalfa lines as regulated articles. This notice also provides
notice of upcoming public meetings. Full
Notice
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