Retail News
Retail food price deflation averaged four-tenths of a
percent through the first seven months of 2010, the largest
level of deflation seen in 51 years and the first time
in 43 years this has occurred, according to exclusive Food
Institute analysis of just-released government data. In addition,
retail food prices were unchanged during July from August.
Full
Story (FI Membership Required)
Grocery store sales rose 1.6% during July compared to
the same month a year ago and were 3.9% higher than June
sales, according to Food Institute analysis of just-released
sales data from the Bureau of Census. Supermarkets accounted
for 95% of those sales. Eating and drinking place sales fared
significantly better, rising 4.4% during July versus a year-prior,
the largest such increase this year. Full
Story (FI Membership Required)
Supermarket chains and other retailers are using cereal
prices to draw shoppers into their stores, according to
Kellogg chief executive David Mackay. The price war could
end as early as October or as late as December, according
to the executive, as commodity costs are increasing, reported
MarketWatch. Full
Story
PW Markets will close after 67 years in business.
The company is seeking to lease all its seven existing locations.
Increasing competition is the biggest reason for the pending
closure, according to store representative John Machado, SVP
at Colliers International, reported Silicon Valley / San
Jose Business Journal. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Doctors at three health centers in Massachusetts began
advising patients to eat "prescription produce"
from local farmers' markets, in an effort to fight obesity
in children of low-income families. The doctors will give
coupons amounting to $1 a day for each member of a patient's
family to promote healthy meals, reported The New York
Times on the Web. A foundation called CAVU, for Ceiling
and Visibility Unlimited, sponsors the clinics that are administering
the project. The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture and
Wholesome Wave each contributed $10,000 in seed money. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Food Lion banners Food Lion, Bloom, Harveys and Reid's will
carry over 200 OfficeMax products year-round, reported
Progressive Grocer. Full
Story
Manufacturer News
New Product News: A&P debuted
a line of products in all of its Pathmark stores under the
Food Basics and Home Basics labels, including both shelf-stable
and perishable fare such as cereal, cheese, produce and meat,
reported Progressive Grocer. Full
Story ... Kraft Foods introduced Sandwich Shop
Mayo, a line of flavored mayonnaise, reported The Sacramento
Bee. Full
Story (Free Registration Required) ... Heartland Pasta
introduced Gluten Free pasta, now available at Wal-Mart. Full
Story ... Cellutions LLC added Modjo 4Life to its
line of new-age functional beverages. The product comes in
three flavors, reported CSP Daily News. Full
Story
Foodservice News
Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. will focus on value pricing
this fall, including 99-cent Frosty treats at Wendy's and
a new menu at Arby's featuring 30 items for less than $3,
including five new sandwiches. Wendy's breakfast line will
be rolled out to 150 more restaurants by the end of August,
and another 100 stores by the end of the year, reported Nation's
Restaurant News. Full
Story (Free Registration Required), Full
Release
Charlie Brown's Steakhouse formed a partnership with
New Jersey Department of Agriculture's Jersey Fresh program,
serving local produce through four produce distributors in
the area, reported The Packer Online. Full
Story (Subscription Required)
Tossed signed a franchise partnership with Fransmart
to develop franchisee territories across the U.S. and in select
international markets. Full
Story
Executives on the Move: Red Robin Gourmet Burgers,
Inc. will appoint Stephen E. Carley CEO on Sept. 13. Full
Story ... El Pollo Loco, Inc. will appoint SVP
of Operations Steve Sather president and CEO. Full
Story ... Lisa Hogan was named VP of Sales for National
Accounts at Santa Monica Seafood. Full
Story ... Franchise Professionals Inc. named Larry
Carnell SVP of business development, reported QSR Magazine.
Full
Story ... The California Shopping Cart Retrieval Corporation
appointed Dave Reid president and CEO. Full
Story
Health News
A total of 1,097 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported
in 2007 to CDC, according to the agency's Surveillance
for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks - U.S., 2007 report. In
the 235 outbreaks where one food commodity was identified,
the largest number of illnesses listed poultry (691 illnesses),
beef (667 illnesses) and leafy vegetables (590 illnesses)
as the cause. Full
Story, Full
Report
Washington News
A compromise food safety bill that reportedly has bipartisan
support was released by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) via a "manager's
amendment" that omits a ban on the use of BPA in plastic
containers. The House passed a version of the bill in 2009
and with Congress in recess until September, the food safety
legislation appears to moving to the forefront once again,
reported The Des Moines Register. Full
Story, Revised
Bill
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, organizations representing
livestock producers and other agricultural interests and the
Humane Society of the U.S. formed a joint agreement which
will result in the Humane Society not pursuing a ballot
initiative this fall and enhance animal welfare and animal
care standards. The sides agreed to bar new construction of
egg farms that pack birds in cages, and to phase out the tight
caging of pregnant sows within 15 years and of veal calves
by 2017, reported The New York Times on the Web. Full
Story (Free Registration Required), Full
Release
A lawsuit seeking penalties against Olivera Egg Farm over
pollution from its manure lagoon should go to trial, according
to a federal judge. The egg farm has more than 700,000 chickens
in cages at its facility, reported The Sacramento Bee.
Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
California consumers who use debit cards could not be
charged a fee by stores and other retail outlets under
legislation sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Senate Bill
933 would include debit cards in an existing prohibition barring
retailers from charging a fee on transactions paid with credit
cards, reported The Sacramento Bee. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Goya Foods, Inc. issued a voluntary recall of
14-oz. packages of Frozen Mamey Pulp because the products
have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. Full
Story
Lucerne Foods initiated a voluntarily recall of 19,560
one-gallon plastic jug containers of Tampico Citrus Punch
sold after July 23 by six retailers in Arizona and New Mexico
due to the presence of undeclared Tartazine, also known as
FD&C Yellow No. 5. Full
Story
The Administrator of FAS began a review of a petition
for trade adjustment assistance filed under the Fiscal
Year 2011 program by the University of Rhode Island on behalf
of American lobster fishermen who catch and market their lobster
in Rhode Island. Full
Notice The Administrator also began a review of
a petition filed by the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine
on behalf of blueberry producers in Maine. Full
Notice
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer is establishing
USDA regulations implementing the Federal Policy on Research
Misconduct applicable to extramural research. The regulation
defines research misconduct and establishes basic USDA requirements
for the conduct of fair and timely investigations of alleged
or suspected infractions. Full
Notice
USDA submitted an information collection requirement to
the Office of Management and Budget for review and clearance
regarding the importation of poultry meat and products and
live poultry from Argentina and the Mexican states of Campeche,
Quintana Roo and Yucatan under certain conditions. APHIS will
collect information through the use of a certification statement
that must be completed by Mexican veterinary authorities prior
to export. Full
Notice
FSIS will request a revision of an approved information
collection regarding new technology following the expiration
of Office of Management and Budget approval on Nov. 30. To
notify FSIS of new technology for use in official establishments
and plants, firms must submit documents describing the operation
and purpose of the new technology. Full
Notice
Global News
Kraft is focusing efforts on the Asia-Pacific region,
mostly on the strength of the Indian and Chinese consumer
markets, and is seeking to raise the profile of Cadbury products
in China and increase investments in other developing markets.
The company is in the process of consolidating the Beijing
headquarters of Cadbury to Kraft's Shanghai offices, reported
The Wall Street Journal. Full
Story (WSJ Subscription Required)
Barilla's fully-owned subsidiary Lieken AG agreed to sell
German bakery chain Kamps to Germany-based ECM Equity
Capital Management GmbH, reported Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
Full
Story
Singapore-based palm oil firm Wilmar International will
take a 20% stake in Indonesian palm oil firm Kencana Agri,
reported Reuters. Full
Story
Market News
Cool early-summer temperatures in Mexico combined with colder-than-usual
winter temperatures in Peru will create a demand-exceeds-supply
situation this summer for asparagus, reported The Produce
News. Full
Story
The South Florida Water Management District board approved
a state plan to buy 26,791 acres for about $197.4 million
from U.S. Sugar, reported Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Full
Story
The Department of Commerce made changes to the margin
calculations for the final results of the fourth administrative
review of the antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater
shrimp from China. Full
Notice
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