Specialty Food News presented by NASFT in affiliation with The Food Institute

The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc., 120 Wall Street, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10005 - www.specialtyfood.com

February 14, 2005

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More than a third of Americans don't decide what's for dinner until the last minute, and more than half want something that requires little effort, according to an online survey of almost 53,000 people by the NPD Group. The survey respondents, who are the primary dinner preparers in their home, say their top four desires when making dinner are that it's easy to make, satisfies their hunger, takes little or no planning, and can be made with ingredients on hand, reported USA Today. Full Story

Forbes spent a recent afternoon buying and tasting chocolates that should be available in most states. They bought off the shelf and did not request any special wrapping. Click here to see their top picks.

For Immediate Release - News Direct From The Specialty Food Trade

Chocolate and beer? The San Jose Mercury News recently featured a series of dinners at Seattle, Los Angeles and Bay Area restaurants organized by Pete Slosberg, the creator of Pete's Wicked Ale and founder of Campbell's Cocoa Pete's. Each course featured chocolate paired with a different beer. Full Story

Kellogg's Specialty Channels Division (KSCD) has entered into a strategic alliance with Mamma Sez Inc., the Ferndale, NY-based maker of Mamma Says Biscotti. The alliance gives KSCD the exclusive rights to sell, market and distribute the Mamma Says line of biscotti. Full Release

UPDATED GUIDELINES: To learn how to submit news releases to be considered for this section, please click here.

New Mexico will soon be able to hire its first wine expert, who may help elevate the industry's reputation by expanding grape production, reported MSNBC.com. Full Story

The owner of Boise, ID-based Ferranti Fresh Pasta, which turns out about 1,200 pounds of fresh pasta a month, is interviewed by The Idaho Statesman. Full Story

The second Juan Valdez Café in New York will open this summer in Times Square, reported Crain's New York Business. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Vietnam's coffee crops will continue to decline this year unless the Government takes action to help local growers and traders join the world futures market, warns Van Thanh Huy, president of Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association. Last year's low prices have made local growers wary about planting the crop this year and so coffee production will be low for at least the next two years, Huy said. Full Story

Yoplait is introducing Healthy Heart yogurt, the first yogurt available in the U.S. that contains cholesterol-lowering plant sterols. Now available nationwide, Yoplait Healthy Heart comes in four fruit flavors: Strawberry, Harvest Peach, Cherry Orchard and Strawberry Banana. Full Story

Spartan Stores has made improvements including a new look for its Spartan-brand products, remodeling stores and changing its product mix to attract and keep customers from competitors. It has about 60 private label products on the drawing board, including fruit rollups, granola bars and beef jerky. It will work on adding natural and organic products, health and beauty care products and a lower-cost, generic brand, reported The Detroit Free Press. Full Story

Monterey Gourmet Foods introduced a new fresh whole wheat pasta line under the Monterey Pasta Company brand. Full Story

MSNBC.com takes a look at pasta made almost entirely from shrimp, which uses an enzyme that can be used to adhere two pieces of protein that were never intended to go together. Full Story

Toledoblade.com takes a look at small ethnic groceries who are finding their niche in the Toledo, OH area. Full Story

McDonald's agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle a lawsuit over not properly informing the public that it had encountered delays in plans to lessen the trans fats in its cooking oils. The company will donate $7 million to the American Heart Association and spend another $1.5 million to inform the public of its trans fat plans, reported CNN.com. Full Story

Meanwhile, with food companies required to disclose trans fats on food labels as of Jan. 1, 2006, many companies are scrambling to find an alternative to partially hydrogenated oil, reported The New York Times on the Web. McDonald's is considering a new breed of oil called high-oleic canola as an alternative to partially hydrogenated oil, but a switch would cost the company an additional $70 million a year. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Confused About Labeling Of Trans Fat In Food Products?

Need to know what FDA is requiring for trans fat labeling? Attend the Food Institute's one day Food Labeling Seminar on Mar. 1, 2005 in Newark, NJ, where you will not only learn the basics of food labeling from an FDA official, but what is coming from FDA regarding trans fat labels and possible changes to the Nutrition Facts panel from an expert in food law. Last chance to take advantage of Early Bird Registration - Save $50 if you register by Feb. 15! For details, click here.