Thursday February 24, 2005

Organic food and beverage sales were $10.9 billion last year, up 18% from 2003, according to The Natural Marketing Institute's 2005 Organic Consumer Trends Report. Approximately 30% of U.S. consumers (or 62 million households) use organic products, down from a high of 40% in 2003, according to the report.    Full Story

The nation's largest grower and shipper of organic produce, Earthbound Farm opened its first forward distribution center on the East Coast, in Cranbury, NJ. Earthbound Farm says the new forward distribution center dramatically enhances its ability to provide responsive customer service to those on the East Coast, expanding capacity to fill customers' supply gaps, reported Progressive Grocer.    Full Story

Flowers Foods' growth strategies will include introducing new whole grain products and further expansion of the territory served by the company's direct-store- delivery routes. Flowers expects to introduce additional whole grain products in both its Nature's Own and Cobblestone Mill brand product lines over the next few months.    Full Story



Canadian organic supermarket chain Planet Organic is acquiring Newfound Health's 17 franchise stores throughout the province of Alberta, reported Progressive Grocer.    Full Story



The price of Grapefruit oil has soared to $80 a kilogram (2.2 pounds) due to the hurricanes in 2004 that destroyed about 75% of Florida's crop. Grapefruit oil, which is used as a flavoring in many candies and beverages, averaged about $10 a kilo during the past five years. Some flavor industry officials are predicting prices will stay that high through 2006, noted The Lakeland Ledger.    Full Story



Fred West, the president of Sea Products, is aiming to appeal to consumers' health interest with a breakfast sausage made of wild Alaska salmon. The sausage comes uncooked and ready to be formed and tossed in a frying pan. West's products are sold in 128 stores from Washington to Ohio. His goal is to be in more than 1,000 retail outlets by the end of the summer. He also created Wild Dogs, hot dogs made of wild Alaska salmon, reported The Seattle Times.    Full Story

The Los Angeles Daily News looks at product placement in movies. Pepsi had the most cameos in films from 2002 to 2004, appearing in nearly 20% of top films, according to a study released by BrandChannel. Some unsought product roles can help a brand: Blackstone Pinot Noir enjoyed a more than 20% surge in sales after it was shown in the Oscar-nominated film "Sideways."    Full Story



The Park Ridge, IL City Council amended its packaged liquor ordinance in hopes of making downtown development more attractive to Trader Joe's by allowing specialty food stores to carry fine wines and spirits and host wine-tasting events, reported The Chicago Tribune.    Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Edna Morris has been named the interim executive director of the James Beard Foundation, reported Restaurant Business. Morris said she would focus on "four important issues: ethics, fiscal responsibility, integrity, and excellence."    Full Story

U.S. wine exports, 95% from California, increased to $794 million in winery revenues in 2004, up 28% over the previous year, according to preliminary figures released by the U.S. Department of Commerce. By volume, exports increased 29% to 119 million gallons, according to the Wine Institute.    Full Story

Fort Kent, ME-based Toffee Break has seen its business grow substantially in the past five years, reported Bangor Daily News.    Full Story



Around 70% of the 17 billion quarts of popcorn Americans consume annually it is eaten at home, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Full Story In a related story, the newspaper recognized some outstanding recent notable achievements in the popcorn industry.    Full Story (Free Registration Required)

It took 15 years to grow California-based Sabatino's into a $1 million sausage company. Within three years of getting on the shopping channel QVC in 2001, Sabatino's became a $6 million company, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While the internet has made it simpler for entrepreneurs to sell inventions on their own, QVC has remained a strong medium for bringing products to market because it has a long reach: More than 87 million people in 50 states receive its live television programming.    Full Story (Free Registration Required)    QVC Product Search

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