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Editor's
Note: Stagnito's Daily Brief will
not be published on February 19. We will begin
publishing again on February 20.
Industry News
The Producer Price Index for all finished
consumer foods moved 0.6% higher in the first month
of 2007 versus December, according to Food Institute
analysis of just-released government data. Declines
in prices for eggs and turkeys were slightly more than
offset by increases in other categories, specifically:
beef & veal, seafood, and rice. Full
Story
PepsiCo
has come to a "negotiated settlement" with
McLane Co. Inc. over the new distribution fee the
wholesaler recently announced to packaged-beverage suppliers.
Earlier, McLane said the shift to a weight-based fee
was necessary due to the increasing distribution costs
of the large-volume, heavy-weight packaged beverages,
reported CSP Daily News. Full
Story
Supermarket operators say they are figuring
out how to compete with the discounters and have
found some ways to preserve their business, reported
The Chicago Tribune. In the past 20 years, supermarkets
have seen their market share in food sales plummet from
more than 90% to about 50% because of competition from
supercenters operated by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target
Corp. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
BusinessWeek Online talked with Steve
Ells, founder of Mexican-food chain Chipotle, on
his aim to make the focused menu as all-natural as possible,
and why it is worth the expense. Full
Story
Pernod Ricard USA reached a tentative agreement
to sell its Seagram distillery in Lawrenceburg,
OH, to CL Financial, a Trinidad and Tobago-based
holding company whose best-known subsidiary is the international
drinks and ethanol group, Angostura Ltd. The new owner
plans to continue operations of the distillery, reported
Cincinnati Enquirer. Full
Story
 Latest
sales & earnings for food related companies
(Updated Daily)
Franklin investor James Amos and and New York private
equity firm SPG Partners acquired Tasti D-Lite,
a New York- based frozen dessert chain. Amos,who will
become the chief executive officer of Tasti D-Lite LLC,
hopes to expand the company to 500 retail outlets within
the next five years. Tasti D-Lite is now sold in 34
retail locations throughout New York City and another
10 retail locations in Texas, New Jersey, Connecticut
and Florida, according to The Tennessean. Full
Story
SIG Strategic Investments, LLLP acquired substantially
all of the assets of U.S. Mills, Inc., a developer
and marketer of cereal and snack food brands, including
Uncle Sam, Erewhon, Farina, New Morning and Skinner's.
Full
Story
While
affluent consumers shop all the mainstream retail channels,
they are more than twice as likely to patronize a warehouse
club store and 9% more likely to frequent a mass
merchandiser when compared with households who earn
$20,000 or less, according to a study released by The
Nielsen Company. Households with $100,000+ annual incomes
patronize club stores like Costco and Sam's Club and
upscale mass merchandisers like Target in search of
a deal, as well as national and higher-end grocery chains
that meet their need for fresh produce, meat, poultry
and seafood, along with a great deli section and alcoholic
beverage aisle. Full
Story
Wal-Mart's
Sam's Club is reaching out to female shoppers to
help drive growth at its warehouse division, broadening
its appeal beyond the small business owners on which
it has built its business, reported The Sun Herald.
The company is working on new prototypes that will enhance
the shopping experience for female shoppers. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
 Wilson
Farms Neighborhood Food Stores Inc. and Upstate Farms
Cooperative Inc. reached an agreement in which Upstate
Farms will supply an additional 92 Wilson Farms and
Sugar Creek stores with dairy products in the Rochester,
Syracuse and Central New York regions. The two companies
already have a similar agreement involving 107 Wilson
Farms and Sugar Creek Stores. Full
Story
In 2007, California Pizza Kitchen, Inc.
will focus on its domestic full service restaurants
while it refines the ASAP brand over the next 12
to 18 months. Meanwhile, it extended its domestic franchise
agreement with HMSHost and strengthened its international
footprint with a long-term franchise plan in Mexico
and a letter of intent for South Korea. Full
Story
Minhas Craft Brewery signed a contract
with Dixie Brewing Co. to brew and package Dixie beers
at its Monroe, WI brewery. Dixie Brewery beers will
be re-launched on Feb. 20, coinciding with the beginning
of Mardi Gras, reported The Business Journal of Milwaukee.
Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Damon's International
Inc. is phasing out frying oils containing trans fat
and removing trans fat ingredients from its menu
items at all of its 86 Damon's Grill casual restaurants.
Furthermore, the company is launching a website that
lists possible allergens in its dishes, reported Business
First of Columbus. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
In response to a recent Stagnito Daily Brief survey,
67% of respondents agreed with the statement, "The
obesity crisis requires stronger national legislative
action," while 33% disagreed.
A franchise area developer signed an agreement
to open up to 100 Marco's Pizzas in Florida.
The company plans to have stores in ten states by the
end of this year and 500 stores by 2010. Full
Story
 Cargill
launched Peter's Chocolate Finely Ground Burgundy Semi-sweet
Chocolate, for use as a drinking chocolate. This
new product is pure chocolate, not a cocoa powder and
sugar blend. Full
Story
International
News
Nestle
SA and chocolate producer, Barry Callebaut AG, announced
plans to expand their strategic cooperation in Europe.
The proposed project includes the sale of about 100,000
metric tons of Nestle production capacity in France
and Italy to Barry Callebaut. Barry Callebaut will also
enter into a long-term supply agreement to sell 43,000
tons of liquid chocolate each year to Nestle and to
produce some of its consumer products. In addition,
it will act as a long-term supplier to Nestle's chocolate
factories in Russia, reported MarketWatch. Full
Story
Asahi Breweries Ltd. or Kirin Brewery may integrate
Japanese beer maker Sapporo Holdings, which faces
a takeover bid by U.S. hedge fund Steel Partners Japan.
Many Japanese food retailers have scrambled to beef
up capital alliances with each other to increase their
competitiveness, but much of corporate Japan still feels
reluctant about U.S.-style mergers and management. Full
Story
Health News
Children of women who ate little fish
during pregnancy had lower IQs and more behavioral and
social problems than youngsters whose mothers ate
plenty of seafood, according to a British study of more
than 14,000 women led by Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a U.S.
National Institutes of Health researcher. The study,
published in the British medical journal The Lancet,
found "no evidence to lend support to the warning of
the U.S. advisory that pregnant women should limit their
seafood consumption," reported The Seattle Times.
Full
Story, View
Study
Washington News
The possible Salmonella
contamination in certain jars of peanut butter may have
been caused by dirty jars or equipment, according
to federal and industry officials. The suspect peanut
butter was produced by ConAgra at its only peanut butter
plant, in Sylvester, GA, reported Tri-City Herald.
Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Many Kansas farmers are experiencing conflicted
views over the latest version of farm legislation
proposed by the Bush administration.
While they question plans such as the reduction of agriculture
spending and the cutting of subsidies for producers
earning more the $200,000, farmers support the aspects
of the proposal that boost conservation funding and
promote renewable resources. Full
Story
Market News
This year's commercial chinook salmon season off
Oregon's coast is looking better than last year,
according to preseason estimates. Continuing problems
with declining numbers of salmon in the Klamath River
put a stop to much of the commercial fleet last year.
This year, however, there is expected to be more than
500,000 Klamath River salmon in the ocean, which is
five times last year's estimate. Additionally, about
60,000 wild fish are expected to return to the river
to spawn, far above the minimum of 35,000 returning
spawners, reported The Oregonian. Full
Story
Construction began on a $10 million expansion at
Valley Fruit in Wapato, WA, that will add a cherry
packaging facility to the existing apple-packing plant.
The packaging facility is a joint project between the
Sage Fruit Company, which is a partner with Wapato's
Valley Fruit, and Oregon Cherry Growers, a farmer's
co-op based in The Dalles, OR, reported Tri-City
Herald. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
California pistachio marketers have seen a jump
in demand in anticipation of Chinese New Year celebrations.
Pistachio exports to Asia rose 15% during December,
as buyers stocked up for the holiday, reported California
Farm Bureau Federation.
The 13 major potato states held 188 million cwt
of potatoes in storage as of Feb. 1, 2007, down
1% from last year and 7% below Feb. 1, 2005, for comparable
states, according to USDA's Potato Stocks report.
View
Report
 Several
new peanut varieties were developed recently for the
Southeastern producer. However, the seeds for these
varieties will be very limited or not available for
the 2007 production season. Southeast Farm Press
takes a look at the new varieties, some of which have
good pod yields and pest resistance. Full
Story
Additionally, peanut producers' best line of defense
against potentially devastating diseases continues to
be new and improved varieties. Some new varieties
offer enough disease resistance that eventually may
allow growers to be more flexible in their planting
dates. Also, improved varieties offer the promise of
increased value, insect resistance, virus resistance,
drought tolerance, longer shelf life and enhanced flavor
and nutritional qualities, according to a University
of Georgia peanut breeder, reported Southeast Farm
Press. Full
Story
USDA adopted an interim final
rule that relaxed the container marking requirements
for kiwifruit covered under the California kiwifruit
marketing order. Full
Notice
USDA adopted an interim final
rule changing the reporting requirements established
under the Idaho-Eastern Oregon onion marketing order,
which regulates the handling of onions grown in designated
counties in Idaho and Oregon and is administered locally
by the Idaho- Eastern Oregon Onion Committee. Full
Notice
Agricultural Marketing Service
(AMS) revised the standards of greenhouse tomatoes
to allow that percentages of defects and size classifications
be determined by count rather than weight. Full
Notice
AMS solicited comments
on the proposed voluntary U.S. Standards for Grades
of Tomatoes on the Vine. Full
Notice
 AMS
withdrew the notice soliciting comments on its proposal
to amend the voluntary U.S. Standards for Grades of
Winter Pears. Full
Notice
Foreign Agricultural Service
(FAS) accepted a petition filed by a group of apiarists
representing Michigan natural honey, white or
lighter, producers for trade adjustment assistance.
Full
Notice
FAS
accepted a petition filed by National Grape Cooperative
Association representing New York, Pennsylvania, and
Ohio Concord juice grape producers for trade adjustment
assistance. Full
Notice
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