|
Industry
News
Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. signed a definitive
agreement to purchase Cottage Bakery, Inc., a manufacturer
of frozen par-baked breads and frozen dough sold in
the retail and foodservice channels, paying $170.8 million
in cash for all the stock in the company. In January
2007, Ralcorp will purchase the real estate associated
with the business. Full
Story
Darden Restaurants Inc. is poised for a major expansion
of its seven-unit, upscale-casual Seasons 52 "fresh
grill" and wine bar concept, according to Blaine
Sweatt III, president of the company's new-business
development arm. Seasons 52 so far has been expanded
to five Florida cities and two Atlanta branches, according
to Nation's Restaurant News. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
 The
Hershey Company acquired Dagoba Organic Chocolate,
LLC, Ashland, OR. Full
Story
During the past two years, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream
Holdings Inc. invested $210 million into expanding a
small ice cream-making facility in Laurel, MD and
creating one of the largest ice cream plants in the
world, reported The Washington Post. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Smithfield Beef Group, Inc. and ContiGroup
Companies, Inc. reached an agreement to build a beef
processing plant in Texas County, OK. Construction
of the plant is expected to begin in January 2007, with
completion scheduled for mid-2008. Full
Story
Benkovitz Seafood sold its Nordic Fisheries
wholesale business to Pittsburgh Seafood Services.
The shift by Benkovitz, a large distributor of wholesale
seafood in the Pittsburgh region, is expected to cause
a major transition in the region's seafood business,
reported Pittsburgh Business Times. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Publix, Subway, Olive Garden, Cici's Pizza and Walgreens
earned the highest marks in terms of customer service
in their respective categories this quarter, according
to Corporate Research International's RealPeopleRatings.com,
a quarterly customer service survey. Respondents rated
their perception of each business' customer service
on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest. Full
Story
Nebraska Meat Corporation agreed to acquire the
brand LSK Smoked Turkey Products. Full
Story
The Wm. Wrigley Jr. company patented
a new gum-making process allowing for the manufacture
of multi-colored, multi-flavored chewing gum. The process
involves molding one mass of gum into a flat slab and
embedding another, smaller layer before dividing the
mixture into segments and adding patterns such as stripes
and undulating waves, reported Confectionerynews.com.
Full
Story
Jelly Belly Candy Company signed an agreement
to acquire Ben Myerson Candy Company, which manufactures
the Christopher's line of chocolates and is the licensee
of Sunkist confectionery products. Full
Story
The Orlando Sentinel looks at ethnic grocery
stores in Central Florida, from the Caribbean Supercenter
in Orange County's Pine Hills community, to Publix Super
Markets' Sabor in Osceola County's Ventura Downs. Full
Story
Sandee's Candees' Spud Fudge
is probably one of the best known products to come out
of Salmon, ID. The sweet treat, which is actually
made with potatoes and looks just like an Idaho baked
potato, has been featured on the Food Network and is
sold worldwide. The owner of Sandee's Candees attributes
her success to Buy Idaho, a membership organization
of Idaho-owned business, according to The Idaho Statesman.
Full
Story
Washington state's Columbia Valley is one
of California's main rivals for red wine production,
specifically for the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varieties.
The state is now producing Riesling and is attracting
winemakers such as California-based Bonny Doon, which
will move production of
its Riesling operation to a Washington facility next
year, reported The Los Angeles
Times. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
International News
Wal-Mart
Canada opened two supercenters under the "Your Fresh
Market" banner, launching a battle that its
supermarket competitors have long been dreading. Wal-Mart
is expected to open Your Fresh Markets across Canada,
according to CBC News. Full
Story
Diageo PLC is preparing to conduct due diligence
on Independent Liquor, a New Zealand-based
ready to drink spirits producer, according to AFX.
Industry sources said that the spirits producer filed
a request with the Australian Competition and Competition
Commission as a precursor to gaining access to Independent's
books, reported Forbes.com. Full
Story
Washington News
Two
punative class-action lawsuits were filed against Yum!
Brands Inc. subsidiary Taco Bell Corp., alleging
violations of California's wage and hour laws. The suits,
which were filed in August by a restaurant general manager,
allege unpaid overtime as well as violations related
to meals and rest periods, reported MarketWatch.com.
Full
Story
Mexico barred Monsanto Co. and other biotechnology
companies from planting genetically engineered corn.
Environmentalists claim the decision will help prevent
biotech corn from contaminating native varieties in
Mexico. Some biotech supporters said it would limit
access to plants that could reduce pesticide and herbicide
use and have other advantages for local farmers, reported
The New York Times on the Web. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
The Federal Trade Commission approved the publication
of a Federal Register notice requesting comments
on a proposal to collect information from food and beverage
companies and quick service restaurants on marketing
activities and expenditures targeted toward children
and adolescents. Full
Story
FDA updated its backgrounder entitled, Nationwide
E. Coli O157:H7 Outbreak: Questions & Answers. Full
Story
Market News
Upon further review, crop forecasters say the California
winegrape harvest will be smaller than originally forecasted.
An updated forecast indicates the winegrape crop will
be 21% smaller than last year's, and smaller than earlier
predictions. The harvest remains behind schedule and
some red wine grapes may be left in vineyards, due to
a surplus from last year and increased imports of bulk
wine, reported California Farm Bureau Federation.
View
Report.
Birds, bees, bats and other species that pollinate
North American plant life are losing population, according
to a study released by the National Research Council.
American honeybees, which pollinate more than 90 commercial
crops in the U.S., declined by 30% in the last 20 years.
This poses a challenge to agricultural interests such
as California almond farmers, who need about 1.4 million
colonies of honeybees to pollinate 550,000 acres of
their trees. By 2012, the state's almond farmers are
expected to need bees to pollinate 800,000 acres, reported
The San Francisco Chronicle. Full
Story, Press
Release
Detroit Free Press profiles Aunt Mid's
Produce Co., which sources its spinach from Colorado
and was not involved in the E.coli scare. However, the
company took a significant hit, and its fresh spinach
sales are still down about 40%. Full
Story
The soaring mango market can be traced to two causes,
a smaller Brazilian crop and strong demand for product
from Europe, where domestic fall fruit crops have
been short, reported The Packer Online. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Summeripe Worldwide Inc. and Nickelodeon completed
a new multi-year licensing agreement to bring Nickelodeon's
characters to grocers nationwide on kid-friendly packages
of farm-fresh peaches, plums and nectarines, reported
The Produce News. Full
Story
A troubled 2006 harvest is nearing its end for California
olive farmers. Farmers have delivered only about
10,000 tons of olives this year, far below a typical
crop due to weather troubles that hit olive groves during
bloom and during the growing season, according to The
Olive Growers Council. Additionally, a number of farmers
had trouble hiring enough workers, as the olive crop
was ready when other commodities were being harvested,
reported California Farm Bureau Federation.
The Department of Commerce (DOC) and the International
Trade Commission determined that revocation of the
antidumping duty order on fresh garlic from China would
be likely to lead to the continuation of dumping and
material injury to an industry in the U.S. Thus, DOC
orders the continuation of the antidumping duty order.
Full
Notice
| 
