Retail News
Supermarkets held the line on food prices last
month, based on The Food Institute's analysis of
the latest Consumer Price Index. Food-at-home prices increased
just two-tenths of a percent compared to a 1.4% hike in
January. Food-away-from home prices, meanwhile, rose
four-tenths of a percent during February. Full Story
Whole Foods Market Inc. will open between 25 and 30
stores in fiscal 2009, according to an SEC filing,
reported CNN Money. Full Story, SEC Filing
A&P launched "Seafood Joe's Market Fresh Fish"
at select A&P, Waldbaum's, The Food Emporium and Super
Fresh locations. Through a partnership with New York City's
Fulton Fish Market, the chain will initially feature a range
of specialty items including Alaskan salmon, red snapper and
soft-shell crab at 64 banner locations, reported
Supermarket News. Full Story
Several studies
indicate that men are doing a greater share of grocery
shopping. One study noted a 20% increase in the number of
men who said they do at least some grocery shopping, up to
61%. A researcher at the Food Marketing Institute says the
trend relates in part to the number of two-career couples, and
that more men now watch cooking shows than watch home
improvement shows, reported California Farm
Bureau.
Sam's
Club is partnering with independent caterers to help grow
their businesses during one of their busiest times of the
year. Its spring catering program aligns caterers with
relevant services, ideas, and products, both in-club and
within the marketplace, reported QSR Magazine. Full
Story
Plastic shopping bags are
increasingly popular targets of governments looking for ways
to help the environment, reported USA Today. Full Story
Casey's General Stores'
unexpectedly slow growth year led the chain to reconsider its
growth plan for the new fiscal year. The convenience store
operator is now planning to build and acquire new stores in an
effort to grow, according to CSP Daily News. Full Story
Manufacturer News
York Label acquired Etiprak, SA through its
Cameo-Marinetti joint venture, and a 50% interest in Etiquetas
Industriales Ltda., both located in Santiago, Chile. Full Story
Baby boomers are seeking foods that can help them stay
young, or at least feel young. Nearly 80 million strong,
this demographic group is behind a majority of today's food
trends - everything from nutritionally enhanced foods and
functional beverages to fresh local produce and artisanal
foods, according to Detroit Free Press. Full Story
Celebration Foods Inc. will close its Marlborough, MA
plant in May and production will be moved to a facility in
New Britain, CT, reported The Boston Globe. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
Nana's Cookie Company introduced its new line of "Nana's
Fiber Cookie Bars," which have five grams of dietary
fiber, ten grams of whole grains per serving, zero grams of
trans fat, 250 milligrams of omega three fatty acids and only
125 calories. All of Nana's Cookies are now available in Whole
Foods stores nationally, as well as regional outlets such as
Hannaford, Hy-Vee, and Earth Fare supermarkets, and mainstream
grocery, specialty, and natural food stores worldwide. Full Story
Tastybaby introduced a new frozen organic baby food
flavor to its line, Corn in the USA made from organic
sweet corn. The company also expanded its distribution and by
month's end, its 10-item line will be available in 75 select
grocery and natural foods stores nationwide. Full Story
Foodservice News
Restaurants are negatively impacted by the increasing
number of stay-at-home moms, which has resulted in
decreasing family budgets. The number of restaurant visits
that Americans make annually has flattened out, with consumers
increasingly making more meals at home, according to NPD
Group. However, the increase in at-home meal preparation does
not necessarily mean people are cooking more meals from
scratch, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription
Required)
The food assembly industry is projecting $410 million in
revenue and 1,400 outlets this year, according to the Easy
Meal Prep Association. On average, 12 entrees, enough to serve
six people, costs $210 to $235, with a per person cost of
approximately $3.50, reported The Toledo Blade. Full Story
Dinner by Design debuted a new brand, Dinner by Design
Express and its new home and group delivery services.
Delivery of entrees, side dishes and desserts will be offered
initially out of the company's new Dinner by Design Express
location in Gurnee, IL. Full Story
AFC Enterprises Inc. plans to reinvigorate its
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits restaurants through
expanded marketing of its core bone-in chicken products; new
menu platforms focused on portable snacks, quick lunch
offerings, lighter alternatives and everyday value; and by
improving guest experience. AFC also plans to sell its
company- operated restaurants. Popeyes had 1,905 units
operating at the end of fiscal 2007, 65 of which were
company-operated. Full Story
Eat'n Park Restaurants introduced a new "Smaller
Portions at Smaller Prices" menu, featuring reduced
portion sizes, and the menu includes breakfast, lunch and
dinner items. Full Story
Boston will ban trans fats from food served in
restaurants and grocery stores. Businesses, as well as
schools and hospitals, will have to stop using oils and
spreads that contain trans fats. Prepackaged foods such as a
bag of chips or cookies will not be included, reported
CBSNEWS.com. Full Story
Friendly Ice Cream Corp. is the latest restaurant chain
to switch over to using trans fat-free oil. Friendly's, a
chain of about 500 restaurants, expects the changeover to be
completed by the fall, reported The Boston Globe. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
Garlic Jim's Famous Gourmet Pizza entered into a
multi-year corporate partnership with the Seattle
Mariners. Garlic Jim's will be available at concessions
stands at Safeco Field for the 2008 season. Full Story
Hunt Brothers Pizza opened pizza shops in and around
Cedar Rapids, IA marking the company's latest expansion
into a new territory. Hunts Brothers is a distributor of a
branded pizza program for the convenience store industry,
reported CSP Daily News. Full Story
Washington News
A bill was introduced in California to stiffen penalties
against slaughterhouses that illegally process cows too
sick to stand. Put forward by California Senators Dianne
Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, the bill would let the
Agriculture Department impose a fine for a first violation, a
one-year suspension for a second violation and permanent
shutdown for a third violation, reported The Modesto
Bee. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
USDA's Office of the Inspector General released the
results from its inspection of the use of carbon monoxide
(CO) as a component of Modified Atmospheric Packaging for
case-ready fresh meat as result of requests from
consumer groups and government officials. Full Report
Meanwhile, Hormel Foods and Cargill are close to putting
a label on meat to let consumers know when it has been
treated with a gas to make it look fresher, according to a
Target Corp. official. The companies use carbon monoxide
technology in a joint venture called Precept Foods to help
meat retain its red color, reported The Associated
Press. Full Story
Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP filed a
class action suit against Darden Restaurants Inc. on
behalf of purchasers of Darden's common stock during the
period between June 19, 2007 and Dec. 18, 2007. Full Story
Massachusetts gift card sellers can not impose certain
late or administrative fees, according to a new law that
was signed by Governor Deval Patrick. Under the law, if
Massachusetts retailers impose certain fees they will receive
a $300 fine. The law also changed the cash-out policy,
consumers can now only cash out their cards if they hit a $5
value or less, reported Boston Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
The Michigan Senate voted to make it the first state in
the U.S. to issue food stamps twice a month. Supporters
claim the bill would make fresh food more available throughout
the month and help grocery stores with their inventory,
reported MLive.com. Full Story
Suffolk County, NY is considering a law to ban bottled
water from being used in government offices. It would bar
the county from spending any money on single-serving bottled
water of one liter or less and would allow the county health
commissioner the power to grant waivers if the public water
supply is deemed unsafe, reported USAToday. Full Story
Global News
German supermarket company REWE Group
acquired 50% of Fegro-Selgros from joint venture partner Otto
Group, effective Feb. 29. The transaction is still pending
regulatory approval, reported Forbes. Full Story
Martek Biosciences life'sDHA is available in the new
Berri Australian Fresh Omega-3 for Heart & Mind
juice-blend from National Foods. Full Story
Market News
Poultry processors are attempting to curtail supply
to improve industry fundamentals. Over the past two years,
input costs for meat, poultry and egg producers increased
significantly, yet, supply remains steady, which limits
producers ability to pass along price increases to cover
costs, reported Supermarket News. Full Story
High oil prices are set to exacerbate coffee supply
concerns by deterring growers from using fertilizers in
cultivating the crop, according to new figures from the
International Coffee Organization. The body claims that
composite price for the bean had continued to rise on the
growth seen in January by 13.5% to $1.32 per pound due to a
steep increase in the cost of fertilizers used in cultivating
the crop and increasing demand for the product, reported
Food Navigator. Full Story
Fisheries managers canceled the early season of ocean
fishing for chinook salmon off the coast of Oregon and
Northern California because of a collapse of stocks in
California rivers. One possibility is shutting down the salmon
fishery from the northern tip of Oregon south to the Mexican
border, reported The Associated Press. Full Story
California's Department of Water Resources begins
further reductions in State Water Project pumping to
comply with restrictions to protect Sacramento-San Joaquin
Delta smelt. Last month, Gov. Schwarzenegger outlined a
comprehensive plan for Delta sustainability that includes more
water conservation, better emergency response and flood
protection, and actions to ensure a cleaner, safer water
supply. Full Story
An excess of crop growth, particularly biofuel crops
like corn, could dangerously clog rivers and streams, as
bodies of water will not be able to process the increase of
fertilizer byproducts including nitrogen, reported
Time. Full Story
A UC Agricultural Issues Center study shows that
California ranks between fifth and ninth in the world when
measuring the value of agriculture. At $21 billion,
agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and support services
accounted for 1.45% of the California gross state product. Full Study
Brussels sprout seeds are being planted in greenhouses
by Central Coast, CA farmers to harvest this summer and
fall. The transplanting of seedlings will get into full swing
in April, though some farmers already started transplanting
brussels sprouts for early-season harvest in June or July,
reported California Farm
Bureau.
USDA increased the assessment rate established for
the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Marketing Committee for the 2008
and subsequent fiscal periods. Full
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