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Retail News
The growth of the buy-local
movement nationwide is being fueled by swiftly rising prices
for food at the supermarket, along with with worries about
food safety and the environment, advocates say. U.S.
membership in Local Harvest, which includes farmers markets,
family farms and other sources of local foods, is more than
13,740, almost triple the 5,412 members in 2004. The number of
Local Harvest members in Florida jumped to 250 this year from
68 in 2004, according to Palm Beach Post. Full Story
In its "Best On The
Street" review of analysts' choices of top food and drug
retailers, The Wall Street Journal cited chains
including Kroger, Casey's General Stores Inc., and Spartan
Stores. Kroger was noted for its
"rich product assortment,"
Casey's General Stores was
recognized for its improved food offerings,
while Spartan Stores was cited for improved sales and
earnings despite tough competition from bigger chains. Full Story (WSJ
Subscription Required)
Safeway Stores Inc. opened a
15,000-sq. ft. store, the Market by Vons, in Long Beach,
CA. The company is testing the new small-store concept
in response to Tesco's Fresh & Easy stores. Safeway plans to open as many as four of the
smaller markets over the next year and if the concept is
successful, the chain is prepared to roll out as many as 50
per year, reported The Los
Angeles Times. Full Story (Free Registration
Required)
Rises in energy costs negatively
impacted 77% of small-business owners, according to a
survey of 500 companies by the National Small Business
Association. In response to rising costs, 37% of businesses
increased their prices, 33% reduced their business travel, 11%
cut their production schedule, and 10% reduced their
workforce. Meanwhile, 18% of these companies have taken steps
to invest in more energy efficient equipment or upgrades. Full
Story
Manufacturer News
Del Monte Foods Company is exploring strategic
alternatives for its StarKist Seafood business, including
a potential sale. Full Story
Growers Direct Coffee Company, Inc. is
partnering directly with specialty coffee farmers to
further expand in the fair trade, organic coffee market. The
company formed strategic relationships in Papua New Guinea,
Jamaica, Ethiopia and Colombia. Full
Story
Danisco is expanding the
range of yogurt cultures available to its U.S. customers
in order to grow within the market, reported Food
Production Daily. Full Story
Foodservice News
Consumers are refraining from ordering the
most profitable selections on restaurant menus, such as
mixed drinks and desserts, to save money. Experts say limited
orders are being seen across the dining spectrum, reported
The Dallas Morning News. Full Story (Free Registration
Required)
 In what is forecasted to be the most
aggressive product rollout year in chain history,
Chick-fil-A has an array of menu initiatives planned in
2008. Among the changes are the addition of a new chicken
and fruit salad and multigrain flatbreads for the cool wraps.
Perhaps the most significant change to the Chick-fil-A menu
will be the introduction of a new Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips
product that is 50% larger than the chain's current strip
offering. In addition, Chick-fil-A is giving customers a
choice of side options as part of its Chick-fil-A Meals. Full Story
At least one Orange County, FL commissioner
is questioning whether the county should re-evaluate
Centerplate Inc.'s contract for the Orange County
Convention Center, which begins when Levy Restaurants exits in
August. Centerplate hired UBS Investment Bank to help it
evaluate its long-term options, including putting itself on
the auction block. The analysis is expected to take up to six
months. A Centerplate spokeswoman said the company was
prepared to move into the convention center in August and
would uphold its contract obligation to invest $650,000 to
update and improve the center's food service areas, according
to Orlando Sentinel. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
McDonald's
Corp. will complete its national rollout of trans fat free
cooking oil by the end of 2008, a deadline later than some
industry experts and health advocates expected, reported
Crain's Chicago Business. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
Garduño's
of Mexico sold franchise locations throughout the
Southwest and plans to open 200 locations around the
country in the next five years. The restaurant chain currently
has seven stores in Albuquerque, NM, three in Arizona and two
in Las Vegas, reported New Mexico Business Weekly. Full Story (Free Registration
Required)
Salsarita's Inc. will open 20 to 30 locations
this year. The Mexican chain, founded in 2000, operates
more than 85 restaurants in 20 states, reported Charlotte
Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration
Required)
Health News
Juices made from apples or purple grapes protect
against developing clogged arteries, a study suggests. The
juice's benefits came from its high levels of phenols, an
antioxidant. Other antioxidant compounds in the fruits, such
as vitamin C and carotenoids, could also contribute to their
positive effects, reported BBC News. Full
Story
The salt content of vegetarian sausages and
burgers can often be the same as, or even higher than, their
meaty equivalents, according to the Consensus Action on
Salt and Health. The findings suggest vegetarian products may
not always be the healthy option, reported Food Production
Daily. Full
Story
Washington News
Average enrollment in the food stamps program
surpassed the record set in 1994, though the percentage of
Americans on food stamps is still lower than records set in
1993-95, reported USA Today. There are 27.5 million
Americans relying on government aid to buy food. Since 2006,
soaring food and fuel prices have combined with lost jobs and
stagnant wages to boost the number of Americans needing food
aid. More than 41% of those on food stamps came from working
families in 2006, up from 30% a decade earlier, according to
the latest USDA data. Full Story
Up to 10 FDA staff will be stationed at three locations
in China, including the U.S. embassy, according to Health
Secretary Michael Leavitt. "Currently, we are waiting for the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to approve it," he said, reported
China Daily. Full Story
A new bill in California will make
various changes regarding the sale of food at farm stands and
farmers' markets. This bill will allow the California
Department of Food and Agriculture's Secretary to adopt
regulations that encourage the direct sale by farmers to the
public. The bill will also add farm stands to the list of food
facilities in the health and safety code, thus requiring farm
stands to conform to the same standards as farmer's markets,
but exempting them from broader health and safety standards.
Analysis of
Bill
Attorneys for the
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund sent an Intent to Sue
letter to USDA and the Michigan Department of Agriculture
(MDA) over implementation of the National Animal
Identification System (NAIS). The notice asks USDA and MDA to
"immediately suspend the funding and implementation of NAIS,"
and "fully and fairly examine" whether there is even a need
for such a program. Full Story
Dairy Farmers of America is being investigated by the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission for allegedly
manipulating milk and cheese prices, reported The Wall
Street Journal. In addition, the Commission is reviewing a
transfer of cash to a former director of the organization. Full Story (WSJ Subscription
Required)
Cumberland Packing Corp. requested that the
International Trade Commission conduct a review and
revocation of the Antidumping Duty Order issued for Saccharin
from China. Full Docket
Reddy Ice Holdings Inc. is named in 70 lawsuits from
customers and shareholders related to a federal antitrust
investigation and its failed private equity buyout effort,
reported The Dallas Morning News. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
JSM Meat Holdings initiated a voluntary recall of an
undetermined amount of beef products because they may be
contaminated with E. coli. Full Story
Global News
The fast-growing South Asian and Chinese Canadian
communities account for about one-third or C$5.7-million of
grocery spending in Toronto and Vancouver, according to a
new study by Solutions Research Group. Discount chains such as
No Frills and Food Basics have made a conscious effort to lure
ethnic minorities, particularly Asians, with an emphasis on
fresh produce in fewer packages. The chains have teamed up
with ethnic suppliers who help stock the stores. They have
separate "ethnic aisles;" some outlets have fresh fish, meat
and bakery counters, and even live fish in tanks, according to
The Globe and Mail. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
Leaders from European, Latin American and Caribbean
nations are meeting to address the rise in world food
prices. The EU wants the Latin American region to open up
their markets, but several countries are extremely resistant,
reported BBC News. Full Story
Metro AG plans open as many as 20 stores in Egypt,
investing nearly $467 million in the country. Metro will open
its first Cash & Carry wholesale outlet in Cairo this year
and as many as 10 stores in the country in the coming three to
five years, reported Bloomberg.com. Full Story
Italy-based Parmalat teamed up with Australian farmers
cooperative Murray Goulburn to bid for Dairy Farmers.
Dairy Farmers confirmed that Parmalat and Murray Goulburn
sought clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission to make a bid, according to AAP. Full Story
Market News
The weak dollar is making California crops ever more
attractive to overseas buyers; however, exporters are
finding it tougher to get their products to foreign
customers. The high price of oil and shifts in the global
balance of trade have made space on container ships hard to
come by. Cargo rates are up sharply and delays of several
months have become routine, reported The Sacramento
Bee. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
A shortage of shipping containers in Canada threatens
that country's pulse producers, which have seen their
industry flourish in part because of cheap container shipping.
Pulse crops accounted for more than C$1 billion of C$28
billion of agricultural exports in 2006, according to The
Globe and Mail. Full Story (Free Registration Required)
It now costs about $153 in feed to raise a piglet to a
hog, which will only get $110 at market. A year ago, the
same amount of feed cost roughly $77. Cattle and poultry
farmers are facing similar struggles, which are expected to
result in a smaller supply and, eventually, much higher prices
for consumers, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Full Story
A cold, wet spring could delay this year's Illinois
vegetable deals, and fewer plantings in smaller summer
sweet corn growing regions could increase prices, shippers
said. The lower-than-normal temperatures and heavy rains
delayed some plantings and could delay the harvesting of some
southern Illinois vegetables by up to two weeks, reported
The Packer Online. Full Story (Subscription Required)
NMFS modified the Individual Fishing Quota Program
and the Community Development Quota Program for the
fixed-gear commercial Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries.
Full
Notice
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