The Food Institute Report articles from August 2005

The Food Institute Report archives from August 2005

Insight into consumer shopping trips.
August 1, 2005... The traditional weekly shopping trip is the most common type of shopping occasion, however, it is being supplemented by other types of trips. Specifically, the after-work supplement occasion is becoming more common and is happening more...

Wendy's trimming operations as part of new strategic initiatives.
August 1, 2005... The nation's third largest burger chain unveiled plans to sell a portion of its TIM HORTONS business as part of comprehensive strategic initiatives announced July 29. The decision comes only weeks after a major shareholder sent a letter urging...

Whole Foods poised for growth.
August 1, 2005... Austin, TX-based Whole Foods Market, Inc., the largest natural and organic foods retailer in the world, revealed intentions to open five stores during the fourth quarter, ending the fiscal year with 175 stores. In its third quarter, ended July...

Two candy makers see the benefits of dark chocolate.(Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker Inc.)(The Hershey Co.)(Mars Inc.)
August 1, 2005... Stepping into the premium chocolate segment, THE HERSHEY COMPANY entered into an agreement to acquire SCHARFFEN BERGER CHOCOLATE MAKER, INC. The Hershey, PA-based firm sees an opportunity in catering to increasing consumer demand for...

Private label supermarket sales continue to grow.
August 1, 2005... Sales of private label products in supermarkets reached $40.5 billion in 2004, up 0.9% from the previous year, compared to national brand growth of 0.6%. Unit sales, meanwhile, totaled 24.4 billion, down 3.5%. Private label's share of...

Food price outlook, 2005.
August 1, 2005... In 2005, the all food Consumer Price Index is forecast to increase 2.5 to 3.5%, with a current point estimate of 2.5%, according to just-released data from USDA which noted retailers are passing on only a fraction of their higher energy and...

Latest financial reports.(sales and earnings of food products companies )(Illustration)
August 1, 2005... LATEST FINANCIAL REPORTS (in $000) Current % Change Year Year Ago ANHEUSER-BUSCH COS., INC. (ST. LOUIS, MO) Qtr. To June 30: Sales $4,018,100 ...

Three private buyout firms, Thomas H. Lee Partners, Bain Capital and The Carlyle Group, are planning to make a bid to purchase the Dunkin' Donuts brands from its new owner, Pernod Ricard SA, according to people involved in the matter.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Three private buyout firms, THOMAS H. LEE PARTNERS, BAIN CAPITAL and THE CARLYLE GROUP, are planning to make a bid to purchase the DUNKIN' DONUTS brands from its new owner, PERNOD RICARD SA, according to people involved in the matter. The three...

Kraft Foods Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... KRAFT FOODS INC. is taking another shot at selling some of its assets in Canada, The Deal's sources said. Included are the Primo line of pastas, sauces, soups and cooking oils, and the Del Monte canned vegetables and canned and jarred fruits...

Wendy's International Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... WENDY'S INTERNATIONAL INC., Dublin, OH, is adding a lowfat, strawberry-flavored yogurt cup (6.85 ounces) with granola to its menu. Earlier in 2005, the fast food chain introduced a fresh fruit bowl, featuring premium fruit, and yogurt for...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to open another 42 stores in China by the end of next year, nearly doubling its presence in the country, a senior company official said.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
August 1, 2005... WAL-MART STORES INC. plans to open another 42 stores in China by the end of next year, nearly doubling its presence in the country, a senior company official said. The company plans to have 90 outlets in China by the end of 2006, up from the...

Starbucks Corporation.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... STARBUCKS CORPORATION is accelerating its store development plans and expects to open approximately 1,800 new stores on a global basis in fiscal 2006, an increase of 300 stores compared to the current fiscal 2005 target. In the U.S., the...

The Cheesecake Factory Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC, Calabasas Hills, CA, will acquire an improved 15.82-acre site to develop a second bakery production facility in Rocky Mount, NC. The facility will produce cheesecakes and other bakery products for the company's...

Ball Corporation.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... BALL CORPORATION is converting a beverage can manufacturing line in its Monticello, IN plant from the production of 12-ounce beverage cans to a line capable of producing beverage cans in sizes up to 16 ounces. The Monticello plant is one of 19...

Tate & Lyle Plc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... TATE & LYLE PLC, London, has plans for a $100 million expansion to its Sagamore facility in Lafayette, IN to increase capacity for food ingredient products. The Sagamore plant is Tate & Lyle's primary U.S. production site for modified food...

The FTC approved H.J. Heinz Co.'s bid to purchase Nancy's Specialty Foods Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Federal Trade Commission)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The FTC approved H.J. HEINZ CO.'S bid to purchase NANCY'S SPECIALTY FOODS INC., a frozen appetizer, entree and dessert maker... The Deal.com (July 28)

Rowe's Supermarkets.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Rob Rowe, the owner of ROWE'S SUPERMARKETS, said his stores will carry higher quality, "European-style" brands at affordable prices in unpretentious stores. Rowe said the format of the six new stores in the Jacksonville, FL area hasn't been...

Toronto-based New York Fries launched a line of potato chips.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Toronto-based NEW YORK FRIES launched a line of potato chips. The single line, California Sweet BBQ, will only be available at its Canadian fry stands until it figures out how to distribute them to convenience and grocery stores. The chips are...

Agricultural Research Service.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... A free searchable database on the World Wide Web, providing information on food content, has been launched by AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE scientists. Users are able to view a 60-nutrient profile for each of more than 13,000 foods. The new...

Hormel Foods Corp.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... HORMEL FOODS CORP., Austin, MN, will build a 27,500-sq. ft. addition to its Rochelle Foods plant in Illinois and plans to remodel about 25,000-sq. ft. of the existing plant as part of the $6 million project. The plant, which already processes...

Seven additional Pei Wei Asian Diners are planned for Florida in 2006.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Seven additional PEI WEI ASIAN DINERS are planned for Florida in 2006. Pei Wei, which is designed to be much more casual and less expensive than parent P.F. CHANG'S CHINA BISTRO INC., thrives on takeout, with the average restaurant doing 40% of...

Burger King.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... BURGER KING's innovative chicken fries have officially been launched nationwide. The thin chicken breast strips are coated with zesty, seasoned batter and are served in a portable container with a built-in well for dipping sauce (honey mustard,...

Taco John.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... TACO JOHN'S, the Cheyenne, WY-based Mexican fast food chain, is searching for franchisees to collectively open at least 15 or 20 restaurants in the Twin Cities area... The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (July 25)

4C Foods Corp.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... 4C FOODS CORP., Brooklyn, NY, is targeting bottled water drinkers with its new line of single-serving iced tea mix packets. Each packet of Totally Light Tea2Go turns a plain 16.9 fl. oz. bottle of water into iced tea with 0 calories, 0 carbs,...

Two companies specializing in consulting to the beverage industry, Tamarron Consulting and National Beverage Properties of Los Angeles, have formed a strategic alliance.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Two companies specializing in consulting to the beverage industry, TAMARRON CONSULTING and NATIONAL BEVERAGE PROPERTIES OF LOS ANGELES, have formed a strategic alliance. Tamarron's services include helping companies buy, sell and merge...

Gallup Poll.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... More Americans say their alcoholic beverage of choice is wine, not beer. For the first time since the GALLUP POLL began keeping track in 1992, 39% of U.S. drinkers said they drink wine most often, while 36% said beer is their favorite. The...

Gluten-free products carving niche in supermarkets.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Manufacturers are rolling out gluten-free equivalents of everything from pizza crusts to doughnuts, buns, cakes and pastas. Substitutes such as rice flour, arrowroot, potato and tapioca are being used to produce these products. At WAL-MART,...

Mergers & acquisitions.
August 1, 2005... ARBOR PRIVATE INVESTMENT CO. LP, a Chicago private equity firm, has acquired ALLIED SPECIALTY FOODS, INC., a Vineland, NJ-based meat products maker... TheDeal.com (July 29) CAL-MAINE FOODS, INC., Jackson, MS, has reached an agreement to...

International mergers & acquisitions.(Coca-Cola Co. aquires InBev S.A.)(Delhaize Group aquires Cash Fresh)(Longreach Group aquires McDonald's Company (Japan) Ltd.)
August 1, 2005... THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, Atlanta, has agreed to acquire Belgium-based INBEV'S 62.4% stake in German bottler BREMER. InBev, the world's largest brewer by volume and owner of Stella Artois and other global brands, acquired the stake in Bremer in...

Cafta narrowly passes house.(WASHINGTON)(Central American Free Trade agreement )
August 1, 2005... In a narrow victory for the Bush Administration last week, the House of Representatives approved the Central American Free Trade agreement by just two votes. The House was subjected to some very intense lobbying, some directly from President...

Government has difficulty monitoring trade agreements, says GAO report.(WASHINGTON)
August 1, 2005... The number and scope of trade agreements have grown significantly in recent years, increasing the monitoring and enforcement workload for federal agencies. For example, membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) has grown over 30% in the...

USDA testing for possible third mad cow case.(WASHINGTON)(United States Department of Agriculture)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Following non-definitive test results on an animal sampled as part of a voluntary extension of USDA's enhanced BSE surveillance program, the agency is conducting further testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, IA and...

Consumers Union wants more info about USDA's mad cow program.(United States Department of Agriculture)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Just prior to the finding of a possible third case of mad cow disease in the U.S., CONSUMERS UNION, Yonkers, NY announced it had sent a letter to USDA Secretary Mike Johanns, "raising serious questions about the credibility of USDA's expanded...

Food product recalls reported.(WASHINGTON)(Interstate Bakeries Corp.)(SeaSpecialties Inc.)(Troyer Potato Products Inc.)
August 1, 2005... U.S. Marshals seized over $80,000 worth of basmati rice imported from Pakistan by POF International, Inc. of Irvington, NJ. The rice is adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because it contained substantial numbers of...

You should know.(Dominick's grocery workers' unions contract)(International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Service Employees International Union left AFL-CIO)(case against Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. by Consultants and law firms for more compensation)
August 1, 2005... ... . Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger promoted legislation that would encourage healthier food and drinks in California schools, including a bill that would extend a ban on soft drinks from lower grades to high schools. The bill would only allow high...

U.S. Fisheries.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
August 1, 2005... U.S. FISHERIES: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes to amend the Fishery Management Plans for adjustments for the Atlantic bluefish and summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries. These regulations impact quotas,...

Federal food programs.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)
August 1, 2005... FEDERAL FOOD PROGRAMS: USDA set standards by which for-profit centers providing child care or outside-school-hours care may participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Income eligibility for 25% of the children is required. Comments...

Color additives.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
August 1, 2005... COLOR ADDITIVES: FDA amended regulations to provide for the safe use of tomato lycopene extract and tomato lycopene concentrate as color additives in foods. Comments due Aug. 25; contact James Wallwork, Center for Food Safety and Applied...

Milk marketing.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
August 1, 2005... MILK MARKETING: USDA's an interim final and emergency rule amends certain features of the pooling standards of the Mideast milk marketing order. Comments due Sept. 26 contact Gino Tosi, Order Formulation and Enforcement Branch, 202-690-3465,...

Pasta from Italy.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
August 1, 2005... PASTA FROM ITALY: Preliminary results of the antidumping pasta from Italy review set duties for six firms at a high of 16.39% for Barilla to a low of 0.38% for Pallante. Comments welcome prior to final rule; no deadline stated. Contact Dennis...

Egg, poultry and rabbit grading.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
August 1, 2005... EGG, POULTRY AND RABBIT GRADING: A final USDA rule increased fees for voluntary egg, poultry, and rabbit grading by approximately 5.8% for the hourly rate and about 8.3% for the fee rate. Contact David Bowden, Jr., Chief, Standardization...

Produce.(MARKETS)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... BANANAS--The market is steady, with 40-lb. cartons of imports $9.00-$9.50, organic $16.50, baby $11.00, 20-lb. car- tons of baby $8.00-$8.50, cartons of institutional pack are $12.00-$12.50, cartons of containerized imports are $11.00- $13.00,...

Canned vegetables.(MARKETS)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... CORN--Harvesting in areas of the Midwest continues and is progressing favorably. In the East the crop varies based on location from poor to excellent. Processor prices of canned 24/300 cases of whole kernel corn are between $8.50-$9.00 per...

Tomato products.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... The extended period of excessive heat that has been present throughout California over the past week caused some tomatoes to split. Some tomato fields are being sprayed for worms, while others are being treated for fungus. During the week...

Frozen vegetables.(MARKETS)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... CARROTS--U.S. holdings of frozen diced carrots as of July 1 totaled 63.9 million pounds, up 29% from the previous year. Pacific holdings, at 41.5 million pounds are up 79%. U.S. holdings of other frozen carrots of July 1 totaled 93.9...

Canned fruit.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... MANDARINS-- Private label, foodservice 6/10 mandarins in light syrup are between $21.50-$21.75, f.o.b. CA. PEACHES--Private label foodservice prices of choice halves are $18.25 per case of 30/35s in heavy syrup, compared to $21.25 at this...

Processed fish.(MARKETS)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... TUNA--Sales of canned tuna have fallen 10% nationwide compared to 16 months ago, causing a revenue loss of nearly $150 million, reported SignOnSanDiego.com. To reverse the downward trend and reinvigorate sales, nearly 50 tuna processors are...

Dried vegetables.(MARKETS)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... KANSAS CITY COMMODITY OFFER *Shipments Between Sept. 6-27, 2005* Metric Tons Pack Product Destination Size Quantity Lentils Ethiopia 50 K 21,290...

Dried fruit & nuts.(MARKETS)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... DATES--Date trees love hot weather and are thriving as temperatures surpass 110 degrees in the Southern California desert. Farmers are .bagging. the fruit now, which is done to protect the dates from rain, insects and birds. The area often gets...

Frozen fruit.(MARKETS)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... BLACKBERRIES--As of July 1, cold storage stocks of black- berries in the U.S. totaled 10.0 million pounds, 36% below this point in 2004 but 16% above 2003. U.S. imports of blackberries through June 1 totaled 3.3 million pounds, down 7%...

Juices and concentrates.(MARKETS)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... RASPBERRY--Rain, cool weather and humidity during much of the raspberry harvest season in Washington has produced an abundance of soft berries that went into juice stock, which, in turn, bumped up juice supplies and sent prices downward....

Butter.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... BUTTER BUTTER MARKET, JULY 29 (Source: USDA) Cents Per Pound: 07/29/2005 07/22/2005 Chge. Grade AA 1.5900 1.5900 N/C

Cheese.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... CHEESE CHEDDAR CHEESE MARKET JULY 29 Cents Per Pound: 07/29/2005 Chge. Fr. Last Wk. Barrels 1.37 -0.0375 Blocks (40-lbs.) 1.39 -0.0525

Eggs.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... EGGS EGG PRICES TO RETAILERS JULY 29 (Source: USDA) Wk. Ending Wk. Ending Chng. Cents per dozen: 29-Jul 22-Jul Extra Large-NY 61-65 64-68 -3 Large-NY 59-63...

Chicken.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2005... CHICKEN PRELIMINARY BROILER PRICES FOR DELIVERY THE WEEK OF AUG. 1 Cents Per Pound: This Week Last Week Chicago 65-68 65-68 Cleveland Too Few Too Few Detroit Too Few Too...

Futures prices.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... FUTURES PRICES (Source: Wall Street Journal) Cash Aug. Sept. As of July 29, 2005: Price Futures Futures Corn, bu. $2.21 2.41 (Sept.) 2.5250(Dec.)...

Commodity prices.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... COMMODITY PRICES (Source: Wall Street Journal) Week Week % Chge. Ended Ended Last July 29 July 22...

Farm prices.(MARKETS)
August 1, 2005... WHAT FARMERS WERE PAID FOR FARM PRODUCTS--JULY (Source: USDA) Chge. % Chge. Commodity & Unit July Last Mo. Last Yr. Beans, Dry Edible, Cwt. 24.400 -11.3% ...

A first look at 2006 food prices.
August 8, 2005... In a very preliminary look at the outlook for retail food prices in 2006, USDA projects the Consumer Price Index for food-at-home next year will increase between 2% and 3% from 2005. If realized, this would be comparable to the 2.5% advance...

BK prototype lures franchisees; major expansion unveiled.(Burger King)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... For franchisees, economics is the major attraction of Burger King's new prototype. It has half the seats and is about 30% cheaper to build than the old-style, which costs $1.1 million without land. The new format also needs only half the land,...

Natural products shoppers buy more, but shop in fewer places.
August 8, 2005... Natural products shoppers are buying more natural, organic and health products than they did a year ago, but they are shopping for these products in fewer places. Some 57.5% of respondents indicated they are purchasing these kinds of products...

Dollar store, small format value retailer sales growth to continue.
August 8, 2005... Following surging growth in recent years that turned it into a $42 billion channel, the small format value retailing sector's sales growth is expected to moderate at an average rate of 5.4% per year through 2009, according to RETAIL FORWARD's...

Boston Market will open a fourth restaurant within a Stop & Shop supermarket grocery store, in Pittsfield, MA.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... BOSTON MARKET will open a fourth restaurant within a STOP & SHOP supermarket grocery store, in Pittsfield, MA. The restaurant, opening in October, will feature a full menu. Boston Market, a Golden, CO-based unit of MCDONALD'S CORP., has 630...

Taco Del Mar.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... TACO DEL MAR plans to open 80 locations in the Midwest over the next 10 years. Initial development will be in Lincoln, NE, where the first store is expected to open by the end of October... QSR Magazine (July 29)

Donato's Pizzeria Corp.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... DONATO'S PIZZERIA CORP. plans to create a 10,000-sq. ft. to 15,000-sq. ft. R&D center and prototype plant to assist the company in conquering new markets for its pizzas. One focus of the research center will be on developing new dough......

Shares of U.S. pizza chains such as Papa John's International Inc. rallied during the past year as cheese prices tumbled.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)
August 8, 2005... Shares of U.S. pizza chains such as PAPA JOHN'S INTERNATIONAL INC. rallied during the past year as cheese prices tumbled. The price of mozzarella cheese has dropped to $2, a 19% change from a high of $2.47 a pound in April and May 2004,...

Canadian Dairy Commission.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... Canadian pizza chains watched their ingredient costs climb while the price of cheese in the U.S. dropped. The price of dairy products used to make cheese are controlled by the CANADIAN DAIRY COMMISSION. Frozen pizza makers, however, have...

Starbucks.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... On Aug. 3, STARBUCKS began its previously announced roll out of Ethos bottled water in its 5,000 U.S. stores. The Seattle-based coffee chain plans to donate $10 million over the next five years for clean water sources in poor countries... USA...

Correction.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Correction Notice)
August 8, 2005... Correction: An item included in the July 18 Food Institute Report about Wall Street Deli from Restaurant Business stating that the chain of sandwich shops may go out of business was erroneously published by the source.

Midwest drought threatens grains and river traffic.
August 8, 2005... The worst drought across the central U.S. since 1988 is beginning to shrink potential harvests of corn and soybeans, and slow commercial shipping on some of the region's busiest rivers. Not only is the prolonged dry spell, now in its fifth...

Atkins files for bankruptcy.(need security)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... ATKINS NUTRITIONALS INC., the company that spurred low-carb eating into a national diet frenzy, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The Ronkonkoma, NY-based company listed assets of $301 million and liabilities of $325 million in papers filed...

Others feeling the pinch as low-carb trend continues to wane.
August 8, 2005... Food companies who joined the low-carb craze, which reportedly reached its peaked in February 2004, are noting a dip in their low-carb product sales. AMERICAN ITALIAN PASTA COMPANY, Kansas City, MO, cited a dip in low-carb sales. The pasta...

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.(closing more facilities)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... WINN-DIXIE STORES, INC., Jacksonville, is closing 50 stores in Georgia in the next month or so and selling an additional 18. All of the 68 stores were for sale originally. For prior developments see FOOD INSTITUTE REPORT July 25, pg. 1 and Aug....

Sara Lee Corporation.(finance planning)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... SARA LEE CORPORATION'S fiscal 2006 plan anticipates $50 million in additional marketing spending, $60 million in higher interest expense and $700 million in capital expenditures.

Albertson's, Inc., Boise, ID, is introducing Wild Harvest all natural ground beef products in its Albertson's, ACME, and Jewel-Osco food stores.(new to market)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... ALBERTSON'S, INC., Boise, ID, is introducing Wild Harvest all natural ground beef products in its Albertson's, ACME, and JEWEL-OSCO food stores. The new items include Angus Ground Beef Round, Angus Ground Beef Chuck and Angus Beef burger frozen...

Graphic Packaging International, Marietta, GA, has developed microwave packaging that cooks foods quickly and evenly, while leaving the food moist and tender.(MicroRite)(Georgia)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, Marietta, GA, has developed microwave packaging that cooks foods quickly and evenly, while leaving the food moist and tender. The material, called MicroRite, consists of aluminum and polyester laminated to a...

Catalina Specialty Foods, a leader in Hispanic foods technology and tortilla development, and Sunny Fresh Foods, Cargill's value-added egg business, formed a joint venture that will produce flour and corn tortillas for the retail and foodservice markets.(venture starts as Mexican foods, llc)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... CATALINA SPECIALTY FOODS, a leader in Hispanic foods technology and tortilla development, and SUNNY FRESH FOODS, CARGILL'S value-added egg business, formed a joint venture that will produce flour and corn tortillas for the retail and...

Tate & Lyle.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Ice Cream Rebalance 500)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... TATE & LYLE introduced "Ice Cream Rebalance 500," a new ingredient solution for low-fat, no-sugar-added ice cream for the U.S. market. It is touted as providing low-fat, no-sugar-added ice cream with sweetness, texture and the mouth feel of...

Hansen Natural Corp.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Monster Energy Khaos)(Lost Five-0 )(Lost Perfect 10)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... HANSEN NATURAL CORP., Corona, CA, is launching three new energy drinks: Monster Energy Khaos, Lost Five-0 and Lost Perfect 10. Lost Five-0 is carbonated and contains fruit juice; Lost Perfect 10 is a low carb energy drink; and Monster Energy...

Coca-cola Co. is rolling out a diet version of its Pibb Xtra soft drink in three U.S. states where it will compete with Cadbury Schweppes PLC'S fast-growing Diet Dr Pepper drink.(enhancing the market drink)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... COCA-COLA CO. is rolling out a diet version of its Pibb Xtra soft drink in three U.S. states where it will compete with CADBURY SCHWEPPES PLC'S fast-growing Diet Dr Pepper drink. Spicy cherry-flavored Pibb Zero will be in parts of Texas,...

Coca-cola North America.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... COCA-COLA NORTH AMERICA is introducing Sugar Free Full Throttle energy drink in mid-August.

Bravo! Foods International Corp. signed a letter of intent with Coca-Cola Enterprises.(distribution contract)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... BRAVO! FOODS INTERNATIONAL CORP. signed a letter of intent with COCA-COLA ENTERPRISES to negotiate a master distribution agreement and a direct purchase stock agreement.

Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... CADBURY SCHWEPPES AMERICAS BEVERAGES is relaunching its Diet Rite line with new graphics that will tout the beverage's zero calories, carbs, caffeine and sodium. The new packaging, which will feature new colors and the words "Pure Zero," will...

In separate news, Cadbury Schweppes has hired Goldman Sachs to find a buyer for its European soft drinks business.(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... In separate news, CADBURY SCHWEPPES has hired GOLDMAN SACHS to find a buyer for its European soft drinks business. The company is expected to revert to the Cadbury name used before the merger with Schweppes... The Independent (July 31)