The Food Institute Report articles from March 2007

The Food Institute Report archives from March 2007

Chains formulate growth by venturing into breakfast offerings.
March 5, 2007... Rather than relying on adding more restaurant locations for growth, an increasing amount of fast food chains are competing for a piece of the $77.6 billion breakfast market. For example, STARBUCKS is rolling out five hot breakfast sandwiches in...

A&P makes bid for Pathmark.(The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc.)(Pathmark Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... THE GREAT ATLANTIC & PACIFIC TEA COMPANY, INC., Montvale, NJ, is engaged in negotiations to acquire Pathmark Stores Inc., Carteret, NJ, for $625 million. The proposed acquisition would not only bolster A&P's holdings but would reshuffle...

Food industry merger & acquisition activity rebounding.
March 5, 2007... In 2006, 348 mergers & acquisitions were completed in the food industry--and an additional 102 were announced, but not yet completed by the end of the year, according to The Food Institute's Food Business Mergers & Acquisitions 2006. Activity...

Spartan's turnaround, more acquisitions seen.(Spartan Stores Inc.)
March 5, 2007... Hiring seasoned retail executives, making acquisitions as well as divestitures and instituting operational changes were among the actions undertaken by Craig Sturken when he took the helm of nearly- bankrupt SPARTAN STORES in March 2003. Mr....

2007 restaurant flavor forecast.(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Restaurants are experimenting with more daring flavor parings and are beginning to serve up bolder options, according to MINTEL MENU'S Flavor Footsteps for 2007. Five key flavor movements that are forecasted to take the foodservice industry in...

USDA sees consumers shelling out 11%-12% more for eggs.(United States. Department of Agriculture)(Statistical data)
March 5, 2007... While the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all food-at-home prices are still forecast to increase 1.5% to 2.5% in 2007, USDA projects egg prices will jump as much as 12% this year--significantly more than the 7% to 8% hike projected one month...

Drug chains supersizing to battle competition.(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... While drugs and other pharmaceuticals still account for up to 70% of drugstore sales, food, detergents, clothing and other nontraditional items are increasingly making their presence known as drugstores supersize. With shrinking profit margins...

Innovative products from 2006.(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... DATAMONITOR'S Productscan online database released the findings from its 2006 Build a Better Mousetrap New Product Innovation survey. The following food and beverage products accounted for eight out of the top ten most innovative products: ...

IRI cites trends shaping CPG Industry.(Information Resources, Inc.)(Consumer Packaged Goods)
March 5, 2007... Total CPC (Consumer Packaged Goods) sales rose 2.5% in 2006, a marked improvement over 2005's 1.6% growth rate, outlined INFORMATION RESOURCES, INC.'S current Snapshot of Trends Shaping the CPG Industry. A combination of price increases and...

T.G.I. Friday's unveiled the first national program in the casual dining business that offers a variety of menu items with smaller portions--and lower prices--all day.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... T.G.I. FRIDAY'S unveiled the first national program in the casual dining business that offers a variety of menu items with smaller portions--and lower prices--all day. Right Portion, Right Price includes 10 entrees sold in portions about 30%...

McDonald's Corp.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(McDonald's Corp. plans to add smoothies, iced coffee and other specialty coffees to its U.S. restaurants)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... MCDONALD'S CORP. may add smoothies, iced coffee and other specialty coffees to its U.S. restaurants, noted a company executive. The fast food giant is exploring those drinks and others as it seeks "destination beverages" to bring in new...

Yum! Brands Inc.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)
March 5, 2007... YUM! BRANDS INC. temporarily closed several New York City restaurants owned by the franchisee that operated a Manhattan TACO BELL overrun last week by rats. The company said the restaurants would remain closed until they underwent new...

Starbucks.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)
March 5, 2007... STARBUCKS is boosting efforts to sell its pre-made coffee drinks, coffee beans for home brewing and other branded caffeinated products. Wider distribution, a new advertising campaign and even plans for vending machines that will distribute hot...

The Human Bean.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)
March 5, 2007... Specialty coffee drive-thru franchise, THE HUMAN BEAN, signed development agreements for 110 locations in the U.S. The Oregon-based company currently has 28 stores in Arizona, California, Idaho, Colorado, Oregon and North Carolina.

Native New Yorker.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(plans for 35 new franchised stores)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... NATIVE NEW YORKER, a Gilbert, AZ-based restaurant chain, plans to have agreements for 35 new franchised stores in at least 15 markets by the end of this year, with agreements to operate in almost 60 cities by the end of 2008. The first of the...

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)
March 5, 2007... CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, INC. plans to open 12 restaurants in the New York metro area this year, double the number opened last year in the city and surrounding suburbs... Crain's New York Business (Feb. 21)

Lenny's Franchisor, LLC announced that franchisee group Samstorm Subs plans to open 28 Lenny's Sub Shops restaurants.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)
March 5, 2007... LENNY'S FRANCHISOR, LLC announced that franchisee group SAMSTORM SUBS plans to open 28 LENNY'S SUB SHOPS restaurants in Indianapolis.

Sonic Corp., America's fourth-largest burger chain, entered Central Ohio and expects to open 25 to 35 restaurants in that market by yearend.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... SONIC CORP., America's fourth-largest burger chain, entered Central Ohio and expects to open 25 to 35 restaurants in that market by yearend. Although the planned restaurants would amount to a fraction of the 97 MCDONALD'S and 78 WENDY'S...

Taco Del Mar.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(plans expansion)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... TACO DEL MAR, the Seattle-based chain of Mexican restaurants, is expanding eastward. Plans call for 100 new locations by year's end, stretching as far as Toronto and possibly Connecticut, adding to its current 235 stores reaching from Hawaii to...

Marsh Supermarkets rolled out beef nutrition labeling to all its stores, after a 16-week test run by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association was seen to lift beef sales and increase customer loyalty.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
March 5, 2007... MARSH SUPERMARKETS rolled out beef nutrition labeling to all its stores, after a 16-week test run by the NATIONAL CATTLEMEN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION was seen to lift beef sales and increase customer loyalty. Beef sales at Marsh test stores rose 6% in...

Cargill and The J. M. Smucker Company reached an agreement in which Cargill will be licensed to manufacture and market a set of foodservice oils and shortenings under the Crisco Professional line of "zero grams trans fat per serving" oils and shortenings.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Cargill Inc.)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... CARGILL and THE J. M. SMUCKER COMPANY reached an agreement in which Cargill will be licensed to manufacture and market a set of foodservice oils and shortenings under the Crisco Professional line of "zero grams trans fat per serving" oils and...

Nature's First Law, the San Diego-based raw foods pioneer, has changed its name to Sunfood Nutrition.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
March 5, 2007... NATURE'S FIRST LAW, the San Diego-based raw foods pioneer, has changed its name to SUNFOOD NUTRITION. In the near future, Sunfood Nutrition will be announcing a new line of raw superfoods that will be available at retail locations across the...

Sunnooibos.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(SunnRooibos Inc. to launch ReddRox after resolving lawsuits)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... SUNNROOIBOS, Eagle, ID is launching ReddRox, a new sports drink, after resolving lawsuits from two businessmen who say they were misled into lending the company more than $80,000 with inaccurate information about the company's financial...

Kraft Foods Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Kraft Foods Inc. plans to set up its first-ever retail store in Chicago)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... KRAFT FOODS INC. plans to set up its first-ever retail store in Chicago for just three days in March. It will open a temporary pizzeria in an effort to generate interest over the unveiling of its newest frozen pizza--DiGiorno Ultimate frozen...

Cadbury Schweppes PLC and Mastercard Inc. are testing 750 beverage vending machines that accept credit cards in the Dallas area, New York and Chicago.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... CADBURY SCHWEPPES PLC and MASTERCARD INC. are testing 750 beverage vending machines that accept credit cards in the Dallas area, New York and Chicago. Some of the machines installed in January have seen sales increases of 5% to 35% without any...

Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
March 5, 2007... ANHEUSER-BUSCH COS. INC. launched 180 Red, a new energy drink containing Goji, a small, red berry found in Tibet. The Goji berry reportedly has one of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit.

Pepsi and Coca-Cola are competing be the sole beverage supplier to more than 2,300 vending machines on Illinois state property.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
March 5, 2007... PEPSI and COCA-COLA are competing be the sole beverage supplier to more than 2,300 vending machines on Illinois state property. The state is expected to choose the vendor this spring and launch the vending program by July 1... azcentral.com...

Pepsico Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
March 5, 2007... PEPSICO INC. plans to launch Diet Pepsi Max, an energized version of Diet Pepsi that includes more caffeine, as well as ginseng... Reuters (Feb. 21)

Dean Foods.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
March 5, 2007... Dairy product manufacturer, DEAN FOODS, will refuse milk from cloned cows. The company cited several surveys that showed Americans are not interested in buying dairy products that contain milk from cloned cows... Associated Press (Feb. 22)

The WM. Wrigley Jr. Company.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
March 5, 2007... THE WM. WRIGLEY JR. COMPANY launched Orbit Mint Mojito and Orbit Raspberry Mint, the tenth and eleventh flavors of the No. 1 selling gum brand in the U.S.

Mintel.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(growth in the smoothie market in USA)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... The U.S. smoothie market earned more than $2 billion from made-to-order and packaged smoothies, up more than 80% in the last five years, according to MINTEL. Smoothie companies have remained on track with current food trends, utilizing...

Girl Scouts.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Girl Scout cookies to remove trns fat in all varieties)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... The GIRL SCOUTS are removing most of the trans fat in all varieties of their cookies. The first "zero trans" Girl Scout cookies were introduced in the fall of 2005, including a reformulated version of the top-selling Thin Mint. The remaining...

Kettle Foods.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
March 5, 2007... KETTLE FOODS, Salem, OR, rolled out five new varieties for its Kettle brand tortilla chips: Black Bean, Chili Lime, Blue Corn, Multi Grain and Yellow Corn. Each are made from organic corn, oils free of trans fats, and all-natural seasonings.

Wooten Oil Co., Goldsboro, NC, is selling its 12 company-operated Kwik Mart convenience stores, including two sites less than two years old.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... WOOTEN OIL CO., Goldsboro, NC, is selling its 12 company-operated KWIK MART convenience stores, including two sites less than two years old. An auction for the sale of the stores is scheduled for May 15; however, the company will consider and...

Procter & Gamble signed an agreement with Dunkin' Brands Inc. to sell Dunkin' Donuts packaged coffee to grocery and club stores, mass merchandisers and other consumer retail channels in the U.S.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... PROCTER & GAMBLE signed an agreement with DUNKIN' BRANDS INC. to sell DUNKIN' DONUTS packaged coffee to grocery and club stores, mass merchandisers and other consumer retail channels in the U.S. Dunkin Donuts is making its full range of coffee...

A number of food companies received Kosher certification for certain products from the Orthodox Union recently.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
March 5, 2007... A number of food companies received Kosher certification for certain products from the ORTHODOX UNION recently, including: J.M. SMUCKER, Orville, OH and JOHN B. SANFILIPPO & SON, INC., Elk Grove, IL.

Absolut vodka is about to be offered for sale with its parent company V&S Vin & Sprit, along with five other companies in which Sweden holds significant stakes.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Absolut Spirits Company Inc., V&S Vin and Spirit AB)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... ABSOLUT vodka is about to be offered for sale with its parent company V&S VIN & SPRIT, along with five other companies in which Sweden holds significant stakes. The Swedish government will seek parliamentary approval for the V&S sale. With an...

Dietz & Watson Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
March 5, 2007... DIETZ & WATSON INC., the Philadelphia-based deli meat producer, is opening a distribution center in Delanco, NJ. The company had been renting cold-storage facilities for several years, which made it hard to consolidate orders for supermarket...

Subway.(NEW STORE NEWS)(Subway Restaurants opened new restaurant)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... The SUBWAY restaurant chain opened a second North American kosher restaurant, this time in the New York City area. The new Subway in Brooklyn keeps with Jewish tradition by closing on Friday at sundown and reopening one hour after nightfall on...

Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc.(NEW STORE NEWS)
March 5, 2007... BRUEGGER'S ENTERPRISES, INC. opened a new location in Alexandria, VA, the first of several planned for the Washington, D.C. and Virginia markets. The company plans to open 50 new bakeries in 2007 and 2008.

B&G Foods, Inc.'s subsidiaries completed the purchase of the Cream of Wheat and Cream of Rice brands from Kraft Foods Global, Inc.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
March 5, 2007... B&G FOODS, INC.'S subsidiaries completed the purchase of the Cream of Wheat and CREAM OF RICE brands from KRAFT FOODS GLOBAL, INC., for the previously announced price of $200 million in cash--see FOOD INSTITUTE REPORT Jan. 29, pg. 5.

BKT Enterprises, operator of three Wisconsin area Sentry Foods stores, purchased two Jewel-Osco stores from Supervalu, and will reopen them under the Sentry banner this spring.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
March 5, 2007... BKT ENTERPRISES, operator of three Wisconsin area SENTRY FOODS stores, purchased two JEWEL-OSCO stores from SUPERVALU, and will reopen them under the Sentry banner this spring. BKT Enterprises, is owned by Bob Fleming and Kurt Rautenberg......

Bugaboo Creek Acquisition LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Charlie Brown's Acquisition Corp., inked a definitive agreement with Rare Hospitality International, Inc., Atlanta, to purchase Rare's Bugaboo Creek concept for $28 million.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... BUGABOO CREEK ACQUISITION LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of CHARLIE BROWN'S ACQUISITION CORP., inked a definitive agreement with RARE HOSPITALITY INTERNATIONAL, INC., Atlanta, to purchase RARE's BUGABOO CREEK concept for $28 million. Charlie...

Countryside Foods, LLC acquired all the operating assets of I&K Distributors, Inc. of Delphos, OH, a regional specialty food distributor with locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... COUNTRYSIDE FOODS, LLC acquired all the operating assets of I&K DISTRIBUTORS, INC. of Delphos, OH, a regional specialty food distributor with locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Countryside Foods, LLC was recently...

GE Capital Solutions Franchise Finance, Scottsdale, AZ, purchased 15 Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers restaurant properties in southeast Wisconsin from Bridgeman Foods Inc. for $11.3 million.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... GE CAPITAL SOLUTIONS FRANCHISE FINANCE, Scottsdale, AZ, purchased 15 WENDY'S OLD FASHIONED HAMBURGERS restaurant properties in southeast Wisconsin from BRIDGEMAN FOODS INC. for $11.3 million. GE Capital Solutions Franchise Finance, a leading...

ICBS Limited, a business development, financial and management consulting firm located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, acquired 40% ownership of DNA Distribution Inc., makers of the Go-Ji Plus nutritional beverage line.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
March 5, 2007... ICBS LIMITED, a business development, financial and management consulting firm located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, acquired 40% ownership of DNA DISTRIBUTION INC., makers of the Go-Ji Plus nutritional beverage line. Canada-based DNA...

Save Mart Supermarkets, Modesto, CA, completed the acquisition of Albertson's LLC Northern California Division, which includes 130 Albertson's stores in Northern California and Northern Nevada, the Roseville and Vacaville distribution centers, as well as the division office in Dublin, CA.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... SAVE MART SUPERMARKETS, Modesto, CA, completed the acquisition of ALBERTSON'S LLC Northern California Division, which includes 130 Albertson's stores in Northern California and Northern Nevada, the Roseville and Vacaville distribution centers,...

The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, Inc., New York, agreed to be acquired by Patina Restaurant Group, LLC, New York, in an all-cash merger at a price of $9.25 per share.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... THE SMITH & WOLLENSKY RESTAURANT GROUP, INC., New York, agreed to be acquired by PATINA RESTAURANT GROUP, LLC, New York, in an all-cash merger at a price of $9.25 per share. As part of the transaction, Mr. Alan N. Stillman, CEO of Smith &...

Champs Entertainment, Inc. announced the letter of intent it entered into last month with Kinderhook Industries, LLC to sell substantially all of its assets to an investment entity to be sponsored by Kinderhook expired--see Food Institute Report Jan. 15, pg. 5.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... CHAMPPS ENTERTAINMENT, INC. announced the letter of intent it entered into last month with KINDERHOOK INDUSTRIES, LLC to sell substantially all of its assets to an investment entity to be sponsored by Kinderhook expired--see FOOD INSTITUTE...

Global Beverage Solutions, Inc. completed the acquisition of beverage distributor Xstream Beverage Network of Maryland, Inc.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)
March 5, 2007... GLOBAL BEVERAGE SOLUTIONS, INC. completed the acquisition of beverage distributor XSTREAM BEVERAGE NETWORK OF MARYLAND, INC., a wholly owned subsidiary of XSTREAM BEVERAGE NETWORK, INC.--see FOOD INSTITUTE REPORT Dec. 25, 2006, pg. 5.

The Herbst Corp.'s Terrible Herbst convenience chain agreed to acquire Berry-Hinckley Industries, Reno, NV, and 33 of its Winner's Corner convenience stores and gas stations in Nevada.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... THE HERBST CORP.'S TERRIBLE HERBST convenience chain agreed to acquire BERRY-HINCKLEY INDUSTRIES, Reno, NV, and 33 of its WINNER'S CORNER convenience stores and gas stations in Nevada. Terrible Herbst, a Las Vegas operator of 125 c-stores in...

Philadelphia Macaroni Co., a grain-based food processor, acquired Pasta USA, a Spokane, WA-based manufacturer of dry pasta products.(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... PHILADELPHIA MACARONI CO., a grain-based food processor, acquired PASTA USA, a Spokane, WA-based manufacturer of dry pasta products. Pasta USA markets products under its own labels, Italian Chef and Betty Baker retail pasta, and Earth & Life...

Texas Pacific Group Ventures Inc., a private equity firm, sold its remaining stake in airline catering company Gate Gourmet To Merrill Lynch and Co. Inc., sources familiar with the situation told Reuters (Mar. 1).(MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... TEXAS PACIFIC GROUP VENTURES INC., a private equity firm, sold its remaining stake in airline catering company GATE GOURMET TO MERRILL LYNCH AND CO. INC., sources familiar with the situation told Reuters (Mar. 1). Gate Gourmet, which is based...

Latest financial reports (in $000).(Statistical table)(Financial report)
March 5, 2007... LATEST FINANCIAL REPORTS (in $000) Current % Change Year Year Ago COCA-COLA BOTTLING CO. CONSOLIDATED (CHARLOTTE, NC) 13 Wks. To Dec. 31: Sales ...

Children's Hunger Fund.(FI MEMBER PROFILE)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... As a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, Children's Hunger Fund (CHF) is focused on providing real solutions to the expanding problems of hunger and poverty in the U.S. and around the world. CHF receives products from premiere national food,...

Domex Superfresh Growers.(FI MEMBER PROFILE)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Yakima, WA-based Domex Superfresh Growers are fresh produce experts singularly focused on making and managing their commitments for the success and satisfaction of their customers. One of those commitments is creating great eating experiences...

Pacific Star Holding.(FI MEMBER PROFILE)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Pacific Star Holding is a leading logistics provider based in Mexico, which specializes in combined logistics services for food and non-food articles through all temperature zones. Pacific Star is responsible for the distribution of goods for...

Food inspections an issue at house budget hearings.(WASHINGTON)
March 5, 2007... The House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a hearing to discuss the FDA's FY 2008 Budget Proposal on Feb. 28. Attending the hearing were...

CFSAN releases ALERT program.(WASHINGTON)(Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition launches food defense awarness )(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... A recent letter from the Chief Medical Officer and Director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition introduced the organization's new food defense awareness initiative, ALERT. The ALERT initiative is intended to raise awareness of...

Senate Committee discusses Fiscal 2008 FDA and USDA Budgets.(WASHINGTON)(US Department of Agriculture, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development )
March 5, 2007... On Feb. 27, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and related agencies held a hearing entitled "Fiscal 2008 FDA and USDA Budgets." This meeting was summarized by Food Institute Counsel,...

USDA examines FAS' trade promotion operations.(WASHINGTON )(US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service)
March 5, 2007... In response to a request from three Members of Congress, USDA conducted an audit of the Foreign Agricultural Service's (FAS) performance in expanding trade activities in the exporting of U.S. agriculture products. Specifically, the department...

Food inspection decline reported.(WASHINGTON)(Report)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Despite several high-profile food recalls over the past few months, FDA is conducting half as many food safety inspections it did three years ago. In fact, these inspections dropped 47% between 2003 and 2006, according to database analysis of...

Americas Kitchen.(FDA RECALLS AND SAFETY ALERTS)(green bean product recalled)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Wellsley Farms Green Bean Casserole 32-oz. packages are being recalled by AMERICAS KITCHEN, Alpharetta, GA. The product was distributed nationwide in BJ's Wholesale Club retail stores. The firm initiated recall began on Feb. 22, 2007 and is...

DAIEI Trading-Chicago-Co., Inc.(FDA RECALLS AND SAFETY ALERTS)(peanuts product recalled)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Bean Cracker Itomo Mame Mix 8.8-oz. packages are being recalled by DAIEI TRADING-CHICAGO-CO., INC., Carol Stream, IL. The product was distributed in retail stores in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Arkansas,...

Castle Produce.(FDA RECALLS AND SAFETY ALERTS)(Castle Produce announces the recall of cantaloupe melons due to salmonella contamination)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Cantaloupes are being recalled by CASTLE PRODUCE, a subsidiary of Tropical Produce, Inc. Approximately 2,560 cartons of cantaloupes were distributed to wholesalers in Los Angeles and San Francisco for distribution throughout California and...

First Quality Sausage.(FDA RECALLS AND SAFETY ALERTS)(Nevada firm recalls semi-boneless ham steaks for possible listeria contamination)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Semi-boneless Ham Steaks, 20-lbs. boxes, are being recalled by FIRST QUALITY SAUSAGE, Las Vegas, NV. Approximately 930-lbs of semi-boneless ham steaks were distributed to institutions in Carson City and Reno, NV. The firm initiated recall began...

Carolina Culinary Foods.(FDA RECALLS AND SAFETY ALERTS)(Carolina Culinary Foods expands chicken recall)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Oscar Mayer/ Louis Rich Feb. 18, 2007 recall was expanded by CAROLINA CULINARY FOODS, West Columbia, SC. The products subject to recall are listed below. Approximately 2.8 million pounds of chicken breast cut and strips were distributed...

Lucky Doll Brand Frozen Tuna Steaks, 6-oz. are being recalled by Crocker & Windsor, Boston, MA and were manufactured by PT Dharma Samudera Fishing Industries TBK, Jakarta, Indonesia.(From FDA's Feb. 28 Enforcement Report)(Crocker and Windsor recalls frozen tuna)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Lucky Doll Brand Frozen Tuna Steaks, 6-oz. are being recalled by CROCKER & WINDSOR, Boston, MA and were manufactured by PT DHARMA SAMUDERA FISHING INDUSTRIES TBK, Jakarta, Indonesia. The product was distributed in California, Connecticut,...

Sea Fare Foods.(ORTHODOX UNION'S KOSHER ALERT)
March 5, 2007... Ma Cohen's Assorted Herring products manufactured by SEA FARE FOODS, Detroit, MI are now certified Kosher with Passover supervision. Previously, a limited number of products were labeled as Kosher certified and are being withdrawn from the...

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Inc.(ORTHODOX UNION'S KOSHER ALERT)
March 5, 2007... Rocky Mountain Chocolate Gummi Bears manufactured and distributed by ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHOCOLATE INC., Durango, CO are mislabeled with an OU-D symbol. These products are being withdrawn from stores.

Beech-Nut Nutrition Corp.(ORTHODOX UNION'S KOSHER ALERT)
March 5, 2007... Beech-Nut Baby Food manufactured by BEECH-NUT NUTRITION CORP., Canajoharie, NY are no longer certified Kosher and do not bear the OU symbol. Previously the company manufactured several kosher baby products.

Starbucks Coffee Liqueur.(ORTHODOX UNION'S KOSHER ALERT)
March 5, 2007... Starbucks Coffee Liqueur is OU certified Kosher and Parve and Starbucks Cream Liqueur is OU-D certified Kosher and Dairy. However, the products do not yet bear the OU symbol. For further information contact the Orthodox Union at 212-613-8148 or...

Peanut butter recall update.(WASHINGTON)(ConAgra extends recall of all peanut butter)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... CONAGRA recalled all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter due to Salmonella Tennessee. The products were manufactured in a single facility in Sylvester, GA. FDA issued a warning to consumers on Feb. 14, 2007, after receiving an...

Popeye's & Church's Chicken at odds.(WASHINGTON)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... The franchisor and operator of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, AFC ENTERPRISES, INC., filed suit against CHURCH'S CHICKEN and a former Popeyes franchise group in connection with Church's recent purchase of 10 Popeyes' franchised restaurants in the...

Eleven lawsuits were filed against Yum Brands Inc. and its Taco Bell Corp. subsidiary for the E. coli outbreak in November and December 2006.(WASHINGTON)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Eleven lawsuits were filed against YUM BRANDS INC. and its TACO BELL CORP. subsidiary for the E. coli outbreak in November and December 2006. In its annual report, Yum claims the stores named in at least five of the lawsuits are not...

Free and reduced price meals and free milk.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEALS AND FREE MILK: Food and Nutrition Service made its annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk from July 1, 2007...

Poultry exports.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Food Safety and Inspection Service)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... POULTRY EXPORTS: Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) proposed to add Chile to the list of countries eligible to export poultry and poultry products to the U.S. Reviews by FSIS of Chile's laws, regulations, and inspection implementation...

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service amended the foreign quarantine and user fee regulations by removing the exemptions from inspection for imported fruits and vegetables grown in Canada.(IN THE NEWS ...)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service amended the foreign quarantine and user fee regulations by removing the exemptions from inspection for imported fruits and vegetables grown in Canada. The agency also removed the exemptions from user...

Produce.(MARKETS)(imports and produces of vegetable and friuts market)
March 5, 2007... BANANAS--Los Angeles terminal prices on 40-lb. cartons MX Manzano are $19.00-$22.00, mostly $19.00; Burro $8.00-$10.00, mostly $8.50-$9.00, organic $18.00-$20.00, mostly $19.50; 20-lb. cartons CB BOAT Red $9.50-$10.50, mostly $10.00-$10.50, few...

Canned vegetables.(MARKETS)(shipment data of vegetables and canned foods)
March 5, 2007... USDA HAS PURCHASED CANNED VEGETABLES * Shipments between Apr. 1-June 30, 2007 * Cases Total Cost Corn, Whole Kernel (24/300) 177,480 $1,298,450 Bridge Foods, Inc. ...

Tomato products.(MARKETS)(tomatoes production to be increased)(Survey)
March 5, 2007... With supplies down and wholesale paste prices at their highest levels since 1998/99, processors are mulling over the possibility of packing a large crop in 2007. In a mid-January survey, California tomato processors indicated they intend to...

Frozen vegetables.(MARKETS)
March 5, 2007... POTATOES--Fancy French fries are trading for 31 to 34 cents per pound, f.o.b. Washington. REGIONAL HOLDINGS OF FROZEN FRENCH FRIES-FEB. 1 1,000 Pounds: 2007 % Chge. New England 32,664 7.0% Middle...

Canned fruits.(MARKETS)(prices of canned fruits)
March 5, 2007... CHERRIES--Imports of canned cherries in 2006 totaled 5.3 million pounds, down 5% from 2005. Sweet and tart cherries both saw a decrease in imports for 2006 compared to 2005. Maraschino canned cherries increased 19% from last year, totaling 2.8...

Mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) for seafood is failing to deliver the benefits promised by the law, according to the Food Marketing Institute.(IN THE NEWS ...)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... Mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) for seafood is failing to deliver the benefits promised by the law, according to the Food Marketing Institute. It has not increased sales of U.S. seafood. At the same time, the supermarket industry's...