The Food Institute Report articles from November 2005

The Food Institute Report archives from November 2005

Insight into Wal-Mart's impact on the economy.
November 7, 2005... The expansion of Wal-Mart over the 1985-2004 period can be associated with a cumulative decline of 9.1% in food-at-home prices, a 4.2% decline in commodities (goods) prices, and a 3.1% decline in overall consumer prices as measured by the...

No corporate restructuring for McDonald's.
November 7, 2005... On Oct. 31, in a letter to franchisees, McDonald's chief executive Jim Skinner announced that the Oak Brook, IL-based company would not spin off the unit that runs its company owned restaurants, nor restructure as a real estate investment...

Consumers less willing to pay more for healthier foods.(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... While nine out of 10 consumers remain concerned about the nutritional content of food, they are much less willing to pay for healthier versions of food, according to the 12th Annual Consumer Attitudes About Nutrition Study sponsored by the...

Differences in store formats drive retail food price variation.
November 7, 2005... A store's format, including physical characteristics, product offerings, business practices, and marketing strategies, is a likely determinant of and a key to understanding retail food price variation, according to USDA'S ECONOMIC RESEARCH...

Understanding premium wine consumers.
November 7, 2005... There is no typical wine consumer, rather, consumers tend to fall into six unique segments, each with its own set of attributes, motivations, preferences and shopping behaviors, according to CONSTELLATION WINES Project Genome research, which...

Sales increase for top convenience wholesalers combined.
November 7, 2005... Sales of the top 25 convenience wholesalers combined totaled $41.9 billion in the last fiscal year, according to the 2005 survey by Convenience Store News. That total is up 5.3% from the previous year. Average sales per company were $1.7...

McLane active in 2005.(McLane Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... In 2005, McLane has reached several agreements with convenience store operators for new or extended service. It entered into a three-year service agreement with FLEMING CORPORATION OF KANSAS, which operates numerous fuel and convenience stores...

Visa lowers debit interchange rates for small ticket merchants.(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Visa USA is reducing the debit interchange reimbursement fee on Visa consumer check card transactions of $15 or less in several small ticket segments. The merchant segments that qualify for Visa's small ticket program represent approximately...

Off-Campus Dining Network created a business where students have the option of buying a food plan, where they can basically eat every meal at an approved provider, like Subway or Pizza Hut.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... OFF-CAMPUS DINING NETWORK created a business where students have the option of buying a food plan, where they can basically eat every meal at an approved provider, like SUBWAY or PIZZA HUT. At the restaurant, a student pays with a kind of debit...

Ledo Pizza System Inc.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... LEDO PIZZA SYSTEM INC., known for its square pizza, is opening franchises in Florida, North Carolina and Georgia. The company plans to open 11 locations in 2006, up from eight this year and seven last year. In the past five years, it has sold...

Kahala Corp., Scottsdale, AR, is teaming up with Castle Technologies to open 20 Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill restaurants.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... KAHALA CORP., Scottsdale, AR, is teaming up with CASTLE TECHNOLOGIES to open 20 SAMURAI SAM'S TERIYAKI GRILL restaurants throughout New York's Nassau and Suffolk counties within the next 10 years... QSRMagazine.com (Nov. 2)

Star Papa LLC has acquired six Papa John's franchise locations in October.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... STAR PAPA LLC has acquired six PAPA JOHN'S franchise locations in October. Star Papa is a joint venture between Louisville, KY-based Papa John's International and BLUE AND SILVER VENTURES LTD., an entity of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Baskin-Robbins, a unit of Allied Domecq Plc, is embarking on a 5-year remodeling project in an effort to confront the competitive ice cream parlor business.(ON THE FOODSERVICE FRONT)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... BASKIN-ROBBINS, a unit of ALLIED DOMECQ PLC, is embarking on a 5-year remodeling project in an effort to confront the competitive ice cream parlor business. The plan calls for revamping 2,500 units. Dated plastic booths and gray linoleum floors...

Mergers & acquisitions.
November 7, 2005... THE GORES GROUP, LLC, a privately held investment firm headquartered in Los Angeles, has completed the acquisition of AVURE TECHNOLOGIES INC., Kent, WA, from FLOW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION. Avure, which specializes in the manufacturing of...

Bashas' Inc., Chandler, AZ, is breaking into the natural foods market with Ike's Farmer's Market, a "high-end organic and natural food store with extremely competitive prices.".(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... BASHAS' INC., Chandler, AZ, is breaking into the natural foods market with IKE'S FARMER'S MARKET, a "high-end organic and natural food store with extremely competitive prices." The first store is slated for central Phoenix and is expected to...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville, AR, is Cott's biggest customer, generating 41% of revenues.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... WAL-MART STORES INC., Bentonville, AR, is COTT'S biggest customer, generating 41% of revenues. The company supplies soft drinks at prices 36% below major brands, says Edmund O'Keefe, Cott's director of investor relations... Barron's

C&S Wholesale Grocers, Keene, NH, has announced that the 12 grocery stores in the Adirondacks, which it purchased from TOPS Markets, will be converted to Grand Unions.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... C&S WHOLESALE GROCERS, Keene, NH, has announced that the 12 grocery stores in the Adirondacks, which it purchased from TOPS MARKETS, will be converted to GRAND UNIONS... North Country Gazette (Oct. 25)

Washington State University.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... A WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY study has identified potato waste as a cheap, renewable source of lactic acid for the food industry. Lactic acid is commonly used as a food preservative. Dr. Shulin Chen believes that the fermentation and...

Gannett.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... GANNETT, one of the nation's biggest newspaper publishers, said it would introduce a new service on its newspaper websites next month that displays banner ads that readers can expand into a virtual version of the weekly local circulars so...

Arcadia Biosciences Inc. has received a $99,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to explore development of soybeans that lower risks of certain cancers and heart disease.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... ARCADIA BIOSCIENCES INC. has received a $99,000 grant from the NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH to explore development of soybeans that lower risks of certain cancers and heart disease. The funding aims to produce soybeans with predetermined...

Bureau of Census.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Between 1997 and 2003, the percentage of adults 18 and older using the internet grew from 22% to 59.5%, according to the BUREAU OF CENSUS. In 2003, 32% of adults ordered services or products via the internet, versus 25.7% in 2001, and just 2.1%...

Pathmark Stores.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... On Oct. 28, Carteret, NJ-based PATHMARK STORES introduced online shopping through its upgraded company website. Pathmarks in Middletown, NJ and Edgewater, NJ are the first two stores to offer the service, and a third in Lawnside, NJ will follow...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. finalized a $1 billion rescue package for its struggling unit Seiyu Ltd.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... WAL-MART STORES INC. finalized a $1 billion rescue package for its struggling unit SEIYU LTD. Under the deal, Wal-Mart will inject 67.5 billion yen to take a controlling 53.56% voting stake in Seiyu, up from 42.48% now. Mizuho Financial Group...

Farmer Jack, a unit of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., is tossing out its freshness guarantee because the program became too costly.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... FARMER JACK, a unit of the GREAT ATLANTIC & PACIFIC TEA CO., is tossing out its freshness guarantee because the program became too costly. The campaign, which guaranteed customers who found outdated products would receive a fresh, similar item...

Albertson.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... ALBERTSONS, Boise, ID, is enticing shoppers to stock up on frozens by offering 10% off all the frozen food they can fit in a shopping bag. All purchases must be made with Albertsons' loyalty card... Supermarket News

Hannaford.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... HANNAFORD, Scarborough, ME, is broadening its selection of gluten-free and dairy-free food. Most of the products are located in the supermarket's Nature Place department, featuring natural and organic foods.

Lund Food Holdings.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... LUND FOOD HOLDINGS has added gourmet Italian foods to its Lunds & Byerly's private-label line. The new items are pasta sauces, olive oil spritzers, savory toppings and bread sprinkles... Supermarket News

Tasty Baking Co.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... TASTY BAKING CO. is raising prices on its family packs and snack cakes in January, in response to higher energy and packaging costs... Philadelphia Inquirer

Harry's Fresh Foods.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... HARRY'S FRESH FOODS, Portland, OR, is rolling out a six-variety line of natural and organic soups packaged in heat-and-serve 11-ounce bowl. The line, found in refrigerated sections, includes: Organic Hearty Vegetable Minestrone, Organic Tomato...

Top 20 agriculture cooperatives by 2004 revenue.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 7, 2005... TOP 20 AGRICULTURE COOPERATIVES BY 2004 REVENUE (Source: National Cooperative Bank's NCB Co-op 100) 2004 % Chg. Vs. Co-op Name Revenue 2003 ...

Latest financial reports.(Illustration)
November 7, 2005... LATEST FINANCIAL REPORTS (in $000) Current % Change Year Year Ago BJ'S RESTAURANTS, INC. (HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA) 13 Wks. To Oct. 4: Sales ...

Evolving options at school cafeterias.
November 7, 2005... With more children than ever are getting school-made meals or bringing pre-packaged lunches instead of brown-bagging it with homemade food, the food industry is cooking up numerous options to satisfy current tastes and stricter nutrition...

The School Nutrition Association, the Child Nutrition Foundation And Kraft Foods have announced the launch of Healthy Edge: Building Healthy School Meals, an online continuing education curriculum providing nutritious meal instruction to child nutrition professionals.(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... The SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION, the CHILD NUTRITION FOUNDATION AND KRAFT FOODS have announced the launch of Healthy Edge: Building Healthy School Meals, an online continuing education curriculum providing nutritious meal instruction to child...

FDA looks at modernizing food GMPS.(WASHINGTON)(Food Current Good Manufacturing Practice)
November 7, 2005... Beginning in late 2002, FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition formed a Food Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) Modernization Working Group to examine the general food CGMP regulation in 21 CFR Part 110 and determine whether...

Senate action overrules organic label decision, delays cool.(WASHINGTON)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... As part of a $35 billion deficit-reduction bill the Senate adopted two measures affecting the food industry. One will delay country-of-origin labeling requirements for beef another two years. The other inserted language that will override a...

Avian influenza prevention program stepped up.(WASHINGTON)
November 7, 2005... USDA summarized a request for $91 million in additional resources to safeguard the U.S. against highly transmissible forms of avian influenza, a disease that commonly affects birds and has been transmitted to humans in Asia. The request is part...

ITC votes to keep shrimp duty orders for India and Thailand.(WASHINGTON)(International Trade Commission)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that revoking the existing antidumping duty orders on certain frozen warmwater shrimp and prawns from India and Thailand would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material...

Warning letters issued; second violation under BT act noted.(WASHINGTON)(Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point )
November 7, 2005... NEPTUNE SMOKED FISH COMPANY LLC of Salem WI was issued a warning letter on Oct. 17 from FDA's Minneapolis Office as a result of an inspection Sept. 21 and 25, 2005. FDA found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical...

School Breakfast Program.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... An amendment to the School Breakfast Program eliminates the requirement that a school's costs exceed the rate of reimbursement to receive the higher severe need funding available. The amendment is also allowing State agencies to provide severe...

You should know.(recent happenings in food services)
November 7, 2005... ... .Seven additional vendors of U.S. Foodservice Inc. are facing criminal charges in connection with an alleged multimillion accounting fraud at the unit of Dutch retailer Royal Ahold NV, the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan said, reported...

Food product recalls reported.(WASHINGTON)
November 7, 2005... FDA's Nov. 2 Enforcement Report included the following food product recalls: Dole Classic Romaine prepackaged salad in 10 oz. plastic bag; Dole American Blend prepackaged salad in 12 oz. plastic bag, and Dole Greener Selection prepackaged...

Produce.(MARKETS)
November 7, 2005... WILMA UPDATE--Hurricane Wilma damaged several vegetable fields across the southern Peninsula as the storm made landfall leaving many fields saturated. Harvesting was curtailed in many areas across the central and southern Peninsula due to storm...

FDA concerned about fresh-cut lettuce.(MARKETS)
November 7, 2005... FDA published a letter to California firms that grow, pack, process, or ship fresh and fresh-cut lettuce voicing serious concern with the continuing outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of fresh and fresh-cut lettuce...

Canned vegetables.(MARKETS)
November 7, 2005... CORN--Exports for the year through Sept. 1 were down 10% from a year ago at 182.5 million pounds. The F.A.S. value of the exports was down 5%, suggesting a slightly higher average price than 2004. Exports to Japan, Norway and Mexico were up...

Tomato products.(international trade)
November 7, 2005... It looks like the season will end up at 9.6 million tons, according to delivery figures from the Processing Tomato Advisory Board. That is down 18% from last season and down 6% from the previous five-year average of 10.2 million tons. Compared...

Frozen vegetables.(international trade)
November 7, 2005... PEAS--Exports are up 6% this year as of Sept. 1, an increase of 889,000 pounds, but down 3% from the five year average of 16.5 million pounds. Mexico increased imports of U.S. product by 11% and Canada increased imports by 30%, while Japan...

Restructuring at Unilever leaves frozen food division in question.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Unilever, is undertaking a strategic review of its frozen food division, including the possibility of a sale, after poor results in Western Europe were released. The division has recently been characterized as one that had been extremely...

Canned fruit.(MARKETS)
November 7, 2005... PEACHES--The California Clingstone Peach tree removal program expects to remove 4,000 bearing acres of clingstone peach trees, or a little over 13% of the 30,200 acres currently in production. Payments to growers that remove trees will range...

Del Monte Foods Company.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Del Monte Foods Company filed an application with the SEC to withdraw its common stock from listing and registration on the Pacific Exchange, in order to reduce the cost and compliance efforts of maintaining the listing because approximately...

Help inner-city families eat well this thanksgiving.(MARKETS)
November 7, 2005... Children's Hunger Fund works with inner-city aid programs giving needy families quality food for Thanksgiving. Donations of vegetables, fruits, and bread products are desperately needed. Also, ready-to-eat quality foods like granola bars...

Processed fish.(MARKETS)
November 7, 2005... TUNA--Canned tuna prices at the retail level dropped fairly steadly from 2002 through 2004 according to data from the Bureau of Labor Static's Consumer Price Index report. Prices increased in 2005 however through May. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] ...

Ocean quahog.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
November 7, 2005... ... Due to an unexpected surplus of ocean quahog product on the market, proposed quota increases for the ocean quahog fishery for 2006 and 2007 are no longer warranted. The current regulations specify an increase in the ocean quahog quota from...

Pollock in the Gulf of Alaska.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
November 7, 2005... ... NMFS is terminating a previous closure and is reopening directed fishing for pollock in the Gulf of Alaska to fully utilize the Pollock in the area, since it has determined that approximately 588 metric tons of Pollock remain in the directed...

Sea scalloping.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
November 7, 2005... ... The NMFS and the NOAA revised areas in the Atlantic approved for sea scalloping so boundaries are consistent with the redefined essential fish habitat closed areas, designed primarily to protect fishes in these habitats. Contact Peter W....

Freshwater crawfish tail meat from China.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
November 7, 2005... ... The Department of Commerce will review requests to conduct new shipper reviews of the antidumping duty order on freshwater crawfish tail meat from China, requested by Xuzhou Jinjiang and Xiping Opeck. The companies certified that they did...

Dried vegetables.(international trade)
November 7, 2005... USDA OFFERS TO PURCHASE--USDA is planning to purchase 852,500 cases (12/1 lb.) of dehydrated potatoes for use in Needy Family and other food assistance programs. Offers are due by 1:00 p.m., Central Time, Nov. 16. Acceptances will be announced...

Dried fruit & nuts.(shipment data)
November 7, 2005... PEANUTS--In the Southeast trading was very slow and demand was very light. A few No. 1's were offered around 33 1/2 cents per pound. Trading was also very slow in the Southwest, with Spanish Shelled Jumobs mostly 43 cents, and Shelled Jumbo...

Domestic dates produced or packed in Riverside County, CA.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
November 7, 2005... ... USDA is increasing the assessment rate established for domestic dates produced or packed in Riverside County, CA, for the 2005/06 and subsequent crop years from 85 cents to 95 cents per hundredweight of dates handled. The committee...

Walnuts grown in California.(NOTED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER)(Public Notice)
November 7, 2005... ... USDA proposed a rule that would increase the assessment rate established for Walnuts grown in California for the 2005/06 and subsequent fiscal periods from .94 cents to .96 cents per kernel weight pound of assessable walnuts. Contact Shereen...

Frozen fruits.(international trade)
November 7, 2005... STRAWBERRIES--As of Sept. 1, exports are up 16% from the same time last year. The biggest importer of U.S. strawberries, Canada, increased their imports by 98% from 2004, a 10.6 million pound increase. Exports to Japan have been steadily...

Juices & concentrates.(international trade)
November 7, 2005... USDA OFFERS to Buy--USDA has offered to purchase 1.5 million pounds solid FCOJ in tanker size containers, 8,400 cases of 12/32 oz. FCOJ, and 138,240 cases of 70/4 oz. containers of single strength frozen orange juice for distribution to the...

Farm prices.(MARKETS)(Illustration)
November 7, 2005... WHAT FARMERS WERE PAID FOR FARM PRODUCTS - OCT. (Source: USDA) Chge. % Chge. Commodity & Unit Oct. Last Mo. Last Yr. Beans, Dry Edible, Cwt. 17.000 -5.6% ...

Butter.(prices)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 7, 2005... BUTTER MARKET, NOV. 4 (Source: USDA) Cents Per Pound: 11/04/2005 10/28/2005 Chge. Grade AA 1.4750 1.5775 -.1025

Cheese.(prices)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 7, 2005... CHEDDAR CHEESE MARKET OCT. 14 Cents Per Pound: 11/04/2005 Chge. Fr. Last Wk. Barrels 1.3050 -.0450 Blocks (40-lbs.) 1.3700 -.0300

Eggs.(prices)(Illustration)
November 7, 2005... EGGS EGG PRICES TO RETAILERS NOV. 4 (Source: USDA) Wk. Ending Wk. Ending Cents per dozen: 4-Nov 28-Oct Chge. Extra Large-NY 75-79 70-74 +5 Large-NY 73-77...

Chicken.(prices)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 7, 2005... PRELIMINARY BROILER PRICES FOR DELIVERY THE WEEK OF NOV. 7 Cents Per Pound: This Week Last Week Chicago 57-60 57-60 Cleveland Too Few Too Few Detroit Too Few Too Few Los...

Futures prices.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 7, 2005... FUTURES PRICES (Source: Wall Street Journal) Cash Oct. Mar. 06 As of Oct. 28, 2005: Price Futures Futures Corn, bu. $1.71 $1.96 $2.11...

Commodity prices.(MARKETS)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 7, 2005... COMMODITY PRICES (Source: Wall Street Journal) Week Week % Chge. Ended Ended Last Nov. 4 Oct. 28...

New product activity outpacing 2004.(Mintel's Global New Products Database)
November 14, 2005... An impressive total of 9,074 new food/beverages products were tracked by MINTEL'S GLOBAL NEW PRODUCTS DATABASE in the first half of this year--up 12.2% from the comparable period in 2004. A look at the new food/beverage launches for the first...

Kraft increasing prices.(NEW PRODUCT ACTIVITY OUTPACING 2004)(Kraft Foods Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Kraft Foods Inc. is increasing prices on many of its products by an average 3.9% because of rising energy and packaging costs. The company sent a memo to retailers about the action on Nov. 4, according to an Associated Press report. Most of the...

Plastic prices up in wake of Hurricanes.(NEW PRODUCT ACTIVITY OUTPACING 2004)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Prices in the plastic industry have risen sharply since hurricanes damaged the Gulf Coast. Prices for the three most common resins used to make plastic have jumped between 20% and 30% since August, according to analysts and trade publications....

Americans not eating recommended amount of vegetables.(NEW PRODUCT ACTIVITY OUTPACING 2004)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... The average American is only getting 2.4 servings of vegetables a day--far fewer than the new USDA federally recommended guideline of five servings (2 1/2 cups), according to the 2005 Green Giant Vegetable Report, a nationwide survey of more...

IBM researchers propose solutions to RFID privacy concerns.(NEW PRODUCT ACTIVITY OUTPACING 2004)
November 14, 2005... As privacy concerns regarding the implementation and use of RFID technology continue to grow, IBM researches have proposed two ways to allow the consumer to deactivate RFID tags after making a purchase. Current RFID tags offer no visible...

Distributor devises a unique way to handle the cost of energy.(NEW PRODUCT ACTIVITY OUTPACING 2004)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... To manage the rising cost of energy, one foodservice distributor decided about a year ago to establish its own power company. Bangor, ME-based broadliner DENNIS PAPER AND FOOD SERVICE estimates that it has reduced its electrical costs about 20%...

Top security challenges for food retailers and wholesalers.(NEW PRODUCT ACTIVITY OUTPACING 2004)(Food Marketing Institute)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Shoplifting, organized retail theft (ORT) and employee theft rank as the top security challenges for food retailers and wholesalers. Employee theft accounts for 43.3% of total losses, while shoplifting and ORT account for 29.7% of all losses,...

Consumer snack preferences; Oreos still no. 1 cookie.(NEW PRODUCT ACTIVITY OUTPACING 2004)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Lay's are the most popular potato chip, except in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C./Baltimore area, where local brands beat them out, according to 2005 supermarket sales data from nine regions compiled by Chicago-based INFORMATION RESOURCES...

Mergers & acquisitions.(Sartori Food Corp. acquired Linden Cheese Company)(LycoRed Natural Products acquired Buckton Scott Nutrition)(Lynn's Inc. acquired Family Thrift Center)
November 14, 2005... LYCORED, a subsidiary of Israel's MAKHTESHIM-AGAN INDUSTRIES, the world's biggest maker of genetic agrochemicals, has acquired BUCKTON SCOTT NUTRITION, Fairfield, NJ, a subsidiary of global ingredients supplier BUCKTON SCOTT GROUP of New...

Wild Oats Markets, Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... * WILD OATS MARKETS, INC. will hold a grand re-opening of its newly remodeled store in West Hartford, CT on Nov. 16. The 25,000-sq. ft. remodeled store features a new grocery section, complete with an authentic international foods aisle and an...

Inclusive of the six acquired Winn-Dixie stores that are currently being remodeled.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)
November 14, 2005... * Inclusive of the six acquired WINN-DIXIE stores that are currently being remodeled, HARRIS TEETER plans to open 19 new stores (including five replacement stores) in fiscal 2006 for a net store addition of 14 stores representing an approximate...

WM. Wrigley Jr. Co.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... * WM. WRIGLEY JR. CO. will release eight new flavors/products on Jan. 1, 2006. The new products include Doublemint mints, a new flavor of Extra gum, two new flavors of Eclipse gum, a new flavor of Orbit White gum, one new flavor each of Creme...

Coca-Cola North America.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... * COCA-COLA NORTH AMERICA will introduce Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke and Black Cherry Vanilla Coke in January 2006. Vanilla Coke and Diet Vanilla Coke will go on hiatus at year's end, but may be available in the future, according to Katie...

Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc. formed a wholly owned spirits subsidiary.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Long Tail Libations)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... * ANHEUSER-BUSCH COS INC. formed a wholly owned spirits subsidiary, LONG TAIL LIBATIONS, which is testing Jekyll & Hyde, a two-part liqueur product, in four U.S. markets. Jekyll is a scarlet red, sweet spirit tasting of wild berries, while Hyde...

Diamond Foods, Inc.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... * DIAMOND FOODS, INC. of Stockton, CA, a branded food company specializing in processing, marketing and distributing culinary and snack nuts under the Diamond of California and Emerald of California brands, has announced new distribution...

FreshDirect.(NEWS IN A MINUTE)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... * FRESHDIRECT, the online grocer in New York, has removed all hydrogenated oils from items made in its central bakery and kitchen, in accordance with a recent request by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Previously...