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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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A $12 box of cereal? It's why I shop c-stores only when necessary For the most part, if I can help it, I try to steer clear of convenience stores. Because I know I'm going to get screwed. I know I'm going to pay a thief's ransom for basic products. But there are also times when the local c-store is the best option available — sometimes the convenience matters. So, I know all this, which is why I'm very particular about when I shop at a c-store. But some of these operators take it over the edge. Take the c-store owner in East Bakersfield, Calif., selling an 18 ounce box of Honey Bunches of Oats for $12.00. Holy c**p! Twelve bucks for a box of cereal? And you know what he says when told customers complained to a local TV station about the insanely high price tag? "If they don't like the price they can go somewhere else." You may think I'm complaining about the cost of food in America's c-stores, but I'm not really. You want the convenience of a neighborhood c-store, and you don't want the hassle of shopping in a supermarket for only a handful of items, then, shoot, you go in a c-store knowing you will pay top-end and beyond. Now, that fellow in East Bakersfield? I'm grateful his pricing schemes haven't moved to my neighborhood. But if he can get the twelve bucks, more power to him.  But this is why c-stores will never replace supermarkets as America's mainstream grocery of choice.

NUGGETS FOR NOGGINS' If I'd had some set idea of a finish line, don't you think I would have crossed it years ago? Bill Gates

ON THE RECORD Importantly, taxes will not teach our children how to live a healthy lifestyle. But the experts who so blithely recommend taxes “for our own good” do have a lesson they want to teach, and it’s not about healthy living. These experts, whether they realize it or not, see government as the nanny who should benignly watch over us, making sure that we take care of ourselves for the good of society. Susan Neely, president and CEO, American Beverage Association, 9/15/09, TheNewAmerican.com.

General Mills Exec shares insights into the Hispanic market Portada-online.com— Rodolfo Rodriguez (pictured), Multicultural Marketing Director General Mills, explained some key differences that, in his experience, exist between marketing to the Hispanic consumer versus marketing to the general market consumer. E.g., The concept of “Nature”… As general market consumers, Hispanics are also inspired by and share a connection with nature, but a key difference is that “nature” is not a specific place; it is a feeling of connection and happiness. Hispanics trust that nature gives them all of what is best for them. Natural ingredients in CPG products are a connection to that. Read.

Report: Kraft Could Make Hostile Bid for Cadbury

New York Times— Kraft Foods Inc. is poised to launch a hostile bid for British candy maker Cadbury PLC, The Observer said Sunday, citing unnamed sources ... Cadbury has repeatedly said it is not interested in a takeover but the U.S. food maker has said it remains focused on continuing negotiations. Read.

U.S. Consumers Most Worried About Economy, Rising Costs
Food safety was highest-ranked non-economic issue for 2nd straight year, rating higher than consumer concern over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Progressive Grocer— The economy is still consumers’ biggest concern, according to the most recent consumer survey by the Center for Food Integrity (CFI), a not-for-profit corporation with the goal of building consumer trust and confidence in the contemporary U.S. food system. The next most pressing consumer worries were rising energy costs, rising food costs, rising health care costs and personal financial situation, while global warming came in last out of 11 issues. Read.

Food companies’ Have An unhealthy internet influence
on ‘cyberteens’
Authors: Further academic research is needed to understand fully the nature, scope, and extent of interactive advertising’s impact on youth
By Caroline Scott-Thomas, Food Navigator— A new scientific review has called for more research into the effects of internet food advertising on teenagers amid fears that teens are too easily influenced by companies marketing unhealthy foods. The authors claim that US regulation of children’s and teenagers’ advertising has been largely based on evidence about television advertising from the 1970s, but that the internet needs to be examined separately because teenagers in particular are influenced by it differently. Read.

Tyson Foods is bringing back Holly Farms chicken
Brand has been absent from retail grocery stores in Southeast for more than 10 years
Press Release— Tyson Foods Inc. is bringing Holly Farms chicken back to grocery stores.  "We're excited about working with Food Lion LLC to offer Holly Farms-branded chicken to consumers again," said Tim Price, vice president of business development for Tyson Foods' retail fresh poultry business. "We plan to produce a wide variety of tray-packed chicken products with the same freshness, safety and quality people have historically expected from products bearing the Holly Farms name." Read.

New Coke remains classic tale of failed market research
Blogger says New Coke has become a symbol for corporate idiocy
By Scott Reeves, blogger, Minyanville.com— In the mid-1980s, conspiracy buffs briefly shifted their attention to Atlanta from the grassy knoll and focused their fervid minds on Coca-Cola ... Some believed that New Coke - rolled out on April 23, 1985, and all but obliterated by the return of the original version on July 11 - was an elaborate plot to goose sales. It wasn’t. Instead, it remains a classic tale of failed market research ..... The company fed the paranoia of conspiracy buffs by noting that New Coke had allowed millions to reconnect with the original product. Oh sure, and the Edsel allowed customers to forge a new bond with Ford. Read.

MORNING CUP VIDEO PICK    
CNBC: People, Planet & Profit: Frito-Lay's Off-the-Grid Factory
Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, is taking its Connecticut snack factory off the grid, reports CNBC's Bertha Coombs.

The Morning Cup constantly searches the cyberworld for insightful food and beverage industry-related feature articles and columns we think will be of interest to the majority of our readers. If you see an article posted on the internet you think would be of interest to Morning Cup readers, please email the link and a little note to editor Bob Messenger.

Lipton-Funded Study Finds Green Tea Boosts Weight Loss
A study led by researchers from the Lipton Institute of Tea has indicated that drinking tea with a high concentration of catechins could help moderately overweight people lose pounds, inches and fat. Conducted over the course of 90 days at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, the study resulted in a research report that's been published in the journal Obesity ..... Significant decreases in body weight and fat mass "were more pronounced in the group consuming the highest amount of catechins and the results also suggest that the effects were particularly strong on fat located in the abdominal region," a news release about the study stated. "In addition, they did not consume any other beverages containing catechins or caffeine during the intervention period - so we can be confident that the effects seen are a consequence of the green tea intervention."
World Tea News. Read.

More bad news about 'local' foods
In "Through the Looking Glass," Humpty Dumpty declared, "When I use a word, it means what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less." Mr. Dumpty would have loved living in our era of corporate-speak, when even a plain word of obvious meaning can be dumped down the semantical rabbit hole to be swirled and twirled by marketing meisters. Then -- sproing! -- out it pops, looking like the same word, but now burdened with a convoluted connotation that is the very opposite of what the word appears to mean. This corporatization of language is presently being applied to the common term "local," as in, right here, in the immediate vicinity, this neck of the woods, hereabouts, our backyard, etc. In the past few years, "local" has become an important commercial term, as small businesses have proudly attached it to their products, services and presence in the marketplace. The term differentiates them from the gigantism, plasticity, aloofness and frequent abusiveness of faraway, big-box, chain operations. The message conveyed by these local enterprises is that "we are your neighbors, you know us and we know you, we share a community bond beyond just taking your money."
By Jim Hightower, Niagara Falls Report. Read.

Gay becomes the new green
In keeping with its quirky corporate culture and commitment to social justice, Ben and Jerry's has temporarily changed the name of its legendary "Chubby Hubby" ice cream to honor the legalization of gay marriage in the company's home state of Vermont, where the change went into effect Sept. 1 ... This clever promotion joins other corporations rushing to drink from the LGBT water spout. Businesses are defining themselves as gay-friendly with the energy and enthusiasm once reserved for embracing the labels "environmentally friendly" and "eco-conscious." Apparently, gay is the new green ..... The national trend makes sense. The LGBT community is an attractive demographic group for advertisers; conservative estimates put the value of our consumer dollars at more than $700 billion. Further, consumer loyalty is stronger among marginalized groups like gays. We don't see ourselves validated or reflected in most mainstream ads, so when a company does try to market to us, we feel a deep commitment to support their efforts.
By Kristin Lynch (pictured), Colorado Springs Independent. Read.

● Opinion: Raw Milk Continually Targeted Despite True Dangers of Pasteurized Product ..... Many state and federal food regulators are notorious for employing selective, biased enforcement of food safety protocols within the food industry. In order to appease big industry's lobbyists and other political lapdogs, the nation's food safety experts repeat, ad nauseum, unscientific and illegitimate talking points in favor of the industry giants that pull the purse strings behind the scenes. When it comes to the issue of raw milk, the endless charade of bastardized data and phony fear-mongering over its safety is never in short supply among those that want it outlawed. Read.

● Coke uses Olympics to showcase its Far Coast coffee brand to worldwide audience ..... The 2010 Winter Olympics will be an international podium for soft drink giant Coca-Cola Co. to more widely promote its Far Coast brand of coffee and tea, a move marketing experts say is a clever use of its powerful sponsorship status ..... "It's an ideal venue for Coca-Cola to introduce their new products just simply because there is so much worldwide attention paid to it," said Lindsay Meredith, a marketing professor at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Read.

● Newman's Own: It's Nell's Show Now ..... Nell Newman has the best of both parents: Paul Newman's signature ice blue eyes and Joanne Woodward's blond hair. And then there is their tact and business savvy, traits she fine-tuned and showed off in Hartford Monday as she promoted yet another product from the Newman's Own Organics food line — coffee. Read.

● Product Review: Total Cinnamon Crunch ..... Smells good, giving off a rich cinnamon aroma straight out of the box. But the scent fades quickly in milk, as does the flavor. Halfway through a serving, the cinnamony boost pretty much disappears, leaving a cereal lover with a kickless grind to the bottom of the bowl. And while the bits don't turn instantly soggy, neither do they hold up as well as they should. By the time breakfast is done, they're more squish than crisp. Read.

● Kellogg's Snacking Solutions for Moms ..... When mom considers snack choices for a fall tailgate or child's birthday party, Snackpicks.com from Kellogg Company has her answers. Given that moms are looking for brands that provide solutions to the everyday stresses, the redesigned Web site provides even more recipes and snacking and occasion-based tips from the "Moms of SnackPicks" blogging contributors. Read.

● American Beverage Association Takes on Soda Tax ..... Launches ad message campaign on national cable networks ..... With federal and local legislators contemplating taxes on sugary beverages such as soda and fruit juice, it would seem natural that an industry lobby group would break out a loud, brash counter-campaign to try to tamp down the rhetoric, according to Advertising Age. But it didn't, said the report. Read.

● EQ Labs Smart Energy Drink Complements the Energy Drink Industry ..... When deciding to make Las Vegas, Nevada its headquarters, EQ Labs, Inc. didn't consider other energy drink manufacturers to constitute a threat, nor did the Company consider itself a threat to the multitude of companies already in existence. Instead, the Company's opinion was that its EQ Smart Energy Drink effervescent tablets would complement the energy drink industry. Consumers would have a new, safe, and healthy energy supplement compared to competing energy drinks, which are loaded with caffeine, calories, carbohydrates, and all very similar in taste. Read.

● Ben & Jerry's brings BBQ fuels to freezers ..... The new so-called hydrocarbon coolers — already popular in Europe — are being tested by Ben & Jerry's ice cream company at stores in the Washington and Boston areas ..... Ben & Jerry's still hasn't determined whether hydrocarbon refrigerants can be used in larger applications. Coca-Cola spokeswoman Lisa Manley said the company decided on using carbon dioxide because their equipment requires more cooling capacity and would require using more hydrocarbon refrigerant, which they decided against partly out of safety concerns. Read.

● Vending machines to dispense fruit and veggies ..... When the craving for an afternoon snack strikes, there will soon be fresh alternatives to vending machines stocked with candy bars and bags of chips. The choice of fresh fruit and vegetable snacks will be a reality with a new vending line introduced this week by Del Monte Fresh Produce Co. at the National Automated Merchants Convention in Chicago. Read.

● Maple Leaf Farms Duck Wings Receive Spirit of Innovation Award ..... Maple Leaf Farms fully cooked Duck Wings received a Spirit of Innovation Award at the Prepared Foods New Products’ Conference 2009 held in September. The Duck Wings were awarded third place in the Foodservice category. Read.

Wendy's, Arby's form jumbo fast-food merger
Arby’s has struggled since move, but Wendy’s has fared better ..... Roland Smith (pictured), president and CEO of the Wendy's / Arby's Group, has been busy since the merger, shuttling between the group's headquarters in Atlanta and the offices for the Wendy's brand in Dublin, Ohio. The past year, merging the Wendy’s and Arby’s fast-food chains has made life a blur even for Smith. He spends most weeks shuttling between the Wendy’s/Arby’s headquarters in Atlanta and the offices for the Wendy’s brand in Dublin, Ohio ..... A year ago this month, Arby’s and Wendy’s closed on a deal that created the third-largest U.S. fast-food chain, behind McDonald’s and Yum! Brands, owners of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut. Since then, Wendy’s/Arby’s Group has created a shared services center in Atlanta to handle functions such as finance, human resources and information technology ... Wendy’s is testing a breakfast lineup in three markets, and a new advertising campaign is coming later this year. Wendy’s/Arby’s Group also will unveil its first dual-branded restaurants, featuring Wendy’s and Arby’s under the same roof, in metro Atlanta late this year or early next year.
By Joe Guy Collier, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Read.

McDonald's looks to future with new training, offerings
Not many companies have managed to weather the recession as well as fast food giant McDonald’s. In addition to its entry into new markets and focus on value-priced items, a new program by the company is reinvesting in its employees in a new way ... The English Under the Arches program guides McDonald’s employees through a series of exercises both in person and online that help them learn and become comfortable using English, said LeAnn Richards, owner and operator of the McDonalds restaurants in Sierra Vista and Douglas. “It’s helpful for their development as employees that they learn English,” Richards said ..... One of the major goals of the program is to give the employees the confidence they needs to engage another person in a non-native language, Richards said. “It builds their confidence to the level that they will willingly speak the English language,” she said.
By Derek Jordan, Sierra Vista Herald. Read.

10 secret menu items at fast food restaurants
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to seek out covert items at fast food chains around the country. Not all food items are always listed on restaurant menus. Be warned, this mission includes very real dangers such as hardening arteries and skyrocketing cholesterol. We've compiled a list to get you started ..... 1. If you're at Starbucks and in need of just a little caffeine, don't worry -- there's a tiny option for you. It's the Short size, and they don't advertise it. It's like a little baby cup of coffee. It also comes in handy when you're scrounging for change and don't have enough for a tall (not that that has ever happened to me).
By Stacy Conradt, CNN.com/Living. Read.

● Whataburger adds Buffalo Whatachick’n sandwich ..... Whataburger unveiled on Monday a new limited-time Buffalo Whatachick’n Sandwich, available through Nov. 9. The 700-unit chain’s new LTO features a breaded chicken filet topped with lettuce, tomato, Monterey Jack cheese, two slices of bacon and creamy buffalo sauce on a toasted wheat bun. Read.

● Opinion: "McMoms" Do McDonald's Bidding to Brainwash Other Moms ..... Meet McDonald's "Mom's Quality Correspondents," brand ambassadors for the corporation who tour the country convincing other mothers that McDonald's food can provide perfectly nutritious sustenance for their children. It's unclear how much these fast food collaborators are being paid to sell out America's children to the fast food industry, but they've been at it for a couple years now. Read.

● U.S. fast food sales slow in September ..... Just like that sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach after eating that triple cheeseburger with bacon and fries, U.S. fast food sales trends continued to slide in September after posting negative same-store sales in the second quarter. David Palmer, analyst with UBS, expects same-store sales declines to reach 3% or more in September, with no rebound in sight ... "During 2008, we believe that McDonald's, Taco Bell and Subway were an oasis of non-inflation as prices for 'food-at-home' became significantly more expensive. Recently, slowing at-home inflation has diminished this value," Mr. Palmer said. Read.

● McDonald's rivals crank up burger battle ..... "The burger war is in full tilt, there's no doubt about it," said Dick Adams, a consultant to McDonald's franchisees. And while that's a good thing for consumers, it's potentially a dangerous path for fast-food chains. A burger price war that broke out earlier this decade led to widespread discounting on premium sandwiches like the Whopper and McDonald's Big N' Tasty, leading to crimped profit margins and unhappy shareholders. Read.

● Krystal seeks Hall of Fame entries via Facebook, Twitter ..... Krystal Restaurants is adding a social media component to its annual Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame call out, according to the Krystalist blog on the company's Web site. Each year, the Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame celebrates the one-of-a-kind stories of its most diehard and dedicated guests that have helped make Krystal a Southern cultural icon ever since its founding in 1932. Read.

● Pizza Hut Raises Awareness of Global Hunger Issue through Twitter ..... To help raise awareness of the worldwide hunger issue, Pizza Hut is turning to its Twitter followers to help spread the word ..... "Global hunger has reached epic proportions this year - reaching more than 1 billion hungry people around the world," said Pizza Hut President Scott Bergren. "At Pizza Hut, our goal is to get the word out about what can be done to help feed the hungry. We're asking our customers to help us spread the word through a simple tweet, and in exchange we will provide meals for World Hunger Relief." Read.

● Market tests prove BK $1 Double Cheeseburger has value ..... After months of trying to convince franchisees that a $1 Double Cheeseburger was a good move, the chain's market tests have proved convincing. Burger King Corp. has announced it will launch a nationwide promotion of its quarter-pound Double Cheeseburger for only $1 beginning Oct. 19. Read.

● Taco Del Mar hires Rick Braa as new CFO ..... Taco Del Mar officials said this week that Braa previously was a principal and director of Clothier & Head, the restaurant company’s former outside audit firm. They noted in a written statement that he has prior food and restaurant company experience from his work with dairy-based goods producer West Farm Foods and Seattle-based casual-dining specialist Restaurants Unlimited. Braa’s appointment is the latest in a number of executive suite changes during the past two years for the franchisor of the Taco Del Mar chain, which totals more than 240 restaurants. Read.

● IHOP Celebrates Continued Leadership at National Franchise Conference ..... IHOP recognized its franchisee and vendor partners of the year at its annual National Franchise Conference (NFC) held in Boca Raton, Fla. over the weekend. IHOP also celebrated its continued success as number one in family dining and outlined steps for continuing the momentum to create an insurmountable lead in the category. Read.

● Bill aims to assess quality of food in schools ..... Legislation aims to study nutritional quality of foods offered in schools. Just how healthy are the foods marketed to and served in our nation’s schools? A legislative bill has been introduced to study and answer that question ..... Recently, the bill received some important support as the Endocrine Society, the world’s largest and most active society devoted to the study of hormones, agreed that aggressive marketing to children can lead to poor food choices. Read.

● Marco's Pizza Chooses Pepsi ..... Marco's Pizza announced that Pepsi will be its exclusive beverage provider as the pizza company looks to quadruple its current store count. Marco's currently operates more than 190 stores in 17 states and plans to add more than 880 locations in the coming years ..... "PepsiCo and its portfolio of brands, especially Mountain Dew, make sense for the next generation of growth at Marco's," said Marco's Pizza CEO Jack Butorac. "Consumer preference, economic considerations, and the tools, resources and commitment to grow in our rapidly expanding system were the key decision criteria." Read.

Food Lion Uses Customer ‘Clusters’ to Drive Strategy
Organizing its customer base into a number of individual “clusters” with specific characteristics is at the heart of Food Lion’s strategy that has seen creation of the chain’s new Bloom and Bottom Dollar banners to attract both upscale and price-conscious customers, the company’s chief operating officer, Cathy Green (pictured), told a snack industry conference last week ..... “The days of same, same, same have become more dynamic and more complex,” Green told the Snack Food Association’s Management Workshop in Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 23 ..... Bloom, with its 38,000-square-foot layouts, is designed to appeal to the “affluent bunch” cluster of customers, while the 19,000-square-foot Bottom Dollar stores are geared to the “Stretching Every Dollar” group.
By Bob Gaffy, Progressive Grocer. Read.

In an Organic World, Price Still a Deciding Factor
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this summer that organic has gone mainstream. The statement, part of a larger report, slipped by without much comment, but for the food industry, the implications of a government agency saying this are enormous. Supermarkets can see just how far organic has come since the implementation of the National Organic Program in 2002. Just about every category in the supermarket today has an organic option, and organic now accounts for more than 3% of all food sold in the United States. With mainstream success, however, comes mainstream problems. Now that organics are common, or commoditized, consumers are going to make their purchase decisions based on conventional criteria. And that means price is going to reemerge as an overriding factor — if it ever disappeared in the first place.
By Robert Vosburgh, Group Editor, Supermarket News. Read.

Self-service kiosks boom into $775 billion business
Bryon Wiebold does self-checkout at the supermarket, self-check-in at the airport and self-banking at ATMs. And last year, when the 43-year-old McKinney resident discovered self-service DVD rentals for $1 at Redbox kiosks, he was all over that, too. "Anything I can automate, I do for the sake of time," Wiebold said. "It's not that I want people totally eliminated, but I appreciate the option if I'm in a hurry or in a bad mood." ..... Do-it-yourself customer service continues to creep into everyday life via kiosks, smart-phone applications and the Internet. Consumers are using touch-screens everywhere from supermarket delis to hospital check-in stations. There are even machines that give vision exams and scan feet to produce custom insoles. Kiosk transactions are expected to surpass $775 billion this year, up from $607 billion in 2008.
By Maria Halkias, The Dallas Morning News. Read.

● Supervalu merchandising and marketing chief resigns ..... Supervalu Inc. said Monday that Duncan Mac Naughton has resigned from the job of executive vice president of merchandising and marketing, effective immediately. Mac Naughton is 47. The Minneapolis company did not say why he resigned. It is looking for a replacement internally and externally. Until it finds one, CEO Craig Herkert will oversee the team leaders in merchandising and marketing. Read.

● Growers reap fruits of labor at farmers markets ..... Although farmers are struggling during the economic downturn, neighborhood markets are booming ..... Nationally, farmers markets are soaring, buoyed by a growing interest in local foods and sustainable farming, says University of Wisconsin-Waukesha anthropology professor Kathleen Bubinas, who studies the markets' economic impact. Read.

● Coupon clipping looks attractive in bad times .,.... "Coupons were not in vogue during our period of gluttonous consumption," said Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist in San Francisco and an author of "Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings Are Revolutionizing Retail." "But now that it's once again cool to be cheap, they're back." Read.

● Kroger's Family of Stores to Invest $3 Million for Breast Cancer Awareness ..... As part of The Kroger Co.'s "Giving Hope a Hand" breast cancer awareness campaign, Kroger's family of stores, in partnership with key suppliers, has committed $3 million in donations to support breast cancer initiatives in communities across the country where Kroger customers and associates live and work. Read.

● Roche Bros. Names Pfeil President ..... Gary Pfeil has been named president of Roche Bros. Supermarkets, the company here said. Pfeil has been with Roche Bros. since 1996 and was named vice president and general manager in 2004 with responsibility for much of the day-to-day decision-making and operation of Roche Bros, the retailer said. Read.

● Poll: Wal-Mart symbolizes America; Put scales in fast-food joints ..... Half the respondents in a new poll say taxing the richest Americans by at least 50 percent is a great idea, while more than a third consider Twitter a fad that will likely fade. And nearly half of the respondents to the new "60 Minutes"-Vanity Fair Poll released Sunday chose Wal-Mart as the institution that best symbolizes America today, leaving Google, Microsoft and the NFL far behind. Read.

● Haggen names former Starbucks exec as its CEO ..... Regional grocer Haggen Inc. said Monday that it named former Starbucks Corp. executive Jim Donald as its president and CEO. Donald succeeds Dale Henley, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Henley will serve as the company's non-executive chairman and remain president and CEO of Haggen affiliate Briar Development Co. Read.

Miscellaneous News  
CULTURE WATCH: iTunes Apps Reach 2 Billion Downloads
Wow. Apparently the App Store is as popular as McDonald's as it's now topped 2 billion iPhone/iPod touch application downloads. Apple adopting the mantra "billions and billions served" seems just months away. 

States News  
ALABAMA: Things go swimmingly for Worcestershire-based Fish4Dogs pet food firm
A Worcestershire-based pet food company that was launched five years ago has landed one of the biggest awards in the business. Fish4Dogs was voted the Pet Product Retail Assn's best new product for 2009 for its range of Star Treats products.
COLORADO: JBS S.A.'s bid for Pilgrim's Pride may signal stability for Greeley operations
Cows and chickens may seem like strange companions, but we are hopeful our local beef processors are successful in their bid to purchase majority interest in Pilgrim's Pride, the largest poultry producer in the nation. 
OREGON: Many readers think chickens as pets OK
The Salem City Council is moving toward allowing residents to keep chickens as "pets." We asked readers: What do you think? Is that a super idea or a dumb idea? If you have experience with chickens, what tips can you share?

WORLD News  
AFRICA: General Mills Signs Agreement To Improve Food Processing In Africa
General Mills Inc. said it signed a public-private partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development or USAID and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or PEPFAR. The company said the contract that will improve the capacity of small and medium-sized food businesses across sub-Saharan Africa to produce healthy, fortified food products.
AUSTRALIA: Food industry facing fat flak
Australians' saturated fat consumption remains unacceptably high because of food manufacturers' reliance on cheap imported palm oil.
AUSTRALIA: Unhappy little Vegemites vent their fury over iSnack 2.0
It must have seemed like a good idea at the time. But no sooner had Kraft trumpeted the name of its new Vegemite variant, iSnack 2.0, than it was met with almost universal condemnation by customers.
CANADA: Tim Hortons Inc. Completes Public Company Merger and Reorganization
Tim Hortons Inc. announced today that it has completed the reorganization of its corporate structure to become a Canadian public company.
INDIA: Now, edible spoons and forks for dessert
If you feel guilty every time you dump a plastic spoon into a bin after a hearty meal at a social gathering, take heart. Soon, you could be wolfing it down as a side dish, a palate cleaner or even as dessert.
SINGAPORE: Lighter Coke bottles save costs and the environment
That bottle of Coke sold at your nearest supermarket is now a tad lighter - in a bid to help save the environment. Using fewer materials, F&N Coca-Cola has shaved 2g off the 500ml and 1-litre plastic bottles sold since 2007. 
UNITED KINGDOM: Ocean Spray pens deal with Coca-Cola
Ocean Spray has agreed a deal with Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) across Great Britain and France, which will see CCE handling sales and distribution of the cranberry-based drinks brand.
ZIMBABWE: Nestle Buys Milk From a Farm Controlled by Mugabe
Nestle SA said it is buying milk in Zimbabwe from a farm controlled by President Robert Mugabe’s family that was seized as part of a program to transfer land from white commercial farmers to black citizens of the country.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR/RESEARCH/trends     
09/21/09 — Latest IRI Study Finds Deal-Seeking Consumers Still Turning to Private Label (Business Wire)
09/16/09 — Wegmans Survey: Shoppers Want Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals (Wegmans)
09/15/09 — Gen Y forces retailers to keep up with technology, new stuff (USA Today)
09/14/09 — Report: Consumers crave premium burgers (Boston Globe)
09/10/09 — Study: Online Shoppers Trust Customer Reviews More than Friends (Progressive Grocer)
09/10/09 — Mintel Beauty Innovation finds `beauty foods` growing in popularity (Reuters.com)
09/10/09 — Appetite grows for fun food innovations, experts say at Prepared Foods Magazine Conference (Palm Beach Post)
09/10/09 — Like Seat Belts ... Should Family Meals Be Mandated? (Pysche Central)
09/07/09 — In the Future, Your Kids Won’t Shop the Way You Do (Progressive Grocer)
09/04/09 — Top Consumer Trends: Trust, Control ... Playfulness? (Marketing Daily)
09/03/09 — Whole Foods Survey: Shoppers Eating More Meals at Home (PR Newswire)
08/31/09 — Consumer Reports: Store Brand Food Can Be Superior To Big Name Brands (Fox Business)
08/31/09 — NPD Research Reveals Snacking is on the Rise (Progressive Grocer)
08/27/09 — New Research: Convenience Makes a Comeback (Brandweek)
08/26/09 — Forget Saving the Planet: Green Consumers Out to Save Money (Progressive Grocer)
08/24/09 — Listening to Consumers Can Yield More Than Asking (Progressive Grocer)
08/20/09 — Consumers Skeptical of Organic, All-Natural Claims But Still Buy (Progressive Grocer)
08/19/09 — No comfort in comfort foods during tough economic times, says study (EurekAlert)
08/17/09 — Latest IRI Study Finds Shoppers Regaining Rationality; However, Price Still Rules (Business Wire)
08/13/09 — Comfort foods vary by age group, says study (Food Navigator)
08/05/09 — 70 Percent of Consumers Will Pay More for Positive Experience (Progressive Grocer)
07/31/09 — New Study: Just Expecting A Tasty Food Activates Brain Reward Systems (Science Daily)
07/22/09 — Survey: Recession Affecting Workers’ Eating Habits (Progressive Grocer)
07/21/09 — New Study Says Shopping Behaviors May Transcend Demographics (Business Wire)
08/27/09 — Recession Has Affected Shopper Mix in Stores: Report (Progressive Grocer)
08/20/09 — Nielsen Study: Consumers Stick with Basic Purchases (Brandweek)
07/17/09 — Study: Consumers Want More Innovative Packaged Goods (Progressive Grocer)
07/15/09 — PLMA Study: The Public Loves Private Label (Progressive Grocer)
07/14/09 — American shoppers misled by greenwash, Congress told (Ethiopian Review)
07/10/09 — Consumers Hesitant to Choose Store Brands for Kids and Pets (Brandweek)
07/08/09 — Boomerang kids? Get ready for boomerang parents (Capital City Weekly - Alaska)
07/07/09 — Study: Food Sales Increasingly Driven by Convenience and Health (Progressive Grocer)
07/07/09 — Recession Affects family dynamics, relationships to brands and spending patterns (Progressive Grocer)
07/01/09 — Role Reversal - Mr. Mom Goes Shopping (Nielsen)
07/01/09 — Millennials Are Evolving; Are You Keeping Up? (Adage.com)
06/30/09 — Peapod Survey says Office Workers Demanding Healthier Foods (Supermarket News)
06/30/09 — PLMA Poll: Consumers Will Keep Buying Private Label (Supermarket News)
06/28/09 — Report: Growing Number of Moms Using Social Media (Progressive Grocer)
06/25/09 — Kraft/Datamonitor Study: Probiotics Still Misunderstood (Brandweek)
06/23/09 — Recession generation? Young adults brace for simpler lifestyle (USA Today)

CONSUMERS/AFRICAN-AMERICANS  
09/19/09 — Pepsi Program Targets African-American Moms (Brandweek)
07/16/09 — CDC: African-Americans top obesity list (Food Navigator)
07/01/09 — How Coke Is Targeting Black Consumers (Adage.com)
06/01/09 — Smart marketers will recognize the changing African American demographics in America today (QSR Magazine)
05/11/09 — Black buying power to grow despite economic woes (St. Louis American)

CONSUMERS/HISPANIC AMERICANS
09/18/09 — A Deeper Drill-Down Into the US Hispanic Market (Mediapost.com)
09/08/09 — Hispanic Consumers: Upscale and Growing! (Progressive Grocer)
08/17/09 — Innovation Key to Meeting Needs of Latino Shoppers (Progressive Grocers)
08/12/09 — Are Hispanic Consumers a Cure for Recession Blues? (Progressive Grocer)
08/10/09 — Wal-Mart Debuts Club Store for Hispanics (Supermarket News)
07/21/09 — Report: Fewer Mexicans Entering U.S. (USA Today)
07/15/09 — Mintel: Hispanic Consumers Avoided Finance-Related Lifestyle Changes (Supermarket News)
07/02/09 — U.S. Latinos Flock to the Web (Brandweek)
06/03/09 — Study: Hispanics are Good Ad Targets in Downturn (Brandweek)
06/01/09 — Hispanic children in US at greater risk for obesity than other ethnic/racial groups (7th Space)

CONSUMERS/KIDS & TEENS     
08/25/09 — American Teens Weigh in on What ‘Healthy’ Means (Progressive Grocer)
08/05/09 — Kids Are Well Aware Which Foods Are Healthy, Finds Technomic (PR-inside)
08/04/09 — Study Says Parents Worried About Kids’ After-School Snacks (Progressive Grocer)
07/27/09 — More Dairy, Calcium in Childhood Could Mean Longer Life (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
07/23/09 — FCC is ready to stomp on commercialization geared towards children (Tomsguide.com)
07/23/09 — South Carolina case looks on child obesity as child abuse. But is it? (USA Today)
07/22/09 — Study: Overweight kids are more responsive to branded foods (Food Navigator)
08/21/09 — Study: Kids’ Menus Lack Variety, Healthful Options (Pizza Quarterly)
07/10/09 — Drexel U. Study: Many teens wired, caffeinated well past bedtime (Reuters Health)
06/25/09 — Study Refutes Notion that Teens' Media Habits Differ from Adults (Brandweek)
06/03/09 — The Keys to Meeting Youth Wellness Needs? Just Kid Inc. CEO Reveals Answers (Media Post)

CONSUMERS/SENIORS
09/16/09 — Study finds marketing opportunities with older consumers (The Packer)
07/27/09 — Today's Active Seniors are Experiencing Second Middle Age (Brandweek)
07/20/09 — Latest IRI Baby Boomer Report Reveals $50 Billion Growth Opportunity (Business Wire)

Food Safety  
09/22/09 — Salmonella Outbreak Fears Fade, Peanut butter consumers are back! (Omaha World-Herald)
09/21/09 — Study: U.S. food facilities flunk record-keeping test (DC Velocity)
09/21/09 — Food Marketing Institute Revamps Recall Portal (Supermarket News)
09/09/09 — Most Likely U.S. Voters Want Stronger Food Safety Rules: Poll (Progressive Grocer)
09/08/09 — FDA Launches Food Safety Initiative (Med Page Today)
09/04/09 — Nearly a third of Americans ‘very or extremely’ worried about food safety (Food Navigator)
08/25/09 — Editorial: "An appetite for change in food safety" (Grand Rapids Press, MI)
08/13/09 — With IBM's Help, America's Food Safety Back on Front Burner (Miller-McCune.com)
07/27/09 — Contaminated Food: A More Watchful Eye Needed (NPR.org)
07/23/09 — Which is Worse? Germs in our Food or the Antibiotics that Kill Them? (Foodconsumer.org)
07/22/09 — Food Recall? Consumers May Not Get A Clear Picture Of The Process (Science Daily)
07/15/09 — The Next Foodborne Threat? MRSA infections from contaminated meat (Food Poison Journal)
07/12/09 — AMI Poll: Consumers Need More Knowledge on Meat, Poultry Safety (Progressive Grocer)
07/07/09 — Obama administration takes action on food safety (Reuters.com)
06/24/09 — Survey: Less Than 20% of Consumers Trust Food They Buy Is Safe and Healthy (PR Newswire)
06/09/09 — Editorial: Congress needs to empower FDA to protect our food (Belleville News Democrat, IL)
05/15/09 — Food Companies Placing Onus for Safety on Consumers (CNBC.com)

Health & WELLNESS  
09/21/09 — Healthy Eating Study Finds Ongoing Opportunity for Produce (Progressive Grocer)
09/21/09 — Are health claims curbing freedom of speech? (Food Navigator)
09/18/09 — ‘Gut friendly’ pizza – coming to a neighborhood near you (Food Navigator)
09/18/09 — Unhealthy U.S. Diets Prompt More Calls For Reform (Reuters.com)
09/16/09 — Meat additives not linked to brain tumors: Study (Food Navigator)
09/15/09 — Research Update: Junk food makes you eat more (Telegraph of London, UK)
09/15/09 — Organic’s crunch: Once high-flying firms face three big threats to growth (Christian Science Monitor)
09/14/09 — Putting the Function in Beverages (Natural Insider)
09/14/09 — Organic foods are now ‘mainstream’, says USDA (Food Navigator)
09/14/09 — Datamonitor: How to keep the omega-3 health halo (Nutra Ingredients)
09/11/09 — French study says organic food is healthier (Food Navigator)
09/08/09 — Eating cereal can reduce childhood obesity, study claims (Food Navigator)
09/08/09 — Big Food’s “Smart Choices” Label Raises Eyebrows at FDA (Grist.org)
09/08/09 — Acrylamide: The consumer health scare that isn’t (Food Navigator)
09/04/09 — Americans Don’t Know They’re unhealthy, says Mintel (Food Navigator)
09/04/09 — Study: Late-night snacks could pack on the pounds (Reuters.com)
09/04/09 — U. of Illinois Researcher Petitions to Ban Trans Fats in the Diet (Health Jockey)
09/03/09 — Research shows US consumers ‘unaware of acrylamide’ (Food Navigator)
09/02/09 — Expert panel says Sucralose safety Evidence is ‘scientifically sound’ (Food Navigator)
09/02/09 — Sixty percent of adults can't digest milk (USA Today)
09/02/09 — Too Much Government Makes Us Sick (Action Institute)
08/31/09 — Mintel: Energy Drinks Not Likely to Be Healthy Anytime Soon (QSR Magazine)
08/27/09 — Probiotics: Better Off Dead? (US News & World Report)
08/27/09 — Organic food: Behind the hype (ABC 6, Boise, Idaho)
08/25/09 — Stop eating so much sugar, American Heart Assn. says (Los Angeles Times)
08/25/09 — Kelly Brownell: America may be souring on love affair with over-processed...fatty food (New Haven Independent, CT)
08/25/09 — Feeling the Pinch, Fewer Consumers Can Afford Healthy Food Options (Business Wire)
08/23/09 — Wellness Demand, Health Science Driving Functional Foods Market Growth (Progressive Grocer)
08/20/09 — Marketers Answer Call to Eliminate High-Fructose Corn Syrup (Adage.com)
08/20/09 — Report: Consumers devour nutrient-spiked food, drinks (MSNBC)
08/21/09 — ‘Unknown’ cholesterol in processed food poses big heart health risk (Food Navigator)
08/19/09 — High-Fiber Foods May Be Easier to Stomach This Time Around (Wall Street Journal)
08/19/09 — Behavioral nutrition is one weapon in obesity fight (bnd.com)
08/18/09 — Folic Acid: Mandatory Fortification May Be Unnecessary (Science Daily)
08/18/09 — New Research Shows Antioxidants Abound in Cereals, Popcorn, Whole-Grain Snacks (Health.com)
08/13/09 — Chocolate cuts death rate in heart attack survivors (Asia One News)
08/13/09 — How consumers approach functional foods: Survey (Food Navigator)
08/12/09 — Do high-fat diets make us stupid and lazy (EurekAlert.org)
08/12/09 — Artificial Sweeteners Not Linked to Cancer (Food Navigator)
08/11/09 — Two glasses of fruit juice or carbonated drink each day may cause long-term liver damage (Daily Mail, UK)
08/11/09 — Optimists live longer, healthier lives, women's study shows (Foodconsumer.org)
08/10/09 — Food manufacturers introduce new front-of-pack logo to convey healthy choices (AFN)
08/05/09 — Friendship Influences Eating Behavior, Particularly When Friends Are Overweight (Science Daily)
08/05/09 — Does zero mean zero? Not always with trans fats (ABC Action News)
07/27/09 — Tough love for fat people: Tax their food to pay for healthcare (LA Times)

MARKETING
09/09/09 — How Visual Merchandising Can Help Boost Supermarket Spending (Progressive Grocer)
09/03/09 — Study: Social Net Branding Fails to Sway Women (Brandweek)
08/27/09 — Brand Players Should Be Wary Of Store Brand Growth (TheStreet.com)
08/25/09 — Word-of-Mouth Gains Volume (Brandweek)
08/12/09 — Peel n' Taste, the New Scratch n' Sniff (The Pitch)
08/11/09 — What's in a brand name?, well everything (Televisionpoint.com)
08/03/09 — As a Term, ‘Green’ a Best-Seller, But at What Cost? (Environmental Leader)
07/20/09 — Taste sensation: Ads work better if all senses are involved (Eurekalert.org)
07/14/09 — The Pros and Cons of Co-Branding (CIO Today)
07/13/09 — Study: Interactive Marketing to Hit $55 Billion by 2014 (Marketing Vox)
07/13/09 — Subliminal messages fail to control behavior (Canada.com)
06/25/09 — More marketers connect with consumers through mobile apps (USA Today)

NANOTECHNOLOGY
08/19/09 — Safe approach to nanotechnology: Boiling up zinc oxide nanorods without toxic solvents (Physorg.com)
07/07/09 — Defining Nanotech: Size Does Matter (Food Navigator)
06/21/09 — Study Says Most U.S. families Buy Organic (Progressive Grocer)
06/08/09 — At IFT: Nanoscience to boost food safety, quality and shelf life (Food Navigator)
05/17/09 — Consumer groups sound the alarm over nanotechnology (Palm Beach Post)

PACKAGING
09/14/09 — Revealed: The secrets of successful food packaging (Confectionery News)
09/08/09 — The Rise of Sustainable Packaging (Food Product Design)
08/31/09 — Food "Tattoos" an Alternative to Labels for Identifying Fruit (Fresh Plaza)
08/10/09 — Marketers That Shrank Products - Though Not Prices - Start to Upsize (Ad Age)
07/21/09 — Food Industry Continues Move to Sustainable Packaging (Environmental Leader)
07/16/09 — Demand grows for 'intelligent' packaging (Packaging Magazine)
07/08/09 — Study: Americans Less Worried about Wasteful Packaging (Progressive Grocer)

R&D/FOOD SCIENCE
09/22/09 — Green Profits: Room Temperature Ice Cream CNBC.com)
09/08/09 — Is any publicity good publicity for food science? (Food Navigator)
09/03/09 — Mom Site Targets Kraft; Artificial colors not for some but for U.S. (Examiner.com)
08/28/09 — Research studies: "Inconclusive" Doesn't Mean "Unscientific" (Nutrition Data)

RESTAURANTS & INSTITUTIONS
09/17/09 — Technomic gives downbeat outlook for restaurants (Nation's Restaurant News)

SALT/SODIUM  
09/15/09 — Canadian Study Says Voluntary action on sodium by Industry is not enough (Food Navigator)
09/12/09 — Lowering sodium consumption could save 18 billion annually in health costs (Science Centric)
08/24/09 — Taste question mark hangs over low-salt products (AusFoodNews.com)
08/24/09 — Is lowering sodium a Campbell's gamble? (Kentucky Post)
08/13/09 — Mintel: Sodium is the Next Trans Fat (Supermarket News)
08/12/09 — Why MSG allergy is fake science (The Guardian, UK)
07/28/09 — CSPI's Jacobson: Salt is "single deadliest ingredient in the food supply" (Examiner.com)
07/23/09 — Unsafe Sodium Levels at Denny’s Prompt Class Action Lawsuit (CSPI Newsroom)
07/02/09 — MSG hangs on after decades of demonization (MSNBC.msn.com)
06/24/09 — Are Cheerios too high in salt to be a healthy baby snack? (Vancouver Sun)
06/15/09 — Push to cut salt would shake up food industry (San Francisco Chronicle)
06/01/09 — New findings on salty taste may inspire ways to trick the tongue (Chemical & Engineering News)
05/29/09 — Vinegar could be used for salt reduction (Food Navigator)

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