ConAgra responds to increased frozen-food demand

Reading this on a mobile device? Try our optimized mobile version here: http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cRqICaiGapBZayuaCidagdCicNsyuM

April 11, 2011 News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry   Company Watch  Frito-Lay brings kitchen and chefs to Times Square Frito-Lay is establishing a version of its Flavor Kitchen in New York's Times Square this week, giving consumers a glimpse of how it creates flavors for its snack brands. Culinary demonstrations will be performed by Frito-Lay executive chef Stephen Khalil, who will be joined by celebrity chefs and Frito-Lay employees. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/Media Decoder blog (4/10) "Begin With Ben" puts rice at the meal's center Rice brand Uncle Ben's introduced "Begin With Ben," a campaign that shows rice as the main element in a home-cooked dinner, instead of a side dish. Each ad shows a different Uncle Ben's rice product as the centerpiece of a meal, with a voice-over saying rice will "help you eat better" and "bring your family back to the table." MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (4/8) P&G uses stick-and-carrot approach to green its supply chain Procter & Gamble has unveiled its second-generation sustainability scorecard -- last year's version focused primarily on collecting data, but the new edition aims to reward suppliers according to their environmental credibility. Results from the scorecard will feed into P&G's supplier-rating system and have a direct effect on the company's willingness to enter into new contracts. Environmental Leader (4/7) Other News Sierra Pacific Packaging to be acquired by Graphic Packaging The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (4/11) Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN® • Receive up to $200 airline fee credit to the airline of your choice • International Airport Club Access, Premium car rentals, and special upgrades at fine hotels and resorts worldwide • Premium coverage from theft, loss, and damage when you use your Card • No Pre-set Spending limit Apply Now.   Trends    ConAgra responds to increased frozen-food demand Supermarkets have expanded their frozen offerings, with the average length of the frozen-food aisle double today what it was in 1990, according to grocery consulting firm Willard Bishop. "As more innovation comes to the freezer, it's going to bring more news and draw more people to the category," said Corey Berends, ConAgra's vice president of research and development. Omaha World-Herald (Neb.) (4/10) Study shows the "halo effect" of organic labels Study participants who were asked to compare conventional and organic food described organic cookies, potato chips and yogurt as being tastier, higher in fiber and lower in calories and fat, even though the two groups were actually identical. The study indicates organic labels carry a "halo effect" that leads consumers to perceive additional positive characteristics of the food. HealthDay News (4/11) Master social media by learning from the best The fully online Social Media Success summit will help you master social media marketing with extensive case studies and how-to sessions from actual social media experts and book authors. Register today for 50% off discount!   Advertising & Marketing  Triscuit seeks a social connection with real-world farmers Triscuit is hoping to capture the attention of real-world agriculturalists. The Nabisco brand has launched Home Farming, a social network for people who want to grow their own food, in a bid to draw attention to the brand's use of simple ingredients. Mashable (4/7)   Retail Spotlight  Hy-Vee partners with celeb chef Stone for recipes and marketing Hy-Vee tapped Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone to develop recipes for home cooking and appear in TV commercials, print ads and other marketing material. "With the right ingredients, the right tools and the right tips, everyone can make healthy, affordable meals their families will love," Stone said. Drug Store News (4/8), Progressive Grocer (4/8)   Hot Topics  Top five news stories selected by GMA SmartBrief readers in the past week. P&G to sell Pringles to Diamond Foods (USA TODAY) P&G exec talks "amazing change in how we go to market" (Advertising Age (tiered subscription model)) Batter Blaster founder gets retailers to flip for his product (Forbes) Pepsi Next will have 60 calories per 12-ounce can (Reuters) Kraft promotes Philadelphia cream cheese as a recipe ingredient (The New York Times (tiered subscription model)) Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.   Sponsored Content    5 Steps To A Landing Page That Converts Like Crazy Heather Allard The Hazards Of Mismanaged Complexity John Mariotti Why You Should Start With A Smile Yvonne DiVita Why Offline Marketing Still Matters Annie Mueller Eliminate The Fear That Stops You MORTY LEFKOE Most Popular Headlines from Last Week 7 Easy Ways To Motivate Anyone Julie Rains 7 Ways The iPad 2 Can Transform Your Business Alana Horowitz Top 6 Rules Of Employee Engagement Katie Morell Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.   Science & Technology  A flavorist brings good taste to her job Marie Wright, a flavorist at International Flavors and Fragrances, creates sweet, savory and beverage flavors for food and drink companies. She works with about 4,000 oils, compounds and extracts to create flavors including cheddar cheese and bourbon vanilla. "It's not really good enough to be a strawberry flavor," Wright said. "You've got to have some complexity." The Wall Street Journal (4/9)   Health & Wellness  Research ties vegetarian diet to a decreased risk of cataracts A British study that followed more than 27,600 people for 15 years found that vegans and vegetarians were 30% to 40% less likely to develop cataracts compared with those who ate the most meat. But one of the lead researchers said the study, which appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, does not prove causation and the findings might be because of other healthy behavior. Reuters (4/8) Studies link caffeine to diabetes onset Studies published in the Journal of Caffeine Research found that caffeine might contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes by impeding glucose metabolism and increasing insulin resistance. "The links that have been revealed between diabetes and the consumption of caffeine beverages are of monumental importance when it is acknowledged that more than 80% of the world's population consumes caffeine daily," said Jack E. James, the journal's editor-in-chief. TopNews.us (4/9), Diabetes.co.uk (U.K.) (4/8)   GMA News  Top 3 tips for managing foodborne illness litigation Register now for the GMA Foodborne Illness Litigation Conference; the deadline for discounted hotel rates is today. Make sure you get to the conference on Wednesday, May 4 for the Welcome Reception. Don't miss the mass torts session with one of the lead outside counsels from Toyota. REGISTER TODAY! Learn more about GMA -> Home  |  Join GMA  |  Public Policy  |  Industry Affairs  |  Publications  |  Events   Government & Food Safety  Government should value food inspectors, poultry groups say Leaders of the National Turkey Federation and the National Chicken Council called on the Obama administration to recognize food inspectors as "essential" federal staff because they play a vital role in ensuring the safety of poultry and meat. "Withdrawal of inspection services would be completely unnecessary and could cause havoc for our industry and for our customers and consumers across the country and around the world," the groups' presidents wrote in a letter. Progressive Grocer (4/8) Manager Sales ConAgra Foods Naperville, IL Manager National Accounts ConAgra Foods Pleasanton, CA Regulatory Affairs Specialist Pinnacle Food Corp Cherry Hill, NJ Production Manager Confidential Sacramento, CA Retail Operations Manager McCormick & Co., Inc. Scottsdale, AZ Director Quality ConAgra Foods Omaha, NE   International  Japan bans growing rice in contaminated soil With rice planting season now under way in Japan, officials have set a ban on growing rice in soil contaminated by radiation, and they plan to screen rice grown in soil deemed to be free of contamination. Farmers will be compensated if their soil is found to contain high levels of radioactive cesium. The Washington Times/The Associated Press (4/9)     SmartQuote  The only people who claim that money is not important are people who have enough money so that they are relieved of the ugly burden of thinking about it." --Joyce Carol Oates, American author     This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com   Subscriber Tools       Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Associate Publisher, Food Service:  Chris Warne (212) 450-7970 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Celia Rothschild (202) 470-1159   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including: Industry Home Readers' Choice Search Archive Who's Hiring? Grab our News Widget Get this RSS Feed Publish your Press Release       Recent GMA SmartBrief Issues: Friday, April 08, 2011 Thursday, April 07, 2011 Wednesday, April 06, 2011 Tuesday, April 05, 2011 Monday, April 04, 2011     Lead Editor:  Rebecca Pollack Scherr       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information