  | April 18, 2011 | News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry |  |  |
- Dean Foods announces job cuts in Dallas
Dean Foods, which trimmed 1,400 jobs in 2010, has cut more positions, this time mostly at its corporate headquarters in Dallas. The company did not say how many jobs were eliminated, but a spokeswoman said, "these current reductions have a larger impact on Dallas than those that happened last year." The Dallas Morning News (free content) (4/14)        - Nestle to acquire 60% of China's Yinlu Foods
 Nestle will take a 60% share in Yinlu Foods Group if the deal is approved by regulators in China. The Chinese company already works with Nestle to make Nescafe coffee in China, and the deal "demonstrates our long-term investment in China and our commitment to further developing local brands," said Nestle CEO Paul Bulcke. RTT News (4/18), The Wall Street Journal (4/18) - Campbell adds to V8 V-Fusion line
Campbell Soup has added Concord Grape Raspberry and Concord Grape Raspberry Light to its line of V8 V-Fusion blended juice drinks. The new flavors are available in 46-ounce bottles, and Concord Grape Raspberry also will be sold in 8-ounce cans starting in July. Drinks Business Review (4/15)  | Top-line growth is the number one objective for manufacturers and distributors of consumer goods. Learn how to improve your sales and merchandiser management processes with this educational white paper that shows how a leading CPG company optimizes their operations. Download the white paper now. | | Trends |  | | | - Chinese demand shakes up the pecan market
The price of pecans is increasing as demand from China goes up. China wanted practically no pecans five years ago, but demand increased to a quarter of the U.S. crop in 2009. Such demand is changing the industry, in part because nuts are sold unshelled to China, and shellers in the U.S. are struggling to secure nuts at reasonable prices for bakers and other food makers. The Wall Street Journal (4/18) - Private-label purchases can save 33%
 A study from the Private Label Manufacturers Association says consumers can shave 33% from their grocery bills if they buy only private-label products. Private-label aspirin was as much as 60% less expensive than national brands, the study found, while pasta sauce represented a 40% savings and store-brand carbonated drinks could save consumers as much as 46%. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (4/15)  | Business Gold Rewards Card®
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  - Wrigley touts Coachella sponsorship via Twitter
Wrigley used Twitter to promote 5 Gum's sponsorship of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California. Users who clicked on the link in the Promoted Trend ad were able to see the three-day event streamed live on Coachella's YouTube channel. ClickZ (4/15) - Colt 45 Blast touts brew's potency in new campaign
Rapper and celebrity Snoop Dogg has taken to YouTube and Twitter to endorse the new Colt 45 fruit-flavored alcoholic beverage Blast, which comes in 23.5-ounce cans and contains 12% alcohol. Critics say the sweet drinks appeal to underage drinkers and that the social media strategy allows the brand to reach young fans without the restrictions of more traditional advertising. Evan Metropoulos, who co-owns parent company Pabst, said, "We're going to do our very best to hammer home the message of responsible drinking." The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/17)  | Instant Business Library
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| Science & Technology | | | | - Report: Europe lacks data on biotech crops' socio-economic impact
The European Commission released a report saying the socio-economic impact of biotech crops remains ambiguous because "existing information is often statistically limited" due to the low adoption rate of such crops in Europe. Trade group EuropaBio touted the benefits of biotech crops, which, according to the report, helped raise average yields in some areas in Spain by 11.8%. Reuters (4/15) | Health & Wellness | | | | - Cancer-fighting diets focus on changing eating habits
Many diets help people lose weight, but more specific regimens, such as a Mediterranean-style or whole-body diet, are better at reducing the risk of cancer. Clinical dietitian Daxaben Amin of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center says diets that reduce the risks of cancer call for permanent changes in eating habits and include all of the food groups rather than focusing on short-term changes or restricting certain foods. HealthDay News (4/15) | GMA News | | | |
| Government & Food Safety | | | | - Drug-resistant bacteria are found in grocery meat
Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute analyzed 136 samples of meat from 26 groceries and found high levels of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, many of which were resistant to at least one type of antibiotic. An FDA spokeswoman said "the public health relevance of the findings is unclear" but that the agency is monitoring the situation. Reuters (4/15)
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