 | November 2, 2010 | News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry |  |  | - Pepsi bottlers praise Refresh effort
Pepsi's Refresh project, which donates to causes that receive the most votes, has not yet had a measurable sales benefit, as Pepsi's market share fell half a percent so far this year. But bottlers praise the effort, with one in Minnesota saying: "We fight for floor space and locations in the stores, and this year I think we're getting better locations than our competitors." Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (11/1)        - How canned pancake batter blasted its way through grocery-store clutter
Restaurant owner Sean O'Connor spent more than year lining up investors and perfecting the recipe for Batter Blaster, his organic pancake batter in a can. But when it came time to market his product, O'Connor says he found that the grocery industry prefers predictability over innovation. Earning shelf space was a challenge, and retail prices varied widely. To establish his brand directly with consumers, O'Connor dreamed up a publicity stunt: setting a world record by serving 76,382 pancakes in an eight-hour period. The media coverage helped get Batter Blaster into 15,000 stores, and sales last year topped $19 million. BNET/Owners Only blog (10/29) - Food waste is a major problem in U.S. households
Study data showed 40% of food waste occurs in the home and a separate survey found 93% of respondents said they bought food they never used. Jonathan Bloom, in his book "American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food," suggests reducing such waste can save costs and help the environment. He says good temperature control in the refrigerator and freezer and eliminating clutter so food isn't forgotten can help reduce unnecessary waste. The New York Times (free registration)/Well blog (11/1) - Convenience is seen as long-term food trend
NPD Group says consumers have gravitated toward convenience over the past 30 years, with 59% of main dish dinners made from scratch today compared with 72% in 1980. "It's clear by the changes we've observed over the past 30 years that the Google generation wants things now," said a company official. "We fully expect this trend to continue as ready-to-eat meals prepared outside the home and eaten in-home, fresh and frozen foods are all [forecast] to grow notably in the next decade." Progressive Grocer (11/2)  | When the dotcom bubble burst in 2000, it took the Network Equipment Providers (NEPs) industry with it. Ten years later NEPs are experiencing resurgent growth and are finding themselves challenged by a new set of market conditions. This complimentary whitepaper explores how to survive these challenges and the next wave of consolidation among NEPs. |
 - Soap.com wants New Yorkers to buy basics online
E-commerce company Quidsi has launched Soap.com, which promises quick delivery of basic household items, and is now working to bring attention to the concept. The campaign, concentrated in New York, includes radio commercials, direct mail, posters in subways and about 30 people dressed as a character called Box Boy, roaming the city representing the packages delivered by Soap.com. The New York Times (free registration) (11/1)  | In this free white paper from SAP find out how IDC's program director for HR and talent management services, Lisa Rowan, answers five key questions about the current state of HR business process outsourcing (BPO). See how the role of underlying technology continues to be a factor in the success or failure of BPO projects. |
 - More Spartan sites offer online sales of beer and wine
Spartan Stores expanded its online beer and wine ordering event from two corporate retailer websites to five, after the success of earlier events at D&W Fresh Market and Glen's Fresh Market sites. D&W Fresh Market also recently held an in-store event, allowing customers to order beer or wine at the event or browse online from home. Supermarket News (11/1)  | What could be better than supporting and managing your BlackBerry smartphone deployment, for free? Nothing.
Now you can get industry-leading security and device management tools for BlackBerry smartphones, for free. Download BlackBerry Enterprise Server express today and get started. |
| Science & Technology |  | | | - Sources: China stops entry of U.S. corn containing unapproved GMOs
China has barred entry of 55,000 to 66,000 tons of U.S. corn shipped by a Japanese trading company, saying the cargo contained unapproved genetically modified organisms, sources said. "China only allows 11 varieties of GM corn to be imported to the country, and the cargo was found with GM material outside the 11 varieties," said one of the sources. Reuters (10/29) | Health & Wellness | | | | - Study looks at elementary school beverages
Whole milk and sweetened beverages were available on school property to about half of the elementary schoolchildren in the U.S. in 2008 and 2009, a study found. Since then, bottlers have reduced shipment of high-calorie drinks to schools, an American Beverage Association consultant said, and the largest change has happened in the past year. USA TODAY (11/1) - Study: Infants' peanut allergies may be tied to moms' consumption
A study of 503 infants found that 140 tested positive for a strong sensitivity to peanuts, and a mother's peanut consumption during pregnancy was a strong predictor of peanut sensitivity. "While our study does not definitively indicate that pregnant women should not eat peanut products during pregnancy, it highlights the need for further research," the lead researcher said. HealthDay News (11/1) | GMA News | | | | - Del Monte Shares Strategies for Enhancing Efficiencies, Keeping Customers Happy at 2011 Supply Chain Conference
The Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association Trading Partner Alliance* will host the second annual joint Supply Chain Conference: People, Products, Process and Potential, Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 in Orlando, Fla.
Don't miss your opportunity to connect with key retail customers about ways to make your shared value chain more efficient and effective. Collaboration and cost reduction will take center stage as industry experts share their insights in sessions like this:
Del Monte Puts the Customer First: Using Retailer Data to Drive Supply Chain Efficiencies
At Del Monte, the information technology and supply chain teams work in concert to implement supply chain efficiencies based on customer feedback. In this session, discover how these units have collaborated to develop a plan flexible enough to work with any retailer regardless of where the retailer's data sharing capabilities stand and have reduced trading partner inventories to zero working capital requirements for Del Monte.
David W. Allen, Senior Vice President, Operations and Supply Chain, Del Monte Foods Co.
Marc Brown, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Del Monte Foods Co.
Visit www.tpasupplychain.com to learn more and register!
| Government & Food Safety | | | | - FDA seeks comments on produce-safety guidelines
The Food and Drug Administration is seeking comments on proposed guidelines aimed at improving the safety of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Greg Komar, food safety director at Growers Express, is among the officials and advocates who say recommendations are not enough. "We are at a point where we need more concrete measures," he said. FoodSafetyNews.com (11/2)
| SmartQuote | | | |  | Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody, rather than for somebody."
--Franklin Pierce Adams,
American newspaper columnist  |
| | This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com
| | | Read more at SmartBrief.com | | A powerful Web site for SmartBrief readers including: | | | | | | | | | | Recent GMA SmartBrief Issues: - Monday, November 01, 2010
- Friday, October 29, 2010
- Thursday, October 28, 2010
- Wednesday, October 27, 2010
- Tuesday, October 26, 2010
| | | Lead Editor: Rebecca Pollack
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 | | | | | | © 1999-2010 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
