Beaverton Foods always looking for the next hot flavor

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February 10, 2011 News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry   Company Watch  Sales of Coke's no-calorie tea Sokenbicha are refreshing Coca-Cola is selling Sokenbicha, an unsweetened tea that was sold in Japan until 2009, in the U.S. The drink is sold only at Whole Foods Market, and sales have reportedly been promising. Sokenbicha was reformulated for the U.S. market to be less bitter and to exclude exotic ingredients. The Wall Street Journal (2/10) Coca-Cola sees consistent sales growth: North American sales are up for the third quarter in a row for Coca-Cola, growing by 3% and hitting $10.5 billion in sales. The expected rise in costs for sweeteners, aluminum, juice and plastics might lead Coca-Cola to implement price increases while keeping to its long-term strategy. The Wall Street Journal (2/10) Beaverton Foods always looking for the next hot flavor Beaverton Foods acquired Pacific Farms, a wasabi maker, in December, a deal that won praise from industry analysts. The company, which produces more than 150 varieties of condiments including mustards, mayonnaises and ketchups, continues to search for flavors that will boost its business. The Oregonian (Portland) (2/10)   Trends    Higher sugar prices challenge small candy makers As world sugar prices rise, farmers are benefiting and able to pay down loans and buy equipment. Meanwhile, confectioners, particularly small ones, are being forced to raise their prices to reflect higher commodity costs, such as sugar. "The small companies buy small amounts of sugar. And they buy that sugar frequently," said the National Confectioners Association's Susan Smith. SeattlePI.com/The Associated Press (2/9) Quality trumps fewer calories when eating out Consumers seeking healthy options when they eat out are drawn to high-quality food that is fresh and nutritious, and they are less concerned about food that is low in calories and fat, according to NPD Group. "The perception has been that healthy eating to consumers means low calorie and low fat, and our findings show that the perception is not the reality," said Bonnie Riggs, restaurant industry analyst at NPD. Convenience Store News (2/8) Accenture acquires CAS — A powerful combination By providing an integrated suite of enterprise software applications, the most demanding requirements of the consumer products industry can now be met. Learn how the acquisition of CAS by Accenture helps consumer products companies execute in-store strategies more effectively. Learn more>>   Advertising & Marketing    Corazonas markets heart-healthy snacks Corazonas Foods is looking to expand its plant sterol-infused chips and oatmeal snacks throughout Western markets. The brand is one of just a few on the market to bear the FDA's claim of lowering bad cholesterol. The 6-year-old company based in Los Angeles has created a new tagline, "Love Your Heart. Love the Taste." MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (2/9) General Mills wins fight over "better" claim The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus settled a marketing dispute between Campbell Soup Co. and General Mills over the use by General Mills of the phrase "Now Even Better" in their marketing the Progresso Light line. Campbell had argued that the use of the slogan could be taken to mean that Progresso Light was claiming superiority to rival products. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (2/9) Other News Usher signs on for Belvedere Vodka campaign Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (2/9) Are you keeping up with the changing world of employee health care? Get The Basics of Employee Health Care for Small Business: A Guide to Creating a Company Benefit Plan, and find out what you need to know today. There's no obligation. Click to download a FREE whitepaper.   Retail Spotlight    Weis unveils the "greenest" water bottle Weis Markets is the country's first supermarket to offer an environmentally friendly water bottle made of 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate plastic. The bottle is offered in the Weis Quality 24-pack of 20-ounce bottled water. More efforts to go green include the launch of three superstores that use 60% less refrigerant than a typical supermarket, as well as recycling of plastic bags and cardboard. Progressive Grocer (2/9) Effective innovation is illusive, but is the key to sustained competitive advantage in the CPG industry. This report slide package examines best-in-class examples of innovation and marketing to drive success in this increasingly challenging environment. Learn more here.   Featured Content    Glass-Ceiling Breaker: Adriane Brown Katie Morell The Most Important Ratio for Your Business Mike Periu 10 Tips from Bootstrapping Entrepreneurs Thursday Bram The Odds of Success Matthew E. May 5 Secrets to Spotting Trends Rieva Lesonsky   Health & Wellness  Study links diet soda to risk of vascular events People who consumed diet soda every day had a 48% increased risk of suffering stroke or heart events compared with nondrinkers, researchers found after accounting for factors like age, calorie intake, metabolic syndrome and heart-disease history. The study does not suggest causality, and experts said further replication is needed to confirm the findings. U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News (2/9), Los Angeles Times/Booster Shots blog (2/9)   GMA News  Because multicultural markets need multicultural thinking Your consumers and workforce are becoming more diverse -- fast. To stay in front of these powerful trends, you need to increase your knowledge, think strategically and integrate cultural competency into all facets of your business. The NEW Multicultural Workforce Conference presents strategies that align your organization's diversity efforts with its business goals by creating culturally competent leaders who can conquer today's diverse markets. Register now. Learn more about GMA -> Home  |  Join GMA  |  Public Policy  |  Industry Affairs  |  Publications  |  Events Quality Systems Manager Furmano Foods Northumberland, PA Director of Food Service Sales, Mid West Richelieu Foods, Inc. Chicago, IL Chief Executive Officer Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank Grand Rapids, MI Director of Shopper Marketing Meijer Grand Rapids, MI Space Management Specialist Boston Beer Company Boston, MA   SmartQuote  Defeat teaches better than victory." --Japanese saying     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: Breaking News Industry Home Readers' Choice Press Releases Search Archive Who's Hiring? 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