Premium Brands to buy Canada Bread's sandwich business

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February 15, 2011 News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry   Company Watch    Homeboy Industries expands to chips and salsa Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit organization, is selling a line of chips and salsa to fund programs for former gang members and convicts. The goal is to follow the model of Newman's Own, a salad-dressing business that evolved into a vehicle for social good. "The aim is to expand the brand so that Homeboy becomes a household name and then a household idea," said the Rev. Gregory Boyle, who started the concept as a job-training program 23 years ago. Los Angeles Times (2/17) Canada Bread to sell prepared-sandwich unit Premium Brands Holding Corp. is acquiring Canada Bread's prepared-sandwich business in a deal expected to close this week. Canada Bread is 90% owned by Maple Leaf, and both companies will provide bakery and deli products for the sandwiches. Reuters (2/14) NECCO marketer reveals Sweetheart secrets Aimee Scott, marketing director for The New England Confectionery Co., which began making Sweethearts in 1902, said the company produces as many as 14 million pounds of the heart-shaped candies a year. "We use the same process that we always have," she said, explaining the messages are made with red ink, using "an old-fashioned print plate with letters." TIME (2/14)   Other News Trian Capital acquires 2.8 million Kellogg shares The Wall Street Journal (2/14) To become a top-performing distributor, you must: • Achieve 98% inventory accuracy. • Reach 95% on-time and complete shipment rates. • Maintain 12-hour order-to-shipment cycle times. • Achieve 13% cycle-time reductions from ERP use. Distributors, how do you stack up against top performers? View the Aberdeen webcast to find out.   Trends    New CPG leaders are familiar faces Major food makers including Kellogg, Kraft, Unilever and Campbell are changing leadership, typically by promoting people who are already experienced at the company. Retailers can benefit from that experience, but "the new players will have to wrestle with some very complex business and trading partner relationship issues, and will have to do so quickly," said Jim Hertel, managing partner at Willard Bishop. Supermarket News (2/14) Mother Nature's wrath takes toll on tomatoes Supermarkets, distributors and restaurants face shortages of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other produce after a major freeze in Mexico took a toll on crops and inclement weather in Florida and Texas disrupted backup supplies. The Wall Street Journal (2/15) Other News Companies say they can't hold off on raising prices The New York Times (free registration) (2/14) Olam exec cites climate change in warning of food shortages Bloomberg (2/15) E-mail "love letters" can be the first move in acquisition The Wall Street Journal (2/15) 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  Beverage companies connect with consumers on a local level Brands including Coca-Cola, Juicy Juice and Odwalla are supporting state parks, and a company called Government Solutions Group is helping forge deals that serve both the parks and the brands. Juicy Juice, for example, sponsors playgrounds at state parks in New York, and Coca-Cola is working with Stater Bros. supermarkets to support tree-planting in California parks. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (2/14)   Retail Spotlight  Cross-merchandising reaps Valentine rewards Retailers created cross-merchandising displays for Valentine's Day that combined candy, wine, flowers and greeting cards. Market Centre offered a freestanding display rack with wines and chocolate brands, such as Godiva, Ghirardelli and Lindt. Supermarket News (2/14)   Featured Content    New Estate Tax Laws for 2011: What You Need to Know Dawn Reiss Are You Trying to Game Google? Scott Roen The Language of Accounting JoAnne Berg How to Create a Mentorship Program Katie Morell How to Fire an Employee the Right Way Shira Levine   Health & Wellness  Research: Shoppers are influenced by front-of-package information Front-of-pack information influences shopper decisions, according to research from HealthFocus International, and 60% of shoppers said the information helps them make healthier food choices. However, obese shoppers read labels less often and so might be less influenced by the information, the study found. Progressive Grocer (2/15) High-fiber diet appears to prolong life, a study shows A report from the National Cancer Institute shows that a high-fiber diet reduces the risk of death from disease. The study of 388,122 adults over nine years found that those who consumed a high-fiber diet were 22% less likely to die and saw a reduction in cardiovascular and respiratory disease. HealthDay News (2/14), The Wall Street Journal (2/15)   GMA News  GMA Science Forum: Your resource for Food Safety Modernization Act insights The GMA Science Forum is the preeminent gathering of food industry professionals for exploration of the major scientific, policy and regulatory developments that are affecting our industry. In 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act -- representing the most sweeping changes to food safety law in more than 70 years -- will take center stage at the Forum, providing attendees with critical insights for understanding and implementing the new law. Experts from GMA, industry and government will lead attendees through the ins and outs of FSMA, with a focus on provisions related to: Preventative Controls Risk-Based Inspections Food Defense Supply Chain Management Food Safety Plans Import Controls Economic Adulteration And much more Visit the conference website to learn program details, see the impressive speaker lineup and register your FSMA leadership team today. Learn more about GMA -> Home  |  Join GMA  |  Public Policy  |  Industry Affairs  |  Publications  |  Events   Government & Food Safety  Federal budget would trim agriculture subsidies The budget submitted by President Barack Obama would cap direct payments to farmers and limit eligibility for subsidies. It would also increase spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which can help farmers by providing a buyer for surpluses. Los Angeles Times (2/14) Quality Manager Unilever US - MO - Jefferson City 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  Cautious, careful people always casting about to preserve their reputation or social standards never can bring about reform." --Susan B. Anthony, American women's rights activist, quoted for her birthday, Feb. 15, 1820     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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