 | March 22, 2011 | News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry |  |  |
- Hostess looks to the past
Hostess is unveiling retro packaging for its snack cakes and bringing back the original banana filling for Twinkies. During the limited-time promotion, consumers can send in bar codes to receive an alarm clock in the shape of mascot Twinkie the Kid. Drug Store News (3/21)        - M&M's voted top brand
In an online survey by Harris Interactive, consumers named plain M&M's the Brand of the Year in the Sweet Treat category. More than 25,000 consumers voted on 1,273 brands in 46 categories. CandyAndSnackToday.com (3/22)  | Three Trends Causing Paradigm Shifts in Online Retail
The growth of ecommerce is accelerating as consumers become more comfortable and confident transacting online. In this whitepaper you will learn about the three major trends re-shaping online retail.
• Video as a way to enhance the shopping experience
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 | Trends |  | | | - Beverage companies work to limit water use
Beverage companies have been working for years to use water more efficiently, and experts say they have made progress, but the biggest gains would come from focusing on their agricultural suppliers. SABMiller, for example, is working with farmers in eight countries to protect local water supplies while growing crops such as wheat and barley. The New York Times (free registration) (3/21)  | Business Platinum Card®
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  - ConAgra backs anti-hunger efforts with media push
ConAgra Foods, which includes brands such as Chef Boyardee and Healthy Choice, is ramping up efforts to promote its campaign against child hunger called "Child Hunger Ends Here." The campaign is built around a partnership with food bank group Feeding America, which supplies food to 200 food banks nationwide. ConAgra donates an estimated 1 million meals per month to Feeding America, and it is looking to amplify its efforts with advertising and free media to get more people aware of the growing problem of child hunger in the U.S. The New York Times (free registration) (3/20)  | 2011 planning for social media made simpler
94.1% of businesses use social media to build brand awareness — does yours? Get insights into business trends and best practices for social media from SmartBrief's State of Social Media for Business. Make your 2011 social-media strategy count with data from 6000+ business execs. Get the report today. |
 | Retail Spotlight | | | |
| Science & Technology | | | | - Jury hands down $136.8M verdict against Bayer unit over biotech rice
A jury in Arkansas ruled that Bayer CropScience must pay Riceland Foods, a farmers cooperative, $136.8 million in total damages after finding the biotech firm negligent in allowing its biotech rice strain to mix with U.S. stocks of long grain rice. Bayer said it is considering legal actions over the verdict. Reuters (3/21) | Health & Wellness | | | | - Experts: "Let's Move!" gives America a healthy push forward
 The "Let's Move!" program launched by first lady Michelle Obama can help raise awareness and move the U.S. forward in fighting obesity and increasing healthy eating habits for children, experts say. Five specialists evaluated the campaign's efforts to empower parents, improve school nutrition, improve access to healthy foods and increase exercise for children. Los Angeles Times (3/20) - Campaign promotes eating breakfast in schools: A campaign called No Kid Hungry, which piloted in an elementary school in Los Angeles, promotes breakfast eating and use of already available funds in schools and child care facilities with aim to get rid of childhood hunger by 2015. Rosencrans Elementary School in Compton, Calif., a participant of the program, currently sees almost 420 breakfast eaters in the school -- up from about 110 in October. Los Angeles Times (3/24)
| GMA News | | | | - Reducing our footprint: The industry's progress on sustainable packaging
GMA recently announced the results of survey research indicating that food, beverage and consumer products manufacturers anticipate they will eliminate 4 billion pounds of packaging waste nationwide from 2005 to 2020. More than 1.5 billion pounds have already been avoided since 2005, and another 2.5 billion pounds are expected to be avoided by 2020. The 4 billion pounds represents a 19% reduction of reporting companies' total average U.S. packaging weight. Learn more.
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As tests detected radiation contamination of food near Japan's troubled nuclear facilities and in offshore ocean water, restaurants and stores throughout Asia have stopped selling food from Japan. "Experts agree that there is no health impact by consuming these food items on a few occasions, so we ask that people respond calmly without reacting excessively," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano. 
Thank you for supporting Feeding America and ConAgra's efforts.
ReplyDeleteSarah
Feeding America
http://feedingamerica.org/