General Mills, Sara Lee, Nestle to go on a crop tour

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May 2, 2011 News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry   Company Watch  Kansas invites food makers for annual crop tour Representatives of General Mills, Sara Lee and Nestle will travel to Kansas to inspect wheat fields as part of the state's annual tour of its crops. More participants than usual are expected this year as rising commodity prices become a top concern for food makers. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (5/2) Coca-Cola moves forward from a position of happiness Savvy brand-builders have helped Coca-Cola position itself as the embodiment of happiness in the 125 years since it was founded. The company, which posted global volume growth of 6% for the first quarter, has set an ambitious goal of doubling revenue in the next ten years. "We need to remain very humble and extremely hungry," said Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Joe Tripodi. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (5/2) Sisters create STEM bars that will fly with astronauts Shannon and Mikayla Diesch, high school students in Michigan, have created STEM bars that will be eaten by astronauts on Endeavour's final flight. The sisters developed the bars, which contain cranberries, apples and cinnamon, for the 2010 Conrad Foundation Spirit of Innovation Competition. FoxNews.com (5/1) Other News Ralcorp said to have received bid from ConAgra Reuters (4/29) Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN® • Receive up to $200 airline fee credit to the airline of your choice • International Airport Club Access, Premium car rentals, and special upgrades at fine hotels and resorts worldwide • Premium coverage from theft, loss, and damage when you use your Card • No Pre-set Spending limit Apply Now.   Trends  Popular tilapia nets some criticism Americans ate 475 million pounds of tilapia in 2010, as popularity grows for the bland-tasting, easy-to-breed fish. But as tilapia farms flourish and expand, some experts say tilapia does not provide the health benefits conferred by other fish and that the farms are harmful to the environment. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (5/2)   Advertising & Marketing    Cable networks get in the spirit for new Jack Daniel's ads Jack Daniel's is celebrating the launch of its Tennessee Honey spirit, its first new product launch in 14 years, with a multimedia ad campaign that includes cable TV. One video ad debuted on TNT and ESPN last week, and an animated spot is scheduled to begin running on various cable networks this month. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (4/30) Other News G Series Fit targets fitness athletes Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (5/2) SPRING OFFER- save 15% on 'The Plastic Packaging Market Outlook in Food and Drinks' by Business Insights. This 2011 report includes market dynamics, drivers, resistors and trends in the plastic packaging market for food and drinks. Hurry though- limited time only! Details.   Retail Spotlight  Discount grocers are "in a good place," analysts say An ALDI store in south St. Louis is attracting affluent customers, evidenced by expensive cars in the parking lot, as discount grocers move to the mainstream. As the economy improves, stores such as ALDI "won't retain all of their customers who have traded down during the recession, but we think there will be a certain amount of stickiness," said Craig Johnson, president of consultancy Customer Growth Partners. St. Louis Post-Dispatch (5/1)   Hot Topics  Top five news stories selected by GMA SmartBrief readers in the past week. Networking advice from the CEO of Campbell Soup (Harvard Business Review online) P&G prepares big push for Tide in new pod form (Advertising Age (tiered subscription model)) General Mills is happy with Groupon results (Supermarket News) PepsiCo gets social with a vending machine (Reuters) Survey shows Americans' confusion about wine and salt (HealthDay News) Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.   Sponsored Content    6 Ways To Build An Advisory Team For Your Small Business RIEVA LESONSKY Get Smart: 10 Business Books To Read This Summer In 140 characters Or Less Barry Moltz 10 Questions To Ask A PR Firm Before Signing A Contract Katie Morell 3 Signs That Your Financial Model Is Flawed Mike Periu 7 Karmic Principles For Your Business And Life Ivana Taylor Most Popular Headlines from Last Week 10 Signs You Shouldn't Be A Small Business Owner Annie Mueller 5 Things You Should Never Say While Negotiating Mike Hofman 12 Fatal Sales Mistakes To Avoid Steve Strauss Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.   Health & Wellness  Report ranks pathogens by risk to public health A report from the University of Florida lists which food pathogens pose the greatest risk to public health, in terms of cost and suffering, by focusing on "diseases that cause long-term disability and death" instead of ones that occur most frequently. Topping the list is Campylobacter in poultry, followed by toxoplasma in pork and listeria in deli meat. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Health Blog (4/28)   GMA News  Learn the future of food packaging at the GMA Science Forum The Grocery Manufacturers Association Science Forum is the preeminent gathering of consumer packaged goods industry professionals for exploration of the major scientific, policy and regulatory developments that are affecting our industry. The 2011 program will feature a discussion of the future of food packaging, outlining major trends that are impacting the industry in the session Food Packaging: Fight or Flight, with regulatory expert Devon Hill of Keller and Heckmann LLP. REGISTER NOW at www.gmascienceforum.com! Learn more about GMA -> Home  |  Join GMA  |  Public Policy  |  Industry Affairs  |  Publications  |  Events   Government & Food Safety  NYC may bar food-stamp purchases of sweetened drinks A plan in New York City to ban the use of food stamps to buy beverages sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup has sparked criticism from the food and beverage industries. "Once you start going into grocery carts, deciding what people can or cannot buy, where do you stop?" asked American Beverage Association Senior Vice President Kevin Keane. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (5/2) How to prevent food recalls The food industry, throughout the supply chain, must focus on measures to keep food safe and prevent recalls. The adoption of RFID tags will improve food tracking, and organizations benefit from clear organizational structures that define who is accountable for what. BusinessWeek.com (4/29) Other News USDA launches online tools for anti-hunger efforts Supermarket News (4/29) Manager Procurement - Frozen Vegetables & Mushrooms Campbell Soup Company US - NJ - Camden Manager Sales ConAgra Foods Naperville, IL Manager National Accounts ConAgra Foods Pleasanton, CA   SmartQuote  If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?" --Hillel the Elder, ancient Jewish religious leader     This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers@gmail.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: Industry Home Readers' Choice Search Archive Who's Hiring? 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