  | August 15, 2011 | News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry |  |  |
| Company Watch |  |  | | - ConAgra is "disappointed" with Ralcorp rejection
ConAgra Foods, which bid $5.18 billion to take over Ralcorp Holdings, said its offer was rejected in less than 24 hours. "We are extremely disappointed by Ralcorp's summary rejection of our strong proposal and its repeated refusals to explore this opportunity for its shareholders," said ConAgra CEO Gary Rodkin. Bloomberg Businessweek (8/15)       - Cargill chief decries government hoarding
Greg Page, CEO of Cargill, said hoarding by Russia and other governments has been the top reason global food prices have soared 15% between October and January. The company, founded in 1865 by William Cargill and now controlled by his descendants, keeps out of the public eye but plays a huge role in feeding the world. The Washington Post (8/13)  | The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN
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  - Growth brings challenges for Native American Natural Foods
Native American Natural Foods, based on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, has grown over the past five years and now sells its energy bars and other products at more than 4,500 stores nationwide. But co-founder Mark Tilsen said the company has a hard time borrowing money to fund its expansion because the tribal lands on which the headquarters sit are owned by the government and can't be used as collateral. National Public Radio (8/15) - Sugar prices expected to stay higher
 The International Sugar Organization predicts world sugar prices will range between 23 cents and 28 cents a pound amid increased demand from China and Indonesia. Prices were about 12.78 cents for the past decade, but were 27.84 cents at the close on Aug. 12. Bloomberg (8/15)  - Technology opens avenues for marketing to children
Technology is changing the way products are marketed to children, as companies increasingly reach young audiences through online games and other digital portals. The Obama administration wants food makers to adopt voluntary limits on advertising to children, but GMA spokesman Scott Faber said, "I can't imagine any mom in America who thinks stripping tigers and toucans off cereal boxes will do anything to address obesity." USA TODAY (8/14) - Online ad spending is predicted to rise 20.2%
According to eMarketer, spending for online ads will rise 20.2% this year, to $31.3 billion. The sharpest increases are in retail and consumer packaged goods, and CPG is expected to increase spending between 14% and 29% a year through 2015. eMarketer (8/15)  | The largest organic foods cooperative in the US uses Infor ERP Adage to improve its planning and forecasting processes. Discover how you can have one integrated system to support all business processes and improve operational efficiency. Read the case study now. |
 - Northern California welcomes specialty grocers
In the past year, specialty grocers that opened in the San Jose, Calif., area include Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Sunflower Farmers Market and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market. The stores have particular appeal for affluent baby boomers interested in healthful eating and shopping in smaller stores with less product choice. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.) (free registration) (8/15)  | Uncover the 4 steps of competitive intelligence gathering with social media. This e-book will map out practical ways to use social media and explain why strategic social media engagement and listening, about your own brand as well as the competition's brand, will give you and your company the competitive edge. Download it now. |
 | Hot Topics | | | | Top five news stories selected by GMA SmartBrief readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
| | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| Health & Wellness | | | | | GMA News | | | | - AIOE -- upstream solutions for downstream success
On Sept. 26 to 28, GMA's charter partner, The Alliance for Innovation and Operational Excellence, will bring its expertise and experience to a series of conference sessions at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2011, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
AIOE is where packaging and processing suppliers come together with consumer goods manufacturers to share their experiences and develop best practices in critical areas such as sustainability, Overall Equipment Effectiveness and product safety. Register today at packexpo.com for one of AIOE's conference sessions and receive free attendee registration, good for access to the show floor at PACK EXPO.
| Government & Food Safety | | | | - Salmonella renews calls for limiting antibiotic use in animals
Debate on whether the FDA should mandate recommendations that restrict the use of antibiotics in livestock was revived after an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant salmonella killed a woman, sickened more than 100 people and led to the recall of 36 million pounds of Cargill ground turkey. "Antibiotics have been safely used on farms, along with other animal drugs, for half a century to treat and control disease in animals and to improve the animal's overall health, allowing for greater productivity," said Sherrie Rosenblatt, a spokeswoman for the National Turkey Federation. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (8/13)
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A study found people who are given forks 20% smaller than normal eat more of their meal compared with people given forks 20% larger than normal. Researchers believe diners with small forks don't perceive that they are making progress, so they eat more. 
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