Bud Light Platinum set for January debut

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November 10, 2011 News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry   Company Watch    Barry Callebaut predicts higher raw material prices Barry Callebaut expects sales volume to increase 6% to 8%, but said prices for raw materials will likely remain volatile and high. "The underlying fundamentals are worrying because the total crop of cocoa did not grow in the last four years but demand rose," said CEO Juergen Steinemann. "There's an underlying structural pressure on volume, which means that the price should go up." Reuters (11/10)      Tyson executives honored by White House Two Tyson Foods executives were honored as Champions of Change by the White House, and invited to participate in a discussion about hiring military veterans. "In my experience, current and former military personnel are quality hires for many positions at Tyson Foods," said Russell Tooley, senior vice president of corporate and international human resources, who was honored alongside James David, pricing manager in the consumer products division. Progressive Grocer (11/9)      Bud Light Platinum is set for January debut Anheuser-Busch InBev plans to introduce Bud Light Platinum in January. The beer, with 137 calories and 6% alcohol by volume, "appeals to a key group of beer drinkers and expands consumer occasions," the company said. Los Angeles Times/Money & Company blog (11/9)      Mintel finds consumers aren't looking for HFCS. Only 4 percent of consumers are looking to reduce or avoid high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to newly released study findings by Mintel Research Consultancy. Over 2,000 consumers were surveyed on sweeteners, with some surprising results. Visit CornNaturally.com/Mintel for details.   Trends  USDA lowers forecast for next year's corn supply The USDA predicted a decrease in corn supply for 2012, an announcement likely to keep prices from dropping. The department forecast 843 million bushels, down from last month's estimate of 866 million. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.)/The Associated Press (11/9)      Earn 2X rewards points on advertising costs with The New Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN. Designed to earn Membership Rewards® points faster: • 3X points on airfare • 2X points on advertising, gas, shipping • 1X points on everything else • For a limited time, 50K bonus points when you spend $10K your first 5 months LEARN MORE AND APPLY   Supply Chain Management    Kellogg focuses on supply chain in the U.K. Kellogg, which posted a 14% profit decline in the third quarter, said it will "improve interaction with suppliers." The company said higher costs in the supply chain accounted for about 8 points of the decline, as net sales rose 4% to $2.2 billion. Procurement Leaders online (U.K.) (11/7)      White Paper: The Cloud Drives Huge Time to Market Cost Savings The results are in—IDC interviewed 10 companies that developed custom apps on Force.com and ran them for at least 1 year. See how Force.com helped them achieve an average 3-month payback and 721% ROI. Download now.   Advertising & Marketing    Coke, 7-Eleven team on polar bear habitat preservation Coca-Cola is supporting its "Arctic Home" campaign to preserve polar bear habitats with an interactive application for mobile devices in partnership with 7-Eleven. Users of the "Snowball Effect" application win points by entering codes on Coke, Slurpee and Big Gulp packaging, checking in at 7-Eleven stores, and challenging friends to virtual snowball fights. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (11/8)      Let Social Media Find Your Staff For You Give your hiring managers fast, easy access to quality employees by pairing social media with automated recruitment solutions that use Web 2.0 functionality. Download the white paper Automating Social Recruiting for Better Hiring and see how 85 percent of best-in-class companies save money with automation.   Retail Spotlight    Harris Teeter will bring Thanksgiving to N.C. food bank Harris Teeter plans to deliver enough food for 2,000 Thanksgiving dinners to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte, N.C. The retailer will partner with Jon Beason, linebacker for the Carolina Panthers, to present a food-filled truck to the center and bring bags of food to families at the local affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Progressive Grocer (11/9)      Logistics is much more than the movement of goods and services. It's also your pre-game strategy. Before you step on the court, you need the right players running the right plays at the right time. Learn more about those key plays in this free whitepaper from UPS and get in the game of logistics.   Sponsored Content    Create Content That Search Engines Love Susan Kuchinskas 5 Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Steve Jobs Todd Wasserman Small Business Snapshot: Bernanke Asks Gov. To Help Small Biz Katie Morell The 4 Laws To A Perfect Elevator Pitch (And How To Create One) Neil Patel What Smart Entrepreneurs Know About Engaging Their Customers Scott Ginsberg   Health & Wellness  Study: Vegetarian diet cuts diabetes risk in blacks Researchers at Loma Linda University found that blacks who follow a vegan diet have a 70% reduced risk of developing diabetes, while lacto-ovo vegetarians, who eat dairy but not meat, have a 53% lower risk. Blacks who exercise three or more times per week appear to have a 35% decreased risk. International Business Times (11/6)        GMA News  Consumer complaints and social media webinar announced Social media has changed the face of consumer complaints; where consumers once wrote letters, made phone calls and sent e-mails they are now starting Facebook groups, posting videos on YouTube and following Twitter feeds. Because consumers are no longer reaching out directly to companies, the landscape of customer service has begun to evolve. On Dec. 14, from 1-3 p.m. EDT, join GMA for the Consumer Complaints Webinar: Managing Social Media and Its Effects on Customer Service, where industry experts will discuss the significant role social media plays in customer service and how companies can leverage new opportunities to manage consumer complaints and strengthen customer relationships. For more information, or to view the agenda click here.      Learn more about GMA -> About GMA  |  Issues and Policy  |  Newsroom  |  Events  |  Research and Tools   Government & Food Safety  California "downed livestock" law may be overturned The Supreme Court appears likely to overturn a California law enacted in 2009 requiring euthanasia of downed livestock. "A slaughterhouse worker who is on the premises needs to have one set of rules that the worker follows," said a lawyer for the National Meat Association, which filed the appeal, arguing the California law contradicts federal laws that do not require immediate euthanizing. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.)/The Associated Press (11/9)      Position Title Company Name Location Category Analyst Johnsonville Sausage Sheboygan Falls, WI Human Resources Generalist Grocery Manufacturers Association Washington, DC Regulatory Coordinator Baldwin Richardson Food Co. 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