  | July 12, 2012 | News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry |  |  |
- General Mills plans "bigger, more differentiated products"
General Mills' product pipeline includes Progresso cooking sauce Recipe Starters, Shake-n-Pour dessert from Betty Crocker and 100-calorie Yoplait Greek yogurt. Public Relations Manager Maerenn Jepsen said many of the launches "go above and beyond mere line extensions," reflecting the company's goal of "launching bigger, more differentiated products to better address unmet consumer needs." FoodNavigator (7/11)       - Thai, Mexican varieties added to Soup Starters
Pacific Natural Foods has added Thai Tom Yum and Tortilla varieties to its Soup Starters line. "People want to recreate the restaurant experience at home, but few have hard-to-find ingredients like lemongrass or galangal on hand, much less the time to let a broth simmer for hours," said marketing vice president Kevin Tisdale. Drug Store News (7/11)  | Commodity Price Volatility - what goes up must come down Knowledge is power. Understanding the characteristics of recent periods of volatility can provide valuable guidance in how to face volatile times to come. As bleak as it may seem in the middle of uncertain times, cycles always end and the old adage remains true of volatility: what goes up must come down. Learn more | - Customer insight comes into focus with eye tracking
Companies including Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark are using eye-tracking technology that shows how customers respond to items on supermarket shelves, and they are introducing packaging based on the results. "With a virtual shelf set, in a few seconds, with a click of the mouse, you can modify your product, your pack, your display and really co-create it with the consumer almost in real time," said Joanne Crudele, Unilever's director of global skin consumer technical insight. The Wall Street Journal (7/11) - Rising corn prices not yet felt at the grocery store
Corn prices rose 18.9% in 30 days, but so far consumers have been protected from higher costs at the grocery store. General Mills CEO Ken Powell said the company is about 50% hedged on commodity costs, and expects prices to remain stable. CNBC (7/11)  | Discover Orlando's Dining & Entertainment Districts
From culinary hotspots to energetic nightlife, Orlando makes business trips more rewarding. Boasting six diverse dining and entertainment districts, Orlando offers an atmosphere that's unique and sophisticated. Find out how business events are just the beginning at OrlandoDistricts.com. |
 - Small businesses trim optimism, inventory
Owners of small businesses are feeling less optimistic and as a result are keeping inventories as lean as possible, say analysts at IHS Global Insight. "Small business owners are not expecting to do much additional capital spending, hiring or expanding in the next three months," said senior economist Leslie Levesque. Supply Chain Management Review (7/10)  | Free Ebook: 30 Ideas for your Social Media Plan
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  - SUPERVALU may sell all or part of company
SUPERVALU, which saw earnings fall 45% in the most recent quarter, is suspending its dividend and may sell all or part of the Minnesota-based chain. Wayne Sales, nonexecutive chairman, will oversee options for the retailer, which announced layoffs this year of 800 corporate positions and 2,300 to 2,500 store-level jobs under its Albertsons banner. The Wall Street Journal (7/11)  | Scan as fast as you work. Scan as fast as 60 pages per minute with the new Canon DR-M160 and increase your productivity with a bigger daily scan volume of up to 7,000 pages. The document quality is improved with a scan resolution as high as 600 DPI.
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| Health & Wellness | | | | - Americans still don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, study shows
Americans are trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, but a study by NPD Group finds that on average, adults and children consume about a cup of vegetables and about a half-cup of fruit each day. Children 2 to 12 and parents are eating more fruits and vegetables, while teens and the elderly are consuming less. Registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner says the key is keeping the refrigerator and freezer stocked, which may mean grocery shopping a couple of times per week. USA TODAY (7/9) - Wild blueberry juice reduces DNA damage in study
Juice from wild blueberries reduces the risk of cardiovascular and degenerative diseases by preventing DNA from damage from oxidation, researchers said. "These results were particularly evident in the group of smokers/ex-smoker subjects with respect to non-smokers," researchers wrote in the European Journal of Nutrition. "This effect on DNA damage may be dependent on phytochemicals present in the wild blueberry drink." NutraIngredients (7/11)  | |  | | The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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| GMA News | | | | - GMA offers key resource in industry procedures through online bookstore
Where do you find guides and manuals on current food, beverage and CPG industry standards? Look no further than the Grocery Manufacturers Association Online Bookstore, the trusted resource for the food, beverage and CPG industry. Providing some of the most relevant information you need to stay ahead of the curve on industry procedures, view available publications today.
| Government & Food Safety | | | | - Meat groups scramble to stop egg regulation
United Egg Producers asked Congress to enact legislation on chicken housing, saying voluntary measures create a divide between egg farmers who comply and ones who can sell eggs for less. However, the National Pork Producers Council and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association said such legislation would start a trend leading to similar regulation of pork and beef. National Public Radio/The Salt blog (7/11)
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