Consumer Packaged Goods Broker News: Hillshire's innovation officer puts consumers first

Investment firm buys majority stake in Roland Food | Starbucks turns to Whole Foods for Evolution | Kellogg names chief growth officer, Europe president

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August 27, 2013

News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry

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Investment firm buys majority stake in Roland Food
The American Roland Food Corp., which imports specialty foods from around the world, is selling a majority stake to private equity firm Vestar Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum. "Coupled with the bright growth outlook we see in the specialty foods sector, we believe Vestar's resources and experience in the food and branded products arena can help Roland Foods grow substantially," said Dan O'Connell, founder and CEO of Vestar. FoodBusinessNews.net (free registration) (8/26)

Starbucks turns to Whole Foods for Evolution
Starbucks has partnered with Whole Foods Market to offer Evolution Fresh juice and Evolution Harvest, a new line of snack bars. Evolution Fresh and Evolution Harvest products are available at the grocer starting today. They are expected to be sold at 8,000 U.S. cafes and groceries by year-end. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (8/27)

Kellogg names chief growth officer, Europe president
Paul T. Norman, president of Kellogg International since 2008, was promoted to the newly created job of chief growth officer at Kellogg, and Chris Hood was named president of Kellogg Europe. The changes will be effective Oct. 1, when Brad J. Davidson retires from his post as president of Kellogg North America. FoodBusinessNews.net (free registration) (8/26), CandyAndSnackToday.com (8/27)

Other News

The history and design behind Heinz ketchup
FastCoDesign (8/26)
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An Invitation for SmartBrief Readers
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Trends

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C-stores see growth of single-serve beverages
Convenience store sales of single-serve beverages grew 11% in 2012, and consumers are seeking products that are nutritious and environmentally friendly. "Consumers are asking for products that respond to their immediate needs and are ready for consumption," said Suley Muratoglu, Tetra Pak vice president of marketing and product management. "Smart companies will heed the consumer's call for more health-conscious drinks, sustainably and astutely packaged to match the busy and mobile lifestyles that now predominate." CSP (8/26)

Almond milk leads dairy alternatives as soy falls from limelight
Cow milk alternatives are growing in popularity across the U.S., and retail sales of coconut, almond and rice milk together account for $1.4 billion annually, according to Marketresearch.com. Almond milk in particularly is commanding an increasingly large share of the non-dairy milk market at 55% and growing, while Euromonitor International estimates sales of soy milk will fall 11% this year. The shift may be due to the fact that almond milk lacks saturated fat and is lower in calories overall. Bloomberg Businessweek (8/21)

SAS® Gives Nestle A Flavor for What's to Come
Nestlé Direct Store Delivery improved forecasting accuracy four percentage points and increased service levels with help from SAS Demand-Driven Forecasting. The company is now able to hold inventory costs flat, and its sales force can better plan profitable sales promotions. Read the success story.

Corporate Social Responsibility

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Dunkin' slow-roasts development of non-foam cup
Dunkin' Donuts launched a test this week of a double-walled paper coffee cup to replace its foam containers in Brookline, Mass., where the foam cups will be outlawed after Dec. 1. The chain lags behind rivals including Starbucks when it comes to developing a recyclable alternative to the foam cups that hold most of the 1.7 billion cups of coffee it sells each year. "This is an important and complicated issue, and we want to take every step to make sure that we get this right," said spokeswoman Michelle King. San Francisco Chronicle (free content) (8/23)

Four Essential Things to Know about Food and Beverage Traceability
For many manufacturers, traceability is a valiant goal. But, for food and beverage producers, it's a critical requirement. No one wants to put a single person at risk, let alone tens or hundreds. As a food or beverage manufacturer, part of your job is to help prevent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. This free whitepaper discusses four key things you'll need to know. Download now.

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Hillshire's innovation officer puts consumers first
Sally Grimes, hired by Hillshire Brands last year as chief innovation officer, said her inspiration begins with "consumer empathy and intimacy." She said changing American eating habits are inspiring a focus on "convenience, portability, smart shortcuts [and] time-saving opportunities to ensure the consumer can get that 'cravability' they have for meat into their new lifestyle." Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (8/26)

Wrigley aims for the heart with Extra gum ad
Omnicom Group's Energy BBDO has put gum at the center of major life events in a father-daughter ad for Wrigley's Extra gum, adding emotion with the "sometimes the little things last the longest" tagline. Wrigley has been using a weight-loss approach but found it didn't have a broad enough appeal, said Anne Marie Splitstone, senior gum category director at Wrigley. Overall sales of sugarless gum are down 6.6% in the past year, according to IRI. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (8/26)

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Retail Spotlight

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Wegmans eyes health in offering fresh-cut snacks
Wegmans Food Markets is adding fresh-cut, nutritious snacks for back-to-school season, including carrot and celery sticks with hummus, fresh-fruit cups, and apple slices and celery sticks with peanut butter. The company canvassed Twitter followers to determine options. Each snack has 280 to 520 calories and costs $4 or less. Supermarket News (free registration) (8/26)

It's time to give your technology a performance review
These 12 questions can help you determine if technology is helping your business or holding it back. Did you know the right technology can help even the smallest businesses compete in a crowded marketplace? Download the Microsoft Assess Your Tech Guide to learn how to maximize your technology investment.

GMA News

Join CEOs, chief customer officers and EVPs of sales and marketing at C4G
Don't miss your opportunity to join CPG retailer and manufacturer CEOs, heads of sales and marketing, chief customer officers and vice presidents of customer development, retail sales, corporate strategy, category management and supply chain at the new FMI-GMA Collaborating for Growth conference, Oct. 7-9 in Fort Worth, Texas.

View the outstanding program and high-caliber attendee list for this landmark event.

Government & Food Safety

Injunction sought against USDA's Country of Origin Labeling law
The North American meat industry is expected to ask a Washington, D.C., federal court today for a preliminary injunction against the USDA's Country of Origin Labeling law. The industry groups, led by the American Meat Institute, are accusing the USDA of turning the Country of Origin Labeling for poultry and meat into a "lifetime itinerary labeling" that is unconstitutional and illegal. The rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act, exceeds the authority of the USDA and infringes on the industry's First Amendment rights, the industry said. FoodSafetyNews.com (8/27)