Blue Bunny, known for creations like Mini Swirls cones and Bunny Tracks ice cream, is relaunching its brand through product enhancement, packaging innovation and the introduction of a brand ambassador named Blu. To commemorate the relaunch, Blu is appearing in Blue Bunny’s new advertising campaign. Blue Bunny ice cream is produced by family-owned and -operated […]
Category: Grocery News
Frieda’s Karen Caplan Will Receive 2016 Agricultural Achievement Award
Karen Caplan, president and CEO of specialty produce company Frieda’s Inc., will receive the Cal Poly Pomona College of Agriculture’s 2016 Jim Hicks Agricultural Achievement Award. Karen heads the wholesale company in Los Alamitos, California, that was founded by her mother, Frieda Rapoport Caplan. Frieda Caplan is a pioneer who blazed the trail for women […]
Hass Avocado Board Report Highlights Retail Trends For The Year
The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) recently published a Top 10 Retail Trends report that offers insight into the challenges and changes facing retail. The report also provides suggested actions for shippers/handlers and/or retailers to help build the Hass avocado category. “The industry is still witnessing dynamic changes in the retail landscape with traditional grocery retailers […]
Natural Products Expo West 2016 Kicks Off In Anaheim
Natural Products Expo West 2016 is under way in Anaheim, California. The annual show began Thursday and runs through the weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center. Projected to be the largest in its 36-year history, the sold out trade-only event is playing host to more than 3,000 companies and 70,000 attendees. The natural products industry […]
Supermarket Buyers’ Presence Growing At Housewares Show
Perry Reynolds, VP of global trade development for the International Housewares Association, told Shelby Report VP-Midwest Geoff Welch that the number of buyers from U.S. supermarkets is up at the 2016 International Home + Housewares Show this year. Reynolds spoke from the show floor at McCormick Place in Chicago, where the show wraps up today, […]
World’s Largest Idaho Potato Display Unveiled At Northgate González Market
The team at Northgate González Market in Southern California recently made final preparations for the culmination of the grocer’s six-month mission to build the world’s largest Idaho potato display. Pallets? Check. Spuddy Buddies? Check. 100,000-plus pounds of Idaho potatoes? Check. But the real hopes of Northgate, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) and Melissa’s Produce lay […]
IDDBA Kicks Off ‘Safe Food Matters!’ Campaign Focused On Food Allergens
Reaction to food allergens results in 200,000 emergency room visits and as many as 200 deaths each year. One in every 25 customers served in a day has a food allergy or is shopping for someone with an allergy. And the number of consumers affected by food allergens is increasing. The Centers for Disease Control […]
Mondelez Launching Its First New Snack Brand In More Than A Decade
Mondelez International is rolling out a new snack brand—its first in more than a decade—called GOOD THiNS. The brand “starts with real ingredients (like wheat, potato and rice), combines them with enticing flavors (like garlic, spinach and sweet potato) and bakes each piece thin and crispy without any artificial flavors, colors, cholesterol, partially hydrogenated oils […]
National GMO Labeling Legislation Passes Committee, Now On To Full Senate
The Senate Agriculture Committee approved legislation Tuesday that establishes national standards for food made with genetically engineered ingredients, or GMOs. The bipartisan legislation, spearheaded by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), now heads to the full Senate. The proposed bill would establish a national voluntary GMO labeling standard to be developed by USDA within two years of […]
Most Stores Will Need To Add 54 Additional Items Under Proposed SNAP Rule That Aims To Increase Healthy Options
by Kristen Cloud/web editor In mid-February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed a rule designed to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants increased access to healthy foods by requiring stores that accept food stamps to stock a wider range of healthy options. The rule now is under a 60-day comment period, which ends […]
California Avocado Commission Hires One, Promotes Another
The California Avocado Commission (CAC) has appointed Carolyn Becker to retail marketing director for the northwest region and promoted Zac Benedict to online marketing director. Becker is a produce veteran with 20 years of experience representing growers and marketing associations of the retail produce trade. She has managed marketing programs for a variety of commodity […]
Early Outlook Is Bright For South Carolina Peach Crop
South Carolina’s peach farmers are looking forward to an excellent peach crop in 2016 in spite of the challenges they faced last year. Favorable growing conditions have given growers a positive outlook for a fruitful crop. After delays from heavy rains in the fall, growers immediately began working on the upcoming season. Planting new trees, […]
Federal GMO Labeling Bill Goes To Senate
A bill that would implement a federal uniform labeling standard for foods made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and also GMO-free foods, has been introduced to the Senate—and much of the food industry is pleased. In prepared statements, the National Grocers Association (NGA) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) applauded the legislation spearheaded by Sen. […]
Custard Stand Food Products Will Appear On ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ Feb. 21
Custard Stand Food Products, makers of Custard Stand Hot Dog Chili and Custard Stand Chili Soup with Beef and Beans, is scheduled to appear in an episode of ABC’s “Shark Tank” on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 10 p.m. (Eastern time). Dee and Angie Cowger, owners of Custard Stand Food Products, were invited to pitch a […]
Popkoff’s Opens New Production Facility In City Of Industry
Popkoff’s—makers of all-natural Russian dumplings—has opened a new state-of-the-art food production facility in City of Industry, California, to meet the growing demand for its frozen food products. The company recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new factory location at 18901 Railroad Street. The 40,000-s.f. facility is able to produce about 40,000 pounds of Pelmeni […]
Williams Named Director Of Produce, Floral Merchandising At Coborn’s
Coborn’s has hired Tom Williams as director of produce and floral merchandising, reporting to VP of Fresh Merchandising Emily Coborn. As director of produce and floral, Williams will develop and lead the implementation of produce and floral merchandising strategies for the company’s various retail divisions, including Coborn’s, Cash Wise, Marketplace Foods and CobornsDelivers. He will […]
2016’s Most Innovative Consumer Products Awarded
Product of the Year USA, the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, has revealed its 2016 award winners. The winning products are selected through the votes of more than 40,000 consumers in a national representative survey each year conducted by research partner TNS, a global leader in consumer research. “Consumers are looking for quick, in-and-out […]
Brookshire Brothers Celebrates Canyon Lake, Texas, Opening
Brookshire Brothers says the Canyon Lake, Texas, community showed up in big numbers on Feb. 3 for its new store’s soft opening there. The ribbon was officially cut today (Feb. 10) during a ceremony that featured the local high school band, prizes and sampling. The grocer said the event kicked off of a month of grand […]
ZeroWater ‘Filters For Flint’ Doubles Donations With Help From Target
On the coattails of a donation program for the residents of Flint, Michigan, Target has announced a donation of 5,000 ZeroWater filters, a figure that ZeroWater will match through its “Filters for Flint” program, bringing the total to 10,000 units being donated to the United Way of Genesee County. Target’s contribution more than doubles the total donations to date through […]
Specialty Snack Company Opens Global Headquarters In Tennessee
Pure Foods, a specialty snack company, celebrated the opening of its global headquarters and primary manufacturing location late last month at Gateway Commerce Park in Kingsport, Tennessee. The 88,000-s.f., state-of-the-art manufacturing facility produces nutrient-dense and reduced-fat snack foods for distribution in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. “Today marks an exciting new chapter for Pure Foods […]
