Campbell Soup Company and Symington plan to re-launch the Condensed Soups brand of canned soups in the UK after an absence that began in March 2008 when Premier Foods declined to relicense the brand. The soup range will include flavors from the original lineup and will add Low Fat Chicken and Low Fat Mushroom. Campbell developed the soup varieties for the UK market and promotion and marketing will play to the insight that some 70% of the use of condensed soups was as a cooking ingredient.

The FDA has warned HBB, L.L.C. that the agency can confiscate the melatonin-flavored brownies the company sells under the Lazy Larry brand. HBB has marketed the brownies as a dietary supplement, but the FDA letter says the product is promoted for use as a conventional food. The FDA argues the product is marketed together with snack foods; the company's web site claims the product has "the same ingredients your mother uses to make brownies;" and the product is packaged as a brownie. HBB has 15 days from receipt of the FDA warning letter to correct the situation.

Private labels are growing but consumers are returning to their favorite brands, according to SymphonyIRI Group's MarketPulse survey which found that while 46% of consumers were giving up their favorite brand to save money in 2010, that figure is down to 38% today. Also, results of the 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend reveal that consumer perceptions of CPG brands recovered following a decline in 2009. National brands have been helped by innovation and efforts to keep their products fresh and relevant. For example, ConAgra’s introduction of Marie Callender’s Bakes brought 12% more buyers to the frozen multi-serve category and increased the buy rate by 18%.

Sales of organic foods and beverages in the UK decreased 3 percent in the 12-month period ending mid-June 2011, an improvement over the 12 percent decline in the same period of the previous year, according to the Soil Association. Economic slowdown and rising food prices adversely affected the organic food market and a survey by consumer group Which? found that 38 per centof consumers are now less likely to buy organic meat compared to a year ago, and 43 per cent are less likely to buy organic fruit and vegetables. Analysts expect the market for organic foods and beverages to grow gradually in the near term, while its long-term growth prospects depend on the market's ability to persuade consumers of the health and lifestyle benefits offered by organic food products.

Prince Charles decried consumers' lack of understanding of the benefits of organic and sustainable farming and acknowledged that despite his 20-year campaign for organic food products through his Duchy Originals food line, consumers still do not grasp the benefits of organic farming, or understand the risks posed by conventional farming. Of particular concern is consumer reluctance to pay more for a superior product. UK pig farmers struggle to compete with those that have lower welfare stands and high operating costs is forcing them to use genetically modified soy from South America for feeds, although some farms purchase local feeds resources when they can afford it. He also pointed to the "perversion of the subsidies system" that causes consumers to pay more for organic farm produce  although organic farming brings other benefits.

 

 

High doses of zinc in lozenges shorten the episodes of the common cold, according to a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials. Results showed that low doses (less than 75 mg daily) failed to reduce the risk of common cold and pneumonia while high doses (over 75 mg) on average reduced the cold duration by 42%. Authors believe the evidence is strong that zinc lozenges affects common cold durations and recommend further studies to determine the best dosage and compositions, as well as treatment designs.

The European Commission is revising the European Union's policy regarding marketing of food products with claimed health benefits that  will prompt food manufacturers to find other ways to market their products and any related health claims. European Food Safety Authority plans to publish the final batch of article 13.1 claims opinions, as the EC plans to present its "Union List" draft article to the Standing Committee in December 2011, and while commentators expect the Union List to contain many approved claims for vitamins and supplements, suppliers will likely need to make many changes to be compliant, including making changes in labelling and packaging. 

McDonald's announced plans to revise its menu to include more options for families and children who want more nutritious food servings from the country's leading fast-food chain. The company's "Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices" program won praise from US First Lady Michelle Obama and includes promotion of children's well-being and expansion of nutritionally balanced menu options. It also aims to expand customer access to nutrition information, while seeking to reduce sodium content of McDonald's menu offerings. McDonald's will introduce a revised, healthier version of the Happy Meal, as the food chain continues its support for the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. A proposed "listening tour" will help McDonald's hear inputs from parents and nutrition experts, while third-party evaluators will help assess the program's performance and impact.

Walmart has appointed SymphonyIRI as its technology provider for its Customer Advantage Web-based collaborative planning and customer data management platform. The technology will utilize SymphonyIRI's Consumer Network and Liquid Data technologies and marketing analytics to help Walmart and its suppliers keep track of customers, their shopping behavior, and requirements. Manufacturers will also benefit from the system's features, which will let them understand better and provide for customers' needs. Customer Advantage will allow the retailer and its suppliers to collaborate to upgrade planning, marketing, and expansion planning, according to Walmart and SymphonyIRI.

Subway has added bread with enhanced calcium and vitamin D content to its menu lineup and claims that each 6-inch serving of Subway sandwiches provides 30 percent of the recommended daily value of calcium and 20 percent of vitamin D. Subway  move plays to concerns about average poor nutrition: the Centers for Disease Control and the Institute of Medicine have both warned  about Americans' failure to consume sufficient nutrients, saying, for example, that less than 33 per cent of older people get the recommended intake for Vitamin D.

A study revealed that UK teenagers have little enthusiasm for interacting with brands on Facebook, with 31% saying they'd prefer no brand engagement.  Of the remaining 69% that is (at least somewhat) willing to have brand interaction, keeping informed was the most popular way (81%), with brands using some form of entertainment identified as the preferred route. Teenagers did say they like taking part in online competitions, having discount offers, and having pre-launch access to new products. One caution for brands is that 'talking to me like a real person' ranked highly, underlining the need for appropriate and authentic interactions.

A study on durum pasta revealed that adding dietary fibers to pasta can improve its health benefits without compromising culinary and sensory qualities, but only within certain limits of substitution. Researchers analyzed the cooking properties, sensory characteristics, fiber content, antioxidant properties, and starch digestibility of spaghetti made with durum semolina augmented with varying amounts of durum bran or germ dehydrated at high temperatures. Results showed that pasta made with duram bran or duram germ (pollard) had unattractive sensory and cooking properties, but offers more dietary fibers and antioxidants than regular pasta does. For pollard the study found that pasta made at 10% pollard has minimal impact but beyond 30% it netagively impacts the pasta.

Kraft Foods is supporting a UK-based consortium to build a large recycling plant incorporating Enval's patented materials recovery technology as part of an effort to develop industry best practice.  The recycling technology will enable manufacturers and their suppliers to recycle materials used in their products and packaging, including those that were previously unrecyclable, such as plastic aluminium-foil flexible packaging laminates. This has encouraged several commercial goods and packaging companies to join the consortium that will finance the recycling plant's construction. Enval plans to ultimately sell its recycling technology to waste-handling service providers.

Some of the largest grocery retailers in the US have agreed to join the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) to bring access to healthy and affordable food to about 10 million Americans in the next five years. Brown's Super Stores, Calhoun Enterprises, Klein's Family Markets, SUPERVALU, Walgreens, and Walmart have agreed to build or expand more than 1,500 stores in economically depressed areas currently not served by retailers that sell inexpensive and nutritious foods, and where about 23.5 million Americans live. Walmart plans to build or enlarge up to 300 new stores as part of its partnership with the PHA, while Calhouns Grocery will build 10 new stores in Alabama and Tennessee. SUPERVALU will build 250 new stores, while Brown's Super Stores and Klein's Family Markets have committed to open one new store each.

Sales of private label brands in the U.S. grew 1.8 share points from end of 2007 to account for 22.3 percent of the retail market by end of 2008. Store brands benefited from better quality and reputation and from consumers' search for ways to save as they deal with the effects of the Great Recession of 2008–2009. Nielsen research reveals 75 percent of consumers see store brands as a good substitute for national brands. Since the end of 2008, however, growth in market shares of food, drug, and mass store brands has remained flat, with national brands accounting for a commanding 78 percent of consumer packaged goods sales. To further grow their store brands, retailers need to increase their product variety, maintain the affordability of their products, emphasize quality, and develop robust brand equity. They should also connect with younger consumers without losing their appeal to older customers.

Unilever held a ground-breaking ceremony for the Unilever Four Acres, the company's proposed global leadership development center in Singapore. The company said the planned center highlights Unilever's commitment to emerging markets, particularly in Asia, which accounts for more than half of the company's total turnover. Unilever expects the center to help the company develop a global pool of management talent and help fuel its growth efforts.

Manufacturers of consumer packaged goods (CPGs) in North America used promotions, such as coupons and in-store deals, to sell almost a quarter of their goods in 2010, according to a study by Terra Technology. Use of promotions remained below typical levels, which are 30 percent to 50 percent of volume; however, the volume of CPGs sold during promotions grew 80 percent from year-ago levels. Also, the total volume of CPGs sold from promotions grew from 13 percent to 23 percent of the overall volume of goods. The economic slowdown seemed to have encouraged consumers to look for deals, driving the increase in use of promotions.

Nestlé has agreed with the Hsu family to acquire 60% of Hsu Fu Chi, a Singapore-listed manufacturer and distributor of confectionery products in China. The Hsu family will retain 40% of the company, with Hsu Chen remaining as CEO and chairman of Hsu Fu Chi. Nestlé offers to buy the shares of the company's independent shareholders who account for 43.5% of the shares in Hsu Fu Chi as part of the deal, which is subject to approval by regulators in China.

A bipartisan group of legislators from the U.S. House and Senate has called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to not approve the genetically engineered (GE) salmon developed by AquaBounty. The U.S. House approved an amendment that seeks to keep the FDA from approving the GE salmon. Lawmakers, salmon industry leaders, and consumer groups oppose the GE salmon, which they claim can destroy the "genetic adaptations" of wild salmon populations. AquaBounty, however, claims that its GE salmon poses no health risks to humans and that GE salmons will be kept away from natural salmon populations.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin has called for revisions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food commodity programs to allow states to purchase local agricultural produce for local school feeding programs and other nutrition programs. Shumlin proposed a voucher system that would allow states to use federal funds on food produced by local farmers. In 2010, U.S. Representative Peter Welch proposed legislation with similar objectives, but it failed to get traction in Congress. However, Shumlin believes states can bypass Congress and deal directly with the Agriculture Department.

Campbell Soup Co. plans to increase the salt content of its Select Harvest soups, a reversal of the company's move to lower sodium content a few years ago. Declines in sales prompted Campbell Soup to increase salt content from 480mg to 650mg per serving, a decision that dismayed health proponents. Too much salt in diet has been linked to negative health effects, such as high blood pressure and heart attacks.

The global probiotics market reached $21.6 billion in sales in 2010 and is forecast to expand to $31.1 billion by 2015, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.6%, according to the report "The Probiotics Market: Ingredients, Supplements, Foods," by MarketResearch.com. Research shows that probiotic foods accounted for 90.1% of total probiotic sales with $19.6 billion, which is expected to reach $28.1 billion in 2015. Probiotics supplements accounted for 6.4% of total sales or $1.3 billion, and are forecast to reach $2.07 billion in 2015.