SPECIALTY FOOD NEWS

The organic food market has been impacted by the same forces that have driven grocery prices up sharply over the past year, namely a growing demand for food in China and a global biofuels boom. Meanwhile, U.S. farmers have not kept pace with demand for organic food, sales of which shot up 21% in 2006, and that has also sent prices soaring, reported The Associated Press. Full Story

Exclusive store brands could become even more popular among consumers this year as higher food prices and a sluggish economy have shoppers looking for ways to lower grocery bills, reported The Charlotte Observer. Over the past five years, store brands have consistently made up about 16% of supermarket sales, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association. Full Story (Free Registration Required) •

Press Release Ciao Bella Gelato partnered with Nippon Coffee Trading Co., Ltd. to roll out its products in Japan. The company's pint and mini-cup line can now be found in the Seijo Ishii and National Azabu supermarket chains in the country. Full Story

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is refining plans it submitted to launch smaller grocery markets in four cities southeast of Phoenix, according to planning officials in Arizona, reported The Los Angles Times. It is not known when Wal-Mart will open the stores in the suburban communities of Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa and Tempe. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

For Immediate Release: News from the Specialty Food Trade

Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products, Sebastopol, Calif., launches Gaucho's Fuerte Mate Blend, the first espresso yerba mate designed for preparation in a coffee maker. Full Release

Barry Callebaut AG is planning to open a Chocolate Academy in Chicago, where pastry chefs, bakers and other culinary professionals can take classes on working with chocolate. It will be the tenth academy worldwide and the first in the U.S., which is expected to open by June, reported Crain's Chicago Business. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

The grape growers of Suisun Valley, CA, are determined to grow the region's identity, increase the number of wineries located there and produce higher-value wines. Because the area is not as well known as Napa and Sonoma, its grapes get lower prices, reported East Bay Business Times. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

The Penn Traffic Co. is closing five underperforming supermarkets in New York and Pennsylvania as it continues trying to improve its financial position. The New York stores include P&C supermarkets in Plattsburgh and Horseheads and the Pennsylvania stores include three BiLo supermarkets in Erie, Somerset, and Altoona, reported The Associated Press. Full Story

The realignment of Alimentation Couche-Tard's U.S. business units will allow it to expand the number of stores in each region to 400-500 units as well as maintain its decentralized business model, according to Convenience Store News. Full Story

An independent grocery chain known for exclusive items, Hiller's Markets, is adding two stores. The new stores should add about $60 million in annual revenue to the $180 million the chain rings up in sales. Each store carries more than 5,000 items, including many that are gluten-free, free of peanut oil or organic, according to Detroit Free Press. Full Story

Amish Naturals, Inc.'s organic pasta line will be available at Kings Super Markets Inc. by March 2008. Full Story

A class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of purchasers of the common stock of Panera Bread Co. between Nov. 1, 2005 and July 26, 2006, according to Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation. The complaint alleges that during that time, Panera violated federal securities laws by issuing various materially false and misleading statements that had the effect of artificially inflating the market price of the company's securities. Full Story

A growing appreciation for hops' natural antimicrobial benefits led to an expansion of its use in products such as processed sugar, animal feed and tea, according to the Agricultural Research Service. Full Story

Yogurts containing "friendly bacteria" are being used as part of a trial to cut the risk of patients developing superbugs at a UK hospital, reported BBC News. Full Story