Specialty Food News

The Hershey Co. aims to increase Kiss sales by rethinking its packaging and marketing strategies. The company is also considering changes to the Hershey Miniatures and Nuggets lines, according to its chief executive David West, reported The Times-Leader. Full Story

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. bought the rights to the Emeril Lagasse franchise of cookbooks, kitchen products and television shows for up to $70 million. The deal should close in the second quarter, according to the company. Full Story

Albertsons LLC is merging two of its divisions to increase efficiencies. Under the merger plan, 35 of the 37 stores in the Rocky Mountain division will join the 81 stores in the Southwest division. Two stores in the former Rocky Mountain division, in Scottsbluff, NE and Rapid City, SD, are being sold to Nash Finch Co., reported Supermarket News. Full Story

For Immediate Release: News from the Specialty Food Trade

vere, a New York City-based chocolate company, launches a new line of 100 percent organic dark chocolate bars handmade at the source in Ecuador Full Release

The Hogue and Mercer families formed Mercer Wine Estates LLC, which will do business as Mercer Estates and release its first batch of wine Feb. 19. Based in Prosser, WA, the winery will use 150 acres of white grapes grown by the Hogues in the Columbia Valley and 120 acres of red grapes grown by the Mercers in the Horse Heaven Hills, between the Yakima and Columbia rivers, reported Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle). Full Story (Free Registration Required

Meal preparation company Entrée Vous plans to double its presence in 2008, which could include several more stores in the North Carolina area. The company has 50 locations in the U.S. and 100 more in development, reported The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

For Immediate Release: News from the Specialty Food Trade

To keep up with a sharp increase in retail sales, Cackalacky Condiment Company, Chapel Hill, N.C., has joined with Peppers, Inc. to field inbound customer calls. Full Release

Canadian retailer Planet Organic Health Corp. signed a Letter of Intent to acquire 100% of the shares of New Leaf Community Markets, a natural foods retailer in Northern California, for $9.7 million. Full Story

The Washington Post examines the loss of inner-city supermarkets in New York's five boroughs. Today there are one-third fewer supermarkets in New York's five boroughs than there were six years ago, said Lawrence Sarf, president of retail consulting company F&D Reports. Soaring real estate values are prompting property owners throughout the city to shutter grocery stores and sell to developers, according to city officials, supermarket owners and industry analysts. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

SABMiller reiterated its ambitions to expand into the Russian beer market, though it will not stray from its current strategy of driving organic growth. The company has no current plans for acquisitions within the region, a policy that has remained unchanged over the last few years, according to a spokesperson, reported Food Production Daily. Full Story

Several entrepreneurial ventures are planning to open small markets in Pittsburgh, joining other small markets springing up around the country. Chicago-based McCaffery Interests, for example, reached a deal with grocery veteran Robert Stone, who will open a 22,000-sq. ft. organic market called Right by Nature, reported Pittsburgh Business Times. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Omega-3 and green tea extracts have come out as excellent choices for companies aiming to cash-in on the emerging mood foods section, according to Frost & Sullivan. The mood food sector has risen over the last few years as companies attempt to benefit from food's ability to stimulate neurotransmitters, reported Food Production Daily. Full Story

Haagen-Dazs launched a new flavor, Vanilla Honey Bee, and is also tagging all of its honey bee-dependent flavors with a "HD loves HB" icon. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the new flavor and all HD loves HB tagged flavors will be used to fund a $250,000 donation to UC Davis and Penn State to research honey bees. Full Story

Black pepper could provide a new treatment for the skin disease vitiligo, research in the British Journal of Dermatology suggests. Researchers discovered that piperine, the compound that gives black pepper its spicy, pungent flavor, can stimulate pigmentation in the skin, reported BBC News. Full Story

NEW STORE NEWS: Mikuni Restaurant Group will open a Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Lone Tree, CO, reported Sacramento Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required) ...

A 50,000-sq. ft. Whole Foods Market will open in Scottsdale, AZ on Feb. 27, reported evliving.com. Full Story