Specialty Food News

NUMI Organic Tea is planing to expand into new markets, accelerate new product development, round out the senior management team and support projected growth via a $1.8 million investment from TBL Capital. NUMI Organic Tea is a premium, organic and fair trade tea company specializing in a special line up of full-leaf teas, fresh pure herbs and an innovative line of flowering teas. Full Story

United Natural Foods, Inc. plans to relocate its New Oxford, PA operations to a new 675,000-sq. ft. distribution facility in York, PA. The York distribution center is expected to commence operations towards the end of 2008 and will serve as a hub for customers in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Full Story

Clearly Canadian Brands signed a letter of intent to acquire Baldwin Street Kosher, which produces Gourmet Hot Dogs, Sausages, Salami's and other Kosher/Gluten Free Meat Products. Full Story

Tropical Smoothie Café plans to open up to 72 locations throughout Chicago in the next six years. The chain's move into Illinois is part of a greater expansion effort to open roughly 1,300 restaurants across the country in the next five years, reported Crain's Chicago Business. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Chicago-based Goose Island Beer Co. will close its original brew pub by year-end because it lost its lease. The company, which sells its beers and handcrafted sodas in 15 states and Europe, will continue to operate its Wrigleyville Brew Pub, reported Chicago Sun-Times. Full Story

Maurice Lenell Cooky Co.'s assets are scheduled to be sold at auction May 7. The company that produces Jelly Stars, Almonettes and other cookies will likely stay in business, however, it is uncertain whether it will remain in Chicago, reported Chicago Sun-Times. Full Story

Some 3.2% of U.S. adults, or 7.3 million people, follow a vegetarian-based diet, according to Vegetarian Times' Vegetarianism in America report. Approximately 0.5%, or one million, of those are vegans. In addition, 10% of U.S. adults, or 22.8 million people, report following a vegetarian-inclined diet. Full Story

Colorado's governor signed into law a bill that allows liquor stores to open Sundays, making the state the 35th to do so, reported Rocky Mountain News. Full Story

Restaurant users rated both nutritional disclosure and responding to nutritional concerns among the four most important social issues for the restaurant industry to address, according to Technomic's latest study of consumer attitudes toward corporate social responsibility in the restaurant industry. Full Story

Fortune addresses how to get products on Whole Foods' shelves. For instance, food producers should confirm that what they are offering is new; products need to increase sales and bring in different customers in order to be picked up by the retailer. Full Story

CSM reached agreement to acquire Harden Fine Foods for $12.6 million. UK-based Harden Fine Foods is a supplier of cakes to in-store bakeries, as well as out-of-home market segments, reported Reuters. Full Story

NUMI Organic Tea is planing to expand into new markets, accelerate new product development, round out the senior management team and support projected growth via a $1.8 million investment from TBL Capital. NUMI Organic Tea is a premium, organic and fair trade tea company specializing in a special line up of full-leaf teas, fresh pure herbs and an innovative line of flowering teas. Full Story

United Natural Foods, Inc. plans to relocate its New Oxford, PA operations to a new 675,000-sq. ft. distribution facility in York, PA. The York distribution center is expected to commence operations towards the end of 2008 and will serve as a hub for customers in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Full Story

Clearly Canadian Brands signed a letter of intent to acquire Baldwin Street Kosher, which produces Gourmet Hot Dogs, Sausages, Salami's and other Kosher/Gluten Free Meat Products. Full Story

Tropical Smoothie Café plans to open up to 72 locations throughout Chicago in the next six years. The chain's move into Illinois is part of a greater expansion effort to open roughly 1,300 restaurants across the country in the next five years, reported Crain's Chicago Business. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Chicago-based Goose Island Beer Co. will close its original brew pub by year-end because it lost its lease. The company, which sells its beers and handcrafted sodas in 15 states and Europe, will continue to operate its Wrigleyville Brew Pub, reported Chicago Sun-Times. Full Story

Maurice Lenell Cooky Co.'s assets are scheduled to be sold at auction May 7. The company that produces Jelly Stars, Almonettes and other cookies will likely stay in business, however, it is uncertain whether it will remain in Chicago, reported Chicago Sun-Times. Full Story

Some 3.2% of U.S. adults, or 7.3 million people, follow a vegetarian-based diet, according to Vegetarian Times' Vegetarianism in America report. Approximately 0.5%, or one million, of those are vegans. In addition, 10% of U.S. adults, or 22.8 million people, report following a vegetarian-inclined diet. Full Story Colorado's governor signed into law a bill that allows liquor stores to open Sundays, making the state the 35th to do so, reported Rocky Mountain News. Full Story

Restaurant users rated both nutritional disclosure and responding to nutritional concerns among the four most important social issues for the restaurant industry to address, according to Technomic's latest study of consumer attitudes toward corporate social responsibility in the restaurant industry. Full Story

Fortune addresses how to get products on Whole Foods' shelves. For instance, food producers should confirm that what they are offering is new; products need to increase sales and bring in different customers in order to be picked up by the retailer. Full Story

CSM reached agreement to acquire Harden Fine Foods for $12.6 million. UK-based Harden Fine Foods is a supplier of cakes to in-store bakeries, as well as out-of-home market segments, reported Reuters. Full Story

A government recommended diet, called the DASH diet shows strong evidence for lowering blood pressure, according to a study of more than 88,000 women over 25 years. The DASH diet favors fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and plant-based protein over meat. Women with these eating habits were 24% less likely to have a heart attack and 18% less likely to have a stroke than women with more typical American diets, reported CBSNEWS.com. Full Story

Green Mountain Coffee launched a line of Single Origin coffees, which include: Colombian Fair Trade Select, Guatemalan Finca Dos Marias, Kenyan Highland Cooperatives, Mexican Decaf Huatusco Cooperative, Sumatran Lake Tawar, and Tanzanian Gombe Reserve. Full Story

Amish Naturals, Inc. launched a line of 100% all-natural Chewy Granola Bars in four varieties, which will be available nationwide. Full Story

Omega Farms introduced Low-Fat Chocolate Milk fortified with Omega-3's to its line of dairy products. Full Story

NEW STORE NEWS: Rutter's Farm Store closed a York, PA location in preparation for a new 5,200-sq. ft. store set to be completed by July, reported York Daily Record. Full Story ...

The Sunflower Farmers Market opened a store in Boulder, CO, reported Rocky Mountain News. Full Story