Frozen Foods

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Regional healthy supermarket chain Earth Fare here has tapped Erik King, a veteran in the natural food industry, for the position of category manager.

ST. LOUIS -- Schnuck Markets, Inc. has promoted three senior managers to positions under new disciplines, and also made staff realignments in its meat, seafood and deli departments.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- Hy-Vee, Inc., based here, will start construction on an 80,000-square-foot store in Sioux Falls, Iowa, on the site of a vacant former Kmart due for demolition. The store, which will feature such amenities as bigger baby and pet departments, is expected to open in spring 2007.

OMAHA, Neb. -- ConAgra Foods here said it plans to divest most of its refrigerated meats businesses, including the Armour, Butterball, and Eckrich brands. In addition, the company announced several changes designed to streamline its operating structure, including moving its grocery foods headquarters from Irvine, Calif., to Naperville, Ill., and further centralizing its shared services.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart here said plans to purchase all of its wild-caught fresh and frozen fish for the North American market from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified fisheries within the next three to five years, as part of a commitment to offering sustainable products at affordable prices to its customers.

NEW YORK -- Struggling to find a revitalized identity after the bursting of the low-carb bubble slowed the industry's growth to less than 1 percent in 2005, weight-loss product marketers are refocusing their energies on low fat, low sugar, and low glycemic index products to regain market momentum, according to a new study by market research firm Packaged Facts.

Fears of avian influenza aside, domestic poultry's status as a leading protein looks secure.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. --The 39,690-square-foot Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market that opened yesterday in Albuquerque, N.M. represented a milestone in at least two respects: The store is the 100th Neighborhood Market in the United States, and the first to open in New Mexico.