Nonfoods

Their products have already joined the mainstream, but natural/organic baby food manufacturers keep upping the ante for consumers by introducing exciting new items to the segment.

A visit to the recent 55th Summer Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York late last month left me in no doubt that there are more types of center store products than ever to tickle consumers’ fancies making it all the more important that smart retailers edit their assortments and product mixes judiciously, to avoid sensory (not to mention wallet) overload.

After a successful test of a new store format aimed at Hispanic shoppers, Food Lion is expanding the program, “Sabor Latino” (“Latin Flavor”), in three North Carolina markets, according to a published report.

The Food and Drug Administration’s position on acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is giving parent company Johnson & Johnson a branding headache, according to researcher YouGov.

Africa is a big place. Covering more than 11 million square miles, it is the second-largest continent in the world, and home to over 700 million people. Made up of 54 countries, with over 1,000 official languages, Africa is generally considered to be the birthplace of human evolution. Yet, despite all of this cultural diversity, African cuisines have long eluded the shelves of U.S. supermarkets -until now.

Americans Against Food Taxes, a new coalition of concerned individuals, working families, and small and large businesses, will combat new taxes on beverages and food, including a tax on juice drinks and soda currently under consideration by some members of Congress. Last week, the coalition launched a Web site, www.nobeverageandfoodtaxes.com.

A recent poll by the American Meat Institute (AMI) has uncovered a troubling lack of knowledge among the public about meat and poultry handling, cooking and safety.

Altierre Corp. has expanded its line of wireless sensor network applications with the addition of digital temperature tags that monitor hot, refrigerated and freezer cases, and act as a warning system to help prevent spoilage due to temperature changes.