Nonfoods

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. posted higher-than-expected third-quarter earnings and an increased profit forecast for the balance of the fiscal year, which ends in June after tabbing net income of $16.6 million or 30 cents per share, vs. $15 million or 28 cents per share for the same period a year ago.

The folks at Heineken USA should give themselves a toast in celebration of the more than $500,000 the company has raised in support of local nonprofit organizations and charities since the founding of its “Heineken with a Heart” initiative in late 2007.

As part of a company-wide plan aiming to position its stores as “the place” for fresh beef, Supervalu has launched a new Stockman & Dakota branded line of premium USDA Choice Angus beef that’s now available nationwide at the Minneapolis-based retailer’s family of stores.

The companion-animal medical market has witnessed strong growth due to increased pet ownership around the world and the growing bond between owners and their pets, leading companies to ramp up their offerings of pet care and luxury services, which range from cancer and arthritis treatments to cat and dog massages, acupuncture and specialty services.

As part of its “Refresh Everything” campaign, Pepsi has added new fizz to its beverage portfolio by employing basic ingredients, with the recent rollout of three new products: Pepsi Natural, Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback. All are sweetened with natural sugar.

As summer approaches, frozen goodies beckon. Del Monte Foods has a new product called Fruit Chillers Freeze & Eat Tubes that offers a fun, cold treat for kids and adults. The product consists of sorbet packaged in a thin tube that contains no artificial flavors or corn syrup. Flavors include Strawberry Snow Storm and Grape Berry Blizzard.

Store closing sales began Friday at 25 Bruno’s, Food World and FoodMax supermarkets in Alabama and Florida, at which discounts of up to 50 percent are being offered on a huge inventory of brand foods and beverages, household products and general merchandise.

A comprehensive new study by multicultural research firm New American Dimensions in conjunction with the U.S. African Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Bruce Corrie, the Minneapolis Foundation and Aguilar Productions, has found that the growing number of African immigrants in the United States represent a unique cultural market that is largely untapped, and that these consumers, who wield an estimated $50 billion in purchasing power, maintain connections to their friends and families in their native countries as well as preserving native traditions in such areas as food, music and entertainment.