Nonfoods

NEW YORK -- FreshDirect, the online fresh food manufacturing and delivery service, yesterday launched FreshDining and Stir-Fry Kits, created to provide customers with more healthful quick meal solutions.

PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. plans make approximately $1.6 billion in cash capital expenditures in 2006, to complete 20-25 new stores and remodel approximately 280 stores, the company said during its investor conference yesterday.

WASHINGTON -- The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) here said yesterday that e.v.p. Mark Baum will resign from the trade association to join consulting firm DiamondCluster International as partner in January 2006.

ROCKVILLE, Md.-- MOM's -- short for My Organic Market -- a Washington, D.C.-area retail grocer of fresh organic and pre-packaged foods, said yesterday that it had launched its "Think Outside the Bag" initiative to reduce the grocery bags it uses by half.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Wegmans Food Markets here has denied overseas reports that No. 1 U.K. food retailer Tesco is interested in expanding its U.S. presence by possibly buying the Northeast regional grocer.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Minneapolis-based Sunflower Markets, the fledgling natural foods division of grocery wholesalerretailer Supervalu Inc., plans to open a 13,800-square-foot store at here near Ohio State University in mid-2006, as a step in a rollout of the format that one executive reportedly said could render as many of 50 units in five years.

HOUSTON -- Celebrating a yearly tradition that supports its hometown, Houston Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association presented its 19th annual Gift of Produce to the Houston Food Bank Friday at Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston. Since its inception, the Gift of Produce program has grown from a yield of 100,000 pounds of produce the first year to more than 1 million pounds each year for the past five years.

BOSTON -- Food retailers here are pressing the state government to allow more of them to sell wine in their stores.