Nonfoods

NEW YORK -- According to double-blind taste tests conducted in 10 locations across the country by Meyers Research Center for the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), consumers by a 51-percent-to-49-percent say the prefer the taste of private label items over their national brand counterparts in 12 popular categories.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. -- The Associate Member Council (AMC) of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) awarded its CPG Award to the Campbell Soup Co. here during the GMA Executive Conference. The award is given annually by the AMC to companies that show superior innovation, creativity, and industry collaboration.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. -- The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) announced this weekend that Richard H. Lenny, chairman, president and c.e.o. of the Hershey Co., has been elected as the new chairman of the GMA board of directors for a two-year term. The announcement came during GMA's Executive Conference here.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Cargill today said it acquired Integrated Bakery Resources (IBR), a provider of pre-mix systems, finished foods and related marketing services to North American-based bakers and retailers.

WILMINGTON, Del. --Timed to coincide with the release of the Fantastic Four's first movie in July, a collaboration between the Produce for Better Health Foundation and Wal-Mart Stores hopes to find families flying the produce departments at over 1,700 Wal-Mart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets on June 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to "Build a Fantastic You with 5 A Day The Color Way."

STELLARTON, NS, Canada -- Sobeys Inc. yesterday launched a Website, complimentscanada.ca, and a magazine called Inspired, two new communication vehicles designed to make food shopping easier and inspire Canadians with better food choices and more information.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Kroger led all retail banners last year in frequency and page participation of co-marketing promotions with CPG companies, according to a new white paper from marketing information company Marx Promotion Intelligence/TNS Media Intelligence.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- Over the course of the next few months, Hy-Vee, Inc. will change the name of its 26-store Drug Town subsidiary to Hy-Vee Drugstores, a move that company officials say will better reflects the relationship between the retailer's two formats.