Trading Partners

As popular low-carb diets urge consumers to kiss spuds goodbye, potato producers whip into damage-control mode.

Organic and all-natural groceries have skyrocketed in popularity, the result of consumers embracing a healthier lifestyle and the introduction of more accessible products.

Low-carb mania is sweeping the nation, but is it a lifestyle change or just another oat bran-style fad?

TUCSON, Ariz. - Wild Oats Natural Marketplace here has begun offering biodegradable containers in its deli sections that resemble regular clear plastic made from petroleum products, but the tubs are really made from cornstarch that's said to break down in seven weeks if composted, the Arizona Daily Star reports..

INDIANAPOLIS - Marsh Supermarkets, Inc. here said its net income for its third quarter ended Jan. 3 jumped 89 percent to $2.3 million from $1.3 million a year ago. Diluted earnings per common share were 29 cents, compared with 15 cents last year.

CINCINNATI - It's time to reset the coffee aisle again, now that the Procter & Gamble Co. here has helped develop a new coffee maker that allows consumers to make Starbucks-quality coffee in their own homes, at a fraction of the cost.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - The Perishables Group and ACNielsen U.S., an operating unit of ACNielsen, a VNU business, announced a first of its kind partnership to provide perishables retailers and suppliers with unprecedented category management information for the all-important supermarket fresh foods categories.

Cutting-edge research, laxer labeling, and a renewed focus on health prevention make the timing right for functional foods.