Month: August 2012

NPD: Consumer Combo Meals Declining

August 2, 2012 The NPD Group, Inc.

Combo meals, the order-by-number bundled meals that make ordering easy for customers and yielded larger orders for restaurant operators, are down about one billion servings since 2007, according to The NPD Group, a leading market research firm. A recently released NPD foodservice market research report finds that smaller lunch and supper meals, more and better value offerings, price concerns, and composition of meal are among the contributors to combo meal declines. …

Albuquerque, NM's Pastian's Bakery Hit A Landmark 40th Anniversary

August 2, 2012 Rosalie Rayburn, Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque cake and pastry icon Pastian’s Bakery hit a landmark 40th anniversary this week. Pastian’s ovens and bakers have been turning out breads, cakes, buns and pastries for retail and wholesale customers around town since 1972. …

ABA Opposes FDA Plans For Consumer Survey On Added Sugar Labeling

August 2, 2012 American Bakers Association

ABA submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opposing plans to conduct a consumer response study on added sugar labeling. ABA noted labeling of added sugars would contradict FDA’s historic science-based approach to labeling. ABA also questioned why FDA would proceed when the agency would not have the authority to enforce such a policy. …

All Things Baking – Julie Bashore Leads "The Business Of Cakes" Seminar

August 2, 2012 Retail Bakers of America (RBA)

The Retail Bakers of America brings you All Things Baking 2012 so you can be ahead of the curve on trends and techniques.  If you are a retail baker, food service professional, supplier or just hoping to be a future baker, you should attend All Things Baking on September 9-11, 2012 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Take three days to gather ideas, find inspiration and attend educational sessions. …

Chobani Takes Gold In The Yogurt Aisle

August 2, 2012 Meghan Walsh, Bloomberg Businessweek

Four years ago, when the Summer Olympics were held in Beijing, traditional yogurt dominated supermarket shelves. Greek yogurt was a niche product, with little awareness among consumers; annual sales totaled a paltry $60 million. Chobani was an obscure company operating out of a dilapidated Kraft factory in the hills of central New York. …