Company Watch

• Tabasco sales heat up during football season
  The Super Bowl looms large in the history of Tabasco, invented by Edmund McIlhenny after the Civil War and still in the McIlhenny family. "The Super Bowl event is the single biggest month for hot sauce. It's huge," said Paul McIlhenny, the current chief executive of Louisiana company, which sees demand for its hot sauces spike during football season. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (2/3)     

• Other News

• AB InBev acquisition proposal faces Justice Department roadblock
  The Wall Street Journal (2/3)     

	Financing and the latest industry trends How much will consumer concerns about the overall economy continue to impact commodities? Is the USDA raising or lowering production estimates for 2013? Learn about these key developments, GE Capital's industry financing trends and more. Download GE's latest food & beverage Industry Research Update now.

Trends

• Snack cakes fill Twinkie-shaped hole in the market
  Safeway and Lund are among retailers creating private-label snack cakes similar to Twinkies and Hostess Cupcakes, which have not been available since Hostess Brands declared bankruptcy late last year. Supermarket News (free registration) (2/1)     

• Hass avocado consumption tops 1.5 billion pounds
  Sales of Hass avocados were up 34% in 2012, exceeding 1.5 billion pounds. "Stronger avocado supply is motivating retailers to promote the fruit more aggressively, generating increased velocity at point of sale," said Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board. Progressive Grocer (2/1)     

• Poll shows popularity of specialty cheese
  In a survey of retailers, 61% said they have a specialty-cheese department, and 24% said they offer no specialty cheese. High-quality cheese is popular with customers, and independent retailers, in particular, are offering more choices as a way to differentiate themselves. Supermarket News (free registration)/SN Social blog (2/1)     

Advertising & Marketing

• Super Bowl blackout turns into viral gold for Oreo
  Oreo took advantage of the Super Bowl's third-quarter blackout, sharing an image on Twitter captioned with the words "You can still dunk in the dark" that was retweeted thousands of times. Marketing agency 360i attributed the spur-of-the-moment ad's success to a "mission control" it established with Oreo brand executives during the game that enabled the agency to seek lightning-fast approval. "When all of the stakeholders come together so quickly, you've got magic," said 360i President Sarah Hofstetter. BuzzFeed (2/3)     

• Campaign notes benefits of canned food
  A multiyear, multiplatform campaign by the Can Manufacturers Institute highlights benefits of using canned food and provides recipes and tips. The "Cans Get You Cooking" effort, running this month, includes weekly segments on ABC's "The Chew," with chefs using canned ingredients. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (2/1)     

Retail Spotlight

• Fresh & Easy doesn't plan to close stores
  In a Facebook message, Tesco's U.S. banner, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, told shoppers that though it is undergoing a strategic review, it is not about to close. "While we don't know exactly what the outcome of this strategic review process will be, we want to assure you we don't have plans to close stores and we're confident Fresh & Easy can continue to be your favorite neighborhood market," Fresh & Easy said. Bloomberg Businessweek (2/1)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by GMA SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Facebook turns attention to consumer packaged goods (Advertising Age (tiered subscription model))

• CEO: Starbucks may expand mobile payments to CPG space (MobileCommerceDaily.com)

• Ralcorp becomes part of ConAgra (Consumer Goods Technology News)

• Home cooks get a head start with gourmet grocery items (The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tenn.) (tiered subscription model))

• Campbell takes on several ideas at once, CEO says (NJBIZ (New Jersey))

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Health & Wellness

• USDA proposes stricter rules on school snacks
  The amount of calories in snacks sold to students at vending machines or outside the school lunch line should not exceed 200, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in a proposal on Friday. Under the proposed rules, schools also are encouraged to sell water, low-fat and fat-free milk and 100% juice drinks. Setting higher standards for school snacks will mean "the healthy choice is the easy choice for our kids," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. Reuters (2/1)     

• Study: Small and large snacks are equally satisfying
  Study participants who ate a small snack reported that their cravings and hunger were as satisfied as those who ate a larger snack. "[A]lthough providing larger portions increased snack calorie intake by 77% (103 calories), after 15 [minutes] they do not reduce hunger or cravings any more than smaller portions," researchers wrote in Food Quality and Preference. FoodNavigator (2/1)     

GMA News

• Maximize your 2013 GMA Science Forum experience
  Make the most of your time at the GMA Science Forum in Washington, D.C., by joining us for two full days of pre-conference workshops and events on April 1-2, including:
  
  
  • The 2nd annual GMA open house and lab tour followed by a networking lab tour reception at GMA (GMA members only)
  • Both full and half-day workshop options
  • Numerous built-in networking opportunities

  These workshops provide intensive instruction and in-depth training on the regulatory, technical and health issues that matter to CPG companies today.

  Workshops include:

  • Sodium Policy: National and International Considerations
  • Everything You Wanted to Know About the Molecular Tracking of Bacterial Pathogens
  • Green Chemistry: Understanding State Regulatory and Compliance Requirements
  • FSMA Validation, Verification and Finished Product Testing: Your New Tasks Identified and Explained

  Space is limited, so book early. A separate workshop fee is required. Participants may register for the pre-conference workshops without registering for the main Science Forum event, however discount packages are available. For more information, visit www.GMAScienceForum.com.

      

Position Title Company Name Location Sales Associate (Consumer Products) West Appleton, WI Director, State Affairs Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Washington, DC Senior Manager, Health and Nutrition Policy Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Washington, DC Ghirardelli Chocolate Company Food Technologist San Leandro, CA Senior Vice President, Development WETA Arlington, VA

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SmartQuote

To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day." --Laozi, Chinese philosopher