Content about Food

AUDIO Q&A: According to Biotab Nutraceuticals chief marketing officer Robert Wilhovsky, there is seasonality within sleep aids. Biotab fielded the No. 3 sleep aid Alteril in food, drug and mass (without Walmart) with dollar growth of more than 126% for the 12 weeks ended April 15, according to SymphonyIRI Group data.

Even as the big get bigger, it appears the industry’s top regional chains continue to grow in relevance and importance in the markets they dominate. In this special section, DSN profiles the top 25 regional pharmacy chains in food, drug and mass, with a special focus on what makes each one unique.

Click below to download the full 2012 Regional Chain Report.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Wegmans in June will open The Pub at Wegmans, a full service restaurant and bar at their Allentown location, the company announced Thursday. Led by Executive Chef Geno Nosenzo and using the fresh ingredients sold on-site in the store, The Pub at Wegmans will serve an array of dishes that go beyond typical pub standards, as well as cocktails, wines by the bottle or glass and an extensive selection of craft beer.

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Wednesday unveiled a clean energy production system that will convert food that cannot be sold or donated into clean energy to help power its Ralphs/Food 4 Less distribution center in Compton, Calif.

AMSTERDAM — Royal Ahold has appointed Ben Wishart as group chief information officer, the Dutch supermarket operator said Tuesday.

In the newly created position, Wishart will report to CFO Jeff Carr and will work out of the company's Amsterdam headquarters. He previously worked at U.K. food retailer Morrisons as chief information officer. Ahold operates the Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover and Giant-Carlisle supermarket chains in the United States, as well as the Peapod online grocery service.

PHOENIX — Inventure Foods, a leading specialty food marketer and manufacturer, has received certification from the Gluten-Free Certification Organization for its Boulder Canyon natural foods products and manufacturing facilities in Bluffton, Ind., and Goodyear, Ariz., the company stated.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Today, CVS/pharmacy announced the official launch of Total Home, a new home care product line built on performance, reliability and premium quality that is now available exclusively at CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide.

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Belgian international food retailer Delhaize Group, whose U.S. banners include Hannaford, Sweetbay and Food Lion, has announced that president and CEO Pierre-Olivier Beckers intends to retire from his executive role by the end of this year.
 
As part of Delhaize’s succession plan, Beckers will stay in his post until a new CEO is appointed and a smooth transition has taken place, the company stated. He will continue to serve on the board, in a nonexecutive capacity, after stepping down as CEO.

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — Hain Celestial Group, the company that makes Celestial Seasonings tea and other products, has purchased organic baby food company Ella's Kitchen Group, the company said.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the company said Ella's had $70 million in sales last year. The company markets its products in the United States, United Kingdom and Scandinavia, offering 80 products for babies, toddlers and small children. In addition, Ella's founder Paul Lindley will become CEO of Hain Celestial US's new Global Infant, Toddler and Kids Division.

NEW YORK — In celebration of Mother's Day, Met-Rx on Thursday announced that its championship bodybuilding athletes will team up with moms in the Met-Rx Cares program's first charitable food distribution event to benefit needy families from the central Jamaica area of Queens here. 

The kick-off event will provide approximately 400 families with 1,000-gram bags of bite-size pieces of high-protein Met-Rx Big 100 Bars.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. — Clif Bar on Wednesday introduced an interactive contest under its Luna brand, the "Whole Nutrition Bar for Women," which will reward Luna vending machines to winning participants at their workplace. 

“We’re flipping the typical perception of vending machine snack food on its head,” stated Rosa Compean, Luna brand director. “Luna is encouraging women to feed their strength and that starts by making healthier choices that add to their overall workplace wellness.”

SPOKANE, Wash. — Zak Designs has announced a new GoPak container designed to make packing lunches easy and without the worry of messy spills.