Content about Hospitality

WASHINGTON — U.S. News Media Group on Tuesday ranked the best dieting plans by health goal — identifying the best plans for weight loss, heart health and diabetes.

Building on the company’s experience evaluating hospitals, U.S. News developed five diet rankings to address a broad range of consumers' dieting goals and needs. Diets were ranked based on ratings from an independent panel of 22 experts.

CHICAGO — Registered dietitians' role in retail was emphasized as health-and-wellness professionals from retailers, manufacturers and other organizations gathered for the third annual Dietitian Summit, which was held in Philadelphia last month.

The third annual invitation-only summit — co-hosted by Ahold USA and Field Trip Factory, which unites commerce and other organizations through education — underscored that grocers stress healthy food choices by utilizing RDs, which offer customers the tools to achieve optimal health.


It’s not often a niche brand manufacturer attempts to resuscitate what has been for years a commoditized category. But that’s exactly what Meda Consumer Healthcare will be attempting to do with iron — establish a good/better/best proposition to a supplemented category best defined as mediocre. For the 52 weeks ended April 16, mineral supplement sales were down 3.3% to $534 million across food, drug and mass (including Walmart), according to Nielsen Group data.


DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Avado Organics, a maker of natural skin care products, has teamed up with Nutritional Products International, which provides brands with sales and distribution services, to distribute its product across the United States.

With the partnership, the Tasmania, Australia-based company will be expanding the distribution of its organic skin care products in the American marketplace. It currently sells its products via CVS.com, Target.com and Schnucks.

MALVERN, Pa., and VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Building on the successful introduction of the nutrition iQ program to stores, two Supervalu banners announced that they will implement an education initiative designed to help grocery shoppers navigate the aisles with great-tasting foods that meet their nutritional needs.

Acme and Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy said the Colors in Your Carriage initiative shoppers find quick-to-prepare, good-tasting solutions to fill the nutrient gaps highlighted in the "2010 Dietary Guidelines."

TEMPE, Ariz. — WheyUp on Wednesday announced the launch of its weight-loss beverage WheyUp, which features 20 g of protein, 1 g of carbs and 90 calories per bottle.

“WheyUp is the first preworkout drink to market a unique protein beverage that combines whey protein with caffeine,” WheyUp president Erik Rothchild said. “WheyUp is ideal for gaining lean muscle or losing weight, depending upon how and when you drink it.”

MADISON, N.J. — Pfizer on Wednesday launched its Gold range of child nutrition products, developed to meet the changing nutritional and feeding needs of young children. The Gold range of infant and follow-on formulas and growing-up milks provides the right balance of high-quality nutrients needed to support ideal health, growth and development in growing children.

The brand-new Fresh Health Prescription Plan from Brookshire Grocery was rolled out on March 10. It’s a comprehensive prescription plan that shoppers in the chain’s new Fresh by Brookshire’s store, which opened in March 2010, can purchase for a $10 membership fee. 


“The program covers generic and brand prescriptions at very competitive pricing compared to what they’d pay with insurance and third-party plans,” said Jim Cousineau, Brookshire SVP pharmacy operations.



One way for a supermarket to convey its health-and-wellness commitment to customers is to build a marketing campaign around it. 


In Harris Teeter’s case, the campaign is “Yourwellness.” Now in its sixth year, the initiative offers “evidence-based guidance on important health issues” and help with nutritional choices throughout the store, according to the company.


After being hemmed in by recession, cash flow problems and costs, a venerable lion of West Coast food and drug retailing is roaring again. 


Since taking the reins at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores four years ago, Steve Anderson has reshaped the organization and led an aggressive — and quite successful — campaign to raise pharmacy’s profile and give it a bigger stake in reshaping the overwrought healthcare system.