World Food News & Trends

• The French organic market is the second-largest in Europe after the UK and stands at $2.3bn. Chief US exports to that market include dried fruits, almonds, aromatic plants and grapefruits, with organic baby food, food components and essential oils offering strong growth prospects. More organic outlets in France will quicken overall sales according to a report (a full report was attached to the subscription version of this entry).

• The British government is wrangling over whether their dairy industry is or is not working towards greater sustainability, especially regarding the usage of recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) content (an industry white paper has targeted 50% as the goal by 2020). Depending on the source, dairy manufacturers are doing well (meeting the target of 10% recycled rHDPE by 2010) or poorly.

• Robert Watson, 59, of White Plains, N.Y., pleaded guilty in January 2009 to defrauding Kraft Foods, his former company, by accepting bribes Randall Rahal, a sales broker for SK Foods of Lemoore, CA, to purchase processed tomatoes. While that might sound puny, Kraft apparently bought over 230MM pounds of tomatoes and other products at inflated prices. Prosecutors have characterized SK Foods as a “racketeering enterprise” (no charges have been filed as yet). Rahal is awaiting sentencing, and will face justice with former purchasing managers from Frito-Lay and B&G Foods, along with two former SK Foods employees who pleaded guilty to other charges.

• In other police blotter news, British conman Kenneth Goldsmith has been sentenced to 3½ years in jail for conning investors with a scheme that claimed Goldsmith was friends of celeb chef Jamie Oliver. The money (£120K) was used for lavish holidays, Aston Martins and “helicopter rides.”

• Stating the stores had grown “too old,” Publix has announced it will be closing 5 Florida outlets. Last year, the chain purchased 17 of the old Albertsons stores in Florida to convert them to Publix.

• The Golden Arches announced McDonald’s Corporation’s global comparable sales rose 4.3% in July 2009, while U.S. sales were up 2.6%.

This blog includes excerpts from a weekly round-up of food industry & food licensing news provided free to Broad Street Licensing Group's clients, and as a paid subscription service (6 months $695; 1 year $1,125).

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