FOODSERVICE NEWS

MLA Inducts Three Lodging Industry Icons Into Hall Of Fame
In front of a crowd of nearly 200 people at the newly renovated Sheraton Boston Hotel, tourism industry icons John Drew, David Colella and Denise Coll were inducted into the Mass. Lodging Assn. Hall of Fame on Oct. 29. A record number of attendees descended upon the Sheraton's Republic Ballroom to honor the career accomplishments of Mr. Drew, Mr. Colella and Ms. Coll. A portion of the proceeds from the event went to the MLA Education Foundation.
Mr. Drew is president and CEO of the Seaport Companies, including the World Trade Center Boston and the Seaport Hotel. He has spent his entire career working on the redevelopment of Boston, playing a central role in the city's revitalization over the past several decades.
Mr. Colella, a well-known Boston hotelier, has more than three decades of experience in hospitality, managing hotels of all shapes and sizes. He is the managing director of the Colonnade Hotel and has oversight over the Best Western Inn at Longwood and the Midtown Hotel. Additionally, Mr. Colella is a former chairman of the MLA board and a current board member emeritus of the MLA.
Ms. Coll, a tourism professional, is the president of the North America Division for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. A former member of the MLA board of directors, Ms. Coll oversees all 450 Starwood properties in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

Massachusetts Hospitality Hall Of Fame Inductees Named
On Monday, Nov. 23, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) is sponsoring the 20th Annual Massachusetts Hospitality Hall of Fame Awards Dinner. at Anthony’s Pier 4, in Boston. The 2009 inductees for the Massachusetts Hospitality Hall of Fame include: Harvey Allen, of M.S. Walker Inc; Billy Costa, of NECN’s TV Diner and KISS 108 FM; Donato & Filippo Frattaroli, of Ristorante Lucia and Filippo Ristorantel and Jon Luther, of Dunkin’ Brands Inc. For information and tickets, call For more information and tickets, call 508-303-9905.

OMNI Career Search Names Michael Minichello As Partner
OMNI Career Search, a consulting company with a specialization in the restaurant industry, recently announced Michael Minichello of Norwell, Mass., has been named a partner in the growing firm. Mr. Minichello will serve as president of the firm’s Restaurant Division and will oversee the growth of this division of the company, which focuses on recruiting and independent consulting services.OMNI Career Search’s Restaurant Division provides services that include consulting, loss prevention, mystery shop, integrity shop, and recruitment. The recruitment provides top-level salaried restaurant personnel, including single- and multi-unit managers, directors of operations, and chief executive officer to restaurants up and down the Atlantic seaboard. Mr. Minichello has more than twenty years’ experience in all aspects of the full-service restaurant business to his new position with this specialty consulting firm. Prior to joining OMNI, he was director of human resources for the Massachusetts-based Not Your Average Joe’s, where he oversaw all HR functions. He also served as director of recruitment for Legal Seafoods, and was associated with Beacon Search Inc., a Massachusetts-based hospitality search firm.

Food Service Latest Word…
MacKenzie Arrington, a recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, was named Maine Lobster Chef of the Year at the Harvest on the Harbor, a three day food and wine festival held at the Portland, Maine waterfront.

All lodging properties certified through the Green Hospitality Certification Program will be recognized by AAA as eligible to receive an ‘eco-friendly’ icon in the 2010 Tourbook.

Dunkin Donuts plans to introduce new chicken and tuna sandwiches on its menu in select markets.

Phillips Seafood has launched a ‘How-To” Video On Understanding Crab Meat For Chefs.

Patsy Benincasa was promoted to director of food service marketing at the T. Marzetti Co.

C-STORE NEWS

Snyder's of Hanover And Utz Quality Foods, Inc. Discontinue Merger
Snyder's of Hanover and Utz Quality Foods announced on Nov. 4 their decision to discontinue pursuit of the merger between the two snack food companies. After receiving word that the first and second filing had not been cleared by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Utz decided to withdraw from what would likely have been a protracted approval process.
"Although we recently announced our intended merger with Utz Quality Foods, it was contingent upon Federal Trade Commission (FTC) clearance," noted Carl E. Lee, Jr., president and CEO of Snyder's of Hanover. "While the decision was unexpected, it's best that Snyder's move on to other opportunities that are available to our company."
"While we were excited by the prospect of merging with Snyder's of Hanover, we knew that participating in another FTC request would put a strain on our company and ultimately distract us from what we are here to do every day, which is to provide high-quality snacks to our customers and serve our community," said Michael Rice, Utz Quality Foods chairman and chief executive officer. "As we look toward 2010 and beyond, we are committed to staying aggressive in the marketplace and building our product lines."

IBC Changes Name to Hostess Brands Inc.
Interstate Bakeries Corp. is changing its name to Hostess Brands Inc. The new name was selected following extensive market research. “Hostess has been an important part of Americana for generations, and is synonymous with quality and great tasting treats. It is a name that consumers, customers, and our employees recognize and hold in high regard,” said Craig Jung, Hostess Brands chief executive officer.
Hostess Brands will continue to bake and deliver products such as Hostess Cupcakes, Hostess Twinkies, Wonder Bread and Home Pride. The new corporate name took effect on Nov. 2.

7-Eleven Expands Own Snack Line, Debuts Proprietary Wine
7-Eleven, Dallas, Texas, made news in several items in the last 10 days as it added 15 packaged bakery items under the company’s private label brand, introduced two proprietary wines, and launched an in store TV network.
7-Eleven stores are adding 15 packaged bakery items under the company’s private label brand. 7-Eleven stores are offering each of the single-serve items at a special discounted price of 99 cents through the end of the year. The items will each have a recommended value price of $1.19 starting next year.
In its first foray into global merchandising, 7-Eleven in the U.S. and Seven-Eleven Japan are jointly introducing two proprietary wines. – a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon under the Yosemite Road label.
The retailer also contracted with Digital Display Networks Inc. to create one of the nation’s largest out-of-home digital networks in more than 6,200 7-Eleven stores throughout the U.S. and Canada. Upon its full deployment, 7-Eleven TV is expected to reach an estimated 190 million monthly viewers. Features of the in-store network will include around the clock programming with national and local entertainment news and weather, and exclusive content for convenience shoppers.

C-Store Latest Word…
The National Assn. of Convenience Stores (NACS) announced that 22, 524 people attended their recent Convention, up six percent from the 2008 show.

Al Trotta, former executive with Cumberland Farms, has joined b2b Solution, a Chicago based consultancy that works with retailers and suppliers with the convenience and petroleum industries.

Molson Coors Brewing Co. reported double-digit income growth for the third quarter.

NEW CHANNELS

National Organic Bd. Cracks Down On Organic Personal Care Violators
With a goal to address fraud in the organic marketplace, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) last week voted 12 to 1 for the USDA National Organic Program to enforce the law for organic personal care. This would mean shampoos and other body care products that claim to be organic, but are not certified, would be forced to drop the organic claims made on their products or improve formulations to meet organic standards.
"I'm really pleased by the NOSB's recommendation," says Ronnie Cummins, executive director of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA). "Brands that are using the word organic improperly should be on notice that USDA enforcement is imminent. Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan has said that she is going to get 'tough on crime' in the organic industry.
At the NOSB meeting, National Organic Program director Miles McEvoy announced a 'new age of enforcement' in organic. I expect them to make organic cosmetics fraud a top priority. In the meantime, retailers should start cleaning up their body care aisles. Whole Foods Market, for one, was a big supporter of the NOSB recommendation,” he said.
Dan Giacomini, the only NOSB member who voted against the personal care recommendations did so because he felt the board was looking at things in a limited way. He wanted to address fraud in all product sectors, such as dry cleaning and not simply personal care.

Kellogg Co. Discontinues Immunity Statements on Rice Krispies Cereals
The Kellogg Co. announced last week its decision to discontinue the immunity statements on Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereals.
Last year, Kellogg Company started the development of adding antioxidants to Rice Krispies cereals, in part responding to parents indicating their desire for more positive nutrition in kids' cereal.
According to the Kellogg Co, while science shows that these antioxidants help support the immune system, given the public attention on H1N1, the company decided to make this change.
“The communication will be on pack for the next few months as packaging flows through store shelves. We will, however, continue to provide the increased amounts of vitamins A, B, C and E (25% Daily Value) that the cereal offers. We will continue to respond to the desire for improved nutrition, and we are committed to communicating the importance of nutrition to our consumers,” according to a statement issued by The Kellogg Co. last week.

Rutter’s Named Eco-Super Hero For Green Measures In Its Stores
Rutter’s is one of only three convenience store chains in the U.S that recently received an “Eco-Superhero” award The awards were presented through a partnership between Convenience Store/Petroleum magazine and Captain Planet Foundation, founded by Ted Turner The foundation supports hands-on environmental projects for children in Kindergarten through grade 12.
Rutter’s was honored for having incorporated green initiatives into its new store designs, recycling initiatives and support of community environmental education. Rutter’s is building its biggest and most environmentally friendly store yet in Stewartstown, York County. The 5,750-square-foot store is expected to open in December. The new store will create 40 jobs and will be the first Rutter’s to make use of skylights for natural lighting, which will reduce the use of electricity.Scott Hartman, president and chief executive officer of Rutter’s Farm Stores, said “What this award really signifies is that we all can be superheroes for the environment in our everyday lives, without super-human effort,” Hartman said. “That’s why we’ve placed recycling bins at all of our stores so that our customers can toss in their bottles, cans and newspapers every time they come to Rutter’s.”

New Channels Latest Word…
U.S. House Democrats have introduced H1N1Flu Emergency Sick Leave which would give sick workers up to five paid sick leave days a year if an employer advises a sick employee to stay or go home,,, Duracell has unveiled a new battery with a gauge showing power levels. The POWERCHECK can evaluate a battery’s readiness by simply pressing two white dots on the cell.

The National Institute of Health will begin a study lookiing into the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) in plastics, metal can linings and infant products such as bottles and drinking cups.

The second day of the 12th Americas Food and Beverage Show will conclude, Tusday, Nov. 10 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.