Rutter's

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government on Wednesday went ahead with its plan to refashion its well-known Food Guide Pyramid to help chubby Americans eat less and exercise more, Reuters reports.

NEW YORK - International Business Machines Corp. today announced it has agreed to take over some human resources tasks from consumer products company Procter & Gamble Co. in a 10-year, $400 million deal, Reuters reports.

ZAANDAM, Netherlands - Dutch retailer Ahold is "very close" to picking a new CEO for its scandal-ridden U.S. Foodservice unit, Ahold's new CEO told Reuters today.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Family-owned retailer Meijer Inc. has eliminated 350 salaried positions from its workforce, Reuters reports.

CHICAGO - The International Brotherhood of Teamsters union said on Thursday it reached a tentative agreement with warehouse club operator Costco Wholesale Corp. covering about 3,500 employees on the East Coast, Reuters reports.

NEW YORK - SureBeam Corp. on Thursday said it fired Deloitte & Touche -- its third dismissal of an accounting firm in little over a year -- after the accounting firm raised concerns over how SureBeam had booked revenue from certain contracts starting in 2000, Reuters reports.

AMSTERDAM -- Shares in Ahold rose today as the market welcomed the news that the company's new chief executive will unveil a new strategy Sept. 4, even before 2002 results are known, to rebuild the shattered confidence of shareholders who saw their investments evaporate in the wake of the accounting scandal, Reuters reports.

GENEVA - The United States on Monday asked the World Trade Organization to declare the European Union's refusal to accept most genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as illegal under global trade rules, Reuters reports. The request was opposed by the EU.