Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

WASHINGTON - Although the Food and Drug Administration has made many improvements to the proposed bioterrorism regulations, "there is still room for more, especially with concern to prior notice and record-keeping," Susan Stout, v.p. of federal affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers of America, said in testimony before the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee late last week.

MINNEAPOLIS - National food retailer and distributor Nash Finch Co. said yesterday that the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota has dismissed with prejudice the securities class action filed against the company and some of its executive officers in June 2003, which consolidated eight separate class actions previously filed in late 2002 and early 2003.

CHICAGO - IGA said yesterday it has partnered with 50 Below, a Duluth, Minn.-based Web provider, to create a Web site for every IGA supermarket in the United States and the Caribbean.

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. and TROY, Ohio - The Uniform Code Council (UCC), the not-for-profit business standards organization, and Marsh Supermarkets celebrated the 30th anniversary of the UPC bar code this morning at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio -- the location that hosted the world's first live scan.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. has won its third consecutive Golden Penguin Award, given by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) in recognition of the promotional efforts of the frozen food industry during March National Frozen Food Month, the organization has announced.

WASHINGTON - Congress' four-year renewal of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program with provisions designed to reduce costs for consumers, assure access to WIC products, and put a stop to the counterfeiting and illegal sale of infant formula has earned the hearty approval of the Food Marketing Institute.

PARIS - Auchan, Casino, Delhaize Group, El Corte Ingles, Royal Ahold, and Tesco yesterday announced their plans to work with the WorldWide Retail Exchange's Worldwide Item Management (WIM) solution to make global data synchronization (GDS) a working reality.

NEW YORK - An increased interest in appearance, hygiene, and grooming on the part of today's males has contributed to the growth in personal care categories around the world, according to a study released today by ACNielsen, a VNU business and the world's leading marketing information company.