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El PASO, Texas - Big 8 Food Stores is participating in a one-year pilot that will test the use of new smart cards on IBM point-of-sale systems to conduct electronic benefits transactions for participants in the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program.

STOCKTON, Calif. - Wal-Mart opens its first supercenter in Northern California at 8 a.m. today. The store, on East Hammer Lane here, features more than 100,000 products, including general merchandise and a full line of groceries.

NATICK, Mass. - BJ's Wholesale Club has joined up with thousands of children to support military men and women serving overseas.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Partnership for Food Safety Education has unveiled a national food safety education campaign focusing on the safe handling of fresh fruits and vegetables.

CHICAGO - Wild Oats Markets, Inc., a national natural and organic foods retailer, and Peapod, Ahold USA's Internet grocer, are now offering more than 200 Wild Oats branded to Chicago-area shoppers on the Peapod online grocery site.

ANAHEIM, Calif. ¿ A workshop on food safety was turned into a breaking news event at the Produce Marketing Association's convention here Monday, as an official with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the workshop panel took the opportunity to brief industry members on the government's new Produce Safety Action Plan, released just hours before.

BOSTON - International development agency Oxfam America, which yesterday launched Check Out Fair Trade, the second phase of its campaign to get more retailers to offer Fair Trade products, has issued its Supermarket Report Card on grocers offering such items, and Wild Oats and Ahold have earned top grades.

TUCSON, Ariz. - The Highland Market, the first grocery store located on the University of Arizona campus, opened late last week in the Highland Commons housing district, according to published reports.