Frozen Foods

MONTREAL - CoolBrands International Inc., the third-largest ice-cream company in the United States, today said it acquired a majority stake in U.S. frozen dessert manufacturer Americana Foods LP.

SAN FRANCISCO - Nearly 30 percent of participating manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers reported decreases in the cost of unsaleable consumer packaged goods, according to the 2003 Unsaleables Benchmark Report released on Friday at the Joint Industry Unsaleables Management Conference.

ATLANTA -- Federal prosecutors have begun a criminal investigation into fraud allegations against Coca-Cola Co., including claims that the beverage giant rigged a market test at Burger King outlets to inflate the popularity of its slush drink Frozen Coke.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Schnuck Markets, Inc. has selected pizza as the first product to be introduced under a new "Dining In" brand of high-end private label refrigerated and frozen foods, reports the St. Louis Business Journal.

ST. LOUIS -- Aurora Foods, Inc., the manufacturer of Duncan Hines cake mixes, Aunt Jemima frozen waffles, and a host of other supermarket staples is in the process of selling a majority stake in the company to J.W. Childs Associates L.P. for $200 million as part of a prenegotiated bankruptcy plan.

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Grocery Outlet, Inc., a privately held extreme-value retailer with 118 locations in the western United States, has acquired the assets of 17 Yes!LESS discount grocery stores in Texas and Louisiana from Lewisville, Texas-based Fleming Companies, Inc.

Undaunted by difficult times and beef producers' nutritional claims, the poultry industry fights back.

SEATTLE - Internet retailer Amazon.com plans to launch an online food store as early as August, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.