Market Trends

Retailer-owned wholesale grocery distributor Unified Grocers, Inc. yesterday posted net earnings of $3.1 million for the second fiscal quarter ended April 3, 2010, compared with $2.5 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2009.

Litehouse Foods is raising consumer awareness of National Salad Month in May with a new Web site, www.30salads30days.com, featuring Mann Packing products.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. yesterday reported record first-quarter fiscal 2011 sales and earnings for the period ended April 30, 2010, with net sales of $99.1 billion, an increase of 6.0 percent from the $93.5 billion logged last year.

The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) has bestowed upon Chiquita Brands’ Fresh Express subsidiary the prestigious Black Pearl Award for Corporate Excellence in Food Protection and Quality.

The National Grocers Association (N.G.A.) has appointed Van Sapp, SVP at PepsiCo, Inc. in Chicago, as its newest board member, replacing Ted Herrod, SVP of the grocery channel for PepsiCo.

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) has further joined forces with First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America by a pledge to reduce 1.5 trillion calories by the end of 2015 — a decrease HWCF member companies plan to keep up in subsequent years.

To position its latest product, GoChuJang Korean Sweet & Spicy Sauce, as a flavorful alternative to traditional toppings like ketchup, Annie Chun’s, Inc. is offering consumers the chance to win a trip for two to Seoul, South Korea, by submitting a burger recipe including the fiery condiment to the pan-Asian food purveyor’s Spicy Korean Burger Contest at www.MyGoChuJang.com by Sept. 30, 2010.

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is cautioning consumers about a scam involving fraudulent checks with the grocer’s name.