Nonfoods

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- Once upon a time, private label items were the no-frills generic products in supermarkets that were relegated to their own sections, known by their anonymous packaging and poor quality. That was then. Now, according to a globe survey conducted by ACNielsen here, private label is widely recognized as strongly competitive with major brands, and represents better value to boot.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Privately held specialty grocer The Fresh Market here said yesterday it is opening four new stores this month.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Earth Fare has committed to selling only fresh eggs from cageless hens, the chain said yesterday. The natural foods supermarket chain's decision will freeze out the only supplier of "caged-hen" eggs it had: a local Abbey.

WILMINGTON, Del. -- The Produce for Better Health Foundation is planning to spruce up the image of its stalwart 5 A Day program with a new name and logo, which it said should better reflect the increasingly important role fruits and vegetables play in promoting health.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Farm Fresh Supermarkets, a Supervalu retailer based here, is gearing up for the grand opening of its newest store -- a remodel of a former Winn-Dixie unit in Williamsburg, Va., which it acquired in February.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas --As fall approaches, ushering in a major selling season for supermarkets, The Gambrinus Company here is kicking off "Touchdown Tiki 2005" to support Corona Extra and Corona Light, which it claims are the number one and number three import beers respectively. The promotion will run Aug. 15 -- Oct. 31.

Indianapolis -- Marsh Supermarkets is in the final stages of preparing to open its first location in Illinois on Aug. 22 with a new 66,000-square-foot Lifestyle format store in Naperville, a community that was recently ranked third on Money Magazine's list of the top, "100 Best Places to Live" for 2005.

NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Vitasti, Inc., based here, a food company specializing in the health-and-wellness sector, has developed a new line of vitamin-rich granola with an antioxidant supplement and a hip new featured ingredient -- the acai berry. Harvested in the Brazilian rainforest and touted by the media as "nature's perfect food," the acai (pronounced "AH-sci-EE") has been used for thousands of years by Brazil's indigenous peoples, who attribute various healing and nutritional properties to the fruit.