Nonfoods

LONDON -- The chief executives of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Safeway, and Asda, as well as the British Retail Consortium director general, met Wednesday with Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett to discuss their reservations about consumer faith in the safety of GM food.

NEW YORK -- Health concerns associated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), like stroke and an increased risk of breast cancer, are causing many women consumers to try soy isolflavones as a natural and milder solution to relieve menopausal symptoms.

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.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Heartland Soups, based here, and South San Francisco-based Marsha's Marvelous have entered into a strategic alliance to combine sales, marketing, and distribution of their fresh soups in the San Francisco Bay area.

SALINAS, Calif. -- The fresh-cut division of Performance Food Group (PFG), comprising three subsidiary companies -- Fresh Advantage, Redi-Cut Foods, and Fresh Express -- will operate under the corporate name of Fresh Express.

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.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- In an effort to help consumers easily identify products grown in the Golden State, Safeway/Vons is the first major retailer to offer "California Grown" product information statewide, featuring the voluntary marketing program's signage in each of its 531 supermarkets.

HOUSTON -- The Houston Business Journal reports that the Kroger Co. has chosen Houston as the test market for its new Kroger Dollar Store concept. The Cincinnati, Ohio-based retailer, which is the market leader in the Houston area, already has converted approximately 500 square feet of space into dollar store domains in two of its stores there.