Could Tesco Pounce On Wild Oats If
FTC Blocks Whole Foods’ Purchase?
If the FTC succeeds in its effort to block Whole Foods from buying Wild Oats, what is likely to happen next to Wild Oats? We now are certain that the major shareholders would like to sell if they can get a decent deal. The sale announcement brought attention to the fact that there is real […]
A Solution For Wal-Mart’s Organic Woes
With Whole Foods now open in London, it can make Americans think about the prospects for the organic industry in the United States. Business Week ran an interesting article entitled Organics: A Poor Harvest for Wal-Mart that told an interesting anecdote: Last fall, Peter Ricker got an order from Wal-Mart Stores for organic apples that […]
How One Man Can Make A Difference
Bryan Silbermann, President of the Produce Marketing Association, and the Pundit had a recent exchange regarding customer service in PRODUCE BUSINESS, a sister publication of the Pundit. The exchange was based on consumer research done by PMA that emphasized the enormous impact “high touch” can have in improving customer experience with retailers. It is interesting […]
Pundit’s Mailbag — Are Supermarket Chains Catching Up to Wal-Mart?
Among the many pieces we have run related to Wal-Mart was one entitled Pundit’s Mailbag — Wal-Mart’s Market Managers, which analyzed Wal-Mart’s new “Market Manager” position and, specifically, how their food support staff — which outsiders might call food merchandisers but are officially called Market Grocery Managers — were impacting merchandising. That piece was prompted […]
Still Fighting For AgJOBS
We know of no more dedicated advocate of AgJOBS than Jim Allen, President of the the New York Apple Association. He has spoken out in favor of AgJOBS and contributed to the Pundit’s discussion of this issue here and here, and last month he led a delegation to DC to fight for the issue: Sen. […]
Katzman And Two D’Arrigos
Serve Worthy Causes
It is always interesting to see how frequently it is that the same families step up to positions of industry leadership. In New York, Steve Katzman, President, S. Katzman Produce, Inc., and Matthew D’Arrigo, Vice President, D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of New York, Inc., have just been reelected to head up the Hunts Point Terminal Market. […]
FDA Begins Tomato Safety Initiative
When it comes to food safety, so much of the focus of the produce industry has been on leafy greens that it is easy to forget there are plenty of other items with food safety issues to be dealt with. The FDA hasn’t forgotten, however, and has announced that it will begin a multi-year Tomato […]
Whole Food’s London Store
Gets Consumer Analysis
Whole Foods has opened its new store in London. The 80,000 square foot store is like nothing in the U.K. in the way it combines an upscale gastronomical approach with a “save the world and my personal body” ethos, all wrapped in a trendy, social, foodservice-heavy atmosphere. The Daily Mail ran a great piece on […]
Pundit’s Mailbag —
Protecting Ocean Spray’s
Attorney/Client Privileges
Our extensive coverage of the issues raised by the lawsuit between Jim and Theresa Nolan, as well as their company, The Nolan Network, with Ocean Spray included a piece entitled Ocean Spray May Have More To Lose Than Lawsuit, which concluded with a suggestion that it might behoove Ocean Spray to make public a special […]
FDA Releases New Guidance
Document On Carrot/Low-Acid Juice
In the midst of the spinach crisis, the produce industry faced a second food safety crisis related to one of its fastest growing categories — refrigerated juices. Specifically, there was a recall by Wm. Bolthouse Farms of certain 100% carrot juice products due to concerns about botulism. We ran an extensive series on the issue, […]
