Wholesale food prices fell in May for only the second time in 11 months, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Indexes. Overall prices at the wholesale level were down 1.3% from April, the National Restaurant Association reported in its Trendmapper analysis of the data. Meanwhile, on the consumer side, food-at-home…

The foodservice market in the United Kingdom will show little if any real growth this year, according to Peter Backman, principal of Horizons, the London-based hospitality research firm. Current-dollar growth is forecast at a mere 0.8% while real growth is expected to be flat, Backman told FER Fortnightly during the NRA Show in May. The…

Fortunately, gasoline prices fell again last week for the fifth consecutive week, but the declines haven’t cheered up consumers very much. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported the average price for a gallon of gasoline fell another 6.8 cents to $3.7113 for the week ended June 13. Other reports from AAA and Toby Lundberg also…

On June 8, small business, including members of the National Restaurant Association, declared victory when the U.S. Senate reaffirmed limits on the swipe fees that banks charge businesses for debit card transactions. The reforms kick in July 21. They ensure that the debit-card swipe fees merchants are charged when guests pay by debit cards are…

Hungary’s state-run news service, MTI, reported June 10 that the country plans to demand fast-food restaurants cut the calorie and salt content of their food and drink offerings and may make them pay for public-health programs. The government plans to target the world’s two largest hamburger chains, McDonald’s Corp. and Burger King Holdings, with regulations…

The public comment period has just ended but the outcry against impending menu-labeling requirements has been renewed. Previously, the foodservice industry had accepted the new policies included in the 2010 healthcare law because it would pre-empt the current patchwork of state and local menu-labeling requirements. But unease has been bubbling up over the law, which…

No state is racing to join California in banning trans fats. Just a few weeks after the Illinois State Senate voted down a proposed ban, its counterpart in Ohio has added an amendment to the proposed state budget that would ban local municipalities from regulating the ingredients restaurants can use to prepare foods. The amendment,…

Electronic communications in general and the Internet in particular are double-edged swords, as the news media have shown lately. You can get bamboozled in a hurry, you can get fake information, and in the blink of an eye you can send pictures of yourself that you shouldn’t have sent. But one very good thing is…

SPG Int’l. has welcomed Karen Edwards as v.p.-sales, responsible for sales team leadership, driving revenue and new business development. Edwards most recently served as national sales manager at Sani-Floor and Multiteria, and spent a dozen years in sales and product development at IBM. SPG makes storage products and material handling equipment under the AMCO, ARC,…

Electrolux cut the ribbon on its new southeast regional distribution center in Fairburn, Ga., on May 13. The company says its new 600,000 sq.ft, state-of-the-art distribution center and product showroom will optimize product delivery. It serves as the national distribution center for foodservice and laundry products sold to institutional and hospitality customers of Electrolux Professional;…