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UL has acquired Everclean Services, a food-safety auditor based in Agoura Hills, Calif. Everclean Services assesses and audits food safety, supplier qualifications, brand consistency and price integrity for restaurants, grocery and retail chains. It performs more than 40,000 audits on more than 10,000 facilities in North America, including many leading multiunit chains. The acquisition broadens…

Follett Corp. has appointed Pasquale Striano as regional sales manager for the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa. He’ll be responsible for implementing foodservice sales programs and plans for those regions, including India and Africa. Striano, based in Milan, Italy, has more 10 years of experience in international sales of ice equipment. Follett, based in…

The numbers for NAFEM ’13 are in, and they back up what observers noted at last month’s busy show: Attendance at the E&S industry’s biggest show was up nearly 3% over NAFEM ’11. Overall, more than 19,000 industry members participated in the Orlando, Fla., show, including 10,156 attendees. Forty-four percent of attendees were dealers, 26%…

Former McDonald’s Corp. executive Steve Easterbrook has returned to the chain as executive v.p. and global chief brand officer. Easterbrook will have global responsibility for marketing, menu development and consumer and business insights. He succeeds Kevin Newell, who recently assumed the new role of chief brand and strategy officer for McDonald’s USA, and will report…

Longtime MAFSI member, Joseph Sabatino, founder of High Sabatino Associates in Jessup, Md., died May 22. He was 76. He started out at F.A. Davis Co. as a draftsman in 1954 and became a salesperson at L&N Hill Co. in 1962. He joined forces with Ken High five years later and spent nearly 40 years…

Fatburger is not slimming down. The Beverly Hills, Calif.-based chain has agreements for more than 300 new units in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and has inked a 25-unit deal to debut in India. Nearly half of the fast-casual burger chain’s 120-plus restaurant stores are in overseas markets; it operates in 27…

Frozen yogurt retailer Pinkberry has expanded into India and opened three stores— in Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai—in one day. The Santa Monica, Calif., chain has regionalized the menu for India, its 19th global market. It’s partnering there with JSM Corp., which has a portfolio of independent restaurants and is India’s exclusive master franchisee for brands…