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October 27, 2008 News for professionals in the dairy foods industry     Industry News  2-year contract approved for Wells' Dairy employees Hourly employees at Wells' Dairy approved a two-year contract that includes a 2.5% raise and a freeze on health care premiums. The maker of Blue Bunny ice cream will absorb additional costs related to health care, a company spokesman said. Sioux City Journal (Iowa) (10/25) Wisconsin cheese gets help from close to home for national pitch The Shine Advertising Co. of Madison, Wis., is teaming with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board to pitch Wisconsin cheese to the rest of the U.S. A "cheese love" campaign will give personality to the varieties, starting with "reliable, hardworking" cheddar. The Capital Times (Madison, Wis.) (10/23)   The Market  Economy stirring up trouble for McDonald's coffee plan Though executives say the program is on track and doing well, McDonald's is facing challenges related to its plans to sell espresso at all U.S. locations. Because of the economy, more people are brewing coffee at home, and some franchisees are reluctant to spend the estimated $100,000 per restaurant to implement the program. The Wall Street Journal (10/27) Smoothie King's newest concoction Berry Stimulating Maté -- a drink made with blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, Guayaki organic yerba maté, turbinado and nonfat milk -- is available at Smoothie King's more than 550 locations across the country. Yerba maté provides the energy of caffeine but without jitters, Smoothie King President Steve Kuhnau said. QSRMagazine.com (10/24)   Trends  Cheese makers grabbing a bigger slice of the snack market Companies including Kraft Foods, Sargento and The Laughing Cow are aiming for the snack market, promoting cheese as a healthful option. "We feel cheese represents an untapped opportunity in terms of the overall snacking trend, but also because cheese is a wholesome snacking alternative," a Kraft executive said. Brandweek (10/26) Alberta eyes recycling with refundable deposit on milk containers To encourage more recycling of milk containers, Alberta, Canada, will charge consumers 25 cents on 4-liter jugs and 10 cents on other containers. The dairy industry in the province is concerned this could affect milk sales. Daily Herald-Tribune (Grande Prairie, Canada)/The Canadian Press (10/24) Coon cheddar blocks now sold in resealable packages Coon, the well-known Australian cheddar cheese block, is being sold in resealable packages. The resealable pack has been available for grated, shredded and shaved cheese, but the Coon resealable packaging marks a first for cheese blocks. Australian Food News (10/27) At Marble Slab Creamery, customers concoct their own flavors A Marble Slab Creamery recently opened in Langley, near Vancouver, British Columbia. The ice-cream shop lets customers select their flavors, decide what to mix in and then choose from an assortment of toppings and cone types. Langley Times (Canada) (10/25)   Health & Nutrition  Green tea shows promise in delaying Type 1 diabetes Researchers testing EGCG, green tea's main antioxidant, on a lab mouse with Type 1 diabetes found that it can delay or prevent insulin-dependent Type 1 diabetes. The scientists were focused on Sjogren's syndrome, which damages moisture-producing glands, and were surprised by the results. The Times of India/Indo-Asian News Service (10/24) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) 11th GREAT YEAR! 23rd EDITION THARP & YOUNG ON ICE CREAM Technical Short Course, Workshops and Clinics, December 3-5, 2008, Las Vegas, NV. Hot Topics: Non-standard Products; Managing Costs in a Tough Economic Environment; Novel Approaches & Processes; and More! International offerings and discounts available. Class size limited. www.onicecream.com Interested in learning more about advertising in IDFA SmartBrief? Contact Eric Yeager at (202) 737-5500 x255 or eyeager@smartbrief.com.     International  Bio Bulgaria opens yogurt-making plant Production of organic yogurt has begun at a Bio Bulgaria plant in the village of Malo Buchino near Sofia in Bulgaria. The Harmonica dairy is making Bio yogurt, believed to be the first and only organic yogurt brand in the country. Novinite (Sofia, Bulgaria) (10/26) De Cicco cheese business sold to Bega Cheese Bega Cheese, based in New South Wales, Australia, is buying the cheese-manufacturing business of De Cicco Industries. De Cicco makes about 5,000 tons of cheddar and mozzarella, and Bega's chairman said the acquisition will help meet an increasing demand for bulk cheeses. The Weekly Times (Australia)/The Weekly Times (10/27)   IDFA News  Political analyst Mark Shields slated to speak at Dairy Forum Mark Shields, one of the nation's most respected political analysts, is slated to speak during IDFA's Dairy Forum 2009, Jan. 11 to 14 at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort in Orlando, Fla. His career as a political columnist and pundit spans the terms of eight presidents, making his byline one of the most informed and trusted in journalism. For nearly two decades, he has been one half of the political analysis team on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." He also is moderator of CNN's "Capital Gang." Registration for Dairy Forum is open. Learn more about IDFA -> Home page  |  Join IDFA  |  IDFA Meetings  |  Online Store   SmartQuote  I look around and I wish sometimes I could just walk into a building and be like any other coach, but I can't and I realize that. I have to be Don Cherry to the kids who go to the games. I think I owe it to them to sign autographs." --Don Cherry, Canadian hockey commentator     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Account Director:  Eric Yeager 202-737-5500 x255 Download Media Kit   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful Web site for SmartBrief readers including: Breaking News Industry Home Competitor News Readers' Choice Press Releases Search Archive Grab our News Widget Get this RSS Feed Publish your Press Release       Recent IDFA SmartBrief Issues: Friday, October 24, 2008 Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Monday, October 20, 2008 Friday, October 17, 2008 Wednesday, October 15, 2008     Lead Editor:  Rebecca Pollack       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2009 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information