Flavors of Carolina Closes a Successful Season |

For more than 20 years, North Carolina Department of Agriculture has hosted two Flavors of Carolina food shows, one in Charlotte and one in Raleigh. NC Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler was on hand at the recent Raleigh event, and commented that the vendors change from year to year:

“I’ve noticed that at this show, and the show in Charlotte, there are people out there with new products that want that breakthrough, and this is where it happens. There have been so many success stories that come out of these Flavor shows, and people are just really thankful to have the opportunity to meet these buyers.”

Myrtle Early, Marketing Specialist with NCDA describes the buyers that attend the events:

“We have restaurants, we have food service distributors, wholesalers, groceries, hospitals, nursing homes, anybody that buys food in large quantities.”

The event is invitation only to food buyers, and Early says it’s a never miss event:

“If we don’t get the invitation to them, they call to request it.’

The only requirement to be a vendor at a Flavors show is to have a food product that’s manufactured in North Carolina.

Coalition Wants MF Global Placed Under Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Saying it would allow for a more streamlined liquidation process, the Commodity Customer Coalition, the primary advocate group for former MF Global customers, wants the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to handle the case under Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code. Chapter 7 is designed specifically for liquidation of assets and would preserve more potential payback for customers. The coalition is hoping the CFTC will file the motion itself.

Determining Cottonseed Supplies for the Year

Cotton Incorporated Director of Cottonseed Research and Marketing Tom Wedegaertner says cottonseed supplies this year will depend a lot on the drought in Texas…

“We are anticipating about a 7 ½ to 8% decrease in cotton acres but we could, because of last year’s disaster with the drought, we could produce more cotton seed this year. But, it all depends on the weather in Texas.”

New Ethanol Labels Coming to NC Gas Pumps

North Carolina’s Gasoline and Oil Inspection Board approved changes to rules governing the way ethanol and other oxygenated gasoline blends can be labeled. Consumers could notice new labels at gas stations as early as May.

The changes will not affect the type of fuel provided by gas stations across the state. Instead, it will require station operators to clearly define any blends they sell.

Under the proposed changes, gasoline containing 10 percent or less by volume of ethanol would be required to include a label that states “may contain up to 10 percent ethanol” or similar wording. For blends containing between 10 and 15 percent ethanol, the label would state “contains up to 15 percent ethanol” or similar wording. Any blend containing between 15 and 85 percent ethanol would be required to include a label stating the exact volume percentage of ethanol.

Five Guys leads 2011 restaurant growth

Among all the negative news coverage related to beef, it’s nice to see that restaurant patrons still love a good burger. According to a release previewing an annual report from market-research company Technomic Inc., Five Guys Burgers and Fries was the fastest growing large chain last year, with a 32.8 percent growth in sales.