Milling & Baking News - December 2, 2003 - 4

T H I S

W E E K

December 2, 2003
Vol. 82, No. 40

NEWSCOMMENT

N E W S F E AT U R E

Story on Page 23

11

Pepperidge reports strong quarterly cookie sales

12

Voortman to eliminate trans fat in its products

16

N.G.F.A. urges renovation of inland waterways

17

Doctor's group seeks inquiry into Atkins diet

18

U.S. bread prices decline during October

Campbell Soup Co. said a 10% quarterly increase in operating income in its Biscuits
and Confectionery segment resulted primarily from robust cookie sales in the group's
Pepperidge Farm, Inc., unit, defying recent weak sales at many of its rivals.

The Canadian company unveiled plans that would make it the world's first major
cookie manufacturer to completely avoid using hydrogenated oil containing trans
fat, which is linked to increased risk of heart disease.

The National Grain and Feed Association, in a public hearing, told the Army
Corps of Engineers that upgrading the U.S. river shipping system remains a key
necessity for the future competitiveness of the nation's grain industry.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, questioning the safety
of the Atkins and other low-carbohydrate diets, has asked the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control to investigate potential health dangers of such diets.

Prices for both white and whole wheat bread dipped during the month, with
white pan bread dropping 2.5c per lb and wheat bread dropping 1c per lb from
the previous month. Prices also fell compared with October 2002.

Editorial

7

Business

12

Late news

8

Export and
trade issues

31

Financial
results

9

Archive

46

Graphic designer
Janice D. Martin
Market graphics, data
Christina Sullivan

EDITORIAL STAFF

PUBLISHING STAFF

Editor-in-chief
Morton I. Sosland
Editor
Gordon L. Davidson
Executive editor, markets
Neil N. Sosland
Executive editor
L. Joshua Sosland
Senior editor, markets
Jay S. Sjerven
Associate editor, grain and milling
Eric J. Schroeder
Associate editor
Lyle C. Niedens
Assistant editor
Meyer Sosland

President and publisher
Mark Sabo
Vice-president, chief operating officer
Charles S. Sosland
Associate publisher
G. Michael Gude
Vice-president, chief financial officer
Melanie Hepperly
Director of design services
Sadowna McClun
Director of manufacturing
Vance Spearman
Director of circulation
Gwendolyn Cogshell

How 'new' Medicare
may impact industry
health programs
The Bush administration's success in
persuading Congress to pass the largest
expansion of Medicare in its history, including
a prescription drug benefit, introduces new
possibilities into the whole arena of medical
benefits. No issue is more front and center in
grain-based foods, especially for sectors such
as baking with large numbers of workers,
than the rising cost of medical care. While
the Medicare bill primarily affects the federal
government's program for the elderly, some
of its innovations may reverberate through all
of health care.
The Medicare bill is notable for how
it offers money to help seniors pay for
prescriptions, which in turn will require
the government to negotiate prices with
pharmaceutical manufacturers. Of equal
importance, the bill includes provisions
to test competition between federal health
insurance via Medicare and private plans.
This is not the first time "choice" has been
offered seniors. The first time in 1997 proved
unworkable for insurance companies that
initially applauded the effort. The current
test is limited to between 650,000 and 1
million seniors in six metropolitan areas.
These provisions, meant to encourage
preferred-provider organizations to be a
part of Medicare, will be watched with
great interest in grain-based foods and
across all of industry. Migration of program
provisions in this federally-funded program
to the private sector is a possibility that
warrants a close watch over this historic
move in health care. MBN

Circulation manager
Sheryl Morrow
Director of distribution
Gary Humbert
Digital systems analyst
Marj Potts
Advertisement trafficking
Nicole Robinette
Marketing communications
coordinator/reprint manager
Carrie Land

SOSLAND COMPANIES, INC.
Chairman
Morton I. Sosland
Vice-chairman
Neil N. Sosland
President,
chief executive officer
Charles S. Sosland
Vice-president
L. Joshua Sosland

4800 Main St., Suite 100. Kansas
City, Mo. 64112 Phone: (816)
756-1000. Fax: (816) 756-0494.
E-mail: mbn@sosland.com

www.bakingbusiness.com

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Seminar

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AuditBureau
of Circulations
©

4 / Milling & Baking News, December 2, 2003

2003 by Sosland Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

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Milling & Baking News - December 2, 2003

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