Milling & Baking News - December 16, 2003 - 4

T H I S

W E E K

December 16, 2003
Vol. 82, No. 42

NEWSCOMMENT

On-line conference
shows utility of
new approach
Story on Page 23

10

National Starch to raise prices on food starches

11

Restaurant chain, Atkins create partnership

14

Pasta to take center stage at Rome conference

15

Quarterly loss dips at Saskatchewan Wheat Pool

20

U.S. wheat prices surge during November

Citing energy costs, health care expenses and other expenditures, the company
said it would boost prices for most food, encapsulation and beverage starches
early next year. Prices for certain corn-based products also will increase.

Casual dining chain T.G.I. Friday's introduced nine low-carbohydrate items on its
menu, a product of the chain's new partnership with Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. The
latter claims that 19% of all casual dining customers use the Atkins low-carb diet.

"Pasta Around the World," scheduled for Feb. 16-18, will feature a number of
nutritionists and speakers who will use scientific means to defend the nutritional
value of pasta, one of the main targets for avoidance by low-carbohydrate dieters.

Compared with the same period last year, the grain marketer said its loss
declined 37% in the quarter ended Oct. 31 amid efficiency improvements,
stronger agricultural product sales and higher margins in core businesses.

Average prices paid to U.S. farmers for their wheat rose 7% during the month
compared with October. The month's average of $3.69 per bu represented the
highest level since average U.S. prices exceeded $4 in December 2002.

Editorial

7

International

15

Late news

8

Export and
trade issues

40

Business

9

Archive

46

Editorial designer, market graphics, data
Christina Sullivan
Feature designer
Sarah Hill

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

AuditBureau
of Circulations

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

Both the participants and the sponsors of
the first on-line seminar to be conducted in
grain-based foods are pleased with the way
the program on December 8 turned out.
The sponsor was this publishing company,
which decided to offer such an innovation
in response to several specific needs. One
of the most obvious was the perception
that market developments in recent weeks
and months more than justified an intense
examination of the principal forces that
were driving wide and worrying price
swings, including sharp gains in several
important ingredients.
The idea of assembling a large crowd
at this time of year was questionable, a
conclusion reinforced by the availability
of greatly improved technology for
communicating via the worldwide web.
Identifying the systems that would work
best, allowing the live presentation of both
the spoken word and charts and tables,
were important facilitators.
For the industry experts whose
presentations account for the success
of such programs, the on-line seminar
was also a new experience. Everyone
agrees that a seminar done via the
Internet will never replace the face-toface contact provided by this company's
annual purchasing seminar in June. Yet,
the favorable reception assures that this
method of conferencing will become
a continuing and important part of the
commitment this publishing company has
to communicating what's important to all
of grain-based foods. MBN

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

Purchasing
Seminar

www.world-grain.com

www.meatpoultry.com

©
2003 by Sosland Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Sosland Publishing Co., a division of Sosland Companies, Inc.
http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com http://www.meatpoultry.com
Milling & Baking News - December 16, 2003

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