The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has delayed the federal rule mandating all chain restaurants, supermarkets, and other food sellers to post calorie counts on menus until 2018.

Originally THE RULE was proposed as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and was set to go into effect Friday. The FDA announced Monday that the new deadline for all businesses that sell food and have 20 or more locations is May 7, 2018.

Opponents of menu labeling had petitioned the Trump administration to delay the rule and pushed for passage of a bill called the Common-Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, which would dilute and remove some of the regulations. It passed the House but has not gone to a vote in the Senate.

Domino’s Pizza has argued that posting calorie counts on menu boards doesn’t make sense for businesses that have most of their sales through delivery. Domino’s reports about 90 percent of its orders as being placed outside the store.

“We’re very pleased that our voices have been heard, but there is still more work to do,” Tim McIntyre, chairman of the Domino’s Pizza-backed American Pizza Community shares in a statement. Many businesses had already spent the money to print new menu boards to accommodate the fast-approaching compliance date.

The FDA is opening the regulations to a public comment period again, starting Thursday.

Prescription opioids have been increasingly prescribed as a miracle pill for chronic pain management. With the rise in opioid prescriptions has come a rise in an addiction often seen as a precursor to heroin. While there are a select number of patients who truly do benefit, it is very tricky to identify those patients in order to provide safe therapy.
The first step, says Christopher J. Burnett, MD, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Texas A&M College of Medicine and director of the Baylor Scott & White Health’s Temple Pain Clinic, is to follow the guidelines the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released last year. “The CDC guidelines, which outline when to prescribe these drugs and provide guidance for how to do so safely, are a good starting point for providers caring for chronic pain patients,” Burnett said.
The CDC guidelines do not apply to palliative care, hospice or to oncology patients being actively treated for their disease. “If they are providing end-of-life care, providers should do what is necessary to make the patient comfortable,” Burnett said. “The CDC guidelines are intended for the typical chronic pain patient.”
“Much of the time, the right thing to do for lower back pain is to simply wait,” Burnett said. “It might be an acute injury that will heal on its own given a little time.” There are a number treatment options available, such as anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) units, acupuncture and massage.
“The population of patients who need opioids chronically is actually pretty small,” Burnett said. “For most people, the prescription comes with an exit plan. These medications are now considered to be a way to bridge to the next line of therapy,” he added.
Burnett suggests that a serious discussion about the risks of opioids with the patient be had before a prescription is made.

Metro Inc. confirmed this week it would complete an acquisition it began in 2011.

Metro, Canada’s third largest grocer, previously obtained a 55 per cent interest in Marché Adonis and its distributor, Phoenicia Products.

After reviewing second quarter earnings, President and CEO Eric R. La Flèche said the remaining holdings would be purchased by Metro “shortly after this fiscal year.” The company will continue to be run independently and report to Metro.

Since 2011, Metro has expanded the Adonis brand from its original four stores to 11, with a 12^th location already in progress.

In addition, Metro said same-store sales improved 0.3 per cent and net earnings climbed to CAD$132.4 million for the fiscal second quarter, ending March 11.

“We are pleased with our second quarter results that show sales, net earnings and tonnage growth against a background of food deflation and intense competition,” La Flèche said. “The growth reflects our effective execution and strong expense control.”

Researchers at Clumbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center with the interdisciplinary team of colleagues at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and other institutions in the U.S. and Canada have analyzed which integrative treatments are most effective for patients with breast cancer using newly updated guidelines from the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO).
More than 80 different therapies and developed grades of evidence were reviewed, and the SIO recommends the following based on the findings:
• Use of music therapy, meditation, stress management and yoga for anxiety and stress reduction
• Use of meditation, relaxation, yoga, massage and music therapy for depression and mood disorders
• Use of meditation and yoga to improve quality of life
• Use of acupressure and acupuncture for reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
• A lack of strong evidence supporting the use of ingested dietary supplements or botanical natural products as part of supportive care and/or to manage breast cancer treatment-related side effects
“Studies show that up to 80 percent of people with a history of cancer use one or more complementary and integrative therapies, but until recently, evidence supporting the use of many of these therapies had been limited,” said Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, assistant professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and past president of SIO. “Our goal is to provide clinicians and patients with practical information and tools to make informed decisions on whether and how to use a specific integrative therapy for a specific clinical application during and after breast cancer treatment,” Greenlee continues.
Letter grades were assigned to therapies based on the strength of research and evidence. A grade of “A” would indicate a therapy of high certainty of benefit to the patient. In their systematic review, meditation had the strongest evidence supporting its use.
“The routine use of yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques, and passive music therapy to address common mental health concerns among patients with breast cancer is supported by high levels of evidence,” said Debu Tripathy, MD, chair of Breast Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and a past president of SIO. “Given the indication of benefit coupled with the relatively low level of risk, these therapies can be offered as a routine part of patient care, especially when symptoms are not well controlled.”
“Clinicians and patients need to be cautious about using therapies that received a grade of C or D and fully understand the potential risks of not using a conventional therapy that may effectively treat cancer or help manage side effects associated with cancer treatment,” warned Lynda Balneaves, RN, PhD, associate professor, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Winnipeg, Canada, and president-elect of SIO.
“Patients are using many forms of integrative therapies with little or no supporting evidence and that remain understudied,” noted Dr. Greenlee. “This paper serves as a call for further research to support patients and healthcare providers in making more informed decisions that achieve meaningful clinical results and avoid harm.”

Amazon.com has been making headline more than once with rumours of a potential brick-and-mortar food retailer, but some are saying there is more smoke than fire.

The New York Post quoted confidential sources on Friday stating e-tailer giant had was considering evaluating BJ’s Wholesale Club as an acquisition target.

A spokeswoman for Amazon said the company was unable to comment on those reports.

“There seems to be an awful lot of smoke around Amazon on a potential acquisition, so I think they’d have to be at least looking at things internally,” said Neil Stern, managing partner for McMillanDoolittle. “Their name keeps popping up. I think they are recognizing that if they’re going to become a serious player in food retail that it’s likely it’s going to be some combination of clicks and bricks. They can’t get it done solely on a virtual and delivery model.”

In recent months, Amazon has built two food stores near its Seattle headquarters suggesting it is exploring physical stores as a means to promote its AmazonFresh business, which has come up against operational challenges of virtual food retailing business.

“If I’m a speculator, I’d look for them to do something that’s a little closer to their space,” Stern added. “While BJ’s and Whole Foods are intriguing, they are fundamentally different business models than Amazon has.”

LeBeau Excel is pleased to announce that William Nadeau has joined the company as a full-time salesperson covering Central and East Toronto. Hailing from Clarington, Ontario (East GTA), William most recently was the Assistant Store Team Leader at the Whole Foods Market Markham location. He was also a Whole Body Team Leader for many years within their system. Prior to this, William managed several Loblaw Natural Value department locations throughout the GTA. William is a graduate of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and holds his Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) designation. William brings fantastic organizational skills, independent work ability, product knowledge and is very passionate about customer service.  You can reach William at william@lebeauadvance.com or 905-903-6955.

“Stepping out from behind the retail counter and onto the showroom floor as part of the sales team at LeBeau Excel Ltd. has been a natural transition for me,” says Nadeau. “Having worked with industry leaders Loblaws and Whole Foods Market on the retail side isn’t all that different now that I am on the vendor side of the aisle. Both sides seek out quality, innovative offerings that shape their business and gainer profitability in a highly competitive market place. As a broker sales representative, I focus on product placement, marketing and promotions for the brands specific to LeBeau Excel.”

“Recently I had the pleasure of attending and working the show floor at the Showcase 360 McKesson Canada show held at the Toronto Congress Centre where I met with Pharmacy retailers from across the country looking to build their business and enhance the customer experience in their stores,” he adds. “The 360 Show provided a unique opportunity for retailers and vendors to connect face to face, vendors to showcase their products and services while presenting retailers an opportunity to sample, try and to ask questions. I also attended and worked the show floor at the UNFI Central Table Top Show held at the Universal Event Space in Vaughan. The show was a flurry of excitement as retailers and buyers were given an opportunity to check out the latest brand offerings from vendors available through UNFI. The show was fun, lively and jammed packed with high quality natural health food products. Although uniquely different the common element of both shows was a sense of family and comradery as old and new friends reunited and reconnected to discover new products and services to ultimately build their business and to satisfy and delight their customers.”

CVS Pharmacy has announced the expansion of its assortment of healthier foods and beverages to more than 2,900 stores nationwide. Throughout the year, 100 stores each week are being enhanced with a carefully curated selection of national and niche better-for-you brands that make healthier eating on-the-go, convenient and affordable. Expanding this initiative beyond the initial 500 store pilot launched in 2015 is a critical step as the company continues to evolve into a premier health destination by making better health easy for millions of customers.

“Since becoming the first and only national pharmacy chain to end the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products, the number one thing we’ve heard from our customers is the desire for healthier food options,” said Judy Sansone, Senior Vice President of Front Store Business. “This year, we are continuing to expand the assortment, volume and shelf space dedicated to better-for-you foods and snacks offered in our stores nationwide to make healthier snacking easier and more convenient for our customers.”

This spring, more than 250 fresh, refrigerated and non-perishable healthy foods and beverages have hit shelves at CVS Pharmacy stores around the country from brands including: Amy’s Kitchen, Annie’s Homegrown, Chobani, Vita CoCo, Bai, Krave Jerky, Rhythm Superfoods, That’s it bars as well as new products from the CVS Pharmacy exclusive line, Gold Emblem abound™ which is free from artificial preservatives, flavors and colors.

In addition to the 2,900 stores which will stock a wide assortment of healthy foods by year end, another 360 stores will receive significant additional enhancements to the layout of food, beauty and over the counter health products. The new store layouts have a broader assortment of better-for-you foods in an expanded refrigerated section and more prominent displays of healthy foods and grab-and-go snacks, making healthy snacking more convenient.

Beginning this summer, roughly 25 percent of front checkout space, traditionally occupied by candy, will be dedicated to better-for-you snacks including: KIND bars, Larabars and Vega One bars to help shoppers choose a healthier bite to tide them over while running errands.

Niche products that support trending dietary preferences including paleo, raw and vegan are also taking the spotlight in select CVS Pharmacy locations throughout the year. Initial trends include paleo displays including EPIC 100% grass-fed bison bars and Gold Emblem abound organic black chia seeds. Next, raw foods will be showcased throughout the summer, including top picks from Go Raw bars, Emmy’s Organics and Two Moms in the Raw. In the fall, a vegan showcase, featuring Larabar Bites, Kashi Teff Thin Crackers, and GimMe Health Food Seaweed Snacks, among others will be available in select locations.

Healthy deals of the week and personalized email offers serve as gentle reminders that making healthier choices can be affordable as well. The company’s Fit Choices shelf tagging program also increases the ease of finding healthier items in store by clearly identifying foods that fit nutritional and dietary preferences including: Good Source of Protein, Heart Healthy, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified.

With activist Jana Partners pressuring Whole Foods Market to stay open to mergers, potential partnerships are beginning to come out of the woodwork.

Recent reports have suggested that both Kroger Co. and Albertsons are weighing possible investments into Whole Foods.

According to the Financial Times, Cerberus Capital Management—which controls Boise-based Albertsons—was in talks to make a bid for Whole Foods. Albertsons, which is looking to gain ground in the highly competitive supermarket industry, operates around 2,200 stores in 35 states.

What’s more, grocery giant Kroger could also join forces with Whole Foods, a move that could benefit both parties. Together, they could address the weaknesses of both chains, strengthening Whole Foods’ weak sales and bolstering Kroger in a cutthroat industry.

While neither of these deals have been confirmed or discussed by any parties involved, they make an interesting point about the current state of the grocery business. In order to survive, companies large and small must round out their offerings and offer reasonable prices in order to truly compete.

Cargill, the agrifood giant, has launched a brand-new personal care division called Cargill Beauty. This move comes in a bid to stake out new territory in the cosmetics industry—something the company has played an active part in for many years.

The brand’s new beauty portfolio includes about 30 ingredients, comprising natural oils, hydrocolloids, pectins, and starches.

“We have a huge potential, which is why Cargill decided to invest in the cosmetics sector,” says Tony Jaillot, general manager of the division’s global operations. “On top of this, we have become strongly involved in sustainable development. We are way ahead with respect to biotechnology and green chemistry, which will allow us to offer 100 per cent natural solutions.”

Cargill Beauty will be shaped around customer concerns in the future, shifting toward natural and natural-based formulations. The company also plans to create more simple formula structures, replace synthetic products with more natural options, and limit the total number of ingredients. With this, it hopes to achieve lower costs.

For more information, visit www.cargillbeauty.com.

DEINOVE, a biotech company that discovers, develops and produces high value-added compounds using rare bacteria, notably from the Deinococcus genus, has announced that it has successfully completed the 2nd key step of its project aiming at developing a production process for natural feed additives, in collaboration with the AVRILGroup (COLOR2B project). The 2nd step of the project validated the effectiveness and bioavailability of the compounds produced by the 7strains selected by DEINOVE during the 1st phase. When added to the feed of farm animals in a field station, the compounds produced by these strains were well assimilated by their organisms and produced the desired effects.

The COLOR2B project is now entering its last phase, which is scheduled to be completed in 2018 and aims at:

• Selecting and optimizing 1 or 2 high-performing strains
• Optimizing production conditions (by fermentation technology) and the processes for preparing the active ingredients
• Defining the most profitable technical-economic conditions for production
• Undertaking the required regulatory formalities to begin marketing these active ingredients

“The results of the in vivo tests demonstrated good assimilation by the animals and satisfactory performances. Our teams are now working with those at DEINOVE to validate the conditions for industrial production and commercialization of this feed supplement, which is intended to be included in our line of animal nutrition products,” said France Thevenieau, Head of Research & Development at MiXscience (AVRIL Group).
Emmanuel Petiot, CEO of DEINOVE, added, “COLOR2B is a strategic project for DEINOVE in the nutrition sector, which is one of our three target markets. This collaboration with AVRIL not only opens up revenue opportunities, but is also an opportunity for us to develop our skills in high value-added ingredients for ramping up our other programs. Its smooth progression has confirmed our strain library’s potential and the relevance of our strategic orientations.”

ABOUT THE COLOR2B PROJECT
This collaboration agreement, called COLOR2B, has been signed in August 2014 between DEINOVE and SOFIPROTÉOL (renamed AVRIL).Co-financed by the two partners, COLOR2B is an R&D project, which aims at developing a production process for natural feed additives. This includes selecting the best-performing bacteria strains from DEINOVE’s strain bank, testing the compounds produced, qualifying their benefits for animal nutrition and health as well as developing the production process at pilot-scale.

• DEINOVE’s expertise will focus on producing additives from their bacterial micro-factories, in an eco-friendly and economically viable way.
• The AVRIL Group’s expertise will apply to feedstock selection, evaluation of the beneficial effects for animals, knowledge of the market and associated regulations, as well as marketing the technology developed.

Ultimately, the two partners strive to industrialize the bioproduction of such additives and launch new animal nutrition product lines.
ABOUT THE AVRIL GROUP
Set up in 1983 at the initiative of French farmers in order to assure the future of the vegetable oil and proteins sector, AVRIL has become a major industrial and financial group that is developing in France and internationally. AVRIL operates in sectors as diverse as human foods, animal feeds and expertise, renewable energies and chemistry, with a portfolio of strong brands that are leaders in their markets: Diester®, Sanders, Lesieur, Puget, Matines, Bunica, Taous… In more than 30 years, the Group has changed in size but its purpose has remained the same: to create sustainable value in the vegetable oils and proteins sector while contributing to better foods for humans and preservation of the planet. To fulfill its mission, AVRIL draws strength from its industrial activities organized around the vegetable oils and animal production sectors, as well as from its financial activity, which operates through the finance and development company Sofiprotéol.