In its latest industry analysis, Future Market Insights reported that the global dietary supplements market is projected to register a healthy CAGR of 7.4 per cent by 2025.

North America is estimated to lead the dietary supplements market with 32 per cent value share by the end of 2015, and is projected to remain dominant through 2025. Moreover, North America and Western Europe are collectively estimated to account for over 56.9 per cent of value share by end of the year.

Additionally, the market in Asia Pacific—excluding Japan—is projected to register the highest CAGR of 9.2 per cent in terms of value between 2015 and 2025.
The report also discusses global trends and offers detailed analysis and insights about the potential of the dietary supplements market across various key regions.

Food products containing potentially E.coli-contaminated celery have been recalled by the FDA. The recall, which began at Costco in late November, now includes more than 155,000 items at several major grocery stores.

The tainted goods, manufactured by Taylor Farms Pacific Inc., have now been removed from Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Albertsons, 7-11, Target and Safeway.

Also affected were over 45,000 Starbucks Holiday Turkey Sandwiches, which contained the celery in their stuffing. The FDA has posted a complete list of recalled products on their website, urging consumers who bought possibly contaminated goods to throw them out as a precaution.

David Holmes, president of Pharmachem Labororatories, passed away Monday, November 30 at his home. Mr. Holmes, 65, is survived by his children David Addison and Christina Marie, his wife Catherine, his sisters Katherine and Christine and his brother Paul. Funeral Mass is held today 11am at St Lukes Roman Catholic Church in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ.

“Dave Holmes donated generously to Vitamin Angels for many years,” says Howard Schiffer, founder and president of Vitamin Angels. “I remember when I first told Dave about Vitamin Angels at a Pharmachem industry reception, he didn’t hesitate and said ‘Whatever you need, just call me.’ This commitment continues today. When I told Dave about Dr. Nancy Harris, a friend of ours who had done a nutritional survey in Tibet and found the children there to be incredibly vitamin deficient, Pharmachem immediately jumped on board and began supplying 2-3 million children’s multiples every month. Pharmachem also became Vitamin Angels’ first $1 million dollar donor, when Dave committed to an ongoing yearly donation with a 5-year commitment. He was always a class act, a real stand up guy. He called me a few weeks ago and before he hung up he said, ‘Just remember Howard, if you ever need anything, help is on the other end of this line.’ We will all really miss him.”

Mr. Holmes, a tremendous entrepreneur and humanitarian, was a great man who is terribly missed already.

Donations may be made in David’s memory to:
Eva’s Village
393 Main St.
Paterson, NJ 07501
http://evasvillage.org/donate.shtml

In less than two years since publicly announcing its sustainable seafood policy with SeaChoice, Buy-Low Foods has become the first North American major grocer to remove all fresh and frozen red-listed “Avoid” seafood and replace these products with seafood from more sustainable sources at its corporately-owned locations including Nesters Market.

Buy-Low Foods implemented an aggressive work plan to successfully replace red-listed “Avoid” seafood with more ocean-friendly choices, discontinuing the sale of many high demand species such as open net-pen farmed salmon, Atlantic cod and Russian king crab.

“Buy-Low Foods has worked extremely hard to find innovative solutions to many challenging seafood issues, including farmed salmon and shrimp, in an effort to meet the goals of their robust sustainable seafood policy,” says Bill Wareham, SeaChoice member from the David Suzuki Foundation.

Buy-Low Foods President, Dan Bregg states, “We are proud to be the first retailer to achieve our sustainable seafood commitment to remove all red-listed items from our stores. With our dual-focus on sourcing more responsible alternatives, we continue to have a great selection of choices that customers can feel good about feeding their families. Our stores will continue to work with SeaChoice to find new ways to support healthier oceans for today and tomorrow.”

PureSource has announced the opening of a new production and manufacturing facility adjacent to its head office in Guelph, Ontario. The 40,000 square foot modern facility more than quadruples its production and manufacturing space, and prepares PureSource for short-term and long-term double-digit growth of the company’s business.

Here’s a summary of this GMP facility:

• Climate-controlled 40,000 sq. ft. facility
• Clean-room manufacturing to eliminate allergen cross-contamination
• Hepa-filtration in all manufacturing and product preparation areas
• Energy efficient LED lighting
• Expanded capacity with high-speed encapsulation – increasing maximum production three-fold
• Water recycling/treatment to reduce water usage and waste – up to 90% recapture
• Re-usable Room/Partition walls – portable/reusable walls to accommodate future renovations – reduces material waste

By moving its manufacturing facility to be adjoined to the head office facility, improved communications, logistics, and increased production capabilities will help contain costs, improve efficiencies, and help PureSource manage future growth from their continued high levels of customer service, enjoyable delivery, and high fill rates.

La Coop fédérée, through its Agri-business Division, has announced the signing of a purchase agreement for the majority of Co-op Atlantic’s agricultural assets, including feed mills in Moncton, New Brunswick, in Truroand New Minas, Nova Scotia, the Farm Supply and General Merchandising division as well as the sector of activities related to grain marketing. This acquisition is conditional upon a decision from the Competition Bureau. The terms of the transaction will not be made public.

“La Coop fédérée is pursuing an already well-established relationship with Co-op Atlantic and producers in the Maritimes. This will therefore ensure that the tradition of agricultural cooperation with the Atlantic Provinces will be followed,” states Denis Richard, president of La Coop fédérée.

“It is clearly good news for La Coop fédérée, but also for the population of the Maritime Provinces. By acquiring the majority of the agricultural assets from Co-op Atlantic, our intention is to continue to operate the activities in the sectors acquired and to offer quality agricultural products and services to the farmers in that region and to all current clients,” adds Mr. Richard.

La Coop fédérée makes note that during the interval, the usual points of contact will remain the same.

About La Coop fédérée
Founded in 1922, La Coop fédérée is the largest agri-food organization in Quebec. It is owned by more than 100,000 members grouped within 98 cooperatives located in several Canadian provinces and it is present throughout the agri-food chain. As a wholesaler, La Coop fédérée provides farmers with all the goods and services necessary for their operations. Its activities are divided into three sectors: agri-business (livestock and crop productions, and marketing grains under the Elite and La Coop brands), retail and innovation (energy, hardware and farm machinery under the Sonic, Unimat and BMR brands) and meat processing (under the Olymel, Flamingo and Lafleur brands).

Loblaw Companies Limited has announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ending October 10, 2015. The company’s third quarter report will be available in the Investor Centre section of the company’s website at loblaw.ca and will be filed with SEDAR and available at sedar.com.
“In the third quarter, our business remained focused on delivering the best in food experience, best in health and beauty, operational excellence, and growth,” reported Galen G. Weston, President and Executive Chairman of Loblaw Companies Limited.

“While the grocery industry remained intensely competitive, and the regulatory environment in healthcare challenging, we maintained a stable trading platform, achieved incremental efficiencies and delivered planned synergies. Having reached our deleveraging target during the quarter, we are now in a position to accelerate our focus on returning capital to shareholders.”

2015 THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS
• Retail segment sales were $13,715 million, an increase of 2.5% compared to the third quarter of 2014.
• Food retail (Loblaw) same-store sales growth was 3.1%, excluding gas bar and the negative impact of a change in distribution model by a tobacco supplier; and
• Drug retail (Shoppers Drug Mart) same-store sales growth was 4.9%, with same-store pharmacy sales increasing by 3.5% and same-store front store sales increasing by 6.2% compared to the third quarter of 2014.
• Retail adjusted gross profit percentage(2) was 26.0%, flat compared to the third quarter of 2014.
• Adjusted EBITDA(2) was $1,022 million, an increase of 2.1% compared to the third quarter of 2014.
• Net earnings available to common shareholders of the Company were $166 million, an increase of 16.9% compared to the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted net earnings available to common shareholders of the Company(2) were $408 million, an increase of 10.0% compared to the third quarter of 2014.
• Basic net earnings per common share were $0.40, an increase of 17.6% compared to the third quarter of 2014. Adjusted basic net earnings per common share(2) were $0.99, an increase of 10.0%.
• The Company realized approximately $76 million of net synergies in the quarter compared to $44 million in the third quarter of 2014. Since the close of the acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart, the Company has realized $222 million in annualized synergies (net of related costs). The Company continues to expect to achieve annualized synergies of $300 million (net of related costs) in the third year following the close of the acquisition.
• Adjusted debt(2) decreased by $527 million compared to the second quarter of 2015. The Company has now achieved its debt reduction target following the acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart, with a cumulative reduction of $1,872 million. The Company’s adjusted debt(2) to rolling year adjusted EBITDA(2) was 2.5x as at October 10, 2015.