International News Briefs
Published: Friday, October 01, 1999
British food establishments from restaurants and pubs to caterers are required by a law that went into effect on Sept. 18 to tell customers which of their dishes contain genetically modified ingredients, according to the Boulder, CO, Daily Camera.
Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. (NUS) launched its Pharmanex business in Taiwan, the company’s second-largest market.
The U.K.’s Boots The Chemists is considering opening aromatherapy and reflexology centers in its stores in what could be a prelude to a stand-alone chain of alternative medicine outlets. Boots wants to expand the service side of its business in an attempt to protect itself from the price threat posed by Wal-Mart Inc.’s (WMT) takeover of Asda, a U.K. supermarket chain, the London Independent reports.
J. Sainsbury Plc, one of Britain’s largest food retailers, told Reuters in September that its sales of organically grown food had more than doubled in a year. Sainsbury customers spend $4 million a week on organic produce, more than 70% of which is imported. The company will launch organic gin and vodka in the near future and announced it plans to open an organic store-within-a-store at its Merton Savacentre store in South Wimbledon.
Marathon Natural Foods, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marathon Foods Inc., received a $600,000 line of credit from the National Bank of Canada.
Hass Hassan, former president of Wild Oats Markets, has raised about $16.8 million in an attempt to establish his new company, Juniper Natural Foods, in London, U.K. He currently has three stores and says he has enough cash to start another 17.
Charlotte, VT-based hygienic baby-products manufacturer Earth Friendly Baby says it has landed its first international account, Tesco. Tesco is the U.K.’s largest grocery chain with an estimated 20% of the total U.K. baby care market according to Earth Friendly Baby.