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This week in supplier news

Foodservice suppliers pledge assistance to Haitian earthquake victims. Also this week: Hormel Foods Corp., Unilever, Certified Angus Beef, MasterCard Worldwide, Micros Systems, Inc., TIG Global, Mintel International Group, The General Mills Foundation, Red Book Solutions, National Restaurant Association, Produce Marketing Association, CSM Bakery Supplies North America, H.C. Brill.

Foodservice suppliers are pledging assistance to the earthquake victims in Haiti. The General Mills Foundation pledged $250,000 to disaster relief and rebuilding efforts in Haiti... Distributor U.S. Foodservice has donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross International Response Fund... McCormick & Co. Inc. is making a $50,000 donation to the Haitian relief effort and conducting an employee donation program for McCormick employees... ConAgra Foods Foundation is donating $100,000 to the International Red Cross Relief Fund... Diageo Plc said it would deliver 45,000 pounds of food and emergency supplies to the earthquake victims... Nestle Waters North America is donating $1 million in bottled water products... Kraft Foods Foundation said it is pledging $200,000 to the American Red Cross... Unilever is giving more than $500,000 through its partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme... Coca-Cola Co. said it would donate $1 million to the American Red Cross and provide water and other drinks... The PepsiCo Foundation said it would give $1 million to the relief effort and would supply bottled water and Gatorade to disaster victims... Procter & Gamble Co. is sending 3 million water-purifying packets to Haiti together with a donation of $400,000.

AUSTIN, Minn. -- Hormel Foods Corp. said it planned to acquire Shedd's Country Crock refrigerated side-dish line from Unilever United States Inc., the Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-based division of Unilever Plc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Hormel said it expects to finalize the purchase next month. Shedd's side-dish line generated about $50 million of revenue in 2009. The line includes such products as mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.

WOOSTER, Ohio -- Certified Angus Beef, which is owned by the American Angus Association and its 30,000 rancher members, has teamed up with John Doherty, the former executive chef of The Waldorf=Astoria hotel in New York. Doherty, who has become a licensed partner with the CAB brand, will serve as a quality ambassador, offering his experience and views on how best to use Certified Angus Beef.

PURCHASE, N.Y. -- MasterCard Worldwide rolled out a new program available to retail and restaurant operators that tracks and analyzes their sales performance versus that of their competitors, officials said. Called MasterCard Advisors Merchant Solutions, the program, which launched Jan. 12, examines behavioral modeling of the consumer based on his or her credit card purchases and gives the operators a more complete look at retail activity from both the national and local levels. Chris Alfonso, senior business leader for global commerce development, said the information would focus on spending patterns, how consumers choose a particular restaurant and how restaurateurs can win back lapsed customers.

COLUMBIA, Md. -- Micros Systems Inc., a provider of information technology solutions to the foodservice and retail industries, acquired Washington, D.C.-based TIG Global, an interactive marketing company for the hospitality and travel industries. According to Micros' chairman and chief executive, Tom Giannopoulos, TIG provides interactive practices and online results through a suite of products and solutions that include website design and management, search engine optimization and social media.

CHICAGO -- Mintel International Group, a supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence based here, named Pete Giannakopoulos president of Mintel Americas' Consumer Packaged Goods business. In his new role, Giannakopoulos will be responsible for the continued expansion of the company's consumer and market research offerings.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Red Book Solutions, the creators of The Manager's Red Book, has partnered with the National Restaurant Association to create National Restaurant Association editions of The Manager's Red Book, The Heart of the House Yellow Book, and The Bar Green Book. These books will include materials from the NRA's ServSafe program and ServSafe Alcohol program.

NEWARK, Del. -- The Produce Marketing Association has appointed food-safety veteran Johnna Hepner director of food safety and technology, effective Feb. 15. In the newly created position, Hepner will work with PMA's chief science and technology officer, Dr. Bob Whitaker, and members to implement programs, events, products and services in the areas of food safety and science.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- CSM said Reinoud Planteberg would transfer his responsibilities as chief executive of CSM Bakery Supplies North America to Bret Weaver, in anticipation of his retirement. Weaver currently is president and chief executive of H.C. Brill, a business unit of CSM. In addition, CSM said it will appoint Ron Savelli to succeed Weaver at H.C. Brill, effective May 1.

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