Distillers must take responsibility for their boozy energy drinks

John Fitzgerald June 7, 2012 The Age The lines between big tobacco and alcohol are beginning to blur. WE HAVE come to recognise the familiar message from alcohol producers for us to drink responsibly. Perhaps it is time we should be asking those who make alcoholic beverages to produce responsibly. But with the lines between big tobacco and the alcohol industry beginning to blur, this may be too much to ask. The tragic death of Sara Milosevic and the suffering of her family should remind us all of the pain of loss. The loss, however, seems even more tragic as death came after drinking a beverage that should, by all accounts, be safe. Unfortunately, of course, this is not the case. The full account of how dangerous these drinks are may take some time to unfold. What does not take time, however, is a demonstration of a sense of responsibility…

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Washington C-Store Expands With Healthy Options

7 June 2012 NACSonline A retailer’s willingness to expand his offer is bringing a fresh fruit and vegetables, a butcher and a range of specialty foods to the community. SOUTH EVERETT, Wash. – The DKJ Food Mart remains true to its convenience store roots, but has also increased its in-store offer to bring more healthy food choices to the community. The South Everett Beacon reports that DKJ Food Mart, with federal grant assistance, has expanded into a second store, the A1 Produce Market, with fresh fruit and vegetables, a butcher and a range of specialty foods “that cater to the varied ethnic tastes of the … neighborhood.” DKG owner Surjit Bal was approached by Keri Moore of the Snohomish Health District to participate in the Healthy Foods Initiative pilot program. Moore canvased areas where residents had easy access to convenience stores and fast food outlets but not grocery stores. And…

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Undercover carbon cops ready to pounce

Phillip Hudson Herald Sun June 08, 2012 SHOPKEEPERS and business owners beware. The quiet guy in the suit waiting in line could be an undercover carbon cop. In fact, it could be the top carbon cop – Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims. With just over three weeks to go until the controversial carbon tax begins, Sims is in the hot seat. It’s his job to make sure consumers don’t get ripped off by businesses wrongly using the carbon tax as an excuse to increase prices. Tony Abbott’s mantra is that this is a toxic tax that will touch every aspect of daily life – when you turn on the lights, use a heater, buy a cup of coffee or get in a taxi. He says it will be a wrecking ball through the economy. Julia Gillard’s response is that Abbott’s claims are exaggerated and overall prices will…

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Shell to close Sydney refinery

June 7, 2012 AAP Oil company Shell will close a Sydney refinery in September, creating uncertainty for up to 275 employees and at least 100 contractors. The company on Thursday informed staff at the Clyde refinery, in Sydney’s west, that operations will stop from September 30. Staff will be supported in finding other employment, either within the terminal operations at the site, or elsewhere within Shell, the company said. Up to 30 employees had already found other jobs, Shell said. The decision to close down comes almost one year after Shell decided to convert the Clyde refinery into a dedicated fuel import terminal. “The initial decision to close and convert Clyde, taken in July last year, was consistent with Shell’s strategy to focus its refining portfolio on larger assets and to build a profitable downstream business here in Australia,” Shell Australia downstream president Andrew Smith said in a statement. “Since…

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Diarise this now

The first AACS Supplier Expo will take place on August 22nd the day of the PJ Scholarship Award Judging and the Gala and Awards Dinner. This will be held at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne from midday. Come and meet with some of the key suppliers to the industry and see the offers that they have, new products and innovative ideas for the Convenience channel and have a cuppa with us. The detail of exhibitors is as follow:

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AACS Convenience Leadership program

“There is still time to reserve your places for the AACS Convenience Leadership program in July. View the Brochure One of our feature presenters on Foodservice is Dr Nancy T. Caldarola, Ph.D., R.D. from the USA. Nancy Caldarola, Education Director for NACS Center for Achieving Foodservice Excellence (CAFÉ), has been involved with the hospitality industry for more than 40 years. She has led the development and delivery of NACS CAFÉ educational programs, including the Certified Convenience Foodservice Manager program and the Advanced Foodservice Strategy and Menu Management programs. She is a frequent contributor to the NACS Magazine, the Restaurant Informer magazine, is a speaker for NACS and restaurant associations, and is a consultant to convenience store chains and QSR chains. Her experience in the restaurant/foodservice segment includes senior operations and management assignments with ARAMark, Pizza Hut, Inc., Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurants, Duff’s Famous Smorgasbord, Friendly Ice Cream, and AFC Enterprises, Inc.,…

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