Consumables

NEW YORK — A state Senate committee in Tennessee is looking into the possibility of allowing supermarkets to sell wine, according to published reports.

The Memphis, Tenn., Commercial Appeal reported that the proposed law would be subject to approval in local referendums.

Supporters of the bill cited convenience, while opponents — including liquor store owners — said it would be detrimental to public health, safety and the economy, criticizing the legislation as driven by "big national chains" and harmful to locally owned businesses.

NEW YORK — Sears Holdings will add some of its own products and allow customers to pick up products ordered from its flagship store in Chicago on the same day, according to published reports.

NEW YORK — Sun Products' All Mighty Pacs laundry packs, Aquafresh Extreme Clean Pure Breath Action Paste, M&M's Brand Snack Mix, Reckitt Benckiser's Resolve All-Stains, Sun Products' Surf Liquid Laundry Detergent and GlaxoSmithKline's Tums Freshers were among the winners of Product of the Year USA's recently announced top products for 2013, the group said.

The named products were the result of a vote among 50,000 consumers.

AVERY ISLAND, La. — Paul McIlhenny — chief executive of McIlhenny Co., makers of Tabasco sauce, and great-grandson of Edmund McIlhenny, who invented Tabasco sauce after the Civil War — passed away on Saturday. He was 68.

Paul Carr Polk McIlhenny was born in Houston on March 19, 1944, with his twin sister, Sara. He attended the Woodberry Forest School in Virginia and the University of the South in Tennessee, and served stateside in the Marine Corps Reserve.

The energy drink category, which has enjoyed double-digit sales and unit growth for several years, faces increasing scrutiny from the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA has said it will consider requiring companies to disclose the amount of caffeine in the drinks and add warnings about possible side effects on labeling.

YUBA CITY, Calif — Americans love to snack, but they don't always have to settle for treats sacrificing good taste for healthier ingredients. Sunsweet — a leading brand of dried plums, specialty dried fruits and fruit juices — bolsters that advice with its newest offerings: Amazin' Berry Blend and Amazin' Cranberries.

Both new blends include Plum Amazin's diced plums, which studies have shown can help fight osteoporosis by preventing bone mineral loss and contain potassium, copper, boron and vitamin K.

Consumers still have a thirst for bottled water. "Bottled water is performing moderately well with respectable growth," said John Sicher, publisher of Beverage Digest. Dollar sales of bottled water were up 7% across food, drug and mass outlets for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 2, 2012, according to SymphonyIRI data. Sicher said he expects bottled water to grow modestly over the next few years.

GRAND RAPIDS. Mich. — Meijer is sourcing tomatoes from a greenhouse that can grow them year-round, including during the famously frigid winters of the Midwest, the mass merchandise retailer said Monday.