Consumables

MUMBAI, India — Indian generic drug maker Wockhardt will sell its nutrition business to France's Danone, the company said Tuesday.

The deal is worth $355 million, according to published reports, and includes brands like Farex, Dexolac, Nusobee and Protinex.

Wockhardt said the deal was part of a strategy to consolidate and rationalize its core operations and focus on its pharmaceutical business.

PRINCETON, N.J. — A recent Gallup poll found that more U.S. drinkers ages 18 to 24 years favor wine and beer as their alcoholic beverages of choice.

According to a survey of 1,016 adults, 64% of U.S. adults reported that they consume alcohol. Among those respondents, 35% named wine as their drink of choice, while 36% said they preferred to drink beer, a drop from 41% in 2010. Only 23% said they preferred to drink liquor.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Legislation designed to ban the availability of caffeinated alcoholic beverages in California has become law.

California governor Jerry Brown signed SB 39, a bill drafted by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Pacoima, that prohibits the production and sale of caffeinated beer beverages at retail locations throughout the state. With the passage of SB 39, California joins Massachusetts, New York, Washington, Utah, Michigan and Kansas in banning these drinks.

The bill was first introduced in late 2010.

AMSTERDAM, N.Y. — Beech-Nut has introduced purees co-branded with Mott's applesauce.

The new Beech-Nut line is made with natural ingredients, the company said. The move comes on the heels of recent Beech-Nut partnership announcements with Green Giant and Chiquita.

CHICAGO — Despite the negative connotation high-fructose corn syrup carries as an additive to food and beverages, it seems that consumers are more concerned with fat and calorie intake.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. — Mars Chocolate is looking to breathe new life into the energy bar market.

The company announced the launch of its new Marathon Smart Stuff bars, which combine real chocolate with such wholesome ingredients as blueberries, cranberries and peanuts. Each bar contains 140 calories or less per serving, a blend of eight essential vitamins and minerals, and is an excellent source of calcium, Mars Chocolate said.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration is looking for comments from consumers, the food industry and others about proposed labeling for gluten-free foods.

Originally proposed in 2007, the proposals include a requirement that foods labeled as "gluten-free" can't contain 20 parts per million or more gluten, a protein that occurs in wheat, rye and barley. The proposal was based on technologies used to detect gluten in food, which can't detect it reliably if the level is less than 20 ppm.

SAN FRANCISCO — CytoSport recently reported its receipt of a letter from the San Francisco office of the Food and Drug Administration alerting the company to concerns about its use of the word “milk” in its Muscle Milk trade name and to questions about the language used to describe Muscle Milk to consumers.