Boise, Idaho-based bottled water manufacturer Trinity Springs Inc. partnered with Serendipity House Distributors to expand its distribution in Hong Kong.

The Solae Co., based in St. Louis, will participate with Tetra Pak International in a project aimed at reducing childhood malnutrition and boosting school attendance rates in Nigeria.

Soma Beverage Company of San Francisco announced that its Metromint water is now available nationally through United Natural Foods Inc.

New Hampshire-based GrandyOats has launched a new Web site: www.grandyoats.com.

Trader Joe's brand eggs will now be cage-free and the retailer will only promote cage-free eggs. Trader Joe's says this decision means an estimated 380,000 birds will benefit from improved living conditions.

Christina Enterprises Inc. of Philadelphia hired Raker Goldstein & Co. to represent its principal, Christina Pirello, author and host of PBS's "Christina Cooks."

Burt's Bees of Morrisville, N.C., has launched an improved and expanded Web site, www.burtsbees.com.

In Santa Rosa, Calif., Indigenous Designs has retained Serendipity Capital to explore strategic and financial alternatives. Indigenous Designs makes clothing from environmentally conscious materials.

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada-based Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods and Oils expanded its workforce and added an oil press and other manufacturing equipment to increase production capacity.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., of Waterbury, Vt., won a 2005 Green Power Leadership Award, which is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions.

San Francisco, Calif.-based Ola Loa, a supplements manufacturer, was the official provider of vitamins for the 2006 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

The SunOpta Grains and Soy and Packaged Products Groups were consolidated to form the SunOpta Grains and Foods Group. Allan Routh will serve as president.

Tualatin, Ore.-based Pacific Natural Foods launched a promotion in which one grand prize winner will receive a getaway for four to Sundance Resort in Utah.

Morning Fresh Farms, based in Platteville, Colo., won the third quarter Quality Award from Eggland's Best Inc.

Decatur, Ill.-based Archer Daniels Midland Co. acquired Sunlight Foods' mayonnaise, sauces and salad products business to form ADM Sunlight Foods.

The World Resources Institute recognized NatureWorks, a renewable plastics producer, in association with the United Nation's Kyoto Protocol meetings as one of the major contributors to record growth in "green power."

Pet Aromatics of Los Angeles, Calif., has removed all sulfates and parabens from its complete line of dog grooming products.

The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia of Scotts Valley, Calif., and the National Center for Natural Products Research of Oxford, Miss., formed a research collaboration for developing quality standards for botanical dietary supplements.

Rockland, Md.-based AirOcare announced that the company's air purification technology has reduced spoilage, increased freshness and extended the shelf life of the produce in Valley Logistics, a Texas-based storage facility for fresh produce.

Sugarland, Texas-based Bluebonnet Nutrition celebrated 15 years in business in 2005.

In Bethesda, Md., Honest Tea won the Best Bottled Tea for 2005 from BevNET.com for its Pearfect White Tea.

Half Moon Bay, Calif.-based Odwalla donated a $25,000 grant to the Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Organic Farming Research Foundation, which supports research and education projects.

In the Jan. 13 issue of Entertainment Weekly, The Shaw Report, which tracks trends each week, deemed neti pots "in," Alacer's Emer'gen-C "five minutes ago" and over-the-counter cold remedy Theraflu "out."

Planet Dog, of Portland, Maine, created the Planet Dog Foundation to replace Planet Dog Philanthropy, the company's nonprofit arm, and to expand its philanthropic movement. The mission of the foundation is to promote and celebrate programs in which dogs serve and support those in need.

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii-based Cyanotech Corp. has retained Media Relations Inc., based in Burnsville, Minn., for a public relations campaign for the company's BioAstin Natural Astaxanthin product.

The "Save Our Supplements" campaign (www.saveoursupplements.org), which was overseen in 2005 by the National Nutritional Foods Association and the Coalition to Preserve DSHEA, was honored by the Public Affairs Council's 2006 Grassroots Innovation Awards.

Cereal manufacturer Nature's Path Foods of Richmond, British Columbia, was named B.C. Exporter of the Year. Nature's Path Foods is also a platinum sponsor of the Go Organic! for Earth Day campaign.

Nurture Inc., a Missoula, Mont.-based developer, manufacturer and marketer of ingredients derived from oats and other grains, won the 2005 Product Innovation Leadership of the Year Award for its OatVantage.

Nelson Bach USA, a homeopathy and flower remedies company in Wilmington, Mass., changed its name to Nelsons.

Four MegaNatural Grape Extract products earned NSF International certification.

Forslean, a patented phytonutrient for weight management manufactured by Sabinsa Corp. of Piscataway, N.J., was certified by NSF International.

In an effort to curb childhood obesity, schools nationwide are serving Irvine, Calif.-based, Gardenburger's vegetarian Chik'n Tenders.

Chelsea, Mass.-based al fresco All-Natural Chicken Sausage was named "Best Bite" by Nutrition Action Healthletter.

EuroPharma, a research and development company in Green Bay, Wis., and Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Chicken Soup for the Soul are working together to create a line of Chicken Soup for the Soul supplements.

Santa Cruz, Calif.-based organic certifier California Certified Organic Farmers partnered with the Wild Farm Alliance to promote and develop biodiversity conservation guidelines for organic farming.

Carlson Laboratories, a nutritional supplement manufacturer in Arlington Heights, Ill., is holding its annual Heart Month endcap design contest.

Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market is now getting all of its energy nationwide from wind farms, making it the first Fortune 500 company to do so.

Private Label Select of Taos, N.M., is now a certified organic manufacturing facility.

La Tourangelle, a Woodland, Calif.-based producer of roasted nut oils, was elected the best food product tasted by The San Francisco Chronicle in 2005.

Lakewinds Natural Foods, a Minneapolis-based natural food cooperative, opened a new store, with 8,000 more square feet, next door to its previous location.

Nordic Naturals of Watsonville, Calif., scored highest in a blind test of fish oil supplements coordinated by Mag og Helse, a Norwegian magazine.

Herb Thyme Farms Inc. of San Francisco acquired the business operations of McCormick Fresh Herbs LLC.

Monterey Gourmet Foods of Salinas, Calif., purchased the remaining 15.5 percent ownership interest in CIBO Natural Foods.

New York-based IdeaSphere has an agreement in principle with Weil Lifestyle to assume exclusive worldwide licensing rights to Weil Nutritional Supplements.

Leverett, Mass.-based Pure Design Co. LLC, won nine awards in 2005 for its branding, packaging design and advertising for the natural products industry.

American Culinary ChefsBest, a chef-based organization, awarded the Eggland's Best full product line the Best Taste Award for the fourth year in a row.

Relationship Coffee, an economic and social impact-based system created by Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importer, raised $182,000 for the Coffee Relief Fund with the help of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Newman's Own Organics, Whole Foods Market, Allegro Coffee, Peet's Coffee & Tea and Sustainable Harvest. The money will go toward coffee-growing regions damaged by Hurricane Stan.

St. Paul, Minn.-based PR firm Kohnstamm Communications added three new clients, including Reed's Ginger Brew of Los Angeles.

Boulder, Colo.-based IZZE Sparkling Juice was featured on the Food Network's "Unwrapped" on Jan. 27.

In Wormerveer, Netherlands, Lipid Nutrition, a division of IOI-Loders Croklaan Group, acquired PharmaNutrients' CLA One.

Seattle-based Jones Soda Co. is teaming up with Operation AC, a nonprofit organization that supports service men and women overseas, to donate 10,000 Valentine's Day packs of soda for delivery to troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Tumaro's Gourmet Tortillas, based in Los Angeles, teamed up with Solae to make a soy-based flatbread.

Chicago-based marketing firm Information Resources Inc., and Acxiom Corp. introduced a consumer insight solution suite that gives packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the ability to target specific types of consumers who are most likely to buy in selected product categories.

Whitestone, N.Y.-based Glacéau and motocross X Games rider Kenny Bartram kicked off their new partnership at this year's 10th Annual Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo., in January.

Mediterranean Delights of Saxtons River, Vt., will now be available at Whole Foods stores in the South.

O'Naturals, an all-natural and organic fast/casual restaurant created by Gary Hirshberg, president of Stonyfield Farm, now offers franchising opportunities. There are currently four restaurants open in New England. Recently, O'Naturals was included in National Restaurant News' "Top 50 Fast Casual Players."

Aboca, based in Tuscany, Italy, launched its products in Whole Foods and Pharmaca. They have been selling in Europe for almost 30 years, and have more than 1,800 acres of organic farmland.

Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXVII/number 3/p. 165-166, 169