Carlyle explores sale of $6 billion vitamin maker Nature's Bounty

Private equity firm Carlyle Group LP is reportedly talking with potential advisers about selling Nature’s Bounty Co., formerly known as NBTY, and its nutritional supplements brands which include Ester-C, Sundown Naturals and Solgar. A sale could be worth up to $6 billion, according to sources. Read more at Bloomberg...

Longmont's Goddess Garden completes $3M funding round, plus nonprofit launch

The natural sunscreen maker closed a Series A funding round led by venture capital firm Renewal Funds to help expand its distribution. It also hopes to launch a nonprofit organization this year to help protect coral reefs and educate the public about how chemicals in traditional sunscreens can affect wildlife and natural habitats. Read more at Daily Camera...

How one company eliminated food waste: The 'landfill can no longer be an option'

Thomas McQuillan, the sustainability director for specialty foods distributor Baldor, says we need to change the negative perception around the food that we don't eat, like calling it trash or waste or "ugly." He started calling trims and peels "sparcs"—or scraps spelled backward—and his company is on a mission to come up with new uses for all of them, from selling them to a juicery or turning them into animal feed. Read more at Washington Post...

Whole Foods introducing 'Real Food' campaign

This week, the retailer debuted an ad declaring, "we believe in real food," as part of its efforts to make more consistent national advertising efforts. Whole Foods also added a new global vice president of marketing in the fall. Read more at Supermarket News...

Co-op drops non-local, conventional produce after outcry

La Montanita Co-op introduced nonorganic fruits and vegetables on the EWG's "Clean 15" list to its stores last year, but following strong negative reactions from some members and employees it's changing its mind. The co-op does sell some nonorganic produce, but those come from local growers. Read more at Albuquerque Journal...