In connection with the national introduction of Newman?s Own Organics premium organic pet food, Paul Newman has pledged $100,000 to nonprofit animal charities throughout the United States.

Fuji Chemical Industry Co. is forming a new U.S.-based subsidiary, FCI Health Science Inc., in Mount Laurel, N.J., to be headed by President Charles DePrince. The company will market Fuji?s ingredients to the nutritional, personal care and pharmaceutical industries. This comes on the heels of Fuji?s acquisition of the Swedish company BioProcess AB, completing a global network through Asia, North America and Europe.

Sonoma County?s Traditional Medicinals has taken a step to make its green teas greener by offsetting 100 percent of its total facility?s electricity use with the purchase of Green Tags. This means that for each kilowatt-hour of electricity the company uses, an equal amount of clean, renewable energy (such as wind power) is fed into the national electricity grid.

B.I.N. Sales and Marketing is celebrating its 20th year of existence, serving the natural, specialty and mass market channels of distribution along the Eastern seaboard.

San Francisco-based Maranatha Nut Butters received organic certification of its peanut and almond nut butters. Maranatha offers the first products on the market to utilize the Food and Drug Administration?s Qualified Health Claim for nuts.

Watsonville, Calif.-based Nordic Naturals Inc. is partnering with Wild Oats Markets to place the core line of Nordic Naturals products in all Wild Oats stores. Wild Oats Markets began placing the products in January.

Yves Veggie Cuisine, of Vancouver, B.C., Canada, was the gold sponsor for the March 11 Runway to Athens at the University of Toronto, to support the vision of common-sense eating. Organizers raised money for Canadian Olympic athletes on their way to the Athens games.

NSF International, a U.S.-based quality testing company, acquired Quality Assurance International, a U.S.-based organic testing company. Both companies will work together to provide a broader range of food and consumer safety measures.

People News
Debra Stark of Debra?s Natural Gourmet, in Concord, Mass., received the first MacNut Oil Retailer of the Year Award.

James S. Gold has left his position on the Hain Celestial board of directors. The company did not give a reason for Gold?s resignation.

The Maker?s Diet, a religion and diet guide written by Garden of Life founder Jordan Rubin, has become a top seller on Amazon.com and on the Barnes and Noble Web site. The book is based on the Bible and focuses on a natural and organic approach to eating, the company says. Rubin has a degree in naturopathic medicine from the People?s University of the Americas in Puerto Rico and a doctorate in nutrition from the Academy of Natural Therapies in Wyoming.

Agronica Inc., of Toronto, appointed Rafe (Ray) Wolfson as North American manager and Susan K. Carskadon as media manager. Wolfson and Carskadon will handle the launch of the company?s green-foods products.

Jarrow Formulas Inc., of Los Angeles, hired Adele Ruff as its Ohio sales representative. Ruff has worked 12 years as Ohio sales representative for Country Life Vitamins, based in Hauppauge, N.Y., and two years as a retail manager and buyer for Naturally Yours Nutrition Center in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

The Alacer Corp. named Tim Welch as its new president and chief executive officer. Welch, previously the senior vice president in charge of carbonated beverages at Hansen Beverages, has spent 18 years in the food and beverage industry.

Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXV/number 5/p. 56