Food oils industry members from around the world gained insight into the latest technology and market developments at Decatur, Ill.-based Archer Daniels Midland Co.’s (ADM) inaugural Oils Progress event, held Aug. 30-31, 2005. The two-day affair attracted food corporation representatives from around the U.S. and featured stimulating seminars, networking opportunities and a visit to The Farm Progress Show. Oils Progress will next be held in 2007. For more information, visit www.admoilsprogress.com.

Leavenworth, Kan.-based Cereal Ingredients, Inc. received double quality certification from FPA-SAFE (formerly NFPA-SAFE) Supplier Audit for Food Excellence for the second consecutive year. Cereal Ingredients has also received a “superior” rating from AIB for the fifth consecutive year.

C.M. Products, Inc. announced the sale of the Commercial Bakeware Division to R.T. Bundy, Inc., and their American Pan Co. headquartered in Urbana, Ohio. The sale includes the Chicago Metallic bakeware business and assets of the plant located in Humboldt, Tenn.

San Leandro, Calif.-based Otis Spunkmeyer, Inc. announced its acquisition of Van-Merkel, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of frozen cookie products doing business as the Chippery out of Austin, Texas.

Smiths Heimann, a global manufacturer of multifunction X-ray technology, will rebrand under the corporate identity of Smiths Detection. The name change is intended to better align its international companies to the company’s core business, detection.

Wauconda, Ill.-based U.S. Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. announced that its name will change to Synergy. The name change reflects the latest step in the company’s multimillion-dollar business realignment that began with last year’s sale of its fragrance business. The company is now focused exclusively on expanding its flavor business.

The Food Marketing Institute called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase quotas for sugar imports, noting that Hurricane Katrina shut down a major sugar refinery, which made a tight sugar market even worse and could lead to retail price increases. An expansion of import quotas on refined bulk sugar for industrial use could help avoid disruption to domestic markets.