Packaging

 WEST DES MOINES, Iowa  -- Hy-Vee announced that it has enlisted the help of celebrity chef Curtis Stone to develop a series of recipes designed to bring families together for meals.

Under the exclusive agreement with Hy-Vee, Stone, who stars as an investor/mentor on NBC's "America's Next Great Restaurant." will be featured in the company's TV commercials, print ads and in-store promotional materials over the next two years, said Randy Edeker, president and COO of Hy-Vee.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Target announced that it will offer an exclusive version of Alison Krauss & Union Station's "Paper Airplane," Krauss’ 14th album and the band’s follow-up to 2004’s Grammy-award-winning album "Lonely Runs Both Ways." The deluxe edition of Paper Airplane is now available for pre-order at Target.com and will be offered at Target retail stores nationwide beginning April 12.

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. -- Meijer is now selling an exclusive line of aprons for the kitchen and garden. The line was created by Crypton, a manufacturer of eco-friendly fabrics, in partnership with television host and author, Katie Brown.

The "Katie Brown Simply at Meijer" line is available at all Meijer's stores and at meijer.com.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market announced that it has relaunched its Design-A-Bag contest, inviting Fresh & Easy customers to design and vote on the grocer's next reusable bag. Customers can submit their original bag designs at www.freshandeasy.com/designabag through May 15. Based on feedback Fresh & Easy has expanded the contest this year to anyone 13 years of age or older in Arizona, California and Nevada.

AKRON, Ohio — The USDA has chosen Purell green certified instant hand sanitizer foam as a featured product for the formal launch of its new BioPreferred label program.

USDA Deputy secretary Kathleen Merrigan made the announcement Thursday at a biobased product meeting in Glenwillow, Ohio.

PARIS  -- L'Oreal Paris announced that it has named Madame Ines de la Fressange as its latest ambassador.

"Ines de la Fressange, our new L'Oreal Paris spokeswoman, has divine grace, that very contemporary way of being a woman, at once free, unexpected and mesmerizing. An accomplished model, mother and designer, she leads a full life. I am delighted that she is bringing that irresistible 'je ne sais quoi' to the brand," says Cyril Chapuy, global brand president L'Oreal Paris.

Las Vegas -- Boulder, Colo.-based Wenger took top honors as Store of the Year in the Association for Retail Environments’ (A.R.E.) annual retail design competition. It’s the first U.S. retail outpost for the company, which is best known as the maker of the Swiss Army Knife.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. — Mars Chocolate said its Kudos brand will debut a new-and-improved line of granola bars this May.

Kudos will don flavors from M&M's, Dove and Snickers in a 10-count pack and a 30-count variety pack.

What's more, a marketing campaign will kick off to celebrate the Kudos granola bars, which will include a refreshed website at Kudosbar.com and cross promotions with others Mars Chocolate brands.

Kudos 10-count and 30-count variety packs will retail for $2.99 and $6.99, respectively.