The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Assn.'s (IDDBA) annual seminar and expo held in Las Vegas in June broke all records for attendance and exhibits.

The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Assn.'s (IDDBA) annual seminar and expo held in Las Vegas in June broke all records for attendance and exhibits. Registration was more than 1,200 higher than expected, with final registration counts exceeding 8,100, which was a 15% increase from the 2002 show. The 1,274-booth expo hall sold out early, with 135 booths more than 2002.

A Ben & Jerry's Smoothies store made its debut last month at the Pittsburgh International Airport.

"There is a huge audience for smoothies at the airport," says owner Bill Newlin, Jr. "It is the perfect grab-and-go treat, and we offer the most delicious, refreshing, all natural smoothie you can buy."

CoolBrands International Inc., poised to acquire the spin-off brands of the Nestl¿reyer's merger, says its fiscal third-quarter profit rose almost 32% to $9 million despite the impact of bad spring weather. Earnings for the quarter ended May 31 amounted to 17 cents a share and compared with $6.8 million or 14 cents per share a year earlier, the maker of such frozen snacks as Eskimo Pie and Chipwich, reported last month. Danone has added a new $2.8million dessert-making production line at the firm's Budapest factory. Hungary is the first country outside of France in which the Danone group has employed this type of technology, opening new possibilities on the market in Hungary as well as in neighboring countries, the company said. The new production line, which will be fully completed by the end of the year, will have the capacity to turn out 7,000 tons of desserts annually, or 1million cups of the chocolate-vanilla cream "Danette Duett." A Hungarian businessman plans to reopen a former Hebron Cheese plant in Hebron, N.D. and supply specialty cheeses to Hungarian customers. Meister Cheese Co., Muscoda, Wis., recently completed an expansion which tripled its production capacity and its work force. The plant grew from 8,000 to 30,000 sq ft in response to growing demand for the company's Great Midwest specialty cheeses, which include one variety made with morel mushrooms and two others with horseradish.