Long been a part of the retail offering in Britain where families on a budget could find everything from chocolate and toys to toiletries, socks & jocks and stationery, Woolworths in the UK has been a familiar brand for decades. Sadly for some British consumers, from January 5th the last Woolworths door will close, putting around 27,000 staff back on the job market & leaving 807 retail premises looking for an occupant. Woolworths are yet another casualty of the world’s... ...Read more »

PepsiCo is looking into the mindset of a key segment as they embark on a major new branding initiative. Despite a failing economy, employment woes and countless other concerns, a key segment of Millennials/Generation Y – people who were born between 1980 and 1990 – remain confident about what 2009 will have in store for them. According to an omnibus survey conducted by StrategyOne on behalf of Pepsi, four out of five Millennials are hopeful about the future as the New Year approaches,... ...Read more »

A new report has discovered that, since 1991-92, Australian dairy farmers have improved performance and productivity by continuing to change their management practices and adopt various new technologies. The findings are contained in the report, Australian Dairy industry: use of technology and management practices on dairy farms, 1991-92 to 2006-07, released last week by ABARE Executive Director, Phillip Glyde. Results from a survey conducted by ABARE (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource... ...Read more »

The UK Food Standards Agency warns that one in five UK traditional Christmas dinner lovers will risk food poisoning this year by eating old turkey leftovers. A FSA survey looked into the eating habits of UK consumers at Christmas and showed that 23% of people in Wales were most likely to keep turkey leftovers in the fridge for up to a week, way past the recommended two-day limit. While people in Scotland and the north east of England were the quickest to use up their turkey leftovers, those in the... ...Read more »

Food retailers & restaurateurs will be watching their own cash registers to see evidence of Roy Morgan research which indicated that Australian consumer confidence increased for the fourth week in a row, as the Government’s stimulus packages was delivered to Australian families and pensioners. The latest weekly Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating increased 1.5 points from the previous week, to 99.9. The rating was 26.9 points below the average index registered in December 2007, but was... ...Read more »

Restaurants trying to save overheads by ignoring wage requirements should note that a former restaurant which underpaid its kitchen & floor staff has been fined $40,000 and been ordered to back-pay 16 of its former employees almost $22,000 plus interest. The Federal Workplace Ombudsman took the company to the NSW Chief Industrial Magistrates Court after last year receiving a complaint from one of its workers . Global G.T.O. Pty Ltd – which formerly traded as Amici Italian Restaurant on... ...Read more »

After a record 2008 year, The Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory are predicting a  decline in 2009 earnings. Substantial slumps in world dairy prices over recent months have been the main contributor to the WCB’s pessimistic outlook. Cheddar prices have fallen as much as 35-40%, with skim milk powder and butter  at 40-45%  and  35-40%. These changing commodity prices reflect a stark contrast to the record high commodity pricesexperienced throughout the 2008 financial year. WCB’s... ...Read more »

Alcohol is an important part of the culinary arts and experience, and new research from America’s National Restaurant Association reveals which alcohol trends will be the hottest on restaurant menus in 2009. A survey of more than 1,600 professional chefs – American Culinary Federation members – ranked micro-distilled/artisan liquor, culinary cocktails and organic wine in the top 20 culinary trends. Also high on the list of trends for the coming year are food-alcohol pairings, craft... ...Read more »

As Australian Food News continues to take a look back at the year that was, 2008, we turn our attention to controversy and concerns that were highlighted throughout the year. 1. China melamine in powdered milk controversy. The scandal that had food regulators around the world scampering to discover whether any products imported from China contained melamine levels above acceptable levels. Once again it brought China’s food safety record into disrepute and managed to bring worldwide recognition... ...Read more »

The oft-criticised GROCERYchoice website, which gives price comparison information from supermarkets, will be relaunched by consumer advocates Choice in July next year. The new site will provide consumers with ”far more up-to-date information on prices, a run down of weekly specials offered by supermarkets and a range of new features,” according to the consumer group. An online survey asking the community what they want from GROCERYchoice is now on Choice online and interested parties... ...Read more »