As the second major food recall in the US within a year continues to expand, food industry bodies and consumer groups are calling for change. The current peanut butter Salmonella scandal in America has led to over 500 illnesses already and has been linked to eight deaths. Overnight, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the recall to include all products produced by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) at its Blakely, Georgia processing plant since January 1, 2007. Products produced... ...Read more »

The CEO of the UK’s largest retailer has told of the need for food retailers to adapt and update to ensure they can relate to the ever-changing consumer. Sir Terry Leahy, the boss of Tesco, noted that the principles of sound business, however, remained the same. “In a recession, the temptation for any business is to think that the rules of the game have changed. They have not. The consumer is still sovereign,” he told the City Food Lecture overnight. “Let me quote von Mises... ...Read more »

Fonterra, the world’s biggest dairy exporter, has temporarily shelved plans to spend $10 million upgrading its Wynyard cheese factory in northern Tasmania. The decision has come in response to concerns about the economic environment, although Fonterra’s MD, Bruce Donnison, remains confident of a turnaround in dairy fortunes in the future. “This recent crisis that we’re in around credit, and the demand drop off as a result, is definitely reflecting on our farmers and how they... ...Read more »

Warren Truss, the Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Trade Minister, has called on Trade Minister Simon Crean to step in amid claims the threat of a full-blown trade war between the European Union and the United States over dairy exports could negatively impact the dairy sector in Australia. “The likely subsidy war over dairy could devastate Australian exports and begin an outbreak of widespread trade protectionism in response to global economic turmoil,” Mr Truss said. “The G20... ...Read more »

Australia’s Sunny Queen Farms is set to launch an industry-first product into the egg market. The Australian egg brand, which last year recorded the third greatest value growth of any of the Top 100 FMCG Manufacturers – according to Nielsen, has developed the Natural Grain Cage Free egg in response to consumer demand for a more affordable cage free option. Sunny Queen Cage Free eggs are laid by hens that are free to roam inside large, open sided barns where they can spread their wings,... ...Read more »

Norwegian chef, Geir Skeie, has claimed the top prize at the biennial Bocuse d’Or – commonly referred to as the Olympics of cooking. For more than twenty years the Bocuse d’Or has been staging the most beautiful gourmet creations in the world in the manner of a haute couture fashion show. Working in contest kitchens set up facing the public, 24 chefs from all over the world took up the challenge to create two perfect dishes within 5 hrs 35 minutes. Similarly to the popular Japanese... ...Read more »

New Zealand’s competition watchdog has granted approval for Coca-Cola Amatil to purchase Baker Halls, New Zealand’s leading fruit juice syrup producer, from Old Fashioned Foods. Commerce Commission Chair, Paula Rebstock, said that the Commission was satisfied that the proposed acquisition will not have, or would not be likely to have, the effect of substantially lessening competition in any of the relevant markets. Post-acquisition, CCA will continue to be constrained by existing competition,... ...Read more »

The Australian dairy industry has been shaken by the global financial downturn, according to Dairy Australia’s latest Situation and Outlook report. Dairy Australia’s Manager of Strategy and Knowledge, Joanne Bills, said the rapid, unprecedented fall in international markets and recent cuts to current season prices had created uncertainty and undermined confidence within the industry. “The downturn has sparked significant drops in international commodity prices in recent months from... ...Read more »

Despite a quarterly deflation figure and disinflation for the year to December, food price inflation gathered pace in the closing months of 2008, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) data. Australia’s latest official inflation figures showed that while the overall CPI fell 0.3 per cent quarter on quarter (QOQ) – the largest quarterly fall in more than 11 years – food prices rose two per cent (bringing the annual increase in food prices... ...Read more »

The biggest things on 2008 menus were small, with mini food, low prices and lighter options. Looking back at menus in the US from 2008, Mintel Menu Insights reveals that three of the year’s top trends had to do with downsizing: mini food, value pricing, and lighter food options (the result of strengthened nutrition labelling laws in America). “2008 was an extremely difficult year for the restaurant industry. Many Americans were trying to save money by going out to eat less, so restaurants... ...Read more »