As discussions with major shareholder Kirin regarding their takeover proposal continue, Lion Nathan has announced a 6.9% rise in net profit after tax for the first half – an announcement that was brought forward from May 20. Lion Nathan CEO Rob Murray, who is widely tipped to stay on as boss of Kirin’s Australian operations if the deal proceeds, tipped further progress in the second half due to innovations, the growth of Boag’s and the later Easter. “These first-half results... ...Read more »

Arnott’s, Australia’s largest biscuit supplier, is threatening legal action against donut chain Krispy Kreme for alleged violation of their “Iced Vo-Vo” trademark – which they first registered in 1906. Arnott’s lawyers have sent a request to Krispy Kreme to cease the use of the “Iced Dough-Vo” for one of their new range of donuts by no later than 5pm today, the ABC reported. The Iced Dough-Vo is one of a range of Australian flavours the donut retailer... ...Read more »

Nestlé’s focus on becoming a health and wellness food group is resonating with consumers, their CEO has told investors at their Annual General Meeting in Switzerland. “The main force behind our performance is our brands,” CEO Paul Bulcke explained. “Their success is increasingly derived from their inherent nutritional credentials. Our Company’s commitment to growing our brands towards consumers is demonstrated by a 7.5% increase in consumer-facing marketing spend in... ...Read more »

Ground breaking findings by an international consortium of scientists who sequenced and analysed the bovine genome, could result in more sustainable food production. The findings, published in two reports in the journal Science today, will have a profound impact on Australia’s livestock industry, according to the CSIRO. CSIRO scientists were among the 300 researchers from 25 countries involved in the six-year Bovine Genome Sequencing Project designed to sequence, annotate and analyse the genome... ...Read more »

Twitter, the micro-blogging platform that challenges users to think in 140 characters or less, is taking the world by storm, and businesses are searching for ways to capitalise on its flourishing popularity. The social networking dilemma Companies are increasingly unsure of how to tackle the proliferation of online social networking sites, which have the potential to quickly tarnish a brand image built on decades of hard work. The spread of word of mouth by employees and customers is consequently... ...Read more »

South African based supermarket group Pick ‘n Pay has reported a significant turnaround in the operations at their Australian chain – Franklins. The grocer, which operates over 80 stores throughout the state of New South Wales, reaped a trading profit of R23.5 million ($3.7m) before capital profits for the year ended February 28, a marked turnaround from last year’s loss of just under A$5 million in Australia. Turnover grew by around 18% in South African Rand terms and 3.5% in Australian... ...Read more »

Fourteen brands will be entitled to place the ‘whatsnew? Product of the Year’ label on their products after coming out on top in a survey of Australian consumers. In its second year in Australia, 5,000 consumers were queried as to the best new products in 14 different categories. The consumer decision was made after an expert panel of judges from marketing, advertising and design, agreed on a short list of finalists. Consumers were then asked in an online survey conducted by Roy Morgan,... ...Read more »

Technology developed by Food Science Australia (FSA) to improve the way fruit juices and other food products are pasteurised, is being used commercially in a new Melbourne food processing facility opened this morning. The Director of FSA’s Innovative Foods Centre (IFC), Dr Kees Versteeg, reported that the technology developed by the IFC – called High Pressure Processing (HPP) – uses pressures of about 6000 times the average air pressure at sea level to pasteurise food products. “The... ...Read more »

McDonald’s announced a resilient 4.3% increase in global comparable sales for the first quarter as they continue to attract financially stricken consumers. Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner said a focus on convenience and value were the drivers of their success. “McDonald’s continues to deliver a relevant restaurant experience that provides consumers with a broad range of quality menu choices, affordable prices and unmatched convenience,” he stated. “Our underlying... ...Read more »

Australia’s second largest alcoholic beverages group is currently discussing the merits of a takeover offer by their major shareholder. Japan’s Kirin Holdings, which has a 46.13% stake in Lion Nathan sent details of an acquisition proposal to the brewer after the close of trade last night. Details of the exact nature of the deal are not yet known, with Lion Nathan (LNN) requesting a trading halt so that they can analyse the offer and create a dialogue with Kirin. “This confidential... ...Read more »