Inflation figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics have confirmed a strong fall in the price of fruit and vegetables in the September quarter. Last week supermarket chain Coles advised that prices of fresh produce had fallen by 7.8 per cent in the third quarter, with ABS figures showing similarly strong deflation. The declining cost of fresh food led overall food prices down 0.8 per cent in the quarter, but they remain 2.5 per cent more expensive than last year. Vegetables, down... ...Read more »

Nestlé has insisted it is “committed” to using only “sustainable” palm oil from 2015, the latest in a series of announcements on the raw material from food manufacturers and retailers. The Swiss food giant, the world’s largest food maker, said it would use “Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO)” from 2015 after a “detailed review” of its palm oil supply chain. Environmental campaigners have criticised the world’s food companies for playing... ...Read more »

Located in the Victorian dairy belt, Jindi Cheese, the largest private Australian-owned specialty cheese maker received international acclaim last week, winning four gold medals at the prestigious annual Guild of Fine Food World Cheese Awards. Jindi Old Telegraph Road Brie collected the highest accolade taking out the only gold medal awarded in the Brie category; the new Jindi Reserve Blue took another; while the also recently launched, Jindi Rustic Brie (washed rind) enjoyed gold status twice. “The... ...Read more »

Bakers Delight has been awarded the ‘Franchisor Social Responsibility Award’ at the Franchise Council of Australia MYOB Excellence in Franchising Awards, held last week at the 2009 FCA Gala Awards Dinner in Perth. Chris Caldwell, General Manager of Marketing & Operational Support at Bakers Delight, said the network is continually developing and implementing community, social and environmental initiatives. “Our commitment to local communities is pivotal to our connection with... ...Read more »

Some of Australia’s leading food and grocery companies will this week be honoured by Foodbank Australia for their efforts to reduce food waste and alleviate hunger through donations of significant amounts of products to people in urgent need. A range of food companies will receive special Foodbank Awards – to be presented by television personality Ernie Dingo in Canberra – at the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) annual dinner at the National Portrait Gallery on Wednesday. Foodbank... ...Read more »

Clean Seas Tuna has announced the appointment of John Ellice-Flint to the role of non-executive Chairman of the Australian aquaculture pioneer. The news comes as Australia’s share of the worldwide quota of Southern Bluefin Tuna has been cut – a policy shift that is likely to benefit Clean Seas in the long-term. Mr Ellice-Flint was until last year the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of oil and gas giant Santos Limited, playing a key role in the company’s strategic turnaround.... ...Read more »

Coles has said that it will change the name of its private label biscuit product Creole Creams amid assertions that the name is racist. A University of Queensland academic yesterday advised that the word Creole has been used as a racist way to describe a person of mixed European and African ancestry. “The word Creole comes from a period when people’s humanity was measured by the amount of white blood they had in their bloodstream. This is the same kind of thought that underpinned horrific... ...Read more »

All McDonald’s restaurants in the country of Iceland will be closed by month’s end as franchise holder Lyst ehf saw profits eroded by the collapse of the Icelandic kroner. The plummeting currency forced prices of ingredients up considerably for the franchise holder as most of their goods have to be imported. “We would have to raise our prices by 20 per cent to get the margin needed on our products,” Magnus Ogmundsson, Lyst ehf CEO, told Bloomberg. “That would have sent... ...Read more »

Lion Nathan will officially be delisted from the ASX at the close of business tomorrow. An employer of over 3,000 in Australia and New Zealand, Lion Nathan’s roots trace back to New Zealand with the 1914 creation of New Zealand Breweries. After building up a significant business in New Zealand the company looked to Australia for growth, with expansion taking a major step forward in 1990 with the purchases of Tooheys Brewery and Castlemain Perkins. Since then they have further extended their... ...Read more »

Consumers who are buying more private label brands say they won’t return to name brands in the foreseeable future, the yearlong shopper experience study currently underway by American-based The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research has revealed. However, brand names still have the opportunity to claw back market share with sound strategy implementation. “Almost eight in 10 shoppers report seeking products on sale and comparing prices between brand name and store brands when buying groceries... ...Read more »