The world’s second largest brewer, SABMiller, has reported a lager volume decline of one per cent in the first half “reflecting difficult trading conditions across many of (their) markets”, however soft drink volumes rose slightly and revenues were boosted by price hikes.The maker of Peroni and Grolsch said the decline was lead by continued weakness in the South American, European and US markets, but financial results were broadly in line with expectations.  Read More →

On the eve of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ) today urged big business to continue the fight against poverty through Fairtrade. FTAANZ Operations Manager, Cameron Neil, called on businesses across the nation to make the change and be part of making poverty history for the almost 2 billion people globally for whom that is a daily reality. “Simple changes in the workplace, such as switching to Fairtrade Certified... ...Read more »

Switching between supermarkets has not been as easy for consumers as they suggested, according to new research from the British branch of market research firm Mintel. Studies last year in the US, Australia and the UK indicated that as many as one in three would actively consider a change to their primary grocery store, but this has yet to eventuate with the study showing just four per cent have switched over the past twelve months. Mintel said that the research indicated grocery discounters are not... ...Read more »

New Zealand’s efforts to drastically reduce the effects of the dangerous bacteria found in chicken have seen it lead global efforts to improve the safety of poultry for human consumption, according to their food safety authority. The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is taking the lead for the International Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) in developing standards to combat campylobacter in broiler chickens. The highly-regarded Codex guidelines are often used by international bodies,... ...Read more »

The recent 2009 SPAR Australia Annual General Meeting was the setting for a major milestone announcement for the retailer, with Chairman, Stephen Roger, reporting that the company had entered into a Permanent License Agreement with SPAR International. The permanent license was granted well before the expiration of SPAR Australia’s current agreement. “To have been offered this arrangement only three years after being issued our temporary license demonstrates the level of confidence SPAR... ...Read more »

In times of uncertainty the common perception is that consumers will gravitate toward familiar food favourites, but new research suggests that this may not be the case. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that stress and upheaval actually lead people to choose less-familiar foods over “comfort foods.” “Most of us can name our favourite ‘comfort foods’ and believe that we are most prone to seek them out during times of stress and upheaval,” writes... ...Read more »

Shoppers are likely to make a number of changes to their shopping habits in coming years with discount grocers and local food producers to be among the big winners, according to research from Britain. The research into likely grocery behaviour in 2012, from grocery analysts IGD, shows more than half (54%) of shoppers will be more careful about spending money in the future than they are currently, with discounters to come onto the radar more often. About three in every ten respondents (29%) said they... ...Read more »

Australian food producers need to be wary of complacency to ensure the ‘clean and green’ image widely used to market Australian food remains accurate, a leading Australian contaminant scientist has said. Marking International World Food Day on Oct 16, Managing Director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), Professor Ravi Naidu, said that, despite excellent food regulation and safeguards in Australia, we and others... ...Read more »

Cadbury CEO Todd Stitzer again claimed the UK confectioner would thrive as an independent company yesterday (13 October), hailing the company’s “incredible momentum”.Stitzer used a grocery conference in London to reaffirm his belief that the Dairy Milk and Trident maker had a bright future on its own two feet, as he awaits a possible formal takeover offer from suitor Kraft Foods, the US food giant. Kraft, the maker of Milka and Toblerone chocolate, has until 9 November to table... ...Read more »

Global energy drink volumes increased by 2% in 2008 to 3.9 billion litres, almost double the 2.0 billion litres sold in 2003, with Australia a global leader – according to the latest report from food and drink consultancy Zenith International. Average global growth over the past five years has been 14% a year.”Energy drinks remain a dynamic segment in the soft drinks market, with double figure rises in most regions,” Zenith Market Intelligence Director Gary Roethenbaugh explained.... ...Read more »