Consumers find breakfast fare comforting and many, especially women, wish they could eat it at any time of the day, according to research from America. A study by foodservice industry consultant Technomic discovered that nearly half of consumers surveyed (46 per cent) say they would like to see full-service restaurants offer breakfast throughout the day and about a third (32 per cent) would like breakfast offered all day in limited-service restaurants. In both cases, females were significantly more... ...Read more »

One of the leaders of the Australian flour milling industry, Mark Laucke of Laucke Flour, has written an open letter to the Australian Food Industry expressing serious reservations about the mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid. On 13 September 2009 it became compulsory in Australia for all bread-making flour to be fortified with folic acid as a consequence of an amendment to the Food Standards Code passed two years ago that took effect on that date. Laucke’s concerns are expressed... ...Read more »

US researchers have suggested that organic products are failing to gain mainstream appeal in the country, despite increasing retail penetration and media attention. According to research firm TABS, there has not been a growth in the number of consumers who purchase organic products over the past 12 months. “The usage results for our latest study were remarkably similar to the results from last year’s study. Organic food and beauty products continue to be niche products, they have not... ...Read more »

A Greenpeace report claiming that a major supplier of palm oil to Unilever is engaged in illegal deforestation has prompted the company to suspend all future purchases from the company.In a statement released today (11 December), Unilever said that it would not buy palm oil from Indonesia’s PT Smart, part of the Sinar Mas group, until they provide “verifiable proof” that none of their plantations are contributing to the deforestation of “high conservation value” forests... ...Read more »

The Full Federal Court of Australia has unanimously dismissed an appeal by Mars Australia, makers of Maltesers against a rival confectionery product. On Friday, the Full Court agreed with the trial judge in Mars Australia Pty Ltd v Sweet Rewards Pty Ltd [2009] FCAFC 174 that the Malt Balls product sold by Sweet Rewards did not infringe the registered trademark of Mars Australia brand Maltesers, and did not mislead or deceive consumers of Maltesers. In its appeal filed in June, Mars Australia had... ...Read more »

Australian burger chain Grill’d is considering legal action against Australian hardware group Mitre-10 over use of the name Grill’d for a new line of barbecue being marketed through Mitre10 stores. Grill’d founder Simon Crowe said he had been engaged in talks with Mitre10 group for several months regarding the use of the name but the parties had failed to reach an agreement over an alleged infringement of the trademark and a further claim of misleading and deceptive conduct under... ...Read more »

The battle for the supermarket floor between private label and branded goods is heating up with private label reaching a record share of the grocery market in Australia, according to new research by market insight and information group TNS. The news comes as supermarkets push their own labels harder than ever. The largest Australian chains, including the likes of Woolworths, Coles, and IGA, have all reported the strong growth of private label this year and have continued to boost their expenditure... ...Read more »

Woolworths, Wesfarmers and Lion Nathan have been among the big winners when it comes to brand value gains over the past year, with Woolworths claiming top spot as Australia’s most valuable brand owner. The research by Brand Finance showed half of the top ten most valuable brands were indeed companies with strong links to the food and beverage sector. Beyond Woolworths, Coles owner Wesfarmers, soft drink maker Coca-Cola Amatil and brewers Lion Nathan and Foster’s made the top ten. Wesfarmers,... ...Read more »

ABARE, Australia’s leading commodity research group, has disputed the widely held belief that local food is better for the environment, labelling food miles as a “misleading indicator” that could in fact increase carbon emissions. The term food miles has been bandied around a lot in the press over recent years and has led to a steady increase in consumer demand for locally grown produce. However, despite consumers demanding more local food, research has also suggested that most... ...Read more »

Consumer product firms Kellogg Company and Unilever have announced changes at the head of their organisations, with cereal group Kellogg advising of their new Chief Financial Officer while Unilever reported the resignation of theirs. Unilever said that its CFO, James Lawrence, has decided to resign from the boards of the maker of Streets and Lipton at the end of the year, just over two years after joining the firm. “It’s been an excellent time for me and I have made many good friends... ...Read more »