Sara Lee announced on February 23rd that it has sourced the first sustainable tea approved by its partner US CERTIFIED.  Sara Lee already sells UTS CERTIFIED coffee, having recently announced plans to source 40,000 tons of of sustainable coffee in 2010. The successful completion of UTZ CERTIFIED audits in Joure, Indonesia and Malawi will allow Sara Lee, which sells its tea under flagship brands such as PICKWICK and HORNIMANS, to purchase 2,000 tons of certified tea to market in 2010, comprising... ...Read more »

“Business is on notice – the ACCC will be pursuing tougher penalties for anti-competitive behaviour, including cartels,” Chairman of the ACCC Graeme Samuel said today. Speaking to an AICD luncheon in Melbourne, Mr Samuel noted that for around 14 years the maximum penalty for anti-competitive conduct, be it misuse of market power or cartel conduct, had been $10 million per contravention. “We saw cases where the profit from the conduct for the company far outstripped the reach... ...Read more »

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, has again set out its stall to reduce its impact on the environment and issued plans to lower its carbon emissions.The company said today (25 February) that it is aiming to cut 20m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain between now and 2015. The retail titan will look to hit that target by focusing on product categories with the “highest embedded carbon” as defined by the Carbon Disclosure Project and the Applied Sustainability... ...Read more »

Wessanen CEO Frans Koffrie today (25 February) insisted organic food has long-term potential in Europe as the Dutch food group looks to rebuild after a tumultuous 2009. The downturn has dampened organic sales, particularly in key markets for Wessanen such as Germany and the UK. However, Koffrie said Wessanen, which has set out to focus on its organic food business in Europe, believed the “underlying” market would be strong. Speaking to analysts after Wessanen reported a loss of almost... ...Read more »

The annual GM industry-funded survey of global GM crops, by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agro-biotech Applications (ISAAA), shows 7 of the 25 GM countries grew less genetically manipulated (GM) crops in 2009. No more countries adopted GM and just 2.7% of global agricultural land was used for GM soy, corn, canola and cotton. This slowdown in GM crops appears to be largely due to the widespread public concern about the safety of consuming GM foods.  “Most GM product goes... ...Read more »

If you have opinions or ideas about how to improve food labelling in Australia, now is the time to do something about it.  The Committee conducting the Independent Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy is about to embark on the planned second round of public consultations in Australia and New Zealand. This Review, chaired by Dr Neal Blewett AC, is being conducted at the request of the Council of Australian Governments and the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council, representing... ...Read more »

Researchers from the University of Buffalo in the US have published a study suggesting that increasing the prices of unhealthy foods could do more to prevent obesity than subsidising healthy foods. In the study, New York mothers were placed in a mock-up supermarket, with cards showing product images and prices, and were invited to spend a limited amount of money buying foods for their family.  Researchers found that increasing the prices of unhealthy foods caused the participants to purchase lower... ...Read more »

The ACCC has today received a court-enforceable undertaking from importer and distributor Sony Trading Pty Ltd to stop distribution of banned mini jelly cups. The jelly cups, which contain the non-dissolving gelling agent konjac, were banned in 2002 after a number of widely publicised choking deaths in the US.  According to the ACCC, 17 deaths have been linked to the product worldwide after the jellies, which are sucked directly from the cup, became lodged in the victims’ airways. Sony trading... ...Read more »

America’s most popular mayonnaise brand, Hellmann’s, yesterday announced that it would convert US production of its Hellmann’s Light product to use cage-free eggs. The mayonnaise, production of which accounts for around 1.5 million kilograms of eggs a year, will convert to using American Humane Certified eggs, which require producers to meet criteria for animal health and welfare as well as banning the use of battery cages. Once a “certifiable and consistent supply”... ...Read more »

A draft ruling by the ACCC today allowed members of the Tasmanian Farmers & Graziers Association to continue collectively negotiating contracts with major vegetable processors McCain Foods and Simplot Australia (producers of Edgell and Birds Eye brands) for their produce. Simplot Australia purchased around 350 million kg of Tasmanian vegetables in the 2004/2005 year. The decision will allow members of the TFGA to make agreements as a group with processors. Collective negotiation can raise concerns... ...Read more »