An ongoing study by scientists at the University of Turku in Finland suggests that taking probiotics during pregnancy may reduce the risk of adiposity – the most unhealthy form of obesity – after giving birth; may lead to less diabetes during pregnancy; and reduce the risk of obesity later in a baby’s life. Probiotics are ‘good’ bacteria that help to maintain a bacterial balance in the digestive tract by reducing the growth of harmful ‘bad’ bacteria. They... ...Read more »

Wesfarmers yesterday (18 February) posted a sluggish profits gain, boosted by the performance of its Coles supermarket business.The coal-to-groceries conglomerate said that profits in the first six months of the year edged up 1% to A$879m. Sales for the period, ended 31 December, increased to A$26.53bn, up from A$26.36 last year. Wesfarmers said that its Coles supermarket unit had booked a strong sales performance. Revenue from its Coles supermarket business was A$15.16bn, compared to A$14.62bn for... ...Read more »

Ben and Jerry’s announced in London yesterday (18th February) its commitment to go fully Fairtrade across its entire global flavour portfolio. The company has pledged that by the end of 2013 all of the flavours in all of the countries where Ben & Jerry’s is sold will be converted to Fairtrade CertifiedTM ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s was the first ice cream company in the world to use Fairtrade CertifiedTM ingredients starting in 2005, and today it’s racing ahead as... ...Read more »

Australia’s second largest supermarket group Coles has posted a strong increase in first half sales as its turnaround efforts continue to pay off. Coles supermarket business booked revenues of A$15.16bn in the six months to 31 December, up 3.7% compared to A$14.62bn for the half-year of last year. Speaking during a conference call with analysts, Wesfarmers chief executive Richard Goyder said that the turnaround at Coles was “on track”. Detailing the supermarket operator’s... ...Read more »

Police arrested Bill Harvey, Woolworths’ buyer for coffee, tea and sugar, on Friday as part of an investigation into a national kickback scheme involving coffee and tea suppliers.  The executive was also sacked from his position at the company’s Bella Vista headquarters yesterday after an internal investigation, and has been replaced by Jim Stephan.  An unidentified Melbourne broker was also arrested but later released, with charges believed to be pending. It is alleged that wholesalers... ...Read more »

Poultry franchise Lenard’s has set its sights on adding 30 new stores by the end of 2010, making a total of 221 outlets across Australia. Founder and director Lenard Poulter has announced he will take a more hands-on role in the company’s franchise recruitment team, in order to select the right franchise owners to operate the new outlets. In addition to growing the business, Poulter believes that existing franchise owners will also benefit from the increased profile the new stores will... ...Read more »

Despite posting record earnings, with a net income increase of 16%, up to $449 million, Australian company Coca-Cola Amatil’s share price dropped today.  Stock market experts described Coca-Cola Amatil’s results as ‘solid’, but not good enough to justify its share price. Developing markets Indonesia and Papua New Guinea posted revenue growth of almost 22%, and the Food & Services Division (including SPC Aardmona) reported earnings growth of over 20%. Strong performance... ...Read more »

More than ever, Australians are reaching for the takeaway menu instead of the fridge door.  Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show a consistent growth in the Cafes, Restaurants and Takeaway Food services category over the last three months; December’s figures show a record turnover of $2.9 billion dollars, an increase of 3.9%. Despite an increase in the purchase of household cooking items, believed to be sparked by the widespread popularity of TV cooking shows, it seems Australians... ...Read more »

Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever aims to capitalise on its growth in developing and emerging markets in 2010.Speaking to analysts at the CAGNY conference in Florida yesterday (16 February), Michael Polk, president of Unilever Americas told analysts that Unilever’s “unrivalled strength” in the developing and emerging markets continues to be a source of “competitive advantage” for the business. “Around one half of Unilever’s global sales are in developing... ...Read more »

Campbell Soup Co. today (17 February) trimmed its forecast for annual sales and outlined plans to take its US soup business forward.Ahead of its presentation at the CAGNY consumer goods conference in Florida today, Campbell said it was still expecting growth of 6 to 7% and adjusted net earnings per share growth of 9 to 11% from the fiscal 2009 adjusted base of $2.21. However, the company revised its fiscal 2010 guidance for sales growth to 2.5 to 3.5% from the prior range of 4 to 5%. Regarding its... ...Read more »