French retail giant Casino yesterday (25 March) pledged to reduce the amount of palm oil in its products for environmental – and health – reasons.The company, which runs the Geant, Franprix and Leader Price banners in France, said it would remove palm oil from 200 own-label lines by the end of the year. “Palm oil is a vegetable fat. Even if it has good stability at high temperature and gives food a crisp texture, mass consumption may present risks to human health and the environment,”... ...Read more »

Yum! Brands announced the opening of its first Indian Taco Bell outlet yesterday in Bangalore. Yum! is focused on developing Taco Bell into its third global brand after KFC and Pizza Hut, currently the second most profitable brand in the United States. Over the past few years, the Company has expanded Taco Bell beyond Canada and Puerto Rico to other markets including Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Guam, Iceland, Philippines, Dubai, Spain and Cyprus. “We’re delighted to... ...Read more »

The deaths of 266 cattle on the live-export ship MV Ocean Shearer, confirmed yesterday by Wellard Group managing director Steve Meerwald, has sparked outrage among animal protection groups. More than 16,000 cattle left Fremantle for Egypt on February 23, along with around 40,000 sheep.  The 266 deaths translate to a mortality rate of 1.6%, exceeding the legal acceptable limit of 1% by over 100 head of cattle. According to Australian government statistics, 923 cattle and 32,000 sheep died on live... ...Read more »

A research team from Princeton University has found that rats who consume high-fructose corn syrup (HCFS), the US’s most common sweetener, gain significantly more weight than rats who consume normal table sugar, despite consuming the same number of calories. “Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn’t true, at least under the conditions of... ...Read more »

Fosters yesterday announced its new responsible enjoyment initiative, in collaboration with the Melbourne Cricket Club. The ‘Be Best on Ground’ initiative intends to send a message to patrons of the Melbourne Cricket Ground to keep their enjoyment of Fosters’ in-stadium products from impinging on the enjoyment of those around them. The MCG is notorious for its alcohol-fueled rowdy behaviour.  In 2002, cricket officials targeted the MCG by limiting sales in the MCG’s lower... ...Read more »

Starbucks yesterday announced a new strategy of strategic growth and expanding coffee sales after a disastrous two years of economic downturn. The company’s new plan, announced at the company’s annual shareholder meeting involves expanding sales of Starbucks’ instant coffee brand, VIA Ready Brew, and licensing its secondary brand, Seattle’s Best Coffee, for sale at a variety of fast-food chains, including Burger King, Subway and Taco Bell. The company will also expand its... ...Read more »

Melbourne boutique chocolate atelier Sisko Chocolate has released their Easter range, featuring a centrepiece 22-cm personalised chocolate egg. The egg, which contains one of Sisko’s signature chocolate spheres as a ‘yolk’, can be personalised to include a message sealed inside the sphere, and made from chocolate tailored to the recipient’s tastes. The giant egg retails for $54 and can be shipped anywhere in Australia, although insurance is recommended for this fragile treat. The... ...Read more »

Australian dairy co-operative Murray Goulburn has continued to increase its stake in local peer Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory (WCB).Murray Goulburn, which has had two takeover approaches rejected by the WCB board, has grown its stake in the group from 8.37% to 9.9% of shares, according to a filing with the Australian stock exchange this week. The company purchased the WCB shares on market and paid around A$4.50 (US$4.12) a share. The price was 15 cents higher than the value of Murray Goulburn’s... ...Read more »

Fonterra, the world’s largest dairy exporter, yesterday insisted it was seeing “stability” in dairy markets after low commodity prices weighed on half-year revenues. The company booked a 3.7% fall in sales to NZ$7.7bn (US$5.4bn) for the six months to the end of January due to “lower average selling prices”. However, growing consumer confidence boosted volumes, CEO Andrew Ferrier said. “This led to an increase in product sales, meaning our inventory levels were... ...Read more »

While the economy continues to negatively influence certain shopping behaviors, one category’s bubble refuses to pop. According to recent research from Mintel, the gum, mints and breath fresheners market has seen sales growing through the recession, increasing over 10% since 2007, and is expected to continue growing through 2014.”Although this market is not entirely recession proof; gum, mints and breath fresheners are faring well due to their low price points and the feeling that consumers... ...Read more »