Hershey’s has received the CPG Innovation and Creativity Award from the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association for its Hershey’s Bliss chocolate launch, a campaign centred around social media and word of mouth, blended with traditional media. The focal point of the campaign was the hosting of 10,000 Hershey’s Bliss Chocolate Parties.  Party attendees were given the opportunity to taste and share the new product. “Party hosts were then transformed into brand evangelists... ...Read more »

Victorian smallgoods producer Fabbris will add the Australian PorkMark, guaranteeing entirely Australian pork content, to its new packaging in May. In the absence of country-of-origin labelling, Australian Pork Limited has introduced the Australian PorkMark industry certification to help consumers easily identify products that are 100% Australian-grown. Fabbris has successfully used a PorkMark sticker on their products, leading to a sales increase of up to 10%, and so has made the decision to integrate... ...Read more »

Female athletes looking to increase lean muscle and decrease fat mass may want to add milk to their training program. A recent study by researchers at McMasters University in Canada suggests that milk supports favourable body composition changes in women undertaking resistance training. The authors of the study concluded that after 12 weeks, women consuming milk as opposed to sports drink in the early post-exercise period following resistance training gained lean muscle and strength as well as losing... ...Read more »

The Western Australian grains industry has made a significant breakthrough in its bid to export wheat to Saudi Arabia.Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman said Saudi Arabia’s sole wheat importer had changed its tender specifications to allow Australian wheat to be imported into the country. This news follows the Minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia last year and a reciprocal visit in March to WA by the importer, Grains Silos and Flour Mills Organisation(GSFMO), to tour the State’s... ...Read more »

Today, Mars Sustainable Solutions, a new business unit at MARS®,  dedicated to delivering restorative and sustainable solutions that have a positive impact on our planet is unveiling the MyCocoaPaper product line – note pads, greeting cards, book marks, leather bound books – handmade in Indonesia from 70% natural cocoa bark and 30% recycled office paper waste. With the introduction of MyCocoaPaper, Mars aims to create economic opportunities that encourage healthy and sustainable cocoa... ...Read more »

Does alcohol make you fat? Does it ruin your skin? Will rinsing your hair in beer make it shinier? There are many myths and questions concerning the impact of drinking on women’s health.As part of its ‘Open the Facts’ campaign, SABMiller is encouraging women to make informed choices about drinking. SABMiller’s award winning website, TalkingAlcohol.com, talks frankly about women and alcohol, and provides information on serious topics such as alcohol and cancer, to handy advice... ...Read more »

Today’s average sodium intake is several times what the body requires and its long-term effect on our health is very serious. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects one in three U.S. adults – nearly 75 million people aged 20 or older. An additional 50 million adults suffer from pre-hypertension. High blood pressure can increase the risk for heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and kidney failure. Too much sodium in the daily diet is a major contributor to high blood pressure. A... ...Read more »

Foreign investment in Africa has “exploded” over the last decade and is continuing to grow, food-focused UK investment firm Silk Invest has claimed.In an exclusive interview with just-food, Silk Invest chief executive Zin Bekkali said there had been a “very strong increase” in inward investment into Africa despite concerns over governance and unrest. “Foreign direct investment in Africa has exploded over the last five to ten years. A lot of this investment takes some... ...Read more »

Sales of organic products increased by 5.3% during 2009 despite a cautious consumer environment and the economic downturn, new figures from an industry body claimed yesterday (22 April).The Organic Trade Association (OTA), a trade body representing US organic manufacturers, said that the total category saw sales rise to US$26.6bn, of which $24.8bn was accounted for by food products. “While total US food sales grew by only 1.6% in 2009, organic food sales grew by 5.1%,” OTA executive director... ...Read more »

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released a Statement of Issues in relation to the proposed acquisition of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Company (WCB) by Murray Goulburn.  A Statement of Issues published by the ACCC is not a final decision about a proposed acquisition, but provides the ACCC’s preliminary views, drawing attention to particular issues of varying degrees of competition concern, as well as identifying the lines of further inquiry that the ACCC... ...Read more »