On Friday (17 December) Mars, Incorporated received the U.S. Secretary of State’s 2010 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) for its work in cocoa sustainability and efforts to improve economic development in the cocoa-growing region of the Republic of Ghana. Mars was chosen from a record number of 78 nominations submitted by American ambassadors around the world. The ACE awards, which were established by the State Department in 1999, are given to honor U.S. businesses that demonstrate good... ...Read more »

Territorians should not be fooled into believing the NT Government’s proposed Cash for Containers legislation is a ‘magic pudding’ for Christmas that won’t cost consumers or government anything, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) said today. In an open letter to NT Members of Parliament published in the NT News today, AFGC urged political leaders not to vote for the legislation until all costings, analysis and details have been released by the Government. AFGC Chief... ...Read more »

Master patissier Adriano Zumbo has landed his own SBS series, Zumbo produced for SBS by Fredbird Entertainment. This mouth watering new observational documentary series will deliver a compelling mix of behind the scenes kitchen reality and cast driven story lines as Zumbo and his team bring his famous creations to life in pursuit of dessert perfection. In each half hour episode, Adriano, 29, and his young and vibrant team will reveal the challenges of running one of Sydney’s busiest kitchens.... ...Read more »

PepsiCo is set to launch a portable children’s snack made from squeezable fruit in the US. The company’s Tropicana Products division said the product, Tropicana Tropolis, will be available in select stores in limited markets from next month. If successful, expanded distribution is expected in 2012. PepsiCo has set its sights on boosting global sales of “nutrition” products from US$10bn now to $20bn by 2030. “Moms have fond memories of Tropicana from their own childhoods,... ...Read more »

The industrial action at Heinz’s flagship UK production site could rumble on into next week with staff planning another 24-hour strike tomorrow (21 December). Jennie Formby, national officer for the Unite union, told just-food today that another stoppage was being lined up to take place at the Kitt Green plant from 06:00 on Tuesday until 06:00 on Wednesday. Workers at the plant in north-west England have already held one 24-hour strike this week after rejecting what they labelled a “below-inflation”... ...Read more »

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) this week released details of proposed changes to the Food Standards Code and invited comment from interested organisations and individuals. Among the changes under consideration are the approval of a GM corn, steviol as a high intensity sweetener, and food for special medical purposes. Anyone can apply to amend the Food Standards Code. FSANZ assesses the safety of any new food, substance or food production technology and conducts a regulatory impact... ...Read more »

It’s no wonder stress levels soar as high as oven temperatures for mums tackling the Christmas Day turkey: a survey commissioned in the UK by Sainsbury’s suggests that festive chefs rarely get it right, ruining over 3.2 million turkeys – or £75million worth – a year. The UK consumes 5.4million turkeys a year, spending around £125million pounds. Over 60% of those surveyed will overcook their turkey just to be on the safe side and 76% will contact their mums for advice on... ...Read more »

With the cold temperatures of winter lingering in the Northern Hemisphere, Sara Lee North American Retail announced yesterday a new  partnership for the SENSEO coffee brand with Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc., one of the country’s leading distributors of small household appliances. Just in time to warm consumers up for the holiday season, the partnership introduces two new single-serve machines to the small appliance marketplace, providing consumers with top-quality coffee at an attractive price... ...Read more »

The Coca-Cola Company, the world’s largest beverage company, and Chromocell Corporation, a company focused on using proprietary technologies to discover and develop novel flavor ingredients for the food, beverage, and ingredient supply industries, announced today that they are collaborating on flavor innovation research. This partnership agreement includes the discovery and development of sweetness enhancers, natural sweeteners and other flavor ingredients. This partnership is central to The... ...Read more »

Danone has agreed to settle with US regulators investigating claims the French food giant made when advertising probiotic products in the market. The US Federal Trade Commission said Danone had agreed to drop “exaggerated” health claims on Activia yoghurt and DanActive dairy drinks. The FTC said on Wednesday (15 December) that Danone’s US arm, The Dannon Co., had agreed to stop claiming that one daily serving of Activia relieves “irregularity” and that DanActive helps... ...Read more »