A report commissioned by the UK government on how to improve environmental labelling on food products has outlined the difficulties of producing a single “green” label. The report by the University of Hertfordshire, the Food Ethics Council and the Policy Studies Institute today (7 February) revealed that the number of different environmental labels on food – covering issues such as carbon emissions and water use – has been growing. The number of labels, the report noted, has... ...Read more »

Private-equity firm PAI Partners has reportedly received nine bids for its 50% stake in global yoghurt business Yoplait. According to a report in French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche yesterday (6 February), Nestlé, General Mills and Lactalis are among the bidders for PAI’s stake. French cheese maker Groupe Bel, Mexican dairy processor Grupo Lala and China’s Bright Food are also each said to have submitted an offer. Three private-equity firms – Lion Capital, Axa Private Equity... ...Read more »

Woolworths is extending an extra helping hand to Queensland dairy farmers via a special 5 cent per litre donation on milk. Commencing yesterday, the donation will apply for the next two weeks and is likely to raise at least half a million dollars for struggling dairy farmers. Woolworths Director of Supermarkets Greg Foran said: “Woolworths has a strong track record in helping the agricultural community deal with the aftermath of devastating events. The floods and cyclones have had a far reaching... ...Read more »

Today George Weston Foods Limited (GWF), a division of Associated British Foods (ABF), announced Andrew Reeves as its new Chief Executive, to lead the company’s future growth.Andrew starts his new role with GWF in April 2011, following the departure of the company’s previous Chief Executive, Geoff Starr. Over the past five years, Geoff led significant change at GWF and the broader industry through his board membership of the Australian Food and Grocery Council and Foodbank Australia. Andrew... ...Read more »

People in Australia are becoming hooked on sustainable seafood, says the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), with more fisheries, suppliers and retailers seeking MSC certification to meet growing consumer demand for sustainably-sourced seafood products. “A growing number of fisheries in Australia, and worldwide, want to show their commitment to sustainable fishing by getting certified to the MSC environmental standard for sustainable fisheries. They want to do this because they’re proud... ...Read more »

A storm that has covered almost half of the US in a blanket of snow is starting to take its toll on food makers and retailers in the country.Storms in the US have brought much of the Mid-West under around 60cm of snow, with parts of the southern US forecast to get snow and ice this week. The severe weather has meant many firms have had to stall operations temporarily. US meat giant Tyson Foods said it has nine poultry plants in Arkansas and Missouri that are “either idle or running at reduced... ...Read more »

Chinese infant food manufacturer Synutra International has said that it continues to feel the financial impact of unsubstantiated claims that its products caused premature breast growth in three infant girls. The company’s third-quarter sales, for the three months to the end of December, more than halved, while net losses more than doubled. Synutra attributed the falls to unsubstantiated claims that its products caused premature breast growth in three infant girls. The company’s CFO... ...Read more »

Supermarket retailer Coles is using its market dominance to destabilise the whole of Australia’s food and grocery supply chain by cutting prices on essential daily items, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) said today. AFGC highlighted that Coles’ “Down, Down” campaign to heavily discount staple foods like bread and dairy products was designed to increase traffic in Coles supermarkets without considering the long-term, flow-on effects to farmers, industry and consumers. AFGC... ...Read more »

Combining the powers of Acai Berry, Red Grape, Blueberry and Mango, Trampoline Gelato’s new Superfruit Sorbet is 99% fat free and full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and good-for-you Omegas. Plus, of course, no artificial colours or flavours. Acai (Ah-sigh-ee) berries, hailed as one of the top Superfoods and grown in the Brazilian Amazon, have one of the highest ORAC measures (antioxidant levels) around – in fact, they’ve 4-6 times that of blueberries.  Low in GI for sustained... ...Read more »

PepsiCo has completed the acquisition of a 66% stake in Wimm-Bill-Dann, it said last night (3 February).The snacks and soft drinks giant announced in December that it had struck a deal to buy a stake in the Russian firm for US$3.8bn. PepsiCo said the deal would make it the “largest food-and-beverage business” in the country. The acquisition has increased PepsiCo’s total ownership of Wimm-Bill-Dann to around 77%. The firm has accumulated the additional 11% share since 2 December. PepsiCo... ...Read more »