Kirin-owned dairy and drinks giant, Lion Nathan National Foods, today announced its intention to rebrand its three divisions – Lion Nathan Australia, Lion Nathan New Zealand and National Foods – to a single new brand, Lion. All three will use the Lion brand, but the company said that to distinguish informally as required, National Foods will be known as Dairy and Drinks, while the Lion Nathan businesses will become Beer, Spirits and Wines, Australia, and Beer, Spirits and Wines, New Zealand. Lion... ...Read more »

Japanese soy sauce maker Kikkoman Corp has booked falling annual profits as sales dipped and costs rose.The company last weekreported a 9.7% slump in net income to JPY7.77bn (US$96.5m) for the year to the end of March. Operating income fell 8.9% to JPY19.21bn. The lower profits were on the back of a dip in annual sales, which fell 0.8% to JPY283.46bn, as revenues from Kikkoman’s domestic and international food operations fell. The results were announced as Kikkoman said its board had drawn... ...Read more »

Lactalis has received the approval of Italy’s stock market regulator CONSOB for the French dairy giant’s takeover bid for local rival Parmalat.The green light from the regulator is a boost to Lactalis, which has faced political opposition in Italy since it first bought a stake in Parmalat in March. Lactalis, which owns 29% of Parmalat, tabled a EUR3.4bn takeover bid for the remainder of the business last month. Reports in Italy have said that the Parmalat board, which has hired Goldman... ...Read more »

Kraft’s popular ‘no artificials’ sweets brand, The Natural Confectionery Co, previously part of Cadbury, last night unveiled a new campaign called ‘Let’s Play’, which encourages parents to reminisce and step into a kid’s world full of imaginative, creative play. Lisa Casey, The Natural Confectionery Co. Senior Brand Manager, said it was a fun, light-hearted campaign that aims to position The Natural Confectionery Co. as a brand that encourages spontaneous and imaginative... ...Read more »

Supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths have been taken to task over dodgy origin labelling, after an investigation by the NSW Food Authority revealed that two stores were selling mislabelled fruit The incident marks the first time Coles and Woolworths have been fined for Country of Origin labelling breaches, and both have been placed on the NSW Food Authority’s Name and Shame register. Woolworths at Newington in Sydney has been fined $1540 for advertising lemons for sale as being the “Product... ...Read more »

Italian dairy group Parmalat has reported a rise in first-quarter profits as sales were boosted by higher volumes in Australia and Venezeula, and the weakness of the euro. Parmalat, which in Australia produces Paul’s, Vaalia, PhysiCAL, Oak, Ice Break and Breaka, booked a net profit of EUR 50 million (A$66.74 million) for the three months to March, an increase of 3.1% on the year. In an earnings release that made little mention of the full takeover bid for the company from shareholder and French... ...Read more »

JBS, the Brazilian meat giant, has reported mixed first-quarter results, with the company’s net income and sales rising – but its EBITDA down on lower profits from its US chicken unit. The company, which owns JBS Swift Australia, this week booked a 47.9% increase in net income to BRL 147 million for the three months to the end of March. JBS’s operating income more than doubled at BRL 172.2 million (US$107.3m) as the company benefited from higher sales and lower finance costs. The... ...Read more »

Coffee chain Gloria Jean’s this week announced the biggest biggest marketing initiative in the company’s history, with a $3 million dollar campaign and sponsorship of the Seven Network’s new television series, The Amazing Race Australia. “This is one of the most anticipated television series Australia has ever witnessed, so it was an obvious choice for Gloria Jean’s Coffees. It’s undoubtedly the most ambitious initiative the brand has ever rolled out and is designed to generate... ...Read more »

Cargill has merged its Australian beef business with Teys Bros., the country’s second-largest beef processor.The companies have combined their businesses into a 50:50 joint venture, which will trade under the name of Teys Australia – A Cargill Joint Venture. The venture will include assets of both companies’ beef processing and cattle feeding businesses, as well as Teys’ tannery and “value-adding” facilities, the firms said. The new company will have the capacity... ...Read more »

Kellogg Company has announced that it will commence US sales of a gluten free version of its popular Rice Krispies breakfast cereal, known in Australia as Rice Bubbles. “Kellogg is pleased to announce plans for the launch of our first-ever gluten-free cereal – Rice Krispies Gluten Free – which should start hitting store shelves by early June,” said Doug VanDeVelde, senior vice president of marketing and innovation at Kellogg. “We heard the strong desire from people within the... ...Read more »