New Zealand milk producer A2 Corporation Limited has annouced that construction is underway on a new processing facility in south-west Sydney, to meet the growing demand for a2 Milk in Australia. Production at the $7.5 million dollar facility, the first to be operated by A2 in addition to using contract processors, is expected to begin in January 2012. Chairman Cliff Cook says the commissioning will be timely. “Our a2 Milk business in Australia continues to grow rapidly and the development of our... ...Read more »

HJ Heinz has entered the instant soup category in the UK with Heinz Squeeze & Stir, a concentrated purée soup. The soup is made from a concentrated purée available in lightweight, squeezable sachets, with a RRP of GBP0.59 (US$0.94). Consumers have to squeeze the soup into a cup, add boiling water and stir. The Heinz Squeeze & Stir range comprises Cream of Tomato; Mediterranean Vegetable; and Cream of Tomato with Basil and Minestrone lines. It will go on sale this month. Matthew Cullum,... ...Read more »

Stevia supplier PureCircle has argued that new “important” markets will open for the high-intensity sweetener after a positive ruling global food standards body Codex.The London-listed firm said yesterday that a decision from the Codex Alimentarius Commission would help markets including India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines approve the use of stevia in food and drink products. CFO William Mitchell said a decision from Codex to adopt all of the proposed draft maximum levels for... ...Read more »

Cadbury Dairy Milk Australia, the flagship of the Cadbury brand recently purchased by Kraft Foods, is celebrating its successful Facebook marketing campaign this week, having reached a milestone 100,000 fans on the social media website. The company said the fan base is a “landmark” in Australia, and that it has put the Cadbury Dairy Milk facebook page in the top 10 Australian food/beverage branded facebook pages generated for Australian consumers, according to SocialBakers.com, a social... ...Read more »

Lactalis, the French dairy company, now owns over half of its Italian rival Parmalat, owner of Australian milk brand Paul’s, as the EUR3.4 billion takeover of the business edges closer.Today is the final day for shareholders in Parmalat to accept Lactalis’s offer of EUR2.60 a share for the 71% of the company it did not already own. By yesterday afternoon, Lactalis had managed to secure over 50% of the shares in Parmalat. The French firm needs to secure 55% of Parmalat for the deal to... ...Read more »

SPC Ardmona has announced the release of three new fruit snacks aimed at kids of all ages into supermarkets across Australia. The Coca-Cola Amatil subsidiary said the three snacks, SPC Fruit Squeezies, SPC Fruit Crush-Ups and SPC Power Pulp, are designed specifically to make fruit fun for kids of all ages, from preschoolers to teens. “According to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, kids aged four to 18 should eat between one and five serves of fruit each day. However the latest National... ...Read more »

UK retailer Marks and Spencer has revealed plans to launch a brand of “healthier” milk in October, with 6% less saturated fat due to a diet for cows that removes all palm oil from their feed.M&S said the diet improved cow health and welfare, while also being better for the environment. To support its farmers converting to the new feed, M&S will introduce a new payment contract for farmers who achieve the reduced saturated fat level in their milk. The contract will recognise any... ...Read more »

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) sugar price index rose by 14% from May to June as the market reacted to a predicted shortage in Brazil.The index reached 359 points, albeit 15% below its thirty-year high earlier in the year, the FAO said today (7 July). The recent price rise reflects short-term demand against tight exportable availabilities, notably in Brazil, it said. “The sugar prices have been very volatile over the past month,” FAO analyst Elmamoun Amrouk told just-food... ...Read more »

Federal agriculture minister Joe Ludwig last night announced the resumption of the live export of cattle to Indonesia, which was suspended a month ago after a graphic broadcast by ABC’s Four Corners showed ill-treatment of Australian cattle in Indonesian abbatoirs. Senator Ludwig said that cattle exporters could now apply for export permits, provided they use the individual cattle tracking system. The decision came after cattle destined for live export were left in limbo throughout Australia’s... ...Read more »

MEPs yesterday voted in favour of new laws on how food is labelled throughout the EU, a move they claimed will benefit both consumers and the food industry.The new regulations will see some changes to the way information on nutrition, country-of-origin and ingredients are displayed on food labels. The vote comes three weeks after the European Parliament and the European Council of Ministers agreed on a final draft of the new labelling laws. German MEP Renate Sommer led the Parliament’s discussions... ...Read more »