Frucor, the New Zealand-based beverage company and maker of the V energy drink, has been awarded the Supplier of the Year award by the New Sunrise Group, a major Australian supplier of petrol convenience stores. Frucor also took the Beverage Supplier of the Year award for the second year running. “The main reason Frucor came out as number one was the fact that it has a Total Category Focus, making them stand out from their competitors,” said a Frucor statement released on August 1. “The retailers... ...Read more »

Scientists at the Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, have found that the antioxidant properties of decaffeinated coffee may benefit drinkers’ mood and cognitive state, even though the beverage contains no caffeine. The scientists conducted a pilot study on healthy elderly people to compare the cognitive and mood effects of soluble decaffeinated coffee with those of soluble caffeinated coffee and a coffee placebo. The decaffeinated beverages contained variable amounts of chlorogenic... ...Read more »

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has accepted court enforceable undertakings from Aldi Foods Pty Ltd and Spring Gully Foods Pty Ltd in relation to misleading claims about the composition of Aldi’s ‘Just Organic’ honey. ACCC deputy chair Peter Kell said, “Consumers expect products to match the description on the label. In this case, consumers expected premium honey sourced from Kangaroo Island.” The ‘Just Organic’ honey label affixed... ...Read more »

As a keen observer of social and regulatory change, it has not escaped me or many of our readers that a revolution is occurring in the ways that business is being conducted. New usages of the internet, social media and smartphone technology are the impetus for a huge structural shift in the economy. The ways products are sold and changing consumer spending patterns are being increasingly shaped by the use of these technologies. Changes in the use of technology and consumer spending patterns are... ...Read more »

Over half of executives in the food and drink industries do not measure the return on investment (ROI) they get their use of social media, according to a global just-food survey. More than 54% of industry professionals said they did not monitor the ROI that their companies make on social media networks. A further 18% “did not know” if the business in which they worked measured the returns. The results was one of the more notable from a survey of over 500 food and drink executives from... ...Read more »

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA) is revising labelling requirements for agricultural and veterinary (agvet) chemicals. Under new legislation, agvet labels must continue to provide information that identifies the product, how it is to be used, stored and disposed, and what to do in case of poisoning, as well as other information. The size, type and format of agvet labels is now governed by the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Regulations 1995. The new... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) may be preparing to bury the SPC Ardmona brand, reports the Weekly Times Now today. CCA’s board is due to meet on August 8 2011 to discuss the future of the brand. CCA’s managing director, Terry Davis, was quoted in the Weekly Times Now as saying that the review will determine the “right size of the food business”. The review might result in large job cuts at the SPC Ardmona plant in Mooroopna, which produces canned tomatoes, bulk-packed tomato pastes and crushed tomato... ...Read more »

Bega Cheese’s initial public offering (IPO) may close earlier than expected because of heavy interest, says Kidder Williams, corporate advisor to the Bega float, according to Australian Food News contacts. The IPO, which opened on 16 July, was scheduled to close on 16 August 2011. Australian Food News reported on 10 July that Bega plans to raise A$35 million through selling a 15% stake in the company. The offering involved the issue of 18.3 million shares at A$2.00 per share, valuing the company... ...Read more »

Submissions to the ACCC closed on 31 July 2011 for parties interested in relation to the proposed acquisition by Asahi Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, the large Japanese beverage maker, of P&N Beverages Australia Pty Ltd. After their initial bid was rejected early this year, Asahi Holdings have revised their offer to P&N, limiting it to only the water and juice business. The ACCC has indicated that it will announce its findings about the proposed acquisition on 18 August 2011. If the ACCC find... ...Read more »

Harvey Fresh has been awarded the contract to supply Coles brand milk in Western Australia for the next three years. Harvey Fresh, a privately-owned manufacturer of freshly squeezed fruit juices, dairy products and wine based in Western Australia, will begin supplying Coles in October 2011. As a result of the Coles’ contract, Harvey Fresh will establish a standard farmgate price for all Harvey Fresh suppliers. This will also increase the farmgate price paid to 26 suppliers who previously supplied... ...Read more »