United Biscuits is expanding its McVitie’s biscuits range in the UK with the launch of the brand extension McVitie’s Quirks.Available for retailers to buy from the middle of the month, Quirks biscuits are aimed at “new, younger consumers”, Victoria Gregory, marketing controller for McVitie’s at United Biscuits, said. Quirks have a “smooth, chocolately centre, fully-enclosed within a crunchy biscuit”, the company added. There will be three variants available... ...Read more »

The owners of United Biscuits are reportedly looking to auction the company’s biscuits division for around GBP1.5 billion (US$2.39 billion), after China’s Bright Food walked away from talks to acquire the whole company. According to a report in The Mail on Sunday, the move would put the division, which makes brands like McVitie’s and Penguin, up for sale at a value of around nine times last year’s profits – which worth 80% of United Biscuits’ total GBP223m profit. The... ...Read more »

Victorian Premier John Brumby today cut the ribbon on Unibic’s new $44 million biscuit and cake facility, which will produce Unibic’s whole range, including the new Harvest Kitchen Soft Centre biscuits. The new purpose-built facility is capable of producing 4.5 tonnes of goods per hour, and includes a new research and development facility, featuring a design studio, test kitchen and miniature production line. Unibic, a Victorian company, has produced speciality biscuits, pastries and... ...Read more »

Coles has said that it will change the name of its private label biscuit product Creole Creams amid assertions that the name is racist. A University of Queensland academic yesterday advised that the word Creole has been used as a racist way to describe a person of mixed European and African ancestry. “The word Creole comes from a period when people’s humanity was measured by the amount of white blood they had in their bloodstream. This is the same kind of thought that underpinned horrific... ...Read more »

Campbell Soup Company reported a profit decline of US$20 million in the fourth quarter as currency movements and an impairment charge hit the bottom line. On a comparable basis, however, profit rose 11 per cent. Similarly, adjusted sales fell 11 per cent due to the currency impact, one less trading week and the impact of divestitures, but comparable sales rose two per cent. The world’s largest soup manufacturer and owner of the Arnott’s biscuit brand said the results had met expectations... ...Read more »

Doughnut maker Krispy Kreme has agreed to banish the name Iced Dough-Vo from their new ‘Australiana’ range from May 11 after being threatened with legal action by Arnott’s. A letter was sent by lawyers on behalf of Arnott’s to Krispy Kreme last week requesting the US-owned chain stop selling their Iced Dough-Vo offering due to claims it violated their Iced Vo-Vo trademark – which they first registered in 1906. The product was added as part of an Australiana theme running... ...Read more »

Arnott’s, Australia’s largest biscuit supplier, is threatening legal action against donut chain Krispy Kreme for alleged violation of their “Iced Vo-Vo” trademark – which they first registered in 1906. Arnott’s lawyers have sent a request to Krispy Kreme to cease the use of the “Iced Dough-Vo” for one of their new range of donuts by no later than 5pm today, the ABC reported. The Iced Dough-Vo is one of a range of Australian flavours the donut retailer... ...Read more »

Biscuit manufacturer Arnott’s has announced a $37 million capital investment in a new, state-of-the-art biscuit production line to help boost the Virginia bakery’s capacity by 10,000 tonnes per annum. Arnott’s anticipates the new line, which will be operational by mid-2010, will result in approximately 25-30 new roles in the first year of operation, increasing to a possible 50-60 over the course of the next couple of years. The manufacturer, a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company,... ...Read more »

Subway, one of the world’s leading fast-food franchises, has dropped Anzac biscuits from their menu following a request to change the recipe by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs earlier this year. Federal legislation dictates that Anzac biscuits and cakes can only be sold in Australia if the product “generally conforms to the traditional recipe and shape, is not advertised in any way that would play on Australia’s military heritage, and is not used in association with the... ...Read more »

Procter & Gamble, owner of the Pringles brand, have won a High Court ruling in the UK which establishes the Pringles products are not potato crisps (chips). Procter & Gamble initiated an appeal following a VAT and Duties Tribunal decision in May that Pringles products were, in fact, potato crisps – therefore making them eligible for a 17.5% sales tax. P&G’s successful appeal to the High Court was based on their belief that the product is more like a cake or biscuit due to... ...Read more »