The world’s largest food group, Nestlé, is expected by analysts to look at the prospect of acquiring Hershey in the years ahead as they see themselves fall down the confectionery pecking order. The Swiss group typically maintains the lead or second position in their major categories marking their place as third in the chocolate sector behind Mars and a Cadbury-enriched Kraft as unfamiliar territory. As such, analysts believe they will look at a purchase of Hershey, albeit probably not this... ...Read more »

Global food manufacturer Kraft Foods is intending to halve its supplier base in a bid to slash costs by US$300 million per year, according to a Reuters report. Such a move would affect more than 30,000 companies. The news comes amid continued speculation that the owner of the Vegemite and Oreo brands will increase their offer for UK confectioner Cadbury. The plan was in the works long before the Cadbury proposal, with Kraft reportedly informing suppliers of the review back in March. Kraft’s... ...Read more »

While the “turmoil” witnessed by the dairy market has left “little room” for major consolidation initiatives over the past 12-months, the coming year is expected to see an uplift in M&A activity, a Rabobank analyst has suggested. In Rabobank’s annual Global Dairy Top 20, Mark Voobergen said that the current challenging operating environment could spur major consolidation in the sector, as evidenced by the recent demise of Dairy Farmers of Britain. “Probably... ...Read more »