SABMiller on Friday published research into beer drinking culture around Europe. The findings include:- Britain is the biggest round-buying nation, with 82% of people saying that they buy beer in rounds – three times more than in Germany, where drinkers prefer to pay for their own drinks individually - British bosses are amongst the most sociable in Europe – and the most generous, whereas French bosses are the least likely to ever go out for a beer with their teams - British women are... ...Read more »

The McDonald’s Corporation Board of Directors last week elected Steve Easterbrook, currently McDonald’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Brand Officer, as President of McDonald’s Europe effective December 1, 2010.Easterbrook, previously CEO of McDonald’s United Kingdom and President of Europe’s Northern Division, succeeds Denis Hennequin, who will resign from McDonald’s on November 30, 2010 to become Chief Executive Officer of the Accor Hotels Group. Easterbrook,... ...Read more »

Europe’s food retail industry is set to see the return of mergers and acquisitions, analysts at J.P.Morgan Cazenove said yesterday (12 October) as they started their coverage of the sector.In a report covering 12 European grocers from Carrefour and Colruyt to Ahold and Tesco, Matthew Truman and Paul Diamond argued retailers had to respond to moves from food manufacturers that are driving scale and broadening their global reach. Truman and Diamond said “initial overtures” were starting... ...Read more »

As chairman of the CIAA’s Environment Committee, Pascal Gréverath is at the centre of the European food industry’s sustainability effort. He spoke with Ben Cooper of just-food about the newly-created European Food Sustainable Consumption and Production Round Table and what he sees as the main priorities for the CIAA’s sustainability brief.For first-hand testimony of the priority food companies are giving to sustainability issues, Pascal Gréverath, the man charged with leading... ...Read more »

Wessanen CEO Frans Koffrie today (25 February) insisted organic food has long-term potential in Europe as the Dutch food group looks to rebuild after a tumultuous 2009. The downturn has dampened organic sales, particularly in key markets for Wessanen such as Germany and the UK. However, Koffrie said Wessanen, which has set out to focus on its organic food business in Europe, believed the “underlying” market would be strong. Speaking to analysts after Wessanen reported a loss of almost... ...Read more »

The EU is investigating an alleged banana cartel in southern Europe – a year after finding companies including Dole Food Co. and Chiquita Brands International guilty of price-fixing in the north of the continent. The European Commission said that it has issued a “statement of objections” to “a number of companies active in the import and marketing of bananas” over claims of a cartel. The parties concerned, which according to a Commission spokesperson cannot be identified,... ...Read more »

Food manufacturers in France are hoping to be the first in Europe to use the high-intensity stevia extract Rebaudioside-A (also known as Reb A and Rebiana), before the rest of continent receives full approval, reported Food Navigator USA. In 2000, the European Commission refused to accept stevia (also known as stevioside) as a novel food or food additive respectively because of a lack of critical scientific reports on stevia and the discrepancies between cited studies with respect to possible toxicological... ...Read more »