Australia’s largest hunger relief organisation, Foodbank, is to launch a campaign called Bridge the Hunger Divide on Sunday 16 October 2011, to coincide with World Food Day. World Food Day is a United Nations initiative to raise awareness of global food insecurity issues such as hunger and poverty. Foodbank said it will be building a sculpture of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, made almost entirely out of donated food. The Foodbank initiative has been supported by: Aldi, Cerebos, SPC Ardmona, Coles,... ...Read more »

Ferrero today launched two new Tic Tac flavours in the US – Wild Cherry and Peach Fusion.The company said the two flavours “embody all things sunny and sweet” and provide a “fruity tanginess and flavourful kick that will help consumers keep things fresh and fun this summer”. It has also launched its Shake it Up summer campaign, which will feature a series of sweepstakes through its Twitter page, running from May through July. Ferrero has also partnered with Flavorpill,... ...Read more »

Pietro Ferrero, the joint chief executive at Italian confectionery giant Ferrero, has died in South Africa, the company has confirmed. Mr Ferrero, 48, was on a business trip in South Africa, a spokesman told just-food yesterday. The exact details of Mr Ferrero’s death are unclear, although the spokesman suggested the company believed the executive became ill while out cycling and fell from his bike. However, the spokesman added: “We don’t know the exact information. The details... ...Read more »

Italian confectionary maker Ferrero is looking to cut its carbon emissions by 17% by 2013 as part of a sustainability drive outlined in a report published by the maker of Ferrero Rocher, Rafaello, Nutella and Kinder yesterday.”We are proud of the fact that the commitment to Ferrero entrepreneurial values goes together with our engagement of working for the benefit of the local communities and territories where we operate,” said Pietro Ferrero CEO of Ferrero International. “The respect... ...Read more »

Italian confectioner Ferrero has ruled out a late takeover rival bid for Cadbury, formally declaring itself out of the race for the Dairy Milk maker. The announcement to the City this morning (25 January) came on the final day for firm offers under the UK’s takeover rules. Ferrero said in a statement that it “does not intend to make an offer for Cadbury”. US chocolate giant Hershey had ruled itself out of the running on Friday. Hershey and Ferrero both issued statements at the end... ...Read more »

Hershey has advised that they will not make a bid for Cadbury in light of the revised Kraft offer that surprisingly gained the British confectioner’s support last week. Talks between Kraft’s Irene Rosenfeld and Cadbury heavyweights last Monday night helped lead the US maker of Oreo and Vegemite toward a new proposal that would be recommended by Cadbury’s Board. And, with Hershey pulling out, it now appears almost certain that the A$21 billion deal will go through. Hershey, along... ...Read more »

Belgian’s three major food retailers are under investigation for allegedly fixing the price of Ferrero’s iconic Nutella chocolate spread over a six-year period. The allegations stem from a long running investigation into the confectionery sector by Belgian’s Competition Council, with the case now set to go to a chamber of the Competition Council where retailers Delhaize, Carrefour and Colruyt, along with Ferrero, will have the opportunity to respond to the claims. The Competition... ...Read more »

The latest speculation suggests American confectionery company Hershey will be a late entry into the race for Cadbury, presenting competition to Kraft’s hostile proposal. According to the Financial Times, the Hershey Trust has given the go-ahead for a formal offer to be presented to Cadbury prior to the January 23 deadline. The long running ‘will they or won’t they’ questioning will soon be over as the two possible counterbidders – Ferrero and Hershey – near the... ...Read more »

In its second response statement to the Kraft takeover bid, confectioner Cadbury had continued to criticise the offer, arguing that it’s even more unattractive now than when it was made. The UK-based firm, which is due to publish their latest trading statement on Friday, pointed to their results last year as a reason to dismiss the takeover proposal, with growth rates in the mid-single digits forecast to continue. “Our performance in 2009 was outstanding,” Todd Stitzer, Cadbury’s... ...Read more »

Ferrero, the Italian confectioner linked to a possible counter-bid for Cadbury, has insisted it is still mulling whether to launch a raid on the Dairy Milk maker and said the company is looking at “all options”. The Ferrero Rocher and Kinder chocolate maker admitted back in November that it was interested in Cadbury and has since been linked to a joint bid with Hershey and to a possible sortie alongside private-equity firms KKR and Blackstone. However, the confectioner has kept its counsel... ...Read more »