Dairy processor Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Company Holdings Limited (WCB) and Kraft Foods Australia have announced that they have entered into a long term supply agreement that will see the production of specially formulated cream cheese for export markets. Under the agreement, Kraft Foods Australia will produce the cream cheese under WCB’s Sungold brand. The product will be exported to Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia and the Middle East. Effective from the second quarter of calendar... ...Read more »

Chinese authorities have destroyed nearly two tonnes of chocolate cake imported into the country by furniture giant Ikea on the grounds that the cake violated food quality standards. The Shanghai quarantine bureau said it also destroyed batches of Kraft cream cheese and 2.7 tonnes of Nestle chocolate bars in its latest round of quality inspections on imported products. The agency said it destroyed 1,872 kilos of chocolate almond cake imported by Ikea that were said to contain unacceptable levels... ...Read more »

Kraft Foods Australia has released a new low-fat cheese that it claims has 80 per cent less fat than other leading Australian light tasty brands. The cheese, Kraft ‘Livefree’, has 5.5 per cent fat, which Kraft says “is four times less fat than other leading Australian light tasty cheeses”. The new cheese is also said to be higher in protein and calcium than other light tasty cheeses. Kraft says a typical serving size (25g) of Kraft ‘Livefree’ contains only 2 per cent of the recommended... ...Read more »

One of Australia’s fastest-growing food companies, Bega Cheese, has today announced a $15.9 million half-year profit. Bega Cheese said its ongoing profit growth was attributable to the Company’s “willingness to invest in value-adding infrastructure.” The Company reported a revenue increase of 9.6 per cent to $491 million attributed to a long-term contract with Coles supermarkets and increased production in cream cheese.  Bega Cheese’s EBITDA also increased 14 per cent to $37.4 million... ...Read more »

Stage One of Kraft Foods Asia Pacific Centre of Excellence at Ringwood, Melbourne was opened on Friday last week, set to bolster export opportunities to Asian markets. The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) CEO Mr Gary Dawson said he congratulated Kraft Foods on the opening, which he believes will “enhance industry competitiveness.” “Through the Centre of Excellence Kraft aims to create a catalyst for the development of innovative new products and processes for the Australian and Asian... ...Read more »

Kraft Foods Australia has launched a new specially formulated peanut butter with No Added Sugar or Salt, in a new campaign that declares today “National Peanut Butter Day.” Created with health conscious consumers in mind, Kraft Foods No Added Sugar or Salt Peanut Butter is made up of 91 per cent lightly roasted peanuts. It contains high quality hi oleic peanuts, which Kraft Foods claim have a fatty acid combination similar to olive oil, with more of the “good fats, essential to a balanced diet.” Kraft... ...Read more »

 Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), the agency responsible for setting food safety standards, has this week approved a number of important variations to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code or has proposed to do so. The affected industries include the beverages sector, the fish sector, and the dairy sector. More details are set out below: Australia adopts WHO standard for bottled water standard The Code has been varied to adopt World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on... ...Read more »

Australia’s largest food relief agency Foodbank is expected to receive substantial donations of Kraft Food’s Vegemite and Goodman Fielder’s Helgas and Wonder White bread to feed Australians over the Christmas period. However, no donor has yet stepped forward to supply Foodbank with a major donation of butter. Goodman Fielder’s donation of around three million loaves of bread coincides with a gift of 100,000 jars of Vegemite to Foodbank. These donations come at a time when demand from food... ...Read more »

Bega Cheese’s CEO Aidan Coleman told the annual general meeting of the company today that the past financial year had been “the most dynamic year” in the company’s 113 year history. Highlights from the year had included being listed as a public company on the ASX, entering into a landmark 5-year supply with Coles and fully merging with Tatura Milk Industries. Financial overview In reviewing the 2012 year, Executive Chairman Barry Irvin said it was noteworthy that while sales revenues were... ...Read more »

Kraft Foods Australia has been pleased with the market take up of  its belVita Breakfast biscuits.  Launched in March 2012, research conducted in June 2012 by AC Nielsen Homescan showed market penetration of 10.9% (or more than one in ten) Australian households having tried the product. Following on from this success, Kraft Foods Australia is introducing a new flavour to extend this biscuit range, which is specially designed for breakfast, to include a new Honey & Nut with choc chips flavour. The... ...Read more »