Mars Chocolate Australia has created special edition Pink and White M&Ms, to be sold exclusively at IGA stores during October 2011 as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Pink and White M&Ms are now available exclusively at more than 700 independent IGA grocery stores nationwide. Mars Chocolate Australia will be donating 30 cents from each 200g pack sold to the McGrath Foundation. Co-founded by Australian cricketer hero Glenn McGrath and his wife Jane after her initial recovery from... ...Read more »

Mars Chocolate Australia has announced that it will source enough Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa to cover the production of its iconic Mars Bar, which will bear the Rainforest Alliance treefrog logo. The move follows Cadbury’s switch last year, when the company began purchasing enough Fairtrade cocoa to cover the production of its Dairy Milk blocks. Mars Chocolate Australia said that chocolate lovers want to know that their special treat not only tastes delicious, but has been produced... ...Read more »

German competition authorities have imposed fines totalling EUR38m (US$53.2m) on three food companies – Kraft Foods, Unilever and Dr. Oetker – for illegally sharing “competition-relevant information”. In a statement released last week, the Bundeskartellamt said that the fines were imposed after information was provided to the competition regulator by Mars Inc, who made an application for leniency. Under the Bundeskartellamt’s leniency programme, Mars avoided being fined. The... ...Read more »

Mars Petcare has announced the introduction of a new line of sustainably-fished pet food products, endorsed by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), in the UK. Selected packs from Mars Petcare’s Sheba and Whiskas lines in the UK are now MSC-certified, offering consumers a choice of more sustainable pet food products for the very first time. In April last year, Mars Petcare – the world’s largest petcare business – committed to using only sustainably sourced fish by 2020. Working with... ...Read more »

Mars Food plans to build a global network of external science and research resources to develop and support improved rice production and breeding programmes. The company announced today (14 February) that it has appointed David Mackill as strategic rice expert within its research and development arm. Mackill joins the company from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), where he was principal scientist – Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology. Mars said that at IRRI Mackill led... ...Read more »

Food businesses around Australia have pitched in for relief efforts in the Queensland floods, offering donations, matching employee contributions, allowing customers to donate directly, and supplying food for those affected and volunteers. Supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths have both allowed customers to donate to flood charities at point of sale, with Coles raising $2.6 million and donating a further $1 million to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal, and Woolworths raising over $5.3 million... ...Read more »

Mars Inc is looking to boost sales of its range of Dolmio Bolognese sauces in the UK with revamped packaging that emphasises the products contain “100% natural ingredients”.The company said the new packaging will also feature the “infamous Papa Dolmio”, a character featured in the brand’s advertising, but until now has not appeared on pack. The new packaging will also feature the key ingredients within the sauces and will not contain any artificial colours, flavours... ...Read more »

On Friday (17 December) Mars, Incorporated received the U.S. Secretary of State’s 2010 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) for its work in cocoa sustainability and efforts to improve economic development in the cocoa-growing region of the Republic of Ghana. Mars was chosen from a record number of 78 nominations submitted by American ambassadors around the world. The ACE awards, which were established by the State Department in 1999, are given to honor U.S. businesses that demonstrate good... ...Read more »

US chocolate maker Hershey has filed a lawsuit against confectionery rival Mars Inc, accusing it of copying Hershey’s packaging for its Dove Promise squares. The lawsuit, filed in the federal district court of Pennsylvania last week, argues that Mars packaged its Dove peanut butter chocolate Promise squares in such a way that it mimics the patented orange, brown and tan wrappings of Reece’s peanut butter chocolate products. Hershey said in the complaint that the use of the colours is... ...Read more »

US conglomerate ConAgra Foods has joined forces with Mars Inc to launch a range of confectionery for the Christmas season. ConAgra’s Peter Pan peanut butter brand and Mars’ M&M’s Holiday milk chocolate candies have joined to create three products, the manufacturers announced yesterday (23 November). Holly Jolly Peanut Butter Cookies, Jingle Bell Balls and Holiday Magic Peanut Clusters will be promoted on Facebook and via 5m on-pack lid stickers for the Peter Pan brand. As part... ...Read more »