Quote, unquote: just-food's week in words

As the clock ticks down in the pursuit of Cadbury, the UK group sent a messge to would-be bidder Hershey that the business deserves a "great price". Kraft Foods, meanwhile, facing an investment community that believes it needs to up its offer, said it can grow without Cadbury. In the retail sector, UK stakeholders argued over the prospect of a supermarket ombudsman, while the bosses of Carrefour and Delhaize were keen to explain why their restructuring programmes would pay off. Here is a list of who said what this week.

"If Hershey buys us, it gets a great prize in being a world business. For a great prize, you have to pay a great price" - Cadbury chairman Roger Carr reminds Hershey that the US chocolate maker will have to make a serious offer for the business.

"We're well positioned to deliver sustainable top-tier performance, with or without Cadbury" - Kraft Foods chairman and CEO Irene Rosenfeld said the US group - the only suitor to formally offer for Cadbury - is confident about its prospects even if its bid for the Dairy Milk maker fails.

"We foresee that markets around the world are again moving in this direction - that consumers are ready for more value-added dairy products" - an Arla Foods spokesman signals some optimism for dairy's big brand-owners.

"We are in line with what people were expecting. The reason for the drop in the pre-tax [profit] is the new financing which we put in place" - Premier Foods investor relations director Gwyn Tyley insists the UK group's profit forecast had met City expectations - as the company's shares tumbled.

"This would tip the balance of negotiating power in favour of multi-national food manufacturers allowing them to drive up the prices customers pay" - Stephen Robertson, director general of the British Retail Consortium hits out at UK plans for a supermarket ombudsman.

"2010 must be the year we begin to eradicate unfair dealing and protect investment and innovation in British agriculture for the benefit of consumers" - National Farmers Union president Peter Kendall welcomes the move.

"The recovery in the grocery market could be an indicator that shoppers have had enough of cutting their spending on food - and see food as a way to treat themselves while they still cut back on everything else" - TNS research director Ed Garner is upbeat about the prospects for UK grocery in 2010.

"In 2010, with the support of a strengthened management team and organisation, we will stay our strategic course" - Carrefour CEO Lars Olofsson (pictured) is confident about the year ahead - as the retailer appoints an ex-Tesco executive to head its domestic arm.

"All of these initiatives should position Delhaize to emerge from these difficult economic times not only as the highly profitable food retailer it is already today, but also as a much faster growing food retailer" - Pierre-Olivier Beckers, the Belgian group's chief executive, explains why the retailer is revamping its operations on both sides of the pond.

"The market needs to pick up at some stage because when Wessanen invests heavily now without a market recovery in say 2011 or 2012, they may face balance sheet issues again" - SNS Securities analyst Richard Withagen is concerned about the short-term prospects for demand for organic food - and for Wessanen's financial health.