Becel / Flora - food industry company news 
UK: Food volumes grow at Unilever in Q1
26 April 2012
Unilever has seen sales volumes from its food division increase in the first quarter of 2012, a sign of recovery after a year of decline.
UK: Unilever to build plant to meet new palm oil target
24 April 2012
Unilever is planning to build a palm oil processing plant in Indonesia as part of a target to use only "traceable" sources of the commodity by 2020.
UK: Unilever adds to Stork with liquid format
21 March 2012
Unilever has made the first addition to its UK baking brand Stork since its inception.
CAGE: Watchful Polman defends role of food at Unilever
20 March 2012
Unilever benefits from being present in the food sector, CEO Paul Polman has insisted, as analysts continue to weigh up the future of the consumer goods giant's grocery business.
EU: Honey gets ground-breaking PDO award
6 February 2012
The EU has for the first time granted legal protection to a traditional food product made in two countries – not just one – against being copied by manufacturers from outside its home region.
In the spotlight - Question marks over Unilever's food unit return
3 February 2012
Unilever's food division has been under the microscope in recent months, with a series of disposals and growth in many categories slow, lagging behind its more buoyant non-food businesses As Michelle Russell writes, this week, as Unilever reported its 2011 results, the scrutiny returned.
UK: Unilever revamps flagship spreads brand Flora
25 January 2012
Unilever has decided to relaunch its Flora brand in the UK after developing technology it claims will create a better-tasting product.
UK: Unilever workers announce 11 days of strikes
16 January 2012
Unilever workers in the UK will down tools over 11 days in their latest protest over changes to the company's final salary pension scheme.
The most-read news articles on just-food in 2011
23 December 2011
As well as our raft of insight articles, just-food continued to provide all the breaking news throughout the food industry in 2011. Below are the ten articles that had you clicking the most throughout the year.
UK: Online shoppers more brand loyal, says Unilever
21 October 2011
Consumers are more brand loyal when shopping online, giving food manufacturers the chance to exploit the growth of the channel, according to Unilever.
UK: Analysts speculate over future of Unilever's food operations
3 August 2011
Analysts have suggested that Unilever may look to sell its food division in order to fund acquisitions in the home and personal care sector.
Best bits: Food makers' commodity caution at CAGE
4 April 2011
just-food's exclusive partnership with the Consumer Analyst Group Europe conference last week provided us with the chance to hear how the likes of Nestle, Danone and Unilever viewed the current trading environment - and many of the companies presenting struck a somewhat cautious tone.
Editor's choice: the highlights on just-food this week
1 April 2011
The second edition of the European investment conference CAGE was held in London this week, with the likes of Nestle, Danone and Unilever presenting to analysts. Elsewhere, just-food discussed the impact that the nuclear uncertainty in Japan could have on the country's food sector, analysed Marks and Spencer's return to France - and asked what companies mean by 'corporate responsibility'.
CAGE: Unilever CEO Polman looks to "optimise" spreads unit
30 March 2011
Unilever CEO Paul Polman has revealed that the Flora and Becel maker will look to run its spreads business with "30% less people" as the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate looks to make the unit more efficient.
UK: Unilever to launch Flora cooking oil
18 March 2011
Unilever has launched a cooking oil product in the UK under its flagship spreads brand Flora.
The just-food management briefing - Functional foods - Introduction
28 February 2011
There are two ways of looking at the impact of what is often described as the ‘health and wellness' trend in food consumption. It can either be about consumers deciding or being persuaded to take certain things out of their diet or alternatively putting more of other types of food into their diet.
UK: Unilever profits up 26% in 2010
3 February 2011
Unilever has posted a 26% jump in annual profits as the consumer goods giant benefited from lower restructuring costs and proceeds from business disposals - but also from accelerating underlying sales in the fourth quarter.
UK: Unilever sets out sustainability goals
15 November 2010
Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever has announced plans to halve the environmental footprint of its products.
UK coalition's vision on food and health dismays campaigners
15 July 2010
The UK government’s intention to cancel the GBP75m social advertising campaign supporting the Change4Life programme has dismayed campaigners who remain equally concerned about the future of the Food Standards Agency, the UK’s independent food watchdog. Ben Cooper assesses reaction from industry and campaigners to the new coalition government’s emerging thinking on food and health.
UK: Unilever announces Bertolli and Flora spend
2 July 2010
Consumer goods giant Unilever has announced a GBP5m (US$7.6m) marketing spend for its Bertolli and Flora pro.active brands.
COMMENT: Carrefour, Unilever CEOs make their mark
19 March 2010
The chief executives of consumer goods group Unilever and retail giant Carrefour, who both took the helm at the start of 2009, have again shuffled their management packs.
CAGNY: Unilever hails "unrivalled strength" in emerging markets
17 February 2010
Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever aims to capitalise on its growth in developing and emerging markets in 2010.
In the spotlight – Paul Polman's first year at Unilever
4 February 2010
A year on under the leadership of Paul Polman and Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever has a lot to be happy about.
UK/NETHERLANDS: Unilever CEO points to "good progress" in 2009
4 February 2010
Unilever CEO Paul Polman has said the consumer goods giant made "good progress" in 2009 with rising underlying sales and volumes accelerating throughout the year.
UK: ASA clears Unilever Flora heart-health ad
16 December 2009
Unilever has received an advertising boost in the UK after regulators ruled a Flora heart-health ad was not misleading.
UK: Ad watchdog backs Unilever on spreads claims
26 August 2009
The UK's advertising regulator has backed Unilever after the food giant attracted complaints over a TV ad for spread brands including Flora and Bertolli.
COMMENT: He who dares, wins
10 August 2009
Recession. A time to focus on costs, right? A time to steer clear of the risky idea of innovation and zero in on the parts of the business you can trust? Try telling Premier Foods and Unilever, writes Dean Best.
UK: Rhodes Flora ad banned by ASA
25 February 2009
A Unilever advert for Flora butter featuring celebrity chef Gary Rhodes has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for being “misleading”.
BELGIUM: Delhaize pulls Unilever brands in price row
10 February 2009
Unilever has become embroiled in a pricing row with Belgian retailer Delhaize that has seen 250 of the consumer goods giant's brands delisted.
RUSSIA: Unilever unveils ice cream expansion plans
15 October 2008
Unilever has outlined plans to spend EUR100m (US$135.9m) on boosting its ice cream production in Russia.
Related research
Unilever PLC (ULVR) - Financial and Strategic Analysis Review
Unilever PLC is one of the parent companies of the consumer goods supplier, Unilever Group (Unilever). Unilever has a strong and well differentiated portfolio of 400 global and regional brands operating across 14 categories of home, personal care and foods products. Unilever offers its products under four business segments namely, Personal Care; Home Care; Savoury, Dressings & Spreads; and Ice Cream & Beverages. Key brands of the company include Knorr, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Wall’s/Algida (Heartbrand), Becel/Flora (Healthy Heart), Rama/Blue Band (Family Goodness), Omo, Lux, Dove, Rexona (including Sure and Degree) and Axe/Lynx.
Unilever PLC (ULVR) - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review
This comprehensive SWOT profile of Unilever PLC provides you an in-depth strategic SWOT analysis of the company’s businesses and operations. The profile has been compiled by GlobalData to bring to you a clear and an unbiased view of the company’s key strengths and weaknesses and the potential opportunities and threats. The profile helps you formulate strategies that augment your business by enabling you to understand your partners, customers and competitors better.
Functional Foods 2010
Functional foods, as defined in this report, principally comprise: fibre-, mineral- and/or vitamin-fortified breakfast cereals and cereal bars; probiotic and prebiotic yoghurts and yoghurt drinks; cholesterol-lowering margarines and spreads; and soya milk. Smaller sectors of the market include functional breads, milk, cheese, eggs and drinks. The total UK market for functional foods grew by an estimated 9.6% in the year ending October 2009, to a value of £1.46bn. This growth rate was higher than that experienced in 2007/2008 but substantially lower than the estimated 22% growth in 2005/2006. The reduction is accounted for by an apparent peaking in sales of yoghurt drinks and soya milk, after strong prior growth, and gradually declining sales of cholesterol-lowering margarines and functional breads. Strong growth has, however, been shown by probiotic yoghurts and fortified breakfast cereals, allowing positive growth overall.
