KitKat - food industry company news 
Editor's choice: the highlights on just-food last week
29 April 2013
Associated British Foods grabbed the headlines this week - for good and tragic reasons. Twenty-four hours before a factory in Bangladesh that supplied ABF's discount clothing chain Primark, just-food discussed the Kingsmill bread owner's half-year results. Another UK-listed major, Unilever, this week reported its Q1 sales, which missed analyst estimates on weaker spreads and ice cream sales. Elsewhere, we analysed the return of GM to national UK headlines and China's attempts to improve food safety.
SINGAPORE: Petra hits out at Nestle Kit Kat lawsuit
25 April 2013
Chocolate and cocoa group Petra Foods has defended its Delfi Take-It chocolate bar after Swiss food giant Nestle filed a trademark lawsuit against the firm in Singapore.
SWITZ: Nestle "not interested" in chocolate M&A
12 April 2013
The chairman of Nestle has reportedly insisted the Kit Kat maker is not interested in buying any chocolate companies as he rejected the possibly the Swiss food giant could buy Lindt & Sprungli.
SWITZ: Nestle recalls Kit Kat products on plastic find
25 March 2013
Nestle has recalled four Kit Kat Chunky bars and an Easter egg in eight countries after plastic was found in the products.
Editor's choice: the highlights on just-food this week
4 January 2013
It may have been just-food's first week back after the Christmas break, but we hit the group running with the news that Unilever has sold its Skippy peanut butter brand to Hormel.
Quote, unquote: just-food's week in words
4 January 2013
Despite the week being a shorter one due to the Christmas break, the news has continued to roll in. One deal in particular that has dominated the headlines is Hormel's acquisition of Unilever's Skippy brand. Hormel CEO Jeff Ettinger is confident the deal will allow it to grow its share of the US nuts and spreads category. Elsewhere, just-food spoke with Tyrrells about the firm's export plans, while Dole got analyst tongues wagging after issuing a worse than expected profit outlook.
EU: Nestle "delighted" at KitKat trademark win
3 January 2013
Nestle has won an appeal to protect the unique shape of its KitKat chocolate bar in the European Union, overturning a previous ruling in favour of Kraft Foods-owned Cadbury.
GLOBAL: Nestle puts faith in co-operation with suppliers on CSR
4 December 2012
Working with suppliers, rather than withdrawing contracts, is more effective in making food supply chains more sustainable, Nestle has claimed.
US: Hershey under fire over child labour allegations
2 November 2012
Hershey is facing scrutiny over the use of child labour in its supply chain after one of its shareholders filed a lawsuit contending the confectioner buys cocoa produced using child and forced labour.
UK: Dark chocolate production returns at Nestle York site
26 October 2012
Nestle has reintroduced dark chocolate production at its facility in York following a "multimillion pound" investment at the site.
UK: Nestle's two-fingered Kit Kat goes Fairtrade
26 October 2012
Nestle UK and Ireland has said it will double its commitment to Fairtrade by gaining certification for its two-fingered Kit Kat brand from January.
GLOBAL: Sustainable cocoa will cost billions, warns Mars
10 October 2012
Creating a sustainable cocoa sector that will meet the demands of the chocolate industry and improve the livelihoods of farmers will require "billions of dollars" of investment, Mars Inc has warned.
UK: Nestle adds white Kit Kat Chunky to line-up
11 September 2012
Nestle has added a limited edition white chocolate variant to its Kit Kat Chunky brand in the UK.
UK: Nestle UK confectionery MD Rennie takes Europe VP role
29 August 2012
The managing director for Nestle's confectionery business in the UK, David Rennie, has been appointed VP of the group's European operations.
Focus: Nestle Health Science sneaks under the radar
10 August 2012
Nestle's health science division has continued to motor below the radar in the first half of 2012 and the group is confident of a bright future for the unit.
On the money: Nestle says innovation "key" to growth in mature markets
9 August 2012
Nestle has said innovation is key to growth in developed markets where the company says achieving higher sales is "no walk in the park".
INDIA: Nestle invests in India chocolate facility
8 August 2012
Nestle has invested CHF121m (US$124.4m) in its facility in Goa, India in a bid to boost production capacity.
INDIA: Nestlé to expand factory in India
3 August 2012
Nestlé has said it will expand capacity at its factory in Goa, India, as part of a three-year investment plan in the key emerging market.
Social media: from NPD to CSR, brand-owners look to harness networks
31 July 2012
At the brand level, many leading social media campaigns fall into one of the following two categories: to support a new product launch and to assist with marketing and promotional activity.
UK: Warburtons appoints Nestle's Simester as marketing director
23 July 2012
UK baker Warburtons has appointed Nestle UK's head of chocolate, Mark Simester, to the post of marketing director.
GLOBAL: Cocoa processors could follow Nestle's lead - FLA
4 July 2012
Cocoa processors including Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland could be encouraged to follow the example of Nestle and launch investigations into their cocoa supply chains, the head of the Fair Labor Association has told just-food.
SWITZ: Probe reveals child labour in Nestle supply chain
29 June 2012
An investigation into Nestle's cocoa supply chain has revealed "numerous violations" of its labour code, notably with regard to child labour.
Talking tech: Pouches - the lighter, more convenient food packaging?
26 June 2012
First developed as a method of storing provisions by the US military, pouches are becoming a common feature across the global food industry. Products such as retort pouches - heat-resistant bags usually made from laminated plastic films and then heat-sealed and sterilised by pressure cooking - have encroached upon the territory of more traditional packaging such as metal cans during the last decade. Jonathan Thomas reports.
DUBAI: Nestle to build Dubai manufacturing plant
26 June 2012
Nestle is to invest AED500m (US$136m) in the construction of a manufacturing facility in Dubai.
UK: Mars' Fairtrade Maltesers hit stores
18 June 2012
Mars Inc has rolled out its first Fairtrade product, Maltesers, into UK stores.
Comment: Organic sector should focus on quality to boost sales
30 March 2012
The continuing fall in demand for organic food in the UK is perplexing those in the sector, not least when sales of in another 'ethical' category, Fairtrade, have withstood the downturn and increased rapidly. Consumers buy organic for different reasons and the sector has lacked a true message to try to appeal to the mainstream. A focus on quality, Ben Cooper writes, could be the answer.
UK: Nestle cuts artificial additives from confectionery
2 March 2012
Nestle has claimed it is the first major confectioner in the UK to remove all artificial additives from its products.
SWITZ: Nestle shares up after solid 2012 outlook
16 February 2012
Shares in Nestle rose today (16 February) after the world's largest food maker issued a solid outlook for 2012 after a year of increased underlying sales and profits.
UK: Consumers to vote on Nestle's new Kit Kat Chunky flavour
25 January 2012
Nestle has decided to let UK consumers decide which of four limited-edition Kit Kat Chunky flavours will be added to the range permanently.
SWITZ: Nestle to sell "personalised" chocolate
20 October 2011
Nestle plans to sell upmarket chocolates that it claims are "tailor-made" to individual tastes.
