Mars Inc - food industry company news 
INDIA: Mars coy over India plant talk
19 June 2013
Mars has refused to be drawn on reports in India it has applied for land in the western state of Gujarat to build its first chocolate plant in the country.
UK: Mars, PepsiCo among signatories to hybrid nutrition labels
19 June 2013
Chocolate giant Mars and crisp manufacturer PepsiCo are among over 20 food makers and retailers to agree to adopt new "hybrid" front-of-pack nutrition labels in the UK.
INDIA: Mars launches "eggless" Snickers for veggies
13 June 2013
Mars has developed a Snickers bar containing no eggs for vegetarians in the Indian market.
Editor's choice: The highlights on just-food last week
10 June 2013
A tragic fire in a Chinese poultry facility highlighted continued concerns over safety standards in emerging markets last week. The just-food briefing looked at the need to innovate to prevent breakfast cereal sales going soggy, insight that was swiftly followed by the news that Kellogg is launching a number of breakfast bar and drink products in response to changing consumption patterns. Meanwhile, chocolate giants Nestle and Mars were accused of price fixing in Canada. Here are the highlights on just-food this week.
CANADA: Nestle, Mars accused of price fixing
7 June 2013
Confectionery giants Nestle and Mars have been charged by Canada's Competition Bureau for alleged criminal conspiracy to fix the prices of chocolate products in the country.
FRANCE: Mars to cut jobs at Wrigley France facility
3 June 2013
Mars' chewing gum unit, Wrigley, has confirmed plans to cut over 200 jobs at a production site in France in response to declining demand in Europe.
BRICs and beyond: Hershey wisely goes local in China
30 May 2013
Hershey, long criticised for the slow speed with which it entered faster-growing confectionery markets, has seen sales jump in China in recent years on the back of its homegrown chocolate brands. However, chocolate is not China's largest confectionery sector and competition is fierce. Hershey has wisely launched a candy brand targeted at Chinese consumers. Candy is crowded, too, but as, Dean Best writes, the move demonstrates the company knows products tailored to local needs could help it gain ground faster.
UK: Arla sells Crediton Dairy milk drinks business
24 May 2013
Arla Foods has offloaded UK milk drinks operation Crediton Dairy to a group of executives who worked for the unit's previous owner, Milk Link.
In the spotlight: Wrigley wins FDA plaudits amid caffeine scrutiny
16 May 2013
At first it appeared the villain of the piece with the launch of its Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, which prompted an FDA review of caffeine in foods. However, Wrigley was subsequently praised by the regulator for showing "leadership" when it halted production. So far, however, no other food companies have shown that level of support for the FDA's move. Ben Cooper reports.
US: Wrigley halts production of caffeine gum
9 May 2013
Wrigley, part of food giant Mars Inc, has halted production of the caffeine gum it launched earlier this month in the US.
UK: Mars' Seeds of Change launches rice, grain range
2 May 2013
Mars is to launch a range of rice and grain products under its Seeds of Change brand in the UK.
US: Wrigley gum prompts FDA to review caffeine in foods
1 May 2013
The roll-out of Wrigley's caffeine gum has prompted the US Food and Drug Administration to look again at the impact the ingredient has on health.
Consuming issues - Cocoa's certification challenge
3 April 2013
Hershey's commitment to source 100% of its cocoa requirements from third-party-certified sources by 2020 has been broadly welcomed. However, what form that certification will take is unclear and is likely to remain so until the cocoa sector at large agrees sustainability standards and evolves the means to certify a huge amount of cocoa.
Sustainability Watch - Andy McCormick, Hershey
3 April 2013
Hershey has become the latest major chocolate company to make a bold public commitment to sustainable cocoa. Andy McCormick, Hershey's vice president, cocoa sustainability, spoke with Ben Cooper about the company's 21st Century Cocoa Plan and its commitment to collective efforts to achieve a sustainable cocoa sector.
UK: Mars rolls out Mini Mix
2 April 2013
Mars Inc has launched a bite-sized version of its namesake brand in a sharing format for the UK market.
Interview: Divine Chocolate battles pressure on Fairtrade specialists
27 March 2013
UK-based Divine Chocolate was one of the first Fairtrade-only FMCG brands when it launched in 1998. However, the entry of larger, mainstream companies into the category, while increasing awareness of Fairtrade and boosting sales, has had an impact on the specialists. Divine commercial director David Francis spoke to Dean Best about competition, retail support for Fairtrade and the promotional battle in the UK.
Interview: Ebro Foods keeps sharp eye on growth and diversification
26 March 2013
Spanish food group Ebro Foods has been busy transforming itself. Over the last year the pasta and rice producer has evolved into a truly international company that now spans 25 countries and four continents. No longer a sugar and dairy group, Ebro has expanded into new categories and is leveraging these to build on its ambitions for global growth. Manuel Gonzalez de Luna, Ebro's director of investor relations spoke to just-food at this year's Consumer Analyst Group of Europe conference in London on the group's plans to ramp up international expansion and diversity its portfolio.
UK: Wrigley launches Starburst Flavour Morphs
19 March 2013
Mars Inc's Wrigley has expanded its confectionery stable in the UK with the launch of Starburst Flavour Morphs.
UK: Mars unveils new products for ice cream portfolio
18 March 2013
Mars Inc is looking to build its presence in the UK ice cream category with the launch of three new products, including a Chocolate Core.
UK: Mars launches Maltesers Teasers block bar
11 March 2013
Mars has launched what it claims is the "biggest UK innovation of the decade" with the roll out of Maltesers Teasers.
US: Wrigley targets adults with Alert caffeine gum
8 March 2013
Mars Inc-owned gum giant Wrigley is targeting an adult market with the launch of a new range of chewing gum in the US that contains caffeine.
In the spotlight: Heinz's prospects under 3G and Buffett
15 February 2013
Heinz stunned the global food industry with news it had agreed to a US$28bn takeover offer from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway fund and private-equity firm 3G Capital - purported to be the largest-ever deal in the sector. Dean Best looks at what could lie ahead for the US food giant.
GERMANY: Nestle to appeal price-fixing fine
1 February 2013
Nestle has said it will appeal a decision by Germany's federal competition agency to impose a fine for agreeing anti-competitive price increases in the country.
US: Hershey, Nestle stand firm on price-fixing allegations
21 December 2012
Hershey and Nestle have said they will continue to defend themselves against allegations of fixing the price of chocolate in the US after a court gave the all-clear for a class action lawsuit.
UK: United Biscuits outlines biscuit, cake NPD plans
11 December 2012
United Biscuits, which last week agreed the sale of the bulk of its salty snacks, has set out the new products it will add to its biscuits portfolio in 2013.
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.
Packaging - the trends behind innovation
30 November 2012
As competition in the grocery sector continues at apace, it has become more important than ever for manufacturers and retailers to ensure their packaging stands out on shelf and addresses a range of key issues. This can range from the design and functionality of packaging to the cost and on-shelf impact. Here, packaging firms tell just-food what is driving innovation in the sector, the challenges and the trends that are emerging.
UK: Mars Inc's Wrigley readies Skittles relaunch
27 November 2012
Mars Inc's Wrigley is to relaunch its Skittles confectionery brand in the UK in the New Year with a range re-design and an extra product.
INDIA: Mars Inc appoints Iyer as MD Wrigley India
27 November 2012
Mars Inc has appointed Deepak Iyer as managing director for the India division of Wrigley.
EU: Food majors sign GDA labels pledge
14 November 2012
Food manufacturers including Nestle, Mondelez International and Unilever have announced plans to "harmonise" the way they label the nutritional information for products sold in the EU.
