Unilever - food industry company news 
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.
US: Hormel Foods lowers FY earnings forecast
18 June 2013
Hormel Foods saw its share price slide today (18 June) after the Spam owner issued a profit warning.
UK: Unilever tight-lipped over Wish-Bone "sale plans"
17 June 2013
Unilever has remained silent over reports it is looking for a buyer for its Wish-Bone salad dressings business in the US.
Editor's choice: the highlights on just-food last week
17 June 2013
The latest just-food interview saw the boss of Nestle's business in Greater China discuss the food giant's strategy in the market and why he believed the world's largest food manufacturer had the edge on its rivals in the region. It was a week of a number of notable pieces of M&A, including Canadian retailer Sobeys' move to buy Safeway Inc's business in Canada and JBS's deal to acquire Seara Brasil from local meat rival Marfrig.
UK: Unilever returns to original Flora recipe after consumer backlash
11 June 2013
Unilever has reverted to its original Flora recipe in response to negative consumer feedback after it introduced a new version of the spread in early 2012.
US: Ben & Jerry's to phase out GM use
3 June 2013
Unilever-owned ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's is to phase out the use of genetically modified products from its global ice cream lines by the end of the year.
The week ahead - M&S, Dairy Crest FYs, Hormel Foods H1s
20 May 2013
UK meat processor Cranswick, dairy group Dairy Crest and Marks and Spencer, perhaps the most scrutinised name on the country's high street, are all set to announce annual results next week. In the US, Spam owner Hormel Foods will post its half-year results.
HOFEX: Taywell looks to China, Gulf for premium ice cream opportunity
9 May 2013
Taywell Ice Creams is hoping to cater to affluent consumers in China and the Gulf as it seeks out premium markets for its ice creams.
US: Unilever offloads ice cream plant
8 May 2013
Unilever has sold a US ice cream manufacturing facility in Hagerstown, MD, to investment groups New Mill Capital and M Davies Group.
BRICs and beyond: International SMEs testing the water at Hofex
7 May 2013
The rapidly expanding Chinese food sector has long been a focus for multinationals looking beyond developed western markets for expansion. However, it isn't just the international food Goliaths - with big bucks to spend on M&A or organic expansion - that are looking to China for growth. just-food caught up with some smaller enterprises hoping to tame the dragon at Hong Kong trade show Hofex - an event that prides itself of being the largest of its kind in Asia.
Editor's choice: the highlights on just-food this week
3 May 2013
M&A - as ever - was a hot topic on just-food this week. Some deals were done - Hain Celestial acquired UK organic baby food firm Ella's Kitchen and PAI Partners snapped European own-label giant R&R Ice Cream. Potential transactions were speculated about - the spin off of WhiteWave Foods prompted rumours over possible suitors and Unilever's ongoing problems in spreads led to talk it could one day sell the unit.
Best bits: Unilever likely to stick with spreads
1 May 2013
What will Unilever do with its spreads business? After that part of the company's portfolio was a factor in first-quarter sales that missed analyst expectations, the question has returned to the minds of some in the investment community. Dean Best thinks they will stick with the division.
AUS/NZ: Symington's signs Unilever licencing deal
1 May 2013
UK food group Symington's has signed a licensing deal with Unilever that will see the firm expand its reach to Australia and New Zealand.
UPDATE: INDIA: Unilever has "no plans" for 100% of Hindustan Unilever
30 April 2013
Unilever has said that it is not plotting an attempt take full-control of listed Indian subsidiary Hindustan Unilever.
Comment: Unilever's strength in non-food could offer long-term boost to food
30 April 2013
The divide between Unilever's high-growth home and personal care business and its food operations has attracted reams of copy. Unilever's stronger performance in emerging markets in non-food has prompted much speculation that the group could, at some point, split the businesses in two as it expands in developing economies. However, Unilever has repeatedly rebuffed such conjecture - and for good reason.
UK/INDIA: Unilever looks to up stake in Hindustan Unilever
30 April 2013
Unilever has said that it wants to raise its stake in Hindustan Unilever, its listed Indian subsidiary.
UK: PAI Partners to buy R&R Ice Cream
29 April 2013
PAI Partners has agreed to buy R&R Ice Cream from Oaktree Capital Management and the European ice cream group's other shareholders.
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.
What the analysts say - Unilever Q1 misses analyst estimates
25 April 2013
Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever this morning (25 April) saw its share price fall as weakness in its spreads division held back an otherwise "solid" first-quarter performance. The underlying sales increase came in below analyst forecasts who gave a relatively mixed view of the results.
UK/NETHERLANDS: Spreads holds back "solid" Unilever Q1
25 April 2013
Unilever's share price was down this morning (25 April) as weakness in spreads held back an otherwise "solid" first-quarter performance.
Best bits: Emerging market operations under more scrutiny
23 April 2013
A decade ago, the conversation around emerging markets was purely about growth. Now, with the developing world accounting for a growing chunk of some businesses, and with some of the faster-growing economies cooling, there is more attention on company performance in the BRICs and beyond. As Nestle found out last week.
UK: Unilever launches Colman's sauces
23 April 2013
Unilever is to launch three sauces under its Colman's brand in the UK to try to attract younger consumers.
The week ahead: ABF H1s; Unilever, Hershey, Premier Q1s
22 April 2013
A raft of companies report to the market next week, including UK-based food group Associated British Foods, which is set to unveil its half-year results. Data for the first quarter of 2013 will continue to come in, with Unilever, Hershey and Premier Foods plc among those set to publish numbers.
US: Danone's Oikos Greek yoghurt tops IRI NPD poll
18 April 2013
Danone's Oikos Greek yoghurt was the top-selling new product in the US in 2012, according to IRI's annual poll of the best-performing lines.
US: Unilever launches Fruttare frozen fruit bar brand
15 April 2013
Unilever is to launch frozen fruit bar brand Fruttare, first developed in Brazil in the 1980s, in the US.
US: Unilever extends Hellmann's range
15 April 2013
Unilever has extended its Hellmann's range in the US with the addition of a "tangy" dressing.
Quote, unquote: just-food's week in words
15 April 2013
UK-based R&R Ice Cream last week snapped up local rival Fredericks Dairies, a deal its CEO told us will help it compete better with Unilever. We spoke to M&A analysts about the potential sale of Burton's Biscuit Co. and to the chairman of Canada's Dare Foods about his expansion plans. In Europe, the sector was rocked by fresh horsemeat revelations, including news an Asda product contained the veterinary drug phenylbutazone.
Editor's choice: the highlights on just-food last week
15 April 2013
3G Capital, the private-equity firm soon to own Heinz, last week turned to another investment - Burger King - for the US food giant's new CEO. In the UK, R&R Ice Cream, Europe's largest own-label ice cream supplier bought a local rival it said would boost its branded stable. Europe was shook by more horsemeat revelations. Meanwhile, we interviewed Sainsbury's on multichannel, Canada's Dare Foods and took a look at the possible suitors for Burton's Biscuit Co.
Interview: R&R chief: We can be "real alternative" to Unilever
10 April 2013
James Lambert, CEO of UK-based R&R Ice Cream, has suggested the company's plan to buy local rival Fredericks Dairies will give retailers a "real alternative" to market leader Unilever.
EUROPE: R&R Ice Cream takeover deal "a month away"
10 April 2013
A deal for a majority stake in UK-based R&R Ice Cream could be signed in the next month.
