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UK calorie confusion adds twist to labelling debate - (20th November 2009)
The publication by the UK’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) of increased energy requirements and the ensuing media reaction has threatened to undermine public health education about obesity and overweight, Ben Cooper writes, and has posed questions for the Food Standards Agency about how it communicates complex scientific findings to the public.
In the spotlight – Marc Bolland's move to M&S - (18th November 2009)
The timing of Marks and Spencer's announcement that Morrisons CEO Marc Bolland will succeed Sir Stuart Rose at the helm of the company may have raised eyebrows in the City, coming as it does the day before Morrisons unveils its third quarter results. Nevertheless, the news has been roundly welcomed as a positive step for the bastion of middle England. Katy Humphries reports.
Russia in the soup as economy sours - (17th November 2009)
Russia, so often cited as one of the world's most attractive emerging markets for food manufacturers, presents soup makers with quite a conundrum. On the one hand, it is the second largest soup consuming nation globally. On the other, growth of the ready-made soup category has been held back as manufacturers struggle to convince consumers to abandon their traditional home-made borscht or schi. Add to the pot the economic crisis and consequent decline in consumer spending and the short-term prospects for the category look cloudy. Katy Humphries reports.
Nostalgia: as good as it was? - (13th November 2009)
Life on Mars, Spandau Ballet, the Fiat 500 - it seems consumers of 2009 are bombarded almost daily with retro echoes from twenty and thirty years ago. But how do food retailers concretely tap into this nostalgia for a modern audience? Garnering empirical data for the trend is still at an embryonic stage and will become a crucial tool to maintain the trend once the recession ends. Using updated advertising and harking back to old-fashioned childhood reminisces are also key, but so is new media as Simon Warburton reports.
Ahold is cast as predator and prey - (11th November 2009)
Ahold's move to reorganise its business with a view to expand its operations has prompted a flurry of speculation over the Dutch retailer's future. With a sizeable war chest and the possibility to ramp up cost savings, Ahold is preparing to get its top-line moving and the market is buzzing with M&A rumours. Katy Humphries reports.
UPDATE: US/UK: Cadbury chairman Carr attacks Kraft offer - (9th November 2009)
Cadbury has called on its shareholders to turn down Kraft Foods' hostile takeover bid with the UK group's chairman criticising the US food giant's offer.
Icelandic food sector hopes to come in from the cold - (6th November 2009)
In the wake of Iceland's financial meltdown, food manufacturers in the country have found themselves struggling with higher input costs. However, exporters have also flourished due to the weak currency. Gerald O'Dwyer reports.
COMMENT: Kraft weakness casts shadow of doubt over Cadbury deal - (4th November 2009)
Kraft's disappointing third quarter has cast doubt over the future of any possible takeover move on UK confectioner Cadbury. The US food group delivered disappointing revenues and reduced its full-year organic growth targets, contrasting sharply with the strong third quarter Cadbury delivered last week. While Kraft's results have not left its expansion plans dead in the water, the US food group may have an uphill struggle to convince Cadbury shareholders and the market as a whole that its bid is viable, Katy Humphries contends.
Obama taking food self-regulation to task - (2nd November 2009)
President Obama has made tackling childhood obesity and nutrition a key priority. The FDA’s recent announcement on nutritional labelling demonstrates the administration’s willingness to act in areas where it deems self-regulation to have been ineffective, Ben Cooper writes, and this proactive approach may not be confined to food labelling.
The just-food interview - the WWF and palm oil - (29th October 2009)
How to source palm oil is vexing the minds of many in the food industry. Growing consumer awareness of the links between palm oil, deforestation, the threat to wildlife and products on supermarket shelves is encouraging manufacturers and retailers to look for sustainable sources. However, only a few have grasped the nettle and, as Adam Harrison, senior food and agriculture officer for the WWF tells Dean Best, the industry needs to do much, much more - and quickly.
