Editor's choice: the highlights on just-food last week

The fall-out from the horsemeat contamination continued last week, with Tesco outlining plans to shake up its supply chain and source meat from the UK. Elsewhere, UK free-from firm Genius Foods bought out venture partner Finsbury Food Group and, in the US, more buyers were found for Hostess Brands' assets. Click on the headlines for more.

HORSEMEAT: UPDATE: Tesco CEO announces supply chain changes
Tesco's CEO has announced a raft of changes to its supply chain in the shadow of the horsemeat scandal, including a promise to source all fresh chicken from within the UK and the appointment of an 'agriculture director'.

FRANCE: Hollande calls for European action on ready-meal labels
French President François Hollande has demanded EU labelling requirements for meat in ready meals.

Consuming issues: Let them eat horse
The suggestion this weekend from German development minister Dirk Niebel that food products containing horsemeat should be distributed to the poor reminds us that, while indicative of a glaring lack of scrutiny on the part of food companies, the horsemeat scandal has represented no danger to human health to date.

US: Flowers wins Wonder, Bimbo snaps up Beefsteak in Hostess auction
Flowers Foods won through in its bid to acquire the majority of Hostess Brands' bread units, including Wonder, but was outbid for the Beefsteak business by rival baker Grupo Bimbo.

Sustainability Watch - Private equity
In the wake of the Heinz deal, Ben Cooper examines whether private-equity investors are changing their attitudes towards sustainability as some prominent players in the sector are claiming.

BRICs and beyond: Heinz's Chinese frozen food exit paves way for growth
It is not often you hear of multinationals offloading assets in emerging markets. However, a more focused, streamlined Heinz in China could be better-placed to drive profitable growth.

The just-food international basket - Q4 2012
The price gap between own label and brands did, in the main, close in the last quarter of 2012, according to the just-food international basket. SymphonyIRI, which compiles the data for just-food, argues the numbers support its belief that an over-use of price-based promos is dated.

just the answer - Genius Foods CEO Roz Cuschieri
Michelle Russell spoke with Genius' CEO Roz Cuschieri to find out what opportunities the deal offers the firm and its plans for expansion. 

In the spotlight: Australian Dietary Guidelines target added sugar
While the emphasis on physical activity included in the recently published Australian Dietary Guidelines has been welcomed by food industry advocates, the inclusion of a recommendation to limit foods containing added sugars was less enthusiastically received. 

On the money: Thorntons sees strategy bearing fruit
Thorntons' improved first-half performance demonstrates that its strategy to shift towards sales through its commercial arm while working to revitalise the brand is starting to pay off.