just-food bloggers
Dean Best
Economic chill deters visitors from ISM
31 January 2012 09:20
After attending the giant Anuga trade show at Cologne's sprawling Messe exhibition centre, the ISM confectionery expo, held at the same venue since Sunday, was always going to feel smaller. However, seasoned exhibitors believe this year is one of the quietest ISM events in recent years.
Sam Webb
Katie Price's economic musings spark ASA Snickers probe
27 January 2012 15:15
Reality TV star Katie Price, her Tweets providing insight into complicated global economic issues and the Snickers chocolate bar, may land Mars in hot water with the UK advertising watchdog.
Katy Humphries
Polman confident on Unilever brands
13 June 2011 15:36
Paul Polman, chief executive of consumer goods giant Unilever, has insisted that the company can achieve double-digit sales growth excluding M&A, meaning that the group would have to generate organic growth of an industry-beating 7-8%.
Michelle Russell
Polman speaks up for Unilever's food business
2 February 2012 14:49
Unilever CEO Paul Polman was keen to emphasise the robustness of the firm's food business this morning (2 February) after the consumer goods giant reported its annual results for 2011 .
Chris Brook-Carter
Tech advances make work a home from home
28 September 2011 12:38
Launch shows for new software applications into the food and drinks industry are, I must admit, not a regular entry in my diary.
The just-food guest blog
Is Whole Foods a "faux hippie Wal-Mart"?
28 July 2011 14:36
An epic resignation letter written by a disgruntled Whole Foods employee from Toronto has gone viral, arguing that the US retailer's business practices are at odds with its hippie, do-gooder reputation.
Latest just-food blogs
Polman speaks up for Unilever's food business
By: Michelle Russell - 2 Feb 2012 14:49
Unilever CEO Paul Polman was keen to emphasise the robustness of the firm's food business this morning (2 February) after the consumer goods giant reported its annual results for 2011 .
Economic chill deters visitors from ISM
By: Dean Best - 31 Jan 2012 09:20
After attending the giant Anuga trade show at Cologne's sprawling Messe exhibition centre, the ISM confectionery expo, held at the same venue since Sunday, was always going to feel smaller. However, seasoned exhibitors believe this year is one of the quietest ISM events in recent years.
Sweet start to the week
By: Dean Best - 30 Jan 2012 10:20
Waiting for a flight at six o'clock on a cold January morning at Gatwick is not the ideal way to start the working week but, when a confectionery trade show awaits, perhaps one should not complain too much.
Katie Price's economic musings spark ASA Snickers probe
By: Sam Webb - 27 Jan 2012 15:15
Reality TV star Katie Price, her Tweets providing insight into complicated global economic issues and the Snickers chocolate bar, may land Mars in hot water with the UK advertising watchdog.
Wal-Mart talks up Africa's potential at Davos
By: Dean Best - 26 Jan 2012 18:22
With the Swiss mountains behind him, Doug McMillon, chief executive of Wal-Mart's international operations, discussed the retail giant's new business in Africa in an interview with CNN.
Workers take Unilever pensions fight to Davos
By: Sam Webb - 25 Jan 2012 15:39
UK workers clashing with Unilever over changes to its pension scheme are stepping up their protests.
Katie Price, Twitter and Chinese fiscal policy
By: Sam Webb - 24 Jan 2012 15:32
Reality TV star totem Katie Price shocked her Twitter followers with a series of tweets on global fiscal policy on Sunday (22 January).
Buffett ups stake in Tesco
By: Dean Best - 19 Jan 2012 18:15
A week after Tesco shocked the market and sent its shares tumbling with a profit warning, it has emerged that the US billionaire investor Warren Buffett has quietly increased his stake in the retailer.
Unilever compared to Willie Walsh as strikes begin
By: Dean Best - 18 Jan 2012 16:02
Workers at six Unilever sites today (18 January) held industrial action around the UK in the latest protests against the company's reform to its pension scheme - and the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate was compared to perhaps the bete noire of the country's union movement in recent years.
Irish exporters are smiling
By: Dean Best - 18 Jan 2012 15:08
The spike in commodity prices helped push Irish food and drink exports to a record level in 2011. Ireland's exporters may not enjoy quite the same benefit in 2012 but confidence about Irish prospects overseas is on the rise.
Uncertainty remains over Indian FDI
By: Sam Webb - 11 Jan 2012 17:43
The future of troubled proposals for supermarket companies to enter India is still uncertain, despite today's (11 January) government announcement that it will allow foreign brands to own single-brand stores.
Workers take pension protests to Unilever's front door
By: Dean Best - 10 Jan 2012 21:31
On the north bank of the Thames, Unilever's London HQ has been the home of the consumer goods giant for almost 90 years. Today, on a mild but grey Tuesday afternoon in January, it formed the backdrop for the latest instalment of what is likely to be one of the most dispiriting episodes in the company's history.
TV chef Worral Thompson cooks up humble pie
By: Sam Webb - 9 Jan 2012 15:33
TV chef Antony Worral Thompson has issued an apology over a series of shoplifting offences at a Tesco supermarket.
"Mounting pressure" for Hershey to expand into emerging markets
By: Dean Best - 6 Jan 2012 19:45
It has been one of the most regular assertions in the confectionery sector in recent years - and one US analyst has repeated it again today (6 January).
Yoghurt maker Rachel's lifts lid on impact of retail rift
By: Dean Best - 5 Jan 2012 15:41
Rachel's Dairy, the UK organic yoghurt maker, has revealed just how much a delisting by a major UK retailer can cost a business.
Surveys highlight business gloom in UK
By: Dean Best - 4 Jan 2012 15:28
A couple of surveys published in the UK over the last 24 hours indicate the gloomy mood permeating parts of the country's economy.
Questions over food safety in China return
By: Dean Best - 3 Jan 2012 15:40
A new year but the same old questions over the safety of food made in parts of China's food sector have reared their head once again.
just-food is closed for Christmas
By: Dean Best - 23 Dec 2011 15:18
just-food is closed for Christmas and the New Year from tomorrow. We return to our desks probably a little heavier on Tuesday, 3 January.
Cloetta, Leaf mark latest stage in candy consolidation
By: Dean Best - 16 Dec 2011 15:40
This time two years ago, the story in the industry was Kraft Foods' pursuit of Cadbury. We all know how that ended. Many industry watchers argued that deal would spark further consolidation in the confectionery sector but, since then, there has been an absence of major deals - until today.
They're understandably frustrated, but unions must face reality
By: Sam Webb - 15 Dec 2011 15:43
Let's get one thing out of the way: I'm a former union member. I've been out on strike for more than a month over pay and conditions and recognise the essential service they provide, now and historically.
UK food industry sets out 2020 vision
By: Dean Best - 13 Dec 2011 17:18
Off into central London within the next hour to hear more about how the UK's food industry believes it can deliver sustainable growth of 20% by 2020.
Reality may stymie Portas's good intentions
By: Dean Best - 13 Dec 2011 15:40
Much of the UK retail sector has today (13 December) been digesting a set of recommendations to revitalise the country's High Streets by retail adviser and TV presenter Mary Portas
Santa Claus - Public enemy number one
By: Sam Webb - 12 Dec 2011 16:48
Beloved by children around the world, Father Christmas has been spreading gifts, goodwill and the joy of the festive season for generations.
Christmas is cancelled for Unilever workers
By: Katie Smith - 9 Dec 2011 15:49
Christmas looks to be cancelled for Unilever workers this year following today's (9 December) strike action.
Nestle's Hsu Fu Chi deal signals greater tolerance from Beijing
By: Dean Best - 8 Dec 2011 14:54
Could Beijing's reluctance to allow foreign investors to snap up its biggest companies be easing? Some industry watchers certainly think so, following the Chinese government's decision to approve Nestle's bid to buy a majority stake in Hsu Fu Chi, one of the country's largest confectioners.
Uncertainty surrounds Indian FDI reform
By: Sam Webb - 7 Dec 2011 15:29
The Indian government's shock decision to open up the country's retail industry for more foreign investment has been heralded and demonised in equal measure
Rosenfeld to lead Cadbury into (another) new era
By: Dean Best - 5 Dec 2011 19:44
Kraft Foods today (5 December) named the CEOs of the two companies that its plan to split in two will create by the end of next year. And chairman and CEO Irene Rosenfeld, a controversial figure during and after the company's takeover of Cadbury, will remain in charge of the UK confectioner.
Could some health claims win a reprieve from the EU?
By: Dean Best - 1 Dec 2011 19:01
Ah, the EU health claims process. Few issues have proved as complex to understand and frustrating for parts of the food industry. In July, after three years of study, the EU's food safety watchdog announced it had rejected 80% of claims. Some in the industry have long criticised the process. However, for a few companies, there could be a second chance to convince officials.
Stevia gives visitors to Fi Europe plenty to chew over
By: Dean Best - 30 Nov 2011 08:40
Stevia was one of the key topics that appeared to be at the forefront of exhibitors' minds as just-food toured this year's Food Ingredients Europe trade show.
US readers: a flavour of what you missed over Thanksgiving
By: Dean Best - 28 Nov 2011 18:22
Welcome back to our US readers, who took a break at the end of last week for the Thanksgiving holiday. Of course, here in the UK, we were at the coalface, monitoring developments in the sector.
