• just-food home
• Companies

Hero Group

---

The Chinese government has laid out a plan to improve safety standards in the high-profile infant formula sector through a combination of tougher regulation and consolidation. Nevertheless, the question of whether Chinese manufactures can convince consumers of the safety of their products remains. Katy Askew reports.

---

The elevation of China's State Food & Drug Administration (SFDA) to a ministry level entity will consolidate the oversight of food safety issues under one umbrella. The Chinese authorities are hoping that the move will convince consumers that the government is serious about tackling the country's food safety problems. Nevertheless, a number of challenges remain. David Green reports from Beijing.

---

As the UK economy recovers, albeit slowly, there are signs that consumer behaviour is returning to "normal". There are questions, however, over how the organic food sector will arrest a slump in sales.

---

The world of infant formula attracted the attention of M&A commentators this week with the proposed sale of own-label group PBM to healthcare giant Perrigo Co. The downturn has made private label more popular but, as Dean Best finds, infant formula is dominated by big brands - and their power is unlikely dented too much by the sale of PBM.

The UK organic food market has experienced some ups and downs in recent years but organic baby food producer Organix has remained consistent in its approach to delivering high-quality organic products. Michelle Russell met up with managing director Anna Rosier to find out how the company is driving growth and find out more about the opportunities it see at home and abroad.

Hero, the Switzerland-based baby food-to-snacks maker, saw its earnings rise in 2016, helped by higher profits in Europe, despite muted growth in sales.

---

Hero Group has reported mixed results for 2015, with the Switzerland-based baby food-to-jam maker seeing its top-line hit by the strength of the Swiss franc, its underlying sales grow but its profit metrics affected by one-off items.

---

Beech-Nut, the US baby food arm of Swiss food maker Hero Group, has launched a "100 % natural" line it claims provides "real food" for kids.

---

Swiss food manufacturer Hero Group has acquired Yildiz Holding's stake in Turkish joint venture Hero Gida.

---

Campbell Soup Co. has struck a surprise deal to buy US baby food business Plum Organics.

---

Switzerland's Hero Group and US Hispanic-owned food company Goya have teamed up to develop a new range of Hispanic baby foods under the Beech-Nut/Goya brands.

---

China dominated our headlines in the first part of the week. Swiss firm Hero Group was forced to defend the safety of its infant formula in the country after allegations a local distributor mislabelled products. Wal-Mart, meanwhile, issued a statement to reiterate its expansion plans in China after it emerged it would close three stores there. Emerging markets continued to feature heavily, with news Qatar had bought a majority stake in Indian group Bush Foods Overseas. And we interviewed the CEO of ambitious Brazilian dairy group Vigor.

---

Swiss food manufacturer Hero Group has insisted its infant formula on sale in China is safe after reports a local distributor allegedly mislabelled some of the company's products.

---

Hero Group has appointed Jeff Boutelle president of its baby food subsidiary in the US, Beech-Nut Nutrition.

---

US baby-food firm Beech-Nut, an arm of Swiss food company Hero Group, has launched a range of co-branded baby food with apple sauce maker Mott's.

---

Switzerland-based food maker Hero Group is to open a jam production factory west of Zurich next year.

---

Nestle, the world's largest food maker, published its half-year figures this week, numbers that are often a barometer for the rest of the sector. The company's results were robust although it did issue some caution over rising commodity costs. just-food reported from Moscow about the Russian grain crisis and the impact it could have on food makers. Meanwhile, Sara Lee chief Brenda Barnes stepped down due to illness and we analysed what the future holds for the US food group.

---

Swiss food manufacturer Hero has announced it will sell its French fruit-dessert business to Charles Faraud.

---

US baby food producer Beech-Nut Nutrition Corp. has opened a US$124m production facility in upstate New York.

---

Swiss food maker Hero Group has hinted at plans to launch more products targeted at cash-conscious consumers in 2010.

---

Swiss food maker Hero Group today (24 March) posted what it termed a "robust" sales performance for 2009 despite a fall in turnover.

---

Hero Group, the Switzerland-based food maker, said today (6 March) that a rise in revenues from its infant nutrition arm boosrted sales in 2008.