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From the enthusiastic boss of US retailer Supervalu Inc Craig Herkert to the ambitious Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke, we have heard from a number of bosses this week on their growth prospects and fight to beat the recession. Elsewhere, the surprise announcement that French retail giant Carrefour will exit Russia continued to provoke passionate views from the industry, while Jumbo CEO Frits van Eerd happily broke the news that it had snapped up local rival Super de Boer following much speculation.

Things were on the up for Australian dairy group Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory. In August Warrnambool signed a JV with National Foods that will see it take a share of the Dairy Farmers acquisition and in October the company posted a 154% leap in full-year net profit on higher milk prices. However, in a reversal of fortune that demonstrates the volatile nature of commodity markets, a slump in Australian dairy prices forced Warrnambool to issue a profit warning last week. Dean Best caught up with CEO and MD Neil Kearney to find out more about the company’s plans for the future and its push into value-added sectors.

The owners of the UAE's National Foods Products Co. (NFPC) have reportedly abandoned negotiations over the potential sale of a majority stake in the Abu Dhabi-based dairy group. 

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Stuart Irvine, chief executive of Australian food and drink group Lion, has played down speculation the company's dairy processing business could be sold.

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Lion Nathan National Foods, the Australian dairy and drinks giant, has announced the removal of the substance 'permeate' from its milk.

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Australian dairy firm Lion, which will see its chairman leave next month, has confirmed that its CEO Rob Murray also plans to quit next year.

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Former British Airways CEO Sir Rod Eddington is to become the chairman of Australian dairy firm Lion next month.

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Woolworths Ltd, Australia's largest retailer, has defended its decision to switch own-label milk supplies in New South Wales, insisting it was not due to the fierce competition with rival Coles in the sector.

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Lion Nathan National Foods, the Australian dairy and drinks giant, today (16 May) announced its intention to rebrand its three divisions to a single corporate brand.

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Lion Nathan National Foods has reported a fall in revenue at its Australian dairy unit, as lower consumer spending and the milk price war among Australian supermarkets hit sales.

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Australia's National Foods plans to rationalise its cheese production, investing in expanding manufacturing at one plant and shuttering or selling five other sites in Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria.

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Kirin Holdings' food and soft drinks division has booked an increase in full-year operating profits, driven by cost reductions made by the firm during the year.

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Peter Kean, the managing director of Lion Nathan New Zealand, has been appointed to lead the group's National Foods business unit in Australia.

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Associated British Foods' Australian subsidiary George Weston Foods (GWF) has appointed Andrew Reeves as its new chief executive.

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Goodman Fielder, Australia's largest food group, has announced today (18 January) that CEO Peter Margin has resigned from the company.

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The week kicked-off with the news that the purchase of French cheese maker Entremont Alliance by dairy co-operative Sodiaal had been approved.

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Japanese food and beverage group Kirin Holdings has slashed its profit forecast for 2010 due to JPY38.8bn (US$463.5m) of write-downs at National Foods, its dairy and juice unit in Australia.

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Kirin Holdings has reported a 42% drop in net profits for the first nine months of 2010, due to lower sales and one-off charges for restructuring and pensions.

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Fraser & Neave announced plans today (20 October) to buy King's Creameries to expand its ice-cream business in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

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La Buena Vida has launched its tapas at home range in the UK.

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National Foods has announced it will undertake an extensive review of its cheese manufacturing operations across Australia.

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Japanese food and drink group Kirin Holdings today (16 August) lowered its profit target for 2010 on the back of one-off charges from certain subsidiaries and on lower sales.

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Australian dairy firm Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory (WCB) has renewed its agreement to supply National Foods with bulk cheddar cheese.

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Kirin Holdings has cut its sales and profits forecast for the first half of 2010.

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Australian dairy group National Foods has announced plans to close its Wetherill Park and Cobden sites and transfer production to its Morwell and Baulkham Hills facilities.

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Woolworths Ltd, Australia's largest retailer, has shaken up its milk supply and decided to award its own-label contracts to more than one supplier.

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The food interests of Japanese conglomerate Kirin Holdings have helped the business post a jump in operating profit for the first quarter of the year.

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Australian dairy group National Foods has announced plans to close its Booval production site and transfer volume to its Crestmead facility, putting 100 jobs at risk.

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National Foods has announced plans to invest a further A$5.5m (US$5.1m) in its Malanda milk processing plant on the Atherton Tablelands.

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Advertising of high fat, sugar or salt foods on children’s television has “virtually ceased” in Australia, according to a preliminary industry report released today (29 March).