From the plain-speaking boss of US organic food group Hain Celestial to an ambitious Kerry Group chief executive and the cautious optimism of the chief of Australia’s largest retailer Woolworths Ltd, here, in the first of a weekly feature, just-food gives you the food industry’s ‘week in words’.
“If consumers eat healthy, maybe they won’t get the swine flu” – Hain Celestial chief Irwin Simon
“I would like to see us open up new geographies. We have to look at India very seriously” – Kerry Group chief executive Stan McCarthy
“We’ve built the basis of a good, sustainable business in New Zealand but we’re not declaring victory just yet” – Woolworths Ltd CEO Michael Luscombe
“Dairy ingredients is probably the single biggest issue impacting the group overall” – Glanbia MD John Moloney (pictured)
“For a premium and high-end label like Lindt & Sprüngli, this is a special opportunity and we have the means to do it” – Lindt & Sprungli’s Sylvia Kalin
“Unfortunately those that believe in organic think anything natural is benign. It is not” –
Professor Anthony Trewavas, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology at University of Edinburgh
“A lot of their EBITDA is going to pay debt and this situation is no longer sustainable” – One Madrid-based analyst on the challenges at olive oil giant Grupo SOS
“We don’t want anyone to be out there chopping down rainforest, which is why we have strived to procure from sustainable sources” – Fonterra answers Greenpeace’s claims over palm oil
“It is clear that the economy – which should be the main driver of demand – isn’t really any better than six months ago” – Rabobank International analyst Mark Voorbergen questions whether a recovery in dairy prices is imminent.
“We are investing more money in the quality of our soup and if you are promoting deeply at the same time then the natural consequence is that there is going to be a margin impact” – New Covent Garden marketing manager Nick Munby on the impact of discounting and price promotions.
