just-food bloggers

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Cyber attack - another wake-up call for business 28 Jun 2017

Dean Best

A month after an international cyber attack hit entities including the UK's National Health Service and Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica, another has caused havoc around the world, affecting businesses including shipping group Maersk and, in our industry, Mondelez International.

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A bad fortnight for self-regulation 23 Jun 2017

Ben Cooper

Recent events in Canada, Brussels and the UK suggest the task of defending self-regulation as the best way to prevent the commercial activities by food companies from exacerbating childhood obesity is not getting any easier.

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Amazon Whole Foods - industry reacts 16 Jun 2017

Dean Best

In one of those stories that shakes the sector, Amazon today (16 June) announced a move to buy US-based natural and organics retailer Whole Foods Market. Here's how a range of stakeholders have reacted to the US$13.7bn, all-cash deal.

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Reckitt Benckiser clears final Mead Johnson hurdle 13 Jun 2017

Dean Best

The final regulatory approval needed for the UK-based consumer goods giant's takeover of the US infant formula maker has been received, with the US$17.9bn deal set to be completed on Thursday (15 June).

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Barilla puts sustainability centre stage 23 May 2017

Ben Cooper

Barilla's 2016 results statement, published last week, makes interesting reading, not because of the Italian food group's commercial performance, but for the emphasis placed on sustainability achievements.

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UK M&A deal volumes slide in early months of 2017 22 May 2017

Dean Best

Fresh data from Grant Thornton indicates the number of mergers and acquisitions in the UK food and drink sector fell to the lowest level for over two years in the first quarter of in 2017 - but the accountancy and advisory firm has insisted the amount of M&A activity remains "healthy".

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Food policy returns to focus in Westminster 27 Apr 2017

Ben Cooper

Amid the political turmoil in the UK caused by the EU Referendum, the resignation of a Prime Minister, subsequent burning debates over the Brexit “divorce” settlement and now by the surprise announcement of a general election, it is easy to forget food policy was briefly elevated up the political agenda last year. It returns to focus in Westminster for a few hours today (27 April).

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Danone closes WhiteWave, who will acquire Stonyfield? 13 Apr 2017

Katy Askew

Danone completed its US$12.5bn acquisition of WhiteWave Foods this week. The move will roughly double Danone's presence in North America, where WhiteWave is a top four dairy player.

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Premier Foods pension news offers cheer but challenges remain 28 Mar 2017

Katy Askew

Premier Foods plc revealed today (28 March) it has secured a deal with its pension scheme trustees that will see the UK food maker reduce its pension burden.

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Another reshuffling of pack at Hain Celestial 13 Mar 2017

Dean Best

Hain Celestial, under the scrutiny of the investment community in recent months and facing some challenges in its domestic market, has announced another shuffling of its management pack.

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FrieslandCampina looking to sell final non-dairy asset 2 Mar 2017

Dean Best

FrieslandCampina, which today served up higher profits but lower sales for 2016, is ready to offload the last non-dairy business owned by the Dutch cooperative giant.

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just-food back up and running 23 Feb 2017

Dean Best

To follow on from our earlier notice and after some hard work from our technical team, just-food is back live after today's power outage.

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Storm Doris causes power outage at just-food 23 Feb 2017

Dean Best

Much of the UK has felt the impact of Storm Doris today - and just-food's head office has been no exception.

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Fyffes to face Ethical Trading Initiative disciplinary committee 17 Feb 2017

Dean Best

A year after union officials alleged Fyffes abused workers on plantations in Central America - and called on the produce giant to be kicked out of the Ethical Trading Initiative forum - the company is set to go before a committee at the UK-based organisation.

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Could 3G Capital's next move be in foodservice? 15 Feb 2017

Dean Best

Much of the chatter about where 3G Capital could look next has centred on packaged food - but might the private-equity fund be about to extend its foodservice empire?

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Safety allegations could tarnish Mead Johnson's reputation 10 Feb 2017

Katy Askew

Headlines that Mead Johnson's board has backed Reckitt Benckiser's takeover bid will no doubt overshadow the other news on the group this week – that it is facing a US lawsuit from a “whistle blower” over alleged breaches of safety procedures.

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The list of UK's top five grocers has a new member 7 Feb 2017

Dean Best

Kantar Worldpanel issued its monthly supermarket share data in the UK this morning - and the numbers showed a change in the identity of the country's top five food retailers.

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JBS names board for international spin-off - and one name stands out 31 Jan 2017

Dean Best

JBS, the Brazil-based meat giant, is in the process of listing of its international business and has this week named a clutch of directors that are set to sit on the spin-off's board.

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One major investment bank believes US-China trade war unlikely 23 Jan 2017

David Leggett

Although risks of trade friction have increased with Donald Trump's election as US President, a research note from investment bank Credit Suisse sees an all-out trade war between the country and China as unlikely.

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UK food industry gives cautious welcome to Theresa May's Brexit speech 18 Jan 2017

Dean Best

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has shed some light on what she wants from the country's negotiations to leave the EU and its post-Brexit future - and the food sector has given her speech a cautious welcome.

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Unilever - consumers in emerging markets care more about sustainability 5 Jan 2017

Dean Best

Unilever, one of the consumer goods companies seen in the vanguard of sustainable business, has issued data it claims shows the issue is a bigger driver of shopper behaviour in emerging markets than in the developed world.

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We wish you a merry Christmas 23 Dec 2016

Dean Best

Today (23 December) is just-food's last day before closing for Christmas. We'll return, raring to go on Tuesday 3 January - but of course there's been plenty of top-notch content that has gone live in recent days for you to get you teeth into before then.

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UK food associations come together on Brexit 9 Dec 2016

Dean Best

The plethora of food manufacturing associations in the UK has been argued by some to be an impediment to the industry coming to a coherent position on the aftermath of Brexit and on what the sector should be demanding from the country's government now and ahead of talks with the EU. This week, more than 30 bodies published an open letter on the subject of labour, one of the critical issues facing the sector.

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Amazon cools talk of plans for wave of grocery stores 9 Dec 2016

Dean Best

An update on Amazon's plans for the grocery sector. The usually reticent retailer has this week poured cold water on claims it has plans for 2,000 physical grocery stores.

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Will Amazon Go be retail "game-changer"? 6 Dec 2016

Dean Best

Ask any FMCG executive to list the trends shaking up the sector and digital and e-commerce will be pretty high on the list. Drill down into that and Amazon will be one of the subjects in the digital sphere of keen interest to consumer goods manufacturers the world over. And the US behemoth's latest venture has certainly got the industry talking.

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UK food producers call for "best possible single market access" post-Brexit 1 Dec 2016

John Shepherd

Since Theresa May took over as UK Prime Minister in the wake of the country's referendum vote to quit the European Union, she and her ministers have been at pains not to divulge their negotiating position for leaving the bloc.

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How do you see 2017 panning out for your business? 30 Nov 2016

Dean Best

We are running our annual Confidence Survey - now in its fifth year - to provide to our readers a snapshot of how they and their peers in the international food industry see the year ahead unfolding. The latest survey is live and takes just a few moments to fill in.

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Greenpeace trains sights on Sainsbury's over John West tuna 22 Nov 2016

Dean Best

Greenpeace's long-running campaign against UK tuna brand John West, owned by seafood giant Thai Union, is now directing its fire against Sainsbury's.

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Post-Trump victory, TPP trade deal appears dead 15 Nov 2016

Dean Best

The Obama administration appears to have conceded the landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal will not be pushed through in the lame-duck session of Congress before Donald Trump is inaugurated in January.

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Food industry highlights Hallowe'en pumpkin waste 28 Oct 2016

Katy Askew

UK consumers are being urged to think of other ways to use their jack-o-lanterns and cut the millions of tonnes of pumpkin that is wasted at this time of year.

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