'Mood foods' are on the rise, says Mintel
Consumers are looking for foods and drinks that influence how they feel, whether that’s a drink that helps them sleep, or an indulgent ice cream. Mintel’s global food science analyst Laura Jones explains.
Archives for December 10, 2013
CPGs missing the boat on e-commerce: Deloitte
Consumer packaged goods companies are underestimating the growth potential of online sales and still lack clear e-commerce strategies, according to a new study from consulting firm Deloitte LLP.
Czech meat consumption falls
Meat consumption in the Czech Republic decreased by 1.5% compared with last year to about 77.4kg.
WhiteWave Foods enters produce aisle with Earthbound Organic acquisition
Consumer packaged food and beverage firm WhiteWave Foods has acquired organic food brand Earthbound Farm from its existing shareholders led by Kainos Capital and founders Drew and Myra Goodman, for approximately $600 million in cash.
‘Buzzworthy’ superfood ingredients invigorate US hot cereal market
Ingredients like chia and quinoa have scored manufacturers points in the thriving hot cereal segment, a Mintel analyst says.
Better animal welfare from meat industry, finds report
US and European meat processors and retailers have made “noticeable improvements” in their farm animal welfare management and reporting, according to a new report.
Porcupine, bats and caterpillar found in freezers
Police have seized nearly 90kg of bushmeat including porcupine, gazelle and bats from premises in Paris, France last week.
Aspartame is safe, EFSA concludes
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has completed a major review of aspartame’s safety, and has concluded that the sweetener is safe for the general population at current consumption levels.
38 sickened by Salmonella from novel source
A novel vehicle for Salmonella infection which sickened 38 people in the UK has been studied by researchers.
Unilever’s Flora ad trouble spreads to Spain
The Spanish advertising authority, Autocontrol, has accused Unilever of misleading advertisement of its Flora pro-activ spread by failing to include a statement stipulating target audience and conditions of consumption of the cholesterol-lowering product...
Woolies calls on Aldi to level the playing field
It’s shopping bags at dawn in the latest battle in Australia’s supermarket war, with Woolworths pointedly accusing Aldi of not playing fair and urging the discount retailer to sign the same voluntary code of conduct it and Coles had signed last month.
CDC: Salmonella outbreak from chicken in frozen meals
44 people were sickened in 18 states in 2010 from chicken in a ConAgra entrée, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Apricot kernel cyanide prompts study
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) will launch a study on the risk of cyanide in raw apricot kernels.
Guar gum prices likely to plummet on ‘huge’ crop
Hydrocolloids expert Dennis Seisun has just returned from his third annual visit to Jodhpur in India to check on the guar crop there, and reports “in a nutshell, a huge crop – larger than there’s ever been”.
Food and grocery keen to tap into new Aus-Korea trade deal
The news this week that Australia and South Korea have reached a free-trade agreement is a “tremendous shot in the arm for Australia's food and grocery manufacturing sector”.
Bird flu strikes again in Hong Kong
A second person has fallen ill with avian influenza H7N9 in Hong Kong, although authorities have labelled it an “imported case”.