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60-second interview: Gerald Abelson, president, MNC Multinational Consultants

Food M&A: Corporate re-engineering, the rise of gluten-free … and the lure of Croatia?

26-Oct-2011 - Should PepsiCo split in two? Are energy shots a flash in the pan? Is gluten-free where the smart money is? Elaine Watson caught up with Gerald Abelson, president of Canadian corporate finance expert MNC Multinational Consultants to find out.

News in brief

Sara Lee sells foodservice coffee business to Smucker

25-Oct-2011 - Sara Lee has said it will sell the majority of its foodservice tea and coffee business to The J.M. Smucker Company for $350m, continuing its efforts to streamline the business.

‘It’s our fault’ if we can’t grow US business, bullish Coke CEO insists

21-Oct-2011 - Coca-Cola Company chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent insists that if Coca-Cola can’t continue to grow sales in the US then the company only has itself to blame.

Study suggests Roselle could provide industrially viable quantities of natural red colour

20-Oct-2011 - A Hibiscus herb species known as Roselle may be a good source of natural red pigments for applications in the food industry, according to new research investigating the extraction of anthocyanins from the species.

US and China shine for Yakult as it gets back on track post Japanese quake

20-Oct-2011 - The US and China were the star performers in Yakult’s global probiotics empire in 2011 and are set for further significant investment in 2012, bosses have revealed.

Chr. Hansen expands natural colors R&D capacity in Wisconsin

19-Oct-2011 - Chr. Hansen has expanded its applications laboratory and R&D staff at its Milwaukee, Wisconsin center to provide greater specialization in natural colors, the company has said.

Is there room for PepsiCo in the yogurt fixture? Absolutely, says Euromonitor

19-Oct-2011 - With per capita consumption of yogurt in the US still way behind western Europe, a major new market entrant such as PepsiCo could breathe fresh life into the fixture and generate incremental sales rather than merely stealing market share off the top two players, according to one analyst.

‘Phenomenal’ new salt enhancer takes SupplySide West by storm

19-Oct-2011 - The reaction from food manufacturers to Horphag Research Nutrition’s (HRN’s) new clean-label salt-taste enhancer Salty-R has been so positive bosses are already predicting “significant sales by mid-2012”.

Pepsi mulls broader rollout for Pepsi NEXT in Q1 2012

17-Oct-2011 - PepsiCo is gearing up for a possible roll-out of its new mid-calorie cola Pepsi NEXT in the first quarter of next year.

PepsiCo on Trop50: ‘We’re selling everything we can make’

13-Oct-2011 - Stevia-sweetened fruit drink Trop50 has been the runaway success story in PepsiCo’s US beverages business this year with volumes of the mid-calorie beverage up 50% in the third quarter, PepsiCo has revealed.

Synergy expands US flavors empire with Sethness Greenleaf acquisition

12-Oct-2011 - Synergy has expanded its US flavors empire with the acquisition of beverage flavors expert Sethness-Greenleaf less than three weeks after snapping up natural extracts specialist Sensus, almost doubling the size of its US business overnight.

Cargill earnings down 66% on global economic turmoil

11-Oct-2011 - Cargill has reported a ‘tough quarter’ for Q1 2012 with dramatically tighter margins, citing global economic turmoil and volatile commodity markets.

Hershey seeks stronger foothold in health & wellness market with more cocoa-based functional foods

11-Oct-2011 - More functional foods capitalizing on the health benefits of cocoa should hit shelves next year as confectionery giant Hershey seeks to gain a stronger foothold in the health and wellness market via its new Apure subsidiary.

Leprino Foods gears up for November launch of monster dairy

11-Oct-2011 - A monster dairy processing facility claimed to be one of the “largest, most modern and technologically advanced plants in the world” is scheduled to open in the first week of November, family owned pizza cheese giant Leprino Foods has confirmed.

Ferrero and Hershey partnership targets supply chain efficiencies

07-Oct-2011 - The Ferrero Group and The Hershey Company have announced a partnership under which they will share North American supply chain processes in order to reduce costs and carbon emissions.

News in brief

Ralcorp completes acquisition of Sara Lee's Refrigerated Dough ops

07-Oct-2011 - Ralcorp confirmed this week it had closed the $545m deal to buy Sara Lee’s Refrigerated Dough Business.

News in brief

Danisco hikes up its hydrocolloid prices by up to 15%

06-Oct-2011 - Danisco has announced global price increases of 5 to 15% for its Grindsted range of hydrocolloids, which will be effective from 1 November this year.

Clean-label salt enhancer could help slash sodium by 35% and counter bitterness of KCl

05-Oct-2011 - A new salt enhancer claimed to help food manufacturers slash salt by 25- 35% without breaking the bank or compromising their clean-labels will be unveiled at the SupplySide West show in Las Vegas next week.

Production re-starts at canola protein maker BioExx as headhunter is called in to recruit new boss

05-Oct-2011 - Production has re-commenced at the Saskatoon plant of Canadian canola protein specialist BioExx following a shutdown while bosses upgraded facilities to boost production capacity and efficiency.

New gum blend could offer relief for instant beverage makers as guar prices hit new highs

04-Oct-2011 - A proprietary blend of gums that can replace straight guar gum in instant powdered beverages and offer a cleaner taste profile could provide some relief for firms reeling from rocketing guar prices, according to TIC Gums.

Yakult USA volumes ratchet up as it prepares to open first US plant

30-Sep-2011 - Japanese probiotic pioneer Yakult is now selling more than 118,000 bottles of its signature probiotic drink a day in the US (based on average sales Jan-June 2011) compared with 110,000 in mid-2010 and 90,000 in 2009.

Dispatches from the ADA conference 2011

Bazi launches bid to dominate new healthy energy shot market

30-Sep-2011 - The firm behind Bazi – an antioxidant-rich energy shot claimed to trump rivals in the nutrition stakes – reckons it could be a $100m brand in four to five years as consumers look for something that will give them more than a caffeine blast.

FoodJobs: People on the Move

29-Sep-2011 - It's been a month of big moves in the food industry, as FoodNavigator-USA brings you this latest photo gallery round-up of executive appointments in the food manufacturing and ingredients sectors over the past month.

Dispatches from the ADA 2011 conference

Miller mulls first foray into finished goods with gluten-free range

28-Sep-2011 - One of the largest milling companies in the US is considering making its first foray into gluten-free finished goods after establishing a name for itself in the gluten-free flour and bakery mixes market.