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Ralcorp announces Post and Ralcorp board members following Post spin-off

16-Jan-2012 - Ralcorp Holdings has announced the composition of its board of directors and that of Post Holdings following the spin-off of the Post cereal business from Ralcorp, planned for completion by the end of the month.

Hostess financial woes due to 'ineffective executives', says union leader

13-Jan-2012 - A major bakery workers union has hit out against Hostess Brands for its assertion that pensions obligations were a principal reason for its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, blaming 'ineffective executives' instead.

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Penford completes Carolina Starches acquisition

13-Jan-2012 - Penford Corporation has completed its acquisition of Carolina Starches, a manufacturer of modified starches and starch blends with annual revenue of about $25m, the company has said.

ADM to slash 1,000 jobs

12-Jan-2012 - Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) intends to cut 1,000 jobs, or about 3% of its global workforce, as part of an effort to save about $100m a year, the company said on Wednesday.

Imperial Sugar loss widens, shares fall to year-low

11-Jan-2012 - Imperial Sugar’s share price slumped to a 52-week low on Wednesday, after it reported a wider net loss in the fourth quarter and missed analyst expectations by $1.84.

Twinkies maker Hostess Brands files for bankruptcy

11-Jan-2012 - Wonder bread and Twinkies maker Hostess Brands has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to allow it to restructure, but does not expect to stop producing or delivering any of its products during the process, the company said on Wednesday.

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Pfizer still courting suitors for $1.87bn nutrition division

11-Jan-2012 - Nestlé, Danone, Abbott Laboratories and Heinz remain in the running to purchase the $1.87bn nutrition division of Pfizer, its CEO Ian Read confirmed yesterday.

Cargill reports third consecutive quarter of squeezed margins, profits plunge 88%

10-Jan-2012 - Cargill has reported an 88% drop in profits in the second quarter, as volatile financial markets hit its commodity-based trading and asset management businesses.

Hansen gets green light to turn into a Monster

06-Jan-2012 - Soft drinks maker Hansen Natural has secured its shareholders’ approval to change its name to Monster Beverage Corporation to better reflect the dominant role the Monster energy drink brand plays in its business.

Distributor Batory Foods acquires Mac & Massey

06-Jan-2012 - Food and ingredients distributor Batory Foods has acquired Atlanta, Georgia based ingredient broker and distributor Mac & Massey for an undisclosed sum, although the company is calling it the largest acquisition in its 33-year history.

Allergen management improving, but still work to do, says Deloitte

05-Jan-2012 - Food manufacturers are upping their game on allergen management, but many still take information from ingredients suppliers about allergens “at face value without further verification”, according to a survey by Deloitte & Touche.

Gelatine giant Rousselot grows with North American acquisition

04-Jan-2012 - The world’s foremost supplier of gelatine to the confectionery industry Rousselot has acquired North American gelatine manufacturer Eastman Gel.

Looking back on a busy year for food industry M&A…

21-Dec-2011 - M&A activity increased by over a third in the past year, as food and beverage companies looked for new growth opportunities both at home and in new markets. FoodNavigator-USA looks back at some of the biggest deals of the year.

General Mills looks to China as profits slump 28%

21-Dec-2011 - General Mills profits fell 27.5% in its second quarter results as the company said it was eyeing investment in China to improve its fortunes.

ConAgra squeezed by higher food costs, but beats expectations

20-Dec-2011 - Food manufacturer ConAgra Foods has reported a 14% drop in its second-quarter profits, under pressure from higher food commodity costs, despite increased sales.

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Horizon Milling and Cargill to build flour mill to service Canadian market

16-Dec-2011 - Cargill and its partner Horizon Milling have announced plans to construct a flour mill in Ontario, Canada.

Diamond shares fall to two-year low on news of SEC probe

16-Dec-2011 - Diamond Foods shares fell to their lowest level in two years on Thursday, after the company said it had received a formal order of investigation from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding the accounting of its payments to walnut growers.

Kraft’s carbon emissions from plants ‘negligible’

16-Dec-2011 - The vast majority of Kraft Foods’ carbon emissions come from outside its manufacturing facilities, according to a survey mapping its environmental footprint, but the full picture may look quite different as full results are withheld.

'Not about tree-hugging': Sustainability is simply good for business

15-Dec-2011 - Companies should be concerned about their environmental sustainability - but it has more to do with ensuring profitability than it does with saving the planet, according to president of Bluehorse Associates Sara Pax.

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Callebaut improves credit rating

15-Dec-2011 - Barry Callebaut has announced that its credit rating has been upgraded.

Kellogg momentum has slowed again in Q4, claims analyst

15-Dec-2011 - Kellogg might have been outpacing rivals in the cereals category in the first three quarters but its volumes have started to drop off again and it remains under pressure thanks to “weak fundamentals”, according to a new report.

Hollywood A-list vodka brand sparks legal dogfight

13-Dec-2011 - An investor behind a super-premium vodka brand whose website features US celebrities such as Meryl Streep is involved in a bitter legal battle with its creators, who have called him “uneducated and unstable”.

Road to the top: How the new Kraft bosses measure up

13-Dec-2011 - Kraft Foods is set to split into two companies next year, with Irene Rosenfeld at the helm of a new $31bn global snacks firm and Anthony (Tony) Vernon to head the $17bn North American grocery company. FoodNavigator-USA looks at the paths they each took to reach the top jobs at Kraft.