A US-based investment firm insists that PepsiCo needs to focus on its most profitable brands and emerging markets such as China to bolster margins and regain ground on Coke.
NBTY Inc. has announced the acquisition of Balance Bar Company from Brynwood Partners, its private equity owner. Details of the deal were not announced.
After multiple abortive attempts in 2011, ConAgra Foods has announced that it has reached a ‘definitive agreement’ to buy Ralcorp Holdings, the largest manufacturer of private label food in the US.
SAB Miller CFO Jamie Wilson admits that the firm has suffered volume declines with Foster’s Group in Australia and is not regaining share, but claims that the takeover was never a ‘short-term journey’.
The nearly extinct Twinkie has received a scurry of free publicity over the past two weeks and the saga may just lead to Wonder Bread t-shirts and Twinkie imitations coming out of the woodwork, an analyst says.
Twinkies and Wonder Bread maker Hostess Brands has today filed a motion with the US Bankruptcy Court for permission to close the business and sell all assets.
Twinkies and Ding Dongs maker Hostess Brands says that if employees on strike are not back at work by 5pm EST today, it will move to liquidate the company.
Twinkie maker Hostess Brands says that if strike action at its bakeries does not end soon, it will move to “liquidate the company in a matter of days, not weeks”.
Coca-Cola has to "think and act like a lean start-up company" if it wants to stay ahead of the pack, using its Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) arm to make "more, earlier bets" to find the next big thing in beverages, says its procurement...
PepsiCo has officially opened a food and beverage innovation center in China to serve as a hub of product, packaging and equipment innovation for the business throughout Asia.
Kellogg and Wilmar’s 50:50 joint venture will dive into immediate opportunities in China’s developed snack market; using Pringles as its springboard, a Kellogg executive has said.
Dean Foods is eyeing further growth to close 2012, after strong third quarter performances from its Fresh Dairy Direct and WhiteWave-Alpro business segments.
Kraft Foods have reported strong third quarter 2012 results with growth fuelled by new products and gains in productivity, says the newly independent business.
Mondelēz International was weighed down by operational issues in Brazil and Russia in the third quarter (Q3) which harmed overall performance in its first results since it split from Kraft Foods in October.
Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Carlos Brito says his firm is ‘not happy’ with continued US market share losses for Budweiser, and expressed slight disappointment given rising brand health scores.
There are “multiple opportunities” to take upmarket New York City-based organic cold-pressed juice cleanse brand BluePrint into new categories, according to new owner Hain Celestial.
Hain Celestial’s Greek yogurt brand Greek Gods has been shielded from the price wars raging in the Greek yogurt category and continues to go from strength to strength, with sales surging by 35% in the latest quarter, say bosses.
Hillshire Brands Co. reported strong earnings in its first quarter as an independent company, reporting net income of $53 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 that ended Sept. 29.
Maple Leaf Foods recorded slightly lower bakery sales for the third quarter but its CEO said there were signs of improvement to the challenging bread market.
Kellogg’s boss John Bryant said he was "very disappointed" by the recent Mini-Wheats recall in a call with analysts yesterday, but insisted that it was not a reflection of "systemic" supply chain problems.
The “communication messages” around Air Delight - the aerated chocolate range launched by Hershey last summer - still need some work, bosses have admitted.
Food and beverage manufacturers with offices and factories on the East Coast have taken precautions to protect staff and keep their businesses running as smoothly as possible as Hurricane Sandy kicks in.
Flowers Foods has expanded its bakery empire with the acquisition of certain Sara Lee and Earthgrains assets and trademarks in California and Oklahoma City from Grupo Bimbo subsidiary BBU, Inc, for an undisclosed sum.
Underlying sales growth in North America dipped 3.5% at Unilever in the third quarter of 2012, although emerging markets continue to “offer outstanding growth opportunities”, said the firm.
The Hershey Company has reported a profit drop in its third quarter (Q3) results after tax rate rises, commodity costs and charges related to supply chain efficiencies hit the company’s results.
After buying Vermont Hard Cider Company for $305m, C&C Group said the firm offered it strong growth prospects due to low US cider penetration, while the deal also snagged it 20% of a Chinese start-up brand.
Dr Pepper Snapple CEO Larry Young has urged patience on the firm’s new mid-calorie TEN portfolio, as analysts quizzed him on whether the brand was cannibalizing regular Dr Pepper sales, down 2% in Q3 2012.
Twinkies-maker Hostess Brands says it hopes it will be able to exit Chapter 11 in a few months, but has warned employees in the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) that strike action will force it to liquidate...
PepsiCo has joined forces with Feed The Children, Walmart and Central Union Mission to distribute food, drink and personal care products to 800 impoverished families in Washington DC.
Food and nutrition giant Nestlé has reported improved sales in its 9-month results driven by growth in emerging markets, but Q3 was a little slower than last year.
A Chicago company has sued Nestlé over claims that 5-gallon water jugs it bought for its office dispensers were advertised as spring water when in fact they were filled with tap water.
Kellogg’s recent recall of two cereal products following a metal mesh contamination scare will cost the firm between $20-30m and will hit consumer trust in the short-term, an analyst says.
A California beverage company called LifeAID is trying to carve out new territory between energy beverages and sugary hydration drinks with a line of products aimed at golfers, cross fit enthusiasts and, now, partiers.
Unilever has added new ‘challenges and wants’ to its open innovation platform, this time seeking help with a stable natural red colour for fruit and dairy, and technologies to reduce sugar in ready to drink teas.
Ultima Foods has committed an additional $22m ($22.5m, €17.5m) in an effort to increase yogurt production capacity at its Granby plant – the second investment of its kind at the Canadian plant in the last six months.
Diamond Foods has said it will file all of its late SEC filings ‘as promptly as practicable’ following a second NASDAQ determination letter threatening delisting.
Nestlé will launch a reformulated version of single-serve coffee product Nescafé 1+2 Original in China this month, and claims that consumer tastes in the nation have changed.
Dispatches from the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) 2012
PepsiCo is developing a novel protein-based product designed to appeal to women that “won’t show up on a shelf the way you envision it”, revealed bosses at its Nutrition Ventures arm at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) this week.
Constellation Brands claims that Mexican brew Modelo Especial is now the ‘hottest’ beer brand in the US, and CEO Robert Sands says he expects it to become the next Corona.
The Kellogg Company has reformulated its Special K Protein Plus cereal and pushed it as a favorable choice for consumers looking manage weight over the fall.
