The potential upsides in Diageo’s potential acquisition of a majority stake in India's United Spirits (USL) are clear but achieving acceptable profitability from the business may be tricky, according to one analyst.
It is "difficult to say" if New Zealand dairy exports will suffer as a result of the on-going concerns surrounding dicyandiamide (DCD) contamination, Rabobank has claimed.
Lawyers in the United States are queuing up to bring on board investors in KFC’s parent, Yum! Brands, for a class action lawsuit. The move follows nearly two months of questions concerning meat standards at the fast food chain’s Chinese operation.
SAB Miller is blaming ‘exceptionally cold and wet winter weather’ for a third quarter volume decline in China, which meant lager volumes declined in its Asia Pacific business by 1% overall.
Mengniu saw its brand value plummet by more than 30% in 2012, as Chinese public concern over the safety of domestically-manufactured dairy products continued to turn consumers towards ‘safer’ international brands.
Chinese dairy Mengniu has further extinguished rumours that it is in talks to acquire milk supplier China Modern Dairy in a clarifying statement filed with the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.
Struggling tobacco farmers in the northern Philippines have been thrown a lifeline by the government, which will soon open a multi-million dollar food processing plant in Ilocos Sur, along with a trading centre in the province.
Faced with rapid growth which it is struggling to meet, McCain Foods’ Indian subsidiary has announced plans to invest a further US$69m to introduce a third manufacturing line at its potato processing plant in Mehsana.
Arla Foods has no plans to acquire, merge or partner with any other Chinese dairy industry players under its recently-unveiled five-year strategy, a spokesperson for the Denmark-based co-operative has revealed.
Cargill has reported a more than 300% increase in year-over-year second quarter net earnings, from $100 in 2012 to $409 million in 2013. The only blemishs on the earnings report were lingering effects from the 2012 drought in the US and overcapacity...
Thai food major Charoen Pokphand Foods will continue to view Vietnam as one of its biggest investment destinations, and this year the company plans to focus on growing its food processing business in the country.
Packaging firm Manjushree Technopack aims to double sales by 2015, driven by the growth of the middle class in India, and is poised to start construction on a fourth factory.
The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has slammed a move by one of the country’s major supermarket chains to heavily discount its private label products, accusing it of deploying a “Trojan horse” tactic.
INDUSTRY VOICES: HEAD OF AKTIEFOKUS CHINA, JACOB DE LICHTENBERG
Chinese beer giant Tsingtao Brewery is set to further consolidate its leading market position in Shaanxi by significantly expanding capacity with two new breweries, while AB InBev is also rumoured to be keen on penetrating the central Chinese province.
Heineken strongly denies to BeverageDaily.com that the resignation of several high-profile managers from its recent $6.53bn acquisition Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) attests to unrest at the Singapore-based firm.
A new player in the stevia supply market promising purity levels “unmatched in the market place” says it will be in a position to start supplying commercial quantities of extracts by Q1, 2013 from a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Thailand.
US agriculture giant Cargill aims to invest Rs50 crore (over US$91m) towards food processing across its Indian operation over the next two years. This figure also includes a US$73m corn milling unit, the head of its India operation has revealed.
After a decade of rising profits on the back of Chinese demand for coal and iron ore, Japan's two biggest biggest trading companies are shifting focus to food as bulk commodity prices and demand continue to wane.
New varieties of the Chinese red bayberry fruit are nearing production after successful trials were held by growers, while a deal to market the produce is in the offing.
Coca-Cola FEMSA has sealed a deal to acquire a majority stake in the Coca-Cola Company’s Philippines bottling operation in Mexico City, and hailed an import milestone in its history.
With rumors swirling that Japanese giant Suntory is considering a $6bn IPO next year, one analyst reasons that any desire to enter the UK market could see it target Barr Britvic Soft Drinks.
Multinational Suntory Holdings plans to sell shares in its non-alcoholic drinks business to fund a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) drive, according to unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg.
Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) has signed a deal to distribute Swedish cider Rekorderlig in Australia from January 2014, and said its sales and distribution strength would help consolidate the brand’s market-leading position.
INDUSTRY VOICES: HEAD OF AKTIEFOKUS CHINA, JACOB DE LICHTENBERG
For Chinese beer market followers, one of the most interesting developments over the last fortnight was Danish brewer Carlsberg’s announced strategy shift and expressed desire to acquire one of the nation's top three domestic brewers.
The chief executive of Danish chocolate and extruded whipping cake emulsifiers major Palsgaard has outlined the reasons behind the company's recent significant investment in the Asia-Pacific region.
It seems like the sale of Dole's worldwide packaged foods and Asia fresh business to Itochu is almost complete, following an announcement that the American fruit major's president will be joining Itochu to run the company's new acquisitions.
Australian food giant Goodman Fielder will offload its New Zealand flour milling business to Japanese firm Nisshin as part of its wider strategy to recover from struggling finances.
Yakult Honsha’s love affair with Yonghe is set to continue with the announcement of a second plant to be built in the economic zone in Guangzhou Province, China. The factory, which will produce the Yakult fermented milk drink, is slated to open in spring...
Despite positive news that the ailing company behind Rosella is likely to continue trading while a buyer is sought, Australia’s leading food production lobby has issued a stark warning that more support is needed from the government in the face of cheap...
Australia is the site of the latest battle between Neptune and Aker Biomarine. In addition to patent strife between the two krill majors in American courts, Canadian Neptune has now announced that it filed opposition to an Aker patent application earlier...
Swiss biotech firm Evolva has bought failing Fluxome’s, yeast-derived resveratrol business for about €550,000 in cash and shares, but says it has no interest in the remaining omega-3 business being sold by sealed auction.
With the growth of nutritional foods in India outpacing that of China, Danone’s subcontinent head for nutrition has announced plans to double sales in India over the next three years.
Wrigley has opened a factory in Guangzhou with an investment of over RMB1m (US$173.4m). The company claims that the 138,000sq-m site, in the Yonghe Economic Zone, is the largest, most technologically advanced manufacturing facility in its global supply...
Nestlé has amplified its nutrition presence by forming a joint venture to develop Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM). Orally consumed gastro products will be first off the rank based on an extract from the andrographis paniculata plant grown in Indian...
Japanese dairy giant Meiji Holdings has set aside 11.5bn yen ($140m, €110m) to build and equip a new processing plant under plans to increase its yogurt and milk product processing capabilities.
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.
A social media storm and petition have prompted Australian supermarket Woolworths to withdraw all juice supplies of infant drink brand Bebi from its shelves, although its infant suitable water line will remain.
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’.
Australian food firm Goodman Fielder said that thanks to better dialogue with its retail partners, agreed price increases across its bakery arm will help boost business further.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) yesterday approved Nestlé’s €9bn ($11.59bn) acquisition of infant nutrition business Pfizer Nutrition.
A delegation of municipal staff from south Beijing have returned home after seeking New Zealand’s expertise in food production ahead of the completion of a Sino-Kiwi agricultural park in the Chinese capital.
Understanding India’s consumer food trends is never an easy job, and with this in mind, Nestlé has opened its first research and development centre in the country. It will use the new facility to generate a better knowledge of the market, tastes and people.
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.
