Convenience foods & snacks

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Chaucer sold to Japanese food firm in €122m deal

By Louis Gore-Langton

British food firm Chaucer has been sold to Japanese manufacturer Nagatanien in a £102.8m (€122.8m) deal which the freeze-dried food manufacturer says will help it expand into the US and Asia.

‘Hot dog’ name ban shows officials’ desire to take offence

Snapshot from Malaysia

‘Hot dog’ name ban shows officials’ desire to take offence

By RJ Whitehead

In conversation with an Uber driver in Kuala Lumpur, it will never be long before he mentions hot dogs. They are a subject on everyone’s lips now, after Malaysian religious authorities denied halal certification to an American fast-food chain partly because,...

Yum! doing well in India by providing local offerings

Yum! doing well in India by providing local offerings

By RJ Whitehead

Yum! Brands’ Indian operation has reported a significant improvement in current business, with Pizza Hut indicating a rise of 6% and KFC doubling that performance with a 13% improvement, with new menus and promotions driving sales.

Choice names Shonky winners: Three F&B brands receive awards

This week Down Under

Choice names Shonky winners: Three F&B brands receive awards

By RJ Whitehead

Choice, the Australian consumer advocacy group, has taken its pick for this year’s Shonky awards, with three food and beverage brands and one diet taking their places among the annual brand booby prizes.

Discretionary choices contribute to over a third of energy intake in Australia, ©iStock

Reformulation of discretionary products would have limited impact

By Gary Scattergood

Reformulating products such as biscuits, confectionary and sugar-sweetened beverages would have only a “small to moderate” impact on the diets of Australians, while simply telling people to eat less is “unsustainable”, an international diabetes conference...

Indian ingredient firm Roha opens German base

Indian ingredient firm Roha opens German base

By Gary Scattergood

Indian-based ingredient firm Roha has continued its global expansion by opening a German office to increase technical and consumer support in Europe. 

Beef consumption in India is an incredibly taboo subject

Indian police have beef with biriyani

By Oscar Rousseau

The north Indian state of Haryana has the second-highest number of complaints reported to the police, but authorities have bizarrely been tasked with sniffing out beef-laced biriyani. 

FIA says progress is being made around GDA labelling in Asia

Singapore and Malaysia lead the way with voluntary GDA labelling roll-out

By Gary Scattergood

‘Significant progress’ has been made in rolling-out voluntary Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) nutrition labelling in Asia over the past four years, but more work is needed to educate consumers and emphasise their benefits to small and medium-sized enterprises...

Mintel's Yogmaya Chatterjee

India’s food trends: What’s hot and what's not

By Gary Scattergood

Indian consumers are increasingly aware that all fats are not bad, are demanding more products that offer “complete wellness” and are becoming increasingly opening to exploring alternative proteins and natural sugars.

Former MD of Wrigley India takes reigns at Mondelēz India Foods. ©iStock/Marcio Silva

Mondelēz appoints ex-Wrigley boss as India MD

By Oliver Nieburg

Mondelēz International has named the managing director for its India business months after inaugurating a chocolate plant in Andhra Pradesh that will be its largest Asia Pacific plant.

FSSAI increases scientific panels as charm offensive continues

South Asia radius

FSSAI increases scientific panels as charm offensive continues

By RJ Whitehead

India’s food regulator has increased the number of scientific panels that inform it, and boosted the frequency of their meetings in the wake of the Maggi instant noodles controversy that hit the packaged food industry last year.

Multiple cereal benefits uncovered in first-of-its-kind study

Australia

Multiple cereal benefits uncovered in first-of-its-kind study

By RJ Whitehead

A first-ever scientific analysis of different types of breakfast cereals and their impact on the health of Australians has found positive benefits for body weight and nutrition, regardless of the type of cereal and its sugar content.

Americana sale back on, NFPC sale off

Americana sale back on, NFPC sale off

By Eliot Beer

The sale of Americana finally went ahead this month, with Adeptio paying US$2.4bn, while NFPC abandoned its sale attempt, with potential buyers’ scepticism over expansion plans blamed. 

Mezzan buys into KSA’s Al Safi for $25m

Mezzan buys into KSA’s Al Safi for $25m

By Eliot Beer

Kuwaiti food conglomerate Mezzan Holding will buy into Saudi Arabia’s Al Safi Food for up to US$25m, while EIP, one of the buyers of Diamond Meat Processing, eyes further purchases.

Nestlé has decided to appoint Ulf Mark Schneider as its new CEO, starting on 1 January 2017

Nestlé appoints new CEO

By Will Chu

Food giant Nestlé has appointed Ulf Mark Schneider as its new CEO, effective from the start of next year.

Fsanz awards Ingredion’s Hi-Maize digestive health claim approval

Australia

Fsanz awards Ingredion’s Hi-Maize digestive health claim approval

By RJ Whitehead

Ingredion has obtained a general-level digestive health claim from the A for its Hi-Maize resistant starch stating that the ingredient “helps to maintain/support a healthy digestive system when consumed as part of a healthy diet made up of a variety of...

IOI has announced it will not only drop the court case against RSPO but has pledged to sign up to RSPO Next, the certification body's strictest policy. © iStock

IOI drops legal action against RSPO

By David Burrows

Palm oil supplier IOI Corporation Berhad has ditched plans to sue the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), saying it has “engaged” with customers, NGOs and the RSPO to resolve the matter.

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Empowering Women Through the Life Cycle

Empowering Women Through the Life Cycle

As discussions around female empowerment widen, and advances in women’s health access and provision accelerate, the implications for business, healthcare,...