Headlines > Financial
Coca-Cola Hellenic hit by perfect political and economic storm
11-May-2012 - Economic and political uncertainty across its markets and ‘persistent’ input cost pressures have hit Coca-Cola Hellenic's first quarter results, with volume sale declines of two per cent and significant losses for the quarter.
AAK posts record high Q1 results as food ingredients segment shines
04-May-2012 - Swedish-based firm AarhusKarlshamm AB (AAK) has recorded its highest ever first quarter (Q1) results driven by its food ingredients arm and its Golden Foods/Golden Brands acquisition.
Milk giants slash supplier price
04-May-2012 - Dairy Crest and Robert Wiseman Dairies are cutting the price they pay suppliers for milk, with both citing the current ‘challenging’ market environment.
Biscuits, chocolate and developing markets drive growth for Kraft in Q1
04-May-2012 - Kraft Foods is off to a solid start to 2012 in its first quarter (Q1) results driven by sales growth in global biscuits and chocolate and strong performance in emerging markets.
UK dairy co-op buys sports nutrition firm in “added value” move
02-May-2012 - UK dairy co-operative First Milk has acquired leading UK sports nutrition player, CNP Professional, as it diversifies its operation out of the increasingly margin-pressured traditional dairy sector.
Export strengths tip EU food and drink industry
30-Apr-2012 - Europe’s food and drink industry has tipped its decade-long downward export balance; a shift defined by strong export figures underpinned by emerging market demands, according to FoodDrinkEurope.
China’s Bright Food may claim first European 'beachhead' with Weetabix, but others could be lurking – analyst
24-Apr-2012 - Chinese company Bright Food is reportedly in talks with Lion Capital to acquire British cereal maker Weetabix and could make its first mark on Europe, according to an analyst.
Nestlé’s €9bn Pfizer buy may face anti-trust trouble
23-Apr-2012 - Nestlé’s $11.85bn (€9.02bn) acquisition of Pfizer Nutrition may run into anti-trust hurdles after it beat Danone to the drug giant’s global infant nutrition business, according to an analyst.
Kellogg issues profit warning ahead of Q1 results
23-Apr-2012 - Cereal giant Kellogg has lowered its financial guidance for 2012 as declining European sales led it to perform below expectations in its first quarter (Q1) results.
Cargill agrees sale of juice blends and compounds business to Wild Flavors
18-Apr-2012 - Cargill has signed an agreement that will see Wild Flavors acquire its global juice cold blends and compounds business for an undisclosed amount, subject to anti-trust approvals.
'Disappointing' Tesco contract loss not linked to new dairy closure plans: Dairy Crest
17-Apr-2012 - Dairy Crest has announced the loss of its Tesco milk contract but says this bears no relation to new plans to close two dairies, as it cuts costs to sustain profitability in an 'extremely challenging' liquid milk market.
Kraft 2012 outlook stable in face of commodity pressures, says rating agency
12-Apr-2012 - Risks remain for Kraft Foods ahead of its planned split as it is squeezed by commodity costs, but it will sustain growth in 2012, according to the rating agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P).
Lees Foods management buy-out welcomed by experts
11-Apr-2012 - The £5.6M management buy-out of Scottish confectioner Lees Foods and its plans to restore the business to private ownership has been welcomed by city analysts.
Coca-Cola Enterprises CEO drops German acquisition hint
10-Apr-2012 - Coca-Cola Enterprises CEO John Brock has hinted that the German market remains a “continuing window” in terms of potential acquisitions for Coke’s third largest worldwide bottler.
Molson Coors snaps up StarBev and plans to push ‘aspirational’ premium brands in CEE
04-Apr-2012 - Molson Coors has swooped to takeover Staropramen brewer StarBev for €2.65bn and says it aims to leverage its own premium brands in central and eastern Europe (CEE) citing the success of Carling in the Ukraine, which it said was now an ‘aspirational’ London-linked drink.
Kerry Foods' mooted Durham closure forced by meaty competition
02-Apr-2012 - Kerry Foods has been forced to consider closure of its meats and home baking factory in Durham, amid bullish competition in the cooked meats sector from larger UK players.
Food and drink exports 'essential' to UK economy
28-Mar-2012 - Food and drink exports from the UK will play a vital part in the UK’s economic recovery, according to agriculture minister Jim Paice, after it was revealed that exports topped the £12bn barrier last year.
Kraft Foods reveals new name for global snacks business
22-Mar-2012 - Kraft Foods has today announced the name of its global snacks spin-off and its North American grocery business.
Retailers, food sector and regulators debate food information transparency
21-Mar-2012 - A Brussels-based initiative on food information transparency using smart phone technology is gaining momentum with a broad stakeholder forum involving EU regulators, retailers and food manufacturers meeting on key project priorities yesterday.
Real Good Food sales jump 27%
20-Mar-2012 - UK bakery and ingredients firm Real Good Food has posted sales and profit growth in its half year results.
Premier Foods bank deal in “last chance saloon”
14-Mar-2012 - Troubled giant Premier Foods is still in “the last chance saloon” after it agreed a four-and-half-year re-financing package with its lenders this week (March 12), according to Martin Deboo, financial specialist with Investec Securities.
Middle Eastern, EU turmoil hits Friesland Campina’s speciality cheese sales
14-Mar-2012 - Dutch dairy concern Friesland Campina (FC) has reported that branded cheese sales in 2011 were hit by European consumers trading down from brands to cheaper products, and Middle Eastern turmoil.
Lenders give Premier some vital breathing space; Rose's and Paxo may be up for grabs
13-Mar-2012 - Several private label and secondary and tertiary brands such as Paxo Stuffing are likely to be divested by Premier Foods in the coming months, claim analysts, as the UK manufacturer gets breathing space from investors.
Bonduelle acquisitions mark North American strategy shift
13-Mar-2012 - Bonduelle said its acquisition of three processing plants and one repacking centre in the US would boost the volume of its frozen vegetable offerings in the country by around 150%.
Dairy Crest’s hints at ‘au revoir’ to French spreads as acquisition strategy stalls
09-Mar-2012 - Dairy Crest surprised analysts today by announcing a strategic review of its French branded spreads business, St Hubert, with a possible divestment on the cards, and said that large dairy concerns based in the country didn't 'seemed keen' to let foreign companies complete acquisitions there.
Spotlight
  Sainsbury claims fastest web food retailer growthThe UK’s third largest supermarket Sainsbury claims to be the country’s fastest growing online food retailer in... |
 Export strengths tip EU food and drink industryEurope’s food and drink industry has tipped its decade-long downward export balance; a shift defined by strong... |
 UK dairy co-op buys sports nutrition firm in “added value” moveUK dairy co-operative First Milk has acquired leading UK sports nutrition player, CNP Professional, as it diversifies... |
 Tangerine gains license for Vimto branded Bon Bon sweetsUK firm Tangerine Confectionery has reached a licensing agreement with Vimto to manufacture Vimto Bon Bon sweets. |